The Issue of Blood Diamonds free essay sample

Thomas Mr. Butler amp; Ms. Flath 4A English I, 4B World Geography 6 February 2013 The Issue of Blood Diamonds What is the cause of major rebellions, riots, and coups in Africa? The blood diamond trade is one of the strongest illegal trades in Africa, which has been fueling conflict for approximately three decades. The primary purpose of blood diamond trading contributes to funding armed conflicts for guerrilla and militant forces. The diamonds are illegally mined in a conflict zone, which is then used by guerrilla forces to fight and rebel against government forces, the effect of which can be seen throughout most conflict-ridden nations of Africa. These precious stones saw a major use during the post-Cold War era, which funded for many conflicts in Africa. The blood diamond trade is the perfect example of natural resources in Africa being used for corrupt actions, trades, and conflict that must be prevented to save lives. We will write a custom essay sample on The Issue of Blood Diamonds or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page International attention must be sought and more jurisdictions should be taken into action. The issue of blood diamonds must be taken seriously before more innocent blood is shed and lives are lost, as in the past. Many countries that are notoriously affected with the issue of the blood diamond trade are Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly known as Zaire), Zimbabwe, the Republic of Congo, and Cote d’Ivoire (Armstrong). In the early 1980’s, the early forms of the blood diamond trade began to surface in these nations. However major campaigns of the blood diamond trade began in the 1990’s, especially after the end of the Cold War era (Armstrong). Mining conditions were poor as workers earned around seven cents a day, but they were willing to work through these horrible conditions as they hoped for a better life by mining for blood diamonds, which would be a quick way to prosper and help their family (Armstrong). One excellent example of blood diamonds contributing towards a civil conflict can be seen in the nation of Liberia during the Liberian Civil War between 1983-2003 (Doyle). The UN and global community accused the Liberian president Charles G. Taylor of supporting, training, and distributing weapons to insurgents of Sierra Leone in exchange for diamonds (Brown). Liberia was also accused of supplying blood diamonds to al-Qaeda, as this was the root cause of the bombing of U. S. embassies in 1998. The U. N. retaliated by applying sanctions during 2001. This act prevented Liberia from trading conflict diamonds with Sierra Leone as it caused turmoil (Brown). After the conflicts in Liberia, the nation is now a member of the Kimberley Certification Process as it has constructed a legitimate mining industry to ensure a clean diamond trade (Global Policy Forum) A second example of blood diamonds contributing towards conflict can be seen in the nation of Cote d’Ivoire (Reuters). A civil conflict in Cote d’Ivoire overthrew the central government of the country by a coup, causing a major civil war in the country (Reuters). It was soon discovered that blood diamonds were the root cause of the coup and the civil war in Cote d’Ivoire because the nation became a major blood diamond exporter and trading center along with Liberia (Brown). The U. N. retaliated to the conflict by ordering sanctions on all diamond mining and trading in the nation of Cote d’Ivoire to prevent further blood diamond trading and civil war. Sanctions on Cote d’Ivoire was lifted at the end of 2003 as the Kimberley Certification Process came into affect in Cote d’Ivoire. The nation of Sierra Leone was known to be the most notorious for the blood diamond trade (Brown). The issue of blood diamonds was discovered in Sierra Leone in 1991. Conflict began in 1991, when Revolutionary United Forces (R. U. F. ) crossed over from the Liberia-Sierra Leone border and attacked towns and villages in northern and eastern Sierra Leone (Hirsch, Questia). A year later in 1992, the same rebel force attacked and seized the diamond capital of Sierra Leone, the city of Kono (Brown). The N. P. R. F (National Provisioning Ruling Forces) attempted to restore law and order and stabilize the conflict-ridden area of Sierra Leone. This resulted in a major war against R. U. F and N. P. R. F belligerents (Brown). The N. P. R. F launched Operation Genesis to drive out the R. U. F. rebels. The operation carried out by the N. P. R. F to drive out the R. U. F rebels would prove to be a failure (Brown). The rebels decided to strike again during the Sierra Leonean election of 1996. R. U. F. rebels intimated voters by threatening to amputate civilians hands and legs in order to gain control of the diamond mines for illegal trades through politics (Global Post). Despite these brutal actions, the R. U. F was invited to partake in elections and, in doing so, they eventually became a political party through a forced peace agreement (Global Post). In July 1999, violence increased in Sierra Leone due to increased blood diamond trade. Sierra Leone was forced to sign a peace treaty with R. U. F. ebels by bringing them into the Sierra Leonean government and assigning many cabinet positions to them (Brown). Not wanting to rebuild the nation of Sierra Leone, the R. U. F. took advantage of the peace treaty by regaining control of diamond mines in the Kono district and the Tongo Field. Due to the actions of the R. U. F. , many innocent lives were killed, as no international intervention was presen t during this time (Brown). In 2001, exactly ten years after the civil war in Sierra Leone began, the United Nations decided to intervene in Sierra Leone. The sanctions enforced by the U. N. erent effective at all, making many nations to assume that the United Nations was lenient about this issue. Not until a year later in 2002 did the U. N. properly intervene in Sierra Leone by sending a 17,000 peacekeeping force into the conflict-torn nation to properly supervise the disarmament and the abdication of power by the R. U. F. The war in Sierra Leone would gain majority of international attention when Unasmil forces under the U. N. were denied access to investigate the R. U. F. held diamond mines, in the Tongo field and Kono district. The war ended in March 2003 while several R. U. F. members were held for many civil atrocities and war crimes (Brown). This incident would be the third time that the U. N. turned a blind eye on an issue that resulted in a serious matter. In addition, the U. N. also overlooked the genocides that occurred in Rwanda and Sudan, which began through minor conflicts. Due to the international communitys late response and the issue of blood diamonds in Sierra Leone, the U. N. has to ensure that Sierra Leone can govern itself without foreign assistance in the long run. The blood diamond trade in the nation Sierra Leone had a negative impact on Sierra Leone’s economy, politics, trade, and business. The U. N. gave little heed to what was happening in the nation, thus causing the blood diamond trade and the actions of the R. U. F. to weaken the nation of Sierra Leone. Blood diamonds in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly known as Zaire) have contributed greatly to its civil wars since the early 1980s (Blank). In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the effect of the illegal trade can be seen in the eastern portion of the nation, as the eastern D. R. C. , is the area that was heavily affected by civil warfare and diamonds. Various atrocities ranging from the violation of human rights to civil wars can be seen through the effects seen today in the D. R. C. (Blank). In the year 2000, the U. S. Campaign for the Elimination of Conflict Diamonds banned the trade of blood diamonds in the D. R. C. and also put in place the Clean Diamonds Trade Act of 2003. This act would prevent any future trade of conflict diamonds through the Kimberly Process Certification System (Blank). In the Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe, the blood diamond trade had come to an end through the Kimberly Process Certification System. This certification system made sure that a nation is not involved in the blood diamond trade (BBC News Africa). The system also makes sure that diamond mines are eligible for domestic and international trade through enforced laws and records. However, minor issues still existed in the diamond mining industry of these two nations. In the Republic of Congo, the Kimberly Certification Process expelled the nation, as many diamond mines had no official diamond industry. The Republic of Congo was expelled as it exported and sold large quantities of diamonds, which was not recorded accurately (BBC News Business). The Kimberly Certification Process accused the Republic of Congo for falsifying the certificates of origin, for exported diamonds. In Zimbabwe, the Marange Diamond Mine was notorious for blood diamond trading and diamond smuggling. However, the World Diamond Council monitored Zimbabwes diamond trade, especially from the Marange Diamond Mine (BBC News Africa). The Kimberly Certification Process issued that Zimbabwe can trade diamonds in the global market in 2010, after international reports and observations declared the mine, conflict free (BBC News Africa). Over the past two decades, several nations have been trying to prevent the blood diamond trade. The United States and Canada, especially, were the two nations that have been working hard in stopping the notorious trade. The United States issued Executive Order 13194, which agreed with U. N. sanctions on the importation and exportation of diamonds from Sierra Leone (U. S. Department of State). On April 25, 2003, President George W. Bush issued the Clean Diamond Act of 2003 (U. S. Department of State). This act banned rough diamond importation from Liberia, as it had been recognized by the United Nations for acting as a supplier of conflict diamonds in Sierra Leone (U. S. Department of State). In the year 2000, the nation of South Africa issued the Kimberly Certification Process on diamond trading. Canada was a strong supporter of this act and has passed laws of its own to prevent the sale and trade of conflict diamonds (Stop Blood Diamonds). Canada passed the Export and Import of Rough Diamonds Act during 2002. This act in Canada supervises the purpose the mined diamonds will be used for, whether foreign or domestic (Stop Blood Diamonds). The Export and Import of Rough Diamonds Act has issued identification numbers and certificates for business and jobs involved in the diamond business, to prevent the sale of conflict diamonds. The Kimberly Certification Process was launched to expose the use of diamonds in civil conflict and to prevent the illegal trade (Kimberley Certification Process, Encyclopedia Britannica). The certification process began as a simple method to find the link on how natural resources, such as diamonds, were related to conflict (Kimberley Certification Process, Encyclopedia Britannica). Since international pressure was mounting in many major diamond-producing nations, a conference in South Africa was established to discuss the prevention of blood diamonds (Global Witness). This meeting started a three-year negotiating conference, which would eventually establish the Kimberley Certification Process (The Official Website of South Africa). The United Nations General Assembly would eventually pass the Kimberley Certification Process to ensure that clean diamond trading is enforced. This act was put in place so that it could also monitor the occurrences of nations contributing to the blood diamond trade (Global Witness). How can the issue of blood diamonds be resolved? Nations such as the United States, Canada, and South Africa have passed clean diamond trading acts to prevent the illegal trades of blood diamonds (Hirsch, Questia). The nation of South Africa passed the Kimberly Certification Process in order to ensure clean diamond trading and business practices in many African nations, including those with conflict-ridden nations such as Sierra Leone, the D. R. C. , Zimbabwe, and Liberia (Worldpress). The United Nations must act now to prevent future conflicts that are related to blood diamonds. In Liberia, the U. N. ordered sanctions on the nation, but they had little effect as blood diamonds found its way into Sierra Leone. The peacekeeping force sent by the U. N. was not able to enforce the newly passed sanctions due to the issue of blood diamonds and its spread to from Liberia to Sierra Leone. This action by the U. N. would be disastrous as many nations accused the organization for â€Å"sympathizing† the nation of Liberia (Worldpress). In Sierra Leone, the U. N. took the issue of blood diamonds lightheartedly, which resulted in as the slaughtering and killing due to the R. U. F. rebels’ surge for political power in the nation. The U. N. sent a peacekeeping force of around 7,000, but it was too late. The late response of the U. N. resulted in the weakening of Sierra Leone due to the R. U. F. rebels’ warfare and the genocide of people during the Sierra Leonean elections of 1996 (Worldpress). Conflicts due to blood diamonds have also weakened the economy of Sierra Leone as well according to statistics and data by BBC. The issue of blood diamonds must be taken into serious consideration before more innocent blood is shed and lives are lost. The global community must come up with more jurisdictions, laws, and rules in order to prevent blood diamond trading in order to enforce clean diamond trading. Works Cited Blank, Laura. Conflict Diamonds and the Congo. n. d. 2 February 2013 lt;http://www. worldvision. org/content. nsf/about/congogt;. This article discusses about the effects of blood diamonds in the Congo during and after its civil conflict. The source describes about how the Congo is recovering from its recent blood diamond conflicts and how it is recovering. The source is reliable as the author has expertise in this subject by being a firsthand witness of blood diamonds and its effects in the Congo. Brown, Pervenia P. Blood Diamonds. 13 December 2005. 2 February 2012 lt;http://www. worldpress. org/Africa/2193. cfmgt;. This website by worldpress. org talks about the history of civil conflict due to blood diamonds in the nation of Sierra Leone. This source ranges from the early causes of the conflict, development of the conflict, and the aftermath of the conflict. The website is reliable as it is an accurate news web source of current events around the world. English Online. Blood Diamonds. February 2013 lt;http://www. english-online. at/current_affairs/blood-diamonds/african-diamond-conflict. htmgt;. English Online discusses about the effects of blood diamonds on conflict-ridden nations such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Ivory Coast, The Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, and many other nations. This source talks about the effects of the blood diamonds on people in nations notorious for the blood diamond trade. Hirsch, John L. Sierra Leone: Diamonds and the Struggle for Democracy. Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2001. This book talks about the blood diamond trade and its affects on politics in the nation of Sierra Leone. It also talks about the R. U. F. rebels and their rise to power by seizing diamond mines in order to sell mined diamonds for guerrilla warfare and political conflict. Loucoumane Couliably, Joe Bavier. Ivory Coast Wants Blood Diamond Ban Lifted. 3 June 2012. 8 Febrary 2013 lt;http://www. reuters. com/article/2012/06/03/us-un-ivorycoast-diamonds-idUSBRE85209O20120603gt;. This source discusses about the Kimberley Process and its affect on the nation of Cote dIvoire. Over the years, the blood diamond trade has been notorious in this nation causing political urmoil and genocide in Cote dIvoire. The website has elaborated about how the diamond trade was halted by the U. N. and how the Kimberley Process came into effect in Cote dIvoire. Key points discusses the aftermath of the blood diamond trade in Cote dIvoire and the sanctions that have been put into effect for certain violations pertaining to blood diamonds. Melik, James. Diamonds: Does the Kimberley Process work? 28 June 2010. 7 Febru ary 2013 lt;http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/10307046gt;. This article by James Melik of BBC discusses about the rules and regulations of the Kimberley Process. He also discusses the effect of the Kimberley Process and how it has greatly accomplished the task of preventing diamonds being used in civil conflict —. Canadian Policy and Laws. 8 February 2013. 8 February 2013 lt;http://www. state. gov/e/eb/tfs/tfc/diamonds/index. htmgt;. This source discusses about Canadas rules, policies, regulations, and thoughts on the blood diamond trade. This source gives a brief overview of how Canada has made sure that its trade involving diamonds is clean through a certification and registration process, the Kimberley Certification Process. —. Conflict Diamonds. N/A. 8 February 2013 lt;http://www. state. gov/e/eb/tfs/tfc/diamonds/index. htmgt;. This source discusses about the United States policy and regulations on the blood diamond trade. The website discusses about the recent U. S. actions taken to ensure the clean trade of diamonds. —. Diamonds in Conflict. 2005. 8 February 2013 lt;http://www. globalpolicy. org/the-dark-side-of-natural-resources-st/diamonds-in-conflict. htmlgt;. This source presented by Global Policy discusses the relation of natural resources, such as diamonds, between conflict, war, and tension in Africa. It also gives a brief history of the conflicts related due to blood diamonds during the post-Cold War era. —. Kimberley Process: Zimbabwe Diamond Exports Approved. 2 November 2011. 8 February 2013 lt;http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/world-africa-15554609gt;. This source by BBC talks about the approval of Zimbabwe in the diamond market through the Kimberley Certification Process. The webpage talks about the history of blood diamonds in the nation of Zimbabwe and the aftermath of its conflicts. —. Kimberley Process. N. D. 3 February 2013 lt;http://www. britannica. om/EBchecked/topic/1002313/Kimberley-Processgt;. This source by Encyclopedia Brittanica discusses a brief summary of the Kimberley Process. The source exaplains how the trade of blood diamonds has decreased after the enforcement of the Kimbereley Certification Process. —. South Africas Role in the Kimberley Process (Import and Export of Rough Diamonds). 13 February 2004. 8 February 2013 lt;http://www. dfa. go v. za/foreign/Multilateral/profiles/kimberly. htmgt;. This website discusses about South Africa writing and constituting the Kimberley Process to enforce clean diamond trading. This source discusses about the countries that have enforced the certification process and how the blood diamond trade has decreased because of this process. —. The Kimberley Process. N/A. 8 February 2013 lt;http://www. globalwitness. org/campaigns/conflict/conflict-diamonds/kimberley-processgt;. This source by globalwitness. org discusses a brief history of the Kimberley Certification Process. The source discusses about the nations who have enforced it and it also discusses about the regulations of blood diamonds enforced by many nations against the blood diamond trade Walt, Vivienne. Diamonds Arent Forever. 7 December 2006. 1 February 2013 lt;http://money. cnn. com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/12/11/8395442/index. htmgt;. This source discusses about the aftermath of the conflict-ridden nations due to blood diamonds. The author, Vivienne Walt, talks about how the nations ridden with blood diamond conflict will recover in the future and the fate of their economies. * 2 Sources (The Kimberley Process: Encyclopedia Britannica amp; Sierra Leone’s and the Struggle for Democracy) are from the Encyclopedia Britannica and Questia Databases.

Essay on Maladaptive Behavior and Psychopathology part 2Essay Writing Service

Essay on Maladaptive Behavior and Psychopathology part 2Essay Writing Service Essay on Maladaptive Behavior and Psychopathology part 2 Essay on Maladaptive Behavior and Psychopathology part 2Essay on Maladaptive Behavior and Psychopathology part  1An Individuals experiencing hypomania will most likely be viewed as pleasant to hang around, because they will be the one making jokes, taking more of an interest in people and activities. The negative aspect of a hypomanic episode is it can lead to excessive spending, erratic behavior, the seeking out of sex, and other behaviors with dangerous consequences. Joanne indicated she partied and socialized a great deal. (5) She found herself preoccupied with sexual thoughts and found sexual implications in whatever people said to her or what she saw on TV. During hypomania, the experience of euphoria can be present. (6) Joanne mentioned she was very talkative and felt euphoric except at those times when she became extremely irritable and cranky towards people. (7) She found herself striking up conversations with complete strangers. Hypomania left untreated could last for a co uple days to several months.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Joanne is hallucinating as the result of her bipolar disorder along with the depression or mania she is experiencing. She began to feel like she could hear people that actually werent there talking to her, and she began to think that her apartment could be haunted. These voices would sometimes tell her to do things, like line objects up in a certain order, or take a different route home, or start saying certain words aloud. She also felt like she could read other peoples thoughts and was sure they could read hers and that they would answer her thoughts even when she didnt say them out loud. Im sure Ive always been psychic, she said, but it just really took off. I could sense all kinds of things.TreatmentJoanne said her friends became concerned and took her to an emergency room. She was hospitalized for several days and put on lithium. Most of her symptoms seemed to abate. Although she felt more fatigued and slo wed down, her sleeping pattern improved, and her appetite increased. In the course of the move to the Chicago land Area, she had discontinued her use of the medication shed been given- the prescription had run out, and she had lost contact with the prescribing psychiatrist. She has been noticing that she has been having difficulty sleeping, feels jittery, has been getting concerned about what other people are thinking, and is having difficulty focusing on work projects because her thoughts are racing.The main goal of the treatment of the bipolar disorder is threefold. First, the treatment of the bipolar disorder aims at making mood episodes less frequent and severe. Second, the treatment aims at helping patients to function well and enjoy their life at home and at work. In addition, the treatment goal is to prevent self-injury and suicide of patients because in their depressive condition they may trigger the patient’s decision to commit a suicide or cause another self-injury. The key element of the treatment of the bipolar disorder, as is the case of Joanne, is medication. The first in the treatment of Joanne is the prescription of medicines that are called mood stabilizers. These medicines will help her to avoid mood swings from the deep depression to happiness. However, there is a risk that Joanne may feel better shortly after she starts taking these medicines. For instance, symptoms of mania of being haunted, for example, are likely to fade away soon that can lead Joanne to the wrongful decision to stop taking drugs. However, as she stops taking these drugs, symptoms are likely to return, unless the course of treatment is fully completed.To enhance effects of medicines antipsychotics or antidepressants may be prescribed too. These medicaments may facilitate the treatment based on the use of mood stabilizers and enhance the stability of the patient’s mood and behavior. However, antipsychotics and antidepressants alone are not enough to cure the bipolar disorder Joanne is suffering from.   Instead, they can be used only as the complementary medication to mood stabilizers.In addition, the assistance of family members and close relatives of the patient is needed. First of all, relatives and family members can help to trace changes in her behavior and notify swings to depressive moods and mania as well as swings to extreme happiness. They can also help the patient to keep taking medicines on and on until the medication course is fully completed. They can also assist in determining the full recovery of the patient from her current problems. Anyway, their psychological support will be very helpful for Joanne and she will recover faster and more effectively, in case of her family’s extensive support.Ethical and Cultural DiversityPeople who live in urban areas such as Chicago have more people with bipolar disorder than expected. A study of 1,157 primary care patients revealed that one in ten patients had bipolar disorder. The New York State Psychiatric Institute study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Feb 23) revealed   less than 0.1% of these patients had ever been screened for bipolar disorder, suggesting those who live in the deprived inner city might have higher numbers of illness than reported (The Times, 2005).In this regard, Joanne’s problems are not unique and she has to come prepared to the long lasting treatment of her condition. Her position and condition is aggravated by the fact that her social environment and lifestyle are likely to be very stressful that triggers the extremely high rate of patients with the bipolar disorder. In such a situation, Joanne should be aware of the fact that her health problems are not abnormal and many other people in her community suffer from these problems too. This is why she should take her treatment for granted, while her cooperation will facilitate her full recovery. At this point, Joanne should understand that the bipolar d isorder is not something incurable. On the contrary, this health problem can be resolved successfully on the condition of the fulfillment of all recommendations of health care professionals, proper medication, change of her lifestyle and worldview, and her family’s support.At the same time, Joanne can count on the full anonymity and confidentiality of her treatment and her health problems because health care professionals working with her cannot uncover her private information to third parties. She should not be embarrassed of her health problems but she should rely on health care professionals and complete her treatment successfully.

Strategic Planning versus Strategic Incrementalism Essay

Strategic Planning versus Strategic Incrementalism - Essay Example 10 To what extent is it possible and desirable for the planning and incremental approaches to be integrated within individual organisations? 13 Reference 15 Bibliography 17 Part 1 Article 1 In the article â€Å"Of Strategies, Deliberate and Emergent† by Henry Mintzberg and James A. Waters has helped to distinguish between the two form of strategies which are said to be two ends of continuum in the real world strategies. The article points out the importance of strategy and how organisation forms strategies; the origin of the strategies has been investigated by exploring the relationship between intentions and plan and finally what actually organisation did. The article has distinguished deliberate strategies from the emergent strategies and plays a central them in the article. The paper helps to understand the complexity involved in the process of strategy formation by elaborating and refining the concepts of both the strategies. The article has helped to answer the part 2 of the assignment as it has explained the planned strategy through which effectives of the planned strategy approach can be assumed and further use to answer the relevant queries. Apart from the planned strategy and pure deliberate and emergent strategies, the article has also explained the other types of strategy which organisation might use and they are entrepreneurial strategy, ideological strategy, the umbrella strategy, the process strategy, the unconnected strategist, consensus strategy and imposed strategies. Article 2 The second article talks about the â€Å"Pitfall of Strategic Planning† which was stated by Henry Mintzberg and addressed the planning strategy to be obsessed with control both decision and strategies for the present and future, for the managers and workers and for the customers and marketers. The article has contributed in analysing the major pitfalls of planned strategic approach in a way supporting the Incrementalism strategic approach. In the article ot her forms of way in creating strategy have also been discussed, one visionary and the other form being learning. But all the three processes should work for organisation to be effective. The article stated that the planed strategic approach is highly implementable especially when the conditions or the external environment are stable. The statement supports the query as to the type of environment in which the strategic planned approach works at its best so that organisation can evaluate all the external conditions before formulating strategies in a planner and systematic manner. Thus it can be said that pitfall in planning takes place when manger do not support planning and environmental factors are not conducive in the formation of effective strategy and vice versa. Therefore pitfall of strategic planning is an article stating that not always planned strategic leads to success. Article 3 The article, â€Å"Strategic Change: logical Incrementalism† talks about the incrementali sm approach in strategic formulation and believes that strategies should be incorporated after evaluating the current environment. The article has contributed to support the incremental approach and to compare and also contrast the incremental approach from the planned strategy formulation. It has been learnt that most of the effective strategies emerge from so called â€Å"strategic subsystem† each of which tends to attacks specific issue in much disciplined way. Various organisations have adopted the incremental strategic approach such as IBM, Xerox, General Motors and others. Thus this has also contributed in the third question of second part in proving example of real companies adopting

The importance of architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The importance of architecture - Essay Example Moreover, education in architectural discipline has had significant impact on build architectural work. Jacob (Para 1) argues that the role of architects in the contemporary public life have been significantly reduced. They are either viewed as intellectuals in the public or engrossed in the agenda or policy formulations that define the contemporary environment of built. The earlier traditional roles have sublimed. The practices and processes have been undermined by rise of other specialties in the built environment. This is quite different for the period immediately after World War 1 as well as in the eighties when architecture was the main activity of the construction of the civil society. However, today architect, construction and development are viewed as holistically a private enterprise. The increasing networking of the society has continued to transform. Consequently, the relationship of the world and designs has also changed. In addition, the advancement of technology and communication has been the driving factors in the changes in the architectural field and phenomenon that r esult from the changes. In the architect of perception, spaces were designed in architectural works to ignite senses of individuals. It is usually assumed that qualities of spaces in terms of visibility dominate the perception of the society concerning building or structures (The Angry Architect Para 1). Over the years, some architects and artists have done experiments on some specific devices for sensory purposes. The spaces that have been designed in the architectural field to transform the qualities of architectural designs are: sound, touch, smell, sight, and taste. For example, when the significance of sound is incorporated in the architectural work or building, the design of the building may be that which provides a silent environment. However, on some cases a particular sound may not be preserved. Dunton

Everybody Needs Somebody Essay Example for Free

Everybody Needs Somebody Essay Many people vacillate to commit themselves to marriage because of the responsibilities involved, but what does the word â€Å"marriage†, that so many desist from means. It’s the state of being united; body, soul and mind to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife consensual and contractual relationship recognized by both the Lord and the law. Moreover, pledging your allegiance, promising to be there† for better or for worse, in sickness and in health..till death do us path†. A lot of individuals make the decision never to marry; there may be certain circumstances why they may feel that way. For example they may have had awful relationships in their past and of the opinion that their significant other will never be found or plainly the bulk just don’t want that type of commitment. Marriage has its advantages by the bountiful, so if you are in love and sure that you want to subsist the rest of your life with him/her, then unquestionably go ahead and walk down the aisle. I confidently disagree that being single is far more advantageous than being married. Marriage offers companionship. In a healthy marriage, you are never alone. Your spouse will always be there to lend a sympathetic ear. Sometimes, of course, your spouse might not be â€Å"actually† listening to you but it is better to talk to someone than being alone. Additionally, it’s satisfying to have someone you trust completely and love unconditionally to have stimulating conversation with. For instance to discuss ideas, major financial matters and practice your humor and simply want o be consoled at the end of the day. In the period 2008, research done in the USA showed that expressing your feeling, merely talking to your spouse and letting them know how you feel, reduces your chance of divorce, dishonesty and senseless arguments. As well, companionship offers support and can be particularly important at times of misfortune. Thus, the companionship that marriage offer beats being single any day. Marriage opens the gates to a rich social life. Basically by having a partner with you, you can have a social life that is not so readily or easily available for a single person. You can visit romantic places together or holiday together. You can spend meaningful quality time with each other also relaxing without any interruptions for a single person; it may be difficult because usually social life is geared around â€Å"couples†. Hence a single person can often be left out or sometimes just not invited. Although it may be true at times, that having children might seem to encumber your social life but really it brings a pulsating change in your social life also much of that life involves being with your children. Marriage puts a stamp of tolerability in society. Research reveals that married men/women have longer lifespan compared to single individuals. This can result in three points 1. Marriage stabilizers men and women this is so because, the need for multiple partners aren’t considered necessary when you are married besides you can be confident that your trustworthy spouse isn’t going to be adulterous 2. In the case of reducing stress, take for example raising a child, although many single parents do raise children successfully. It seems the stress is less when the tasks are shared with a partner.3. The point of being pleased. Many men/women get satisfied sexually by being married. This is so because by being intimate with someone you pledged your life to and love, you are contented both physically and mentally. Consequently, by having sexual relations when single your mate is random. This type of intimacy is fabricated and has no symbolic meaning. At such times having a marriage has its rewards over being single. As stated above marriage has its advantages, the ones mentioned are just a few to start with. Each marriage is of course different, but the connection that is shared among two married persons who have unexplained love, intimacy and forever commitment is extremely sacred. Being married, said by many people is about accepting a person for who they are, faults include. To be so dedicated and honorable that together you can overcome any type of ordeal life throws also learning to grow from those hardships. It’s about making sacrifices and putting your complete trust in your spouse. Knowing, they would refrain from temptation and be honest when it is needed. There are so many types of definitions that could be used to describe what marriage is nevertheless the one that really carries the most sentimental value is the one shared among married couples. It is forlorn that single people choose to remain unmarried, they may not the joy marriage brings to a person, but marriage is a privilege so why not make use of it.

Cybersecurity: Advantages and Disadvantages

Cybersecurity: Advantages and Disadvantages Cybersecurity: Friend or Foe? From 2005 to 2020, the digital universe will grow by a factor of 300, from 130 exabytes to 40,000 exabytes, or 40 trillion gigabytes.[1]The Internet is growing at an outrageous rate, and with it so must security. Cyber Security is â€Å"measures taken to protect a computer or computer system (as on the Internet) against unauthorized access or attack†(Webster). This word was first used around the year 1994. While the internet and cyber security are symbiotic, what happens if one grows faster than another? Will that set fire to the internet and topple it, or make it stronger? In recent years, cybersecurity has become a hot topic in many countries. In the U.S., cyber security is now a major issue and one that many people do not comprehend. Actually cyber security helps our everyday lives and keeps us safe from cyber attacks. These cyber attacks could steal important information like credit card numbers or addresses even age and any other information stored on a site with no cyber security measures. The US government and the private sector are utilizing numerous strategies to keep up with the rapid pace of increasingly sophisticated cyber security threats. However, U.S. citizens are beginning to question if the government’s and private sector’s attempts to effectively combat cyber security is now undermining civil liberties and exceeding limits of government secrecy. In the past, present and future, cyber security has been both an ally and enemy of the U.S. government and U.S. citizens. First we begin by rewinding to the past to see how Cyber Security has changed the Internet. The Internet originated in 1962, hatched from the brain of Paul Baran of RAND, who developed the idea of distributed, packet-switching networks. This was the first idea of its kind and would revolutionise the world in years to come. With the help of Paul Baran and DARPA an agency of the United States Department of Defense; In 1969 the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network aka (ARPANET) goes online and is the worlds first fully operational distributing, packet switching-network. Shortly after the rise of ARPANET, Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf both noticed the usefulness of the internet and began to draw out and develop the basic ideas of the Internet. Finally In 1974, the company BBN launched the first public packet-switched network called Telenet (X. Cringely). The civilian Internet was born in the mid-1990’s as an off shoot of ARPANet’s military network. The Internet is bringing a revolution across with it bringing global supply of endless vital information that brings new reformed conventions and destroys old world definitions. Much time goes by and we finally see the full rise of the World Wide Web. In 1992 the number of hosts, which means computers or servers supplying information, breaks 1,000,000. By its third year the World Wide Web has a growth rate of 341,634% in service traffic. And the Internet was baptized in 1996 by holding the â€Å"first World Exposition† ever shown on the Web. It has now become so embedded in our everyday lives that it has radically altered the way individuals and societies interact (Kaufman). From this point on we see the birth of a new force that will bloom into a beautiful flower in later generations, yet the question remains whether this flower be a sweet smelling rose or poisonous Lilie. With the advent of the Internet came the need to protect information from being taken; this came in the form of Cyber Security. In the beginning Cyber Security did not matter a great deal because there was no real confidential data being handled on the web. It was still a relatively new concept. Thus there was not much security other than the CIA or NSA would occasionally use the web to track down criminals individually by surveillance (McCracken). When the Internet began to intertwine with our daily lives, cyber security problems began to occur. Large amounts of confidential information began to be stored on the Internet, and hackers began to penetrate through simple defenses to steal this critical information. In response, the NSA and CIA implemented multiple layers of Cyber Security to their servers. Following numerous cyber attacks, private sector companies also began to tackle this issue by hiring Information Technology experts capable of protecting their information from hacker s. As companies everywhere were in need of Cyber Security to keep others’ vital information safe, they began their search for people with the skill set they needed. This new type of job pays a lot because of the high demand for this technical knowledge (Lawrence). At this point cyber security basically is only showing its friendly face. The industry was adequately protecting critical information without encroaching on peoples privacy. Lastly, the need to protect information became a global issue with countries committing warfare via digital frontiers and borders rather than physical ones. Cyber Security began to create divisions among countries such as China, Russia, U.S as these three countries became leaders in hacking, stealing information and digital espionage. A great example of this is in 2001 of the FB â€Å"hack which raised concern all over the world of for security reasons. This hack happened when the FBI went on a sting operation to retrieve small part of information without being noticed from two Russian intelligence based computers. However layers are afraid that this act may bounce back to them as they have committed a cross-border hack many people believe that they have done this with poor judgement (Lemos). They obtained this information from these servers without the assistance of Russia. This could mean that the U.S. can widen its borders on where it can search and capture criminals. However thi s also bring the law up of Whatever we do to them, they can do to us, said Yarbrough, a former Department of Justice cyber crime prosecutor†(Lemos). Clearly this inter-country cybersecurity warfare marked the beginning of the negative results of cyber security and paved the way for increasingly complex issues in the present. Now we currently face a critical situation in which Cyber Security is becoming more of a foe than an ally. It has gotten out of control and is now forcing citizens to question whether the government and private sector are respecting their very civil liberties. With the advent of the cloud both the government and private sector store huge amounts of information outside of their physical offices, making it even more risky for cyber attacks. The enemies are able to attack just as easily from within the organization as from without. A well known example of internal hacking was Wikileaks, in which a U.S. soldier J. Kirk Wiebe downloaded confidential embassy communications from around the world and shared them with the press. Another U.S. government leak was perpetrated by Edward Snowden a famous whistleblower from within the NSA. He downloaded thousands of classified files, attacking from within the NSA , to show the world what he considered to be an overreaching of the U.S. government in citizens and other countries privacy (Riley). While the government and the private sector may be winning the battle of effectively keeping citizens and their data safe, they are sacrificing civil liberties and privacy that has been the hallmark of our country since its founding over two hundred years ago. Now Cyber Security threats are not only pertinent to government based servers but as to the private sector as well. Companies such as Target and Sony have been widely affected by these attacks. Target recently lost large amounts of market share due to the cyber security attack they suffered in which numerous amounts of confidential customer information was stolen. People are shying away from Target due to the general fear of having their information stolen. Sony has been attacked numerous times but has now learned from the past and is creating new security and encryption platforms to ensure customers it is safe. Every time a company is attacked, a beneficial outcome rises from the overall flaws that are exposed, allowing organizations to improve their Cyber Security. An example of this is a recent bug called Heartbleed. HeartBleed is a bug that breaks through OpenSSL to find passwords and other confidential information. It attacked what were previously considered impenetrable platfor ms including Yahoo, Instagram, and even Google. Weeks later all breaches were sealed and lessons were learned. Currently, the competition from both the government and private sector for the same scarce Cybersecurity professionals is resulting in a war for resources and talent, making it even more difficult for the friendlier side of cyber security to prevail. Now the government targets these cyberwarriors when they are still students and lures them in before they can go to a private company. How? They begin to pay scholarships, tuition, books, and a salary. â€Å"Unlike many government programs, Cyber Corps has seen its budget triple to $45 million a year in the past three fiscal years,† says Victor Piotrowski, lead program director for Cyber Corps at the National Science Foundation† . â€Å"Almost four in 10 IT security positions went unfilled in 2013, according to a survey of more than 500 organizations by the Ponemon Institute, which studies privacy, data protection, and information-security policy† (Lawrence). Frequently, government employees are lured away by substant ially higher salaries in the private sector. An increasingly important challenge for the government in retaining skilled cyber warriors is that many employees choose to leave government employment because because they say they do not want to spy on U.S citizens behind their backs (Lawrence). With these many challenges, cyber security currently appears to represent more of a foe than an ally. [1] New challenges will surface in the future in cyber security. Just as less than 70 years ago, the world had no idea that internet was about to revolution the way we look at the world and interact, it is difficult to speculate on the direction of cyber security. However it is possible to hypothesize on the near future and what is to come. Cyber security has already begun to be a problem for mobile telephony, and it is likely to increase exponentially. Mobile phones are an enticing target as they display important information such as location, credit card accounts, secret work files and photos. More and more hackers are begging to target this growing platform. Between April and December 2012, the types of threats detected on the Google Android platform increased by more than 30 times from 11,000 to 350,000, and are expected to reach one million in 2003. (Center for European Policy Studies, CEPS)*insert end connecting some what to thesis and future*[2] What began as small cyber battles between countries has now given rise to a full scale â€Å"Digital World War†. Now a days we see countries aggressively hack each other. The U.S. is deeply worried about China, as it has attacked its intelligence agencies multiple times. The U.S. government has prohibited â€Å"Chinese hardware in US institutions such as NASA, the Department of Justice and the Department of Commerce, unless a thorough assessment of â€Å"cyber-espionage or sabotage† (CEPS) risk by specialised federal officials has been carried out.† Furthermore, the U.S. government recently accused 5 high ranking chinese officials of cyber espionage. This unprecedented accusation has led to increased tension between the two governments with both accusing each other of espionage. Is this the end of the internet and where will we go from here? The Internet just keeps expanding and expanding and so does cyber security and its accompanying abuse of privacy and civil liberties. The NSA could eventually cause the downfall of the internet because they have fatally altered the perfect balance of self-expression, internet cyber security, and governance. In a recent speech that Snowden gave with techies, he stated that â€Å" the NSA is setting fire to the internet, and that you are the firemen† (McCracken). An additional issue that is just as important to the future of the internet and cyber security is the recent FCC decision regarding â€Å"fastlane†, which allows internet service providers to charge a premium for faster service for websites. A likely scenario is that large corporations with large budgets will have greater access to sharing files than small corporations or nonprofits. Some experts fear that this intrusion on free and equal access to s haring information over the internet sets a dangerous precedent that could allow organizations a great power in manipulating what information is available to world wide web users. This U.S. government policy could be the greatest enemy to the civilian internet and civil liberties than any cyber security initiative. While the internet and cyber security have existed for a relatively short period of time in human history, it has radically changed the way governments, corporations and individuals interact. In its inception, cyber security played a friendly role in protecting the limited information available on the world wide web. Currently, a darker side of cyber security, developed in the name of protecting U.S. citizens, has radically changed the U.S. government’s approach to cyber protection. U.S. citizens and other governments have been shocked to learn that their phone calls and their data is all open to scrutiny by the U.S. government. People and organizations, such as Snowden and Wikileaks, have begun to fight back to reestablish the balance of civil liberties and cyber security. The future of this critical issue is yet to be written, but it is clear that cyber security hackers will become increasingly sophisticated, requiring additional intervention to ensure citizen safety. Indust rialization of new viruses and digital weapons could truly change the balance of power between countries and threaten our way of life as we know. In the past, mercantilism allowed countries with the most land to maintain the greatest power, yet now this reality has taken a paradigm shift. The country with the most readily available digital warriors and resources will triumph in this new world order. Cyber security was developed to help protect law abiding citizens, but the balance has begun to dangerously tip. Many Americans believe that the civil rights, upon which our country was founded, are now severely threatened in the name of digital protection. Cyber security issues will most likely bring about a retrenching of how we share information. The global openness of the world wide web as we now know it will likely become a thing of the past as organizations react to the cyber security enemy and build dedicated communications platforms that deny access to the world. What the world h ad built as an open platform is now destroying itself from the inside out. Citations: Kaufman, Micha. The Internet Revolution is the New Industrial Revolution. Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 5 Oct. 2012. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. Klimas , Liz . Connecting the Dots: A Timeline of the NSA. The Blaze 3 June 2013, Technology ed.: n. pag. Print. Lawrence , Dune . The U.S Government Wants 6,000 New Cyberwarriors by 2016.Bloomberg Businessweek Technology 15 Apr. 2014, Technology ed.: n. pag. Print. McCracken, Harry . SXSW: Edward Snowden Has No Regrets About NSA Leaks. TIME 10 Mar. 2014: n. pag. Print. Riley , Michael. Snowdens Access to NSAs Deepest Secrets Disputed. Bloomberg Businessweek Technology 18 July 2013, Politics Policy ed.: n. pag. Print. X. Cringely , Robert . A History of the Computer. PBS. PBS, 1 Jan. 1996. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. [1] http://idcdocserv.com/1414 [1]better closing present and tying it to the thesis and main idea of paraagraph [2]j

College Transition

In today's society it is important to receive a college education to join the workforce. However, the transition from high school to college can be a very intimidating experience for many students. To make the college transition less frightening, students can take several precautions while still in high school. These precautions include participating in extracurricular activities, taking challenging courses, as well as developing good time management skills. Participation in extracurricular activities is important in succeeding in a college environment because it helps students to explore their interests and talents. Challenging courses also benefit students because they help to prepare students academically for the demanding workload found in college. Time management is yet another important skill to have because it will help students to manage their time between academics and socialization Participation in extracurricular activities is a great resource for students to grow as individuals. Students have many opportunities to choose from when participating in extracurricular activities. The most common opportunities for participation in extracurricular activities are found in schools, communities, and religious organizations. The most accessible extracurricular activities to students are those that are school related. School sponsored extracurricular activities include sports, student clubs, and musical organizations. Community organizations are also popular among students, and serve as great extracurricular opportunities. Communal extracurricular activities include awareness groups, focus groups, and reform groups. Although not as popular as school or community organizations, religious organizations also serve as a strong ingredient for extracurricular opportunities. Religious related organizations consist of faith groups, retreat groups, and study groups. Besides participating in extracurricular activities to belong to a specific group, students can also volunteer for community service. Community service teaches students responsibility, helps to build strong friendship bonds, and helps to make important business contacts. Students are taught responsibility when performing community service because they are no longer thinking about themselves. The students' priorities are however, now to help those whom they are doing this service for. Strong friendship bonds are also established through community service. By performing community service, students continuously associate with one another and often grow to become great friends. Community service is also important in establishing important business contacts. Students can volunteer in an area that interests them, and at the same time make important connections that may help them in the future. Taking challenging courses while still in high school will help students prepare for the demanding workload that they will find in college. Most high school senior students believe that it is their right to take a minimal amount of courses because it is their last year in high school. This kind of thinking can however, frustrate these students in the future because they will be overwhelmed by all the work assigned to them in college. College professors expect entering students to have a solid education especially in English and mathematics, and will expect a great amount of effort from their students. In college, students do not have the option of complaining about having too much work. By being used to a demanding class schedule while still in high school, the transition from high school to college will be much easier. Students who take challenging courses while still in high school will also become more proficient learners. Students will become more proficient learners because these challenging courses will expand their vocabulary, as well as narrow their interests. Students who take challenging courses will build a larger vocabulary because they will be taught in a much more demanding environment. The more challenging courses will also familiarize students with many then unknown terms. High school students who do not want to be challenged are never exposed to new material because these students only take those courses that they are already familiar with. Students who take challenging courses however, will be exposed to new material that may help to shape their future careers. Time management is the most important skill to possess in order to succeed in college. Many students have difficulty succeeding in college because they do not know how to organize their time between academics and socialization. There are numerous distractions found on a college campus that often lead to the hesitation of doing schoolwork. Some students like to put homework off for later because they see schoolwork as a burden. Instead, students do what is pleasurable to them, often ignoring schoolwork altogether. By knowing how to manage their time, students will be able to enrich their lives academically as well as socially. A good time management skill also leads to good study habits. Although some students know how to separate their time between academics and socialization, they often encounter problems in the way that they approach their studying. Many students do not know how to, or for how long to study on certain tests. The best solution for students is to experiment with many different study methods, whether it would be studying with or without music, alone or with a group, or in your dorm or at the library. Although most students will not immediately recognize what study habits work best for them, good time management skills will be of great help. Good time management skills will enable the student to focus on particular topics that he or she may have trouble with. By being able to focus on a particular topic, students will be able to apply different study methods since the subject matter that they are struggling with will have the students' full cooperation. Although there are many more precautions that students have to take before attending college, being exposed to extracurricular activities, taking challenging courses, and developing good time management skills while still in high school will undoubtedly help students to succeed in college. Being involved in extracurricular activities in high school will help students find their niche in college extracurricular activities. By taking challenging courses in high school, the students' academic transition to college will be easier. However, the most important skill to possess is in good time management because it will help students to distribute their time between recreation, and academics. Even though it is important to take several precautions before attending college, the student also has to be prepared mentally for this new venture. This assignment was worthwhile for me because after completing this assignment I now realize how I can be successful in college. However, the only problem for me now is to apply these â€Å"precautions† into my daily routine. One problem I had with this assignment was starting it. Whenever I write, I always have problems brainstorming my ideas even though I often use an outline. Another problem that I had in this first assignment was expanding my thoughts about main point into two paragraphs. When I normally write, I am used to summarizing each idea or main point in one paragraph rather than two or three.

Faded Walls

Michael was apprehensive as he approached his dorm. The scratched paintwork and the incomplete door number seemed so much more intriguing than usual. As he stared at the space where the eight should be he drifted into thinking about the argument last night with his long-term girlfriend Zara. They had been together for as long as he could remember (well, three years to be exact), and last night was the first major argument they'd had. It all started when Zara bought fish and chips. Michael had never received his favourite take-out meal from her once, in the three years they'd been together, and that brought up considerable questioning in itself. Anyway Michael was halfway through his plaice when it came, â€Å"Michael, I've been accepted.† The silence that followed was deadly. To a person outside this relationship it would seem ridiculous but Michael knew what she meant. In November, after successful results in the deciding mid-term Zara had applied for a job as a reporter on the Seattle Express, a well-acknowledged paper in the state and a job, which could set Zara in the path for success. He had heard nothing more of it and with relief he had let the subject slip from his mind. But now it was back and Michael was furious! His outrage was not so much in terms of what Zara herself had done but at the terrible timing of the paper. They had just set-up arrangements for the future, which suited him fine and now this was happening. â€Å"How can you do this? I have stuck with you through everything and now you're doing this to me.† It was strange but while Michael poured his heart out the only thing he could see in the front of his mind was how did the wallpaper get in such a bad state and why was this new colour emerging out of the marigold that was once there. â€Å"You selfish creep! I have worked so hard for this and now all you can think about is yourself.† â€Å"Alright, alright just calm down for a second and we'll work through this.† â€Å"I'm sorry Michael but there's nothing to work through. I must take this opportunity no matter what I have to leave behind, it's the only way I can get ahead in life, look after myself, you see?† Michael was left speechless and disgusted, firstly at how she could disgard him as something to leave behind and even more revolting the tone of pity that crept into her voice as she realised the context of what she was actually saying. With that Michael stormed out! Furious, but with a blank mind as to where to go. The first place that came to him was Johnny's. He arrived at 486 some ten minutes later and came up with a valid excuse as to why he was there. As soon as he walked through the door two things immediately struck him. Firstly there was a girl sprawled amorphously across the sofa, which may not appear to be an odd thing, for a nearly twenty year-old male to have a girl of the same age in his room, but this was Johnny he was talking about, the same man who had seemed to repel the opposite sex in any shape, size or form for the whole three years he had known him. Then there was the chair. Sunk in the far left corner of the room was the oldest, grottiest, most repulsive chair he had ever seen. This disgusting obtrusion had been cut to bits through the ages to leave it looking like a sort of scratching post for cats and to add insult to what looked like very painful injury someone had had the decency to spill what looked like some type of jam down it. If he had to take a guess it would be blueberry. The hours didn't sail by unfortunately for Michael, who was left in the sitting room thinking about Zara and the fact that he knew (but was determined not to admit) that he would end up having to apologise for whatever was said the night before, regardless of who said what, for there to be any hope in hell of Zara staying. At approximately ten past one in the morning Michael fell asleep after hours of thinking and repeating the fact that he did love her and he supposed anyone you loved was worth fighting for. It was ten past ten and Michael had overslept. Remembering the hours he spent last night trying to save his relationship, he thought he might as well put this time to use and change his thoughts into action. He hurried out of the cluttered room and, after realising he was not yet dressed, just had time to grab the door which was swinging madly back into place after. Correcting his actions Michael dressed scruffily into some Levi's, second-day underwear and a crinkled Gap t-shirt and left 486 for his own dorm. After tracing the space where the six used to be for the infinite time he thought that there would be no way that this door will open of its own accord. He thought he would gently help it in its way, slowly turning the scratched doorknob as if it would break at the slightest extra movement, he cautiously moved the door forward and in less time than he would've preferred he was in. He thought about running straight back out again but the only way he could've done that is if he was ten years younger and the room he was entering was that of his older sister and not that of his girlfriend. So he was stuck. Then something so out of the ordinary happened that put Michael into a state of shock for the next few seconds. It was Zara, and she was actually running towards him. The wind was knocked out of him as she wrapped her arms tighter and tighter around him, pressing her body forcefully up against his own. â€Å"Oh god. I've been thinking about you all night. How can I have been so stupid, to throw away what we have for this†, waving the ticket to America in the air. â€Å"Ohhhhhh†, Michael sighed, his heartbeat racing at the thought of what she just said. Thinking of some carefully worded, beautiful and meaningful thing to say, what came out was, â€Å"I really do love you†. What happened next was; in the space of just under an hour two bedsprings were broken, as were many foreign laws and for some reason there was a pack of cards strewn across the floor. At the end of it Zara felt closer to Michael than she ever had and the wallpaper didn't seem so much of an issue any more in his mind. â€Å"Oh crap!† Zara blurted out. â€Å"What?† Michael was really hoping there wasn't anything negative that would ruin this moment. â€Å"The dance†, Zara had been planning the end-of-semester dance all year and wasn't going to waste all this now they were back together again. â€Å"Can't we just forget about it?† â€Å"Oh please Michael. This is my one chance to see everyone before we leave† Michael seeing the need in her expression admitted to himself that this was a thing he had to do and was sure he could get through it easily if only for her sake, so of course, he said he'd go. After the third call into the bedroom where Zara was getting changed he realised why she took the trouble of two and a half hours preparing. Zara looked stunning. There was no other word for it, as Michael thought to himself that maybe deciding on coming was the right decision for his sake as well. They arrived the breathtaking couple she had dreamed about all through the semester, and took to the dance floor straight away to a Westlife number. It was getting late now as the crowd on the floor slowly started to thin and Zara whispered in Michaels ear before heading off to the toilet. Michael was left standing against the wall slightly annoyed at Zara's timing as the slow song played its first chords, something by Duran Duran, a tasteless track in Michael's mind. Just then he saw a figure slowly move through the crowd in his direction. It was Jessica Lees from his biology class, a geeky, awkward girl who still had braces at the age of nineteen (which disturbed Michael more than he would consciously admit). She was obviously drunk as she pressed her hands against his chest. â€Å"You're very sexy Michael King, do you know that?† This was a situation Michael really did not want to be in and just as he tried to politely leave she had him pushed up against the wall and in the next second brought her chapped lips up against his. The worst thing was the braces; grating and grating his gums he finally pushed her away after the worst experience of his life. He searched the hall until there were only a dozen people left, the last couples determined not to leave until the tape had played out. He thought she must have just gone back to the dorm for some urgent reason; he put it down to some womanly thing. However he couldn't for the life of him think what. He returned back to the dorm, repeating his past performance of slowly opening the door at a speed which no other person could manage, thinking Zara would by now be asleep so it would be best not to wake her. Opening the door he could see the room fully now and to his surprise it was spotless, which it had never been before. It was then he noticed two other things, far more disturbing than the last: a folded piece of A4 paper and marigold wallpaper where Zara once kept her bags.

Immigration Essays (463 words) - Demography, Population, Free Essays

Immigration Essays (463 words) - Demography, Population, Free Essays Immigration American Immigration Policy Immigration has held a major role in shaping our country. Immigrants have provided many things such as customs, manufacturing, inventions, and entertainment. Many people today don't realize how greatly we have been affected by immigration. A survey was given to ten people. The survey contained a list of people who were all immigrants. When asked how many actually were, only one person got the question right. Old Immigration occurred between 1840-1890. Immigrants during this time period came from countries such as Ireland, Germany, and Scandinavian countries (Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland). Next came the period of New Immigration. These newcomers came from Italy, Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Greece, Austria, etc., most of whom were peasants who couldn't speak English. The people who migrated during the period of Old Immigration disliked these aliens because it meant lower wages for themselves and the new immigrants had greater advantages including poor and political machines. These people also were not willing to adapt to American ways of life, created their own little towns that resemble their homeland. They were treated as outcasts. New Immigration ended with World War I when the immigrant boats were being sunk. Immigration is still continuing today. Current Immigration includes people from Latin America, the Philippines, and Asia. Laws regarding immigration are constantly changing to fit the needs of society. In 1854, the Know-Nothing Party declared the need for strict limits on Immigration. Members of this party felt it was necessary that immigrants must be residents of the United States for 21 years before being granted citizenship. The campaign ended in 1860 during the time of the Civil War due to the demand of immigrants needed to enlist in the Union Army. Ten years later, the Naturalization Act is passed. This states that only white persons and persons of African descent, are able to become citizens. This excludes all Asians. This trend continues for several decades. In 1921, Congress decides to pass immigration restrictions, first establishing a quota of 350,000 immigrants. The quota is increased as times change. In 1995, it was passed that the total number of legal immigrants allowed to enter the United States be limited to 650, 000 a year. Immigrants were given visas, which allowed them to come to this country. Visas were distributed for family and employment-based immigrants, and persons from adversely affected countries. Strict regulations have also been made due to the large amount of people entering the country illegally. The nation is on the right track. They have created laws stating limitations of the privileges of immigrants, including welfare and those who test positive for HIV/AIDS. There is also a growing problem with illegal immigration which needs to be tended to. More Border Patrol guards could be hired along the Mexican border, however, this does cost a lot of money. Funding could come out of taxes to help put an end to illegal aliens. Cutting down welfare, food stamps, and Medicare to immigrants even further would also be beneficial. Immigration is a key part to our nations history. The continuing situation could drastically affect our country's future.

Alt as an Alternative to Alternative

Alt as an Alternative to Alternative Alt as an Alternative to Alternative Alt as an Alternative to Alternative By Mark Nichol The prefix alt-, an abbreviation of alternate, has appeared in the media lately, attached to the word right to denote a political movement supporting nationalism and opposing multiculturalism and liberal immigration policies. Although this prominence is a very recent phenomenon, the term alt-right- or, at least, its full form, â€Å"alternative right†- is not brand new: Coined in 2008, it was adopted two years later as the name of a website devoted to content espousing alt-right principles. However, it’s unclear when the abbreviated version of the term was coined; it might date back mere days or weeks at most. A dictionary entry offers this definition of alt: â€Å"Denoting a version of something, especially music, that is intended as a challenge to the traditional version.† (Alternative, in this sense meaning â€Å"not traditional or usual,† is an extension of alternate, which is ultimately derived from Latin alter, meaning â€Å"other.†) The coinage follows a format employed for a handful of terms, of which alt-rock is the most prominent: In 1979, various sources began to refer to underground music inspired by the punk rock movement with the adjective alternative; as such music, ironically, became mainstream, it was labeled, among other things, â€Å"alternative rock,† and thence alt-rock. As this movement was increasingly commercially exploited, the term’s popularity declined. However, the prefix has been affixed more recently to comedy that, like anything alt, is considered edgy or iconoclastic. Similarly, alt-fiction is the term given to novels and short stories that subvert and defy conventions of traditional fiction. There’s even alt-dating, the use of online dating websites that appeal to people outside mainstream society. Such terms are perhaps inspired in part by the use of the prefix alt in Usenet, a computer-based discussion system established in 1980, to denote groups outside the system’s conventional discussion categories. The abbreviation is also familiar to users of PC keyboards, which includes an Alt key used in combination with other keys to carry out a function distinct from that enabled by pressing the other key alone, but this term originates with alternate, not alternative. It’s quite likely that in our jargon-happy culture, the prefix may begin to appear more often, modifying additional nouns as a shortcut for signifying unconventional behavior or thought. In tandem, however, as often occurs when jargon proliferates, expect such terms to be used derisively or ironically as well as sincerely. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Useful Stock Phrases for Your Business Emails10 Techniques for More Precise Writing15 Names and Descriptions of Effects

How can leaders lead when they don't know what to expect Essay

How can leaders lead when they don't know what to expect - Essay Example Similarly setting a firm goal for the organization is one of the few essentials that must be adhered in practicing successful leadership. It is in this context that leaders, to be effective in implementing successful strategies, must obtain a succinct understanding of what to expect from their followers and benefactors of their leadership practices (Kerr & Jermier, 1978). Focusing on this argumentive statement, the aim of the essay is to evaluate the significance leader’s ability to make accurate expectations when defining goals and implementing strategies likewise. In order to accomplish this particular aim, the essay emphasizes conducting a literature review to gain an in-depth knowledge about the factors that determine leadership success in the 21st century context, followed by a case example analysis in respect to the Affordable Care Act policy enforced by the US President Mr. Barack Obama. Based on the information obtained through these sections, a critical discussion has been conducted in this essay to derive a brief conclusion directly implying on the argument statement; i.e. â€Å"How can leaders lead when they don’t know what to expect?† The Concept and Role of Leadership in the 21st Century According to Kaiser & Hogan (2005), although leadership has remained a topic of interest for many years, and many researchers have contributed in the study of leadership, it still lacks a firm definition that can replicate its multidimensional features in an all-inclusive manner. According to Judge & et. al., (2002), it is because of the fact that leadership practices depend on situational contexts, where the qualities of the followers and the availability of resources play a vital role in determining overall leadership effectiveness also involving value-based philosophical attributes as major influences, defining the concept in a scientific way as similar to other societal concepts, becomes a major challenge. Nevertheless, almost all the expla nations derived in the current phenomenon focus on one common feature of successful leadership that the effectiveness of these practices depend on the leader’s ability to understand or decode the change needs and define their expectations accordingly (Judge & et. al., 2002). It is in this context that Fry (2003) argued leaders to be attending both the task oriented and social or emotional issues through the directive and supportive behaviors, which further raises complexities in understanding the ability of the resources available and decide upon their expectations thereon. According to the House (1996), the contingency theory emphasizes that an effective leadership approach must have a link between the leader’s behavior and the situational conditions that further determines their accuracy of expectations. Expanding the contingency theory, House (1996) further argued that the path-goal theory of leadership joins the participative and achievement oriented leader’ s behaviors with their directive and supportive behavioral needs to focus on the association amid performance-reward and explain the follower about the importance of such associations in order to perform

Bob Marleys Uprising Album Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Bob Marleys Uprising Album - Essay Example This "Bob Marley’s Uprising Album" outlines one of the most popular album of the icon of the reggae music. The album uprising was the last song released by Marley one year before his death. This album has been reported to be the most religious of all the albums that he released as it directly addresses his Rastafarian beliefs. The album as number 41 in the American billboard black album charts and number 45 in the pop music charts. In the UKO charts the album was among the top ten best songs. Could you Beloved was number 5 in the top UK singles chart. Besides talking about are religious beliefs, the album covers a number of themes. His religion affects his singing from smoking marijuana; believe in Haile Selassie and being a vegetarian. The belief that Selassie was a black prophet from Africa who set the path to righteousness and that marijuana aided in meditation and brought the user close to God. The first song â€Å"Coming from the Colds shows Marley will to continue to fight over personal and political freedom notwithstanding the views of other simple minded people. He shows that the people that serve Jah have no limits in what they can achieve in life. In the song â€Å"Zion† he continues to exhort the message of hope in the first song. The song â€Å"work† voices one of everybody’s concerns about work where he asks why people have to work very hard in order to get a reward from people who do appreciate the effort. â€Å"Pimper’s paradise† addresses the issue of prostitution where Marley ad vices a girl to sop selling her body for money. and using drug as she would end up losing her soul. He also talks about cocaine in this song as a portrayal of some of the world