Poorly Done Personal Essay Example

My appearance is not remarkable; when you look at me, you see a five-foot-nine, brown-haired, blue-eyed, 16-year-old high school senior. A sweater, long pants, and sneakers constitute my dress code; my ties and expensive shoes remain in the closet. As such, to those who do not know me, I am ordinary. Nonetheless, after becoming acquainted with me, you will see that my cover is no indication of my true self.I am more serious than most of my contemporaries. Frequently, I study in the third-floor basement of the Princeton University Library to avoid the incessant rings of the telephone, leaving only as the sun sets and trekking home for an hour via train and foot. While other secondary school students may tune to the hard rock of Princetons 97.1 WPST, I watch Prime News with Bernard Shaw. If someone tells me that he or she does not understand the days calculus lesson, I voluntarily explain it—even if that means losing all of a valuable 40-minute study hall. When the typical You d on t have to bother response comes, I say, Yes, I do; you dont understand it. Now be quiet and listen. Although for the past ten years I have consistently endured long, strenuous practice sessions with my viola, the thought of ending this career truly frightens me.Motivation plays a key role in my success. I suffer from a disease that affects many people: lack of time. Twenty-four hours in a day simply is not enough. Nevertheless, motivation keeps me going on the days when I wake up at six oclock to go to high school, leave school to walk a mile to the train station, wait for the train, walk to my Spanish class at Princeton University, study, walk another mile to the Medical Center at Princeton, volunteer for three hours, and return home at seven oclock to eat dinner, write an essay, and study for an economics exam. Still, I enjoy going through my daily routine. The thought of sifting through pages of scholarly works to gather information for a class does not discourage me; it intri gues me. A recent research paper for my A.P. American government and comparative politics class using mathematical calculations and equations to demonstrate biases of the Electoral College was not only, as my instructor said, without question, the best paper Ive ever read but also an aid to my concurrent study of derivatives in my A.P. calculus class.Conversations with me on current events will often result in heated debate. No matter what my position, I attempt to argue the other view—a habit that often causes me to alter my opinion. During the most recent presidential campaign, I spent two weeks at lunchtime questioning the best solution for deficit reduction. Of the four people who ate with me, all expressed their position on this issue: Cut government spending before raising taxes. I was also a steadfast proponent of this view. However, after gathering my thoughts for a few moments, I vehemently argued that while government spending should be cut in some sectors, taxes ne eded to be raised at the same time. I argued so forcefully that I and three others at my table now hold that the only way to maintain our current standard of living and cause significant deficit reduction is to combine spending cuts with tax hikes.Although my cover may not be extraordinary, I like to believe that my inside is unique and creative. If a stranger could imagine my habits, personality, and feelings just by looking at my face, of what value would I be? People are not their covers; to judge them as such would merely be foolish.CommentsThe major problem with the essay is that the student goes out of his way to include information about his achievements, as if he were afraid to leave out any detail that might impress his reader. The sentence about his viola lessons, for instance, is tacked on to the second paragraph. That he enjoyed his research for his paper on the Electoral College nicely illustrates his scholarly bent; that specific detail is well chosen. He spoils its ef fect, though, by dragging in the additional information that his teacher thought the paper the best he had ever read.Another reservation is about the students vocabulary. The essay begins engagingly, with an unassuming, understated opening that plays nicely with the idea that people cant judge a book by its cover. Fairly quickly, however, the language becomes stiffer and more formal. By the end of the piece, the student is presenting himself as a steadfast proponent of a view and vehemently arguing for his position. To write that he held a view and argued strongly for it would have been adequate. The essay would be stronger if the words were drawn from the students spoken—rather than written—vocabulary. Its always a good idea to read an essay aloud: If the writer cant imagine himself ever saying the words he has put on the page, he needs to adjust his vocabulary until he sounds like himself.The writer comes off as a pedantic overachiever. The command to a classmate to be quiet and listen makes him seem overbearing and impatient—qualities admissions officers do not want in successful applicants.

Marketing Management The WritePass Journal

Marketing Management Marketing Management 1. Marketing Plan Outline1.1 Corporate Mission:1.2 Corporate Objectives:1.3 Market Overview:1.3.1 Market:1.3.2 Product:1.3.3 Customer Target:1.3.4 Competition:1.4 .Marketing Mission:1.5 Marketing Objectives 2011-2012:1.6   IMC Campaign 2011-2012:1.7   Budget 2011:1.8   Controls:2. Critical Evaluation of the Marketing Plan2.1  Ã‚   Saudi Political Situation:2.2 Saudi Economical Situation:2.3 Saudi Social Environment:2.4 Saudi Technological advancements:2.5 Saudi Legislative Scenario:2.6 Environmental Awareness in Saudi:2.7   The Jeddah Gate Customer:2.7.1 Liberal Elite:2.7.2 Investors:2.8 Competitor Threats:2.9 Jeddah Gate SWOT: 3.   Impact of Technology and New Media3.1 The rise of technology and new media in Saudi:3.2 Growth of the internet in Saudi:3.3 Impact of technology and new media on Emaar’s future marketing plans:4. Sustainability:  BibliographyRelated 1. Marketing Plan Outline 1.1 Corporate Mission: To transform Emaar into a one-stop, global solution provider for lifestyle, including homes, work, play, leisure, retail, health, education, finance, industry and more. (www.emaar.com.ae) 1.2 Corporate Objectives: To become one of the most valuable lifestyle real estate developers in the world beyond real estate development. Adopt a strategy of business segmentation to create different business clusters functioning as different growth engines. (www.emaar.com.ae) 1.3 Market Overview: 1.3.1 Market: Saudi Arabia’s real estate market is relatively underdeveloped and its expanding population, a lack of affordable housing and few home financing options has seen significant demand build up. The Kingdom faces housing demands of over 1.3mn housing units by 2015 (National Commercial Bank Capital Research Department 2008, p11). The markets relative infancy has also shielded it from the worst of the global financial crisis leaving it economically stable compared to its neighbors in the Gulf (The PRS Group, Inc. 2010. P4) In the midst of all the political upheaval in the Arab world; the Kingdom has taken a pre-emptive approach and recently announced further benefits for its people, such as interest free housing loans and a bigger budget for infrastructural development amongst many others (us-sabc.org). So far the Kingdom has not seen any major uprising from the population; however the situation is unpredictable and can change without warning (www.ft.com). 1.3.2 Product: Jeddah Gate (JG) project establishes a new and innovative way of thinking about urban cities and living. The layout of the project deviates from the traditional concepts of residential complexes and introduces a community residence aspect for the first time in Saudi Arabia; where people can live, work and play in one location (www.emaarme.com.sa). Main features of the JG community: 550, 000 sq. m. total area, 6000 residential units, 75000 sq. m of retail space, 230,000sq.m†¦ commercial space and Schools Public Facilities (www.emaarme.com.sa). 1.3.3 Customer Target: 1.3.4 Competition: 1.4 .Marketing Mission: In 2011-2012 Jeddah Gate will focus on communicating the USP of work, live and play within the community; to increase customer awareness, increase traffic at sales center and help in generating sales. (Jeddah Gate Marketing Plan 2011) 1.5 Marketing Objectives 2011-2012: Leverage the concept of live, work and play and growth of Jeddah Gate as a project, as a community and as a symbol of success in all aspects of ATL BTL communications. To generate 240+ in target market registered traffic every month and increase sales conversion ratio above 2% (Registered traffic is: sales center walk in, calls to call center, online registration, event attendance). Coordinate with Sales team to achieve the 2011-2012 sales revenue targets:    1.6   IMC Campaign 2011-2012: 1.7   Budget 2011: 1.8   Controls: Closely monitor the effects of the marketing campaigns through keeping track of the rate of traffic at the JG sales center, incoming calls for information in the call center and conduct professional research to evaluate the level of awareness created. 2. Critical Evaluation of the Marketing Plan 2.1  Ã‚   Saudi Political Situation: The political environment in Saudi has been quite stable over the years, being a purely monarchical government no serious political unrest has occurred (The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2010 p3). A stable political environment has helped the country prosper; according to The Global Competitive report (2010-2011 p37) conducted by the World Economic Forum, Saudi Arabia has risen to the second highest place in the MENA (Middle East Africa) region in terms of global competitive advantage due to several economic initiatives undertaken by the regime such as improvements to the institutional framework, a stronger corporate governance framework, investing in the private sector and reforming legal issues (Mohamed A Ramady 2010 p3) . The current political upheaval in the MENA region cannot be ignored; so far Saudi Arabia has witnessed very minor protests by a minority of the population, however the risk of serious political unrest in Saudi is not highly probable due to the strict anti-protest laws in place by the government (ft.com ) Keeping the above in mind it can be assumed that the current Saudi political environment is the optimum situation in which a real estate development company such as Emaar Middle East can grow and be successful. The planned development projects of Emaar such as Jeddah Gate will receive full governmental support and backing making it easier to operate i.e. getting quicker building permits than usual, land deeds and financial backing which will help in generating revenue. 2.2 Saudi Economical Situation: By virtue of its size and available resources, Saudi Arabia is the largest economy in the GCC that is still relatively untapped. The main source of the Saudi economy is oil, however in the current years, one of the key economic objectives of the government is to diversify the economy and reduce dependency on revenue generated by only oil (Datamonitor 2008 p15). With the economy going strong; the government has injected the revenues generated by oil back into the country, with public spending focusing on education, housing and social measures (Global Investment House 2011 p1-6). Keeping in mind the growing population, changing demographics, larger personal disposable income and growing housing demand of over 190,000 units per year (National Commercial Bank Capital Research Department 2008, p11), the funding allocation for housing has been given a higher priority. In August 2010 the government announced a five year $385bn budget to strengthen the country’s infrastructure and real estate projects (www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com). A new pending mortgage law will enable Saudis to obtain mortgages long term loans with very low interest rates. When this law is passed it is believed that the demand for housing will further increase and open the market to a wider section of the population in the Kingdom (http://arabnews.com). The Jeddah Gate project will greatly benefit from the current and future demand in housing, the economic boom and the upcoming new mortgage law; especially since it offers a product that is unique to the market and more people will be financially able to purchase a home. 2.3 Saudi Social Environment: The Saudi society is conservative and very traditional. However, considering that nearly 70% of the Saudi population is below the age of 30, the trend is slowly changing towards a more modern outlook without losing sight of religion and culture (Colliers International 2009 p6) The Saudi people tend to be very private; because of this they prefer living in villas rather than apartments. Nevertheless, the younger generation is more open to purchasing an apartment to live in than the older generation (Colliers International 2009 p28). The Jeddah Gate project needs to clearly understand the needs and wants of this young generation and ensure that the marketing strategy undertaken is in line with those needs and wants, because by fulfilling the needs of the consumers, the Jeddah Gate project will be able to create trust and loyalty amongst the Saudi consumers as well as generating revenues. 2.4 Saudi Technological advancements: Since 2000 the Saudi government has started giving importance to the science and technological advancements in the country. A new science and technology policy has been placed for 2001-2020 which helps in the growth of technology in Saudi. (Datamonitor 2008 p21). The government’s financial position provides it with the advantage to invest in the required technological advancement, a good example would be the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology which was established in 2009 and has the vision of becoming the icon of aiding the advancement of technology not only in Saudi Arabia but in the world.   (kaust.edu.sa) Real estate sector is also indulging in technological advancements and Emaar is the pioneer of high tech projects such as Jeddah gate. The JG project provides its customers â€Å"Smart Homes† which are technologically advanced and allow the residents to use the Building Automation System where they can set the ambience of their residential or business units including curtains, intercom, surrounding sound system and other features, with the click of a remote (ameinfo.com). The marketing team needs to incorporate this advanced technological feature in the communication section of their marketing plan to attract potential tech-savvy customers. 2.5 Saudi Legislative Scenario: The legal system in Saudi is Shair’ah based i.e. Islamic Law. However, in the recent years the Saudi government has taken steps to reform certain aspects of the legal system, especially related to the business world and foreign investment. Even though certain laws are reformed the execution process is slow in comparison to other countries in the GCC, making it hard for companies to obtain the required licenses on time, causing delay and financial loss in some cases (Mohamed A Ramady 2010 p34). The Jeddah Gate project can be affected by some legal delays such as obtaining land deeds and or building permissions. These delays should be preempted by the team working on the strategy and be taken into consideration when communicating with the customer to ensure that all customer expectations are met without creating any dissatisfaction. 2.6 Environmental Awareness in Saudi: Saudi Arabia started addressing environmental issues seriously after the 1980, when the country’s industry had started to grow.   Most of the environmental concerns addressed were related to the conservation of biodiversity and protection of wildlife (Datamonitor 2008 p26). The proper implementation of environmental plans, along with the proposed education and awareness-raising programs, will encourage the growth of sustainability conciseness in the Kingdom (Datamonitor 2008 p26) As for the real estate sector, the green building concept is fairly new. The Green Building Council has been set up in 2009 to promote and facilitate the green building practice in Saudi Arabia (saudigbc). However, currently most of the mega projects in Saudi, including Jeddah Gate are not practicing green building concepts. 2.7   The Jeddah Gate Customer: 2.7.1 Liberal Elite: Groups of wealthy Saudi families connected through interactive social networks. Western educated and influenced, this group share experiences and follow the same purchasing trends. They are well traveled, cultured and sophisticated and part of the see and be seen crowed (Colliers International 2009 p35). This group can be considered the trend setters, opinion leaders and early adopters (rogerclarke.com) in the market .This is the primary target for the Jeddah Gate project, since the liberal elite will be able to relate better to the community living concept of freedom and modernity. 2.7.2 Investors: Groups of wealthy individuals who understand the benefits of investing in Saudi real estate, they would want to be a part of the upward trend of Saudi real estate market. Western educated and influenced, this group is very business savvy (Colliers International 2009 p36). This target audience should be approached for the Jeddah Gate project; however the marketing communication and sales pitch should be business focused with facts and figures explaining the return on investment. 2.8 Competitor Threats: Ironically, the only direct competition a project like Jeddah Gate faces is from other projects being constructed by Emaar in other cities of Saudi Arabia such as the Khobar Lakes project in the Eastern province of Saudi (Jeddah Gate Marketing Plan). Nevertheless, Emaar should never lose sight of the indirect competitions i.e. singular residential towers etc†¦ and always monitor the growth of these projects so that they are able to counter any decrease in sales due to competition. As the housing demand grows Emaar has to make themselves aware of any new projects that may come up in the future, in order to able to take preemptive action to remain the first property developer in the mind of the customers. 2.9 Jeddah Gate SWOT: 3.   Impact of Technology and New Media 3.1 The rise of technology and new media in Saudi: Compared to its neighbors in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia accepted the advent of new media much later. Internet was officially introduced in 1999 and had limited usage (internet.gov.sa). This was mainly due to the overall cultural restrictions of the society where the conservatives in the country felt that the easy access of all sorts of information may be a source of corruption for the young generation (http://opennet.net). Nevertheless, when internet with restrictions i.e. blocked adult websites, online casinos etc†¦ was finally introduced to the Saudi market the usage grew at a very rapid pace (businessweek.com). 3.2 Growth of the internet in Saudi: The usage of internet is rapidly growing in Saudi Arabia. In 2010 38.1% of the population was using the internet and still growing. (internetworldstats.com). Considering the young population of Saudi, it’s no surprise that social communities such as Facebook and Twitter are highly popular. In August 2010 there were 2,575,740 Facebook users in the Kingdom and growing rapidly. (internetworldstats.com) Also a new trend of online shopping has been emerging in the recent years. Many Saudis go to websites such as Amazon to fulfill their retail needs; they book hotels, buy their tickets online (ameinfo.com). The internet is also used for entertainment purposes i.e. websites such as YouTube, gaming websites, music downloads etc†¦ are quite popular. In addition, Saudis use the internet to seek information through sites such as Google, yahoo etc. †¦ (ameinfo.com ) 3.3 Impact of technology and new media on Emaar’s future marketing plans: Keeping the above in mind, it can be assumed that the future of internet and social media will be very bright and be one of the primary ways to interact with young Saudi consumers. Emaar must consider this rising trend in their future marketing strategies. Emaar will have to incorporate on a larger scale the use of web related marketing campaigns, in addition they would need to revamp their website to allow customers to view the product/project online and have the option of booking an apartment or villa online by making an initial web payment. Since the access of both positive and negative information on the web is easily available, Emaar must also in the future, look into web PR campaigns e.g. set up an Emaar blog which would counter any negative information pertaining to the project or company and promote positive news about the project and company. Using web related marketing tools will help Emaar in communicating with the customers quicker and to a larger audience. In addition if sales are conducted through web marketing which is much cheaper than above the line marketing campaigns, the return on investment would be significantly higher. It can be assumed that the internet is the future and if Emaar fails to utilize this growing phenomenon and communicate with the customers through the medium they relate too then Emaar will be losing potential customer and revenue. 4. Sustainability: Since the 1992 Earth Summit, there has been a rapid growth in awareness towards the need to address issues of sustainability (www.developmenteducationreview.com). In developed countries sustainability consciousness is on a constant growth trend, where more and more companies have to adhere to the demands of the society and be more active when it comes to sustainability (Ali M. Al-Yamiand A.D.F. Price. 2009, p109). Keeping in mind global sustainability consciousness and the spread of awareness throughout the world, it can be assumed that it is only a matter of time when sustainability will take an important role in the Middle East as a whole and in Saudi Arabia in particular. In fact, the Saudi government has created a preliminary guide for building standards that they intend to circulate over the next two years. The objective of the proposed standards guide is to reduce the cost of construction, power, and water consumptions and extend the age of current buildings (Jesse Lapierre. 2009, p2). Hence we can gather that the future of green buildings in the Kingdom is promising and should be taken into consideration for all upcoming projects. In relation to sustainability in real estate sector, throughout the world a number of countries now practice the principles of sustainable construction. The reason for this is that Green Buildings can provide financial benefits such as energy savings, water savings, reduced waste etc†¦ (Gregory H. Kats. 2003, p3). In addition, for the real estate developers Green Buildings can generate revenues through higher selling price/rents and lower operation costs (http://sustainablecitiescollective.com). Even though Emaar has been a part of some charity related programs and follows very strict ethics standards. However, currently corporate social responsibility (CSR) does not play a significant role in Emaar’s marketing strategies especially for the projects in Saudi. If we look at the current triple bottom line (Andrew W. Savitz, Karl Weber 2006) plan for Emaar in Saudi, it can be noted that, the main focus is on the profit and then the people, whereas the planet is not as seriously considered. Emaar being the largest real estate developer in the GCC should aim to be the pioneer in creating awareness about CSR and striving towards green building for all future projects in Saudi. Being the first developer to be CSR conscious would provide Emaar with an edge over future competitors, because they can use this opportunity for PR, use it as a unique selling point, and show the Saudi consumer that Emaar is a company that cares about the planet.   Bibliography 1   Ali M. Al-Yamiand A.D.F. Price. (2009). An Overview of Sustainability in Saudi Arabia. An Overview of Sustainability in Saudi Arabia, p109-118 2  Ã‚   Andrew W. Savitz, Karl Weber (2006). The Triple Bottom Line: How Todays Best-Run Companies Are Achieving Economic, Social, and Environmental Success and How You Can Too. United States of America: Jossey-Bass- A Wiley Imprint. p3-6. 3   Chris Cheatham . (2010). The Profit Motives for Green Building. Available: http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/chrischeatham/16637/profit-motives-green-building . Last accessed 23rd March 2011. 4  Ã‚   Colliers International. (2009). Jeddah Real Estate Market Report. Jeddah Real Estate Market Report. 0 (0), p6-150. 5   Communications and Information Technology Commission CITC. (2011). Internet in Saudi Arabia . Available: internet.gov.sa/learn-the-web/guides/internet-in-saudi-arabia/view?set_language=en. Last accessed 24th March 2011. 6   Datamonitor. (2008). In-Depth PESTLE insights. Saudi Arabia Country Analysis Report, p11-28. 7   Emaar. (2010). Mission, Vision, Strategy, Values. Available: emaar.com/index.aspx?page=about-mission. Last accessed 7th March 2011 8   EmaarME. (2008). Overview. Available: emaarme.com.sa/ProjectsPages/p1/index.htm. Last accessed 8th March 2011 9   EmaarME Jeddah Gate Marketing Plan (2010), p1-26. 10   Global Investment House. (2011). Saudi Arabia Unveils Expansionary Budget for 2011. Saudi Arabian Budget 2011. 0 (0), p1-6. 11 Gregory H. Kats. (2003). Green Building Costs and Financial Benefits. Green Building Costs and Financial Benefits, p2-10. 12 Internet World Stats. (2010). Saudi Arabia Internet Usage and Marketing Report. Available: internetworldstats.com/me/sa.htm. Last accessed 22nd March 2011 13   Jesse Lapierre. (2009). Saudi Arabia: Green Building. Saudi Arabia: Green Buildings p1-5 14   King Abdullah University of Science Technology. (2011). Vision Mission. Available: kaust.edu.sa/about/vision_mission.html. Last accessed 20th March 2011. 15 MD Rasooldeen. (2011). Shoura to pass mortgage law without delay: Al-Asheikh. Available: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article304339.ece. Last accessed 11th March 2011. 16 Mohamed A Ramady (Springer). (2010). Policies, Achievements and Challenges. The Saudi Arabian Economy. 2 (7), p2-41. 17   Nadeen El Ajou. (2009). Emaar Middle East showcases Smart Community living at Jeddah Gate and Al Khobar Lakes . Available: ameinfo.com/193088.html. Last accessed 11th March 2011. 18   National Commercial Bank Capital Research Department. (2008). Kingdom Under Construction. Real Estate Sector. 0 (0), p6-8. 19   OBG. (2011). Saudi Arabia: Spending gets a boost. Available: oxfordbusinessgroup.com/economic_updates/saudi-arabia-spending-gets-boost. Last accessed 13th March 2011. 20   OpenNet Initiative. (2004). Internet Filtering in Saudi Arabia. Available: http://opennet.net/studies/saudi. Last accessed 24th March 2011. 21   Peter Burrows . (2008). Internet Censorship, Saudi Style. Available: businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_47/b4109068380136.htm. Last accessed 24th March 2011. 22 Richard Milne. (2011). SP says turmoil could still spread. Available: ft.com/cms/s/0/bd50b568-45c0-11e0-acd8-00144feab49a.html#axzz1HRU1fpkX . Last accessed 11th March 2011 23 Ros Wade . (2008). Education for sustainability: Challenges and opportunities. Available: developmenteducationreview.com/issue6-focus3.   Last accessed 19th March 2011. 24   Roger Clarke . (2009). A Primer in Diffusion of Innovations Theory . Available: rogerclarke.com/SOS/InnDiff.html. Last accessed 28th March 2011 25   SGBC. (2010). About Saudi Green Building Council. Available: saudigbc.com/about.htm .   Last accessed 22nd March 2011. 26 Siba Sami Ammari. (2011). Saudi Arabias internet users spend around $3bn in 2010 on buying products and services through e-commerce. Available: ameinfo.com/256866.html. Last accessed 23rd March 2011 27  Ã‚   Siba Sami Ammari. (2009). Survey shows 97.5% of Saudi Arabia and UAE internet users use Google . Available: ameinfo.com/200706.html. Last accessed 24th March 2011 28  Ã‚   The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited. (2010). Saudi Arabia. Country report (0), p3-27. 29  Ã‚   The PRS Group, Inc. (2010). Saudi Arabia Country Forecast. Saudi Arabia Country Report. 1 (1), p2-70. 30  Ã‚  Ã‚   U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council. (2011). King Abdullah Returns to Kingdom, Enacts Measures to Boost the Economy . Available: us-sabc.org/custom/news/details.cfm?id=957 . Last accessed 12th March 2011 31  Ã‚  Ã‚   World Economic Forum. (2010). The Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011. The Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011. 1 (1), p37.

How social networks are invading our privacy Essay

How social networks are invading our privacy - Essay Example This paper examines four articles that discuss the issue of social networking and invasion of privacy as a relevant issue today. In his article that appeared in the American Quarterly in 1999, Rosenzweig argued that the digital revolution and the rise of the information superhighway has big implications on how people lived and worked. His article is actually a summary of four books describing the reactions of people at various times how technology will impact their lives. There were a lot of conflicting visions about what will happen with one side claiming a new utopia where people will be able to re-organize society and establish a new kinship of humanity by bringing people closer together (Rosenzweig 160) while critics feared new technologies, like what the telephone of an earlier era, will enable the government to have a listening box (eavesdrop) on its citizens and invade their privacy without the people knowing. The same critics said that a new technology like the Information Highway and the Internet will destroy home life, prevent people from visiting other people (instead use technology to keep in touc h), and create a new nations of slugs too lazy to go out of their homes and offices. It is technology that had shaped societies in the past and it is the same technological changes that shape society today. The important thing about technology is that it is socially neutral and it is how people will use technology that determines the outcome or the ensuing changes that occur. Social networking sites operate and thrive under the open access policy of the Internet as the World Wide Web is conceived as the best example of liberal democracy where the individual person is a superior being entitled to protection of his rights as enshrined in democratic laws. However, this vital aspect of rights protection is conveniently ignored at times by some evil people who make other people who use these social networking sites

Assignment in medicine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Assignment in medicine - Essay Example The article is under social & administrative pharmacy. The research topic is â€Å"A Pharmacy-Based Coaching Program to Improve Adherence to Antidepressant Treatment among Primary Care Patients.† this article is under the â€Å"social & administrative pharmacy† pharmacy discipline because of the coaching program and its inclusion of antidepressant care to primary care patients exclusively. A social aspect arises from the study being published in the journal â€Å"Psychiatric Services† (Brook, Hout, Stalman, Nieuwenhuyse, Bakker, Heerdink, and Haan 487). This publisher means the study focused less on the effectiveness or lack thereof of drugs, and more on the coaching program. The study is important because training patients to identify their drugs and telling depressed patients what to expect can enhance their adherence to antidepressant medication. The article’s objective is to enhance adherence to nontricyclic antidepressant regimens amongst depressed patients via a pharmacist involvement. Yes, the researchers used a statement of hypothesis, which was that â€Å"positive expectations and a belief in the benefits and efficacy of treatment [are] essential to adherence† (Brook, Hout, Stalman, Nieuwenhuyse, Bakker, Heerdink, and Haan 488). Independent variables involved in this study are patients with and without depression, pharmacists, an ethical committee, symptoms, and coaches. Dependent variables were the community clinic, pharmacy, randomized regimens, themes, computerized prescriptions, and protocol analyses. The population of the study was a sum of 147 primary care patients diagnosed with depression. The sample included a new prescription of antidepressant medicine for each of these patients, coaching pharmacists, and different prescribing pharmacists. The sampling procedure entailed prescribing new antidepressant medication to each of the patients and measuring their adherence by use of an electronic tablet

Do something Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Do something - Term Paper Example Nevertheless, the organization faces significant challenges including raising enough funds for the smooth running of its activities, and commanding a global outreach. Despite this, the organization’s board of directors, the advisory board, and other well-wishers continue working around the clock to ensure the organization achieves its objectives (DoSomething, 2015). The main aim of this organization is to ensure social change and equity in the society. In addition, the organization aims at transforming people’s views about the need to care for the environment in which they live. The organization believes that bringing such a change will form the basis of a bright future for upcoming generations. The organization also aims at involving people across the globe in driving this change. DoSomething.org especially believes in utilizing the enormous power of the youth through campaigns in driving social change for a bright future (DoSomething, 2015). The marketing goals of DoSomething.org include mobilizing people through different social media platforms to join a cause for the positive transformation of the society. The organization believes involving people from various backgrounds and cultures will help in bringing in innovative solutions to the various social challenges facing the society. The organization seeks to increase the interest from various corporations and other well-wishers in supporting its campaigns. On the part of corporations, DoSomething.org aims at increasing the level of involvement of different corporations in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. DoSomething.org also aims at increasing its brand equity as a reputable non-profit making organization across the globe. The organization believes that such a reputation will serve as a basis of making it attractive to potential volunteers and other well-wishers (DoSomething, 2015). The organization has well-trained

The History Of The Meaning Of Stress Philosophy Essay

The History Of The Meaning Of Stress Philosophy Essay In  psychological terms,  stress  is a feeling of pressure, strain, anxiety, being overwhelmed. It is characterized by overall irritability, feeling of insecurity, nervousness, withdrawal from social activities, loss of appetite, depression, frequent panic attacks, exhaustion, low / high blood pressure, skin problems, inability to sleep, migraine, gastrointestinal problems (constipation or diarrhea) and menstrual problems in case of women. It can lead to more serious problems e.g. heart problems, etc. Stress in small amounts may be desirable, beneficial and even healthy for us in some cases.. Positive stress helps improve our performance and keeps us focused on our targets and also on out toes. It also plays a major role in motivating us, helping us in adapting to the environment and any changes therein and also manages our reaction to the environment. However, excess of anything is bad. This is true in case of stress also. Large amounts of stress can cause many problems in the body that will be harmful to us. Stress could be something external, that is, related to the environment  or it could be something internal, that is, affected by the internal perceptions of an individual that cause him to experience feelings of anxiety / negative emotions in relation to a given situation. Examples of negative emotions are pressure, discomfort, etc., which in excess prove to be harmful for us. For individuals experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), external factors that are not considered to be stressful or threatening to the individual are deemed as such. Examples of some such triggers are Reporting stress on hearing a particular song or a particular tune, seeing something that may remind the individual of prior events that he found threatening to himself. People experience feelings of stress, or perceive things to be threatening to themselves, when they believe that the resources that they have are insufficient for coping with difficulties. It can also be said that people think they do not have the resources that the circumstances demand them to possess. These difficulties may be some stimuli, situations or people. When people believe that the demands being placed upon them are beyond their coping ability, they perceive stress (negative). CAUSES OF STRESS Any stimulus that is perceived to be a threat, may it be a particular situation, circumstance, etc. is called a stressor if it promotes or causes an individual to experience stress. Some of the most common stressors in an individuals life are Personal Circumstances The personal circumstances of the individual are perhaps the most important stressor in an individuals life. These include any financial difficulties ha may be experiencing, any conflicts he may have with his family or friends, etc. These give a lot of stress to the individual. Health Status An individuals health status is also a cause of stress to him. If the individual is going through some health problems e.g. he has a disease like malaria, he will experience a lot of tension. In case the individual is poor, he will worry about the cost of treatment, hospital bills, etc. In case of a student, he will worry about the amount of studies that he will miss, the homework, assignments, etc that he will have to submit when he gets better, etc. In case of an employee, he will worry about the backlog of his work, whether his job in the organization is safe or he will be replaced, etc. Thus, health status is also a major stressor in the individuals life. Ethnicity, Gender, Age or Disability Ethnicity refers to a person belonging to a particular place, culture, etc. Sometimes the individual is subjected to bias on the basis of non ethnicity (in case of Indians working in Norway, the natives of Norway getting preference over Indians even though they may not be as competitive as the Indians), gender (not accepting individual for a particular post in the organization because of gender; this is usually found in the cases of women). Such bias also lead to a lot of frustration arising within the individual and giving him stress. Also, age of the individual is also a stressor for him. When he grows old, he starts worrying about his retirement, whether the company will firm him because of his inability to work productively any longer, how he will support himself, etc. This gives him a lot of stress. Similarly, disability is also a cause of stress for the individual. Personality The personality of the individual also affects the amount of stress that he takes, how much he is affected by the different stressors, etc. e.g. Someone, who has an easygoing, happy go lucky nature will not take a lot of stress or not take any undue stress. On the other hand, a pessimistic person will always be under a lot of stress as he will always think the worst in every situation and take a lot of stress from the same. Thus, personality of the individual can also be said to be one of the factors of stress. Background and Culture The background and culture of a person are a factor in shaping the personality of a person. Thus, background and culture can also be a factor of stress for the individual. Other than the above factors, there are various demands in and outside work which also contribute to giving stress to the individual. WORK RELATED STRESS Work related stress is the tension or stress that an individual experiences when he feels or he actually does not have adequate resources to cope with the various types and combinations of demands of his work. Work related stress usually arises due to lack of planning. In the absence of an organized and well designed plan to accomplish a goal, the individual feels stress while working towards accomplishment of the goal. However, planning or rather lack of it, alone, is not responsible for work related stress. There are various other factors which can be responsible for this stress. Some of them are given below :- Management Standards Management standards give definition to the culture and characteristics of the organization. They lay out the benchmarks for performance of the employees. The employee feels stress from the tension of not being able to achieve the target or not being up to the standard in the organization. He fears this will lead to him losing his job and thus, takes tension. Thus, management standards also cause stress to the organization. However, if this stress is taken positively, it can lead to great personal growth of the employee by serving as a motivator for the employee to perform better. Overworked Underling This scenario usually arises when there is a high demand for the services of the individual but he has very little or no control over how his services are volunteered or used in the organization. This tends to cause a great deal of psychological strain on the individual. The employee is usually overworked, is busy from the time he comes to work to the time he goes home, mostly comes early to work and goes home late. The employee does not get a say in the projects that he will be doing and often finds himself doing someone elses work also in addition to his own. Frustrated Go Getter Every employee, whether he is a hard worker or a smart worker, works with some specific objective in mind. This objective can be a raise in salary, appreciation for a job well done, promotion, etc. However, when this objective is not satisfied, even though the employee has worked fruitfully for the achievement of the same, the employee becomes frustrated. In this, someone else (e.g. the bosses) may take credit for employees work instead of giving him what is due to him. Whatever the reason may be, as the employee does not get any fruit for his efforts, he gets more and more frustrated. As his frustration increases, so does his stress and anxiety level. Thus, employee takes a lot of stress as a frustrated go getter. Castaway In this situation the employee feels like its just him against the world. He feels totally alone and feels that he cannot trust or rely on anyone except himself. His boss does not give him any guidance or help when he faces a problem. He feels that he does not have any friends who he can trust at the workplace. He becomes cynical and cannot find a way to channel all his negative feelings / emotions (frustration at the boss, fear of losing his job, etc.) There is no outlet for all these emotions. He is at a loss of who to turn to and feels totally alienated by everyone else at the workplace. This also gives the employee a lot of stress. Doormat This happens a lot in jobs where the employee has to deal directly with the customer. He is expected to talk politely to the customer irrespective of what or how the customer is talking to him. The same is true for the employees relationship with his seniors / manager(s). The manager may not treat employee with any respect but the employee must always treat the manager respectfully. He is always expected to maintain a faà §ade of professionalism and courtesy. Thus employee feels like he is being treated like a doormat on which anyone and everyone can step without there being any consequence of the same. He feels that he is being taken for granted and no importance is being given to his self respect. This also leads to bottling up of emotions on the employees part, thus giving rise to tension and stress. Tech Prisoner This is one of the adverse effects that technology has one our life. What with laptops, mobiles, Blackberry, etc. the boss can be in touch with the employee 24 X 7 X 365 i.e. all the time. Even at Sunday, which is an off day, the employee is usually working, albeit from home. In case he is sick, the boss tells him he need not come to officeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..he can work from home instead. Our home, instead of being a sanctuary to return to from work, has now become more like a 2nd workplace. The employee is imprisoned by the very technology that makes his work easier. Thus, the employee does not have any place or time to unwind or relax. He is always working. This gives rise to frustration on the employees part. This frustration, in turn, leads to stress. Bully Target In organizations, the boss is usually the ultimate bully. He holds the power to fire the employee, deduct his salary, etc. The boss knows this. The employee is usually the bully target for the boss. The boss can take out all his anger or frustration on the employee, give him enormous amounts of work to be finished within a very short period, insult the employee or dress him down in front of others as a show of power over the employee, etc. The employee, being under the bosss thumb cannot do anything but go on working and hope to please the boss. Even if this happens to others and not the employee himself, he is always afraid that it will be his turn next. Thus, these feelings of fear, anxiety, etc. give stress to the employee. Burnout Burnout begins with prolonged and excessive levels of job stress. Strain is produced as a result of this stress. The process is completed when employee copes with the job in a defensive manner and becomes cynical or rigid. It usually happens when an employee has been working his tail off continuously for a long period of time. As the term suggests, burnout refers to a state of total exhaustion, both physical and emotional, when the employee feels that he is just about to break down or collapse from overwork. It is usually characterized by a dramatic decrease in the employees productivity and a diminishing of interest on the part of the employee in the work that he has to do. It is caused by working for long hours, taking very little time to relax and a continuous competition with peers, the need to prove oneself to the superiors, etc. All this builds pressure on the employee and causes a lot of stress to him. Wronged Victim The employee feels that he is being wronged at the workplace. He may feel that the boss is playing favorites and being partial towards some employees e.g. the employee may be overburdened with work, while some other team members might have no work at all and may be relaxing. Even at the employees behest, the manager refuses to distribute his work among them. Thus, employee may feel the manager is being partial towards the other employees. Also, if the manager takes credit for work done by employee, he may feel wronged. This leads to employee feeling very frustrated with the manager as well as the organization and thus, feeling very stressed. The main work related stressor is burnout. CAUSES OF BURNOUT Long hours When an employee keeps working long hours continuously for a long period of time, he starts feeling exhausted, both mentally and physically. This also leads to him not being able to concentrate on his work, losing his interest in the same and feeling large amounts of stress. This leads to the employee experiencing burnout. Lack of down time As the saying goes, All work and no play made Jack a dull boy. Similarly, if an employee continues to work for long hours continuously for a long period of time without taking any time to relax or unwind, the exhaustion of the employee becomes two fold. Instead of helping him do the work faster by devoting more time to it (as he believes), the employee is actually slowing himself down by not resting at all. Once he rests, the productivity of employee can once again become high. On the other hand, when an employee keeps working without resting his productivity keeps getting lower until it is nil. This is when the employee is likely to experience a complete physical and mental breakdown. Continuous competition Competition, as long it is taken positively, is good for the employee. It helps in improving performance of the individual and also helps in his personal growth. However, Excess of anything is bad. This holds true in case of competition also. If an employee is always worrying about competition, it is liable to build pressure on him. This pressure, combined with all other pressures, can speed up the process of burnout of the employee. Thus, we can see that everything, may it be competitiveness, work or rest works positively for the employee only when done in moderation. Excess can lead to burnout which only adds to the employees problems rather than reducing them. SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT Low Job Performance The employees productivity falls and his level of performance decreases. Also, his job satisfaction also goes down. Employee is not happy doing his job and does not give the required level of productivity. Physical exhaustion / Fatigue Due to working for long hours for a prolonged duration, employee feels tired out and in great need of relaxation. He is unable to concentrate and focus on his job, bringing down his performance. He feels totally exhausted physically. Rigidity Employee becomes rigid i.e. inflexible towards change of any kind. Instead of being active and trying to adapt himself to any new changes in the job environment, the employee adopts a rigid attitude and does not want change of any kind. Apathy The employee becomes indifferent towards the activities of the organization. He loses his sense of purpose and becomes listless. Also, the employee does not work towards fulfillment of his objectives and does not really care about their fulfillment. Cynicism -The employee becomes cynical and shows distrust towards everyone. He feels that no one can be trusted and that everyone is motivated by their own selfish reasons only. Emotional exhaustion The employee is so drained that he acts like a zombie with no sense of what is going on or what is happening. He is totally exhausted emotionally as well as physically. He has no energy and is in dire need of relaxation to get back some energy. COPING WITH STRESS Individuals may perceive various threats to themselves. These perceived threats may prove to be stressful to them in various ways. Individuals have different coping mechanisms or defense mechanisms for handling this stress. However, all their variations are based on the same general idea: There are productive / positive and counter productive / negative ways of handling stress. As stress is perceived, the mechanisms given below may not necessarily deal with the actual situation that causes stress to an individual. However, they may be considered coping mechanisms if they give the individual a way to handle the stress in a better way such that the negative feelings / feelings of anxiety that the individual is experiencing due to the perceived threat may be reduced substantially, rather than actually fixing the concrete obstacle causing the stress. This actual fixing is not possible in real life. Given below are some widely accepted mechanisms for coping with stress 1) Highly Active / Problem-Focused / Adaptive Mechanisms These skills are used when the individual wants to face the problem head on, or at the very least, deal with the negative emotions experienced by him due to stress in a positive / constructive manner. This style is generally known as being adaptive in nature. a)  Affiliation   This method involves dealing with stress by involving oneself in social activities, turning to a social network for support, etc. However, the individual just uses these social interactions as a way to unwind or get away from his problems for some time. He does not share his problems with others in order to decrease the burden on himself or transfer the responsibility to someone else. b) Humor As it is said, Laughter is the best medicine. An individual often tries to get some relief in a stressful situation by injecting some humor or comic relief into the same. Besides decreasing the stress on the individual, this method also allows him to step away from the situation. This gives him another way of looking at the problem which can help him in finding a solution to the same. c) Sublimation   This method allows the individual to find an indirect way of resolving the conflict such that there is neither any loss of pleasure on the part of the individual nor any adverse consequences. Most importantly, this mechanism is characterized by the fact that it gives the individual a socially acceptable outlet for channeling his troubling emotions and impulses. d) Positive Reappraisal This method involves redirection of the individuals thoughts or cognitive energy to good events that are either happening or have yet to occur. It leads to introspection or self reflection, personal growth of the individual and awareness of the benefits of ones efforts or of how much the individual can achieve through his efforts.. Other adaptive coping mechanisms include altruism, anticipation and self observation. 2) Disavowal Mechanisms These mechanisms are used by the individual because they give him a diminished or even non existent (in some cases) awareness of his fears, perceived threats, feelings of anxiety, etc. This is because this mechanism causes the individual to become impervious to any perceived threats. Displacement   This is the technique of directing ones attention away from a threatening situation, event, etc. to a somewhat less threatening one. Repression   In this method, the individual tries to totally disconnect himself from the threatening situation by removing all feelings, thoughts, etc. related to the perceived threat from his awareness. This method is usually not advisable because when followed long enough, it is little more than denial of the threats that he faces. He is running away from the threats or hiding from them instead of facing or resolving them. Reaction Formation   This is similar to repression. The only difference is that in this method, in addition to removing all threatening thoughts, feelings, etc. from ones consciousness, the individual substitutes or replaces them with the exact opposite feelings, thoughts, etc. e.g. in case of threatening thoughts, individual will substitute pleasant ones. Other disavowal mechanisms include rationalization, undoing, dissociation, etc. Active Mechanisms In these methods, an individual deals with stress either by withdrawing from the threatening situation or by taking action against the same. Acting Out In this method, the individual, instead of reflecting on the problem and trying to find a way to solve it, starts taking maladaptive action i.e. instead of trying to adapt to the situation, the individual starts fighting against it. Such behavior is counter productive for the individual and is usually characterized as problematic or counter normative behavior. Passive Aggression   In this method, the individual deals with negative thoughts or feelings arising from the stress (anxiety, fear, etc.) by behaving in a resentful or hostile manner towards others. He rejects help from others and also complains about the circumstances and / or the present state of affairs. Depending on the situation, all the coping mechanisms given above may be characterized as being adaptive or counter normative. TO RELIEVE STRESS AMONG EMPLOYEES, A MANAGER CAN Include Employees In Decision Making This gives the employees a feeling of control over the work that they do. It helps in reducing the frustration that they experience with the managers and the organization at the amount of work they have to do. By making them a part of the decision making process, the manager is gaining their voluntary acceptance to do the work allotted to them. Increasing Transparency The manager can make the decision making process more transparent, explaining the reason for a specific decision. This does not mean that manager has to give an explanation to the employees for all his decisions but he may give reasons for those decisions which the employee perceives as having a negative effect on him. This will nip any notions of partiality by manager in the bud only and also make the employee feel more valued. Discuss Employees Problems The manager should have an open door policy and encourage employees to discuss their problems. This will help in clearing any misunderstandings or misconceptions that the employee may harbor and also assure the employee that he can come to the manager for help and guidance. This will reduce the stress on the employee. Giving Employees Time off This means literally giving the employee some time to relax. Just the fact that the employee is at home is not enough. If employee is working from home, he is still working only. Giving time off means not giving employee any work and just allowing him to unwind or relax himself. This will reduce the physical and emotional exhaustion of the employee and allow him to rejuvenate. Also, he will feel less like a tech prisoner. This will also reduce the stress on the employee. Periodic Performance Appraisal Managers should conduct periodic performance appraisals (weekly, monthly, etc.) of the employees so as to analyze their performance, check whether they are performing according to the set standards, find out the causes of deviation, if any exists. The manager can also instruct the employees on how to achieve their goals and where they are going wrong presently. This will reduce any feelings of frustration experienced by employees and also assure them that the manager wants to help them in achieving their goals. BENEFITS OF RELIEVING STRESS TO INDIVIDUALS Higher Job Satisfaction If the individual is not experiencing any stress or too much stress, he will be happy doing his job and thus, will have a high degree of job satisfaction. Easier To Achieve Goals If the individual is not experiencing an excess of stress and he has a high level of job satisfaction, he will also have higher productivity. With this higher productivity, individual will be able to achieve his goals in a shorter time. Harmony If individual does not experience too much stress and has high job satisfaction, he will automatically find a balance between his professional and personal life. Thus, he will find a harmony between both and be able to enjoy both to the fullest extent. Problem free The individual, in the absence of negative stress in his life, will be free of many of the problems relating to stress e.g. listlessness, emotional and physical exhaustion, etc. Thus, his life will be further enriched. TO TEAMS Harmony Between Team Members Due to lack of stress on individuals and reduced tension among the employees, there will be more harmony between the members of the team and team spirit will be significantly greater. Better Performance Due to greater harmony between the members of the team, the team members will perform better and be more productive. Subsequently, the team performance will also be much better. Achievement of Targets As the performance will be higher, the team will also be able to achieve all its targets in a timely manner. Higher Motivation Due to the combination of the above given factors (harmony between team members, better performance and achievement of targets), the team will have a high degree of motivation. TO ORGANIZATIONS Higher Productivity As the individuals will perform better and the teams performance will improve, the productivity of the organization will also increase. Lower Turnover Turnover here refers to the attrition rate or the rate at which employees leave the organization. If employees experience less or no stress, they will have job satisfaction and be happy doing their jobs. If they are happy working in the organization, they will not leave the organization. Thus, there will be lower turnover. Lower Absenteeism If the employees have a high degree of job satisfaction, they will not be absent frequently from the job and thus, there will be lower absenteeism in the organization. Better Reputation As the company will have a lower turnover, lower absenteeism and a higher productivity, its reputation in the market will improve greatly and the value of its goodwill will also increase, Thus, company will get more business and its income will increase.

The Poetic Style of Henry Charles Bukowski Essay -- essays research pa

Henry Charles Bukowski Poetry is the art of rhythmical composition written or spoken for exciting pleasure by beauty imaginative or elevated thought. It is also literary work in metrical form. By definition, a poet is a person how composes poetry. The relationship between poetry and the late Henry Charles Bukowski is equivalent to that of a professional ice skater and the ice that he skates on . By the same token, it compared to something a bit less governed, although a pro ice skater is free to graze the ice at his own expense, the root of professional ice skating is indeed restricted. For example, judges, rules, regulations, agreements, terms, and contracts that can't be waived, which controls the skater. Compared to a bird in the sky, the previous example falls short of my perception of freedom when relating it to poetry and Bukowski. A bird in the sky greatly broadens the very core of my argument, at the exact same time contradicting the argument -for those with the keen eye. Buk owski's writing define...

The Return: Midnight Chapter 13

Elena, sleeping serenely with one hand locked onto Stefan's, knew she was having an extraordinary dream. No, not a dream – an out-of-body experience. But it wasn't like her previous out-of-body visits to Stefan in his cel . She was skimming through the air so quickly that she couldn't real y make out what was below her. She looked around and suddenly, to her astonishment, another figure appeared beside her. â€Å"Bonnie!†she said – or rather tried to say. But of course there was no sound. Bonnie looked like a transparent edition of herself. As if someone had created her out of blown glass, and then put in just the faintest tint of color in her hair and eyes. Elena tried telepathy. Bonnie? Elena! Oh, I miss you and Meredith so much! I'm stuck here in a hole – A hole? Elena could hear the panic in her own telepathy. It made Bonnie wince. Not a real hole. A dive. An inn, I guess, but I'm locked in and they only feed me twice a day and take me to the toilet once – My God! How did you get there? Well†¦ Bonnie hesitated. I guess it was my own fault. It doesn't matter! How long have you been there, exactly? Um, this is my second day. I think. There was a pause. Then Elena said, Well, a couple of days in a bad place can seem like forever. Bonnie tried to make her case clearer. It's just that I'm so bored and lonely. I miss you and Meredith so much! she repeated. I was thinking of you and Meredith, too, Elena said. But Meredith's there with you, isn't she? Oh my God, she didn't fall, too? Bonnie blurted. No, no! She didn't fall. Elena couldn't decide whether to tel Bonnie about Meredith or not. Maybe not just yet, she thought. She couldn't see what she was rushing toward, although she could feel that they were slowing down. Can you see anything? Hey, yeah, below us! There's a car! Should we go down? Of course. Can we hold hands? They found that they couldn't, but that just trying to kept them closer together. In another moment they were sinking through the roof of a smal car. Hey! It's Alaric! Bonnie said. Alaric Saltzman was Meredith's engaged-to-be-engaged boyfriend. He was about twenty-three now, and his sandy-blond hair and hazel eyes hadn't changed since Elena had seen him almost ten months ago. He was a parapsychologist at Duke, going for his doctorate. We've been trying to get hold of him for ages, Bonnie said. I know. Maybe this is the way we're supposed to contact him. W here is he supposed to be again? Some weird place in Japan. I forget what it's called, but look at the map on the passenger seat. She and Bonnie intermingled as they did, their ghostly forms passing right through each other. Unmei no Shima: The Island of Doom, was written at the top of an outline of an island. The map beside him had a large red X on it with the caption: The Field of Punished Virgins. The what? Bonnie asked indignantly. What's that mean? I don't know. But look, this fog is real fog. And it's raining. And this road is terrible. Bonnie dove outside. Ooh, so weird. The rain's going right through me. And I don't think this is a road. Elena said, Come back in and look at this. There aren't any other cities on the island, just a name. Dr. Celia Connor, forensic pathologist. What's a forensic pathologist? I think, Elena said, that they investigate murders and things. And they dig up dead people to find out why they died. Bonnie shuddered. I don't think I like this very much. Neither do I. But look outside. This was a village once, I think. There was almost nothing left of the vil age. Just a few ruins of wooden buildings that were obviously rotting, and some tumbledown, blackened stone structures. There was one large building with an enormous bright yel ow tarp over it. When the car reached this building, Alaric skidded to a stop, grabbed the map and a smal suitcase, and dashed through the rain and mud to get under cover. Elena and Bonnie fol owed. He was met near the entrance by a very young black woman, whose hair was cut short and sleek around her elfin face. She was smal , not even Elena's height. She had eyes dancing with excitement and white, even teeth that made for a Hol ywood smile. â€Å"Dr. Connor?†Alaric said, looking awed. Meredith isn't going to like this, Bonnie said. â€Å"Just Celia, please,†the woman said, taking his hand. â€Å"Alaric Saltzman, I presume.† â€Å"Just Alaric, please – Celia.† Meredith real y isn't going to like this, Elena said. â€Å"So you're the spook investigator,†Celia was saying below them. â€Å"Well, we need you. This place has spooks – or did once. I don't know if they're stil here or not.† â€Å"Sounds interesting.† â€Å"More like sad and morbid. Sad and weird and morbid. I've excavated al sorts of ruins, especial y those where there's a chance of genocide. And I'l tel you: This island is unlike any place I have ever seen,†Celia said. Alaric was already pul ing things from his case, a thick stack of papers, a smal camcorder, a notebook. He turned on the camcorder, and looked through the viewfinder, then propped it up with some of the papers. When he apparently had Celia in focus, he grabbed the notebook too. Celia looked amused. â€Å"How many ways do you need to take down information?† Alaric tapped the side of his head and shook it sadly. â€Å"As many as possible. Neurons are beginning to go.†He looked around. â€Å"You're not the only one here, are you?† â€Å"Except for the janitor and the guy who ferries me back to Hokkaido, yes. It started out as a normal expedition – there were fourteen of us. But one by one, the others have died or left. I can't even re-bury the specimens – the girls – we've excavated.† â€Å"And the people who left or died from your expedition – â€Å" â€Å"Well, at first people died. Then that and the other spooky stuff made the rest leave. They were frightened for their lives.† Alaric frowned. â€Å"Who died first?† â€Å"Out of our expedition? Ronald Argyl . Pottery specialist. He was examining two jars that were found – Well, I'l skip that story until later. He fel off a ladder and broke his neck.† Alaric's eyebrows went up. â€Å"That was spooky?† â€Å"From a guy like him, who's been in the business for almost twenty years – yes.† â€Å"Twenty years? Maybe a heart attack? And then off the ladder – boom.†Alaric made a downward gesture. â€Å"Maybe that's the way it was. You may be able to explain al our little mysteries for us.†The chic woman with the short hair dimpled like a tomboy. She was dressed like one too, Elena realized: Levi's and a blue and white shirt with the sleeves rol ed up over a white camisole. Alaric gave a little start, as if he'd realized he was guilty of staring. Bonnie and Elena looked at each other over his head. â€Å"But what happened to al the people who lived on the island in the first place? The ones who built the houses?† â€Å"Well, there never were that many of them in the first place. I'm guessing the place may even have been named the Island of Doom before this disaster my team was investigating. But as far as I could find out it was a sort of war – a civil war. Between the children and the adults.† This time when Bonnie and Elena looked at each other, their eyes were both wide. Just like home – Bonnie began, but Elena said, Sh. Listen. â€Å"A civil war between kids and their parents?†Alaric repeated slowly. â€Å"Now that is spooky.† â€Å"Well, it's a process of elimination. You see, I like graves, constructed or just holes in the ground. And here, the inhabitants don't appear to have been invaded. They didn't die of famine or drought – there was stil plenty of grain in the granary. There were no signs of il ness. I've come to believe that they all killed one another – parents kil ing children; children kil ing parents.† â€Å"But how can you tel ?† â€Å"You see this square-ish area on the periphery of the vil age?†Celia pointed to an area on a larger map than Alaric's. â€Å"That's what we cal The Field of Punished Virgins. It's the only place that has careful y constructed actual graves, so it was made early in what became a war. Later, there was no time for coffins – or no one who cared. So far we've excavated twenty-two female children – the eldest in her late teens.† â€Å"Twenty-two girls? Al girls?† â€Å"Al girls in this area. Boys came later, when coffins were no longer being made. They're not as well preserved, because the houses al burned or fel in, and they were exposed to weathering. The girls were careful y, sometimes elaborately, buried; but the markings on their bodies indicate that they were subjected to harsh physical punishment at some time close to their deaths. And then – they had stakes driven through their hearts.† Bonnie's fingers flew to her eyes, as if to ward off a terrible vision. Elena watched Alaric and Celia grimly. Alaric gulped. â€Å"They were staked?†he asked uneasily. â€Å"Yes. Now I know what you'l be thinking. But Japan doesn't have any tradition of vampires. Kitsune – foxes – are probably the closest analog.† Now Elena and Bonnie were hovering right over the map. â€Å"And do kitsunes drink blood?† â€Å"Just kitsune. The Japanese language has an interesting way of expressing plurals. But to answer your question: no. They are legendary tricksters, and one example of what they do is possess girls and women, and lead men to destruction – into bogs, and so on. But here – Well, you can almost read it like a book.† â€Å"You make it sound like one. But not one I'd pick up for pleasure,†Alaric said, and they both smiled bleakly. â€Å"So, to go on with the book, it seems that this disease spread eventual y to al the children in the town. There were deadly fights. The parents somehow couldn't even get to the fishing boats in which they might have escaped the island.† Elena – I know. At least Fell's Church isn't on an island. â€Å"And then there's what we found at the town shrine. I can show you that – it's what Ronald Argyl died for.† They both got up and went farther into the building until Celia stopped beside two large urns on pedestals with a hideous thing in between them. It looked like a dress, weathered until it was almost pure white, but sticking through holes in the clothing were bones. Most horribly, one bleached and fleshless bone hung down from the top of one of the urns. â€Å"This is what Ronald was working on in the field before al this rain came,†Celia explained. â€Å"It was probably the last death of the original inhabitants and it was suicide.† â€Å"How can you possibly know that?† â€Å"Let's see if I can get this right from Ronald's notes. The priestess here doesn't have any other damage than that which caused her death. The shrine was a stone building – once. When we got here we found only a floor, with al the stone steps tumbled apart every which way. Hence Ronald's use of the ladder. It gets quite technical, but Ronald Argyl was a great forensic pathologist and I trust his reading of the story.† â€Å"Which is?†Alaric was taking in the jars and the bones with his camcorder. â€Å"Someone – we don't know who – smashed a hole in each of the jars. This is before the chaos started. The town records make note of it as an act of vandalism, a prank done by a child. But long after that the hole was sealed and the jars made almost airtight again, except where the priestess had her hands plunged in the top up to the wrist.† With infinite care, Celia lifted the top off the jar that did not have a bone hanging from it – to reveal another pair of longish bones, slightly less bleached, and with strips of what must have been clothing on it. Tiny finger bones lay inside the jar. â€Å"What Ronald thought was that this poor woman died as she performed a last desperate act. Clever, too, if you see it from their perspective. She cut her wrists – you can see how the tendon is shriveled in the better-preserved arm – and then she let the entire contents of her bloodstream flow into the urns. We do know that the urns show a heavy precipitation of blood on the bottom. She was trying to lure something in – or perhaps something back in. And she died trying, and the clay that she had probably hoped to use in her last conscious moments held her bones to the jars.† â€Å"Whew!†Alaric ran a hand over his forehead, but shivered at the same time. Take pictures! Elena was mental y commanding him, using al her wil power to transmit the order. She could see that Bonnie was doing the same, eyes shut, fists clenched. As if in obedience to their commands, Alaric was taking pictures as fast as he could. Final y, he was done. But Elena knew that without some outside impetus there was no way that he was going to get those pictures to Fel ‘s Church until he himself came to town – and even Meredith didn't know when that would be. So what do we do? Bonnie asked Elena, looking anguished. Well†¦my tears were real when Stefan was in prison. You want us to cry on him? No, Elena said, not quite patiently. But we look like ghosts – let's act like them. Try blowing on the back of his neck. Bonnie did, and they both watched Alaric shiver, look around him, draw his windbreaker closer. â€Å"And what about the other deaths in your own expedition?†he asked, huddling, looking around apparently aimlessly. Celia began speaking but neither Elena nor Bonnie was listening. Bonnie kept blowing on Alaric from different directions, herding him to the single window in the building that wasn't shattered. There Elena had written with her finger on the darkened cold glass. Once she knew that Alaric was looking that way she blew her breath across the sentence: send all pix of jars 2 meredith now! Every time Alaric approached the window she breathed on it to refresh the words. And at last he saw it. He jumped backward nearly two feet. Then he slowly crept back to the window. Elena refreshed the writing for him. This time, instead of jumping, he simply ran a hand over his eyes and then slowly peeked out again. â€Å"Hey, Mr. Spook-chaser,†said Celia. â€Å"Are you al right?† â€Å"I don't know,†Alaric admitted. He passed his hand over his eyes again, but Celia was coming and Elena didn't breathe on the window. â€Å"I thought I saw a – a message to send copies of the pictures of these jars to Meredith.† Celia raised an eyebrow. â€Å"Who is Meredith?† â€Å"Oh. She – she's one of my former students. I suppose this would interest her.†He looked down at the camcorder. â€Å"Bones and urns?† â€Å"Well, you were interested in them quite young, if your reputation is correct.† â€Å"Oh, yes. I loved to watch a dead bird decay, or find bones and try to figure out what animal they were from,†Celia said, dimpling again. â€Å"From the age of six. But I wasn't like most girls.† â€Å"Well – neither is Meredith,†Alaric said. Elena and Bonnie were eyeing each other seriously now. Alaric had implied that Meredith was special, but he hadn't said it, and he hadn't mentioned their engagement to be engaged. Celia came closer. â€Å"Are you going to send her the pictures?† Alaric laughed. â€Å"Well, al this atmosphere and everything – I don't know. It might just have been my imagination.† Celia turned away just as she reached him and Elena blew once more across the message. Alaric threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender. â€Å"I don't suppose the Island of Doom has satel ite coverage,†he said helplessly. â€Å"Nope,†Celia said. â€Å"But the ferry wil be back in a day, and you can send pictures then – if you're real y going to do it.† â€Å"I think I'd better do it,†Alaric said. Elena and Bonnie were both glaring at him, one from each side. But that was when Elena's eyelids started to droop. Oh, Bonnie, I'm sorry. I wanted to talk to you after this, and make sure you're okay. But I'm falling†¦I can't†¦ She managed to pry her lids open. Bonnie was in a fetal position, fast asleep. Be careful, Elena whispered, not even sure who she was whispering it to. And as she floated away, she was aware of Celia and the way Alaric was talking to this beautiful, accomplished woman only a year or so older than he was. She felt a distinct fear for Meredith, on top of everything else.

Free Essays on The Modoc War

The Modoc War The Modoc war was the perfect case of cultural conflict. Many know the story of Custer’s Last Stand but not as many know the story of Captain Jack and General Canby. It was a period in U.S. history when the settlers coming out west did whatever they needed to do in order to claim land. Many of the Native Americans gave up their land but there were some who fought for it to their death. The reason for the Modoc war goes back to around the 1850’s when settlers were coming over on the Oregon Trail. The Applegate’s decided to carve a new route that would lead the route more southern. To do this they trekked through Modoc country around what today would be Klamath Falls. For the most part the Modocs kept the settlers alone. Some people said occasionally they would steal supplies or livestock but usually kept to themselves. Eventually the government claimed their land because the Natives didn’t have any written proof that it was theirs. They didn’t have it because they had never needed it before. Since the land shared the Oregon-California border, both states had treaties for it. They agreed that the Modocs should be moved to Klamath country that resided around Lower Klamath Lake in Oregon. So in the 1860’s the Modocs made the short trek to the Klamath region. At this time the Klamaths and the Modocs didn’t get along w ell at all. Due to this, there was much hostility with the new inhabitants. Many of the people dealt with it and carried on their lives. Then there were the ones including Captain Jack, Hooker Jim, and Scar-faced Charley, who couldn’t live among their enemies. These men, (who were known by their English names by the military), and more decided to go back to their homeland to live. They moved back, and then they were kicked out again. This repeated a few times until they were fed up with it. They weren’t leaving for anything or anyone . There were many meetings set by appo... Free Essays on The Modoc War Free Essays on The Modoc War The Modoc War The Modoc war was the perfect case of cultural conflict. Many know the story of Custer’s Last Stand but not as many know the story of Captain Jack and General Canby. It was a period in U.S. history when the settlers coming out west did whatever they needed to do in order to claim land. Many of the Native Americans gave up their land but there were some who fought for it to their death. The reason for the Modoc war goes back to around the 1850’s when settlers were coming over on the Oregon Trail. The Applegate’s decided to carve a new route that would lead the route more southern. To do this they trekked through Modoc country around what today would be Klamath Falls. For the most part the Modocs kept the settlers alone. Some people said occasionally they would steal supplies or livestock but usually kept to themselves. Eventually the government claimed their land because the Natives didn’t have any written proof that it was theirs. They didn’t have it because they had never needed it before. Since the land shared the Oregon-California border, both states had treaties for it. They agreed that the Modocs should be moved to Klamath country that resided around Lower Klamath Lake in Oregon. So in the 1860’s the Modocs made the short trek to the Klamath region. At this time the Klamaths and the Modocs didn’t get along w ell at all. Due to this, there was much hostility with the new inhabitants. Many of the people dealt with it and carried on their lives. Then there were the ones including Captain Jack, Hooker Jim, and Scar-faced Charley, who couldn’t live among their enemies. These men, (who were known by their English names by the military), and more decided to go back to their homeland to live. They moved back, and then they were kicked out again. This repeated a few times until they were fed up with it. They weren’t leaving for anything or anyone . There were many meetings set by appo...

sexist stereotypes in 100 years of solitude Essays

sexist stereotypes in 100 years of solitude Essays sexist stereotypes in 100 years of solitude Essay sexist stereotypes in 100 years of solitude Essay Essay Topic: The Second Sex Defying Roles of Sexist Stereotypes The book 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is centered around an eclectic family living in the solitude of Macondo for seven generations. As the members of the Buendia family live their lives, they find themselves in a repeating cycle of sins committed by the original Buendias. Out of everything the family does to escape their troubles, nothing seems to work. In and around the family there are only few individuals who keep them from completely spiraling out of control and they ll happen to be women. Within the book, Marquez tends to put women in the stereotypical female societal roles. The characters, however, defy their roles and become the few people to hold the family together. Three important women in 100 Years of Solitude are Ursula Buendia: the housewife, Pilar Ternera: the mysterious whore, and Remedios the Beauty: the crazy yet beautiful woman. Although they are labeled with sexist stereotypes, they become some of the strongest and most beneficial characters to saving the Buendia family from their original sins. Ursula Buendia, although one of the original Buendias, is the strongest and most powerful woman in the book. She committed the original sin of incest with her husband/cousin Jose Arcadio Buendia, but it was provoked by him and not her. Ursula resisted having sex with Jose Arcadio Buendia because she did not want her child to have a pigs tail as a result and even wore metal underwear, but soon into the marriage, she was forced into it because other men bullied JAB. Thereafter, JAB committed the second original sin of violence by killing Prudencio, and then together im and Ursula moved in to solitude. Although Ursula technically committed the original sins, she resisted the actions the whole time, knowing the consequences would be dire. JAB was the main mastermind behind them, beginning the endless cycle and setting the tone for the rest of the book. From then on, it seemed that the men of the Buendia family made the trouble and the women cleaned up after them, Theyre all alike, Ursula lamented. At first they behave very well, theyre obedient and prompt and they dont seem capable of killing a fly. But as soon as their beards ppear they go to ruin. (Marquez 152) Ursula is alive for over half of the book, which equals to about 100 years old. Throughout her life she is a mother, a grandmother, a great grandmother and so on, all the while playing the role of a housewife to the growing Buendia family. Even after Ursula goes blind she is still able t o keep everyone in check as best as she can without help from anyone, especially the boys. Right from the beginning, JAB began distancing himself from the family while searching for knowledge with elaborate items and ideas, leaving Ursula all on her wn to raise three children who of course commit the original sins despite her parenting. In the end, even though Ursula did not completely save the family from their sins, she turned her housewife role into a powerful position taking over the role of the man of the family as well while keeping the family from ruins. Pilar Ternera is another strong female character in the book placed in a sexist stereotypical role. Besides Pilar herself, her name also resembles the word pillar which is an object designed to hold up a building, Just as she held up the Buendia eing able to read fortunes, she had sex with many men and was the head of a brothel at one point. The fact that Pilar could seduce many men and have sex with almost whoever she wanted shows that she had a lot of power over men because she could control them, which is ironic because of the role she is placed in. Pilar used her sexuality to sleep with Jose Arcadio and his brother Colonel Aureliano Buendia which at first may not seem great, but it brought new blood into the Buedia family which is good because it was not incest. This is not the power though, that Pilar enerally used throughout the book to save the Buendia family. She used no sex or magical powers and instead changed peoples fate by changing the their situation and also going to many bounds to keep the family and herself away from the sins. One good change that she made by altering the situation was when her son Arcadio, who did not know he was her son, tried to sleep with her. She instead told him to meet her later and paid a girl, Santa Sofia de la Piedad, to sleep with him, Pilar Ternera had paid her fifty pesos, half of her life savings, to do what she did. (Marquez 112) She paid the other half of her life savings to Santa Sofias parents, leaving her with no money left at all, but saving her son and the Buenda family from another act of incest and sin. Arcadio and Santa Sofia ended up having three children together of non-incest blood: Remedios the Beauty, Aureliano Segundo, and Jose Arcadio Segundo. Pilar Ternera, placed in the role of a whore, which is usually seen as below other people, rose above that and saved the Buendia family from multiple sin-committing situations that helped them to continue on living. Remedios the Beauty, although crazy, is the third most influential woman in 100 Years of Solitude. She was extraordinarily beautiful yet seemed to be crazy or mentally challenged to the other characters in the book. She seemed to have no interest in hygiene or appearance, walking around the house naked and drawing animals on the wall in her own fecal matter. By the time she was twenty she did not even know how to read or write, but that was not the point of her character. What makes Remedios the Beauty so important to the book is how she defied her role of eauty and stupidity by being the only person in the story who did not seem to care or be affected the crazy things that happen to the Buendia family and the town of Macondo. She was the only actually sane person in the story because she was unaffected by the sins and eventually floated up into the sky because she was too normal for the Buendia family and did not fit in. Building on her role of being beautiful, like Pilar, she holds a power over men. Remedios does not under stand her beauty but, The more she did away with fashion in a search for comfort and the ore she passed over the conventions as she obeyed spontaneity, the more disturbing her incredible beauty became and the more provocative she became to men. (Marquez 230) Men would fall to their deaths when they looked upon her beauty even though she had a shaved head and wore a sheet around her body. It showed that even without trying or being aware, Remedios the Beauty could defy her stereotypical role because really they do not exist and you cannot place people into sexist societal roles. When viewing the book as a whole, you can see that Marquez uses Ursula, Pilar, nd Remedios the Beauty to ulti mately show how women cannot be put into sexist above men, who in 100 Years of Solitude seem to be the problem. Even though the Buendia family could not be saved in the end, these three powerful women broke out of their roles and did the best they could to protect the family as long as they could. In the seventh and final generation without these three women to protect them, the last child, Aureliano, was born with a pigtail. Without Ursula, Pilar, and Remedios the Beauty in their stereotypical roles, the Buendia family would not have had as long a lineage as they did.

Current Event Review Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Current Event Review - Article Example However, he believes that the federal and judicial agencies are corrupt in protecting the whistleblowers and, instead, allow the bureaucracy to avenge those who have blown the whistle. In fact, those who endorse the corrupt activities and are involved in its operations are promoted for their work. The prevailing conditions for whistleblowers are very discouraging for individuals with moral spirit to come forward and uncover corrupt activities. For those, who can gather enough strength to voice out the misconduct, the ineffective laws are bound to destroy their professional careers and, possibly, their lives too. They will either be forced to leave the organization, or face a low-profile transfer; they may even be disregarded, or ridiculed, and threatened by their colleagues. Even in the U.S., a nation that proudly boasts justice, equality and freedom of speech, the judicial agencies ensure that a whistleblower is punished for being morally strong and honest. These conditions, on the contrary, are very encouraging for institutions to commit crimes. With an ineffective system, businesses and institutions can be corrupt and easily get away with it. The business can be harsh on any employee who intends to or already has blown the whistle. However the extent to which this is possible is debatable since the article talks about federal bureaucracy benefiting from a federal judicial system. In the case of other businesses or institutions it would be important to see the interests of the judicial agency within a particular scenario and the benefits they can get from it. Nonetheless from an institutional point of view a whistleblower’s lifelong savings can be seized through a lawsuit while institutions can spend millions of dollars in a lawsuit. Unless the government agencies become honest and work for the greater interest of their people, whistleblowers will be forced to follow the system whether it is wrong or right. The government needs to

Miranda v. Arizona (1966) and Dickeson v. U.S. (2000) Term Paper

Miranda v. Arizona (1966) and Dickeson v. U.S. (2000) - Term Paper Example It takes time and consumes a lot of it in this case to ensure equity and transparency in their awarding of their judgments. This is because justice must be seen as served to the parties in the most professional way possible based on the facts in a given case. A case study of the Miranda v. Arizona case in 1966 and Dickerson v. U.S. case in 2000 reveals that the Supreme Court did not reverse their ruling or rather their decision. Judges ideologies helped a big deal in reaching the ruling, because judges had to explore different options for them to stay the ruling or reverse it altogether. When rights of suspects and how police do their prosecutions comes into discussion, it changes the approach to the whole story. Judges have to look deeper in the case to understand every single detailed based on their ideologies and possible scenarios should they determine the case in a certain way. Quoting the Miranda’s conviction which was overturned, the court made it clear about what should happen if the suspect chooses to exercise or practice their rights. The judges upheld that how an individual practices their rights, provided they do not infringe on the rights of others, should not be a case of a court scrutiny. The Martin Quinn scores indicate that the Supreme Court’s decision on Miranda Vs Arizona was a liberal judgment as it is marked with a negative. The approach which was brought during the court proceeding by his Court appointed Attorney was that Miranda was not given the chance of requesting for an attorney which the Supreme Court indicated that it should have been an option from the Police Department. This ruling from the Supreme Court of Arizona has therefore set precedence for other cases. It was a difficult case for the judges to make a determination, based on the public interest the case had attracted, but they had to observe their professional ethics and make a determination. It is clear from the above case that judges play a