Monday, September 30, 2019

Literature Review Methane

Methane Recovery from Landfills Utilization as a Potential Energy Source and Impact on Reduction of Green House Gasses According to The Conference Board of Canada, current Canadian municipal solid waste (MSW) generation levels are approximately 30 million tonnes per year, with a rate of 894 kg per capita, 67 percent of which is landfilled. (Jones L. et al. 2002) Sanitary landfills burry MSW under soil, sanctioning a complex series of reactions to occur, where anaerobic microorganisms decompose a portion of the organic fraction of the waste producing methane and carbon dioxide.Methane generation and emission from landfills are topics of major interest due to methane's role in the greenhouse effect, migration of hazard potential, health and safety issues and energy applications. The objective of this literature review is to provide a concise relationship between MSW and landfill gasses (LFG), details of potential methods used for capturing methane as appose to emitting the gas as well as the benefits of doing. Rendering to information written by D. R. Reinhart and T. G. Townsend (1998), MSW contains approximately 50 – 70 % of biodegradable material, such as food, paper, wood, and garden trimmings.Once MSW is deposited into a landfill, it undergoes a number of biological, physical and chemical changes. These changes are greatly dependent on site conditions, waste characteristics, temperature, quantity of oxygen, moisture content and other factors. (Nozhevinikova et al. 1993) The most important reactions occurring within the landfill are those involving the microbes which begin to consume the carbon in the organic material, in turn causing the decomposition and eventually leading to the evaluate of LFG.In sanitary landfills, the process of burying waste and regularly covering deposits with a low permeability material creates an internal anaerobic environment that favors methane producing bacteria since the presence of oxygen is lacking. Pathways leading to t he production of methane and carbon dioxide from anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of solid waste are briefly described bellow: 1) Decomposition of organic matter- In this preliminary process, compounds of higher molecular mass (Lipids, proteins, nucleic acids etc. are transformed into intermediate mass compounds making them much more suitable for the microorganisms as a source of energy and cell carbon 2) Conversion of decomposed matter to Organic Acid- In this phase, the existing microorganisms convert the intermediate molecular mass compounds into lower molecular mass compounds such as compel organic acids. 3) Conversion of Acetic Acid to Methane Gas- During this stage, the microorganisms transform the acetic acid into methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) gasses. Cassia de Brito Galvao, T. and Pos, W. H. 2002) As the solid waste decomposes in landfills, the gas which is emitted is composed of approximately 50 percent CH4 and 50 percent CO2, both of which are green house g asses (GHG) (Bingemer, H G. , ; Crutzen, P. J. 1987) With Landfilling being the primary source of disposal of MSW around the world, (Encyclopedia Britanica 2012) methane emissions from landfill represent the largest source of GHG emissions from the waste sector, contributing around 700 Mt CO2-e. United Nations Environmental Programme 2012) As recorded by Environment Canada (2010), similar trends exist nationally with emissions from Canadian landfills accounting for 20% of the total national methane emissions. Information gathered in a thesis prepared by Palananthakumar, B. (1991) outlines the proportion of methane produced world wide from landfills, and can be seen illustrated graphically below in Figure 1. 0. Figure 1. 0: % of Methane Production Contributions Worldwide from Landfill Existing research leads to the confident statement that methane is a potent greenhouse gas.As summarized in a 2009 article from the Municipal Solid Waste, the Journal for Municipal Solid Waste Professio nals, In its Fourth Assessment Report (2007), The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that, on a 100-year time frame, each molecule of methane has a global warming potential 25 times higher than that associated with a molecule of carbon dioxide. (Duffy, D. P. et al 2009) Table 1. 0 summarizes the enumerated global warming potential for the primary greenhouse gasses discussed. Table 1. : Global Warming Potential (GWP) for a Given Time Horizon Greenhouse Gas| GWP20-yr (kg CO2-e| GWP (IPCC 2007) 100-yr (kg CO2-e)| GWP 500-yr (kg CO2-e)| Carbon Dioxide (CO2)| 1| 1| 1| Methane (CH4)| 72| 25| 7. 6| (Forster, P. et al 2007) In the last decade, attention to methane emissions from landfills has grown significantly with increased and ongoing awareness of global warming. The efforts of individual landfills as well as the nations as a whole are closely monitored for the control of methane emissions.A trend has been observed that the magnitude of methane emission has been slightly decreasing, which is potentially due to the development of LFG to energy projects. Contrary to the negative perception associated with all greenhouse gasses, capturing this LFG can lead to beneficial outcomes. Generally, recovered methane either flares or is used as source of energy. The use of the gas as a source of energy is economical and environmentally friendly method to reduce LFG emissions. There are three primary approaches for the utilization of LFG.They include; 1) Direct use of gas locally 2) Generation of electricity and distribution through power grid 3) Processing and injection into a gas pipeline. (Palananthakumar, B. 1991) The captured LFG has the potential to provide a continuous source of energy and improve local air quality. In addition, using LFG can significantly reduce GHG emission, making the option of exploiting this alternative energy source a very viable option to MSW management. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has utilized this M SW management option and continues to encourage it.They have created a program that aims to help reduce methane emissions from landfills by assisting and encouraging the recovery and use of LFG as an energy resource. Since the programs inception, Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) has assisted 520 LFG energy projects in the United States reduce landfill CH4 emissions and avoid CO2 emissions by a combined 44 million metric tons of carbon equivalent. The reduction of methane emission through this program has slightly influenced the overall emission of LFG in USA.The success of LMOP can be reckoned by observing statistics from 2010 where reductions from all operational LFG energy projects were equivalent to Annual GHG emissions from 18. 5 million passenger vehicles. (United States Environmental Protection Agency 2012) A variety of technologies exist to generate electricity from collected methane including, internal combustion engines, gas turbines, and microturbines. Although the re is a diversity of technologies, approximately eighty five percent of existing LFG electricity generation projects use internal combustion engines or turbines. United States Environmental Protection Agency 2012) â€Å"How much energy can Municipal solid waste produce? † is a common question among existing research. According to â€Å"An Overview of Landfill Gas Energy in the United States† published by U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Landfill Methane Outreach Program, one million tons of landfilled MSW can produce an electricity generation capacity of approximately 0. 8 MW. To further quantify this value, allowing the magnitude of the electricity generation to be understood, Focus on Energy (2003) outlines that 0. 8MW would be drawn to power approximately 8 000 100w light bulbs.It can be concluded that LFG recovery wreaks benefits environmentally, socially and economically. LFG recovery, particularly methane, also makes an impact on the larger issue termed gree n house effect, as it is amongst the most cost effective and feasible measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The recovered LFG can be directly or indirectly utilized to produce energy, which is a perpetually small, however; a very important component of an integrated approach to the solid waste management given that the use of landfills continues to remain the predominant method of municipal solid waste disposal in most countries. Global Methane 2012) References Bingemer, H G. , ; Crutzen, P. J. (1987). The Production of Methane from Solid Wastes. † Journal of Geophysical Research, 90(D2), 2181–2187. Cassia de Brito Galvao, T. and Pos, W. H. (2002) â€Å"Landfill Biogas Management: Case of Chilean Sanitary Landfills. † Recovering Energy from Waste, 183-194. Conference Board of Canada. (2011). â€Å"Municipal Waste Generation. † How Canada Performs, ; http://www. conferenceboard. ca/hcp/details/environment/municipal- waste-generation. aspx#_ftnref3; ( Sept. 28th, 2012) Duffy, D.. P et al (2009). â€Å"Moving Up†¦ to the Top of the Landfill. Municipal Solid Waste Management. 19(2), 36-39. Encyclopedia Britanica (2012). â€Å"Solid Waste Management. † ;http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/553362/solid-wastemanagement /72390/Sanitary-landfill; (Sept. 29th, 2012) Environment Canada (2010). â€Å"Municipal Solid Waste and Greenhouse Gases. † ;http://www. ec. gc. ca/gdd-mw/default. asp? lang=En;n=6F92E701-1; (Sept 29th, 2012) Focus On Energy (2003). â€Å"Electricity Basics for Renewable Energy Systems†, Focus on Energy, Wisconsin. Forster, P. et al (2007) â€Å"Changes in Atmospheric Constituents and in Radiative Forcing. Climate Change 2007:The Physical Science Basis. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. Global Methane (2012). â€Å"Basic Concepts of Integrated Solid Waste Management. † International Best Practices Guide for LFGE Projects, Global Methan e Initiative, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Jones, L. et al. (2002). â€Å"Environmental Indicators 5th Edition. † Critical Issues Bulletin, The Fraser Institute: Vancouver, BC Landfill Methane Outreach Program (2012). â€Å"An Overview of Landfill Gas Energy in the United States† U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.Nozhevinikova, A. N. , et al. (1993). â€Å"Microbiological Process in Landfills. † Water Science Technology, 27(2), 243-252. Reinhart, D. R. , and Townsend, T. G. (1998). Landfill Bioreactor Design ; Operation, CRC Press LLC: Boca Raton, FL, USA. Palananthakumar, B. (1991). â€Å"Modeling of Methane Generation, Oxidation and Emission in Landfills. † M. Eng. Thesis, Asian Institute of Technology School of Environment, Resources and Development, Bangkok, Thailand. United States Environmental Protection Agency (2012). â€Å"Landfill Gas Energy:A Guide to Developing and Implementing Greenhouse Gas Reduc tion Programs. Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy Guides, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. United States Environmental Protection Agency (2011). â€Å"Landfill Methane Outreach Program. † Environmental Protection Agency, ;http://www. epa. gov/lmop/ faq/ lmop. html; (Sept 29th, 2012) United Nations Environmental Programme (2012) â€Å"Waste and Climate Change: Global Trends and Strategy Framework. † United Nations Environmental Programme Division of Technology, Industry and Economics International Environmental Technology Centre, Osaka, Japan.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Climate Change Lab Report

I. Introductiona. In this lab, the question being investigated is, â€Å"Has climate changed over time?† b. The hypothesis is, â€Å"If CO2 levels affect climate, then the climate has changed overtime because of the increased greenhouse effect caused by higher levels of CO2 emissions.† c. Variables:1. Independent Variable: Amount of CO2 2. Dependent Variable: Climate changeII. Background InformationClimate is the weather pattern in an area over long period of time. Climate is more focused on the long term rather than day to day or week to week changes. Due to uneven heating of the Earth’s surface, climate changes depending on where the location is on the planet. Factors such as incoming solar energy, Earth’s rotation, and air and water movements all affect an area’s climate. Different levels of these factors influence the biomes on the planet.The current climate change is the warming of Earth’s atmosphere. Climate change has happened naturall y all throughout history, but never to the degree that it is now. Average global temperature and CO2 levels are rising due to human activity on the planet such as increased agriculture, raising livestock, and burning fossil fuels. Now it is known that climate change is happening for a many reasons. Scientists studying ice cores, seafloor sediment, and tree rings are all seeing how the climate change is affecting the planet.Even if immediate action is taken, there would still be lasting implications on the entire planet. Things such as rising sea levels, health implications, and severe droughts could all happen because of an increase atmosphere temperature. While some areas would be subjected to scorching temperatures, other would be plunged underwater. Warmer climate would allow for a longer breeding season for microbes and parasites. Action to stop climate change  needs to happen as soon as possible before it could get worse.III. Data AnalysisAfter looking at the data, it is clea r that the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere directly affect the temperature of Earth’s climate. As the graphs show, the higher the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, the higher the average global air temperature is.Graph 1 shows how the rise in carbon dioxide has caused the average global air temperature to rise. For example, in 1965 the CO2 part per million (ppm) was roughly at 318ppm, and later in 2005 the CO2 levels were at about 374ppm. This clearly shows how the CO2 ppm levels have risen over time due to various human activity on the planet.In Graph 2, the average global temperature over time is shown. This graph shows how the average global temperature anomaly has risen dramatically over the course of about 120 years. In 1900 the average global temperature anomaly was -0.1, while in 2000 is was almost at 0.6.In Graph 3, the relationship between temperature and carbon dioxide is shown over very long periods of time on Earth. From 400,000 years ago until present, the lines m apping out the temperature and CO2 levels in the atmosphere have stayed almost overlapping each other the entire time. It is also shown how the CO2 levels have affected the temperature. The CO2 levels have always changed first, falling or rising, with the temperature following that same trend almost immediately after.In Chart 1, tree core data over time is shown. The growth of trees is greatly impacted by the climate that they grow in, and with warmer temperatures due to a warmer climate they will have a longer growing season allowing for thicker rings. For example, in 1600-1649 the average ring thickness on a tree has 0.24cm. Later, in 1900-1960 the average ring thickness from the same tree was 0.37cm.IV. ConclusionThe original hypothesis stated that if CO2 levels affect climate, then the climate has changed overtime because of the increased greenhouse effect caused by higher levels of CO2 emissions. The data gathered supports and accepts this hypothesis. It is shown by multiple st udies how both the CO2 parts per million and the average global temperature has risen over time. As the graphs show, the level of CO2 in the atmosphere has a direct impact on the average global temperature, causing the temperature to rise and fall as the levels of CO2 rise and fall.This lab is very important to the planet, and the everyday lives of everyone on the planet. Climate change has an impact on all life on Earth, and even just a one degree change in average global temperature could end with catastrophic results. Even with immediate action, there will still be lasting implications on the planet. People can no longer ignore the changing climate, or pretend that it’s not going to affect them. Humans have had a huge negative impact on the climate, and for the benefit of not only themselves but for life as we know it, such impacts need to be reversed.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Dialect Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dialect - Research Paper Example The history of Bangladesh is a case that proves the validity of this point. The various dialects that are part of the same language are given different statuses according to the political power that are possessed by the different groups that speak it. Apart from sociolinguistics that all these are a part of, there is also the aspect of a dialect that makes it phonetically and syntactically different from other dialects of the same language that puts linguists in a quandary as to whether to classify a dialect as a dialect or as a language in its own right. There are various dialects that are used in today’s language. English itself has various varieties that we may classify as dialects since they have a lot in common with the standard forms of English, which may be considered to be the American and British varieties. As a result of colonialism, a large number of dialects of English have sprung up in former colonies of England (Mesthrie). They began in some countries as pidgins that were used for purposes of trade and commerce. As the power and prestige that were associated with the language of the coloniser increased among the colonized, the significance of English began to rise. Even after the liberation of these former colonies, the legacy of the coloniser remained in the form of the language of English. This, even today, remains a symbol of one’s class belonging in these countries, where they are associated with colonial attitudes that have refused to fade away. These countries have however, also introduced their own flavors to the English that they have received. Thus, today, there is an Indian English, an Australian English and a lot of other varieties of English that are considered to be official dialects by linguists. With the evolution of the forms of colonialism that are employed by the political powers of the world, the politics of language also underwent changes. Neocolonial attitudes that were fostered by the superiority of the United S tates of America in the political arena ensure that the American dialect is considered to be the superior form of English. This dialect is popularized by American sitcoms and other shows on radio that make it more popular especially among the youth who ape the words and syntax that are used in the media. The dominant dialect leads to what linguists refer to as the death of the indigenous dialects of an area (Crystal). This is usually caused by dialects that are used for official purpose such as for administration. This dialect then turns into the one that the people of a region desire to acquire for the purpose of moving up the social ladder through the acquisition of employment in the government and the private sector. The situation is equally, if not more complicated for those nations that are multilingual. Such nations have to deal with dialects that demand the status of a separate language. This may seem like a tokenistic gesture; however, it leads to a lot of complications such as the demand for a separate state within or in some cases even outside the nation. A separation from the state may result in the diminishing of the status of the state while a separation which is effected while staying with the nation shall lead to administrative difficulties and also sets a precedent for other communities that compromises on the strength of the nation. In a multicultural and multiracial society, a dialect becomes the symbol of a community’

Friday, September 27, 2019

Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Entrepreneurship - Essay Example These theorists argue that social networks provide privileged access to entrepreneurs to their required resources which helps them progress in the business. On the other hand, there are factors other than knowing others which contribute to successful entrepreneurship. The paper develops a critical view towards the notion of social networking and contact-building and its relationship with entrepreneurship. The significance of social relations in entrepreneurship has since long been recognized with the same being used by entrepreneurs to obtain resources and advice on starting their business. This is because the need for contacts is evident at various phases of the new business. Relationships between entrepreneurs and those who possess resources required for the startup are quintessential to the success of a new business. Although the entrepreneur possesses the competence and knowledge as well as a novel idea to run the business, complementary resources may be required. Contacts provid e the resources, knowledge and/or market accessibility required for making the business idea work. Knowing individuals and organizations that operate amongst themselves broadens the resource base available to entrepreneurs for successfully running the business. Contacts that enable success of the new firm comprise the social capital and are essential components of entrepreneurial networks. The social capital, therefore, refers to the individuals who help entrepreneurs in getting things done. These contacts include, but are not limited to, individuals in the professional networks as well as friends and peers from past jobs. They form the basis of the wider entrepreneurial networks that comprise of not just individuals but clusters of companies and organizations. By increasing the size of their networks and number of contacts, entrepreneurs can get access to greater information and resources from those who are knowledgeable. Furthermore, the way in which entrepreneurs â€Å"positionà ¢â‚¬  themselves in the network determines the extent to which they are able to take advantage of their contacts. The aim of such positioning is to shorten the path to the contacts in order to get tasks done. Finally, members of the social network often tend to organize themselves by interacting amongst themselves which leads to the development of ‘multiplex’ ties that benefit the entrepreneur even more. Furthermore, family members too can play an important role in entrepreneurial success. In fact, they play a critical role in so far as entrepreneurship is examined in the context of family business (Rosenblatt et al., 1985). Therefore, knowing family members who have been involved in entrepreneurial business in the past is definitely an ingredient for success for family-run entrepreneurial businesses. Entrepreneurs can benefit from the unique business-specific knowledge that is possessed by their family members including parents. Most importantly, for maintaining confi dentiality of the business idea, most entrepreneurs may find it easier to obtain advice and guidance from their kin rather than non-kin contacts. On the other hand, having strong family ties may inhibit entrepreneurs from accessing a much larger pool of resources and information from non-kin contacts (Birley, 1985) (Renzulli et al., 2000). It is rare to have knowledgeable individuals from all disciplines of business (such as operations, marketing, HR) in one’s family (Renzulli et al., 2000). Hence, entrepreneurs will, at various times acquire the support of their acquaintances for this purpose. However, this social network is not developed instantaneously and may

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Ethical Dilemmas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical Dilemmas - Essay Example At such junctures, there are times when overlooking the important details or critical details seems to be favored than doing one’s own due diligence. This ethical dilemma usually occurs between having to submit some degree of research by the given deadline. Of course, this leads to the outcome that a research itself is half-baked or lack of useful content for it. Of course, this was done so that the paper can reach the acceptable deadline. Having to do any further research beyond the set or acceptable deadline may prove to be very problematic itself. To overcome such a dilemma, it would be wise to do ahead with the necessary preparations for researching and plan or schedule the steps for the research to be taken. Being organized with a proper working schedule helps prevent any researcher from being placed into the dilemma between giving an unsatisfactory research work or having the paper not being accepted due to tardiness. No matter how simple a research work can be, always be prepared ahead of time. Another ethical dilemma one faces in doing research work is by making the research too personal in nature that it is merely biased. Biased research occurs when a researcher has personal preferences regarding an issue within the subject matter and will focus on supporting that point solely. There is no problem in having a personal stake in doing one’s research since it allows an individual to share personal insights and opinions regarding the issue at hand. In fact, having a personal voice and perspective in a research paper is what will add a level of interest and unique color in its ideas. However, focusing solely on one issue while neglecting other points in the research would lead to an insufficient result and conclusion. Being biased not only shows lack of understanding for research, it also shows a lack of academic acumen. To deal with this, a researcher must make a mindset to be as objective as possible. Research requires taking data and

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Influences of Tradition in Field of Counseling Essay

Influences of Tradition in Field of Counseling - Essay Example In both cases, dreams were a factor in the analysis (Neuman, 1954). A method pioneered by psychologist Carl Rogers was a person-centered approach known as humanistic counseling, and B.F. Skinner was interested in what could actually be observed in the outside world, leading at first to therapy as a separate strand from counseling (History: Freud, 2007). Freud believed in psychoanalysis as a field for laypersons, but in the United States lay analysis was not considered legitimate, and is in fact illegal at present. U.S. psychoanalysts are required to be medically qualified. This prejudice against lay therapists led to Roger's adoption of the word "counseling" instead of therapist to describe his method since he was medically trained (Rohan, 2001). The terms "psychotherapy" and "counseling" have now become interchangeable in psychiatry, but Roger's holistic approach to the human side of counseling is unique in the field and has led to hundreds of research agendas. He brought many new ideas into therapy that were resisted at the time they were introduced and continue to be resisted even now (History: Counseling vs. Psychotherapy Divide, 2007). It is the approach to the whole person rather than just analysis of conscious and unconscious thought that makes humanistic counseling a produc... We live in a global community with a mix of cultures and social norms throughout the world. If we look at ourselves as individuals interacting with others and making an effort to determine what factors give us the most satisfaction, we become our own therapists. Humanistic counseling is comprised of self-actualization, creativity, and free choice. John Rowan (2001) describes Rogers' person-centered approach to psychiatric analysis as empathetic, genuine, and non-possessive warmth on the part of the counselor and goes on to discuss the various factors that make this a working form of counseling and analysis. Influences Shaping My Understanding of Counseling Humanistic counseling is somewhere in the middle of the therapeutic system, with Freud and Jung still a major force in the field and family therapy a derivative of humanistic counseling. With the advent of child guidance clinics, family therapy became the recommended treatment in the belief that "a child's symptoms were usually a function of emotional distress in the family" (Family Therapy. par. 8). However, the bottom line is the ability of the individual to understand and accept self, and in that respect humanistic counseling would be the preferred method. The following shows the stages of individual development from the inside out (Rowan, 2001): The first is the importance of self-esteem, trust, and acceptance between client and counselor. Next, it is necessary for the client to gain personal control by being honest with self. The second aspect of humanistic psychology is what is called "self actualization," the whole person: body, feelings, intellect, transpersonal self, and spirit. Neglecting any one of these areas defeats the effort. With so much attention now on the body-diet

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Personal Development as a Manager Journal Essay

Personal Development as a Manager Journal - Essay Example It will take into account the significance of my own beliefs, attitudes and values which are implied by me into the task that I am assigned to perform. Reflective Manager The application of reflective practices is an essential fundamental for those individual who are heading an education or specially a healthcare institution. Similarly, I, the manager of a nursing home, think that reflective ability plays a vital role in my management processes. The reflective practices are defined as a set of basic skills and abilities which require the undertaking of a critical step an orientation to the state of mid or solving problems (Weick, 2001, p. 91). In the real instance, all the managers and leaders are busy reflecting upon their own work and create it an intentional event requiring both the commitment and time. I, as a reflective leader, think that this type of management is one of the basic keys towards creating and organization which is relationship-based. According to the basis of refl ective leadership, I have characterized myself by three major skills: careful observation, self-awareness, and flexible response.   Through these abilities, I am able to study my own decision-making processes and am critical regarding the relationships with workers and colleagues in a constructive manner. I am successfully able to analyze the gaps between knowledge and skills. Besides this, a reflective manager faces the painful and problematic episodes through the identification of learning needs. The process of reflective leader pertains to the assistance of leader teams, communities and committees in leading and managing them with an open heart. The process of this type of leadership tends to assume the leading abilities with joy, fulfilment, peace and creativity disregarding of the various consequences and hassles that might come up during the day. According to my experiences and opinions, such individual or leader, who is able to understand him/herself and is capable of shari ng the joy, fear, weaknesses, strengths and achievements with the followers, is on the way to becoming a reflective leader and manager. Similarly, my nursing home exists with a mission towards improving the lives of all those people who are living in the nursing home (Limerick, Cunninton & Crowther, 1998, p. 280). As the manager, fulfilling my purposes and goals require me to understand and value the human dimension of leadership. I think, translating the relations into actions is an inner journey, and is the practical concept of the struggle for living. Though, it is next to impossible to attain this need fully, however, we constantly strive towards the achievement of a personal vision of enhanced service and self-awareness to others. Thus, theoretically and practically, the practices of reflective leadership, concentrate the attention on such a level where the leaders are most leveraged and the stage impacts and influences their actions the most. It refers to giving the managers t he space of feeling and thinking the stories that exist about the unwritten rules of culture and how the world operates. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory Amongst all other management theories, in my perspective, the theory which concerns most with the management aspect is the Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory. The following pyramid reflects the elements that the managerial theory given by

Monday, September 23, 2019

How has the United States Affected me so far Essay

How has the United States Affected me so far - Essay Example For example, parents play a more vital and dominant role in a child’s life and are influential on the majority of important decisions that he or she is likely to make such as marriage, studies and so on. However, the United States is almost the complete opposite, with parents trying to make their child more independent and capable of making his or her own decisions. I have changed my views on parenthood and the role parents should play in a child’s life. I now believe that allowing a child to become more independent will help him in several aspects of his life and he or she is able to make hard decisions and hold responsibility for his or her choices. Living in the United States has also made me more capable of taking risks and making my own decisions. The United States believes in freedom of speech more than my native country and it was here where I first saw people express their opinions publicly without fear of being intimidated or even assaulted. For example, our country is very religious and the laws are based on these principles hence we are incapable of stating some of our opinions as these would be offensive religiously and other people may not be so tolerant with them. However, America has showed me that there are numerous religions on the world and every person is entitled to his or her opinion. Therefore, one should not condemn another person for having opposing views. In this case I believe America has made me more tolerant and a better person. I am able to questions things I don’t understand in my own beliefs as well as value the beliefs and views of others. I also feel that the American society in a way has also placed me in a position to make mistakes. For example, too much freedom may lead to some individuals adopting certain behavior that they would not otherwise engage in if they were under strict control. Hence, I feel in a way the society creates a

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Unit 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Unit 8 - Essay Example The author therefore lays out number of important elements of project management making up the best practices culture that must be observed by all project managers. training is particularly important considering the fast changing times and environments and as such companies have no options other than investing in continuous education for their project management teams and employees to keep up to date with industry standards. The first success point is for the project managers to get everything straight from the onset. It is important for managers of projects to understand the main goals of the particular project the needs of their clients in order to give the best. Secondly it is particularly important to carefully study and understand contracts before entering into any commitments. Assessing major clauses such as those on liabilities, indemnification warranties are worded right so as to avoid unnecessary legal suits and court cases. This eases the project implementation process and helps eliminate unnecessary delays. Another very important success factor in project management is the kick off meeting with a client. It is a very crucial meeting and therefore both the project managers and key project team members should be present in the meeting alongside key persons from the client end. This is because expectations are set in this meeting and as such it helps project teams figure out how to better manage the expectations of their client. The project managers should also never overlook stored materials; they should understand the way to bill for materials that are stored and also know the hidden costs that may come with early ordering of materials. To this end, timing is important especially when it comes to warranties. The warranty time begins counting immediately equipment are purchased and hence the earlier the installation the longer the period covered by the warranty. The final and ultimate success point in project

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Interest groups Essay Example for Free

Interest groups Essay More than any other group special interest groups hold an enormous amount of sway in the American political system. What is interesting here is the fact that most of the public looks upon special interest groups with disdain. There are a number of reasons for this but before the reasons can be defined special interests must be defined. An interest group is an organized faction that seeks to sway political influence that is favorable to them. For example, many corporations pressure politicians to ease immigration laws because they earn enormous volumes of money by using labor that is generally inexpensive. When it comes to the effect that special interest groups have on democratic pluralism, the effect is generally negative. The reason for this is that special interest groups undermine the democratic process and this frustrates the public to a significant degree. Probably the most significant area that voters express frustration in is the notion that special interest groups are favored by politicians more than the popular will of the American people. That is, if a special interest group promotes an item or an agenda that is opposed by the vast majority of the America people, politicians will still give significant attention to the special interest groups and then will side with the special interest groups against the will of the people. This creates a significant amount of anger and discontent on the part of the voters because it leads to a situation where the representative form of government is no longer acting in a manner that would be deemed representative. In other words, the elected officials no longer promote the interests of the public, but rather promote the interests of front groups, elitists and corporatists. Sadly, this assessment – while somewhat oversimplified – is very close to accurate. One of the reasons that special interest groups have such influence is because an enormous amount of money is required to run a successful election and special interest groups bring with them a great deal of money. While this may seem like a cynical assessment of the current political landscape it is also an accurate one. It would be next to impossible for someone such as James Madison to support the current situation where special interest groups yield significant sway in the government arena. While Madison did understand that political factions were inevitable and also not inherently bad, his belief system (like most of the framers) was generally influenced by John Locke and Locke’s belief in the Social Contract. Within the framework of the Social Contract it is explicitly stated that the government is supposed to protect the inalienable rights of the individual. When the goals of special interests are placed above the needs and benefit of the American people, then the entire notion of the Social Contract is undermined. As such, it would be difficult to believe that Madison would support the current landscape of special interest groups that dominate American politics. Granted, while there is much discontent in the United States regarding special interest groups these groups will never go away. These groups are well funded and their money is welcomed by politicians. As such, interest groups will remain on the political landscape forever and ever. Literally. Bibliography Madison, J. , Hamilton, A. , and Jay, J. (Date Unknown)THE FEDERALIST PAPERS. Retrieved 4 September 2007 from http://patriotpost. us/fedpapers/fedpapers. html Scheikart, Larry. A PATRIOT’S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. New York: Penguin, 2007. Zinn, Howard. A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. New York: Harper’s, 2007.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Cost Of Justice In The American Criminal System Criminology Essay

Cost Of Justice In The American Criminal System Criminology Essay This paper examines defines the concept of justice in the context of the American criminal justice system. It also evaluates the costs associated with criminal justice and the benefits that citizens experience as a result of state expenditures for the justice system by performing a literature on studies that have performed cost-benefit analysis on particular aspects of criminal justice. The paper showed that the cost of crime is escalating in the United States and some criminal justice policies were proven to be cost-effective while others have not. Introduction Justice is one of the dearly-held tenets of democracy. Philosophically, justice has been associated with moral right, on the grounds of rationality, law, religious, fairness, ethics, and equity (Morrison, 1995). Another popular definition of justice is giving to each what he or she is due (Morrison, 1995, p. 306). In this day and age, knowing what is due has been left to the divisions of criminal justice law enforcement, corrections, and the judiciary to decide. Ensuring that justice is served does not come without a price. The federal government shoulders several tangible and intangible costs of meeting the objectives of criminal justice, restraining known, convicted, violent, and repeat criminals (The New Citizenship Project, 1996, p. i). This paper seeks to address how much justice costs in America in terms of the expenditures of the criminal justice system and analyzes the benefits of investment on justice. A cost-benefit analysis of criminal justice calculates tangible and intangible or social costs as well as social benefits of prisons. Social costs refer to burdens on society in addition to the resources it takes to run a prison system (Piehl, Bert, DiIulio, 1999). Aside from operational expenses of building prisons and running them, the costs of justice should also include variables such as lost labor-market productivity of inmates, the loss to families of having a member away from home, and the loss to communities of having a resident removed (Piehl, Bert, DiIulio, 1999). Benefits include a) incapacitation of offenders; and b) crime deterrence or prevention. Costs of Crime According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there were approximately 7.3 million individuals incarcerated, on probation, or on parole in the federal corrections system all throughout the United States. This means that out of every 31 U.S. adults, 1 of them is committed to the prison system (Office of Justice Programs, 2010). For the year 2006, operating the three divisions of criminal justice law enforcement, corrections, and the judiciary incurred a total cost of $214 billion (Office of Justice Programs, 2010). Expenditures have steadily risen since 1986 and for year 2006 alone, the increase was 5.1 percent compared to the previous year. In terms of social costs, a report from the National Institute of Justice (as cited in Piehl, Bert, DiIulio, 1999) presents an outlook on the cost of crime with respect to victimization. The figures presented in Table 1 are based on average compensations awarded by the jury to victims of particular crimes. Rape entails the highest compesation at $98,325 in every victim while drug sales entails compensation of $5. Table 1. Estimates of Social Costs of Crime Crime Social Cost (USD) Rape 98,327 Assault 10, 624 Robbery 8,830 Motoe vehicle theft 3,429 Burglary 1,271 Fraud, forgery, petty thefy 1,271 Drug Sale 5 A more comprehensive study by Moreover, Cohen, Miller, and Rossman in 1994 (as cited in Cohen, 2000) tried to measure the costs of the criminal justice system by comparing costs of crime calculted in several studies. They approximate the cost of justice on a per-crime basis as of year 1987 to be: $5,925 (murder), $2,050 (rape), $1,125 (robbery), and $1,225 (aggravated assault). Another study conducted by Miller, Cohen, and Wiersema in 1996 (as cited in Cohen, 2000) calculated the tangible costs of crime that were derived from surveys of victims. The study showed that cost estimations of private researchers are comparatively higher than the estimates calculated by government agencies. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), the average cost of a rape is $234. Miller, Cohen, and Wiersema estimated the tangible cost for rape per victim at $5,100 broken down into $2,200 for lost productivity plus $2,200 for mental health care. Cost-benefit analysis of crime prevention After estimating the costs of crime, a cost-benefit analysis proceeds by comparing cost with the benefits of criminal justice programs measured primarily in terms of the crime prevented. There have been a few studies that performed a cost-benefit analysis of several criminal justice programs. One study was made by Greenwood and his colleagues (1994) to assess what incarceration policies related to the three-strikes rule debate in California would be the most cost-effective. The study calculated that the cost per serious crime prevented amounted to $11,800 for the third violent offense committed and $16,300 for the third felony offense committed. The study concluded through the figures that focusing on the most violent offenders gives the most justice (in terms of cost per crime prevented) out of the taxpayers money. Another criminal justice policy that has been studied for cost-effectiveness is the practice of incarcerating drug offenders, whose population take up most of the space in the prison systems all over the U.S. It has been contended that the state spends too much on the prison beds, facilities, and expenditures for incarcerated drug offenders when the return in terms of compensation is only $5 per drug sale (Piehl, Bert, DiIulio, 1999). In the study conducted by Piehl, Bert, DiIulio (1999), they concluded that the policy of admitting so many drug offenders into U.S. jails is not a cost-effective means of crime prevention. The fact is, the imprisonment of a drug dealer or seller does not deter crime. That jailed seller is simply replaced by another drug seller. Ultimately, the costs shouldered by the state to incarcerate drug dealers compared to the degree of crime prevented suggests that it is not cost-effective. Experts suggest that prison beds occupied by drug offenders instead be reserved to violent and high-cost property crime offenders. Conclusion Studies have shown that crimes indeed pay. The cost of justice, as this paper has stated, is increasing in the U.S. Crime prevention entails gigantic expenses shouldered by the state through taxpayers money. Studies that have conducted cost-benefit analysis show that some criminal justice programs are cost-effective while others are not. Until now, obtaining empirical evidence to measure the cost-effectiveness of the justice system has been difficult, but the fact that such efforts are being are crucial to the development of criminal justice programs that will enhance the delivery of justice in the country.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

High Fidelity :: essays research papers

High Fidelity is directed by Stephen Frears (The High-Lo Country, Dangerous Liaisons) and is written for the screen by D.V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink, Scott Rosenberg and John Cusack, from the novel by Nick Hornby. High Fidelity offers a comedic look at its heartbroken main character and narrator, whose recent breakup forces him to rethink his previous failed romances and to confront the fear of commitment. The owner of a vinyl record store, Rob Gordon (John Cusack: Being John Malkovich) feels misled and mistreated by his new ex-girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle: Mifune). Bored and confused, Rob decides to revisit a series of old girlfriends (played by Lili Taylor, Joelle Carter and Catherine Zeta-Jones) in order to learn from their reasons for having rejected him. When his research produces a somewhat optimistic view of himself, Rob's self-esteem is revitalized and he feels compelled to pursue a new adventure with the exotic Marie DeSalle (Lisa Bonet). Conflicts arise when Rob learns abo ut Laura's sudden interest in his intolerable neighbor Ian (Tim Robbins). High Fidelity portrays the banal aspects of falling in and out of love. Its main character, who personifies the identifiable ups and downs of bachelorhood, often turns to the camera to describe his misfortunes and to incite the viewers' sense of sympathy and humor. High Fidelity draws most of its comedy, however, from Rob's two eccentric employees, Barry and Dick (Jack Black and Todd Louiso), whose well-defined personalities and distinct tastes in music contrast Rob's overall ambivalence. High Fidelity offers a strictly male point of view by depicting a world where every male character --troubled or not-- is nonetheless a funny character, and where all female characters are either too angered, too hurt or too indifferent, yet always serious. This choice supports the protagonist's perception of the female mind as impenetrable and makes High Fidelity a film which comments one-sidedly on the irrationality of love. Transplanted from England to the not-so-mean streets of Chicago, the screen adaptation of Nick Hornby's cult-classic novel High Fidelity emerges unscathed from its Americanization, idiosyncrasies intact, thanks to John Cusack's inimitable charm and a nimble, nifty screenplay (cowritten by Cusack). Early-thirtysomething Rob Gordon (Cusack) is a slacker who owns a vintage record shop, a massive collection of LPs, and innumerable top-five lists in his head. At the opening of the film, Rob recounts directly to the audience his all-time top-five breakups--which doesn't include his recent falling out with his girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle), who has just moved out of their apartment.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

University Foundation :: University Foundation Education Essays

University Foundation The presentation I choose to summarize is Greg Gissendanner’s presentation on the university foundation. Like most of the other presentations in class, Greg used the standard outline of presenting the unit’s history, mission, organizational structure, funding and financial concerns, and current issues. History. Greg showed that while many foundations look fairly similar today, the history of foundation development took on many different forms at different institutions. Greg’s primary examples of Harvard and Rutgers compared stories of how each foundation got its start with early donations (in a foreign currency!) as well as donations of other types – those that we might call in-kind today. These donations of materials and labor were instrumental in getting these two institutions the boost they needed for their continuing growth. Mission. Greg went on to define a â€Å"shared† mission statement of university foundations in general. This shared mission, securing gifts and grants, maximizing donor interest and commitment, and distribution of gifts to the university community, came from five specific mission statements which Greg then shared with the class. These individual mission statements while variable, all seemed to contain this shared definition within them even though they came from a variety of large public institutions. It would have been interesting to compare these with the mission of some smaller publics and also private institutions. Organizational Structure. Greg used a nice technique to discuss the organization structures of university foundations. Instead of just showing several examples, he asked the class to take a look at two universities which he had outlined some basic characteristics such as enrollment, location, cost of tuition, age of institution and endowment. He then asked us how we thought each of their foundations would be organized. It was a good tactic to make us think about what factors might affect the organization of a foundation and why. He went on to give details and his own explanation of why the foundations were organized the way they were. Funding and Financial Concerns. Next Greg discussed how the university foundation is typically funded. He explained that the foundation typically has five funding streams, endowment management fees, unrestricted gifts, gift fee, investment income fee, and a university services fee.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Essay --

Marxism and Christianity are two influential doctrines which have shaped our world in profound ways. While they differ on certain fronts, one cannot help but wonder that if there were some way that the two could coexist, that their synthesis could change the course of humanity inevitably. This discussion will be divided into two sections. The first one will be a brief summary and critique of Karl Marx’s rejection of religion, Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right. By dissecting this piece, it is hoped that we may cast doubt on its effectiveness; in the process of rejecting religion, Marx may have excluded many potential supporters from his revolutionary cause. As well, an attempt will be made to propose that atheism should no longer be a necessary central tenet of Marxism. The second section will be concerned with providing evidence of both early and contemporary Christian teachings which mirror Marxist principles. Finally, our discussion will turn briefly to Liberation Theology to confirm that Marxist and Christian schools can, and do converge. By pursuing these ends, this analysis will show that, at a fundamental level, Christianity shares many core principles with Marxism, and as such, Marxists are misguided in their dogmati c and mechanical rejection of religion and more specifically, of Christianity. For Marxists to realise their goal of a classless society that is based upon equality and justice, they must be more inclusive and allow those who practice religion, especially Christians who share similar aims, into their revolutionary dialogue. In his criticism of Hegel’s Idealism, Marx asserts that religious devotion represents a, â€Å"reversed world consciousness† , the result of wh... ... that both Marxists and Christians are concerned with the perils of human alienation and that each doctrine’s prescription to cure its causes is similar. Finally, Liberation Theology proves that Marxist and Christian ideals can synthesise and that their intercourse has created a new and possibly revolutionary stage of human existence. Christianity and Marxism both seem to have become detached from their original aims, which were to provide a method by which humanity may achieve the best possible life; for both, this will be realised through the practice of mutual aid, equality and love. All other points of contention between them seem polemical and counter revolutionary. One 20th century Christian revolutionary wrote that, â€Å"solidarity, in spite of all divergences, is absolutely essential if a revolutionary project is to be successful.† That is indeed the case.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Advantahes and Disadvantages of Public Transport

Advantages and disadvantages of public transport This is a website informing towards young people some advantages and disadvantages of public transport. Many of us are in these days use our own vehicles to get to our destination and utilizing it as our ‘daily use’, whereas numbers of public transport are reducing since many people are passing their driving test and buying their own cars. This is leading to pollution in the Earth; hence I will be mentioning some advantages and disadvantages of public transport. Firstly, I will be talking about the disadvantages of it.Disadvantages Delay Public Transport causes some passengers to wait at the station or at the bus stop, which really wastes a person’s valuable time. It may also lead someone losing their job. If there’s bad weather i. e. snow, rain etc, then a person can’t get any heating system in the bus stop nor can he get it in the train station. This can be another reason for falling into a serious i llness of someone. In this case any children or any other adult person will lose out on something which is really essential. Safety/SecurityOne of the disadvantages of public transport is that they do not check a person’s bag or properties if there’s any dangerous property, like the way it gets done in the airport. Therefore, public transport gives everyone the opportunity to ride in it safely. Therefore, there could be any terrorist attack or hustling if someone uses the public transport, due to that number of people die this includes children as well. Many people return to their destination and they end up losing their property. This situation everyone faces, especially when there’s people are packed inside the bus or train.Comfort/Hygiene/Cleanliness Public transport doesn’t make anyone feel comfortable nor does it make anyone feel hygienic. This causes because of those people who smokes, stays dirty and like to vandalise those items due to these it pu t up a bad image on public transport. Not everyone abide by these rules and it makes other people influenced when they see a person doing those bad actions. Only one or two of us decide to take action upon it, whereas the others don’t really care since they are riding it only for temporary time.It’s more likely for a person to get seriously ill, because of the condition of a bus, train and trams etc. Most of the time you see the bus or the train is littered with rubbish, alcohol bottles which is not very nice to see. Privacy In public transport there isn’t privacy to occupy yourself in: – reading books, sleeping, doing your work etc. There are a lots of time you can get find someone who is really irritating. Unlike if you have your own car then you can get whoever you want and reject the unwanted passenger. Nevertheless, when using public transport so many people huddle around and try to steal one's property.This makes it really uncomfortable for the one to use the public transport, due to the lack of privacy. Whereas, in your own car there are no crowds or nothing which will irritate you, but instead you can occupy yourself in some of your own activities. Embarkation Point Additionally, if a person desires to use public transport then he has to go to a specific embarkation point. An embarkation point is where the buses, trains etc leave from. This could be a great hassle for a person who has a lot of luggage to carry, and it might also make someone miss their bus or train.This can cause a lot of problem for a person’s study or work. The vehicle won’t start whenever you want it; there are specific timetable for their departures. Sometimes the vehicle stops at a different embarkation point or at the wrong embarkation point due to some road works. This is the main cause of people who are losing out in their works. Advantages Safety Public transport tries as much as possible to provide their best services for the public. They have provided safety and security for the passengers, by putting: – CCTV cameras, fire alarms, fire extinguishers etc. ost of the time crime takes place and it causes the public to avoid using it. Unlike one’s own car there is no safety, and a driver would only keep some spare tyres and tools only for his car. Time saving Public transport allows you to be punctual by knowing its specific timetable. This can cause you to be on time for catching up on your ‘essential needs’. There are other transports which don’t have to stop themselves in the traffic due to them having some specific routes e. g. train, trams. This makes it really effective, as well as time saving. They run at the speed of 150m/h.In the same way the buses have some specific routes to run on. Unlike, if a person owns his own car then he has to wait for the traffic, and it can cause a lot of problem. Conclusion In conclusion, I think that public transport is really ideal for the wh ole of the public. By looking at its advantages, it shows the how can a person can attain benefit out of it. Therefore, I recommend that all public should start to use public transports as it can bring a lot of benefits to us and the Earth. It also reduces the amount of pollution the Earth is facing.

Food Hygiene & Sanitation Essay

Only without oxygen at an ideal temperature 43? C c. Only with oxygen at an ideal temperature of 43? C d. Only without oxygen at an ideal temperature of 39? C 7. Which of the following groups of hazards are most likely to cause a foodborne disease outbreak? a. Bacteria and viruses b. Parasites and molds c. Vibrio spp. and Shigella spp. d. Chemical and physical hazards 8. Bacteria grow best within a narrow temperature range called the temperature danger zone. The temperature danger zone is between: a. -18? C and 104? C b. -8? C and 65? C c. 5? C and 60? C d. 5? C and 100? C . Bacteria that cause foodborne illness will only grow on foods that have pH at _____ or above and a water activity (AW) above____. a. 3. 2; 0. 85 b. 4. 6; 0. 85 c. 6. 5; 0. 80 d. 8. 0; 0. 75 10. Which of the following bacteria produce a toxin that is more likely to cause death if consumed? a. Campylobacter jejuni b. Clostridium botulinum c. Shiga-toxin producing Escheria coli d. Listeria monocytogenes 11. Some bac teria form spores to help them: a. Reproduce b. Move easily from one location to another c. Survive adverse environmental conditions d. Grow in high acidic foods 12. Which of the following is a histamine poisoning? a. Ciguatoxin b. Scombrotoxin c. Mycotoxin d. Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) 13. Which of the following is not considered a potentially hazardous food group? a. Red meats b. Fish and shellfish c. Poultry and eggs d. Dried grains and spices 14. The most effective way to control the growth of bacteria in a food establishment is by controlling: a. Time and temperature b. pH and oxygen conditions c. Temperature and water activity d. Time and food availability 15. Food borne illness can caused by: a. Poor personal hygiene b. Cross contamination c. Temperature abuse d. All the above 16. Regarding food thermometers, which statement is false? a. Be calibrated b. Measure temperatures between 5? C and 57? C c. Measure temperatures between -18? C and 104? C d. Be approved for use in foods 17. Good personal hygiene includes a. Using hand sanitizers instead of washing hand b. Keeping hands and clothes clean and sanitary c. Wearing attractive uniforms d. Cleaning and sanitizing food-contact surfaces 18. Cross contamination is a term used to describe the transfer of a foodborne hazard from 1 food to another: a. By a food worker’s hand b. From a cutting board c. From a knife blade d. All of the above 19. After proper cooking, all foods that are to be held hot must be held at: a. 74? C or above b. 57? C or above c. Room temperature until served d. 49? C or above 20. Food workers should wash their hands after which of the following? a. Taking out the trash b. Touching their faces c. Handling raw food d. All of the above Section B (10 marks) Answer either True/ False. 1. The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point System is only used to monitor food processing in manufacturing plants. () 2. Certification of food protection managers and workers refers to screening done for health problems. () 3. The term food establishment includes any site where food is processed, prepared, sold or served. () 4. Bacteria and viruses cause most foodborne illness. () 5. One of the potentially hazardous food is cut melons. () 6. There are two types of bacteria that are spore forming and non-spore forming. () 7. Clostridium botulinum cannot cause death. () 8. E. Coli can be found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. () 9. Prevention of cross contamination can be done by keeping raw food and ready-to-eat food together during storage. ) 10. Bacteria take 25 minutes to multiply. () Section C (20 marks) Briefly explain on each answer. 1.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Ben nighthorse campbell

Different people would have known him differently; some would remember him as who he was before he became popular in the eyes of the public: a farmer and a police officer, even a jeweller or a world class judo fighter . But for the greater majority, particularly his constituents, Ben Nighthorse Campbell was a public servant who gave a lot to the public through the things that he did during his several years of tenure while serving in public office from the congress to the senate and every minor office in between that goes with the elected position.Several important individuals in different fields shower Senator Campbell with very complimenting words – referring to him as someone who is â€Å"dedicated†, as someone who is considered as an â€Å"accomplished public servant† . History believed he was a political leader who possessed charm, someone who is sincere and has a strong set of leadership qualities . One other description of him is that he is a fighter then and now. His background in the military, in judo and even in the streets when he was young, was a testament to that. In politics, he never changed his attitude.He was described as a straight-shooter , while other critics view him as someone who is shooting from the hips . Because of the significance of senator Campbell, the purpose of this paper is to discuss Senator Campbell’s life, with focus on his career as a senator and as a congressman and mentioning also his roles in the military, in the American judo history, notes on his personal life before and during his political life and his role in the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and Museum, National Museum of the American Indian and in the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.II. Campbell’s Life Born on April 13, 1933, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell is one of the few politicians of note who rose in the political circles carrying proudly his Indian ancestry. â€Å"He is proud of his Native American heritage . † His sense of pride and loyalty to his roots and to his culture was seen through his actions as well as through his clothing; it was as if he was wearing his culture, identity and heritage. For example, he was seen wearing â€Å"ceremonial tribal clothing† as he attended the opening of the National Museum of American Indian (NMAI) .It was considered as a â€Å"major aspect† that has created, established and sustained the overall â€Å"persona† that is Senator Campbell all throughout his life, especially during his political life . Campbell’s personality of hinging so much of who he is as he presents himself to the public on his being a Native American Indian was just enough for people to forget that there were actually men who preceded Campbell who, just like him, were partly Native American Indian and also won elected public office.One of them served in an office even higher than Campbell’s – and that would be Charles Curtis, who w ould eventually become the first vice president of the United States who is a Native American Indian. â€Å"The highest elected office ever held by an Indian in the US was the vice presidency . † Unlike Campbell, Curtis was from the Kaw tribe hailing from Kansas. In his vein was quarter of blood from this tribe. Also, he was an attorney before getting elected, unlike the more blue-collar type of jobs that Campbell pursued early in his life before shifting to jewellery designing and production later on.Nonetheless, both elected men are good and honorable men who made the Native American Indian community proud. But even with men like Curtis and how they were ‘bigger’ men politically, the Indians appreciate Campbell’s efforts at staying with his packaging as the American Indian holding office at the senate and at the congress. This personality/attitude more than compensates for the fact that he was not the first of his kind. â€Å"Although not the first Nati ve American senator, he is the first to make a statement with his Indianness. † Indeed, he, too, was a record maker of sorts, and in many ways.This is what the paper will explore throughout the discussion on the different aspects of personal and political life of Senator Campbell, who, in November 3, 1992 made a historic feat by becoming the first American politician with Native American roots to be elected as a senator. It was something that hasn't happened in more than the six decades that has passed in the senate history prior to his election to the office. Prior to that, he became the sixth politician with Native American heritage and ancestry to be ever elected to the congress, a seat that was given to him through the votes of the public for three times .Senator Campbell's Indian heritage is no secret. In fact, it seems that it is one of his many major personal characteristics that the media, as well as his colleagues, often refer to or address, particularly his being Ind ian, and his respectful stature in the Indian community, like being a Northern Cheyenne Tribe chief, a position he and only 43 others possess . Because of Campbell’s pride towards his heritage, his people in return are doing ways to let Campbell know that his act of holding on to his Native American Indian roots and not covering it up with modern day personality just to suit his high echelon colleagues and.So that he will suit their taste for a particular company, his native Cheyenne are going out on a limb just to celebrate the victory of one of their most accomplished sons. For example, many Cheyenne individuals joined the parade. Some of them spent as much as they can spare just to lavish Campbell and the parade with the decorations fitting to the act of congratulations coming from the Cheyenne tribe. Some actually spent more than they could spare just so they can claim Campbell as their own and they can show how proud they are of Campbell.â€Å"Six of the riders were Nor thern Cheyenne, who had bankrupted themselves to show the world that Campbell was one of their own . † Despite his Indian American / Native American Indian roots, Campbell was a Catholic from the time his mother, also a devoted catholic, had him baptized when he was still a baby by bringing him and his sister Alberta to a church to be baptized just close to the time Campbell was born, until the time when he seemed to have had a falling out with the Catholic faith.But Campbell, during his adult life and especially during his tenure as public office politician, drifted from religion, and proof of this is the item â€Å"unspecified† marked on the space allotted for the identification of religious affiliation of the individual. This distinction, again, made Senator Campbell someone who is different from the rest of the field in the 106th Congress. He was the only one whose religious affiliation was unspecified, although there were no clear explanation(s) why such was the ca se – it could be anyone's guess, from clerical error, mistake, or other reasons .His sudden dissociation with the Catholic faith was a surprising turn of events for Campbell. There are many good things that the Catholic faith has done for Campbell, especially during his youth. For example, there is the role of the faith during the times they were sent to the orphanage by their parents because they cannot take care of him and his sister because of their mother's sickness and their father's alcoholism and inability to financially support them.While the Catholic faith and the orphanage system had their share of bad reputation, history points how the Catholic experience was a relatively good one for Campbell. In retrospect, Campbell recalled how the nuns and priests, who took care of him when his parents were unable to take care of him, treated him well. In his recollection of his days with these priests and nuns, as he narrated it for his biography published in book form, he men tioned just several instances wherein he was punished like being sent inside a pig pen to be with a huge pig.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Key Message & Insights to be Gleaned from Babel, the Movie

The two-fold message of Babel, a film by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, is human frailty and interconnectedness of lives. Most individuals tend to think that their actions are inconsequential, and often take people like family — along with other good things happening to them — for granted. In the least expected ways, people’s lives are intertwined. Usually, though, as a culture communicates itself to others, barriers arise, impeding a real connection.The film likewise depicts that there are times when people behave irrationally, which may be part of human nature, and there will always be a point in time when people will experience Murphy’s Law, commonly understood as `Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way. ’ In such instances, people may be weighed down by misfortunes or tragedy, but in those instances, there are those who cling to each other for support.Notwithstanding the trauma, individuals m ade up of sterner stuff rise to the challenge. Most people, in the end, also own up to their mistakes and take responsibility for their actions as well as for their closest of kin or alliances. Human beings are not infallible, and may sometimes have little control over circumstances unfolding in their lives.Just as the Biblical meaning of the film’s title connotes (the Tower of Babel is referred to as a grandiose structure built by Noah’s descendants for their own glory, but divine intervention muddled up their tongue and they failed to understand one another's speech, and ended up scattered across lands), Babel, the movie, features four interlocking stories where the characters experience some communicative barrier along with a sense of alienation from the rest of humanity, and are pushed to the edge.Every obstacle that the characters encounter, however, is presented as an opportunity to improve on the human condition. As such, Babel showcases how the human spirit can prevail over critical challenges or life-changing hurdles. Hope as a universal thing is clearly expressed. On the other hand, chaos as a constant element in the world is also highlighted. The presence of a gun throughout the movie’s main plot and subplots shows how a shot can create a ripple effect, trigger untold pain, and change the lives of its victims forever.It appears more like a symbolism of how guns can be misused. As each of the movie’s central characters embark on a journey of scars — in a remote setting in Morocco with its grazing lands and desolate tracts, and in another part of the world, Tokyo, with its resplendent yet lonely megalopolis — they see their lives unraveling, yet are unaware of the common thread running through them.In essence, human frailty and disillusionment are exemplified by Babel’s central characters — a couple traveling in Morocco in order to emotionally reconnect; a Mexican nanny who brings their children across the US-Mexican border without the parents’ permission to attend her son’s wedding; a herdsman and his two young boys; and a teenage deaf- mute desperately seeking attention from her father and friends in Tokyo. As fate would have it, a rifle ends up in the possession of a local herdsman who delegates to his young sons the task of guarding the family’s herd from jackals.While playfully testing the rifle’s capacity, the younger son of the herdsman accidentally shoots the lady-tourist, seriously injuring her. The ensuing events find the traveling couple’s nanny facing arrest and deportation for her unauthorized action; and the teenage deaf-mute enduring a dreary existence as social outcast. All these tormented souls attempt to soothe the pain and isolation they encounter as they wrestle with misfortunes and upheavals.The parallel crises take place simultaneously, and as the families deal with their respective hurdles, they pay a high price â₠¬â€œ with their soul, dignity, freedom and life. Overall, it is a good movie that insightfully depicts the human condition and how people will go to great lengths to survive or find elusive happiness or meaning in an imperfect world where actions have impact on others. Reference Inarritu, A. G. (Producer/Director). (2006). Babel. US: Paramount Pictures Corporation.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Crumbs from the table of joy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Crumbs from the table of joy - Essay Example Godfrey with his puritan strictures, forces the family to the belief of the living messiah. He even scribbles question, which he believes will arise when he eventually meet the Father for one-on-one, a situation that does not materialize at all. A new them is brought forth when Lily is introduced; the theme of communism. There is a turn of events when Lily, the sister-in-law to Godfrey enters. The play describes her as a juke-joint maven (a term used to describe joint places of the blacks, associated with disorderliness) who has been brought in to take care of Ernestine and Ermina and also to provide guidance to the two. She begins to set up unwelcome residence. They fall apart with Godfrey, who detests her flirting habit and lavish lifestyle, and more so, her communist ideologies, which Ernestine takes as the sole truth. One can tell that Lily has planned to rekindles the history that they had with Godfrey, and to be more than just a surrogate to the girls. She intends to get intimate with Godfrey, a situation that forces Godfrey to move out of the house and gets into unprompted marriage with the Gerte, a white German. Refinement is definitely not the maxim for this play. Though the play was initially commissioned as part of the plans targeting the teens, which was never a surprise, nonetheless it never came as a bad thing. Through the presentation of invigorating topics that surround a family portrayed with diverse character, Nottage successfully manages to soften what one would refer to as educational pummeling. Equally, the manner in which Nottage has structured the scenes around Ernestine narrative references to house, clearly, one is reminded of the these events resonates with the with the interpretation of events by teenagers, at a time when the shades of age was hard to come by. At this end, the theme of injustice is brought about. As Ernestine

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Topic in Instruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Topic in Instruction - Essay Example In order to do this kind of advertising practices cowgirl has to link their company website to the mentioned search engines. The behavior of consumer is changing rapidly in this modern era of globalization. After the Second World War due to globalization the attraction of people is changing towards the advanced technology. Moreover by the website advertising strategy company can target a mass number of customers. This strategy will lower the advertising cost of the products of cowgirl chocolate as the company has to invest lees in this total page of commercial than the print media marketing (Ferrell and Hartline, 2010, p.153). The real fact is that many customers are linked by the internet while the readers of magazines are in limited numbers. In terms of product packaging strategy, company need not look for the creativity or artistic to pack the products. The quality of food product can do the appropriate market segmentation. Cowgirl chocolate should look for the suppliers who will supply the packaging raw material at a lower price. These two aspects can increase the profitability of the organization. Demand-based Pricing The major competency of cowgirl chocolate is that they launched chocolate products with a kick of little spiciness. Moreover the strategy will help cowgirl chocolate to expand their business market by creating various products that can attract the people of both old and new generation. It has seen from the case that their specialty regarding all the food products is on the top but people tend to buy the low price chocolate products than the expensive one. Due to different pricing of different products, customer can actually go for the better priced product. The new products like sweet chocolates are being used to appeal people to buy the products. As a result people can go for the sweet chocolates than the others due to variety of price level. When a product has higher demand then it is easy to decide when and how to increase the price of the product but when a product’s demand is decreasing then it is a tough task to do the pricing of that particular product (Stretton, 1999, p.153). They can take some strategies like customer feedback which can help cowgirl chocolates to do the market segmentation and the pricing strategies. Competition-based Pricing There are very few chocolate companies who are competitor of cowgirl chocolate. Cowgirl chocolate competes with the competitors to achieve the self-space at various retail outlets. In order to discuss the merits of competition-based pricing it is very much necessary to find who the competitors of the company are and what are the competitive advantages the company has? The advantage as well as the limitation of cowgirl chocolate has the pricing strategy due to various product lines. Cowgirl chocolate is facing the major competition from the sweet chocolate producing companies. The competitive advantages of cowgirl chocolate are attractive packaging and exceptional ta ste of products. Answer 2 Merlyn took an attempt to place her chocolates in the retail houses and got success by this attempt. However, the problem arises when cowgirl chocolate was unable to cut down the operational cost. As per as pricing, Cowgirl chocolate may consider four pricing strategies such as Promotional Pricing, Demand-based Pricing, Premium Pricing and Price lining. Cowgirl chocolate has adopted demand based pricing strategy as per different products. They

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Multicurrency decision Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Multicurrency decision - Speech or Presentation Example I would suggest that it is more prudent and viable to reject the offer, because there is a 71% probability to earn the amount of profit rather than the bank's offer.Question6HSBC'S offer for payment of $2,150,000 in return of revenue in local currency is a good offer because it gives Corvette an average return. In addition Corvette would directly change the types of liabilities and assets it holds, to enter into financial contracts and shift some of the IRR they have to other Companies or investors who are better capable to manage themQuestion7The Corvette's the sales manager is more risk averse because he is more opposing the risk because the future is uncertain and unpredictable with random occurrence therefore the known should be accepted. And if fluctuation happens further in exchange rates and the Company may loose a lot. Question8Management dead-lock: Like in the case of disagreement on whether to accept the HSBC offer, this may causes the Company to loose business.The bank des cribes its value at risk as the loss that happens at the 5th percentile of the unsure inflow. Regulatory bodies repeatedly make use of a slightly more complex adaptation of gap analysis to approximation the level of IRR banking institutions and for the whole banking industry.Question 9 The idea that money available at the three months' time is more   worthier than the same amount due   in the future to its potential earning capacity. This chief principle of finance maintains that the sooner money is received.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

The Tell-Tale Heart and A Rose for Emily, gothic but with a twist Essay

The Tell-Tale Heart and A Rose for Emily, gothic but with a twist - Essay Example in the backdrop of 19th century England, but as we progress through the story, we find certain unmistakable Gothic elements that are present in every layer. It is not merely the dark, brooding, rather claustrophobic atmosphere of the backdrop itself, there is something of the Gothic darkness in the characters too. Like his successor Austen who so successfully interwove the setting with the mindset of the characters, Faulkner uses the house in which Mrs. Emily Grierson lived to portray the working of her mind. On the other hand, â€Å"The Tale Tell Heart† by Edgar Allan Poe is the usual uncanny supernatural fare that Poe is known and loved for. Yet, what strikes as similar in those two vastly different stories is the treatment of the backdrops. In both the stories, we find that the setting in which they are portrayed does not exactly affect, but rather reflect the demeanor and lifestyle of the protagonists. It is rather difficult to establish the Gothic-ness of the backdrop of Faulkners story. True, the house of Miss Emily Grierson is palatial and reminiscent of lost splendor, derelict and almost haunted by the lone resident, but the real darkness and epic grandeur that befits a truly Gothic tale is missing. The same can be said about Poe â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† too: it certainly lacks the grandeur that is expected in the setting of an epic tale, the story having unfolded in a common dwelling house in London. However, what the stories lack in the way of a backdrop, they make up in the narrative and characterization. The characters are authentically Gothic, with all the madness and darkness and the rest of the Gothic paraphernalia. A perusal of both the stories give the impression that the settings are

Monday, September 9, 2019

Introduction to mass communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Introduction to mass communication - Essay Example When it comes to newspapers and magazines, there is a dire need to comprehend how these mass communication facets would take care of the society’s portrayal and the people living within it. Their day to day undertakings and tasks would be covered by the mass communication agendas, hence playing a direct role within their life regimes. Mass communication is an important tool within any society as its significance is seen in different contexts time and again. The people who run the different mass communication outlets have a very pertinent responsibility as these look to defy the opposition which is raised in the wake of achieving success. The newspaper and magazine regimes have long realized that mass communication is happening for the benefit of all concerned and that the stakeholders of the newspapers and magazines have to be told nothing but the truth. There is a sense of belonging as far as societal responsibilities are concerned. This is of paramount essence because mass communication does take the major share of the audience’s attention, on most of the occasions. The people’s attitudes, knowledge levels and perception regimes change as and when the newspapers and magazines amend their respective agendas. It goes to show without any doubt that mass communication has a very important effect on th e lives of the people who read newspapers and magazines, and even the ones who are not directly affected by the same (Perry 1996). Anything that is printed within these media vehicles gets noticeable coverage and hence the lives of the people are changed either in a positive or a negative way. The change is indeed imminent as is the case worldwide, with regards to newspapers and magazines. It goes to show without saying that the top heads within these newspapers and magazines have a huge responsibility resting on their shoulders, and hence they must make positive impact on the minds of the readers, and indeed the

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Business, law, and ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Business, law, and ethics - Essay Example For instance, they let the company adopt the sell recommendation which is detrimental to the investors. Instead of playing their watchdog role, the gatekeepers failed to perform this function which led to the collapse of the company. The gatekeepers also failed to detect securities fraud as it took place at Enron. This contributed to the collapse of the company. The euphoria in the market made the gatekeepers less relevant thereby overlooking their work. This compromised their credibility since it resulted in the downfall of the company. Regardless of the market conditions prevailing at an given moment, it is imperative for the gatekeepers to make sure that they perform their expected duties so as to safeguard the investors’ money. Failure to adhere to their stated goals may result in fraud activities being committed by the directors of the organization concerned. This is what happened at Enron since the directors engaged in unethical practices that resulted in the downfall of the company. There is also need for the gatekeepers to preserve their reputational capital so as to ensure that their clients are operating within the expected framework. However, in this case, it can be seen that the gatekeepers’ reputational capital slackened and this resulted in them failing to perform their expected duties. This compromised the performance of the company and it contributed to its downfall. Once the gatekeepers have been reluctant in their operations, they may not be able to detect problems that may impact negatively on the operations of the company. the monitoring function of the gatekeeper is meant to ensure that things such as fraud are not committed by the company executives in their operations. The case of Enron also shows that the gatekeepers did not perform their obligations to monitor the operations of Enron. In order to prevent such a situation from happening again in the future, it is imperative for the gatekeepers to

Saturday, September 7, 2019

New health care Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

New health care - Assignment Example It is in this call from the developing countries and the various stakeholders in the health sector that as medical practitioners and professionals; alongside partnerships of other stakeholders such as the communities in those areas, the policy makers, local authorities, and business leaders that we seek to establish new models of care in Nigeria, as a developing country. Diversity is a challenge within the health and social care systems of the world. The hospital as a public place services multitudes of people from diverse cultural backgrounds, creating the need to accommodate the factor of diversity in every new model of care (Diller, 2011). Particularly, with the selected case where this new health model will serve, that is Nigeria, there are over 50 different communities, all distributed across the country, especially in the urban settlements (Okehie-Offoha, 2006). The tiers of healthcare in Nigeria incorporate three levels, the federal, state and local governments. The country initiated several developments recently within the health care system, including incorporating a national insurance policy, policies regarding the availability and distribution of drugs and medical equipment, financing for the health care systems, partnerships among others. The entire developments align with the millennium development goals, in which the country aims to at tain safe, sufficient, and effective healthcare system for her people. The cultural diversity in Nigeria incorporates several factors including differences in the origins of the people, their dressing, languages, art and traditional practices among many others. Particularly, the Kaduna State in the northern section of the country is among the symbols in Nigeria with remarkably vast sub-political entities. It has over fifteen tribes, with the majority of the minority groups in Nigeria located within this state

Friday, September 6, 2019

Assessment and Child Essay Example for Free

Assessment and Child Essay Assessments are very important in determining how to teach our children and where they are in terms of development. There are many types of assessments that can be beneficial in helping determine how to approach the learning style of each child as an individual instead of as a whole group. While each assessment is structurally different, they can produce results which give us insight on where our children are during different stages of their lives. There are both formal and informal assessments that can be used. â€Å"Formal assessments are norm-referenced tests that have standardized, formal procedures for administering, timing and scoring. They have been â€Å"normed† or administered to a representative sample of similar age or grade level students so that final test results can be compared to students of similar characteristics. Test results indicate a person’s relative performance in the group. These standardized tests must be administered as specified in the manual to ensure valid and reliable results†(ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation). There is another type of formal assessment called criterion-referenced test. These type of test measure what the person is able to do and indicate what skills have been mastered. A CRT compares a person’s performance with their past performances. â€Å"In criterion-referenced measurement, the emphasis is on assessing specific and relevant behaviors that have been mastered rather than indicating the relative standing in the group†(ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation). Formal assessments can prove to be beneficial as far as comparing test scores over a period of time and how the child is developing over that same period. While formal assessments are useful they also have flaws in them. Standardized test can make a child feel like pressure and anxiety. In a lot of situations when a child feels like this they will not do their best on any type of assessment. Another problem with these types of tests is that they use the same set of questions for all the children and are not sensitive to the situations that different children endure. Children who live in poor and underdeveloped environments may not be exposed to certain ways of life and may not have the same advantages of acquiring knowledge as the other children they go to school with. This will automatically put them at a disadvantage in school and on test they may take. There is another way to do an assessment that is better suited for the child and does not make them feel so uncomfortable and that is an informal assessment. An informal assessment focuses on play and observation of the child and not a test of sorts. By observing the child in a certain situation you can record how they act and how they respond to different situations and stimuli that are presented to them. You can use check-list and rating scales to record your findings and document them and file them away in a portfolio. Another way to do an informal assessment is by parent interviews. You can find out a lot of valuable information by asking the parents questions about their child. Over the past few years teachers have placed more emphasis informal testing than formal testing. â€Å"Some districts have increased the use of curriculum-based measurements(CBM). Several samples of a student’s performance are collected, using items drawn from the local curriculum, usually in basic skill subjects of reading, math, spelling and written expression. Such brief tests are called â€Å"probes†(ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation). One form of an informal assessment is the Battelle Developmental Inventory. â€Å"The Battelle Developmental Inventory is an assessment for infants and children through age seven. It is a flexible, semi-structured assessment that involves observation of the child, interviews with parents and caregivers, developmental and social history, and interaction with the child using game-like materials, toys, questionnaires, and tasks† (Logsdon). This type of assessment is used to make sure that infants and children are reaching their developmental milestones or showing early signs of learning disabilities or developmental delays. This assessment can also be used through examiner/child and parent/child interaction. Examiners observe the child’s responses and score them based on standardized criteria. The parent caregiver input is also important in the assessment because it is used to gather information about the child’s history and interactions that take place beyond the testing session. When this assessment is used to observe the toddler through preschool development it is mostly done by tasks that involve testing the child with games, toys and tasks. They observe how the child follows directions, interacts with others, and how they perform certain tasks. Parent information is used to assess areas that can’t be observed during the testing session. The performance scores are based on standardized criteria. The Battelle is used to assess five components of development. They are adaptive behavior, personal and social skills, communication including expressive and receptive language, gross and fine motor skills, and finally cognitive skills are included. The results of this assessment can be used to determine if there are delays and how significant they are based on the age group the child is in. Another good assessment tool is play-based assessment. This is simply observing the child in their natural environment. By doing this the observer is able to see interactions between the child and their peers as well as how they speak, the language they use and their motor abilities. It is good to record all this information and keep it in an ongoing portfolio. By keeping a written record of what has been observed and any areas of concern you may suspect, you will have more information to share with the parents and find the proper method of dealing with the problems. I feel there is a major advantage when you use an informal assessment as opposed to a formal one. With formal assessments you can never really tell how smart a child really is. These types of assessments are based on statistics of a large group of children not the children as individuals. Just because children do well on a test does not necessarily make them smarter than others, it simply means they have better test taking skills. There are lots of times that the smartest people do horrible on tests just because they suffer from anxiety and get nervous. You can take the same kids that do poorly on a test and give them an informal assessment where they feel comfortable and you will get different results. Standardized tests are not a reliable means of assessing intelligence based on the fact stated above. These types of tests are often overused in this country and they do not take into account the comfort level or socioeconomic background of the child being tested. These play a more important role in test taking than the test itself. This is the number one reason kids are misdiagnosed for having  learning disabilities and other disorders such as ADHD. I also feel that a good relationship with the parents is essential in determining the educational needs of the child. No one knows their children better than the parents or caregivers. They are the ones who spend the most time with the children and can fill you in on patterns of behavior not seen during a certain test taking session. Parents are the most important resources you can obtain information from when dealing with children. I would strive to keep the parents informed of everything that was going on with their child and how to help them with anything that raised a red flag. The parents should always be informed when an assessment is going to be used. A parent could be upset when their child is going to be tested for a development problem without their consent. If you explain the process and how it can help to determine if the child is developmentally behind it can ease the parent’s mind and make everyone more comfortable. I feel that assessments can be beneficial if they are conducted in the proper manner. Making a child feel more comfortable in their environment is the best way to truly assess them and find out if they are lagging in certain areas of development. It is equally important to always keep the parents involved in all decisions affecting their child and the processes used to assess them. The information used by assessments can help make sure children are developmentally on track, just remember the most important factor is the comfort level of the child. Without assessments a plan of action cannot be implemented or executed if the child is behind in any facet of development. Bibliography Logsdon Ann. Testing for Infant and Toddler Development. About. com Guide. http://learningdisabilities. about. com/od/intelligencetests/p/battelledevelop. htm. Accessed on December 10, 2012. ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation. Assessments for Young Children. 1999. http://www. 1donline. org/article /6040/ Accessed December 10, 2012. Sue C. Wortham (2012). Assessment in Early Childhood Education. 6th ed.