Artificial Environment Essays - Personal Life, Social Environment

Artificial Environment Artificial Environment Boise State University Has Technology morally put the environment and nature on the back burner? Are we living lifestyles that are constantly putting our health at risk? Due to technology our economic status is on the verge of collapsing? Is there a race by Americans to see who could use the resources of the earth faster? These questions and a lot other arise when discussing the problems with our environment. Through my research paper on an artificial environment I hope to cover those problems that come about when arguing the facts about technology. What can we do to prevent the changes we are making in our environment from destroying the physical basis My paper consist of facts which tell us that we are and still will remain an invention of our own environment. Our perception of the world is increasingly shaped by the artificial environment we inhabit.(Mander, 206) Man has made practically everything around us. The natural way of doing things have disappeared. Man's environment has changed so rapidly in recent years that all man can do is absorb and recycle. In the book I'm researching called Where Does Humanity Go From Here the author discusses how masculinity or the macho controls our society. ?.we will continue to seek to dominate nature rather than cooperate with it, we will in time destroy ourselves in the process. (Melissinos, 375) Once we take care of the obvious then we can make progress in having a better human society. Why are simple things people live for in our society not as sufficient in other countries. In more poverty stricken cultures hot showers are major luxuries as well as televisions, radios, and newspapers. We live too much for stuff. Our lifestyles are made up of so many material things that we as a group are setting are self up for failure. Our individuality and selfishness are becoming a burden. As documented in Where Does Humanity Go From Here, it is time for America to give up their radical individualism, because it has done much o fuel the current environmental crisis, the dehumanization of work, and the increasing social instability.(Melissinos, 377) Man's intention in creating new artifacts and modifying his environment was to be relieved from oppressive conditions and to enlarge his capabilities and increase his possibilities. (Conquests of Nature, 59) The urge to alter the conditions of life and to improve them in directions of his own choosing is clearly a basic instinct. We've developed the comforts of life by our own inventions. (Conquest of Nature, 58) These comforts of life we all need in order to achieve self-gratification. Something that the majority of Americans live for. Things that I believe are considered luxuries is self-gratification which American indulge themselves with. Today's booming technology and nature is taking too much away from nature. For example is there really a night or day. When we encounter darkness a fear arrives. Imagine us without electricity at nighttime, it would be horrific. We evolve around electricity. Were like a child whose always left the light on. (Mander, 208) As a society it is stated that we live in a subconscious sense, with an abundance of security, greed, generosity, and insensitivity. (Meadows, 377) The way I see it is that were losing the battle right now, but still have a chance to win the war. The world requires a spiritual outlook on life revolution. Almost everyone throughout the civilized world pays lip service to the environment today, but not all are realizing the extent of change in attitude and behavior necessary to save the planet. (Melissinos, 377) Basically there is a strong need for change in societies values. In conclusion we have no further choice but to rethink our human intuition and existence in nature. If we don't realize nature is us and our kinship, then our technological power will soon destroy nature. Not only will nature be decimated but anything and everything around it, including us. Technology Essays

Why Rome Was Truly Great essays

Why Rome Was Truly Great essays Many have wondered, why was The Roman Empire so great. Rome was so great because it's the first village that grew into an empire, entertained every one with a vast variety of entertainment, a functional law system, and several advances in technology. Many do not know that Rome started as a small village and was taken over. The invaders added a government, and so Rome was transformed from a village to a republic. Since Rome had a government, they now needed a military to protect themselves. With this new military comes a need for a new kind of government. For years, the government had been a senate of three hundred and two consuls, one for financial and similar stuff, and the other for the military. A military consul named Julius Caesar saw this and took action. He knew that the republic didn't want another king, so he said that he was better than a king, he was an EMPEROR. Emperor was just a fancy term for the king. To get the support to become an emperor, Caesar gained popularity by providing entertainment. Rome held many entertaining events that were free to the public. These events were paid and sponsored by the emperors to gain popularity. Some of these were the Coliseum, Circus Maximus, public executions, and the public bathhouses. The Coliseum was large enough to hold more than 50,000 spectators to watch the bloodshed of the gladiators and slaves who fought to the death. Christians, before Rome adopted Christianity, were forced to fight wild animals that had been starved for weeks without weapons to defend themselves against the beasts. These were usually held in the morning, Many executions were held at noon. In the afternoons is what made the Coliseum is famous for, Gladiator. Gladiators were trained to fight to the death on gladiatorial schools. The gladiators were usually slaves, condemned criminals, prisoners of war, and even an occasional woman. Before a losing gladiator was slain, the winning one would look up to the...

TEDDY BOYS (YOUTH SUBCULTURE) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

TEDDY BOYS (YOUTH SUBCULTURE) - Essay Example They take symbolic meanings and become stigmata for those who hate it and a token of identification and acceptance into the brotherhood for those who are part of that group. The Teddy Boys subculture emerged in the 1950s in England (Hazlehurst & Hazlehurst, 1998). Primarily it was a reaction to the confining space and declining status that the middle class English people were given. Developing a subculture is inevitable, as Dick Hebdige writes in his book Subculture: The Meaning of Style (1979), that â€Å"modes† and â€Å"categories† inherited from the old folks no longer serve the needs of a new generation. The Teddy Boy subculture gained roots during post-world war Britain (Hazlehurst & Hazlehurst, 1998), to raise a voice against the social injustice that was plaguing Britain. It rose from the working middle class and strived to get them better social status (Hazlehurst & Hazlehurst, 1998). The Teds were originally called the Cosh Boys later Daily Express termed the Edwardian looking teenagers as Teddy Boys (Robertson, 2007). The ‘Teddy Boys’ was the first one with identifiable gangs that wore similar clothing. The classic Teddy Boy look would be the drake jacket and ‘brothel creepers’ for footwear. In the beginning there were drapes and drainpipe trousers for the Teds (Marko, 2007). Later this look was upgraded to drapes with collar, cuff and pocket trimmings. The trousers got narrower with crepe soled shoes (also known as the beetle crushers). The hairstyle was heavily gelled (greased) with a quiff shaped into a DA, more popularly known as the ‘duck’s arse’ (Marko, 2007). The ‘Edwardian’ style adopted by the Teds was a ‘take’ on the kind of clothes worn by a certain section of the British army (the Guards) after WW2, with deliberate references back to a time when the upper class were ‘in charge’. Worn by the guards the style had strong

U4IP Building an Organization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

U4IP Building an Organization - Research Paper Example How to build a diverse culture accommodating highly creative technical staff In order to create a culture of diversity, the management has to ensure that, the working environment is resourceful. This means that all employees have equal value in the organization and they have a feeling of appreciation. The management should ensure that employees are well conversant with the mission, vision, objectives and core values of the company. This will enable the team to focus on the company’s strategies hence putting extra effort and creativity in their work for goal achievement. Recognition of employee through appreciation, promotion and benefits are the motivating factors that can challenge weak employees to improve (Madden, 2003). In addition, the firm should source employees from diverse geographical areas regardless of race, religion or background. This will ensure a combination of skills, ideas and creativity from all backgrounds leading to overall success of the organization. The management being the role models of culture diversity should share their skills, competence and knowledge with the employees. This will ensure that the employees uphold and maintain the culture in all levels of operation. How the success of the organizational design in structure and culture will be measured The success of the organization can be measured in various ways. Both qualitative and quantitative methods can be used in determining whether the organizational culture and design structure is successful. The number of customers using the services in a day, week, month or yearly can be used to measure the success of organizational design. The higher the number of customers using the services means the organizational design operating well and fit. On the other hand, if there are few customers attending the firm and using the services and products, it means the design is unsuccessful. Therefore, the management should come up with a new design that will attract and meet customersâ €™ needs. Additionally, an organizational design that is easy to operate and that employee enjoy working with means it is good since workers have accepted it. The management can decide to carry out an interview both internally and externally. This would involve the quality of services and products offered by the company, the design and structure the company is using and the characters of employees. Response to these questions will answer whether the organization is operating well or not. Comparison with other firms in the same line is another way that can be used to measure success of design and culture. A company that has a culture of diversity and is well structurally designed is famous than a company that is poorly structured. How to build teams across a geographically diverse organization Since the company took a global strategy, there is a need to come up with a clear way of managing the entire organization regardless of the geographical location. A Geographical Dispersed T eam (GDT) that has a common objective and goal to the organization should be formed (Madden, 2003). The team members should have trust and proper communication channel to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of the company. The team should be composed of competent and qualified personnel. These groups

'Love' Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

'Love' Marriage - Essay Example Arranged marriages are when the parents or the adults of the man or woman choose the spouse for them to whom they will marry; with consent or in severe societies without consent. Arranged marriage have been accepted almost everywhere throughout the history, but now as the trends have changed, they have eventually ceased to predominate the Western societies, even though it has been held that they had been persisted in the aristocratic society up to the 20th century. Now, the usual view of the arranged marriages comes from the eastern culture which was not always so. The history shows and proves how western culture had been following arranged marriages too, for example most of the kings and queens of England had gone through arranged marriages. Love marriages are the new and modern type of marriages that are being greatly followed now. The rise of love marriages have not dominated the arranged marriages but have definitely caused an issue on which marriages are usually talked about. The love marriages do not go to a history of culture and society, but has greatly influenced the societies since a few decades. Love marriages allow the man and a woman to choose their spouse themselves and marry them. Though there seems nothing wrong with this view, there still are many conflicts arising between the two marriages. These conflicts are usually based on the views of the societies and individuals rather on cultural differences or facts to justify them. As arranged marriages have a history that goes to the kings and queens of England, these historic events show some justification to the rise of love and arranged marriage conflicts. The arranged marriages tradition was strong in these western societies until King George V broke the tradition by marrying a commoner. Along with that, the more and more exposure of the generations to education and the urge to think beyond the traditional boundaries created the hook

Design of an Interactive Graphics Framework

Design of an Interactive Graphics Framework Design of an Interactive Graphics Framework to Instruct Students on Computer Architecture Hardware Literature Review: The curriculum recommended by the ACM/IEEE-CS joint task force and documented in the computing curricula (ACM, 2013) defines a body of knowledge incorporating a wide variety of core topics one of which is computer architecture. Many of the topic areas within the body of knowledge are abstracted from a specific hardware implementation, computer architecture is one area for which specific implementation is essential (Taipala, 2014) as this course plays an important role in the computer science curriculum and also Students need to understand computer architecture in order to structure a program so that it runs more efficiently on a real machine. In selecting a system to use, they should be able to understand the trade off among various components, such as CPU clock speed vs. memory size. The pie chart below shows that computer technicians contribute more to total growth in science and engineering occupations which can be inferred as more number of jobs and a student can manage to get a job easily after graduation but few of the students from engineering and technology and majority of students from contrasting fields face difficulties in understanding computer architecture The computer involves many inter-related topics: digital logic, microprocessors, embedded systems, operating systems, and compiler and programming languages. This inter-relationship is pointed by Nisan and Schocken (2005) in the following way: â€Å"Of course machine language is also an abstraction an agreed upon set of binary codes. In order to make this abstraction formalism concrete, it must be realized by some hardware architecture. And this architecture, in turn, is implemented by a certain chip set, registers, memory units, ALU, and so on. Each level hides the artifacts and mechanisms of the previous lower level which makes the subject even more difficult to understand for students. This abstraction can be described by a top-down as well as a bottom-up approach. To encompass the whole domain and deal with its growing complexity, Knuth (2003), in his keynotes, recommended using a bottom-up education approach but this approach may not be efficient as in this hierarchy, the asse mbly language is the lower programming language and each of its instruction is the translation of one unique machine instruction which is the microcode of hardware activation. Hyde, in his book the Art of the Assembly Language, wrote that although assembly language has a pretty bad reputation, it is required to understand the backstage operation of computer processors (Hyde, 2003). It is a means of making the interaction of the hardware (CPU, memory, I/O) and software (the program) comprehensible (Yehezkel. 2003). The importance of learning computer architecture and the difficulties encountered by teachers assisting the students in understanding the course have been well documented (IEEE Micro, 2000; Cassel et al., 2000). Hence to improve the teaching of computer architecture, instructors must search for better pedagogical methods and tools. Moreover, at the curriculum level (as shown in the previous section), great efforts have to be invested to integrate the theoretical and practi cal aspects of computer architecture topics. Methodology: Based on a survey of software tools and technology Processing and Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) are the computer graphics languages which are appropriate for doing the above mentioned work. These open source software are can build interactive programs easily with 2D or 3D outputs. Firstly an inventory of concepts needs to be created and sorted. These concepts are converted to interactive graphical simulations in order to help students understand better. To build an effective graphics framework data must be collected both from students who are enrolled in the computer architecture course and faculty who teach that course. Data can be collected by questionnaires or by conducting formal interviews with students and professors involved with computer architecture course, interview with faculty members gives the subject of study and interview with students helps in finding out on what topics they need more emphasis (Leibovitch, 2011), results from these interviews and questionna ires collectively outputs the ultimate topics which have to be converted to interactive graphical simulation. â€Å"Cheryl A Schmidt’s Complete CompTIA Guide to PCs† book covers all the fundamental topics of computer architecture and hardware which is appropriate for this research. Purdue University Calumet offers a course named computer architecture (ECET -11000) to freshmen which uses the above mentioned book as textbook and the course syllabus is designed according to the book. Information in their website clearly describes that the class attracts at least 20 students every semester since five years hence 20 counts of data can be collected. After looking at the results of interviews the topics can be finalized and can be converted to interactive 3D models and simulations (framework). Pre test and post test are given to students and these test results can be analyzed to check if this research helps in making the computer architecture course interesting, fun and easil y understandable. Data Collection: Eight to ten computer architecture text books from well established publications and authors need to be analyzed to create the inventory of concepts and these concepts are given as questionnaires to students to finalize and sort based on complexity. Questionnaire 1 (Sample questions to students, questions subject to change): The first three questions reveals about the knowledge of students about computers and their academic background, fourth question outputs the need for this research to be done and the rest of the questions are aimed at gathering the difficulty level of the course which presents the primary data that has to be converted to 3D models. Years and extent of association with computers? Concentrated major? Did you take any computer course(s) before, if yes please list them? How efficient is conventional learning experience with textbooks and labs? On a scale of 1 to 5 please rate the level of difficulty of the below mentioned concepts. Identification of parts of a mother board Mother board connections (assembling and disassembling a PC) Identification of different ports and their uses Different memory devices and their classification Configuring memory (RAM) Installing Hard Disk Redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID technology) Sound drive installation Optical drive installation How a printer works Encrypting a file folder After analyzing the data from the above questionnaire the interactive graphical framework can be completed by using graphical tools and then be tested in class with the students and tests can be conducted, the students are tested on few computer architecture topics without the frame work then they are provided with the framework and tested again on the same questions. Analysis of the test score data can be used to draw conclusion about the efficiency of the framework in helping the students to deeply understand the course making it easy, fun and interesting. Test 1 (Sample test questions to students): The following test questions are designed according to the topics which are converted to 3D models and simulations, since the actual data is not yet collected these questions are subject to change. This test is conducted twice once without the framework and again with the framework. Even the questionnaire 1 will be given to students as post test after they have used the framework to see if they change the options from difficult to easy. What steps have to be taken while disassembling a PC? What is the use of RAID technology? How do you encrypt a file folder? How does a printer work? How do you configure RAM and calculate video memory Mention any five ports and write their uses. What type of hard disk will be chosen according to the type of CPU? Compare PATA, SATA, SCSI and SAS hard drives. Identify the parts of the below given motherboard In the following section, the basic units of the computer are presented. Illustrate, using arrows, the connection between the units. Describe the function next to each arrow. Data Analysis: The objective of this project is to help students to learn computer architecture course with building an ease in understanding and interest. To achieve this objective the interactive graphics simulator must be tested for its effectiveness. Questionnaires and interviews from students and faculty of computer architecture courses reveal the topics which are complex and have to be built in graphic simulation to make them look simple and easy. Questionnaires given to students have a scale of one to five which can be marked according to the level of difficulty of the specific concept. By analyzing the data quantitatively which is the concepts which get four or five marked in majority will be chosen to be converted to simulation. After the simulation is completed it is given to students and faculty to explore and go along with the computer architecture course. The main data analysis method to get the best result for this project is prestest and posttest. Description of the Pretest and Posttest The pretest was conducted before the course began, with the aim of determining the prior knowledge on the subject. The posttest was conducted at the end of course with the intention of determining the level of comprehension. Since the actual data is not collected the results cannot be interpreted and the questionnaires can be subject to change. The results of questionnaires before the simulator and after using the simulator are compared, if the student score in the posttest has increased drastically the simulator is considered to be effective and if there is no change or very less increment in the score then the simulator has to be developed more effectively. The figure below shows the example overall score of each student when compared to the percentage of correct answers vs prestest and posttest. Figure 1 In figure 1 the student has improved drastically after using the simulator but on the other hand if the results are opposite the simulator has to be developed more effectively. To develop a more effective simulator each question has to be compared with itself from pretest and posttest. The bar chart below represents the sample comparison of each correct answer to the question by the number of students from pretest and posttest. Figure 2 shows answers to questions which have improved and which have not improved. The first four questions in the questionnaire give the data about acquaintance of course to the student hence these four questions are removed from the comparison chart in Figure 2. From this result analysis can be made that the answers which have not improved are the concepts which are still difficult for the students to understand and be given a second thought to improve them in a different manner in the simulator thus improving its effectiveness. This way the simulator can be developed to achieve one hundred percent of usage in the class of computer architecture making the course easy, interesting and fun. Figure 2 References: Taipala, D. (2014) Teaching Computer Architecture in an Online Learning Environment using Simulation and Peer Instruction, 30(1), 87-98. Lazowaka, E.D. (2010). Where The Jobs are†¦ Retrieved from  http://www.cccblog.org/2010/01/04/where-the-jobs-are/ Nisan, N., Schocken, S. (2005) The Elements of Computing Systems, Building a Modern Computer from the First principles, MIT Press Stephen J. A., Roberts, E. (2008, July) â€Å"Point/Counterpoint. Technology curriculum for the early 21st century, Communications of the ACM, 51(7), 27-32. Leibovitch, C. Y. R., Levin, I. (2011). Reinforcing and Enhancing Understanding of Students in Learning Computer Architecture.Navigating Information Challenges. Hyde, R. (2003, September). The Art of Assembly Language Programming. Chapter 6: Memory Architecture. Retrieved from: http://webster.cs.ucr.edu/AoA/Windows/HTML/MemoryArchitecture.html. Lazowaka, E.D. (2010). Where The Jobs are†¦ Retrieved from  http://www.cccblog.org/2010/01/04/where-the-jobs-are/ IEEE Micro. (2000). Special Issue on Computer Architecture Education, 20(30). Joint Task Force on Computer Engineering Curricula: IEEE Computer Society/Association for Computing Machinery, Computer Engineering 2004: Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Computer Engineering, 30-31. Retrieved from: http://www.eng.auburn.edu/ece/CCCE/ Yehezkel, C., Ben-Ari, M., Dreyfus, T. (2007). The contribution of visualization to learning computer architecture, CSE on Special Issue on Teaching Hardware-software, 2(17), 117-127. Yehezkel, C. (2003). Making program execution comprehensible—one level above the machine language. 35(3), 124 – 128. Knuth, D. (2003). Bottom-up education, keynote in Proceedings of 8th annual conference on Innovation and technology in computer science education. Retrieved from: http://iticse2003.uom.gr/Iticse_day3 Kumar, D. and Cassel, L. (2002). A state of the course report: Computer organization and architecture. SIGCSE Bulletin, 34(3), 175 – 177. Purdue Calumet Class schedule. Retrieved From: https://banwebf.purduecal.edu/pls/proddad/Webctlg.P_CtlgProcInput?inputsubjcode=ECETinputsymbol==inputcrsenumb=11000inputcoursetype=2inputreqind=2callpage=clistquery Cheryl A(2014). Complete CompTIA Guide to PCs. Sample pages retrieved From: http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/9780789749765/samplepages/0789749769.pdf

C Students Run the U.S.A. Essay -- Functionalist Theory, Conflict The

â€Å"I think the world is run by C students.† (Al McGuire, 1932 -2001) What Al McGuire meant is in today’s economy, one cannot logically mandate educators to match higher education standers, for if one did, and they would not find adequate educators to crew the classrooms. In addition, there is no possible way, with today’s economy, to pay educator a decent salary to make their operational circumstances well enough to contend with any other occupations that demand degrees. What is more, one would have to grapple with locating a method to change the existing bunch of small-minded quacks and penny pinchers in higher education management, with a populace who honestly cherish education, know education, and has a proficiency that contained actual education accomplishments. Traditionally, the United States education has furthered both political and economic desires, which hijacked the application of education, and traditionally there are three theories about this hij acked education system. In the present day, sociologists and educators dispute the role of education today. The three main theories that outline their philosophies are the functionalist theory, the conflict theory, and the interactionist theory. The functionalist theory centers on the methods in that the collective education supports the expectations of society. Functionalists view education in its present role, communicating basic information and abilities to the future age group. The founder of functionalist theory, Durkheim, labeled the hidden role of education as one of mingling children into society's majority. â€Å"Emile Durkheim feels that schools are there to teach morals to children. These morals are the ones that society has set up so that everyone is the same.† (Schaef... ...ch of how educators construct their desires or how learners may communicate elusive meanings to teachers about intellect, ability, and so on (Schaefer, 2009 pg 318- 317). Therefore, while political, culture, castes, and wealth browbeat the juvenile education system to deal with needs of society and changed higher education into a money only club or sell your financial future to the degree. Not only has society hijacked education it has imposed that the education system gives over time to sports. This vastly diminishes the time accessible for education. Society distorts the division between education and sports, and promotes the outlook that they are all equally important, especially when a learner receives a reward for non-education activities. The answer might be that to save the education system society needs to distinguish between education and personal views.

Parental Control: Toddlers and Tiaras Abuse Essay

The TV show Toddlers and Tiaras encourages child abuse. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary abuse is: â€Å"improper or excessive use or treatment.† Toddlers and Tiaras is a show based on mothers using their children and treating them like dolls instead of humans. The tiny tots on this show have become famous for their scandalous outfits and routines. We cannot blame the children as many of them are too young to understand the negative responses. From a young age these children are being exposed to an overly sexualized media and then encouraged to participate in it. These girls spend each weekend and most of every day either preparing for or competing in competitions that they may not want to be a part of. They don’t have a say in whether or not they want to compete and often times their mother are the ones pushing them into pageants. The show starts with an introduction to the families that are chosen for this particular week. Each family is filmed in their own home and they take the viewer through their pageant routine. This episode starts with a mother saying, â€Å"I didn’t get to do this stuff when I was little so I think I am living my dreams through my daughter.† The daughter then says, â€Å"I like pageants because my mamma says so.† The mother is taking away her daughter’s freedom of choosing an activity that she enjoys. For a show titled about the children, the mothers get most of the attention. After home tours the families show off their pageant attire. One family even showed the dress fitting for their newest gown. Some of the most disturbing parts of Toddlers and Tiaras are the promiscuous costumes, which include: a mother dressing her daughter, Maddy, as Dolly Parton, complete with fake â€Å"assets,† or two-year-old Mia complete with Madonna’s cone bra, and finally three-year-old Paisley as the prostitute Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman. Paisley wore kne e-high black leather boots and a revealing top and skirt and pranced around the stage as people simultaneously clapped and looked on in horror. Spray tan and fake eyelashes are one thing but once you dress your kid as an iconic prostitute even Julia Roberts would be appalled. These children don’t know who most of the people that they are portraying are. Their mothers on the other hand know exactly who they are and how people will react to a certain costume. They are setting their children up to have a bad reputation. At three years old these innocent girls are being brought into the spot light by their selfish mothers. However, it is eight-year-old Britney who takes the cake when it comes to being â€Å"over-sexualized.†She receives regular Botox injections from her mother before pageants. Are these parents really worried about wrinkles on the face of a girl that doesn’t even have acne yet? When did it become socially acceptable for toddlers to look and act like a twenty, thirty or even forty-year-old woman? Most every little girl wants to feel like a princess, but I doubt any of them want to be a prosti tute, nor do they know what a prostitute is. Even when the outfits are age appropriate, the children never have a say in choosing their attire. A contestant locked herself in the bathroom because she refused to wear a certain dress. These parents spend hundreds of dollars on these dresses; the children should at least enjoy wearing them. Children should be playing with dolls not being one. These children have no say in what they are doing. They are being led by parents that force them into costumes and parade them on stage for their own enjoyment. These parents are in it to win it, whether or not their child wants to compete is another story. They are so focused on using their children to accomplish their own goals that they often end up forcing their child to compete. Along with showing their glamorous wardrobe the families bring the viewer along to the salon for the next step in preparing for a pageant. In preparation for these sleazy outfits, the children are put through a grooming ritual many adults have never braved. This includes spray tanning, buying fake teeth, known as flippers in the pageant world, hair extensions, manicures, waxing and pounds of makeup. One mom went as far as forcing her screaming five year old into getting her eyebrows waxed. This was not her first experience with waxing; she had her skin ripped off during a previous session. This mother saw beauty as being more important than her own daughters comfort. Two pageant moms admitted that they make their daughters follow strict diets of 1600 calories per day. Forcing children into diets when they are already at a healthy weight can cause those children to turn to eating disorders later in life. â€Å"You don’t get as good of a score if your dress doesn’t fit good,† says the mother of 8-year-old contestant, Ever Rose. It is one thing to teach your child healthy eating but when the sole reason is to fit into a certain size dress it has gone too far. Children are growing and as they age they will need larger clothing. Another mom decided to dye her daughter’s eyelashes. Even after her daughter begged her to stop because her eyes were burning the mother insisted on continuing the process. She gave her daughter a chemical burn that could have blinded her but she looked past that just to make sure her child was beautiful. When appearance comes second to safety there is a real issue. Most grown women don’t dye their eyelashes so why would you dye a 9-year-olds? This same mom also bleached her children’s teeth. The worst part is that the dyeing and bleaching of children is all done under the same roof as the book â€Å"7 Worst things a Parent Can Do.† Clearly that book has never been opened. The pain that these children are put through for fifteen minutes on stage is just disgusting. They are being transformed into Barbie’s for their mothers to play with. These mother’s practically ruin their kids childhood, and for what, approval of their child’s beauty from three random people? The families are seen at the start of their pageant day with tired children’s hair in hot rollers and many tears on their faces. Parents like to call their children’s tantrums â€Å"Diva Moments.† These children are tired and are in no mood to sit still in a chair for an hour to get their hair pulled and their faces pressed wi th makeup. The children are sent into hair and make-up that can take up to three hours. â€Å"For children as young as the age of one to be forced to sit still for such great lengths borders on child abuse as parents do not take into account the welfare of their children†(Nussbaum). A significant part of their day is spent on preparation. After each outfit they must change their hair style and touch up make-up which is another hour at least. After their competition routines are finished they change back into their formal gowns, which also includes a hair change and yet another round of make-up for crowning. These children are on stage for all of fifteen minutes the whole day but endure hours of hair pulling and make-up application. During pageants, these kids are still just kids and their parent should realize this. In return to their children’s tantrums these parents scold their kids. A child who is crying because she is tired gets yelled at for being uncooperative. A child acting out because they are exhausted and uncomfortable is a natural instinct, so why would it be any different when they are in a pageant? The most appalling part is that the tantrums don’t just stem from tired tots. The mothers can be added into the mix. One mother threw her daughter’s crown across the room after she won princess. She cursed and said it was a joke; being princess was equivalent to losing. Rather than supporting her daughter and showing her how proud she was, she stole her daughter’s prize and gave her a lesson on how not to behave. I can’t think of any worse punishment then telling your child they weren’t good enough after they just completed something they didn’t even want to do. To avoid these meltdowns during the pageant, the mothers have resorted to giving their children â€Å"go go juice† and â€Å"pageant crack.† Go go juice is anything from soda to energy drinks such as Red Bull and pageant crack is pure sugar. â€Å"Additional calories from energy-drink consumption may increase blood pressure, blood glucose levels, BMI, calcium deficiency, dental problems, depression, and low self-esteem. Sugar and caffeine may also synergistically increase postprandial hyperglycemia, which is of concern for children with diabetes† (Gamble). These children that are already being judged on appearance are being given a substance that may cause depression and low self-esteem. Talk about adding fuel to the flame. Many moms use pixie sticks to boost their child’s energy level during competition. Everyone gets tired but is filling your child with sugar really the best way to get them to perform? They have their worst moments televised for the world to see. What mother would allow such embarrassment for their child? Even if the child was just having an off day, all the viewers see the child as a spoiled brat. Their reputation is tarnished by their parents, and they are too young to even realize it. Over the course of the pageant, many phrases such as, â€Å"don’t you dare embarrass me,† can be heard. As contestants and parents wait in the wings the children are reminded of how they should perform. When a child starts to cause a scene backstage the parents become more concerned with their own embarrassment instead of the child’s needs. The child is told to do well for their mamma, and then they are pushed onstage to compete. They are not only vying for the judge’s approval but also for their parents’. Once onstage, the children do their routines while their families stands in front of the stage showing them what their next move is. The routine is more about how well they can copy their mother instead of showing off their own talents. Once again, the mothers are using their children so that they can stand out. Most parents feel that their child is a reflection of themselves, but when they do everything in your power to create a reflection it has gone too far. They have crossed the line of shaping your child into a respectful and kind human being and turned them into clones. These mothers mold their children so that everyone will see their child as a replica of them. As crowning starts tensions are high. Mothers sit anxiously in the audience while their children wait stone faced. Once onstage, the confusion begins. For the first round the goal is not to get called, meaning you are eligible for a higher title. If the child is not called, then the waiting game starts again. The parents stare at the stage waiting for their child’s name to be called so that they can collect the trophy that they have worked so hard for. The children seem delighted with their prize, but the parents are almost disappointed that they didn’t win the top title. Why can’t these parents be content that their child is happy rather than be upset that they didn’t get the award that they wanted? These mothers are using their children so that they can feel like they accomplished something. They do pageants for themselves and are unable of focusing on their child’s enjoyment. When the child loses the parents vow to spend more money on coaching and better dresses. They keep trying to push a square peg in a round hole instead of finding an activity their child can excel at. They refuse to let their child be who they want to be, which is damaging to the child and may cause issues as the child ages. They have no appreciation for anything other than physical beauty and have a false sense of identity. The need for the child to win this particular competition is incredible. Why don’t the parents just spend more time with their child? Let the child find out what they enjoy instead of sculpting them into something they will never be. This would be more affective than simply finding a new activity, because it would allow the child to explore and feel in control of their life. After the pageant is over what happens? Many children will face psychological problems which may grow into disorders as they age. In a study done by Anna Wonderlich, it was discovered that there was, â€Å"a significant association between childhood beauty pageant participation and increased body dissatisfaction, difficulty trusting interpersonal relationships, and greater impulsive behaviors, and indicate a trend toward increase feelings of ineffectiveness† (Wnderlich,296). These children grow up in an atmosphere where superficial is the new normal. They add so many fake items to make themselves acceptable for a pageant that it may lead to fake items being used to create a false identity. They make a connection between beauty and winning. There is a sense that beauty is how you get what you want. There is so much pressure put on these children to perform that they equate performance to how they should act all of the time. The line between role playing and identity becomes blurred and the pageant reputation wins out when choosing how to behave. They are constantly around competitive mothers and adopt a judgmental attitude towards the other competitors and towards people in general. Since they compete for most beautiful they may judge other people on their beauty. The winners of these competitions often feel superior in comparison to other people and this feeling of power over others can lead to bullying. These young girls contract self-esteem issues from the constant battle of trying to be the best. They are constantly reminded that they need to be the best and that they need to be better than the other girls to win. They may also feel inferior from not winning and think they cannot succeed in life because they can’t win a competition. Another problem is physically- based concept of beauty which has the possibility of turning girls to eating disorders to uphold that physical beauty. Depression may also arise because of the need to feel beautiful and not being able to fulfill that need. These pageants teach the competitors that there is only one mold of what is beautiful and that individuality is frowned upon. A unique sense of style or an odd talent is wrong. The girls are expected to conform to what is mainstream so that they can win. On top of the many mental games this competition puts children through they also form a dependency on others to make decisions for them. Since their mothers usually make all of the choices when they are younger they may grow up to be passive and submissive. This passiveness is not only for decision-making but they also look to their mothers to measure their worth as the judges do during pageants. These mothers are raising their children to have a hard time fitting into society. By not allowing these children to figure out how to do things for themselves they are enabling them and showing them that they don’t need to work out their own problems. Using the definition of abuse from Merriam Webster dictionary: â€Å"improper or excessive use or treatment,† it is clear Toddlers and Tiaras does encourage abuse. The parents on this show use their children to satisfy their own childhood dreams. They are pushing their children into a competition they are not capable of understanding and take away the crucial developmental stage of making friends and sharing toys. The children are so busy trying to beat out the other girls in their division that there is no way to develop a friendship. The children’s meltdowns are aired to the public and the parents are instilling a false sense of identity in their children. These children are being set up to fail because they missed out on most, if not all, of the key moments in childhood. Toddlers and Tiaras Captures the worst moments of the pageant world and highlights the most outrageous competitors and families. Nussbaum, Kareen. â€Å"Children and Beauty Pageants.† Children and Beauty Pageants. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2012. . Wonderlich, Anna. â€Å"Childhood Beauty Pageant Contestants: Associations with Adult Disordered Eating and Mental Health.† Eating Disorders 13.3 (2005): 291-301. Gamble, Kate. â€Å"Red Bull Gives Kids More than Wings.† Red Bull Gives Kids More than Wings. HCP Live, 16 Feb. 2011. Web. 01 Dec. 2012. . TLC: Toddlers and Tiaras

Red and White Mulberry Information and Identification

Red and White Mulberry Information and Identification Red mulberry or Morus rubra is native and widespread in the eastern U.S. It is a rapid-growing tree of valleys, flood plains, and moist, low hillsides. This species attains its largest size in the Ohio River Valley and reaches its highest elevation (600 meters or 2,000 feet) in the southern Appalachian foothills. The wood is of little commercial importance. The trees value is derived from its abundant fruits, which are eaten by people, birds, and small mammals. The white mulberry, Morus alba, is native to China and has several differences including size, foliage, and color of fruit. Fast Facts: Red Mulberry Scientific name: Morus rubraPronunciation: MOE-russ RUBE-ruhFamily: MoraceaeUSDA hardiness zones: 3a through 9Origin: Native to North AmericaUses: Bonsai; shade tree; specimen; no proven urban toleranceAvailability: Somewhat available, may have to go out of the region to find the tree Native Range Red mulberry extends from Massachusetts and southern Vermont west through the southern half of New York to extreme southern Ontario, southern Michigan, central Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota; south to Iowa, southeastern Nebraska, central Kansas, western Oklahoma and central Texas; and east to southern Florida. It is also found in Bermuda. Description Size: 60 feet tall; 50 foot spreadBranches: Dense branches that droop as the tree grows, and will require pruning for clearance; should be trained to a single leader.Leaf: Alternate, simple, broadly ovate to roughly orbicular, pointed, 3 to 5 inches long, serrate margin, even base, rough and fuzzy undersidesTrunk and Bark: Showy trunk; Gray colors with flattened and scaly ridges.Flower and Buds: Small and inconspicuous flowers with off-center buds; usually dioecious but can be monoecious (both male and female flowers on different branches); male and female flowers are stalked axillary pendulous catkins and appear in April and MayFruit: Reddish black and resembling blackberries; reach full development from June to August; composed of many small drupelets developed from separate female flowers ripening togetherBreakage: Susceptible to breakage either at the crotch due to poor collar formation, or the wood itself is weak and tends to break. Special Uses Red mulberry is noted for its large, sweet fruits. A favored food of most birds and a number of small mammals including opossum, raccoon, fox squirrels, and gray squirrels the fruits also are used in jellies, jams, pies, and drinks. Red mulberry is used locally for fence posts because the heartwood is relatively durable. Other uses of the wood include farm implements, cooperage, furniture, interior finish, and caskets. In landscape use. the species is considered invasive and fruits cause a mess on walks and driveways. For this reason, only fruitless cultivars are recommended. Differentiating White Mulberry When compared to red mulberry, the white mulberry has several key differences:Size: Smaller, at 40 feet tall and 40 foot spreadBranches: Less dense with fewer branchesLeaf: Brighter green, smoother, and more rounded with uneven basesTrunk and Bark: Brown with thick and braiding ridgesFlower and Buds: Centered budsFruit: Less sweet, smaller, and lighter in color, with creamy brownish white berries that start as green, purple, or even black; only females bear fruit Red and White Mulberry Hybrids Red mulberry hybridizes frequently with white mulberry, which has become naturalized and somewhat more common than its native sister throughout parts of the Eastern United States.

Flash Fiction Definition and History

Flash Fiction Definition and History Flash fiction goes by many names, including microfiction, microstories, short-shorts, short short stories, very short stories, sudden fiction, postcard fiction and nanofiction. While it can be difficult to pinpoint an exact definition of flash fiction based on word count, consideration of several of its features can help provide clarity about this compressed form of short story. CharacteristicsofFlash Fiction Brevity.  Regardless of the specific word count, flash fiction attempts to condense a story into the fewest words possible. To look at it another way, flash fiction tries to tell the biggest, richest, most complex story possible within a certain word limit.A beginning, middle, and end.  In contrast to a vignette or reflection, most flash fiction tends to emphasize  plot. While there are certainly exceptions to this rule, telling a complete story is part of the excitement of working in this condensed form.A twist or surprise at the end.  Again, there are plenty of exceptions to this rule, but setting up expectations and then turning them upside down in a short space is one hallmark of successful flash fiction. Length There is no universal agreement about the length of flash fiction, but it is usually fewer than 1,000 words long. In general, microfiction and nanofiction tend to be extremely brief. Short short stories are a little longer and sudden fiction tends to be the longest of the short forms, all of which can be referred to by the umbrella term flash fiction. Usually, the length of flash fiction is determined by the specific book, magazine or website thats publishing the story. Esquire magazine, for example, held  a flash fiction contest in 2012 in which the word count was determined by the number of years the magazine had  been in publication. National Public Radios Three-Minute Fiction contest asks writers to submit stories that can be read in less than three minutes. While the contest does have a 600-word limit, clearly the length of reading time is more important than the number of words. Background Examples of very short stories can be found throughout history and across many cultures, but there is no question that flash fiction is currently enjoying an immense wave of popularity. Two editors who have been influential in popularizing the form are Robert Shapard and James Thomas, who began publishing their Sudden Fiction series, featuring stories of fewer than 2,000 words, in the 1980s. Since then, they have continued to publish flash fiction anthologies, including New Sudden Fiction, Flash Fiction Forward and Sudden Fiction Latino, sometimes in collaboration with other editors. Another important early player in the flash fiction movement was Jerome Stern, the director of the creative writing program at Florida State University, which inaugurated its Worlds Best Short Short Story contest in 1986. At the time, the contest challenged participants to write a complete short story in no more than 250 words, though the limit for this contest has since been raised to 500 words. Though some writers initially eyed flash fiction with skepticism, others embraced the challenge of telling a complete story in the fewest words possible, and readers responded enthusiastically. Its safe to say that flash fiction has now gained mainstream acceptance. For its July 2006 issue, for instance, O, The Oprah Magazine  commissioned flash fiction by well-known authors such as Antonya Nelson, Amy Hempel, and Stuart Dybek. Today, flash fiction contests, anthologies and websites abound. Literary journals that traditionally have published only longer stories now frequently feature works of flash fiction in their pages as well. Six-Word Stories One of the most famous examples of flash fiction, often misattributed to Ernest Hemingway, is the six-word story, For sale: baby shoes, never worn. Garson OToole at Quote Investigator has done extensive work tracing the origin of this story if youd like to learn more about it. The baby shoes story has spawned so many websites and publications devoted to six-word stories that it merits special mention here. Readers and writers have clearly been captivated by the depth of emotion hinted at by these six words. It is so sad to imagine why those baby shoes were never needed, and even sadder to imagine the stoic person who picked himself or herself up from loss and got down to the practical work of taking out a classified ad to sell the shoes. For carefully curated six-word stories, try Narrative magazine. Narrative is very selective about all the work they publish, so youll find only a handful of six-word stories there every year, but all of them resonate. For six-word nonfiction, Smith Magazine is well known for its six-word memoir collections, most notably Not Quite What I Was Planning. Purpose With its seemingly arbitrary word limits, you might be wondering what the point of flash fiction is. But when every writer works within the same constraints, whether its 79 words or 500 words, flash fiction becomes almost like a game or a sport. Rules increase creativity and showcase talent. Almost anyone with a ladder could drop a basketball through a hoop, but it takes a real athlete to dodge the competition and make a 3-point shot during a game. Likewise, the rules of flash fiction challenge writers to squeeze more meaning out of language than they might ever have thought possible, leaving readers awestruck by their accomplishments.

Explain the principles of regulation for professional practice Essay

Explain the principles of regulation for professional practice. (Compile a report that compares and contrast the principles of r - Essay Example This is done for the purpose of establishing whether the professions allow their workers to advance their careers. The clinical framework governing these fields has been examined to evaluate their practices and the impacts of their activities to the profession and society. The report also describes the codes of conduct followed in these fields along with the ethical issues affecting them. The professional boundaries between these two fields has been given for the purpose of distinguishing their scope of operation. Professional Education and Registration From the year 2004, the minimum professional qualification for a person who wanted to join social work in Scotland was a social work honors degree or an award in postgraduate education. Professional workers in the social services sector are registered by the Scottish Social Service Council (SSSC). This council was established under the act on regulation of care in the year 2001 in Scotland (Park, Murray and Delaney, 2006). Other peopl e who are interested with being registered as expert social workers by the council must have certificates that are recognizable by their relevant authorities (Scott, 2005). In the nursing field, the minimum qualifications a person must have before he or she can become a fully registered nurse in Scotland come in several stages. He or she must first undergo a compulsory three year training program. They take a specialization course that lasts for two years out of the three years according to their various fields. On completion of their course, they are registered with the council on Nursing and midwifery that serves under the National Health Service (NHS). The order of 2001 on midwifery and nursing practices hands power to the National Council on Midwifery. Principles of the Profession Social work is guided by the principles stating that social workers must keep and promote the safety, preferences, confidentiality along with the prospective people using these services. They should do this while maintaining a check between the use of the social services and their conservation. They are required to treat all the people as equal while valuing their uniqueness and diversities (Linsley, Kane and Owen, 2006). They should additionally maintain the trust of the public along with their confidence in the communal services. These principles are prescribed in their practice code that was generated by the Council of Social Services in Scotland. The principles guiding the nursing field in Scotland on the other hand, are their commitment to providing superior quality care that is centered on their patients and clients. They should show commitment towards the creation of new responsibilities supporting the connections between health and community care. The nurses are required to continuously apply their knowledge and skills to their practice while committing themselves to working with other experts or agencies (Currie, 2005). Lastly, the nurses are required to show commitment towards promoting the quality of their patient’s experiences and safety. The nursing field is charged with the responsibility of developing education programs that aim at modernizing the careers of nurses. Continuous Professional Development The body dealing with the standardization of education in social work is responsible for setting the skills, information and understanding of their

Edward Burtynsky Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Edward Burtynsky - Essay Example His education shaped the skills that he already possessed as an artist, and helped him develop the techniques of photography that have captivated thousands through his snapshots. Burtynsky’s photography brings the discreet and hidden realities of human development to the public’s eye, and demands an appreciation and evaluation of man’s actions and their effects on nature (Burtynsky, 2009). He has a knack of capturing the most rudimentary and banal sites through his lens, and instilling art and finesse into those pictures (Burtynsky, 2009). His early work consists of the industrial landscape of General Motors plant in his city, which, according to him, evoked the passion for observing nature and capturing industrial development in his photos (Burtynsky, 2009). His exposure of the mining sites, recycling plants, industrial waste depots, and other such crass sites were hugely popular in Canada and elsewhere, so that very soon he became one of Canada’s most famous and respected photographers (Burtynsky, 2009). The highlight of his career and a major turning point was when he won the TED award in 2005 (TED, 2009). This led to the makin g of a documentary, called Manufactured Landscape, on the collection of his works of same title, and his life, in 2007 (TED, 2009). At the award ceremony, Burtynsky made three wishes related to the progress in his work, all of which, due to his immense influence and respect in the artworld, have been fulfilled (TED, 2009). He wished for a website to encourage children to think for their planet; the Meet The Greens website was developed (TED, 2009). He wished he would be able to film on Imax; that is currently in progress (TED, 2009).