Trimming Obesity in America Essays - Obesity, Human Weight

Trimming Obesity in America As Lindsey prepares to get on the bus, she prepares herself for the offensive looks and glares, just like when she was a child. Lindsey isn?t a child anymore, yet the stares, snickers and finger pointing has followed her all her life as she has fought to cope with the lethargy, cardiovascular problems and sleep apnea that her doctors have told her stem from one problem in particular: Obesity. Young or old, male or female, dark or light skinned; obesity is one disease that doesn?t discriminate and has become a growing problem worldwide. Stories such as Lindsey?s have become too common as more and more children and adults find themselves not only facing increased health problems and a shorter life span, but are also ridiculed by society. In California, obesity has particularly affected people of color, the poor and those with the least education. Six million adults are classified as obese and an additional 9.3 million are overweight. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, both obesity and being overweight are labels for weight ranges that are greater than what is considered healthy for a given height. For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a number called the "body mass index" (BMI). BMI is used because, for most people, it correlates with their amount of body fat. The reliability of this measurement has been debated by groups, such as the Center For Consumer Freedom, which challenges that athletes such as boxer Mike Tyson, quarterback Donovan McNabb, and wrestling superstar ?The Rock? would technically be considered obese using the BMI index along with actors Tom Cruise, and Sylvester Stallone. Despite this discrepancy, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute estimates that 97 million adults in the United States are overweight or obese. Obesity is a condition that raises their risk of morbidity from hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea and respiratory problems. Experts believe that an inactive lifestyle, oversize food portions and other bad habits are at least partially to blame for society?s weight increase. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, many Americans do not have enough physical activity in their lives. We rely on modern technology and conveniences, such as driving cars instead of walking or bicycling. More than 2 hours a day of regular TV viewing time has also been linked to Americans becoming overweight and obese. Choosing to quit smoking and eating food portions that are too large can also influence weight increases. Generally speaking, food portions in gas stations, fast food places, restaurants, and even supermarkets can typically feed two people. People who smoke and decide to quit are also at a higher risk of eating more. One reason is because food tastes better after they quit. Nicotine also increases your body?s ability to burn calories, thus, when nicotine is absent, your body does not burn as many calories. For children, many bad habits are learned from their parents. A child who has overweight parents who eat high-calorie foods and are inactive, for example, will likely become overweight too. Some experts, however, debate whether obesity is the cause of health problems, or a symptom of other diseases. Those with an under active thyroid, for example, can feel tired and weak due to a low metabolism rate which also causes weight gain. Those with Cushing's syndrome can also gain weight due to their body making too much of the hormone cortisol. Those with Cushing?s also have upper-body obesity, a rounded face, fat around the neck, and thin arms and legs. Sleep and advancing age can also play a pivotal part in weight gain. As people age, they tend to lose muscle and gain weight around their middle, especially if they are less active. People who sleep for 5 hours or less a night are also more likely to become obese as opposed to those who sleep for 7-8 hours or more. Whatever the reason, experts are concerned that obesity could not only lead to increased health problems and mortality rate, but also to higher healthcare costs. Experts believe that healthcare costs in the U.S. could double every decade to $860.7?$956.9 billion by 2030 as 86.3% of adults become overweight and

History of American Colony

History of American Colony Introduction The formation of the American colony is laden with instances of coercion, manipulation, oppression and outright violence. The elite were at the forefront of these vices owing to the need to protect their interests. Land owners had to resort to retrogressive tactics in order to secure labor and property in the newly established British colony.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on History of American Colony specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They also employed divide and conquer tactics amongst the masses in order to quell potential rebellions. In the new American colony, the elite did not epitomize liberty; they used their positions of power to control the natives, indentures and African Americans such that they could secure their own places. How America was conceived The first category of individuals that had to be pacified or controlled were the indentured servants. In order to secure adequate labor, the elite imposed heavy fines upon indentured servants who attempted to flee their masters. In Virginia, a person caught doing this would have to provide additional labor equal to the period of time that he or she was away. â€Å"Over the next century, a good deal of time of Virginia’s House of Burgesses would be taken up with how to keep servants in check.† (Jordan and Walsh 95). As a result, disgruntled white servants had no choice but to serve the complete term of their contract thus securing the aristocracy’s interests. The latter group of people also disciplined their white servants by whipping them at home or inside whipping posts. Their objective was to instill fear as well minimize instances of mild rebellion. Not only did land owners employ physical means to keep white servants in order, they also controlled their social relations. They forbade indentured servants from marrying bridal maidens from England. Any indentured worker, who wanted to marry, had to obtain permission from his master. Females could not get pregnant without serving some extra time as servants (Jordan and Walsh 95). One should note that the indentured-servant system was not prevalent from the beginning. Rich capitalist created it because they wanted to establish the most profitable means of tobacco cultivation. In the early 1620s, Virginia hired a consultant who stated that sharecropping was not effective in yielding high profits. Sharecropping relied on the use of tenants for production. This specialist suggested the use of servants rather than tenants in agriculture. As a consequence, new entrants from England were bitterly disappointed when they realized that their transporters had changed the terms of their contract (Jordan and Walsh 104). They would no longer be tenants in the colonies but mere servants whose term of service would expire upon their master’s pronouncement.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Research shows that the aristocracy’s preoccupation with control was not unfounded. Many indentured servants were frustrated with their conditions and if untamed, then they would upset the delicate class balance in the American colonies. A case in point was Thomas Hellier, whose masters had frustrated him for long. He chose to take matters into his own hands by killing his master, his master’s wife and another servant (Jordan and Walsh 106). When pleading his case, the defendant explained that he had a lot of resentment against slave traders. He argued that such merchants lured desperate people from England into the colony without any intention of keeping their end of the bargain. It was sentiments like these that caused a lot of apprehension among the elite who opted to use brutal tactics to keep their laborers in check. Taylor (154) explains that a rebellion eventually took place in 1676 when a g roup of frustrated freed men took up arms; this was known as Bacon’s rebellion. After completing the terms of their contract, land owners released their workers into a society with minimal economic opportunities. Most of these white laborers owned no property and lived in deplorable conditions. The extravagance of the elite disturbed them to a point of causing a rebellion. However, the state quelled the rebellion and tamed possible uprisings among newly freed while servants. African slaves were also another mechanism for securing the interests of rich landowners in the American colonies. Unlike white servants, who cost more to own and who had no lifetime guarantee, black slaves remained their slave master’s property all their lives. It was more economical to invest in slaves than white servants (Clark et. al. 111). Taylor (154) explains that â€Å"planters shifted from servants to slaves for economic security and security against another rebellion by angry freedmen.â €  Despite their promise, African slaves still had the potential to rebel too. In the early 1600s, African slaves were few in number and possessed same rights as their white counterparts. They could work for their freedom, own land and even buy slaves. However, in the latter half of the 17th century, black slaves had multiplied in number. White land owners worried that they could come together, take up arms and attack their white masters. Therefore, colonists saw the opportunity to utilize former indentured servants to preserve their position.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on History of American Colony specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They would give poor whites a range of privileges that blacks could not enjoy. The aristocracy’s sole intention was to divide society on the basis of race in order to prevent an alliance that could upset social order. If poor whites got together with disgruntled black slaves, then the elite would have no chance of staying in power. They thus created several laws designed to subjugate black slaves and fool poor whites into supporting them. Some of the laws forbade Africans from gathering in large numbers. They elongated their work days, increased their work load, gave them less food than before, and neglected their medical needs (Taylor 155). On the flipside, they allowed whites to bully blacks as much as they wanted with no fear of punishment from authorities; the laws forbade blacks from striking whites. This created a feeling of solidarity among all members of the white race. Divide and conquer tactics did not just stop at the highly oppressive colonial labor laws; it was cemented by a series of social controls too. Colonists forbade blacks from marrying whites while perpetrators of the crime would immediately become indentured servants. Children born from these unions were condemned to slavery. Even if a child was born of a black mother and w hite father, their identity would still remain black (Shifflett 107). They needed to pass this law in order to protect many white masters who frequently raped their black slaves and fathered mulatto children. Plantation owners secured a whole generation of slaves for themselves. They could violate black women’s rights (by raping them) but did not have to take responsibility for their actions. Instead, they were rewarded by having yet another laborer in their plantation. As is the case with several capitalists, the land owners had to justify their actions using arguments that the masses would believe. Many of them used technical justifications such as an increase in the number of blacks and their intellectual backwardness. Others even employed just-war principles; they explained that when capturing a person in war, â€Å"a subjugator could offer them enslavement as an alternative to death† (Gallay 46). However these capitalists were simply making their brutal actions ac ceptable among the masses. Their just-war claims were false because African slaves were forcefully captured; they were not products of war. Native Americans were also affected by the need to perpetuate capitalist interest in the new colonies. Most Indians were not useful sources of labor in the colonies for a number of economic reasons. The elite often traded with them by purchasing animal skin and other useful items.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, this was an opportunity for self preservation as enslaving Indians would lead to an increase in war. Indians were indigenous to the Americas, so it made more sense to evacuate them from certain portions of land rather than rely on them for labor (Gallay 47). The colonists exercised a lot of discretion in determining where to place the indigenous population in the land-labor hierarchy. The use of race was a divide-and -conquer tactic for rich land owners. They made poor whites feel superior by granting them voters rights and a few superficial benefits. This had the effect of obscuring common class distinctions between themselves and black slaves. The wealthy cemented their place by creating a lesser creature than the indentured servants. Native Americans could not liaise with poor whites or black slaves because they perceived their problems to be unique to their community. In essence, rich whites had quelled opportunities for rebellion. Conclusion The most interesting a spect to me was the impunity with which the elite exercised their privileges and abuses. I also found the contradictory nature of the libertarian values espoused by the colonists and the gross violation of human rights that took place in the new colony out of the ordinary. Lastly, it was enlightening to learn that oppressive systems did not start out that way, but grew as a need for self preservation. Clark, Christopher, Nancy Hewitt, Roy Rosenzweig, Nelson Lichtenstein, Joshua Brown, David Jaffee. Who Built America? Working People and the Nation’s History. Bedford: St. Martin’s Press, 2008. Print. Gallay, Alan. The Indian Slave trade: The Rise of the English Empire in the American South, 1670-1717. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002. Print. Jordan, Dan and Michael Walsh. White Cargo: The Forgotten History of Britain’s White Slaves in America. New York: New York University Press, 2008. Print. Shifflett, Crandal. Selected Virginia Statutes Related to Slavery . Virtual Jamestown 2007. Web. Taylor, Alan. American Colonies: The Settling of North America. New York: Penguin, 2001. Print.

ECON 4020-001 - Intermed Macroecon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ECON 4020-001 - Intermed Macroecon - Essay Example Davidson suggests that US increased the national debt during wars and recessionary periods because during those times only spender is government. The spending by the government therefore stimulates the necessary domestic demand which creates more jobs and increases the consumption. He provides evidence of how large deficits by the government during war and recessionary times actually were followed by periods of economic prosperity as well as job creation. Era after World War II was an era which was economically more prosperous than the times before war and one of the most important reasons for this was the government spending during war times by the US government and resulting large deficits. Davidson therefore suggests that actual task of fiscal policy is to act as a balancing wheel to generate sufficient aggregate demand which can stimulate entrepreneurs to create new jobs and deter from imposing or raising taxes to reduce the fiscal deficit and remove the role of government from the economy. Robert J Barrow’s article â€Å"Robin Hood Cant Lead Us Out of the Debt Hole: Obamas obsession with higher tax rates on the rich is not helpful† however focuses upon the argument of raising marginal taxes for rich in America to finance the fiscal deficit of the country. Barrow suggests that the current government in US may be missing the point that by increasing the government expenditure, multiplier effect can have a positive impact on the economy. He presents the recent historical analysis of the financial crisis and how the government actually allowed Lehman Brothers to fail to actually initiate a systematic failure of important institutions. Barrow therefore argues that rather than taxing the rich, the overall composition of the federal government needs to be changed. Government shall increase the maximum age limit for the entitlement of the social security as well as further rationalize the federal government

The responsibility to protect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

The responsibility to protect - Essay Example 1). There has always been a traditional emphasis on state sovereignty, which means that every nation state is free to govern its country and its people as it sees fit, without intervention from other countries. That said, there have always been threats to this sovereignty, due to the global nature of the world and nations who try to intervene for various purposes. However, until the early 2000s, there has not been a perspective that the sovereignty of nations should be compromised in the cases of mass genocide and the like, or at least there has not been the perspective that there should be a doctrine to address this, and that this doctrine should be viewed through the eyes of the victims. That all changed with the Responsibility to Protect doctrine. This doctrine, while imperfect, and viewed with a great deal of suspicion by many countries as a â€Å"Trojan Horse† through which nations can invade one another with ostensible humanitarian goals, has still been beneficial to som e extent, although has not seemed to go far enough in abating atrocities that have occurred around the world. This paper will examine the nature of sovereignty, the origins of the responsibility to protect, and the effect it has had on the world community since its inception. The Traditional Meaning of Sovereignty In order to better understand the concept of the responsibility to protect, and how it diverges from traditional understandings, one must understand the meaning of state sovereignty, which has been described as â€Å"a defining principle of interstate relations and the foundation of world order† (Supplement to the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty). Traditionally, nation-states have sovereignty, which means that each nation is free to rule over its people as it sees fit, and dispose of its resources in same manner. However, this power is not absolute, and it subjected to regulations and constraints from the international body (Internatio nal Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, p. 12). One of the traditional tenets of state sovereignty is the tenet that each nation respects other nation’s sovereignty, so that the policy of non-intervention is the international norm. If this is violated, and another nation penetrates a nation’s sovereignty, then the offended nation has the right to defend itself (International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, p. 12). The United Nations was the body that protected state sovereignty. However, the concept of state sovereignty has always been a tenuous one. The powerful typically invade the province of nations, and the globalization of today’s world recognizes that environmental, cultural and economic influences do not respect national borders, partly due to new technologies and advances in communication (Supplement to the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty) The traditional notion of sovereignty has further ev olved to where states agree that sovereignty is a responsibility. As such, states agree that protecting its citizens is a condition for maintaining its sovereignty. Further, as a condition of sovereignty, national leaders are accountable for their own actions, and nations are accountable to the international bodies for how that nation treats its populace (International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, p. 12). The Responsibility to Protect The Responsibilit

Argument from moral equivalence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Argument from moral equivalence - Essay Example Once there cannot be condemnation, then it cannot be said that a given cultural sect, morals or values are better or worse. As far as cultural relativism is concerned, it is important for people not to compare their cultural differences with what prevails in other cultures but learn to be tolerant towards all other cultures. In reference to the video, which clearly shows distaste for the Iranian culture of Sharia Law, it could be said that this claim is valid. The video is indeed relevant to the topic of cultural relativism because it outlines the extent to which social and human right groups come together to condemn some of the core values and codes in given cultures. As much as possible, these human right and social groups would want the fundamental human rights of people to be upheld while going about cultural diversity. To this extent, any cultures’ moral values and codes that defeat the ideas of fundamental human rights, such as making a woman suffer death for the offence of adultery is seen as worse. In conclusion therefore, it can be said that the world has come to such a time when cultural relativism is seen as

Comparison of Solar and Wind Energy Technologies

Comparison of Solar and Wind Energy Technologies Contents (Jump to) CHAPTER 3 Solar and wind technologies comparison 3.1 Economics of technologies 3.1.1 Cost of photovoltaic Cells 3.1.1 Economics of wind turbines 3.2 Efficiency of technologies 3.3 Advantages and disadvantages CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4.1Results 4.2Discussion CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 5.1Conclusions 5.2Recommendation REFERENCES CHAPTER 2 Solar and Wind Technologies Comparison 3.1 Economics of technologies Installed cost and performance levels of renewable energy plants are similar around the world, although no single figure can quantify the precise cost and performance of any renewable technology. The location where the technology is installed plays a major role in providing the energy resource for renewable energy technologies. Solar installations close to the equator have more energy production capability. Wind energy variations are more extreme, windiest regions are favorable to install wind turbines that generates significant amount of electrical energy such as New Zealand and United Kingdom (Freris and Infield, 2008). Table 3.1 shows the main parameters related to renewable energy technologies and conventional plant. It also indicates the three major components of energy generation cost which are: (1) the cost of the plant, land acquisition, grid connection and initial finance cost, (2) operation and maintenance cost (OM) and finally fuel cost. From the table it is noticeable that most of the renewable energy technologies have zero fuel cost and it varies in conventional plant. Table 3.1: Comparison of cost and performance data for renewable energy and conventional plant (Freris and Infield, 2008) Levelized cost method is the main traditional approach used to compare cost generating electricity from various energy technologies. The levelized cost of energy technologies is measured as it is shown in Equation 3.1: LOCE = (Eq. 3.1) The LCOE method is concept from reality and is used as a ranking tool to measure the cost-effectiveness of various energy generation technologies. Where CF is the capacity factor; OC is the overnight construction cost; CRF is the capital recovery factor; OMC is the series of annualized operation and maintenance costs; FC is the series of annualized fuel costs; r is the discount rate and T is the economic life of the plant. 3.1.1 Cost of photovoltaic Cells Solar radiation is a finite and free source of energy but despite that, there is cost for utilizing this form of energy. The calculation of the cost of solar energy can be made in the following manner. Assuming the solar system would have a specific lifetime of T years at initial cost of C0 Dollar. The amount of energy the system can generate during the lifetime of the system is Q (Goswami et al., 2000). The unite cost of energy, neglecting the interest charges, is equal to the cost of the installation divided by the total energy generated during the lifetime as it is shown in Equations 3.2: Cs = (Eq. 3.2) For example if the solar energy collector cost $200/m2 , has an expected life of 20 years, and is installed in a location where the mean annual horizontal surface irradiance is 300 W/m2 averaged over 24 hours, the cost of solar energy Cs will be equal to: = = $0.00380/Kw.hr However it is clear that no solar energy collector can perform at 100% efficiency. According to thermodynamic laws only a fraction of incident energy can be transformed into useful heat. Assuming the efficiency of the collector ÆÅ ¾c is 40 percent, the cost of solar will be given by Equation 3.2: Cs = = $0.00951/Kw.hr (Eq. 3.3) The efficiency of photovoltaic device plays a major role in the cost of the technology as we notice from the previous equation along with the optic of the device. The price of photovoltaic materials is usually expressed on a per-unit-area basis but the units are often sold based on cost per watt that is generated under peak solar illumination conditions. Equation 3.4 is used to convert the cost per square meter to cost per watt for photovoltaic technologies: $/WP = (Eq. 3.4) The return on investment made for specific equipment or material used for the photovoltaic system also is estimated. The payback time of PV unite of cost $/m2, is associated with the efficiency of the system, the installation location and the price of at which electricity generated is sold on the market $/kWh. Equation 3.5 is used to estimate the payback time which is: Payback time = (Eq. 3.5) The generate a significant quantity of energy in commercial application, several elements should be mainly considered such as the average illumination, cost of land, batteries, support structure and the life time of the PV unite. Balance of system (BOS) cost must be considered and it includes the mounting, wiring, operation cost and maintenance cost. The cost of electricity generated by solar cells can be calculated using Equation 3.6a and Figure 3.1 illustrate breakdown of the cost in PV system. Figure 3.1: PV Solar System Cost Breakdown (Source: the Rocky Mountain Institute) (Eq. 3.6a) Inserting the relevant terms, in Equation 3.6a and it becomes: = (Eq. 3.6b) The amortization rate is estimated from the real discount rate of i, and a PV lifetime, N, as shown in Equation 3.7: Amortization = (Eq. 3.7) The global annual production of solar energy technologies is estimated to be at approximately 12,400 MW in year 2007. Annual growth of PV production remains to be at 40-50% and according to Earth Policy Institute, the photovoltaic industry has grown by an average of 48% each year since 2002. This rapid growth of PV production made the solar energy became the world fastest-growing renewable energy resource (Henry and Healey, 2007). The wide variety of photovoltaic panel’s technologies competing in different energy markets was a major role in the rapid growth of solar energy technologies in a short period of time. For instance, large–scale photovoltaic panels and concentrated solar power technologies are competing with other technologies that seek to serve the centralized grid. Whereby on the other hand, small-scale solar systems compete with other types of technologies such as; diesel generation sets and off-grid wind turbines (Timilsinaa et al., 2012). Along with the variety of PV technologies, with the advancement of science and technology sector, the efficiency and power generation capacity of solar technologies have been improved to generate electricity that can compete with the conventional sources power plants. Photovoltaic technologies have been experiencing, the price of PV models haven been steadily decreasing during the past few decades. A lot of elements such as; Technology improvement using lower cost feedstock’s, efficiency increases, thinner solar cells, reduction in technical losses and increased manufacturing through had played a major role in decreasing the cost of PV modules throughout the years (Sioshansi, 2011). Figure 3.2 shows the declination in photovoltaic panel’s price per watt from 1978 until 2012. Figure 3.2: Historical photovoltaic module price per watt from 1978-2012 (Source: Navigant Consulting, 2008) From the Figure3.2, the price of PV modules were at it maximum in 1976 with 75$ per watt but in year 1978 the price drop to reach almost 55$ per watt. PV modules price kept decrease with the time passage and between 1986 and 1988 the price of PV module reached below the 10$ per watt. The declination of PV modules cost did not stop and between years 2010 and 2012 the price reached the lowest rate which was 1$ per watt. Photovoltaic technology system have no moving parts, this property reduces the cost of PV modules significantly along with the minimum operation and maintenance costs (mainly to remove the dirt and dust off the module) which is around 0.5% of the capital investment per year. The cost of PV unit presently is 60% of the total cost of PV system cost and the remaining 40% is covered by the structures, inverters and cabling costs (Aswathanarayana et al., 2010). References Henry M. and Healey P.E (2007): Economics of Solar, Cogeneration Distributed Generation Journal, vol. (22), no. (3), pp. 35-49, DOI: 10.1080/15453660709509122. Timilsinaa, G. R. Kurdgelashvili, L. and Narbel, P. A. (2012): Solar energy: Markets, economics and policies, vol. (12), pp. 449-465. Print Book: Freris, L and Infield, D. (2008): Renewable energy: In power systems, United Kingdom: John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Print Book: Goswami, Y. Kreith, F. and Kreider, J. F. (2000): Second Edition: Principle of Solar Engineering, New York, US: Taylor and Francis Group Print Book: Sioshansi, F. P. (2011): Energy, sustainability and the environment: Technology, incentives, behavior. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Inc.

Transculturation Essay example -- Literature Poem Africa Essays

Transculturation A familiar lesson in elementary history might be that a conquered people will generally acculturate into the dominant culture of their conquerors. However, the process of how these two cultures interact is often not that simple. For example, the term transculturation was coined in the 1940s by sociologist Fernando Oritz to describe the process by which a conquered people choose and select what aspects of the dominant culture they will assume (Pratt 589). Unlike acculturation, transculturation recognizes the power of the subordinate culture to create its own version of the dominant culture. In an essay entitled, "The Arts of the Contact Zone," author Mary Louise Pratt argues that transculturation does not have to be confined to the social spaces where disparate cultures intersect; it can be extended to everyday situations, such as the classroom. However, though Pratt recognizes that transculturation can take place on a very personal level, she still fails to discuss the emotional natu re of transculturation. An analysis of Derek Walcott's poem, "A Far Cry from Africa," using scholar Homi Bhabha's concept of "mimicry" will give a deeper understanding of Pratt's vision of transculturation by redefining it as a process of personal struggle by which each individual in a subordinate group is moved to choose and select which aspects of the dominant culture he or she will assume. "A Far Cry From Africa" is the story of a man half African and half English, who is witnessing the death and destruction of his homeland resulting from the English colonization of South Africa. In his description he does not, however, favor one side over the other, but focuses rather on the injustices of both cultures. At the end of the po... ... Works Cited Bhabha, Homi. "From 'Of Mimicry and Man: The Ambivalence of Colonial Discourse' in the Location of Culture, pp. 85-92." Stanford Presidential Lectures and Symposia in the Humanities and Arts. 02 March 2000. 15 September 2000. <http:// prelectur.stanford.edu/lecturers/bhabha/biblio.html>. Bradley, Heather M. "Conflicting Loyalties in 'A Far Cry from Africa'". Literature of the Caribbean. The Scholarly Technology Group, Washington and Lee University. 1997. 15 September 2000. <http://landow.stg.brown.edu/post/caribbean/walcott/ bradley2.html>. Pratt, Mary Louise. "Arts of the Contact Zone". Ways of Reading. Ed. David Bartholomae and Anthony Petrosky. 5th ed. Boston: St. Martin's, 1999. 582-596. Walcott, Derek. "A Far Cry from Africa". Derek Walcott Collected Poems 1948-1984. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1986. 17-18.

Water Refilling Management System

Conceptual frameworkThe Conceptual framework shows the inputs and processes on how the customer and the management works’ within the system. Input refers to the data inputted by the customer and management. The data to be input first by the management are the customer and container information’s. The customer information contains id, name, address, contact number, type, cash balance, container balance and description of a customer, while the container information contains id, type, total count, unit price and description of a container. The system provides each the customer and container id automatically. Customer and container information are required to be in the system first to process transactions.There are four types of transaction, namely: purchase order, delivery, payment and container return. Each of this transaction consists of required information referred in the table below. The customer id, name, type, cash balance, container balances, container type unit pr ice of the specific customer and product are gathered by the system automatically.Table 1.1 Transaction information Purchase order Delivery Payment Container return Customer id Customer name Customer type Container types Unit prices Container tracking id’s (optional) Container count Total amount Comment Customer id Customer name Customer type Container types Unit prices Container tracking id’s (optional) Container count Total amount Mode of payment Comment Customer id Customer name Customer cash balance Payment amount Comment Customer id Customer name Customer Container balances Container types Return count CommentLevel 0.

Practical book review Essay

Petersen breaks down the book in five parts . He starts off with part one the value of of communication balancing: listing awhile , talk until the other person stops hearing , Listen until the person calms enough to hear again. He furthers this in a another chapter. He then moves on to the Flat-brain theory . He uses diagrams to explain the different levels of Stomach functions which is where the our emotions are located . This area is were we experience our inner nudges . He also explains how the heart functions , the heart functions as a filter it gives and receives concerns , suggestions, and support. The next function is the head. The functions of the head is thinking, planning , remembering. The next couple of chapters begin to talk about he goes into a deeper understanding of the the flat brain theory until he reaches the flat- brain syndrome where he talks about how our brains function better in a short football shape. However when our brains are squished it creates a serious defect in our head fiction.he continues to talk about this concept . Part two starts off with the talker listener process taking turns talking and listening. This can and will determine the role of talker or listener. The talker-listener card was introduced and we were provided a actual card to put to use in our personal time. The purpose of this card is to create an atmosphere and role of each persons involved. The card provides instructions on when to talk and when to listen this the opportunity of the talker to without being interrupted and the listener to be attentive to what the talker is talking about. Chapters 8 through 15 go deeper in depth of the talker- listener card and its many functions from the talker prescriptive and the listener prescriptive. Part Three Petersen highlights the six communication traps, 1. Ritual listening, 2.Perry Masons( which made me chuckle ) 3. Why? 4. Not?5. I understand, he goes in depth to help the reader understand the difference between the five communications traps. He also talks about when trying new things and some of the thoughts that come long with that . When trying new skills you always have negative reactions such as: To much repetition grates, new skills often sound fake, friends and family co-worker get rattled by change. He further part three by discussing basic listening technique . He uses technique such as : para-feeling ( putting the talker’s feelings into your words), decoding . He futhers the conversation of why we don’t listen better in part five Where you can use TLC( talker-listener card) in group settings . The TLC card can help aide through difficult discussion as well help moderate a two person conversation . In conclusion in part five he states â€Å" how if you go beyond skill to increase empathy, genuineness and warmth you’ll tap into reservoir of healthy humanness that’ll out wheels on your technique( Pg 210). RESPOND! I remember growing up and my mother would ask me â€Å" how are you? what are thinking about?† I would have such a difficult time in expressing my feelings. I felt like when no one really cared about me , and my thoughts. In chapter eleven Petersen talks about the first talker goal: sharing your feelings. I immediately become more in tune with what I was reading. I recently had an encounter with a very close friend and she made the statement: Kia you listen to everyone else’s problems but you never seem to open as easy as we do to you. That’s unfair to us as friends. I thought to myself I trust them as friends but sometimes its easier for me to keep my thoughts to my self . However from reading this chapter I understand that it hinders my communication not only with my friends but with others . It puts a stumbling block on me to be open and receptive. So I went back to that friend and we went to dinner and I used skittles as props; we sat down and for every skittle in my hand I had to share my feelings or thoughts on questions she had or asked. I can honestly say that just by having this little prop it open the door and I was able to release so much that I was holding back from her. I now see the difference of talking and listening she listened attentively and this allowed me to be honest and not feel judged by her or her actions. REFLECT! Honestly the thought that popped in my head as I was reading this book was our relationship with Christ. I have said this before but it seems to be more imperative . We often talk to Christ and we tell Him all the troubles of our lives and how we need this or we need that.However we often neglect the fact that Christ has to something to say to us. I started to reflect on the stories of Jonah , Moses. They did not want to recognize the many clues that was present to them throughout their walk so it took spectacular things to happen to them before they got the message. Isn’t like God to speak to us In the loudest moments of our lives. In those times of anger and frustration and we miss the mark because we are so loud internally. He took Jonah inside of the fishes belly in order to get the message to him . It took a burning bush to get Moses attention and it took me reading this book ; to recognize that internally I’m so loud that I need to learn how to calm myself down and others to experience me. Could it be that God has to extreme measures sometimes for me to stop and recognize Him? I often am on the go and pray on the go but I have recognize that in the moments when I feel like giving up or fighting or screaming He speaks quietly and calms my mind , soul, and spirit. He speaks often I guess the question is how much are we really listening ?Silence keeps you bound , talking gets you free, listening brings understanding! ACT! Some of the techniques that I plan on using are the Talker- Listener card . I plan using this in my personal life ,when I have arguments and as well as in just simple conversations when trying to come to an agreement. I believe that this strategy will be helpful in my prayer time . The concept of talking and listening and really allowing God to minster to me as I minster to Him. Another technique I will use and will keep visuals of is the balancing scale of the emotions, heart, judgement or thoughts. Remembering the scale will help balance my conversations in the future especially when it comes to a misunderstanding. I really thank Petersen because I am a visual learner and the pictures put what he was saying in perceptive for me. Another technique that is really important to is remembering the pointing finger. In many conversations I often use my hands to communicate how I’m feeling . After reading this section of the book I understand how my hands and fingers can seem more offensive then helping . I will remember this and will try to not use my hands as much in explaining my feelings. I plan incorporating the talker- listener card in my youth groups and after school programs. Teaching our youth to the stages of communication now . View as multi-pages

Writing Memoirsâ€What You Need to Know to Avoid Being Sued

Writing Memoirs- What You Need to Know to Avoid Being Sued Writing Memoirs- What You Need to Know to Avoid Being Sued Everyone wants to avoid being sued. Litigation is expensive, time-consuming, and incredibly stressful. Most writers don’t have much to worry about. The odds that they’ll end up in a courtroom for something they wrote are fairly low. Our First Amendment right to free speech offers significant protection to write freely. One exception to this rule is the world of memoir.The reason the memoir genre is compelling is because it’s fascinating to read the dirty details of others’ lives. Memoir authors usually don’t write about rainbows and sunshine, they write about the salacious. Abuse, sex, addiction, and family drama- it’s the Sturm und Drang that people want to read about. This is the primary reason why memoirs open the door for lawsuits.There’s a fine balance when you’re writing your memoir. Of course, it’s your story, and as such, you want it to be told without barriers. Yet, you need to consider those you’re writin g about. They may not want to be part of your story. And, in some cases, if you violate the law, they may have the right to retaliate with a lawsuit.We can all agree that there are better things to spend your book royalties on than exorbitant legal fees. Read on for tips to avoid going from published author to professional despondent. (Note: Our first disclaimer- this article does not constitute professional legal advice. For real legal advice, consult your real live counsel, rather than looking things up on the Internet.)1. Case Study: Running with ScissorsSince we’re discussing legal issues, it seems fitting to start with a case study on the issues of memoir, defamation, and invasion of privacy.Critically acclaimed author Augusten Burroughs published the best-selling memoir, Running with Scissors in 2003. In his book, he recalled his time living with the fictional â€Å"Finches.† His book recounted abuse, drug use, dysfunctional family behavior, living in squalor, an d other unsavory details any family wouldn’t want blasted all over printed pages.Burroughs claimed that while he did change the name of the family (in real life, the Turcottes), the harrowing details of his time spent in their care were true. The Turcottes filed a defamation and invasion of privacy torts suit against Burroughs and his publisher. The family asserted that Burroughs fabricated facts and violated their privacy.Burroughs’ defense hinged on his assertion that the facts, as he wrote them, were true; therefore he had not broken any laws. The parties settled out of court. As part of the settlement, Burroughs changed his acknowledgments to say the Turcottes had â€Å"conflicting memories† of the described events. Burroughs was legally obligated to amend his book acknowledgments to read as follows:I would like to thank the real-life members of the family portrayed in this book for taking me into their home and accepting me as one of their own. I recognize that their memories of the events described in this book are different than my own. They are each fine, decent and hard-working people. The book was not intended to hurt the family. Both my publisher and I regret any unintentional harm resulting from the publishing and marketing of Running With Scissors.2. Understand the ConceptsThe best defense is a good offense. In litigation that means don’t do anything that will get you sued. Before you publish your memoir, it’s important that you understand your rights to free speech, as well as defamation and invasion of privacy issues.First Amendment ProtectionThe First Amendment protects your right to free speech. This protection applies to both the spoken and written word.DefamationIn short, defamation is when you ruin a person’s reputation. Blacks Law Dictionary defines defamation as, â€Å"The taking from one’s reputation. The offense of injuring a persons character, fame, or reputation by false and malicious statements.† The term covers both libel (written) and slander (spoken).Only living people can sue for defamation, so someone can’t file a lawsuit against you for defamation through an estate or relatives.Invasion of PrivacyInvasion of privacy lawsuits hinge on public disclosure of private facts. Private facts are sensitive information that the average person would not want to share with the general public; for example, medical records, adoption records, abuse, alcoholism, etc. Just as with defamation, an invasion of privacy suit can’t be brought by an estate or relatives. Even if what you write is 100% true, someone can still bring an invasion of privacy suit based on public disclosure of private facts.3. Preventing a Defamation Cause of ActionThe best defense against defamation is the truth. Suppose you write that your neighbor was convicted of axe murder. He can’t bring a defamation suit against you if he was, in fact, convicted of axe murder. But if you write, â€Å"my neighbor could be capable of axe murder because he’s crazy,† then you’ve got some defamation issues.Practical Tips to Stay Out of Courtroom:If your facts will not hold up as 100% true in a court of law, you can open yourself up to defamation. Before you write, make sure to check your facts. You want to know that if you’re writing about something controversial, that you’re not fabricating the truth.The second tip to avoid defaming your memoir characters is to frame controversial statements as your opinion. Opinions are (*usually) legally considered â€Å"protected expression.† That said, there are parameters. You can’t simply state that blatantly false statements are opinions and get away it. Writing, â€Å"In my opinion, Sara Smith is a prostitute†- when Sara Smith is an upstanding mom and doctor- will get you in trouble. Your opinion needs to be balanced by evidence and supported by actual fact.The third tip t o avoid defamation issues is to change anyidentifying information about your book characters. In order to prevail in a defamation case, the defamed must prove others are able to identify him from your writing. A caveat: This doesn’t mean by name alone! People can claim defamation if one could reasonably identify them through their actions, clothing, quotes, physical appearance, address, or any number of identifying points.The fourth tip is that defamation rests upon subjective principles. When in doubt, err on the side of caution about disclosing details that may or may not be true. If you can’t defend the truth in a court of law, don’t publish it.The final tip is to print a disclaimer in your preface, intro, or acknowledgements. Simply by stating your memories are imperfect but you’re sharing to the best of knowledge and that you’ve changed identifies can stave off legal woes.4. Avoiding an Invasion of Privacy Cause of ActionJust as with a defamat ion lawsuit, an invasion of privacy lawsuit turns on subjective opinions to be decided on a case-by-case basis. This means that the individual facts of each case will decide the outcome.Common sense dictates that there are certain private facts, which a person would not want shared with the public. If a good friend had given up a child for adoption, and you were the only person she told, then disclosing that in your memoir would open the doors to an invasion of privacy lawsuit. The same would apply to sensitive information such as private health matters, abuse, addiction, or any information would not be readily accessible to the public.Certain public or high profile individuals may have less protection against invasion of privacy. The legal theory is that because they have opened their lives to public scrutiny, then the bar is lower for privacy protection. If unsavory facts can be classified as public interest, then you may be able to disclose certain things about public individuals . The crux of this issue would turn on whether your facts are related to a matter of â€Å"public concern.†Practical Tips to Stay Out of the Courtroom:There are several ways to avoid invasion of privacy lawsuits. Our first tip is to get written permission from your characters. If you obtain written consent, they can’t later file a suit stating you’ve breached their privacy.Our second tip is the same as with defamation: Change all identifying characteristics. Give your characters a different name, different job, different wardrobes- anything you can change to prevent them from being recognized by your words affords you a degree of protection. Some writers like to create an amalgam of characters to mix up identifying facts.Our third tip is tell the truth. Dont lie (or even embellish). It’s unethical at best; at worst, it can get you in legal hot water.Our fourth tip is carefully weigh the impact of disclosing inflammatory, sensitive, or embarrassing informa tion. Are such disclosures essential to your story? If so, tread carefully and use our rules for how to proceed with caution. If you’re on the fence, it’s always wise to run your concerns by a lawyer to head off any issues before you publish. Paying for an hour or two of legal time is far better than being a defendant in a court case.The best memoirs are brazen, open, and honest about life, even when the facts are tough to write about. Your obligation as a memoirist is to tell your story and honor the truth. By considering the impact of those in your real life and making efforts to protect them, you’ll avoid legal troubles down the line.Like what you read and want to learn more? We’re holding a FREE online workshop where Chandler is revealing the exact tactics and strategies he used to write and publish 6 bestselling books in a row†¦ and use them to build a 7-figure business in less than 2 years.Click here to save your spot now!

Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances Essay

Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances - Essay Example This special document, regarded supreme, provides the means by which each of the three branches can resist the incursions of the others. Drawing from a rich background of theories from scholars regarding a systematic order of governance, the framers of the US constitution drew up this basic charter conferring sufficient institutional powers to govern. While aware of the power of the masses, the charter had in it inbuilt safeguards.1 As such, the document withheld the principle of abridging the liberties of the citizenry.  Nevertheless, no one institution was to wield absolute power. Indeed as said by Madison, â€Å"the truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted†¦Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe, there are more abridgement of the people by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power by violent and sudden usurpation†¦The accumulation of all powers; legislative, executive and judicial in the same hands, whether of one, few or many †¦..may just be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.†2 Referring to the works of Montesquieu, Madison alongside many other statesmen convincingly argued for the concept of separation of powers embedded with the safeguards of checks and balances within the three branches of government. The doctrine of separation of powers ingrained in the Constitution provides for the separation of government into three distinct branches; the legislative, executive, and the judicial branches. Each branch has unique responsibilities with functional separate powers. Despite the separation and functional autonomy, each branch was granted the capability to place limits on the powers exercised by the other two branches. In effect, no single agency was granted the power to exercise complete authority, thereby creating a system of interdependency. For purposes of clarity, separation of powers on one hand means that no one branch had the capacity to control the other two arms of government.

Teaching Staff and Students Well-being Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Teaching Staff and Students Well-being - Essay Example The independent nature of FE is potentially under threat as institutions are held to similar account as schools. Further to not creating negative situations for staff and students, well-being is increasingly being represented as ensuring conditions for staff or students. Throughout this assignment, it is argued that well-being is a series of balances which is difficult to achieve and must be addressed on an individual basis within a broadly supportive system of management. It is argued that well-being as a philosophy or policy has the potential to be more effective than existing deficit models where issues such as low morale, high workload and excessive stress are viewed simply as problems to be solved or obstacles to be removed. Teaching staff face constant pressures to perform, and it is commonly accepted as a highly stressful job. As part of the debate over pay and conditions, the National Union of Teachers was potentially embarrassed in the media by the finding that the total work hours of teachers was less than an average worker when taken across the year and accounting for holidays (Baker, 2002). This effectively ended the debate over hours (that administration and marking was largely unpaid work), and focussed on more qualitative issues. These issues are related to well-being. For example, research commissioned by the National Union of Teachers found that the intensity of work was such that a teacher's blood pressure only returned to normal levels during the longer holidays (BBC News, 1999). Issues of stress and intensity had come into focus, and so the debate on pay and conditions was much less about the work teachers did and more about the effect that the work has on them. Cooper and Weinberg (2007) introduce their book with an argument which relates to this idea. Assuming that virtually every worker would leave their job if they were financially independent (e.g. won the lottery), Cooper and Weinberg then pose the question of whether one would swap some of that lottery cash for an extra ten years of life. This is the issue of well-being, that stressful employment can be viewed as selling your life away in two ways. Firstly, the time spent at work is so intense that there is no time for social activities or other enjoyment on workdays (and possibly a lot of leisure time is given over to recovery rather than leisure). Secondly, and less directly, the stress of working has a negative impact on one's health and can shorten life expectancy. In a world where everybody has not just won the lottery, this argument is still relevant. Life would equally be shortened and leisure opportunities impinged by a lack of money. As Cooper and Weinber