Saturday, August 31, 2019

Coaching/Leadership Skills

Coaches have many diverse roles which can vary in importance according to the age group of the team. In simple terms, the role of the coach is to plan, act and review. This is an ongoing process aimed at improving the qualities of the coach and the performance of players. The basic roles of an effective coach are: †¢ Manager dealing with a wide range of players, officials and supporters. †¢ Leader assigned to organise training, match-day events and team morale. †¢ Teacher instructing football skills and team tactics. Mentor behind every successful person there is one elementary truth: somewhere, somehow, someone cared about their growth and development. This person was their mentor. †¢ Selector – involved in the planning and selection of the best team to represent the club. †¢ Communicator providing clear instruction and feedback to the team and individual players. †¢ Psychologist dealing with various individual personalities within the team. â₠¬ ¢Public relations representing the club at official functions and community activities. †¢ Studentcontinually seeking to upgrade knowledge of the game. Sports trainer – with a basic knowledge of injury prevention, care and management. †¢ Planner – annual integrated plan covering pre-season, competition, physical, technical, tactical, psychological, workload volumes and intensities etc. †¢ Motivator – including engendering players’ acceptance of own responsibility. †¢ Goal-setter – making sure that goals are achievable, challenging and measurable. †¢ Creating a successful learning environment – focusing on what you can control; recognising individual and group needs.MEASURING AND IMPROVING YOUR COACHING EFFECTIVENESS Australian Football is continually changing; rules change, techniques change, equipment is refined and coaching methods, including the application of sport sciences, evolve. Coaches must keep abreast of these changes and adapt their coaching accordingly. All coaches have to know if they are effective or ineffective, independent of the ability of the playing group. The following techniques can assist coaches in measuring and improving their coaching effectiveness. Coach self-reflectionUnless coaches can arrange for someone to observe and analyse them on a regular basis, the self-reflection method is the only method that can be used to confirm the effectiveness of their coaching. Self-reflection in coaching is a process where coaches compare their current practice against an ideal set of practices, using a systematic procedure to make comparisons between real and ideal. Video analysis Video analysis is another effective tool that assists in the self-reflection process because videotape provides permanent images that can help with in-depth analysis and evaluation.It can also help to identify areas in need of improvement and can also be used to plan for such improvement. Video self-an alysis is a six-step process: 1. Recording – videotape a coaching session. 2. Reflecting – review the tape to find a suitable segment, then analyse the segment against the ideal model. 3. Consulting – invite a mentor to ‘audit’ the analysis. 4. Planning – design a plan to improve. 5. Implementing – carry out the plan. 6. Follow-up recording – videotape a follow-up coaching session and check that the plan has worked. MentoringEffective coaches have often had the good fortune to have been coached by a very good coach. On becoming coaches themselves they may have imitated many of the coaching behaviours and methods used by their previous coaches. This process can be carried on into a coach’s current development through a mentor. A mentor is usually an experienced person who works individually with a less experienced coach. A good mentor is someone, chosen by a coach, whom the coach respects for their knowledge, attitudes and mentoring skills to assist them in their development.The mentor asks questions about the methods used and guides the coach toward a better understanding of his or her coaching. In selecting a mentor, a coach can reflect on who are the people in their field (not necessarily restricted to other coaches) they admire most, why they admire these people, and what are the admirable qualities they possesses. The answers to these questions will direct coaches to suitable mentors, with whom they can work formally or informally to develop their own unique skills and attributes.BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION It is sometimes just as difficult to modify coaching behaviour as it is to modify player behaviour. Coaches who are attempting to modify their own behaviour should try the following strategies: †¢ Identify the behaviour to be modified. †¢ Establish the characteristics of the new behaviour. †¢ Look at models of the new behaviour. †¢ Assess how important the change is – ho w will it affect the coach’s effectiveness? †¢ Obtain feedback about the behaviour. †¢ Reassess the effects of the change on all coaching tasks.

Friday, August 30, 2019

City and Village Life Essay

1. Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle. It is also referred to as one’s elder.. The age of 60 or 65, roughly equivalent to retirement ages in most developed countries, is said to be the beginning of old age. Â  Village life is better than- city essay 2. Old age homes are meant for old aged /senior citizens who are unable to stay with their families or are insolvent. Some old age homes also have residential medical facility performs multiple functions catering to the needs of the old age people’s. 3. There are 728 Old Age Homes in India today. Detailed information of 547 homes is available. Out of these, 325 homes are free of cost while 95 old age homes are on pay & stay basis, 116 homes have both free as well as pay & stay facilities and 11 homes have no information. Kerala has 124 old age homes which is maximum in any state. 4. For the elderly & senior people this is very important issue because we need utmost medical care & look after when we grow old whether we are in or anywhere in the world. There are many reasons for looking for old age homes such as migration or location of Peoples due to their work / lack of time in youngsters / neglect / family problems etc. 5. Those elderly who are abused by children, may feel the old age home is heaven. But later they feel they wish to go back home. Because no place can beat a home, however painful it is. A home means family, and family means belonging. Those who do not have any family, for them old age homes can be a blessing. But those who have family, for them being sent to old age home is like condemning them to death. 6. This Old age homes supply a number of needs they want as they get older. First among these is security, both financially, physically and medically, though not necessarily in that order. The elders are seeing old age homes as an alternative to care in the context of lack of family care. Among such elders, on the one hand we have elders from the upper class staying in paid homes enjoying all and active life.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Critical Response

Order and chaos take the shape of Nurse Ratchet and Randal McCarthy, rest fictively. The battle is really simply a tug of war, with control hanging in the balance. Before M zymurgy arrives to the ward, Big Nurse has total control. Broaden explains her control by call Eng her, essentially, a machine. He narrates, â€Å"practice has steadied and strengthened her unitI now she wields a sure power that extends in all directions on hairline wires too small for anybody odds eye but mine† (16). The use of machinery to explain her control shows how precise It It, ho w orderly. McCarthy, on the other hand, is chaotic. However, he too is striving for control by rest ;sting authority. Perhaps because of his history in the Korean War, McCarthy feels the nee d to rebel against authority. By rebelling against authority, he makes himself somewhat of an a authoritative Geiger amongst the patients In the hospital. Unlike Ratchet, McCarthy Is a figure of h pope and not of monotonous scheduling. This is most apparent when McCarthy takes on his o win form of therapy session by taking the men on a fishing trip. In doing so, he made people like George feel needed, and for Chief, â€Å"l smelt the air and felt the four cans of beer I'd drunk shortly g out dozens of control leads down inside me: all around, the chrome sides of the swells flickered a ND flashed in the sun† (209).Musher's tactics were much more therapeutic than anything Nor SE Ratchet did for these men, because McCarthy made them feel like men. The concept of gender and control also affects the relationship between McCarthy a ND Ratchet. Keyes, in a modernly sexist fashion, uses the male figure to represent auto rite. In the beginning of the novel, Broaden narrates how Ratchet would try to cover up her bread SST because they were an imperfection they symbolize femininity. When McCarthy comes out of the Critical Response Order and chaos take the shape of Nurse Ratchet and Randal McCarthy, rest fictively. The battle is really simply a tug of war, with control hanging in the balance. Before M zymurgy arrives to the ward, Big Nurse has total control. Broaden explains her control by call Eng her, essentially, a machine. He narrates, â€Å"practice has steadied and strengthened her unitI now she wields a sure power that extends in all directions on hairline wires too small for anybody odds eye but mine† (16). The use of machinery to explain her control shows how precise It It, ho w orderly. McCarthy, on the other hand, is chaotic. However, he too is striving for control by rest ;sting authority. Perhaps because of his history in the Korean War, McCarthy feels the nee d to rebel against authority. By rebelling against authority, he makes himself somewhat of an a authoritative Geiger amongst the patients In the hospital. Unlike Ratchet, McCarthy Is a figure of h pope and not of monotonous scheduling. This is most apparent when McCarthy takes on his o win form of therapy session by taking the men on a fishing trip. In doing so, he made people like George feel needed, and for Chief, â€Å"l smelt the air and felt the four cans of beer I'd drunk shortly g out dozens of control leads down inside me: all around, the chrome sides of the swells flickered a ND flashed in the sun† (209).Musher's tactics were much more therapeutic than anything Nor SE Ratchet did for these men, because McCarthy made them feel like men. The concept of gender and control also affects the relationship between McCarthy a ND Ratchet. Keyes, in a modernly sexist fashion, uses the male figure to represent auto rite. In the beginning of the novel, Broaden narrates how Ratchet would try to cover up her bread SST because they were an imperfection they symbolize femininity. When McCarthy comes out of the Critical Response Order and chaos take the shape of Nurse Ratchet and Randal McCarthy, rest fictively. The battle is really simply a tug of war, with control hanging in the balance. Before M zymurgy arrives to the ward, Big Nurse has total control. Broaden explains her control by call Eng her, essentially, a machine. He narrates, â€Å"practice has steadied and strengthened her unitI now she wields a sure power that extends in all directions on hairline wires too small for anybody odds eye but mine† (16). The use of machinery to explain her control shows how precise It It, ho w orderly. McCarthy, on the other hand, is chaotic. However, he too is striving for control by rest ;sting authority. Perhaps because of his history in the Korean War, McCarthy feels the nee d to rebel against authority. By rebelling against authority, he makes himself somewhat of an a authoritative Geiger amongst the patients In the hospital. Unlike Ratchet, McCarthy Is a figure of h pope and not of monotonous scheduling. This is most apparent when McCarthy takes on his o win form of therapy session by taking the men on a fishing trip. In doing so, he made people like George feel needed, and for Chief, â€Å"l smelt the air and felt the four cans of beer I'd drunk shortly g out dozens of control leads down inside me: all around, the chrome sides of the swells flickered a ND flashed in the sun† (209).Musher's tactics were much more therapeutic than anything Nor SE Ratchet did for these men, because McCarthy made them feel like men. The concept of gender and control also affects the relationship between McCarthy a ND Ratchet. Keyes, in a modernly sexist fashion, uses the male figure to represent auto rite. In the beginning of the novel, Broaden narrates how Ratchet would try to cover up her bread SST because they were an imperfection they symbolize femininity. When McCarthy comes out of the

Product Development and Packaging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Product Development and Packaging - Essay Example Some of the well-informed customers often figure out what improvements need to be made before other customers are aware. Some ideas are also arrived at by figuring what the products lack and rushing to bridge the gap. Sony is known for its innovative products. With Apple iPod being a tremendous success with a market share of 80% in the digital portable media player market and sold over 30 million iPod devices by 2005. A market research of about 20,000 iPod consumers was undertaken in order to receive a feedback. The sample was random and consisted of subjects surveyed in diverse geographical areas of the country. The target segment included current iPod users and future iPod purchasers as well as those who were planning to purchase a home theatre system or a high-level stereo system within the next year. The fact that emerged most often was that multiple numbers of speakers were utilized to project sound in the room, and this was slightly cumbersome and the positioning required some effort. The separate speakers like the Dolby Surround Sound 5.1 standard based speakers, required several wires to be installed and once the speakers were installed, their positions were fixed and hence the sound was confined to the one spot. Portability was an issue. The survey subjects welcomed the idea of a single integrated speaker doing the work of the multiple ones. Idea generation Brainstorming sessions were held to discuss the gap in the market for such a product. With the spark for an idea generated, the cross-functional team consisting of consisting of engineers, market researchers, financial analysts and advertising agencies met to discuss and develop the concept. The benefits of having a cross-functional team served to bring in expertise from all related departments. The diversity of the team members brought in different cultural viewpoints that added to decision making potential. It helped reduce inefficiencies because problems were addressed in the initial process itself, rather than addressing them afterwards, that might have proved costly at the end of the product development process. The idea generation sessions that were on going, specific and involved, resulted in several viable alternatives. These were carefully screened to see if they aligned closely to the goals and strategy of Sony they were compatible to the existing production and packaging lines could be marketed through the current distribution channels and promotional expenditure that would be required Concept Development and Testing Careful analysis of the concept design, product/packaging prototype, justification, feasibility, delivery model was undertaken. The need for an integrated speaker replacing several speakers capable of throwing sound to various areas in the room was an exciting product idea to pursue. The ability of a transportable speaker that would be versatile and more usable was a stimulating concept. The product would be Sony's new spherical speaker that can be placed in the middle of a room to project sound in all directions. This would be instead of the consumer having to buy many speakers to project the sound inwards. It

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Nursing Models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nursing Models - Essay Example Numbers of important nurse theorists such as Clara Weeks-Shaw, Isabel Hampton Robb, Imogene King, Hester Frederick, Myra Levine, Hildegard Peplau, Bertha Harmer, and Virginia Henderson contributed to the emerging discipline by describing various nursing models throughout the late 19th - late 20th centuries (Wesley, 1995). Each model of nursing has two elements: a method to assess individual needs of the patient and a method to implement the adequate type of care. These elements are used to a document known as a 'care plan' that is employed to identify the essential characteristics of a patient's treatment by doctors, nurses or/and health professionals. The process of treatment is measured and the quality of a patient's care is evaluated with appropriate changes being done to the care plan (Polit, & Hungler, 1995). In the 19th century, nurses were predominantly viewed as mere executors of the doctor's prescribed care. Such limited perception of the nurse's function resulted in emergence of a set of biomedical models of nursing that continue to strongly affect the modern nursing practices (Snyder, 2001). The key characteristic of the biomedical model is excessive attention to pathophysiology and altered homeostasis which did not allow advocates of this approach to properly identify individual differences between the patients. Consequently, although the biomedical model was effective for traditional medical and physical care, it failed repeatedly in cases which went beyond traditional frameworks: the focus on the treatment of disease prevented the nurses and doctors from making appropriate account of sociocultural, psychological, religious, or economic differences between the patients (Hawkins, 1987). The development of constructivist, functionalist, and interpretive epistemologies over the second half of the last century led many to revise the traditional biomedical models. As a result, the social model of nursing and healthcare that emerged in the 20th century highlighted the social aspects of treatment and nursing. While the biomedical model basically viewed all patients suffering from the same illness or disease as the same population, the social model emphasized the individual difference in religious, cultural, ethnic background of the patients (Wesley, 1995). The holistic principles promoted by the social models perfectly complement for the drawbacks of the biomedical models. The modern models of nursing aim to find the most effective combination of the biomedical and social models. Dorothy Johnson's Behavioural System Model "focuses on a behavioural system (the patient), its subsystems, and its environment" (Polit, & Hungler, 1995: 102). Johnson views the patient's behaviours are the primary objects of nursing analysis claiming the human being has seven behavioural subsystems: attachment, dependency, ingestive, eliminative, sexual, aggressive, and achievement. Each of these subsystems arises from a drive related to a desired goal, a set of likely responses specific to the individual, a group of choices as to effective responses, and the observable outcomes known as behaviour (Johnson, 1990). Some claim that nursing diagnoses in the Behavioural System Model may deal with insufficiency, discrepancy, incompatibility, or dominance Another well-known model of nursing

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Should Nuclear Power Be Revived in California and the United States Research Paper - 1

Should Nuclear Power Be Revived in California and the United States - Research Paper Example On attaining a wealth of information from the US senate, senator Domenici indicated that human development is the creation of a surrounding where individuals can establish their maximum potential, as humans are considered the real wealth of the world; indeed, human development supersedes economic growth. The fact remains that we need energy to not only drive our industries, but also support our current trends of living. Lack of electricity has been identified as one of the perpetrators of poverty. In 1999, the United States was noted to consume approximately 25 percent of the world’s energy. Nevertheless, high consumption of electricity indicates the ever-changing lifestyle in United States’ growing population. Nuclear power generation as a way of diversifying the sources of electricity generation can not only free up fossil fuel, but also ensure the uses have no other substitutes. The result of use of nuclear power is a cleaner environment, creation of more job opportu nities and maximum use of available raw material. According to Sir Ingham, based on rational discourse, nuclear power should be viewed based as the foundation of man’s sustainable power that has no offence to the surrounding environment (Domenici, Lyons and Steyn, 2004, p. 182, 183 & 184). Increase in population brings about high demand of energy. This high demand of energy hence forces the country to import energy, which could lead to political instability and lack of cost control. According to Domenici, Lyons and Steyn (2004), reliance of imported energy has been predicted to rise from 50 percent to 70 percent in the decades to come within the European countries. Heavy reliance of imported energy may have negative global impact and hence United States should have an equilibrium energy policy that incorporates healthy reliance on nuclear power in order to suppress the ever-increasing competition of fossil fuel supply in the decades to come.  Increase in population brings a bout high demand of energy. This high demand of energy hence forces the country to import energy, which could lead to political instability and lack of cost control.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Others Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Others - Assignment Example The retail establishment will offer a variety of coffee products using high quality coffee beans. The products will be differentiated to meet different customer needs. The bakery will provide fresh pastry and bakery products. The company will prepare six batches of pastry and bakery products to ensure fresh products are available at all times of business hours. The retail coffee industry in Canada is growing rapidly. The climatic conditions of Ontario encourage the consumption of hot beverages. Westside Bakery and Java will concentrate its marketing and business on locals, who will be the dominant market. This strategic move will benefit the company by establishing a consistent and healthy revenue base, which will ensure the business is stable. Strategic location of the company, high quality products, and excellent service delivery will be crucial in achieving the company’s targets. Westside Bakery and Java expects to borrow $50,000 and raise $150,000 own capital. The company expects annual sales worth $400,000 in the first year, $600,000 in the second year, and $700,000 in the third year. Westside Bakery and Java will break even by the sixth month of operation. The company anticipates profits of $10,000 in the first year, $30,000 by the second year, and $50,000 by the third year. Westside Bakery and Java does not anticipate any cash flow

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Home Burglaries and Forensic Evidence Term Paper

Home Burglaries and Forensic Evidence - Term Paper Example Property crimes make up slightly over 75% of all crimes committed in the United States of America and burglaries constitute approximately 25% of those figures. The average loss of a home burglary is about $ 1,725 and 70% of all burglaries were committed in homes. A curious and perhaps interesting fact is that most burglaries occurred during the daytime, at between 6 am and 6 pm, which is contrary to common belief that burglaries happen at night. Most burglars (34%) entered through the front door (12% of burglaries are due to unlocked doors) because people are careless, too trusting or plainly not security conscious. In the U.S., a burglary happens every 15 seconds and burglars spend on average just 8-12 minutes inside the burgled home (FBI, n.d., p. 1). These crime statistics are certainly very alarming and the next logical question to ask is what is being done about it by the concerned authorities?Burglaries are crimes against property and may merit a lower focus of attention from l aw enforcement authorities who are sometimes stretched to the limit due to constraints to the resources available to them. Nevertheless, most residential burglaries went unsolved with low solution and conviction rates. The figures show only 8.2% of reported cases had resulted in arrests and a dismally 3.2% of referred cases producing a conviction (Baskin and Sommers, 2011, p. 70). These low figures should be a big reason for concern because it affords criminal persons the opportunity to become repeat offenders.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Kathleen Stewart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kathleen Stewart - Essay Example There seems to be a parallel between what Mooer's (2003) representation of the 'visible" and the "invisible" of which the wealthy lives apart and seem not to notice those who do not belong to their social and material circle. As Mooer (2003) put it. "Visibility and invisibility is ultimately determined by where one stands in a chain of social relations linking the sphere of production and the public sphere. In the bourgeois public sphere, those who do not conform to the "unmarked" identity of the bourgeois male enter the public sphere at the cost of shedding their concrete, embodied identities." The behaviours of this group definitely mirror our present society, where status is dependent on one's income and where there is a never-ending want to get whichever a person with more has. People have the innate concern and yearning for "equality" with those who are beyond their class, their reach, and their "circle." One example for this is the overwhelming desire for leaders to have their own supplies of crude oil, so that they aspire to own or control islands, occupy countries, and wage war in order to own or control the natural source of crude oil. Yes, it seems to me that the rhythm of dreams a

Friday, August 23, 2019

How Does the Low Cost Carrier Flydubai Manage to Increase It's Market Research Paper

How Does the Low Cost Carrier Flydubai Manage to Increase It's Market Share in the Aviation Industry in the Middle East Region - Research Paper Example The paper tells that the Dubai based Flydubai Airline is one of the LCCs that has succeeded in carving a considerable market niche for itself. The airline launched its operations in 2009 and has since spread its services to different parts of Asia, Europe, and Africa. One aspect that has made the airline successful is innovation on unique strengths and not in competing with larger airlines for above customer segments. The principle behind LCC is to offer services to routes that are considered less lucrative for larger airlines to operate. In order to understand the operations of Flydubai, it is necessary to investigate how the company operates and how it has spread its routes in determining its strategies and its competitive advantage. In addition, the report will investigate the strategies that the airline has put in place since its launch, and how these have contributed to the growth and expansion of the airline. This will indicate how the airline stands in comparison with other la rge airlines such as Emirates and regional LCCs in the Middle East. The report will show that strategic management and innovations are the most important factors that explain the rapid growth of Flydubai in the short time since its launch. Flydubai is a low-cost airline with its operations based at Dubai International Airport. The company was founded on 19 March 2008 but did not commence its operations until 1st June 2009. The airline offers its services in various destinations within the Middle East region, Europe, Africa and other Asian countries. The company has a good fleet of Boeing 737NGs, at its disposal, which is part of the latest lines of airplanes that have facilitated the company to compete effectively in the market. Flydubai was founded by Ahmed bin Saeed, the then Emirates chairman as a special brand of Emirates to offer the low-cost option to tourists and business operators within the region. Though the airline operates as an independent airline and even competes with Emirates, they offer some services in cooperation with Emirates, which include facilitating passenger connectivity in relation to dual boarding in the issuance of passes and baggage on the specific destination. Immediately after its launch, Flydubai remained in the black for about two years without reporting any figures. However, in February 2013, the company surprised many by reporting they had made a net profit of $ 41 million in 2012, with $756 million dollars in revenue. The rapid growth over its two years of operations opened another chapter in Dubai that proved the need to have more LCC in the rapidly expanding Dubai market.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Sociological Definition of Religion Concerning Aborigines Essay Example for Free

Sociological Definition of Religion Concerning Aborigines Essay In my opinion, I find the sociological definition of religion to be my favorite and most helpful. Clifford Geertz explains his definition very clearly, saying that religion is a system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, persuasive and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic. What I believe he means is that instead of looking at theories and things of that nature about how religion started, we should look at concepts beyond religion itself. I found that the Australian Aborigines follow closely along this same definition of religion. To the Aborigines, the world has always existed, meaning everything was always here; they had no creation myths. They had believed the ultimate supreme was associated with the sky and was the source for all power in the universe, but said it was not the focus of worship. Instead, religious practices focused upon a number of spirits who supposedly slept within the earth and transformed it every now and then. The earthly spirits were capable of taking the same form of either human or animal; they were considered â€Å"totemic ancestors†. This all relates to the sociological definition of religion because the Aborigines formed conceptions about the spirits, which gives an order for existence; it all seems very realistic to them. Anthropologists studied deeply into these Australian Aborigines. They looked into a primordial era that was a part of an Aborigine myth. They found that this era referred to a period in time when the first ancestors shaped the world and established traditions that their descendants must follow. The actions of the ancestors were thought to be imprinted on the land, possibly in significant physical landscapes, in unusual water holes, or in the main characteristics of animals and plants. This â€Å"era† was said to be the foundation of Aboriginal thought and religious practice and its power was ongoing. This all relates to Geertz’ definition of religion once again, because during the era, the ancestors set up lasting moods and motivations for the Aborigine people. The Aborigine people’s ritual practices concentrated on reenacting the events that took place during the primordial era. Song, dance, and body sand paintings were used to gain access to the era and teach everyone in the community about it. Male and female had different powers, as well as different types of work, during these certain rituals. These rituals relate to Geertz because the native Aborigine people are continuing the traditions and are passing down the tales about the spirits. They’re giving the conception of existence an order of factuality. In conclusion, what I can tell personally, the Australian Aborigines followed right along the same path of religion as Geertz would describe; I’m sure he’d be very fond of it all. With everything that they do, it all falls back on the sociological definition of religion. The rituals, the era, the beginnings, all follow along the same guidelines as Clifford Geertz.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Rise and Fall of bin Laden, or a Dissent into Cyber-terrorism Essay Example for Free

The Rise and Fall of bin Laden, or a Dissent into Cyber-terrorism Essay Osama bin Muhammad bin ‘Awad bin Laden, best known as Osama bin Laden in the west, is a militant Islamist and the reported founder of the terrorist organization known as al-Qaeda. He stepped on to the global arena in 2001 with his broadcasts on Al Jazeera in direct relation to the September 11th attacks. Since then his faction has had a downfall through the western war on terror, but it is widely believed that this is only a ploy, and that al-Qaeda, along with many other radical Muslim groups are planning to continue their reign of terror on the net. The media has deemed the term for this cyberterrorism, and it is the current threat Osama is expected to pose, but some argue that this is merely western propaganda. Bin Laden has been described as a tall and thin man by the FBI. He is said to be between 6’4’’ and 6’6’’ (193-198cm) in height and weighing about 165 pounds. Left-handed with an olive complexion, he usually walks with a cane, and wears a white turban. He is considered to have a mild mannered temperament and to be very soft spoken. He is thought to only be able to speak Arabic. Never the less, he is believed to be the leader and founder of one of the most heinously acting terrorist groups, known as Al Qaeda Osama was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Al Jazeera referenced his birthday as being March 10, 1957. Osama is a member of the prestigious bin Laden family. His father Muhammed Awd bin Laden had known ties to the Saudi royal family, as well as a prominent business. His father, poor and uneducated before World War I, he immigrated from Hadhramaut to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was here, where he began to work as a porter. In 1930, Muhammed started his own business; he built his fortune as a building contractor for the Saudi royal family during the 1950’s. It is estimated that Muhammed bin Laden has as many as 55 sons, of which Osama is assumed to be his seventeenth son, but the only from his tenth wife. This led to an upbringing that kept him unfamiliar with his father. Bin Laden attended the secular Al-Thager Model secondary school from 1968 to 1976 where he was raised as a devout Sunni Muslim. The largest denomination of Islam, Sunni Muslims are also refered to as Ahlus Sunnah wal-Jamaa’h which basically means people of the example, or of Muhammad. As a result of King Faisal welcoming exiled teachers from Syria, Egypt and Jordan to Saudi Arabia in the 60’s, it was not too uncommon for members of the Muslim Brotherhood to be found teaching at Saudi schools and universities. During this time, Osama is believed to have been influenced by many of the teachings promoted by these exiles. It is also thought that Osama might have studied economics and business administration at King Abdulaziz University, and that he might have earned a degree in civil engineering in 1979. He is also said to never have graduated from college. Whatever his collegiate experience entails, it is now known that he spent the last 30 years since his college days contributing to the growth of the Muslim Brotherhood known as al-Qaeda, which performed its first military act in 1994. The Talibans first large military operation took place in October 1994 when it seized the Pasha munitions depot and the town of Spin Boldak on the Pakistani border, held at the time by Hizb-i Islami commanders. The capture of the arms dump provided them with an enormous quantity of military materiel, including rockets, ammunition, artillery, and small arms. Green, 2002) These attacks were the beginning of Osama’s reign. Later he would lead al-Qaeda to what they would deem to be the greatest statement of their western disapproval. Osama grew notorious through Al Jazeera, which gained its fame following the September 11th attacks, when the network broadcasted video statements by Osama bin Laden and other members of al-Qaeda. Al Jazeera, which in Arabic means The Island is a television network headquarters located in Doha, Qatar. The networks satellite capabilities enabled it to change the social landscape of the Middle East. Prior to its emergence, Middle Eastern citizens were only able to watch TV channels of stat-censored national stations. Al Jazeera introduced an unprecedented level of freedom of speech for most countries. On September 11th, 2001 Al Jazeera gained worldwide recognition with its broadcasts of al-Qaeda. Osama bin Laden gained an unprecedented level of global familiarity as well. The western fear of terrorism can entirely be credited as a product of his hate, which has complicated the western perception of rightful civil liberty. In her article Al Qaeda, Terrorism, and Military Comissions, Ruth Wedgwood proves that though most American citizens consider terrorism to be a federal and national problem, it is very much a local one. Al Qaeda’s published doctrine maintains that there are no innocent civilians in Western society (Wedgwood, 2002)†¦ She later goes on to analyze the psychological foundation they use to form their tenet and she says †¦this tenet leads it to the gravest of international crime (Wedgwood, 2002). Despite the fear bin Laden has been able to instill in the American people, there are many rumors that his financial backing is not as strong as it was in 2001. This could be the mark of his downfall, or just a shift in the types of terrorist acts al-Qaeda performs. The attacks on 9/11 and the ideology of the Taliban adhere to the power inherent in fear, and exploiting fear is not always a costly venture. The twin towers, the White House and the Pentagon are all symbols of American security and their presence provides a certain level of comfort for our society. Though security officials are trained to counter attacks on our civilization, there was a false faith formed over time that attacks such as 9/11 were inconceivable, nor possible to carryout. Now our country has grown impervious to this type of thought. Western civilization has waged war on the Jihad; securities are enhanced, and we are less likely to be vulnerable to the same form of attacks. Even still, western as well as eastern societies still have a major vulnerability that can exploited through the internet. In his Washington Post article Consultant Hacks FBI’s Computer System Martin H. Bosworth reports on an outside consultant hired by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) who breached the agency’s computer network and gained access to over 38,000 employee’s passwords. The hacker, known as Joseph Colon claimed he used run-of-the-mill hacker techniques that can be easily found on the internet. He gained access to such information as the Witness Protection Program, but can this be defined as terrorism? The United States Department of State defines terrorism as premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by sub national groups or clandestine agents (Gordon, 2003). This interpretation of terrorism becomes a very vague one when the internet is merged with this definition. The product of the two is cyberterrorism, but their have been a wide range of definitions posed since the terms advent in the 1980’s by Barry Collins (Gordon, 2003). Dorothy Denning is a computer science professor at Georgetown University, and one of the country’s foremost respected cyber-security experts. Her views are referred to numerous times in more than a few articles reviewed in this paper. In Denning’s Testimony before the Special Oversight Panel on Terrorism, the most widely cited paper on Cyberterrorism, she defines the term as an act carried out on the internet with the intention to do major, or significant damage to society, the likes of which would impede the process of a community’s civil liberty (Denning, 2000). Denning’s definition is very clarifying because it identifies the difference between a cyberterrorist and a hacker. Where a cyberterrorist acts with the intent of severely impacting the economy or civil morale of the country, a hacker merely causes nonessential or at the most costly damage. For every publication produced that argues cyber-terrorism is a major threat, there is another arguing that it is a hoax. Many of these authors who hold this position argue it is a form of presidential propaganda. In his article, Cyberterrorism: There are many ways terrorists can kill you—computers aren’t one of them, Joshua Green argues that the Bush administration’s infatuation with preaching the dangers of cyberterrorism is one that has become a pattern since September 11th. None are more exemplary of exploiting the public’s misunderstanding of the term, along with their fears, than Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, which Green proves with this quote by Ridge: Terrorists can sit at one computer connected to one network and can create worldwide havoc, warned Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge in a representative observation last April. [They] dont necessarily need a bomb or explosives to cripple a sector of the economy, or shut down a power grid. (Green, 2002) Green further points out that Ridge’s propaganda is not without merit considering that a survey of 725 cities conducted by the National League of Cities for the Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks s howed that cyberterrorism ranked with biological and chemical weapons at the top of a list made by officials of the single most feared threats (2002). Despite this, it must be remembered that Green’s article was published in The Washington Monthly a little more than a year after the 9/11 attacks. At this particular point information was scarce and Bush’s scare tactics were still at the height of their influence; and yet, Green has enough sense to question the motives behind those who use cyberterrorism as a way to instill fear in the fear in the American public. Green points out that the federal government requested $4. 5 billion in cyber investigative security; Bush appointed Richard Clarke to his created position of cybersecurity czar assigning him an office in the White House, and The Washington Post developed a habit of publishing first page headlines like: Cyber-Attacks by Al Qaeda Feared, Terrorists at Threshold of Using Internet as Tool of Bloodshed, Experts Say (Green, 2002). Green recognizes that all of these actions would be reasonable responses to an actual looming threat, but they fail to muster any sort of rationale considering that, as he states, there is no such thing as cyberterrorismno instance of anyone ever having been killed by a terrorist (or anyone else) using a computer (2002). In sum, despite the lack of proof of the potential threat which cyber terrorism poses. It is agreed by most political and military analysts that al-Qaeda’s next step is in the cyber arena. Never the less, this could also be deemed as a sign of bin Laden’s downfall. There are many rumors that al-Qeada lacks the same sufficient funding they had in 2001, that Osama has grown broke, and that the Jihad will eventually be a distant memory. If this is true, the internet would make for a more affordable method of terrorist attacks. These arguments will potentially prove foolish if bin Laden finds a way to continue his terror through the web. The potential for more tragedy is at the finger tips of al-Qeada literally and figuratively.

Study And Analysis Of Computer Memory Computer Science Essay

Study And Analysis Of Computer Memory Computer Science Essay Introduction Computer memories are representing to binary code, for example 0 and 1. Besides that, it reflects an important and significant technical difference between memory and mass storage devices, which has been diluted by the historical use of the term primary storage for Random Access Memory (RAM), and secondary storage mass storage device. There have two types of memory in Computer memory. It is volatile memory and non-volatile memory. Volatile memory is type of memory that can retain information stored even when not receiving power. Examples of non-volatile memories are ROM, the flash memory and most of the mass magnetic storage (Hard disks, floppy disks, and etc.), optical disks (CDs, DVDs, and etc.), among others. The non-volatile memory tasks are generally used in secondary storage. Instead the primary storage memories are volatile as RAM, which means they lose the information when not powered by electricity. Non-volatile memory generally tends to cost more or have worse performances than volatile memory. There are companies working on developing non-volatile memory systems that are comparable in speed and capacity to the volatile RAM. For example, IBM is working on MRAM (Magnetic RAM). The non-volatile data storage can be categorized in to two: electronic routing system and mechanical steering system (hard drives, optical disks, and etc.)., for example, when the computer is shut down, the data stored in them is lost. Volatile memory can be found in computer RAM. Information and instructions loaded into RAM is lost when the computer is shut down and turned back on. Non-volatile memory is the data stored on them is not lost even when power is cut off. For example hard disks, data written is permanent. DRAM (Volatile Memory) Dynamic Random Access Memory, DRAM memory is a type of dynamic random access that is used primarily in the modules of RAM memory and other devices, such as main memory in the system is called dynamic. Since to maintain data storage is required to revise it and reload it, every certain period a refresh cycle. Its main advantage is the ability to build memory with a high density of positions and still operate at high speed, It is now manufactured integrated with millions of positions and access speeds measured in millions of bits per second. It is a volatile memory, for example when no power, memory stores information. Invented in the late sixties, is one of the memory used today. The memory cell is the basic unit of any memory capable of storing a bit in digital systems. The construction of the cell defines the operation of it, in the case of modern DRAM consists of a transistor field effect and a capacitor. The transistor acts as a switch that connects and disconnects the capacitor. This mechanism can be implemented with discrete devices and in fact many previous reports to the era of semiconductors, arrangements were based on transistor capacitor cells. SRAM (Volatile Memory) Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Static random access memory is a type of semiconductor memory based on memory unlike DRAM, is capable of maintaining the data circuit without soda. However, they are volatile memories, which means will lose the information if they cut off the power of computer. An SRAM cell has three different states it can be in standby where the circuit is idle, reading when the data has been requested and writing updating the contents. The SRAM to operate in read mode and write mode should have readeability and write stability respectively. SRAM is more expensive, but faster and significantly less power hungry than DRAM. It is therefore used where either bandwidth or low power, or both, are principal considerations. SDRAM is also easier to control and generally more truly random access than modem types of DRAM. Due to more complex internal structure, SRAM is less dense than DRAM and is therefore not used for high capacity, low cost application such as the main m emory in personal computer. The power consumption of SRAM varies depending on the frequencies with which you access the same, can have a smililar consumption of DRAM when used in high frequency, and some ICs and consume several watts during operation. In addition, the SRAM used with low frequency have a very low consumption of the order of micro watts. ROM (Non-volatile Memory) The read-only memory, also known as ROM is a storage medium used in computers and electronic devices, which allows only reading of information and not your writing, regardless of the presence or not a source of energy. Data stored in ROM can not be changed, or at least not quickly or easily. It is mainly used to contain the firmware or other content vital to the functioning of the device, such as programs that start up the computer and perform diagnostics. The simplest type of ROM in the solid state is as old as technology itself semiconductor. The logic gates, combinational set can be used to index a memory address of n bits in the values of m bits in size. Since the ROM can not be changed, it is only appropriate for storing data that need not be modified during the life of this device. To this end, ROM has been used in many computers to store lookup tables are used for the evaluation of mathematical functions and logical. This was especially efficient when the CPU was slow and ROM was cheap compared to RAM. In fact, one reason people are still using ROM it is because of speed and disallowed read a program that is required to run a disk from the disk itself. Therefore, the BIOS or the system fit the PC boot normally can be found in ROM. Although the relative ration the speeds of the memory RAM and ROM has varied over time, since 2007 the RAM is faster to read than most of the ROM, which is why the ROM content is typically normally pass memory to RAM where it is read as it is used. For the types of ROM that can be modified electrically, the write speed is always much slower than reading speed, and may require exceptionally high voltage, moving jumpers to enable the write mode, and unock special commands. NAND flash memory achieve the highest rate of literacy among all types of reprogrammable ROM, writing large blocks of memory cells simultaneously and reaching 15MB per seconds. Flash Memory (Non Volatile Memory) Flash memory is a non volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and rewritable, that is to say a memory having the characteristics of a memory but the data does not disappear during a shutdown. Thus, the flash memory stores bits of data in memory cells, but the data are stored in memory when power is off. Flash memory is go with very high speed, its lifetime and low power consumption make it very useful for many devices such as digital cameras, cell phones, printers, personal digital assistants, laptops or reading devices and sound recording such as MP3, MP4, and usb flash drives. In additional, this type of memory does not have mechanical parts, which gives it great resistance to shocks. Flash memory provided by electrical impulses, allowing much higher speed operation compared to the primal EEPROM technology, which allowed only act on a single memory cell in each programming operation. There have two types of flash memory which are NOR type flash memory and NAN D flash memory. In type flash memory NOR, is depending on whether the cell is 1 or 0, the electric field of the cell exists or not. So when the cell is read by placing a specific voltage on CG, the electric current flows or not depending on the voltage stored in the cell. NAND flash memory based on logic gates NAND work slightly differently, using tunnel injection for writing and erasing a tunnel of loose. The NAND based memory are also the obvious base in other types of doors a much lower cost about ten times more resistant to the operations but only allow sequential access compared to flash memory based on NOR allowing random access reading. Conclusion As we have seen, the advent of computers electronics is fairly recent, and has had a rapid advance. So much so that today the competition between companies producing computers to rise to the emergence of new models with very short periods of time, which are sometimes of months. Causing an increase in: the speeds of the processors , storage capacity, transfer speed buses, and so on. The above-mentioned to require manufacturers of memory, constant update them, again and again excelling in speed and storage capacity. Currently the market is taking place again, because they have appeared very fast processors, which work at speeds of more than 1 GHz.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Purpose of Mother Night :: Mother Night Essays

The   Purpose of   Mother Night      Ã‚  Ã‚   Over   the years,   such world-renowned   authors as   Mark Twain and   J. D. Salinger have   shown readers how literature reflects the era in which   it is written. Another author who has  Ã‚   also   made  Ã‚   significant   contributions  Ã‚   to   American literature   is   Kurt   Vonnegut,   author   of   such well-known novels as Slaughterhouse 5 and Cat's Cradle.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Vonnegut was born on November 11, 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana   ("Kurt Vonnegut,   Jr."). Vonnegut   attended Cornell University in 1940 where he   wrote for the Cornell Daily Sun ("Chronology"). In   1943, Vonnegut joined   the United States Infantry. He fought   in World War II for   the 106th Infantry Division until 1945 when he   was captured by the Germans and shipped to a   work camp in Dresden. It was   here in the city of   Dresden   where   Vonnegut   witnessed the American/British firebombing   that  Ã‚   killed   an   estimated  Ã‚   135,000   people. "[Vonnegut] tried for   many years to put into   words what he had   experienced during   that horrific   event...It took   him more  Ã‚  Ã‚   than  Ã‚  Ã‚   twenty  Ã‚  Ã‚   years,  Ã‚  Ã‚   however,  Ã‚  Ã‚   to  Ã‚   produce Slaughterhouse Five" ("Vonnegut in WWII").      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Slaughterhouse Five is Vonnegut's   most famous work. In this book, Vonnegut fictionally   recreates his experience in Dresden. However this book   wasn't published until 1969, and he had published several works   before this. His first book, Player Piano,   was published in 1952;   and his third, Mother Night,   was published   in 1961   ("Chronology"). Even   though Slaughterhouse Five   was Vonnegut's only   novel to re-create his experience   in Dresden, a   strong anti-war theme   can be found in his   earlier literature as well. A   fine example of one of his works that fits this description is Mother Night. The novel takes place in an   open jail in Old Jerusalem. The protagonist introduces himself by saying, "My name is Howard W.   Campbell, Jr.   I am   an   American   by birth,   a Nazi   by reputation, and a nationless person by inclination, The year in   which I   write this   book [is]   1961" (Vo nnegut   17). In first-person  Ã‚   narration   Campbell  Ã‚   accounts   stories   from before, during and post World War II. The reader learns that Campbell lived in Germany   before the war entertaining Nazis as a playwright.   He and his wife Helga   had no intention of leaving Germany once war became a threat. Campbell tells the reader that in 1938 he   was recruited as an American special agent who was to pose as a Nazi propagandist during the war. The   reader   learns   that   this   is   the   reason Campbell is currently behind   bars in; he is   to be tried by   Israel for severe war crimes of spreading propaganda. The Purpose of Mother Night :: Mother Night Essays The   Purpose of   Mother Night      Ã‚  Ã‚   Over   the years,   such world-renowned   authors as   Mark Twain and   J. D. Salinger have   shown readers how literature reflects the era in which   it is written. Another author who has  Ã‚   also   made  Ã‚   significant   contributions  Ã‚   to   American literature   is   Kurt   Vonnegut,   author   of   such well-known novels as Slaughterhouse 5 and Cat's Cradle.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Vonnegut was born on November 11, 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana   ("Kurt Vonnegut,   Jr."). Vonnegut   attended Cornell University in 1940 where he   wrote for the Cornell Daily Sun ("Chronology"). In   1943, Vonnegut joined   the United States Infantry. He fought   in World War II for   the 106th Infantry Division until 1945 when he   was captured by the Germans and shipped to a   work camp in Dresden. It was   here in the city of   Dresden   where   Vonnegut   witnessed the American/British firebombing   that  Ã‚   killed   an   estimated  Ã‚   135,000   people. "[Vonnegut] tried for   many years to put into   words what he had   experienced during   that horrific   event...It took   him more  Ã‚  Ã‚   than  Ã‚  Ã‚   twenty  Ã‚  Ã‚   years,  Ã‚  Ã‚   however,  Ã‚  Ã‚   to  Ã‚   produce Slaughterhouse Five" ("Vonnegut in WWII").      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Slaughterhouse Five is Vonnegut's   most famous work. In this book, Vonnegut fictionally   recreates his experience in Dresden. However this book   wasn't published until 1969, and he had published several works   before this. His first book, Player Piano,   was published in 1952;   and his third, Mother Night,   was published   in 1961   ("Chronology"). Even   though Slaughterhouse Five   was Vonnegut's only   novel to re-create his experience   in Dresden, a   strong anti-war theme   can be found in his   earlier literature as well. A   fine example of one of his works that fits this description is Mother Night. The novel takes place in an   open jail in Old Jerusalem. The protagonist introduces himself by saying, "My name is Howard W.   Campbell, Jr.   I am   an   American   by birth,   a Nazi   by reputation, and a nationless person by inclination, The year in   which I   write this   book [is]   1961" (Vo nnegut   17). In first-person  Ã‚   narration   Campbell  Ã‚   accounts   stories   from before, during and post World War II. The reader learns that Campbell lived in Germany   before the war entertaining Nazis as a playwright.   He and his wife Helga   had no intention of leaving Germany once war became a threat. Campbell tells the reader that in 1938 he   was recruited as an American special agent who was to pose as a Nazi propagandist during the war. The   reader   learns   that   this   is   the   reason Campbell is currently behind   bars in; he is   to be tried by   Israel for severe war crimes of spreading propaganda.

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Giver :: essays research papers

He was a peaceful looking man, with a large round belly and rosy red cheeks. Jonas couldn’t help but smile as he stared at the gentle looking figure. The man looked down at the freezing pair. He noticed Jonas’ trembling blue lips and the tiny shaking bundle of blanket that was Gabriel. The man immediately invited Jonas into his home and screamed for his wife to grab blankets and hot chocolate. Jonas sat shyly bundled in blankets as all of the strangers around him whispered to each other about him and Gabe. After a few awkward minutes the man who answered the door appeared with a steaming cup of â€Å"hot chocolate†. The man placed the mug in Jonas’s hands and told him to drink it, and that it would warm him up. Jonas peered over the edge of the goblet at the steaming hot brown liquid. Jonas had never heard of hot chocolate nor tasted it, but was delighted to have something to drink after his lengthy journey. He put the cup up to his mouth and took an enormous gulp. The children in the room giggled as he ferociously clawed at his tongue to try to get rid of the burning feeling. A woman in the room stood and walked over to Jonas and blew gently across the top of the cup. Jonas took another sip, but was more careful to take small amounts this time. He felt the drink flowing through his veins muscles. Jonas let the hot chocolate cool a little and then gave s ome to Gabriel also. Gabriel was now asleep in Jonas’ arms. The owners of the house left Jonas and Gabe alone to warm up, but now Jonas was warm, and curious. He found the adults in the kitchen because the children had been put to bed hours ago. After a complete interrogation by Jonas to the adults, he learned the man who opened the door was named Paul. His wife, the woman who blew on Jonas’ hot chocolate, was named Isabel. The other people who were in the home earlier were simply friends and relatives of Paul and Isabel. Jonas also learned of the name of the town he was now in, it was called Columbus, after an ancient explorer who existed over two-thousand years ago. After Jonas was done asking questions he started telling his story, of how he got there, why he had Gabriel with him, who The

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Mary J. Blige †The Magic of Share My World :: Music

Mary J. Blige – The Magic of Share My World Every explorer names his island Formosa, beautiful. To him it is beautiful because, being first, he has access to it and can see it for what it is. But to no one else is it ever as beautiful- except the rare man who manages to recover it, who knows that it has to be recovered.   -Walker Percy, The Loss of the Creature An island. Hmmm, my island. My island on which I will do nothing but sit and admire the beauty and serenity of nature at work around me. A catch. One disc. One piece of music so wonderful, so captivating, that I will listen to it for hours upon end. My disc will signify life- and love. It will be a window to the complex world of who I am. To me it will represent who, and what, I have left behind: the things which I value and care deeply about. In my life, that it is love. Above all else, love is what makes my world go 'round. Joy, anticipation, excitement, longing, sadness, and pain: I want to be able to experience these essential feelings until the day I die. Hardships and bliss alike. It sounds impossible, I know. But there is a disc. There is an artist who captures all of this and a little more in her music. Should I be left on a desert island, Mary J. Blige and her album Share My World are what I would choose to take with me. Stand on my shoulders for a little while. See Mary J. through my untrained, childish eyes. Let her be discovered by you, vicariously through me. I was probably only twelve years old when it started, a time when bike riding and rolling your jeans were the "cool" thing to do. I was at an impressionable age, and I was trying to grow up. I wanted to be just like all the high school girls who went racing through my neighborhood in their sporty little cars, music blaring from the windows. On that particular afternoon, I was sitting in the grass next to my mailbox waiting for my friend in the next neighborhood to ride over. I heard the bass first. I didn't see anything yet- but I heard, far off, a distinct beat. I liked it already. As the noise got closer, I realized it was a song. Mary J. Blige – The Magic of Share My World :: Music Mary J. Blige – The Magic of Share My World Every explorer names his island Formosa, beautiful. To him it is beautiful because, being first, he has access to it and can see it for what it is. But to no one else is it ever as beautiful- except the rare man who manages to recover it, who knows that it has to be recovered.   -Walker Percy, The Loss of the Creature An island. Hmmm, my island. My island on which I will do nothing but sit and admire the beauty and serenity of nature at work around me. A catch. One disc. One piece of music so wonderful, so captivating, that I will listen to it for hours upon end. My disc will signify life- and love. It will be a window to the complex world of who I am. To me it will represent who, and what, I have left behind: the things which I value and care deeply about. In my life, that it is love. Above all else, love is what makes my world go 'round. Joy, anticipation, excitement, longing, sadness, and pain: I want to be able to experience these essential feelings until the day I die. Hardships and bliss alike. It sounds impossible, I know. But there is a disc. There is an artist who captures all of this and a little more in her music. Should I be left on a desert island, Mary J. Blige and her album Share My World are what I would choose to take with me. Stand on my shoulders for a little while. See Mary J. through my untrained, childish eyes. Let her be discovered by you, vicariously through me. I was probably only twelve years old when it started, a time when bike riding and rolling your jeans were the "cool" thing to do. I was at an impressionable age, and I was trying to grow up. I wanted to be just like all the high school girls who went racing through my neighborhood in their sporty little cars, music blaring from the windows. On that particular afternoon, I was sitting in the grass next to my mailbox waiting for my friend in the next neighborhood to ride over. I heard the bass first. I didn't see anything yet- but I heard, far off, a distinct beat. I liked it already. As the noise got closer, I realized it was a song.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Descriptive VS. Narrative, You Decide Essay

Many think that narrative and descriptive styles of writing are one in the same, but they are not. Although they complement each other for a complete story; you can successfully write using one style without the other. The authors Connell, C.M. & Sole, K. define narrative writing as, â€Å"Narration is storytelling from the perspective of a narrator, and the story may be true, false, imaginary, or a combination.† (2013, chapter 6.3). When you tell a story you want your readers to experience it through your words as if they were there when it happened. Connell, C.M. & Sole, K. define descriptive writing as, â€Å"Description is a pattern of writing that can be defined as painting pictures with words.† (2013, chapter 6.4). A descriptive story leaves no detail unrevealed and appeals to all of your senses. When comparing Maya Angelou’s descriptive poem â€Å"Caged Bird† and Judy Brady’s narrative essay â€Å"I Want a Wife†, it is clear that there many similarities and differences between the two styles of writing. However, because Maya Angelou’s poem has descriptive language that appeals to your five senses, specific detail descriptions and uses figurative language to compare the unfamiliar with something more familiar it makes it a superior piece of literature. In the narrative style essay written by Judy Brady (1971), â€Å"I Want a Wife†, she uses out right sarcasm and exaggeration with a slight humorous tone. This demonstrates her stance on the unrealistic demands that were placed on women in that era. She starts off her essay stating â€Å"I belong to that classification of people known as wives. I am A Wife. And, not al-together incidentally, I am a mother† (1971). As if being a wife and a mother was almost an undesirable task to bear in life. I suppose that in the 1900 century it pretty much was to an extent. The way Brady goes on to list the expected duties of her wife, makes her sound more like a servant than anything else. She even mentions her wife performing things like party catering, financially supporting the family and goes so far as to say, â€Å"I want a wife to go along when our family takes a vacation so that someone can continue to care for me and my children when I need a rest and change of scene† (1971). Brady’s narrative essay uses a block arrangement structure, with a priority style order. Brady (1971) begins her story by stating, â€Å"Not too long ago a male friend of mine appeared on the scene fresh from a recent divorce. He had one child, who is, of course, with his ex-wife. He is looking for another wife. As I thought about him while I was ironing one  evening, it suddenly occurred to me that I, too, would like to have a wife. Why do I want a wife?† then she proceeds with an exaggerated list of tasks for her wife to fulfill. From the wife working full time, to caring for her and her children, cooking, cleaning, counseling, playing, pleasing, catering parties, shopping, planning and entertaining, all while Brady just goes to school and lives a carefree and extremely selfish life. In the descriptive poem â€Å"Caged Bird†, written by Maya Angelou in 1983, she uses her talent of vivid and eloquent writing to express her stance on being African-American and living in the United States during segregation and the Civil Rights movement. Although she never actually mentions race in her poem the metaphors that she uses makes it clearly evident. Angelou starts her poem talking about a free bird and his arrogance referring to the Caucasian race. According to Angelou (1983) in â€Å"Caged Bird†, she starts off with a free bird riding the wind’s back, and he’s floating as long as the current will take him; when he â€Å"dips his wing in the orange sun rays† and has the audacity to c laim the sky. Now when she goes on to her second stanza; she speaks about the African-American race as the caged bird. She writes, â€Å"But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his trout to sing† (1983). In Angelou’s poem, she uses a dramatic order in a point-by-point type structure to describe experiences she witnessed as an African-American person living in America. One way that the descriptive is different from the narrative writing is figurative language. Figurative language is the comparison of something unfamiliar to something familiar in order to paint a clear picture. â€Å"Cages Bird† (1983) has a clear example of this in the second stanza, which says, â€Å"But a bird that stalks  down his narrow cage  can seldom see through  his bars of rage  his wings are clipped and  his feet are tied  so he opens his throat to sing.† From this quote, you can see that the bird stalks down his narrow cage like a prisoner in a cell and the bird can seldom see through his bars of rage also  refers to a prisoner in a cell. Much like how slaves were imprisoned on the plantations in the south. On the other hand, the narrative essay â€Å"I Want a Wife† does not rely on fugitive language; instead it just uses concrete language without the extra detail that appeals to the five senses. Another way descriptive writing is different from narrative writing is the use of specific detail description. It is clearly visible in the fourth stanza of â€Å"Caged Bird†. Angelou (1983) writes, â€Å"The free bird thinks of another breeze  and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees   and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn   and he names the sky his own.†   In her description of the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and the fat worm on the dawn bright lawn. However, in â€Å"I Want a Wife† Brady (1971) merely writes, but without detail. Instead she says, â€Å"I want a wife who is a  good nurturing attendant to my children, who arranges for their schooling, makes sure that they have an adequate social life with their peers, takes them to the park, the zoo, etc.†Ã‚  As you see Brady doesn’t use specific detail in her writing just simple concrete words. Another highlight to Angelou’s writing style was her use of alliteration; which is defined in Essentials for College Writing as â€Å"repetition of initial consonants in words in a series† Connell, C.M. & Sole, K. (2013). An example of her alliteration would be, â€Å"The free bird thinks of another breeze and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees  and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn   and he names the sky his own.  But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams   his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream   his wings are cl ipped and his feet are tied   so he opens his throat to sing. The free bird thinks of another breeze and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn and he names the caged bird sky his own. But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams  his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing. You see it in the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and in his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream† (1983). With Angelou’s careful selection of words you can almost feel the pain and despair of the caged bird; as well as see the free bird floating through the air in the warm orange sunlight. Although Brady also uses alliteration she uses mostly the same words which are â€Å"I Want a Wife Who Will† (1971). Then she follows with naming a chore of some kind but mostly cooking or cleaning. In conclusion, when considering which of the two forms of literature was superior to the other, not just for personal preference. I would have to deem the descriptive style of Angelou’s writing to be a better overall polished piece of work. Not only does it provide extensive language to portray its message with detail to the most important parts of its story. Like bringing the characters to life and shining light on important social issues, but also submitting a few subtle details in the technique used to compose the text. Like alliteration and metaphors so that parts of her short poem stick out and stay with you more so than others. I believe the more magnificent and detailed the picture is that your words paint, the more impact it will have on its audience. This is something that she was well aware of, so the way Maya Angelou selected her words helped to give her audience a sense of pathos. It also helped to shine light once again on the views and opinions she felt so strong ly about in society.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Charles Dickens – Pip’s problems come from arrogance

Charles Dickens' Great Expectations is the tale of one character's troubled journey of self delusion in the pursuit of false ideals. Pip, the book's protagonist, is a morally good and honest boy corrupted by the glitz and glamour of nineteenth century bourgeois society. Although Pip's arrogance and pretentiousness ultimately creates a great deal of problems for him, it would be inaccurate to claim that they are the central causes of Pip's troubles. Instead it is the lack of affirmation and self-worth he experiences in his early childhood that instigates his downward spiral of morality and must be blamed for the cause of his problems. Fortunately, Pip is able to eventually realize the nobility of humble characters such as Joe and understand the importance of values such as compassion in gaining true gentility. Primarily, Pip's lack of self-confidence and lowly impression of himself are the most notable aspects of his early childhood. Under the tyranny of Mrs Joe, Pip is constantly made to feel inferior and has his self-esteem destroyed with snipes such as â€Å"in a low reproachful voice (she said) â€Å"Do you hear that? Be grateful. â€Å". Not only is he physically abused in the household having been â€Å"brought up by hand† but also there is clearly a lack of adequate love and affirmation in his childhood years, reinforced with the absence of a mother and father. Though Pip is able to find some refuge in his friend and father figure Joe, it seems hardly enough to build his self-worth. As well as this, he must contend with the obnoxious and overtly pretentious Mr Pumblechook. The Christmas dinner scene in which Pip is constantly patronized by the mean-spirited adults in his life is almost a parody of disparagement. Harbouring this sense of inferiority, Pip's visit to Satis House evokes in him the fantasy of reinvention that ultimately brings about his downfall. The supercilious Estella, encouraged by Miss Havisham, mocks Pip's â€Å"coarse and common† ways, further playing on his lack of self-worth and eating away at his self-confidence. The highly impressionable young boy, fuelled by this inferiority, sees the glamour of Satis House as his only chance of ‘bettering' himself. It is here he forms the illusion that becoming a gentleman consists of merely assuming the outward trappings of gentility – an illusion that will ultimately create a great deal of trouble for him. He is caught up in the allure of Estella's beauty and her lifestyle, yet fails to see that beneath this exterior lies a loveless and heartless world. Therefore it is Pip's dissatisfaction with himself combined with the influence of his visit to Satis House that is the fundamental source of his problems. This being said, once he is given the financial means to live out this fantasy his priggish arrogance further distances him from his true and honest childhood values. Debt, bad company and a wasteful lifestyle are the troubles that come with his obsession to uphold the gentlemanly faiade he has created. Most notably, his pretentious treatment of Joe, â€Å"If I could have paid money to keep him away I would have paid it,† denize him association with this noble character and in turn denize him the ability to realize the importance of the values he stands for. Likewise there is the manner in which he patronizes Biddy â€Å"You never had a chance before you came here, and see how improved you are! † The rejection of these noble characters prevents him from being able to gaining true ‘gentility'. As Pip himself incredulously states after helping Herbert â€Å"to think, that my expectations had done some good to somebody,† for his expectations combined with his arrogance had succeeded only in creating problems for him. While Pip's ability to learn the importance of humility is vital to his redemption, it is his return to compassion and good heartedness that rescues him and allows him to become a better person. Although initially Pip's motives for protecting Magwitch are entirely selfish, attempting to maintain his own credibility in London, he begins to develop a sense of concern for the old man, as his childhood value of compassion is gradually reinstated. This compassion becomes the first step towards obtaining true gentility. From there the loss of his fortune and his symbolic illness in which Joe appears selflessly nursing him back to health and paying off his debts provides Pip with a vital lesson in fellow feeling. Pip can finally understand the nobility of characters such as Joe, Biddy, Clara and Wemmick (Walworth). He embraces the simple lives of these characters and also learns humility, by leaving to work for Herbert in Egypt, living an earnest and hardworking life. After years of such a humble lifestyle, Dickens rewards his protagonist with the love of Estella, who has likewise come to understand the importance of â€Å"a good Christian Heart. Therefore, the central cause of Pip's problems was clearly the result of years of self dissatisfaction caused by a lack of love and affirmation. This self-worth was dealt a mortal blow upon his arrival at Satis House, the consequence being Pip's fantasy of re-invention that ultimately leads him to much of the troubles in his life. His boorish arrogance mana ges to create further problems for him and it is not until his rediscovery of the importance of compassion and fellow feeling that he is able to become a true gentlemen.

Buddhism and Christianity

Buddhist and Christians are among the world’s larges religions. They are characterized by different teachings and practices that they observe. They both have different origins and beliefs that form part of their structures. The two characteristics that I am going to look at are: the ethical teachings of both Christians and Buddhists and their religious scriptures. Ethical teachings: Ethics is one of the issues which stand out among the teachings of both religions. The two religions emphasize on the need for proper ethics through believes, practices and worship.Despite the emphasis that they both put on ethics, differences emerge between the two in their theoretical and practical aspects. There are several areas in which the differences can be evident such as: their ideas concerning sin, the notion and model of ethics together with the codes of ethics. Sin: in both religions, human beings are regarded as sinful beings. Sin is the basis of religious doctrines and without it: it is possible that ethical religious believes could not be there. According to both religions, human beings are characterized by sin, imperfection and guilty.It is only through moral religious principles that one can be made pure and perfect. The births of both Buddha and Christ were good news to both the Buddhist and Christians respectively. Jesus was born to bring salvation and love from God while Buddha was born to bring the message of wisdom and compassionate to mankind as well as show them the path to enlightenment (King, P. 3). Christians believe that all human beings are connected to the first sin in the Garden of Eden by the first parents: Adam and Eve. This sin has over the years been passed down from one generation to the other.This story explains the origin of sin which according to the story was human disobedience to God. Therefore, Adam and Eve went against God’s wishes when they decided to ignore the orders He had given them of not eating the fruit they ate. Becau se God is perceived as a model for perfect ethics, then going against his wishes will be the same as sinning. Therefore, according to Christians, sin is not only the original sin that has been passed down though generations but also the heart’s disobedience in following or practicing the divine morals, ethical codes and spirit.Hence the base of Christian ethics is not only believing in Christ but also living according to his teachings (Locke, P. 237). In Buddhism, there is no that kind of â€Å"original sin† as in Christianity. They instead believe that every individual is born of craving and ignorance which results to human beings being born in a cycle referred to as samsara: a birth and death cycle. It is only through enlightenment that an individual can overcome craving and ignorance. According to Buddha’s personal experiences, sin is originally caused by impunity, bad karmas and imperfection: there is no any other source.In the Buddhist structure, it is beli eved that sin originates from oneself and can therefore be overcome by oneself. Therefore, the basis of Buddhist’s ethical teachings is the mind: that sin originates from the mind and can only be overcome by the mind (Smart, p. 77). Model and ethical notion: both Christianity and Buddhism take the perfect model of ethics to be an important aspect of religious morality. Ethical teachings of both religion focus on Christ and Buddha because both of their lives were full of noble virtues and love that cannot be compared with any other.These models are the foundations of both religions although there are different ideas concerning ethics between them (Locke, P. 237). For Christians, love (agape) is the basis of moral life which is shown clearly in the life and teachings of Christ as well as in the bible. They believe that God is love and it is what constitutes his heart. Therefore, it is through his grace and forgiveness of human sins that ethical values can be cultivated in indiv iduals and salvation can be attained. Christian moral standards are basically established on sin, forgiveness, belief and the love of God.They also believe that belief must go with actions: a Christian can best be recognized by his/her deeds as compared to what he/she says. Contrary to the Christians, Buddhist morality is not based upon the power or the life of Buddha but instead it is based upon his teachings about â€Å"cause and effects†. They believe that an individual’s positive or negative attitude is determined by his/her actions and thoughts. Buddha taught people to: â€Å"make an island of yourself, make yourself your refuge; there is no other refuge. Make truth your island, make truth your refuge; there is no other refuge,† (King, P.3) Therefore, in both religions: human beings are perceived to be sinful. The mind’s purity is perceived to be the basic step in ethics through which suffering and impunity which has been created in individuals can b e overcome. If the overall aim is transformation from the evil nature to divine: then Christians could achieve it through uniting with Christ while Buddhist could achieve the same by observing Buddhahood. Religious scriptures: According to the interviews I conducted with a Christian and a Buddhist leader, I found out the following about their religious scriptures:Teachings concerning God: conservative Buddhists’ scriptures teach nothing about existence of God. It does not affirm or deny existence of God and does not state who is divine not even Gautama himself. Liberal ones do not put emphasis on this concept but they pay homage to Buddha, Buddhist teachers, deities and ancestors. They worship using images, bow before them, give offerings to them, chant and pray to them. Although earlier Buddhism did not recognize Buddha to be omniscient, they now consider him and other teachers to be omniscience.Contrary to Buddhist scripture teachings, Christians refer to the bible that tea ches them that God exists. It states that the fact that there is a universe is an indication that there is a God somewhere. Psalm 19:1 – â€Å"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. † & Romans 1:20 – Though God is invisible, His power and divinity can be seen through the things that are made. The only way the universe could exist is because there is a supernatural being powerful and wiser than anybody else (Scott, p. 87).Purpose of religion: The purpose of religion was to better man’s relationship with God. Buddhism scriptures do not teach anything about God while the bible teaches that the whole purpose of humanity is to serve and have a better relationship with Christ. Ecclesiastes 12:13 – The whole duty of man is to fear God and keep his commands. Ephesians 1:7-9 – The will and purpose of God was to redeem man by the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus. Teaching about a true and supreme G od: Buddhism teachings allow for worship of many gods while the biblical teachings forbid the worship of more than one God.Matthew 4:10 – â€Å"Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him ONLY shalt thou serve. † We are not to worship many gods, nor any god other than Jehovah [2 Corinthians 6:18; Colossians 1:19-22]. Destiny of man: Buddhist scriptures teach about reincarnation (rebirth), Karma which teaches that the future lives are influenced by current actions and that what happens currently is the result of previous actions and nirvana which teaches that the ultimate purpose of man is to get out of the birth and rebirth cycle characterized by suffering.While the bible teaches that: an individual only lives once and physically dies once after which there will be resurrection, judgment and eternal rewards. 1 Corinthians 15:22, 23 – All die as a result of Adam's sin; as a result of Jesus, all live again. Resurrection is the opposite of death; hence the spirit is reunited with the body. Matthew 25:31-46 – The wicked go to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. Buddhist scriptures do not teach about death and resurrection (Scott, p. 87).Suffering: Buddhist scriptures teach that suffering is essential in life, it’s brought about by human desires and they can be eliminated by getting rid of earthly desires by not wanting to exist as an individual. The bible teachings teach that suffering is part of life; it is a consequence of sin physical desires are neither good nor bad, it depends on how you seek to satisfy them, an individual’s desire to exist is not bad and it’s through trust in God that you can be able to overcome suffering and not through defeating yourself.The Buddhist teaching of not to desire to be an individual can be considered to blasphemy God’s work by Christians. Works cited King, L. Winston. Buddhism and Christianity: Some Bridges of Understanding. Taylor and Francis. 2008, p . 3. Locke, A. Kenneth, â€Å"The Foundation for Ethical Behavior: A Christian perspective for a dialogue with Buddhism,† Hsi Lai Journal of Humanistic Buddhism 3 (2002): 327. Scott, Archibald. Buddhism and Christianity; A Parallel and a Contrast, Being the Croall Lectures for 1889-90. General Books LLC. (2009): p. 87. Smart, Ninian. Buddhism and Christianity: rivals and allies. University of Hawaii Press. (1993): p. 77.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Management Assignment: Human Intelligence Essay

Traditionally organisations have concentrated upon the intelligence of individuals and held the point of view that intelligent people in terms of IQ succeeded more. However, these ideas are continually challenged by the idea of emotional intelligence being key indicators of management performance (cited in Khosravi, Manafi, Hojabri, Aghapour and Gheshmi, 2011, pg 3). Emotional intelligence is ones ability to perceive and regulate other people’s emotions (cited in Sadri, 2012, pg 536). In present society, emotional intelligence of management is essential to positive communications in projecting ideas, increasing value of teams through creating common team values and hence increasing the job satisfactions of individuals in workplaces from corporations to sales. Emotional intelligence is consequently directly related to the overall performance of a company and also the efficiency of individual employees. It can also be said that emotional intelligence is much more important then pure intelligence in shaping leadership success (cited in Sadri, 2012, pg 537). Managers use communication as a method to transfer meaning to others for the ultimate purpose of achieving their goals and objectives. The ability to communicate efficiently depends upon the manager’s capability to empathise with his or her peers, that is, the manager’s level of emotional intelligence. Goleman’s study asserts the notions of emotionally intelligent individuals are more successful at communicating their ‘ideas, goals and intentions’ (cited in Zeidner, Matthews, Roberts, 2004, pg 386). Similarly, Wasielewski’ studies suggests emotionally intelligent individuals are able to ‘excite and enthuse’ or make others ‘feel cautious and wary’ (cited in George, 2000, pg 7). This sort of behavior will consequently motivate or demotivate individuals in the workplace. Thus emotional intelligence is crucial as it allows managers to communicate effectively and therefore achieve his or her goals by influencing the mood and emotion of his or her team. Bar On further asserts that managers are also able to use communication to ensure a positive result in environmentally demanding work situations (cited in Zeidner, Matthews, Roberts, 2004, pg 374). Managers will only be able to do this if they understand their employees’ personal feelings, hence emotional intelligence is the tool that lets managers communicate effectively in any sort of situation. Regardless of whether the situation is difficult or not, emotional intelligence will always be significant because it allows the manager to communicate effectively with his or her employees (cited in George, 2000, pg 8). A consequence of managers who communicate with high emotional intelligence creates value adding member interaction, which in turn increases team productivity. Positive emotions of certain individuals such as managers can influence team member mentality and is high likely to increase group cohesion through relationship building, this is also known as positive ‘emotional contagion’ (cited in Ashanasy and Daus, 2002, pg 79). However oppositely, negative emotions of an individual can decrease the efficiency of other team members since negative attitudes can ‘infect’ co-workers and is hard to reverse (cited in Ashanasy and Daus, 2002, pg 79). Consequently due to these polar outcomes the need for emotionally intelligent managers is crucial to the operation of a team to complete tasks efficiently. More importantly, high emotional intelligence can impact a leaders and teams ability to construct team goals and objectives (cited in Ashanasy and Daus, 2002 pg 81). This is asserted by Rosete and Ciarrochi study in which concluded that high emotional intelligent leaders performed more efficiently and was not affected by cognitive ability (cited in Sadri, 2012, pg 538). Apart from leadership highly emotional intelligent team members also increased team efficiency. A Study by Jordan and Troths concluded this through their experiment where they concluded high emotional intelligent team members performed more exceptional then low emotional intelligent teams (cited in Sadri, 2012, pg 538). Thus leadership through high emotional intelligent individuals increases the value of a team, however high emotional intelligent team members also contribute to positive team interaction. Another aspect of high emotional intelligent leaders is improved job satisfaction and hence increased performance. Emotionally intelligent leaders are able to influence ‘shared beliefs’ of groups, allowing them to shape ones abilities and skills to communicate and co-ordinate with each other (cited in Zampetakis and Moustakis, 2011, pg 84 ). These ‘shared beliefs’ allow groups to have high job satisfactions due to improved performance due to positive emotional norms created by the manager (cited in Zampetakis and Moustakis, 2011, pg 84). Henceforth, an increase in group job satisfaction will allow individual satisfaction growth, this will in turn increase overall efficiency. In the studies of Ashkanasy and Daus, we can also view the importance of emotionally related job satisfaction. The study contains scenarios, which stress how negative satisfaction partly due to leadership problems can have adverse affects upon other team members. Research has also exemplified the need for emotionally intelligent managers to heighten positive emotions with employees particularly in the sales industry to increase customer rentention (cited in Ashkanasy and Daus, 2002, pg 77). Hence, job satisfaction is highly correlated with the emotional intelligence of managers. Job satisfaction is clearly an important factor in the workplace as it is able to increase efficiency. As organisations and businesses seek to increase efficiency, the use of emotionally intelligent individuals will be employed to redefine groups and individuals in the workplace. Over time as stronger evidence builds upon that high emotional intelligent individuals make better leaders, companies will undergo a transition to recruit or train emotionally intelligent individuals. As companies continually gain knowledge in this field, competitive strategies will be formed to better firm performance. As they embrace these types of changes, competitive advantages particularly in the sales industry will experience large competitive advantages. Communication from highly emotionally intelligent allows more positively regulated team ambitions and hence allow greater team collaboration, which increases inter-personal relationships. Team collaboration is highly effective in producing superior job satisfactions and consequently job efficiency. Hence, emotional intelligence is essential for leaders to manage successfully in workplaces. References: Sadri, G. , (2012). Emotional intelligence and leadership development, Public Personnel Management, Vol. 41 No. 3, pp. 535-548 Date Viewed – 10 April 2013 <http://web. ebscohost. com. wwwproxy0. library. unsw. edu. au/ehost/detail? vi d=3&sid=7e41ae83-e0b2-455b-ac25-1568e4f33f6f%40sessionmgr110&hid=112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh&AN=79656429> Khosravi, R. D. , Manafi, M. , Hojabri, R. , Aghapour, A. H. , Gheshmi. R. , (2011). The relationship between emotional intelligence and effective delegation. International Journal of Business and Social Science, Vol. 2 No. 19, pp. 223-235 Date Viewed – 10 April 2013 lt;http://search. proquest. com. wwwproxy0. library. unsw. edu. au/abiglobal/docview/904526890/13D5FC8D9CD73AEC7F5/1? accountid=12763> Zeidner, M. , Matthews, G. & Roberts, R. D. , (2004). Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace: A Critical Review. Applied Psychology, 53(3), pp. 371–399. Dated Views – 10 April 2013 <http://online library. wiley. com. wwwproxy0. library. unsw. edu. au/doi/10. 1111/j. 1464-0597. 2004. 00176. x/abstract;jsessionid=BC2DC14C7B9282FD9361B666E034A2C9. d02t02> George, J. M. , (2000). Emotions and Leadership: The Role of Emotional Intelligence. Human Relations, 53(8), pp. 1027–1055. Date viewed – 10 April 2013 <http://search. proquest. com. wwwproxy0. library. unsw. edu. au/docview/231437575/fulltextPDF? accountid=12763> Ashkanasy, N. M. & Daus, C. S. , (2002). Emotion in the workplace: The new challenge for managers. The Academy of Management Executive, 16(1), pp. 76–86. Date viewed – 10 April 2013 <http://www. jstor. org. wwwproxy0. library. unsw. edu. au/stable/4165815> Zampetakis, L. A. & Moustakis, V. , (2011). Managers’ Trait Emotional Intelligence and Group Outcomes: The Case of Group Job Satisfaction. Small  Group  Research, Vol. 42 No. 1, pp. 77-102 Date Viewed – 10 April 2013

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Nowhere in Africa

Desperate situations create good autobiographical novels. To meet those situations, an individual looks out for desperate remedies. To face worst situations, the best and the bravest within the human personality, surfaces. For the new and unexpected situations solutions are found. The seemingly impossible, becomes possible. New situations not only become tolerable, but acceptable. One comes to enjoy beautiful experiences. The routine and protected life, when suddenly disrupted, finds new vibrant alternatives. The new way of life, gives rise to new views about life. The strange surroundings turn out to be divine blessings. Nowhere in Africa turns out to nowhere in Africa! The Film: The autobiographical novel-based movie is about such happenings in the life of Stefanie Zweig. Walter Redlich was a successful lawyer in Germany, when Hitler rode to power. The persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany was gathering speed, and to remain in Germany was to invite grave danger to life and property for the Jews.   Walter moved to Kenya. But his wife Jettel and daughter Regina stayed back. This decision of Jettel, shows her love for the social life in Germany, her reluctance to give up the comforts of city life. She also wishes to keep her daughter under her protective wings. She doesn’t like the dark and backward country Kenya. She is a prominent figure in the social circles in Germany, and she is enamored by the glamour of social life in Germany. As the Nazi persecution goes on unabated, Jettel has no alternative and she joins her husband in Kenya along with Regina. Her worst fears about the life and living in Kenya come true. She is accustomed to live a cozy life in Germany, and she resents the rugged farm labor imposed in her new Kenyan pattern of life. Another psychological problem surfaces for Walters as he discovers that Germans are not liked by British settlers in Kenya. The young Regina suffers the most, initially. She finds herself lost in the new and unfamiliar surroundings and nothing fascinates this young girl—except their African family cook, Owuv. Gradually, she begins to like the natural beauty of Kenya. A deep friendship sprouts between Owuvr and the young child. Subsequently Germany invades Africa, and the German National Walter is taken to a British internment camp along with his wife and daughter. The beauty Jettel, seduces a British Army Officer, Walter is put in charge of another farm, and Regina is admitted to a boarding school. The strength of the movie is that it searches the real Africa, its soul, through the innocent and affectionate view point of the child, which has malice towards none. She is kindled with curiosity to know the ways of the world around her. The vast gorgeousness of Kenyan plains has tremendous appeal to her. The transformation that takes place in the city -kitten Jettel as a professional farmland Manager, is real and worth noticing. She understands now, and is not fussy. But human nature being what it is, she continues to be culturally insensitive. She came to Kenya to escape torture and certain death at the hands of Nazis, but it is tormenting to watch how she discriminates against the native Kenyans –then where lies the difference between her and the Nazis? The strength of the film lies in the authentic portrayal of the characters, how they face the ups and downs of the family relationship and the gradual growth and the relevant changes related to its characters. This film is suitable for family viewing. But the short sex scenes and those related to animal sacrifice do not contribute to the overall dignity of the movie. Nowhere in Africa, an Autobiographical Novel, Stefanie Zweig. That the movie is based on this best-selling autobiographical novel won the 2002 Academy Award for the best foreign language film speaks about the merit of the novel. The book describes the harsh realities for the Redlich family, moving from a western country, Germany, to the remote farmlands of Kenya. Regina, their five year old daughter has no problems to adjust and adopt the new way of life. Their cook, Owuor is their language teacher as well. They begin to love the country of their forced choice, but when the war is over, the real problem surfaces. Walter wishes to return to Germany, but once the- Kenya-hater Kettel, wishes to stay back in Kenya. The German children, on their return to Germany after the War, are strangers in their own land. They have to learn German from the beginning. Whenever a book is made into a film, changes in many areas are inevitable. The actress shown in then film (Kettel) and the real mother of the novel are diametrically opposed to each other. Many other parts of the film are true to the contents of the novel. The African cook speaking Swahili gives the genuine touch to the conversation. Stefanie wrote the book under strange circumstances. The paper for which she was working closed down and then she joined a tabloid paper in Frankfurt, as Arts Editor. There she did many a film reviews. She admits the limitations of making a film out of a book, when she says, â€Å"So I knew that the film and the book weren’t going to be the same.† The reality of Walter family returning to Germany after the end of the war has been very well depicted in the book. The great love of Stefanie for her father is also touchingly narrated on more than one occasion in the book. She was asked to do a thing, which she did not like-returning to her own Germany, which was a strange land to her on all counts but she did it for the sake of her love for her father. In a novel the author has lots of freedom to write detailed descriptions, but the director of the film has limitations. Therefore, then film is not the true representation of her life, as compared to the book. The emphasis in the book is for the story of the little girl Regina (Stefanie), but in the film it shifts to her parents and their marital problems. In a highly complicated novel like Nowhere in Africa, with several characters interacting with each other and shifting locales, film adaptation is very different from the original text. The undercurrent of love is seen through the characterization of all characters in the novel, that’s why it is said, the novel tells something deep within the author. It was her father’s advice not to hate. Also the life of 1938 as depicted in Kenya is much different from what is portrayed in the film. More importance is given in the film to the Walter couple and they talk of their marriage incessantly, sidetracking the real problems of their forced migration. Their intense talk about adjusting and saving their marriage looks unrealistic in the given circumstances. At least that is not what is described in the novel. The family escaped from Nazi Germany certainly not to settle scores about their marriage relationship, they had other priorities in life, according to the book. But the film ignores it. That is moving from the tracks of reality. From the point of view of generating revenue for the film, the leading lady of the novel has got to be glamorous, she has to have some peculiar characteristics either positive or negative, and Jettel has been accordingly shown as a cold, calculating and a woman filled with vanity. The book views the qualities in a different perspective. She is not at all that had as shown in the film. To be unhappy is one thing. But what is chiseled in the film is no justice to Jettel. The film presents a more luxurious pattern of life than what is depicted in the novel. As a child Regina was very poor and she could not afford the costly costumes shown in the movie-that is not what is shown about her at that age. But the Regina of age 12 in the book and the movie are one and the same. Her deep love for Ouwor is shown realistically in the movie as compared to the book. The book was hailed as the Society’s best juvenile title in The Netherlands. So also, the movie, whose main focus is on the parent’s relationship. She wrote the book out of respect for her parents. The strong influence of her father played a big part in shaping of the book, which the film could not show in detail due to the limitations of time and other related factors. The actress does not convey the real Jettel in the book. Besides being tough, she was a charming human being also. You see and experience the lasting human love between her and the family cook Ouwor. That’s a great characterization in the book. ———————— References: Nowhere in Africa, DVD, 2003 Zweig, Stefanie, Nowhere in Africa: An Autobiographical Novel, Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press; 1st edition (March 15, 2004) ISBN-10: 0299199606 ISBN-13 : 978-0299199609