Borders in Our Minds Essay

Since the presidency under James Polk in 1844, many American citizens have, in one form or another, been in conflict with our neighbors to the south – the populace of Mexico. In the 19th century, however, those conflicts revolved mainly around ownership of land in what are now southwest regions of the United States (Scheffler, 2011). In modern society, American indifference toward Mexican immigrants exists in many other forms and plays a significant role in efforts to control Mexican natives entering the United States. It is my intention to bring to light various circumstances by which intolerance to Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans may have evolved. Such attempt will be made through: presentation of some of the various forms of bias currently in existence; application of the abstraction process as it applies to development of stereotypes; consideration of societal and cultural perspectives and how they may have precipitated non-acceptance of the Mexican immigrant into American society; and reflection on the roles in which Mexican immigrants have been placed that perpetuate stereotypes from an economic perspective. Finally, I will conclude by offering insight into that which I have derived from compilation of this paper from the perspective of one studying general semantics as part of an undergraduate program at Alverno College. This conclusion will include proposal for further consideration of the topic offered to the audience for which this paper is intended. The Basics of Bias Since 2000, the Hispanic population in the United States has grown from 35. 3 million (U. S. Census Bureau, 2000) to 50. 3 million (U. S. Census Bureau, 2010). This segment of the population has realized significant growth making then a large component of all American residents. One would tend to believe that given this growth, Mexicans would be viewed less as â€Å"aliens† and more as American citizens. In most instances, however, they are not considered the latter. They are considered different and in the past five years sociologists and civil rights attorneys have revealed many of the elements that play a role in the perpetuation of the bias numerous Americans hold toward Mexican immigrants. â€Å"They are [viewed as] disloyal . . . and refuse to assimilate† (Villareal, 2006) is one view of a Connecticut attorney who has spent many years defending minorities through legal activism (pg. 1). Villareal (2006) furthers his argument against American bias toward Mexican Americans by stating that â€Å"Mexican Americans will share in that dream and in that society only if they dream in English† (pg. 1). These biases obviously exist, but how they perhaps developed and why they conceivably sustain is the subject matter to follow. From Neighbor to Nuisance: The Power of Abstraction Objectivity and multi-perspective thinking is typically the product of the â€Å"constant interplay of higher-level and lower-level abstractions† (Hayakawa, 1990). It is the tendency to labor only at higher-levels of abstraction where one is inclined to stereotype. This is primarily due to the deduction that high-level abstraction is comprised of vagueness and generalities and it is this indistinct thinking that leads to standardized conceptions of common members of a group. These theories of high-level abstraction could very well account for bias against immigrants based upon linguistic differentials which reveal the tendency of individuals to stereotype or apply prejudice based upon language barriers. According to Nelson (2009), â€Å"linguistic bias mediates the extent to which people maintain stereotypic expectancies in the face of disconfirming information† (p. 499). Nelson predicates this concept upon studies of linguistic differences and how they produce negative behaviors. He describes this â€Å"linguistic bias effect† (p. 499) as existing at higher-levels of abstraction. While his research was done using Italian-Americans as test subjects, the linguistic bias theory assesses language barriers in a general sense and can account for negative predisposition toward Mexican immigrants based upon their unique dialect and possible inability to master language in a sense that individuals can assimilate as indigenous to the United States. The Societal and Cultural Gap A feeling of superiority as a people is likely a major contributor to American bias toward Mexican immigrants; highly distinct cultural attributes play a key role in this arena. In his in-depth studies and published works on cultural differences, Geert Hofstede (1984) reveals that â€Å"Americans see their own culture as very individualistic; and this individualism is interpreted as a major contributor to the greatness of the United States† (p. 150). Individualist cultures have great tendency to protect that which they feel entitlement to and possess a low desire to share. The United States is also a country very low on Hofstede’s scale measuring â€Å"power distance† which indicates a desire for a stable cultural environment where low power distance is â€Å"associated with highly individualistic cultures† (p.164). Based upon Hofstede’s research as it pertains to the cultural gap between Americans and Mexican immigrants, it can be inferred that intolerance toward Mexican immigrants has, in part, evolved from: an inability of Americans to accept cultural differences; ignorance to a culture that is based upon close, long-term commitment and shared responsibility rather than individualistic goals; and a desire to maintain a cultural environment of which they are familiar–an environment which they may view as threatened by change. In furthering the position of cultural disparity and its contribution to the intolerance of Mexican immigrants, various studies of ethnicity have yielded plausible explanation as to why many Americans have difficulty in the acceptance of Mexican immigrants into their native land. As is noted by Portes (1985), â€Å"Studies of ethnicity typically begin by noting the persistence of distinct cultural traits among groups formed by immigration . . . this situation can only be explained from an assimilation perspective, by the insufficient diffusion of the culture of the core to peripheral groups† (p.24). This perspective reiterates the strong role played by cultural disparity in fostering intolerance of immigrants. Economic Pigeon-Holing Some view Mexican immigrants as important only to a specific segment of the U. S. labor market and therefore, fail to see their role anywhere beyond this realm. It has become difficult for Mexican immigrants to transcend these barriers as Portes (1985) describes that â€Å"they have formed, each in their time, the mainstay of a segmented labor market . . . they constitute an indispensable component of the economic structure† (p. 25). He strengthens this argument by stating that â€Å"Granting such groups admittance into the core society on the basis of merit would jeopardize their utility to employers and to the entire dominant group† (p. 25). From this vantage point, it would be difficult for any one person to gain acceptance into a larger group if the economic success of that group were dependent upon that person remaining in one, very specific role. Given this, it is not difficult to understand the reasons why many Americans view Mexican immigrants as migrant workers, laborers, or maids—befitting of only a specific segment of the U. S. labor force. It is conceivable that this is not because they are unable to move beyond these stereotypes, but because they are unwilling to do so as it would upset their perception of an ideal economic structure. Discussion Investigation of the subject matter herein along with subsequent authorship of this paper has for me served as a catalyst toward multi-perspective understanding of current issues that impact the world from historical, social, political, and economic perspectives. I am now of the strong belief that effective communication is highly dependent upon successful integration of multicultural perspectives and diverse social perspectives. The ability to present an idea from multiple perspectives has also provided me an awareness of my ethical obligation as a communicator, that is, to inform without bias. It is difficult to argue that stereotypes precipitated by social, cultural, and economic perspectives exist as they pertain to Mexican immigrants in the United States. Thoughtful reflection upon the evolution of bias and stereotype can bring about greater understanding. To deny that diversity exists within our borders is to deny change. To attempt to keep that diversity out is to deny oneself the ability to live spherically and draw from cultural experiences that could serve to broaden perspective and intellect. A by-product of this dissertation is offered in the form of a challenge to those individuals who may be unaware of the levels of abstraction within which they operate. Heightened awareness of the levels of abstraction from which one functions both verbally and cerebrally can produce deeper understanding and subsequently the ability to understand and be understood. This may very well serve to lessen abhorrence and perhaps ultimately lead to the deterioration of intolerance to build a more peaceful society. References Elissa, G. (2001, August 11). Man Charged in Beatings Is Said to Have Used Racial Slurs. New York Times. p. 6. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Guitierrez, D. G. (1995). Mexican Americans, Mexican Immigrants, and the Politics of Ethnicity. Berkeley, CA: California Press. Retrieved March 23, 2011, from http://books. google. com/ books? hl=en&lr=&id=Had4W9odLX0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=Mexican+immigrants& ots=Xb7xBvWz7o&sig=FRbC5aio9PLGrh14YK8pNrmEMnY#v=twopage&q&f=false. Hayakawa, S. I. (1990). Language in Thought and Action. (5th ed. ). Boston, MA: Thomson Wadsworth. Hofstede, G. (1984). Culture’s Consequences. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications. Nelson, T. (2009). Handbook of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination. Psychology Press, New York, N. Y. Retrieved March 21, 2011, from http://books. google. com/books? id=J1qeQ T4bkX0C&pg=PA499&lpg=PA499&dq=abstraction+and+prejudice&sourc.

Distracted Driving Essay

Distracted Driving is a selfish and very dangerous way to drive. Over 3,000 people each year are killed due to either driving distracted or being hit by someone who is distracted. There are many types of distracted driving and all are equally as dangerous. Examples of distracted driving include texting, eating, talking to a passenger, adjusting a radio or iPod, and anything involving your phone or a gps. Any kind of distracted driving is a bad idea and can end in serious injuries or fatalities. Distracted driving has numerous definitions. Whether it be eating, drowsy driving, using your phone, talking to a friend, or being distracted by something on the side of the road, they are all very dangerous and can end with someone using their life. Many people believe that they may be a good driver even when being distracted by other things but it is usually not the case. Even if you get away with driving distracted, it wont always be that way, and you never know when your luck will run out. As good as you may be at multitasking while driving it is never a good idea. If the thing is that important you should pull to the side of the road or wait until you get to your destination to do what you need to do. Texting and driving is one of the highest causes of crashes and fatalities. One of the groups that is most at risk is teens 16-20. This age group is not only new and inexperienced drivers but they are also very distracted by cell phones and music. When you are texting and driving the minimal amount of time that your attention is taken by your phone is 5 seconds. This not only puts you in danger but it also puts others on the road in a lot of danger as well. As important as receiving or sending a text may be, it can wait long enough to keep your life, and others, safe. If it is too tempting for you to use your phone or iPod while you are driving there are many ways you can combat this urge. All you need to do is throw your phone in the backseat or in the glove compartment and your urge is gone. You can also put your phone on silent or turn it off if the vibration or sounds of receiving texts distracts you. Any of these quick alternatives is a great idea to save your life as well as others on the road with you. Talking to a passenger or on your phone is a dangerous distraction as well. If you are on your phone, you may think that your attention is on the road but your attention is drawn away and focused on your call. Even if you use a hands-free device you still have a large amount of your attention drawn away. Talking to a  passenger in your car can be more dangerous because they are able to distract you and interact with you more. This can be helpful if they are alerting you of obstacles but if they are being distractive it can be a large distraction. If they are posing a bigger distraction than a help then you should let them know that you are distracting you from the road. Although it may offend or anger them, it can pay off in the long run. Another minor way of being of distracted is things in your eyesight. Someone running alongside the road, something happening ahead of you or to the side, and anything that will take your attention is a distraction. Things like this can seem minor but they can impair your attention. Although you don’t want to tune these things out of your attention, because they can cause accidents, you need to not only be aware of these things but not let them distract you to a point where you cant notice what is going on around you. There are 3 main types of distracted driving; cognitive, visual and manual. Cognitive distractions are when you mind isn’t focused on driving. These can include talking to someone in your car and just daydreaming. Even listening to music can take your mind off driving and distract you. This may seem like a minor distraction but it can be very large. A visual distraction is anything that involves the driver taking his or her eyes off the road. This is common in all age groups; adults will check their kid’s seatbelts and almost everyone will use a GPS, iPod, phone or dvd player. All of these things that involve you taking your eyes off the road are considered a visual distraction. The last type of distraction is manual. A manual distraction is when you take one or both hands off the wheel for any reason at anytime while driving. A manual distraction can include eating or drinking, adjusting a GPS or iPod, reaching for something, or even adjusting your seat. One of the reasons that texting ids one of the most dangerous thing you can do while driving is because it involves all 3 types of distracted driving. There are many ways that you can avoid using any of these types of distracted driving. The first way to avoid these three is to turn off your phone, even if you are expecting an important call. Another tip is to get a hands-free device if you really need to. This is not a great idea to use because it is just as dangerous as using the phone itself. Also, if you are driving with kids and/or pets make sure they  are strapped in and secured so that they don’t pose a distraction while they are driving. If you need to eat or drink, finish it before you start driving, or wait until after. The last is, if you use a gps, program it before you start driving. All of these reasons are great examples to stop driving distracted. Driving while distracted is elfish and cost you, and others their lives. It’s a simple choice, just wait to start or finish your task. http://www.distraction.gov/content/get-the-facts/facts-and-statistics.html http://www.textinganddrivingsafety.com/texting-and-driving-stats/ http://www.esurance.com/safety/3-types-of-distracted-driving

English Law Report

Introduction In UK there are three main sources of English law, Legislation (Statue Law), Common Law (Judge-made Law) and the European Communities law. Pg 41, Longshaw, (2002) The purpose of this report is to explain the basis of Common made Law and also to explain duty of care, negligence, trespass, and consent. I will also look at how specific legislations instruct health care practitioners as to their legal responsibilities. Statute Law Legislation however, is probably the most important source of law in the UK. Legislation developed later than common law as a major source of law.It is made by Parliament, i. e. the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Monarch and they can make or unmake any law. Proposals for legislation (‘Bills') are presented to debate by and voted upon by the House of Common and the House of Lords, finally receiving the assent of the Monarch and thus becoming Acts (Statutes) of Parliament. Common Law Common law forms a major part of England's law. It covers common crimes that happen on a day to day basis and have always existed such as rape, assault, murder and theft.It is created and refined by judges: a decision in a currently pending legal case depends on decisions in previous cases and affects how the law is applied in future cases. Common law evolves with time and the sentencing for various crimes can be made harsher or softer. It uses the idea of precedence so that punishments that have been passed before in similar crimes can be used to determine the punishment for a similar crime. When there is no authoritative statement of the law, judges have the authority and duty to make law by creating precedent. Jokinen, 2009) A precedence of common law is set down by Lord Atkins through the Donaghue vs. Stevenson case. There are two types of precedents: binding precedents (a past decision which is binding – the legal point of the earlier case is identical or sufficiently similar to the present one and the decision was r endered by a higher court) or persuasive precedents (which the court may consider but is not bound to follow) Sources of persuasive precedent may also be the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the European Court of Human Rights or courts of countries which also apply the common law.Duty of Care In English law an individual is owed a duty of care by another, to ensure that they do not suffer unreasonable harm or loss. This definition of duty of care known today came from Lord Atkin and the ‘Neighbour Principle' that came from the judgment on the Donaghue vs. Stevenson case in 1932. The Donaghue verses Stevenson is the case of Mrs Donaghue claiming damages from gastroenteritis after drinking a bottle of ginger beer and finding a decomposing snail in it. She was claiming damages against Mr. Stevenson the manufactures of the ginger beer.When this case first came to court neither Scottish law nor British common law saw duty of care in regards to someone remotely connected. Lo rd Atkins changed things by saying everyone has a duty of care to their neighbour here is a quote of what the legal definition of a neighbour should be. â€Å"The rule that you are to love your neighbour becomes in law you must not injure your neighbour; and the lawyer's question â€Å"Who is my neighbour? † receives a restricted reply. You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee and would be likely to injure your neighbour.Who then in law is my neighbour? The answer seems to be persons who are so closely and directly affected by my act that I ought reasonably to have them in contemplation as being so affected when I am directing my mind to the acts or omissions which are called in question. † (Lord Atkins, 1932) When this duty of care is not acted upon this s called negligence. Negligence Negligence is a tort law, which establishes legal liability for careless actions or inaction which causes injury.Therefore negligence is not concerned with the action or inaction, but with the manner in which the action or inaction is carried out. Negligent conduct is that which falls below an acceptable standard, this standard has been established in order to protect others from an unreasonable risk of harm. Not every type of carelessness is defined as legal negligence. There are four elements that need to be proved for an action or inaction to be defined as legal negligence this are; duty, breach, causation and damage.The â€Å"ABC† rule has to be met before negligence can be. A is that there has to be a duty of care between the health care practitioner and the patient. B is that the actions of the health care practitioner fell short of the duty of care identified in A. And C is that this action leads to damages occurring. Negligence is a part of Tort law. Trespass Trespass to the person in a medical setting could be a doctor or nurse carrying out a procedure without the consent of the patient; however this is not always the case.In some cases doctors can perform emergency procedures to save a patient's life without their consent this is sometimes because the patient is too ill to consent or there is a complication while another procedure is taking place. An example of trespass to the body in a medical setting is the case of Bartley v Studd. This case is about John Studd removing Mrs Bartley's ovaries while doing a hysterectomy without her consent. (Garner, 1997). In the case of trespass, it does not have to be proved that any harm has occurred to the patient, which could have been the case in the above situation.However, if the patient could prove that they would not have agreed to the procedure having known the risks beforehand and they can prove that they have suffered harm as a result, then they could succeed in a case of negligence against the nurse (Dimond 2003). Role and codes of practice Legislation, also known as Acts of Parliament or Statutes, is the commonest source of new law in the United Kingdom and is of great relevance to health, care ; social workers. There is another form of law known as Case Law -essentially ‘judge-made law'.This is often referred to as Common law, developed by individual judicial decisions. Where a legal issue has been decided by a judge or judges in a superior court, lower courts are bound to follow this decision in subsequent cases. In other words when a senior judge has made a decision about case, other judges abide by this decision (called a precedent). Most law was made this way up until the 17th century but more recent legislation is nearly all created by Acts of Parliament, referred to as Primary Legislation.The role of the judges is still important though, as they play a part in law-making by interpreting Acts of Parliament and their rulings may become law, as in the case of Regulations. Both the Acts and their relevant Regulations are law. Regulations and guidelines Regulations, guidance and procedures along wi th various codes of practice produced by the relevant professional bodies: the Nursing ; Midwifery Council (NMC) for Nurses and Midwifes, recommend what is considered to be good practice on a day-to-day basis for professionals.This means in effect that the professional has a defence against claims of malpractice or negligence if s/he has followed the authorised guidance and regulations. However the converse also applies. If a professional has not followed accepted guidance or procedure and a client or patient has suffered harm as a result of the professional's actions, the professional may be personally found guilty of negligence. Trespass and Consent Common law has protected the personal and bodily interests of the individual through the law of trespass.When a patient undergoes treatment, it is the provision of consent that prevents the doctor from being held liable for a battery or for negligence. The essential elements to a valid consent can be summed up as follows: a) the patien t must have sufficient understanding, otherwise known as the mental capacity to make the decision, b) the patient must consent (or refuse) the treatment of his own free will, with no duress or undue influence, and c) the patient must have been given sufficient information about the proposed treatment. 1 patient is capable of making such decisions, his consent or refusal will be valid.In practice it can be seen that a patient who is very unsteady on their feet is at high risk of falling and it can be reasonably foreseeable that the patient could fall. In this situation, the nurse should take appropriate action to try and prevent the patient falling, and this falls within the duty of care that the nurse owes the patient. The nurse could communicate with other staff about the patient's mobility and also put interventions in place to help prevent the patient falling. However, if the nurse was to ignore this reasonably foreseeable event and the patient did fall, the nurse would be in bre ach of her duty and could be negligent.For an act of negligence to be established, it must first be determined that there is a duty of care owed. The Bolam test may be one way of establishing negligence in this case as other nurses in the same field may be asked what actions they would have taken in this situation. Conclusion. In this report we see that everyday practice professionals need to always refer to legislation directly – agencies that employ health and care workers, such as the NHS and Social Services Departments, will usually have produced documents that detail policy and procedure, designed to help them act in accordance with the law.In conclusion this report also gives us a slight insight into the English Law within the legal system today. Bibliography Bradney, F. C. (200). English Legal System in Context (2nd ed. ). London: Reed Elsevier Ltd. Curzon, L. (2002). Dictionary of Law (6th ed. ). Essex: Pearson Education Ltd. Fleming, J. G. (1998). The Law of Torts (9 th ed. ). Sydney: LBC Information Services. Garner, C. (1997, September 27). Doctor who removed patient's ovaries without her consent found guilty of misconduct. Retrieved Feb 13, 2013, from The Independent: http://www. ndependent. co. uk/news/doctor-who-removed-patients-ovaries-without-her-consent-found-guilty-of-misconduct-1241322. html Gibbins, J. M. (2003). Complete A-Z Law Handbook (3rd ed. ). London: Hodder and Stoughton Educational. Holdsworth, M. (2006). Introduction to the English Legal System. citizED Citizenship and Teacher Education. Jokinen, A. (2009, April 13). Common Law. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from Luminarium: http://www. luminarium. org/encyclopedia/commonlaw. htm Lewis, J. P. (2008, November 11). Teenager who won right to die: ‘I have had oo much trauma'. Retrieved February 20, 2013, from Guardian: http://www. guardian. co. uk/society/2008/nov/11/child-protection-health-hannah-jones Lord Atkins, L. B. -P. (1932). Donoghue verses Stevenson. Retrieved from Scottish Council of Law Reporting: Retrieved February 20, 2013, from http://www. scottishlawreports. org. uk/resources/dvs/page-images/pages/Lord-Atkin-Page-2. html Mary Charman, J. M. (2004). Law AS & A2. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Quinn, C. E. (2006). AS Law (3rd ed. ). Essex: Pearsin Education Ltd. Pg 41, Longshaw, A & Hughes, M W200: Understanding Law – Manual 1 (6th Edition), (2002), Oxford University Press, Oxford). BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Slapper G. and Kelly D. The English Legal System (5th Edition), (2001) Cavendish Publishing Ltd, London. 2. Longshaw, A & Hughes, M W200: Understanding Law – Manual 1 (6th Edition), (2002), Oxford University Press, Oxford). 3. Penner J. E. Law Dictionary (12th Eidtion), (2001) Butterworths, London). 4. http://www. lawcampus. butterworths. com/log_in. htm 5. http://athens. butterworths. co. uk/athenslogin/FormsLogin. asp? /athenslogin/buttlogin. htm

The Sensual Culture Reader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Reflective exercise for studing marketing module Essay

Reflective exercise for studing marketing module - Essay Example My knowledge on the topic of international marketing has improved tremendously as a result of the classes and lecture sessions. I have learnt that the strategies of marketing for internal businesses have become a crucial and cumbersome task in today’s competitive world. Globalisation is one of the most important contributing factors to international marketing strategies. My information was updated to a much greater extent in the areas of international marketing and its impact on global factors to an organization’s managerial decision making, the approaches of entering new markets, designing and developing new products for international markets, the attributes of marketing research internationally, the marketing mix for international business and a lot more. Our group comprised of three members including me. We had diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds two of us are Chinese and one belonged to Saudi Arabia. Due to the difference in cultural and religious backgrounds I learnt how to communicate and manage a diverse team. We as a team found out that the business rules of International Marketing are not the same as they used to be few years ago. The reasons behind these change of rules and strategies is globalisation and its associated threats and opportunities. I got the information that due to various factors like increased globalisation, technological advancements and increased role of internet, the competition has increased greatly these days in every industry. Due to this reason, businesses have to adopt newer methods and strategies in order to survive in the competitive world and have a sustainable business. I also got familiar with the difference of conventional marketing and international marketing and due to this I realised that the modern marketers have changed their mind sets for global development. In today’s world the traditional ways of marketing are not sufficient for this reason the marketers and the executives need to be more innovative thinkers, create newer and better ideas to market internationally and possess quick decision making capabilities. The concept of innovation in marketing techniques was also highlighted in one of the lectures and I think this is one of the basic requirements for international marketing methods of today’s world. Examples of innovative marketing techniques are video clips posted on social networking websites and viral marketing. The conventional tools for assessing the decision making abilities of an organization which includes the SWOT analysis and the PESTL analysis are found to be quite different from a global business perspective. Important to note, that I studied and analysed that now more number of factors are needed to be analysed and examined in SWOT and PESTL analysis for a global organization. I would also like to accept and appreciate the skills of my teacher who encouraged and motivated us to learn the concepts of International marketing from a broader vi ew point and effectively implement it in the practical world when possible. The lectures, seminars and the reading materials were adequate enough to bring deeper insight in the students and held up to date information. We also studied and learnt to determine the opportunities present in the global marketing with the help of real-life case studies. Moreover, it was studied that the

Corporation As a Legal Entity Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Corporation As a Legal Entity - Case Study Example After carrying on a leather business for sometime, Mr. Salomon turned his business into a limited company. At that time the law required the number of shareholders to be essentially seven. Mr. Salomon held 20,001 shares with his wife and five children holding six remaining shares, making him the majority shareholder of the company. He also acted as the sole director of the company. Mr. Salomon sold his previous business to the company and received the payment in the form of debentures. The debentures were worth 10,000, which were secured by him with the charge, making him a secured creditor of the company. After some time his business failed and he had to liquidate the company. The debentures were paid off out of the remaining assets but nothing was left to pay the unsecured creditors of the company who sued Mr. Salomon to be personally liable for the debts of the company. The court's decision however went in the favour of Mr. Salomon on the basis that he had not committed any fraud and that he could not be held liable for his company's debts as a company is a separate being from that of its owners and directors, even when the majority of shares and debentures were held by him (Griffin, 2000) It is therefore evident from above illustration that a company's owners, shareholders, directors, and management cannot be termed as the same entity as the company itself, because in the light of law, these are distinct from each other. Therefore, the claim of the Bensons Carpfit Ltd's unsecured creditors that the owners and shareholders of the company should personally pay to them other than the company's assets is vague and has no legal obligation on the owner as commented by Cheffins (1997, p147), "in the ordinary course, a company's shareholders, directors, and officers are not personally liable for the company's debts". The case of Salomon v Salomon & Co validates this point and the court's verdict proved that director and shareholder could not be held liable for the debts of the company. The claim of unsecured creditors that Ben who holds the majority of shares, is the sole director and rest of the shareholders being his trustees in the company, should be held liable for the company's debts because he seems to have traded the company solely. The same was the claim raised by the creditors in the case of Salomon v Salomon & Co that Mr. Salomon being the majority shareholder and sole director of the company should be responsible for the company's debts. However, the court disagreed that even if that had been the case, Mr. Salomon could still not be held liable. Thus, the claim of the creditors of Ben's company holds no validity in the eyes of law. In the case of Levy V Abercorris Slate and Slab Co, the court enjoined that debenture entails existence or recognition of a debt. Ben also held debentures worth 10,000 having charge over the company's assets. The charge on Ben's debentures need to be determined by the court concerning their nature as being floating or fixed. In the case of Re Mamagh shoes ltd (1982), the court disregarded the parties' consideration of document as a fixed charge and reckoned it to be a floating charge. It means that the Ben's loan to his company was secured and in case of liquidation he was much in a

Son Of The Revolution Essay Example for Free

Son Of The Revolution Essay STRUGGLE AGAINST ONESELF; CRITICIZE REVISIONISM (p. 144) was a slogan often used during the Great Cultural Revolution. In reality, the Cultural Revolution was not great at all. It was an unwarranted attack on personal freedoms of Chinas people. The Chinese fought themselves, they even acknowledged it as a struggle. They looked upon this struggle as part of the great Cultural Revolution. At age 3, a boy should not be held accountable for his parents political status. Yet, Liang Heng was. One mistake on his mothers, Yan Zhi-de, behalf changed his life forever. Yan Zhi-de uttered the words that the leaders of the Party would not listen to the masses opinions when it came time to give raises. This led the Party to label her a rightist. What began as the Hundred Flowers Movement quickly changed to the Anti-Rightist Movement, leading many to the path of poor political performance. In turn, disgracing her family members, she was sent to become a peasant. For the rest of her life, Yan Zhi-de remained a peasant. After this incident, Liang Heng, Liang Wei-Ping, and Liang Fang had been labeled Rightists children. Though each of the children attempted to fit in, the other students picked fights with Liang Heng and the children never had the opportunity to join the Red Guards. Not until Liang Heng tricked his way into being admitted into the group. Liang Heng saw many different aspects of the Cultural Revolution. He became a student, a peasant, a basket ball player, factory worker, and finally an intellectual (writer.) Liang Heng had been falsely accused of many crimes throughout his life, and he held his ground firmly. Fate had another choice for Liang Fang. Though she would try desperately to join the Communist Youth League, she was never able to. However, she did join the Red Guards and later became a Rebel. Ultimately, she ended up as a peasant until her mid-twenties. Liang Wei-Ping joined the Educated Youth which was the determining factor that led her to become a peasant. Liang Shan had one of the most miserable situations out of the entire family. Once his wife had been declared a rightist, he immediately attempted to  break off all relations with her. This was unsuccessful. Everything in his life went downhill from there. He was publicly humiliated and suffered mental torture due to the fact that he had to criticize himself. Liang Shan was sent to a re-education center for a number of years, then spending the rest of his days in the countryside. He eventually had a stroke and lost the abilities of his left side. The Cultural Revolution was a serious mistake. A mistake that took many happy homes and destroyed them. Neglecting to seriously care about the people of his country, Chairman Mao started a disaster. Thankfully, this disaster ended with his death. That allowed people to live somewhat normal lives, compared to the horrible lives the lower class was forced to live during the Cultural Revolution.

Problems caused by viruses

Problems caused by viruses Introduction I will discuss about different types of viruses and what threats they hold towards the computer and what kind of damage they can do. A virus is a small program written to alter the way a computer operates, without the permission of the user. I will talk about:- What a virus does How it can affect your computer A Bit of History About Virus Different types of viruses How does it cause problems when your using the internet and Conclusions Threats of Viruses A virus can only spread from one computer to another when its host is taken to the target computer. A user can send viruses over the Internet or it can be carried on things like CD, DVD or USB drive. Viruses can increase their chances of spreading to other computers by infecting files on a network file system or a file system that is accessed by another computer. It can damage your network area and without the proper antivirus software, your computer is most likely to be affected by a virus, especially if you are going to use the internet. A virus must meet two criteria: The virus has to be executed by itself. In order to be executed by itself, it has to have its own coding on when to be executed. The virus has to replicate itself. It has to copy itself from the original, so it can create a problem for the user. Viruses can infect desktop computers and network servers alike. History of Virus In the early 1980s, experiments were carried out on computer security and 1983 saw the emergence of the first virus. Fred Cohen, at that time a student at the University of Southern California, had the idea of introducing self-reproducing software, which could spread by infiltrating existing programmes, thus attacking the security of multi-user computing systems. Len Adleman, Cohens thesis adviser suggested that this was similar to a biological virus, which uses the resources of the cell it attacks to reproduce itself. The term computer virus was born. 6 Types of Viruses File Infector Viruses A virus that affects program files. This virus can damage the programs that you either use or do not use basically it damages executable files such as .exe and .com files. Boot Sector Viruses A virus that affects the system area of the disk such as floppy disk or CD. Boot sector viruses attach themselves to the program of that specific disk and activate when the user attempts to start up their PC from the infected disk. Master Boot Record Viruses A virus that affects the boot sectors. It saves a legitimate copy of the master boot record in a different location without you knowing that it has done it without your permission. Multipartite Viruses A virus that affects both programs and boot sectors. Basically for this virus if one is not clean, then the one that is clean will be infected. For example if the boot sector is clean, but the files are not, then the boot sector will be infected. Macro Viruses A virus that affects data files. This virus is the most common virus than any other viruses above because this virus can damage Microsoft programs such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel and etc. Virus Hoax A virus that are sent by emails. This virus can damage and delete everything on your hard drive if an email thats got a virus is either on your inbox or if you have open that email. Conclusions Virus Hoax is one of the viruses that can cause problems when you are using the internet because the email that is affected by a virus can damage and delete important files from your computer. A lot of people are getting these virus hoax chain letters, which can spread like fire depending on how many people you are sending it to. When people get these chain letters, they dont check who they got it from and open it up straight away and forward the message to other people, so they computer can get infected by the virus, so it is very important to 1st find out who sent u the email and 2nd if you receive an email titled which some will have email virus hoax on it then do not open it!. Another way of having a virus on your computer is if a hacker installs a virus onto your computer. This can happen if there is no anti-virus software or firewall and if there is no program to protect your computer, then the hacker has an easy access to your computer which he can do any kind of damage to your computer. Once the hacker gets into your computer, the hacker can do anything to your computer, it can even mess your computer up by installing a virus of any kind. So in order to prevent that from happening your will need either an anti-virus or a firewall onto your computer.(See Details Below) How do you get rid and prevent your computer from having a virus? To prevent from having any types of viruses, you will need to have anti-virus software. It is software that will track down and get rid of any viruses that are on your computer and also prevents any viruses from getting into your computer. It can also protect your computer from any other threats as well such as Trojans and hacking. Another way your can prevent having troubles while your using the internet is to have a firewall. Firewall is a necessary program to keep intruders away while you are connected to the internet such as hackers. Hackers can hack into your computer and create a massacre for example create a program to spy on you and take some important information such as credit card number when you do online shopping or install a virus without you knowing anything about it. So it is recommended that if you do not have an anti-virus program, then have firewall on or install firewall to prevent hackers to hack into your computer while you are on internet. Reference: http://service1.symantec.com/support/nav.nsf/docid/1999041209131106 http://www.windowsmaven.com/ http://www.internet-story.com/dangers.htm

Sexism in the Media and Music Industry | Essay

Sexism in the Media and Music Industry | Essay Introduction Sexism is the type of behavior created by a society through gender conditioning which equally degrades both men and women. â€Å"Sexism is the subordination of one sex, usually female, based on the assumed superiority of [another] sex† (Kendall, 2004, p. 76). It refers to a system of beliefs that objectifies and lowers the status of one sex and that creates reason of discrimination on the basis of this status. Examples of this attitude are sexist humor, sexist naming, sexual violence and employment discrimination. At personal level sexism refers to behaviors and attitudes that are used in everyday interactions. Gender or sex role related to the difference between men and women that are society or culture originated. SEXISM IN MEDIA In the few last years we have read and watched women who are not afraid to talk out about sexism attacks, abusively written about , threatened with hostile actions and being send aggressive and sexually detailed tweets, Facebook messages and emails. Almost every women have been on the receiving end of such abuse and I think every women should stand up for herself and be heard, writing this assignment can be just one small part to achieve change, people should realize how the media degrades women or the impact it has on individuals and our society. SEXISM IN MUSIC Popular culture takes everything to an extreme exaggeration, including this type of sexism, to earn profit. As the mainstream music industry that have grown over the last 10 years, the majority of the songs that are being played on the radio and channels are not appropriate, even the inappropriate words is replaced with something cheesy and age-appropriate ,it does not help or change the message hidden in this songs. In the article written by Tricia Ross â€Å"There are Bitches and Hoes,† she is addressing that rap/hip-hop and urban culture has often promoted the demeaning of women in the music industry. Popular old hip hop artists like Too Short, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dogg are among the few hip hop artists that are allowing the degrading of women. Snoop’s popular lyrics â€Å"Bitches ain’t shit, but hoes and tricks,† and Too Short’s song â€Å"Gangstas and Strippers† are so inappropriate for being released on the music industry. The hi p hop culture advertises the idea that being a pimp to a woman is completely fine. Their defense being that â€Å"they are talking about a reality of life and dare people to deny it† (Rose 322). Popular artist like Snoop tries to justify his song by saying he is not talking about all the women even though even though they don’t specify the type of women they sing or rap about. â€Å"There is no question that the sexism that‘s in our hip-hop videos is a reflection of how sexist men are in the world today. It‘s just that in the past things weren‘t so obvious† (Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def. Jam Records). Since its birth in 1974 till today’s popularity worldwide, hip-hop music has extremely changed. Nowadays in the hip-hop music and music videos, there is many explicit words that degrades women. In many music videos women have no individuality and are promoted as sexual playthings and eye candy. Artists, such as Eminem, Ludacris, R.Kelly, Lil Wayne, Robin Thicke and Chris Brown are among the many artist who describe women as objects of harassment or male controlled world by communicating that submission is a desirable action by woman. Most of the messages in their song glorify sexism against women including rape, abuse and advertise gender objectification and dehumanizes women mainly. Robin Thicke and Pharell Williams’s popular song in 2013 â€Å"blurred lines† created a controversy with the lyrics such as† I know you want it, But youre a good girl ,The way you grab me, Must wanna get nasty† ,well you cant know they want it unless they tell you they want it, he assumes she want it. It advertises and promotes attitude towards sex and consent. Many people have called the song a rape song, the song would have escaped censure if the music video, that had Robin Thicke, Pharell Williams and T.I all three of them dancing and goofing around with barely dressed girls and that is the clean version, the other version had topless models, this has generated its own separate but also overlapping controversy. People who have been calling this song completely offensive to women have a strong case. Nevertheless, the song is about setting a good girl free by telling and showing her that she really wants some crazy sex that she is not even asking for. Robin Thicke keeps repeating the lyrics I know you want it while his rapping partner T.I. raps Ill give you something big enough to tear your ass in two. In GQ magazine when Robin Thicke was interviewed, he said, We tried to do everything that was taboo. Bestiality, drug injections, and everything that is completely derogatory towards women. Because all three of us are happily married with children, we were like, Were the perfect guys to make fun of this. What underlies Robin Thicke’s depressing statement this that if the men respect their women, it is alright for them to degrade their women. The artist makes it sadly clear when he explains: People say, Hey, do you think this is degrading to women? Im like, Of course it is. What a pleasure it is to degrade a woman. Ive never gotten to do that before. Ive always respected women, not only is he saying it totally fine to degrade women, it’s actually fun. All issues in the world exist within these lines. The thought that it’s a â€Å"pleasure† to demean women after he had lived all his life respecting them is ridiculous. That it’s even funny or that he could do that because he is happily married with woman and has children is the thought of someone completely deluded, who has been living his complete life in a bubble of entitlement. Kanye West’s latest album has been accused for its sexist words against women, it also has been criticized by male and female critics alike as a very amazing, brilliant and bold album. Most of the attention and reviews focused on Kanye West’s potential sacrilege and harmful use of racism, few people called out his offensive and degrading attitude towards women. â€Å"Took her to the Bleau, she tried to sip the fountain/ That when David Grutman kicked her out/ But I got her back in and put my dick in her mouth.† Those are some lyrics from Kanye West’s first track, â€Å"On Sight,† which seems to refer directly to West’s girlfriend and mother of his baby girl Kim Kardashian and her relationship with Grutman, who is one of the people in-charge of Fontainebleau hotel in Miami, which would means he wrote this disgusting lyrics about the women he allegedly loves and about to marry. West himself was raised by a single working mother, whom he respected and loved. He was raised by a feminist, although she was never named that but She was a strong-willed woman who had raised an artist who both claims to completely inspired and completely, purposely sexist. The most interesting fact about hip-hop artists using this language towards women to be alright is the women’s reactions and behavior while listening to this music .When a young woman, a fan of the certain artist, listens to lyrics in the song like â€Å"bitches and hoes,† the hip hop musician is encouraging fans to imitate the behaviors and acts of these so-called â€Å"bitches and hoes.† Women participate not only in the acts these rappers are rapping about but also are featured in the music videos. These women who participate in this videos are called â€Å"video hoes† or â€Å"video vixen. When a women participates in this behaviors or staring in these rapper’s videos and even singing along in their car points out that they are okay with sexism. Being against sexism in a society or culture that takes advantage of it is not very easy, in a system that rewards us for participating. In another parts of the world, a group consisting of all girl Indian rock band have been disbanded after being targeted online by hate campaigns and have been issued fatwa (Islamic legal opinion handed down by an Islamic religious leader) against them . Pragaash (meaning â€Å"First Light† in Kashmiri) have won the third place in the battle of the bands a competition that’s being held in the Muslim dominated Kashmir, but the attention they gained after their achievement in the competition was so horrible that it caused them not to only stop their performances but to end their ties to the music industry, even one of three band members have fled her city to another. These girls have been called â€Å"whores† and â€Å"prostitutes† by these online hate campaign members and are being called indecent by the issued fatwa against them, while they were all wearing jeans, scarfs and long-sleeved shirts/jackets. While many members of both local and online communities have shown their support for the band members, others have being continuously threatening the girls and their immediate families, and they accused the girls of western-style culture influence. The nature of this matter is obviously affected by culture and religious differences but the main fact remains the same, that sexism is common around the globe. It also asks the question of how much more do we need to develop before it is universally know that this type of act is not simply unfair or harmful but that it is also a crime.

E350 Review Essay -- Product Review

Introduction Two door coupe with a V6 engine that can change the thinking of a person. Wasn’t that a confusing and a technical sentence to digest, let it be a bit easier to understand that can put some adrenaline in your thinking? The all new E350 two door car is here which has a power turbine of 6 cylinders in V Formation. Well that’s the converted one, we humans are always in search of showing the other person that you are not worth in this game. The E350 is with the same tag line as mentioned and to hell with other car manufacturers. The E350 is designed with new specifications and listed above all coupes in the Indian auto industry. Well this is a fact which cannot be changed even with the use of some technical jargons to fill up the gap. The E350 is one of the aggressive looking coupe models in the list of the Mercedes Benz. The E350 does not have any collaboration with AMG or Brabus. It is one of the sleek looking cars which have the capacity to do wonders in every possible ma nner. Step inside the E350 and get a feel of true German sports car. Having the E350 in your hands The new car has lots of space which can accommodate 4 adults in ease. Well it’s a two door car and the front seats need to be pulled ahead with force. A cup holder is present between the front and rear seats which gives the passenger some leg room. The cup holder box separates the front and rear seat area where the passenger can stretch his legs. An automatic belt feeder is present in the E350 which straps the passenger and driver. The centre console is present on the steering wheel where the belt feeder button can be activated. Electronic seats are given to the E350 which make it easy to drive the car. You can adjust them according to your needs... ...nt in the car which is activated when there is pressure in the front of the car. Bump sensors are present in the E350 which are activated when there is pressure due to mishap. Automatically doors are unlocked when an accident takes place. This is one of the wonders of enhanced engineering inventions. Cutting points are marked inside the car which is highlighted if the rescuers need to cut the vehicle. Emergency lights are activated when the car has stopped. If the accident has greater impact on the body its engine and petrol supply is cut off. Verdict The E350 is a good deal when it comes to sport driving in India. It has features which are seen in European cars. The E350 is smooth and elegant to drive. You can sense comfort and luxury right when you step inside the vehicle. Cost of the E350 is also perfect as a V6 engine delivers close output to other cars.

Pride In Poetry :: essays research papers

â€Å"And the Devil did grin, for his darling sin is pride that apes humility† (Coleridge). Pride effects everyone and everything. It effects the way that we live, the way that we read and the way that we go about things. It hinders people and events. T.S. Eliot seems to have some experience with this word in context. In his two poems, â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† and â€Å"The Journey of the Magi†, there seems to be strong senses of pride and regret of an unfulfilled life. They each make a tour through points in their lives, which seem to have been hard times. Pride puts a bad outlook on life, just like it says in the quote by Coleridge. It is a big problem that drapes over the heads of human kind and seems to be a big thing in the eyes of the speakers in the poems. It is a hard thing to get past and it hurts you very easily. If you live your life in fear, it may end before you can do what you wanted to do with your life. If Eliot’s poems a re doing anything, they are telling people to get past their insecurities and go for it. Eliot could be using himself as an example as someone whom hung up his insecurities and succeeded. Pride is shown a lot in these poems, and it shows why someone should get past it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock†, a dead man is going through his life that has been filled with regret. The poem is an ode to Dante’s book, The Divine Comedy, in particular the part entitled Inferno. This is shown in the epilogue of the poem. There is a quote that says, â€Å"If I thought my answer were to one who ever could return to the world, this flame should shake no more, but since none ever did return alive from this depth, if what I hear be true without fear of infamy I answer thee† (Manganiello 18). In Inferno, the speaker overcomes his initial reluctance to reveal his identity when he takes Dante for one of the damned like himself, confined to hell for eternity. The speaker believed that his story would never be told on earth. When he finally announces what it is that happened to him, the words express â€Å"a hidden pride for having once achieved earthly renown and an active desire to vindicate his reputation† ( 19).

Reality in Jean Genet’s ‘the Balcony’ Essay

Jean Genet’s Le Balcon (or The Balcony) is an absurdist play in which the main structure is the â€Å"philosophical battle between illusion and reality† (Savona 1983: 76) and this essay will investigate some of the levels of reality within an absurdist and existentialist context in Genet’s play. The play itself â€Å"offers a spectacularly theatrical exploration of the relationship between fantasy and reality† (Patterson 2005: 32) whilst also seeking â€Å"to negate reality itself† (Innes 2001: 438). Whilst also attempting to transform reality into a fantasy world in which its characters can escape the dismay of daily life, it is â€Å"also designed to be a moving play which†¦ keeps the audience aware that it is a play† they are watching and not allowing them to get lost in the world of illusion, fantasy and desire that the characters are trapped in (Reck 1962: 23). This echoes a technique used as part of Brecht’s Verfremdungseffekt, and by keeping the spectator at a critical distance, they become observers and thus can learn something about their own lives and the world in which they live. The play is set in Madame Irma’s Maison d’illusions (or house of illusions) which to the spectator is clearly a brothel, but not a brothel in the conventional sense. In the brothel, men of everyday walks of life (for example a plumber) act out sexual fantasies with the women that work there. Their sexual fantasies are by no means conventional either, for example the ‘clients’ of the brothel take on the personas of powerful men, namely a bishop, an executioner, a judge and a general. From the exposition of the play, it is unclear that the bishop isn’t actually a bishop as the costume, dialogue and action of the bishop are completely authentic aside from the fact that the powerful characters â€Å"tower over all the other actors as well as the audience† (McMahon 1963: 110). This is visually unrealistic and takes the spectator away from realism right from the onset, yet somehow draws them into this world of illusion. The sexual acts were intended by Genet to contain meaning and not to be realistic. They are merely projections, a series of images of man trapped in a hall of mirrors, not attempting to convey naturalism in the slightest (McMahon 1963: 176) and the characters’ â€Å"performance becomes reflections of reflections† (Innes 2001: 438). As Esslin states in his The Theatre of the Absurd, â€Å"there are no characters in the conventional sense†¦merely the images of basic urges and impulses† (Esslin 2001: 22). Image is of key importance in the play; it is everything â€Å"for the deeper one moves into images the less danger there will be of reality’s coming back to question the veracity of the images† (McMahon 1963: 162). One of the key themes of the play is the escape from reality, and as T. S Eliot wrote â€Å"human kind cannot bear much reality† (1964: 69), one of the fundamental messages Genet is trying to portray in his play. There is a strong sense of the actor merging with the character in The Balcony (Savona 1983: 86), or the character merging with the fantasy characters they attempt to portray in the brothel, or characters they so long to be, even for just an hour or so. This inauthentic relationship between reality and fantasy reflects human nature and life itself – we have all at some point aspired, or even wished that we could be someone else, someone with power or respect. However as McMahon suggests â€Å"there is no aspiration within the motivation of these people to be bishop, judge or general; the limit of their ambitions knows its range, and the cutting off point†¦is the thin line between pretence and reality† (1963: 160). The play takes a turn when the clients of the brothel are forced to take on the characters they are pretending to be for real. It is at this point that the illusion is destroyed and the men of everyday life no longer want the roles they are playing. For them, the roles are now too realistic and there is no escape from them – the relationship between reality and fantasy has become authentic. When the characters are acting out their roles in the real world, they are no longer comforted by their imagination; they are faced with the harsh reality of life, the one thing that they have sought to escape in the first place. This is reinforced by the fact the characters are reluctant to assist the chief of police and be â€Å"dragged from their dream world into the harshness and dangers of reality† (Thody 1970: 186-187). The revolution outside can be seen as a symbol of real life. â€Å"Were it not for the revolution, the various characters could continue to play their games in the enclosed a-historical atmosphere provided for them†¦but the revolution is there, and threatens at any moment to destroy their world of illusion completely† (Thody 1970: 179). During the play, various sounds of gunfire can be heard in the background of the scenes – A threat from the real world outside reminding the characters they have tried to escape life and whilst this may be successful for the hour they are in the brothel, real life is still going out outside. â€Å"Machine gun fire attempts to undermine the magic of illusion created and reflects Brecht’s distancing effect† (Savona 1983: 89). Once again Genet forces the spectator to remember that they are watching a play, but also when we all hide behind the facade of life, or try and escape reality, the real world is still very much at large in the background and we can’t ignore this! â€Å"The theme of illusion reaches its climax at the very end of the action, when Madame Irma comes to the front of the stage to remind the audience that they have, after all, only been watching a play† (Thody 1970: 185). The spectator is suddenly brought back to ‘the real word’ having witnessed actors playing characters, characters playing characters, characters playing people. The audience has taken the journey through Madam Irma’s ‘house of illusions’, and has been presented with a theatrical projection of humanity through many planes of reality. She tells the audience â€Å"you must now go home, where everything – you can be quite sure – will be falser than here†¦You must now go† (Genet 1966: 96). She has highlighted that as humans we have a tendency to hide behind the facade of life, to go along with what we are told and what we see, thus taking life for granted. We then think back to the characters in the play and realise how they are merely projections of ourselves. â€Å"Genet proclaims the illusion of reality and the reality of illusion† (Nelson 1963: 61). For the spectator and the characters â€Å"reality has become indiscernible from illusion† (Nelson 1963: 65) and the audience must ask themselves where does reality end and pretence begins. BIBLIOGRAPHY Eliot, T. S. , Murder in the Cathedral (Fort Washington PA: Harvest Books, 1964) Esslin, Martin, The Theatre of the Absurd, 3rd Edition (London: Metheun, 2001). Genet, Jean, The Balcony (New York: Grove Press, 1966) Innes, Christopher, ‘Theatre After Two World Wars’, in The Oxford Illustrated History of the Theatre, ed. by John Russell Brown (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), pp. 380-444. Macquarrie, John, Existentialism (Baltimore: Pelican Books, 1972) McMahon, Joseph H. , The Imagination of Jean Genet (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1963) Nelson, Banjamin, ‘The Balcony and Parisian Existentialism’, The Tulane Drama Review, 7:3 (1963), 60-79. Oswald, Laura, Jean Genet and the Semiotics of Performance (Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1989) Patterson, Michael, The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005) Reck, Rima Drell, ‘Appearance and Reality in Genet’s Le Balcon’, The New Dramatists, 29:1 (1962), 20-25. Savona, Jeannette L. , Jean Genet (London and Basingstoke: The Macmillan Press, 1983) Styan, J. L. , The English Stage (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996) Thody, Philip, Jean Genet: A Study of His Novels and Plays (New York: Stein and Day, 1970).

Obama Care The Federal Legacy Health And Social Care Essay

The historical development of province wellness attention policies and their development to establishments of the present twenty-four hours has created an environment where the support of province wellness attention and its reform has been a focal point of citizens and governmental entities likewise. Recent province policy research and media focus frequently list the immense cost loads that states face to handle many of their uninsured citizens including the indigent and low-income persons, peculiarly those with important chronic medical conditions and viz. dialysis patients. Safety Net, or â€Å" Disproportionate Share, † Hospitals ( 1980s to 2009 ) Before 1981, Medicaid paid infirmaries with unreimbursed attention based on â€Å" sensible costs. † The disproportionately high costs of infirmary attention[ 1 ]caused Congress to acknowledge Disproportionate Share Hospitals ( DSH ) in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act ( OBRA ) of 1981. DSHs are defined as those that serve preponderantly low-income patients, and as such, are public infirmaries that are entitled to federal aid. These DSH, or â€Å" Safety Internet † infirmaries, supply a broad assortment of attention. In 1987, the so Health Care Financing Administration[ 2 ]( HFCA ) released a survey that reviewed province DSH plans. As a consequence, Congress required provinces make payments to acknowledge DSH public infirmaries. In 1990, province discretion was increased in footings of their DSH plan designs. Different classs were allowed, but this increased DSH disbursement. By 1992, DSH disbursement cost $ 17.4 billion. As a consequence, Congress passed the Medicaid Voluntary Contribution and Provider-Specific Tax Amendments Act of 1991 to restrict funding of the non-federal portion and limited national sum DSH disbursement to 12 % of entire Medicaid disbursement. Further efforts to restrict DSH disbursement occurred in 1993, in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, which reduced Medicare DSH payments by 8.6 % , and in the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. In 2003, the Medicaid DSH Program funded 23 % of unreimbursed attention in the United States[ 3 ]. Projections indicate that $ 11.3 billion of the jutting $ 216 billion the federal authorities will pass on Medicaid in financial twelvemonth ( FY ) 2009 will be for DSH payments. This includes financess from ObamaCare ( Pete rs, Christie Provost, 2009 ) .Recent Attempts at Health Care ReformIn 1994, President Clinton attempted to go through the American Health Security Act without success. Harmonizing to one article, Business and insurance groups by and large opposed the reform bundle, while labour and the AARP supported Clinton ‘s measure. However, Clinton ‘s program was so comprehensive and complicated in the ways it might impact the dynamic wellness attention industry that some organisations changed sides during the legislative conflict and others splintered into opposing cabals ( Lowery, et al. , 2005 ) . In 1997, the Children ‘s Health Insurance Act ( CHIP ) plan was enacted. This plan provides insurance coverage for kids of low- to moderate-income places without private insurance. The plan is provided at both the federal and province ( SCHIP ) degrees as province legislative assemblies addressed wellness issues during the same clip. The legislative docket included prescription drug coverage, ordinance of managed attention, and cosmopolitan coverage, with different results than at the national degree ( IBID ) . The 50 provinces passed over 900 different Torahs modulating managed attention, between 1995 and 2001 as reported by the NCSL[ 4 ]. Health attention comprises a big part of province budgets ; multiple groups anteroom for Medicaid, SCHIP, public employees ‘ wellness insurance, and other wellness attention support. In 2003, President Bush expanded Medicare to include prescription drug coverage[ 5 ]. Massachusetts Health Care Reform In 2006, Massachusetts enacted wellness attention reforms, which were frequently touted by advocates of ObamaCare. The Massachusetts â€Å" carrot and stick † attack of single authorizations, coupled with a province tally insurance â€Å" exchange, † enables the uninsured to buy portable insurance at regulated/affordable rates. As of 2010, 97 % of Massachusetts occupants have wellness insurance ( see Appendix 6: Percentage of Massachusetts Residents without Health Insurance ) , with greater Numberss of employers offering wellness insurance than the national norm[ 6 ]. â€Å" MassHealth, † is the agencies by which the province provides comprehensive medical coverage, with eligibility standards for up to 300 % of the federal poorness degree ( FPL )[ 7 ]for low-income occupants and persons with disablements. Harmonizing to the Governor ‘s FY2011 budget, $ 9.84 billion is included for MassHealth Medicaid plans, an addition of 6.5 % from FY2010 ( see Appendix 7: MassHealth Average Enrollment ) . For those occupants who can non afford wellness insurance, Commonwealth Care provides wellness insurance for persons up to 300 % of the FPL with a full subsidy for those under 100 % of the FPL through a â€Å" to the full capitated insurance theoretical account[ 8 ]â€Å" . As of FY2010, over 150,000 occupants were enrolled, with a FY2011 budget of $ 838 million that includes a jutting 20,000 member enrollment addition. MassCare includes a $ 40 million Commonwealth Care Bridge for legal immigrants populating in the United States under five old ages. Massachusetts ‘ reform attempts ( Massachusetts Act, Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006 ) have been both a success and a failure. Evidence of success reveal that in 2008, 96 % of occupants were estimated to hold wellness insurance. There were additions in insurance coverage reported across every population and conformity with the single authorization is high, with about 1 % of grownups assessed a punishment for disobedience ( Long, 2010 ) . Evidence of failure indicates the undermentioned ( Samuelson, 2010 ) : the province subsidizes insurance for people with incomes up to 300 % the federal poorness line ( FPL ) ; the easy portion – spread outing state-subsidized insurance coverage – succeeded ; the difficult portion – controlling costs and guaranting that passing improves people ‘s wellness – failed. Emergency suites are still as crowded, and that take place wage is being squeezed because of the coverage costs. Additionally, costs have shifted aut horities precedences from public safety, instruction, substructure, and lower revenue enhancements to wellness attention as the province budget went from 22 % for wellness attention to 35 % , of which 90 % of that is Medicaid. MassCare besides provides a Health Care Finance and Policy Division Health Safety Net ( HSN ) , once known as the Uncompensated Care Pool. HSN reimburses infirmaries and other Safety Net medical suppliers for low-income patients who are uninsured or underinsured. The payments for Safety Net suppliers decreased from 2007 to 2009 ( Appendix 8: Health Safety Net Payments Compared to Hospital Payments ) due to expanded wellness insurance coverage for occupants[ 9 ]. This lessening in Safety Net reimbursements may be a positive index for cost recovery at UMC. As patients obtain insurance, UMC may be able to better measure the insurance suppliers for attention provided, but it is excessively shortly to state if this will be a factor as patients may choose to pay the punishment of being uninsured instead than pay the higher premiums for wellness insurance. Round 2 of Massachusetts ‘ Health Reform attempted to turn to cost containment, but cost nest eggs obtained by Massachusetts ‘ wellness attention reform are overshadowed by growing in wellness attention outgos ( see Appendix 9: Growth in Health Spending in MA Expected to Surpass Other Economic Indicators Index of Health Expenditures Per Capita and Other Indexs in MA, 1991-2020 ) . Cost containment attempts outpace the province ‘s attempts to fit grosss to outgos. Harmonizing to the Governor ‘s FY2011 budget, â€Å" Experts believe that about 30 % of today ‘s wellness attention disbursement produces no benefit to patientsaˆÂ ¦we pass a significant sum of money per twelvemonth on preventable and unneeded exigency room visits, hospitalizations and readmissions, while the United States has the doubtful differentiation of taking the universe in duplicative medical trials[ 10 ]â€Å" and that farther payment reform is needed to incorporate these costs.

Light Emitting Diode

LIGHT EMITTING DIODES Light Emitting Diodes are electronic components that use the flow of electrons to excite materials into emitting photons of light. A diode is a basic electronic component that allows electricity to flow one way only. The discovery of â€Å"light emitting† diodes we believe was an accident sometime around 1907 when a diode in an early radio transmitter was noticed to glow when in use. Incandescent bulbs use resistance in a filament to impede the flow of electricity, heating up to a degree which emits light.It takes high amounts of energy to do this and the filament burns out in time and high levels of wasted energy are given off in the form of heat. Quite a â€Å"green† product from a manufacturing and chemical/recyclable point of view. CFL â€Å"energy savers†, fluorescent tubes and many other conventional lamps use higher frequency alternating current to excite harmful chemicals to emit light. One 5 foot 1,5meter tube contains enough mercur y to contaminate a swimming pool. Billions have been dumped into waste disposal. Heavy metal poisons have a cumulative effect.In the long term these cannot be a â€Å"fix† for the energy crisis we face today. They are poisoning our earth and also us directly through the food chain and locally with emission of harmful UV. So â€Å"Energy savers† are in the writers opinion very dangerous and should be banned. Aquifers for example may soon be or may already have been rendered unusable. Cape Town for example has water shortages in summer, but our municipal uncontrolled dumps are sitting on top of these aquifers. With poison being cumulative up the food chain, we worry about the safety of this water.A lot of our vegetables are grown in this area, using this aquifer water. Has this water or these vegetables been tested? LED lighting uses less energy than most other lighting sources, with current commercially available product generation producing 90 or more lumens per watt a nd doing so with a good power factor. Initial start up current is not high so production capacity of electricity can be reduced. Led lighting can give the illusion of natural light and thus the lit area may not be so obvious as with the predominantly yellow wash from other technologies.However, this warm effect can be created with the appropriate (warm) colour scale choice of LED. (Kelvin scale) LED lamps can be made to any specific colour from infra-red to ultra violet for specific requirement. For example, the pure white, 5000-6000K or daylight white 6000-7000k (slightly blue to look at) will greatly enhance viewing of detail, help old tired eyes with reading and greatly improves CCTV camera image quality. The limited white light band emitted by LED luminaries with very little long wavelength red light content, does not reflect off glass for example so that CCTV cameras will view inside of vehicles for example.Visual quality control of food products and manufactured goods is enhan ced. Finishing lines for the automotive industry will clearly show up any blemishes for example. LED useful life span is longer than most other forms of lighting. Actually LED lifespan is governed more by the mains power supply conversion components that drive them. The LED component should be good for 50 000 hours with acceptable loss of output , however the lamp will be limited by the lifespan of the driver which is likely to be 20 to 30 000 hours. The driver converts your input mains Alternating Current to Direct Current.The led itself being a diode, runs on low DC voltage. I prefer constant voltage power supplies to drive LED's as opposed to constant current drivers. Constant current drivers are a little more energy efficient but we have found in practice that they cause the LED to run too hot for our liking and in some circumstances don't switch the current fast enough and pop the led. Constant voltage â€Å"switch mode† power supplies have a wide input voltage tolerance , are very efficient and have internal short circuit, temperature and overload protection circuits with automatic recovery.Conventional low voltage down lights for example mostly use copper wound transformers. Output voltage of transformers follow the input voltage. These type of transformers are around 50% efficient so it takes approx 75watts to run a 50watt lamp. This could be replaced by a 6watt LED lamp that would use 7watts taking the power supply in to account. Power factor would be improved. LED's run extremely cool relative to â€Å"conventional† lamps so can also save on air conditioning. A fluorescent or incandescent lamp in a fridge is effectively having a fire inside a fridge.High power LED's do run hotter, but not nearly as hot as metal halide, fluorescent, HPS or incandescent. LED lamps are recyclable and contain no harmful toxins. In addition to this the manufacturing process of this produces less carbon emissions than some other older type of lamps. No hazardo us substance disposal procedure required. They will have relatively high recycle value and can achieve Restriction of Hazardous Substances certification. The light output is colour specific, which does not degrade over time. Unlike most other light sources, they emit very low levels of harmful UV and infra-red rays.For food processing areas, our lamps, if broken, will not contaminate the area and can be made with PVC or poly carbonate covers so no broken glass issues either. (food production plants) LED is available in many guises, so most of your old fittings can be retrofitted with LED to minimize cost and waste. (tubes, bulkheads, downlights etc) LED lighting is directional, so light pollution in to neighbouring areas can be contained. This also allows for much lower power for example in the case of reading lamps. (task lighting).Less confusion blinding night creatures, less attraction and little or no killing of insects. The Earth Power team appeals to you to support the growing LED lighting industry which is open to all, unlike the â€Å"conventional† lighting industry which is dominated by wealthy giant corporations who all helped in getting us in to this trouble in the first place. We have been working with LED technology specifically for 4 years now and have identified many top quality reliable products and technologies. These products exceed our expectations and do more than just the job in hand.This technology has leaped in the last few years and continues to move forward. Our dedicated team consists of the founder with 35years owned business experience in the electronics industry an experienced QS , our marketing relationship manageress with a legal degree and our in-training technicians and support staff. EarthPower has quickly become a strong well know brand. We may not be the first to offer LED lighting in South Africa, but we are one of the pioneers and with 4 years dedication, one of the most experienced. Remember, we are all the incumbe nt custodians of our planet.

The Relationships Between Human Health and Agriculture

Spedding (1988) defines agriculture as â€Å"an activity (of Man), carried out primarily to produce food and fibre (and fuel, as well as many other materials) by the deliberate and controlled use of (mainly terrestrial) plants and animals†1. Inherent in this definition is the importance of agriculture and its impact on the lives of virtually all human beings around the world. Through their ability to control and cultivate whole biological systems for their own purposes and survival, agriculture can be regarded as one of the most revolutionary and distinguishing aspects of mankind. Read also Six Dimensions of Health Worksheet In this way, it is also directly linked to human welfare, and one can explore the way advances in the two domains affect one another, building up to an almost symbiotic relationship between human health and agriculture. Even with a cursory thought, there is a significant link between agriculture and human health. Raeburn insists that the main contribution to human welfare is food, and that mankind depends on almost all supplies on agriculture2. Indeed, humans as heterotrophic organisms are dependent on the intake and digestion of organic substances as a source of energy, required for maintaining basic metabolic activities as well as providing chemical energy. These organic substances are what we normally refer to as food, but also essential are the various by-products of agriculture, the main ones being â€Å"food, fibre, and raw materials for industrial use†3 used in our everyday lives to increase our comfort (e. g. otton and wool used for the production of warm clothes). The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as â€Å"a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity†4. This definition allows us to tackle the impact of agriculture on human health from a number of different perspectives. Undoubtedly, the most significant agricultural products contributing to the ‘absence of infirmity or illness' in human beings are alimentary produc ts. Read this Ch. 22 Respiratory System The fruits, vegetables, cereals, nuts, meat, milk, produced by cultivation, contain vitamins and minerals as well as proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, which are indispensable to maintain a healthy, functioning organism. For example, Vitamin C and E (mainly found in fruits and vegetables) act as powerful antioxidants, protecting cells from foreign toxins and pollutants, as well as cancer-causing agents. Calcium, abundant in dairy products and some green leafy vegetables, is responsible for strong bones and teeth, as well as helping nerve conduction and muscle contraction. They provide a source of fibre as well, which lowers blood cholesterol levels and is believed to prevent certain forms of colon cancer. Of these micronutrients, a majority are not normally produced by our bodies, hence they must be acquired through diet. According to a recent report from the FAO/WHO Expert Report on Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases, most populations are still falling short of the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. An estimated 2. 7 million people die each year from the risks related to low fruit and vegetable intake5. Low fruit and vegetable intake also affects one's risks of being affected by Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), such as weakened immune systems, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and various cancers. The total world population has grown from just under 2 billion to about 6. 2 billion in a mere century6. Read also Intro to Public Relations Notes This is attributed in part to certain technological innovations in the agricultural domain during the 1950s, collectively referred to as â€Å"The Green Revolution†, Through utilization of high-yield crops, irrigation and controlled water supply, and fertilizers and pesticides, the world is producing more food than ever before, mainly by maximizing the output from every hectare of soil. Major arable crops such as rice, wheat, and corn have been experimented on, for they germinate earlier and grow quicker, allowing the harvest of two or three crops a year. New varieties are constantly being developed, which have led up to a 30% increase in maximum yield, as well as more resistant varieties of crops (e. g. wheat which has become resistant to rust and mildew). Chickens and pigs yield twice as much meat and dairy cows twice as much milk as they did 60 years ago, argues Lomborg. An increased interest in irrigation and water control has allowed drier areas to cultivate their fair share of crops, as well as increasing soil fertility in some areas of the world and increase the harvesting opportunities. Indeed, irrigated land makes up only 18% of the world's total agricultural landmass, but contributes to 40% of the Earth's food7. Fertilizers and pesticides have also proved indispensable for plant growth and warding off disease-causing insects. The Green Revolution is provides evidence of the positive contribution of agriculture to human health and welfare: food quantity and quality produced have increased, making it feasible for the agricultural domain to keep up with the nutritional needs of a rapidly increasing population. A more tragic example of human dependency on proper agricultural methods is the Irish Potato Blight of 1845 to1847. Whitlock (1965) describes how the popularity of potatoes as a farm crop, after having found their way to Ireland originally from South America through Spain, started to increase, for it was a cheap crop perfectly suited to the needs of a newly urbanized population. Consequently, the Irish population rose from 1 500 000 to 4 000 000 habitants in the course of the eighteenth century. However, the working class' over-dependency on a potato-based diet resulted in the severe famine that followed the widespread infection of the potato crops by the fungi Phytophthera infestans. The severe famine over the following years and caused a decline of about 1 622 739 Irish citizens between 1841 and 1851 due to the destruction of the staple food supply of the Irish. The physical and social well being of humans is affected by agriculture both at the consumer level, as well as that of the farmers themselves. Farmers and their families face numerous risks working at the farm, such as zoonoses, overexposure to chemical substances, hearing loss, as well as dangers on the farm. Consumers on the other hand, face more indirect risks of chemical residues and quality of food produced. Farmers may be exposed to zoonoses, diseases transferable from animals to humans. These diseases have captured society's attention often over the course of the past few years, mostly due to notorious examples such as the human variant of BSE (bovine spongioform encephalopathy), the Creutzfield-Jacob disease, even though in the period of 1981-85 they contributed to only 4% of all fatal accidents in agriculture8. Examples also include Farmer's Lung, a respiratory condition caused by inhalation of fungal spores from mouldy feed or litter, responsible for an allergic reaction in the alveoli and breathing difficulties. Other dangers of normal farm labour include risks of physical injury when working with complicated equipment, like tractors. In 1981-85, about 30% of fatal accidents in agriculture were caused by self-propelled machines, and a further 13% by other field machines9. In addition, hearing loss or permanent ‘ringing' may occur if working in a tractor for long periods of time without ear protection, for the normal noise level is about 95-105 dB. Possibly, labouring in the agricultural sector is much tougher than most careers in the service sector, contributing to a higher risk of physical exhaustion and stress, as well as technical risks from different machines. Farmers also risk suffering from depression and marginalization, as well as large differences in income. The number of farmers has decreased dramatically over the last century, and it in this way that social exclusion and depression may threaten farmers, especially in the developed countries where the proportion of working population employed in agriculture makes up only around 3%10, and decreasing constantly. Risks for the potential consumer include exposure to chemical residues, mostly from herbicides and pesticides used in the production. After the initial enthusiasm following the success of increased use of fertilizers and pesticides during the Green Revolution, internationally accepted quality standards have been set up in attempt to minimize health hazards of pesticide use, such as the WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES). Some famous examples of potentially toxic chemicals are DDT and paraquat. DDT, a neurotoxic, has been associated with serious damage to the CNS, as well as reproductive abnormalities, in both humans and other organisms. An investigation carried out on a group of men in close contact with DDT at work showed that they appeared to have a decreased fertility rate; in addition, a higher rate of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, and congenital effects were prevalent amongst their offspring11. Indeed, the use of DDT was banned in 1972 in the USA, due to excessive use and its persistence in the environment and fatty tissues in humans and other animals. Paraquat, an organochlorine herbicide, is admitted to be generally safe provided certain precautions are taken, but at the same time it is considered to be highly toxic. Its effects can be quite hazardous, from lung scarring, kidney and heart failure, and carcinogenic risks in the long run, as well as skin irritation, nosebleeds, and eye injury resulting from non-lethal long term exposure. As is the case with many pesticide residues, when consumers are exposed to minute amounts of the substance over a long time period, the chronic effects may have quite a devastating impact on not only human health, but that of other organisms and the environment too. However, it seems reasonable to say that their use in the recent decades has greatly increased yields of the major crops like corn, wheat, and rice, contributing to an increase in the average daily calorie intake of populations, especially in developing countries12. It may be that usage of pesticides and herbicides proves to be more beneficial than harmful to the human population in the long run, for an increase in yield contributes to a decrease in price of fruit and vegetable produce, essential to our health as we have seen in the previous paragraphs. Lomborg (2001) points out that carsinogenic properties of various pesticides and chemicals have been greatly exaggerated by the press, given that in reality, deaths from pesticide-originating cancers have been found to be less than 1% of all cancer-derived deaths. The last century has seen mankind blessed with many inventions and technological advances which have allowed him to even further manipulate and control the world and mechanisms surrounding him. The agricultural domain has also had its fair share of innovations, which have allowed it to become more efficient, more intensive, and more productive. These advances, such as the development of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and machinery to improve crop yields, appear beneficial to agricultural production, promoting both quality and quantity of food produced. Worries over human health have also reached the point where agriculture is constantly being driven to more intense measures and inventions to increase yield and quality to the products. However, new as these techniques are, their thorough impacts on human health cannot yet be fully assessed. Most techniques affect us strictly through the food we choose to eat, but some may also involve by-products which are harmful to the environment, thus indirectly affecting our health, as well as that of other organisms and the environment. Thus, we can say that the impact of agriculture on human health is significant. The varied, and often direct relationships that exist between agriculture and our welfare demonstrate to what extent it is present in different areas our everyday lives. Each and every human being on the planet is somehow affected by agriculture, for its main contribution is food, indispensable for our health and survival (not to forget other important raw materials). Through the evolution of cultivating land into a wholly organized form of profit-making business, the 20th century has seen the development of agribusiness. We can even consider the relationship between human health and agriculture as being a symbiotic one, where human health works as a guiding force of agricultural innovations, while problems encountered with certain agricultural techniques, methods, and products result in a continuous quest for new solutions to improve the state of human health and agriculture overall. Albeit much progress into human welfare and how to further increase it through output of improved food materials, numerous controversies still exist as to whether too much importance is being attributed to purely human interests, in the place of more global and environmental ones. Humans must find a compromise between their own welfare interests and those of animal welfare and environmental problems if the expansion and popularity of agricultural innovations is to continue in the future.