Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Your Work Adds Value †Start Pricing It That Way

Your Work Adds Value – Start Pricing It That Way When I began to inquire about a cleaning service – you know, someone to clean my house so I could have two hours of my life back – I was floored with the going rate. The going rate for cleaning toilets (in my area) is $80 per hour. You want clean laundry? Much more. This made me reflect on how experts not only price their services, but whether they believe they offer something of value. This isnt to say cleaning for a living doesnt deserve to be paid. It sure does. But writing for a living is worth at least that, dont you think? If you search online for the going rate of freelance writers, youll be disappointed. Those rates are false. If you accept that $30 an hour for a writing project is fair, youd be better off cleaning toilets for a living. How do you counteract the low fees as a professional writer? Quality clients First, realize you should only accept the clients who will agree to your rates. Clients have to have a substantial marketing budget. Theres a reason why cleaning services are typically used Charge per project Second, drop the hourly rate. When your plumber is working on a task, are you watching the clock and seeing $100 fly out the window every hour? Dont do that to clients. Give them a set project fee, which corporate clients prefer. Dont cheapen your skill Appreciate your value Third, develop confidence in your rates. Dont leave room for negotiation Say no Finally, say no more often. The more work you accept at insulting rates, thats additional work you could lose at better rates. Weed through the undesirable, cheap paying clients. Set yourself up as an expert. Produce quality work and enhance your portfolio. The more quality clients you choose to work with, the more youll believe youre worth every penny. Realize that you will always be surrounded

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How US Foreign Aid is Used in Foreign Policy

How US Foreign Aid is Used in Foreign Policy US foreign aid is an essential part of American foreign policy. The U.S. extends it to developing nations and for military or disaster assistance. The United States has used foreign aid since 1946. With annual expenditures in the billions of dollars, it is also one of the most controversial elements of American foreign policy. Background of American Foreign Aid Western allies learned the lesson of foreign aid after World War I. Defeated Germany received no help restructuring its government and economy after the war. In an unstable political climate, Nazism grew in the 1920s to challenge the Weimar Republic, Germanys legitimate government, and ultimately replace it. Of course, World War II was the result. After World War II, America feared Soviet communism would creep into destabilized, war-torn regions as Nazism had done earlier. To counter that, the United States immediately pumped $12 billion dollars into Europe. Congress then passed the European Recovery Plan (ERP), more commonly known as the Marshall Plan, named after Secretary of State George C. Marshall. The plan, which would distribute another $13 billion over the next five years, was the economic arm of President Harry Trumans plan to combat the spread of communism. The United States continued to use foreign aid throughout the Cold War as a way to keep nations out of the communist Soviet Unions sphere of influence. It has also regularly disbursed humanitarian foreign aid in the wake of disasters. Types of Foreign Aid The United States divides foreign aid into three categories: military and security assistance (25 percent of yearly expenditures), disaster and humanitarian relief (15 percent), and economic development assistance (60 percent). The United States Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC) manages military and security elements of foreign aid. Such aid includes military instruction and training. USASAC also manages the sales of military equipment to eligible foreign nations. According to the USASAC, it now manages 4,000 foreign military sales cases worth an estimated $69 billion. The Office of Foreign Disaster Administration handles disaster and humanitarian aid cases. Disbursements vary annually with the number and nature of global crises. In 2003, United States disaster aid reached a 30-year peak with $3.83 billion in aid. That amount included relief resulting from Americas March 2003 invasion of Iraq. USAID administers economic development aid. Assistance includes infrastructure construction, small-enterprise loans, technical assistance, and budget support for developing nations. Top Foreign Aid Recipients U.S. Census reports for 2008 indicate the top five recipients of American foreign aid that year were: Afghanistan, $8.8 billion ($2.8 billion economic, $6 billion military)Iraq, $7.4 billion ($3.1 billion economic, $4.3 billion military)Israel, $2.4 billion ($44 million economic, $2.3 billion military)Egypt, $1.4 billion ($201 million economic, $1.2 billion military)Russia, $1.2 billion (all of it economic aid) Israel and Egypt have usually topped the recipient list. Americas wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and its efforts to rebuild those areas while countering terrorism have put those countries at the top of the list. Criticism of American Foreign Aid Critics of American foreign aid programs claim that they do little good. They are quick to note that while economic aid is intended for developing countries, Egypt and Israel certainly do not fit that category. Opponents also argue that American foreign aid is not about development, but rather propping up leaders who comply with Americas wishes, regardless of their leadership abilities. They charge that American foreign aid, especially military aid, simply props up third-rate leaders who are willing to follow Americas wishes. Hosni Mubarak, ousted from the Egyptian presidency in February 2011, is an example. He followed through on his predecessor Anwar Sadats normalization of relations with Israel, but he did little good for Egypt. Recipients of foreign military aid have also turned against the United States in the past. Osama bin Laden, who used American aid to fight Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s, is a prime example. Other critics maintain that American foreign aid merely ties truly developing nations to the United States and does not enable them to stand on their own. Rather, they argue, promoting free enterprise within and free trade with those countries would serve them better.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Discuss the key challenges for social workers in working in Essay

Discuss the key challenges for social workers in working in partnership with parents and protecting children in Northern Ireland - Essay Example However, social workers have not been without challenges in their daily work. Among the challenges social workers face in Northern Ireland comes from partnering with parents in protecting children. Examples are physical violence, abuse, violent attacks, aggressive clients, criticisms and intimidation (Davey, p.34). Over the year there have been reviews and establishment of laws and policies that affect the children’s rights and duty of care. This has brought misunderstanding between the social workers duties, those of the parents and those of the state. 1. Under the Kids and Younger Individuals Act (Northern Ireland) 1950, the generalist welfare authorities were accountable for rendering of services to children and young persons in need of proper care or security (cited in Geen, p.15). 3. The Ingleby Report outlined the need for power to fight neglect, ill treatment and child offending in all manners. This led to the Kids and Younger Individuals Act 1963 in Britain and Wales and, in turn, to the Children and Younger Individuals Act (Northern Ireland) 1968. Both established prevention as an actual concept in childcare exercise (Haringey Local Safeguarding Children Board. Serious Case 2010, p.45). 4. The Report of the Panel on Regional Power and Allied Personal Social Services 1968 (the Seebohm Report) suggested that professional local authority divisions should be taken off by overall social services divisions offering society care services to families, children and other grownups in need of proper care or support. It was envisaged that a single public employee could deal with all the public problems within one family. In North Ireland in Europe generic welfare divisions had since 1948 offered an extensive set of public services for family members, children and grownups in need of proper care and protection(Cited in Ferguson, p.56). 5. The Kids

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Is 'gender chaos' an accurate reflection of how the twentieth century Essay

Is 'gender chaos' an accurate reflection of how the twentieth century affected the roles of men and women in African societi - Essay Example With the coming of the colonial government however, these roles came to be directly challenged, as it sought to redesign the African way of life according to its liking. The colonial policies tended to result in chaos between the genders as each strived to maintain the roles that it had traditionally held in the traditional society. Many of the policies that the colonial government instituted were aimed at achieving certain imperial goals but these came to be resisted by the men and women in African societies who felt that their way of life was being threatened by the European colonizers. While the initial response was resistance, this resistance came to fall apart as many African societies either adapted to the European way of life or chose to abandon the gender roles, which they had held in the traditional society. Therefore, it can be said that it is indeed true that gender chaos is a true reflection of how the roles of African men and women were affected in the twentieth century. The colonial policies on various issues came to affect the way men and women in African societies behaved and it can be said that they may have caused gender chaos. The colonial government tended to put limits on some of the traditional practices of African societies in order to achieve one goal or the other. While some of these intentions may have been good, they tended to create a lot of discord in the African communities involved, with some either choosing to ignore the colonial policies while others tended to do it the way they were required, and later do it the traditional way. An example of such colonial policies is given by Lynn Thomas (2003) who in her work states that in order to reduce the instances of abortion in the Meru community in Kenya, the colonial government decided that the age of female excision was to be reduced. This was done because while it was a normal thing within this community for women to have premarital sex, if they became pregnant before excision, the n they were required by their communities to abort the child. This requirement came about because those girls who had not been excised were considered not to be real women and their offspring were considered not to be human but demons. Such forced abortions were believed by the colonial government to be the reason why there were low birthrates among the Meru leading to low population growth. This colonial policy met with resistance from members of the community especially the women, who saw this as a violation of their traditions. While there was compliance with the colonial requirements, the older women in the society and at times the girls involved, often took it upon themselves to do the excision on the girls at the required age, even though these girls had already undergone the operation. The role of women in African societies came to change during the period of the struggle for independence against colonial rule. In many of the African traditional societies, men were the domina nt gender being given preferential treatment in the attainment of all the prominent positions in society. Women, on the other hand, were less visible, often concentrating on the management of their own homes and families. This was the custom throughout most of Africa until such a time as Africa came to be colonized. For several decades after colonization, the role of women in society remained the same but this came to change when some women started gaining the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Higher education in the USA Essay Example for Free

Higher education in the USA Essay Faktorami, opredelyayuschimi yavlyaetsya li uchrezhdenie odnim iz luchshih, ili odnim iz menee prestizhnyh, yavlyayutsya: kachestvo obucheniya fakultetov, kachestvo oborudovaniya dlya issledovanij, uroven finansirovaniya bibliotek, specialnyh programm, i t. d. , a takzhe kompetentnost i chislo pretendentov na priem, to est naskolko dannoe uchrezhdenie svobodno v vybore studentov. Vse `eti faktory dopolnyayut drug druga. Voobsche v Soedinennyh SHtatah priznano, chto est bolee i menee predpochtitelnye uchrezhdeniya dlya obucheniya i polucheniya vysshego obrazovaniya. Bolee predpochtitelnye uchrezhdeniya obychno, no ne vsegda, yavlyayutsya bolee dorogostoyaschimi, i okonchanie odnogo iz nih mozhet prinesti znachitelnye preimuschestva, poskolku kazhdyj chelovek ischet vozmozhnost zanyatosti i socialnuyu podvizhnost v predelah obschestva. Konkurs na postuplenie v takoj kolledzh pobuzhdaet milliony starsheklassnikov sdavat SAT kazhdyj god. No nedavno akcent na vstupitelnyh `ekzamenah shiroko kritikovalsya v Soedinennyh SHtatah, potomu chto `ekzameny pozvolyayut opredelit kompetentnost v matematike i anglijskom yazyke. V zaschituispolzovaniya   `ekzamenov kak kriteriev pri postuplenii, rukovoditeli mnogih universitetov govoryat, chto ispolzovanie SAT pozvolyaet spravedlivo reshit, kogo prinyat, kogda imeetsya 10 ili 12 pretendentov na odno mesto. Mogut li kolledzhi i universitety Ameriki osnovyvatsya na ih rezultatah? Priblizitelno 12 millionov studentov v nastoyaschee vremya poseschayut shkoly vysshego obrazovaniya v Amerike. Oni studenty v obschestve, kotoroe verit v svyaz mezhdu obrazovaniem i demokratiej. Odnako, mnozhestvo amerikancev ne udovletvoreny sostoyaniem vysshego obrazovaniya v ih strane. Vozmozhno, naibolee shiroko rasprostranennoe nedovolstvo vyzyvaet uchebnyj plan kolledzha v celom i shirokij diapazon dopolnitelnyh zanyatij v chastnosti. V seredine 80-yh godov proshlogo veka Associaciya Amerikanskih Kolledzhej (AAC) vypustila doklad, v kotorom prizyvala k prepodavaniyu bazovoj chasti obschih znanij vsem studentam kolledzha. Nacionalnyj Institut Obrazovaniya (NIE) vypustil podobnyj zhe doklad- Uchastie v obuchenii. V svoem doklade NIE zaklyuchil, chto uchebnyj plan kolledzha stal chrezmerno professionalno-tehnicheskim i svyazannym s rabotoj. V nem takzhe preduprezhdaetsya, chto obrazovanie kolledzha bolshe ne mozhet razvivat v studentah razdelennye cennosti i znaniya, chto tradicionno svyazyvayut Amerikancev vmeste. Sereznoe obvinenie. Dejstvitelno li `eto tak? V nekotoroj stepeni na dannyj moment `eto vozmozhno. Konechno, nekotorye studenty zakanchivayut svoe obuchenie bez kursa po Zapadnoj Civilizacii, ne upominaya drugie mirovye kultury. Drugie ostavlyayut kolledzh, ne izuchiv nauku ili pravitelstvo. V otvet, mnogie kolledzhi nachali peresmatrivat osnovnoj uchebnyj plan, s kotorym vse studenty dolzhny spravlyatsya. `Eti problemy priznak togo, chto vysshee obrazovanie v Amerike menyaetsya, kak `eto imelo mesto vsegda v ego istorii. I, kak v proshlom, `eto izmenenie mozhet idti v neozhidannyh napravleniyah. Puritane osnovyvali kolledzhi, chtoby obuchat ministrov. No ih studenty proyavili sebya kak osnovopolozhniki pervoj v mire konstitucionnoj demokratii. Kolledzhi predostavleniya zemli byli osnovany, chtoby prepodavat selskoe hozyajstvo i proektirovanie stroitelyam Amerikanskogo Zapada. Segodnya, mnogie iz `etih kolledzhej yavlyayutsya veduschimi shkolami v nauchno-issledovatelskom mire. Amerikancy vsegda delali stavku na sozdanie sistemnoj raboty. Oni imeyut osobo veskie prichiny dlya vypolneniya `etogo v oblasti obrazovaniya. Lyudi v Soedinennyh SHtatah segodnya stalkivayutsya s vazhnymi voprosami: CHto yavlyaetsya nadlezhaschej rolyu Ameriki kak strany s samoj staroj v mire konstitucionnoj demokratiej; s samoj bolshoj `ekonomikoj; yavlyayuschejsya pervoj yadernoj derzhavoj? Amerikancy uvazhayut svoe pravo vyrazit mnenie po vsem `etim problemam. No lyudi Soedinennyh SHtatov takzhe gluboko osoznayut, chto takie problemy dolzhny rassmatrivatsya v komplekse. CHtoby prinimat uchastie v novyh voznikayuschih problemah, bolshinstvo amerikancev chuvstvuet, chto oni nuzhdayutsya vo vsej informacii, kotoruyu oni mogut poluchit. Kolledzhi i universitety naibolee vazhnye centry takogo izucheniya. I nezavisimo ot togo, chto mogut trebovatsya usovershenstvovaniya, ih buduschee polnostyu garantiruetsya amerikanskoj zhazhdoj progressa i horoshej informirovannosti. Fakticheski, sleduyuschej zadachej amerikanskogo obrazovaniya mozhet stat tendenciya dlya lyudej prodolzhit ih obrazovanie v kolledzhe dlya dalnejshej zhizni. Slovar. A Accept Prinimat Achieves Dostigat Accomplishment Vypolnenie Account Schet Adequate Adekvatnyj Admission Dopusk Admitted Dopuschennyj Advantage Preimuschestvo Agriculture Selskoe hozyajstvo. Amount Kolichestvo Applicant Pretendent Application Zayavlenie Association of American Colleges(AAC) Associaciya Amerikanskih Kolledzhej Available Dostupnyj Aware Znaya B Bachelors degree Stepen Bakalavra Be either Byt takzhe Beyond Vne Bond Obyazatelstvo C Certainly Konechno Community Soobschestvo Competition Sorevnovanie Competence Kompetentnost Complete Polnyj Comprise Vklyuchit Condition Uslovie(sostoyanie) Contain Soderzhat Conversely Naoborot Costly Dorogostoyaschij Criticized Kritikuemyj Currently V nastoyaschee vremya Curriculum Uchebnyj plan D. Demand Trebovanie Democracy Demokratiya Desirable ZHelatelnyj Determining Opredelenie Distinction Razlichie Duration Prodolzhitelnost E Elective Izbiratelnyj Emphasis Akcent Employment Zanyatost Equal prestige Ravnyj prestizh Excessively vocational and work-related CHrezmerno professionalno- tehnicheskij i svyazannyj s rabotoj Exist Suschestvovat G Graduate Diplomirovannyj specialist Government Pravitelstvo H Higher education Vysshee obrazovanie I Impression Vpechatlenie Independent Nezavisimyj Interviews Intervyu Issued Vypuschennyj L Lead Liderstvo. Majority Bolshinstvo Masters degree Stepen mastera Measure Mera Mention Upominanie Merely Prosto Might Mog by N National Institute of Education(NIE) Nacionalnyj Institut Obrazovaniya Nuclear power YAdernaya derzhava O Offer Predlozhenie Obtain Poluchit Opinions Mneniya Opportunities Vozmozhnosti Outstanding Vydayuschijsya P Painfully Gluboko Particular Specificheskij(osobennyj) Percent Procent Perhaps Vozmozhno Proper Nadlezhaschij Provide Obespechit Public Gosudarstvennyj(obschestvennyj) Puritans Puritane Private CHastnyj R Receive Poluchit. Recently Nedavno Recognized Priznannyj Recommendations Rekomendacii Regard Otnoshenie Reinforce Ukrepit Respect Uvazhenie S Satisfactory Udovletvoritelnyj Satisfied Udovletvorennyj Seek Iskat Similar Podobnyj Simply Prosto Scholars Uchenye Scientific research Nauchnoe issledovanie Social mobility Socialnaya mobilnost Success Uspeh T Traditional bind Tradicionno svyazyvayut The shared values and knowledge Razdelennye cennosti i znanie Q Quality of research facilities Kachestvo sredstv obsluzhivaniya issledovaniya W Whether Li Widespread SHiroko rasprostranennyj.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Information Security: Public Key Infrastructure Essay -- Information

With the increase of digital communications and transactions, a stronger level of security is required to protect the user and their data transactions. Systems, servers, personal computers, mobile devices, tokens and smart cards are all being used ubiquitously to view protected communications. With the influx of data management, there is an ever-apparent contest between the two adversaries in the game of Information Security: the developers and the hackers. PKI was designed to leverage the Internet infrastructure for communications (CITE Samuelle 2009). While minimizing hostile exploitation of data, decreasing data theft, and providing an additional layer of trust through keys pairs and digital certificates, PKI is used to verify the identity of the user and the authenticity of the data. A Public Key Infrastructure is not a single device or entity; it is a compilation of technology, infrastructure, and practices that enables large scale use of public key cryptography to provide authenticity, confidentiality, integrity, and non-repudiation services (CITE). The word cryptography is derived from the Greek word â€Å"kryptos†(CITE), which means hidden. It is the technique in which a cryptographic algorithm is used to take the original plaintext information and then make it unreadable to everyone except for those it was initially intended for by scrambling it into ciphertext. This is known as encryption, and the process that unscrambles the message to make it readable again is called decryption. The National Security Agency (NSA) even defines cryptography as the science and art of making codes and ciphers(CITE NSA 2009). In cryptography, a key or code is used to scramble the message which results in a cipher. Cryptography has not alw... ...rce. (2007, Sept 18). Public Key Infrastructures - Federal PKI. Retrieved Sept 15, 2009, from NIST-Computer Security Division: http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/ST/crypto_apps_infra/pki/index.html NIST. (2009). Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) Publication 186-3, Digital Signature Standard (DSS). Washington, D.C.: Department of Commerce. NSA. (2009, 01 12). Frequently Asked Questions Terms and Acronyms - NSA/CSS:. Retrieved 10 11, 2009, from National Security Agency: http://www.nsa.gov/about/faqs/terms_acronyms.shtml US-CERT. (2008, 12 31). Vulnerability Note VU#836068. Retrieved 10 12, 2009, from US-CERT: http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/836068 VeriSign, Inc. (2009). National PKI: The foundation of trust in government programs (A White Paper). Retrieved Sept 15, 2009, from VeriSign White Paper: http://www.verisign.com/static/national-pki-government-trust.pdf

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

A Little Help on Twelfth Night Essay

The following information is based upon my taped lecture on this play. Although this text version is not the same as the taped lecture, it does contain the same information. All references are based on the Signet paperback edition which you should consult in conjunction with this lecture. Twelfth Night was probably written in 1601 and first performed in January of 1602. We know this because the play is mentioned that year in the diary of a young man training to become a lawyer at the Inns of Court in London. We can also tell the approximate date of the play from the references to contemporary events and publications, things like books or new maps. To place the publication in Shakespeare’s career, it comes about six years after Roemo & Juliet. Shakespeare’s treatment of love and romance and his use of dramatic devices are even more sophisticated than they were in his famous tragedy. Twelfth Night is the fourth in a series of romantic comedies which all have very bright heroines who end up teaching valuable lessons to the men who will become their husbands. Three of these four plays — The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It and Twelfth Night — feature heroines who disguise themselves as men and deal with their male-dominated societies from this secret vantage point. They all have very sophisticated attitudes toward love and reveal human folly caused by the excess of some particular quality. It’s interesting to note that Twelfth Night was written right after Shakespeare had written Hamlet, which is a very different kind of play, but it does give you some idea of the range of his creative talents. The title of the play is unusual. It refers to the twelve days of Christmas, which you may recall from the old song, â€Å"On the Twelfth Day of Christmas.† In earlier days the celebration and exchange of gifts which we associate with the 25th of December were actually conducted during the 12 days which followed that date, culminating with what is called Epiphany. For some reason this twelfth day was associated, and continues to be, with comic misrule, upset and especially confusion over gender. In this country many people observe a seasonal tradition by taking their family to see â€Å"The Nutcracker† ballet or The Christmas Carol, Dickens’ story turned into a stage play. More recent cultural expressions may be the film How the Grinch Stole Christmas or television’s A Charlie Brown Christmas. Well, in the United Kingdom the cultural equivalent is going to the pantomime or panto. Families will go to the local theater is see a series of comic skits which feature famous actors and actresses performing in drag. So you might see Benny Hill or John Cleese playing the parts of women and some shapely starlet dressed in tight pants playing the part of the hero. Shakespeare’s play recalls this very old tradition by being a play with similar gender confusion at its core. It is entirely possible that Shakespeare was commissioned to write the play for a group of law students to perform at their Twelfth Night celebration, later followed by performances at his public theater, The Globe. As such, the original audience consisted of young sophisticated gentlemen who would have been knowledgeable about the London theater scene: there are a number of references in the play to works by Shakespeare’s contemporaries. Many of the jokes in the play are lost on us in the 21st Century because they refer to things which were very much in the public mind in 1601. So when Feste, the jester, says at one point he could have used the word â€Å"element,† but he chose not to because the word is overused, it goes right over our heads. However, it was a howl in Shakespeare’s time because there was a big flap over Ben Jonson’s use of the word. Twelfth Night is one of the few plays Shakespeare wrote which has a secondary or sub-title: â€Å"What You Will.† Even here Shakespeare is having a little fun. At one level this title is just a throw-away line, much like the titles of Much Ado About Nothing or As You Like It, the Elizabethan equivalent of â€Å"Whatever† or â€Å"No big deal!† However, in his plays and poems Shakespeare often used the word â€Å"will† to refer to sexual desire. So the title â€Å"What You Will† also means â€Å"Whatever sexual desire you choose to pursue.† Throughout the play there are at least three places where characters consciously give themselves permission to chase some inappropriate sexual fantasy which will end up making them appear foolish. I’ll point these out as we go through the play. The source of Twelfth Night has been pretty well identified. The immediate source is a book by a man named Barnaby Ridge titled Ridge: His Farewell to the Military Profession written about 20 years earlier. Ridge wrote a collection of stories he had picked up from many sources and to which he added his own inventions. One of Ridge’s stories is about a young woman who disguises herself as a young man and goes to work for a handsome young lord with whom she promptly falls in love. The young lord orders his new employee to go off and win the love of a beautiful woman that he desires. The heroine in disguise tries her best, but the beautiful woman falls in love with her disguise. Comic confusion results. Ridge had stolen this story line from an Italian play written earlier, but in reality the ideas here go back to the ancient Greeks and Romans who often wrote about girls who used disguise to get around the restrictions of their own societies. The ancients also had lots of fun with characters who looked alike; identical twins were special favorites. One of the Roman playwrights that Shakespeare had read in school, Plautus, had written a famous comedy about a set of twins; Shakespeare had used it as the basis for his first comedy, Comedy of Errors. So this sophisticated comedy of Twelfth Night is actually based on very old ideas. There are four major themes which are explored in this play. All the themes have to do with love. In fact no other play by Shakespeare shows so many different kinds of love or reactions to love. The first theme is everybody who loves faces obstacles to overcome in order to achieve their heart’s desire. Falling love in a Shakespearean comedy is never easy. You really have to work hard to win. The second theme is that love takes many forms, and these coexist uneasily. There is self-love, misguided love, love which was gender inappropriate, or what in politically correct terms we would say was â€Å"deemed inappropriate by a dominant, sexually repressive society.† That just means that in this play women fall in love with women and men with men without ever having a chance for that love to be requited or returned. The third theme is that love makes the unworthy appear foolish while correcting the worthy who are simply misguided. Love is the mechanism by which we are shown people acting ridiculously. Those who deserve our scorn appear as fools; those who have something going for them are shown the errors of their ways through love and finally earn our respect as wise. The fourth and final theme is that love is an infection we willingly seek — in the words of one of the characters in this play, a form of â€Å"divine madness.† Despite the possibility of appearing foolish we give ourselves permission to experience it — the same idea I was getting at in my earlier discussion of the sub-title of the play, â€Å"What You Will.† The plot of the play combines three different story lines. There is the love triangle of the noble characters: Viola, a clever young woman who is forced to disguise herself as a young man; Orsino, the duke who employs Viola in disguise and with whom she falls in love; Olivia, the beautiful countess Orsino desires and who in turn falls in love with Viola. The second story deals with the low-life characters and their rough humor: Sir Toby Belch, whose name tells you everything you need to know about his character; Belch’s favorite pigeon, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, from whom he steals and with whom he carries out an elaborate practical joke on Malvolio, the business manager of Olivia’s estate. Malvolio is a character with special political significance for Shakespeare’s audience. The third story line is not as prominent as the other two but is absolutely essential for the resolution of the play. It involves Sebastian, Viola’s twin brother whom she believes has been drowned, and Antonio, a ship captain who rescues him, falls in love with him and pursues him, even at peril of his own life. These story lines intersect at different times and in different ways with different kinds of comic effects — from the slap stick to the romantic. Social distinctions are the basis for much of the humor of the play. I’ve made the point that gender disguise is what distinguishes this play from some of the other comedies and that the idea goes back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. This device is found in Shakespeare’s comedies of Two Gentlemen of Verona, Merchant of Venice and As You Like It. The device allows a heroine to exercise greater freedom of action. Young gentlewomen were under great social constraint. They were not allowed to go in public without an escort. They were forbidden to interact with men without a chaperone present. They were not supposed to be involved in choosing their own mates. Once they put on pants their opportunities expanded and the dramatic possibilities increased in the play. In Merchant of Venice a young woman dons the disguise and becomes a judge in a capital case. In Two Gentlemen of Verona a young woman plays a man and watches as her boyfriend tries to betray her with another woman. In As You Like It a bright girl fools even the man who is in love with her and trains him in how she wants him to behave toward her when they are reunited as man and woman. In Twelfth Night we see how a young woman, who is on her own, uses disguise to protect herself in a hostile world. The device of gender camouflage also provides a double vision. As women these pretenders see the world in terms of the traditional conflict between the sexes; as men they are able to inject a subversive note into the smug male world view. In this play, for example Viola is able to educate the man she loves as to the depth of passion and nobility of love women can experience for men, something he never suspected before. Finally Shakespeare could use disguise as a way of introducing comic effects and exposing male hypocrisy to his largely male audience. Women attended the plays, but most of the audience appears to have been men. Nevertheless, no one comes away from a Shakespearean comedy feeling that men are naturally superior to women. If anything Shakespeare’s comic heroines seem to be the intellectual superiors of the men they eventually marry, as if they had taken pity on some poor fool they had just tricked. The reputation of this play has always been very high. It is one of Shakespeare’s most beloved works, and many people consider it the best of all the comedies. The humor is sharp, the satire still biting and many of the jokes just as funny as they were 400 years ago. As we go through the play scene by scene I’ll point out some of the remarkable achievements Shakespeare realizes in this timeless comedy. Let’s look at the play itself now.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

The Sarin Gas Attack on the Tokyo Subway

Terrorism has always been a part of human’s history. Although there is still no clear explanation about the act of terrorism, a terrorist and terrorism itself, it is evident that it has a drastic consequence on the society and the people’s lives. Technically, terrorism is classified as international and domestic. This paper will focus on a particular domestic terrorism – the Sarin Gas Attack on the Tokyo Subway. Included here is the account of the incident, the perpetrators, the chemical used, the victims and the long-term effect of this incident. The Sarin Gas Attack on the Tokyo Subway The Sarin Gas Attack on the Tokyo Subway was considered the worst terrorist attack in Japan. Five members of the Aum Shinrikyo armed with sarin gas executed the assault on the morning of March 20, 1995 in the busy subways of Tokyo. Five more members were waiting outside as getaway drivers. The perpetrators entered the Marunouchi, Hibiya and the Chiyoda subway lines with bags of sarin covered with newspaper. They boarded trains and released the sarin by pricking the bags with their pointed umbrellas. As the liquid nerve agent turned into gas and mixed with the air, the commuters were immediately poisoned. It resulted to 12 deaths and more than 3,000 were injured. Because sarin poisoning was still unfamiliar during that time, Japan’s medical system had a hard time diagnosing and treating the victims. Hospitals were only given information on the diagnosis and treatment through fax by Dr. Yanagisawa Nobuo who had encountered treating sarin poisoning. Today, many of the victims still suffer from the nerve agent’s after effects such as breathing problems, depression and brain damage. Aum Shinrikyo Aum Shinrikyo is the Japanese phrase for â€Å"Supreme Truth. † It is founded in 1984 by partially blind Chizuo Matsumoto, known as Master Shoko Asahara to his followers. It started as a yoga and meditation class and progressed later on. It was recognized as a religious organization in 1989 and it was called a â€Å"religion for the elite† because the recruits were mostly young graduates from the country’s premium universities. This group worships Shiva being their god and its belief is a combination of Buddhism, Taoism, tantric yoga and Asahara’s interpretation of Christianity. Their teachings have great emphasis on apocalyptic scenarios and millennial visions being Nostradamus as one of their prophets. Asahara also prophesized that Japan would soon be annihilated by biological, nuclear and chemical weapons as a part of the impending Armageddon in 1999, and only the followers of Aum Shinrikyo will survive. There are three training systems the followers must undergo in order to obtain deliverance. The first is called the tantric yoga where the recruit is taught basic yoga, ways of personal cleansing and meditation. The second is called the siddhi course where the students are taught the release of an energy called kundalini which they believed to be dwelling â€Å"in a latent state at the base of the spine† (http://encarta. msn. com). The third course is called bodha from which energy from Asahara is spiritually transferred to the disciples. They also believe that salvation can be attained by giving up material things and by offering personal riches to the organization. Aum Shinrikyo is not concentrated in Japan alone. Around the world, it has approximately 20,000 to 40,000 members. In order to financially sustain their activities and operations, the cult collects money by means of tithes, donations, selling religious stuff and other merchandises. The believers who attend the cult’s seminars and trainings are also charged with large amount of money. The cult also owns a computer factory and a chain of restaurants in Japan. Before the March 20, 1995 incident, Aum Shinrikyo has been linked with a number of other assaults. It attempted to discharge butulin toxin around the government buildings in Tokyo in April 1990. During the wedding of the crown prince in June 1993, it again made an attempt to release the same poison around the imperial palace. On June 27, 1994, a several members of the cult released a cloud of sarin in a residential area of Matsumoto, a city located northwest of Tokyo. Seven people died and five hundred more were hospitalized. What followed here was the most tragic attack which became the eye-opener to the great possibility of chemical agents as weapon of mass destruction. The Main Perpetrators The following are five groups of the ten members of Aum Shinrikyo responsible for the March 20, 1995 attack: Ikuo Hayashi and his driver Tomomitsu Niimi †¢ Kenichi Hirose and his driver Koichi Kitamura †¢ Toru Toyoda and his driver Katsuya Takahashi †¢ Masato Yokoyama and his driver Kiyotaka Tonozako †¢ Yasuo Hayashi and his driver Shigeo Sumimoto Ikuo Hayashi was a heart and artery specialist doctor before he joined Aum Shinrikyo in 1990. He left his family and his job and followed Asahara and became the Minister of Healing. He handled members who were suspected for betrayal by administering electric shocks and sodium pentothal. He was assigned to execute the assault on the Chiyoda line. He boarded the southwestbound train and pierced the bag of chemical at Shin-ochanomuzu station. This resulted to two deaths and 231 people were injured. After the incident at the subways, he was given a sentence of life imprisonment. His driver, Tomomitsu Niimi was sentenced to death. Prior to joining Aum Shinrikyo, Kenichi Hirose was a â€Å"holder of a postgraduate degree in Physics from Waseda University† (Wikipedia). He had major contribution in the cult’s Chemical Brigade and Automatic Light Weapon Development system. He was assigned to release the chemical on the westbound Marunochi line headed to Ogikubo. He boarded the train and punctured the bag of sarin at the Ochanomizu station. One died and 358 suffered from the toxin. He himself was affected by the sarin that he discharged but was able to inject himself with the antidote, atropine sulphate, and was given medical attention at the cult’s headquarters. Toru Toyoda was also a member of the Chemical Brigade of Aum Shinrikyo. He was an applied physics graduate from Tokyo University before he became an Aum’s disciple. The northeastbound Hibiya line was the assignment of Toyoda. He boarded the train going to Tobu-dobutsukoen and released sarin at Ebisu. This resulted to one death and 532 serious injuries. He was also sentenced to death after this attack. Masato Yokoyama was the Undersecretary of the cult’s Ministry of Science and Technology and one of the contributories of their Automatic Light Weapons Manufacturing system. Prior to becoming Aum’s member, he was an applied physics graduate of Tokai University. He was assigned at the Ikeburo-bound Marunouchi line. He boarded the train at Shinjuku and punctured his bag of sarin at Yotsuya. The agent evaporated slowly because he was only able to pierce one hole. He was given death sentence after this incident. Yasuo Hayashi held the third highest position in Aum’s Ministry of Science and Technology. He graduated from Kogakuin Univeristy with a degree in artificial intelligence. He was assigned to release sarin at the southwestbound Hibiya line leaving Kita-senju headed to Naka-meguro. He punctured the bags of sarin at Akihabara. Because of the number of punctures he made, commuters were instantly affected by the chemical. This resulted to 8 deaths and 275 serious injuries. He was also sentenced to death after the incident as well as his getaway driver Shigeo Sugimoto. After this assault, Aum Shinrikyo’s assests were taken away from the group as well as its status as a religious organization. Sarin Asahara ordered his members to mass produce sarin in 1993 and the chemical plant started to operate in 1994. Originally, sarin was developed to be used as a pesticide. It was first made in Germany in 1938 and it is not organic. It is colorless, odorless and tasteless liquid that mix into the air when vaporized. It is now considered as a chemical warfare agent under the category of a nerve agent. Nerve agents are the deadliest and fastest acting chemical warfare agents. These are comparable to insect killers, organophosphates, because of the hazards that they bring. Because of the nature of sarin, humans are vulnerable to the fatal effects of this chemical. There are various means that a person can be exposed to this. Once it vaporized into the air, a person can contract sarin through the eyes, skin and nose. If sarin is mixed in water, a person can be poisoned by drinking or even touching the water. Solid food can also be tainted with sarin which is also lethal if eaten. People situated at lower grounds tend to have greater exposure to sarin because of its dense vapor. The degree of toxicity brought by sarin can be determined by the person’s manner of exposure to the chemical, the amount of the chemical and how long was the person’s exposure. If a person is exposed to sarin in its vapor form, the symptoms will be obvious within a few seconds. If it is in the liquid form, on the other hand, the symptoms will show within a few minutes up to 18 hours. Generally, nerve agents work by inhibiting the chemicals in the body to perform its function as the regulator of the muscles and glands. Once the effects of sarin take place, the muscles and glands will no longer be slowed down resulting to fatigue and breathing difficulty. Of all the nerve agents, sarin is the fastest to change its form from liquid into gas and scatter into the air. Due to this characteristic, its effects take place instantly but short-term. The following are the signs and symptoms of exposure to a small or average dose of sarin: †¢ Runny nose †¢ Watery eyes †¢ Small, pinpoint pupils †¢ Eye pain †¢ Blurred vision †¢ Drooling and excessive sweating †¢ Cough †¢ Chest tightness †¢ Rapid breathing †¢ Diarrhea †¢ Increased urination †¢ Confusion †¢ Drowsiness Weakness †¢ Headache †¢ Nausea, vomiting †¢ Slow or fast heart rate †¢ Low or high blood pressure The following are the signs and symptoms of exposure to high doses of sarin: †¢ Loss of consciousness †¢ Convulsions †¢ Paralysis †¢ Respiratory fail ure possibly leading to death (http://terrorism. about. com) Sarin Poisoning Victims According to survey conducted about the sarin gas poisoning victims, year after the incident, more than 17% of the respondents still suffer from mental and emotional stress. Of the 5,300 individuals spoken to, only 1,500 agreed to respond to the survey, signifying that they are still disturbed by the incident. Of the respondents, many experience â€Å"flashbacks to the event and panic attacks when boarding trains† (www. factnet. org). Although majority of the victims still endure constant eye strain and other physical ailments, the most vital point is the mental distress. A large number of the victims still â€Å"worry about getting involved in a similar incident†; â€Å"feel sad when I encounter something that reminds me of the incident†; and â€Å"try not to think about anything related to the incident† (www. factnet. org). Aum Shinrikyo Today After the attack on March 20, 1995, Aum Shinrikyo changed its name to Aleph and it had a new leader, Fumihiro Joyu. Joyu declared that the group gave up its illicit interests and violent practice. Aleph also gave out about 2. 5 million dollars for the victims of the assault. But being on the list of terrorists, they are still being monitored in the conviction that it still has malicious objectives. Its members are now ranging approximately from 1,500 to 2,000 who communicate through the Internet and videoconference. Most of its followers are in Japan and some are in Russia despite the ban imposed to the cult. Although the group gained negative image, it is still onto progressive recruitment and publicity. In order to sustain their activities, they maintain their method of earning money such as soliciting donations, selling religious paraphernalia, collecting tithes, conducting training and seminars and selling computers, which is the most productive source of funds. They are able to destabilize competitors by â€Å"producing cheap software and computers written and assembled by dedicated and low-waged cult members† (www. cdi. org). The possibility of manufacturing chemical and biological weapons is now very small since the abolishment of the group’s chemical facilities in a number of raids. There are still debates, though, about the implications that this cult may have brought in about terrorism especially with the use of chemical agents as weapons of mass destruction. Incidents such as this show how people underestimate terrorism. Japan is a country who has relatively low crime rate and Aum Shinrikyu is considered a religious organization which is expected to exhibit acts of good intentions. This incident calls for a broader perspective on terrorism as well as extra vigilance on the possibility of violence inflicted to a large number of people with the use of weapons of mass destruction.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Hindu Creation Myth

Hindu Creation Myth According to Hindu Creation Myth, Brahma is the divine creator of the world, as well as other things in the universe. However, different views on how actually the creation process occurred. The most famous one is recounted in the Vedas. The sacred book runs, â€Å"all living creatures were made from the ghee (purified buter) that came from Purusha† (Gibson and Wootten 48). Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Hindu Creation Myth specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, parts of Purusha’s body were used to create different objects of the universe. Navel was used to create the earth’s atmosphere, the head was used to create the havens, the earth was made up of his feet and the sky was made up of his ears. Purusha was also responsible for creating the four varnas of Indivian society – the Brahmis, which came from Purusha’s mouth, the Kshatriyas coming from his arms, the Vaishyas that came fr om his thighs, and, finally, Shudras coming from Purusha’s feet. The story of Hindu creation myths differs from Ancient Greek creation myths in a number of facts, including the beginning of the world, and some elements of the creation of the living creatures. The divinity creation also has certain tangible discrepancies. As per the beginning of the world, the Hindu world creation starts with the God Brahma who initiated the beginning of the universe: â€Å"Hindus believe that God, in the form of Brahma, is the creator of the universe and everything in it† (Gibson and Wootten 48). Unlike the Indian version, the Greek world begins with â€Å"an emptiness called Chaos – the yawning gap† (Martin 23). With regard to these creation myths, significant difference lies in using nothingness as the beginning in Greek myths, which is absent in the Indian legends. In contrast, Indians focus on the divine origins of the world which produced all creatures whereas Gree ks refer to emptiness which created divinity. In Hinduism, there was one creature that gave life to all living beings on earth. It has been torn apart to form water, earth, atmosphere, and various social layers of people. In such a way, Hindu myths prove the divine origin of all people, including all varnas. Unlike Hindu, Greek mythology provides an account of creating divine and mythological creations where there is no place for human beings: â€Å"Earth brought forth Ouranos, the Sky, to be her cover and protector and a place for the blessed gods† (Martin 23). Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In Greek mythology, however, includes humans at the end of creation, which underlines the emergent hierarchy with gods at the top and humans in the bottom. However, both myths prove the divine origin of all human beings on the planet. There are different concepts of evil origins on Earth with regard to Greek and Hindu mythology. In particulars, Greek myths show â€Å"†¦there is not principle of evil †¦ but Greek tales acknowledge that there are all sorts of bad influences and misfortunes in the world, including the shortness of human life† (Martin 21). In Hinduism, evil is presented as an opposition to good: â€Å"Hindus believe that Vishni is the preserver of the universe and protects the world from evil† (Gibson and Wootten 16). In conclusion, despite the divergence in creation mythology represented by Greeks and Hindus, there are certain similar points which provide a solid basis to explore the origins of the world. This is of particular concern to the analysis of divinity creation, human beings creation, and conception of evil in ancient world. Gibson, Lynne, and Pat Wootten. Hinduism. US: Heinenmann, 2002, Print. Martin, Richard. Myths of Ancient Greeks. US: New American Library, 2003. Print.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Accommodations for Students With Special Needs

Accommodations for Students With Special Needs Rarely are there specific lesson plans for special education. Teachers take existing lesson plans and provide either accommodations or modifications to enable the student with special needs to have optimum success. This tip sheet will focus on four areas where one can make special accommodations to support special needs students in the inclusive classroom. Those four areas include: 1.) Instructional Materials 2.) Vocabulary 2.) Lesson Content 4.) Assessment Instructional Materials Are the materials you select for the instruction conducive to meeting the child(ren) with special needs?Can they see, hear, or touch the materials to maximize learning?Are the instructional materials selected with all of the students in mind?What are your visuals and are they appropriate for all?What will you use to demonstrate or simulate the learning concept?What other hands-on materials can you use to ensure that the students with needs will understand learning concepts?If you are using overheads, are there extra copies for students who need to see it closer or have it repeated?Does the student have a peer that will help? Vocabulary Do the students understand the vocabulary necessary for the specific concept you are going to teach?Is there a need to focus first on the vocabulary prior to starting the lesson?How will you introduce the new vocabulary to the students?What will your overview look like?How will your overview engage the students? Lesson Content Does your lesson focus completely on the content, does what the students do extend or lead them to new learning? (Wordsearch activities rarely lead to any learning)What will ensure that the students are engaged?What type of review will be necessary?How will you ensure that students are understanding?Have you built in time for a breakout or change in activity?Many children have difficulty sustaining attention for lengthy periods of time. Have you maximized assistive technology where appropriate for specific students?Do the students have an element in choice for the learning activities?Have you addressed the multiple learning styles?Do you need to teach the student specific learning skills for the lesson? (How to stay on task, how to keep organized, how to get help when stuck etc).What strategies are in place to help re-focus the child, continue to build self-esteem and prevent the child from being overwhelmed? Assessment Do you have alternate means of assessment for students with special needs (word processors, oral or taped feedback)?Do they have a longer timeline?Have you provided checklists, graphic organizers, or/and outlines?Does the child have reduced quantities? In Summary Overall, this may seem like a lot of questions to ask yourself to ensure that all students have maximized learning opportunities. However, once you get into the habit of this type of reflection as you plan each learning experience, you will soon be a pro at ensuring the inclusional classroom works as best as it can to meet your diverse group of students. Always remember that no two students learn the same, be patient, and continue to differentiate both instruction and assessment as much as possible.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Sports Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Sports Psychology - Essay Example The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us to pieces for that inch. We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch. Cause we know when we add up all those inches thats going to make the fucking difference between WINNING and LOSING between LIVING and DYING,† the character of Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday. Motivational speeches are necessary as any sports psychologist will tell you. Mental preparation allows athletes tap that extra strength that usually comes out when at the height of enthusiasm. That’s why you hear about people lifting cars to save someone or jumping at heights not even Michael Jordan could have one for a game winning shot. Sport psychology professionals use all devices to help an athlete get motivated such as imagery and, like Al Pacino, deliver a speech as if humanity’s existence depends on it. Psychologists Robert M. Yerkes and John D. Dodson developed a hypothetical law that relates arousal with performance in 1908, based on biopsychology and neuroscience research. This is called the Inverted-U hypothesis. The theory says that as the arousal of an athlete increases, so does the performance. It will continue to increase until it reaches its peak. After that, if the arousal continues, the performance deteriorates. This hypothesis explains how the person’s arousal can affect its performance. It tells that a person’s performance can be maximized on a certain level of arousal. But the relationship between the level of performance and the level of arousal comes with the condition; both too low and too high level of arousal can produce low level or poor performance, while a moderate level of arousal can produce a high positive level of performance. This theory is illustrated on a diagram with two lines representing the arousal and the performance