Nursing Expertise Self-Report Scale and Reflection

After completing the Nursing Expertise Self-Report, I felt as a nursing profession I was analytical toward each questions. I noticed that most of my answers were drawn from my clinical experience working as an emergency nurse.I find that I looked at the situation as whole, combining all aspect of nursing from objectives and subjective data while still adhering to all policy and procedure. I also noticed for any aspect of clinical situation that my patients may represent, I strong disagree that emotional attachment would get in the way of good nursing care. In fact, I believed that emotional attachment are a characteristic a caring and compassionate nurse. This kind of characteristic may allow the nurse to be more accurate with her findings because she knows closely of what is consider normal to her patient.She may be the first to notice a change in her patient’s condition. I thought this exercise was very informative and knowledgeable because it allowed to see how I am grown a s a nursing professional. It is a great feeling to see that my nursing practice and decision making comes naturally by understanding that all pieces of information related to the patient is equally important one another. I also find that communication is essential to all aspect nursing care because it allow the patient to feel connected to the staff as well as understand his/her plan of care. As nursing professional we are always using critical thinking to anticipate the next possible event that could occur.Although we may not realize it, we tend to forget to communicate with the patient and family as often as we should. This exercise help me realize that I need to communicate with my patient more often to help them understand their care plan and the care providing to them. I also noticed in this self-report scale and reflection that I always follow the standard patient care procedures no matter what situation may present because the standard patient care procedures were written to allow the best possible outcome for the patient.

A Comparative Analysis of Lacatan Banana

Background of the Study We chose this study because we realized how much trees are chopped down to make paper and we realized that we should save more trees.To save more trees, we can use fruit peelings Like the peelings of Lactate and Saba to make handmade paper and If we use fruit peelings we do not Just save trees but we also help reduce wastes. Statement of the Problem This study will compare Lactate Banana (MUSM communicate) and Saba (MUSM geminate x MUSM balancing) as a Component of Handmade Paper. 1. Which is much banana is much better to use as a component of handmade paper? 2.Will this study help and benefit the community? Objectives This study mainly aims to use food wastes, specifically kinds of banana peelings as a component of handmade paper and to save more trees and to help reduce Hypothesis If this study proves that Lactate or Saba banana peelings can be components of handmade paper then they can be alternative for paper. Significance of the Study To make paper, we ch op down trees and we use harmful chemicals.Now this study can produce paper without using harmful chemicals which will be a big help to Mother Nature because we reduce wastes and lessen the trees being chopped down. Definition of Terms Lactate banana (MUSM communicate) : most popular dessert banana In the Philippines; has a higher vitamin content, compared to the Aleutian (white with thinner skin) and Saba varieties (used for abundance).

Case 5 the Ken Griffey Jr. Negotiation Summary

Case Summary Ken Griffey Jr. was a professional baseball player for the United States. Griffey was known as one of the first professional baseball players in the two North American leagues who held the post as an outfielder and has proven to be an excellent hitter and outstanding fielder over several years. During negotiations, Griffey played for a Seattle Team called Seattle Mariners. His contract with Seattle was to end in the 2000 season. If Griffey stayed in Seattle for the 2000 season and allowed his contract to expire, he could have become a free agent who can possibly sell his services and talent to other baseball teams. However, if Seattle can trade him during the time of the case, they could get something for Griffey because he has supreme talent which can bring Seattle many great players in return. Seattle could have tried to sign Griffey into a new contract but knew that Griffey was very unhappy in Seattle for several reasons. Griffey expressed on numerous occasions a desire to live closer to his relatives. After the 1999 season, Griffey’s request was approved and he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for a couple players which involved Brett Tomko, Mike Cameron, Jake Meyer, and Antonio Perez. Originally, the expectations looked bright for Griffey in Cincinnati because the Reds had just come within one game of a playoff. Cincinnati was the city where Griffey grew up and he was very pleased to be playing on his father’s previous team. Ken Griffey, Jr. was a featured star of the Mariners and a fan favorite in Seattle throughout is tenure. The case involves negotiations that consist of professional baseball athlete Ken Griffey, Jr. which occurred during the winter of 2000.

Book summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Book summary - Essay Example Mercator projections typically hanged on pentagon offices and classroom walls usually place the US in the middle where it is separated from Europe to its East by the big Atlantic Ocean and from Asia by to its West by the Pacific Ocean. Our preference for the perspective reflects a particular national egocentrism and has for a bigger part of the past two centuries made a recommendable deal of a strategic sense (Kaplan, 154). Through a big part of the 19th century, oceanic moats made possible the era of free security as a historian by the name C. Van Woodward called it. United States then projected much of its power primarily towards East Asia and Europe as it stepped on the World stage and grew stronger. In the 20th century, America would wage wars, cold and hot, aiming to protect vital regions against the dominion of hostile forces. Their earlier purposes, notwithstanding, the ancient maps are no longer meaningful having outlived their usefulness. After the cold war had come to an end, with much intensity and speed since 9/11, focus shifted towards South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East and towards the western Pacific waters. Robert D. Kaplan in monsoon argues that fresh ways of viewing the World are needed. This is needed mostly in seeing those parts that are integral elements despite being split by old projections (Kaplan, 165). Kaplan’s goal was providing his fellow countrymen with a similar map centered the Greater Indian Ocean, the region that stretched eastward right from the Horn of Africa going past the Arabian Peninsula, Iranian plateau as well as the Indian subcontinent going all the way to Indonesian archipelago and even beyond. He was glad that the monsoon winds shifted direction regularly at six month intervals, making connecting of the far-flung shores by waters to be readily navigable even when there were primitive sailing vessels. The greater Indian Ocean was initially linked by Muslim merchants, later Portugal

Role of the United States Contitution Paper Essay

Role of the United States Contitution Paper - Essay Example overnment in the development of a uniform system of trade as follows: â€Å"The Congress shall have power†¦..to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among several states and with Indian tribes.†(www.usconstitution,net). The United States Constitution thus spells out the regulatory role of the federal Government. This is very important because if businesses are allowed to operate completely without any kind of regulation, then there is a scope for abuses of business power to take place. For example, big corporations could turn themselves into monopolies and take over all the business, thus resulting in unfairness to customers who will be saddled with heavy prices at the whim of the monopoly. Such a move would also produce a lack of business fairness and opportunity for others to also flourish and thrive in the economy through the effective exercise of competition. But by allowing the federal Government to play a regulatory role, the national government can make use of its power to ensure that opportunities and resources are provided to a multiplicity of groups, so that there is potential for the balanced development of power rater than it becoming aggregated in the hands of a few wealthy corporations. The Government’s regulatory role extends to the development of sound monetary and banking systems and ensuring that adequate opportunity is provided to all, including those minority and disadvantaged sections of society who may not have the resources and wealth to make the best use of business opportunities existing in the economy. In the case of McCullogh v Maryland Justice Marshall found unquestionable evidence existing in the Constitution to support the position that the American people, who are in effect, the source of the Constitution, wished to accord to the Government, the powers to lay down taxes and to collect them, as well as to regulate commerce and since this was the intent of the people, it must have also been their intent that the national

Conflict in Employment Relationships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Conflict in Employment Relationships - Essay Example Conflict with your boss doesn't have to lead to derailment if the effort is made to effectively manage the situation. By appropriately manage conflict, positive consequences can result. Managing conflict can lead to a more productive working relationship between the employer and you're the employee: Increases effort. In many ways, we need our differences to help us clarify our own positions and better understand others. The chaos and confusion that naturally surrounds a search for clarity can actually energize the efforts of all. To deal with the conflicts many organizations' human resources or the employment relationship departments have developed grievance procedures. These procedures facilitate in managing the conflict otherwise organizations may face huge losses in terms of employee turnover and employees themselves may find themselves loosing or changing a job too often. A grievance is normally a complain by an employee that to notify that management or the employer in some way or the other has violated any of the terms of their employer-employee contractual arrangement. Formally the grievance procedure is for the processing of allegations from the lower tiers of management to the upper tiers. This allows employees to lodge complains if they have any regarding the work environment, work situation and any of the working relationships also without any fear of reprisal if the process is really fair. A fair and a just grievance procedure may also lead to development of credibility as a good employer for the organization. One of the benefits of well developed grievance system is that it helps firms resolve any conflicts or differences in interest internally and not leading to any court involvement or furthermore any of the public announcements or disclosures that can be more costly. I do not agree with the statement that there is no need of grievance procedures in the organization. The arguments in favor are presented in the following text. The reason of my agreement which are elucidated as under includes: Saves costs for organization Gives employees a voice Provides a mechanism for employees to communicate upwards Represents justice Enhances organizations' capability Allows managers to learn of the grievances at lower tier But, since it is believed that the conflict between the employee and the employer is inevitable therefore, the systems may thought to be flawed or useless because there is always a bias involved in the relationship even

Reading and lives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reading and lives - Essay Example In my own opinion, I also think reading and writing have some benefits in our lives. For example, people can learn new knowledge to enrich their lives. Even though, people might have different cultural background, reading and writing can also help them change their lives and help them get better. As such, the main idea going to be presented in this paper is related to the aspect of how reading and writing can transform our lives. To a certain extent, reading can be viewed as a hobby but it can help people change their destiny. In addition, a good study environment can help people develop a habit of reading. In the article, â€Å"The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me† by Sherman Alexie, it can be noted that his father liked to buy books which meant that Alexie had many books to read. When he was young, he did not know a lot of words. Consequently, Alexie improved his vocabulary through reading a lot of books. For example, when he read Superman, a comic book, he assumed some words or dialogue that Superman could say to help him read the book. I think that it is a good and easy way to help people to understand books. On the other hand, Alexie said that some people thought that Indian children were expected to fail in the non-Indian world. However, he did not agree with that argument. Instead, he refused to be a failure. Alexie spent a lot of time reading, even just for a few minutes. In additio n, Alexie read a book everywhere, in the car, shopping mall and bookstores (50 Essays 15-18). Finally, he became a writer and he wrote novels, short stories and poems. From Alexie’s experience, I believe that reading is the cornerstone that helps people to develop their talents. Some people have different opinions of other individuals who come from other countries. In the article mentioned above, Alexie is portrayed as an Indian child. He mentions that his classmates who

College Admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

College Admission - Essay Example I want to join Purdue University to get a formal education in computer engineering and later on get a job in the industry. In today’s competitive job marketplace people seeking work must have at least a Bachelor’s degree to have a legitimate shot at getting a job. The unemployment rate in the United States is currently above 9%. I want to take advantage of the amazing education Purdue University provides its alumni to help change the world through innovation similarly to the way the late Steve Jobs was able to leave his mark on society. I want to invent or bring something into this world that serves a great and noble purpose. My personal and professional goals can only be attained if I am able to complete a Bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. My first goal upon graduation is to land my first job as IT professional. Educational credentials from University of Purdue will enable me to be considered for a job position with better chances than people that graduate from other universities or community colleges due to the reputation of Purdue University as one of the most prestigious higher educational establishments in the world. A second goal of mine, once I reach the job marketplace, is to save money for a few years in order to accumulate sufficient initial capital to start my own computer business. In future I want to become a successful entrepreneur. Once I join Purdue University I plan on taking advantage of every opportunity I get to expand my networking capabilities. There are thousands of students at Purdue that have similar aspirations. It is possible that my long term goal of starting a computer business can be accelerated if I am able to find suitable business partners for the venture. Having a team that has plenty of human capital can give my computer business a competitive advantage. Besides, Im sure Ill become a valuable addition to students community too in many

RIVERS AND ETHINIC'S 3WA Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

RIVERS AND ETHINIC'S 3WA - Article Example The above is evident in situation that life was saved and afterwards, the same patients wonder why that is pertinent to him or her (Burkhardt, 2008.p.12). Having put that across, it is pertinent for every nurse to realize the important of his or her decision to the patients. The responsibility of the nurses is that they are expected to be altruistic. The above means that nursing professionals should have ethical obligation by serving others without considering self-interest. According to experts, they affirm that an altruistic nurse will only make decision that interests the patients. It follows that, being an advocate to the patient, it is important for the nurses to practice excellent nursing ethnics. Now days, with the improvised and modern technology, nurses can keep individuals alive indefinitely, argues Colleen Moore. Despite of the ability to keep a patient alive indefinitely, to some extent the same may not be a good idea to the patients themselves. Some of the difficult ques tions that the medics ask themselves is that, despite of exposing patients on a life supporting machine, pump nutrients in them and hook them up in several tubes, is that a patients ‘ best option?. ... As nursing, it is necessary that the above decision be respected even if there is a chance of saving the life. Further, another challenge is that some patients may refuse to receive chemotherapy and it is important to respect that decision (Aiken, 1994. p.24). The book acknowledges the fact that sometimes family can make decisions due to lack of understanding or grief. Here, if the above dilemma arises that is when a strong committee of ethnics can be invaluable service. The article further outlines that committee on ethnics can primarily make decisions that best suits the patient despite of the different cultural beliefs of the patients, the expected outcomes and the wishes of the patients (Hunt, 1996.p. 14). It is surprising to note that to some extent the ethical committee can take off the large burden that the family as well, as patient is going through. With the above in minds, it is important to note that nurse practice act and code of ethnics are vital guidelines governing the behaviors of the nurses though the documents are not specific. Here, the document has limitations to extent that one cannot know wrong or right and so, the above is a decision left for the nurses to decide for themselves. In general, it is important to know that ethnics is something that encompasses the interpretation of the individuals, since it is based on the individual values and morals. Therefore, the article concludes that despite of the availability of NPA and Code, it is pertinent for the nurses to follow their own decision basing on the interest of the patients. Another pertinent article is the nursing ethical dilemmas. Here, Cathy Fant insinuates that nurses usually face

Interpretive explication essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Interpretive explication - Essay Example He was accused of stealing a deer. Shakespeare worked in London as a bit actor and member of a theatrical company headed by Richard Burbage that presented plays at the Globe and other London theaters. He was also an associate of a jolly group of men whose revels at the Mermaid Tavern were as famous as their escapades. He had a friend in the person of the Earl of Southampton to whom he dedicated his early poems. â€Å"His real dramatic work began when he was twenty-seven and which extended over a period of twenty years. He made an average of two plays yearly, in addition to his poetry. Because his dramas were popular, he made enough money to retire to Stratford-on-Avon† (Cross, Smith & Stauffer, 1931). On May 4, 1597, he bought large dwelling – a pretty house of brick and timber, with a handsome garden – an indication of his growing prosperity. There his wife and children lived, while he buried himself in the London theaters. On April 23, 1616, the anniversary of his birth, William Shakespeare died and was buried on April 25 within the chancel of Trinity Church, as befitting an honored citizen. On August 6, 1623, a few months before the collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays, Anne Shakespeare joined her husband in death (Wright and Lamar, 1967) We shall now endeavor to provide the reader with a brief paraphrase for the above sonnet, giving an interpretation of its fundamental meaning. The poem starts out with a beautiful but melancholy description of Autumn – a season of the falling of yellow leaves – few or none at all. The scene is made more dismal with the absence of the sweet songbirds that have perhaps flown away or perished due to the cold. The poet then addresses the beloved, saying: â€Å"In me, you see the autumn of life, the twilight of day which will soon yield to night. Seeing this, your love is strengthened for one whom you must soon lose (THESIS). We digress at this point to

Uses For Polymers - my bullet proof vest design Essay Example for Free

Uses For Polymers my bullet proof vest design Essay Greetings. My name is Paulos Zerezghi and I have now invented a feature which may change the world. I have been inspired to create this due to all the wars and crimes in our world today. My creation is Full Bullet-Proof Clothing. I have combined casual clothing which may be also used for the military. This is an original idea which has not been created. This Bullet-Proof clothing would be fully-compatible for police, security and military and also ordinary citizens who may be in need of secured clothing for safety reasons. My revolutionary invention will be named Block-Tex or scientific name Block-Tex Chloride. The chloride from my invention, is formed when the element chlorine – a halogen picks up one electron to form an anion. My creation has upgraded the classic ‘bulletproof vest’ which has been worn by different forms of security at the moment. I believe that this soon will not be the case. The full Block-Tex jacket is super-light weighing at only 115g allowing people to run and walk easier which may be very useful for police and the military. Also, Block-Tex clothing will provide tough material to prevent bullets penetrating through. Amazingly, Block-Tex even prevents blades piercing through and shrapnel from explosions. Manufacturing Block-Tex Chloride is synthesized in solution from the monomers 1,4-phenylene-diamine (para-phenylenediamine) and terephthaloyl chloride in a condensation reaction yielding hydrochloric acid as a by product. The result has liquid-crystalline behaviour, and mechanical drawing orients the polymer chains in the fibres direction. Cracking will be featured in the creation of Block-Tex so it can break down molecules that are complex. Heavy hydrocarbons may also be broken down into simpler molecules by the breaking of carbon-carbon bonds in the precursors. The polymer will not be created to be monounsaturated because that may mean that only one double bond in the whole hydrocarbon will be able which wouldn’t work as this invention would need more than one. The plastic will be unsaturated which means that they would be more than one double bond featured in the hydrocarbon. Alkenes will be featured in my invention, in most of the hydrocarbons; causing the product to be stronger, tougher and more resistant to bullets and shrapnel. But In some of the hydrocarbons, monomers will feature alkane so that the vest is flexibleand lightweight making my invention one of a kind. Cross-links will also be featured to create my product. Cross-links will allow the material to be hard and stiff (making it harder for bullets to penetrate), making it not flappy and soft similar to natural rubber. Using cross-links will make us use vulcanisation which can be used to make car tyres from natural rubber. After testing, I can announce that Block-Tex has been developed to be resistant to heat (thermosetting). This may be useful as Block-Tex is able to withstand heat from explosions. Characteristics of Product My product features fabulous characteristics. The polymer features variety of colours and also alters Block-Tex to camouflage with the environment. This allows the product to not be obvious to see. The product’s camouflage ability is created so that enemies or criminals will not be able to recognise whether there wearing a bulletproof vest/clothing or not. This is definitely a huge requirement for militaries and armies throughout the world. Another characteristic that Block-Tex has is that it’s lightweight – this feature allows soldiers, police etc. to run fast and long distances without problems what so ever. Also, due to Block-Tex’s casual availability, it can be easier worn anywhere and everywhere without the need of support. To continue, my product is efficient as it is biodegradable. The meaning of the term, biodegradable, is that when the polymer finally becomes of no use, it can be broken down and completely dissolved and destroyed. This is a good quality of my polymer and helps the environment unlike supermarket bags which takes hundreds of years to break down and destroy. Uses of Block-Tex Block-Tex may have many difference uses. It may be to be safe warzones. Personally, I believe that crime is a factor that you can be safe from. In many areas around the world like Columbia and Iran where gun crime could be featured in their daily basis. Block-Tex can prevent gun crime as my product is strong enough to thwart a 50-calibre magnum to a SPAS-12 shotgun and even a thrown butterfly knife to the torso. Block-Tex can support soldiers in warzone countries like Afghanistan and Somalia where landmines are placed and gunshots are fired. Block-Tex may not fully support soldiers from a mine, but gives them a higher chance of survival. My product can save lives, so why wouldn’t you buy it? The meaning of the term, biodegradable, is that when the product finally becomes of no use, it can be broken down and completely dissolved and destroyed. Block-Tex have accomplished this and is fully biodegradable. Block-Tex is the first and only product to provide bulletproof vest/clothing that can be resistant to bullets, blades and shrapnel plus keep the product strong with it being biodegradable at the same time. Large supermarket companies like ASDA and Tesco don’t sell/use biodegradable plastic bags. Tesco and ASDA shopping bags are not environmental-friendly and take hundreds of years to degrade and destroy. Tesco and ASDA however buy these bags as they buy in a large scale and those bags are cheap. Biodegradable plastic bags are expensive. We have put the effort to make Block-Tex biodegradable, whatever the cost. When the product is broken down, it goes into smaller and simpler compounds such as water and carbon dioxide. Toxicity Block-Tex is fully non-toxic unless some bulletproof vests in the market today. My product is safe with a percentage of 0% toxicity. Block-Tex would not alter any devices placed next to it. Unlike oil, Block-Tex is designed not to be toxic which allows it not to harm animals and sea-animals. Unfortunately, Block-Tex Chloride is being tested on pigs, rats and mice which all have similar systems to humans. Our experiments however, are designed not to harm them severely. The fibres used to create Block-Tex may be toxic when broken down. If the toxic fibres enter your skin, it may cause irritation and minor scratching, but does not trigger allergic reactions or create allergic reactions. From the knowledge of experimenting on mice, Block-Tex has been proven to be non-toxic when swallowed. However, dust from the product may be harmful for those who suffer asthma (if swallowed) as it may trigger it and cause allergies. Oil Loss? Block-Tex are thinking of possible solutions for when oil reserves run out. When oil does run out, it will for sure effect our business hard as crude oil is a major factor for manufacturing this product. The polymer is alternated and synthesized. Crude oil is the beginning of the creation of Block-Tex and the ‘spring’ of where requirements are found. Hydrocarbons are featured in crude oil, which is the vast reason why crude oil is used. Crude Oil is found in the ground where it is tunnelled and mined out. It is major use of our technology today. However, many sources have found that crude oil will finish in less than a dozen years due to our overuse. This will be a major setback and will force us to use alternatives. Nuclear power may be an alternative in the near future due to it’s reliability, efficiency and environmental-friendly factors. However, there are weaknesses. Nuclear waste would be a problem as it is unknown what to do with it and power stations of nuclear are expensive to build, not fitting most countries budget. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevlar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulletproof_vest http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crude_oil

Conservation of Races Essay Example for Free

Conservation of Races Essay The United States of America, since its commencement, has been a â€Å"melting pot† of different nationalities. While the term melting pot sounds forthcoming, this is not the case in reality. Many times cultures collide due their differences in ideology, culture, and geographical proximity. Such culture clashes have marked the history of the United States. Race is usually thought of in the physical sense with difference in skin color, hair, facial features, and language. Although race usually follows along physical lines, it is much more far reaching and extends into the social and cultural beliefs. In the past, the dominant trend was to keep these beliefs separate, consequently increasing the feeling of racial unity and racism in society. History has shown us that man has used segregation as a method of not only keeping the peace, but also of keeping the purity of a race in tact. In 1897, an address to the Negro Academy entitled â€Å"The Conservation of Races,† W. E. B. Dubois states: â€Å"The question, then which we must seriously consider is this: What is the real meaning of Race; what has, in the past, been the law of race development, and what lessons has the past history of race development to teach the rising Negro people? I thought the caliber of Dubois’ intelligence and boldness to ask the question was compelling. Throughout this essay I will explore and illustrate how Dubois comes to answer the questions, which he asked his audience. I found it easier to dissect the complex question into three separate questions. First I will illustrate how Dubois defines race. Then I will pinpoint where the basis of the law of race development is formulated. Finally, he answers the question; what can lessons of past history of race development teach the rising Negro? W. E. B Dubois writes that he believes that the conservation of races is the cornerstone of keeping the Negro race pure and intact. Thus, for him, race preservation is not backed only with racial motives, but to help society better itself as a whole. The history of the world is outlined by the histories’ of different groups and races. He states, â€Å"If it be true the history of the world is the history, not of individuals, but of groups, not of nations, but of races, and he who ignores or seeks to override the race idea in human history ignores and overrides the central thought of history (pg.142). In The Conservation of Races Dubois stresses the importance of surveying the whole question of race. He criticizes a biological account of race. He claims that such an account is inadequate because it fails to explain both the wide variety of physical traits within a race and the physical likenesses shared by all humans. For example he states, â€Å"Many criteria of race differences have in the past been proposed, as color, hair, cranial measurements and language. And manifestly in each of these respects differ widely (pg 142)†. Instead, Du Bois proposes a definition of race based on sociohistorical criteria that emphasized cultural and political loyalty. He defines race as: a vast family of human beings, generally of common blood and language, always of common history, traditions and impulses, who are both voluntarily and involuntarily striving together for the accomplishment of certain more or less vividly conceived ideals of life (pg. 142). I would have to agree with Dubois that race is a combination of language, traditions, color, impulses, common blood and ideals of life. This is extremely evident in the anatomy of the world. You can have people who are physically, spiritually, politically, socially, etc. very different be members of the same race. â€Å"Although the wonderful developments of human history teach that the grosser physical differences of color, hair and bone go but a short way towards explaining the different roles which groups of men has played in Human Progress, yet there are differences- subtle, delicate, and elusive, though they may be which have silently but definitely separated men into groups† (pg 142). Here Du Bois suggest an ideal of the law of race development. He further adds, â€Å"At all times, however, they have divided human beings into races, which, while they perhaps transcend scientific definition nerveless, are clearly defined to the eye of the Historian and Sociologist† (pg. 142). I think and maybe Du Bois would agree that the idea of race is an outdated, invalid scientific concept used to categorize individuals and validate who is superior or inferior. As discussed in class I don‘t think racism will ever cease to exist, because the ideal of race is far too prevalent from individuals of all sizes, shapes, and colors. And focusing on the illusion of race will never solve the problem of racism. The only way to stop racism is to end the classification of individuals based on meaningless physical characteristics as a whole and celebrate diversity. Finally, he answers the third part to his complex what can the lessons of past laws of racial development teach rising Negro people. By answering this question he attempts to motivate African Americans to create a recognizable culture and make a difference in the world. He believed that African Americans had potential. He thought that in order eliminate the problems African Americans were facing the focus must first be on boosting the African American culture. He states, As such, it is our duty to conserve our physical powers, our intellectual endowments, our spiritual ideals; as a race we must strive by race organization, by race solidarity, by race unity to the realization of the broader humanity which freely recognizes differences in men, but sternly deprecates inequality in their opportunities of development† (pg. 145). Dubois also saw the need for one main intellectual entity, a Negro Academy. Dubois eloquently stated, â€Å" for all these products of the Negro mind, which we may call a Negro Academy. Not only is all this necessary for positive advancements, it is absolutely imperative for negative defense† (pg. 145). He also notes that the African race has not yet been able to share its message. He sates, â€Å"For the development of Negro genius, of Negro literature and art, of Negro spirit Negroes inspired by the vast ideal, can work out in its fullness the great message of humanity† (pg. 144). In closing, races embody within themselves the answers modern society’s problems. However, a better description of the status of the Negro message would be a work in progress.

Business E-solutions for Small Construction Companies

Business E-solutions for Small Construction Companies BUSINESS E-SOLUTIONS FOR SMALL CONSTRUCTION  COMPANIES AND FREELANCERS Sergiu Catinas Florin Matei Abstract.There is a direct correlation among number of employees who work in construction industry and the average productivity of the construction workers. A first notice when these two factors are compared simply resides from the annual charts that follow these two factors. It is quite obviously that the average productivity of the workers depends primarily on technologies used, but depends on some other factors as well. The link among technologies used and productivity is not a subject to discus in this paper. Even though it is well known that construction industry requires a big variety of skills it is well known that some of the construction jobs are completed by workers with multiple qualifications. Also a principle of productivity clearly states that productivity of a worker is grown once the area of qualification is restrained. Therefore, in order to create a better productivity of the construction workers it is necessary to create workers with super high qualification in one small area and allow movement of the working force among construction sites. Most of the construction company has a great deal of mobility, but the most sensitive problem remains the problem of getting together the needs of labor with the suppliers of labor services. The main purpose of this paper is to underline the needs of a better link among construction actors. Also the paper proposes an e-solution for a better connection of construction players through implementing/changing an internet based site and shows some of the proposed benefits. Keywords: e-solution for construction business G14 A12 E60, construction average productivity D61 B22, construction companies’ mobility M54 C12, publically provides goods H44 D60. 1. Introduction By definition the average productivity is defined as in (1). Please note that an average productivity can be expressed with respect to marginal productivity as Saari1 said and as seen in as in figure 1. Figure 1 average productivity and marginal productivity with respect to real output/input As expressed by Harris2 the main economical factors that influence the productivity in construction industry are mortgage and accountants, fraud, cash flow, estimators and the cost engineers. By analyzing these factors and the influence of these factors over the total cost of a construction project, a solution is to be created in order to address the influence of factors like fraud and cash flow as well as the other three factors. Out of statistics offered by US Department of Labor the average construction manager contractors and the number of construction output in 2012 in US are almost the same (450 000-number of construction managers and 480.000-number of output construction in US according to US Department of Construction). Also by considering the top 5 US contractors and the number of their projects ongoing over the number of the contractor’s company employers the rate is over 0.08 in all cases, according to ENR.Construction.statistics. This leads to the idea that the big general contractors don’t have more than 12 of their own employees on the site. More over the second observation is that the big general contractors use the working labor of the subcontractors in order to complete their jobs more than their own workers. An internet based solution in order to reduce the general cost of the construction project is the proposal introduced by the present paper. The solution presented tries to m inimize the importance of the general contractors by implementing an internet based program that will allow small contractors and freelancers to bid for their project with no respect the general contractors. This system will bring significant benefits for small contractors and freelancers and will increase the average productivity of construction labors. 2. Main Concept As expressed above, the main idea is to implement a system based on the internet application that allows creating a strong connection among actors from construction industry. As a historical data it is important to mention that similar attempts were made outside Romania, but this kind of projects are not very popular. Also a similar model was build for tracking industry in USA. The system proposed would generate business revenue for all three categories involved in the construction industry, being a â€Å"triple win† system. The winners would be the owner of the site through charging money for any contact established, the general contractor or owner of the construction site and the freelancers or contractors that execute jobs because they can find jobs for their own. Never the less a major winner for this system could be the government through a better control of the labor black market and the society in general because this system would develop very effective companies and fr eelancers with high standards of safety and quality. More over a quality control can be implemented through expressing a relevant history data of every participant and through offering solid warranties for executed projects. 3. Details about techniques of implementation The internet page should provide valuable information about potential contractors or subcontractors. First this page would provide references wit previous jobs done so far by the contractors. This can provide solid knowledge about the quality, timing and safety rules applied by the contractors. According to this it can be created a scale ranging from 1 to 100 that would give a good view about an opportunity to create business relation with a specific contractor/freelancer. The internet page proposed by this idea can create a good point of view about the payment conditions, contract forms and eventually any history data for the beneficiary institution/person. Very often the government has that data offered but the private entities are not capable of showing any data related to their capabilities of assuming contractual obligations. The owner of the internet page, which can be a private entity or the government can charge both the contractors/freelancers and the developers/private owners or government agencies. Due to a good administration of the internet page it is recommended for the government to create and own such a business. The charge can be enforced only when the contact is established and an extra charge can be enforced when a contract is signed through this internet connection. Once the need for a job is expressed in details by the developer an auction that can last for 10 days can be started in order to allow the contractors and freelancers to put their best offer online, similar with the e-bay system. The winner would have to make a written contract with the developer and enforce according to the terms established in the description provided by the developer and the applicable law. To mention that a similar system exists in Romania, but with no history data for none of the sides and not very popular. Also the actual system is not open for private jobs. More over the actual internet page called â€Å"www.licitatia.ro† is for contractors only and not for small enterprises or freelancers and sometimes the value of contracts is not affordable for small companies. The main idea for this site is to create opportunities for small companies to cooperate with big contractors. A great disadvantage for the internet page that already exists is that the winners of the auctions are most of the time big construction companies and the execution of the job is done through small contractors/freelancers by subcontracting the job. T he main idea of this site is to allow the investor to create a working plan and graphic and according to that graphic to connect directly to small contractors/freelancers and decrease the cost of the labor. 4. Technical motivation for the propose As expressed by Harris2 the main important economic factors for a construction project are: fraud, mortgage and accountants, cash flow, estimators and cost engineers. Figure 2 Labour productivity growth in US, measured by GDP per hour worked (indexed) Fraud can’t be expressed mathematically by any formula and can vary a lot from a project to another. The Romanian construction industry is marked by so called underground black market of workers/labors. The rate of construction workers in Romania that are not hired legally is over 28% according to INS Bucharest. Apparently these workers represents a cheaper work force for the employers, but the long term run shows a different situations when accidents on the site construction happened and in our country the percentage of workers injuries and fatalities is double among black market according to Business Inside Magazine statistics. Therefore is hard to deliver any precise formulas or data regarding fraud in Romanian construction industry or elsewhere but we surely know that black market in construction is significant. For the mortgage and account factor the situation is expressed in detail by Nigrini4. The problem comes from the underestimation of the project and the lack of money to complete the jobs contracted. One of the solutions is implemented by creating smaller jobs and that is a main source of inspiration for the present paper and the idea proposed. Cash flow can be defined5 as the movement of money into or out of a business/project and it has three aspects: operational cash flow, investment cash flow and financing cash flow. Also cash flow factor is one of the great advantages that can be obtained through introduction of the idea presented in this paper. Estimators can get greater attention through introduction of the present idea. The error introduced by estimators is as Amos6 said in (2) and (3). (2) (3) Where is the parameter being estimate and is the expected value of the estimator. Please note that the error, â€Å"e†, depends not only on the estimator (the estimation formula or procedure), but also on the sample. Estimator engineers are engineers in charge with an estimation of the projects to be executed. The estimator engineers will have a greater implication by applying the present idea and their contribution should be linked to the estimators through trying to eliminate the errors margins as Amos6 proposed in the mathematical formulation expressed by (4) that shows how far, on average, the collection of estimates are from the expected value of the estimates. (4) 5. Example of the benefits of implementing the present idea. Consider a large construction project in Romania, in the city of Cluj-Napoca of a total value 54.00 million euro. The general contractor that was award the contract was a big general contractor with good experience in similar jobs. The second bid offer was as big as 92.10 million euro and the beneficiary was the institution of prefecture. The project was to build a sport complex in the city of Cluj-Napoca. Due to a court decision the project was stopped in the construction phase for over 18 months. The court decision was issued as a complaint by the general contractor who made an offer of 92.10 million euro. The time spent from the moment of interruption due to the court decision and the moment of the re-awarding the job to a bidder involved big amount of financial losses for both of the general contractors. Not to mention the financial losses suffered by the contractors, but to mention the difference of the bids amount will result as a margin profit of 37.90 million euro. If the exa mple above is not relevant for the profit margins obtained by general contractors let’s take the revenues of the top general contractors from US in 2012 and divide it by number of contracts completed by the same amount of time. This would generate revenue of 1.08 million dollars per project and considering an average medium project of 1.78 million dollars. These data are obtained from US Department of Construction Statistics. By applying the dates in our specific case we would obtain revenue of 19.87 million dollars. By considering dollars to euro ratio as 0.76, the revenue for our specific case would be 15.1 million euro. And this calculus does not include any losses due to the court decision that put a brake on the project. If the estimator engineers made a mistake according to (2),(3),(4) that error can be estimated from statistics as an average of 17% of the total value of the project after the project is finished according to Corps of Civil Engineers from US. In our spec ific case the average error of the estimator engineers for the project from Cluj-Napoca is 9.18 million euro. The difference of 5.92 million euro can be estimated as profit margin that can be linked to the present paper idea by creating small jobs to be done and the saving of the 5.92 million euro could be achieved. Please note that in the example above the cost of implementing the idea was not mentioned but according Brynjolfsson7 in the current practice the cost of IT development could not be more than 5 % of the total amount of the project, so a profit margin is still available. 6. Conclusions As expressed above the main idea of this paper is to express the need and procedures of creating an internet page that allows the beneficiaries of the construction structures to create a working plan and implement this plan. This working plan is technically known as Gantt plan and contains dates regarding each article of work and labor needed and the time allocated for that process. The site would create an auction system for every job/article that needs to be done. This system would benefit the contractors and small freelancers, the beneficiary of the construction structures as well as the government agencies and the general welfare. This internet application would create a triple win situation for government, contractors and beneficiaries of the construction structures. Moreover, another benefit would be due to high specialization class of small contractors and freelancers and the safety measures that would be strongly estimated and evaluated. The internet page proposed is subject to have a special section reviews regarding safety measures enforced. Regarding the safety of the labors and workers the government can enforce in a more efficient manner the black market control. Obviously the government agencies would have a better idea in what specific areas of construction the number of accidents is bigger and can enforce better safety rules. Also by knowing the contracts signed the government can put a better hand on the quality of the work in the most sensitive areas and can control the construction sites on the exact time when the most sensitive work and companies are on the site. References [1] Saari, S., Productivity. Theory and Measurement in Business,: European Productivity Conference, Espoo, Finland, 2006, pp. 44-69. [2] Craig, C.; Harris, R., Total Productivity Measurement at the Firm Level, Sloan Management Review, Feb-March 1973, pp13–28. [3] Hollmann, John, K., Total Cost Management Framework, AACE International, Morgantown WV, 2006, pp113–147. [4]Nigrini, M., Forensic Analytics: Methods and Techniques for Forensic Accounting Investigations. Hoboken, NJ, John Wiley Sons Inc., June 2011, pp 206-235. [5]Strong, R., Portfolio construction, management, and protection, South-Western Cengage Learning, Mason, Ohio, 2009 , pp.527-537. [6] Amos, S., Skills and Knowledge of Cost Engineering,-Fifth Edition, AACE International, Morgantown, West Virginia, 2004, pp 109-127. [7] Brynjolfsson, E., The productivity paradox of information technology.Communications of the ACM International, Mason, Ohio, 2003, pp 66–77.

Civil LIberties :: essays research papers

The terms are pretty much used synonymously, but I'll make the distinction that "civil liberties" means your conceptual rights and "civil rights" means your legal rights. In those terms, "civil liberties" are your personal rights as spelled out in the Constitution and other founding documents, such as the right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, free speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, etc. "Civil rights" are the particulars of how those vague concepts are implemented in law. Under this definition, our civil liberties don't change (except when we amend the constitution) but our civil rights change regularly as new laws are made or new interpretations are ruled upon. Some examples of civil rights laws are: -- Affirmative action rulings, which require preferential hiring of under-represented minority and gender groups; -- The Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires that public places provide access for people with disabilities; -- Vermont's recent Civil Union statute, which allows homosexual couples to get married. None of those laws change the basics underlying civil liberty (the right to equal treatment is the basis of all of them), but they have a big effect on people's legal rights. The philosophical basis for most controversial civil rights law (like those above) is the idea that a "right" doesn't exist at all if it can't be enforced or exercised. Enforcing and exercising rights often means that other people are required to do things or pay for things, which is where the controversy comes in. For example, blacks had the "right" to equal treatment in job hiring before affirmative action, but had no means to enforce equal representation in the job place until Affirmative Action laws took effect. And disabled people had the "right" to go to any public place, but until the ADA took effect, they had no means of compelling business owners to build ramps for wheelchairs, for example.

SCREAM :: essays research papers

SCREAM starts out in the quiet country region of Woodsboro, California. The silence is soon broken by the ringing of a phone coming from the inside of Casey Becker's home. The conversation between Casey and the threatening Voice, eventually leads up to having Casey scared out of her wits and being gutted. Sidney Prescott learns about the murder, and also finds out it was almost as bad as the murder of her mother (Maureen Prescott), which occurred almost a year ago. Randy Meeks, Reporter Gail Weathers, and Deputy Dewey Riley all get mixed up in the story with Sidney. If you want to learn anything else about the movie, go WATCH IT!!!! Billy and Stu were obviously PSYCHOtic. Stu's motive for killing Casey and Steve is simple. Sweet revenge!!! Casey dumped him for Steve, although Stu claims he dumped her. Billy killed several people with admirable motives. He killed Maureen Prescott because she was having an affair with his father, which caused his mother to leave the family. Billy also killed Tatum with good reason. What's the use of having someone around that's always going to be moping about her dead best friend. It would get on their consciences and drive them crazy, not that they already are. The first murder that occurs, we do not have the pleasure of viewing, but we know the general gist of the story. Maureen was raped and brutally butchered with a hunting knife and was found in her bedroom, getting blood all over the covers. The next two murders were of Casey Becker and Steve Orth. Steve had his stomach ripped open with a knife and he was strapped to a patio chair with duck tape over his mouth. His intestines had been exposed and there was a pool of blood around the chair. Casey received precisely six phone calls before being gutted, yes WITH a hunting knife, and hung outside in her front lawn from a tree. Principal Himbry, the fourth victim, was stabbed seven times (again with a hunting knife) and hung from the school football goalpost. He was found around the time of Stu's party. The next lucky person was Tatum Riley, Dewey's younger sister and Sidney's best friend (ex). She had her arm sliced by a knife (I'll let you guess what kind) and was found in the garage's ki tty door with her head crushed.

The Immature Huck Finn in Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Fi

The Immature Huckleberry Finn      Ã‚  Ã‚   Maturity is not a fickle expression such as happiness or frustration, but rather an inherent quality one gains over time, such as courage or integrity. Before maturity can be expressed, the one who expresses it must have significant confidence in himself, since self-confidence is the root of maturity. Being flexible and formulating one's own opinions or ideas are aspects of maturity, but neither is possible without self-confidence. The greatest aspect of maturity is the ability to make decisions which society does not agree with. Whether or not one follows through with these ideas is not important. What is important is the ability to make the decision. These decisions represent the greatest measure of maturity. Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn begins his adventures immature. As he is released from the clutches of his father and the Widow, he is forced to make decisions on his own and actually becomes quite mature. What's interesting about Huck Finn is that Huck doesn't end up as an enlightened, mature, young lad. He actually matures throughout the story until Tom is reintroduced, at which point he regresses into a state of immaturity. Huck appears only able to mature when there are no authoritative figures looming above him. When we are first introduced to Huck, he is very immature. Refusing to give in to "civilized society," he is not making a mature decision; he is merely being stubborn. Huck is unable to be mature because his father has literally beaten into him his own values and beliefs. Because of his father, Huck has almost no self-confidence. He has been taught to shun society and is unable to make a decision to accept it because of the constant threat that his father may come... ...ke."   Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.   An Authoritative Text Backgrounds and Sources Criticism.   Ed. Sculley Bradley, et al.   2nd ed.   New York:   Norton, 1977.   421-22.   Hoffman, Daniel.   "Black Magic--and White--in Huckleberry Finn."   Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:   An Authoritative Text Backgrounds and Sources Criticism.   Ed. Sculley Bradley, et al.   2nd ed.   New York:   Norton, 1977.   423-436.   Jones, Rhett S.   "Nigger and Knowledge.   White Double-Consciousness in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."   Satire or Evasion?   Black Perspectives on Huckleberry Finn. Ed. James Leonard, et al.   Durham:   Duke UP, 1992.   173-194.   Kaplan, Justin.   "Born to Trouble:   One Hundred Years of Huckleberry Finn."   Mark Twain Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:   A Case Study in Critical Controversy.   Eds. Gerald Graff and James Phelan.   Boston:   St. Martin's, 1995.   348-359.  

Overcoming an Obstacle Essay

There are many disadvantages and obstacles that can occur through all people. Though they may be a major set back, many people don’t realize that these obstacles can be used to their advantage. Most people encounter an obstacle or disadvantage and give up not knowing it could be turned into something positive. When we are faced with an obstacle, we can all roll up our sleeves and find a way to turn the situation good. For example, the founder of TOMS, Blake Mycoskie turned the obstacle of poverty in many countries into an opportunity to improve the lives of others by creating a for-profit organization which gives them, shoes, glasses, and spreads awareness. The first thing the organization provides is shoes for people in over 50 countries. Whenever someone buys a pair of TOMS shoes, one is given a pair in a different country; this is where the slogan â€Å"One for One† came from. Shoes might not seem important to us but it is extremely important to the people who cannot afford them. Shoes help protect children’s feet from getting hurt and possibly even getting infected. This means the children will not get sick and be healthy enough to attend school. Not having shoes also affects children’s education. Almost every school in any country require shoes as a part of school uniform. If all children received shoes, school attendance would increase by 62%, that’s a huge difference. If education is increased, that would make people more mobile, and may even end poverty. Even if some schools will allow children to attend without shoes, many will still not attend. Most children are ashamed or embarrassed to go without shoes. However, when they are given a pair of shoes, it boosts their confidence. This helps them want to attend school and contribute to their community. Shoes can make a big difference in someone’s life, and even change their world. Second, the organization provides eye care to those who are blind or visually impaired. Anytime someone buys TOMS eyewear, eye care is given to someone in need. Approximately 90% of people who are blind or visually impaired live in developing countries. In total, 285 million individuals are blind or visually impaired. However, with eye care, 80% of those cases can be corrected or prevented. Most people suffer from cataracts, which is the leading cause of blindness. Cataracts can be cured with just a 15-minute surgery, which is paid for when we buy TOMS eyewear.   As we enjoy our new sunglasses, people in other countries are receiving prescription eyewear and medical treatment which helps treat eye injuries and infections. When vision is restored, it gives individuals the opportunity to return to school or work. Adults can get financially stable and no longer require extra care. Of course we all know how important vision is, so giving someone the opportunity to see is a great feeling. There are many other ways to participate, not just buy buying the products, but to put your self in their â€Å"shoes† for a day. Lastly, TOMS also has a certain day out of the year to spread awareness of the way other people live. For example, on April 16, 2013, was â€Å"One day without shoes†. The purpose of this was for everyone to be barefoot for a day, just like children in other countries are everyday. Not only does it spread awareness, but also helps us to appreciate what we have. Another event by TOMS is â€Å"World Sight Day† which was on October 10, 2013. This is when everyone wears his or her TOMS sunglasses, even inside, just to show you were apart of something bigger than yourself. Both events are great ways to show your support, and many more are on their way. Anything can be changed, even obstacles that seem impossible to overcome. Who knew that a pair of shoes could help end poverty? If everyone gave his or her part, the world could make a drastic change. Just because something seems to hard, doesn’t mean it cannot be achieved, it can be as simple as a pair of shoes or an eye exam.

Police Abuse Essay

An officer who uses more force than policy allows is said to have used excessive force and may be guilty of police brutality, the excessive and lawless use of police force. Police officers are often seen as a thin blue line of protection between criminals and law-abiding citizens, but when they use excessive force, they cross the line and become criminals. Police brutality damages the image of law enforcement as well as the justice system. It leads to loss of trust in the policemen, which then creates a gap between them and people in the community. According to the early policing principles imported from 19th century England, it is the lack of centralized control which forms a corruption in America when opportunities of bribery were widespread. Police reforms from the 1930s to the 1950s sought to establish professionalism among police forces by introducing military-like command and higher performance standards. Not everyone agrees with this type of procedure when critics see the March 1991 beating of Rodney King by officers of Los Angeles Police Department which used professional policing. From Rodney King beating in 1991 through the O.J. Simpson trial, the rift has widened the threatening racial discrimination. The reasons for the gap are complex and deep. According to the experts, it is based on the nation’s painful racial history. The current practice of racial profiling, where skin color is a criterion to pull over a driver is ongoing today. For instance, when Reggie Miller, who is Black, had been ordered to pull over by a Nashville police officer for driving with expired tags, had suffered chronic back problems as a result of the beating. It was about 8:40 p.m. when he was shot on his chest and ordered him to lie face down on the ground. Within couple of minutes the officer, who didn’t have a chance to identify himself, called for backup. Suddenly Miller found himself as a cushion using his body from five police officers that had surrounded him. Miller also recalls that the officers gouge his eyes and choke him. This 1992 incident of Miller made him suffer a permanent back problem due to the beating and the shot he encountered. Police officers have no right by any  means to harass a person. Otherwise, they are more considered as criminal because of such inhumane acts. In general, brutality is a form of punishment. Police officers are not supposed to punish but are expected to protect and serve. However, they seemed to expose brutality as punishment when they beat up Adolph Archie in March of 1992. Archie was shot by a police officer and the police officer did not even bother to rush him to the hospital. Instead, they waited in the parking lot until they found out that their injured colleague had died. Then the officers took Archie in the hospital while beating him dead. Unfortunately, Archie only breathe for 12 hours and was diagnosed with two skull fractures, a broken larynx, fractures of the cheekbones, bleeding testicles, teeth had been kicked in, and his entire body was exposed to blunt trauma. Brutality is an inhuman or savage form of cruelty. Police officers need not use too much force to stop a sus pect. Police brutality is an important topic to discuss because it deals with the life of a person, the misconduct of some police officers, the burden it caused and the lesson that everyone should get from it. Police officers must realize they were not given their badge to show that they are one’s to be afraid of but to keep the peace and order of the community. They have the right to discipline a suspect which will depend on the physical condition of the latter. Police need not use the force if the suspect is already injured because it may only lead to a more tragic situation. In several cases, people died after being restrained by police officers. Police brutality does not cause anything positive. It only leads to racism, disrespect among people, loss of respect and confidence for the police and it makes citizens feel less safe. Not a single act did brutality explicit an advantage to the people. The possible solution to police brutality is to include in their training new techniques in handling suspects and criminals geared towards the demand for public policies that promote social and racial justice. Furthermore, police officers should receive antiracism and diversity training as a part of their education in police academies. Police officers must learn to conduct themselves in multiethnic and multicultural communities. To fund this  solution, everyone must cooperate by respecting the police officers in our community and the law of United States of America. Without the cooperation of everyone, the prevailing widespread of police brutality will continue to grow. The people should give a serious thought of what they are doing in order to avoid violence. Let’s just think about the victims of violence and how thousands of people die every year because of brutality. Let’s not make one of our families and our next generations become a victim of these humiliating, devastating and inhumane acts of the police. We, as a nation, need concerted effort in protest for all the victims whose lives have been stolen and sacrifice. The goal must be nothing short of creating a just, humane, peaceful and less violent society. If there is no justice, there will be no peace in the United States. The widespread of police brutality has widened all over the world. The nation must join together to eliminate repression, unjust and abusive treatment by the police in order to have a more peaceful and harmonious nation. To terminate police brutality means calling for justice for our brothers and sisters whose lives have been stolen. In addition, this will give time for the government to open their eyes for the families of those who are unjustly locked down behind prison walls. It will allow balance of justice between the government officials and the people regardless of racial status. Our world would be a better place to live in because it lessens violence, death rate, and increases the confidence and harmony between the police and the community. Moreover, the absence of such brutality will terminate arrest and harassment based on racial origin. Bibliography: â€Å"Activists Protest Against Police Brutality in LA,† MAS magazine, (August 16, 2000), 2 pages. â€Å"Call for a National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression, and the Criminalization of a Generation, http://www.mojo.calyx.net/~refuse/ndp/071400oct22.html, October 22, 2000. â€Å"DNC Activists Protest Cop Brutality,† MAS magazine, (August 16, 2000), 2 pages. â€Å"NYPD’s Bloody Month of August 1999, http://www.mojo.calyx.net/~refuse/ndp/090699ndpnyc.html, September 6, 1999. Anderson, Kelly, Police Brutality, San Diego California, Kelly Anderson, 1995. Bender, David, Policing the Police, San Diego California, David Bender, 1995. Charles, Nick, â€Å"Criminally Suspect,† SIRS, (September 1995), 4 pages. Conroy, John, Unspeakable Act, Ordinary People, New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 2000. Fitzgerald, Terence, Police in Society, New York, Terence Fitzgerald, 2000. Meeks, Kenneth, Driving While Black, New York, Kenneth Meek, 2000. Nelson, Jill, Police Brutality, New York, Jill Nelson, 2000. Roleff, Tamara, Police Brutality, San Diego California, David Bender, 1999. Steinhorn, Leonard, By the Color of our Skin, New York, Leonard Steinhorn, 1999.

Marketing Of Landscape Gardening Essay

Landscapers use their aptitude for art combined with their knowledge of plants to create breathtaking landscapes. But a landscape artist cannot share his knowledge unless he promotes his business. Business promotion is a combination of activities that create and maintain a positive image in a customer’s mind. Customer service, broad knowledge of the business and fair pricing strategies support promotional activities and contribute to the success of any business. Word of Mouth (Recommendations) This is the cheapest and best method of advertising your Landscape Gardening business, but it requires that you already have done some work. Your existing clients can be your biggest help in spreading the word about your business. This business thrives on referrals, so make sure that you talk to your existing customers and ask them if there’s anyone that may benefit your service. Advertisements Advertise on newspapers, tv ads, local ad magazines, billboards, your vehicle etc, however, the ads should be short and easy to read. Plant Exhibitions Contact convention organizers and event planning agencies in your area and learn about business exhibition opportunities. Many events are geared toward the small business owner and are reasonably priced. Attend plant exhibitions to promote your business. Plant exhibitions allow you to promote your products or services at a venue related to landscaping. Such exhibitions provide a venue to network and reach out to customers. Trade shows are also a good place to distribute promotional items. Create Business Cards Create business cards that match your brochures and website design. Creating matching promotional collateral creates a cohesive feel and helps establish your brand. Make Brochures Create visually pleasing brochures. Make sure the brochure lists your services, pricing, contact information and a bit about the business. You can also hire a designer to prepare brochures for you. Create a Website Contact a Web developer or create a website on your own. Your website’s content should appeal to people in your area. Include helpful information, such as guides to weeding, planting and winterizing gardens. Several services offer website packages that make creating a site simple. Link your site to Twitter and possibly a dedicated business page on Facebook

Module 5 Lab (5.09) Essay

Your first lab link can be found at Temper Tantrums. A written transcript is also available for this lab. 1.How can parents avoid temper tantrums? ⠁Æ'To avoid temper tantrums parents can be better prepared for the situation so when it happens they know what to do. 2.What are the A, B, Cs? ⠁Æ'A stands for the attributes you want your child to have ⠁Æ'B stands for the behavior you want to go along with those attributes. ⠁Æ'C stands for the consequence that will be given, positive or negative. 3.Do you think using consequences and following the ABC process will help shape a child’s behavior? Why or why not? ⠁Æ'Yes, I think using consequences and following the ABC process will help shape a child’s behavior because it gives the child a set of expectations you want from them and because naturally humans are born to please they are going to try their hardest to live by those expectations you have provided them. Your second lab link can be found at Developing Language Skills in Babies. A written transcript is also available for this lab. 1.What are some of the reasons why people may not talk to babies as much today as they used to? ⠁Æ'We don’t really know the exact reason why people are not talking to their babies as much some may say it is due to the busy life style we have or that everyone is isolated within the house and not together as a family in a room. 2.Why do you think developing language skills is important for a child? ⠁Æ'Developing language skills as a child is important because when children are younger it is easier for them to learn and develop and they should learn to be good communicators. 3.What are some of the ways that parents can encourage the development of language skills? ⠁Æ'One way parents can help encourage development of language skills is by giving them their undivided attention and contently talking to them because most of their learning is through imitation. Your third lab link can be found at The Importance of Bedtime Reading. A written transcript is also available for this lab. 1.How many parents never read to their children at bedtime according to the study? What might prevent parents from reading to children? ⠁Æ'One in ten parents never read their children bed time stories. Being busy with other things is what prevents parents from reading their children bedtime stories. 2.What are some of the benefits of reading to children? Include infancy through young school age children. ⠁Æ'Some benefits is it teaches children skills such as concentrating and listening. 3.Did your parents or other caregivers read to you as a child? What effect do you think this had on you? ⠁Æ'Yes my parents read to me when i was a child and i think the affect it had on me was it made me a better listener.

Communication to Internal Publicity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication to Internal Publicity - Essay Example According to a current Gallop Poll, 78 percent -a larger part - parents of children show their satisfaction with the quality of education their kids are getting, at the same time as only 18 percent are discontented. On the other hand, 61 percent of all Americans say they are frustrated with the level of school education in the United States nowadays. This illustrates a nine-percentage-point increase in disappointment from 2004th. Furthermore, only 20 percent of the public has kids in secondary schools (the ones who are content with the quality of education), whereas about 80 percent (the ones who are discontented) don't have any children in school. In 1994, the U.S. Census discovered that 360,000 children in this United States were receiving their education at home. In 1996, the U.S. Department of Education estimated that the quantity had almost doubled to 640,000. A research published this summer by the U.S. Government puts the number of American kids who are getting their education at home today at 850,000 (or 1.7 percent). ... Is secondary education really not working Most scientists don't agree with that. They do recognize education is not ideal, and there are some aspects in it which are to be corrected immediately. It is also possible to find a number of things secondary education is doing correctly. The proof is overpowering that teaching and training are taking place all over the United States and that American children are more educated than those from other countries (Pawlas, 2004). Contrary to this statement Business week expresses the need of fixing public education and gives statistic evidence as a proof.  

Historical Analysis of English Language from 1821-1916 Research Paper

Historical Analysis of English Language from 1821-1916 - Research Paper Example The immigrant groups like Dutch, French and Germans settled in various parts of the nation. However, in these racial enclaves, we find that the conducting of church services was done in the community’s native language and church-affiliated and private schools used the native languages of the children as the major teaching medium (James 126). Additionally, some of the schools did not teach English language as a first language but as a second language; whereas some others used the English language as a second medium of teaching. For the purposes of appealing to the minority communities or groups, bilingual programs were also started by some public schools. The manner in which the language minority groups and languages were treated in a liberal way went on until the First World War. The focus of high school English in American schools is on basic literary, the appropriate language use for public and personal reasons, as well as the development of a gratitude for and appreciation for different kinds of literature. Every year in the English curriculum, we find that the purpose of the study plan is meant to focus on building on the skills learned previously whereas expanding the exposure of the student to the literature’s realm. The National Council of Teachers has in fact described twelve standards that must be taught in the causes of English Language Arts (Ravitch 172). ... this in consideration, below is a sample of example of the courses that an ideal English curriculum study plan in the American high schools may consist of every year of the learning course (Scarvia 47). Year 1 English one This is the introductory for the English in high school. Here students are taught the basics of the process of writing which include the constructions of thesis statements together with the writing of essays. The process also includes the study of vocabulary and grammar (Parkerson & Parkerson 122). In literature terms, students mainly closely look at the style of every author, plot and theme. Eventually students are taught about and practice public speaking and practice research skills. Year 2 English two English two continues with the building on the fundamental principles that the students learn about in English one. The focus of students here is on the expansion of their informal and forma forms of the written expression. The students work through every step of t he process of writing starting from the pre-writing to the final drafts (Parkerson & Parkerson 126). They continue with their learning about grammar and expansion of their vocabulary knowledge. In terms of literature, we find that they continue focusing on enhancing their comprehension and understanding whereas recognizing plot and theme. In addition, they also review the use of literary devices by each and every author. They are expected relay information orally and then learn more concerning the techniques of correct research. Year 3 English three With this section, the students major particularly on the American literature. In most instances, this course can be integrated with the history of America successfully. They continue working on their informal and formal forms of the written

Compare and Contrast two U.S. Presidents - Harry Truman and Ronald Essay

Compare and Contrast two U.S. Presidents - Harry Truman and Ronald Reagan - Essay Example Truman summed up this notion with the words: â€Å"I believe it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressure.† (Truman, 1947, quoted in Bostdorff: 2008, p. 4) The speech was carefully crafted by Truman’s advisers, and it proved to mark a definitive change in the direction of U.S. foreign policy, leading swiftly into a period of high tension that we know as the Cold War internationally. Within the United States the anti-Communist rhetoric led to the persecution of people known to have, or suspected of having, Communist sympathies. The events leading up to the Korean war show a President increasingly reliant on military force, or the threat of military force, in foreign policy. There had been qualifying statements in the original speech, spelling out that military options were not the only, nor even the main form of support that America could offer to states under threat from â€Å"outside pressure† : â€Å"I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes.† (Truman, 1947, quoted in Bostdorff: 2008, p. 120) Despite this qualification, Truman found himself drawn into military options and launching into an in which America perceived itself as playing a policeman role in world politics. It may be that one reason for this turn of events is that Truman, never very eloquent or subtle in his dealing with critics and opponents, could not envisage any other path than a clear and simple resistance. Critics acknowledge the great service that Truman gave in his term of office, and his... This essay discusses that each new President brings to the job a different mix of character traits, experience and skills which then help to determine the style of his administration and the type of leadership that the country experiences. Harry Truman, a Democrat, became President towards the end of the Second World War. He made one of the most fateful decisions in the history of mankind when he gave permission for the use of the atom bomb on Japanese cities, in an effort to bring the war to a speedy conclusion. Having served himself as a soldier in France in the First World War he had direct experience of the dreadful casualties of trench warfare with mechanized traditional weapons, and he was reluctantly persuaded that the atom bomb would be a means to an end, pushing the enemies to surrender. The tactic was effective, but the cost in human life shocked the world, and the shadow of nuclear weapons has influenced world history ever since. After the war Truman proved to be a diligen t supporter of the victims of the war. He helped put together the Marshall plan which sent aid to millions of starving people and contributed to the rebuilding of war-torn Europe. Ronald Reagan was a completely different type of character than Truman. He was a Republican, and through his experience in the world of films had an easy rapport with the great and the good of America. He was at first regarded as something of a liability, because of his advancing age, and his lack of substance, but he became one of the most popular Presidents at home and abroad.

Woven Textile Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Woven Textile Design - Essay Example Tappets are used for simple weaves in which the number of shafts is limited. Dobby systems involve the use of a pattern chain to control the lifting of the shafts. They are the most commonly used for wool. Jacquard systems control the lifting of each individual end to create almost unlimited patterning possibilities. (Wool Web, 2007) In the simplest type of tappet shedding motion, the shedding cams are mounted on the bottom shaft, and the motion is suitable only for weaves repeating on two picks. By mounting the tappets on a counter shaft driven by gearing from the bottom shaft at the appropriate speed, the repeat can be extended up to eight or ten picks. Bobbies are much more versatile and usually control at least sixteen, and sometimes as many as 36, head shafts. Since the lifting of the shafts is controlled by some form of pattern chain, there is virtually no limit to the number of picks per repeat. Jacquard machines are made in a wide variety of sizes to control from 100 to 2000 or more ends per repeat. A common size controls 600 ends, which, in a cloth with 30 ends/cm, gives a repeat 20 cm wide within which the designer has complete freedom. The lifting of the ends is controlled by a chain of punched cards or by a loop of punched paper (Ministry of Science and Technology, 2006). from high-fashion woollens to heavy technical textiles. ... With the yarn friendly, reed-controlled terry equipment a maximum loose pick distance of 24 mm and thus pile heights of over 11 mm are possible. Rapier has special weft brake which decelerates the weft perfectly to the exact length, thus reducing weft waste to a minimum. A projectile weaving machine with a working width of 390 cm, equipped for denim production, weave a denim fabric in two panels, with a weft insertion rate of over 1500 m/min and special yarn waste reduction. The projectile weaving machine's versatility is proved by the wide range of fabrics it produces. The projectile weft insertion system can be used with all types of yarn, from spun yarns made of cotton, wool, man-made fibres and blends thereof, filament yarns, tapes and monofils for simple standard fabrics, to sophisticated, state-of-the-art technical textiles. A particular strength of the projectile weaving machine is the production of broad fabrics, with working widths up to 6.5 metres. This gives unbeatable advantages in the production of technical textiles, agrotextiles and geotextiles. Given the rising cost of energy, the low power consumption of the projectile weaving machine, together with its minimal maintenance requirement, is an increasingly important advantage. Where maximum efficiency in the production of high-quality standard fabrics made from spun or filament yarns is called for, the latest-generation air-jet weaving machine, demonstrates its strengths. A high weft insertion rate of over 2000 m/min, combined with extensive automation, user-friendliness and small footprint result in top profitability for competitive weaving mills. A maximum working width of 4 metres also allows cost-efficient

Psychology human development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Psychology human development - Essay Example The playground has swings and other recreational equipment such as see-saw, slide, monkey bars and overhead ladder for children. The children found in the playground are usually between the ages of 3 to 11 years old. The subject visits the playground with her mother who usually sits on the benches with mothers of other children. The subject of this naturalistic observation is a girl between the age of four and six years old. She is the eldest child with a younger brother who is between three to five years in age. During the observation, the subject showed a variation in behavior and opened up gradually. The observation was for about half an hour during which the mother was present at the location and was looking over the subject. However, she was in close proximity throughout the observation. The observation initiated when the subject was brought to the playground early evening accompanied by her mother. For some time, she stayed alongside her mother and observed the children who were playing on the swings and other activities. Finding comfort with her mother in a place where everyone else was unknown to her displayed her reliability over her mother. According to the development theory of Erik Erickson, this shows that the subject has overcome the stage of Trust Vs Mistrust. The subject was not reluctant to go play in the ground, but since she did not know any of the children she stayed with her mother and observed. As the subject began to interact with the children, she started the conversation about the game that they were playing. She had been observing them and went to the group where she thought she would best fit. This decision was made by her own judgment and could prove that she was demonstrating Ericksons development theory stage of Initiative vs. Guilt. As the girls she approached were swinging, she found a common interest. She said to them that she could do it to and said "you know I can swing faster than that." The

Principles based accounting as an accounting method which is used as a Essay

Principles based accounting as an accounting method which is used as a conceptual basis by accountants - Essay Example This system follows principles. The term â€Å"principles† can be used simply to refer to general rules, or also to suggest that these rules are implicitly higher in the implicit or explicit hierarchy of norms than more detailed rules: they express the fundamental obligations that all should observe (Black et al, 2007). Some of the rules set out are mandatory to follow but many other rules are used as a mere guidance and are not applicable to every situation. For instance, many countries have adopted the International Financial Reporting Standards governed by the IASB. According to Securities and Exchange Commission of US, â€Å"†¦the optimal principles-based accounting standard involves a concise statement of substantive accounting principle where the accounting objective has been incorporated as an integral part of the standard and where few, if any, exceptions or internal inconsistencies are included in the standard† (2002). Rule-based accounting is a set of det ailed rules which must be followed when financial statements are prepared. An example of such system is Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). In US, GAAP is used as a standard framework of guidelines for financial accounting. CPA firms and corporations in US prepare and present their business incomes and expenses, assets and liabilities in their financial statements following GAAP. ... The financial statements are prepared for the users who have reasonable knowledge of business, accounting and economic activities and a willingness to study the financial statements (IASB Framework, Para 25). The users of financial statements are of various types and their needs are different which are required to be catered efficiently because they have to make crucial economic decisions on the basis of financial statements. IFRS requires the financial statements to present a â€Å"true and fair view† of the financial state and economic activities of an entity. When a set of given rules is followed uniformly by all the entities in each financial year, comparability increases. A user may compare an entity’s financial standing with that of another entity or even with that of its own in the preceding years. In order to attain this uniformity, the rules are required to be followed but there are cases where following the rules becomes very difficult. For instance, the IFRS itself admits in the Framework that there is a trade-off between relevance and reliability. One must be forgone to avail the benefit of another. In a given case, preferring relevance over reliability might be useful for specific set of users but might not be useful for another set of users. The Framework has emphasized that the preparer or auditor of financial statements must exercise his professional judgment in such cases so that the information becomes more synchronized with the objectives of IFRS. One of the worst economic crises in history has been faced by the world recently. There are many studies and professional opinions that the fair value system is responsible for it. This system is more

Business Model of Cooper & Stollbrand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Model of Cooper & Stollbrand - Essay Example Business Model of Cooper & Stollbrand This essay is based on the video as seen on Channel 4 depicting how the factory is run and how this small company is sending across a big message that manufacturing in England is not dead as yet. Business Model The existing trend in the market is manufacture in huge quantities, utilize economies of scale and sell cheaper. Turn over is the key for most of the companies to make money. For costlier brands, its not turnover so much, as much as its about manufacturing cost. They prefer to get it produced outside England as labor is pretty cheap in third world countries. But as heard from the Managing Director, Eden, its not about mass production. If the quality is right and the approach is right, one can manufacture products locally and still have a good margin on it. Company is able to manufacture for top brands like Quba & Co., Topshop and Selfridges credit of which to an extent goes to the current business model as follows Sourcing Raw Materials Everything from machines to mats, needle s to nozzles and fabric to fittings are sourced locally from the UK. This saves time in its delivery, saves on transport cost and is local which supports local industry. Labor All of the staff of Cooper & Stollbrand is local ladies who have been working in the industry for decades. They are dedicated and passionate about the manufacturing of products in UK. They are highly skilled and are very reliable when it comes to delivering results. There are young polish, Pakistani and afghanistani ladies who have joined the team and are happy working here. Processes The processes of production are well managed by supervisors and management team. There is a clear demarcation in job roles of machinists, supervisors and quality control and management which makes the hierarchy small and manageable. Supervisors ensure that stuff is cut much ahead of stitching so the machinists know what coming and how much is left. Positioning of the company and its products If you note, throughout the video mach inists are working on high profile coats which will be sold in posh central London stores with a pricey tag. Topshop coats retail at around ?175, and order is significantly small at 325 coats in 3 days. 50 Quba & Co. coats are to be prepared in a short period which will retail at ?500. The positioning of the company is that it is able to produce highest quality of garments, which are produced locally. There is a new awakening among British consumers to buy stuff ‘made in England’ to support local industry. Since most of the corporate customers are high end retail stores, the no. of pieces they would order would be small and hence manageable by Cooper & Stollbrand. Such quick delivery, high quality and cost effectiveness cannot be provided by manufacturing units in India or China. It will not be cost effective for the buyers either to order as the quantities are far too less for it to be ordered from other countries. Staff management / HR Staff is extremely happy and sat isfied with what they are doing. A happy team of staff members would be less demanding, will work at reasonable pay and work hard to meet set delivery targets. This gives Cooper & Stollbrand a unique edge which other manufacturers might not have. Secondly the staff members are paid on number of pieces they delivery subject to stringent quality checks. This ensure that the staff members are quick in producing the garment so that they earn more money, and the co. is able to deliver on time.

Marketing Employability Portofolio Personal Statement

Marketing Employability Portofolio - Personal Statement Example As emphasized on one of the business courses I am currently taking, I need to think strategically in order to ensure the achievement my specific goals and objectives. Thus, I have already set my vision which is to pursue a rewarding career and maximize my full potential. In light with this, my specific objective is to gain a position in the insurance industry which is equally challenging and fulfilling. The employability assessment enabled me to craft the specific strategy required in the attainment of my objectives. I need to accept my ignorance and misconceptions about the UK and international job market. Undertaking the first and third tasks of the assessment revealed these to me. I have also learned that the situation of the UK economy which is slowly integrated with the international market through globalization has a direct impact on the attractiveness and prospects of the labor market. Thus, I need to be imbued with a thorough understanding of the current issues, trends, and development in order to equip myself with the challenges posted by the larger environment. Noting the changes in the business arena, I also enhanc... For example, my position in Laiki Insurance Office has instilled in me customer orientation skills, teamwork, and better communication. The employability tasks enable me to better know myself by revealing my current skills and the ones which I need to improve on. Currently, I am commercially aware, flexible, adept in numerical analysis, has established a professional image, able to listen, attuned to customer needs, and has basic IT skills. Though these skills are primary in gaining a good position in the job market, I also recognize that I also need to be imbued with more especially that the current labor market and employers require their employees not only to specialize in a field but build my strengths and to become multi-tasking. Thus, I am highly motivated to develop various skills including leadership, analysis, research, written communication, planning and organizing, and oral communication. I have committed myself in taking action as soon as possible and be able to acquire the aforementioned skills before the year ends. I also recognize that the best way for me to develop these capabilities is by exposing m yself to situations where these skills are needed. I also plan to write a daily journal where I keep track of my development each day. This way, I will not lose my passion in striving for excellence. One of the most exciting tasks in the employability assessment is the hands-on experience on finding job vacancies, making the appropriate resume, preparing an accompanying covering letter, and getting ready for the interview. I have learned that this is not as easy as it seems and needs a thorough planning ahead of time. These tasks teach me the importance of

Preparing Your First Speech Essay Example for Free

Preparing Your First Speech Essay Since this is a public speaking class, it means that you will indeed have to present speeches! Since many people become nervous at this prospect, I like to get the first one done early in the semester. It’s like ripping off a band-aid: rip it off fast to feel less pain. Your Introductory Speech is your first baby step into this field. This assignment is meant to be easy. It’s meant to be a way to get you up in front of the group and doing something for 2-4 minutes, not to be a heavy, taxing assignment. Therefore, if you find that it’s really hard, you’re doing it wrong! Take a deep breath, remember it’s supposed to be simple, and start over again. Because I want this assignment to be easy and I want everyone to be on about the same level, this is the one speech in the semester where I’m going to give you topics to choose from rather than just letting you pick something on your own. Don’t worry, after this one you can talk about any appropriate subjects you want, but for now, your choices are limited to five. Topics Your first topic option is called a â€Å"coat of arms† speech. A coat of arms is also often called a family crest. In Medieval heraldry, pictures were emblazoned on a knight’s shield or armor which represented that person’s character or ancestry. A family crest has pictures that tell about a family’s history. Don’t worry; I’m not going to ask you to research your genealogy! Instead, for this topic, I want you to create your own personal coat of arms. To do this, you should choose between 2 and 4 objects that represent something about you. For instance, if I were to create a coat of arms for myself, I would choose a golf club, a suitcase, and a roller coaster because those represent three of my favorite hobbies. I love to play golf (though I’m not very good at it), I seek any opportunity to travel, and I’m a huge roller coaster nut who will go anywhere to ride the latest and greatest ride. You could choose hobbies, as I have don e, or you may choose a person or people, a pet, something related to your future career, etc. You can choose anything that tells us a little bit about you, who you are, and what you like. You don’t have to get deep and personal, just tell us some basic, surface-level things about yourself. Since some people don’t like to talk about themselves, you have other options as well. Your second topic to choice is: if you could invite any three people to dinner, living or dead, fictional or non-fictional, who would they be and why? Who would you most like to meet and talk to, either from the past or the present? What would you like to learn from them? Since they don’t have to be living, I could choose Adolph Hitler if I wanted to. Since they can be fictional, I can choose Bugs Bunny if I want to. They don’t have to be famous people or characters, either. I know someone who would be at the top of my invitation list would be my grandmother, who died 25 years ago, and I’d just like to sit down and talk with her again. You might also address what that combination of people would be like at dinner. Are Hitler and Bugs Bunny going to get along, or will there be trouble? Will my grandmother be able to put Hitler in his place? Your third topic option is: if you were going to be stranded on a deserted island, what three books would you want to have with you? Do you want to entertain yourself with fiction? Would you prefer a survival or spiritual guide? Would you pick â€Å"A thousand and one ways to prepare coconuts† or â€Å"How to build a raft and get off a deserted island†? ï Å  When I bring up this topic option in a live class, students often groan that they don’t read or like a lot of books, so I’m not completely hung up on your choosing them, but I would like you pick some form of media such as magazines, music, movies, newspapers, journals, etc. We’ll just pretend you have a lifetime supply of batteries so you can watch those movies or listen to that music! Your first three choices have all been â€Å"informative†-type speeches, because you’d just be telling us about yourself, the people you’d like to meet, or the books you’d like to have. Your fourth topic option is a persuasive one: a sales speech. You can sell us any product or service. It can be a real product, or you can make up a fake one (and yes, it can be funny and creative). I know that many students I have in class work in sales, and if that’s the case with you, you can sell us the product you sell at work. The bottom line is: if you choose this option, your goal is to make us want the product by the end of your speech. Keep in mind that it isn’t meant to be a TV commercial; it should still be a proper speech in proper speech format. Your final option could be either informative or persuasive, depending on how you approach it. It is a speech about your pet peeves. What are the little nit-picky things other people do that really get on your nerves? Is it people who chew with their mouth open or fail to replace the toilet paper roll when it runs out? Is it all the bad drivers in Columbia? You could approach this topic option in a couple of different ways. You could pick out two or three different pet peeves and talk about each, or you could give two or three reasons why one thing is a big pet peeve of yours. For instance, I once had a woman in class who talked about the three things she found most irritating at Wal-Mart. Keep in mind that pet peeves are supposed to be minor irritations. Something like domestic abuse, for instance, isn’t a pet peeve, but a major social issue! Hopefully, you find at least one of those topic options appealing. Remember the assignment is supposed to be easy, so choose the one where ideas come to you most easily. Sometimes, upon first hearing the topic choices one stands out as â€Å"THE one† you’re going to do, but when you sit down to write it you can’t think of anything to say. If that’s the case, try another one to see if the ideas come to you more easily. You want the writing part of this to be easy so that you’ll have plenty of time to practice your speech before it’s due. You may also consider using a visual aid with this presentation. It’s not a requirement, but if you’re particularly nervous about speaking, you might consider it for a couple of reasons. First, having a visual aid may make you less nervous because it gives the audience something else to look at for a moment rather than you! Second, the visual aid will help you remember what you want to say in your speech. If I have a golf club lying on the table, I’m not likely to forget that I want to talk about golf! The visual aid could be an actual object, a picture, a power point slide show, or whatever may be appropriate for the subject you’re discussing. Writing and Organizing the Speech Regardless of which topic option you choose, your speech should contain certain basic elements that are present in all speeches that you will present in this class. First, the speech should begin with an introduction to lead the audience in to the main content of the speech. You should spend 10-15% of your speaking time setting up the speech in the introduction and it should include at least these two elements: an attention-getter, and a thesis that previews the main points. When a speaker first stands up to speak, the audience is doing a hundred other things rather than listening. They’re talking to each other, daydreaming, reading, doodling, and who knows what else? So, your first goal as a speaker is to get the audience to stop doing those things and to want to listen to what you have to say. You can accomplish this by having an effective attention device as the opening of your speech. There are several techniques you can use to draw the audience in. Attention Getters 1. You could ask the audience a question, which forces them to participate in some way. You could ask a rhetorical question that makes the audience wonder where you’re going with the speech, or you could ask for a show of hands in response to your question, which forces them to physically participate. In order for this to be an effective device, though, you have to make sure it’s a good question! If the question has an obvious answer, instead of drawing the audience in, you’ll turn them off! For instance, I once had a student who started his speech with â€Å"How many of you have ever watched television?† The audience laughed and nobody raised their hands. The speaker then timidly said, â€Å"No, really. Raise your hand if you’ve ever watched TV.† The audiences sighed and grudgingly held up their hands. The audience felt that it was obvious that they had all seen TV before, and resented having to actually answer that question, so the speakerà ¢â‚¬â„¢s attention getter backfired. 2. You could tell a joke. Humor is actually a wonderful way to begin a presentation. It lightens the mood and makes the audience want to hear more. Most speakers report feeling the most nervous right before starting their speech, so if you can tell a good joke and get the audience laughing, it will help you feel like they’re with you and you’ll start to relax. There are a couple of catches to this technique, though. First, the audience may expect you to continue to be funny throughout your speech. Second, you want to make sure it’s a good joke! If you tell a joke, you’ve got â€Å"wait for laughter† written in your notes, no one laughs, and you can hear the crickets chirping, it will make you more nervous! 3. You could use a quotation. If you’re choosing the people you would invite to dinner or the books you’d take to a deserted island, this could be a good attention device for you. Choose a powerful quotation from one of the people or a dramatic passage from one of your books, and it can help to set the mood of your speech. 4. You could make a shocking statement or give a surprising fact or statistic to begin the speech. A surprising fact about the subject can make the audience want to hear more about your subject and your research. 5. You could use a visual aid or physical demonstration to draw the audience in. For instance, if one of the objects you’ve chosen to represent yourself is something unusual, it may make the audience curious about what you’ll be discussing. I once had a student that opened his speech in a way that scared me to death. He stood up and started talking, when suddenly; another man burst in the door and attacked him! I was panicked! I thought, â€Å"Oh no, a fight! They’re going to kill each other!† Just as I was getting ready to call security, it became clear that this was a pre-planned â€Å"skit† for a speech about self-defense. The speaker was showing how to get out of a hold by an attacker. It was frightening, but it definitely got our atten tion! Not everyone is comfortable with being quite that dramatic, though, so feel free to use one of the other techniques. 6. A more subtle approach might be to tell a story. A story can gently draw the audience into your speech and topic. For instance, if I were doing my coat of arms speech, I might tell a story about a day at the amusement park. These are the main techniques speakers use to start a speech. You might also reference a historical event or a previous speaker. The main thing I want to get across to you is that you should NOT start a speech by stating the topic. Saying, â€Å"My name is Cindy and today I’m going to tell you about my coat of arms† is boring and not likely to make the audience interested. Don’t say, â€Å"My speech is on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"My topic is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Use a good, well thought-out attention getter. Keep in mind as well that the attention getter MUST be related to the content of the speech in some way. Don’t tell a random joke, for instance, tell a joke that’s related to something you’re actually going to talk about i n your speech. I feel that the attention getter is one of the hardest parts of the speech to write, and I would save it as one of the last things I write. You want to know what your main content is going to be before you decide how to start the speech. These with Preview of Main Points The second part of the introduction is to have a clear thesis that previews the main points you’ll discuss in the body of the speech. Just like a paper has a central thesis it’s trying to get across to the reader, a speech has a central thesis it’s trying to get across to the listeners. The thesis takes your entire speech and summarizes it in one sentence. It is THE thing you want the audience to remember, even if they remember nothing else about your speech. The thesis includes a preview of the main points that will be discussed in the body of the speech as well. This means that I’m literally going to state my main points in my introduction, as part of that thesis. For instance, a potential thesis for my coat of arms speech might be something like, â€Å"You’ll get to know me better once you see how much I like golf, travel, and roller coasters.† Now the audience knows that I’ll be discussing those three specific topics in my speech. One thing you’ll learn in this class is that most people aren’t particularly strong listeners, so you have to keep reminding them of what you want them to know. A general rule of speech making is â€Å"tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em. Tell ‘em. Then tell ‘em what you just told ‘em.† The preview is telling them what you’re going to tell them. I’ve had some students in the past that really hated the idea of doing a preview. They were afraid it would make the speech boring and repetitive or that it was giving away all the potential suspense in their speech. Well, it might be a bit repetitive, but that’s a necessary evil when dealing with oral communication. It’s also still possible to leave people in suspense while still previewing the body. For instance, in my â€Å"three people I’d invite to dinner speech† I could have the thesis of: â€Å"The three people I’d most like to have to dinner include a relative, a historical figure, and a cartoon character.† I’ve still previewed, but the audience won’t know which relative, historical figure, or cartoon character I’ve chosen until I talk about them in the body.