Japanese media and pop culture in East Asia, especially in Korea Essay

Japanese media and pop culture in East Asia, especially in Korea - Essay Example Japan is one of the few countries that started experimenting with the television in 1920’s (Brown, J., & Brown, J. 2006, 198). Television, however, began dominating Japan’s households in the 1950’s. The NHK General TV and the Nippon Television were the first television programs. In as much as TV programs may vary across stations, News programs dominate the early morning hours. The early evenings comprise anime programs. On the other hand, most movies occur in the night hours. It is crucial to highlight that the typical Japanese television has always entailed dramas, animes, and science fiction movies. Both Korea and Japan strive to satisfy a diversified consumer base that comprises different preferences. For instance, adults prefer serious television programs such as news and political discussions. On the other hand, the younger generation gears towards anime and movies. Pop idols emerged in Japan in the early 1970’s. The society was growing out of conservatism and it entailed a reconnaissance that favored the proliferation of pop idols in Japanese cultural scene. In the Japanese cultural scene, idols are teens and twenty-year old young people who are considered media-attractive. Pop idols may be singers for popular groups, TV personalities, models, and actors. Sylvie Vartan, a Ye-Ye singer, was one of the most significant pop idols that ushered a new cultural scene in Japan (Iwabuchi, K. 2004, 124). By acting in a French film, Cherchez, she attracted instant popularity. Another prominent example regards the case of Momoe Yamaguchi, who became a singer and acted in several television dramas. It is essential to highlight that such pop idols appeared and quickly disappeared from the limelight. In the 1980’s, there would be as many as forty idols that would appear in a year. The popularity of female idols, however, waned in the 1990â€⠄¢s due to rising rock idols such as Kinki Kids and V6 (Craig, T. J. 2000, 89). Unlike their

Genetically modified organism Essay Example for Free

Genetically modified organism Essay My environmental issue is genetically modified foods. I will explain why the foods should not be modified and the dangers of eating modified foods. Why this issue is important Evidence shows that food that has been genetically modified is a danger to the health of humans. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine says that the public should not eat genetically modified foods because several studies have shown that there are a variety of health problems such as organ damage, reproductive disruption, accelerated aging, immune dysfunction and insulin disorders associated with GM foods. The process of genetically modifying food is done by changing the original DNA by adding other organisms to it, also called GMO which stands for Genetically Modified Organisms. Consumers have been eating foods that contain genetically modified ingredients in them not knowing the risk factors. (Doctors Warn About Dangers of Genetically Modified Foods, by David Gutierrez) The FDA claims to have no knowledge that these foods were any different than naturally grown foods and labeled them as being Generally Recognized as Safe or (GRAS). The law says that a substance has to go through a certain amount of peer-reviewed published studies and has to have a certain amount of consensus among the scientific community that agrees that the product is safe. This allows them to be put on the market without any additional testing. Even though the GRAS labeled them to be safe, there are no proven facts that show that Genetically Modified foods are safe; the information that was given to the FDA was altered to expedite the approval of the products at the expense of the safety of the consumers. There has been no credible study done on genetically modified food safety. Evidence in Support of the Thesis In 1998 there was a lawsuit against the FDA for not listening to the warnings of their own scientists who were telling them that GM foods were not safe. The scientists warned that the GM foods could create unpredictable side effects that were hard to detect such as allergies, nutritional problems, toxins and new diseases and said that long-term studies needed to be done, but was ignored. (FDA ignored own scientists’ warnings about GM foods by Ken Roseboro) Even though it may be true that food crops are bio-engineered to produce their own pesticides and herbicides, these traits transfer to weeds and insect, which means that there effects are not long lasting. GM foods have not yet been proven to be safe. Rebuttal of the Evidence that Contradicts the Thesis Genetically modified foods have the potential to help benefit consumers by improving nutritional qualities in fruits and vegetables. Some of the crops are genetically engineered with herbicide resistant so that when the farmer uses herbicides to kill the weeds it doesn’t hurt the crop, which benefits not only agriculture but also the economics. Losing crops due to insects can be a tremendous loss to farmers. Biotechnology also generates crops with genes that are resistant to long periods of drought and frost. Since there is an increase in population, more land will be needed to grow crop on harsh landscapes. Farmers will need to grow crops in places that will be unsuitable for agriculture. With the world population increasing, it will be a challenge in the years to come to make sure that there is enough food for the growing population. Genetically modified foods will help to produce enough crops in these harsh times. It will help to feed malnutrition in third world countries. There is a widespread of undernourishment in the worlds where people are poor. They depend on one main crop which is rice. Rice by itself doesn’t have enough nutrients that a person need. But rice can be genetically modified to contain extra vitamin and minerals. Biotechnology has allowed people to be able to receive crucial vaccines and medicines which are hard to distribute. With vaccines and medicines being so expensive and the need to be stored a special way, they have come up with a way to put vaccines in food products so that they are easier to administer to people and easily transported. (The Benefits of Genetically Modified Food Crops) Rebuttal of the above claims Although malnutrition is a big problem in the world, according to the United Nations World Food Program, there is enough food being produced to feed the world without GM foods. The reasons that people go hungry are, they don’t have enough money to buy it or don’t have access to growing their own. The UN’s world food body is not in favor of using GM foods because of the effects on health and the environment. The Food and Agriculture Organization says â€Å"although GM crops could help with hunger in the world there are still questions about their implications for animal and human health and the balance of the ecosystems. † (Say No to GMOS) Conclusion Genetically modified foods have some pros and cons as I have showed you, but I am still a believer of the traditional way of growing foods. Since the foods will be labeled, that will give people the choice of rather to eat GM foods or naturally grown foods. that also have pro and cons to them. Reference http://www. naturalnews. com/028245_GM_food_side_effects. html http://www. non-moreport. com/articles/october2011/FDAignoredscientistswarningsGMfoods. php http://www. betterhealth. vic. gov. au/bhcv2/bhcarticles. nsf/pages/Genetically_modified_foods http://www. saynotogmos. org/ http://suite101. com/article/the-benefits-of-genetically-modified-food-crops-a218670.

Free Native Son Essays: Naturalism and Determinism :: Native Son Essays

Naturalism and Determinism in Native Son "Today Bigger Thomas and that mob are strangers, yet they hate. They hate because they fear, and they fear because they feel that the deepest feelings of their lives are being assaulted and outraged. And they do not know why; they are powerless pawns in a blind play of social forces."   This passage epitomizes for Richard Wright, the most radical effects of criminal racial situation in America. However, perhaps the most important role of this passage is the way in which it embodies Wright's overall philosophy of Naturalism or Social Realism. The naturalist perspective in the passage is evident through the use of the most crucial features of Naturalism. The passage also echoes the most crucial features of Determinism. namely fear, hate and mob mentality. In a critical analysis of this passage there are many single phrases to dissect. One such phrase is, "They hate...." The hatred that is felt by the white mob is a product of their guilt. It is the guilt like that of Mr. Dalton that is so strong that he tries to "undo it in a manner as naà ¯ve as dropping a penny in a blind man's cup."   Wright further speaks of this guilt when Max states, "The Thomas family got poor and the Dalton family got rich. And Mr. Dalton, a decent man, tried to salve his feelings by giving money. But, my friend, gold was not enough! Corpses cannot be bribed! Say to yourself Mr. Dalton, 'I offered my daughter as a burnt sacrifice and it was not enough to push back into it's grave this thing that haunts me.'" This s tatement embodies the very core of social reality of the time, and in essence, Social Realism. "They fear...." What fear is Wright speaking of? Wright speaks of the fear that both the blacks and the whites feel. Bigger's fear and hate is a direct result of the way he sees society. Bigger sees in a garish light the failure of his society. He sees it's cultural and political ideals and promises, and he refuses to accept the compromises that most individuals make for simple self-preservation (as was in Bessie's case.) The white's fear is different. They fear loosing the power and control that they have over the blacks. The whites believe that if they correct the socioeconomic state of the black they will, in essence, be compromising their seat of power. Free Native Son Essays: Naturalism and Determinism :: Native Son Essays Naturalism and Determinism in Native Son "Today Bigger Thomas and that mob are strangers, yet they hate. They hate because they fear, and they fear because they feel that the deepest feelings of their lives are being assaulted and outraged. And they do not know why; they are powerless pawns in a blind play of social forces."   This passage epitomizes for Richard Wright, the most radical effects of criminal racial situation in America. However, perhaps the most important role of this passage is the way in which it embodies Wright's overall philosophy of Naturalism or Social Realism. The naturalist perspective in the passage is evident through the use of the most crucial features of Naturalism. The passage also echoes the most crucial features of Determinism. namely fear, hate and mob mentality. In a critical analysis of this passage there are many single phrases to dissect. One such phrase is, "They hate...." The hatred that is felt by the white mob is a product of their guilt. It is the guilt like that of Mr. Dalton that is so strong that he tries to "undo it in a manner as naà ¯ve as dropping a penny in a blind man's cup."   Wright further speaks of this guilt when Max states, "The Thomas family got poor and the Dalton family got rich. And Mr. Dalton, a decent man, tried to salve his feelings by giving money. But, my friend, gold was not enough! Corpses cannot be bribed! Say to yourself Mr. Dalton, 'I offered my daughter as a burnt sacrifice and it was not enough to push back into it's grave this thing that haunts me.'" This s tatement embodies the very core of social reality of the time, and in essence, Social Realism. "They fear...." What fear is Wright speaking of? Wright speaks of the fear that both the blacks and the whites feel. Bigger's fear and hate is a direct result of the way he sees society. Bigger sees in a garish light the failure of his society. He sees it's cultural and political ideals and promises, and he refuses to accept the compromises that most individuals make for simple self-preservation (as was in Bessie's case.) The white's fear is different. They fear loosing the power and control that they have over the blacks. The whites believe that if they correct the socioeconomic state of the black they will, in essence, be compromising their seat of power.

Thinking Our Anger :: Philosophy Religion Papers

Thinking Our Anger The events of September 11th have occasioned a wide variety of responses, ranging from calls to turn the other cheek, to calls to nuke half the Middle East – and every imaginable shade of opinion in between. At a time when emotions run high, how should we go about deciding on a morally appropriate response? Should we allow ourselves to be guided by our anger, or should we put our anger aside and make an unemotional decision? D. H. Lawrence once wrote: My great religion is a belief in the blood, the flesh, as being wiser than the intellect. We can go wrong in our minds. But what our blood feels and believes and says, is always true. The intellect is only a bit and a bridle. What do I care about knowledge? All I want is to answer to my blood, direct, without fribbling intervention of mind or moral, or what not. At the other extreme, the Roman philosopher Seneca argued that we should never make a decision on the basis of anger – or any other emotion, for that matter. In his treatise On Anger, Seneca maintained that if anger leads us to make the decision we would have made anyway on the basis of cool reason, then anger is superfluous; and if anger leads us to make a different decision from the one we would have made on the basis of cool reason, then anger is pernicious. This disagreement between Lawrence and Seneca conceals an underlying agreement: both writers are assuming an opposition between reason and emotion. The idea of such a bifurcation is challenged by Aristotle. For Aristotle, emotions are part of reason; the rational part of the soul is further divided into the intellectual or commanding part, and the emotional or responsive part. Both parts are rational; and both parts are needed to give us a proper sensitivity to the moral nuances of the situations that confront us. Hence the wise person will be both intellectually rational and emotionally rational. Emotional people whose intellectual side is weak tend to be reluctant to accept reasonable constraints on their behaviour; they are too aggressive and self-assertive for civilized society – too "Celtic," Aristotle thinks. They answer directly to their blood, without fribbling intervention of mind or moral, and much hewing and smiting ensues. But intellectual people whose emotional si de is weak are often too willing

Motorcycle Accidents

MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS ENGLISH 215 28 AUGUST 2011 Motorcyclists are more prone to die in accidents than those in automobiles. Accidents are caused by the motorcycle itself, the lack of experience, not wearing proper gear,  riding at excessive speeds, and inexperienced automobile drivers. The main reason for most motorcycle accidents are caused by motorcyclist that operate their vehicles without wearing the proper protection. A safe and secure cyclist wears a helmet if riding one mile or two hundred miles.Without a helmet, a person is leaving themselves open for the potential for many different types of injuries when riding a motorcycle, in particular injuries to the brain. There are many dangers which can be waiting on the highway for motorcyclists and many of these are preventable by being properly ready to ride and always being safe. Some believe that motorcycles are temptation for fate; unlike cars that have overhead covering, seatbelts, windshields, and two extra tires. Motorcycl es provide no safety features for the rider. This seems to be a good enough reason for most people to avoid riding motorcycles.A select few individuals are willing to take this chance at fate and enjoy the thrill and excitement of riding on the open road. There are many injuries and fatalities associated with motorcycles that cause most people to be against operating motorcycles. Some people have even lost love ones because of the love of motorcycles. Once the collision has occurred, or the rider has lost control through some other mishap, several common types of injury occur when the bike falls: * Collision with less forgiving protective barriers, or badly placed roadside â€Å"furniture† (lampposts, signs, fences etc. This is often simply a result of poor road design, and can be engineered out to a large degree. Note that when one falls off a motorcycle in the middle of a curve, lamps and signs create a â€Å"wall† of sorts with little chance to avoid slamming agains t a pole. * Concussion and brain damage, as the head violently contacts other vehicles or objects. Riders wearing an approved helmet reduce the risk of death by 37 percent. ( Wald, Matthew, 12September 2007, The New York Times) The Hurt Report also commented on injuries after an accident stating that the likelihood of injury is extremely high in these motorcycle accidents – 98% of the multiple vehicle collisions and 96% of the single vehicle accidents resulted in some kind of injury to the motorcycle rider; 45% resulted in more than a minor injury. ( U. S. Department of Transportation. ) People who ride motorcycles most realize that due to the extreme risk of riding, certain protective gear must be worn to help minimize injuries.The most important piece of equipment is the helmet. Operating a motorcycle without a helmet is just ludicrous. Riders should want to be highly visible at night. When a motorcyclist is not visible to others at night they become more susceptible to bei ng injured by other vehicles. The wearing of bright or reflective clothing helps other people notice you at night. Abrasion resistant clothing is a must. This material help protect against debris and major cuts. Wearing jackets and pants that have extra padding assists in protecting the motorcyclist from extreme impacts.Gloves are very important as well. Depending on the weather a riders hands may become moist or damp and could potentially cause the hands to slip of the throttle. The proper foot wear is very important because a rider most protect his ankles and have the necessary grip on the foot pegs to ensure a safe posture. Speeding also plays a part in the fatalities and injuries of motorcyclist. Motorcyclists tend to be very competitive when it comes to motorcycles. They often choose to speed but lack the experience to handle the speed.Inexperience motorcyclist and automobile drivers play a big part in most accidents. Most automobile operators lack the necessary skills to opera te a motor vehicle. The average person goes to the DMV and takes the written test and passes it. Then go straight to the driving portion without going through any type of driver’s training. Attending drivers safety courses can help reduce injuries and fatalities among motorcyclist and automobile operators. Most states highly encourage people to attend these classes but few actually attend.Even with over 1,500 locations in USA, and over 120,000 annual students, MSF only trains about 3% of the owners of 4,000,000 new motorcycles sold for highway use. (Motorcycle Safety Foundation. ) There are many reasons for motorcycle accidents and fatalities and some of them are unavoidable, but it is up to the individual to decide whether they want to operate the vehicle, regardless of the dangers. REFERENCES www. ct. gov/dot/LIB/dot/Documents/dhighwaysafety Department of Transportation. www. nytimes. com/2007/09/12/us/12helment. html New York Times. www. msf-usa. org/SafeCycling/Safe_Cycli ng Motorcycle Safety Foundation

Online MBA Removes Obstacles, Part II Essays

Online MBA Removes Obstacles, Part II Essays Online MBA Removes Obstacles, Part II Essay Online MBA Removes Obstacles, Part II Essay In the last post I talked about my best laid plans to leave college with my undergraduate degree and immediately enter a graduate program to earn my MBA. I had just gotten married in June following graduation and my new husband would be entering the same graduate program with me. We both had part time jobs and lived in student housing. It was going to be busy but it would also be fun. Our plans, however, did not all come together the way we thought. We found out I was pregnant just two months after our wedding and following that some complications with the pregnancy required me to be on complete bed rest. I would not have the opportunity to go to class or even continue working. I was completely restricted to my bed and I was enormously anxious about how I would fare in this capacity. I wanted my baby to be healthy but I was worried that I would fall apart in the meantime. A suggestion from a professor, however, led me in the right direction. He suggested an online MBA program that would allow me to work completely from home – from my bed – so that I could continue on with my studies and hopefully take my mind off of my situation. I enrolled immediately in an online MBA program and it was perfect for me. I would sleep when I wanted to sleep and when I was awake I could do some of my work right from my bed. It was far from the frenzied program that I would be enrolled in traditionally and it suited my purposes completely. As it turns out there are many online degree programs available from an online IT degree to a Masters in Education. It’s all about finding what works for you at the time and going for it!

In Lees

All men were created equal in the eyes of G-d, some say. There is a question brought up that is often left unanswered. Then why are we not all treated equally? The answer lies in each of us, and in three very sincere books, that reveal to us the unjust ways of our society, in their own unique way. These books by title are Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird, J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter and the Sorcerers, and StoneRay Bradburys Fahrenheit 451. Each send the message of prejudices that are frequently interfering in our lives. All tell of a separate prejudice which are expressed to us in their writing. In Lees book we find racial prejudice between a black man on one end, and almost an entire Southern white town on the other. This colored man was wrongly accused of raping, and abusing a poor low-class white girl. The girls father fabricated this story out of blind hate. Expressed in this book is the oppression put upon Negros for being dimwitted, poor, and unworthy of the title man. None of which are true, but rather imagined out of fear. Lee has inspired many by showing the world that if one has enough strength, and courage to stand up for what he believes in, he can have the power to make just out of any evil. Rowling, in her book, shows us a prejudice that is not as much noticed, or titled. She articulates to us the prejudice of superiority. Many in this novel are disturbed by the admirable things Harry, an innocent, and eager child, has accomplished. He had defeated a man, well beyond his years, and might, without his knowing, and this became a ready reason for dislike. When one is jealous, all innocent thoughts are shadowed by fury, and rage, and anything becomes possible. Rowling teaches us that the greatest weapon for such a thing is friendship. All of Harrys positive attributes become visible in his equals, an...

Essay Sample on Human Resource Organizational Research

Essay Sample on Human Resource Organizational Research 1.0 Introduction Member of staff satisfaction and empowerment are fundamental components to businesses in most industries (torraco 85). the industry of construction has an assortment of types of members of staff, varying from administrators and senior managers to on-site overseers and manual workers (beardwell and claydon 53). this study was carried out to achieve a better perceptive regarding the essentials and levels of contentment and empowerment of on-site overseers in the housing industry of construction. an on-site overseer in the housing industry of construction is liable for synchronizing and organizing members of staff, supplies, equipment, making financial arrangements, planning, indentures, and the wellbeing of members of staff and the populace in general (holbeche and springett 12). they are also members of staff most recurrently professed as liable for the triumph or malfunction of any task. trailing a detailed assessment of the correlated writing, a questionnaire was structured to find out the levels of satisfaction and empowerment of on-site controllers. this opinion poll was overseen in the form of an interview and it was revealed that a noteworthy correspondence subsisted amid satisfaction and empowerment. 2.0 Structure of the interview Questions Subjects 1 to 10 were planned to find demographic information concerning the on site controllers. demographic queries that were incorporated in the study aimed at the onsite controller’s age, sex, nuptial standing, edification, industry familiarity, incidence with precedent and current administrators, career title, present position of the profession, and sum of built-up units the interviewee’s company put up per annum. subjects 11, 14, 20, and 28 classified whether the members of staff feel esteemed by the company. subjects 17, 19, and 26 classified if members of staff got adequate training to execute the allocated tasks. subjects 22 and 25 classified the members of staff level of expectations and assurance in administrators and executives. queries 12, 21, and 24 classified if members of staff had the ability to under take the requisite tasks. subjects 13, 15, 18, and 23 classified if members of staff had any contribution or involvement in choosing how their work necess ities will be accomplished. subjects 16 and 27 classified if members of staff are held responsible and answerable for their doings by acme administration. the 18th subjects obliquely measured the on-site controllers’ intensity of satisfaction and empowerment. subject 29 and 30 were straight queries permitting the members of staff to document their level of satisfaction or empowerment. lastly, queries 31, 32 and 33 were accustomed to identify the highest five fundamentals on-site controllers thought led to member of staff satisfaction and empowerment. the main questions, which were 11-30, were accustomed to appraise conduct and point of view of the members of staff. Aforementioned to conducting the interview, deakin university’s institutional review board was made contact with, and authorization was approved to carry out this study. the institute’s board’s key rationale is to protect the civil liberties and interests of human study issues. consistent with university guiding principles, any study considered to seek information from individual subjects must be pre-commended by a review commission. 3.0 Findings One of the functions of this study was to find out if the on-site controller in the housing construction industry were contented with their employment. the study confirmed that when on-site controllers were requested to gauge their level of satisfaction rooted in one undeviating subject, one on-site controller acted in response as satisfied, whereas the other acted in response as unsatisfied. A different intention of this study was to find out if on-site controllers in the housing construction industry were sanctioned enough to accomplish post tasks. the information discovered that when on-site controllers were requested to gauge their level of empowerment rooted in one undeviating subject, one on-site controller acted in response that he was empowered and the other on-site controller accounted that he was neither empowered nor underpowered. from the review, three foremost rudiments that throw in most to members of staff satisfaction were acknowledged. these three basics, in no exacting arrangement, were: worth, implying an employee’s insight of his importance to the firm (saks 600) and (purcell 54). training, connoting the quantity and eminence of training a member of staff gets from the firm. management, denoting the self-assurance a member of staff has in persons in charge and administrators of the firm as well as the maintenance the administrators and executives give the members of staff (gubman 42) and (brown 26). these fundamentals of satisfaction were not particular to the industry of construction. this study also exposed the peak basics on-site controllers feel put in most to members of staff satisfaction. the pinnacle five factors in order of implication are:   recognition and positive reception. this matches with an on-site controller being accredited by the administration in one way or another for carrying out tasks and tasks.   financial reimbursement. this denotes the reparation an on-site controller obtains in the course of a yearly salary and end of year extras.   work surroundings. this comprise regularly of the working association an on-site controller has with colleagues.   encroachment prospects. this incorporates not only elevating in the firm but undertaking more accountability within a specified work depiction.   remuneration and perquisites, which incorporate the whole lot from healthiness packages to automobile stipends. from the review of the literature, the three main aspects that put in nearly all members of staff empowerment were acknowledged. these three aspects, in no exact sequence, were: authority, implying the intensity of control given to an on-site controller for purpose of accomplishing job tasks. involvements, meaning the level of involvement and contribution on-site controllers have concerning their job tasks. accountability, meaning the conscientiousness and answerability an on-site controller has been given in regards to projects and tasks related to the job. this study in addition exposed the apex facets on-site controllers feel put in most to employee empowerment. the facets are:   lack of restrictions and independence   sharing of information.   guidance   supremacy and control.   administration support. 4.0 Satisfaction and Empowerment Correlation Derived from the review and the outcome of this study, when an employer sanctions the on-site controllers, an affirmative response should take place (fisher 1). for the reason that an on-site controller ought to now be empowered, the eminence of the product or services offered ought to boost since the increase in accountability, incentive, and satisfaction empowerment necessitates. ingenious and inventive thoughts should compel the constant enhancement of procedures, products, and services (cufaude 25). members of staff should be capable of rapidly gratifying client demands, hence improving client contentment and rising sales and the sine qua non. additionally, as the altitude of empowerment boosts, the echelon of contentment should also augment (bowditch and buono 78). this boost in fulfillment should decrease employee turnover and non-attendance, maintaining projects on time and at an elevated level of excellence. work-site safety should also advance and member of staff should be prolific. 5.0 Evaluation Summary This study has raised key aspects member of staff can concentrate on to perk up the level of satisfaction and empowerment of its members of staff. it was also revealed that a connection subsists amid empowerment and satisfaction, and the augmentation of one of the variables has a direct upshot on the other. as a result, by improving contentment, empowerment will be optimistically impinged on; and correspondingly, when on-site controllers are sanctioned, their job fulfillment perks up. Different suggestions for future study are suggested by the results of this study. the first proposal would be to get more detailed with the study. for instance, this study could be aimed at on-site controllers who only work for minute-capacity housing companies of construction. an additional suggestion would be to carry out the study with construction members of staff whose occupation tasks fluctuate from those of an on-site controller. these studies may include construction manual workers, estimators, central administration, or senior managers. lastly, another correlated subject for future study recommended by this report would be to get hold of a clearer perceptive of administration’s outlook toward contented and sanctioned members of staff. are the alleged advantages of contentment and empowerment prevailed over by the expenses? perchance by making out and surveying a corporation in the industry of construction that identifies with and implements the aspects that lead to member of staff fulfillment and empowerment, new perceptive about members of staff contentment and empowerment and their execution course of action would be revealed. 6.0 Work Cited Beardwell, j. and claydon, t. human resource management: a modern approach. 5th ed. harlow, prentice hall. 2007. 53. print. Bowditch, j. and buono, a. a primer on organizational behavior. 5th ed. new york: john wiley. 2001. 78. print. Brown, r. doing your exposition in business and management: the realism of studying and writing. london: sage. 2006. 26. print. Cufaude, j. in lanphear, s. are your employees highly engaged? credit union executive newsletter. usa: credit union national association. 2004. 25. print. Fisher, c. studying and writing an exposition for business students. harlow, prentice hall. 2004. 19, 1-2. print. Gubman, e. from engagement to passion for work: the search for the missing person. human resources planning. 2004. pp42. print. Holbeche, l. and springett, n. in search of meaning in the workplace. horsham: roffey park. 2003. 12. print. Purcell, j. change agenda, reflections on employee engagement. london, cipd. 2006. print. Saks, a.m. antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. journal of managerial psychology. 2006. vol 21, no 6, pp600. print. Torraco, r.j. work design theory: a review and critique with implications for human resource development. human resource development quarterly. 2005. vol 16, no 1, pp85. print.

Oceanography Discussion Short Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Oceanography Discussion Short - Essay Example The pH of the ocean does not change much because ocean water acts as an acid-base buffer. When acidic substances are added to seawater, they result in increased H+ ions. These ions react with bicarbonate ions (HCO3-) in seawater, yielding carbonic acid (H2CO3), which further dissociates into CO2 and H2O. Thus, the pH does not change on addition of acid because neutral products are formed. Similarly, when basic (alkaline) substances are added to seawater, the bicarbonate ions (HCO3-) dissociate into CO32- and H+. The production of H+ ions thus neutralizes the OH- ions of the base and pH remains constant. The bicarbonate ions in oceans are produced as a result of volcanic eruptions and burning of fossil fuels that add carbonic acid to the seawater (Desonie 19). Goiter is a disorder in which the thyroid gland or any one of its two lobes enlarges and appears as a swelling in the front region of the neck. It results from hypothyroidism, i.e. inadequate production of the thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland. This disorder results from iodine deficiency. Iodine is the precursor of thyroid hormones and its deficiency leads to their inadequate synthesis, thereby inducing the production of thyroid stimulating hormone by the pituitary gland. This hormone causes the enlargement of the thyroid, resulting in goiter. Goiter can be prevented by incorporating trace amounts of iodine in the diet. All products originating from seawater are good sources of iodine, as seawater contains dissolved iodine (Trujillo and Thurman 141). Consumption of natural sources of iodine such as seafood, fishes, sea vegetables, etc that originate in seawater are helpful for the prevention of goiter. Although both temperature and sea water affect the density of oceans, only salinity has a major influence on the density of the Polar Ocean. This is because of the extremely low temperatures at the poles. The temperature of the

Managing People, Finance and Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing People, Finance and Marketing - Essay Example There may be organization-wide changes such as mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, leadership changes, and changes in technology. There may be the upsizing, downsizing and resizing that force organizations to change, and in some cases almost daily (Joyce, 2005). There are also changes needed in the culture of organizations or the way they do things. History is replete with many organizations changing for the better and organizations that did not and were doomed to failure in some parts of their history (Waldera, 2002). American Express. American Express, for example, had announced organization and management changes in mid- 2005. The reasons given were that changes were driven by several key developments including: the rapid growth of their Global Network Services (GNS) business in the United States and around the world; the expansion of their worldwide merchant network; the broader long-term relationships they are developing to build business with their merchant partners; and the recent entry of the Travelers Cheque business into the prepaid card arena ("American Express," 2005). Their company, they said, is in an excellent position. They would like to further strengthen their long-term position and propel the new American Express into the ranks of the most successful and most admired companies in the world ("American Express," 2005). IBM Integrated Supply Chain. ... IBM is not unique; its supply chain considerations impact upon many organizations as they attempt to find integrated solutions to complex problems. However, within IBM, this transition, which has affected organizational structure and alignment, process, and IT support, has not been without its problems. The drive to shift from a Functional to a Process control alignment has required a shift in the mindset of the organizations employees (McLaughlin, Paton & Macbeth, 2006). The IBM, as an organization needed to be able to develop flexible end-to-end (E2E) processes that can be "tweaked" and modified to meet changes in customer demand, product availability and overall performance. Performance to them is not simply down to the implementation of elaborate IT systems, but requires the alignment of key personnel in an understanding of the knowledge management aspects relating to the E2E processes. This required management to think about how the business operates from a process, as opposed to a function, perspective (McLaughlin, Paton & Macbeth, 2006). Hewlett Packard. Adizes (1988) postulated that as companies go through various life-cycle stages, their cultures need to change in order to adapt to different business challenges. Rigid adherence to a set of cultural norms can foretell disaster, especially in rapidly changing market conditions (Waldera, 2002) Consider the fate of a non-renewing organization as defined by Waldera (2002). The "HP Way" guided the success and development of this premier technology company since its inception in 1939. However effective the "HP Way" culture was in guiding the company's growth during the first fifty years of its history, it began

The Life of Mary Jemison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Life of Mary Jemison - Essay Example decades before and after the American Revolution; many captives, once adopted and integrated into an Indian community, refused the opportunity to return home, finding life in Indian society more rewarding. In 1823 Mary Jemison related her life story to James Seaver, a doctor who lived near her home in western New York. Seaver’s story of â€Å"the white woman of the Genessee,† as she became known, sold over 100,000 copies in 1824† (Captured By Indians: Mary Jemison Becomes an Indian). This paper briefly explains opinions of Mary Jemison about native American culture and relationship between Native Americans and Anglo-Americans in the eighteenth century based on the autobiography of Mary Jemison written by James Seaver. In family and society, Native Americans projected themselves as one of the most civilized community. But in the battlefield they never behaved like that. In fact they were so cruel in the battlefield that they never exhibit any humanitarian methods while fighting with others. Native Americans was loved their beloved ones deeply, but they never shown any sympathy or mercy towards other communities. In fact they were so cruel and their brutality was so severe that they never hesitated in kidnapping and killing of innocent people from other communities. Mary’s complete family has been brutally assassinated by the Native American tribes, The Indians, which forced Mary to describe them as brutal and uncivilized tribes The Native American culture during 18 th and 19 th centuries were not much civilized. Even though, her family members were killed by the Indians (Native Americans); the Indians have shown some mercy towards her and adopted her to the Native Indian community even though she was a white female. Mary has realized that even though the Indians are so cruel in the battlefield, they were not so in the family after staying together with them for a longer period. It was the duty of the men to protect the villages and homesteads as per the

Dreyfus Affair Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Dreyfus Affair - Case Study Example The Dreyfus Affair was able to generate major impact on the French Jewry activities; the affair had deep impact on the Jewish people, and is responsible for the introduction of drastic changes in the approach, understanding, behavior, aptitude and lifestyle of the Jewish community. The ambition behind the achievement of the success was to make the French Jewry realize that it was a legitimate and non-offensive practice to portray as Jew in another to support the associates of other community. The researchers have proved that the modern French Jewish organizations have their association with the central group of people who were staunch supporters of Dreyfus. 'The Affair rapidly became a matter of opinion, a polemical debate, dominated by a class consciousness' (Forth, 2006). It proved that the injustice done to the individuals went reported, and was extremely blatant, offensive and immoral. The political implications of the Dreyfus Affairs has been that it was responsible for the change of government, and the newly formed government ceased their activities and restricted their involvement in 'military, clerical and extreme nationalist coalition in the Dreyfus Affair, a law separating Church and State'. The Affair was responsible for the development of Anti-Semi tism, such forces took over the stage and the individuals did not acknowledge the provisions for the equal status of Jews, and protested against their freedom and provisions for human rights in their favor, the group of individuals was driven by 'those driven by a vengeful patriotism' (George, 1899). 'Moreover, the anti-Semitism took on its contemporary form; the group highlighted the linkages and affiliation of the Jews with finance, and international power. The first signs of Vichy France could already be detected, both in the anti- Semitic press and such movements were responsible for the union of the people who shared supported and were believer of anti-Jewish stance. They simply required official status. In this sense, the Dreyfus Affair can be considered to be the precursor of a twentieth century which would be even darker for the Jews' (Forth, 2006). The emancipation of Jews was visible; therefore the event is regarded as the source for the revelation of Jew's precariousness. 'First and foremost, it proved that assimilation was simply an illusion which had lasted one century', the idea was concluded and supported by the Bernard Lazare , who is considered to be the greatest protagonists of assimilation. It was realized that anti-Semitism is a permanent phenomenon, 'and that the only salvation for the Jews lay in a national solution'. Herzl, another advocate of assimilation, forwarded that the affair was responsible for awakened 'an old dream of the Jewish people, sparking off what was to be the greatest revolution in modern Judaism: Zionism'. 'The Dreyfus Affair was therefore initiator of two events i.e. the Shoah and Zionism, both the events were responsible for the transformation of the Jewish society and believers in terms of their demographic, geographic, and cultural affiliations and linkages. The Dreyfus Affair influenced and changed the future of Jewish people. The issue received due focus and attention of the local population, and concerns were e xpressed by the International government. The Affair 'acquired a polemical nature dominated by a class consciousness' (Littman, 2005). The Dreyfus

Chinas investment in Blackstone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chinas investment in Blackstone - Essay Example Governments use this method to secure the domestic market for liquidation. This implies that these assets are of highly liquidated nature and can be altered easily. The oil-producing countries have also come within its grip and are losing or rather investing their wealth in such funds. A company adopted a similar approach in the oil commodity. They then invested their wealth in holding bonds, bank deposits in a similar pattern like central banks. The alarming fact is that no company discloses the application of the funds except for the ones in Norway that provide regular data and statistics. It may be possible that these mysteriously applied investments will be very well lost in the future with no accountability. It happened in one of a developing country wherein a mushroom growth took place in the early eighties. These investment companies conned the unsuspecting public and lured them by promising huge percentage on their investments. The Government kept silent and this approach encouraged the high profit paying companies to get bolder and bolder till the public was convinced to accept them as legitimate companies. The problem further compounded due to no action by the State Bank. The margin of profits increased as the public committed their funds by selling their immovable assets. All cate All categories of people brought in their investment to these companies expecting a higher return on their deposits. Advertisements in each and every newspaper further cemented the authenticity and indisputable legitimacy of these fraudsters. The profits were rolled over and the depositor's received their profits on monthly basis, basking in the realm that a good investment had been made. The bubble burst when the government realized that the funds were been diverted from the scheduled bank and the treasury of the Government was fast losing money to these con artists. No sooner was the action taken and people in droves started to approach the managers of these companies for the return of their deposits that true facts started to stare in their faces. The higher ups evaded the public on rush to their offices and let the lower staff make excuses on their part. The public scenting fraud approached the police and cases were registered with them. Company after company stared to disappear with the savings of the unsuspecting depositors. Huge rallies were taken out to protest against the inaction of the and for the return of their savings, but all to no avail. The Government seemed helpless and the police in cahoots with the company owners further complicated the issue. Only resourceful people with clout were able to draw out some of their savings from these fraudsters. All the rest were left with taking out processions and pleas. Suits were filed in courts and the lengthy, cumbersome legal battle did little for the return of the poor common man. Nevertheless, since these funds are applied abroad so it can be controlled by political pressure and the consequences of these investments may have to be faced by the countries involved. Reference list: Economist Finance & Economics: 'The world's most expensive clubs' www.Economist.com May 24, 2007 Hong Kong Article 2 "Cleaning up" Or Clean Environment - a Global Concern The concept of

Dreyfus Affair Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Dreyfus Affair - Case Study Example The Dreyfus Affair was able to generate major impact on the French Jewry activities; the affair had deep impact on the Jewish people, and is responsible for the introduction of drastic changes in the approach, understanding, behavior, aptitude and lifestyle of the Jewish community. The ambition behind the achievement of the success was to make the French Jewry realize that it was a legitimate and non-offensive practice to portray as Jew in another to support the associates of other community. The researchers have proved that the modern French Jewish organizations have their association with the central group of people who were staunch supporters of Dreyfus. 'The Affair rapidly became a matter of opinion, a polemical debate, dominated by a class consciousness' (Forth, 2006). It proved that the injustice done to the individuals went reported, and was extremely blatant, offensive and immoral. The political implications of the Dreyfus Affairs has been that it was responsible for the change of government, and the newly formed government ceased their activities and restricted their involvement in 'military, clerical and extreme nationalist coalition in the Dreyfus Affair, a law separating Church and State'. The Affair was responsible for the development of Anti-Semi tism, such forces took over the stage and the individuals did not acknowledge the provisions for the equal status of Jews, and protested against their freedom and provisions for human rights in their favor, the group of individuals was driven by 'those driven by a vengeful patriotism' (George, 1899). 'Moreover, the anti-Semitism took on its contemporary form; the group highlighted the linkages and affiliation of the Jews with finance, and international power. The first signs of Vichy France could already be detected, both in the anti- Semitic press and such movements were responsible for the union of the people who shared supported and were believer of anti-Jewish stance. They simply required official status. In this sense, the Dreyfus Affair can be considered to be the precursor of a twentieth century which would be even darker for the Jews' (Forth, 2006). The emancipation of Jews was visible; therefore the event is regarded as the source for the revelation of Jew's precariousness. 'First and foremost, it proved that assimilation was simply an illusion which had lasted one century', the idea was concluded and supported by the Bernard Lazare , who is considered to be the greatest protagonists of assimilation. It was realized that anti-Semitism is a permanent phenomenon, 'and that the only salvation for the Jews lay in a national solution'. Herzl, another advocate of assimilation, forwarded that the affair was responsible for awakened 'an old dream of the Jewish people, sparking off what was to be the greatest revolution in modern Judaism: Zionism'. 'The Dreyfus Affair was therefore initiator of two events i.e. the Shoah and Zionism, both the events were responsible for the transformation of the Jewish society and believers in terms of their demographic, geographic, and cultural affiliations and linkages. The Dreyfus Affair influenced and changed the future of Jewish people. The issue received due focus and attention of the local population, and concerns were e xpressed by the International government. The Affair 'acquired a polemical nature dominated by a class consciousness' (Littman, 2005). The Dreyfus

Residential Property Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Residential Property Management - Essay Example Currently the Blue Skies property management is management some apartments in Highbury, however, the company lacks good management which has resulted into tenants problems and has led to poor performance of the property in terms of revenue being collected. In order to correct that a new company by the name Top-Homes Property Management has been engaged to provide the services that Blue-Skies property management were offering. Top-Homes Property Management Company is a local based property management located in Highbury town dealing in management of real estate properties especially apartments. The company has 10 staffs which includes 4 professionals in property management. The types of the property that the company will be dealing are apartments and which are private property of the owners. The types of the apartment will vary according to the number of bedrooms the have. For example we have 1 bed, 2 bed and also 3 bed these apartments can accommodate 2, 4 and 6 occupants respectively. Every apartment is separately furnished and has different views depending on their locations. The apartments are located in Highbury and they consist of 10 apartments building in different compounds but along the same road. The apartments are available for leasing or renting. ... A property management company normally enters into a contract with its tenants and this contract stipulates various aspects of tenancy. Currently the company that is management those apartments charges a specific service fee seems to be too high for the tenants. The money collected is supposed to provide for the maintenance of the buildings and future painting and or re-carpeting of the apartments. The current management has undertaken to use an agent to carry out the management of the property. Tenants are supposed to pay their rent and service charge to the agent who in turn takes the money to the Blue skies property management company. The company subsequently deducts their commissions and other expenses and deposits the remaining net amount to the owner's account. Management problems The current management problems that the property management company is undergoing are both from the tenants and also from the management.Poor quality of services The agent that a company engages highly affects the quality of service delivery that will be delivered. To quality of the agent is very vital will encourage tenants to continue staying in those apartments or not. It has been observed that the current agents overcharges the tenants in terms of amount of service charges paid and yet offer sub-standard services. For example, the gardens are no well kept yet the service charge is always paid on time. It is important that the property management company should realize that the tenants are the most important customers and a partner. Thus, customers' problems need to be understood and solved by the property managers. (Gary & Kempner, 1999) Insensitive to tenants Being sensitive to the complaints of the tenants is also important as it

The Use of Hand-held Cameras in “After Life” Essay Example for Free

The Use of Hand-held Cameras in â€Å"After Life† Essay Hirokazu Kore-eda’s â€Å"After Life† portrays the importance of making beautiful memories that would last forever. It is about death but deals more with choosing the best memory a dead person can remember and wants to remember for the rest of eternity. Twenty-two souls came to a â€Å"waystation† between life and death where they were asked to choose one precious memory. After choosing a memory, it would be recreated and filmed by the â€Å"staff† at the station. The â€Å"staff† were also dead persons who were not able to leave the place because of difficulty in choosing the memory they want to take with them. In this movie, hand-held camera techniques are used in a concrete pattern to recreate the dead peoples memories. The cameras were also used to record their interviews wherein they try to explain and give details of their specific memories. This was especially seen with the prostitute, pilot, and Tatara Kimiko. According to Kore-eda, he used scripted and unscripted dialogs in the film by non-actors and professional actors (Derek, 1998, n. p). He actually included non-actors to relate their real memories. In the beginning of the movie, characters were filmed with fixed cameras and they were seen having a hard time choosing their memories. However, with hand-held camera scenes, they were able to choose their memories easily. Although in the scenes where hand-held cameras were used seemed as informal scenes compared to the others, the characters can be seen talking comfortably. It seems that they were having a normal conversation as opposed to a formal interview. The characters were more at ease with the hand-held cameras. This might be because hand-held cameras do not seem as intimidating as those normally used in making movies. Also, when these cameras are used, it can only seem as though a home movie is being done and not a formal movie. The first scene where a hand-held camera was used was when the prostitute was having tea with Takuro Sugie, one of the counselors. They had their conversation in a casual way while drinking tea. The hand-held camera technique started when the counselor showed a picture of a demolished hotel to her, which was a part of her chosen memory. The counselor then found out that something was not right. Soon thereafter, he realized that the prostitute lied about her age. Feeling guilty, she admitted that she lied and even related that she was not with anyone that day and was actually waiting for a man. The hand-held camera focused on her while she was telling the truth, and this showed the development of her character. The second hand-held camera technique appeared on the pilot and Kawashima’s conversation. Kawashima brought pictures of airplanes so he could figure out and recreate the pilots memory and the specific plane that the pilot flew that day. The third hand-held camera technique was when Tatara Kimiko was drawing a red dress on the paper, which she would present to Kawashima. She seemed to be using an unscripted dialog because she was seen struggling to recall her memories. Because it is very natural to forget some things, this was considered unscripted. In the scene, the hand-held camera focused on the red dress that she was sketching because it was the most important part of her memory and would be used on the set to recreate her memory. Hand-held camera techniques appeared throughout the movie while the memories were being recreated. The cameras tried to capture every detail of their stories and facial expressions so that real emotions can be seen by the viewers. In Tatara Kimiko’s scene where she was trying to teach a certain dance to a little girl, the camera followed her every move and kept the focus on her face rather than the little girl learning the dance. This scene is considered unscripted because she tried to remember the dance and even changed some of the details because she was not able to remember the exact details of the dance. The hand-held cameras tried to record her real story in a natural way and she would not have the chance to make up things because this would be easily seen on hand-held cameras. The movie â€Å"After Life† demonstrates hand-held camera techniques that will allow the viewers to get close with the characters. Compared with other cameras, hand-held cameras are able to show the real emotions and sensitivity of the characters. This is seen in scenes where characters tend to talk in an unscripted way in order to capture the real story and recreate this on the set. Real emotions can be seen when individuals are on their most unguarded moments. This is when people do and say things that they normally keep to themselves because they feel that no one is listening. Although it may seem to be an invasion of ones privacy, it is a very good way to record a persons true character, which would help make a great recreation of a memory. Hand-held cameras make it easier for viewers to understand the development of the characters of the movie. This movie shows how important memories are to a persons life. It is hard to choose one memory from all the years of existence of one individual but it is harder to remember the specific details of that one memory. It is like a dream where everything is blurred and only a certain moment or conversation of the whole memory can be remembered. Moreover, the pressure of choosing one special memory out of all the memories a person can have to take in eternity is also hard. Certainly, one memory is not enough. Because memories are hard to remember, which makes it hard to recreate, hand-held cameras contribute greatly in the making of this movie. There are just some things that can be only seen through the lens of a hand-held camera and this is what makes â€Å"After Life† a

A Study On Common Assessment Framework Social Policy Essay

A Study On Common Assessment Framework Social Policy Essay This essay will discuss why Common Assessment Framework was introduced to Childrens Services, what it attempts to achieve and whether or not it has been successful, the concept behind it and briefly, the difficulties in working with other health professionals to get the Common Assessment Framework to do what it was set out to do. The Every Child Matters Green Paper proposed the introduction of a Common Assessment Framework (CAF) as a central element of the strategy for helping children, young people and their families. (DfES 2004) Common Assessment Framework is a standard assessment tool to be used by all professionals working with children for assessments and referral (British Journal of Social Work (2009). The reform agenda in Childrens Service was catalysed by the public inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbià © (Laming 2003), an eight year old West African girl who was abused and murdered in the UK in 2000 as a result of extreme cruelty and neglect by her great-aunt and the her partner, who were her guardians. Background and Why CAF was Introduced An inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbià © (Laming 2003) exposed a failure to put in place the necessary basic procedures to protect her. Factors identified included lack of early intervention, poor co-ordination, failure to share information and the absence of anyone with a strong sense of accountability. As a result, the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) was one of the measures introduced under the changes in child protection policies and the green paper, Every Child Matters (2003) therefore was introduced to set out proposals for major changes in childrens programmes to allow every child, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have the needed support towards the achievement of a better outcome in the following key areas: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being (DoH 2003) The design, in conjunction with the lead professional and better information sharing policies and procedures; to change the method by which services are delivered, moving the focus from dealing with the consequence of difficulties in childrens lives, towards a more proactive preventative and precautionary measure. CAF is intended to be used for children who have additional needs which may not be complex or severe enough to require statutory intervention. It is for use in situations where there are concerns with how a child is progressing in any way (raised by the child, a parent or a professional), the childs needs are unclear, the childs needs are broader than a professionals own service can address or where it is thought that CAF would help to identify the childs needs. The draft Common Assessment Framework was developed in late 2004 with its revised version published in 2005. CAF is a new, more standardised approach for assessing the needs of children for service and deciding howthose needs should be addressed and met. It is meant for children with additional needs; that is, children at risk of poor outcomes (DfES, 2005b,p1). CAF is designed to be evidence-based , focusing on needs and strengths, rather than concerns as seen in the British Journal of social work (2009) 39, 1197-1217. The three stated aims of CAF are to support earlier intervention, improve multi-agency working by, for example embedding a common language of assessment; reduce bureaucracy for families (DfES, 2005b, p1.) CAF is not meant to replace many other assessment schedules used in the various agencies, such as the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families documentation, but the government would like the CAF to represent the main assessment tool to support inter-agency referral and multi-agency working (DfES, 2005b, p 2). Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is one of the contributing elements to the following both of which are outlined in the Childrens Act 2004, the delivery of integrated services the support inter-agency co-operation; and the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. [emailprotected] How are children services organised? What is the key legislation that governs children and childrens services, The aim of Every Child Matters is to have a few agencies working together bearing in mind their professional boundaries to liaise and support children from 0 to 19, using a simple language to meet the needs of these children. It came up with the Integrated Childrens System (ICS), the Contact Point and the Common Assessment Framework (CAF), they all have different systems and style of working but have one common goal which is to improve the well being and to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. When a child is seen as suffered neglect, abuse or has any server difficulty or being looked after under the Childrens Act 1989, their needs are assessed using the Framework for Assessment of Children in Need and their families. The Integrated Child System (ICS) is used at this stage, this is done by putting information together step by step and recording information about both the child and family, where a thorough assessment is required an in depth information is needed at this stage and must be gathered in a way that can set as the basis for decision making and can be used for different purposes. ICS is supported by information technology and its the basis of the electronic social care record for children. The IT system is also known as ISC. Contact Point is a fast method to find out who else is working with a particular service user, making it a lighter way to liaise and support, it is a major tool Every Child Matters uses to deliver a better service to Children and young people, having said that Contact Point only holds a little information about a child, parent, practitioners providing services to the child and carers until their 18th birthday, except for exceptional cases for example children with mental health and sexual health problems where their details are still held under sever security. Common Assessment Framework on the other hand comes in as soon as assessment is needed at the very early stage and deciding what action to take. It gives practitioners the chance to put together and record information about a child or young person with additional needs in an orderly, straight forward and simple. Work start from then and practitioners begin to look out for the needs and what should be done and its dealt with. CAF makes practitioners across all agencies, after the required training to go according to the procedures to achieve a dependable assessment that can be used by everyone dealing with the case. The national IT system to support CAF will be deve loped. (eCAF). This will help authorised practitioners to electronically create, share and store CAF within the agencies. Unlike Contact Point CAF only holds the information about some young people and children, with consent, and for a limited period of time. Both Contact Point and CAF were created to for use within childrens services, their goal is to help children with additional needs get the help and support they need, its a tool to make easy early intervention and help deal with additional needs before they get out of control and become more difficult to resolve. CAF and ICS has a common method to assessment, they both have a common way of collecting data about a child or young person around the domains of developmental needs of a child; parent capacity; and family and environmental factors. CAF and ICS are supported by technology where as Contact Point is a basically technology solution www.evertchildmatters.gov.uk Why was CAF introduced and whats its aim The green paper, Every Child Matters, proposed the introduction of a national Common Assessment Framework (CAF) as an important part of a strategy for helping children and young people to achieve the five priority outcomes of: being healthy: enjoying good physical and mental health and living a healthy lifestyle; staying safe: being protected from harm and neglect; enjoying and achieving : getting the most out of life and developing the skills for adulthood; making a positive contribution: being involved with the community and society and not engaging in anti-social or offending behaviour; economic well-being: not being prevented by economic disadvantage from achieving their full potential in life. The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) was decided upon based on the five basic keys. By the help of a lead professional and better information shearing procedure CAF was designed from the concerns that the existing procedures for identifying and responding to the needs of children who are not achieving the five outcomes identified in Every Child Matters do not work as effectively as they were meant to, to bring a better way of how services could be delivered, due to the fact that services have in the past been delivered based on dealing with the consequences of difficulties in childrens lives to preventing things from taking the wrong route from the start. Its main focus is to attain to the fact that every child gets the five keys. It is also created to help assessing children with additional needs which are not too complex or sever as to demand external intervention such as statutory intervention. CAFs aim is to give a method of assessment to give support to early intervention, to h elp decide what needs to be done at an early stage rather than later, its to provide good and a lot more evidence based referral to targeted and specialist services. CAF is created to enhance on joint working and communication between practitioners in a common language of assessment and views and as to how it could be resolved, it was also designed to improve the coordination and consistency around assessments leading to fewer and shorter specialist assessments. CAF was designed to help to decide whether other specialist assessments are needed and if so provide information to help get it done. It was to give a clear picture of a child or young persons needs to be built up over time and with the right consent shared among professionals. Has CAF achieved its aim?(positives and negatives) Through CAF some practitioner began to accept sheared responsibility for children and young people with additional needs. Apart from having to get parents consent to be part of the assessment procedure some practitioners and managers are in view that in conjunction with other services CAF has a lot more prospects in support to early intervention mostly universal services. Some also had doubt as to whether there was enough funds to meet the problems raised and the requirement of CAF. It is apparent that CAF has had mixed responses. One estimation of path-finding authorities revealed that practitioners and managers believed it has enabled a more rigorous follow-through of service delivery, promotion of better multi-agency working and were optimistic that it would eventually pull down thresholds for service receipt (Brandon et al., 2006). The introduction of CAF like everything has its strengths which in general gives a positive view seen by all, however, others have expressed their concerns about its been too formal to some organizations as descriptive tyranny, restricting the narrative making sense of the situation; the difficulties of various professionals and practitioners with other skills and expectations completing CAF differently or partially in the assessment process (Garrett, 2008; Gilligan and Manby, 2008; White et al, 2008). CAF in the East Riding for example is exclusively aimed as a minimal level involvement which will help use universal services to m anage early problems and deject wrong referrals to Social Care. The major intentional level for engagement agencies with the CAF has broader responsibility than CAF alone, covering all included services provision. The different agencies involved is broad, but some agencies are less active in attending meetings and buy in, in terms of resource input is limited. However, there some problems which lessen the positive involvement, and makes CAF less effective, these include less involvement of some agencies in terms of resources input. Practitioners were of view that CAF was not reducing the need foe reassessment, giving examples of some parents forced to repeat their stories during reassessments, I can understand sometimes practitioners would just want to be sure that things have not changed since the last assessment, but the public is of the view that CAF always has the updated information at any time needed, but for luck of training and human error we find out that CAF still is not d oing what it was set out. As well as distracting story-telling way of writing reports, the CAF writers often found that the boxes did not help them adequately to characterize the child and parents. The format of the CAF was opposed by some professionals and practitioners working with it.. Only some professionals used the language of need, whereas over 80 per cent talked about challenges. In addition to the descriptive demands, CAF forms also make CAF doesnt tell a story it feels like school exams, multiple choice, you can tick the boxes with the right answer, but it really doesnt give you er the er .The story. It is about narrative isnt it. Its about peoples lives. It isnt about um dividing a life up into a lot of small boxes. And when you put all those boxes together it will be EQUAL to the narrative As seen in (BJofSW 2009 39, 1197-1217) Sure start worker said I prefer a blank sheet of paper to express by thoughts ibid.. Upon a period of over a decades work in human services organizations, Gubrium et al describe what they call the descriptive tyrannies of people forms, forms used in one way or the other to describe and categorize people coming to the attention of human service professionals, hence, for Gubrium et al, the relations of form completion to human activity is two-fold. They are concerned with what sorts of descriptions the forms invite or the reportorial expectations assumed to underlie acceptance organizational description (Gubirum et al, 1989, p 197). What may be the rational, moral and artful capacities of form-completers? That is, what wiggle room (Erickson, 2004, p, 20) do they have with these descriptive demands? (Oxford University press 2008). Gubrium et al argue that, completed forms like any mode of description, have transformative effects. They do not simply describe events as they occurred in real time. For example they may contain mutually exclusive categorizations, which deman ds that the form-computer suspend disbelief that only one category can apply at any one time, bearing in mind that CAF is designed to have evidence-based , focused on needs and strengths, rather than concerns. Professionals are encouraged to evaluate strengths, needs, actions and solutions for children across three domains derived from the framework for Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (DoH 2000). Please ignore the recommendation below still have that to do I have it written down will type it out tomorrow, Im working in the dark because my landlady forgot to get some electricity and my eyes are hurting now. My lecture ends at 11 so will finish it all with the Ref.. Recommendation and conclusion It is clear to me that the purpose of the CAF and its work load is to ensure that professionals attend to, and record information deemed most relevant to their primary activities as distinct at this historical moment. The CAF is also an over view presented as a complete professional judgement. However, I have shown above that the demands of the form cause information to be ordered in preferred ways, which can be unintelligible. I have talked about the fact that CAF constrains professional practice in particular ways, it is indeed designed to exert its own rigid demands, which can feel harsh to the one person completing the form. CAF in particular relies on the assumption that it can foster uniform professional application and an ordinary (White, Hall and Peckover, 2009). Laming (2009) still recommended that we need to involve more agencies to make the workload easier and effective and said the use of Common Assessment Framework CAF needs to be further promoted with Agencies. To achieve the reason it was introduced practitioners and everyone involved in using CAF must be fully aware of what its all about and must be fully trained to know the pros and cons of what CAF wants to achieve, other Agencies working in line with CAF must also keep their systems and information updated to suit the needs of the children and young people who might need this service to also live the lives they deserve. Parents and the general public must be fully aware of what CAF is hoping to achieve in that way they dont feel pressured if they are called upon to give their approval before an assessment is carried out for their children. Bibliography www.everychildmatters.gov.uk (assessed 13/01/2010) www.ecm.gov.uk/contactpoint. (assessed 12/02/2010) www.ecm.gov.uk/caf (assessed 12/01/201) www.ecm.gov.uk/ics (assessed 12/01/2010) Brandon, M., Howe, A., Daglry, V., Salter, C., Warren, C. and Black, J. (2006) Evaluating the Common Assessment Framework and Lead Professional Guidance and Implementation, Research Report No 740, Nottingham: DfES Department for education opportunity, releasing potential, achieving excellence(Ref DfES 2004) The political Quarterly Publishing Co, Ltd. 2005

The Ubiquitous Monopoly :: Business Essays

The Ubiquitous Monopoly Monopoly is nearly always seen as something undesirable. Courts have wrestled with monopoly for ages, sometimes defining it as: "the power to control prices and exclude competition", "restraining trade", or "unfair and anti-competitive behavior." Should monopolistic practices be condemned and outlawed? Let's look at anti-competitive behavior and practices, but let's not confine ourselves to what's traditionally seen as monopoly. The marriage contract is essentially a monopoly document. It represents a legally sanctioned collusive agreement between two parties to exclude competitors and restrain trade. It closes the market to competition, or at least it is supposed to. This collusion has benefits as well as costs. Because I have exclusive rights to her affections and property rights to a stream of highly valued domestic services, I place a higher value on my spouse, making me willing to share with her a greater percentage of my wealth. My spouse receives a comparable set of benefits from this collusive arrangement. This monopolistic arrangement has a cost side and perhaps some inefficiencies as well. Neither one of us is as attentive as we were before we made our contractual arrangement. For my part, I don't open the car door for her as often, don't use breath fresheners and colognes as frequently, am not as nearly considerate and gentlemanly as before our marriage some 42 years earlier. The reason is simply that before marriage I was competing against other men and therefore could ill afford to act as a monopolist. Read the Old Testament's Book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 5, where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. The first commandment, and presumably the most important is, "Thou Shalt have none other gods before me." The second is, "Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above. . . ." Then there's, "Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God. . . ." If a corporation made a similar decree regarding its services, it would find itself in the sights of the U.S. Department of Justice for gross violations of the anti-trust provisions of the Sherman and Clayton Acts. The Ten Commandments decree exclusive dealing and mandate neither substitutes for nor competition with God. In order for one to condemn all monopolistic practices as evil, at least for consistency, he would have to also condemn marriage and the basic tenets of Christianity.

Analyzing Shakespears Sonnet 5 :: essays research papers

Many factors can be used to analyze “Sonnet 55'; by William Shakespear and “Licia'; by Giles Fletcher. “Sonnet 55'; and “Licia'; share the subject of eternal love. In “Sonnet 55,'; the narrator says that the memory of his love will last through “wasteful wars'; that destroy tangible objects (Shakespear 5). Love remains in the mind;'; it is “living record of [the lover’s] memory'; and cannot be destroyed (Shakespear 8). “Licia'; also mentions strong tangible objects being out-lasted by love. However, it also says that true love lasts beyond the superficial “rose and silver lilies;'; as they die, love remains. Even as the rivers dry and the earth decays, love prevails. The last two lines of each sonnet emphasize the subject; as time passes, everything fades except love.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The attitudes of Shakespear and Fletcher are also similar. Both are in awe of the power and perseverance of love. They mention things that they think of as extremely powerful and say that love will outlast them; unlike them, love will not even fade. They make love seem to be like a rock that does not decay or move; it is ever-present with the lovers and it is never forgotten.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both sonnets are Elizabethan sonnets. Their rhyme scheme is a, b, a, b, c, d, c, d, e, f, e, f, g, g. They build up the subject until the last two lines, where they reach the conclusion that love is eternal. Both are in imabic pentameter. Shakespear uses more word play than Fletcher. In line two, Shakespear says that nothing “shall outlive this powerful rime.'; Rime is the crust that builds up when something is in existence for a large amount of time.

Anatman The Five Skandas And Emptiness

In short, the doctrine of the five Kansas implies that the â€Å"self† is radically Returning to the Second Noble Truth: The Second Noble Truth states: ducked has specifiable origins. Remember, the e root of ducked is, in part, . But this is a result of believing that the self is an thing and thus foolhardier. In addition, we can now see that is brought about by than manta. The three roots of suffering are thus: (craving to have) of the fact that ‘You† are no more 2. 3. Emptiness: The Sanskrit word (craving to not have) (Of the truth Of manta) is commonly translated as â€Å"emptiness. Due t the negative connotations of the word, many contemporary scholars of Bud hiss have suggested alternative translations such as â€Å"limitlessness† or â€Å"boundlessness. † In this class we'll stick to the common translation of â€Å"emptiness† while keeping in mind the at it does not mean that â€Å"nothing exists† or â€Å"nothingness. † Th ere are many layers to the concept that have developed throughout history . On the one hand, there is the he other hand, there is the notion which well look at presently. On t notion. Well examine this aspect when discuss mindfulness (in this section of the course) and Zane (in the Zen socio n).Two Metaphysical Senses of Emptiness: Sense 1: This oldest sense of the term is merely the concept of manta (and consequently the five Kansas). This is the understanding taken up by the Sense 2: tradition of Buddhism. This understanding is the newer of the two (although from our perspective it s quite ancient). In short, it is the claim that all of reality is radically not merely the â€Å"self. † This meaning of emptiness is corn to the tradition of Buddhism, and originates in the Mohammad philosophy of Nicaragua. However, we need a little bit more detail to do the notion justice.Dependent Origination: The central idea behind dependent origination is that everything is radically and i n radical One important consequence of this is that there are neither nor causes effects-?there is nothing that can be identified as the cause or the e effect. There is only the momentary interrelation of the five processes. Thus, reality is no more than a vast system Of _processes. Do not confuse this with the scalded â€Å"butterfly effect. † Another important consequence is that there are no There arena' metaphysically NT upon everything else. Objects. Indeed, everything is radically dependedOther terminology for dependent origination includes â€Å"interdependent arising † â€Å"interdependent coarsening,† or simply â€Å"interdependence. † Wrapping up: So, the distinction between the two senses of emptiness is really one of just r stringing the radical interdependence of the Kansas to the â€Å"self† and of globalization it to all of reality. However, the implications of globalization interdependence are important. The y include: 1. There are no 2. Everything is 3. There are no on and things at all. With everything else. 4. Literally nothing exists-?only causes and effects. Exist-?and thus no Exist. 5. Ignorance as a cause of ducked not only means that one is ignorant of the truth of manta, but that one is also ignorant of the above four facts (among others). These consequences are very important to note when discussing the differed CE between and which we won't be able to fully summarize until the end of this section. An Interesting Question: self next? Given that Buddhism accepts that notion of reincarnation yet claims that there e is no (but just a set of ever changing processes), what is it that is reborn from one lie fee to the Let's discuss this as a class.

Assess the Importance of Employability

Assess the importance of employability, and personal skills in the recruitment and retention of staff in a selected organisation. Introduction In this task, I’m a going to talk about the importance Importance of employability is to refer a person’s capability for gaining and maintaining employment. For personalities, employability depends on the knowledge, skills and abilities they possess, the way they present those assets to employers, and the context e. g. ersonal conditions and labour market environment within which they seek work. As such employability is affected by both supply side and demand side factors which are often outside of an individual's control. This will make Burger King Employment much better by giving out these particular things. Suitable qualifications: Knowledge and skills that a candidate must have to be eligible for the job. Burger king will require candidates to have good qualifications, so they’re can upper come the duties and position at the job.Certain qualifications such as GCSE, degrees, diploma and training courses having the ability to speak another language terms that would otherwise be interpreted broadly. They don’t have a suitable qualification to work at burger king because it isn't really important to the company just that they need to have Maths and English. Without these qualification employers cannot employ Experience in a similar role: All candidates must have an experience in another fast food retailer E. g. Mac Donald's, so that burger king can know if that person is good enough for the job.They must have experience in a similar role to what they did in Mac Donald's, dealing with customers keeping the cooking area clean. (Asses) Knowledge of products/services: Burger King Employers must have knowledge of the products, because that can mean more sales. It will be difficult to sell to consumers if Burger King couldn’t show how a particular product would address to a customer needs. So Burger King Employers will need to have good communication skills, having an understanding of the products to use different techniques and methods for presenting the product to customers. (Asses)

Financial Investment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Financial Investment - Research Paper Example Ratio analysis and share price analyses are 2 most important and commonly used tools to analyze the financial position of a particular stock. A proper fundamental and technical analysis generally provides a basic idea regarding these aspects and helps investors make informed investment decisions. Generally the intrinsic value of the stock is determined from the financial facts given the annual report of the company using free-cash flows and it is compared to the current market price of the stock. When the stock is found to be undervalued then it provides an opportunity for the investor to buy the stocks at lower current price and then sell it in future when stock prices approaches target price. This strategy will help the investor make profits by buying stocks at lower price and then selling it when stock prices appreciates and ceteris paribus. Options for Investment Decision While there are many options available to an investor for investment, it is important to note that not all in vestment destinations are equally safe for investment when risk of investment is considered. The safest investment destination is government securities because there are very limited chances that the government will default. Another most commonly preferred investment avenue is common stocks of publicly traded companies. Companies whose stocks are listed in stock exchanges (like NASDAQ, NYSE, etc.) may be traded in secondary markets. But whenever the investor considers investment in equity oriented securities and stocks the risk of investment significantly increases. This is because when the investor buys equity shares of any company the investor actually subscribes to paid-up equity capital of the owners of the company. This automatically makes the investor the new stocks holder and assumes that the investor will bear the risk associated with business. Purchasing equity shares provides the investor the opportunity to earn dividends and residual profits proportionate to respective su bscription or investment. Equity stocks are risky because the shareholders are entitled to earn from investment only after all liabilities of the business entity has been paid-off. This means that in case the business has no profits left for distribution to shareholders after honoring business liability then no dividends will be paid to shareholders. Thus, investment in company stocks is both risky and rewarding in the sense that higher the risk the higher would be the expected return. It is advised that before making any investment decisions for investment in particular stocks the financial managers must gather all necessary information related to business regarding financial position, outstanding financial liabilities and the ability of the business to honor such liabilities. Company Overview The company chosen for financial analysis is Apple Inc. (Ticker Symbol AAPL) which is a Fortune 500 company whose shares are publicly traded. Apple Inc. is a leading hardware and software com pany which has headquarters in Cupertino, California, U.S. The company has over 400 global retail stores spread in over 14 countries and it is listed in NASDAQ as a publicly traded company. Apple also forms a component of S&P 500 composite index and NASDAQ-100 component. The financials of the company is very strong and for the year ending 2012, the company reported a net profit of over UD$ 41

Canadas Economic and Political System in Context Research Paper

Canadas Economic and Political System in Context - Research Paper Example Liberal democracy is a political system found throughout the developed countries of the Western world and one in which there are both adherents and detractors. Liberal democracy is seen by many as the ideal political system which has its roots in the ancient Greek traditions, while others feel that it is not the most effective form of governance. What is a liberal democracy? For many, liberal democracy is characterized by universal suffrage, free and fair elections, and an open society in which a plurality of opinion is respected. In this context, the exercise of political power and transfer of this power occurs through peaceful means. In much of the world, democracy ensures political stability and democratic rules of governance denote political legitimacy. According to the tenets of democracy, everyone has given a voice and the elected political officials in a democratic regime derive legitimacy from the fact that everyone has been given a voice in the political process. Due to the fact elections are perceived as being free and fair, the political party or regime which is elected derives legitimacy from the fact that the election was fairly contested. Liberal democracy has led to the spread of stable political regimes in countries such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, and Australia.

IFRS (ADIDAS) VS. US GAAP( nike) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

IFRS (ADIDAS) VS. US GAAP( nike) - Essay Example The generic accounting principles include four types of financial statements: balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement and retained earnings statement (Nikolai et al, 2009). The balance sheet is one of the core accounting documents produced for all business entities, which provide the financial position of a company, with details on its assets, liabilities and ownership equity, at any given point in time. The income statement is a reflection of the profit and loss details that the entity generated over a particular period of time. Reflecting the operation of the enterprise, profit and loss statements, a term commonly used to describe the income statement, include the revenue generated from sale and the expenses that are incurred over the reporting period used for the document. The cash flow statement is a report that details the various activities undertaken by an entity, linked to investing and financing. Lastly, the statement of retained earnings is a snapshot of the ch anges that have taken place in the earnings of the entity over the reporting period that is in place as part of the accounting policy. The objective of the financial statement is variable to the stakeholder utilising the information. Organizational owners and managers use financial statements as a resource to base strategic decisions on, by assessing the overall operational efficiency of the business. On the other hand, investors look into the reporting data as a way of judging the viability of the institution, especially in context of the security and benefit it would create for any investment. The government bodies would use institutional financial statements within their due diligence and auditing process, to ascertain the declarations made by the entity, especially in relation to taxes and duties (Ding et al, 2007). Furthermore, financial bodies use this form of organizational documentation to decide the security

Health causes of stress Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health causes of stress - Annotated Bibliography Example udying in detail different kinds of healthy stressors from various perspectives, and in supporting our hypothesis that healthy stressors are in a way useful for human body. The authors, researchers at the Biological Psychiatry Branch, Bethesda, used data to study the effects of healthy stressors by analyzing the happy and sad responses by 11 healthy women when they were made to recall happy and sad occurrences in their lives. The participants were scanned by using PET and H2(15)O. Although the number of participants was limited, the results they found correlated with their hypothesis that healthy causes of stress produced significant changes in their brain regions which defined their emotional state. These changes included great reductions in cortical rCBF, right prefrontal and bilateral temporal-parietal regions. This research will be helpful in demonstrating how healthy stressors affect the brain activity and what regions of brain undergo changes during the course of remembering and undergoing positive causes of stress. The author of this article has very successfully provided some very good information regarding stress management with special focus on positive stressors. He has listed some examples of healthy causes of stress like marriage, job interview, starting college, childbirth, and buying a large ticket item. The author has raised an important point that it is our perception of stress that makes a stressor a good or a bad one. Changing our perception can convert a bad stressor into a positive one. The author gives the example of losing a job which might seem as a disaster but it may be perceived as a healthy stressor when one thinks about other opportunities. The article is well organized, easy to understand, and considerable detail has been given describing each positive stressor, which will be quite helpful in conducting our research. In this periodical, the author has emphasized upon the importance of healthy stressors and states that a little

The Authority of the Secretary-General to Prosecute Peacekeepers Essay - 1

The Authority of the Secretary-General to Prosecute Peacekeepers - Essay Example Additionally, the literature will discuss briefly how peacekeepers may be prosecuted before the ICC. The process of waiving-off of peacekeepers’ immunity by the Secretary-General to promote their prosecution will also be analysed. Olivera Simic in 2009,1 in the journal article â€Å"Rethinking ‘sexual exploitation’ in UN peacekeeping operations† explains the term sexual exploitation and how it is confusing to researchers. The article also takes into consideration various sexual exploitation cases related to several peacekeeping missions. She argued that the term â€Å"sexual exploitation† might cover activity that is not necessarily â€Å"sexually exploitative†. However, she mainly focuses on the type of crimes and also mentions the ‘zero tolerance policy’; completely omitting the notion of prosecution and punishment of the criminals. Gabrielle Simm in 2011,2 in his article â€Å"International law as a regulatory framework for sexual crimes committed by peacekeepers† discussed the jurisdiction over peacekeepers and the responsibility of states and international organizations in relation to crimes of peacekeepers, and how their possess immunity that prevents judicial action against them. Therefore, he argued that â€Å"international law’s strength lies in standard setting, but some of its standards are problematic, and it is weak in both monitoring and enforcement mechanisms†. He also pointed out that immunity can be waived-off by the Secretary-General. However, there are no special criteria to waive the immunity of peacekeepers or to prosecute them. Although Nigel D. White and Sorcha MacLeod 3 stated that immunity should be waived when crimes result from non-official tasks; this is considered against Section 20 of the 1946 Convention that grants the Secretary-General the right to waive a peac ekeepers’ immunity when he feel it is necessary. In 2012, Melanie OBrien4