Prevalence of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Post-Acute Assignment

Prevalence of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Post-Acute Myocardial Infraction - Assignment Example PTSD affects the quality of life that such patient population lead often making them susceptible to other lifestyle diseases (Goldberg & Williams, 1998). In a quantitative research, I seek to determine the suitability of a psychological discharge questionnaire in serving as a diagnostic tool to guide nursing practice and the handling of post-acute myocardial infraction patients. Key among the factors that make quantitative the most appropriate mode of research in this context is the fact that it provides observable evidence that helps formulate a hypothesis (Bamberger, 2000). The variables in a quantitative study are computed without coding them. As such, they provide practical evidence that makes it easy to observe thereby formulate functional hypothesis such as the suitability of the psychological discharge questionnaire. Another equally important factor is that quantitative research does not require a restrictive design plan a feature that allows the researcher to study the variables in their natural setup (Creswell, 2014). As state earlier, the lack of adequate studies in the topical issue makes it difficult to carry out the rese arch. As such, the researcher must let the research flow naturally a possibility that a quantitative design guarantees. The independent variable in the study is the psychological discharge questionnaire while dependent variable is the detection of PTSD. The dependent variable in the research will include the various types of PSTD such as depression and anxiety among others. With a research sample of ninety patients selected randomly, the researcher will issue the psychological discharge questionnaires to forty-five and fail to give out the questionnaire to the remaining forty-five. The study then begins as the nurses use the information provided in the questionnaire to carry out follow up treatment of the patients. Additionally, the researcher observes the behavioral changes of all the samples used in the research thus making appropriate conclusions on the suitability and functionality of using questionnaires as a diagnostic tool.

Westmount Retirement Residence Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Westmount Retirement Residence Case - Essay Example The new costing system is based on the three suite options and on the three levels of medical needs of the residents. The costs of supportive services have been allocated based on the level of medical needs of the residents. Half the costs of facilities have been allocated based on square feet area of the three different suite options. The pricing recommendations, based on the new costing system have been made to Helen Rosewell in the final section of the main report. The recommended pricing is based on the new costing system. It is also recommended that spouses living in one bedroom should be charged twice the monthly rates. The biggest limitation of the current costing model at Westmount is that it does not give a clear picture of how much each of the services that are being offered at Westmount cost. The pricing system charges the same price per month from the residents irrespective of the services used by them. This pricing is only based on the type of residence being used by the residents. The costing model does not reflect the level of medical care and service required by the individual clients. The price differentiation is based solely on the size of the accommodations. The model is also is based on the implicit assumption that a resident having a 25% larger accommodation is also using 25% more services of Westmount. The costing system does not show any difference between patients requiring different levels of medical needs. There are usually three categories of residents at Westmount: those requiring no medical need, those requiring medium medical need and those requiring high medical needs. The biggest drawback of this costing system is that it is treating all the costs as fixed or period costs. The costing system is unable to differentiate between fixed costs and variable costs. All the costs are treated as periodic costs and they are charged to the expected number of residents.

RISK AND UNCERTAINTY FOR A FIRM ENTERING A FOREIGN MARKET. EXECUTIV

RISK AND UNCERTAINTY FOR A FIRM ENTERING A FOREIGN MARKET. EXECUTIV This report looks at Risk and Uncertainty as variables affecting a firm(s) in or entering foreign markets. From the onset it sets out to give an overview of the topic through a summary of risk that comes with the quest for expansion and further highlighting the motives for expansion which could be Market-lead, Capability-lead or Economics-lead. Risk refers to the likelihood and consequences of an undesirable occurrence(s). Uncertainty refers to doubt or indecision, and is inherent in company strategy as the future is never certain. Uncertainty Avoidance refers to the extent to which people can tolerate risk and uncertainty in their lives. This report then goes on to tackle the different Topic-related subjects as outlined by the contents page. It is my sincere hope that as you study this report it will prove to be a comprehensive framework for the subject matter at hand, of Risk and Uncertainty in relation to entering foreign markets. It also draws a distinction between the two variables that should be notable by the end of your study of this report. Yours Sincerely Jotham Mwale BA (HONS), BS STUDENT. METHODOLOGY The information used to compile this report is research-based and derived from a combination of learned knowledge, references from various updated management texts and windows internet explorer. INTRODUCTION Companies, in this day and Age, are on a quest to expand market share and profitability to achieve and maintain a position of competitive advantage. Globalization, as such, has been a strategy that many companies have adopted towards this end. Globalization refers to the linkages between markets that exist across national borders. This implies that what happens in one country has an impact on occurrences in other countries (Henry, p.260). However, the concepts of risk and uncertainty cannot be ignored even as we refer to globalization and companies urge to venture into it. There are many unknowns in the world of business, more so for international business. Organizations in international business or those seeking to venture into such or any other business are prone to face risk and uncertainty. Thus when a firm is entering a foreign market or internationally expanding for the first time there are many potential risks. This report tackles the question of the unknowns that firms are faced with when entering foreign markets, distinguishing between the concepts of risk and uncertainty. MOTIVES FOR EXPANSION INTO FOREIGN MARKETS A firm has various motives for expansion into foreign markets that would make it prone to risk. These motives may be Market-lead, Capability-lead or Economics-lead; Some Market-Lead motives are as follows; Globalization of markets and competition- this exerts pressure on the firm to adopt internationalizing strategies, and not just larger businesses. Internationalization of the Value Network. Exploiting differences between countries. Some Capability-Lead motives are as follows; Leveraging Capabilities- by doing this across its businesses in a number of countries, the firm is able to achieve competitive advantage. Enhancing Capabilities- through international acquisitions and strategic alliances the firm may acquire new capabilities. Enhancing Learning- entry into some markets, foreign inclusive, may enhance organizational learning. Some Economics-Lead motives (reducing costs) are as follows; Economies of Scale- the firm can derive economies by increasing the scale of its operations. Economies of Scope- by spreading costs over a larger output per unit costs may be reduced. RISK Assuming a firm is trying to enter the American market for the first time, it is bound to face a lot of challenges and risk, especially since it is one of the worlds biggest and active markets. Risk refers to the likelihood and consequences of an undesirable occurrence(s). A firm entering a foreign market like the American market for the first time will face risk. There are many potential risks that are posed on a firm on the verge/with the motive of venturing into a foreign market for the first time. Types of Risk POLITICAL RISK- there is potential threat to a companys operations in America due to the ineffectiveness and inefficiencies of the different political systems. For example, a change in governments from the republicans to the democrats would lead to a significant change in policies. Other laws and regulations that can affect a business in a foreign market are as follows; Revenue and tax laws as concerns remissions and what percentage of revenue is required to be ploughed back into the local economy of the foreign state. Laws on pollution limits. Tariffs, trade embargos and sanctions will also affect whether a business operate in a foreign market or not. Labor laws as concerns wages and pension. Health and safety laws. Laws as regards use of local material in production ECONOMIC RISK This is the potential threat to the firms operations in a country due to the economic policies and conditions in that country. In America, for example, interest rates may prove to be too high for a business that is coming from sub-Saharan Africa. Government economic policies such as; Monetary and Fiscal Policies will affect a business and can either be beneficial or a threat to them. CURRENCY RISK This is the potential threat to a firms operations in a country due to fluctuations in the local currencys exchange rates. The United States dollar is a strong currency and fluctuations in it have, and may prove either disastrous or beneficial to businesses the world over. MANAGEMENT RISK This is the potential threat to a companys operations in a country due to the problems that managers have making decisions in the context of foreign markets. Different countries have different cultures. Hosted identified four national cultures that would have an impact on management styles in different countries; Power distance- defining the extent to which a culture accepts different distribution of power within society. For cultures/nations with high power distance like France, Spain and Brazil; management style is autocratic with a lot of centralization, close supervision and top-down command chains. This must to be taken into account as venturing into such cultures without such knowledge would indeed prove risky or hazardous. Cultures like that of the United States and United Kingdom have less power distance and as such employees are more involved. Uncertainty avoidance- referring to the extent to which order, security and control are preferred to ambiguity, uncertainty and change. For nations with a high uncertainty avoidance culture, employees value task culture, written rules and regulations, and standardization. Deviance and/or ignorance of these values pose a threat to a firm wanting to operate in that nation. On the other hand, nations with a low uncertainty avoidance culture like the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, value flexibility and creativity and greater variability. Deviance and/or ignorance of these values would place a firm operating within such a nation at a risky position. Individualism/Collectivism- referring to the preference to hire and work in an individualistic way (focusing on the I identity as opposed to the We identity) as is the case in the United States and the United Kingdom. Collectivism refers to countries that value organizational family, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and relationship over task; Japan. Deviance and/or ignorance of such values poses risk for a firm operating in such a nation. Masculinity/Femininity- Masculinity refers to the extent to which a society values attributes such as; Assertiveness Status Personal achievement These are masculine traits prominent in countries like the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. Feminine traits are those that emphasize on sympathy and service quality of life as is the case in Scandinavia and the Netherlands. Such values and traits need to be considered when venturing into a foreign market to avoid putting a firm at unnecessary risk. MARKET RISK- potential threat that a company faces by it being a part of a certain market. This risk can further be divided into; Industry risk Positioning risk Misys risk description according to their Annual Report on principal risks and uncertainties (2010) under the heading Business environment and market risks is as follows; As an international company, we operate across the globe and difficult or unexpected economic conditions in the markets we serve may affect the financial position of our customers and their willingness to commit expenditure. Other developments in the markets we serve may also impact the Group. The financial services sector is currently subject to regulatory review which could increase taxes on, or curtail certain of the activities of our customers leading them to reduce expenditure. Our Healthcare business is benefiting from the Healthcare Stimulus program in the United States, however, we must ensure that we comply with the requirements for meaningful use as defined by the United States Department of Health and Human Services across our healthcare product portfolio. In addition, we operate in highly competitive markets that are characterized by changing technology, industry standards and customer needs and by commercial pressures from customers. Four further classifications of risk as classified by Misy in their Annual Report (2010) are: Strategic Risk- which further embodies; Business environment and market risks Business strategy risks Operational Risk- which further embodies; People risks Product development risks Contract implementation and service level risks Business continuity risks IT risks Intellectual property risks Financial Risk- which embodies; Foreign exchange and interest rate risks Compliance Risk- which embodies; Legal and regulatory risks Strategy and Risk There are a number of strategies that can be employed in relation to risk, that is, the various types of risks. In response to positional risk this report considers the following strategies; The Strategy Clock The Strategy Clock (et al, p. 225) is a vital tool in determining the positioning of a firm. A firm entering a foreign market for the first time can assess which of the eight strategies/positions on the strategy clock to pursue, with full understanding of the risk that the various positions pose. Generic Strategy Needs/Risks No Frills Likely to be segment specific. Low Price Risk of price war low margins; need to be cost leader. Hybrid Low cost base reinvestment in low price differentiation. a) Differentiation; without price premium Perceived added value by user, yielding market share benefits. b) Differentiation; with price premium Perceived added value sufficient to bear price premium. Focused Differentiation Perceived added value to a particular segment, warranting price premium Increased price/standard value Higher margins if competitors do not follow; risk of losing market share. Increased price/low value Only feasible in monopoly situation. Low value/standard price Loss of market share. Porters Competitive Forces Porters 5 forces (1980) is another tool for positioning in relation to risk. The ideal situation (especially for a firm entering a foreign market for the first time) is one of low risk where; Bargaining power of buyers is low Bargaining power of suppliers is low Threat from potential entrants is low Threat from substitutes is low Competitive rivalry is low Why Companies Expand/Venture into Foreign Markets To spread business risk across a wider market base. It will not depend entirely depend on operations in domestic markets. To achieve/maintain core competences. To lower costs and enhance firms competitiveness. To gain access to new customers- expanding into foreign markets offers potential for increased revenue, profit and long-term relationships and growth, and becomes an especially attractive option when a companys home market is mature RISK MANAGEMENT It is important that risk is identified in advance, recorded and managed. A firm entering the United States market for the first time can do this using one of the following four strategies; Avoidance- where the factors that give rise to the risk are removed or the profit is undertaken. Reduction/Mitigation- these measures tend to reduce the likelihood and the consequence of the risk/risky event. Transference- where the risk is passed on to or stored in another party. Absorption- where potential risk is accepted in the hope that the consequences can be coped with if necessary. UNCERTAINTY Uncertainty refers to indecision or doubt over options. Uncertainty is inherent in a companys strategy, because nobody can be sure about the future or the stability of an economy. There is therefore even more uncertainty for firms in international business or those planning to enter foreign markets. Uncertainty Avoidance refers to the extent to which people can tolerate risk and uncertainty in their lives. People in societies with high uncertainty avoidance create institutions that minimize risk and ensure financial security. Companies emphasize stable careers and produce many rules to regulate actions and minimize ambiguity. Uncertainty Avoidance determines whether or not risk will be an issue for a company. Higher profits do come with greater risks and vice versa. Therefore for a firm entering the United States market for the first time will have to undertake risk management in order to identify risks and gauge whether or not they are able to tolerate whatever risks are discovered. FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT (FDI) Another option that companies wanting to enter a foreign market like that of the United States can consider is FDI. FDI is an internalization strategy in which the firm establishes a physical presence abroad by acquiring productive assets such as capital, technology, labor, plant and equipment. FDI is the most advanced expensive, complex and riskiest entry strategy that a firm could use. It is undertaken by and targeted at firms from both advanced economies and emerging markets. Some considerations relevant to choice of foreign market entry strategy are; Degree of control that the firm wants to maintain over decisions, operations, and strategic assets involved in a venture; Degree of risk that the firm is willing to tolerate, and the timeframe in which it expects returns; Organizational and financial resources (for example, capital, managers, technology) that the firm will commit to the venture; Availability and capabilities of partners in the market; Value-adding activities that the firm wants to perform itself in the market, and what activities it will leave to partners; Long-term strategic importance of the market CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION From the above analogy it can be derived that the question at hand has been adequately addressed. This report has affirmed that a firm will face unknowns in the world of business, more so in foreign/international markets. This report has also affirmed that risk is indeed a factor of concern for firms seeking to venture into such markets. It has significantly defined risk and highlighted a considerable range of types of risk. This report went further in even suggesting risk-related strategies and outlining the risk management framework. Uncertainty has also been addressed. It has also addressed the issue of FDI, its associated risks and how it is an option for venturing into foreign markets. The concept of uncertainty does not seem to hold as much water as that of risk. It would seem uncertainty is a by-product of risk as doubt or indecision over a promising/profitable venture would be sparked by the risk that comes with it. In conclusion, Risk cannot be avoided in business whether it is local or international. Risk is always present and can either be high, medium or low, but never absent. What differs is how tolerable different firms are to risk and how they individually manage their risk. I would recommend that firms engage in wide-scope risk management as even the smallest of risks can prove to be huge blows to competitive advantage. The business environment is turbulent, more so now than in the past years. It would be unwise to invest in business and not be able to make any profit whatsoever due to falling prey to unforeseen risks and subsequent consequences.

Abortion - Unwanted Pregnancies = Abused Children Essay -- Argumentati

Unwanted Pregnancies = Abused Children   Ã‚  Ã‚   Who can resist the invitation to abort an unwanted pregnancy for the child's sake primarily, and not just the "health" of the mother? Let's examine this frequently voiced contention: that aborting unwanted pregnancies is beneficial because they would later lead to abused children. And everyone, of course, is opposed to the maltreatment of kids.    The landmark study on this was done at the University of Southern California. Professor Edward Lenoski studied 674 consecutive battered children who were brought to the in- and out-patient departments of that medical center. He was the first to go to the parents and study to what extent they wanted and planned the pregnancy. To his surprise, he found that 91% were planned and wanted, compared to 63% for the control groups nationally. Further, the mothers had began wearing, on the average, pregnancy clothes at 114 days compared to 171 days in the control, and the fathers named the boys after themselves 24% of the time compared to 4% for the control groups. (Lenoski) Both parents (or... Abortion - Unwanted Pregnancies = Abused Children Essay -- Argumentati Unwanted Pregnancies = Abused Children   Ã‚  Ã‚   Who can resist the invitation to abort an unwanted pregnancy for the child's sake primarily, and not just the "health" of the mother? Let's examine this frequently voiced contention: that aborting unwanted pregnancies is beneficial because they would later lead to abused children. And everyone, of course, is opposed to the maltreatment of kids.    The landmark study on this was done at the University of Southern California. Professor Edward Lenoski studied 674 consecutive battered children who were brought to the in- and out-patient departments of that medical center. He was the first to go to the parents and study to what extent they wanted and planned the pregnancy. To his surprise, he found that 91% were planned and wanted, compared to 63% for the control groups nationally. Further, the mothers had began wearing, on the average, pregnancy clothes at 114 days compared to 171 days in the control, and the fathers named the boys after themselves 24% of the time compared to 4% for the control groups. (Lenoski) Both parents (or...

Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats Essay

Thinking Hats Edward de Bono was born in Malta in 1933. He attended St Edward’s College, Malta, during World War II and then the University of Malta where he qualified in medicine. He proceeded, as a Rhodes Scholar, to Christ Church, Oxford, where he gained an honours degree in psychology and physiology and then a D. Phil in medicine. He also holds a Ph. D from Cambridge and an MD from the University of Malta. He has held appointments at the universities of Oxford, London, Cambridge and Harvard. Dr Edward de Bono is one of the very few people in history who can be said to have had a major impact on the way we think. In many ways he could be said to be the best known thinker internationally. Six Thinking Hats â€Å"Six Thinking Hats† is a powerful technique that helps you look at important decisions from a number of different perspectives. It helps you make better decisions by pushing you to move outside your habitual ways of thinking. As such, it helps you understand the full complexity of a decision, and spot issues and opportunities which you might otherwise not notice. Each â€Å"Thinking Hat† is a different style of thinking. These are explained below: * White Hat: With this thinking hat, you focus on the data available. Look at the information you have, and see what you can learn from it. Look for gaps in your knowledge, and either try to fill them or take account of them. This is where you analyze past trends, and try to extrapolate from historical data. * Red Hat: Wearing the red hat, you look at the decision using intuition, gut reaction, and emotion. Also try to think how other people will react emotionally, and try to understand the intuitive responses of people who do not fully know your reasoning. Black Hat: When using black hat thinking, look at things pessimistically, cautiously and defensively. Try to see why ideas and approaches might not work. This is important because it highlights the weak points in a plan or course of action. It allows you to eliminate them, alter your approach, or prepare contingency plans to counter problems that arise. Black Hat thinking helps to make your plans tougher and more resilient. It can also help yo u to spot fatal flaws and risks before you embark on a course of action. Black Hat thinking is one of the real benefits of this technique, as many successful people get so used to thinking positively that often they cannot see problems in advance, leaving them under-prepared for difficulties. * Yellow Hat: The yellow hat helps you to think positively. It is the optimistic viewpoint that helps you to see all the benefits of the decision and the value in it, and spot the opportunities that arise from it. Yellow Hat thinking helps you to keep going when everything looks gloomy and difficult. * Green Hat: The Green Hat stands for creativity. This is where you can develop creative solutions to a problem. It is a freewheeling way of thinking, in which there is little criticism of ideas. A whole range of creativity tools can help you here. * Blue Hat: The Blue Hat stands for process control. This is the hat worn by people chairing meetings. When running into difficulties because ideas are running dry, they may direct activity into Green Hat thinking. When contingency plans are needed, they will ask for Black Hat thinking, and so on.

All My Sons: Miller’s Chief Criticism of American Society Essay

A shot was heard throughout the Keller home as Joe ended his guilty, worthless life. Miller criticizes that American society has become corrupt- a place of selfishness, where people care too much about themselves, and that which benefits them, and will go to any lengths to achieve that goal; even if the repercussions of their actions will bring harm to other people. He stresses that money seems to be the key factor that drives society to this level of corruption. Miller emphasizes this point in several ways. The first example is that Keller knowingly ships out cracked cylinder heads, that will crash an airplane if used, to prevent his business from going bankrupt, claiming that he did it for his family. The second example is that Sue would rather Jim make allot of money, and not do medical research- which is what he really wanted to do. The third example is Jim’s abdication of his pursuit of medical research do to the lack of profit involved. In his play â€Å"All My Sons,† Miller makes it apparent that society in general values money and profit more than human life. He shows this by his portrayal of Keller. Keller ships out cracked cylinder heads, aware that in flight they will cause planes to crash, to save his business from being shut down. Furthermore, he goes on to allow the blame to fall on Steve, in order to save himself from going to jail, even though Steve was not the only one guilty. Keller tries to rationalize his actions by saying that he committed this heinous act for the benefit of his family- so that they will have money and everything else they need and can live happily. â€Å"Chris†¦ Chris I did it for you. It was a chance and I took it for you. † This portrays the human characteristic of creating a false sense of innocence in spite of ones guilty actions- and conscience. Honesty only comes out of ones guilty conscience when it benefits them. Sue would rather have Jim make money than do what he wants to do- medical research. Apparently she values profit over allowing an individual to do what he wants to do- what he enjoys doing. â€Å"Research pays twenty-five dollars a week minus laundering the hair shirt. You’ve got to give up your life to go into it. † Sue is willing to deny Jim his real desire, in order to make more profit. Miller stresses that society has become so corrupt, that people would rather do something they do not enjoy doing, just for the profit. Due to greediness, money has made people give up their dreams and goals in search of more profit. What Jim really wants to do with his life is research medicine, but remains a doctor only for the profit involved. Sue’s greediness seems to have rubbed off on him, and he gives up research for more money. â€Å"I would love to help humanity on a Warner Brothers salary. † By saying this, Jim shows that profit means more to him than pursuing his dreams and â€Å"helping humanity. † Miller makes it clear that money, dishonesty, and selfishness take precedence over friendship and human life in our corrupt society. The selfishness that influences one mans relationship to another has destroyed the truth and honesty that used to preside over American society. He suggests that all these factors put together are quickly destroying the basic human values of goodwill and honesty. Evil is prevailing over good, and if society continues down the same path it is on now- a catastrophic collision course with humanity- evil will eventually succeed in destroying honesty and righteousness. Maybe the world would be a much better place to live in if only people considered the needs of others, besides their own needs.

The Role of Bamboo in Japanese Culture

The Role of Bamboo in Japanese Culture The Japanese word for bamboo is take. Bamboo in Japanese Culture Bamboo is a very strong plant. Because of its sturdy root structure, it is a  symbol of prosperity in Japan. For years, people were told to run into the bamboo groves in the event of an earthquake, because the bamboos strong root structure would hold the earth together. Simple and unadorned, the bamboo is also symbolic of purity and innocence. Take o watta youna hito literally translates into a man like fresh-split bamboo and refers to a man with a frank nature. Bamboo appears in many ancient tales. Taketori Monogatari (Tale of the Bamboo Cutter) also known as Kaguya-hime (The Princess Kaguya) is the oldest narrative literature in kana script, and one of the most beloved stories in Japan. The story is about Kaguya-hime, who is found inside a bamboo stalk. An old man and woman raise her and she becomes a beautiful woman. Although many young men propose to her, she never marries. Eventually on an evening when the moon is full, she returns to the moon, as it was her place of birth. Bamboo and sasa (bamboo grass) are used in many festivals to ward off evil. On Tanabata (July 7), people write their wishes on strips of paper of various colors and hang them on sasa. Click this link to learn more about Tanabata. Bamboo Meaning Take ni ki o tsugu (putting bamboo and wood together) is synonymous with disharmony. Yabuisha (yabu are bamboo groves and isha is a doctor) refers to an incompetent doctor (quack). Though its origin is not clear, it is probably because just as bamboo leaves rustle in the slightest breeze, an incompetent doctor makes a great to-do about even the slightest illness. Yabuhebi (hebi is a snake) means to reap an ill fortune from an unnecessary act. It comes from the likelihood that poking a bamboo bush may flush a snake. It is a similar expression to, let sleeping dogs lie. Bamboo is found all over in Japan because the warm, humid climate is well suited to its cultivation. It is frequently used in construction and handicrafts. Shakuhachi, is a wind instrument made of bamboo. Bamboo sprouts (takenoko) also have long been used in Japanese cuisine. The pine, bamboo, and plum (sho-chiku-bai) are an auspicious combination symbolizing long life, hardiness, and vitality. The pine stands for longevity and endurance, and the bamboo is for flexibility and strength, and the plum represents a young spirit. This trio is often used in restaurants as a name for the three levels of quality (and price) of its offerings. It is used instead of directly stating quality or price (e.g. the highest quality would be pine). Sho- chiku-bai is also used for the name of a sake (Japanese alcohol) brand. Sentence of the Week English: Shakuhachi is a wind instrument made of bamboo. Japanese: Shakuhachi wa take kara tsukurareta kangakki desu. Grammar Tsukurareta is the passive form of the verb tsukuru. Here is another example. Passive form in Japanese is formed by the verb ending changes. U-verbs (Group 1 verbs): replace ~u by ~areru kaku - kakarerukiku - kikarerunomu - nomareruomou - omowareru Ru-verbs (Group 2 verbs): replace ~ru by ~rareru taberu - taberareumiru - mirareruderu - derareruhairu - hairareru Irregular verbs (Group 3 verbs) kuru - korarerusuru - sareru Gakki means instrument. Here are different kinds of instruments. Kangakki - wind instrumentGengakki - stringed instrumentDagakki - percussion instrumenttake - bambookangakki - a wind instrumentWain wa budou kara tsukurareru. - Wine is made from grapes.Kono ie wa renga de tsukurareteiru. - This house is made of brick.

How Simone de Beauvoir Inspired Second Wave Feminism

How Simone de Beauvoir Inspired Second Wave Feminism â€Å"One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.† - Simone de Beauvoir, in The Second Sex Was Simone de Beauvoir a feminist? Her landmark book The Second Sex was one of the first inspirations to the activists of the Womens Liberation Movement, even before Betty Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique. However, Simone de Beauvoir did not at first define herself as a feminist. Liberation Through Socialist Struggle In The Second Sex, published in 1949, Simone de Beauvoir downplayed her association with feminism as she then knew it. Like many of her associates, she believed that socialist development and class struggle were needed to solve societys problems, not a womens movement. When 1960s feminists approached her, she did not rush to enthusiastically join their cause. As the resurgence and reinvention of feminism spread during the 1960s, Simone de Beauvoir noted that socialist development had not left women better off in the USSR or in China than they were in capitalist countries. Soviet women had jobs and government positions but were still unfailingly the ones attending to the housework and children at the end of the workday. This, she recognized, mirrored the problems being discussed by feminists in the United States about housewives and womens roles. The Need for a Womens Movement In a 1972 interview with Alice Schwarzer, Simone de Beauvoir declared that she really was a feminist. She called her rejection of a womens movement a shortcoming of The Second Sex. She also said the most important thing women can do in their lives is work, so they can be independent. Work was not perfect, nor was it a solution to all problems, but it was the first condition for womens independence, according to Simone de Beauvoir. She lived in France, but Simone de Beauvoir continued to read and examine the writings of prominent U.S. feminist theorists such as Shulamith Firestone and Kate Millett. Simone de Beauvoir also theorized that women could not be truly liberated until the system of patriarchal society itself was overthrown. Yes, women needed to be liberated individually, but they also needed to fight in solidarity with the political left and the working classes. Her ideas were compatible with the belief that the personal is political. No Separate Womens Nature Later in the 1970s, Simone de Beauvoir, as a feminist, was dismayed by the idea of a separate, mystical feminine nature, a New Age concept that seemed to be gaining popularity. Just as I do not believe that women are inferior to men by nature, nor do I believe that they are their natural superiors either.- Simone de Beauvoir, in 1976 In The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir had famously stated, One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman. Women are different from men because of what they have been taught and socialized to do and be. It was dangerous, she said, to imagine an eternal feminine nature, in which women were more in touch with the earth and the cycles of the moon. According to Simone de Beauvoir, this was just another way for men to control women, by telling women they are better off in their cosmic, spiritual eternal feminine, kept away from mens knowledge and left without all the mens concerns like work, careers, and power. A Return to Enslavement The notion of a womans nature struck Simone de Beauvoir as further oppression. She called motherhood a way of turning women into slaves. It did not have to be that way, but it usually ended up that way in society precisely because women were told to concern themselves with their divine nature. They were forced to focus on motherhood and femininity instead of politics, technology or anything else outside of home and family. Given that one can hardly tell women that washing up saucepans is their divine mission, they are told that bringing up children is their divine mission.- Simone de Beauvoir, in 1982 This was a way of rendering women second-class citizens: the second sex. Transformation of Society The Womens Liberation Movement helped Simone de Beauvoir become more attuned to the day-to-day sexism women experienced. Yet, she did not think it was beneficial for women to refuse to do anything the mans way or refuse to take on qualities deemed masculine. Some radical feminist organizations rejected leadership hierarchy as a reflection of masculine authority and said no single person was in charge. Some feminist artists declared they could never truly create unless they were completely separate from male-dominated art. Simone de Beauvoir recognized that Womens Liberation had done some good, but she said feminists should not utterly reject being a part of the mans world, whether in organizational power or with their creative work. From Simone de Beauvoirs point of view, the work of feminism was to transform society and womens place in it. Read more of Alice Schwarzers interviews with Simone de Beauvoir in her book After the Second Sex: Conversations With Simone de Beauvoir, published by Pantheon Books in 1984.)

Theodore Roosevelt and the New York Police Department

Theodore Roosevelt and the New York Police Department Future president Theodore Roosevelt returned to the city of his birth in 1895 to take on a task that might have intimidated other people, the reform of the notoriously corrupt police department. His appointment was front-page news and he obviously saw the job a chance to clean up New York City while reviving his own political career, which had stalled. As the president of the police commission, Roosevelt, true to form, vigorously threw himself into the task. His trademark zeal, when applied to the complexities of urban politics, tended to generate a cascade of problems. Roosevelts time at the top of the New York Police Department brought him into conflict with powerful factions, and he did not always emerge triumphantly. In one notable example, his widely publicized crusade to close saloons on Sunday, the only day when many workingmen  could socialize in them, provoked a lively public backlash. When he left the police job, after only two years, the department had been changed for the better. But Roosevelts time as New York Citys top cop had been raucous, and the clashes he found himself in had nearly brought his political career to an end. Roosevelts Patrician Background Theodore Roosevelt was born into a wealthy New York City family on October 27, 1858. A sickly child who overcame illness through physical exertion, he went on to Harvard and entered New York politics by winning a seat in the state assembly at the age of 23. In 1886 he lost an election for mayor of New York City. He then stayed out of government for three years until he was appointed by President Benjamin Harrison to the United States Civil Service Commission. For six years Roosevelt served in Washington, D.C., overseeing the reform of the nations civil service, which had been tainted by decades of adherence to the spoils system. Roosevelt was respected for his work reforming the federal civil service, but he wished to return to New York City and something more challenging. A new reform mayor of the city, William L. Strong, offered him the job of sanitation commissioner in early 1895. Roosevelt turned it down, thinking the job of literally cleaning up the city was beneath his dignity. A few months later, after a series of public hearings exposed widespread graft in the New York Police Department, the mayor came to Roosevelt with a far more attractive offer:  a post on the board of police commissioners. Enthused by the  chance to bring much-needed reforms to his hometown, and in a very public post, Roosevelt took the job. The Corruption of the New York Police A crusade to clean up New York City, led by a reform-minded minister, Rev. Charles Parkhurst, had prompted the state legislature to create a commission to investigate corruption. Chaired by state senator Clarence Lexow, what became known as the Lexow Commission held public hearings which exposed the startling depth of police corruption. In weeks of testimony, saloon owners and prostitutes detailed a system of payoffs to police officials. And it became apparent that the thousands of saloons in the city functioned as political clubs which perpetuated the corruption. Mayor Strongs solution was to replace the four-member board that oversaw the police. And by putting an energetic reformer like Roosevelt on the board as its president, there was cause for optimism. Roosevelt took the oath of office on the morning of May 6, 1895, at City Hall. The New York Times lauded Roosevelt the next morning but expressed skepticism about the other three men named to the police board. They must have been named for political considerations, said an editorial. Problems were obvious at the outset of Roosevelts term at the top of the police department. Roosevelt Made His Presence Known In early June 1895 Roosevelt and a friend, the crusading newspaper reporter Jacob Riis, ventured out into the streets of New York late one night, just after midnight. For hours they wandered through the darkened Manhattan streets, observing the police, at least when and where they could actually find them. The New York Times carried a story on June 8, 1895 with the headline, Police Caught Napping. The report referred to President Roosevelt, as he was president of the police board, and detailed how he had found policemen asleep on their posts or  socializing in public  when they should have been patrolling alone. Several officers were ordered to report to police headquarters the day after Roosevelts late night tour. They received a strong personal reprimand from Roosevelt himself. The newspaper account noted: The action of Mr. Roosevelt, when it became known, made a sensation throughout the department and as a consequence, more faithful patrol duty may be performed by the force for some time to come. Roosevelt also came into conflict with Thomas Byrnes, a legendary detective who had come to epitomize the New York Police Department. Byrnes had amassed a suspiciously large fortune, with the apparent help of Wall Street characters such as Jay Gould, but had managed to keep his job. Roosevelt forced Byrnes to resign, though no public reason for the ouster of Byrnes was ever disclosed. Political Problems Though Roosevelt was at heart a politician, he soon found himself in a political bind of his own making. He was determined to shut down saloons, which generally operated on Sundays in defiance of local law. The problem was that many New Yorkers worked a six-day week, and Sunday was the only day when they could gather in saloons and socialize. To the community of German immigrants, in particular, the Sunday saloon gatherings were considered an important facet of life. The saloons were not merely social but often served as political clubs, frequented by an actively engaged citizenry. Roosevelts crusade to shutter saloons on Sundays brought him into heated conflict with large segments of the population. He was denounced and viewed as being out of touch with the common people. The Germans in particular rallied against him, and Roosevelts campaign against saloons cost his Republican Party in the city-wide elections held in the fall of 1895. The next summer, New York City was hit by a heat wave, and Roosevelt gained back some public support by his smart action in dealing with the crisis. He had made an effort to familiarize himself with slum neighborhoods, and he saw that the police distributed ice to people who desperately needed it. By the end of 1896, Roosevelt was thoroughly tired of his police job. Republican William McKinley had won the election that fall, and Roosevelt began concentrating on finding a post within the new Republican administration. He was eventually appointed an assistant secretary of the Navy and left New York to return to Washington. Impact of Roosevelt on New Yorks Police Theodore Roosevelt spent less than two years with the New York Police Department, and his tenure was marked with nearly constant controversy. While the job burnished his credentials as a reformer, most of what he tried to accomplish ended in frustration. The campaign against corruption proved essentially hopeless. New York City remained much the same after he left. However, in later years Roosevelts time at police headquarters on Mulberry Street in lower Manhattan took on legendary status. He would be remembered as a police commissioner who cleaned up New York, even though his accomplishments on the job didnt live up to the legend.

Exam questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Exam questions - Essay Example Times have changed, and this has brought issues such as environmental concerns (Shaheena, 2008). The following are some of the other trends that have arisen in the sphere; Organizations under Constant Scrutiny One notable development over the past decades is that organizations are continually loosing grip of the information that reaches their customers. This is the information era, and everyone seems to know more than they actually do. The fact that people are constantly seeking information, the numerous channels of passing information, and that there is freedom of expression in most nations forces most organizations to lose some grip on the information that gets to the public (Thomas, 2009). This is the reasons why organizations are competing with these outside sources of information by using the same means such as setting up websites along with utilizing popular social media sites. Responsibility as an Organizational value During the past few decades, many organizations have incorp orated the elements such as sustainability, responsibility, and respect into their workplaces. Initially, only a handful held this trait since their work demanded so. Examples of such organizations included Ben & Jerry’s, Starbucks, and Tom’s of Maine. ... In 1943, Johnson & Johnson was accredited as the first organization to act responsibly towards the community. While the CSR department is deemed as the core steward of this attribute, present trends depict that organizations are using them internally requiring everyone to exhibit good citizenship. Recognition that CSR can foster skills in the workplace It is said by some economic experts that the world economy is still trying to heal its wounds from the economic downturn of 2008. During this period, most multinationals focused on the validity of every job and employee within their realm. The recession caused most organizations of this nature to limit the leadership and training initiatives. This caused a challenge since the heart of any organization can be stated as its employees; they put the welfare of the organization in a destitute place whenever they are not advancing in any way. The future seemed obscured for most of these organizations up until some discovered that CSR held a key to the issue (Thomas, 2009). Organizations such as IBM used CSR to indirectly train its employees. The technique was that activities embedded into CSR such as volunteering are imperative in building skills in employees; mainly through skill-based and pro-Bono volunteering. For instance, IBM commissioned approximately a hundred and fifty thousand workers to perform community service all across the globe. This technique was assumed by other organizations who sought to benefit in the same way. It was possible to do so because the workload was dismal thanks to the recession, but it gave organizations something to mull about. Presently, organizations can consent some of their workforce to this service to the society and consequently develop skills without

Coca Cola Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Coca Cola - Research Paper Example Dr. John Pemberton developed the Coca-Cola ® syrup on May 8, 1886 and this the foundation day for Coca-Cola Company. Since its inception, the cola drink became one of the most famous and largest selling non-alcoholic beverages. The rapid popularity of cola drink of Coca-Cola Company had led to expand its market in international boundaries and in every international market its performance has been applaudable. With the passage of the company kept introducing many innovative beverages other than cola drinks. In the process, the Coca-Cola Company was led by a number of efficient decision makers like Roberto Goizueta and Warren E. Buffett who have contributed towards the value growth of the company. This paper mainly deals with case of Coca-Cola Company when it was led by the veteran Mary E. Minnick, the â€Å"Executive Vice President and President of Marketing, Strategy and Innovation† (Forbes, 2011). Based on the given case study, multiple aspects like innovations and product development strategy and in this process the role of Mary E. Minnick will be discussed. Question 1 Describe and evaluate Coke’s marketing and innovation strategy transformation designed to position the company on the cutting edge of consumer trends. During 1980s and '90s, the Coca-Cola Company was the global leader of non-alcoholic beverage company and had portrayed itself as one the best blue chips companies. This was the phase when the company was led by the team of Roberto Goizueta and Warren E. Buffett. However, after this immediate period of glory, it faced a threat from the key rival PepsiCo Inc. PepsiCo was founded in 195 by Donald M. Kendall with the similar concept of cola drink (PepsiCo, 2011). Within the next ten years of its inception, it gained significant amount of market share and as an effect, Coca-Cola Company lost higher percentage of market value. In such situation, it became very necessary to position the company on the cutting edge of consumer trends by i mplementing an effective set of marketing and innovation strategies. By the time Mary E. Minnick joined Coca-Cola, the competition took place on a global level and for success in global markets, and understanding of culture was one of the key factors for developing globalized marketing and innovative strategies. Minnick realized that the innovations like merely by repackaging and slightly changing the flavors would not be helpful. In the process of innovative marketing strategy, multiple innovative product developments were the key factor for the company. The innovation strategies were basically meant to counter against the products the two key non-carb rivals Snapple and Gatorade. Moreover, during 1990s, Coca-Cola focused to generate revenues by introducing innovative products other than cola drinks. Besides, the marketing strategy also involved of cultural aspects of each region. It offered different products for different markets and also the promotional and campaigning activitie s were also very specific as per the culture of markets. Question 2 Critically evaluate Coke’s product strategy of developing healthy beverages. During 1990s, the product strategy of Coca-Cola was the major activities to cope with intensifying competition. Product development strategy during the time of Minnick took a new attempt as there were significant product development took place in the existing production as well as in new products. During this period, more than 1000 new beverages were introduced and the main theme behind these new products was the ‘health’; for example, diet drinks like Coca-Cola Zero, coffee-flavored cola etc were launched for male market segment. However, such products were not capable of offer major benefits to the company for longer period of time. Perhaps, the true

Fashion Designer Term Project Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fashion Designer Project - Term Paper Example The paper "Fashion Designer Term Project" discovers such designers as Tommy Hilfiger and Kenneth Cole. Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger born 1951 is an American citizen. He is also the founder of Tommy Hilfiger Corporation which is a first-class lifestyle brand. At 25, Hilfiger set up a shop called the peoples place in New York City. Tommy Hilfiger is considered great because the designer designs clothes for men, women and children. Furthermore, he designs accessories too. On the other hand, Tommy Hilfiger has a positive and powerful reputation internationally because his designs are classic and trendy at the same time. Due to this, majority of his designs are preferred by the elite class. This has made his designs ironically to be very popular since people admire the high quality of his designs. Tommy Hilfiger’s anesthetic characteristic that I like the most is his use of color. Tommy choice of colors is playful but serious at the same time. This is because most of his labels are all in red, blue and white. The store has some contemporary designs that were inspired by these colors and are on display. Most of the color printing done on the shirts and dresses was inspired by Tommy Hilfiger. In some respect, I assume is a representation of his country that he is so proud of, but I think it is a statement decision. The color red is bold, sexy and passionate; a statement which I think Tommy wants the client to feel when purchasing the clothes. The color blue is cool, calm and assuring a feeling.

Designer Babies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Designer Babies - Essay Example The author focuses on attracting and maintaining the audience’s attention. The title of the essay, â€Å"Designer Babies†, can elicit the audience’s interest and maintain it throughout the article as they strive to comprehend the circumstances surrounding the designing of babies. The article is logically organized into introduction, body, and conclusion that are crucial elements of a well-structured essay. The thesis statement is found in the first paragraph where the author argues that some people accept sex selection for children, â€Å"Some people already argue that using that to select the sex of your child is fine, or perhaps for medical reasons† (Sandel Para 1). However, researchers have not addressed other issues such as physical appearance and intelligence. Another feature that makes the article rather captivating constitutes excellent transitions between paragraphs and effective use of rhetoric questions. Paragraph transitions are organized in such a way that they answer questions posed in the previous paragraphs, or pose a question for discussion in the paragraph. Questions are vital in this essay as they help in engaging the reader as the article progresses. The writer does not use numbering in the article, but organizes the essay into varying lengths of paragraphs with smooth transition between paragraphs. Long paragraphs are used to explain the author’s ideas, while short paragraphs at the end of the chapters are used to summarize ideas and giving conclusive solutions to the questions. Sandel refers to historical events when discussing his opinions to support his views. â€Å"What’s the moral of the story of the dark history of eugenics?† The author hooks the readers by effectively posing questions in the arti cle. Sandel effectively apply logos, which appeal to the audience’s logical reasoning (Halmari 6). Sandel begins his essay by investigating the morality in selecting the genes that can be used to shape the

Government Expansion for National Security Essay

Government Expansion for National Security - Essay Example Law enforcement agencies across the nation are faced with the dilemma with countering terrorist threats based on information that are at best loaded with the scenario that any potential terrorist act may actually happen. Using any information, most of the time unverified and unspecified to issue alert warnings to the public has been justified on the premise that the September 11 attacks happened because the intelligence agencies were slow to issue warnings and release information to other law enforcement agencies. The pre-emptive orientation of the intelligence community has gathered force in the face of growing concerns that civil liberties are in danger of being trampled. In 2004, Congress passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, creating a Director of National Intelligence to be on top of the country's intelligence community. He also acts as the President's top intelligence adviser. While this move was meant to coordinate nationwide intelligence operati ons, there have been considerable areas of conflict among the law enforcement agencies. The public has recently seen the military and the Central Intelligence Agency encroaching too much on the sphere of domestic intelligence, which is the turf of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Financial records of individuals and other parties who are suspected of being involved in terrorism have been examined by the FBI through the issuance of national security letters and for the most part, banks and other institutions have cooperated. However, it has been reported that even the Pentagon and the CIA have been issuing their own version of the national security letters (Lichtblau & Mazzetti 2007). Furthermore, the FBI has complained that the military have been directly dealing with the police, without proper coordination with the bureau in issuing warnings against possible terrorist threats. The White House is also mulling to give more teeth to an agency within the Pentagon called the Counterintelligence Field Activity or CIFA currently in-charge of coordinating security efforts by giving it authority to investigate crimes such as trea son, foreign or terrorist sabotage, including economic sabotage within the country (Pincus 2005). Moreover, a legislation is being pushed to allow the military access to the database on U.S. citizens gathered by the FBI. Concerns about this have been somehow mitigated by an amendment which will require the Pentagon to seek approval for this data-sharing from the Director of the National Intelligence and to report to Congress any of such activity. The question of whether executive powers should be expanded has come to pass because in fact the American public has indeed given its go-signal for this to happen. While the public has recently been against the War in Iraq and other reports concerning Government Expansion for National Security 2 domestic spying, the American people had been united right after the September 11 attacks in giving President Bush authority to deal with the terrorist threat

Managing people Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Managing people - Essay Example Concurrently, the changing demands from non-unionised employees are calling for salary re-negotiation that can easily lead to significant imbalance in management salaries. However, in order to remain without considerable trade union influence, the company is considering renegotiating these pay structures as part of what appears to be a poorly-developed salary and reward system. This report highlights the problems at Fastening Technologies in comparison to traditional versus more progressive HR policies and models available. Recommendations are offered in how to improve the most fundamental and long-lasting problems at the company related to performance appraisal systems, rewards management, and organisational structure and culture. Armstrong (2006) identifies that the total aim of HRM is â€Å"to ensure the organisation is able to achieve success through people† (p.28). This is a well-developed practice at Fastening Technologies Limited as with a change in HR leadership came new and ongoing discussions about how to link mission goals and strategy with human development and performance. Fortunately, Fastening Technologies has a team-focused organisational model that supports team training and interpersonal relationship development between managers and subordinates. Through the efforts of current HR leadership, the business has become a collectivist culture where group needs and team structures drive decision-making in management and within the line and support employee networks. Despite the efforts to build new systems and remove HR redundancies during a period where pricing has led to cost-cutting issues, Fastening Technologies seems to have a fundamental misunderstanding about employee behaviours and their personality related to job performance and motivation. Treven & Potocan (2005) refer to the locus of control model that dictates the level to which employees will

Government Expansion for National Security Essay

Government Expansion for National Security - Essay Example Law enforcement agencies across the nation are faced with the dilemma with countering terrorist threats based on information that are at best loaded with the scenario that any potential terrorist act may actually happen. Using any information, most of the time unverified and unspecified to issue alert warnings to the public has been justified on the premise that the September 11 attacks happened because the intelligence agencies were slow to issue warnings and release information to other law enforcement agencies. The pre-emptive orientation of the intelligence community has gathered force in the face of growing concerns that civil liberties are in danger of being trampled. In 2004, Congress passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, creating a Director of National Intelligence to be on top of the country's intelligence community. He also acts as the President's top intelligence adviser. While this move was meant to coordinate nationwide intelligence operati ons, there have been considerable areas of conflict among the law enforcement agencies. The public has recently seen the military and the Central Intelligence Agency encroaching too much on the sphere of domestic intelligence, which is the turf of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Financial records of individuals and other parties who are suspected of being involved in terrorism have been examined by the FBI through the issuance of national security letters and for the most part, banks and other institutions have cooperated. However, it has been reported that even the Pentagon and the CIA have been issuing their own version of the national security letters (Lichtblau & Mazzetti 2007). Furthermore, the FBI has complained that the military have been directly dealing with the police, without proper coordination with the bureau in issuing warnings against possible terrorist threats. The White House is also mulling to give more teeth to an agency within the Pentagon called the Counterintelligence Field Activity or CIFA currently in-charge of coordinating security efforts by giving it authority to investigate crimes such as trea son, foreign or terrorist sabotage, including economic sabotage within the country (Pincus 2005). Moreover, a legislation is being pushed to allow the military access to the database on U.S. citizens gathered by the FBI. Concerns about this have been somehow mitigated by an amendment which will require the Pentagon to seek approval for this data-sharing from the Director of the National Intelligence and to report to Congress any of such activity. The question of whether executive powers should be expanded has come to pass because in fact the American public has indeed given its go-signal for this to happen. While the public has recently been against the War in Iraq and other reports concerning Government Expansion for National Security 2 domestic spying, the American people had been united right after the September 11 attacks in giving President Bush authority to deal with the terrorist threat

Reggio Emilia Essay Example for Free

Reggio Emilia Essay The Reggio Emilia approach focuses on a childs natural development. Its child-centered and directed, taking the philosophy that learning must make sense to the student in order to be effective and meaningful. A childs point of view is completely respected and the student is encouraged to follow their own educational path. The method follow four key principles: The Reggio Emilia philosophy is based upon the following set of principles: children must have some say over what they learn; the senses play a big role in the learning process children must be able to touch, move, listen, see and hear in order to fully process something; children are encouraged to interact with other children and explore the world through material items and relationships; children should be encouraged to always express themselves and be given infinite means and opportunities to do so. Parental involvement is invited and encouraged. Many parents volunteer in the classroom and employ many of the methods found in the classroom at home. A variety of materials are used clay, paint, dramatic play among others. The approach was founded in the villages around Reggio Emilia, Italy after World War II. Parents were looking for a way to teach their children and found that the early years of development were the best time to help children figure out who they are as individuals. What is Documentation? Among many other possibilities, documentation is visible listening. The term documentation conjures up different meanings for different people. To our minds, one of the primary features of documentation as practiced in Reggio Emilia is a focus on how and what children learn. This focus is reminiscent of careful listening; thus, documentation, in many ways, is visible listening. Some of the elements of documentation include: conducting careful observations eveloping questions and tentative answers about how and what children are learning collecting evidence of individual and group learning interpreting observations and evidence in relation to your question(s) inviting others interpretations using the information to guide future teaching starting all over again Documentation can take many formsobservation notes, partial transcripts, audiotapes, a list of students responses to a prompt, photographs or videos of individual and group learning, and adult or student analyses of or reflections on student work.

Impact of the Enron Scandal on Accounting Standards

Impact of the Enron Scandal on Accounting Standards Abstract Every firm and its managers are expected to maximize investor returns while complying with regulatory standards, avoiding principal-agent conflicts of interest, and enhancing the reputational capital of their firms. However, in practices, being ethically is not just about giving large sum of charitys money but recognizing and acting on potential ethical issues before they become legal problems are more important aspects to taking care of. Enron collapsed as the result of unethical management practices such as the equivocation of taxes and fraudulent accounting practices. The Enron scandal is the most significant corporate collapse in the United States since the failure of many savings and loan banks during the 1980s. This scandal demonstrates the need for a close look at the ethical quality of the culture of business generally and of business corporations in the United States. Organization need to infuse ethics and integrity throughout their corporate cultures as well as into their d efinition of success. Unethical and illegal business practices at Enron led to the creation of Serbanes Oxley Act of 2002. This report will discuss and find out illegal and unethical activities, impacts on stakeholders and lessons from the Enron case. The Enron Scandal and Ethical Issues Enron Corporation is an energy trading, natural gas, and electric utilities company located in Houston, Texas that had around 21,000 employees by mid-2001, before it went bankrupt. Its revenue in the year 2000 was more than $100 billion and named as Americas most innovative companies for six consecutive years by Fortune. Enron was a company that was able to profit by providing the delivery of gas to utility companies and businesses at the fair value market price. Enron was listed as the seventh largest company in the United States and had the domination in the trading of communications, power, and weather securities (Corporate Narc, nd). At first sight, Enron looks like an excellent corporate citizen, with all the corporate social responsibility (CSR) and business ethics tools in community (Sims Brinkmann, 2003). However, the scandal of Enron has been the largest corporate scandal in history, and has become emblematic of institutionalized and well-planned corporate fraud; the Enron scandal involves both illegal and unethical activities. According to Carroll and Buchholtz (2008), the CFO Jeffrey Skilling and the CEO Ken Lay played major roles in the Enron scandal. Both of them committed securities fraud and conspiracy to inflate profit. In disguise debts of Enron, Lay and Skilling used off-the-books partnerships, after that they lied to investors and employees about the companys disastrous financial situation while selling their own companys shares (Carroll Buchholtz, 2008, p. 256). Enrons top level management has violated several accounting laws, SPE laws, and bent the accounting rules to satisfy their own desires of profit in the short term but ignoring long term repercussions for investors, stockholders, employees and the business itself. The close relationships that were formed among top leading executives and the board of directors grew arrogant, thinking they were invincible and causing them to act in an unethical manner. Enron allowed Andrew Fastow, the Chief Financial Officer to control two SPEs (special pur pose entities) that were knowingly connected to Enron, and gave him an opportunity to abuse his power. Enron also parked some of its debt on the balance sheet of its SPVs and kept it hidden from analysts and investors. When the extent of its debt burden came to light, Enrons credit rating fell and lenders demanded immediate payment in the sum of hundreds of millions of dollars in debt (Sims Brinkmann, 2003). It means that Enrons decision makers saw the shuffling of debt rather as a timing issue and not as an ethical one. They maintained that the company was financially stable and that many of their emerging problems really were not too serious, even though they knew the truth and were making financial decisions to protect their personal gains. No discussion of the Enron scandal would be complete without a discussion of the involvement of Enrons accountants, the firm Arthur Andersen. Arthur Andersen was one of many causes of the Enron collapse when they were the conflict of interest between the two roles played for Enron, as auditor but also as consultant. Andrew Fastow, the Chief Financial Officer of Enron pushed many deals across where he had a vested interested on both sides of the deal. By creating and knowingly participating in these deals, he put his financial greed above the responsibility to his position for the company. According to Paul and Palepu (2003) in 2000, Arthur Andersen earned $25 million in audit fees and $27 million in consulting fees, this amount accounted for roughly 27% of the audit fees of public clients for Arthur Andersens Houston office. The auditors methods were questioned as either being completed solely to receive its annual fees or for their lack of expertise in properly reviewing Enrons reve nue recognition, special entities, derivatives, and other accounting practices. Due to these relationships that Enron had with Arthur Andersen, it was just too easy for both Enron and the accounting firm to work together in covering up financial losses and debt. Andersen was also responsible for some of Enrons internal bookkeeping, with some of Andersens employees eventually leaving to work for Enron. The result of the accounting scandal was that many of the losses that Enron encountered were not reported in its financial statements. In November, 2001, Enron revises financial statements for the previous five years to account for $586 million in losses (Corporate Narc, nd). After a series of scandals involving irregular accounting procedures bordering on fraud involving Enron and its accounting firm Arthur Andersen, it stood at the verge of undergoing the largest bankruptcy in history by mid-November 2001. As Enron was considered a blue chip stock, this was an unprecedented and disastrous event in the financial world. Enrons plunge occurred after it was revealed that many of its profits and revenue were the result of deals with special purpose entities (Corporate Narc, nd). Enrons leaders also ignored, then denied serious problems with their business transactions and were more concerned about their personal financial rewards than those of the company. When the companys stock price began to drop as the problems were becoming public, the company was transitioning from one investment program to another. Impacts on Stakeholders Every business has a moral obligation to serve its stakeholders, whether they are business partners, customers, stockholders, or employees. Enrons bankruptcy has injured several parties including banks, stockholders, former employees, customers, suppliers, communities, and also the United States. Impacts on Employees The first thing, and most important thing the Enron scandal had an effect was the job situation. Carroll and Buchholtz (2008) argued that when Enron went bankrupt and then the Arthur Andersen accounting firm went out of business in 2002, employees were displaced and significantly affected (p. 47). Enrons financial implosion has cost thousands of employees their jobs, left thousands of people still employed by the bankrupt trader and left 5,600 employees jobless and facing retirements with no nest eggs (Carroll Buchholtz, 2008, p. 256). Many employees had their entire pensions vested in Enron stock, Kenneth Lay advised employees keep their Enron stock when the firm was crashing, and he was selling his own. While the employees were unable to sell their stock, Lay and other executives were quickly selling off many of their shares. The lives and savings of thousands employees were destroyed. They also were deprived of the freedom to diversify their retirement portfolios; and they had to stand by helplessly while their retirement savings evaporated at the same time that top managers cashed in on their lucrative stock options. Impacts on Investors and Stockholders As the result of Enron scandal, individual and institutional investors lost millions of dollars because they were misinformed about the firms financial performance reality through questionable accounting practices, and all of the shareholders lost the money that they had invested in the corporation after it went bankrupt. Shareholders lost nearly $11 billion when Enrons stock price, which hit a high of US$90 per share in mid-2000, plummeted to less than $1 by the end of November 2001 (Answers.com, 2010). Investors those who were hurt can never be made totally whole once again after the terrible experiences of Enron. Impacts on the United States and Communities Political parties, such as the Bush administration, who accepted contributions from Enron, were finding themselves in positions where returning the funds to Enron or donating them to a charitable. Enron also affected the United States in several important ways. If anything positive can be said about the Enron scandal, it is that the scandal itself heightened awareness of the importance of integrity in Accounting and business in general, and led to the creation of new safeguards to make sure that something like this would not happen again, or at least not to the full extent of the Enron damage. Enron cynically and knowingly created the phony California electricity crisis of 2000 and 2001. Between 30 percent and 50 percent of Californias energy industry was shut down by Enron a great deal of the time, and up to 76 percent at one point, as the company drove the price of electricity higher by nine times (Corporate Narc, nd). Impacts on Other Stakeholders The Enron scandal also harmed other stakeholders. For example, Enron top managers pressured Arthur Andersen to certify maximum-risk; questionable accounting practices in part to retain their consulting business and, by acceding to this pressure, Arthur Andersen won huge contracts in the short run however ultimately lost their professional credibility and client base. Some investment banks such as Citigroup, J.P. Morgan, and Merrill Lynch made over $200 million in fees from deals that helped Enron and other energy firms boost cash flow and hide debt, and, by failing to exercise their own adequate due diligence, they multiplied the harm done to other stakeholders. Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase in particular appeared to have significant amounts to lose with Enrons fall. Punishment Thousands of aggrieved employees, investors, and other stakeholders were waiting to find out what punishment will be meted out to those who covered up Enrons true financial position so successfully for so long. Three individuals that participated in the various frauds that were committed by Enron included the former president and CEO of Enron, Jeffrey Skilling; former chief financial officer in charge of LJM, Andrew Fastow; founder, former chairman, and CEO, Kenneth Lay. At first, in 2002, Enrons former chief financial officer, Andrew Fastow, and three other current and former Enron executives exercise their Fifth Amendment right not to testify at a congressional hearing. He was charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy. It is alleged that Fastow and others devised a scheme to defraud Enron and its shareholders (Cbsnews.com, 2006). Fastow, his wife Lea Fastow and nine other former executives faced 31 more charges and 98 counts of fraud an d they were also indicted on a host of fraud, insider trading, and other counts (Associated Press, 2006). Andrew Fastow pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy. The plea called for a 10-year sentence and his aid in targeting former top Enron executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. Lea Fastow pleaded guilty to filing false tax forms. Finally, in March 2006, Fastow had already pleaded guilty and faced up to 10 years in prison on two counts of conspiracy. Lay and Skilling went on trial for their part in the Enron scandal in January 2006 in Houston. Skilling faced 31 counts ranging from fraud to lying to auditors for allegedly lying about Enrons financial state. Lay faced seven counts of fraud and conspiracy for allegedly perpetuating the scheme. After six days of deliberations, on May 25, 2006 a verdict was reached in the Houston trial of former Enron chiefs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. Skilling was convicted of 19 of 28 counts of securities fraud and wire fraud and acquitted on the remaining nine, including charges of insider trading, making him the highest ranking former executive charged in the collapse of Enron. He was sentenced to 24 years and 4 months in prison for his role in one of the biggest corporate scandals in U.S. history (Cbsnews.com, 2006). Lay was convicted of all six counts against him, including conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud and he faced a total sentence of up to 45 years in prison. However, be fore sentencing was scheduled, Lay died on July 5, 2006 due to a heart attack (Answers.com, 2010). Lessons from the Enron Case In the new economic, the Enron scandal has been being the morality lesson. The case will teach executives and the American public the most important ethics lessons. The first lesson it that both individuals and organizations or firms should only earn money by providing goods or services that have real value in the new economic. Moreover, executives who are paid too much can think they are above the rules and can be tempted to cut ethical corners to retain their wealth and perquisites. Every firms need to demonstrate that they have eliminated all off-books accounts which distort the publics understanding of the financial health of the organization and they should to pledge that they will not suspend the companys code of conduct, or at least report to the public when they do. In order for companies to prevent an Enron-like scandal, there needs to be supervision over managers and executives as they exercise their own business judgments about what is in the best interest for an organizat ion. Kirk Hanson (2002), executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, explained that the Enron scandal demonstrates the need for significant reforms in accounting and corporate governance in the United States, as well as for a close look at the ethical quality of the culture of business generally and of business corporations in the United States. Due to the accounting frauds that occurred in the Enron scandal, several accounting firms should reorganize their employees towards remaining loyal to the ethical standards demanded by the SEC. In order for companies to prevent an Enron-like scandal, there needs to be supervision over managers and executives as they exercise their own business judgments about what is in the best interest for an organization. On the other hand, when accounting firms have been moving to sever in both auditing and consulting services for their consulting businesses, the SEC should probably adopt additional disclosure requirements. Government regulat ions and rules need to be updated for the new economy, not relaxed and eliminated. Conclusion Looking at the Enron scandal from the retrospective viewpoint of history, essentially most of the problems faced by Enron derive from the immoral and unethical actions taken on by the board of directors in their attempt to achieve personal profits. The Enron scandal changed the lives of everyone in America and perhaps just as importantly, it forced everyone to look at themselves and fully realize the consequences of reckless greed and the breakage of laws on a whim. Most of individuals and organizations had been receiving proper punishment and lessons for their relevance.

Wilfred Owens Poetry and War Essay -- Wilfred Owen Poetry Poems War E

Wilfred Owen's Poetry and War Wilfred Owen is now seen as one of the most important of the many poets of the First World War. He was born the son of a railway worker in Shropshire, and educated at schools in Shrewsbury and Liverpool. His devoted mother encouraged his early interests in music and poetry. When he could not afford a university education, he went abroad to teach English in France. He was there when war broke out in 1914, and decided to return to England to volunteer for the army. After training, he became an officer and was sent to France at the end of 1916, seeing service first in the Somme sector. In spring 1917, he took part in the attacks on the German Hindenburg Line near St Quentin. When a huge shell burst near him, he was shell-shocked and sent back to England. The horrors of battle dramatically changed him from the youth of August 1914, who had felt 'the guns will effect a little useful weeding'. From his experiences, Owen was able to write very graphic and realistic poems, to show his reader the true atrocities of war. Three of his poems that show different aspects of war are; 'Anthem for Doomed Youth', 'Dulce et Decorum Est', and 'The Send-Off'. The poem 'Anthem for Doomed Youth', is a long comparison between the elaborate ceremonial of a Victorian-style funeral, and the way in which men go to their death on the western front. The poem is written in the form of a sonnet, and has a very traditional format. Owen wrote in this way mostly due to the influence of the poet Siegfried Sassoon, whose experience and high education helped him greatly during this period. The poem is made up of fourteen lines, and follows the rhyme scheme abab, cdcd, effe, gg. The title of the poem ... ...st; the contrasting 'lie' of the phrase 'Dulce et Decorum Est, Pro patria mori', the contrast of elaborate Victorian funerals and the way in which men go to death, in Anthem for Doomed youth, and in The Send-off, the contrast of the phrase 'grimly-gay', to imply a sense of guilt and conspiracy to the poem. The three poems that I have studied, all show different aspects of war, and have many similarities and comparisons. However, they were all written with the same intention and opinion, by a soldier who had first-hand experience of the front line, and as such would not be duped by the media's portrayal of war as romantic and heroic. I think that the overall message Owen is trying to portray, is that the atrocity of war should be considered utterly senseless, brutal, and inhumane, and avoided at all costs, no matter what the situation happens to be.

Right-Wing Influences in American Media :: Essays Papers

Right-Wing Influences in American Media Since the advent of television networks, Americans have relied on local and national newscasts to inform them of the world’s happenings. In the 1950’s there were no other mass informational outlets besides the network news and newspapers. Today we have the internet, which allows independent research, but the majority of Americans still depend on network and cable newscasts for their local, political, and foreign news. With the responsibility and power of informing an entire country, are television newscasts as reliable as most Americans assume them to be? Most Americans don’t consider where their news is coming from or who is producing it. Network and cable news are owned and operated by people and thus are not as objective and unbiased as we would like to think. In light of the war in Iraq and the most recent presidential election, critics of television network administration are voicing their concern for today’s presentation of the news. Increasi ngly more Americans are demanding a rehabilitation of newscasts, starting with ownership. News Ownership Before examining media practices, let’s establish what the major news networks are and who owns them. As most Americans know, ownership of media outlets is largely centralized around 6 main networks or mergers. Since 2000 the â€Å"Big Six† conglomerates (as they are often referred to) account for ninety percent of all media ownership including television, radio, newspapers, internet, books, magazines, videos, wire services and photo agencies. (Adams) In 2001, America Online (AOL) and Time Warner merged to become the world’s largest media organization. AOL Time Warner accounts for twelve television companies including Warner Brothers, 29 cable operations companies across the globe including CNN and Time Warner Cable, 24 book brands, 35 magazines including Time and Fortune, 52 record labels, the Turner Entertainment Corporation which owns four professional sports teams, and provides AOL internet services to 27 million subscribers in fourteen countries. In addition, the conglomerate owns multiple theme parks and Warner Brothers stores in thirty countries across the globe. AOL Time Warner is chaired by Steve Case, with Gerald Levin as CEO and boasts 79,000 employees worldwide. AOL Time Warner’s multi-faceted conglomerate brings in $31.8 billion in revenues annually. (New Internationalist) The second-largest media conglomerate is the Walt Disney Corporation, which has come a long way from its cartoon industry decades ago. The Disney Channel broadcasts in eight countries, with its sister sports channel ESPN broadcasting to 165 countries on three continents.

Correctional Officer

University of Phoenix Material Assignment: Reliable Sources Worksheet Due Week 6 Day 7 (Sunday) Post to [Assignment section of eCampus Page] as an attachment Locate three sources in the University Library on a topic of your choice. Refer to the University Library tutorial for information about finding sources. Provide the required information for each sources. Complete the Reliable Sources Worksheet †¢ Answer each question in complete and clear sentences using an academic tone (use formal language, eliminate contractions, and capitalize the word â€Å"I†).Be sure to provide detailed responses (100 words). †¢ Post the assignment as a Microsoft ® Word attachment to the Assignment section of your eCampus page by Week 6 Day 7 (Sunday). †¢ Post the Certificate of Originality (located in the Course Materials forum) to the Assignment section of your eCampus page when you post your assignment. Important: Be sure to review the grading rubric, provided in the Course Mat erials forum, which shows the point distribution for each element of the assignment. Source 1 Author:Date: Title: Publication: Peer Reviewed? What words did you use to find this article? What type of article is this (research, summary, reflection, essay, etc. )? Did this article include an abstract? Summarize the article (100 words) Source 2 Author: Date: Title: Publication: Peer Reviewed? What words did you use to find this article? What type of article is this (research, summary, reflection, essay, etc. )? Did this article include an abstract? Summarize the article (100 words) Source 3 Author: Date: Title:Publication: Peer Reviewed? What words did you use to find this article? What type of article is this (research, summary, reflection, essay, etc. )? Did this article include an abstract? Summarize the article (100 words) Respond to each of the following questions: What is an abstract? How is an abstract helpful in refining your search? (100 to 150 words) An abstract is a thought or an idea but not having a physical existing. How do these articles contribute to its relevancy of the topic/search? (100 to 150 words)What makes these scholarly articles? How current is their information? How quickly does information in this topic change? How can you tell if a source is reliable or credible? (100 to 150 words) How do these articles reflect bias on the authors’ part? If so, what is the bias? If not, explain why you think they do not reflect bias. (100 to 150 words) What support options does the library offer that will help you in writing papers, doing research, and achieving your academic goals? (100 to 150 words)

Geely Holding? Group? Marketing Essay

Markets,? Marketing? and? Strategy? Essay? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Strategy? This? essay? will? attempt? to? identify,? analyze? and? discuss? the? strategic? issues? in? Geely? Holding? Group? using? industry? structure? and? dynamics.? There? are? five? competitive? forces? that? shape? the? strategy? of? a? company,? threat? of? new? entrants,? bargaining? power? of? supplier,? bargaining? power? of? buyers,? threat? of? substitute? and? rivalry? among? current? competitors.? However,? as? covering? all? five? forces? will? be? beyond? the? scoop? of? this? essay,? it? will? be? focusing? on? threat? of? ew? entrants? and? rivalry. Even? though? Geely? Holding? Group? exports? cars? on? top? of? selling? in? its? local? market,? its? main? market? is? the? China’s? automobile? industry1.? With? China’s? automobile? market? growing? rapidly? in? the? last? few? years,? it? has? become? one? of? the? biggest? automobile? markets? in? the? world,? this? mean? that? t he? existing? firms? in? the? industry? will? have? to? be? aware? of? new? entrants? into? the? industry.? Gerenally,? barriers? are? high? in? an? automobile? industry,? and? there? are? several? main? factors? contributing? to? this.? One? of? he? factors? is? supply? side? economics? of? scale.? When? firms? have? high? output,? it? allows? them? to? cut? cost? in? production? by? buying? in? bulk? and? because? they? have? huge? buying? power,? supplier? will? not? want? to? lose? them? as? customers? and? give? them? better? deals.? They? will? also? be? able? to? spread? cost? over? more? units? for? their? marketing,? research,? services? and? distribution.? This? means? that? new? entrant? will? have? a? much? higher? cost? of? production? unless? they? are? able? to? come? in? on? a? large? scale.? With? 1. 2? million? Geely? cars? on? the? oad? globally 2,? this? is? certainly? an? advantage? that? Geely? has? over? smaller? new? entrants. Established? firms? also? enjoy? demand? side? benefits? of? scale.? When? more? people? use? the? product,? it? will? assure? people? that? the? product? is? trustable,? causing? even? more? people? to? be? willing? to? pay? for? the? product.? With? products? like? automobiles,? quality? is? important.? Incumbents? have? the? advantage? of? having? experience,? acquiring? technology? and? building? customer? loyalty? over? the? years? thus,? unlike? entrants,? they? do? not? have? to? spend? as? much? on? arketing? and? advertising? to? prove? that? they? are? trustable.? In? 2010,? Geely’s? sales? surpassed? target? by? 15,000? units3.? It? sales? will? be? a? testimony? of? its? reliability? to? new? customers? who? would? be? more? willing? to? buy? from? a? company? that? is? doing? well? than? to? take? a? risk? with? a? newcomer.? All? these? will? discourage? entry,? as? entrants? will? have? to? keep? their? prices? much? lower? to? compete? for? customers.? To? enter? the? automobile? industry,? there? is? a? high? capital? requirement.? The? high? level? of? investment? sometimes? will? keep? entrants? ut? because? it? means? that? risk? is? high.? Entrants? will? need? not? only? to? invest? in? fixed? facilities,? they? will? need? to? invest? in? advertising? and? research,? which? are? mostly? unrecoverable? cost,? if? they? 1? Geely? Automobile? Holdings? Limited? Annual? Report? 2009? [ONLINE].? Available? 2? Geely? Holding? Group? [ONLINE].? Avilable? from:? from: http://hmdatalink. com/PDF/C00530/e00175(116). pdf http://www. geely. com/english/1? 6. html 3? Geely? Auto? sales? surpass? 2010? target.? (January,? 2011)? [ONLINE].? Avaliable?

History of the American West

As far as history is concerned, prior to the settling of what we now, the great United States of America, minority groups of inhabitants are the first to established their living in that continent. Their lifestyle, tradition and culture are admirable as well as unique. The first inhabitants of the area are peaceful living natives of the land. However, an entry has changed everything. The phrase mentioned above seemingly denotes the vast riches accumulated in American West from the national expanse that occurred during the westward American expansion.As per history, it connotes the successive flow of riches in their area considering every line of factors such as trade, climate, events and other causation proofs that are evident even in today’s generation. Analyzing the phrases in the statement reveals claims of chain successive economic blooms, which is stated without adequate basis. However, the aggressive entry of American people over the west side has greatly affected the li vings of various inhabitants in the area.Tremendous effects of this entry have brought countless lives to experience suffrage in the early west side. The advancing foreigners tremendously hit the established communities of the native inhabitants causing massive degradation as well as damage in the land of these natives. The advances may have triggered advancement in the side of American people; however, there are those minority individuals and communities that suffered the damage of their actions. Moreover, the land filled with natural blessings has been ravaged by the suppressive citizens of America.It is, indeed, a fact that the west side during those period of time is immersed in massive content of natural resources, geographically, topographically, climatic and most of all naturally. Another fact is, the resources have brought immense conquer in the land of the natives. For the American people, the west side has become their garden flowing with milk and honey. In this essay, we shall take a glimpse back in the past and analyze the scenario that occurred before and compare it in the statement imposed by Martin Ridge.The claims of this treasury build-up are refuted in this paper. Various factors need to be considered before adhering in these false causations. Subjective narration without substantial basis cannot support this kind of claims, especially if the claim is way to opposite from what is reality. We shall analyze the pieces of this statement piece by piece, and critically scrutinize it to prove that such wordings are not even appropriate. â€Å"The history of the American West is, almost by definition, a triumphal narrative†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Starting from the first part mentioned in the statement, connoting â€Å"triumphal narrative† depicts an entry of galore, glorious moment in the history and an event that everybody looks forward. However, does this statement really cover the facts embedded in the American West? Judging the factors, such as top ographical, geographical and the natural advantages present in the place, can we still conclude the same conclusion mentioned in the statement? Crude to say but actually, the United States that we see today is very different compared before when the American people is still starting to colonize the west side.Stephen H. Long, an American explorer who explored the some areas of the Louisiana Purchase in 1819, first gave the term, â€Å"Great American Desert† to illustrate the area roughly between the 98th parallel and the Rocky Mountains. In a series of maps and journals, Long described this region as â€Å"wholly unfit for cultivation and uninhabitable for those dependent on agriculture. † Americans largely view Long's negative impression of the trans-Mississippi as a barren wasteland for decades and most did not become interested in settling there until after the Civil War.During 1803, the President Thomas Jefferson has had a secret conversation through a secret note t hat he has given to the Congress ordering for an expedition into the place west of the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. He has felt that a quality and smart military man with perhaps a dozen of handpicked crew can victoriously plot the entire route and do it on an estimation of roughly $2,500. Jefferson's message is regarded secret due to France ownership in that territory. If this is found by the French Government, the expedition can be branded as trespassing.This is the first view of those who seen this great desert; however, western boosters have come up with a plan in order to lure settlers in the area by promoting the â€Å"The Myth of the garden. † In addition, during this period, France has offered a piece of territory in the west side, which is the whole Louisiana Territory, for $15,000,000. That same year, President Tomas Jefferson has his mind patched up and agreed to take the offer. Surprisingly, after an overnight, United States grew by about one million sq uare miles, from the Mississippi to the Rockies and from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada.This event has greatly caused widening in the part of the America. During the late 1800’s, around 1870s and 1880s, climatic changes have begun to occur in this arid wasteland. This has encouraged the inhabitants to settle and stay put in this area. American settlers have started rampaging, packing up their luggage and migrated in the land of â€Å"Mythical West Garden†. This became the start of the native’s nightmare. The native settlers during this period are Indians and other minority groups; however, they have been driven away from their homelands by the aggressive and domineering Americans.The stampede has occupied 430 million acres of land, which is actually twice the size of the nation. Furthermore, these settlers carved out ten new states until the three western-based commercial â€Å"empires† are established. Around 1865 and 1890 the American settlers have began their territorial rerouting and their way of income have been through mining, especially gold and silver; farming; and the cattle industry. During the westward expansion, widespread beliefs, activities, and objects influenced the daily existence of western emigrants. Moreover, the American settlers discovered the wide resources present in this area.The long protected forests and the divine natural up-springs are all tarnished by the American advancement and modernization. Mining and deforestation has become two of the most devastating hazards accompanied by the advancement. The natural resources of the native Indians are greatly mistreated by the Americans. The trees are cut down in order to be replaced by the houses, establishments, and ranches for the American community. Homeland of the natives, and their territories have been pushed away without being considered by the Americans until, major forests and natural resources are greatly damaged and reduced.In the end, the original fo restry respected by the ancestors of Indian cultures and traditions have been tarnished and destroyed by the advancing colonizers. During the same year and time, Cowboys have been popularized. The estimate of 35,000 males has entered the profession of being a cowboy. 25% of them are black, 12% are Mexican and majority of them are White Americans, 63%. The herding of domesticated animals have lead into territorial overtake since, ranch requires these land hectares in order to place their animals. In the end, the space between Indians and American has grown smaller, particularly in the side of the Indians.Because of this continuous threat, reckless advances and cruelty of American colonizers, the North America’s Indian forces started their civil war with the Americans. Around 1865, the Indian people have fought fiercely using their axes, bow and arrows and spears. However, they are still no match from the gunpowders and advance tools of the Americans. In the end, large reductio n from their population occurred. This event has caused the forces of Indians to be weak and fragile. Many of their women have become slave workers for the Americans. Some have been persecuted and disregarded.In the end, the Indians have become useless human beings. In 1860s, the Western Frontier has emerged and their definite aim is to transform the savagery of civilians battling over territories, towards a decent, moral and civilized individuals. The frontier reproduces American democracy and individualism – the frontier requires Americans to develop new institutions and â€Å"free land makes free men. † The frontier migration targets the expanse of territory as well as accumulation of riches; however, savagery and conflicts have become the exchange of such actions.Racial oppression not only for the Indians but also towards other cultural backgrounds occurs. The race of Hispanics, Blacks and Chinese has been greatly looked down by the Whites. The Hispanics during tho se times are traders as well Chinese, and these people are considered low class merchants; hence, the treatment pattern for these people as also low class. Degradation, racial and social discrimination are also the biggest issues during this period. The blacks, aside from Indians, are the ones who suffered the tremendous discriminative character of the whites. They are regarded as lowly individuals and most of them are treated as slaves.People during this time are greatly quarrelling mostly about their material properties and belongings, but little do they know that there are people being stepped aside and being ignored by their reckless actions. In the end, the effect boils down to those discriminated races and they are the ones that suffered because of the reckless and greedy actions of the Whites. One of the biggest historical events in this period is the Gold Rush, wherein the substance of interest is non-other than gold. The out-migration of non-natives following the Gold rush has given the Indians renewed numerical importance.The discovery of Gold in California and other nearby mines has lead easterners to migrate in the said are in order to have their part in this gold galore. This event has caused great multitude of immigrants coming from local and foreign lands. The situation has damaged mines; natural resources and influx of people have led into chaotic way of life. The situation of the people especially the original inhabitants of the area, which is the natives, has greatly worsened by the migratory frontiers. Going back to the statement of Martin Ridge,â€Å"The history of the American West is, almost by definition, a triumphal narrative for it traces a virtually unbroken chain of successes in national expansion† This is indeed a refutable statement. The Americans may have entered the land of Mythical Desert Garden; however, there are many people that have suffered because of their ruthless actions. It may be triumphal because they have over taken the natives, but the natural resources and the craving of their hands have been diminished. In the end, the statement remains doubtful for there are so many sacrifices that are heavier that the rewards they have taken.