Essay Smoking Cigarettes - 538 Words

Smoking Cigarettes In todays society, three out of five Americans are addicted to smoking cigarettes. In other words, every individual in America is either a smoker or has a friend or relative who smokes. The tobacco industry is one of Americas largest growing industries. There are many smokers and non-smokers in the world and just the same there are many differences and similarities between the two. From being treated different publicly to being looked at differently in terms of health, both smokers and non-smokers have their pros and cons. Just as smokers attend social events so do non-smokers. A few examples of the social events attended are: bars, clubs, concerts, restaurants, bowling alleys,†¦show more content†¦Both smokers and non-smokers see this as difficult. For instance, if you had to attend a meeting for work at a restaurant. You might end up as a non-smoker sitting next to someone puffing away or feeling uncomfortable as a smoker sitting next to someone who condemns cigarette smoke. Even though both are at a disadvantage some smokers feel as if they are being punished by having to sit on opposite sides of the building. In comparison, both smokers and non-smokers have to deal with stress. While living in this money-crazed and fast paced society, we will all get stressed out at one point. A full-blown smoker must deal with the stress of addiction. Addiction comes with an array of problems such as: money, health, family, etc†¦ A non-smoker living with a smoker also has to deal with these problems. Whether it is that they are worried about the health of the individual or worried about the individual (Non-smokers Behavior) 3rd Subject (Non-smokers Behavior) (Smokers Behavior) spending too much money buying cigarettes. Unlike smokers, non-smokers do not stress out about situations such as not getting a smoke break at work, how many cigarettes they have left, or why cigarette prices have sky-rocketed. Non-smokers also do not have to deal with the burden of quitting. In the same way, both smokers and non-smokers have to deal with health problems due to cigarette smoke. Second hand smokeShow MoreRelatedThe Smoking Of Cigarette Smoking855 Words   |  4 Pageschild as well. What a mother ingests is what her growing fetus ingests through her umbilical cord; the life line from the mother to the precious innocent life she holds so dear. The goal of this paper is to give some insight on the use of cigarette smoking in pregnancy. Let’s begin with a short history of what was previously called Nicotiana. Today it is known to humans as Tobacco. Tobacco has been in existence prior to Pre-Columbian America (900 – 1500) when it was first discovered as an herbRead MoreSmoking Cigarettes791 Words   |  4 PagesWhy Smoking Cigarettes Should be Illegal Smoking cigarettes should be illegal due to the vast amount of annual deaths it causes. Smoking produces 10 times the amount of pollution that a diesel car exhaust would. This shows that not only are humans and animals affected by smoking, our environment is greatly damaged by the amount of pollution smoking creates. Smoking is something that people usually get addicted to, like a drug.This drug can cause many diseases such as lung cancer. Not only can itRead MoreThe Dangers Of Cigarette Smoking Essay1669 Words   |  7 Pages People smoke cigarettes for various reasons. Some smoke only when they are drinking alcohol and others smoke regularly. The level of smoking among the regular smokers varies from individual to individual. There are those who smoke a cigarette or two during the day and their others who smoke at least a pack a day. How people start to smoke varies. The main entry point however is peer pressure. Many smokers came to be introduced to the habit at a young age in either high school or in college or toRead MoreElectronic Cigarettes And Cigarette Smoking774 Words   |  4 PagesTobacco cigarette smoking includes various physical associations such as hand and mouth motions, suckling, and taking cigarette breaks (Oh Kacker, 2014). According to Patrounova, 2015, in comparison to other forms of nicotine replacement therapies, Electronic cigarettes satisfy smokers’ needs to fulfill certain smoking rituals. Electronic cigarettes may be able to quench certain urges and cravings due to its design, which can also assist in fulfilling the habitual dependence of smokers (PatrounovaRead MoreThe Dangers Of Smoking Cigarette Smoking Essay1627 Words   |  7 Pagesbecome popular around the globe, such as cigarette, cigar, e-cigarette, and chewing tobacco. The origin of the tobacco plant was in North and South America where the American Indian utilized tobacco for religious and medical purposes. Later on, many forms of tobacco have been created and harmful substances have been integrated in. After world war 1, the use of cigarette became significantly notorious. Several decades later in 1964, the hazards of smoking cigarette became known to the public (Boston universityRead MoreThe Death Of Cigarette Smoking Essay2110 Words   |  9 Pagespreventable cause of death and disease in the United States of America is Cigarette smoking. In America yearly, more than 480,000 deaths occur due to cigarette smoking; within those numbers more than 41,000 deaths are due to inhalation of second hand smoke. As we progress and advertisement for the serious complications of cigarette smoking continues to increase our world begins to show a decline in the amount of cigarette smokers. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that there hasRead MoreSmoking Vs Cigarette Smoking1802 Words   |  8 PagesSmoker vs. Non-Smoker: Evaluating The Effects of Cigarette Smoking Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. The use of tobacco products such as cigars, pipes, hookahs, bidis, and kreteks have proven to develop various health effects. It has been linked to the following medical conditions: †¢ Aortic aneurysms †¢ bronchitis †¢ cancer of the lip or mouth †¢ cancer of the stomach †¢ cancer of the urinary bladder †¢ cervical cancer †¢ emphysema †¢ esophagus (food pipe) †¢ heartRead MoreThe Dangers of Cigarette Smoking1040 Words   |  5 PagesCigarette smoking is a dangerous habit that most users regret starting on. Nowadays, smoking can cause health problems for any human. Whether or not cigarette smoking should be banned completely, has become an object of controversy in many countries. Some people think that smoking cigarettes are a helpful way to reduce stress for the moment. In my point of view, tobacco smoking has seriously negative effects such as smoking-related cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancer and it costsRead MoreThe Dangers Of Smoking Cigarettes786 Words   |  4 PagesDangers of Smoking Cigarettes are everywhere. They’re sold in almost every gas station, pharmaceutical store, and even ordinary grocery stores in the United States. Cigarettes have endorsements from celebrities, big tobacco companies, advertised on billboards, and through commercials. Smoking is a problem because it causes diseases which cost billions of dollars a year in healthcare. It is also the leading cause of diseases and deaths in the US. Smoking cigarettes is an unhealthy habit that unfortunelyRead MoreEssay On Cigarette Smoking1268 Words   |  6 PagesCigarette smoking is something people all over the world have been doing for about 2000 years. Back in 2003, the first electronic cigarette was successfully created by a gentleman named Hon Lik. Lik was a 52 year old pharmacist at the time, whom of which was also a smoker. The inspiration behind making the electronic cigarette came after Lik’s father passed away from lung cancer due to him also being a heavy smoker. â€Å"A Hist orical Timeline of Electronic Cigarettes.† cassia.org. Consumer Advocates

“Sleep Improves Memory the Effect of Sleep on Long Free Essays

Journal Article Critique of â€Å"Sleep Improves Memory: The Effect of Sleep on Long Term Memory in Early Adolescence† Comprehension Purpose The Purpose of â€Å"Sleep Improves Memory: The Effect of Sleep on Long Term Memory in Early Adolescence† by Katya Trudeau Potkin, Willsiam E. Bunney, JR was to assign the selected students to sleep and no sleep conditions and compare tested results about adolescents on how getting sleep and not enough sleep could affect the memory. The results were an increase of 20. We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"Sleep Improves Memory: the Effect of Sleep on Long or any similar topic only for you Order Now % in long-term memory (Figure 1) was found as measured by the number correct in the paired-associate test following sleep, compared to the groups which was tested at the same time interval, but without sleep. Results/Conclusion The study showed that older adults performance did not improve following sleep. Sleep dependent memory consolidation decreases with age. Lack of sleep can cause the subject to not be able to reach his or her full potential on â€Å"cognitive performance† which was not observed in the sample (4). Analysis and Evaluation Strengths One of the strengths was that the groups tested were divided into two groups, â€Å"Twenty females and twenty male adolescents† (1). I feel that it was evenly distributed to find out if it affected male or female differently. Each subject had a better experience of testing with the comfort of his or her home and was able to eat a good meal before testing. Subjects were asked about how good of nights rest did they get and most of the answers were good to very good which made the testing a little bit more accurate. The students were also given the test over the weekends and school breaks inside a quiet room, away from all distractions. The sleep group’s mean age was 12. 9 compared to 12. 4 for the non-sleep group (t= (1. 52), df (1,38), p =0. 14). (See Table 1 for demographic characteristics and performance scores). There was no statistically significant sex difference in performance for either task (2). The test used to test memory on the subjects is called the paired-associate test. This test is the standard way to monitor memory. The memory is measured by using this scale (2). The results that were given were compared to another outside study group and after comparing the two, the outcomes were consistent. The studies showed that it didn’t matter what time of day, but periods of sleep helped enhance the declarative memory. Taking a nap at different times of the day is just as good as getting a full nights rest, not saying that its better than a full nights rest but it helps to build and repair memory. Weaknesses The author stated that â€Å"It is important to have data on the effects of normal sleep† (4). There are so many different types of sleep disorders that can keep someone from getting a good night’s rest. One paragraph states â€Å"Sleep disorders are even more prevalent in adolescents with psychiatric disorders and developmental disabilities† (4). Twenty five to forty percent of adolescents have sleep disorders. It’s very important to get data on the effects of normal sleep. There are consequences from having lack of sleep and bad sleep patterns, none of these things were talked about in the studies of the subjects. All of the subjects that were chosen were healthy and didn’t have any health issues. If there were to be someone with these issues, then the numbers would be different. Some other studies of sleep that effects other types of memory wasn’t used in this article, for example visual, procedural and emotional memory. The chart used in this article is very hard to understand but this is the standard chart to use for documenting memory. This chart is hard to understand when looked at for the first time; it just looks like numbers on a page. Another issue that I had with the article is the studies ended with using adolescents. Synthesis and Evaluation One of the major changes that I feel should be done is to create a longer sample. One paragraph stated â€Å"Our study was limited as the sample was pportune† (4). There were a lot of sources that could have been used but wasn’t. Memory would be more understandable if there were more included. People with sleep disorders could have been included to show how that affects memory. Another thing that could help understand memory is if adults, middle age and the elderly were used. The older you get, your memory starts to taper off and remains the same then it declines as you grow even older. Memory is at its greatest when you are an adolescent and memory is at its worse when you are elderly. Alzheimer is a big factor when dealing with the elderly. The mind can deteriorate if rest is needed over a long time period. If the body continues to go without rest over the years then it will be hard for the mind to repair itself. This topic would have been something to help us understand memory as we age. I would have added a formula to the chart to show how the numbers come about. The bar graph was something good as a visual but how did we get those numbers? I would have shown step by step process on how to make these calculations. The research results were compared to another study from an outside source, on the same subject and the outcomes matched. We can’t come to conclusion that these answers are right because it is simply not enough information to say these results are true. I think that if the results were compared to even more outside sources to see how the results compare would give us a wider range and more accurate results. These are just a few ways that I think would have made this article stronger and better to understand. Works Cited Potkin KT, Bunney WE Jr. â€Å"Sleep Improves Memory: The Effect of Sleep on Longterm Memory in Early Adolescents†. Plos one 7. 8 (August 2012): 1-4. Academic Search Complete PsycINFO. EBSCO. Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh, NC. 28 Feb 2013 How to cite â€Å"Sleep Improves Memory: the Effect of Sleep on Long, Papers

Crown, Cork Seal free essay sample

As many successful companies do, Crown Cork Seal began with an idea—one that had the potential to improve the world in which we live. In 1891, a machine shop foreman conceptualized a superior method for creating bottle caps, and set about to do so. Crown Cork Seal was born, and what followed were intermittent periods of triumphant achievements and costly missteps, soaring profits and depressing losses, eventuating in a successful company with rich tradition and history. However, the competitive business environment slows for no one, and the company finds itself constantly reevaluating its strengths, its competitive advantages, and the viability of the industry in which it has built its legacy. Industry Outlook One of Crown Cork Seal’s foundational questions involves their industry in general—is it an attractive industry in which to compete? Like most industries, there are things that make the metal container industry an advantageous one, and there are elements of the nature of the industry that are troublesome to its members. The low potential for new entrants does provide somewhat of a safeguard against fresh competition; however, the strong buyer power, high threat of substitutes, and intense competition from rivals makes the industry relatively unattractive on several key levels. For potential new entrants, the metal container industry does not seem to be attractive due to the high barriers to entry. Most of all, the economies of scale provide current players with economic advantages that would be extremely difficult to reach for new entrants. Additionally, the saturation of the market does not make it very attractive to new entrants, as competition for current sales is so intense. The high barriers to entry are, however, an advantage for current producers, which do not have to be scared by the arrival of new competitors. When viewing the industry through the lens of the buyers, the main consideration is the price, since the products are definitely undifferentiated and offer low switching costs. The idea for companies in the metal container industry is therefore to reduce shipping and managing costs. In this quest to always obtain lower costs, some buyers even started to produce their own metal cans (major beer producers making 55% of their necessary cans). Therefore, the power of buyers is relatively high, which weakens the producers’ power in this industry. On the supply side, various factors exert influence over the power of suppliers, leaving it relatively benign. The superior quality and recyclability of aluminum compared to steel leads to a higher demand for aluminum; however, the price is still the main constraint, and aluminum costs have to be limited to prevent steel from increasing its market share (which explains Alcoa‘s decision to limit prices). Some producers are also suppliers of raw materials (Reynolds Metals) and benefit from advantages that other companies don’t have access to (Crown, for instance). The cost of aluminum also tends to grow (even with the limitations in order to compete with steel), but on the other side, the overall capacity of production has really increased from 1987 to 1989 (7%), offering more latitude to the producers. The threat of substitutes in the industry is a powerful force, especially domestically. As plastic gains traction and technologies advance (possibly increasing the ability to preserve carbonation in plastic containers), this pressure is only likely to increase. The existence of many substitute products (glass, steel, plastic, etc. ) is another constraint on prices, especially given the high percentage of production costs per can due to raw material (around 65%). Finally, due to the importance of keeping prices low, the industry is run by fierce price-based competition to maintain market share; the main companies in the industry also utilize volume discounts to provide more attractive offers. But once again, the fierce competition based on prices reduces the attractiveness of the industry, where margins tend to be tightened. Despite important barriers to entry that protect current producers, the industry is not very attractive mainly because of its saturation that offers very few opportunities and its price-based competition that lowers the margins. Rivalry is fierce over prices, and customers benefit from a real power over the producers. Strategic Positioning Most great organizations can trace a portion of their success to a visionary, a leader, or a champion of some sort. For Crown Cork Seal, that leader was John Connelly. Connelly took over the presidency of the company in 1957, while the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. His overall strategy focused on controlling costs while prioritizing quality and service. Connelly reduced staff, discarded the divisional accounting departments and central RD facility, and increased accountability through the organization. His approach kept Crown Cork and Seal from bankruptcy and on a road to exponential growth in profitability (1,646% increase in profits from 1957-1961). Products and Markets: Crown positioned itself as a small producer in the industry, and therefore targeted specialized uses and international markets, as well as focusing on their current high-competency area of tin-plated cans and crowns. When fiber-foil cans encroached the market of motor oil, Crown exited the oil can market and targeted beverage cans and the aerosol market in the US. In response to the emerging soft drink industry, Crown specialized in two-piece steel cans and began to design its equipment to allow for rapid changeover. The company also improved flexibility to accommodate just-in-time delivery. Emphasizing the needs of the industry allowed Crown to gain competitive advantage and economic scale to lower the cost. Production process: Crown reorganized its manufacturing facilities, increasing the number of facilities across the country but decreasing the size of each facility. New facilities were located near customers to reduce transportation cost. Crown not only kept more inventory to accommodate urgent customer demand, but also improved the quality control process to improve efficiency and lower costs. As the selling price for metal cans decreased and the profit margin diminished, manufacturers had to compete with qualified products and deeply discounted prices. Research and Development: Crown did not consider itself pioneers, therefore the RD strategy is to enhance the existing product line, such as adapting to customer needs. This strategy allowed Crown to meet customers’ expectations and innovate organically without large research expenses. Marketing and customer service: Crown emphasized the quality of customer service. Sales forces maintained close relationships with customers, and other functions such as RD and manufacturing worked to accommodate the customers’ needs. With the consolidation of soft drink bottlers, buyers’ power increased. Crown believed that it had to provide better customer service to maintain the customer relationships and grow sales. Finance: Crown paid off its debt by reducing inventory and liquidation, repurchasing preferred stock and halting dividends, all of which improved the financial performance of Crown. The debt ratio dropped from 42% in 1956 to 5% in 1986. International: Due to the transportation cost, shipping products to overseas market was not profitable; therefore, Crown invested heavily in developing countries to meet the demand of international markets. Crown’s overseas subsidiaries hired local people to serve the marketplaces, and used obsolete equipment from US facilities that was adequate to serve the needs of these emerging markets. Strategy By 1989, Crown Cork Seal had moved from an innovation-focused strategy with a central decision maker, to an owner-operator strategy that gave individual managers more control. Connelly had developed this functional approach to help realign the company around three key pillars: (1) lower costs, (2) improve quality and (3) best-in-class customer service. According to a Crown spokesperson, this new strategy made certain that everyone in the company was held accountable. With those strategic pillars in place and the company’s â€Å"back to basics† system of activities, it is most likely that Crown would target customers with high customization needs as well as customers in developing countries. In a highly saturated, commoditized, and price sensitive market, Crown’s only point of differentiation was their quality and service. These core strengths are best suited for a target that had more intense service needs. The developing market aligned well with Crown’s non-risk approach to innovation. They were able to use older machines in these areas and were not as susceptible to the risk of substitute products. Crown creates value with the high-customization target by providing unprecedented customer service, quick turnaround on projects, and a tailored RD team that works directly with the customer to find solutions for their business needs. Crown captures this value by marketing their quality and promoting constant improvement within the organization. Because of the ownership model, managers in different plants can capture value faster for clients with immediate fulfillment needs, as opposed to having to go through a system of approvals within Crown. To create value with the international market, Crown uses a national management system. They lean on the local managers to determine consumer needs and to provide consistent quality in developing nations. They capture this value through their â€Å"pioneer rights† strategy that allows them the first right of refusal on new contracts. Through this partnership, they lower the threat of rivals and increase barriers to entry.

Performing Arts Events

Introduction McCarthy (2001) notes that the performing arts consists of â€Å"theatre, opera, dance and music†(p.1). Over the years, there has been rapid development in the performing arts sector.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Performing Arts Events specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Historical Background McCarthy (2001) notes that â€Å"during the 19th century, commercial artists and organizations were the major providers of performing arts in America†(p.6). Most of the performances by then were managed by individuals and were staged in large cities and small towns and were entirely for business. McCarthy (2001) notes that the individual owners made no distinction between â€Å"high and popular arts in terms of either programming or audiences†(p.16). University Microfilms (1982) explain that by the end of the 19th century, new technologies which included radio, recorded music, films, radio, and television were introduced, and this led to reduction in the number of live performing arts organizations. All these were important tools for leisure and recreation. During this period, a lot of customers diverted from the live propriety arts which marked the first major shift in the performing arts. The live high arts were presented in the nonprofit sector while the most popular arts that were both live and recorded fell mainly into the commercial sector. By mid century, McCarthy (2001) notes that there were live professional performing arts that were supported by nonprofit arts institutions that were centered in major metropolitan areas. McCarthy (2001) explains that on the other hand, â€Å"in the late 1950s and early 1960s, there was an increased growth of funders in performing arts due to the introduction of the new financing technique that was initiated by the Ford Foundation†(p.38). During this period, there was a lot of expansion and geographic dispersion of organ izations of nonprofit arts in the country (McCarthy, 2001) By the year 1980, much expansion in the performing arts sector was experienced (University Microfilms, 1982). It’s quite clear that growth from leveraged funding will not live long. In addition, the live performing arts are dying due to the preferred use of broadcast and recorded media to experience the performing arts.Advertising Looking for essay on art? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These developments have impacted both the profit and the non-profit organizations strategies, which in turn have changed the performing arts system with regard to what is performed and the manner in which it is delivered. A study carried out by Godfrey Urice (1999) indicates that there has been increase in the number of people purchasing recorded performances and going to watch live performances. However, Godfrey Urice (1999) explains that â€Å"much growth has been experienc ed in the market for the non-live arts inclusive of the recorded and broadcast performances†(p.45). Godfrey Urice (1999) notes that the demand for the non-live performances has risen due to the increased costs of live performances, the need for people to have leisure while at home as well as the improved quality of recorded live performances On the other hand McCarthy (2001) notes that Americans attendance of live performances increased slightly over the ten years from 1982 to 1992 while more recent findings from the year 1992 to the year 1997 indicate â€Å"the number of people attending live performances going up by four percent (opera) to sixteen percent (musicals).† Analysis of Factors in Performing Arts A study by University Microfilms(1982) notes â€Å"social factors largely affect the performing arts industry†(p.38). For instance, more Americans want leisure activities that are flexible enough, thus the demand for recorded work has increased. In addition, the younger generation to come is predicted that it will enjoy use of internet and other technological tools than attending live performances. The second issue is the artists. The number of artists has been growing rapidly over the years. McCarthy (2001)notes that â€Å"the increase in both nonprofit and commercial arts organizations between 1970 and 1990 led to a doubling in the number of professional artists over that period to 1.6 million, about 261,000 who were performing artists†(p.20).The number of performing artists who pursue performing arts with no expectations of pay is also increasing. Despite the fact that the job security of performing artists has largely declined, the artists continue to be dedicated to their work. Performing artists usually earn less amount of pay than other professionals. McCarthy (2001) notes that â€Å"the median annual salary of professional and technical workers in 1989 was 10 percent higher than the median salary of professional actors and directors, and more than twice as high as the median salary of musicians, composers and dancers†(p.30).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Performing Arts Events specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The other factor affecting the performing artists is that the presence of superstars makes people to concentrate on only a few artists. These superstars use internet for marketing themselves directly to their audience. Thus, a few top performing artists are paid almost all the wages, thus leaving the upcoming artists with very less amount. McCarthy(2001) notes that â€Å" the number of nonprofit performing arts organizations increased by over eighty percent between 1982 and 1997, whereas the number of commercial performing arts organizations increased by over forty percent† (p.32).`In addition, revenues for nonprofit performing groups have gone down for all performing arts except in opera, indicating that t he new nonprofit organizations are not big. Tyler (2010) explains that most performing arts venues were built in the years between 1980 and 1993.These organizations are usually exempted from tax while others are funded by the local government. These are the key indicators of economic benefits of arts. Many theater halls for instance are funded by the community organizations. On the other hand, commercial organizations in the recording and broadcasting industries are increasingly organized globally. McCarthy notes that between 1977 and 1997, the revenue that was received from â€Å"earned income, contributions and government remained steady as the total average annual revenues for performing arts organizations rose steadily†(p.35).Though performing groups have tried a lot to market themselves so as to develop audience, they still mainly rely on the market. Gregory Arthur (2005) explains that â€Å"frequently, the states and local governments seem to focus more on awarding gr ants to social and economic benefits and less on arts although private contributions increased steadily between the years 1977 and 1997, though in form of small donations†(p.76). A study by Tyler (2003) indicates that the performing arts sector has come up with several strategies to cater for its financial needs for instance, â€Å"strategies for cutting costs, developing revenues, and developing revenues†(p.39). Future trends and Challenges in Performing Arts. In future, small firms will try to capture the audience by use of recorded work including the classical recordings unlike the large firms. Small for- profit performing arts firms will make use of technological tools like e-commerce and internet to boost their programming so as to serve a wider and more specialized market. It is also predicted that in future, the nonprofit sector will be divided between the large and small nonprofits, when it comes to programming, type of audience, and the professionalism of most of the artists.Advertising Looking for essay on art? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sheehy (1994) also notes that there will be â€Å"deviations of interest in the nonprofit firms, whereby these firms will lay more emphasis on local and ethnic communities, specialized budgets, low budget, low-tech productions and will rely on volunteers as well as providing opportunities for hand-on participation for non professional artists in traditional –arts forms†(p.33). McCarthy (2001) explains that â€Å"the biggest change that will be experienced will be the opera companies, symphony orchestras, ballet companies and theatre groups in the middle nonprofit organizations†(p.13). Rowe (2004) adds that â€Å"probable decrease in demand, costs, and the decreasing funding streams will either make these institutions either larger, though they are likely to lack resources, or smaller so as to keep the costs down and to rely on local talent and in severe cases, some will close down†(p.34). The major shift in the performing arts events as noted by McCarthy (2001) are in the structure of the system of performing arts. McCarthy (2001) notes that â€Å"while the commercial recorded and broadcast performing arts industry is growing more and more concentrated globally, live performances are proliferating at the local level, typically in very small organizations with low operating budgets and a mix of paid and unpaid performers and staff† (p.14). On the other hand, the middle- sized nonprofit organizations have faced lots of difficulties in getting the public to cater for their costs. Many of these middle-sized nonprofit organizations are likely to vanish (McCarthy, 2001). McCarthy (2001) explains that â€Å"going by the issues that we have discussed, the number of performances will either increase or decrease depending on whether they are recorded or presented as live performances, or whether they involve the high, folk or popular arts†(p.78). For instance, high arts professional performances will be saturated in large cities and will be provided by nonprofit firms that are well financially. McCarthy (2001) also explains that â€Å"in smaller cities and towns, the touring artists and performing groups will present live performances to audiences since they are unable to provide the top performing artists†(p.47). Rowe (2004) also notes that â€Å"small performing arts groups will be in a position to come up with active loyal audiences and small organizations in the nonprofit sector will go on providing low-budget productions with lots of diversity since they will be performed mostly by artists who do not do craft as a vocation†(p 35). There will be trends that are mostly likely to arrest the development of young talented performing artists (Rowe, 2004). This is because if the phenomenon of superstars goes on and both the number of large and middle sized organizations decreases, then young artists will not have a room to gain experience. Rowe (2004) explains that in addition, â€Å"the press ure on these organizations to earn great revenues will end up producing programming that is appealing to mass audiences†(p.40). If successful market categories are let to determine what is recorded or performed, then there will be less innovation. In the case of use of internet for marketing work, when so many artists use internet to attract the audience, it will be impossible for the audience to recognize the unique talent. Finally, changes in accessibility of performing arts will have a great impact. McCarthy (2001) explains that â€Å"despite the fact that the number of live professional performances will go down in parts of the country, performances that are community-based and recorded performances will take the part of live performances†(p.48). Careers and Guidance on Working as a Performing Artist. There are various careers that exist in the performing arts industry. Some of these careers include; dance therapist, dancer, singer, music director and story teller ( University Microfilms, 1982). A dance therapist is a person who uses dance movements and observations in assessing people. He or she is entrusted with the role of ensuring that clients improve their self confidence by using body movements. A dance therapist can work in rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and special education schools among other places. A dancer is a person who is able to express him self or stories by use of body movements. For one to become a dancer, one must be flexible and have good body coordination. Dancers can work in shows, can do television commercials, and work in movie theatres among other places. The other type of career is a singer. A singer is a person who can use his vocals to produce music. A singer is supposed to be able to vary his tone depending with the key of the song. Singers can work in music shows, in the television for commercials, in bands as well as in movie theatres. The fourth type of career for performing artists is a music director. A music director is a person who directs a group of musicians, a film or an orchestra. A music director can work in schools that recognize the need to develop the musical skills of their talented learners and in orchestra bands. A music director is entrusted with the role of choosing the performers, selecting music, hiring professionals in music as well as supervising the rehearsals and organizing the actual performance. Finally, a story teller is a person who is able to create and tell stories. He must be very creative and charming person. He must know how to read the gestures of the audience so as to know what story to tell and when. A story teller can work in an auditorium; can tell stories in the television, and can work in big entertainment shows. While Working as a performing artists, one should know that time is of essence. This means that one should maximize the available time. The other important thing to note is that a performing artist should be someone who can imagine an d visualize things. This will enable you to come up with items that are unique. As a performing artist, it’s important that you utilize the knowledge that you have to come up with items that are able to capture people’s attention. At the same time, it’s important for one to be fully aware of him self or her self even as one takes up a career in performing arts. This will in turn enable an individual to work hard towards the realization of goal. Finally, there is need for one to follow his passion in making career choices and when one decides on the career choice, and then one should be persistent in the career. By following all these, then one will be successful in his career as performing artists. Key Impacts and Ethical concerns of hosting a performing arts event. In a study by Rowe (2004), integrating arts in schools generally improves the learner’s performance and discipline. Sheehy (1994) explains that hosting performance arts events improve the gene ral well being of a person and promotes economy and good neighborhood. Rowe (2004) also explains that hosting performance events increases capital and leads to the realization of certain community goals. McCarthy (2001) explains that hosting performing arts events strengthens the performers economically since they are usually paid when they perform .The economy of the country is also boosted in cases whereby tourists are present in the performing arts events (Heibrain Gray, 2001). By hosting performing arts events, the community gets to experience the world of the arts and eventually, many community members find themselves participating in the arts. The growth of arts industries is also stimulated when such events are hosted. Politicians can use the well organized performing arts events to familiarize themselves with citizens. Hosting performing arts events also creates good relationships between countries, especially when the performing arts events are international. Hosting perfo rming arts also has cultural value. To start with, it creates a sense of collective identity, leading to development of community norms which include tolerance and freedom of expression, and at the same time, it improves the community’s image. Finally, hosting performing arts events has social value as people come together so as to organize the events and by doing so, a lot of interactions take place between various stakeholders and among people in general. There are limitations that are usually associated with hosting performing arts events. For instance, the arts events may not always impact on the economy of the likely, like in cases whereby high schools are holding performing arts events. The second limitation is that hosting performing arts events more often than not tends to favor more interaction among organizations than among individuals. Finally, hosting performing arts events usually impacts negatively to the environment as it causes noise pollution. Conclusion In c onclusion, the field of performing arts has grown widely over the years. There are several factors that are responsible for shaping the performing arts among them being political, social, cultural, and technological factors. Among the careers in performing arts include: dance therapist, music director, story teller, singer and dancer. One of the key things in pursuing a career in performing arts is that one should have a passion for it and be ready to persevere. Some of the future trends of performing arts include: there will be improved changes in recording and broadcasting, a great difference between the large and small performing arts organizations and that the young talents may not have a chance to acquire the required experience in performing arts, References Gregory, B Arthur, C. (2005) A question of morality: artists values and public funding. Wales, University of Cardiff. Godfrey, M. Urice, S. (1999) The performing arts in a new era. London, Routledge. Heibrun, J. Gray, C . (2001) The economics of art and culture. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. McCarthy, K.F. (2001) The performing arts in a new era. London, Oxford University Press. Rowe, M. (2004) Arts education partnerships: lessons learnt. New York, Rand Corporation. Sheehy, C. (1994) Managing performing arts collections in academic and public libraries. London: Libraries Unlimited. Tyler, C. (2010) Good and plenty: the creative successes of American arts funding. New York, Sage. University Microfilms (1982) Dissertation abstracts international: the humanities and social sciences. London, University Microfilms International. This essay on Performing Arts Events was written and submitted by user Ezequiel Colon to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Disambiguation - Definition and Examples in Language Studies

Disambiguation s in Language Studies In linguistics, the process of determining which sense of a word is being used in a particular context. In computational linguistics, this discriminative process is called word-sense disambiguation (WSD). Examples and Observations: It so happens that our communication, in different languages alike, allows the same word form to be used to mean different things in individual communicative transactions. The consequence is that one has to figure out, in a particular transaction, the intended meaning of a given word among its potentially associated senses. While the ambiguities arising from such multiple form-meaning associations are at the lexical level, they often have to be resolved by means of a larger context from the discourse embedding the word. Hence the different senses of the word service could only be told apart if one could look beyond the word itself, as in contrasting the players service at Wimbledon with the waiters service in Sheraton. This process of identifying word meanings in a discourse is generally known as word sense disambiguation (WSD).(Oi Yee Kwong, New Perspectives on Computational and Cognitive Strategies for Word Sense Disambiguation. Springer, 2013) Lexical Disambiguation and Word-Sense Disambiguation (WSD) Lexical disambiguation in its broadest definition is nothing less than determining the meaning of every word in context, which appears to be a largely unconscious process in people. As a computational problem, it is often described as AI-complete, that is, a problem whose solution presupposes a solution to complete natural-language understanding or common-sense reasoning (Ide and VÃ ©ronis 1998).In the field of computational linguistics, the problem is generally called word sense disambiguation (WSD) and is defined as the problem of computationally determining which sense of a word is activated by the use of the word in a particular context. WSD is essentially a task of classification: word senses are the classes, the context provides the evidence, and each occurrence of a word is assigned to one or more of its possible classes based on the evidence. This is the traditional and common characterization of WSD that sees it as an explicit process of disambiguation with respect to a fix ed inventory of word senses. Words are assumed to have a finite and discrete set of senses from a dictionary, a lexical knowledge base, or an ontology (in the latter, senses correspond to concepts that a word lexicalizes). Application-specific inventories can also be used. For instance, in a machine translation (MT) setting, one can treat word translations as word senses, an approach that is becoming increasingly feasible because of the availability of large multi-lingual parallel corpora that can serve as training data. The fixed inventory of traditional WSD reduces the complexity of the problem, but alternative fields exist . . ..(Eneko Agirre and Philip Edmonds, Introduction. Word Sense Disambiguation: Algorithms and Applications. Springer, 2007) Homonymy and Disambiguation Lexical disambiguation is well suited particularly for cases of homonymy, for instance, an occurrence of bass must be mapped onto either of the lexical items bass1 or bass2, depending on the intended meaning. Lexical disambiguation implies a cognitive choice and is a task that inhibits comprehension processes. It should be distinguished from processes that lead to a differentiation of word senses. The former task is accomplished fairly reliably also without much contextual information while the latter is not (cf. Veronis 1998, 2001). It has also been shown that homonymous words, which require disambiguation, slow down lexical access, while polysemous words, which activate a multiplicity of word senses, speed up lexical access (Rodd e.a. 2002).However, both the productive modification of semantic values and the straightforward choice between lexically different items have in common that they require additional non-lexical information.(Peter Bosch, Productivity, Polysemy, and Predicate Indexicality. Logic, Language, and Computation: 6th International Tbilisi Symposium on Logic, Language, and Computation, ed. by Balder D. ten Cate and Henk W. Zeevat. Springer, 2007) Lexical Category Disambiguation and the Principle of Likelihood Corley and Crocker (2000) present a broad-coverage model of lexical category disambiguation based on the Principle of Likelihood. Specifically, they suggest that for a sentence consisting of words w0 . . . wn, the sentence processor adopts the most likely part-of-speech sequence t0 . . . tn. More specifically, their model exploits two simple probabilities: (i) the conditional probability of word wi given a particular part of speech ti, and (ii) the probability of ti given the previous part of speech ti-1. As each word of the sentence is encountered, the system assigns it that part-of-speech ti, which maximizes the product of these two probabilities. This model capitalizes on the insight that many syntactic ambiguities have a lexical basis (MacDonald et al., 1994), as in (3): (3) The warehouse prices/makes are cheaper than the rest. These sentences are temporarily ambiguous between a reading in which prices or makes is the main verb or part of a compound noun. After being trained on a large corpus, the model predicts the most likely part of speech for prices, correctly accounting for the fact that people understand price as a noun but makes as a verb (see Crocker Corley, 2002, and references cited therein). Not only does the model account for a range of disambiguation preferences rooted in lexical category ambiguity, it also explains why, in general, people are highly accurate in resolving such ambiguities.(Matthew W. Crocker, Rational Models of Comprehension: Addressing the Performance Paradox. Twenty-First Century Psycholinguistics: Four Cornerstones, ed. by Anne Cutler. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2005) Also Known As: lexical disambiguation

What Does it Cost to Attend Kenyon College?

Deciding which college to attend comes with plethora of factors to consider, and for many families, college prices doesn’t make this decision any easier. Every year, tuition at four-year institutions rises. College tuition has been increasing almost six percent above the rate of inflation , and is expected to continue doing so. Meanwhile, a college degree is becoming the baseline expectation in the increasingly-competitive job market, and the demand for a college education is greater now than it was one generation ago.   With such high rates of tuition, financial aid becomes more and more important. In the 2015-2016 academic year, 85 percent of undergraduate students received financial aid . Financial aid itself is a multi-faceted creature, and can be a headache to navigate. Kenyon College, home to the prestigious Kenyon Review and a dining hall that bears striking resemblance to Hogwarts’ Great Hall, is a private institution in Gambier, Ohio. The high sticker price, however, is not necessarily easy on the wallet. We’ve compiled this post that covers exactly how you can navigate tuition prices, as well as the different options you have for financing your student’s degree at Kenyon College. If your student is interested, or already admitted—congratulations!—to Kenyon, you’ve probably already visited the college’s Costs and Financial aid page . That’s a good place to start, and will give you a general idea of how much four years at Kenyon might cost. However, it can also be misleading. Costs of attendance for colleges are highly variable. The numbers that you see there are what we call the list prices, and few families actually pay that price. A better number to look for is the net cost , which refers to what families actually pay out of their pockets, after factors like financial aid have been applied. Generally, the elements that will reduce net cost come down to three parts: We’ll look at each of these in detail in this post. Since all financial aid is subtracted from the list price to give the net cost, the list price is where to start in estimating a student’s cost of attendance. In the 2016-2017 academic year, Kenyon College’s list price was $66,670 for both in-state and out-of-state students, since it’s a private institution. Remember that most families don’t pay this price. Who are those who do pay it? In general, it’s the families whose annual household income is greater than $175,000. Even for these families, if the student receives merit aid from the institution, they may not even pay the list price. It’s worthwhile to note that not all colleges offer merit aid, but Kenyon College does. Approximately 47% of Kenyon students receive need-based aid, and 22% receive scholarships. F or the 2016-2017 school year, the average net cost of attendance with need-based financial aid only was $57,328 for both in-state and out-of-state students. The greater your family’s financial need, the more need-based aid a student will qualify for. Here are the average net amounts that families with different incomes pay for Kenyon College. *These numbers do not reflect any Pell Grants that families may receive. Families with an income of $0-30k often receive Federal Pell Grants, which reduce the amount of financial aid that individual institutions need to award. This is why there is a higher tuition rate for families with $0-30k vs. those with $30k-48k. Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. What we’ve been talking about so far has been need-based financial aid. In contrast, merit aid is awards granted based on what the college deems to be exceptional performance and potential, usually academic performance, and school or community involvement. It often comes in the form of a scholarship. Merit aid at Kenyon College is relatively generous. Out of a pool of 1000 schools analyzed for merit aid generosity, Kenyon ranks 611th. At Kenyon, 23.1% of students without financial need receive merit aid, with the average amount coming to $3,305 in 2016. The average net price for a student who didn’t qualify for financial aid was $63,365. Often, students still need help financing their college education even with institutional aid and scholarships. This is where student loans come in. Unlike scholarships or grants, loans need to be repaid, often with interest. At Kenyon College, 69% of students take out federal loans, with an average amount of $3,046 per student across their college career. Investing in college is a big decision, especially if your student has loans to pay back, so it’s useful to have an idea of how graduates of a particular school are doing down the line. Kenyon College has a 6-year graduation rate of 90%, which is impressively high when stacked against the 66% average for private nonprofit institutions. The average salary of a Kenyon alum ten years after graduation is $48,700.    Besides the main expenses of tuition and room and board, there are usually other costs to account for when estimating college spending, even if the student is living on-campus for all years of attendance. Gambier, Ohio has an overall cost of living index of 95.6 , which means it’s about 4 percent more affordable to live in Gambier than in the rest of the U.S. in general. If the idea of looking for housing for college gives you a headache, Kenyon College’s housing situation is just right for you. Kenyon is a fully residential college. Students live on-campus for all four years, and have a variety to choose from, from program houses to themed houses. There aren’t many off-campus job opportunities for Kenyon students, since the college itself is the main attraction of the village of Gambier. However, the on-campus employment scene is rich; students can choose from over 1100 job positions filled each year on the Kenyon campus. The minimum wage for on-campus jobs, determined by the minimum state wage, is $8.55 per hour as of 2019.    We’ve covered the main ways in which students can lower than costs of attendance, but the ways to save don’t end at financial aid and loans. There are many merit-based private scholarships available, especially if your student is enrolling in an institution in their home state . The Austin E. Knowlton Scholarship supports a Kenyon student from Ohio with up to $18,000 over four years. One of the most prestigious national scholarships is the National Merit program. Students who take the PSAT are automatically entered for qualification, and the program awards $2,500 to finalists. Take a look at our guide to the National Merit Scholarship program . You can learn more about scholarships on our following posts: Another way to help finance an education at Kenyon is right here at . As a part of our College Applications Program , we help students figure out how to make any school more affordable using our Finances tool, which can show the ROI of different schools and majors and help students identify scholarships to apply for. On average, our students earn about $83,000 in scholarships. Find out if working with our Financial Aid Tools is right for your family! The Applications Program will also pair your student with an admissions specialist who will work with them one-on-one to navigate each step of the college application process, from building a school list to submitting the application.

Impact of Rewards on Employee Motivation and Organisational Dissertation

Impact of Rewards on Employee Motivation and Organisational Performance - Dissertation Example This research will begin with the statement that majority of the studies on the links between reward, motivation and performance are conducted in Western organizational context, so additional studies in Middle Eastern settings are needed to determine differences and similarities across cultures.   There is also a gap in literature regarding the connection between Saudisation policies and private-firm human resource practices. This dissertation aims to identify the drivers of motivation for Saudi nationals in Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF), to assess the impacts of various financial and non-financial rewards on sustaining high motivational levels within varied categories of employees such as workers,   to understand the contribution of employees’ motivational levels on individual and organizational performance, and to examine if incentive preferences differ by duration of employment, age, educational attainment, gender, job type, and social class. The research used survey resear ch design and weighted average charts to analyze results. Findings showed that financial incentives significantly drive performance and motivation more than non-financial incentives, but non-financial incentives are still important to motivation. Saudi culture, duration of employment, job type and social class greatly affected motivation differences than other factors too, while future studies should consider how sector and organizational culture interact with national culture to shape motivation and performance.... Saudi culture, duration of employment, job type and social class greatly affected motivation differences than other factors too, while future studies should consider how sector and organisational culture interact with national culture to shape motivation and performance. Implications for Saudisation of workforce and recommendations to BSF and the government are provided. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all, I want to thank God for His blessings in my life. I dedicate this paper to our Creator who makes all things possible. Next, I thank my mother for her enduring support and my late father for being my running inspiration and for his guidance. I want to show appreciation to my supervisor for his help, support, and patientguidance. He has provided invaluable knowledge and assistance that enabled me to complete this dissertation. Finally, I would also like to express gratitude to the management and employees of Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF). They have opened both their doors and minds by particip ating in this research and they deserve heartfelt thanks. Table of Contents Impact of Financial and Non-financial Rewards on Employee Motivation and Organisational Performance of Saudi Nationals in i Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF) i DECLARATION 1 CERTIFICATION STATEMENT 2 ABSTRACT 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 3 Table of Contents 4 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND TABLES 8 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 9 1.1 Saudisation and HR in the Middle East 9 1.2 Motivation and Performance 11 1.3 Incentives, Motivation, and Performance 11 1.3.1 Financial incentives and performance 12 1.3.2 Non-financial incentives and performance 13 1.4 Problem Statement 13 1.4.1 Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF) 13 1.5 Research questions, aims, and objectives 14 1.6 Summary 15 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE

Written Exercise 2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Written Exercise 2 - Research Paper Example t argues that the government should provide more working opportunities for people, regulate businesses more aggressively, and prevent economic inequality in the society. In addition to this Occupy Wall Street Movement argues that the Capitalism employed in the market is not serving its purpose and therefore politicians should not control money. To distinguish the two we can say that Occupy Wall Street Movement is a global affair since its major influence comes from Canada and Middle East countries, which were demonstrating against world economic recession that occurred in 2011 (Reyes, 2011). Wall Street Movements are mainly organized via mails and social networks and it mainly targets the poor people in the society. The Wall Street Movement does not enjoy any support from any institution or media while the Tea party movement involves Republican politicians. The tea Party movement is about the rich people in the society such as the Koch Brothers and yet both groups still differ about the financial and economic system of American government. Tea Party involves middle age and older people while Occupy Wall Street enjoys the support of younger generation hence they use social sites as their major mean of communication. The two party movements have got two different cultural ideologies which is also another difference between the movement groups (Pfaff, 2011). The two groups differ from other political parties mainly in the way they are formed. Occupy Wall Street is not sure of its future leaders as compared to Tea Party which looks organized. Most of its members have also clinched seats in the government. The two parties also differ from other political parties in the past since they only advocate for economic changes in the government while the other political parties challenges for governance and control of power in US (Barrett, 2011). Despite the two parties looking cool and non-violent, it is important to take precautions especially due to the upcoming DRNC

Switches and Routers Essay Example for Free

Switches and Routers Essay This is as far as I have gotten and I’m very confused about routers. Router and Switch Configuration Switches and routers are key components to operating any network. Switches can break up a large area network into smaller segments. This will free up congestion and provide more bandwidth to each port, which will increase network performance. The first step is to plug into a power source, connect the console port to a computer or modem with UTP cabling and an RJ-45 cable, and use the command line interface (CLI) to configure and manage the switch in user exec mode and privilege exec mode. In most cases, the switch will perform a power on self-test. The manual will indicate the particulars of any failure. One must configure a password because the switch arrives without one. This provides security through the console settings menu and the password configuration option while one may also incorporate an encrypted password option. Entering global configuration through the command line option will change passwords, also. To change the IP configuration, one would choose the [I] key and choose the IP address option and set the Subnet mask and Default gateway. Creating a VLAN requires switching to Global Configuration mode and using vlan vlan# name name_of_vlan command. To add more VLAN ports, go to the Interface Configuration Mode and use the vlan-membership static vlan# command (Regan, 2004). To review or configure spanning tree protocol, go to [N] Network Management option and enter [B] bridge-spanning tree option from the Network Management option (Regan, 2004). One can disable or enable each port from here. When installing a router one must ensure proper ventilation, temperature, and distance limitations of wiring.

The First Day of School :: essays research papers

The First Day of School My first actual school day at CIS was bewildering to say the least. Everything was hectic and in chaos from the nearly extreme tense atmosphere to the poorly organised day plans handed to each student that walked through the large door way. This was different from my first experience with CIS mainly because this time I had to navigate myself around, what seemed at the time, an endless labyrinth of twisting corridors and class rooms. My first impression of the school itself was hot it was partitioned in different layers based on which year you were in, unlike my pervious school where everything was mixed up. The different floors all met at one central hub, the long flight of stairs that you first see when you enter the actual building through the main entrance. My first real impression was the flock of countless students hoovering around a single notice board, hurrying to find their classrooms. The large crowd didn’t make it any easier to find myself around and where I was to go but I found out my classroom was on the C floor. After going up another flight of stairs I found myself in a long corridor stretching itself across to the other end of the school. Outside construction workers were hammering away, building a new atrium and extension of the school. Locker’s was something the school was not short of and there seemed to be enough for the entire school, large shiny blue and grey boxes covering the entire wall. Finding the classroom itself wasn’t too difficult with the classroom number atop of each door. Walking past the various rooms, I couldn’t help but notice how it seemed nicer and had a better atmosphere. The particular room I was in had a nice, homey feel to it, it not a bit cluttered. Posters hang from t he walls and books such as â€Å"Great Expectations† and â€Å"Huckleberry Finn† were stacked in neat piles, waiting to be handed to students. After a brief meeting with our advisor for the day, we finally received our day plans. The problem? Most of them were wrong with some students only having three periods in the entire week while others having only P.E. and Music. For the rest of the day I went around, guessing which room I had to be in waiting for my name to be called up.

Nflpa Player Safety

NFLPA Player Safety The National Football League has become the most exciting and thrilling sports league to watch in the last few decades. Most recently players have become much faster and bigger than in the past and the safety of their lives have become a risk. Recently the NFL has been subjected to a large amount of controversy and criticism dealing with how they have handled player safety. This issue has come to the forefront because concussions have become a weekly occurrence.In the last few years it has been studied then proven by doctors that former players have suffered traumatic brain injuries from hits to the head during their NFL careers. As a fan of the NFL, I believe it’s best for the game that the NFL makes some change so players are protected for their safety but then again you can’t take away what the nature of this sport is which is a hard hitting dangerous sport. The NFL who is led by league commissioner Roger Goodell needs to find a way to make the ga me safer by keeping the players safe, fans entertained, and team owner’s content.As one of the biggest issues in today’s NFL, I decided to pursue the question, are major changes needed to be taken towards player safety for the wellbeing of the NFL and the players? There is a high probability that a mutual agreement will never happen between the two but that doesn’t mean that new rules and policies won’t continue to be implemented for testing. The NFL has recently tried to implement new rules and policies to delay and prevent the highly rising concussion rate.They have changed to shorter kickoffs to reduce high impact hits and have also introduced stricter guidelines for player conduct on the field which includes fines for illegal helmet-to-helmet hits deemed inappropriate by the NFL. Are these changes the answer though? There is more needed to be done then just changing a few rules that will ultimately have a small impact on this large scale problem. Many other strong options for change include equipment improvements, concussion research, and enforcing penalties to illegal hits. Roger Goodell said throughout history, football has evolved and become safer and better, and the future of the sport relies on the ability to continue to do so. When it comes to the priority of the league, Goodell made it clear safety comes first† (SBNation). However the NFLPA does not believe the NFL is doing enough to protect its members. NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith has been demanding the placement of doctors on every sideline during games to help diagnose and treat concussions.This issue has to be taken seriously because within the past year nearly one hundred former players have filed pleas against the NFL and want them held responsible for the players suffering from traumatic head injuries. Concussions are serious and they happen weekly in the NFL to players of all positions due to the tremendous force these players are hit with. The short and long term effects of concussions can be devastating to the human mind. Not only does the brain suffer long term physical damage but many players often suffer from long term mental problems.A prime example of someone who had been affected by head trauma was former linebacker Junior Seau. Recently â€Å"a team of scientists who analyzed the brain tissue of renowned NFL linebacker Junior Seau after his suicide last year have concluded the football player suffered a debilitating brain disease caused by two decades worth of hits to the head† (ABCNews). Junior Seau who had a 20 year NFL career was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after his death. The real question is what could’ve the NFL done to prevent such a terrible tragedy or did they not have the capability to control what happened to him?The NFL has said many times that it did not intentionally hide the dangers of concussions from players and is doing everything it can to protect them. W ith the focus on head injuries in football being put under a microscope the past few seasons, the NFL is taking drastic measures trying to find solutions that will help in the future. New helmet designs are a needed advancement to help create a safer NFL. With improvements to helmets that will help reduce head injuries gradually but it is still not the lone solution if players continue to tackle improperly and go for head shots.During 2012 there was an estimate of nearly 160 NFL players who suffered concussions during this season. That’s a huge problem because recent studies link concussions to causing mental problems and has also been shown to lead to Alzheimer’s disease. In reaction to this issue the NFL has become concerned about head injuries and has commanded the tests of 11 new helmet designs from five manufacturers in the last couple years. On the other hand, there is a belief that helmets can only do so much as oncussions are mostly caused because of the gladia tor mentality that the players play with because they want to make an EPSN top play. â€Å"While helmets are being designed larger and more protective, concussions still occur regularly. It’s unlikely that they will ever be eliminated completely. Indeed, helmet technology has come a long way since the leather caps worn by old-time footballers, but helmet makers believe their products can only do so much to keep players safe in a culture that glorifies the big hit† (SmartPlanet).New technology in helmets and equipment is much needed for the protection of the players and should continue to be a building block for player safety. Rule changing has become a yearly tradition for the NFL as they try and create new ways to make the game safer even if the players and NFLPA don’t agree upon it. Most recently, Roger Goodell implemented shorter kickoffs which moved the kickoff spot up five yards from the 30 to the 35 yard line to decrease injuries, but would now largely inc rease the number of touchbacks.This rule change could have a negative effect by eliminating the job prospects of special team’s players. â€Å"Cleveland Browns kick returner Josh Cribbs, the league's career leader with eight kickoff returns for touchdowns, has been irate since owners, citing the need to protect players from violent collisions, announced the change during the lockout in March. † â€Å"I don't see (injury) stats behind it, and that's what the issue was,† Cribbs said last week. â€Å"There's no stats to back it up. Their intentions are good, but the stats aren't there to back up the reasoning† (ESPN).During the last month a rule change that the NFL has implemented was met with high opposition as former and current players disagree with the intention of changing the game. The new rule states that ball carriers would be penalized if they lower their head to deliver a blow. â€Å"The proposed rule change for running backs might be the most abs urd suggestion of a rule change I've ever heard of. In order to lower ur shoulder u obviously have to lower ur head. It's a way of protecting ur self from a tackler and a way to break tackles† (Matt Forte twitter).The real question is has the NFL become too overprotective? Yes delivering a blow with the crown of your helmet can be the starting point of a concussion but is it worth taking away important parts of the game. The NFL is the greatest sports league in North America, but there are major decisions to be made in the next decade that could decide the future of the NFL. Ultimately, how sustainable is the NFL? With the hits becoming more and more violent and with players getting bigger, faster and stronger every year, how can the NFL survive long-term with such violence?It might take something horribly tragic before the NFL will act upon the state of the game and make genuine changes to aid player safety. But then again NFL players understand the risks of the profession th ey chose, nobody forces them to play football. At some point, the NFL is going to have to force players to accept the risks associated with playing football. Nothing can make football a completely safe game no matter what rules or innovations are created. There will always be physical athletes forcing violent collisions.The NFL can’t take away the heart and soul of the game just to make it safer. In my opinion the NFL has to embrace the physicality of the game and assume the risks that run along with promoting a violent sport but they should still continue researching the causes of concussions for a future solution. The years ahead will show if the NFLPA and NFL can ever meet a mutual agreement to satisfy the needs of their players and their safety in the long and short term future.

Reflective Account – Plan, Prioritise and Balance Time

A situation arose relating to a Live – in carer, (to be known in this reflective account as carer A) who was due to go into a placement and relieve an existing member of staff ( to be known in this reflective account as carer B) as part of a two-week job share. Carer A had problems with regard to her residency and as a matter of urgency had to adjust the dates of the changeover. When first the call was made by carer A, she was so upset that I did not know if she was going back at all. My personal knowledge of the circumstances of the client was extensive, learned time and lots of communicating with the clients’ wife and the client himself and the achievement of home visits. I was wholeheartedly aware of how a change at such short notice would affect the clients’ wife who lives in the home, along with the client and who oversees the care provision of her husband who has advanced dementia and cannot communicate his needs at all. My immediate thoughts were not to alarm the clients’ wife unnecessarily but to establish the facts involved in situation and solve the issue with the best possible outcome for all parties in mind. In planning my steps to ensure an effective outcome, my first thoughts were to secure the existing care arrangements, which involved contacting carer B. This meant a discreet phone call to her to ask if and how long she would be able to stay to cover for carer A. I was aware that I possibly only had a window of opportunity of one week because carer B was to be placed into another live – in, with another client. I also knew that carer B had a hospital appointment to attend within the timeframe which meant that the clients’ wife would possibly require extra support for this time. Carer B agreed to stay but did need off duty for a whole day because of the distance to and from the hospital. Once the cover had been successfully secured, my next step was to find out how long this extra cover would be required for. This involved contacting carer A. It may have seemed better if I had started my enquiries the other way around but my thoughts were that if carer B had made other private plans for the week then I would have been looking for a replacement with a carer C and so I stored the information in my head. In communicating with carer A, my thoughts were to ensure that I was offering practical professional support to assist where possible with her issues and also offer a sympathetic ear to support her emotional state at the time. I had to be realistic about what I needed to achieve to ensure a positive outcome for all parties and I could only achieve a positive outcome by planning the next steps. Carer A came to the office to discuss the situation with me and together we worked out a practical plan of action. This involved a longer- term approach and would be running in the background after carer A returned to her placement and would not involve the client further at this stage. A call was then made to the clients’ wife to inform her of the situation and the steps I had already taken to ensure that our obligation as a care provider would be met. In communicating with the clients’ wife I was to be mindful as to the conversation held, my considerations toward all parties was to be factual, honest, practical and professional. The new changeover date was established, consideration was given to how best carer B could achieve her visit to the hospital and all parties agreed an arrangement as to how best both would be achieved. My involvement continued as I escorted both carer A and carer B too and from their respective placements by using my personal transport, as neither carer is a driver and access to the clients home is more challenging than most as they live away from the use of public transport. My support will continue as I will be offering practical help to carer A in ensuring a positive outcome for her. I will maintain contact with the clients’ wife by phone fortnightly In the timeframe allocated to this example of how I plan, prioritise and balance my time, I still work within the office supporting the office staff to deal with other issues that occur within any working day. I ensured that the office would be covered adequately when I was to be out of the office, I ensured that I could be contacted in the case of an emergency, should the staff need my support when out and about. I made sure that an affirmative plan of action was in place for any eventuality that could occur in this situation.

All My Life for Sale Essays

All My Life for Sale Essays All My Life for Sale Essay All My Life for Sale Essay The Life of EBay In the essay â€Å"All My Life for Sale†, John Freyer explained how he sold all of his possessions in his apartment to move out for college. Those items had some sort of sentimental value to people who purchased them and gained a vague relationship with them. One way he expressed himself, is when he sold his first wave of objects on eBay. He asked the highest bidders if they could update him on how his things were doing. He wondered if his buyers were taking good care of his things. Freyer is the type of person who would hold on to things hoping they would get used or fixed one day. He got a community started on his website allmylifeforsale. com. Over time, Freyer started to receive messages containing photographs about the stories from people who were a part of the project. He also requested if people could send him their address so he could come and visit. Not too long after, an invitation from the person who purchased Freyer’s salt shaker invited him to their house in Portland, Maine. The six thousand dollars that Freyer made from his selling his things helped him start his journey to visit people all over the country by car. â€Å"As I met more people, the awkwardness of meeting strangers started to wear off†¦ Some may say too comfortable†¦ I would help myself to food in the high bidder’s refrigerator without a second thought† (85) He started to think they were more than just strangers. For example, he acted like a kid who walks into his parent’s fridge to get something to drink. Soon after September 11, Freyer starts to mature. I stopped caring so much about the objects that I was visiting and started caring more about the people who invited me†(86). This personifies that he is growing up in a sense that he is paying attention to the things that really matter in this world. â€Å"Although I hadn’t made it to everyone who had invited me to visit, I knew that it was time to stop driving. †(86) Freyer started to realize that everything was in good hands and he should start worrying about himself. He wanted to set his priorities straight. He had to graduate college.

Ping Sweeps and Port Scans Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ping Sweeps and Port Scans - Case Study Example Ping sweeps are used to detect the IP addresses that are being used by live hosts. Ping messages are made up of a pair of ICMP messages referred to as Echo Request and Echo Reply (Chen & Davis, 2006). Unfortunately, ping is usually taken advantage of by attackers to scan a block of IP addresses for a set of active hosts. There are many tools that can perform a ping sweep, and this further makes it easy for attackers to exploit. The major advantage is that ping sweeps can easily be noticed. In addition, it possible for ICMP messages to be blocked, and therefore some organizations might opt to block these messages as a safety precaution. When the administrator wants to carry out a ping sweep, he may enable the ICMP messages temporarily and block them after the ping sweep (Chen & Davis, 2006). Generally, ping sweeps are an old and slower technology and are rarely used today. A port scan refers to a series of messages sent by an individual with the intent of breaking into a computer system (Christopher, 2014). The messages are sent to each port one by one. Once the attacker breaks into the computer, he will be able to learn about the computer network services each associated with a port number provided by that computer (Christopher, 2014). The attacker can also learn about the owners of these services and understand whether or not anonymous logins are supported on that computer. A server that is publicly accessible is highly susceptible to port scans. Luckily, port scans are easy to detect. In addition, using the proper tools, the amount of information relating to open services can be limited.  

Crime Punishments in Islam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Crime Punishments in Islam - Research Paper Example For violators of its sacred rules of conduct, the traditional Islamic law provides a clear message of swift and severe punishment, (for example amputation, death by stoning and beheading) and the lingering fear of eternal damnation through Allah’s almighty power (Miethe and Lu, 163-164). Demystifying ‘Crime’ and ‘Punishment’ in the Islamic Religion When we examine the philological meaning of jinaya (perpetration of a crime), we see that it is derived from the verb jana (to commit a crime, to sin). It is defined as a crime or a sin which, if committed, makes retaliation mandatory for its perpetrator and incurs punishment in this world and in the hereafter. Thus, when it is said ‘jana ala nafsih wa ala ahlih’ (‘he perpetrated a crime against himself and his family’), such an evil is termed as jinaya. Technically, a jinaya is an aggression against a person or his rights, making retaliation or some other form of punishment mandat ory. Philologically, the word uquba (punishment) is a noun derived from the verb aqaba (to punish). It is used when a person incurs a punishment as a result of the sin that he has committed. Uquba is used to define restrictions placed by God in order to restrain men from doing what He has forbidden and to leave what He has asked them to leave (Haleem and Daniels, 29-30). Punishments under Islamic Law Punishment in pre-Islamic Arabia was based primarily on the principle of retaliation (lex talionis). Lacking a state or central authority in nomadic and tribal life to regulate conflict and disputes, punishment for wrongdoing was privately dispensed by the victim and affiliates such as extended family or patron tribes. However, because of the nature of communal life and strong kinship solidarity, there was also collective responsibility for any serious misconduct committed by a clan member (Miethe and Lu, 164). Categories of crime The Muslims categorized crime in several ways. Each cate gory of crime had a prescribed punishment. Crimes were categorized into such forms as adultery and fornication, murder and crimes to do with property and theft. Others are defamation (qadhf), crimes of taking some foods and drinks like wine among others. The distinct classifications are Hudud crimes, Qesas and Tazir. Hudud comprises of theft, adultery and drinking alcohol. Punishments for such crimes were flogging, amputations and stoning among others. Qesas crimes are retaliatory, the family of a murder victim, for instance, may demand compensation. Tazir crimes are less severe; their punishments include confinement, boycott or fines. According to Halim and Daniels, the judge in Islamic Sharia enjoys vast discretionary powers in fixing penalties, their amount, and their enforcement in such a manner that will help and restrain the culprit from the crime. This power does not extend absolutely, and is by no means free of constraints or restrictions. Rather, it is constrained by the ap propriate laws concerning this punishment and its suitability to the crime, the culprit and society, and the extent of the prevalence of crime in this society (Haleem and Daniels, 30). Haleem and Daniels further highlighted the specific punishments meant to deter the culprit and prevent crime. The punishments are imprisonment, banishment and exile from the place of the crime and the city in which it was perpetrated,