Green Living - 5 Ways to Help Save the Planet

You may not be able to reduce global warming, end pollution and save endangered species single-handedly, but by choosing to live an earth-friendly lifestyle you can do a lot every day to help achieve those goals. And by making wise choices about how you live, and the amount of energy and natural resources you consume, you send a clear message to businesses, politicians and government agencies that value you as a customer, constituent and citizen. Here are five simple things you can do—in 30 minutes or less—to help protect the environment and save Planet Earth. Drive Less, Drive Smart Every time you leave your car at home you reduce air pollution, lower greenhouse gas emissions, improve your health and save money. Walk or ride a bicycle for short trips, or take public transportation for longer ones. In 30 minutes, most people can easily walk a mile or more, and you can cover even more ground on a bicycle, bus, subway or commuter train. Research has shown that people who use public transportation are healthier than those who do not. Families that use public transportation can save enough money annually to cover their food costs for the year. When you do drive, take the few minutes needed to make sure your engine is well maintained and your tires properly inflated. Benefits of Public TransportationKeeping Your Tires Properly Inflated Could Help Save the Planet—and Your Life Eat Your Vegetables Eating less meat and more fruits, grains and vegetables can help the environment more than you may realize. Eating meat, eggs and dairy products contributes heavily to global warming, because raising animals for food produces many more greenhouse gas emissions than growing plants. A 2006 report by the University of Chicago found that adopting a vegan diet does more to reduce global warming than switching to a hybrid car. Raising animals for food also uses enormous amounts of land, water, grain and fuel. Every year in the United States alone, 80 percent of all agricultural land, half of all water resources, 70 percent of all grain, and one-third of all fossil fuels are used to raise animals for food. Making a salad doesn’t take any more time than cooking a hamburger and it’s better for you—and for the environment. What Are the Negative Health Effects of Red Meat? Switch to Reusable Shopping Bags Producing plastic bags uses a lot of natural resources, and most end up as litter that fouls landscapes, clogs waterways, and kills thousands of marine mammals that mistake the ubiquitous bags for food. Worldwide, up to a trillion plastic bags are used and discarded every year—more than a million per minute. The count for paper bags is lower, but the cost in natural resources is still unacceptably high—especially when there is a better alternative. Reusable shopping bags, made of materials that don’t harm the environment during production and don’t need to be discarded after each use, reduce pollution and save resources that could be put to better uses than making plastic and paper bags. Reusable bags are convenient and come in a variety of sizes and styles. Some reusable bags can even be rolled or folded small enough to fit into a purse or pocket. Reusable Bags: Paper, Plastic or Something Better?Why Stop Using Plastic Bags? Change Your Light Bulbs Compact fluorescent light bulbs and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are more energy efficient and less expensive to use than the traditional incandescent bulbs invented by Thomas Edison. For example, compact fluorescent light bulbs use at least two-thirds less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and they last up to 10 times longer. Compact fluorescent light bulbs also generate 70 percent less heat, so they are safer to operate and can reduce energy costs associated with cooling homes and offices. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, if every U.S. household replaced just one regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb, it would prevent 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, the equivalent of taking 7.5 million cars off the road. On top of that, for every incandescent bulb you replace with an approved compact fluorescent light bulb, you will save consumers $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. Change a Light Bulb and Change the WorldA Bright Idea Goes Global: Nations Worldwide Phasing Out Incandescent LightingChina Makes Commitment to Energy-Efficient LightingLet There Be Light: Solar-Powered LED Lamps Brighten Lives of Poor People Pay Your Bills Online Many banks, utilities and other businesses now offer their customers the option of paying bills online, eliminating the need to write and mail paper checks or to keep paper records. By paying your bills online you can save time and money, lower the administrative costs of companies with which you do business, and reduce global warming by helping to prevent deforestation. Signing up for online bill paying is easy and doesn’t take much time. You can either choose to have certain bills paid automatically each month or elect to review and pay each bill yourself. Either way, you will receive outstanding returns on your small investment of time.

Treating Hiv A Life Destroying Disease - 1297 Words

Stevie Riggs Essay 2 Amcult 365 What To Know About Treating HIV HIV has been a life destroying disease since the early 1980s. Originally discovered in gay men, it was once thought to only effect homosexuals. Thankfully to great efforts on research and outbreaks in hemophiliacs, it is now associated with other social groups outside of the gay community. The risks of contracting this disease are still high among gay men, highly sexually active individuals (hetero-, homo-, and bi- sexual), intravenous drug users, and health care professionals. By understanding the biological make up of the disease researchers have been able to come up with many options to treating the disease, its progression into AIDs, and other infections that can occur†¦show more content†¦Once it has been determined that a patient needs to begin treatment there are several steps taken to determine which type of drugs the newly diagnosed patient will receive. Those steps involve determining the readiness of a patient; to maintain a healthy CD4 count which enables a heal thy immune system, a patient must take prescribed medication everyday for the rest of their life, this is a huge commitment and must be taken seriously by the patient. Additionally, a test is done to determine which strain of HIV the patient has, the strain type will determine which drugs will be best to combat the virus, and whether or not it is a drug resistant. According to Dr. Gandhi drug resistance in strains occurs when a HIV carrier does not take their prescribed medication daily and consequently develops a resistance to the drug; therefore, if the newly diagnosed patient receives a drug resistant strain, he/she contracted the virus from a patient who developed a drug resistance first. The fact that drug resistant strains exist stresses the importance of step one; making sure that a patient is ready to start treatment. Once the strain has been documented and an appropriate drug therapy program has been developed the patient is able to start treatment. Types Of Treatment The types of drugs that are used to combat against HIV and its progression into AIDs are known as antiretrovirals. Antiretrovirals have

Bloodlines Chapter Eight Free Essays

string(112) " is also my planning period, so we’ll have plenty of time to talk and fill out the appropriate paperwork\." â€Å"ARE YOU GOING TO EAT THAT?† asked Eddie. Eddie might not have known about all the shenanigans that went down with Jill on the first day of school, but not seeing her all day had unnerved him. So, when she and I came downstairs for the second day, we found him waiting in our dorm lobby, ready to go with us to breakfast. We will write a custom essay sample on Bloodlines Chapter Eight or any similar topic only for you Order Now I pushed my plate and its half a bagel across the table. He’d already polished off a bagel of his own, as well as pancakes and bacon, but was quick to accept my offering. Maybe he was an unnatural hybrid creature, but from what I could tell, his appetite was the same as any human teenage guy. â€Å"How are you feeling?† he asked Jill, once he’d swallowed a mouthful of bagel. Since he’d eventually hear she hadn’t been in class, we’d simply told Eddie that Jill had been sick from nerves yesterday. The hangover allegations still infuriated me, but Jill insisted on letting them go. â€Å"Fine,† she said. â€Å"A lot better.† I didn’t comment on that but secretly had my doubts. Jill did look better this morning, but she’d hardly had a solid night’s sleep. In fact, she’d woken in the middle of the night, screaming. I’d leapt out of my bed, expecting no less than a hundred Strigoi or Moroi assassins to come bursting through our window. But when I’d looked over, there’d only been Jill, thrashing and screaming in her sleep. I’d hurried over and finally woken her up with some difficulty. She’d sat up gasping, drenched in sweat, and clutching her chest. Once she’d calmed down, she’d told me it was only a nightmare, but there’d been something in her eyes†¦ the echo of something real. I knew because it reminded me of the many times I’d woken up thinking the Alchemists were coming to take me to the re-education centers. She’d insisted she was fine, and when morning came, the only acknowledgment she gave of her nightmare was to insist that we not mention it to Eddie. â€Å"It’s only going to worry him,† she said. â€Å"And besides, it’s not a big deal.† I conceded that point, but when I tried to ask what had happened, she brushed me off and wouldn’t talk about it. Now, at breakfast, there was a definite edge to her, but for all I knew, it had more to do with finally facing her first day in a human school. â€Å"I still can’t get over how different I am from everyone,† she said in a low voice. â€Å"I mean, for one thing, I’m taller than almost every girl here!† It was true. It wasn’t uncommon for Moroi women to push six feet in height. Jill wasn’t quite there, but her long, slim build gave the illusion of being taller than she was. â€Å"And I’m really bony.† â€Å"You are not,† I said. â€Å"I’m too skinny – compared to them,† Jill argued. â€Å"Everyone’s got something,† countered Eddie. â€Å"That girl over there has a ton of freckles. That guy shaved his head. There’s no such thing as ‘normal.'† Jill still looked dubious but doggedly went off to class when the first warning bell rang, promising to meet Eddie for lunch and me in PE. I made it to my history class a few minutes early. Ms. Terwilliger stood at her desk, shuffling some papers around, and I hesitantly approached. â€Å"Ma’am?† She glanced up at me, pushing her glasses up her nose as she did. â€Å"Hmm? Oh, I remember you. Miss Melbourne.† â€Å"Melrose,† I corrected. â€Å"Are you sure? I could’ve sworn you were named after someplace in Australia.† â€Å"Well, my first name is Sydney,† I said, not sure if I should be encouraging her. â€Å"Ah. Then I’m not crazy. Not yet, at least. What can I do for you, Miss Melrose?† â€Å"I wanted to ask you†¦ well, you see, I have a gap in my schedule because I passed out of the language requirement. I wondered if maybe you needed another teacher aide†¦ like Trey.† The aforementioned Trey was already there, sitting at a desk allotted to him and collating papers. He glanced up at the mention of his name and eyed me warily. â€Å"It’s last period, ma’am. So, if there was any extra work you needed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her eyes studied me for several moments before she answered. I’d made sure to cover up my tattoo today, but it felt like she was staring right through to it. â€Å"I don’t need another teacher aide,† she said bluntly. Trey smirked. â€Å"Mr. Juarez, despite his many limitations, is more than capable of sorting all my stacks of paper.† His smirk disappeared at the backhanded compliment. I nodded and started to turn away, disappointed. â€Å"Okay. I understand.† â€Å"No, no. I don’t think you do. You see, I’m writing a book.† She paused, and I realized she was waiting for me to look impressed. â€Å"On heretical religion and magic in the Greco-Roman world. I’ve lectured on it at Carlton College before. Fascinating subject.† Trey stifled a cough. â€Å"Now, I could really use a research assistant to help me track down certain information, run errands for me, that sort of thing. Would you be interested in that?† I gaped. â€Å"Yes, ma’am. I would be.† â€Å"For you to get credit for an independent study, you’d have to do some project alongside it†¦ research and a paper of your own. Not nearly the length of my book, of course. Is there anything from that era that interests you?† â€Å"Er, yes.† I could hardly believe it. â€Å"Classical art and architecture. I’d love to study it more.† Now she looked impressed. â€Å"Really? Then it seems we’re a perfect match. Or, well, nearly. Pity you don’t know Latin.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I averted my eyes. â€Å"I, um, actually†¦ I can read Latin.† I dared a glance back at her. Rather than impressed, she mostly looked stunned. â€Å"Well, then. How about that.† She gave a rueful head shake. â€Å"I’m afraid to ask about Greek.† The bell rang. â€Å"Go ahead and take your seat, then come find me at the end of the day. Last period is also my planning period, so we’ll have plenty of time to talk and fill out the appropriate paperwork. You read "Bloodlines Chapter Eight" in category "Essay examples"† I returned to my desk and received an approving fist bump from Eddie. â€Å"Nice work. You don’t have to take a real class. Of course, if she’s got you reading Latin, maybe it’ll be worse than a real class.† â€Å"I like Latin,† I said with absolute seriousness. â€Å"It’s fun.† Eddie shook his head and said in a very, very low voice: â€Å"I can’t believe you think we’re the strange ones.† Trey’s comments for me in my next class were less complimentary. â€Å"Wow, you sure have Terwilliger wrapped around your finger.† He nodded toward our chemistry instructor. â€Å"Are you going to go tell her that you split atoms in your free time? Do you have a reactor back in your room?† â€Å"There’s nothing wrong with – † I cut myself off, unsure what to say. I’d nearly said â€Å"being smart,† but that sounded egotistical. â€Å"There’s nothing wrong with knowing things,† I said at last. â€Å"Sure,† he agreed. â€Å"When it’s legitimate knowledge.† I remembered the crazy conversation with Kristin and Julia yesterday. Because I’d had to take Jill to Adrian, I’d missed the study session and couldn’t follow up on my tattoo questions. Still, I at least now knew where Trey’s disdain was coming from – even though it seemed absurd. No one else at school had specifically mentioned my tattoo being special, but a number of people had approached me already, asking where I’d gotten it. They’d been disappointed when I said South Dakota. â€Å"Look, I don’t know where this idea’s coming from about my tattoo making me smart, but if that’s what you think, well†¦ don’t. It’s just a tattoo.† â€Å"It’s gold,† he argued. â€Å"So?† I asked. â€Å"It’s just special ink. I don’t get why people would believe it has some mystical properties. Who believes in that stuff?† He snorted. â€Å"Half this school does. How are you so smart, then?† Was I really that much of a freak when it came to academics that people had to turn to supernatural explanations? I went with my stock answer. â€Å"I was homeschooled.† â€Å"Oh,† said Trey thoughtfully. â€Å"That would explain it.† I sighed. â€Å"I bet your homeschooling didn’t do much in the way of PE, though,† he added. â€Å"What are you going to do about your sport requirement?† â€Å"I don’t know; I hadn’t thought about it,† I said, feeling a little uneasy. I could handle Amberwood’s academics in my sleep. But its athletics? Unclear. â€Å"Well, you better decide soon; the deadline’s coming up. Don’t look so worried,† he added. â€Å"Maybe they’ll let you start a Latin club instead.† â€Å"What’s that supposed to mean?† I asked, not liking the tone. â€Å"I’ve played sports.† He shrugged. â€Å"If you say so. You don’t seem like the athletic type. You seem too†¦ neat.† I wasn’t entirely sure if that was a compliment or not. â€Å"What’s your sport?† Trey held his chin up, looking very pleased with himself. â€Å"Football. A real man’s sport.† A guy sitting nearby overheard him and glanced back. â€Å"Too bad you won’t make quarterback, Juarez. You came so close last year. Looks like you’re going to graduate without fulfilling yet another dream.† I’d thought Trey didn’t like me – but as he turned his attention to the other guy, it was like the temperature dropped ten degrees. I realized in that moment that Trey just liked giving me a hard time. But this other guy? Trey completely despised him. â€Å"I don’t remember you even being in the running, Slade,† returned Trey, eyes hard. â€Å"What makes you think you’re going to take it this year?† Slade – it wasn’t clear to me if that was his first or last name – exchanged knowing glances with a couple friends. â€Å"Just a feeling.† They turned away, and Trey scowled. â€Å"Great,† he muttered. â€Å"Slade finally got the money for one. You want to know about tattoos? Go talk to him.† My thirty-second impression told me Slade was no one I wanted to talk to, but Trey provided no additional explanation. Class soon started, but as I tried to focus on the lesson, all I could think about was Amberwood’s apparent obsession with tattoos. What did it mean? When PE came, I was relieved to see Jill in the locker room. The Moroi girl gave me a weary smile as we walked outside. â€Å"How’s your day been?† I asked. â€Å"Fine,† Jill said. â€Å"Not great. Not terrible. I haven’t really gotten to know many people.† She didn’t say it, but Jill’s tone implied, â€Å"See? I told you I would stand out.† Yet as the class started, I realized that the problem was that Jill didn’t stand out. She avoided eye contact, letting her nerves get the best of her, and made no effort to talk to people. No one openly shunned her, but with the vibes she gave off, no one went out of their way to talk to her either. I certainly wasn’t the most social person in the world, but I still smiled and tried to chat with my classmates as we did more volleyball drills. It was enough to foster the sparks of friendship. I also soon noticed another problem. The class had been divided into four teams, playing two concurrent matches. Jill was in the other game, but I still occasionally caught sight of her. She looked miserable and tired within ten minutes, without even having done much in the game. Her reaction time was bad too. A number of balls went past her, and those she did notice were met with clumsy maneuvers. Some of her teammates exchanged frustrated looks behind her back. I returned to my own game, worried for her, just as the opposing team spiked the ball into a zone that wasn’t well guarded by my team. I didn’t have the reaction time that, say, a dhampir had, but in that split second, my brain knew I could block the ball if I made a hard and fast move. Doing so went against my natural instincts, the ones that said, Don’t do anything that will hurt or get you dirty. I’d always carefully reasoned through my actions, never acting on impulse. Not this time. I was going to stop that ball. I dove for it, hitting it into range of another teammate who was able to then spike it back over the net and out of danger. The volley pushed me to a hard landing on my knees. It was ungraceful and jarred my teeth, but I’d stopped the opposition from scoring. My teammates cheered, and I was surprised to find myself laughing. I’d always been trained that everything I did had to have a greater, practical purpose. Sports were sort of antithetical to the Alchemist way of life, because they were just for fun. But maybe fun wasn’t so bad once in a while. â€Å"Nice, Melrose,† said Miss Carson, strolling by. â€Å"If you want to defer your sport until winter and be on the volleyball team, come talk to me later.† â€Å"Well done,† said Micah, and offered me his hand. I shook my head and stood up on my own. I was dismayed to see a scrape on one of my legs but was still grinning from ear to ear. If anyone had told me two weeks ago that I’d be so happy about rolling around in the dirt, I wouldn’t have believed it. â€Å"She doesn’t give out compliments very often.† It was true. Miss Carson had already been on Jill a number of times and was now halting our game to correct a teammate’s sloppy form. I took advantage of the break to watch Jill, whose game was still in action. Micah followed my gaze. â€Å"Doesn’t run in the family, huh?† he asked sympathetically. â€Å"No,† I murmured. My smile faded. I felt a pang of guilt in my chest over exalting so much in my own triumph when Jill was obviously struggling. It didn’t seem fair. Jill still looked exhausted, and her curly hair was drenched in sweat. Pink spots had appeared on her cheeks, giving her a feverish look, and it seemed to take all her effort to remain upright. It was strange that Jill would have so much difficulty. I’d overheard a brief conversation in which she and Eddie had discussed combat and defensive moves, giving me the impression that Jill was fairly athletic. She and Eddie had even talked about practicing later that night and – â€Å"The sun,† I groaned. â€Å"Huh?† asked Micah. I’d mentioned my concerns about the sun to Stanton, but she’d dismissed them. She’d just advised that Jill be careful to stay inside – which Jill did. Except, of course, when school requirements made her take a class that kept her outside. Forcing her to play sports out in the full blaze of the Palm Springs sun was cruel. It was a wonder she was still standing. I sighed, making a mental note to call the Alchemists later. â€Å"We’re going to have to get her a doctor’s note.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† asked Micah. The game was back on, and he shifted into position beside me. â€Å"Oh. Jill. She’s†¦ she’s sensitive to the sun. Kind of like an allergic thing.† As though on cue, we heard Miss Carson exclaim from the other court: â€Å"Melrose Junior! Are you blind? Did you not see that coming right toward you?† Jill swayed on her feet but took the criticism meekly. Micah watched them with a frown, and as soon as Miss Carson was off picking on someone else, he darted out of formation and ran over to Jill’s game. I hastily tried to cover both his and my own positions. Micah ran up to a guy beside Jill, whispered something, and pointed back at me. A moment later, the guy ran over to my team and Micah took the spot beside Jill. As class continued, I realized what was happening. Micah was good at volleyball – very good. So much so that he was able to defend his spot and Jill’s. Without seeing any blatant blunders, Miss Carson kept her attention elsewhere, and Jill’s team grew a little less hostile toward her. When the game ended, Micah caught hold of Jill’s arm and quickly walked her over to a shaded spot. From the way she staggered, he seemed to be all that was holding her upright. I was about to join them when I heard loud voices beside me. â€Å"I’m getting it tonight. The guy I talked to swears it’s gonna be badass.† It was Slade, the guy who’d sparred with Trey earlier. I hadn’t realized it out in the sun in the middle of the game, but he was the player Micah had swapped places with. â€Å"It better be,† continued Slade, â€Å"for how much he’s charging me.† Two of Slade’s friends joined him as they began heading toward the locker room. â€Å"When are tryouts, Slade?† one of his friends asked. In chemistry, I’d learned Slade’s first name was Greg, but everyone seemed to refer to him by his last name, even teachers. â€Å"Friday,† Slade said. â€Å"I’m going to kill. Like totally destroy them. I’m gonna rip Juarez’s spine out and make him eat it.† Charming, I thought, watching them go. My initial assessment of Slade had been correct. I turned toward Jill and Micah and saw that he’d gotten ahold of a water bottle for her. They seemed okay for the moment, so I caught Miss Carson’s attention as she walked by. â€Å"My sister gets sick in the sun,† I said. â€Å"This is really hard on her.† â€Å"Lots of kids have trouble in the heat at first,† said Miss Carson knowingly. â€Å"They just need to toughen up. You handled yourself okay.† â€Å"Yeah, well, she and I are pretty different,† I said dryly. If only she knew. â€Å"I don’t think she’s going to ‘toughen up.'† â€Å"Nothing I can do,† said Miss Carson. â€Å"If I let her sit out, do you have any idea how many other kids would suddenly ‘feel tired in the sun’? Unless she’s got a doctor’s note, she’s got to stick it out.† I thanked her and went to join Jill and Micah. As I approached, I heard Micah saying, â€Å"Get cleaned up, and I’ll walk you to your next class. We can’t have you fainting in the halls.† He paused and considered. â€Å"Of course, I’m totally happy to catch you if you do faint.† Jill was understandably dazed but was with it enough to thank him. She told him she’d meet him soon and walked to the girls’ locker room with me. I eyed the grin on Micah’s face, and a troubling thought occurred to me. Jill seemed stressed enough so I decided not to say anything, but my concern grew when we left for last period. Micah walked with Jill, as promised, and told her that later, when evening came, he’d tutor her in volleyball if she wanted. As we stood outside the classroom, a girl with long red hair and a haughty attitude walked by, trailed by an entourage of other girls. She paused when she saw Micah and tossed her hair over one shoulder, flashing him a big smile. â€Å"Hey, Micah.† Micah was engrossed with Jill and barely glanced in the other girl’s direction. â€Å"Oh, hey, Laurel.† He walked away, and Laurel watched him go, her expression turning dark. She shot a dangerous look at Jill, whipped her long hair over her shoulder, and stormed off. Uh-oh, I thought as I watched her stalk down the hall. Is that going to come back and haunt us? It was one of those moments when I could have used a lesson in social cues. I went to Ms. Terwilliger’s classroom afterward and spent most of that initial meeting setting up the semester’s goals and outlining what I’d be doing for her. I was in store for a lot of reading and translation, which suited me just fine. It also appeared as though half of my job would be keeping her organized – something else I excelled at. The time flew by, and as soon as I was free, I hurried off to find Eddie. He was waiting with a group of other boys at the shuttle stop to go back to their dorm. When he saw me, his response was the usual: â€Å"Is Jill okay?† â€Å"Fine†¦ well, kind of. Can we talk somewhere?† Eddie’s face darkened, no doubt thinking there was a legion of Strigoi on their way to hunt Jill. We stepped back inside one of the academic buildings, finding chairs in a private corner that enjoyed the full force of air conditioning. I gave him a quick update on Jill and her sunny PE misadventures. â€Å"I didn’t think it would be this bad,† said Eddie grimly, echoing my thoughts. â€Å"Thank God Micah was there. Is there anything you can do?† â€Å"Yeah, we should be able to get something from our ‘parents’ or a doctor.† As much as I hated to, I added, â€Å"Keith might be able to expedite it.† â€Å"Good,† said Eddie fiercely. â€Å"We can’t have her getting beat up out there. I’ll go talk to that teacher myself, if that’s what it takes.† I hid a smile. â€Å"Well, hopefully it won’t come to that. But there is something else†¦ nothing dangerous,† I amended quickly, seeing that warrior look cross his face again. â€Å"Just something†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I tried not to say the words that were popping into my mind. Horrifying. Wrong. â€Å"Concerning. I think†¦ I think Micah likes Jill.† Eddie’s face went very still. â€Å"Of course he likes her. She’s nice. He’s nice. He likes everyone.† â€Å"That’s not what I mean, and you know it. He likes her. In the more-than-friends way. What are we going to do about that?† Eddie stared off across the hall for a few moments before turning back to me. â€Å"Why do we have to do anything?† â€Å"How can you ask that?† I exclaimed, shocked by the response. â€Å"You know why. Humans and vampires can’t be together! It’s disgusting and wrong.† The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them. â€Å"Even a dhampir like you should know that.† He smiled ruefully. ‘†Even a dhampir like me?'† I supposed I’d been a little insulting, but it couldn’t be helped. Alchemists – myself included – never believed dhampirs and Moroi worried enough about the same problems we did. They might acknowledge a taboo like this, but years of training said that only we humans really took it seriously. That was why the Alchemist job was so important. If we didn’t look after these matters, who would? â€Å"I mean it,† I told him. â€Å"This is something all of us agree on.† His smile faded. â€Å"Yeah, it is.† Even Rose and Dimitri, who had a high tolerance for craziness, had been shocked at meeting the Keepers, rogue Moroi who intermingled freely with dhampirs and humans. It was a taboo the three of us shared, and we’d worked hard to tolerate the custom while with the Keepers. They lived hidden in the Appalachian Mountains and had provided excellent refuge when Rose was on the run. Ignoring their savage ways had been an acceptable price for the security they’d offered us. â€Å"Can you talk to him?† I asked. â€Å"I don’t think Jill has any strong feelings. She’s got too many other things going on. She probably knows better anyway†¦ but it’d still be best if you could discourage him. We can stop this before she gets involved.† â€Å"What do you expect me to say?† Eddie asked. He sounded at a loss, which struck me as funny, considering he’d been ready to go make all sorts of demands to Miss Carson on Jill’s behalf. â€Å"I don’t know. Play the big brother card. Act protective. Say she’s too young.† I expected Eddie to agree, but he once more averted his eyes. â€Å"I don’t know if we should say anything.† â€Å"What? Are you insane? Do you think it’s okay to – â€Å" â€Å"No, no.† He sighed. â€Å"I’m not advocating it. But look at it this way. Jill’s stuck in a school full of humans. It’s not fair that she be banned from hanging out with any guys.† â€Å"I think Micah wants to do more than hang out.† â€Å"Well, why shouldn’t she get to go on a date now and then? Or go to a dance? She should get to do all the normal things a girl her age does. She’s already had her life radically changed. We shouldn’t make it any harder.† I eyed him in disbelief, trying to figure out why he was so laid back about this. Admittedly, he didn’t face the same consequences I did. If my superiors found out I was â€Å"encouraging† human and vampire dating, it’d be more evidence against me and my alleged bias. After all, my reputation wasn’t yet restored with the Alchemists. Still, I knew Eddie’s people didn’t like the idea of dating, either. So what was the problem? A strange answer suddenly came to me. â€Å"I feel like you just don’t want to confront Micah.† Eddie looked right at me. â€Å"It’s complicated,† he said. Something in his face told me I’d hit the mark. â€Å"Why don’t you talk to Jill? She knows the rules. She’ll understand that she can be with him without getting serious.† â€Å"I think it’s a bad idea,† I said, still unable to believe he was taking this stance. â€Å"We’re creating a gray area here that’s eventually going to cause confusion. We should keep it black and white and ban her from dating while she’s here.† That wry smile returned. â€Å"Everything’s black and white with you Alchemists, isn’t it? Do you think you can really stop her from doing anything? You should know better. Even your childhood couldn’t have been that abnormal.† With that slap in the face, Eddie stalked off, leaving me aghast. What had just happened? How could Eddie – who was so adamant about doing the right thing for Jill – be okay with her casually dating Micah? There was something weird going on here, something connected to Micah, though I couldn’t figure out what. Well, I refused to let this matter go. It was too important. I’d talk to Jill and make sure she knew right from wrong. If necessary, I’d also talk to Micah – though I still felt that conversation would be better coming from Eddie. And, I realized, thinking of how I had to go hunt down a doctor’s note, there was one more source I could appeal to, one that had a lot of influence over Jill.Adrian. Looked like I’d be paying him another visit. How to cite Bloodlines Chapter Eight, Essay examples

About the Importance of Employee Selection free essay sample

Employee selection is important as it is the process of recruiting and hiring employees who have the necessary qualifications to perform the jobs in an organization. Selecting the right employee is hampered in many situations by the available applicant pool (applicants available with the necessary skills) or a geographical location (the company is located in a remote area). Therefore, some companies take these things into consideration when recruiting efforts are initiated and selecting the best in class applicant may be the companys biggest challenge. The selection process begins when a hiring need is identified. Some companies may develop specific job descriptions based on a new or existing opening. There may be a created position stemming from a new product or process. The job description may list the job tasks that are required to perform the necessary objectives and goals. The description may include the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) required to adequately perform the job in a satisfactory manner. We will write a custom essay sample on About the Importance of Employee Selection or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When the recruitingthe process of finding candidates through various resourcesefforts begin, these KSAs are used to place ads and screen the resulting resumes. Selection And Legal Responsibilities To meet Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) requirements, responsible planning is needed in the selection process. Job descriptions need to be written in a manner that is non-discriminatory for age, race, sex, national origin and religious beliefs. For example, a receptionist position should not contain language about youthful appearance or a certain gender preference as this could be construed as discrimination due to age and gender. Federal and state laws, such as age discrimination (protection of age discrimination for those age 40-70), the pregnancy act (prohibits discrimination against pregnant women) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (requires reasonable accommodation of persons with disabilities) protect potential employees from being excluded if all other requirements are met. Selection And Corporate Image And Success Some companies may choose employees based on the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the job at a minimal of acceptable performance. Employees who perform at a higher level of competence may be considered most valuable performers and are rewarded accordingly. Since above-average employees may be instrumental in driving success, the company may initiate a rather comprehensive hiring process. This process may include several interviews, background checks, skills testing (typing, data entry, spelling, filling), drug testing and reference checks. In attracting top applicants, the company image is at stake. Therefore, receptionist, interviewers and company executives strive to make a good impression. Selection And Employee Security Employees have a right to work in a safe environment. Therefore, some companies have clearly defined policies regarding safety, health and security in the workplace. The selection process should include the conscience of the company in that every person hired needs to be carefully screened. Some companies have third-party vendors that perform criminal background checks. Required drug tests can identify any potential drug abuse issues prior to employment. Driving records can reveal any reckless incidents or driving under the influence (DUIs). Companies that do not screen potential employees adequately may be subject to liability in future situations. Selection And Employee Retention Companies with a well designed employee selection process understand the importance of retaining these valuable assets. Therefore, selecting employees who have the skills, education and motivation to be successful is critical. Included in the selection process should be the continued improvement plan with development programs (leadership, problem solving), employee rewards program (outstanding performance, bonus plans, recognition functions), and succession planning (preparation for future positions).

Attachment Theory free essay sample

Agrawal, H. , Gunderson, J. , Holmes, B. , Lyons-Ruth, K. (2004) ‘Attachment Studies with Borderline Patients: A Review’ Harvard Review of Psychiatry, Volume 12, No. 2 Ainsworth, M. Bell, S. (1970) ‘Attachment, exploration, and separation: Illustrated by the behaviour of one-year-olds in a strange situation’. Child Development, 41, 49-67. Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1973). ‘The development of infant-mother attachment’, in B. Cardwell H. Ricciuti (Eds. ). Review of child development research. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Bateman, A. Fonagy, P. (2004). ‘Mentalization-based treatment of BPD’. Journal of Personality Disorders, 18, 36-51. Bowlby, J. (1940) ‘The Influence of Early Environment in the Development of Neurosis and Neurotic Character’, International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 21, 154-78 Bowlby, J. (1951). Maternal Care and Mental Health. World Health Organisation Monograph (Serial No. 2), Geneva Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and Loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. New York: Basic Books. Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and Loss: Vol. 2. Separation: Anxiety and Anger. New York: Basic Books. Bowlby, J. (1979) The Making and Breaking of Affectional Bonds. We will write a custom essay sample on Attachment Theory or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Psychology Press Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and Loss: Vol. 3. Loss. New York: Basic Books. Bowlby, J. (1988). A Secure Base. Oxon: Routledge. Bowlby, R. (2008) ‘Attachment Theory: How to help young children acquire a secure attachment’ (Speech, European Parliament, 8th January 2008) http://www. allianceforchildhood. eu/files/QOC%20Sig%204. pdf Bretherton, I. (1992) ‘The Origins of Attachment Theory: John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth’, Developmental Psychology 28: 759-775 Daniel, S. (2006) ‘Adult attachment patterns and individual psychotherapy: A review’ Clinical Psychology Review, 26, 968–984. Diamond, D. , Meehan, K. (2013). ‘Attachment and object relations in patients with narcissistic personality disorder: Implications for therapeutic process and outcome’. Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session, 69, 1148–1159. Easterbrooks, M. A. (1989) ‘Quality of attachment to mother and to father: Effects of perinatal risk status’. Child Development, 60, 825-830. Erikson, E. (1968) Identity: Youth and Crisis. New York: W. W. Norton Company. Fairbairn, W. R. D. (1996) Psychological Studies of the Personality. London: Routledge. Farber, B. , Lippert, R. , Nevas, D. (1995) ‘The therapist as attachment figure’. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 32, 204–212. Field, T. (1996) ‘Attachment and Separation in Young Children’. Annual Review of Psychology 47:541-562. Fonagy, P. , Steele, M. , Steele, H. , Leigh, T. , Kennedy, R. , Mattoon G. (1995) ‘Attachment, the reflective self, and borderline states: the predictive specificity of the Adult Attachment Interview and pathological emotional development’, in R. Goldberg (Ed) Attachment theory: social, developmental, and clinical perspectives. Analytic: New York. pp. 233–78. Fonagy, P. (2003) ‘The development of psychopathology from infancy to adulthood: The mysterious unfolding of disturbance in time’ Infant Mental Health Journal, 24(3), 212–239. Gelso, C. , Palma, B. , Bhatia, A. (2013) ‘Attachment theory as a guide to understanding and working with transference and the real relationship in psychotherapy’. Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session, 69, 1160–1171. Gomez, L. (1997) An Introduction to Object Relations. London. Free Association Books. Hamilton, C. (2000). ‘Continuity and discontinuity of attachment from infancy through adolescence’. Child Development, 71, 690-694. Harris, J. (1998) The Nurture Assumption: Why children turn out the way they do. New York: Free Press. Hazan, C. , Shaver, P. (1994). ‘Attachment as an organizational framework for research on close relationships’. Psychological Inquiry, 5, 1-22. Hewlett, B. (1991). Intimate fathers: The nature and context of Aka pygmy paternal care. MI: University of Michigan Press. Holmes, J. (1993). John Bowlby and Attachment Theory. London. Routledge Jones, A. (2008) ‘The AAI as a Clinical Tool’ in H. Steele and M. Steele (Eds) Clinical Applications of the Adult Attachment Interview. Guilford Press Larsson, P. (2012) ‘How important is an understanding of the client’s early attachment experience to the psychodynamic practice of counselling psychology? ’ Counselling Psychology Review, Vol. 27, No. 1, March 2012 Levy, K. , Meehan, K. , Temes, C. , Yeomans, F. (2012) ‘Attachment Theory and Research: Implications for Psychodynamic Psychotherapy’, in R. Levy, J. Ablon, Stuart, Kachele Horst (Eds. ), Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Research: Evidence-Based Practice and Practice-Based Evidence, Humana Press Levy, K. (2013) ‘Introduction: Attachment Theory and Psychotherapy’ Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session, Vol. 69 (11), 1133–1135 Liotti, G. (2013) ‘Phobias of Attachment-Related Inner States in the Psychotherapy of Adult Survivors of Childhood Complex Trauma’ Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session, Vol. 69(11), 1136–1147 Lopez, F. G. , Mauricio, A. M. , Gormley, B. , Simko, T. , Berger, E. (2001) ‘Adult attachment orientations and college student distress: The mediating role of problem coping styles’. Journal of Counselling Development, 79, 459–464. Lorenzini, N. and Fonagy, P. (2013) ‘Attachment and Personality Disorders: A Short Review’ FOCUS: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry, 11: 155-166 Main, M. , Solomon, J. (1990). ‘Procedures for identifying infants as disorganized/disoriented during the Ainsworth Strange Situation’ in M. Greenberg, D. Cicchetti E. Cummings (Eds), Attachment in the Preschool Years (pp. 121–160). Chicago, University of Chicago Press. Marmarosh, C. Tasca, G. (2013) ‘Adult attachment anxiety: Using group therapy to promote change. ’ Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session, 69, 1172–1182. Muris, P. , Meesters, C. , van Melick, M. Zwambag, L. (2001) ‘Self-reported attachment style, attachment quality, and symptoms of anxiety and depression in young adolescents’ Personality and Individual Differences, 30(5), 809–818. Oakley, A. (1981) Subject Women. Oxford: Martin Robertson Owens, K. Haddock, G. and Berry, K. (2013), ‘The Role of the Therapeutic Alliance in the Regulation of Emotion in Psychosis: An Attachment Perspective’. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 20: 523–530. Pistole, M. Watkins, Jr. (1995) ‘Attachment theory, counselling process, and supervision’ The Counselling Psychologist, 23(3), 457–478. Renn, P. (2010) ‘Psychoanalysis, Attachment Theory and the Inner World: How Different Theories Understand the Concept of Mind and the Implications for Clinical Work’, Attachment: New Directions in Psychotherapy and Relational Psychoanalysis, Vol 4, July 2010: 146-168 Rogers, C. (1957) ‘The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change’, Journal of Consulting Psychology, 21 (2): 95-103 Rutter, M. (1979). ‘Maternal deprivation, 1972-1978: New findings, new concepts, new approaches’. Child development, 283-305. Schaffer, H. and Emerson, P. (1964). ‘The Development of Social Attachments in Infancy’. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 29, 94. Shear, K. , Monk, T. , Houck, P. , Melhem, N. , Frank, E. , Reynolds, C. Sillowash, R. (2007) ‘An attachment-based model of complicated grief including the role of avoidance’ European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 257, 453–461. Sheehy, N. (2004) Fifty Key Thinkers in Psychology. London. Routledge. Slade, A. , Grienenberger, J. , Bernbach, E. , Levy, D. Locker, A. (2005) ‘Maternal reflective function, attachment, and the transmission gap: A preliminary study’. Attachment and Human Development, 7(3), 283–298. Steele, K. , van der Hart, O. Nijenhuis, E. (2001) ‘Dependency in the treatment of complex posttraumatic stress disorder and dissociative disorders’ Journal of Trauma and Dissociation, 2(4), 79–115. Wallin, D. (2007) Attachment in Psychotherapy. New York: Guilford Waters, E. , Hamilton, C. , Weinfield, N. (2000). ‘The stability of attachment security from infancy to adolescence and early adulthood: General discussion’. Child Development, 71, 678-683. Wilson, S. (2001) ‘Attachment disorders: Review and current status’ The Journal of Psychology, 135, 37-51.

Piaget Theory Of Cognitive Developement essays

Piaget Theory Of Cognitive Developement essays There are two classical theories of cognitive development. The one that I will focus on is Piagets theory of cognitive development. Jean Piaget, a Swiss, educated, mollusk biologist lived from 1896 to 1980. He hypothesized that learning is a physical, biological function of dealing with successfully with the environment. (Phillips, 1998) This is the basis for his theory. Looking at Piagets theory of cognitive development in more detail we find that he based it on two biological tendencies. The two tendencies are organization, and adaption. Organization as Piaget saw it said that humans are designed to organize their observations and experiences into coherent sets of meanings. ( Eggen, 1999) This organization of observation makes the thinking process more efficient. If a person can put the things they observe in some sort of order the easier it is to remember and apply their observations. If we did not organize our observations and experiences we would have little bits of information floating around in our brains with no connection between them. Adaption is according to Piagets theory is the tendency to adjust to the environment. Adaption is a process by which we create matches between our original observations and new ones that might not exactly fit together. Our original observations and conceptions are called our schemas. To adapt to new observations and experiences into our schemas we use one of two techniques. We can assimilate that information by putting it together with old schemas or conceptions. If the observations dont fit nicely into our existing schemas we use the second of the adaption techniques. We accommodate or change our schema to fit our observation. Piaget never said that our schemas had to be right or wrong. Our schemas are based on our own observations and experiences. ( Eggen, 1999) We adapt to things because we are driven by the urge to have things fit together or to be in what...

Hobbe's notion of political obligation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hobbe's notion of political obligation - Essay Example A proper insight into Hobbes’ concept of political obligation or the moral conduct that every individual must have towards political order has been provided within the scope of this paper. Every man has a moral duty to obey the laws of the land that he is bound by; this is the concept of political obligation. According to Hobbes, individuals came together in the form of a social contract in order to live in a civil society in a sophisticated manner. Hobbes presented this state of nature in the backdrop of the American Civil War in 1651 where life was brutish, poor, nasty, solitary and hellish for every man. Thus, he postulated the theory of a sovereign central power being there to guide everyone and provide them with certain rights and duties at the same time. Political duty has been said to be one of man’s main obligations; something that he is bound to follow and carry out in order to serve the State. Political obligation is thus an obligation or a duty that every cit izen belonging to a State has, to follow the law and live by the rules that have been laid down in the land. Anyone who has an obligation to obey the law thus has a moral duty to discharge, at least when there are no overriding moral considerations that justify disobedience. Obligation may differ from a duty or a sense of morality to be exact in a number of ways, the most simple of the reasons being that obligation is a compulsion or a ‘moral’ right of a man to carry out a duty. For Hobbes, the social contract theory meant that every man would have his own rights and powers and freedom and would not be restricted by others living within the same society. However, he would have to follow the sovereign authority of the state and would be obligated to derive and obey the law from the consent of the governing body. This raises a fundamental question in the minds of most political philosophers, â€Å"Why should we obey the government, and when, if ever, do we have the right not to? â€Å"The rational necessity of renouncing our rights and investing them in an all-powerful sovereign, he concludes that our obligation to obey such a sovereign is absolute, right up to the moment when he actually attempts our destruction.† (Duff, Konstancja) As per the laws of nature, Hobbes stated that if a man desired his own preservation in the eyes of the State then he must act according to the rules that were laid down by the sovereign powers. He writes that the judgement that the sovereign authority passes is maintained as the trump card or the deciding factor for everything that takes place within the State. Thus, following the same concept, political obligation recognises the same and as per this private normative judgements of the people might never be taken into account. Disobedience of the law of the land may only be taken into account when a person’s life is in immediate threat or danger. Political obligation in simple terms only refers to a civic duty that every citizen possesses. Hobbes maintained the fact that it was important to obey the rules and regulations laid down or dictated by anyone trying to maintain political order as a part of political obligation of a person. Such tyranny made people unhappy and uneasy to follow. He was opposed by political philosophers like John Locke for stating his version of political

India and China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

India and China - Essay Example As mothers, they used to take care of their homes and their children and ensure that their daughters end up marring a rich person. In India, a female serves several roles throughout her life at different stages of life. Every female is expected to go through two stages of life, the first stage is when an Indian female assumes the position as a daughter in Indian family and the second stage is when she assumes the position of being a wife along with a daughter in law in her life. As an Indian female child or daughter, the parents of an Indian girl expect her to enjoy her life, concentrate on her studies and become an obedient child to her parents. For example, Sita in Sarena Nanda’s article named â€Å"Arranging a Marriage in India† states that as a child her family does not expects her to find a boyfriend and a future partner for her and instead want her to leave this task on their shoulders while she continues to have fun and enjoy their life (Hirschberg 192). This eve n means that parents of Indian families expect their daughters to be dependent on them for major decisions of their life such as deciding about the person whom she is going to get married to and spend her life with. Another important point stated in Nanda’s article is that when a girl is married to a boy in India, the girl does not only gets married to the individual male, she even agrees to be committed with entire family of her husband. For example, when Sita was asked about how she can get married to a person she does not know, she responded that her parents conduct a background check on the family of her future possible husband. This means that at an early age, her parents have already injected it in her mind that after she gets married she even has to serve the family of her husband. In the ancient Chinese era, the Chinese families expected the female children to accept that the males of the society were elites and they were subordinates to them. This is evident in the a rticle named â€Å"China Chic: East Meets West† as it has been stated that the activity of foot binding was limited to the female gender and at a very early age this activity was conducted to ensure that the size of female feet remains smaller than the size of the male feet to symbolize male dominance (Steele 416). The females of the ancient Chinese era were even expected to accept that no matter how weak their male counterparts were, they were still elites and dominant. This explanation is correct as foot binding was especially under taken during the period when the Chinese were experiencing defeats and in order to boost the morale of the military officials, foot binding was used to make them feel superior. Chinese women were even expected by their family members, especially by their mothers to look sexually attractive so they can compete against concubines in order to attract their male counterparts. Steele asserts that small feet were perceived to be very sexually attracti ve, thus females of ancient Chinese used to be involved in the act of foot binding. The process of foot binding even reflects that Chinese women during the ancient Chinese period were expected to marry a rich husband and in order to attract such a husband, their families used to bind their feet at a very early age and their children used to accept the activity in a very brave manner. Steele’s text even highlights that the role of a mother was to ensure

Guitar Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Guitar - Research Paper Example Keywords: Guitar, Music, instrument Introduction Guitar is a stringed musical instrument commonly used in most of the production of music. It is a versatile instrument made of wood, and it enables the composition of complex harmonies and intonation (Hempstead & Worthington, 2005). The instrument consists of two parts; the neck from which the strings originate and the body on which the strings terminate (Wade, 2001). It is one of the most played musical instruments after piano. Most guitars have six strings, but there are some with four while others have twelve strings. Allan (2002) says that a guitar produces sound by the playing of its strings. The sound produced gets projected through electrical amplification or acoustically (for the case of electrical and acoustic guitars respectively). Playing a guitar involves plucking the strings with one hand while fretting the strings with the other hand (Hempstead & Worthington, 2005). It is one of the most fundamental musical instruments be cause of its convenience. It is easy to carry a guitar around because it is light and portable as compared with drums and piano (Wheeler, 1980). Types of Guitars There are several types of guitars, but all of them fall under two broad categories: acoustic and the electric guitars. The acoustic guitars depend on acoustic means as opposed to electronic means, to convert and amplify the energy of the vibrating strings to produce a sound (Kasha, 1998). This involves use of a soundboard that amplifies the vibrations of the strings. There are two types of acoustic guitars: classical and the steel-string. The classical ones have no nylon strings. Additionally, they have wider necks unlike to the steel-string guitars which have a metallic sound that is distinctive wide range of most popular music styles (Hempstead & Worthington, 2005). The body of an acoustic guitar is a hollow chamber, which makes the instrument has a deep tone. Its portability and ease of use is the quality that makes the acoustic guitars suitable to small concerts, churches and other functions (Tom & Mary, 1977). For stadium concerts and other large venues, some amplification is necessary. To do this using an acoustic guitar, the operator places the microphone a few inches from the sound-hole or alternatively by installing a pickup (Kasha, 1998). Electric guitars convert the vibration of its strings into electric impulses by use of a pickup by the principle of electromagnetic induction (Wheeler, 1980). The electric guitars differ from the others in two ways: one, they have solid bodies made from wood. The electric guitars must be amplified through electrical means in order to hear their sound (Wheeler, 1980). The use of an amplifier aims at obtaining implication of the electrical guitar. The electric guitar when amplified produces a metallic sound that does not decay fast, and this quality makes electric guitars suitable for pop, blues and jazz music (Ratcliffe, 2005). The strings of an electric gu itar are thinner than those of the acoustic guitars. The strings are also very close to the neck, therefore, pressing them down requires less force (Farmer, 1988). History of the Guitar The guitar is one of the man’s oldest and most symbolic musical instruments, and it is a major building

The Effectiveness Of Mass Media Advertisements Marketing Essay

The Effectiveness Of Mass Media Advertisements Marketing Essay For many years mass media advertising was seen as the strongest form of creating awareness to a companys brand. However, the 21st century brings with it the decline of traditional mass media. As humans are being exposed to more and more advertising on a large scale, it is only inevitable that the effectiveness of the mass communication will greatly diminish. Magazines and newspapers are losing readers, radio is losing listeners, and most importantly television is losing viewers. Whats driving this trend is that consumers are drifting more towards digital media driven by online content typified by social media sites and online gaming, as well as more and more homes having access to broadband internet connectivity   and its capability to provide an ever-growing and an ever-higher quality of video content. Marketers also face a general proliferation of media and distribution channels, with declining trust in advertising, multitasking by consumers, and digital technologies that give u sers more control over the their media time. These trends are simultaneously fragmenting both the audience and the channels needed to reach them. The danger for marketers is that this change will render the time honoured way of getting messages to consumers through TV commercials less effective at best and a waste of time and money at worst. Therefore, companies must be intuitive in seeking alternative marketing communications to increase their brand awareness and therefore utilise this now wider scope of tools. Tools that companies already acquire can be utilised and modified into an effective medium of communication. Promoting public relations and accompanying it with one of the reasons for the decline in the effectiveness of television advertising (social media). Companies are able to generate an effective, yet efficient means of delivering a brands message through a two way relationship. Accompanying an advertising industry that is in decline with the economic downfall, consumer s have little confidence towards brands and therefore developing a medium that can deliver a message that is portrayed through a story enables brands to once again deliver effective brand awareness. Brand awareness refers to the ability of the consumer as to whether they can recall or recognise a brand, that is, whether consumers know about the brand (Keller, 2008). Brand awareness must be established before building brand equity. The brand name develops the memory nodes in consumers minds (Aaker, 1991). Brand awareness consists of two factors: brand recognition and brand recall performance (Keller 1993). Consumers tend to link related brand knowledge to the brand name, this ultimately constitutes in the end product of brand equity (Aaker, 1991  and  Keller, 1993). Hence, brand awareness evokes an important learning advantage for the brand (Keller, 2008). Consumer decision making is also affected by brand awareness, especially for low-involvement packaged goods. Brands that consumers know are more likely to be included in the consumers consideration set (Hoyer and Brown, 1990  and  MacDonald and Sharp, 2000). Consumers may use brand awareness as a purchase decision heuri stic (Hoyer and Brown, 1990  and  MacDonald and Sharp, 2000). Therefore, brand awareness amplifies brand market performance. The decline of mass media advertising In its prime, network television was seen by marketers and ad agencies as the benchmark to successful brand awareness campaigns. This was due to the sheer number of consumers that tuned into the most popular television shows. The emphasis of these marketers was mass messaging of the brand to the consumers as companys based their television spending on the share of voice, that is making sure your market share, expenditure of competitors and the companys growth expectations of the brand was in line with the advertising budget. However, fragmenting media and shifting behaviour by consumers are revealing the traditional models limits due to the following trends. Media propagation. In the United States, what used to be a handful of stations has developed and evolved into 1,774 full power TV stations. Multitasking. With the development of the internet, more and more people are multitasking. According to Ulla G. Foehr, the average US teenager engages in an average of two other activities, one of these activities in homework. Therefore, as students are studying they have the ability to selectively listen to the television. Meaning that they can zone out when advertisements are aired and back in when the program returns. The same concept is applicable with the multitasking of surfing the internet and watching television. In a similar concept that supports multitasking. Switching Off is the process of consumers being selective of what they watch and the advertisements they trust. Yankelovich Partners state that 65% of consumers believe that they are constantly being bombarded with too much advertisement, with 65% saying they would be interested in products and services that would help block marketing, and 54% saying that they would avoid purchasing products that engulf with advertisement and marketing. What Communications should be exploited? As Brand awareness is scrutinized as being the focal point towards the succession of a brand, and therefore the company, it is essential that marketers develop efficient and effective messages in a communication that ultimately would increase the recognition and recall of the brand. Therefore, as the decline in the effectiveness of mass media continues, it opens a Pandora box of opportunities throughout other communications for marketers to develop and exploit. Marketers need a more meticulous approach to a fragmenting world, one that dismisses mentalities and norms from mass media advertisings golden age and understands the investment it really is. In other words, it will be necessary to boost marketings return on investment (ROI). Academicians and practitioners have debated the merits of integrating the related yet distinct functions of marketing and public relations (PR) for decades to develop an alternative route in developing brand awareness (Kotler and Mindak 1978.) Public relations is commonly related with communication activities that are designed to craft and maintain an organisations image with its publics (Kitchen P Proctor R, 2010) The role of organisational public relations is expanding with the changing times: PR doesnt just focus on your business product; it also assists in shaping strategic messaging .(Anonymous, 2010, p. 28). Traditionally, this meant that public relation professionals would meet and work with members of the news media to build a favourable image by publicising the brand throughout newspapers and broadcast media. However, with the development of web 2.0 defined as a platform whereby content and applications are no longer created and published by individuals, but instead are continuously modified by all users in a participatory and collaborative fashion (Kaplan Haenlein, 2010, p. 61), Winchell (2010) states that brands are being dismissed, measured and documented in real time and should therefore join the conversatio n in social media. American Airlines, one of the worlds largest air carriers, believes that public relations can help to maximize shrinking advertising budgets in tight economic times (Bush, 2009). It is therefore seen in modern society that the role of public relations can be two fold. As creator of the story, such as the conversation towards the consumer, and, as the curator of the medium to use, ie., social media. As a result of the economic downturn, many consumers have lost trust and confidence in the business environment. In a 2005 Starcom study, it was stated that 65% of consumers believed that advertisers paid to have their products placed or featured in magazine articles (Starcom Study 2005). Therefore, marketers must attempt to instil a new sense of comfort and confidence between the consumer and the brand. This is where public relations can be extremely effective, as authenticity can illicit strong connections from brand to consumer through the means of storytelling (Allen 2005). Storytelling has a role throughout organisations and even throughout public forums, as word of mouth through brand conversation is on the rise (Finchum 2010). Therefore, when consumers come into contact with a brand for the first time; strong, favourable and unique brand associations would have a higher probability of being evoked when an authentic story is told by the product or service itself, or by the cust omer word-of-mouth or by a credible third party (Denning, 2006, p. 43). Schipul (2009) proclaims that since todays society is centre of a conservative economy, the aim is to focus on an organisations relationship with its publics and social media is the communication medium for such a thing to transpire. Social media, with its greater ROI and its two way communication with consumers is the solution to support public relations in creating brand awareness with positive associations. Extraordinary advances in technology are dramatically altering the way, speed and nature humans are communicating with each other (Bandura 2001). Moxham (2008) states that when an organisation is in conversation with a consumer they should tell the brands story and empower the consumer to also spread the word. This is ultimately delivered through storytelling in the communication of social media. This never used to be the case, as public relations was only seen a one way sender-orientated approach to communication, whereby mass media such as television, newspaper and radio were used to address the public (Helder Kragh, 2002). However, in the digital age, there is now what is known as receiver oriented approach and this involves having two way conversations through the medium of social media. Therefore this polar opposite approach results in individuals shifting fluidly and flexibly between the role of audience and author. The creation of basic, easy to use software enables any consumer to comment, post, share content and form an online community around shared interest (Thornley 2008). McDonalds is an organisation that has successfully incorporated the sharing component through the social media communication of Facebook. They have achieved this by delivering a message, and encouraging its consumers to share it if it relates to their friends. This is where the traditional one way, sender orientated communication protocol fails, as communication will only occur because the consumer sender wants it to. This message will only work if the consumer is able to ascertain the meaning that the advertisement was attempting to portray (Stidsen 1975). Nikes 2012 Olympic Twitter campaign flourished as 16,000 people tweeted the hash tag Nike during the event, demonstrating the audience that can be i nteracted. Public relations, as skilled relationship builders, therefore have the advantage over traditional advertisement as they are able to ensure the consumer has a deep understanding of the message that the brand was illustrating. As the effectiveness of traditional mass media declines, organisations must be able to adapt their communications with the changing times to ensure that they have the greatest probability in creating consumer brand awareness whilst not only having a superior ROI but a communication that will reach the masses. Through the fusion of public relations and social media, brands have an opportunity to develop relationship between the brand and its publics, creating deep and meaningful stories that intend to divulge strong, unique and favourable brand associations with the consumer through online social networks. Companies then hope that these stories will continue to be shared by publics to other new consumers. These findings hold significant importance to the marketing communications industry, particularly companies who partake in mass media advertisement. A lot of uncertainty surrounds the issue of companies creating brand awareness and loyalty when consumers are becoming more immune to m ass advertising effects. This is why public relations has been emphasised, as it attaches more credibility to the brand and emphasises to two way communication, which completes the communication cycle by ensuring feedback from customers to ascertain brand experience and value. Therefore integrating public relations with social media will be the new key to unlock the door of the consumers mind. As medias golden age has come to a close, many marketers are frustrated and have limited agreement about what to do next. Some business managers are attempting to dissect marketing-mix models that exercise refined econometric methods to meticulously decipher the diverse effects of the marketing mix on business results. Managers should utilise public relations and ensure that they convey a strong and deep message to the consumer. This is a simplistic, yet effective proposal, and would be efficiently installed in most companies. The consequences of not implementing this marketing strategy are for everyone to see. Mass media advertising was exceptionally effective in previous decades as it was able to target such a large audience, particularly television viewers. The reasons for this can be seen as the downfall of it today. In consideration to todays amount, there were only a handful of channels, resulting in an increased target size. People do not watch television in the same manner as they used to. A majority of the population multi task and therefore disregard advertisements as it is being aired. Therefore, whilst advertisement expenditure increases it can only be predicted that companies that do not apply this strategy have the risk of not creating enough brand awareness and losing brand loyalty with its customers. It is therefore recommended that companies take advantage of these findings as it can only provide future benefits for the brand by accessing a wider audience, because it could be a consumer th at is multitasking between television and social media only to take all attention away from the televised commercial and onto the social media page where they become aware and informed about a brand online. Further research can deeper analyse the forms and methods that can be put incorporated in using this social media, such ways that take into account the costs and audience scope. Studies can also be partaken to evaluate the effectiveness of incorporating social media and public relations in developing brand awareness compared to other forms of communication.

Initiation Story Essay -- essays papers

Initiation Story "A&P", written by John Updike, is based on a moment in the life of a cashier. He was known as Sammy and he referred to his position in the grocery store as a slot checker. Sammy spent his time watching and wondering about customers. One day, while working, three girls dressed in bikinis entered the store and attracted his attention. He describes the three girls movements and watches them as they roam throughout the store. Eventually, the girls work their way to Sammy's cashier station to purchase the item which they have selected. Then Lengel, the manager of the store, enters and embarrasses the girls for their attire. As a result, Sammy quits his job at the A&P. This short story is an example of an initiation story through its use of characterization and plot. Sammy, the slot checker, at the "A&P" evolved throughout the story. Initially, he was only a cashier who was using his idol time to critique the customers who came passing through. His job was beneath his mental capabilities and so this was the only way he could keep himself bu...

Philippine Contemporary Issue-Abortion

Philippine Contemporary Issue – Abortion Why is abortion a social problem today? I think why abortion is a social problem is for the fact that not everyone agrees with that and everyone puts in their prospective. So then everyone else does to which leads into making it a big problem. The act of seeking or obtaining an abortion is not a real issue today. The personal issue of the people in the position of seeking an abortion hasn't changed with the exception that these people don't have to do it on a criminal basis from unsafe, illegal sources.Personal issues of fear of discovery, regret, guilt (or lack thereof), and what this will mean to their future and future relationships has not changed overtime Predominantly Catholic, the Philippine Islands have banned all abortion, except that which saves the life of the mother. Yet there are an average of 470,000 abortions induced annually. Filipinas do not have the same socio-political climate as they do in the United States.There is no taxi service to public abortion clinics, judicial waivers, or counseling sessions. If you are caught having an abortion in the Philippines, it’s against the law and you are thrown in jail – plain and simple. Of the women who are successful in inducing their own abortions, many go to great – and often grotesque – lengths to achieve their goal. Most of them take some form of anti-clotting or aspirin-related drugs, to induce bleeding.Some drink incredible quantities of alcohol. When all else fails, they throw themselves down flights of stairs or beat on their stomachs, with the â€Å"help† of a local midwife†¦ others self-catheter their vaginas. All of these violent practices greatly endanger the mother as well; it’s shocking that a woman would harm herself like that for an abortion. I’m not detailing this because I think pregnant Filipinas should have it cushy like they do in the States.No way! I believe just the opposite: The U nites States needs to outlaw abortion, now. I’m amazed at how desperate we are, as a civilization, to kill unborn babies and end inconvenient pregnancies. It is stunning that the world feels so entitled to its desires and personal gain that we have huge social movements trying to protect murder on demand. Think hard about that. Murder on demand – on a worldwide scale.

Japans International Relations

Japans International Relations Free Online Research Papers In this essay I will verify that Japan’s geographical location has influenced its international relations in a number of ways. I intend to show this by using information gathered from websites, books and articles. Japan’s land formation is extremely complex. This means that, due to its hilly land masses, covered in mountainous regions, volcanoes and earthquake prone tectonic plates it is a very difficult place to a.) build a house and b.) cultivate rice. As the Japanese public are amongst the largest consumers of rice in the world these difficulties with cultivation could cause problems for Japan’s economy. To protect it’s domestic rice sales, the Japanese government imposed an import tax of 450% on foreign rice. In order to justify this tax to their people the Japanese government lied about the quality of the imported rice. Japanese rice is unique, as a genus it is different from Thai jasmine and basmati. In times before genetic engineering, short grain rice was only indigenous to Italy and Japan. Despite the import tax on foreign rice, Japan is the worlds largest food importer, importing foods in large part from China, U.S.A, Russia, Thailand and Korea. Although at one time Japan was a self-sustaining country regarding food the subsequent change is largely due to a decrease in agricultural production. Major goods exported from Japan are high tech products such as automobiles, computers and other electronic items. An average of 74% of Japan’s exports are electronic goods. Whilst these types of exports are lucrative for Japan’s economy, they are damaging the environment. As Japan is host mainly to the chemical and heavy machinery manufacturing industries pollution levels are rising rapidly. This air pollution causes acid rain, the acidification of lakes and reservoirs is degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life. This requires Japan to import a greater amount of seafood from its neighbours. These combined factors ensure that Japan maintains positive international relations due to its heavy reliance on the world community for imports and exports. Since the end of the war Japan’s international relations with the U.S.A has improved dramatically and is particularly strong at the moment. Although this is good for Japan’s trade, it causes Japan to be viewed as American ‘lackeys’ and co-conspirators by other Asian nations. Concerns have arisen recently regarding the imbalance in trade between Japan and America. This imbalance has become so prominent there is a threat that it may weaken the worlds economy. It is a possibility that this trade imbalance could lead to the resentment of Japan by other leading industrial nations. This is a major concern for Japan as this may lead to restrictive trade measures being imposed. Allowing U.S military bases onto Japanese soil has also been looked upon unfavourably by its neighbours North Korea and Russia both of whom have turbulent relations with Japan. Although Japan’s relations with North Korea are improving this has not been helped by North Korea’s refusal over recent years to return a large number of Japanese citizens who were kidnapped in 1978. These citizens were kidnapped by North Korea in order to teach Japanese to North Koreans. They were given Korean names, forced to live in Korean society and forbidden to tell anyone even their children their true nationality. This has outraged the Japanese population. The Japanese government suspect there have been dozens of abductions, but North Korea have only admitted to thirteen kidnappings. So far five Japanese citizens have been returned to Japan. This issue has been continuing for a number of years and places a strain on the international relations between these countries. A key issue in Japan’s international relations being influenced by geography is the Kurile island conflict. This is a dispute between Russia and Japan over the sovereignty of four islands which are currently owned by Russia. The dispute is as to whether these islands currently under Russian rule were acquired by the treaty of Portsmouth or were owned by Japan prior to the treaty’s enforcement. The Russian government made an offer to Japan of returning two islands Shikotan and Habomai in 1956, however due to government changes in Japan at this time demands were hardened and requests for Kunashiri and Etorofu were made. This situation is very difficult as the issue is currently unresolved. In conclusion it is clear that environmental and geographical issues have had a strong impact on Japans international relations. I have looked at how land formation has influenced imports and exports which then effects pollution levels ( factories producing chemical and electronic goods). I have discussed the imbalance of trade between Japan and the U.S.A, and how Japans global position has caused the current conflicts with Russia and North Korea. This confirms some of the issues on how Japan’s international relations are influenced by it’s geography. Bibliography Allinson .G. D. (1997) Japan’s postwar history UCL press Curtis .G.L (1993) Japan’s foreign policy after the cold war: coping with change. M.E Sharpe Reischauer .E.O. Jansen .M.B.(1995) The Japanese today: change and continuity. the belknap press of Harvard University press. International internship programs (2001) Japan at a glance. Kondansha International Ltd. buzzle.com/editorials/10-15-2002-28266.asp japan-101.com/history/kurile_island_conflict.htm Research Papers on Japan’s International RelationsDefinition of Export QuotasAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2PETSTEL analysis of IndiaTwilight of the UAWPersonal Experience with Teen Pregnancy19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraGenetic Engineering

Roman Coliseum essays

Roman Coliseum essays 1. If I could be any one of the characters in the book The Outsiders, I would be Ponyboy because of his many good characteristics. He is intelligent which show by his good marks in school. He understands that its wrong to fight unless for self-defense. He is heroic; this shows by the fact that he ran into the burning church to save the children at the risk of his own life. Also, he has a bright future and many opportunities in his life because of his school grades and good-natured personality. These characteristics are what separate him from the other greasers and are also why I want to be like him. 2. It is five years after the worst week in Ponyboys life and many things have changed. Ponyboy has finished high school with top marks. He has quit smoking and is an all-star runner for the track team and was voted most likely to succeed. He has been offered several full scholarships to some of the best colleges in the country. Him and his brothers moved out of the city after Ponyboy finished high school and Darry decided to go to college. Ponyboy has learned that good things can come out of bad lives and has stayed gold. 3. I think the title of the book The Outsiders is a very good title considering the book itself. I think that the title described two people. I think Ponyboy is an outsider because hes not like the other greasers. He is not a hood because hes smart, level headed, and caring. Hes not tough like Dally because he picked up the glass from a bottle that he smashed. He also is one of the only greasers with a bright future; his education will take him far in life regardless of where he grew up. Also, Randy is an outsider. Randy is not like the other socials. He understands that fighting wont solve anything. He also doesnt hate all of the greasers just because everybody else does. He is a bright boy and finally understands that soc ...

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 41

Management - Essay Example China has financial institutions that are well developed and offer great services to their clients. The bank will need to understand the market well and know what is lacking that the people need, and aim to provide better services. The other challenge that it may encounter is the countries policies in the banking industry. The Chinese government has control over the lending and credit of banks in the countries. The China Banking Regulatory Commission (CRBC) was set up to control the financial institutions. This means that the interest rates on loans is controlled and the bank determines when the bank will give credit to its client. This is believed to control the value of the Rimini. The Chinese are one of the communities in the world known to uphold their culture despite being exposed to globalization. The important aspects of the Chinese citizens include their ceramics, music, religion, customs and celebrations, martial arts, cuisines, and costumes among others Giskin & Walsh, 2001). China has 56 ethnic groups located in various villages in the country. Each of these groups has different costumes, festivals, and festivals. These ethnic groups include the Mongolian, Hui, Miao, Zhuang among others. Socially, the Chinese are considered to possess humility, self-control, and are patient. The value of the family in China supersedes an individual’s. Family value is influenced by how a person behaves or acts in public. If a person exhibits behavior that is not considered right by the society, the image of the family is affected negatively. Respect for elders is also highly valued. They are also known to be very friendly and it is not a challenge to get along w ith them. China is also said to be a country where the citizens are very literate. Schools are widely set up in the country and families are encouraged to take their children to school to attain education. Education is important because it helps a person with

The Real-Political World in Movies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Real-Political World in Movies - Essay Example Episode 18, La Palabra, looks at the challenges and pressures that the media mounts on individuals in power, especially when it comes to controversial issues that require someone in a position of leadership to take a stand. The episode focuses on issues of healthcare and whether to give illegal immigrants driving licenses or not. This is reminiscent of real-life politics since healthcare continually plays a critical role in shaping the credibility of a leader, or the overall manifesto that an aspiring leader is presenting to the people. As an illustration, Obama’s Obamacare was viewed as being revolutionary by some, while being loathed by others. In all, his stance on healthcare is one of the major pillars that define his leadership up to now. On the other hand, the issue of illegal immigration is one of the major headaches affecting most European nations. Almost all leaders and individuals in powerful positions have something to say about illegal immigrants. The most vivid is Tramp’s stand on illegal Mexican immigrants, which led to him being in the mainstream media for quite some time. In all, this just highlights how the issue of illegal immigration is a major facet of the political landscape. Consequently, this shows how La Palabra touches on issues that are easily relatable to the real-life political world. Similarly, King Corn looks at the various intrigues affecting the lives of congressmen and other individuals in busy political offices. The episode is full of the intrigues that these individuals go through.

Greek Microsoft Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Greek Microsoft - Case Study Example He/she will be responsible for the AntiPiracy organization to maximize efficiency of AntiPiracy programs externally throughout customer segments and Reseller's channel & internally for all employees driving AntiPiracy education and readiness campaigns (eg. what is Intellectual Property (IP), SW Asset management (SAM) etc). In addition, for building an external, cross-industry coalition and managing relationships with third party influential's to maximize the impact that we have on government engagement efforts targeting local and foreign influencers to combat piracy." Ten years ago the specific sub was rather small (30 employees). The General Manager was the leader and followed all Microsoft guidelines for personnel and management. This sub was particularly important for the Middle East Africa region therefore there was an interest from the headquarters for the sub's profits and sales turnover. After a major reengineering the sub moved to the EMEA (Europe Middle East Africa) region and its importance was significantly reduced. The Antipiracy Manager's position lost its importance since it became a subordinate of Small and Medium Enterprises Manager (SME) instead of the General Manager as it was before. The work environment, prior to the move to EMEA, was comfortable and employees felt they had initiative and their efforts were rewarded accordingly. When the sub moved to EMEA, a new General Manager took over the position as the old one resigned. The new GM did not have any experience of the software industry (his experience was in Digital, PC hardware) and his leadership style was different. He made his decisions based solely on his Direct Reports feedback without cross checking the info he had and without having first hand experience. This fact plus his non software experience created a very negative work environment. Employees' performance appraisal was based on their good or bad working relationships with the managers and not on objective and measurable criteria. People started playing "politics" instead of being productive. As a result, the sales turnover of the sub, after having seven consecutive years increase, was reduced significantly. The new GM was fired after having only two years work experience at the sub. Brief analysis of the theory of Emotional intelligence and the role of a positive environment. D. Goleman (2000) defines Emotional Intelligence as the ability to recognize our own feelings as well as the feelings of others, to create motives for ourselves and to handle correctly our feelings and our

The impact of ICT on the local community Essay Example for Free

The impact of ICT on the local community Essay Introduction I live in the borough of Waltham Forest. Waltham Forest is quite an advanced community in terms of technology. Technology is used for various things, whether to make them more efficient or to provide a better service. Walthamstow is a small town located within Waltham Forest, which also harbours Leyton and Leytonstone. It is located to the North East of London and bordered to the north by Chingford, to the south by Leyton and Leytonstone, to the east by Epping Forest, to the west by Tottenham and the River Lea valley. Walthamstow is identified by the London plan as one of the 35 major centres in Greater London. Walthamstows market is one of the longest daily outdoor markets in Europe and dominates the High Street. There are various shops lined along the high street with some high-end chain brands to several individually opened stalls that specialise in food, fabrics, household goods and other such stuff. The Mall in Selborne Walk is the largest place in the area to find lots of different brand shops selling high-end goods manufactured and produced to the mass public via corporations instead of individual businesses. The individual businesses tend to be all located outside on the high street. The central library has also recently been refurbished and modernised. It was expanded from 2006-2007 to hold a wider range of books to serve to the public and provide a much better service. Walthamstow also contains other things such as post offices, arcades, funfairs, charity events and a variety of different schools. These include the Frederick Bremer School (a coalition formed in 2008 of the two schools Aveling Park and Warwick School for Boys), Forest School, The Holy Family Technology College, Kelmscott School, Walthamstow Academy, Walthamstow School for Girls, Willowfield School and Sir George Monoux College. There is also the Walthamstow Town Hall. The town hall is used for a variety of things, from important council meeting to being rented for other reasons of necessity e.g. during the Muslim holiday, Eid, the Town hall was used as a place of mass prayer. The National Rail and London Underground Stations include Walthamstow Central Underground and National Rail station, Blackhorse Road Underground and National Rail station, Walthamstow Queens Road, Wood Street, Highams Park and St James Street. The biggest would be the Walthamstow Central Underground and National Rail station which is, as the name states, in the central of the town. It is located near the location of the main bus stations that go around the whole town and near the Selborne Walk Mall. This makes it quite an efficient place as people can travel throughout the town simply after arriving at the station. The station in particular is located on the East end of the Victoria Line, being the last stop. The bus services are also quite complex. There exists a full infrastructure Hopper Service and a multi point-to-point network which is serviced to and from the main bus terminal in Walthamstow Central to a cross network passing through the centre and the outskirts. The five pieces of technology I will be investigating, assessing and evaluating will be the following: * Oyster-card/Travel system * Librarian system * ATM machines * Waltham Forest Council website * CCTV/Metropolitan website Oyster card/Travel system The Oyster card system is a system that functions throughout all of London, within the Tube and Bus services. It is a form of electronic ticketing which uses a database system to track travel information, linking it back to the owner of the corresponding oyster card, and charges them to the appropriate degree for the travelling expenses of the services they used. Oyster cards generally need to be topped-up to be used and works similar in this function to a debit card. The following travel systems incorporate the Oyster card: London Underground, buses, the Docklands Light Railway, London Overground, trams, certain river boat services and the majority of National Rail Services within the London Fare Zones. The Oyster card generally appears as the blue card seen above. It can be used as a single-ticket, period tickets and travel permit. It is also integrated with a Smart card system which uses certain data in the Oyster card to be able to, without using contact, be detected by Oyster card machines. Buses and train platforms use Oyster card machines to scan the card. Once the beep is identified, the person is let through. However, there are also different versions of Oyster cards which also come with different prices and a different appearance. For example, the card to the right is an example of an 11-15 age group Oyster Card and is what all Oyster card holders in that age period hold. In this card, a photographic identification is needed. How the Oyster card and London travel system meets the communitys needs The Oyster card is a small, portable, easy to carry card that carries on it the data of all your travelling expenses and money stored on the Oyster card system. Not only this, but it also holds the advantage over tickets of being cheaper and providing discounts, with buses being completely free for 11-15 year olds. All of these provide the incentive to switch from the out-dated ticket method to the modernised Oyster card system. What this does for the community is provides them with a much more efficient and cheaper system. An oyster card can be topped up to a maximum of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½90. This would be equal to about 45 single tickets but the oyster card is capable of carrying this all in one simple card that stores data inside it. People can be much more organised with this system and save a lot of money in the long run. They can keep track of their travels and how much they are spending. Its portability is another thing that is extremely valuable to people who use the Oyster card system. People dont need to go and purchase a ticket and sort it all out. All they need to do is get their oyster card, tap it on the system and their travelling business is sorted! It makes travelling using public services much more simple for anyone using it. The smart card feature instils a small bit of data into the card, meaning that its data can be detected with the oyster card readers the government installs. People dont have to take their oyster card out of their wallets as the card reader can detect the card through wallets. This makes things easier, especially in crowded buses. The hassle of taking everything out, locating the card and removing it can overcomplicate things and waste time. The smart card feature takes away this long process and gives people the ability to simply tap and move on. The travel system incorporates a countdown system on trains and buses to allow people to approximately see when the bus/train will arrive, whether itd be late, early or on time. People can use this to know when to be present at the station so they can have time to do other things and know when to be back at the station. This gives people the chance to spend their time wisely instead of waiting at a station not knowing how long left to wait and not wanting to miss the train or bus, either. The countdown system on the train is more accurate as its all computerised but on buses, most of them are used via a time schedule on paper. The countdown system essentially allows people to organise their time, plan out much more thoroughly their journey and avoid being late to appointments. Theres a site created by the government that goes along with the travel system called Transport for London, accessed from www.tfl.gov.uk. This site has information about everything regarding the oyster card system, the train system and in general, any public transport facility in all of London. But other than information, it also has a travel planner allowing you to plan a journey, avoiding any problems such as closed lines or to be aware of any accidents that have currently took place. This allows you to plan a safe, fast journey with no obstacles delaying you. This helps people to be punctual on their journey. The site also allows you to log on and view your information. Using this, you can check the money on your Oyster Card and top it up using a credit card. This means that you can pre-plan your journey to make sure you have enough money preventing any problems when travelling. You can also find other information on the site regarding oyster cards, e.g. losing the card, replacing the card, benefits and many more. Buses have the ability to be manually stopped at certain stops but also have the choice to go past the stops. This means that unnecessary stops where no one needs to get off or no one needs to get on can be skipped thus saving time and allowing people to get to their desired destination faster. People can plan where they want to stop or skip the stop if need be. There is also the emergency stop which stops at any location in case something dangerous happens. This allows people to get off the bus in case of a casualty of some sort. As mentioned in the countdown system, buses have quite a strict schedule they need to follow. The schedules are all listed in each bus stop or on the tfl.gov site so people know when a certain bus will arrive. This can be more useful than the countdown system as the schedules stay the same every day. This means that people can plan their journey right to the dot and get to the station right when the bus arrives. People know when exactly to arrive, so they arent too early or too late. This saves them time. Summary * While not completely necessary to use public transport in Waltham Forest, it provides the incentive of discounted use of trains and buses, with buses being completely free with an 11-15 Oyster card * Easy to carry and easy to handle on buses and trains * Smart card feature allows a much easier contact/purchase of transport service, only needing a touch of the Oyster card and nothing more * Countdown system in buses and trains give people a lot more preparation and organisation to their daily schedule * Transport system has its own website-Transport for London-that displays all kinds of information and latest news regarding the transport system * Buses can be manually stopped and requested to stop at certain stops and if no requests are made, no stops happen thus saving time and helping people get where they want to faster * Buses all follow a strict schedule so people know when to expect a bus to arrive and at exactly what minute of the hour How it fails to meet the communitys needs A lot of times, you naturally assume that the bus will stop. However, if there is no one needing to be picked up or no one who has pressed the button to stop the bus, then the bus would simply carry on. This can cause a lot of people to be late due to carelessness which happens quite a lot. People have to stay alert when their stops are coming by otherwise the bus might simply pass it before they realise. Oyster cards are small and can be lost quite easily. They also cost quite a bit to replace and take up to a week for a new one to arrive. This can put a halt to travelling plans or force you to spend extra on buying tickets. Oyster cards, when lost or stolen, can still be used unless reported stolen. As a lot of buses or trains dont generally check if the ID/photograph matches, someone can easily just use your oyster card for their own travelling needs and use up your own money supplies topped up on the oyster card. While buses have a schedule, they can ruin it by coming late. This can be due to an emergency, an accident or just simple traffic. They can also come early causing some people to miss the bus and theyd have to wait for the next one. This can cause a few problems for people in terms of punctuality. Summary * Manual stops cause you to miss yours and ruin your schedule * Oyster cards cost a lot of money to replace and are quite easy to lose * Oyster cards can easily be used by a thief using your own money without being detected * Buses can ruin schedules by coming late due to an accident of sorts Conclusion The Oyster card/travelling system is extremely useful for a citizen in London. Its an extremely advantageous system to have and people benefit tremendously. It saves a lot of money for people in contrast to the previous ticket system and makes peoples travel much more organised and safe. People can premeditate their plans and journeys and plan through any foreseeable interruptions. The community find it much more beneficial in terms of arriving on time. Walthamstow Library/Librarian system A library is essentially a building or room containing books, periodicals and occasionally DVDs or CDs ranging from music to movies for people to loan for a period of time. It can also be a place to study, access computers, access a WiFi connection and lots more, depending on the library. The library in Walthamstow is called the Walthamstow Library. It is located on the Walthamstow High Street, one of the biggest high streets in the country. This means it is easily accessible to a large range of people as the high street is linked to a lot of transport facilities. Its area is extremely efficient as it can take advantage of the large amount of shoppers and shops in the area. It is open every day apart from Thursdays and Fridays. As well as providing the usual functions a library would, it also provides events to kids and even adults in the area such as specialty classes (computer, reading etc.). But the most beneficial thing a library provides to its community would be the loaning of books, DVDs and other such things which is essentially controlled by the librarian system. The library system in Walthamstow also connects with the library systems in other towns in London. They all share one database. Having worked in Leytonstone Library, I had access and in-depth experience to how exactly the librarian system works in the community. The library system works in correspondence with a library card which links to a database called OpenGalaxy. This database contains information of all the people who signed up to any of the libraries in all of London, unless they use another database. It also contains information of all the books in London that have been sent to the library. These books are then linked to each person in the database when they either loan or return it. The library can easily track each book and who it is currently loaned to using this system. How Walthamstow Library and the Librarian system meets the communitys needs The OpenGalaxy system essentially allows anyone, as long as they have simply signed up for a free library card, to loan a book, CD or DVD. Books are free to loan and CDs and DVDs come at a small charge. This allows people who cant afford to buy such things to simply borrow them and give them back. People have free or cheap access to things they usually would have to pay for. People of all kinds are allowed to enjoy books due to the library. People can use this system to reserve books from libraries not just in their local one, i.e. Newham Library and such as the system is connected between all the branches. This means that it is much easier to track a book you might not be able to find elsewhere as there is a large source in which you are searching in. People can also have internet access via laptops due to the public WiFi connection in the library. People who dont usually have access to such privilege can do so via the library. They can do all sorts of things to the internet e.g. research, study or even play games. There is also a quiet room where these people can go so they wont be disturbed in any way. People can find a place to go to where they can focus and not be distracted. The library also gives people free access to computers as long as they have a library card. People are given the chance to work on these computers if they dont have one themselves and its all a free service. This means that people who cant maintain their own computer or internet are given the chance to via a library. The library becomes an important place for people like this. The library also offers children/adult sessions on various things like singing groups, computer classes etc. These can be extremely helpful for busy parents who can simply leave their children here where they would be looked after and socialise with other kids. Adult sessions also mean that uneducated people can be taught how to do certain things that are necessary in this modern age e.g. use a computer which is an essential skill to keep up with the fast modernisation of the world. People who dont have access to a printer or photocopier at home can use the library. This means that people save money on not having to purchase their own printer and photocopier as they can simply use the library. People can print out work or photocopy posters and such using the library. Summary * People can loan a large variety of books, CDs and DVDs * People can use this system to reserve books not limited to their local branch * People can use the library to connect to WiFi * People can use the computers free of charge as long as they have a library card * People can use the quiet room to study in the library * People can take advantage of the librarys children or adult sessions * People can take advantage of the photocopying/printing privileges How it fails to meet the communitys needs The library has a minimal amount of faults as they are a funded public service to the community and do well in serving and providing to the general public. However, there are a few. For example, a library card has your library identity in it. If it gets lost or stolen and goes unreported, people can take books and not return them all under your name, thus giving you the blame. Also, the library card is extremely harsh with overdue books. If a book goes overdue, you have to pay a large fine or you cannot use the loaning system any longer. This fee soon increases if you dont pay and eventually becomes impossible to pay for some people as they would either refuse or just not bother with such a high amount. People would also have to pay an exaggerated amount if they lose the book. This can be a problem to people who cannot afford to simply pay this money, stopping them from loaning any more books. Summary * Library cards can be easily lost or stolen and used to steal books under your name * Pay a large fine for books you have lost or not returned within the due date Conclusion The library is a place with many uses and helps the needy who cant afford their own resources. It is an extremely valuable asset to the community as it provides a place to gain knowledge, finish work and study in peace. ATM machines ATM machines, also known as the automated teller machines, are public and easily accessible machines that give you the ability to access your bank account without the need of going to a banker, cashier or any kind of human interaction. They generally work via a pin number and an insertion of the credit card into the ATM. It then displays your credit card credentials, balance and gives you the option to withdraw and deposit your desired amount. How ATM machines meet the communitys needs With the ATM machine, people save the time by not having to go to a bank and wait in a long queue. An ATM machine simply does all these things for you. You can check your balance and withdraw plus deposit money. Its a very efficient method of transferring money from your bank account. Its a quick, fast and simple method to use. The ATM machine has easy instructions to follow to use it so even the most novice person can use it just by following the instructions given. You simply have to enter your credit card, pin number and then the action you want to take. This makes it easy for a lot of people to transfer money and saves a lot of time. Its located in a lot of ideal and efficient areas, such as outside a supermarket. This allows people to use them when theyre in a dire need of money without having to do something elongated such as going to a bank to withdraw a simple amount of money. If you forget some money you need, you can simply go to one of the easily accessible ATMs which are located in a wide area. This saves people a lot of hassle. The ATM machine can print receipts so if there are any errors due to a technical difficulty, you have proof that the transfer did take place. This saves a lot of problems that occur with the ATM machine and allows the transfer to be much more secure. If people stole your credit card, they could just take it to an ATM machine; steal all the money, leave the credit card and run away. The need of a pin number, which should only be known by the owner of the card, prevents this. A lot of credit card fraud is negated this way. Summary * Negates the need of the prolonged method of going to a banker * Quick, fast and simple to use * Located in a lot of areas allowing you to withdraw money in a large variety of places * Allows you to get money out when you most need it, meaning you dont have to carry large amounts of money wherever you go and put yourself at risk * Printable receipts so you can have proof of withdrawal or deposit in-case a problem occurs * Need of pin number prevents a lot of fraud How it fails to meet the communitys needs However, credit card fraud still takes place even with the need of a pin. It is easy to peek over and see what exactly the pin number is. This can also work with fake ATM machines to steal a lot of money from people. ATM machines are located in a lot of different places so itd be hard to tell if an ATM machine is fake or real. People can easily be taken advantage of in this way. Con artists can place ATM machines and use it to steal or copy a credit card and take a pin number and use it to steal lots of money from the credit card. People can easily be stolen from in this way. People are also easy targets to being mugged. If you are seen coming from an ATM machine, people assume you are carrying a mystery amount of money on you. This puts you as an ideal target for thieves who see you coming from an ATM machine. Thats why it is very dangerous to use one in a secluded area. The efficient, easy use of an ATM machine to withdraw cash can also be a big downside. With the ease of money transfer which is supposed to be securely stored, it might tempt you to withdraw too much for personal needs. ATM machines are strategically located outside casinos so when people gamble, they might be tempted to withdraw more money, especially with how easy it would be. Summary * Easy to fraud despite the need for a pin * Fake ATM machines placed in random locations by thieves and con artists might be used * Easy target for theft if seen coming from an ATM machine * Can tempt you to spend too much, especially if placed outside something such as a casino Conclusion ATM machines can be seen as being essential to a community as they allow the community to transfer money much faster and stops banks from being overcrowded. However, a lot of ATM machines in unsecure locations may put you at the risk of credit card fraud. So, while using them might be useful in terms of saving time and practicality, you are also put at the risk of being a target of criminals. Waltham Forest Council website The Waltham Forest council website is an extremely useful website that can easily be accessed from any computer, as long as they have internet. It provides help with living in the community and information regarding lots of things, such as education, jobs, leisure, information on services in the community e.g. timetables, open dates, events, and many more. People can access a feature called My services where they can do many things such as apply for housing, jobs, parking permits etc. to paying council tax and checking business rates and paying off parking fines. It provides a lot for this community and supports the whole communitys needs in lots of different ways. How the Walthamstow Forest Council website meets the communitys needs The vast amount of information which the site holds involving the borough is staggering. Anything you need to know is located on this site. You can learn about events, shops, clubs, schools and many more. People can use the site to find out all they want about the area they live in. People have access via this site to do things related to fines, taxes and other such things. This means that people wont have to get out of their house to do such things. It can all be paid via the website. This is extremely efficient and saves the community a lot of time. People can use the site to find any vacancies in the area in different areas of the job market. They can have up to date information on when a vacancy opens and do all they can to try and find a job, whether it be part time or full time. This is extremely useful to the large amount of unemployed who can simply find any open jobs using this site without having to go to job centres and such. Parents can look up education and find the best schools to go to in the area for their children using the site. They can find which school would fit their exact location and needs. This is extremely useful and helpful to children as parents can choose which school would suit their child best. You can find any current events or news that happen in the borough via the site. You can keep up to date with anything that happens. This beats the need for newspapers and makes sure people dont miss any community events. Summary * A large amount of information pertaining to the borough * Access to services and ability to do things such as pay fines and taxes which saves time doing it in real life * Find jobs in your area * Look up schools in your area * Find out any current events happening in the borough How it fails to meet the communitys needs The website does not necessarily have any disadvantages. But it does need an internet access which a lot of people still dont have or know how to use. Summary * Needs internet access Conclusion People, living in not just Walthamstow, but the whole of Waltham Forest benefit greatly from this site. They can keep up to date with their lives and know everything going on in the surrounding area. They can find out about jobs, education and other important factors of life. CCTV/Metropolitan website The CCTV system and the metropolitan website both work in keeping finding and keeping crime off the streets. CCTV, which stands for closed circuit television, is a system which uses video cameras to monitor a certain location which happens by sending the footage to the corresponding office it is connected to where it is viewed by the security of that particular place. For example, they could be cameras showing footage of a school, a supermarket or any other office environments. CCTV is generally used for surveillance. They are generally in places where there are risks of crime taking place. The metropolitan site is used to help capture crimes not seen by CCTV cameras or lacking evidence. People can report crimes and also stay confidential. This can allow people to supposedly snitch without the fear of being caught for snitching. How CCTV and the Metropolitan website meets the communitys needs When a criminal sees that a CCTV is in the area, they think twice about committing a crime. This is the first step CCTVs do in reducing crime. The fear of being caught on camera stops the crime from happening in the first place. If a crime is captured, then it can be used as evidence in a court case. It can be shown to prove that a person did commit a crime and help put the criminals behind a bar. This makes the community much safer not only knowing that CCTV would capture the crime if it took place but also that the criminal is locked up behind bars. The method of sending the video feed captured on a video camera back to where its being monitored is quite efficient in that its effective and fast at sending the information back. This makes it easier to capture criminals as the system works in a speedy way. Places such as schools where kids are most vulnerable are kept safe. If a stranger appears or something extremely dangerous happens, CCTV can be used to find the culprit. Dangerous people such as child molesters are found and arrested making school safer and making the kids feel much more secure being in school. The most effective use of the CCTV is that it can be placed in a large variety of places, watching crime from even the most dangerous areas. This allows it to be able to reduce crime no matter where it takes place. The metropolitan website aims to make London a much safer place. This provides reassurance in the community and they have access to a lot of the resources located in the site. People are able to confide in crimes while keeping their identity a secret. This stops people from being scared of being caught for snitching which can provide harsh consequences for the snitch in relation with his friends. The anonymity provides reassurance and a sense of security. Summary * The simple presence of CCTV deters criminals * If it captures a crime, it can be used as evidence * Efficient method of sending camera feed to the corresponding connection where it is being monitored * Keeps places such as schools safe * Can be placed wherever it needs to be * The website aims to keep London safe * Allows people to confide in crimes theyve witnessed while staying anonymous * Provides reassurance to people who are having from witnessing a crime How it fails to meet the communitys needs However, people do complain that CCTV makes for a lack of privacy for people. People feel that it invades what should be personal space. It is also quite expensive and advanced to set up as a whole. The CCTV system requires skill and knowledge of ICT to be able to set up properly and also a lot of money. Summary * Invasion of privacy * Expensive to set up * Can be quite advanced to set up Conclusion Overall, CCTV and the Metropolitan website work extremely well in keeping London secure and crime free. People are less worried about crime wherever they go and it adds an assurance to people knowing they are being protected.