Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Global Climate Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Global Climate Change - Essay Example However, we’ve only seen a glimpse of what’s to come in both the near and far future. It’s not a myth as deniers would have people believe or even a debate to be had. The earth’s climate is warming and man-made air pollutants are the main cause. Factories and automobiles are spewing hundreds of tons of carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere faster than it can be naturally absorbed. Air pollution is not only affecting people’s lungs but every aspect of the natural world as well. This warning has been sounded by climatologists for at least 30 years; the science has in, peer-reviewed and accepted by more than 98 percent of all scientists worldwide. The only question is do we have the political will to do anything about it. Carbon dioxide is the main â€Å"greenhouse gas† affecting the earth’s temperature. The greenhouse effect is a naturally occurring event that provides a warm blanket of air for the earth. It had served the planet well f or thousands of millennia but excess gasses are causing the effect to become unbalanced. In much the same way as a man-made greenhouse are designed to grow plants operate, the earth’s greenhouse allows in sunlight but just enough to keep the temperature steady. Gases, such as naturally occurring carbon dioxide and water vapor trap some energy but the rest is bounced back into space. Excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere absorbs additional heat allowing less back into space thus warming the earth at a faster rate than normal. Methane and nitrous oxide are two other types of gasses caused either directly or indirectly by man’s actions but carbon dioxide, the result of fossil fuel emissions are the main culprit. This pollutant accounts approximately 85 percent of the excess greenhouse gas. Oil and gasoline used by automobiles and coal burnt in electric generating power plants are by far the main source of carbon in the atmosphere. Methane results from cattle flatulence therefore the more beef people eat, the more methane is emitted into the atmosphere. In nature, animals, such as humans, breathe out carbon dioxide and growing plants â€Å"breathe† it in. This is not a contributor to climate change but coal and oil emissions are. (Walls-Thumma, 2012) Slight changes in the earth’s average temperature cause big changes in intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as drought, rains, floods and tropical storms. With only modest temperature variations rare weather occurrences become more often and are more severe. Precipitation patterns are altered. Normally dry areas become drier and areas that usually experience moderate rains are deluged by heavy rains. Examining the way global climate change has altered the chances for a particular event occurring has been performed for extraordinary incidents such as the 2003 heat wave in Europe which left tens of thousands dead. The odds of this extreme heat wave occurring, based on reco rds dating back 150 years, are about 1 in 10 million. (Shar, et al., 2004) When factoring in just a two degree temperature rise globally, the odds closed severely, more than quadrupling the chances. The intense weather occurrences that were expected to happen with greater frequency in a warming world are increasing. For example, just six decades ago record high temperatures were occurring at the same frequency as record low temperatures. Today, approximately two record highs are documented for each record low. That is phenomenal change and a clear indicator of a warming earth and the correlation of higher temperatures with extreme weather events. This increase in record high temperatures is occurring all over the globe. A comparable two to one proportion of record highs temperatures to record lows have recently been documented in

Monday, October 28, 2019

What do you find irritating about a certain media text Essay Example for Free

What do you find irritating about a certain media text Essay A media text that I find quite irritating is the reality television programme Big Brother. This programme has become something of a phenomenon since it began in the Netherlands in 1999, spreading throughout various countries normally a series or two each year. The show is based around a number of contestants who are isolated from the outside world in a Big Brother House one by one being eliminated until there is an ultimate winner. The show relies on its vast audience to vote for whom they would like to be eliminated from the house each week. It is this huge response that the producers receive each year that keeps the show running, however over the years, this huge following has resulted in each contestant only applying for the show because of the quick rise to fame that follows after the show ends, and according to the Learning and Skills Council; one in seven UK teenagers hope to gain fame by appearing on reality television. The media have also become obsessed with the programme, and it is not unusual to see these contestants on the front pages of magazines, revealing shocking stories of their past. The fascination and ultimate obsession that the public has with these ordinary contestants has caused many unnecessary disagreements both on and off the show, which have dominated newspaper headlines when there may be something of greater importance to account. The idea of Big Brother did originate from Dutchman John De Mol, however the shows name comes from George Orwells novel Nineteen-Eighty-Four, in which there is a character named Big Brother who oversees all of dystopian Oceania. The contestants that are sent into the house are often chosen from a sociological perspective, where tension can arise quite easily between people, i. e. placing a loud extroverted person with quite a withdrawn individual in the same room would cause a lot of arguments due to clash of personality. These clashes of personality have cause many incidents over each series of the show, often escalating each year. One example of this would be the fifth series of Celebrity Big Brother (a spin off show of Big Brother containing contestants of a small celebrity status) which took place in January 2007, where a row sparked by racial comments towards Asian contestant Shilpa Shetty was heard around the world. Channel 4 stated that they received a record number of complaints citing racial bullying, and blamed producers for not intervening with the situation. The current prime minister Gordon Brown was hounded by the media to give his views on the incident, which one may find incredibly absurd, as it seems we live in a world where a television programme has more priority than important political affairs. The reaction in Shettys native country, India, was also incredibly shocking as citizens took to the streets of India and burned effigies of the shows organisers. After this huge and rather outrageous reaction, many protested that Big Brother should be axed from Channel 4 and a new series should not return, however this is not happen and Big Brother returned in the summer for an eighth series. The continuation of the show has much relevance to the key concepts, involving the institutions that produce shows such as Big Brother and the audiences that consume them. The reaction that the media and audiences gave to the producers on the racial bullying that appeared on Big Brother may not have been incredibly positive, however it still caused an enormous controversial uproar in the media world, which acted as good publicity for the Big Brother brand. This is proven with the rating figures that followed with Big Brother 8 which were some of the highest the show had ever received, and there is a simple reason for this audiences are addicted to the taboo effect that the show can bring into the household, along with an incredible fascination with watching and analysing ordinary people in an extraordinary environment. What is normally kept behind closed doors in everyday life is available for all to see on national television, and audiences take full advantage of the fact that it is possible to peek into anothers personal space. The media (magazines, newspapers etc. ) observe this fascination and fuel it with articles that ridicule certain contestants to pass them up to the public for furthermore analysing and examination. However, the scrutiny of certain individuals on the show does not seem fair in my opinion, but the show has become so widespread it is now a known fact that any person that enters the house is aware that the media will ridicule their lifestyle. Screenwriter Sheryl Longin stated the difference to the brain between watching reality television and scripted drama is like the difference to our vision between High Definition television and 1970s quality video. In my opinion this is incredibly unfortunate as television is being dominated by these reality television shows due to our obsession with.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

John Steinbecks East of Eden - Catherine as Monster :: East Eden Essays

Catherine as Monster in East of Eden In the novel, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, Catherine Ames is one of the main characters. She is introduced to the reader as a monster and as time goes on, she possesses both monster like and animal qualities. As Catherine she gets older and wiser, she gets more evil and displays her monster and animal like characteristics. She knows she is powerful and indestructible. She has manipulated and tricked many people her life causing them to go to the extreme... death. Catherine "Cathy" shows her evilness and her monster like behavior in many scenes throughout the book. Steinbeck illustrates Cathy as being a monster: "I believe there are monsters born in the world... It is my belief that Cathy Ames was born with the tendencies, or lack of them, which drove and forced her all of her life," (Steinbeck, 95-96). Cathy used this to her advantage by making people uneasy, but not so uneasy that they would not run away from her. Cathy was born with an innocent look that fooled many; she had golden blond hair, hazel eyes, a thin and delicate nose, and a small chin to make her face look heart shaped. According to the town Cathy lived, Cathy had a scent of sweetness, but that is just what Cathy wanted the town to see and think when Cathy planned her kill. "The fire broke out... the Ames house went up like a rocket†¦ Enough remained of Mr. and Mrs. Ames to make sure there were two bodies" (114-115). Cathy had set the house on fire and broke into the safe to steal the family's money. As the investigators scoped the place, they noticed that the bolts stuck out and there were no keys left in the locks. They knew it was not an accident. Cathy's body was never found, but the town assumed that she died. "If it had not been for Cathy's murder, the fire and robbery might have been a coincidence." Steinbeck, again, portrays the reader that Cathy is a monster: "When I said Cathy was a monster it seemed to me that it was so"(242). Steinbeck is reassuring the reader that Cathy is a monster and with the evidence before and after this statement. For example, Cathy later changes her name to Kate and runs a whorehouse.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

It’s Better To Live In A Small Town Than A Big City

Nowaday, People often have 2 selection for their living place. Some people prefer to live in small town and Others prefer to live in the big city. I think one of the most important decisions that human have to take is to choose his living place where you can feel more comfortable,more suitable and happier. Peronally, I think setting down in modern big city is more beneficial. Through my essay I will analyze one of the most important reasons which is Chance of having a better carreer.Big cities has bigger market, companies or corporations are more famous so of course you can have more chance to found a better work . I have a same age friend. He study IT in an university in Thai Nguyen city , It’s a city which smaller than Ha Noi capital. He graduated from a famous university but after 1 year in Thai Nguyen he still unemployed Because number of companies fewer means you will have less chance. There are too many student graduated from university each year but number of companies is only slightly increased.Many student together apply in to one company. Having too much CV of employees but employment in the company are limited so maybe you must to win hundred of people,who applied together with you in order to have employment in the company and my close friend can’t do that. After that I advice him to go to Ha Noi to find another chance and he agreed. He went to Ha Noi and applied to some companies. Amazing! Having 3 companies want to contract with him after only 2 months.He contracted with FPT corporation and work as a Software Specialist about computer. Now he still work there and feeling very happy when being a FPT's staff. From this example we can see that there are more activities in big cities that help people to expose their chance. It is clear from the example that we can have better opportunities in big cities. In a nutshell, I am still positive living in big city is Hanoi where will allow me have better work chance. And I believe that many peo ple will move to here for the same reason. It’s better to live in a small town than a big city Nowaday, People often have 2 selection for their living place. Some people prefer to live in small town and Others prefer to live in the big city. I think one of the most important decisions that human have to take is to choose his living place where you can feel more comfortable,more suitable and happier. Peronally, I think setting down in modern big city is more beneficial. Through my essay I will analyze one of the most important reasons which is Chance of having a better carreer.Big cities has bigger market, companies or corporations are more famous so of course you can have more chance to found a better work . I have a same age friend. He study IT in an university in Thai Nguyen city , It’s a city which smaller than Ha Noi capital. He graduated from a famous university but after 1 year in Thai Nguyen he still unemployed Because number of companies fewer means you will have less chance. There are too many student graduated from university each year but number of companies is only slightly increased.Many student together apply in to one company. Having too much CV of employees but employment in the company are limited so maybe you must to win hundred of people,who applied together with you in order to have employment in the company and my close friend can’t do that. After that I advice him to go to Ha Noi to find another chance and he agreed. He went to Ha Noi and applied to some companies. Amazing! Having 3 companies want to contract with him after only 2 months.He contracted with FPT corporation and work as a Software Specialist about computer. Now he still work there and feeling very happy when being a FPT's staff. From this example we can see that there are more activities in big cities that help people to expose their chance. It is clear from the example that we can have better opportunities in big cities. In a nutshell, I am still positive living in big city is Hanoi where will allow me have better work chance. And I believe that many peo ple will move to here for the same reason.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Culture and Personality

Personality: Boas and Benedict According to Franz Boas, pioneer of Psychological Anthropology or the study of the relationship between culture and personality, personality is obtained thru culture and not biology. His theory called Cultural Relativism gives a comprehensive understanding of the underlying relationship between culture and personality. Boas’ student Ruth Benedict expounded the research on the effect of culture to personality through studying cultural various patterns and themes.Although she admitted that the global cultural diffusion has made the cultural patterns of civilized societies are difficult to trace, primitive societies located at the remote areas have preserved their shared personalities through their values, beliefs and rituals. When Benedict wrote her book Patterns of Culture, she mentioned her comparison of the cultural patterns of two different northern American Indian groups as well as an Indian group located off-coast of Papua New Guinea.In her s tudy, she found out that although they are from similar genetic collection, these groups have significant differences in their respective value systems. For instance, one tribe’s idea of a â€Å"good man† differentiates to that of another. Her book, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture, included a detailed description of Japanese belief and value system as well as a hypothesis on the reason behind the actions of the Japanese during World War II. PERSONALITY: MARGARET MEAD Arguably, Margaret Mead was one of the leading anthropologists of the 20th century.Being a student of Boas, Mead extended the school’s knowledge in culture and personality as she focused from the American culture to the whole Western World. She travelled to Samoa and she found out that the societies there have uniform value systems, and thus, they share common personality traits. In the culture of Samoan tribes, it was noted that until individuals reach the age of 15- 1 6, when they are to be subjected to marital rituals, they do not have significant roles in terms of social life. In fact, children are ignored by their parents and the rest of the society until after they reach puberty.Girls are taught to see boys as their enemies. The effect of this portion of the Samoan culture is that children tend to be either aggressive to gain attention, or passive due to the lack of affection and love from their significant others. SEX? DIFFERENCES AND PERSONALITY Evolution and genetics are believed to have brought about differences in personality traits as determined by the biological sex of a person. As explained by the Theory of Sexual Selection, males compete to attract females, so men are more likely to be aggressive and competitive than women.However, nowadays we may see that more and more women become aggressive in competing against other women for a man. Our culture greatly contributes to the development of our beliefs and values. For this reason, bot h cultural psychologists and social anthropologists believe that culture affects one’s personality. In addition, gender differences also influence the personality traits a person possesses. Read more: Does culture affect our personality? – Individual Traits and Culture.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Essays on Transforming The Federal Role

Transforming the Federal Role in Education So That No Child is Left Behind Summary of President George Bushes Education Reform Policy â€Å"We have a genuine national crisis. More and more, we are divided into two nations. One that reads, and one that doesn't. One that dreams, and one that doesn'tâ€Å" (Presidents George W. Bush 2000). One of the most interesting, and controversial topics in the Bush Administration is America’s Education Reform. Unfortunately, with the 21st Centuries hope and promise comes a group of needy students who are unable to read at a basic level. Our high school seniors are behind students of other countries on international math tests and almost 1/3 of our college freshmen are finding it necessary to take remedial courses before they are able to begin regular college courses. There has been a concern for some time throughout America regarding the quality of public education. Students are graduating from high school without adequate knowledge of the three R's. Universities are recruiting a multitude of incompetent pseudo-scholars. Employers don't understand why the new generation of workers do not possess the basic skills to perform the job. It would appear that American students are not learning as much as their parents did. And yet, teachers are still teaching, taxes are still being paid, and more funds than ever are being appropriated for public education. What's going on in America's classrooms? With the poor state of our educational system, National Standards are in the spot light. Although education has typically been the primary responsibility of local or state governments, the Bush administration is now getting involved. STANDARDS IN EDUCATION General standards in education have existed formally for over a century but as time went on, local school systems have expanded their curriculum to meet the needs of the local community. Bush is looking for National standards ... Free Essays on Transforming The Federal Role Free Essays on Transforming The Federal Role Transforming the Federal Role in Education So That No Child is Left Behind Summary of President George Bushes Education Reform Policy â€Å"We have a genuine national crisis. More and more, we are divided into two nations. One that reads, and one that doesn't. One that dreams, and one that doesn'tâ€Å" (Presidents George W. Bush 2000). One of the most interesting, and controversial topics in the Bush Administration is America’s Education Reform. Unfortunately, with the 21st Centuries hope and promise comes a group of needy students who are unable to read at a basic level. Our high school seniors are behind students of other countries on international math tests and almost 1/3 of our college freshmen are finding it necessary to take remedial courses before they are able to begin regular college courses. There has been a concern for some time throughout America regarding the quality of public education. Students are graduating from high school without adequate knowledge of the three R's. Universities are recruiting a multitude of incompetent pseudo-scholars. Employers don't understand why the new generation of workers do not possess the basic skills to perform the job. It would appear that American students are not learning as much as their parents did. And yet, teachers are still teaching, taxes are still being paid, and more funds than ever are being appropriated for public education. What's going on in America's classrooms? With the poor state of our educational system, National Standards are in the spot light. Although education has typically been the primary responsibility of local or state governments, the Bush administration is now getting involved. STANDARDS IN EDUCATION General standards in education have existed formally for over a century but as time went on, local school systems have expanded their curriculum to meet the needs of the local community. Bush is looking for National standards ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Dakosaurus - Facts and Figures

Dakosaurus - Facts and Figures Name: Dakosaurus (Greek for tearing lizard); pronounced DACK-oh-SORE-us Habitat: Shallow seas of Eurasia and North and South America Historical Period: Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous (150-130 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 15 feet long and 1,000-2,000 pounds Diet: Fish, squids and marine reptiles Distinguishing Characteristics: Dinosaur-like head; primitive rear flippers About Dakosaurus Like its close relatives Metriorhynchus and Geosaurus, Dakosaurus was technically a prehistoric crocodile, even if this fierce marine reptile was more reminiscent of the mosasaurs that appeared tens of millions of years later. But unlike other metriorhynchids, as these sea-going crocodiles are called, Dakosaurus looked like it was assembled out of the bits and pieces of other animals: its head resembled that of a terrestrial theropod dinosaur, while its long, clumsy, leg-like hind flippers pointed to a creature only partly evolved beyond its terrestrial origins. Overall, it seems unlikely that Dakosaurus was a particularly fast swimmer, though it was clearly just speedy enough to prey on its fellow marine reptiles, not to mention assorted fish and squids. For a marine reptile, Dakosaurus has an unusually long pedigree. The type species of the genus, initially mistaken for a specimen of Geosaurus, was named way back in 1856, and before that scattered Dakosaurus teeth were mistaken for those of the terrestrial dinosaur Megalosaurus. However, the real buzz about Dakosaurus began in the late 1980s, when a new species, Dakosaurus andiniensis, was discovered in the Andes Mountains of South America. One D. andiniensis skull discovered in 2005 was so large and fearsome that it was dubbed Godzilla by the excavating team, one paleontologist going on record as saying that this dinosaur-like reptile represented the most drastic evolutionary change in the history of marine crocodiles.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Top Soft Skills Employers Seek

Top Soft Skills Employers Seek The experts at The Savvy Intern polled members of an organization called  the Young Entrepreneur Council to see what specific soft skills they look for in their team members and which traits  every aspiring new hire should work to develop. Here are the top results of their survey:Curiosity, Teachability, and DriveDavid Ciccarelli of Voices.com wants someone who’s curious and has  a passion for learning.Motivation, Attention to Detail, and a Positive OutlookOrange Mud’s Josh Sprague says these qualities represent such potential for excellence, they can even vault a worthy candidate past the entry level gig they originally applied for.Communication, Adaptability, and a Proactive MentalityThe ability to express yourself, the flexibility to embrace new challenges, and a willingness to go above and beyond are what count at Recruiter.com, according to Miles Jennings.Energy, Positivity, and HeartObinna Ekenzie, formerly of the NBA and currently with Wakanow.com, looks fo r the same attributes in his employees as he used to see on the court. You’ve got to want it and have the vitality to go after it.Empathy, Curiosity, and AttitudeFor Perks Consulting’s Lauren Perkins, it’s all about the willingness to understand other people, bring in your own perspective, and see opportunities where others see only obstacles.Comb through your job and life experiences to find anecdotes that illustrate your abilities in each of these soft-skill areas, and you’ll be an unbeatable asset to any company lucky enough to have you.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Reflection of motion picture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reflection of motion picture - Assignment Example As opposed to the movie industry, the structure of television industry is very different. My understanding is that television industry is more tightly regulated by governmental laws as compared to the movie industry, since the medium through which it is transmitted (airwaves) is considered the property of public; hence increased government interference. The cable systems and the satellite-delivered television programs however enjoy exemption, as they do not utilize public’s airwaves. I have noted that interestingly, the movie industry that was in older times a rival of the television media, now uses television as a means of promotion of its products. This channel is utilized to invite audiences for an experience of a bigger better screen and extraordinary sound effects, which are lacking in the television medium. Despite all this, the movie business carries with it a high level of uncertainty which manifests in the forms of monetary peaks and troughs during the various seasons of the

Friday, October 18, 2019

Third sector - Volunteers in Nonprofits Term Paper

Third sector - Volunteers in Nonprofits - Term Paper Example There are different types of nonprofit organizations as explained below: Charitable Organizations which include institutions like homeless shelters which provide poverty assistance, religious institutions like churches and their ancillary possessions, independent research institutions,universities,hospitals,clinics,nursing homes,treatment centers, libraries,museum,schools.These charitable institutions work for the preservation of natural resources,the promotion of social welfare,and the promotion of music, theatre and other forms of fine arts. Social Welfare organizations work for influencing the legislative and/or political processes. Social/Recreational Organizations such as fraternity and sorority organizations,sports tournament organizations,hobby clubs,garden clubs,country clubs which can all be termed as nonprofit organizations only under the condition that they follow the basic rule of net earnings distribution. However, unlike other nonprofit organizations their income is tax able. Satellite Organizations: These are certain nonprofit organizations whichare subsidiaries or auxiliaries other organizations.These may be retirement benefit funds,employee benefit funds,co-operatives or title holding companies. Membership Groups like fraternal organizations, business associations and veteran groups (Pearce, 1993). Volunteer Characteristics Volunteers are an integral part of a nonprofit industry and it plays a vital role in the working of these types of organizations. Volunteering follows the concept of giving something as input such as time without expecting or receiving any material compensation. Volunteers are a type of non-profit customers in the sense that they contribute to the workings of the organizations and expect some returns other that material compensation from the organization. Volunteers may have varying roles in the organization which include assisting fundraising projects, soliciting for funds, services like visiting the senior citizens or the s ick people, building new homes for the homeless people, participating in membership committees, guiding and mentoring youths as well as looking for the betterment of the environment and the society. Volunteer Expectations Though the volunteers do not look for material gain, they have certain expectations while working for the organization. Nonprofit organizations should therefore try as much as to support and train their volunteers. These organizations should develop management skills to recruit and retain their volunteers a swell as give proper training and development to their volunteers. If the availability of resources is low, the non-profit organization should make the work of the volunteers project based which will mean allocating hours to the volunteers according to the need of the project and not to use continuous time for one work that can be done in lesser time. These organizations should provide opportunities to their volunteers that will provide them the opportunity to l earn new things and develop new skills. For this purpose to be solved, both the organizations as well as the volunteers have to be flexible. Volunteers also expect reciprocity from the organization they are working for. As the population and their needs are changing, so is the need of the volunteer population. The society requires a wide range of services from the nonprofit organizations. So the nonprofits will have to train and educate their

Frank Lloyd Wright Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Frank Lloyd Wright - Essay Example Wright was also a proficient educator who advocated for the respect of humanity and the natural environment. His works have remained unique for many years and in 1991 he was crowned the greatest American architect of all times. Wright spent over seventy years creating designs that changed the art and architectural arena of the 20th century. Till his death in 1959, Wright devoted all his energy in improving and developing his career and this made him gain recognition in the American architectural history. Wright is remembered for his great contribution to the development of ‘prairie school’ of architecture which he became the principal practitioner in 1900. Prairie school gained wide recognition for its radical approach to the construction of modern homes. This brought a total change in the America’s architectural field and the entire construction fraternity (Alofsin 49). Wright -designed apartments exhibited low roof over continuous widow bands that turned corner which were unique from the tradition convectional boxlike structures. His works for business and church are among the most remarkable structures in architectural history that have remained incomparable up to date. For instance, In 1994 Wright erected the Larkin Company administration block which was well ventilated, had metal desk, fireproof and well condition. Soon after its completion, he erected yet another unique structure at the Unitarian church of Oak Park which was later registered as a historic l andmark. LaFontaine and Wright (50) argues that during his seventy years in the architectural career, Wright created over one thousand designs which included recreation complexes, commercial buildings, religious houses and museums among others. In fact, Wright redefined our concept of space, providing all people with an opportunity to live in fresh environment integrated in the natural world.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Ins Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ins - Essay Example The reason for making senders and receivers in each group is to have clearly defined roles in communication so that the communication can be analyzed from both perspectives. Besides, students’ roles as senders and receivers will be altered from one method of communication to another so that everybody has a fair chance to analyze communication from both roles. Students will be asked to share the requirements of each method of communication, barriers to effective communication in each method, and pros and cons of each method of communication. Having undergone the exercise and tried each method of communication, students will be expected to have a detailed insight into the various methods of communication employed in the contemporary industry. This understanding will help them make informed decisions while deciding the appropriate means and methods of communication in the various business contexts. Students’ reflective reports will be discussed in the class so that everybo dy is equally informed on the various challenges, weaknesses, strengths, and opportunities presented by the different communication

Assigment #2 Creating youir dream job Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assigment #2 Creating youir dream job - Essay Example e increasing technological exposure, every graduate wants to be a part of the successful and drastically boosting Information Technology Organizations. The impacts of technology in our society are so clear that no one can deny the fact that we humans are now totally technologically dependent. Students in the universities are not only choosing this field of science, but they are also pursuing their own research in this particular field. There are several huge companies that are competing in this field. The list is endless from Super Laptops by Dell to the micro-chip designs by the Fabless Company. My dream job is the job of the analyst software engineer in a leading oil and gas company. The combination of the software technology and the oil and gas sector is a rare one, but if we look deep into both fields, the relation gives birth to several new, challenging opportunities. These opportunities will help boost the learning process in both fields simultaneously. The combination of the software technology and the field-based job is fascinating. Normally the software engineers sit in air conditioned offices and pursue designing most of the time. In the field-based job, the engineer will be able to learn and implement the advance theories of information technology in relation to the oil and gas field. The field-based analyst software engineer will be assigned many duties. The job mainly comes under the supervision of the company’s managing director. In some urgent cases the engineer can report directly to the director. The analyst software engineer can have a group of technical trainees. The main responsibility of the analyst software engineer is to invent the technology tactics and several code-based applications that are relevant to the field operation. Challenges: The engineer can face several challenges while working in the field. Some of them can be the automation of the field computers and the development of proper technology infrastructure within the remote

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Ins Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ins - Essay Example The reason for making senders and receivers in each group is to have clearly defined roles in communication so that the communication can be analyzed from both perspectives. Besides, students’ roles as senders and receivers will be altered from one method of communication to another so that everybody has a fair chance to analyze communication from both roles. Students will be asked to share the requirements of each method of communication, barriers to effective communication in each method, and pros and cons of each method of communication. Having undergone the exercise and tried each method of communication, students will be expected to have a detailed insight into the various methods of communication employed in the contemporary industry. This understanding will help them make informed decisions while deciding the appropriate means and methods of communication in the various business contexts. Students’ reflective reports will be discussed in the class so that everybo dy is equally informed on the various challenges, weaknesses, strengths, and opportunities presented by the different communication

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Real Consumer Expenditure and Real Disposable Personal Income Research Paper

Real Consumer Expenditure and Real Disposable Personal Income - Research Paper Example This is evidenced by the R2 value of 0.9968 for the exponential fit as compared to the R2 value of 0.943 for a linear fit (not shown here). From a span of only 60 years, consumption expenditure increased eightfold. The trend only serves as further evidence of the consumer characterization attributed to American society. To determine volatility we graph the rate of change of the data set. For a time-series data, the process would involve subtracting the value for the former year from the value of the current year then dividing by the value of the former year. The resulting value is then multiplied by 100% to convert it into percentages. While the graph in Figure 1 shows that the values are essentially increasing, Figure 2 would indicate a very volatile set of values. The graph shows that the rate of change fluctuates almost in a sinusoidal manner yet it can be seen that the points are mostly placed higher than the x-axis indicating positive rate of change. What is observable is that the period seems to have a 10-year period which begins to rise at the base decade year, climbs up to maximum value in the middle period (5's) then decrease again. The highest positive change was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1950 with a value of 5.146% and the highest negative change in the following quarter with -2.945%. Another time-series data which was acq... Another time-series data which was acquired from the same agency's website was the Personal Income and its Disposition also starting from the 1947 (1). Only the Total Disposable Personal Income found in Row 35 was. The same methodology was used for the analysis. From the graph of Figure 3, we can see that the data set is also increasing. Employing the methods of best fit curve resulted to the exponential fitting as the choice because of the high R2 value. However, we can see that the recent values fall short of the expected behavior. Fig. 3: Graph of Real Disposable Personal Income (1947 - 2007 Quarterly) The rate of change, as can be seen from Figure 4, shows some semblance of sinusoidal behavior although the cycle can not be easily defined. This implies high volatility. As with the same method we used in the first data set, we see that there was generally positive rate of change with negative rates of change occurring in between decades. The highest positive rate of change occurred in the First Quarter of 1950 corresponding to the highest rate of change in the first data while the highest negative rate of change occurred in the Second Quarter of 1947. Fig. 4: Percentage Change of the Total Disposable Personal Income (1947 - 2007) Consumption Models 1. Model (1): Levels (long-run) with the equation: lnCt = a + blnYt which has the same form as y=mx+b Where: Ct = is the Real Consumer Expenditure or y Yt = is the Disposable Personal Income or x The basic question that this modeling exercise would like to answer is to determine whether there is a relationship between Expenditure and Income. Our idea is that as income increases so does expenditure. For time-series data set, there is a need to find the natural logarithms of

Monday, October 14, 2019

Related Local Literature Essay Example for Free

Related Local Literature Essay This study deals with the review and analysis of the literature and studies relevant to inventory management techniques that the researchers will be using in the optimization. It consists of information culled from studies and literature, both local and foreign, from which this study is subject to. This chapter will certainly help in giving the reader a better understanding of what is Economic Order Quantity model and Dynamic Programming to optimization of the inventory system. Definition: Inventory Inventory refers to any kind of resources having economic value and is maintained to fulfil the present and future needs of theconsumers. It is a physical stock of items that business or production enterprise keeps in hand for efficient running of affairs or its production. Inventory is the quantity of goods, raw materials or other resources that are idle at any given point of time. Inventory control is the means by which materials of the correct quantity and quality is made available as a when required with due regard to economy in storage and ordering costs and working capital. It is also defined as the systematic location, storage and recording of goods in such a way that desired degree of service can be made to the operating shops at a minimum ultimate cost† (S.C sharma (1999). P. 509, 512). Inventory model: Economic Order Quantityand Dynamic Programming For over a century, the literature encompassing hundreds of books and journals has included frequent writings of management scientists applying quantitative methods to help inventory managers make two critical decisions: how much inventory to order, and when to order it. Inventory management started as early as the beginning of the 20th century when F. W. Harris originally developed the lot size formula or the EOQ model in 1915. R. H. Wilson independently developed the same formula in 1918. Apparently, Wilson popularized the model so the EOQ model is also referred to as the Wilson EOQ model. The EOQ formula has been independently discovered many times in the last eighty years. It is simplistic and uses several unrealistic assumptions. In Cargal discussed the basic EOQ model; he said that they cannot determine what quantity of an item to order when ordering supplies. Despite the many more sophisticated formulas and algorithm available, some large corporations still use the EOQ formula. In general, large corporations that use the EOQ formula do not want the public or competitors to know they use something so unsophisticated. The variables, graph, and the formula was also discussed in this paper. The classic EOQ model has been directly used in practice but which, more importantly, represents the key foundation of decision rules dealing with more complicated circumstances.Different variations and applications of the EOQ model in production and inventory operations were expanded over the years such as dealing with the quantity discounts, shelf-life considerations, replenishment lead time and constraints on the replenishment. Further advancements in inventory management took place when dynamic programming was used, with R. Bellman as its founding father. However, earlier works in DP were produced by Arrow, Karlin and Scarf. Bellman, who popularized DP, used the stochastic models for the inventory management problems. But in 1958, Wagner and Within started with a deterministic model, referred to as the Wagner-Within method, with known demands in each period, and fluctuating costs from one period to the next. A few years later, results for the stochastic model were established by Iglehart and Wagner with Veinott, which involves a demand with a continuous distribution. Inventory models have been applied and adapted by organizations. Silver enumerated the extensive research and application done over the years. In retail inventory management, retail outlets are increasingly adopting equipment that permits capture of demand data and updating of inventory records at the point of sale. In integrated logistics, a very complex system, it utilizes operations inventory management where maintenance, transportation and/or production are involved. In interactions with marketing, inventory management is applied on how to routinely take account of the effects of promotional activities on the control of inventories, how to predict and account for the effects of the system on the demand pattern, and the allocation of the shelf space in outlets such as supermarkets. Stock on Inventory The American Institute of Accountants defined the term inventory as â€Å"the aggregate of those items of tangible property which (1) are held for sale in the ordinary course of business, (2) are in process of production for such sale or (3) are to be available for ‘sale’. In Nigeria, inventory is usually referred to as stock-in-trade or work-in-progress. Stock may consist of (i) Raw materials and supplies to be consumed in production (ii) work-in-progress, or partly manufactured goods, (ii) Finished stock or goods ready for sale. Stocks are valued in a fundamentally different way from fixed assets; the latter are usually valued at cost less accumulated depreciation. No method of stock valuation is suitable for all types of business in all circumstances. Stock is valued at cost less any part of cost, which needs to be written off when net realizable value or the replacement price is lower than cost. The Functions of Inventory Inventories perform a number of vital functions in the operations of a system, which in turn makes them critical to the production sector as well. Without inventories, organizations could not hope to achieve smooth production flow, obtain reasonable utilization of machines and reasonable handling cost or expects to give reasonable service to customers. The basic function of inventories whether they are raw materials, work-in-progress or finished goods are that of decoupling the operations involved in converting inputs into outputs. This allows the successive stages in the purchasing, manufacturing and distribution process to operate reliance on the schedule of output, of prior activities in the production process. Furthermore, the decoupling function allows both time and spatial separation between production and consumption of products in the operating system. Lastly, inventories can also be used for other purposes apart from the decoupling functions. For example, when inventories are displayed, they serve as promotional investment. Raw materials and finished inventories are frequently accumulated to wedge against price rises, inflation and strikes. Inventories also serve to smooth out irregularities in supply. In essence, inventories act to decouple organizational activities, thereby achieving lower costs of operations. Inventories act to reduce procurement costs, and inventories act to provide good customer service and smooth production flow by providing onetime delivery and avoiding costly stock shortages. Inventories ordered in large quantities can result in lower freight charges and price discounts. On the other hand, inventory requires tying up capital that would otherwise be invested elsewhere. Inventory also requires costly storage space; and such costs as insurance, spoilage obsolesce, pilferage and taxes must be incurred as a result of maintaining inventory. Hence, there is an appropriate opportunity cost associated with their value. It is therefore, the duty of the management to seek decision rules that will actually balance these controversies of costs for a given system. It is in response to this management quest for guidance in handling inventory decision situations that a number of techniques (models) have been developed to serve as aid to management in achieving optimal inventory solutions. Inventory Cost The objectives of materials management are to minimize inventory investments and to maximize customer service. It is a plan to see that, the goals can be inconsistent or even indirect conflicts the role of the materials management is thus to balance the objective in relation to the existing conditions and environmental limitations. The basic object of inventory management is to maximize customer service through maintaining appropriate amount of inventory with minimum possible cost. Inventory costs are costs associated with the operation of an inventory system. Thus the relevant costs included inventory are the following: The purchase cost (P)The purchase costs of an item are the unit purchase it is obtained from an external source or the unit production costs it is produced internally. For the purchase items it is the purchase costless modified for different quantity levels manufacturing items the unit cost include direct labour or company overhead. Ordering or set up cost (C)This is the cost of placing an order. This cost directly with the number of order or setups placed and not at all weigh the size of the order. The ordering cost included making analysing materials inspecting materials follows up orders and doing the processing necessary to complete the transaction. Carrying costs or holding costs (H)There are costs of items (inventories) in storage. These costs vary with the level of inventory and occasionally with the length of item an item is held. The greater the level of inventory overtime, the higher the caring cost caring casts can be included the costs of losing the use of funds field up in inventory like storages casts such as rent of building heating cooling righting security, record keeping, deprecation obsolescence, product deterioration etc. Stock out cost (shortage cost) This is the cost as a result of not having items in storage. This can bring loses of good will profit loss of incur back order cost and delay in the customer service. Establishing the correct quantity to order from vendors or the size of lots submitted to the firms productive facilities involves a search for the minimum total cost resulting from the combined effects of fewer individual costs holding costs, setup costs ordering costs and storage costs (Tersine, R.J, 1994. PP. 13-15) Inventory Costing Method There are three methods of inventory costing method. These are:First – in First – out (FIFO)This method is based on the assumption that costs should be computed out in the order in which incurred. Inventory is thus stated in terms of recent costs. Last – in First – out (LIFO)is a method based on the assumption that goods should be charged out the latest cost be the latest cost be the first that are charge out. Inventories are thus stated in terms of earliest cost.Weighted average method is a method based on the assumption that goods should be charged out at an average cost such average being influenced by the number of unites acquired at the price. Inventories are stated at the same weighted average cost.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

European Studies Essays Frank Underdevelopment Dependency

European Studies Essays Frank Underdevelopment Dependency Frank Underdevelopment Dependency 1.0 Introduction This project report looks to the theories, concepts and studies of the well-known German prolific and controversial development Economist and Sociologist of post-war era, ‘Andre Gunder Frank’. Frank was best known as an early exponent and founder of the dependency theory, which maintained that rich, developed countries gained from poor, under-developed countries; so long as they remained in the international capitalist system (Economy Professor, 2006). This report will concentrate mainly on the understanding and analysis of the most significant concepts and theories of Frank on Underdevelopment; thereafter his concepts will be applied to countries of Latin America and Asia, which were the most affected from the plague of Underdevelopment. Get help with your essay from our expert essay writers 2.0 Preface of Andre G Frank theories Frank is considered to be one of the major founders of the world system theory along with Immanuel Wallerstein, Samir Amin and Giovanni Arrighi. He is the author of many works in world system and world accumulation. Andre Gunder Frank was interested in the processes of capital accumulation in Latin America and other regions, such as Asia. These regions were analyzed by Frank within the world context. The name of Frank is closely connected with the development and dependency theories. He is the author of very interesting publications and books devoted to the connection between economically developed countries and underdeveloped countries. When Andre Gunder Frank wrote his Capitalism and Underdevelopment in Latin America and The Development of Underdevelopment he was influenced by the revolutionary ideas in Latin America and some other countries at that period. Being a social scientist, Andre Gunder Frank was interested in multiple subjects, events, topics, but he is considered to be one of the major contributors to the topic ‘development of underdevelopment’ and world system theory. His analysis of contemporary position of some countries has influenced the sociology science. He was one of the researchers who furthered the development and dependency theories. In his book Capitalism and Underdevelopment in Latin America Andre Frank has shown his radical position towards development and underdevelopment. He wrote that the world and national capitalism has generated underdevelopment in the past, and still produces underdevelopment at present. (Frank, 1967a) Andre Gunder Frank has expressed an opinion that the economically developed countries were undeveloped but not underdeveloped. He believed that the present underdevelopment of a country is the outcome of its historical development in the past and at present, and the result of its relations with metropolitan countries (Frank 1966, pp. 17-31). Frank was the first scientist who realized the significance of the world economy. He understood that there is the possibility of autonomous development among the countries in the South: ‘The importance of the central theme of the world economy and of its interdependence †¦ has become ever stronger. What has changed is my belief, which was largely implicit in the idea of dependence, that a state of independence, or at least non-dependence, could be achieved through de-linking from the world economy through concerted political actions in the Third World countries or regions. On this last issue, I suppose I have changed the most, especially since the coup in Chile. Experience has shown it to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for voluntarist political action to de-link particular countries from world economy’ (Kay 1989, p.1181). 2.1 Development and Dependency theories The development theory unites several theories, which state that some beneficial changes in a particular society are to be achieved for the common benefit. These theories (Modernization theory, Dependency theory, World Systems theory, and State theory) are based on a variety of social scientific approaches and disciplines. Frank criticized the modernization theory, which was the key perspective in sociology at that period of time. He called in question the major premises of the modernization thesis elaborated by Talcott Parsons, Bert Hoselitz, Wilbert Moore, Everret Hagen, Daniel Lerner, David McClelland and Walt Whitman Rostow. Moreover, Frank criticized the thesis which stated that ‘the underdeveloped countries with their traditional societies would gradually become developed and modern countries by engaging with the developed capitalist economies and modern societies’ (Frank, 1967b, pp. 20–73). Therefore, he has presented the new analysis of the relationships between economically developed and underdeveloped countries. Dependency theory is a part of the development theory, which was elaborated after the modernization theory. The dependency theory is based on the idea that the consequences of colonialism on undeveloped countries must be taken into consideration when further development is expected to take place. Dependency theory is tightly connected with Latin America. Scientists have recognized Frank’s contribution to dependency theory. Andre Gunder Frank was a scholar who developed and enriched the research of this theory. He stressed that the modernization theory was a process via which developing countries became more dependent upon economically developed countries. Moreover, the dependency theory divided all countries into several categories according to their level of development. This theory examines countries by dividing them into periphery and centre states: the centre consists of the already developed and colonizing countries, whereas the periphery consists of the developing and co lonized countries. Dependency theory became a tool for political commentary and a framework of explanations. Frank was a scientist who has found the basic concepts for the dependency theory. His innovation to the world system theory and to the development theory was based on the incorporation and the connection between economically developed and underdeveloped countries with the help of the notion of capitalism and all the economic, political, social and cultural changes which became the consequences of the appearance of capitalism relations. 2.2 The Development of Underdevelopment Theory In his book The Development of Underdevelopment (Development Studies, 1966, p. 27) Frank stated: â€Å"Since the historical experience of the colonial and underdeveloped countries has demonstrably been quite different, available theory therefore fails to reflect the past of the underdeveloped part of the world entirely, and reflects the past of the world as a whole only in part. More important, our ignorance of the history of these underdeveloped countries leads us to assume that their past and indeed their present resemble earlier stages of the history of the now economically developed countries. More studies of development and underdevelopment fail to take account of the economic and other relations between the metropolis and its economic colonies throughout the history of the mercantilist and capitalist system.† Frank gave emphasis to the fact that, in his belief every country passes through all the stages of development, and every stage of this process will vary in time, depending on the position of the country. Besides, he stressed that there is no concept of ‘an underdeveloped country’ if we talk about the economically developed countries – these are countries which were at one point merely undeveloped, but not underdeveloped: â€Å"†¦ economic development occurs in a succession of capitalist stages and †¦ today’s underdeveloped countries are still in a stage †¦ of history through which the now developed countries passed long ago. †¦ underdevelopment is not original or traditional and that neither the past nor the present of the underdeveloped countries resembles in any important respect the past of the now developed countries. The now developed countries were never underdeveloped, though they may have been undeveloped† (Development St udies p. 28). The notion of ‘the development of underdevelopment’ which he has elaborated during the research is the main concept in the development theory (Kay, 1989, p. 1180). Frank pointed out that the contemporary underdevelopment position of a country is the result of its economic, cultural, political and social characteristic features. Moreover, the underdevelopment as the result of past and present relations is an integral part of the world structure: â€Å"†¦ present underdevelopment of Latin America is the result of its centuries-long participation in the process of world capitalist development†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Development Studies, p. 30). He pointed out that the capitalist system has developed rapidly during the last centuries and its effect has reached the most isolated parts of the underdeveloped world. Moreover, the metropolis-satellite relations have been spread in the Latin American colonies and countries, having structured the economic, political, and social life of these countries. Frank has come to a very interesting conclusion that underdevelopment is generated by the historical process which has generated economic development and the development of capitalism. â€Å"The other kind of isolation which tends to confirm the second hypothesis is the geographic and economic isolation of regions which at one time were relatively weakly tied to and poorly integrated into the mercantilist and capitalist system† (Development Studies, p. 31-33). Therefore, the two types of countries are connected with each other through exploitation and colonization. Frank has found the connection between the development of the centre and the periphery countries. Besides this, Andre Gunder Frank explained in his book The Development of Underdevelopment, that Latin America and other similar countries are underdeveloped countries owing to the foreign competition, and the introduction of free trade, which is in the interest of the ruling groups of the economically developed countries: â€Å"†¦ in Latin America it was these regions, which initiated and experienced the most promising self-generating economic development of the classical industrial capitalist type. The most important regional cases probably are Tucuman and Asuncion, as well as †¦ Mendoza and Rosario†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Development Studies, p. 33). The now underdeveloped countries have not had the opportunity to continue developing in the conditions of growing capitalism. Consequently, the development of these countries has had to be sacrificed for that of others. Therefore, the contemporary underdevelopment of certain countries is connected with their close ties with now econ omically developed countries, which have become economically developed owing to these underdeveloped countries in the past, and which have abandoned them when the wealth of their mines, raw materials and natural resources disappeared. 3.0 Frank’s Underdevelopment Theories with Relation to Latin America and Asia 3.1 Introduction The concepts of Frank’s studies on Development of Underdevelopment and mainly his Dependency Theory are known for the way Frank applied them to Latin American countries, with relation to Western European Countries and the United States. 3.2 Latin America Frank (1966) believed Latin America to be a victim of capitalism; having been integrated into the world capitalist system since the beginning of the sixteenth century. Although Sao Paolo has established the largest in Latin America, this has not helped the rest of Brazil to develop, but has deepened their underdevelopment. Furthermore, Frank maintained that although the development and industrialisation of Sao Paolo may have been carried out independently in the beginning, it is increasingly beginning to come in the clasp of the world capitalist system, which is posing a rising number of restrictions for possibilities of further development of the city. When writing about Latin America, Frank (1969, p. 432) made reference to a â€Å"metropolis-satellite† structure. This, he believed, is what the world market for goods, capital, and the international division of labour, have produced. This description portrays Frank’s belief that the developed, metropolitan countries take, or â€Å"suck† all of the capital or economic surplus from the other countries, or ‘satellites,’ in order to â€Å"feed† and increase their own development, but push the development of these other countries further down, eventually into an underdeveloped state. Although these countries may only have been undeveloped to begin with, the interference of the more developed countries has proved to be further detrimental than had they not interfered, or ‘helped,’ at all. There are several reasons for which the countries of Latin America are being exploited by developed countries. This exploitation began in the 18th century, and some of the reasons for exploitation included their natural resources; gold and silver, from Mexico, Peru, and Brazil; and the sugar and coffee also produced in Brazil. The sugar production by slaves in Brazil benefited Europe both at home, and when in competition with others abroad, such as Asia. During the 19th century, particularly towards the end of it, Brazil continued to increasingly export sugar and coffee, while Mexico, Peru, and Chile resumed mining, and Argentina exported wheat and meat for Britain and Europe (Frank, 1992). With so many raw materials and produced goods to offer, such an underdeveloped country is susceptible to being taken advantage of by those countries which need them, and have the money and power to exploit whoever or whatever gets in the way of them obtaining what they want or need. The underdevelopment of Latin America can also be seen to benefit developed countries in the form of labour; this includes labour which has been brought to the developed countries, as well as labour in the underdeveloped country. Specifically Latapi and Martin (no date) mentioned Mexican immigrants attempting to escape their world of underdevelopment by migrating to the United States, but being used by the United States for cheap labour. These high numbers of immigrants lead to an increase in the United States’ productivity, and also the net benefit received due to higher numbers of immigrants lowering the wages of other immigrant workers. 3.3 Asia As well as Latin America, the underdevelopment of countries in central Asia had also been the subject of much of Frank’s theories on underdevelopment. One such country specifically was China, which was believed to be one of the leading economically developed countries between 1400 and 1800 (Frank, 2005). Since its decolonisation and liberation in 1949, China has been predicted to regain its high position in the world economy, and this is the reason behind Frank’s book ‘ReOrient: Global Economy in the Asian Age.’ In the book, Frank draws upon the words of Smith (1776); â€Å"China is a much richer country than any part of Europe† (Frank, 1998, p. 13). As Frank believed that Asia, and in particular China, is beginning to reclaim its place amongst the top players of the economically developed world; he also believed that the history of Asia should also be correctly portrayed, hence the above book was written. Frank was outspoken in that his thoughts of world history, in particular concerning Asia, were that they have been incorrectly portrayed by Europe. The alleged history of economic development is believed to be a Eurocentric portrayal which Frank claimed denies the real history of the world and neglects most of human reality; as well as altering the perception of Europe’s history. That is to say, history has been portrayed in such a way so as to focus on the people and culture of Europe, making it appear almost superior to others, including that of Asia. China’s drop from its high rates of development, to its current undeveloped situation, is seen to be the result of exploitation on behalf of already developed countries, such as those of Europe (Frank, 2005). Furthermore, Frank stated that â€Å"underdevelopment is not traditional†¦ it is the result of dependent capitalist development of underdevelopment† (Frank, 2005). Frank’s belief again stems from the arguments and evidence which imply that China was no more traditional than Europe between its period of peak economy (from 1400 to 1800), and that it was in fact greater, and more developed than Europe. The above quote could be interpreted to mean that underdevelopment is not the result of a lack of development of certain countries; but the result of the interference of developed countries which are dependent on undeveloped countries. These developed countries can only remain so if the undeveloped countries remain undeveloped; therefore they encourage the development of their undevelopment. This consequently causes the undeveloped countries to become classed as underdeveloped countries, as their efforts to become developed are actually hindered by developed countries, diminishing any hope they may have had of becoming modern. At the same time, Frank (2005) argued to the effect that capitalism does not in fact have any actual existence in the world, but is just an ideology. Although this contradicts his earlier work, he now states that the ideology of capitalism was simply created in order to make unclear world economical history, and it continues to do so for modern-day world economics. Frank shared in the views of Samir Amin, in that they both believed the way for China, as well as any other country, to be released from all forms of dependence, was to break all links and connections from the external world capitalist economy, and to break free from the internal socialism which were believed to be the root causes of dependence. This theory however was only possible, so to speak, in theory. Frank continued to reflect on his own beliefs by claiming that to the present day no country has managed to become fully free from dependence, only the South East Asian Tigers had managed to do so partially, and even they were still subject to financial problems. Frank concluded that there has not been a definite and clear answer given as to what to do if and when freedom from dependence would ever occur. Moreover, Frank highlighted his criticism of the Modernisation Theory, which stated that any country could become modernised with the help of those countries which are already modernised. He quoted; â€Å"The Europeans did not do anything – let alone ‘modernize’ – by themselves† (Frank, 2005). Using Europe as an example, he argued that the modernisation theory only applies to certain countries; shown by the fact that although Europe was receiving very cheap money in the form of dollars from America, this type of help was not made available to Asia. He continued to enforce the Dependency Theory which states that developed countries have become so, by depending on underdeveloped countries; as Europe has come to depend on the cheap labour it uses from Asia. Frank’s emphasis was that Europe uses underdeveloped countries like China as a step ladder in order to gain, and maintain, a good foot-hold in the modern world (Frank, 2005). The exploitation of China by developed countries can also be seen by looking at the United States. An example given by The National Labor Committee (2006) is the findings of an investigation of 16 factories in China, producing a large number of different items, such as car stereos, TVs, bikes, shoes, sneakers, clothing, hats, and bags, for some of the largest companies in the United States, namely Wal-Mart, Nike, Huffy, and others. The findings highlight the appalling conditions under which some people have to work, such as one factory where workers forced to work 12 to 14 hours a day, 7 days a week, with only one day off a month, at an average wage of 3 cents an hour. The low wages did not give workers any benefit, as they still ended up in debt to the company. Workers were fed two meals a day, and 16 workers were housed in one small dorm. Some workers could not even afford the bus fare to leave the factory in order to look for another job, and in the past any protest about the work ing conditions has led to 800 workers losing their jobs. This is a prime example of what Frank has referred to as the exploitation of underdeveloped countries by developed countries. Without this type of exploitation, countries like those of the United States would not be able to increase their profit margins and become as rich as they are. Another example in Asia is Japan, which is believed a rapidly modernising country, particularly towards the end of the 19th century. This was done particularly with the use of â€Å"technical and scientific training and research,† and this type of education is what is believed to be an essential factor for developing countries. The effects of this can be seen by the South East Asian Tigers, as mentioned by Frank, who are increasing in levels of modernisation and economic development due to this type of training and education. Australia, as a developed country, has been thought to have benefit by providing some of this training for countries like Japan, as well as others. However, it has been argued that unless Australia improves its infrastructure, countries in Asia will rightly decide that they no longer need the help of developed countries like Australia, and can do a better job themselves. In relation to Frank’s theories, this can be seen support to his views of the Dependency Theory. Blakey (1997) stated that Australia is benefiting from the underdeveloped countries; but as these underdeveloped countries are becoming more and more independent and modernised, they may no longer need the so-called ‘help’ of these countries. Blakey (1997) also claims that Great Britain’s industrial society is no longer as advanced as it used to be; manufacturing and science are now believed to be in decline. This could be said to be the result of underdeveloping countries becoming more independent; the consequence of which is the economy of the developed countries falling to those levels which the underdeveloped countries have had to deal with for years. Another social theorist who agrees with Frank is Glyn who, as highlighted in an interview by Hoveman (2006), claims that Japan’s lack of economic improvement in the last 15 years has been welcomed by Europe and the US. In addition, Glyn states that China’s dramatic rise in economic development could prove to be dangerous for already developed countries, such as the United States, due to the fact that the Chinese monetary authorities buy large amounts of dollars. Should they ever stop, the value of the dollar would fall dramatically; this would result in the United States having to increase interest rates to prevent inflation rates from rising dramatically. This could then in turn lead to, at the very least, the danger of rising economic development coming to an abrupt halt for the United States; the threat of ‘stagnation. 4.0 Conclusion / Discussion On the whole, what is made evident in this report is that in Andre Gunder Franks thesis, the development of the centre not only involves, but requires the underdevelopment of the previously undeveloped periphery. This is because development has depended upon resources which are stolen from the periphery, and resources which are exploited; as well as people which are exploited. At the same time the periphery becomes increasingly dependent upon the centre for certain crucial modern resources, including technology and knowledge (Bronferbenner, 1972). Franks early speculation on The Development of Underdevelopment was brilliant and crucial for the emergence of both the dependency theory and the world-system paradigm. His efforts at systematically linking the external economic behaviour of the socialist alliance to the larger capitalist division of labour, has been instrumental in our understanding of not only the nature and role of existing socialisms, but the overall dynamics of the wor ld economy (Bergesen, 1982). In his view, Asia and Latin America have actually developed underdevelopment; whereas Europe, North America, and Australia have accumulated capital at the expense of the periphery. This accumulation of capital has been made possible through the process of unequal exchange between regions, and the transformation internally of regions at the productive, social, and political levels. Frank applied his theories of development to various countries affected by underdevelopment; specifically those of Latin America and Asia. These however are just to name a few; his theories could be applied to many other underdeveloped countries. Frank viewed the present world as a manifestation of the dominance the centre metropolis has over the dependent periphery; involving unequal exchange and exploitation. The exploitation of the people, and of the natural resources and raw materials of these countries, is what Frank believed to be the key behind his Dependency Theory. He asserted that developed countries such as Britain, Australia, have only received the labels of being ‘developed countries’ because of their dependence on these underdeveloped countries. The low wages given to workers of these underdeveloped countries, together with the natural resources and raw material which are either stolen or bought at extortionately low prices, are all a combination of what allow the developed countries to have such large margins of profit. These high amounts of profit can then be reinvested in order to increase the riches of the countries further; all at the expense of underdeveloped countries. That is to say, if developed countries did not exploit underdeveloped countries, then in Frank’s views they would not be such a thing as an ‘underdeveloped county;’ all countries which have not become economically developed, would simply be undeveloped. The term undeveloped at least allows a country the opportunity to become developed; whereas underdeveloped implies it can never become developed due to the continuing exploitation of these developed countries. References Bergesen, A. (1982) Reviewed Work: ‘Crisis: In the World Economy,’ by Andre Gunder Frank. Contemporary Sociology. 11 (1), pp. 55-56. Blakey, L. (1997) ‘The Death of Australian Science and Technology,’ ABC Radio National [online]. Available at: http://abc.net.au/rn/ockhamsrazor/stories/1997/22.htm (Accessed 27 April 2007). Bronfenbrenner, M. (1979) World Accumulation, 1492-1789. By Andre Gunder Frank. Journal of Economic Literature. 17 (4), pp. 1460-1461. Development Studies: Thinking about Development, reprinted in full from Monthly Review September (1966), pp. 27-37. Economy Professor (2006) Andre Gunder Frank. Available at: http://www.economyprofessor.com/theorists/andregunderfrank.php (Accessed 17 April 2007). Frank, A. G. (1966) The Development of Underdevelopment. Monthly Review 18(4), pp. 17–37. Frank, A.G. (1967a) Capitalism and Underdevelopment in Latin America: Historical Studies of Chile and Brazil, New York, Monthly Review Press. Frank, A.G. (1967b) Sociology of Development and Underdevelopment of Sociology, Catalyst 3: pp. 20–73. Frank, A. G. (1969) ‘Latin America: Underdevelopment or Revolution,’ The Economic Journal, 81 (322), pp. 432-434. Frank, A.G. (1992) ‘Latin America at the Margin of World System History,’ The Andre Gunder Frank Official Website. Available at: http://www.rrojasdatabank.org/agfrank/latin_margin.html (Accessed 29 April 2007). Frank, A. G. (1998) ReOrient: Global Economy in the Asian Age. Berkeley, University of California Press. Frank, A. G. (2005) ‘Personal Research Interests for Public Policy Practice,’ The Andre Gunder Frank Official Website. Available at: http://www.rrojasdatabank.org/agfrank/research.html (Accessed 26 March 2007). Hoveman, R. (2006) The Socialist Review. Available at: http://www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.php?articlenumber=9792 (Accessed 27 April 2007). Kay, C. (1989) ‘Andre Gunder Frank: From the ‘Development of Underdevelopment’ to the ‘World System.’ ’ Development and Change, vol. 36, no. 6, pp. 1177-1183 Blackwell Synergy [Online]. Available at: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.0012-155X.2005.00455.x (Accessed 14th April 2007). Latapi, A. E. and Martin, S. (no date) Mexico – U.S. Migration Management A Binational Approach. Available at: http://www.hewlett.org/NR/rdonlyres/E7D5BD75-AB6E-4780-A354-EB4D4BBA9779/0/USMexicoMigration.pdf (Accessed 29 April). The National Labor Committee (2006) The Role of US Companies in Denying Human and Worker Rights. Available at: http://www.nlcnet.org/campaigns/archive/chinareport/introduction.shtml (Accessed 30 April).

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Julius Caesar Essay -- essays research papers fc

Julius Caesar Julius Caesar was said to be the greatest man in the Roman world. This man whos name alone commands power, success and respect. Born in 102 B.C., Gaius Julius Caesar. His aunt had married as a youth of seventeen to the daughter of Cinna, another leader of the fraction that was opposed to the aristocratic party under Sulla, Marius, great rival. A year or two later, when Sulla had become supreme in the state, the young man was ordered to put away his wife. He refused, and his life was saved only through the intercession of powerful friends in Rome. But though he had been reprieved, Ceasar was far from safe, and for a time he skulled in the mountains until he managed to get acrss the sea to Asia Minor, where he served in the Roman army that was campaigning against Mithridates, the king of Pontus. At the seige of Mitylene in 80 B.C. he first distinguished himself as a soldier when he saved the life of a hard-pressed cmrade. On the death of he kept himself at the bar. His politics and mad e a career for himself at the bar. His political learning were showwn clearly enought, however, when he ventured to act as prosecutor of one of Sulla’s principal lieutnants, who was charged with gross extortion and crueltu when he was governor of the Macedonian province. To improve himself in rhetoric, Casear went to Rhodes to take a course of lessons under a celebrated master of that art, and it was probably at about this time that he had his famous encouter with Mediterranean pirates. These rufians captured the ship in which he was a passenger, and put his ransom. While his messenger was away collecting the money, Caesar made himself quite at home with his captors. He told them amusing stories, joked with them, joined in their exercises, and, always in the highest good humor, told laughed and joined in the fun. But Caesar was as good as his word. As soon as his ransom had been paid some over and he regained his liberty, he went to Miletus, hired some warships, and made stra ight back to the pirates, and ordered them to be crucified as he had assured them that he would. He also got back the money that had benn paid as his ransom. Still on the fringe of the political arena, Caesar spent the next few years as a gay young man about town. His family wasn’t rich, but there were plenty of moneylenders who were glad to accommodate him. He spent money like water, on expe... ...ush them sway, and then struck at them with his meta stilus or pen. Then he saw Brutus was among his assailants. â€Å"what, you too, Brutus† as he said and convering his body with his robe so that he should fall decently, suffered himself to be overborne. He fell, with twenty-three wounds in his body, at the foot of the statue of his great rival Pompey, which, with characteristic magnanimity, he had allowed to be re-erected in the Capitol. Such was their mad fury, some of the murderers had wounded one another in their bloody work. Now they ruched from the scene, sxultingly shouting that the Tyrant was no more. Thy called upon the people who were there to rejoice with them, but the people hung their heads, or muttered a prayer or fled. So Caesar died â€Å"the noblest man†, to quote Shakespeare’s immortal lines again, â€Å"that ever lived in the tide of times Bibliography 100 Great Kings, Queens and Rulers of the World Edited by John Canning School Library Journal Audio Recording Drama Theater Julius Caear http://homepages.iol.ie/~coolmine/typ/romans/romans6.html Julius Caesar http:library.thinkingquest.org/17120/data/bios/users/caesar/page_1.html The Word Book Encyclopedia Julius Caesar Vol 3

Friday, October 11, 2019

Cognitive Dissonance in Religion and Spirituality

Cognitive Dissonance in Religion Cognitive dissonance theory was developed by Leon Festinger more than fifty years ago as the most influential consistency theory of attitudes (Fanzoi, 2009). This theory argues that we often justify and rationalise our behavior in order to maintain cognitive consistency (Franzoi). In the classical cognitive dissonance experiment conducted by Festinger and J Merrill Carlsmitch, (Festinger, 1959, as cited in Franzoi, 2009) where a group of people were asked to perform two 30-minute mundane boring tasks where some were paid $1 and others were paid $20. At the end of the tasks, one group was asked to relay the message that the tasks were â€Å"very enjoyable† and â€Å"fun† to the next group of participants. There was also control group where they were not required to lie. At the end of the experiment, the entire group of participants were interviewed and asked the question how fun and interesting they actually found the tasks to be. The result of their finding showed that the $1 liars actually showed more enthusiasm in telling others that the tasks were â€Å"very interesting† and â€Å"fun† than the group who said so for $20. The $1 group was experiencing greater discomfort by telling the tasks as â€Å"very enjoyable† when they felt it was actually boring tasks whereas the $20 liars have more justification for their action. The cognitive dissonance experienced by the $1 liars naturally motivated to change their attitude in order to reduce the dissonance. According to Franzoi (2009), there are some strategies commonly employed to reduce cognitive dissonance such as changing one’s attitudes, adding more consonant thoughts, altering the importance of the discrepant thoughts, reducing perceived choice, making selfaffirmations to overlook current dissonance and changing behaviour. Having laid a little ground work on Cognitive Dissonance, I now wish to examine how we can observe cognitive dissonance occurring in one’s religion and spirituality. I will attempt to establish the premise that one’s spirituality may effect dissonance in one’s religious beliefs. â€Å"Religion is a fixed system of ideas while spirituality is the personal views on the fixed system of those ideas† (Ventis, 1995, as cited in LUTZ, L. 2003). â€Å"Given the Cognitive Dissonance in Religion facts that religious beliefs can be challenged by the critical historical studies, and cognitive dissonance would be generated when this occurred resulting in unconscious alteration of beliefs and attitudes† (Burns, 2006).A Study on Religion and the Role of It on People and Media†¦. When situations become inconsistent with one’s belief, dissonance would occur and needs to reduce it become obvious. When one is being perceived as hypocritical, such as â€Å"not practicing what he preaches, one would engage an unconscious strategy to reduce the dissonance often through the misattribution of arousal to a source other than one’s own discrepant behaviour† (Burns). This is an effective way â€Å"to maintain one’s self-concept as a psychologically consistent and moral person† (Fried and Aronson, 1995; Aronson, 1999, as cited by Burns, 2006). In a 1975 study of young women participating in a Christian youth program were first asked to state their beliefs publicly concerning the divinity of Jesus. They were then exposed to information aimed at disconfirming the divinity claim. The study found that those who believed Jesus’ divinity and also considered the disconfirming information as bona fide dealt with the cognitive dissonance by strengthening their belief in the divinity of Jesus. Those who dismissed the disconfirming information as true did not intensify their stance. The study showed that in some cases â€Å"the dissonance can actually reinforce original attitudes† (Burris, Harmon-Jones, and Tarpley, 1997, as cited in Burns, 2006). Kimberly Mahaffy (1996) did a study on religion and how it effects cognitive dissonance (Mahaffy,1996, as cited by MCCLUNG, 1999). â€Å"This study consisted of participants who were self-proclaimed lesbians who were either associated with a Christian church previously or presently† (MCCLUNG). The objective of the study was to determine do these women experienced dissonance when they realized their sexual orientations. Her finding concluded that the pre-evangelical Christians experienced more dissonance than their counter-parts and some women resorted to denying the supremacy of the Bible and thus Cognitive Dissonance in Religion believe that their sexual orientations may not be against their beliefs (Mahaffy, 1996, as cited by MCCLUNG, 1999). My personal association with two friends who are gay who regarded themselves to be committed Christians, high cognitive dissonance appeared to occur when they first realized their sexual orientations; they even attempted suicides. They claimed to have made attempts to change their behaviour, sought medical treatments but to no avail. They eventually conceded their current lifestyle was not by choice. I would like to cite an observation of cognitive dissonance in my personal spirituality. I used to hold strong conviction that God has ordained the church I pastor to be in Mid Valley; its existence there has been ordained. There has been much self-affirmation with providence for the first eight years confirming and intensifying that stance. However, tension started to develop the last two years when financial commitment became burdensome. Cognition dissonance of spirituality became obvious with questions held in great tensions: â€Å"Why do we need to continue paying high rental to stay in Mid Valley? † vs. â€Å"But isn’t God able to provide? † â€Å"How do we justify paying so much with little result to show? † vs. â€Å"But isn’t it worth it if even one soul has been saved? † â€Å"Aren’t we called to be in Mid Valley? † vs. â€Å"May be God is redirecting our path to elsewhere; better use the money to buy own building. The dissonance to remain in current location and the contemplation to relocate became a spiritual crisis. Coping strategies began to emerge. One member has suggested it is alright to relocate with the hope of returning once we consolidated. The same member altered the importance of the discrepancy with his remark, â€Å"It’s crucial to r elocate to conserve resource than to stay on till a crisis looms large. † I personally entertained the notion of financial limitation as sign of divine redirection. As long as dissonance remains high, justification intensifies. Once I embraced new attitudes justifying relocation, dissonance Cognitive Dissonance in Religion seemed to reduce significantly. With newly changed attitudes and beliefs, previous justification supporting old beliefs become irrelevant. From the observation of studies done by Burns (2006), Burris, Harmon-Jones, and Tarpley (1997, as cited by Burns, 2006), Mahaffy (1996, as cited by MCCLUNG, 1999) and from the reflection of personal affect, one could reasonably conclude that cognitive dissonance has been observed to occur in religion and spirituality.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Exhibit Advertisement Essay

Please join the Rhode Island School of Design in exploring a blast from the past! Our annual art exhibit will be celebrated January 22, 2012 in RISD’s auditorium. This year will showcase art work from the Early Chinese and Early Japanese Civilizations. During this free exhibit your entire family will be able to explore the very fascinating masterpieces from ancient Chinese and Japanese artist. Throughout the exhibit you will see different forms of art with each piece reflecting on their culture, history, and religious beliefs. Please take some time to read about some of the artwork that will be displayed, and its roots. Understanding these amazing art forms can be comprehended by first taking a look on how all forms of art was greatly influenced by Early Chinese Civilization. There are many connections between culture, religion, and spiritual beliefs. Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism were religions that greatly affected Chinese artist. These religions and philosophies represented social responsibility, responsibility towards nature, practical and mystical relations, along with healthy life balance. In addition to religion the admiration of nature played a very special part in art whether it is sculptures, calligraphy scrolls, or architecture. The wide array of art forms can be traced back to the Chinese culture. In the first preview you will notice a bronze horse; this artwork was created during the Han Dynasty. A horse for many was means of transportation however the Chinese valued the horse, especially due to their location. The breed of horses that were available to the Chinese were considered â€Å"flying horses† due to their speed. Many emperors along with citizens valued animals and nature because of their spiritual beliefs. Chinese men also valued the horse understanding that in time or war horses were an essential part to defeating enemies. Another art form that can be viewed at our annual exhibit is the representation of Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang represent the equal balance of life. This is most commonly represented by black and white, although the Chinese understood that life would not always be black and white. The Chinese understood that no part of life could be relevant without the other and appreciated the good with the bad and believed in things being equal. Japanese art form absorbed many of the influences from the Chinese Civilization. Japanese art in its own way is a concentrated form of Chinese work and cultural beliefs. There were Taoist and Confucius influences however the Shinto and Buddhist society were also heavily acknowledged. The love and respect for spiritual peace in addition to nature can be easily identified in Japanese art. Much like the Chinese, the Japanese also valued family, life balance, and elder wisdom. In the above image one can sense the importance of religion and spiritual finding. The Shaka Triad displays in the center Buddha. This art work was a direct influence of Buddhism, which later became to influence the court life of the Japanese. (Benton & DiYanni, 2008) This piece of art was directly influenced by the Chinese sculpture traditions especially those of pre-Tang period.

Bringing Home Adam Essay

Adam Walsh in his book â€Å"Bringing Adam Home† conveys different important information concerning people and the society they dwell. This book is based on Mathew Joe’s experience in his investigation for the murder and abduction. The book suddenly reveals the cases of abduction and murder that the world at large gets to be no longer innocent wit. Bring Adam Home is a definitive story about a six year old Adam Walsh who was kidnapped, raped, and murdered in 1981. It explains how Adam stopped by the local store to get some new lamps. He was captivated by a video game at the entrance of the store and begged his mother, Reve, to allow him try it out while she shopped. However, his mother never found him when she returned a few minutes later. His body was later found mutilated in a drainage canal. The book details the botched investigations conducted by the police that prevented discovery of the killer for nearly twenty seven years. The book is one of the finest true-crime stories that can be related to Thomas Thompson’s Blood and Money of 1976. Les Standiford is the author of the story that exposes notoriety of the case. He has authored other nonfiction books and novels such as The Man Who Invented Christmas that was released in 2008. Bring Adam Home tells the story of the young boy’s abduction with the help of detective Joe Matthews, who eventually solved the case. The detective was working for John Walsh’s TV show, America’s Most Wanted, while investigating the case. The book gives a meticulous recount of the events leading up to the kidnapping of Adam from a Sears store at the Hollywood Mall in Hollywood, Florida. It illustrates the unsuccessful search for the missing boy leading to the subsequent location of his severed head bobbing in a canal miles away. The shock of Adam’s abduction and murder, as well as failure by the police to find the killer, was the most consequential in American history. Efforts of the parents of the young boy, John and Reve Walsh, revolutionized the justice system on crimes involving missing and murdered children. It influenced the way local, state and federal authorities investigate such cases. During the time of Adam’s abduction and murder, there were no Amber Alerts and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was nonexistent. In addition, the federal government did not have the pedophile registry or a database for crimes against children. It was a time when children received little attention as they played outside all day. Before his abduction, Adam was playing video game in a departmental store. The report of Adam’s abduction and eventual death led to investigations conducted by detectives from Hollywood Police Department. Detective Matthews joined the investigation team from Miami Beach Police department. Two years after the death of the boy, an illiterate arsonist, Ottis Toole, admitted to kidnapping and killing Adam. The police got this revelation during questioning about several unresolved murders. Toole was later convicted as a serial killer, but Adam’s case was not included among the crimes he had committed. There was a time Toole recanted his confession. However, he admitted to committing the crime several times later. In his confession, Toole explained that he took Adam to raise him as his own child. He only killed him when he found out that Adam could identify him. There are several reasons that resulted in failure by the police to issue charges against Ottis Toole. More prominently, the police failed in their work in correctly documenting the findings. This led to their eventual failure in the gathering of the physical evidence. Therefore, a warrant of arrest was never issued against Ottis Toole leading to dismissal of his confession. Several other facts clearly demonstrated that Toole was the culprit. Firstly, he was the only person who gave twenty five independent confessions connecting him to the crime. Secondly, Toole had detailed information concerning the crime scene that would only be known by the killer. Thirdly, scores of eyewitnesses identified Toole as the killer. The book outlines the tireless work done by the bereaved parents in search for justice on behalf of other missing children. The main attraction of the book is the investigation of the Hollywood Police Department that exposes the bulging of the investigators that had previously worked on the case. Standiford and Matthews carefully builds the case against the police. They provide details that contain numerous leads that were disregarded during the initial investigation. These included some obvious questions that were never asked, a number of crucial witnesses that were ignored, and details concerning incomplete or falsified reports. In addition, the fresh investigation of the investigators exposed evidence that was never examined and a number of vital evidence that got lost. The book exposes the most damning revelation concerning ignorance of the Hollywood police on repeated confessions by a serial killer. The killer had detailed information concerning the crime that was never made public. However, he was never tried for the crime despite confessing to the boy’s murder. The author does not bend facts to show his artistic skills. He details factual information and is not self-consciously literary. The spilling of the narrative follows a matter-of-fact style. This is an excellent choice for a narrative laced with so much mistrust, heartbreak, perversion, and gore. The authors also exposed names of several people that were never mentioned in the initial investigation. The authors recount how detective Matthews was, on numerous occasions, stonewalled by other detectives and superiors from the Hollywood police department. This occurred when he was on loan from Miami Beach Police department as a detective to assist in investigating the case. He was further frustrated when he accepted to assist the desperate parents in investigating the case afresh. It seems the Hollywood detectives and their superiors had ulterior motives of frustrating the cause of justice for the case. Moreover, the disappearance of the boy had attracted national attention with the media being at the fore front. Joe Matthews was a topnotch homicide detective who was entrusted the responsibility of unraveling who had killed the boy. However, his concerns on disorganization witnessed at the station handling the case went ignored. There was a time he was excused from the case after suffering a nasty road accident. The case was further groped by new revelations on shotgun accusations and lack of any tangible leads. This was until Ottis Toole, a convicted serial killer admitted to the murder. The investigations dragged for two decades before Matthews got access to all information on the case files. On scrutinizing the information, the detective found out what he had long suspected. The case files showed that there had been sufficient evidence to prosecute the killer of the young boy. Unfortunately, the said killer, Ottis Toole, had died in prison in 1996. He died of liver failure at the age of forty nine. He had confessed earlier to the killings and other grisly crimes. It was hurting for a country that has arguably the best justice system to allow the grieving parents of a murdered child to lead investigations that would culminate to the deserved justice. One may wonder why the case took that long without finding justice. There are several reasons that may have jeopardized the quality of investigations into convicting the actual culprit. During the time period when the crime occurred, DNA forensic technology was still rudimental. This could have been the reason why Toole was not charged for the murder despite loads of evidence linking him to the crime scene. The Hollywood Police Department was highly respected at the time of the crime. Failure by the department to effectively solve Adam’s case may have been caused by assigning wrong detectives to work on the case. The lead investigator failed to perform his duty as the investigation was marred with claims of laxity and lack of proper supervision. The assigned leader of the investigation team was very territorial. This is evidenced by his refusal to consider inputs made by other detectives, especially Joe Matthews. The case would have been closed twenty five years earlier had he put into consideration all the findings. Though nothing could have been done to prevent the abduction, the lead investigator should have solved the Adam Walsh case at the time it occurred. Adam’s father, John, later became a steadfast advocate for missing and exploited children. He was the host of America’s Most Wanted. Through his program, he championed for the transformation of law enforcement on matters pertaining to handling similar cases. The activism of the Adam’s father influenced Congress to pass the Missing Children Act in 1982. Two years later, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was launched. John reunited with Joe Matthews, the decorated Miami Beach homicide detective, after twenty five years of Adam’s death. It was in February, 2006, when the parents requested the detective to re-investigate the case involving their son. The investigator, armed with an arsenal of forensic tools and heartfelt intent, reopened the case and went through all the case files that contained all information pertaining to the initial investigation. After two years and nine months, Joe Matthews emerged with a 10,000 page report that exposed evidence that was never recorded or looked at by the original investigators. The findings had enough evidence to indict Ottis Toole with the abduction and murder. Bring Adam Home is an account of a crime that captured public attention. It is a story of dedication, tragedy, love, and faith. The author reveals the pain and persistence of a family determined to find justice. It reveals how police failed in their work and allowed a criminal remain without being indicted. The story shows how a determined police officer was capable of accomplishing what an entire legal system failed to achieve. It is a testimony of love shown by distraught parents who took up the cause of finding justice over twenty five years after the death of their son. Their struggle and that of detective Matthews has helped the nation develop programs dealing with the exploitation of missing children. Moreover, Adam’s abduction and death has had an impact on how mothers watch over their children. The themes in the book is much convincing in that, it has a lot of elements of brutality in the form of thriller. But it gets concern most on the unsympathetic characters as the lead officer could term. Also, it was portrayed as bumbling brute which was much discouraging. However, the book is made more attractive when Matthews’s works of detectives get started almost in the middle of the book. This also makes the author to recount in great details. For instance Toole confesses for the various ways of killings he made in his life and the tough readings of parents. The book is much unique in to the fact that, it confronts the readers through various horrifying natures of the world relating to the crime situations that comes to pass. However, with the clear and thorough understanding of the book, it reveals why the investigations took long in solving the crime and also where the investigation horribly went off target. Readers also come to admire the determinations of Walshe’s and Mathews for not giving up at an early stage until when the book comes to an end. The book is not so much perfect to some extend. This is evident when the police officer reports of the author’s quotes and even some of the information found in it, seem nauseam. After clearing the book, well, the tone is better placed. However since that period; 1981, there have been many rumors and doubts about the murder of Adam Walsh. The book leaves the reader in full world of doubt about the perpetration of the investigated crime. The book also puts the reader in a bad mood in that it disturbs the mind set of a person. The book is much graphic in its illustrations on what befallen the poor Adam. It imposes too much information on the person who was suspected to be behind the murder which is much uncalled for. For instance, if the story was about how the US handles cases of child abduction, it would stick on the issue other than giving more details of different murder, rape and other horrified acts which happened long time ago. Â