What makes a family

Family It was three pickoff In the morning on a cold spring night In 1988. My parents woke me up and told me it was time to get ready to go to the airport. We were leaving Russia to move to the united States. My grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins had moved to the United States a few years back. I was ecstatic to be once again reunited with my relatives especially with my cousin Yang who I was very close to. I Jumped out of bed with so much excitement; I can almost see my heart pumping out of my chest.It was a matter of minutes until I was standing by the door wearing my Black oat and a suitcase next to me. Prior to my relatives leaving, we would spend every weekend, holiday and special occasion together. I would Impatiently Walt for the weekend to come so I can see my cousin Yang and my grandparents. My grandmother would bring little gifts every time she saw me and my grandfather was my hero, regardless of the situation I can always count on him to take my side. Upon moving to B rooklyn, I expected that everything would continue to be the same as It once was In Russia.Within a few months, I realized that this was not the case. My grandparents were occupied with their jobs and other responsibilities. Yang lived to ar of a distance to walk so our time together was limited. We no longer had time to see each other on weekends or spend holidays together. My parents had also become extremely busy trying to construct a new life and part of that process required for them to work on weekends. My father was struggling to accept that he was once a business owner in Russia and now a blue collar worker.He soon began to channel his anger and frustration on me. â€Å"l wish you were a boy' he said, â€Å"l could have taught you manly things. † However, he never took the time to Inquire about my life or teach me about life. Soon, I did not Like spending time at home. I would often find myself feeling lonely and wishing I had a brother or a sister that I can be clos e to. I wanted to feel what it would be like to be loved again. During my first summer in Brooklyn I felt lonely. School was out of session and I had no friends.I would be at the playground near my house watching other kids having fun. My English was still not very good and I had trouble approaching the other children. One day I noticed a girl that, like me, was also alone. She was sitting on a bench about ten feet away and noticed her glancing at me. Within a few minutes she approached me and asked in Russian â€Å"what is your name? ‘ â€Å"Lairs. And what Is yours† I replied. Her name was Anna. She was instantly very talkative and continued asking me questions such as â€Å"where are you from? † and â€Å"how far is your home? We ended up staying at the playground until sundown, and it was one of my happiest days from that summer. It did not take us long to become close, We spent every day of that summer together and I realized that her situation was very si milar to mine. She had also moved with her parents from Russia not too long ago. Eventually they divorced and her mother gave the responsibility of raising her to her grandparents. Unlike me, however, Anna was stronger and more confident. She had control of her emotions and could not be Influenced by others. The opinion of others also did not matter. Be who you want to be, not who others want you to be,† she said â€Å"But I don't want to make my father 1 OFF â€Å"He is already always angry, what difference does it make? † she said â€Å"I am scared I will be in trouble† I said â€Å"We will face the consequences together† she said I thought that if I followed her lead, maybe I too can come out of my shell and be as strong as she was. Anna was protective of me and cared for me as if I was her little sister. After school we would often go to her grandparents' house for dinner and it made me nostalgic of the days my grandmother would cook for me in Russia. After a while her grandparents accepted me as their own grandchild. They invited me to all of their special occasion and holidays. I began spending more time with them instead of my own family. One morning after leaving her grandmother's house to go to school, Anna stopped unexpectedly. She grabbed my arm and said â€Å"can I ask you a question? † I was confused and hesitantly said â€Å"sure. † â€Å"Do you want to be blood sisters? † she asked. â€Å"How do we do that? † I asked puzzled. Let's both cut our pinkies, put them together, and we will become sisters by blood† she answered.We felt so strong about our friendship that on May 21st, 1992 we created an unbreakable bond. Anna became the sister I had always wanted. When I needed to turn to someone for advice or for help I turned to Anna. She did not Judge and supported me regardless if I was right or wrong. I have never trusted a person so much in my life. We discussed education, relationships, careers and marriage. This was something I was unable to do with any of my family members. Of course, we would have our disagreements and fights, but through it all our bond always minded strong.We laughed together, cried together and shared life's ups and downs together. I was blessed to have her in my life. When I reminisce about that day, I realize that although what we did was childish, it also speaks a powerful message. While your parents will always be your family through birth, as you go through life you determine who you can call family. Anna showed me that this can extend to include those that are not your relatives. In my life, Vive formed my family to be people that influence my life, who help me through tough times, and who love and support me regardless of the circumstances.

A Pursuit of Happiness a Movie Review Essay

The Pursuit of Happiness is a movie about a struggling salesperson who takes custody of his son, as he is ready to begin a life-changing experience. The movie stars Will Smith, with co-stars Jaden Smith, Thandie Newton, Brian Howe, Kurt Fuller, and James Karen, among many others. Will Smith, who plays Chris Gardner, is a great man deep down and just wants to do right, but everything just seems to be falling apart at the same time. Chris causes financial difficulties for his family by losing his current job and then has troubles with his relationship with his wife that leaves him and moves to New York. Without money and wife, Chris is totally committed to his son Christopher. Will Smith portrays Chris Gardner, a character who has strong wisdom as a single father and desperately wants to do right without complaints and his only hope is drifting away when everything meaningful falls apart at the same time leaving Chris bruised and battered. Financial problems, eviction, job loss, and re lationship devastation with his wife left no financial support forcing him and his son to move to New York struggling relentlessly. Fighting for a stockbroker job while homeless, the competition continues against twenty other potential candidates despite a multitude of difficulties including being arrested and broke. Chris never gives up with his son during this time. Chris accepts a permanent job as a stockbroker after his training is over and becomes very emotional. Knowing they will be ok, Chris tells his son that he got a new job and that everything will be ok now and they will live a better life now. Chris can lift the financial burden off his shoulders, start over, and move forward. Regardless of the challenges faced or the last dollar he had, Chris faced every day with potential strength and courage. Casting of this film was outstanding thanks to Will Smith who brought Chris Gardner’s character to life as a struggling individual attempting to maximize his potential with one motivation, his son. Jaden Smith portrays Will Smith’s son in the movie and actually is his real son. Jaden understands what is going on and understands that his dad is trying so hard to do right and to give him a better life. Jaden accepts everything that has happened and really sticks by his dad and encourages him that he can do it and that he can make it. Jaden is a smart little boy and I think they grew closer together in this film and built a special bond together when making this movie. Costume designs in this film were amazingly creative given the fact they could have wrapped this neatly in a package skillfully adorned with a red bow. Using a series of old, signs and raggedy clothing made the time in this film adjust transparently, making Gardner’s wardrobe more compelling and resilient like in the real life direction in the 1980’s. Some of the clothing Smith and his son Jaden wore in the movie was made in an effort to match with characteristics fitting homelessness and the painful turmoil associated with the close bond between father and son. Production designers created dramatic scenes using many different vehicles obtaining different views at every angle of the movie. A child like Jaden would be so motivated as to wear the same clothing voluntarily for several days considering the stench was probably quite overwhelming but this was a movie with homeless individuals so the matter was quiet. The visual and sound effects of this film were impressive and had intensifying sound and visual scenes that were emotional, heartwarming, and remarkably outstanding and couldn’t match any other performance. This film won many awards and had eighteen nominations and various other awards including, the ASCAP Film and Television Music Award, and the best Capri Movie of the Year Award. The soundtrack to this film was put together very well and matched all aspects of this movie, the soundtrack included songs from the artist Andrea Guerra. The soundtrack reflects on helping to depict the struggles of modern life with a contribution and very minimal in volume or touching in basic fashion on the hip, urban environment of the film. The cues with an enhanced bass rhythm are the highlights of the score for this film. The Pursuit of Happiness is a story of success, somewhat like mine in relation to losing everything, struggling through life’s failures as a single parent, unemployed , broke and dependent upon no one but myself to do what it takes for my child. I may have never been homeless, but I appreciate knowing the emotional experiences and admire his strengths and determinations to survive in a city full of insecurities and overwhelming poverty. This is a necessary movie for people to see and reflect on their own experiences. Realizing life can be changed in a blink of an eye, losing everything you have, that not everyone encounters in a lifetime. I would recommend everyone to see this film, take into consideration poverty and homelessness, and realize it is not a choice and that everyone has a story but no one will listen.

Proud to Be Me

Danae Fuller [Company Name] Proud To Be Me! Staring in the mirror I can’t begin to tell you how, The things I saw when I was young don’t even faze me now. When yet girls, to all my friends, see we were all the same, Until I heard that girls like me were given different names. At first I didn’t like the thought of being called â€Å"black† I took offense to something dark I didn’t like that I was marked Along the way began a sparkThere goes the question mark. I love the fact that I’m unique My darker skin and curved physique I love the fact that I am black cause black is simply me. I don’t resemble every girl on ads and TV screens, The things I eat, may not be your favorite style cuisine. Perhaps the way I treat my hair is not your own routine, And maybe we don’t need the same amounts of strong sunscreen I love the fact that I am black cause black is simply me.Thinking back I have to say, I’m proud of those before, Fightin g till the tide of freedom washed up on the shore. Taking strides towards victory accomplishing much more, Than people could’ve thought but now Sir Justice won the war. I love the fact that I am black cause black is simply me So now I've no reason to question reflection, I know who I am I accept my imperfections. I'm proud of the difference in my own complexion, I have no complaints, no change, no objections.

Law and Ethics in Health and Social Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Law and Ethics in Health and Social Care - Essay Example The National Health Service in the UK employs 300,000 nurses approximately, making them the largest group of health professionals (Department of Health 2000).Ethics is an important feature in nurse education in the UK with ethical and professional practice being established by the regulatory body namely the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) which is an organization set up by the Parliament; their sole aim is to protect the public by ensuring that they provide high standards of care to their clients and patients. Hence it is a requirement that nurses need to ensure effective participation in ethical decision making arising from their practice. The advantage of learning and teaching ethics is the basic question in an underlying discussion of whether there is a separate subject in nursing ethics. For example, Milton (2004) describes nursing ethics as a theme that has "has philosophical underpinnings embedded within the discipline's nursing theoretical perspectives" (p309) Fry and Veach (2000) regard it to be part of a larger general system of bioethics.Allmark suggests that the various uncertainties which lie in the areas of nursing and education determine the manner in which ethics is taught. "In nursing there are uncertainties about whether we are teaching ethics to professionalise, or because we are a profession. Also about whether there is something which is uniquely nursing ethics. In ethics there are competing paradigms of ethical theory and competing theories of moral development. In education there are competing epistemologies, theories of learning and models of curriculum planning." (Allmark 1995 p377) According to Yumiko (2005), ethical dilemmas are "situations where moral requirements conflict, and neither requirement is overridden." The population of Scotland sees a decline of 5.11 million to fewer than 5 million (GROS 2002) announcing significant challenges for the National Health Service Scotland. The reasons range from an aging population to a shrinking tax fund as well as increasing workloads for the working age population (Duncan 2002).The NHS already experiences staff shortages which is significantly acute in nursing, a work force which is itself "graying" (Buchan 1998; 1999).The year 2000 saw almost 21,000 nurses leaving the nursing register. It left a huge vacancy of 9,200 in number (Watson et al, 2003).The NHS Improving Working Lives (DoH 2000) investigates the cause behind this predicament which is widespread in all of UK,in an effort to tackle this recruitment and retention crisis. This initiative aims at increasing labour market competitiveness, increased productivit y, retention rates, improved morale and reduced absences. It looks at flexible working arrangements such as part time working and annualized hours. Meadows et al (2000) points out that "In terms of pay and career structure, the current grading clinical grading system is instrumental in nurses' dissatisfaction with skills, workloads and responsibilities often going unrecognized."But the evident and the ever-expanding responsibilities of the ones on the higher rungs should also not go unnoticed. It is important to understand the changing role of Senior Nurses and Ward Managers and their ability or inability to come to a rational decision while faced with an ethical dilemma under such circumstances. They are responsible for the day to day running of

Landlord and tenant in the uk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Landlord and tenant in the uk - Essay Example The paper starts by distinguishing empowerment from participation, and makes a number f comments relating to the recent literature on tenant participation in particular. It is argued that there is a need for a more rigorous examination f empowerment processes, and in the following section an attempt is made to devise a typology f such processes which is completely different from any typology f tenant participation processes. This typology is then applied in the following sector to important recent developments in Britain which have involved, or have been claimed to involve, the empowerment f residents. Specific means f empowerment which are considered include the provision f information, the passing f legislation, the commitment f resources, and the transfer f management functions. The final section f the paper then briefly discusses the implications f the arguments on empowerment for the development f communities and the changing role f housing management. As Harrison (1995,p. 22) points out, "empowerment clearly means more than ... participation", but it may be worth considering just how much more empowerment does involve. People may participate individually or collectively in an activity without thereby experiencing any increase in their control over their lives. This can happen if those who control that activity simply want to use the participation for their own ends. For example, they may want to make themselves hefter informed on a subject f which the participants have special knowledge, or they may merely want to go through the motions f participation without taking seriously the participants' contributions. They may want to promote an image f themselves as "listening to the people" but without any real commitment to the empowerment f those people. Participation without empowerment is therefore a confidence trick performed by the controllers f an activity on participants in that activity. To the extent to which the trick works, it must be disempowering rather than empowering. Those who take this cynical approach, however, should bear in mind the arguments f Foucault (1980), to the effect that simply entering into discussion about what can or cannot be done is itself an empowering process, so that those who initiate participation, even with disempowering intent, may find themselves forced or influenced to act in ways which they had not originally intended. Bearing in mind the above caveat, there is in fact a good deal f overlap between participation and empowerment. For example, mechanisms for consultation clearly involve the participation f those consulted, but the participants are also empowered to the extent to which attention is paid to their views and concerns. This argument is obviously stronger with regard to the forms f participation where participants can hold decision makers to account for what they do and where participants have some say in the decision making process itself. In these cases, the specificity f

Annotated Bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 7

Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example The site was primarily created to help the fans to have their say and share with the rest of Taylor and these popular events. Most people are an admirer of the talented singer Taylor Swift, and it is the reason a group of artist made the effort to create a community fan page. The author of this website gives narrations of Taylor Swift achievements and popular events such as concerts the pop star is expecting or has performed. The media in this community website includes both print, photos of Taylor Swift and videos of some of her songs and concerts performances. Rather than being interactive, the media gives a brief overview of Taylor Swift illustrious music career. I love Taylor Swift is a group that keeps Taylor’s fan posted on issue happening in her life. In particular, the administrator added beautiful photos of Taylor Swift on May 15th, the Rock In Rio, Las Vegas performance. There is a lot of information about Taylor’s songs. One specific song that Taylor in the message board is the about her Video, Bad Blood and the reception it had to the rest of the world. Most of the people who commented and made reviews of the video such as amazing and see a growing talent in 25 years old pop star. In another particular section, there is more news on Taylor’s upcoming event on Taylor and Ed Sheeran planned Las Vegas party after the music awards. The party is expected to be attended by the host of music stars and millions of fans who will come celebrate their favorite pop artists arguably living in this era. Taylor also gives her views about her life. She discloses her circles of friends such Karlie, Lena and Selena who understand her life keep her going in life. The site has plentiful Taylors photo and print about the happenings in her life. For those fans who like Taylor in India, they have a website where they engage on the latest happening around the Taylors Swift world. On late May 2015, Forbes listed Taylor

JPMorgan Chase Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

JPMorgan Chase - Essay Example The Commission enforces its authority also by bringing â€Å"civil enforcement actions† against those who violate the securities laws (SEC, n.d.). On the other hand, the SEC as an overseer, watches over â€Å"the key participants in the securities world,† which include â€Å"securities exchanges, securities brokers and dealers, investment advisors, and mutual funds† and heads in advancing â€Å"the disclosure of important market-related information, maintaining fair dealing, and protecting against fraud† (SEC, n.d.). The SEC also persistently works with the participants of the major market as well as investors in the securities markets to take note of their concerns and experiences (SEC, n.d.). The primary responsibilities of the Commission include: interpreting and enforcing â€Å"federal securities laws†; issuing â€Å"new rules and amending existing rules†; overseeing the examination of â€Å"securities firms, brokers, investment advisers , and ratings agencies†; overseeing â€Å"private regulatory organizations in the securities, accounting, and auditing fields†; and coordinating â€Å"U.S. securities regulation with federal, state, and foreign authorities† (SEC, n.d.). The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on the other hand, is mandated â€Å"to regulate commodity futures and option markets in the United States† (US CFTC, n.d.). ... 2. Determine the elements of a valid contract, and discuss how consumers and banks each have a duty of good faith and fair dealing in the banking relationship. The elements of a valid contract are â€Å"parties competent to contract, a proper or lawful subject matter, consideration, mutuality of agreement or assent, and mutuality of obligation† (Henke v. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 83 F.3d 1445 (D.C. Cir. 1996); Foundation Telecommunications, Inc. v. Moe Studio, Inc., 341 Ark. 231, 16 S.W.3d 531 (2000); Mallory v. City of Detroit, 181 Mich. App. 121, 449 N.W.2d 115 (1989); Rhode Island Five v. Medical Associates of Bristol County, Inc., 668 A.2d 1250 (R.I. 1996). It may also be â€Å"offer, acceptance, and consideration† (Gatlin v. Methodist Medical Center, Inc., 772 So. 2d 1023 (Miss. 2000); Sauner v. Public Service Authority of South Carolina, 354 S.C. 397, 581 S.E.2d 161 (2003); Shaw v. Smith, 964 P.2d 428 (Wyo. 1998). In every contract, there is always â€Å"an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing† (Lloyd Noland Foundation, Inc. v. City of Fairfield Healthcare Authority, 837 So. 2d 253 (Ala. 2002); Wells Fargo Bank v. Arizona Laborers, Teamsters and Cement Masons Local No. 395 Pension Trust Fund, 201 Ariz. 474, 38 P.3d 12 (2002), as corrected, (Apr. 9, 2002)), where â€Å"neither party shall do anything† which would destroy or injure â€Å"the right of the other party to receive the fruits of the contract† (Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. v. PBL Consultants, 136 Ariz. 415, 666 P.2d 515 (Ct. App. Div. 2 1983); Okun v. Morton, 203 Cal. App. 3d 805, 250 Cal. Rptr. 220 (2d Dist. 1988); Dunfee v. Baskin-Robbins, Inc., 221 Mont. 447, 720 P.2d 1148 (1986); Spanish Oaks, Inc. v.

Students to demonstrate an understanding of public relations in travel Essay

Students to demonstrate an understanding of public relations in travel and tourism - Essay Example In order to attract tourists in the highly competitive market, the management uses marketing and management tools that should be taken into consideration (Mill and Morrisson, 2002). The most important marketing tool is Public Relations (PR) as it plays a key role in advertising the locations, activities and identities. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role and importance of PR in the tourism and travel industry. PR in travel and tourism has a very important role to play as it is used in strategic marketing activities and is integrated with marketing communications. The tourism industry is divided into many sectors including travel, tourist destinations, establishments, hotels lodgings and restaurants. The different sectors have their specific audience, public relation tools and convey different messages. The important role of PR is to create favourable perceptions about the tourist destination because success of the industry relies on the different sectors as explained by Deuschl (2006). The sectors need effective PR to gain popularity among the tourists. The PR department creates a positive impression in all the sectors in the travel and tourism industry. The role of PR involves attracting customers and keeping them entertained after they arrive at the destination to their time of departure. The primary purpose of PR is to effectively support other marketing and sales activities attempting to build a positive image of a company, its services and products (Deuschl, 2006). PR help the organization to save money by enhancing relations with the public that constrain or enhance the ability of the entity to meet its obligations. PR is different from other marketing tools, most importantly advertising since it creates the launch of a brand and it has greater credibility. PR promotes improved understanding between the operators and customers. There has been increased competition in the tourism sector among the operators to create

Fundamental Principle of Morality Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fundamental Principle of Morality - Assignment Example Do great; keep away from abhorrence. This most essential good rule, the beginning stage for profound quality, was verbalized by Aristotle, an aged Greek thinker, and is held by all the worlds significant religions. All other good standards stream from this one. Do unto others as you might have them do unto you. The end does not legitimize the methods. Established theory and the real world religious customs have maintained the guideline that having a great end (objective or reason) does not support the utilization of abhorrence means (strategy) to accomplish that end. The predictable results are some piece of those circumstances of the demonstration, which, while equipped for reducing the gravity of an insidiousness demonstration, in any case, cant modify its ethical species (Daniel, 12-19). Take after what nature aims. Referred to in reasoning as characteristic law, this standard is not really a law recorded somewhere in any case, rather, a methodology to settling on choices that regards the way of things, particularly personal inclination. Quickly, common law lets us know this: Follow what is regular for individuals and whatever remains of creation. Don't abuse the way of things. For example, our inborn feeling of what is reasonable and respectable. Also, think about how regular law could apply to peoples messing with the natures domain. For instance, it is common for the earth to have a defensive ozone layer around it to shield creatures and plants from the dangerous impacts of ultraviolet light.

The importance of Consderation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The importance of Consderation - Essay Example Still, most systems of law require evidence of the intention of the parties. The evidence of intention is supplied by consideration. In addition, consideration is important in social interactions since one cannot gauge how personal actions affect others (Raatma & Murphy, 2000). Consideration is appreciated because it shows concern for other people. It is also essential to avoid unexpected outcomes. A thoughtful consideration of unplanned consequences avoids irreparable harm to existing relationships. The promise of a man to marry a woman is treated as a legally-binding contract. If this contract is breached, an action is taken for the damages. In the consideration of an engagement, a person may decide to use the terms used in contracting. Firstly, the task must be clear. This involves consideration of why the engagement is imperative to both partners and the views and opinions of the other partner towards marriage. Secondly, the purpose of the engagement must be clarified. Naturally, marriage is a long-term commitment. Clarification helps confirm that both partners are ready for such a commitment to avoid consequences such as a divorce. The third step involves identification of the object. Before a man proposes, it is appropriate to ensure that the chosen partner is the right person. After that, one selects the engagement technique. Choose a technique that is agreeable and best suited for the partner. Lastly, an engagement plan is formulated. This should not be a complex plan, b ut clear and straightforward plan of one’s intentions of commitment (Sullivan,

How Many Watts Solar Panel Do You Ned to Charge 12v Battery Essay Example for Free

How Many Watts Solar Panel Do You Ned to Charge 12v Battery Essay The wattage of the panel will determine How Many Hours of sunlight youll need to charge the 12 volt battery, so the next piece of information you need to consider is: what are you going to use that 12v battery for, and how quickly do you need it charged up? Heres the math- To figure out how many hours it will take to charge the battery, first figure out the output of the solar panel by dividing its WATTS by its Volts, which will give you its output in AMPS. So. . a 15 watt panel DIVIDED by 12v = 1.25 amps Next, read the Amp Hour rating on your 12v battery. If we use a 50 amp hour battery for this example. . . DIVIDE 50 amp hours [required to fully charge the battery] by the 1.25 amp output of the solar panel = 40 hours of direct sunlight to charge the battery. Then add another 10% of time to his number, so figure 44 hours. Some more examples: 5watt/12vpanel=.42amp and 50amp hr/.42amp=119 +10% = 131 hours of sun 30watt panel works out to 22hours. 50watt=13hrs 80watt=about 8 hrs. Of course all of these times are based a 50amp hour 12v battery. BTW, Im no expert i just found this equation online 5 mins ago because i was wondering the same thing myself. . Now could anyone tell me how figure out quickly my computer or light or whatever will drain that 12v battery To determine how quickly your battery will drain, lets assume that same 50AH battery. You wish to run 2-5W 12V lamps for about four hours each evening and use your small laptop for an hour which has a 50W draw at 18V, so about 80W at 12V. Your use will be 80W/12V=6.7AH + ((2*5W)/12V)*4 hours=3.2AH, or a total of about 10AH per evening. If you allow the battery to discharge to 50% before wanting to recharge it, you can run as described for about 3-3 1/2 evenings per week. If you concurrently have a 30W solar panel charging the battery for 4 hours per day, you will be keeping the battery fully charged it (you will be putting back 10AH per day). This allows for a couple of cloudy days. Hope this answers your question. Remember, watts/volts=amps. Multiply each load by the number of hours you need it to run to get ampere-hours. Add all these results together to determine the total draw on the battery.

Who Wants to Be Filipino Essay Example for Free

Who Wants to Be Filipino Essay If you were to be reincarnated and given the choice, would you opt to be Filipino again? It was in 1998, at a Forum of students of top schools at the University of Asia and the Pacific, that I raised this question. As expected, everybody, except me, gave a resounding yes for an answer. Hypocrites! I could see from the way they talked, from the clothes they wore, from their ideas of what was good and beautiful, that even in this lifetime they were dying to camouflage their being Filipino. Thanks to Ralph Lauren, a colonial education and a trying-hard American accent. I told them that I want to be European, a Frenchman more specifically. Yes, Europewith its rich history, solid identity, and all the luxury and elegance this world could offer. I have been there once for the world debates in Greece. But being Filipino, I was a disaster then. During socials, I would befriend the Jamaicans so I would stand out. But it was a wrong move because Jamaicans, notwithstanding their darker skin tone, are very secure with themselves. When I and fellow Filipinos were walking in downtown Athens, a young Greek approached our group and casually told us that he intended to go to the Philippines to fk Filipinas. Then he kept on asking us: How much are Filipinas? Did he expect us to adore him because a fine European like him wanted to visit a country whose people they officially defined as Domestic Helpers? Or was he simply being mean? I wish he were just referring to the controversial brown biscuit. Hellish traffic, hellish climate, hell-sent politicians, gangsters in uniform, hoodlums in robe, massive unemployment, inhumane poverty, identity crisis, a tradition of mediocrity. Get real. Who would want to be Filipino? Maybe the Cojuangcos, the Sys, the Tans and the other demigods whose surnames do not sound Filipino at all. But this Yumul, no. My Uncle Jessie is lucky: he and the whole family migrated to the United States in the early 1970s, to graze where the grass is greener and live there as second class citizens but occasionally come home like gods crowned with sparkling dollars. Then there is Me-Ann, one of the tinderas in our small business. She thinks that her main purpose in life is to go to Taiwan and earn money she will never earn in a lifetime of labor in the Philippines. I feel sad to know that Me-Ann and millions of Filipinos have to leave the country just to live decently. Some say though that despite our material poverty, we could take pride in our spirituality since the Philippines is the only predominantly Christian country in Asia. But it continues to puzzle me why this Catholic Nation has only produced two saints so far while Thailand, Japan and Chinaall non-Christian countrieshave more. Maybe, unlike Filipinos, people from those nations have more sensible things to do than creating miracles by desperately looking for images in the stains of tree trunks and forcing statues to shed bloody tears. I have always been pessimistic about the fate of the Filipino. But there was a break. I gave in to the Nationalistic Spirit during the Centennial Celebrations. When fireworks, worth millions of pesos, lit up the skies over the Luneta, I had high hopes that the Philippines would be better and I decided to junk my pessimism. I thought a new era of Filipino pride had dawned. In my college years, I was also influenced by San Bedas thrust of molding young men in the image of a true Filipino like some of its alumni whose ranks include Ninoy Aquino, Rene Saguisag, Ramon Mitra, and Raul Roco, who should have been the president of this country. Yes, for some time, I was deluded into being proud of being Filipino. Thanks to President Erap, I have recovered my senses. His Excellency has betrayed the peoples trust so many times that I need not elaborate. Erap has become for me the symbol of everything that is bad in the Filipino. In his administration, corruption and chaos have become the norm so that writing about it would only bore the reader. Its just too bad for the nation but good for me since I got back my precious pessimism. Now I am firmly convinced that Erap has to resign to save what is left of our dignity as a nation and what is left of my optimism as a young man. But, I guess he will never do that. Congress is dominated by honorable galamays, impeachment is an impossibility. A military coup could save the day for the country, but, in that case, Uncle Sam is sure to defend his friend who handed him the Visiting Forces Agreement. Now, we are left with assassins to play heroes. If one saves the lives of millions, would he not go to heaven? But then Erap need have no fear about an assassination plot. Imelda, despite all the crimes her family committed against the Filipino people, has never been hurt. Not even a strand of her regal hairdo has been touched. But of course, there are always firsts. According to Hindu philosophy, what you sow in this life, you would reap in the next and whatever you are now is a reaction to your past. Could it be that all Filipinos were crooks in their earlier incarnations? If there is any reason why I try to do well in this life, it is in the hope that in my next, I would be a Filipino no more. If it would not be too much to ask, I wish I would be French, or even Jamaican, before Jinggoy Estrada becomes president of this wretched land. Herdy L. Yumul, 21, is a Philosophy and Human Resource Development graduate of San Beda.

The Royal Automobile Club business overview

The Royal Automobile Club business overview The Royal Automobile Club was founded in 1897 to provide its members with roadside assistance. It is part of a hugely competitive market where it is involved in a continual tussle with The AA and Green Flag for market superiority. There are fundamental problems in RACs current operations. Customer service is vital aspect of the roadside recovery business and this is where RAC are failing. RAC have had a rising in the number of customer complaints coupled with poor retention of customers. The RAC has to supply its services and respond quickly to all callouts but faces difficulty dealing with the variation in demand. The problems were outlined by Martin Connor, the director of Operations who claimed the only big winners seemed to be the contractors who provide capacity during the night and during periods of overloading. This is a time while the RACs own patrol staff are earning more despite a decline in productivity. The RAC uses private contractors during weekends and at also at night times, they also supplement day patrols if the demand is unexpectedly high. As the contractors dont carry the full RAC branding, customer service was less of a priority to them. Market research had indicated that customers were less satisfied with the service provided by private contractors. The use of such contractors was also expensive, with the average price being  £36 plus. After working a standard forty hour week, at busy periods staff were offered overtime or the option of being on standby. Overtime was paid at time and a half and double on Sundays. Staff had no motivation to complete work as quick as possible as they would be paid however long jobs took. Similarly the standby system was fraught with problems, staff were paid a flat fee of  £6 per job completed. There was no difference in pay with regard to simple jobs that would take a few minutes and more difficult jobs which could take a long time. Staff could log off at any point and would frequently do so if they were offered time consuming jobs. This would force the RAC into delegating to contractors at the much higher cost The patrol attendance rate measures how many of the jobs the RAC undertakes were dealt with by their own staff. In 1999 the rate was averaging 80%. The importance of a high PAR is underlined in the costs which suggest that just a 1% decrease would cost about  £1 million per year in contractors fees. .The RAC has a reputation for offering high quality service a but at a high price. It faced losing its market share as a number of competitors surfaced. It was faced with the problem of improving its operations whilst keeping its membership costs at a competitive price. In an independent survey the RAC was ranked 2nd to the AA in terms of customer satisfaction. The critical customer service factors are in the call taking and how quickly patrols are on the scene and complete the job. Due to more advanced call taking technology the AA was able to offer its members better customer service than the RAC. The importance of a low membership costs could not be underestimated as Green Flag, which had poor customer service feedback from the survey was becoming a leading competitor due to its low costs. The SWOT analysis shows where the RAC need to improve. SWOT analysis Strengths Strong brand Large customer base Good profitability Weaknesses Old fashioned image Capacity easily overloaded. Opportunities Innovative technology New products Threats Competition Technology of cars improving reduction in breakdowns Increased customer expectation Workforce scheduling / Capacity management Literature Review In service industries the matching of capacity and demand is particularly difficult. Capacity management plays an important role in determining how effectively an organisation uses its assets to produce income. (Sun Services, 2007) Capacity management is the ability to balance demand from customers and the ability of the service delivery system to satisfy the demand. (Armistead et al, 1991) There is either too much demand for the capacity, putting a strain on resources, or too little demand, giving rise to unused capacity and a loss in revenue. This is known as the perishability factor. (Mudie et al, 2006) Both of these are an issue for the RAC due to the numerous factors that influence the demand on the patrols such as the weather. The manner in which workforce is deployed is a large determinant of the effectiveness of service organisations. Having more staff than is necessary to provide the desired level of customer service is costly and having fewer staff than is necessary risks poor customer service and the loss of current or future revenue. In an ideal scenario the company has just enough staff available to provide the desired level of service. Temporal variation in customer demand, even within a day, compounds the difficulty of providing the ideal number of staff. One solution is the use of planning intervals of an hour or less, in conjunction with overlapping shifts, and then allowing the number of employees scheduled to change from period to period. The task of providing the right number of employees at the right time is commonly known as workforce scheduling. (Thompson et al 2006) Rotating workforce scheduling is a typical constraint satisfaction problem which appears in a broad range of work places (Musliu, 2005). Poor workforce scheduling often leads to high personnel turnover, absenteeism, resentment, poor job performance and unfit mental and physical conditions situations that translate to loss of productivity, quality and even safety (Hung, 1992) One method to solve capacity issues is to address the schedules of the workers, a re-arranged workweek can be a great recruitment tool. Many people are enthusiastic about receiving one or more extra off-days per week and longer weekends (for the 4-day workweek, there are 52 extra off-days per year). Moreover, fewer work days means including less time and money on commuting and less expenses on meals and childcare. (Hung, 1992) Another factor that can affect capacity is motivation. This can be influenced by shift patterns dictated. Motivation can be increased by adapting work times to individual needs which can change over time, better working conditions (such as security and hygiene), creation of a team spirit or through professional mobility. For example, highly skilled staff can act as tutors to new employees. (Chan et al, 2006). Part time workers can increase the flexibility of operations. A common trend amongst the literature is to offer discounted prices at times to level off the demand. This is a possibility for the RAC who could offer breakdown packages such as weekends only or off peak packages at substantially discounted prices. Competitive Analysis RAC The basic RAC policy starts at  £28. On average there patrols are able to fix 80% at the roadside. The RAC web-site has an active forum, where members can communicate with one another to give advice, this creates an online community. RAC will attend the first five callouts made by a member free of charge and offer priority for vulnerable motorists. Having over 2000 patrols and over 100 years experience are key selling points for the RAC. All labour and fittings costs are included in membership, so members only have pay for the part itself. RAC advertise offers worth over  £500 to try and lure in new members, they include discounts on health insurance, roadside restaurants and UK holidays. (RAC, 2010) Green Flag The Green Flag slogan is driven by performance, Green flag compare themselves to both the RAC and The AA by advertising its average time is under 30 minutes in contrast to their 40 minute average. The claim is backed up with data from 837,962 call outs. Its basic plan begins at  £20, they fix 86% of customers cars at the roadside. A key asset of green flag policies is the availability of the customer to adapt a policy to fit their own circumstances, you dont have to pay the price of other peoples problems . Green Flag offer no callout discounts to members and offer free, unlimited call-outs when you breakdown. They aim to answer calls within 20 seconds. Green flag operates solely through outside contractors, which has a negative affect on its customer service. (Green Flag, 2010) The AA The AA claim to fix more breakdowns by the roadside than anyone else they have strong customer satisfaction and boast 95% of members would recommend the firm to friends. On average the AA arrive within around 40 minutes of members calls. With 3500 patrols the AA has the largest dedicated breakdown patrol force in the UK,; they attend a breakdown on average every 8.7 seconds and repair around 8 out of 10 breakdowns by the roadside. Only the AA has VIxEN, a unique on-board computer to help diagnose faults. At night, as at other times of the day, the AA serves its members with its own patrols and, as with other breakdown providers and some garage agents, when appropriate. (The AA, 2010) Strategic performance objectives The Objective of the RAC is to provide a fast and quality service to its members who breakdown at the roadside. To do this they need to define what the key performance indicators are and what is the expected level. A key performance indicator is a metric that allows you to evaluate whether you are meeting a certain goal. The five kpis for breakdown companies are: Quality : the level of customer service and efficiency of the recovery Cost The cost the customer has to pay Dependability To always have patrols ready for jobs. Flexibility To adapt to unexpected rises in demand. Speed To answer calls quickly, patrol arrive quickly, job completed quickly Recommendations 1 in every 5 jobs completed are being outsourced to contractors costing the RAC a huge amount of money and risking its reputation from its members who have expressed dissastisfaction by the service they have received from such patrols. Clearly changes have to focus around ensuring more callouts are attended by RAC patrols. To do this firstly the RAC need to invest in new calling and dispatch process. More effective call technology can identify the patrol most suitable to undertake each job and can improve customer service relations. More effective utilisation of patrols will ease capacity issues. The overtime payments need to be re-structured so that is no longer based on a per job basis. The current system is open to abuse by patrols who would avoid difficult jobs by logging off. This a key reason for the excessive use of contractors. The pay structure needs to adjusted, Proposed would be a rating scale for the difficulty of jobs completed, patrols could then receive a monthly bonus based on there performance. changed to offer staff incentives and motivation to ensure customer service is top of their priority. These can include monthly bonuses or share schmes. In most cases it may be necessary to establish some scale of gradation of jobs based on some objective assessment and to relate jobs measured on this scale to rates of pay (Wild, 1991) The PAR is reducing by as much as 3% during peak holiday season. A 1% drop in PAR costs  £1 million per year in contractor fees. Holidays need to be re-reanged so that they are equally dispersed around the year. December and January are the busiest months so there must be a limt especially around this time. Monday is the busiest day of the week for the RAC with the weekend the quietist time Workforce schedules can also be adjusted, the current shift system doesnt work. One option would be to switch workers to a four day week. Workers could then have more social hours and capacity could be increased at peak periods. Needs to continue its investment in materials that help drivers fix there own faults, with a particular emphasis on problems caused by winter conditions. This can be the most effective measure to combat capacity problems. Phone operators can try an identify the causes of problems and offer the potential for the member to fix there own vehicle. The staff at RAC are approaching retirement and therefore RAC will need to attract new recruits. It is important that the knowledge built up by years of experience by the senior employees is utilised to enable the training of the new younger employers to be more effective. Staff should be encouraged to present any ideas to senior management that they believe would improve operations. With attractive incentives offered for any ideas that put into practice, the job satisfaction and motivation of employees would be likely to increase. There will be a resistance to change, particularly from the patrols who are seeking more social hours and a generally easier working schedule. The diagram above shows how the proposed changes could improve the operations of the RAC. The main advantage would be seen in the flexibility of the patrols. The RAC need to communicate more effectively with members who broke down. Breakdowns can be highly stressful situations and therefore knowing approximately how long it will take for a patrol to arrive will be a reassurance to the member.

The Nature of Psychology Essay examples -- essays research papers

The Nature of Psychology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Psychology is the scientific study and practical application of observable behavior and mental processes of organisms. Psychology differs from other social sciences such as: Sociology, History, or Economics, because psychology specifically deals with the study of an individual. The other social sciences will study groups, or history. Psychology is less a science of reported findings, it attempts asks and answers questions using observable behavior and what can be determined as mental processes of the subject. The symbol for psychology is the Greek letter â€Å"psi† (Ø). The subject matter of psychology is, affect, behavior, and cognition. The affect for psychology is the actual mental processes that make up: moods, feeling, and emotional state. An example for affect would be feeling sad about something happening. Behavior includes the actually actions and responses of organisms. Behavior can include the way we act in any given situation, for example when we get up in the morning. The order in the way we prepare ourselves for going out into public can be categorized as our behavior. Cognition is the actual mental events and the processes that result from them. Memories of an event are a great example of an organism’s cognition. The components and corresponding faces of psychology include the body of knowledge which is considered the teaching face, set of investigative methods or research face, and array of techniques the therapy face. The goals of psychology are: to explain behaviors, to describe behaviors, to predict behavior, and to modify inappropriate behaviors. Explaining behaviors would be a question similar to â€Å"Why does this happen?†, and example of how describing behavior could be accomplished would be asking â€Å"What causes this behavior, where does it come from?†. Predictions can be elaborated on by asking â€Å"When will the behavior occur?†. An example of a behavioral modification quest ion is â€Å"What can be changed in the environment to alter this behavior?†. A specialized subfield of psychology that most interests me is, Forensic Psychology, because it would be appealing to me to understand a potential criminal mind and to make the determination if the criminal was sane at the time the crime was committed or if he/she was operating with full judgment. In studying the 9/11 attack on America, a Forensic Psyc... ... level of a specific behavioral defect. After all the previous methods have been used, the use of existing data could be of help. Using existing data enables the psychologist to draw conclusions using other studies, surveys, observations, and tests to aide in the diagnose and treatment of a depressed person. A depressed person has a decrease in activity at the serotonin synapses. The independent variable would be the activity in the serotonin synapses. The dependent variable is the actual depression. In an experiment there are two types of groups: the experimental, and control groups. The experimental group is the participants who are exposed to the independent variable. The control group is the group of people who are not exposed to the independent variable, the comparison group. Three ethical concerns in psychological research experiments are: do no harm, maintain confidentiality, and the use of deception only when absolutely necessary. In a depression experiment, the do no har m would be observed by only interviewing the subject. The researcher should refrain from any activity that would cause physical, emotional, and or psychological harm to the subject(s) in any of the groups.

Comparing the Role of the Ghost in Morrisons Beloved and Kingstons No

The Symbolic Role of the Ghost in Morrison's Beloved and Kingston's No Name Woman The eponymous ghosts which haunt Toni Morrison's Beloved and Maxine Hong Kingston's "No Name Woman" (excerpted from The Woman Warrior) embody the consequence of transgressing societal boundaries through adultery and murder. While the wider thematic concerns of both books differ, however both authors use the ghost figure to represent a repressed historical past that is awakened in their narrative retelling of the stories. The ghosts facilitate this retelling of stories that give voice to that which has been silenced, challenging this repression and ultimately reversing it. The patriarchal repression of Chinese women is illustrated by Kingston's story of No Name Woman, whose adulterous pregnancy is punished when the villagers raid the family home. Cast out by her humiliated family, she births the baby and then drowns herself and her child. Her family exile her from memory by acting as if "she had never been born" (3) -- indeed, when the narrator's mother tells the story, she prefaces it with a strict injunction to secrecy so as not to upset the narrator's father, who "denies her" (3). By denying No Name Woman a name and place in history, leaving her "forever hungry," (16) the patriarchy exerts the ultimate repression in its attempt to banish the transgressor from history. Yet her ghost continues to exist in a liminal space, remaining on the fringes of memory as a cautionary tale passed down by women, but is denied full existence by the men who "do not want to hear her name" (15). Kingston's narrator tackles this repression when she sympathetically frames No Name Woman's story as one of subjugation, pointing out that "women in the old Ch... ... "The Woman Warrior as a Search for Ghosts", Sato examines Kingston's symbolic use of the ghost figure as a means of approaching the dramatic structure of the text and appreciating its thematic search for identity amidst an often-paradoxical bicultural setting. Sonser makes this argument through a comparison of Beloved with Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. Her essay, "The Ghost in the Machine: Beloved and The Scarlet Letter", draws strong parallels between the two female protagonists, Sethe and Hester, who challenge the oppressive frameworks of their societies. Despite the ideological incongruity of Hawthorne's patriarchal Puritanism and Morrison's racist slavery, Sonser still finds a shared thematic "intersection of subjectivity and social power" (17) that resonates in the stories of two women's attempts at self-definition from the margins of society.

The Character of the Hero and His Detective Skills in Stories of Sherlo

The Character of the Hero and His Detective Skills in Stories of Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes is a well-known and loved detective who features in sixty-eight of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective stories. Written in the early 19c and set in London, the adventures of Holmes and his companion Dr Watson (with whom shared a flat with during some of the tales) are ingeniously written. Conan Doyle was born in 1859 in Edinburgh, Scotland; he went to Stonyhurst School and did a degree in medicine at Edinburgh University. He began writing during the time he was in medical practice using it as a way to pass the time he had free during his work. However his writing soon took over from medicine and he became famous for it. Conan Doyle was influenced by Edgar Allan Poe who similarly to Conan Doyle created a detective with odd habits and amazing powers of deduction, which are two of the recognisable characteristics of Sherlock Holmes. In all of his many adventures Holmes uses interesting and unusual detective skills including disguise ('A Scandal In bohemia') (this is the story of a King from Germany who was involved with a woman by the name of Irene Adler she has in her possession a picture of herself and the King which she is planning to reveal before the king planned wedding to a Princess daughter to another king, Holmes plans to retrieve it and return it to the King.) and very good powers of observation ('The Speckled Band') (a story of a family Named Roylott . One of the daughters of Dr. Roylott had suffered from a suspicious death the previous year prior to her forthcoming wedding when she had been found dying by her sister she had given her last words of "it was the band, the Speckled band." Her s... ...ite different as Holmes gets a result from sitting in Dr. Roylotts house all night he sends the snake through the vent just as Holmes had anticipated and prepared for meaning he was ready to attack when it emerged. He swiped at the snake and sent it back into the Dr's room causing it to kill him. This was a positive result for Holmes as he had prevented a young woman from being killed. Personally I prefer different elements in each story. I like the tension and drama that is shown throughout "The Speckled Band" but I like the way also that there is a lot of wit and intelligence in " a Scandal In Bohemia" with people scheming and plotting there is a lot of planning but it does not have the dark qualities of "The Speckled Band". I think these are two very different stories and although they have similar structures the eventual outcome is very different.

Orange and Bronze Main Problem

Development of online android application market for Orange and Bronze Main Problem: a. The company has no testing site or centralized point of for their applications software products. Specific Problems: a. Many software products are non-marketable b. Limited number of their software products viewed in the public Causes of the Problems: a. Other countries have different speculations of software products because of their culture b.Almost all of their software products is for their big clients such as accenture, advance, Aeon, Allied Telesis, Technologies so hey don't give the overview of their products because of security purposes and copyrighted. c. Effects of the Problems: a. More software products will be wasted b. Loss of clients. General Subject Area: Application of Mobile Technology in the field of Business II. Specific Topic: The OBAAM is an Philippine android online application that enables the user to download and browse mobile application.It also helps the Application devel oper to publish their own application for testing Ill. Definition of the Topic: A. Importance and Significance The purpose of this study is to have an efficient, reliable, and functioning entralized distributor of software product of the company that can be viewed and download in public. This study aims to present solution to the development ot system that will help the company to upload their apps (made by their Junior programmer) for testing. It also helps other developer's idea not to be wasted.This research project allows us gain information for the development of a system. It also help us for our future career. Through this research, we will already have a peek in what we will do in the future. B. Manageability: (Scope and Limitations) Is the research topic within your capability? What: Descriptions and types The OBAAM is an online Android application that will help the company to test their software products. Feedbacks from the user of the software will help the company for fu rther improvements of the software.Who: users and beneficiaries Through this proposed system, the user could easily find company's android apps even those unusual apps that can only be downloaded in the Philippines. The users will be benefitted by having feedback messages that will be the basis on improving the said system Where: users and applications To use the said system, the user will require android devices. When: historical background The company focuses in providing software services and software products on many big clients so lots of their software products cannot be viewed or download.Why: importance and relevance The system will help the client, user and the company interact providing their different needs. The system will distribute the software products made by the company and benefit both company and user How: process, functions and operations The processes include browsing and downloading of new software apps, uploading apps ,writing suggestions or bugs in forums and C. Availabili y ot Resources: (Sources ot Intormation) Where do you intend to get the information? Primary Data: Thesis and Dissertation Secondary Data: Internet Others: Journals, Articles D.Expected Output/ObJectives A system passed the following evaluation in terms of efficiency, reliability, functionality and maintainability. It will help the company to test their software, user to find unusual mobile android apps and save ideas in terms of marketability. General Objective: A designed and developed system and that will the evaluation in terms of functionality, reliability, and maintainability. The system is a apable of reporting bugs. The report or feedback will come from the users via forums.Specific Objectives: The proposed system will help the company to increase the number of software products viewed in public that will lead to increasing number of their client. The system will be the container of software products in which it will make the unusual software products marketab le so many ideas will not be wasted. University of Makati J. P. Rizal Ext. West Rembo, Makati City College of Computer Science Name: Canizares, Francis Joseph Diamante Garcia, Catherine Echipare Reyes, Edgar Peralta Program: Bachelor ot Science in Intormation Technology Major in Service Management TOPIC PRESENTATION Topic No. l. General Subject Area II. Specific Topic Ill. Specific of Research a. Background of the Study Orange and Bronze was founded in July 2005 by Calen Martin Legaspi and Renato â€Å"Butch† Landingin. Calen Legaspi says that they â€Å"wanted to establish a technology- oriented company that Filipinos can be proud of†¦ we would also want to contribute to global programming standards, create new technologies and be with the same level together with globally-respected companies like Google, Microsoft and BoostPro. The company started as a two-man consulting firm doing software training for local software companies.Their clients eventually hired them as s oftware consultants, before the company ventured into offshore software development projects. This led to partnerships with Google, Springsource and Pentaho. Orange & Bronze Software Labs Inc. (O&B) is a privately-owned computer software development company based in the Philippines. The company delivers software consulting, product engineering, and IT training services with a focus on Java technology. Their mantra is to successfully create software and provide technology olutions that work. b. Research Description i.General Objectives To develop an Application Market that will serve as a centralized contact point and distributor of apps for Android Devices Specitlc O 1 . Evaluate the system in terms of functionality, reliability, efficiency and maintainability 2. Develop the system designed 3. Provision of secure payment mechanisms 4. Avoidance of Downtime ill. Scope and Limitations This study is limited to browsing, downloading of Android apps for user, choosing of application type and publishing of application for Developer The OBAAM will only work whenever there is an internet connection.

Ethical Lens Essay

Ethical Lens Inventory Results for DESIREE Your preferred lens is: Rights and Responsibility Lens You use your reasoning skills (rationality) to determine your duties as well as the universal rules that each person should follow (autonomy). Your Core Values: Autonomy and Rationality You prioritize the value of autonomy over equality. Your primary concern is protecting individual rights. You believe this is the best way to assure that everyone in the community is treated fairly. You prioritize the value of rationality over sensibility. You believe universal rules exist that apply equally to everyone and that the best results are achieved through consistent application of the universal rules. Your Classical Values: Temperance You value individual balance and restraint in the desire for pleasure as you seek to satisfy your duties. You also know who you are, so you can act with integrity in the exercise of all the virtues. Your Key Phrase: â€Å"I am responsible.† Because you value autonomy and rationality, you tend to assume that your own definitions of what a responsible person should do apply to everyone. Your Definition of ethical behavior: Fulfilling duties You define an ethical person as one who fulfills their duties and does the right thing as an autonomous, fully-responsible adult. For you, this is the fullest expression of fairness and justice. Your Tools for analyzing problems: Reason Using your critical thinking skills is your preferred method for learning and problem-solving. You tend to think through a problem carefully and research options to find the one that will allow you to fulfill your duties. You focus on gathering and analyzing all the available data so you can make a fully informed decision. Your Gift: Self-knowledge Because you are concerned with figuring out your duties, when you are at your best you know yourself – you know both what you are doing and why. Because of this, when you say that you will do something or care for someone, you follow through. You are also able to live in the present, to determine what you need to do at any given moment to fulfill your responsibilities. Your Blind spot: Belief that motive justifies method Because you are so clear about your reasons for acting, you tend to believe that the motive justifies the method. You may unintentionally cause people upset and pain because you are so focused on your good motive. You tend to believe that ethics is a set of universal rules that everyone must follow, just as you do. You follow the rules – everyone should. Your Risk: Being autocratic (bossy) Without self-knowledge, you run the risk of becoming autocratic. You require everyone to do things your way in order to measure up ethically. You tend not to consider other interpretations of the facts or listen to other approaches once you have made up your mind. Your Temptation: Excuses If you are not paying attention, you can be tempted to excuse yourself from following the rules. You insist that you really are being true to your core values, even when you are not. You’ll convince yourself that the rules were meant for other people or that the action you want to take really does meet your responsibilities – even though your â€Å"Responsible Self† tells you otherwise. Your Vice: Becoming judgmental and legalistic Without self-knowledge, you can become overly rigid in your expectations, leading to legalism as you obsess over minute details. You will also become judgmental and when others do not fulfill (what you believe are) their duties, you will be quick to label them as unethical. Your Crisis: Becoming exhausted Unless you develop the practice of mindfulness and reflection, at some point you will become exhausted. No one can meet all of the obligations that your â€Å"Responsible Self† has on your to-do list. If you have few friends, it could be because you are so judgmental that you drive everyone away. Your Seeing Clearly: Listen to your heart To see more clearly, check to see whether your intuition, your heart, agrees with your head. To find balance, explore the gifts of the other lenses – flexibility and a concern for the whole community. As you consider what your duty is, remember that others may see the situation differently or need different supports to fulfill their duties. Also remember to think about the impact of a decision on the whole community. Sometimes an individual actually benefits by restraining autonomy for the good of the community. As you learn to consider the perspectives of others in your decision making process, you will live out the best of your ideals with compassion and care for others.

The Host Chapter 27: Undecided

I felt my way back to my prison hole. It had been weeks and weeks since I'd been down this particular corridor; I hadn't been back since the morning after Jared had left and Jeb had set me free. It seemed to me that while I lived and Jared was in the caves, this must be where I belonged. There was no dim light to greet me now. I was fairly sure I was in the last leg-the turns and twists were still vaguely familiar. I let my left hand drag against the wall as low as I could reach, feeling for the opening as I crept forward. I wasn't decided on crawling back inside the cramped hole, but at least it would give me a reference point, letting me know that I was where I meant to be. As it happened, I didn't have the option of inhabiting my cell again. In the same moment that my fingers brushed the rough edge at the top of the hole, my foot hit an obstacle and I stumbled, falling to my knees. I threw my hands out to catch myself, and they landed with a crunch and a crackle, breaking through something that wasn't rock and didn't belong here. The sound startled me; the unexpected object frightened me. Perhaps I'd made a wrong turn and wasn't anywhere near my hole. Perhaps I was in someone's living space. I ran through the memory of my recent journey in my head, wondering how I could have gotten so turned about. Meanwhile, I listened for some reaction to my crashing fall, holding absolutely still in the darkness. There was nothing-no reaction, no sound. It was only dark and stuffy and humid, as it always was, and so silent that I knew I must be alone. Carefully, trying to make as little noise as possible, I took stock of my surroundings. My hands were stuck in something. I pulled them free, tracing the contours of what felt like a cardboard box-a cardboard box with a sheet of thin, crackly plastic on top that my hands had fallen through. I felt around inside the box and found a layer of more crackly plastic-small rectangles that made a lot of noise when I handled them. I retreated quickly, afraid of drawing attention to myself. I remembered that I'd thought I'd found the top of the hole. I searched to my left and found more stacks of cardboard squares on that side. I tried to find the top of the stack and had to stand in order to do so-it was as high as my head. I searched until I found the wall, and then the hole, exactly where I'd thought it was. I tried to climb in to ascertain if it really was the same place-one second on that bowed floor and I would know it for certain-but I could not get any farther than the opening. It, too, was crammed full of boxes. Stymied, I explored with my hands, moving back out into the hall. I found I could go no deeper down the passageway; it was entirely filled with the mysterious cardboard squares. As I hunted along the floor, trying to understand, I found something different from the crowd of boxes. It was rough fabric, like burlap, a sack full of something heavy that shifted with a quiet hissing sound when I nudged it. I kneaded the sack with my hands, less alarmed by the low hiss than by the plastic crackle-it seemed unlikely that this sound would alert anyone to my presence. Suddenly, it all came clear. It was the smell that did it. As I played with the sand-like material inside the bag, I got an unexpected whiff of a familiar scent. It took me back to my bare kitchen in San Diego, to the low cupboard on the left side of the sink. In my head I could see so clearly the bag of uncooked rice, the plastic measuring cup I used to dole it out, the rows of canned food behind it†¦ Once I realized that I was touching a bag of rice, I understood. I was in the right place after all. Hadn't Jeb said they used this place for storage? And hadn't Jared just returned from a long raid? Now everything the raiders had stolen in the weeks they'd been gone was dumped in this out-of-the-way place until it could be used. Many thoughts ran through my head at once. First, I realized that I was surrounded by food. Not just rough bread and weak onion soup, but food. Somewhere in this stack, there could be peanut butter. Chocolate chip cookies. Potato chips. Cheetos. Even as I imagined finding these things, tasting them again, being full for the first time since I'd left civilization, I felt guilty for thinking of it. Jared hadn't risked his life and spent weeks hiding and stealing to feed me. This food was for others. I also worried that perhaps this wasn't the entire haul. What if they had more boxes to stow? Would Jared and Kyle be the ones to bring them? It didn't take any imagination at all to picture the scene that would result if they found me here. But wasn't that why I was here? Wasn't that exactly what I'd needed to be alone to think about? I slouched against the wall. The rice bag made a decent pillow. I closed my eyes-unnecessary in the inky darkness-and settled in for a consultation. Okay, Mel. What now? I was glad to find that she was still awake and alert. Opposition brought out her strength. It was only when things were going well that she drifted away. Priorities, she decided. What's most important to us? Staying alive? Or Jamie? She knew the answer. Jamie, I affirmed, sighing out loud. The sound of my breath whispered back from the black walls. Agreed. We could probably last awhile if we let Jeb and Ian protect us. Will that help him? Maybe. Would he be more hurt if we just gave up? Or if we let this drag on, only to have it end badly, which seems inevitable? She didn't like that. I could feel her scrambling around, searching for alternatives. Try to escape? I suggested. Unlikely, she decided. Besides, what would we do out there? What would we tell them? We imagined it together-how would I explain my months of absence? I could lie, make up some alternative story, or say I didn't remember. But I thought of the Seeker's skeptical face, her bulging eyes bright with suspicion, and knew my inept attempts at subterfuge would fail. They'd think I took over, Melanie agreed. Then they'd take you out and put her in. I squirmed, as if a new position on the rock floor would take me further away from the idea, and shuddered. Then I followed the thought to its conclusion. She'd tell them about this place, and the Seekers would come. The horror washed through us. Right, I continued. So escape is out. Right, she whispered, emotion making her thought unstable. So the decision is†¦ quick or slow. Which hurts him less? It seemed that as long as I focused on practicalities I could keep at least my side of the discussion numbly businesslike. Melanie tried to mimic my effort. I'm not sure. On the one hand, logically, the longer the three of us are together, the harder our†¦ separation would be for him. Then again, if we didn't fight, if we just gave up†¦ he wouldn't like that. He'd feel betrayed by us. I looked at both sides she'd presented, trying to be rational about it. So†¦ quick, but we have to do our best not to die? Go down fighting, she affirmed grimly. Fighting. Fabulous. I tried to imagine that-meeting violence with violence. Raising my hand to strike someone. I could form the words but not the mental picture. You can do it, she encouraged. I'll help you. Thanks, but no thanks. There has to be some other way. I don't get you, Wanda. You've given up on your species entirely, you're ready to die for my brother, you're in love with the man I love who is going to kill us, and yet you won't let go of customs that are entirely impractical here. I am who I am, Mel. I can't change that, though everything else may change. You hold on to yourself; allow me to do the same. But if we're going to – She would have continued to argue with me, but we were interrupted. A scuffing sound, shoe against rock, echoed from somewhere back down the corridor. I froze-every function of my body arrested but my heart, and even that faltered jaggedly-and listened. I didn't have long to hope that I'd just imagined the sound. Within seconds, I could hear more quiet footsteps coming this way. Melanie kept her cool, whereas I was lost to panic. Get on your feet, she ordered. Why? You won't fight, but you can run. You have to try something-for Jamie. I started breathing again, keeping it quiet and shallow. Slowly, I rolled forward till I was on the balls of my feet. Adrenaline coursed through my muscles, making them tingle and flex. I would be faster than most who would try to catch me, but where would I run to? â€Å"Wanda?† someone whispered quietly. â€Å"Wanda? Are you here? It's me.† His voice broke, and I knew him. â€Å"Jamie!† I rasped. â€Å"What are you doing? I told you I needed to be alone.† Relief was plain in his voice, which he now raised from the whisper. â€Å"Everybody is looking for you. Well, you know, Trudy and Lily and Wes-that everybody. Only we're not supposed to let anyone know that's what we're doing. No one is supposed to guess that you're missing. Jeb's got his gun again. Ian's with Doc. When Doc's free, he'll talk to Jared and Kyle. Everybody listens to Doc. So you don't have to hide. Everybody's busy, and you're probably tired†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As Jamie explained, he continued forward until his fingers found my arm, and then my hand. â€Å"I'm not really hiding, Jamie. I told you I had to think.† â€Å"You could think with Jeb there, right?† â€Å"Where do you want me to go? Back to Jared's room? This is where I'm supposed to be.† â€Å"Not anymore.† The familiar stubborn edge entered his voice. â€Å"Why is everyone so busy?† I asked to distract him. â€Å"What's Doc doing?† My attempt was unsuccessful; he didn't answer. After a minute of silence, I touched his cheek. â€Å"Look, you should be with Jeb. Tell the others to stop looking for me. I'll just hang out here for a while.† â€Å"You can't sleep here.† â€Å"I have before.† I felt his head shake in my hand. â€Å"I'll go get mats and pillows, at least.† â€Å"I don't need more than one.† â€Å"I'm not staying with Jared while he's being such a jerk.† I groaned internally. â€Å"Then you stay with Jeb and his snores. You belong with them, not with me.† â€Å"I belong wherever I want to be.† The threat of Kyle finding me here was heavy on my mind. But that argument would only make Jamie feel responsible for protecting me. â€Å"Fine, but you have to get Jeb's permission.† â€Å"Later. I'm not going to bug Jeb tonight.† â€Å"What is Jeb doing?† Jamie didn't answer. It was only at that point I realized he had deliberately not answered my question the first time. There was something he didn't want to tell me. Maybe the others were busy trying to find me, too. Maybe Jared's homecoming had returned them to their original opinion about me. It had seemed that way in the kitchen, when they'd hung their heads and eyed me with furtive guilt. â€Å"What's going on, Jamie?† I pressed. â€Å"I'm not supposed to tell you,† he muttered. â€Å"And I'm not going to.† His arms wrapped tightly around my waist, and his face pressed against my shoulder. â€Å"Everything is going to be all right,† he promised me, his voice thick. I patted his back and ran my fingers through his tangled mane. â€Å"Okay,† I said, agreeing to accept his silence. After all, I had my secrets, too, didn't I? â€Å"Don't be upset, Jamie. Whatever it is, it will all work out for the best. You're going to be fine.† As I said the words, I willed them to be true. â€Å"I don't know what to hope for,† he whispered. As I stared into the dark at nothing in particular, trying to understand what he wouldn't say, a faint glow caught my eye at the far end of the hallway-dim but conspicuous in the black cave. â€Å"Shhh,† I breathed. â€Å"Someone is coming. Quick, hide behind the boxes.† Jamie's head snapped up, toward the yellow light that was getting brighter by the second. I listened for the accompanying footsteps but heard nothing. â€Å"I'm not going to hide,† he breathed. â€Å"Get behind me, Wanda.† â€Å"No!† â€Å"Jamie!† Jared shouted. â€Å"I know you're back here!† My legs felt hollow, numb. Did it have to be Jared? It would be so much easier for Jamie if Kyle were the one to kill me. â€Å"Go away!† Jamie shouted back. The yellow light sped up and turned into a circle on the far wall. Jared stalked around the corner, the flashlight in his hand sweeping back and forth across the rock floor. He was clean again, wearing a faded red shirt I recognized-it had hung in the room where I'd lived for weeks and so was a familiar sight. His face was also familiar-it wore exactly the same expression it had since the first moment I'd shown up here. The beam of the flashlight hit my face and blinded me; I knew the light reflected brilliantly off the silver behind my eyes, because I felt Jamie jump-just a little start, and then he set himself more firmly than before. â€Å"Get away from it!† Jared roared. â€Å"Shut up!† Jamie yelled back. â€Å"You don't know her! Leave her alone!† He clung to me while I tried to unlock his hands. Jared came on like a charging bull. He grabbed the back of Jamie's shirt with one hand and yanked him away from me. He held on to his handful of fabric, shaking the boy while he yelled. â€Å"You're being an idiot! Can't you see how it's using you?† Instinctively, I shoved myself into the tight space between them. As I'd intended, my advance made him drop Jamie. I didn't want or need what else happened-the way his familiar smell assaulted my senses, the way the contours of his chest felt under my hands. â€Å"Leave Jamie alone,† I said, wishing for once that I could be more like Melanie wanted me to be-that my hands could be hard now, that my voice could be strong. He snatched my wrists in one hand and used this leverage to hurl me away from him, into the wall. The impact caught me by surprise, knocked the breath out of me. I rebounded off the stone wall to the floor, landing in the boxes again, making another crinkly crash as I shredded through more cellophane. The pulse thudded in my head as I lay awkwardly bent over the boxes, and for a moment, I saw strange lights pass in front of my eyes. â€Å"Coward!† Jamie screamed at Jared. â€Å"She wouldn't hurt you to save her own life! Why can't you leave her alone?† I heard the boxes shifting and felt Jamie's hands on my arm. â€Å"Wanda? Are you okay, Wanda?† â€Å"Fine,† I huffed, ignoring the throbbing in my head. I could see his anxious face hovering over me in the glow of the flashlight, which Jared must have dropped. â€Å"You should go now, Jamie,† I whispered. â€Å"Run.† Jamie shook his head fiercely. â€Å"Stay away from it!† Jared bellowed. I watched as Jared grabbed Jamie's shoulders and yanked the boy up from his crouch. The boxes this displaced fell on me like a small avalanche. I rolled away, covering my head with my arms. A heavy one caught me right between the shoulder blades, and I cried out in pain. â€Å"Stop hurting her!† Jamie howled. There was a sharp crack, and someone gasped. I struggled to pull myself out from under the heavy carton, rising up on my elbows dizzily. Jared had one hand over his nose, and something dark was oozing down over his lips. His eyes were wide with surprise. Jamie stood in front of him with both hands clenched into fists, a furious scowl on his face. Jamie's scowl melted slowly while Jared stared at him in shock. Hurt took its place-hurt and a betrayal so deep that it rivaled Jared's expression in the kitchen. â€Å"You aren't the man I thought you were,† Jamie whispered. He looked at Jared as though Jared were very far away, as if there were a wall between them and Jamie was utterly isolated on his side. Jamie's eyes started to swim, and he turned his head, ashamed of showing weakness in front of Jared. He walked away with quick, jerky movements. We tried, Melanie thought sadly. Her heart ached after the child, even as she longed for me to return my eyes to the man. I gave her what she wanted. Jared wasn't looking at me. He was staring at the blackness into which Jamie had disappeared, his hand still covering his nose. â€Å"Aw, damn it!† he suddenly shouted. â€Å"Jamie! Get back here!† There was no answer. Jared threw one bleak glance in my direction-I cringed away, though his fury seemed to have faded-then scooped up the flashlight and stomped after Jamie, kicking a box out of his way. â€Å"I'm sorry, okay? Don't cry, kid!† He called out more angry apologies as he turned the corner and left me lying in the darkness. For a long moment, it was all I could do to breathe. I concentrated on the air flowing in, then out, then in. After I felt I had that part mastered, I worked on getting up off the floor. It took a few seconds to remember how to move my legs, and even then they were shaky and threatened to collapse under me, so I sat against the wall again, sliding over till I found my rice-filled pillow. I slumped there and took stock of my condition. Nothing was broken-except maybe Jared's nose. I shook my head slowly. Jamie and Jared should not be fighting. I was causing them so much turmoil and unhappiness. I sighed and went back to my assessment. There was a vast sore spot in the center of my back, and the side of my face felt raw and moist where it had hit the wall. It stung when I touched it and left warm fluid on my fingers. That was the worst of it, though. The other bruises and scrapes were mild. As I realized that, I was unexpectedly overwhelmed by relief. I was alive. Jared had had his chance to kill me and he had not used it. He'd gone after Jamie instead, to make things right between them. So whatever damage I was doing to their relationship, it was probably not irreparable. It had been a long day-the day had already been long even before Jared and the others had shown up, and that seemed like eons ago. I closed my eyes where I was and fell asleep on the rice.

Poverty as a Challenge Class Ix Ncert

Poverty As A Challenge | Class IX NCERT (CBSE) Economics (Social Science) Chapter 3, Poverty As A Challenge Class IX, NCERT (CBSE) Economics Textbook Exercise Questions-Answers Q. 1: Describe how the poverty line is estimated in India. Ans: In India poverty line is measured or calculated considering the following factors required for subsistence: 1. Minimum level of food requirement, 2. Clothing 3. Footwear 4. Fuel and Light 5. Education and 6. Medical requirement etc. These physical quantities are multiplied by their prices.The present formula for food requirement is based on the desired calorie requirement. On the basis of these calculations in 1999 – 2000, the poverty line in the rural areas was fixed Rs. 328 per capita per month and in urban areas, it was Rs. 454. People earning more than this amount were considered above the poverty line and earning less than this amount were considered as living below the poverty line. Q. 2: Do you think that present methodology of pover ty estimation is appropriate? Ans: The present methodology of poverty estimation does not look appropriate.It only takes one factor in view and that is the economic factor. Moreover it considers about a â€Å"minimum† subsistence level of living rather than a â€Å"reasonable† level of living. Poverty has many dimensions. It is no longer confined to economic factors alone. With development, the definitions of what constitutes poverty also changes. Its concept has broadened to human poverty. A few persons may have been able to feed themselves but if they are without education, without shelter, without health-care, without job security, without self-confidence, without social equality, they are considered poor.If poverty is to be removed in real sense and the people are to be brought above the poverty line, not only that we need to increase their income but also, we have to provide the people with education, shelter, health-care, job-security, respect, dignity all. There fore, the present methodology of poverty estimation needs to be modified and broadened in order to make it an appropriate method. Q. 3: Describe poverty trends in India since 1973. Ans: As per the data given in the book there is a substantial decline in poverty ratio in India from 55 percent in 1973 to 36 percent in 1993.There was further decline from 36 percent in 1993 to 26 percent in 2000. Although the number of poor people remained stable (about 320 million) in the earlier two decades (1973 to 1993), there was significant reduction in the number of the poor to about 260 million till 2000. If the present trend continues, the people below poverty line may come down to less than 20 percent in the next few years. Q. 4: Discuss the major reasons for poverty in India. Ans: There are various reasons for poverty in India which are outlined below – (1) Prolonged Colonial AdministrationThe policies of British Colonial government shattered the Indian economy so much that it could no t be revived until the 1980s. (2) Unabated Population Growth The failures to promote both the required economic growth and population control have been the main cause of poverty today. (3) Illiteracy Illiteracy is also an important cause of poverty in our country. (4) Disparity in the Ownership of Land-holdings The unequal distribution of land, lack of land resources and failure in the proper implementation of land reform policies have been the major causes of poverty in rural areas. (5) UnemploymentLack of job security and unemployment are other causes. (6) Widening Inequalities of Income This is a feature of high poverty. Money has been concentrating in fewer hands, thus rendering a majority of people poor. (7) Slow Growth of Employment Opportunities Despite the implementation of various employment generating programmes our government has failed to provide the necessary employment opportunities. (8) Socio-cultural Factors In order to fulfill social obligations such as marriage etc . and religious ceremonies people in India including the poor spend a lot of money which makes some people even poorer.Q. 5: Identify the social and economic groups which are most vulnerable to poverty in India. Ans: Social Groups vulnerable to Poverty in India (1) Scheduled Castes households. (2) Scheduled Tribes households. Economic Groups vulnerable to Poverty (1) Rural Agricultural labour households. (2) Urban Casual labour households. Q. 6: Give an account of interstate disparities of poverty in India. Ans: Poverty in India is not the same in every state. The success rate of reducing poverty varies from state to state causing inter-state disparities in poverty level.Orissa, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh are the three poorest states in India with their people living below poverty line being 47, 42 and 37 percent respectively. Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are the three better-off states in India as far as the poverty is concerned. Q. 7: Describe global poverty trends . Ans: There have been substantial reduction in global poverty, but there are regional disparities described below – (1) Poverty declined in China and South-East Asian countries as a result of rapid economic growth and huge investments in the development of human resources. 2) In Latin America, the ratio of poverty remained almost the same. (3) In sub-Saharan Africa, poverty saw an upward trend rather than a downward trend. It rose from 41% in 1981 to 46% in 2001. (4) Poverty ha surfaced itself in some of the former socialist countries like Russia, where formerly it was non-existent. Q. 8: Describe current government strategy of poverty alleviation. Ans: Removal of poverty has one of the major objectives of Indian developmental strategy. The current government strategy of poverty alleviation is based on two planks: (1) Promotion of Economic Growth 2) Targeted Anti-poverty Programmes Some of the anti-poverty programmes undertaken by government at present are discussed below: P rime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana (PMRY) Started in 1993, this programme aims to create self-employment opportunities for educated unemployed youth in rural areas and small towns. Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY) Launched in 2000, this aims to create and improve basic services like primary health, primary education, rural shelter, rural drinking water and rural electrification. National Food for Work programme (NFWP)Launched in 2004 in 150 most backward districts of the country, this programme is open to all rural poor who are in need of wage employment and desired to do manual unskilled work. National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) This act was passed in September 2005. The act provides 100 days assured employment every year to every rural household in 200 districts. Later, the scheme will be extended to 600 districts and also one third to the proposed jobs would be reserved for women. Q. 9: Answer the following questions briefly – (i) What do you understand by human poverty? ii) Who are the poorest of the poor? (iii) What are the main features of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005? Ans: (i) Poverty is multi-dimensional problem. As per the official concept of poverty, a person is considered poor if his or her income falls below a given ‘minimum level’. But human poverty is not confined to economic factors alone. With development, the definitions of what constitutes poverty also changes. The official definition of poverty considers only a ‘minimum’ subsistence level of living rather than a ‘reasonable’ level of living.Many scholars advocate that the concept of human poverty must be broadened and should be looked through other social indicators like – illiteracy level, lack of general resistance due to mal-nutrition, lack of access to resources like health-care, safe drinking water, job opportunities, sanitation, lack of self-confidence without social equality etc. (ii) Women, c hildren (especially the girl child) and elder people in a poor family are regarded as the poorest of the poor because they are systematically denied equal access to resources available to the family. (iii) Refer to the answer of Q. 8 above.

Addiction Is a Disease

Many people believe the misconception that an addiction is a moral problem and not a disease. To better understand the reasons why an additicition is in fact a disease; I will identify several types of addictions, and the problems associated with them. I will examine reasons why certain people are more susceptible for developing an addiction. Also, I will determine why many addicts deny their problems and many recovery methods addicts use to fight their illness. Researching these issues, will help aid my claim that addiction is a disease. Addictions can form from using mood altering drugs such as, nicotine, alcohol, cocaine and caffeine, or behavioral processes as with gambling, eating, sex or shopping (Schwartz 21). Schwartz defines â€Å"An addiction, as is any process over which people are powerless, which leads them into behavior inconsistent with personal values, and which they are unwilling to give up, often at the expense of work, relationships or family. †(21) Behavioral processes, such as gambling, provide the brain with a sense of gratification, while ignoring the resulting consequences (Henderson 154). Psychologists compared the conditioning effects produced by a slot machine with similar conditioning experiments on animals. A slot machine may dispense a reward at unexpected times but a person will continue to use the machine even though a reward is not guaranteed. Animals that performed certain behaviors were given a reward at unforeseen intervals. Although, they were not always given a reward they continued the behavior in the lure of possibly receiving a reward. This test demonstrates that a specific behavioral response can be instilled into the brain, regardless of the subsequent outcome. Activities like gambling arouse the pleasure center of the brain by releasing dopamine (Friedman 29). Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that recognizes feelings of pleasure. The abundance of dopamine results in an over stimulation to the pleasure center of the brain, producing a euphoric effect and reinforces addicts to repeat the behavior. Cocaine, which is a stimulant, has been closely compared to gambling. It also stimulates the pleasure center of the brain. Without that stimulation, the withdrawal symptoms of cocaine are similar to those associated with gambling (Henderson 57). Cocaine and other mood altering drugs can release much more dopamine than natural experiences create (Friedman 169). When your mind indulges in a reward, it is not concerned whether it originates from a substance or an experience. Occasional use of drugs, alcohol and indulgent behaviors does not necessarily lead to addiction. It is important to understand underlying factors that may contribute to addiction. Psychiatric disorders, social factors and agent factors are just a few contributors to developing addictions (Henderson 122). Psychiatric disorders often coincide with addiction, which is often referred to as a â€Å"dual diagnosis†. Individuals with a psychiatric disorder such as depression or anxiety may be more prone to developing addiction problems. A survey referred to as Epidemiological Catchment Area or EPA was conducted to examine psychiatric disorders and how it correlates to addiction problems (Henderson 136). Households from several varying geographical locations participated and the results indicated individuals with psychiatric disorders were more likely to develop an addiction. Many addicts claim their addiction was the result of trying to self-medicate a psychiatric disorder. It is often difficult to determine if the psychiatric symptoms were present before the chemical addiction (Thombs 230). Results from the EPA study also concluded that a person with a substance addiction is at a higher risk of developing a psychiatric disorder (Henderson). Many people use alcohol or substances in social situations. Some individuals believe the use of a substance, such as alcohol, may sometimes improve social bonds (Coombs 232). They feel that being able to share the â€Å"intoxicated feeling† with someone else helps make communication easier. The difference between recreational use and addiction occurs when people need alcohol/drugs in order to socialize (Henderson 24). The addict may associate the substance with positive social experiences, â€Å"I finally felt like I could fit in and socialize. † (24) Another contributor to developing addiction is the agent factors; this is the likelihood that a particular substance will be abused. Some substances are less likely to be abused, and may not be as addictive as others. Agent factors also take into consideration how the substance enters the body (Henderson 19). For example, if a substance is taken orally, the drug is usually less addictive than a drug that is injected into the vein. An inhaled substance can be more addictive than both oral and injected forms. The chosen method of use pertains to how quickly a drug reaches the brain. An inhaled substance can reach the brain in seconds, where as an injected substance will travel around the bloodstream, taking a much longer time to reach the brain. When we look at these three factors, psychiatric, social and agent, we discover that a person’s morality is not the reason individuals are becoming addicted. The underlying factors that lead to addictions are much more complex. â€Å"Denial is a psychological defense mechanism that is found almost universally in people with addiction† (Henderson 2). Many addicts ignore detrimental consequences in order to continue using substances, or remain engaged in addictive behavioral processes. An addict may often not be able to admit they have problems, even to themselves (Berman and Siegel 57). Even when an addict is confronted by others about their addiction, the addict still fails to recognize their problem. Often an addiction may cause a person to blame their problems on someone else in an effort to divert attention away from their addiction. Custer and Milt demonstrate the power of denial by using the example of a smoker’s attitude towards smoking (123). A smoker is aware of the damaging effects of smoking and that it can cause heart disease, lung cancer and other severe health conditions. Research provides a vast amount of conclusive evidence supporting the negative consequences of smoking. A smoker’s addiction can be so strong that they choose to ignore the reality that they are exposing themselves to harmful conditions that could result in illness or death. They decide to ignore the research composed of the undisputable adverse consequences of smoking and tune out all negative information pertaining to smoking. They come up with an array of explanations as to why they should not quit smoking. Since denial is a defense mechanism imbedded in the brain, it is often difficult to admit that there is a problem. Helping addicts acknowledge their addiction is often difficult. There are several recovery methods that can be used to help overcome addiction. A few things that can help in the recovery process are medication, treatment centers, and support groups. Depending on the specific addiction, a variety of medications can be used to help alleviate withdrawal symptoms. After the initial detoxification, anxiety or depression may persist, and an antidepressant may be prescribed to treat these symptoms (Henderson 121). Frequently, non habit forming medications such as Prozac, Tofranil or Perakote may be given to soothe the recovering addict. Medications can be used to prevent relapses, to block opiate/nicotine receptors and can help the recovery process. Treatment centers can be beneficial in several aspects. They can provide medical and psychiatric assistance. Also, they can provide a structured plan for recovery with strict guidelines. Treatment centers can introduce an addict to the twelve step program, aid in preventing relapse, and can act as a gateway to support groups. Although many people may believe addiction is a moral problem the research presented in this paper disputes that argument. Instead it most commonly is a disease that originates from psychiatric disorders, social factors and agent factors. Addiction is a disease like any other disease. Although it is not always possible to predict who the disease will affect, there are shared factors that make certain people more susceptible to the disease.