Incentive Effects Of Stock Purchase Plans Case Study

Incentive Effects Of Stock Purchase Plans - Case Study Example The study proved that equity-based compensation plans tend to have a more positive impact on shareholder wealth; one of the primary reasons behind adopted these compensation schemes is to ensure that managerial and shareholder interests are in sync and equity ownership boosts key execuctives more than sub ordinate employees. Smitt and Watt claimed in this study that equity based compensation schemes will trigger top employees more than the lower level employees. The hypothesis is proved using identified plans in the study. The stock purchase plans that were meant were key executives guaranteed greater returns compared to other adjusted returns. The result thus vaguely support the Smith-Watts suggestion. For instance, the IRS 423 plan which was meant for the employees within the organization gave a zero reaction on the announcement date. Article 2: The impact of Long range Managerial Plans on Shareholder wealth by James A Brickley Economists have often voiced out the economic importan ce of different types of managerial compensation schemes. However there are certain groups, for instance shareholder advocate groups who are against managerial compensation contracts. These groups insist that some plans are advantageous for managers at the expense of other shareholders. This means that while they may prove worthy for managers, they put the interest of shareholders at stake. Moreover, very little research has been conducted on this subject. There is insufficient literature out there to draw inferences from as well. The effect of various managerial plans on shareholder wealth is an empirically important issue. This study attempts to look into this issue more comprehensively and empircally. This study throws insight on the stock price reaction when there was on announcement regarding changes in long term managerial compensation packages. It is a comprehensive study undertaken by James A Brickley. The study presented evidences proving that most change plans are welcomed with positive market reaction. This is because at the end of the day, they increase shareholder wealth. The study is unable to mark comparisons between different types of market reactions to different types of compensation schemes. The difference could not be nailed in this study. The result supports the nation that every firm has it’s own set of managerial compensation requirement and every firm treats it different. Thus, there is no compensation package that is better than the other one. The profitability and feasibility of every compensation plan depends on the organization. A cross sectional analysis was done to prove the afforementioned notion. Article 3: The Modigilani Millar Propositions after 30 years by Merton H. Miller This article was published in the Journal of Economic Perspective. The journal was published on the 30th anniversary of the Modigilan-Millar propositions regarding the cost of capital, finance and the theory of investment. The article was published i n the American Economic Review of June 1958. This article throws insight into the kind of significance these propositions hold today ; to what extent have they impacted the financial models of today, what reforms did they arouse, where do these propositions stand today and how have they progressed after almost three decades of intense scrutiny , rancor debates etc. Most of these controversies can be thought off as settled today, thanks to all the research done in

Kanoa K. Essay Example for Free

Kanoa K. Essay Kanoa K. is by far one of the most unforgettable characters of my life. He is not only my boyfriend, he is my best friend, someone I know would help me through difficult times, and someone who has helped me through tough times. If Kanoa were a fictional character, it would be very difficult to determine whether he is a believable character. He is one of the most perfect and awesome people I know, making him unbelievable. Kanoa is always helping his friends and me; he has a kind heart and is a good person, which is something I only truly find in a few individuals. Another thing that makes Kanoa an unbelievable character is his uniqueness. He is not your ordinary boy, Kanoa is masculine yet sensitive; he knows himself very well and is different from most. Kanoa is a â€Å"skater† but isn’t a jerk, punk or fool, I believe that this is because he knows what he is and what he’s not, he doesn’t let stereotypes get to him. It is not typical for a sixteen-year-old to know himself or herself so well. Some things make Kanoa Kruse a very believable character. He is a deep, complex individual who has hopes and dreams just as everyone else does. He has a direction in life; an idea of what he wants to do with his future, a notion of what he wants his lifetime occupation to be. Because Kanoa is a human being, he does make mistakes. Whenever Kanoa makes a mistake, he learns and grows from the experience. Kanoa has changed over the years, as anyone does. At first, he started of as a person I passed by in the hallways. The first day I saw him, I was eleven. I didn’t know who he was, not even his name, the only thing I can remember thinking was, â€Å"oh, he’s cute†. He was 13, an eighth grader. Since I was a sixth grader, the â€Å"lowest class†, I didn’t make a single effort to know him; he was just a pretty face. A year passed and I made some new friends, one of my friends was a fair-haired, English boy named Jacob. Jacob and I began to talk a lot; one reoccurring topic of our conversation was Kanoa. Jacob told me that I would get along really well with Kanoa; the three of use should hang out sometime. I didn’t remember whom Jacob was talking about, I only knew Kanoa by face and not by name. Kanoa and I did not get to meet each other that year. In December 2007, I cut out my horoscope for that month out of a fashion magazine. My horoscope stated that on the twenty-sixth of this month, one of my close friends would try to hook me up with one of their friends. At the time, I just rolled my eyes and tacked the clipping to my corkboard, I didn’t believe, even in my wildest dreams that this horoscope would come true. On December 26, I woke up to the buzzing of my cellphone, it was my close friend Jacob, He told me that his friend Kanoa wanted to be â€Å"hooked up† with me. Jacob had been telling Kanoa about me and Kanoa wanted to give things a chance and see how they end up, I decided to accept his offer and get to know him. Since then, Kanoa and I have been dating. At first, he started of as a pretty face, then he became a friend of a friend and now he is one of the most important people to me, I know he will always be here for me when I need him.

The Symbol of the Heart in The Floating Opera Essay -- Floating Opera

The Symbol of the Heart in The Floating Opera  Ã‚      The heart is the dominant symbol in The Floating Opera, more important even than the symbol of the showboat of the novel's title. From beginning to end the book is richly populated by references to the heart on both a literal, physical level, and a figurative, symbolic one. In the first case, literal references are made to Todd's heart condition. In the second case, the heart plays two symbolic roles; not only does it serve as a symbol of Todd's emotional and non-rational side, but the frailty of Todd's heart serves as a correlative for the fragility of all human life. This paper will examine several examples from The Floating Opera that demonstrate this multi-levelled usage of the heart. Hearts make an early appearance in the text, in the very first chapter, when Todd describes his heart condition; a "kind of subacute bacteriological endocarditis"1. This condition predisposes Todd towards myocardial infarction (heart attack), and consequently Todd writes, "What that means is that any day I may fall quickly dead, without warning - perhaps before I complete this sentence, perhaps twenty years from now."2 Although this may seem to be a purely literal device, Barth is using Todd's heightened awareness of the delicateness of his own life as an exaggerated symbol for the vulnerability of all human life. This early focus upon the heart continues due to the centrality in the novel's plot of Todd's decision to kill himself, and his subsequent "change of mind". At the core of this decision to suicide is Todd's realisation that his life has been governed by his heart (his emotions), despite his best efforts to live by will, reason and intellect: "My heart was the master... ...when Froebel had Parnassus in his pan?"8 This quotation is demonstrative of both the inability of reason to overcome emotions - the very problem which Todd has grappled with for much of his life, and which lies centrally in The Floating Opera - and also of Todd's acute awareness of that inability. This, like so many of the "facts" in the narrative, has both a symbolic and a literal meaning, and shows the extent to which the heart and what it stands for permeate the fabric of the entire novel. Bibliography Barth, John, The Floating Opera and The End of the Road, Anchor Books, New York, 1988. Endnotes 1 Barth, John, The Floating Opera and The End of the Road, Anchor Books, New York, 1988, p. 5. (All subsequent page numbers refer to this book.) 2 p. 5. 3 p. 226. 4 p. 49. 5 Ibid. 6 Ibid. 7 p. 124. 8 pp. 94-5      

Morality and Religion Essay

There is a close relationship between morality and ethics but they do not mean the same thing. On the other hand, anti-morality and anti-nature are aspects, which negate vital instincts. Friedrich Nietzsche is a renowned philosopher who criticized social laws, religion, and honorable in a radical manner. Nietzsche argues that, â€Å"anti-nature refers to the idea of allowing human beings to coerce others into adopting their beliefs and morals† (Friedrich 404). Friedrich Nietzsche had a personal belief that morality is anti-nature. In fact, Nietzsche states that, â€Å"Every naturalism in morality-that is every health morality-is dominated by an instinct of life† (349). Indeed, Nietzsche helps us to define the idea of anti-nature by asserting that a human being is seemingly refuting the reality by denying their personal passion. In fact, according to Nietzsche and his moral philosophy, the healthiest moralities accommodate natural aspects while the unhealthy moralities negate nature. Nature derives human desires, which consequently define individual personality and how human beings behave. Nietzsche observes that human beings should have the free will to choose what they want without coercion from any external forces. He further quotes that, â€Å"Anti-natural molarity-that is almost every morality which has so far been taught, revered, and preached-turns conversely against the instincts of life: it is condemnation of these instincts† (349). He also disputes the common notion that religions like Christianity drive human life and consequently asserts that religion and dominance of morality inhibits human nature. In this context, Nietzsche argues that ardent followers of a certain religion ignore the nature of humanity since religion forces individuals to behave in a manner that will please the supreme ruler of the reference religion. Friedrich Nietzsche holds that religion especially Christianity opposes human nature because it gives a leeway to individuals to adopt religious doctrines about human life hence limiting individuals from celebrating nature. Indeed, Nietzsche states that the most general foundation of every religion and morality is, â€Å"Do this and that, refrain from this and that,-then you will be happy† (352)! He uses this explanation to support the concept of anti-nature in morality. Notably, Nietzsche refers to morality as anti-nature by asserting that human desires control what individuals do, do not do, and confirms that morality draws away the course of nature. Nevertheless, various philosophers identify with the fact that nature generates human desires that consequently define human personality and morality. However, I strongly oppose Nietzsche’s notion that human nature is prone to alternation by both morality and religion. Most specifically, I note that Nietzsche depicts religious people like Christians as hypocrites who can do anything to please God at the expense of altering their human nature. Ideally, Christians are rational beings who do not have such morality. Indeed, very few Christians would identify with Nietzsche’s argument since his ideas discourage Christians from following their religion. Notably, Nietzsche’s argument that religion alters human nature by allowing Christians to adopt different aspects of life that prevent them from celebrating life is misguided. This is because Christians have morals that allow them to enjoy their lives just like any other person. In fact, his argument is not universal since it only addresses Christians thus leaving a significant population out. Assuredly, Nietzsche discourages people from adopting religion’s doctrines that alter human passions but encourages people to follow their human desires (Jacobus 67). I also oppose Nietzsche’s argument since it does not support religion and thus discourages many Christians from adopting his views. In fact, I will compare Nietzsche’s moral philosophy with Iris Murdoch’s philosophy with a view of disregarding the assertions of Nietzsche’s reference to morality as anti-nature. Notably, Iris Murdoch addresses the concept of morality where she incorporates religion in addressing morality. In fact, her argument does not discourage the adoption of religious doctrines in morality thus attracting the attention of Christians and other religious people. Unlike, Nietzsche who blames religion for altering human nature and passions, Murdoch believes that religion affects morality in a positive manner. Nietzsche uses the naturalistic perspective to support his argument where the naturalistic perspective on religion contradicts with the idea of human beings by taking the responsibility of controlling their given passions and nature. More so, Nietzsche’s criticism on the effects of religion on human morality does not correlate with any religious, philosophical, social, or historical example and hence its irrationality. As such, Nietzsche’s argument lacks logic to me. On the other hand, Nietzsche does not incorporate the idea of human responsibility, which every human being should adopt. In fact, the act of satisfying individual responsibility is a moral behavior that resides outside the premises of religion. Actually, some philosophers like Murdoch claims that religion improves right morals by instilling a conviction and belief of doing the right things while out of control. Indeed, religion plays a noble role of encouraging humans to abide by the code of ethics set by the government or any relevant institution. In fact, Murdoch asserts that religion plays a huge role in generating someone’s morals by instilling the urge to remain focused on individual objectives. She further confirms that human nature accommodates the aspect of fulfilling one’s responsibility. With this argument, we can derive that religion does not alter human nature and that responsibilities propel human beings to decide and behave in a certain manner. Again, this assertion is stronger than that of Nietzsche, which claims that religion inhibits human nature. Michael Gazzaniga seemingly opposes Nietzsche ideologies in some way. According to Gazzaniga, people who believe in religion would only be classified under Nietzsche ideology of anti-nature if they allowed religion to take over their life (Jacobus 415-420). It is agreeable that some religion fanatics have taken religion to control everything in their life. Therefore, such people would simply be anti-nature as argued by Nietzsche. However, the majorities of religious people have not gone to the extremities of religion and therefore, according to Gazzaniga, they are living normal lives naturally. Nietzsche limits discussions and contributions of other philosophers and commands the audience to believe in his beliefs. Indeed, Nietzsche is an anti-realist about morality. This is because he does not abhor his positive views on morality and equally refutes all criticism against his views. In fact, he disregards any opinion that contradicts his own and thus his rhetoric character on morality. Indeed, he denies the objective of morality by believing that human beings have the responsibility of determining their morality, a fact Gazzaniga negates when he says that those who have control of religion have control of nature and morality as well (Jacobus 415-420). At the same time, Nietzsche’s argument lacks the support of any political philosophy since his views lack a systematic approach about the society. On the other hand, Murdoch does not speak with finality, encourages the participation of other philosophers, and accords the audiences’ free will to accept his argument. Such a leeway only allows individuals to buy Murdoch’s argument with a view of improving it and rejecting Nietzsche’s argument since it is discouraging to Christians and is seemingly irrational. Moreover, Nietzsche’s argument only presents what is wrong but does not present what is right while Murdoch helps us to derive the difference between right and wrong morals. Notably, Nietzsche argues that human beings cannot redeem themselves after neglecting their nature desires. This assertion is wrong since human beings always have a desire to fix their wrongs with a view of becoming better people in the society. Moreover, contrary to Nietzsche’s argument, it is factual that individuals can only achieve their goals by following their convictions and beliefs and denying their human desires, which mostly lead to immorality. Notably, religion derives this conviction, which encourages followers to adopt good morals and avoid sin as it leads to punishment. This negates Nietzsche’s claim that religion alters human nature and that human desires define morality. As such, I dispute Nietzsche’s views, which discourage religion from instilling the right morals and consequently identify with the idea that humans have the capacity to define their morals naturally. I agree that our morals depend on our conviction and not our desires as Nietzsche claims. Additionally, I disagree with Nietzsche’s idea that nature plays no role in defining our morals since nature plays a significant role in determining our behaviors. As such, I reject Friedrich Nietzsche’s assumption that morality is anti-nature. Works Cited Friedrich, Nietzsche. The Selected Writings of Friedrich Nietzsche. Lanham: Start Publishing LLC, 2013. Internet resource. Jacobus, Lee. A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. Print. Nietzsche, Friedrich. â€Å"Morality as Anti-Nature. † 347-356. Murdoch, Iris, â€Å"Morality and religion. † Jacobus 363-371 Gazzaniga, Michael. â€Å"Toward a Universal Ethics. † Jacobus 419-431.

Cold Case Investigation

Abstract Cold case investigation is a growing concern due to increased numbers of unsolved cases and pop culture appeal. This paper will walk you through what a cold case investigation is, how one begins, and factors such as the use of volunteers can effect the outcome of a cold case investigation. Each year the number of unsolved cases in the U. S. goes up, but with limiting funding and lack of manning something has to be done to keep the numbers down. A dedicated cold case unit is the best answer to this problem. Cold Case InvestigationApproximately one-third of all homicides in the United States are not cleared within the first year of being committed. These cases are dubbed cold cases after active investigation has been terminated for any of several reasons. If investigators lose the trail or cannot come up with enough evidence, witnesses, or a suspect the case may be closed. More important or high publicity cases may become a priority and with lack of a trail a case is closed. T hese cases can be placed on a back burner until time and manning is available to conduct a more thorough investigation and continue where previous investigation left off.The low clearance rate has also been attributed to the number of experienced detectives, changes in resources, deterioration of quality of investigation, and escalation of other related crimes. The means of conducting a cold case investigation vary greatly from that of an ongoing investigation and may even be conducted by people not employed by the original agency handling the case. Resurrecting a Cold Case Investigation After a case has been dubbed a cold case, it may take several months to even years before it is re-opened for investigation.Some times the original investigator may feel a desire to re-open the case or new evidence or witnesses may come to light offering up a direction for investigators to follow. Other times it requires others not involved in the initial investigation to take initiative to gather c losure for victims or other reasons. If the primary investigator in the initial case is not involved in the cold case investigation, the current investigators need to be brought up to speed on the background and prior evidence or facts of the case.Investigators may then contact any prior witnesses and re-entertain questions previously asked or expand on the subject. Some witnesses may provide further information. If there were no witnesses or suspects, current technology that was not available during the initial investigation could provide evidence not previously available such as DNA. Personnel previously interviewed may also be feeling guilt by the time a cold case is re-opened and need an opportunity to vent or even confess their guilt.If little or no further information is found for investigators to go off of the case may become frustrating and be given up on again. Re-opening a cold case also creates some turmoil such as opening old wounds with the victims of these crimes due t o the suspect not being caught initially, and because the victims are forced to relive the past. Cold Case Investigation Units Cold case investigation investigations units have been formed to combat the growing trend of unsolved cases. They usually consist of one or more dedicated homicide investigators with the sole purpose of solving the cases.The structure and management of these units are not clearly defined at this time and there is little evidence to prove that they are effective at reducing the numbers of unsolved cases. Cold case units have gained popular appeal in the last couple of years through various television shows related to that of solving cold cases. There are two perspectives as to why certain cases remain unsolved. The first is based on conflict theory and behavior of law theory. This theory shows that the police’s discretion leads to differences in investigative effort and shows bias.The biggest thing to note on this theory is that a case will have more t ime and effort put into it if the victim is from a more favorable social position. The second theory is the opposite. It states that everyone receives maximum effort regardless of victim characteristics and cases remain unsolved due to a lack of situational characteristics such as evidence, witnesses, and use of a weapon that can be found and fingerprinted. (Napolean, 2009, pg n/a) The cold case unit concept was created by the Miami police department in the 80’s to handle approximately 1,400 unsolved cases.This unit had much success and cold case investigation units became popular nationwide. To date there are still some concerns on how a cold case unit should operate, but prioritizing cases is the biggest concern. As a standard the highest priority cases are those, which the victim or a second victim has been identified, the death was ruled a homicide, suspects were previously named by forensic means, an arrest warrant was previously issued, significant physical evidence can be further processed, or new leads have arisen where critical witnesses are willing to cooperate.Cold cases are generally broken into three categories, high, moderate or low. By any means, a staffed and supported cold case investigation unit is more advantageous than a temporary unit. Volunteers are Essential Cold case investigation is an extremely labor intensive process. There has been a growing desire for cold cases to be solved due to its pop culture appeal. Many police departments are feeling the pressure to get their unsolved case numbers down, but due to the economy and budgets on a downward trend staffing and resources are at a premium.Agencies are now turning to a more non-traditional alternative to fill staff voids left by budget cuts. Volunteers can play an essential role in the assistance to detectives who solve cold cases. Retired detectives provide an allure to some agencies. These retirees do not require additional training because they were previously employed in th e same line of business. They are also most likely to enjoy doing the work because they retired doing it. A great attractor for retirees is that they benefit from getting a chance to do what they love without being forced into the long hours that comes along with it.Other volunteers can come from just about anywhere as long as they have a willingness and drive to solve the cases. Ex-law enforcement and civilians are vital. Having a mixed background of volunteers provides a variety of experience to draw from and a fresh set of eyes on the cases. Investigators that previously worked on the cases may feel refreshed having another opinion on the work they did and find something that was previously missed. Often times investigators are drawn into the way they were instructed to solve a case and miss alternative approaches to problem solving.Volunteers can provide this alternate because they may not have any training in solving cases. Even if volunteers do not work specifically on solving the case, there are other just as important opportunities. Law enforcement comes with a lot of paperwork and filing. Volunteers are perfect for this because by them doing the paperwork aspect of the investigation it frees up the time of the actual detectives to do the foot pounding. References Leonard, G. J. , Gerard, F. D. , & Camille, D. B. (2005) Resurrecting cold case serial homicide investigations.FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 74(8), 1-7. Retrieved from https://search. proquest. com/docview/204129494? accountid=8289 Napolean, C. R. (2009) Cold case investigation units. TELEMASP Bulletin, 16(1), 1-10. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/198013843? accountid=8289 Regensburger, D. (2011). Law enforcement volunteers: An essential tool in the investigation of cold case homicides. Sheriff, 63(3), 22-24. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/869520529? accountid=8289

Leading Michigan SSD Law Firm I Disability Attorneys of Michigan

Leading Michigan SSD Law Firm I Disability Attorneys of Michigan What is a Social Security Disability Hearing Really Like? The social security disability process is a long and stressful one. Many who are going through this process are vulnerable and don’t know what to expect when placed in front of a Judge.A question many have is, â€Å"What is a Social Security Disability hearing really like?†A social security hearing for disability purposes is informal, lasting anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. The judge is simply asking questions themselves. There is not an attorney for the government objecting in the middle of questioning.The judge will gather information either by listening to your representative who is asking questions or by asking the questions themselves.Don’t let the thought of having to face a judge intimidate you. It is important to have an experienced team of Social Security Disability lawyers by your side to help ease you through the process.There may be, as is the case for many adult disability hearings, a Vocational Expert available to testify about your past releva nt work and answer questions the Judge or you may have. Hiring an experienced disability attorney can help ensure that the proper questions are posed to that Expert based on your medical records and the limitations that you have. In some case, a Medical Expert may also appear, typically by phone, about the strength of your case, whether your medical condition meets one of Social Security’s ‘Listings’ and available to answer questions by the Judge. Having a skilled attorney, knowledgeable in Social Security law, can give you the right advantage by questioning the Medical Expert about your disability.If you have been denied social security disability benefits, don’t give up. Call Disability Attorneys of Michigan at 800-949-2900 for a free confidential consultation. We’ll let you know if we can help you get a monthly check. It is very difficult trying to get social security disability benefits on your own in Michigan. Don’t worry; just call Disa bility Attorneys of Michigan for help.If we do not win your disability case, you owe us nothing. We only get paid if we win your disability benefits claim.Disability Attorneys of Michigan works hard every day helping those in Michigan get the disability benefits they need. If you are unable to work, contact Disability Attorneys of Michigan for a free consultation at 800-949-2900.Let Michigan’s Leading Social Security Disability Law Firm Help You Get The Benefits You Deserve.Disability Attorneys of Michigan. Compassionate Excellence. Michigan Social Security Disability Law Firm, SSD Hearing

Boxing Essays - Combat Sports, Protective Gear, Boxing, Hand Wrap

Boxing Essays - Combat Sports, Protective Gear, Boxing, Hand Wrap Boxing Boxing Introduction You all have heard of Tae boe from Billy Blanks, The Abe Roller, the so called ultimate machine, the Solo flex, and even Chuck Norriss and Christy Brinkleys all in one package that fits under your bed. Well I have a system thats a hobby of mine thats better than all of these put together. Im going to talk about the greatest work out ever. The western style of boxing. Body Well Boxing could be easy for some people and hard for others. With Boxing you need four primary limbs to function at the right time. These are your arms and legs. Before you start your traning you need to wrap your hands with hand wraps: After your finished wraping your hand wraps you would proceed to use the jump rope: After your done using the jump rope U could either hit the heavy bag or you might be nominated to sparr that day which is to box another person but of friendly terms. This is wear the handy Head Gear comes into play.: After your Head Gear is fitted Properly you then need your mouth piece: Hand Wraps These are my Hand wraps there are used to keep my hand safe in the Boxing gloves. When wrapping the hand wrap you have to be sure to wrap your knuckles and wrap your wrest, because the less friction between your skin a hand wrap the better off you are. Jump Rope The Jump rope is used to warm up before actually sparring or hitting the bag. You usually jump rope for three to five rounds. Rounds last three minutes with a one minute rest. There are different types of Jump Rope, this one was my first it is made out of cloth so you dont hurt yourself when you mess up. When you get better you will be able to use the leather jump rope for more speed and also when you mess up you know it because it stings when it hits you. Head Gear Head Gear is used to protect my pretty face, cause this is the only thing I got going for me right now. I would put in on but it is extremely dirty. Its got blood, sweat, and spit all over it. U can get pretty hard in this but there is a limit. If U get hit and U start seeing white flashes U need to get out of the way of those punches cause you can only take so much. Mouth Piece Well this is a mouthpiece; it used to protect my precious teeth. It is also used to stop U from biting the your opponent. They say the most important thing is to wash your mouthpiece every time you use it, but sometimes I forget. Conclusion Well now that U know something about boxing maybe you can conceder it as a work. There are always pros and cons to a work, just to let U know here are a few from boxing. Pro if you feel you need a nose job and cant afford cosmetic surgery, con if you dont need one. Pro you need some teeth taken out, con you dont get to choose. Pro

Contractions in Business Writing

Contractions in Business Writing A client questioned the proper use of contractions in business writing: Are there any guidelines for using contractions in business writing? Smart question! There are clear guidelines about contraction use from most style guides, but they can be contradictory. My approach to contractions has evolved over the past few years.To define:a contraction is a shortened form of a word or phrase, with the omitted letters replaced with an apostrophe (should not - shouldn't). Should Contractions be Used in Business Writing? Yes, contractions can and should be used, but use them thoughtfully. Years back, some grammarians feltcontractions did not belong in formal writing, but that was questionable advice then, and now most (but not all) style guides recommend contractions: Chicago Manual of Style: Most types of writing benefit from the use of contractions. If used thoughtfully, contractions in prose sound natural and relaxed and make reading more enjoyable. (â€Å"Contractions.† Chicago Manual of Style Online. Section 5.103. accessed Mar. 7 2012.) Modern American Usage: The common fear is that using contractions can make the writing seem breezy. For most of us, though, that risk is nil. What you gain should be a relaxed sincerity- not breeziness. (Brian A. Garner. 2003. Modern American Usage, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press. p. 194.) Federal Government's Plain Language Website: â€Å"Write as you talk† is a common rule of writing readably, and the best tool to do that is to use contractions. People are accustomed to hearing contractions in spoken English, and using them in your writing helps them relate to your document. (PlainLanguage.gov. accessed Mar. 7, 2012.) Gregg Reference Manual: As a rule, contractions are used only in informal writing or in tables where space is limited. However, contractions of verb phrases are commonly used in business communcations where the writer is striving for an easy, colloquial tone.(William A. Sabin. 2005. The Gregg Reference Manual, 10th ed. McGraw-Hill. p. 148.) A Problem All business writing should be matched to your readers. If you commonly write to an international audience, use contractions very judiciously. Two style guides, specific to non-native writing, advise against contractions: Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications: "Avoid contractions. As basic as contractions are to the native reader, they add unnecessary complexity for the non-native reader. For example, contractions that end in 's can be mistaken for possessive nouns, and the 's can be read as either has or is." The Elements of International English Style: A Guide to Writing Correspondence, Reports, Technical Documents, and Internet Pages for a Global Audience: "Avoid abbreviations, contractions, and acronyms" and "Contractions have no place in formal writing." Our Recommendation Use contractions in your business writing if it will sound more stilted or awkward not to use them. I set my grammar check to flag contractions. While I often use contractions because I want to project a warm and engaged voice, I do check my use of them in all documents, and especially in this blog since we have many non-native readers. When a contraction is flagged by my grammar checker, I ask myself if the contraction would still sound natural written out. If so, I avoid the contraction. If writing out the word or phrase sounds stilted, I use a more natural sounding contraction. Do not be afraid to use contractions. They do add an engaging voice. But, one can still be warm and engaging without contractions. This article has no contractions, yet I hope both my tone and information has helped your business writing!

Men's Fashion Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Men's Fashion - Dissertation Example This could have been a harder task a few decades ago but with the rise of more fashion houses each year and with clothing stores to suit every style, size, body shape, occasion, budget and even milestone (e.g. wedding ateliers, maternity wear). Every detail imaginable seems to have been considered painstakingly. Every season, each fashion house tries to come up with collections to suit the discriminating taste of its clients. More and more designers have come up with lines to suit every taste, trend, occasion, and budget. Unlike the recent past when it has been a difficult challenge to get a hold of great fashion finds, a number of enterprising fashion enthusiasts have stepped up to plate to produce great quality clothing at reasonable prices. The result is a wide selection of design, styles and colors to suit every budget. There are just a few important things to remember. Know your body type. It is essential to have a full understanding of one’s body type. One must accept th e fact that he or she may never be as tall or as slim as a his favorite Hollywood actor or actress. What is important is to be familiar with the type of body one has, acknowledge this fact, and make the most out of the positive areas. For example, a woman may have bulges in her middle section but has slim arms. She must dress in styles that would draw the attention away from her middle section and highlight her slim arms, which are her best feature. The earlier one makes this realization, the better the results.

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 19

Case Study Example The separation of the Lakeberg twins put forward a number of ethical issues related to saving lives at the slimmest chance of survival. When Reitha was observed to be carrying Siamese twins, doctors recommended an abortion due to the limited chances of survival for the babies. This recommendation poses an ethical issue relative to the doctors’ choice that seemed to highly influence the parents. This situation was worsened by the underlying financial challenges that the couple was going through at the time the doctors made the recommendation. The doctors failed to assess the couple’s family situation, given that their consent to abortion may have been forced by their financial situation. On the abortion issue, a critical dilemma emerges. Both Ken and Reitha had a difficult decision to make. This decision would consequently measure their ethics and respect for human life. Although Reitha never undertook the abortion, her ordeal was not set to end at that point. Seven weeks after she delivered, the couple took its chance to have the Siamese twins separated. With slim chances of one baby surviving, if not both, the move to separate the twins puts medical ethics on the spot. A combination of high medical costs and slimmest survival chances in cases of medical practice might present doctors as money-oriented and patients as medically irrational (Snyder, 2005). However, doctors have a duty to save lives, attend to patient needs, and satisfy patients’ will. The dilemma in this case lies in deciding the point at which such provisions fail to hold. Given that the Siamese twins had a fused liver and a shared heart, it was medically obvious that one of the babies would be sacrificed to save the other. In this case, Amy would be saved subject to the doctors’ medical decision. The parents were provided with an already made decision, an aspect that questions whether it was ethical to make that decision on behalf of the couple. Notably,

Axis II Disorders, Borderline Personality Disorder and Post Traumatic Research Proposal

Axis II Disorders, Borderline Personality Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - Research Proposal Example 3). The American Psychiatric Association(APA) in the DSM-IV Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th Edition) classifies PTSD as one of the anxiety disorders, typically caused by either or several of the three types of traumatic events: Intentional human causes, Unintentional human causes, or Acts of Nature. The presence of the stressor as part of the diagnosis differentiates PTSD from other disorders and makes it a uniquely complex phenomenon. (page number) persistent (more than one month) re-experiencing of the trauma (this category of symptoms is titled â€Å"intrusive memories† in Johnson, 2004), persistent (more than one month) avoidance of trauma-associated stimuli and suppression of general responsiveness (â€Å"avoidance behavior according to Johnson, 2004), persistent (more than one month) symptoms of hyperarousal (or, according to Johnson, 2004, â€Å"hyper-vigilance†), and disruption of psychological and functional equilibrium. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is defined as â€Å"a highly prevalent, chronic, and debilitating psychiatric problem† associated with the following symptoms: â€Å"a pattern of chaotic and self-defeating interpersonal relationships, emotional labiality, poor impulse control, angry outbursts, frequent suicidality, and self-mutilation† (Levy, 2005, p. 259). Kernberg (2004), who considered the organization of the personality to be crucially determined by affective responses as displayed under conditions of peak affect states, adds to this definition: â€Å"identity diffusion and the †¦ predominance of primitive defensive operations centering on splitting† among the key symptoms of this psychological dysfunction noting that they are accompanied by â€Å"the presence of good reality testing† (p. 99). The researcher meant that although the patient imagined himself living in the paranoid and

Niger Delta insurgency and its aftermath Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Niger Delta insurgency and its aftermath - Essay Example 167-168). Indeed, the conflict entails the Boko Haram against Nigeria militancy used to address the Niger Delta situation (Akpan, Ekanem, & Olofu-Adeoye, 2014, p. 151). Notably, the insurgency has led to increased suffering, sexual assaults, harassment, and oppression in the region. The adverse effects of the Niger Delta insurgency call for policy recommendations and adoption of DDR program in the region. The history of Niger Delta conflicts from 1990 to 2004 involves an investigation of the causes and dynamics of the crisis that evolved from ethnic-based protests against in the 90s to the current Niger Delta insurgency that defines a global problem (Nwajiaku-Dahou, Obi, 2012, p. 167-168). Ken Saro-Wiwa initiated the process of condemning and exposing the suffering experienced by Niger Deltans in the 1990s (Sampson 2009, p. 31-32). Notably, Ken used peaceful and non-violent strategies to address the problem through the Movement for the Emancipation of the Ogoni People founded in 1992 (Afinotan & Ojakorotu 2009, p. 192-193). Moreover, through the Ogoni Bills of Rights established in 1990, Niger Deltans demonstrated their quest to regain their human dignity and fundamental human rights (Sampson 2009, p. 32). However, the Nigeria Mobile Police Force was brutal in managing peaceful youth protests that opposed the activities of Shell (Ojakorotu & Gilbert 2010, p. 5). The militancy used by the federal government led to the rise of Islamic radical youth, Boko Haram that sought to create a strict Islamic state in the north that would address the sufferings and ills propagated by the militancy in Niger Delta (Afinotan & Ojakorotu 2009, p. 192-193). Moreover, between 1993 and 1996, the Nigerian government formed the Rivers State Internal Security Task Force to repress, harass, suppress, humiliate, and detain members of MOSOP

English literature on poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English literature on poetry - Essay Example As the second stanza begins, the relater strikes a chord that all thoughts of her are still far-flung as the young woman in the photograph goes dancing ‘in the ballroom with the thousand eyes’: it gives the impression as though all the eyes were on her future mother. She envisions how her mother must have danced, and can comprehend that if the right person walked her house, she would have been in a daydream the next day: ‘those fizzy, movie tomorrows’ juggle up the miraculous feeling flawlessly. The daughter also knows that her grandmother would have been waiting with a thrashing if her mother was behind schedule home, but that this would have been a tiny cost to pay for such a nighttime out. In the third stanza, the daughter passes on to the moment of her birth with the expression ‘my loud, possessive yell’, handing over the thought that this was a crucial, life-changing split second. She becomes conscious that the ten years earlier her birth, as her mother moved toward parenthood, must have been the unsurpassed ones. She can consider playing with an elderly pair of her mother's ‘high-heeled red shoes, relics,’ and films her mother walking in them, bizarrely referring to her ‘ghost’ as she approaches. Her mind's eye takes on the senses equally on picture and odor as the picture becomes more glowing: ‘till I see you, clear as scent’; she thinks of her mother as ‘darling’, and envisions that she would have had love bites on her neckline. The fourth and final stanza begins with an animated Cha Cha Cha! in italics, and the daughter girl retains information on how her mother trained her to dance on the way home from cathedral. There is the wisdom of the outlawed here, rumbling the thought of her mother going home late to a penalty conceivably. These dancing coaching seem to have been in practice when the daughter was still a kid, as she says ‘Even then / I wanted the bo ld girl winking in Portobello’. The final two lines of the poem portray the mother's adobe as enchanting, and in the concluding one, the daughter incarcerates the quintessence of her mother's teenage years where she used to 'sparkle and waltz and laugh', fashioning a picture of a full of life, lighthearted, blithe young woman. Duffy compares the young woman's dreamy fantasies with the actuality of motherliness, which will come ten years later: â€Å"The thought of me doesn't occur/in...The fizzy, movie tomorrows/ the right walk home could bring...’’ hence, making it a very admiring, light-hearted beautiful piece of poetry. Activity 2 The poem is a four-canto one, each stanza comprises of five lines, with a little deviation in measurement lengthwise of line. The first two stanzas highlight solely on the life of the mother before the offspring was born, at the same time the third stanza unlocks with an indication to the daughter's delivery and then shifts to the daughter's mental picture of her mother in her past life, thus connecting a bond with the preceding stanzas. The fourth stanza starts on with reminiscence from the daughter's younger life with her mom, and then takes us backside once more to the mother's days of passion for dancing. The outward appearance of the poem is predictable: empty verse (unrhymed pentameters) stanzas, all of

Niger Delta insurgency and its aftermath Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Niger Delta insurgency and its aftermath - Essay Example 167-168). Indeed, the conflict entails the Boko Haram against Nigeria militancy used to address the Niger Delta situation (Akpan, Ekanem, & Olofu-Adeoye, 2014, p. 151). Notably, the insurgency has led to increased suffering, sexual assaults, harassment, and oppression in the region. The adverse effects of the Niger Delta insurgency call for policy recommendations and adoption of DDR program in the region. The history of Niger Delta conflicts from 1990 to 2004 involves an investigation of the causes and dynamics of the crisis that evolved from ethnic-based protests against in the 90s to the current Niger Delta insurgency that defines a global problem (Nwajiaku-Dahou, Obi, 2012, p. 167-168). Ken Saro-Wiwa initiated the process of condemning and exposing the suffering experienced by Niger Deltans in the 1990s (Sampson 2009, p. 31-32). Notably, Ken used peaceful and non-violent strategies to address the problem through the Movement for the Emancipation of the Ogoni People founded in 1992 (Afinotan & Ojakorotu 2009, p. 192-193). Moreover, through the Ogoni Bills of Rights established in 1990, Niger Deltans demonstrated their quest to regain their human dignity and fundamental human rights (Sampson 2009, p. 32). However, the Nigeria Mobile Police Force was brutal in managing peaceful youth protests that opposed the activities of Shell (Ojakorotu & Gilbert 2010, p. 5). The militancy used by the federal government led to the rise of Islamic radical youth, Boko Haram that sought to create a strict Islamic state in the north that would address the sufferings and ills propagated by the militancy in Niger Delta (Afinotan & Ojakorotu 2009, p. 192-193). Moreover, between 1993 and 1996, the Nigerian government formed the Rivers State Internal Security Task Force to repress, harass, suppress, humiliate, and detain members of MOSOP

Network Routing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Network Routing - Assignment Example A working and configuration of a routing protocol shall also be elaborated. PROTOCOL: The protocol that is given for the completion of the task is Open Shortest Path First (OSPF). It falls in the category of link-state routing protocol. So we shall start with some information on what is link-state. LINK-STATE Link-state is a mechanism that follows the condition and connection type of every connected link and develops a metric calculation that is based on some factors that also included the factors that were set by the network engineers. The functionality of the link-state protocols is that it knows the status of the link, whether it is up or down and what is its bandwidth and calculates a cost to use that path. As we know that every router run routing protocols to find out the best path to the destination, one can consider the 'link-states' as representing the status of the interfaces on the router. (Davis, 2002) The functionality of a link-state protocol is this that it may take a p ath with more number of hops, but uses the medium that has higher bandwidth than all the other paths even with lowest number of hops. Due to the features of media type awareness and other factors, these protocols consume more processing power and memory. Link-state influences all the routers that structure up the complete topology of the whole internetwork (or of the position where router is presently located), this means that every router contains the same information of the topology. Due to this whenever a change is occurred it is broadcasted to the entire topology.  This method of routing is known as shortest path first. Protocols that work on link-state mechanism are OSPF, EGP and BGP mechanism. KEY-POIINTS: It uses Dijkstra algorithm for the calculation of shortest path. (Zhang, 2011) Every router in the network builds up the complete topology in its routing table, thus each router contains equal amount of information. It consumes space and memory more than distance vector. I t is suitable for implementing in large networks. DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION The design of this network implements the virtue connection International School of Networking has a Chelmsford HQ in England and two remote sites in Mexico and Malaysia. Communication within the routers is via Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) that has fast convergence and is able to meet the demands of a large organization. The routing protocol is configured on all of the routers specified in the topology diagram and advertises to every host connected in the topology except the loopback interface attached to Chelmsford HQ. NETWORK DESIGN BACKGROUND This report is for the demonstration of network design for an International School of Networking (ISN). ISN has branch campuses at Mexico City and Kuala Lumpur. These branches are connected with Chelmsford HQ and each other. Requirement for this implementation was of an open standard routing protocol with fast convergence and support routing update security. Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is the best solution for given scenario and also for large scale businesses having offices at different locations. In this network design topology three routers are interconnected logically and each router is further directly connected with two more networks. OSPF routing protocol is configured within the logical network: network topology from the network design above both the physical and logical network topology can be obtained. Using the above topology an IP-addressing scheme was created to accommodate the all the

Literary Analysis of Barn Burning Essay Example for Free

Literary Analysis of Barn Burning Essay Child abuse has been a common occurrence throughout the times of this world. In the story Barn Burning that was written by the author William Faulkner, a story is told of a boy named Colonel Sartoris Snopes who lives with his family. His father is a man who has seen the brutality of war and has a very cold heart. His name is Abner Snopes. His heart is so cold that it is almost as if he is not even human. William Faulkner in the story uses words comparing Abner Snopes to a house fly, or stinging wasp and also says that he lifts his hand like a curled claw. This suggests that the Author was trying to give the readers an image of Abner Snopes being someone who lacked human qualities. Mainly he lacked qualities such as compassion and understanding. Abner Snopes outer appearance completely reflects his inner emotions. His leg being shot in the war as he was attempting to steal confederate horses from for his very own self profit, drags behind him everywhere he goes. This image fits well with the strange ideology of family values he has, as well as the inner corruption and love of revenge that this character embodies. He compensates for these lack of human qualities by ruling over his family with an iron fist, and bring violence to anyone who he believes that has done wrong towards him. In the beginning of the story Sartoris and Abner Snopes are in a court room being accused of burning down another man’s barn. Mr. Harris, the barn owner, explains how Abner Snopes pig repeatedly broke through hia fence escaping into Mr. Harris’s property. After multiple occurrences Mr. Harris demands one dollar from Abner Snopes for the return of his animal. A man is sent to Mr.  Harris’s with the money to buy back the hog but as a leaving message the man forewarns Mr. Harris that wood and hay are combustible. The judge decides that that alone is not enough to be used as proof so the case is dismissed. However, the judge lets Abner Snopes know that he wants him out of the county for good. Throughout the story it is obvious the Sartoris’s father is trying to influence him by teaching him how to be corrupt and embrace revenge trying to fool him with words such as â€Å"being loyal to your family before anything else. † (Faulkner) Colonel Sartoris Snopes is quite different from his father. Although his father attempts infusing him with potentially corruptive influence Sartoris has a sense of justice. His father tries to manipulate him by continuously explaining to him the importance of family loyalty, yet Sartoris’s conscious doesn’t agree with everything his father has to do or say. Sartoris’s worldview and morality was for more mature than that of his brothers’ who lacks the will power to stand up to his father. Eventually the family arrives to their new home. Destiny plays out and eventually Abner Snopes gets into his another argument and confrontation has begun. Abner snopes ruins a rug with manure and is told to clean it. He tries but the rug is ruined beyond repair so he is ordered to make a payment. He refuses, so once again they find themselves in court and he is than forced to pay for it. Frustrated and outraged Abner Snopes embraces his wanting of revenge and plans to light fire to the rug owners’ barn. He pours kerosene into a container and demands his son Sartoris to fetch him the oil. Instead he manages to escape and warn the owners of the barn of what is going on and his father is shot and killed. Sartoris acted out of the spur of the moment but he did what his heart wanted him to do. He sees through his Father’s attempts of manipulation and puts an end to his reign of terror over his family. In the end he decides that support he was receiving from his family that his father stated that they were continuously giving him, was something that he could do without. This story is not a typical one when it comes to the topic of child abuse. Most people would think that they would hear about starvation, or beatings, or sexual molestation. But child abuse is harming a child whether it be mentally or physically and forcing a child to live with something like this can be severely mentally damaging.

Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom

Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom George Washington Carver said that education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom (n.d. in BrainyQuote, 2010) and nowhere is this more true than for those who experience learning difficulties. In every educational environment it is important that the students feel valued; no matter what their learning difficulties they need to feel included as a part of the school community where any barriers to learning are removed in order to optimise à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦learning and participation (Booth, Ainscow, Black-Hawkins, Vaughan and Shaw, 2000, P. 13) and that they are bringing something valuable into the classroom where their efforts and achievement will be recognised (Ofsted, 2000, P. 4). The key to being able to support all students in their learning is first class assessment which identifies individual pupils strengths and weaknesses so that optimum provision can be made for them (Cross, 2004, P. 117) which is particularly important in protecting à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦specialist provisio n for those who need it (Croll and Moses, 2000, P. 1). Sometimes teachers instruct or tell, serving as transmitters of information that students have to acquireà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ at other times teachers show and demonstrate, acting as mentors and coaches rather than as instructorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Hargreaves, 2005, P. 5) the aim of this essay is to analyse behaviourist and cognitive approaches to learning for those who have learning difficulties identifying the strengths and weaknesses in each method when applied to the teaching. Historically children have been presented with a didactic model of learning: they were told when to come into school, what they were going to learn and were instructed about how they were going to learn it irrespective or their personal talents; students were all made to write with their right hand even if it did not come naturally to them much to their frustration my great grandmother for example. The education system became a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ process of learning to instructionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ by which children are expected to learn by intent participation in meaningful, useful occupations, with a factory model of education by assembly line instruction (Bruce, 2004, P. Xi). This followed very much the Behaviourist Model which argues that learning is initiated through our interaction with external stimuli which alters the way in which we tackle things (Glassman, 1995): the behaviourist school of thought grew from the pioneering work of Ivan Pavlov and his work with dogs; at the sound of a bell he was able to initiate salivation in the animals in anticipation of receiving food which continued long after the food was not delivered as expected this became known as Classical Conditioning. James Watson (who first used the term behaviourism) continued this work and attested that all human behaviour was the result of responding to stimuli in a conditioned manner he even went as far as to suggest that anyone, no matter what their social status or ability, could be schooled to fulfil any task or profession provided that they were healthy and applied themselves in their learning (Watson, 1924, P. 82) and that an adult carefully controlled the conditions for the stimuli and the responses (Keenan, 2002, P. 24). Experiments that were carried out with children to test this theory, notably by Watson and Rayner, illustrated that both fear and pleasure could be associated with particular objects or noises; this led them to theorise that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ rewards or reinforcement s could arise from the satisfaction of inner needs and could provide a motivation for learning (Tilstone, Layton, Anderson, Gerrish, Morgan and Williams, 2004, P. 45). Skinner further developed these ideas into what he called Operant Conditioning; he put forward the idea that all actions that were reinforced, either positively through reward or negatively through punishment, would be duplicated he actively encouraged teachers and educators in general to cement a childs success through the use of positive praise and reinforcement. Positive reinforcement involves rewarding correct behaviour or responses such as reading a sentence without error leading to a star being given, progressing to two lines followed by a paragraph and so on to gain the reward and encourage learning. He felt that children were led and could be shaped in their learning and parents and teachers needed to reinforce their learning whenever and wherever it occurred in other words, when a parent or carer shows enthusiasm for something a child tries to say, this should encourage the child to repeat the utterance (David, Goouch, Powell and Abbott 2003, P. 49). Skinner also believed that the acquisition of knowledge needed to be tackled in stages which built on the existing learning of the individual involved proposing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a technology of teaching whereby instruction is individualised, complex verbal behaviours gradually shaped, reinforcement for appropriate responses is consistent and immediate, and learned behaviours are maintained by intermittent reinforcement schedules. (Ormrod, 2004, Ps. 79-80). Having said that it is individualised it is mechanistic in nature following a set pattern of repetition, correction and praise following successful modification to embed the skills into the learner (Capel, 1997, P. 136); this sort of learning treats the child like a type of human sponge (Kirk, Macdonald and OSullivan, 2006, P. 295) they are often referred to as command or practice styles and are often seen in subjects such as Physical Education (Byra, 2006, in Kirk et al, 2006, P. 450). These theorists placed great emphasis on the linear nature of devel opment what we call development in this view, is really just a long series of individual learning experiences (Bee, 1989, P. 14) considering learning to be the same for all no matter what their age or stage in life (Tilstone, Layton, Anderson, Gerrish, Morgan and Williams, 2004, P. 50) reinforcing the need for educators to look at how students are acquiring their learning necessitating accurate and thorough record keeping in order to be able to properly assess and evaluate their work. This is crucial in order to fully cater for individuals who are experiencing difficulties in their learning. The word cognitive comes from the Latin cognoscere which means to know; all of the processes which are undertaken in thinking and knowing about anything are what is known as cognitive actions. Cognitive development is the study of how these processes develop in children and young people, and how they become more efficient and effective in their understanding of the world and in their mental processes (Oakley, 2004, P. 2). Every individual thinks and reasons in a different way, with a childs processes being different from that of an adult which is why cognitive approaches to education are both fascinating and complex in their make up. Jean Piaget was one of the first to look at how children learn as individuals in their own right and that their way of thinking and therefore learning was different to that of an adult. He argued that all children go through a series of stages in their development which are linear in nature which means that they take place at approximately the same time (Long, 2000, P. 32): they are sensori motor (birth to about eighteen months), the pre operational (eighteen months to about six years), the concrete operational (six to approximately eleven years) and the formal operational (eleven years onwards). Piaget contests that the way that individuals learn in their lives is different at each of these stages and that as a result à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the way children perceive the world, the way they process and respond to information, and the way they develop ideas and concepts (Moore, 2000, P. 9) will be different too. He believed that maturity affected the way that children thought and learned s aying that human beings are, from early childhood, active, independent meaning makers who construct knowledge rather than receive it (Moore, 2000, P. 7). He perceived children as being capable of constructing their own understanding of their experiences and the world around them as a result of their inbuilt curiosity and need for knowledge and understanding. Piaget put forward the idea that there are two distinct phases to the learning process; the first entails the child demonstrating their understanding of a particular experience or idea that they come across in the world by the way in which they integrate or assimilate this new data into it, for example a child using a large box as a house when they are playing; the other is known as accommodation which describes the learners ability to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ make sense of the new event occurring in the environment (Leonard, 2002, P. 1). Piaget believed that these two phases needed to be perfectly balanced if effective learning was goi ng to be able to take place as it is only by the simultaneous action of assimilation and accommodation[that] events are perceived as meaningful and at the same time generate changes in the interpretive procedures (Barnes, 1976, P. 22). Due to every single experience that people have in life their perceptions of and interaction with the world around them changes and Piaget regards this as part of the process of learning and cognitive development to understand is to discover, or reconstruct by rediscovery, and such conditions must be complied with if in the future individuals are to be formed who are capable of production and creativity and not simply repetition (1973). The cognitive structures à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ adjust in response to challenges when incoming information cannot be accommodated within existing schemes, and modes of thinking develop with biological growth (Tilstone et al, 2004, P. 20). A similar route was followed by the work of Bruner who studied the processes behind learning and problem solving. Both stress the importance of engagement in problem solving activities which promote links with finding solutions (Wood, 1998) as well as there being stages through which learners acquire and develop their knowledge: Bruner describes them as enactive understanding is promoted in the learner through interaction with the world, iconic when images are more frequently used in order to remember knowledge and information and symbolic the use of complex systems of symbols, for example language, to convey understanding and abstract thought; these correspond to Piagets sensori-motor [enactive], pre-operational [iconic] and concrete and formal operational [symbolic] (Smith, 1999, P. 20). Bruner explains that the first stage is characterised by action on the part of the learner in that the recognition of objects à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ seems to depend not so much on the objects themselve s but on the actions evoked by them (Bruner, 1966, P. 12). As the learner matures there is less need to interact physically with objects to understand them as they develop the capacity to see something in their mind (the iconic stage). The learner moves to the symbolic stage through interaction with the world and those around them in order to develop language and communication within the context of the culture to which they are exposed as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ learning, remembering, talking, imagining; all of them are made possible by participating in a culture (Bruner, 1996, P. xi). As a result he seems to equate learning issues or difficulties with an absence of culturally stimulating environments as opposed to deficiencies in any child (Tilstone, 2000 in Tilstone et al, 2004, P. 25) giving particular attention to three distinct areas or amplifiers motoric, sensory and reflective. Motoric covers physical extensions of human capabilities like knives and forks for eating, spears for hunt ing, tools for farming and cars to transport ourselves around more quickly and efficiently. Sensory involves the enhancement of the way that the world and people in it are perceived for example simple things like spectacles or magnifying glasses. Reflective encompasses the means through which communication skills are learnt, developed and shared with those around us; parents and carers initiate this process with both verbal and non verbal cues enabling them to scaffold communication through holding their attention while building on their responses (Tilstone, 2004, P. 26). Often this will mean that adults will challenge children to extend their abilities and skills through this which Bruner believes is the right thing to do as a teacher, you do not wait for readiness to happen; you foster or scaffold it by deepening the childs powers at the stage where you find him or her now (1996, P. 120). He believed that comprehensive development is possible through this sort of social/cultural interaction. Vygotsky furthered the idea that social interaction was the catalyst for the development of a child the entire history of a childs psychological development shows us that, from the very first days of development, its adaptation to the environment is achieved through social means, through the people surrounding it (Vygotsky and Luria, 1993, P. 116). Kozulin, Gindis, Ageyev and Millar (2003) inform us that at the heart of Vygotskys theory lies the understanding of human cognition and learning as social and cultural rather than individual phenomena (P. 1). He laid great stress on the socio cultural environments which shape the development of children (Kozulin et al, 2003, P. 2), believing that absolutely everything in the behaviour of the child is merged and rooted in social relations (Vygotski, 1932 in Ivic, 1989, P. 429) and their interactions with their peers, teachers, adults and the community as a whole. He in fact stressed that interaction, teaching and learning were integral to each other and that they could have no rigidly defined techniques ascribed to them (Popkevitz, 1998, P. 538). These ideas about cognitive development are referred to as social cognitive due to their being a mixture of social and cognitive theory; they centre round childrens dealings with the environment and those in it utilising the different communication skills that they have learnt. Vygotsky believes that children learn from watching and copying or modelling the different behaviours of those around them using a number of different cultural tools, for example a small child pointing a finger is seen initially as an inconsequential grasping action which changes into a significant one as people react to it (Vygotsky, 1978, P. 56). He emphasised two points in terms of learning, mediation and the expansion of psychological tools. Mediation can be seen as a learner using aids which are both human and symbolic to be able to understand the information that has to be learnt; at the start of the process something which needs to be learnt is modelled and observed by the learner who internalises it, m aking it part of their psyche having had time to reflect on it; this type of mediation can take countless different forms from simple guidance and encouragement to complex advice and scaffolding in order to achieve the understanding of a concept but rather than try to define mediation it is more important to understand that it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦provides a perspective on how to look at interpersonal engagements and arrangements (Rogoff, 1995, P. 146-147). Psychological tools are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ those symbolic systems specific for a given culture that when internalised by individual learners become their inner cognitive tools (Kozulin et al, 2003, P. 3) which aid them in à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦mastering mental processes (Daniels, 2001, P. 15) and gives them the ability to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦control the conditions of their future remembering (Bakhurst, 1996, P. 202). Vygotsky felt that the higher cognitive processes could only be accessed and developed by learners through copying or imitating adults or older more experienced people due to what he referred to as the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD); he defined this as a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ latent learning gap between what a child can do on his or her own and what can be done with the help of a more skilful other (Richardson, 1998, P. 163).  It is through following the lead of someone else that individuals are able to develop the skills and the cognitive ability to be able to accomplish tasks alone. Siegler believed that the linear way of regarding cognitive development did not paint a full enough picture of the facts that one could observe about learning, such as the anomaly of a variety of different skill levels within the same age group of children. He developed an overlapping waves theory in trying to better understand how children develop where the focus was on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the number of strategies that a child might use at any age rather than à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ which specific strategy a child might use most during which stage (Calais, 2008, P. 3). Siegler made three assumptions on which he based his idea: children use a number of methods to address a problem, not just one; methods of thinking and strategies that are used remain with people for indefinite periods of time; children use the experiences that they have to enable them to build towards and move on to more complex strategic thinking. He states that variability is undeniable when one observes how an individual or g roup tackle a problem and that inconsistencies in approach can be seen in individuals who use different strategies to address the same issue on different days. Siegler highlights five stages in learning; acquisition of appealing strategies, mapping strategies onto new problems, strengthening strategies for consistent usage, refining choices and executing appealing strategies (Calais, 2008, P. 4). These stages are all evident in the development of childrens cognitive abilities although they might actually be going through a number of them at the same time. Similar to Piaget and Vygotsky, Siegler discovered that the ability of the learner to choose an appropriate strategy in order to address an issue got better the more mature and skilled they became thus possibly accounting for why individuals within a group might tackle a problem differently in spite of being from the same culture. The teaching techniques which are associated with these schools of thought are almost diametrically opposed to each other. The behaviourist model is one which is teacher focused and revolves around the pupils following instructions that they are given to achieve a specified end. It is a mechanical and unimaginative way of working but is one which is essential if children are to learn the basics of any skill. Unfortunately there is no substitute in a great many areas of the curriculum for instruction based teaching in order to ingrain the skills into students prior to moving on to more advanced skills. Examples of this can be readily seen in the mathematics classrooms where I myself sat through what seemed like endless practice of times tables either through chanting as a class or via targeted questioning of individuals to ensure that they had been learnt properly; the basic rules of algebra need to be learnt before attempting to work out equations or problems; Physical Education less ons are full of the command or practice style of lessons where instructions and demonstration of skills are given followed by practice of skills in isolation, feedback from the practitioner and peers followed by time for improvement and a short game to contextualise the newly learnt skill. The advantage of this type of learning environment is that it is very focused on specific learning goals, the lessons targeting those exclusively in bite size pieces which is ideal for those with learning issues; the disadvantage is that it does not allow for freedom of expression or for the individual strengths of students to be developed. Cognitive schools of thought would encourage teachers to contextualise any skills that students are learning at all times or at the very least whenever it is possible to do so. This would involve starting work on a subject by assessing what the student already knows and constructing a programme of work from that point. This would enable the students with learning difficulties to feel confident in their ability to make progress in that they are beginning with familiar territory making the prospect of what is to come less intimidating and potentially overwhelming. Classrooms following this sort of approach are much more creative in that they allow, as far as possible, for the pupils to direct the learning towards set goals allowing for them to be as imaginative as possible in the process. This child centred approach requires a high degree of organisation in and management of the classroom and necessitates a measured lay out of the classroom for its various functions. In the primary cla ssroom there would need to be specific areas for each different activity in order to maximise the learning potential of the environment for example a computer area, a construction area, a role play area, a carpet area and a reading or quiet area. The teachers work area could be placed in the middle of the classroom for ease of access for all with clear gangways to aid uninhibited movement around the room. The displays should be vibrant, colourful and current indicating to the class that their work is valuable and worthy of being displayed a particularly important point for those with learning difficulties who invariably have low self esteem. Topic based work allows cross curricular links to be forged which is a strength of this method of learning: for example a topic on the Great Fire of London could be tackled encompassing a number of different areas of the curriculum; history would clearly be covered as the foundation of the study alongside a study of how the buildings of the ti me were constructed, why they would have burnt so quickly and how they could have been constructed to make them safer; English and Literacy could be covered through the construction of fire safety posters and poems and the community could be involved through a visit from the local fire service personnel. The children would be encouraged to work both on their own and as members of a group for different parts of the study that they are undertaking using the adults as a resource from which to glean information or to aid them in their planning of how to approach part or parts of their work. The disadvantage of this method of approaching teaching is the huge amount of preparation which needs to be completed before the session to accommodate the creative talents within the group of children but the advantage is that pupils are motivated to complete work to a high standard which expresses their knowledge and understanding of the topic to its fullest extent irrespective of their relative ta lents or abilities. There is no easy or definitive way to teach the skill of reading to any child let alone those who experience learning difficulties. The current trends appear to be a blend of the behaviourist and the cognitive approaches which bring in the best of both worlds. Before implementing any programme it is important to understand the level at which children are operating when they enter the classroom. Some primary children will already have acquired the basics of letter recognition and even some reading skills. However it is important to establish where they are and how to go about reinforcing the basic skills which will allow them to access books and reading materials in the future. It is crucial to understand that the teaching of reading is designed to cover two areas the mechanical aspects of decoding words and the comprehension of them. Decoding is the means through which people are able to interpret written words on a page and make them into meaningful sounds; this involves providing them with the skills to be able to sound out letters and syllables in order to construct the words that appear on the page. It gives people the ability to read almost anything even if it is slowly through the decoding process initially this involves using words with which the learner is familiar followed by the introduction of increasingly more complex ones. The most popular method at present is that of phonics the use of letter/sound associations to recognise words. There are five basic skills which are required for reading and writing which are learning the sounds of the letters, learning the formation of the letters, blending, recognising sounds in words and spelling words that are different or difficult (Jolly Phonics, n.d.). The concept has been popularised by the development of a number of products for the use of both parents and schools to aid students of all ages and abilities with their reading. Phonics provides the learner with that which is readily accessible, easily produced and comprehensible to them sounds, which can then be linked to words. There are a number of different approaches in terms of structure but I will be focusing on one, that of Jolly Phonics. To begin with children are taught the forty two main sounds in English in seven distinct groups: (Jolly Phonics, n.d.) These are known as digraphs and are accompanied by a series of actions (encompassing a multi sensory approach, examples of which are below) which correspond to the letters to help the children to remember them which gradually become unnecessary as the learner gains in confidence. s Weave hand in an  s  shape, like a snake, and say  ssssss a Wiggle fingers above elbow as if ants crawling on you and say  a, a, a. t Turn head from side to side as if watching tennis and say  t, t, t. i Pretend to be a mouse by wriggling fingers at end of nose and squeak  i, i, i. p   Pretend to puff out candles and say  p, p, p. n Make a noise, as if you are a plane hold arms out and say  nnnnnn. (Jolly Phonics, n.d) They learn each letter by its sound, for example a is for ant which will help with blending later in the process. The first group of letter above are introduced at the outset as they provide the greatest amount of three letter words when combined with each other. The students are then taught how to hold a pencil correctly followed by how to form letters in an appropriate way. This is followed by blending which is the process of articulating the individual sounds within a word before running them together to produce the whole. All children need to learn this stage and get better with practice and encouragement. This is often the key with those who have special needs having the encouragement and the confidence to try and not fear making mistakes. It may need the adult to say the parts of the word first to ensure that the pupil can hear them before repeating them which could be seen as the adult providing the support or scaffolding in order for the child to progress to the next level ( Vygotskys Zone of Proximal Development). Games can be played like I-Spy to encourage children to listen for the sounds in different parts of words and blending cards can be helpful in this process. Spelling is a different issue with a number of possibilities available to aid in this learning process for example Look, Cover, Write, Check or Mnemonics (the first letter in each word of a saying spelling a word, e.g. fish Frogs In Silly Hats). As we can see from the above example of the teaching of reading and from teaching techniques in general there are advantages and disadvantages in each teaching method. If one wishes to get a safety message across about crossing a road it would not be appropriate for the children to find out by playing chicken with the cars! They would need to be given specific instructions as to how to accomplish the objective safely and if necessary practice in the playground in a role play situation to ensure that the message has been taken in. The basics in reading need to be given through instruction and practice before words can be used creatively in the context of story writing, telling and reading. Lots of practice and exposure to words in and around the classroom through colourful displays with pictures combined with words will lead to a comfort and familiarity with reading and the written word which is particularly valuable for those with learning difficulties. Reading is a basic and necessa ry skill which one needs not only to access a curriculum to be able to pass exams but to be able to function in the most basic way in life. Those with learning difficulties have the right to be taught and to learn this skill of communication; there is no one all encompassing way to achieve this and practitioners have to develop a number of skills and techniques to accommodate the different needs of the personalities in their care. It would appear that there needs to be a blend of both the behaviourist and cognitive approaches to get the best from children as some aspects need to be specifically taught whereas others can be guided and discovered through shared activity with both their peers and adults alike.

Prions : The Infectious Protein Agent :: Biology Mad Cow Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease

missing graphs What causes Mad Cow Disease? Prions. Prions are also behind other neurodegenerative diseases such as the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Kuru, Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease and some forms of fatal insomnia. These are all prions diseases that have been found to exist in humans. The prion disease for cattle is what we know as the Mad Cow Disease. Prions also exist in other animals such as sheep, mink, mule deer, elk, cats, and some others. So what's so special about prions? Unlike other neurodegenerative diseases that are caused by the misfolding of proteins, altered proteins, abnormal gene splicing, improper expression, or ineffective clearing of proteins which slowly leads to disease by accumulation, prions cause disease by acting as an infectious agent. One abnormal prion protein is enough to turn all the normal prion proteins present into itself. How do prions do that? Scientists are still unsure of how exactly one protein is capable of turning another protein into itself. Many experiments are conducted to help shed light on its mysterious capabilities. In this website, we hope to explain one of these experiments that involved the effect of pH on the structure of prion proteins. Wait...Prions? Prion Protein? Which is which? Prions is the name assigned to infectious protein agents. Prion protein (PrPC) is the normal cellular protein that can become an infectious agent. The Official Mad Cow Disease Home Page The prion is a newly discovered pathogen that is vastly different from the known pathogens of today; namely viruses and bacteria. Unlike the bacteria, no antibiotics can cure prions. They are not typical of a prokaryotic organism or a eukaryotic organism, all that is present in this pathogen is the protein PrPSc. This is the mutated form of the protein PrPC, which is encoded by a chromosomal gene. These two proteins differ in their spatial protein structures and their susceptibility to enzyme digestion. PrPC is completely destroyed in enzyme digestion, whereas PrPSc is resistant to any form of digestion.Viruses usually have nucleic acid, protein, and other constituents that aid in the creation of more progeny viruses. As far as prions are concerned, they multiply by infecting the PrPC protein and turning it into a complex such as itself, the PrPSc protein. Prions exist in multiple molecular forms whereas viruses exist in a single form with disti nct ultrastructural morphology.Another difference between the virus and the prion is that viruses almost always provoke an immune response in the host that it is infecting.

Grace: First-person Narrative Essay

The theme of Vicki L. Sears â€Å"Grace† can be seen in the relationship that develops between two of the characters, Billie Jim and Paul. Billie is an orphan who gets along with his sister and is adopted by Paul and his wife. Billie displays a desire to trust and accept their new parents while sister remains suspicious. Vickie Sears illustrate that although children suffer abuse and neglect, there is hope that they can learn to trust and build self-esteem. Billie Jim is a silent child who relies on his sister to protect him. Paul and his wife come to get them but Billie is hiding in a tree to escape from some of the bigger boys. His sister steps in and fights the older boys to get Billie down. She describes him as a â€Å"sissy†. Billie has to use the bathroom, but instead of asking their new parents he pinches his sister. Paul takes him to the restroom and his sisters concern gives us an understanding into prior abuse and possible reasons for Billie Jim’s reserved behavior. Although Paul would never hurt Billie Jim intentionally at the  end of the story he does. His death not only means an end to their relationship, but also an end to their secure home and protection. Billie loses the starring role along with the friend he has made, and is back into his uncertain life led by corrupt adults. â€Å"The Lesson† by Toni Cade Bambara is when Toni attended college and come of age as a writer. Bambara was at the head of radical politics, the feminist movement, and African American culture in Harlem when it was the 60’s. Her writing uncovers the differences forced on  African Americans of that time which America avoided and could not interfere. The story is a window for the reader into Bambara’s reality as much as it is a lesson for the immature woman Sylvia the main character. â€Å"The Lesson† is a first person narrative told by a young, poor, black girl growing up in Harlem in an undetermined time period known as â€Å"Back in the days when everyone was old and stupid or young and foolish, Sugar and I were the only ones just right†. Going by the prices some can accept it was sometime in the early seventies.   The story is about a trip started by a local woman, who is the only educated person in the neighborhood and has taken it upon herself to uncover the unthankful children of the neighborhood to the world outside of their worried community. The last stop is FAO Schwartz in Manhattan, where the toys of white children cost more than all of the children’s household yearly incomes combined and the lesson is almost lost on the children. The story closes by making plans to spend the left over cab fare change they stole from Miss Moore. At the last second Sylvia turns on her friend and goes off alone to think of the events of the day. The story’s theme focuses on education and the need for education as the results of knowledge. It proves how learning can lead to grief but that the grief is necessary for helpful change. The author also studies different types of pride and purposes of leadership and the various ways people show respect or disrespect for each other. Underlying the entire story is the concept of economic difference between whites and blacks in the United States.

Airline Regulation

Airline regulation has been a subject of debate for a long time now. This has been due to various views that have been expressed by various stake holders who hold that there are pros can cons of government regulation of the airline industry.This paper will try to look at various issues that surround the regulation of the airline industry by the government.            1.Is the regulation from the government necessary again?The regulation from the government is necessary at the airline industry. The reason as to why the government should regulate the airlines is because of lack of uniformity and decrease in quality of services. If the government could regulate the industry, this be avoided since there will be a fair playing ground in the industry. This would also encourage various airlines to concentrate on safety matters and equip the aircrafts with required systems by the law.According to Aarons (1996) the USAF B737-200 clashed killing all 34 on board and the sources say that the aircraft was not equipped with all systems required by the civil regulation, (FDR, CVR, TCAS 11or WDS AND GPS). If this aircraft was equipped with the above systems, the accident could not have occurred.         2. How far should the government go in tightening or loosening its control over the industry?The government should control only the fare and airport charges nationwide. This would help in unifying the great competition affecting smaller airlines from larger airlines. Some areas have few passengers than other areas and if an airline monopolize in those routes they may run at a loss.The government should standardize the charges depending on the weight of the aircraft and which airfield the airline is flying or operating from. The government should not be interfering with the airlines marketing strategy.   (Economic Council of Canada, 1999)         3.How have the events of the September 11 attack affected your decision on airline Regulation?After the September 11 attack, airlines were affected as many people feared to fly and the effects were felt in other areas as the incoming flights reduced drastically in fear of more attacks.  Through the government regulation, people were assured of safety as the government established a board to investigate the matters regarding the attack. No airline would claim to be safe than the other because they should all follow set rules. After the attack, only the strong/bigger airlines were able to ferry passengers in the country because they were able to make more flights in given period for they could afford to reserve some seats for security personnel, this favored them affecting smaller airlines.In one incidence, a passenger was found with a pistol on a flight to, the airline’s public relations manager said would take the matter to ensure that the security at the airport was tightened. (Air transport news, World Air news magazine february1994)        4.How do war and a weak economy change your perception of government regulation?When war engulf a country, there is a possibility of disruption of flight schedules which makes some areas becomes partially or completely inaccessible. If there is no government intervention, the airlines suffers losses.   But if the government regulates the economy may stabilize which comes as relief to the a ffected airlines.When the growth of the economy slows down and the strength of the currency weakens, cost goes up including fuel, the airlines fare goes up as a result. There is need for government regulation in this case in order to slow lower the cost of fuel operation.ConclusionPartial regulation by the government is important to put some kind of control in the industry. This would be in line with protecting the interests of the passengers and the interest of the airlines.ReferenceAaron, A. (1996). CFTI in Dubrovnik. Business & Commercial Aviation international, August 1996.Economic Council of Canada, (1999). Responsible Regulation. An interim Report, August 1999.World air news, (2004). Air transport news. February 2004.

The Italian Conquest of Abyssinia: How far was the LoN to blame?

Source A – the cartoon entitled â€Å"Dogs of War† – has a message of the ways in which the League of Nations failed. This is depicted through the cartoon in numerous ways. Firstly, the woman (representative of the League of Nations) is shown holding the dog collars which have writing engraved on them. One collar reads Japan while the other collar reads Germany. The fact that they are empty indicates that they have both left the League. When relating that to real events, Japan left the league as a result of them being condemned after the invasion of Manchuria and Germany left through the actions of Hitler (as a result of him disagreeing with the disarmaments). Another way in which the cartoon shows the failure of the League is through the actions of Britain and France. During the conflict between Italy and Abyssinia, Britain and France are shown as just â€Å"looking over†. In simpler terms, Britain and France are shown as if they do not care or just wish to let things go by as if it doesn't matter. This, in effect, undermines the League's objective of dealing with conflicts such as those and creating peace. When relating that to real events, Britain and France didn't really do much as they thought that would be jeopardising their relationship with Italy. By doing so, they reckoned Italy would join forces with Germany and that would make matters worse. As a result, they just stood by and let Mussolini invade and take over Abyssinia. However, it is not just about what Britain and France did; it is also about if they had the ability to do it. The fact that Britain is represented as a bulldog and France as a poodle – stronger than the dogs representing Italy and Abyssinia – shows exactly how they could have dealt with the problem if they wanted to. This relates to how they had the use of collective security to deal with problems, if need be. My point here is that this strengthens my argument above of how Britain and France just didn't want to deal with the conflict. In addition, the League of Nations on the whole is shown as a woman who is not bothered about the conflict. That aside, the fact that the league is represented a woman depicts peace. This is also emphasised through the addition of a dove above her head, which also represents peace. The ironic thing here, though, is that the situation is not one of peace and that the argument has not been dealt with in order to create peace. Instead of actually doing something about it, she is just doing what Britain and France are. Using this, failure has been shown as the cartoon is critical of the league not doing anything about the matter. My final point on this matter relates to what the woman representing the league is actually doing. The cartoonist has shown the woman with her arms tied. It seems as if he/she wants to get across the fact that woman is struggling to control the dogs. In terms of real events, Britain and France signed a Hoare-Laval pact which allowed Italy to take 2/3 of Abyssinia. However, when the public found out about this, it had a bad name on the LoN and so Hoare and Laval denied any knowledge whatsoever. Italy saw this and invaded Abyssinia as they no longer trusted Britain and France. This is a reason for the league having its arms tied. On the other hand, it can be said to be struggling as the league struggled to look after both the members and the conflicts that were going on. This point is reinforced from what is said at the bottom of the cartoon: â€Å"JUST AS WE WERE ALL GETTING ALONG SO NICELY! I WONDER WHAT I HAVE TO DO THIS TIME. † There are a number of ways in which sources A and B differ and allow the viewer understand the problems of peacekeeping in the 1930s. Firstly, a major difference between the sources is how each country is represented. While source A uses dogs to represent countries, source B uses sacks. The fact that dogs are closer to humans than sacks allows source A to have a huge advantage over source B. What I mean by this is that dogs are living and really significant things such as facial expressions and movement can be shown through them. However, those significant aspects cannot be shown through sacks and that is what allows a viewer to understand the cartoon better. For example; Italy and Abyssinia are shown to be having an argument of some sort. We notice that it is an argument from the facial expression of Abyssinia. In addition, they are in each other's face and in positions that are most likely when in a fight. This cannot be done with sacks and so source A is more understanding in showing the problems in this aspect. Likewise, in source A, the LoN is represented as a woman and things such as her movements can be shown (she is shown with her hands tied) whereas, in source B, the LoN is represented as a cart and that cannot be shown here. However, like source A, source B does have aspects that help understand the problems. One good aspect in my opinion is the showing of which countries are more likely to leave than others. A great example of this is how Great Britain and France are solid up the top whereas Italy is on the verge of falling off. This relates well to how Italy didn't have faith in the League after the pact because they felt betrayed by France and Britain and also because Mussolini was a fascist and disagreed with a lot of their views. Therefore, it can be said that this helps understand the problem of Italy being upset with the Council (Britain and France) of the LoN. In addition, the fact that the LoN is represented as a cart in source B indicates it is slow and needs to be pushed. This helps understand the slow aspect and an example of this would be how Lytton went out to Manchuria to sort things out really late in November. A good aspect in both sources that help understand the problems is that both show that Japan and Germany have left the league. Despite the fact that they are done in different ways, they both show and help understand the problem of not having 2 major forces in the league. On the other hand, a bad aspect in both would be that neither shows the â€Å"whys†. For example; both sources do not show why Japan and Germany have left the league. This is a major disadvantage as research or own knowledge is required to understand the source to full effect. Finally, something to note here is what the provenance states. Source A is a cartoon from a British magazine but is critical of the fact that Britain just looked on over the conflict between Italy and Abyssinia. On the other hand, source B is a cartoon from a British magazine and is saying that Britain is solely holding the league together, which is untrue as the help of France and other countries is also doing so. From this, we can say that source A is more reliable than source B as source B is biased. In conclusion to this answer, I feel that source A is more useful than source B for understanding the problems of peacekeeping in the 1930s for the sole reason that living creatures are used to represent countries as opposed to sacks. Despite the fact that source B shows how the league was slow and how Italy were about to leave, I still think that what the dogs and the woman show are more crucial in terms of understanding the problems. The fact that the conflict is shown and how Britain, France and the league is not interested are the core points justifies my point. There are ways in which source C would have worried members of LoN and ways in which the league would not be worried much at all. Benito Mussolini states that â€Å"once a decision is taken we march forward and do not turn back! In my opinion, this aspect of the speech would have worried the members of the league as it is implying how ruthless Italy can be/are. When that is put into perspective with the league's actions, things can become very concerning for the league. By mentioning that they will not turn back, whatever the league throws at them will, in effect, not stop Italy. Another reason for the league to be worried relates to what Mussolini says at the end of his speech. In his speech, Mussolini says that â€Å"It is better to live one day as a lion than a hundred years as a sheep! I reckon this would worry members of the LoN because that last part shows how much power means to him. In addition, he may be implying that the sheep are countries of less power such as Abyssinia or other African colonies. The fact that lions eat sheep further indicates his intention of taking hold of the countries/colonies. A reason for the league not to be worried, however, is that Italy showed its weakness in 1920 when it came running to the league after the incident at Corfu. However, this can be counter-argued by the fact that Benito Mussolini did not come into power until 1922. What I mean by this is that Benito's option would have most likely not included the league and so Italy wouldn't seem as weak. Members of the league would not be as worried due to the fact that Italy was on their own at the time and would therefore mean less strength. Once again though, Mussolini was a fascist and would have probably gone to extreme lengths to get an ally. Overall, I think that the members of the LoN would have been worried at his speech for a number of reasons. Firstly, his ruthlessness would have concerned the league as they would not know how to deal with it on occasions. Secondly, the fact that the speech indicates his love for power would also worry the league as they often struggle with situations whereby a powerful country has done something. A perfect example of this is the incident of Vilna. Vilna was awarded to Poland solely on the basis that they were strong/big and the league could do nothing about it, although it originally belonged to Lithuania. Finally, the league would be worried because they would be unsure as to how Mussolini would act. For example; in 1920, Mussolini may have chosen for Italy to use force instead of go to the LoN and that would have worried the league much more. Britain's attitude to Abyssinia is shown in different ways through each source (D and E). In source D, we are given the impression that Britain does not really care much about Abyssinia. It states, â€Å"The suggestions favoured Italy, were acceptable to France, and Eden gave the impression that England might accept them as well. † The fact that the suggestions favoured Italy meant that they didn't favour Abyssinia. Baring this in mind, the source later says â€Å"Eden gave the impression that England might accept them as well. † This meant that he thought England were going to accept the fact that Abyssinia were to be treated unfairly and so this quote indicates Britain do not really care much about Abyssinia. However, to counter-argue that, it can be said that Anthony Eden was a man who always used to try and impress people. This is evident from him being known as â€Å"Lord Eyelashes† – someone who always used to flutter his eyelashes in order to get on the good side of people or to get what he wanted. Using this, it can be said that the impression he gave didn't represent his true feelings or that what his views are may not be the same as the rest of Britain. Despite the fact that – from the provenance – Anthony Eden was charge of the LoN affairs of the British government, whatever he may think may not have been accepted by the public due to different viewpoints. Although Eden gave the impression that Britain may accept it, Britain, on the whole, may have not have actually done so. While Source D was written by an Italian historian, Source E was proclaimed by Sir Samuel Hoare, British Foreign Secretary. Samuel's first sentence in his speech immediately questions my trust of Britain's attitude to Abyssinia. When Hoare states that â€Å"The League stands for collective support of its Covenant (rules)†, what suddenly comes to mind is the Hoare-Laval pact. This was a pact signed between Britain (Hoare), France (Laval) and Italy (Mussolini) that stated Italy could have 2/3 of Abyssinia. While it was considered a reasonable conclusion by Hoare and Laval, the Covenant opposed it and so it reflects Hoare's personality and as to whether he can actually be trusted. However, regardless of his actions, it can be said that Samuel Hoare was a man of high authority considering the fact that he was British Foreign Secretary. In addition, another trustworthy aspect to this speech would be that Hoare was talking to the public and could not lie. Once again though, that can be counter-argued by the fact that he is talking to the LoN and doesn't want to disappoint them by saying negative things about them. By doing so, he could have been the cause of the LoN having an even worse name, which he would then be blamed for. My final point in this question relates to the provenance/details about the source. Source D was written by an Italian historian in 1961. Here, the author and the time play a major part in the reliability of the source. The fact that the source was written many years after and the writer was Italian means that, if – for instance – Italy didn't really like Britain at the time, the writer may have referred to Anthony Eden as â€Å"Lord Eyelashes† instead of something a bit more positive. On the other hand, the speech (Source E) was said by a British person and was said just after the time of the incident. Therefore, if Samuel Hoare hated the LoN years later, nothing would be different in terms of the speech as it has already been made. As mentioned earlier, time plays a huge part in reliability. Time goes on and as it does, memory becomes a less clear vision. What I mean by this is that people tend to forget things or not see them the way they were at the time and so Source D may be different to what had actually happened. Source E, however, cannot be as the speech was actually made at the time. In conclusion to this question, I trust source D more when reflecting Britain's attitude to Abyssinia for a number of reasons. The way I perceive it to be – from what I have learnt/my own knowledge – is that Britain didn't care about Abyssinia all that much as it didn't concern them much. In other words, the consequences of them being invaded didn't really concern affairs with Abyssinia; it just really concerned Italy's power and what they were going to do next. And so, firstly, this is backed up by source D (from my point earlier). Despite the fact that Anthony Eden was a â€Å"weird† man and the provenance could cause unreliability, I feel source E isn't any better. Source E states that Britain (in the LoN) will help Abyssinia and does not tolerate bullying but that is not actually how I feel about the matter. From previous cases, such as the one of Manchuria, the League only condemned Japan and did not act in terms of collective security. And, although Samuel Hoare was talking to the public, can he really be trusted after the pact opposing the Covenant? I think not†¦ There are numerous ways in which sources F & G agree and likewise in ways they disagree. Source F shows an old man on the verge of exiting a small house. He is holding something that is emitting light and the cartoonist has done this to emphasise the fact that the old man/LoN is living in the dark. What can actually be done in the dark is limited and so the cartoonist is trying to show the viewer that the LoN is limited to what it can do. What's more, the LoN is made out to be an old man. When referring something to an old man, the point being made is that it is slow and feeble. So the cartoonist's point here is that the LoN was slow and feeble. A further way in which the cartoonist is critical of the LoN is through the use of the Italian soldier. By making out the Italian soldier as big and armed, the message being sent across is that the old man/LoN cannot do anything about the soldier; all it could possibly do is go back inside and accept what has been said. In simpler terms, the fact that the matter has been settled by Italy should be of no concern to the league as absolutely nothing can be done about it. On the other hand, source G is a speech made by the emperor of Abyssinia, Haile Selassie. During his speech, Selassie stated that: â€Å"On many occasions, I have asked for financial assistance for the purchase of arms. That assistance has been constantly refused me. † This, once again, indicates how limited the LoN is in what it can do and so is a way in which they agree. Another obvious way in which they agree is the fact that they are both critical of the league in their own ways. A final way in which both sources agree relates to the first sentence of Selassie's speech, â€Å"I claim the justice which is due to my people and the assistance promised eight months ago. † Since the assistance promised had not been given to Abyssinia for 8 months, it would be fair to say that the LoN was slow. When put in comparison with the source F, the old man confirms this point. Although, there are a few points that prove the 2 sources agree, there are also a couple that prove the sources disagree. In source G, Haile Selassie says, â€Å"The problem is a much wider one than Italy's aggression. It is the very existence of the League of Nations. † This does not agree with source F as source F does not show the League of Nations being a problem or making matters worse; it just shows it as something that is not really powerful and nimble. In addition, at the end of Selassie's speech, Selassie questions the League of future actions through the last line of his speech, â€Å"Are you going to set a terrible example of bowing before force? † This disagrees with source F as source F does not show, in any way, the LoN actually bowing before force. In conclusion, I go somewhat but not too far in saying that sources F & G agree due to the fact that the points showing agreement between the sources have clearly outweighed the points showing otherwise. The fact that both sources agree in how the league acts (slow and in a limited way), in my opinion, is of more importance than whether the league made matters worse and so my conclusion to this question – from what I have seen from my arguments – is justified. Source H is a speech from Benito Mussolini in 1936. In this part to the essay, I will be answering as to how far I am surprised that the League of Nations did not ban oil sales to Italy. There are ways in which I am surprised and ways in which I am not. Immediately after reading the source, the first thing that surprised me was the fact that Mussolini had said, â€Å"The biggest worry was a ban on selling oil to us. If that had happened in 1935, the invasion of Abyssinia would have halted in a week. † This surprised me because; if we turn back to source C, we'll discover that Mussolini said there that â€Å"once a decision is taken we march forward and do not turn back! † The decision here was to invade Abyssinia but Mussolini just went against his speech in 1935 as he said he would have halted the invasion had the oil ban been imposed. On one hand, I was surprised with the League's actions while, on the other hand, I was not. The reason for me being surprised was that the LoN did not try out something different to prevent the invasion; it just imposed less serious bans. However, I am also not surprised at what the League did due to the fact that the league already had a bad reputation with Italy at the time. Since the Hoare-Laval pact had already been denied (a lie by both Hoare and Laval), Mussolini didn't trust Britain and France anymore and so people would see that imposing an oil ban, for example, would be a perfect way at getting back at them. A further way in which I am not surprised relates to the bad name the league possessed at the time. Had the league put oil bans on Italy, they could have put them in another depression. After the speech of Haile Selassie, putting another country in depression would just strengthen the point about the LoN existing being a problem in itself. What's more, a depression affects other parts of the world as well as Italy as trading becomes more of an issue and so my point here is that the world would have more reason to blame the league. Maybe if the league had a better name would it have imposed those bans. My final point in this question is about how Italy could have reacted if the bans were imposed on them. Since, Mussolini was a fascist; I do not believe the invasion would have halted in a week. Instead, I feel Mussolini would have endeavoured to get oil from other means. A perfect way in which to do so would have been to go to America, as both Italy and America would both be satisfied: Italy would get the oil required while America would see it as a profitable opportunity. In conclusion to this question, I am not really surprised that the LoN did not impose the oil bans on Italy for a number of reasons. Firstly, the fact that the league had such a bad reputation at the time meant that serious bans being put on Italy would have resulted in total blame on it if the consequences were outrageous. In addition, since the LoN did not really like Mussolini (his ideas went against it and the fact that he had found out their plan through the Hoare-Laval pact) meant that oil bans could have been an excuse to get back at Italy. As a result, it was further reason not to impose them! And despite the fact that I am surprised at what Mussolini said about halting the invasion, the League still took into account that Italy could have gotten oil from other means. The sources I have studied are all going to be put to use in the final part of this essay: how far do they collectively prove that the LoN was to blame for Mussolini's conquest of Abyssinia? Source A shows a number of ways in which they prove that the LoN was to blame for the conquest of Abyssinia. Firstly, by having the collars of dogs â€Å"Japan† and â€Å"Germany† empty, the source is trying to get across the message of how the League lost 2 of its most important members that could have made a difference to the outcome of the conquest. In addition, source A shows how Britain and France are not doing anything and so is critical of the fact that they – as council in the LoN – didn't really do anything but look over the invasion. Likewise, source A shows how the entire league is just looking over the invasion as if not bothered and also shows how her hands are tied. The whole idea is to show how the league could not really take care of both its members and the invasion and so is showing how the league failed in this aspect. This is proved from a quote at the bottom of the source: â€Å"JUST AS WE WERE ALL GETTING ALONG SO NICELY! I WONDER WHAT I HAVE TO DO THIS TIME. † One way, in my opinion, in which the source is not critical is through showing that maybe Italy's aggression (and Abyssinia's) was hard to deal with as the league's (woman's) hands are tied. Source B is also critical of the League of Nations in a couple of ways. For starters, the league here is represented as a cart. The fact that this is the case shows how the league was slow and needed to be pushed to keep it going. This relates well to what actually happened as the league were slow in doing something about the invasion, as by the time they could do something, Italy had already invaded Abyssinia. Another way in which it proves the league is to blame is by having Italy almost falling off of the cart. The significance of doing so is to show that, with Italy not fully associated with the league anymore; the league had less control of it and so couldn't really stop future actions. This is as a result of the Hoare-Laval pact, which was – once again – Britain and France's faults. A final way in which source B is critical is through the use of Japan and Germany. By having them off the cart, it is indicating it is easier to push and this is a good indication of the fact that the league found it hard to deal with so many members and problems simultaneously. Therefore, by having members of the league leave, the league works much smoother. Source C, on the other hand, is showing how the league is not really to blame for the conquest. By Mussolini indicating how ruthless he can be, it gives an idea of what the LoN were dealing with. By using terms such as â€Å"it is better to live one day as a lion than hundred years as a sheep†, the message we are getting is that it was not all the league's fault; it was also Italy's aggression that was to blame for the Mussolini conquest. Source D is a source written by an Italian in 1961 and talks predominantly about Anthony Eden, a person in charge of LoN affairs for the British government. This source, in my opinion, shows that the league was to blame for the conquest of Abyssinia. By using the phrase â€Å"Lord Eyelashes†, the writer is trying to get across the message of how the league appointed someone who just did what they did to impress people. In other words, he may have made the wrong decision in agreeing to let the suggestions favour Italy and not Abyssinia just because he wanted to impress Mussolini and others. Therefore, it is showing how the league employed the wrong person for that job, which – most probably did, from the argument I have discussed – drastically change the outcome. Source E, meanwhile, shows supposed positive aspects to the league and so does not show any ways in which the league was to blame for the conquest. This source talks about how the league reacts to things such as â€Å"unprovoked aggression† and states that â€Å"The British government and nation is firm on this principle. † As a result, it can be said that this source does not go far at all in proving that the league was to blame for the conquest of Abyssinia. Source F is a German cartoon published in May 1936, depicting an Italian soldier talking to the LoN (an old man). The soldier says, â€Å"I am sorry to disturb your sleep, but I should like to tell you that you need no longer bother yourself about the Abyssinian business; the matter has been settled. † By stating that he is â€Å"sorry to disturb† the old man's sleep, the cartoonist is showing that the old man was asleep/just been woken up and is living in the dark. The point being made here is that the league, on many occasions, did not really do anything due to the fact that they are actually sleeping. In addition, by making the LoN an old man, it is indicating that the LoN was slow and weak and therefore allowed the conquest to proceed. A final way in which the cartoonist is critical of the league is through the use of the quote. By making the Italian soldier say that â€Å"I am sorry to disturb your sleep, but I should like to tell you that you no longer need to bother yourself†¦ † it seems as if the cartoonist is trying to get the message across of the fact that the soldier has taken responsibility of the league's soldiers and done it a favour. What's more here, by making the Italians solve the matter themselves and having the Italian soldier as bigger than the old man (armed as well) shows exactly how the league could do nothing about the conquest. Likewise, source G is highly critical of the LoN. It is a speech made by Haile Selassie, emperor of Abyssinia at the time. The first way in which Selassie says that the league was to blame is through the first sentence, â€Å"I claim the justice which is due to my people and the assistance promised eight months ago. By using the time phrase â€Å"eight months ago†, it gives us a clear indication of how slow the league was. In addition, by stating that: â€Å"On many occasions, I have asked for financial assistance for the purchase of arms. That assistance has been constantly refused me†, Haile is otherwise saying that the league has its limits to what it can do. In addition to those points, Haile says that the problem is bigger than the aggression of Italy; it is the existence of the LoN. Despite the fact that it is saying that the league in existence is causing all the problems, it is also showing how Italy were also to blame for the conquest. Finally, source H is yet another speech by Benito Mussolini, whereby he says that; if the league had imposed oil bans, he would have halted the invasion. This is critical of the league as it gives me the message that the league should have taken the risk. However, it can also be said that the league was unaware of how to deal with Mussolini or how he would react to the oil ban. Ultimately in this essay, I feel that the sources go very far in proving that the LoN was to blame for the Mussolini conquest. All but 3 of the sources agree with my conclusion and, despite there are even 3, they can all be counter-argued. Firstly, source C shows how ruthless Mussolini was. However, the League of Nations collectively was stronger than him and could deal with whatever he threw (it was more of the fact that they could not be bothered). As a matter of fact, Britain and France on their own could deal with the likes of Mussolini and so the argument for Italy's aggression now seems small. Secondly, source E talks about how the league was meant to deal with issues like unprovoked aggression. However, the fact that Samuel Hoare's character is questionable (after the Hoare-Laval pact) alongside him talking to the LoN (wants to say good things about it) makes me wonder whether this source actually counts. And thirdly, despite the League were unaware of how Mussolini was going to react to the ban, I feel that it should have taken the risk in doing so nevertheless as it had nothing to lose; it had already lost its reputation†¦