Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Human gene Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human gene - Essay Example This paper attempts to explore the organization, structure, history and regulatory elements associated with the GALT gene, and understand how a mutation will lead to occurrence of galactosemia. GALT is the official symbol for the galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase gene. The position of GALT is 13 on the shorter p arm of the chromosome 9. The more exact molecular positioning of GALT on chromosome 9 can be described as starting at base pair 34,646,585 till ending at base pair 34,650,594 (Genetics Home Reference). The organization of GALT encompasses 11 exons spanning approximately 4-4.3 kb. The GALT gene encodes proteins with a 43 kDa molecular mass, consisting of about 379 amino acids length. Two molecules or a dimer make up an active GALT enzyme and contain a molecular mass of around 88 kDa. It has been found that disruption in the Q188R region is the most common mutation found to cause classic galactosemia with a relative frequency of 60%. It is because a His-Pro-His motif is present at exon 6 in the functional site, which significantly impairs the entire gene functioning if mutation occurs proximal to this region of the gene (Calderon, 939-40). People with classic galactosemia have been identified with over 180 mutations in the GALT gene. The structural illustration of GALT gene is presented in fig 01. Figure 01. GALT Gene Structure. Source: AGCOH (2009). The genetic deficiency is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner requiring the copy of GALT sequence from both carrier parents (Elsas). Though the incidence rate of GALT deficiency is different among nations, about 1 in every 62 000 has been estimated in pan-ethnic populations. The incidence rate in travelers from the Irish populations is also significant (Murphy et al., 550). The GALT gene is responsible for the synthesis of GALT enzyme in the liver. The GALT enzyme catalyzes the breakdown of galactose-1-phosphate into available glucose as an energy source in the second step of the Leloir metaboli sm pathway (Reichardt, 194). Galactose is a product of the larger sugar Lactose found in all milk and dairy products. The reaction also produces UDP-galactose that is further employed in the formation of sugar containing proteins and fats. These galactose-containing proteins and fats have multiple roles in various body functions such as chemical signaling pathways, construction of cell structure, molecule transportation and energy production (Genetics Home Reference). The GALT enzyme reveals a ping-pong, bi-bi kinetics that describes the binding of one domain of enzyme with uridine diphosphate (UDP) glucose, which forms enzyme-UDP-glucose intermediate. The uridine monophosphate stays attached to GALT and the glucose-1-phosphate becomes free. The GALT uridine monophosphate then binds galactose-l-phosphate to develop GALT-UDP-galactose. The UDP-galactose becomes free of the GALT, and allows it to cycle the next reaction (Elsas and Lai, 40). The failure of GALT enzyme to metabolize gal actose results in building up of Galactose-1-phosphate to toxic levels in the body, which can give rise to several health issues such as jaundice, feeding issues, weight faltering, liver damage, bleeding, hyperammonemia, sepsis, infections, cataracts, dyspraxia, ovarian failure, and neural abnormalities

Monday, October 28, 2019

True Standards of a Hero Essay Example for Free

True Standards of a Hero Essay George Washington, Marilyn Monroe, Muhammad Ali, and even Taylor Swift have been proven to be heroes in today’s culture. Long before any of these individuals walked the Earth, the story of a man exhibiting what a true hero of epic proportions really is. Beowulf, a poem in British literature from the eighth century, showcases the concept of real heroism. Beowulf, a Geat who provides the real qualities of a dominate hero, travels to Herot to protect the kingdom of King Hrothgar. Beowulf will find himself battling with monsters that represent evil, the devil, and depths of Hell. The people of the kingdom are, at first, nervous of having a man fight the monster, Grendel, but are soon proven that Beowulf is the only option. The hero will later encounter the monster’s mother and, fifty years later, a dominate dragon. Clearly, in Beowulf, we will see the true qualities of an epic hero. Beowulf will travel far distances to be glorified and viewed significantly by the entire world. He will also demonstrate Anglo-Saxon ethics in the deeds he performs using his superhuman strength and abilities. Beowulf proves to people across many lands that he is a strong and responsible leader as well as an example of true heroism. As the poem begins, you immediately see how Beowulf is presented with an intense quest and is signified and glorified. The reader is told how a horrific monster, Grendel, is attacking Hrothgar’s kingdom. Beowulf hears of the incidents and immediately travels to help. He wants to aid the kingdom, â€Å"Heard how Grendel filled night with horror/ And quickly commanded a boat fitted out/ Proclaiming that he’d go to that famous king† (112-114). He then carries out with his promise and takes on the outstanding quest. Beowulf carries out another epic quality by being significant and glorified across many lands. When he arrives at Herot, he is greeted by Wulfgar, one of Hrothgar’s feudal lords. Wulfgar proclaims, â€Å"My lord, the great King of the Danes, commands me/ To tell you that he knows of your noble birth† (127-128). This explains how highly regarded Beowulf is talked of among the area. Beowulf will, now, battle Grendel, the ferocious beast. In addition to the obvious heroic qualities, Beowulf showcases his ethics to Anglo-Saxon society and his superhuman strength. When Beowulf goes to fight the monster, he refuses to use weapons since Grendel doesn’t use them. â€Å"That I, alone and with the help of my men,/ May purge all evil from this hall. I have heard,/ Too, that the monster’s scorn of men/ Is so great that he needs no weapons and fears no name./ Nor will I† (165-169), announces Beowulf in order to prove his pride and morality. Now, though, Beowulf must give attention to showing his superhuman strength. He fights upon one arm, being able to detach Grendel’s own arm. â€Å"-And was instantly seized himself, claws/ Bent back as Beowulf leaned up on one arm† (430-431). As to be expected, Beowulf murders Grendel within moments of the battle. Grendel’s mother is then angered by the news and is ready to fight Beowulf as well. Beowulf is, once again, prepared to risk death for glory, the citizens, and to reflect ideals of society. He jumps into the red, dark, deep, treacherous waters to confront Grendel’s mother in a battle. â€Å"The water was bloody, steaming and boiling/ In horrible pounding waves, heat/ Sucked from his magical veins† (529-531). Once arriving miles deep into the Hell, Beowulf was ready to boost his name once again. â€Å"But Beowulf/ Longed only for fame, leaped back/ Into battle†¦ If weapons were useless he’d use/ His hands, the strength in his fingers. So fame/ Comes to those who mean to win it/ And care about nothing else† (605-612). This is how Beowulf reflects ideals of Anglo-Saxon society. He knows fame comes to those who thrive for it. Our hero wins the incredible battle and returns to the surface with the head of Grendel’s mother. In Herot, Beowulf is presented the kingdom and is now the King. Fifty years later, a new crisis comes forward. A dragon is destroying the king’s land; Beowulf is the only known help. The king travels with twelve men, but shows his bravery by telling them to â€Å"Wait for me close by, my friends,/†¦ no man but me/ Could hope to defeat this monster† (679-684). Beowulf wants to go in alone, to protect his men. While in battle, all of the men leave except for one, Wiglaf, a distant cousin to Beowulf. The highly admired hero, is defeated by the dragon. Wiglaf runs to his side, where Beowulf proclaims him as his successor. Moments after, Beowulf takes his final breath. Beowulf was clearly seen as a strong leader by his people carrying on his name in glory, â€Å"And so Beowulf’s followers/ Rode, mourning their beloved leader,/ Crying that no better king had ever/ Lived, no prince so mild, no man/ so open to his people, so deserving of praise† (838-842). There was even a tower erected in his name. His legacy of being an epic, strong, glorious leader is achieved. Obviously, Beowulf has association with every heroic quality under the Sun. The king was on a quest, was signifigant, and even glorified by his people. Beowulf additionally showed ethics in his battles and his superhuman abilities. He risks death carrying out ideals of Anglo-Saxon society performing these great deeds with even greater leadership. This poem clearly represented God versing evils with the good prevailing. Now we see how today’s heroes find their inspiration.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Macbeth: Dark, Evil, and Tragic Essays -- Macbeth Character Analysis

â€Å"Macbeth†- A revered play written in the 16th century by the famous playwright: William Shakespeare. The theme of â€Å"Macbeth† is centred on how power and the thirst for it can corrupt a person and lead to their insanity. Power-hungry and manipulating Lady Macbeth, with the help of the prophecies of the three malevolent witches, persuades the eponymous Macbeth to kill his king, so that she can be the queen. But unfortunately, for her, her plans do not ultimately run smoothly. Both Macbeth’s guilty conscience and his wife’s insanity give them away and eventually lead to their down fall. The purpose of this essay is to discuss to what extent Shakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth as a truly evil character throughout the play. From her very opening scene Shakespeare depicts Lady Macbeth as being cold and full of evilness. In act 1 scene 5, Lady Macbeth is introduced reading a letter from Macbeth. Already the audience can see she has evil plans. â€Å"Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear And chastise with the valour of my tongue.† (Act 1 scene 5) This exhibits that she wants Macbeth to come back home so she can persuade him to do the evil deed. Later in the scene, Lady Macbeth is afraid that Macbeth is too weak and too compassionate to be a murderer, therefore she asks the gods to replace all her goodness and femininity with cold haunted evilness. This is clear when she calls the evil spirits; â€Å"...Unsex me here, Make thick my blood, Stop up th’access and passage to remorse... Come to my woman’s breasts, And take my milk for gall...† (Act 1 scene 5) So that she can poison her husband’s mind. The audience’s first impression of her is as a remorseless, cold evil wife. This prepares the audience for the evilness sh... ...5 scene 5). Power has watered down all his love and kindness. Shakespeare portrayed Lady Macbeth as evil and in the end was driven to death by her own guilt because ultimately she was a human and not a complete monster. Lady Macbeth is thought of being a truly evil character because of the way Shakespeare portrays her character. Her malevolent influence on Macbeth, her trying to hide her humanity to help her have more power over her husband, then her trying very hard to hide her guilt are all examples of the evil she had done. Her dark and sinister nature gradually gave way to insanity and a suicide. Lady Macbeth’s character is a proof that power and thirst for it can lead to insanity and a person’s ultimate down fall. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. Boston: D.C. Heath and Company, 1915. Google Books. Web. 3 Sept. 2015.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Coping with Change in My Kinsman, Major Molineux :: Kinsman Molineux

Coping with Change in My Kinsman, Major Molineux My Kinsman, Major Molineux is about Robin a young and sheltered youth. This story opens with Robin trying to find his kinsman Major Molineux. He approaches many people trying to find his kinsman. Of all the people he approaches none are helpful in locating his kinsman. Finally he gets an answer and finds his kinsman to have been tarred and feathered. This is a shock to him, however, he deals with that surprise and goes on with his life. This story is about change and coping with the fact that change is inevitable. The first man, that Robin asks about his kinsman, was gruff and unhelpful. Even though Robin asked the whereabouts of his kinsman in a polite way "Good evening to you honored sir, I pray you tell me whereabouts is the dwelling of my kinsman..." He received no answer from this man. Later in the story he meets with the same man again. At the second meeting Robin asserted himself differently and received an answer from the man. This time he was more confident "No, no, neighbor! No, no I am not the fool you take me for, nor do you pass till I have an answer to my question." This transformation in Robin shows that experience breeds change and that change is inevitable. This change in Robin can be paralleled to societies and governments. Drawing from change any sentient structure can learn that new measures are required in order to succeed. When Robin found his kinsman it was under less than desirable circumstances. Robin was in severe shock; "His knees shook and his hair bristled with a mixture of pity and terror." The crowd that followed his kinsman was overwhelming when it grasped Robin into it's clutches his shouts of laughter where the loudest there. This illustrates that each generation must make up its own mind on protocol for handling the situations that come its way. Each government and society must make new policies and rules for the unexpected situations that occur. Also the physical similarities between Robin and his kinsman show that change does not have to be a completely new beginning, but a "younger" way of looking at the world for that day's society, government or individual. At the very end Robin was getting ready to leave for his home in the country.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

A critique of a defense of abortion a book by judith jarvis thomson Essay

In this paper, I will explain in what circumstances an abortion would be unjust based on Thomson’s argument.   Also, I will explain why this result does nothing to weaken her argument.   In Thomson’s â€Å"A Defense of Abortion†, she makes a claim that it is usually morally permissible, just that is, to have an abortion.   She defends this claim with varying analogies, the strongest being the case of the violinist which I will explain later.   Thomson’s main point (only for the sake of argument) is that the fetus does have a right to life (Thomson p. 29).   However, she also points out that it is morally permissible to perform an abortion if the fetus has not been granted the right to use the mother’s body (Thomson p.31).   I will argue that in certain cases the fetus is in fact granted right to use of the mother’s body, and therefore, in such cases, it would be unjust to perform an abortion. I will argue for this by presenting an analogy presented by Thomson in her paper.   In this analogy, Thomson presents a situation: You have been kidnapped by a music group to have your kidneys hooked up to a famous ailing violinist’s body for nine months in order for him to survive.   Thomson claims that it would not be unjust or morally impermissible for you to unplug yourself from the violinist’s body because he has been granted no right to use your body (Thomson p. 30).   Now, I will use this analogy to argue for when it would be unjust to unplug yourself from the violinist’s body.   Suppose, for example, that this music group had asked you for permission to use your body prior to plugging you into the violinist.   Say, that you gave them permission and agreed to be attached to the violinist for nine months.   However, later on, you decide that you have better things to do than to be stuck to this violinist for nine months, and then decide to unplu g yourself from the violinist, leading to his death.   That act would be an unjust killing; because you gave the violinist the right to use your body, then took it away from him. I will now use the example of an actual pregnancy to defend my argument for the unjust killing of a fetus.   Suppose that a young couple, both in their mid-twenties decides to have their first child; this is your typical planned pregnancy.   They buy a new home and all other certain baby necessities.   However, say that during this pregnancy the couple has a change of heart.   Say that spontaneously the couple decides that they do not yet desire a child.   Thus, they decide to have an abortion for the child that they had previously given the right to life; they had previously given it the right to use the mother’s body.   It would thus be an unjust killing of the fetus, and it violates the fetus’ right not to be killed unjustly. This result does not weaken Thomson’s argument by any means.   I say this because Thomson was arguing for when an abortion is not morally impermissible (Thomson p. 37).   She was not arguing for which cases an abortion is impermissible.   Therefore, further questioning as to which abortions would be unjust under Thomson’s argument would be irrelevant.   Also, I was able to make my argument without relinquishing any of Thomson’s claims.   Moreover, based on my argument, one can, in fact, make a claim for what â€Å"certain† cases of abortion are morally impermissible.   Lastly, Thomson is merely pretending that a fetus is a person from conception in the first place, so her notion that some abortions may be unjust is irrelevant to her opponent’s argument (Thomson p.37)

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Explain the major factors between 1928 and 1933 that enabled Hitler to come to power

Explain the major factors between 1928 and 1933 that enabled Hitler to come to power Up to 1928 there had been uncertainty in Germany, with the Wall Street crash of 1928 this uncertainty became reality as the Weimar republic fell and Hitler took power. The crushing blows of the Treaty of Versailles to Germany's economy and its public pride led to the mood of the German people becoming depressed. They were penniless, so they looked left and right for an answer to their problems. With the rise of communism and right wing socialism, democracy was steadily loosing power. With the continual use of article 48(presidents ability to overrule the Reichstag), the limited personality of leaders, the awkward policies and loss of democratic ideals, the Weimar republic was week. With the ideas of Nazi propaganda and Nazi political methods, people specifically looked at Nazism as a way out of their situation.In 1923 a group of young, so called, Nazis were ambitiously planning to take over Berlin.Karte des Deutschen Reiches, Â »Weimarer Republik/D...When their ally dropped out they decided to break into a meeting and obliterate it, this was called the Beer Hall Putsch. They were arrested and their leader, a then unknown man, named Adolf Hitler went to jail with a chain of publicity trailing behind them.The years between 1923 and 1928 were prosperous for Germany; the economy had a minor 'boom' thanks to 'the young plan'. MÂ ¼ller, chancellor at the time, put in action a plan where Germany would borrow money from America so it could secure payment on it's reparations. This was fine until the Wall Street crash in 1928 threw Germany, and most of Europe, into depression. America demanded it's loans back and Germany's economy slumped. Inflation rose to an absurd amount, people became extremely poor, and they had lost whatever small confidence they had in democracy. Hindenburg threw Muller out of his chancellorship; Muller was...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Gawains Journey essays

Gawain's Journey essays In the days of King Arthur, religion was one of the most important aspects of life. Literature from this period reflects that strong faith and reliance that people had in God. People looked to God for answers, protection, and comfort. To these people, God worked in mysterious ways, so it was not hard for someone to turn away from God. Faith test were given to knights and people of the liking to see if they truly were devoted to God. Such a test is given to Sir Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Gawain is a good, faithful knight who is sent on a journey in the name of God. Gawains faith in God changes from setting to setting, as new challenges are placed before Gawain. God is first mentioned in line 370 when the King gives Gawain Gods blessing, and asking that he be strong in spirit and stout in sinew. Gawain is given a mission to seek out the Green Knight, which he accepts. But I am bound to bear the blow and must be gone tomorrow to seek the gallant in green, as God sees fi t to guide me..This sets the tone for this strong faith in the beginning of the story. Gawain believes that he can do anything with the assistance of God. Prior to his departure, all the people said, By Christ, it is evil that yon lord should be lost, who lives so nobly. This hints even more that God will be set to protect Gawain while he is in danger, providing him with comfort and safety. Gawain knew that God was his ultimate protector, and went on his journey. Now the gallant Sir Gawain in Gods name goes...No traveler to talk to on the track but God.. The noble knight travels until Christmas Eve, when he prays to Mary for a place for shelter and prayer. While praying Gawain prays to God for forgiveness of his sins, showing that he truly cares about his standing with God. Gawains religious faith grants him strength and success throughout his endeavor. Gawain has a faith th...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

English as a Second Language Essays

English as a Second Language Essays English as a Second Language Essay English as a Second Language Essay I love to create, design and construct. Ten years ago I decided to attend to Architectural School in Peru and become an architect as most of my family members are. It was the best decision I have ever made but it was something else there, it was my interest for travelling and know more about the rest of the world. As soon as I finished my career and hopeless of being successful on my path , I decided to go for the American dream , but again it was something it will make this dream even harder to achieve : I didn’t know how to speak the language . Ten years since then ,being a foreigner and with so many frustrations of not having completed yet my dream of being an Architect in AMERICA , I decided to go back to school to pursue my professional goals. The class of English 92 , will help me not just to learn properly English but also I consider is the first step to be successful in this country.First of all , to my consideration the knowledge I have about English is very few but I am very confident of the few I know and very open to receive any corrections and criticism . I am a very persuasive learner. I educate myself learning English using tools such of tv, internet , radio and reading novels and books. I learned how to speak , read and hold conversations but my accent and my not very much extended vocabulary as long as my few grammar skills , can make my intent to express myself so much harder . Once I finished English 91 I would love to feel more confident on my English know lodgment which will make me sound and look more professional on my career path . I worked really hard to finally be able to go back to school and complete my studies . I was and I still am a very persuasive person. If don’t know something I will investigate and use any tools to get what I’m looking for . Being in a class and interact with the computers at the same time , learning about the links and tutorials was unusual and somehow overwhelming , but I tried hard to a dapt

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Strategic Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Strategic Human Resource Management - Essay Example A business strategy no matter how good it is, will succeed without the contribution of people. A proper analysis of data collected from human capital can help an organisation in developing business strategy process. In majority of the organisation people is regarded as the most important asset. To create value, an organisation has the task of utilising the knowledge, skills and also abilities of its people. Intangible value that is present in an organisation is its people. The HR personnel therefore have a greater task of managing the people of an organisation. An organisation will be able to achieve its objectives in the business front if strategic HRM is considered as a contributor in business strategy (CIPD, 2009). The case study is about Kazamy Manufacturing, a company having their business in both manufacturing and sales operation. Kazamy is different from other Japanese plants in this regard as most of them are involved only in manufacturing operation. Kazamy has established itself as one of the leading companies in Europe. It focuses on building a cordial relationship with their customers and also they enable their human resources i.e. their staffs to have a say in their marketing policy. Kazamy has given great importance to their manpower resources and utilised their knowledge and qualities in developing the company further. HR director of Kazamy joined in 1986. Since then he along with other members of kazamy hierarchy has worked hard in establishing their position in their business sector. Kazamy followed a strong HR philosophy. They didn’t want a traditional factory which is already present in UK. Their major policies were developed by the use of two principles. They firstly didn’t want to create a prototype Japanese plant existing in the rural Midlands area; secondly they strongly wanted to manage their manpower resource without the influence of any trade union. They valued

Friday, October 18, 2019

Capturing memorable moments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Capturing memorable moments - Essay Example To my mind, this is due to the fact that while prose presents images and information through the medium of the authors words, photography narrows the distance between the viewer and the object. In this way, the messages and images which a photo contains appear to be more vivid and articulate. Apart from that, the power of an image also lies in the possibility to grasp all its details immediately and see a picture as a whole. In contrast, the nature of the prose requires the details to be uncovered slowly, sentence by sentence. Obviously, this also can be a powerful tool to deliver the general message, however, as for me, this way is less successful in focusing solely on a situation and on the personal emotions which they call, rather than view the situations through the lens of an author. In a sum, although, each of the given works by Nachwey represent a vivid picture and is likely to produce strong emotional response from the audience, I found â€Å"Crushing Car† more articulate. The author managed to capture the moment that reflects the horror and tragedy of the event. As a result, this still image calls the full range of emotions that cannot leave one ignorant. The essay by Nachtwey raises important questions that reinforce the power of the still image and the power of seeing events rather than listening of imagining them. Visible suffering is to the great extend more striking and is likely to leave a long lasting effect on a person than invisible. In this context, I would argue that vision of the suffering is more powerful than hearing about it or imaging, because the first relates to personal and real experience of a person while the second and the third is about assuming how something occurred. Furthermore, I doubt that in the process of imagining a situation a person can, in fact, restore the horror that occurred in full. A simple example: everyone hears about the realities of

Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Speech - Essay Example The freedom is necessary, but we do not like the freedom, which cause unnecessary change in the society. â€Å"Hate speech is against the law, communication that classifies a person or a group on the basis of color, disability, ethnicity, gender, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, or other characteristic is regarded as hate speech.† (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_speech) Hate speech occur in all of countries but in different ways. There are hate speeches against religion, homosexuality, and racialism. The speech should be respectful of other people’s religion. When necessary, criticism should be polite. Hate speech cause a lot of problem between people, countries, and religion. If anyone espouses Christianity, Islam religion or any other religion, we should respect his/her opinion. If someone chooses to be a Muslim, someone will tell him that all Muslim kill other people or Muslims are barbarian and terrorist. That is wrong since not all Muslim kill ot her people, but the question is (Why the people kill others?). There are various causes of hate speech. For example, â€Å"Following the end of world war II, 24 German leaders were brought before the international Military Tribunal at Nuremberg.† (https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+hate+speech%3Fpdf&ie=utf-8&oe=utf8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a). Two of the leaders were linked to incitement and distribution of the Nazi propaganda. This is kind of Hate of speech and it caused deaths of many people in the world. In the same way, the racialism was huge problem in United State. The Black people lived miserable lives due to hate speech. They were lived with people who hated them and they did many kind of the callousness. In addition, they were not getting their rights, in other words they were enslaved. They had to demonstrate against the government to get their freedom. â€Å"Pornography is material designed to arouse and has no legal or consistent d efinition.† http://www.ffeusa.org/html/statements/statements_pornography.html Pornography most of time is dangerous for the societies. The commercials do not care about pornography and its effects. They care about their money and the ways to get more money. Sometimes, they show pictures and films have contempt for women. Moreover, men learn violence and force women to do sex as shows depict. â€Å"What is obscenity? It is not synonymous with pornography, as most pornography is not legally obscene. Most pornography is protected by the First Amendment.† (Freedom of speech and press, Henry Cohen consequently, people should have freedom of speech and opinion, but their opinion should be reasonable. â€Å"Freedom of speech is the political right to communicate one's opinions and ideas via speech.† (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech). People’s opinion is significant for the government and for the other people. We cannot develop our country if we do not listen to people's opinion without interference. They can say idea through any media whether by write, TV, or radio. Most of great countries have freedom speech. The government and people listen for their voice, what they need, what they criticize and reasons for their criticism. If any person or government said this is our country we should not criticize them since, they too are citizens. The country belongs to all people and, not an individual’s property. Everyone has the right to say his opinion and idea to develop his country and

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Compare and Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Compare and Contrast - Essay Example Just like in the most art works by Annie lee, the blue Monday painting is faceless, thusi9s done with intention that the audience of the work feel the comfort, humor and the joy of a piece of work. The visual element of the art work shows a woman who seems to be moody and reluctant to get out of bed, this is the typical African American who has woken up felling lazy to catch a bus and head to work. This is makes her work realistic and full of humor. The character in the painting blue Monday has face, in fact most of her works other than this has no faces, she does this so as to bring these part work into life via the body language and the movement of the characters, she thinks that the face might interfere with the intended message, in this painting she knew that each and every person has a personal connection to the experience of a blue Monday upon viewing the painting. The above piece of art is done by Annibale Carracci (1560–1609), thus was during the feminism era in the western countries, the above panting tries to show what make the females different from

Sports Communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sports Communications - Essay Example As jet air travel globalized sport, the distinction between the best amateur and the professional players became impossible to maintain; even the Olympic movement abandoned founder Baron Pierre de Coubertin's original devotion to amateurism. Still debatable is whether the quantitative change in the number of viewers of television has completely changed the quality of the sporting experience. Do children, for instance, deliberately emulate the petulant and violent player behavior they often see on television, ignoring the coaches who try to instill principles of fair play Do most coaches, at all levels, put winning before the health and welfare of their players Have international players become simply pawns in the hands of the media industry Or has television simply opened up electronic seats for fans and made it impossible for sportswriters and commentators to glorify people and events those fans can now see for themselves Has media money justified itself by providing training and competing opportunities for those who had previously been excluded from sports they could not afford to learn What is certain is that some sports have always been "more equal than others"; fans choose to what they will give their allegiance. The media can create or increase temporary interest in specific events, but unless what the media discuss or show is rooted in more than the event itself, interest evaporates. Swimming While a complex, rapidly developing sport may be expected to generate many internal problems, synchro's main controversy, "sport or theater," is generated externally, by media that are unwilling to consider as "sport" anything not meeting the "swifter, higher, stronger" standard. But even Sports Illustrated, despite normally less than flattering reviews, admitted in its report on the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, "Synchronized swimmers may look like cupcakes, but they're tough cookies, half the routine is performed upside down in a pool" (Dawn Bean 128). Its water-show beginnings still haunt it. The idea that water ballet is show, while synchronized swimming is sport, has been hard to sell to swimming officials, the public, and the media. Its acceptance into the Olympic Games came only after Lord Killanin, then chair of the International Olympic Committee, saw it for himself at the third World Aquatic Championships. "I am very impressed. I saw synchronized swimming for the first time to day. It is a very elegant sport" (Dawn Bean 197). Synchro enjoys more popularity and acceptance as a sport in parts of the world outside the United States. In every Olympic competition, 1984 through 1996, it has been one of the first sports to sell out all audience tickets. Another issue is male participation. Interestingly, at the turn of the century competitions in the equivalent of figures were for males. Then the beautiful spectaculars of aquacades and films accented the female attraction. Early U.S. competitions included male championships, but they were never popular. Neither U.S. nor international rules prohibit male participation except for the Olympic Games and the World Aquatic Championships. Presently, male participation is greater in Europe than in the United States and Canada. Indeed, in 1991, the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Compare and Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Compare and Contrast - Essay Example Just like in the most art works by Annie lee, the blue Monday painting is faceless, thusi9s done with intention that the audience of the work feel the comfort, humor and the joy of a piece of work. The visual element of the art work shows a woman who seems to be moody and reluctant to get out of bed, this is the typical African American who has woken up felling lazy to catch a bus and head to work. This is makes her work realistic and full of humor. The character in the painting blue Monday has face, in fact most of her works other than this has no faces, she does this so as to bring these part work into life via the body language and the movement of the characters, she thinks that the face might interfere with the intended message, in this painting she knew that each and every person has a personal connection to the experience of a blue Monday upon viewing the painting. The above piece of art is done by Annibale Carracci (1560–1609), thus was during the feminism era in the western countries, the above panting tries to show what make the females different from

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Distance Measurements and Scientific Notation Essay

Distance Measurements and Scientific Notation - Essay Example Help students grasp our place in the enormous universe by reviewing your school’s â€Å"galactic address†Ã¢â‚¬â€beginning with its street address and ending with its place in the universe. Review the units of measurement that are used to represent distances in each part of the galactic address. Give students examples for each step, or have them use reference materials to provide their own examples. Help them appreciate unfamiliar units of measurement, such as light-years and astronomical units. By thinking about their location on a small scale first and then moving out to a much larger scale, students begin to learn a sense of how distance is measured at each scale. This understanding will motivate them to learn through the lesson further. 1. Tell students that one means of putting these unimaginable sizes and distances into perspective is to compare them to smaller scales that are easier to understand. In this activity, students will convert and sizes in space to smal ler units. Distribute the Class Activity Sheet: Understanding Sizes and Distances in the Universe. Instruct students to work in pairs to answer the questions. Solution: Three pieces of information are needed in order to determine this scale distance to the moon: the diameter of the quarter, Earth’s diameter, and the actual distance from Earth to the moon. Measuring the quarter reveals that it has a diameter of 1 inch. Earth’s diameter is about 8,000 miles. The actual distance from Earth to the moon is an average of 240,000 miles, although this distance can vary with the moon’s orbit around Earth.

Supermarket and International Segment Essay Example for Free

Supermarket and International Segment Essay Wal-Mart in Brazil is one of the third-largest retailer companies in the world’s fifth-largest country. Wal-Mart Brazil has more than 485 supermarkets, three and Sam’s hypermarkets in different Brazilian states, including Sao Paulo, one of the busiest state in Brazil. Wal-Mart Brazil ranks as the third-largest retailer in the worlds fifth-largest country. Since entering the market in 1995 with just two supercenters and three SAMS CLUB warehouse stores, Wal-Mart Brazil has grown, mainly by acquisition, to number about 485 supermarkets and hypermarkets in more than 15 Brazilian states, including the populous economic center of Sao Paul. Wal-Mart primary product lines are Food, Clothing, Household Appliances, Electronics and Grocery Pets Etc . While brand name merchandise accounts for a majority of sales, numerous store brands not found in the United States have been developed to serve customers in the different markets in which the International segment operates. In addition, steps have been taken to develop relationships with local suppliers in each country to ensure reliable sources of quality merchandise. It operates retail stores in various formats around the world and is committed to saving people money so they can live better. We earn the trust of our customers every day by providing a broad assortment of quality merchandise and services at every day low prices while fostering a culture that rewards and embraces mutual respect, integrity and diversity. The merchandising strategy for the International segment is similar to that of our operations in the United States in terms of the breadth and scope of merchandise offered for sale. While brand name merchandise accounts for a majority of sales, numerous store brands not found in the United States have been developed to serve customers in the different markets in which the International segment operates. In addition, steps have been taken to develop relationships with local suppliers in each country to ensure reliable sources of quality merchandise The International segment competes with a variety of local, national and international chains in the supermarket, discount, department, drug, variety and specialty stores, supercenter-type stores, hypermarts, wholesale clubs, internet-based retailers and catalog businesses in each of the countries in which we operate and, in Mexico, with local, national and international restaurant chains. Our ability to offer our customers low prices on quality merchandise that offers exceptional value in the International segment determines, to a large extent, our competitive position. In our international units, our ability to operate the food departments effectively has a major impact on the segment’s competitive position in the markets where we operate. The main competitor for Wal-Mart in Brazil is Carrefour, a famous French supermarket chain, which entered the Brazilian market in 1974. Today, the chain is responsible for the operation of 39 stores spread over the country, and is fully adapted to Brazilian culture and consumption habits, therefore not being perceived by customers as a foreign company. As a matter of fact, Carrefour is known as the lowest price retailer by people of all social classes. Customers impressed by low prices and extensive product lines, besides special offers, who had to travel several miles to reach the stores, were in for a surprise. In case the products that customers were looking for had been sold out a few moments earlier, there was no provision as to when a new stock would arrive in the store. A badly planned product turnover? The fact is that they were facing an average stockout rate of 40%, while its stockout rate in the U. S. stores is no higher than 5%. Maybe this stockout rate has occurred due to various problems with suppliers, whom Wal-Mart executives expected to be capable of working in a just-in-time delivery environment.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Social Problems In Uae Sociology Essay

Social Problems In Uae Sociology Essay Social problem is defined as the issue or problem which has seen by people of community as unacceptable or undesirable. But social problems are not under the control of a single person. Social problems mainly arise when there is a social disruption or social change. UAE is continent which consists of such countries which are fully developed and have extensive growth towards success every day. So it is a great social change in society as a result which on one hand has put an end to several social issues such as poverty, illiteracy, terrorism, crime but on the other this social change have given rise to several social problems such as drug abuse. Younger generation is becoming a victim of this problem greatly usually because of some kind of depression they are facing or may be because of the peer pressure. Furthermore discrimination in society is rising since Dubai has become a multi culture society now having people of different countries with different cast religion and different race. Moreover because of the social change in a society family rules have changed to a greater extent making it difficult for the people to hold their relationships for a long time. Since every person is busy in his own life so no time is left for family get together and for the spouse as well. Also high cost of living, problems of expatriates is major social issues. INTRODUCTION Social issues are the problems that affect more than one person in a society in any way possible. Sometimes social problems affect directly sometimes indirectly to a person or society. Social problems are usually not in the control of a person and it occurs in immediate social environment mostly because of some social change in society. There are certain examples such as a person has murdered someone but it is not a social problem it is a part of biggest social issue called crime which is prevailing very much in society. Most common social issues that exist in a developing or underdeveloped society include poverty, illiteracy, crime, human rights etc. the rest problems are developed from them such as immigration but immigration is a social plus economic problem. Moreover discrimination, sexual harassment, child abuse, injustice, drug abuse, divorces, and obesity are developed from the major problems of society. All the social problems have adverse effects on people which are part of the society. The societys norms values, customs and traditions all got changed and affected by the social problems prevailing in a society. Even the entire system of the society disrupts because of this but it cant be controlled since it occurs as a result of the external factors which a single person cannot control. UAE is continent which consists of such countries which are fully developed and have extensive growth towards success every day. So it is a great social change in society as a result which on one hand has put an end to several social issues such as poverty, illiteracy, terrorism, crime but on the other this social change have given rise to several social problems such as drug abuse. Younger generation is becoming a victim of this problem greatly usually because of some kind of depression they are facing or may be because of the peer pressure. Furthermore discrimination in society is rising since Dubai has become a multi culture society now having people of different countries with different cast religion and different race. Moreover because of the social change in a society family rules have changed to a greater extent making it difficult for the people to hold their relationships for a long time. Since every person is busy in his own life so no time is left for family get together and for the spouse as well. EXPLANATION OF CHOICE OF FOUR INTERVIEWS I am conducting interviews of four family members of mine which are my younger sister, my mother, my father and my grandfather. Ive chosen my younger sister for conducting interview regarding such topic because she is young and she can give me her fresh view regarding the social issue that are spreading in the entire UAE. As she currently is a college student so she definitely will present the problems or issues of the young generation. So she gave me information regarding the issues of drug abuse which is spreading extensively in youngsters. And secondly she notified me about the problem of obesity that is a huge problem in developed countries especially among children. Secondly I am taking interview from my father who works as a sales person in a leading company of Dubai. Ive chosen him for this interview because he is one generation before us. And he can express his views regarding the social issues of UAE but his views will reflect his entire generation. Also he is a working person so he definitely would have known and understand the environment of the workplace and can also give details relating to the social problems occur in a working place. He told me about the problem of discrimination occurring is workplaces. Also he notified me about the problem of expatriates. The third person Ive chosen for my research on social issue in UAE is my mother. She is a house wife and is responsible for everything that happens in a hose hold. Ive chosen her for conducting interview on such a sensitive topic since she is women and in order to get a female point of view on such a topic is necessary. Also she can better explain the relationship problems than any other person. So she acknowledged me about the problem of high rate of divorces in UAE and also she pointed out the problem of high cost of living in a society of UAE. Furthermore Ive selected my grandfather for conducting an interview from him. Ive selected him because he is from two generations behind mine. So he can give me views regarding the social issues of UAE that reflects his generation. He presents the problem of depression which is becoming very common in UAE because of workaholics and change of family rules. (Khondkar, 2008) THREE GENERATION GENEALOGY OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS Social problem is defined as the issue or problem which has seen by people of community as unacceptable. Some social issues are considered unacceptable by literally all members of the society such as kidnapping, violence, crime, murders etc Bt there are social issues as well that are not necessarily undesirable by all community members for example youngster do not consider listening very loud music a social issue but it is a social issue for elder members of society. There are several types of social problems prevailing in different countries of the world such as poverty, illiteracy, food and water crisis, poor health facilities are some of the most common problems in developing countries. Moreover terrorism is also one of the major social problems emerging in many countries now days. Furthermore discrimination of sex, injustice, inflation, immigration, child labor, drug abuse, and smuggling are also few big social problems of today. Due to extensive growth and unimaginable development in UAE there is a major social change occurring there which is causing so many social problems. Social problems occur in UAE society is of many types and there is no clear way to solve these issues in the near future. From the time of independence of UAE many the society of UAE has completely evolved and social issues with the time has also changed. Since UAE has gained the status of one of the developed countries of the world so problems in society also have evolved in the same manner. One of the most important social issues in UAE is drug abuse. This problem has spread on a large scale and a lot of people are under the influence of this problem. Illegal trade of drugs from different countries where drug is produced is the main cause for this problem and this is happening because of the security lapses of UAE. Also the alcoholism is a major social issue in UAE. Moreover the divorce rate is very high in UAE which is a big social problem in this era. Smoking and road accidents are also causing problems for the people living there. Ethnic cleansing, racism and prostitution are also some of the highlighted social problems. (Social Issues in USA Contemporary, 2009) According to the interviews conducted by me of my younger sister who is a college student currently I concluded a few very important points regarding to the social issues of UAE. OBESITY Firstly obesity is a big concern now days. Obesity is actually defined as the excess fat of a person that is causing adverse effects on that persons health. Obesity becomes the reason for so many diseases such as cancer, heart problems, and diabetes etc. a person is considered that he is affected by obesity when his weight is at least 20% more than his normal weight. The major causes of obesity are firstly the genetics. Obesity can be in the gens of a person. Also over eating and eating lots of junk food is a major reason for this problem. All the countries of UAE are affected by this problem because people there have a busy lifestyle so they have much time for exercise to get them fit and remove extra fat from their bodies. Furthermore workaholics do not eat at home and usually go out for eating junk food which increases their fat to a high level. DRUG ABUSE Drug abuse is one of the problems now days that is affecting every community and country badly. It is a serious health illness problem that is causing 40 million deaths every year. There are several causes for this problem including the depression which is very high in developed countries since workload is very high and it is difficult and stressful to maintain a good life style there. Also because of separate families instead of joint families systems feelings of loneliness overcome them makes them to take drugs. Drug abuse among the youth is very much increasing mostly because of the pressure of the friends on them. Bad social gatherings and wrong friend circle makes a person to get involved in all such bad activities. Also alcoholism and smoking are the problems that spread in the same manner. Youngsters also do such activities because they have the perception that it gives them a cool look. Drug abuse has negative effects on a persons life such as health problems. Also drugs addicted become a victim of financial problem since they cant control them and spend a lot of money in buying drugs. Moreover a drugs addicted is no more efficient to be a part of social gathering anymore. He is socially destroyed because at the time of taking drugs his behavior becomes very abnormal. Drug abuse can make a person to involve in other crimes also such as drugged driving, violence, child abuse etc In accordance with the interview conducted by my mother Ive got to understand few social issues prevailing in our society. HIGH DIVORCE RATE Divorce is one of the biggest social problems spreading in UAE society and its rate is increasing day by day. The main reason for high rate of divorces in the country is that the traditional rules of marriage are changing because of the working women scenario and also the joint family system has ended which makes it difficult for women to handle their entire house hold plus professional life and thus the relationship between husband and wife badly disturbs making it difficult for them to continue to live together and divorces happens as a result. Moreover another important reason for divorces is marriages at a younger age. At that time the couple is not able to understand each other and their maturity level to handle marriage is low. So they easily move towards the path of divorce. And also it is the fault of parents who pressurize their children to marry at a younger age. Furthermore high expectations from marriage sometimes lead it to a poor relationship because husband and wife expects so much from each other but do not prepare themselves to be able to fulfill the expectations of their partner. Divorce has certain negative impacts on the entire family and the children always affected badly in such situations. They become very sensitive and emotionally unstable. Further it is difficult for them to adjust in new families in case of their parents got engaged into second marriages. Moreover they feel complexes in schools and in other social gatherings. (Divorce in the uae causes effects, 2009) HIGH COST OF LIVING The cost of living in UAE is high as compared to other places. It has proved from different surveys conducted by researchers when they compared a same quantity of basket of goods in UAE and from other places. Since the country has reached to the greater heights of development the life style of established people in Dubai and in other countries is very lavished which makes it difficult for the expatriates to live there since the expatriates have usually low incomes. It is also difficult for them to even educate their children and also their children can become a victim of complex if they study with the people of high class. Communication costs are high as compared to other places and phone calls are really very expensive locally as well as internationally. Buying property is very expensive in Dubai and in other developed countries of UAE. House hold accommodations, clothing, furniture and appliances are also expensive so its hard for a person with normal income to live there. In accordance with the interview taken by my father Ive got to understand two important social issues that we are facing as a society of UAE. RACIAL DISCRIMINATION Since a lot of people from different countries are shifting to Dubai for the purpose of doing business there or for getting jobs as UAE have good opportunities for them. These people belong to different religion, culture, different race, and cast. So UAE has become a multicultural society and in such a society problems of racial discrimination often occurs. At work places people are usually be given less pay only because they belong to other foreign countries which are not liked by the employer of the place. And also high work load is given to the different culture employees. For example the employer of the hotel would want that his customers are served by the European staff. And if those people raise issues about this matter they might get into conflicts with the management or the colleagues too. There is also a great discrimination in case of race and nationality in the workplace. And because of the discrimination people are getting dissatisfied and large families in UAE become a victim of this issue. PROBLEM OF EXPATRIATES So many people are getting settled in UAE leaving their native countries behind. Expatriates basically do that because they are attracted to the employment and investment opportunities of the country where they want to shift and their own home country do not have such opportunities for them. But it is becoming a greater problem for the government of Dubai to accommodate so many people and thus the country is becoming over populated because of the large number of expatriates. 74% of the population of UAE is the people who are not from UAE but have shifted from other countries for employment or for doing some sort of business. When so many expatriates come and settle in to the country the major problem of homogeneous society occurs. And in such a multicultural society several problems of discrimination can occur too. According to the interview conducted by my grandfather Ive got to understand few important points regarding the social issues prevailing in the UAE society DEPRESSION Since a lot of people living in UAE are expatriates who may or may not live with their family in UAE. Living alone and continuous work of day and night can make a victim of depression and isolation which can greatly affect their health especially they can have mental issues because of this. Also because in such developed countries the concept of family has completely changed and so there is no such family gatherings and spending time with family which can make them feel relax for a little time. And give them a break from their workaholic lives. As in such developed countries every person has to work really hard to earn good money which is their necessity otherwise they cant settle their because standard of living is very high. (Ronnegard, 2010) USE OF INTERVIEW MATERIAL I have conducted four interviews in my family. Interviews were conducted in a professional setup to get the job done in a good manner. Questions were designed specially to get the maximum information out of them in a comfortable and easy manner. And also it was considered that all the questions must be in accordance with the topic of prevailing social issues in society of UAE. Questions were mostly open ended in order to get a detailed analysis of the topic. The interviews were formal in nature which Ive conducted from my mother and father. But the interviews conducted by my sister and grandfather were informal in nature. Because I have more comfort level with them. I didnt start my interview in cold manner rather than that Ive start interviews with a small talk to reach to the topic of social issues in UAE. And I was very natural in taking interviews not the practiced and rehearsed tone was there. I have listened carefully to every word of them and write down the points in order to make sense of the information they are presenting. And throughout the interviews Ive kept my topic in mind and didnt divert from it to gather relevant information. Relevant Reading Course Material Patterns of corruption in MENA Region Little is known on the specific forms and nature of corruption in the MENA region, due to the lack of empirical data and political will for such scrutiny. Yet, there is a general consensus that both petty corruption and grand corruption are widespread and systemic. The Arab countries comprising the Middle East often referred to as the MENA region face a set of specific challenges that are seriously hampering the effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts. The political and institutional infrastructure of Arab states partly accounts for the persistence of the governance gap in the region, while contextual factors such as insecurity, oil wealth and prevalence of conflict continue to fuel corruption and the lack of transparency. Throughout the MENA region, anti-corruption strategies have primarily focused on strengthening public institutions, reviewing laws and regulations and simplifying procedures, with little attention given to proactively improving transparency and democratic processes. Although the region is not entirely homogeneous, regional patterns of corruption emerge from various governance surveys and indicators (an overview of these is provided on page 7). Transparency internationals Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) consistently ranks MENA countries below the world Article 1 The study conducted by Sharjah university revealed that the main reason behind high rates of drug lies in the lack of communication between the individuals. The constant verbal fight is particularly the reason behind this. Since pre-martial relationships are not considered good in our society, therefore, couple is not aware of nature of each other. The interference of in laws is also the biggest reason behind the drug cases. Unfortunately, the people who are extremely badly affected due to drug consumption in children. The children face various mental and physical challenges when they see constant tussle between their parents. (Sheriff, 2012) Article 2 The Emiratis are normally family centered people who love to live in families and care for each other needs and wills. However, the trends in the recent years have shown that the institute of marriage is being severely hurted. The reports have shown that 42 percent of the people in the age bracket of 20s have decided to quit their relationships on different grounds. However, the people blame the influence of western culture as the main reason behind the change in attitudes and beliefs of the people. The western culture believes in absolute freedom where absolutely no impetus is laid on the family lives. The younger generation is reported to have been following the same footsteps. (Safdar, 2009) Article 3 According to the Shariah laws existing in UAE, the decision related to divorce making process is not instantaneous. Initially, the applicants forward their case to the courts. The matter is referred to the counsellor who gives a three month period to the couple to enter into negotiations. If the case is not resolved in the allotted time, the case is referred to the judge for the enforcement of divorce. A women can get divorce if she is able to prove that wife has been physically tortured. The women can accept Khula if she returns dowry to the husband. The expats can resolve the issues according to the laws of their particular land. (Bardsley, 2005) SIGNIFICANCE OF GENERATION AND GENDER PERSPECTIVE OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS It is very important to get acknowledged about the social issues prevailing in a society as it increases our understanding of society which we are a part of. Until and unless we do not understand the society in which we are living it would be very difficult for us to sustain there. Also to bring some kind of social change in a society it is necessary to know what do we actually want to change in our society and what we like and what we dont like in our society. Different generations have different perspectives regarding this issue and it is significant to know and understand each perspective in great detail. Firstly every male and female is a member of this society so all the different generation people here. Therefore to make it easy and comfortable for every generation to adjust in a society their views are important. Moreover by the analysis of generation and gender perspective of social issues we get very diverse and variety of ideas that can help us understand the social problems and society better. As the minds of people belongs to different generation are different from each other and so their preference in regarding to the major social problems currently spreading in UAE society. Male and female have different perspectives regarding the social issues rising in a society. Females are usually sensitive and relationship oriented thats they think that the major social problems will be according to these issues as the interview conducted by me of my mother she said that the biggest social problems now in a society belongs to the family issues such as high divorce rate in UAE and also the social problem of high cost of living is being highlighted by her. And talking about the male perspective in this regard they preferred to consider the social problems more towards the work place issues because they are not sensitive and relationship oriented rather they are the work oriented so my father pointed out the issues of discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race cast and creed because UAE is a multicultural society. Also he referred about the problem of expatriates in a country. Therefore it is very important to understand the gender perspective of social problems of UAE.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Reflection On Coaching and Mentoring Essay -- My Ethical and Moral Vie

My ethical and moral views, beliefs, attitudes and values have been fashioned by an up bringing that centred on Christian beliefs. Even though religion was not forced upon me as a child, my mother raised us all with a strong sense of right and wrong. Along with the influence of my family, the Navy has had a big influence on the person I am. The Navy has a strong ethos of what is expected of the personnel that serve; this is made up of the following: Leadership, High Professional Standards, and Courage in Adversity, Determination, Loyalty, Mutual Respect, Discipline, A Sense of Humour, Teamwork, and A Can Do Attitude. Most recently of all though, the biggest thing that has influenced me as a person and a parent has been my experiences of working with young people. This includes acting as a Youth Advisor for Portsmouth City Council, a Mentor for Barnardos and a Youth Advisor for East Sussex County Council. I am currently working in two secondary schools as part of my resettlement from the Navy. This has given me the experience of working with young people living in virtual poverty, in constant trouble with the Police and education services and some young people with varying levels of disabilities. This work has given me a good ability to stay impartial, to be non judgemental and has given me a capacity to treat people a lot more emphatically than I was ever able to. This is because I have been exposed to a greater range of problems and personalities than I have been used to in the Navy. These are qualities that I will hopefully be able to transfer into my coaching practice. During my coaching sessions with Lorraine, it was clear that my beliefs concerning Life / Work Balance were very different to hers; even though this was the... ...y own personal development, I plan to attend further coaching training courses, one of these courses is, MAGIC coaching. This is a course run by the Coaching Academy and it teaches the following variation of the GROW model: Motivation, Assertiveness, Goal achievement, Initiative and Confident communication. This variation of coaching is focused more towards young people, and would therefore fit with my aspirations for the future. I would also be interested in attending a basic level course in NLP, as I believe this particular method will also benefit my coaching with young people. I look forward to reading the latest research regarding learning styles and hope in the future to change my language used during sessions to appeal to the particular style of my coach. Until I am in a position to do this effectively I will try and use a broad spectrum of styles.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Bible - Why Thirst :: essays research papers

Why Thirst John 4:13 states â€Å"Jesus answered, Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.† Why Thirst I grew up in a church congregation that taught of God’s vengeance and not of God’s love. I spent the majority of my pre-teen, teen and adult years in fear of God. In fear of what would happen when I sinned. And of course I did sin. Instead of asking God for forgiveness for what I deemed unforgivable sins, I figured in my own mind, that since I was going to Hell, I might as well continue to sin. Today, I will share with you my life choices, my life circumstances and the plan that God had all along for my life to serve him. I Thirsted The summer before I went to fifth grade, my family moved. I was taken out of my comfort zone with my friends I had since before kindergarten and moved to an unknown. My Mom and Dad wanted me to be in a better school and since my mother worked for the Board of Education, she knew the school system she wanted me to be in. The neighborhood we had just moved to had just begun to be segregated. That year I was called the â€Å"N† word for the first time and really the only time I could think of. I did find a friend before school started. This friend and my choice to remain her friend would begin to mold my life early on. The funny thing is the harder I try, I cannot seem to remember my â€Å"friends† name. She moved within the first year of my being there and besides I have a horrible memory. We played with each other over the summer and went to school in the fall. Within the first week one of the â€Å"popular† girls told me that if I continued to be friends with this girl, I could not be in the crowd because they did not like this girl. I selected friendship over popularity and this affected my self esteem for the rest of my school years. The popular people begin avoiding me and out and out calling me names. They would taunt me telling me how ugly I was, how my face was filled with pimples, how I was smelly, how I looked like a giraffe, and so on.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Oracle Corporation Essay

The Central Intelligence Agency had commissioned the project to build a commercial database management system for IBM mainframe computers and code-named it Oracle. Software Development Laboratories took the Oracle name in 1982. After completion of the project, Ellison, Miner, Oates, and Scott had a vision of developing and distributing their database software as a profitable business opportunity. From 1982 to 1986, Oracle had achieved 100% growth. On March 15th, 1986, Oracle went public, one day after Microsoft’s initial public offering. From 1986 to 1989, revenues skyrocketed from $55 million to $584 million, making it one of the largest independent software companies in the world, employing over 4,000 people in 24 countries. The Oracle Corporation’s objective of becoming a profitable database software company had been achieved. Market and industry growth continued until the third quarter of 1990. Oracle suffered a $15 million dollar loss on $240 million in revenues. Between 1988 and 1991, operating margins had plummeted from 23 to 3 percent. During this time, the company’s stock value also fell. Oracle responded by letting go of 400 employees in the United States and reorganizing its senior management team. This business problem was the direct result of something the company simply overlooked. As the company was focusing all of its energies on growth during the late 1980’s, they were losing sight of their internal operations and infrastructure. They also planned their expenses based on the 100% annual growth rate they experienced in the prior years, causing them to lose money. In addition, they delayed the delivery of their latest product, which allowed the competition to draw closer to them. However, the release of their next product would see Oracle quickly rebound and turn things back around. In July of 1991, Oracle was working on a new database software that had the ability to manage text, video, audio, and other data through a set of loosely connected servers. This database software was called Oracle 7, and was one of many IT solutions that would put Oracle ahead of the competition and save the company. 996 saw database sales grow by 20 percent and then to 10 percent in 1997, the year Microsoft released its rival SQL server, which was a cheaper alternative database release with aspirations of stealing Oracle’s market share. During this time, Oracle attempted to expand beyond databases and entered into the two largest application software markets, enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management. Ellison saw this as a lucrative business opportunity, considering the fact that the ERP market was estimated at $20 billion in 1999 and projected to exceed $65 billion by 2003. The CRM market was estimated at $4 billion in 1999 and projected to exceed $16 billion by 2003. Ellison recognized that CEO’s wanted to understand profitability per costumer and to be able to detect dissatisfaction before the customer leaves. He realized that ERP and CRM software would allow CEO’s to do that by turning database information into knowledge about consumers. Ellison’s vision of internet-enabled software began to take shape in 1999 with the release of Oracle8i. It was followed by internet-enabled versions of all the company’s key software products. A key IS solution in the development of Oracle Corporation would be Oracle e-Business Suite, which would include a collection of ERP and CRM applications that automated many necessary business functions. This would be the beginning of the high impact IS solutions to follow. In June of 1999, Ellison declared that Oracle would attempt to save $1billion dollars by the end of 2000 by transforming into an e-business. Ellison then eliminated all non-e-business options from the company. This bold move was an incredible success and a brilliant IS solution to some of the company’s business problems. The changes were easy and smooth to implement. An example given in the case was that of an expense report. In the past, a sales rep would fill out an expense report and manually send it to headquarters. Now the sales rep just completes the forms on the web where the report can be tracked. Not only did this create $6 million dollars in direct savings, the reports were easier and faster to complete. This solution did not only benefit employees, but customers, too. In the past if a customer wanted to demo Oracle’s software, a sales rep had to set an appointment to do the demo in person. Now, the sales rep can gain access to the customer’s browser and, over the phone, can do the demo over the browser at Oracle. com. The shift to self-service was a very necessary and profitable solution for Oracle. They began saving millions of dollars and hours of time. Another business problem Oracle had was a lack of centralization in the business. One clever way they did this was by changing incentives for country managers. Country manager’s incentives were originally based on revenue. This was to be changed to shift their incentives to be based on margin. In the past, 97 e-mail servers existed with almost 120 databases in over 50 countries. This was dramatically reduced when Oracle gave each country CEO a choice. They could receive free e-mail through Redwood Shores or pay to service an e-mail server, which would directly impact their margin, and ultimately, their variable pay. This was a very effective IS solution to the lack of centralization problem the business had. Oracle would continue to centralize the business by pulling human resources, legal, sales administration, and marketing out of each country office and consolidating them at Redwood Shores. Oracle now had a single system that served everything. Oracle saved a lot of wasted money by centralizing its marketing department. The products were the same in every country, so the centralization made sense and was absolutely necessary. By June of 2000, Oracle had gone from 63 to 17 company websites worldwide. By August 2000, the company was down to one website, Oracle. com. This solution saved the company a lot of money that was being wasted operating multiple websites for multiple countries and confusing the brand with different languages, colors, and logos. The transformation to e-business saved Oracle a ton of money, but this wasn’t the only benefit of the move. The switch also generated marketing pull. Oracle’s customer base grew as a result of having better information about their customers’ and sales outlets. The pull strategy came to fruition by two combining factors. The story of the company’s transformation combined with the new gained credibility the company received by performing this transformation so publicly. Now instead of sales reps attempting to sell the CEO of another company their software, CEO’s were going directly to Oracle technology to transform their own businesses. This pull allowed Oracle to open an online store, as opposed to hiring more sales people to handle the increased demand. This latest IS solution, in turn, created more sales. In 1999, Oracle began streamlining its Oracle University, which supported 2500 full-time employees in 143 countries while enrolling about 500,000 students annually. These Oracle courses led to the certification of developers and programmers that the company needed to continue growth. This business solution was yet another great move designed to farm their own employees. iLearning technology was then created as a means of a continuing education extension to Oracle University’s certification process. This software would be hosted online and could be updated daily without patches. Oracle Corporation is a great example of a company who had the ability to predict the future of technology and make innovations to lead the industry. They took risks, and they paid off. Larry Ellison took a big risk when he eliminated all non-e-business elements out of his business and made the transformation to e-business, and his company was rewarded with tremendous cost savings and higher revenues. He also predicted at the end of a June 2000 press conference that the software industry would vanish and be replaced by a service industry. This remains to fully be seen, but it appears there could be truth to this. Cloud computing has been the next innovation in computer technology, as we say many companies now providing services that used to require us to install software on our computers.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

The Success of Tyler Perry

Andrea Fields Professor Vickers ENC 1101 March 21, 2013 The Success of Tyler Perry Tyler Perry grew up living with his parents in New Orleans. Once he became grown he moved to Atlanta, Georgia. Tyler knew that black people were very successful in Atlanta. Tyler Perry was hoping to be a play writer. In the process of trying to become a play writer, he went from being homeless, to being recognized, to being successful. In the move to Atlanta, life was not easy for Tyler Perry. He would land jobs in small supermarkets, so he could save money to put towards his first production.He had written a play called â€Å"I’ve been changed. † Finally he had saved up enough money for the production of the play. First, Tyler rented a small theatre that seated 215 people. Second, he had auditions and found his cast, but on opening night only 30 people showed up. Tyler lost everything. He had put every dime he had into that play. Tyler Perry had become homeless, he had nothing to eat and he was sleeping in his car. His mother pleaded with him to come back home, but he refused. He was determined to do his play. For the next seven years he did plays and they would fail.He said â€Å"This is what God wants me to do. Tyler Perry had made up in his mind to try one his plays one last time. This time he would do it different. The first steps to his success were when he visited several black churches to learn the style of the different choirs, to observe the congregation, and of course, to listen to the preacher. He took all that he learned to the stage. On opening night he was afraid and wanted to quit. Tyler Perry quoted, â€Å"At that moment I heard God clear as day, I tell you when it’s over you don’t tell me, go look out the window. When Tyler went to look out of the window the line was around the corner, as it was each night. After that Tyler Perry was recognized across the east coast. That was the beginning of his success. Over the years he did plays across the east coast. His second step to success was when he came up with the character Madea, everyone wanted to see his plays. His shows were always sold out. Tyler was not stopping there, he wanted to make movies. The only problem was he was not heard of on the west coast.Whatever play Tyler Perry does there is always a message to learn from. However, studios in Hollywood said he would have to tone the messages down if he wanted to make movies, but Tyler would not compromise. He ended up in a partnership with a small production company called Lionsgate Studios. That was his third and major step to his success. Tyler Perry went from making movies to producing sitcoms for network television. Tyler Perry reached his fame. He is rich and successful. Tyler is an actor, an entrepreneur, and he is still acting to this very day.The man never let his situation stop him from succeeding. â€Å"What sets the survivors apart is their resilience- the ability to endure and even thrive under stressful conditions. † Alice Lesch Kelly (232). Tyler Perry had to jump over many hurdles in order to be a successful man. Every step he took to rise to the top he took them in stride. He wanted to give up but he did not because of his faith in God. Works Cited Kelly Lesch, Alice. â€Å"Toughen Up! .† Hall, Kim Flachmann and Michael. The Prose Reader. Boston: Ninth edition Prentice Hall, 2011. 231-232.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Informative speech on the differences in mile stones between a normal Essay

Informative speech on the differences in mile stones between a normal person and a person with developmental disabilities - Essay Example Childhood is a period marked by incredible growth rate and every parent is excited about the future prospects of their children. Despite our differences that we show once we are on this earth, we develop along a certain route but at different rates. While some are slow in developing, others are fast. Yet others need wheelchairs to move around. Meyerhoff (6) believe that children are always surrounded by eager caretakers who follow every step of the kid’s growth, always enquiring why the child next door is developing fast than theirs. Many beg to ask if normal development has a range. Although, people develop at different rate, normal development has a range that is used to show the differences in milestones between a normal person and a person with developmental disabilities. According to Meyerhoff (6), developmental milestones are crucial in assessing the development of a child. It is good to note that the milestones are not static as different individuals either exhibit skills earlier while other individuals are late in exhibiting the skills. The milestones are also used to diagnose children with developmental disorders. These milestones are often associated with development of language capabilities, motor and social development. The milestones are divided into age categories and a normal child should show the skills and abilities of one age category before they enter into the next age category. It is also important to note that children develop differently in the different areas. Further, children who develop fast in one area may be slow in other areas. For example, a child who learns to use verbal language may struggle with spoken language. Another factor to note in developmental milestones is cultural differences. The development of an individual may be influenced by cultural and environmental differences. It is common knowledge that cultures perceive things differently. For example, making eye contact, speaking to adults and

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Incorporating Graphics Into the Justification Report Assignment

Incorporating Graphics Into the Justification Report - Assignment Example It is important to arrange the data that is being represented using a graph in table format. When adding a graph, one is required to select the target location for the chart. Then, select the data that is being represented using the graph. One is also required to choose the data that is to be represented and then insert the required graph. There are different forms of graphs including; bar graphs, line graphs, pie graphs among others (Chen, 2002). Implementation of graphs varies depending on the information an individual is willing to convey. Varieties of benefits couples the usage of graphs. Graphs present clear and summarized data that are easy to understand. It is relatively easy to compare and analyze data that is represented in a graphical format compared to normal reporting. The creatively constructed graph can significantly contribute to efficient management and presentation of data. The nature of graph to bring into play depends on the data that is to be presented or conveyed. For instance, when one is representing a summary of the data, one may be required to use normal graphs. In other words, nominal graphs are used when there is a possibility of reducing the data (Chen,

Monday, October 7, 2019

International economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

International economics - Essay Example The main advantage of this system was the elimination of the costs of converting currencies and exchange rates uncertainties. This system also brought with it increased transparency, efficiency, and inward investment. Among the disadvantages was the one size fits all policy. When one country was doing badly and the rest were booming economically, the central bank might be interested in increasing the interest rates, this would make the situation worse for the country experiencing a recession. Also some countries may be reluctant to improve their economy with the hope that countries doing well would bail them out. Portugal, Greece and Spain have been the poor performers of the Eurozone. These countries have shown the disadvantages of having a fixed currency regime. Ever since these nations adopted the Euro, they have been unable to implement the required measures for independent monetary policy in order to mitigate the effects of an economic downfall in the Eurozone. European Union leaders have been giving stabilization packages to bail out these countries and maintain stability in the Eurozone but these countries are still lagging behind. Despite the many advantages a fixed currency regime has to offer, Portugal Greece and Spain prove

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Noise pollution in the ocean Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Noise pollution in the ocean - Research Paper Example Some of the marine life has been adversely affected by the increase in noise pollution in the oceans and their survival has been compromised. Most of the marine life species have evolved over the years to possess very acute hearing abilities which are affected by an increase in the noise under water. Naturally, most of the species in the oceans majorly depend on sound to detect danger and also to hunt for their food. Noise pollution masks the important sounds to the marine life and it also causes stress to the animals. This paper focuses on noise pollution in the ocean and addresses the three main animals that are affected and how humans contribute to the noise pollution in the ocean. The three main animals affected by noise pollution Cephalopods Giant squids are some of the ocean animals that are affected by noise pollution. The squids are injured by the noise and it could even lead to death if they are subjected to certain frequencies of sound for a long time. According to research ers who are set out to find out whether squids can hear, the results of their study showed that the sea animals can hear. Unlike humans, their hearing capability is limited to around 500 Hz. This means that the animals cannot perceive the high frequency sounds from animals like dolphin screeches. Recent study has revealed that Giant squids are affected by sound in the least expected way, which affects their balance. In the research experiment, the squids were placed in tanks and were then exposed to two straight hours sound at low frequency. The findings revealed that the animals suffered great damage to their statocyst tissue which is responsible for balance while navigating in the water. The exposure is traumatizing and the lesions in their statocysts get worse (Coghlan 15). There are many types of squids and they have many relatives in the Cephalopods groups of marine species. The Octopus is also in the group and it is also vulnerable to noise pollution. Octopuses have also been affected in a similar way as the Squids by the low frequency noise in the ocean (Heimbuch Para 8). Squids live in various parts of the sea, some may be found in the deep sea while others may be found at more shallow depths. Noise from the activities on the surface of the sea or in the deep sea during fishing done by humans is transferred very fast across the water and it can reach the animals at all depths. Cephalopods are therefore very vulnerable to trauma and damage from noise pollution that is on the increase in the ocean. Cephalopods like the Humboldt Squid have been one of the most adversely affected marine species by noise pollution in the ocean over the past decade. In 2004, thousands of the squids died and were washed to the coast in Oregon. In 2008, a similar case occurred in the same region (Mulvaney Para 1). At that time, the marine biologists had no idea what was causing the mysterious deaths on such a large number of squids. Biologists undertook a study on four species of squids to determine the damage caused by low frequency noise on the animals. After a short time of exposure to the noise, the biologists observed that the hair in the statocysts of the animals had experienced damages. The nerves in the statocysts later swelled and soon after, holes would form in the statocysts. The findings were very shocking since the sound used was very low in frequency and the biologists were worried that exposure to higher frequencies of noise to the squid would have worse effects on them. Whales

Saturday, October 5, 2019

In your professional judgment, what is an example of an outstanding Term Paper

In your professional judgment, what is an example of an outstanding strategic decision or what is an example of a failed strateg - Term Paper Example Include the source(s) of your information within your contribution in the sentences. Be very specific. Use  single  space block form for your contribution with double spacing between paragraphs.   In explaining the strategic approach that you consider a success or a failure, you should answer the following questions:   1. Which of the stages of strategic management in action (page 30 of Coulter) initiated the success or failure of the strategy? Was it a good/bad idea from the beginning?   2. What does the organization perceive as its competitive advantage (page 31 of Coulter)? How was this affected by the strategy in question?   3. What driving force or which driving forces of the new business environment (pages 36-44 of Coulter) assisted or helped defeat the strategy in question?   4. How did external opportunities and threats affect the success or failure of the strategy in question (Chapter 3 of Coulter)?   You may decide to choose a public organization (e.g. unive rsity such as Northwest or a public hospital center). Whether you choose a for-profit organization or a not-for-profit organization, explain the situation clearly and completely as possible. Refer to the Coulter text in your explanation.   This particular instance, the focus was on to find inquisitive insight about a strategy decision that a company had to implement in order to survive in the fast-paced environment of the corporate world. One of the interesting issues relating to this was the decision of Blue Cross Blue Shield demanding a hospital to cut its overhead cost. Without prior knowledge and being subjective, one would think that the insurance company is at fault. However, one cannot make that judgment without understanding the complexity of the issue at hand. Blue Cross Blue Shield was faced with a dilemma. As an insurance business, the company must made essential strategy decisions that impact its future growth. In this particular scenario, the company did benchmark tes ting and determined that the rate the hospital charges the company is too high within the hospitals at its region. Blue Cross determined that the hospital should cut its cost by 10% through any means possible. This is partly due to the fact that the company was losing money as it had an obligation to pay its patient’s premiums. Undoubtedly, the hospital responded by adequately cutting its costs. This was beneficial for both companies as it not only build a solid relationship and enabled the companies to diminish unnecessary costs. Moreover, it enabled Blue Cross Blue shield to give better discount rates to hospitals, doctor groups, members and enabled them to compete in a very competitive environment. If the company did not make the strategic decision, it would have given hospital the leverage to go in a market and attract another insurance company. Since Blue Cross Blue Shield targets large groups, it seemed sufficient for the company to challenge the traditional rates of th e hospital. If it failed to do so, it would have lost a small majority of its members in the network which would have made the company suffer in overall long-term profits. Strategic decision making is defined as set of alternate decisions that affect key factors which impacts the success of an organization’s strategy. Strategic decisions differ from Tactical decisions because tactical decisions are based on day to day implementation which requires several steps to reach a particular strategy. Blue Cross Blue s

Friday, October 4, 2019

Relations between Venezuela and the United States Essay Example for Free

Relations between Venezuela and the United States Essay To create a speech/presentation about Venezuela-United States relations, with a focus on the regime of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Topic: Relations between Venezuela and the United States, with a focus on the Chavez administration. Purpose: To be able to analyze the roots of the current state of Venezuela-United States relations as well as its future, given the existence of the Chavez government. To say that relations between Venezuela and the United States are very shaky is already an understatement. This is because the foreign policy of the US in Latin America is a â€Å"rhetorically concealed fusion between popular elections and imperial appointments† (Landau 29). The US has a long history of overthrowing Latin American governments that show even the slightest hint of favoring the poor. As soon as they get word about a pro-poor Latin American leader, the US government would flex its political, economic and military muscles in order to replace him or her with a pro-US head of state. The end of the Cold War did not change this scenario. Since 1999, seven Latin American leaders were overthrown due to their pro-US stance. Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada resigned from the Bolivian presidency in 2005 due to massive popular revolts over his pro-US economic strategies. Paraguay’s Raul Cubas stepped down in 1999 due to charges of corruption and involvement in the assassination of Vice President Luis Maria Argana. Ecuadorian President Jamil Mahuad was toppled from power in 2000 because of his adherence to free trade (Landau 29). The regime of Peru’s Alberto Fujimori ended prematurely in 2000 mainly due to his bloody suppression of anti-US political dissent. The collapse of the Argentine economy in December 2001 because of neo-liberal policies resulted in popular revolts that forced President Fernando de la Rua to resign (Landau 29). But Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez is a Latin American leader that can be hardly described as a Washington lapdog. His pro-poor policies earned him immense respect and support from the Venezuelan masses, three consecutive presidential terms and harassment from the White House. The relationship between the US and Latin America has traditionally been that of a master and a slave. Since its first arrival on Latin America in the 19th century, the US clearly wanted nothing more from the continent but unlimited access to its natural resources (O’Brien 180). But changing political realities in the 20th century prompted the US to attain this objective in a more subtle fashion. For most of the 20th century, therefore, the US projected itself to Latin America as the â€Å"good neighbor† (Gilderhus 71) – an indispensable ally in the continent’s struggle against the Great Depression, the Axis Powers and Communism. But it was not until the postwar era that this â€Å"good neighbor† facade of the US became even more pronounced. Intensifying Latin American nationalism in the 1950s threatened US political and economic interests in the continent. The US, needing all the resources and allies it could get in order to challenge the Soviet Union in the global contest known as the Cold War, looked for an excuse to intervene in Latin America. Thus, American policymakers associated nationalism and Communism (O’Brien 181). This association between nationalism and Communism on the part of American lawmakers is valid to a certain extent. Prevailing economic conditions during and immediately after World War II led to the emergence of leftist politics and labor militancy throughout Latin America. In Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, for instance, postwar economic recovery and programs promoting industrialization resulted in the growth of manufacturing workers from about 50 to 60 percent. Increasing urban workforces, in turn, translated to larger and more militant labor movements that called for better working conditions and greater economic benefits. Furthermore, Communist parties in Cuba, Chile and Brazil obtained considerable gains in terms of membership and voter support (O’Brien 182). The aforementioned developments did not sit well with Latin America’s elite, who were fearful that leftist politics and labor militancy would make them lose their firm hold over the continent’s politics and economy. They therefore took advantage of the reemerging anti-Communist militancy of the US, using it as an excuse to roll back political reforms, outlaw Communist parties and crack down on independent unions (O’Brien 182). The American government, meanwhile, rewarded them by bestowing on them the political and economic leadership of their respective countries. A bloody, CIA-engineered coup in 1973 toppled the socialist regime of Chile’s Salvador Allende and ushered into power the pro-US Augusto Pinochet (Menjivar and Rodriguez 35). The US-backed Somoza dynasty ruled Nicaragua from 1937 to 1979, robbing the country blind and brutally suppressing all forms of legitimate political opposition (Leonard 1134). Francois and Jean-Claude Duvalier became the dictators of Haiti from 1957 to 1986, living off generous amounts of political and military aid from the US (Leonard 243). The dictatorship of the Dominican Republic’s Rafael Trujillo lasted from 1930 to 1961, primarily due to his exploitation of US fears of Nazism during the 1930s and Communism during the Cold War (Leonard 244). Although socialism in Latin America declined in the 1990s, certain economic developments in Venezuela led to its resurgence in the country. Venezuela had abundant oil resources, but its oil industry was developed at the expense of equally important non-oil industries. As a result, the value of the Bolivar fuerte was dependent on fluctuating oil prices. Dropping oil prices forced the Venezuelan government to take out foreign loans and to debauch the currency. Inflation ensued, plunging the Venezuelan economy into poverty (Reid 161). Since Chavez was first elected President in 1998, Venezuela’s oil policy had represented â€Å"a dramatic break from the past† (Ellner and Salas 54). This was mainly because he used the country’s oil profits to come up with numerous social programs that were intended to help the most marginalized sectors of Venezuelan society (Ellner and Salas 54). One of Chavez’s first programs was â€Å"Plan Bolivar 2000,† a civilian-military program that included road building, house construction, mass vaccinations, land reform, the lowering of infant mortality rates, the implementation of a free state-subsidized healthcare system and a system of free education up to the tertiary level (Peet and Hartwick 192). By the end of 2001, the aforementioned program led to an increase in primary school enrollment by 1 million students (Peet and Hartwick 193). Chavez preserved his administration by using oil as a means of forging alliances with like-minded leaders. In 1999, he announced that the Venezuelan state-owned petroleum company PDVSA and the Brazilian state-run oil and gas giant Petroleo Brasileiro were reviewing plans of forming a larger joint oil company. The result of these plans would be Petrosur, an enterprise that was situated on the southern cone of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Petrosur was intended to supply oil to countries under preferential financial terms, encourage large-scale infrastructure such as pipelines and refineries and coordinate oil distribution, exploration and processing. The profits of Petrosur would be used to subsidize social programs for education, healthcare and employment (Kozloff 105). Chavez’s populist reforms earned him a second term in 2000 and a third in 2006. But his manner of using Venezuela’s oil reserves did not sit well with Washington and the Venezuelan elite. Prior to Chavez’s regime, Venezuela was the second largest supplier of oil to the United States (Noreng 74). In addition, PDVSA was controlled by the Venezuelan elites (Ellner and Salas 122). Thus, it was no longer surprising if these two parties joined forces in order to expel Chavez from power. On April 9, 2002, the CTV (Venezuela’s largest trade union organization), Fedecamaras (Venezuela’s largest business federation) and board members of the PDVSA carried out a general strike against Chavez’s oil policies. Three days later, CIA-backed elements of the Venezuelan armed forces staged a coup against him. The coup succeeded in temporarily ousting Chavez and replacing him with Fedecamaras president Pedro Carmona Estanga. Widespread popular protests, however, forced Estanga to resign from the presidency to make way for Chavez (Trinkunas 206). But the CTV, Fedecamaras and the PDVSA would not allow themselves to be defeated. On December 2, 2002, they called for the resignation of Chavez by staging another general strike. The strike lasted for 63 days – the aforementioned parties were forced to finally call it off due to subsequent detrimental effects on the Venezuelan economy. The strike was said to have devastated the Venezuelan economy by costing the latter about 7. 6% of its GDP (Kohnstamm, Bao, Porup and Schechter 28). Venezuelan politics remained turbulent until Chavez consolidated his power by winning a 2004 referendum. Having obtained tremendous political support and immense oil-generated wealth, he then proceeded to strengthen pan-American socialism. He openly established strong political and economic ties with other Leftist leaders in Bolivia, Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil. Despite being ridiculed by Bush’s officials as â€Å"Castro’s little buddy† (Landau 30), Chavez won about 63% of the vote in Venezuela’s 2006 national elections (Kohnstamm, Bao, Porup and Schechter 28). At present, it is very obvious that majority of the Venezuelan people continue to support Chavez. In February 2009, 54% of Venezuelans (O’Neill n. pag. ) supported an amendment that would scrap presidential term limits in their country (Llana n. pag. ). Simply put, he would finally be allowed to run for the presidency in 2012. This development is ironic, considering that they rejected in 2007 a constitutional referendum which included the said issue. Moreover, Chavez’s regime was recently criticized for its failure to address acute urban problems such as transport, crime and waste disposal (O’Neill n. pag. ). But the very existence of Chavez’s administration showed Latin Americans that it is possible for them to freely elect their own representatives, as well as choose the form of government which they deem appropriate (O’Neill n. pag. ). His open defiance of Washington’s dictates proved that a Third World nation, with sheer political will and unity of the part of its citizenry, can actually assert itself to the powerful nation on earth. Through Chavez, Venezuela showed that democracy is not measured in terms of how long a leader stays in power. Rather, it is whether or not this head was in fact chosen by the people and would truly serve their interests.