Monday, September 30, 2019

Marginalization Effect Essay

Social exclusion (also referred to as marginalisation (British/International), or marginalization (U.S.)) is a concept used in many parts of the world to characterise contemporary forms of social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term used widely in the United Kingdom and Europe, and was first utilized in France.[1] It is used across disciplines including education, sociology, psychology, politics and economics. Social exclusion refers to processes in which individuals or entire communities of people are systematically blocked from rights, opportunities and resources (e.g. housing, employment, healthcare, civic engagement, democratic participation and due process) that are normally available to members of society and which are key to social integration.[2] The resulting alienation or disenfranchisement is often connected to a person’s social class, educational status, relationships in childhood[3] and living standards. It also applies to some degree to people with a disability, minorities, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities (e.g., the LGBT community), to the elderly, and to youth. Anyone who deviates in any perceived way from the norm of a population may become subject to coarse or subtle forms of social exclusion. The outcome of social exclusion is that affected individuals or communities are prevented from participating fully in the economic, social, and political life of the society in which they live.[4] Material deprivation is the most common result of this exclusion. Ensuing poverty, emotional and psychological trauma, and its resulting diseases may result in catastrophic damage to lives, health, and psyche. Most of the characteristics listed in this article are present together in studies of social exclusion, due to exclusion’s multidimensionality.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Effects of Communication on Employee Essay

This study explores the positive effects of effective communication on employee motivation and performance. Specifically, in intends to compare the results between service employees and manufacturing employees in terms of communication as a motivating factor. The theories used in this study to create a conceptual framework are Herzberg Two factor theory, Goal Theory, and the circular theory of communication. The concept is that when hygiene and motivator factors are high, goals can be developed, but can only be effective only if the message was disseminated effectively. The study uses quantitative research on service and manufacturing employees. They were surveyed using a semi-structured questionnaire with ranking questions and some open-ended questions. The study found that there were only slight differences in the motivator factors for both set of respondents but there service employees are higher in hygiene. Both industries, however, see communication as an important factor in motivation. However, they only experience high hygiene, but less motivator, which means that they are not fully motivated. It has been suggested that the companies of the employees surveyed should invest on improving the motivator factors within the working environment and improve communication flows. CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND This study examines the importance of communication on the performance and motivation of employees. The target samples of the study are employees from service and manufacturing companies. This allows seeing the importance of organizational communication in two different angles – that is the difference between the views of service and manufacturing companies regarding the matter. Comparison of these views may lead to the development of new hypotheses or theories that may contribute to human resource management research. In this chapter, the nature of problem is presented and discussed. The backgrounds of different variables related to the study were also featured. Here, the aims, objectives, problem statements and significance of the study were also explained. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Employees Employees basically refer to people who work for another in return for wages or salary (Gillis, 2004). Legally, an employee is referred to a person hired to provide services to a company on a regular basis in exchange for compensation, and who does not provide these services as part of an independent business (Gillis, 2004). However, Gillis (2004) stated that employees are more than any of those definitions. Employees are the lifeblood of the organization because they are the ones who provide products and services that define corporations, organizations and government entities (Gillis, 2004). They are referred to as the most precious assets of the organization because without them, the organization is crippled and cannot function effectively. Because of the important role of employees, organizations have the responsibility to motivate them so as they can function more effectively. Theories of motivation such as Maslow’s theory, Alfelder’s theory, McClelland’s theory, and Herzberg’s theory (Mullins, 1999) explain why employees should be motivated and why organizations should take this concept into consideration. But what really constitutes effective employee motivation? Several research and organizational reports point positive communication as one of the most important factors that build effective employee motivation. For instance, Riccomini (2005) cited a couple of organizational research by General Electric and Hewlett-Packard in the eighties that concludes: â€Å"The better the managers’ communication, the more satisfied the employees were with all aspects of their work life†. Building a positive communication with employees is important because they are the organizationâ€℠¢s best ambassadors or loudest critics, depending on how fast they get relevant information and the context in which it is received (Howard, 1998). Information consistency affects the success of the company and if it fails to communicate information internally and externally, the reputation of the company may fall. Communication basically uplifts the morale of an employee as it makes them feel that they are valued by the  organization. This also builds employee loyalty and satisfaction. As Goldfarb (1990) stated: â€Å" Employers are becoming more aware that employee loyalty, commitment, and concern for quality depend on effective employee communication. Communication Communication is not just important to an organization, but is an important component in everyday human life. Gamble and Gamble (1999) stated: â€Å"Communication is the core of our humanness†, and that â€Å"how we communicate with each other shapes our lives and our world† (p.4). Communicative skills help humans to reach out to one another or to confront events that challenge our flexibility, integrity, expressiveness and critical thinking skills (Gamble and Gamble, 1999). Communication is rather complex to define in a single sentence. In a glimpse, however, it has many types which include: interpersonal communication; intrapersonal; group communication; public communication; mass communication; and online or machine-assisted communication (Gamble and Gamble, 1999). Interpersonal communication means to interact with another person, while intrapersonal means to interact with oneself, or to reason with or evaluate self (Gamble and Gamble, 1999). Group communication, on the other hand, is defined as the process of interacting with a limited number of others, work to share information, develop ideas, make decisions, solve problems, offer support, or have fun (Gamble and Gamble, 1999). Mass communication, is communicating to a large number of people using media (television, newspaper, internet, radio), and finally, online or machine assisted communication deals with communicating through the use of online software that are programmed to interact with browsers or users (Gamble and Gamble, 1999). Communication is also categorized into two: verbal and non-verbal. Verbal communication means the use of the spoken word when communicating, while non-verbal communication means using other medium such as body signals, writing etc. (Gamble and Gamble, 1999). Communication undergoes a process, which involves the information source, the transmitter, noise source, receiver and destination. This is based on the communication theory (see figure 1) that was developed by Shannon and Weaver (1949). The information source is the communicator of the information, which then uses a specific type of transmitter or medium (e.g. verbal, written, telephone, etc). The receiver receives the information, but the information can be affected by a specific noise source, which can be a distraction from anyone or anywhere. The receiver then interprets the message and finally puts the communicated message in its destination (Bryant and Heath, 2000). Figure 1: Shannon and Weaver Theory of Communication The theory of communication evolved over the years, but the model of Shannon and Weaver (1949) is one of the firsts that explains the process of communication. Today, communication is being regarded as an important factor in business, and that the ability of the company to communicate can determine its success. Business Communication Communication is important in business because a business environment is a place where many interactions are needed, and much information should be acquired (Eckhaus, 1999). It always involves openly competitive activity, in which working professionals debate issues, defend positions, and evaluate the arguments of others (Eckhaus, 1999). Most working professionals, particularly those in middle and upper management, routinely produce a variety of messages, many of which are in the written form of memoranda, electronic mail, letters, reports, performance reviews, instructions, procedures, and proposals (Eckhaus, 1999). It is also argued that a fuller understanding of organizations is a vital ingredient at every forward step of the career process, and that communication is a primary element for understanding how organizations function and how members of the organization should, even must, behave in organizations if they are to  advance their careers (Harris, 1993). The practice of effective communication within the organization is also linked with the development of a healthy corporate culture, job satisfaction of employees, and the happiness and productivity of employees (Harris, 1993). Communication skills are also important to organization leaders because it helps them manage the company more effectively (Harris, 1993). Companies recognize the importance of communication that is why it is a barometer in hiring or measuring employee performance. Waner (1995) found that companies want their employees to maintain confidentiality, write persuasively, write routine letters, use proper placement and format, compose at the keyboard, and write special types of letters. Furthermore, interpersonal and oral skills were rated as very important. Also, basic English as well as abilities dealing with ethics, morals, values, and sensitivity were rated either important or very important (Waner, 1995). Although there were proven studies that communication promotes positive improvement in organizations, specifically motivation and performance improvements of employees, studies often fail to compare the level of importance of communication in terms of firm industry types. Firms of today can either belong to the manufacturing or service industry. Each industry has different traits and characteristic from the other. Service industries sell and produce intangible services, while manufacturing companies sell tangible manufactured products. The management of the service firm is basically different the manufacturing firm because they have different organizational structures, services and products being provided, and working systems. STATEMENT OF THE ISSUE AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVES While many organizations believe that positive employee communication promotes employee motivation, this belief can still be considered as a complex issue because of the changing nature of  organizations and the differences of their structure. For instance, the old employee communication paradigm relied on top-down approaches to reach their employees (Edelman, 2004). Today, this has already been replaced by new communication paradigms where employees â€Å"ping† sources both inside and outside their organization for information (Edelman, 2004). Employees are now basically treated as consumers. The Workplace Communication Consultancy (2005) even reported that statistics show â€Å"90% of those who are kept fully informed are motivated to deliver added value; while those who are kept in the dark almost 80% are not†. However, such results are not industry specific. Industries vary in terms of culture – for instance, service versus manufacturing industry. Thus, this study will confirm the effects of positive communication on employee motivation in two specific industries – service and manufacturing. The following are the research objectives of the study: 1. To confirm the effectiveness of positive communication on employee motivation. 2. To determine the effects of positive communication on employee motivation in service companies. 3. To determine the effects of positive communication on employee motivation in manufacturing companies. 4. To find out if the relationship between positive communication and employee motivation depends on which industry the organization is into. Needless to say, two groups of companies will be surveyed in this study –from the service industry; and from the manufacturing industry. The results from the two groups will be compared and evaluated to determine if the relationship between positive communication and employee motivation depends on a specific type of industry. Hypothesis The study aims to test the hypothesis that: â€Å"managers in manufacturing companies give importance to motivation but their employees are less motivated compared with service companies†. The reason why that hypothesis is developed is because of the  difference between service and manufacturing company operations and process. For instance, since the service companies already dominated the market and most of their employees have higher salaries compared to manufacturing workers, there are great differences in terms of motivational factors. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The study is significant to both service and manufacturing companies because it offers insights on which industry gives higher importance to communication. Through this study, the importance of communication in organization is once again emphasized. However, the comparison between the two business industries gives new insights and may develop new hypotheses for future studies. This study may help develop theories for service and manufacturing companies on how communication can be used as a tool to motivate employees to improve their performance or work. This study is also significant to communication and business students. For communication students, this study may benefit them because it may serve as a reference when it comes to communication theories or the role of communication in business. On the other hand, for business students, this paper may also serve them as a useful academic reference tool. Through this study, they will realize early the importance of communication and how this can help them become motivated or more active at work. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Because the aim of this study is to determine a possible motivational factor for employees (which is specifically â€Å"communication†), the theoretical frameworks that have been chosen for this study are motivational theories – a content motivation theory; and a process motivation theory. Theories of motivation can be divided into two: the content theories; and the process theories (Mullins, 1999). Content theories emphasize the factors that motivate individuals. Examples of content theories are Maslow’s theory, Alfelder’s theory, McClelland’s theory, and Herzberg’s theory (Mullins, 1999). On the other hand, the emphasis on process theories is on the actual  process of motivation. Some examples of process theories are Expectancy theories, equity theory, goal theory, and social learning theory (Mullins, 1999). The content motivation theory that has been chosen as one of the frameworks for this study is Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory or Motivator-Hygiene Theory. This theory basically extended Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory and is more directly applicable to the work situation (Steers, 1983; Kreitner and Kinicki, 1998). Herzberg’s research suggested that motivation is composed of two largely unrelated dimensions: job-related factors which can prevent dissatisfaction, but do not promote employees’ growth and development (hygiene); and job-related factors that encourage growth (motivators) (Steers, 1983; Kreitner and Kinicki, 1998). Herzberg’s theory is the first of its kind to emphasize the importance of non-monetary rewards in motivating employees (Gevity Institute, 2005). According to this theory, satisfying experiences are most often associated with the non-monetary, or intrinsic, content of the work. This includes variables such as achievement, recognition, personal growth, personal responsibility and the characteristics of the work (Gevity Institute, 2005). These factors are called motivators. When people are satisfied, they attribute their satisfaction to the work itself and not on the environment in which they work (Manisera et al, 2005). On the other hand, dissatisfying experiences result from the extrinsic work environment (Gevity Institute, 2005). These factors include company policies, salary, co-worker relations, supervisor relationships, status, supervision, personal life and job security (Herzberg, 1966; Gevity Institute, 2005). Extrinsic factors cause a person who feels neutral about the job to feel dissatisfied and less motivated (Herzberg, 1966; Gevity Institute, 2005). The theory explains that workers basically attribute their dissatisfaction to the environment in which they work, or conditions that surround the doings of the job (Herzberg, 1966; Gevity Institute, 2005). This is also known as the â€Å"Hygiene factor† (Herzberg, 1966). This should be continually maintained because employees never completely satisfied (Manisera et al, 2005). Manisera et al (2005) noted that when the hygiene factors are very low, workers are dissatisfied. However, when hygiene factors are met, workers are not dissatisfied but it does not necessarily mean that they are satisfied or motivated to work. The same goes for the motivator factors. When motivators  are met, workers are satisfied leading to higher performance. However, when motivators are not met, workers are not satisfied but it does not necessarily mean they are dissatisfied with their work. For this study, the following are the motivators and hygiene that affects the employees: HygieneMotivator 1.Supervisor’s participation level 2.Supervisor’s directions/expectations. 3.Supervisor’s communication approach to employees. 4.Supervisor’s willingness to help employees on problems concerning work information or directions. 5.Supervisor’s preferred medium when communicating with employees. 6.The level of noise where communication takes place. 7.How information about salaries or company policies are communicated to employees. 1.The employee receives appraisals or compliments when a job is well done. 2.The employee is being given awards for performance and this is broadcasted or made known throughout the company. 3.The responsibility of the employee is well-communicated or well-explained in terms of its contribution to the company. 4.Improvements are well-communicated to employees. 5.Employees receive briefing or information regarding changes in management or company policies. 6.Employees feel they are part of the company. 7.Employee mistake are corrected through strategic communication by the supervisor. On the other hand, the process motivation theory adopted for this study is the goal theory of motivation. In the late 1960s, Edwin Locke proposed that intentions to work toward a goal are a major source of work motivation (Locke and Latham, 1990). That means the goal will tell the people what needs to be done and how much effort will need to be put in order to fulfill the goal and target of the organization (Locke and Latham, 1990). The key steps in applying goal setting are: (1) diagnosis for readiness; (2) preparing employees via increased interpersonal interaction, communication,  training, and action plans for goal setting; (3) emphasizing the attributes of goals that should be understood by a manager and subordinates; (4) conducting intermediate reviews to make necessary adjustments in established goals; and (5) performing a final review to check the goals set, modified, and accomplished (Matteson, 1999).

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Assessment Type

The general goal is to introduce and develop the skills needed to conceptualise a problem and a viable research topic. Students will make use of available literature, design a research strategy, evaluate, organise, and integrate relevant data (both existing and new), derive useful solutions, and communicate those solutions in an appropriate form to clients and colleagues. The module will prepare students to continue their own professional education and contribute to the development of the profession as a whole, at a standard commensurate with the current level of knowledge. The module surveys the basic processes of research methodology as practised in the social sciences. Underlying principles of science and logic are emphasised and special attention is directed toward the recognition of common sources of error and bias in the implementation and interpretation of research studies as it affects the outcomes of research utilisation. You are required to submit a research proposal. The content of the document produced by each student is required to cover the specific areas and to be within specific maximum word lengths (marks allocation and word lengths in brackets) as follows: 1. Title and Introduction. Form a clear title of a proposed research. Elaborate on the background of the industry and/or company to be researched as well as the problem or issue identified. Also explain the significance and rationale of the proposed research. (15 marks / 800 words maximum) 2. Research Questions. Construct the questions to be answered in the proposed research. (5 marks / 100 words maximum) 3. Research Objectives and Framework. State the research objectives in terms of the factors or causes identified (independent variables) and their relationships with the identified problem or issue (dependent variable). Following the stated objectives, construct a proposed research model or conceptual framework. (5 marks / 100 words maximum) 4. Literature Review. With reference to various relevant literatures, write a critical review and analysis of both the conceptual/theoretical and practical aspects of the identified problem/issue and factors/causes. (40 marks / 2,000 words maximum) 5. Research Methodology and Design. Elaborate the concept, types and approaches in research. Propose a research design for the research topic selected with detailed explanation on elements such as the sample, sample size, types and sources of information, collection methods and operationalisation or measurement of variables. (15 marks / 800 words maximum) 6. Ethical Considerations. Identify ethical issues involved and steps taken to prevent breach of research ethics. (5 marks / 100 words maximum) 7. Timescale or Gantt Chart. Construct a Gantt Chart in weeks that includes the stages and milestones of the research tasks and their respective time allocations. 5 marks / 100 words maximum) 8. References. Using the Harvard referencing system, provide a comprehensive list of references. (10 marks) Assessment Requirements: †¢ The submission of your work for assessment should be organised and clearly structured in a report format as outlined in 1. 0 to 8. 0 above. †¢ Maximum word length allowed is 4000 words, which includes sections 1. 0 to 7. 0 in the report. The word coun t excludes section 8. 0. †¢ This assignment is worth 100% of the final assessment of the module. Student is required to submit a type-written document in Microsoft Word format with Times New Roman font type, size 12 and line spacing of 1. 5. †¢ The Harvard Style of Referencing system is COMPULSORY. †¢ Indicate the sources of information and literature review by including all the necessary citations and references adopting the Harvard Referencing System. †¢ Students who have been found to have committed acts of Plagiarism are automatically considered to have failed the entire semester. If found to have breached the regulation for the second time, you will be asked to leave the course. Plagiarism involves taking someone else’s words, thoughts, ideas or essays from online essay banks and trying to pass them off as your own. It is a form of cheating which is taken very seriously. Take care of your work and keep it safe. Don’t leave it lying around where your classmates can find it. Malaysian Qualifications Agency Learning Outcomes Module Learning Outcomes: †¢ Demonstrate the skills necessary to assess and interpret existing research as a prelude to carrying out further investigation and the knowledge and understanding of range of research designs and their appropriate utilization. Conceptualise a problem; formulate hypotheses and objectives; design a research strategy, collecting, analyzing, and interpreting both quantitative and qualitative data, including commonly encountered statistical procedures. †¢ Understand the theoretical principles underlying inferential and descriptive statistics. †¢ Integrate the findings of existing research to ask a new research question. †¢ Engage in critical thinking when reading and comprehending research articles. Choose the most appropriate statistical analyses, interpret results, and write up the results accurately and completely. Notes on Plagiarism Harvard Referencing Plagiarism Plagiarism is passing off the work of others as your own. This constitutes academic theft and is a serious matter which is penalised in assignment marking. Plagiarism is the submission of an item of assessment containing elements of work produced by another person(s) in such a way that it could be assumed to be the student’s own work. Examples of plagiarism are: the verbatim copying of another person’s work without acknowledgement †¢ the close paraphrasing of another person’s work by simply changing a few words or altering the order of presentation without acknowledgement †¢ the unacknowledged quotation of phrases from another person’s work and/or the presenta tion of another person’s idea(s) as one’s own. Copying or close paraphrasing with occasional acknowledgement of the source may also be deemed to be plagiarism if the absence of quotation marks implies that the phraseology is the student’s own. Plagiarised work may belong to another student or be from a published source such as a book, report, journal or material available on the internet. Harvard Referencing The structure of a citation under the Harvard referencing system is the author’s surname, year of publication, and page number or range, in parentheses, as illustrated in the Smith example near the top of this article. †¢ The page number or page range is omitted if the entire work is cited. The author’s surname is omitted if it appears in the text. Thus we may say: â€Å"Jones (2001) revolutionized the field of trauma surgery. †¢ Two or three authors are cited using â€Å"and† or â€Å"†: (Deane, Smith, and Jones, 1991) or (Deane, Smith Jones, 1991). More than three authors are cited using et al. (Deane et al. 1992). †¢ An unknown date is cited as no date (Deane n. d. ). A reference to a reprint is cited with the original publication date in square brackets (Marx [1867] 1967 , p. 90). †¢ If an author published two books in 2005, the year of the first (in the alphabetic order of the references) is cited and referenced as 2005a, the second as 2005b. †¢ A citation is placed wherever appropriate in or after the sentence. If it is at the end of a sentence, it is placed before the period, but a citation for an entire block quote immediately follows the period at the end of the block since the citation is not an actual part of the quotation itself. †¢ Complete citations are provided in alphabetical order in a section following the text, usually designated as â€Å"Works cited† or â€Å"References. † The difference between a â€Å"works cited† or â€Å"references† list and a bibliography is that a bibliography may include works not directly cited in the text. †¢ All citations are in the same font as the main text. Examples Examples of book references are: †¢ Smith, J. (2005a). Dutch Citing Practices. The Hague: Holland Research Foundation. †¢ Smith, J. (2005b). Harvard Referencing. London: Jolly Good Publishing. In giving the city of publication, an internationally well-known city (such as London, The Hague, or New York) is referenced as the city alone. If the city is not internationally well known, the country (or state and country if in the U. S. ) are given. An example of a journal reference: †¢ Smith, John Maynard. â€Å"The origin of altruism,† Nature 393, 1998, pp. 639–40. An example of a newspaper reference: †¢ Bowcott, Owen. â€Å"Street Protest†, The Guardian, October 18, 2005, accessed February 7, 2006.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Features of an Effective Total Rewards Program Essay

Features of an Effective Total Rewards Program - Essay Example Total rewards program, that is explained in this essay ensures that employees get paid according to their performance. Also, fair payment means that employees get the best value for the work that they do. Equitable payment relates to the ranks of the employees and so it should match their interests according to the organization structure. This essay is focused on a total rewards plan creation. Benefits that employees get should be competitive and should meet their personal needs. Author states that this can be achieved by offering economically feasible benefit plans that meet their needs at personal level. Rewarding also should be done in a fair way. Efforts made by employees to attain a certain goal should be recognized, this can be done by having a rewarding and recognition system that satisfies the employees. Also, the expectations of employees to grow and succeed should be met by the highly managed plan and high-qualified managment. Equity and fairness in payments for both genders, that are defined in this essay can be determined by communication between employers and the employees. In general, equitable pay leads to motivation and increased performance. Also, the plan, created by the magament should be positive. The employee compensation plan should be positive in the sense that both the employees and the employe r are comfortable with the system or program. In conclusion, author states that if payments are competitive for employees, they will do their work with a lot of motivation.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

How to fix the stray animal problem in Austin,texas Essay

How to fix the stray animal problem in Austin,texas - Essay Example Among all stray animals dogs occupy the foremost position which over 500 million. This phenomenally large number has emerged as serious predicament for animal welfare organizations as these stray dogs suffering from hunger and illness seek sanctuary in human communities where they are generally seen as a nuisance by people living alongside them. Moreover diseases caused by the bites of dogs such as rabies and distemper are extremely fatal and are not easily curable. (Austin pet Directory) Lack of knowledge and widespread unawareness about the problem has further worsened the problem. Communities in developing countries often take barbaric steps to solve this problem which includes measures like electrocuting dogs or simply shooting them. These appalling methods afflict great pain on the animal and simultaneously are not beneficial in long term as they fail to identify the root causes of the problem. (Wild Life Removal) The city of Austin has always been certified as a 'bird sanctuary' city which can be vindicated from the fact that the city administration has allocated thousands of acres of land to preserve the species and habitats of salamanders and warblers, but concurrently the city lacks greatly when it comes to providing help to animals once they are out of their protected environment and are found injured in the backyard of someone's residence. (ci. Austin)It is commendable to see that over a period of a year or two developments in this particular segment has been phenomenal. The administration of the city has been formulating effective strategies in collaboration with non-governmental organizations to address this issue at a suitable platform. Many organizations and associations which include prominent names like Protection for Animal and Welfare Services or PAWS, Shadow Cats Rescue, The Central Texas SPCA and ARF. All these organizations are playing a laudable role to counter the looming t hreat of stray animals in the city. Among all of these the role of PAWS has been instrumental in every sense. The prime objective of this non-governmental organization is to increase awareness among people by initiatives like educational campaigns and promotion of human standards to prevent cruelty to animals. In addition to this it also focuses on providing shelter to homeless animals and help in the reduction of domestic animal overpopulation. PAWS have also been working in joint ventures with Texas VOAD (Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster) and UAN (United Animal Nations) in natural disasters. (Bats Specialist) In conjunction to this another prominent name is that of Spay Austin Coalition a group of individuals in Austin working collectively to increase acquaintance about stray animals by means of education, resources and opportunities to weather the over-population problem of such animals in the city. Town Lake Animal Center is the largest animal rehabilitation center situated in Central Texas which provides shelter to over 23,000 stray animals found in the city of Austin and other areas adjoining it. The center which has been developed in conjunction with the ASPCA focuses on training people ways by which they can identify and report cases of animal cruelty. (Austin Pet

Discussion Topics for Management Course - United States Essay

Discussion Topics for Management Course - United States - Essay Example In this case, employees feel motivated and increase their dedication business practices, something that enhances its chances of success and quality outcomes. It is important for business executives to understand that risk and uncertainty are not actually similar. Uncertainty often concerns possible results and outcomes, which are not known to the business managers. On the other hand, risks can be described as certain kinds of uncertainties that involve actual probabilities of loss for various outcomes (Ferrell & Fraedrich, 2005). In this case, it is evident that situations involving risks can be accounted for easily as compared to those involving uncertainties. The process of making decisions based on risky conditions has to seek, where possible to provide a definite identification of risks, quantifying and absorbing them. In this case, business executives have to understand that the quantity of a risk is often equivalent to the total of all the probabilities relating to the particular risky outcome, alongside the expected loss from the outcome. From the foregone discussion it is evident that business managers are better placed to account for the management outcomes that are made under risky situations that those involving certainties. One of the most important aspects of a business’ management decision-making process is accounting for the outcomes. Accountability, in this case is needed in the process of making assessments and evaluations, which are important in the growth and development stages of the business (Ferrell & Fraedrich, 2005). Business managers are expected to avoid uncertainty situations in the business, this is because, they often lead to many losses in the management process. Risky situations can often bring positive outcomes depending on the effectiveness of the decisions made in the business. This is the reason why business managers that make effective decisions over

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Planck mission explores the history of our universe Research Paper

Planck mission explores the history of our universe - Research Paper Example With the help of NASA, Planck was able to construct a composite image from observations of the Milky Way Galaxy made at wavelengths of light longer than what we see with the naked eye. According to Charles Lawrence, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Planck is equipped enough to see not only the old light from the origin of our universe, but also gas and dust in today’s galaxy. Planck stated that it would make the data (that will be detailing all the observations made in the entire mission) available to the public on 5th February (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California para. 4). With this data, that has informed research in matters including dark matter, theories on the cosmos will be put to a test and the knowledge we have on the universe revolutionized. There are several points of interest in Planck’s mission. For any study on the origin of the universe, there are some issues that need to be addressed. Dark energy is said to have had a lot of power over the formation of the universe. Today, it is still believed to be affecting the survival of the planet probably due to acting against gravity. Researching on how the dark energy can affect the planet or the universe is imperative to understanding what effects it had during the creation of the universe. The milk way, also, is another important part of the study. Our planet is found in the milk way, and it is, therefore, crucial that proper knowledge of the region is acquired. Among some of the most striking findings is the length of time the universe was supposed to have remained in darkness. Planck’s data show that the universe may have remained in darkness during its infantry period for a hundred years or so (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California para. 5). This research, however, is inconclusive and subject to review. During this period, dark energy is a major factor of consideration. According to Planck, dark energy does exist, and it is working against gravity at an increased

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Living With Dementia in Nursing Home Dissertation

Living With Dementia in Nursing Home - Dissertation Example ENGDAHL (2013) explains dementia as a kind of illness that is caused by brain disorder. It is caused by failure of some parts of the brain to function properly. The actual cause of failure of the brain functioning is not yet established by the scientists. There is not specific cure of dementia, while its severity intensifies with age. Victims of dementia have problems with thinking and remembering things clearly. Communicating and day to day chores among the victims is also a problem. As elaborated by ELSEVIER (2015) in the book - Confusion and dementia, people living with dementia are also prone to depression, mood swings and cases of aggressiveness. Due to the aspect of forgetting, people suffering from dementia may easily get lost or forget direction, hence going wandering. Over the years, scientists have been studying on the actual cause of the disease, but all in vain. Lack of the appropriate cure of dementia has been a major challenge in the health sectors. However, nursing department has created hope to the issue. The home nursing department has come up with various ways that can be implemented to mitigate the effects of dementia to the victims. These can be summed as living well with dementia in nursing home (CLARKE 2011). The nursing department explains how these patients worsen with age, and the need for personal care and close monitoring of the victims to ensure that their lives are not endangered.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Microsoft projecr Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Microsoft projecr - Assignment Example The first phase will deal with the design of the Customer Relationship Management System while the second phase will deal with the implementation of the system to the normal work flow environment. The design phase will incorporate various key features that will facilitate its efficient operation. The product that will arise from the project will be required to conduct tracking on the various trends of customer purchasing. The product is also to provide points to purchases that have been made cumulatively. The customers who have enrolled and registered into the system should therefore be able to redeem their points and receive various benefits. For the system to be able to produce the various deliverables, it is important that the Customer Relationship Management System be developed. It should also be complemented with a good intranet and extranet infrastructure that will allow synchronization of bonuses and loyalties from any outlet store. Apart from that, the software will need to work together with a Point Of Sale system which will be capturing the initial costs while the Customer Relationship Management System converts the prices to bonuses and royalty. The System will be developed and then introduced in the main branch to test. It will involve the installation of the system to computers which have the capabilities of running the software without any incompatibility issues. At the same time, a network infrastructure will be laid so that the whole company has a de-centralized system of operation with the main servers located at the head office. Shopping cards will be introduced where the bonus and loyalty points are stored. The system will also be installed in the other outlet chains to verify the synchrony of operations to the central server and test whether a customer’s points can be identified on any other retail store affiliated to the main store. Executive support – The management must support the system development process and the

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Meaning of life - Human Essay Example for Free

Meaning of life Human Essay We walk around in the world and we as human beings look to find fulfillment and happiness in many things such as sports, friends, and boy/girlfriends and as young people when we get rejected by these things we act like we can’t go on with life. . But i challenge you to think about the meaning of LIFE. Well Life is a Gift of God, Abundance of receiving things. In John 4 its speaks on living water and how Jesus uses both the physical and spiritual meaning of water when he speaks to the Samaritan Woman, He refers to the spiritual side as living water. People in the world tend to you suicide or hurting themselves as a way out of situations but God gave us eternal life so that we may be humble servants unto him. . God never puts more on us than we can bear. . Life is important so we really need to know the meaning of it because it seems to be lost in todays society. .I used to be bitter and sad before i had gotten saved. . I had a huge void that needed to be filled and nothing truly could fill it. . Except GOD.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Comparisons Between Malaysia And United Kingdom Cultural Studies Essay

Comparisons Between Malaysia And United Kingdom Cultural Studies Essay Food is a necessity. Everyone needs energy from the food to support their body. Human taste buds are divided into five categories, which is sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami. Umami is a taste bud that discovered by the Japanese. It is a taste bud for meat. Umami may not be famous in Western country but it is very famous in Asia country. Every country may have different taste of food because the spices used in every country are different. Culture of a country is one of the factors that affect the food presentation. Food presentation is very important. If the food looks nice, it can increase your appetite. Cooking technique is also known as culinary arts. Cooking technique and tools will affect the texture of the food. Different country will like different texture of food. The texture of food will affect the appeal of eating it. Therefore, food from different country will have different taste, presentation, and texture. 2.1.1 Breakfast Breakfast is consumed in the morning. It is the first meal of the day. Usually people will take more carbohydrate for breakfast because we need a lot of energy to go through the day. In Malaysia, most of the people will take nasi lemak and teh tarik as breakfast. Nasi lemak is one of the signature dishes in Malaysia. However in United Kingdom, people will take fried egg, sausage, toast, bacon, baked bean, and orange juice as breakfast. It is also known as British breakfast or English breakfast. The English breakfast is now one of the most popular breakfasts in many countries. 2.1.2 Dinner Dinner is consumed at night. It is the third meal and mail meal of the day. Dinner also consider as the largest meal of the day. In Malaysia, nasi campur (Malay mixed rice) is a very popular food for dinner. Nasi campur is a dish of rice topped with various types of side dishes. People love it because there is lots of choice for the side dishes. The price of nasi campur is reasonable yet delicious. Therefore, many people take nasi campur for their dinner. While in United Kingdom, fish and chips is the signature dish. It is a dish that originated in the United Kingdom in 1863. Fish and chips is still now the most well-known and favourite dinner at all times. This is the food in Malaysia and United Kingdom and we can see that the food in United Kingdom is very different from Malaysia. Hence, the food has its own uniqueness and cannot be compared. Everyone will love eating the food no matter where are you from. 2.3 Language Language is a tool that enables people to communicate with each other, understand what people are trying to say and interact with each other. It is very important because it helps people communicate with each other in this world although languages have different dialects. Language also important for a people to survive, without language we could not understand each other. There are so many languages in the world such as English, Mandarin, Bahasa Melayu, Spanish, Latina and Italiano. 2.3.1 English English is an official language, which means almost all the country in the world understand English. There are so many countries are using English to communicate such as Australia, United Kingdom, United Stated and Pakistan. Most of the country used English in official business, government and legal contract, there are about 375 million people speak in English. In Malaysia, English has been combined with other languages due to different religion and culture. The most common language speaks in our country is Manglish. Manglish is a combination of English and Bahasa Melayu. The pronunciation and essence is different from British English. Malaysian speaks English has their own slang, for example, `dont want lah, ` nah, take this. Although Malaysian speaks Manglish, they are still writing and spelling using British English. Therefore, Manglish is only understandable in our country Malaysia. In United Kingdom, modern English is used to communicate. Modern English is an international language, and it can be understand by everyone in the world. The pronunciation and essence of modern English is more correctly. Modern English do not have the suffix such as lah and loh. Besides that, people usually speak modern English instead of other languages to deal with the international business. 2.3.2 Mandarin Mandarin is the most popular language in the world. Mandarin is originally spoken by Chinese and most of them are come from China, Beijing Every country has developed their own dialects, but it still understandable by people from other regions. Mandarin is spoken in many countries such as Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia. Nowadays, mandarin is the main language of government, education and media in China. There are 870 million people who speak in Mandarin. In Asia, China is the most powerful country; hence, people will look for the business opportunity at there. In this case, it will also cause so many people to speak in Mandarin. In Malaysia, people speak mandarin with different pronunciation because they are influenced by many dialects such as Hokkien, Hakka and Hainan. The reason is because Malaysia has different culture and religion. There are much more people speaks mandarin compare to United Kingdom as the population of Chinese in Malaysia is bigger. In United Kingdom, most of the people speak in English instead of mandarin. This is because Chinese population in United Kingdom is few. Language is a tool for people to communicate and to understand other people better. Therefore, there will be less argument in the world. 2.5 Culture Culture is a natural process for identity of a human being which can learn from their families and friends. It is also a learning process of behavior and ways of people living in their life. Then, culture is a complex tool that every people need to learn to survive in a society and through interact with others in the world. Culture developed by many reasons such as faith, beliefs, practices, way to live, economy, intelligence, language and food habits. Culture is important for the existence of a society, because it unites people together. Therefore it is also vital to establish discipline and an order in a society. Culture enables people share a specific language, behavior, beliefs and traditions and gives people an identity which makes them special and unique. Different country has different culture as they have gone through many circumstances and experiences. Hence, this circumstances and experiences will affect the culture of a country. 2.5.1 Festival A festival is a period of time which is set in the calendar for feasting and celebration. It is also means an event which is celebrated by a society for a memorable day or some unique aspect of the community. Festival is important because it reminds important events. Every festival has different significant and useful meaning. It also encourages people not to forget their culture by celebrating the festival. By celebrating festivals, we can release stress from a hectic work, spend more time with family and friends, and carrying the message of the past generations to the future. In addition, we can also enjoy the traditional food when we are celebrating the festival. The festival which is celebrated in Malaysia is Hari Gawai and Wesak Day. Hari Gawai is a festival which is celebrated by the communities in Sarawak. This festival is for religious and social occasion, thanks giving day and a season for new farming. Gawai is also an occasion for fun and parties. Besides that, Wesak day is celebrated by Buddhist, it is a birthday of Buddha. People usually go for bathing the Buddhas ceremony. The water is poured over the shoulder of Buddha. They belief it can purify the mind of evil. While in United Kingdom, the festival such as Easter season is celebrated by the Christian. At the Easter time, usually have two public holidays, Good Friday and Easter Monday. Easter is the time for festivals, holidays and a time for giving chocolate Easter eggs. This festival is the oldest Christian festival, the celebration of the death and coming to life of Jesus Christ. On the day of the festival, parents usually bring children to community Easter-egg hunt. During the festival, Easter egg and chocolate are given as a gift. 2.5.2 Religion Religion is a strong belief in gods. The moral rules in religion can help to build good civilizations. People who believe in religion will think wisely before doing a decision. It also encourages people to help others such as needy. Religion has gives us hope and eases the pain when we faces any problems. In this case, it also teaches us to become superior and not afraid of everything. Religion can be spread from a country to another through colonization, marriages between two different races and friends. In our country Malaysia, there are three main religions which is Islam for Malays, Buddhist for Chinese and Hindu for India. The major religion in our country is Islam, because the population of Malays in Malaysia is the biggest. There is 60.4% of the people in Malaysia are Islam. Islam belief in gods which is called `Allah and the identity of helper is known as `Muhammad. The main holy book that Islam belief is Quran and the original languages is Arabic. Apart from that, the practice of Islam is they pray at mosque every Friday. Besides that, the religions in United Kingdom are Christian, Islam, Hindu, Jediism and Buddhism. While the major religion in United Kingdom is Christian, this can be proven as there is 71.6% of the people in United Kingdom are Christian. Christian belief in the trinity, they are three person in one Godhead; father, son and holy spirit. Then the helper of Christian is called Holy Spirit and main holy book is bible. The original language is Greek. Other than t hat, the practices of Christian are they do their praying in church every Saturday or Sunday. Culture is something that very interesting. It is part of our identity. Therefore, our life will be completed with culture. 2.6 History History is something that has past. It is a study or a subject for us to remember the human past. History also provides human nature and human civilization. It is important for us to study history because we can always learn from the mistake or something good from the past. We must make sure that we will never repeat the same mistake again and again. History has made us who we are today. It is part of our identity because it tells us the place that we came from and how we develop and become today. Besides, history made us improve so that our society will become better and better. 2.6.1 Monument Monument is a structure to remember a person or an important event which is important to our society todays to remembrance the past event. It is a beautiful or amazing structure. It is used to increase the appearance of the location. Therefore, the place has become a tourist area. In Malaysia, we have National Mosque (Masjid Negara). Malaysia gained its independence on the 31st August 1957. The National Mosque is a symbol to remember the independence of Malaysia. While in United Kingdom, Edinburgh Castle is one of the most famous monuments. There are many conflicts happen in this castle. It is the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh. 2.6.2 Monarchy Monarchy is the leader or ruler of a country. A monarchy has unlimited political power. They are the head of the country. It is a person that can always make todays a history. They have power to make a lot of decision for the country and people. They are a very influential person. In Malaysia, we have Yang di-Pertuan Agong XIII Al-Wathiqu Billah Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah. He is the king of Malaysia. Only male can be a ruler in Malaysia. However, the ruler in United Kingdom is a female. She is Queen Elizabeth. The queen of United Kingdom. Therefore, the biggest different between United Kingdom and Malaysia is the gender of the ruler is different. Our life will be incomplete without the history. Therefore, history is definitely an important subject to us. 2.7 People People are referring to the citizen of the country. Each country will have people with different characteristics because there are receiving different types of education. Therefore, their point of view will be different. This will affect the personalities of a person. Besides, their interest, opinion, activities and attitude of living will be different because they are influence by the culture of the country. The government also plays an important role toward the behavior of the people. How the government works will affect the decision making of a person. Therefore, the people is different from other country is based on many reason. People between these two countries can be different from the population and races. 2.7.1 Population Population is referring to the number of people living in a country. The population in worldwide is about 6,697,254,041 people. The population in worldwide is increasing every year. The country with the largest population in worldwide is China with the percentage of 19.5 % of world population. In Malaysia, the population is estimated to be 28.96 million. It is about 0.4324 % of world population. While in United Kingdom, the population is estimated to be 61.8 million. It is about 0.9228 % of world population. There are huge amount of different in population between this two countries. The population United Kingdom is estimated to be 46.86 % more than the population in Malaysia. 2.7.2 Races Race is to classified human into group based on their languages, culture, belief, and social practices. In Malaysia, we have three main races. It is Malays, Chinese and Indians. Malays are the ethnic majority in Malaysia and they compose the largest population. The Malays are all Muslim. There are originated from Palembang in Sumatra. Most of the Chinese steps into Malaysia in the 18th century and most of them are from Fujian and Guangdong in China. It is the second largest race in Malaysia. The third largest race is Indian. Most of the Indian located at Kuala Lumpur. There are originate from Southern India and most of them are Hinduism. While in United Kingdom, most of them are white. They are 91.3 % of the total population in United Kingdom. South Asian is the second largest ethnic group which makes up of 4.4 % of the population in United Kingdom and followed by the Black people with 2.2 %. The population of Black and Asian people in United Kingdom is growing and for the first time that the population of Black and Asian is more than the White in certain area. We should accept and treat everyone the same. We should not be bias by the race of the people. 3.0 Conclusion Malaysia is very different from United Kingdom. The differences between these two countries are food, transport, language, weather, culture, history, and people. The technology and the traffic system in United Kingdom are far greater than Malaysia. However, Malaysia has many kinds of languages and interesting culture that we cannot find in United Kingdom. Every country has it own uniqueness. Therefore, we could not make a judgement that which country is better. Travelling to United Kingdom we can learn and gain knowledge to improve our home country. We should open our eyes and mind set to accept new things. There are a lot of are food, transport, language, weather, culture, history, and people waiting for us to explore. Hence, travel is the best way of doing it. However, many people may think that United Kingdom is better than Malaysia. But whatever the difference that is, we still love our home country, and will never think of leaving it. Besides, we love everything in Malaysia. For example, the food in Malaysia, the transport we use, the language we speak, the hot weather, the interesting culture and history and the people in Malaysia. It is the things that familiar with us. Malaysia will always be the roots in our hearts.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

An Analysis of Babi Yar :: Babi Yar Essays

An Analysis of Babi Yar Yevtushenko speaks in first person throughout the poem. This creates the tone of him being in the shoes of the Jews. As he says in lines 63-64, "No Jewish blood is mixed in mine, but let me be a Jew . . . " He writes the poem to evoke compassion for the Jews and make others aware of their hardships and injustices. "Only then can I call myself Russian." (lines 66-67). The poet writes of a future time when the Russian people realize that the Jews are people as well accept them as such. If you hate the Jews, he asks, why not hate me as well? True peace and unity will only occur when they have accepted everyone, including the Jews. Stanza I describes the forest of Babi Yar, a ravine on the outskirts of Kiev. It was the site of the Nazi massacre of more than thirty thousand Russian Jews on September 29-30, 1941. There is no memorial to the thirty thousand, but fear pervades the area. Fear that such a thing could occur at the hands of other humans. The poet feels the persecution and pain and fear of the Jews who stood there in this place of horror. Yevtushenko makes himself an Israelite slave of Egypt and a martyr who died for the sake of his religion. In lines 7-8, he claims that he still bars the marks of the persecution of the past. There is still terrible persecution of the Jews in present times because of their religion. These lines serve as the transition from the Biblical and ancient examples he gives to the allusions of more recent acts of hatred. The lines also allude to the fact that these Russian Jews who were murdered at Babi Yar were martyrs as well. The next ezza reminds us of another event in Jewish history where a Jew was persecuted solely because of his religious beliefs. The poet refers to the "pettiness" (line 11) of anti-Semitism as the cause of Dreyfus' imprisonment. Anti-Semitism is his "betrayer" (line 12) when he is framed, and anti-Semitism is his "judge" (line 12) when he is wrongly found guilty. Lines 13-14 claim that even the fine and supposedly civilized women of society shun Dreyfus because he is a Jew and fear him like they would fear an animal. In ezza III, Yevtushenko brings himself to the midst of the

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Essay examples --

The tenet of international relations study is the question of why wars occur. Political theorists have tackled this question with heated debate throughout history and in the post-World War II era the theories of democratic peace and realism have come to the forefront of international relations study. These two theories offer contrasting explanations for the reasons nations fight one another, and also seek to predict the likelihood of future conflict. The democratic peace theory, which concludes that democratic regimes do not go to war with one another as a result of their democratic nature, has attained the status of a law of international relations in some circles (Owen 1994, Doyle 1983). Utilizing an absence of conflict between democratic nations as the basis for the theory, Spiro identifies that proponents of Democratic Peace assert two aspects of the theory (Spiro, 1994). One is an institutional or structural belief, whereby such factors as public opinion, or checks and balances amongst the government constrain the likelihood of war. The other, is an ideological belief, whereby the liberal values of such regimes strive for peaceful interactions and constrain conflict. Democratic Peace Theory would therefore discredit the realist perspectives for interstate conflict which focus upon a sovereign state’s strategic interest within an anarchic world sphere. The theory has achieved status of dogma in many circles, but nevert heless has its share of critics who subscribe to the realist theory such as David Spiro and Bruce Russett. Realists challenge the relevance of the statistics on which democratic peace is founded, advocating a renewal of interest in realist international relations theory. Realists argue that world politics is dri... ... infrequent to deliver an empirical foundation for his conclusion. Likewise, the limitations placed upon the categories of war and democracy ignore that liberal states have disregarded mutual respect for democratic institutions and norms and authorized the use of force against another likeminded state. Doyle is cognizant of the limitations of his Democratic Peace Theory, stressing that protection of liberalism’s heritage of democratization may in fact ensure the adverse consequence of stimulating illiberal practices (Doyle, 1983). The significance of a peace theory which concludes its own underlying principles may actually engender belligerent behavior is questionable. Doyle’s Democratic Peace Theory offers an interesting starting point in the study of the relationship between democratic nations and conflict; however, his suppositions should not to be valued as law.

Jamaican Patois Essay -- essays papers

Jamaican Patois Jamaican Patois, otherwise known as Patwa, Afro. Jamaican, just plain Jamaican or, Creole, is a language that has been until quite recently referred to as"ungrammatical English."(Adams, 199 1, p . I 1) Creole languages are actually not unique to Jamaica, they are found on every continent although their speakers often do not realize what they are. The rest of the terms refer strictly to Jamaican Creole. Creoles are languages that usually form as the result of some human upheaval which makes it impossible for people to use their own languages to communicate. What people often refer to as the 'bad' or 'broken-English' of Jamaica are actually local Creoles that usually come about through a situation of partial language learning (Sebba 1, 1996, p.50-1.) The technical definition of the term Creole means-, a language which comes into being through contact between two or more languages. The most important part about this definition is that a new language comes about which was not there before, yet it has some characteristics of the original language(s) and also has some characteristics of its own. The Creole of Jamaica and the Caribbean is referred to as an 'English-lexicon' and this language came about when African slaves were forced into a situation where English, or at least a very reduced form of English, was the only common means of communication. The slave traders and owners spoke English while the slaves spoke a variety of African languages and the slaves had to assimilate by learning English which explains why much of the vocabulary is English in origin. Although there is much English vocabulary, many words were also adopted from African languages when no equivalent English word could be found such as, wo... ... 16. 6."Irie Time."Irie Time Website. On-line. Internet. Available WWW: http//www. owlnet. rice. edu/-don/index 1. html 7. Marley, Bob, Redemption Song, Uprising, 1980. 8. Nicholas, Tracy. Rastafari.- A Way of Life. Chicago: Research Associates School Times Publication, 1996. 9. Pryce, Jean T."Similarities Between the Debates on Ebonics and Jamaican."Journal of Black Psychology, 23 (August 1997): 238-241. 10. Seeba, Mark."How do you spell Patwa."Critical Quarterly 38 (1996): 50-63). 11. Seeba, Mark."London Jamaican: Language systems in interaction."Language 72 (1996): 426-427. 12. Sheridan, Maureen."The Beat Goes On: Dub Poets Explore Patois Of The People."Billboard 10 April 1993: 1, 73, 75. 13. Snider, Alfred, C. (Dr. Tuna,) Feb. 25, 1998. Rhetoric of Reggae Speech 214 Class. 14. Snider, Alfred C. E-mail to Speech 214 class. 28 Jan. 1998.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Texting and Driving Should Be Banned

Have you ever considered reading a book while driving? If not then why would you text and drive? Driving is something that requires your full attention. When you open up your cell phone to send a text or receive a text then you might as well get out a book and start reading. Suppose you are driving down the road and your phone alerts you that you have a text message coming in, when you grab for that phone you are a victim of visual, cognitive, and manual distraction. Many people have lost their lives due to visual distraction. When you take your eyes off of the road, it only takes one second to cause an accident. I am sure if sixteen year old Ashley Johnson could start her day over she would. On May the 15 this exceptional, popular tenth grader had been texting while driving when she hit a pickup head on. She was in critical care for several days before dying sustained to injuries that occur during her accident. Not only did she lose her life but someone lost their daughter, granddaughter, sister and friend. If only she could have waited until she stopped driving. Patrick Sims is another prime example of why you should not text and drive. Patrick and his girlfriend were driving down the road the day before Thanksgiving. Patrick was texting a friend when his girlfriend started screaming, as he looked up there was a bicyclist so close to the front of his vehicle that he could not avoid hitting him. This was a sixty three year old grandfather that was out riding his bike for health reasons, minding his own business. Now this is something that this young man has to deal with for the rest of his life. He told CBS during an interview that he wished that he could have another chance; he also told them that the image of this man lying on the street dead would never leave his mind. I remember texting one time while I was driving and it was the first time and the last. I got a text message and I wasn’t going to read it but I was scared it was my mom or about my mom because she was sick. I was going to wait till I stopped at the red-light to check it but it was just too tempting to wait so I grabbed my phone to read my text when I ran off of the side of the road. That was a stupid decision on my behalf. It was only my niece wanting to know what I was doing. It was not just my life in danger it was also my children’s. I decided that day that I would never read a text again while driving. I am just thankful and fortunate that I got another chance. I honestly believe when you put yourself or someone else’s life in jeopardy by texting it is not an accident. You know exactly what you are doing when you open that phone and start typing or reading. Texting should not be just ban from people that drive automobiles but it should also be for people who drive trains and buses. It is a cognitive distraction when you take your mind off of what you are doing. On September the twelfth two thousand and ten, Robert Sanchez a commuter train engineer started his day like every other day. I’m sure when he left his home that morning he never thought it would be his last day returning home. During the day Robert was texting and receiving text from a young guy who he mentors. Robert did not yield and hit a freight train head on killing twenty five people and injuring eighty more. Roberts’s life was taking that day instantly. His life was taken just because he answered a text letting this young boy know where he was. This could have been prevented. Not only is his family grieving but so are all of the innocent lives that were taking that day. If you feel like you are too tempted to text while driving then you need to turn off your phone until you get stopped or put it away where you cannot reach it. Texting don’t only cause you to take your mind off of your driving but when your texting you don’t have on your hands on the wheel. When you are driving it is important that you drive with your hands not your knees or your forearm. I’m sure some people don’t think manual distraction is such a big issue when it comes to driving, but trust me it is. It is just as important as visual or cognitive distraction. Any time that you are driving you need to avoid all three distractions. You have a better chance reacting to a situation if you are driving with both hands. I know a young lady that went to school with my nephew. She was driving home one day after school, it was her and her little brother Ben. Sarah was texting while driving, Ben said that she had her knee up under the steering wheel driving and she came upon a curve and she just couldn’t react fast enough and lost control, she was killed. Her brother survived this terrible tragedy physically but not mentally. It has been ten years now and this young man is still seeing his sister lay beside him in this car bleeding from the head and not responsive. I feel like people are just selfish when it comes to texting. I know a lot of people don’t think about the consequences but it’s time that people wake up and see what texting and driving can do to families. I understand that texting is the new fad and some people rather text then talk. Texting is not a necessity to life. Many people have lost their lives because they made the wrong choice. I’m sure if the victims that have been involved in a misfortune could have another chance to drive without texting and take more responsibility for their actions they would. Driving is something that takes all the attention you can offer. That includes watching where you’re going, keeping your mind on what you’re doing and keeping both hands where they need to be. If you feel like you just can’t wait to text pull over to a safe place and text. Before you text and drive again visualize a loved one in your life and ask yourself this question, is it fair to them that I am being so selfish, not caring if I take my life or someone else’s life? I promise you that you’re not going to die if you have to wait to text but if you don’t wait to text you will definitely die.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Logical Arguments for and Against Laws Against Using Cell Phones While Driving

With more and more people using cellular phones, a new debate has surfaced. Should there be laws against using cell phones while driving? The statistics about distracted driving, which includes any type of distraction, show that distracted driving causes accidents. According to the United States Department of Transportation, 5,747 people were killed because of driving distractions and approximately 448,000 were injured in 2009 alone (1) Using a cell phone is just another way that driver are distracted. The debate rages on†¦should there be a specific law against using cell phones while driving.Some states are passing laws specifically for inexperienced drivers, just as they restrict the times inexperienced drivers are allowed to drive. For our purposed, however, we will look at the debate over whether or not there should be a law banning general cell phone usage. This is a very sensitive subject, mostly because both sides present some logical arguments, but a variety of fallacies can be found on both sides of this hot issue. This entire debate is nothing new. Distracted driving has been a hot topic since 1905, and there were no cell phones back then.The big advancement in technology then was windshield wiper blades. They were thought to be hypnotic, and distract drivers. (AAA). From there it went to the radio in the 1930’s. Here in the 21st century, we’ve landed on cellular phones. Same debate, different details. When it comes to hands free cell phone usage while driving, both sides have scientific studies and statistics to back up their cases. According to a study funded by AAA Foundation for Traffic safety, using a hands free device holds approximately the same distraction as tuning the radio (AAA).However, there are also reports that having a conversation while driving with a hands free device is much more risky than having a conversation with somebody who is also in the car with you (Dewar 327). A recent study showed that only 2% of people can safely multi task while driving. This was compared to the same amount of people who would make good fighter pilots (Cruz, pg 1). This quote from Matt Duffy shows how some opponents to a law feel. â€Å"I will vow to be careful while on the phone — and to use a headset or speakerphone whenever possible so that I can keep both hands on the wheel.But, I won’t take the vow to quit using the phone in the car. † (Duffy) The â€Å"vow† that Mr. Duffy is speaking of refers to a campaign by Oprah Winfrey. She has heavily campaigned for a law against using a phone without a hands free device and laws against texting while driving. In a press release, she stated: â€Å"My biggest hope for the No Phone Zone campaign is that it becomes mandatory that no one uses their phone in the car or texts while driving—just as seat belts are mandatory, just as driving while drunk is considered absolutely taboo, I'm hoping that this becomes not just law, but second na ture for all of us† (Harpo).We can look at Oprah’s statement as an â€Å"Argument by Analogy. † Her logic says that because we have driving laws about not wearing seatbelts and driving drunk, which are both dangerous activities, we should also have a law about using cell phones while driving, another dangerous activity. Opponents pose some interesting questions, though. As previously stated, there are other activities that distract drivers. Dealing with children in the car, changing the radio station, and eating are just a few. According to the NHTSA, of all 2009 fatalities that were caused by distracted driving, approximately 20% involved a cell phone (pg 8).So, they bring up laws against other distractions. Should there also be laws against these distractions, because they are just as, if not more, dangerous? (Johnstone) If we used Oprah’s argument by analogy, if these activities did cause just as many accidents as cell phones, she would have to back law s against these things, also. But this also presents the â€Å"slippery slope† fallacy presented by opponents. They are saying that if cell phones are banned while driving, we won’t be able to do anything that could be distracting while driving. (Kids?They would just have to walk). Opponents also show that, unlike eating in the car, cell phone usage can actually help with safety. For example, if people call to say they are running late, they may not speed. Accidents and dangers on the road can be reported more quickly (â€Å"Debate†). Another area of debate is enforcement. Already we are seeing that enforcement just doesn’t seem to be working very well. In areas with laws against texting, it is just difficult to catch somebody. Supporters of a law believe that new laws can be enforced, just as laws about using eatbelts and child safety seats were eventually enforced. (Reinberg). In the United Kingdom, where using a cell phone while driving is already ille gal, of 2,000 people only 3% said that they have ever been caught on the phone while driving. Many motorists are investing in car kits and hands free devices.The penalty in England for breaking this law is up to two years in jail. In the United States, for the few states that have laws, fines range from $50 to $600, with possible suspension of your drivers license. (Johnson) One opponent of cell phone laws offered this suggestion: I think instead the penalties for causing an accident while driving distracted need to be stiffened. Perhaps the loss of the license for a few years for causing an accident while texting behind the wheel would be more of a deterrent than the threat of a ticket that probably won't happen. † (â€Å"Alternative†) Opponents of a new law against cell phones repeatedly say that there is already a law against driving recklessly. That two percent of people who can multi-task, should they be pulled over if they are safely driving? What about the almigh ty dollar?Proponents of a cell phone law state how this would raise money for states, save in medical costs and all other costs caused by car accidents (â€Å"Cell Phone Ban†). Opponents say that it would COST more money, tying up the court system, and there would be costs involved in changing cell phone plans (less minutes would be used). Each side has their own statistics and research to back up their positions. It’s a classic case of stacked evidence. Each side is only presenting information that helps their case, and none that might hurt their case.Although states have the authority to regulate the actions of drivers (â€Å"Debate†), it has been shown that it might be more effective to have insurance companies and other markets try to regulate the usage of cell phones while driving. Insurance companies could charge a higher premium for cell phone users. With advancing technology, this may indeed be possible. Recently there was an iPhone app released that giv es ‘reward’ points for not using a phone in a car. It can detect if the phone is moving more than 5 miles per hour (Svensson). The real issue at the heart of this topic is about how much control the government should have over our time. In a perfect world, people would not take risks while they are driving. If a person couldn’t talk while driving, if it hindered their ability to drive, they just wouldn’t talk while driving. Because this debate is truly about governmental control, it will most likely continue for a very long time.WORKS CITED AAA. â€Å"On the Road: Distracted Driving. † AAA Exchange. AAA. n. d. Web. 19 October 2009. â€Å"An Alternative to Laws Against Texting While Driving? † opposingviews. om. Opposing Views, Inc. 21 April 2010. Web. 5 Oct 2010. â€Å"Cell Phone Ban Would Save Money, Research Shows. † Cbc. ca. CBC. 29 Sept 2010. Web. 19 Oct 2010. Cruz, Gilbert with Kristi Oloffson. â€Å"Distracted Driving: Should Ta lking, Texting Be Banned? † Time. com. Time, Inc. 24 Aug 2009. Web. 2 October 2010. â€Å"Debate: Banning Cell Phones in Cars. † Debatepedia. International Debate Education Association. 11 June 2010. Web. 5 Oct 2010. Dewar, Robert E, Paul Erson and Gerson Alexander. Human Factors In Traffic Safety. Tuscon, AZ. Lawyers & Judges Publishing Company, Inc. 002. Google Books. Duffy, Matt. â€Å"I Won’t Take the Oprah Pledge Against Cell Phones While Driving. † Mattjduffy. com. 29 Jan 2010. Web. 9 Oct 2010. Harpo, Inc. â€Å"The Oprah Winfrey Show Hosts No Phone Zone Day Friday, April 30. † Oprah. com. Harpo, Inc. 29 April 2010. Web. 3 October 2010. Johnson, Geoff with Leigh Montgomery. â€Å"9 States Ban Cell Phone Use While Driving. Is Yours On The List? † csmonitor. com. The Christian Science Monitor. 23 Sept 2010. Web. 19 Oct 2010. Johnstone, Michael. â€Å"What Kind of Laws are Reasonable for Driving While Talking on the Phone? InsightCommunit y. com. Floor 64. 19 Mar 2008. Web. 3 October 2010. Reinberg, Steven. â€Å"Nationwide Cell Phone Ban for Drivers Urged. † Washingtonpost. com. The Washington Post Company. 12 Jan 2009. Web. 4 October 2010. Svensson, Peter. â€Å"Phone App Fights Distracted Driving With Rewards. † Yahoo News. The Associated Press. 13 Oct 2010. Web. 19 Oct 2010. US Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic Safety Facts: Distracted Driving 2009. Washington, DC: NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis. 2010. web pdf.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Information Security and Management Syllabus Essay

Confidentiality and Security, Security Policy and Operations Life Cycle, Security System Development and Operations Secure Networking Threats The Attack Process. Attacker Types. Vulnerability Types. Attack Results. Attack Taxonomy. Threats to Security: Physical security, Biometric systems, monitoring controls, and Data security and intrusion and detection systems. Encryption Techniques Conventional techniques, Modern techniques, DES, DES chaining, Triple DES, RSA algorithm, Key management. Message Authentication and Hash Algorithm, Authentication requirements and functions secure Hash Algorithm, Message digest algorithm, digital signatures. AES Algorithms. Designing Secure Networks Components of a Hardening Strategy. Network Devices. Host Operating Systems. Applications. Appliance-Based Network Services. Rogue Device Detection, Network Security Technologies The Difficulties of Secure Networking. Security Technologies. Emerging Security Technologies General Design Considerations, Layer 2 Security Considerations. IP Addressing Design Considerations. ICMP Design Considerations. Routing Considerations. Transport Protocol Design Considerations. Network Security Platform Options Network Security Platform Options. Network Security Device Best Practices, Common Application Design Considerations. E-Mail. DNS. HTTP/HTTPS. FTP. Instant Messaging. IPsec VPN Design Considerations VPN Basics. Types of IPsec VPNs. IPsec Modes of Operation and Security Options. Topology Considerations. Design Considerations. Site-to-Site Deployment Examples. Secure Network Management and Network Security Management Organizational Realities. Protocol Capabilities. Tool Capabilities. Secure Management Design Options. Network Security Management, Firewalls, Trusted systems, IT act and cyber laws. Text Books: 1. Sean Convery, â€Å" Network Security Architectures, Published by Cisco Press, First Ed. 2004 2. William Stalling â€Å"Cryptography and Network Security† Fourth Ed. , Prentice Hall, 2006 Reference Books: 1. Charles P. Pfleeger, Shari Lawrence Pfleeger, â€Å"Security in Computing† 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall, 2003 2. Jeff Crume â€Å"Inside Internet Security† Addison Wesley, 2003 ISM 184 INFORMATION SECURITY POLICIES IN INDUSTRY L T/P C 3 1 4 Introduction to Information Security Policies About Policies – why Policies are Important – When policies should be developed – How Policy should be developed – Policy needs – Identify what and from whom it is being protected – Data security consideration – Backups, Archival storage and disposal of data – Intellectual Property rights and Policies – Incident Response and Forensics – Management Responsibilities – Role of Information Security Department – Security Management and Law Enforcement – Security awareness training and support . The student will have to present the progress of the work through seminars and progress report. A report must be submitted to the University for evaluation purpose at the end of the semester in a specified format. ISM481 THESISL T/P C 0 0 16 The student will submit a synopsis at the beginning of the semester for the approval from the project committee in a specified format. Synopsis must be submitted within two weeks. The first defense, for the dissertation work, should be held with in two months time. Dissertation Report must be submitted in a specified format to the project committee for evaluation purpose at the end of semester.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

TOUAX company

TOUAX is a French company and is currently Europe‟s no. 1 in shipping containers and river barges, and no. 2 in modular building and freight railcars. The group provides operating leases to customers around the world, both on its own account and for third-party investors. On June 24, 2009, TOUAX announced that its capital increased by waiving preferential subscription rights but with priority for existing shareholders, launched on 18 June 2009 for a total of E17, 851,519.76 (gross) through the issue of 936,596 new shares which were subscribed in the entirely. Following partial application of the extension clause, 952,747 shares were placed or 101.72% of the issue; total proceeds were E18, 159,357.82. This rights issue has enabled the Group to strengthen its financial structure, to position itself with advantage for possible acquisitions of tangible stock, and to grasp opportunities thrown up by the crisis (purchase of shipping containers, modular buildings, river barges and railcars, for hiring out on mainly long-term leases). 370,062 new shares allotted under absolute entitlement were subscribed or 39.51% of the total number of new shares issue. Another 555,685 shares were applied for subject to cutting back in the event of over subscription, and orders for these were all filled. Another 27,000 shares had been applied for by the general public, and following partial application of the extension clause it proved possible to fill orders for all of these. All the result of the right issue, TOUAX is well placed to respond to the boom in corporate outsourcing of non-core assets, and every day provides over 5,000 customers with quick and flexible leasing solutions. TOUAX is now listed on Euronext in Paris – NYSE Euronext Compartment C (ISIN Code FR0000033003), and features in the SBF 250 Index.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Can international organisations be effective in moderating Essay

Can international organisations be effective in moderating international insecurity - Essay Example By pool their resources, nations easily reach for their set goals. A good example is a nation with raw materials but has no sufficient machinery and/or man power to process. As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention nations has realized the immense need to form organizations which will be enhance security and promote good relations among nations. This in return will create a friendly environment  activity that can be carried out in ease. Different forums have been created to discuss a variety of issues such as transportation, peace keeping, human rights and businesses among many others (Babione, 2007). Security concerns all over the world are high on the political agenda. This is as a result of the widespread perception that current security situation is continuously threatened by malicious acts, which are in most cases, intentional and a good example is terrorism attacks. Measures to improve and maintain security are he in place .major Events such as the 9/11 attack s triggered strong actions to improve security all over the world. As a result, security must be ensured in the transport sector since many vehicles and transport facilities are the main targets for terrorists due to concentration of potential victims. In addition, transport in one way or the other can acts as a conveyor for attacks by terrorists. This are evidenced from the reported cases in which weapons are moved into ports or airplanes are turned into weapons as in the 9/11 case. The greatest challenges are protecting the potential targets and maintaining smooth operations in the transportation sector. The cost of damage from a potential damage from terrorism cause substantial loss to the economic set up. On the other hand, the cost of improved security is equally high. Careful appraisal policy, therefore, makes sure that scarce resources are put into good use. However, cost-benefit analysis is difficult to handle while dealing with security issues because of the uncertain natur e involved. We can hardly determine the probability of attacks by terrorists on any of the means of transportation. Terrorism can thus be hindered by cooperation of states and continents. A good example is the International Transport Forum which is an inter-governmental organization within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) group. It is an outstanding global platform for all concerned transport makers and stakeholders. Its main aim is to serve political leaders and the public at large to develop a better understanding the role transport takes in social and economic aspects. They are, thus, very effective in moderating international security. International courts include International Criminal Court among others. They are created with the aim of promoting peace by way of solving international matters, which mainly result from conflict of interest. In 1993 and 1994, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the International Criminal Tribu nal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) were established to try and apprehend individuals suspected of committing crimes against humanity including genocide. Since the end of World War 2, the 1990s witnessed the greatest advancement of international humanitarian law. The successes and failures

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Considering Cases Of Bankruptcy And Reorganisation Of A Partnership Essay

Considering Cases Of Bankruptcy And Reorganisation Of A Partnership - Essay Example Bankruptcy is usually a legally declaration of individuals or organizations inability to pay their creditors. This request is done by the creditors in order for them to recoup a fraction of what they are owed by an individual or an organization. However, bankruptcy can also be initiated by the individuals themselves or organization in case they feel that they are not capable of paying their debts. In simple words, an individual or an organization is insolvent or bankrupt if it cannot pay his debts or discharge his liabilities on the due date. The creditors or the debtors themselves may present a petition to the court that a receiving order should be made. For this case, Beren took the correct step of filing an involuntary petition with the court of law to declare their partnership bankrupt as indicated in chapter 7. Indeed the partnership had exceeded their estimate of purchasing and renovating the office building to a point of accumulating debts amounting to $380,000 against the $200,000 they had set aside for this and effort by Beren to convince other partners to seek additional funds bore no fruits. On the other had Elliot and Mannino objected to Beren's idea of involuntary bankruptcy under Chapter 7. ... Under Chapter 7, there is an alternative relief for the debtors to avoid the issue of their partnership being liquidated and continue doing it business. For this case the involuntary petition filed by Beren may not be granted by the court which was done against the wish of Elliot and Mannino. (U.S Courts, 2006) Elliot and Mannino should file a petition under chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code. The debtors may argue that they would pay the debts if the payment period is extended. They may also argue that they may have a comprehensive reorganization. 1 The main objective of bankruptcy is to give an honest individual a clean bill of life or a fresh start after discharging certain debts. Usually the there is no responsibility of liabilities already discharged on the side of the debtor. Question Two Explaining Whether the Bankruptcy Court Confirms the Debtor's Plan of Reorganization A voluntary petition was filed by Richard under chapter 11. He filed a reorganization plan that divided his creditors into three classes. The three classes were: administrative creditors which were to be paid in full; the second class were unsecured creditors which were to receive 50% on their claims and the third class was the IRS which was to receive $20,000 on confirmation and the balance in future payments. There was no creditor who voted to accept this arrangement and the unsecured creditors were impaired since their legal, equitable, and contractual rights were being altered. (http://www.uscourts.gov/bankruptcycourts/bankruptcybasics/chapter11.html) To keep the firm running, debtors propose a plan of reorganization in order for them to pay their creditors in a considerable period of time. A

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Dissertation Weekly Progress Report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dissertation Weekly Progress Report - Coursework Example The article by Pairavinta & Saebo (2008) explained on how a form of e-governance, the electronic voting system, had supported democracy in 1970 in the US in an â€Å"electronic town hall meeting†. I spent 3 hours reading on Oman’s e-government systems. After having 2 hours of wild goose chase, I landed on material detailing Oman’s progress towards e-governance. The article â€Å"Use and Impact of ICT on SMEs in Oman† by Ashrafi and Murtaza (2008) from Emerald database gave me a relief as it was spot on. This article details the country’s investment in ICT infrastructure and the developments made thus far in establishing e-government systems in Oman. I spent 4 hours writing up the introduction to chapter 1, 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3. I feel the information covered in these sections is satisfactory but I will evaluate the content covered when I compile the report. I spent the next 6 hours formulating and writing up sections 1.4, 1.5 and 1.6. I knew the research questions determined the direction of the whole project and I took my time in framing these questions. Moreover, I observed great detail in formulating my objectives to ensure complete objectivity, and this part consumed a third of the time. Finally, I wrote up the sections to complete chapter 1. I spent 3 hours reading on various applications of e-government systems. I obtain two articles, â€Å"International Technical Standards for e-Government† by Borra (2004) from Emerald database; and the other, â€Å"Critical Factors in the Adoption and Diffusion of E-government Initiatives in Oman† by Alshihi (2006) from Victoria university database. Borras (2004, pp. 75 – 76), and AlShihi (2006, pp. 8 – 15) articles explain the various transactions that governments engage. They explain that Transactions for e-government may take the form of citizen-to-government (C2G), government-to-business (G2B), government-to-employee (G2E) or government-to-government (G2G) transactions. Al

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Discussion Questions Week 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Discussion Questions Week 5 - Essay Example Thus, in order to evaluate whether the quality of the product (which is often equated with the chemical content, presentation, and packaging) is met, knowledge of the statistical concepts and their application is crucial. I must admit that without attending this class, I will remain ignorant of the use of statistics in addressing the concerns. Equipped with the knowledge and skill taught by my professor, I am confident to use the methods in ensuring that our meat processing plant will be successful in marketing high quality products by an everyday evaluation of whether quality goals are met. Regression analysis is a important statistical tool which is used to identify the relationship between variables. In conducting regression analysis, one needs to be aware of its basic principles and considerations. First, the sample from where the inference prediction is to be generated must be a representative of the population. It should be noted that this assumption is almost always a requirement for statistical tests. Secondly, the dependent variable is subject to error which is assumed to be a random variable having a standard distribution. On the other hand, the independent variable is error free and the predictors should be linearly correlated. In the meat processing plant where I work, regression analysis can be utilized in order for the management to know the relationship between the group of employees working for the meat processing plant and product quality. It should be noted that in my company there are two groups manning the 12-hour operation. Each of these groups takes 6 hours which is the amount of time needed for one batch of processing. Product of quality can be measured through the number of rejects and those which did not pass quality control. This regression analysis can point out if any of the group performs better and can help the management to reward and motivate

Monday, September 9, 2019

Oil drilling in the ANWLR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Oil drilling in the ANWLR - Essay Example The necessity of oil in driving the local economy cannot be understated. Many Americans need it for fuelling their vehicles, farm and industrial machinery. According to the ANWR website, a majority of Americans continue to experience the burden of expensive gasoline prices. This ironically occurs in a country with over 21 billion barrels of unexploited oil reserves but still spends billions of dollars in importation of oil (Arctic Power). However, past polls conducted by the ‘Dittman Research Corporation’ among the Alaskan populace, showed that over 78% are in support of oil exploration and development in the ANWR (Arctic Power). The opponents against oil drilling in ANWR argue that it would destroy and deface the natural landscape as well as threaten wildlife survival (Natural Resource Defense Council). However, the argument is further from the truth due to several reasons. Foremost, technology advancement has led to the development of oil drilling equipment that cause less â€Å"footprints† on the surface. Consequently, oil drilling in Prudhoe Bay would affect less than 60% of the natural landscape (Arctic Power). Moreover, the argument on disturbance or extinction of wildlife is fallacious since past drilling projects on Alaska have not harmed wildlife in the area. Furthermore, the drilling plans for ANWR are scheduled to occur during winter months when wildlife activity is scarce (Corne & Gelb). The other alternative proposed to oil drilling has been the investment in alternative and renewable sources of energy by Congress. It is a fact that investment in renewable energy is far much cheaper compared to oil exploration and development. However, the possibility of Congress devoting more investment to renewable energy at the expense of oil is quite a challenge. Foremost, a significant portion of Congress members benefit from oil