Single Sex Education Has Been Growing Popularity Since The...

Single-sex education has been growing in popularity since the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act was passed, allowing local educational agencies to use â€Å"Innovative Programs† funds to support same-gender schools and classrooms â€Å"consistent with existing law.† The U.S. Department of Education loosened its Title IX regulation in 2006 to diminish prohibitions on single-sex education. While simply separating boys and girls doesn’t guarantee success, schools that use best practices for gender-specific teaching may be more successful at teaching to boys’ and girls’ strengths. Many experts say much of the success of single-sex schools stems from a demanding curriculum and a focus on extracurricular activities. These things are gains that would have been seen regardless of whether the opposite sex was in attendance. Coeducation advocates and researchers also report that segregating students by gender can lead to greater gender discrimination and make it harder for students to deal with the other sex later in life. What the two sides can agree on, however, is that every child is unique and deserves an education that uses evidence-based teaching approaches to meet their particular needs. According to a 2007 longitudinal pediatric neuroimaging study led by a team of neuroscientists from the National Institute of Mental Health, various brain regions develop in a different sequence and tempo in girls compared with boys (NeuroImage, Vol. 36, No. 4). Using 829 brain scans gathered over twoShow MoreRelatedSingle Sex High Schools Essay2328 Words   |  10 Pagesï » ¿ Single-Sex High Schools Would Increase Educational Success Deborah Sarmiento Strayer University Professor Sonja Sheffield September 6, 2013 Abstract Our educational system is broken. It is struggling today not just because of the problems of undisciplined children, the pressure from legislators to raise test scores, the lack of funds, parents fears for their children’s safety, overwhelmed teachers; it is also struggling because we are graduating children that do not have the toolsRead MoreNo Child Left Behind Act1863 Words   |  8 Pagescentury, education in the United States was gender-specific. Coeducation progressively came into the American educational landscape in the late 1800s, and since that time, same-sex education primarily has been confined to exclusive and denominational schools. Beginning in 2002, after the No Child Left Behind Act was passed, single-sex education has been growing in popularity. According to the National Association for Single Sex Public Education, the United States has over 95 single-sex public schoolsRead MoreThe Effects of Socio-Economic Status on Students Achievements in Biology13494 Wor ds   |  54 Pages1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Nigeria like any other developing countries has witnessed series of political instability with obvious effect on educational policies at federal, state and local government level. This gradually laid the foundation of fallen standard in education at the primary and secondary level which caused differential academic performance of students. In the quest of finding survival feet, the nation has evolved series of socio-economic and educational measures but these have notRead MoreHigh School Student Essay20272 Words   |  82 PagesTeaching: Becoming a Professional, Second Edition, by Donald Kauchak and Paul Eggen Published by Prentice-Hall/Merrill. Copyright  © 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN: 0-536-29980-3 Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, Second Edition, by Donald Kauchak and Paul Eggen Published by Prentice-Hall/Merrill. Copyright  © 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Learner Diversity Differences in Today’s Students T eachers begin their careers expecting to find classrooms like the ones they experiencedRead MoreBullying in Schools6210 Words   |  25 PagesBullying in Schools 1 PRAIRIE VIEW Aamp;M UNIVERSITY THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION EXPERIENCES, PERCEPTIONS, AND ATTITUDES OF THIRD GRADERS TOWARDS BULLYING A RESEARCH REPORT RESEARCH ADMIN 5163 BY Jimmy C. Clark. PRAIRIE VIEW, TEXAS 2008 Bullying in Schools 2 Table of Contents Page Abstract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 Read MoreDoes Tv Have a Negative Influence on Society7652 Words   |  31 Pagesof television can be on children. Violence Over the past two decades, hundreds of studies have examined how violent programming on TV affects children and young people. While a direct cause and effect link is difficult to establish, there is a growing consensus that some children may be vulnerable to violent images and messages. Researchers have identified three potential responses to media violence in children: * Increased fear—also known as the mean and scary world syndrome Children, particularlyRead MoreUK - Analysis Report31935 Words   |  128 Pagesfundamentalist groups such as al-Qaeda are a clear indication of the constant danger that they pose. Foiled terrorist attacks have also served to put the government and the public on edge. In March 2010, the UK s intelligence and security service has said that terror threats linked to Pakistan continues to be the primary area of concern. Sluggish growth in the economy The country attained a high growth rate of 2.8% in 2007, but economic deceleration began in 2008 and the GDP growth rate fell toRead MoreImpact of Print Media on Society10439 Words   |  42 PagesWHEELER A.A. Alabama Christian College 1979 B.A. Western Illinois University 1989 M.A. University of Alabama 1994 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Educational Studies in the College of Education at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2009 Major Professors: Cynthia J. Hutchinson, E. Lea Witta  ©2009 Daniel Aaron Wheeler ii ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to test theRead MoreBrazil Culture17445 Words   |  70 PagesTraditions, Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Patterns, some useful informations of Brazil. According to our research Brazil is a lively country. It has a large acculturation of other ethnic groups. The country’s tourism well developed, has beautiful beaches, and famous carnivals. Lots of tourists choose Brazil to have fun. Therefore tourism has an important and large placement in country’s economy. The Brazilians are friendly and helpful people. While we were doing this research weRead MoreSwot Analysis25582 Words   |  103 PagesAustralian’s monthly wage, it was an immediate success. Within its first 10 years on the market, the Sunbeam mixmaster generated sales in excess of 725 000 units. In 1950, Sunbeam exported its appliances to New Zealand. With international exposure, the growing company needed further manufacturing capacity and it acquired a second manufacturing site in the Sydney suburb of Campsie. In 1952, with the benefit of its sustained success, the company listed on the stock exchange and became Sunbeam Corporation

Exposure to Gender Based Violence and Its Influence on...

This work will not aid in placing programs to support or prevent exposure to gender based violence and its influences on bullying behavior at Belmopan Comprehensive High School. This study will not identify a student by name that displays: ïÆ'Ëœ The highest level of exposure on Gender Based violence at home or school. ïÆ'Ëœ The effects of the exposure to violence at home. ïÆ'Ëœ The student’s collaborative academic work performance in his or her classroom. Also, this study will not reveal the methods used by administration and staff at Belmopan Comprehensive High School to punish the student. Nor will it determine the emotions teachers or students feel towards The Exposure to Gender Based Violence and its influence on Bullying Behavior at†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ To determine which gender prevail more display of bullying behavior differently at school. †¢ The consequences that the exposed-to-violence student faced by the administration and staff at Belmopan Comprehensive High school. †¢ To determine the most frequent seen or known types of bullying behavior the student’s displays at school. †¢ To identify how physical abuse influences bullying behaviors. Literature Review According to Limber (2002), bullying and violence in schools has been a major social problem affecting Students, personal family and social well-being. In the educational system, the officials are disinclined in finding the etiology of bullying and its occurrences. From the physical actions of bullying; problems of low self- esteem, anxiety, rejection, loneliness, and paranoia are manifested as stated by Duncan (1999). Bullying has been found to be associated with violence within the context of the home and the family (Farrington, 1993). Previous Research showed that Children living with violent parents, who are exposed to direct forms of violence, are more likely to be involved in direct bullying behavior; whilst Children who are exposed to verbal abuse are more likely to be involved in indirect bullying behavior. In addition to this Research based on the Social Learning Theory and Modeling Process, females exposure to their Fathers violence against their Mother are likely toShow MoreRelatedCyber Bullying Is A Phenomenon That Has Largely Been Examined From The Perspective Of The Individual Essay1149 Words   |  5 PagesSummary: Cyber bullying is a phenomenon that has largely been examined from the perspective of the individual. Robin Schott, a philosopher and researcher and Dorte Sondergaard a professor of social psychology aim to challenge this perspective, examining cyber bullying occurring as a group. Stefani Germonotta, also known as Lady Gaga, visited Harvard University in Massachusetts to be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in 2012. At this interview, she openly discussed the cruelty she received from peers asRead MoreDomestic Violence research proposal1573 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract The purpose of this study is to see whether or not domestic violence causes a damaging affect on children. The study will included criminal justice students in College and the age range will be between 18 and 23 years old. The method is qualitative and will be an interview. Introduction Domestic violence can be defines as a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. AbuseRead MoreEssay about Gender Based Stereotype in the Media1723 Words   |  7 Pagesextremely difficult for one to maintain his/her unique self identity or perception of others without the influence of the media. People will define themselves and others based on the messages insinuated by the media. The problem hence emerges when the media insinuate the wrong and negative messages, consequently leading to unwarranted stereotypes. Particularly, the media can lead to gender based stereotypes when to communicate the wrong type of messages (Wood 31). On the contrary, there are certainRead MoreVideo Games At Columbine High School1397 Words   |  6 Pageschildren are more susceptible to the negative effects of playing violent video games compared to older teenagers and adults. Furthermore, games that include violence have raised serious concerns among parents, medical professionals, educators, and policy makers about their potentially harmful effects on aggressive behavior. Much of the video game violence discussion has been dominated by social learning theories of aggression. For example, the General Aggression Model proposes that violent media cultivatesRead MorePromoting Healthy Use Of Media For Children And Adolescents Essay1386 Words   |  6 PagesPromoting Healthy Use of Media for Children and Adolescents Nowadays children and adolescents are exposed to intensive media, such as television, radio, music, video games, smart devices, and any internet based social media. Rideout (2015) reported that on any given day, American teenagers (13-18 years old) spend about nine hours on entertainment media use, excluding time spent at school or for homework. Tweens (8-12 years old) use an average of about six hours worth of entertainment media dailyRead MoreCyberbullying And Race / Ethnicity : A Study Of Philadelphia High School Students2894 Words   |  12 PagesProfessor Phyllis Solomon Literature Review Bullying and Race/Ethnicity: A Study of Philadelphia High School Students University of Pennsylvania â€Æ' Bullying and Harassments Bullying and harassment within the K-12 school setting, based on research studies continues to be a problem with great consequences for the victims such as suicidal thoughts, lower grade point averages, high truancy and high drop-out rates. Research on the connection between bullying and harassment and academic variables demonstratedRead MoreViolent Media And Violent Behavior2454 Words   |  10 PagesViolence in the Media and Violent Behavior in Children Anna Borja PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology Instructor Long March 30, 2015 Violent video games, movies and television shows have become the subject of large debates that may have lasted since the beginning of media. Everyone knows that people have the ability and desire to imitate what they experience in the media, and given the perceived increase in violence among children in the U.S., the media is seen as a major possible explanationRead MoreThe Effects Of Bullying On Children And Adolescents Essay1931 Words   |  8 Pages Background Before discussing the effects of bullying, it’s important to know the definition of bullying. It has numerous definitions, all of which are related to aggression and control of power by intimidation. Bullying is generally defined as an intentional act of harm, either physical or emotional, upon those that are considered inferior or weaker. Not only that, but it can also be harmful to children and adolescents who are constantly moving through their identity development (Kira, LewandowskiRead More The Identifying Factors in the Development of Aggression and Violence in Youth Today3982 Words   |  16 PagesDevelopment of Aggression and Violence in Youth Today Tragic events like the shootings at Columbine High School capture public attention and concern, but are not typical of youth violence. Most adolescent homicides are committed in inner cities and outside of school. They most frequently involve an interpersonal dispute and a single victim. On average, six or seven youths are murdered in this country each day. Most of these are inner-city minority youths. Such acts of violence are tragic and contributeRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency And Its Effects On Youth Development1988 Words   |  8 Pagesengage in delinquent or violent behavior increases. Too often society thinks the solution is to incarcerate them when instead many juvenile offenders are great candidates for rehabilitation. Unfortunately, a vast majority of these youth are engaging in risky and dangerous behaviors due to being victims of direct or indirect victimization than can include sexual, physical or emotional victimization and will resort to these behaviors as an outlet. Yo uth’s exposure to violence (ETV) is another detrimental

Leader and Manager free essay sample

Q, Explain how someone can be a manager but not a leader, a leader but not a manager, and both a manager and a leader? Answer: The discussion between management and leadership has been considerable for a number of years. Differentiation between leadership and management is important. There is difference between manager and leader but both are important. Manger has to manage which means to accomplish and to bring about, to conduct and to feel the responsibility. On the other hand, Leader leads by guiding, and influencing in a course, direction, opinion, and action. The distinction between them is crucial (Warren Bennis 2000). In the light of this explanation we shall discuss how someone can become manager but not a leader, a leader but not a manger and both a manager and a leader? Manager but not a Leader: The term of manager is not the same for leader since the two terms are not the same. We will write a custom essay sample on Leader and Manager or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A manager must ensure the appropriate delivery of human resources and funding to meet the routine daily productivity objectives. The manager is known as detailed oriented. Mangers don not see the overall picture and are less interested regarding the long-term corporate goals and mission. They are worried about details; as a result, they do not make them a good leader. Some managers may have certain leadership qualities but they remain too focused on their daily operations and are unable to provide direction and vision to the organization. A manager plans, organizes, leads, and controls whereas a leader influence others through communication, motivation, discipline, direction and dynamics (William A. Howatt, 2008). This explanation clears that someone can be a manager but not a leader. Leader but not a Manager: People who direct, guide and coordinate a group towards an objective and a goal are known as leaders. A leader motivates subordinates to achieve the goals set by the company. Leader shows the ways and lead the ways by example and exhibit an evident commitment to set goals, motivates subordinates for achievements. Leadership qualities are inbuilt qualities and these are further developed though education and experience with certain qualities such as beliefs, values, skills, ethics and knowledge (Snell, 2008). On the other hand, the manager directs predetermined projects and goals. Managers are also involved in the hiring, scheduling and training of the employees to complete the work with efficiency and cost effectiveness. A leader is not involved in such activities; therefore, a person can be a leader but not a manager. Both a Manager and a Leader:

Lory Ice Religions of the WorldJournal 4 DATE @ & Essays - Religion

Lory Ice Religions of the WorldJournal 4 DATE \@ MMMM d, y February 5, 2017 The Hindu religion is the oldest religion of the five major religions, which are Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism. Dating back more than 3,000 years . It originated in India and is still practiced by most of the Natives as well as the people who have left India and moved on to other parts of the world . Eighty five percent of the population in India today is Hindu . The word Hindu comes from an ancient Sanskrit term meaning dwellers by the Indus River . " Hinduism is unique because it has no founder . There is not much organization in the religion . Hinduism suggests commitment to or respect for an ideal way of life know as Dharma. Hinduism absorbs foreign ideas and beliefs making it have a wide variety of beliefs and practices.The Hindus own definition of their community is T hose who belie ve in Vedas . " The beliefs of Hinduism are not specific, but there are a few beliefs such as the Caste System , the Caste System is t he ideal way of life . It is referred to as the duties of one's class and station. C lass is changed to the word CASTE. The re are four great classes. T he Brahmins, or priests , the Ksatriyas, or warriors and rulers , the Vaisayas, or merchants and farmers; and the Sudras, or peasants and laborers. A fifth class, Panchamas, or untouchables, are people whose jobs make them touch unclean or unholy objects. In the past the caste was very strict and kept different people in different classes very distinctly. The re are also four stations of life, each with its own duty. The first stage is studentship , or brahmacarya. This stage lasts from initiation into the religion at the age of five until marriage at the age thirteen . The second stage is householdership, or grihasthya . This is the time during a marriage, raising a family, and taking part in the society. The third stage is forest dwelling , vanaprasthya . It is after the kids have grown and moved on with their lives. The fourth and final stage is renunciation , or samnyasa. This is when one gives up attachment to all worldly things and seeks spiritual liberation. T here are also general duties , sanatanadharma. Th is include s honesty, courage, service, faith, self-control, purity, and nonviolence. The se classes and stations only apply to the male Hindus. An important belief of the Hindus is the theory of karma, which says that all beings, human or animal , karma determines which soul is for which body and the birth attribute of each soul. Th is religion is for the soul to move upward to the most sacred level through the reincarnation. In other word s if a person l ived a good life, done good deeds, and had good faith they will achieve a good karma . Their soul will move up maybe to a king or a schola r , meaning the soul will have a much better position in the next life. however if they did bad things in their lives the soul will move down to worse position in life , for example, maybe a filthy animal or instinct. The Jains see karma as very fine matter that interacts with the soul and causes great changes. Karma is material to them. Philosophy Hinduism has six philosophical systems. The systems called Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, and Yoga emphasize the understanding of basic principles of metaphysics and epistemology. Nyaya i s also included as an analysis of logic. The systems called Mimamsa is identif ied as the performance of ritual. The many Vedanta systems emphasize understanding of the relati on ship between the self a nd the ultimate reality. The Hindus believe the universe has many G ods. These G ods where a lot like humans , and are related like humans. It is very similar to Greek Mythology and theories. The supreme G ods where, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva . They where often related to female deities. The f e males are called Shakti.

Free Essays on Schopenhauer The Will And Science

Schopenhauer had an understanding of the Will, which has to separate parts. The Will to Life and Human Will. The Will to Life, was the over all striving that every animal did on a daily basis, the striving for the will to live. Schopenhauer, believed that the nature of life was suffering and that this suffering was manifested in the will to live. However, this will, in humans, was also manifested by Human Will, or striving for that life, such as studying, reading, etc. This human will also lead to suffering and strife, for as soon as humans would reach one goal, another set of problems or suffering would appear. In fact, Schopenhauer believed that if humans recognized how much suffering that there is in life and in the world, that they would want to kill themselves. However, if you look at all that suffering and decide to live anyways then you have conquered the will and you will no longer truly suffer. In quite a Buddhist theme, you have become liberated and redeemed from life. More over, there is a sense of passive acceptance, where one realizes to detach themselves from society. This is explained when Schopenhauer states, â€Å"The denial of the will to live does not in any way imply the annihilation of a substance; it means merely the act of non-violation: that which previously willed, wills no more. The will is a philosophical substance that can not be removed or killed. Why is it then that Science can not understand the will as interpreted by Schopenhauer? Schopenhauer believed that the will was an Idea, which was in it’s own category. A category different form the a priori and the a posteriori. Science, according to Schopenhauer, is an a priori concept. A priori judgments take sense perception and molds it into a category. Schopenhauer believed that this world of sense perception and categories is a creation of the person or mind who created it. Therefore, Schopenaheur believes that â€Å"the world is a duality of the will and idea.ï ¿ ½... Free Essays on Schopenhauer The Will And Science Free Essays on Schopenhauer The Will And Science Schopenhauer had an understanding of the Will, which has to separate parts. The Will to Life and Human Will. The Will to Life, was the over all striving that every animal did on a daily basis, the striving for the will to live. Schopenhauer, believed that the nature of life was suffering and that this suffering was manifested in the will to live. However, this will, in humans, was also manifested by Human Will, or striving for that life, such as studying, reading, etc. This human will also lead to suffering and strife, for as soon as humans would reach one goal, another set of problems or suffering would appear. In fact, Schopenhauer believed that if humans recognized how much suffering that there is in life and in the world, that they would want to kill themselves. However, if you look at all that suffering and decide to live anyways then you have conquered the will and you will no longer truly suffer. In quite a Buddhist theme, you have become liberated and redeemed from life. More over, there is a sense of passive acceptance, where one realizes to detach themselves from society. This is explained when Schopenhauer states, â€Å"The denial of the will to live does not in any way imply the annihilation of a substance; it means merely the act of non-violation: that which previously willed, wills no more. The will is a philosophical substance that can not be removed or killed. Why is it then that Science can not understand the will as interpreted by Schopenhauer? Schopenhauer believed that the will was an Idea, which was in it’s own category. A category different form the a priori and the a posteriori. Science, according to Schopenhauer, is an a priori concept. A priori judgments take sense perception and molds it into a category. Schopenhauer believed that this world of sense perception and categories is a creation of the person or mind who created it. Therefore, Schopenaheur believes that â€Å"the world is a duality of the will and idea.ï ¿ ½...

Game of Thrones 8th season

Game of Thrones 8th season Game of Thrones: top questions and answers We have the excellent news for the fans of Games of Thrones. Our team has collected the most vital and exciting Game of Thrones questions, which everybody asked after watching the seventh season of this famous serial. Everyone agrees that it was the fantastic and magnificent season with many new characters, plot lines, intrigues, unexpected narrative closures, etc. However, although the 7th season was full of answers to the previous one, there also remained a lot of Game of Thrones questions about what would happen next. Many characters promised a lot, many situations are still unresolved, many enemies still exist, and the heroes are still looking for a happy end, struggling with misunderstanding and ignorance. Therefore, we have gathered top 10 Game of Thrones questions and answers, which the 8th season should reveal. Read on to know more about your favorite heroes and characters and find out about what will happen with their enemies. Although we are 100 percent sure that all have seen the 7th season, still we should warn you please, be careful with reading these Game of Thrones questions if you have not yet seen the 7th season. We will spoil some scenes and episodes.

Fiscal and Monetary Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Fiscal and Monetary Policy - Essay Example This paper is aimed at investigating and defining the best way through which Britain should tackle the present financial crisis. To achieve this objective, the IS/LM model will be employed to see how various policy measures affect the interest rate, national income and inflation rates. Fiscal policy refers to a situation whereby the government restores equilibrium in the economy by making changes to taxes or government expenditure on public goods and services (Smullen & Hand 2005). When there is under-utilisation of capacity, the government can increase capacity utilisation by reducing taxes (that is through a reduction in tax rates or tax base) or by increasing spending on public goods and services as well as subsidising the production of certain goods and services (Smullen & Hand 2005; Visser 2004:43). Fiscal policy aimed at increasing money supply is referred to as easy fiscal policy (Smullen & Hand 2005). On the other hand, when there is over-utilisation of capacity, the government either increases taxes (through and increase in tax rates or tax bases) or reduces spending on public goods and services (Black 2002). It also reduces subsidies and transfer payments. This type of fiscal policy is referred to as tight fiscal policy (Black 2002). ... Fiscal dominance occurs when government can determine the stock of debt, and the path of total expenditures and taxation (Frantiani & Spinelli 2001: 255). Under these conditions, the government can influence the inflation rate, the future flow of monetary base by raising the permanent level of expenditures without at the same time raising taxes. Fiscal dominance is therefore a scenario whereby monetary policy is driven by fiscal policy 1.3 Monetary Policy Monetary policy is the means by which the Central Bank regulates the economy through changes in the supply of money. This can be done by either printing more money or withdrawing money from the economy through the sale of bonds or through the altering of short-term interest rates. There are two types of monetary policies including easy and tight monetary policy. Tight monetary policy is geared towards reducing the amount of money in supply while expansionary monetary policy leads to an increase in the supply of money. Inna (2006) notes that easy monetary policy leads to a fall in the real interest rate thus lowering the cost of capital causing an increase in investment spending, which increases aggregate demand, and, ultimately, output. According to Leviathan (2003:1), Monetary dominance refers to a situation whereby fiscal policy is influenced by monetary policy. Liviatan states, that: "the benchmark definition of monetary dominance is that the fiscal policy has to accommodate any monetary policy". This implies that fiscal policy must ensure that the liquidity of the government is maintained for any monetary policy. Bernanke and Gertler (1995) suggest that, at least in the short-run, monetary policy can significantly influence the cause of the real economy. F or example,

Critical Review Persostent effects of cognitivebrhavioural stress Essay

Critical Review Persostent effects of cognitivebrhavioural stress maagment on cortisol responses to acute stress in healthy subjects - Essay Example Psychological stress brings release of cortisol, a stress hormone that maintains physiological and psychological equilibrium. If cortisol is released in embellished magnitude, it brings harmful effects not only on somatic health but also impairs cognitive functioning. It is apparent that stress-induced variations of hypothalamus-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis functioning are implicated in the commencement and upholding of both somatic and psychiatric conditions, these and also comparable arbitrations could be used for anticipation and rehabilitation of these deleterious stress effects. The view is the focus of the article, it is the study carried out to examine the long-term effects of cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) training on cortisol stress management in healthy men and women. The article emphasizes the impact of CBSM training to attenuate cortisol stress responses in both men and women. The article presents a sight that there is a slight variation between the sexes in response to the CBSM training. Any change in the execution of HPA axis activity alters the circadian rhythm of cortisol secretion and also high plasma cortisol levels (Touitou et al). Various laboratory and environmental stressors are linked to HPA axis response causing upper respiratory tract infection (Cohen et al, 2002) and long-term implications on cardiovascular-related incidences and also type 2 diabetes in men (Rosmond et al , 2003) and also incriminated turned down memory performance in women (Seeman et al,1997 or fractures in men and women (Greendale et al, 1999). Knowing these impacts and their devastating consequences the article throws light on the modulation of cortisol levels by conducting randomized controlled trial study. The study also explains an examination of stability over time and generalizability with regards to gender of endocrine effects of CBSM in healthy individuals. Analysis: The subjects taken in this study were three hundred and fifteen II year psychology students, with due care to reduce individual differences and any external academic stressors. After the primitive screening, selection criterion and questionnaire provided, only 83 subjects were left for the analysis. These participants were randomly selected and assigned in eight groups as per the CBSM group sessions with restricted N=12. Of these groups 1-4 were under the treatment (N=42) and rest 5-8 were categorized as control groups (N=41). The article has the advantage of selecting the participants for both control and treated groups of negligible demographic variables (including age, gender, habitual smoking, use of oral contraceptives and body mass). The treatment was performed for four months and all the subjects underwent a standardized psychological stress test (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST, Kirschbaum et al, 1993). In this study, TSST was performed for treated CBSM group every 2-week period whereas for the controls it is for 4-week period. The article does not imply about the fact that the participant were provided the same kind of

Cultural Differences Affecting Meaning and Understanding Essay Example for Free

Cultural Differences Affecting Meaning and Understanding Essay How do cultural differences affect meaning and understanding? In today’s business environment, the mechanics of global business seem to be working on a surface level. We can make quick money transactions by phone or by computer. Consumers can purchase products from all different countries in one transaction. Although trade barriers are still a major topic, they are slowly decreasing. As we sick below the surface, we will see that Global business is still in major jeopardy because of a newly emerging challenge: Cultural differences. Culture is the pattern of beliefs or expectations that inevitably shape the behaviours of individuals and teams within organisations. It is concerned with the basic assumptions, values, attitudes, food and feeding habits, dress and appearance, relationships, a sense of self and space and norms shaped by members of an organisation or country. These elements of culture are usually taken for granted and guide others perceptions, thoughts and actions. For example, the Culture at McDonald’s fast food chain emphasises efficiency, speed and consistency. It orients employees to company goals and charters and suggests the necessary behaviours for success. Many educated, business people may say â€Å"But we are getting closer and closer to each other, we don’t have any cultural problems’. Yes, it is possible to transcend cultural differences; however statements like this can be misleading to many people. (Funakawa, p18) Geert Hofstede, a successful cross-cultural management researcher, observes five different dimensions within a culture: Power/Distancing – This refers to the degree of inequality that exists and is accepted among people with and without power. High Power distancing cultures conclude that society accepts an unequal distribution of power and people understand their place in the system. Low Power Distancing means that power is shared and well dispersed. It also means that society members view themselves as equals. Application: According to Hofstedes model, in a high Power distancing country like Malaysia, you would probably send reports only to top management and have closed door meetings where only a select few, powerful leaders were in attendance. Individualism – This refers to the strength of the ties people have to others within the community. A high Individualism society indicates a loose connection with people. In countries with a high Individualism society there is a lack of interpersonal connection and little sharing of responsibility, beyond family and perhaps a few close friends. A society with a low Individualism would have strong group cohesion, and there would be a large amount of loyalty and respect for members of the group. The group itself is also larger and people take more responsibility for each others well being. Masculinity – This refers to how much a society sticks with, and values, traditional male and female roles. High Masculinity societies are found in countries where men are expected to be tough, to be the provider, to be assertive and to be strong. If women work outside the home, they have separate professions from men. Low Masculinity societies do not reverse the gender roles. In a low Masculinity society, the roles are simply blurred. You see women and men working together equally across many professions. Men are allowed to be sensitive and women can work hard for professional success. Uncertainty/Avoidance Index – This relates to the degree of anxiety society members feel when in uncertain or unknown situations. High Uncertainty societies try to avoid ambiguous situations whenever possible. They are governed by rules and order and they seek a collective truth. Low Uncertainty societies indicate the society enjoys novel events and values differences. There are very few rules and people are encouraged to discover their own truth. Geert also observes that when people write about national cultures in modern society becoming more and more similar, the evidence cited is usually taken from the level of practices; people dress the same, use the same fashionable words in context, buy the same products and brands, they participate in global sports etc. These manifestations of culture are sometimes mistaken for all there is: the deeper, underlying values is often overlooked. (Funakawa p33) The value for cross cultural communication cannot be overemphasised. It is what enables any mission statement, vision or strategy, and affects meaning and understanding on every level.

Margit Stange’s Literary Criticism of Chopin’s The Awakening Essay

Margit Stange’s Literary Criticism of Chopin’s The Awakening Margit Stange makes a series of meaningful connections between Kate Chopin’s dramatization of Edna Pontellier’s â€Å"awakening† and the historical context of feminist thought which Stange believes influenced the novel. Part of understanding Edna’s motives and Chopin’s thinking are Stange’s well-chosen references to the contemporary ideology that shapes Edna’s thinking and her choices. Stange argues that Edna is seeking the late-nineteenth-century conception of self-ownership, which pivots on â€Å"voluntary motherhood.† Edna’s awakening, her acquisition of self-determination, comes from identifying and re-distributing what she owns, which Stange argues is her body. For example, Edna’s skin indicates early in the novel her more complex relationship with her husband. Her sunburned hands seem to indicate a woman who has performed a labor of some necessity, therefore making her â€Å"unrecognizable† as the wife of a respected and prosperous businessman. At the same time, those who see her and know who she is are reminded of Leonce’s status by the tan his wife has acquired while visiting an elite resort (279-80). The clash between the appearance of labor and leisure in Edna’s form gradually comes to favor the look of leisure, but it is Edna who increasingly defines how she spends her time, and what constitutes leisure. By casting off the duties that come with being Mrs. Pontellier, Edna is devaluing the â€Å"currency† with which her husband buys respectability and esteem. By withholding sexual and social favors, Edna ruptures Leonce’s privileged comfort and establishes herself as femme seule, literally providing for herself with an independent income (282, 286). Stange links this situat... ...ity. Certainly that is an effective material argument, and further exploration of contemporary criticisms of birth control, from both men and women, could provide even greater context for understanding how women regarded motherhood and to what extent they saw it as â€Å"voluntary.† But Stange herself points to a profound statement of Stanton’s that more clearly defines the power mothers wielded socially, and the great loss of self-ownership motherhood entailed, both of which Edna Pontellier came to understand and control. Describing what Stange calls a â€Å"moment of extreme maternal giving,† Stanton wrote â€Å"‘alone [woman] goes to the gates of death to give life to every man that is born into the world; no one can share her fears, no one can mitigate her pangs; and if her sorrow is greater than she can bear, alone she passes beyond the gates into the vast unknown’† (289).

Nature and nurture on development Essay

In the study of development, nature refers to the inherited (genetic) characteristics and tendencies that influence development. Some inherited characteristics appear in virtually everyone. For instance, almost all children have the capacity to learn to walk, understand language, imitate others, use simple tools, and draw inferences about how other people view the world. Thus all children have a set of universal human genes that, when coupled with a reasonable environment, permit them to develop as reasonably capable members of the human species. Other kinds of genes create differences among people. Children’s stature, eye color, and facial appearance are largely determined by genes. Children’s temperament—their characteristic ways of responding to emotional events, novel stimuli, and their own impulses—seems to be in part affected by their individual genetic makeup (Rothbart, Ahadi, & Evans, 2000; D. C. Rowe, Almeida, & Jacobson, 1999). Similarly, being slow or quick to learn from instruction and everyday experiences has some genetic basis (Petrill & Wilkerson, 2000; Plomin, 1989). Inherited characteristics and tendencies are not always evident at birth. Many physical features emerge gradually through the process of maturation, the genetically guided changes that occur over the course of development. Environmental support, such as food, reasonably safe and toxin-free surroundings, and responsive care from others, is necessary for maturation to take place; nature never works alone. Thus nature’s partner is nurture, the environmental conditions that influence development. Children’s experiences in the environment affect all aspects of their being, from the health of their bodies to the curiosity of their minds. Nurture affects children’s development through multiple channels: physically through nutrition, activity, and stress; intellectually through informal experiences and formal instruction; and socially through adult role models and peer relationships. With good environmental support, children thrive. Unfortunately, the conditions of nurture are not always nurturing. For example, children who grow up in an abusive family must look outside the family for stable, affectionate care. Historically, many theorists saw nature and nurture as separate and rival factors. Some theorists believed that biological factors are ultimately responsible for growth. Other theorists assumed that children become whatever the environment shapes them to be. Increasingly, developmental theorists have come to realize that nature and nurture are both important and that they intermesh dynamically in the lives of children. Consider these principles of how nature and nurture exert separate and combined effects: The relative effects of heredity and environment vary for different areas of development. Some abilities are strongly influenced by genetically controlled systems in the brain. For example, the ability to distinguish among speech sounds develops without training and under a wide range of environmental conditions (Flavell, 1994; Gallistel, Brown, Carey, Gelman, & Keil, 1991). In contrast, abilities in traditional school subject areas (e. g. , reading, geography) and advanced artistic and physical skills (e. g. , playing the piano, playing competitive soccer) rest heavily on instruction and practice (Gardner, Torff, & Hatch, 1996; Olson, 1994; R. Watson, 1996). Inherited tendencies make children more or less responsive to particular environmental influences. Because of their genetic makeup, some children are easily affected by certain conditions in the environment, whereas others are less affected (Rutter, 1997). For example, children who are, by nature, inhibited may be quite shy around other people if they have few social contacts. If their parents and teachers encourage them to make friends, however, they may become more socially outgoing (Arcus, 1991; J. Kagan, 1998). In contrast, children who have more extroverted temperaments may be sociable regardless of the environment in which they grow up: They will persistently search for peers with whom they can talk, laugh, and spend time. Environment may play a greater role in development when environmental conditions are extreme rather than moderate. When youngsters have experiences typical for their culture and age-group, heredity often plays a strong role in their individual characteristics. Thus, when children grow up with adequate nutrition, a warm and stable home environment, and appropriate educational experiences, heredity affects how quickly and thoroughly they acquire new skills. But when they have experiences that are quite unusual—for instance, when they experience extreme deprivation—the influence of environment outweighs that of heredity (D. C. Rowe, Almeida, & Jacobson, 1999). For example, when children grow up deprived of adequate nutrition and stimulation, they may fail to develop advanced intellectual skills, even though they had the potential for such development when they were born (Plomin & Petrill, 1997; D. C. Rowe, Jacobson, & Van den Oord, 1999). Similarly, when malnourished, children tend to remain short in stature regardless of their genetic potential to be tall (J. S. Kagan, 1969). Timing of environmental exposure matters. When children are changing rapidly in any area, they are especially prone to influence by the environment. For example, early in a mother’s pregnancy, her use of certain drugs may damage the quickly growing organs and limbs of the developing fetus. Just prior to birth, exposure to the same drugs may adversely affect the baby’s brain, which at that point is forming the connections that will permit survival and the ability to learn in the outside world. In a few cases environmental stimulation must occur during a particular period for an emerging ability to become functional (Blakemore, 1976; Hubel & Wiesel, 1965). In such cases there is a critical period for stimulation. For example, at birth, certain areas of the brain are tentatively reserved for processing visual patterns—lines, shapes, contours, depth, and so forth. In virtually all cases, infants do encounter adequate stimulation to preserve these brain circuits. However, when cataracts are present at birth and not removed for a few years, a child’s vision is obstructed, and areas of the brain that otherwise would be devoted to vision lose some of this capacity (Bruer, 1999). In many and probably most other developmental areas, however, children may be most receptive to a certain type of stimulation at one point in their lives but be able to benefit from it to some degree later as well. Tonya, in the introductory case study, may have encountered only limited exposure to language as a result of her mother’s weakened condition. Immersed later in a rich verbal environment, Tonya would have a second chance to expand her verbal talents. Thus educational experiences at a later time can often make up for experiences missed at an earlier period (Bruer, 1999). Many theorists use the term sensitive period (rather than critical period) when referring to such a long time frame of heightened sensitivity to particular environmental experiences. Children’s natural tendencies affect their environment. In addition to being affected by nature and nurture, children’s own behaviors influence their growth. Youngsters make many choices, seek out information, and, over time, refine their ideas (Flavell, 1994; Piaget, 1985). For example, children often request information (â€Å"What cooperate mean, Mommy? †) and experiences (â€Å"Uncle Kevin, can I play on your computer? †). Children even help create environments that exacerbate their genetic tendencies. For example, children with irritable dispositions might pick fights and provoke others to lash back at them, creating a more aggressive climate in which to grow. As children get older, they become increasingly able to seek stimulation that suits their tendencies. For example, imagine that Marissa has an inherited talent for verbal skills—learning vocabulary, comprehending stories, and so on. As a baby, she relies on her parents to talk to her. As a toddler, she asks her parents for particular kinds of stimulation (â€Å"Read book, Daddy! †). In elementary school she reads to herself from books supplied by her teachers. As a teenager, she takes the bus to the library and selects her own books. Marissa’s experience would suggest that genetic tendencies become more powerful as children grow older—an expectation that is in fact consistent with genetic research (Scarr & McCartney, 1983).

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 3

After a good night's sleep, I went to work the next morning, feeling a bit more optimistic about life. I decided Tawny had probably already scored last night, and Niphon was on his way to the airport. Plus, I'd get to see Seth soon since he had made my place of employment, Emerald City Books & Caf? ¦, his writing headquarters. Yes, it wouldn't be such a bad day. Due to my ex-manager's complicated pregnancy, I'd recently inherited her position. This had left my old assistant-manager position vacant, and we'd ended up hiring Maddie Sato who just happened to be the sister of Doug Sato – the other assistant manager. It had been a stunning display of favoritism, and Doug had thrown a fit, complaining how we'd just lowered his coolness rating by ten points. As it was, Maddie already lived with him. She'd come to visit after his recent hospitalization and never really left. She had a second job as a freelance writer at a feminist magazine, and working at Emerald City gave her a more stable source of income. I liked Maddie. She was smart and capable and had a twisted sense of humor that spoke to mine. She worked well with customers and was always very polite in a professional capacity. For example, she could get caught up talking with Seth about ‘writerly' topics and function beautifully. But, when it came to friendlier and more interpersonal stuff, her social skills were a bit lacking. After a particularly analytical writing discussion, Seth had once made an off-hand comment about her childhood, and she'd frozen up. Seeing him with someone even more socially awkward than he was had been amusing, but mostly I'd felt disappointed at her relapse. I'd made good progress in getting her to come out of her shell and knew how fun she could be. I wanted everyone else to see it too. Today I found her upstairs in the caf? ¦, sitting at the table Seth had staked out with his laptop. It apparently wasn't a writerly day because Doug sat with them. He and Maddie appeared to be in some sort of heated argument. Seth sat between them, looking like he desperately wanted to be somewhere else. Catching my eye, he gave me a pleading look. I purposely slid a chair up beside him, forcing Doug to scoot his own chair over. No one knew Seth and I were dating, and the Sato siblings were so caught up in the discussion they didn't think anything of the chair placement. â€Å"What's going on?† I asked. â€Å"It had better involve the fate of the store to be detaining the entire management team.† The holidays were nearly upon us, and business was insane lately. Maddie had the grace to look embarrassed, suddenly remembering her duties. She opened her mouth to speak, but Doug interrupted her. â€Å"My illustrious sister's an insensitive bitch.† Maddie rolled her eyes. â€Å"He has some crazy ideas about Beth.† I sighed. â€Å"Look, if this is about the time Beth wore leg warmers here – â€Å" â€Å"Don't remind me of that,† grumbled Doug. â€Å"My illustrious brother has this crazy idea that Beth just broke up with someone,† explained Maddie. Both looked at me as though they expected me to set this matter straight. Puzzled, I glanced back and forth between them. â€Å"Why's that crazy?† â€Å"Because she has a cold,† said Maddie. â€Å"She said she has a cold. That's why she's sniffling.† â€Å"She's pretending to have a cold,† cried Doug. â€Å"What kind of sick and twisted world is this when an asshole like me is the one to notice heartache in the masses? For God's sake, her eyes are all red.† â€Å"Cold,† Maddie repeated firmly. She considered. â€Å"Or maybe allergies.† â€Å"In December?† The two of them bickered on. Beside me, Seth fought – and failed – to keep a straight face. I studied the way his lips curved into a smile, liking their shape and recalling how they felt. I turned my attention back to the siblings, enjoying the show. Finally, after about five more minutes, I remembered I was an authority figure and not a slacker employee. â€Å"Why is this a big deal?† I asked. â€Å"Because she's wrong,† Doug said. â€Å"I'm just trying to prove that.† Maddie sighed. â€Å"You're like a twelve-year-old.† â€Å"Am not.† He jabbed her in the arm. â€Å"Okay, enough.† I pointed to Doug. â€Å"You, register.† I pointed to Maddie. â€Å"You, my office.† â€Å"Ooh†¦you're in trouble,† Doug told her. â€Å"I'm going to show her how to process orders,† I growled. Maddie's eyes gleamed with anticipation, dimples appearing in her round cheeks. She ate up new tasks. â€Å"Female favoritism,† said Doug. â€Å"You like her better than me, don't you? It's okay. You can tell me. I can take it.† â€Å"Go. Both of you. I'll be down in a sec.† I looked at Seth when they were gone. â€Å"This is why I don't have children,† I told him. That wasn't true, of course. Not true at all. Children simply weren't in the cards for succubi. â€Å"Although†¦I think Doug's actually right,† I mused. â€Å"As crazy as that is. I saw Beth on my way in.† Seth smiled. â€Å"Maddie's a good writer and super smart, but she's kind of oblivious to other people.† I gave him a wry look. â€Å"I thought that was true about all writers.† â€Å"Some are worse than others.† â€Å"Shocking. You rode in a car with her for, what, four hours? What'd you guys talk about?† â€Å"Writing.† I sighed. â€Å"I wish she'd relax around people other than Doug and me. She's hilarious. She came up with the idea to Silly String Doug's car after he said Betty Friedan was PMSing when she wrote The Feminine Mystique.† â€Å"I'm not sure I'd describe that as ‘hilarious' so much as ‘scary.' Besides, that was your idea,† he reminded me. â€Å"You two are dangerous. Your whole soul-stealing act seems kind of softcore compared to the stuff you and Maddie concoct.† I grinned. It was true. I hadn't really hung out with a lot of women in the last century or so and was discovering I'd been missing out. â€Å"You have no idea. Social awkwardness or not, she's the best thing that's happened to me in a while.† â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"Well, present company excluded of course.† â€Å"Sure. Whatever you say.† â€Å"Hey.† I almost grabbed his hand, then remembered we were in public. â€Å"There's no competition. You're a better cook. And a better kisser.† â€Å"I didn't realize you'd tried her out.† â€Å"Well, you know how much I like writers.† My smile slipped a little as my mind switched subjects. I'd been thinking about my energy loss all morning, particularly since I'd probably be seeking my hit tonight or tomorrow. Jerome had blown the matter off, but like usual, I couldn't let it go. I decided then that I'd go visit my friend Erik Lancaster, Seattle's local mortal source of occult knowledge. He seemed to know more than my cronies half the time. I extended the invitation to Seth, and he agreed to come with me. I was glad. I had often thought it might do him some good to talk to another human who regularly dealt with the supernatural. This was as good of a time as any. Seth met me at my place after work, and we microwaved a quick dinner before heading out. As we walked down the stairs of my building, he teased me about Maddie again. â€Å"You guys were working in the office a while. Sure you weren't making out?† â€Å"Not too much,† I assured him. He laughed and caught hold of my hand. I jerked him toward me. Our lips met in a kiss, and as the warmth of his body stirred mine, I had no doubts about what the best thing in my life was. After a few sweet moments, we followed the drill and separated, our reluctance making the disentanglement a bit awkward in execution. â€Å"Yeah,† I told him. â€Å"She's definitely not as good a kisser as – â€Å" I cut myself off, grimacing as I felt Niphon coming toward us. His immortal aura felt slimy and musky. I stepped farther away from Seth and glared down the sidewalk at the approaching imp. Seeing me, he waved a hand in greeting. â€Å"Excuse me a moment,† I muttered. I skipped down the steps and blocked Niphon from getting within earshot of Seth. â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"Attitude, attitude, Letha,† he tsked. â€Å"Succubi should be charming and cordial at all times.† He peered beyond me. â€Å"Is that the human boyfriend? Can I meet him?† â€Å"You can go the fuck away. You're supposed to be keeping an eye on Tawny.† â€Å"I have been,† he said cheerfully. â€Å"That's why I came to see you. I followed her last night. She was quite confident in her abilities but had some difficulty arranging an assignation in the end. Poor thing. It seems she may take longer than suspected in getting established. Fortunately, I'll stay with her until the end.† His mocking concern dug into me, just as he'd intended. â€Å"Is that all you came to tell me? Because I'm leaving now. I've got to be somewhere.† â€Å"Of course, of course,† he simpered. He gestured vaguely in Seth's direction. â€Å"I didn't mean to interrupt your heated moment, even if it looked like it was about to cool down.† A sudden look of realization crossed his face. â€Å"You don't sleep with him, do you? You've got some sort of noble sense of duty about absorbing his life. That poor, poor man.† Niphon laughed. â€Å"Oh, Letha. You are one of the most fascinating creatures I've ever come across.† I turned my back on him and stormed up to Seth. â€Å"Come on, we're leaving.† â€Å"Who was that?† he asked as we walked away. â€Å"He's an imp. And an asshole.† Even almost a block away, I could still just barely catch Niphon's taunting laughter. I tried to ignore it as Seth and I walked to his car. Listening to my friends tease me about Seth was annoying enough. From Niphon, it was unbearable. Fortunately, I calmed down by the time Seth and I got on the road. I instead focused on seeing Erik and hopefully getting my mystery solved. Erik ran a store up in Lake City called Arcana, Ltd. Unfortunately placed in a strip mall, it nonetheless possessed a warm, cozy feel. Dim lighting shed a tranquil air, and the bubbling of small fountains mingled with the soft sounds of a CD player emitting harp music. Books, jewelry, candles, and statuary cluttered up every inch of free space. The sweet scent of nag champa hung in the air. â€Å"Neat,† said Seth, peering around as we entered. Erik glanced up from where he was kneeling behind a stack of books. He'd grown a mustache since last I saw him, and I liked the way the gray hair stood out against his dark brown skin. A gentle smile bloomed on his face. â€Å"Miss Kincaid, what an unexpected pleasure. And you have a friend.† He rose and walked to us, extending his hand toward Seth. â€Å"Erik, this is Seth Mortensen. Seth, Erik.† They shook. â€Å"A pleasure, Mr. Mortensen. You keep good company.† â€Å"Yes,† said Seth, smiling in return. â€Å"I do.† â€Å"If we're lucky,† I said silkily, â€Å"Erik will have time for tea. He only serves decaf, so that should make you happy.† â€Å"Of course I have time,† said Erik. â€Å"I doubt there's any man who doesn't have time for you, Miss Kincaid.† I shot Seth a teasing look when Erik left to put the tea on. â€Å"Ah, now there's someone who appreciates me. You wouldn't see him shirking me for a book.† â€Å"If memory serves, you worship those books. Besides, how else am I supposed to keep you in the lifestyle you're accustomed to?† â€Å"If memory serves, I paid the last time we went out.† â€Å"Well, yeah. I was just letting you play liberated so that you and Maddie wouldn't go vandalize my car.† When our tea party commenced around Erik's small corner table, I was surprised to hear Seth engage Erik in conversation on what it meant to be a mortal among immortals. Seth wasn't usually so forthcoming, and I wondered just how much immortal weirdness troubled him. â€Å"It puts my sense of time awry,† remarked Erik. â€Å"I see people like Miss Kincaid who stay young and beautiful forever. It makes me feel as though no time has passed. Then I look at myself and see the new wrinkles. I feel the aches in my bones. I realize I will be left behind†¦they will go on and continue to shape the world without me.† He sighed, more with bemusement than sadness. â€Å"I wish I could see what will happen next.† â€Å"Yes,† Seth said, surprising me. His eyes looked dark and solemn. â€Å"I know what you mean.† I glanced over at him, seeing something I'd never noticed before. I knew he must think about the future and his own death – all mortals did – but only now did I realize how much he really thought about those things. Looking at both men, I remembered they would eventually die, and it made something in my chest grow cold. For the space of a heartbeat, I could almost see Seth as wrinkled and gray-haired as Erik. â€Å"Morbid much, you guys?† I asked, trying to affect a blas? ¦ air. â€Å"I didn't come here to bring everyone down. I've got to pick Erik's brain.† â€Å"Pick away,† he said. â€Å"Well†¦you know how I need, uh, life and energy to survive, right?† An idiotic statement. Of course he knew. â€Å"Yesterday morning, I woke up, and my entire stash was gone.† Erik considered. â€Å"That's normal, isn't it? It fades over time.† â€Å"Not this quickly. Especially since†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stopped, suddenly realizing having Seth here might not have been so wise after all. â€Å"I, um, had just gotten a refill the night before.† Both men kept neutral expressions. â€Å"And you did nothing out of the ordinary?† â€Å"No, Jerome thinks it was mental stress.† I shrugged. â€Å"I don't think I was that stressed. I dreamed†¦a weird dream†¦but nothing stressful.† â€Å"Dreams are powerful,† Erik said. â€Å"And sometimes stress can take more out of us than we realize. Unfortunately, I know little about dreams, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He frowned, and his gaze suddenly turned inward. â€Å"But what?† â€Å"I know someone who might be able to help. Someone who specializes in dreams.† â€Å"Who?† This sounded promising. Erik took a long time in answering. When he spoke, he seemed unhappy to give up the words. â€Å"Someone who might as well be signed and sealed to your side. His name's Dante Moriarty.† I snickered. â€Å"That can't be his real name.† â€Å"It's not, though I'm sure some of your imp and demon friends would know him by any name. He's a con artist†¦among other things. Considers himself a magician too.† â€Å"I deal with corrupt people all the time,† I pointed out. â€Å"Doesn't bother me much.† â€Å"True,† agreed Erik. He still looked troubled, which I found puzzling. Although not evil himself, he interacted with me and others of my ilk on a regular basis without blinking. I wondered what it was about one human that would bother him so much. â€Å"I'll get you his contact information.† He sought out Dante's card, and I browsed around the store while Seth used the bathroom in the back. The old storekeeper handed me the card when he found it. â€Å"I like Mr. Mortensen a great deal.† â€Å"Yeah. So do I.† â€Å"I know. I can tell.† I looked up from a display of bracelets, waiting for more. â€Å"You talk and move around each other in a way you're probably not even aware of. It's like how lovers usually interact†¦but it's something more too. You have a continual sense of each other, I think, even when not together. There's a burning in the air between you.† I didn't know what to say to that. It sounded nice – but a little intimidating too. â€Å"I've never met another of your kind who's exactly like you, Miss Kincaid.† He hesitated, his normally wise-and-competent expression flickering into uncertainty. It was a rare look for him. â€Å"I don't know how this will turn out.† Seth emerged then, picking up that he'd interrupted something. He glanced between the two of us, and I rested a reassuring hand on his arm. â€Å"You about ready to go?† â€Å"Sure.† I scanned the rest of the jewelry counter, only half-noticing the contents. Suddenly, I did a double-take and leaned over one of the cases. â€Å"Erik, where do you find this stuff?† He and Seth looked over my shoulder. â€Å"Ah, yes,† said Erik. â€Å"The Byzantine rings. By the same artist who made your ankh necklace.† â€Å"Your artist has a real knack for historical detail. They look just like the originals.† He walked around the counter and lifted out the tray with the rings. I picked one up. It was an ordinary gold band. Rather than any sort of mounted gem on top, it bore a smooth and flat disc, almost the size of a dime. Greek letters were engraved into the metal. â€Å"What do they mean?† asked Seth. I tried to explain the long-lost custom. â€Å"It's a benediction. Like a prayer for the couple. This would have been a wedding ring.† I examined another depicting Christ and the Virgin; still another showed a tiny man and woman facing each other. â€Å"I used to have a ring almost like this,† I said softly, turning it over in my hands. Neither man said anything, and I finally returned it to its tray. On the way home, Seth gently asked, â€Å"What happened to your ring?† I stared out the window. â€Å"It's not important.† â€Å"Tell me.† I didn't respond, and he didn't ask me again. When we got back to my place, I saw no sign of Vincent and figured he was out investigating with Charlie's Angels. Newspapers were scattered across my kitchen table; he apparently liked to keep up on current events. Morbid events, at that. One of the headlines was a story I'd heard the other day about a crazy man who'd killed his wife after having a vision of seeing her with another man. Mortals did creepy things sometimes. Okay, a lot of the time. Seth sat on my couch and leaned forward, hands clasped together. I'd sensed his mood shift when I wouldn't answer in the car. â€Å"Thetis†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You want to know about the ring.† â€Å"The ring doesn't matter so much. It's just†¦well, I've seen you get like this. Something bugs you, something you remember. But you won't talk to me about it. There are days I feel like you don't tell me anything.† I sat down next to him, avoiding eye contact in a way he often did. â€Å"I tell you plenty.† â€Å"Not about your past.† â€Å"I have a lot of past, and I talk about it all the time.† â€Å"Yeah†¦I guess.† He absentmindedly stroked my arm. â€Å"But you don't talk about your mortal past. Before you were a succubus.† â€Å"So? Does it make a difference? You're with me now. You know the kind of person I am now.† â€Å"I do. And I love that person. And I want to know what's important to you. What made you who you are. I want to know what hurts you so that I can help.† â€Å"You don't need to know that to know who I am. My human past doesn't enter in to anything,† I said stiffly. â€Å"I can't believe that.† Again, I didn't answer. â€Å"I don't know anything about that part of your life,† he continued. â€Å"I don't know your real name. What you really look like. Where you grew up. I don't even know how old you are.† â€Å"Hey, it's not just me. You have plenty of things you don't talk about,† I pointed out, trying to deflect the attention. â€Å"What do you want to know?† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I groped for something I didn't know much about. â€Å"You never talk about your dad. How he died.† Seth answered immediately, without hesitation. â€Å"Not much to tell. Cancer. I was thirteen. According to a therapist Mom made us see, I withdrew into a world of fantasy to cope.† I leaned my head against his shoulder, knowing he'd expound on anything I wanted to know – in a subdued, Seth sort of way. It was ironic considering his normal conversational reticence, but that was how he operated. He believed relationships had to have an open exchange of honesty and baring of souls. I supposed he was right, but there were too many dark parts of my soul I didn't want to share. Parts I was afraid would scare him off. I knew Seth well enough to realize he wouldn't push this issue anymore tonight, but I could also sense his hurt and disappointment. He didn't ask me these questions to upset me; he did it out of sincere affection. That didn't make it easier, unfortunately, and I fought my anxiety and long-buried pain to try to offer him something. Anything. Anything to show I was making an effort in this relationship. My original face and name were dead to me, obsolete reminders of the woman I'd left behind, never mind Niphon's insistence on calling me Letha. Seth would never know those things. We sat together for a long time while I decided what I could give up. Finally, with the words sticking in my mouth, I said, â€Å"I grew up in Cyprus.† The air grew tense as we both waited for more. â€Å"In the early fifth century. I don't know exactly what year I was born. We didn't really keep track of those things.† He exhaled. I hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath. Slowly, carefully, he put an arm around me and pressed his lips against my hair. â€Å"Thank you.† I buried my face against his shoulder, not knowing what I hid from. I'd barely given him anything – just a couple of pieces of trivia. Nonetheless, yielding that tiny bit from a place in me I wanted to hide from was powerful. I felt exposed and vulnerable without fully understanding why. Seth gently stroked my hair. â€Å"Is the ring from around that time?† he asked. I nodded against him. â€Å"It'd be worth a lot then, I suppose.† â€Å"I lost it,† I whispered. He must have picked up on the anguish in my voice. He held me tighter. â€Å"I'm sorry.† We stayed together a while longer that night, but I knew he wanted to go home and work at his own place. Unable to deny him, I shooed him away, though I had a feeling that he would have stayed if I'd asked it. Once he was gone, I went into my bedroom and closed the door. Kneeling in front of my open closet, I pulled out box after box, setting them haphazardly around the room. My organization lacked something – like, say, organization – and it took me a while to sift through the clutter of junk. Finally, I produced a shoebox covered in dust. Lifting the lid, I felt my breath catch. Old, brown letters lay stacked with a few photographs. A heavy gold cross on a fraying string lay among the papers, along with other small treasures. I carefully hunted around until I found what I wanted: a bronze ring, green with age. I held it in my hands, still able to discern the engraved couple atop the mounted disc. It was a cruder job but still very similar to Erik's modern renditions. I ran my fingertips along the ring's edges without knowing what I did. I even tried it on, but it didn't fit. It had been made for larger fingers than I had now. I refused to shape-shift to the right size. I kept the ring out for a few more minutes, thinking of Seth and Cyprus and all sorts of things. Finally, unable to stand the ache within me, I put the ring back into its box and buried it once more in the closet.

Casino Industry

Casino Industry es done on the subject over the past 15 years. It was even the topic of contention of a commission, the Gambling Impact Commission, back in the late 1990s. On the impact of the casino in the global market, there is lots of information to be precise. The commercial casino industry plays a major role in the U.S. entertainment industry as well as contributing to the U.S. economy (Stinson, 2005). It is important to the states and communities in the areas where it operates. It creates jobs and business opportunities actually for local businesses. It also provides direct gaming tax revenues stimulating the struggling economies and helping the surrounding communities grow. Few economic and other sectors in the U.S. requires quite a considerable capital expenditures, labor intensive and supportive of many outside vendors as well as suppliers like the case of the commercial casino industry (Thalheimer, 2004). Thanks to these casino contributions, gaming industries are relatively stable business partners that play a key role in the landscape of the countrys economy. Internationally, U.S. commercial casinos have contributed in the building of the industry into a significant part of the economy globally by pursuing huge investment opportunities in as many emerging foreign markets as possible. While the industry expands in size, it also continues in evolving in scope to provide new entertainment offers and necessitating the adoption of technological innovations aimed at delivering the best customer experience (Garrett, 2004). SWOT Analysis This analysis offers conclusions about the casino industry in which the industry can exploit the opportunities and strengths and improve on their weaknesses and threats. In the casino industry, there is a lot on the opportunities, threats strengths and weaknesses relating to the advancement of the industry in future. TABLE 1 SWOT Analysis of Casino Industry Strengths International growth into other countries for instance Asian markets History (developed over many decades) Acceptance by public officials Weaknesses Development of many illegal casinos Insecurity and poor player tracking Myths about casinos (illegal dealings, rich mans place) Opportunities Extending growth to other markets for instance Africa Metamorphosis into other investments for instance multi-component entertainment centers New technologies developments for instance server-based games Threats Introduction of strict Gaming Control Board rules could usurp the running of the industry The countrys economy could collapse if solely dependent on the casino industry Recommendations The casino industry is strong in United States and continues to grow over the years. The fact that it is employing thousands of residents means that it is a powerful tool in the economy. This means that it ought to sustain operations even under all circumstances. The collapse of the casino would mean a major draw back in the countrys economy and many people rendered jobless. The conflict in the operation of casinos ought to get lasting solutions (Vander, 1999). First, the security of the casino industry needs to be enhanced perfectly to bridge the trust in the industry and enhance its acceptance. Radio frequency identification (RFID) is perfectly a way through which the casinos can use in the improvement of the security and facilitating successful player tracking. This will increase the integrity rating of both dealers and the players and facilitate a smooth running of the industry (Shaffer, 1997). Community engagement would be the ideal way of bringing in acceptance of the industry and whiling away any criticisms regarding the casino industry (O'Reilly, 2000). Commitment to environmental sustainability is best in leading in area of hospitality as well as entertainment businesses. The U.S. Green Building Council engagement would build trust in this industry and make a good chance of educating the people the positive side of the casino industry whiling away all myths concerning the industry (SALLAZ, 2002). Responsible gambling campaigns are also a great way of making the industry safe and best for the parties involved. Creating a national spotlight regarding responsible gaming makes the industry run smoothly with few incidents reported concerning illegal acts in gambling or other activities building a better name for the industry and promoting acceptance. The implementation of AGA Code of Conduct in all casinos all over the United States is the way forward in this industrys success (Stokowski, 1993).

Labor vs. Belabor

Labor vs. Belabor Labor vs. Belabor Labor vs. Belabor By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, Can you tell me which is preferred, labor the point or belabor the point. Ive heard them used interchangeably. The Google Ngram Viewer indicates that â€Å"labor the point,† (â€Å"to continue to repeat or explain something that has already been said and understood†) has been around for about 100 years longer than â€Å"belabor the point.† A Web search suggests that the two versions are now used interchangeably: The vice president was apologizing for being long-winded and belaboring points, even as he continued to  belabor  long-winded  points. Not to  belabor the point, but writing for publication is hard. The speaker labored the point  so long that we lost interest. I will not labor the point that the power company doesn’t have many fans in Kenya. The verb belabor has other applications. Literally, â€Å"to belabor† is â€Å"to thrash or buffet with all one’s might,† as in this description from Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Legree was provoked beyond measure by Tom’s evident happiness; and riding up to him, belabored him over his head and shoulders. Figuratively, â€Å"to belabor† is â€Å"to assail with words.† In this quotation from The Red Badge of Courage, the officers are urging their men to move faster: Belabored  by their officers, they began to move forward. When applied to prose, belabored applies to a type of writing style characterized by long sentences and inappropriately erudite or archaic vocabulary: [â€Å"The Turn of the Screw† by Henry James] may have created and sustained tension and horror when it was written, but now it is mostly belabored, overextended prose. While popular criticism struggles to find its bearings, academia keeps on producing mountains of belabored prose for the sake of sustaining the small but diverse group of important thinkers still doing important work.   [A]n unreasonable fascination with how spare one can make a sentence can have an equally destructive effect on the readers experience and draw just as much attention to the authors skill in restraint as belabored prose draws to his cleverness or intelligence. Both extremes are destructive to the overall health of a story. The Bailee translation captures the lyrical flavor of Hegels highly belabored prose.   Ian M. Banks and China Mieville write rings around Herbert’s belabored prose. Sometimes the writer’s use of belabor leaves the reader wondering about its intended meaning in the context: No need to belabor the  awfulness of this film, a romantic comedy devoid of romance.  Ã‚   I dont mean to belabor the discussion of Royals GM Dayton Moore. He had been  belaboring Rockefeller  for many years.   In 2007, the year that NCLB was evidencing belabored breathing, Colemanstarted a new, national-standards-writing company (which turned nonprofit in 2011), Student Achievement Partners.† This event did not belabor the federal intrusion on education but did introduce realities of FedLedEd rearing its head. No primary votes are lost by  belaboring the opposition. Note: A person who is having difficulty breathing is said to exhibit â€Å"labored breathing.† Here are some alternative words and expressions for belabor that may be clearer in some contexts: dwell on overdo overdramatize make too much of Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Format a UK Business LetterTop 11 Writing Apps for iOS (iPhone and iPad)Advance vs. Advanced

What do you believe to be the main force driving change in the Essay

What do you believe to be the main force driving change in the International Business Environment - Essay Example The traditional ways of transacting businesses are becoming obsolete due rapid changes and inventions. Cultural, political, environmental, and economical forces characterize globalization and have great impact in the international business environment. Introduction Globalization is the process by which people all over the globe are interconnected into one village such that an occurrence in one part of the world will have a direct impact on the other part. Major changes in international business environment and business operations are because of globalization of business. Today, several significant transformations can be observed in the international business environment and most of these transformations are occurring spontaneously. The changes are unpredictable and inevitable such that one transformation is leading to emergence of more numerous changes. Similar to industrial revolution that completely transformed business environment in Europe, these transformations are necessary in both their outcome and magnitude. The main transformation includes increased competition, rapid changes, and increased use of computers and adoption of sophisticated information technology and networks. Investors or rather employers need to learn the new principles of success, and keep reinventing the objectives of the business (Batra and Dangwal, 2005, p.88). People from different states have developed similar tastes and preferences leading to homogeneity of needs. Globalization encompasses numerous processes by which, institutions, money, people, goods, and services are able to cross territorial or domestic boundaries freely Globalization as a process is a result of sociocultural, political, economic, and technological forces. Globalization is mostly used to mean economic globalization, which is the connectedness of world economies into international economy though exchange of goods, capital investment, migration, and increased use of technology (Brooks and Weatherston et al., 201 1, p.165). The continuing increase in globalization raises the need to understand the different cultures of the world more so corporates and communities cultures. There is an increased transfer of workforce or experts from one country to another, in effort to assist establish new locations of the company or boost existing ones in order to achieve their objectives (KPMG International, 2013, p. 2). Mere knowledge of communication skills is not enough but also the understanding of cultural influences, varied communication designs and social settings of every society do drive the success of globalization. The real standing of globalization can be understood by focusing on three main changes. The first major change is the one witnessed in the job markets. The increased demand of employees with multilingual knowledge has led to people moving from state to another for employment or travelling internationally for the purpose of business transactions (Gelbart, 2012, p. 1). Also of important is the emergence of e-commerce, which have a major impact on competition and growth of market as the original location of firm is not an issue anymore. Increased in cross boarders travels has in turn led to wide spread of traditional cultures and practices all over the world. People’s cultures all over the world seem to rhyme and everybody seems to be adapting to global behaviors, especially in trade industry. Focusing on our social environment

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Report - Essay Example At the same time, dispersed fields created huge problems of optimal grazing resulting in weak cattle stock. Indeed, the overall disinclination to invest in land improvement had made medieval agriculture inefficient and low yielding. Clark believes that exogenous decline in interest rates were mainly due to lower cost of capital which during the medieval period was very high which discouraged improvements in cultivation techniques. The high interest rates, high investment cost of improvement due to reasons like dispersed holding, diseases cattle etc. had adversely impacted the yield. In late 18th and 19th century, emphasis was put on improvement techniques that resulted in higher yield and lower interest rates that made agriculture more attractive. They also used mineral manures to improve arability and fertility of soil that greatly contributed to improved productivity. Underground drainages were developed for better harvest. Thus, investment for improving the land arability hugely contributed to the reducing interest

Local Community by Volunteering Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Local Community by Volunteering - Lab Report Example These goals and objectives can only be achieved when a company is able to take appropriate decisions to cope with unexpected situations. Moreover, good image among people also plays a key role in the success of a company. A good company or organization is one which not only seeks profits through providing quality products and services to the customers but also stands by their side in case of natural disasters. In this report, we will discuss how Toyota, a Japanese car manufacturing company, can work towards bringing improvement to the lives of people affected due to recent earthquake and tsunami. 2. Importance of the Event The 2011 earthquake and tsunami caused severe damages to Japan’s economy. The earthquake not only affected lives of the people living near the focal point of the earthquake but also adversely affected the car manufacturing industry and Japan’s nuclear system. Being nationals of Japan, it is one of our main responsibilities to work towards bringing imp rovement to the lives of people and to the overall economy of Japan. For this reason, we can plan to organize a function or event that will provide an opportunity for internal clients and community members to network while also raising money. As the community is badly hit by the natural disaster, the funds can go towards disaster relief center of Japan. It will also provide us with the opportunity to raise our company’s profile among the local community. 3. Overview of the Idea Being the advisor to the head of division, I have planned an event which can help us accomplish the above-mentioned tasks. The plan is to organize a car racing event in 10 main cities of Japan, which include Nagoya, Toyohashi, Ichinomiya, Okazaki, Toyota, Inazawa, Inuyama, Kariya, Setyo, and Handa. The event will be organized in December. In the car racing event, we will not use hybrid cars, rather we will introduce our latest electric cars in order to make people aware of our latest developments. We w ill specially invite our internal clients along with the community members in the event. For the collection of funds, we will use the following ways: 1. Funds collected through sale of tickets 2. Funds collected through company’s net profits 3. Funds collected through participation of rich internal clients 3.1 Usage of Funds The main intent of the plan is to collect a good amount of funds through the event in order to use those funds to bring relief to the lives of the affected people. Some part of the collected funds will be given to the Japan disaster management center in order to make our contribution in providing relief to the economy of the county. Our main is to use the collected funds in the benefits of our society. We will help our people stand on their toes once again. The event will be organized in those cities which are not affected by the disaster and where people have strong financial backgrounds. We will educate people regarding the need of their participation i n bringing improvement to the nation’s economy. The event will not only help us collect a high amount of funds but also it will help our company maintain a good image among the local community. 3.2 External Consultant The event will include all those activities which are critically important for the success of any specific event. Along with car racing, some other attractive features of the event will incl

Napster and Apple’s Ipod Essay Example for Free

Napster and Apple’s Ipod Essay This paper deals with a through case study of the music industry in the face of change within the age of the Internet with the major focus on Napster and Apple’s ipod. In 2000 Shawn Fanning founded Napster – a file sharing program where people could download music for free and access the songs they have downloaded at any hour of the day. However, in 2000, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and a number of the big business recording labels argued that Napster was violating copyright laws, facilitating the illegal copying and distribution of copyrighted music. ’’ (Hill, 1) After Napster was in the lime light for allowing people to take advantage of free downloads, peer sharing technologies such as Kazaa were just coming into play where people were able to download music in a similar fashion. In very short order after Napster’s service was shut down, a number of new file sharing services started to rapidly gain users.’’ (Hill, 11) However there was one slight difference here, people were downloading through other people’s computers and not accessing the files via a central server and therefore it became difficult to stop this practice from taking place. The music industry responded as it had with Napster, filing lawsuits in attempt to shut down the services for copyright violation. But in this case it was more difficult to prove infringement.’’ (Hill, 11) Within the last 20 years since CD’s have been in vogue the music industry has changed. People have differing opinions regarding whether one is better than the other. It was Apple’s ipod and the Itunes online music service that revolutionized the music industry. These were the programs and applications that allowed you to purchase and listen to whatever you want but at the same time protect the artists that wrote and produced the music. It is important to look at the growth in the music recording industry since these changes took place and to see what the results and changes have been. There was strong growth in the music recording industry in the 90’s. However, when the 2000’s hit global sales dropped by 5% and continued to drop for the next three years. Many people have been blaming this negative trend on Napster. In 2003 sales dropped to a low of $32 billion in 2003. In the early 90’s the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) was concerned about consumers burning’’ songs downloaded over the Internet onto CD’s. This was such an easy process to do as you could download the files you wished to place on your CD from Napster and use a program by which you can copy CD’s. This concern was important to take into consideration because of the sheer amount of songs that were downloaded over the Internet for free and if people were downloading the songs they were not purchasing the CD’s from their favourite artists. There is a large cost in promoting an artist and the use of copyrighted material makes this process even more expensive for the artist as not as many people will be purchasing the CD’s. People would be more likely to download the songs instead of purchasing them because it is cheap (free) and easy. In the past, the music industry has always been concerned about the potential for piracy of copyrighted material. However, another trend that raised copyright infringement issues was MP3- compressed digital files that could be downloaded for free from the Internet. At the point where Napster was going through the courts certain lobbying groups were concerned with websites where people could download free MP3 files and in doing that listen to pirated music. The RIAA tried to shut down Napster because of piracy and the laws that the company had broken. During this time the music industry also tried to develop technology that would protect digital audio recordings from piracy and counterfeiting. The main problem in regard to Napster and the piracy issue is to do with the fact that Napster’s service was violating copyright, facilitating massive piracy of intellectual property and consequently stealing. There were talks about a paid subscription service to be created by Napster in 2001 but nothing ended up coming into fruition and on September 2, 2002, Napster announced its liquidation. It is clear to see why Napster has such an appeal to its audience given the fact that it was free and people could download any song that they wanted. In today’s environment people can still access peer-sharing websites however sometimes songs may be written down under a search engine listing and may even be a computer virus. Itunes is therefore giving users and artists the best of both worlds – consumers get to download the songs they want even if it is only one song off a particular album and the artist gets compensated for it. All in all, it is clear to see the vast changes that have taken place over the last decade or more and the fact that significant changes will take place in the future. The growing popularity and vast information available on the Internet is going to change the way people purchase and listen to music and people need to be aware of this as the world changes everyday and nothing lasts forever. References Hill, Charles W, The music industry in the age of the Internet: from Napster to Apple’s Ipod.

Hyperacusis :: Term Papers Research

Hyperacusis Hyperacusis is used to describe a high level of sensitivity to sound. It is also known as dysacusis, oxylacusis, hypersensitive hearing, or phonophobia. Persons with hyperacusis do not show abnormalloudness growth but an abnormal discomfort for suprathreshold sound (Barnes & Marriage, 1995). Audiograms for hyperacusis sufferers are typically normal. They show normal sound thresholds but the sensitivity level is above normal. The comfort level for most people is below 100 decibels. People with hyperacusis can experience discomfort at 40 to 50 decibels or lower (Schwade, 1995). The disorder may be frequency-specific (Schwade, 1995). Not all sounds of the same loudness (number of decibels) cause discomfort, but only sounds within a certain range, thus a small change of frequency may cause discomfort at low volume. The prevalence rate of hyperacusis is unknown. It frequently occurs with tinnitus, which afflicts approximately 40 million poeple in the United States (Hazell & Jastreboff, 1933). A questionnaire in a clinic population by Sanchez and Stephens (1997) found that eight percent of tinnitus sufferers have hyperacusis. These two studies would suggest about 3 million people in the United States have hyperacusis. Further a survey conducted by the Autism Research Institute found up to 40% of children with autism to be affected by hyperacusis. Hyperacusis also has an occurence rate of 95% in children with Williams syndrome (Borse, Curfs, & Fryns, 1997). These facts plus its comorbidity with many other diseases leads one to believe hyperacusis is not an extremely rare disease. Hyperacusis is a poorly understood disorder resulting in many theories of etiology and prognosis. Hyperacusis can occur alone or in conjunction with other disorders. A sudden single burst of noise (Schwade, 1995), a head injury (American Speech-Language Hearing Association, 1995), or surgery to the face or jaw (Barnes & Marriage, 1995) can result in hyperacusis. Barnes and Marriage also proposed two types of hyperacusis, peripheral and central. Peripheral hyperacusis is when the earÕs built in mechanism against loud or sharp sound seems to have been turned off. Absence of acoustic reflexes, positive history of vestibular disorders, MeniereÕs disease, or perilymph fistula account for peripheral hyperacusis. Hyperacusis co-occurring with BellÕs palsy, Ramsey Hunt syndrome, and myasthenia gravis is also considered to be peripheral hyperacusis. Hyperacusis is also an otological complication of herpes zoster (Adour, 1994) and craniomandibular disorders (Erlander and Rubinstein, 1991). Barnes and Marriage (1995) proposed another type of hyperacusis called central hyperacusis. Central hyperacusis results in an inability to tolerate specific but not necessarily loud sounds. Hyperacusis :: Term Papers Research Hyperacusis Hyperacusis is used to describe a high level of sensitivity to sound. It is also known as dysacusis, oxylacusis, hypersensitive hearing, or phonophobia. Persons with hyperacusis do not show abnormalloudness growth but an abnormal discomfort for suprathreshold sound (Barnes & Marriage, 1995). Audiograms for hyperacusis sufferers are typically normal. They show normal sound thresholds but the sensitivity level is above normal. The comfort level for most people is below 100 decibels. People with hyperacusis can experience discomfort at 40 to 50 decibels or lower (Schwade, 1995). The disorder may be frequency-specific (Schwade, 1995). Not all sounds of the same loudness (number of decibels) cause discomfort, but only sounds within a certain range, thus a small change of frequency may cause discomfort at low volume. The prevalence rate of hyperacusis is unknown. It frequently occurs with tinnitus, which afflicts approximately 40 million poeple in the United States (Hazell & Jastreboff, 1933). A questionnaire in a clinic population by Sanchez and Stephens (1997) found that eight percent of tinnitus sufferers have hyperacusis. These two studies would suggest about 3 million people in the United States have hyperacusis. Further a survey conducted by the Autism Research Institute found up to 40% of children with autism to be affected by hyperacusis. Hyperacusis also has an occurence rate of 95% in children with Williams syndrome (Borse, Curfs, & Fryns, 1997). These facts plus its comorbidity with many other diseases leads one to believe hyperacusis is not an extremely rare disease. Hyperacusis is a poorly understood disorder resulting in many theories of etiology and prognosis. Hyperacusis can occur alone or in conjunction with other disorders. A sudden single burst of noise (Schwade, 1995), a head injury (American Speech-Language Hearing Association, 1995), or surgery to the face or jaw (Barnes & Marriage, 1995) can result in hyperacusis. Barnes and Marriage also proposed two types of hyperacusis, peripheral and central. Peripheral hyperacusis is when the earÕs built in mechanism against loud or sharp sound seems to have been turned off. Absence of acoustic reflexes, positive history of vestibular disorders, MeniereÕs disease, or perilymph fistula account for peripheral hyperacusis. Hyperacusis co-occurring with BellÕs palsy, Ramsey Hunt syndrome, and myasthenia gravis is also considered to be peripheral hyperacusis. Hyperacusis is also an otological complication of herpes zoster (Adour, 1994) and craniomandibular disorders (Erlander and Rubinstein, 1991). Barnes and Marriage (1995) proposed another type of hyperacusis called central hyperacusis. Central hyperacusis results in an inability to tolerate specific but not necessarily loud sounds.