Monday, September 30, 2019

The Rodriguez Family Crisis

The Rodriguez Family Crisis The crisis that the Rodriguez family is facing is very serious. They are dealing with a flooding in their area that has caused them to lose their home and their only means of support, which is Mrs. Rodriguez job. The basic needs that need to be addressed is, the Rodriguez family is in need of somewhere to stay and means of getting food, clothing, and necessities that would carry them through this crisis. The first thing I would do is help the Rodriguez family cope with their crisis is, to understand the situations they are facing.After discussing their situations, I would make plans to gather food, clothing, necessities, and shelter for them. I would explain that putting them into a shelter is just until we can find them an apartment/home that is suitable for them and the girls. The second thing I would take with Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez is, getting them set up with Social Services so they could apply for emergency food stamps so they could purchase food and Medicaid to help with any medical expenses for them and the girls.I will also assist in helping with them getting the housing authority to help with finding them an apartment/home and help with paying for their rent expenses. I will explain to them that these resources are here to help people such as them who are in a crisis and in need of emergency help. After helping the Rodriguez family set up with Social Services and the housing authority, and all the paper work gets the approval, I will begin to assist in helping them find an apartment/home that is suitable for them and close to Mr. Rodriguez and the girl’s schools.I will discuss with them that not only must the apartment location be suitable for Mr. Rodriguez and the girl’s; however, it must be suitable for Mrs. Rodriguez to find a job in that area. I will discuss with Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez on how â€Å"The plan should focus on systematic problem solving for the client and be realistic in terms of the clientâ €™s coping ability (James, 2008). In doing the above steps, I feel that this will eliminate the pressure of them having to worry about arranging to get Mr. Rodriguez and the girls into another school and Mrs. Rodriguez not being able to find a job that she is qualify to do.I will explain to them, that this planning is about getting through the short term and getting some semblance of equilibrium and stability restored (James, 2008). The models of intervention, that I would use in helping the Rodriguez family with this crisis is, all the models. First, I would need to define and understand the problems of this crisis in their viewpoint. Because, unless the worker perceives the crisis situation as the client perceives it, all the intervention strategies and procedures the helper might use may miss the mark and be of no value to the client (James, 2008).The second step is to make sure there is safety for the Rodriguez family. The means of safety is to make sure I am not putting the m in harm’s way. I have to think about their daughters when placing them into a shelter. The third step is to give the Rodriguez family support and to inform them that I am here to help them in getting all the support from other resources that apply to their crisis. This means that the workers must be able to accept, in an unconditional and positive way, all their clients, whether the clients can reciprocate, or not (James, 2008).Step four, is where I would examine all the alternatives that could help the Rodriguez family such as family members, social service, or non-profit organizations that deals with families in crisis. I will give them positive things to think about so there will be no added stress on their part. The fifth step is to make plans on how Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez should go about getting immediate help from the other resources. I will make sure the resources are reliable and that Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez could reach the resources immediately because they are in n eed of having help as soon as possible.The six and final step is getting commitment from the Rodriguez family and giving my commitment to them that I am here to help them through this crisis. However, they must understand the plan and they must carry out the plan as stated to ensure them in getting back to normal stability. The three skills I would use to assist me in implementing the models I have selected are, simplicity, efficiency and reliability. With simplicity, I would execute simplicity by explaining as truthful as I can in easy form so the Rodriguez family can understand what they are too expected from me and what I will be expecting from them.Simplicity will be effective in addressing the Rodriguez basic and ongoing needs because they will be focusing on what is most important to help them with getting the help they need. I will use efficiency in helping the Rodriguez get back to the life they had before the flood. With using efficiency, every resource I recommend to the R odriguez will produce the specific outcome we are looking for and there will be no wasted time, because I will be, giving 100% of my time in making sure they are satisfy with the outcome. The reliability skill is the most important skill to me.Been reliable shows the Rodriguez family that I am capable of doing the job they need me to do and that I can function in a crisis situation. Reliability also shows that I have committed myself to making sure all the resources I have provided to them is also reliable. Reliability can be effective in addressing the Rodriguez family basic and ongoing needs because; it helps to avoid unnecessary things that are no helpful in getting them the things they need at this time. References: James, Richard (2008). Crisis Intervention Strategies. Belmont: Schatchgravel Publishing Services

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Natural Disaster and Possible Harms Drugs

Reaction paper: Last July 23, 2011, an orientation on disaster preparedness and prohibited dangerous drugs was held at the CE building during our NSTP. The speaker wanted to make us prepared at all times in case of natural disasters or calamities either natural or man-made. He also enlightened our minds of the possible harms drugs can do to an individual. When we say disaster or calamity, it is a great or sudden misfortune or catastrophe, an adverse or unfortunate event, or an occurrence that causes great distress or destruction. While preparedness means, the  state  of  having  been  made  ready  or  prepared  for  use  or action. So disaster preparedness is in a state of  readiness to contain the  effects  of a forecasted  disastrous event  to minimize  loss  of  life,  injury, and  damage  to  property, it can provide rescue, relief, rehabilitation, and other  services in the  aftermath  of the  disaster. There are two types of disaster, natural and man-made. Natural disaster is the effect of a  natural hazard which leads to financial, environmental or human losses. Disasters occur when hazards meet  vulnerability. Natural disasters are also categorized. Examples: geological disasters – avalanche, earthquake, volcanic eruptions; hydrological disasters – floods, limnic eruptions, tsunamis and meteorological disasters: blizzards, cyclonic storms, droughts, hailstorms, heat waves, tornadoes and fires. While man-made disaster is a  disastrous event  caused  directly  and mainly by one or more individual on purpose also called  human-made disaster. On his lecture on disaster preparedness, he told us that we must always remember the word safety. If you have the right skills that can make you safe, then that’s better. In everything that you do, your attitude counts. Being flexible at all times makes it feasible for us to overcome whatever may happen. And yes, education is very crucial; having the right knowledge could help a lot. Having trainings can develop your skills and it all depends with you. If you put it all together; skill, attitude, flexibility, education, training and you, SAFETY follows. While it may be impossible to prepare for every possible scenario, the important point to remember here is to start somewhere with your own personal preparedness plan. Good preparation will lessen the impact of a disaster on our physical, mental, psychological, emotional and other spect of our human lives and love ones. He also explained to us the effects of dangerous drugs to us and that we should avoid taking such. Take note of the acronym DRUG – danger, route, unto, grave. A drug may be helpful or harmful. The effects of drugs can vary depending upon the kind of drug taken, how much is taken, how often it is used, how quickly it gets to the brain, and what other drugs, food, or substances are taken at the same time. Effects can also vary based on the differences in body size, shape, and chemistry. Some teens believe drugs will help them think better, be more popular, stay more active, or become better athletes. Others are simply curious and figure one try won't hurt. Others want to fit in. A few use drugs to gain attention from their parents. Many teens use drugs because they're  depressed  or think drugs will help them escape their problems. The truth is, drugs don't solve problems — they simply hide feelings and problems. When a drug wears off, the feelings and problems remain, or become worse. Drugs can ruin every aspect of a person's life. This orientation indeed has given us knowledge which may help not only us, but also other people in the future.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Fusion of face recognition method Research Paper

Fusion of face recognition method - Research Paper Example Figure 3 details these matches considering Amber1 and Andy2 (dashed arrows points to some of the analogous features that may be distinguished from the eigenface). It was observed (from Figure 1 and 2) that Amber1 have more distinguished features from the eigenface. Thus we can say that the eigenface closely and strongly resembles Amber1. Amber1's reconstructed images (shown in Figure 5 - include the step by step reconstruction of Amber1's face contained in folder "ReconstructedPictures") supports this observation. Before finding the eigenfaces, however, 'we first need to collect a set of face images. These face images become our database of known faces. We will later determine whether or not an unknown face matches any of these known faces. All face images must be the same size (in pixels), and for our purposes, they must be grayscale (shown in Figure 6), with values ranging from 0 to 255' (Krueger, J, et al, "Obtaining the Eigenface Basis"). Eigenfaces are basically basis vectors for real faces. This can be related straightforwardly to one of the most basic concepts in electrical engineering: Fourier analysis. Fourier analysis discloses that "a sum of weighted sinusoids at differing frequencies can recompose a signal perfectly"! In the same manner a "sum of weighted eigenfaces can seamlessly reconstruct a specific person's face". (Krueger, J, et al, "Obtaining the Eigenface Basis") CONCLUSION According to Krueger, J. & et al, "the eigenface technique is a powerful yet simple solution to the face recognition dilemma. In fact, it is really the most intuitive way to classify a face. As we have shown, old techniques focused on particular features of the face. The eigenface technique uses much more information by classifying faces based on general facial patterns. These patterns include, but are not limited to, the specific features of the f

Friday, September 27, 2019

Answer 3 questions about the language teaching and learning Essay

Answer 3 questions about the language teaching and learning - Essay Example The subjects were administered a grammaticality judgment test consisting of 276 English sentences, some grammatical and others ungrammatical. The results showed that those AOA was less than 17 performed better. In a re-analysis of this data conducted by Bialstok and Hakuta (1994), there were significant correlations in both groups if the cut-off point was taken to be 20 instead of 17. Such studies cast some doubt on the CPH. Even if one single exception to the rule is discovered, the theory is falsified. But does it deserve to be falsified? The complications arise on account of a number of factors. The tests conducted to judge the proficiency of learners is significant. They perform better in the written tests than in oral tests. Moreover, there are so many areas when we refer to linguistic competency – phonology, morphophoniology, syntax, dialect, discourse processes, pragmatics etc. De Keyser replicated Johnson and Newport’s study and concluded that there is a critica l age for language acquisition provided the CPH is understood narrowly, as applying only to implicit learning of abstract structures. Other factors which matter are whether the adult learners get any instruction, what type of instruction and for what duration. We can conclude that evidence against CPH is available no doubt but evidence supporting the CPH is much more and significant. A very interesting example is that of Indian children who were made to learn by heart Sanskrit verses by heart irrespective of their mother tongue. They recited them clearly and fluently even though they did not understand the meaning. Deliberate efforts on the part of adults who could comprehend the meaning were also not successful!!! The safest way is to follow the thumb rule – the earlier, the better, in language learning, as in everything else. Q3. Which theory of SLA appeals to you most? A good theory in SLA should address questions like what does L2 knowledge consist of and how that knowled ge is acquired. The roles of both nature and nurture are significant in SLA. Eacg theory deals with a different aspect of SLA. All theories contribute substantially to SLA. They are complementary to each other. Goals to SLA learning cannot be ignored, nor can process of learning, immersion or instruction. At the same time, we have to admit that something like UG does exist. The CPH also cannot be altogether discarded. However, Krashen’s Input Theory and explicit instruction is the most proven as far as success in SLA goes. Input can be specially prepared, graded, monitored and delivered in order to make SLA a well-organized, satisfying experience. Its results are also known to be durable. Q 1. Discuss and evaluate Norris and Ortega’s seminal study of the effectiveness of L2 instruction. A bulk of research reports on effectiveness of L2 instruction was published during 1980 and 1998. Norris and Ortega carried out a systematic analysis of these reports and arrived at cer tain important conclusions related to major aspects of L2 instruction. It was Long ( 1983 ) who first concluded that instruction makes a difference in L2 acquisition as compared to naturalistic exposure. Norris and Ortega observe that all reports share the premise that the goal of instructional intervention is to change the focal attention of learners

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Drug Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Drug Education - Essay Example The authorities are dealing with a higher number of arrests related to drugs. More over, records indicate that drug use is one of the major causes of death recently, being associated with directly causing death as well as deaths that are related to drugs. It was also established that the rising crime levels are associated with drugs (Cleaver et al 1999 p. 87). Data from the Home Office and the police supported this study (Blackman 2004 pp. 148-149). It is understood that even young women who initially were not in the drug consuming bracket as well as cultural minorities and young people in the rural areas are increasingly getting recruited in drug use (Shipp et al 2005 p. 261). . This essay is a critical evaluation of the drug use policies that are significant in preventing drug use. Several models and methods of drug use have been discussed as well as their role in promoting drug use prevention. Due to the widespread presence of drug use in the society, governments embarked on formulation of policies aimed at facilitating drug education that can help in changing this social condition. The policies are aimed at preventing non-drug users from beginning, especially in schools. This is because it was established that the potential age for beginners is school age (Melrose et al 2007 p. 67). Primary prevention is therefore focused on prevention through drug education in schools. The approaches to drug education have mainly been sociological and cultural perspectives. One of the approaches is to establish other activities that can satisfy the user in place of drugs. These are mainly useful for the drug users who do it for recreation or relaxation purposes. This is a diversionary-alternatives means of enhancing a reduction in drug use (Blackman 2004 p. 153). Education focused on a particular situation in regard to drug use is also significant in helping the drug users to stop consu ming them. Peer education has also played a significant role in ensuring

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

To What Extent Do Postcolonial Writers Articulate a Coherent a Useful Essay

To What Extent Do Postcolonial Writers Articulate a Coherent a Useful Notion of Home - Essay Example The home in which the natives came from have disappeared. Most of the original literature and the oral culture of the native Caribbean’s were not preserved; hence no cultural mark had been passed over to the following generations. The fact that the African-Caribbean people were enforced to reject their own heritage caused them not to have a traditional culture and an image to identify with. This has caused the natives to constantly adapt to the modern culture, thus not being able to grasp their own in whole. The poem Alpha is divided into three parts, which are ‘Mother Poem’, ‘Sun Poem and X/Self. Smaller divisions of Ancestor comprise of individual poems. The framework in which the poem is structured is in accordance with the context of universality, while being able to form a personal interaction through engaging the readers intimately. The association between the three voices in the Ancestor personifies the father, the mother and the son or the narrator, in relation to their Motherland. The poem captures the essence of familial integration and separation. The first verse is ambiguous. The subject of mother can be referred to as the author's mother whom he misses, or most likely, the author's motherland, as can be seen in the following lines, â€Å"the ancient watercourses of my island/ echo of rver. Trickle. Worn stone/ the sunken voice of glitter iching its pattern to the sea/ memory of foam. Fossil. Erased beaches high above the eaten†.5 The poem started with descriptions of an environment in which the author longs for, as personified in a form of a mother. The author misses his homeland and wishes to go back to his native land to comfort his female parent. The second verse is a description of the Americans or the West Indians. The author hints that his family has migrated to the United States of America, as deduced from the lines "the world Columbus found" and "the world Raleigh raided". 6The statements are symbolized by the following lines in the second part of the poem, â€Å"& my father swims through the noise / Through the blankets of jute on his lungs / & he is Caesar again at the Hellespont†. As for the references to the plantations, the setting in which the author's family migrated to is in New Orleans, it is where most black slaves have migrated to in the previous decades. In a nutshell, the second part is the author's description of his life as his family moved to New Orleans, where sugar plantations are abound. The second part of the poem also implies that the author's parents worked at the plantations in New Orleans. This fact has been deduced from the lines "through the blankets of jute on his lungs" and "maker of chalk dust".7 The line "she waits with her back slowly curving to mountain" represents her mother who have waited in patience and have gotten old, who lived her life in despair from working and waiting for his husband.8 This emotion is evident in the last part of the second division of the poem, â€Å"She waits for his return with her gold rings of love / Wl the miners tr ove that binds her to his world / She waits w/ her back slowly curving to mountain†.9 The last part of the

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Comparative Econ Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparative Econ - Assignment Example The Washington consensus package consisted of ten policies elaborate enough to cover macro and micro economic variables in respect to market and trade. The package included stimulus recommendations relating to tax reforms, fiscal policies, liberalization of trade, deregulation among others (Scott 357). Contrary to what the name suggests, â€Å"Washington Consensus† was not made in Washington. The Washington Consensus package was in fact borrowed from the economic stimulus policies that were being used in Latin America to mitigate the effects of economic crisis. Actually, Williamson resents the fact that the package was named Washington Consensus since it has nothing to do with Washington. The Washington Consensus ideology was very popular in Latin American countries. The events that happened immediately after the World War II disrupted the economic structures of countries in Latin America. This prompted the need for economic reforms that would ensure recovery of the overall economy amidst influential factors of politics. â€Å"Washington Consensus† came to happen because this region needed the back up of Washington in order to succeed (Scott 185). The economic reforms in Chile can greatly be attributed to the Washington consensus albeit indirectly. The â€Å"Chicago Boys† made economic recovery after the fall of military rule and prowess of the same possible. Friedman and Harberger trained these young economists in the department of economics in University of Chicago. The idea was generated by the U.S as it sought to influence reforms of Chilean economy. The Chicago boys brought the same ideas of market-oriented economy common with Washington Consensus to Chile. All these events happened after Pinochet, head military ruler, stepped down. Currently Chile finds pride in their economic and social status in the world, which they owe indirectly to Washington Consensus (Scott 208). The aftermath of WWII left Japan in ruins with no viable political

Monday, September 23, 2019

Assessments of children starting formal schooling Essay

Assessments of children starting formal schooling - Essay Example Assessments of children starting formal schooling This study will consider ways in which the teacher might identify appropriate starting points in teaching for children who are finding tasks difficult. Advice and information from other teachers and the child’s care-givers, in addition to careful observation of the child, can help to identify ‘where the child is’. This is particularly important for children starting compulsory schooling, as the diversity of pre-infant school provision means that the reception class is likely to include 5-year-olds with widely different experiences and expectations about school. Careful assessment through various forms of observation (not formal tests) of the point reached by a child (say 5-6 years old) in his or her learning, and teaching which builds on this knowledge are main objectives of current study. It is not being suggested that starting points for, say, 5-year-olds should be only in terms specifically and directly linked with National Curriculum attainment targets. Broader assessment based on observation is important for all children but particularly for any children thought to have difficulties in learning. Observation of children is a vital first step in planning how their learning can be fostered. Observation can take many forms, structured or unstructured, involving the teacher working with the child or remaining distanced. When and how teachers observe children will depend both on the aims of that observation and on what is realistic in a busy classrooom.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

It is not an essay but quistions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

It is not an but quistions - Essay Example AS a result, the number reduced making it inferior to withstand the forces from the north. The other success was in Gettysburg. In the battle, the army under the command of Lee suffered a significant loss. In the battle, there were massive casualties. As a result, Lee side was demoralised on invasion of the north and, therefore, had to retreat to Virginia. The 1890 can be described as a watershed of the 1900’s in different ways. In the period, various changes defined the 1900’s. First, there was consolidation of various railway projects that had begun in the second part of the century. The consolidation helped in emergence of various industries that helped spur economic growth in the 1900’s. Moreover, the emergence of industries led to economic dominance of United States in the following century. Secondly, industrialization led to increased immigration to America. For example, there was increasing number of immigrants. Most came from Europe. They were looking for work and increased freedom. Consequently, there was growth of cities where the immigrants settled leading to increased urbanization. However, the period also saw increased discrimination. The discrimination was directed to African American. The period saw the passage of authoritarian laws such as Jim Crow laws that authorised segregation of African Americans. The law also allowed lynching of African Americans in the southern side. The changes led to rise of civil rights groups in then 1990’s. Moreover, there was a rise of exceptional leaders agitating for equality of different races over the same time such as Dubois and Martin Luther King. Additionally, the period saw the rise of various political parties. The parties were because of activism of farmers. In the period, farmers complained of reduced prices of commodities such as wheat and cotton. One of such parties was the People’s Party (Populist Party). The party was agitating for political

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Cosmic Race Essay Example for Free

Cosmic Race Essay The term â€Å"Cosmic Race† is also known as â€Å"La raza cosmica† which was based on the opinions of some Mexican Scholars in the 1920’s who held that since the Latin Americans held the blood of all the races, the transcended the races of the â€Å"Old World†. This term basically embodies the idea that traditional, exclusive concepts of race and nationality can be transcended in the name of humanitys common destiny (MacLachlan, 1980). While the idea of the origins or creation of the â€Å"Cosmic Race† has been attributed to other races, there is no denying that it was the Spaniards who played a major role in this. The open-mindedness, in this case the open philosophy and attitude of Spain regarding culture and society, was influential in creating this cosmic race. Spain realized that the key to being able to build a vital and flourishing economy in the colony was to build a common denominator for acculturation by both Indian and European races (MacLachlan, 1980). Spain was able to accomplish this by establishing and expanding the colonial political and ecclesiastical institutions, the economy, society, and the role of women in the Mexica Society. Further proof of this was the policies of Spain regarding women as they encouraged the women to participate in economics and politics by providing the women during that time with extensive legal rights (MacLachlan, 1980). These factors and the methods by which Spain cultivated the Mexica Empire are brought on by the characteristic of Spain as being â€Å"open-minded†, which in turn led to the creation of the â€Å"Cosmic Race. † References: MacLachlan, C. and Rodriguez, J. (1980) The Forging of the Cosmic Race: A Reinterpretation of Colonial Mexico. University of California Press,

Friday, September 20, 2019

Discuss Unreliability In Shutter Island

Discuss Unreliability In Shutter Island Films more often than enough can demonstrate signs of unreliability and the majority of the time it is the narrator who is the cause of the films dubiousness. The dictionary definition of an unreliable narrator asserts that they demonstrate qualities and tendencies that denote an absence of reliability or perception of the narrative. Whether due to age, mental disability or personal involvement, an unreliable narrator provides the reader with either incomplete or inaccurate information as a result of these conditions.  [1]  As Wayne Booth once stated: I have called a narrator reliable when he speaks for or acts in accordance with the norms of the work, (which is to say, the implied authors norms) unreliable when he does not  [2]  . We are consumers of narratives which has given us the ability to identify unreliable stories. However as theoreticians, we are less well able to say what constitutes unreliability and how it is detected.  [3]  Shutter Island is a film adapted, from a novel, by Martin Scorsese; the film is within the film noir genre, with an unreliable narrator that, as result, plays with your mind and makes the film appear to be very ambiguous. Shutter Island is clearly shown through the perspective of a fallacious narrator. A narrators job is to reveal what is real in the narrative and, comparable to tellers in reality, the narrator may have it incorrect or would rather disclose what they deem to be true. On this model we perceive narrative unreliability when we perceive a disparity between the intentions of the implied author concerning what is true in the story and the intentions of the narrator concerning what she would have the reader believe.  [4]  Shutter Islands narrative follows this idea as throughout the film, the central characters perspective gradually becomes more and more inconsistent. The narrator successfully distorts the lines between fantasy and reality which as a result makes the audience struggle to distinguish between the two. It is not until half way through the film where we are initially required to consider the option that the protagonist himself is the one who is in fact mad. It is, to a certain extent, evident from the beginning that something is not right or clear. Scorse se suggests that the narrator is unreliable without explicitly revealing where the perspective diverges from an objective view of events  [5]  ; thus, we can, on no occasion, really believe what we are being shown. In many films it is possible to distinguish between dream sequences, flashbacks and concrete reality.  [6]  Shutter Island has all of these components however it is hard to distinguish which section is which. The unreliability of the narrator in Shutter Island is hard to decipher as the narrator does not really give us a motive to suspect Teddy. The uncertain characteristics of the island and of the establishment are reinforced with the blustery weather, but also visually with repeated long shots. These shots emphasize the remoteness and eeriness of the area as well as the uncanny diegetic and non-diegetic choice of symphony music. Furthermore, figures like Dr Cawlez (Ben Kingsley), Dr Naehring (Max von Sydow) or the warden (Ted Levine), not to mention the patients themselves, make it even easier to align oneself with Teddys judgment that what is happening on Shutter Island is uncanny.  [7]  It is as the film develops that Teddys illusions turn out to be more powerful and make his reliability dither. For example, during his discussions with Noyce in the prison, Dolores interferes as a hallucination and enhances the unsettling of Teddy. Whats more, Richard Dyer and Douglas Pye are two theorists who indicate with respect to film noir the way in which dream, flashback and voice-over structure cast into doubt the status-as-truth of the eventers presented  [8]  . In Shutter Island, Teddy repeatedly has memories and recollections of Dachau, which he recounts to Dr Naehring. These flashbacks however also blend with his dreams and as result become more detached from the proceedings happening in real life. This is an exemplar for the cooperation amongst the narrators partiality, recollection and trustworthiness, which we reexamine after the recognition of Teddys psychological condition. This unreliability persists all throughout the film and even at the end we are still unclear as to what is real. Furthermore, Shutter Island is made within the film noir genre. A key characteristic in film noir is that there will permanently be some form of a mystery. Shutter Island would be considered a neo-noir film due to the fact that it does relate or draw upon the notion, the image and the putative conventions of film noir, and, directly or indirectly, on some of the film featuring centrally within most version of the basic noir canon.  [9]  It has been affirmed that an element of the film noir genre is that the characters the story is centered on are mentally and emotionally vulnerable  [10]  and occasionally they are, or envision themselves, to be physically helpless too. Leonardo Di Caprio is the protagonist in Shutter Island; he has been through a distressing incident where his wife and children have died. He is plagued by images of his dead family and haunted by the fact he was unable to stop it; as a result, he is on a mission to find and murder his wifes murder. However, he is hampered by himself through his mental condition of suppression and deterioration which is the primary narrative impediment for the audience. A quote by Leonardo from the film Memento that sums this idea up: Memories can be distorted. Theyre just an interpretation, theyre not a record, and theyre irrelevant if you have the facts.  [11]   As a final point, when watching a film, we need to be conscious that nonentity may appear as it seems and that even the camera may be lying to us. Seymour Chatman once asserted that visuals are no more sacrosanct than words and that the camera can even conspire with an unreliable narrator  [12]  . In the genre film noir, this method of narrative disruption is very common, for example in the movie The Lady from Shanghai (Orson Welles), the cameras focal point is on the main character who is correspondingly the unreliable narrator, which is confessed by mistake in the introductory narrative. In Shutter Island red herrings can be discovered, however they are quite simply disregarded, which operates to subvert the narrative. Shutter Island supports this idea of not being able to trust the camera: one example is seen when Teddy fires his gun at Cawley where his blood is dashed all over the white board. However, shortly after the image we are presented with a shot that makes it appear as if nothing has occurred, that the gun is fake and the Cawley is still positioned in the same place and very much alive. It is clear in this sequence that the narrative discourse here is built for shock effect  [13]  ; however it also clearly demonstrates to the audience that Teddy and the camera are scheming with each other and that the camera is in actual fact Teddys coconspirator. In conclusion, it can be debated that Shutter Islands story occurs on six distinct planes which are the actual reality, the narrated reality, the perceived reality, the flashbacks, the dreams and finally the hallucinations  [14]  . It is difficult to differentiate each one throughout the film due to the fact that they all blend together which is what makes it confusing and difficult for the audience to extricate reality and the truth from the rest. As a result, the audience, between the unreliable narrator and the unreliable camera work, are left with unclear knowledge of what is really happening. Shutter Island strongly follows the film noir genre characteristics by leaving the revelation of what is real until the end, however, Shutter Island is slightly different to many common film noir films due to the fact that even the ending is slightly unclear, while it is generally supposed that the film will end with Teddys lobotomy as he is taken away by the orderlies in the final imag e of the film  [15]  . Due to the fact that even the ending is ambiguous, it is clear that Shutter Island has a very unreliable narrator which makes it difficult for the viewer to distinguish reality from the rest.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Essay --

Katie Werner Mr. Oster AP Composition & Literature 12/13/13 Crime & Redemption Fyodor Dostoyevsky sets his classic romantic novel, Crime and Punishment, in 19th century Russia, and addresses the many psychological issues faced by lower class Russian citizens of the time, such as: morality, insanity, alienation, poverty, and religion. In the novel, Dostoyevsky presents his character, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov (also referred to as Rodya,) as a non-typical criminal who murders Alyona, an unfair pawnbroker, simply to test his theory that exceptional men are exempt from the law. In doing this, Dostoyevsky creates a complex character, whom, because of his actions and apathetic nature, can easily be perceived as evil or immoral: â€Å"He pulled the axe quite out, swung it with both arms, scarcely conscious of himself, and almost without effort, almost mechanically, brought the blunt side down on her head† (Dostoyevsky 72). Raskolnikov commits this crime in such a cold, detached fashion, that based on this action and the additional murder of the pawnbroke r’s mentally disabled sister, Lizav...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

My Philosophy of Education :: Educational Teaching Teachers Essays

My Philosophy of Education While thinking about my personal philosophy of education and such questions as "What is the purpose of education?' or "What is the role of the teacher?" I have come to realize that my personal views can only be described as eclectic. I find that I agree with some (but not all) of the tenets of many of the major philosophies so far as education is concerned. My personal belief is that there is no single "way" of educating or education that is correct for every child, and as a future teacher I believe that I must be willing to be flexible and adaptable to any given situation , utilizing my knowledge of the various philosophies of education to create an approach to education that will provide each student with a learning environment and a learning experience that is best for him or her. When it comes to the curriculum taught in schools, I agree with the Perennialists' view that the curriculum should include the works and ideas of the Great Thinkers of the past, the fine arts, and philosophy, as well as the view that teachers should also instruct students in both character training and positive moral development. This is not just a job for the parents of children but for all adults in society as well, and since teachers spend almost as much time with children as their parents it is foolish to think that children will not look at the teacher as a role model whether or not the teacher intends for them to. I also agree with the Essentialist point of view that the curriculum should include such subjects as reading, writing, history, mathematics, sciences, foreign languages, computer skills, geography, social studies, and government. I feel that students who have a strong background in the basics of a variety of topics will have a better school experience and will be better prepared not only for higher education experiences, or experiences in the job market, but for life experiences in general. I also feel, like the Social Reconstructivists, that students need a curriculum that addresses the topics of cultural pluralism, human relations, social problems, and global issues as well. Students need to be aware of what goes on in the world, of their role in it, their responsibility to it, and of the ways that they can bring about changes in a positive way.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Role of Cleopatras Children in Defining Her Character :: Egypt History Queen Essays

The Role of Cleopatra's Children in Defining Her Character Abstract There are few roles that Cleopatra has not been made to fulfill. She is queen, goddess, lover, whore, wife, witch. Yet it is her role as mother that most defines how she is to be perceived, and which of these other roles she will take on in a given work of literature. Cleopatra's children, or the absence of them, play a definitive role in characterizing Cleopatra. When Cleopatra is childless, she acts like a child herself, either petty and selfish or so deeply in love that she ignores all else. When she has children, however, her role as mother extends far beyond her actual offspring and encompasses all of Egypt. Her protectiveness of her children is used to mirror her protectiveness of Egypt-if she is a good mother than she is also a good queen. Whether she is a good mother, a bad mother, or no mother at all is used by every author or director to characterize Cleopatra as a woman and as a symbol. The Total Absence of Children Cleopatra's childlessness in literature and film is meant to allow her to be viewed as childish herself. Egypt is of little importance to her. She cares deeply only for love and pleasure, or for nothing at all. Not only is she not yet a queen, but she may never be. In Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra, Cleopatra is both chronologically and mentally a child. Not only do she and Caesar not have children together, they do not even have a sexual relationship. Shaw "makes Cleopatra, who was probably about nineteen or twenty when Caesar arrived in Egypt, into an emotionally and intellectually retarded sixteen year old who pouts and prattles...peeping out from behind her nurse like a bashful toddler" (Hughes-Hallet 252). In order change Caesar from a lover into a father-figure, Shaw turns Cleopatra into a helpless but petty infant; he glorifies Caesar's character at the detriment of Cleopatra's. After her altogether pointless and foolish carpet scene that actually costs the lives of Roman soldiers, Caesar says to a scared and clinging Cleopatra, "My poor child, your life matters little here to anyone but yourself" (Shaw 84). Not only is Shaw's Cleopatra childish and indifferent to the plight of Egypt, but she is completely useless. Even Caesar, with whom she has the closest relationship to in the play, who takes on the role of a father, does not really care whether she lives or dies.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Dow Pbb

Dow Chemical By Kai Draaisma Laurens de Blij Diedrik Oost Eva Sloff Lesley Flohil 13-11-2012 Duisenberg School of Finance Executive summary 1. Summary of Facts. With an annual revenue of $20. 2 billion Dow held the leading market position worldwide in ethylene and polyethylene (exhibit 1b). To consolidate all of Bahia Blanca’s polyethylene activity under Dow’s control a three-stage plan was developed. The first stage involved taking control of PBB, the second stage involved acquiring Polisur’s two polyethylene plants, and the third stage involved building a new ethylene cracker.To determine a proper risk premium Dow had to consider possible country risks. Currency and government policy risk may have had an impact because of possible future crises and changing government policies relevant to foreign investments. Furthermore, because of the ending of the convertibility law Dow also had to consider a possible exchange-rate risk. Dow created a holding company, Dow In vestment Argentina, to invest in the project, then they had to decide whether they will use general corporate funds or raise debt for the PBB bid. 2. Statement of problem . 1General analysis Rational for Acquisition of PBB Dow Chemical’s corporate strategy is to look for horizontal- and vertical integration, achieve technological leadership and gain international presence. Dow will benefit from a more integrated production process by lowering their cost of production. PBB will also create stable supplies of ethane for Dow allowing them to achieve operating rates near 100%. Cracking ethane in the region will result in lower operating risk for Dow meaning the supply/input risk for the production of Polyethylene.An increase in the production output of Dow will allow them to benefit from economies of scale. Overall Dow will gain technology leadership and operational excellence from adding PBB to their company and enhance them with a costleader position in the market required to c ompete with the government-subsidized chemical complexes. Risk measurement In this section we provide a brief risk analysis. Table 1 is designed to give a compact overview of the different risks, possible mitigating actions and whether the risks are integrated in the cash flow or discount rate.Not every risk was applicable in the acquisition of PBB. The risk that influenced our cash flows the most is the currency risk caused by a possible liquidity crisis in Argentina. Argentina has experienced eight major currency crises (tijd/reference)and there is a risk of a new currency crisis in the future. When this happens, Dow will not be able to sell its output to the home country and will have to increase its export. Revenue de We have also taken into account that the convertibility law that now provides stability could eventually stop. This will also have a significant impact on inflation.Operating risk is the second risk with a large impact on projected cash flows. This is mostly the ri sk of not meeting the full operating capacity. For the first 3 years we keep the operating rate of the plant at 65% and from 1995 we increase the operating rate by 5% each year. Other risks had less of an impact on our cash flows. Information risk was less of an issue because Dow was already present in Argentina and PBB was important to the government of Argentina. Corporate Governance risk in Argentina is not expected to have a significant additional impact on cash flows.This risk is already included in the discount rate for similar projects in the US. Table 1: Risk overview| Risk| Mitigating actions| Cash Flow (CF) or Discount rate (DR)| Corruption risk| 1. Have a large bank loan from a national bank. 2. Government stake of 49% here is a mitigating factor | DR| Expropriation risk| Same actions as for corruption risk| CF (tax wil increase 5%)| Operating risk (only post/ completion risks )| n/a| CF| Sovereign risk| Through the convertibility law, the peso has been anchored to the US D to prevent hyperinflation. | DR| Currency/ Foreign exchange risk| 1.Dow is a well diversified investor, therefore this should be mitigated. 2. Buy put options on the Arg peso. | CF| Corporate Governance risk| Give shares to management to align incentives. | DR| Repatriation risk| Current political climate is stable, not likely that Arg will impose limits on fund outflows. | DR| Information Risk| Dow Chemical already has presence in Argentina, therefore are more likely to receive high quality information. | n/a| Adjusted discount rate All risks that are not used for adjusting cash flows are integrated in the adjusted discount rate.These risks include but are not limited to corruption risk, information risk, hyperinflation, sovereign risk, repatriation risk and other residual risks. These risks are partly mitigated, however all the different risks combined constitute a premium which we will add on to the the given discount rate for similar projects in the US of 8%-10%. A reasonable assumption for the combined premium will be [ ]. The auumed premium results in a discount rate of [ ] which we will use in our further valuation. 4. Recommendation Bidding decisionCompeting bidders need to comply with certain covenants (exhibit 6). Competitors Perez Companc S. A. and Copesul do not comply with the requirements of having a statement of net worth of at least 5 billion. Even if the two companies would merge they do not meet the the requirements. This makes Dow the sole bidder for PBB. This has a profound impact on the internal valuation. Appendix 1 Risk Information risk. When you are doing a cross-border valuation you have to take into account that there may be information risk.This includes the risk of outside investors getting the wrong information because of poor disclosure in the financial statements. However since Dow entered Argentina in 1957 we assume they are familiar with the market and accounting rules, therefore information risk for this project is low as Do w chemical has already collected country experience in Argentina via Dow Quimica. Because this is difficult to quantify we have taken this into account in our discount rate. Corruptionrisk. The risk of corruption includes the illegal payments and favors outside the rule of law.Corruption exists to some extent in all countries, but there are large differences across countries. According to the Global Corruption Index by Transparancy international, the level of corruption for Argentina in 1995 was given a 5. 24 out of a possible score of 10. This gave them a ranking of 24 out of 42 countries surveyed. All of which were assumed to be developed countries. However, Dow somehow secured itself thanks to PBB’s importance and the Argentine government’s intention to keeps 49% which is an advantage and not a disadvantage.The Argentine government will also appreciate the jobs being created in the later project stages, if successful, and a good relationship with the government will likely also be beneficial when discussing with YPF about long-term ethane supply. Mitigation: Part of this risk can be mitigated by taking a loan in Argentina to finance the project as the government will not want Dow to default on their debt resulting in an overall bad outcome for Argentina’s economic situation. Furthermore part of this risk is mitigated as the government has a stake in the company so it is also in their interest to keep the company strong.Currency risk: As Argentina has experienced 8 major currency crises in the past there is the risk of a new currency crisis occuring in the future. Even though the convertibility law took away some of the risk, Dow will still have to bear in mind that when a crises happen, they will not be able to sell their output to the home country and will have to increase its export. This risk is taken into account in the cashflows. Expropriation risk. Political instability or expropriation is small as they company has had a stable dem ocratic government past 12 years.However, changes in the policy of the government will cause a risk for Dow and their foreign investments. At that moment there were no restrictions on borrowing abroad and there were no limits imposed on payments of foreign loan principal and interest. If something changes in this regulations it may have an effect on the acquisition of Dow. For this reason we will also include this risk in our discount rate. Furthermore the government has no limits on cash flows going out of their country but can eventually decide to do so.We consider the risk of the government taking over the company to be low as the production of polyethylene and deriving ethylene from hydrocarbon crackers is complex. This is a process for skilled people and not just anyone can therefore run the company properly. The risk of expropriation is therefore low. As the production of ethylene and derivatives such as polythylene is a highly complicated process, requiring large captial inve stment and a high operating leverage, not many companies will be able and willing to take over the business.Furthermore as Polythylene is a commodity product that trades globally with a narrow price range. Mitigation:Dow can decrease the risk exposure by taking on a loan in Argentina to finance their project. This will decrease the risk exposure as Dow can only default on their debt when the government decides to raise taxes, which will not lead to a company default. Foreign Exchange Rate Risk. Foreign Exhange rate risk will be low because of Dow Chemical’s international presence and the assumption that shareholders are sufficiently diversified. The convertibility law which ensured a fixed Argentine peso and U.S. dollar at exactly one already decrease the foreign exchange rate risk. However we need to take into account the risk that the convertibility law might come to an end. Mitigation: The risk can be decreased by setting up binding financial contracts with the governmetn to make sure the deal will happen. Furthermore Dow could decide to place a put option on the peso to protect themselves when the peso collapses. Operating risk Pre-completion: as the project is already completed there is no risk concerning the technology risks or other completion risk.Post-completion: we have included the post-completion risk in our cashflows as we run the risk of not meeting the full operating capacity. For the first 3 years we keep the operating rate of the plant at 65% and from 1995 we increase the operating rate by 5% each year. As the company provides their own input this risk does not need to be taken into account. Operating risk would likely matter but we handled that risk by adjsuting down our casfhlows in stage 1 so we do not take it into account for adjusting our cost of capitalSovereign risk Politcal events suchs as wars, labor strikes, terrorism and changes in laws can happen in any country you work with and therefore needs to be taken into account. Sinc e it is hard to quantify this risk we have handled it through the discount rate. Appendix 2 | | Source: Erb, Harvey Viskanta, ‘Poltical risk,Economic risk and Financial risk’, Fuqua School of Business Working Paper No. 9606, 1996. | ——————————————– [ 1 ]. For broader explanation of the different risks see Appendix 1 [ 2 ].According to the Global Corruption Index by Transparancy international the level of corruption for Argentina in 1995 was given a 5. 24 out of a possible score of 10. This gave them a ranking of 24 out of 42 countries surveyed. All of which were developed countries more or less. Source: http://archive. transparency. org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/previous_cpi [ 3 ]. See Appendix 1 for an explanation of the mitigating factors of the before mentioned risks [ 4 ]. This conclusion was reached byTaking the ‘total assets’ as net worth on the financial statements of Perez on Copesul (exhibit 8a &8b).

Sunday, September 15, 2019

14-year old girl was found unconscious near Expo Center Essay

KARACHI: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 on the Richter scale rocked the coastal city of Karachi and adjacent areas late on Monday night. According to the seismic center, the epicenter of the quake was 10 kilometers deep in Hub, Balochistan he police on Monday night identified those six deceased people whose bodies were found dumped . Khan was strangled to death by unknown people along with his wife Nadia Amer and three sons – Roman Khan, Adam Khan and Haider Khan – and his 24-year-old servant. According to sources, Ameerullah Khan, a millionaire, was the the owner of real estate worth millions of rupees in Peshawar. Reportedly, he was not only engaged in a dispute with his brother and brother-in-law over the ownership of the property but was also receiving threats from land mafia. KARACHI: Eid-ul-Azha today (Tuesday) is being celebrated in Saudi Arabia besides Gulf, European, Far Eastern countries, US and Europe, Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated in Pakistan tomorrow Wednesday, while the Pakistani expatriates in US and Europe like our northern areas would also be celebrating two eids, as some of them slaughtering sacrificial animals on Tuesday, while others would be doing so on Wednesday. See more: Sleep Deprivation Problem Solution Speech Essay ISLAMABAD: Pakistani troops early Tuesday morning responded to the unprovoked firing by Indian forces across the Line of Control (LoC) and reduced them to silence, The sources further said that Pakistan’s tit-for-tat retaliation forced the enemy to retreat to its bunkers. LONDON — Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who wasshot in the head by the Taliban for her advocacy of girls’ education, was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought on Thursday by the European Parliament. Ms. Yousafzai was chosen as the winner of the $65,000 Sakharov Prize by the heads of the political groupings in the 766-member European Parliament. LONDON — The Pakistani police arrested Pervez Musharraf, the nation’s former military ruler, on Thursday, opening a new criminal prosecution against him that frustrated plans by his supporters to fly him out of Pakistan. Muhammad Rizwan, a senior Islamabad police official, told reporters that Mr. Musharraf would remain under house arrest at his villa outside Islamabad, where he has been confined since April. It is not clear, however, whether the court order represents a major obstacle to Mr. Musharraf’s plans to leave Pakistan, or a temporary one. deadlysiege of the Red Mosque in Islamabad in 2007. A Pakistani court granted bail on Wednesday to Pervez Musharraf, the country’s former military ruler, clearing the way for him to leave the country as early as Thursday, his lawyers said. Mr. Musharraf, 70, has been under house arrest at his villa outside Islamabad since April, facing criminal charges in three cases related to his nine years in power, from 1999 to 2008. Mr. Musharraf had already been granted bail in two of the three cases, and the decision on Wednesday to grant bail in the third — related to the death of Akbar Khan Bugti, a Baluch nationalist leader killed in a military operation — opens the door for him to avoid prosecution entirely. Mr. Musharraf’s lawyers said that his bail payment of $20,000 could be processed as early as Thursday morning; he could then leave Pakistan immediately.

Improving Study Habits Essay

â€Å"The greatest time saver is being organized. Establish routines that go like clockwork.† Maximizing time makes an individual productive. Personal time management is organizing and managing according to personal priorities, to get where one wants to go. Those who use this technique are the highest achievers in all walks of life. The interesting and essential step in beginning to manage time more effectively is to identify how time is being spent, because only through examining, one can begin to set priorities, eliminate time barriers and aids to better time management. In the course of Bachelor of Science in Psychology, students need to learn many skills that are needed in practicing the actual profession. Psychology students have so many academic requirements to prioritize, but they also have extra-curricular that are important as well, and they always need to cope with time pressure. College is an entirely different situation than high school. Classes consist of far fewer grades, but they are worth it when you are done. Do not tell yourself, â€Å"I’ll read the assignment later,† because often times you merely end up cramming right before the test; research indicates that cramming is not the best (nor is it the worst) method of studying. At first, different factors can affect the academic performance of a students in order to achieve success, going through the steps are necessary. It should provide time for students to review activities and prevent too many errors that results to unaccomplished tasks or tasks that are accomplished, but after several attempts to do so. It reduces avoidance and welcomes other opportunities that could help in preparing for other tasks. This study will contribute to the perception of the future psychology students in prioritizing the academic activities and requirements in terms of importance and urgency. The researchers conducted a survey regarding the said topic at Centro Escolar University among the second year psychology students. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors affecting the study habits and the effects to academic performance on psychology students’ particularly in the second year level. Habits (or wonts) are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously or â€Å"A habit, from the standpoint of psychology, is a more or less fixed way of thinking, willing, or feeling acquired through previous repetition of a mental experience.† As behaviors are repeated in a consistent context, there is an incremental increase in the link between the context and the action. This increases the automaticity of the behavior in that context. Features of an automatic behavior are all or some of: efficiency, lack of awareness, unintentionally, and uncontrollability. And a bad habit is an undesirable behavior pattern. Anyone interested in getting better results, becoming more productive and ultimately more successful should probably take an honest look at the problem of procrastination. Most people think procrastination is just an issue that involves putting things off that can be done later without much of a penalty. But if procrastination will become your habit especially in your study what would be the effect of it in your academic performances? Statement of the problem. 1. What are the bad habits/behavior/attitude toward the respondent’s subjects? Ans. Gagawin pa yang sentence. Lack of interest in the subject area, Unable to set priorities (extra curricular activities, entertainment, etc.), Lack of prerequisites for success in the current subject area, Unstable home life ability to concentrate, lack of interest or motivation to succeed, procrastinating, habitual lateness, overextension, Inability to Prioritize, Negative Mindset and Fear of Failure 2. Does the negative attitudes and habits of psychology students affect their academic performances? 3. The reasons why they act/behave that way. Gagamitan naten to ng theories ha :†) at d pa to tapos. Lack of Focus, Family problems, social lives (including texting, IM’ing, etc.), outside distractions (phone, music, TV),

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Guillermo’s Furniture Store Scenario Essay

Financial principles, financial markets, and business ethics construct a major infrastructure for financial decisions that all managers or supervisors must make on a constant basis. The purpose of this paper is to explain the financial concepts found in this week’s readings and how these concepts relate to the Guillermo’s Furniture Store Scenario. According to the text reading, â€Å"the principles of finance, described in this section and the two that follow, are based on logical deduction and on empirical observation† (Chapter 2, p. 20). Until the late 1990s, Guillermo’s Furniture Store retained its competitive advantage in the furniture market. The arrival of a new overseas competitor entering the furniture market, decreased furniture prices, and increased labor costs posed as a new challenge for the organization (University of Phoenix, 2009). For several years, Guillermo’s Furniture Store dominated the furniture manufacturing market with the ideal supply of timber to create a variation of types of furniture. As a result, the owner did not know how to forecast the new challenges that faced the company. As the new competition starts to enter the furniture market, these competitors have developed an advanced technology that produces a more customized product to meet consumer demand. With labor costs rising, Guillermo did not realize these changes and how this would affect his current business. Guillermo’s Furniture Store will need to consider the principle of self-interested behavior to help minimize the risks associated with the changes in the furniture business to meet customer expectations. The concept of the principle of self-interested behavior basically implies that with a level playing field in the furniture business meaning all aspects of the business equals one another, then Guillermo will need to act or perform in the best financial interest of his own company. One option for Guillermo’s Furniture Store would be to purchase a high-tech laser lather operating equipment for manufacturing the product. This would be an example of the principle of self-interested behavior as it is an important corollary of this principle (Emery, Finnerty, & Stowe, 2007). This action will create a more desirable competing action for the benefit of his organization. Guillermo could also consider becoming a furniture manufacturer for a Norway company by facilitating all distributing pathways and this behavior is an example of the principle of valuable ideas. Emery, Finnerty & Stowe state, â€Å"new products or services can create value, so if you have a new idea, you might then transform it into extraordinary positive value for yourself† (Chapter 2, p. 24). This type of behavior is clear if the owner decides to patent the current process for coating the furniture as it creates new ideas. Guillermo will need to consider ways to create value by developing exceptional customer service with the creation of better products and services at the lowest possible price without sacrificing the quality of the product or service. The competition is fierce overseas as a direct result of inexpensive parts and labor. The furniture store will have to create the lowest and best quality product to meet consumer demands. Guillermo will need to meet the competition with its market presence by focusing on remaining competitive with the patent process. In order to make a strategic decision on which process will be best for the furniture store, Guillermo will need to take a closer look at the financial statements to make the financial decision. Strategic analysis of financial transaction is one of the most vital facets of an organization with regard to important business decisions. This type of analysis assists any business owner or manager in deciding which type of alternative or plan would be most beneficial to the company. These decisions should also consider the impact on the market and the competition as well as the organization. Guillermo will need to discover the financial impact of either choice mentioned above to make the best decision. Reference Emery, D. R., Finnerty, J. D., Stowe, J. D. (2007). Corporate Financial Management (3rd ed). Chapter 2: The Financial Environment: Concepts and Principles. Prentice Hall, Inc: A Pearson Education Company. University of Phoenix. Guillermo’s Furniture Store Data. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Corporate Finance-FIN571 website. University of Phoenix (2012). Guillermo’s Furniture Store Scenario. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Corporate Finance-FIN571 website

Friday, September 13, 2019

Technology DQ3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Technology DQ3 - Essay Example e a drift towards attaining more cohesiveness and oneness within their processes and tasks and for this matter they have undertaken measures to incorporate more and more use of technological regimes – for the betterment of one and all. It is a fact that the business world of present times can have a lot of improvement within their ranks if they adopt the policy of working towards the establishment of different management systems that have an incorporation of technology. This would guarantee them a lot of success as their employees and workers would dedicate their whole hearted efforts towards the different tasks of the company as well as towards their own individual capacities. Once these technologically-assisted management systems are installed and are in place, we can have a proper check and balance mechanism as concerns to the people who are working in the company. One such of these management systems is the performance management systems within the human resources unit whi ch makes use of the fact that performance is increased on the part of all concerned and there is no shortfall as concerns to commitment, dedication and devotion when at work. 2) Based on the readings and personal experience, what are the responsibilities of a manager to ensure that company supported effectiveness technology is being used in a cost-effective and responsible manner by employees? The work culture within the domains of a manager must suit the interests of the organization in the best form possible. For this to happen, it is necessary to understand that technology has got an immense role to play in the manager’s repertoire. Also there should be a comprehension that managers work in a global world where technology has of late been instrumental at dramatically changing the way we perceive the events that govern our lives. The accession of technology to managers around the globe means that the same has resulted in the amalgamation of technological expertise and the like for a

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Reaction paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reaction - Research Paper Example This would be a positive development in the field of psychology as early diagnosis would also mean early medical intervention. With DCN, I believe that the causes and symptoms of various mental disorders such as schizophrenia, amnesia, autism and Alzheimer’s will be brought to a better light. From the article, it was mentioned that in DCN, the â€Å"methods involve the imaging of brain function in noninvasive ways that are very safe and friendly to infants and their parents.† Although the proponents of this method being used for imaging the brain function claim that it is safe, I still doubt whether there a number of parents who would allow their babies to become â€Å"guinea pigs† and undergo such experiments. I think that this can be a possible hindrance in the further advancement of DCN in the area of infant brain development. I also wonder whether this method of studying brain functions could be applied not only to babies but to geriatric individuals as well. If it is possible, then the medical world will probably have a better understanding of mental disorders like Alzheimer’s, which is common to old people.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

The poem the moment by margaret atwood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The poem the moment by margaret atwood - Essay Example The poem can be summed up thus: Whenever human beings start believing that they have mastered their environment and start believing in a misplaced sense of superiority over mother nature, then they are setting up their own doom. We as a species will always remain products of nature and to that extent subordinate to the wellbeing of our natural environment. Through the course of our planet’s history, we as a species are only recent arrivals. One day we will perish too, while Mother Nature with her mix of the animate and inanimate objects will continue to live and dictate terms. This poem assumes an added resonance, as it directly appeals to the environmental activism that is witnessed across the world today. Terms such as global warming and environmental degradation have started finding everyday reference in print and broadcast media, highlighting the critical juncture at which our planet is poised. The Moment is a valuable addition to the popular discourse on these subjects. The poem differs from others in the genre in that it easily lends itself to be paraphrased into expository prose. To the extent that this is true, the poem is not subject to various contrasting interpretations. In the poem, lines such as â€Å"house, half-acre, square mile, island, country† and words such as â€Å"trees†, â€Å"birds†, â€Å"cliffs†, â€Å"air†, â€Å"breathe†, etc make it adequately clear what the subject matter is, namely that of our natural environment. Treating these objects in nature as endowments of mother nature, one could propose a contrarian feminist interpretation of the poem. This would be to interpret planet earth and its resources as representing feminine qualities of creating and care-giving. And just as the subordination of women to men had held back human civilization for millennia, the subjugation of nature to our species is also a regressive idea. Hence, a careful reading of the poem reveals to the reader t he underlying didactic attitude of the

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Does Robert Bruce deserve to be remembered as a great Scottish king Essay

Does Robert Bruce deserve to be remembered as a great Scottish king - Essay Example The reality is that Scotland was in need of the cunningness and patience of Robert Bruce rather than the William Wallace’s impetuousness, particularly during the encounters with enemies like the English under the command of Edward I and then Edward II. Robert Bruce approached the matter strategically and bided his time, so he established himself as the King of Scotland first, so that he would be ready by the time of Bannockburn. Two years before Robert Bruce was born in 1274, Edward Plantagenet had been made England’s King Edward I. Edward Plantagenet was titled as â€Å"The Hammer of the Scots† because of his ruthlessness, which helped bring forth Robert Bruce’s greatness. Robert Bruce got an astonishing victory in the year 1314 at Bannockburn while fighting with Edward II who had much better-equipped and larger forces. This victory earned Scotland independence from the control of the English. As his power dawned upon the people, the parliament declared h im the King. A brief history The struggle to achieve control over Scotland commenced with the death of Alexander III in the year 1286. Alexander III left Margaret, his grandchild as the heir who was the King of Norway’s infant daughter. ... Norwegian princess passed away on her way to Scotland, thus exposing the succession to a number of claimants, the most prominent of whom were Robert Bruce and John Balliol. â€Å"King Edward, while reserving his own rights as one of the competitors, promised the rest that within two months of awarding the Crown he would restore kingdom and castles to the rightful king, and that in future on the death of a king he would demand nothing but homage and the rights incidental to it† (Barrow, 2005, p. 44). Robert Bruce never gave up What really makes Robert Bruce the greatest hero of Scotland is that fact that he never lost hope or gave up despite all the challenges and difficulties that came his way (Bartell and William, 2006, p. 103). It was on 27 March 1306, when Robert Bruce declared himself to be the Scots’ King. As could be predicted, Edward sent a huge army toward north for the Battle of Methven and happened to defeat Robert Bruce. Edward executed many supporters of Rob ert Bruce and made him a hunted outlaw from the Scottish king. The indefatigable king of Scotland had bided his time. For a whole year, he was demoralized while the terror of the English spread far and wide in Scotland. In this period, two brothers of Robert Bruce were assassinated. Robert Bruce finally resolved to show up. â€Å"When, looking up with wistful eye, The Bruce beheld a spider try His filmy thread to fling From beam to beam of that rude cot-- And well the insect's toilsome lot Taught Scotland's future king.† (Barton cited in Poetry-Archive.com, 2003). With the support of Sir James Douglas, Robert Bruce’s chief lieutenant, he gained his first victory in 1307 on Palm Sunday. The call was answered by the clans from all over Scotland and the forces of Robert Bruce accumulated to fight the

Monday, September 9, 2019

Climate change Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Climate change - Research Paper Example ï‚ § The intended IMC campaign is educational in its approach and intends to educate the university students about the long term and short term consequences of climate change and what is its long-term prognosis for the Australian environment, economy, and growth.ï‚ § The intended IMC campaign is educational in its approach and intends to educate the university students about the long term and short term consequences of climate change and what is its long-term prognosis for the Australian environment, economy, and growth.ï‚ § It is a salient objective of this media campaign to help the targeted audience understand as to what small steps and lifestyle changes they can resort to, to dilute and mitigate the impact of climate change and to predict and quantify the influence these measures could have in ameliorating the short term and long term impact of climate change.ï‚ § This campaign also intends to augment the overall traffic on the "Be the Change you want" website and to secure at least 75,000 hits during the six-month period over which the campaign spans.ï‚ § There is no denying the fact that this campaign tends to heavily exploit the social networking portals like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. So one important goal is to secure a minimum of 15,000 followers for the "Be the Change you want" page of the Facebook in the six-month period for which the campaign lasts.ï‚ § The overall campaign objective is to solicit the loyalty and commitment of the target audience for the cause of climate change.... This campaign also intends to augment the overall traffic on the â€Å"Be the Change you want† website and to secure at least 75,000 hits during the six month period over which the campaign spans. There is no denying the fact that this campaign tends to heavily exploit the social networking portals like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. So one important goal is to secure a minimum of 15,000 followers for the â€Å"Be the Change you want† page of the Facebook in the six month period for which the campaign lasts. The overall campaign objective is to solicit the loyalty and commitment of the target audience for the cause of climate change3. These young audiences being university students will certainly be the opinion makers of tomorrow. So the pivotal target of the campaign is to make the optimum use of the scarce resources to run an IMC plan that achieves results with a lasting shelf life. Media Plan- A Timeline Sensitive Choice of Media Tools Being subject to a budgetary li mit of 1, 00,000 AUD and extending over a period of six months, the choice of media tools will be such as to blend with the schedule of the target audience4. Based on the assumption that all the universities affiliate to the Curtin academic calendar, the campaign will be initiated in first week of the semester 2012 (Monday February 27). The campaign will last for 6 months and will culminate in week 3 of semester 2. The campaign intends to focus on one university each in 5 states that are VIC, WA, NSW, QLD and SA. At the very start of the campaign, the selected customers and guilds will be emailed pamphlets to get them interested in the awareness drive. Once the campaign is initiated, the customized pamphlets will be

Sunday, September 8, 2019

John F Kennedy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

John F Kennedy - Research Paper Example John on one hand was a Boston mayor from 1906 to 1908 while Patrick on the other hand was a senate representative for Massachusetts in 1892. This may be noted as a contributing factor towards the rise and success of John Kennedy and some of his brothers in American politics (Weber 26). During his childhood, Kennedy is said to have suffered normal ailments such as chicken pox, measles and other infections that affect young children but of significance is that he was diagnosed with a rare scarlet fever infection when he was 3 years old. The infection is said to be one of the most dangerous and communicable diseases and this worried his parents a lot, especially his father, who went to the extent of promising that he would donate half of his had earned savings to charity if his son recovered from this condition. However, Kennedy was a fighter and to the surprise of many, he was able to overcome the threat within approximately three months and true to his word, Kennedy’s father fu lfilled his promise by donating more than half of his entire savings to charity (Thomas 17). The Kennedy family lived in Brookline until when he was 10 years old after which they moved to New York City especially due to the success his father had in business, which made it possible to relocate to a larger and spacious house. During the 10 years before relocation, Kennedy had attended 3 schools which were; Edward Devotion School, Noble and Greenbush Lower School, and the Dexter School, where he completed his 4th grade. Once in New York, he was enrolled into Riverdale country school, where he studied up to the 7th grade after which, he joined the Canterbury school for his 8th grade (Thomas 31). Reports indicate that Kennedy was a bright student, obedient and though he was small in size, he always was courageous and determined to excel in all areas. This was however a challenging task especially since he was an Irish catholic and this did

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Ethics concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethics concepts - Essay Example "Modern fertility treatments became the focus of much media attention in 1993 after the widely publicised case in which a 59 year old woman was enabled to give birth to twins by means of in vitro fertilisation with donated eggs and her partner's sperm. Fertility treatments raise a wide range of ethical and social issues" (Koch, 1993, p.143). Such factors as the potential child's welfare and interests are critical reasons for refusing to provide a couple with fertility treatment. In spite of the fact that the issue of conception is foremost in the present discussion, I would like to exemplify the situation with the process of child adoption. Even though it differs from conception, because the child already exists, authorities have established a number of criteria for adoption: parents' welfare, their personal qualities, health status and other information should be taken into account. These criteria are partially determined by supply and demand: for instance, potential parents are forced to compete with each other, because the number of infertile families is larger that the number of orphans who are to be adopted. Similarly, in vitro fertilization, associated with conception, poses following question: (bluntly speaking) will the child benefit from being born to these parents or would it be better if he/she never existed The likelihood of the particular potential child being born to another couple simply does not exist, and conception therefore is dissimilar to adoption in this sense. Naturally, it is hard to determine when it would be more preferable if the potential child didn't exist; the fundamental worth of an individual's life cannot be either measured or quantified, least of all if this life hasn't been started yet. It is possible to say, however, that the level of parents' responsibility would be rather low for it to be more favorable not to be born. Society's unwillingness to take care of a child excepting the most traumatic circumstances of horrible parenting proves this (Koch, 1993). Using the example of the 59-year old woman who gave birth to twins, a most important obstruction is that the mother will probably die when they are still at the stage of childhood, i.e. not having brought them up. "No doubt, other things being equal, it is preferable to have a mother who survives well into one's own adulthood. But to put this forward as a sufficient reason for denying fertility treatment is tantamount to claiming that it is better never to have existed than for one's mother to have died when one is still quite young" (Brindsen, 1992,p.280). In addition, in the case of in vitro fertilization, the interests of society are masqueraded as the potential child's interests. The procedure of selecting couples for the fertilization itself looks like the other official procedures that involve difficulties in distributing resources. There are two major hazards in failing to differentiate between the interests of the certain potential child and those of the potential children who might be born if resources were used to help other prospective parents instead. The first risk is that medical specialists may wrongly withhold the fertilization of the certain couple even if refusal to help them is not likely to bring benefit to other couples. The second hazard is that society may fail to support the process of

Friday, September 6, 2019

College Tuition Essay Example for Free

College Tuition Essay Liberal views on college tuition is that it should be affordable and not increase the average debt an American should have. Recently Obama capped the federal student loan payments at 10% of income and stopped federal student loan interest rates from doubling. Liberals tend to believe strongly in public education and are against the high tuition of private schools, many believe that the high prices of private schools take away from the education system and increase the price of public education. Conservative views on college education is to switch from community schools to trade schools, increasing training instead. They believe you would cut the amount of money you owe by attending a trade school and not investing in a 4+ year college, but they believe also that this opportunity should be possible for most Americans. Many Conservatives believe that federal government has no business in originating student loans and encourages private loan investing. Many believe in shifting the role of federal government in student loans to make government the guarantor for private sector student loans. Demographics The raising of any college tuition funds or loan rates would have a direct effect on the younger generation of 18-30 year olds that would be trying to access education early on in their lives. The United States ranks 9th in the world in the amount of young adults enrolled in college, but 16th in the world of 25-34 year olds graduating with a higher education. The ideas of the liberal party would settle well with the younger generation going into college after high school or returning to college at a young age. The older generation from 65 and up would see faults in this idea by questioning why not raise interest rates or where the funding would come to support the growth of public schooling, but also the idea of do you really have to go to college? Many people of the older generation do not see purpose in being in high debt at such a young age in life. Major difference between the two parties is how the money is received to pay for higher education. They both believe that college tuition should be lowered and more possibilities should be available for lower class Americans, but how those Americans get the money for this education is a widely debated topic.

Gender And Emotion Essay Example for Free

Gender And Emotion Essay Since time immemorial, emotions have always been a fundamental constituent of human beings. However, not all humans attach or detach the same emotions towards things; different people feel differently about varied things and that is why we are all termed as being unique. It is based on this difference in emotions that a lot of debates and researches have been going around in trying to establish whether the emotions we have affect the brain or conversely, whether the brain affects the emotions. Other researchers have-on the other hand- been looking at the subject of emotions differently by opinionating that it varies from one culture to another, one gender to another or even differing based on varied contexts. It is therefore important to circumspectly look at all the angles that have been propagated by different people if an inclusive and satisfactory answer is to be found for the above questions. Many of the studies that have been conducted by researchers highly suggest that the brain largely determines what we feel about different things. Researches by Norman (2003) support this argument by saying that human attributions for different things result from the brain which in effect dictates human behavior. He further says that humans have large brains than other animals and that is why they are able to act more maturely when expressing their emotions. Elder (1996) gives an example by saying that if we feel fear (which is an emotion), then it is based on the fact that we believe (a signal from the brain) something is threatening to us. According to her, Critical thinking precedes and emotional reaction. However, both of these are equally important and signals them should be treated with equal importance. Waxler (2004) also sentiments that â€Å"Our thoughts have profound effect on our emotions, and by learning how to think in our own best interest, we improve our emotional condition. † He proceeds and says that since it is easy to review our thoughts and even control them, then it becomes even easier for us to control our emotions and feel things that are appropriate for us. However, this capacity of the brain to control things has been subject to misuse by some people. Elder (1996) says that â€Å"As we mature, we learn multiple ways to manipulate others, to influence or control others to get what we want. We even learn how to deceive ourselves as to the egocentrism of our behavior. † this is sometimes even taken to the extent of faking feelings like, empathy, generosity, kindness when in real sense, we mean the exact opposite. So the next time you see someone acting â€Å"all good,† be careful because you may just and read between the lines; you may be happy when all that is being done for you is getting fed on lies. On the other hand, other researches purport that emotions affect how we think. An example is the finals of the 2008 FIFA world cup of where Zinedine Zidane, a renowned footballer of France, head-butted Matterazi (an Italian player) after the Italian allegedly made some abusive remarks to him. Speaking after the Interview, Zidane said that he was overwhelmed by emotions and all he could think of at that particular time was t o harm Matterazi. Matsumoto (n. d. ) furthers this argument by saying that â€Å"It is by controlling their emotions that athletes are capable of maintaining high levels of critical thinking and focus, regardless of what sport they are in. † He goes ahead and opinionates that whenever we are emotional, the capacity to think critically is reduced. As a result, athletes who are normally emotional have the tendency of easily losing focus. Tarleton (n. d. ) similarly support this idea by saying that â€Å"Emotions influence how we perceive and react to life, which in turn, determines how content and/or successful we are. The conceptualization or perception of something-according to them-results from feelings that are harbored in our emotions. So if we are able to control our emotions, then it becomes very easy for someone not to think-and consequently-act irrationally. Elder (1996) reports Goleman’s assertion that sometimes feelings come before thought. According to Goleman, â€Å"the emotional mind is far quicker that the rational mind, springing into action without pausing even a moment to consider what it is doing. † This is relatively dangerous as one may act in a way that is not appropriate and consequently end in problems. On the other hand, it may come in handy more so in situations where a person is in a dilemma and is lost for choice yet needs to act aptly. In addition, there is also a group of researchers who hang in the middle of this debatable subject by saying that both the brain and emotions mutually affect one another. In explaining this symbiotic relationship, Tarleton. edu (n. d) say that â€Å"Our thoughts influence how we feel. How we feel influences how we think. These connections are bi-directional and complex. † They go ahead and explicate this by saying that thinking about something good improves our mood while thinking negatively destroys it. Recent studies by some scholars have fundamentally brought an interestingly fresh dimension to this debate of the brain versus emotions. These scholars argue that gender orientation plays a vital role in how one thinks or feels. In spite of being given much emphasis in the recent times, the issue of gender influencing how a person thinks or feels is not a new concept. Even in the pre-modern times, men and women were expected to think and feel in a specific way based on the stereotypes of that time (Sungur and Tekkaya, 2005). Currently, men are debatably depicted in most areas as being strong and dominant while the women being second. Brescoll and Uhlmann (2007) in their work cite Heilman (2001) and Rudman (1998) articulate that women are should be kinder than men, and they induce negative responses from others when they fail to act according to the premeditated ways expected of them. They expound on this concept by writing that men are believed to be strong and should not show weakly emotions like crying just in the same way, women should not show anger. This has however not augured well with most women-especially the elitists and feminists- who see themselves as being able to â€Å"do better what men can do. † To them, both men and women are equal and none should be given a higher status than the other. When using the gender aspect in depicting intelligence or the capacity to think, the same argument used in emotions is used. Men are disputably depicted as having an upper hand than women. In their defense, they state the numerous organizations that are chaired by them and the many critical positions they hold in the annals of history. Of course this has faced much criticism from the women who consider themselves brighter. However, Pin-pointing who is above the other is not our main concern, what stands out to be counted is the fact that both men and women have made invaluable contributions in various aspects. In addition, their differences and unique qualities make them blend even better in their various roles and thus being to the overall good for both of them. References Tarleton. (n. d. ). Emotions and learning (Mini-mester). Retrieved May 3rd, 2010, from http://webcache. googleusercontent. com/custom? q=cache:m7MMnYFicw8J:www. tarleton. edu/~sanderson/Emotions%2520and%2520Learning(mini-mester). Matsumoto, S. (n. d). Do emotions affect critical thinking? Retrieved May 3rd, 2010, from Retrieved May 3rd, 2010, from http://www. humintell. com/2009/08/do-emotions-affect-critical-thinking/ Waxler, J. (2004) Self-talk: How thoughts affect feelings. Retrieved May 3rd, 2010, from http://www. mental-health-survival-guide. com/cognitive-therapy. htm Lmez. A. Y. Sungur, S. Tekkaya, C. (2005). Investigating students’ logical thinking abilities: the effects of gender and grade level.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Behavioral Family Therapy

Behavioral Family Therapy Behavioral family therapy focuses on numerous techniques such as operant conditioning, education, communication and problem solving, and contingency management. These techniques were developed through numerous years of observation and research done by researchers known as Gerald Patterson and Robert Liberman. Many issues can be addressed by Behavioral family therapy such as anorexia, alcoholism, mental illness, childhood developmental issues, marital issues, and family problems. By addressing the familys problem directly, the therapist attempts to place the therapy in the familys hands and during this process engagement in the therapy becomes exceedingly important. Behavioral family therapy aims to find the process that fits the family, not fitting a family inside a therapeutic process. Keywords: Behavioral family therapy, communication, mental illness, therapeutic alliance, engagement Behavioral family therapy, also known as BFT, is a type of therapy that focuses on the family as a unit (Lipps, 1999). This family intervention looks at the elements of information giving and skills achievement, as well as aiming to reduce relapses by supporting and improving communication and problem solving skills (Campbell, 2004). With the support of empirical studies, BFT has developed its approach over years of research and practice. Behavioral family therapy not only addresses behavioral issues within the family, but individual family members with mental disorders as well. This type of therapy covers a broad scope of different types of families and issues. Beginning information on behavioral family therapy started with simple cases regarding children that included bedtime tantrums, nocturnal enuresis, aggressive behavior, and language training with autistic children (Falloon, 1991). Outside of working with children, spouses were involved in BFT to support in the desensitization of anxiety disorders (Falloon, 1991). During these early stages of behavioral family therapy the techniques were individually centered rather than family focused, but the family was still considered a large part in the individuals life. During the start of behavioral family therapy it was thought that negative behaviors from family members came from other family members operant reinforcements. From this concept, it was concluded that the strategies used in behavioral family therapy should involve changing; not only the family member with the negative behavior, but the family members behavior who was reinforcing the negative behavior (Falloon, 1991). During therapy, therapists instructed family members with specific directions on how they should respond to undesirable behavior. While in session, the therapist would then mimic the appropriate behavior towards the undesired behavior when a family member was displaying the negative behavior. The success of the treatment was founded on how many times the deviant behavior occurred, and then the amount the deviant behavior decreased. A pioneer in Behavioral family therapy, Gerald Patterson, created an understanding that laboratory experiments are much different than clinical experiments due to the complexity of the family life style (Falloon, 1991). He was a key individual when it came to formulating behavioral family therapy. Patterson provided several research studies that employed several different therapeutic techniques. One strategy that Patterson tried to incorporate into therapy was to develop a method to move the therapists role as the key mediator away from the family, so that the family would be able to make use of social-learning techniques by themselves (Falloon, 1991). In order to change the behavior within the family, Patterson found that it was important to not only change the parents behavior, but the other family members behavior as well, so that the family could then create a sense of reciprocity (Falloon, 1991). Patterson also noted in his research that the coercion of family members only incre ased the negative responses and only provided a short term correction to the negative problem (Falloon, 1991). Patterson created the pathway for behavioral family therapy through his research and application in the therapy session. Other strategies that elevated behavioral family therapy to its current status, were suggested through research done by several other researchers. One strategy includes the give to get approach. The give to get approach is when a family member unconditionally and positively rewards another family members behavior; specifically, with a family member that they are in conflict with (Falloon, 1991). The thought behind this approach is that it is much more likely that the family members behavior will change in order to please someone, who pleases them (Falloon, 1991). Another strategy includes the contingency contract. The contingency contract is an approach where each family member creates a list of behaviors that the individual will perform for other family members (Falloon, 1991). After deciding between family members which behaviors will be able to be performed, a contract is drawn up. These behaviors serve as tokens that are exchanged as rewards for their targeted positive behaviors, not negative behaviors (Falloon, 1991). These strategies are ways for therapists to help families change negative behaviors into positive behaviors by working together and implementing approaches that work for that specific family system. Robert Liberman was a psychologist that worked with mentally ill adult population within the guidelines of behavioral family therapy. Liberman furthered Behavioral family therapy by including two strategies, role rehearsal and modeling (Falloon, 1991). These strategies were used by Liberman with therapeutic alliance and a detailed assessment of functional relationships. Liberman not only looked at the symptoms the family was having, but the interaction patterns, achievement of short and long term goals, and the extra familial issues that affect the family system (Falloon, 1991). The extra familial issues that affect the family system include education, social-services, and medical services. Liberman had the idea to include the extra familial factors within the therapy so that the symptoms were not the only focus in the sessions, but the long term achievement of stability. In a family system with an individual with a mental illness, Liberman found it important to look at all aspects t hat would affect the family (Falloon, 1991). Within behavioral family therapy there are several behavioral-changing strategies that are used, which include contingency contracting, operant conditioning, and communication-skills training (Falloon, 1991). These strategies are applied to produce a specific change that is within the familys therapeutic goals. During therapy the therapist makes the decision when to use certain strategies based on the familys functioning. When reviewing behavioral family therapy, the practice of therapy has found that only a few interventions were used across a broad range of therapy (Falloon, 1991). These interventions include education, communication and problem solving training, operant conditioning approaches, and contingency management (Falloon, 1991). Education can vary in the way it is displayed. Educating families about issues they deal with in their family, such as mental illness or the development of child milestones can provide families with the information they need to reach their goals. Communication training provides families with the ability to directly transfer information from one family member to another member. Effective communication can provide resolution to problems and attainment to their goals (Falloon, 1991). Operant conditioning strategies include time-out and shaping procedures to increase sought-after behaviors. Operant conditioning approaches are often taught to parents with children or families who have severe disabilities (Falloon, 1991). Operant conditioning goes along with education in that both deal with training and learning. The contingency contract is used to substitute hostile, coercive, blaming patterns of family behavior with more satisfying behaviors (Falloon, 1991). The therapists role in behavioral family therapy is to maintain a supportive therapeutic alliance and to be able to keep an ongoing assessment of the family so that accurate interventions can be used (Falloon, 1991). As the therapist, it is important to look at the responses made by the family member and use those responses to help the family best cope with their situation. Encouraging family members to take advantage of their strengths by focusing on their own feedback will allow the family members to move towards resolving problems and reaching goals (Falloon, 1991). It is important for the therapist to convey positive and negative feelings in a direct manner that works towards positive behavior within the family. The therapist is the individual who matches the intervention to the family (Falloon, 1991). It is important for the therapist to match the intervention to the family instead of forcing the family into an intervention that may not be able to assist the family with their go als (Falloon, 1991). Not only are interventions thoroughly thought through, but the termination of therapy begins in the beginning of therapy. The therapist tells the family members how many session the family will be given and reminds the family every other session that the termination period is getting closer. By the therapist planning the termination in the beginning it gives the family a chance to become independent from the therapist (Falloon, 1991). Behavioral family therapy can be used with several different types of issues. Three common issues that were found in the research were schizophrenia, anorexia nervosa, and alcohol abuse issues. Past research supports that family interventions for schizophrenic members demonstrates helpful engagement in the family (James, Cushway, Fadden, 2006). James, Cushway, Fadden (2006) provide statistical reasoning that behavioral family therapy has a lower dropout rate than other familial therapy groups by twelve percent. Once families became engaged in behavioral family therapy the entire family was more likely to stay engaged (James, Cushway, Fadden, 2006). Those families who do not begin engaged or stay engaged in the therapeutic process are more likely to drop out. In James, Cushway, Faddens (2006) qualitative research it was found that the more reflective the therapist was towards the family the more engaged the family was able to become with the therapy. Being reflective becomes impor tant when creating a therapeutic alliance because reflection creates trust between the family and therapist. The therapeutic alliance in behavioral family therapy becomes the most important quality due to the amount of change that is going to occur (James, Cushway, Fadden, 2006). When working with schizophrenia, a therapist tends to work harder to gain that therapeutic alliance. This could be due to the family not wanting to change what already works with certain members, or that the family members do not trust anyone making changes in their family when they are worried about the outcome of the mentally ill family member. Being able to engage with each member of the family, including a schizophrenic member, will gain the therapist a trusting relationship; which will in turn, help the family create positive change in their familial structure. Anorexia nervosa and alcohol problems are both issues that behavioral family therapy can address. Ball Mitchell (2004) found through their research that with anorexic clients and their families BFT had shown a high trend towards less negative communication after treatment. The research had also shown that significant improvements over time included eating attitudes and behaviors, self-esteem, depression, and state anxiety (Ball Mitchell, 2004). Regarding alcohol problems, Lipps (1999) found that reinforcement is important in behavioral family therapy. When involving the family in the process of changing an alcoholics behavior supporting the reinforcement from the family towards the family member is particularly important. It is important for family members to reinforce the modification of the environment so that drinking behaviors are changed (Lipps, 1999). Operant conditioning can also be utilized with changing an alcoholics behavior with family members. When behavioral family the rapy addresses alcoholism it assumes that environmental factors manipulate behavior from members (Lipps, 1999). Both, anorexia and alcoholism use a type of reinforcement to work within the context of behavioral family therapy to push for changes within family members. Due to the openness of behavioral family therapy, my family and I went through BFT numerous times, but each time there was a different situation being addressed. Going through behavioral family therapy for the first time when I was younger, my family and I needed help dealing with my ADHD. I was having trouble in school and at home. Our therapist worked with my parents in training them how to respond to desirable behaviors and how to ignore negative behaviors. I was reinforced through the behaviors that my parents displayed towards me. Eventually, my behavior started to change into more positive and desirable ways. I began doing my homework and started doing my chores at home. Concentration was hard for me, but in time with behavioral therapy and medication my ability to concentrate gradually increased. Behavioral family therapy has helped me and my family deal with a hardship. By working through this hardship with my family in therapy I learned to love school and I am now in my mast ers, somewhere my parents and I never thought Id be. Behavioral family therapy addresses numerous issues and involves several interventions that can be used to work within the specific family system. This type of therapy not only puts the family members in the driver seat, but allows the family to work, support, and value the relationships and changes in their system (Campbell, 2004). Behavioral family therapy also allows the family to acquire new skills and these new skills help open communication and trust with in the family (Campbell, 2004). Overall, behavioral family therapy gives the family choices in how they want to run their sessions. The therapist allows the family to run the session while educating and teaching the family techniques along the way. Along with the numerous techniques, it is important for individuals going into BFT to take control and engage in their therapy. Without trying and wanting change, behavioral family therapy can only give the family what the family wants to take from the therapy.