Aspects of Belonging Notes Essay Example

Aspects of Belonging Notes Essay English questions: -Explain how some of the specific events that are presented in your texts provide insight into belonging/ not belonging? -Relationships are integral to human beings feeling like they belong. Assess the truth of this statement in regard to your prescribed text and one other text. TODAYS LESSON: -Thesis statements for each aspect of belonging: -Acceptance -Understanding -Relationships -Notions of Identity -Experience -Landscape Write an introduction and conclusion for each of the questions at the top of the page. Acceptance: A strong sense of belonging within a community is reliant not only on the willingness to assimilate, but also on those already in the community to be accepting. †¢Feelings of acceptance can heighten a sense of belonging whereas rejection can alienate individuals. †¢An individual’s fear of alienation can lead them to think or act in ways that are not true to their ideology. Understanding †¢For an individual to feel that they belong to a particular person, place or group, they need to accept and understand the social expectations and behaviours of that community. Understanding the values of a person, place or group is the fundamental foundation for mutual respect that allows for a sense of belonging. †¢An understanding and appreciation of individual differences – even within a group – is essential for the smooth running of the society and thus is the origin of the sense of belonging or not belonging. Relationships †¢The need to belong to a group or community shapes our behaviour, attitude and actions. When humanity experiences a strong connection to a place the notion of belonging is strengthened and enriched. †¢When our relationship with a place is shaped by a narrow and biased view of the world, our notion of belonging can be questionable. †¢Connections with individuals, groups or places can nurture a sense of belonging through the relationship with that other person, group or place. †¢Relationships are the basis upon which an individual may feel a sense of belonging or not belonging towards a person or place. When significant relationships in life are fractured, often many other aspects related to an individual’s wellbeing will be negatively impacted. †¢Relationships come in many forms and can either allow an individual to experience a sense of belonging or hinder this sense of belonging. Notions of Identity †¢When your cultural identity is marginalised, you can feel dislocated and displaced, and believe that you do not belong to your culture or part of the dominant culture. Our search for who we are is fuelled by a need to find a place in the world where we feel we belong. †¢Time and the passage of time can have a significant impact on our notion of identity and from that – to whom and to where an individual might belong. †¢An individual’s fear of alienation can make them act or think in ways that a re not true to their ideology. †¢Our individual identity is greatly constructed by how others perceive us. †¢The community surrounding you impacts your opinion of selfhood, consequently moulding your identity. Experience We search for a place to belong, not realising that it is our perceptions and attitudes, not the place, that ultimately allows us to feel a sense of belonging. †¢Personal experiences shape our beliefs and values and hence contribute to their sense of self and ultimately where they belong. †¢Experiences can have both positive and negative effects on individuals depending on the extent and power of the knowledge gained. †¢The way we view and assess the experiences of life can change overtime and thus impact how we establish the present and future. Place/Landscape †¢ Strong conclusion: Strong relationships nourish belonging, whilst damaged relationships may be detrimental to the experience of belonging† It is evident that both compos ers represent this interpretation, but in varying ways – while Romulus focuses more on so how relationships – and barriers to these – can hinder belonging, â€Å"other related text† focuses much more on the†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. and how these flourish and nourish one’s sense of belonging/ Although different, both composers effectively present their interpretation of relationships, and how these can either nourish or hinder one’s sense of belonging. OR In conclusion, both â€Å"† and â€Å"† show the various ways in which relationships with people and surroundings can impact an individual’s experience of belonging. Degrees of empathy, understanding, prejudice and sexual attraction, as shown in the examples above, clearly help determine the nature and strength of some of the relationships within the respective texts, and the extent to which they can and do impact on an individual’s broader sense of belonging or exclusion. Romantic, professional and cultural affiliation with others and his surroundings are integral to Romulus’ efforts to belong in his new country, Australia. We will write a custom essay sample on Aspects of Belonging Notes specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Aspects of Belonging Notes specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Aspects of Belonging Notes specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Knowledge VS Ignorance essays

Knowledge VS Ignorance essays Take a look at your bag, take a look at your table, take a look around you, theres one item you can find almost anywhere in the world now-BOOK. Students learn knowledge from books, Professors search projects from books, teachers teach base on books. A book can not only reflect the authors idea, but most likely represent certain category of phenomena in the society. Each book is a teacher, knowledge comes from the book, book has been proved necessary for the society. But can you ever believe people someday will act hostile to the books, they destroy them, burn them, theres a special institution named Firehouse, a government agency used only for burning books and the place where books are found. Well if dont believe it, I can tell that it is exactly what happened in the novel Fahrenheit 451. You may wonder how can people live normally without books and knowledge, well obviously they figured out a way to substitute them -Ignorance, a strategy that wiped all the books and knowledge source to make people One of the reasons why people considering ignorance as a major choice is that people feel dangerous about the books. In the novel, Captain Beattys opinion is a very strong evidence Colored people dont like LITTLE BLACK SAMBO, burn it. White people dont feel good about UNCLE TOMs CABIN, Burn it. Someones written a book on tobacco and cancer of the lungs? The cigarette people are weeping? Burn the books! As a perception of his idea, books are always hurting people. This utterance is very unilateral, it only described the negative part of the ideas people making comments on books. Firstly, certain category of books may offend certain group of people, but they may well- accepted by another group. A book is distasted by a certain group doesnt mean its a bad book, in fact, all ...

Question is in the instruction box Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Question is in the instruction box - Essay Example This is so because since the end of colonialism many countries and states have become less and less influenced from European countries and any external forces of other governments, leaving countries to determine their own fate through controlling their internal activities and affairs. Therefore, the traditional perspective of nations monopolizing their exercise of powers over the territory and the citizens within its boundary has been discredited as the perfect definition of sovereignty, since modernity demands for a more liberal approach to governance. Thus, with the end of colonialism and the advent of the concept of modernity, sovereignty has emerged to focus on the rights of the citizens within a country, as opposed to the rights of the nation-state or government, over its territories and its subjects 2. Sovereignty under modernity now refers to the rights of the people to access and use the natural resources within their country, without any undue interference with that right fr om either the government of the land or even the foreign powers. Since the end of colonialism, most of the foreign interrelationships are based on commercial, social, political and other cultural activities, which are based on the mutual respect and understanding amongst the member countries2. Thus, the traditional relationship between countries, which was based on the dominance of some countries over others has been replaced by the commercial relationship between such countries, where investors from different other countries can invest within a country where they find ample business opportunities3. However, the right to the access of the natural resources is primarily given to the citizens of the country, who have the rights to access and exploit the natural resources that are bestowed within their regions of jurisdiction, thus making the rights over the natural resources a matter of sovereignty for the people, as opposed to the powers of the governments to exercise its authority o ver the people. Therefore, the modern concept of sovereignty is defined in terms of the rights that the people within a country have access to the natural resources and their application for their benefits, as opposed to the application of such resources to benefit other external forces, at the expense of the people of the country within which the resources are bestowed. Therefore, the principle of sovereignty over natural resources now requires that such resources shall be applied towards the interest of national development, and the well-being of the people of the countries that has such resources 4. The principle of sovereignty over natural resources, which came about as a result of the concept of modernity started in the period after World War II, when the countries realized that the freedom of other countries from interference by others in the conduct of their internal affairs, was vital and essential for the peaceful co-existence of countries in the world3. The first aspect to wards the establishment of the concept of sovereignty started with the establishment of the United Nations, which sought to enhance democracy in the world, through ensuring the non-interference in the affairs of one country by the others, where such interference is unnecessary, or where the interference is likely to interfere with the rights and freedoms of the country to govern itself without any undue interference 9. With the

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

Pollution - Essay Example Global warming has also been attributed in part to pollution. When these chemicals and toxins become a part of the environment they affect not just the environment but humans as well. If we can control our actions then we can make the world a better place to live. Air pollution occurs because of toxins that are released into the air by cars, aerosols, factories etc. what it basically does it make the air unclean and unsafe to breathe in and can cause many kinds of respiratory diseases. It has also been known to affect the wild life as it has killed many birds. Many people in china and Japan are known to wear masks to work and school because of the pollution there. The sad reality is that because of air pollution we do not just harm ourselves but harm the planet for the future generations. Water pollution refers to contaminants that find their way into the water reservoirs i.e. lakes and streams along with the ocean. Large companies have been known to dump toxins in streams that later on become a part of our drinking water. Many people use filters these days so that they can have clean water for their use but the sad reality is that the industrial world has a huge negative impact on the developing world and water pollution is making life tough not just for them but also sea life, fresh water fish life, and harming the plant life as well. Sewage water is also released into streams and the coastlines of many countries and have a very detrimental effect overall. Land and soil pollution refers to the detrimental state of affairs because of unhealthy and unsafe trash and toxicant dumping habits employed by humans. It has been mainly attributed to urbanization and industrialization, both of which destroy natural resources that are already present in order to build and become successful. The tearing down of God made things results in a lot of problems for example, in order to

Accounting Changes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Accounting Changes - Assignment Example Michael Ramos (2008) professional opined the primary reason for restatement is to present a more realistic picture of the company’s financial statement reports in compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and accounting standards. The company’s plan to restate the financial statements generated a corresponding -35% decline in its sales figure. The company has been desperately using all its collection expertise to force one of its major clients, Sinovel Wind Group, to pay for its long overdue liabilities to American Superconductor. Sinovel is strategically located Chinese company. The financial statements were restated to reflect the adjustments on American Semiconductor’s results of business operations for the year 2010. The financial statement restatement precipitated to the reduction of the company’s revenues from U.S. $ 215.7 million to only U.S. $ 74.7 million for the year 2010. The restatement precipitated to the reduction of its 2011 1st quarter financial statement revenue from $360 million to only $307 million.... The restatement was overdue because the financial statements were originally prepared to present projected data that had to be adjusted. Specifically, American Superconductor had booked its sales before the revenues were received. Question 3. There are changes that American Superconductor is expected to introduce related to the company’s internal control and accounting principles as a result of the need to restate the company’s balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. Orice Williams (2007) reiterated the changes are needed to comply with the stock exchange policy of ensuring public confidence is not reduced. The change includes the implementation of the new accounting data as a basis for the preparation of the next accounting period’s financial statements. The next accounting period will no longer take into consideration data which had not been included in the restated financial statements. The auditing and accounting officers must adopt the restated financial statement accounts for all future financial statements accounts in compliance with the financial accounting principle of consistency and understanding. Consistently prepared financial statements enable the users of the financial statements to compare and contrast financial statement data between two accounting periods. Management must explain the reason for accounting change as well as the effects of the accounting change to dispel any doubts among the financial statement users. For example, the users can scrutinize the difference in the revenues for 2010 and 2011. Question 4. John Tracy emphasized (2009) the restatement of the company’s leadership will cast doubts on the need to restate the financial statements. The trustworthiness

Auditor Crazy Eddie

Auditor Crazy Eddie Question: What specific mistakes (apart from failure to notice â€Å"red flags†) did the auditor make? For each mistake, describe what the auditor should have done. If you were the Managing Partner for the CPA firm and had full knowledge of all the facts and events in this case, what changes in policy or procedures would you implement to make sure this audit failure does not occur in the future? The Crazy Eddies financial statements had many fraudulent over and understatements done in many ways that the auditors should have caught. They created fictitious revenues by a number of means. They prepared phony invoices showing sales which overstated their revenues to show the company was growing faster than they actually were. Their vendors collaborated in the fraud by lying to the auditors when the auditors attempted to confirm some of these receivables. The auditors were not diligent when they verified these invoices. They should have probed further into the vendors to verify that these sales occurred. They also should have understood the relationship between Cray Eddies and their vendors to understand if there were motives for fraud. They overstated their assets by overvaluing inventory. They would borrow merchandise from suppliers to inflate the ending inventory. The suppliers would ship the merchandise to the Crazy Eddies stores and hold the billing until after the end of the accounting period. The employees of Crazy Eddie went to great extents to deceive the auditors. They would move inventory to the stores or warehouses that were being audited to conceal the shortages. The auditors should have caught that the merchandise was not billed and understood what accounts they charged in the books when the merchandise was received. Another means of overstating the inventory was they shipped inventory from one store to another store so it could be double counted. This should have been caught by the auditors by having the entire inventory verified in parallel. The employees included in their inventory consigned merchandise and goods being returned to suppliers. This could have been found by understanding the details of Crazy Eddies inventory. The auditor should have identified the consigned merchandise and goods being return to separate it from the normal inventory. Crazy Eddie used the accounting periods to overstate assets and income. They held off closing the books past the end of the accounting period to overstated assets and income by boosting sales. The other means used was to reduce liabilities and expenses by not recording them until the next period. The auditors should have verified books at the end of the accounting periods to make sure that all transactions were recorded. The auditors needed to verify the transactions around the end of the period to verify their timing accuracy. Another category of fraudulent activities was when they were completing their financial statements. They didnt adequately disclose facts in the financial statements according to GAAP. The footnote during one period stated that certain income was recognized when received and the following period disclosed that income was recognized when earned. The auditors should have added an explanatory paragraph or a modification of wording for lack of consistent application of GAAP. Main Hurdman was the auditor for the companys annual audits and its consulting division was charging Crazy Eddie millions of dollars to computerize Crazy Eddies inventory system. This violates rule 102 for integrity and objectivity. Auditors cant objectively audit an inventory system they developed which means this is a conflict of interest. They should have chosen to develop the inventory system or be the auditor but not both. Crazy Eddies employees later stopped using the computer based inventory system designed by Main Hurdman and used their manual inventory system. The auditors should have noticed the change in the inventory system being used and understood why they changed. This should have been a signal that they were removing some of the quality controls in the inventory system. Many of Crazy Eddies accountants were former members of Main Hurdman accounting firm. The SEC added a requirement in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that requires a member of the audit team not work at the client for one-year in certain key management positions. The firm is not independent with respect to the audit client if a former auditor accepts employment with the client. There were several reported instances where the auditor requested the client documents and were told that those documents were lost or inadvertently destroyed. Sarbanes-Oxley Act states that all working papers must be retained for 7 years. The inadvertent destruction of working papers that are less than 5 years has a penalty of 10 years in prison. The collusion of key personnel at Cray Eddies made it very difficult for auditors to uncover the fraud. If the auditors would have done a risk assessment prior to engaging with the client they would have identified a risk with so many family members employed at the company. The success and growth rate of Crazy Eddie was not normal. The auditors should have completed a comparative analysis of other electronic retailers. This would have shown that their high growth rate wasnt typical compared to others. This would have prompted the auditor to look closer at why they were outperforming the competitors. To prevent the CPA firm from having this occur in the future, they should follow the elements of quality control. The one element is the policies and procedures before accepting or continuing a new client relationship. They should complete a client evaluation form which includes evaluation of the clients management. If this was done in the Crazy Eddies case, they would have found that it was a risky client based on his selling techniques alone. The firm should follow the element of personnel management where all new personnel should be qualified to perform their work competently. The personnel should have adequate training and proficient. The field auditors for Crazy Eddies were young and inexperienced. The management team was able to manipulate and influence the auditors. The auditor needs to follow the procedure of verifying the inventory count by observing it. Precautions must be taken to avoid allowing the inventory to be moved by verifying it in parallel if multiple locations exist. Crazy Eddies auditors were fooled by not taking precautions to avoid double counting the inventory. The firm must follow the Generally Accepted Auditing Standards. One of the standards of field work is to obtain a sufficient understanding of the entity and its environment including its internal control. If this was done, the auditors could have seen that Crazy Eddie had influence over his suppliers to cooperate in inflating the assets. The change in the inventory system back to the manual system showed a lack of internal control. The firm must follow the rules of conduct. They must keep their objectivity by not providing other services such developing or advising an inventory system. They must remain independent by not auditing a client that has former members of the audit team working at the client within one-year.

SOCIETY VS INDIVIDUAL: REPRESSION ON DIONYSIAN PERSONALITY IN THE STRANGER :: essays research papers fc

Many books have been written by many authors that deal with a struggle between society and individual. Albert Camus’ The Stranger (L’à ©tranger) deals with this same topic, but it can be analyzed from a unique and very interesting point of view. The way of life of people can be analyzed by classifying them into two main forces that oppose each other. These forces were named after the Greek gods Apollo and Dionysus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Theses terms were first used by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. The main concept of the Apollonian personality is that these persons’ main mode of functioning is by reason, whereas the Dionysian personality functions by intuition. In Camus’ The Stranger, Mersault’s personality can be seen as Dionysian (reasons will be discussed later), but his main attitude towards society is quite Apollonian. This leads to the statement that the Dionysian personality of Mersault is restrained by society, making him seem or behave in an Apollonian style.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The term Apollonian was first used by Nietzsche to represent principle of order, logic, clarity, moderation, and control in human personality and society. He applied the word Dionysian to represent spontaneity, passion, intuition, an excess in human personality, and rebellion against society. The Apollonian self is what makes people be organized, be on places on time, follow the rules, etc. An Apollonian person often wants solitude and quiet moments to think. Some of these persons often loose temper when they encounter their clashing personality, the Dionysian personality. The Dionysian personality always wants to have fun, live the moment, resist authority and act on hunches. A Dionysian person usually has a tendency to resist authority, jump to quick conclusions (whilst the Apollonian tends to think a lot before jumping to conclusions or making decisions) and indulge, or overindulge, him/herself. While the Apollonian person likes to have quiet time to think, a D ionysian person likes to daydream. The Dionysian personality basically revolves around the senses and what is natural and beyond reason.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In The Stranger, Mersault’s personality can be difficult to analyze. Some people say that his personality is strongly Apollonian; some say that he is a balance of both personalities, and others say that he is Dionysian. Mersault, as society sees him, he is an individual with antisocial traits, a person who rarely speaks and does not show many emotions. All these traits can be related to the Apollonian style. But we can also see that he enjoys laughing, going to the beach, basic human needs like eating, drinking and having sex and he resists or rebels against society.

The Effects of Misconduct on the Armed Forces

The armed forces of the United States is one of the most feared and respected military organizations in the world. This image is helped by documentaries, news reports and even by the movies. But the real reason why the US military is considered very powerful and a dangerous enemy can be understood after reading the following explanation:The United States military is unique in the amount of power it can project globally. Although France and the United Kingdom, as well as Germany, Spain, Italy, PRC, and European Union, are capable of projecting power overseas, the United States military is the only one with the higher military capacity to fight a major regional war at a distance from its homeland. The U.S. is also one of the few nations in the world that has a sizable nuclear arsenal and maintains active doctrines for plausible nuclear attack operations. (see Wikipedia: US Military).This is why America is feared and respected. Although there is reason to believe that Americans would pr efer that their country and its citizens are respected rather than feared; there is also a lot of apprehension over the notion that U.S. superpower is a bully in the global theater.This negative image which others believe to be the dark side of this great institution is   putting a lot of pressure on the military organization to behave appropriately and to borrow from their lingo: there should be no conduct unbecoming a military officer. For when this happens the chain reaction can be unbelievable. One indiscretion and the whole structure will be placed in a bad light. Consider for example relatively recent events about U.S. soldiers abusing POW’s and some of its members involved in an alleged rape case overseas are a few instances when the rest of the world shakes its head and would love to believe that all this power had corrupted the men and women in uniform.In order to prevent such misconduct and to keep its integrity intact the U.S. military is keeping in place a syste m of rules, regulations, traditions, and protocols that would ensure that the rest of the world will hold the said institution in high esteem.Military DisciplineThe word discipline when put inside the world of soldiers takes on a different meaning. This has nothing to do with the kind of discipline kids get at home when they fail to do their homework or when they do not clean their room. Discipline in the ordinary day to day life of normal people can sometimes mean a temporary abstinence on doing something or a temporary increase in work volume to accomplish a task or simply to grit ones teeth and do something that is normally not done if the circumstances are more favorable. In the military soldiers do not wait until things are worse before they will begin to be disciplined.In other worlds soldiers do not wait until they are overweight before they start doing morning jogs and calisthenics. They trained before the need arises, they practice long and hard before the fight and they pr epare before the crisis. Discipline in the Army, Navy and the Air Forces is a lifestyle. It can be said that it is more than a lifestyle in fact it is the blood that keeps the institution alive and the invisible force that holds it together. Without discipline the armed forces can easily disintegrate in quickly destroying everything in its path including itself. The infamous tortures at the Abu Ghraib prison – where prisoners of war were being held – was well documented and shown around the world.It was an example of a breakdown in discipline. And noncommissioned officers figured prominently in this fiasco. CNN reporters J. Johns, D. Ensor and M. Mount quoted Rep. Jane Harman in a letter to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Harman said, â€Å"The fog of war is thick, but these acts of abuse and humiliation contradict international norms, military regulations and the very values that our military fights to defend†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (see CNN.com)The report adds that a ll the perpetrators were, â€Å"†¦all officers or noncommissioned officers† (Johns, Ensor & Mount). In an ideal setting this should not have happened especially in the presence of NCOs.The Role of Noncommissioned OfficersNCOs are leaders, period. The military cannot function without leadership as much as a body cannot survive without a head. Everything depends upon leadership and in this regard NCOs play a major role.An Army Officer’s guidebook expounds on the meaning of the term and it says:A leader is people fitted by force of ideas, character, or genius, or by strength of will or administrative ability, to arouse, incite, and direct men in conduct and achievement. Leadership is the art of imposing one’s will upon others in such a manner as to command their respect, their confidence, and their whole-hearted cooperation. (Bonn, 320)In the NCO guidebook leadership is seen as basic in the structure of the U.S. armed forces and it says, â€Å"Leadership, des pite the great strides in technology, remains the same – influencing and motivating people to get the job done† (Rush, 34).  With regards to the NCOs taking up a part of the burden of leadership, Rudyard Kipling was quoted as saying, â€Å"The backbone of the army is the noncommissioned man!† (as qtd. in Fisher, 3).An article in Wikipedia’s website expounds on the words of Kipling:The noncommissioned officer corps is the junior management of the military. An experienced NCO corps is a key component of Western armies: in many cases NCOs are credited as being the metaphorical backbone of their service. By contrast, the weak NCO corps of the modern-day Russian armed forces, and those modeled after it, is widely blamed for the general ineffectiveness of those militaries. (see Wikipedia: Noncommissioned Officers)NCOs and the Concept of DisciplineThe U.S. military structure amounts to a pile of junk without discipline and the people that are tasked to instill discipline and order in the ranks are the noncommissioned officers. NCOs do the dirty work and this is very much evident in shaping a bunch of boys who know nothing about authority and following orders prior to enlistment into hardened men who will obey first before they complain.  Discipline is very important in the military because it is an organization tasked to do jobs that are out of the ordinary and in many instances, in life and death situations. These kinds of jobs will determine the safety of a country, the lives of their fellow soldiers or the civilians under their sphere of influence.NCOs instills this concept of a more serious kind of discipline by being an example for his men. In Semper Fi, a book about the highly respected U.S. Marine corps, a description of the NCO’s methodology – in terms of how he earns the respect of his men and how he hammers discipline into their system – was provided by the authors:The authority of the Marine NCO does not rest on fear; its foundation is the well-earned respect of equally tough men. He leads, and inspires, by being the man he wants his troops to become. The NCO personifies his expectations of the men he commands. He wants his Marines to look â€Å"squared away† and so he dresses and marches smartly himself. Since he wants to instill instant obedience, his men will see him obey instantly when an officer commands. He wants his men to be aggressive in combat, so he himself is the epitome of aggressiveness. The Marine Corps NCO, through his own behavior, creates a desire to be like him. (Carrison and Walsh, 69)The apt description of what an NCO is all about as presented by Carrison and Walsh answers the question on what happens when NCOs misbehave. Using the ideas discussed earlier it would be easy to list the reason why NCOs should always be the quintessential soldier.First of all it is due to his position as part of the leadership of the armed forces. An NCOs actions does not go unobserved and will always be an influence and guide to the new recruit and those under his command. If the NCO is unruly, does not follow orders and breaks the code of conduct then it is not surprising for the rest of the soldiers to do the same.An NCO could not afford to appear irresponsible and uncontrollable or speaks in a manner that show disrespect to his superiors and fellow officers simply because he is not in a normal setting. In an office or in a school perhaps undisciplined behavior and a rebellious attitude towards authority will not really cause too much damage in relative proportion to a similar behavior in the army. When NCO acts like a spoiled brat men dies and blood flows unnecessarily. Worse, the unit can be in grave physical danger and the morale of the troops would significantly decrease leading in more losses and more damage.The chain reaction from an NCO’s lack of prudence can not simply be taken lightly as the repercussions will be felt for many generat ions. And this is not an exaggeration. The following is an account of what happened more than 200 years ago – in America’s war of independence – that helped changed the course of history. It is a testament to the fact that undisciplined men would cause a series of events that will lead to catastrophe:Following the British victory at the Battle of Long Island in August 1776, Queens County came under military’s control [†¦] From the outset, military officials realized that the war had both military and political dimensions. [†¦] Military misconduct against civilians would only create enmity, hinder the effective prosecution of the war and make post war reconciliation more difficult [†¦] By wars end the people of Queens had become, not loyal subjects, but Patriots – as much by British default as by personal choice. (Fingerhut and Tiedermann, 50)ConclusionThe effect of military misconduct especially when an NCO exhibits such undesirable behavior will first result in a breakdown of discipline but it will not end there. The men under the NCOs command will use said breakdown as an excuse for caving in under pressure. Thus when the going gets tough the men who witnessed insubordination and disrespect to senior officers will use that as an excuses for not following orders and then a chain reaction follows.When things begin to turn really uncontrollable, when the spirit of discipline that holds the army together is gone, the same soldiers who are selfless, hard workers, united and having one mind and heart will suddenly transform into a selfish monster who will do everything that seems to be right base on selfish interests. The result of which is written in the annals of military history. These events are labeled as infamous but it has cost more than shame it has resulted in the deaths and humiliation of the innocents. But from a military’s point of view it all boils down to failure in accomplishing a mission and for some cases it means losing the war.Works CitedBonn, Keith E. Army Officer’s Guide. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2002.Carrison, Dan and Rod Walsh. Semper Fi: Business Leadership the Marine Corps Way.New York: American Management Association, 1999.Fingerhut, Eugene R., and Tiedermann, J.S. The Other New York: The American RevolutionBeyond New York City. New York: State University of New York Press, 2005.Fisher, E. F. Jr. Guardians of the Republic: A History of the Noncommissioned officer corps of  the U.S. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2001.â€Å"Military of the United States.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 27 May 2006. Wikimedia  Ã‚  Ã‚   Foundation, Inc. 28 May 2006 .â€Å"Non-commissioned officer.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 24 May 2006. Wikimedia  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Foundation, Inc. 28 May 2006 .Rush, Robert S. NCO Guide. 7th ed. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2003.

How To Guess if a Spanish Noun Is Masculine or Feminine

How To Guess if a Spanish Noun Is Masculine or Feminine Although it is seldom possible to predict with certainty whether a given Spanish noun is of masculine or feminine gender, Spanish has numerous guidelines that can usually be followed. Key Takeaways: Spanish Noun Gender Nouns ending in -a, -cià ³n, -à ­a, or -dad are usually feminine.Nouns ending in -o, an accented vowel, -or, or -aje are usually masculine.Names of rivers, lakes, and oceans are usually masculine; names of mountains are usually feminine. The most well-known rule or guideline is that nouns ending in -o are masculine and those ending in -a are feminine, but there are numerous exceptions to this gender rule, especially for those ending in -a. Some of the exceptions are listed below. Following are some other guides to gender determination. Note that many words have definitions in addition to those listed: Feminine Suffixes Nouns ending in certain suffixes are usually feminine. They include -cià ³n (usually the equivalent of -tion), -sià ³n, -à ­a (usually the equivalent of -y, although not in the diminutive sense), -za, -dad (often used like -ty), and -itis (-itis). la nacià ³n (nation)la intervencià ³n (intervention)la hospitalizacià ³n (hospitalization)la ocasià ³n (occasion)la tensià ³n (tension)la economà ­a (economy)la taxonomà ­a (taxonomy)la probreza (poverty)la felicidad (happiness)la caridad (charity)la mastitis (mastitis)la meningitis (meningitis) Masculine Endings Nouns of Greek origin ending in -a, often -ma, are nearly always masculine. Most of these words have English cognates. el problema (problem)el drama (drama)el poema (poem)el tema (subject) Nouns ending in an accented vowel are usually masculine. el sof (sofa)el tabà º (taboo)el rubà ­ (ruby) Nouns with certain other endings are usually masculine. These include -aje (usually the equivalent of -age), -ambre, and -or. An exception is la flor (flower). el coraje (courage)el mensaje (message)el espionaje (espionage)el hambre (hunger)el calambre (cramp)el calor (heat)el dolor (pain)el interior (interior) Masculine Infinitives Infinitives used as nouns are masculine. el fumar (smoking)el cantar (singing)el viajar (traveling) Months and Days Months and days of the week are masculine. el enero (January)el septiembre (September)el martes (Tuesday)el jueves (Thursday) Letters and Numbers Letters are feminine while numbers are masculine. One way to remember this is that letra is feminine while nà ºmero is masculine. la d (d)la o (o)el siete (seven)el ciento (100) Abbreviations and Shortened Words The gender of abbreviations and acronyms typically matches the gender of the main noun of what the shortened version stands for. la ONU (the O stands for Organizacià ³n, which is feminine)los EE.UU. (United States; estados (states) is masculine)las FF.AA. (armed forces; fuerzas is feminine)la NASA (NASA; the word for agency, agencia, is feminine)el FBI (FBI; burà ³, the word for bureau, is masculine) Words that are a shorter form of another word or of a phrase retain the gender of the longer word or of the main noun in the phrase. la moto (motorcycle; the word is a shortened form of la motocicleta)la disco (disco; the word is a shortened form of la discoteca)la foto (photo; the word is a shortened form of la fotografà ­a)la bici (bicycle; the word is a shortened form of la bicicleta)un Toyota (a Toyota. The masculine may be used here as a short form of un coche Toyota, as coche, the word for car, is masculine. However, una Toyota may refer to a Toyota pickup truck, because the common word for pickup is the feminine camioneta.)la Alcatraz (the word for prison, prisià ³n, is feminine) Compound and Two-Word Nouns Compound nouns formed by following a verb with a noun are masculine. el rascacielos (skyscraper)el dragaminas (minesweeper)el guardarropa (clothes closet)el tragamondedas (slot or vending machine) Two-word nouns, which are unusual in Spanish, carry the gender of the first noun. el kilowatt hora (kilowatt-hour)el sitio web (website)el aà ±o luz (light-year)la mujer objeto (sex object)la noticia bomba (bombshell news story) Chemical Elements With the exception of la plata (silver), names of the chemical elements are masculine. el flà ºor (fluorine)el cinc (zinc)el hidrà ³geno (hydrogen) Geographical Names Names of rivers, lakes and oceans are masculine because el rà ­o, el lago and el ocà ©ano, respectively, are masculine. el Danubio (the Danube)el Amazonas (the Amazon)el Titicaca (Titicaca)el Atlntico (the Atlantic) Names of mountains are usually masculine, because el monte (mountain) is masculine. An exception is that the Rockies are usually referred to as las Rocosas or las Montaà ±as Rocosas. los Himalayas (the Himalayas)el Cervino (the Matterhorn)los Andes (the Andes) Names of islands are usually feminine because la isla (island) is feminine. las Canarias (Canary Islands)las Azores (Azores)las Antillas (West Indies) Company Names Names of companies usually are feminine, because la compaà ±Ãƒ ­a (company) is feminine, as are sociedad anà ³nima (corporation), corporacià ³n (corporation), and empresa (business). This rule is not consistently followed, however, and some well-known companies (such as Google) are referred to as either masculine or feminine. la Microsoft (Microsoft)la ExxonMobil (ExxonMobil)la Nestlà © (Nestlà ©) Imported Words The default gender for foreign words adopted into the language is masculine, but a feminine gender is sometimes acquired if theres a reason for doing so. Thus foreign nouns that end in -a sometimes become feminine, as do some words related in meaning to a Spanish feminine word. el marketing (marketing)la web (the Web or World Wide Web; the feminine is usually used because the Spanish words red and teleraà ±a, words for web and network, respectively, are feminine)el internet, la internet (both genders are used)los jeans (jeans)el rock (rock music)el software (software)el show (show)el champà º (shampoo)el bistec (beefsteak)la pizza (pizza)

Production-Possibility Frontier Essays

Production-Possibility Frontier Essays Production-Possibility Frontier Paper Production-Possibility Frontier Paper Production-possibility frontier In economics, a production-possibility frontier (PPF) or â€Å"transformation curve† is a graph that shows the different quantities of two goods that an economy (or agent) could efficiently produce with limited productive resources. Points along the curve describe the trade-off between the two goods, that is, the opportunity cost. Opportunity cost here measures how much an additional unit of one good costs in units forgone of the other good. The curve illustrates that increasing production of one good reduces maximum production of the other good as resources are transferred away from the other good. edit] Productive efficiency, opportunity cost, and allocative efficiency The production possibilities curve shows the maximum feasible (obtainable) amount of one commodity for any given amount of another commodity, as of the societys technology and the amount of factors of production available. The concept is used to show the options open to a firm, individual, household, or economy for a 2-good world. In microeconomics, the 2-good case readily generalizes to the n-good case. In macroeconomics, it illustrates the production possibilities available to a nation or economy (corresponding roughly to macroeconomic notions of potential output at a given point on the curve) for broad categories of output. All points on a production possibilities curve are points of maximum productive efficiency or minimum productive inefficiency: allocated such that it is impossible to increase the output of one commodity without reducing the output of the other. That is, there must be a sacrifice, an opportunity cost (given by the slope of the curve in absolute value), for increasing the production of a good by one unit. Conversely, points inside the frontier are feasible but productively inefficient. Point A in the diagram for example, shows that FA of food and CA of computers can be produced when production is run efficiently. So can FB of food and CB of computers (point B). For a firm, a point on the curve is productively efficient but, given market demand, could be less profitable than another point on the curve. Equilibrium for the firm with given resources is at the most profitable and productively efficient point on the PPF. There is a parallel for an economy as well. It may have productive efficiency but not allocative efficiency. Markets and other institutions of social decision-making (such as government, tradition, and community democracy) may lead to the wrong combination of goods being produced (and the wrong mix of resources allocated) compared to what individuals would prefer, given what is feasible on the PPF. All points to the right of (or above) the curve are infeasible for given resources. A move from point A to point B indicates an increase in the number of computers produced. But it also implies a decrease in the amount of Food produced. This decrease is the opportunity cost of producing more computers. As mentioned, the two main determinants of the curve are production functions (reflecting the available technology) and available factor endowments. If the technology improves or the supplies of factors of production increase, the production possibility frontier shifts to the right (upward), raising the amount of each good that can be produced. A military or ecological disaster might move the PPF inward and to the left. In neoclassical economics, production possibility frontiers can easily be constructed from the contract curves in Edgeworth box diagrams of factor intensity. In other interpretations (often seen in textbooks), the concave production-possibiliity frontier reflects the specialized nature of the heterogeneous resources that any society uses: the opportunity cost of shifting production from one mix to another (e. g. , from point A to point B) reflects the costs of using resources that are not well-specialized for the production of the good which is being produced in greater quantity. The line curve in Figure is not straight but is concave to the origin (that is, curved inward toward the axes). This can represent an assumed disparity in the factor intensities and technologies of the two sectors. That is, as we specialize more and more into one product, the opportunity costs of producing that product increase, because we are using more and more resources that are poorly suited to produce it. With increasing production of computers, workers from the food industry will move to it. At first, the least qualified (or most general) food workers will help start making computers. The move of these workers has little impact on the opportunity cost of increasing computer production: the loss in food production will be small. This cost of successive units will increase as more of specialised food manufacturers are attracted. For example, in the second diagram, the decision to increase the production of computers from 5 to 6 (from point Q to point R) requires a minimum loss of food output. However, the decision to add a tenth computer (from point T to point V) has a much more substantial opportunity cost. The the neoclassical interpretation, if the factor intensity ratios in the two sectors were constant at all points on the production possibilities curve, the curve would be linear and the opportunity cost would remain the same, no matter what mix of outputs were produced. In other interpretations, a straight-line production-possibiliity frontier reflects a situation where resources are not specialized and can be substituted for each other with no cost. Products requiring similar resources (bread and pastry, for instance) will have a nearly straight PPF, hence constant opportunity costs (when increasing production rates). [edit] The marginal rate of transformation The slope of the production-possibility frontier (PPF) at any given point is called the marginal rate of transformation (MRT). It describes numerically the rate at which one good can be transformed into the other. It is also called the (marginal) opportunity cost† of a commodity, that is, it is the opportunity cost of X in terms of Y at the margin. It measures how much of good Y is given up for one more unit of good X or vice versa. The shape of PPF is commonly drawn as concave downward to represent increasing opportunity cost with increased output of a good. Thus, MRT increases in absolute size as one moves from the top left of the PPF to the bottom right of the PPF. Marginal Rate of Transformation If, for example, the (absolute) slope at point BB in the diagram is equal to 2, then, in order to produce one more computer, 2 units of food production must be sacrificed. If at AA for example, the marginal opportunity cost of computers in terms of food is equal to 0. 25, then, the sacrifice of one unit of food could produce 4 computers. The marginal rate of transformation can be expressed in terms of either commodity. The marginal opportunity costs of computers in terms of food is simply the reciprocal of the marginal opportunity cost of food in terms of computers.

Spanish Civil WAR, critical commentary on 4 primary and secondary Essay

Spanish Civil WAR, critical commentary on 4 primary and secondary source materials including literary or film sources - Essay Example The following discussion will examine the question whether or not the defeat of the Republic was inevitable. The sources for the analysis will include a variety of primary sources including a painting, a novel, a journal, and a newspaper article. Secondary sources will be employed to add context to these primary sources. Together this historical evidence will be mined for the causes of the Republican defeat in the spring of 1939. The conclusion will then return to the inevitability of the Nationalist victory. Comparing the aerial bombing of Guernica to the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki or the Allied firebombing that engulfed Dresden, Oxford Professor Raymond Carr describes it as merely a minor act of vandalism. However,viewed in the context of 1936 it was a terrifying, revolutionary and effective operation. According to Preston, â€Å"Guernica was the first total destruction of an undefended civilian target by aerial bombardment.† (Preston, 2006, 5) Precise casualty figures remain a subject of debate amongst historians but on the seventieth anniversary of the attack the BBC summarized historical opinion, â€Å"The figures for the number of casualties in the bombing are still disputed, but most historians think between 200 and 250 people were killed and many hundreds wounded. â€Å" (BBC, 2007) Also, Guernica was the historic capital of the Basque nation and as such its destruction was designed to terrorize the Basque and undermining their resistance to the Nationalist forces. A second element of Prestons description of the event is also significant. Guernica was attacked by the Condor Legion, German aircraft and aircrew seconded to the Nationalist forces to aid in their victory and gain experience in aerial bombardment. Simply put, they were military professionals. Technologically, the Republicans could not match them. Guernica had no anti-aircraft defenses and the

Malicious Software, Unknown Threats & Potential Solutions Research Paper

Malicious Software, Unknown Threats & Potential Solutions - Research Paper Example Malicious intentions result into destruction of system hardware, information, and software whereby, disclosure of confidential information results, through unauthorized users having access to the system and information. Unauthorized usage also results in modification and interruption of the information system. Interception occurs when information that resides in a computer system is copied by unauthorized user (Abdullah, 2010, p.3). Other threats include malware, which is constituted by viruses, computer worms and Trojan horses that are generally common in the computer networks and websites. The possibility of making money through malware distribution and solution has propagated the online distribution, which is a major threat. This is the case since the popularity of viruses, computer worms and Trojan horses consequently increases popularity of similar antivirus that is traded for commercial purposes (Ryuya, 2011, p.514). Defects with respect to homogeneous binary files are an indic ation of presence of unknown threats and malicious software. Indications of threats may include infections such as viruses, Trojan horse programs and even original file format alterations (Weber, et al., 2002, p. 2). Motivation Malicious software and unknown threats have time and again presented new threats that call for new ways of detection and prevention within the information technology environment. Unknown threats and malware software call for modern malware detection solutions such as proactive malware detection system that enables prevention of future attacks and those that were previously unknown. Modern detection system also reduces the rate of false alarms, since successful detection of attacks is made (Volynkin, State University of New York at Binghamton: Electrical Engineering. 2007, p.47). Dynamics of malicious software are characterized by strains such as code red-2, which is a fast spreading worm that can be solved using a complex mathematical model that is based on a pproach of compartmentalization. The solution is made possible through predicting the state of the system for the purpose of converting unaffected targeted nodes into noninfectious and infectious nodes (Hemraj and Dinesh, 2007, p. 491). Hackers have gone ahead to exploit zero day threats, since these threats have no characteristic signature that can be detected. The exploitation takes advantage of polymorphing code of the unknown threat that varies with every page loaded. However, technological firms have competitively undertaken to advance models for detecting malicious and unknown threats for their customers. Through intensive marketing and competition, new knowledge regarding malicious software attacks has been created by software firms. Although software firms seek to gain profitability in software applications, solutions for complex and dynamic malicious software attacks are gaining a positive insight (Michael and Mikhael, 2010, p.597). Invisible malicious codes on the web exec ute when the browser loads web pages containing the software. Malicious codes use cross-site scripting to retrieve codes that are more dangerous from third party sites, which plants the malware, steals data and takes control of the system through leveraging operating system and web browser vulnerability.