Business process outsourcing

The objective is to develop a software for BPO management system. Business process outsourcing (BPO) is a subset of outsourcing that involves the contracting of the operations and responsibilities of specific business functions (or processes) to a third-party service provider. BPO management system is used to effectively manage the business activities of a BPO organisation. This system adopts a comprehensive approach to minimize the manual work and schedule resources, time in a cogent manner. It is designed for hiring any company, that is , it is generalised system for business process management. The core of the system is to maintain employee details and customer details and company details. Employee details include id, name, address, shift timings, category (based on the field of expertise), number of calls attended and salary details. Salary increment and perks (employee benefits) for each employee will be done in the end of the month depending upon the number of calls attended for that given month. Employees recruited for various companies will be trained according to their expertise and will be given knowledge about the other departments also so that they can handle the calls of other department when they are idle. Customer details include name, phone number, address, area of complaint or area of doubt. For a complaint registered for more than a given span of the time (say 15 days, depending on the hiring company) the complaint will be logged into a separate file for immediate processing. Company details include the name of the company, number of employees working for the company and the contract details.

Under the Bridge Song Analysis

15 April 2010 Essay 2: Poetry â€Å"Under The Bridge† Under the bridge is a song by Red Hot Chili Peppers, written by vocalist Anthony Kiedis. Keidis reference to â€Å"bridge†Kiedis use of imagery in the lyrics to this song communicate a dark time in his life but also as a listener we can relate with a difficult time in our own life. The symbolism used by Kiedis in reference to his feeling of solitude and long battle with drug addiction. Rhyme and rhythm are two of the main features in this song.The rhythm affects the whole mood, tone and meaning of the song. The melancholy can be felt in the first stanza, â€Å"Lonely as I am together we cry. † Kiedis has chosen different methods to give the song specific sounds that affect the pace and structure of the rhythm. The speed of the song begins quite slow not too intense but slowly the tempo picks up as he describes, â€Å"I don’t ever wanna feel like I did that day. † The feelings of loss bring him to depression and remind him of his struggles with drug abuse.The reference in the third stanza â€Å"take me to the place I love take me all that way† can suggests that Kiedis is taken back to the feeling of being high on drugs. Metaphorically he is attempting to overcome drug addiction but can’t help loving the feeling he gets when he is high. â€Å"The loneliness that I was feeling triggered memories of my time with Ione and how I'd had this beautiful angel of a girl who was willing to give me all of her love, and instead of embracing that, I was downtown with gangsters shooting speedballs under a bridge. (Kiedis 204) Kiedis memory of such a time stimulated his response of loneliness as he is doing so in song to his listeners. Drawing back from the people he was once so close with gave him an overwhelming feeling of loneliness and solitude, as he described, â€Å"Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner sometimes I feel like my only friend like my only friend is the city I live in the city of Angels† (Peppers) The descriptions of the city being his only stronghold during this difficult ime are realized in his city of Los Angeles which he feels would never leave him alone as some of his relationships at that time. The city is stable, and he is able to depend on her being there to support him. He refers to the city as his â€Å"companion†, and he does not have to hide from her because she already knows his deepest secrets but has yet to abandon him. It's interesting to see the different interpretations to this song, but I do believe Kiedis was clearly recounting his drug addiction in a very personal yet abstract manner.Revealing the solitude one has to endure when they find themselves in such a state. My understanding of the song shows the contemplation, withdrawal, and the acceptance of taking a dark path in life. Literature can be subtle or obvious, used carefully or carelessly. The repetition of the third stanza signifies mea ning and creates a strong sonic effect to the listener. Kiedis use of this can be found in the chorus, â€Å"I don't ever wanna feel like I did that day take me to the place I love take me all the way. (Peppers) The text states, â€Å"We all hear sounds differently depending on the meaning and context. † (Beiderwell 522) The feeling this song gives me may be totally different that it may give someone who has experienced an addiction or feeling of despair. In general, the lyrics deals with particular things in concrete language, since our emotions most readily respond to his emotion and expressions. From Kiedis particular situation, the listener may then generalize by implication from the particular. â€Å"She sees my good deeds and she kisses me windy and I never worry now that is a lie. (Peppers) The use of personification occurs here when he describes inanimate objects as human that is, giving them human attributes, powers, or feelings. He is not literally speaking of a p erson but showing his connection with the city he loves so much, as the only person he feels loved by. Images suggest meanings beyond the mere identity of the specific object. (Purdue) Poetry â€Å"plays† with meaning when it identifies resemblances or makes comparisons between things, such as the Los Angeles being his only friend.In the last stanza, â€Å"Under the bridge downtown is where I drew some blood under the bridge I could not get enough under the bridge forgot about my love under the bridge I gave my life away† (Peppers) Kiedis is recounting a low point in his life where he feels he surrendered his life to this addiction to drugs. This use of imagery is most valuable as a mode of perception that assists the listener to see around and to see the often conflicting interpretations that come from our examination of life.In other words his message is most certainly concrete and particular it's implied by the images of him under this bridge drawing blood which is what heroin addicts do. Works Cited Beiderwell, Bruce and Jeffrey M. Wheeler. â€Å"The Literary Experience. † Beiderwell, Bruce and Jeffrey M. Wheeler. The Literary Experience. Boston: Thomson Higher Education, 2008. 217-229. Kiedis, Anthony. Scar Tissue. New York: Hyperion, 2004. Peppers, Red Hot Chili. â€Å"Under The Bridge. † Blood Sugar Sex Magik. cond. Anthony Keidis. By Anthony Keidis. Los Angeles, 1992. Purdue, Owl. Owl Purdue. 21 April 2010. 07 April 2010 .

Management Information System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management Information System - Essay Example The variety of services offered to the passengers may be extended to include, for instance, communication between the cabins, GPS service, gambling etc. The system may also provide the customization of the offerings, by finding the stored information about the choices made during the previous trip and suggesting to a passenger his or her favorite dish or wine. On the other hand, for the ship managers and personnel the Ship Partner provides enormous benefits as well. By maintaining an extensive real-time database, allowing easy extraction of the information in the form of reports needed and facilitating the communication process with the passengers, the Ship Partner allows the managers to focus more on the core competencies. If there is no need to devote a lot of time to conducting these activities, the management can concentrate on providing a better customer service and inventing ways to improve cruise ship's current operational activities. In general, such an information system and communication network, customized to the needs of particular business sphere, would prove to be of use in the sectors for which reliable and up-to-date clients' information and provision of a high-level services to the custome

JFK Assassination and Conspiracies Research Paper

JFK Assassination and Conspiracies - Research Paper Example This alleged attack caused serious wounding to Kennedy along with the injury of Connally himself. After approaching to the hospital, the death of Kennedy was announced thirty minutes later, by the hospital, named as Dallas Parkland. Kennedy was 46 at the time of his assassination. Vice president Lyndon Johnson was elected as the 36th president of United States on the same day. November, 25 was announced to be the day of Kennedy’s national mourning, in which hundreds of Americans lined up in the streets of Washington in the respect of Kennedy. JFK’s assassination has been backed by numerous theories up till now. The investigation of ten-months done by Warren Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald was the murder of Kennedy. Lee Harvey has been investigated to act alone in the killing of Kennedy. The conclusion given by the Warren Commission was highly supported by the American public, with the percentage of 80, between 1966 and 2003. In 1998 the CBS polling resulted that, 76 percent of Americans believed JFK assassination, as a fact of conspiracy. Lee Harvey used to work in Marines, in 1936 and discharged from there in 1962 (Kurtz 56). He was originally from New Orleans. His return to the United States was in 1962, along with his wife and an infant child. It has been also investigated that, in early 1963 Oswald bought a .38 revolver along with a telescopic sight. He bought both of the equipment by mail order. In October 1963, Lee joined Texas School Book Depository building as an employee. The record of Lee had always been involved into some illegal activities, as a criminal. It is concluded to be Oswald, firing the bullets on Kennedy. He got arrested within half an hour after playing shots on the president Ruby, who was also connected to the criminal world. Lee Harvey Oswald was shot to death, by Jack Ruby. On the

The LPN To Transition 2. APA Formating Transition into Scholarly Essay - 1

The LPN To Transition 2. APA Formating Transition into Scholarly Writing - Essay Example There are many differences in the roles of LPN and RN, as RNs has more authority and power than an LPN. Registered nurses have a larger role in the healthcare of patients. The duty of RN is deeply to analyze the issues pertaining to the health of a patient and to relate the condition of a patient with the health status of the patient. Licensed practical nurse does not have a wide scope, but they are more tasks oriented and the working criteria of LPN are less than that of RN (Weydt, 2009). The main role of RN is to perform an initial assessment of the patient as it an essential part of the duty. LPNs can perform assessments but not the initial assessment. As the criteria of work of an RN are much greater than an LPN, it has to perform more duties that include the formulating the diagnosis of a patient and to form a care plan for the patient. The primary role of LPN is to make sure that the formulated care plan made by RN is put into action. RNs have the authority to delegate the work to LPNs (Ebright, Patterson, Chalko, & Render, 2003). LPNs have no authority over RN, but they are only allowed to work on those tasks that lie in their scope as defined by their license of that state. At some workplaces, RN directly supervises the work of an LPN and make sure that the LPN performs his task in the provided manner. LPNs have no authority to make changes in the healthcare plan of the patient but if there in a need to do so, the LPN must call and report the issue to RN and get their approval, to do the needful changes. There are various advantages of an RN as compared to LPN in this field. Few strategies and suggestions can help in the transition of LPN to RN and become successful in the work. To transit from License practical nurse to Registered nurse, the applicant must either take an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a

Hunger in Nigeria, Africa Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hunger in Nigeria, Africa - Research Paper Example While population growth may be a contributing factor to modern hunger in Nigeria, there are other causes that relate more directly. The biggest cause of childhood hunger and malnutrition in Nigeria can be traced to the over reliance on oil exports for income. In the early 1980’s, Nigeria began to develop oil reserves in the Niger Delta. The booming oil prices at the time convinced the government that the best path to prosperity for the nation was to focus on oil exports as a source of revenue. As a result, plantations and the entire agricultural sector became antiquated. Farmers actually became less productive over time period when the government was only focusing on oil production. This approach would have worked for Nigeria if the government and business leaders were people of integrity. Unfortunately, much of Nigeria’s oil wealth ends up in the pockets of corrupt government officials and those that are already wealthy. The entire nation has not benefited from the exp loitation of natural resources so hunger has increased over the past several decades. Another cause of hunger in Nigeria is natural disasters such as droughts. Nigeria is susceptible to fluctuations in seasonal rainfall, especially in the north. Droughts have cause acute famine in some parts of the country. A final cause of hunger in Nigeria is social and political unrest. Tensions between Muslim Nigerians in the north and traditional Christian beliefs in the south have resulted in fighting that disrupts food supplies. There has also been unrest in the Niger Delta region by factions working to disrupt the flow of oil. These groups seek a larger share of oil profits for their communities. As a nation, Nigeria is trying to overcome some of these obstacles to food production. One of the efforts is centered on making Nigerian farms more productive so the nation does not need to depend on imports for feeding their population. Nigeria has a proud heritage of agricultural independence and some feel that modernizing the agricultural sector will alleviate much of the suffering. Domestically produced food will be less susceptible to fluctuations in commodity prices that agricultural products bought from abroad. Upgrading and modernizing agricultural processes in Nigeria will take a lot of money. Most of the remaining farmers do not have money to buy equipment or more land. One suggestion from opposition groups in the government is to create a fund from oil revenue that gives grants to small farmers wanting to increase productivity. Some feel that this could only be overseen by an international agency because of the high levels of corruption in the Nigerian government. A final effort being used by the government is coordinating emergency relief efforts more closely with NGO’s such as Save the Children, that specialize in alleviating child hunger all over the world. In recent years, the number of children suffering from malnutrition in the whole of Africa has incre ased. There are nearly 15 million more hungry children in Africa now than there were ten years ago. The greatest numbers of these children can be found in Nigeria and Kenya. In these places, many children subsist on diets that have low nutritional vale, featuring foods such as cassava, white rice and maize. Conditions that have contributed to the increase in hungry

Portfolio Report of Theory of Customer Service in a Service Setting Essay

Portfolio Report of Theory of Customer Service in a Service Setting - Essay Example A futuristic outlook should be used for an increasingly growing and counterintuitive, making an analysis with fewer errors (Shuen, 2008). Currently, the net lifetime worth of every Redbox client stands at 70$, and the stir rate stands at a constant 5%. This $70 presumption is openhanded because it does not consider the dilutive impacts of stock-based payment. This reimbursement does not have an impact on the value for every consumer. However, it has a direct impact on the share of every shareholder on every customer’s value. Redbox’s stir rate can keep on reducing, causing other competences to rise. At the same time, Redbox’s may perhaps raise its prices, an approach that has previously been done numerous times. This strategy creates a favorable environment for the organization to stick with the $70 value for its customers (Redbox.com, 2005; Shuen, 2008). Critical Incidents Redbox is a media store that provides rental movies to its clients, along with other enter tainment material such as music, videos and books. Redbox has a headquarter store that is located at 1 Tower Ln., Ste. 1200 Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181, United States, the enterprise has more than 27000 branches all over the country, with about 750 workers employed in these stores (Redbox, 2011). The specific locations at which the stores are situated include grocery stores, huge merchant vendors, drugstores, restaurants, and huge convenient stores nationwide. Redbox has however been looking forward to expanding its objectives into majority of the demands and requirements of the movie renters market. Founded by Coinstar, Redbox has the initiative as establishing it stores in major supermarkets and mall stores such as McDonalds as well as discount stores. However, the store is experiencing poor customer service management systems due to the lack of the latest and popular movies, which are the films with the most demands (Redbox, 2011). A major move that the owner of Redbox has to real ize is that customer service has five main varying orientations. They include CS (Customer service) software expertise, system, and technology; data storage space and scrutiny; CS has to be viewed as an alteration in business culture from a dealing objective to a client centric one; CS involves managing demand and that CS is also a strategy phase aiming at clients’ interests. Redbox on the other hand has the intentions of employing internet streaming to enable smoother movie selection as well as viewing (Reinartz et al, 2005). This initiative will enable the preferences of the clients to be heard and dealt with at a closer scale. Data storage systems of Redbox require improvement since the latest films are very much reported by clients to not be available at websites and their stores. Since such films are in the most demand, therefore, to maintain the most returns that the enterprise is capable of making, the data storage improvement can withhold the latest movies at a higher number that can sustain the market demands. This approach will improve the customer service with the enterprise (Kumar et al, 2011). Another approach about a proper CS system is the existence of elements that comprise the CS system. The elements are a data storehouse, systematic apparatus, protests management apparatus, interfaces to sustain panels. Databases ran by Redbox operate on the

Business Models and Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Models and Planning - Essay Example With the best motives for the society, they can either run a business or none-profit organizations that would quench their social quest. On the other hand, social media movement refers to the use of social networks to serve the society with all kinds of information. The networks transmit messages about the culture, traditions, politics, beliefs, education and bodies of the society. The messages reflect the values and the force for change of the society. The social media used are Facebook, twitter, YouTube, web pages, blogs, Myspace, newspaper, movies, television, radio, journals, books, magazines and billboards among others. All these social media serve to fuel and propel the social discussions. Also, there are social movements that serve to fight on behave of individuals of the society for their right. The social movements take the form of non-governmental organizations and greatly depend on social media to achieve their part (Roy, William G. 2010. 101-103). The social media movements and social movements see business as the source of the social problems in the world. They do not think how the business could be a catalyst for solutions of the society problems. In regard to social entrepreneurs, they take a business to be a solution for the society problems. They search for a solution for a social- business related problem within the business sectors. They have an insight that the development of the way businesses operate in the society could fix the social-economic problems and open up the door for more opportunities. In fact, the social entrepreneurs have a powerful drive and urge to serve the society. They do not just make money but empower individuals at a personal level and restore balance as well as flow to people in the world through economic, social, environmental and emotional ways. In social entrepreneurship, the entrepreneurs put much time to appraise and evaluate

Money Laundering Regulations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Money Laundering Regulations - Essay Example Money laundering transactions generate assets that are a result of some illegal act such as drug deals or tax evasion. If a money launderer is able to achieve this goal then the criminal will be able to keep the property obtained from their illegal activity and have an apparent legal source for their newly acquired wealth. The purpose of laundering money is to disguise the assets obtained from the criminal activity as assets obtained through legal sources in an attempt to avoid imprisonment. Money that is laundered starts out as cash or as assets that are already in the banking system. Money is laundered through companies that handle large amounts of cash and investments like banks and other business firms that handle investments. Businesses that deal across international boundaries that handle "high valued goods" are prime targets for money launders. Some examples of businesses relevant to this situation are accountants, tax advisors, estate agents, and antique dealers. Terrorist, t ax evaders, arms dealers, and drug dealers among other criminals involve themselves in money laundering. Overseas accounts and electronic funds transfers can be disguised to look like legitimate company transactions and make money laundering disguise easier for criminals. Money launderers also employ experts to help them launder money. For example, a launderer could simply ask someone for permission to use that person's account for deposits in return for a fee. Another scenario is for the money launderer to approach a business and ask them to set up transactions in which a sum of money is regularly deposited in the company's account. The businesses will then send the money back as a fictitious payment for non-existent goods. Although this method is very popular amongst the criminal underworld, there are other ways of laundering money without a business becoming aware of being involved in a crime. For example, the money launderer could place an order for a robot to be manufactured to a specific standard. The company may ask for a 60% deposit with the understanding that the order won't be put through for three months. Before the three months are up the money launderer cancels the order and gets the deposit refunded minus a penalty. The money launderer will always be willing to pay the penalty because although the criminal will want to get as much back as possible, what the criminal really wants is the money back clean. It is important to bear in mind that money laundering is a process rather than a single act. In an effort to expose and analyze this phenomenon it has become common to use a three-stage model, which encompasses an ideal money-laundering scheme. The three stages are as follows: The Placement Stage, which is when cash is received directly from criminal activity, like from sales of drugs. It is first placed either in a financial institution or used to purchase an asset. At this stage the criminal disposes of the physical cash deposits. The Layering Stage is the stage at which the first attempt at concealment or disguise of the source of the ownership of funds takes place. This stage is called the layering stage because it is where the criminals "layer" financial transactions in an attempt to hid the criminal activity.

Waste Management and Milestone Submission Essay Example for Free

Waste Management and Milestone Submission Essay Overview The final project for this course is the creation of a Case Analysis. In 2006, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) brought charges against Waste Management and some of its executives. You must research these charges and answer the questions below. Review the SEC Release 1532 here. In a well-structured analysis, you will answer a set of questions regarding the case against Waste Management. Begin your research in Module Eight. Use any additional resources presented and the Waste Management financial statements and reports as needed. The Analytical Procedures Worksheet and the ICF-CX16 Vulnerability Worksheet are located in the Assignment Guidelines and Rubrics section of the course. The project is divided in to three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Eight, Nine, and Ten. Objectives To successfully complete this project, you will be expected to apply what you have learned in this course and should include several of the following course objectives: 1. Review, detect, and investigate possible financial statement fraud 2. Use various techniques to identify financial statement fraud 3. Explore substantive analytical procedures Main Elements Background: 1. When did the SEC file charges against some senior executives of Waste Management? 2. Who was charged relevant to the above? 3. What were the charges? 4. What is a â€Å"disgorgement of ill-gotten gains†? Summary: 1. What were some of the â€Å"improper accounting practices† used by Waste Management? Please be specific as to what Generally Accepted Accounting Principle (GAAP) was violated. 2. What impact did the fraudulent behavior identified above have on the published financial statements? Please be specific. 3. What non-accounting fraudulent things did Waste Management do? 4. What was the motivation for the executives to commit fraud? 5. Identify the executives and other employees of Waste Management who were charged in the fraud, and identify the punishment for both the employees and Waste Management. 6. What did the company have to do to correct the issuance of the incorrect financial information, and what was the quantifiable effect of Waste Management’s practices on the pre-tax income/loss? Analysis: 1. What were the red flags that should have been observed but were not? Please be specific and state how they could have been used by an investor/creditor to help identify the fraud. 2. Identify processes and techniques that could have been applicable to detect the fraud. Write a five- to seven-page, well-researched, and well-written response to the questions. Cite all sources using APA format. Format Milestone One: Background In Evaluate 8.2 you will submit a draft if the Background section of your Final Case Analysis. This milestone is not graded. You will receive formative feedback from the instructor to be used to make revisions. This submission will affect Final Product grade under â€Å"Milestone submission†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Milestone Two: Rough Draft In Evaluate 9.2 you will submit a rough draft of your Final Case Analysis. This milestone is not graded. You will receive formative feedback from the instructor to be used to make revisions. This submission will affect Final Product grade under â€Å"Milestone submission†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Milestone Three: Final Case Analysis In Evaluate 10.2 you will submit the Final Case Analysis. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the main elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This milestone will be graded using the Final Product Rubric. Final Case Analysis Rubric Requirements of submission: Written components of projects must follow these formatting guidelines when applicable: double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and discipline-appropriate citations. The Final Analysis should be 5 to 8 pages in length. Failure to adhere to these requirements of submission will result in the paper not being graded. Instructor Feedback: Students can find their feedback in the grade book as an attachment.

Application of Transition Metals

Application of Transition Metals The term transition metal (sometimes also called a transition element) has two possible meanings: In the past it referred to any element in the d-block of the periodic table, which includes groups 3 to 12 on the periodic table. All elements in the d-block are metals (In actuality, the f-block is also included in the form of the lanthanide and actinide series). It also states that a transition metal is an element whose atom has an incomplete d sub-shell, or which can give rise to cations with an incomplete d sub-shell. Group 12 elements are not transition metals in this definition. Introduction to application of transition metals: The use of transition metals in the synthesis was taken up slowly by organic chemists. This is at first surprising because the industrial use of transition metals has a much long history hydroformylation using cobalt began in the 1930s. The Mond process using nickel tetra carbonyl was developed in the 19 century. Industry was willing to accept and uses processes that it could not understand black box reactions as long as they were profitable. Academics were handicapped by the desire to understand the chemistry. This was impossible until the ideas about chemical bonding and the necessary instrumentation matured in the years in the Second World War. Even with in this place, the impact of transition metals on the organic synthesis came late possibly because of the many fantastic main group reagents appeared. Application of Transition Metals: The application of transition metals is as follows: 1. Transition metals are applied in the organic reactions. Transition metals complex under goes a series of reactions that are generally unlike those main group compounds. The most fundamental is the simple coordination and dissociation of ligands. Dissociation may also be achieved by destruction of a ligand. This is often done by the oxidation of co and co2 using an amide oxide. 2. Transition metals are applied in the synthesis of metal hydride. M=C=O + OH- ====> M-H + CO2 Here metal carbonyl group reacts with hydroxide to give metal hydride and carbon dioxide. Hydrides such as, sodium borohydride, lithium aluminium hydride, diisobutylaluminium hydride (DIBAL) and super hydride, are commonly used as reducing agents in chemical synthesis. The hydride adds to an electrophilic center, typically unsaturated carbon. Hydrides such as sodium hydride and potassium hydride are used as strong bases in organic synthesis. The hydride reacts with the weak Bronsted acid releasing H2. Hydrides such as calcium hydride are used as desiccants, i.e. drying agents, to remove trace water from organic solvents. The hydride reacts with water forming hydrogen and hydroxide salt. The dry solvent can then be distilled or vac transferred from the solvent pot. Hydrides are of important in storage battery technologies such as Nickel-metal hydride battery. Various metal hydrides have been examined for use as a means of hydrogen storage for fuel cell-powered electric cars and other purposed aspects of a hydrogen economy. Hydride intermediates are key to understanding a variety of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic cycles as well as enzymatic activity. Hydroformylation catalysts and hydrogenase both involve hydride intermediates. The energy carrier NADH reacts as a hydride donor or hydride equivalent. 3. Transition metal used in the complexes in fluorescence cell imaging. Transition metal complexes have often been proposed as useful fluorophores for cell imaging due to their attractive photo physical attributes, but until very recently their actual applications have been scarce and largely limited to ruthenium complexes in DNA and oxygen sensing. 4. Transition metal used as Catalysts. Some transition metals are good catalysts. For example: most automobiles have an emissions-control device called a catalytic converter. This device contains a screen of platinum or palladium along with rhodium, a metal. The presence of the transition metals, along with the heat of combustion generated by an automobile engine causes an exhaust coming from an internal combustion engine to be broken down from partially burned hydrocarbon compounds into less harmful compounds such as water vapour and carbon dioxide. Catalytic applications of transition metals in organic synthesis:- OXIDATION REACTIONS: The epoxidation, dihydroxylation and aminohydroxylation reactions of alkenes, especially their asymmetric variants, continue to attract considerable attention. The basic principles were covered in the previous review. The use of fluorous solvents has now been demonstrated formany transition metal catalysed reactions. One advantage that they offer for catalyticepoxidation is the fact that molecularoxygen has a high solubility in fluorous solvents. The combination of O2 with pivalaldehyde and manganese catalysts hasbeen shown to be effective for epoxidation of alkenes in aracemic and enantioselective sense. The fluorous soluble ligand afforded a manganese complex which was insoluble incommon organic solvents, but soluble in the fluorous phase.Indene was converted into indene oxide with high enantioselectivity,although other substrates afforded low selectivity The fluorous phase, containing the active catalyst,could be recycled. Manganese salen complexes have also now been successfullyimmobilised within polymer supports, and still provide high Whilst the enantiomerically pure manganese salen complexes are still often the most enantio selective available for epoxidation of unfunctionalised alkenes, alternative systems are often reported. For example, End and Pfaltz have used rutheniumbis (oxazoline) complexes to provide up to 69% ee in the epoxidation of stilbene. The use of methyltrioxorhenium as a catalyst for epoxidationcontinues to attract attention. Herrmann and co-workershave shown that a combination of methyltrioxorhenium withpyrazole affords a highly efficient catalyst for the epoxidation of alkenes. Styrene was converted cleanly into styrene oxide with this catalytic combination. Reduction reactions The reduction of various functional groups can often be achieved using transition metal catalysts and a suitable reducing agent: often molecular hydrogen, silanes, boranes orhydrides. Amongst all of the possibilities, metal-catalysed hydrogenation has been the most widely studied, especially asan asymmetric process.Some recently reported examples of rhodium-catalyse dasymmetric hydrogenation of alkenes include the conversion ofthe enamide into the derivatised amino alcohols and the regioselective hydrogenation of dienyl acetate into the allyl acetate both using the Me-DuPhos ligand .Reports of new ligands for asymmetric hydrogenation of alkenes continue to appear, often providing highly selective examples.Ruthenium catalysed hydrogenation of alkenes is also popular,and an interesting example has been provided by Bruneau,Dixneuf and co-workers. The achiral substrate is hydrogenatedwith an enantiomerically pure ruthenium complex into compound , which behaves as propionic acid attachedt o a chiral auxiliary. The achiral auxiliary in the substrate is converted into an enantiomerically enriched one prior to a subsequent auxiliary controlled functionalisation. Lewis acid catalysed reactions:- Lewis acids are able to catalyse a wide range of reactions. Theaddition of cyanide to aldehydes is one such reaction and hasbeen studied by many groups. Recently, North, Belokon andco-workers have used a titanium (salen) complex to catalyse the addition of trimethylsilylcyanide to benzaldehyde withlow catalyst loadings. Less work has been reported on theenantioselective addition of cyanide to imines, although it providesa useful route to ÃŽÂ ±-amino acids (Strecker synthesis). However, there have been several reports of the enantio selective variant of this reaction by aluminium catalysts,non-metallic catalysts, and with the zirconium catalysts, reported here. The imine is converted into the ÃŽÂ ±-aminonitrile with good yield and enantio selectivity Scandium triflate is a good catalyst for the allylation of aldehydes with allylsilanes and stannanes. Aggarwal and Vennallhave detailed the allylation of aldehydes followed by in situ acylation.36 Benzaldehyde allylsilane and acetic anhydride undergo coupling to provide the homoallylic acetate withscandium triflate as the catalyst Kobayashi and co-workers have shown that a three component system comprising of benzaldehyde an amine,such as aniline and allylstannane affo rds the homoallylicamine The reaction works more quickly in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate SDS, which provides amicellar system .The allylation of isolated imines with enantiomerically pure palladium complexes has been achieved with up to 82%enantiomeric excess. Catalytic coupling reactions:- The formation of C-C bonds, as well as C-X bonds can becatalysed by many transition metals, although palladium complexesseem to have a greater scope than other metals. The useof catalytic coupling reactions to provide biaryls has recently been reviewed. 5. REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS: The fact that the transition elements are all metals means that they are lustrous or shiny in appearance, and malleable, meaning that they can be molded into different shapes without breaking. They are excellent conductors of heat and electricity, and tend to form positive ions by losing electrons. Generally speaking, metals are hard, though a few of the transition metals-as well as members of other metal families-are so soft they can be cut with a knife. Like almost all metals, they tend to have fairly high melting points, and extremely high boiling points. Many of the transition metals, particularly those on periods 4, 5, and 6, form useful alloys-mixtures containing more than one metal-with one another, and with other elements. Because of their differences in electron configuration, however, they do not always combine in the same ways, even within an element. Iron, for instance, sometimes releases two electrons in chemical bonding, and at other times three. ABUNDANCE OF THE TRANSITION METALS: Iron is the fourth most abundant element on Earth, accounting for 4.71% of the elemental mass in the planets crust. Titanium ranks 10th, with 0.58%, and manganese 13th, with 0.09%. Several other transition metals are comparatively abundant: even gold is much more abundant than many other elements on the periodic table. However, given the fact that only 18 elements account for 99.51% of Earths crust, the percentages for elements outside of the top 18 tend to very small. In the human body, iron is the 12th most abundant element, constituting 0.004% of the bodys mass. Zinc follows it, at 13th place, accounting for 0.003%. Again, these percentages may not seem particularly high, but in view of the fact that three elements-oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen-account for 93% of human elemental body mass, there is not much room for the other 10 most common elements in the body. Transition metals such as copper are present in trace quantities within the body as well. (industrial effulent) DIVIDING THE TRANSITION METALS INTO GROUPS. There is no easy way to group the transition metals, though certain of these elements are traditionally categorized together. These do not constitute families as such, but they do provide useful ways to break down the otherwise rather daunting 40-element lineup of the transition metals. In two cases, there is at least a relation between group number on the periodic table and the categories loosely assigned to a collection of transition metals. Thus the coinage metals-copper, silver, and gold-all occupy Group 9 on the periodic table. These have traditionally been associated with one another because their resistance to oxidation, combined with their malleability and beauty, has made them useful materials for fashioning coins. Likewise the members of the zinc group-zinc, cadmium, and mercury-occupy Group 10 on the periodic table. These, too, have often been associated as a miniature unit due to common properties. Members of the platinum group-platinum, iridium, osmium, palladium, rhodium, and ruthenium-occupy a rectangle on the table, corresponding to periods 5 and 6, and groups 6 through 8. What actually makes them a group, however, is the fact that they tend to appear together in nature. Iron, nickel, and cobalt, found alongside one another on Period 4, may be grouped together because they are all magnetic to some degree or another. This is far from the only notable characteristic about such metals, but provides a convenient means of further dividing the transition metals into smaller sections. To the left of iron on the periodic table is a rectangle corresponding to periods 4 through 6, groups 4 through 7. These 11 elements-titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, manganese, and rhenium-are referred to here as alloy metals. This is not a traditional designation, but it is nonetheless useful for describing these metals, most of which form important alloys with iron and other elements. One element was left out of the rectangle described in the preceding paragraph. This is technetium, which apparently does not occur in nature. It is lumped in with a final category, rare and artificial elements. It should be stressed that there is nothing hard and fast about these categories. The alloy metals are not the only ones that form alloys; nickel is used in coins, though it is not called a coinage metal; and platinum could be listed with gold and silver as precious metals. Nonetheless, the categories used here seem to provide the most workable means of approaching the many transition metals. GOLD. Gold almost needs no introduction: virtually everyone knows of its value, and history is full of stories about people who killed or died for this precious metal. Part of its value springs from its rarity in comparison to, say iron: gold is present on Earths crust at a level of about 5 parts per billion (ppb). Yet as noted earlier, it is more abundant than some metals. Furthermore, due to the fact that it is highly unreactive (reactivity refers to the tendency for bonds between atoms or molecules to be made or broken in such a way that materials are transformed), it tends to be easily separated from other elements. This helps to explain the fact that gold may well have been the first element ever discovered. No ancient metallurgist needed a laboratory in which to separate gold; indeed, because it so often keeps to itself, it is called a noble metal-meaning, in this context, set apart. Another characteristic of gold that made it valuable was its great malleability. In fact, gold is the most malleable of all metals: A single troy ounce (31.1 g) can be hammered into a sheet just 0.00025 in (0.00064 cm) thick, covering 68 ft  2  (6.3 m  2  ). Gold is one of the few metals that is not silver, gray, or white, and its beautifully distinctive color caught the eyes of metalsmiths and royalty from the beginning of civilization. Records from India dating back to 5000  B.C.  suggest a familiarity with gold, and jewelry found in Egyptian tombs indicates the use of sophisticated techniques among the goldsmiths of Egypt as early as 2600  B.C.  Likewise the Bible mentions gold in several passages. The Romans called it  aurum  (shining dawn), which explains its chemical symbol, Au. Gold is as popular as ever for jewelry and other decorative objects, of course, but for the most part, it is too soft to have many other commercial purposes. One of the few applications for gold, a good conductor of electricity, is in some electronic components. Also, the radioactive gold-198 isotope is sometimes implanted in tissues as a means of treating forms of cancer. SILVER. Like gold, silver has been a part of human life from earliest history. Usually it is considered less valuable, though some societies have actually placed a higher value on silver because it is harder and more durable than gold. In the seventh century  B.C.  , the Lydian civilization of Asia Minor (now Turkey) created the first coins using silver, and in the sixth century  B.C.  , the Chinese began making silver coins. Succeeding dynasties in China continued to mint these coins, round with square holes in them, until the early twentieth century. The Romans called silver  argentum,  and therefore today its chemical symbol is Ag. Its uses are much more varied than those of gold, both because of its durability and the fact that it is less expensive. Alloyed with copper, which adds strength to it, it makes sterling silver, used in coins, silverware, and jewelry. Silver nitrate compounds are used in silver plating, applied in mirrors and tableware. (Most mirrors today, however, use aluminum.) A large portion of the worlds silver supply is used by photographers for developing pictures. In addition, because it is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, silver has applications in the electronics industry; however, its expense has led many manufacturers to use copper or aluminum instead. Silver is also present, along with zinc and cadmium, in cadmium batteries. Like gold, though to a much lesser extent, it is still an important jewelry-making component. COPPER. Most people think of pennies as containing copper, but in fact the penny is the only American coin that contains no copper alloys. Because the amount of copper necessary to make a penny today costs more than $0.01, a penny is actually made of zinc with a thin copper coating. Yet copper has long been a commonly used coinage metal, and long before that, humans used it for other purposes. Seven thousand years ago, the peoples of the Tigris-Euphrates river valleys, in what is now Iraq, were mining and using copper, and later civilizations combined copper with zinc to make bronze. Indeed, the history of prehistoric and ancient humans technological development is often divided according to the tools they made, the latter two of which came from transition metals: the Stone Age, the Bronze Age (c. 3300-1200  B.C.  ), and the Iron Age. Copper is also like its two close relatives in that it resists corrosion, and this makes it ideal for plumbing. Its use in making coins resulted from its anti-corrosive qualities, combined with its beauty: like gold, copper has a distinctive color. This aesthetic quality led to the use of copper in decorative applications as well: many old buildings used copper roofs, and the Statue of Liberty is covered in 300 thick copper plates. Why, then, is the famous statue not copper-colored? Because copper does eventually corrode when exposed to air for long periods of time. Over time, it develops a thin layer of black copper oxide, and as the years pass, carbon dioxide in the air leads to the formation of copper carbonate, which imparts a greenish color. The human body is about 0.0004% copper, though as noted, larger quantities of copper can be toxic. Copper is found in foods such as shell-fish, nuts, raisins, and dried beans. Whereas human blood has hemoglobin, a molecule with an iron atom at the center, the blood of lobsters and other large crustaceans contains hemocyanin, in which copper performs a similar function. ZINC. Together with copper, zinc appeared in another alloy that, like bronze, helped define the ancient world: brass. (The latter is mentioned in the Bible, for instance in the Book of Daniel,when King Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a statue containing brass and other substances, symbolizing various empires.) Used at least from the first millennium  B.C.  onward, brass appeared in coins and ornaments throughout Asia Minor. Though it is said that the Chinese purified zinc in about  A.D.  1000, the Swiss alchemist Paracelsus (1493-1541) is usually credited with first describing zinc as a metal. Bluish-white, with a lustrous sheen, zinc is found primarily in the ore sulfide sphalerite. The largest natural deposits of zinc are in Australia and the United States, and after mining, the metal is subjected to a purification and reduction process involving carbon. Zinc is used in galvanized steel, developed in the eighteenth century by Italian physicist Luigi Galvani (1737-1798). CADMIUM. In 1817, German chemist Friedrich Strohmeyer (1776-1835) was working as an inspector of pharmacies for the German state of Hanover. While making his rounds, he discovered that one pharmacy had a sample of zinc carbonate labeled as zinc oxide, and while inspecting the chemical in his laboratory, he discovered something unusual. If indeed it were zinc carbonate, it should turn into zinc oxide when heated, and since both compounds were white, there should be no difference in color. Instead, the mysterious compound turned a yellowish-orange. Strohmeyer continued to analyze the sample, and eventually realized that he had discovered a new element, which he named after the old Greek term for zinc carbonate,  kadmeia.  Indeed, cadmium typically appears in nature along with zinc or zinc compounds. Silvery white and lustrous or shiny, cadmium is soft enough to be cut with a knife, but chemically it behaves much like zinc: hence the idea of a zinc group. MERCURY. One of only two elements-along with bromine-that appears in liquid form at room temperature, mercury is both toxic and highly useful. The Romans called it  hydragyrum  (liquid silver), from whence comes its chemical symbol, Hg. Today, however, it is known by the name of the Romans god Mercury, the nimble and speedy messenger of the gods. Mercury comes primarily from a red ore called cinnabar, and since it often appears in shiny globules that form outcroppings from the cinnabar, it was relatively easy to discover. Several things are distinctive about mercury, including its bright silvery color. But nothing distinguishes it as much as its physical properties-not only its liquidity, but the fact that it rolls rapidly, like the fleet-footed god after which it is named. Its surface tension (the quality that causes it to bead) is six times greater than that of water, and for this reason, mercury never wets the surfaces with which it comes in contact. Mercury, of course, is widely used in thermometers, an application for which it is extremely well-suited. In particular, it expands at a uniform rate when heated, and thus a mercury thermometer (unlike earlier instruments, which used water, wine, or alcohol) can be easily calibrated. (Note that due to the toxicity of the element, mercury thermometers in schools are being replaced by other types of thermometers.) At temperatures close to absolute zero, mercury loses its resistance to the flow of electric current, and therefore it presents a promising area of research with regard to superconductivity. IRON. In its purest form, iron is relatively soft and slightly magnetic, but when hardened, it becomes much more so. As with several of the elements discovered long ago, iron has a chemical symbol (Fe) reflecting an ancient name, the Latin  ferrum.  But long before the Romans ancestors arrived in Italy, the Hittites of Asia Minor were purifying iron ore by heating it with charcoal over a hot flame. The ways in which iron is used are almost too obvious (and too numerous) to mention. If iron and steel suddenly ceased to exist, there could be no skyscrapers, no wide-span bridges, no ocean liners or trains or heavy machinery or automobile frames. Furthermore, alloys of steel with other transition metals, such as tungsten and niobium, possess exceptionally great strength, and find application in everything from hand tools to nuclear reactors. Then, of course, there are magnets and electromagnets, which can only be made of iron and/or one of the other magnetic elements, cobalt and nickel. In the human body, iron is a key part of hemoglobin, the molecule in blood that transports oxygen from the lungs to the cells. If a person fails to get sufficient quantities of iron-present in foods such as red meat and spinach-the result is anemia, characterized by a loss of skin color, weakness, fainting, and heart palpitations. Plants, too, need iron, and without the appropriate amounts are likely to lose their color, weaken, and die. COBALT. Isolated in about 1735 by Swedish chemist Georg Brandt (1694-1768), cobalt was the first metal discovered since prehistoric, or at least ancient, times. The name comes from  Kobald,  German for underground gnome, and this reflects much about the early history of cobalt. In legend, the Kobalden were mischievous sprites who caused trouble for miners, and in real life, ores containing the element that came to be known as cobalt likewise caused trouble to men working in mines. Not only did these ores contain arsenic, which made miners ill, but because cobalt had no apparent value, it only interfered with their work of extracting other minerals. Yet cobalt had been in use by artisans long before Brandts isolated the element. The color of certain cobalt compounds is a brilliant, shocking blue, and this made it popular for the coloring of pottery, glass, and tile. The element, which makes up less than 0.002% of Earths crust, is found today primarily in ores extracted from mines in Canada, Zaire, and Morocco. One of the most important uses of cobalt is in a highly magnetic alloy known as alnico, which also contains iron, nickel, and aluminum. Combined with tungsten and chromium, cobalt makes stellite, a very hard alloy used in drill bits. Cobalt is also applied in jet engines and turbines. NICKEL. Moderately magnetic in its pure form, nickel had an early history much like that of cobalt. English workers mining copper were often dismayed to find a metal that looked like copper, but was not, and they called it Old Nicks copper-meaning that it was a trick played on them by Old Nick, or the devil. The Germans gave it a similar name:  Kupfernickel,  or imp copper. Though nickel was not identified as a separate metal by Swedish mineralogist Axel Fredrik Cronstedt (1722-1765) until the eighteenth century, alloys of copper, silver, and nickel had been used as coins even in ancient Egypt. Today, nickel is applied, not surprisingly, in the American five-cent piece-that is, the nickel-made from an alloy of nickel and copper. Its anti-corrosive nature also provides a number of other applications for nickel: alloyed with steel, for instance, it makes a protective layer for other metals. PLATINUM. First identified by an Italian physician visiting the New World in the mid-sixteenth century, platinum-now recognized as a precious metal-was once considered a nuisance in the same way that nickel and cadmium were. Miners, annoyed with the fact that it got in the way when they were looking for gold, called it  platina,  or little silver. One of the reasons why platinum did not immediately catch the worlds fancy is because it is difficult to extract, and typically appears with the other metals of the platinum group: iridium, osmium, palladium, rhodium, and ruthenium. Only in 1803 did English physician and chemist William Hyde Wollaston (1766-1828) develop a means of extracting platinum, and when he did, he discovered that the metal could be hammered into all kinds of shapes. Platinum proved such a success that it made Wollaston financially independent, and he retired from his medical practice at age 34 to pursue scientific research. Today, platinum is used in everything from thermometers to parts for rocket engines, both of which take advantage of its ability to with stand high temperatures. 6. Application of transition metals complex formation in gas chromatography. we will be discusing applications of superselective liquid phases containing transition metal salts or complexes in gas chromatography Introduction: Metal complexation may be used for four purposes in gas chromatography: to help the separation of certain compounds present in the sample. In this case complexation is performed by using a stationary phase containing a metal; to utilize GC for the calculation of stability constants orother physico-chemical data; to analyse the metals themselves, by making organic volatile complexes and analysing them by GC; to increase sensitivity for inorganic and organic compounds by forming metal complexes and utilize e.g. an electron capture detector which has an increased sensitivity for such compounds. The present review discusses only the first two of these four application fields. The effect of the formation of eleetron-donor-acceptor complexes (EDA) [1-3] of transition metal cations with organic molecules containing n-bond(s) or free electron pairs (hi, O, S, halogens) may be used for the gas chromatographic separation of these molecules. The column packings containing the transition metals may be termed as superselectivepackings, because a slight difference in the structure of the separated compounds (e.g. cis- and transisomers) can give considerable difference in the retention time representing several minutes The reaction of complex formation should be rapid and reversible In the case of a 1:1 complex formation gas chromatography is convenient for the determination the stability constants of the newly formed adducts The formation of n-complexes with cations of the transition metals is particulary widely applied in gas chromatography. The termal stability of these complexes changes i~ a very broad temperature range depending on the metal and the ligand.complexes together with the temperatures of their chromatographic analysis. As seen chromatography permits as to examine the~ systems at temperatures higher than their thermal stability determined by static methods. The superselective packings can be divided into two group~ 1. Superselective liquid phases in which a salt or met~complex is melted or dissolved in a common liquid phase. 2. Superselective adsorbents in which a transition metal exists in various forms such as a salt or other co~pounds coated on the surface of a support, a porous i~ organic salt, a zeolite with the transition metal cation~ an inorganic oxide, or an inorganic or organometall~polymer. Steric Effect Substitution of bulky alkyl groups at a carbon double bond decrease the stability constants of n-complexes. The steric effect depends on the position of substitution in the following order: 2 > 4/> 3 > 5 >~ 6 [9, 78]. The small steric effect of the substituent in position 3 can be explained by considerable participation of electronic effect which, for alkyl groups has the opposite influence on stability constants than the steric effect. Electronic Effect The choice of the substituents at the double bond can increase or decrease the stability of the complex according to their electronic nature. For example, the substitution of D for H at the double bond increases the stability of the 7rcomplexes and for Rh 2* even bulk substituents increase the stability of complexes formed. This was called an inverse steric effect The electron-withdrawing effect of C1 on the electrons an aromatic ring causes a decrease in the stability constant of the n-complex of a transition metal with chlorobenzene as compared to the same complex with ethylbenzene Strain Effect:- Due to the large strain of the cyclobutene ring its ~r-complexes are less stable than those with five- and six-membered cycloolefms The Hg 2+ cation forms very strong complexes with olef~ and aromatic hydrocarbons. This is the reason why it applied for the selective retention of such compounds fr0~ hydrocarbon mixtures The stability constants of Hg ~+ complexes with molecules of organic compounds containing oxygen have been

Lowering the Drinking Age to 18 :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

There has been an ongoing controversy in the United States on whether the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen like most of the world or if it should stay at twenty-one. Underage drinking has been a major controversial issue for years, yet why is it not under control? Teenagers are continuing to buy alcohol with fake identification cards, drink, get into bars, and drink illegally. As a teen I have proof that these things are going on not only in college but in high school as well. There are a lot of factors that come together to why the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen; the most obvious reason is too many people are drinking before they are twenty-one. Liquor stores, bars, and clubs all want to make money and if they can get away with selling to underage teens then they will. A study done by the Academic Search Premier agrees that, ?By now it is obvious that the law has not succeeded in preventing the under-21 group from drinking? (Michael Smith 1). There would be a lot of benefits to having the drinking age change to eighteen. The amount of binge drinking would lessen, and the out rage to drink would also decrease. According to Smith, ?Reports of binge drinking come from all types of campuses across the country. In 1992, researchers reported that more college?s students were drinking to get drunk than their counterparts a decade earlier, and one recent study reported an increase, just since 1994, in the number of students who drink deliberately to get drunk? (Smith 1). I interviewed my friend Shelly Mitchell who recently turned twenty-one and asked her how she felt about finally being legal to drink. She quoted, ?It is not as exciting to drink anymore, I mean I still like to go out with my friends to bars, but the fun is all over, in high school and college it was so exciting trying to get alcohol by using a fake ID.? All of these factors could be changed by lowering the drinking age to eighteen. In a study done by the Harvard School of Public Health, binge drinking is defined as five drinks in a row for boys and four drinks for girls. And when they did a survey they found that 44% of the students attending Harvard binge drink (Jeffrey Kluger 1).

One Students Observations of an Online Community Essay -- Sell Websit

One Student's Observations of an Online Community   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An online community is a place where individual users with common interest come together to build relationships with similar people.   Recently I was looking through the Yahoo and MSN websites, searching for an interesting community to join.   Unfortunately, all of the message boards I was interested in had been inactive for over a year.   Online communities must involve growing relationships among active users.   Many people believe that online communities are a waste of time and are destroying our current society.   Howard Rheingold, an author, argues another point of view (92).   Ã‚  Ã‚   Rheingold states that a virtual community is an online group in which relationships are developed through interaction.   He also says that virtual communities are an advance in the uprising technological world.   Virtual communities bring people of different backgrounds and locations together through a common interest (Rheingold 93).   Rheingold shares with his audience stories of young parents rallying together while their infants are in critical condition. This exemplifies that online relationships are important to many people.   Rheingold argues that although we may not experience face to face interaction with fellow online users, it does not keep us from developing a sound and structured society.   It may not be traditional, but online communities are societies that are here to stay.   The relationships developed through online communities will remain only if users post frequently and take a genuine interest in other user's posts (Rheingold 9 2-97).   In an attempt to find a community to join and a group of people I could form growing relationships with I logged on to many diff... ...own at collegehumor.com, growing relationships are almost guaranteed.   This website has brought me to a group of people who I enjoy interacting with.   Although I have not been able to fully integrate into their community, I am hoping that with time, I will be considered a senior myself.   This message board community is a great place to sit back, relax, and let the laughter come.   Works Cited CollegeHumor.com.   Homepage. 28 Oct. 2002.  Ã‚   <http://www.collegehumor.com/bbs/> "God damn headaches."   1 Posting.   Online Posting. 30 Sept.   2002. 7 Oct. 2002 http://www.collegehumor.com/bbs/ "God damn headaches."   6 Posting.   Online Posting. 30 Sept.   2002. 7 Oct. 2002.  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.collegehumor.com/bbs/ Rheingold, Howard.   "The Virtual Community."   The Wired Society.   Ed.   Carol Lea Clark. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999.   92-97.   

Every Child A Reader Program (ECARP) Essay

Goals Activity/ies Target Venue Participants Budget Allocation Funding Source Improve reading and numeracy skills of grades 1 – 3 pupils following the revised K to 12 program; Strengthen teachers’ capacity to teach and assess reading and numeracy skills effectively; Strengthen school heads basic literacy and numeracy skills as instructional managers, supervisors; Improve management and administration of  the program (includes planning, operations, sharing and implementing best practices (including action research), monitoring and networking). Set reading and numeracy standards; and  Establish a reading and numeracy program and a sustainable professional development system. Mentoring / Learning Partnership by division or by cluster following the Department of Education Model to Enhance Teaching and Learning Selection of Division School Mentors/Learning Partners (1 grade I teacher per school Direct training of mentors/ Learning partners with all Division School Administrators Trained at least 1 grade 1 teacher per school who will serve as the Learning Partner (Mentor) Region III 6,421/50 – 129 DepEd RO3 Conference Hall All Division Education Program Specialist for Mother Tongue, Filipino and English School Manager of the Selected School 1 Teacher/Mentor/Learning Partner 80% 0f the 1.1M 880,000.00/20 divisions= 44,000.00 training assistance per division Or 880,000/5 Clusters= 176,000.00 (Trainings shall be conducted by the Regional Office) ECARP funds On-the-Ground Mentoring/ Learning Partnership SLAC/ DisLAC to discuss, address, and plan the following: 1. Issues and Concerns in Teaching Reading 2. Reading Lesson Plans 3. Development of Teaching/Learning Materials Monitoring and Evaluation Provision of additional technical assistance Respective divisions All Division Education Program Specialist for Mother Tongue, Filipino and English School Manager of the Selected School 1 Teacher/Mentor/Learning Partner 20% of the 1.1M 220,000.00 (support to School-based Mentoring/Learning Partnership Program – SLAC) Ecarp Funds Total Budget Allocation 1.1 Million

Do Child’s Shoe Size Increase with Age

Do Children’s shoe size increase in age? IntroductionI teased apart from my evidence relevant data collected three important bits of information being, age, shoe size and gender I then gathered the data and evaluated the information after converting it into tables, graphs and charts. I gathered data from various ages, with various shoe size. Using evidence to understand and conclude which hypothesis is the most accurate. I understood the frame work of my report and from prior knowledge I already had a thesis of my own. Using mind mapping I created Ideas for obtaining relevant data. AimThe aim of my investigation is to have obtained enough relevant data to confirm the most accurate hypothesis and reinforce my argument. The evidence needs to be clear and precise and specific points summarised. Hypothesis and Null HypothesisHypothesis- Do children’s shoe size increase with age? Null hypothesis- As children get older their shoe size do not get bigger. MethodI devised a simple short questionnaire to obtain three important parts of information, gender, shoe size and age. All participants were sixteen or under I received consent from themselves or their parents and explained the reasons for my research. I then transferred the data into a tally chart and calculated how many participants have what size shoe. I then displayed the data into a barchart, pie chart and a scatter graph. I used various ways of working out the averages. Participants ages ranged from ten years of age to sixteen years of age, their shoe size ranged from a children’s size thirteen to a size seven. MethodTo obtain my evidence I devised a questionnaire and explained to participants if I could ask them three short questions to complete my report. The selected questions I chose I felt would be enough to put a report together, to observe a trend and to confirm statistics. Participants I asked thirty participants ranging from ten years of age to sixteen years of age, male and female with shoe sizes verying from a childs size thirteen to a size seven. I asked equal amount of female participants to male participants. MaterialsEach participants where asked if they were happy for myself to ask three simple questions reference to their age, gender and shoe size. Younger participants guardians were also asked if they were happy for me to ask their childrens questions from my short questionnaire. All participants I knew personally, they were either friends, relatives or work collegues. Each questionnaire displayed ‘Thank you for completing this short questionnaire’?Do children’s shoe size increase with ag eI disected the data into sections to understand, firstly the average shoe size overall, having relevant information allowed me to devise charts, graphs and tables to evaluate whether shoe size increase with age. DiscussionI feel the range of age could be better as I had no knowledge of the children’s age before the questionnaire was completed by them which altered my results. The results clearly supported the Hypothesis. Some results I would not have predicted for instance a thirteen year old boy with size seven shoe. Certain factors such as gender may have affected my results, some of the participants were teenagers and were probably experiencing growth spurts especially male participants as some results were quite surprising as mentione previously. I asked thirty participants which I felt was enough children to have enough date to devise a report maybe the range of the participants ages may have given me an interested twist to the Hypothesis. If I was to complete my studies again I would probably have a larger range of the participants age, I feel that the equal amount of male and female participants provided a fair report. ConclusionAnalyzing my findings I can see that the overal participants shoe size did increase with age, the Hypothesis seems to be correct. I feel I obtained enough data to understand if the Hypothesis was true or false. I can also analyze the most reliable average is mode. The average shoe size with in the participants age range of ten years to sixteen years is a size three.

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 12

It came back to him, all of it: the cramped aisles and the tiny windows and the musty smell of old books. He had been in Belgium some fifty years ago, and had been surprised to find an English-language book on such a subject still in existence. But there it was, its cover worn to a solid burnished rust, with nothing of the writing remaining, if there ever had been any. Pages were missing inside, so no one would ever know the author or the title, if either had ever been printed there. Every â€Å"receipt† – recipe, or charm, or spell – inside involved forbidden knowledge. Damon could easily remember the simplest spell of all: â€Å"Ye Bloode of ye Samphire or Vampyre i?fair goode a?a general physic for all Maladie?or mischief Done by those who Dance in the Woode?at Moonspire.† These malach had certainly been doing mischief in the woods, and it was the month of Moonspire, the month of the â€Å"summer solstice† in the Old Tongue. Damon didn't want to leave Bonnie, and he certainly didn't want Elena to see what he was going to do next. Still supporting Bonnie's head above the warm pinkish water, he opened his shirt. There was a knife of ironwood in a sheath at his hip. He removed it and, in one quick motion, cut himself at the base of his throat. Plenty of blood now. The problem was how to get her to drink. Sheathing the dagger, he lifted her out of the water and tried to put her lips to the cut. No, that wasstupid , he thought, with unaccustomed self-deprecation. She's going to get cold again, and you don't have any way to make her swallow. He let Bonnie lapse back into the water and thought. Then he pulled out the knife again and made another cut: this one on his arm, at the wrist. He followed the vein there until blood was not just dripping but streaming steadily out. Then he put that wrist to Bonnie's upturned mouth, adjusting the angle of her head with his other hand. Her lips were partly open and the dark red blood flowed beautifully. Periodically she swallowed. There was life in her yet. It was just like feeding a baby bird, he thought, tremendously pleased with his memory, his ingenuity, and – well, just himself. He smiled brilliantly at nothing in particular. Now if it would only work. Damon changed position slightly to be more comfortable and turned the hot water up again, all while holding Bonnie, feeding her, all – he knew – gracefully and without a wasted movement. This was fun. It appealed to his sense of the ridiculous. Here, right now, a vampire was not supping from a human, but was trying to save it from certain death by feeding it vampire blood. More than that. He had followed all sorts of human traditions and customs by trying to strip Bonnie without compromising her maidenly modesty. That was exciting. Of course, he'd seen her body anyway; there had been no way to avoid that. But it was really more thrilling when he wastrying to follow the rules. He'd never done that before. Maybe that was how Stefan got his kicks. No, Stefan had Elena, who had been human, vampire, and invisible spirit, and now appeared to be living angel, if such a thing existed. Elena was kicky enough on her own. Yet he hadn't thought of her inminutes . It might even be a record of Elena-overlooking. He'd better call her, maybe get her in here and explain how this was working so there was no reason to crush his skull. It would probably look better. Damon suddenly realized he couldn't feel Elena's aura in Stefan's bedroom. But before he could investigate there was a crash, then pounding footsteps, and then another crash, much closer. And then the bathroom door was kicked open by Mortal Annoying Troublesome†¦. Matt advanced menacingly, got his feet tangled, and looked down to untangle them. His tanned cheeks were swept with a sudden sunset. He was holding up Bonnie's small pink brassiere. He dropped it as if it had bitten him, picked it up again, and whirled around, only to cannon into Stefan, who was entering. Damon watched, entertained. â€Å"How do youkill them, Stefan? Do you just need a stake? Can you hold him while – blood! He's feeding her blood!† Matt interrupted himself, looking as if he might attack Damon on his own. Bad idea, thought Damon. Matt locked eyes with him. Confronting the monster, Damon thought, even more entertained. â€Å"Let†¦her†¦go.† Matt spoke slowly, probably meaning to convey menace, but sounding, Damon thought, as if he thought that Damon was mentally impaired. Mortally Unable To Talk, Damon mused. But that made†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Mutt,† he said aloud, shaking his head slightly. Maybe, though, it would remind him in the future. â€Å"Mutt?You're calling – ? God, Stefan, please help me kill him!He's killed Bonnie.† The words spilled out of Matt in a single gushing flow, a single breath. Woefully, Damon saw his latest acronym go down in flames. Stefan was surprisingly calm. He put Matt behind him and said, â€Å"Go and sit down with Elena and Meredith,† in a way that was not a suggestion, and turned back to his brother. â€Å"You didn't feed from her,† he said, andthis was not a question. â€Å"Swill poison? Not my kind of fun, little brother.† One corner of Stefan's mouth quirked up. He made no response to this, but simply looked at Damon with eyes that were†¦knowing. Damon bridled. â€Å"I told the truth!† â€Å"Going to take it up as a hobby?† Damon started to release Bonnie, figuring that dropping her into bloodstained water would be the proper precursor to walking out of this dump, but†¦ But. She was his baby bird. She'd swallowed enough of his blood now that any more would begin to Change her seriously. And if the amount of blood he had already given her wasn't enough, it simply wasn't a remedy in the first place. Besides, the miracle worker was here. He closed the cut on his arm enough to stop the bleeding and started to speak†¦. And the door crashed open again. This time it was Meredith, and she had Bonnie's bra. Both Stefan and Damon quailed. Meredith was, Damon thought, a very scary person. At least she took the time, which Mutt had not, to look over the trampled clothes on the bathroom floor. She said to Stefan, â€Å"How is she?† which Mutt had not, either. â€Å"She's going to be fine,† Stefan said and Damon was surprised at his feeling of†¦not relief, of course, but of a job well done. Plus, now he might avoid being thrashed to within an inch of his life by Stefan. Meredith took a deep breath and closed her frightening eyes briefly. When she did that, her whole face glowed. Maybe she was praying. It had been centuries since Damon had prayed; and he had never had any prayer answered. Then Meredith opened her eyes, shook herself, and started looking scary again. She nudged the pile of clothes on the floor and said, slowly and forcefully, â€Å"If the item that matchesthis is not still on Bonnie's body, there is going to be trouble.† She waved the now infamous bra like a flag. Stefan looked confused. How could he not understand the mighty missing lingerie question? Damon wondered. How could anyone be such a†¦such an unobservant fool? Didn't Elena wear any – ever? Damon sat frozen, too arrested by the images in his own inner world to move for a moment. Then he spoke up. He had the answer to Meredith's riddle. â€Å"Do you want to come and check?† he asked, turning his head virtuously away. â€Å"Yes, I do.† He remained with his back to her as she approached the tub, plunged her hand into the warm pink water, and swished the towel a little. He heard her let out her breath in relief. When he turned around she said, â€Å"There's blood on your mouth.† Her dark eyes looked darker than ever. Damon was surprised. He hadn't gone and pierced the redhead out of habit and thenforgotten it, had he? But then he realized the reason. â€Å"You tried to suck the poison out, didn't you?† Stefan said, throwing him a white face towel. Damon wiped the side Meredith had been looking at and came up with a bloody smear. No wonder his mouth had been stinging like fire. That poison was pretty nasty stuff, although it clearly didn't affect vampires the way it did humans. â€Å"And there's blood on your throat,† Meredith went on. â€Å"Unsuccessful experiment,† Damon said, and shrugged. â€Å"So you cut your wrist. Pretty seriously.† â€Å"For a human, maybe. Is the press conference over?† Meredith settled back. He could read her expression and he smiled inwardly. Extra! Extra! SCARYM EREDITH THWARTED. He knew the look of those who had to give up on cracking the Damon nut. Meredith stood up. â€Å"Is there anything I can get him to stop his mouth bleeding? Something to drink, maybe?† Stefan just looked stricken. Stefan's problem – well, a part of one of Stefan's many problems – was that he thought feeding was sinful. Even to talk about. Maybe it was actually kickier that way. People relished anything they thought was sinful. Even vampires did. Damon was put out. How did you go back in time to whenanything was sinful? Because he was sadly out of kicks. With her back turned, Meredith was less scary. Damon risked an answer to the question of what he could drink. â€Å"You,darling†¦you darling.† â€Å"One too many darlings,† Meredith said mysteriously, and before Damon could figure out that she was simply making a point about linguistics, and not commenting on his personal life, she was gone. With the traveling bra. Now Stefan and Damon were alone. Stefan came a step closer, keeping his eyes off the tub. You miss so much, you chump, Damon thought. That was the word he'd been searching for earlier. Chump. â€Å"You did a lot for her,† Stefan said, seeming to find it as hard to look at Damon as at the tub. This left him very little to stare at. He chose a wall. â€Å"You told me you'd beat me up if I didn't. I've never cared for beatings.† He flashed his dazzling smile at Stefan and kept it up until Stefan started to turn to look at him, and then turned it off immediately. â€Å"You went beyond the call of duty.† â€Å"With you, little brother, one never knows where duty ends. Tell me, what does infinity look like?† Stefan heaved a sigh. â€Å"At least you're not the kind of bully who only terrorizes when he has the upper hand.† â€Å"Are you inviting me to  ¡Ã‚ ®step outside,' as they say?† â€Å"No, I'm complimenting you on saving Bonnie's life.† â€Å"I didn't realize I had a choice. How, by the way, did you manage to cure Meredith and – and†¦how did you manage?† â€Å"Elena kissed them. Didn't you even realize she was gone? I brought them back here, and she came downstairs and breathed into their mouths and it cured them. From what I've seen, she seems to be slowly turning from spirit to full human. I'm guessing it will take another few days, just from looking at her progress since she woke up until now.† â€Å"At least she's talking. Not much, but you can't ask for everything.† Damon was remembering the view from the Porsche, with the top down and Elena bobbing like a balloon. â€Å"This little redhead hasn't said a word,† Damon added querulously, and then shrugged. â€Å"Same difference.† â€Å"Why, Damon? Why not just admit that you care about her, at least enough to keep her living – and without even molesting her? You knew she couldn't afford to lose blood†¦.† â€Å"It was an experiment,† Damon explained painstakingly. And it was over now. Bonnie would wake or sleep, live or die, in Stefan's hands – not his. He was wet, he was uncomfortable, he was far enough from this night's meal to be hungry and cross. His mouth hurt. â€Å"You take her head now,† he said brusquely. â€Å"I'm leaving. You and Elena and†¦Mutt can finish – † â€Å"His name is Matt, Damon. It's not hard to remember.† â€Å"It is if you have absolutely no interest in him. There are too many lovely ladies in this vicinity to make him anything but last choice for a snack.† Stefan hit the wall hard. His fist broke through the ancient plastering. â€Å"Damn it, Damon, that's not all there is to humans.† â€Å"It's all I ask of them.† â€Å"Youdon't ask. That's the problem.† â€Å"It was a euphemism. It's all I plan totake from them, then. It's certainly all I'm interested in. Don't try to make-believe that it's anything more. There's no point in trying to find evidence for a pretty lie.† Stefan's fist flew out. It was his left fist, and Damon was supporting Bonnie's head on that side, so he couldn't lean away gracefully as he normally would. She was unconscious; she might take in a lungful of water and die immediately. Who knew about these humans, especially when they were poisoned? Instead, he concentrated on sending all his shielding to the right side of his chin. He figured he could take a punch, even from the New Improved Stefan without losing his hold on the girl – even if Stefan broke his jaw. Stefan's fist stopped a few millimeters away from Damon's face. There was a pause; the brothers looked at each other across a distance of two feet. Stefan took a deep breath and sat back. â€Å"Now will you admit it?† Damon was genuinely puzzled. â€Å"Admit what?† â€Å"That you care something for them. Enough to take a punch rather than letting Bonnie go underwater.† Damon stared, then began to laugh and found he couldn't stop. Stefan stared back. Then he shut his eyes and half-turned away in pain. Damon still had a case of the giggles. â€Å"And you th-thought that I cuh-cared about one little hu-hu-hu†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Why did you do it, then?† Stefan said tiredly. â€Å"Whu-whu-whim. I t-told y-yuh-you. Just wuh-huhhuhuha†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Damon collapsed, punch-drunk from lack of food and from too many varying emotions. Bonnie's head went underwater. Both vampires dived for her, head butting each other as they collided over the center of the tub. Both fell back briefly, dazed. Damon wasn't laughing anymore. If anything, he was fighting like a tiger to get the girl out of the water. Stefan was, too, and with his newly sharpened reflexes, he looked close to winning. But it was as Damon had thought just an hour or so earlier – neither one of them even considered cooperating to get the girl. Each was trying to do it alone, and each was impeding the other. â€Å"Get out of my way, brat,† Damon snarled, almost hissing in menace. â€Å"You don't give a damn about her.You get out of the way – â€Å" There was something like a geyser and Bonnie exploded upward from the water on her own. She spat out a mouthful and cried, â€Å"What's going on?† in tones to melt a heart of stone. Which they did. Contemplating his bedraggled little bird, who was clutching the towel to her instinctively, with her fiery hair plastered to her head and her big brown eyes blinking between strands, something swelled in Damon. Stefan had run to the door to tell the others the good news. For a moment it was just the two of them: Damon and Bonnie. â€Å"It tastes awful,† Bonnie said woefully, spitting out more water. â€Å"I know,† Damon said, staring at her. The new thing he was feeling had swollen inside his soul until the pressure was almost too much to stand. When Bonnie said, â€Å"But I'm alive!† with an abrupt 180-degree turn in mood, her heart-shaped face flushing suddenly with joy, the fierce pride Damon felt in response was intoxicating. He and he alone had brought her back from the edge of icy death. Her poison-filled body had been cured by him; it was his blood that had dissolved and dispersed the toxin,his blood – And then the swelling thing burst. There was, to Damon, a palpable if not audible crack as the stone encasing his soul burst open and a great piece fell away. With something inside him singing, he clutched Bonnie to him, feeling the wet towel through his raw silk shirt, and feeling Bonnie's slight body under the towel. Definitely a maiden, and not a child, he thought dizzily, whatever the writing on that infamous scrap of pink nylon had claimed. He clutched at her as if he needed her for blood – as if they were in hurricane-tossed seas and to let go of her would be to lose her. His neck hurt fiercely, but more cracks were spreading all over the stone; it was going to explode completely, letting theDamon it held inside out – and he was too drunk on pride and joy, yes, joy, to care. Cracks were spreading in every direction, pieces of stone flying off†¦ Bonnie pushed him away. She had surprising strength for someone with such a slight build. She pushed herself out of his arms completely. Her expression had changed radically again: now her face showed only fear and desperation – and, yes, revulsion. â€Å"Help! Somebody, please,help !† Her brown eyes were huge and now her face was white again. Stefan had whirled around. All he saw was what Meredith saw, darting under his arm from the other room, or what Matt saw, trying to peer into the tiny, over-full bathroom: Bonnie fiercely clutching her towel, trying to make it cover her, and Damon kneeling by the bath, his face without expression. â€Å"Pleasehelp. He heard me calling – I couldfeel him on the other end – but he just watched. He stood and watched us all dying. He wants all humans dead, with our blood running down white steps somewhere. Please, get himaway from me!† So. The little witch was more proficient than he had imagined. It wasn't unusual to recognize that someone was getting your transmissions – you got feedback – but to identify the individual took talent. Plus, she'd obviously heard the echoes of some of his thoughts. She was gifted, his bird†¦no, not his bird, not with her looking at him with a look as close to hatred as Bonnie could manage. There was a silence. Damon had a chance to deny the charge, but why bother? Stefan would be able to gauge the truth of it. Maybe Bonnie, too. Revulsion was flying from face to face, as if it were a swiftly-catching disease. Now Meredith was hurrying forward, grabbing another towel. She had some kind of hot drink in her other hand – cocoa, by the smell. It was hot enough to be an effective weapon – no way to dodge all of that, not for a tired vampire. â€Å"Here,† she said to Bonnie. â€Å"You're safe. Stefan's here. I'm here. Matt's here. Take this towel; let's just put it around your shoulders.† Stefan had stood silently, watching all this – no, watching his brother. Now, his face hardening in finality, he said one word. â€Å"Out.† Dismissed like a dog. Damon groped for his jacket behind him, found it, and wished that his groping for his sense of humor could be as successful. The faces around him were all the same. They could have been carved in stone. But not stone as hard as that that was coming together again around his soul. That rock was remarkably quick to mend – and an extra layer was added, like the layering of a pearl, but not covering anything nearly so pretty. Their faces were still all the same as Damon tried to get out of the small room that had too many people in it. Some of them were speaking; Meredith to Bonnie, Mutt – no, Matt – pouring out a stream of pure acidic hatred†¦but Damon didn't really hear the words. He could smell too much blood here. Everyone had little wounds. Their individual scents – different beasts inthe herd – closed in on him. His head was spinning. He had to get out of here or he'd be snatching the nearest warm vessel and draining it dry. Now he was more than dizzy; he was too hot, too†¦thirsty. Very, very thirsty. He had worked a long time without feeding and now he was surrounded by prey. They were circlinghim . How could he stop himself from grabbing just one of them? Would one really be missed? Then there was the one he hadn't seen yet, and didn't want to see. To witness Elena's lovely features twisted into the same mask of revulsion he saw on every other face here would be†¦distasteful, he thought, his old sense of dispassion finally returning to him. But it couldn't be avoided. As Damon came out of the bathroom, Elena was right in front of him, floating like an oversized butterfly. His eyes were drawn to exactly what he didn't want to see: her expression. Elena's features didn't mirror the others. She looked worried, upset. But there wasn't a trace of the disgust or hatred that showed on all the other faces. She even spoke, in that strange mind-speech that wasn't, somehow, like telepathy, but which allowed her to get in two levels of communication at once. â€Å"Da – mon.† Tell about the malach. Please. Damon just raised an eyebrow at her. Tell a bunch of humans abouthimself ? Was she being deliberately ridiculous? Besides, the malach hadn't really done anything. They had distracted him for a few minutes, that was all. No point in blaming malach when all they had done was enhance his own views briefly. He wondered if Elena had any notion of the content of his little nighttime daydream. â€Å"Da – mon.† I can see it. Everything. But, still, please†¦ Oh, well, maybe spirits got used to seeingeverybody's dirty laundry. Elena made no response to that thought, so he was left in the dark. In the dark. Which was what he was used to, where he had come from. They would all go their separate ways, the humans to their warm dry houses and he to a tree in the woods. Elena would stay with Stefan, of course. Of course. â€Å"Under the circumstances, I won't sayau revoir ,† Damon said, flashing his dazzling smile at Elena, who looked gravely back at him. â€Å"We'll just say ;;good-bye' and leave it at that.† There was no answer from the humans. â€Å"Da – mon.† Elena was crying now. Please.Please. Damon started out into the dark. Please†¦ Rubbing at his neck, he kept going.

Crime and Best Glorification

The best glorification of crime and criminals seems to be portrayed in the news, TV, and movies. Often you will see how a bank robber will get away with the cash and never get caught. In movies criminals seem to get away with their crimes if in some way the crime is justified. In today’s world it sometimes appears to be easier if you’re the bad guy. This mind set is due to the portrayal of the criminal in movies and on the news. A prime example of glorifying a criminal would be CSI. CIS is a television show that is based on crime scenes and criminal minds. CSI goes into a criminals mind and show how and why I crime happens. This makes the criminal mind seem fascinating and sometimes portrays the criminal as a genius. I feel almost making the crime and criminal as famous and as powerful as the show it’s self. Another example would be Law Abiding Citizen. The main character goes on a killing spire on the justice center of Philadelphia. Even though he has killed so many people you still feel sympathetic towards him because his family was brutally raped and murdered and the justice center did nothing. Due to the circumstances he decided to take actions in to his own hands. This movie, in many ways, makes the crimes and the criminal more glorious as if he had done the right thing. The news is another example of glorifying crime and criminals. The news often talks about how cops can not control gangs, how the gangs are growing and becoming more powerful. This makes the gangs more glorious and, in ways, only adds power to the gang. For young children growing up in gang-ran areas this may push them to join because of the media’s portrayal of the power associated with gangs. The best glorification of crime and criminals seems to be portrayed in the news, TV, and movies. The media truly seems to make it look easier to be the bad guy. In today’s news and movies the criminals seems to be powerful or justified.

Everyday Use: A Question of Quilts Essay

In Everyday Use, Alice Walker presents the reader with two sisters who are as different as two sisters could ever be. They have very little in common, and in fact they think, walk, stand, and talk, so differently that strangers would not take them for sisters. They differ in a more significant way in terms of the themes of the story, too. Dee and Maggie have very different ideas about their heritage and their culture, and the part that culture plays in their lives. Only one sister can be right when it comes to culture and the question of who should get Mama’s quilts, and in this case, Maggie is more deserving, because she has a much more complete understanding of her culture and heritage than Dee does. Even though they have grown up in the same home, Maggie and Dee have very different values in terms of the way they see their culture. To Dee, culture is something that she has only recently discovered has been taken from her. Maggie, however, does not feel that her culture has been lost. She lives in her family home, with family objects around her, and culture is something she lives each and every day. Dee rejected her family and left home as soon as she was able, and never realized that she was leaving culture behind her. Even the quilts are proof of this—Dee does not even know who made them, whereas Maggie does know, and she was even taught to quilt by the women who made the quilts they are fighting over. Maggie, therefore, has a much better understanding of the fact that culture and family are inseparable. A second important aspect of this issue is family. Maggie and Dee see their family very differently. For Maggie, family is something to remember and be proud of, and she loves and honors her mother and other family members. Dee visits her family only because they have something she wants, and even as an adult she still believes that she is better than her family. She seems to have always considered herself superior, trying to improve their minds with knowledge that they â€Å"didn’t necessarily need to know†, and then later she says that â€Å"no matter where they ‘choose’ to live† she will try to see them. This implies that Dee would prefer them to live elsewhere—perhaps in a better area or in a place that is more convenient for her to visit. Dee seems to be ashamed of her family, but Maggie has never left them, and she has learned all about her heritage from her family members. The third is the use each sister will put the quilts to. Dee wants them to hang on a wall and look at. She seems to think they will â€Å"prove† that she has regained her cultural heritage. She does not understand that she could have had it all along if she had wanted to. Maggie will actually use the quilts for the purpose they were intended, and she knows that the quilts represent a link to her family as well as to her culture. Maggie and Dee fight over the quilts because they represent different things to each of them. For many reasons, Maggie deserves to have them more than Dee does. Maggie is the sister who understands and accepts that family, culture, and the quilts are all linked together and are all part of the heritage that Dee rejected.

Alcohol abuse in Victoria, South Australia Essay

Alcohol abuse in Victoria, South Australia - Essay Example According to the Victorian Drug Statistics Handbook of 2007, the majority of the people related to alcohol abuse are the young adults of ages 18-24, with 64% drinking yearly. Out of these, the majority of the drinkers are adult males. Even in the younger demographics, the ratio of people using alcohol to get drunk is a high one in five. Role of Health Professionals: The issue of the abuse of alcohol and other drugs has wide spread ramifications in the society, effecting many sectors and involving many structures and organizations. One of the most important role in this regard is played by the health professionals. The health professionals have a two-pronged involvement on this issue: the treatment of the effected individuals through the process of rehabilitation and counseling, and the spread of awareness campaigns aimed at prevention of this abuse so that there is an over all decline in the abuse of alcohol by the youth. Let us examine each role of the health professionals one by one. The most potent job that the these professionals are expected to perform is that of the treatment of the patients who are suffering from the effects of alcohol abuse.... ire treatment through the use of drugs by the doctors, although it is considered to be one according to the modern medical literature (Department of Health, 2011). The only possible treatment is that of rehabilitation and psychological therapy (Department of Health, 2011). The current statistics put the number of inpatient visits dedicated to alcohol abuse patients at more than twenty four thousand seven hundred (Rood, 2009). Considering the nature of the disease, in that it is purely preventable, this is a huge percentage of visits to be dedicated to such a cause. This statistic alone shows the prevalence and the gravity of this issue in the South Australia. It is unfortunate that the success rate of these habilitation centers is not as high as would have been expected or desired (Biondo, 2010). This is not due to negligence or incompetence on the part of the health professionals, rather this is inherent in the nature of the treatment itself. The success of therapy greatly and subst antially depends upon the willingness and will power of the patient himself (Biondo, 2010), and there is little that a doctor can do if this willingness is absent in the patient that he is treating. The prevalence of this social issue in Victoria means that the youth is greatly at risk of social and moral deconstruction (Biondo, 2010), and if the rehabilitation programs fail to handle the situation, the society at large would be at risk. Therefore, the health professionals in this area shoulder a particularly great responsibility. The other limb of the role of health professionals in this regard is their active participation in anti-drinking campaigns and awareness programs of targeted at the youth. It is generally viewed that such campaigns are particularly weak in Victoria (Biondo, 2010),