Harry Potter and Traditional Spiritual Values

This becomes a somewhat silly argument because there is not evidence of the Harry Potter series undermining traditional values. That is to say, while the books have become incredibly popular and sold millions of copies (to say nothing of the millions of tickets sold to the cinematic adaptations of the novels), American society has not changed. In other words, the books and the films have not set in motion a radical change in American civilization nor have they led to any conversions to witchcraft.Furthermore, the Harry Potter series are very traditional in their approach to ‘good and evil. ’ Harry Potter is not an anti-hero. He is an adolescent trying to find his place in the world while struggling with the fact that he is a warlock and this sets him apart from much of society. However, underlying Harry Potter’s actions are a desire to do good deeds in the world and, in the primary theme of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, develop solid relationships with peers and avoid capitalizing on his warlock skills in an unfair way.Unfortunately, there will be those who will get ‘hung up’ on the magic and witchcraft angle of the series, but to do so is to take life just a little too serious. It is, after all, a harmless children’s book series that contains solid moral messages and not an attempt at undermining values and indoctrinating the youth. To a great extent, many of the negative feelings towards the series will be developed by individuals who have not actually read the series or have developed a pre-existing opinion that has already drawn a negative conclusion.

Eternal Love Through Death in John Keats Bright Star Essay

Love, being one of the most debated topics in literature, often serves as a source of inspirations for many of writers and poets, including John Keats. Throughout his life, he wrote countless love poems and letters, addressing his lover – Fanny Brawne. The star, apart from being the symbol of steadfastness and constancy, it is also a metaphor representing Keats himself. Through Keats’ idea of â€Å"Mansion of life†, the poem is consisted of two floors where the first floor displays his passionate love for Brawne while the second floor talks about his inner desire for death. Keats first expresses his ideal, however paradoxical love. There are two essential yet conflicting qualities in this poem – the reality verses the ideal and the immortal verses the mortal. On one hand, he would like to be like a star, steadfast and unchanging. On the other, he dislikes the solitude of the star as it has to watch â€Å"the moving waters† and â€Å"the new soft-fallen mask/Of snow† from afar like a â€Å"sleepless Eremite†. He continues to state that if he â€Å"has to live ever†, he would rather â€Å"pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast†. The ideas to be eternal and to love simultaneously do not go hand in hand. To love, one has to be human and therefore not an immortal, steadfast star. In the last line of the poem, Keats acknowledges that he would like to â€Å"live ever† in love, but he has to be human in order to experience love, which hints that the love between Keats and Brawne will not last and will eventually fade away as time goes by. The other possible alternative to immortalize their love is â€Å"swoon to death†. One of Keats’ letters from 3 May 1818 to Fanny Brawne echoes the idea of â€Å"swooning† and it says â€Å"†¦I love you; all I can bring you is a swooning admiration of your Beauty.†(Poet.org) This can be interpreted that he wants to die while experiencing intense, ecstatic love or according to the letter, overwhelmed by her beauty. While I was reading Bright Star, I could not help but catch the similarity between Keats and Shakespeare’s idea of love. In the opening of Shakespeare’s sonnet 116, â€Å"Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O no! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wandering bark, Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.† (Shakespeare) Shakespeare talks about his ideal love and marriage. Keats, being a reader of Shakespeare, is in some way affected or inspired by him. Shakespeare describes love as an â€Å"ever-fixed marks† that â€Å"is never shaken† even in the wildest storms. Keats transformed Shakespeare’s â€Å"ever-fixed† into steadfastness. Keats then moves on to talk about a more sexual and sensuous love. With more explicit descriptions of â€Å"my [his] fair love’s† body parts, those descriptions hint the idea of sex and orgasm. He imagines himself â€Å"pilliow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast†. The word â€Å"ripening† gives a notion of youth, implicating that the lady is young and energetic. Keats also describes the rising and falling of her chest when she takes her â€Å"tender-taken breath†. If he could, he would â€Å"so live ever†. However, it is impossible to live forever and the only solution would be â€Å"swoon to death†. Keats did not explicitly tell the readers what it means to be â€Å"swoon to death† and leave us a lot of room for imaginations. The word â€Å"swoon† and other erotic images of the lady’s body parts bring us to the subtext of the poem – sex. La petite mort is a French idiom or euphemism for org asm, meaning little death. According to Oxford Dictionaries, â€Å"swoon† means â€Å"to enter a state of ecstasy or rapture†. Whether he intended to talk about sex at the end of the poem is still indefinable as we have no idea of what Keats was thinking when he wrote the poem. Though Keats did not write any overly sexual poetry, there is always a strong erotic indication in many of his works. If the sexual subtext is intended in the poem, I believe that it creates a nice denouement to the poem. Keats’ obsession with death and his love for Fanny are intertwined seamlessly throughout the poem. In one of his letters, he states â€Å"I have two luxuries to brood over in my walks, your loveliness and the hour of my death† (Poet.org). Not only is Keats intimidated by death, to some extent he is also intrigued by it. Even though he is worried about the approaching death, to him the promise of death is comforting and soothing. The only resolution to achieve the paradoxical ideal of being eternal as well as experiencing love is death. Through death, immutability and steadfastness can be achieved. Keats has seen many people died in his lifetime. His father died when he was eight; his mother died from tuberculosis when he was 14; his brother Tom died also from tuberculosis when he was 19. Along with his family’s deaths, he has also seen a lot of patients died as he was also a medical student. Therefore, constantly seeing people die in a way reminds him of the tran sience and the mutability of life. There are some religious references in the second quatrain of the poem. All these references, other than conveying the loneliness and the solitude of the star, also illustrate his longing for the promising death. The poem was written in 1819, the same year when Keats contracted with tuberculosis. The word â€Å"ablution† is heavily loaded with connotations, both religion and about death. From the Oxford Dictionary, â€Å"ablution† refers to the washing or cleansing of the body†. In Christianity, there are different forms of ablution and one of them is the preparation before the burial of a dead person. Here Keats is hinting that his death is near and the priest will cleans his body after his death with â€Å"the moving waters†. Further Keats also mentions the â€Å"soft-fallen mask/Of snow† in the following two lines. Seasons always act as symbols of different stages of human life in literature. Spring refers to birth or new beginning; summer means m aturity; autumn represents old age while winter symbolizes death. In line 7-8, with â€Å"the mountains and moors† covered in snow, such explicit image suggests that death is approaching. Though death is coming, Keats is not browbeaten. Yet, he is fascinated with death as it helps him to accomplish the co-existence of eternity and love. Bright Star is a poem that can be read on many different levels. To me, the poem is not merely a declaration of his ardent love for Fanny Brawne. It is also an expressive lyric poem addressing his awe as well as obsession with death. The main themes of the poem are smoothly woven together and this showcases Keats’ expressiveness and his wit. Works Cited Keats, John. Bright Star. n.d. Oxford Dictionaies. Oxford Dictionaries. . Poet.org. Selected Love Letters to Fanny Brawne by John Keats. 17 October 2013 .

From an economic perspective, why is Microsoft so successful Term Paper

From an economic perspective, why is Microsoft so successful - Term Paper Example ough, people might find themselves cursing the â€Å"evil empire† when they use a lot of cash on another upgrade or when their system crashes, the company is unrivaled or unmatched when it comes to powering information technology. Whether through innovation, cunning or a blend of these and other considerable qualities, the company and its owner have defined how the world uses computers ever since PCs, IBMs in particular, started being rolled out, in 1981, with their Microsoft Disc Operating System (MS-DOS), in its bowels (Wallace & Erickson, 2010). Therefore, the company rules the globe, but just what makes it reach that level? This article will discuss, from an economic perspective, why Microsoft is so successful. In order to achieve this, it is significant to look into their history and discover how they compete in the marketplace. It is also important to look at how the company’s corporate culture influences its success and finally look at some of their world famous products to discover how they rip from these core advantages. Microsoft was founded on 1975 by Bill Gates and his colleague, Paul Allen, as a simple â€Å"garage start-up† (Inamizu, 2014). The two were basically part of an initial leap towards personal computing with a major different. Whereas competitors such as Apple, inc. began straight away developing both machines and software, Microsoft only dealt with software. The key difference among these two, economists argue is that Steve Jobs and his acquaintance, Steve Wozniak, were running a hobby endeavor, unlike Gates and Allen who were running a business world. IBM was developing their initial PC and wanted an OS to run it. They approached Gates and Allen thinking that they had one available, but at that time, they were only writers of computer language not developers of OS. Microsoft decided to buy a $50,000 OS that they leased to IBM for $80,000, but still, during this era, $80,000 was not that much of a fortune (Inamizu, 2014). Gates discerned

Humanistic Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Humanistic Psychology - Essay Example She is profile who can be counted upon and can rise to the occasion to help the team in crisis. The humanistic approach with its spotlight on the human ability for integrity, resourcefulness and autonomy and its scrutiny of individuals as a sacred, cogent, decisive and sovereign beings did not come up within the sixties, there had been early on precursors of this discipline of thought. Alfred Adler (1870-1937) was one of the former psychologists to diverge with the Freudian analysis. With time, Maslow initiated to mull over citizens with high control to be most entirely human plus ensued to investigate the finest of human nature, the most intellectual, as well as the most realizing personalities (Monte, 1999, p. 737). Maslow initiated to associate the high control sentiment by way of a self actualizing propensity. The Maslow's Hierarchy of needs is how we a an individual can come to a decision on the motivational strategies that can be useful towards always Andrea in order to be able to make her more productive .Maslow also illustrated eight behaviors that can show the way to self actualization (Maslow in Frager & Fadiman, 1998, p. 450). 5. Verdict, if the above stages would be kept in mind, and then motivational theories be designed they will for sure give in the ability of life alternatives; she will also build up a more precise perception. 7. 6. Self improvement in the sagacity of learning to utilize our aptitudes to the fullest. This is a continuing procedure. 7. Crest understanding are split seconds of self actualization also could be depicted as the moments of ecstasy, dread, conjecture or else delight. Doing what guides the way to these understandings that can help individuals self actualize. 8. The need of Ego ramparts, otherwise being attentive of the mode in which the individuals disfigure their imagery of authenticity whenever we strive to secure our self-image moreover being able to plummet that behavior when apposite. An investigation tool described individual Orientation account has been industrialized (Shostrom 1963) as a consistent determine of self actualization that has show the way to additional experimental investigation into the region. Conclusion: As it prevails the more humanistic psychology has provided us individuals with a more fresh and innovative technique to a new way to look at human nature that is positive and holistic and has impacted on the fields Applying a more humanistic approach to wards Andrea would definitely motivate her in the long run. She is somebody, who is successful in her career and a hard worker too. She believes in maintaining a certain level of lifestyle and status in society. But along with all of this. Because she has kept herself so busy in attaining and hence forth maintaining it

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway Essay

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway - Essay Example Also witnessed in other works by the author, are the themes of social exclusion, death, loneliness, and modernity which demonstrate the relevance of the narrative in dealing with social issues. In A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, Ernest Hemingway focuses on several social issues that affect society, old people especially. Social Issue and Its Impact on the Narrative Old age is associated with a stage in life when individuals settle down and have a peaceful life away from complicated activities since their energy is dwindled. Spending time with the family, particularly the extended family and resting constitute the main depiction of individuals in their later stage of life. Pensioners enjoy the savings they made during their young ages as opposed to active participation in work. However, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place generates a different picture of a suffering old man lost in desperation, loneliness, and isolation. Despite having enough money and resources to sustain his life, the main cha racter old man struggles to fit in a society that cannot deliver the social life he deserves. Social exclusion of the old people is a social vice that destroys the dream of a peaceful rest for the old generation. The events in world political history left a huge scar to the human society since war and aggression create animosity resulting in death and desolation. A cold society depicted by the setting of the story after a time of war shows the coincidence it has with social insensitivity. To illustrate this, the author uses the presence of a soldier and a guard in the story for the obvious reasons of some force needed to quell certain disorderliness. In addition, the waiter’s treatment to the deaf old man shows insensitivity as speaking to the old man aware of his disability is quite an insult. Causation In terms of fictitious application of the plot, the author selects the events of causation that resonate well with the social issue of neglect, isolation, and desolation of t he old in the society. In illustrating the nature of the main characters, particularly the old man, it is clear of how the desolation and isolation manifest in the story development (Lombardi para. 2). It is perhaps due to the depiction of the difference in the condition of the commotion in daytime and late night silence that the author generates the gentle character of the old man, who chooses the late night for his drink. In contrast, the author paints the young waiter as a violent and insensitive character by opting to retire when the commotion in noisy and dusty street subside. â€Å"‘You should have killed yourself last week,’ he said to the deaf man,† (Hemingway line 19). The older waiter’s character seems to be in the middle of the two extremes in that his lenience for the old man’s choice of drinking time does not convince him to take over. He understands the social impact of old age and the risks of desolation and he is aware of the realiti es that await him in his later days not too far, unlike his younger colleague. The interaction of the three characters in the narrative shows the disconnect that affects the young and the old within the theme of responsibilities of a socially cohesive society. The young cannot understand the challenges of the old such as why they could opt to pick the late hours for drinking crowned with sheer lack of sensitivity. We also learn about the family setting for the old man, with only one niece making up the family that takes care of him. Lack of other family members raises questions on how practical his resting days are, shedding more light on why he is in virtual inexistence in terms of social life

Application of the Cantor Model of Assertive Discipline on Middle Essay

Application of the Cantor Model of Assertive Discipline on Middle School Students - Essay Example The credo upheld by the familiar phrase promotes a sense of authority for the elder to exercise his right over the child. The elder does so with the intention to correct the child of a misdeed and with the purpose of restoring him to a pleasing and proper character. On one hand, it does not permit a loose and passive control of the behavior of the child for no evil deed goes unpunished. On the other hand, it should not, however, get into the verge of total prohibition nor physical abuse for a wrongdoing for the goal is to restore the child. If done beyond appropriate bounds, the child may resent or may develop a sense of fear. A similar philosophy can be applied in the context of classroom management. The Cantor Model, specifically, fosters this idea. The model stresses the importance of assertive discipline. Teachers have to ensure that the class upholds respect for authority and that students may behave as they please but with caution and awareness that they are responsible for the ir actions (Allen, 1996). Body The Cantor Model can be very suitable for Middle School students because in its practice, the students are given the freedom to learn in a fashion they want but they will be made to really think before they act. Being aware that they will be held liable for any inappropriate behavior, they will first have to assess if an action they wish to perform will be beneficial for them or not. This way, critical thinking may be cultivated in them. The age bracket of Middle School generally falls under the start of the adolescent stage. Sixth to eighth graders would fall in this category. It is the stage when the teen wants to explore more, but may have a struggle with his identity. It is also the stage when he may show occasional rudeness to parents, believing they interfere in his independence. Peer groups generally influence his personal style. The teen may also exhibit childish behaviors when stressed. However, it is good to note that at this developmental le vel, the youth becomes more efficient is using speech to express himself, more interested in intellectual pursuits, and is more able to do work may it be physical, intellectual or emotional (Normal Adolescent Development, 2001). Being guided accordingly by the Canter Model, the educator can use several strategies for classroom management for sixth to eighth graders, maintaining proper overall conduct of the class, without being passive nor hostile. Middle School students will be allowed to practice their independence by choosing a learning style that is suitable for them but the teacher ensures that the classroom rules are not bent just to cater to the demands of students. Firstly, the educator may use student engagement strategies to keep students on task. This method recognizes that there is no single formula to get the attention of all the students. Each has his own interests that will get the student working on the task. In application, the teacher may have the class view a film related to the topic being discussed. They shall then make a reflection on it in a way they deem creative but personal. They can express their opinions through their preferred interest—they can make a song, a poem, a story, a drawing, etc. The educator can give a hint of assertiveness in simply setting a strict deadline, or specifications (e.g. story should not be less than ten pages long, or the song should only have a maximum of five minutes

Personal Negotiations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Negotiations - Essay Example The passenger airbag light malfunctioned in my Suzuki Grand Vitara. I initially took the vehicle to my local dealer for diagnostic testing. They informed me it would cost $2,000 to repair the malfunctioning airbag light because the sensor was located within the seat, requiring the entire seat to be replaced. I went home and began to research what could have caused the light to malfunction, and discovered there were literally hundreds of complaints from other owners of the same model Suzuki Grand Vitara. I decided to contact Suzuki Headquarters to inquire if there was possibly a recall on the item. They informed me that there was no open recall for the faulty airbag light; however, there was a special warranty for certain Grand Vitaras that fall within a certain range of VIN numbers. Unfortunately, my vehicle’s VIN number did not fall within their specified range. I requested that they consider including my vehicle since it was the same year, make and model as the hundreds that were covered by their special warranty. Opposing Arguments Authorized personnel from Suzuki Headquarters initially indicated that it would not be possible for a recall on the item. I accessed a Suzuki forum on the internet, and located others who were facing the same situation that I was facing. After gathering information, I once again contacted Suzuki headquarters and asked to speak with someone who was authorized to make decisions regarding special warranty coverage. I informed her of what I had previously been told by the other employee at Suzuki, and I explained that I had located several others who were in the same situation. I asked them to consider expanding their special warranty to cover additional VIN numbers since it was evident from my research that numerous other VINs also had the faulty airbag light. I initially asked them to cover the entire amount I had been quoted from the dealership. They declined and stated that if they were able to cover it at all, it would not cover $2,000 in charges. I reminded them that their website states, â€Å"Suzuki engineers outstanding quality, durability and reliability into every car, truck and SUV we build† (American Suzuki Motor Corporation, 2012, p. 1) and that â€Å"Building long-lasting, quality cars that people enjoy is something Suzuki has prided itself on since Day 1† (American Suzuki Motor Corporation, 2012, p. 1). I directed them to the forum that I had discovered and recommended they review all the complaints on that website, and suggested they Google â€Å"Suzuki Grand Vitara faulty passenger airbag light† and review some of the 66,000+ results. They asked for a couple of days in order to review all the information I had given them. The next day, I received a call stating they had decided to extend the special warranty for my vehicle, but they would cover a maximum of $1,000. I was not satisfied with this coverage because it would leave me paying $1,000 for a part that they kne w was faulty from the beginning. I explained to them that I felt as though they were not taking the safety of my family seriously in this situation because the faulty light would cause the airbag not to deploy if the vehicle is in an accident. I again requested they cover the entire amount of the repair. They called me back approximately an hour later and informed me that they could cover $1,500 of the repair. I still felt this was an unfair offer since it had to be replaced through no fault of my own. I

UK Construction Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

UK Construction Industry - Essay Example Currently, this industry is faced with a shortage of skills as well as safety and health issues. The relationship between contractors and clients, together with the supply chains are very complex. Additionally, a number of firms are moving towards a modern manufacturing approach but others are still traditional. Among the main factors driving the construction sector is the government's Public Private Partnership (PPP) for main infrastructure projects. Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) have also been widely adopted. These projects include prisons, schools, and hospitals. The private sector then takes responsibility in running these projects. PPP and PFI have brought in the discipline of private sector management, ownership and financing. This has greatly improved efficiency and value in the public sector. There is an acute shortage of houses particularly in South East of England. It requires a big infrastructure and housing projects emphasising on brown field sites and high density houses. The UK construction industry will continue to grow. Its output is expected to rise to about 12.7 per cent by 2010. The construction industry in the UK is growing very fast. Experts expect construction to shift from the North to the South and East. This is driven by the strong growth in the housing sector including 36 billion pounds of big projects. East London is expected to undergo a high employment rate at about 18.6 per cent by 2010. London's will be 11 per cent while the South East will be at 14 per cent (Weaver, 2002). Growth in the North is expected to be slower. Construction employment in the North West is estimated to grow by 5 per cent from 2006 to 2010, Scotland by eight per cent, Humberside by six per cent, Yorkshire and Humberside by six per cent and the North East by 6 per cent. Northern Ireland and Wales will also experience strong growth. The construction sector employment in Wales is expected to increase by 12 per cent. This is attributed to the 3.2 billion pound Welsh Quality Standards Scheme. Northern Ireland's 13 per cent growth is associated mainly with the public investment programme planned for the next ten years. Generally, the future of the construction industry in the UK is expected to show the following characteristics: Private output growth will exceed publicly funded construction programmes Public housing is expected to experience the biggest growth since private and government housing developers will seek deliverance of affordable and key worker housing, specifically in the South East and London. The commercial sector is also expected to grow due to the continued recovery for offices market and also further increases in PPP/PFI education and health projects. Infrastructure output is expected surpass the industry average. This will be due to projects like widening of M1 and M25 among other projects. The problems The construction industry in the UK is currently faced with many problems. These problems are threatening to lead this industry into a crisis. Meeting the industry Challenges In spite of its drawbacks, the UK construction sector experiencing increased demand and growth. This offers good employment opportunities. However, the rapidly changing environment has placed a lot of challenges in its bid to deliver new developments. Skills Shortage The construction industry has forecasted that 348,000 more workers will be required by 2010 to

What event of the 20th century has had the greatest impact on the Essay

What event of the 20th century has had the greatest impact on the world in which we live today Justify your answer and describe the relationship between the ev - Essay Example The Second World War, which raged between1939-1945, although primarily a war between European nations had a ripple effect, and soon countries as far flung as America, Japan, China were actively involved in the war. This war strengthened the notion that wars are conflicts fought between societies, populations and ideologies and not just battles for annexation. This war also had far-reaching impact on the economies of the world and led to the creation of new economic policies which brought about greater affluence as well as advances in science and technology. The world, after 1945, or rather, after the end of the Second World War, had a distinctly different look. Apart from the damage to humans, their habitats and industry, the war led to a re-alignment in the political and social sphere. The division of the world into pro-U.S. and pro-Russia camps emerged and capitalism and socialism began to define economic systems. Up until the Second World War, Germany had dominated Europe and Europe the world, but now the era of European supremacy was over. The age of global supremacy had begun. Europe, which was economically, politically and socially shattered by the war, lay in debris, but from this debris sprung new nations, because the bankrupt European nations could not control their colonies, spread all over the globe. The process of decolonization had begun, and the end of the war saw numerous new nations being added to the world map. One of the most important of these, in terms of impact, was the nation of Israel. It was born out of the idea that Jews needed a place which they could call their own, and since Judaism as a religion, had roots in Palestine, a portion of this Arab populated and Arab speaking land was handed over to the Jews. A resolution passed by the newly formed United Nations Organization partitioned Palestine into separate Jew and Arab states. While the Jews were overjoyed, the Arabs resented this snatching away of their

Collectivism vs. Individualism Essay Example for Free

Collectivism vs. Individualism Essay The research to examine the cultural norms of Korea as compared to that of US, is based on two particular core dimensions: United States as an individualistic country, and Korea as a collectivistic country. In fact, this is the first thing that comes to mind, knowing that collectivism vs individualism is a major characteristic that differentiates these two countries. Lifestyle and living arrangements In a study by Lee and Ro Um (1992), it is discussed about the major difference between Koreans and Americans in their evaluations of product attributes was the different weights each put on the importance of the family. Koreans tended to be more family oriented in their product evaluations than the Americans. This meant that the products were selected. Korea has a family-oriented culture. For a young couple, living with elders (parents) has been a cultural norm in Korea, although in United States this living style is unusual normatively and behaviorally. According to Korean National Statistics office, 1993, almost three out of four Koreans people aged 60 and over live with their children, a percentage of 74.7%. The percentage that lives with a spouse only is 13.2% and living alone, 10.6%. Explore the gaming culture of Korea Why South Korean people play games In South Korea more than half of the 50 million populations play online games frequently. Gaming in this country is not just a hobby but a way of life. Currently in the country are 10 professional gaming leagues which are sponsored from the successful corporations such as SK Telecom and Samsung.   According to a news article published CNN , in South Korea almost half of all games have been sold since the game launched in 1998. StarCraft is a legitimate business, ranking in hundreds of thousands of dollars in earning. According to a news article published in BBC [4], in South Korea games are nationally televised and they fill-up stadiums. Extremely popular is the multi-player gaming. Being a professional video-gamer is a serious business. They attract huge sums in sponsorship and can make more than $100,000 a year. Professional players in South Korea are treated like  sports stars. Some of the most famous players from league matches and sponsorship could earn more than $400,000 per year. South Korea hosts the annual World Cyber Games. The country registered more than 15 million people for online gaming, which is 30% of the population. Gaming Addiction and the Government Intervention in South Korea As a consequence as a strong video game culture, South Korea since early 2000s reports of addicted gamers dying or murdering loved ones in order to satisfy their addiction. When a mother tried to stop her son from playing games, he killed her. Approximately 14% of Koreans between ages 9 and 12 suffer from Internet addiction because there are cable channels devoted solely to the games.[5] South Korea has been treating the disorder for years. In 2002 the government opened an Internet-addiction treatment center. In 2005, a 28 years old South Korean man went into cardiac arrest and died after reportedly playing an online game called StarCraft for 50 hours straight. The man did not sleep properly and did not eat well. He just made few bathroom breaks and for very short periods of sleep. In 2006 the government opened a hotline for gaming addicts. Moreover, hundreds of private hospitals and clinics in the country opened specializes units to treat the disorder. In 2010 the government ordered a â€Å"nighttime shutdown† for gamers. This happened after police discovered a 3-month old baby who starved to death while her parents were busy with their virtual baby on a game. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ordered the three most popular operators of the games to block people under age 18 from playing games between midnight and 8 a.m. The government has significantly slowed down the Internet connections of young players if they play for lots of hours into the night. More over in the National Assembly several other bills were pending that would control kids gaming habits. Where South Korean people play games South Korean entertainment industry is note based on home entertainment system such us console video game system, home theater etc. Instead it is created outside of the home in various places called â€Å"Bangs†. Recently South Korean people play games in the country’s Internet cafes, known as â€Å"PC- Bangs†. The PC Bangs are especially dominant in big cities like Seol, where  is a density of population. It is important that the PC-Bang industry now can provide computers and Internet service to those that previously did not have the economic conditions to possess these technologies. Analysts consider that the social environment of the PC-Bang is the most important factor to make the PC Bang attractive and popular to users. Other factors are: the high-performance computers, high-speed internet connection and low fee usage. [6] Most bangs are cheap; the patrons pay an hourly fee, ranging from $1.00 to $1.50 USD an hour. In South Korea going to a bang is the sam e as going to the bar in USA. Economic Conditions According to an article in About.com , the industry of video game has a large share of South Korea’s GDP. â€Å"According to the Ministry of Culture, in 2008 the online-gaming industry earned $1.1 billion dollars in exports. Nexon and NCSOFT, South Korea’s two largest game development companies reported a combined net income of over $370 million in 2012. The entire game market is estimated at approximately $5 billion dollars annually, or about $100 per resident, which is more than three times what Americans spend. Games like StarCraft have sold over 4.5 million copies in South Korea, out of a worldwide total of 11 million.† The same article says that video games stimulate the black economy of the country. What they play Relatively a small number of games are played in South Korea, the most popular of them are: League of Legends, FIFA Online 3, Sudden Attack, Lineage, Dungeon Fighter, Blade Soul, Aion: The Tower of Eternity, Echo Soul, Cyphers, World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Warcraft 3. [9] StarCraft- The most popular game in South Korea of all the times is StarCraft. Star Craft is a military strategy game, which is developed by Blizzard Entertainment. [10] World of Warcraft (WOW) Another popular game at most of the time is the World of Warcraft, developed by Blizzard Entertainment. World of Warcraft is a massively multi-player online role-playing game or MMORPG.

Hypothetical Case Study Childhood Sexual Abuse Social Work Essay

Hypothetical Case Study Childhood Sexual Abuse Social Work Essay This presentation analyzes a hypothetical case study of a young girl aged six and a half years who was taken for treatment by her mother, as a result of the girls sexual abuse by her mothers boyfriend. The court has ordered Melissa and her mother Asher to go for treatment after the judge and the social workers dealing with the case established that Melissas claims of being sexually abused were true. When the assessment began, Melissa was 6 years old, and her mother was 27 years old. Asher had been married at 20years but was divorced from Melissas father and had completely distanced herself from him. At the time of the case, Asher had moved in with her boyfriend, Tony, for about year and half. He had started molesting Melissa around seven months earlier. At first Melissa could not open up to her mother because Tony had threatened to kill her if she told anything to her mother. When Melissa decided to break the silence her mother could not initially believe her, and had brushed it off, but she later decided to investigate when she realized that her daughters behavior had really changed and she had become withdrawn and fearful, it was then that she discovered the shocking revelation of what had been happening to her daughter. The therapists also came to learn that Melissas mother also had an abusive childhood, she came from a broken home whereby her mother had divorce with Ashers abusive and alcoholic dad and worse of it had been sexually abused once. The paper discusses that although the girl is the main patient, she is part of larger system that she is connected to; which is very relevant to her case and also course of treatment. Process of the crisis Urie Bronfenbrenner came up with an ecological systems theory explaining how all things in a child and the childs surroundings have an impact on how the child grows. He examined levels of the environment that impact a childs growth, which include the micro system, the immediate surrounding of a child such as the family relationships, the mesosystem, which describes how the various parts of a childs micro system cooperate in order to help the child. The exosystem level consist of the others that the child may not be in contact with her but still affect her in a big way for example parents workplaces, and relationships Bronfenbrenners final level is macro system; its the most remote set of things to a child but still has a great impact on the child. For example freedoms permitted by the government and cultural values. All these affect how a child develops positively or negatively. Using Urie Bronfenbrenners ecological model, I will examine the context of Melissas case, the impact of the sexual abuse in her life, the preferred treatment for both the mother and child and how to avoid future   abuse. Encompassing the mesosystem is exosystem, the broader settings that define Melissas life, and the macrosystem, the cultural values that determine how she and those surrounding her are required to behave. Through the abuse, Tony violated the expected values, and Ashers early refusal to believe what her daughter told her also cut off the girl from the covering that an individual is supposed to be given by the larger society. Nevertheless, the legal system, which is normally a part of the exosystem, has got into a closer circle of Melissas life and attempts to correct the violations of those close to her (Finkelhor, 1986). This has led to an ecological transition, a situation in which an individuals place in ecological environment is changed due to change in the role one plays, setting, or both. Although distressing for Melissa and her mother, the transition is an important, positive move in the healing of both individuals. Interestingly, therapists discovery that Asher was herself sexually abused leads to applicable considerations that will assist in the treatment both of them. These considerations are also important in explaining the current psychopathologies seen in Finkelhor (1986) where he explains that traumas and mal-adaptations during childhood reoccur many times in later generations; children from dysfunctional families mostly create their own dysfunctional families they go with the patterns they learned when growing up. Asher has given Melissa the only kind of childhood she herself knows. Effects When Melissa was taken for treatment the first time she looked afraid, depressed and uncertain. When we look at the effects of sexual abuse can be looked into with the conceptualization of Finkelhor, the traumatogenic impacts of sexual abuse is widely used. The effects are divided into four categories, as explained below; Traumatic sexualization refers to ill disposed feelings about sex, and the sexual identity problems. Stigmatization which is manifested in guilty feelings and feeling responsible for the abuse or of disclosure. The other effect is betrayal, whereby it is downgrading the trust in people who are required to be protectors and nurturers of children. Powerlessness includes a view of being vulnerable and a victim and the behavioral manifestations of anxiety consist of phobias, insomnia, and eating disorders; Management of the case In Melissas case management there are various considerations that need to be made. Hence, coordination is very important. The things that the team are required to put in mind at this stage of intervention are disconnection of the child /or the offender from the family, the part played by the juvenile court and the criminal court and also the plan for treatment of the family Before a treatment plan is developed, it is vital to understand the cause abuse; there are various models as explained by Finkelhor under Sexual Abuse Causal Models. In history there have been two major models namely the family-focused and the offender-focused perspectives. Efforts have been made to integrate the two by Finkelhor who developed a causation model that involves both the family-, and offender-focused perspectives.. Finkelhor explains four preconditions that must be involved for sexual abuse to take place, factors connected to the abusers force to sexually abuse; factors inducing the abuser to overcome internal obstacles; factors inducing the abuser to overcome external inhibitors and factors inducing to overcome the childs resistance Modalities of treatment In treatment modalities, whereby the main goal in sexual abuse treatment is to deal with the impacts of sexual abuse, and decrease the risks of future sexual abuse. Treatment Issues for the Victim that will have to be attended to be are; Trust whereby; there are devastating effects on childrens relationship, especially being able to trust o people. In family sexual abuse, the effect is worse as in the case of Melissa because her stepfather, who should be her protector, exploits and violates the limits of acceptable values. A non- offending parent like Melissas mother who could not believe her initially accelerates this damage. The therapist is required to establish circumstances where the child has positive participation with trusted adults in order to correct the childs ability to trust. Emotional Reactions to Sexual Abuse whereby the child feeling being victimized in that she feels as if she is responsible and starts feeling guilty, having a disorganized sense of self and low self-esteem because of being involved in sexual abuse. The therapist is required to help the child understand and accept that she was not responsible and also make her feel good again about herself. Protection from future victimization Protection from Future Victimization whereby the abused child needs taught future protection strategies. The child should be taught to say no and tell a trustworthy person may be useful. Treatment Issues for the Mother Treatment Issues for the Mother particularly in cases involving the mothers in interfamilial as in Ashers case. Just like the victim Melissa her mother will need to undergo treatment in several areas such as areas connected to Sexual Abuse It is hard for mothers of victims, to comprehend why a grownup may go sexual with a child. This is an issue that the clinician should address with the mother. The therapist can offer professional explanation into the causes of abuse specific to the case. Another issue to be addressed believing the childs disclosure of the sexual abuse. The therapist can explain makes her believe that the child is telling the truth or conclude that children do not make false allegations on such matters. Eventually the therapist will help the mother comprehend her duty in the abuse, if she had one. She is not to blame but in some way may have played a part to prolonged abuse as in the case of Melissa and Asher for not believing her initially Improving the mother-child relationship is also very important because it is an important step in assisting the mother to be protective of her child in future. In the case of intrafamilial abuse like Melissas case, the mother should decide if she wants to cut off her relationship with the abuser or salvage her relationship. Personal issues such as past trauma as having been sexually abused herself which is the case of Melissa. Such an experience has various impacts in on the mothers ability to deal with her childs abuse. The mother may be not being in a position to cope because she has not dealt with her own sexual abuse. Hence her abuse has to be addressed as in the case of Asher. She may not suspect risky situation quickly and her decisions of partners, playing part in moving in with a man who goes sexual with children. Hence in conclusion, childhood sexual abuse is a very sensitive issue that has to be dealt with to avoid future destruction of the childrens lives Reference Finkelhor, D. (1986). The Effects of Sexual Abuse, in D. Finkelhor et al., Eds. Sourcebook on Child Sexual Abuse Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

The Future of Education :: essays papers

The Future of Education The future of education is very promising to younger generations. From Kindergarten though college many changes are brewing. On the horizon are things like smart objects, full-length online courses, and prosthetic devices designed to equalize education. Online courses soon will prevail over the traditional high school and college education. Online Universities will create classes sponsored by companies. These companies will direct the universities on the materials of the course. The company will then offer those who pass the course a job. This will created a skilled worked specifically for a position in a company. Teachers will take a backseat in these courses. Teachers will offer one-on-one help and help people work collaboratively. These teachers will be more of a guide then a true classroom teacher. Also on the horizon are smart objects. These objects are geared more to small children then those in high school or college. Objects with animations such as building blocks that can talk and light up to indicate to a child how to stack them correctly. Objects that will test a child’s spelling and reading skills. Smart books and tools that require a child to listen and react. Another development is in the area of prosthetics. These new prosthetics are uses to make education equal for all children. They have recently developed an implant for children with hearing disabilities. Microelectronic lenses are being designed now for those with reading and sight problems. No longer will a child be left behind because or his or her disability. All education for children with be as equal as possible. As you can see the future for the education world is bright. There are many developments to make education more efficient, simpler, and equal for all from

Conflicts in the Epic of Beowulf Essay -- Epic of Beowulf Essay

Beowulf – the Conflicts  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   J.D.A. Ogilvy and Donald C. Baker in â€Å"Beowulf’s Heroic Death† comment on the hero’s culpability in his final conflict:    . . .the author describes Beowulf and the dragon lying dead side by side and observes rather sententiously that it was a bad business fighting with a dragon or disturbing his hoard. Beowulf, he adds, had paid for the treasure with his life. Some commentators seem to consider this passage, combined with Wiglaf’s remarks about Beowulf’s insistence on fighting the dragon alone, as a criticism of Beowulf’s conduct (69).    Beowulf contains considerable conflict, both external and internal. Conflict is how one describes the relationship between the protagonist and antagonist in a literary work (Abrams 225). There is also another type of conflict which takes place within the mind of a given character. These two types of conflict occur within this poem.    H. L. Rogers in â€Å"Beowulf’s Three Great Fights† expresses his opinion as a literary critic regarding conflicts in the poem:    The superhuman forces are Fate, the heathen gods, or the Christian God; conflicts between them and the hero’s character are frequently found. . . .The treatment in the three great fights of the motives of weapons, treasure and society implies a moral idea in which the poet believed: that a man should not trust in the things of this world, for they will fail him. Another aspect of this idea comes out clearly in the account of the first fight: that a man should trust rather in God and in the natural powers God gives him, for these will not fail him(234-37).    King Hrothgar’s construction of Heorot and the subsequent enhancement of the joy of the Danes precipitated t... ...with repeated conflict!       WORKS CITED    Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms, 7th ed. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999. BEOWULF. From The Harvard Classics, Volume 49.   P.F. Collier & Son, 1910. Translated by Francis B. Gummere. http://wiretap.area.com/ftp.items/Library/Classic/beowulf.txt Clover, Carol F. â€Å"The Unferth Episode.† In The Beowulf Reader, edited by Peter S. Baker. New York: Garland Publishing, 2000. Ogilvy, J.D.A. and Donald C. Baker. â€Å"Beowulf’s Heroic Death.† In Readings on Beowulf, edited by Stephen P. Thompson. San Diego: Greenhaven Press,1998. Clark, George. Beowulf. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1990. Rogers, H. L. â€Å"Beowulf’s Three Great Fights.† In An Anthology of Beowulf Criticism, edited by Lewis E. Nicholson. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1963.

Metaphors :: Argumentative Philosophy Argument Papers

Metaphors With the possible exception of completely formal exercises in logic, philosophy is thoroughly metaphorical and largely conditional. Moreover, the purposes served by metaphors and conditionals in it are similar. Metaphors ask us to imagine the world in a new way, while conditionals may ask to imagine a new world. Yet some conditionals and metaphors are incompatible. There are limits to how metaphors can occur in conditionals, and how conditionals can themselves be metaphors. Specifically, only certain kinds of metaphors can be accommodated in the antecedents of conditionals, and even then only within a restricted class of conditionals. This paper focuses on the linguistic tension between metaphors and conditionals. I argue that this echoes a tension at the heart of philosophy between two modes of philosophizing: a speculative-revisionary mode that is metaphorical and an analytic-explanatory mode that is conditional. The tasks are generally complementary so that the difference can be i gnored with impunity. However, if we do not respect that difference, we may find ourselves analyzing metaphors and seeing logical analyses as metaphorical, and thus missing the point on both fronts. Life is not really a bowl of cherries, and kangaroos do have tails. We know this full well, and yet are willing to entertain their negations in one way or another--the former as metaphor, the latter as counterfactual hypothesis. These are common moves to make in trying to understand the world — indeed, characteristically philosophical moves — but they are very different in kind. Their similarities, differences, and conflicted interaction reveal something about metaphors and conditionals, but mostly about philosophy itself. Specifically: (1) "Philosophy" is a term that covers an extraordinary array of discourses, but with the possible exception of completely formal exercises in logic, philosophy is thoroughly metaphorical and largely conditional. (2) Some conditionals and metaphors, however, are incompatible. There are limits to how metaphors can occur in conditionals, and how conditionals can themselves be metaphors. Thus, (3) there is a tension at the heart of philosophy between two moments to philosophy or modes of philosophizing, a speculative, radical-revisionary mode that is metaphorical, and an analytic-explanatory mode that is conditional. Philosophers have special reason not to mix their metaphors (at least not with their conditionals). In this paper, I will focus on that linguistic tension. Â §1. Metaphors in Philosophy: Metaphors are invitations to see things in a new way — Communism as a spectre haunting Europe, philosophy as a series of footnotes to Plato, or all the world as a stage.

Human Movement Essay

Kinesiology, plainly put is the study of human movement and all aspects to it. It is the science of human movement. It is comprehensive in its outlook in that it looks at being part of the physical activity (the experience), class room study of the theories and concepts that make an activity qualify as physical (scholarly) and the professional practice connected with physical practice (Hoffman, 2009). It looks at the muscles-their make up and how they contribute to human movement, the skeleton-make up and contribution to human movement, and the brain in the same context as the previous two. It makes a practitioner of Kinesiology understand human movement from all angles – the why, what, when and which. Method: Since this study entails all aspects of the human movement, so to does its learning. The use of a high school football team was to allow sight of human movement in real time from a passive position. It brought in play the subjectivity of the human mind in the observational data collection aspect of the research. By its very nature football is a contact sport. It thus presented the research with the best tool to observe the different components that constitute human movement. The preconceived notions of the human mind would be make for interesting reading when tested against the scientific results. Since not all the three different components could be scientifically measured at the same time, the research was focused on the head. This is from the realization that head impacts result in concussions. This is an injury that has the very real possibility of ending ones career but also could end up in death. To best investigate the impact to head injuries, the research used the Head Impact Telemetry System (HITS). This is a wireless monitoring system capable to rapidly identify athletes who have sustained an impact to the helmet that has the potential of being injurious. It is made to produce real-time post impact data and transmit the results to a computer not more than 150 yd (137m) from the helmet via radio waves. When out of range, an onboard storage unit would record up to 100 hits and transmit when back on range. HITS allows for objectivity in the research. For Kinesiology, to qualify as a science, measurement must be precise and consistent. Head impact data was captured when a single accelerometer exceeded the preset 15g threshold. Data from 8 milliseconds pre to 32 milliseconds post impact was transmitted and stored. The dependent variables set were linear acceleration, rotational acceleration, jerk force, impulse and duration of impact. Results: From the data collected in the course of the season (68 sessions-55 practice days, 13 games), it became clear that, there were more impacts during games than during practice. The greatest number of knocks was experienced by defensive line players, offensive linemen, offensive skill players and defensive skill players in descending order. In ascending order, the location of helmet with most frequently hits was the top, side, back and front. Game situations resulted in higher linear acceleration than practice impacts. Top of the helmet hits had the greatest linear acceleration followed by front, back and side. Again, game time impacts caused more rotational acceleration than practice. The line players experienced harder hits than skill players in this category. It was also clear that most forceful hits were as a result of front then back then side and lowest top hit. Looking at head jerk, impact force, impact pulse and duration of the impact, the figures were higher during game times than practice. The offensive line and defensive skill players had an equal occurrence of head jerk but higher than the others. The line players had longer duration of impact, more impact impulse and force of impact than the skill players. Maximum head jerk and impact force was experienced as result of hits at the top followed by the front, back and side. For the duration of impact, the order was the same but in reverse role. Also noted, the harder a player was hit the higher the linear acceleration, maximum jerk, force and impulse. The same was true for a soft hit. Conclusion: From the research, this paper has been able to come to some conclusions as a result of the available data. Some of the conclusions justified the subjective view in the researcher at the beginning of the undertaking while some have resulted in the researchers’ change of perception. It was clear from the data that there were higher linear acceleration collisions in high schools than from statistics available about research done on colleges. This could be as a result of the kids wanting to impress. They clearly may not have and full knowledge of the consequences of their actions. In high schools the chance of a college scholarship, means one could have a greater chance of success in life as a result of the extra academic qualifications one acquired. The higher linear acceleration collisions have a higher concussive chance. This makes the high school football player more at risk as very few have compressive medical covers that would give them the kind of specialized treatment necessary should the worst happen. Schools by the nature of their medical cover can not to provide this. In high school, there were more top helmet impacts than in college. It meant a higher linear acceleration and also impact force magnitude. This was a very dangerous location. It exposed the boys to a higher risk of concussion and severe cervical injury. This could easily mean career ending injury, paralysis or even death. There was need for more effort to be put into coaching. They could help teach the boys proper tackling techniques and make them understand the advantage of keeping the head high and thus avoiding helmet contact. It could be that since the college players are more mature, they do not let blood to run into their heads. They are committed in their tackles and at the same time aware of what the consequences of their actions are if not watched properly. Since the boys in high school were still maturing, they were generally smaller in mass and height as compared to their college equivalent. The more reason why they needed to be taught well. In high school, the most dangerous positions were the Quarterback, running backs and wide receiver in decreasing severity. They had the highest linear acceleration impacts. These could be as a result of them been always in full flight (speed) and in open field. These is unlike their counterparts the offensive line and defensive skill players. These may have the highest number of hits on them but the impact is low. The reason could be because they were always near each other and they do not achieve full acceleration before getting hit. The guys who get hit all the time were line men. These guys were involved in every play in the field. Finally, in high school because of the small pool of players, some ended up playing more than one position. This increased the risk of injury. This research did raise some very pertinent issues. They need to have proper coaching in high schools should go along way in reducing the chances of serious injury in the field. Also, the better knowledge of head injury risks should make for better understanding of how to tackle and care for them should and when they occur. This research has given birth to invaluable knowledge for Kinesiologists.

Intro to Psychology Essay

I. Describe: Anxiety is something I have been dealing with since I was in my childhood. I never fully understood anxiety until it started getting worse as I got into my adolescent stage. I had talked to my mom and grandma about it a lot of times to make sure I was okay. I have been through several both anxiety and panic attacks. I have been one to worry about everything. Pathological anxiety and fear was very random for me. I never understood what was going on. Growing up whenever I would learn something new an example is, my aunt had a tumor in her armpit and it started as a lump. I one time had a small bump and instantly worried myself that it was a tumor to. Another example is whenever I go to busy places like a restaurant or the mall I start to get a very nervous feeling and start to panic. I used to get real bad panic attacks to different places that whenever I would be on my way there I would freak myself out so much I would throw up. A third example that I didn’t realize was anxiety until I got older was I used to be very nervous about going to middle school. Like I said earlier I worry a lot so I would start to worry about the silliest things like people making fun of me for something I would do or say. Before I would go to school I would start getting a real bad stomachache and sometimes I would just go home and I suddenly felt better. Describing anxiety is very difficult. It took many years until I realized I was actually going through it. II. Explain: My anxiety is very continuum. I can be fine at some places, but other times I can go into a panic attack randomly. I think a lot of this started whenever I was talking to my mom and grandma they were telling me how they both have it, my sisters, my brother, and also my dad has it. So, it’s all in my family. I believe that everyone has a small part of anxiety in them some is just worse than others. I used to have a very high anxiety before I would g o on a date. I would be scared to death and have panic attacks sometimes I wouldn’t even be able to go on a date because I would freak myself out so bad. My mom was really worried about me she thought I had a generalized anxiety disorder so I went to the doctors to get medicine. My dad has anxiety and doesn’t like to be in large crowds or he will start to panic, but he will never admit that to me. He is a very strong-headed person and doesn’t believe anxiety exists. Mine actually just gets bad in certain restaurants, around certain people, and sometimes it comes out of nowhere. The other day at work there was no one in there I just started worrying about small things and next thing I knew I was having a small panic attack. My cognitive bias was just overreacting about small things. The worst thing to ever go through is an anxiety attack. You start to have a heightened physiological arousal, high-strung temperament, and neurochemical imbalance. I literally thought I was dying whenever I was going through one. III. Predict: I thought I was going to go through something more serious then just anxiety if I didn’t do a nything about it. I thought I was going to have depression because I wouldn’t go out and do things because my anxiety would take a toll on me. I thought something even more serious as PTSD. I would stress myself out thinking I was so different and never going to be a normal girl that could go on dates or just go somewhere with friends. The worst part was this all started getting severe in my senior year of high school. So my friends are all going out having fun and I’m just freaking myself out. I worked on a problem-focus coping and realizing what was wrong with me and what I needed to do to not let this bring me down during my senior year. I was adapting to these new changes in my life and starting to realize anxiety is something I have to deal with for the rest of my life. IV Change: I tried to just avoid it all together. I would look up ways on the Internet to avoid getting panic attacks or how to calm my anxiety, but nothing worked. My grandma always told me whenever she would have e ither a panic attack or anxiety attack that she would just remind herself to calm down and tell her self that she is okay. I honestly thought I was the only one in this world that had anxiety and was afraid of everything. I never told anyone except my close friends and family about it cause I didn’t know how other people would take it. When going to restaurants I would counter condition everything and tell myself I was okay and over time anxiety wasn’t as bad. I did a lot of cognitive restructuring as well. I would think of different things I could do to start over coming this anxiety. I started talking to other people about it and hearing that other people have anxiety and deal with the same things I do made me feel like I wasn’t the only one going through it. Dealing with this I knew that systematic desensitization was out of the question. I knew that I didn’t need help from someone hired to help me. I knew I could get through this. I started to just ignore it. Oddly, my anxiety actually went away for a while when I started dating my boyfriend. My mom had told him about my anxiety before we went on our first date and with him knowing and didn’t judge me I felt so much more comfortable. When we went out he did everything he could to make me feel comfortable and I thought it was the sweetest thing. Now that we have been together for a while I don’t get anxiety or panic attacks as frequent as I used to. I still have them sometimes and I just talk myself out of them, or I will talk to him and they will go away cause my mind is distracted. I am starting to completely overcome them although I know deep down I am always going to worry about thing and have a slight sense of anxiety within me. I have a different attitude about things and try not to let my anxiety get the best of me when I go places.

Lily Owens Characterization

Lily Owens is a complex character that went through a trauma in her childhood that affects her as we read the first chapter. She lives alone with her father after her mother died in an accident years before. Her father, T. Ray, owns a peach farm and has Lily working at a peach stand to sell them during the summer. Lily and T. Ray have a black maid, Rosalie, who Lily sees as a surrogate mother. She even fantasize about Rosalie being white and marrying T. Ray, or her and T. Ray being black and living like a family with Rosalie. Lily seeks attention and love from T.Ray, but knows that he will not give it to her freely. After an accident when she was around four years old, in which she killed her mother with a gun she picked up off the floor, her father, T. Ray rarely acknowledges her. He makes her work for him during the summers, he doesn't buy her things, and he doesn't acknowledge any of her attempts for attention and affection. T. Ray doesn't allow her to read even though she has â⠂¬Ëœscored the highest number a human being an get on their verbal aptitude test' because he says that he cannot afford to send her to college.Because of this Lily never thought of aspiring to anything other than working for T. Ray, but when her teachers told her otherwise, it opened her eyes to the possibility of a future for her. Lily in appearance is a young teen who is fourteen years old, with ‘UN-cool' clothes and wild hair. Her clothes are UN-cool because she makes them herself and T. Ray doesn't want to waste money on things like clothes for young girls. Lily believes her eyes are nice like ‘Sophia Lore's' and that she doesn't have much of a chin.Her description of her hair was that ‘it was constantly going off in eleven wrong directions' and that her ‘black hair is a nest of cowlicks'. She is disappointed with how she looks and thinks that she has a hard time ‘being a girl'. Lily's mom's name was Deborah, which T. Ray refuses to say. T. Ray rare ly tells Lily things about her mother, and she misses having one for moments like buying bras and getting her first period. She doesn't know much about her mother, but found some of her mementos in the attic.These mementos are: a photo of her mother, a pair of white gloves, and a small wooden picture of a black Mary with â€Å"Tiburon, S. C. † scratched into the back. She took these and put them in a tin box and buried them in the orchard in her ‘secret place'. After Lily is punished by her father for being caught out in the orchard she loses all hope of T. Ray loving her at all. She decides to stand up to T. Ray even in a silent ay and plans of leaving to make her own future.How To Register To Vote: Voter Eligibility: * You must be a U. S. Citizen. * You must be 18 years old (17 in some states) How to Register: * You can register to vote by mail. * Or you can register to vote at these places: motor vehicles * Armed services recruitment centers * Public assistance agenc ies * Any public facility that a state has designated as a voter registration agency * State-funded programs that serve people with disabilities * In some states you can register to vote online.

CMR Enterprise Essay

This particular case depicts the history and issues faced by a relatively small company active in the custom architectural millwork industry for the past 25 years. The new owners wanted the newly-acquired company to grow even further. The first few months seems to have been a success – Marcus spent a lot of his time with employees and customers, learning the field since he was, as mentioned in the text, an â€Å"outsider†. However, keeping the company’s integrity and image intact was a priority. However, the problems outlined in the case seems to start – or at least have been worsened – with what will become CMR’s largest account, Blackstone Homes. Problem Identification After reviewing the text in question, three major problems stand out: 1) Customers change requests: When Blackstone Homes sell a house, it does – of course! – come with a pre-finished and installed kitchen, included in the price. However, if the customer wishes, he or she would visit CMR’s showroom and they would build these woodwork according to their new specifications. The added cost will then be charged to the contractor, which will later add it to their bills. This takes time and lead to price increases. This is, in part, what contributed to the clash with Blackstone Homes. 2) IT solution not adapted: InfoCentral, the software implemented by Marcus, does not work out as intended and do not fit the business needs. It is not always updated as required by the employees. According to the text, it may be helpful for the commercial and financial/accounting side, but is lacking several features for its residential counterpart to be really as useful as it can be. 3) Deteriorating business relationship The business relations between the two companies started well and was fulfilling for both part. When the business expended, so did the problems. The root cause seems to be the change requests made by the homeowners. This lead to late delivery, poorly reviewed performance and then the 7% price increase. Future homeowners started considering the prices charged by CMR to be too high. We could therefore expect lower level of sales and revenues in the future. Alternatives generation While we will mostly concentrate our alternatives on the three points mentioned above, we will also include other alternatives, even if they may not be realistic or feasible in the short/medium term. 1) Review customers change requests: We obviously cannot stop change requests and modifications made by the customers. The company and its employees pride themselves by offering flexibility and higher customers’ satisfaction. It would be therefore self-destructive for CMR to put a term to these showrooms. Any person also deserve to have reasonable alternative options when they are buying an object, a home more than anything. However, there is a clear misunderstanding between CMR and Blackstone Homes regarding the fixed allowances for kitchen ($6,000) and the final cost of the installation. In order to solve this issue, it may be a good thing to review the billing part: Instead of having the installation costs â€Å"forwarded† to the contractor, all expenses over $6,000 (parts + labor) should be charged to the homeowners themselves; customers can have access to all options made available by CMR, whilst eliminating cost forwarding and the said related disagreements. 2) Software adaptation It seems clear from the text that the whole issue also come in part from InfoCentral. In order to remediate this issue, we would suggest that all account managers from CMR and employees involved with this software should meet and discuss its performance. What should be changed, what must be kept, or what should be included in order to fit everyone’s needs. However, for any IT solution to bring tangible additional value, it must be easy to use and should not impose additional work. It is supposed to simplify the work, not making it more complicated. 3) The right people on the right place Again, according to the text, there was a clear misunderstanding between both parties; it was even referred as a â€Å"shouting contest†, which is far from being a normal and healthy business relationship. The Key Account Managers (from both sides) could not agree on contract terms and conditions. It could therefore be a good thing to change points of contact and see if the situation can be resolved; a stronger relation, transparency, honesty and â€Å"business awareness† between the two companies might also help straighten things out. 4) Additional ideas The solution to increase profit may not be by simply increasing selling price. We would suggest CMR to run an audit on their Supply Chain, Logistics and Selling, General & Administrative Expenses to see if cost reductions are possible. Could modern machinery help cut their production costs? Could they outsource some of their non-core business or reduce raw material costs by creating a joint-venture with a competitor? Chasing down inefficiencies in the production line can be even more effective than a price increase. Recommendations Using the previous points, we would suggest the three following recommendations: 1) Change the billing process: If possible, all additional costs over $6,000 should be charged to the homeowner directly. In order to make this easier for the customers, offering various financing options may be a good idea. 2) Adapt InfoCentral: Review, correct and revamp the software in order to meet real business needs. May be a good thing to check what competitors are using. 3) Organize recurrent meetings: The situation with Blackstone did not get bad in one day. It may be a good idea to set up weekly or monthly operational reviews; meetings lasting no longer than 30 minutes, where all potential issues can be discussed among stakeholders and managers. The idea is not to let such situation worsen and take the correct actions as soon as possible.

The modern project management approach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

The modern project management approach - Essay Example Formal project management techniques were developed in USA in the 1960's as part of the early missile programmes. These techniques have since been used in almost every area of society, from government agencies to non-profit organisations, and from engineering companies to service industries (Wikipedia). The early project management phase began in the 1950s in the United States where, from an ad-hoc-basis use of 'Gantt Charts' and informal techniques and tools, it graduated to the use of two mathematical 'project management models' known as: (1) the "Program Evaluation and Review Technique" or PERT, developed as part of the United States Navy's Polaris missile submarine programme; and (2) the "Critical Path Method" (CPM) developed in a joint venture by both DuPont Corporation and Remington Rand Corporation for managing plant maintenance projects. These mathematical techniques quickly spread into many private enterprises. In 1969, the Project Management Institute (PMI) was established to help the project management industry to perform better. The PMI has been of the view that the tools and techniques of project management are common for all applications in projects from the software industry to the traditional construction industry. In 1981, the PMI brought out The Guide to the Proje ct Management Body of Knowledge, containing the standards and guidelines of practice that are widely used throughout the profession (Wikipedia). Generally, project management is distinguished from the general management of corporations by the mission-oriented nature of a project. A project organisation will generally be terminated when the mission is accomplished. According to the Project Management Institute, the discipline of project management can be defined as follows: 'Project management is the art of directing and coordinating human and material resources throughout the life of a project by

Course work-essay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Course work- - Essay Example The stability of the global market destabilised to an extent that the economy of the rest of the world, including Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and South Korea went into economic meltdown. This was so severe that it called for the intervention of the humanitarian groups, like Jubilee 2000, who advocated for the cancellation of the debts owed by the poorest countries. The Central bank decided to chip in and try to resolve the situation therein. They worked for 24hours just to see thing go back in order. Hazel introduces John Perkins, who is an economist and the author of â€Å"Confessions of an Economic Hit Man†, to discuss the history of economic theory and his involvement in the manipulation of the financial organisations like the world bank and the International Monetary fund (IMF). Perkins says that during the past decades when ‘hot money’ was in circulation, he was actually seduced into luring the poor countries who had huge debts into further debts. This was purposed so that these countries would hold to the government policies of the United States. For instance, Indonesia became a victim when the United States loaned it billion of dollars, which was later taken by the US in the name of building for them projects back in the US. They continued paying back the loan with the huge interests until they could no more. This left Indonesia with a huge debt that they would never repay logically thus holding on to the US government. Therefore, this gave the US a ch ance to manipulate the Indonesians by fetching resources their country such as oil. Finally, Perkins confesses that whatever he was asked to do was technically politics and not assisting the poor countries to get out from their poverty. I think this was an unfair way of trying to control the entire world. The US government went overboard in trying to exercise their super-power

Lesson learned Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lesson learned - Essay Example This in fact is the manifestation of being a good leader. A good business plan is to lower the costs. Many organizations have to face domestic rivalry forces all the players to develop new products, improve existing ones, lower costs and prices, develop new technologies, and continually improve quality and services to keep customers happy; on the other hand, foreign firms lack this intensity. clarity of goals and mission; creating sense of challenge for volunteers; ensuring commitment; ensuring good feedback mechanisms and ensuring task is designed and communicated in such a way that it is not daunting to volunteers. Building on this model, I have reasoned on importance of ensuring that volunteers are informed clearly on goals of the Revive and all expectations levelled so that new volunteers are not expecting too much ‘returns’ from Revive as the organization is a charity. However, in doing the aforementioned of keeping expectations low, I have considered a keep learning to be providing exciting and challenging opportunities and task which will push the workers to happily engage with assigned task. The business plan to capture this is to utilize The Gordon Model that has been pinnacle of success for many organizations. The Gordon Model will not be used be it values stocks that pay dividends however, Fusion LLC will not be based on stockholders investments. The rule of NPV states that all projects that have a positive net value should be accepted. It is also estimated 50 years of future cash flows assuming a 2% annual growth. The discounted rate of 25% (weighted average cost of capital) and in this case where the discounted value is higher the capital budgeting will increase the value of the company. Most organization are success in an element is because they have a powerful understanding of motivating their employees. Motivating employees is truly essential for an

The New Strategy by the Seven-Eleven Stores Essay

The New Strategy by the Seven-Eleven Stores - Essay Example This will paralyze the distribution and meet the customer’s needs. The new strategy was anchored on demand, which was seasonal and was dependent on the new products thus this faced the risk of collapsing when the season was over. In addition, the decision-making process is made within three days, which means some decisions can contribute to business collapse as some decisions needed a lot of time (Akira 2003, p.66). Â  The Seven Eleven Company in Japan employed the use of the integrated store information system that aimed at simplifying its mode of operations. The installed information system connected each outlet, distribution stores, suppliers, and the headquarters of the company. The company in1991 developed two-way and online communication that enabled the company to link with their suppliers and customers’. In 2007, the Seven-Eleven introduced internet shopping that enabled the company to meet their customers online by enabling the customers to buy the products online that were not in their retail shops. This online service solved the problem of transportation while delivering goods to their clients situated in various parts of Japan. The distribution system of the company was flexible enough to change their delivery services to their clients thus meeting their demand (Akira 2003, p.67).This provided the customers with the element of convenience since they could not travel to retail shops to make purchases. The company further concentrated on regional merchandizing thus enabling them to meet their customer preferences easily.

Research Methodologies in Communication Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Methodologies in Communication - Research Paper Example In the field of communication, quantitative research seeks to establish communication as a behavioral science. The researchers using this method use the scientific models to show the effect of different aspects of communication. Some of the research areas include areas such as, the effect of medical marijuana advertisements on the American population, and the effect of violence games on children. The qualitative research methods produce reliable and quantifiable data that can be generalized to represent a greater population. The weakness that this method has is that it removes the research from the human behavior perspective (Weinreich1996). This makes the information to lose touch with reality by ignoring the factors that were not included in the research. Qualitative research methods are important in exploring a singular occurrence of importance. The methods used include interpretation of data and observation through personal interviews and ethnography. These research methods seek to explain a research question or problem from the perspective of the population that the research is conducted (Mack, Song et al. 2011). When it comes to matters dealing with opinions, behavior, values as well as social contexts of a community, qualitative research methods are effective to do the research. Using this method is advantageous in that it describes complex situations of how people deal with, or perceive a particular research issue. In examining the occurrence, they make reference to the full context of the phenomenon.

Personal Ethics Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal Ethics Development - Essay Example Ethics, on the other hand is how individuals behave in the face of difficult situations that often test the morality of an individual (Josephson Institute, 2009). Personal ethics are usually considered as the foundation of a person’s moral compass or a guide that tells on what is right or wrong, thus applying the moral judgment to decide on what to follow. Ethical principals are often influenced by several factors such as, influences from family, religious beliefs, and culture; thus it can be concluded that the principles of ethics are dynamic and subject to change in our day- to-day lives (Daft, Murphy & Willmott, 2010). My ethical principles were greatly influenced by various factors like the family members, religion, and culture, all of which shaped on my morality and instilled in me values that help in guiding my decision making process. Parents are the first people who instill morality into their children; thus the children can distinguish between right or wrong. Parents can enlighten their children on what is expected of them in the society, for example, when the parents inform their children that stealing is wrong and that the society require them not to steal, the foundation of the children’s ethics is built (Daft, Murphy & Willmott, 2010). ... Religion also played a immense role in shaping my ethical principles since religion allowed me to accept and follow an established set of moral guidelines which enabled me to behave ethically. Trevino and Nelson (2007) elaborates that religion often motivates people to do well in the presence life with promise of good life after death. The Christianity has set rules or commandments that guide people in the everyday life. These rules outline what is good or bad and thus Christians are encouraged to follow these commandments to the latter. Culture also played a role in development of ethics in my life because the traditions of the society became embedded in my psyche. The culture usually direct people in the everyday occurrences, for example, in a country where racism and gender discrimination is rampant people might embrace it because the society accepts its practice. As elaborated by Ferrell, Fraedrich, and Ferrell (2013), events that happen every day have had a role in shaping my et hics. Personal emotions causes a shift in the ethical beliefs in such a case as the murder of a loved one might say that the murderer should be issued death penalty even though is clear that death penalty is unethical in the society. Personal feelings also can be considered to have an impact on our ethical principles, for example, when one does something wrong and is against the ethical principles of society, one will tend to feel ashamed of the act while, on the other hand, doing something which is in line with our ethical system one tends to be happy thus these occurrences provide an immediate feedback that shapes the moral standards of an individual. In the workplace people are often required to make decisions that require the application of moral judgment to make right

How I Learnt How to Navigate the Cyber Space Essay

How I Learnt How to Navigate the Cyber Space - Essay Example Plainly speaking the experience would be unforgettable, defining, and somewhat perplexing. This paper explores my first steps on a journey through the cyberspace. Introduction Having read and heard a lot about the internet and cyber space, and obsessed over the concept for what seemed like my whole life, I had a few things in mind I was more than anxious to try. My initial approach was an intricate mixture of curiosity, anxiety, and bewilderment. I was keen to find out if some of the things I had read about cyber space were true. To be specific, I had even come up with a list of a few things of my own with which to challenge the ingenuity of the outspoken technological phenomenon. However, I was inwardly unsettled over how the new virtual world would appear to me. Precisely, I was keen to find out whether cyber space would it be a passive unexciting computing experience. My greatest wonder was whether the web, arguably one of the best inventions of the century, would be an infinitely complex and unfathomable mass of data and material that would be utterly intolerant to my inexperience, and numbing to my bristling curiosity? Technology has always been my greatest source of marvel and intrigue for as long as I can remember. All things I found amazing about human accomplishments with regard to innovation were beginning to gather around technology and later and by extension computing. While some things would seem normal on computers and their many applications, for instance, do calculations at unimaginable speeds, some elements were especially influential to my curiosity and interest in computers. Particularly appearing improbable was the claims that it could do a multiplicity of activity including communicating with other computers with people all over the world in virtually no time. Even to a person fairly read on technology, particularly computing, this was simply extraordinary: I knew that computers had a myriad of abilities, which were beyond some of our wilde st perceptions on what is possible through human endeavour. I knew that computers could control complex systems, that computing knowledge had been critical in man’s first conquest of the moon in the outer space, could store mammoth amounts of data, do apparently complex and time-consuming manual activities at blinding speeds, and replace common technological innovations such as typewriters, and video output devices with unmatched effectiveness (Rajashekar, 22). At the time, it was only possible to read materials about the internet and the web in physical libraries. Therefore, metaphorically, I consider my first web experience occurred before I ever typed my first word on a browser search tab. What I found out about cyber space was more than I was hoping to unfold, and quite honestly, quite sobering. The moment I typed in a dictionary vocabulary, a popular name in computing, and the president’s name, my reality materialized from a haze of eccentric veneer and supressed doubts. I was sure of one thing, I was going to be part of this community, intellectually, and in many other ways a kid my age could imagine, I felt I belonged, and had means to let my imaginations run wild with a few keystrokes. The internet at the time was painfully and insufferably slow by today’

Dickens novels Essay Example for Free

Dickens novels Essay Hard Times was one of Dickens’ novels that focuses mainly on the education system and industrialisation. Dickens was furious about the changes in industrialisation throughout the Victorian period and this motivated him enormously to write the novel. Industrialisation meant that working conditions were poor and it had a massive impact on the way schools were run. Dickens hated Victorian schools; he saw the Victorian education system as boring and monotonous and often wrote essays to show his anger and frustration at the government and those responsible for what he saw as the poor schooling techniques. Dickens creates Coketown in this novel and it is used as a representation of the government at that time and is seen as a perfect world for the fact obsessed characters but the novel explores how this way of living is not healthy. Dickens suggests that facts have become a way of life, like a religion, which was very unacceptable for that time because in the Victorian period people were especially religious and that facts were taking over a religion would have been seen as disgusting  Dickens suggests that English towns around the industrialized era are ugly, polluted and debilitated, he suggests this because facts, repetition and the lack of individuality was taking over, one of the ways he achieves this is through his description of coketown. ‘Coketown’ suggests a very scary, dull and boring place, Dickens would have intended us to have this perception because this is how he saw the government’s way of teaching and he wanted us to perceive it in the same way that he did. He also wanted us to see through his description how monotonous and unhealthy the town and way of life in that area had become. Dickens describes the school in this novel as bland, containing no creativeness, or embellishment, a framework built purely on facts and reality alone. The rooms consist of white-washed walls, stripped and bare revealing the actuality industry at the time. Dickens describes the rooms as ‘plain, bare monotonous vault of a school-room’. The word ‘vault’ suggests the school-room takes the image of a jail cell; bare, isolated, barred windows. Therefore this also suggests the pupils attending the school represent prisoners- influenced by the oppressive rules and watchful eye of Gradgrind. Their order is even arranged like prisoners, in a regular pattern, rows spaced evenly, closely monitored and not allowed to move.The rooms consist of white-washed walls, stript and bare revealing the actuality industry at the time. Dickens describes the rooms as ‘plain, bare monotonous vault of a school One of the main statements Dickens is trying to make throughout this novel is the obsession and repetitiveness of facts. The word fact is repeated so much that it feels like its being shoved into the children’s heads. We hope to have, before long, a board of fact, composed of commissioners of fact, who will force the people to be a people of fact and nothing but fact. This firstly shows that it is not just Gradgrind that is obsessed with facts, it is the whole school; implying the whole education system is like this. Also they wish for the facts to be forced upon all people as they are doing in the school. Dickens put Gradgrind across as forceful, having high standards, obsessed and full of facts and wishing every one of his pupils to be as smart as he is. Mr MChoakumchild is portrayed very similarly to Gradgrind, this gives the impression that all teachers of this time were like this. A character who is a representation for Dickens views is Gradgrind. He is used as a representation because he is made to be everything Dickens is against where education is concerned. ‘Forming the minds of reasoning animals’, Gradgrind is referring to the children as animals for testing out his way of education, he does not see them as human he sees them as animals that he needs to train to be just like him. However there are characters in the novel that challenge his way of teaching and try to be individual but Gradgrind sees this as wrong and tries to stop them and get them back in line. actuality industry at the time. Dickens describes the rooms as ‘plain, bare monotonous vault of a school-room’. The word ‘vault’ suggests the school-room takes the image of a jail cell; bare, isolated, barred windows. Therefore this also suggests the pupils attending the schooactuality industry at the time. Dickens describes the rooms as ‘plain, bare monotonous vault of a school-room’. The word ‘vault’ suggests the school-room takes the image of a jail cell; bare, isolated, barred windows. Therefore this also suggests the pupils attending the school represent prisoners- influenced by the oppressive rules and watchful eye of Gradgrind. Their order is even arranged like prisoners, in a regular pattern, rows spaced evenly, closely monitored and not allowed to move.One character who shows a contrast to the Victorian education system is Sissy Jupe. She is polite and full of life, she curtsy’s to address to Gradgrind and this shows how cheerful and polite she is. You can tell sissy loves and respects her father a lot from when she says ‘it’s father calls me Sissy sir’. Gradgrind tries to intimidate Sissy and because she is such a shy character Gradgrind easily embarrasses her with his intimidation ‘she would have blushed deeper, is she could have blushed deeper’ This shows the healthy colour in her face which represents how full of life she is and the fact she could have blushed deeper and deeper shows that she has so many different ideas and wonderful individuality that they just want to burst out of her as she is being made to keep them locked inside her.

Are Cell Phones Good for Health Essay Example for Free

Are Cell Phones Good for Health Essay Talking on a cellular phone or living near to a cell site does not cause cancer, according to a report by the Royal Society of Canada. The society looked at GSM networks, mobile phones, cell site antennas and roof top aerials, on behalf of Health Canada. They did, however say that the existing safety limits for maintenance staff working on the cell sites, and should be revised to take into account possible damage to the eyes, due to the unique physiological make up of the eye. Upgrade handsets: If you are using too old handset, upgrade it to some recent handset which has released in last 1-2 years. Recent handsets use low power and take care of reflections to save battery as well as high radiations. Use standard handsets: Some cheap mobiles do not maintain standards. Always use handsets from branded companies. Cheap phones can be harmful to life. Use Bluetooth: Use Bluetooth headset/hands free to talk on phone. Bluetooth operates on low frequency. You can put the phone in back pocket. Use PC software: SMS chatting is most common in youngsters. Most of brands provide PC connectivity software’s; some 3rd party tools are also available. Connect cell phone to PC through Bluetooth, keep mobile at a distance and enjoy SMS. Use Flight Mode: Switching off and on mobile might be tedious when it’s not in use. Use flight mode profile of phone to deactivate radio signals, it will perform same operation as switch off but keeping other functions on. Avoid Mobile Internet: Get a wired internet connection for PC to use at home. Avoid using mobile internet connections (GPRS and 3G based). You will always find a cheaper wired internet option in this competitive market.