Saturday, August 31, 2019

How Does Technology Influence the Google Generation

Nowadays, with the advancement of technology, our current generation, the so-called â€Å"Google generation†, is being influenced in a negative way. So what is the actual meaning of â€Å"Google generation†? One of the common definitions is that â€Å"The â€Å"Google generation† is a popular phrase that refers to a generation of young people, born after 1993, growing up in a world dominated by the Internet† (Rowlands et al. 292). However, that definition is not definitely precise. Jim Ashling says, â€Å"Everyone is members of the Google generation. All age groups exhibit some Google-generation traits† (22). Thus, the Google generation encompasses not only the young, but also the other generations. Which one creates the Google generation? The answer is technology. Since it is inherent in every area of life, the Google generation is impacted by it, which consists of changing their behaviors, affecting their critical thinking, swaying their reading habit, and making the children digital-age. The internet is currently considered an integral part of the society. It provides both advantages and disadvantages. For one thing, the information literacy of young people has not been improved with the widening access to technology (Rowlands et al. 95). Further, Internet research shows that the speed of young people's web searching means that little time is spent in evaluating information, either for relevance, accuracy or authority (Rowlands et al. 295). This will make them more work-shy. In addition, young people have a poor understanding of their information needs and thus find it difficult to develop effective search strategies (Rowlands et al. 295). As a result, they exhibit a strong preference for expressing themselves in natural language rather than analyzing which key words might be more effective (Rowlands et al. 295). Moreover, young people have unsophisticated mental maps of what the internet is, often failing to appreciate that it is a collection of networked resources from different providers (Rowlands et al. 296). Consequently, the search engine, Yahoo or Google, becomes the primary brands that they associate with the internet (Rowlands et al. 296). Therefore, their ability of evaluating and searching information will principally count on the search tools, and their creativity will be restricted. In the other words, it can be considered a type of artificial literacy. When they receive information of a specific topic, they think that they understand it. However, no one recognizes that information is extracted from technology, especially the internet, not from their authentic perceptions. â€Å"Critical thinking as an attitude is embedded in Western culture. There is a belief that argument is the way to finding truth,† observes Adrian West, research director at the Edward de Bono Foundation U. K. , and a former computer science lecturer at the University of Manchester (Greengard 18). Thereby, critical thinking is very crucial in speculating the information. If one loses that ability, he cannot perceive the entity of issues. Unfortunately, currently rapid development of technology causes their thinking process to be passive. They are not able to think the way which was formerly. In contrast, their present thinking process may be called machinery sense. Greengard states about this issue: Although there is little debate that computer technology complements and often enhances the human mind in the quest to store information and process an ever-growing tangle of bits and bytes, there is increasing concern that the same technology is changing the way we approach complex problems and conundrums, and making it more difficult to really think (18). Additionally, the wealth of communications and information can easily overwhelm our reasoning abilities (Greengard 18). Accordingly, Bugeja concludes â€Å"Without critical thinking, we create trivia† (Greengard 19). Seriously, it is time to take a closer and more serious look at technology and understand the subtleties of how it affects the thinking process. What’s more, their reading habit is one of technology’s considerable victims. According to the National Endowment for the Arts, literary reading declined 10 percentage points from 1982 to 2002 and the rate of decline is accelerating (Greengard 18). That is an authentically alarming statistic. Along with a diversity of information on the internet, their reading habit has been lessened drastically. The reason is that previously, people only collected information through books, which are the chief source. They regularly read almost all pages of a book. Notwithstanding, the technology distraction level is accelerating to the point where thinking deeply is difficult (Greengard 18). They are overwhelmed by a constant barrage of devices and tasks, and increasingly suffer from the Google syndrome (Greengard 18). People accept what they read and believe what they see online is fact when it is not (Greengard 18). Nicholas Carr, a journalist, told that it used to be easy to immerse himself in a book or a lengthy article. Nonetheless, the Net distracted his concentration on reading. He has to struggle against his reading habit that used to come naturally. For more than a decade now, he has been spending most of time online, searching, and surfing on the internet. As a result, the Net seems to chip away his capacity for concentration and contemplation. It is not only Nicholas’s problem, but is ours as well. The authors of the study report say: It is clear that users are not reading online in the traditional sense; indeed there are signs that new forms of â€Å"reading† are emerging as users â€Å"power browse† horizontally through titles, contents pages and abstracts going for quick wins. It almost seems that they go online to avoid reading in the traditional sense. (Carr, par. ) Also, he supposes that the Google generation comes to rely on computers to mediate their understanding of the world; it is their own intelligence that flattens into artificial intelligence (Carr, par. 36). At any rate, they are able to absorb the benefits of reading through the internet and keep the traditional habits because reading is learning and entertaining. The most striking example of the Google generation is the â€Å"digital-age† kids (O’Brien, par. 1). Why are they called â€Å"digital-age†? O’Brien has a 15-year-old son whose study is completely distracted by the technology. She had to keep a deep eye on him whenever he took an exam. She says â€Å"Every time I crossed the threshold, the scene was the same: textbooks remained firmly closed in his bag while the laptop was open on his desk. On the screen was some history/ physics/English document, but also his Facebook and iTunes pages. In his ears were the iPod plugs, playing back a podcast. And sometimes, just to fracture his concentration even further, he might have had a half-played video running on YouTube as well† (O’Brien, par. 3 and 4). She was irritated to keep his son on concentrating. From her problem, she concludes â€Å"He’s a digital native; you’re a digital immigrant† (O’Brien, par. 6). Digital natives and digital immigrants are terms named by the American futurist, Marc Prensky, to distinguish between those who have grown up with technology and those who have adapted to it (O’Brien, par. 7). According to researchers, the children are in the midst of a sea change in the way that they read and think (O’Brien, par. 8). They have wonderfully flexible minds. Further, they absorb information quickly, adapt to changes and are adept at culling from multiple sources. But they are also suffering from internet-induced attention deficit disorder (O’Brien, par. 8). Rose Luckin, Professor of Learner- Centred Design at the London Knowledge Lab and a visiting professor at the University of Sussex, is working on a study examining the internet's impact on pupils' critical and meta-cognitive skills. â€Å"The worrying view coming through is that students are lacking in reflective awareness,† she says. â€Å"Technology makes it easy for them to collate information, but not to analyze and understand it† (O’Brien, par. ). In short, it is time the society should do something to improve the digital-age children. Therefore, the role of parents and teachers are constantly respected and highly valued, like Rose Luckin says: Because they have been using digital technology all their lives, our children feel they have authority over it. But technology cannot teach them to reflect upon and evaluate the information they are gathering online. For that, the role of teachers and parents remains fundamentally important. (O’Brien, par. 2) Even though technology brings many various utilities to the civilization of the society, there are some issues on which are scouted out seriously. The Google generation ought to be aware of how to harness it. Do not let it affect the behavior, the ability of thinking critically, reading habit, and â€Å"digital-age† children. At any events, they should utilize the best benefits of technology to improve the life in a proper way. Keep in mind that technology can be a good servant, but it can be also a bad boss.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Educator In Community Essay

Initial assessment should focus on learning styles and knowledge level of students. This can be accomplished by asking the expectation of students, activities that they want to participate in and through an assessment of existing skills and competencies. The nurse educator must then mediate the course objectives with the result of these tests: assessment of the class must be bridges with the target outcomes for students (Priest, 2004). Instructional strategies should include literature, practical demonstrations and activities as well investigative or research activities. Reading materials should be supported by activities that will allow the students to experience what they have read. Further reinforcement should be done through participation in discussions and research activities. Processing by students of the strategies and assessment by the teachers performance can then be used to determine shat activities or strategies is most effective for the class (Gay et al, 2006). Testing of students should assess their understanding of the significance of each element in the educational program. Evaluation of which teaching strategy, literature, practical or research based activities, should be done as a means of initial assessment and to gauge what strategy will be used in the program. Similar settings for health education should be assess individually, either anonymously or through personal or written by students, as well as a group to promote collaboration among participants and the nurse education. Nurse educators in community and staff education settings have to be sensitive regarding their audience and at the same time must not discriminative regarding the level of learning requires of their students (Blair, 2004; Priest, 2004). This entails effective assessment tools to gauge topic knowledge and the learning style of students (Gay et al, 2006). Nurse educators must expect that strategies must respond to the characteristics of their audience rather than the reverse and that. This will entail constantly redeveloping teaching methods to allow communities to work collaboratively with nurse educators in promoting long-term and sustainable health programs.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Human resource management Essay

Many business owners prepare a business plan before starting their business. However, small business owners often do not include human resource planning as part of their over-all business plan. They may start out with only a few employees or none at all. Over time, it is important to properly forecast employment needs. Just as failing to address potential threats in the marketplace can jeopardize the viability of your business, failing to anticipate personnel needs can impact on overall business success. The success of a business is directly linked to the performance of those who work for that business. Underachievement can be a result of workplace failures. Because hiring the wrong people or failing to anticipate fluctuations in hiring needs can be costly, it is important that you put effort into human resource planning. Planning for HR needs will help to ensure your employees have the skills and competencies your business needs to succeed. An HR plan works hand in hand with your business plan to determine the resources you need to achieve the business’s goals. It will better prepare you for staff turnover, recruitment, and strategic hiring – and alleviate stress when you have emergency/last-minute hiring needs. Human Resource Planning Process Or Steps Of HR Planning Human resource planning is a process through which the company anticipates future business and environmental forces. Human resources planning assess the manpower requirement for future period of time. It attempts to provide sufficient manpower required to perform organizational activities. HR planning is a continuous process which starts with identification of HR objectives, move through analysis of manpower resources and ends at appraisal of HR planning. Following are the major steps involved in human resource planning: 1. Assessing Human Resources The assessment of HR begins with environmental analysis, under which the external (PEST) and internal (objectives, resources and structure) are analyzed to assess the currently available HR inventory level. After the analysis of external and internal forces of the organization, it will be easier for HR manager to find out the internal strengths as well as weakness of the organization in one hand and opportunities and threats on the other. Moreover, it includes an inventory of the workers and skills already available within the organization and a comprehensive job analysis. 2. Demand Forecasting HR forecasting is the process of estimating demand for and supply of HR in an organization. Demand forecasting is a process of determining future needs for HR in terms of quantity and quality. It is done to meet the future personnel requirements of the organization to achieve the desired level of output. Future human resource need can be estimated with the help of the organization’s current human resource situation and analysis of organizational plans an procedures. It will be necessary to perform a year-by-year analysis for every significant level and type. HR planning must be tied to the overall business plan. You can start the process by assessing the current conditions and future goals of your company. Perform these assessments regularly. Consider some of the following questions: What are the company’s goals and objectives? Do these goals call for expansion into new markets? Are new product lines planned? Are changes in technology necessary to stay competitive? Will new skills and/or training be required to meet the company’s goals and objectives? The following three-step method is designed to help you determine whether or not you are ready to hire: 1. Identify Business Strategy and Needs 2. Conduct a Job Analysis and Write a Job Description 3. Determine the Feasibility of Hiring Human Resource Planning Checklist Step 1: Identify Business Strategy and Needs Identify pressures and opportunities Clarify your business strategy and direction Identify aspects of the business that need help The following questions will help you determine how many people are required, and with what skills, to fulfill your business needs. What new positions are opening up? What special skills (e.g. computer applications) will be needed? What work experience (e.g. in a particular area) will be required? When will new staff be needed? When should hiring be scheduled to ensure a smooth transition? Does the hiring plan also provide for employee turnover and attrition? Step 2: Conduct a Job Analysis and Write a Job Description Review your current workforce- Describe the employees you now have in terms of their knowledge, skills, and experience and describe how they function together to get work done, At the same time, consider how the current work could be reorganized to make the best use of current and future employees. Identify any skills and knowledge gaps- Note any gaps between the skills and abilities your current employees have and the skills and abilities that your workforce needs to meet your business objectives in the future. Write a job description Set an appropriate salary- Start by adopting a general salary range to help you determine what you will need to budget – and whether potential candidates are within your budget. You may want to complete a job evaluation, whereby you rank jobs and their corresponding salaries. Weigh the importance of critical skills and knowledge for each position, compare positions, and rank the new position on the pay scale accordingly. You will need to do a comparison between the new and existing positions. Is the new position more junior/senior? Will the new position require more specialized skills and knowledge? Will the position have more complex tasks and different working relationships? Will the new position have more or less responsibility? Tips for Conducting a Job Analysis * Ask employees about each position within the business and how they are (or are not) connected * Ask employees if they think hiring a new employee or creating a new position would be a good idea * Observe employees at work and earnestly ask for their ideas about better ways to operate; be prepared to put good suggestions into action * Talk to customers about which employees are easiest to deal with or provide the best service * Find out and understand why past employees have left – be truthful with yourself * Talk to customers about their needs * Understand the needs of people the new employee will be working with * Differentiate between â€Å"nice to have† and â€Å"must have† skills and experiences * Look at employees who are performing at a superior level and try to assess the skills and behavior`s that distinguish them; look for evidence of these behavior`s during the interview * Look at similar positions in other companies and the requirements they have * Read books or articles about companies that may have found themselves in similar situations Step 3: Determine the Feasibility of Hiring Understand the costs of hiring- Labor costs, such as salary and benefits, Recruiting costs, which may include advertising in addition to time spent on recruiting activities, orientation and training. Understand the benefits of hiring- * Improved morale of other employees, if a departing employee was a problem or if the area has been Under staffed for some time * Improved morale of existing staff if the growth means new business and opportunities * Improved productivity if a departing employee was not productive or if employees believed that you have made the decision to hire as a result of their input * Increased revenues once a new employee is performing at an acceptable level * A new employee who is more qualified than current employees can help train the existing employees * Increased customer satisfaction and potentially saved business. Understand the risks of not hiring- * Loss of revenues because of an inability to keep up with demand * Loss of employees because they are unwilling to continue being overworked or to do the work of a departed employee * No new ideas or knowledge brought in through new employees If you decide that hiring a new employee is feasible, you are ready to begin the recruitment process. If not, you might need to revisit your strategic plan or business objectives. 3. Supply Forecasting Supply is another side of human resource assessment. It is concerned with the estimation of supply of manpower given the analysis of current resource and future availability of human resource in the organization. It estimates the future sources of HR that are likely to be available from within an outside the organization. Internal source includes promotion, transfer, job enlargement and enrichment, whereas external source includes recruitment of fresh candidates who are capable of performing well in the organization. 4. Matching Demand And Supply It is another step of human resource planning. It is concerned with bringing the forecast of future demand and supply of HR. The matching process refers to bring demand and supply in an equilibrium position so that shortages and over staffing position will be solved. In case of shortages an organization has to hire more required number of employees. Conversely, in the case of over staffing it has to reduce the level of existing employment. Hence, it is concluded that this matching process gives knowledge about requirements and sources of HR. 5. Action Plan It is the last phase of human resource planning which is concerned with surplus and shortages of human resource. Under it, the HR plan is executed through the designation of different HR activities. The major activities which are required to execute the HR plan are recruitment, selection, placement, training and development, socialization etc. Finally, this step is followed by control and evaluation of performance of HR to check whether the HR planning matches the HR objectives and policies. This action plan should be updated according to change in time and conditions.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Discuss China in terms of being the Middle Kingdom, population growth Essay

Discuss China in terms of being the Middle Kingdom, population growth issues, and industrialization - Essay Example This gets portrayed in their continuous exponential growth, increasing military strength and the continued antagonism towards their neighbors Taiwan. The Chinese population best justifies the reference to China as the Middle Kingdom. This is because China is a highly populated country with near alarming demographics. Recent population figures put China’s population at more than 1.3billion people, making it the most populous country in the world. China alone accounts for a fifth of the world’s population. The Middle Kingdom’s population grows by between 12 and 13 million people each year, a figure that beats the population of countries such as Greece, Ecuador or Belgium (Lamson, 2007). With this huge demographic, almost all social problems get magnified. For instance if 10% of the Chinese population gets unemployed, the figure of people out of work equals half the United States population. The monstrous population in China has led to an increase in competition for all the available resources. However, the Chinese economy is a booming partly because a majority of the population, over 70%, is in the working bracket. Analysts say that this will drastically change due to the graying of the population. The advent of the one child policy in the 1970s requiring each couple to give birth to one child has led to the shrinking of the working age population. Though the margin of Chinese population increase has reduced, the effect of reduced working age population has not been felt yet. China’s economy keeps growing presently due to the large existing working population (Goldman, 2006). China did not experience early industrialization. The Middle Kingdom belief focused on relationships that made the family unit way influential than individuals. This could explain why industrialization did not occur in China until the Mao Zedong era between1949-1960. During this period, China’s economy got reorganized and experienced a significant

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Evaluation of James McNeil Whistler's Crepuscule in Flesh Colour and Essay

Evaluation of James McNeil Whistler's Crepuscule in Flesh Colour and Green - Essay Example This means that a perusal of most of Whistler’s work will reveal little else than an artist’s creative impulses gone wild. Tonalism can be seen as a result of these creative impulses of Whistler. Whistler’s 1866 Crepuscule in Flesh Color and Green: Valparaiso (910 x 1080 x 100 mm painting, oil on canvas, London: Tate, N05065) is perhaps one of the earliest works that reflects the artist’s desire for tonalist attitudes. The painting is the first piece in a large number of similar works that followed at the hands of Whistler. This indicates that the Crepuscule in Flesh Color and Green: Valparaiso (Figure 1) cannot be evaluated in isolation from these other related works because they share similar traits and characteristics that eventually came to define tonalism. Another major thing to take note of is the relative unknown nature of Crepuscule in Flesh Color and Green: Valparaiso as not many treatises on art especially art from the tonalist genres have given it much focus1. However if the period immediately before this painting in Whistler’s life is looked at, it will become very clear that it defines a personal rebellion. In turn this personal rebellion from an already Maverick persona resulted in new nuances being painted into the heart of the world of art. The combination of various rebellious attitudes coupled with a distant past in the military gave birth to the Crepuscule in Flesh Color and Green: Valparaiso and its sister works that were all created in Chile and represented similar militaristic scenarios processed through the lens of an artist’s eyes. The sister pieces of the Crepuscule in Flesh Color and Green: Valparaiso include The Morning after the Revolution: Valparaiso, Nocturne in Blue and Gold: Valparaiso Bay (Figure 3) and the sketch for Nocturne in Blue and Gold: Valparaiso Bay (Figure 4). Whistler possessed an uncanny genius for art from an early age2 and this in turn affected his personal choices on life and career. Being a rebel from the start, Whistler was quick to abandon his career with the military at West Point but this in turn left some unfinished desires with Whistler3. As the rebellion in the Spanish colony of Chile took on the shape of a war, Whistler was attracted to revisit the military based part of his persona. Speculation remains to why Whistler went to Chile – some claim he was looking to satisfy his militarism based impulses from West Point4, others think that Whistler considered the rebellion of the Chileans as heroic5 while recent research suggests that he was selling arms to the Chileans. In any case, Whistler was an artist before he went to Chile and artists generally detest war because of its barbaric conduct. However Whistler still chose to go to Chile. Before this point in time Whistler had been rebelling from an ordinary life in order to achieve his life of artistic desire6. Yet his voyage to Chile reveals that now Whistler was rebelling from his art istic life in order to come to terms with a life where you have to work to make some money. This in turn indicates that Whistler was more or less at war with himself at this point in time and his accounts from the ship he travelled on show a Whistler who is disinterested in life and what happens around him. His personal infighting must have kept him well occupied on his journey from Spain to Chile. His first painting in this series of paintings, Crepuscule in Fle

ENG Comp II- TCP Task 1 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ENG Comp II- TCP Task 1 - Research Paper Example In this context, Al-Azmi (2013) has provided lots of information on how user behaviors, expectations, and needs are being studied. This paper is selected as a reference since Al-Azmi’s (2013) excellent literature review helps the reader to understand the might of cognitive technologies at full length, especially in the realm of business intelligence. Al-Azmi is a qualified computer engineer with extensive experience in writing journal articles and scientific papers. Bentivoglio, C. A., Bonura, D., Cannella, V., Carletti, S., Pipitone, A., Pirrone, R., .Rossi, P.G. & Russo, G. (2010). Intelligent Agents supporting user interactions within self regulated learning processes.  Journal of e-Learning and Knowledge Society,  6, 27-36. The authors of this journal article clearly show that how adoption of cognitive technologies has proved to be instrumental in improving user satisfaction and performance. Hence, Bentivoglio et al (2010) are of the opinion that development of cognitive tools and techniques with self-regulatory capabilities can give better results. This paper has been selected because the authors have explained several advanced concepts with the help of real world examples. Carlo A. Bentivoglio is a science education specialist from the University of Macerata. Implementation of cognitive technologies in education is one of his team’s current research interests. In this journal article, Dascal and Dror (2005) have successfully attempted to contextualize cognitive technologies as per the demands of contemporary world. The authors show that the cognitive tools can be put in use to improve user performance by the means of process redistributions, semantic understanding of things, text mining, etc. The paper is selected for present research because it contains an exhaustive coverage of the topic that how people can benefit most from intelligences tools and cognitive methods. The authors Dascal (Tel-Aviv University) and Dror (University College of London)

Monday, August 26, 2019

Financial Accounting Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Financial Accounting Theories - Essay Example ..that are taken for granted in current accounting research". Political Economy Theory (PET) is divisable into two broad streams of thinking. One being the Classical Political Economy Theory, the other, Bourgeois Political Economy Theory. For the purpose of this writing the Classical Approach will be the main focus. Classical Political Economy Theory follows the basic ideas of P.E.T, but goes further in its bid to highlight and scrutinise structural conflicts and inadequacies within society. The followers of the Classical approach are of the strong opinion that within society even in these modern and seemingly liberal times, a class divide is still very apparent. This theory is based around the works of such philosophers as Karl Marx and therefore opposes the very basis of the Capitalist system. In the writing of Howieson (2006) it is stated that "a Classical Political Economy places structural conflict, inequality and the role of the state at the heart of the analysis". The Critical Perspective is a branch of the Classical Political Economy Theory. ... Critical theorists do not simply question which methods of accounting should be used, instead they investigate the role accounting as an entity takes within society and cast doubt upon the very underpinnings of the profession. In order to understand the critical theorist's view of unregulated corporate disclosures, the bigger picture of their theory must be investigated. The basis for most of the Critical theorists judgements is based upon the idea that "most rights, opportunities and associated power resides in a small (but perhaps well defined) elite," Deegan (2000). They believe that power is not spread evenly throughout society and is not something one can easily acquire but is instead controlled by this so-called "elite". Included in these elite are those who are already in power and who use this power to remain in such a position while also keeping those without power in a position where they will not be able to achieve power. The Critical view is that these elite will inevitably wish for their own good to maintain the status quo, which is already in existence and is to their benefit. If these powerful individuals were to work towards giving more opportunities to those without power it would decrease their own power level, and, in effect, their social standing. The only people who would benefit from the radical reforms, which would be entailed in the re-distribution of power throughout the various social levels, are those who do not have the ability to bring about those changes. The elite comprises of, the state, those who hold a large capital share in the economy, accountants, accounting researchers, large corporations etc. These groups of powerful people may seem very separate, but, are in fact interlinked in their control of power

Sunday, August 25, 2019

HRIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HRIS - Essay Example As stated, the self service portals help a lot in reduction of costs, which, from a return on investment (ROI) viewpoint, is a very effective method. The investment that the company makes in implementing one of the portals is returned by the low cost invested in employing HR personnel for the company. One of the best practices in implementing self service portals for the organizations is understanding the need of the organization, the size and the way the employees use the information. However, a common error that companies make is by implementing portals that are static and do not have interesting content, thus reducing the potential impact of the portal (Gueutal and Stone, 2012). Based on the reading material and the experiences from other people who have used the portals, I would recommend one of the portals to a current or previous employer. As is evident, the portals helps in managing information and communication channels between the employer and employer and also helps in reducing the costs faced by the

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Book Listing Website using PHP and mySQL,HTML Literature review

Book Listing Website using PHP and mySQL,HTML - Literature review Example This is where a Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) comes into picture. According to (ACM SIGCHI 1996), â€Å"Human-computer interaction is a discipline concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena surrounding them†. HCI in general terms can be inferred as a mix of a discipline belonging to the field of engineering dealing with the science of design. It’s a kind of study which evaluates the level of ease with which a person could use the system using the attributes of practicability, intuitiveness and accuracy. A successful interface implementation depends on how well the requirements of the system are gathered in the initial phase. There are critical opinions mentioning the lack of knowledge with developers in identifying the characteristics of humans while using a system, especially a website (Lotze 2002). Reducing design costs, improving quality and the process involved are some of the research areas that are been explored in recent times. Being a subset of User Interaction, HCI involves identifying goals from the standpoint view of both the user and business and also, developing architectural prototypes that can be refined consistently. Most of the efforts that go into coding and creating designs are actually directed towards the development of HCI. In the current trend, with the emergence of cloud computing and other technical advancements, the necessity to develop a safe, useful and commercially viable website is imperative and looking forward, it stands to remain at the same cynosure. Software Development Life Cycle Software development Life Cycle (SDLC) provides an effective approach for developing a website or any kind of software. SDLC involves seven fundamental phases which enclose the entire development timeframe of the software. All these phases are equally important as faltering in any of the phase would lead to astronomical errors in all ot her subsequent phases. The phases includes, studying feasibleness, analysing requirements, designing, modelling, implementation, testing and active operation. SDLC directly relates the phases involved in the management of project with the corresponding phases of Software Development. Out of several SDLC models that are available, for a small term project of this nature, an iterative model of SDLC would be the ideal fit. Other options include the agile and waterfall model. An iterative model allows for an openness to exist between the client and the developer and also, allows for an interactive development – enabling changes to be made even in the middle of a development process. A waterfall model does not allow for the requirements to be added at a later stage as the models are based directly on the initial requirement analysis phase. In case of developing websites, requirements often keep changing and with the advancements in technologies, there is always a constant need for fine tuning the effectiveness of a website. Hence, an iterative model suits as a best model to follow for this kind of development. Additionally, the time spent in analysing the requirements would be quite minimal in an iterative model as there is this feasibility of augmenting the development process with additional requirements, if needed. So, a cost effective, minimal time consuming iterative model would suffice the demands of developing a book listing website. (Saleh 2009) Data Security and Accessibility Information security is one of the primary aspects of

Friday, August 23, 2019

NIKEs Cheap Labor Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

NIKEs Cheap Labor - Case Study Example This paper illustrates that there are several allegations against Nike for its labor practices. Nike, as we know, is the largest shoe manufacturing company. In Indonesia, Nike pays a minimum wage of $2.50 a day to its workers although the daily livable wage in Indonesia is $4.00 to $4.50 a day. The case also reflects the poor living conditions of the workers employed in Nike. Other instances of suppression include settling labor issues through the military, compelling workers for overtime without pay, sexual harassment and molestation of female employees, and total negligence of the welfare of the workers. Nike was definitely at fault because its resources to control, prevent job injuries, tools for advocating health and safety of its workers is not very pertinent. Finally, high rates of occupational illness and poor compensation are a result of inequality in political power. The role of media is huge when it comes to raising awareness and preventing exploitation of people. They are the powerful effect on a countries growth and development. It should serve as agents for the modernization of the third world countries. Media here refers to mass media, print media and all other forms of media including the internet. They should increase their reach and provide all the news about the third world countries to the first world countries in the first place. They should also increase the third world control over communications asset which personnel from the first world countries are permitted to extract and process those into the news. They should also hold some control over world communication institutions like UN agencies. The Social responsibility system advocates press freedom. Its purposes are similar to libertarian goals of informing, entertaining, selling, serving as a check on government. Media acts as a bridge between the government and the citizens of that country. It should keep the citizens aware of the development that is going on in their country and wheth er it would profit them or led them towards destruction.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Write About How Faulks Introduces the Story in Part 2 of Birdsong Essay Example for Free

Write About How Faulks Introduces the Story in Part 2 of Birdsong Essay Write about how Faulks tells the story in the first section of Part 2, beginning with the words JACK FIREBRACE LAY forty-five feet underground .. And ending with the words A rising melody under the scratch of a thick gramophone needle† (Pages 121 to 138 Vintage Edition). (21 marks) Faulks tells the story of Birdsong in the introduction of Part 2 by instantly creating a dramatic effect by changing every key factor from part 1 to Part 2 including which decade it is in and the characters. The first line of Part 2 instantly creates a gripping effect on the reader. ‘Jack Firebrace lay forty five feet underground’ Faulk’s purposely created a complete change in scenery, plot and person to foreshadow the rest of Part 2 and also make the reader feel as if the story is surreal as such dramatic changes so quickly processed as you are reading it does not feel real, such a dramatic change in one page was purposely done by Faulks to make the reader feel more interested and inquisitive as to why everything has been so dramatically changed. The word ‘Firebrace’ can be split it into two, fire and brace. Fire is a symbolism of chaos, destruction and war which fits in perfectly for the running theme throughout part 2 of Birdsong and fits with destruction of lives, lands and also mental stability all caused by the chaos of a war. However, ‘Brace’ is something which holds things together to give support and putting these two together shows that even though there is fire in the war as long as the men have each other for support they can find a way to get through it and this cr eates an awareness of the war that Faulk’s is trying to show in Part 2. Part 2 shows how the war affected people personally and no matter how aggressive the war became, the inner streams of consciousness of their own thoughts was always worse because some things you see can never escape your mind. ‘There were sounds, distant and irregular. He could not be sure what they were.’ The quote in a literal sense is talking about the sounds they can hear inside the tunnel however; metaphorically it can be interpreted to mean the voices inside their head. The voices can be shown as ‘distant’ because the people who they think of are so far away and out of reach which shows how they miss them even subconsciously. Another connotation of ‘distant’ could be the distant thoughts of dying. These men know that at any minute they could die from this war and that thought should be kept as distant and far as possible to remain an optimistic view of the war because otherwise they are somewhere with death creeping on them but also acknowledge that and became fearful of it constantly and to live a life like that for years on end effects the stability of your mind and how you look at life as a whole. The word ‘irregular’ could have been used by Faulks to symbolise the irregularity of the situation they are in, the irregularities of the war and the irregularities of humanity. Everything they are doing is so irregular and immoral but somehow it is still their job to do so, without knowing anything about the person they are killing they are still killing them. For some reason, this was law this was the rules and nothing was deemed as wrong and this is so irregular and out of normality yet it still happened. This was purposely done by Faulk’s to create awarenes s of the faults in humanity during this period of time. In part 2, sections of the book show a dramatic change of events so instantly. ‘Before he could finish there was a roar in the tunnel and a huge ball of earth and rock blew past them. It took four men with it.’ The section goes from being very tense with the edge of your seat effect and anticipating a climax event, knowing something is about to happen and then suddenly in one sentence all changes from the emotions of the characters, the destination to the status of living and dead. Such grave factors have changed in one sentence. Faulks purposely does this to create a change in structure and show how at any point anything can happen. ‘It took four men with it.’ This line is monosyllabic; this is intentionally done by Faulks to create a contrasting effect. The plot and the structure of the sentence completely contrast each other as what the quote says is four people have just died, their lives gone and no more yet the simplicity of the language the one syllable one word makes it seem so calm natural and simple. This is done by Faulk’s to show contrast in plot and structure in part 2. The effect of symbolism to refer to past events and character is used in Part 2. ‘Evans had tried to light a candle but there was not enough oxygen. The match burned bright red but would not flame.’ This can be seen as reference to ‘The Red Room’ in Part 1 of the book. The red room was always seen to the reader as a room of passion and lust where Stephan and Isabelle had united however, the flame was never fully burnt, this could have been because of the fact they both knew they were in the wrong or the fact that the true emotion of love wasn’t perfectly there. There was not enough oxygen to light the flame. The double meaning behind this showed Isabelle’s true feelings towards Azaire and possibly Stephan also. She could try as hard as it was possible to show love and true intimacy but the truth of her emotions was that they were never completely whole and there. Without oxygen you cannot light a flame and without true feeling you cannot have love. The use of the words ‘light’ and ‘flame’ and how they are lost is also part of the running theme throughout the novel; the loss of hope is represented by loss and in this quotation lack of light. On pages 126-127 Jack receives a letter from his ex-wife Margaret. The structure is very neat and in line, the number of lines per paragraph is roughly the same amount and punctuation is very neat. No short sentences or any other literary devises are used to create any dramatic effects. This could show how Margaret is trying to remain calm even with the knowledge that both her son and her husband are in possibility of dying. The letter also quotes ‘as you will imagine it is not easy getting medicine and the doctors to look after him with so much going on at the front which is how it should be.’ Faulks creates awareness of the war and how it affected not only the soldiers out there fighting but also the citizens at home fighting as all priorities were on the war and this was not wrong but this mean that people at home were also dying from lack of necessities in place, people that if the war had not happened would not have died as well as the millions of soldiers. To conclude, Faulks introduced Part 2 by dramatically changing events and also creating a theme of lost hope to symbolise how the characters and also people that were part of WW1 did emotionally feel. Personally, I think that the introduction of part 2 was written to show awareness of the horrors of war. Faulk’s wanted to show to his readers how difficult and life changing this war really was. Faulks shows in his introduction that you were killed by your own men if you committed a mistake like sleeping on the job. Something as small a mistake as that could get you killed. In birdsong men ‘he had never touched tobacco’ and then it turned into ‘now it was his greatest comfort.’ Tobacco kills you slowly yet that becomes the greatest comfort that is how grave it was, how the only way to make you feel better was to kill yourself slowly rather than in one shot. The fact men had never tried it but now it was their pain reliever shows just how the war changed people so much physically as well as mentally. Stability was lost and men became killing machines this was not humane. Faulk’s shows this as he writes in every word of the true horrors, people dying flames not being lit properly, men losing each other no stability at all and all to create awareness.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Galactic type Essay Example for Free

Galactic type Essay Galaxies can be explained as massive systems of stars, dust, gas as well as other types of matter that are bound together by gravitational forces to form a single physical mass. As Binney and Merrifield (1998: p 34) explain, on the basis of extensive imaging surveys that have been carried out, it is estimated that there are more than 40 billion galaxies in the universe, that are spread out in a complex large-scale systems for example, clusters, super-clusters. There are also boundaries of huge empty spaces referred to as voids. The sun is just part of galaxy called the Milky Way. This galaxy is a much flattened spiral galaxy that could be comprised by more than 400 billions stars. Through the use of telescopes, it is possible to view these galaxies. Gravitational Lenses Gravitational lenses can be described as galaxies and clusters of galaxies, which are so huge that they cause bends to the route of light objects towards their directions, thus they distort the forms of backdrop galaxies into curves as well as rings. At times these gravitational lenses can even lead to photos of galaxies and quasars to be seen in symmetrical outlines around them. However such cosmetic arrangement is very rare and only occurs in out of a thousand elliptical galaxies. Galaxy merges It has been noted that galaxies comes together to create merges. In such a case galaxies can merge in two different ways. One is through forming stars, and the second way is by merging together. Basing on the present theories of how galaxies are formed, it is expected that they are must be extensive merging going on. In fact, there are many examples to attests this point. However, it is very hard to consistently measure the extent of merging that is happening; it calls for huge samples and keen measuring machines and eyes. (http://www. galaxyzoo. org/science) Understanding these galaxies is a significant part of contemporary astronomy. Galaxies are basic units of matter within the space, and explaining the way they are formed as well as how they have achieved their present form is very critical for various aspects in astronomy. Indeed it is significant to note that what is presently known regarding galaxies started with just a simple classification of how the galaxies appeared through the photos taken using huge observatory telescopes. From these photos, galaxies present a broad diversity of forms, or shapes and can basically be divided into various classes just like living things are classified. Classification of galaxy Visual galaxy classification has continued to be helpful at a moment when galaxies still are not better understood. Classification of galaxies offers an outline for more studies and proposes a sound approach to studying these complex galaxies. Classification of galaxies Binney and Merrifield (1998 pp 36) tells us that, different schemes have been formulated to bring some order to galactic zoo; this has been done through pigeonholing galaxies in relation to one or various properties that include shape, luminosity and spectrum. This section has listed some galaxy classification. Hubble classification The well known and mostly used general scheme of galaxy classification is the Hubble classification. In this classification, galaxies are classified according to how they appear. This system was formulated by Edwin Hubble, and it splits the galaxies into spiral (normal as well as barred), elliptical and irregulars. This scheme is characterized by the well known turning-fork figure. Elliptical galaxies are further grouped from spherical (E0) to highly elongated (E7) in relation to their increasing eccentricity. Generally, spirals vary from Sa (those with arms closely wound) to SBc (those with arms extensively spaced). Irregulars are referred to as Ir. However, Alan Sandage added an extra category to this initial scheme. What was added is S0 for describing lenticular system that has a nucleus that is surrounded by a circle-like structure that does not have spiral arms. Accordingly Buta, Corwin and Odewahn (2002, p, 3) explains that, Galaxies are as well usually termed as ‘early’ for those designated as E and S0 or to be ‘late’ for those designated as Sb, Sb and Irr, in essence this is a remainder of early ideas that galaxies physically evolved alongside the Hubble order. Sadly, this classification is contrary to that of the leading stellar population among these types, and it is also contrary to the early-late classification used in the Yerkes nomenclature. The figure bellow shows some of the galaxy classifications Source: http://www. daviddarling. info/encyclopedia/G/galaxies. html Morgan classification William Morgan also formulated a scheme of classifying galaxies that applies the integrated spectrum of stars and their shapes (apparent and real) together with the degree of the galaxy central concentration. This scheme spells out the galactic spectral form as, a; af; fg; g; gk or k (the letter/s corresponds to the various integrated stellar forms). There are other form used for example, S for spiral; B for barred spiral; E for elliptical structure; L for low surface brightness and N for tiny bright nucleus. Numbers are used to classifying the inclination line of vision, thus, 1 is used for face on while 7 is used for edge-on (numbers 1 to 7 are used). Accordingly, Andromeda Galaxy classification is as kS5 De Vaucouleurs-Sandage classification In this classification, SA designates ordinary spirals, while SB designates barred spirals. Then a lower case s in brackets designates S-shaped spirals. Alternatively r will designate ringed shape. Lastly, various transitional phases have been incorporated between SA spirals and Magellanic irregulars Im. Thus using this classification, Andromeda Galaxy is classified as Sa (s) b. Van den Bergh (DDD) classification This classification comprises two parameters. The first one is galactic type (this are Sa; Sb; Sc and Ir). The second parameter is the luminosity class (designated as I, II, III, IV and V). Just like the MKK structure of stellar luminosity classification, the notations S- as well as S+ are applied to designate sub-giant species that have low or high resolution, correspondingly. S (B) notation has created to designate objects that are intermediate between real spirals and the barred spirals. Conclusion Galaxy classification is very useful since it provides a lot of insight information on physical aspects of galaxies. In classifying galaxies, there are various schemes that are used; however, the scheme formulated by Edwin Hubble though revised over the years still remains the most widely used. Classification of galaxy has laid down the foundation of future study in understanding the galaxies. Through correct classification we gain better understanding of these complex galaxies and indeed of our universe. Reference: Binney, Joseph and Morrison Merrifield: Galactic Astronomy: Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1998: pp 34-37 Buta, Ronald; Howard Corwin and Stephen Odewahn: Galaxy classification: Cambridge University Press, 2002, p 2-4 Galaxy Zoo: The Science: Accessed from: http://www. galaxyzoo. org/science on 12/6/2009 Galaxy Zoo (2009): The Story So Far Accessed from: http://www. galaxyzoo. org/story on 12/6/2009 The internet Encyclopedia of science: Galaxy classification: Accessed from: http://www. daviddarling. info/encyclopedia/G/galaxies. html on 12/6/2009

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Stigma of Self-Harm in Healthcare Services

Stigma of Self-Harm in Healthcare Services Self-harm a deliberate attempt to self-poison or self-injure regardless of the incentive or suicidal intent is a growing problem in the United Kingdom with a heavy burden on health-care systems. Despite this escalating crisis, attitudes from health professionals who treat self-harmers remain negative and the quality of care is deteriorating. The myths of why people self-harm play a substantial role in health professionals perceptions of self-harmers, which impacts on the efficacy of intervention and recovery rates; however, these myths are far from the reality. This article will reveal the stigma that self-harmers encounter from those at the front-line of our healthcare services and will seek to explain the real reasons behind self-harmful behaviour. By increasing public awareness and educating health professionals on the motives behind self-harmful behaviour, misconceptions and negative attitudes can be diminished. Studies show that self-harm is a common pattern among adolescents and young adults 13-25% has reported a history of self-injury. Although many young people only engage in self-harm once or twice, others go on to become chronic self-harmers, with studies evidencing that 6% of the college population do chronically self-harm. Still, these figures may be underestimated as many self-harmers do not seek help. Due to the lack of knowledge and negative misconceptions, those who do seek help report unsatisfactory care from paramedics and emergency staff, who are often the first point of contact. Front-line professionals are in a rare position to interrupt the cycle of self-harm; however, with inadequate rapport between staff and patients, the cycle will continue to have devastating consequences on individuals in need of help. The following misconceptions are put forward. The first misconception of why people self-harm is the desire to end ones life. In a systematic review of attitudes towards people who self harm, it was found that suicide-risk was a common reason for self-injury as agreed among most clinical staff groups (Saunders, Hawton, Fortune Farrell, 2012). Whilst self-harm is the biggest predictor of suicidality, those who self-injure do so as a means to manage their distress and cope with negative feelings. The affect regulation model of self-injury proposes that it is a method to relieve acute negative feelings and emotions. It is suggested that early environment may play a role in affect regulation by teaching poor coping strategies to deal with emotional distress. It is also suggested that those with a biological disposition for emotional instability may be more prone to resort to this strategy to manage their emotions. In a systematic review of self-harm (Edmondson, Brennan House, 2015), affect-regulation was found to be the most commo n reason for the behaviour. Quantitative studies revealed that the majority of participants (93%) favoured affect-regulation items such as to get relief from a terrible state of mind or calming myself down. This was further supported by qualitative studies which reported that the majority of participants (92%) endorsed in reasons such as relieving emotional pain or to calm myself when Im incredibly emotional or upset. In further support of the affect-regulation model, research has reported that self-harmers have a poor ability to regulate emotions when experiencing negative affect, as indicated by MRI scans revealing greater amygdala activation (Davis et al., 2014). Consequently, this research shows that self-harm is often carried out for the purpose of reducing negative emotions and to avoid attempting suicide, as opposed to the misconception of health professionals. The second misconception of why people self-harm is attention-seeking and manipulation. A study which examined nurses perceptions of self-harmers revealed that labels were used to describe patients such as attention seekers or time wasters (Shaw Sandy, 2016). Although some self-harmers agree that self-injury is an attention-seeking act, most insist that it is a help-seeking strategy. The interpersonal-influence model argues that self-harm is undertaken as a means of influencing people in the self-harmers environment. It is argued that self-harm is a cry for help, an avoidance of abandonment or an effort to ensure that they are listened to. To support this, research has found that the second most commonly reported reason for deliberate self-harm is a cry for help motive, including reasons such as to show how desperate I was feeling or to hope that others notice something is wrong (Muehlenkamp, Brausch, Quigley Whitlock, 2012). In a systematic review (Edmondson et al., 2015), interpe rsonal influence was a common reason for self-harm. Quantitative studies revealed that a large majority of participants (87%) favoured interpersonal influence items such as to seek help from someone or letting others know the extent of my physical pain. This was further supported by qualitative studies which reported that over half of the participants (56%) supported interpersonal reasons such as I received the warmth, love and attention I had been looking for. Reasons such as to frighten someone or to shock or hurt someone are least commonly endorsed. This research supports the view that self-harm is a call for help, unlike the misconception which suggests that self-harm is an act of manipulation. A third misconception is that self-harmers can stop if they want to. Although this is true for some, studies have shown that self-harm can become an addiction. In substance addiction, there is a positive reinforcement which is associated with increasing dopamine levels in the brain and negative reinforcement which is associated with relieving negative mood states. Research has found that negative reinforcement plays a part in self-injury. Participants generally experience negative feelings before self-harming, including sadness and frustration but subsequently experience positive feelings after the act, including euphoria and satisfaction (Klonsky, 2009). In a qualitative study, participants compared their self-harm to having a drug addiction (Brown Kimball, 2012). They declared that self-injury was a reliable fix for overwhelming feelings and they had experienced highs from their self-harming behaviour. Participants also stated that their need to self-harm progressed over time, inc luding the frequency and intensity, and when trying to stop the behaviour they would feel a greater urge to continue. Furthermore, biological research has found that self-harmful behaviour releases endorphins in the brain which produces a euphoric state, reducing pain and alleviating emotional distress (Sher Stanley, 2009). Therefore, self-harmful behaviour can be overpowering and can be a challenge to cease, unlike the misconception that one can easily stop if they want to. Although the code of professional conduct states that health professionals should be kind, respectful, compassionate, non-judgemental and show an appreciation of diversity and equality, it appears that many hospital staff are not following this important regime. Whilst these misconceptions are circulating healthcare systems, perceptions and attitudes toward self-harmers remain unchanged. Discrimination towards those vulnerable can be direct and indirect. Research has revealed that some staff deliberately distant themselves from self-harming patients because they hold feelings of irritation, anger and frustration towards them, especially those who frequently return to hospital (Conlon Tuathail, 2012). Some health professionals may not be aware of their attitude; however, their demeanour and manner towards patients can appear obvious to the recipient. As a result, self-harming patients become less of a priority compared to those with a physical illness; consequently, influencing their entitlement to care. Correspondingly, many self-harming patients feel ignored by health professionals and believe that they are perceived as harder work or time consumers (Chapman Martin, 2014). Research has found that young people who self-harm have reported avoiding the access and emergency department due to their own and others previous unsatisfactory experiences. It has been reported that patients have experienced discrimination and have been denied care, such as pain relief, because they have caused their own injuries. Patients were also denied information and were talked about in an ignorant manner. They were also told by health professionals that they were selfish, inconsiderate and were wasting time that could be spent on real patients. Consequently, negative attitudes reinforced the feelings of shame and worthlessness leading to further self-harmful behaviour. This influenced their future decisions to avoid help from health professionals (Owens, Hansford, Sharkey Ford, 2016). Although some health professionals can be stigmatizing towards self-harming patients, other professionals such as nurses feel helpless, powerless and dissatisfied when caring for these patients due to lack of knowledge and training. Nurses feel frustrated as the emergency department is not helpful in treating patients who self-harm the busy nature of the environment, lack of time, privacy and resources all of which prevent the development of therapeutic relationships (Martin Chapman, 2014). Nurses feel that treatments and interventions are insufficient and self-harm patients require specialist treatment which the emergency department cannot provide (Gibb et al., 2010). Research has found a negative relationship between staff members negative attitudes and knowledge: health professionals who have an accurate knowledge of self-harmful behaviour show a more positive attitude overall and feel more effective at treating patients. Moreover, when nurses are keen to empathise with self-ha rming patients, the rapport between the nurse and patient is generally more positive (Tzeng, Yang, Tzeng Chen, 2010). Research has shown that when nurses are provided with mental health training, their attitude changes towards those who self-harm. For example, nurses become more empathetic and patient-orientated. Nurses also described having more confidence to communicate effectively with patients. This positively influenced feedback from patients and the team atmosphere (Karman, Kool, Gamel Meijel, 2015). Key findings: There are three main misconceptions surrounding the motives and intentions of self-harm self-harmers are suicidal, attention seeking and/or manipulative, and they have the ability to stop self-harming when they want to. Psychological theories (the affect-regulation model, the interpersonal-influence model) and research challenge these misconceptions and claim that people self-injure in order to manage their emotions or to seek help from those around them, and their ability to stop can be hindered by the addictive nature. Health professionals direct and indirect behaviour can influence the care that a self-harming patient receives, potentially increasing the risk of further self-harm. Health professionals report feeling powerless when caring for self-harming patients due to the nature of the environment, lack of resources, skills and knowledge. Self-harming patients are receiving unsatisfactory care which suggests that there is a lack of knowledge and procedure for managing these patients. The national guidelines are designed to influence local and departmental policies to lead front-line staff; however, this system appears to be failing, as the procedure to care for those who self-harm remains ineffective (Rees, Rapport, Thomas, John Snooks, 2014). Health professions working in the National Health Service are already under strenuous pressure, working long hours and coping with increasing workloads and organisational changes due to the lack of resources and funding. At present, this is an on-going struggle for staff, so with the accumulation of further education and training, this may be seem like an impossible challenge. Nevertheless, patients are priority in the code of professional conduct and it is an ethical issue if health professionals continue to ignore this code. In any case, there is a strong link between self-harm and suicide, despite many self-harmers agreeing that suicidality is not a motive. Therefore, these patients should be taken seriously and health professionals should be made aware of the risk of suicide, especially those who are inexperienced. Consequently, there are many suggestions that can be made in order to reduce stigma and improve healthcare for those who self-injure. First, health professionals should be educated on the motives behind self-harmful behaviour and the context in which it occurs. Education may not work alone; therefore, it may be beneficial if a trainer with personal experiences of self-harm shares their story in order to inform professionals through a traditional-transference approach (Karman, Kool, Gamel Meijel, 2015). This will provide professionals with a deeper understanding and will help to change perceptions of those who self-harm. They should also be educated on communication and interpersonal skills, which will help to enhance therapeutic relationships between staff members and patients. In addition to education, on-going training for health professionals should be provided to continuously update their knowledge and skills to care for those with self-injuries. Training should cover knowledge, understanding, attitudes, behaviours, risk assessment and management of self-harming patients. Staff should also be trained to identify risky behaviours and to understand the barriers that self-harmers encounter, as well as understanding their mental health needs and helping them to seek advice and guidance. In addition, refection in practice should be encouraged when caring for people who self-harm. In short, policy documents, care pathways, protocols and local guidelines should be reviewed and revised so that education and training needs of health professionals are met. This will potentially influence the care that self-harmers receive. Health professionals should treat self-harming patients as any other sick patients on the ward and communicate sensitively. They should aim to develop rapport with patient in order to improve patients engagement with the services. Nevertheless, health professionals who work on wards where self-harm is severe may also require extra support from colleagues and managers or may require psychological support such as debriefing. If the pressure is too intense for health professionals, a brief screening tool could be introduce to help identify those at risk of suicide. Alternatively, there could be a specialised clinician working on emergency departments supervising front-line staff. Thus, a multi-disciplinary framework may be the ultimate approach to success which will also relieve some pressure off front-line staff. The context which care is provided to patients and the lack of training and support from managers can challenge professionals ability to do their job which affects their confidence and increases feelings of frustration and negativity.

Lord Of The Flies-symbolism :: essays research papers

Symbolism is defined as the representation; treatment or interpretation of things as symbolic. In society and in particular, literature, symbolism is a prominent component that helps to illustrate a deeper meaning then perceived by the reader. Symbolism can be anything, a person, place or thing, used to portray something beyond itself. It is used to represent or foreshadow the conclusion of the story. In William Golding’s, Lord of the Flies symbolism of the main characters Ralph, Jack and Simon plays a very important role in helping to show how our society functions and the different types of personalities that exist. An examination of Simon as a symbol of good, Ralph as a symbol of the common man, and Jack as a symbol of evil, clearly illustrates that William Golding uses characters as a symbol of what is really happening in the outside world throughout the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First off, the common man is someone who has a balance between good and evil, a good perception of reality and strong morals. In Lord of the Flies, Ralph is the character who is perceived as this type of individual. The first example of this is Ralph’s appearance. Ralph keeps and continues to wear his school sweater while other boys run around naked. This illustrates his desire to keep the island somewhat civilized. Secondly, he does everything in his power to keep the boys working together and getting along with each other. Lastly, Ralph attempts to keep the boys under a type of domesticated. He tries to do this by making such laws as the freedom of speech. This law gave any member of the group a right to express his opinion. Unfortunately, Ralph’s attempts failed and the boys became savages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Secondly, the evil side of a person is an unavoidable thing. It can be supressed but also can take over a person. Although everyone has an evil side, some have a harder time controlling it then others. The character of Jack was the representation of evil in the novel. First, Jack’s appearance is stereotypical of a possessed or evil person. He is tall and slender, with red hair and sports a of the slaughtered pig suggests is evil nature. This is a strange and barbaric thing to do in a civil society. Lastly, the fact that Jack black clock. Secondly, when he baptizes himself with the blood showed no remorse about the death of Simon clearly illustrates that he is the representations of evil in the novel. Lord Of The Flies-symbolism :: essays research papers Symbolism is defined as the representation; treatment or interpretation of things as symbolic. In society and in particular, literature, symbolism is a prominent component that helps to illustrate a deeper meaning then perceived by the reader. Symbolism can be anything, a person, place or thing, used to portray something beyond itself. It is used to represent or foreshadow the conclusion of the story. In William Golding’s, Lord of the Flies symbolism of the main characters Ralph, Jack and Simon plays a very important role in helping to show how our society functions and the different types of personalities that exist. An examination of Simon as a symbol of good, Ralph as a symbol of the common man, and Jack as a symbol of evil, clearly illustrates that William Golding uses characters as a symbol of what is really happening in the outside world throughout the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First off, the common man is someone who has a balance between good and evil, a good perception of reality and strong morals. In Lord of the Flies, Ralph is the character who is perceived as this type of individual. The first example of this is Ralph’s appearance. Ralph keeps and continues to wear his school sweater while other boys run around naked. This illustrates his desire to keep the island somewhat civilized. Secondly, he does everything in his power to keep the boys working together and getting along with each other. Lastly, Ralph attempts to keep the boys under a type of domesticated. He tries to do this by making such laws as the freedom of speech. This law gave any member of the group a right to express his opinion. Unfortunately, Ralph’s attempts failed and the boys became savages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Secondly, the evil side of a person is an unavoidable thing. It can be supressed but also can take over a person. Although everyone has an evil side, some have a harder time controlling it then others. The character of Jack was the representation of evil in the novel. First, Jack’s appearance is stereotypical of a possessed or evil person. He is tall and slender, with red hair and sports a of the slaughtered pig suggests is evil nature. This is a strange and barbaric thing to do in a civil society. Lastly, the fact that Jack black clock. Secondly, when he baptizes himself with the blood showed no remorse about the death of Simon clearly illustrates that he is the representations of evil in the novel.

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Forgotten Female in the Works of Ernest Hemingway Essay -- Biograp

The Forgotten Female in the Works of Hemingway      Ã‚  Ã‚   Ernest Hemingway has often been accused of misogyny in his treatment of female characters (and, perhaps, in his treatment of women in his own life). "It is not fashionable these days to praise the work of Ernest Hemingway," says Frederick Busch. "His women too often seem to be projections of male needfulness" (1). Many of his stories are seen as prototypical bildungsroman stories--stories, usually, of young men coming of age. There are few, if any, stories in the canon of women coming of age, however, and Hemingway is not the first to suffer the wrath of feminist critics. But is this wrath justified?    In his dissertation, Mark G. Newton reviews some of the critical literature that places Hemingway within the misogynist genre. "Cliches [sic] abound," he says. "Hemingway was in search of his manhood (an ignoble quest?); he hated women; he had a "death wish" and a "thin persona"; he was the archpriest of violence, etc." (6). However, Newton sees women in Hemingway's works as the "positive life-directed force which transports the male Hemingway hero away from a debilitating wound" (2), and he places them into "[t]he roles manifested by Hemingway's women in aiding the hero": "Ideal Women," "Sister Guides," "Icons and Dream Visions," "Wicked Women Who Also Serve," "Feminine Points of View," and "Full Cycle." My problem with Newton's approach to the feminine in Hemingway is that Newton seems to accept that, in presenting women as archetypal Eve's, the woman as "help-meet"-type image, that Hemingway is somehow presenting women favorably.    A somewhat similar view is presented by Jeryl J. Prescott in "Liberty for Just(Us): Gender and Race in ... ... of Melville, Twain, and Hemingway. New York: Peter Lang, 1984. Kennedy, J. Gerald. "Hemingway's Gender Trouble." American Literature 63:2 (1991): 187-207. Miller, Linda Patterson. "Hemingway's Women: A Reassessment." Hemingway in Italy and Other Essays. Ed. Robert W,. Lewis. Praeger, 1990. Newton, Mark G. Beyond the Wound: The Role of Women in Aiding the Hemingway Hero. Dissertation: U of S. Florida, 1985. Penn Warren, Robert. "Ernest Hemingway," Introduction to Modern Standard Authors edition of A Farewell to Arms. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1949. Prescott, Jeryl J. "Liberty for Just(us): Gender and Race in Hemingway's To Have and Have Not." College Language Association Journal 37:2 (1993): 176-88. Willingham, Kathy. "Hemingway's The Garden of Eden: Writing with the Body." The Hemingway Review 12:2 (1993): 46-61.   

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Euthanasia: A Painless Deaceful Death Essay -- Argument for Euthanasia

Euthanasia is a painless peaceful death. Euthanasia is defined as the deliberate putting to death of a person suffering from a painful, incurable disease(New Standard Encyclopedia Dictionary). People use other terms to describe euthanasia: mercy killing, assisted suicide, and physician assisted suicide. Euthanasia can be unresponsive, (inactive) or active. Unresponsive euthanasia occurs when an incurably ill person refuses life sustaining medical support. Active euthanasia happens when another person deliberately causes the death of a terminally ill person, such as when someone gives a terminally ill person a lethal injection. Euthanasia can also be voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary euthanasia occurs with the consent of the dying person, while involuntary euthanasia happens when the dying person doesn’t give their consent. The right to die term used in the support of euthanasia started in the 1970s. It describes the rights of those that are terminally ill or those that are seriously injured. It started in the 1970s with the case of Karen Ann Quinlan from New Jersey. Karen fell into a coma from the use of drugs and alcohol. Being kept alive with a respirator and feeding tube, her parents decided on pulling the plug and ending her life. In 1976, Karen was hospitalized in a Catholic Hospital. The hospital refused the parents request to end her life. The Supreme Court of New Jersey ruled that the parents of Karen Ann Quinlan had the right to decide their daughter’s fate. This decision started the â€Å"right to die† issues (Charles E Hughes). Neutralization who’s against it and who’s for it, some of the arguments against euthanasia are that suicide no matter how or why is wrong. Under special conditions even the Catholic Church... ...e is a quote: â€Å"The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction is the first and only legitimate object of good government† (Thomas Jefferson). â€Å"There is no quality of life when the patient is dead† (Nurse). Conclusion There are good sides and bad sides to euthanasia. It all depends on which side you’re on. The main idea is that a patient should have a choice and that choice can’t be taken away from them. People make choices everyday, sometimes those choices are difficult, but those choices should not be taken away by the government, or buy a physician who thinks their patient cannot make a competent decision. The elderly and the terminally ill should be able to make their own choice. It seems as if everything else is taken away, so their rights should not be an exception. Given the choice, seniors might feel as if they are dying with dignity.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Chinese government Essay

Ai WeiWei blurred the lines between the aesthetic and the political. According to the internet, aesthetic is defined as concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty. Ai WeiWei used art to â€Å"protest† against the Chinese government. Ai Weiwei was a creative man who thought of ideas how to represent the names of all the children who were killed in a deadly earthquake. A commentator in the movie claimed that Ai WeiWei was doing a job that the government should be doing. A deadly earthquake collapsed many buildings including homes and schools. Thousands of children were killed and were left unrecognized. Ai WeiWei wasn’t going to let this go. He assembled a project, full of volunteers to help him search for the names of the children who were killed in the disaster. He placed every individual name on his wall. The project inspired him to create more pieces of art work to revolt against the Chinese government. Ai WeiWei was a fearless man. Ai WeiWei was very involved with social media. He used twitter to share to the world how corrupt China’s government was. He left China when he said â€Å"Fuck You Mother Land. † Cameras are sometimes forbidden in China. Ai WeiWei was assaulted by a police officer, but that did not stop him from taking pictures in front court houses or of an officer who was at the scene when he was attacked. Ai WeiWei created a wall full of back packs to make other individuals aware of the children that died in the earthquake. During the 2nd anniversary, Ai WeiWei asked his followers to pick a name and record it on tape and share it to the world. Ai WeiWei was sharing his experience in China of the corrupt government with thousands of people around the world. Ai WeiWei made people aware of what was going on in China. Ai WeiWei became well-known through his work of art. He expressed his ideas through his work. Not only did his art make him well-known, Ai WeiWei captured many supporters to revolt against the corrupt system. Ai WeiWei was a man with no selfishness. He looked out for others and he was always looking and searching for ideas that would help him and his followers. Ai WeiWei was not afraid of the consequences, as long as he knew it was for the good.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Pride And Prejudice Diary Entry

Dear Diary, Little did I know about Mr.Bingley and Mr.Darcy. I heard some good things about them but nothing really relevant. But it was my time to find out everything I needed to know about them at a small dinner party that someone organised. It doesn't matter how the party will be, I want to know who is going to be there, and most importantly, what will happen. I spent the whole day shopping for my dress, and some accessories. I bought a diamond necklace and I was ready to gossip about the new gentleman's in town. I enter the dinner without socialising to much, I didn't want to get distracted, I was keeping my prize. I saw one of the two dancing, how did I know it was them? Every single one of my friend was ‘spying' on those two guys. It must have been them. I get closer and closer and I just can't avoid to notice how one of the two looks so arrogant and bored. His face had no emotion, the little emotion he portrayed was negative. He was bored and wasn't even dancing. However, the other one had an endless smile on his face and he was undeniably having fun like a real gentleman. I go there and find out that the boring, arrogant looking one was Mr.Darcy. So obviously the other one was Mr.Bingley who was flirting with a girl. I couldn't be bothered to even look at the girl because I was so distracted from this amazingly fascinating man. Mr.Bingley stops dancing for a while and speaks to Mr.Darcy but I'm not near enough to listen to what they are saying. I see Mr.Darcy pointing at Lizzy and, Lizzy offended. Her eyes were full of tears. What did he say? Why did she cry? â€Å"She is tolerant; but not handsome enough to tempt me†. These are the words Mr.Darcy said about Lizzy. No wonder she got offended. His character was decided, he is an arrogant and exuberant person. I stop concentrating on Mr Darcy because he is too boring for me, I need some interesting things. Some gossip. I run to my girlfriends and they immediately point at Mr.Bingley. Yes, I knew he was dancing with a girl, but I looked at his eyes and I was shocked. His eyes fell in love. No wonder he had a huge smile on his face, he fell in love with Lydia. Meanwhile I notice that Mr.Bennet announces that he had already met Mr.Bingley. He didn't tell the wife or the daughters. Why? Well I don't really care. He probably did it to contradict his family. He is a nice man but he is always playing jokes and tricks on everyone. Especially the wife. I can't believe these two individuals are married, they are like day and night, two complete different things. I see the two of them discussing about inviting Mr.Bingley to dinner. The night was over. What will Happen Next? Only I know! And who am I? That's a secret I'll never tell, the only one.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Lake effect snow in areas east of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie

The effect of lake effect snowfall has increasing been felt by residents of cities east side of Lakes Ontario and Lake Erie.   Areas surrounding these great lakes can attest to the fact that amount of snowfall each year increases causing devastating damages to the livelihood of city residents in Buffalo, Rochester Watertown and Syracuse.   These effects are felt more by these areas since they lie on the leeward sides.   During winter days, the snow surface can raise to as high as 1200cm.   In such extreme cases, recreational activities, schooling agriculture and other economic activities have been profoundly incapacitated (Rosenfeld, 2000).The major explanation that has been underpinned to increased lake effect snowfall is global warming caused by emissions of green gases.   This paper makes a summary of the proposed project which is an analysis of the lake effect snowfall in cities east side of lakes Ontario and lake Erie, by outlining the various data and methodology†™s, interpretation tools and reasons why the steps will be crucial to achieving objectives of this proposed research.  IntroductionThe scientific explanation behind snowfall production is a clearly understood topic at least to most scientists; however, the lake effect snow that happens over great lakes in the USA remains a mystery.   However, â€Å"Numerous studies have found a strong correlation between the strength of lake-effect snow and the degree to which the wind changes direction with height in the lower atmosphere. Thus, the minimizations of directional wind `shear` is considered to be an excellent predictor of LES snowfall rates and intensity. In general, when we think about wind direction and lake-effect snow, the first thing that comes to mind is fetch and how it affects lake-effect snow.Assuming that there is sufficient number of cases, one may examine how other variables affect lake-effect snow when fetch remains the same. An example is studying how wind speed af fects snowfall for a given fetch. The purpose of this project is to establish the extent of lake effect snow in Lake Erie and Ontario and its effect to Metropoliation Buffalo and Rochester along with the eastern cities on the eastern end of Lake Ontario.Background study.The scientific explanations advanced about lake effect snow is cold air masses that originate from Canada have low water content which is warmed up and moistened as it passes over the Great lakes thereby creating lower atmospheric instability and upward motion.   As a result, friction between the down winds land surfaces, upslope flow of winds cause boundary layer turbulence, and hence the LES (Dewey 1979).   Lake effect snow is used to describe snowfall that occurs during the winter months and falls due to the mixture of cold air and warm air from lakes as winds cross over water masses of the great lakes. (Niziol, 1987) The manifestation of this contact between cold occurs in localized manner.This is because the snowfalls are not wind driven.   Thus, it is possible to find clear skies in one area surrounding great lakes and another covered with heavy snow downpour.   It is crucial for residents of area surrounding great lakes to be able to predict when a snow burst is likely to strike. Although nature can be difficult to predict, climatologic have made some headways into techniques useful for prediction purposes say. Studying synoptic scale weather pattern, study of temperature of water surfaces wind direction and speed changes in wind direction with height and so on.The visible effect of these IES is heavy snowfall in surrounding areas of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.   It winter periods, the areas around these great lakes can experience a one-day snowfall of up to 175 cm deep or 300cm on a span of five days.   In extreme cases 1200 cm, deep snow has been reported in areas like New York (Dewey, 1979).   Wintertime in these areas is often a disaster due to the dramatic results of l ake effect snowfall. Meteorologists have expressed concern over increase of lake effect snowfall in areas surrounding Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Leather et al (1996) proposes that 30% to 60% of the increased instance of lake enhance snowfall increase has accrued from increased frequency of synoptic weather that is conducive for lake effect snowfall in cities east of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.However, the proposal advanced by leather is elusive because it does not submit the reason behind the rise of synoptic weather in the first place.   As seen in the formation of lakes effect lakes have a profound influence an adding to the amount of snow fall lake Ontario is a huge water mass and he warm air that rises and the moisture content from it also contributes to rise in lake effect snowfall.   In order to evaluate the extent of the effect of lake effect snow in cities east of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie it is important to have sufficient data to support itData and methodologyThis pr oject focuses on the areas east of Lake Ontario and Erie as well as Buffalo and Rochester.   In order to get the relevant data, a sample of 300 metrological stations located in these areas will be used. The stations for the sample will be ones that have weather records dating back to 30 to 40 years ago.   The records must be accurate and documented on a monthly basis.   The methodology of data collection shall be interviews with residents of cities around great lakes east of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.   The purpose behind interviewing them is to get a feel of how they experience the dramatic effects of lake snow effect.The sample selection methodology will be selective meaning only resident who have linked in the cities for more than 30 years.   The meteorological departments will be chosen in each city east of the lakes Ontario and Erie because different cities experience lake effect snowfalls at varied degree. Data collected by the NOAA will be considered. Recordings of wind speeds collected in the past 30-40 years will also be crucial. On average snow effect, snow occurs during months of November through to April. The frequency of snowfall has increased while the rainfall frequency has declined in the past 30 years dating back to 1970 thrugh to 2001.The data from NOAA also shows that the intensity of snowfall has risen owing to the increased events of precipitation. Data will be from metrological stations and key components that will be looked for are total cold season snowfall values collected over the period stated, statistic on the negative impacts of increased lake effect snowfall in areas east side of lake Ontario and lake Erie, documented changes in weather climate and precipitation sped and so on.   Evaluation of the data will use simple arithmetic methods such as mean modes standard deviations correlation and variance.These evaluations will help to better interpret the results and findings from the research.   For instance, mean tempe rature throughout a month relationship between snowfall and temperature average snowfall experienced during autumn and winter days, deviation of temperatures from recorded mean temperatures.The mode will equally help to determine the frequency of a heavy lake effect snowfall over a 5-year interval in order to see if there is any consistent pattern followed by the lake effect snowfalls. In order to establish to correlation between increase in temperatures water vaporization and the increase in lake effect snowfall in east cities of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, models such as regression model ANOVA models CHI-SQ, students T distribution techniques will be utilized.   These models will come in handy when measuring my analysis degree of accuracy at significant confidence levels.   A time series of the occurrence of changes in weather and lake effect snowfall will be observed.REFERENCESBraham, R. R., and R. D. Kelly, 1982: Lake-effect snowstorms on Lake Michigan, USA. Cloud Dynamics, E. M. Agee and T. Asai, Eds., D. Reidel, 87–101.Dewey, K. F., 1977: Lake-effect snowstorms and the record breaking1976–77 snowfall to the lee of Lakes Erie and Ontario. Weatherwise, 30, 228–231.Leathers, D. J., and A. W. Ellis, 1996: Synoptic mechanisms associated with snowfall increases to the lee of Lakes Erie and Ontario. Int. J. Climatol., 16, 1117–1135.Niziol, T.A., 1982: A record setting lake effect snowstorm at buffalo NY. Natl. Wea.Dig., 7(4), 19-24.Rosenfeld, D., 2000: Suppression of rain and snow by urban and Industrial air pollution. Science, 287, 1793–1796.

Music Masters and Rhythm Kings Essay

It is a rare opportunity to witness masters of the old tradition relishing in their element: sweat on their foreheads as beats and strings pulsate the story of a past almost forgotten. It is a gift if one is fortunate enough to see them live, but seeing them and hearing their music on the limited capacity of film is still a treasure, much like watching some of the best keepers of old time Southern music in Peggy Bulger and Melissa Shepard Sykes’ film Music Masters and Rhythm Kings. We review musicians Eddie Kirkland, Neal Pattman, Homer â€Å"Pappy† Sherill and the Hired Hands, and Florencio Baro as they recount the origins of their music and how they have come to imbibe it. Southern music is essentially an amalgam of two musical cultures combined despite a clash of ideals and beliefs, and despite centuries of oppression and dispute. As Charles Joyner, a Southern Culture historian mentions in the film, it is impossible for the Southern peoples not to be influenced by the culture of another race, especially if they are so ingrained in their society. Though these people might argue against these relations, there is no denying the immense influence of African culture in the language, the mannerisms, and especially, the music of the South. History dictates that traditional South American music finds its roots in the harsh working fields. Pappy Sherill phrases this perfectly when he says that these farmers do â€Å"as a way of putting joy to themselves [sic] while they’re working. † At the same time, Southern music also represented the subversive culture of the African slaves. Their music became their way of expression because they knew that the â€Å"white man can have no control†. Bringing their own kind of musical tradition from their homeland, they created a new one that came to represent and signal the changing dynamics of the American South. In the film, we see Pappy Sherill and the Hired Hands, one of the few old-time string bands that play actively in the South. Their music embodies the respite that Southern farmers crave after a day of toiling under the hot sun. It is a fast-paced jig that consists of music from a fiddle, a guitar, a banjo, and a cello, all coming together in an energetic symphony of strings. Pulling it all together is Sherill, who at a very ripe age still remains as one of the best fiddle players in the country. Folklorist Glenn Hinson defines his playing as propelled by advanced technique that harkens back to the days when fiddlers made their instruments cry and sing. Playing professionally since he was thirteen years old, Sherill was a prodigy who created music despite financial setbacks. He only owned a proper wooden fiddle when he managed to save money from a side job, and only after using a tin fiddle for some time. In 1976, Sherill won the award for Best Old-Time Fiddler in the National Fiddlers Championship, opening doors for him to play in many road show and concerts. But, when Pappy sang and played out of joy, Eddie Kirkland and Neal Pattman sang the sonorous, highly emotional tunes of the blues. Eddie Kirkland grew up harvesting cotton, and during the production of the film had once again stepped foot in the cotton fields. Drawing back to memories of those hardships, Eddie remembers doing this grinding, back-breaking work as a child. It was only the â€Å"field hollers, work songs†¦ and spirituals† of the African-American people that pushed them to go on. Arising from this work songs were the Blues, a uniquely Southern music that Kirkland loves so dear. As we can hear from the film, Kirkland’s music is derived from years of toil and work, echoing a time of inequality and hardship. He describes it as â€Å"heart-wrenching Blues. † And so it is, with the soft, poignant, yet irregular riffs of his guitar accompanied by his soulful voice, we feel sadness and desperation. But, he goes beyond this by also singing songs of love following the Blues format. It is a rare opportunity to hear the Blues as it could’ve been played at the beginning of the 19th century, in the backwaters of the rural South. Also reminiscent of Kirkland is Neal Pattman, a maestro of the blues harp, who also rose from the working fields. His music, as any Blues music would be, touches the heart and with his harp he creates an even more wrenching elegy. We follow the flow of his music as it rises and stops, as he accompanies it with his voice. We listen and we are transplanted back into the days of old when the whiteness of the cotton fields is an unwanted sight. Hailing from further South is Cuban musician Florencio Baro. A singer and percussionist, his music remains a pure representation of his African heritage. His songs are sung in his ancestors’ native African language that as a child he has learned to understand and to appreciate. Much like South American music, his music as a combination of two cultures brought together despite odds. Historically, his music arises from the spiritual cult of Santoria, a religion established by African slaves brought to Cuba. What started out as spiritual hymns as a way to once again reconnect with their distant land, is now heard as Afro-Cuban music. It is played with an energetic combination of African percussions and Cuban guitars. In Baro’s hands, the music achieves a life of its own. The beats throb as Baro’s voice sing of the woes of the African slave, weaving itself in and out of the notes, all in a way that is dramatically hypnotic. And entranced the audience were as they glimpse at this fragment of the past that, unfortunately, seldom reaches the majority’s ears. These men represent a bygone era of music that is formed when culture clash and are forced to combine. But, in retrospect, what we are singing of now and what our music is today, all boils down to the undying pursuit of expression that these men have achieved.