Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Death penalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Death penalty - Essay Example Advocates consider it a fair and just punishment and neither cruel nor unusual, quite the opposite; they consider it a fair and ethical punishment. This paper discusses why society feels the need to punish along with the legal, logical, and moral implications of the death penalty. This subject is literally of life and death importance and a major barometer for establishing the collective conscience of the American culture which is behind its European cousins on this as well as other moral and ethical issues such as health care, drug laws, education and gun control. Punishment Why We Punish Historically, the justification for punishing lawbreakers has been to â€Å"avenge the crime, to protect society by imprisoning the criminal, to deter that person and other potential offenders from the commission of crimes and to obtain reparations from the offender† (Wolfgang, 1998). Throughout recorded history, this reasoning has not changed much. The four main reasons the justice system p unishes criminals can be categorized by two main rationales. One is to obtain desired results which are deterrence, protecting society and seeking compensation. The other, retribution, involves punishing for crimes committed on humanity. Retribution is simply a fancy word for revenge. The need for revenge is one of the lowest forms of human emotion, a condition that is understandable in many circumstances,  but is not a rational response to a serious situation. â€Å"To kill the person who has killed someone close to you is simply to continue the cycle of violence  which ultimately destroys the  avenger as well as the offender. That this  execution somehow give 'closure'  to a tragedy is a myth.† (Schroth, 2008) Justifying Death Those who think that vengeance is a justification for continuing the death penalty usually point out the Old Testament reference of ‘an eye for an eye.’ Aggressive behavior must be met with equally aggressive forms of punishment . Interestingly, people who quote this Biblical passage to justify their position of using the death penalty is either intentionally ignoring or never read one of the most popular quotes in the Gospels of the New Testament. Jesus recalls the ‘eye for an eye’ reference and clearly rejects the statement before asking his gathered followers to ‘turn the other cheek’ instead. On the weight of that quote alone, all Christians should be strongly against the death penalty. However, the ‘eye for an eye’ excuse is still widely employed by people today. Those who adopt this viewpoint are certainly correct when they say that using the death penalty guarantees that the convicted murderer will not kill again. Additionally, the death penalty is the ultimate preventative measure. Persons opposed to capital punishment consider all life to be sacred and should be respected. Putting a murderer in prison for life with no possibility of parole is adequate punishme nt, is less expensive and achieves the desired result of segregating the person from society, forever, the same as the death penalty. By any religious or philosophical interpretation, legalized revenge is wrong and in the end more destructive to the fabric of society and its value system than was the crime itself. The decision to impose the death sentence is more of a cultural difference than one based on religious beliefs. Christians in America are generally in favor of the death penalty while their

Monday, October 28, 2019

How Muhammad Established Islam As A Major Political And Religious Force In The World Essay Example for Free

How Muhammad Established Islam As A Major Political And Religious Force In The World Essay While Muhammad was living with his wife Khadija, he often went to a cave outside Makkah called Hira, where he would reflect and pray. During one night in 610CE, when Muhammad was 40, he was in a cave on Mount Hira. God revealed himself to Muhammad. This was called the night of power, and it relates in Surah 95 of the Quran, which is entitled The Blood Clot. When Muhammad returned home, Khadija became his first believer. Then his cousin Ali, a freed slave called Zayd, and one of his closest friends, Abu Bakr, all became followers. There started one of the great religions of the world. Muhammad had a strong belief that there was only one God, the creator. He believed that all humans should be equal in their relationship with this creator. This undermined the tribes of Makkah who, especially the Quarish, rose up against Muhammad and his followers. All through his life, Muhammad fought to establish Islam, to gather followers, and to create a substantial political force. In the 22 years after the first revelation, until Muhammad died in 632CE, God delivered the Quran to Muhammad, his messenger. By the time that God had finished revealing the Quran, Muhammad had moved to Madinah. Hence we get Makkan and Medinan verses. The Makkan verses are usually shorter, more judgemental, and are found towards the end of the Quran. After the second revelation, the night journey, Muhammad migrated to Yathrib, 40 miles north of Makkah, to settle disputes with the pilgrims from that town. He went there with family and followers in 622CE. When he arrived, he built a house, which was later to become the first mosque. He then renamed the town Madinah. This is where the central community was established. After Muhammad died, no one knew if he had named a successor. Usually, it would pass to his eldest son. In the end the leader was chosen by the Muslim community as a person of great personal integrity. This is the belief of the Sunni branch of Islam, who did not want a government, but they wanted to rely on an authoritative ruler. The Shia branch believes that the early history was biased against Ali, Muhammads cousin. When Ali did become the leader, those who believed Ali to be the true successor formed the separate Party of Ali. The Shia branch wanted a leader from the family of Muhammad. Islam was greatly diversified by the achievements of the first four caliph successors to Muhammad. Here is who they are and what they achieved in their rule: * Abu Bakr (632-634 CE) He and his armies conquered Arab tribes, and they went as far as the Byzantine Empires borders. Abu Bakr had more than a personal belief of Islam and he had a belief of political ideology. * Umar (634-644 CE) He continued after Abu Bakr and captured Jerusalem and North Africa. * Uthman (644-656 CE) After Ali turned down the caliphate, Uthman was chosen and he expanded the empire through North Africa and Eastwards to India and China. * Ali (656-661 CE) He made Muawiya co-caliph, a disastrous move. Two parties were formed, one supporting Ali, the other supporting Muawiya. Islam today is the second largest religion in the world and it is growing fast. It is significant in the modern politics. It also contributes to art, music, architecture and philosophy. The religion has grown to have over 2 billion followers. However recently Islamophobia has stepped in. Islam has been treated very cruelly by the western media in the last few years. However Islam means to surrender, or submit, and it is linked closely to another Arabic word meaning peace. Indeed a Muslim is one who surrenders.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Stereotypes in the Film The Matrix Essay -- Movies Film Feminist Pape

Stereotypes in the Film The Matrix The purpose of this paper is to expose some of the stereotypes present in the film The Matrix, directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski. In order to accomplish this we shall see that although The Matrix is considered to be a film about rebellion, it contains several stereotypical portrayals, which actually make it a film that supports the status quo. We shall also see that the African American characters in The Matrix (the Oracle, Tank, Dozer, and Morpheus) are all depicted in the stereotypical servant roles. Furthermore, the women (Trinity and Switch) in this film are portrayed stereotypically; that is, they are either reduced to a caring/nurturing role or they simply help make up the background (they do not have a voice). Finally, Morpheus’ initial power and leadership is stripped away leaving him to play the stereotypical supporting and buddy role. The Matrix is considered by many people to be a cyberpunk triumph. Declan McCullagh from wired.com writes: "When Neo/Reeves wakes up from his VR slumber and unplugs from The Matrix, he joins a ragtag band of rebels led by the charismatic Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne). Their plan: To overthrow the artificial intelligences that have robbed humanity of reality" (McCullagh). Entertainment weekly also sees The Matrix as a movie about rebellion against oppression: "Neo is, of course, The One, the prophesied leader of the oppressed who will lead the people of Zion (an underground city populated by the last free humans) from bondage--but only if he can believe in himself and trust in the power of love" (Bernadin). Therefore, although the film appears to send a revolutionary message of a rage against ‘the machine’ or the matrix and its oppression, ... ...premacy should be the starting point of a renewed movement for racial justice" (hooks 118). Works Cited Bernardin, Marc. "The Matrix" 1999. <http://www.ew.com/ew/review/video/0,1683,846,matrix.html> (14 Apr. 2000) [address has moved to: <http://www.ew.com/ew/article/review/video/0,6115,270871~2|7696||0~,00.html> link updated by Dr P. 30 Oct 2002] hooks, bell. Killing Rage Ending Racism. New York: Henry Holt, 1995. McIntosh, Peggy. "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack," in Race, Class, and Gender in the United States, ed. Paula S. Rothenberg. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1998. McCullagh, Declan. "The Matrix: A Cyberpunk Triumph." Wired News. April 02, 1999. <http://www.wired.com/news/news/culture/story/18932.html> Wolf, Naomi. The Beauty Myth. How Images of Beauty are Used Against Women. New York: William Morrow, 1991.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Inclusive education Essay

The concept of inclusion has been adopted as a response to the mandate of Public Law 94-142 or the Education of the Handicapped Act of 1975 which aims to place disabled and mentally-challenged students in non-restricted environments where they have access to equal opportunities in education. Inclusive education is an academic program where children of varying abilities are placed in one class or group and allowed to interact together to facilitate learning. It aims to provide all types of students with equality and exposure to the same learning stimulus that is bound to create various learning experiences to different types of children. And although many educators recognize that this is a breakthrough scheme for integration and intellectual freedom (Porter, 2001), in some cultures, this is the traditional way of teaching preschool children since special classes for attending to disabled children have not yet been developed at that time (Duncan, 2001). The scheme may involve only partial inclusion where special or disabled students can be pulled out anytime from class as the need for it arises. Oftentimes, for this category, another teacher who caters to the specific needs of the disabled students is also present. Full inclusion, on the other hand, is usually applied for disabled or special cases of students with high levels of learning capacities. Similarly, George and Alexander (2003) noted that in cases where tracking or ability grouping could not be totally excluded, partial de-tracking is also a good alternative. Inclusive education is a form of recognition (Friendly and Lero, 2002) and value that goes beyond human rights and equality and is a contributing step to eliminating social exclusion in the community. It promotes active and meaningful participation to all members of a group or class and offer different prospects for the students who experience the different class activities in their own light. They are able to socially interact, treated equally despite cognitive, physical or financial levels and, most importantly, achieve happiness and security. These are the essential elements and goals of inclusive education (Sen, 1999). As the Laidlaw Foundation puts its, it requires an active change in current policies and programs and build community-based foundations that will benefit and develop equal opportunities for both children and families (Friendly and Lero, 2002). On the other hand, early descriptions of inclusive education provide less drastic measures for improvement. Kamps et al.(1994) note that the strategies employed in inclusive learning are cheap measures designed to center on techniques that are less invasive but improves both the academic and social learning of the children (Kamps et al. , 1994). They also add that despite an inclusive program, change will not be truly instituted if the techniques cannot be adapted to current educational classroom systems that are at in place (Kamps & Carta, 1989). The members of the Inclusion InterAmericana (2000) also agree that Inclusive education is a cheaper alternative to provide disabled students access to education as evidence by their limited resources and provision. Cooperative learning is one aspect of inclusive education, where students are classified into smaller learning groups created for the purpose of maximizing learning and development (Johnson et al. , 1990). This type of grouping, also referred to as a heterogeneous classification has aimed to ensure that each student receives the same high class standards of instruction and education. The access of all types of students to these educational practices will allow them to benefit in the same way that others students do (Daniel, 2007). This type of scheme not only follows a mandate to provide children with the equal opportunities in education but also aims to improve the skills of the students relative to the learning levels each child possesses (Yonezawa and Jones, 2006). The children in an inclusive class who, in an ideal situation, are helping each other learn also do not need to be in the same age levels as other students as in the case of a learning strategy in an inclusive set up called cross age tutoring (Barbetta et al., 1991). In contrast to inclusive education, a scheme called homogeneous grouping, or ability grouping or tracking, is a case where students are grouped according to similar cognitive levels. The grouping is done by determining abilities of students through studies on their previous test and activity scores and those with similar abilities are group accordingly (Daniel, 2007). Gamoran and Weinstein (1998), George (1988) and Slavin (1993) all note a lack of evidence that ability grouping is effective. In addition, Vang (2005) discusses the disadvantages of this scheme to students with poor learning abilities, those from the minority and even financially challenged children. As Friendly and Lero (2002) note, exclusion in any form results in not only vulnerability and inability to voice out to the proper forum but also reduces quality and limited capabilities of life experiences. They also stress that a changed path from exclusion will enable social cohesion and improve life prospects. This also applies not only to communities but also to students in classrooms as well.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Bmw Culture

With over 90 years in the industry the culture at BMW is an anomaly in the car manufacturing business. BMW teaches their employees the history of the company and their mission from day one. Problem times from years past are also told to the new employees. For example when the company was on the verge of bankruptcy in 1959 and was saved by a local business man, these mishaps are used as learning tools to stop history from repeating itself. Regardless of your job title all levels work together to create ideas to better the brand and product. The regular hierarchy that you see within a company is not an obstacle when voicing your thoughts and ideas. Team brainstorming is done on a regular basis and everyone’s input is valued. BMW was one of the first companies to offer profit sharing in Germany to its employees. The leadership at BMW is one the values the employees and listens to their ideas. The type of open door leadership BMW allows for employees to feel as if they have value to the company and its achievements. Informal powwows are used to brainstorm for ideas with all levels of employees. It is sometimes referred to as a freewheeling idea factory. Employees from all different departments are known to get together and work on a single project. This culture allows for employees to feel as if they are valued and that their ideas are appreciated. No one is looked down upon when they present an idea even if they are not as â€Å"high up† as the other people in the room. This allows for great ideas to be given and fostered. The work environment at BMW is so highly sought after that over 200,000 applications are received annually. The job characteristics model involves increasing the amount of skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback in a job. Three critical psychological states: (1) experienced meaningfulness of the tasks performed, (2) experience personal responsibility for tasks outcomes, and (3) knowledge of the tasks performed. Managers at BMW seldom have formalized training to learn their jobs. This forces them to work closely with other managers and their teams to figure out ways to improve the business. This is another example of how employees are tightly knight and feel as if their opinions matter. The line between management and subordinates is very thin. They work so closely together that the hierarchy is not as pronounced as in most companies. The heavy involvement of all employees increases productivity and job satisfaction. Organizational creativity is fostered at BMW in many ways. BMW looks to its workers to come up with ways to save the company money. Individuals whose ideas save the plant money receive bonuses. The more ideas you present the more money you earn. This pushes employees to come up with solid ideas that will benefit the company. This is a win win situation for both BMW and the employees. Satisfied and motivated employees are a vital part of BMW. Interdepartmental brainstorming is very common and they work closely to come up with ideas. People aren’t criticized for their ideas no matter how off the wall they might be. They are encouraged to think outside the box. The culture and work environment at BMW greatly influences the performance and production of its workers. Workers are so happy with their employment they are willing to work extra hours on heavy productions days and not get paid overtime. This practice is unheard of in most companies. Very rarely are employees willing to work extra hour and not be compensated with hour time pay. This is offset by the accrual of days off instead. Workers are also willing to move away from home for extended periods of time and work long hours. All of these things create job stability for the employees and help reduce layoffs. BMW is the leader in car customization. They are able to complete over 170,000 changes a month in their orders. This is unheard of in the car manufacturing industry. Such changes would set other manufacture back months but BMW is able to make the changes and stay on schedule due to the dedication of its employees. Other manufactures are looking to BMW to try to duplicate this process but have yet to reach this level. BMW is the leader of the pact when it comes to innovation and employees moral. More companies regardless of their industry need to follow this awesome example of teamwork. They would be able to produce more and spend less which is always the goal when running a business. After reading this case I see why over 200,000 people apply for a position there yearly. It seems like a great place to work and grow.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

10 Reasons You Should Be Using Blog Comments

10 Reasons You Should Be Using Blog Comments Ask anyone how they promote their blog, and chances are pretty good that commenting on other blogs wont top the list. Most of us turn to social media to promote our blogs  because it works, and works quickly and measurably. With all of the social media outlets available, and a recent startling movement by a few large blogs to close blog comment sections, its easy to dismiss the idea of using your precious time going to blogs and leaving comments. Often, the comments you see are either great post, thanks!, blatant link spam, or (horrors) like something youd find in YouTube. Why Are Blog Comments Losing Favor? Bloggers have a love-hate relationship with their own blog comment section, too, for several reasons. Blog comments are not great for measurement. Judging your blog by the comments section can be disheartening. Though the number of comments helps towards your social proof, it is often less an indicator of actual readership and more an indicator of how controversial your post is. The truth is, blog comment numbers arent an accurate indicator of actual readership. Most readers dont participate on your blog, a phenomenon known as participation inequality. This means that 90% of the people lurk and dont participate, while 1% account for most of the participation. (Nielsen Norman Group) This means, as Nielsen pointed out, that blog comment sections arent a good place to get feedback because 1% of the people doing the talking might not be the most ideal percentage to base changes on. You might have nine readers that love what youre writing, but if you only hear from the one that doesnt (and more often than not, people are spurred on by a negative reaction to leave a comment), it is disheartening. Blog comments are tempting for spammers. Incessant spamming is one of the reasons Copyblogger decided to close the comment section on their blog. The amount of time it took to police spam comments, and the sheer volume, was a tipping point. In a little over eight years, Copyblogger has published more than 130,000 approved comments. Which is pretty amazing, right? But over that period, that’s only about 4% of the comments that were left on the site. The remaining 96% were pointless, time-wasting spam. Thats over 3 million spam comments that Copyblogger has had thrown their direction!  On my low-traffic personal WordPress blog, I am frequently blown away by the amount of spam I receive in the comments. In just a few months, the numbers climb high. Granted, I have a plugin in place to catch nearly all of it (as does Copyblogger), but there are still a handful each day that gets by and end up in my email asking for moderation. I can only imagine how much Copyblogger had to deal with. Numbers that big are terrifying to some degree when I realize how quickly, without a simple spam plugin, my blogs comment section would a disaster. Spammers are incredibly sneaky. Ever get one of those comments that you just cant be sure if its spam or not, its that real? Spammers know that many bloggers require moderation only on the first comment made on a site. Once theyve been approved, they have free rein. So they leave a comment that you decide is real, and open the door to them. The threat of spammers, and the wasted time dealing with them, is exhausting. Blog comments have to be moderated. When it comes to comments on my personal blog, I have my WordPress settings as tight as they can be and a strict policy in place as to what kinds of comments Ill allow (no insulting me or other readers, stay on topic, no excessively foul language, etc.).  Spammers and the bad behavior of netizens  have forced me to moderate my comments when in the early days of blogging I took pride in letting the discussion unfold in real time sans moderation. I regret that I have to moderate, but without moderation, conversation can turn ugly. Bloggers are responsible for what appears on their blog; it is their property. You do not want to allow questionable comments that insult, attack, threaten or suggest harm to another person. While logical fallacies, overused memes, and trolls are probably inevitable even in legitimate comments, most of the truly awful you can head off at the pass by simply keeping it from being published. Moderation of blog comments means comments dont appear right away. It means some commenters dont understand why their comments dont appear and they submit multiple similar comments. It means some folks get upset when they dont see their legitimate comment right away and get after you for censoring   them (yep, its happened to me). But without moderation of comments, your blog will be spam central. Long and short of it? Because of spammers and people who cant behave, your comment section is going to take some effort to maintain and protect. Moderation will be required. Bloggers are afraid of Google. The idea of your comments section somehow bringing a penalty to your site is terrifying to bloggers. Though Matt Cutts has reassured bloggers that taking part in blog comments in a legitimate way is perfectly fine, recent penalty action taken by Google has bloggers a bit on edge. With good moderation and spam controls, and making sure that links in the comments section are no follow (which WordPress now does) you can protect yourself somewhat. It is important to take a serious rein on your comments section and be purposeful about it. You dont have to be afraid of SEO penalties as long as you protect your own comments section and dont use other blogs comments sections as a way to spam for your own site. Conversation is on the social networks, not the blog. Another reason Copyblogger provided for ending their comments was that the discussion was happening elsewhere, on social media.  This is discouraging if you are trying to build social proof on your actual blog, and see social media comment streams as a form of sharecropping your content off of your blog property. A blog comments section might seem antiquated in the face of this new conversation. If youve been blogging a while, youve probably noticed that social media has meant two things for your blog comments: They have dwindled considerably as people go to social media. The comments are shorter as social media shortens attention spans or gives people a place to write their own thoughts. (In the early days of blogging, some blog commenters had no blogs; they used blog commenting as the way they built their online reputation and authority.) Comment systems, though, are evolving. Plugins that support social media integration, or a comment system like Disqus, help tie your blogs comments into that social pulse. In that sense, you can bring that outside conversation back onto your own property. People are doing it wrong. Yes, some people (as in, you and me an others) arent doing the whole blog commenting thing the right way. Its hard to have purely altruistic motives, sometimes. What is it were doing? Well We participate in blog comments for linking purposes.  If you head into it at all thinking that youll get a link back to your site, youre doing it wrong. Youll be moderated, spammed, and possibly penalized. All we have to say is nice post, good job.  A comment section is for conversation. While Im familiar with the feeling of enjoying a post, having nothing to say, but wanting to let the blogger know, it would be better to share the post on social media and say this was a good post rather than create acres of comments that say good job. Anyone else roll their eyes when trying to sift through good job! and I agree! comments to get to something meatier? Were trolls. Were just there to argue and be jerks. Lets admit it. Weve all lost it in a blog comments section somewhere, and hang our heads in shame at who we became. We dont understand our comment is in the wrong place. How many times have you read a blog post where the author helpfully suggested a tech fix of some sort, just to be kind, and the comment section quickly fills with people (of all temperaments) wanting help from the author troubleshooting why it didnt work?   Sometimes we mistake a blog post on a particular topic as the place to go for help on that topic, and it isnt. Blog comments are for the strong. New to blogging? You may or may not be ready for the emotional toll some blog comments can take on you, depending upon what kind of posts you write and how much of a flashpoint your topics are. Blog comments can be hurtful and discouraging if you let them get to you. Even if you moderate them, you are still going to read them whether you publish them or not. It can be an open door to letting people shred or mock what was a very important thing to write about. If you are prone to taking things personally or are unable to distance yourself from what random strangers say to you, blog comments can be a real drag on your motivation to keep blogging. On the other hand, if you stick with it, you learn a very valuable skill: how to ignore people who are insignificant in your life. Comments on your blog will either give you a thick skin or cause you to give up.Why Blog Comments Are Important After reading all of that–practically an entire blog post on why you should abandon blog comments ASAP!–you might be convinced to do just that. Surely they arent worth the hassle or the threat of your innocent blog commenting activity creating a penalty for your blog. Hold on just a minute. Most of us arent Copyblogger, and arent experiencing the level of spam they were. Most of us dont have the volume of conversation happening elsewhere that they do; our social media conversations are smaller and need a home base on the blog. And, most importantly, participating in the comment sections of blogs does have a positive impact. All of the negatives aside, I love blog comments on a carefully moderated blog. Why? 1. Discover new blogs. I have probably found more useful sites, links, information, and downloads not through online searches but by people in blog comment sections sharing a relevant source. Plus, a well-written comment with a thoughtful take on the topic will often cause me to visit the website of the commenter. That comment is a preview of how their blog posts will be. I have found a huge chunk of the blogs I load into my RSS reader through blog comments sections, and where do you suppose I turn when I want to find content to share? That RSS reader. Taking time and leaving a relevant, useful comment is a way to bring people over to your website. Plugging yourself shamelessly in every post is a turn-off. 2. Learn more about the topic. A well-researched blog post isnt all there is to say on a topic. Word count or time restrictions can keep your ultimate guide blog post from not quite being the ultimate guide. The experience, knowledge, and resources commenters can bring to your post in the comment section add to the understanding of the topic. Im fairly certain, for example, that when you get to the end of this post, youll be thinking she forgot to mention this important thing and youll take it upon yourself to mention it (hint hint). Thats the beauty of blog comments: readers get to help build on the original post, helping the author and other readers learn more about the topic. Whether opposing view or adding to the supporting view, theres more to be said about most topics, and readers can help each other by commenting. 3. The enjoyment of being a regular. A coffee shop near where I work knows what Im going to order before I order it. I love that. I love going in and having them pick up the conversation where we left off. Its the joy of being a regular. The comment section of your blog is where the regulars (or the usual suspects, if its that kind of blog :-) gather. They know each other, they know your blog and can link back to old posts or other specific comments from the past. Regulars help turn your blog from being a sequential posting of articles into something organic that references itself. Plus, theres the ownership issue. I have had a handful of people who have read and commented on my personal blog for more than ten years, some of whom Ive met and weve become real-life friends. When you comment (and get response) regularly on a blog, you almost feel like you have ownership there, that its important you stay involved. Thats exactly the kind of reader and commenter you want.  Heck, some regulars even police the comments section and help you, as if they were forum moderators. They feel like its partly their place, too, and they want to help keep it clean. Blog comment sections are like the coffee house of the internet, where you introduce the discussion and let the regulars get busy discussing it. 4. Networking that works. Taking part in your own blog comment section shows the world youre not a hermit.  It says that you   are not just a one-way street, blasting your content out to them but unwilling to hear them back. (This is especially important if you are trying to build your blog traffic and get a bigger audience.) Being a one-way content pusher is sort of the equivalent of handing out business cards en masse and not bothering to do much listening as you turn around and walk away. It doesnt work. The back and forth conversation in blog comments, and and honest willingness to listen, is good networking. Just like you find new blogs to read, you make connections with the other regulars and break free of the limited circles of your social media. Blog comment sections bring in people you might not have discovered, otherwise, and truly expand your networking circles. One-sided networking never works. In order to make connections that matter, we have to be willing to give and take, and meet people outside of our usual social groups. 5. People link to where theyre being talked about. Ive found that if I have written a post that is getting some serious comment action, involving other bloggers and asking questions often leads to them writing a post about the conversation, and linking to my original post.  When Ive had a long run in a comment section and been actively participating, and I think Ive left some pretty good comments, you know what I do? I link to the post and often blog about it. It functions on the same principle as why small town newspapers run so many photos of the local sports team. I learned early on as a small town newspaper reporter that mentioning the names of people in the community in stories, and featuring their kids in school activities, was how you sold papers. Its the same reason people buy that expensive Whos Who book: theyre listed in it. We like to promote whats promoting us. 6. Easier-to-follow conversations. A lot of conversation happens on social media, sure, but it isnt always easy to follow. Some might be on Twitter (where following a discussion is like chasing the tail of a kite on a windy day), others on Google+. Different people saying interesting things, but because those multiple conversations are on different platforms? Never the two shall meet. And, conversation on social media fades away as the news feeds change. Its always been a frustration of mine that this happens. Admittedly, some of the social features of some comment systems that adjust the order of the comments according to votes by readers can be confusing, as they arent a threaded in-order conversation. While that technique helps commenters police out bad comments (in theory) it does add to confusion, too. But, at least all of the discussion is in one place. Taking part in blog comment sections makes it easier for readers who find the post to follow along and make sense of how the discussion goes. Latecomers can see what has already been said. 7. Social proof for your blog. If you see a listing of four blog posts, three with 6 comments listed, and one with 145 comments listed, which post are you going to dive into? Probably the 145-comment post. Clearly there is something going on there and lots of people are actively talking. We like to see what others are talking about, and we are more likely to join in because there are enough others in the conversation that it wont be too terrifying (this is especially true for lurkers who dont participate much). This is social proof in action, the idea that where we see a crowd, there must be something good.  Asking questions in your own comments is a good way to keep the ball rolling. Comments help encourage other comments; its a very good reason to respond to comments in your blog posts. Blog comments are great social proof. The more you have, the more you get.8. Get new ideas for fresh content. Has this ever happened to you? You write a post about topic. The discussion is active, and you find yourself leaving long comments. Pretty soon you think its probably best to write a whole new blog post because the topic has expanded and given you a lot to talk about, all thanks to the blog comments section. At the very least, youve probably found yourself realizing that there were questions or directions your readers have suggested that would make a great new blog post (or two or three). Thats happened here on this blog, even. It was in our blog comments where a reader brought up the need for social proof. It was a comment that piqued my curiosity and got me doing some research. I eventually wrote a blog post. Ive also written blog posts based on comments found on other blogs, too. Inevitably, I link back to the other blog (win for them), and I get a great post idea (win for me). Plus, I have a legitimate reason to leave a comment and say I wrote a post about this here and perhaps get some new readers. The comment section is a great place for idea generation. Its a group of people, batting ideas around.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Sleep or Not to SLeep essays

Sleep or Not to SLeep essays If you could completely give up sleep without many physical side effects would you do it? Why or why not? Throughout the day and night, there are so many worries and stressful things happening in life that I wish could disappear, but they dont. Tears fall down my face very easily, over things that others would consider ridiculous to cry about. Therefore besides playing softball, spending time with my friends, boyfriend, and family; I consider sleep to be the next best thing to do. It is the activity that makes me feel rejuvenated, relaxed, happy and free. Never in a million years would I give up sleep, even there was not many physical side effects without it. The physical side effects are not exactly what Im concerned about, the emotional/mental effects are much more important to me. When I doze off into a nice sleep my body muscles are completely relaxed and numb to the surrounding world. No worries, stress or tears occurring in my life unless in a dream but still I wake up feeling wonderful. I feel as if Im in a heaven of pillows and I never want to escape it, everything is perfect and Im constantly blissful when sleeping. I feel that when it comes to sleeping dreaming is the most exciting part, which is where my imagination is loose and can run wild, thoughts are also inevitable. Every person dreams countless dreams and will never have the capability to remember everyone exactly. In these dreams the mind can perceive things anyway possible and thats what makes dreams so exciting. Giving up sleep would mean giving up dreams, but dreams are incredible and put things in your mind that I dont think could get there with out dreaming. Sleep is a key matter in my life and I dont think I could ever give it up, I always feel so great after getting a twenty minute rest or even a nine hour sleep. If Im ever upset or need to get things off my mind, I will either t ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The 5 Best Content Marketing Tips Youll Ever Read

The 5 Best Content Marketing Tips Youll Ever Read Just a few weeks ago, I was at a social media conference speaking about one of the more advanced topics of content marketing. All went well,  until I was done speaking. As I left the stage, I was immediately greeted by an audience member who had a both a complaint and a question. The complaint was that nothing I just said made any sense to her. She was new to  this stuff. My bad. The question, on the other hand, was pretty simple how do I get started? How do I make sure my content  marketing works, and doesnt just follow the fad? Great question, and one that you should be asking as well. Whenever I get this question, there are five  best  content marketing tips  that I quickly rattle off. This  business owner was eating them up, and I soon realized that this was good stuff. More people need to know about them,  I thought. So, here they are.  This is the stuff we all need to hear  every once and awhile. This is how to write a good blog and make sure your effort actually pays off. They are my best  content marketing tips. Heres  how to write a good blog and make sure your effort actually pays off. Tip #1 – You Need A Blog To Tell Your Story Step one, you need a blog. It doesnt really matter how big you are – you need one. While youre at it, you should make sure that its built on WordPress. It will give you he most flexibility down the road. In addition, you need to know why you need a blog. If you work in a company, you are going to need to justify this blog to someone eventually. If you are a small business owner, you are going to need to justify the time invested to  yourself because lets face it – youre it. Your time is your greatest asset. Every business has a story, and its up to you to make sure your story is told. One of the first things you learn in business is that people connect to people, not your brand or a faceless corporation. A blog can tell your story, share you expertise, and provide you with a human connection to your customers. In other words, you need this. One of the first things you learn in business is that people connect to people, not brands orIn addition, your blog is one of the keys to your social media awesomeness. I often refer to this as the hub and spoke model. The content that you create on your blog  (or  website) is the hub – its the place that will set the tone for your social media messaging. Use your blog content as your platform, and let the your social media content flow from there. Tip #2 – You Need An Email Marketing Program Social media. Social media. Social media. These days, its just about all you hear about. It is super important, but it may not be the most important part of your online marketing strategy. The reality is that email marketing still converts better than social media. And, it  is easier to do well. Heres what you need to do: Make sure there is a way for your readers to follow or subscribe  to your blog when they come visit. We cover several free plugins for collecting leads  here. Connect your blog to your email marketing program. As you post new content, make sure it is sent automatically to your audience. In addition, you can also send a summary email once a week, promoting your most recent content in a newsletter style format. This is exactly what we do with our own Content Marketing Update. Another more advanced option is to work your way toward  creating an  email marketing auto responder course. These courses are a great way to build your email list and gain trust with your audience. We will often reuse our own blog posts to create these useful tools. Take note, that you can also do this with a great ebook or free downloadable worksheet. The best part of the email marketing program is that you will create constant touch points with your audience. This is good for everyone. Your audience  will get helpful and interesting information, and you will constantly ensure that your content has an audience following along. This builds trust, and thats a win-win. Tip #3 – You Need To Know What Your Customers Actually Want To Hear From You One of the biggest struggles that marketers make is not understanding their audience. What does your audience really want to hear about? What can you say on your blog that will actually  resonate with them? There are a few strategies that we emphasize here at , including using data from Google Analytics  and something that we call  expanding your content core.   Lots of new businesses get started by spending a ton of time talking about their own business. This is a mistake. Yes, you need to tell your story, but not like that. Rather, you need to figure out what your audience wants to know. There are a few easy ways to make this happen. Talk to your receptionist. What are the questions your customers ask when they first call your office? The woman I spoke to at the conference ran a salon and massage company. For her, it might be finding out the questions that her attendants are being  asked time and time again. Theres know better way to discover what your customers want to hear than asking the people that know your customers the best. Try to figure out what they are searching for. 60% of purchases made by consumers now  start with a search on  Google.  Thats astounding.  Take advantage of this and address those searches with your own blog content using a keyword-based strategy. Watch what your current customers are saying on social media. Follow your customers on social media and pay close attention to what they are talking about.  You can use a tool like Mention to monitor broad topics and industry discussion effectively. This listening strategy can be an efficient way to learn. Ask them. Sometimes all you need to do is ask  your audience what you  could write about that would hold their  interest. Their ideas might surprise you. The bottom line is that you cant do effective online marketing without understanding your audience. Spend some time researching this before you get too far. Once you can easily compile your data into reader personas youve gone far enough. Tip #4 – You Need To Learn How To Write For The Web Researcher Jacob Neilson confirmed that readers are more likely to scan our content than they are to read every word. In order to make your content consumable, you need to make sure it is properly formatted for online use. There are many ways to make sure that your content is readable. Here are a few  you can implement right away. highlighted  keywords  (hypertext links serve as one form of highlighting; typeface variations and color are others) meaningful  sub-headings  (not â€Å"clever† ones) bulleted  lists one idea  per paragraph (users will skip over any additional ideas if they are not caught by the first few words in the paragraph) the  inverted pyramid  style, starting with the conclusion half the word count  (or less) than conventional writing This is an important topic, as there are many other things to consider, such as mobile devices and outside distractions that happen when your audience is reading your content. For an in-depth look at getting your content read check out this recent post. Tip #5 – You   Need An Editorial Calendar I am a huge believer in setting goals, making a plan, and forcing yourself to stick with it. If you want your marketing to be any good, you are going to need to do  the same.  Often times, many marketers may take the more casual approach to blogging and social media scheduling – only posting when they have an idea, or at a moment of inspiration. This wont work. When you  leave your marketing up to chance, chances are it will never actually  happen. Thats why you need an editorial calendar.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Health Management Systems Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Health Management Systems - Case Study Example Taking HMS as a perfect sample, this paper seeks to answer critical questions regarding the company, among them concerning the management structure, management strategies, use of technology and the company’s viability. The Organizational Structure of Health Management System (HMS) Like most successful companies, HMS has a solid management structure. The management is arranged in a hierarchy. There are different departments that are interrelated although they provide different services. Currently, the company is headed by Steve Starkey as the president. Down the hierarch are vice presidents of key departments. Some of these departments include; Sales, accounts, product development, human resource and finance. Each department has its own cluster of employees who see the smooth running of each department. For example, in the accounts department, there are other sub-departments like document management system, contract management systems and patient statements and e-payment soluti ons. The company has subordinate members of staff who are in charge of various auxiliary services. The staff mainly works for the well being of other employees. They carry out services like preparing meals, cleaning and driving. Ownership of the company HMS is arguably a big company, judged by the number of employees, space and the scope of the market it serves the company has embraced partnership with different organization in efforts to realize its mission. The major partners of the company include IBM premium business partner, Vision solutions, 3M, Capsule Technologies, Passport Health Communications, and Wolters Kluwer. All these partners are software producing companies. The partners hold a considerable amount of shares in the company. However, the board of executives consists of members with shares in the company. Management The organization’s administration is a core pride of the company. For managers to carry out their stipulated duties, they understand their stipulat ed roles properly. A role is defined as an expected set of activities resulting from a job (DuBrin J. A. 2008). The company is headed by high caliber members of the board of executives. This leadership stretches to various departments each headed by a manager. In most departments, there is a president and a vice president. Marketing Strategy The company tactfully implements its marketing strategy via a well established partnership between marketing and sales departments. These are some of the strategies that the company employs: 1. Use of research analysts These analysts are specially trained to carry out market analysis and determine the viability of a market. The analysts carry out interviews in different community hospitals and determine the kind of technology used in carrying out their activities, information systems and patient documents systems. 2. Seminars and Trade Shows The same department promotes its products through seminars and trade shows to potential community hospita l owners and health practitioners. 3. Education Education is one of the best ways to mobilize, inform and market a company’s products. HMS has effectively used this tool as a marketing strategy. The company has an Education Administrative Assistant working in partnership with the marketing department to carry out the duty of advertising the courses offered by the company. This platform opens an opportunity for the company to sell not only its computer related products

Friday, October 18, 2019

Identity Theft Through Unsecure Wireless Networks Research Paper

Identity Theft Through Unsecure Wireless Networks - Research Paper Example Unauthorized access also imposes high bills to the owner of the network where they involve lots of traffic by downloading videos and software. It is quite evident that a walk with a Wi-Fi enabled phone or laptop it’s easy to steal internet, this is just because most of the network have no security. It is also evident that most users use default passwords to access the administration area of the router thus enabling a cyber criminal to edit details with much ease and can even block the owner out of the connectivity. Malicious intruders can also get access to the network and do harm to devices to scan radio frequency bands which the Wi-Fi uses are readily available thus it easy to access their information using these devices. This can lead to even introduction of malicious software, viruses and worms thus invading computers in the network leading to great damage, this causes the user to loose vital personal identities. Although it may look good to help neighbors with free intern et, the risks involved are numerous. The criminals can also modify settings thus ensuring that the restart button no longer functions properly, thus leading to blockage. How To Secure Your Network People have come up with a few prevention on secure measures to curb this problem. Some of the methods which are widely used are; activating your router’s encryption, some of the routers are bought when their encryption is turned off and all is needed is to read the manual on how to activate your router on. Turning your SSID off, turning it off will hide your network from hackers who might try and steal your identity by using network. Disable remote administration, this helps you prevent hackers from unilateral changing your network security settings. Recruit professional if needed, if one is not a computer tech one should employ a tech guru who will be able to set up settings which will prevent unauthorized access. Use of firewall, this is where a number of integrated collection of security measures are made in order to prevent unauthorized electronic access to a networked computer system. Safety measures used to protect your information if a wi-fi is used. One should always be aware that they are never secure since the Wi-Fi hot spots are unsecure connections thus potential hackers will be hanging out in the same network and it won’t be difficult for them to get into your activity and retrieve your personal information thus though the hot spot has a password through a log-in screen you are still at risk. These are built-in security features contained in the windows that enable the firewall through the security settings to block all incoming traffic. This helps in keeping off all the hackers/thieves by disabling file sharing thus making an important security measure. One should protect their passwords since hackers can retrieve same passwords from the registry which makes your keyboard activity available to them that includes the password typed in, thu s installing a browser add-on that stores you password in the cloud e.g. last pass, passwords won’t be saved in your computer and you won’t have to type a thing. There are websites that use HTTP’s, they encrypt your activities thus anything you do in that site is confidential. Since not all websites do this one can download HTTP’s everywhere, they are add-ons that will force an encrypted connection on many popular sites. You should also check the network name since people

Arbitration Opinion & Award Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Arbitration Opinion & Award - Essay Example Davis claims that Kevin refused to follow the orders that were given to her by her supervisor. At the same time he neglected the patient who was uncomfortable on the ground. He chose to go at home violating the mission of the hospital of proving care. The union claimed that Kevin suffered from back pain and that he could not carry the patient. His representative Whitehead claimed that the patient was obese that he could jeopardize Kevin’s health. According to the labor Agreement employees are not supposed to perform unsafe work. The union claims that Kevin was given an ultimatum by her supervisor. This made Kevin to choose to go home rather than causing the problem to himself and to the patient .His problem was know by the supervisors and some co workers. According to the witness Martinez and Barber who Kevin’s co worker claims that Kevin usually has a problem with her back. This is emphasized by Him of whom he claims to have gotten injured through an accident during skiing 9 years ago. However this remains in question because of the following reasons; I. There was no documentation of the alleged back pain according to Martinez. Though Kevin was known by Martinez and Barber and other workers to be having a back pain, this claim could not be proved. He oftenly had some informal request for assistance of which the manager was not aware of. It is therefore normal for any human being to assume that this was a lie since there was no any documentation to prove the illness. II. Richard claims that there is a department in the hospital for employees to report their health problems so that they can be accommodated with their problem. Kevin was aware of the department yet he did not seek help. This shows some elements of being fishy. III. According to Richard, Kevin did not notify the HR of his condition and that he did not provide any documentation and therefore did not follow the appropriate process.Ordinrily, any man with a

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Management of the recruitment, selection and induction of employees Essay

Management of the recruitment, selection and induction of employees - Essay Example IBM, having one of the most professional workforces in the world, employs approximately 329,000 employees and operates business in 170 countries around the globe (IBM, 2009). They employ staff worldwide across different disciplines ranging from technical IT areas to the non-technical disciplines of Sales, Finance, HR and Legal (Monster, 2008). Being a globally integrated company, they need to keep changing their business model radically and shift its value proposition. Thus, attracting and developing individuals is critical to IBM’s success (Schmidt, 2005). There are three main steps in the recruitment process – identification of the requirements, attracting the right candidates and the selection from the applicants. The right job description and the job specifications help to attract the right candidate and eliminate unwanted work involved in the selection process. IBM has the reputation of being the resilient to market forces and strong leadership. They strongly follow the online recruitment process and it is their key recruitment strategy. Online recruitment includes their own website www.ibm.com apart from key online recruitment websites such as monster.com (Monster, 2008). Online recruitment supplements and complements other forms of recruitment. Online recruitment enables reaching a wider audience, and being in the IT industry, this reflects its nature of business. Besides, online recruitment process is cost effective and it also allows continuous improvement of the process. Online recruitment and selection process has saved time spent by as much as 25 percent (Kumar, 2003). They accept applications online as well as through emails. In addition, they adhere to the traditional forms of recruitment such as sourcing through headhunters and recruitment fairs. Thus, they outsource recruitment as well as keep it in-house their website. For graduate trainees they have a different strategy. Their inclusive work environment makes every

Academic Skills Prepare Graduates for Work Essay

Academic Skills Prepare Graduates for Work - Essay Example Empirical work studies have also suggested that workers and employers now feel that generic skills like, communication, problem solving as well as team working abilities, have become extremely critical for the overall success of the workplace (Bailey, Hughes and Barr, 1998). As a result, academics are concentrating more on the skill and work based learning. The primary purposes which have been identified at large for work based learning are; acquiring skill and knowledge with respect to employment in specific industries and occupations, providing career planning and exploration and learning all industry aspects. Increasing social as well as personal competence related to general work and enhancing the motivation of students for academic achievement are other aspects which have found profound interest and critical pace in the teaching techniques in colleges. The current essay throws light on the abovementioned aspects. Research has been conducted on how academics prepare students for work and building their professional careers. Examples from various top colleges and universities will help in understanding the various skill sets and course curriculum which are being implemented in order to enhance the academic learning experience. Review In order to understand the academic skills required, it is important to understand and contemplate the meaning of academic skills and knowledge. Stasz and Brewer (1998) defined academic skills are â€Å"measurable properties of individuals,† which included academic tests. However, influential academic skills might be understood as those techniques and knowledge which will help the students in reinforcing their motivation, quality and overall performance in office. In other words, it is the knowledge which will help students in coping with real world. In broad sense, academic skills can be considered as a collection of learning strategies, study habits as well as tools and techniques for time management helping students le arn as well as absorb the lessons in college. Generally, students pursue academic learning as information, thus wanting for more. The literature review and surveys on this field of study has been least, confining only to specific subjects or training programs. However, this field has got enormous implications. In the past, most of the course curriculum consisted of limited learning prospects, comprising of bookish or theoretical knowledge. However, with the changing scenes and increasing requirement of practical knowledge, colleges and universities are implementing a mix of theoretical learning as well as practical applications, so that the students and graduates are better prepared for the real life work experience (Philadelphia School District, 1998). Several literatures have reviewed the skills required for successful conduction of work. However, none of these surveys and reviews has confirmed a single technique or methodology which can satisfy all the requirements. So, any liter ature survey on relationship between work and academic skills is unlikely to present definitive answers (Berryman and Bailey, 1992). Most of the literature reviews and research work on this field have revealed the underlying controversies shaping debate regarding academic skills as well as various issues and themes. First, is defining of academic skills which have been observed earlier. Various theoretical perspectives have dominated the study of academic skills yielding conflicting results as well as policy recommendations. One approach is positivist, according to which individuals have the ability to transfer skills. Another approach is situational perspective, according to whi

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Management of the recruitment, selection and induction of employees Essay

Management of the recruitment, selection and induction of employees - Essay Example IBM, having one of the most professional workforces in the world, employs approximately 329,000 employees and operates business in 170 countries around the globe (IBM, 2009). They employ staff worldwide across different disciplines ranging from technical IT areas to the non-technical disciplines of Sales, Finance, HR and Legal (Monster, 2008). Being a globally integrated company, they need to keep changing their business model radically and shift its value proposition. Thus, attracting and developing individuals is critical to IBM’s success (Schmidt, 2005). There are three main steps in the recruitment process – identification of the requirements, attracting the right candidates and the selection from the applicants. The right job description and the job specifications help to attract the right candidate and eliminate unwanted work involved in the selection process. IBM has the reputation of being the resilient to market forces and strong leadership. They strongly follow the online recruitment process and it is their key recruitment strategy. Online recruitment includes their own website www.ibm.com apart from key online recruitment websites such as monster.com (Monster, 2008). Online recruitment supplements and complements other forms of recruitment. Online recruitment enables reaching a wider audience, and being in the IT industry, this reflects its nature of business. Besides, online recruitment process is cost effective and it also allows continuous improvement of the process. Online recruitment and selection process has saved time spent by as much as 25 percent (Kumar, 2003). They accept applications online as well as through emails. In addition, they adhere to the traditional forms of recruitment such as sourcing through headhunters and recruitment fairs. Thus, they outsource recruitment as well as keep it in-house their website. For graduate trainees they have a different strategy. Their inclusive work environment makes every

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Is fair trade fair Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Is fair trade fair - Research Paper Example 1923). Fair Trade organizations works in opposition to the capitalist market system, but works within it (Fair trade critique, 2010). They are backed by consumers and are engaged enthusiastically in supporting producers, raising consciousness and in organizing campaigns for bringing changes in the existing policies and practices of international trade. The producers in the South are often found to be marginalized to a great extent. The Fair Trade Organizations are working to make trading a fair practice which would accommodate the interests of all the trading partners. The concept of fair trade is relatively new and is commanding the interest of many researchers in current times. This paper presents a critical analysis of the concept of fair trade and evaluation of the practice by utilizing the theory of economics. The benefits of fair trade One of the most vital market based mechanisms is the practice of fair trade, which helps in the improvement of the livelihoods of the producers based in the developing countries (Nicholls & Opal, 2005, p. 5). The partnership between the producers and the consumers is targeted to provide a fair share of the benefits of trade to the farm workers and the farmers. This addresses â€Å"the imbalance of power in trading relationships† (What is Fairtrade? 2011). In many countries, particularly in the countries in the South, the farmers and agricultural producers are deprived of the actual yield of profits. Under fair trade the price for the products they sell is set according to the norms of the Fair trade Standards. Involvement of these workers in fair trade helps them to get better deals and also a superior terms of trade (O’Neill, 2007). This in turn provides them with the opportunity to lead a better standard of life and make better plans for their future. Fair trade prices The fair trade price is the minimum price that has to be paid to the fair trade producers. This price acts â€Å"as a safety net† (Wha t is Fairtrade? 2011) for the farmers. It is determined by the regulations mentioned in the Fair trade Standards. This price is associated to all the products that are Fair trade certified. This price is set in such a way that it can cover the â€Å"average costs of sustainable production† (What is Fairtrade? 2011). When the markets fall below the level of sustainable production, the farmers obtain a meager price for their produces; the fair trade prices are designed to safeguard the interests of the vulnerable producers. Sometimes the prices are negotiated with the buyers to yield a higher price on the basis of the quality of the products. Classical theory of employment According to the classical school of economics â€Å"the wage is equal to the marginal product of labor† (Keynes, n.d.). This implies that the real wage entitled to an employed person is the minimum amount of remuneration provided to the person to induce him to put the amount of effort or labor that is actually exerted. The wage is equal to the value of output that is foregone when one unit of the labor is removed from the process of production. The classical theory of economics is built under the assumption of the competitive market, in which the amount of labor employed and the amount of wages are determined by the forces of the market. In this context, the disutility

Monday, October 14, 2019

Planning and threat management Essay Example for Free

Planning and threat management Essay A planned performance which brings better results compared to unplanned one. A Managers job is planning, monitoring and controlling. As a head security official, todays day work, Planning and goal setting are very important traits of a work. The job here of mine is to give full security to the principal from home and back again from the court to house which is located at Laguna Beach. To do this work, proper and perfect planning is required. It is done at all levels of the security organization. The thought plan process should have actions, and implementation. Planning gives more power over the future and is decided in advance what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and who should do it. It bridges the gap between the two. The planning function involves establishing goals and arranging them in logical order. A plan should be a realistic view of the expectations. Depending upon the activities, a plan here is applicable for only two hours because the distance between the court and the home is a very short distance. I have with me the top graded eight security personal and they can able to handle any situation at any point of time as per the security is concerned. I have taken the best eight because the city has been terrorized by a series of related homicides of white supremacist followers and the brutal beating of his chief assistant. The newspapers and media have speculated that several of the victims have been linked to your principal and the police suspect a rival white supremacists group is vying for political power within the movement. Here the plan is the most important and key is to do the successful operation. Preparation of a comprehensive plan will not guarantee success, but lack of a sound plan will, almost certainly, ensures failure. (King, 2006) In this case the threat is possible attack on the professor, both at home and at court. Furthermore there is a chance of threat on the one hour driveway too. Alongside, looking at the physical condition of the subject it is essential to arrange medical assistance during the outdoor operations such as period of the court and in transit. Therefore, the planning would involve four main parameters to secure. Medical assistance It is obvious that there would be logical medical assistance at home but during the course of transit and at the court it is essential to arrange medical facilities as the subject is extremely ill. To worsen matter the attendance at the courthouse will be new organizations, fundamentalist religious groups, white supremacist groups, and civil rights groups, all picketing what promises to be a very emotional trial. This could take a toll on the subject. The checkpoint security screening procedures for persons with disabilities and medical conditions have not changed as a result of the current threat situation. All disability-related equipment, aids, and devices continue to be allowed through security checkpoints once cleared through screening. Thus it is important to arrange liquid medications and other liquids needed by the principal. These include all prescription and over-the-counter medications (liquids, gels, and aerosols) including KY jelly, eye drops, and saline solution for med ical purposes; Liquids including water, juice, or liquid nutrition or gels for passengers with a disability or medical condition along with life-support and life-sustaining liquids such as bone marrow, blood products, and transplant organs would be present. There would also be items used to augment the body for medical or cosmetic reasons such as mastectomy products, prosthetic breasts, bras or shells containing gels, saline solution, or other liquids. It is also important to arrange gels or frozen liquids needed to cool disability or medically related items used by persons with disabilities or medical conditions. However, if the liquid medications are in volumes larger than 3 ozs each, they may not be placed in the quart-size bag and must be declared to the Transportation Security Officer. Declared liquid medications and other liquids for the principal and medical conditions must be kept separate from all other property submitted for x-ray screening. This is an extra step that I have taken because He is confined to a wheelchair and requires attendance by a nurse 24/7 due to respiratory and other medical conditions. He is an extremely high profile white supremacist, and is outspoken thus it is important to control his tension and emotions. (Eldelman, 2005) Transit assistance The one hour distance travel between the court and his home in Los Angles should be well protected as 6 of the 8 personnel deployed for the job would be accompanying him. The other 2 would be staying back at the subject’s home to counter any possible threats on the property during his absence. During transit there would 3 cars altogether with smoked glasses to minimize identification. The subject’s car would be juxtaposed between the other 2 cars with security personnel. All 6 personnel would be divided into 3 groups or 2 personnel for each car. (Kar, 2006) Home security It is already mentioned that there would be 2 persons securing the subject’s estate during his absence however, during his stay all 8 would be available for the subject’s security. There would be CCTV installed at strategic locations all over the estate with extra focus on the physical security of the subject. For this purpose it is essential to have a personnel to assist and secure the subject most of the time he is awake. During his resting period there would be a personnel guarding outside his bedroom. There would be other personnel who would guard the windows during this time. 5 of the security would be located all over the estate and home at strategic locations. The eighth personnel deployed for the subject’s safety would be instrumental in screening each person who ever is willing to meet the subject. (Lamb, 2004) Court Security This is the important aspect of the planning and the personnel should always be on their high alert. For that reason it is important to have complete physical protection all the while. There should be a human cordon of security personnel during the passage from parking space to court room and back as this is the area where the subject would be most vulnerable as the demonstrators would have opportunity to come in close proximity with the subject. At the courtroom too the human cordon would be applied with 4 of the personnel always encircling the subject. The remaining 2 would stand at a distance keeping a keen eye on the proceedings and scanning the crowd at the courtroom and always ready to intervene if needed. (Fletcher, 2005) Conclusion These are the Security arrangements that I will like to have at the principals estate because of threats on his life, but the principal will not face any difficulty while he likes to speak his mind to everyone, including and especially the press. He will have a grand entrance to court and if he wants to speak or meet with the press and others on the courthouse steps. References: Edelman, S; (2005); Evaluation Techniques in Risk Management; Bloemfontein: ABP Ltd Fletcher, R; (2005); Principals: Beliefs and Knowledge; Believing and Knowing; Dunedin: Howard Price Kar, P; (2006); History of Threat Management and Related Applications; Kolkata: Dasgupta Chatterjee King, H; (2006); Management Principals Today; Auckland: HBT Brooks Ltd Lamb, D; (2004); Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization on the Strategic Strata; Wellington: National Book Trust

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Wicked And Messy Environmental Problems

Wicked And Messy Environmental Problems Some environmental problems have taken on a new nature; they have become wicked. These wicked problems defy classification and have no clear-cut solutions. They are associated with a high degree of uncertainty and deep disagreement of values. They have become immune to the conventional approach to problem solving and pose a major challenge to effective natural resource management. This essay examines four challenges that wicked problems present: complexity, conflict, change and uncertainty. It suggests that to develop effective policies and management responses, a combination of adaptive management, carefully designed participatory processes and the precautionary principle must be used in a way that enhances social learning. A case study of Canadas Model Forest program is used to illustrate how the adaptive and participatory processes have been effective in dealing with uncertainty and complexity in Forest Management. Human activities over the decades have undoubtedly affected the environment. Industrialization and technological progress is one such activity that has been argued as the cause of great damage to the natural environment. Coupled to the increasing need to provide for the growing populations around the world, this has led to a myriad of environmental problems some of which have been described as messy or wicked. Rittel and Webber (1973) describe wicked environmental problems as defying classification and devoid of clear cut solutions. They have also been associated with radical uncertainty and plurality of legitimate perspectives (Funtowicz and Ravetz, 1991).They pose a great challenge to governance structures, knowledge and skills base as well as our organizational capacity. Amidst the vast technological advancements, these wicked problems still remain unraveled and elusive. What does this mean for natural resource management? This suggests that natural resource management has been plunged into an era of turbulence with diminishing effects of the conventional approach to problem solving. Policymakers and environmental managers will need to realize that there are no quick fixes or simple solutions as is the experience in dealing with tame problems. There is no single correct formulation of a particular problem since the definition of a wicked problem is subject to the beholder (Allen and Gould, 1986).In view of that, decision makers will have to implement policy without exploring all the feasible or possible options. Learning must become a central theme policymakers and natural resource managers may need to incorporate into their daily administration. Quite imperative also, is the realization that management approaches for dealing with wicked problems can only be optimal but never true or false. This essay attempts to suggest ways by which policymakers and natural resource managers can deal with the challenges that wicked and messy problems pose to natural resource managers. It begins by discussing four challenges that wicked problems present: change, conflict, complexity and uncertainty. It argues that since no single approach or model is sufficient for dealing with these problems, a combination of approaches that have proven to be helpful in mitigating the wickedness of these problems in the past must be used. Thus, a social learning network that combines the adaptive, participatory and precautionary approach is proposed. Its applicability is illustrated using Canadas Model Forest Program as a case study. One challenge that has been associated with wicked problems is complexity; a trait Gunderson (1999) suggests is inherent in natural resource problems. Complexity implies a difficulty in establishing cause and effect patterns due to the presence of interdependencies and multiple variables and is determined by the degree of uncertainty and social disagreement on a particular issue (Patton, 2011). For example, the condition and trend exhibited by wildlife populations are as a result of the interactions between factors such as prior population, weather, predators, habitat, disease, off-site factors and chance events. If there is species decline in a population, which of these factors can be blamed for this outcome? The answer is not as simple as solving a mathematical problem since the problem may be caused by one or many of the factors acting in concert. Complexity is seen to exist in two forms: technical and social complexity. The former is linked to limitations in quality of information and a deficiency in knowledge systems. This makes problem-diagnosis very hectic and introduces high levels of uncertainty. The social aspect on the other hand, emanates from difficulties in the coordination of information, activities and stakeholders across several disciplines. The differences in views, values, perception and beliefs of various stakeholders introduce conflict: another challenge in resolving wicked environmental problems. The diversity and range of stakeholder values is normally a recipe for conflict in decision-making. There is often little consensus on what the problem is, let alone a general solution (Ritchey, 2005).This brings into sharp focus the issue of problem-framing. Disagreements on what the problem may be is often commonplace and arguably a major contributor to conflicts. For example, a water resource controversy in Colorado started over a proposed dam (Bingham, 1986).Some parties declined to participate in the discussion until the question of whether or not a dam was needed was answered. Others thought, a dam was the only way to solve the water shortage problem. However, asking the question how much water do we need? is crucial to understanding the problem at hand. The assumption of knowing the solution before exploring the problem further has mainly been associated with experts who may see new problems as exactly as old ones (Kaplan and Kaplan, 1982). Also, the difficulties in reconciling the different values and perception of stakeholders have left most environmental management issues engulfed in appeals and litigation. For example, Cape plc. and RTZ have been sued in British courts for environmental damage and for breach of employment rights in Africa. The growing disputes and litigation in environmental issues has made conflict resolution quite an important concept in environmental management. However, the presence of conflicting values, risk and uncertainty does not mean a definite decision cannot be taken. It only stresses the managers need to think beyond the traditional approach to problem framing and problem solving. As discussed earlier, the various interdependencies and multiple variables in wicked environmental problem makes change an inevitable phenomenon. Horst Rittel in his paper Dilemmas in General Theory of Planning explains that when dealing with wicked problems one must recognize that every wicked problem is a symptom of another problem. Considering the fact that ecosystems, societies, knowledge, technologies and public attitudes are so dynamic it is reasonable for management strategies and practices to be dynamic as well. Policies must continually be adapted to change as well as constructed for local application.Lindbloom (1979) suggests that the only way to ensure consistent progress in dynamic and uncertain situations is to take incremental steps that are bold enough to leave room for possible errors that enhance learning. Contributing to more wickedness is the challenge of uncertainty. Unfortunately, the complexity encountered in environmental and resource management leaves little or no choice than to make decisions in the face of uncertainty. In a complex open system like the environment, knowledge has limits and certainty is far-fetched. Wynne (1992) differentiates among four types of uncertainty: risk, uncertainty, ignorance and indeterminacy. Uncertainty plays outs in situations when the odds are not known. For instance, the contribution of greenhouse gases to global warming has been established however, the precise relationships and potential feedback mechanisms between parameters such as clouds, global air circulation, heat absorption by water, land and so on remain uncertain due to complexity. In essence, the recognition of the kinds of uncertainty may help to identify which plans or approaches are most appropriate. In view of the challenges wicked problems present, environmental management and policymaking must build resilience if it must be effective in mitigating the impact of wicked problems. Policymaking and practice must be adaptive to keep up with their ever changing nature. The complexity, uncertainty and conflict component must be catered for by carefully designing participatory processes that enhance learning. The next section of this essay will shed light on the management responses that must be considered to make policymaking and natural resource management effective for dealing with wicked problems. Adaptive management is one management strategy that can deal with scientific uncertainty and real world examples of its applicability are evident. The adaptive approach has been described as a learning approach that continually improves policy and practice in the face of uncertainty and a tool to frame philosophical, methodological and practical challenges that come with natural resource management (Holling, 1978). This approach has been recognized by international interdisciplinary efforts such as the sustainability science program (Clark and Dixon, 2003), the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) and the Equator Initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP, 2005) as having the potential to deal with the complexity of socio ecological processes while enhancing learning. The effectiveness of adaptive management in some cases is not fully realized due to short term project frames, rigid targets and a focus on success prompt managers who use conventional methods thoug h encouraged by government rhetoric to make use of adaptive approaches (Allan and Curtis, 2005). To enhance the practicality of adaptive management, co- management has been brought in to cater for the social uncertainties and institutional barriers that may rise. This has led to adaptive co-management, an approach that combines adaptive and collaborative management. Here, rights and responsibilities are jointly shared to better combat the challenges that wicked problems may bring. Collaboration in essence, demonstrates the need for carefully designed public participation. Public participation has become an entrenched concept in the formulation, implementation and management of environmental issues owing to its suitability for addressing the interests of multiple stakeholders and reducing conflict. It is quite common to see National and subnational governments require the input of the public in managing and developing of environmental policy. An example being the US National Environmental Policy Act and the US Federal Advisory Committee Act. Thus, participation in decision-making is increasingly being regarded as a democratic right (Reed, 2008). Increasing calls for public participation rests on many factors including growing distrust of public institutions and officials, increasing legislative requirements for public participation, the complexity and uncertainty of contemporary problems, different risk perceptions and a growing recognition that decisions are not entirely scientific but social values and politics are inherent in all administrative deci sions. Participatory processes also have a challenge of identifying groups of stakeholders and bringing these interests together in an environment conducive for learning (Gray, 1989).It has also been associated with intensive resource commitments (money, time and human capital), prolonged decision making, reduced decision quality, increased conflict and diminished likelihood of a successful outcome (Steelman, 2001). However on the whole, participatory processes are assets rather than liabilities. A case study that demonstrates the ongoing success of adaptive management and participatory approach in Forest Management is Canadas Model Forest Program. To reduce uncertainty and complexity while promoting the development of innovative ideas and sustainability, the Federal government initiated Canadas model Forest Program in 1992. The Program consists of eleven model forests across Canada, selected to reflect the diversity of ecosystems and social systems present in Canadas Forest environment. Each model forest is designed to function as a living laboratory where novel integrated forest management techniques are researched, developed, applied and monitored in a transparent forum that engages and partners with stakeholders from environmental organizations, industry, native groups, educational and research institutions, community based associations, recreationists and landowners as well as all levels of government The success from this adaptive approach have been many and includes t he development of voluntary wetland conservation programs for private lands; establishment of protocols for reporting on socio economic indicators based on Statistics Canadas census data; developing an ecosystem-integrated resource management plan for the Province of Saskatchewan, production of a code of forestry practice to help landowners understand and apply the principles of sustainable forest management; establishment of the Grand River Reserve to protect three eco-regions and habitat for the endangered Newfoundland pine marten. The Precautionary approach is one possible response that proves very essential for dealing with wicked problems in the face of uncertainty and risk. Some scholars assert that it is a powerful tool for protecting human health and the environment under uncertain conditions (Cameron and Aboucher, 1991) whiles other think it is ill- defined, unscientific and of little value to policymaking (Manson, 2002). Still many nations have some form of precautionary principle in place when confronted with uncertain health risks though they may not explicitly refer to it (Zander, 2010). Under the precautionary principle, the absence or lack of evidence concerning the harmful nature of a substance or practice cannot serve as a justification for delaying action to regulate them (Raffensperger and Tickner, 1999). For example, the issue of global warming usually includes arguments that either favour business-as-usual or the precautionary principle. Opponents against the principle base their arguments on scientific uncertainty regarding how humans have contributed to climate change and the severity of effects that may occur. They generally advocate for further research to reduce the uncertainties before costly emission-reduction policies are implemented. Advocates of the precautionary approach on the other hand argue that the likely adverse effects of the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are serious enough to justify potentially costly regulation despite remaining uncertainties. Today, based on the precautionary principle various moves are being made to reduce the carbon footprint by investing in green technology. Though we do not know the outcome of these actions, it is prudent to try to mitigate its impact on future climatic conditions than do nothing at all. Indeed, the challenges wicked environmental problems present may seem overwhelming and daunting. However to combat these challenges, environmental managers must first realize that wicked problems have no single correct formulation and hence quit searching for one. They must also develop long term learning networks through adaptive management and carefully designed participatory processes that are truly flexible. Lastly, precaution must be utilized in planning processes to avoid creating more wicked problems in the future.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Essay --

In my group, I was assigned the task to include all other relevant issues so I considered other intermediaries to help with the payment and goods transaction as well as security for the e-Business. Intermediaries to use to support your ebusiness As our business is a virtual organization (pure-play), we would require intermediaries to perform the payment and goods transaction as we are not interacting physically with our customers. Payment system Paypal Under Paypal, payments are made using a user’s existing account or with a credit card anytime, anywhere. Besides that, money can be sent directly to an email address of another PayPal user. Cost Open an Account Free Send money Free Withdraw Funds Free for $200.00 SGD or more, $1.00 SGD if up to $199.99 SGD to bank accounts in Singapore Add funds Free Receive Funds 2.9% + $0.50 SGD to 3.9% + $0.50 SGD Multiple currency transactions Exchange rate includes a 2.5% fee** Reasons for using Paypal for payment It allows faster transaction for sending and receiving payments. Electronic Catalogue WIX and social medias As we would not have staff in a physical shop to entertain customer’s enquiries, we would be making use of sites such WIX and social medias such as Facebook and Twitter to help provide customers with information about the business as well as the product. Reasons for using WIX and social medias The websites are free of charge. Shopping cart software In order to help customers keep track of their items, shopping cart software is also included in the WIX website. Reasons for using WIX shopping cart This eliminates the need to purchase an external shopping cart software. Delivery of purchase Our e-Business would require an intermediary to deliver the items purchased by custo... ...uyer claims that they did not receive their goods, Paypal would cover for the full amount as long as business follow the postage requirement and show evidence that the item was sent to the buyer’s address. Reasons for choosing the security methods In terms of protecting the e-Business database, firewall is an easy and less complex method as compared to other security methods such as VPN and KPI which requires key encryption. It is also easier to obtain simply through purchase and customize through filters unlike VPN which has complicated set ups and KPI which requires a KPI security service to implement the structure. As for protection against fraud, Paypal’s security system would be suitable as we are using Paypal for handling payment transaction. Hence, it would be easier to claim from Paypal should there be any fraud as they would have records of our transaction.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Listening

Importance of ListeningAccording to Zarefsky, listening is important for three reasons: (1) Accuracy; (2) Feedback; and (3) Assessment.First is accuracy. I can still remember back in my 6th grade this one test given to us by our English teacher. Looking back from today, it was actually more of a listening test than a reading test. Before we begin, our teacher told us to read first the instructions before proceeding. Then she gave out this two pager test about following instructions like this:Write your name in capital letters on the upper right hand corner of the paper and underline your family name.List the top ten movies you like. Draw three stars of varying sizes and encircle the biggest star.  You get the picture. There were about 50 of these instructions! So, I hurriedly answer as much as I can since we were told that it we will be under time pressure. After just five minutes, the teacher announced that it was already time to pass the paper and I wasn’t even half-way! I protested that there was not enough time. She asked me if I was listening when she asked us to read the instructions. I said, â€Å"Of course.† To which, she replied, â€Å"Then, you should have read in the instructions that you are only asked to do item no. 1.†Second reason is to be able to give feedback. I remember one of the fights I had with my then girlfriend Donna. (Not her real name.) She was saying something and but I was too engrossed with in solving this differential equation which was an assignment due next day for Math. Of course, that got her really mad. â€Å"Are you listening?† she angrily asked. â€Å"Of course, dear,† I said. â€Å"Then, tell me what you think?† Confident that I could get away with this, I made a remark on the phrase about assignments. â€Å"Yeah, I know. It must be tough for you.These teachers are driving us nuts,† I consoled her, thinking that I can get away with it. That, of course, made her really mad. She was not talking about assignments. It was actually a sarcastic remark, â€Å"Sorry, I think I’m getting in the way of your assignments.† And so she unleashed the conclusion of the matter, â€Å"I guess I really do get in the way of your assignments. Maybe it’s now time for us to move on.† Then, she walked out on me. That one, I did get clearly, because I was listening intently: She wanted to break up with me.And that brings me to my last point: Assessment. I was able to interpret and evaluate the message. Because I was listening well that time, I understood that she didn’t mean we were ready to discuss another topic or we were supposed to go somewhere. Based on what she said and her reaction, I knew she was really mad and moving on means breaking up.Personal Listening HabitsI was able to hear Steve Murell 2007 last year (July 19, 2007) speak on Leading With the Next Generation for 25 minutes. He got his text from 1 Samuel 17:38-40 and while he was expounding on the passage, and to get the most out of his talk, I employed note-taking – a technique which, according to Nwokoreze (1990) is the stage where I would reach the maximum level of understanding. (His talk is also available as pod cast in the Every Nation World Conference (2007) website.) He introduced his talk by first saying that Saul had always been used as an example of a bad leadership but if we will examine his life, it was not all bad. If ever he did only one thing great, this is it. And that introduction really hooked me in.I his teaching, he claimed that there are principles we can actually learn from this two men of God and that is in the area of leadership. We know that Saul was a lot older than David and he is a warrior. During his time, he was able to defeat his enemy using his sword and armor. So, wanting victory for David, he suggested that he should wear it, too. The problem is David was not used to it. So, he reasoned with Saul and asked Saul t o allow him just his sling and stones. And to that, Saul agreed.If you would ask me up to now what can we learn from that, I can still tell you without even referring to my notes but I can tell you that the notes really helped me really listen and digest the message. If I had not done so, I would have forgotten it all by now as studies show that this process begins almost right way. (Scott 2002) Besides, taking good notes has been found to aid individuals in remembering what they hear. (Cuesta College Academic Support 2003)Note-taking helped me in two ways: First, it helped me to focus on the focus points of the message. In as much as I was very interested in the topic, there were times that my mind would wander away or be caught up by a particular illustration. For instance, when Steve tell that David and Saul’s story is also a picture of the church, I got lost momentarily because I got caught up in analyzing what it means. I was still figuring out all the parallelism when I heard him say, â€Å"the point is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As if on cue, I reached out to my pen and paper and write the point.I also jot down what he said that caught me so that I could later refer back to it and meditate or savor it if necessary. There were also times when I become too reflective which is quite distracting in a way. I asked myself (because Steve asked us to evaluate ourselves), â€Å"Am I giving opportunity to those who are under to me rise up in leadership or am I too insecure a leader to let them have the spot light?† Then, he would ask another question but I was still in the middle of my reflection. So, what I did was to pause, write down what I was thinking, and jot down his next question or point and knowing why I was there – to learn how to be a better leader – helped me be effective in my note taking as suggested by Fajardo (1996) and was proven by me.Since Steve spoke for just about 25 minutes, I didn’t have a great deal of difficulty li stening to him. I’m used to attending classes where teachers would lecture for more than an hour so his teaching was actually a refreshing break. But, I must admit, though, that too long speeches or lectures literally give me a headache. Just before writing this paper, I came from a whole day academic forum where I had to listen to different speakers lecturing for at least one and a half hours each. I tell you, it was difficult, especially when they say something that is beyond my vocabulary or knowledge. I actually had a headache afterwards. Perhaps, this was due to the fact that I was already very sleepy during the middle of the third session but I still pushed myself to listen.Margaret Sanger’s SpeechMargaret, on her speech, addressed the morality of birth control as she said on her opening statements, â€Å"The one issue upon which there seems to be most uncertainty and disagreement exists is the moral side of the subject of Birth Control. He next statement reveal ed her audience: â€Å"It seemed only natural for us to call together scientists, educators, members of the medical profession and the theologians of all denominations to ask their opinion upon this uncertain and important phase of the controversy.†Sanger seemed to suggest that birth control is a moral imperative. In fact, she said that her belief is that â€Å"the discussion of the moral issue [of birth control] was one which did not solely belong to theologians and to scientists, but belonged to the people.†Ã‚   Therefore, if this is not confined only to specific groups of people but to all people, then it, indeed, is a moral imperative. To drive home her point, she even explained what moral means. According to her, this would have implications of different actions which rely on the mind and the brain and that brain development is very much linked to morality.To those who are saying that birth control is unethical, immoral, or violation of God’s law, she start ed first with a discussion on morality. According to her, it would be immoral if we are irresponsible and reckless and irresponsible in our actions. We would have the â€Å"finest kind of morality† on the other hand if we are able to think ahead about the actions we plan to take. Then, she went into the discussion of how the progress of women we opposed for the fear the they would be immoral if they were granted freedom. Then, she appealed to the church to have more confidence in them.Then, she discussed the foundations of birth control which she also accepts. She said that the only problem with this in how methods to uphold these principles were carried out. So, she suggested information dissemination which should be done directly by those in the medical field. In this may, â€Å"motherhood may be the function of dignity and choice, rather than one of ignorance a chance,† claimed the speaker.Finally, she went back again on the concept of planning ahead so that populat ion control would begin at conception instead of resorting to the killing of infants, abandoning children, and abortion which is less civilized and gives life a lower value. Then, she concluded by encouraging people that the masses are becoming wiser and have been giving enough thought for their conduct. It more people would exhibit this, she claimed that there would be less immorality.ReferencesCuesta College Academic Support. (2003). Listening and Note-taking. Retrieved February 7, 2008 from http://www.cuesta.edu/student/servs_classes/ssc/index.htmlFajardo, C. (1996). Note-taking: a useful device, Forum, 34(2), 22.Nwokoreze, U. (1990). Note-taking. English Teaching Forum, 33(2), 39-40Scott, J. (2002) The 13 Keys to Effective Listening and Note-taking. Retrieved February 7, 2008 from http://www.csun.edu/~hcpas003/Listening.html