Social Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Social Media - Essay Example Always on the front edge of emerging trends and fads as an integral element of standard business practices, those involved in public relations have been eager to use social media as a powerful new tool in their arsenal. However, the problem with using social media in this way is intrinsically related to the reason it has such transformative power to begin with. Social media has the power to transcend all borders, infiltrate every language system and instantly connect with a world that is ready and waiting to connect back - that is its strength. Yet this ability to connect to such a strong degree also has the ability to deliver erroneous messages instantly, fails to take into consideration the possibility that what is acceptable in one place may be diametrically opposed to values held in another place and the people receiving these messages are just as capable of telling the world how much they like a product as they are of revealing its failures. One model that may be effective when using social media is the two-way symmetrical model of public relations suggested by J.E. Grunig. By more specifically defining what is meant by social media and examining what Grunig's two-way symmetrical model is, it is possible to understand the various ways social media may help to make this model effective as well as how it may hinder the process. Social media has expanded well beyond the simple concept of email lists and newsletters. By the time children reach college age, they have likely already become familiar with the idea of scanning codes for everything from buying groceries to checking in to a store for discounts. They are proficient in using the high-tech features and apps of smart-phones and have played at least one interactive, real-time online video game with friends living hundreds or even thousands of miles away that they may or may not have ever met in person. These friendships are forged through numerous social media outlets such as texting, chatting, tweeting o r something invented tomorrow. In the modern world, email has now become common for personal, educational and business use; Twitter and Foursquare have become the new favorite means of keeping up with friends; news of the world is delivered via YouTube video, streaming video or status updates sent directly to an iPhone or similar device; and texting gives one the convenience of online chatting without the necessity of being chained to a desk. â€Å"Nowadays, we think nothing of emailing our aunts in Germany and getting an answer back within minutes, or seeing the latest streaming video full of up to the minute news† (Boswell, 2006). Information is able to travel literally at the speed of sound - traveling around the world in as little as a few minutes. For those who have grown up within this emerging technology, not only is it expected that instant answers to any possible question that might arise will be found, but that the answer should prove both entertaining and engaging while it informs. Through networking sites such as Facebook and Tumblr, this information can be requested directly from friends, former customers, and

Interviewing techniques Essay Example for Free

Interviewing techniques Essay Things that made it difficult or uncomfortable One semester as an undergraduate, I tried out for a student-leader position on campus and one of the last rounds of interviews was to be done by a panel of five persons. The thing that made the interview most uncomfortable was the fact that so many persons were focused on me, assessing my abilities to perform in the office I sought. Things that made it welcoming and comfortable Once the interview got started, I was made to feel welcome as each person smiled and shook my hand. They asked me how I was doing, and were very explicit about wanting me to relax. Types of questions you were asked The questions they asked pertained to leadership. They asked me to identify the characteristics that I considered indispensable in any leader. They were curious to know how I would react in a number of scenarios in which students were portrayed as being disruptive or insubordinate. 4. On the basis of your memory: †¢ What were the characteristics of the interviewer? There were many interviewers, but the main one was the dean of women. She behaved more in the office of assessor. While the other interviewers asked most questions, she took note of the answers and restricted her actions to nodding and smiling. She did smil,e however, and her smiles were calming. †¢ What made the interview memorable? The interview was memorable because of the sheer number of persons that were all focused on me. However, it was a good interview mainly because of the smiles that the people wore and because of my preparation—which allowed me the ability to answer every question with depth and accuracy. †¢ Had you been the interviewer, what would you have done differently? As the main interviewer, I would have taken more charge of the interview, controlling the direction of the inquiries perhaps by asking some questions as well. Interview Questions: i. How long have you been studying the humanities? ii. What genre of the arts do you most prefer? iii. Do you have a favourite artist—whether painter, architect, writer, poet, etc.? iv. Name one or two of your teachers who had a profound influence on you while growing up. v. At what point did you make the decision to become a university professor? vi. How many years have you been lecturing? vii. Do you enjoy it? Why? viii. Describe the road you took to arrive at this stage in your career. ix. Was it a very difficult road? Why or why not? x. Would you do it over again if you had the chance? 1. What type of interview did you conduct? The interview was done with a professor in the humanities department. It sought biographical information as well as insight into areas of inspiration and struggle in the life of the university professor. 2. How effective do you think you were in probing and obtaining information? The interview was very effective first of all because the subject matter chosen was one of which the interviewee was a master. The use of ice-breaking questions, such as â€Å"how did you start out? † made it easy for her to begin (Wheeler, 2007). It also started out in an area where the professor was able to speak about her passion—whether art or literature. Probing an area in which she was passionate caused her to be very talkative and she provided a lot of information. The openness with which she spoke about these subjects allowed her to be open to answering the more personal questions that came later—regarding her influences and struggles with the subject. Furthermore, the fact that the interview used open-ended questions as well as probing words (such as â€Å"explain† and â€Å"why, or why not†) allowed me to probe, if necessary, to a greater depth of information on subjects. I also left a general, overarching question for the end (NIU, n. d. ) 3. Do you think your way of interviewing applies to any profession? Why? This way of interviewing does apply to a lot of professions. However, it would perhaps not apply to all, as the questions asked assume a very relaxed atmosphere and are relatively imprecise. Certain persons (like doctors) who have very tight schedules might not have time to give long stories about their lives and might prefer closed-ended questions. However, I believe that the type of questions I chose were appropriate for the type of person I interviewed. References NIU. (n. d. ) â€Å"Conducting interviews. † NIU English Department. DeKalb: Northern Illinois University. Retrieved on March 1, 2007 from http://www. engl. niu. edu/wac/interview. html Wheeler, K. (2007). â€Å"Research assignment #3: Conducting an interview. † Composition and Literature. Carson-Newman College. Retrieved on March 1, 2007 from http://web. cn. edu/kwheeler/researchassignment3. html

Civil Disobedience and Its Relation to the Democratic Process Essay

Everything in the universe is a system that must progress, and in order to progress, it must consume and test the realities around it. Throughout the history of humanity, individuals and groups have always defied laws that they believe are unjust and have always moved to progress society based on either their own motives. The idea of Democracy is revolutionary; it is a microcosm of the collective reality because different entities always come together in a feedback loop in order for their motives to coalesce and balance each other out. This is the case from large galactic masses to individuals engaging in civil disobedience in order to further a cause. Despite concerns that it eliminates order and allows individuals to disregard laws that they disagree with, civil disobedience is quintessential to the democratic process, because it allows those who engage in it to accept the legal consequences of their actions and spark debate over whether heinous legalities should be repealed. Any symbiosis of individuals and government, must be egalitarian. The Founding Fathers of this nation believed that all men are created equal and should be ensured the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The United States Constitution was created in order for the institution of government to be able to deed the greatest amount of liberty and prosperity to all individuals, through a representative democracy. Here, whenever there are disagreements between individuals and government officials in regards to how a community is running, citizens are given greater leeway to manage their issues locally and gradually see results carried out to the national level, based on the momentum and support the respective initiatives have in the public domain.... ...the use of this tool, then we will have unlocked the gateway to prosperity in this country. Works Cited "Bill of Rights Transcript Text." National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. Casola, Luca. Black Markets: Empirical Studies into the Economic Behaviour of the Black Market Consumer. Diss. University of Canterbury, 2007. Canterbury, Australia: University of Canterbury, 2007. Print. Celente, Gerald. "Protest Trends for the New Millenium." Trends Journal (2009). Print. Harvey Wheeler, "Preface," Daniel Sisson, The American Revolution of 1800, Alfred A. Knopf, N.Y. 1974. Limieux, Pierre. "Civil and Uncivil Disobedience Would Henry David Thoreau Have Obeyed Stop Signs in Outremont, Quà ©bec?" Liberty (1995). Web. 12 Mar. 2012. "Schaffer Library of Drug Policy." DRCNet Online Library of Drug Policy. Web. 18 Mar. 2012.

Lucky Shot :: essays research papers

LUCKY SHOT. I sit in my room with a gun on my left and pills on my right. I sit and think – is it worth living another day? It’s a difficult question, which I think about every night. I look to my left, then to my right. I should have gone to sleep I tell myself, and hope tomorrow will be different. It’s time just to give up! I try to think about something positive in my life but there’s nothing to think of. Maybe the years I don’t remember were good, but I doubt that. I turn to my left again and stair at the gun. The gun isn’t loaded yet but I have one bullet sitting on the table waiting for this special occasion. Maybe it would be easier to take the pills. It’s much quieter and clearer that way. But maybe I should leave ‘HELL’ with a bang? But then again it’s not my style. My whole life I was quiet; I think that the suffering should end – yes! I grab the bottle and open the lid. For some reason I pour the pills on the bed and begin to count them. Twenty-one. That should do it. I grab one pill and carry it towards my mouth, but I am unable to put it in. I place the pill back on the bed. I look up at the ceiling thinking. My neck begins to hurt, but it doesn’t bother me – I’ll be dead soon. I start to wonder if my life would have been any different if God was a part of it. My neck begins to hurt more so I bring my head down and stare at the wall. As I’m staring at the wall, I try to build up confidence to end it all. I never had any confidence. My misery will soon end. Why can’t I just do it? The world will be better off with out me, one less useless person in the world. Hell can’t be worse then this. Lucky Shot :: essays research papers LUCKY SHOT. I sit in my room with a gun on my left and pills on my right. I sit and think – is it worth living another day? It’s a difficult question, which I think about every night. I look to my left, then to my right. I should have gone to sleep I tell myself, and hope tomorrow will be different. It’s time just to give up! I try to think about something positive in my life but there’s nothing to think of. Maybe the years I don’t remember were good, but I doubt that. I turn to my left again and stair at the gun. The gun isn’t loaded yet but I have one bullet sitting on the table waiting for this special occasion. Maybe it would be easier to take the pills. It’s much quieter and clearer that way. But maybe I should leave ‘HELL’ with a bang? But then again it’s not my style. My whole life I was quiet; I think that the suffering should end – yes! I grab the bottle and open the lid. For some reason I pour the pills on the bed and begin to count them. Twenty-one. That should do it. I grab one pill and carry it towards my mouth, but I am unable to put it in. I place the pill back on the bed. I look up at the ceiling thinking. My neck begins to hurt, but it doesn’t bother me – I’ll be dead soon. I start to wonder if my life would have been any different if God was a part of it. My neck begins to hurt more so I bring my head down and stare at the wall. As I’m staring at the wall, I try to build up confidence to end it all. I never had any confidence. My misery will soon end. Why can’t I just do it? The world will be better off with out me, one less useless person in the world. Hell can’t be worse then this.

Drama Analysis essay: The Death of a Salesman Essay

Linda Loman in the novel, Death of a Salesman, is strong woman who sacrificed her job for the happiness and success of her husband and family. The paper will explain how Linda played an important role in the lives of her husband and sons. The character of Linda Loman in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is a source of strength for many people. A heart and soul of the Loman household, Linda is a woman torn between guiltiness, vengeance and misfortune. Although the novel gives a very bleak view of women, the Linda’s character shows how a woman can give strength to a man. Linda’s guiltiness can be seen from the fact that she prevented her husband, Willy Loman, from chasing his true American dream. Linda reacted in response to Willy’s failure and becomes apologetic for him, for the reason that Willy is a â€Å"pitiful lone adventurer of the road† (Miller 47) Throughout the novel Linda is seen as source of encouragement for Willy and never accepted defeat before him. When Linda first appeared in the novel, she is portrayed as a woman who always obeys orders of her husband. Linda accepted Willy’s actions and his unexpected behaviors. In the beginning of the novel, even when Linda did not enter into the play, Authur Miller gave an impression that she is a victim. (Miller 12) It seems that Linda is either terrified by the Willy’s attitude or worried about his weaknesses. For many people Linda’s interference in the financial matters of Willy shows her greed. But many others see it differently. They argue that Linda was very conscious about the success of Willy and the financial health of their family. Linda played an important role in easing tension in the family, especially between Willy and his sons. And this shows her kindness. As Willy finds himself in confusion because of his clashes with his sons on many issues despite the fact that he loves them very much, Linda gives him solutions. She tells Willy that their son Biff is sad and disappointed. She said Biff is trying to find himself. â€Å"He’s crestfallen†¦ if he finds himself, then you’ll both be happier† (Miller 15). Linda who surrenders her own joy for the happiness of her husband has loyalty for him. She blames herself for every unkind things Willy do to her. She has become so familiar to the mental abuse freely dished out by her husband that she has come to consider it acceptable behavior and rationalize it by telling herself that she is not worthy of good treatment. Willy has no respect for Linda. He snaps at Linda when she makes harmless comments. He insulted her on many occasion. â€Å"Stop interrupting! † (64), â€Å"Will you let me talk? † (64), and â€Å"Will you let me finish, woman? † (Miller 67). But what shows the strength of Linda is that she comes to defend Willy when their sons try to offend him. She is still nice with her husband and tells the boys to make Willy happy. For many critics it is evident that Linda has become so desensitized by Willy’s comments over the years that they have become almost common nature to her. But some critics see it differently and termed it Linda’s strength. They argue that Linda is ready to tolerate all these things for the sake of her family’s unification and for success of her husband. Despite the fact that the sons do not like their father, Linda on many occasions in the novel is seemed trying to assure Willy of his importance. â€Å"And the boys, Willy. Few men are idolized by their children the way you are. † (Miller 37). For improving the confidence of Willy, Linda gives him the impression that their sons have great respect for their father. In this way she compels herself to live a life that she knows is not factual. Many people believe that this is the strength of Linda’s character because she tells lie to comfort a broken heart. Even after the death of Willy, Linda’s respect for her husband does not come to an end. Although by killing himself Willy left Linda without a source of income, Linda blames herself for Willy’s death and while standing on his grave she says â€Å"forgive me, dear† (Miller 139). During all the years of their marriage, Linda remains a victim of Willy’s bad behavior. But her only aim was to serve Willy. She did everything to make him happy in his life although she knew that she would get only bad behavior in return. In conclusion, it can be said that Linda was a strong woman because she tolerated all bad things for the success of her family. Linda never lived just only a single day of her married life for herself. Her entire focus always remained on the happiness and success of her husband. Willy was undeserving of all the support his wife showed him. But, Linda remained loyal and was quick to forget all the disappointing things done by Willy. While selflessness and forgiveness are good things, Linda become too extreme by destroying her own life, just to keep her unworthy husband happy. Works Cited Miller, Arthur. The Death of a Salesman Cardullo, Bert. Death of a Salesman and Death of a Salesman: The Swollen Legacy of Arthur Miller. Available at: http://www. columbia. edu/cu/cjas/june_miller. html

Social Templates Are The Best Way To Schedule Dozens Of Messages In 5 Easy Minutes [New Feature] - CoSchedule Blog

Social Templates Are The Best Way To Schedule Dozens Of Messages In 5 Easy Minutes [New Feature] Blog What if you could schedule more social messages without experiencing the tedious process? And what if you could write a variety of awesome messages to automatically fill up your social media schedule without spending time copying and pasting your messages? And what if you could reuse your work  as a template  for the next time you want to schedule social messages? Well, if you could do all of that, youd schedule dozens of social messages in a few easy minutes.  And that would  help you share more to social media and  get a lot more traffic without losing your valuable time on repetitive tasks. In fact, you could schedule a huge variety of 60+ social messages to span out days, weeks, and even months in less than five  minutes to get you 200% more traffic.  At least, those are the results some have experienced with the latest feature in your social media editorial calendar with social templates.How  To Schedule Dozens Of #SocialMedia Messages In 5 Easy Minutes Anxious to see social templates in action? Watch the  demo webinar now! Introducing Social Templates- Eliminating The Tedious Process Of Manual Scheduling! Let me repeat that: Social templates will help you eliminate the tedious process of manual scheduling. Youll create the perfect social sharing plan, fine tune your messages for maximum engagement, and apply your reusable social template to any  blog post or piece of content on your editorial calendar. Heres a preview of how social templates will help you consistently share awesome messages in next to no time: Stop the busywork  by easily  creating a predefined social sharing plan you can reuse again and again. And  with the time you save, you can focus on creating exceptional content to build a loyal following. Schedule dozens of social media messages in bulk with reusable social templates. Youll share posts faster and drive more traffic to your blog in less time. Forget copying and pasting. Use social helpers to auto-fill your entire social queue so you can focus on crafting quality messages that increase user engagement and clickthroughs. Stay consistent with your social media schedule by pre-planning days, weeks, and months in advance with reusable social templates. Stay consistent with your #socialmedia schedule by pre-planning with reusable social templates.Sound good? Heres how to get started: Easily Add  Variety To Your Social  Messages To Share More Frequently Social helpers are a tool to help you  add more variety to your social media posting schedule so you can share more often without losing your followers. They have the added benefit of helping you avoid copying and pasting messages while making last-minute edits a breeze. Start by defining the types of messages youll send with tags,  then simply write your social message: Write  several messages in your social helpers to add some variety into your social media posting schedule: Social helpers help you reuse hashtags, messages, and images throughout your social queue without copying and pasting. And that alone  saves you from the tediousness of manual scheduling. Bonus  Tip: Since you can reuse social helpers in multiple messages, you can easily edit the social helper  once to  automatically update all of the messages that use that social helper. Schedule Your Messages  Without The Hassle Of Copying And Pasting Youre already used to  scheduling messages in your social queue to share your content  days, weeks, and even months from now. So follow that same process and use social helpers to add more variety into your social queue: Then, when youre done scheduling your social queue, simply save your hard work as a social template that you can reuse the next time you schedule social messages: Now you can reuse your social template for anything else youd like to share. That means you can use it for blog posts or any other standalone content. Or Create A Social Template From Scratch If youd rather not create a social queue for an existing blog post or piece of content, thats just fine! Simply start a new social template: Then  schedule your social queue in a brand new social template: Bonus Tip:  Create multiple social templates for specific use cases!  For example, create one for sharing new blog posts, another for your Twitter chat, and a third for the new e-book youre working on. There are no limits to how many social templates you can create! Reuse Your Social Template To Share Anything In A Few Easy  Minutes Now that youve built a social template, the easiest part is reusing it to share your content. Simply open a blog post or piece of content on your calendar and apply the social template you just created: Then take a few easy minutes to fill in your social helpers: When youre done filling in those, youll be set to share your  messages! The best part is that it only takes a  few minutes to fill up an entire social queue for days, weeks, and even months from now. Are You Ready To Eliminate The Manual Process Of Social Scheduling? Using social templates is the easiest  way to build a social media posting schedule  once and reuse it again and again. When you use this feature, youll save yourself a ton of time and youll effectively  remove the hassle of retyping your social messages hundreds of times. Start using social templates now with your 14-day free trial of .  This feature is available for all marketing, automation, and advanced calendars!

How to Build an ESL Class Curriculum

How to Build an ESL Class Curriculum Heres a guide on how to create an ESL class curriculum to ensure your students meet their learning objectives. Certainly, planning the curriculum of a new ESL/EFL class can be a challenge. This task can be simplified by following these basic principles. First and foremost, teachers should always perform a student needs analysis in order to ensure that you understand what type of learning materials will be appropriate for your classroom. How to Build an ESL Curriculum Evaluate students learning levels - are they similar or mixed? You can:Give a standard grammar test.Arrange students into small groups and provide a get to know you activity. Pay close attention to whos leading the group and who is having difficulties.Ask students to introduce themselves. Once finished, ask each student a few follow-up questions to see how they handle impromptu speech.Evaluate nationality makeup of class - are they all from the same country or a multi-national group?Establish primary goals based on your schools overall learning objectives.  Investigate the various student learning styles - what type of learning do they feel comfortable with?Find out how important a specific type of English (i.e. British or American, etc.) is to the class.Ask students what they perceive as being most important about this learning experience.Establish the extra-curricular goals of the class (i.e. do they want English only for travel?).Base English learning materials on vocabulary are as that meet students needs. For example, if students plan on attending university, focus on building academic vocabulary. On the other hand, if students belong are part of a company, research materials that are related to their place of work. Encourage students to provide examples of English learning materials they find interesting.As a class, discuss which type of media students feel most comfortable with. If students are not used to reading, you may want to focus on using online video materials.  Take time to investigate what teaching materials are available to meet these goals. Do they meet your needs? Are you limited in your choice? What kind of access do you have to authentic materials?Be realistic and then cut your goals back by about 30% - you can always expand as the class continues.Establish a number of intermediate goals.Communicate your overall learning goals to the class. You can do this by providing a printed curriculum. However, keep your curriculum very general and leave room for change.Let students know how they are progressing so there are no surprises!Always be prepared to change your curriculum goals during your course.   Effective Curriculum Tips Having a map of where you want to go can really help with a number of issues such as motivation, lesson planning, and overall class satisfaction.Despite the need for a curriculum, make sure that achieving learning goals in the curriculum dont become more important than the learning that will take place.  Time spent thinking about these issues is an excellent investment that will pay itself back many times over not only in terms of satisfaction but also in terms of saving time.Remember that each class is different - even if they do seem alike.Take your own enjoyment and focus into consideration. The more you enjoy teaching the class, the more students will be willing to follow your lead.

Entertainment Ruining Ones Life Essays

Entertainment Ruining Ones Life Essays Entertainment Ruining Ones Life Essay Entertainment Ruining Ones Life Essay Essay Topic: Entertainment Tao Te Ching Entertainment Ruining Ones Future Video games have developed to become more popular than music and film in the current day. As a result to the more developed games being released and updated with modern life, teenagers are constantly on the run to obtain these games and are most likely to become addicted to them. Although these games may include an adventurous and amusing storyline, they mostly include violence at some point in the game. The intended audience for these games is teenagers and young adults due to all of the blood and violence as well as the inappropriate behaviors involved. However, many young children have begun playing these games which causes an increase in their aggression with their teachers and peers. Therefore, young children should be prohibited from playing video games to prevent violent acts from occurring. Video games act as a major nuisance towards children; therefore the younger aged audience should be banned from playing or watching video games or at least have a restriction on the time spent on these games. In a study shown by Gentile, Lynch, Linder and Walsh of the Adolescent Interest Group has shown that adolescent irls have played an average of five hours worth of video games a week, while boys had averaged around thirteen hours a week (Palo Alto Medical Foundation 2011). Children who are constantly playing video games have been shown to be more aggressive towards their teachers and peers that also results in a decline of their academic levels. In addition, children can build upon these thoughts into negative emotions and actions. Even with a limited time playing these games can cause these teenagers or children to have aggressive thoughts. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, it only takes a small amount of time for children to take the acts of killing animals or people, use of drugs and alcohol or use of foul language into their daily environments exposing their acts to the younger aged audience, which may ruin their future (Andrea Norcia Mar. 2011). For instance, many adolescents exposed to the violence may bring a dangerous weapon onto their schools campus trying to show off to other students, which may lead to those other students following in that students footsteps. Lastly, the cost towards these games can be as high as a skyscraper. All the money put into these games couldVe gone to more educational purposes, such as their savings account for their colleges tuition and textbook costs. While the child is at home constantly playing their video games that average about sixty to eighty dollars per game, which does not including the money needed to purchase the consoles that average about $200-$300, their peers at school have excelled far beyond his or her current state, which may be difficult to recover from if not handled properly. Consequently, the more games the children buy, the more likely they become addicted to them. Addiction may be started in various ways, especially when people want to be aroused with entertainment, such as alcohol or drugs and gambling that are not available in their daily lives, but present in certain violent games (Socia 2013). In addition, private information used to register and purchase games may become leaked through hackers that break into many companles aataoases. Hackers are aDle to use tne InTormatlon tney leaKea Tor tnelr own benefits which may cause the victims to suffer from consequences for acts they did not commit. This can lead to bankruptcy if the issue persists uninterrupted (Socia 013). For example, a student in the third grade has been exposed to violent games from his older brother that plays his games almost everyday for the majority of his time. As a result, that third grader takes in all the violence shown in those games which can result in a lack of time spent with the remainder of his family, school-work, a development of poor social skills, as well as a more constant production of aggressive thoughts and behaviors. In addition, the cost revenue put into this childs games has excelled far beyond the ideal limit, taking about nearly $1000 of his arents paycheck, which consists of purchasing consoles, monitors and the games themselves. Therefore, students should not waste their precious time on video games, or should at least have a time limit put onto their time playing these video games. In conclusion, video games shouldnt be given to students and children whoVe yet to finish high school. Students should learn from their mistakes and start focusing more on school before they are allowed leisure time, which should also have a limit set by the parents to prevent an excessive exposure to the violent acts present in these games. In the future, students should learn to better manage what they choose to do at home allowing them to academically excel in their schoolwork and have a more beneficial relationship with their classmates and more importantly their families. : Andrea Norcia . Parents Teachers: The Impact of Video Games. Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Aug. 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. Children and Video Games: Playing with Violence. American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry. Mar. 2011. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. Socia, Kelly. online addiction. Issues: Understanding Controversy and society. ABC- CLIO, 2013. web. 4 Dec. 2013.

Shakespeare- Othello and The Merchant of Venice Essay

Shakespeare- Othello and The Merchant of Venice - Essay Example At this stage, the audience witnesses the theme of hypocrisy. Lago accepts the whopping sum of money from Rodriguez and pretends to hate Othello, his master. The two plan on reporting Othello to Brabantio, Desdemona’s father who decides to go and attack Othello on claims that he abused a fairer. The play gets engrossing as the wishes of Rodriguez to take Desdemona as her wife does not succeed. Before the set date, for the attack Lago reports the incident to Othello; faking that Rodriguez is responsible for calling Brabantio. While handling the matter, the duke calls for Othello to go and handle the Cypress. Brabantio, annoyed of the incident, comes with Othello to the Duke and accuses him of bewitching her daughter, Desdemona. The two profess their love before the king, and the argument is dispersed (Shakespeare & Rāghava, Act 1). On the other hand in the drama, the Merchant of Venice, the play narrowly escapes becoming a tragedy. The drama classification appears external, causes of occurrence more real than supernatural. The play is performed, at a time where Venice city was termed the greatest. The Mediterranean sides were isolated and left in isolation. The scene then retaliates to Belmont, which means beauty. The dominant theme in the play is the value of life compared to the value of property. The play later on disintegrates into two settings: the scene at Venice and the scene at Belmont The relationship between the two scenes is that both accomplish a means to an end. The theme of prejudice is also evident when the Jews hate the Christians. Shylock hates Antonio and determined to kill him. The opportunity presents itself, when Antonio risks his life for Bassanio, his friend, who needed the amount to help him woe Portia, a Belmont, Beauty in style. The return of the money almost turns into a tragedy as Antonio ship failed to return and the debt is still due (Shakespeare et al, Act

The Loyalty Card as Promotion Tool Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words - 1

The Loyalty Card as Promotion Tool - Essay Example Humby and Hunt (2004) are of the opinion that loyalty is more of an emotional concept thus resisting the definition in terms of behavior. This, therefore, champions that loyalty is an emotional concept resulting from the trust. Others also define loyalty as emotional concept built on empathy (East 1997). Building on the idea and recognition that opinions and feelings are active, variables that include but not restricted to social, physical environments, as well as individual abilities, have been known to pre-empt action. On the contrary, this view can be seen as being loyal functionally in that customer tends to be loyal to a company only because of convenience (Barnes 2002). According to (Grisaffe 2001), loyalty does not rotate around behavior, for instance, other is the buyer who has developed the cognitive rule in that they only buy low priced products, because of this such customers will look loyal to that brand over a period of time. This will only be interrupted by the entrance of another brand which is priced lower than the previous. The customer will again change to become loyal to the new product in the market. From this, it is evident that customers are more loyal to their decision rules as opposed to the brands and thereby a proof that loyalty is more than behavior. Of several definitions, the characterization seemed most suitable when discussing the Tesco Clubcard. Suggestions that daily life of loyalty entails â€Å"emotional commitment† and â€Å"monogamy† where one choice overrides the rest has been brought forward (Humby and Hunt 2004, pg 9). To bring out the comparison, retail loyalty concentrates on achieving a bit of goodwill, a slight margin of liking, a rise in the shift in terms of buying tendency. Customer satisfaction can be described in simple terms as the measure of a customer’s expectation is met in totality or not.  

The influence of great opinionated powers on international law Essay

The influence of great opinionated powers on international law - Essay Example Precisely, it has the capability to mould the jurisdiction according to its desire and enforce it to prevent any operation globally that it cannot stop without any legal procedure. Basic function of international law is to bring peace and calm around the glob. In the primitive ages when the world was not much civilized, there used to be constant wars usually for land acquisition, to strengthen an empire or an urge to conquer a vast area in order to leave a distinctive mark on the fabric of history. In those days it was easier to manage the municipal criminological affairs as compared to today's world, because the states had powers to handle the local problems. But unlike today, there lacked a system to manage peace among nations or states because the reason could be an intense sense of self esteem and great height of confidence on armies. Hence, the rulers preferred to ruin the weaker states and hold them under their empire. In this way they used to kill the peace and bust the basic human rights. As the time passed and with the development of human intellect, church began to mediate the international disputes. Particularly in the era when nations had a fashion to self govern themselves, church was the supreme power to handle international and to some extent local problems. This practice was also undertaken in ancient civilizations such as Greeks and Egyptian civilizations. Modern international law is often affirmed as a product of modern European civilization as well as Egyptian Pharaohs entered into treaties of alliance, peace extraditions, and the treatment of envoys with neighboring kings as early as the 14th century. But they could not make an adjustment with European law by all means. As a result the purpose of peace remained disputed. As Becker (2006, p.149) says, "International law is the product of special civilization of the Europe and forms a highly artificial system of which principles were not understood by civilizations differently civilized" Concept Of Sovereignty Further consolidations brought the international law to a phase where the idea of sovereignty came into existence. It was considered that peace was the major ingredient for the survival and progress. So in 15th century a new trend evolved, and that was, representatives of all the nations were gathered under one roof and every issue was resolved on the basis of treaties and debates rather than wars or by the use of powers. So in other words the trend of domestic law was reshaped into a broad spectrum or in modern sense international law. In the 14th and 15th centuries there was a modification that rather than self governing the states used to send their representative that reflects the problems of state in front of the sovereign authority and then a common treaty was passed in consent with all the representatives. Their motive used to be to avoid war and bring more peace. During 14th and 15th centuries the practice of establishing resident missions started in Italy. By this time the practice of arguing in front of adversary's council or assembly had apparently become obsolete. The envoy was expected to be in constant touch with receiving sovereign and to join or oppose intrigues in order to safeguard the interests of his master. Murty (1989, p4) demonstrates, "during the following two

Which form of social media is best for an organisation to use Dissertation

Which form of social media is best for an organisation to use - Dissertation Example And the impact of face-book in the world of business and on its total sale as compared to others. However, all these evaluations are obtained with the help of secondary research methods such as literature review as compared to primary research. And finally the dissertation is completed with the fact that, face-book is the best for any organizations as compared to other sites. In this age of stiff competitive and high bargaining power of the customers, maximum extent of the entrepreneurs or organizational management desires to present high-end inventive products. This is done in order to satisfy the changing needs and demands of the customers of recent era so as to retain them for longer period of time. However, it might be possible only if the entrepreneur or organizational management desires to offer high-level of concentration over advertisements or promotional campaigns. This might help in enhancement of the awareness level of the customers thereby amplifying the demand and profit ability of the organization in the market as compared to many other rival players. But, introduction of information technology has changed the definition of advertisement entirely. Now a day, advertisement or promotion means vivid description of the features or benefits of the products in social media’s like face-book, twitter, Orkut, LinkedIn, Pin-interest and many others. This is because; introduction of information technology enhanced the craze of social media’s as compared to conventional advertising tactics (Macdonald, 2013, pp. 256-356). This dissertation is divided into five phases mainly highlighting the importance of social media in enhancing the profitability of the business. Along with this, it also describes, which might be the best form of social media (face-book or twitter) among many others so as to improve the prosperity of the business. Therefore, the prime question that might be discussed in this dissertation through secondary research methods is, whe ther face-book or twitter appears to be the best form for any organizational up-liftment. Discussion Literature review Importance of Social Media According to Bregman (2012), social media acts as a weapon to flight against extreme competition and rivalry among the existing contenders. Social media also helps the organization to develop a recognised position for itself and its products thereby amplifying its reputation in the entire globe among many other rival players. As a result of which, it helps in enhancing the awareness of the targeted customers thereby amplifying the demand and total revenue of the organization in the market as compared to others. And so, the brand image and market share of the organization might get amplified resulting in amplification of the total profit margin. Therefore, it might be clearly stated that social media acts as a supporting medium to create and protect digital reputations in an effective and efficient way. Hence, from the above mentioned point s, it might be clearly revealed that social media plays a very important role in enhancing the portfolio of an organization in this age of extreme competition. And due to such unde4rlining reason, maximum extent of the entrepreneurs or organizational managements, prefer to comprise of a popular social media reputation. Apart from this, as per Jue & et. al. (2009), the craze of social media or social networking sites enhanced mainly due to the advancement of technologies in this age of

Early Greek Legacy - Choice of topics listed Essay

Early Greek Legacy - Choice of topics listed - Essay Example did not have any belief in material image of God- no creature can represent the creator. Whereas in Eastern religions like Hinduism, the material images of God is worshiped. They believed in the personality of human of being in God like he could be angry, even jealous, but his primary attributes were righteousness, justice mercy, truth and faithfulness. He is represented as king, Judge and shepherd. Whereas in Hinduism various deities are worshiped at shrines; the divine trinities, representing the cyclical nature of the universe, are Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. The first books of Hebrew law contain legal writings of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. The fifth book of the Bible was called Deuteronomy [Second Law] primarily a report of the last words and deeds of Moses. It contains numerous laws, often in the context of interpretation and preaching whereas Hindu law preaches the birth, death and rebirth of living things, and its precepts cover many more activities than does any secular legal system. The Hebrew people gave Torah special reverence than the portion of the Hebrew Bible because the written Torah which consists of the five books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy .The scrolls are considered mostly holy. Whereas the Hebrew Bible which is also called as the Jewish Bible even though it consists of Hebrew Scriptures, 39 books originally written in Hebrew, except for a few sections in Aramaic, the script of Hebrew Bible was not given importance while compared to Torah which valued the tradition without any modification. In the case of the covenant between God and the Hebrew people, God’s obligation is conceived as the defense or vindication of the people .His righteousness is shown by his saving arts [see, for instance ,psalms 98:2;Isaiah 51:5] Hebrew’s obligation on the other hand ,is to obey the will of God as disclosed in the Torah, the law. Yes, each party honored the

Which form of social media is best for an organisation to use Dissertation

Which form of social media is best for an organisation to use - Dissertation Example And the impact of face-book in the world of business and on its total sale as compared to others. However, all these evaluations are obtained with the help of secondary research methods such as literature review as compared to primary research. And finally the dissertation is completed with the fact that, face-book is the best for any organizations as compared to other sites. In this age of stiff competitive and high bargaining power of the customers, maximum extent of the entrepreneurs or organizational management desires to present high-end inventive products. This is done in order to satisfy the changing needs and demands of the customers of recent era so as to retain them for longer period of time. However, it might be possible only if the entrepreneur or organizational management desires to offer high-level of concentration over advertisements or promotional campaigns. This might help in enhancement of the awareness level of the customers thereby amplifying the demand and profit ability of the organization in the market as compared to many other rival players. But, introduction of information technology has changed the definition of advertisement entirely. Now a day, advertisement or promotion means vivid description of the features or benefits of the products in social media’s like face-book, twitter, Orkut, LinkedIn, Pin-interest and many others. This is because; introduction of information technology enhanced the craze of social media’s as compared to conventional advertising tactics (Macdonald, 2013, pp. 256-356). This dissertation is divided into five phases mainly highlighting the importance of social media in enhancing the profitability of the business. Along with this, it also describes, which might be the best form of social media (face-book or twitter) among many others so as to improve the prosperity of the business. Therefore, the prime question that might be discussed in this dissertation through secondary research methods is, whe ther face-book or twitter appears to be the best form for any organizational up-liftment. Discussion Literature review Importance of Social Media According to Bregman (2012), social media acts as a weapon to flight against extreme competition and rivalry among the existing contenders. Social media also helps the organization to develop a recognised position for itself and its products thereby amplifying its reputation in the entire globe among many other rival players. As a result of which, it helps in enhancing the awareness of the targeted customers thereby amplifying the demand and total revenue of the organization in the market as compared to others. And so, the brand image and market share of the organization might get amplified resulting in amplification of the total profit margin. Therefore, it might be clearly stated that social media acts as a supporting medium to create and protect digital reputations in an effective and efficient way. Hence, from the above mentioned point s, it might be clearly revealed that social media plays a very important role in enhancing the portfolio of an organization in this age of extreme competition. And due to such unde4rlining reason, maximum extent of the entrepreneurs or organizational managements, prefer to comprise of a popular social media reputation. Apart from this, as per Jue & et. al. (2009), the craze of social media or social networking sites enhanced mainly due to the advancement of technologies in this age of

Code of Ethics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Code of Ethics Paper - Essay Example Doctors quiet often come across with difficult situations in which they were confused of whether to inform the patient about his/her critical conditions or not. Most of the patients may develop more stress and their condition may become too bad if they came to know that their diseases are incurable and their remaining time in the earth is limited. This often prevents the doctors from informing them about their exact conditions. But as per medical ethics a patient has every right to know about his medical condition even if it is worst or good. Moreover he/she has the right to know more about his health conditions and to accept or reject treatments. In short, autonomy of the patients in accepting or rejecting treatments often been raises many ethical questions. This paper briefly analyses the feasibility of enforcing autonomy of patients in accepting or rejecting treatments in healthcare sector. Autonomy of patients and ethical theories As per the Utilitarian theory of ethics, the mora l validity of an action is determined by the outcome of the action. But as per Kantian ethical theory the purpose of morality is not to make others happy, but to do the right thing just for the sake of doing (Maccarelli, 2006). Utilitarian always assess an activity based on the utility of it. Suppose a patient is experiencing severe pain and the doctors have no hope in saving his life. Under such circumstances the patient may demand mercy killing. If the doctor accepts the patient’s demand, the patient will be benefitted or the utility of mercy killing will be positive for the patient. However, medical ethics ask the healthcare professionals to save the life of the patients rather than taking it. In other words, the doctor will be put into a dilemma when the patient demands mercy killing. But as per medical ethics the autonomy of the patient should be respected. The patient has every right to know about his/her medical condition and the doctor is liable to explain him/her abo ut the present condition and the future prospects. Legally or morally, the doctor don’ have the right to keep the health conditions of the patient as a secret. Keeping the patient optimistic about the recovery when there is no chance is one way of cheating the patient. The patient has trusted the doctor and hence it is morally wrong to give him wrong information about his/her health condition. In short, according to utilitarian ethics, the autonomy of the patient should be given prominence over the professional ethics of the doctor. According to the principles of utilitarianism, cultural, intellectual and spiritual pleasures are of greater value than mere physical pleasure. When we give autonomy to the patients in determining their future, the patients can prepare themselves for accepting the death just like Britain’s famous reality show celebrity Joe Goody did. Joe Goody has celebrated even her death and she has earned lot of money for her kids by selling the outright claim for telecasting her last moments. In short, respecting the autonomy of the patients in taking decisions about their future will bring material benefits also to the patients and the relatives. Kantian ethics also argues in favour of the autonomy of patients. Kant argued that we usually label a parson’s activity as good or evil based on our traditional beliefs and customs rather than

Structural and Developmental Assessment of the G Family Essay Example for Free

Structural and Developmental Assessment of the G Family Essay Caring for the family from a holistic point of view is at the very heart of nursing. The family unit is one of the most important foundational institutions in society. While it may seem inconsequential to some, the family unit provides identity, stability, and support. Family dynamics and crises can affect an individual greatly, both physically and emotionally. Thus, it is important for nurses to always include the family when assessing the individual patient. The Calgary Model provides a framework to accurately and comprehensively assess a family. It comprises of three main categories: structural, developmental, and functional. Using the Calgary Model, I plan to analyze the G family from the structural and developmental point of view. Internal Structure A family is composed of â€Å"two or more persons who are linked together by intimate association, resources, and values† (Bomar, 2004). It is whomever the individual decides provides for their physical and emotional needs and considers to be in their family. As for the G family, they would be considered a nuclear family. Mr. and Mrs. G are a married couple with four young children, E, age ten, J, age eight, B, age six, and A, age four. They live in the suburbs of Charlotte, N.C., describe their economic standing as upper middle class, and consider their race and ethnicity as Indian (Asian). When I posed the question to Mr. and Mrs. G of whom do you consider as your family, they both replied each other and their children. Each individual child also replied that their parents and siblings are considered their family. An assessment of gender roles helps the nurse to see how each individual perceives their role within the family (Wright Leahy, 2009). For the G family, gender roles are primarily determined based on culture. In the Indian culture, the husband is considered the head of the family and assumes the role of the primary monetary provider while the wife assumes care of the children and the household. In the G family, Mr. G is the primary provider for the family. He is the Chief Financial Consultant at a Fortune 500 company. Even though Mrs. G has a master’s degree in engineering, Mr. G. feels that a mother’s place is with the children and her role should to be rear them. While Mrs. G admits that she enjoys being a stay-at-home mom, she feels that all the energy and effort spent at getting a master’s degree was for nothing. Many times she feels that since she is able to work, she should work, but she respects her husband decision. This is where culture plays a major rol e, because in the Indian culture, the wife generally has to respect the husband’s wishes. While discussing gender roles, I also questioned them about their sexual orientation. Mr. and Mrs. G both say they are heterosexual and have always been heterosexual. They both admit to never being sexually active prior to getting married when they were both 23 years old. Mr. G says that the reason he waited till marriage to have sex was primarily due to religious convictions. Mrs. G also admits to being religiously convicted to wait till marriage to have sex, but also admits it was also out of fear of what her parents might do if she ever became pregnant before marriage. She went on to describe how in the Indian culture, having a child out of wedlock has grave repercussions for both the person involved and the family. It would cause the involved person to be cast out of the family, and place a bad stigma on the rest of the family members. Rank order is used to identify the positions of each child within the family in terms of age and gender (Wright Leahy, 2009). The children of the G family include the two older boys: E, age ten and J, age eight, and also the two younger girls, B, age six and A, age four. Mrs. G is the middle child, with an older brother and a younger sister, and Mr. G is the oldest of three children, with a younger brother and sister. At the present moment they are unsure if they would like to have more children. A subsystem is a group of members comprised of individuals linked together through a common association, such as gender, interest, or function (Wright Leahy, 2009). Mrs. G’s subsystem includes mother, wife, daughter, and sister. Mr. G’s subsystem includes father, husband, son, and brother. For the two boys, E and J, their subsystems include son, brother, and grandson. For the two girls, B and A, their subsystems include daughter, sister, and granddaughter. Mr. G admits that due to his work he has trouble balancing his many subsystems. His work requires him to travel across the country almost every week; thus, he does not have adequate time to spend being both a father and a husband. He feels as though he is always compromising time with someone, and he regrets this greatly because he is missing important milestones with his children and not spending enough time with his wife; however, because he is the sole provider he has to make this sacrifice in order to provide for his family. Boundaries serve to define and protect the family structure and system (Wright Leahy, 2009). From the information I gathered from the G family, I would describe their family boundaries as clear and permeable. Between husband and wife they mutually agree that they are not to have relationships with anybody else, and that conflicts must first try to be resolved by themselves. If conflicts arise among the children, the parents have the final say. The G family is Christian, and are careful of whom they allow into their family circle, making sure that they have the same Christian values. This is not to say that they isolate themselves from anyone who is of a different religious background; on the contrary, they say that they befriend all who they meet to try to bring them to know God. External Structure Extended family is very important to the G family. For Mrs. G, she is very open with her mother, and describes her as her best friend. Even though her mother is in India, they talk to each other on the phone every day. On the other hand, Mrs. G is not particularly close to her father. Although she loves her father deeply, she describes him as being overly religious. She says that it is very difficult to talk to him because he looks at everything through the prism of religion and will often condemn her, even if she is just asking for a piece of advice. Mr. G’s family is much more laid back. He has an open relationship with both his parents and siblings, and is able to talk to them freely. Mr. G’s extended family of his parents and brother are going to be playing a more important role in their lives because the G family is planning to move to Houston, Texas in relation to Mr. G’s job, and both his parents and his brother already live there. While Mrs. G is happy that they are going to have close family nearby, she does not want to live too close to her in-laws because she says that they will tell her how to raise her children and she does not like that. Larger systems refer to social agencies within the community that the family is in frequent contact with (Wright Leahy, 2009). Mr. and Mrs. G say that the biggest and most important system in their family is their church. They are very active in the church by always planning and organizing activities. Furthermore, people in the church really look up to them as being a great example of a loving family. For the children, school is important and they are part of many extracurricular activities, such as piano lessons, swimming, and basketball. Furthermore, Mrs. G attends a Zumba class everyday with some of her friends from the church. The next category in the Calgary Model is the developmental assessment. The G family is considered to be in stage three of the family life cycle, â€Å"Families with young children†. In this stage, some changes that are required for the family to proceed developmentally include: adjusting the marital system to make space for the children, joining in childrearing, financial, and household tasks, and realignment of relationships to include parenting and grandparenting roles (Wright Leahy, 2009). The G family admits that they still struggle at times to meet each other’s personal and emotional needs because the needs of the children are now their main priority. However, since the children are now getting older and are at an age where they are able to keep themselves preoccupied, Mr. and Mrs. G feel that they are able to spend more quality time with each other. According to the Framework of Systemic Organization by Marie-Louise Friedmann the family is social system with the purpose of relating culture to its members (Bomar, 2009). Its elements include family stability, growth, control, and spirituality (Bomar, 2009). The G family provides for each of these elements within their family by enabling opportunities to learn about societal norms and behaviors, interacting with community resources, setting boundaries, and encouraging the self growth of each member. After assessing the G family from a structural and developmental point of view, I can see that they are family that deeply care for and love each other unconditionally. They provide for each other’s physical and emotional needs, and make sacrifices when necessary for the betterment of the family. They acknowledge that they are not a perfect family and have many flaws, but they try to continuously learn from their experiences and seek ways to improve their family life.

Cyclone Nargis in Burma: Aid Analysis

Cyclone Nargis in Burma: Aid Analysis Introduction On May 2nd 2008 a category 3 cyclone hit the Irrawaddy delta in Southern Myanmar. Nargis, as it was named, was the worst natural disaster in Myanmars recorded history (TCG 2008). It ended up claiming the lives of almost 140,000 people in addition to displacing a further 800,000. The United Nations reported that overall the cyclone had disrupted the lives of nearly 2.4 million people (Crisis Group 2008). The Myanmar government, or the State Protection and Democracy Council (SPDC), had neither the resources nor the experience to deal with such an event and as a result, assistance from the international community was needed (Selth 2008). The purpose of this paper is to examine the aid delivered to Myanmar by various international government and civil society groups. In an attempt to do so the paper looks at the at delivery of the aid in light of the influence of international politics, the domestic policies adopted by the SPDC, international funding issues, the effectiveness of the human rights system, and issues related culture, environment and gender. Influence of International Politics One of the factors that had a significant impact on the delivery of aid to the cyclone victims was the influence international politics on the decision making process. This section of the paper takes a look at the manner in which politics determined the course of the humanitarian operation in Myanmar. First of all, it is of importance to highlight the fact that for twenty years before Nargis struck the Irrawaddy delta, Myanmar had been deprived of international aid. The international community hoped that by enforcing sanctions and trade embargos they would be able to force the military regime out of political power and bring in a more democratic government. The devastating consequence of cyclone Nargis, however, made the international governments and non government organizations realize that they had to suspend those polices temporarily in an attempt to provide the much needed humanitarian aid to the victims. (Crisis Group 2008) Unfortunately, for several weeks the SPDC continued to hinder the international humanitarian operation. They insisted upon delivering aid themselves with as little help from overseas as possible. They blocked access to the affected region and refused to grant visas to international aid workers (Selth 2008). They also prevented French, UK and US aid vessels from entering Myanmar territory. Despite the fact that these ships were carrying supplies to feed and shelter the survivors, the junta feared that the humanitarian operation could be used as a pretense to overthrow their government. Consequently the aid vessels, which the SPDC viewed as warships, were left anchored in international waters for weeks awaiting permission to unload the much need supplies, before they went back. (Stover and Vinck 2008) This pattern of events prompted several European countries to view the SPDCs response to the disaster as a crime against humanity. They accused the SPDC of having had inadequate aid measures in place and its continued rejection of aid from abroad was considered to be a deliberate disregard for the citizens of Myanmar (Crisis Group 2008). Therefore, the French government, with the support of the British and US governments, requested the UN Security Council to authorize the Responsibility to Protect  doctrine for the purpose of delivering aid to the victims by force if necessary (Belanger and Horsey 2008). However, Chinese and Russian governments rejected the proposal based on the fact that the doctrine did not apply to natural disasters and as a result was not sanctioned by the Security Council (Selth 2008). Eventually signs of cooperation between the SPDC and the international community began to emerge. First there was a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), where it was established that aid could be delivered to the region through ASEAN representatives. Next, at a meeting between UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Senior General Than Shwe in Naypyitaw it was agreed that the SPDC would allow international aid workers full access to the disaster sites. As an outcome of these two meetings the SPDC along with representative from the UN and ASEAN set up the Tripartite Core Group (TCG), as a means to coordinate the cooperative relief effort. (ALTSEAN 2008) Domestic Policies Even after granting visas to the aid workers, the SPDC implemented certain domestic policies that hindered the international relief effort. An example of such a deterring policy is the confinement of international aid workers to the immediate Yangon area. As a result of this policy, foreign staff members distributing relief materials and food donated by the international community could only work from Yangon region. They had to rely on the junta to distribute it outside the city borders. In addition, the junta also set up road blocks preventing access to the affected areas in an attempt to further restrict the movements of international aid workers. (ALTSEAN 2008) Additionally the SPDC was cautious of the types of materials they allowed to be brought in as aid. They prevented aid agencies from delivering any materials that could be used by the survivors to gain access to outside world. As a result, the SPDC banned the import and use of communication equipments unless purchased from the government, at a price of $1,500 per phone. Each agency was allowed purchase a maximum of ten phones. Furthermore, the SPDC did not allow aid agencies to import vehicles or machinery from abroad either. An offer by the British government to provide the SPDC with equipment capable of unloading planes faster was turned down. As a result, because of these policies adopted by the SPDC, the delivery of aid was not only slow and delayed but huge quantities of relief supplies ended up in Yangon warehouses as confiscated items instead of being delivered to the victims. (ALTSEAN 2008) Another major criticism of SPDC domestic policies was the fact that they conducted the constitutional referendum despite the cyclone disaster. The purpose of the election was to legitimize the authority of the junta. As a result they went ahead with the elections amidst widespread disapproval. Even though, the junta postponed the referendum in the cyclone affected areas they went ahead with the elections the in other regions (Selth 2008). Consequently, the SPDC had to commit the limited resources it had to the referendum which diverted the much needed attention away from delivering aid to those affected by the cyclone. In addition the SPDC forcefully evicted many of the survivors from both government and unofficial shelters for the purpose of conducting the referendum. For example, the SPDC evicted around 90 people from a hall in Yangon so that the hall could be used as a polling station (Amnesty International 2008). Therefore, international politics combined with domestic policies ensured that the delivery of aid for the victims of Nargis was not an easy matter. To complicate things further the international community faced certain funding issues as well. The next section of the paper takes a closer look at those issues. International Funding Issues Aside from the onsite hindrances of delivering aid the international aid agencies had issues related to raising adequate funds. During the initial emergency response the World Food Program (WFP) estimated that the daily aid delivered to the victims was only one third of the required amount (ALTSEAN 2008). A year later half a million people are still without proper housing and 350,000 people require food donations from the World Food Program (Solomon 2009). The original Myanmar Cyclone Flash Appeal had requested for 187.3 million dollars for the rebuilding effort. However, after a more comprehensive assessment of the affected area and the victims a revised Flash Appeal requesting $481 million was launched (UN 2008). Unfortunately, during the emergency phase of the operation, international aid agencies were able to raise only 66 percent of that amount. Similarly, of the nearly $700 million required for the three years Post-Nargis Recovery and Preparedness Plan (PONREPP), initiated by the SPDC in association with ASEAN and the UN, only $100 million had been pledged by donor countries (Mungpi 2009). The lack of adequate funding drastically reduced the rate at which aid was being delivered to those in need. Despite the obvious need for additional funding, international aid agencies were unable to accumulate funding the way in which they did during the 2004 Asian Tsunami. One of the major reasons for this was the reluctance of governments to provide additional funding to military junta. They feared that their donations were being diverted away from the victims and were being used to strengthen the military regime instead. Such fears were reaffirmed by evidence of aid being stolen and redirected by the SPDC. For example, the first two WFP planes carrying food into Myanmar were seized by the government upon arrival. The WFP responded by suspending their flights to Myanmar, however, in light of the extent of the humanitarian crisis the WFP realized that they had to resume the flights and send aid irrespective of fact that it might get sized again. In addition there were reports of incidents where the victims being made to pay for the relief items. In some cases the government agents forced the survivors to vote Yes  in the referendum before giving them their aid supplies. Survivors were also reportedly given rotten, low quality food instead of the nutrition-rich biscuits that the international donors had sent. Instead, these items ended up being sold in the markets along with the rice and oil donated by international organizations. To counter these accusations SPDC issued a warning to take legal action against anyone caught stealing relief supplies. However, the threat never materialized, and as a result reports of stolen and missing aid continued to appear, which further discouraged international donors and caused additional funding issues for the aid agencies. (ALTSEAN 2008) The implementation of the human rights system According to an international system of human rights, in the event of a natural disaster, every individual has the right to be given protection from natural hazards, evacuate if necessary and be given access to adequate quantities of food, shelter, and medicine. It is the national authoritys responsibility to provide these services; however, in cases where the authority is either unable or unwilling to provide these services the international community has a humanitarian obligation to deliver the aid instead (Caritas 2008). It was this system of human rights that was used by the international community to aid the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. Facing numerous previously mentioned SPDC created obstacles the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on June 18 condemning the continued violation of the rights of the cyclone survivors. The resolution demanded that the SPDC allow aid workers immediate, full and unhindered access  to the Irrawaddy delta and stop forcing t he survivors to return to their cyclone affected village homes where access to emergency relief was inadequate. (Akimoto 2008) However, a year later international relief workers still find it difficult to get visas for Myanmar. Those that do get the in are only allowed a limited period of time to work in the Irrawaddy delta (Solomon 2009). Furthermore, since declaring the end of the rescue and relief phase of the cyclone Nargis response on 20 May 2008 the SPDC ordered increasing number of traumatized cyclone victims to return to their homes despite the fact that they no to access to food, shelter or other aid supplies in those villages (Amnesty International 2008). Therefore, even though it was through the human rights system that the international community was able to provide assistance to the survivors, the domestic policies adopted by the military junta greatly diminished the effectiveness of its application. Many of these domestic policies that hindered the delivery of aid to the victims of the cyclone resulted from certain cultural beliefs that the military junta has. The next section of the paper takes a look at some of these cultural issues that have made delivering aid difficult. Cultural Issues One of the major cultural issues that made the process of restoring the Irrawaddy delta immensely difficult is rooted in the isolationist principles of the military junta. Since the 1960s the government of Myanmar endorsed a self-reliance doctrine where they believed that their nation and citizens would do better if left on their own. Consequently they avoided accepting assistance from abroad even if caused more hardships (Belanger and Horsey 2008: 2). This belief was a major factor behind the initial denial of international assistance. This tradition of self reliance also resulted in the survivors being prematurely sent back to their cyclone devastated homes. Just after a month after the cyclone, the government declared that the survivors had to return to their villages and resume their way of living. According to the SPDC, cyclone victims would otherwise become too dependent on relief from international donors and not be productive enough to support themselves. In some cases, the government forcibly evicted people from their shelters and sent them back to their villages by the use of force. In Yangon, for example, the military reportedly threatened to shoot those that would not return to their villages. (Shwe 2008) Another major cultural issue within Myanmar stems from the fact it is a multi-ethnic country with several groups in conflict with one another. Even the delta region is home to a number of different ethnic groups with the Bamar being the dominant group in the region followed by the Karen and then the Rakhaing. As a result the international aid agencies had to ensure that no particular ethnic group was given preferential treatment or overlooked during the operation. Otherwise intergroup tensions worsened the already strained relations between the various ethnic groups. On the other hand aid through an equitable and non-sectarian delivery of aid the aid agencies were able to make different groups together. (TCG 2008) Environmental Issues Environmental issues also presented themselves as factors that needed to be considered by the aid agencies. Due to the damages caused by the cyclone the local environment in the Irrawaddy delta created severe health issues for the survivors. The contamination of the ponds and lakes, used by villagers as drinking water, with sea water and dead bodies spread dengue fever, diarrhea and dysentery across the region. Despite efforts by the government and international medical groups the damage done to the local environment, continued to create serious health concerns for the survivors. (Shwe 2008) Aside from causing physical harm, environmental damages placed a severe strain on the economic wellbeing of an already impoverished society. The fact that the majority of the victims of Nargis belonged to rural societies they relied on agriculture as their main source of income. In addition the delta region also produced a major portion of the countries of food supply. Therefore, the destruction of the agricultural sector meant that not only were the residents of the Irrawaddy to suffer severe economic hardships, but the entire country would have food shortages for several years unless the aid agencies addressed the issue. Therefore, the rehabilitation of the region, expected to cost $11 billion, remains a top priority for aid agencies (TCG 2008) A third environment related issue is associated with the loss of the mangrove forests in the region. The spread of shrimp farms and rice paddies for over a period of ten years resulted in the loss of significant portion of the mangrove covering. The presence of the mangrove forest would have reduced the extent of the damage caused by Nargis (TCG 2008). Consequently the IUCN suggested that once the emergency aid had been provided, the government and other organizations needed to restore the mangrove forest and other coastal ecosystem in order to avoid future devastations caused by cyclones. (IUCN 2008) Gender Issues According to a report published by the TCG, 61 percent of those that died in the cyclone were women, with the number being even higher in certain villages. Furthermore, the majority of the women that died were aged between the 18-60 years, the age group that is the most the productive and reproductive. Therefore, the cyclone created a gender imbalance in the delta region which in turn created several issues for the aid agencies (TCG 2008). This section of the paper takes a look at some of the gender issues created by Nargis, particularly the ones related to division of labor, migration of women into cities and the overall difference in needs of men and women in the aftermath of a natural disaster. First of all Nargis caused a shift in the division of labor among men and women. The death of the female members of the household meant that the men had to take on responsibilities that were traditionally reserved for women, such as cooking and childcare. Similarly, in families where the men died women had to take on the responsibility of earning money in addition to their previous roles. As a result it created additional burden for the widows and widowers and prevented them from performing other duties and as such had to be treated as among the most vulnerable groups in the community (TCG 2009) Another gender related issue created by the cyclone involves women migrating from the rural sectors to the urban regions. The devastation to the region that Nargis caused left unmarried women with very limited opportunities to earn a living. As a result many were prompted to leave their villages and look for work in the city. Once in the city, these women, with no experience of life outside their village, became easy targets for exploitation, forced labor, prostitution and trafficking. (TCG 2008) Finally aid agencies had to implement different aid mechanisms for the men and women of the delta region who experienced the natural disaster in different ways and as such needed to be looked upon as separate interest groups with specific needs, limitations and abilities. Due to cultural and social restrictions women, comparatively, have fewer opportunities to improve their conditions on their own. As a result the aid agencies, helping women recover, needed to provide services that allowed women to improve their ability to participate in activities and decision making processes. (TCG 2008) Conclusion Therefore, it can be seen from this paper that the delivery of aid to a country devastated by a natural disaster requires the consideration of a variety of factors. In the case of Nargis wrecking the Irrawaddy delta in Myanmar, the international community had to deal with a military government intent on hindering the aid effort. After having convinced the SPDC to let international aid workers enter Myanmar the aid agencies faced additional difficulties due to the domestic policies. Moreover, with the junta diverting and stealing aid the availability of international funds became an issue as well. Despite, having had used the international system of human rights to initiate the delivery of aid to the affected groups, the overall international response was not as effective in preventing the violation of the survivors human rights. Cultural, environmental and gender issues inside the Irrawaddy delta complicated matters further; illustrating the complexity of the delivering aid to an isolated developing country struggling to cope with a natural disaster. Reference Akimoto, Y. (2008) Post Nargis Analysis: The other side of the Story  [http://www.dhf.uu.se/pdffiler/burma_post_nargi_analysis.pdf] ALTSEAN (2008) SPDC turns disaster into catastrophe [http://www.altsean.org/Docs/PDF%20Format/Thematic%20Briefers/SPDC%20turns%20disaster%20into%20catastrophe.pdf] Amnesty International (2008) Myanmar Briefing: Human rights concerns a month after Cyclone Nargis [http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA16/013/2008/en/8592e938-32e5-11dd-863f-e9cd398f74da/asa160132008eng.html] Belanger, J. and R. Horsey (2008), Negotiating humanitarian access to cyclone-affected areas of Myanmar: a review  Humanitarian Exchange 41 Caritas Australia (2008) Burma Cyclone Nargis Humanitarian analysis [http://www.caritas.org.au/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Caritas_policy_documents_PDFsTemplate=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfmContentID=4006] Crisis Group (2008) Burma/Myanmar After Nargis: Time to Normalize relations  Asia Report 161 IUCN (2008) Restoring natural habitats in Myanmar a reconstruction priority  IUCN Press release May 23, 2008, Geneva [http://www.ddrn.dk/filer/forum/File/IUCN_Myanmar_press_statement.pdf] Mungpi (2009) Global support for cyclone victims not sufficient: UN  Mizzima [http://www.mizzima.com/nargis-impact/one-year-after-nargis/2063-global-support-for-cyclone-victims-not-sufficient-un.html] Selth, A. (2008) ËÅ"Burma and the Threat of Invasion: Regime Fantasy or Strategic Reality?, Griffith Asia Institutes Regional Outlook Paper 17 Shwe, K. (2008) An Alternative Assessment of the Humanitarian Assistance in the Irrawaddy Delta Situation after 60 days [http://www.cohre.org/store/attachments/Cyclone%20Nargis%20-%20Alternative%20assessment.pdf] Solomon (2009) A year on, Nargis victims still lack adequate support  Mizzima [http://www.mizzima.com/nargis-impact/one-year-after-nargis/2042-a-year-on-nargis-victims-still-lack-adequate-support.html] Stover, E. and P. Vinck (2008) Cyclone Nargis and the Politics of Relief and Reconstruction Aid in Burma (Myanmar)  JAMA 30(6): 729-731 TCG (2008) Post-Nargis Joint Assessment  [http://www.aseansec.org/21765.pdf] TCG (2009) Post-Nargis Social Impacts Monitoring  [http://www.aseansec.org/CN-SocialImpactMonitoring-November08.pdf] UN (2008) Myanmar Revised Appeal: Cyclone Nargis Response Plan Consolidated Appeal  [http://ochadms.unog.ch/quickplace/cap/main.nsf/h_Index/Revision_2008_Myanmar_FA/$FILE/Revision_2008_Myanmar_FA_VOL1_SCREEN.pdf?OpenElement]

Platonic Paradox :: essays research papers

To research Plato's paradox in the Meno, we can first consult the definition of what platonism is. Websters defines platonism as "actual things are copies of transcendent ideas and that these ideas are the objects of true knowledge apprehended by reminiscence." For this essay, we will assume that trancendency is- "that which is beyond comprehension", and reminiscence as "past experience". The Meno is a dialogue between Socrates, a scholar and Meno, who eventually became an explorer. For this essay, however, we will assume that Meno is at the time of the dialogue, an upper-class citizen of average to better than average intelligence and superior stubbornness. The piece, according to the translation by G.M.A. Grube is thought to have taken place in approximately 402 B.C. in Athens, Greece. Late in the text, a third character, Anytus, a politician, who would eventually be an accuser of Socrates, joins in the dialogue. In the text, Meno in trying to define virtue accidentally slips in to a paradox or contradictory statement, which Socrates immediately refutes. It is the purpose of this paper to recognize the paradox, examine how Socrates disproves the paradox through argument and evidence. Socrates also brings up a key distinction between true opinion and knowledge, relating to the paradox, which will too be examined. Socrates then gives basis for more argument regarding the paradox, and why he does this will also be examined. The initial argument takes place when Socrates challenges Meno to define virtue. Meno does not realize here what he has started. Meno has before inquired whether virtue is a quality that can be taught or if it is a natural trait, that men are born with. Socrates, in method true to form, twists the question and re-poses it to Meno to see if Meno can answer it all on his own. Meno lists what he thinks are virtuous qualities, and is content at that simple definition. Socrates then says: "I seem to be in luck, Meno, while I am looking for one virtue, I have found you to have a whole swarm of them."Meno's frustration begins to set in. He tries theatrical metaphor to define virtue, as well as relating to physical philosophy and philosophers such as Empedocles.Meno at this point gives up and hands the philosophy to Socrates. Socrates presents Meno with a paradox:"....He cannot search for what (a debater) knows- since he knows it, there is no need to search- nor for what he does not know, for he does not know what to look for.

monsanto good or evil :: essays research papers

ANNISTON, Ala. -- On the west side of Anniston, the poor side of Anniston, the people ate dirt. They called it "Alabama clay" and cooked it for extra flavor. They also grew berries in their gardens, raised hogs in their back yards, caught bass in the murky streams where their children swam and played and were baptized. They didn't know their dirt and yards and bass and kids -- along with the acrid air they breathed -- were all contaminated with chemicals. They didn't know they lived in one of the most polluted patches of America. Now they know. They also know that for nearly 40 years, while producing the now-banned industrial coolants known as PCBs at a local factory, Monsanto Co. routinely discharged toxic waste into a west Anniston creek and dumped millions of pounds of PCBs into oozing open-pit landfills. And thousands of pages of Monsanto documents -- many emblazoned with warnings such as "CONFIDENTIAL: Read and Destroy" -- show that for decades, the corporate giant concealed what it did and what it knew. In 1966, Monsanto managers discovered that fish submerged in that creek turned belly-up within 10 seconds, spurting blood and shedding skin as if dunked into boiling water. They told no one. In 1969, they found fish in another creek with 7,500 times the legal PCB levels. They decided "there is little object in going to expensive extremes in limiting discharges." In 1975, a company study found that PCBs caused tumors in rats. They ordered its conclusion changed from "slightly tumorigenic" to "does not appear to be carcinogenic." the Environmental Protection Agency ordered General Electric Co. to spend $460 million to dredge PCBs it had dumped into the Hudson River in the past, perhaps the Bush administration's boldest environmental action to date. The decision was bitterly opposed by the company, but hailed by national conservation groups and many prominent and prosperous residents of the picturesque Hudson River Valley. Anniston is not much of a model city anymore. The EPA officials who set up an Anniston satellite office to deal with the PCB problem are now alarmed about widespread lead poisoning as well. The Army is building an incinerator here to burn 2,000 tons of deadly sarin and mustard gas. And the Anniston Star has been questioning Monsanto's past mercury releases. Officials at Solutia Inc., the name given to Monsanto's chemical operations after they were spun off into a separate company in 1997, acknowledge that Monsanto made mistakes.

Compare and Contrast Buddhism and Christianity Essay

People have believed many different things among the history. Some ancient people believed the sun, fire, evil, god or gods, sculptures †¦ etc. And some of them not needed to believe in such things. The main reason they believe such that things is their weaknesses under the nature. They cannot understand the natural events and they think there must be a honorable power that controls the nature and the universe. These led people to believe in religions. There were many religions people believed in the history. Two of these are christianity and buddhism. They have different and similar features in them. We can compare and contrast them in different categories. Buddhism and Christianity are two of the world’s greatest and most influential religions. The Christian religion, like all other religions has its strengths and weaknesses in our modern society. Perhaps the strengths out weight the weaknesses as this is one of the largest religions in the world. Hundreds of people follow the Catholic/Christian religion yet still a greater number follow yet other religions. Perhaps this is because they see the weaknesses or perhaps it is simply because their parents have taught them that it is a sin to follow this religion. We define as â€Å"Christian† any person or group who thoughtfully, sincerely, prayerfully regard themselves as Christian. This is the definition that pollsters use. However, it includes the full range of faith groups who consider themselves to be Christians, including Assemblies of God members, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, Southern Baptists, United Church members, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, etc. Many Christians have a much less inclusive definition of the term â€Å"Christian.† Buddhism is an offspring of Hinduism, and it is similar in many ways to Hinduism. It began in India in about the 6th century B.C. and from there it spread throughout Asia. Today it is found mainly in Japan, China, and the Far East. Very few people in India itself are Buddhists today. The system was begun by Gautama Buddha. He was born about 563 B.C. and raised in a very wealthy family where he was protected from problems and suffering. Later he was exposed to suffering and became concerned with the cause of it. At age 29 he left his wife and son to seek a solution.He tried and rejected both Hinduism and extreme self-deprival (asceticism). After 6 years of seeking, he arrived at the system that became Buddhism. He established an order of monks and one of nuns devoted to his plan of  overcoming suffering, then he spent the rest of his life as a wandering religious teacher. Buddhists do not share most of the core beliefs of historical Christianity. Buddhism does not completely reject the Hinduism Gods, it does not see them necessary. At the same time, Christianity has its one and only God, who comes in three faces, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. The Christian founder, Jesus Christ was the Son of The Father, God, while the founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama was a normal human being, who achieved enlightenment through meditation and later on was referred to as The Buddha. This brings us to the second major difference, the existence of the supernatural. Buddhism, Christianity and all of the other major world religions share a basic rule of behavior which governs how they are to treat others. Both of these religions are mostly accepted by people who are under pressure of the strong people. Buddhism worships either no god or else false gods. It teaches that man must save himself over a period of many lives by human effort.The gospel provides the only true way to worship the only true God. It provides a way for man to be forgiven by the death of the Son of God who paid the penalty for our sins. To receive the benefit, we must trust Jesus and obey Him in this life. Then we have the hope of eternal life.

Cross Contamination Example Essay

There are 3 different types of contamination in the food industry; microbial contamination, physical contamination and chemical contamination, with microbial contamination being a more frequent cause of food poisoning and rising, with the amount of products contaminated having seen 91 % between 2006 and 201 1 (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs , 2012) . A variety of things can cause microbial cross- contamination, but the most common causes are through vehicles or vectors carrying harmful bacteria (pathogens) from a source to the food.The source or reservoir is where the contamination Originates from, for example, humans, raw food, rodents, dust and soil. In the context of cross- contamination, a vehicle is a substance, object or living thing that moves the contaminant away from its source to the food. The vehicle could either be dictionary or a mobile vehicle. A vector is an organism, usually a bird or an insect, that transmits a pathogen from one place to another. The aim for a food manufacturer is to make a commercially sterile, not completely sterile.The definition for a commercially sterile product is â€Å"Commercial sterility of food means the conditions achieved by application of heat which renders such food free from microorganisms capable of growing in the food at temperatures at which the food is likely to be held during distribution and storage. † (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2007). The reason for this is that he severe thermal treatment needed to make a product completely sterile would severely reduce the sensory quality and nutritional value of the product, as well as increasing the energy consumption to reach higher heats.There are various reasons as to why cross-contamination happens and is a major cause of food poisoning, for example, poor hand washing techniques, confusion of terminology by staff, equipment design and color coded equipment which people do not adhere to. It is also very difficult to track down the causes of an outbreak, so it may take a while to take the relevant assure to stop the outbreak and sometimes the wrong thing is blamed, for example, in 2011 , Spanish fruit and vegetables were blamed for an E. Coli outbreak across Europe, killing 22 people.However, it was later discovered that German bean sprouts were the likely cause (BBC News, 201 1). The mistake cost the Spanish fruit and vegetable industry Emma per week, proving how economically important it is to get the causes right (BBC News, 201 1). In many food poisoning cases, a sequence of events contributes to an outbreak, rather than just one activity alone. This is called the microbial chain ND makes it even harder to discover the true cause Of an outbreak. An example of a microbial chain is; cooked ham comes into a store and is sliced.This ham has come from the supplier contaminated so has now contaminated the slices used. The slices is not washed and other meats, for example, more cooked ham or cooked beef, is slice d on it. This then causes the other meats to become contaminated, making it difficult to find the meat that originally caused the problem. The cooked meat that has been contaminated is ready to eat, so therefore is a high risk product as no further retirement will be done to kill pathogens, meaning it is very likely that a case of food poisoning would come from this microbial chain if the pathogen was harmful enough.A wide range of things can act as vehicles for microbes, for example, hands, clothes, cleaning cloths and pests can all act as mobile vehicles, and food- contact surfaces, food itself and hand-contact surfaces, such as door handles, fridge door and taps, can all act as stationary vehicles. These vehicles can carry pathogens onto high risk foods such as ready to eat products such as, cooked meats, cooked prawns, oysters, and dairy products. A high risk food can be defined as â€Å"any ready-to-eat food that will support the growth of pathogenic bacteria easily and does n ot require any further heat treatment or cooking'. Warwick University , 2011). This means that special care needs to be taken preparing these foods in the factory or in the kitchen, for example, using separate areas in the factory or using separate chopping boards for raw and cooked meat in the kitchen. There are many laws that have been put in place to try and prevent cross-contamination, therefore reducing the frequency of major food poisoning outbreaks. These laws can be found in SEC) 852/2004 Hygiene of Food Stuffs and it is the job of environmental health officers to enforce these laws, through audits.This laws have been changed and updated over time since 2004 to make them more relevant and applicable. A public enquiry on the 2005 E. Coli 0157 outbreak in South Wales, chaired by Hugh Pennington, a professor Of bacteriology, helped further improve this piece of legislation when it was published in 2009. However, many find these difficult to interpret and use in the context of t heir own business, so the Food Standards Agency created Safe Food Better Business', tit different sections for different types of companies that handle food, for example, for caterers, takeaways, retailers, child minders and care homes.These documents are also provided in different languages to help provide businesses, run by foreign owners who don't speak English, improve the safety of the food from the business and help them adhere to the laws in (SEC) 852/2004, therefore reducing the risk of an outbreak occurring through cross- contamination from this business. There are many examples of where cross- contamination has been the probable cause of major food poisoning outbreaks, for example, an outbreak of Weston Blumenthal ‘The Fat Duck' restaurant in 2009, the E. Oil 0157 outbreak in in 2005 in South Wales and an E. Coli outbreak in Lancashire, Scotland in 1996. The 2005 outbreak of E. Coli 0157 in South Wales was a major outbreak and lots of mistakes were made for it to occ ur, which were highlighted in the Pennington Report. In the outbreak, 157 cases were identified, 31 people admitted to hospital and 1 five year old boy died. This prompted a public enquiry carried out by a Professor in Bacteriology called Hugh Pennington.The problems identified were; poor audits carried out by Environmental Health Officers at John Tudor and Son, critical control points not met, no valid ‘Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point' (HACK) plan and issues with cooked meat being prepared and packed in the same area as raw meat, therefore causing cross-contamination (Pennington, 2009). The meat also ending up in schools in the area, meaning smaller children with weaker immune systems were more at risk of becoming infected, so they were more vulnerable to serious illness and death.One cause of the outbreak was that there was only one Vic packer, which are used o vacuum pack a product, was used for cooked and raw meat, causing any pathogens that were on the raw meat to contaminate the Vic packer, which then contaminated the cooked meat. This then became the problem as the cooked meat will not be treated again, so there is a good chance that a harmful level of pathogens will be present in the meat when consumed.Environmental health officers that had inspected the premises had noticed that there was only one Vic packer for both, however the Food Business operator had told that they had another Vic packer that was of site for repairs. This turned out to be a lie and could have easily been detected, had the inspector enquired further and asked for proof, however it was only discovered to be not true at later inspection. In the Pennington Report it states that ‘special attention' was paid to the Vic packer and that ‘the use of one for both raw and cooked meats carried with it a serious risk of cross- contamination'.