Involvement of the Intracellular Signal Integrating Proteins Calcyon Essay

Involvement of the Intracellular Signal Integrating Proteins Calcyon and Spinophilin - Essay Example Results showed that calcyon and spinophilin transcripts were significantly higher in the thalamus of patients with schizophrenia. They concluded that, as discovered in other research, the dopamine system shows as abnormal in schizophrenia cases, but these abnormalities were due to intracellular integration where dopamine signaling with other neurotransmitter systems was dysfunctional, So it is not only the action of dopamine agonists or antagonists which impact, but the cellular activity which contributes to the illness. This scientific piece of writing encompasses so many areas of medical knowledge that it demands several readings to make sense of each point. However, it is fully detailed and demonstrates how the researchers used a stringent methodology, adhered to ethical and confidential practice and met their objective, as evidenced by the findings. It just seemed to take a long time and a great deal of narrative to produce the relevant information. They were honest as to limitations identified, such as age and antipsychotic drug use, the latter of which might have affected results, though this was considered unlikely.

Earle Spencer Eulogy Essay Example for Free

Earle Spencer Eulogy Essay I stand before you today, the representative of a family in grief, in a country in mourning before a world in shock. We are all united not only in our desire to pay our respects to Diana but rather in our need to do so. For such was her extraordinary appeal that the tens of millions of people taking part in this service all over the world via television and radio who never actually met her, feel that they, too, lost someone close to them in the early hours of Sunday morning. It is a more remarkable tribute to Diana than I can ever hope to offer her today. Diana was the very essence of compassion, of duty, of style, of beauty. All over the world she was a symbol of selfless humanity, a standard-bearer for the rights of the truly downtrodden, a very British girl who who transcended nationality, someone with a natural nobility who was classless, and who proved in the last year that she needed no royal title to continue to generate her particular brand of magic. Today is our chance to say thank you for the way you brightened our lives, even though God granted you but half a life. We will all feel cheated, always, that you were taken from us so young and yet we must learn to be grateful that you came along at all. Only now you are gone do we truly appreciate what we are now without and we want you to know that life without you is very, very difficult. We have all despaired at our loss over the past week and only the strength of the message you gave us through your years of giving has afforded us the strength to move forward. There is a temptation to rush to canonize your memory. There is no need to do so. You stand tall enough as a human being of unique qualities not to need to be seen as a saint. Indeed to sanctify your memory would be to miss out on the very core of your being, your wonderfully mischievous sense of humor with a laugh that bent you double, your joy for life transmitted wherever you took your smile, and the sparkle in those u nforgettable eyes, your boundless energy which you could barely contain. But your greatest gift was your intuition, and it was a gift you used wisely. This is what underpinned all your other wonderful attributes. And if we look to analyze what it was about you that had such a wide appeal, we find it in your instinctive feel for what was really important in all our lives. Without your God-given sensitivity, we would be immersed in greater ignorance at the anguish of AIDS and HIV sufferers, the plight of the homeless, the isolation of lepers, the random destruction of land mines. Diana explained to me once that it was her innermost feelings of  suffering that made it possible for her to connect with her constituency of the rejected. And here we come to another truth about her. For all the status, the glamour, the applause, Diana remained throughout a very insecure person at heart, almost childlike in her desire to do good for others so she could release herself from deep feelings of unworthiness of which her eating disorders were merely a symptom. The world sensed this part of her character and cherished her for her vulnerability, whilst admiring her for her honesty. The last time I saw Diana was on July the first, her birthday, in London, when typically she was not taking time to celebrate her special day with friends but was guest of honor at a fund-raising charity evening. She sparkled of course, but I would rather cherish the days I spent with her in March when she came to visit me and my children in our home in South Africa. I am proud of the fact that apart from when she was on public display meeting President Mandela, we managed to contrive to stop the ever-present paparazzi from getting a single picture of her. That meant a lot to her. These were days I will always treasure. It was as if we had been transported back to our childhood, when we spent such an enormous amount of time together, the two youngest in the family. Fundamentally she hadnt changed at all from the big sister who mothered me as a baby, fought with me at school, and endured those long train journeys between our parents homes with me at weekends. It is a tribute to her level-headedness and strength that despite the most bizarre life imaginable after her childhood, she remained intact, true to herself. There is no doubt that she was looking for a new direction in her life at this time. She talked endlessly of getting away from England, mainly because of the treatment that she received at the hands of the newspapers. I dont think she ever understood why her genuinely good intentions were sneered at by the media, why there appeared to be a permanent quest on their behalf to bring her down. It is baffling. My own, and only, explanation is that genuine goodness is threatening to those at the opposite end of the moral spectrum. It is a point to remember that of all the ironies about Diana, perhaps the greatest was this: a girl given the name of the ancient goddess of hunting was, in the end, the most hunted person of the modern age. She would want us today to pledge ourselves to protecting her beloved boys, William and Harry, from a similar fate. And I do this here, Diana, on your behalf. We will not allow them to  suffer the anguish that used regularly to drive you to tearful despair. And beyond that, on behalf of your mother and sisters, I pledge that we, your blood family, will do all we can to continue the imaginative and loving way in which you were steering these two exceptional young men, so that their souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition but can sing openly as you planned. We fully respect the heritage into which they have both been born, and will always respect and encourage them in their royal role. But we, like you, recognize the need for them to experience as many different aspects of life as possible, to arm them spiritually and emotionally for the years ahead. I know you would have expected nothing less from us. William and Harry, we all care desperately for you today. We are all chewed up with sadness at the loss of a woman who wasnt even our mother. How great your suffering is we cannot even imagine. I would like to end by thanking God for the small mercies Hes shown us at this dreadful time; for taking Diana at her most beautiful and radiant and when she had joy in her private life. Above all, we give thanks for the life of a woman Im so proud to be able to call my sister: the unique, the complex, the extraordinary and irreplaceable Diana, whose beauty, both internal and external, will never be extinguished from our minds.

Essay --

Personal Strengths and Weaknesses Everyone has strengths and weaknesses but being a rather younger one, it’s hard to deal with your weaknesses. It’s not until you grow up and realize that you have to use your strengths to overcome your weaknesses. The ability to win others in my point of view – like many others – is invaluable. I believe I would be more successful in everyday situations, like asking for a raise or ironing out a difference with a neighbor, only if I concentrate more on myself. Like every other person on this planet, I consider myself being composed of certain strengths and weaknesses. I will start off by discussing my flaws and the personal deficiencies I hold within. Poor communication skills in English Realizing the fact that English is my second language that’s why not having essential command on this language is one of my weaknesses that are really big stumbling blocks for me. Basically I am an Asian. Every now and then, due to my poor communication skills in English I feel uncomfortable to tell people how to do things. I do have problem in school or workplace b...

Why Volunteer

Why Volunteer? Have you ever thought about volunteering? If you're not booked for the weekend, try volunteering at your favorite charity. You might like it! People who volunteer tend to be more successful in life. With this in mind, you may want to consider volunteering your time at a charitable organization. You would be completing tasks that are not assigned to people specifically, learning important life skills, and at the same time, increasing your health. Yes, you heard it right. Volunteering does help your health. As you probably know, not all tasks in the world are assigned to people.Take trash pickup for example. If nobody picked up the trash on the side of the road, it would stay there forever and definitely cause pollution. Have you ever noticed the â€Å"Adopt a highway/' signs by the road? Well, those organizations who adopt the Highways are all run by volunteers. Doesn't it feel good to do something without getting paid? You may find volunteering can be contagious. Thin k about it; if I were to walk on the beach and pick up trash, by standers may see me and begin to pick up trash as well. Before you know it, the beach is pretty clean. So, look around.See what is needed in your community, and consider volunteering to do it. A quote by Anne Frank states, â€Å"You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give. † What does this mean to you? Most of the time, volunteer work will help you learn important life skills. During middle school, you certainly will get a ton of projects. Do you have a habit of putting them off until the last minute? If so, you need to learn time management. Volunteering can teach you that. However, be careful not to et your volunteer hours interfere with your other responsibilities such as homework or sports.Also, volunteering can teach you communication skills. You would become more comfortable talking to different kinds of people. You may even discover hidden talents. According to the University of Ar kansas, important life skills are learned by volunteering. That is a fact! Yes, I know volunteering takes up a lot of time, but you are helping your health. According to Make a Difference Day Survey, CM, nearly half of all volunteers (47%) say volunteering has improved their physical health and tiniest. Many volunteers state they have been affected when they volunteer.They said it helps your mental health. Studies have shown 18-24 year olds have drunken less alcohol since volunteering. Volunteering also helps reduce stress. Depression is a sign of loneliness, but when you volunteer, it combats that and you may even meet a friend there. Some health benefits due to volunteering are fewer risks of heart attacks and lower stress levels. Don't you want to help your health? A quote by Ghanaian says, â€Å"The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in he service of others. Volunteering not only gives you a good feeling about yourself, it helps you learn more about your community. Helping your health, doing tasks that are not assigned, and learning important life skills are all things you can achieve while volunteering. If you don't like to get dirty cooking or cleaning, try volunteering at a bake sale. Without a doubt, you will get to see the joy in children's faces when they get a messy, chocolate cupcake. Be sure to hand them a napkin! That is why you need to step up and volunteer today.

Self-Actualization

Running Head: SELF-ACTUALIZATION Self-Actualization Destini Bridgeman Kaplan College Instructor Brewer Self-actualization is a part of our nature that helps us to become better people, by expanding our creativity, and making our experiences much more intense. It is usual for us to hear someone say that, â€Å"I quit. I cannot do this anymore. † Some people do so because they are tired of what they are doing, and others may just give up on their dreams because of their own personality problem. It is not a good or healthy thing to do because in the end, people may regret for what they decided to do.They may feel unhappy or even depressed. As we can see, in the daily life we are living in, people always give up on their dreams very easily because of various problems such as not reaching self-actualization or in their streams of consciousness. A famous psychologist Abraham Maslow has a theory which is widely accepted by people. â€Å"According to Maslow, basic needs must be satis fied before we can focus on those that are more abstract† (Interpersonal Communication Everyday Encounters, 2010).Maslow came up with a pyramid that shows people have different levels of needs. Some of them are basic, and some are at a higher level. Our behavior of chasing the dreams can be understood. Maslow believed in the theory of self-actualization. â€Å"He was convinced that humans are capable of achieving high levels of intellectual and emotional existence, and he believed in human potential† (Self-Actualization, 11/08/2010). Maslow’s pyramid, a five-tiered structure, (Figure 1) represents a summary of this theory.Maslow states that in order for one to focus their attention on the ultimate goal at the apex of the pyramid, self-actualization, and one must first fulfill the needs at the subordinate levels. At the lowest level of the chart are the physiological needs, followed by the need for safety, the belongingness and love needs, the esteem needs, and fi nally culminating in self-actualization. â€Å"The state of consciousness has no simple, agreed-upon definition. Rene Descartes, a French philosopher asked: â€Å"Is the mind, or consciousness, independent of matter?Is consciousness extended (physical) or unextended (nonphysical)? Is consciousness determinative, or is it determined† (Webb, 2002)? Freud believed consciousness was unextended, and that a large portion of our brain operates completely out of conscious awareness Sigmund Freud’s theories on consciousness and unconscious awareness are being a counter theory to reaching self- actualizations. Freud looked for personality in the details such as the meanings and insights revealed by careful analysis of the tiniest aspects of a person’s thought and behavior.Freud made a strong distinction between the conscious and unconscious mind. Freud believes we can bring unconscious to conscious. â€Å"He distinguished three different levels of mental life: conscious , preconscious, and unconscious. †. People must deal with unconscious desires but also memories we put there. â€Å"Freud assumed that insight into the unconscious can never be gained directly, however, because conscious self-reports could never tap the cloaked and censored depths of the unconscious. â€Å"According to Freud, the unconscious is the part of the mind that operates outside of the conscious awareness but influences conscious thoughts, feelings, and actions. † Freud’s opinion is we can only reach self- actualization when we deal with unconsciousness. Freud believed that for us to reach â€Å"self-actualization,† we must deal with our unconscious. However, certain factors stood in our way. Defense mechanisms were used to repress unwanted desires, impulse, and memories in the unconscious mind.Freud proposed that the mind consists of three independent, interacting, and often conflicting systems. They are the ID, the Ego, and the Superego. As foll ows: â€Å"ID, which is part of the mind containing the drives present at birth and is the source of bodily needs, wants, desires, and impulses; Ego: which enables us to deal with life’s practical demands; and the Super Ego, which is the mental system that reflects the internalization of the cultural rules† (Psychology 2009). The id is the great reservoir of the libido, from which the ego seeks to distinguish itself through various mechanisms of repression† (Modules on Freud II: On the unconscious 2002). No matter how self-actualization is reached, the end result is still the same. Negative past experiences and unwanted desires are dealt with first. Peak experiences can only occur when other needs are met. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Figure 1)References Gilbert, D. . Schacter, D. , Wegner, D. , Psychology. New York, NY. Woods, C. 2009. Viewed 11/08/2010. Modules on Freud II: On the Unconscious. July 2002. Viewed 11/15/2010. http://www. cla. purdue. edu/ac ademic/engl/theory/psychoanalysis/freud2. html Self- Actualization. Wilkipedia. The Free Encyclopedia. Viewed 11/08/2010. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Self-actualization Webb, W. (2010) States of Consciousness. Viewed 11/08/2010. http://web. ebscohost. com. kaplan. uah. edu/ehost/delivery? vid=4&hid=17&sid=fcf6a1ba-8cd7-40e7-a846-fab63a3816fb%40sessionmgr10 Wood, J. Interpersonal Communication Everyday Encounters. Boston, MA, Lyn Uhl. 2010 Viewed 11/08/2010.

How to Buy the Best Travel Insurance

How to Buy the Best Travel Insurance SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips A stolen laptop, a skiing injury, a dangerous hurricane- knock on wood that none of these accidents or emergencies ruin your travels. While you can’t do much to ward off bad luck, you can protect yourself from financial loss by buying a travel insurance plan. The best travel insurance will reimburse money you lose from a cancelled flight, medical issue, stolen belongings, or a number of other accidents that can occur when you travel. You can buy short-term travel insurance to cover a single trip or long-term insurance if you’re moving abroad for a year or more. This guide will go over all the benefits of travel insurance, as well as help you decide whether or not you need to purchase a plan before your trip. If you already know you want a plan, then jump down to my picks for the five best travel insurance plans for 2016. To start, let’s go over what travel insurance plans cover. What Is Travel Insurance? What Does It Cover? There are a variety of travel insurance plans out there, and you can shop around for one that covers what you need and leaves out what you don’t. Most plans insure the following essentials: Medical costs incurred from injuries on your trip (you may have to meet a deductible first, and then the insurance will cover costs beyond it) Trip interruption or cancellation (due to external circumstances, not because you woke up that morning and didn’t feel like flying) Lost or stolen baggage or belongings Emergency evacuation 24-hour emergency assistance Some plans only cover medical costs, and leave out the rest or offer these coverage options as add-ons. Many plans make a 24-hour travel service available to you, and some offer concierge services to help you make reservations. If you’re heading to the Alps to go skiing or Thailand to go rock climbing, then you can also add on coverage for any injuries incurred during adventure activities. Holiday insurance plans cover a wide range of issues, but they draw the line at some expenses. Read on to learn what most travel insurance plans don’t cover. Waiting at baggage claim and your suitcase is nowhere to be seen? Travel insurance can cover the cost of lost luggage. What Does Travel Insurance Not Cover? There are some limitations to travel insurance. If you’re traveling to a country in conflict, for instance, then you won’t find yourself covered there under most plans. Most plans also don’t cover, Elective surgery or treatment Injuries caused by alcohol or drug use War Some holiday insurance plans also don’t cover pre-existing medical insurance or acts of terrorism, or they offer these types of coverage as additional add-ons. When you buy a plan, make sure to read the fine print to see what’s included. If something important is missing, then see if you can add it onto the plan. After you purchase a plan, hopefully, you won't have to interact much more with the travel insurance company. But what if you do fall ill or get your laptop stolen? How exactly will your travel insurance plan cover these costs? How Does Travel Insurance Work? In the majority of cases, your holiday insurance will reimburse you after you file a claim. If an incident occurs, then you should save all receipts or other documentation to submit to the travel insurance company. If you're in need of emergency assistance, then you should call its 24-hour emergency assistance number. Most insurance companies advise you to contact them and submit a claim as soon as you're able after an incident occurs. That way they can process your claim quickly, as well as let you know any additional steps you need to take in the moment. While travel insurance reduces the financial risks of a trip, it isn’t necessary for all travelers. When should you take steps to insure your travels, and when would you be fine doing without? Make sure to keep all your receipts in case you need to file a claim. Do You Need Travel Insurance? Whether or not it makes sense for you to insure your trip depends on a number of factors. I’ve gone on a bunch of international trips and have only purchased travel insurance once. I insured a multi-month trip where I was backpacking around developing countries and wanted to be covered in case of injury or illness. If you’re not sure whether or not you need to buy travel insurance, consider these next four questions. #1: How Much Will Your Trip Cost? Are you investing a significant amount of money in your trip, or are you taking a short discount flight and crashing on your friend’s couch? If the former, then you might want to protect yourself with trip cancellation or interruption insurance so you don’t face a big financial loss. Look for coverage that will reimburse your flight, hotel, and any other pre-booked reservations. If you’re going on a relatively short, inexpensive trip, then you probably don’t need travel insurance to protect your investment. This doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t want your medical costs to be covered, but you likely don’t need insurance that covers trip cancellation or interruption. #2: Are You Already Covered? Before you start picking out a plan, check to see whether any of your existing policies- health insurance, car insurance, credit card agreements- cover any travel risks. Your regular health insurance, for instance, might reimburse you for medical expenses that you incur while abroad. Certain countries, furthermore, may offer free or low-cost healthcare to visitors. If you’re renting a car during your travels, then your regular car insurance or even credit card might cover rental insurance (except in Israel and Ireland, the latter of which I found out on a recent trip to the Ring of Kerry). Furthermore, some credit cards will also reimburse lost luggage or a cancelled flight. As you start to think about insurance, check out any existing policies you have to see if any aspects of your travels are already covered. Some car insurance and credit card policies cover the cost of rental cars in other countries. #3: Are You Worried About Emergency Evacuation? If you’re traveling to a country with volatile conditions, whether they be political or climate-related, then you might want to make sure you’re covered in the event of emergency evacuation. While you’ll likely have to choose a plan that’s a step above the basic one, you can get covered for emergency evacuation, as well as any loss or injury due to natural disasters or terror attacks. If it looks like a storm is brewing, then you may want to take coverage. #4: How Concerned Are You? Finally, the decision about whether or not to buy travel insurance may largely come down to peace of mind. If you’re really worried about the risks of your trip, then the additional cost of holiday insurance could be worth it to clear your mind and allow you to enjoy your trip. If you end up at the conclusion that you do need travel insurance, which plan is best for you? The following are some of the main coverage options to look for when choosing your best travel insurance. Traveling during a stormy time of year? Some insurance plans cover cancellations or delays due to weather. What Should You Look for In a Travel Insurance Plan? Most travel insurance companies provide plans at a few different levels, from the most basic to the deluxe, as well as optional add-ons to cover specific medical concerns or activities. Below are some essential features that most plans cover. Consider if any or all of these categories are important to you as you decide which travel insurance is right for you. The four main categories are trip cancellations and interruptions, medical and personal issues, overall cost, and miscellaneous personal needs. #1: Trip Cancellations and Interruptions Trips might get cancelled or interrupted by weather, employment transfer, jury duty, natural disaster, passport or visa theft, pregnancy, pre-existing medical condition, sickness, injury or death of traveler or a loved one, terrorist attack, traffic accident en route, or work reasons. Basic plans tend to cover cancellation due to weather or natural disaster, while pricier plans will cover a pre-existing medical condition or employment transfer. Typically, only the most comprehensive plans cover â€Å"cancellation for any reason.† You might also look to see if your plan covers delayed, lost, stolen, or damaged luggage, as well as the cost to replace a lost or stolen passport or visa. #2: Medical Issues These issues could include medical or dental emergencies, hospital visits, prescribed drugs, ambulance services, 24-hour medical assistance, and return of remains. Some plans may also cover pre-existing medical conditions. #3: Miscellaneous Personal Needs Look to see whether your particular needs are covered, whether you want to make sure you’re covered in case of bungee jumping incident or that your kids are covered for free under the plan. These miscellaneous needs largely depend on the length and nature of your trip. If you're planning two weeks of bungee jumping, rock climbing, parasailing, and whitewater rafting, then you might want to add on coverage for adventure activities. #4: Overall Cost Finally, a major last consideration is how much you want to pay for travel insurance and how much the company will dish out. Some companies insure a trip up to $10,000, while others cover trip expenses up to $100,000. You should also look at medical deductibles, or at how much you’ll have to pay out of pocket before the insurance company will start to reimburse doctor visits and other medical costs. Cheap travel insurance plans tend to cover just one or the other when it comes to medical and travel insurance. You might be able to find medical travel insurance for only about $30 for a two-week trip. Plans with more perks may range anywhere from $100 to $400 for a month-long trip abroad. With these factors in mind, I picked out the five best travel insurance plans. Read on to see options that provide comprehensive coverage, competitive rates, medical support, and coverage for older travelers and expats. The 5 Best Travel Insurance Plans Taking the above factors into account, I looked at different travel insurance companies and compared the extent of coverage, the potential for plan customization, and the overall cost to choose the best plans. If you want to compare travel insurance on your own, you can also check out the travel insurance search engines, InsureMyTrip and SquareMouth. These travel insurance comparison sites are superior to a travel or booking agency, which could have partnerships or gain commissions for pushing certain policies. Read on for the best travel insurance companies for 2016 and what makes them stand out from the pack. Below, you’ll find some more advice on how to buy a travel insurance plan to cover your trip. #1: Travelex Insurance Services- Best for Overall Coverage Travelex rose to the top of the pack for its wide range of customizable options for both leisure and business travels. It has three plan levels- basic, select, and max, all of which cover 100% of your trip’s cost in the case of cancellation or interruption. The select and max plans, actually, cover 150%, meaning you’ll get additional money back! The plans also cover up to $100,000 in medical costs. Travelex insurance covers children under the age of 21 for free. It also has add-on options for adventure activities, like rock climbing or parasailing. The basic Travelex plan does not cover pre-existing medical conditions, so you’d need to choose the Select or Max plan if you want that coverage. Overall, Travelex is a good choice if you’re covering a relatively pricey, international trip. The downside is that you can’t cover trips that are longer than 180 days. I also found the website to be kind of clunky; you need to fill in all of your personal and trip details before you can get an initial quote. Make sure your travel insurance plan includes everything you need, like lost luggage reimbursement or emergency medical helicopters. #2: HTH Travel Insurance- Best for Medical Coverage If your main concern is medical coverage, then you should check out HTH travel insurance. It allows you to buy travel medical insurance without any other add-ons. If you do go with HTH, you’ll have access to a useful app that locates English-speaking doctors close to you and helps you book appointments. Depending on your plan, you can get coverage for anywhere from $50,000 to $1 million in medical. The plans can cover an unlimited number of trips within a 12-month period, and some even let you keep the health coverage for nine months after your trip ends. There are a variety of plans for individuals, students, groups, and expats living abroad. There are a couple downsides to HTH insurance plans. One is that they don’t cover injuries from adventure sports and other activities. The second is that you might have to have a primary health care plan in order to purchase some of the HTH plans. HTH is a good choice for medical insurance abroad, but it unfortunately falls short if you’re an adventure sports enthusiast. #3: World Nomads- Best for Budget and Adventure Travelers While HTH doesn’t cover adventure sports, World Nomads has add-on coverage to cover over 200 of them! It’s a popular company for adventurous travelers, backpackers, and anyone traveling on a budget. I used World Nomads on my multi-month trip and found that it had relatively cheap holiday insurance plans with great coverage options. Plus, the website is streamlined and easy to use, and you can sign up anytime before or even during your travels. World Nomads plans cover trip cancellation or interruption, medical care, emergency evacuation, and lost or stolen gear. They insure your trip for up to $10,000, lost or stolen baggage for up to $3,000, and medical costs for up to $100,000. Since World Nomads sets a limit on trip cancellation at $10,000, it’s not the best choice for luxury travelers. Another downside? It doesn’t offer plans for groups or travelers over the age of 70. If you're going on a long-term international trip, then you should probably get insurance, just in case. #4: TravelSafe Insurance- Best for Long-Term International Trips If you’re traveling internationally and would like reservation or language assistance while abroad, then TravelSafe is a good option. It offers 24-hour travel assistance services, including concierge and interpreters. TravelSafe will insure trips for up to three years, so you can buy annual travel insurance plans. You’ll get up to $2,500 coverage of a lost or stolen passport or a missed flight or other connection. TravelSafe has a variety of individual and group plans at three levels, silver, gold, and platinum. The platinum plan offers a â€Å"cancel for any reason† benefit, which will refund 75% of your trip. #5: Allianz Global Insurance- Best for Older Travelers While several travel insurance companies set an age limit, Allianz doesn’t impose one. It’s also relatively inexpensive compared to a lot of other companies. Allianz offers a variety of coverage options and will insure trips that cost up to $100,000 (a much larger sum than the $10,000 covered by World Nomads). You can buy a short-term or annual plan, and children under the age of 17 are covered for free. Allianz has an app that will help you find nearby English-speaking emergency services in most countries. It doesn’t offer concierge services to help you with reservations, though, nor does it cover the cost of a lost or stolen passport. Allianz is a good option for older travelers, plus it’s a relatively affordable choice for those looking to insure an expensive trip. Once you find the comprehensive or cheap travel insurance plan that best meets your needs, what do you do next? What steps do you need to take to purchase travel insurance? Purchasing travel insurance is easy! Just go online. How to Buy a Travel Insurance Plan Once you’ve done a travel insurance comparison, thought about your needs, and chosen the best travel insurance for you, you can take steps to purchase a plan with an online application. You can buy your insurance directly from the company’s website or from a travel insurance compare search engine, like InsureMyTrip. You’ll need to know the dates of your trip, as well as your passport number. You’ll also fill in general personal information, your country of origin and destination, and ultimately, your payment details. Once you submit, you should get a confirmation email of your plan purchase immediately, as well as supporting documents sent via email or mail within a few days or weeks. Most travel insurance companies want you to purchase your plan prior to departing on your trip. Ideally, you should buy a plan immediately after you make your first deposit (usually the flight purchase). If you decide you want to buy additional add-ons, like a â€Å"cancel for any reason† option, then you’ll probably need to take care of it at least two weeks before you leave. World Nomads is unique because it lets you purchase a plan even after you’ve already left, and you can extend it any time if your plans change and you decide to enjoy your international vacation for a few weeks or months longer. Again, once you buy your plan, you’ll receive your insurance ID and policy through email or mail. Ideally, you'll never have to communicate with the travel insurance company after you buy your plan! Finding the Best Travel Insurance: Final Thoughts Ideally, you’ll never actually need to use the benefits of your travel insurance because your trip will go off without a hitch. Knowing that the benefits are there, though, can give you peace of mind, as well as provide serious financial protection should any unforeseen emergencies occur. Before buying a travel insurance plan, make sure to consider your needs and reasons for buying insurance. If it makes sense to insure your trip, then search around for the best rates and the coverage that protects you in the ways you need, whether you need medical coverage or just want to insure your electronics or extreme whitewater rafting trip. Again, the most common considerations for people when they buy travel insurance are injury or illness, trip cancellation or interruption, lost or stolen belongings, 24 hour services, and other issues in the destination country that could call for an emergency evacuation. Whether you’re a luxury traveler, backpacking through Southeast Asia, going on a family trip, or moving to another country, you will be able to find a travel insurance plan that specifically meets your needs as a traveler.

Report from Los Angels County Museum of Art essays

Report from Los Angels County Museum of Art essays Report from Los Angels County Museum of Art The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is the premier visual arts museum in the Western United States. Its holdings include more than 150,000 works spanning the history of art from ancient times to the present. Moreover, the museum has seasonal exhibitions, which focus on many different types of artists every month. The variety of artwork fascinates visitors and never bores them. I am a frequent visitor of the museum, and, this time, I was enchanted by the sculpture Lady, which was created by Michael Lucero in 1999. The sculptures body simulates Roman or Greek statues, but there is no human-like head. Instead of creating the head, he randomly stacked colorful earthenware on it. Lady is revolutionary in these aspects: the use of contrasting the head and body is outstanding, it symbolizes the fusion of different cultures, and the mysterious appearance arouses peoples imaginations of its meaning. By contrasting the color, texture, and the shape of the body and head, Michael Lucero has succeeded in capturing visitors attention since the combinations are unusual and outstanding. The color of the body is a solid off-white, and the texture of the surface is rough, resembling the statue of Virgin Mary. The shape is very complicating as well. The sculptor precisely produced the wrinkles of the cloth, and I could see the shape of the legs through it. The beauty of the body is beyond description, and it seems to be waiting for a command to step forward. Unlike the body, the colors of the head are bright, and the surface is very smooth and shiny. Lucero utilized a beauty combination of primary colors, such as red, yellow, and blue, which mingled perfectly. The use of the vivid colors reminds me of a pattern in a tie-dye shirt. It also has some pictures of insects and a digit 8:43, which makes it myste ...

How To Become A Writer

How To Become A Writer How To Become A Writer How To Become A Writer By Mark Nichol Write. In order to be able to call yourself a writer, all you have to do is write. But I have another piece of advice: Don’t go passing out business cards emblazoned with that word just yet. Malcolm Gladwell is a fascinating writer (one who deserves those business cards) who has an uncanny knack for extrapolating from mundane facts and ideas from an oblique and unique angle. In his book Outliers: The Story of Success, he describes an intriguing concept popularly known as the 10,000-Hour Rule. Simply stated, it points out that most people who become highly accomplished at one endeavor or another have at least one thing in common: They’ve worked at it for 10,000 hours. So, if you haven’t devoted an hour a day into writing for the last thirty years, or three hours a day for the past decade, or an equivalent total, don’t be surprised that you can’t find your name on the New York Times best seller list. Take heart, however, that you don’t need to log five figures’ worth of writing time to satisfying your desire to compose prose (or poetry, or nonfiction). But ignore James Brown’s advice to get up offa that thing sit down on that thing and write. It doesn’t matter what you write, but it matters that you write. It also matters that you read and, similarly, the what isn’t as important as the that: that you read. Read literary classics and airport novels and graphic novels. Read biographies and memoirs and as-told-tos. Read magazines and newspapers and blogs. Read about people and places and things real and imagined. But learn to distinguish between bad writing and good writing and great writing. Notice the style and tone and technique of the great stuff. Don’t try to imitate it, but recognize it and what it does for your reading experience. Think about what you want the experience to be like for your readers. Don’t forget, though, the most important reason to write: for your own enjoyment the joy of creation, the joy of reading the story you had to write because nobody else had done so until you came along. Don’t write with any goal in mind except this one: to complete a story a novel, a novella, a short story, a short short story so that you can read it. I’ll return to this topic with posts about elements of fiction writing and others about writing nonfiction, but I’ll sign off for now, because I don’t want to keep you from your writing. What are you waiting for? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:25 Subordinating Conjunctions50 Nautical Terms in General UseThe Two Sounds of G

Initiation of the KERP projects programme and the execution of the Movie Review

Initiation of the KERP projects programme and the execution of the First project by Kuwait oil company - Movie Review Example Kuwait Environmental Remediation Program (KERP) aims at dealing with the elimination of pollutants or impurities from environmental media resulting from the oil explosion. KERP seeks to ensure the realization of three key objectives. The first objective is to direct Kuwait National Focal Point (KNFP) in the accomplishment of the KERP. The second objective is to undertake remediation of damaged terrestrial resources by means such as fencing and patrolling of five designated areas. The third objective is to remedy areas damaged by oil leaks, oil contaminated piles, oil trenches, and oil spills. Military contributed to Kuwait’s environmental damages through a series of activities. The movement of vehicles and heavy weaponry damaged the delicate desert environment by affecting the plant cover that in turn affected the sensitive ecosystem. The physical esthetic value of the environment in turn was destroyed, and aridity started engulfing the lands of Kuwait. In 1994, Kuwait government submitted environmental claims that aimed at monitoring and realizing remediation mechanisms to restore and improve Kuwait’s ecological status. After studies on the same subject matter, in the period 2001 to 2007, Public Authorities for the Assessment of Compensation proposed remediation technologies to enable rehabilitation of the damaged environment. The steps are aimed at bringing recovery and restoration to the deteriorated environmental status in Kuwait. On August 2, 1990, the State of Kuwait sustained extensive environmental damages because of the Iraqi aggression against Kuwait and the 1991 Gulf War. The United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) recognized the provision of reparations to affected countries, companies and individuals. In December 2005, the UNCC completed the appraisal of all claims for environmental damages in visualization of remediating environmental damages. The UNCC issued Decision 258

Take Ways from Leadership Skills Speech or Presentation

Take Ways from Leadership Skills - Speech or Presentation Example A concluding portion would highlight relevant concepts and lessons learned from the essay. Take ways from Leadership Skills Leadership is an important component in the existence, survival and functioning of any group or organization. Many organizations have been aware of the fact that their success is greatly dependent upon the quality and effectiveness of this dimension. As an organization grows in size and complexity, the requirements for an efficient and effective leadership multiply. In this regard, the essay aims to define leadership using one’s own words and to indicate what components or elements are involved in leadership. Further, the discourse would describe the different leadership theories in simple words. In conjunction with the discussion of the leadership theories, one would present a theoretical application in one’s workplace (convenience store) through the provision of an example. Finally, one’s personal view on the best leadership skills and a d escription of the follower's role in leadership process would be proffered. A concluding portion would highlight relevant concepts and lessons learned from the essay. Definition of Leadership The term ‘leadership’ has received various definitions and explanations depending on the perceptions, experiences and understandings of those who discuss it. One’s personal definition of leadership sees it as an act or behavior manifested by a person possessing qualities and traits that enable that person to influence others into achieving a well defined goal. At the simplest, leadership have three key elements: leader, followers and the situation (Martires & Fule, 2004). To determine what leadership involves, one must take into consideration various points of views. From the view point of the leader, there are skills and traits that are commonly manifested and exemplified by leaders. According to Martires & Fule (2004), leadership is at once personal, interpersonal, and sit uational. But it can be viewed from one perspective at a time. At the personal level, traits and skills are highlighted. At the interpersonal level, style comes to the fore. Finally, at the situational level, the contingent nature of leadership manifests itself. Murray Ross and Charles Hendry drew a personality profile of effective leaders from many tests conducted to identify leadership traits. In general, they found that effective leaders have attibutes as follows: (1) self-confident, well-integrated, and emotionally stable; (2) warm, sensitive, and sympathetic toward other people and give practical, helpful suggestions; (3) intelligent in relation to the gorup members; (4) identify with the goals and values of the groups they lead; (5) want to take leadership responsibility and are competent in handling new situations; (6) can be relied on to perform leadership functions consistently; and (7) in elected or public positions, usually possess more enthusiasm and capacity for express ion than other types of leaders (Ross & Hendry, 1957). On the other hand, various skills are exhibited by leaders as essentially described by Henry Mitzberg, to wit: (1) skills of introspection; (2) entrepreneurial skills; (3) conflict-resolution skills; (4) peer skills; (5) information-processing skills; (6) skills in unstructured decision-making; and (7) resourse generation and allocation skills (Mitzberg, 1973). Leadership Theories There are diverse leadership theories that evolved through the years

Kinect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kinect - Essay Example With the development of the Nintendo Wii and the PlayStation Move, Xbox needed a suitable competitive product to secure its market share. As a result, the company had to expand the product lines current competencies and develop new technology in order to obtain the desired product capabilities. The software behind connect was a necessary change in game development for Xbox in order to compete with its competitors. The Kinect technology is based upon a software technology developed internally by Rare, a subsidiary of Microsoft Game Studios. This software was also based upon range camera technology, which interprets 3D scene data from a continuously projected infrared structured light. (Wikipedia). This device features and RGB camera, a ‘multi-array microphone’ which runs proprietary software, and a depth sensor. The primary competency difference according to Microsoft is the Kinect software technology that allows for advanced gesture movement recognition, voice recognitio n, and even facial recognition. In order to develop a revolutionary product Microsoft had to expand its current software’s game limitations and focus on an overall experience.

Lab report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Lab report - Essay Example In this case, a stationary body can obtain kinetic energy from a moving. On the contrary, potential energy is totally not transferable to other body, but it can be converted to kinetic energy. Potential energy is directly connected with forces. If the work done on a body by a force that moves from point A to B is independent of the path between the two points, then the work done by this force is assigns a scalar value on each point in space and referred to as a scalar potential field. This means that the integral equation drawn from the line representing the change of force between these two points can be defined as the negative of the vector gradient and it gives the potential field. This potential field is the equivalent of the change in potential energy between the two points. This explains why the spring’s potential energy is given as a negative value. The negative sign denotes the convection that work done by a force field increase the PE while work applied against the force field reduces the potential energy It is important to note that work is required to either reduce or increase the potential energy of a body. In this case, a change in potential energy principally reflects the work done on the object. Therefore, the integral derivative of a PE function will give the amount of work done. Again the value is given as a negative figure to denote that the work done has reduced the PE possession of the body. 1. A normal pendulum with a few modifications can be used to achieve similar objectives. In this case, a zero position for the pendulum is identified. Since many labs are done on tabletops, the table top is assigned to be the zero height (mean) position. If the tabletop is designated the zero position, then the PE of an object is dependent on its relative height from the tabletop. Therefore, by obtaining the mass of the pendulum and its relative height from the table top, the gravitational

MFRD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MFRD - Essay Example Further NB has earned 12. 88% on capital employed as against industry average of 18.5%. According the profitability performance of the company is quite inefficient when compared with industry averages. Liquidity is the strong point of NB and it can be said that the company is in a position to meet it current obligations as and when those become due. The current ratio of NB is 2.14: 1 and that is quite strong when compared with industry average of 1.9: 1. Similarly the company’s quick ratio of NB is 1.52 as against industry average of 1.27. It has established that current ratio of 2:1 and quick ratio of 1:1 is considered optimum for any industry, and in case of NB both the ratios are above the required standard. Therefore NB can be considered as a solvent company that will meet its current liabilities as and when those become due. For analyzing the efficiency of the company four ratios are considered in this assessment. Total asset turnover that analyzes the effective utilization of total assets in generation of sales is 3.13 times and that is marginally behind the industry average of 3.91. Stock turnover ratio reflects liquidity of the stocks of the company. The company has rotated its stocks during 2008 for 13.93 times as against industry average of 18.3 times. Therefore company lacks efficiency on the aspect of rotating its stocks to meet cost of sales as per industry standards. As far as credit period is concerned, the company takes 40.43 days in collection of credit sales as against industry average of 52 days. On the other hand suppliers provide 36.9 days of credit for purchases and the industry average is 49 days. In other words company is managing credit sales collection and credit purchase payments quite effectively, and probably that is the reason for its sound liquidity. Above all 44.55 % of total assets have been financed by debt capital. The industry average is lower than this of

Lab report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Lab report - Essay Example In this case, a stationary body can obtain kinetic energy from a moving. On the contrary, potential energy is totally not transferable to other body, but it can be converted to kinetic energy. Potential energy is directly connected with forces. If the work done on a body by a force that moves from point A to B is independent of the path between the two points, then the work done by this force is assigns a scalar value on each point in space and referred to as a scalar potential field. This means that the integral equation drawn from the line representing the change of force between these two points can be defined as the negative of the vector gradient and it gives the potential field. This potential field is the equivalent of the change in potential energy between the two points. This explains why the spring’s potential energy is given as a negative value. The negative sign denotes the convection that work done by a force field increase the PE while work applied against the force field reduces the potential energy It is important to note that work is required to either reduce or increase the potential energy of a body. In this case, a change in potential energy principally reflects the work done on the object. Therefore, the integral derivative of a PE function will give the amount of work done. Again the value is given as a negative figure to denote that the work done has reduced the PE possession of the body. 1. A normal pendulum with a few modifications can be used to achieve similar objectives. In this case, a zero position for the pendulum is identified. Since many labs are done on tabletops, the table top is assigned to be the zero height (mean) position. If the tabletop is designated the zero position, then the PE of an object is dependent on its relative height from the tabletop. Therefore, by obtaining the mass of the pendulum and its relative height from the table top, the gravitational

Comparison Between Livingstone and Sauer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Comparison Between Livingstone and Sauer - Essay Example Sauer, however, began to head the geography department at Berkeley in 1923, when geography was beginning to take form as an established discipline (Bruman 1996). In the late nineteenth century, geography was more of a reading genre than it was part of institutionalized academia. Robert Mayhew explains, in an essay by Wendy Gibbons, that geography texts were "essentially gazetteers, with headed paragraphs for conveying information about the nations of the world, starting with the mathematical location before moving on to descriptive geography" (Gibbons 2001). Thus, given the different expectations of the time periods, the initial purposes, final results and methodology between the two men were also different. Each time period has its own academic trends and priorities. Prominent public figures are often direct or indirect products of their intellectual surroundings. Therefore, it is valuable to take a look at the academic climates in which Livingstone and Sauer made their respective contributions as well as their various purposes in embarking on their adventures, whether they be academic or otherwise. Livingstone conducted his explorations during what is considered the new imperial age of exploration. This was a time of expansion, the expansion of territories as well as of ideas. With the best of intentions, Livingstone helped pave the way for European colonialism and exploitation. Industrialisation brought with it the desire for imported minerals and natural resources (Crawfurd 2005). Since the accepted idea of the time was that Europe was far superior to Africa, the country that first set foot onto uncharted African territory was practically considered its owner. Even though slavery had been abolished in Europe, it was the Africans that did most of the excavating, exploring, translating and carrying. Africa at this time was seen as a mysterious and dark land, ripe for exploration and conquest. It was the perfect space to play out the prominent ideas of the time. Livingstone was initially a missionary. He began his explorations not so much as an attempt to map uncharted territory, but more as an effort to open up new paths to commerce and Christianity. While working to construct missionary stations deeper into the "Dark Continent's" interior, he came into close contact with Africa's slave trade. His intention was then to slowly eradicate the slave trade by replacing it with the trade of European goods. He believed that "civilization" must be brought to Africa and that Christianity and commerce were the perfect carriers. Livingstone was not very successful as a missionary and made numerous geographical errors (Sykes 1996). After all, he converted only one African who later reconverted and various miscalculations nearly sacrificed his Zambezi expedition. Later he thought he had found the source of the Nile only to realize that it was actually the upper Congo (Sykes 1996). Still, he represents for many the spirit of the explorer. His contributio ns to the geography of Africa are invaluable. It was he, after all, who first began to draw attention to Africa and her people. Carl Sauer is considered one of the founding fathers of American geography. He marks the initial separation of physical geography from human or cultural geography. His predominant concern was the relationship between people and their environment.  Ã‚  

Nelson Mandela’s Values Essay Example for Free

Nelson Mandela’s Values Essay It will be hard to believe if a person says â€Å"A man who served twenty seven years in prison, turned out to be one of the greatest presidents our world has seen†. Well this did actually happen and this former president is still living today. Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918 in Transkei, South Africa, he was a leader of the anti-apartheid movement in the 1940s. Mandela was jailed for 27 years for acts of sabotage against the South African state, and shortly after his release from prison he led a multi-racial party for the first time ever in South Africa’s history. By doing this he was elected as the first black/democratic president of South Africa. Throughout his years as a president he has been widely regarded as a symbol of global peacemaking, and he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. His birthday, July 18, has been declared Mandela Day; a global celebration of his legacy. Mandela reached this success and earned the title of a world renowned leader with his values in leadership, standing up for what he believed in, that is in democratic process and his strong disapproval of injustice. Nelson Mandela valued leadership since his early days, considered by many as a revolutionary leader; he helped organize the fight against racism and apartheid in South Africa. (Brink). Mandela witnessed leadership at a young age when observing his guardian supervising tribal decision-making gatherings. Mandela’s guardian listened in silence for days, never voicing his opinion even after everyone’s opinion was heard. After everyone had spoken, his guardian guided the group to reach a consensus. Later, Mandela used this experience to mold his leadership style (Stengel). According to Stengel, Mandela recalled the following lesson regarding leadership from when he was a young cattle herder: When you want to get a herd to move in a certain direction, he said, you stand at the back with a stick. Then a few of the more energetic cattle move to the front and the rest of the cattle follow. You are really guiding them from behind. He paused before saying with a smile, That is how a leader should do his work. Furthermore, Mandela’s strong value for leadership began with him displaying his ability to organize and lead others by helping to create the Youth League of African National Congress (ANCYL) which organized protests, boycotts, petitions, and strikes to end apartheid. Previously the African Nation Congress (ACN), ANCYL’s parent organization, had petitioned the government for years for  equality with little success. However, with increased success of the movement, the government increased violence toward nonviolent protesters and banned the ANC. Mandela and other leaders in the movement had to decide how to respond. In a risky decision, they concluded that nonviolence would no longer be effective and that the ANC needed to continue underground. These actions resulted in the imprisonment of Mandela and many ANC leaders, but this action helped to inspire others and to prepare the country for change (Nelson Mandela, African National Congress (ANC), and South Africa.).After more than twenty years in prison, Mandela decided it was time to take matters into his own hands. He realized that, as a leader, it was time to take a drastic step, and he met with the South African president in order to discuss his release and his desire to switch the nati on to a democracy. Mandela was successful, and upon his release he was elected the first democratic leader of South Africa (Brink). Mandela always stood up for what he believed in; he was never fazed by an opponent. Mandela’s value of believing in the democratic process is an example. Even though many did not always agree with this idea, he believed it was the right way forward (Johnson). He was at first unsuccessful with his pursuits, this included the time when he tried during his imprisonment to have prisoners to be addressed more respectfully by guards, and also later when he attempted to have the national voting age lowered to 14 (Stengel). But slowly he established his foundation of democracy and people were finally drawn to it (Stengel). Throughout his battle against apartheid and helping to bring democracy to South Africa, Mandela adopted a democratic leadership style (Johnson).And according to Johnson â€Å"Democratic leaders set policies through group discussion and decision, encourag ing and helping group members to interact, requesting the cooperation of others† and this was exactly what Mandela did (Johnson). Mandela’s other key value that supported his leadership and democratic style was his strong disapproval for injustice. Mandela never tolerated injustice; he believed that justice was the only path to success. For instance, when Mandela got to Robin Island where he was to be imprisoned, he was told to jog to the prison gate. He firmly refused and started a hunger strike with other inmates to condemn the condition they were living in. This worked out in their favor and the conditions improved (Hume). This example highlights Mandela’s value for denouncing injustice and  oppression. Nonetheless, Mandela believed Consensus to be the superior decision making process to build commitment and motivation in group members toward group objectives. Using Consensus meant that justice would be served at its best when making a decision and Mandela fully supported this process (Johnson). Ultimately, Nelson Mandela is viewed as a revolutionary leader for his ability to empower and motivate others using his strong regard for consensus and the democratic process. His stance for promoting justice and peace has been hailed across the world. He led South Africa from a white supremacist country to being the first democratic nation in Africa. With these values Nelson Mandela reached the ultimate success in the eyes of everyone. Work cited Brink, Andre. Nelson Mandela. Time. Time, 13 Apr. 1998. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C988171%2C00.html. Hume, Tim. Digital Mandela Archive Spreads Message of Social Justice. CNN. Cable News Network, 28 Mar. 2008. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/28/world/africa/mandela-online-archive/index.html. Johnson, Caleb. â€Å"A Leader’s Nest† New York Times [New York] 1993: Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 23 Nov. 2012. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=Nonesort=RELEVANCEinPS=trueprodId=GVRLuserGroupName=kent208tabID=T003searchId=R5resultListType=RESULT_LISTcontentSegment=searchType=BasicSearchFormcurrentPosition=2contentSet=GALE%7CCX3490200977docId=GALE|CX3490200977docType=GALE. Nelson Mandela, African National Congress (ANC), and South Africa. Cold War Museum. The Cold War Museum, 17 May 2009. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. http://www.coldwar.org/articles/50s/CNelsonMandelaandSouthAfrica.asp. Stengel, Richard. Mandela: His 8 Lessons of Leadership. Time. Time, 09 July 2008. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1821659,00.html.

The Possible Causes Of Sick Building Syndrome Environmental Sciences Essay

The Possible Causes Of Sick Building Syndrome Environmental Sciences Essay The World Health Organization defines Sick Building Syndrome as a complex of sub-chronic symptoms that occur while occupants are in a building and generally decrease when they leave. The EPA defines it as phenomena used to describe situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified. The discomforts faced by the occupants are usually of the dermis, the nervous system and the mucous membranes (Brinke et al., 1998). Typical symptoms may include itchy eyes, itchy and/or dry skin, irritation of the nose, throat, difficulty in breathing, headache, nausea, fatigue, chest tightening etc. (Apter et al, 1994). The problem may not necessarily be one related to the place of occupation, but studies that describe it refer almost specifically to occupation related disorders. Sick building syndrome is a by-product of building related illness which itself is an extension of indoor air quality. SBS is hard to diagnose as the symptoms that accompany it are not mutually exclusive to it, and may also be the manifestations of other illnesses. Previous studies and surveys conducted on office buildings in the U.S and Europe indicate that at least a 5th of the healthy individuals in the building experience symptoms related to SBS (Pickering et al.,1992) . Usually however, the symptoms disappear if the person leaves the building. 2. CAUSES OF SBS The following are the possible causes of sick building syndrome: 2.1. Ventilation (or lack thereof) In the mid 1900s the building ventilation standards were set at approximately 15 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of outside air for each building occupant, primarily to dilute and remove body odors (US EPA). As a result of the 1973 oil embargo, however, national energy conservation measures called for a reduction of the amount of outdoor air provided for ventilation to 5 cfm per occupant, which in most cases were found to be inadequate. Inadequate ventilation may also occur if heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems do not effectively distribute air to people in the building(US EPA). To maintain adequate indoor air quality, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recently revised its ventilation standard to provide a minimum of 15 cfm of outdoor air per person (20 cfm/person in office spaces). ( ASHRAE Standard 62-1989). 2.2. Contaminants Contaminants are of a varied nature and varied origin. They can be broadly categorized into two categories on the basis of their composition i.e. chemical and biological; and their origin i.e. indoor and outdoor. 2.2.1 Indoor chemical contaminants These originate inside the building. Examples could be chemicals/fumes from the paint, carpeting, wood products, upholstery, copying machines, computers, cleaning agents. Such chemicals are usually classified as Volatile Organic Carbons. Other chemical contaminants can be the CO2 exhaled in totality, the fumes/chemicals in cigarette smoke. Heating systems especially the old ones can give rise to combustion byproducts such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxides, aerosol particles, ozone etc. Various studies have been conducted on almost all of the above mentioned chemicals contaminants and their ill effects have been well documented. 2.2.2. Outdoor chemical contaminants As the name suggest, these originate outside the building. These also include VOCs, gases like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, oxides of sulfur, ozone, etc. However, the basic difference between this and indoor chemical contaminants is that outdoor contaminants arise due to vehicular use outside the building, which gradually pervades inside the building. 2.2.3. Biological contaminants Bacteria, molds, pollen, and viruses are types of biological contaminants. These contaminants may breed in stagnant water that has accumulated in ducts, humidifiers and drain pans, or where water has collected on ceiling tiles, carpeting, or insulation. Sometimes insects or bird droppings can be a source of biological contaminants. Physical symptoms related to biological contamination include cough, chest tightness, fever, chills, muscle aches, and allergic responses such as mucous membrane irritation and upper respiratory congestion. One indoor bacterium, Legionella, has caused both Legionnaires Disease and Pontiac Fever (Apter et al, 1994). 3. EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SICK BUILDING SYNDROME Several studies have been conducted on the Sick Building Syndrome, and the effects related to it. These studies had employed questionnaires which depended on self-reporting by the subjects, and indoor quality measurements. The first of such surveys/studies which focused primarily on building related sickness or complaints was done in the United Kingdom for humidifier fever by Anthony Pickering (Pickering et al, 1992). The same method was utilized by the subsequent researchers, with some modifications in the study design or questions. The studies were usually comparative, i.e. there was a test group in which the subjects worked/resided in not so well ventilated buildings, and the control group in which the subjects were in well ventilated buildings. Self reporting was usually a component of the study design (Redlich et at, 1997), and by its very nature the most likely to introduce bias in the study. Subjects usually reported nasal symptoms such as congestion, pruritis, rhinorrhea etc. , eye related symptoms such as tearing, dryness etc., and others such as tightness and congestion in the chest area, nausea etc. (Apter et al, 1994). When comparisons were made between the two groups, it was seen that the prevalence of all these symptoms was higher in the subjects that were in the test group. This would help to draw the conclusion that there was some factor in the building, possibly the ventilation or lack of it that contributed to these symptoms. Though building related factors are not the only variables in such studies, age, gender, environmental factors also account for a lot. A study conducted by Ooi et al. suggests that building related health complaints were reported more frequently by people who handled/dealt with visual display units. A majority of the researchers conducting these studies agree that these symptoms could also be manifestations of work related stress, which obviously plays a major part in todays work environment. Stress related disorders include headaches including migraines, peptic ulcers, high blood pressure, bronchial asthma etc. When these are considered in conjugation with building related health complaints, there is a very high degree of overlap. Indoor air quality measurements usually help to somewhat pinpoint the origin of these disorders, if not accurately predict them. Air quality measurements with respect to building related disorders prove that inadequate ventilation is usually a major cause of the disorders. Inadequate ventilation fails to dissipate the concentration of the chemical and biological contaminants, and may even lead the increase in their concentration over time. Sources of these contaminants will be discussed further. 3.1. Sources of the Contaminants A).VOCs: Volatile organic compounds are usually aerosols of hydrocarbons. They arise from various sources and are present in a variety of compounds present indoors. Such sources are paints, coatings, caulks, carpeting, Office products such as type-writer correction fluids, photo-duplication and laser printing toners and their thermal degradation products, and carbonless copy paper release. In addition, perfumes, emissions from dry-cleaned clothes, and other products associated with human beings may give of VOCs. Also certain microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi may emit VOCs (Brinke et al, 1998). B). BIOAEROSOLS: As the name suggests, these are released by biological sources such as micro-organisms and even humans. Plants also emit bioaerosols. Inadequate cleaning services and moisture control may lead to the proliferation of microorganisms. Furthermore, dust may collect in vents and in between carpeting (Apte et al., 2000). Workers may even carry them in through their clothes, and these are the major ways how organisms such as dust mites, cockroaches and even bed bugs are transported and subsequently propagated. These compounds usually give rise to respiratory illnesses and can increase the incidence of asthma, though their epidemiology is not much supported by previous studies. C). ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE: In most U.S office buildings, smoking is prohibited. However, already present outside smoke may pervade in through doorways and windows through wind patterns. Usually tobacco smoke is not much of a problem in the United States; however, it is so in many other countries especially developing countries. Such a factor may increase passive smoking, and increase the incidence of asthma, and other respiratory diseases. D). OUTSIDE AIR POLLUTION: Vehicular exhaust, factory exhaust and other outdoor pollution factors can pervade indoors gradually. This is seen in buildings which are near busy roadways and city centers. The compounds in such are usually VOCs and aerosols which cause a huge variety of problems (Brinke et al, 1998). E). PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS: Work stress is a psychological factor that can exacerbate already existing health problems and/or make a person more susceptible to them. Furthermore, several studies have proved that gender and age play a big part in the prevalence of the disorders. Typically, women and older workers are more susceptible to sick building syndrome disorders (Brasche et al, 2001). 4. POSSIBLE REMEDIATION OF SICK BUILDING SYNDROME Sick building syndrome is different from building related illness in the sense that it is reversible, i.e. most people report alleviation in their symptoms if they leave the building. This improvement in their health is more or less fast, and it is this factor that makes SBS somewhat easy to manage. The following solutions can be used in combination or separately to remediate these symptoms. 4.1. Elimination of contaminants This method is the best remedy if the sources are known and it is economically feasible to remove them. A well maintained HVAC system can automatically help to eradicate some or most of these pollutants. The EPA suggests the following procedures to help in eliminating the contaminants: 1. Periodic cleaning or replacement of filters 2. Replacement of water-stained ceiling tile and carpeting 3. Institution of smoking restrictions 4. Venting contaminant source emissions to the outdoors 5. Storage and use of paints, adhesives, solvents, and pesticides in well ventilated areas, and use of these pollutant sources during periods of non-occupancy 6. Allowing time for building materials in new or remodeled areas to off-gas pollutants before occupancy. 4.2. Increasing ventilation rates Improving ventilation and the general air distribution greatly impacts the indoor air quality of a building. It is usually the most economically feasible options of counteracting SBS. HVAC should at the very least meet the minimum standards of local and/or national building codes. The ASHRAE suggests operating HVAC systems at their design optimum which is usually better and higher than the generic codes. The most optimum and the best option to operate HVAC systems is to the ASHRAE standard62-1989. If there is a large proportion of outdoor pollution pervading indoors, the exhaust systems have to operate to their most optimum capacity so as to continually eliminate such contaminants. Another plausible but far less economically plausible option could be to avoid such congested areas altogether, and build new buildings in comparatively more open spaces, however, this could lead to the reduction in a places green cover, and would be ultimately counter-intuitive to the purpose of elimination of air pollution. The EPA recommends local exhaust ventilation to remove pollutants that accumulate in specific areas such as rest rooms, copy rooms, and printing facilities. It also recommends that the HVAC systems must bring in adequate amounts of outdoor air to dilute and eventually remove indoor contaminants. 4.3. Air cleaning Air cleaning is usually a good remediation option if the SBS is too much, or the indoor air quality is too deteriorated. It is more of a cure than a prevention strategy. Like most mechanical cures, this option also comes with a lot of limitations. Particle control devices such as the typical furnace filter are inexpensive but do not effectively capture small particles whereas high performance air filters capture the smaller, respirable particles but are relatively expensive to install and operate. Mechanical filters do not remove gaseous pollutants. Some specific gaseous pollutants may be removed by adsorbent beds, but these devices can be expensive and require frequent replacement of the adsorbent material (Wargocki et al, 2000). 4.4. Proper Communication and Education These are one of the most important measures in remediation and prevention of SBS. The top management needs to keep in mind the health of its employees and should communicate measures to help them. All the levels of the management must work in tandem to maintain good or rather excellent indoor air quality. The EPA eloquently puts it as When building occupants, management, and maintenance personnel fully communicate and understand the causes and consequences of IAQ problems, they can work more effectively together to prevent problems from occurring, or to solve them if they do. 5. CONCLUSION Sick Building Syndrome is increasingly becoming an issue in the workplace and there are documented proofs that it results in reduction in productivity. However, thankfully, it is a reversible and easily remediable phenomenon, and if the employers and employees work together in eliminating it, it can truly be eradicated.

HOW CAN WE STOP THE ABUSE OF THE AMERICAN WELFARE SYSTEM? Essay

HOW CAN WE STOP THE ABUSE OF THE AMERICAN WELFARE SYSTEM? It is well known that the Social Security Act of 1935 created a federally financed and federally administered retirement insurance program for people who had worked in certain sectors of the economy and had paid payroll taxes on their wages. What is less known is that the Act also created a federally financed but state-administered program called Aid to Dependent Children (â€Å"ADC,† later to become Aid to Families with Dependent Children, or â€Å"AFDC†)? As Sheldon H. Danziger and Jeffrey S. Lehman stated in â€Å"Welfare†, â€Å"When Americans speak of â€Å"welfare† or â€Å"relief† they are usually alluding to ADC and its successor programs. From the outset, the design and implementation of ADC highlighted the central conflicts of welfare policy. Issues of race, gender, work, and parenting style were, then as now, matters of great social tension†(Danziger). From 1935 to 1960 the only changes to the welfare structure was the inclusi on of widows and disabled people into the social security system. In the 1960’s policymakers began to speak of creating equal opportunity for everyone by educating and rehabilitating the poor so they could compete (on an equal footing) in the market place. The policymakers thought that this would eliminate the artificial barriers imposed by the circumstances of birth. By the late 1960’s a â€Å"welfare rights† movement advanced the claim that welfare was not an act of public charity, but instead an entitlement of the poor (Danziger). This claim was the result of the Civil Rights, Women’s Rights and opposition to the Vietnam War movements and the corresponding changes in philosophy and moral outlook that these movements brought about. This â€Å"entitlement credo† was op... ...ified. One thing is certain, measurable or not, great efforts are being made to curtail and eliminate child abuse. Works Cited Boxall, Bettina. "How Fair is Workfare?" Los Angeles Times 9 Mar. 1997: 1 Boyer, Barbara. "PA PHILADELPHIA WELFARE FRAUD STATISTIC" Philadelphia Inquirer.8 Jan.1999: B1 Danziger, Sheldon H., Jeffrey S. Lehman, "Welfare." The Oxford Companion to American Law (2010) Hall, Carla. "Taking Parenting a Step at a Time Education" Los Angeles Times 19 Nov.1994: 1 Hasking, Ron. "Work over Welfare: The Inside Story of the 1996 Welfare Reform Law." Brookings Instituteion Press [Wahington, DC] (2006) 364

Mobile Game Essay

Mobile game is a video game played on a mobile phone, Smartphone, PDA, computer, portable or calculator. This does not include games played on dedicated handheld video game systems such as Nintendo 3DS or PlayStation Vita. These data are available in these companies: Digital Chocolate, Disney Mobile Studios, EA Mobile, Gameloft, Glu, Hands-On, HandyGames, I-Play, IG Fun and THQ Wireless. Mobile games are played using the technology present on the device itself. Mobile games are usually downloaded via the mobile operator’s network, but in some cases are also loaded in the mobile handsets when purchased, via infrared connection, Bluetooth, or memory card. Games played on a mobile device using localization technology like GPS are called location-based games. These are not only played on mobile hardware but also integrate the player’s position into the game concept. In other words: while it does not matter for a normal mobile game where exactly you are (play them anywhere at any time), the player’s coordinate and movement are main elements in allocation. The best-known example is the treasure hunt game Geocaching, which can be played on any mobile device with integrated or external GPS receiver. External GPS receivers are usually connected via Bluetooth. More and more mobile phones with integrated GPS are expected to come. Besides Geocaching, there exist several other location-based games which are rather in the stage of research prototypes than a commercial success. The researcher wants to study this topic to know how much is the business gains of mobile games in this kind of business. Another thing is he wants to know the difference between the games in simple mobile phone compare to iPhone, iPod, and iPad.

Anthology Poems Essay

It is just filled with 5 poetic lines which we had to either do a free verse poem, poems without rhyming or patterns and that don‘t follow any rules, or a blank verse which is a poem that uses no rhyming but has iambic pentameters (patterns). Or you can do a rhyme verse which is a poem that uses rhyming. My poem is blank verse because even though I have no rhyming I have a pattern. You see I repeat the word â€Å"reason† a few times and it follow a pattern. Read ona The Room No matter how many times I tell him, He never cleans his room! On how dirty it is! His underwear is under the ____ Bed. His papers are on the __f_lo__o_r__. Last weeks sandwich is a M O L D Y Mess! Theirs something called â€Å"Clean up your room! † I say to him everyday! At last I punished him with a ban on T. V. That’s when the stink went away. Description This poem is a poem with a speaker. A speaker poem is a person that is talking in the poem. Sometimes the speaker can be the author itself talking in the poem. Other times it is a made up character. In this case, you can figure out that the speaker is the kids mother because she â€Å"banned him with no T. V. † until his room is cleaned up. (Now mothers will do that, just ask my mother. ) Read ona My Cat My cat is dumb! Let me tell you that! He’s the opposite of what a cat Should be! He hates mice, But loves dogs. He doesn’t like milk, But prefers meat. Now tell me, Is that how a cat should be? Description This poem by yours truly is a irony poem. Ever heard of that word? Irony in poetic terms means when a result of something is the complete opposite of what you would expect. For example, in my poem you wouldn’t expect a cat to be friends with dogs. I mean dogs and cats hate each other. Well at least that’s what we would expect. And for a cat to not like milk! Unbelievable, right? (Yea I know, I have a dumb cat. But it is ironic that my cat behaves the opposite of what cats should behave like. That is why this poem is a irony poem. Read ona I Love You Do you remember? All the fun times we had. Oh how you would laugh at my jokes. Oh I’d do anything To hear your lovely voice. Your voice makes me smile Even when I’m mad. So I wrote this poem, To tell you, That I love you! Description This poem is a theme poem. Yes you heard right. Theme. Theme is the main idea in a poem or the authors feelings/thoughts. In this poem the theme is love. This is easy to figure out because the poem just says right there that the person loves another person. Some times these poems can be in a shape. Like my poem is shaped kind of like a heart and the theme of it is love. Isn’t it sweet? Read ona Just A Kiss Silence walks upon the stone halls. As you sleep for a hundred years. Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer Visited you every year. Hoping to find you up and about. But just as they feared, Everything is weird- Sleeping Beauty has just premiered. But not before your sleep is evoked, Before you stands Charming himself. Thus, a kiss on the lips, Was all that was needed, To arouse you from your ancient sleep. Description This is another poem by me that is an allusion poem. Allusion in poetry terms means when a poem makes a reference to another poem. For example in my poem Just A Kiss the allusion is Sleeping Beauty sleeping for a hundred years until Prince Charming came to wake her from her deep sleep. I am alluding the story of Sleeping Beauty to my poem. Read ona I Wish I wish to drift into the darkness. Into the shadows of death. Slowly my grip loosens. I am trapped in an avalanche. This pain-its too much! I’m like snow trapped in the suns rays. Slowly and silently, I’ll rise, From this nightmare. Description This poem is a chance poem. Nothing big but we just had to pick 5 words from this list and use those words to make a poem. Read ona Moment Of Freedom The monsters in my head, They tell me I’m crazy. Maybe I am. These monsters, they yell and scream, Until I let them out. But they come back, they always do. These monsters they bring me crimson delight. Fresh crimson pleasure, trickling down my arm As the blade digs deeper, I find a moment of freedom. A moment where everything stops. Everything is peaceful. Everything is fine. But soon the monsters will come back. Then, no longer will I feel the pain. No longer will I feel crimson joy. Everything will be back to normal, With the monsters screaming, Until I let them out again. Description This poem is a poem with figurative language poem. Figurative language is a term in poetry when you compare two unlike things to make something clear. For example if I say the soap bubbles in the bath tub are like clouds in the sky, I am comparing the soap bubbles to the clouds, but the soap bubbles aren’t really clouds, right? In this poem I am comparing the suicide thoughts of the speaker to monsters. Read ona Nothing But The Best You’re my summer sun, And I’m your winter wind. No matter what mistakes I make, All the times I’ve yelled at you, You’re always there. Even when I’m fierce like the winter wind; Howling all the time, My nerves are calmed by your sunshine smile. You’re a treasure chest, Full of priceless gems. To me you’re nothing but the best. Description This poem is a poem of assonance/alliteration. Assonance is when you use repetition of the sound of a vowel. I don’t think I have tat but I do have alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of 2 or more words that end with the same sound or start with the same letter. For example in the poem I said â€Å"winter wind† both words have a â€Å"w† in the beginning. I also used â€Å"sunshine smile† which has a â€Å"s† in the beginning of each word. This is how my poem uses assonance/alliteration. Read ona The Monster Mama always said she loved me. But then why do I cry every time she came home? Why do I hide under the bed, Praying she didn’t come looking for me? Before daddy left, She told me I was her sweet little angel. So why does she tell me that she hates me? Why is it the she says I’m a nuisance? What did I do, To get black and blue, Bruises all over my body. Mama always told me, That the monster always haunts kids, Who lie and cheat and hit people. Then why did she lie to me when she told me, That daddy ran away, When she kicked him out of the house? And why did she cheat on daddy before he Went to another place? And why does she hit me with her whiskey bottle? Why does she love to see me cry When the glass cuts my skin? Mama knew what she did to me, But what she didn’t know was that the monster was, The only one that said it loved me. Description This poem is a poem on symbolism. Symbolism is the idea or topic of the poem. For example, the night is a symbol of death. Or in the poem I made the monster symbolizes the thoughts one would have after abuse. Read ona The End My past is finished, It’s all filled with pain. My past is killing me, ‘Cause I’m trapped in this lane. My mind is at war with me, I can’t control the thoughts deep inside me. I’m bent out of shape with all this pain, I think it’s time I’ve played life’s game. Before it’s time I ask myself, ‘Is this the end? Will there ever be a tomorrow? ’ Almost turning away, I turn right back, I decide there is nothing more for me, Only the end can set me†¦ Free†¦ Description This last poem is a free verse poem. Like I explained in the other poem called â€Å"Reason† I said that free verse poems are poems without rhyming or patterns and that don‘t follow any rules. And just like in this poem I did not follow any patterns. aSTOP? *NO MORE POEMS*

Environmental issues Essay

What ways has learning about new environmental issues changed the way of living sustainably? The knowledge of environmental issues has changed the way we live. We learn a lot from our past experiences. Environmental problems paved a way for scientific advancements. An example of this is the invention of alternative fuel in vehicles. Environmental issues help promote social networks among countries. Information technology improved our communication with other people. We learn about counter measures of certain environmental problems from them and in turn, we share our knowledge to them. In our everyday lives, we learn the importance of cleanliness and discipline. Throwing our garbage anywhere might start an epidemic and result to death of animals and plants as well as humans. What important information has the greatest impact on the way you think about the environment? How can you apply this knowledge in the future? The most important information that changed my way of thinking about the environment is the knowledge of Global Warming. Why? Well, among the biggest mistakes humans ever made was to cause the depletion of the ozone layer. Its effects are devastating yet there isn’t an effective way of stopping it. The knowledge of such issue will help save humanity. I may be the one to find a way to stop Global Warming in the future. Nevertheless, if only all will help in solving this problem, we might be able to find the most effective way of saving the environment, saving our own lives. Reference: Global warming. (n. d. ). Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 02, 2007, from Answers. com Web site: http://www. answers. com/topic/global-warming

English composition II Unit 4 Db Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English composition II Unit 4 Db - Essay Example The other argument that is used to support the anti-abortionist agenda is that legalizing abortion gives the impression that it is right, and therefore risks setting a precedence of procuring abortions. This precedence may be difficult to regulate in the long run and may prove detrimental to the society in general (Riddle, 2009). Peer number one’s counter-argument states that abortion should be illegalized because it violates the fundamental right to life. I consider this argument credible but also weak. This is because it ignores the fact that sometimes women have to abort for lack of better options. For instance, when the life of a pregnant woman is endangered because of the very pregnancy that she is carrying then there is a solid basis for aborting. The woman has the right to life as well, and by aborting and living she may be able to give birth in the future (Riddle, 2009). Apart from this, poverty and an inability to provide puts pregnant women in a huge dilemma. Every mother wants the best for her children, and if they cannot be provided for then there is no reason to bring them into the world only to watch them suffer and end up being sucked into crime and other illegal activities. The last weakness or fallacy associated with this counter-argument involves the debate over the way in which a fe tus is viewed. Is a fetus a person? If it is not a person then aborting it should not be considered as murder. Peer number two’s counter-argument is based on the opinion that legalizing abortion may set a dangerous precedence that may be detrimental in the long run. Although this is true, it fails to incorporate other perspectives that would make it much more credible. Legalization of abortion is often done after appropriate legislations and laws are enacted in order to prevent people from taking advantage of this action (Musser, 2010). The notion that abortion will spiral out

Sociology can be a potent tool for the emancipatory youth worker Essay

Sociology can be a potent tool for the emancipatory youth worker discuss - Essay Example "It is never localized here or there, never in anybody's hands, never appropriated as a commodity or piece f wealth" (1980a, p. 98). Although discourse and practice pre-exist us, we learn to harness them to our own end. The notion f power being located within rules and regulations which are continually adopted and transformed by individual agents is central to Giddens' structuration theory f power (1984,p. 14). Foucault is known for his work analyzing changes in the discourse and practice f discipline and punishment, particularly in relation to education (1977a) but, with the exception f Dwyer's (1995) study f post-compulsory education in Australia, his theories have not had any major impact in adult education (Westwood, 1992). To understand the notion f empowerment and emancipation, we must begin with an analysis f power. This leads immediately to a fundamental problem: If power dictates or produces truth, how do we recognize true statements about power More fundamentally, is truth possible beyond power We may believe, with Habermas, that there is a realm f truth which exists beyond power and which is central to authentic human being, communication, and voluntary social order. Habermas (1984) argues that the "orientation to reaching understanding" is a universal feature f human communication which is central to overcoming self-interest and the domination f economic and political power in our lives (p. 286). This is also the fundamental assumption underlying Mezirow's (1994; 1995) theory f adult learning. Foucault, however, insists that there is no truth without power (1980a, p. 131). It is in and through power that what is known, what is said, what is taken for granted, and what is regarded as the truth a re constituted. The tensions between these two positions are central to the following discussion. It is argued that for people to become emancipated it is important first to be able to distinguish social action deriving from power as opposed to, for example, love and affection. It is also important to distinguish different types f power. This is something which is missing in Mezirow's work. Within a Habermasian framework, understanding how power works is crucial if people are to prevent the colonization and technization f the lifeworld by power and money and develop a society based on free, undistorted communication (Habermas, 1987, p. 183). It is argued here, that for emancipatory learning to reach its full potential, there is a need to go beyond an analytical realist typology f power to a Foucauldian structuralist analysis which helps people understand how they are limited and controlled by discourses and practices (Honneth, 1993; Kelly, 1994). The central tenet f this paper is that empowerment involves people developing capacities to act successfully within the existing system and structures f power, while emancipation concerns critically analyzing, resisting and challenging structures f power. The first section begins with an analysis f empowerment. Empowerment used to be associated with a wide variety f radical social movements (Bookman, 1988; Davis, 1988; Hanks, 1987; Inglis, 1994; Kieffer, 1984; O'Sullivan, 1993; Solomon, 1976; Villerreal, 1988). In more recent years, however, it has been appropriated by organizational

Is Multiculturalism consistent with liberalism Essay

Is Multiculturalism consistent with liberalism - Essay Example One of the basic questions related with multiculturalism and liberalism has been whether the former is consistent with the latter. As Brian Barry assumes, multiculturalism, or the ‘politics of difference’, makes the basic claim that â€Å"the self-image of liberalism as a tolerant and open creed is inaccurate. In fact, it is said, liberalism imposes a false universality that discriminates against minorities of all kinds.† (Barry 1997, P 3). In a reflective exploration of whether multiculturalism is consistent with liberalism, it becomes evident that these socio-political philosophies are not consistent with each other, mainly because both the philosophies are rooted in different ideologies. Analyzing the relationship between multiculturalism and liberalism, one recognizes that the roots of both these philosophies are in different concepts. Essentially, liberalism is the popular political philosophy in the modern world and it is understood in many different ways su ch as a weak form of social democracy, a political position favorable to markets, etc. According to Brian Barry, â€Å"liberalism stands for individualism (versus communalism), equality (as against any notion of natural or divinely-appointed hierarchy), and moral universalism (as against moral particularism).