The Death Of Michael Brown - 1585 Words

In the summer of 2014, 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. After the shooting, there had been conflicting reports by police and eyewitnesses about what exactly happened. Officer Wilson insist Brown was confrontational throughout the encounter, while eyewitnesses say Brown has his hands up trying to surrender before he was shot and killed. Following the Grand jury’s decision not to indict officer Wilson over the shooting of Michael Brown and similar cases of officer-involved shootings and brutality such as the death of Eric Garden in Staten Island, New York, politicians, family advocates, civil rights activists, and law enforcement officials have called for police across the country to adopt the use of body-worm cameras. Although there are many who feel police body cameras present a challenge to privacy and safety issues for both cops and civilians, by recording police-citizen encounters, it increases transparency and accountabi lity of officers and the video recorded by body cams protect any false accusations, police misconduct, officials can get clear evidence of what happened instead of relying on hearsay. In May of 2015, the Department of Justice and President Obama announced a $20 million dollar Body-Worn Camera (BWC) Pilot Partnership Program to respond to law enforcement and to the communities they serve. The proposal called to purchase 50,000 body-worn cameras to be use by forShow MoreRelatedThe Death Of Michael Brown823 Words   |  4 PagesSince these events, however, law enforcement body cameras have been the talk of the nation. With regards to the case concerning the death of Michael Brown, many individuals across the country sternly believe that if there had been actual footage of the shooting that day, Officer Wilson would have been indicted for his actions. With that said, since this specific incident, 30 out of 54 Ferguson police officers have actually began wearing body cameras (Ponsi). Some proponents argue that body camerasRead MoreThe Case Of Michael Brown s Death1102 Words   |  5 PagesOn August 14, 2014, the infamous case of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, took place. A police officer shot an unarmed black teenager after an incident which was clouded in unclear details. At first, no one really knew whether the officer had been in the right to shoot Brown, or what the circumstances were for either side of the incident. However, eventually, the details started to not matter. The events around Michael Brown’s case became the spark that ignited a nationwide movement to fightRead MoreThe Death Of Michael Brown And The Charleston Shooting810 Words   |  4 PagesHave you been watching the news lately? What has taken place around the world? Have you heard about the death of Michael Brown and the Charleston shooting? Do you think African American has been targeted by policemen? How you feel about the African American response? Social network is racing with ridiculous stories of white on black crime. African American are being targeted all around the world. The tension has increased as the time has pass by. Police men are thought to save and protect all ofRead MorePolice Misconduct And The Shooting Death Of Michael Brown861 Words   |  4 Pagesshootings. One major events that drew national attention, caused problems, and put strains on police-community relations involved the shooting death of Michael Brown. On August 9, 2014 Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen male, was shot multiple times by Officer Darren Wilson, a white Ferguson, Missouri police officer. The shooting death of Michael Brown brought about days of public protest and outrage. When the St. Louis County prosecutor refused to bring charges and announced that a grand juryRead MoreMichael Brown And The Police Officer1095 Words   |  5 PagesFerguson, Missouri, an 18 year old man named Michael Brown was shot ten times and killed by a police officer. The police officer’s name is Darren Wilson. He was 28 year s old at the time this tragic even took place. Many Americans, both black and white believe that officer Wilson is guilty of first degree murder when he shot Michael Brown, and other Americans believe he acted in self-defense. Because of the fact that the officer is white and Michael Brown was black, the case has stirred up plenty ofRead MorePolice Brutality Of African Americans1405 Words   |  6 PagesIn recent years police brutality towards African Americans has increased. This violence has resulted in riots across the United States. The August 2014 death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri many Americans, some who are former Civil Rights activists, have spoken out against police brutality. Black Lives Matter states that the movement’s goal is to bring justice to the present unjust police killings of African Americans. Looking at prior cases of brutality and its connection to racial profilingRead MoreRacial Hierarchy Of Ferguson Shooting Incident1267 Words   |  6 PagesOn August 9th, 2014, Michael Brown, an innocent young black teenager was murdered in Ferguson, Missouri by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. Since the dashboard cameras are not installed in Ferguson police cars, the clear evidence of what happened is still unclear. But based on the testament of Brown’s friend Johnson who was walking with Brown, they were ordered to move off the street onto sidewalks by Wilson driving a police car, and there were struggles between Michael and Wilson through theRead MoreRacism : The Black Lives Matter1202 Words   |  5 Pagescontaining many unnecessary black deaths. A blacklivesmatter.com article states that, #BlackLivesMatter was created in 2012 after Trayvon Martin s murderer, George Zimmerman, was acquitted for his crime, and dead 17-year old Trayvon was posthumously placed on trial for his own murder. (â€Å"Black Lives Matter†). Black Lives Matter began with multiple shootings, one of which was the killing of Michael Brown. Brown was walking down the street with a friend when he was shot to death by a Ferguson police officerRead MoreWe See Black Americans Losing Their Life1320 Words   |  6 Pagesto big a hot topic in today’s world. Within the United States alone, bizarre incidents are almost commonplace. In a recent article found in the CNN Library archives ,there was a lot of disagreement about who was to blame in the tragic shooting death of seventeen year old - Trayvon Benjamin Martin who was merely visiting his father in a gated community and was subsequently shot and killed - the only real reason being because of fear and ignorance. George Zimmerman was the self-appointed executioner;Read MoreAnalysis Of The Henry Jr. From Easton, Ma, And The New York Police Officer1472 Words   |  6 PagesFour years ago Danroy â€Å"DJ† henry Jr. from Easton, Ma, was killed by a New york poli ce officer. Since then the nation seen the death of trayvon Martin who was kiilled by a neighborhood watch volunteer and Michael brown who recently just got killed by a policeman in Ferguson, Missoury. However, the story of Eric Garner is shown to be an ongoing issue between Eric Garner and the New york police department weeks prior to the incident. In the video, Garner is seeing expressing to the policeman that he

Rhetorical Analysis Buying Experiences, Not Things By...

The rhetorical factors in the article â€Å"Buying Experiences, Not Things† written by James Hamblin are clear and easy to decipher. The article discusses the psychological factors in a human of being happy. Psychologists and scientists are constantly doing research and studies trying to determine how the brain works, and how people’s minds function every day of their lives. Whether its sleep, knowledge, substance abuse or functions of each part of the brain, every little piece of information gathered helps complete the bigger picture. Emotions are a popular study in psychology. Psychologists are trying to find a way to measure the emotions of people that occur on a daily basis. Research is also being done in search of a form of measurement to measure people’s happiness. Happiness is considered to be an important factor in life. Psychologist James Hamblin believes that happiness comes from experiences that occur in life rather than the materials life has to offer. In other words, a person will be happier in the long run going on vacation rather than buying a new phone. Hamblin’s article creates an argument in hopes of encouraging people to enjoy the moments in life and not the big or little things. Hamblin argues that ‘if you pay for an experience, like a vacation, it will be over and gone; but if you buy a tangible thing, a couch, at least you ll have it for a long time† (Hamblin 2014). A person may be able to buy something and have it in possession for a long period of time,

Law for Migration Agent and Lawyer - myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theLaw for Migration Agent and Lawyer. Answer: Court provide historical judgment in case law Singh v Minister for Immigration Anor (2017) FCCA 1901 (14 August 2017). In this case Court stated the need of evaluation and review of the decision of tribunal in relation to student visa. The important question in this case for all three applicant, migration agent, and migration lawyer was that whether any option of rescue was available to the applicant in his situation, and whether any option was available to receive the decision of AAT for the purpose of overturning the decision of tribunal related to refusal of student visa and compel the tribunal to reconsider their decision made in particular case. In this case, court define the steps through which applicant can rescue his position in the case, and it also provide the important lesson under which court stated that student must not be sent back after visa refusal on immediate basis, but decision of the visa refusal must be examined and reviewed with due care or the purpose of confirming that tribunal does not omit the evidences while taking the decision. It is also necessary to evaluate the decision of tribunal to check whether decision taken by tribunal included any jurisdictional error or not. It must be noted that, this case is considered as example of determining the jurisdictional error. Applicant files application in this case with the department of migration with the document which was certified by the doctor for the purpose of confirming that applicant is suffering from depression. It must be noted that applicant also submit written statement, and this statement contain the reasons of education course changed by student. As per this statement, applicant seek to work as professional cook, and he belongs to the city in India where number of restaurants are available which provides the opportunity to work as cook in future. In this case, tribunal commits the jurisdictional error when it does not determine relevant matters which were necessary to determine for deciding the case. Obligation was imposed to determine these relevant matters by section 499 of the Migration Act 1958 and direction no. 53 issued by minister. Ministerial Direction no. 53 state the consideration which must be adopted by the tribunal while deciding any case (Migration Act, 1958). Applicant also stated that tribunal does not consider the evidences present by student before the tribunal related to the actual diagnosed of depression and written statement which contain the reasons of study course changed by student, and this failure of tribunal also result in jurisdictional error. Findings of tribunal related to the considerable gaps occurred in the study of the student was questioned by the applicant. However, student also questioned the omission of actual diagnosis by tribunal while considering the claim of depression. Applicant stated that tribunal fails to consider the diagnosis which was certified by the doctor which results in rejection of claim related to depression. This claim was presented as the reason of gap occurred between the time of stay of applicant in Australia and education achievements achieved by applicant. Error committed by tribunal in case of oral evidences presented by the applicant was also questioned by the applicant. These evidences were provided by the applicant in relation to enrolling in the course of Diploma of hospitality. Tribunal while deciding this case does not included the points stated in written statement provided by student. Judge Harnett stated in this case, tribunal fails to consider the certified document of the doctor while dealing with the claim of depression because tribunal does not provide any reference in its judgment while discussing about claim related to depression. Court also clarify that decision made by the tribunal does not provide any reference related to the evidences presented by the applicant, which means certified document by doctor and written statement was not even considered by the tribunal while giving its judgment in the case. These evidences were important because it provide important information such as certified document present actual diagnosed and written statement provide the reasons of study course changed by applicant from hospitality to cook. Therefore, judge stated that tribunal made jurisdictional error while deciding this case, and this jurisdictional error must be removed by evaluating and reviewing the decision of the tribunal. After considering the above facts, it is clear that decision made by tribunal must be reviewed and evaluated by the Court for the purpose of determining whether decision taken by tribunal is affected from jurisdictional error (Federal Court of Australia, 2017). References: Federal Court of Australia, (2017). Singh v Minister for Immigration Anor (2017) FCCA 1901. Migration Act 1958- section 44. Ministerial direction no. 53- DIBP. Singh v Minister for Immigration Anor (2017) FCCA 1901 (14 August 2017).

Rhetorical Analysis of the Declaration of Independence free essay sample

The Declaration of Independence is considered by many to be the finest piece of political prose ever written. It can be seen as a document in five parts: the introduction, the preamble, the denunciation of George Ill, the denunciation of the British people, and the conclusion. We are going to closely examine the first three as a way to understand how Jeffersons rhetorical strategies serves the political aims of the young colonies. The introduction consists of the first paragraph, which is a single long sentence periodic sentence for those who will do well in May). Read the first paragraph and come up with two reasons why Jefferson would frame the introduction in the way he did. Reason I Seen within its original context, however, it is a model of subtlety, nuance, and implication that works on several levels of meaning and allusion to orient readers toward a favorable view of America and to prepare them for the rest of the Declaration. We will write a custom essay sample on Rhetorical Analysis of the Declaration of Independence or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Textual Support From its opening phrase, which sets the American Revolution within he whole course of human events, to its assertion that the Laws of Nature and of Natures God entitle America to a separate and equal station among the powers of the earth, to its quest for sanction from the opinions of mankind, the introduction elevates the quarrel with England from a petty political dispute to a major event in the grand sweep of history. It dignifies the Revolution as a contest of principle and implies that the American cause has a special claim to moral legitimacyall without mentioning England or America by name.

Anniston and PCBs essays

Anniston and PCB's essays In Anniston, Alabama two small neighborhoods known as Sweet Valley and Cobb Town have become ghost towns after years of contamination of PCB by the local Monsanto plant. PCB, short for polychlorinated biphenyls, are tox-ins that are known to cause cancer in humans. In 1966, the Monsanto company hired a private scientist to undergo tests in the local waterways of Anniston. Af-ter releasing bluegill into the water, fish violently reacted to the toxins as blood gushed from their gills. Monsanto terminated their use of PCB toxins five years later. They did not report their findings nor potential health hazards of the toxins that their own experts had proved. In 1979, the toxin PCB was banned by the United States government. Many young and old people hard working people of this community have lost their homes, life and dreams. These small towns, that were known as working class neighborhoods now look like ghost towns with Danger signs and fences to confirm it. In 1971, a young man died due to complications from a brain tu-mor, lung cancer and hardening of the arteries. I can not conceive that this was thought of as a natural death. Most folks in Anniston, Alabama didn't give a second thought to why the water often ran red or purple. Their children played in this creek and the waterways it fed. They ate fish from them. Their livestock drank from them. Like the residents of many small towns who are dependent on a single local industry, the people of Anniston were not eager to bite the hand that fed them. With much courage 3,500 members of the infected community have won their fight in court. Monsanto was found liable for the negligence of their acts. The company may very well be paying tens of millions of dollars to their victims, but it is only fair considering the fact that the company grossed over eight million in profit during the use of the PCB. I could not imagine being a prisone...

Worlds Apart essays

Worlds Apart essays In the chapter titled Worlds Apart I believe the author is trying to portray the many differences between the old and new world that would drastically affect the joining. With differences in religion, behavior, and way of life misunderstandings were inevitable. One of the many differences in culture between America and Europe is the Native Americans lived more for survival where Europeans were striving for power and domination. Europes strong belief in Christianity was another way to dominate the new world. Europeans believed in one god, having a place to worship and a written bible. The Native Americans had no written religion only oral, and believed in a variety of gods. They also believed the stars, plants, and animals possessed spiritual powers. Native American women held positions of power and played a larger role in day-to-day living, which the European society did not agree with. They believed in men dominating political and economic life. With the many differences in culture it led to many misunderstandings between the Europeans and Native Americans. Europeans were far more technologically advanced and saw such differences in the Native American practices and customs that they thought them to be inferior. Because the Native Americans did not have a written bible or a place to worship the Europeans thought they had no religion. They believed them to be magicians or witches, and that they may worship the devil. Another difference between the Europeans and the natives was the Europeans saw the Native American men to be lazy because the women had a lot of responsibilities such as tending to crops, taking care of children, make clothing, and baskets. They also seemed to be more equal in the community because they held positions of power. The men dominated women in the European society. Due to the differences in cultural background and way of life the Native Americans and the Europeans faced man...

An evaluation of contemporary leadership and governance challenges Research Paper

An evaluation of contemporary leadership and governance challenges among universities in Africa - Research Paper Example The study incorporates the university management, teaching staff and the workers together with students both of whom are actively involved in the whole process of research. The results of empirical investigation reveal numerous challenges in university leadership and governance most of which arise from improper financial management coupled with lack of vision. Other leadership and governance challenges arise from union and labour agitations, mismanagement of resources, human resource cum faculty motivation and productivity, leadership among the academic staff, corporate governance and the quality of their graduates. Analysis of the challenges strongly indicates that the environment in which these universities operate which tend to nurture and accommodate such vices possibly causes these challenges. This is manifested in various reasons manifested by university management for their lack of progress. It is therefore apparent that university leadership and management are not up to the c hallenges facing them and that they are not fully aware of their roles and responsibilities. This is because the possible cause of these challenges lies in the specialist nature of their leadership and governance, which is in them. ... ion The issue of leadership in the Centre of management of educational institutions is important in human resources and development since it covers all aspects of the organization. Leadership and governance is concerned with the execution of policies and decisions which determine whether an organization achieve its goals or not. The leadership and governance of the universities enjoys the status of dominance and prestige due to their ability to control and initiate development policies. African Universities’ governance is faced with challenges that have led to their slow growth and development over the decades compared to their counterparts in other continents. Several efforts have been put in place by respective governments and concerned bodies to improve on their status but it seems they have fallen short of intended outcomes. Several attempts have been made aimed at training and capacity building for the university leadership but challenges are still being witnessed on larg e scale. Basic among the governance challenges is the capacity to govern which is evident in most of the department within the university administration. This lack of capacity may result from lack of effective training of the workers and other university leaders before they commence their duties. Lack of effective training before and during the employment period is blamed to be the result of poor leadership and governance in the African universities. The politicized nature of most African states often results to university management being political appointees with less regards to qualifications in terms of education and integrity of the selected leaders. Financial challenge is real in most of the African universities due to little funding they receive form the government and other donor

The Diverse Interpretations of Muslim Laws Essay - 1

The Diverse Interpretations of Muslim Laws - Essay Example In exchange for virgins in the afterlife, some Muslim groups interpret Jihad as a holy war to kill innocent civilians. Evidently, the two readings show the Muslim people’s diverse interpretations of the Koran’s Suras and related Muslim resources. The research focuses on the different interpretations of Muslim laws. One of the laws, Jihad, has diverse interpretations. Similarly, the gender issue has different explanations. Other Muslim groups interpret Jihad as a holy war. The holy war includes killing innocent civilians. Asra Nomani questions the diverse interpretations of the Muslim laws, including the gender equality issues. The authors, Mariane Pearl (2003) and Asra Nomani (2005) emphasized that Muslim life is compounded by one Muslim group’s daily struggles to influence the other individuals’ decisions. The story A Mighty Heart (Pearl, 2003) centers on the interpretation of the Jihad principles. The author describes the dangerous life of Danny Pearl, South Asian News Bureau Chief of Wall Street Journal. As a reporter, Danny traveled around South Asian countries to gather the latest news stories. Mariane Pearl writes the story of the life and death of her husband. Danny disappeared when he was about to meet Sheikh Ali Shah Gilan, the founder of a U.S. jihad group. Danny’s research focused on some Muslim groups’ devotion to Jihad as one of their duties. Past Jihad acts includes the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the 9/11 U.S. airplane attacks (Pearl, 2003). Pearl’s thesis statement: Many Muslim groups have different interpretations of the Muslim Jihad Principle, some violent while others peaceful. The author correctly showed that some Muslim groups prioritize their time and energy to Jihad’s terroristic activities.  

Management of a Software Development Project Essay Example for Free

Management of a Software Development Project Essay Introduction Many years ago, general services offered by hotels like dinner reservations, room reservations and other services were done manually. Most hotels used books, ledgers and papers to record names of guests, their duration of stay and contact details. This required a lot of effort and time. Since the advent of the information age however, dynamic and interactive websites have been introduced which have more efficient and faster technological features and capabilities for the management of hotel services. For any business to remain competitive, it is necessary to maintain an online presence in order to reach out to customers all over the world and compete on a global platform. Reservations and payments are now done online to ensure that conduction of business is faster and more convenient for customers. Definition of Project Management A project is a temporary endeavor that is done to generate a unique product or service (Duncan 1996). Project Management is an activity that involves the overall supervision, management and co-ordination of all activities related to accomplishing a set activity. It always has a start and a finish date. According to Whitten, Project Management is a process that starts at the beginning of a project, is conducted throughout a project and doesn’t end until after the project is completed (2001).   According to Duncan (1996), Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to activities to fulfill stakeholders’ needs and expectations. It usually involves finding a balance among scope, time, cost, quality, and varying expectations of stakeholders. Another definition of Project Management is â€Å" the process of scoping, planning, staffing, conducting, directing, and managing the development of a system at an affordable cost within a specified time frame† (Whitten, Bentley Dittman 2001, p.124). Importance of Project Management According to Dr Malcolm Wheatley, â€Å"Project management as a management discipline, supports much economic activity.† In major industries like Information Technology, Software Development, Construction, Pharmaceuticals, and Aerospace, project management is fundamental. Project Management is also important in governments that have set goals and milestones which can only be achieved with effective management practices. Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the US Department of Commerce, estimated in 2001 that the US companies spend $2.3trn on projects every year (2000).   Project management is important in any economic activity because it ensures adequate planning, scheduling and successful execution of a project; it also helps to reduce possible risks associated with a project and ensure minimal hitches. Project Management is indeed important to every economy. Many projects fail because of poor knowledge of Project Management concepts. Its relevance cannot be over emphasized. Role of the Project Manager The project manager is in charge of daily management and supervision of the project. He manages the project to ensure that things go according to plan. He also communicates with all stakeholders and project team members to ensure that there’s a clear understanding of general requirements. The project manager confirms users’ requirements to make sure that these requirements are incorporated into the end-product. A project manager engages in scoping, planning, staffing, organizing, scheduling, directing, controlling and closing a project (Whitten 2001, p.127). Swot Analysis The Regency Hotels has several strengths that serve as advantages. It has the potential to expand its services to customers internationally due to the number of branches it has, internet availability and its unique services. It is also strategically located, can leverage on its positioning and has a wide customer base. Its two major weaknesses are: 1) it has a static website which cannot provide interactive functions like online payments, online reservations, message boards, fan clubs, and so on. 2) It does not have skilled IT staff in-house that can manage the online system when it is eventually deployed. There are however, opportunities for it to become one of the best hotels in the world by maintaining a consistent and interactive global presence.   Increased competition is the major threat to Regency Hotels. Most hotels today, have a strong online presence that offers customers various services that make their experiences with the hotel more memorable and convenient, like booking and paying online. Regency Hotels is yet to rise to the challenge. Development methodology The software development methodology to be adopted for the production of this system is the waterfall method. This is an approach to software development that specifies that a project should be grouped into phases and one phase must be completed before the next. The project is carried out in a logical manner through a pre-determined number of steps. This method is preferred because the duration of the project is only two weeks and the requirements are clear.   With the waterfall method, project reviews are conducted between stages, which represent milestones. This provides an organized scenario that ensures required documentation and quality management of the developed application is carried out (Sorensen 1995). Project Scope The project scope definition involves clarifying the boundaries of the project. Regency Hotels in addition to available technological features like retrieving customers’ information, billing, checking for room availability, desires a system with added capabilities of online booking and payment. This project involves building a system that can accept online booking and payment options by customers. A portal will be developed to include the following features: Online reservations, online payment, checking room availability, checking in, checking out, discussion group and general information on the hotel. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) will be added to the website to provide for added security when paying online; search functions will be provided on web pages to check for room availability and booking; e-mail and discussion group facilities will be included to facilitate communication between customers and the hotel; and other technological features from the available website will be incorporated into the new portal to ensure that a robust system that meets the expectations of Stakeholders at Regency Hotels is built. The final system will be deployed at the hotel and tested. Staff members that need to be trained will be identified and educated on how to use the system. The change management process will be made easier for staff of Regency Hotel by ensuring that they are adequately trained, resources are provide to assist them, and maintenance/ support plans are put in place. Result of using COCOMO model to estimate effort, duration and number of people required. The Constructive Cost Model, known as COCOMO was developed by Barry Boehm in 1981. It is based on the waterfall model and is used for estimating the number of person and months needed to develop software. It also estimates the development schedule in months. The development mode for this project is organic because it is a small and straight-forward one. A small team with sufficient experience work together to develop the portal system (Merlo-Schett 2002). COCOMO is defined in terms of three basic models: The Basic model, the Intermediate model and the detailed model. The KDSI is the size of the project in Kilo delivered source instructions. These are source lines that are created by the project team. Using the Intermediate COCOMO I, calculation is done as follows: Required: Portal system for online payment and booking Development Effort (MM) = a * KDSI b Effort and development Time (TDEV) =     2.5 * MM c With organic mode of development, a = 3.2, b = 1.05, c = 0.38 4 modules to implement: Data entry 0.5 KDSI Data update 0.3 KDSI Online Reservations 0.8 KDSI Online Payment 0.7 KDSI System SIZE 2.3 KDSI MM = 3.2 * 2.3 1.05   = 7.7 TDEV = 2.5 * MM c = 2.5* 7.7 0.38 = 5.4 (Project needs more than 5 months to complete) Number of people to be hired = MM/TDEV = 7.7/5.4 = 1.4 (This means that more than one team member is needed to execute the project). The major shortcoming of the above calculation is that value of the KDSI used is approximate (Merlo-Schett 2002). Hardware and Software Requirements At least four separate computers will be needed for building the portal, testing it and hosting it.   Softwares like Macromedia Dreamweaver, Java, PHP, SQL Server and Visual Basic .NET will be needed for building the portal. A central server for hosting and managing user connections to the portal will also be required.   Work Breakdown Structure Work Breakdown Structure shows the hierarchical decomposition of projects into phases, activities and tasks (Whitten 2001, p.135). SOFTWARE REQUIREMENT SPECIFICATION 1.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify sponsors and stakeholders 1.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Meet with sponsors and stakeholders to clarify system requirements 1.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Produce Software Requirements Specification Draft 1.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sign-off on software requirements TECHNOLOGY SPECIFICATION 2.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determine hardware and software needed for developing the system 2.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Procure hardware and software needed for system development 2.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Set-up hardware and software for use SCOPE MANAGEMENT 3.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Develop a written scope statement as a basis for future project decisions 3.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Verify Scope of the Project with sponsors 3.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perform Scope Change Control to prevent scope creep COST SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT 4.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Develop an estimate of project costs 4.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schedule Meeting with Stakeholders to agree on cost and deadline 4.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Receive Payment from Stakeholders 4.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Allocate cost estimates to individual work items 4.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Evaluate actual versus projected schedule 4.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Control changes to project budget to avoid going over the budget 4.7  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Compare actual and budgeted costs 4.8  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schedule Development 4.9  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schedule Control HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PHASE 5.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify Project Roles/Conduct Organizational Planning 5.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determine Skills of People needed to develop system 5.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determine number of people to work on the project 5.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Recruit Project Team Members 5.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Engage staff with appropriate skills 5.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Develop individual and group skills to enhance project performance ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT PHASE 6.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Develop activity list for project team members 6.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sub-divide major project deliverables into smaller components 6.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Assign Team Members to tasks and deliverables 6.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Supervise activities within the project team 6.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Evaluate Performance and Productivity 6.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Update activity list as necessary 6.7  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conduct meetings and review status reports on software development PROJECT OFFICE ADMINISTRATION 7.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Attend to daily activities or events concerning the project 7.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   General project supervision PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS 8.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determine information and communication needs of stakeholders 8.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Provide information to stakeholders in a timely fashion 8.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Put contact details of all team members and stakeholders into the database 8.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Performance reporting to stakeholders through status reports, progress measurement and forecasting 8.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Set up meetings with project team members 8.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Develop status reports for the project RISK MANAGEMENT 9.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify all possible risks within the project and effects on project 9.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Define steps for responding to threats 9.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Respond to changes in risks during the course of the project QUALITY MANAGEMENT 10.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify quality standards relevant to the project and how to satisfy them 10.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Evaluate overall project performance 10.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Define Quality Assurance Specifications 10.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Code and check the system for compliance with quality standards 10.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Test System to make sure it fits clients requirements Hand-Over of Project 11.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ensure adherence to client requirement 11.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conduct Customer Acceptance Tests 11.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Review Software User Manuals 11.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sign off Certify Solution Development 11.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Submit Project Close-out Report 11.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Terminate Project Project scheduling (Please refer to attached Microsoft Project document for dependency between activities, network diagram, critical path and Gantt chart) A Project network diagram displays the logical relationships of project activities. A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that shows tasks against timelines. Each bar is equivalent to a project task. Gantt charts show, tasks that can be performed at the same time (Whitten 2001, p.128).Any tasks on the critical path cannot be delayed. Name of Activity  Ã‚      Duration Starting Date    Finishing Date    Software Requirement Specification 1 Day Wed 4/23/08 Wed 4/23/08 Technology Specification 1 Day Thu 4/24/08 Thu 4/24/08 Scope Management 10 Days    Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Cost Schedule Management 12 Days Wed 4/23/08 Thu 5/8/08 Human Resources Management Phase 8 Days Wed 4/23/08 Fri 5/2/08    Activity Management Phase 10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Project Office Administration 10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Project Communications 10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Risk Management 10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Quality Management 10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Hand-Over of Project 10 Days Wed 4/23/08 Tue 5/6/08 Possible risks related to the software development project Every project has its own share of risks. Risks associated with this project are outlined below: The period of time given for the execution of the project is short. The COCOMO model shows that a project of such magnitude requires at least 5 months for completion. There is a risk of the project exceeding the time frame allocated by the stakeholders. User requirements may change or expand during the duration of project. There is a risk of having to accommodate changes to the design of the portal. This is known as scope creep and may affect the schedule and budget (Whitten 2001). With the obvious need to procure softwares for the development of the portal system, resources like time and money may not be sufficient. There is a risk of taking short cuts around the system development methodology in order to meet the deadline and not exceed the budget. This might affect the quality of the final product. Another potential risk is that of feature creep. This refers to the uncontrolled addition of technical features to a system that is being developed without regard to schedule and budget (Whitten 2001, p.125). A portal system is a robust application that is designed to fulfill various needs of an organization. The temptation to add more features is always a prevalent risk There is the risk of a team member resigning from the project. This will cause a considerable loss of time. There is also the risk of insufficient communication within the project team which may lead to misunderstanding of customers’ requirements, and cause a deviation from the project plan, budget and schedule. Project Monitoring Project monitoring involves supervising the project throughout its lifecycle. This is important in order to know how things are going and to solve any problem that may arise during the course of the project. This can be done via meetings, emails, reports on progress and finances and also by observing project management best practices. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Applying the principles of Project Management to the development of the portal system at Regency Hotels will go a long way to ensure that the objectives are met on time, within budget and that the software product will be of the desired quality. Project Management is a crucial practice that should be encouraged in every sector of the economy. It ensures that money, energy and time are not wasted on failed projects. With sufficient project management practices in place, stakeholders and contractors can conduct businesses without bothering about the hitches involved with long-term projects. Regardless of the end product, which could be a new service, product or knowledge, project management ensures that a successful outcome is achieved within the available resources and time frame. References Whitten, JL, Bentley, LD, Dittman, KC 2001, Systems Analysis and Design Methods, 5th edn, Mc Graw-Hill, New York. Wheatley, M 2000, The Importance of Project Management, Project Smart. Available from: http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-importance-of-project-management.html [22 April 2008] Sorensen, R 1995, A comparison of Software Development Methodologies, Software Technology Support Centre. Available from: http://www.stsc.hill.af.mil/crosstalk/1995/01/Comparis.asp [24 April 2008] Duncan, WR 1996, A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge, PMI Standards Committee. Available from: www.unipi.gr/akad_tmhm/biom_dioik_tech/files/pmbok.pdf [24 April 2008] Merlo-Schett, N 2002, COCOMO Constructive Cost Model, Proceedings of the seminar cost estimation W 2002/2003, pp. 1-24. Available from: www.ifi.unizh.ch/req/courses/seminar_ws02/reports/Slides_4.pdf [22 April 2008].

animal rights :: essays research papers

Animal Rights   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"What is man without the beast? If the beast were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beast soon happens to man† (Chief Seattle). While much has been done to protect animals, it is nowhere near what needs to be done to secure their inhabitance on earth and give them their rights. Animals have nerves so they can feel pain and they do suffer so is it right to put them through that by experimenting on them. Additionally if more of the world’s animals are not protected a lot more will be extinct in the coming years. Finally hunting, in almost all areas, is no longer a way to gain food as it used to be, it is now just done for pure sport or â€Å"funâ€Å". Should animals have to suffer just to benefit a single race of beings? And what does it feel like to be hunted down in terror and then torn apart while still alive?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main types of animals experimented on are monkeys, cats, dogs, cattle, sheep, horses, and small mammals. Numerous amounts of tests are carried out on these animals each year. Types of tests include acute toxicity test, chronic toxicity test, skin irritation tests, acute inhalation toxicity tests, psychology research, and weapons tests as listed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals or PETA (PETA fact sheet 2). An acute toxicity test is where certain chemicals are force fed to an animal to find out the lethal dosage. Chronic toxicity test is to find out whether or not a chemical can be harmful in small dosages over a period of time. Skin irritation tests are carried out by placing a chemical on the bare skin of an animal and covering it with a plaster like material, at which point the animals are restrained. Acute inhalation toxicity tests uses aerosol products to test its effect on an animals lungs animals are killed afterwards to check the effect on its tissues. Psychology research are pointless tests that determine the obvious, like effects of shocking, mutilation, drug abuse, etc. Weapons tests, the testing of weapons like radiation, lasers, and chemicals to find out what effect they would have on humans, are inhuman and very harmful to the animal (PETA fact sheet 2). With all of this pain and suffering not much good comes out of animals testing.

Oscar Wilde’s Aestheticism Essay

Though Oscar Wilde is the incarnation of the aestheticism schools, we can’t afford to ignore the other artists of the aesthetes. It is imperative that we should give a general introduction to aestheticism in the following paragraphs. Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that studies the principles of beauty especially in art. Aestheticism is the collection of all the fruits of aesthetics. â€Å"The word ‘aesthetic’ was first found in Aesthetica, appearing as a Latin word, which is the name of two books written by Alexander Baumgarten, 1714—1762. †(Williams, 2005: 31) Baumgarten believes beauty can be defined as aesthetic, but when it is related to art, the most important part of Baumgarten’s translation of beauty is that beauty is not abstract but can be felt by people through their senses. This translation is the same as the Greek word â€Å"aisthesis†, the original meaning of which is the power of uniting mentally the impressions conveyed by the five physical senses. And in the middle of the 19th century, aesthetic is understood as â€Å"the beautiful†, which is generally related to art. In 1880, the word â€Å"aesthete† was used in a wide range, but contained a derogatory sense. Both the principle and the practice of the aesthetic movement led by Walter Pater were criticized at that time. But the British decadent writers were deeply influenced by Walter Pater. The artists and writers of the aesthetic movement held the view that sensuous pleasure should be provided by arts, not moral or sentimental messages. As a consequence, they did not accept John Ruskin and Matthew Arnold’s utilitarian conception of art as something moral or useful. Instead, they believed that art did not have any didactic purpose; it needed only be beautiful. The aesthetes developed the cult of beauty, which they considered the basic factor in art. In Britain, Oscar Wilde is famous as one of the best representatives of the aesthetes. He believes that art represents nothing but itself, and that art has its own life just as thoughts do.

Nutrasweet in China Essay

To come up with a decision to the whether enter the Greater China Market or not we decided to approach the case with a SWOT analysis. Strengths NutraSweet is an artificial sweetener that is one of the most recognized brand names in the United States and in the world. NutraSweet’s earnings per share is $ 6. 36 and with huge capitalization and investments in diverse products. Stacey has the approved budget of $ 500,000 to market NutraSweet in China. NutraSweet has the flexibility on how to position their product in terms of functionality, or either as sugar substitute or health product for diabetics. Weaknesses The research conducted towards the Chinese consumers may not truly reflect the real sentiments of the consumers towards NutraSweet. NutraSweet has not decided on building its own distribution system and may rely on foreign agents for distribution. NutraSweet is more expensive than ordinary white sugar. Opportunities China is a big market and can provide higher profitability to the company. China is the second or eighth largest economy in the world; depending on how it was gauged. There is a perceived consumers’ infatuation with Western brands. Chinese maintain healthful lifestyle so the potential for NutraSweet to launch their product in China is strong. Threats Sugar is a common household purchase as a sweetener and has been part of Chinese households for decades. Culture dictates that there might be difficulty in replacing traditional use of sugar with NutraSweet. The Chinese market is so diverse and it is difficult to come up with a general characteristic to define them. Artificial sweeteners are known by history of skepticism for saccharin and potential health hazards. There is difficulty in attracting and retaining local employees and as such, NutraSweet is having doubts in investing into training their marketing and sales personnel for fear that the employees would not stay long in the company. There are only very few foreign agents that operate in China. Sugar use and consumption levels differed among 3 key markets –Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing. Arthur Andersen survey in China showed that most joint ventures from food and drink were not profitable. Most MNCs in China are unprofitable despite substantial growth. Majority of the Chinese are considered â€Å"flat-bellied† and don’t see the need for a diet regimen. The Chinese culture also dictates that they are not that concerned with their teeth, hence they don’t have that fear of tooth decay. The company should enter the Greater China market as a niche product for consumers with a medical need. The company cannot delay its entry in the China market, especially with factors such as an average of 10% economic growth, a quickly emerging middle class, and a high possibility in consumers’ increase purchasing power. Postponement of entry may mean higher costs in the future and although the company will not immediately profit from the venture, research showed that companies who entered the market 5 to 10 years ago were doing best. The knowledge gained from market entry will allow NutraSweet to sharpen its future strategies. Pros The successful experience in establishing medical awareness in Hong Kong may be applied to the Greater China Market. Entering the Greater China market through the three key cities will provide a better knowledge of the overall Chinese market. A natural market consisting of diabetics and obese customers already exist. Hospital stores and drug dispensaries do not have the bargaining strength that retailers have. Product information campaigns will be facilitated by health professionals who will easily understand and appreciate the product’s benefits. Promotion to medical professionals through associations will not need as much cost as a nationwide mass-market campaign. A $ 2,010,526. 31 in breakeven sales seems very feasible in the Chinese market. Cons The Chinese tend to be slim and had historically not been preoccupied by tooth decay. ? SHORT-TERM The Chinese consumers’ attraction to brand names, especially the number 1 in any category gives NutraSweet an opportunity to establish itself as a first mover in the medical aid products under a new category of sweeteners. The company will launch a product information campaign for medical professionals and will also tap their associations. Associations of diabetics and obese consumers will also be tapped. The company will focus on relationship building with the medical industry. Since poor dental health is a problem in China, the company may also create an awareness drive on the ill effects of sugar on the teeth to lay the foundation of need awareness. The product will be packaged in sachet form with global brand and American image prominent on the sachet to appeal to the consumers’ preference for American brands. The company will capitalize on the convenience of bringing the sachets anywhere with you. The medical industry will be given free samples of the product. The doctors will be taught to promote daily use of the product, with sweetening of milk and coffee or hot drinks as one of the more common purposes. Consumers will be taught to use the product in cooking through the provision of free recipe booklets and cooking demonstration classes. The product will be distributed in the three key cities of Greater China, namely, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing, where the medical industry is more developed compared with the other cities. The company will create its own distribution structure. The product will use the distribution channels of hospital stores and drug dispensaries. Since the focus is on niche marketing, the product will still be sourced from the U. S. plant. LONG-TERM The long-term goal will be to mass market the product in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and use the learning’s from those markets to penetrate the market Greater China. Establishing distribution networks in the two countries will be easier, given the favorable business environments. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, the product will be repositioned as a healthy family lifestyle food, targeting the affluent, health and weight conscious consumers. Aggressive promotion will be pursued, such as print and media ads, and the employment of product endorsers, and store promotions. Consumer awareness and education will be the focus of the campaigns.

Disaster Recovery Essay

Disaster Recovery Essay Disaster Recovery Essay The disaster recovery plan for SunGrafix includes step-by-step procedures of the disaster recovery process. Since this is a gamin company, the DR plan is quite different than a normal business. We have covered or at least touched all the eight steps of disaster recovery plan. It includes facilities’ diagrams, network diagrams, risk assessments, threat mitigation process, plan test results and action plan etc. The Need For a Disaster Recovery Plan SunGrafix’s business sales have been increasing in last two years almost by double. The products and services that SunGrafix provide to its customers are more than ever. â€Å"Once a disaster strikes, it's too late to stop and go through the planning process. To be effective, a disaster recovery plan must be in place before a problem arises. While it may not be possible to plan in advance for every possible situation that can harm a business, some problems are more likely to occur than others. By coming up with contingency plans for the most likely disasters, the negative effects of such events can often be mitigated†(Olson, 2008). When our team looked at this organization as a whole, we didn’t see any planning that has been going on to protect the organization. The Upper management has agreed to design and develop a good disaster recovery plan for this organization after reviewing the threat assessment document we submitted to them. SunGrafix employees and IT infrastructures would be in danger without a planning, and the business could go bankrupt if we do not plan for a disaster before it strikes. â€Å"An effective disaster recovery plan will ease the first hectic days because you will already know what to do to keep your business running effectively and efficiently. During a disaster and in its immediate aftermath, having an established and well-rehearsed emergency protocol will save you,

Business Owners What You Can Do About Workplace Harassment

Business Owners What You Can Do About Workplace Harassment With the recent rash of harassment revelations in the media, companies are taking their anti-harassment policies more seriously than ever. And it’s not just the Weinstein Company and Fox that are looking at their exposure to lawsuits. If you are the owner of a business – any business with employees – you need to learn everything there is to know about workplace harassment, and how to 1) prevent it and 2) handle it if it does occur. Let’s first get clear on the definition of workplace harassment: Harassment under federal law is â€Å"unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or parental status.† Two common types of harassment are Quid Pro Quo (â€Å"This for That†). In quid pro quo harassment, enduring the offensive conduct becomes condition of continued employment. Examples: Denying employment or a promotion for failure to perform sexual acts or participate in religious activities. Giving preferential treatment in exchange for sexual cooperation or joining a religion. Hostile Work Environment. Here, the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive. Some more considerations: A â€Å"hostile environment† may be created by the unwelcome conduct of supervisors, co-workers, customers, contractors, or anyone else with whom the victim interacts on the job. Harassment occurs when this conduct renders the workplace atmosphere intimidating, hostile, or offensive. Factors to consider include but are not limited to the frequency and severity of alleged harassment, whether it is physically threatening or humiliating, and whether it unreasonably interferes with work. Behaviors contributing to an unlawful hostile environment may include but are not limited to discussing sexual activities, unnecessary touching, displaying sexually suggestive or racially insensitive pictures, using demeaning or inappropriate terms or epithets, using indecent gestures or crude language, or sabotaging a victim’s work. Why you want to avoid harassment claims. Harassment claims are easy to file and hard to get dismissed. They consume time (an average of 318 days), they cost huge amount of money regardless of their validity (average of $40 $125K in settlements which can cover back pay, compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees costs), and they can damage a company’s reputation/brand irreparably. According to the New York Daily News, New York State has settled at least 85 lawsuits involving claims of sexual harassment or sex discrimination at agencies, hospitals, prisons and schools it oversees, costing the state a combined $11.87 million. Clearly you want to avoid such lawsuits if you possibly can. Even before a lawsuit, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment have an impact on your organization. The acts themselves are disruptive in the workplace, decrease employee morale, increase absenteeism and turnover, reduce productivity, and damage the reputation of the company. It’s a no-brainer that every company must address harassment before, during, and after it happens. Harassment Lawsuits Harassment lawsuits gain teeth not because the harassment happened, but because they did not respond properly. Take these two examples: Chopourian v. Catholic Healthcare West is one of the best-known cases in the harassment category. In this case, a physician assistant made 18 complaints regarding working conditions and bullying at Mercy General Hospital, all of which were ignored, before she was fired. The reason for her termination? Allegedly failing to report for work – but it was found that she was explicitly told not to come in for coverage that day. When she obtained alternative employment, she lost it because Mercy General would not provide her with required â€Å"privileging.† She was awarded $168 million in a settlement, just three days into a jury trial. In contrast, in Chaloult v. Interstate Brands, an employer won the case because it was proven that the claimant did not complain to management and a witness confirmed the alleged harassing behavior could not reasonably be defined as harassment. Importantly, the employer correctly trained employees and had a protective anti-harassment policy that covered where to report harassment and provided multiple channels for reporting. The company even continued the investigation after the employee resigned. You must take your responsibility seriously as an employer. As an employer, if you knew or should have known and failed to take prompt and corrective action, you can be liable – regardless of whether an employee or some other party perpetrated the action. In contrast, if you reasonably tried to prevent and promptly correct the harassing behavior through training, a policy known to your employees, and prompt investigation/corrective action, you have strong footing to defend any lawsuits. See this article from the American Bar Association on how to avoid putting your company at risk. If you have a small company, you can bring an outside organization in to advise you on your policy and handle any complaints. In Madison, WI, where I live, a local employment agency, QTI, provides this service (and gave a presentation on the topic that I attended last week – thank you QTI for providing information and inspiration for this blog). There are many questions that can arise as to what policies to put into place. For instance, should your company have a â€Å"no-dating† policy? A â€Å"required snitching† policy? Hugging protocol (as NBC just put into place)? Can you go too far with attempting to stop workplace harassment? Regardless of the size of your business, it’s essential to protect yourself and your company from time-consuming, expensive, and reputation-damaging harassment claims. If your organization is not in compliance with the best practices in this area, I recommend taking action now. Category:Life and LeadershipBy Brenda BernsteinFebruary 26, 2018 5 Comments Prasanta says: February 27, 2018 at 10:07 am I feel this particular article is predominantly biased to female employees as they are facing harassment most of the time. But harassment is also rendered to male employees too. Moreover, this safeguard s available only in USA. For e.g. I was a Dutch MNC employee but suddenly lost job without identifying any reason even though I had a severe road accident while on duty and but my employer did not give any monetary compensation even though iI have developed physical limitations due to this accident. I lost my job as I raised my voice. There are legal safeguards in India but takes years to get justice and one can die before the justice is delivered. This is not USA. Log in to Reply Brenda Bernstein says: February 27, 2018 at 10:21 am Thank you for this input and international perspective, Prasanta. Its true that we have a lot of protections in the U.S. that are not available in other countries. And you are absolutely right that harassment can be perpetrated against any protected class. What youre talking about I believe is retaliation for whistleblowing. Heres what I found on Wikepedia: Whistleblowers are often protected under law from employer retaliation, but in many cases punishment has occurred, such as termination, suspension, demotion, wage garnishment, and/or harsh mistreatment by other employees. A 2009 study found that up to 38% of whistleblowers experienced professional retaliation in some form, including wrongful termination.[citation needed] For example, in the United States, most whistleblower protection laws provide for limited make whole remedies or damages for employment losses if whistleblower retaliation is proven. However, many whistleblowers report there exists a widespread shoot the messenger mentality by corporations or government agencies accused of misconduct and in some cases whistleblowers have been subjected to criminal prosecution in reprisal for reporting wrongdoing. As a reaction to this many private organizations have formed whistleblower legal defense funds or support groups to assist whistleblowers; three such examples are the National Whistleblowers Center[28] in the United States, and Whistleblowers UK[29] and Public Concern at Work (PCaW)[30] in the United Kingdom. Depending on the circumstances, it is not uncommon for whistleblowers to be ostracized by their co-workers, discriminated against by future potential employers, or even fired from their organization. This campaign directed at whistleblowers with the goal of eliminating them from the organization is referred to as mobbing. It is an extreme form of workplace bullying wherein the group is set against the targeted individual.[31] 28 whistleblowers.org. whistleblowers.org. Retrieved 2012-07-08. 29 wbuk.org. wbuk.org. Retrieved 2017-01-30. 30 pcaw.co.uk. pcaw.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-07-08. 31 Matthiesen SB, Bjorkelo B, Burke RJ Workplace Bullying as the Dark Side of Whistleblowing in Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace: Developments in Theory, Research, and Practice (2012) Log in to Reply Beth Garner says: February 27, 2018 at 11:07 am re: can you go too far with attempting to stop workplace harassment seeming a bit ridiculous and overly detailed. I used to think some of the guidelines I read or heard in company policies were verging, or even falling squarely, into the realm of the absurd. Then I listened to the comments questions of many men, and realized that many of them, even the most well-intentioned, really do not know the boundary between acceptable collegial behavior and harassing behavior. For far too long in so many areas of life men have been subtly taught that so many obnoxious kinds of behavior are the norm that now they cant see where the line is, and actually need detailed instruction. I know it often seems silly and excessive, but it is unfortunately often necessary in order to re-educate many on what is appropriate and what is inappropriate. Log in to Reply Brenda Bernstein says: February 27, 2018 at 11:19 am Its true, Beth. Specific rules are much easier to follow than use your judgment. And, blanket rules have their downsides too. If Ive been friends with someone for years and have an established relationship, or if someone is going through a hard time and needs a shoulder to lean on, a 1-second hug policy doesnt seem to apply. I guess the lawyers at NBC decided having the rule would cover their butts (no harassment intended) so its a better policy as a base. Log in to Reply B G says: February 27, 2018 at 6:53 pm Brenda, your reply illuminates a good reason why companies need very specific guidelines. You are speaking as a woman with certainty about the comfort level of the person you hug, and their openness willingness to be hugged by you. Being hugged in the workplace by a man: a mans assumption that the established relationship is such that a hug is appropriate may be wildly off the mark. The woman being grabbed and hugged may not want to be hugged at all! The man may think the hug is offering comfort, but he may be sensorily blind to the fact that the woman is holding herself rigid, slightly pushing him away, and averting her face with a grimace. She may be reluctant to tell him his hug is unwelcome; she may realize his intention is good and not want to offend him. In addition, that hug may have been intended innocently, albeit executed awkwardly. What about the quick close hug by a man with an erection who presses his groin against yours, rubs his chest against your breasts and qu ickly lets go? It may be only a second or two, and no one else may realize what the is doing, but that is certainly not ok! So, hugs, innocent as they may seem, do need to be curtailed. Log in to Reply

Ideas change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ideas change - Essay Example Her latest book is All Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each other. In this book, one of his findings is that currently computer technology no longer wait for humans to project meaning onto them (Turkle 2). Computer technology has currently started to reveal its meaning to individuals without their awareness. A phone reveals itself that it can assist an individual to pass information to a person in a far distance without walking the distance to meet that individual. According to Turkle (3), networked devices that came with computer technology provide machine-mediated relationship. This is what Turkle’s latest book ‘All Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other’ reveals. Currently individuals relate mostly through phone calls, phone messaging, and internet services as compared to person-to-person relationship. Turkle accounts this changing to the evolution in the computer technology. The evolution in computer te chnology has resulted to introduction of technology that acts as a human being. As a result, communication and socialization via the technology has become more convenient and effective than direct communication and socialization between individuals. Therefore, computer technology has resulted to machine mediated relationship between individuals. Another finding of Turkle in her new book is that computer technology has become more seductive (Turkle 3). ... The above findings of the other are different from her findings in the past revealed by her previous books. One of her past findings was that individuals view computers as some sort of alive beings that affect their life (Turkle 2). The findings tried to reveal what computers used to do to individuals in the various aspects of their lives. It also tried to reveal how the computer technology has influenced the people’s ways of living. This is very different from what the findings of this author’s current book show. However, there is some sort of a relationship between the author’s finding revealed by one of her previous books and the findings revealed by her current book. This is because both finding reveal that computer technology has a great impact on the people’s ways of living. Another past finding of the author as revealed by her previous books was that individuals forge new identity in an online space (Turkle 2). According to this finding, the identit y individuals reveal in an online space is different from the identity they reveal in a one-on-one interaction. This finding suggested that technology play a different role from a one-on-one interaction. Therefore, the two cannot be substitutes of each other. This contrasts the findings on the current book of this author that indicate that technology interaction and person-to-person interaction are related with technology interaction becoming more preferred than the person-to-person interaction. Moreover, the finding from previous works of this author reveals that individuals rarely provide their full information in an online setting. This reveals technology as independent from other forms of interaction and communication. However, this is

Reasons for the Increasing Divorce Rates in America Essay

Reasons for the Increasing Divorce Rates in America - Essay Example This paper briefly analyses various reasons for the increased divorce rates in America.    Money is believed to be one of the major reasons for causing divorce. Couples may have different views, opinions, and perceptions about the spending of money. Suppose Mr. X has lavish spending habits. He may not worry much about saving money for the future needs of the family. He may spend whatever he earns and may not bother much about saving something for future expenses like the education of his children. On the other hand, Mrs. X could be more interested in saving money for the future by reducing the unnecessary expenditure since she was more aware of future needs. It is quite possible that conflicts develop in such families and these contrasting views about money spending may finally lead them towards a divorce. Alcohol addiction or drug addiction is another major reason for divorce. As stated in the earlier example, suppose Mr. X is addicted to alcohol or drugs. It is difficult for Mrs. X to adjust with such habits of her husband, even if she is more liberal and modern in her thoughts. Addiction can lead Mr. X towards a crazy life and sometimes he may abuse his wife or children. It is difficult for a modern woman to sacrifice her entire life for an addicted husband. Mrs. X may wait for some time, in anticipation that her husband may rectify his mistake sooner than later; however, if Mr. X has no plans to get rid of his bad habits, Mrs. X may file the divorce petition. The third possible reasons for divorce could be sexual problems. Either the husband or the wife may have more interests in sexual activities. Sex is a divine activity which should be performed on mutual consent. Sometimes the husband or the wife may have over interests in sexual activities and he/she may force his/her partner for sexual activities without considering the interests of the partner. In some cases, either of them may force the partner to engage in unnatural sexual activities which may develop displeasure and thoughts about divorce. Extramarital affairs could be another possible reason for divorce. The strength of family life lies in mutual love and trust.  

Private Finance Initiative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Private Finance Initiative - Essay Example TUPE enables these individuals to enjoy the status of being public and private workers simultaneously. This arrangement is intended to relieve the government of a heavy burden of initiating and funding projects across the country. The PFI is a program that began Britain and Australia before spreading to most of the Western countries and eventually to the rest of the world. Since early 1990s, PFI has grown into one of the common ways to develop public investments1. The program is being used to develop many different types public infrastructure. With a PFI, private organizations can place bids on these infrastructure projects, and reverse the conventional trend, whereby developing public projects were solely the responsibility of the government. The private investor that emerges the winner in the bidding process is normally awarded the contract to develop and maintain the infrastructure project. FPI enables private companies to benefit from a permanent profit from such an initiative2. In most cases, governmental organizations are not ready to handle big projects, but they do want to make sure the projects are. By engaging the private sector through a PFI, this is tenable. Apart from relieving the government of the burden of laying infrastructures, a private finance initiative reduces the amount of tax being channelled to such projects. When the private investors shoulder the larger percentage of the funding, the government can then concentrate on other important projects. PFI projects In many cases, the method of construction that is implemented by governments has been based on placing the burden on the PFI contractors to design, bid and build the public assets. Under these criteria, the public organizations often come up with a design for a public infrastructure project. This work may be done by internal experts, or it may be awarded to a private company specialized in architecture. Once the plan is authorized, the government then invites bids from privately own ed construction companies, thus paving way for the winning bidder to construct the facility3. Many projects for government facilities have conventionally had extended private sector contacts to cater for maintenance. Typical cases of a PFI are court facilities and government offices that have been built on privately owned buildings. The health care industry is also not left out: many small government-owned health care facilities are operating in private sector premises. Better Service Delivery Private finance initiative has been implemented in the United Kingdom, where the government emphasized its significance and contribution toward better service delivery to citizens. In 2002, the government announced that it would engage the private sector more, especially to improve the quality of services in the healthcare industry4. The government made public its intention to ensure that quality services were achieved by approving contracts that had met the thresholds of quality. But whereas PFI can be more costly to implement as compared to conventional government funding, since public institutions enjoy lower lending rates than the private investors, most of the governments around the world have held the belief that the increased costs of amassing the needed finances by the private sector will remain etched in the better services for a far longer period of time5. Additionally, proponents of a PFI believe that there will be efficiency in savings. Market forces have also proved the government wrong: private companies have

Gap Year After Graduation Essay Example for Free

Gap Year After Graduation Essay Nowadays, students leaving high school regularly travel, do voluntary work or a job in a gap year before going on to higher education. Undoubtedly, students occupy various benefits from experiments in gap year. It is apparent that after rigorous terms, a gap year which students possibly travel, volunteer society or do temporary work before deciding to join in higher education stimulates positively their practical and adaptive capability. Initially, those dynamic activities possibly enhance empirical ability of youngsters who passively acquire knowledge during high school. In evidence, learners feasibly comprehend miracles of foreign languages when they practice experimentally via travelling or voluntary work in abroad. More significantly, not only can a gap year improves practical ability but also enhances communication skill through youngster’s real factual experiences. Only by adapting to a changeable and flexible environment can students expend their personal skill and learn how to communicate effectively. Accordingly, a period time which students perform them after high school period effects advantageously to their practical and soft skill. That the young experience in gap year is not only a principal platforms which help them choose higher education form but also a chance to become more mature. A gap year with profound considerations cumulated by real experiments justifies what kind of higher education they are advisedly appropriate for. The young who are able to apply into universities and passionate studying advanced knowledge identify accurately their choice. Nevertheless, others who are appropriate for practicing in actual life also ascertain that their selection is vocation. Additionally, facing to challenge of real life leads them to be awareness profoundly of the changing world. Hardly can the young be mature when they always are protected carefully by parents and are not responsible for themselves. Briefly, a gap year is precious chances which support the young identify what they real want. Therefore, challenge in real life which students pass in a gap year is also valuable experiments for developing in the future.

Outline for Paper on The Importance of Accelerated Reading

A. Purpose of the Study â€Å"Reading is the motivated and fluent coordination of word recognition and comprehension† (Leipzig 2001). In the educational system, pupils are encourage to read books because of the belief that one becomes better at a skill based on the amount of time dedicated to that particular skill. Pupils must practice the skill learned and receive â€Å"frequent feedback (Samuel and Wu).† Practice is most effectual when it is individualized and accompanied with instruction (Renaissance Learning Inc 2007). Individualized practice, allows the pupil to work at his/her individual ability. It challenges the pupil instead of frustrating him/her. Accelerated Reader (AR) program provides individualize practice to each pupil to maximize academic success. The purpose of this study is to examine the affect of AR on first grade students’ comprehension scores on the End of the Year Assessment. B. Significance/Importance of the Study Accelerated Reader is a program used in several schools in the United States with the belief that each child has a prescribed practice based on hi/her reading ability. AR program is usually used in addition to the school’s core Reading Text. The AR program is said to increase students reading skills and â€Å"reduce achievement gaps† (Advance Learning System 1997). The program is a computer software that allows students to read a textbook and then take a computerize quiz on that textbook. Students are then given an immediate feedback of their score. It allows students the opportunity to view the items that were marked incorrect. Researchers believe that immediate feedback is very important for student achievement (Samuels and Wu). Being that many of our schools use AR, it is safe to assume several believe ... ...lace a sticker next to his or her name on the chart in the classroom, which will be visible to all. The researcher will also monitor the students’ progress on AR. The researcher will have bi-weekly discussion with the teachers regarding students’ progress. At a later time, students will take the EOYA. The researcher will follow the same procedure that was followed for the MYA. F. Research Questions/Hypothesis Does the use of AR increase first grade comprehension scores on the End of the Year Assessment? G. Methods of Data Analysis The researcher will record the raw scores and calculate the standard deviation for both the pretest and the posttest. A dependent T-Test will be used at the .05 level of confidence to decide if there is statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the two tests given.

Joking Apart Essay

Joking Apart is a BBC television sitcom written by Steven Moffat about the rise and fall of a relationship. It juxtaposes a couple, Mark (Robert Bathurst) and Becky (Fiona Gillies), who meet and fall in love before getting separated and finally divorced. The twelve episodes, broadcast between 1993 and 1995, were directed by Bob Spiers and produced by Andre Ptaszynski for independent production company Pola Jones. The show is semi-autobiographical; it was inspired by the then-recent separation of Moffat and his first wife. Some of the episodes in the first series followed a non-linear parallel structure, contrasting the rise of the relationship with the fall. Other episodes were ensemble farces, predominantly including the couple’s friends Robert (Paul Raffield) and Tracy (Tracie Bennett). Paul-Mark Elliott also appeared as Trevor, Becky’s lover. Scheduling problems meant that the show attracted low viewing figures. However, it scored highly on the Appreciation Index and accrued a loyal fanbase. One fan acquired the home video rights from the BBC and released both series on his own DVD label. (more†¦) Recently featured: Stonewall riots – Hippopotamus – Ten Commandments in Roman Catholicism

Junk Food Essay

Fast food , the type of food changed our lives. It’s fast, it’s easy to prepare, it’s easy to eat, and it’s cheap. It’s for everyone. It’s for the poor and the non-poor. It’s for students, for managers, for actors, for factory workers, for criminals, for priests†¦ today it seems like fast food was always around and it is not possible to imagine a world without fast food. Even countries like Japan, which has a traditional diet of rice, fish, vegetables and soy products, accepted fast food into their worlds. The biggest help of this growing is advertisement. Fast food advertisements are mainly focusing on television, magazines, billboards and Internet. One of the most powerful ways of advertising fast food is product placement. Product Plac/ement is a term defined as â€Å"the practice of integrating specific products and brands into filmed e/ntertainment. † Product placement was always evolved into the billion-dollar market of Hollywood. As the costs keep increasing for producing movies, studios become ready to make connections with big corporations, which are willing to place their products in a big, particular film. These big connections have big payments. For example â€Å"direct payments for product placement (for instance in License to Kill Phillip Morris Tobacco paid $350,000 for Bond to smoke a Lark cigarette). † Another good example is, In the biggest co-marketing deal in film history, Coca-Cola paid Ј95 million to the producers of Harry Potter for the right o use the film’s logo on it’s cans in what will become a series of films; the first Harry Potter film cost Ј75 million. It went on general release on November 2001 and is expected to be shown on a thousand screens in the UK. The movie was like the big bang as expected. Harry Potter products everywhere sold in huge amounts and consumers attacked to any product of the movie letting the industry behind the scenes to gain more power. Today all major US film studios seeking for brands to place into a film they are producing. Studios don’t pay to the brand owner but the benefits of product placement advertisement are so big to the product name and the film itself that each side promotes the other. Even some smaller studios are seeking for product placement. These movies usually require the product owners to pay television and billboard advertisements. A small film cannot afford these types of advertisements but product placement can. Eric Schlosser is the author who has written about the fast food industry and he presents many of his findings in the book â€Å"Fast Food Nation†. However, his book is not merely an expose of the fast food industry but is even more a consideration of how the fast food industry has shaped and defined American society in America and for other nations as America exports its fast food culture to others. Schlosser describes a great deal of American culture to the fast food mentality, and he finds that globalization is taking the fast food culture around the world at a rapid rate. Schlosser addresses a number of specific issues related to food production and distribution. He connects the social order of a society to the kind of food it eats and the way it eats that food, with American society very much defined by the fast food culture that has developed. Schlosser tends to represent the theory stressing the importance of interdependence among all behavior patterns and institutions within a social system, as can be seen from how he connects fast food to other social processes and institutions. The icon that represents fast food culture for most people is McDonald’s, though the fast food culture developed long before the creation of that restaurant chain. Schlosser considers the impact of such fast-food chains but also considers the primacy of the hamburger in the American diet and some of the dangers it poses. McDonald’s reliance on hamburger is a questionable item for a steady diet in a more health conscious age, and interferes with local customs and food in different parts of the world. Schlosser addresses this issue from several perspectives, beginning with a consideration of how safe the meat really is, not only on the basis of nutritional value but also on the basis of additives, preservatives, diseases, and even potential radioactivity. Some beef is considered questionable, and much of it makes its way through the USDA to school cafeterias Napoleon Bonaparte once said, †A man’s palate can, in time, become accustomed to anything. † While this French emperor may have had some difficulty like the Battle of Waterloo, he certainly has hit the nail on the head this time. The food industry has evolved in ways that may not be distinguishable to the human palate, but hopefully remain distinguishable to the human conscience. With all the options now available to industrial leaders, citizens must be sure to keep them from abusing their powers and continuing to harm employees, animals, and consumers. The best ways are to promote public discourse, to act as the industrial ‘watchdog,’ and to make the most of the power of the consumer†¦ the almighty dollar. Fast Food Industry Name: Course: InstructorÐ ²Ãâ€šÃ¢â€ž ¢s name: Date: Abstract This paper on Fast food industry covers a detailed exploration of the fast food industry to in order to identify new emerging issues in the field of fast foods industry. The paper also significantly projects about the future rends of this economy that is growing tremendously fast. It identifies fast food in a specific region or nation and provides sequence details about that particular market. Experts with experience in economics, politics, and the restaurant industry can be involved in the projections of fast food industry analysis. Health concerns From the time fast foods services were established the chain gangs have intensely emerged throughout the preceding decades. The values of nutrition in fast food providers as well as in the provisions made have diminished as the demand for convenience exploded throughout America. This is due to the many health effects than advantages that those who access these services pose. It has been noted that eating frequently at fast food products leads teens and young adults to gain more weight. This emerging lifestyle poses an increased risk of developing insulin resistance to those practicing it, according to the recent study of National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).