Monday, September 30, 2019

A Critique of “Don’t Blame the Eater”

â€Å"I couldn't open up a magazine, you couldn't read a newspaper, you couldn't turn on the TV without hearing about the obesity epidemic in America. † is a quote by Morgan Spurlock, that acutely describes the obesity problem going on in America. Any way one can want to talk about the problem, it will always be a huge dilemma throughout the United States. For a long time now, people have been discussing who is to blame for the obesity crisis going on.Some people prefer to blame the government, several blame the restaurants, others the parents and even the schools receive criticism for obesity. People should develop their own ideas on the obesity crisis and to figure out who is to blame and how to fix the problem. The main article I want to focus on is â€Å"Don’t Blame the Eater† by David Zinczenko. Throughout this article, he refers to the few kids suing McDonalds and other fast food restaurants.According to the book, They Say, I Say, there are two major parts of an article, the They Say, and the I Say. From Zinczenko’s point of view, he was biased towards the side saying that the food restaurants is responsible for the obesity crisis, while the others he is writing against, are writing about personal responsibility and how to teach the world how to be self-empowered and control what they eat. Others write about the government flailing around, not doing anything to stop and fix the obesity crisis.Zinczenko focuses on the fast food restaurants are causing all of the problems, because their advertisements are focused to children, (The Happy Meal by McDonalds) and teenagers, by having cheap carb filled food for the average poor teenager and college student. Throughout his article, he made many valid points as to why the restaurants are to blame for obesity. The restaurants create a very difficult way to tell exactly what you are eating, mainly because there are no calorie information on the food you get in these eateries.This is mainl y because the FDA does not cover prepared found in all restaurants, especially fast food restaurants, where it is needed the most. An example he gives is that is that a website says a chicken salad contains 150 calories, the almonds and noodles it comes with is an additional 190 calories, a 280 calorie dressing, but the dressing is 2. 5 servings. That total is 1,400 but that excludes anything else you might get, like a coke or fries. (Zinczenko 393) He also gives statistics that show how Type 2 diabetes has increased 25% since 1994. (Zinczenko 392) After all of the points he has shown, he came up with a solution to solve this risis, â€Å"And I’d say the industry is vulnerable. Fast-companies are marketing to children a product with proven health hazards and no warning labels. They would do well to protect themselves, and their customers, by providing the nutrition information people need† (Zinczenko 393) This is one way that we can start to work with the restaurants t o solve this problem. Although he brought up very good points, his argument was very biased against fast food restaurants. During the article he mentioned that we should be responsible for our actions, such as â€Å"Whatever happened to personal responsibility? (Zinczenko 391) and â€Å"Shouldn’t you know better than to eat two meals a day in fast-food restaurants? † (Zinczenko 392) He did not display both sides equally, or even bring up the other side, not contributing the â€Å"They Say† of his article. Other than those two quotes, he does not talk about others to blame or any other solutions to this crisis. Another part of the article that confused me was the part where Zinczenko told his story about how in high school, he was 210lbs. with a lanky 5’10’’ body frame. According to the article, he joined the Navy Reserve in college, lost all the weight by working out, and took responsibility for himself. Zinczenko 391)Even though he uses th is story in which he took responsibility for himself, he still blames the fast food restaurants and barely scratches the surface of self-responsibility. Another article about obesity is â€Å"What You Eat is Your Business† by Radley Balko, but it has a different approach then the way Zinczenko had used. Balko believes that the government needs to leave the public be, and promote personal responsibility. He says that politicians are joining the fight, â€Å"President Bush earmarked $200 million in his budget for anti-obesity measures. (Balko 396) Those two hundred million dollars could have been spent on much more important things, like helping people with more serious problems. Throughout Balko’s article he supports the idea the people need to take responsibility for their own actions, such as becoming obese. Balko says â€Å"It only becomes a public matter when we force the public to pay for the consequences of those choices. † (Balko 397) When the people who stay fit and control their own weight have to pay for those who do not stay fit and become obese is when this becomes a large debate.He continues on to discuss how easy it is to get health benefits while obese, such as not having an extra fee for people over a certain weight and â€Å"Your heart attack drives up the cost of my premiums and office visits. And if the government is paying for my anti-cholesterol medication, what incentive is there for me to put down the cheeseburger? † (Balko 396-7) The United States do not give any sort of privilege for being in shape, so why not just get fat and enjoy life. A third author who has written about the obesity crisis is Judith Warner, with her article â€Å"Junking Junk Food. All through her article, she pokes fun at the government giving different stories about how individual people are trying to fight the ways that the government is trying to deal with the obesity crisis. She starts the article off by telling a story about Sarah Palin bring a bunch of cookies to the schoolchildren to try to stop the â€Å"high-minded anti-sugar edict. † She made a few mistakes about the whole set up, such as Pennsylvania was not in a debate against sugar in their public schools, and the school she showed up to with her cookies was a private Christian Academy. Warner 400) despite the miscommunications that happened there, Palin’s message traveled straight to the American heart, â€Å"she had come up with new and vivid imagery to make the case that the Obama ‘nanny state’ is, essentially, snatching cookies – i. e. , the pursuit of happiness – from the mouths of babes. † Suddenly, any kind of attack on sugar or some sort of healthy sweet became an attack on the American way of life. (Warner 401) Glenn Beck is also fighting the government’s intentions, by creating a compendium that includes, â€Å"Reports of government health inspectors shutting down a 7-year-old’s lemonade stand. According to Warner, the â€Å"choice architects† of the Obama Administration believe that â€Å"you’re incapable of making decisions †¦. Left to your own devices, you’re going to eat too much, you’re going to be a big fatty. † (Warner 401) According to Beck and Warner, the government has no faith in us, so it views itself as needing to intervene. My own ideas of this topic lean towards Balko’s point of view, that we must become responsible for our own bodies. I do agree with Zinczenko up to a point that the fast food restaurants are partly to blame, but not all of the blame can be sent to them.And I do agree with Warner up to a point as well, we cannot leave ourselves in the government’s hands, we have to take responsibility. We, as a country, must work together with the fast food restaurants and the government to stop obesity right in its tracks. There are other ways to stop this crisis that are not mentioned a nywhere in the article, such as teaching children to cook healthy foods and exercise using such things as a nutrition class to teach the students to be responsible for themselves.We have to try to distract the children away from computer games and television to get them to play outside and get their daily amount of exercise. Others would point blame to the parents, for if the parents put in the effort with their children, and kept an eye on what they eat, and how often they go outside to play, can make a large difference throughout a child’s life. Zinczenko argued that as a teenager, he only had four or five places for him to eat around his house, but where were his parents at the time.No parent would ever want their son or daughter to be obese, so we need to let the parents know how bad fast food can be if that is all you eat. My goal here was to help you decide which group of people do you blame for the crisis, and how do you think it can be stopped. My answer is that we mu st influence ourselves to become responsible for ourselves, to help us want to stay physically fit and healthy. We cannot rely on any power, such as the government, or lay blame on the restaurants, such as McDonald’s, but take responsibility into our own hands. Which choice would you pick, and do you think you can make a difference?Works Cited Balko, Radley. â€Å"What You Eat Is Your Business† They Say/ I Say with Readings. 2nd. Ed. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein and Russel Durst. New York: W. W. Norton, 2012. 395- 8. Warner, Judith. â€Å"Junking Junk Foods. † They Say/ I Say with Readings. 2nd ed. Ed. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein and Russel Durst. New York: W. W. Norton, 2012. 400-4. Zinczenko, David. â€Å"Don’t Blame the Eater. † They Say/ I Say with Readings. 2nd ed. Ed. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein and Russel Durst. New York: W. W. Norton, 2012. 391-3.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Human society Essay

Human society, as we know it, is becoming lazy and antisocial. It’s pretty much useless to deny it. Compare us to fifty years ago, and you will find we’ve let ourselves go. Compare us to a hundred years ago, and you’ll realize we’ve morphed into beanbags with brains. In the 1890’s they got by fine without even using cars. Or credit cards, for that matter. Of course, they couldn’t show skin at the beach, but that’s another matter. Take the Segway scooter for instance. For those of you not in the know, it’s a slow, ugly, two-wheeled, battery-powered (ooh†¦ ahh†¦), upside-down coffee table, with some junk in it that makes it impossible to fall off of (in case all that standing gets the best of you). It was designed for city use (like that god awful 1/8 mile from your work to the doughnut shop), and has no other practical use except possibly as a coat hanger/umbrella rack. 45 klicks, top. Can run about 200 kilometers on a battery. Offers little or no protection against cars, which is a moot point because it’s nowhere close to being street legal. All you have to do is stand. In other words, it’s a big wheelchair for the able where you don’t have to move your arms, legs, or even eyelids for that matter. Makes walking obsolete. Pretty lame invention for 5000 bucks a pop, huh? Here comes the scary part. This Yuppie-Mobile is being hailed as â€Å"something that will revolutionize the way we travel†. Scientists are calling it an â€Å"engineering masterpiece†. The website is taking advance orders because the things are going quicker than they can make them. And very few of these people are actually in need of these services. No, friends, it’s pure laziness. Next on the chopping block†¦ those insta-gas keys at gas stations. Such a stupid idea makes the Segway Scooter look like Edison’s light bulb. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about, but if you don’t here’s a run-down: For a small fee (your soul), you can get a little key-type deal with a gas station logo on it mailed to you (along with about a million pieces of junk mail). Although they look like toddler toys, they actually hold a lot of fat-gaining power for the modern lazy yuppie. Imagine, if you will, life before the Key. Imagine the horror of actually having to labour out of your heated SUV and talking to a low-life gas pump. Imagine social interaction. Imagine returning to find your (instant) coffee slightly less warm. Before the Key, all of these things were, in all their horror, a reality. Now, you can just beep the key in front of the reader, pump your gas, and get a friendly greeting from the meter such as â€Å"have a nice day†. Nothing puts you in a good mood like being complimented by an LCD screen. The gas is charged to the credit card or other easy pay billings system. Aga in, these mechanisms have alarming popularity. Shell introduced them to their gas stations about a year and a half ago, and now you would be hard-pressed to find a gas station that doesn’t have some form of instant-payment tool. Even the mom and pop stations are getting in on the fad. Only theirs involves paying 25 dollars for a rock, and proceeding to throw it at the pump when the gas is pumped. Gas pump deaths are at an all-time high. Just kidding, kids. Perhaps the most disgusting example of lethargy comes from the same people who bring you Enforma Diet Pills (for those too `busy’ to diet. Damn slobs). I am talking about none other than the queen of the late-night infomercials, the talk of the trailer park, the (drum roll please)†¦ AbTronic. This is their angle: â€Å"The AbTronic(TM) is so effortless that you can be watching your favourite television program, reading a book or even cooking dinner while getting your body into the shape you want it[1][1]†. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. I can’t even begin to tell you what’s wrong with this one. You apparently don’t even need to go to a gym anymore to get `rock-hard abs’. Sure, you’ll be porky in other places, but your abdominal muscles will be `rock-hard’. And ab muscles are enough for the modern ultra-lazy consumer. Who cares that this device has uncertain long-term effects? Who cares if â€Å"it doesn’t work half as well as ordinary sit-ups†[2][2]? Who cares? It’s easy, it’s expensive, and that’s good enough for the average American consumer. The scary thing is, unlike most infomercial products, the demographic this product is reaching extends far beyond the crackhouses and backwoods. American teens from all walks of life are throwing out their gym memberships for a shot at insta-abs. The decline of civilization at its lowest. Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe these innovations are for the better. Who knows what can be accomplished with the increased amounts of free time? Maybe the time saved by these devices could be put towards creating world peace. Or forming a perfect system of government. Or inventing life saving devices. Yeah†¦ right. _______________________ [3][1] Store.yahoo.com/wonderfullbuys/abtronic.html . The wonderfullbuys site is actually a haven of lazy-person tools. If this kind of stuff floats your boat, I recommend it. [4][2] [5]www.streetcents.cbc.ca. Great consumer review site. [image001.jpg] The Segway: Motorized Stupidity [image002.jpg] The AbTronic: The Pinnacle of human idiocy References Visible links 1. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/11538/11538.html#_edn1 2. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/11538/11538.html#_edn2 3. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/11538/11538.html#_ednref1 4. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/11538/11538.html#_ednref2 5. http://www.streetcents.cbc.ca/ Hidden links: 6. http://www.coursework.info/

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Implementing Sustainability in Certain Profession Essay

Implementing Sustainability in Certain Profession - Essay Example For example, the pits that remains after minerals have been extracted should be manage effectively to ensure that people living around those areas are free from any form of hazard that could jeopardize their lives. Therefore, as a professional mining engineer at Maaden Company, my responsibilities will include but not limited to, carrying out skillful and comprehensive investigation on areas of minerals deposits. Secondly conducting profitability assessment in collaboration with economist and geologist to determine how mining activities can be carried out in a profitable manner. The third responsibility will involve utilization of information technology systems such as computers software’s to compute cost that will be incurred mining. In addition, the computers systems will be applied in the preparation of project management plan for mining purposes. For example, mining engineer will be responsible for preparing a plan that will include the following elements; underground mini ng operations, pits, haulage pathways and open cut-operations (Hartman, Howard and Jan, p.37). The mining engineer will further be responsible for coordinating Maaden company mining staff and resources in a manner that promote sustainable development. Mining engineer will further work in liaise with geological engineers in designing, selection and outsourcing necessary materials such as mining machines, power and water to be utilized in mining. In addition, mining engineer will oversee mining construction by establishing a first aid tools that will be utilized to emergencies research execution in order to promote sustainable development in the mining industry (Hartman, Howard and Jan, p.37). The impact of mining Engineering remains remarkable in business environment today. Whereby, proper and effective mining has been one of the major sources of revenue in most countries. For instance, oil and gold exporting countries tend to obtain substantial amount of income from the sale of thos e minerals. This has further led to numerous positive economic impacts such poverty, employment creation and increase in GDP. In addition, a new invention in mining engineering has significantly to operation efficiency. Current Sustainability Initiatives in Mining Industry Over the recent times, various sustainability programs have been established after mining professional being criticized by the community for causing adverse environmental impacts such as land and air pollution. Therefore, various mining companies came together to establish a program commonly known as Mining Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD). The key drivers for this program include: corporation among mining departments in reviewing performance against sustainable development. Inclusion of sustainable development initiatives into law has made mining companies and community to be responsible towards ensuring a sustainable business environment (International Council of Mining, p.7). The Mining Mineral and S ustainability Development program (MMSD) has been able to achieve the following developments over the recent times: Major mining companies had embraced periodic performance reporting requirements based on the key principles of sustainable development. Whereby, mining firms and investors have become responsible in ensuring that there is conformity in reporting and assurance based on the sustainable development requirements. Sustainable programs have helped the society to realize that mining can

Friday, September 27, 2019

Human Resource Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resource - Case Study Example It is apparent that the company promotes employees to whom the company sees more potential in; thus, increasing their salary to maintain them with the company workforce. However, the company like any other should pay its employees based on experience since, in this manner; it will keep the entire workforce motivated. Fred’s case is not complex the way it seems. Fred, being an employee of the company and has only underwent departmental shift, he will be taken through the company policies regarding employment and salary. I would make Fred understand that promotion is different from departmental shift. Generally, promotion depends on the output proficiency of an employee that relates to package home. Therefore, Fred should just work hard for promotion and high package(Case_20studies.pdf 1). The bank as to present daily (working days of the week) registry, the contract form, the term of contract the white employee is under that is, is she fully trained employee or is she under training, employees handbook procedure spelling chain of command within the bank. In addition,they should provide warning letters that had ever been written to Wittman as well as medical documents that spell the technicalities experienced by the white employee(Case_20studies.pdf 2). The decision that would that is appropriate, for this case is the reinstating of Wittman back to her job. This is because there are numerous allegations forwarded by the bank management that is not adding up. For instance, why is it that the white employee is seen to be going against all odds in her daily errands that are not accepted by the management. In addition, the management did not listen to the grievances laid down by Wittman(Case_20studies.pdf 2). If the management could have listened to her, most of her issues could have been solved before her job termination. The supervisor should take the initiative to talk to Bob. In this way, he will actually understand what

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Crucible by Arthur Miller - Essay Example the crimes he did not commit the author started thinking about the concepts of â€Å"victims† and â€Å"villains† and of the controversy of the absolute truth. It turns out that it is rather easy to pass from one category into another because determining truth and lie still requires enormous efforts even in court. Social moral and religion create enormous pressure on each and every human and fragile psyche sometimes cannot withstand that. In reality most of people are accusatory and would rather point to someone else`s vice than admit one`s guilt. For some people their reputation turns out to be much more important than ultimate truth. Under pressure of the society and in fear of punishment people are prone to change their beliefs and opinions and reveal their faint-heartedness. But it is well-known that people are prone to show their real nature only in critical situation. So extreme circumstances in which the characters of Miller`s play find themselves reveal their tr ue nature: some turn out to be villains and some victims of social moral, some are prone to bend under the pressure of probable punishment and some only find inner power in difficult situation, some act out of altruism and some care about their own life and happiness. Three characters of the play, Reverend Hale, Reverend Parris, and John Proctor, find themselves in extreme situation and each of them transforms his views throughout the play to show eventually his true self. Despite the fact that in 17th century people live under close observation of church, they still act as ordinary people-make mistakes, lie, make sins. In his play â€Å"The Crucible† there is a number of characters who switch the roles of â€Å"victims† to â€Å"villains† depending on their words and actions. It is sometimes very difficult to blame people strictly taking into account fragile In his play Miller suggests that it is impossible to remain in one role of either â€Å"a victim† or â€Å"a villain† for long because

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Analysis on the Story Two Kinds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis on the Story Two Kinds - Essay Example Her mother believed that they can start a new life in America. They went to America after her mother lost everything in China. This indicates that her mother believed that America was an escape from disillusion, frustration, misery and death. America was freedom, hope and dreams fulfilled. But this didn’t happen with Jing Mei. Her life in America was full of sadness, frustrations and tension. Two Kinds was a story that dealt mother and daughter relationship. But more than that, it shows us how our social environment affects our belief in things. The mother and daughter relationship that was presented in the story was filled with tension. The mother and the daughter were very different from each other. Not because they were really different, but because the daughter wanted to be different from her mother. We become who we are not because other people want us to be that person, but because we choose to be or not to be that person. We choose our own identity, we choose the path w e want to take in life. And this was exactly what Jing Mei did in the story. She chose the path opposite of what her mother wants her to be. At first, she was excited about being good in something. As her mother tried to find out where she’s good at, she continuously felt the pressure to be good. And, unfortunately, she also continuously felt the disappointment of her mother everytime she cannot be good in whatever her mother pushed her to do. She tried ballet. She tried being Shirley Temple. She tried being a remarkable child that her mother saw in the magazines, like that child who knew â€Å"all the capitals of all the states and even the most of the European countries† or that child who can multiply numbers in her head, or the other one who can stand on his head without using his hands. And because she failed to be those remarkable children, she became frustrated. She felt she will always be the ordinary girl that her mother does not want her to become. And so she became defiant. She became angry and she vowed to herself that her mother will not change who she is, that she won’t become someone she is not. And she stopped trying to become good at something her mother wants her to be. When her mother pushed her to learn the piano, she became defiant once more. Her defiance led to her laziness. She purposely did not try to learn the piano which led to her humiliating experience at a talent show. This strained her relationship with her mother even more. And it never changed as she grew up. She always managed to fail. And this increased the gap between her and her mother. We have always wanted to become someone. Jing Mei was not different. But because of her mother’s desire to make her as someone who she can’t be, Jing Mei resented success. This resulted to her failure everytime she attempts to become better. She believed that she is not a genius, she believed she can never be good at something. She believed she can never be t he daughter that her mother wanted her to be. To which her mother kept repeating that she didn’t want to change her, that she just wants her to become the best at something she could do. But because of the constant struggle who is in control of Jing Mei’s life, she and her mother fought endlessly. This shows that there are instances that forcing a person to do something she doesn’t really love would make her more miserable. It’s like setting her up for failure. Instead of helping her, Jing Mei’

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Picture Description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Picture Description - Essay Example Mai describes having encountered discriminatory glances; comments and treatment from people who deemed her delinquent simply from her new look. For instance, she recalls getting late to school and on requesting the vice principal for a pass, she got a stern warning. During a music performance, shortly after her radical change in appearance, the audience focus less on her ability to perform and more on her look. Even though she overhears parents warning their kids not to be like her, she gets a complement from her friend’s father. This makes her realize that is still the same person she was prior to the transformation. The incident also bolsters her self esteem and confidence, reaffirming her identity (Davies 335-336). The other text to be compared with Mai Goda’s â€Å"Still me Inside† is based on â€Å"Zits†, a popular cartoon strip, which describes the life of a teenager named Jeremy Duncan. The comic strip under scrutiny, â€Å"my folks never let up about my clothes† depicts Jeremy engaging in an argument with his mother over his mode of dressing. The mother is unpleased that Jeremy does not tuck in his shirt, while he asserts that his way of dressing reflects his identity. He insists that he is an individual, and has to be autonomous. The irony in the comic strip is that when his friends show up, they are all dressed the same way (Davies 333). The principal message in both the cartoon and the narrative is that, adolescents tend to undergo numerous conflicting emotions about their appearance. Characters in both works, that is, Jeremy and Goda uphold the perception that their appearance defines their identity. For instance, Mai feels invisible by being conservatively dressed, an emotion that prompts her to change in an attempt to get recognized and fit in with the other teenagers. Likewise, Jeremy feels the urge to dress in a manner that does not set him apart from his friends, even though he claims otherwise. Both the narrative and the cartoon serve to

Monday, September 23, 2019

Evaluation of company user instructions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Evaluation of company user instructions - Essay Example When the company launched a new set of tooth brushes that came with a unique type of handle shape and size of the brush head, the management sought to change the type of instructions written on the package including the design of the packets that hold the tooth brushes. Particularly there was inaccuracy in the instructions and low quality of pictures that portrayed the explanation on the use safe of the product. The purpose of this memo is to analyze the audience of the company instructions, evaluate the company instructions found at the company website, and then make necessary recommendations on how to improve the usability of the instructions. shes.When the company launched a new set of tooth brushes that came with a unique type of handle shape and size of the brush head, the management sought to change the type of instructions written on the package including the design of the packets that hold the tooth brushes. Particularly there was inaccuracy in the instructions and low qualit y of pictures that portrayed the explanation on the use safe of the product. The only channel that manufacturers use to direct their consumers on how to use their products is through giving instructions, it must be clear to the point. An instruction must be free from ambiguity and duplicity in order to carry out the task well. Furthermore, users rely on well written instructions whenever they do not understand something other than seeking the manufacturer physically or through other means of communication which might prove to be expensive. The instructions were characterized with omission of key actions and false statements that could have misled our intended users. For instance, in reference on how to lean the front when using the tooth brush, the degree must have been mistakenly written as 54 degrees instead of 45 degrees; as the former is unreasonably too high in the circumstances. There was also an error on how to move the brush in one step when it was instructed as left and right instead of up and down. Since the memo will be read by a very busy manager, the contents are direct to the point and do not need deep explanation. The research manager already has some background on what the company manufactures and to redesign the company’s instruction. Evaluation and Recommendations Considering that there could be first time consumers of our product, it would have amounted to a gross loss and a complete show of unreliable instructions. This could even amount to a negative market externality which would consequent ly affect the volume of products sold. Misleading product instructions, although in our case has lesser health impacts, can be treated as a hazard to the health of consumers or even the environment. For instance, if disposal methods are misleading yet the product is harmful to the environment if not disposed of properly. Another instruction that was written poorly or rather displayed incorrectly was the picture of the position of the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

The relationships between billionaire agribusinessmen in the US and Essay

The relationships between billionaire agribusinessmen in the US and new immigrant farmworkers from Mexico - Essay Example Knowing the present economic structure and the availability of these workers, this created a rift between the owners of the industries who is literally addicted to using â€Å"cheap† and illegal (undocumented) workforce and to the requirement of the American commoners to security. In this article, we will deal into the major issues strongly intertwined with illegal undocumented migration such as labor and unemployment issues (i.e. workforce rights’ violations) and illegal drug trade both in the United States and Mexico; furthermore we will also look into the government interventions and the changes it has extended to the labor sector not only to resolve the pressing conflicts between American and Mexican (as well as other minorities) workers but to entirely â€Å"improve† and restructure the present labor condition of the United States. During the post-World War II period, the United States government invested millions of dollars in agriculture reform and sponsored many farms to improve their technologies such as irrigation system and development of farm machineries. It was also during this period from 1942 to early 1960s that the United States encouraged these workers from Mexico, China, Japan and other parts of Asia to migrate in the U.S and work in their farms for cheap labor. Along with these workers are their families therefore starting up a steady enormous volume of migrants to reside along the agricultural lines of California and Washington. With the increasing number of migrants, the competition for labor between them and the native Americans became steeper to the point where unjust labor practices were implemented to curb, streamline and permanently impede the surge of migrants into key agricultural cities in America. These practices involved massive lynching of migrant workers from their job with barely j ustifiable reasons, deportation due to lack of appropriate documents and permits, lack of work benefits – all conditions are almost similar

Friday, September 20, 2019

Impact Of The Game Revolution On Society Media Essay

Impact Of The Game Revolution On Society Media Essay Introduction: In the assignment I am going to talk about impact of the game revolution on society and I am going to write about advantage and disadvantages of impact of the game revolution on society. I am also going explain about 10 different types of computer games and also write about psychological effects of computer gaming. Impact of computer games on society Advantage of impact of the game revolution on society. The advantage of effect of the game revolution on society is that it is a very good tool for relaxing having fun with friends or family and other games like brain training are very important for your brain. The result of computer games on children can also be confident with the improvement of game that also challenge children sharply and also consoles like Nintendo wii which also build up a self-confident of physical activity. Childrens computer games can be good-natured, sharply challenging and fun. The benefits of video games are that they are a non-threatening and it is fun way to bring in children to computers. In some games children may also help to develop by getting better childrens by playing tic-tac-toe, number and alphabetical games, cube maze and brain- training games etc, which can improve hand -eye-skills and brain. Some of the studies even show that as little as one month of training with a language based computer game and it can help a child to develop their own skills by reading, maths and problem solving and language skills. Disadvantage of impact of the game revolution on society. The disadvantage of impact game has on society is that it is not good for your health, brain and eyes. The computer games are as much a part of childhood as skipping ropes and teddy bears. Nowadays children spent too much time on computer games or in consoles and it can be bad for child development. This is a habit to complaint from modern lifestyles for a lot and including limited common skills. In the modern generation when a child plays computer games it is really bad for them. Children spend many hours in front on the monitor and not going out enough could also matter general problems and they become shy person. The children become distract from more important thing like social activities and homework. The game develop nowadays become a more mad to the games and also have a weakness to lose control and become more crazy. There many complaints were found among children playing in computer for long time and they doesnt go to sleep and play till night and also doesnt eat properly for example, children play shooting, fighting and racing which can effect on body for example, they can have eyes injury, wrist, neck and back pains, headache and nerve and muscle damages. There are different effects that children and childrens development. If they violent game they can increased disturbing thoughts, feelings and behaviour. The research also seems to make that much of the effect of computer games on children are affected by the parents and they also fights without reason in school and playing with friends in park. If you want your child grow up with a healthy body, they stop playing shooting and fighting games in computer for not more than one hour. They should go out and they play outdoor games, help your mom to clean house and go with her shopping to carry some heavy bags. Describe different types of computer game There are many different types of computer games for example, action, adventure, shooting, puzzle, educational, sports, racing, simulations, combat, role- playing and strategy games. I am going to describe about 10 different types of games. Strategy games- Strategy game is about the war games and you can play in different ways. Role- playing games- A  role-playing game  (RPG) is a broad family of  games  in which players think the roles of  characters  in a made up  setting. Even you can play one player or two player games. Combat games Combat games is about battle and tank game. Simulations games- Simulation games is about to make something. Action games: Action game is video game types that maintain physical challenges, including hand-eye coordination and reaction-time. The variety includes different games such as fighting games and shooter games. Adventure games: An  adventure game  is a  computer-based game  in which the player accepts the role of character in an  interactive story driven by searching and  puzzle-solving in its place of physical challenge. Educational games: Educational games are games that have been specifically designed to teach people about a certain subject. Sports games: A sport game is a computer or video games that act the playing of classic sports. Generally sports have been recreated with a game, including team sports, athletics and extreme sports. Racing games: Racing games is a competition with any type land, air or sea vehicles. Puzzle games: Puzzle games are a type of video games that highlight puzzle solving. The types of puzzles to be solved can test many problem solving skills including logic and words. What is the psychological effect of games on individuals? We have all played computer games, but most of them sit in the computer for long time and they never moved for longer hour. The maker of impact games is having effects on our society. Most of the people are quite unfair on computer games effect by choosing one of the them can be also positive and negative. Computer games can also have large limits of effect in our society. Most of the games effects can be treated as good and bad. Violence is one of the main effects of games in society. Nowadays the teenagers have started to put the game violence in real life. The games have affected gamers so badly that now they are unaware of their surroundings and have effects their physical state. Games have impacted gamers mentally and physically in a negative way, as they play games they get obsessed with them, which makes them lazy as they hardly move. The main effect is when gamers keep looking at the screen their eye sight becomes weaker. The gamers are so into the games that when they go out, they try things in real which they did in game. The growing improvement in skill sound and graphics, gaming has become far more lifelike in bringing  together to what it used to be. When graphics were poor, violence such as shooting, kicking, punching did not seem intelligent and therefore it was harder to relate to what was happening on screen. Nowadays more games look and sound more lifelike, and address useful themes such as drug dealing, gangsters, wars becomes easier for more individuals to relate to these games. This practical issue can likely lead to an increase in violent thought and maybe even violent behaviour, as negative behaviour becomes more expected and accepted. Children who played a violent video game displayed a higher level of anger than children who played a nonviolent game. If a violent game is played by an individual for too long, they may become sensitive to the violence they are faced with, and this may direct to them believing that violence. The gaming can also have positive psychological effects on the gamer. It is often argued that gaming is better than watching television, as there is more communication with gaming. This communication may promote things like problem solving, planning, testing and opinion when playing the game. These factors could increase positive behaviour, such as problem solving and reasonable skills. The one simple psychological effect that gaming has on the individual that plays it. The background and the context of every gamer will mean that everyone is achieve differently. A connection between violent games and violent behaviour is quite visible. The psychological effects show that gaming has entirely personal to the individual question, and it is difficult to decide right that what affects and individual psychology. Since game alone is not to be responsible for factors such as violence or logical success. It is an improvement, one-sided to every individual.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Kant’s Categorical Imperatives Essay -- Kants Moral Philosophy

In order to evaluate whether one’s actions are moral, we use many moral dilemmas. One of them is Kant’s categorical imperative. This essay presents Kant’s project of categorical imperative. Then, I will explain that rulers should appeal to Kant’s categorical imperative when making foreign policy decision. In order to support my point of view, I will give importance to the reasons of why rulers appeal to categorical imperative when making foreign policy, so I have two reasons for this. One of them is that states depend on each other in economically and politically. Thus, in order to provide this stability which means that continue to stay among other states, states should act through the principles of categorical imperative which are universally valid, good intention and never using people or other states as means to end. The second reason is that if rulers appeal to categorical imperative when making foreign policy decisions, the world can be more pe aceful. Since, wars and conflicts which are caused by bad intention, using other people or states as means for gaining advantages which are not universally valid can be hindered by categorical imperatives. Finally, I will conclude that the Kant’s categorical imperatives are still valid and necessary when rulers are making foreign policy decisions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If we explain briefly Kant’s categorical imperative, there are basically three principles that represent it. These are universal law, ends as a means and the importance of intention in conducting of human behaviour. Firstly, according to Kant, one’s action should be universally valid. Universal validity means that people should think behaviours and they need to judge their own behaviours or actions are morally acceptable or not. When you think of your behaviour, if you decide that everyone acts in the same way with me, then the action become universal and moral. The second principle of categorical imperative is that people must respect others and never use them for achieving some goals. Lastly, the third but the most important criterion of categorical imperative is maxim, which means intention. Moral value is determined by the intention of people, which is called general maxim. If your intention is good, then your action is moral. The consequences of your action are not important, the most important thing is your intention. For this reason, being moral in... ... a means to their ends. As a result of this kind of action, war between states is inevitable. It is because when one state can act in that way toward others then, other states also act in similar way. For this reason, their interests can be probably conflicted and chaos in world politics can arise. However, if states take into account the principles of categorical imperative, there will be probably no conflict or chaos in the world politics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, when the principles of categorical imperative are concerned, we easily realise that they depend on each other and they help us to evaluate the actions, which are moral. These principles of categorical imperative have the same goal that is being moral. For to be moral, the actions should be universal and should not have the aim of using others in order to gain advantages. If rulers conduct through the principles of categorical imperative then, it is obvious that the world would be more peaceful and fair. However, these obligations are not put into practise in today’s world politics. But, it is enough to know that categorical imperative is still valid and is necessary to apply to today’s conditions of foreign policy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Holes :: essays research papers

Holes Stanley Yelnats, a boy who has bad luck due to a curse placed on his great- great-grandfather, is sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention camp, for a crime he did not commit. Stanley and the other boys at the camp are forced to dig large holes in the dirt every day. Stanley eventually realizes that they are digging these holes because the Warden is searching for something. As Stanley continues to dig holes and meet the other boys at the camp, the narrator intertwines three separate stories to reveal why Stanley's family has a curse and what the Warden is looking for. When he was a boy, Stanley's great-great-grandfather, Elya Yelnats, received a pig from Madame Zeroni, a gypsy, in exchange for a promise. Elya's promise was that after the pig grew strong he would carry Madame Zeroni, who only had one leg, up a mountain and sing her a song that she had taught him. After becoming disillusioned with the girl he thought he loved, however, Elya hops a boat to America, forgetting his promise to Madame Zeroni. Elya marries and has a child in America and always thinks about Madame Zeroni, who he believes has cursed him because of his failure to fulfill his promise. He knows that Madame Zeroni's son lives in America, but Elya never finds him. One hundred and ten years before Stanley arrives at Camp Green Lake, the town of Green Lake is a beautiful place where peach trees bloom throughout the spring. In this Texas town, the schoolteacher, Katherine Barlow, falls in love with Sam, the onion seller. Sam sells onions to eat and to use for medicinal purposes. While Katherine and Sam are alive, racism is institutionalized in the United States and it is against the law for a black man to kiss a white woman. Because Sam is black and Katherine is white, the people in the town become irate when they find that Katherine and Sam have kissed. Charles, or Trout, Walker, the richest man in town has always wanted to marry Katherine. He is already mad that Katherine does not wish to go out with him so when he finds out that she is in love with Sam he gathers the townspeople to burn the schoolhouse and attack Sam. Katherine seeks help from the local sheriff but instead finds that the sheriff, who makes lewd advances towards her, also wants to kill Sam.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Blacks Attempt To Achieve Equality :: United States History Historical Essays

Blacks' Attempt To Achieve Equality The second amendment of the Constitution guarantees the right of American citizens â€Å"to bear arms shall not be infringed† by the United States government (2nd Amendment). Robert Williams understood how significant this right was to the protection of Black lives which were targets of racism and violence. He advocated the use of violence as a means of self defense and organized local blacks into a â€Å"rifle club with a charter from the National Rifle Association† (60). Skip Curtiss defends this position saying, â€Å"any steps that (Williams) had to take in order to prevent his family and his people from being slaughtered like cattle were completely within his rights† (Curtiss). This is certainly true regarding Williams right to own guns, as explained above, but below the surface of Curtiss’ statement, lie many questions regarding the results the threat of violence has produced. Retaliating against racism with violence actually produces effects whi ch are detrimental to the integrationist movement. Whites felt threatened by Williams militaristic statements, which caused them to hold onto their power with a increasingly tighter grip. Non violence has moral superiority to, is more logically sound than and has produced much more favorable results than armed self defense, and is thus a much better method in the struggle to achieve equality. The most famous advocate of non violence was Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In his essay â€Å"A Letter From a Birmingham Jail† he articulates the position of non violence. Justified is King in his civil disobedience because certain laws treat people unequally, and are therefore immoral. He demonstrates out of protest of these laws, but knows that by breaking laws he must accept certain penalties. King feels that resorting to violence only equates the abused with the abuser. Thus in the fight for a morally just cause, Blacks must not resort to immoral tactics else they becomes victims of hypocrisy. The major problem with armed resistance to protect Black’s lives is that it is does not have a means to produce the ends, which is equality. Williams Asserts that â€Å"the basic ill is an economic ill, (Blacks are) denied the right to have a decent standard of living† (40). No one can logically disagree with this, but threatening to use violence is not a solution. As Williams found out, his position actually made matters worse. Blacks' Attempt To Achieve Equality :: United States History Historical Essays Blacks' Attempt To Achieve Equality The second amendment of the Constitution guarantees the right of American citizens â€Å"to bear arms shall not be infringed† by the United States government (2nd Amendment). Robert Williams understood how significant this right was to the protection of Black lives which were targets of racism and violence. He advocated the use of violence as a means of self defense and organized local blacks into a â€Å"rifle club with a charter from the National Rifle Association† (60). Skip Curtiss defends this position saying, â€Å"any steps that (Williams) had to take in order to prevent his family and his people from being slaughtered like cattle were completely within his rights† (Curtiss). This is certainly true regarding Williams right to own guns, as explained above, but below the surface of Curtiss’ statement, lie many questions regarding the results the threat of violence has produced. Retaliating against racism with violence actually produces effects whi ch are detrimental to the integrationist movement. Whites felt threatened by Williams militaristic statements, which caused them to hold onto their power with a increasingly tighter grip. Non violence has moral superiority to, is more logically sound than and has produced much more favorable results than armed self defense, and is thus a much better method in the struggle to achieve equality. The most famous advocate of non violence was Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In his essay â€Å"A Letter From a Birmingham Jail† he articulates the position of non violence. Justified is King in his civil disobedience because certain laws treat people unequally, and are therefore immoral. He demonstrates out of protest of these laws, but knows that by breaking laws he must accept certain penalties. King feels that resorting to violence only equates the abused with the abuser. Thus in the fight for a morally just cause, Blacks must not resort to immoral tactics else they becomes victims of hypocrisy. The major problem with armed resistance to protect Black’s lives is that it is does not have a means to produce the ends, which is equality. Williams Asserts that â€Å"the basic ill is an economic ill, (Blacks are) denied the right to have a decent standard of living† (40). No one can logically disagree with this, but threatening to use violence is not a solution. As Williams found out, his position actually made matters worse.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Howard Zinn Chapter One

Columbus has always been portrayed as an enlightened, peaceful explorer who â€Å"discovered† a new world, and became friends with the native people. Howard Zinn’s view on Columbus’s encounter with the natives is an entirely different perspective. Zinn describes Columbus as a man who is willing to torture and kill others to be able to accomplish what he wants; in this case he wanted to obtain gold and other resources to take back with him to Spain.When Columbus and his men arrived to the islands, he noticed that the natives were generous, and accommodating because they willingly traded everything they owned and brought them such things like: food, water, and gifts. Since the beginning the natives offered all of their hospitality to Columbus and his men. Columbus believed that the natives were ignorant because they had no weapons for self defense; when he showed them a sword, they had no idea how to use it and ended up cutting themselves.Columbus was more than cer tain, that he could take control over the natives, and captivate them as slaves. In his writing he wrote, â€Å"They would make fine servants†¦. With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want. † (Zinn, 3) This attitude leaded to enslavement, feeling superior, and genocide by Columbus and his men towards the natives. Columbus had persuaded the king and queen of Spain to finance an expedition to the lands, and the wealth; he expected to be at the Indies and Asia.Columbus would receive ten percent of all the goods collected, governorship over new-found lands, and the fame that would go with a new title: Admiral of the Ocean Sea. Columbus believed the natives could lead him and his men to where the gold was, to be able to take it back to the King and Queen so he took many of them as prisoners on his ship. He also wanted to take them back to Spain as slaves and be able to make them do whatever they wanted them to do. Columbus took advantage of th e ignorance of the natives, and made them do hard labor for him and his men.Columbus believed that there were huge fields of gold, in the province of Cicao on Haiti. He became desperate to pay the dues back to the king and queen, so he order every native older than fourteen to collect a certain quantity of gold by three months. Once they had collected the amount, they would receive a copper to put around their neck, those without it had their hands cut off and bled to death. Many felt it was impossible to do this, and tried escaping but were always found and killed.When it was finally clear that there was no gold left, they took them all as slave labor to huge estates which are called encomiendas. Columbus’s big plan for Hispaniola since the beginning was to take advantage of the natives and take their land, and the gold he believed was located there. He built the first fort in the Western Hemisphere, and left some of his men to find and store gold there. Columbus had to ask for a little more help from their majesties, he convinced them by saying he would take them â€Å"as much gold as they need †¦ nd as many slaves as they ask† (Zinn,6 ) Columbus’s plans affected the natives, in many ways; first of all they were going to lose their land, and also they were going to be taken captive for slave labor. Howard Zinn not only introduced a new perspective on Christopher Columbus, but he changed the way I viewed things. I never knew how much killings, and torture was put upon the natives in the searching of the â€Å"New World†. I learned how the hero I thought Columbus was, in reality was more like a villain. He didn’t care what he had to do as long as he got what he wanted, even if it dealt with murders and torturing the natives.

Heart of Darkness vs Things Fall Apart Essay

â€Å"Heart of Darkness† and â€Å"Things Fall Apart† show a variety of ways of depicting Africa in literature. In â€Å"Heart of Darkness†, Joseph Conrad shows the continent of Africa through the stereotypical perspective of the European sailors, who had a tendency to depict the natives of the land as savages, and in response to that matter, Chinua Achebe wrote â€Å"Things Fall Apart† through the non-stereotypical depicting perspective of the natives of the land to show Africans, not as savages or primitives, but as members of a traditional society. European prejudice is presented in a verifiable way in â€Å"Heart of Darkness†. The main character of â€Å"Heart of Darkness† or protagonist, Marlow, is a sailor who travels through Africa and describes the natives that he comes in contact with as savages. Marlow compares these different individuals to animals of some specific nature or just to the wilderness of the jungle, respectively. There was a point in this novel where Marlow’s vision came in contact with a pit in the ground. He noticed that it was a pit made for the natives to go and rest in peace or in other words die. Marlow describes those natives that were there stating, â€Å"Black shapes crouched, lay, sat between the trees, leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth in all attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair they were nothing earthly now, nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation One of these creatures rose to his hands and knees and went off on all fours towards the river to drink† (Conrad 17). This descriptive portrayal shows the natives as â€Å"shadows† and nothing more than mere â€Å"black shapes† and not as individuals or men who are simply just dying. These men are no longer men, they have been stripped of all their characteristics which makes them human to dehumanizing characteristics where none can tell the difference of one dying man to another. None of the dying men are described by oneself, which makes it difficult for the reader to see where one man ends to where the individual begins. This creates an effect where these individuals look like eometric shapes and symbols of some sort. These depictions in which Marlow stated originates from a very stereotypical saying. The saying is that all Africans are made the same and one can not tell the difference between them even if much effort is applied. Similarly, there was an African man who was crawling to the river in order to quench his thirst. The way he was crawling in general is very dehumanizing. To make the matter worse and more dramatic, he crawled on his hands and knees which is animal-like and very degrading. The man is described to be on all fours just to get a drink, but when looking towards the European side, there is no way in Heaven that they’d be described like that. None. On the other hand, the European people would drink from a tap or maybe boil water from a well of some sort in order to have a refreshing drink. The natives are compared to animals of the wild when Marlow begins describing one of the workers on the ship. Marlow states, â€Å"to look at him was as edifying as seeing a dog in a parody of breeches and a feather hat walking on his hind legs† (Conrad 36). This worker simply shows that the savages who are the Africans have a possibility of being tamed because, â€Å"He ought to have been clapping his hands and stamping his feet on the bank† (Conrad 37). One can see that this man has been stripped of being a human being. He is now an animal, a dog, maybe, who is being trained to do some type of trick. From Marlow’s point of view he is still an animal and none the less, this man is pretending to be a civilized being. Marlow doesn’t stop there though. He continues to downgrade this European man by describing him to be just like the natives on the land. All in all, this is stereotypical. Furthermore, Marlow keeps his ball rolling by depicting the African natives as â€Å"prehistoric† and â€Å"simple†. He states, â€Å"The prehistoric man was cursing us, praying to us, welcoming us who could tell?†¦ we glided past like phantoms, wondering and secretly appalled, as sane men would be before an enthusiastic outbreak in a mad house† (Conrad 35). In the mind of Marlow, the natives are so primitive that they are in an aspect denied of having a language. Marlow sits there and begins to wonder â€Å"who could tell? instead of making an effort to understand what the natives were saying out of their mouth. What can actually be inferred from this quote is that, the natives were probably jumping up and down like a bunch of kindergarten students at recess or something similar to that. One can’t really be sure, but in all Marlow didn’t even try to grasp what the native Africans were saying probably because he felt that they were savages, or maybe their intellectual mindset wasn’t as great and average to the Europeans, or the native Africans didn’t have anything reasonable to say. Joseph Conrad with respect and similarity to Marlow, may have chosen to not include a specific language probably because he was influenced by the European stereotypes of Africans. What can be inferred from this is that, the removal of a language suggests that the native Africans have nothing that is sophisticated enough to say that would be reasonable or important to add to the plot of the novel. In â€Å"Heart of Darkness†, the native Africans are very underdeveloped, just like a third world country would be, in order to have a control of language. Though, there are moments in which there is language which supports the native savage (Africans) at which this is the time a reader might even hear an African speak. Joseph Conrad uses a specific technique when he writes. He uses a limited exposure to the native Africans’ voices which tries to ignore anything that might bring stereotype about. In response to Joseph Conrad and the Europeans and their use of stereotypical depiction of Africans, Chinua Achebe, the author of â€Å"Things Fall apart† portrayed Africans in a humanizing and traditional society. The Igbo tribe goes against the European stereotype in â€Å"Things Fall Apart†. The main character or protagonist Okonkwo does not agree nor does he disagree with the European belief that is shown in the novel. He is described in the novel to be, â€Å"a man of action, a man of war† (Achebe 8). Okonkwo is a very honorable man in the Umofia village, even though he has a very displeasing streak which is of violent nature. With Okonkwo’s strength and inability to be feminine, he is afraid of anything that is of feminine nature. â€Å"His whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness. It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father. Even as a little boy, he resented his father’s failure and weakness. And so Okonkwo was ruled by one passion to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved. One of those things was gentleness and another was idleness† (Achebe 10). What can be inferred from this quote is that, this is probably why Okonkwo was always in need of something that was filled with action but he still didn’t fashion â€Å"idleness†. With the combination of these two aspects, Okonkwo can not handle the outcome. Instead when violence is applied to this equation, Okonkwo is as good as can be. With this being said, this further supports the European stereotype as savage-like. When looking deeply into the details that â€Å"Things Fall Apart† display, one can notice the contrasting aspects between Umofia and Okonkwo. Okonkwo doesn’t have any respect for his wives. As an Igbo man, Okonkwo man-handles his wives and children without holding back. Noticing the tone at this point in the novel, one can see that it is very much common for Igbo men in general to beat the ripe bananas out of their wives and children, but at a certain time. Okonkwo man-handled his wife during Umofia’s Week of Peace. Beating your wives and children in order for them to have respect for you is one thing, but when one disobeys the traditional setting of the clans week of peace then drastic problems do arise. â€Å"Okonkwo was not the man to stop beating somebody half-way through, not even for fear of a goddess. It was unheard-of to beat somebody during the sacred week† (Achebe 19). Since Okonkwo felt as if he was the man on top of all and that he could do as it pleased him so, problems arose between himself and Umofia. The feminine force is his wife. And with that being noted, Okonkwo could not remove himself from his violent streak for even a week. Just a week†¦ but when comparing this to the perspective of â€Å"Heart of Darkness† this form and lack of self-control goes to the Europeans motive that Africans are savages. Towards the end of the novel, Okonkwo commits suicide by hanging himself. When the District Commissioner look at Okonkwo’s lifeless body, he states â€Å"In the book which he planned to write The story of this man who had killed a messenger and hanged himself would make interesting reading. He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger† (Achebe 117). What can be inferred from the title of the book is that the District Commissioner is prejudiced about the native Africans. In â€Å"Heart of Darkness†, Africans are also described as â€Å"primitive†, which shows that the European’s stereotype is so vast that it is able to be used in two very separate and different works. All in all, in â€Å"Heart of Darkness† the Europeans notions was that all Africans are the same; they are primitive, savages, and inhuman. In contrast to that stereotype, â€Å"Things Fall Apart† showed a traditional society, where the members are not inhuman. Unsatisfactorily, Okonkwo who is the protagonist of â€Å"Things Fall Apart† was not an effective representation of a civilized individual of a traditional society. But, he was an exceptional member of the society. And even though the stereotype of Africans has not been destroyed, it empowers the European beliefs.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Birmingham as the second largest city in England

A hypothesis is a theory or idea, which is then examined and tested. Sometimes you will agree with it, and sometimes you will disagree with it. Quality of life is what makes a persons life better or easier. Different people have different needs and so what makes their quality of life better is also different. I am a teenager and my needs are very different to my grandmothers for example. I would prefer to live in the Inner City Zone or Inner Suburb Zone. This is because I would have easy access to shops, restaurants, clubs, cinemas, heath clubs and other amenities that young people prefer. Living in the CBD would not be appropriate for me however as there tends to be fewer parks and open spaces. I do not want to have to travel for hours to get to and from school every day, so a good local school would help improve my quality of life immensely. My grandmother is 69. She has a quieter life than me and only goes into the city centre when is most necessary. For the majority of things like food, daily paper and toiletries she can shop at her local independent shops. The makes her quality of life better. Low crime rate also improves her quality of life as she is more venerable than me. However because of her physical condition a large garden is not very practical as she could not be able to look after it. She does love being outside however and so to improve her quality of life she would need parks and public open areas near to her. She would also prefer quieter neighbours and few incidents of graffiti and vandalism. Her breathing is not ‘what it was' due to smoking for many years and so low pollutions levels would help her general health levels too. Because she lives on her own, it would not be very easy for her to get someone to come and repair walls or roofs, so good housing conditions would also be a necessity. My grandmother is also quite religious and likes to attend church every weeks or so, so for her it would be very important that there was a church very close by, or on a major bus route, as she would not be able to afford a taxi every week. As she lives alone, it would also be good for her if her family and friends lived near buy too. She could catch a bus to get there, but not of a great distance as it would be inconvenient for her because of medical conditions. You can read also Classifications of Restaurants There are some factors that would improve both hers and my quality of life however. For example, good public transport. This would benefit both of us as neither has a car or licence. For this reason also, being near to a hospital, doctor or dentist would improve the quality of both our lives. CBD stands for Central Business District. This area is in the centre of towns and is usually one of the oldest parts. There tends to be Victorian buildings which may have been modernised as well as modern buildings. The main land use tends to be commercial, with lots of shops, banks and restaurants. In some CBDs as a result of new developments there are sometimes new houses or apartments. The general sky-line tends to be higher towards the CBD as there are generally more high-rise buildings as land is more expensive. Moving away from the CBD, the next major zone is the Inner City. This zone is just outside the CBD, and old industry. In the last century factories have been built but the majority of these factories have been closed down as industry moved away from the CBD. The small terraced houses that were originally built for the factory workers are, in most cities and Birmingham still there. At this time however, land was expensive and so gardens and houses were small. Some of these houses have been knocked down and made into apartments or high-rise flats. This has helped encourage business workers to move to the CBS. The majority of these workers have large amounts of money, no children and that enjoy a good night life! This has encouraged bars, restaurants and clubs to open in the centre of most major cities. However it has also encouraged drug use and high crime rates. Moving outward from the CBD, the next zone is the Inner City. In the last century this land would also be used for factory building, however with modernisation, of these cities, industry has moved away and the old buildings converted. The majority of land is used as residential and most houses are terraced. Like the CBD, land was, and is, quite expensive in these areas and so most of the houses and gardens were small. The next major zone is the Inner Suburbs. This land is almost all residential. The majority of houses built here are from the 1920s and 1930s. The houses tend to be bigger as there is more land, and so it is cheaper to build on it. The general crime rate tends to be lower in these areas. These qualities attract families and so there also tends to be a lot more primary and secondary schools. After this zone, the next is the Outer Suburbs. The main land use is residential and there tends to be more large modern houses. Councils have also bought this land and many council estates are built here too. Because of the distance from these areas to the CBD, land is cheaper here. Recently small modern industries and large shops have developed here. Birmingham is the second largest city in England. It has a population of 965,928 in city and 2,555,596 in the West Midlands. Despite its' current size, Birmingham grew late in relation to other British cities and was a market town right up until the Industrial Revolution. At this time, luminaries such as Matthew Bolton ; James Watt (inventors of the steam engine), William Murdock (inventor of gas lighting) and Joseph Priestley (who discovered oxygen) put Birmingham on the map. A massive system of canals was built to cope with the influx of traffic, so that Birmingham now has a more extensive canal network than Venice. World War II saw heavy damage inflicted upon the city, and an equally brutal reconstruction program that earned Birmingham's inner ring road the nickname ‘the concrete collar'. However, Birmingham's relationship with the car goes deeper than this; it saw the building of the first four-wheeled petrol driven car by F W Lancaster in 1895, and now acts as the UK's motor-manufacturing hub (earning it the nickname Brum). Birmingham has since been reborn as a business and conference centre, and is busy rebuilding itself into the sub-capital it always should have been. Burgess model In 1925, E.W. Burgess presented an urban land use model, which divided cities in a set of concentric circles expanding from the CBD to the suburbs. This representation was built from Burgess's observations of a number of American cities, particularly Chicago. According to this model, a large city is divided in concentric zones with a tendency of each inner zone to expand in the other zone. Urban growth is there for a process of expansion of land uses. For this study I am going to be following a transect along the Alcester Road, A435. This road is an A type road and runs from the centre of town to the outskirts in a southern direction. Because of the size pf Birmingham, if the hypotenuse is correct it will most likely apply to the majority of large towns and cities in England. My chosen areas of study are: * Balsall Heath * Kings Heath * Alcester Lanes End * Druids Heath Balsall Heath Balsall Heath is situated in the Inner city zone of Birmingham. From the centre of the CBD it is 2.75 kilometres. It has been calculated that 4,000 people out of Balsall Heath's population of 12,000 regularly participate in a caring activity designed to improve the quality of life of the neighbourhood. Kings Heath Kings Heath is in the Inner suburb zone of Birmingham. From the centre of the CBD, Kings Heath is 5.5kilometres. According to the 2001 Population Census there were 24,273 people resident in Kings Heath. Alcester Lanes End Alcester Lanes End is situated in the Outer suburb zone of Birmingham. From the CBD, Alcester Lances End is 6.25 kilometres. Druids Heath Druids Heath is an area situated on an Outer City Council Estate. From the CBD, Druids Heath is 8 kilometres away. This is the area furthest away form the CBD that I will be studying.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

B.F. Skinners theory of punishment Essay

When you think of punishment and reward you think of a reaction; but man has come up with theories of why we do the things that we can do. Conditioning and learning is defined as change in behavior, which is resulted by different types of practices and experiences. In this report the main topics will be classical conditioning, operant conditioning, cognitive-social learning, and neuroscience and evolution. Every time we do something good or bad the outcome determines our reactions in future situations. This learning process that is associated between environment stimuli and behavioral responses. Breaking down the rewards system you come along reinforces and reinforcement. Both are good ways to get a conditioned response. First we primary rein forcers, this increases the chance because it satisfies a need for sex, food, and water. Secondary rein forcers increase the probability of a reaction because of value, money, and possessions through learning. Positive reinforcement is a reward that adds stimulus to increase chances of responses. Positive reinforcement would be a paycheck for a job well done. Negative reinforcement is the exact opposite removing or taking away stimulus of the action not occurring again. The two types of conditioning we are covering is classical and operant. Conditioning is learning through repetition of exercises of rewards or punishment to get a response. The pioneer scientist in classical conditioning is Ivan Pavlov. Classical conditioning is also known as a Respondent or Pavlovian conditioning. Classical is also involuntary which is one of the major differences from operant conditioning. Classical conditioning happens when an unrelated response through association with a stimulus that already makes a similar or related response. An example of classical conditioning is for some people when you hear the sound of running water you need to use the bathroom. The other types of conditioning are Operant, also called Instrumental and Skinnerian conditioning. In operant conditioning the punishment, reward, or in other words outcome is important. That adds to the probability that the act will be repeated or not. Operant conditioning is where consequences of a  particular behavior are described on the repetition of that same behavior. B.F. Skinner’s experiment of operant conditioning was a cat in a puzzle box. The only way the cat could get out was to pull on a rope; at first the cat did it by mistake. As the experiment went on the cat’s behavior became more and more purposeful. Soon the cat learned that the door opened immediately for his food. Skinner’s theory of reward was called positive reinforcement, and his theory of punishment was known as negative reinforcement. Reinforcement always increases the strength of the preceding behavior. Skinner was credited with the law of affect meaning an action will be repeated if it is rewarded. Another type of operant conditioning is called, Extinction. Extinction is a particular behavior that is weakened by the consequence of not experiencing a positive condition or stopping a negative condition. So far this report has broken down stimulus and observable reward and punishment behavior. Overall, some scientists believe the behavior cannot be explained by these theories alone. So next we come to cognitive social theory. Unlike Skinner’s black box theory, German psychologist Wolfgang Kohler wanted to look deeper inside the box. Kohler believed that solving a complex problem was responding to the stimuli in a trial and error statement. One of his experiments was with using a chimpanzee to try and find his way out of a cage and luring to reach a banana from the ceiling by using it’s insight to grasp the banana. Kohler tried the experiment again with another chimp placing him in the cage with two sticks this time and placing the banana farther then it’s grasp. The chimp lost interest in the banana when it was farther but then realized he could use the two sticks to extend his reach, allowing it (the chimp) to obtain the banana. Kohler called this a, learning insight. To wrap up this report we learned that the different types of conditioning are based on reward and punishment and they all have their own different theories and they are still being tested and experimented today.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Case Scenario 2 Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Scenario 2 - Case Study Example Although there is an excellent set of guidelines, they are somewhat dry and by themselves do not convey the urgency and relevance that they should, (Bailey& Burch, 2005). As a professional behavioural analyst, the codes of conduct prescribe a confidentiality clause that calls for the adherence to strict rules and regulations when it comes to revealing information about patients to third parties. Although this is the case, it is important on the other hand to keep records of the success stories of the well treated and recovered patients such as the one the former student asks. He treated a patient and he can be noted as one of the success stories in his career as the dilemma of data disclosure creeps in.Bailey & Burch, (2005) are of the opinion that it is inhumane for a professional to misuse and maltreat a patient who is not aware of his rights and privileges and hence cannot speak up as in this case, the parameters of the situation being the client whose guardian is portrayed as too hectic to be disturbed with matters that involve the disclosure agreements of the successful patient treated with aggressive behavior issues.The former behaviour analyst student, now in the professional field has faces a dilemma in the disclosure agreements that were not mention when the treatment began in the approvals signed. The Basis of the Conflict There is conflicting interests and unclear standards as the practisingbehaviour analyst is torn between the interests of the client as well as the interests of his career advancement in the publication of his success story of the patient involved. This conflict of interest of the two parties is based on the assumption that the guardian is too busy to be disturbed on signing the relevant documents that can be drafted to allow the professional to use data from the successful treatment of the patient in a publication. There are high chances that the guardian will not be able to read such a publication but on the other hand runs the ris k that the case might generate so much public interest that the guardian will be forced to spare some time and get to know the contents of the publication. It is also eating the conscience of the former student that he might be breaching professional ethical conduct in releasing the data to the public bearing in mind that there was no disclosure agreement signed prior to the treatment as well as there was no intention to use the data for such purposes. Available options At this point, the former student has the option of going ahead to use the data without the consent of the client and in case the publication generates a heated debate and the disclosure agreements come under scrutiny, he should be ready to face the consequences of his actions. On the other hand, the publication could be a basis to elevate his career and gain more clients. He also has the option of tracking down the guardian and sweet talk him to create time to draft and sign the necessary disclosure agreements befor e the publication is done. This will avoid the legal tussles that may ensure if the client finds his rights violated while on the other hand it is a long and tedious process that will involve costs to the lawyers. He also has the option of letting go of the publication but as well include the necessary disclosure documentation in any other treatment of the next patients. This will ensure that any other conflicts of interests will not arise. Best Course of Action and Outcome The best

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Assignment - Essay Example Uses of Standard Tender Document 8 f. Pre Disclosure of Relevant Information 8 g. Public Bid Opening 9 h. Evaluation of Tender in Monitory Terms 10 i. Qualification of Bidders on the Basis of Pass/ Fail Requirement 10 j. Award to the Lowest Evaluated Bidder Meeting the Stated Criteria 11 k. Accessible to Applicable Laws and Regulation 12 l. Appeal Mechanism 13 m. Standstill Period 13 n. Debriefing 14 o. Publication of Award 14 Bibliography 15 1. Introduction Public Procurement refers to the process of purchasing of goods and services on behalf of the public authority, through government agencies. Public procurement involves government expenditure that is aimed at securing inputs and resources in order to achieve objectives, hence establish a significant impact on the crucial key holders and the society. Besides, government purchasing occurs through both domestic and international trade. In fact, about ten to fifteen percent of the GDP involves government expenditure on procurement; t herefore, public procurement makes a significant contribution to the global economy1. Transparency has been considered an essential standard that facilitates improvement of public procurement; in fact, it involves a procurement process that is open for public scrutiny. Furthermore, this facilities competition, thereby increasing the efficiency of the process and the threat posed by issues such as corruption are alleviated. Transparency enables people to monitor public bodies, thereby holding these organizations accountable for their undertakings. The main objective of transparent public procurement is to facilitate fairness, competition and economic value in the process; this objective is achieved through effective and efficient procurement process that is developed by the principals monitoring the process. Apparently, sufficient controls are incorporated in order to promote competition, thereby reducing the risk associated with corruption, fraud, mismanagement and wastage of public resources. In this case, transparency is considered to be an effective tools aimed at hampering corruption and ensuring that there is value for money2. In addition, transparency is employed in different ways along with different practices such as advances publication of procurement plans, procurement policies are published, tender notices are advertised, the criteria for evaluation is disclosed, there are payment of prices and contract awards are published. a. Transparency Needed to Foster Competition International liberalization is applied in fostering competition among public procurement markets. Besides, competition can also be facilitated through participation in WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA)3. In this case, competition can be fostered in four different ways, which include provision of vehicles by GPA in order to facilitate progressive opening of parties to markets in order for the to engage in international competition. On the other hand, there are other provis ions that involve agreement focusing on offering information based on framework aimed that ensuring that the process is transparent4. Fostering competition involves signing agreements with GPA parties in order to facilitate establishment of domestic reviews and operations, where participants are allowed to challenge decisions that are deemed questionable. Therefore, decision made by national procurement authorities should be subjected to review by the competitors in order to avoid unfairness or discrimination. In addition, competition can

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Uses of Force by Chicago, New York, La police Research Paper

Uses of Force by Chicago, New York, La police - Research Paper Example Uses of Force by Chicago, New York, La police As maintainers of law and order in the public, police officers should be more cautious on the way they handle people in the public. From sociological and psychological view point, modern study scrutinizes on the determinants of police use of force using data gathered by Garner and Maxwell in 1996- 1997.The information herein entailed the adult custody arrests in six urban law enforcement agencies in the U.S. Dissimilar to most of the recent studies; the degree of force is extended to comprise threat of force as well as varied levels of physical force. The results have revealed strong and reliable evidence that probability os using force and the quantity of force used by the police largely is dependent on what the suspect commits rather than who the suspect is, even after controlling for other factors. The way a suspect is handled and the conduct towards the police seems as the most essential factor explaining the use of force behavior. The results obtained also reveals the effects of race and the gender relations as well as the occurrence of eyewitness and other officers on the outlook. Police use of force The na ture of police to citizen encounter may vary from civil to very fiery, and this may entail both verbal and physical conflict. Acknowledging that characteristics of such nature may encounter alongside with the behaviors of the officers and suspects is essential to comprehend the factors impacting police use of force. All over the world, policing entails and at times demands some amount of force. Bittner (1975) accentuates on this aspect of police work and, moreover, affirms that police are nothing else but a mechanism for the dissemination of situational acceptable force in the society. The law and enforcement officers, are required to use force in particular circumstances, are trained in the use of force, and, in general, encounter numerous situations on their due course of duty when the use of force is required. For instance, in arresting wrongdoers, averting escape, putting into custody the disorderly participants, or when safeguarding themselves and the blameless victims from get ting injured. As it has been confirmed by Skolnick and Fyfe (1993, p. 37), â€Å"as long as the public continues defying law and order, and resist arrest, use of force by the police remains inevitable. Even though the use of force by the police has been significant inn averting and regulating law and order in the society, it has however contributed to alarming rate of social and legal consequences amid the police and the public. This is an aspect that has predominantly resulted towards studying on this essential topic and would enrich our knowledge towards an efficient comprehension in this area of study. Recent research carried out on police use of force reveals that police use force rarely (Adams, 1999; Friedrich, 1980; Garner, Buchanan, Schade, & Hepburn, 1996; Garner & Maxwell, 1999; Worden, 1996). Whether indicated by authorized use of force, (Alpert & Dunham, 1999), the complaints of the citizens, those surveying the officers, the arrestees, citizens or the observational meth ods the recorded data constantly reveal that only a minor portion of police – public relations makes use of force. On the other hand, the encounter amid of the police and the citizen, in which police officers frequently are compelled to make swift decisions may generate inappropriate or unnecessary use of force that may ruin and lower the repute of police authority and authenticity in the public. Among the different theoretical orientations used to explain police use of force, Terrill and Mastrofski (2002) identifies a particular sociological and psychological perspective that

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Business and Ethic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business and Ethic - Essay Example Members of different groups traditionally have been underrepresented and disadvantaged socially, politically, and economically. Also, critics distinguish social categorization processes; the nature of evaluative, conscious, and affective issues that are elicited; and the sign of stereotypes and differentiated emotional changes (Gilbert et al 2001). Discrimination and prejudices are unethical because they violate constitutional rights and freedoms, they are illegal and unlawful. Social and individual differences have a great impact on human relations and discrimination issues and lead to such problems as low motivation and poor communication, unequal treatment, unfair labor relations and aggression. Thus, the constitution and modern society is based on freedom of expression and freedom of speech. every individual has a right to express different attitudes and opinions, have certain religious beliefs and belong to a particular culture. In spite of these issues, the main cause of discrimination is different attitudes caused by social variations and backgrounds. Complicating the interpersonal dimensions of dealing with competence, of course, is the competitive atmosphere, both within and among firms. In order to avoid discrimination and prejudices, definitions and descriptions of competent work must be clear, consistent, and fairly applied.

Monday, September 9, 2019

Hiring friends and relatives Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hiring friends and relatives - Assignment Example Knowledge of strengths and weaknesses Finally, more often than not, friends and relatives will reach out to do favors without expecting additional remuneration hence saving on costs (â€Å"The Pros & Cons of Hiring Friends & Relatives par. 1†). On the downside, friends and relatives may be less observant of company rules because of their affiliation to the business owner. Thoughts of impunity may invade their minds and thus create disharmony at the workplace. Finally, the image of the firm may come into sharp disrepute when the friends and relatives aren’t professionals or well qualified. The quality of the output of the firm is compromised at the expense of maintaining relationships (â€Å"The Pros & Cons of Hiring Friends & Relatives par. 2†). A cost-benefits analysis should be done so as to arrive at a conclusion to engage or disengage friends and relatives. From the above argument, it is obvious that they occasion benefits and disadvantages in equal measure. Therefore, only a proper analysis can inform the decision on whether or not to work with

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Learning Team Trends and Conditions Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Learning Team Trends and Conditions Paper - Essay Example These ailments account for almost 66% of the deaths that occur annually in the United States. The population of Washington D.C. during the day, according to statistics, is roughly one million persons. Such a huge population definitely needs to be fed as people go about their businesses. Most of the population in the city survives on unhealthy foods such as snacks, fast food and soft drinks in spite of their desire for healthy diets. The main factors that drive this trend are cost, convenience, and lack of better alternatives. Better stated, many people believe fast foods are cheaper and easily accessible in the urban setting. In many cases, people who go for healthy foods in restaurants find it inconveniencing having to wait for the food to be prepared. It is in consideration of these factors that we see an opportunity in vending well prepared organic foods using vending machines in the populous city. The following sections of the paper will discuss the demand for healthy diets, the government’s stand on health foods, customer demands, and market access for products. The Private Sector Market trends and conditions in the private sector reflect a growing demand by consumers for healthy food choices. Proper nutrition and healthy food choices are currently the top meal planning priorities for Baby Boomers (Forbes, 2013). Over 60% of adults in the United States are medically obese. The personal and business costs exceed $195 billion in the United States. Several of the primary concerns related to healthy food choices involve time and cost. For many consumers, health foods are difficult to purchase while traveling or at work. Many consumers are forced to eat unhealthy processed foods out of necessity rather than by choice. Placing a vending machine containing healthy foods in the workplace, school, hospital, or public transportation environment can help to alleviate that issue. Many consumers also believe that healthy foods are more expensive than unhealthy f oods, but that is incorrect. A recent study by the United States Department of Agriculture demonstrated that eating health foods is less expensive than eating unhealthy foods (Carlson & Frazao, 2012). Market trends for new businesses indicate a growing focus on healthy food choices. One recent example includes the iPhone app-based business called the Eatery, which allows consumers to rate food and analyze personal eating habits to understand better their individual strengths, weaknesses, and areas in the diet ripe for improvement. Within six months of release, consumers from 50 countries had contributed over 7.68 million food ratings, demonstrating a significant trend in consumer demand for healthy foods (Forbes, 2013). The Government Sector There are tax and government advantages for operating a green vending business in the United States. First Lady Michelle Obama has worked tirelessly to fight childhood obesity in recent years. It has been her goal to create access to healthier f ood options in areas where 40% of the residents have low incomes (U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, 2010). The

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Liquid Crystal Displays evolution into the future Essay

Liquid Crystal Displays evolution into the future - Essay Example iversity of Illinois argued with concern about the quality of monitors which by then were television sets used within the main computer producing very low quality pictures which were not well defined and difficult to identify the content and, or follow the programs that were being broadcasted (Adee, 2008, p. 81). Due to evolution of large and colored screens, the quality of pictures improved despite the high power consumption which was mainly as a result of large components with respect to the later versions but smaller compared to the older versions respectively, overheating, the quality became poorer afterwards due to constant overheating hence the need for a different screen monitor with better resolutions to help solve the problems that they had experienced previously with the cathode Ray Tube screens as well (Bellis, 2007, p. 37). This concern led to invention of LCD technology. The term â€Å"plasma† was used in regard to the technology because the pixels that enhance screen resolution depended on plasma cells. A plasma screen is a typical display panel contains millions of tiny plasma cells in compartmentalized spaces between two glass panels which when energized reflects light that focuses on the screen to create a field of view (Delepierre et., al, 2006, p. 30). LCD- This is a fourth state of matter after solid, liquid and gaseous states, which contains definite number of electrically charged particles. However, the interaction between the neutral particles and the charged particles plays a major role in determining the usefulness and the behavior of plasma. As the energized electrons move and vibrate between the two glasses, some of the electrons strike mercury particles moving through the plasma which increases surface area for the energy level in the molecules (Chemistry, 2011, p. 27). Each pixel in a plasma display comprises of three primary colors namely blue, red and green with respect to the IEE regulations, the voltage signal variations within

Friday, September 6, 2019

USSR, Poland, Hungary Essay Example for Free

USSR, Poland, Hungary Essay The beginning of the 1990s marked profound economic and social stagnation of the former Communist states. That stagnation was the result of the deep and anticipated economic transformations following the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. The administrative command system and its economic and social inconsistence has become the major driver of the economic stagnation in Europe: the system of centralized planning and administration was not really an economic system at all (Hall Elliott, 1999). The soviet-oriented economy did not maximize wealth, but rather maximized the utility function of the then political elites (Hall Elliott, 1999). The goal of the communist economy was not to improve the product, to increase customer satisfaction, or to increase profit margins; on the contrary, the centralized decisions were taken to further maximize the military power of the eastern European states, and to enhance the responsiveness of economy to centralized control (Maital, 2003). The low intrinsic value of money, excess demand, and centralized control over natural resources have led to the situation when national population was socially dissatisfied, politicized, and subject to central decision-making models. Those economic conflicts and social dissatisfaction have ultimately caused to the general collapse of communism across Europe. In their post-communist economic development, Poland, Russia, and Hungary followed similar economic patterns, although Poland remains the brightest example of the post-soviet economic and social success. At the beginning of the 1990s, Polish GDP was declining faster than that in Russia and Hungary, but Poland was able to regain its economic positions faster than its European counterparts: Poland experienced smooth transition from centrist to liberal political coalition that implemented mature economic reforms (Maital, 2003). Russia greatly suffered the worsening demographic indices and life expectancy, but was able to quickly restore after the 1998 crisis for the account of the constantly growing oil prices (Algieri, 2007). In Hungary, the recycling of parties could potentially undermine all efforts to transform Hungarian command economy, but economic plans in Hungary remained quite liberal in content and consequences (Swaan Lissowska, 2006). Poland, Russia and Hungary have already accomplished much to merge with the rest of the European states. Evidently, the coming decade will mark further â€Å"economic reconciliation† between post-communist and developed European economies, in which Russia, Poland, and Hungary will have more decision-making powers. â€Å"As the reforms proceed, the individuals, organizations and regions that are successfully adapting and becoming better off economically are an emerging constituency for the continuing reforms. This emerging constituency will be associated with the creation of new firms rather than with the transformation of existing firms. † (Algieri, 2007) That means that further democratization and liberalization will help post-communist countries find their place in the international economy and market. References Algieri, B. (2007). Trade specialization dynamics in Russia. Comparative Economic Studies, 49: 74-76. Maital, S. (2003). Russia and Poland: the anatomy of transition. Challenge, 36 (2): 80-85. Swaan, W. Lissowska, M. (2006). Capabilities, routines, and East European economic reform: Hungary and Poland before and after the 1989 revolutions. Journal of Economic Issues, 40 (4): 8-22. Hall, T. Elliott, J. E. (1999). Poland and Russia: One decade after shock therapy. Journal of Economic Issues, 33 (2): 182-197.