Saturday, August 31, 2019

Penelope Lively & Going Back Essay

Jane retells the book ‘Going Back’ for us, and how she, now an adult with a family of her own, is looking back into her childhood memories, she has had to revisit Medleycott, as now her child home is being sold. She recalls her childhood memories of Medleycott, where â€Å"all summers are one hay making and raspberry time† and â€Å"all winters are one scramble across glass-cold lino to dress quickly. † Jane and her elder brother, Edward, live a peaceful life in the country. Their misunderstood father has been sent away to fight in the war and they are loved and cared for by Betty, their motherly figure. The children’s mother died whilst they were young and their father finds it difficult to understand their innocent childish ways. This shows us a strong border between the adult and children world. Lively has also displayed this border through Jane’s different perspective, how her images of live have changed now she is an adult. Lively has expressed this by describing the different characteristics belonging to child and adult, the different ways in which they speak, the differences in their languages and how adults and children both enjoy different surrounds. â€Å"We lived in the playroom and in the Garden† The way in which Lively uses different territories belonging to different characters, represents a strong border between the Adult and Child worlds. The children like to spend most of their time, when at Medleycott, in the garden. It is a place where they can retreat and live a world of their own. To Jane and Edward their garden is their paradise. Their innocence and naivety makes it seem like the perfect haven, The Garden of Eden. It is a safe place, where they have everything they need and they are free to do what they wish, within the garden borders. The adults within the book also have their territory. Betty has her kitchen, which is where she spends her time cooking, cleaning, washing and other household chores. Lively describes the Father’s territory in terms of the furniture within it. â€Å"His part of the house, beyond the glass door on the upstairs landing, had thick carpets and smelt of polish, you had to be careful not the knock over flowers† There is a substantial difference between his area and the children’s area compared to Betty’s kitchen and the children’s territory. The children find it easy to relax when they are in the Kitchen, but they have to be careful and smart when around their father. Lively has done this to show that there is a closer bond between Jane, Edward and Betty than with the Father and his children. This may be due to the death of the children’s mother, but Jane and Edwards father finds it difficult to communicate with them. With the war on, all of the adults are worried and careful, yet the children only see it as a game. â€Å"Standing on the lawn, staring up at those blue and white skies out of which Germans would come. We would misdirect them. Ah, we’d scupper them – London – pointing west, and send them storming. † The children see the war in the one-dimensional view that children do. They take every thing they hear literally, basically believing anything that they have been told. Jane and Edward do not understand the seriousness of the situation around them; all they have noticed is that â€Å"the war put an end to Betty’s Saturdays at the cinema. There was a war on, so you couldn’t have lots of sweets anymore, just one sixpenny bar of chocolate a week, and no more oranges or bananas. † Jane and Edward are not worried if they get a chocolate bar or not, they have their garden to play in, it is natural and simple, they don’t understand why the Adults are worried. The adult world is a very materialistic and ordered world, and they care about what will happen and that everything has to be right.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Pr to “My Left Foot”

Personal Response to Text â€Å"My Left Foot† By Isis Horne â€Å"It would be difficult to exaggerate the degree to which we are influenced by those we influence. † ~ Eric Hoffer. Parents greatly influence their children; most often people forget that children also greatly influence their parents. Children and everything they do have such a colossal impact on a parents life, and we as children are so caught up in ourselves that we often forget that even the most insignificant act in our minds changes everything a parent does or goes about handling it.A wonderful example of how children and parents influence each other is the memoir â€Å"my left foot† by Christy Brown. Children are always watching their parents, how they do things, how they act, and their beliefs. In the text â€Å"My Left Foot† It is suggested that parents influence their children to succeed by believing in them and encouraging them. Mrs. Brown’s actions influenced Christy tremendo usly, she showed that parents effect the way their children turn out. Mrs. Brown showed loyalty to her son when family and doctors said he was an imbecile, and should be put into an asylum.She did not put Christy into an asylum, instead she let him live normally with his parents in a loving home. This Gave Christy the chance to live like any other child would. Her Patience, and compassion for Christy is shown when she sat with Christy for hours trying to communicate with him, and she never gave up trying, and encouraging him. Her patience paid off when Christy was trying to write the letter â€Å"A† on the chalkboard with his foot, she kept encouraging him to keep trying until he succeeded to write the letter, and she was so proud, she cried tears of joy.Through Mrs. Browns Persistence of not letting Christy give up, or allowing others to look down on Christy, he became a published writer, and successful in his life. I have been suffering from Bipolar 1 and psychosis since I was an infant, later on while I was still a very young child I started suffering from post –traumatic stress as well. My mother was always there encouraging me no matter how hard it was going to make things for her. Every time I broke from reality, and the demons where scaring me she comforts me, and encourages me hat they’re not real, and nothing is going to hurt me with her around. Sometimes that worked, but then the demons started saying and threatening to eat her, to dismember her and the like; that made me very scared and so I tried to kill myself for the first time so that the demons would die with me, I was only 7 years old. My crazy mood swings where literally throwing my mothers life out of wack. One moment I would be ecstatic, then not a few minutes later I would be a weeping willow in the pitiful land of depression. It was very hard for my mother to find help for me, but she was persistent.In the Winter of 2010, I faced the worst depression faze I had ever e xperienced. My Mother put me into a hospital because knew I was not safe and she couldn’t protect me. I was kept 4 weeks at that hospital when the discharge limit is two weeks; the doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. I was diagnosed with bipolar 1, with sever psychosis there, and was discharged. Though I was safe enough to be let back into the world, my depression was still at a high peek, my mom found various psychiatrists, but none knew how to help me.My mom kept looking, until she found a treatment program in Calgary call Adolescent Day Treatment Program. They took me in almost immidiatly, and for 8 months I started my slow recovery. Because of my mothers persistence in finding help for me, driving me in from Cochrane to Calgary every morning and back, I was able to overcome my depression, control my demons, I am not in the constant terror that was holding me back from living a normal life anymore.My Mother is a very smart woman, and she always is pu shing me to do my best. She provides such a wonderful life for me, if it weren’t for her influences, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I know that I will succeed in my life, she taught me that. I know that I am smart, and am capable of doing all the same things and more as anyone else. The confidence I gained from my mother and at ADTP had such a positive impact on my life, it’s hard not to see that with confidence there is next to nothing you can’t accomplish in this world.

Practicum Reflection Paper

Every fourth-year teacher trainees will have to conduct practicum and will work under the guideline of their associate teachers and supervisors. The purpose of doing the practicum are to put training into practice, to become accustomed to teaching in the tertiary school settings, and to develop and expand each trainee’s teaching expertise and confidence. In the following paragraph, I will express what I have learnt from doing practicum to reflect on my past teaching strengths and weaknesses from the teaching practicum.Firstly, I would like to talk about the lesson planning and delivering. As we have already learnt from Teaching Methodology 402, lesson plan works as guideline and help us a lot as teacher trainees. It reminds us what to do, which data and techniques to use to facilitate both teaching and learning. As for the process of planning and delivering the lesson plan, I would dear to say that it is not an easy thing to do. For my case, the first time I planned my lesson plan I spent about ten hours to complete it.I had to think of the objectives of the lesson I would teach, collect materials to use, and select techniques which is suitable with the materials I chose and would help students to have reason to study. It is not enough yet; I had also discussed with both my associate and supervisor lecturers and my peers for ideas and advice. Next, it is about the classroom management. Monitoring students and the class is needed during our teaching. We have to make sure that students are listening to our instruction, when we are giving it to them. We can ask one or two students to repeat or tell other students what they are supposed to do.It is recommended that we have to frequently spend our time walking around the class. In doing so, we can monitor the students effectively. Also, it is easy for students to ask question if there are any. Voice projection also plays very important in language teaching. It is fact that louder speech can make our teaching more interesting. But if we speak too soft, the students will get bored because sometimes they cannot hear us properly. One of teacher trainees I have observed got only mark just around the border line score. The reason is that her voice is too soft.Last but not least, pronunciation, it is very important for us as the language teacher especially when teaching vocabulary and we have to pronounce words correctly. I could see that almost all associate teachers and supervisors always focus on and tell every teacher trainee before and after he or she teaches. I myself have been given comments related to this problem from both my associate teacher and supervisor during my teaching. Actually, I am also aware of this issue and it is clear I could not get full mark for this from my lectures. However, I will to improve my pronunciation so I will be better my teaching in the future.In conclusion, I have gained more knowledge and experiences from doing practicum not just from associate and supe rvisor lecturers and my peers, but also from the students I have taught. Most people think that teaching the language is not very difficult. They just come to class and explain the students based on the course book. However, it is not the right thought to my understanding and observation so far. To achieve good result of teaching, we have to consider number of thing carefully such as lesson planning and delivering, classroom management, methodology, and other important aspects in teaching.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Strength finders Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Strength finders - Assignment Example The signature theme that seems most strongly connected to my school activities is achiever. In order to do good in studies, it is imperative that a student has a lot of stamina and that he/she works hard. Studies can be boring some times, but the good grades are worth the hard work. I can find a connection between all my critical activities and my signature themes. Different signature themes apply to different critical activities, though some signature themes do not apply to some critical activities e.g. the signature theme of context doesn’t apply to the critical activity of goal setting. Three strategies I can implement to capitalize on my signature themes to achieve success include learning to plan and schedule things, adhering to them, and improve my communication skills. This can be achieved by reading books, socializing with people more, and planning things and making schedules for them whether manually or on

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Describe recruitment and selection process among U.S police Essay

Describe recruitment and selection process among U.S police departments during the last half of the nineteenth centry (i.e., the first fifty years of policing) - Essay Example Police departments were organised as per political affiliations. Police in these early days was organised under police chiefs. These police chiefs were appointed by political bosses. These political bosses ensured that the police chiefs and the subsequent police mechanisms remained subservient to them. Corruption was the order of the day in order to satisfy the political bosses’ aims and objectives. The common man was harassed by utilising the police framework so as to secure political domination. The presence of political machines meant that political bosses were on the lookout for ways to offset the balance of power in their favour. Cops were recruited by political machines in an effort to encourage citizens to vote for the â€Å"right† political candidate. Often police brutality ensured that the wishes of the political bosses were carried out in letter and spirit. Police was used to exert political influence by intimidating, intruding and pressurising ordinary people and businesses. Corruption was reduced to a complete system. Payoffs on massive scales ensured that the policemen remained loyal to a political side. Crime was organised as robberies, extortions, gambling and other illegal activities were carried out systematically. Another tendency of this era was earmarking police personnel as per their political affiliations. Often as political machines waned, so did the police framework supporting them. Each political machine ensured that â€Å"their cops† were placed in active duty to protect their interests. These early tendencies for police brutality and corruption were in line with the sociological facets of the time. People were not politically organised in coherent regimes to ensure that police corruption could be settled through political resolve. Moreover, the presence of corrupt politicians backed by clandestine businesses ensured that the police framework remained in line with their demands and

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Sexuality and violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sexuality and violence - Essay Example A perfect example took place in 1931 with the Scottsboro Boys case (Pratt, 2010): two police runaway women, Bates, a minor and Prince, an adult, claimed to have been raped by black Americans after a fight between two gangs; blacks and whites after they were discovered to be wearing men’s attire by officials. A crowd was waiting at the train terminus in Alabama to lynch the nine black men arrested of the rape act but the National Guard Forces prevented it. Nevertheless, they were tried by a white jury and found guilty labeling the crime as the most heinous against whites. A second example is the Central Park Jogger case where the victim, Trisha Meili was raped and beaten severely leaving her in a coma and without memory of what happened. Police assumed that the crime was committed by several Latinos and black Americans. Consequently, an arrest of five men followed and all were imprisoned. In 2003, Matias Reyes, one of the five convicts confessed to have committed the crime alone and despite a match in DNA evidence collected, the initial prosecutor verbally opposed cancelling of the initial convictions. Furthermore, a panel of police from New York City Police Department claimed that the initial number of suspects (five) was guilty. ii. The accused are assumed to be guilty (Davis, 1981). For instance, Prince claimed to have been raped by twelve black men and instead of police looking for the twelve men specifically, all black Americans on the train were taken captive. Similarly, Meili’s case saw Matias confess of being guilty yet the other four convicts were not voided and still assumed guilty. In both cases, the victims were imprisoned despite the court failing to find sufficient evidence. From the non-white point of view, the harsh decisions made against the four men in the Meili’s case led them to believe that any sexual activity against a white woman will be considered the most heinous of

Monday, August 26, 2019

Behaviourists explain maladaptive behaviour in terms of learning Essay

Behaviourists explain maladaptive behaviour in terms of learning principles that sustain and maintain it.DISCUSS this statement - Essay Example In the wider perspective, maladaptive behaviour has been discussed from different viewpoints such as biological, psychological, and socio-cultural perspectives, and these viewpoints stress the significance of causal factors of this behaviour. Significantly, the Freudian psychoanalytic theory is the oldest psychological point of view about maladaptive behaviour and it was, for a long time, preoccupied with principles regarding libidinal energies and their suppression. Later on, the behaviourist theorists also came with their viewpoints about maladaptive behaviour and they formulated several principles to explain this characteristic in human beings. â€Å"The behavioural perspective focuses on the role of learning in human behaviour and attributes maladaptive behaviour either to failure to learn appropriate behaviour or to the learning of maladaptive behaviours. Adherents of the behavioural viewpoint attempt to alter maladaptive behaviour by extinguishing it and/or providing training in new, more adaptive behaviours.† (Carson, Butcher, Mineka, and Hooley, 2000, P. 105). Therefore, it is fundamental to comprehend that maladaptive behaviour is explained by different psychological schools in different ways. For example, Behaviourists explain maladaptive behaviour in terms of learning principles that sustain and maintain it. This paper makes a reflective exploration of the behaviourist principles concerning maladaptive behaviour in order to maintain that the behaviourist’s approach therapy is in stark contrast to a psychoanalytic (Freudian) approach. PART ONE: Behaviourist Principles and Maladaptive Behaviour The behaviourist approach to abnormality deals with maladaptive behaviour and its basic causes. According to this approach, the maladaptive forms of behaviour that have been learnt by an individual are the basic causes of mental disorders. In other words, the behaviourist viewpoint of abnormality maintains that the learning process in human behavio ur plays a significant role in the acquisition of maladaptive behaviour. The Behaviourists argue that mental disorders are due to â€Å"a complex of learned, inappropriate behaviours, or the absence of appropriate behaviour sequences. In the first instance, behaviour is termed ‘maladaptive’†¦ Further, the rules of acquisition of maladaptive behaviour are no different than the rules of acquisition of adaptive sequences.† (Medcof, Emslie, Roth, 1979, P. 264). In their provocative explanation of abnormal behaviour, the behaviourists emphasizes on how a particular maladaptive sequence is learned, because they believe that the maladaptive behaviour can be removed only by comprehending the specific conditions underlying the behaviour. Thus, the behaviourist approach makes use of the learning theory which incorporates the theories of classical conditioning and operant conditioning. In a reflective exploration of the behavioural model of abnormality, it becomes luci d that this psychological theory emphasizes the role of learning in the acquisition of maladaptive behaviour. In other words, the behaviourists maintain that the human actions are determined mainly by the life experiences of the individuals, and the role of the unconscious forces or the underlying forces is largely limited. According to the behavioural

Sunday, August 25, 2019

The Human Edge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Human Edge - Essay Example This is done by reducing the effects of the bad mutation on human species. For example, there is a treatment of PKU with a diet with low levels of phenylalanine (Palca 1). This means such individuals can reproduce and thus pass the defective genes to the subsequent generation. This makes it difficult to eliminate defective genes in the population. On the other hand, human beings have made advances in science that helps in overcoming disadvantageous mutations. For example, the problem of poor eyesight has been resolved by wearing eyeglasses, and contact lenses (Palca 1). This helps in overcoming problems faced by the ancestors. Consequently, man has managed to defy nature as he can routinely repair, remove or even insert genes on people. The characteristics have given the â€Å"Human Edge† in different ways. First, the ability of the human to modify the conditions provided a favorable way to have the â€Å"Human Edge†. This is because as the environment became unfavorable, human managed to change it to make it favorable for survival. This gave human an advantage as compared to other species and hence managed to survive and reproduce. On the other hand, other species were exterminated due to poor environment. This means they failed to produce and have subsequent generations. Second, the ability to maintain harmful mutations helped in reproducing without elimination of the species. This is because if defective genes are not regulated, they lead to eradication of species. However, human has managed to overcome this through the development of science. He can establish a specific gene that pose a risk to survival and adopts ways of minimizing risks. Therefore, human can survive even in the presence of a def ective gene in the population. The other thing that gives human a competitive advantage is the ability to overcome deleterious mutation. This is because unhealthy mutation makes one not

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Healthy Snacks Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Healthy Snacks - Assignment Example Apart from that, the information that was stored in the systems was not available on timely basis which resulted in incorrect information about faulty credit prices. Another problem that can be identified in the sales process of Healthy Snacks was that it was following a very long sales process that eventually created certain errors. The sales team of the company delivered handwritten quotation to the customers and was indulged in making faxes of the duplicate copy of the quotation to the sales office. This process was found to be quite lengthy and was bound to create a lot of confusion. While filling of orders, the procedure has also been found to be very complex as there were tendencies of mishandling the products at the time of order filing from the warehouses. After acquiring a brief idea about the problems that have been observed about the way the sales force of Healthy Snacks currently takes and fills an order, it can be affirmed that it is quite essential to improve the overal l information sharing system of the company as there laid several problems associated with the existing information system. The existing information system which was currently being prevailing within the company tends to affect the overall sales of the company by a considerable level. The top management team of the company can either simplify the information process by creating a single information system that can be connected with all the department of HS or adopt as well as execute the approach of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in place of the existing system for boosting its sales and thus earn significant profits. It is highly recommendable to the top management of the company to implement ERP... The sales team of the company delivered handwritten quotation to the customers and was indulged in making faxes of the duplicate copy of the quotation to the sales office. This process was found to be quite lengthy and was bound to create a lot of confusion. While filling of orders, the procedure has also been found to be very complex as there were tendencies of mishandling the products at the time of order filing from the warehouses. After acquiring a brief idea about the problems that have been observed about the way the sales force of Healthy Snacks currently takes and fills an order, it can be affirmed that it is quite essential to improve the overall information sharing system of the company as there laid several problems associated with the existing information system. The existing information system which was currently being prevailing within the company tends to affect the overall sales of the company by a considerable level. The top management team of the company can either simplify the information process by creating a single information system that can be connected with all the department of HS or adopt as well as execute the approach of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in place of the existing system for boosting its sales and thus earn significant profits. It is highly recommendable to the top management of the company to implement ERP as it is regarded as one of the most efficient software programs that most of the company uses.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Correction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Correction - Essay Example As a function of this interpretation, many carry-overs of this school of thought continue to be pervasively manifest in the United States criminal justice system; as well as many others around the globe. Prior to the development of the classical interpretation of criminology, rehabilitation was not even a term or idea that entered into the mind of most systems; rather, retribution was the main goal by which the system functioned. Seeking to expand some on the rather constrained classical interpretation of criminology which has been defined above, the positivist school sought to analyze and understand the way that internal and external factors, outside the control of the individual criminal contributed to the actions that they perpetrated. Prior to this interpretation, criminals and criminology had functioned under the presupposition that any and all crime was merely the result of poor rational choice and not the result of factors that were ultimately beyond the control of the criminal himself/herself. Finally, the neoclassical approach seeks to incorporate several of the aspects of the classical approach as well as more pertinent and recent theoretical approaches and responses to crime and criminology. Rather than seeking to approach crime and its punishment from the one dimensional classical approach, the neo classical approach seeks to factor in such aspects as social contract theory, drift theory, and rational choice theory (Vito et al, 2007). This neo classical approach is still widely utilized today in criminology and retains a high level of respect among subject matter

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Swansea Dockland Heritage Society System Specification Coursework

Swansea Dockland Heritage Society System Specification - Coursework Example Lastly it can take advantage of the available internet technology that is constantly evolving. This system has basically automated the manual system and this is a complete change over for the organization. Automating registration and member activity has ensure that the system benefits the museum. The system stands to benefit the organization in two major ways. First, it broadens the scope of the organization and at the same time acts as an effective marketing tool for the organization. This places the organization directly to benefit from the expanded market view and hence a rise in the member subscription. The number of users who will subscribe to the service will eventually buy the book and non book objects. Another intangible benefit is the service that the organization can offer to the increased member subscription. It can start promotions where users can buy coupons and also organize group visits to the

Courtroom Players Response Essay Example for Free

Courtroom Players Response Essay In the courtroom there is a group of key players that work together on a daily basis. They are made of a group of professionals. These professional are those who know all aspects of a criminal trial and they work together in performing the duties of the court. The courtroom work group is all of the professionals that participate in a court proceeding. They include the judge, prosecuting attorneys, defense attorneys, public defenders and any other individuals who earn a living by giving service to the court. These individuals act together with a common goal of bringing any and all court room proceedings to a successful close. Each of professional in the courtroom work group has its own duties. The prosecutor is responsible for presenting the states evidence and preparing the states case against the accused. It is up to the prosecuting attorney to determine which cases should be pursued and which to let the charges drop. The prosecutor makes these decisions based on a variety of criteria. They will look at the evidence against the accused, the crime itself, the history of the accused as well as many other factors. If the criteria where more strict which would end up in fewer cases being prosecuted, the court would be less crowded for time but there would be more criminals on the streets going unpunished. On the other hand if they were too loose, there would be a risk of more innocent people being charged with crimes they didnt commit and an already overtaxed court system becoming completely bogged down. I would not really recommend any changes in the court system that we have now. I understand it is not a perfect system but it is better than many and it has the right goals in mind. Reference: Schmalleger, F. (2011). Criminal justice today: An introductory text for the twenty-first century (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson Prentice Hall.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Ecological Factors Influencing Terrestrial Plants And Animals Biology Essay

Ecological Factors Influencing Terrestrial Plants And Animals Biology Essay Ecology was first defined by Ernst Haeckel in 1866 as the science of relations between organisms and their environment (Bramwell 1989). The study of ecology has developed over the years from an initial descriptive field of study in the 19th century to a more quantitative, experimental and analytical discipline in the 21st century (Mayorga et al. 2002). The definition has also developed. Krebs (1972) gave the following more defined definition, Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms. He omitted the use of the word environment. It is clear however that the interactions to which he referred are the very factors which create the environment and so a more complete definition which marries the definitions given by Haeckel and Krebs is suggested as follows by Begon et al. (2006): Ecology is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of organisms and the interactions that determine distribution and abundance. It is necessary to take a historical aspect and to discuss Island biogeography to understand the present distribution of plants and animals within the United Kingdom. The fauna and flora of islands are determined historically by events that occurred that affect floral and faunal populations. The initial event is generally seen to be the movement of land masses followed by glaciation. Pliestocene glaciation is largely the event determining the present day patterns in distribution of Flora and Fauna in the UK (Begon et al 2006). Recolonisation of plants and animals is dependent on distance from other populations and the ability of some animals to disperse and reproduce, grow and survive, once they arrive in a suitable environment. There are two notable contrasts with continental Europe, Britain has a relatively impoverished mammal fauna as several species, such as the garden dormouse Eliomys quercinus and the beech marten Murtesfuina, now found on the western edge of the continental ma inland, failed to recolonise Britain after the last ice age (Mitchell-Jones 1996). Reptiles and amphibians species are also more diverse on the continent than in the UK. There are only 6 native species in the United Kingdom, by comparison with a single species in Ireland which is further from Europe and Europe itself boasts over 87 reptilian species (Silva et al. 2009). Inter actions between organisms and their environment can be viewed at three different levels, the individual, as part of the population and as part of the community. To discuss the factors affecting the distribution of plants and animals in the United Kingdom it is necessary to look at all aspects. The scope of the interactions which will be discussed here are outlined in figure 1. The term niche is very frequently misunderstood as and often used loosely to describe where an animal lives, this is more correctly its habitat. A niche is a summary of the organisms tolerances and requirements, how they interact to define the conditions and resources needed by an individual or species in order to practice its way of life (Begon et al 2006), and the time it occurs there (Mackenzie et al 1998). The niche of an animal is generally larger than that it actually inhabits, This is the fundamental niche which is characterised by conditions (temperature, relative humidity amongst others), within the tolerable limits of a species provided that there are enough resources available i.e. food, accommodation and that it is not limited by interactions with other organisms such as predation and competition and that it is not prevented from getting to the suitable area (dispersal). Hutchinson (1957) identified the Fundamental niche from the realised niche with the latter being the m ore limited spectrum of conditions and resources that allow an animal to persist even in the presence of competition and predation. The primary conditions influencing animal distribution are as outlined in figure 1. These are portrayed as one dimensional but clearly the effect of temperature will be affected by the effect of winds and humidity. Conditions are defined as variable environmental factors which organisms respond to. They are non depletable, the organism cannot use them up (Mackenzie et al. 1998) l Figure 1. Factors affecting distribution of plants and animals in the United Kingdom Temperature is a condition which affects the rate of development in organisms, in fact many cold blooded animals incubation and development is given in degree days rather than in actual time. What is really required is a temperature-time continuum also referred to as physiological time. An example of how temperature affects not 1 but ultimately 2 species in their realised niche and distribution is given by Randall (1982) In this case The rush moth (Coleophora alticolella) lays its eggs on the flowers of the rush Junctus squarrosus and the caterpillar uses the ripe seeds as its food resource. The moths and the larvae are little affected by low temperatures so there is no reason why they cant extend their niche further up in altitude however at the lower temperatures above 600m the seed of the rush fails to ripen and so there is no food resource for the caterpillar. The temperature related limit of tolerance has been reached for the rush, which in turn limits the niche of the caterpill ar giving us the realised niche. The pH of soil and water can have a strong influence on plant and animal communities. Plant roots tend to be damaged in soils below pH3 and above pH 9 due to the pathogenic effect of toxic levels of H+ or OH- ions. Soil pH also has an effect on the uptake of nutrients and the concentration of toxins, tolerance levels vary for pH but only a minority of plants can grow at pH less than 4.5 (Begon et al 2006). Kidd and Proctor (2001) investigated the role of the toxicity of hydrogen (H+) as an explanation of the reduced plant growth observed in the grass Holcus lanatus L. (Yorkshireà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ fog) and the tree Betula pendula Roth (Silver Birch) in very acid soils. They collected soils and seeds from a range of acidic to more alkaline environments from 4 Scottish sites. It was shown that there was separate adaptation in the various populations to H+ or Al3+ toxicity which was closely related to the edaphic characteristics of the original site from which they were collected. The fact o f plant adaptation to H+ toxicity supports the view that this is an important factor in very acid soils (Kidd and Proctor 2001). Salinity is another condition which affects the distribution of organisms. The presence of salt in the soil water offers osmotic resistance to water uptake. The main effect of salinity is to cause osmoregulatory problems similar to those encountered in drought and freezing conditions. Salinity mainly affects organisms close to the sea or around inland salt sprins/ ponds. The main adaptation of plants isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ . Salt marshes encompass a broad range of saline concentrations from full strength sea water to non saline conditions. And has plants that are halophytic by degrees. Wind plays a major role in plant dispersal. Only small light seeds with special adaptations can be dispersed by the winds. These adaptations are to facilitate the seeds remaining airborne longer which means they can be carried greater distances. Such adaptations usually involve hairs or outgrowths which increase the surface area to catch the wind The flower ovary containing the seeds becomes a dry hollow container with one or more openings. The containers are shaken by the wind, scattering the seeds through the openings, dispersing them all around the immediate area. (Photo:http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/seed_dispersl/wind.htm) Wing-like outgrowths on the fruit (which contains the seed) make it spin as it falls from the parent plant. This spinning delays its fall so that the wind may carry it some distance away. (Photo:http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/seed_dispersl/wind.htm) Wind also has a negative effect on the distribution of organisms in that it has been implicated in the problem of soil erosion of arable lands and of sand dunes., thereby reducing their capacity to sustain plant communities. We cannot discuss the factors influencing the distribution of organism n the United Kingdom without looking at the effects of the activities of man. Man does have a positive impact in the management of resources and in the study of, collection of and interpretation of information ecology and ecosystems. However he also has a negative effect in that man is the perpetrator of the majority of effects leading to environmental pollution. These include the clearing of land for operations totally wiping out local habitats, the leaching of metals into the environment and the dumping of copper, zinc and lead around mines. Many of these metals are present already but at lower concentrations and some are vital nutrients for organisms in the surrounds but the practice of mining can elevate their presence to lethal levels (Begon et al 2006). Power plants and other factories may emit sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide which facilitate the problems with acid rain. After much analysis, researchers n ow know that acid rain causes slower growth, injury, or death of forests. It is practical to assume that if it has this effect in forests it may also retard the growth of other plants which affects a resource required in the energy flow of an ecosystem and will ultimately affect the core of that system. (National Geographic 2010) (http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/acid-rain-overview/) When pollution occurs, animals often find away to combat the stress and overcome the effects this is evidenced in the well known example of the peppered moth. However while the development is a reaction to industrial pollution there are many other factors at play, such as genetic variability. With the increasing industrialisation in Britain, the peppered moth survived by developing a darker coloured form which was better camoflaged from predators when it landed on the soot darkened trees after the lichens had died off. (Majerus and Stevens 2006) CLIMATE Furthermore Berry et al (2003) have undertaken a study which shows the vulnerability of terrestrial habitats and species distribution in Britain to climate change which is essentially the temperature increase of 0.6 °C over the past century. They contend that with such changes that it is not safe to assume that a species historical range of distribution will remain suitable. Organisms face hazards in everyday life, they develop ways to combat or counteract these hazards, however occasionally the disturbances are on such a large scale they are to b

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Strategies for Nation Building

Strategies for Nation Building CHAPTER THREE INTRODUCTION 2.1 Defining nation The term nation is hard to define. Therefore various scholars have come up with different definitions of the term nation. Karlsson (2009) sees a nation as a birthmark. A nation can be described as an idea searching for a reality which a minority often violently forced upon a majority with standardization as a goal and with an iron glove as an instrument to eradicate previous diversity. Nations are constructed and invented. Nation is defined as mobilizing ideology in force that is used to concientise the masses against any kind of oppression or resistance that might be seen as opposing feature. The order of precedence of the factors that characterize a nation has always been a subject to discussion ranging from mutual traditions and collective political awareness, common antecedents, affiliation to a tribe or people, joint territory, customs and language, culture and religion. The inhabitants of a country are a nation despite their different languages and cultures. Karl Proper, the philosopher, stated at the Second World War that â€Å"it has been said that a race is a collection of people who are united by their origin but by a common misconception about their antecedents†. Karlsson compares this to a nation as he states that a nation is a collection of people united by a common misconception about their history. Thus, nations are not eternally defined entities, but they are in fact created. Nationalism invents nations where they do not exist Anderson (1990), Smith (1990) and Ndlovu-Gatsheni (2007) are of the view that a nation is an imagined community where members share the same history and envision reality in the same way. It is synonymous with self determination for those who have the good fortune to live in a society which has its own history, language, culture and religion but it can also be xenophobic, intolerant, aggressive, hegemonic and authotarian, lacking the will and ability to allow others what the nation claims for. Renan (1882) was concerned in that nation affinity was not a question of race, religion place of birth, but instead was a matter of daily referendum. A nation is based on all individuals having something in common. A nation is a spiritual principle with its origins in the deep complexity of history, an intellectual family not only by sacrifices one has made and those that one is disposed to make again. It supposes a past; it renews itself particularly in the present by a tangible deed, the approval, the desire, clearly expressed to continue the daily life. The existence of a nation is a referendum. Nationalism can be defined as the process of identity making can be best understood in the words of Reicher and Hopkins. This understanding of nationalism is further amplified by a British Labor politician who likened nationalism to electricity that can be used for good and bad purposes. He continued that it can electrocute someone in the electric chair or it can heat and light the world adding that: â€Å"Nationalism can be exhilarating revolutionary force for progress but we only have to open our newspapers today to areas where nationalism becomes in the wrong hands. A primeval force of darkness and reaction†¦ I can say originally, we ought to utilize the potential revolutionary force of nationalism by our readership to ensure that the dark side does not emerge† Nationalism can be manipulated to serve one interests. Hence this nationalism can be hegemonies as the elites can influence nationalism for their own good and suppress the lower class in the process. 2.1 Defining nation building Nation building is a highly complex term that means different things to different people. Nation building is evolutionary as it takes time and is a social process that cannot be achieved from outside. The notion of nation is used in a different way. It can be used not to challenge the existing territorial and political order, but to create a sense of national unity for a given polity. This sort of work is often called nation b building. Zolberg (1967:461) notes that nation building takes predominance over all tasks including economic development. This implies that nation building involves the political development, social development and economical development in a nation. In the African context, Young (2004) noted how â€Å"innumerable rituals of state drummed the national idea into the public consciousness: national holidays, national anthems, and daily flag raising ceremonies at all administrative headquarters. In a dozen banal ways, the nation was subliminally communicated through its ubiquitous flag, its currency, its postage stamps, its identity cards.† Soon after independence African states created their national holidays, national anthems, changed their country names from colonial names and had their own currency. In way this helped to build nation as everything had to be nationalized to suit the African society. Nation building is whereby a society with diverse origins, cultures, histories, languages and religion come together within the boundaries of a sovereign state with a unified constitutional and legal dispensation, a national public education system an integrated national economy, shared symbols and values, as equals, to work towards eradicating the divisions and injustices of the past, to foster unity and promote a country wide consciousness of proudly Africans promoted to the country and open to the continent and the world. Nation building by www.usip.org is not just about the physical construction service provision or material wealth. It is also about using the country’s shared customs to prevent further escalation of conflict as well as upholding values, customs, traditional practices that can be enshrined in national identity. In other words, a nation is not the sum of material possessions. Rather people are the most important asserts that, they are the nation and how each citizen behaves becomes the reflection of nation’s characters. The best way for the nation to hold itself to its own standards is to teach the youngest citizens to remind everyone of whom they are as people. The following section will be looking at the processes of nation building with relation to print media. 3.2 Process of nation building 3.2.1 Sports Sport is an aspect of nation building. Riordan stresses that it is overt that sport in many societies is a serious business with serious functions to perform. It is accordingly, state controlled, encouraged and shaped by specific Unitarian and ideological designs. It is by no means a matter of fun and games. Riordan further points out that in Africa, Asia and Latin America, sports development is closely associated with hygiene, health, defence, patriotism, integration, productivity, international recognition, even cultural, identity and nation building. Sport therefore has a role of being an agent of social change with the state as the pilot. During the twentieth century nearly sixty new states have been established. Houlihan states that many of these new states were faced with the acute problem of establishing a sense of national identity. For former colonies it meant that they were the enemies of the newly independent nations. Maguire argues sport could form one of the significant arenas by which nations become more real. Particular sports came to symbolize the nation. The close bind of sport with national identification arenas by which nations become more real. Particular sports come to symbolize the nation. Sport can forge and reinforce community or national identities. It can foster also unity among societies. In particular attention to Zimbabwe, every year during the independence celebrations there is the uhuru cup whereby local soccer teams contest for the cup. Soccer is used to foster unity among a nation. In celebrating Independence Day, sports are used for entertainment and also fostering unity. With the regard to the use of sports for nation building, Houlihan points out that modern state want not only national unity and distinctiveness but also an international stage on which to project that identity utilizing an increasing common array of cultural symbols to demonstrate their individuality. In cases like Olympics when one individual is victorious in any of the games, the national anthem is sung and the flag is raised. Success in sports events and particularly by the hosting of sports events provides a benign and uncritical backdrop of the parade of national achievement (Dauncey and Hare 1993). They go on to point that the victory of France in the 1998, football World Cup save a great opportunity to demonstrate public services, values, successful French integration and traditional French values in the international arena.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Elvis Presleys Poor Acting Skills in Film Essay -- Celebrity Actor Ac

Elvis Presley's Poor Talents Paying Bills Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, is an American Pop Culture Icon who influenced his audience with his commanding voice and dazzling sex appeal. In the 1950's, Elvis devoted his career to singing and making music. In the sixties, however, he dedicated his time towards making movies and appearing in motion pictures. As many critics agree, Elvis had poor acting skills in his films, generally showing apathy and/or dull facial expressions. Yet, through entertainment media, Elvis was able to inspire a generation of youth to "take action" in American society from his "poor actions". Moreover, film in the age of mass media neutralized Elvis' "bad acting" by redirecting the audience's attention towards his dynamic singing and sexual physique, heavily appealing to the social trends of the 1960's decade. In the decade of the 60's, Elvis starred in over 34 motion pictures, averaging more than 3 films released per year. In these films, Elvis generally had the lead role, allowing the center of attention to fall on his shoulders. Unfortunately, Elvis had poor acting skills, usually displaying bland facial expressions or lethargy. According to the New Yorker magazine, Elvis' acting talents were thin: "Thicklipped, droopy-eyed and indefatigably sullen, Mr. Presley, whose talents are meager but whose earnings are gross" (Raaphorst). Thankfully, Elvis had extraordinary singing talents to make up for his poor acting skills. Knowing his strengths, Elvis and his producers began placing songs into his movies to gain a greater acceptance from his audience: "Statistically, he holds records for the most Top Forty hits (107), the most Top Ten hits (38), the most consecutive #1 hits (10) and the most w... ...ire a youth generation to take action in American society. By redirecting his movie audience's attention away from his common acting skills, Elvis was able to successfully increase his popularity from his dramatic singing roles, his sexual attractiveness and his rebellious attitude. Truly, mass media neutralized Elvis' "poor" acting skills and transformed them into a "rich" lifestyle, enabling Elvis Presley to still live large today in the entertainment capital of the world--Las Vegas, Nevada. Works Cited Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. Cleveland, Ohio. 01 November 1999. http://www.rockhall.com/induct/preselvi.html. Yahoo!: Geocities. TCB Ring, Elvis in Hollywood. 31 October 1999. http://www.geocities.com/~arpt/hollywood/nsindex.html. Yahoo!: Geocities. TCB Ring, Elvis in Hollywood. 31 October 1999. http://www.geocities.com/~arpt/hollywood/nsindex.html.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Modern Computer :: essays research papers

Modern Computer Is the Computer important in the world? I am sure it is significant for the youths. Nowadays, most of the youths has owned their computer in the house. The reason for the computer is very powerful tool. It brings a lot of the functions to do any certain the things. It makes the people to enjoy its functions own. Computer is useful for finding the information. As long as the Internet is installed in the computer, the people can be able to what they want to find. Of course, they have to waste the time for doing. Acquiring the information, they feel that it is valuable. Renctly years, the number of people is increased by using computer. They can seek the information directly in Internet. That is a very convenient for the people. When the students do the projects, they will find the information in Internet, except library. Finding the things, they compose of the information and construct it in the computer its function such as Microsoft Work, Excel, etc. They have ability to achieve the people’s aim they want. In fact, the computer has plenty of useful functions. The people may not acquaint to all of the functions, only knowing a part of them. They need the time to know every thing in the computer for a long time. The level of the computer is upgraded on each year. Automatically, the functions and others will be increased such as the speed will faster than previous speed. We could say that the computer be able to instead in the position of the people mostly. Of course, the human is clever than the computer. Sometimes, the students will play the games, as they are boring. It makes the students to get the relaxing. On account of their studies bring the some pressure, this may cause them to get vexation, so they need to release their pressure, to get the balance of their mood. Modern Computer :: essays research papers Modern Computer Is the Computer important in the world? I am sure it is significant for the youths. Nowadays, most of the youths has owned their computer in the house. The reason for the computer is very powerful tool. It brings a lot of the functions to do any certain the things. It makes the people to enjoy its functions own. Computer is useful for finding the information. As long as the Internet is installed in the computer, the people can be able to what they want to find. Of course, they have to waste the time for doing. Acquiring the information, they feel that it is valuable. Renctly years, the number of people is increased by using computer. They can seek the information directly in Internet. That is a very convenient for the people. When the students do the projects, they will find the information in Internet, except library. Finding the things, they compose of the information and construct it in the computer its function such as Microsoft Work, Excel, etc. They have ability to achieve the people’s aim they want. In fact, the computer has plenty of useful functions. The people may not acquaint to all of the functions, only knowing a part of them. They need the time to know every thing in the computer for a long time. The level of the computer is upgraded on each year. Automatically, the functions and others will be increased such as the speed will faster than previous speed. We could say that the computer be able to instead in the position of the people mostly. Of course, the human is clever than the computer. Sometimes, the students will play the games, as they are boring. It makes the students to get the relaxing. On account of their studies bring the some pressure, this may cause them to get vexation, so they need to release their pressure, to get the balance of their mood.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Brunswick Plastics Essay

Introduction Brunswick Plastics, located in Canada, is an injection molding company. Brunswick Plastics produces 50 different products; however, they are not reaching capacity. Production required multiple labor hours, and since they weren’t at capacity, they were finishing a little above breakeven. The Division Manager of Brunswick Plastics, Michael Smith was informed of an opportunity for his company and must make a decision on whether or not to venture into this opportunity. Mr. Smith was informed of a project of producing 150,000 milk crates. He can place a bid for the project. However, Mr. Smith isn’t confident in the information that he has, and needs answers to best estimate the costs of producing the additional units. The costs that he knows are as follows: Production Labor$0.14 Loading Labor 0.02 Crate Materials 1.71 Stamp Materials 0.04 TOTAL$1.91 per unit Stamping Machine $5,000 one-time cost Mr. Smith must make a critical pricing decision to have a competitive advantage in the bid process. He has specific questions which answered, will provide a confident grasp on the situation to enable him to make a decision on whether to place the bid and at what price. If the bid is too high, it will most likely be rejected, and the company would lose the opportunity to reach capacity and make a higher profit. But, if the bid is too low it would cause a loss for the company. We will answer Mr. Smith’s questions throughout this case analysis. Question #1: Based on your interpretation of Exhibit 3, what is your estimate of the change in â€Å"PFMOH† cost if the factory were to run one extra batch of 150,000 milk crates? Based on the interpretation of Exhibit 3, the linear regression that has the most accurate relationship with Plant Fixed Manufacturing Overhead (PFMOH) is Direct Labor Hours (DLH). Michael Smith calculated that 3,472 scheduled machine hours would be need, 2,083 running hours. Using the equation, PFMOH=4321+(2.85*DLH), and knowing that an operator must be present for each hour of scheduled machine hours (3,472), we can determine an increase of $14,216.20. We must also factor in depreciation expense (straight line depreciation) of $500 annually ($5,000/10years). Yielding a change of $14,716.20. 4,321+(2.85*3,472)=$14,216.20 $14,216.20+$500=$14,716.20 Question #2: What is your estimate of the incremental cost per unit for one batch of 150,000 milk crates? The incremental cost per unit is $2.09 and is determined by adding the direct labor and direct materials per unit to the variable overhead. Variable overhead is determined by multiplying the number of machine hours by the â€Å"rule of thumb† for variable overhead, which is stated in the case as $13 per machine hour of â€Å"running time,† and dividing the product by the number of units. ($13*2,083)/150,000=$0.18 $1.91+.18=2.09 Question #3: What does Exhibit 2 suggest would be a â€Å"normal† price for milk crates for an â€Å"average† job shop? What does this suggest about the $3.00 price which seems to prevail at the time of the case? The case suggests the price for the crates for an average job shop is: 150,000*$3.00=$450,000*57%=$256,500 Therefore, the direct materials and direct labor is $256,500, $1.71 per unit for the average job shop. At $1.71 per unit, Brunswick’s bid price will be much higher at $3.00, which increases the chance that the bid will be rejected. Question #4: What is the â€Å"strategically relevant† cost per unit for milk crates? (for purposes of deciding whether or not the $3.00 â€Å"market price† is profitable, on an ongoing basis) At $3.00 market price, producing the 150,000 crates would be profitable for Brunswick, because the profit per unit is $0.81. Production Labor$0.14 Loading Labor 0.02 Crate Materials 1.71 Stamp Materials 0.04 Variable Overhead 0.18 PFMOH 0.10 TOTAL COST$2.19 per unit $14,716.20/150,000=$0.10 $3.00-$2.19=$0.81 At $0.81 a unit for 150,000 units, Brunswick’s annual profit would be $121,500. $0.81*150,000=$121,500 Question #5: What is your advice to Mr. Smith regarding the milk crate opportunity? Be specific and show the calculation supporting your advice.  Assuming the original fixed costs will not be changed, we would recommend that Mr. Smith place the bid for the project. A price of $3.00 is the average current market price; however, considering Mr. Smith’s need for the contract to alter his contribution margin and to meet capacity, we recommend him bidding at $2.90. His opportunity cost of not getting the bid is greater than the $0.10 he will lose if he made a bid at $2.90.The chances are fair for Mr. Smith’s bid to be accepted at this price. If it is accepted, Brunswick would increase their profit by $106,500 annually. They would also come much closer to meeting capacity if they placed the bid. $2.90 Market Price per unit-$2.19 Total Cost per unit= $0.71*150,000 units=$106,500 of profit Question #6: What overall strategic advice do you have for Mr. Smith? What isn’t the business doing better, given the new â€Å"specialties strategy† and good business conditions? Support your answer with relevant cost analysis. Based on details within the case, Mr. Smith is obviously bidding jobs too high and not allowing his plant to increase its volume and obtain full  capacity. We would advise Mr. Smith to get a better understanding of his costs in order to price his jobs more competitively. Take this project for example, if the incremental cost of this milk crate project is $2.09 and he is certain he can win the bid at $2.90, then that $0.81 of revenue can contribute to 55% of the SG&A costs for the year, from a project that is only 25% of Brunswick Plastics annual sales revenue. Additionally, the case states that a successful bid would give Brunswick a competitive advantage in future orders. Therefore, if they won the other half of the milk crate orders, it would further cover their fixed overhead and not hinder the capacity requirements of the other products Brunswick produces. $0.81*150,000=$121,500/$220,000=.55 or 55% Conclusion Considering the calculations we have made, we recommend that Michael Smith place a bid on behalf of Brunswick Plastics for the 150,000 milk crate project at $2.90. It will be wise for Mr. Smith to come in at the lowest market price to dramatically increase the chances of his bid being accepted. Brunswick needs to win this bid so that they may be able to better their contribution margin and come closer to meeting capacity. A win will also increase profit, so they are much higher above breakeven. This could lead to further business with the Dairy Counsel as well.

Preparing to Conduct Business Research

On September 12, 2012 the New York City Health Department voted eight-zero with one vote abstaining, to enact a city wide ban on sugar-sweetened beverages in containers over 16ounce in size (Susman, 2012). At the urging of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg the health department is hoping that this ban will have an impact on the growing obesity problem among New York citizens (Susman, 2012). Opposition to the ban was evident before the final vote by citizens believing violations of his or her freedom are occurring and vendors who see the choices in what he or she serve the customers under dictation from city hall.Perhaps the group with the most to lose is the beverage industry; the ban limits servings of sugar sweetened drinks to 16 ounces or less in the city’s 24,000 restaurants, delis, movie theaters, sports venues, and street carts (Petrecca, 2012). This means no 20-ounce bottles, no super-sized drinks, no monster drinks at the movie theater, the fact is most of these es tablishments consider a 16-ounce beverage a small or medium drink (Petrecca, 2012). So smaller drinks mean smaller profits; however, it may be possible that this is not the case.The ban does not limit the number of 16-ounce drinks a person may purchase; the possibility for additional sales does exist (Petrecca, 2012). Because only restaurants offer free refills, it is possible that the smaller size drinks will result in greater quantities of sales at the other locations. Business Research The CEO of the Coca Cola Company is communicating with Learning Team A, hiring Learning Team A to research potential issues and opportunities resulting from the ban on containers over the limit of 16 ounces of sugar sweetened beverages in the city of New York.Coca Cola is showing interest in learning what the consumer thinks of the ban; how the customers believe it will affect his or her recreational and dining experiences. Coca Cola is not only showing interest in this information as it pertains t o New York City but also because the interest this ban is attracting from other large cities and what it would mean to the company if this became common practice in other locations (Koebler, 2012). HypothesesTeam A offers several hypotheses to the ban and the effects it will have on the citizens, vendors, and distributors of sugar sweetened beverages: ? Team A hypothesizes that the ban on sugar sweetened beverages will cause a decrease in beverage sales that contain sugar, costing the Coca Cola company millions of dollars in sales. ? Team A hypothesizes that the ban on sugar sweetened beverages larger than 16 ounces will cause consumers to purchase multiple quantities of beverages in replacement of what they use to purchase.Also the sale of sugar free beverages will rise; this will cause an increase in revenue for the Coca Cola Company. Team A hypothesizes that the public will be unreceptive to the ban and believes that the government body responsible for it has overstepped their bo unds. The public will think that the removal of this choice goes against the constitutional rights every person has and that he or she will attempt to find a way around the ban. ? Team A hypothesizes that although there will be citizens upset in regard to the ban, the citizens will embrace the law proving a measurable difference on the obesity problem in New York City. Variables to Consider and Questions to AskIn an effort to offer to the Coca Cola Company the most complete information, the best recommendations, and a reliable foundation on which to base future changes it is necessary to research as many variables as possible. Variable questions to include in the research include: 1) â€Å"The various age groups of the consumers, and their drink preferences. † 2) â€Å"How the vendors plan on handling this new rule and will the vendor adjust the prices, add free-refills, implement buy one get one programs, and add additional drink dispensers to accommodate customers. ) †Å"How these bans encourage customers to leave the city limits and visit establishments in the suburbs? † 4) â€Å"How the consumer understands the reasoning behind the ban and the obesity issue with the removal of beverage choice? †5) â€Å"Coca Cola currently holding a 70% market share in New York; this is a significant margin over the competition (Petrecca, 2012). It is important to research if the customer loyalty level will hold up to â€Å"deals† by the competition and how aggressive Coca Cola is going have to be with marketing and pricing. 6) â€Å"Is Coca Cola willing to embrace this ban, explore ways to market their diet products and fruit juices as an alternate to the sugar sweetened beverages? † Ethical Considerations Ethics play a critical role in conducting research projects (Donald R. Cooper, 2011). It is critical to examine how the results of the research issue breach the rights of the citizens. In the case of the New York City law that limi ts the sales of sugar sweetened drinks there are several ethical questions that arise.The strongest being, â€Å"how will this state law infringe on an individual’s rights to choose the size of their desired beverage? † The motivation behind the law is the unhealthy factors of sugary drinks, targeting one unhealthy option. Supporters of the law believe that this law will help prevent obesity; however, opposition believes it is unfair to place the weight of this issue on one product. Also at question â€Å"Is it ethical to restrict a consumer’s right to choose what he or she wants to drink?Along with sugar sweetened beverages there are other unhealthy products available that have proven effects on weight with no restrictions. Vendors and beverage makes can argue that the law shows bias and is discriminatory. This leads to another ethical issue; does the law give preference or competitive vendor advantage over consumer’s advantage. A consumer, who may wish to purchase a larger drink, may find the need to purchase multiple drinks, thereby increasing the sales of the company but yet not eliminating the risk of obesity.Also under consideration is the ethical question, â€Å"does the beverage company have a responsibility to their customers to reduce the chance of obesity, knowing that these beverages offer empty calories with no nutritional value? † Conclusion Moving into the future it is important to understand what difficulties a company will be facing. Knowledge from research projects provide companies the possibility to develop contingency plans and reduce the chance that the unknown will alter the course of a successful business plan.Earlier this month the New York City Health Department passed a law that has altered the way beverage makers and vendors conduct their business and altering the freedom consumers have in choosing something as simple as the beverage he or she drinks. The Coca Cola Company is looking to go forward armed with the knowledge they will need to maintain their superiority in the New York Market. This task has fallen on Learning Team A, as they will research and discover what the market and consumers will demand to remain customers of Coca Cola.

Friday, August 16, 2019

The Return: Midnight Chapter 12

â€Å"Stefan. Stefan!†Elena had been too nervous to stay out of the bedroom for longer than the five minutes it had taken to show herself to the sheriffs. It was Stefan the officers real y wanted and couldn't find, not seeming to consider that someone might backtrack and hide in a room that had already been searched. And now Elena couldn't get a response out of Stefan, who was locked in an embrace with Meredith, mouth pressed tightly over the two little wounds he'd made. Elena had to shake him by the shoulders, to shake both of them, in order to get any response. Then Stefan reared back suddenly, but held on to Meredith, who would otherwise have fal en. He hastily licked blood from his lips. For once, though, Elena wasn't focused on him, but on her friend – her friend whom she'd al owed to do this. Meredith's eyes were shut, but they had dark, almost plum-colored circles under them. Her lips were parted, and her dark cloud of hair was wet where tears had fal en into it. â€Å"Meredith? Merry?†The old nickname just slipped out of Elena's lips. And then, when Meredith gave no sign of having heard her: â€Å"Stefan, what's wrong?† â€Å"I Influenced her at the end to sleep.†Stefan lifted Meredith and put her on the bed. â€Å"But what happened? Why is she crying – and what's wrong with you?†Elena couldn't help but notice that despite the healthy flush on Stefan's cheeks his eyes were shadowed. â€Å"Something I saw – in her mind,†Stefan said briefly, pul ing Elena behind his back. â€Å"Here comes one of them. Stay there.† The door opened. It was the male sheriff, who was red-faced and panting, and who had clearly just lapped himself, returning to this room after starting from it to search the entire first floor. â€Å"I have them al in a room – al but the fugitive,†the sheriff said into a large black mobile. The female sheriff made some brief reply. Then the red-faced male turned to speak to the teenagers. â€Å"Now what's going to happen is that I'm going to search you† – he nodded at Stefan – â€Å"while my partner searches you two.†His head jerked, ear-first, at Meredith. â€Å"What's wrong with her, anyway?† â€Å"Nothing that you could understand,†Stefan replied cool y. The sheriff looked as if he couldn't believe what had just been said. Then, suddenly, he looked as if he could, and did, and he took a step toward Meredith. Stefan snarled. The sound made Elena, who was right behind him, jump. It was the low savage snarl of an animal protecting its mate, its pack, its territory. The ruddy-faced policeman suddenly looked pale and panicked. Elena guessed that he was looking at a mouth ful of teeth much sharper than his own, and tinged with blood as well. Elena didn't want this to turn into a pi – that was, a†¦snarling match. As the sheriff gabbled to his partner, â€Å"We may need some of them silver bul ets after al ,†Elena poked her beloved, who was now making a noise like a very big buzz saw that she could feel in her teeth, and whispered, â€Å"Stefan, Influence him! The other one's coming, and she may already have cal ed for backup.† At her touch, Stefan stopped making the sound, and when he turned she could see his face changing from that of a savage animal baring its teeth back to his own dear, green-eyed self. He must have taken a lot of blood from Meredith, she thought, with a flutter in her stomach. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. But there was no denying the after-effects. Stefan turned back to the male sheriff and said crisply, â€Å"You wil go into the front hal way. You wil remain there, silent, until I tel you to move or speak.†Then, without looking up to see if the officer was obeying or not, he tucked the blankets more tightly around Meredith. Elena was watching the sheriff, though, and she noticed that he didn't hesitate an instant. He made an about-face and marched off to the front foyer. Then Elena felt safe enough to look at Meredith again. She couldn't find anything wrong in her friend's face, except her unnatural pal or, and those violet shadows around her eyes. â€Å"Meredith?†she whispered. No response. Elena fol owed Stefan out of the room. She had just made it to the foyer when the female sheriff ambushed them. Coming down the stairs, pushing the fragile Mrs. Flowers before her, she shouted, â€Å"On the ground! Al of you!†She gave Mrs. Flowers a hard shove forward. â€Å"Get down now!† When Mrs. Flowers almost fel sprawling on the floor, Stefan leaped and caught her, and then turned back to the other woman. For a moment Elena thought that he would snarl again, but instead, in a voice tight with self-control, he said, â€Å"Join your partner. You can't move or speak without my permission.† He took the shaken-looking Mrs. Flowers to a chair on the left side of the foyer. â€Å"Did that – person – hurt you?† â€Å"No, no. Just get them out of my house, Stefan, dear, and I'l be most grateful,†Mrs. Flowers replied. â€Å"Done,†Stefan said softly. â€Å"I'm sorry we've caused you so much trouble – in your own home.†He looked at each of the sheriffs, his eyes piercing. â€Å"Go away and don't come back. You have searched the house, but none of the people you were looking for were here. You think further surveil ance wil yield nothing. You believe that you would do more good by helping the – what was it? Oh, yes, the mayhem in the town of Fel ‘s Church. You wil never come here again. Now go back to your car and leave.† Elena felt the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She could feel the Power behind Stefan's words. And, as always, it was satisfying to see cruel or angry people become docile under the power of a vampire's Influence. These two stood for another ten seconds quite stil , and then they simply walked out the front door. Elena listened to the sound of the sheriff's car driving away and such a strong feeling of relief washed over her that she almost col apsed. Stefan put his arms around her, and Elena hugged him back tightly, knowing that her heart was pounding. She could feel it in her chest and her fingertips. It's all over. All done now, Stefan thought to her and Elena suddenly felt something different. She felt pride. Stefan had simply taken charge and chased the officers away. Thank you, she thought to Stefan. â€Å"I guess we'd better get Matt out of the root cel ar,†she added. Matt was unhappy. â€Å"Thanks for hiding me – but do you know how long that was?†he demanded of Elena when they were upstairs again. â€Å"And no light except what was in that little star bal . And no sound – I couldn't hear a thing down there. And what is this?†He held out the long, heavy wooden staff, with its strangely shaped, spiked ends. Elena felt sudden panic. â€Å"You didn't cut yourself, did you?†She snatched up Matt's hands, letting the long staff fal to the ground. But Matt didn't seem to have a single scratch. â€Å"I wasn't dumb enough to hold it by the ends,†he said. â€Å"Meredith did, for some reason,†Elena said. â€Å"Her palms were covered with wounds. And I don't even know what it is.† â€Å"I do,†Stefan said quietly. He picked up the stave. â€Å"But it's Meredith's secret real y. I mean it's Meredith's property,†he added hastily as al eyes fixed on him at the word secret. â€Å"Well, I'm not blind,†Matt said in his frank, straightforward way, flipping back some fair hair in order to look more closely at the thing. He raised blue eyes to Elena. â€Å"I know what it smells like, which is vervain. And I know what it looks like with al those silver and iron spikes coming out of the sharp ends. It looks like a giant staff for exterminating every kind of Godawful Hel acious monster that walks on this earth.† â€Å"And vampires, too,†Elena added hastily. She knew that Stefan was in a funny mood and she definitely didn't want to see Matt, for whom she stil cared deeply, lying on the floor with a crushed skul . â€Å"And even humans – I think these bigger spikes are for injecting poison.† â€Å"Poison?†Matt looked at his own palms hastily. â€Å"You're okay,†Elena said. â€Å"I checked you, and besides it would be a very quick-acting poison.† â€Å"Yes, they would want to take you out of the fight as fast as possible,†Stefan said. â€Å"So if you're alive now, you're likely to stay that way. And now, this Godawful Hel acious monster just wants to get back up to bed.†He turned to go to the attic. He must have heard Elena's swift, involuntarily indrawn breath, because he turned around and she could see that he was sorry. His eyes were dark emerald, sad but blazing with unused Power. I think we'l have a late morning, Elena thought, feeling pleasurable thril s ripple through her. She squeezed Stefan's hand, and felt him return the pressure. She could see what he had in mind; they were close enough and he was projecting pretty clearly what he wanted – and she was as eager to get upstairs as he was. But at that moment Matt, eyes on the wickedly spiked staff, said, â€Å"Meredith has something to do with that?† â€Å"I should never have said anything at al about it,†Stefan replied. â€Å"But if you want to know more, you'd real y better ask Meredith herself. Tomorrow.† â€Å"Al right,†Matt said, final y seeming to understand. Elena was way ahead of him. A weapon like that was – could only be – for kil ing al sorts of monsters walking the earth. And Meredith – Meredith who was as slim and athletic as a bal erina with a black belt, and oh! Those lessons! The lessons that Meredith had always put off if the girls were doing something at that exact moment, but that she always somehow managed to make time for. But a girl could hardly be expected to carry a harpsichord around with her and nobody else had one. Besides, Meredith had said she hated to play, so her BFFs had let it go at that. It was al part of the Meredith mystique. And riding lessons? Elena would bet some of them were genuine. Meredith would want to know how to make a quick escape mounting anything available. But if Meredith wasn't practicing for a little light music in the drawing room, or for starring in a Hol ywood Western – then what would she have been doing? Training, Elena guessed. There were a lot of dojos out there, and if Meredith had been doing this since that vampire attacked her grandfather she must be pretty darn good. And when we've fought grisly things, whose eyes have ever been on her, a soft gray shadow that kept out of the limelight? A lot of monsters probably got knocked out but good. The only question that needed to be answered was why Meredith hadn't shown them the Godawful Hel acious monster staker or used it in any fights – say against Klaus – until now. And Elena didn't know, but she could ask Meredith herself. Tomorrow, when Meredith was up. But she trusted that it had some simple answer. Elena tried to stifle a yawn in a ladylike way. Stefan? she asked. Can you get us out of here – without picking me up – and to your room? â€Å"I think we've al had enough stress this morning,†Stefan said in his own gentle voice. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers, Meredith is in the first-floor bedroom – she'l probably sleep very late. Matt – â€Å" â€Å"I know, I know. I don't know where the schedule went but I might as well make it my night.†Matt presented an arm to Stefan. Stefan looked surprised. Darling, you can never have too much blood, Elena thought to him, seriously and straightforwardly. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers and I wil be in the kitchen,†she said aloud. When they were there, Mrs. Flowers said, â€Å"Don't forget to thank Stefan for defending the boardinghouse for me.† â€Å"He did it because it's our home,†Elena said, and went back into the hal , where Stefan was thanking a flushing Matt. And then Mrs. Flowers cal ed Matt into the kitchen and Elena found herself swooped up in lithe, hard arms and then they were gaining altitude rapidly, with the wood staircase emitting little creaks and groans of protest. And final y they were in Stefan's room and Elena was in Stefan's arms. There was no better place to be, or anything else either of them real y wanted now, Elena thought and turned her face up as Stefan turned his down and they began with a long slow kiss. And then the kiss went molten, and Elena had to cling to Stefan, who was already holding her with arms that could have cracked granite, but only squeezed her exactly as tightly as she wanted them to.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Deception Point Page 29

Rachel noted how careful the President was being not to mention her father. He spoke only in terms of â€Å"the opposition† or â€Å"political opponents.† â€Å"And you think your opposition will cry conspiracy simply for political reasons?† she asked. â€Å"That is the nature of the game. All anyone needs to do is cast a faint doubt, saying that this discovery is some kind of political fraud concocted by NASA and the White House, and all of a sudden, I'm facing an inquiry. The newspapers forget NASA has found proof of extraterrestrial life, and the media starts focusing on uncovering evidence of a conspiracy. Sadly, any innuendo of conspiracy with respect to this discovery will be bad for science, bad for the White House, bad for NASA, and, quite frankly, bad for the country.† â€Å"Which is why you postponed announcing until you had full confirmation and some reputable civilian endorsements.† â€Å"My goal is to present this data in so incontrovertible a way that any cynicism is nipped in the bud. I want this discovery celebrated with the untainted dignity it deserves. NASA merits no less.† Rachel's intuition was tingling now. What does he want from me? â€Å"Obviously,† he continued, â€Å"you're in a unique position to help me. Your experience as an analyst as well as your obvious ties to my opponent give you enormous credibility with respect to this discovery.† Rachel felt a growing disillusionment. He wants to use me†¦ just like Pickering said he would! â€Å"That said,† Herney continued, â€Å"I would like to ask that you endorse this discovery personally, for the record, as my White House intelligence liaison†¦ and as the daughter of my opponent.† There it was. On the table. Herney wants me to endorse. Rachel really had thought Zach Herney was above this kind of spiteful politics. A public endorsement from Rachel would immediately make the meteorite a personal issue for her father, leaving the senator unable to attack the discovery's credibility without attacking the credibility of his own daughter-a death sentence for a â€Å"families first† candidate. â€Å"Frankly, sir,† Rachel said, looking into the monitor, â€Å"I'm stunned you would ask me to do that.† The President looked taken aback. â€Å"I thought you would be excited to help out.† â€Å"Excited? Sir, my differences with my father aside, this request puts me in an impossible position. I have enough problems with my father without going head-to-head with him in some kind of public death match. Despite my admitted dislike of the man, he is my father, and pitting me against him in a public forum frankly seems beneath you.† â€Å"Hold on!† Herney waved his hands in surrender. â€Å"Who said anything about a public forum?† Rachel paused. â€Å"I assume you'd like me to join the administrator of NASA on the podium for the eight o'clock press conference.† Herney's guffaw boomed in the audio speakers. â€Å"Rachel, what kind of man do you think I am? Do you really imagine I'd ask someone to stab her father in the back on national television?† â€Å"But, you said-â€Å" â€Å"And do you think I would make the NASA administrator share the limelight with the daughter of his arch enemy? Not to burst your bubble, Rachel, but this press conference is a scientific presentation. I'm not sure your knowledge of meteorites, fossils, or ice structures would lend the event much credibility.† Rachel felt herself flush. â€Å"But then†¦ what endorsement did you have in mind?† â€Å"One more appropriate to your position.† â€Å"Sir?† â€Å"You are my White House intelligence liaison. You brief my staff on issues of national importance.† â€Å"You want me to endorse this for your staff?† Herney still looked amused by the misunderstanding. â€Å"Yes, I do. The skepticism I'll face outside the White House is nothing compared to what I'm facing from my staff right now. We're in the midst of a full-scale mutiny here. My credibility in-house is shot. My staff has begged me to cut back NASA funding. I've ignored them, and it's been political suicide.† â€Å"Until now.† â€Å"Exactly. As we discussed this morning, this discovery's timing will seem suspect to political cynics, and nobody's as cynical as my staff is at the moment. Therefore, when they hear this information for the first time, I want it to come from-â€Å" â€Å"You haven't told your staff about the meteorite?† â€Å"Only a few top advisers. Keeping this discovery a secret has been a top priority.† Rachel was stunned. No wonder he's facing a mutiny. â€Å"But this is not my usual area. A meteorite could hardly be considered an intelligence-related gist.† â€Å"Not in the traditional sense, but it certainly has all the elements of your usual work-complex data that needs to be distilled, substantial political ramifications-â€Å" â€Å"I am not a meteorite specialist, sir. Shouldn't your staff be briefed by the administrator of NASA?† â€Å"Are you kidding? Everyone here hates him. As far as my staff is concerned, Ekstrom is the snake-oil salesman who has lured me into bad deal after bad deal.† Rachel could see the point. â€Å"How about Corky Marlinson? The National Medal in Astrophysics? He's got far more credibility than I do.† â€Å"My staff is made up of politicians, Rachel, not scientists. You've met Dr. Marlinson. I think he's terrific, but if I let an astrophysicist loose on my team of left-brain, think-inside-the-box intellectuals, I'll end up with a herd of deer in the headlights. I need someone accessible. You're the one, Rachel. My staff knows your work, and considering your family name, you're about as unbiased a spokesperson as my staff could hope to hear from.† Rachel felt herself being pulled in by the President's affable style. â€Å"At least you admit my being the daughter of your opponent has something to do with your request.† The President gave a sheepish chuckle. â€Å"Of course it does. But, as you can imagine, my staff will be briefed one way or another, no matter what you decide. You are not the cake, Rachel, you are simply the icing. You are the individual most qualified to do this briefing, and you also happen to be a close relative of the man who wants to kick my staff out of the White House next term. You've got credibility on two accounts.† â€Å"You should be in sales.† â€Å"As a matter of fact, I am. As is your father. And to be honest, I'd like to close a deal for a change.† The President removed his glasses and looked into Rachel's eyes. She felt a touch of her father's power in him. â€Å"I am asking you as a favor, Rachel, and also because I believe it is part of your job. So which is it? Yes or no? Will you brief my staff on this matter?† Rachel felt trapped inside the tiny PSC trailer. Nothing like the hard sell. Even from three thousand miles away, Rachel could feel the strength of his will pressing through the video screen. She also knew this was a perfectly reasonable request, whether she liked it or not. â€Å"I'd have conditions,† Rachel said. Herney arched his eyebrows. â€Å"Being?† â€Å"I meet your staff in private. No reporters. This is a private briefing, not a public endorsement.† â€Å"You have my word. Your meeting is already slated for a very private location.† Rachel sighed. â€Å"All right then.† The President beamed. â€Å"Excellent.† Rachel checked her watch, surprised to see it was already a little past four o'clock. â€Å"Hold on,† she said, puzzled, â€Å"if you're going live at eight P.M., we don't have time. Even in that vile contraption you sent me up here in, I couldn't get back to the White House for another couple of hours at the very fastest. I'd have to prepare my remarks and-â€Å"

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Narrative Observation of a Child Essay

Mother enters the room with takeaway from KFC and places it on the dining table. Subhaan (3:5) is the first child to approach the table and sit down on the seat. While aunt takes out food from the carrier bags, she asks Subhaan, â€Å"Is that your plate?† Subhaan replies â€Å"Yeah† and right before the aunt is about to put the food on his plate he immediately says†No, is that mine?. Aunt replies, â€Å"Yes† and places his meal on the plate. Subhaan sat on his knees and started bouncing on them as he picked two french fries to eat. While the aunt is emptying the bags, Subhaan stands on his knees and peeks into the carrier bags then sits back down to eat his food. Aunt ignores him as she continues talking to Subhaan’s mother. Subhaan attempts to pull out a paper cup from the stack and then hold it in both his hands. Ayesha (5:0) asks Subhaan, â€Å"Do you want water?† to which Subhaan holds up his empty paper cup and replies, â€Å"No, this is mine†. He starts playing with his cup as he tries to hold it to his mouth and then placed it on his eye, pretending it was a telescope, Subhaan started scanning the room from side to side. Subhaan puts his empty cup down and grabs another bite. He then makes a cranky high pitched noise that grabbed his aunt’s attention who noticed he was pointing at his empty cup. The aunt poured the drink half full in the cup. He takes a sip and watches Ayesha eat her meal happily. Subhaan continues his meal bouncing while sitting on his knees and then swaying from side to side as he eats. Subhaan notices a sealed straw on the table, picks it and points it at his mother loudly saying, † Mama.. mama, please open†. During the period the mother and aunt are continuously involved in a table conversation. His mother takes the straw and starts unwrapping when Ayesha asks, â€Å"Mama, what does he need that for?†. Mother ignores Ayesha as she continues the conversation with the aunt. Subhaan starts chewing his food slowly and sits back in a lazy manner. He then sits up and starts reading the children’s meal box in front of him. He sits up on his knees again to be able to drink directly from the straw fixed in his cup to his mouth using just the index finger and thumb of his dominant hand (right-hand). He sits back down, shakes his head a few times then starts looking under the table. He sits back up and starts slapping the wall on his left. He pauses to look at everyone else at the table still busy with their conversation, then returns back to his meal box and peaks inside it. He pushes away the meal box and looks at his mother to see if she noticed. However the mother is still occupied socially with his aunt. Subhaan makes a random loud noise, â€Å"Tadaaaaaa!† which made his aunt notice him and puts his meal box infront of him again saying, â€Å"Subhaan, you haven’t finished†. Subhaan does not reply instead he sinks back in his chair. After a few seconds he sits back up and drinks directly from the straw without using his hands or fingers to touch the cup. Subhaan rotates on the chair turning his back towards the table and facing towards the tv lounge. Soon he starts to rock the chair slightly from side to side. He turns back around and get off his seat to approach his mother and say,† Mama, mama† Mother replied,† Yes, son?† Subhaan answered shyly, â€Å"Toilet† and ran off towards the door and takes a glance back to see if his mother is following him or not. Meanwhile everyone has finished their dinner and settle down in the tv lounge. Subhaan enters the room followed by his mother. He quickly runs up to the sofa to join Ayesha who is running up and down the two joined sofas while singing, â€Å"I like you- I like you- I love you-I like you†. Subhaan follows Ayesha jumping behind her while repeating what Ayesha is singing. Ayesha comes down from the sofa and starts dancing and singing on the floor. Subhaan stands on the sofa leaning slightly on the wall behind to watch what ayesha was doing next and then runs off to his mother sitting on the chair. Mother looks up at ayesha and says, † Ayesha take him up and change, I’m coming†. Subhaan walks towards the door and waits there for Ayesha but notices ayesha avoid her mothers orders, instead shows off a paper sailboat to her aunt. Aunt smiles and replies, â€Å"Thats nice! come on lets go upstairs now.† Subhaan watches as ayesha ends her play by bowing down t o the audience and says, † Thank you for listening to my song†. Subhaan grabs their attention by walking up to his aunt and saying, † I want something from upstairs, come†. He then open the door and runs off towards the stairs as his Aunt and Ayesha followed him. Subhaan stopped at the entrance of the room to look upto the light switch but Ayesha pushes him gently to push the button on herself. At the same moment he says, â€Å"Put the lights on† and when the light switches on he expresses by saying, â€Å"Ahhhh, yes†. He then walks towards the end of his bed while Ayesha invites their aunt in bowing down once again to say, † Happy†¦..umm happy gentlemen and, and ladies. Subhaan stands in the corner and looks at her carefully. At this time the observation came to its end at 8:25 pm. Evaluation: During the 25 minute observation Subhaan (3:6) showed almost continuous play activity demonstrating his physical development and fine motor skills like a typical child of his age. For the most part Subhaan was happy playing by himself showing both physical and imaginative skills in solitary play. According to Parten ‘Solitary Play’ (Hughes, 1991) is when a child plays by himself. Often in this form of play children develop play and activities generating from their imagination as children in the pre-operational stage have vast imagination that helps them revise, repeat or practise their knowledge and skills into a playful activity (Sheridan, 1997). As I observe Subhaan invest time and energy in play I can see him learn and develop concepts about movement, noises and skills. Most of the time Subhaan was involved in ‘Locomotor Play’, including exercise play (e.g bouncing, running, etc) (Hughes, 1991). His ability to be engaged in continous exercise play supports the muscular and motor development of children his age as they are able to move freely with pleasure and confidence in a range of ways ( L.Dryden et al, 2007).For example, Subhaan sits with his feet up on the seat and elevates himself by sitting on his knees and bouncing up and down and moving from side to side during his meal. â€Å"The rocking, bouncing, hanging upside-down, skipping and hopping with which young children often express their excitement and enthusiasm- stimulates the brain and has a role to play in its development† ( Elliot(1991) in L.Dryden, 2007). For children 2 to 4 years of age, Field (1994) reports physical activity play accounting for 10% of all day-care behaviour. Children his age also run skilfully and negotiate space successfully adjusting their speed or direction to avoid obstacles (L.Dryden et al, 2007). This was identified when in later part of the observation Subhaan followed his sister running up and down the sofa. He was seen carefully balancing himself and slowing down while negotiating space to pass by when he would face an intersection from his sister coming from the opposite direction in a narrow space to cross. At an another occasion I observed Subhaan’s the moving and handling skills similar to children his age when he jumps of the chair and land appropriately balanced on his two feet. Subhaan attempts to sit on the chair with his back towards the dining table folding his legs against the back of the chair. At this time he attempts to rock the chair and succeeds to balance the chair while sitting backwards. Once he has attempted and achieved the action two to three times,he no longer felt the need or urge to perform it again. Bateson’s (1976) view of such play is â€Å"scaffolding†: Play functions in skill assembly, and then is disassembled when the skill is mastered. This could also be relevant to the observation. In the initial part of the meal Subhaan used his right hand fingers to stabilise the straw so that he could put it in his mouth; however towards the end of the meal he manages to place the straw in his mouth and drink without using his hand and fingers to touch the cup or straw. Therefore the initial play helped Subhaan gain more control of his activity and action once its assembled. I also observed exercise play affect Subhaan’s cognitive performance as it lead to heightened arousal and hyper-activity as he experiments with different ways of moving. Without a break Subhaan was rocking, bouncing, looking under the table, peeking into the boxes. According to the â€Å"In-verted-U hypothesis (Easterbrook, 1959) moderate levels of arousal lead to better performance than highly increased arousals that may lead to narrowing of attention to the core tasks. In Subhaan’s case this can be eating and finishing his meal. However I observed that by breaking up cognitive tasks while exercise play, Subhaan found the specifically playfully nature of the break to be considered more important than the meal, table conversation or any other activity that was taking place around him. The effects on his cognitive behaviour mediated by breaks and enhanced attention seemed to depend on enhanced feelings of mastery, well-being, after exercise play. This was noticed when every time Subhaan would master a movement he would return to his meal and find satisfaction and interest in eating once again. On the other hand Subhaan also showed interest in play with sounds as he slaps the walls beside him a few times to register the noise/sound it made (L.Dryden, 2007). There was some evidence of ‘Symbolic Play’ (Piaget in Macleod-Brudenell & Kay, 2008) when Subhaan uses the paper cup as a microphone when he puts it over his mouth and then later as a pretend telescope when he places it on on of his eyes and scans the room around him from left to right. Apart from these observation I also noticed another very common attribute in Subhaan of children his age. He likes to get attention and often he made a loud sound or noise to attract an adult’s attention when he feels neglected. For example when he shouts, â€Å"Tadaaaa† or at other occasion he would resort to calling his mother a few times until she listens or approach an adult physically to grab their attention by touch; such as Subhaan approaching his aunt to convince her to go upstairs by saying, â€Å"I want something from upstairs†.However in a different time and setting , for example at the dining table during the meal, Subhaan showed the ability to distract himself when neglected or upset by engaing in new play activity (Lindon, 1996) I would conclude by saying that Subhaan is showing typical normative motor skills and level of play even if some behaviour towards the adults can be interruptive, it might be a way to seek attention or an attempt to engage in interactive form of play.