Cold Equations

1. ) What does the pilot want? To save the girl. 2. ) Is the pilot likely to succeed? Most likely not because by doing so he would kill others. 3. )What does the sister want? She wants to live. 4. ) Is the sister likely to succeed? I doubt it cause of there being a law and there seems theers no other way then her diying. 5. ) What does the government want? For the girl to be thrown off the ship. 6. ) Is the government likely to succeed? I belive so. 7. ) What should happen? The girl should be saved. 8. ) What will happen? The girl will most likely die. 9. )Is the pilot a â€Å"good† person or a â€Å"bad† person?Explain. The pio;t is a good person because he truly wants to save the girl but under the surcanstances he knows he can’t. 10. ) Is the sister a â€Å"good† person or a â€Å"bad† person? Explain. The sister is a good person because over all she didn’t mean to have all this happen to her she was just innocent to the knowlage of the la w. 11. ) Is the government â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad†? Explain. It is good it is just doing what it has to do . 12. ) What does the title refer to? It mearns that all the math is saying that he girl must die even though its not very just. 13. ) Is this story scary? Sad? Funny? Something else? Explain.I think it is sasd because of a iniocent girl having to die. 14. ) What does the author want me to think or feel? I geuss sad. 15. ) What is the central idea of this story? That this girl is a stole away but theres not enough fuel to carry them all safely so they must throw here overboard even it its not very humanly . 16. ) What might different people do in this situation? Mabey if it was a different pilot he would have already thrown her into spaceor mabey found away to save her. If it was a different girl she may have just accepted what she did an go overboared or she could have found away to save herself.

Philosophy: Course Summative Assignment

Inspiration Project It Is your objective to apply three (3) of the philosophical theories studied In class to a number of songs and make a presentation to the class, which Illustrates some of your Insights. Step One: Find Three (3) Songs Think of some of your favorite songs. See If the lyrics to any of your favorite songs reflect some of theories that we studied In class. Remember, our units of study In this course Include: Human Nature, Metaphysic, Ethics, Epistemology, Social and Political Philosophy. Step Two: Apply the Theories to the SongsOnce you have picked your three songs, apply the theories from class to the songs. Make point form notes that clearly link the theories to the songs. You may apply more than one theory to each song but you must have at least 3 different theories in total, at least one per song. Step Three: Conference With Your Teacher Arrange a ‘Culminating Task Conference' with your teacher at which you will present: A point form summary of your song cho ices, showing which theories you plan to use for each song. Lyrics to your 3 songs. An explanation of which song you plan to present to the class (see below).Step Four: Prepare a Report using the point form notes as your guide, write a 1000-word (more or less) report that illustrates how your chosen philosophical theories are reflected in the songs. Your report will include an analysis of each song and an application of at least one theory per song. Your report will work best if you present the lyrics and analysis to one song together before moving on to the next song. Please include references and a resource list. Step Five: Present a Song using a program like Powering, make a presentation that brings ONE of your chosen songs to life. Inning your song as the background music, make a video presentation using photos and the song lyrics to Inspire your viewers. Make sure your video presentation reflects the philosophical view that you feel Is present In the song. Due Dates: Conference : Written Analysis: prevention: Philosophy: Course Assumptive Assignment By plaza It is your objective to apply three (3) of the philosophical theories studied in class to a number of songs and make a presentation to the class, which illustrates some of your insights. Think of some of your favorite songs.See if the lyrics to any of your favorite songs fleet some of theories that we studied in class. Remember, our units of study in this course include: Human Nature, Metaphysic, Ethics, Epistemology, Social and Political Using the point form notes as your guide, write a 1000-word (more or less) report that Using a program like Powering, make a presentation that brings ONE of your chosen songs to life. Using your song as the background music, make a video presentation using photos and the song lyrics to inspire your viewers. Make sure your video presentation reflects the philosophical view that you feel is present in the powerboat/DVD.

Foreign Bodies

When All is Lost, Faith Remains Many people find themselves in a constant struggle of faith. These individuals are often questioning if there is a God, and if there is how does one know. In Hwee Hwee Tan’s novel, Foreign Bodies, there is a struggle of faith in each of the four main characters. Mei and Andy are two of these characters that are able to come to faith in the Christian God after life altering experiences. These experiences have caused each of them to analyze and attack life in different ways.Each of these individuals have been able to overcome a treacherous past, and find faith, hope, desire and justice in their futures through Tan’s novel. Mei’s religious views are consistent throughout the novel, Foreign Bodies. Though she was born into a Confucianism based family, Mei chose at a young age to throw her traditional Singaporean beliefs to the side, and walk in the light of God, with her Uncle Cheong’s guidance, through faith in Christianity. It was a brutal shock to Mei’s grandfather when he finds out she no longer believes in her family’s faith.This conversation arises as Mei’s grandfather is telling her how to reduce her time in hell. â€Å"After I die, you going to feed me or not? † Gong Gong is shocked when Mei replies that she will be unable to. He immediately responds by asking who is responsible for the change in Mei’s beliefs. He is not surprised when she responds with Uncle Cheong. As a child everyone has a hero they look up to. Uncle Cheong is Mei’s hero. â€Å"In my eyes Uncle Cheong could do no wrong. Even his farts smelled like Aramis No. 7.With the heart of Mother Teresa and the body of Tom Cruise, Uncle Cheong was my hero†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mei’s adoration allowed herself to be susceptible to Uncle Chong’s stories and views of God. She loved when he would tell her stories about her newfound savior. A key role in the strengthening of Mei’s faith in G od was due to the incident at Red Hill. Mei has oppressed this tragedy in her memory for many years, and only a few people are aware that it took place. As a four year old, Mei’s father took her to Red Hill to run and play with her lantern. It was the time of year when Mid-autumn was celebrated.At Red Hill, Mei’s father raped her. While this was occurring Mei sent multiple prayers up to her God. â€Å"I used all the prayers I knew, all the prayers Uncle Cheong had taught me. † Mei’s connection with God helped her get through her father raping her. She no longer felt the pain after she started to seek God’s help through prayer. Without the help of God, Mei may not have been able to become the person she is today. It is a miracle that Mei was able to recover physically, emotionally, and most important spiritually from this tragedy.One might have suspected that she would have lost all faith in God, for letting her father hurt her the way he did. This incident proves how strong Mei has faith in God. She has accepted that he will always be there for her, to watch and protect over her, even though it may not be immediately. Mei’s ultimate view of evil is seen through her view of evil being extremely prevalent throughout society. She believes that when someone close to her commits an act of wrong, it is her responsibility as a good Christian to fix their mistakes.This was seen in multiple events throughout the novel. Mei, with the push of her father’s will, believed that her mother is not able to take care of her own finances. Mei took on the burden of regulating her mother’s money, and frequently became frustrated and irritated with the way her mother wants to spend her mother. â€Å"My mother was a sucker for sales. She would go for anything which said ‘Offer ends today. ’ She was the type who would mass-buy toothpicks. † This quote displays the burdens Mei takes on with caring for her moth er.Mei is constantly trying to fix her mother’s life and teach her values that Mei finds important. Mei’s views on evil and religion are very different from Andy’s views of God. At the beginning of the novel Andy’s view of evil directly stems from his belief in the absence of God. Andy wishes to find some sort of proof that there is a God and goodness in the world, and he wants to be able to feel and understand God by himself. He denies the presence of this goodness and God in the beginning of Foreign Bodies by placing his desires into football teams. Too mediocre to ever achieve anything great in life by my own merits, I latched my personal identity onto something which could achieve greatness for me: a football club. † When Andy establishes his stance on religion at this point of the novel he is stating that he wants something great, but he is lost as to what this greatness is. Many individuals would seek a religion to fulfill these desires, but A ndy is content with placing his dreams on a football team. Though Andy in the beginning of the novel considers himself a â€Å"lapsed atheist†, he develops and changes throughout to become the person he eventually intended to be.Andy’s conversion to faith in God was originally not self-motivated. Andy seemed to have an eye for Mei, and Mei did not want a relationship with an individual that had spiritual beliefs different from hers, let alone none at all. After they start dating and Andy enters trail Mei accuses him of having no spiritual beliefs at all. â€Å"You faked it all, pretending to have seen Jesus, giving up gambling. You only said that to trick me into going out with you. † Andy gives no response as Mei’s statement is partially true, but Andy always did have hope that there was something more out there.Andy continuously hinted to the reader that he wanted something more to believe in. He may not have had the same extent of belief in God that Me i does, but she had no right to call him out as a complete non-believer. Though Mei’s push for Andy to find a spiritual safe haven was unsuccessful, the trail that Andy was put on gave him the final push to help him find God. Andy had been put on trial in Singapore for gambling on football games. This action had been legal in England where Andy had lived before his move to Singapore.Even though he was innocent of the charges against him, another individual who had hopes of framing a different man set him up. Once the trail began, and all of his friends had left him to face the charges alone, Andy had no other option, but to turn to God. He was an innocent man that stood no chance of winning his court case. Andy knew that he would be spending the next three years in jail, and he needed something to help pull him through when everyone else abandoned him. This abandonment caused Andy to put his trust and faith into he newfound God. â€Å"He slay me, yet I will trust him. This s tatement made by Andy in a letter to Mei proves that he came to God on his own free will without the help of anyone else. The absence of God that Andy once felt in his life has been removed due to his newfound faith. â€Å"I love God not for what He gives, but for who He is. I love him because He is God. I don’t care how much He hurts me, I will still love him, because no matter what I do to Him, He will still adore me. † The words could never be confessed from a straight atheist. Andy has always had hope and desire that there was some form of good out there for him, it just took longer than expected to find it.Though Mei and Andy are both believers in the Christian God, the experiences and challenges they both overcame to come to faith are extremely different, but still have similarities. Both of these individuals are able to forgive. Forgiveness in the Christian church is a huge belief, as God has forgiven each of us as individuals. Without this learned tool of forgi veness Mei would never have been able to forgive her father, and Andy would not have been able to forgive Mei for abandoning him in his time of urgent need.Mei and Andy’s views in God help define who they were as people, and who they aspire to be. God is ever present in both of their lives, giving them hope to take on the challenges that are waiting to cross their paths in the future. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Tan, Hwee Hwee. Foreign Bodies. (New York: Washington Square Books, 1997), 20. [ 2 ]. Tan, Hwee Hwee. Foreign Bodies. (New York: Washington Square Books, 1997), 21. [ 3 ]. Tan, Hwee Hwee. Foreign Bodies. (New York: Washington Square Books, 1997), 248. 4 ]. Tan, Hwee Hwee. Foreign Bodies. (New York: Washington Square Books, 1997), 149. [ 5 ]. Tan, Hwee Hwee. Foreign Bodies. (New York: Washington Square Books, 1997), 124. [ 6 ]. Tan, Hwee Hwee. Foreign Bodies. (New York: Washington Square Books, 1997), 222. [ 7 ]. Tan, Hwee Hwee. Foreign Bodies. (New York: Washington Square Books, 1997), 45. [ 8 ]. Tan, Hwee Hwee. Foreign Bodies. (New York: Washington Square Books, 1997), 277. [ 9 ]. Tan, Hwee Hwee. Foreign Bodies. (New York: Washington Square Books, 1997), 278.

The use of abstract images in advertising design requirements & impact Essay

The use of abstract images in advertising design requirements & impact - Essay Example Hence, the advertisers are taking keen interest in improving the credibility of their advertisements to attract customer attention and influence their purchase decisions by changing their attitudes and perception of the products through effective advertising. The use of abstract images is significant owing to its manifold benefits. It is used by companies as a part of their cognitive message strategy, affective message strategy, conative message strategy, or brand message strategy. The cognitive message strategy strives to rationalize arguments and promote a unique selling point of the products and dismiss competition by attacking the competitor’s product by influencing direct advertising. Affective message strategy is more inclined towards emotionally targeting the customers and establish a link to its products by facilitating the target audiences to recall their personal experiences which influence them in making the ultimate purchase decision. Conative strategies offer huge discounts and free gifts as a means of attracting their target customers while brand building strategies largely focus on enhancing and elevating the brand image of their products (Masterman, Wood, 2006, Pp.143). Visualization is the key to capturing the early attention of the consumers since it has immense potential of enchanting and mesmerizing the consumer’s psyche which lead to the ultimate purchase decision. This tactic is now been increasingly used by advertisers in both digital as well as print media. In terms of advertising – visualization refers to the interpretation of realistic or abstract images which depict a specific set of data. The abstract advertisers have often embraced the use of highly abstract visual metaphors and symbols in various advertising campaigns to put across their point clearly and diligently. According to Goldman and Montagne, (1986), the advertisers today mostly focus on structuring their advertising campaigns which are built

Ad Agency Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ad Agency - Assignment Example The company experienced high download rates within days after the release of the advertisement. In my own view, it was an excellent program since the customers had the ability to control different aspects of the songs including the volumes, and rhythm. I believe it was a success. Question three: Do you think electronic promotions will eventually overtake traditional marketing like TV, print, etc.? Why or why not? Please use a reasoned approach to your answer. In other words, think of things we have talked about in class throughout the semester and use those concepts to justify your answer. This isnt to be just your opinion but an informed prediction. Answer: Yes, I believe that electronic promotions will eventually overcome traditional marketing such as print and televisions. Social changes such as increase in computer literate consumers and high access to the internet will eventually shift the market to electronic markets. Electronic promotions such as use of You Tube and other social networking platforms overcomes the location barriers associated with traditional marketing channels like print. Many younger people spent more time on the internet whether during work or relaxing like playing online music and reading thus digital markets can reach a large market share of potential

Construction Technology and Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Construction Technology and Innovation - Essay Example This paper explores the various modern forms and types of construction in use in the UK. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of these forms of construction are enumerated for the benefit of the adopters and future adopters of these forms of communication. Modern Building Form Concrete is one of the most important materials used in the construction industry. Hence, many changes in construction forms and types definitely touch on concrete (Egan, 2002). Consequently, the concrete industry has really achieved considerable change in recent times with regards to modern methods of construction (MMC) (Council of Mortgage Lenders, 2013). Although all of these new construction methods have their unique advantages, they are generally beneficial in that they not only reduce construction time but also promote sustainability in structures and the industry at large (Hecker & Weinstein, 2005). Notably, these modern concrete styles help owners and constructors save costs. The first modern t ype of construction used in the UK is the Precast Flat Panel System. In this system, wall and floor units are built in a factory, away from the construction site (Hinze & Haas, 1997). These units are then ferried to construction sites and erected to create the desired structures. One area in which this form of construction is applicable and largely used is in repetitive cellular projects (Pushkar et al., 2005). The panels in this respect could be services, doors, windows, walls or finishes to structures. An example of an application of this form of construction is in the building of envelope panels with factory-fitted insulation and decorative cladding, which also acts as a load-bearing element (Miles, 1985). An advantage of this form of construction is that it offers factory quality and accuracy besides ensuring speed during the erection of units on-site (Gambatese, 2003). The image below shows a crane lifting a precast flat panel at a construction site (Retrieved from http://www.f hwa.dot.gov/hfl/innovator/issue08.cfm). Another modern construction method closely related to the Precast Flat Panel System is the 3D Volumetric Construction. This method, also referred to as modular construction, entails the construction of 3D units in a factory and then transporting them to the construction site (Gianino, 2005). Unlike the Precast Flat Panel System, the 3D Volumetric Construction units or modules may be transported to the site in assembled and finished forms or as basic structures. In other cases, the units are brought with internal and external finishes and services installed (Kitson, 2013). In such a case, all that is done on-site is the assembling of these units to form the desired structure. Being based on factory, conditions, this method of construction has the advantage of creating service-intensive structures, characterized by high-level replication. In addition, this method allows for the rapid assembly of units on-site (Atkinson, 2008). Consequent to thes e advantages, this method is highly desirable for urgent projects. Its other benefits are inherent in the use of concrete and include thermal mass, fire resistance and sound resistance. It also offers speed in on-site erection in addition to factory quality and accuracy (Hegazy, 2002). The image below illustrates a building being constructed using the 3D Volumetric construction meth

Unit 2 class activity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 2 class activity - Assignment Example Recognizing the way that the Islamic traders that came to China and bought and sold goods along the Silk Road had expertise with astronomy, the Chinese commissioned some of these Islamic craftsmen and scholars to help build the first Chinese clocks. Just as the Islamic groups before them had done, the Chinese used these first clocks primarily for astrological and astronomical purposes instead of telling time. Europe was introduced to the clock during the Muslim conquest of Southern Europe during the early part of the early Dark Ages. As with most forms of cultural interaction, Europe sought t improve upon the idea of the clock and soon thereafter began using it to tell time of day. Previously the time of day was told not by clocks but by the position of the sun and or celestial bodies. Such a form of time telling was adequate at times but made increasingly difficult in case of poor weather or visibility. By means of using a clock to tell time, the Europeans were able to industrialize their societies and have a solid base for arrangements and organization of the nations and peoples One of the biggest ways that the mechanical clock affected the United States was by way of navigation and discovery. Early navigation, like time telling, took place through visual confirmation of the sun moon and stars. However, such a method was not practical and led to many errors in judgment. Soon other forms of navigation were produced to include the sextant. However, one of the most useful was the use of navigation equipment that also utilized the time. The way that early mariners would do this was by having two clocks and a sextant. The first clock would tell them what time of day it was back home (in London or elsewhere) and the second they would use and set based upon their latitude. In this way, they could practically pin-point their location on the map as they navigated; helping them in finding their way back

Minnisota V Riff Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Minnisota V Riff - Case Study Example The defendant then left the store at about 12.20 a.m. He discarded the hammer in the side alley between Marquette's Market and Art Own's Hardware. There are witnesses to prove that he ran home and also when he discarded the money bag and dropped $2 of the money. He used the money to purchase a guitar. There was a Canadian $5 bill purported to have been stolen from Marquette's Market. The defendant was arrested the day after by Officer Schield at 3.30 p.m. on the ground that he broken into, entered, and burglarized Marquette's Market. The Defense's case is that the defendant, Ronald Riff, won over $900.00 in a poker game between 8.30 p.m. and 12.00 a.m. of the night of the alleged burglary. There are witnesses to prove that Riff won a great deal of money, including the Canadian five dollar bill found in Riff's person. Riff borrowed a tan cloth money bag from Red's Pleasure Palace to put his winnings into. He took the hammer from Rusty Fender's to protect himself and his money. He never stopped by Marquette's Market, but he did toss away the hammer at the point as he ran home. Riff had no motive to steal from Marquette's Market as he had won enough to pay off his debts to Vibes and buy a new guitar. The prosecution has proved that the defendant, Ronald Riff, is guilty of stealing $910 from Marquette's Market after breaking into the store. There is no doubt about Riff's involvement in the crime.

United States involvement in Vietnam War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

United States involvement in Vietnam War - Essay Example e issue of the country’s involvement in wars is usually an emotive one, which usually divides the country into two groups with one group supporting the war while the other group opposes the war. The opponents identify the loss of life, exhaustion of the country’s economic resources and unethical practices by some US troops as the main reason of opposing any war. On the other hand, the other group identifies with the country’s involvement in wars as important since the country, as a super power, has a right to establish order and world security, which is essential for the safety of the country. However, the two groups agree that the country’s interest should be instrumental although they only differ on the approaches to use in achieving the interests of the country. This is the case with the United States involvement in the Vietnam War documented in thousands of literature material, which still stirs up emotions and differences of opinions to date. Focusing on the Vietnam War, this expose elucidates on the United States involvement in the war. First, it is important to explicate the build-up to the circumstances that lead to the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. Prior to the United States involvement in the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese were under French rule both before and after the World War 2. Before the Second World War, France occupied Vietnam and colonized the country in a similar way to other Western powers that had colonies in other places. However, France was ceding ground to the Germans and effectively diverted its attention from some of its colonies, like Vietnam, and focused its attention to protect its country. In effect, the Japanese occupied Vietnam after driving out the French although the Vietnamese subsequently defeated the Japanese with Ho Chi Minh declaring the country’s independence in 1945 under the name Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) with the assistance of US soldiers. In effect, this was the first significant

School Life Essay Example for Free

School Life Essay Then BOOM my alarm clock goes off to wake my brother and I up to get ready for school, but this was all put to the side by our mother coming in to the room telling us that she would have to work a few extra hours. Wake your but up! Is what I yelled to my brother as I had always did he consistently showed himself to be the lazy one who would just breeze through life without a care in the world. He replied back with the bad morning breath, â€Å"Leave, me, alone its only 6:30 school doesn’t start until 7:30. Me as usual I got up pulled him out of bed until he hit the floor then started my routine to get ready for the day’s events. Oh yeah my name is Gerard by the way. I carried myself across the dimly lit hall towards the bathroom. As I flicked on the light switch, I first noticed this hair pick still stuck in the side of my head. I immediately grabbed it and started to fix my hair. As I stand in front of the mirror looking back at my own reflection, wondering why, does school start this early in the morning, I grabbed the toothbrush and toothpaste and began to a make it happen. My brother’s name is Joel, and he could care less of his appearance, because he always thought that he was God’s gift to the ladies. Most of his attire consisted of whatever he felt like grabbing out of the closet or the first thing he could get his hands on. He didn’t care if he was all wrinkled, his excuse was that they’ll be gone throughout the day plus now one would notice them anyway because that’s how he rolled. You would have thought that he just came from summer camp playing rugby with a few of his friends before school started. As he came into the bathroom besides me to wash up and get ready, I could always here him saying thanks for getting me up too, knowing that being the older sibling I couldn’t just let him be late for school besides our mother would have killed me. As I look at the clock I notice that we are right on schedule, its 7:00 and time to wake my sister Latoya, she’s in middle school and does not experience the rush that my brother and I go thru being that the two of us share a room and sometimes wrestle to get around to what we need to be done. The time is now 7:10, and it’s time for us to leave the house headed for school since we live only a quarter of a mile away from the school we can pretty much toss a couple of rocks a few times and we’re there. The only downside is that sometimes we get too complacent living so close to the school that we end up thinking there’s more time and end up cutting it close to getting to class on time or worse being late and end up with detention. As we get to school they are still selling breakfast its usually something simple like garlic cheesy bread or the cinnamon sugar rolls that are so delicious. But we cannot stand in line and enjoy them today because the first school bell rings and that signifies things need to get closed out and you need to put your thinking caps on. As we exited the cafeteria it was 7:25 and the start of the school day and the final bell rings at 1:50. Joel and I always knew that we would see each other at our lunch period odd as it seems I was a senior and he was a sophomore, but hey, that’s how the schedules came out. We couldn’t control the outcomes of what we wanted to do we could always find some sort of time to throw a wise crack at one another.

Reward systems at heritage le telfair

Reward systems at heritage le telfair Tourism industry is a heavy dependent of human interaction, including employees (Baum, 1993; Davidson, 2003). Go et al., (1996) argue that the of products or experiences quality relies on competent, committed, and satisfied hospitality staff. Subsequently, numerous studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction (Schmitt and Allscheid, 1995; Schneider et al., 1998; Ulrich, et al., 1991; Wiley, 1991) cited in Jing and Avery (2008). Hence, to ensure job satisfaction the appropriate reward mechanism needs to be adopted (Danish and Usman, 2010; Bai et al., 2006). Rewards play an important role in organizations today: they influence a variety of work-related behaviour (Eastaugh, 2002; Helmer et al., 1988) and as well as the motivation of employees (Nayeri et al, 2005). Reward can be defined as the benefit derived from performing a task, rendering a service or discharging a responsibility (Pitts, 1995; Silbert, 2005). Thus, this conceptual analysis aims at reviewing clear definitions of reward systems (Lawler, 1993; Herzberg, 1966) and its structure (Bartol and Srivastava, 2002). Light will also be shed on the development of reward systems by Zhou et al., (2009), its objectives by Lawler (1993), and the total reward system (Armstrong, 2006). Furthermore, the literature sets out the prominent reward practices of the hospitality industry argued by a myriad of authors, lists the tools to determine reward effectiveness (e-reward, 2009) and finally analyse the perceptions of managers and employees on rewards by Nelson, 2003; Perkins, 2007, among oth ers. 2.1 REWARD SYSTEMS Reward Systems are a critical part of any organisations design. The way in which they fit with its other systems will determine the latters effectiveness and the quality of life of its employees (Lawler 1993, p.2). Reward systems refer to the intrinsic and extrinsic benefits that workers receive from their jobs (Herzberg 1966; Katz and Van Mannan, 1977). Moreover, Byars and Rue (1997) define reward systems as being all the returns employees receive as a result of the employment by their organization, monetary as well as non-monetary. In contrast, Armstrong, (2006) incorporates the element of effective reward management in order to benefit both people and organisation in his definition. 2.1.1 STRUCTURE AND COMPONENTS OF REWARD SYSTEMS According to Bartol and Srivastava, (2002) and Grawitch et al., (2007, p.3), rewards could range from: Monetary and; Non-monetary incentives In addition further research by De Cenzo et al. (1996) has been agreed by Bartol and Srivastava, (2002) on the categorisation of rewards as being intrinsic and extrinsic (depicted in figure 2.1.1). Figure 2.1.1: Reward Structure-Source: De Cenzo et al., 1996 2.2 DEVELOPMENT OF REWARD SYSTEMS Attesting that reward development has experienced five phases, Zhou et al (2009) summed up the relevant records in table 2.2a. Table 2.2a: The Five Phases of Reward-Source: Zhou et al, 2009 To provide a historical glimpse, another version on the development of reward systems-figure 2.2b-has been compiled from Shermon, 2004; World at work, 2007; AWLP, 2006. Figure 2.2b: Brief Overview the Evolution of Reward Systems Source: Adapted from Shermon, 2004, World at work, 2007, and AWLP, 2006 2.3 OBJECTIVES OF REWARD SYSTEMS Every hospitality industry employer wants to recoup back investment on its employees (Glenn, 2006). Traditionally, the purpose of reward systems is to monetarily reward desirable behaviour (Bartol and Srivastava 2002; Rajagopalan and Finkelstein 1992). But, further research suggests that there are other objectives which potentially can impact organization effectiveness (Lawler, 1993). 1. Attraction and Retention Enz (2009) affirms that attraction and retention are among the main HR areas of concern in the hospitality industry. A firms reward system can influence employees desire to stay in the company-as demonstrated by Bamberger and Meshoulam, 2000 and MacDuffie, 1995. Similarly, Gerhart and Milkovich, (1992) are convinced that organisations which give the most rewards tend to attract and retain most people. However, owing to its poor image in terms of remuneration and working conditions (Baum, 2007; Kusluvan and Kusluvan, 2000), the hospitality sector has lost its ability to attract and retain skilled staff compared to other sectors (Christensen Hughes, 2002; Lucas and Jeffries, 1991; Barron, 2008). On a serious note Terry and Lam (2000) cited in Chellen and Nunkoo (2010) warns that if hotels want to survive in todays highly competitive arena, they earnestly need to attract and retain quality employees. Though not being a panacea, to facilitate organisational commitment to employees has be en the idea proposed by Dawson and Abbott (2009) with the aim of a positive relationship with attraction and retention of these employees 2. Motivation of Performance Wagner (1990) claims that a primary concern in the design of reward systems is how well the plan will work in motivating employees. Responding to this, the works of Gerhart and Milkovich, 1992; Lawler, 1971, 1990; Bamberger and Meshoulam, 2000, MacDuffie, 1995 have proved that reward systems have been demonstrated to motivate performance under certain specifiable conditions. Simons and Enz (1995) research translated that hotel employees viewed bonuses associated to guest-satisfaction scores as an opportunity for motivation. Affirmatively, Torrington et al, (2009, p. 162) and Rabey (2000) allege that expectancy theorys advocates and behavioural sciences believe that employees will work harder if rewards are attached. Nonetheless, (Luthans and stajkovik, 1999) contest that there are a few who challenges the above perspectives. Such a scholar is Kohn, (1993), who concur that any incentive system makes people less enthusiastic, hence, less committed to excellence to their work. Notwithst anding with the above views, Chopin et al., (1995) have found that compensation depends on firm size and performance 3. Skills and Knowledge Just as reward systems can motivate performance they can motivate skill development by tying rewards to it (Lawler, 1996b). Jamison and OMara, 1991 and Pfeffer, 1998 explain that healthy work programmes are those which provide employees with the opportunity to increase and apply their knowledge and skills to different situations. Indeed, Kilik and Okumus (2005) ascertained that education and training were associated with productivity in hotels. Also, there has proved to be a positive relationship between training and employee retention, as reported by Dearden et al. (1996); Umiker (1994); and Blundell et al., (1996). However, being reputed for its high labour turnover culture (Denvir and McMahon, 1992; Deery, 1999; Tracey and Hinkin, 2006; Pizam and Thornburg, 2000; Rowley and Purcell, 2001; Lo and Lamm, 2005), the hospitality industry faces a lot of educational investment loss when training was provided to those leaving employees (Kang and Gould, 2002, Iverson and Deery, 1997; Rowle y and Purcell, 2001; Jenkins, 2001). 4. Culture Kerr and Slocum (2005) are among the advocates of the approach that the reward system can be a powerful means for influencing an organisations corporate culture. This is because of their important influence on communication, motivation, satisfaction, and membership (Lawler, 1998). Going a step further and in accordance with Brewster (1995); Bellenger et al, (1984); MilikiĆ¡ (2007); and Nacinovic et al., (2010), Lawler (1998) suggests that pay systems can help to change culture. As a deduction, Bauer and Erdogan (2009) admit that which behaviours are rewarded and punished determine the progression of a companys culture. Tracey and Hinkin (2000); and Davies et al., (2001) propose that increased wages and improved management practices such as increase staff motivation, commitment, flexibility and the quality of employees within an organisation could be efficient tools to remedy for the labour turnover culture in the hotel industry. However, Buultjens et al., (2007) emphasise o n the fact that hospitality businesses should adopt a more strategic approach to reward and monitor its effectiveness. 2.4 THE TOTAL REWARD SYSTEM The time when reward was only about cash and when people worked only for money, has nearly reached, if not yet, its extinction (Thompson, 2002; Phonsanam, 2010; Silverman, 2003; Schuster and Zingheim, 2000). Gao (2009) states that hoteliers have shifted from traditional to total reward systems. Simply defined, Total Rewards are the monetary and non-monetary return provided to employees in exchange for their time, efforts and results (Worldatwork, 2007). Alternatively, Zingheim and Schuster (2000) suggest that the new concept of total rewards comprise four total reward components as depicted in figure 2.4a. Figure 2.4a: Total Rewards-Source: Zingheim and Schuster, 2000 For the purpose of this study, the below model has been derived from the extensive list of total rewards provided by Worldatwork (2007) (Find in Appendix) which will be used to categorise Heritage Le Telfair Golf and Spa Resorts reward model. Figure 2.4b: TOTAL REWARD MODEL Source: Adapted from: Total Rewards: Different things to different employers Worldatwork (2007) A summary of the components found in the TR system with specific reference to the hospitality industry brought the classification of some points (Refer to Appendix B) The justification to adopt a total reward approach might be because it improves job satisfaction, work efficiencies, job performances, psychological contract and organizational citizenship behaviours (Zhou et al., 2009). Pessimistically, Kantor and Kao (2004) attributes to HR professionals of feeling confused or sensing chaos regarding TR thus contributing to the poor, complex and risky development and execution of TR (Thompson, 2002) leading to counter productivity and resource wastage (Albertson, 2000). Ergo, an advice would be that all pay components should be aligned complementarily and that the TR strategy should be derived from business strategy and, most importantly, be communicated to all employees, (Lyons and Ben-Ora, 2002; Gilbert and Cornish, 2005). 2.5 REWARD PRACTICES IN THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR 2.5.1. MYTH OR REALITY? Stereotype thinking has been revealed to be that the tourism and hospitality sector offers low pay, very little training and career prospects, limited scope for promotion, and unsociable working hours (WTTC, 2002a; HTF, 2000; Walmsley, 2004). Nickson (2007) also narrates the same facts but he associates this situation to the endemicity of unskilled or semi-skilled employees in the hospitality sector. 2.5.1.1 Low Pay Recurring evidence shows that that the compensation of regular employees of the hospitality is averagely lower comparatively to other sectors (Deery and Shaw, 1999; Hoel and Einarsen 2003; ABS, 2006a; Baum, 2007; Lucas and Jeffries, 1991; Tracey and Hinkin, 2000;; Worcester, 1999). However, hotels and restaurant recruiters are reporting that subject to the growth of the industry employers are increasingly offering attractive recruitment packages to attract the right staff (Wilson, 1999; HCIMA, 2010). Furthermore, wages in hospitality is on a rising trend owing to an increase in minimum wage (Clarke and Chen, 2007; McManus et al., 2011). Yet, Baram (2008) reports that minimum wage raise is not enough to survive in a high cost of living economy. 2.5.1.2 Unsociable Working Hours The hospitality sector requires employees to work relatively long hours (Pratten, 2003; Baum et al., 1997; Kelley-Patterson and George, 2001; OLeary and Deegan, 2005; Wallace, 2003; Lo and Lamm, 2005; Baum, 2006; Karatepe and Uludog, 2007 and Wong and Ko, 2009; Birdir, 2002) which deter a good work life balance. Further contributing to the black list, this sector is also associated to high-burn out service jobs (Maxwell; Faulkner and Patiar, 1997). Astonishingly, we have not come across any studies which sing the praises of working hours in the hospitality sector. It can thus be deduced that the hospitality workplace will fit only those who love the job environment and working night shifts that Barrons et al., 2007 study concluded. 2.5.1.3 Limited Training The EFILWC (2004) and STB (2002) stress that training is viewed as interesting by both employers and employees but is not the priority due to time and money constraint. Jameson, 2000; Dawson, 2006; Roberts 1995; Pratten, 2003; Lucas, 2002; Maxwell et al., 2004; Choe and Dickson, 2010 and Cairncross and Buultjens, 2007 also ratify the lack of investment in training. Indeed, Sigala et al., (2001) and Lashley and Best (2002) affiliate this with the high labour turnover in the industry. Howbeit, employers who admit that employee training has become preponderant for hotels, gain from improved service quality, decreased labour costs, increased productivity and profitability, high retention (Kim, 2006). Such companies are Ritz Carlton which provides its employees with 200 hours of training each year (Snell and Bohlander, 2010), Choice Hotels International, Coastal Hotel Group, Four Seasons Regent Hotels and Resorts, and Disneys Polynesian Resort (Enz and Siguaw, 2000). 2.5.1.4 Limited scope for promotion and career prospects In accordance with Getz, 1994; Hjalager and Andersen, 2001 and Page et al., 2001, Walmsleys (2004) exact words for tourism jobs are lacking in a clear career structure. Furthermore, various studies have shown that the hospitality sector is not a career option but rather a refuge sector. (Szivas and Riley, 1999; Riley et al., 2002; Wildes, 2007). Wright and Pollert (2006) also talk about an inhibitation of promotion of employees in hotels. Though, Hai-yans and Baums (2006) survey findings revealed that a majority of 68.1% envisage their future within the hotel sector, the other facet of the research is that nearly half of the staff feel uncertain about their hotel career and whine about promotion opportunities. Regardless of the above, Visit Scotland/George Street Research, (2002) and Wilson (1999) found that careers in the industry were in fact considered challenging and interesting. 2.5.2 FINANCIAL REWARDS Financial reward are rewards that enhance directly the financial well-being of the employee Chelladurai, (2006) and consists of base and variable pay, employee benefits and allowances (Armstrong, 2002). In an effort to develop a comprehensive understanding of the remuneration in the hotel sector, Mars and Mitchell (1974, p.27) and Wood (1994, 1997) suggested that payment to hotel employees from the perspective of a total payment system is comprised of basic pay ,subsidized food and lodging, tips, fiddles and knock offs. Base pay Base pay is a crucial component of any individuals total pay, and is used as a tool by many employers to attract talent (Sturman, 2006; Walker and Miller, 2008; Saks et al., 1996). Basic pay is the rate of pay which notionally reflects the market value for a job in an organisation (Heery and Noon, 2001). By far, many studies discerned that wages were preponderant and powerful motivational factors among hospitality employees (Simons and Enz 1995; Griffin and Moorhead, 2009; Blinder, 1990; Lawler, 1991e). Nevertheless, as Milkovich and Newman, 1990 expressed, pay is only one attribute among many others in attracting candidates. Pay for Performance Plans Most hospitality businesses are currently using some form of pay-for-performance compensation (Berman, 2010). Pay for performance has often been viewed as a norm of distributive justice by Campbell et al., (1998). UNISON (2001) highlights that the most common types of performance pay are piecework, payment by result, organisation wide incentives, merit pay, performance- related pay, competence based pay, profit related pay. When pay advancement is based upon an assessment of individual performance, against pre-established objectives, it can be referred to as performance related pay (Egan, 2010; Tanke, 2000). Nonetheless, when employees receive permanent pay increases based upon individual performance assessments, this can be referred to as merit pay (Heneman and Werner, 2005; Park and Sturman, 2009). Indeed, research evidence clearly supports that pay-for-performance plans have been found to help achieve desired results, at both the individual level (Bonner and Sprinkle, 2002; Gerhart and Milkovich, 1990; Heneman and Werner, 2005; Lawler, 1971, 1981; 1992; Schwab and Olson, 1990) and organizational level (Gerhart and Milkovich, 1990; Gomez-Mejia and Welbourne, 1988; Lawler, 1981). In contrast Hayes and Ninemeier (2009) avow that hospitality managers disagree that pay should be linked to individual performance as this has proved unbeneficial to teamwork. Many other counteracting studies divulged that PFP plans do not always affect performance (Heneman and Werner, 2005; Kahn and Sherer, 1990; Kuvaas, 2006; Pearce et al., 1985; Rynes et al., 2004 and Benson and Brown 2000) and does not really lead to motivation (Marsden and Richardson, 1994; Harris, 2001). Furthermore, PFP has been categorised as being subject to favouritism, personal bias, and deliberate distortion (Pfeffer, 1998; Milkovich and Boudreau, 1991; Campbell et al., 1998) and as an anxiety generator among employees (Bassett, 1994). Thus, the minimum requirement for the proper functioning of PFP should be, as Kessler (1994) says agreeable to employees. Tipping Tipping is a common practice in the hotel industry and is a considerable source of revenue for service employees (Lynn, 2003; Azar, 2004). Lynn (2001) defines tipping as an economic payment that occurs in the context of a commercial exchange thereby encouraging many hotel managers to view it as a useful management tool. Ogbonna and Harris (2002) perceive tipping as an effective way to control employee behaviour and wage cost, and a potential path towards organizational profitability, whilst Lynn (2001) distinguishes tipping as a tool to measure customer satisfaction and servers performance. Also, tips represent an opportunity for workers to supplement low pay level (Wood, 1992). It is commonly believed that there is a relationship between service quality and tip size (Lynn and Graves, 1996; Conlin et al., 2003). However, empirical research examining this relationship found it to be insignificant (Lynn and Graves, 1996; Lynn and McCall, 2000; Lynn 2001; Azar, 2003a). As such, tipping is an investment for future good service and deters reduced attention (Pearson, 2010; Bodvarsson and Gibson, 1999; Lynn and Withiam, 2008; Lynn and Thomas-Haysbert, 2003). Azar (2007b) strictly disputes this and notes that future service is not dependent on tipping. Consequently, Casey (2008) warns service managers not to count on tipping to motivate staff to provide good service as researchers have found tipping negatively effects employee commitment. Withal, Wood (1992); Lucas, (1996); and Shamir, (1983) criticise this practice as research has demonstrated that tipping can bring perturbation, increase competition and individualism, and overdependence on customers among workers at the workplace. Williams et al. (2004) identified that the collection and distribution of tips method was also customary by managers. 2.6 NON-FINANCIAL REWARDS FOR EMPLOYEES Direct financial rewards albeit play a central role in the attraction of talented employees, it has been proved that they trail only a short-term impact on employees motivational levels (Ellis and Pennington, 2004; Samodien, 2004). This is where non-financial reward programs come in handy. They are in fact tied to the quantity and quality of individual performance to generate greatest impact on improving overall business value (Stolovitch et al., 2002). Non financial rewards, according to De cenzo and Robbins, (1994, p.413), emphasise on making life easier on the job more attractive. According to Armstrong (2002) it includes of recognition, achievement and responsibility. Non-Financial Recognition (NFR) I can live for two months on a good compliment. Mark Twain According to Moody (2008, p. 277), non-financial compensation is defined as satisfaction that a person receives from the job itself or from the psychological and/or physical environment in which the person works. Recognition forms an indispensible part of the total reward system of a company (Dessler, 2009; Human Capital Institute, 2009). Recognition typically relates to formally recognising employees accomplishment to strengthen employee loyalty, intrinsic motivation and productivity (Aamodt 2007; Dessler 2009; Marchington and Wilkinson 2008; Blum and Tremarco, 2008). Liu (2010) expresses that NFR can convey the message on the type of performance that the organisation expects from them to other employees Silverman (2004) and Human Capital Institute (2009) clarify that the NFR schemes may vary from informal to formal structures (See figure 2.6.3 a) Figure 2.6a: A dissection of Non-financial Recognition Schuster and Zingheim (2000) categorise recognition as being verbal, written, work related, social, symbolic, tangible, and financial. According to an employee recognition survey carried out in 2002, 84 percent of the responding 391 companies had the following forms of recognition: Note: Total adds more to 100% because respondents were asked to indicate all that apply. Gift Certificates 63% Other 31% Cash 58% Watches 28% Office accessories 41% Electronics 24% Jewellery 40% Travel 14% Household items 35% Debit cards 6% Table 2.6b: Employee Recognition survey Findings-Source: Compensation and Benefits Report, 2003 Some authors highlight the essential nature of employee recognition as a vector of motivation (Dutton 1998; Appelbaum and Kamal 2000; Saunderson 2004; Grawitch et al., 2006), identity (Dejours, 1993), component of meaningful work (Mow, 1987; Morin, 2001) and company success (Ford and Fina, 2006; Armstrong and Brown 2006; Cilmi 2005; Schuster and Zingheim, 2000). In fact, a lack of recognition embodies the second-largest risk factor for psychical anxiety at work (Brun and Biron et al., 2003) and to high turnover in hospitality industry (Raleigh, 1998). Surprisingly, Nelson (1998) reports that employee recognition might not be beneficial when it becomes annoying to others who have to hear the continuous praises of their colleagues. Moreover, it has been found that traditional forms of recognition such as Achievement Awards, Cash Substitutes, Nominal Gifts or Food, and Public Perks have diminished in importance for most of todays employees (Nelson, 2004). Results from various studies ha ve indicated that indicate that wage increases and cash incentives are important motivational rewards for lower-level employees (Hong et al,. 1995; Arnolds and Venter, 2007). Thus, managers should bear in mind that recognition might not always be appropriate for everybody. Fiddles and Knock-offs Although recruitment, retention, and understaffing issues in hospitality are well documented (Baum, 2002; Brien, 2004; Choi et al., 2000; Gustafson, 2002; Jameson, 2000), there is poor literature dedicated to the issue of fiddles and knock-offs (Jones and Groenenboom, 2002). In addition to tips, some hotel and catering workers might also benefit from Fiddles and Knock-offs (Wood, 1992). Fiddles refers to pilferage that goes on in hotels. Whilst knock-offs is a particular form of fiddle involving the purloining of (usually) small items such as soap and towels, but mostly consisting of stealing food (Mars, 1973; Mars and Nicod 1981). In accordance with Mars and Mitchell (1976) and Nickson (2007) who establish that fiddles and knock-offs are in fact institutionalised in hotels whereby management collude on allowing to a certain extent this practice, Gill et al. (2002) have also stated that small-scale theft of hotel property are tolerated as a form of shrinkage. The reasoning behind mig ht be explained by Hollinger and Clark (1983) who found that employer retraction against theft was inversely related to theft. Despite that, agreement is widespread that theft in the workplace is a serious problem (Greenberg, 2002, Weber et al., 2003) and has proved costly for businesses (McClurg, 2006). Hence, the challenge lies in managements concern in setting parameters beyond which pilferage will not be tolerated (Mars and Mitchell, 1976). Fringe Benefits Heneman and Schwab (1985) defined benefits as indirect pay or payment for time not worked such as health care, retirement account, and insurance. Benefits account for a big portion of the reward package, and employees recognise them as an integral part of their reward package (Gross and Friedman, 2004; Williams et al., 2007). In its simplest forms benefits may include: breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks, that the employees and their families can have (Rubis, 2004), free cab rides home after certain times (Oldfield and ODonovan, 2001). Namasivayam and Zhao. (2007) apprised that benefits should be offered to all employees as they found out that benefits had greater positive effects on motivation, retention and job satisfaction on non-managerial employees. Considering the lack of academic research in the field of employee benefits in the hospitality industry, information on employee benefits at three international hotels has been gathered from their respective websites in the table 2.6c. Conversely, Hansen (2005) recur that the cost of employee benefits in the united states is killing profitability for whole sectors. Because of such costs, organisations are increasingly implementing cost containment strategies to lower labour expenses (Lucero and Allen, 1994). The same authors continue to argue that negative repercussions can range from mild dissatisfaction to severe outcomes like outrage, resentment, and anger. Table 2.6c: Examples of Employee Benefits in international hotels THE RITZ CARLTON FOUR SEASONS HOTELS AND RESORTS SHERATON HOTELS AND RESORTS Well-tailored Uniforms Medical, Dental, Vision Coverage Life and Accidental Death Dismemberment Insurance Short and Long Term Disability Health Care and Family Care Spending Accounts Domestic Partner Benefits Vacation, Sick/Personal and Holiday Pay Retirement 401(k) Plan Employee Stock Purchase Plan Employee Assistance Program Educational Assistance Program Employee Discounts on hotel rooms, restaurant outlet meals and retail items Complimentary Employee Meals Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals Paid holidays / vacation Educational assistance Dental and medical   / disability / life insurance Retirement benefits / pension Employee service awards Annual employee party / social and sporting events Complimentary meals in dedicated employee restaurants Comprehensive, low cost health insurance for employee and family Dental and vision insurance coverage Company-sponsored retirement plans (U.S. 401(k) program) Life Insurance and Disability Insurance Flexible Spending Accounts Employee Stock Purchase Plan Employee Assistance Program Adoption Assistance Domestic Partner eligibility SOURCE: Adapted from: http://corporate.ritzcarlton.com/en/careers/benefits.htm, http://jobs.fourseasons.com/workingatfourseasons/benefits/Pages/fsbenefits.aspx, http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/careers/offer/benefits.html 2.7 MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF REWARD SYSTEMS You cannot improve what you cannot measure Lord Kelvin Pfeffer (1998) remarked that there was little devotion in measuring the efficacy of rewards although the design of the reward system loomed much management attention. However, Armstrong et al. (2009) rate the importance of such practice even above the design and execution of rewards. The primordial reasons for measuring reward effectiveness are to apperceive the benefits and impediments of a reward strategy Hodgson (2010) and to discern potential areas for improvement (Armstrong et al. (2009). Yet, Heneman (2002) comments that the evaluation of a reward systems effectiveness remains often overlooked. For instance, reward survey conducted by the CIPD in 2009 showed that only 32 percent of respondents had carried out any form of evaluation. In addition, a survey of reward by e-reward in 2009 established that only a low proportion of 12 percent of respondents had evaluated their performance-related pay schemes. Tools used to carry out the evaluation, according to e-reward (2009a) are: External market survey Staff attitude survey Benchmarking Internal data analysis Equal pay reviews Apparently, simpler methods for such practice do exist. For example, a survey carried out by Edenred concluded that reliance on manager observation, feedback and employee surveys were common for measuring reward effectiveness Hodgson (2010). Other criteria that could be used to measure reward effectiveness include improved performance, compliance with laws and regulations, cost reduction, contribution to strategic plans (Bergmann and Scarpello, 2002); Gomez-Mejia, 1992) and employee attitudes (Ram and Prabhakar, 2010). Hence, hospitality businesses could engage in carrying out such assessments in order to investigate the problem of high labour turnover in the industry. The tendency for overlooking the evaluation of rewards as highlighted by Heneman (2002) can be justified by the following reasons provided by Pfeffer and Sutton (2006): Lack of time and resources to evaluate Bewildering sources of information Lack of training and skills in statistics Laziness Constant change in organisations 2.8 THE GAP BETWEEN HOW MANAGERS REWARD EMPLOYEES AND HOW EMPLOYEES WANT TO BE REWARDED Figure 2.8: What Do Employees Want From Their Jobs?-Sources: Foreman Facts, Labor Relations Institute of NY (1946); Lawrence Lindahl, Personnel Magazine (1949) Repeated with similar results: Ken Kovach (1980); Valerie Wilson, Achievers International (1988) Bob Nelson, Blanchard Training Development (1991) Sheryl Don Grimme, GHR Training Solutions (1997-2001) Most managers feel that all employees want is more money (Nelson, 2003). Research shows there is a wide gap between managers and employees on this issue, as shown in the figure 2.8.1. However, other survey findings revealed new elements which have not been found by the original study in 1996. Thus, the below list has been compiled from various authors survey findings on the subject in hand. Fair (competitive) Compensation (Perkins, 2007) Flexible working hours and time-off from work (Nelson,

Barriers to Breast Cancer Screening and Mammograms

Barriers to Breast Cancer Screening and Mammograms Abstract The mammography screening recommendations have been ambiguous and disagree with suggesting institute to institute.   Thus, it is up to women to make choices about mammogram inspection based on their personal health beliefs.   This paper explores 6 published articles that report results from various research conducted on women with an average risk of breast cancer. These studies examined the connection between observed benefits and alleged barriers to mammography and compliance with mammography screening in women age 40 and older and among minorities.   It also discusses the latest findings and guidelines according to the American Cancer Society.   Other articles discuss their reviews to support mammogram screening for women under 50, a systemic review of the benefits and harms of breast cancer screening and factors that influence breast cancer screening in Asian countries. Introduction Currently, breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women and one of the chief causes of death worldwide. (Oeffinger,Fontham, Etzioni, et al.)   According to the American Cancer Society 2015, it is the leading contributor to cancer mortality in women aged 40 to 55.   Several risk factors increase the likelihood of the disease occurring.   These factors include: (1) aging, (2) personal history of breast cancer, (3) family history of breast cancer, (4) history of benign breast disease, (5) menarche younger than 12 years, (6) nulliparous, or a first child after age 30, (7) higher education or socioeconomic level, (8) obesity and/or high fats diets, (9) menopause after age 50, (10) lengthy exposure to cyclic estrogen and (11) environment exposure (American Cancer Society, 2015).   The cause of breast cancer is still unspecified, yet these risk factors are known to play a part in the risk of developing this disease.   Essentially all women can be considered at risk.   No successful cure or preventative methods exist, and early recognition offers the best opportunity for decreasing morbidity and mortality. Literature Review The first article that I reviewed is titled â€Å"Benefits and Harms of Breast Cancer Screening, A Systemic Review†.   According to Myers, et al., mortality from breast cancer has declined substantially since the 1970’s, a drop attributable to both the accessibility of screening methods, particularly mammography, and better-quality treatment of more advanced cancer.   This literature pointed out that, although there has been stable evidence that screening with mammography reduces breast cancer mortality, there are a number of possible harms, including false-positive results, which result in both needless biopsies and added distress and anxiety associated to the potential diagnosis of cancer.   In addition, screening may lead to over diagnosis of cancers that may not have become life-threatening.   With their investigation in the meta-analyses of RTCs (randomized clinical trials) that stratified by age, screening women younger than 50 years was constantly associated with a statistically significant reduction in breast cancer mortality of approximately 15% while screening women 50 years or older was linked with slightly greater mortality reduction (14-23%).   In general, based on their research, they have concluded that â€Å"regular screening with mammography in women 40 years or older at average risk of breast cancer reduces breast cancer mortality over at least 13 years of follow-up, but there is uncertainty about the magnitude of this association, particularly in the context of current practice in the United States.† In summary, this review concluded that among women of all ages at average risk of breast cancer, screening was related with a reduction in breast cancer mortality of approximately 20%, although there was ambiguity about quantitative estimates of the association of different breast cancer screening strategies in the United States.   These findings and the related uncertainty should be considered when making suggestions based on judgments about the balance of benefits and harms of breast cancer screening. (Myers et al. 2015). Mammography can pinpoint tumors too small to be detected by palpitation of the breast by the woman or her health care provider.   Early detection of breast cancer in women improves the possibility of successful treatment and thus cuts morbidity and mortality from the disease (American Cancer Society, 2015).   Yet, there still exists an observable lack of compliance with the recommended screening guidelines.   According to an article in the Journal of the American College of Radiology by Monticciolo, et al. (2015), they pointed out that previous to the presentation of widespread mammographic screening in the mid-1980s, the mortality rate from breast cancer in the US had stayed unaffected for more than 4 decades.   From 1990, the fatality rate has fallen by at least 38%.   Considerably, this change is recognized to prompt detection with mammography.   In this next article, Miranda-Diaz, et al. (2016) studied the Hispanics Puerto Rican subjects, inner-city women and determinants of breast cancer screening and suggested that women with low incomes and education were less likely to partake in mammography.   Lack of submission of breast cancer screening tests is more prevalent among minorities.   They added that Hispanic women are less likely to receive a Physician’s recommendation for breast cancer screening, therefore, it was the primary reason for not doing a mammogram.   Other barriers for lack of compliance among Hispanic women and Latinas living in California are lack of health insurance, age, usual source of care, having a busy schedule, fear, cost and feeling uncomfortable during the procedure. In conclusion, the authors of this article did a study that was limited by the small sample size and may not be generalizable to the entire population of the island. In order to improve compliance as well as educating health care providers about the importance of referral, a tailored health education interventions directed to describe the nature and benefit of cancer screening test needed to be put in place. Similarly, another article stated that early detection of breast cancer, while the tumor is still small and localized, provides the opportunity for the most effective treatment. (Mandelblatt, Armetta, Yabroff, et al.) According to the American Cancer Society 2015, detection guidelines recommended that women with an average risk of breast cancer should undergo regular screening mammography starting at age 45 years.   Women aged 45- 54 years should be inspected annually and women 55 years and older should changeover to biennial screening or have the opportunity to begin annual screening between the ages of 40 and 44 years.   The suggested outcome of the guideline would result in earlier detection because breast cancers found by mammography in women in their forties are smaller and more treatable than those found by self-breast exam or clinical breast exam.   Consequently, earlier detection by mammography could save lives. According to an article by Kathy Boltz, Ph.D. (2013), amid the 609 definite breast cancer deaths, 29% were including women who had been screened with mammography, while 71% were among unscreened women.   In tally, her investigation found that of all breast cancer deaths, only 13% happened in women aged 70 years or older, but 50% occurred in women under 50 years old. Her studies were done to support mammogram screening for women under age 50.   In the meantime, Dr. Cady, MD, Professor of Surgery of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, and his teammates set out to deliver complete information on the value of mammography screening through a technique called â€Å"failure analysis†.   Such evaluations look backward from the time of death to determine the connections at diagnosis, rather than looking forward from the start of a study.   Only one other failure analysis related to cancer has been published to date.   In this evaluation, invasive breast cancers analyzed at Partners HealthCare hospitals in Boston between 1990 and 1999 were followed through 2007.   Facts for the study comprised demographics, mammography use, surgical and pathology reports, and recurrence and death dates.   The article also stated that the study showed a dramatic shift in survival from breast cancer associated with the introduction of screening.   In 1969, half of the women diagnosed with breast cancer had died by 12.5 years after diagnosis.   Between the women with aggressive breast cancer in this review who were spotted between 1990 and 1999, only 9.3% had expired.   â€Å"This is a remarkable achievement, and the fact that 71% of the women who died were women who were not participating in screening clearly supports the importance of early detection,† said co-author Daniel Kopans, MD, also of Harvard Medical School. The study of the â€Å"perception of breast cancer risk and screening effectiveness† was studied by Black, Nease, & Tosteson (1995).   The purpose of the study was to determine how women 40-50 years of age perceive their risk of breast cancer and the effectiveness of screening and how these perceptions compare with estimates derived from epidemiologic studies of breast cancer incidence and randomized clinical trials of screening. A random sample of 200 women, age 40-50 years old who had no history of breast cancer was chosen through the computerized medical records of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.   Thirty-nine percent had an annual family income of $50,000 to $100,000, and 62% had at least a college education.   The subjects received the questionnaire in the mail which asked questions pertaining to breast cancer risk and screening effectiveness.   Seventy-three percent responded with a complete questionnaire.   The results showed that the women overestimated their probability of dying of breast cancer within ten years by more than twenty times.   When asked about their relative risk reduction from breast cancer screening, they overestimated by six times.   These results are based on assuming a 10% relative risk reduction from cancer screening.   Eighty-eight percent of the subjects agreed that the benefits to screening mammography outweighed the barriers.   The generalizability of this study is very limited because of this population is better educated and of higher income than the general U.S. population of women of the same age range.   Also, the subjects’ breast cancer risk was not precisely known, and the effectiveness of modern screening mammography is unknown.   The limitations also include the questionnaire which has not been previously tested.    The last article is a literature review of â€Å"factors influencing breast cancer screening in Asian countries.†Ã‚   Studies done by Ahmadian and Samah (2012), found that breast cancer arises in the younger age group of Asian women, 40 to 49 years old compared to the other Western counterparts, where the peak prevalence is realized between 50 to 59 years.   According to multiple sources and authors, in Singapore, Malaysia, Iran, Thailand, Pakistan, and Arab women in Palestine, more than half of new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in women below the age of 50 years and in advanced stages III or IV.     Schwartz et al. (2008), discovered that breast cancer screening activities among Asian women living in their native country are low and mammography screening in Middle Eastern countries are also low.   Analyses of the information have shown that only 23% of Turkish people testified having at least one mammogram.   Fewer women about 10.3% in the United Arab Emirates had mammography, which was attributed to poor knowledge of breast cancer screening and infrequent offering of screening by healthcare workers (Schwartz et al., 2008)   In conclusion of this article, the authors stated that in order to improve women’s participation in breast cancer prevention programs/ screenings, especially among the at-risk subgroup, the intervention strategies should be tailored to their knowledge and socio-demographic factor.   The approaches accepted should also take into account the women’s emotional and ethnic matters in order to support lifelong mammography screening practice for Asian people which is based on hypothetical interventions. In addition, healthcare professionals working with Asian women should cautiously tackle the misapprehensions such as worry about mammogram devices and fatalism. (Ahmadian & Samah, 2012) Conclusion In summary, after reading and reviewing the 6 related articles pertaining to breast cancer and mammogram screening for women under 50, I have concluded that there are both pros and cons, benefits and harms, perceived benefits and alleged barriers, and compliance factors that affect women worldwide. Breast cancer has claimed millions of lives throughout the world and women should be encouraged to be mindful of and to consider their family history and medical history with a physician to determine if early detection is a warrant.   If the woman has an average risk of developing breast cancer, the American Cancer Society supports a discussion of screening around the age of 40 years.   According to the guideline, ACS recommends that women be provided with information about risk factors, risk reduction, and the benefits, limitations, and harms associated with mammography screening.   While it is recognized that there is a balance of risks and benefits to the mammogram, women should be provided with guidance so that they can make the best choice about when to start and stop screening and how frequently to be screened for breast cancer.   So, if you or your loved ones have an average risk of breast cancer and over 40 years old, would you prefer to have a checkup once a year or once every two years?   This is rather a personal choice but with early detection, the benefit of mammogram will prove to outweigh the risk and could possibly save your life. References Ahmadian, M and Samah, A.(2012) A Literature Review of Factors Influencing Breast Cancer Screening in Asian Countries.Life Sci J 2012;9(2):585-594.   (ISSN: 1097-8135).   http://www.lifesciencesite.com.   Accessed January 16, 2018 Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis (version 1.2015).   National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/breast-screening.pdfAccessed January 16, 2018. Mandelblatt, JS, Cronin, KA, Bailey, S, et al. (2009) Breast Cancer Working Group of Cancer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network.   Effects of mammography screening under different screening schedules: model estimates of potential benefits and harms. Ann Intern. Med. 2009;15(10):738-747. Mandeltblatt, JS, Armatta, C, Yabroff, R, Liang, W, Lawrence, W. (2004) Descriptive Review of the Literature on Breast Cancer Outcomes: 1990 Through 2000. JNCI Monographs, Volume 2004, Issue 33, 1 October 2004, Pages 8-44. https://academic.oup.com/jncimono/article/2004/33/8/933605Accessed January 17, 2018. Oeffinger, KC, Fontham, ETH, Etzioni, R, et al. (2015). Breast Cancer Screening for Women at average risk: 2015 Guideline Update from the American Cancer Society. Jama.2015. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.12783. https://provimaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/JAMA-Network-_-JAMA-_-Breast-Cancer-Screening-for-Women-at-Average-Risk_-20.pdfAccessed January 17, 2018. Schwartz, LM, Woloshin, S, Sox, HC, Fischloff, B, Welch, HG.(2000) US Women’s Attitudes to False Positive Mammography Results and Detection of Ductal Carcinoma in Situ:   Cross Sectional Survey. BMJ. 2000;320 (7250): 1635-1640. http://www.bmj.com/content/320/7250/1635.Accessed January 20, 2018

Personal Statement Essay -- College Admissions Essays

We are the media and the media is us. That statement is very broad and is so for a good reason. Through out the world and the history of our society, media has transformed, melted, bent, molded and made our society and culture what it is today. But at the same time, our culture and society has done the exact same thing to media. It is hard to realize or imagine a time without televisions, telephones, fax machines, printers, computers, cell phones, pagers and other electronic technologies that have made our lives, hopefully, stress-free. Those items were and are still being invented today to make our lives easier and better, but are they really making life easier and better? Media plays a big part in defining what society wants and gets. Society tells our media what society wants. There are both upsides and downsides to the media, one saying what both of us want and two doing what both of us want.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First let’s start with the downsides of our media. Our media censors us and desensitizes us to our own society. Lets take for example the news, in news the stories that air are stories that include blood and guts. Why? Because those stories reflect the morals of society. We would rather actually see someone slashed, shot, run over, or cut than be asked to imagine what happened. The reason for preferring violent images comes from and stems from movies. It is not a good action flick unless someone loses their life or good guy, bad guy. It is what we are used to. Even in the fifties there was Zorro and the masked ranger. The good guy always had to win no matter what. This way of thinking is where the media gets their ideas. Another downside of media is the negative image they give the United States. If you go to Ireland and ask them how they thought Americans lived, they would probably say that we are stuck up, violent, non-caring, money grubbing and work obsessed people. They get this idea from American sitcoms that air there. One for Example is The Simpsons. They think that all males sit on the couch, drink beer, and are not responsible. They think that little boys go around and cause trouble and get kicked out of school. As for little girls, they think they are angels and never do anything wrong unless possessed by the devil. Finally, they think that females are in charge of keeping the males out of trouble, as well. Of course, this i... ...t are kids going to do if you tell them that they cannot have it. They will some how or another get their hands on it, whether it be from another kid or buying it themselves. And that is exactly what happened. He got the news press after him, the news media after him, MTV did a interview with him, and all because parents did not like his lyrics. My response to them is then do not listen to him and do not by his records. The only way a music artist makes any money is if the records sell. Now, on the other hand, if any of this happened to a politician their career would be over. They would never be believed and many people would disregard what they say. Again it all started because the media opened their mouth and printed it on paper. Overall media is a good form of communication and reinsures that this country would not survive without it if you took it away from them right now, but if we never had media in the first place, this might have a different answer. Media is all around and you can never get away from it. Always be aware of what they are saying, but do not take their word as Gospel. They are just expressing the same right all of us have. Just remember to express your own.

OxyContin New Entry in the Drug War Essay -- Essays Papers

OxyContin New Entry in the Drug War When concerned with the ethics of development in a global environment, the issue of drug abuse is of particular importance. All of the different aspects of the drug trade impact a nation, and specifically the development of a nation within a global environment. Within the United States, drug abuse has been prevalent among specific populations in society for almost a half of a century now. Historically speaking, drug abuse has erupted in many directions; new drugs have offered new markets, new trends have developed new habits. These patterns have become societal concerns on many levels. The creation of new drugs has added another dimension to prescriptive drug abuse. Though science is making enormous advancements in the field of disease treatment, the discoveries are at the same time adding additional routes to becoming drug addicts on the prescription front. In addition, although illicit drug use by teens has been incrementally decreasing since 2001, it still affects a large enough population to interfere with the ever developing nation of the United States. As drug abuse continues to be initiated in adolescence, the chances of it manifesting itself in adult society remain high. Efforts to contain both prescriptive and illicit drug abuse have both failed and succeeded, on different wavelengths. One of the first drug abuse prevention programs, D.A.R.E., has recently been classified as ineffective. More institutionalized, nationally funded efforts of the United States government have begun to target foreign hierarchical drug pyramids in an effort to halt drug use within America. This paper will examine these issues surrounding prescriptive and illicit drug abuse, with the former ... ...ycodone HCl Controlled-Release)Tablets Information. 9 Mar. 2004. http://www.purduepharma.com/pressroom/app/news_announc/ss_pr.asp?NType=3 NIDA. Cocaine Effects. 9 Mar. 2004. http://www.cocaine-effects.com/. NIDA. Message from the Director: Increased Abuse for Prescription Drugs is Cause for Concern. 9 Mar. 2004. http://www.drugabuse.gov/about/welcome/message304.html. ONDCP Drug Facts, â€Å"Crack†. 9 Mar. 2004. http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/crack/index.html ONDCP Drug Facts, â€Å"OxyContin†. 9 Mar. 2004. http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/OxyContin/index.html U.S. FDA. Prescription Drug Use and Abuse. 3 Mar. 2004. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/501_drug.html U.S. FDA. Prescription Drug Use and Abuse-Controlled Substances. 9 Mar. 2004. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/501_drug.html#controlled

Tencent Crossfire

Tencent, one of the biggest and most influential IT Corporation in China, had launched its signature first person shooting game Crossfire in 2008. Based on reported statistics, it has over a million online users every day1 and always ranked top place in a lot of game websites. Many Other IT companies always pursue profits when forming their price strategy, but Crossfire is free to play, which seems bizarre and risky. Ultimately, there must be other ways for them to generate the cash to operate the system as well as to earn profits. Firstly, Tencent promised Crossfire is totally free to play, but the underlying strategy is smart and shocking. People may not believe it because everybody knows there is no free lunch in the world. Anyhow, when they give a try, most of them feel surprised that Tencent might have kept its promise. It is definitely free to register an account and download the game package. Tencent will not charge you a cent for it even when you literally play the game. However, after few days trail play, the commitment Tencent made has become pale and weak. That is to say, not only you have to pay, you have to pay a lot. Crossfire is a game in which you will have a gun battle with other online users. People try their best to kill their enemies with the ‘weapons’ in their hands. The ‘weapons’ are usually a gun or other ammunitions, but they are virtual goods. When you are new players, it is capable for you to survive with a simple pistol because you are protected from high level players. Yet you will find it is getting harder and harder facing other veteran players with simple, basic weapons in your hands when you finish the rookie training. Thus, in order to survive, to save your dignity, or if you are already addicted to the game, you have to purchase the weapons you need. The higher level the weapon is, the more it costs you. In fact, this strategy is a very clever move in the online game market. By adopting ‘freemium’ strategy, Tencent enjoys 29. 5% share of revenue in China2 and is a nightmare for its competitors. First of all, the revenue is from creating and selling virtual goods at almost zero cost. Moreover, it is a great opportunity to expand their influence in the market. Sometimes, the choices of a teenager can be random. When playing a game, all they want to do is to have fun with their friends. So if many teenagers are attracted by ‘freemium game’ at first place, the guys left out will soon switch to the same game. When more and more people are playing this game, the social influence will emerge and spread out rapidly, and other products from Tencent can easily take advantage of this. What’s more, it threatens or even damages its competitors in the market. By stealing customers from other games, Tencent compresses the room for other companies since the time people spend on online games are stable. That is, they would not double their play time when he plays two games. Therefore, once a customer is attracted by Crossfire, the profit of the other game which offers hourly based payment will be hugely decreased while Tencent is risk-free with its ‘freemium’ strategy. Also, Tencent is a company that is very good at modeling consumers’ behaviour. Tencent knows that people don’t mind to give a try for free stuff because they think they have nothing to lose. This could be true in reality, but not in Tencent’s world. Online games are addictive, especially for teenagers. Instead of blocking teenagers out by expensive payment at first place, Crossfire let them in and enjoys the game. Then, as time goes, the simple challenge cannot satisfy their needs. Finally, they are addicted to the product and willing to spend money on it. Similarly, the proof is not hard to find in the Apple store, in which the freemium games are leading all app revenue models and are now  accounting for more than 65% 2of app revenue. Finally, ‘freemium’ age has come. As a consumer, it is necessary to know the fact behind the ‘fairy tale’ of free. But for a company, the way of earning money is changing all the time. As the saying goes, â€Å"nothing ventured, nothing gained†. Undoubtedly, Tencent is just the perfect explanation for the proverb. Reference: 1. http://en. korea. com/blog/tech/games/crossfire-%E2%80%9Creaches-2-million-users-in-china%E2%80%9D/ 2. http://www. buzzom. com/2011/09/online-gaming-market-in-china-reaches-usd-1-3b-chinese-firms-dominant/ 3. According to Flurry’s analysis http://blog. flurry. com/? Tag=Freemium

Gods: Greek Mythology and Thor Essay

Zeus and Thor are both respected gods in Norse and Greek mythology. Both have amazing strength and powers and were feared by many because of this. While both were the all mighty gods of their time, one huge difference was that Zeus was the god of all gods. In Greek mythology there was no one who ruled over Zeus and ultimately Zeus was in control of all the gods and people. While Thor was the strongest god of Norse mythology, his father Odin was the supreme ruler of the gods like Zeus was in Greek mythology. While both had amazing strength, Zeus still had the power over all the gods which Thor did not. One of the huge similarities is that both Thor and Zeus were gods of the sky and thunder. Zeus would use a thunderbolt as his weapon and Thor would use his hammer in which only he was able to lift. Both of these gods also had a similar appearance. Both were muscular built and had long hair and also a long beard. Thor and Odin also both had children outside of their marriage. While Thor had children with two women, Zeus was known for his lust for women and sex and had a very large number of children. Zeus’s lust for women was one of his biggest weaknesses and also got him in a lot of trouble with his wife. While Zeus was the God of all gods and the common man respected him, Thor seemed to be more worshipped and liked as a god. Thor was the protector of the people and did not require any form of sacrifice from the people for his help. This is one of the reasons Thor surpassed even his father Odin in popularity. Odin required human sacrifices since he needs warriors on his side to fight with him at the Ragnarok, while Thor did not since he is practically a one-man army. These made him more liked then even his father Odin who was the god of all gods in Norse mythology. Another large difference between Thor and Zeus was the fact that Zeus was immortal and Thor was not and would eventually die. The Greek Gods were immortal, and were never depicted as in danger of â€Å"dying†. While most pantheons were immortal, the exception to that rule was the Norse Gods, who could die from injury or old age. Thor and other Norse gods would eventually die in the battle of Ragnarok. He fought the Midgard serpent, which surrounds the whole world. While he did succeed in killing this serpent, he walked about nine paces from its dead corpse and died from the poison it had spewed out onto him. While Thor was the mightiest God of his time just as Zeus, He was unable to avoid the faith of dying during this battle. Zeus is meant to rule Mount Olympus for all eternity amongst the rest of the Greek gods. Zeus had a hatred for his father unlike Thor. Thor fought alongside of his father while Zeus was the destruction of his. Zeus could not actually kill his father because his father Cronus was immortal just like Zeus. Instead, Zeus used his father’s own weapon to slice Cronus into a thousand pieces. Zeus then tossed all the pieces into Tartarus, the deepest crater in the underworld, and Cronus never escaped. Cronus was still alive because he was immortal, but he was harmless since his body was scattered in Tartarus. Thor had nothing but respect for his father and would do anything to help him. While Zeus did destroy and hate his father, he had plenty of reason to since his father was not what most would consider a good father. Cronos would have eaten Zeus like he did to the rest of his brothers and sisters, since he had a fear that one day one of them will rule over him. If it was not for Zeus’s mother Rhea creating a plan to save him, Zeus would have been eaten by his father and not have overthrown him and become the ruler of the gods. Overall both gods possess exceptional power and are the strongest of their times. Both gods are extremely dangerous and getting on their â€Å"bad side† is not generally a good idea. To me is seemed Thor was liked a lot more by the people then Zeus was. But with Zeus’s affairs and also the fact that he was the most revered god of his time, while Thor was not really the most revered god since Odin was, Zeus had a lot more criticism. I liked how Thor had his special weapon (Mjollnir Hammer), but I felt as if Zeus using the thunderbolt as his main weapon made him just appear more as a â€Å"Sky God† even though Thor does use thunder as a weapon as well. Both gods have many differences and similarities but one thing everyone can agree with is that no one wants to get into a battle with either of these mighty gods.

Lost Languages

It is a sad but true fact that out of the more than six thousand languages that existed in the world at one time, one disappears every fortnight! Take the example of Patrick Nudjulu of North Australia, one of the three remaining speakers of the dying language Mati Ke. As tradition forbids him to speak to his sister, he does not have anyone he can speak his own language with, and as a consequence, the language is dying out, and will disappear with the death of Patrick. Some of the other languages that will disappear soon and be lost forever are, according to Duncan Walker, Abenaki, Atures, Welsh, and Manx.   (Walker, Duncan 2005) In any culture, land and its language are closely inter connected, and in Aboriginal Australia, this is especially true because the entire continent is divided by its hills and other geographical distinctions, and also because of its languages. The people of Wadeye, who spoke Mati Ke, were forced to move over and start using the Murrinh-Patta. This meant that Mati Ke was no longer being used, and nobody even realized in the beginning that the language of their ancestors was slipping away into oblivion. Patrick Nudjulu, an old man, and one of the few people left in the world who can actually speak Mati Ke still, says, â€Å"I still dream in Mati Ke. See all in the past.† His own daughter and granddaughter do not know how to speak this language, and they use the Murrinh-Patta that they are more familiar with. It is interesting to note that for Patrick Nudjulu, English is his fourth of fifth strongest language. The author of the book Mark Abley, in a quest to gain knowledge of a few words of Mati Ke, learnt that ‘mi warzu’ is the name for fruit in Mati Ke, ‘a dhan gi’ means salt water prawns, ‘a wayelh’ refers to goanna lizard, although it was sadly true that Patrick Nudjulu himself was forced to use the Murrinh-Patta to communicate with his family. Patrick’s story is indeed a tragic but an all too familiar one; he was forced to leave the town in which he had been living after his parents had given up their difficult life in the bush, but had to go back to life in the bush because he could no longer tolerate the destruction of his town. He has in effect returned to the bark and bough shelters that were familiar to him, as he had lived in them through his childhood. However, despite his best efforts, it was obvious that his language would not be saved; although he spoke to his grandchildren in Mati Ke, they chose to reply to him in Murrinh-Patta, thereby leaving no doubt at all that yet another language, Mati Ke, is on its inexorable way to extinction.   Ã‚  (Abley, Mark 2005) Works cited Abley, Mark â€Å"Spoken here, travels among threatened languages† (2005) Google Book Search retrieved on March 11, 2008 from Walker, Duncan â€Å"In defence of ‘lost’ languages† BBC News (2005) Retrieved on March 11, 2008 from      

President Speech Essay

Delegation: India Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen of the house, Terrorism is a worldwide phenomenon. Every minute, two people are killed in conflicts around the world. Often very little is known about the people who are fighting and dying. The country of India calls upon greater participation of the United Nations in countering terrorism. Worldwide participation should be taken in the implementation of the present anti-terrorist conventions, and new international methods must also be developed in order to counteract terrorist threats. We ask that countries cooperate with each other, particularly through bilateral and multilateral agreements and arrangements to make extraditions easier and deny terrorists asylum, in order to prevent and suppress terrorist acts. Countries must realize that suppressing acts of international terrorism are essential to international peace and security, because even if their countries are not facing terrorism as a crisis, they may eventually do so, as terrorism is a worldwide occurence, which is, as we have seen, often interconnected. Thank you for your attention.

Was the British Empire a force for good Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Was the British Empire a force for good - Essay Example A number of industries were also built in these countries which provided the needed stimuli for the economic growth and advancement. (Rodden, 2007). However, the British empire rule inflicted much more pain to their subject than the good they brought with them as the Indians were subjected to inhuman treatment and abuses by the British. It is therefore imperative to say that the British empire an empire for the good of the colonies they controlled but a way for them to amass wealth at the expense of the locals (Hyam, 2010). This essay will seek to provide the evidence to demonstrate the extent to which the British empire rule was for no good, while using counter arguments to rebuff the different sides of the arguments. Though a number of citizens died from the atrocities committed by the British empire especially in India, their rule can be attributed to the introduction of a the rule of law in the country. Though sounding ironical, the empire pioneered the formation of the judicial system to enable the Indian offenders to be punished for their mistakes. This established the foundation for the country’s legal system in the face of the atrocities committed. The British form of rule in their colonies was heavily characterised by torture, ritual slaughter, hangings, rape and slavery to make it worse draining of natural resources. This affected millions of people by way of interfering with their cultures, dignity, livelihoods, religion and languages. All this disregard of rule of law and respect to other people’s way of living unfortunately was spread all over the British Empire (Cohn, 1996). This was largely exercised in those nations where they encountered rejection due to conflicting interest. The process of tapping on the natural in the country was characterised by the introduction of a number of industries in the country that

Prophet Mohammed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Prophet Mohammed - Essay Example Many are the times that the grandfather was escorted by Mohammed on official duties in the temple. The lonely life of a Sheppard that Mohammed led to the nurturing of the skills required in leading the life of a prophet. In addition, the environment in his early life provided him with the skill set fit to lead and guide people. The reason as to why Mohammed took on prophecy is a blur but at the time, the town of Mecca was filled with many nomadic. These tribes were rivals with each other and they had their own gods and beliefs. This religious diversity at the time was the root of all enmity. At forty years old, Mohammed aspired to become a reformer and hence assumed leadership of a secret society. This organizations goal was to ensure unity in terms of religion and politics among the Arabs. He had come to the realization that with unity comes power. After seeking insight from the Jews and Christians, Mohammed determined that one supreme God was key to achieving his goal of unity amon g the Arabs. After conviction of his call to prophesy, this secret society with its own rules whereby they prayed to one supreme God grew exponentially and is otherwise known as Islam (Margoliouth 86). Mohammed as a prophet had a lot of accomplishments in his time. Hence, he is perceived as one of the greatest people in the Muslim community. He is the founder of the Islamic religion. At a time when there were numerous religious groups each having their own gods among the Arabic people, Mohammed was able to unite the Arabs by forming a secret society. This secret society later became publicized and became the Islamic community. Islam spread out exponentially throughout Mecca whereby they spread the ideology of worshipping and praying to one supreme God. Islam has become a way of life in our society among the Muslim community. It has lead to the peaceful coexistence of people due. This is because Islam gives an individual a sense of inner peace, which results to one having peace of mi nd. The Islamic religion preaches the need to have peaceful relation people of different ethnicities and religious backgrounds. This, as a result, promotes world peace. Islam is also seen to promote peace between an individual and his creator. This paves way for having a blessed life free from sin. Islamic religion is also important because it advocates for submission to God’s will. Submitting to God’s will translate to submitting to God, which is the reason to the founding of the Islamic religion. The Islamic religion and culture supports the union in marriage between Muslims in the society. It is God’s will that man and woman join together in the bond of marriage; the Islamic religion is seen to fulfill this will of God by supporting marriage. It also provides guidance to married couples, which promote long lasting relationships. Above all traits, Islam has promoted unity among people. This unity has come to realization as a result of Islam spreading the messa ge of peace throughout. This has paid off owing to the fact that Islam has spread widely to all corners of the world. Hence, Muslims have been able to coexist peacefully with other religious groups promoting world peace (murata and Chittick 125). Mohammed had become the leader of a vast community; Islam looked up to him for guidance. With Islam becoming a religion that spread vastly throughout the world, there arose the need to create a distinguished place whereby the Islamic