The impact of paid employment on academic performance of students

Introduction In the modern day work environment, many students have opted to work as they study. The question on whether working while still in college is desirable has over the recent past raised more question than answers (Furr Elling, 2000). There are different schools of thought which argue both for, and against working while in college.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The impact of paid employment on academic performance of students specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Proponents of work-study set up think that it is desirable to work while studying since work complements the skills learnt in school (Lauren, 2005). The opponents argue that There is a correlation between the attention given to work and poor performance academically. They further argue that the school time devoted to work offers the student less time to articulate the learning concepts and therefore negatively affect the academic performance (Pri tchard, 1996). This paper discusses the impact of paid employment on academic performance of students and overall experience at the university. Argument for working while still in school Many studies have been done seeking to answer the simple question of whether to work while in school or complete studies first then engage in full-time employment. As such, many proponent of working while in school have come up with numerous justifications for their support for work-study setting. Several reason are given as to why work-study life is desirable. First, it is commonly argued that working while studying enhances a student’s study life since the concepts learnt in school are applied almost at the time of learning. This offers an invaluable experience to the student who get to practically experience the theoretical literature learnt in class while it is still fresh in the mind (Li-Chen Wooster, 1979). A student whose work is in his primary area of study will usually find it easie r to articulate the concepts taught in class since the experience he gets from the work complements the literature taught in class. Some other students also work in order to afford their tuition fee. This may not necessarily positively affect their academic performance but it plays an integral part in ensuring that the students attend college through providing income in order to pay for the college fees. The proponents therefore, posit that for this particular group of individuals, it is desirable to work while schooling.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Argument for not working while in studying Several opponents of work-study programs have come forward to present their case against working while in school. Most individuals against this setting argue that individuals can only devote their productive time to one major activity at a time (Ruhm, 1997). This means that an individual who w orks while studying will have two major areas that require personal commitment and can only attend to one at a time. Therefore, the student will either pay more attention to work and consequently, fail academically, or that particular student will pay more attention to the studies and therefore, result in low productivity at work. The impact of paid employment on academic performance From the preceding discussion, it has been noted that there are several arguments both for, and against working while in school. But the biggest question is whether paid employment has effects on academic performance. It has been found out that employment during school could actually positively influence the academic performance of the students (Pritchard, 1996). However, this is only so in cases where the type of work that a student is doing offers attributes which are complementary with the school’s success academically. These attributes that might improve a student’s academic performanc e include time management and industriousness. Students who work in environments where such attributes are instilled will inadvertently exhibit high levels of personal discipline and this may actually help improve their academic performance (Astin, 1993). This is because a student is able to manage and plan for the available time well in such a manner that there is optimization of the time that consequently ensure high productivity both at work and academically. On the other hand, it is argued that work negatively affects a student academic performance and results in lower grades. This is presented by several researches that have been carried to establish the marginal effect of an additional one hour at work to the students’ academic grades. According to a study done on Townson State University, it was found that an additional ten hours of school for student who were in active employment reduced their academic performance measured by the exams grades by two percent (Dustmann Christian, 2007). This is explained by the fact that a student who is working while studying will tend to pay more attention to work since that particular student’s primary reason for being in school is to find a gainful employment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The impact of paid employment on academic performance of students specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This means that the student who has already secured an employment opportunity will therefore, devote more quality time on the job that on the school work (Laming, 2004). It has also been found out that work hours are treated as exogenous. Other researches done also indicate an increasing relation to scale on the incremental number of hours at work matched with the academic performance of students. As a student spends more time at the workplace, more time is dedicated to the job and therefore losing on the quality time that could otherwise be devot ed to the school hours and thus reducing on the academic performance. Paid employment has however, some other effects on the overall student’s experience at the university. Most students who are engaged in paid employment usually have desirable effects on their overall experience at the university. Employment while at work usually instills a sense of responsibility on the students (Lauren, 2005). This is so because most students who are working while studying are usually at their entry level in their work places. Employees at the entry level usually exhibit higher expectation in terms of career growth since at their level, they are able to establish the stages they need to go through in order to reach their desired targets in their career paths. Employment while in the university therefore, offers a beneficial exposure to the students who are able to objectively evaluate the options at their disposal (Pritchard, 1996). Students have make decisions on leisure or work, or leisu re or school, or even reduce leisure time to concentrate on school and work. This instills an early sense of responsibility to the students since they are able to objectively look at different situations and make responsible judgments. Conclusion From the preceding discussion, it has been seen that paid employment has both negative and positive effects on students’ academic performance. Student who engage in employment where some desirable attributes such as time management and industriousness are enforced at the work place may have better grades in school than those who do not work or those who work under different environments. However, more time spent at work over school may begin to negatively affect the performance of students academically.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is therefore, important to note that a student needs to find and strike a balance between work and school. This is so because there is a high correlation between students’ grades at school and future career growth. The fact that a student is working does not provide a reason enough for that student not to perform well in school. References Astin, A. (1993). What matters in college? Four critical years revisited. San Franscisco: Jossey-Bass. Dustmann, Christian. (2007). Part-time Work, School Success and School Leaving. Empirical Economics, 277-299. Furr, R., Elling, T. (2000). The influence of work on college student development. NASPA Journal, 454-470. Laming, D. R. (2004). Understanding human motivation what makes people tick? Malden: Blackwell Publishers. Lauren, E. W. (2005). The Effects of College Student Employment on Academic Achievement. The University of Florida Undergraduate Research Journal, 38-47. Li-Chen, M., Wooster, R. (1979). The effects of unemployment on the college students’ academic peformance. College Student Journal, 12-20. Pritchard, M. (1996). â€Å"Hours of employment and undergraduate studies. Consumer Interests Annual, 207-209. Ruhm, C. (1997). â€Å"Is High School Employment Consumption or Investment?†. Journal of Labor Economics, 735-776. This essay on The impact of paid employment on academic performance of students was written and submitted by user Helena P. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Views on Representative Democracy essays

Views on Representative Democracy essays The first three theories of political elitism developed, respectively, by Marx, Mills, and Weber most likely cannot coexist with a representative democracy, simply because they allow the people little to no involvement in the nations political process. Pluralism, however, is the situation most likely to hold true in the United States, for it entails the existence of numerous elites, each of which is responsive to its followers interests. If Karl Marxs theory of political elites held true in the United States, for instance, there would be little opportunity for the power of the people to take root and flourish. Marxists believe that the government itself holds little significance or power, because it is simply controlled by the dominant economic class. Political decisions are made by whichever class holds power at a certain point in time: the capitalists or the workers. The members of the dominant social/economic class would then construct policies that promote their own interests, not the interests of the other classes. Such a situation would render impossible any form of representative democracy, because the great majority of the people would hold no influence on (or knowledge of ) the governments decisions. While, in a representative democracy, officials of the government work for the interests of their constituents, government leaders in a Marxist political system would have no obligation to do as the people dema nd. C. Wright Mills theory of the power elite expands on Marxs idea of the elite, but still runs contrary to any form of representative democracy. Mills believed that a nongovernmental elite composed of three tiers corporate leaders, military officers, and top political officials makes most of a societys major decisions. He claimed that this triumvirate serves the interests of the elite, not that of the majority. In the USA...

Mother's day Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mother's day - Essay Example â€Å"I cannot think of a more thankless job. I hate to even call it a job, but it is work, with long hours, no vacations and no pay. In the end if things don’t go the way they are suppose to then it is mom’s fault† (The importance of mother’s day, 2010). Even grown up people is taking shelter in their mother’s company when they face severe challenges in their life. Mother’s soothing words often act as a medicine to the children in getting rid of their problems. This paper briefly analyses importance of mother’s day to me and why my mother is so special to me. I was not much aware of the importance of mother’s day during my childhood. However, when I was 15 years old, one of my friends told me that she is going to present her mother with a gift in order to mark her respect and love towards her mother. She also told me that the mother’s day is celebrating all over the world and in UAE it is celebrating in every March 21 st . I loved my mother very much and my friend’s comments stimulated thoughts about giving a gift to my mother. I had not enough money with me during that time and I decided to save some money to purchase a gift for my mother. Being a child of 15 years, it was difficult for me to collect more money from father. Even then, I started to save the pocket money I received from my father for two years. I succeeded in saving around 650 dollars in two years time and decided to purchase a gift worth $ 650 for my mother. Parris Gallery one of the popular gift shops in Dubai. It is located in City Centre, Deira, Dubai. Expensive perfumes, flowers, fashionable items etc are available in Paris Gallery. UAE is an extremely hot country and I was staying around 100 kilometers away from Dubai. If I use a taxi, I could have reached there within 35 minutes. However, my parents were not ready to allow me to go out alone. My elder brothers and sisters were too busy and they also did not hear my requ est. It was impossible for me to walk 100 kilometers alone in extreme hot climatic conditions. I was very much worried since my dreams of giving a gift to my beloved mother were not fulfilled. The mother’s day was approaching rapidly. I shared my sorrows and feeling s with my friends and one of my friends asked me to check whether any home delivery option is available with Paris Gallery. I have gone through the telephone directory and succeeded in collecting their telephone number. To my utmost surprise, they informed me that they can deliver the items anywhere in UAE and that also in a day’s time. I have ordered a costly perfume and asked them to pack it in good manner to present it as a gift. They asked me my name and my mother’s name and contact details. They also asked me about the credit card details and I told them that I do not have a credit card and I can pay cash on delivery. They agreed that and delivered the perfume in the evening itself. My mother wa s not aware of my efforts. When I presented the gift to her on mother’s day, she was surprised. She never received such a gift in her life. None of my brothers and sisters so far gave her any gifts. So when she received my gift her eyes were filled with tears and she embraced me with lot of love and care. My mom is a special person to me and I do believe that honoring her in proper manner is the duty of me. My mother helped me a lot during my childhood and even now I am approaching her whenever I confused with something. My mother has a loving character and she never punished me or used any rash

Facts that have contributed to urban violence in Brazil Research Paper

Facts that have contributed to urban violence in Brazil - Research Paper Example According to Graham, â€Å"In 2012, 94 police officers have been killed in the city — twice as many as in all of 2011.† Graham also states that â€Å"Between July and September, on-duty police officers killed 119 people in the metropolitan area.† These killings are related to crime and the statistics portray a gloomy picture about the real crime stories obtaining in the Latin American cities. The main problem is that the rate of poverty is high in urban areas that are neglected by the government. Apparently, the organized crime groups as well as the poorly paid members of the police force stay in these areas. The poor police officers living in such areas end up being targets of organized crime groups though they are also suffering and living in abject poverty like anyone else living in the area. The poor urban areas in Brazil are home to thousands of immigrants and the situation has been compounded by the proliferation of gangs who deal in drugs (Graham). It is q uite difficult for the police officers to execute their duties since they are even scared of exposing their identity for fear of being victimized or even killed by the members of the organized crime gangs. Unfortunately, some police officers have become members of the crime gang syndicates as they try to supplement their meager earnings as well as to solicit for protection from the terror gangs so that they are not attacked as well as their families. On the other hand, it can be noted that Roberto Bricano Leon, Andres Villavecas & Alberto Concha Eastman posit to the effect that Brazil reports the highest rates of homicide as a result of the fact that it has a high proportion of urban population and high rate of poverty. The researchers also note that â€Å"the factors related to violence include social inequalities, lack of employment opportunities, urban segregation, a culture of masculinity, local drug markets, and the availability of firearms and widespread use of alcohol.† This situation is compounded by inefficient judicial system especially in Brazil given that it fosters impunity. People can wantonly commit heinous crimes like murder but they can still get away with it. At least, if there were effective judicial systems in this country, the situation was likely to be under control. The study also notes that the majority of young males aged between 15 and 24 years especially in Brazil are the most perpetrators of violence and they are also the prime targets. The main cause of this undesirable trend is related to high unemployment rates which significantly contribute to high levels of poverty. Unfortunately, the government is doing very little in order to address the socio-economic factors that lead to crime such as unemployment. Most people resort to drug abuse and this causes them to indulge in serious crimes that have often resulted in loss of life. Murray Joseph, Daniel Ricardo de Castro & Khan Tulio state that â€Å"between 1980 and 2010 ther e were 1 million homicides in Brazil. Dramatic increases in homicide rates followed rises in inequality, more young men in the population, greater availability of firearms, and increased drug use.† The most important aspect portrayed the authors of this study is that Brazil has the fifth largest population in the world: 197 million people according to the (World Bank 2012b). Apparently, 30% of whom are under age 18 as reported by Unicef 2012. With a gross national income of about (US$ 11,500 per capita in 2011,World Bank 2012b), Brazil continues to have one of the highest rates of inequality in the world. Reaserach has also shown that about 10.9% of the nation's population live in poor conditions of less than $2 per day and the youths are most impacted. Research

Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Nursing - Essay Example One of the most common strategies that have been employed in hospitals to curb this predicament is the nursing competency assessment, especially in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit). This strategy is significantly striving to eliminate this deadly infection. This article will review literatures which analyze the ongoing versus annual nursing competency assessments that are aimed at decreasing the number of central line blood stream infections in the ICU. It is estimated that approximately 41,000 central line-associated bloodstream infections occur yearly in the United States alone. Research shows that these infections are liable for between 4 to 20% of the deaths that occur in the country annually. This shows that between 500 to 40,000 patients die yearly as a result of the bloodstream infections. In most health centers in the US, it is recommended that patients are grouped into the insertion bundle and the care bundle. Experts claim that combining nursing practices and technology can si gnificantly reduce these infections. Most of the hospital teams in the United States have asserted that the nursing competency assessment has significantly reduced the number of patients with bloodstream infections in the Intensive Care Unit (Harnage, 2007). This assessment usually involves educating the nurses on the best approach to employ when handling the patients with these infections. For example, they are usually taught several methods of improving hand hygiene. This measure has empowered hand hygiene as part of the Central Line placement. According to Harnage (2007), most health centers have hand hygiene dispensers which are frequently checked. The assessment of nurses, physicians and other medical personnel is usually accompanied with an annual assessment of the personnel in order to decrease the bloodstream infections in the Intensive Care Unit. This assessment involves a periodical knowledge assessment of adherence to certain guidelines involved in the Intensive Care Unit . In most cases, nurses who are competent in the care of such patients are usually situated in the Intensive Care Unit. After the assessment, these nurses are known as intensive care nurses. This shows that intensive care nurses form an integral part in reducing the bloodstream infections. Most health centers, which aim for a high level of compliance, usually ensure that they prevent such infections. Therefore, nurses should be empowered to supervise the preparations during a line insertion by using a checklist that is aimed at preventing such infections (Harnage, 2007). Hatler, Zack, Hebden and Kaler (2010), noted that it is clear that clinical nurses form an integral part in optimizing the outcomes of a patient especially through monitoring and management of the patient. The bloodstream associated infections have a severe impact on mortality and cost of care. The intensive care nurses are responsible for providing the necessary care to such patients. There are several health cente rs that have devised other strategies beyond the common Central Line bundle to reduce the number of bloodstream infection in the Intensive Care Units (Richardson & Tjoelker, 2012). Some of the institutions have included a thorough nurse surveillance system. This is a valuable strategy that aims in ensuring optimal patient outcomes. According to a recent survey, this strategy has decreased the rate of deaths in the Intensive Care Unit and the Critical Care Unit significantly. In most instances, these infections usually prolong the hospitalization of a patient to an average of seven days and an approximate cost of between $3700 and $29500 (Richardson & Tjo

The Multifaceted Topic of Free College

The Multifaceted Topic of Free College In a world where blue-collar jobs are considered unappealing by many, an increasing amount of individuals have begun to choose to attend college in the hopes of achieving prestigious positions in the white-collar industry. Unfortunately, however, ones decision to further their education at post-secondary school can have one rather drastic unforeseen consequence: thousands of dollars worth of debt. As a result of this growing epidemic plaguing college students around the nation, rallying cries for free higher education have begun to spring up throughout the country. But, for as many logical, thought-out arguments that exist in support of free college, there are just as many against it. In fact, as highlighted in Dissent Magazines special issue titled Arguments on the Left, in which three different authors share their differing viewpoints regarding free higher education, this debate is anything but simple and is more complex than individuals would both hope and imagine. As a result, on e can only conclude that the idea of free college, while idealistic and tempting, is not completely beneficial nor easily achieved, especially after taking these three articles and their varying arguments into consideration. The first of the three articles, Tressie McMillan Cottoms Why Free College is Necessary, takes a die-hard stance on the supportive side of the free college debate. Believing that higher education should be free regardless of what it can and cannot achieve, Cottom preaches the words and ideas that every college student that has ever faced debt wants to hear. However, while Cottoms argument surely makes sense from the humanitarian side of things, it fails to delve into where the funds are going to come from. Logically speaking, funds from either the state or government that would help students attend college for free would come from the taxpayers own wallets. In a country that is already in a large amount of debt, with public institutions and services often taking the brunt of cutbacks, increasing the amount taxpayers have to contribute in order to provide students with a free college education shouldnt necessarily be a top priority. Additionally, Cottom states, An educational justice policy must include institutions of higher education but cannot only include institutions of higher education (Cottom). Unfortunately, this adds even more burden to an already overwhelming financial undertaking. According to this logic, this notion of free education must expand beyond the boundaries of college and into the realm of trade schools as well, which only increases the cost that cannot easily be paid. Furthermore, Cottom also points out that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦free college would likely benefit only an outlying group of students who are currently shut out of higher education because of cost (Cottom). While I wholeheartedly believe that everyone who wants to learn should, regardless of their economic standing, looking at the situation from this point of view can cause one to question the validity of the whole endeavor. That is, what way does it make sense to undertake such a huge financial burden if free college wont necessarily benefit everyone? Much like Cottoms argument, Mike Konczals article titled, Generation Debt, also approaches the topic of free higher education from a rather positive stance. Konczal proclaims that education is a right that every human should have access to, and insists that the government be the ones responsible for providing the service. However, instead of insinuating that higher education be provided for free, Konczal points out that part of the root of the problem regarding student debt in particular is the fact that there has been large-scale disinvestment from and privatization of post-secondary education. Arguing that, Higher educationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦shouldnt be left to a handful of private schools, where administrators pursue their own objectives independent of public need, or to the market, which is only interested in how much it can profit at any given time (Konczal), he exposes the fact that colleges and universities around the nation are run more like businesses than anything else. In doin g this, students are placed at a disadvantage because they are merely pawns, often attending schools that exist not for the betterment of our nations citizens, but to exploit as much money as possible from the unsuspecting and undeserving. Only worsening the situation is the fact that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦public disinvestment in the states has been paired with generous tax cuts for rich individuals and corporations (Konczal). Combined with the money-making machine that is higher education, the fact that states have chosen to side with the rich and powerful instead of standing with their own constituents only ensures that the rich will get richer and the poor, poorer. Furthermore, as stated by Konczal, National conversations on higher education are often dominated by a few elite schools, so they ignore the promise of mobility offered by the state system (Konczal). As a result of this, community college is often frowned upon and deemed obscure, despite the fact that attending a two year sc hool can save students thousands of dollars. In addition to falling into the trap of capitalist-oriented colleges, many students also choose not to attend community college simply because it is not prestigious, thus further sentencing themselves into debt. The final article, Matt Bruenigs The Case against Free College, takes a rather different approach than the previous two articles when it comes to the free college debate. Overall, Bruenig argues that students already receive various forms of assistance for college in the form of grants, loans, and subsidies, which, in his opinion, is already giving more than what students should expect. In addition to this, Bruenig also articulates that providing even more than what is currently offered, or even making college free, would simply bring more inequality than social justice. Specifically, this is due to the fact that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦only around 20 percent of children from the poorest 2 percent of families in the country attend college. For the richest 2 percent of families, the same number is around 90 percent (Bruenig). So, providing a free college education to current college students would only continue to put those who are lower in the economic ranks at a disadvantage. Much like how Tressie McMillan Cottom admitted that free college would only benefit those who are currently excluded from higher education due to their economic standing, providing a free college education would only keep more money in the pockets of the rich. As a result, Bruenig states that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦making college free for everyone would almost certainly mean giving far more money to students from richer families than from poorer ones (Bruenig). Sure, providing free college education would give deprived students an opportunity to continue their education, but would do little in the long run when it comes to trying to reach a more egalitarian society. Once again, what are the benefits of free college education if it has the potential to only worsen the inequalities within American society and benefits only a small percentage of individuals? As a current college student, I could only hope and dream that a plan may arise in the near future that would eliminate or drastically cut college expenses, namely tuition. However, after reviewing the three articles in Dissent Magazines special issue titled Arguments on the Left, it has become clear that free college is not as beneficial or easily obtained as one would hope. While this notion of free college is tempting to say the least, it is certainly not feasible without a redesigned tax system, complete overhaul of higher education institutions and their intentions, and careful consideration regarding just who would be benefitting the most from free higher education. As it currently stands, free college will only benefit a small percentage of individuals, failing to address the capitalist nature of universities nationwide, while also acting as yet another way for the rich to keep hold of their wealth. However, it also must be stated that we must not give up hope and abandon the idea altogether. Although the cons currently outweigh the pros, there will one day be a way to implement a free college education system that benefits everyone without continuing to make the rich richer. As a nation, we must work towards that day together, implementing a foolproof plan to become a more egalitarian society without continuing to put thousands of young individuals into debt with the help of our current college system. Works Cited Bruenig, Matt. The Case against Free College. Dissent Magazine, Fall 2015, dissentmagazine.org/article/matt-bruenig-left-case-against-free-college. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017. Cottom, Tressie McMillan. Why Free College is Necessary. Dissent Magazine, Fall 2015, dissentmagazine.org/article/tressie-mcmillan-cottom-why-free-college-necessary. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017. Konczal, Mike. Generation Debt. Dissent Magazine, Fall 2015, dissentmagazine.org/article/mike-konczal-generation-debt-free-college-argument. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017.

Wake Up, Stark County! :: Sleeping Disorders Essays

Wake Up, Stark County! Approximately 40 million Americans suffer from chronic disorders of sleep and wakefulness, such as narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and insomnia. The majority of those affected remain undiagnosed and untreated. At the Doctors Hospital Center for Sleep Disorders, 1001 patients are regularly treated for some form of these disorders at the present time (Roman interview). Fewer than 5% of these patients are children and 65% are men over the age of 40. Dr. Frankie Roman, a Board Certified Sleep Specialist, operates this Center. It is the only one available to Stark County residents at this time. To adequately discuss these disorders, first we must provide a working definition of the individual conditions that the terms denote. Sleep apnea is a cessation of air exchange at the nose and mouth, lasting at least 10 seconds (Williams, pg. 48). Narcolepsy is a disorder of excessive sleepiness. This sleepiness is characterized by brief episodes of lapses into sleep that occur throughout the day, usually lasting less than an hour. Insomnia means an inability to sleep. There are many kinds of insomnia, some chemical, some emotional, and some psychological (Thorpy 104). In addition to the 40 million people with chronic sleep disorders, there are 20 to 30 million people who experience intermittent sleep-related problems. These may be due to demanding work schedules and/or various other lifestyle stress factors. The consequences of sleep disorders, sleep deprivation, and excessive sleepiness can be significant. They could even include morbidity. It has been estimated that, in 1990, sleep disorders and sleepiness cost the United States a minimum of $15.9 billion in direct costs alone (National Commission, vi). This estimate does not include the billions of dollars in indirect and related costs, such as those attributable to sleep-related disasters (e.g. Exxon Valdez grounding, motor vehicle accidents, and diminished productivity in the work place). Some sleep disorders are potentially fatal, while others are little more than an annoyance. Some are life-long, with effects on family members; others are brief and non-recurring. Falling asleep inappropriat ely can blot out a few minutes of television, or it can cause catastrophic damage to life and property. Patients are often thought to be lazy and can become socially isolated from friends and family. I am a victim of sleep disorders. I suffer from sleep apnea and narcolepsy. I am a regular patient at the Sleep Disorder Clinic at Doctors Hospital. Here, I am wired to various electrodes which protrude from my head and then am told to go to sleep naturally! My breathing and brain waves are monitored, and I am later informed of how many times a night I have ceased to breathe on my own.

Organization Behavior Case Study

Communication is the process of information exchange between two and more than two individuals or organizations (Bowditch and Buono, 1997, cited by Anotony and Macvicar, 2011: 106). In general, communication process could be divided into two forms, verbal and non-verbal (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2010). Verbal communication includes oral and written, non-verbal communication includes body language and eye contact (ibid. ). Because of the development of technologies, especially the progress of internet, communication approaches becomes more diverse and effective (Shrivastava, 2012). In organizations, effective communication strategies could improve their both internal and external managing process (ibid). Thus, most of organizations are keep developing their communication strategies for improving their competitiveness in the market. However, communication process always launch with several noise, which considered as communication barriers, and these problem could occur in every phase of transmission stages (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2010). There are various kinds of barriers defined by scholars, for instance, Shrivastava (2012) labeled barriers into physical, emotional, perceptual, culture, gender and others. These barriers contribute to the lack of efficiency and uncertainty in the process of communication (ibid. ). Due to communication is the fundamental issue in the stage of the management in an organization, most of organizations are looking for an appropriate strategy for improving the efficiency and reliability of communication (Goh et al, 2005). Consequently, this essay will try to figure out three organizations’ challenge of communication, these three samples will be Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Ferrari and Saint John’s international school, meanwhile, their solutions for overcoming communication barriers will be evaluated in the essay. Enterprise Rent-A-Car Enterprise Rent-A-Car is one of the biggest car rental company which has over 370 locations throughout the UK. As a multinational company, Enterprise’s business covers seven countries with 8,200 rental office for offering daily and weekend car rental for individual and business (The Times 100, 2013). To guarantee that a variety of internal and external stakeholders are able to receive messages effectively, Enterprise has used different communication strategies. However, the challenge for Enterprise is that they cannot ensure that the methods and channel they used are the most appropriate for each audience (ibid). To be specific, this phenomenon is considered as medium barrier in the communication process. To solve this problem, Crothers (2007) claims that each particular communication could be effective by an appropriate medium. Enterprise communication strategies launched with the internal and external stakeholders, which aims to deliver the values and culture of the company according to such induction events, website, meeting and poster (The Times 100, 2013). Mostly, the communication approaches which are used by Enterprise are verbal communication. According to Waldstrom et al (2011, cited in Antony and MacVicar, 2011:112), verbal communication is able to express information much clearer than that of non-verbal communication. However, verbal communication might lead several misunderstanding of the massage. The communicator and receivers are not in the same position, even receivers can understood the words, they might cannot understand the meaning and attitudes of the communicators who are not familiar with them (Wright and Whalley, 1979). Meanwhile, Sonnenberg (1990) states that verbal communication cannot be effective without developed listening skills. Thus, if receivers’ listening skills such as ability of emphasis and evaluate the information and be able to chose the important information can be improved, such misunderstanding and incertainty can be avoided (ibid. ). On the other hand, An appropriate channel for feedback could be crucial for internal communication, communicators can collect feedbacks to analyse receivers needs and give them explanation of confusing questions. (Wright and Whalley, 1979). Thus, Enterprise builded a internet based system which is called â€Å"The Hub† to ensure that employees exchange their opinion directly (The Times 100, 2013). For the external communication, Enterprise’s service is divided into business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) approaches (The Times 100, 2013). Enterprise used various channels includes TV advertising, -mail and company newsletter to deliver the information, which ensured that they can cover all of the customers (ibid. ). Goh et al. (2005) shows that multiple communication channels not only deliver rich information effectively, but also be able to catch specific receivers’ needs. Therefore, Enterprise created multiple communication approaches to ensure the information could be deliver effectively and cover both internal and external stakeholders. Ferrari Ferrari is an excellent values company which has high reputation in the sport car industry and performance quite well in car racing events (Patrono, 2012). Meanwhile, Ferrari is the only car manufacture which has entire production line, that allows Ferrari to design every part of car just for its production (Invernizzi and Romenti, 2012). Before Luca di Montezemolo became Ferrari’s CEO, Ferrari faced an internal feedback communication barrier which is that employees cannot communicate well with senior executives, since the internal communication approaches were closed, it contributes that even Ferrari had a very good performance in racing events, but did not performance well in general market (ibid. ). Goh et al. 2005) states that a closed internal communication environment might leads the reducing of stakeholders sense of participation, commitment and passion. Similarly, Wright and Whalley (1979) claims that if employees feel under pressure, they cannot present their information clearly, and also, they might be not willing to exchange their creative advice of work. The closed communication channel not only contributes the barrie r between employees and employers, but also leads an ineffective communication process between different sectors of Ferrari (Invernizzi and Romenti, 2012). In order to solve the invalid communication process, Greenbaum (1980) point that a crucial element in internal communication process in organization is that senior executives should be more initiative to receive stakeholders idea. Thus, Ferrari’s CEO Luca di Montezemolo create a new communication system which is called ‘Formula Uomo’ (Patrono, 2012). For the internal communication, Formula Uomo creates a permanent listening instruments, such s the ‘open door’ office, which requires leading managers have to listen and pay more attention to the needs of employees to improve employees’ participation, commitment and performance (Invernizzi and Romenti, 2012). It not only provide a easier way for sender to communicate with the receiver, but also shared the whole information includes every aspects of this company, that allows participant to give their opinion of each processes (ibid). This open communication strategy is able to encourage employees jo in the whole operation of organization (Greenbaum, 1980). Therefore, eventually, Ferrari figure out an effective communication system in order to increase employees’ senses of belonging. Compare with the case of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, if Ferrari build an accessible intranet for internal communication, their efficiency of communication might be able to improve further. Saint John’s international school Saint John’s international school is using British curriculum to teach Thai children in Thailand, all the teacher in the campus are from Britain. It faced a culture barrier between teachers and pupils (Monthienvichienchai, et al. 2002). In this case, the major problem is that due to the culture difference, students cannot understand what teachers want to communicate and the meanings they want to convey (ibid. ). According to Hofstede (2001), in a cross-culture organization, the main barriers of communication is the different awareness of working style and the cognition of the goal. In the Saint John’s case, Thai students are more likely to learn how to do rather than how to learn and they feel more comfortable in a structured leaning situations (Monthienvichienchai, et al. 2002). For the major goal of learning, the major gap between British education purpose and that of Thai, Thai people consider that diplomas are more essential in building personal self respect (ibid). This might cause British teachers and Thai cannot working in the same way for a same purpose. In order to solve this problem, Wiseman, cited in Monthienvichienchai, et al. (2002) claims that three essential elements of improving the efficiency of communication are knowledge, motivation and skill or action. Thus, Saint John’s international school not only provides the basic curriculum for pupils, but also creates face-to-face communication opportunities for students to communicate with teachers, which aims to improve pupils’ knowledge of the purpose and the teaching style of British education (Monthienvichienchai, et al. , 2002). English (2001) states that in an interculture organization, informal communication might reduce receivers’ tension and increase the comprehension of different culture. Therefore, students in Saint John’s school are able to understand the British culture through the well-designed informal activities (Monthienvichienchai, et al. , 2002). In summary, Saint John’s international school overcomes several culture gap between Thai pupils and British teachers, however, due to the different education from home and school, this barrier cannot be completely solved. Compare with Ferrari case, Saint John’s international school might also need a better communication environment, such as ‘open door’ office and teacher might need to be more initiative. In conclusion, this essay has analyzed the three different organizations’ (Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Ferrari, Saint John’s international school) communication process, and discussed the communication barriers of them separately. Furthermore, the solutions which in order to remove these barriers also have been evaluated in the essay. According to these cases, to improve the internal and external communication efficiency, an appropriate channel, a harmonious communication environment and suitable methods could be beneficial. Additionally, communication strategies are flexible, they could be change and improved in an appropriate time and situation. Thus, it is important that organizations need to be more sensitive for the changing communication barriers. However, this essay targets are narrow, there are also a considerable number of different types of communication barriers such as gender and language barriers are existing in some organizations, which are leading to the inefficiency and uncertainty in the process of communication. Organization Behavior Case Study Communication is the process of information exchange between two and more than two individuals or organizations (Bowditch and Buono, 1997, cited by Anotony and Macvicar, 2011: 106). In general, communication process could be divided into two forms, verbal and non-verbal (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2010). Verbal communication includes oral and written, non-verbal communication includes body language and eye contact (ibid. ). Because of the development of technologies, especially the progress of internet, communication approaches becomes more diverse and effective (Shrivastava, 2012). In organizations, effective communication strategies could improve their both internal and external managing process (ibid). Thus, most of organizations are keep developing their communication strategies for improving their competitiveness in the market. However, communication process always launch with several noise, which considered as communication barriers, and these problem could occur in every phase of transmission stages (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2010). There are various kinds of barriers defined by scholars, for instance, Shrivastava (2012) labeled barriers into physical, emotional, perceptual, culture, gender and others. These barriers contribute to the lack of efficiency and uncertainty in the process of communication (ibid. ). Due to communication is the fundamental issue in the stage of the management in an organization, most of organizations are looking for an appropriate strategy for improving the efficiency and reliability of communication (Goh et al, 2005). Consequently, this essay will try to figure out three organizations’ challenge of communication, these three samples will be Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Ferrari and Saint John’s international school, meanwhile, their solutions for overcoming communication barriers will be evaluated in the essay. Enterprise Rent-A-Car Enterprise Rent-A-Car is one of the biggest car rental company which has over 370 locations throughout the UK. As a multinational company, Enterprise’s business covers seven countries with 8,200 rental office for offering daily and weekend car rental for individual and business (The Times 100, 2013). To guarantee that a variety of internal and external stakeholders are able to receive messages effectively, Enterprise has used different communication strategies. However, the challenge for Enterprise is that they cannot ensure that the methods and channel they used are the most appropriate for each audience (ibid). To be specific, this phenomenon is considered as medium barrier in the communication process. To solve this problem, Crothers (2007) claims that each particular communication could be effective by an appropriate medium. Enterprise communication strategies launched with the internal and external stakeholders, which aims to deliver the values and culture of the company according to such induction events, website, meeting and poster (The Times 100, 2013). Mostly, the communication approaches which are used by Enterprise are verbal communication. According to Waldstrom et al (2011, cited in Antony and MacVicar, 2011:112), verbal communication is able to express information much clearer than that of non-verbal communication. However, verbal communication might lead several misunderstanding of the massage. The communicator and receivers are not in the same position, even receivers can understood the words, they might cannot understand the meaning and attitudes of the communicators who are not familiar with them (Wright and Whalley, 1979). Meanwhile, Sonnenberg (1990) states that verbal communication cannot be effective without developed listening skills. Thus, if receivers’ listening skills such as ability of emphasis and evaluate the information and be able to chose the important information can be improved, such misunderstanding and incertainty can be avoided (ibid. ). On the other hand, An appropriate channel for feedback could be crucial for internal communication, communicators can collect feedbacks to analyse receivers needs and give them explanation of confusing questions. (Wright and Whalley, 1979). Thus, Enterprise builded a internet based system which is called â€Å"The Hub† to ensure that employees exchange their opinion directly (The Times 100, 2013). For the external communication, Enterprise’s service is divided into business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) approaches (The Times 100, 2013). Enterprise used various channels includes TV advertising, -mail and company newsletter to deliver the information, which ensured that they can cover all of the customers (ibid. ). Goh et al. (2005) shows that multiple communication channels not only deliver rich information effectively, but also be able to catch specific receivers’ needs. Therefore, Enterprise created multiple communication approaches to ensure the information could be deliver effectively and cover both internal and external stakeholders. Ferrari Ferrari is an excellent values company which has high reputation in the sport car industry and performance quite well in car racing events (Patrono, 2012). Meanwhile, Ferrari is the only car manufacture which has entire production line, that allows Ferrari to design every part of car just for its production (Invernizzi and Romenti, 2012). Before Luca di Montezemolo became Ferrari’s CEO, Ferrari faced an internal feedback communication barrier which is that employees cannot communicate well with senior executives, since the internal communication approaches were closed, it contributes that even Ferrari had a very good performance in racing events, but did not performance well in general market (ibid. ). Goh et al. 2005) states that a closed internal communication environment might leads the reducing of stakeholders sense of participation, commitment and passion. Similarly, Wright and Whalley (1979) claims that if employees feel under pressure, they cannot present their information clearly, and also, they might be not willing to exchange their creative advice of work. The closed communication channel not only contributes the barrie r between employees and employers, but also leads an ineffective communication process between different sectors of Ferrari (Invernizzi and Romenti, 2012). In order to solve the invalid communication process, Greenbaum (1980) point that a crucial element in internal communication process in organization is that senior executives should be more initiative to receive stakeholders idea. Thus, Ferrari’s CEO Luca di Montezemolo create a new communication system which is called ‘Formula Uomo’ (Patrono, 2012). For the internal communication, Formula Uomo creates a permanent listening instruments, such s the ‘open door’ office, which requires leading managers have to listen and pay more attention to the needs of employees to improve employees’ participation, commitment and performance (Invernizzi and Romenti, 2012). It not only provide a easier way for sender to communicate with the receiver, but also shared the whole information includes every aspects of this company, that allows participant to give their opinion of each processes (ibid). This open communication strategy is able to encourage employees jo in the whole operation of organization (Greenbaum, 1980). Therefore, eventually, Ferrari figure out an effective communication system in order to increase employees’ senses of belonging. Compare with the case of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, if Ferrari build an accessible intranet for internal communication, their efficiency of communication might be able to improve further. Saint John’s international school Saint John’s international school is using British curriculum to teach Thai children in Thailand, all the teacher in the campus are from Britain. It faced a culture barrier between teachers and pupils (Monthienvichienchai, et al. 2002). In this case, the major problem is that due to the culture difference, students cannot understand what teachers want to communicate and the meanings they want to convey (ibid. ). According to Hofstede (2001), in a cross-culture organization, the main barriers of communication is the different awareness of working style and the cognition of the goal. In the Saint John’s case, Thai students are more likely to learn how to do rather than how to learn and they feel more comfortable in a structured leaning situations (Monthienvichienchai, et al. 2002). For the major goal of learning, the major gap between British education purpose and that of Thai, Thai people consider that diplomas are more essential in building personal self respect (ibid). This might cause British teachers and Thai cannot working in the same way for a same purpose. In order to solve this problem, Wiseman, cited in Monthienvichienchai, et al. (2002) claims that three essential elements of improving the efficiency of communication are knowledge, motivation and skill or action. Thus, Saint John’s international school not only provides the basic curriculum for pupils, but also creates face-to-face communication opportunities for students to communicate with teachers, which aims to improve pupils’ knowledge of the purpose and the teaching style of British education (Monthienvichienchai, et al. , 2002). English (2001) states that in an interculture organization, informal communication might reduce receivers’ tension and increase the comprehension of different culture. Therefore, students in Saint John’s school are able to understand the British culture through the well-designed informal activities (Monthienvichienchai, et al. , 2002). In summary, Saint John’s international school overcomes several culture gap between Thai pupils and British teachers, however, due to the different education from home and school, this barrier cannot be completely solved. Compare with Ferrari case, Saint John’s international school might also need a better communication environment, such as ‘open door’ office and teacher might need to be more initiative. In conclusion, this essay has analyzed the three different organizations’ (Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Ferrari, Saint John’s international school) communication process, and discussed the communication barriers of them separately. Furthermore, the solutions which in order to remove these barriers also have been evaluated in the essay. According to these cases, to improve the internal and external communication efficiency, an appropriate channel, a harmonious communication environment and suitable methods could be beneficial. Additionally, communication strategies are flexible, they could be change and improved in an appropriate time and situation. Thus, it is important that organizations need to be more sensitive for the changing communication barriers. However, this essay targets are narrow, there are also a considerable number of different types of communication barriers such as gender and language barriers are existing in some organizations, which are leading to the inefficiency and uncertainty in the process of communication.

Nuclear Power Essay Example

Nuclear Power Essay Example Nuclear Power Essay Nuclear Power Essay Nuclear energy is one of the best sustainable resources around on the planet, 1 Goof reactor grade uranium contains enough energy to power a household light buy lb for 1,172 years. I believe that with the proper precautions taken, nuclear energy c become our worlds primary source of energy, instead of burning fossil fuels. There are several controversial questions that come along with the topic that need to be answered such as: Are nuclear hazards any different from any 20th ere hazards that we accept everyday such as driving a vehicle or flying in a plane? Can uncle ear rower production be kept safe from natural disasters (Fuchsia for example e)? Where and how will the nuclear waste be stored and is it possible for it to be recycle d? How would the waste be transported without the threat of terrorism? What is the a average price tag for a nuclear plant to be built, worked, and maintained? Are the risks of nuclear Donaldson 2 power worth the investment in the long run? These questions I feel like are the e most important subtopics that go along with this argument. My opposition fits into my argument because it allows both the reader and I t o be ware of the possible risks and facts that come along with nuclear energy. ME letdowns, natural disasters, human error in the plant, hazards of operating a nuclear pill NT with communities nearby, terrorist threats, possible exposure to nuclear radiation and a high cost to build/maintain a working nuclear reactor. For the outline of paper, the introduction will be fairly basic. Giving a small amount of basic background information on nuclear energy/ power, such as how a nuclear plant works and the process of how the uranium or other radioactive element is used to produce energy. End the introduction with a thesis, something along he lines of With the adoption of nuclear power as a primary power source, the world WI I benefit greatly as opposed to the continuation of burning fossil fuels. In the body of he argument, I will be answering the main controversial questions about nuclear power. I will investigate possible hazards of nuclear power plants and how they can be prevented. Safety from natural disasters will be discussed, the geographical action of where a power plant has to be built will have to be taken into consideration. L footer asset from used radioactive elements will have to be addressed, what happen ins to it after it has been used? Where is it transported to afterwards? How is it trans orated in the first place? Are the workers transporting the used elements considered SE fee from the radiation? Lastly, would the hazardous risk of building a nuclear power pill NT be worth the initial investment? Donaldson 3 Donaldson 4 Annotated Bibliography Celery, Daniel. Nuclear industry dares to dream of a new dawn; reactor build RSI think that fossil fuel prices and climate fears will revive nuclear power. But will now reactor designs overcome the concerns of utilities and the public? Science. Opposing Viewpoints. 19 Gag. 2005. Web. 20 March 2015. Celery article in summary was about how with natural gas prices on the rise a ND stocks of oil are going down, new energy options are being looked at, nuclear energy being one of them. With the need of new energy sources, nuclear energy cool d see a renaissance emerge. However for this to happen, nations would like to see s impel and safe ways to operate the reactors with ease. A point that stood out in the article were how U. S. Reactor builders arent necessarily looking into the long run of nuclear energy, but only the short term m. These builders need to think about how nuclear energy will be working in the next c people hundred years, not a couple decades. I would use this source in my argument to facilitate my discussion on how nee w forms of energy needed to be used, specifically nuclear energy. Luther Carter, Lake Barrett, Kenneth Rogers. Nuclear Waste Disposal: Showed own at Yucca Mountain. Issues in Science and Technology. Opposing Viewpoints. Web. 20 March 2015. This article was about how congress and other political groups are against building a geological repository. Carter, Barrett, and Rogers went into detail a bout how Donaldson 5 the repository would be used, what it would store, how long it would be used for, and where it was going to be built. Congress and other political groups keep denying the license for this repository from being built, but Novenas Nee County (which is the host country of Yucca Mountain), believe it is safe and an economic asset. Old be using this source to talk about how nuclear waste would be stored, cycled, and disposed of. Moore, Patrick. Nuclear Power is the Most secure Form of Energy. Coal. Opposing Viewpoints. 2011. Web. 20 March 2015. In Moors interview, he clears up the fog about nuclear energy. He states that there has never been a member of the public injured from nuclear reactors in the united states, nuclear reactors are built to withstand an impact from a 747, and uncle produces no regulated air emissions. In fact coal releases more radiation than nuclear power plants. Nuclear energy has a higher capital cost than fossil energy plants, but a lower operation cost once it is established. In the long run, a nuclear power plant WI II pay itself off and produces cleaner energy than fossil energy plants. When expansion of a nuclear power plant is needed, most sites already have room for extra reactors actual Ii. Also, nuclear energy has several forms Of fuel, uranium, which is the most common fuel being used currently, plutonium, and thorium. Thorium is the most abundant uncle AR element proven to be able to be used for nuclear energy. Donaldson 6 would incorporate this into my paper when I would bring up safety issues in he U. S. Regarding nuclear power plants in the past, terrorism, and capital plus pop aerating costs to run nuclear power plant. Taylor, John. The Nuclear Power Bargain. Opposing Viewpoints. Web. 20 March 2015. Tailors article about nuclear power touches on several controversial topics about nuclear energy such as: waste management, who uses nuclear energy and how much of the nation is powered by it, and how nuclear energy could be compete dative with todays fuel sources.

The Best of Daily Writing Tips in 2010

The Best of Daily Writing Tips in 2010 The Best of Daily Writing Tips in 2010 The Best of Daily Writing Tips in 2010 By Daniel Scocco First of all we wish a happy 2011 to all our readers. Second, we compiled a list with our most popular posts in 2010, so that you can re-read your favorite ones and check if you missed any. Next Monday well resume the writing tips, so stay tuned! What Is Irony? (With Examples): Recently I was walking and talking with my co-worker, who happens to be a freelance writer and aspiring journalist. We were talking about the fact that our employers were providing us with a Thanksgiving lunch the day after Thanksgiving, and she said, â€Å"It’s so ironic!’’ â€Å"There’s† and â€Å"There are†: Contractions are supposed to be easy to say. For example, they’re for they are is easy to utter, but adding another re to there to create â€Å"there’re† produces a word difficult to pronounce. English words Don’t (usually) End with â€Å"u†: The spelling â€Å"thru† has an entry in the tolerant Merriam-Webster that jumps to through.The OED has no entry for â€Å"thru,† although the spelling is listed along with many other historical variations in the through entry. â€Å"Ma’am† and Regional Colonialism; Where I come from, children are taught that responding to grownups with a mere â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† is impolite. â€Å"Yeah† is unforgivably rude. As a child I was taught to say â€Å"yes, sir, no, ma’am† and when I grew up, I continued to say it. When I lived in England, women whom I’d addressed as â€Å"ma’am† would sometimes smile and tell me that over there â€Å"ma’am† was reserved for the queen. 20 Computer Terms You Should Know: A great deal of jargon is used when talking about computers, and it’s surprising how often these terms are used incorrectly. Even published, successful novels sometimes do so. The following list provides an explanation of some of the more common computing terms you may come across or need to employ in your own writing. â€Å"Fun, Funner, Funnest†?: The word fun probably originated as a dialect pronunciation of Middle English fon, which as an adjective meant â€Å"foolish† and as a noun meant â€Å"fool.† The Middle English verb fonnen meant â€Å"to be foolish, to be infatuated.† 16 Manuscript Format Guidelines: If you submit manuscripts to publishers or agents, you’ve probably come across the demand that you use â€Å"standard manuscript format† (or â€Å"SMF†) for your submissions. However, it isn’t always spelled out what this actually means. Curbs and Sidewalks: In U.S. English, the word sidewalk refers to a paved footpath alongside a street or a road. The sidewalk is usually raised above the level of the road. The curb is a stone or concrete edging between the road and the sidewalk. 100 Writing Mistakes To Avoid – The Book: One of the fastest ways to improve your writing skills is to free yourself from the most common English mistakes: things like exchanging less with fewer, misspelling its as it’s, or placing commas where they are not supposed to be. This Sink Needs Fixed: The expression is often associated with Pittsburgh and â€Å"a narrow band in the middle of the country extending from the east coast to Montana.† I grew up outside those regional boundaries and am quite used to hearing â€Å"The lawn needs mowed† and â€Å"This sink needs fixed.† Taking and Bringing: Both bring and take have numerous meanings. One can, for example, take medicine, take the Fifth, take a liking to, take it on the chin, take a partner, take in a stray, take up for a friend, take out a date, and take an oath. 40 Twitter Hashtags for Writers: If you use Twitter, you’re probably already familiar with the idea of hashtags. These are simply a way of categorizing particular tweets by including within them a keyword prefixed with the hash or â€Å"pound† (#) symbol. PIN Number: To keep your writing as clear and concise as possible, you should generally try to remove unnecessary words. Sometimes duplication is fine – for artistic effect, for example – but as a general rule, it’s best to say things in as few words as possible. Corporate English: Thanks to reader Nick Corcodilos for sharing a link to an especially mind-numbing bit of English prose. I won’t publish the link he sent me, but I will give you an excerpt. Book Titles from Shakespeare: When I was receiving my secondary education in a small Arkansas high school many years ago, every student was expected to study four Shakespeare plays before graduating. The Letter â€Å"Z† Will Be Removed from the English Alphabet: Surprising as it sounds, it looks like the English alphabet will be losing one of its letters on June 1st. The announcement came from the English Language Central Commission (ELCC). No Talent for Writing: Unless the questioner wants to become an oral storyteller and tell these great stories to a live audience, or record them as audiobooks, the answer has to be, â€Å"Yes, you’re stuck.† However, I suspect that the person asking the question has made some attempt to put stories into writing, but is unhappy with the result. Post, Entry or Article?: My co-blogger and I have come across an interesting usage problem. We don’t know what to call what we write. It feels strange to refer to blog posts as â€Å"articles.† â€Å"Articles† sounds official, proper and very old media. â€Å"Posts† is the more common word, but it demeans the quality of the writing. 20 Movies Based on Shakespeare Plays: For me, April is Shakespeare’s month. I’ll be writing several Shakespeare-related posts this month, starting with Shakespeare in the movies. Story Writing 101: Since prehistoric times, when tales were told around fires and painted on cave walls, stories have been an essential part of our human experience. But what exactly is a story – and how can you write a great one? Don’t Be Burnt By â€Å"Inflammable†: In English, the in- prefix is often used to reverse the meaning of an adjective. Thus inactive is the opposite of active and inelegant is the opposite of elegant. So why isn’t inflammable the opposite of flammable? Mankind, Humankind, and Gender: My views on gendered language are perhaps too loose to meet the more extreme requirements of political correctness. For example, I don’t see anything wrong with using the word mankind in the sense of â€Å"all human beings living on the earth.† As I understand the word, it comes from an Old English construct in which man means â€Å"person.† 30 Religious Terms You Should Know: When I was growing up in small town America, stories about religion were generally confined to the Saturday church pages in the local newspaper. Catholics and Jews were the most exotic religious practitioners in town, and â€Å"atheist† was a strong term of disapprobation. â€Å"Completed Suicide†: My take is that, outside its valid use in medical literature, the expression â€Å"completed suicide† is being used as a euphemism by people who feel there’s more of a stigma attached to saying that someone â€Å"committed suicide.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Classes and Types of Phrases"Certified" and "Certificated"7 Sound Techniques for Effective Writing

Descartes' Method of Doubt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Descartes' Method of Doubt - Essay Example Also in the introductory remarks, Descartes very clearly explains why he believes that leveling all of his beliefs and starting over is the only way to cure science from false and uncertain beliefs. Reason now leads me to think that I should hold back my assent from opinions which are not completely certain and indubitable just as carefully as I do from those which are patently false. So, for the purpose of rejecting all my opinions, it will be enough if I find in each of them at least some reason for doubt (Descartes, 12). He does not want to simply eliminate the beliefs that he knows for certain are false. He wishes to find indubitable knowledge, and the only way to accomplish this is to reject every belief he possibly can--from the obviously false beliefs to the beliefs that have only the most remote and improbable reason for doubt. Descartes then advances to the first category of beliefs he wishes to cast doubt on--beliefs gained from the senses. Descartes points out that most of the beliefs he is most certain of come from the senses, but that he has noticed that the senses sometimes are deceiving, such as â€Å"with respect to objects which are very small or in the distance† (Descartes, 13). ... Descartes does come up with a reason you could doubt this belief though, by proposing a new scenario. The scenario imagines is one where you are caught in a dream. Everyone has had the experience of being in a dream and thinking it is real until waking up, regardless of how fantastical the dream might be. Descartes admits it could certainly be possible that the arms and body he sees do not belong to him, but are part of a dream (Descartes 13). However, he points out that its doubtful that things like arms and hands do not exist altogether, because ideas in dreams are often based on what has been seen in real life. Even if these body parts were made up though, there are certain beliefs that still cannot be doubted, such as the existence of colors, and the fact that all bodies are extended (Descartes, 14). He points out that even more certain while dreaming are truths derived from mathematics, â€Å"for whether I am awake or asleep, two and three added together are five, and a square has no more than four sides† (Descartes, 14). This realization that the most certain empirical truths are merely the existence of bodies and colors, while truths gained through reason such as mathematical truths, leads Descartes to conclude that truths in the sciences are less certain than truths in Mathematics. Descartes then moves to his final level of doubt, by coming up with the most remote and unlikely, but most powerful scenario yet. He asks us to suppose that there is an evil genius that is infinitely powerful and intelligent, who wishes to trick us into thinking even the most certain things are true. Descartes admits that if such a being exists, even the basic truth that two plus three equals five can be called into doubt. This forces him to come up with his final, most essential

Management of Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Management of Technology - Essay Example The company has a slew of innovations, most in different stages of patenting. It assiduously protects its intellectual property. Its business model relies on license fees accruing from the deployment of its technology in the Wave Energy Projects. Apart from license fees, the company participates in equity of the Special Purpose Companies that implement the projects. Being an innovation driven company in the frontiers of technology, technology management is its area of special emphasis. Carnegie Corp. acquired CETO technologies from REH. CETO, named after a Greek god, is the only technology that enables pumping high pressure sea water ashore. This method is the most efficient method to desalinate sea water (PESWiki.com). The acquisition was in return for REH taking 35% stake in Carnegie. In addition to the intellectual property, Carnegie acquired REH’s commercial site pipeline. REH’s agreements with EDF EN also devolved upon Carnegie. Consequent to the agreement with REH, Carnegie would Build, Own and Operate CETO wave forms in the southern hemisphere, which was the domain of REH (CETO over View). The relationship with EDF EN is a joint venture license relationship to own and operate CETO Wave Power Projects in the northern hemisphere and Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. While Carnegie will have the right, it is not bound by any obligation to participate in any CETO wave power project developed by EDF EN in the Territory of Exclusivity. In the event REH does not exercise its right to participate in any such project, EDF EN can exercise the right in developing such project with a partner of its choice. Carnegie’s project with EDF EN, will be implemented by a Special Purpose Company (SPC). In this SPC, Carnegie receives an equity interest between 25% and 49% related to the scale of the project. The financing of the project will be through equity and debt instruments. The equity