Strategic Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Plan - Essay Example The focal point of this notion declares that it has become highly necessary for school managements to realize and acknowledge the importance of developing a comprehensive strategic design in governing the operations of the institution. Therefore, the purpose of this strategic plan for Paulo Freire Charter School (PFCS) is to critically analyze, examine and assess the extensive categories of strategic planning and implementation with respect to the organization. The report aims to achieve this purpose by specifically addressing particular areas of strategy which are classified under the implementation plan, organizational change management strategies, strategic financial management and risk management plan for Paulo Freire Charter School (PFCS). Implementation Plan Gamage (2006) states that the stage of planning is conducted prior to decision-making as the entire concept fundamentally defines the chronological activities that are to undertaken by an organization for the attainment of its overall objectives. Once conducted in an effective manner, planning can also aid the enhancement of various processes within the school; these processes include resource utilization, agreement on management practices and leadership styles or approaches and granting the management, staff and students with a shared vision and a sense of direction (Gamage 2006). To understand the concept of strategic planning in a systematic manner it is important to realize the basic processes which it is comprised of, these processes include; establishing objectives, setting targets and placing appropriate monitors of performance and allocating organizational resources (Spee and Jarzabkowski 2011). The subsequent sections of the strategic plan for Paulo Freire Charter School (PFCS) aim to follow this pattern of progress with the integration of pertinent educational management concepts and dimensions. Objectives Davies and Ellison (2013) highlight the distinguishing features of an Improvement Obje ctive (IO) which is defined as the focus of what an educational institution aims to attain as a consequence of commencing development projects for the school. This notion presents a contrast from the long-term objectives of a school because it is specific to a particular phase or associated with a specific activity. Accordingly, identifying the association between the objectives and the vision of an educational institution holds immense importance because each concept is a reflection of the other. As a centre of learning, PFCS aims to be the forerunner in a highly competitive industry by promoting the highest standards of knowledge, ethics and innovation. The foundations of the school rest on four principles which are that of Inquiry, Investigation, Reflection and Action (Paulo Freire Charter School 2012). This notion postulates that the organization’s adoption of the inquiry based instructional model is the focal point in the achievement of its long-term objectives. Conseque ntly, the formulation of appropriate objectives and there subsequent achievement by the school is also critical to its financial

Deontological ethics Essay Example for Free

Deontological ethics Essay Deontological ethics is too rigid in its emphasis on duties, utilitarian ethics too keen to override basic human rights. Deontology and utilitarianism are both types of ethics referring to how one reacts in a certain situation. Deontology is based on following a set of duties and sticking to these duties no matter what the consequences whereas utilitarianism is based on choosing the best outcome over a short term and long term even if it means depriving people of basic human rights for example. However does this mean that deontological ethics is too rigid in its emphasis on duties and that utilitarian ethics is too keen to override basic human rights? According to a deontologist ones actions must be determined by a set of duties regardless of whether the long term consequences are good or bad. A deontologist believes in human morals and that every human has certain rights and these morals and rights should not be betrayed no matter what the cost for example sacrificing one life to save one hundred lives would be unacceptable to the deontologist despite the fact the consequences would be better overall. The biggest problem with deontology is knowing which set of duties to follow, there could be a great variation in systems between people from different backgrounds, different social classes, different religions and people from different cultures. For example a Protestant English Lord would have different morals and a different set of duties than a lower class Indian Hindu. It is very difficult to tell which set of duties, if any, is the right one. Deontologists suffer many problems when their duties seem to conflict with themselves or with other duties. One has a duty to save lives but what if in order to do this one must betray another duty for example a husbands sick wife needs life saving medicine but the husband cannot afford to buy it, should he steal the medicine in order to save his wives life or should he not betray his morals and allow his wife to die. This raises the question as to how do we tell which duty is the most important and which is the least? If the consequences o f each are to be considered then this would make it a consequentialist view and not a deontological one. Single duty conflicts cause just as many problems such as two people imminently need a heart transplant but only one organ is available, a deontologist has a duty to save lives but on this occasion only one out of the two can be saved. This is known as the doctrine of double effect and is said that since it is impossible to save both lives, ones duty to save lives has not been broken. Deontology does encounter many problems but also has a number of merits. Since deontologists refuse to betray human rights, every human is guaranteed these rights will not be broken. Deontology would also normally let justice prevail and this is a good quality indeed. According to Utilitarianism On Liberty by John Stuart Mill, mankind is under the governance of two sovereign masters one being pleasure and the other being pain and this in itself determines what we should do and what we actually do. By the principle of utility is meant that principle which approves or disapproves of every action whatsoev er, according to the tendency which it appears to have to augment or diminish the happiness of the party whose interest is in question. (J.S. Mills). According to utilitarian ethics the community at large is considered to be the party in question and so the interest of the community is the sum of the interests of the individual or the sum total of the communities pleasures against the sum total of its pains. A man may be said to be a utilitarian when his actions are determined by the consequences which will increase the total amount of pleasure throughout the parties involved or to reduce the total amount of pain throughout the same parties. J.S. Mills also claims that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to promote the reverse of happiness The major problem with utilitarianism is the conflict it creates with ordinary morality for example sacrificing innocent lives in order to save a greater number of people. The problem with morality in this case is obvious as no one has the right to take another human life, however the long term consequences will be better as more lives are save d. Another serious problem is the difficulty in determining the consequences of a certain action. It is impossible to predict the future with this sort of accuracy and so how do we know if one action will bring better consequences than another action. This is why determining the long term consequences is a lot more difficult than the short term consequences and is another serious problem with Jeremy Benthams utilitarian theory. Utilitarianism is based on the total amount of happiness of everyone concerned, but whose happiness counts? Every human or only those with sound body and mind? It is this problem that creates extreme difficulty in determining the total amount of happiness for those concerned. J.S. Mill claims that both mental and physical pleasure counts with intellectual activities giving the most pleasure despite his godfather, Jeremy Benthams, theory claiming the opposite. However this gives rise to another problem as it is impossible to quantify happiness and so there is no way to guarantee that one action will bring a greater amount of happiness than another action. However utilitarianism is not all bad and Benthams beliefs did have some good qualities. Since utilitarianism represents the community as a whole and not just individuals it is a very selfless way of thought as a utilitarian would consider causing himself a small amount of pain in order to give everyone a large amount of happiness as worth it. Deontological and utilitarian ethics both have a lot of problems as I have shown. Deontological duties often mean that the action with the best outcome is not selected and these duties themselves often conflict with each other causing even more problems with which action should be taken. On the other hand Utilitarianism often betrays human rights and morals in order to achieve the best consequence to such an extent that betraying these rights may not even be worth it. Also consequences are very difficult to predict and often unforeseen things can happen changing the long term outcome for the worst. So I would have to agree that Deontological ethics is too rigid in its emphasis on duties and Utilitarian ethics too keen to override basic human rights.

An Android Application Development

An Android Application Development This paper talks briefly about developing applications on the android mobile platform using the Java Programming language. The overview includes introduction to the android platform features, architecture, APIs, application framework and the android SDK. A Hello World application walks you through the development process to understand the concepts of the android software stack and the tools involved. In late 2007, a group of industry leaders came together around the Android Platform to form the Open Handset Alliance (http://www.openhandsetalliance.com). Some of the alliances prominent members include:   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sprint Nextel à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ T-Mobile   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Motorola à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Samsung   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sony Ericsson à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Toshiba   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Vodafone   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Google   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Intel   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Texas Instruments.   Android was designed to serve the needs of mobile operators, handset manufacturers, and application developers [3]. Android is: A software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system (Linux Kernel version 2.6), middleware and key applications. The Android SDK provides the tools and APIs necessary to begin developing applications on the Android platform using the Java programming language [1]. The Figure1: Android Architecture diagram gives a good overview of what constitutes the android platform. Android includes a set of C/C++ libraries (indicated green in Figure1) used by various components of the Android system. These capabilities are exposed to developers through the Android application framework. Android Platform Features: The following is an explanation of the building blocks of the platform as indicated in Figure1. Application framework: Developers have full access to the same framework APIs used by the core applications (refer Figure1) written in Java. An application can publish its capabilities and any other application may then make use of those capabilities. Underlying all applications is a set of services and systems, including: A rich and extensible set of Views that can be used to build an application, including lists, grids, text boxes, buttons, and even an embeddable web browser Content Providers that enable applications to access data from other applications (such as Contacts), or to share their own data A Resource Manager, providing access to non-code resources such as localized strings, graphics, and layout files A Notification Manager that enables all applications to display custom alerts in the status bar An Activity Manager that manages the lifecycle of applications and provides a common navigation backstack Dalvik virtual machine optimized for mobile devices, executes files in the Dalvik Executable (.dex) format. The dx tool included in the SDK converts .class files into .dex files. Integrated browser based on the open source WebKit engine Optimized graphics powered by a custom 2D graphics library; 3D graphics based on the OpenGL ES 1.0 specification (hardware acceleration optional) SQLite for structured data storage Media support for common audio, video, and still image formats (MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF) GSM Telephony (hardware dependent) Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi (hardware dependent) Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer (hardware dependent) Rich development environment including a device emulator, tools for debugging, memory and performance profiling, and a plugin for the Eclipse IDE Application Fundamentals: Android applications are written in the Java programming language. The compiled Java code along with any data and resource files required by the application is bundled by the aapt tool into an Android package, an archive file marked by an .apk suffix. This file is the vehicle for distributing the application and installing it on mobile devices; its the file users download to their devices. All the code in a single .apk file is considered to be one application. By default, every application runs in its own Linux process, with a unique linux user id. Each process has its own virtual machine (VM). Application Components: Android applications consist of loosely coupled components, bound using a project manifest that describes each component and how they interact. There are six components that provide the building blocks for your applications: 1) Activities: Your applications presentation layer. Every screen in your application will be an extension of the Activity class. Activities use Views to form graphical user interfaces that displays information and respond to user actions. In terms of desktop development, an Activity is equivalent to a Form. 2) Services: Services are the invisible workers of your application. Service components run invisibly, updating your data sources and visible Activities and triggering Notifi cations. Theyre used to perform regular processing that needs to continue even when your applications Activities arent active or visible. 3) Content Providers: Are a shareable data store. Content Providers are used to manage and share application databases. Content Providers are the preferred way of sharing data across application boundaries. This means that you can confi gure your own Content Providers to permit access from other applications and use Content Providers exposed by others to access their stored data. Android devices include several native Content Providers that expose useful databases like contact information. 4) Intents: They are simple message-passing framework. Using Intents, you can broadcast messages system-wide or to a target Activity or Service, stating your intention to have an action performed. The system will then determine the target(s) that will perform any actions as appropriate. 5) Broadcast Receivers: By creating and registering a Broadcast Receiver, your application can listen for broadcast Intents that match specific filter criteria. Broadcast Receivers will automatically start your application to respond to an incoming Intent, making them ideal for event-driven applications. 6) Notifications: They are user notification framework. Notifi cations let you signal users without stealing focus or interrupting their current Activities. They are the preferred technique for getting a users attention from within a Service or Broadcast Receiver. For example, when a device receives a text message or an incoming call, it alerts you by fl ashing lights, making sounds, displaying icons, or showing dialog messages. You can trigger these same events from your own applications using Notifications. By decoupling the dependencies between application components, you can share and interchange individual pieces, such as Content Providers or Services, with other applications both your own and those of third parties. The manifest file: The AndroidManifest.xml file is where your global settings are made. If you are an ASP.NET developer, you can think of AndroidManifest.xml as Web.config and Global.asax rolled into one. (If you are not an ASP.NET developer, this means that AndroidManifest.xml is a place for storing settings.) AndroidManifest.xml will include such settings as application permissions, Activities, and intent filters. [4] Please refer to Code 1: Manifest file Building Hello World Application: We will write the first android application, Hello World, using the eclipse IDE. Make sure that you have a suitable version of Eclipse(3.5 or 3.6 recommended) installed on your computer. Download the windows .zip file for the SDK starter package. Unpack the SDK files into a directory named android-sdk- in a safe location on your computer. Next, install the Eclipse(3.5 or 3.6) ADT plug-in for Android as follows: Start Eclipse, then select Help > Install New Software. Click Add, in the top-right corner. In the Add Repository dialog that appears, enter ADT Plugin for the Name and the following URL for the Location: https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse/ In Available Software dialog, select checkbox next to Developer Tools, click Next In the next window, youll see a list of the tools to be downloaded. Click Next. Read and accept the license agreements, then click Finish. When the installation completes, restart Eclipse. Then, configure ADT by doing following steps: Select Window > Preferences to open the Preferences panel Select Android from the left panel. For the SDK Location in the main panel, click Browse and locate your downloaded SDK directory. Click Apply, then OK. Now, to install a platform in Eclipse: In the Android SDK and AVD Manager, choose Available Packages in the left panel. Click the repository site checkbox to display the components available for installation. Select at least one platform to install, and click Install Selected. If you arent sure which platform to install, use the latest version. Go on, and create an AVD: In Eclipse, choose Window > Android SDK and AVD Manager. Select Virtual Devices in the left panel. Click New. (The Create New AVD dialog appears.) Type the name of the AVD, such as my_avd. Choose a target. The target is the platform (that is, the version of the Android SDK, such as 2.1) you want to run on the emulator. You can ignore the rest of the fields for now. Click Create AVD. Create a New Android Project: After youve created an AVD, the next step is to start a new Android project in Eclipse. Please refer to Figure 12: New Android Project and also follow the steps below. Fill in the project details with the following values: Project name: HelloAndroid Application name: Hello, Android Package name: com.example.helloandroid (or your own private namespace) Create Activity: HelloAndroid Click Finish. Here is a description of each field: Project Name: The name of the directory that will contain the project files. Application Name: This is the human-readable title for your application the name that will appear on the Android device. Package Name: This is the package namespace (following the same rules as for packages in the Java programming language) that you want all your source code to reside under. This also sets the package name under which the stub Activity will be generated. Your package name must be unique across all packages installed on the Android system; for this reason, its important to use a standard domain-style package for your applications. The example above uses the com.example namespace, which is a namespace reserved for example documentation when you develop your own applications, you should use a namespace thats appropriate to your organization or entity. Create Activity This is the name for the class stub that will be generated by the plugin. This will be a subclass of Androids Activity class. An Activity is simply a class that can run and do work. It can create a UI if it chooses, but it doesnt need to. As the checkbox suggests, this is optional, but an Activity is almost always used as the basis for an application. Min SDK Version: This value specifies the minimum API Level required by your application. For more information, see Android API Levels. Other fields: The checkbox for Use default location allows you to change the location on disk where the projects files will be generated and stored. Build Target is the platform target that your application will be compiled against (this should be selected automatically, based on your Min SDK Version). Notice that the Build Target youve selected uses the Android 1.1 platform. This means that your application will be compiled against the Android 1.1 platform library. If you recall, the AVD created above runs on the Android 1.5 platform. These dont have to match; Android applications are forward-compatible, so an application built against the 1.1 platform library will run normally on the 1.5 platform. The reverse is not true. Your Android project is now ready. It should be visible in the Package Explorer on the left. Open the HelloAndroid.java file, located inside HelloAndroid > src > com.example.helloandroid). Please refer to Code2: HelloAndroid. Notice that the class is based on the Activity class. An Activity is a single application entity that is used to perform actions. An application may have many separate activities, but the user interacts with them one at a time. The onCreate() method will be called by the Android system when your Activity starts it is where you should perform all initialization and UI setup. An activity is not required to have a user interface, but usually will. Now lets modify some code! Construct the UI Please refer to Code 3: Construct UI An Android user interface is composed of hierarchies of objects called Views. A View is a drawable object used as an element in your UI layout, such as a button, image, or (in this case) a text label. Each of these objects is a subclass of the View class and the subclass that handles text is TextView. In this change, you create a TextView with the class constructor, which accepts an Android Context instance as its parameter. A Context is a handle to the system; it provides services like resolving resources, obtaining access to databases and preferences, and so on. The Activity class inherits from Context, and because your HelloAndroid class is a subclass of Activity, it is also a Context. So, you can pass this as your Context reference to the TextView. Next, you define the text content with setText(). Finally, you pass the TextView to setContentView() in order to display it as the content for the Activity UI. If your Activity doesnt call this method, then no UI is present and the system will display a blank screen. There it is Hello, World in Android! The next step, of course, is to see it running. Run the Application: The Eclipse plugin makes it easy to run your applications: Select Run > Run. Select Android Application. The Eclipse plugin automatically creates a new run configuration for your project and then launches the Android Emulator. Depending on your environment, the Android emulator might take several minutes to boot fully, so please be patient. When the emulator is booted, the Eclipse plugin installs your application and launches the default Activity. You should now see something like this: Please refer to Figure 4: Hello Android. The Hello, Android you see in the grey bar is actually the application title. The Eclipse plugin creates this automatically (the string is defined in the res/values/strings.xml file and referenced by your AndroidManifest.xml file). The text below the title is the actual text that you have created in the TextView object. Conclusion: That concludes the basic Hello World tutorial. Refer to http://developer.android.com/index.html for more information. To do that, android offers a number of APIs for developing your applications. The following list of core APIs that provide an insight into whats available; all Android devices will offer support for at least these Java APIs[2]: android.util: The core utility package contains low-level classes like specialized containers, string formatters, and XML parsing utilities. com.google.android.maps: A high-level API that provides access to native map controls that you can use within your application. Includes the MapView control as well as the overlay and MapController classes used to annotate and control your embedded maps. android.text: The text processing tools for displaying and parsing text. android.database: low-level classes required for working with databases. Figures: Figure 1: Android Architecture Diagram Figure2: New Android Project Figure3: New Android Project Figure 4: Hello Android Code 1: Manifest File android:icon=@drawable/small_pic.png android:label=@string/freneticLabel . . . > . . . Code 2: HelloAndroid package com.example.helloandroid; import android.app.Activity; import android.os.Bundle; public class HelloAndroid extends Activity { /** Called when the activity is first created. */ @Override public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState); setContentView(R.layout.main); } } Code 3: Construct UI package com.example.helloandroid; import android.app.Activity; import android.os.Bundle; import android.widget.TextView; public class HelloAndroid extends Activity { /** Called when the activity is first created. */ @Override public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState); TextView tv = new TextView(this); tv.setText(Hello, Android); setContentView(tv); } }

Supply Side Keynesianism Essays -- Economics

Supply Side Keynesianism A President is measured by how well the economy did during his term in office. More specifically is whether unemployment went up or down, and did they help the economy to fight inflation. Two basic modes of thought on the subject have pervaded public policy since World War II: demand-side and supply-side economics. Demand-side economics is generally known as Keynesianism, named after the English economist John Maynard Keynes. He believed that governments should force interest rates down by printing money and lending it from the central bank at a discount. This would put more money in consumers' hands and encourage them to spend and consume more, thus creating an incentive for investment. This helped to solve some of the problems, but in the long run it is extremely inflationary, because with the increase of the money supply it becomes devalued. Keynesianism also calls for the government to spend more to try to help the economy grow. Keynesianism is a short-term solution to an economic problem and could only do so much for the economy before inflation caches up with it, and takes it into a recession. On the other hand we have supply side economics, which works on more of a long-term basis. It basically attempts to stimulate economic growth, which would reduce inflation, and raise the standard of living. Supply side proponents say that by reducing government regulations and taxation, this will stimulate more economic growth, and mar...

James Joyce’s Araby as a coming-of-age story Essay

Araby, by James Joyce is a story about a young boy experiencing his first feelings of attraction to the opposite sex, and the way he deals with it. The story’s young protagonist is unable to explain or justify his own actions because he has never dealt with these sort of feelings before, and feels as though someone or something totally out of the ordinary has taken him over. The boy can do nothing but act on his own impulses, and is blind to the reasoning behind him. Araby is such a powerful study on childhood because of the way Joyce so vividly recounts the frustration a child feels when they are unsuccessful at trying to be an adult too fast. The story begins with images of blindness, a symbol of the boy’s youth and ignorance. Joyce describes the street the boy lives on, North Richmond street, as being â€Å"blind.† It is from these blind shadows of the boys ignorance that the object of his affection, his friend Mangan’s sister, emerges. Joyce describes her figure as being â€Å"defined by the light of the half-open door† (Joyce, 27) a symbol of the boy becoming enlightened by these new, adult feelings. As she enters the story, the images change from darkness to light and his feelings change from immature childhood concerns to those of an adolescent. Eventually, the boy’s language becomes more poetic and adult, and his thoughts turn completely to her. â€Å"Her image accompanied me even in places the most hostile to romance,† he admits â€Å"her name sprang to my lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which I myself did not understand.† The boy idealizes Mangan’s sister, obsessing over her, and is overcome with joy when she speaks to him. She tells him about a bazaar being held called Araby, and asks him if he is going. â€Å"I forgot whether I said yes or no† says  the love-struck boy to the reader, he is overcome with a mixture of fear and excitement as she chats calmly with him, explaining she can’t go because she will be away on a retreat when the bazaar is being held. She does not have to say anything else, the boy has found his opportunity to gain her affections, he tells her he will go to the bazaar on her behalf and buy her a present. He can hardly contain his excitement at this chance he’s been given to prove to do something nice for her, and to do something mature and adult like traveling to a bazaar and picking out a present alone. The boy takes this new responsibility, this new adventure to mean that he’s entered a new phase of life. Time suddenly seems to slow down in the story as the boy waits for Saturday to arrive. â€Å"I could not call my wandering thoughts together† he complains â€Å"I had hardly any practice with the serious work of life which, now that it stood between me and my desire seemed to me child’s play, ugly monotonous child’s play.† (Joyce, 29) Everything getting in the way of his journey begins to torture the poor boy, he sits in agony as the clock ticks, as he waits to be allowed to leave, he can barely contain his frustration. This sort of anticipation shows to the reader that the boy is not as mature as he feels himself to be, if he were an adult making a journey for a girl he liked, the entire process would not seem so exigent. When his uncle finally arrives home he is distracted and has forgotten about the boy’s desire to go to the bazaar. He starts talking about an Arab poem he knows and keeps the boy even longer, finally giving him the money and allowing him to go. The boy’s arrival at the bazaar, like his quick transition to adulthood, is a false awakening. By the time he arrives at the bazaar he can not purchase anything, the vendors are tired and closing up shop, and have little desire to see what this young boy can buy from them. He is being treated as a child and is aware of it. His quest for adulthood and independence seems somewhat futile, this trip didn’t assert anything. He feels the disappointment of seeing Mangan’s sister empty-handed pour over him. As the boy leaves the bazaar the light goes out, once again returning to the symbols of light and darkness in the beginning. The boy is returning to  ignorance and childhood. â€Å"Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger† reflects the boy, finally realizing that the whole quest was frivolous, the girl was a fantasy. So, in this end paragraph, although the darkness is a return to childhood, he has gained some self-realization. His ability to recognize his youth and his ignorance is a growth.

Terminator 2 vs the Matrix essays

Terminator 2 vs the Matrix essays The movies Terminator 2 and The Matrix both present separate views of a scientific reality. The idea that in the future our lives could be controlled by machines and not vice versa is readily embraced by both movies, which communicate this idea in different ways. The movie Terminator 2 embraces typical sci-fi topics such as time travel and robotics whilst The Matrix derives its meanings through concepts such as virtual reality. Through these separate entities, the viewer is able to open his or her mind to possibilities that were previously unsung before witnessing these movies. In our society, the importance lies in the present and not the future. These films attempt to bridge the gap between the separate realms of time and bring the future to the viewer. While both movies muster different meanings, both deal with a single issue, being the uncertainty of the future. The uncertainty of the future is a thought, which crosses the minds of most people during a lifetime. The directors of The Matrix and Terminator 2 both depict their values and attitudes on the subject through the plots of the film. It can be stated that James Cameron, director of Terminator 2, has a different vision of the future than the directors of The Matrix. Due to the complexly different plot lines and stories, it can be said that different people have different beliefs and as such, different expectations. This brings us back to the issue at hand, the uncertainty of the future. The fact that both films intertextually relate to one another further builds upon the issue of the uncertainty of the future. To be more specific, The Matrix intertextually relates to Terminator 2 because of the theme that technology has the power to rule over humans and vice versa. Particularly in the movie Terminator 2, the viewer is subject to the theme of machines becoming dominant over humans. The fact that the man-made machin...

Paper 1 Copy 5

Paper 1 Copy 5 Paper 1 Copy 5 Attorney for W.R. Grace & Co., a California corporation doing business as â€Å"Cryovac Factory† SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA UNLIMITED JURISDICTION ANNE ANDERSON, an individual, AND ANNE ANDERSON as executor of the estate of JAMES ANDERSON Plaintiffs, vs. W.R. GRACE & Co., a California corporation doing business as â€Å"Cryovac Factory†, and DOES ONE THROUGH FIVE Defendants ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Case No,: ANSWER TO VERIFIED COMPLAINT Defendant, W.R. GRACE & Co., a California corporation doing business as â€Å"Cryovac Factory,† answers the complaint of plaintiff Anne Anderson, an individual, and Anne Anderson as executor of the estate of James Anderson. RESPONSE TO PRELIMINARY ALLEGATIONS 1. Defendant W.R. Grace & Co. lacks sufficient information or belief to the truth of the allegations contained in the plaintiffs’ complaint. Based on this lack of information or belief, defendant denies all allegations in the complaint. 2. With respect to paragraphs 1 through 14 of the complaint, defendant denies that it disposed of any toxic chemicals which could have or did contaminate the aquifer. RESPONSE TO FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION 3. With respect to paragraph A though B of the complaint, defendant at all times exercised due care under the circumstances and acted in good faith in accordance with reasonable and customary standards in the industry and in the locality 4. With respect to paragraph C of the complaint, defendant denies the allegations in this paragraph. 5. With respect to paragraph D of the complaint, defendant denies that it had any knowledge that TCE is a dangerous toxin that can cause serious health issues and death. 6. With respect to paragraph E of the complaint, defendant acted reasonably and in good faith with due care for the rights and safety of others. RESPONSE TO SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION 7. With respect to paragraph F of the complaint, defendant realleges and incorporates by reference denials in paragraphs 1 through 6 of this answer. 8. With respect to paragraphs G through I of the complaint, defendant at all times exercised due care and acted in good faith. RESPONSE TO THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION 9. With respect to paragraph J of the complaint, defendant realleges and incorporates by reference denials in paragraphs 1 through 8 of this answer. 10. With respect to paragraphs K through L of the complaint, defendant denies the allegations in these paragraphs. FIRST AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE Statute of limitations The plaintiffs’ claims are barred by the applicable statues of limitations and/or laches. SECOND

The Blogger Spelling Test

The Blogger Spelling Test The Blogger Spelling Test The Blogger Spelling Test By Daniel Scocco Bloggers do get a misspelled word once in a while (some bloggers more often than that, but anyway). If you want to test your skills you can try the Blogger Spelling Test. There are 15 questions with common misspelled words. Most of them are quite easy, just dont run through the questions or you might end up getting one wrong like I did, for my embarassment. 😉 Via: Fiascas Corner 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 Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 English Grammar Rules You Should KnowBroadcast vs Broadcasted as Past FormQuiet or Quite?

Marketing Management Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Management Plan - Essay Example The beauty of competition in technology is beneficial to consumers, since superb products will be developed, that are efficient and effective in usage. Marketing of Samsung products is guided by the philosophy â€Å"At Samsung, we follow a simple business philosophy: to devote our talent and technology to creating superior products and services that contribute to a better global society† ("Values & Philosophy†, n,p). Samsung objective is to sell to its consumers quality products that will satisfy their need. Delivering quality products to their customers is a form of marketing that will attract other consumers to Samsung products. Samsung is a renowned brand as far as electronics is concerned. Its products get a warm reception from different clients across the globe. It can be evidenced by its numerous branches in various countries. Being a technological company it has to ensure it meets the expectation of different segment of its clients. The older generation (generation X) may not be interested in the rate at which technology is being advanced, but they will appreciate it later. This generation is totally different with the generation Y and Z. The two generations are techno-driven and will be willing to pay more for any advancement in technology. (Mullins, and Orville, 2013, pg, 89), argued that members of these generations like sophisticated technology. Samsung over the years since its inception in 1969 has invested heavily in the research and development department. Credit has to be given to the Research and Development team for the current position of Samsung in the market. The core marketing objective o f Samsung is to try and entice the Y generation to embrace new technologies. It is because the rate of obsolescence in technology is higher than any other industry. Therefore, it will be a waste of resources producing â€Å"dead† technologies for a small market segment. Samsung headquarter is in Seoul, South Korea, therefore, its immediate customers are

Earth week Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Earth week - Essay Example ay was a great success, it cemented minds of people concerning issues of environmental importance which further led to communal concern and political priority. Many governments on that note enacted laws which include protection of endangered species of animals and plants, maintenance of clean environment, safe drinking water among other much legislation. With time a great success was recorded on institutionalized land, air and water protection. Issues affecting local communities are given attention on the earth week and more so teachings conducted on field of natural calamities such as flooding and how best to deal with them. It also serves as an avenue where to express their growing consciousness of the environment. Events are organized in such a way to enable exhibition of displays that provides information on recycling or non-biodegradables. The internet has served as an important tool in the earth week since it enables reach billions of people in awareness creation. The internet helps in linking of activities around the world such as the pictures of the environmental scenes after the first world earth day and subsequent anniversaries. Effort is not only geared towards the earth week success in campuses and colleges only but even beyond. To ensure effective match of the objectives, it calls for corporate involvement. Wide range of activities is in that regard organized. Such activities involve campus, colleges and general environment general clean up, community service which is environmentally related, public speaking on the importance of environmental conservation coupled with efforts to put such into practice. To mark the peak of the Earth week celebrations Geographic photo editors always select most of the earth’s stunning pictures as seen from the space by NASA satellites which reveal the earth’s green nature. This besides helping in other activities and events are used by environmentalists and environment based organizations to improve the

Implications of Chinas Charm Offensive for the Sino-Venezuelan Research Paper

Implications of Chinas Charm Offensive for the Sino-Venezuelan Relations and the World Powers Energy Security - Research Paper Example From a conservative geopolitical perspective, Latin America and China are isolated from each other and appear improbable allies. After the establishment of New China in 1949, Latin America and China largely engaged in people-to-people transactions without conducting formal diplomatic affairs. Then again, the 1970s is described by reconciliation in Sino-American relations and the re-admission of China into the United Nations, which witnessed China start building diplomatic relations with most nations in Latin America (Locatelli, 2011). Since 1978, China enforced a strategy of opening up and restructuring, which involved the country conducting major policy reforms toward Latin America and stressing trade and economic partnership with this region. In the recent years, the developing economy of China and fast growing power in the global arena has become ever more appealing to countries of Latin America, which view Beijing as a major site for the expansion of their foreign economic and po litical ties. The strategic features of China’s diplomatic relations with Latin America have involved building strategic ties with Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, and Venezuela (Locatelli, 2011). Latin America has a big market and rich resources, and the region has eventually evolved into a foundation for global development. Particularly, Latin American countries have turned out to be strategically vital to China, both in political and economic terms. China’s policy toward Latin America is rooted in the relative advantage theory—its objective is to gain access to natural resources or raw materials for domestic economic development, as well as...Although the emphasis of China’s policies over the recent decades has been on national economic rebuilding and development, China’s foreign policy has fulfilled a considerably vital part in building and sustaining an international setting. China’s ‘charm offensive’ or peaceful and positi ve relations with other nations and its status in the global system are very beneficial for attaining its policy goals. China’s vision of global amity is both an objective in itself and a way to attain its goal of economic progress and nonviolent emergence as a world power. Without a largely harmonious and established global structure, China’s economic growth would have been impossible (Kurlantzick, 2007). Hence, China’s national economic rebuilding and foreign policy are strongly interwoven with each other. Basically, China’s foreign policy is obliged to serve its entire economic program, and its rising economic power has allowed China to become more involved and influential in the arena of international relations. However, China’s relationship with Venezuela and its security policy toward the oil-producing Latin American country are, according to numerous scholars and policymakers, a threat to the United States. China and Venezuela openly declare their ambition of curtailing U.S. hegemony, and has made steps to create a multipolar world where the global power of the United States would be weakened. At this point, even with China’s charm offensive policy, it is very difficult to determine whether or not the other world powers should be wary about China’s growth as an economic, political, and military power.

Case Study Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Case Study Analysis - Essay Example Sam is a self-employed carpenter and has had difficulty securing regular work. Sam is becoming quite annoyed at the situation and has expressed to Myra his disappointment that she has not being able to confront Connor. Myra has been referred by her GP to the local community health center for counselling. You are a social work student on placement at the center. Your supervisor would like you to meet with Myra and identify her needs for counselling. Myra’s case is a case of workplace harassment where an employee infringes on her space as a team member making her life miserable as she serves at the company. Connor a fellow employee who has been sending her suggestive messages may not be aware of the situation she is putting her in considering that we are not told whether Myra has expressed her disappointment with his behavior. This is a form of sexual harassment which can be classified a gender based harassment. Unwelcome conduct is classified as conduct that makes the recipient uneasy or makes him/her feel offended. Sexual attraction is a normal phenomenon in any workplace but the advances made in respect to that should not infringe on the space and rights of the recipient. This is unlawful. However, one should make the individual who is making the unwarranted advances aware that they are not welcome. Legal measures should be taken if the same continues despite the measures being taken to address the issue. The AASW Code of Ethics is clear on the professional boundaries that should be maintained by the social workers or any employees in a given workplace set up. First, it condemns any engagement in any form of sexualized conduct with a person whom they are directly involved in a professional relationship (p. 22). Second social workers are not supposed to engage in any sexualized conduct with a person with whom they were

Modern Children are Being Over-Medicated Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Modern Children are Being Over-Medicated - Essay Example Currently, about half of all American children aged 2 to 4 are being prescribed with psychotropic drugs. In just 14 years, the number of children taking psychotropic drugs has gone up by 327% (CHAADA). The problem of overmedication, however, dates longer than that. The World Health Organization warned doctors and parents as early as 1966 that the use of behavior-altering drugs, such as Ritalin, can have serious effects on children (Doherty). Children are at great risks of overmedication since most of the drugs psychiatrists administer to them have only been tested on adults. Frontline quotes Dr. Patrick Bacon saying that the medicating children with psychotropic drugs are â€Å"to some extent an experiment.† If the â€Å"gamble† does not pay off, it could lead to serious physical and psychological side effects, just as in the case of Matthew above. It is true that children who are behaving differently than normal need medical attention to prevent any behavioral illness from reaching its peak. If they are not given the proper medication, both children and their parents will suffer. Treating behavioral disorders will also help children function properly in school and live normally with other children. More than anything else, early diagnosis and treatment would give children a greater chance grow into normal adults. The effects of the wrong diagnosis outweigh the benefits of the early medication. As in the case of Matthew described above, improper medication could be fatal. In the case of another child, Jacob Solomon, his parents put him on Ritalin after he was diagnosed with ADHD. The parents did see improvements in the behavior of their five-year-old child but the drug caused him to develop severe muscular contraction around his neck (Frontline). Aside from physical side effects such as this, powerful behavior-altering drugs could also have psychological effects.

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Research Paper - 2

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace - Research Paper Example In many cases, the victim may not register any complaints about the sex harassments and hence the number of the actual sex harassment cases is extremely higher than the number of the reported cases. Sexual harassment is considered as employment discrimination if it takes place at the workplace. Earlier sex harassment incidents at workplaces were mostly happened against the women employees. However, at present even male workers are complaining about the sexual harassment they are facing from their female superior employees. In other words, both males and females are equally suffering from the sexual exploitations at workplace. Nature of sex harassment incidents at workplace Sex harassments can take place in the workplace in different forms. Sex harassments can take place physically, psychologically, verbally or nonverbally. Even some of the gestures can categorize in the sex harassment lists. In most of the cases, sex harassments start verbally. The culprit often tries to catch the at traction of the victim with the help of comments with sexual overtones or remarks sexual nature. Chaudhari (2006) has pointed out an incident in which a senior doctor used verbal sexual harassment even in the operation theatre. A female doctor of 34 years of age said â€Å"ah† when the operation theatre needle accidently pierced her hand. In response to that the senior doctor said â€Å"You are making a sound like you are having sex† (Chaudhari, 2006, p.11). In this case, the senior doctor tried to harass the junior doctor even in the operation theatre which shows that sex harassments are happening even at workplaces where one would never anticipate such activities. The culprit often analyzes the response of the victim to the initial verbal... This essay stresses that sexual harassment is an act of intimidation, bullying or coercion for in an effort to force a person to engage in sexual activities. In many cases, the victim may not register any complaints about the sex harassments and hence the number of the actual sex harassment cases is extremely higher than the number of the reported cases. This paper declares that earlier sex harassment incidents at workplaces were mostly happened against the women employees. However, at present even male workers are complaining about the sexual harassment they are facing from their female superior employees. In other words, both males and females are equally suffering from the sexual exploitations at workplace. Sex harassments can take place in the workplace in different forms. Sex harassments can take place physically, psychologically, verbally or nonverbally. Even some of the gestures can categorize in the sex harassment lists. In most of the cases, sex harassments start verbally. The culprit often tries to catch the attraction of the victim with the help of comments with sexual overtones or remarks sexual nature. The culprit often analyzes the response of the victim to the initial verbal assaults microscopically before deciding whether to continue his/her activities or to stop it there. In the above incident, if the junior doctor r esponded or seems to be responded favorably to the comments of her senior doctor, sex harassment will enter the second phase of unwanted body touches or physical activities.

Case Study Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Case Study Analysis - Essay Example Sam is a self-employed carpenter and has had difficulty securing regular work. Sam is becoming quite annoyed at the situation and has expressed to Myra his disappointment that she has not being able to confront Connor. Myra has been referred by her GP to the local community health center for counselling. You are a social work student on placement at the center. Your supervisor would like you to meet with Myra and identify her needs for counselling. Myra’s case is a case of workplace harassment where an employee infringes on her space as a team member making her life miserable as she serves at the company. Connor a fellow employee who has been sending her suggestive messages may not be aware of the situation she is putting her in considering that we are not told whether Myra has expressed her disappointment with his behavior. This is a form of sexual harassment which can be classified a gender based harassment. Unwelcome conduct is classified as conduct that makes the recipient uneasy or makes him/her feel offended. Sexual attraction is a normal phenomenon in any workplace but the advances made in respect to that should not infringe on the space and rights of the recipient. This is unlawful. However, one should make the individual who is making the unwarranted advances aware that they are not welcome. Legal measures should be taken if the same continues despite the measures being taken to address the issue. The AASW Code of Ethics is clear on the professional boundaries that should be maintained by the social workers or any employees in a given workplace set up. First, it condemns any engagement in any form of sexualized conduct with a person whom they are directly involved in a professional relationship (p. 22). Second social workers are not supposed to engage in any sexualized conduct with a person with whom they were

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Research Paper - 2

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace - Research Paper Example In many cases, the victim may not register any complaints about the sex harassments and hence the number of the actual sex harassment cases is extremely higher than the number of the reported cases. Sexual harassment is considered as employment discrimination if it takes place at the workplace. Earlier sex harassment incidents at workplaces were mostly happened against the women employees. However, at present even male workers are complaining about the sexual harassment they are facing from their female superior employees. In other words, both males and females are equally suffering from the sexual exploitations at workplace. Nature of sex harassment incidents at workplace Sex harassments can take place in the workplace in different forms. Sex harassments can take place physically, psychologically, verbally or nonverbally. Even some of the gestures can categorize in the sex harassment lists. In most of the cases, sex harassments start verbally. The culprit often tries to catch the at traction of the victim with the help of comments with sexual overtones or remarks sexual nature. Chaudhari (2006) has pointed out an incident in which a senior doctor used verbal sexual harassment even in the operation theatre. A female doctor of 34 years of age said â€Å"ah† when the operation theatre needle accidently pierced her hand. In response to that the senior doctor said â€Å"You are making a sound like you are having sex† (Chaudhari, 2006, p.11). In this case, the senior doctor tried to harass the junior doctor even in the operation theatre which shows that sex harassments are happening even at workplaces where one would never anticipate such activities. The culprit often analyzes the response of the victim to the initial verbal... This essay stresses that sexual harassment is an act of intimidation, bullying or coercion for in an effort to force a person to engage in sexual activities. In many cases, the victim may not register any complaints about the sex harassments and hence the number of the actual sex harassment cases is extremely higher than the number of the reported cases. This paper declares that earlier sex harassment incidents at workplaces were mostly happened against the women employees. However, at present even male workers are complaining about the sexual harassment they are facing from their female superior employees. In other words, both males and females are equally suffering from the sexual exploitations at workplace. Sex harassments can take place in the workplace in different forms. Sex harassments can take place physically, psychologically, verbally or nonverbally. Even some of the gestures can categorize in the sex harassment lists. In most of the cases, sex harassments start verbally. The culprit often tries to catch the attraction of the victim with the help of comments with sexual overtones or remarks sexual nature. The culprit often analyzes the response of the victim to the initial verbal assaults microscopically before deciding whether to continue his/her activities or to stop it there. In the above incident, if the junior doctor r esponded or seems to be responded favorably to the comments of her senior doctor, sex harassment will enter the second phase of unwanted body touches or physical activities.

The History and Evolution of Personnel Protective Gear Essay Example for Free

The History and Evolution of Personnel Protective Gear Essay Fire fighting is one of the most important jobs in the world because the threat of fire to the society is real and present everytime. Fire fighters are needed in different fields and in different locations fire fighting in the city inside residential and business districts, fire fighting in forests and woodlands and even fire fighting on seas when ships and sea vehicles catch fire. The threat to the place that is burning is as important as the threat to the life of the fire fighters who are battling fires. Because of that, it is important that fire fighters are equipped not just with equipment that can help them put out the fire, but also with equipment that can help them protect themselves from the threat posed by fire, like burning, smoke inhalation and oxygen deprivation, and worse, death. Through the years the equipment and materials used by fire fighters to protect themselves from fire has developed and evolved. This is because it needs to suit to the needs of fire fighting and adapt to the latest development and advancement in the field of fire fighting. The importance of protective gear and equipment of fire fighters and how it evolved through the years is a significant aspect of the fire fighting history in the world. Because of that importance, this paper will focus on discussing such developments and how it impacted fire fighting and made fire fighting a more effective aspect of social welfare service rendered by the government for the safety of the people and the environment. The protective gear of the fire fighters must take into consideration that the level of protection needed by fire fighters vary depending on the condition of the environment wherein the fire fighter operates. The protective gear, particularly, the basic protective outfit that fire fighters wear, must be able to protect the fire fighters in as many life threatening aspects of the job as possible. Aside from the immediate threat that the fire fighter might be burned while conducting fire fighting exercise, there is also the threat of environment like the weather (snow, rain etc) and the presence and exposure to water itself. â€Å"The environment that a fire fighter experiences in the normal course of duty ranges from benign to very dangerous. The protective clothing that fire fighters wear must meet a variety of performance criteria; it must protect from the extreme heat of fires, it must protect from the cold of winter (Yarborough, 2005, p. 74). † But the notion of protection is not just limited on the characteristic of protective gear and clothing inhibiting the impact of fire, cold and smoke to the body. Protection also means that the protective gear should not hinder the movement and ability for mobility of the fire fighter. In fire fighting, being unable to move is a very dangerous situation to be in, since fire fighters sometimes come inside a burning house to save individuals. But if they cannot manage the return trip outside of the burning house, it endangers not only the lives of those they were hoping to save but also the lives of the people who came in and was expected to save the people in trouble. Because of this, the notion of protection also included the idea that the protective gear should not impede or restrain the fire fighter so that the fire fighter can protect himself and the victims from fire by being mobile and moving from an unsafe location to a safe location as the fire fighting process is underway. â€Å"It must be light enough that sheer weight of the gear does not cause undue stress on their bodies. To this end, one design has become the standard for fire fighter turnout gear. This design includes a heat resistant outer shell, typically made of some synthetic fiber; a moisture barrier, typically made of a water resistant breathable material, and a thermal barrier, typically made of wool felt with some aramid fiber woven into it (Yarborough, 2005, p. 74). † The History of the Protective Gear and Clothing that Fire Fighters Used and Wore With the absence of technology and the knowledge about this particular discipline in social welfare service, the earliest forms of fire fighting was unorganized as it was lacking with suitable equipment. Fire protection among the fire fighters was not present then. The people doing the fire fighting have to rely on the clothes on their backs. The first notable development in fire fighting gear and protective clothing happened in 1730s after Jacobus Turck made what was considered as the first ever fireman’s helmet. Unlike modern day fireman’s helmet, the Turck helmet has a wide brim and was made with leather. It also featured a high crown. The development of the fireman’s head gear made its next milestone the following century, when Henry T. Gratacap improved the design of the fire fighters helmet. It was the improvement to Turck’s design including the protection in the neck and nape and the presence of front shield; while the hat itself was more reinforced than the previous design. Besides head protection, the development on coats and pants especially for fire fighting was also taking place, with fire fighters getting to use these clothing which was reinforced by wool so that it is more heat and water resistant compared to ordinary everyday clothing. Because fire fighting exposed fire fighters to hot surfaces and a terrain that is filled with dangerous materials like broken glass and splinters of sharp woods, rocks and mangled steel, fire figthers already started wearing safety boots right about the time the second development in the helmet happened and the fire fighters were wearing wool jackets and pants (Hasenmeier, 2008). The same century marked the work of Giovanni Aldini who was made one of the earliest attempts to design a mask that can protect fire fighters from the smoke present during fire fighting, working on this apparatus at 1825, an effort that was pursued similarly by other individuals including John Roberts. But a more definitive mask for fire fighting came out in 1863 behind the efforts of James Braidwood. Braidwood’s idea of a mask that can supply fresh air to the wearer consists of bags that act as artificial lungs, strapped on the back of the wearer and features a waist belt to go with the shoulder straps necessary to carry it and bring it wherever the fire fighter goes during the course of his work. A mouthpiece connects the hose to the sacs of air that the wearer can inhale. This development improved the fire fighter’s list of protective gears and clothing at the time, which also already included goggles, as well as whistles and leather hoods for added protection. This is to allow fire fighters to communicate even through non verbal means, allowing other fire fighters to know the position and location of each other during fire fighting operations. At the start of the twentieth century, rubber was integrated in the uniforms of the fire fighters. Hasenmeier (2008) noted in his article that there were already existing proofs that some fire fighting groups that used rubber jackets and rubber boots as early as the 1930s so that they are as dry as possible and far from the health threats brought about by being soaked in cold water especially during the cold parts of the year (Hasenmeier, 2008). Then came next are the bunker gears or turnout gears. The name of which Hasenmeier believed to have originated either from the act of bunking together and turning out during fire fighting missions, or because it was the same protective clothing worn by soldiers turned fire fighters especially those who are designated in the cannon positions in the bunkers during World War I. After the end of the Second World War, standards for protective equipment among fire fighters became official and enforced as a necessary protocol for fire fighters safety. It was also about the same time that improvements in the breathing apparatus for fire fighters were developed, including the time when the concept of Scott Aviation was applied in the 1945-era breathing equipment that fire fighters started using. In 1982 there was already what is known as the Personal Alert Safety System or PASS and the necessary standards to maintain this. Today, more and more efforts were being made to ensure that the gear and clothing of the fire fighters are more and more suitable to the needs of the fire fighters and their particular working condition. Different countries are making many different developments in the material of the coats and pants, as well as the design and ability of the breathing apparatus used by fire fighters so that they are safe, and so are the people they are trying to rescue in the process. Because of the presence of more modern approach to fire fighting and the development of fire fighting gears and clothing, the design of future apparatus for fire fighter safety includes the â€Å"harmonious design† of the gears and clothing, as well as the â€Å"functional integration of characteristics such as resistance to cuts and punctures, mobility, waterproofness, fit and durability (Barker, Coletta, 1986, p. 487). † Because fire fighting is more modern now, the design includes other safety considerations like the consideration that â€Å"fire figthers also may come in contact with poisonous, flammable, or explosive gases and chemicals, as well as radioactive or other hazardous materials that may have immediate or long term effects on their health. For these reasons, they must wear protective gear that can be very heavy and hot (US Department of Labor, 2006, p. 360). †

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974: An Overview

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974: An Overview Substructures are anything constructed below DPC or ground floor level for example foundations or cellar floors on social housing or even tunnels for commercial use. Substructure legislations include the town and country planning legislation, Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 and COSHH. The Town and Country Planning legislation means that the towns and developments will be planned appropriately and safely bearing in mind fellow housing owners that may be affected by any developments. Planning is necessary to ensure that the buildings and the environment is safe, secure and happy amongst the public. Local authorities are responsible through their planning committees to decide whether a new building or an alteration to an existing building is needed and suitable. Planning permission is not always required, for example internal alterations or work which does not change the appearance of the outside of a property does not require planning permission. Extending or altering the shape of a building, planning permission will be required and if failed to apply for or have a planning application you may risk having the building demolished by the council or planning committee. Some developments even make sure that other property owners are happy by keeping fencing a certain he ight and shape for them not to contact planning permission. Some old fashioned houses may also be affected by this legislation as you may not be legally allowed to put a new, modern, contemporary house in an old, vintage village or near any other old existing houses as it does not fit in or the neighbours may have objected. This legislation applies before construction as you have to apply for planning permission before a building is built to see whether it fits in, it is safe and suitable for the location and the public however during construction it also applies as housing developers apply for planning permission on site for temporary roads or compounds to help planning committees keep the existing properties safe and happy too. The Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 means that you should promote, stimulate and encourage high standards of health and safety in places of work. It protects employees and the public from work activities that may cause danger to them in that very moment or in the future. Everyone must abide by the act or you may be prosecuted for not doing so if someone has an injury because of you. The act means that the employers have a duty of ensuring that there employees are safe and secure within the work place. Depending on the type of work place you must wear protection, for instance if the job is construction related the employer must provide you with PPE like a hard hat, steel toe cap boots and a hi-vis. They must also ensure that all your equipment and materials are safe, handled well and have had recent services and lastly they must provide you with training, supervision or simply a site induction which includes details of your job, the health and safety on site and the site rules. Site managers or your employer must provide a written safety policy or risk assessment and depending on your age a young persons risk assessment. Employees objectives are to take care of their own health and safety, and that of others, cooperate with their employer and not to interfere with anything provided in the interest of health and safety. A HSE is a health and safety executive, this person observes and monitors the site under strict instructions and guidelines under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. If the HSE are unhappy they are allowed to shut the site down completely. They have the right to have entry, close the site, see documents and take copies, size substances and ask questions. They even produce an improvement or prohibition notice. Both employers and employees may face prosecution if the site is unfit by the HSE. This act applies before construction as the employer has to provide everyone with PPE, inspect the site to see if it is safe before construction star ts and set up risk assessments and first aid boxes however during construction this applies as the employer doesnt want any accidents or illnesses on site, they would like the PPE to protect their workers, the equipment to be safe, serviced and used well, the fences to protect the public and the vehicles have reversing sirens to protect everyone. COSHH stands for the control of substances hazardous to health. COSHH covers any chemicals used on site for instance adhesive glues or paint thinners. Every chemical that is used on site must have a risk assessed by the site manager on behalf of the COSHH act. The regulations recommend that you do a risk assessment, decide what precautions are needed for example PPE, prevent or control exposure for example dust masks or gloves, ensure that control measures are maintained and used, monitor exposure through measurements, carry out regular health tests for example blood tests, prepare plans and procedures if an accident was to occur and ensure the employees are properly informed and trained usually by the HSE. A prime example of a hazardous substance is asbestos which is now banned due to the harm it does to your body when inhaled. The fibres within the material are the parts of the asbestos that are dangerous. Some products require careful control like the extraction of asbestos like s ome foam product instillations. This act applies before construction as the site manager needs to know if there is any products already on the site that may need to be removed or a risk assessment done for them however during construction it still applies as the chemicals and materials brought on site during the build may be hazardous too and may need to be risk assessed. Superstructures are all the elements visible above the substructure level for example a multi storey building, a social house or even a sky scraper. Superstructure legislations include Building regulations, RIDOR and Construction design management regulations 2008. Building regulations apply in England and wales and these promote standards for most aspects of a buildings construction process, energy efficiency in buildings, the needs of all people even including the disabled. The regulations apply to most new buildings, and many alterations of existing buildings, whether domestic, commercial or industrial. The types of work that do need to comply with the building regulations is the erection or extension of a building, the installation or extension of a service or fitting which is controlled under the regulations, an alteration involving work which will temporarily or permanently affect the on-going compliance of the building, service or fitting with the requirements relating to structure, fire, or access to and use of buildings, the insertion of insulation into a cavity wall and the underpinning of the foundations of a building. All buildings within this list must meet the requirements as they are for danger purposes for example a fire escape and air supplies for the combustion for some appliances. The main requirements come in 14 parts: Part A Structure Part B Fire safety Part C Site preparation and resistance to moisture Part D Toxic substances Part E Resistance to the passage of sound Part F Ventilation Part G Hygiene Part H Drainage and waste disposal Part J Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems Part K Protection from falling, collision and impact Part L Conservation of fuel and power Part M Access to and use of buildings Part N Glazing safety in relation to impact, opening and cleaning Part P Electrical safety This regulation applies before construction as the planning department need to put in the fire escapes e.t.c.. however during construction it still applies as the building regs managers or the HSE may test the products to see if they meet the standards. RIDDOR stands for reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations. RIDDOR covers deaths, major injuries; accidents resulting in an over-three-day injury, diseases, dangerous occurrences and gas accidents. If an accident did happen an accident investigation must be done as it is a legal requirement under the RIDDOR regulations. If a member of public is hurt or killed the HSE must be informed. Over three days injuries must be reported to the HSE too. When you report the injuries under RIDDOR you must issue the date and time, a brief description of what happened, put the name and address of the person injured and the date and method of reporting. The injuries listed as RIDDOR are fractures other than fingers, thumbs or toes, amputation, dislocation of shoulder, hip, knee or spine, loss or sight temporarily or permanently and chemical or hot metal burns to the eye that is penetrating. This regulation applies before construction as the site manger may need to write o ut methods of what to do in the event of certain injuries however during construction this will carry on as the site manager may need to write a report after an injury or inform the HSE. Construction design and management regulations 2008 aim to reduce the large numbers of serious, fatal accidents and cases of ill health which occur in construction. CDM places responsibilities on key members such as the design and management teams to keep the projects running safely and smoothly. CDM duties are to select and appoint a planning supervisor and principal contractor that will both allocate adequate resources for health and safety, be satisfied that the designers and contractors arrange for work to be done smoothly and safely, provide the planning supervisor with information on health and safety and ensure the health and safety files are up to date and construction starts and ends well. This regulation applies before construction as the planning, contractors and site managers need to organise whos doing what and when however during they must all make sure it is running as they planned without any health and safety risks.

Puerto Rican Music in the United States Essay example -- Culture cultu

Puerto Rican Music in the United States Music has always been a pervasive symbol of identity. It is a mode of expression that crosses gender, ethnicity and age. One need not understand the lyrics to identify with a musical genre; identification can be found through rhythm, tone of music, as well as other techniques in the music, unrelated to words. For example, most operas are in Italian and obviously everyone that attends an opera, does not speak or understand Italian. However, the audience is moved by the emotion conveyed through tone, facial expressions, and beat of the music. I believe this is relevant to the situation of Puerto Rican forms of music, and its success when Puerto Rican musicians migrated to the United States. Original forms had to be adopted to become popular in the United States, often assuming a heavier dance beat, but when the songs and musicians did become popular, it was not because a majority of Americans understood the lyrics in Spanish. For Americans, it was because the music provided lively back ground entertainment. However, for the Puerto Ricans, it meant much more. The music symbolized their background and struggles, what it means to be Puerto Rican. In New York, Puerto Rican musical traditions evolved in accordance with societal change. This was necessary in a society, as Glasser describes â€Å"where Puerto Ricans lived among a constellation of constantly changing ethnic groups within a protean social environment†(Glasser, 7). In Puerto Rico there are diverse groups, with different traditions of politics, economics, and music. When Puerto Ricans migrate to the United States, they unite under an identity as â€Å"Puerto Ricans† but there is still diversity within. Furthermore, I believe it is the Ameri... ... difficult as Americans commercialized the entire profession and employment became near obsolete for those trained musicians. In the U.S. music serves as a representation of the identity of the Puerto Rican, just as it does for other cultures. Puerto Ricans became disillusioned at the prospect of remaining in Puerto Rico as Rafael Hernà ¡ndez sang- â€Å"Piensa remediar la situacià ³n/del hogar, que es toda una ilusià ³n.† (Glasser, 165) Music provides a socially acceptable way to express disgust and disillusionment with the status quo and communicate one's identity. Bibliography Glasser, Ruth, My Music is My Flag: Puerto Rican Musicians in New York and their Communities, 1917-1940. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996). Oct. 29: Puerto Rican Music Between Rafael Hernandez and Rafael Cortijo. Guest Lecture by Prof. Lise Waxer, Music Dept., Trinity College

Who Are We? :: essays research papers

Thoughts of trouble turn to rubble. Eyes closed. Mind free. Confusion is embraced by our dreams. Eyes closed. Mind free. When the mouth is silenced you can see much more. Eyes closed. Mind free. Life is not just a roll of the dice or a conscience decision. Eyes closed. Mind free. The spontaneous thoughts of the unconsence personality result in one’s unique world. Eyes closed. Mind free. Every thought begins with a idea; think of an idea and many thoughts will follow. Eyes closed. Mind free. The thoughts that you hear are part of your personality, just only the ones that you listen to determine your view of reality. Even though we may not know it, reality is constantly changing. Reality is based on a balance of your unique experiences and your bias upon them. Eyes closed. Mind free. But where does the does the unconsense thoughts come from when there are no experiences? The true answer is one does not all of sudden wake up and start thinking; like in one of baby look who’s talking movies. There is a beginning of thought, but it is so minute it is not consencely recorded. Thought is a process of building a skyscraper when a Lego block of life’s trail and error experience. Eyes closed. Mind free. The unconsense comes from your experiences. The idea of love sparks many thoughts, require a consense decision. There are a plethora of different girls but there is only supposed to be one â€Å"right† one. Your unconsence thoughts are plenty, you are limited by your conscience bias determined from experiences. Where from, you ask? Family. Believe it or not the type of family you have will greatly impact on who you can find attractive; with each â€Å"type† of family there will be a different sort of experiences a person goes through. Family is where you first create your bias through trial and error. Your basic personality comes from your family experiences. Think of it like we are all cars; we get the basic package from our parents, then later we get upgrades. Eyes closed. Mind free. Do you remember the fear you had of becoming like your parents? Do you remember the epiphany when you realized are? Or are you still in denial? I’m not saying you are going to turn out to be a clone of you r father, just that the basic part of you is. As you become older you become more complex; your once red and green thoughts have been questioned turning to a shade of gray.

Budget Management and Variance Analysis Essay

A budget is a tool that helps managers to ensure that the required resources are obtained and used effectively and efficiently as the organization moves towards achievement of its objectives. The budgets are determined yearly and are based upon the previous year’s budget and variances. This paper will discuss a development of operating budget, comparison expense results with budget expectations, description of possible reasons for variances and strategies to keep results aligned with expectations, recommendation some benchmarking techniques that might improve budget accuracy. The operating budget is a plan for the organization’s revenues and expenses that generally covers a period of one year (Finkler, Kovner, & Jones, 2007). In healthcare organization the nurse manager of each cost center involves in the preparation and control of the operating budgets (Finkler, Kovner, & Jones, 2007). The finance office of the organization provides support throughout the budget process development. The budgets for the costs centers are combined, and the executive management of the organization makes final decisions on a budget to be submitted to the board for approval. The nurse managers need a variety of information to begin the process of preparing operating budgets for their cost centers, such as the information generated by the organization’s environmental review and by its development of general goals, objectives, policies, organization wide assumptions, program priorities, and specific measurable objectives (Finkler, Kovner, & Jones, 2007). For example, the environmental review and the general goals, objectives, and policies allow the manager to understand what the organization wants to accomplish and what it believes it will be able to accomplish. For another instance, the organization-wide assumptions and specific measurable objectives then provide the manager with information needed to start preparing the specific details of the budget. In addition, within nursing administration, additional back-ground information is needed before nurse managers can commence cost center budget preparation (Finkler, Kovner, & Jones, 2007). Especially the organization’s approach to delivering nursing care must be clearly understood by all nurse managers. For example, responsibilities of LPNs as opposed to RNs, role of nursing assistants, or proportion of staff works on each shift. According to Finkler, Kovner, & Jones (2007), the primary steps of the operating budget development include the calculation of expense budget for personnel, the expense budget for costs other than personnel services, and the revenue budget, budget submission, and budget implementation. To prepare the revenue or expense portions of the operating budget, the first step is to ascertain the volume of work for the coming year (Finkler, Kovner, & Jones, 2007). The amount of work performed by a unit is referred to as its workload (Finkler, Kovner, & Jones, 2007). Workload budget is budget that indicates the amount of work performed by a unit or department, measured in terms of units of service. Workload may be measured in a variety of ways, such as the number of patients, patient days, deliveries, visits, treatments, or procedures. Each cost center must determine the measure that is most appropriate for its unit of service. Once a cost center defines its key unit or units of service, it must predict the number of units of service that will be provided in the coming year. This will allow development of the operating budget. Expense budget for personnel is budget for all personnel under the manager’s direction, generally within a cost center such as RNs, LPNs, aides, and clerical staff (Finkler, Kovner, & Jones, 2007). Expense budget for other-than-personnel services is budget for all expenses for other-than personnel services such as supplies, minor equipment, including both direct unit or department expenses and indirect overhead expenses (Finkler, Kovner, & Jones, 2007). Budget submission is another step in budget development, when revenue and expense portions of the budget must be summarized and submitted for review together with detailed supporting calculations and narrative justification (Finkler, Kovner, & Jones, 2007). Budget revisions may be required as the result of a series of negotiations over the submitted budget (Finkler, Kovner, & Jones, 2007). Budget implementation is a final step of budget development, when managers must address a number of issues in implementing an approved budget, including development of a staffing plan that provides coverage for staff weekends, olidays, vacations, and sick leave as well as busy and slow periods (Finkler, Kovner, & Jones, 2007). A budget variance occurs when the actual results of financial activity differ from your budgeted projections (Finkler, Kovner, & Jones, 2007). The expense reports show the difference between the budget and the actual amount spent and the result is called the variance. Variances may be within the budget, which is favorable, or over the budget, which is unfavorable (Finkler, Kovner, & Jones, 2007). The variance is used to predict the budget for upcoming years, help with spending during the current year, and help with evaluating the managers and their departments. To determine the cause of variances the managers must investigate and justify to upper management why the variance occurred. There are a variety reasons for variances, which must be identified and controlled if possible. While analyzing the nursing expense results from various units for a pay period, there were some favorable and unfavorable variances. While reviewing the expense record the paid productive hour’s variance was within the budget and the paid nonproductive hour’s variance was 60 hours over the budgeted hours. The unfavorable variance of paid nonproductive hours may have occurred due to some staff being on modified duty, sick leave, meeting time, or education time, which means they are getting paid with no patient care involved. The overtime percentage of hour’s variance was 7. 5% over the budget and the registry percentage of hour’s variance was 8. % over the budget, both are unfavorable. The overtime may have been caused by bad time management, late arrival of the next shift, or working past shift hours due to not enough staff. The increase in the registry hours may have been due to not enough regular staff due to hiring freeze or staff being off for personal or illness reasons. The hours per patient day (HPPD) licensed productive hours was . 13 over budget, the direct product hours was within budget, and the total productive hours was within budget. The hours per patient day over budget may have been caused by the unit being over staffed or also due to the overtime and registry hours. The average daily census (ADC) per unit varied from being within budget to 7. 50 over the budget. The daily census is very unpredictable and depends on the time of year, the admissions from ER or the clinic, and transfers from other hospitals or facilities. Strategies to keep the results aligned with expectations may be done by performance budgeting, which will analyze key reas such as staffing, cost control, increased productivity, and indirect and direct patient care. The activities affected by analyzing these performance areas would be daily staffing calculations, reduced cost to the unit, working more efficiently and better time management, patient care planning, and time spent on patient charting. Offering incentives could also be a good way to involve the staff by informing them of the budget goals. Benchmarking helps to identify performance gaps and identify where improvement is needed. â€Å"Benchmarking is used by large health systems and smaller practices alike as a tool to identify targets and set goals enabling staff to compare the operation’s service, process, and outcomes with those already attaining best practice† goals† (Borglum, 2008, para 12). There are many benchmarking techniques; for the purpose of this paper three will be discussed, financial, performance, and operational. Financial benchmarking is performing a financial analysis and comparing the results in an effort to assess your overall competitiveness and productivity† (Cimasi, 2006, para 10). â€Å"Financial benchmarking is among the more effective techniques for extracting information from a health care enterprise’s historical operating performance and presenting it in a form that facilitates informed judgments that help predict the subject entity’s future operating performance and financial condition† (Cimasi, 2006, para 16). Performance benchmarking involves comparing the performance levels of organizations for a specific process, this information can then be used for identifying opportunities for improvement and/or setting performance targets† (Business Performance Improvement Resources, 2011, para 26). â€Å"Performance levels of other organizations are normally called benchmarks and the ideal benchmark is one that originates from an organization recognized as being a leader in the related area† (Business Performance Improvement Resources, 2011, para 27). Performance benchmarking may involve the comparison of financial measures (such as expenditure, cost of labor, cost of buildings/equipment, cost of energy, adherence to budget, cash flow, revenue collected) or non-financial measures (such as absenteeism, staff turnover, the percentage of administrative staff to front-line staff, budget processing time, complaints, environmental impact or call center performance)† (Business Performance Improvement Resources, 2011, para 28). In conclusion, the operating budget is a plan for the organization’s revenues and expenses that generally covers a period of one year and developed by the nurse manager with support of the finance office of the organization (Finkler, Kovner, & Jones, 2007). Variances may occur at any time, may be internal or external, and in most cases are correctable once investigated by the mangers. Benchmarking is used in strategic management and compares processes and performance to help improve organizations. The use of financial ratios and benchmarking is critical to understanding an entity’s overall historical performance and to the forecasting function of valuation analysis† (Cimasi, 2006, para 28). This paper has discussed specific strategies to manage budgets within forecast, compared five to seven expense results with budget expectations, described possible reasons for variances, gave strategies to keep results aligned with expectations, recommended three benchmarking t echniques, and identified what might improve budget accuracy, and justified the choices made.

Massively multiplayer online game Essay

Before computer games flourished through the past eras, patintero, sungka, tumbang-preso, tumba-lata, tagu-taguan and sipa were one of the most anticipated outdoor games inside our country. Experiencing these kinds of games imprints almost our half life and we can’t have a complete childhood experience without getting tapped hard on the back, been hit by a flying slipper for it missed the target, playing with shells, screaming and cheering over your teammates, jumping over a person and avoiding getting hit its body part, and hiding and camouflage in a place to prevent from being the ‘it’ of the game. Try asking a child what was his favourite childhood experience, and would tell either scratched his knee from running away from his opponent or been scolded by mother because of going home late due to exceeding allotted time of playing outdoor games. And try asking a child from the present century what he has been doing lately, and might get an answer playing tekken with PSP, or Super Mario or Pacman with Nintendo or Xbox. Difference spotted? When a child is in the climax of playing and been taking the game seriously, he doesn’t want to be disturbed for in some instance might loose on his opponent and can’t advance to the next upgrades. A common reaction received by parents when they call their children to gather around while their kids were busy pressing on joysticks and keyboards and faces were just centimetres away from the screen would be â€Å"Mom! Can’t you wait because I’m already on my way to take down Bowser! † And two probabilities might happen after: either the parents would start screaming and repeat on telling to set aside their loving gadgets or the children would get irritated on the booming loud voices and start stomping away and lock themselves in a room where they could continue praising themselves for they have defeated the ‘boss’ in the game. With the help of advanced technological innovation that has spread around the globe, the beginning of 3D and multi-player online gaming (MMORPG) have surfaced and hooked children the most. Children fell into the gaming world, spending more time in virtual rather than in real, which sooner turns to be their life. Like, children must have a deviant childhood like these; playing computers during their free time and having fun with his co-gamers. They feel like they can play anytime any of the newest released games go on without ending, they continue forever, and they can pick up any character they wanted on the virtual world. If a child started to feel in contact more with gaming, he will spend more time in solitary seclusion. It is difficult for some adolescents (particularly male adolescents) who are vulnerable to the area of prone to video game addiction since it might be transparent to say how popular gaming is in children of all ages, which results to mostly negative results. A report like found in Elyria, Ohio, where a seventeen year-old boy named Daniel Petric shot his parents in the head after they confiscated his copy of ‘Halo 3. ‘ His mother was killed and his father wounded due to the gunshots, and the troubled teen fled the murder scene with solely one item in his possession: the ‘Halo 3’ game (Ridgefield, 2009). A similar report flashed on television says that a child has accidentally killed his playmate, stabbed with a knife after playmate got a higher score on the game Flabby Bird and now been sent under the care of DSWD. Several reports similar to this have rang the ears of the mass since the effect of gaming has become more serious. It all started from playing innocently, never knew slowly by slowly they are being eaten with intoxication of gaming and now swallowed of gaming addiction. Results like killing have been a serious warning to those who are sensationally indulged in playing, but often just ignored. The video games are common to be blamed, which we neglect the fact that some might have done crimes since they are often being neglected by parents. Coming from a single-parent family isn’t a factor, but how a parent sees after his child while growing. Far from my knowledge, it is the duty of the parents to look after their kids when engaged into different aspects of real and virtual life. But most children dare to say that they’ve been controlled over their life, treated like human robots; like told to eat properly, sleep on time, do school assignments and how to spend their time practically. But nobody commands them when they got the chance to get hold of gaming materials, because in there, they call themselves the â€Å"Thug Lords of Gaming†. Fond to their name, with raging adrenaline rush cannot escape the virtual life. Restricting kids from playing won’t help to drive the addiction either, for playing is part of our childhood. The more we drag them away, the more they rebel and really determined into getting along with playing. Personally speaking, life with no play is never fun. Who wouldn’t like to experience playing sipa, tumbang preso, luksong-baka and patintero? Who wouldn’t like to meet a childhood friend? None right? Those might not be similar to the games inside the computer world, but those are the basic foundation of gaming not until the late centuries where video games were invented. With increasing percentage of latter sides of gaming, some parents are over-protective over their kids to the extent that they lock their offsprings into a jail afar from their supposed fun childhood. They never had the chance to have ‘real’ playmates. In some instance, a child who has this experience growing up gathering medals for their parents is the only thing instilled in their minds. On contrary, a child who spent more time in playing grows up quitting almost 70% of his social life. This might lead into several serious effects like having a psychological disorder due to excessive malfunction of the brain. And here’s the tricky and dangerous part: they are the ‘unhappy teenagers’ which later have a growing percentage in the globe. They have lost their confidence in communicating and lowered their self-esteem. They’ve spent all of their time interacting in a virtual world and are extremely uncomfortable when dealing with real people in real time. In order to retrieve the part of them which just got lost, they seek attention from others. Or a probability that they would drive all away from himself and just have a life with the unreal, which might lead to serious killing crimes like what we’ve been fearing to happen. Being a gamer isn’t dangerous. It is having a hard time kicking the habit who’s the real enemy. It is not a dissatisfaction to play computer games, but be careful of getting addicted. Think twice before engaging wholly, for everything that is excessive can cause vicious effects, double the harm we think it would cause to us. We, as being the most users of techno-gaming, are the ones in charge of what might happen when we are drowned in the pool of virtual scenes. And as a gamer, too, playing has just been part of my life. It is just how we balance our time between real and virtual space. Even up to this extent, I would be happy if given a rest time and spending it playing with my favourite computer games and would even dare to challenge my siblings into a multi-player game once again. But my playtime has limits too, and I’m the one who limits myself from the red line before stepping into it. References: Ridgefield, A. (2009). Video Game Addiction. Teen Ink. Retrieved April 23, 2014, from http://www. teenink. com/opinion/movies_music_tv/article/82305/Video-Game-Addiction/.