Communication and Language Needs Wishes Essay

Show how to find out an individual communication and language needs wishes and preferences Finding out the way an individual prefers to communicate can be done in two ways: direct or indirect. The talk of these individuals is very slow and intentional. They do not like loud, fast, and excessively aggressive talk. In addition, they concentrate more on the facts and figures, rather than just assumptions. If you are in conversation with an indirect communicator, you need to understand that you should have proof for backing up your suggestions, answers, and views. Individuals who are direct talk more clamorously and rapidly than indirect communicators. They take risks easily, are aggressively self-assured, and are related to ‘type A’ personalities. If you are in conversation with a direct communicator, just ensure that you get to the point straightaway, be confident about what you say, provide solid instances of your achievements, and be alert when you talk. The direct method is by speaking to the services users on face to face or asking questions, observing what they say and how they say The Indirect method: is by reading through the services users record and their care plan or by speaking their relatives and also inquiring from their colleagues. . 2.2 demonstrate communication methods that meet an individual communication need wishes and preferences. Written communications, lip reading and body language method for these individual that cannot hear. And also verbal and non verbal communication to an individual who can hear or see. Verbal and touch for Braille individual who is blind but not deaf. 2.3 Show how and when to seek advice about communication Seek advise by speaking to the line manager or professional bodies like nurse, doctors and colleagues if you do not understand what your service user saying or in looking unwell. If you cannot find or understand the records of your services users already provided to them seek advice from the team manager or colleagues. 3.1idenfiy barriers to affective communication There are reasons that can hinder affective communication. For example Poor health and mental health the main barrier to affective communication is being ill makes it difficult for people to effectively express them and and confidences and self esteem. Background: Clients with chronic and terminal disease frequently do not talk to their physicians about end-of-life care. Interventions to improve this communication have generally been unsuccessful, suggesting that important barriers to this communication must exist Culture and family affects the way people use the method of communication for example eye contact may not be as common in some culture as in others may be interpreted differently. Aggression: being aggressive while communicating makes diffuclt to express your point and to be listened and it applies to both the clients and the carer. Emtonalil diffuclties:when people experience a break up in long term relationship or receive news about death of loved ones they may become confused or uncontrollably upset and this

Blair Witch Project

â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† After the release and authentic content in the â€Å"Blair Witch Project† it has become a major addition to the horror film collection and has brought unwanted public attention to the small town in Maryland (Burkittsville). This movie was not only a success in theatres, there was also much gained economically and promotionally due to the fame of â€Å"The Blair Witch Project. † While it is obivious that this film has become a popular horror film due to it’s darks theme, what is the story behind the film? How does â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† affect the Burkittsville towns people and the image of the town?And how does it relate to Danielewski’s House of Leaves. While all of the questions are important to answer, it would be beneficial to talk about this documentary turned film, as if it was just a form of motion pictures. This film was made by two directors, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. â€Å"The Blair W itch Project† is a spooky film made up of suspenseful film footage found years after the death of the three students featured in the movie. â€Å"Montgomery College students Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael Williams arrive in Burkittsville to interview locals about the legend of the Blair Witch for a class project.Heather interviews Mary Brown an old and quite insane woman who has lived in the area all her life. Mary claims to have seen the Blair Witch one day near Tappy Creek in the form of a hairy, half-human, half-animal beast. † Montgomery College students Heather Donohue, Michael Williams and Joshua Leonard take a trip to the town of Burkittsville, MD to capture some interesting footage on a lady accussed of using witch craft. As a female, Heather Donohue is the leader of the three who is driven and becomes the heart and soul of this project.Heather is the only member out of the group who is willing to continuously to film after they hear spooky noises and notice cries outside. Though she is eager to capture as much film as possible, it is evident both Michael and Joshua become annoyed with Heather. The plot of this film climaxes once Jousha wonders off and comes up missing. This part the movie also sets the tone for the following events, the death of both, Michael and Heather. Since â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† is considered a horror film, one would expect to see witches, monsters, killer and even ghost but this movie includes none of these scarey figures.This film simply captures the fears that three people gain while being stranded in the woods. Most of all this film shows the attempt of three people trying to capture images about a witch and turn into an interesting documentary. Before Heather, Michael and Joshua decided to go out and film a documentary, they heard about the stories of Elly Keward (Blair Witch). In 1785, Elly Keward was accused of convincing kids to come to her home to draw blood and later found guilt y of witchcraft. â€Å"Several children accuse Elly Keward of luring them into her home to draw blood from them.Kedward is found guilty of witchcraft, banished from the village during a particularly harsh winter and presumed dead. By midwinter all of Kedward's accusers along with half of the town's children vanish. Fearing a curse, the townspeople flee Blair and vow never to utter Elly Kedward's name again. † In 1809, The Blair Witch Cult book was published, which is considered a fiction genre that tells a story of a town cursed by a loner witch. It is not until 1824 that Burkittsville is found on the Blair website. â€Å"Starting with Emily Hollands, a total of seven children are abducted from the area surrounding Burkittsville, Maryland.An old hermit named Rustin Parr walks into a local market and tells the people there that he is â€Å"finally finished. † After Police hike for four hours to his secluded house in the woods, they find the bodies of seven missing chil dren in the cellar. Each child has been ritualistically murdered and disemboweled. Parr admits to everything in detail, telling authorities that he did it for â€Å"an old woman ghost† who occupied the woods near his house. He is quickly convicted and hanged. † â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† has so many different themes that all can be summed up as dark.This film was made to be informative about the death of the three students, but was also created to be a scary, horrorful and spooky film. Although there are speculations about this film being false or fake, the scenes and frightful events within this film definitely persuade you to believe that its no fiction film. With the collection of dark shots and the noises included in the film it is easy for one to become scared and horrified while watching this film. The scariest thing about this film is that it takes place in an existing town, Burkittsville, MD.The discovery of Burkittsville, MD on the Blair website and the death of townspeople, brought a new perspective for the small town in Maryland. This connection with Blair gives Burkittsville a spooky and creepy image, which relates to Danielewski’s House of Leaves. Although â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† is a movie and House of leaves is a book they both give off an scary or eerie feeling. While both stories are formed due to an experiment, they both are formed into horror stories. Many people see the connection between the two, especially write Nicholas Rombes, who writes an article comparing the horror film and genre. In many ways, the Blair Witch Project and House of Leaves are flip sides of the same coin, experimental works in the guise of horror stories. If it weren’t for the fact that they were from the lowly horror genre, they might have been nominated for Big Prizes like an Oscar or a National Book Award. † (Nicholas Rombes) The reputation that this town has gained due to Blair, is what led Heather, Michael and Joshua to Burkittsville, MD on October 20, 1994 and what might have been the reason they never returned.While these spectacles about â€Å"The Blair Witch† being true or false still linger, the mysterious deaths of the three students still affect the towns people of Burkittsville. â€Å"If they vote to keep the signs, it won't be because they love â€Å"Blair Witch† lore; they hate â€Å"Blair Witch† lore. It will be because Burkittsville, which looks almost exactly the way it did in the Civil War, never throws anything away†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Town leaders think Burkittsville could make $3,000. That's small compensation for all the trouble caused by a film that grossed $249 million. But it could pay to fix some broken sidewalks. † (By Faye Fiore, Los Angeles Times)Overall â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† is a scary film that displays the experiment of three college students on a mission to findout more about the â€Å"Blair Witch. † Wh ile this movie tells the story of a long lost women who practices witchcraft and kills people, it also gives of a sick and scary vibe. This films theme and structure is what makes it compatible to Danielewski’s House of Leaves. This film has not only brought back the store of â€Å"Blair Witch,† it has also been added to the horror film collection. After watching this film, one should be terrified to visit the woods and graveyards of Burkittsville, Md.

American Eagle Outfitters and The Marketing Strategies They Use to Seem Appealing to Customers

American Eagle Outfitters and The Marketing Strategies They Use to Seem Appealing to Customers April Economics Literacy Project In the article, Jason Bloomberg discusses how American Eagle Outfitters, a retail industry, is focusing on developing a new mobile application for their consumers. Since more than 50% of consumers use their phones when they are shopping, the retail industry wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. American Eagle has included special features like the AEO Radio in order to reinforce the â€Å"in-store† experience. The store has also experimented with geolocation. In order to increase traffic in stores, the retail store send promotions to a customer who is in proximity to the store. In addition, American Eagle has introduced a new feature called â€Å"Reserve-Try-Buy† to allow customers the ability to reserve an item ahead of time in order to try it on. American Eagle is currently working on new upgrades on their loyalty program and new strategies to expand internationally in order to increase their revenue. This situation represents the economic principle that everyone faces tradeoffs. The retail company had to face the decision of how to promote their company. For example, the company had to trade the expansion of the web apps to the expansion of native apps. The company realized that with the focus of native apps, their opportunity cost is appealing to a broader range of people since only the most loyal customers will bother to download the application. However, the benefit is greater than the opportunity cost since the application will increase the engagement of loyal customers with the brand. In addition, this situation represents the economic principle that the cost of something is what you give up to get it. By investing their money into mobile apps, American Eagle has the opportunity cost of appealing to an audience who isn’t tech savvy (i.e. most grandparents and some parents). However, since their main audience is people within the ages of 18-25, their audience is more likely to be connected to the mobile application. This shows how this benefit exceeds the cost since American Eagle has continued to further invest in their digital strategy. Finally, another economic principle that reflects this situation is that people respond to incentives. As an employee of this company, headquarters has reached to all employees of how to increase traffic within a store since most customers shop online today. By introducing the program â€Å"Reserve-Try-Buy†, customers have the incentive to visit the store. It could also push customers to buy more items within the store and, as a result, increase revenue. Another example is that since there is a higher demand for people to shop on their mobile devices, American Eagle is given the incentive to invest in their mobile application in order to increase revenue. This article relates to the concepts that we have discussed in class. American Eagle is currently in a monopolistic competitive market. Therefore, the company must differentiate its product in order to appeal to customers and have market power. American Eagle does this by revamping its digital strategy by including the AEO Radio, â€Å"Reserve-Try-Buy† program, geolocation, etc. As a result, the company is able to gain market power by creating a closer connection to their customers and expanding the brand experience to mobile devices. In addition, we learned in class about how advertising affects the economy. We learned in class that companies try to differentiate themselves through style, quality, and location. The use of the mobile platform would push American Eagle’s advertising. Through geolocation, the company can advertise their location to their customers in order to increase traffic within the stores.

The influence of the 2008 Olympics to China's sports tourism industry Essay

The influence of the 2008 Olympics to China's sports tourism industry - Essay Example sports facilities, an Olympic Park was built by the country with collaboration of foreign architects that will keep on contributing to local public for coming years. In addition, in order to host the sporting events in an efficient manner, more than thirty stadiums were constructed in Beijing alone, along with tens of Olympic venues in other Chinese cities. Beijing was reborn in a cultural and historical manner, as more than twenty historical sites of Beijing city were renovated. Another major sector that benefited from 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is tourism industry of China that influenced rapidly from this international multi-sport event. According to some statistics, more than 650,000 tourists visited the country from different countries before, during, as well as, after the Olympic Games until the year 2008. It is observed that this mega sporting-event has been able to transform the Beijing city into a high-tech and environmental-friendly city, and allowed China to prove itself a s one of the global powers of the globe. Since antiquity, sport has always been a significant and thrilling event that has played a vital role in the creation and development of sporting industry around the globe. History of Olympics goes back to 776 BC when ancient Greeks used to organize different athletic competitions in various cities of Ancient Greece. In present era, both summer and winter games are now organized under the banner of an international sport event that is referred as the Olympic Games. It is observed that Olympic is not only responsible for the development of sporting industry; however, it plays a pivotal role in the development and advancement of different sectors of the hosting countries. In order to understand the influence of Olympics on its hosting country, this paper will focus on the 2008 Olympic that was held in Beijing, China from August 08, 2008 to August 24, 2008. Its different effects will be discussed and analyzed with relation to the study of

Current Event Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 18

Current Event Paper - Assignment Example Rousek, 2014, reported high Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) in Czech Republic and Hungary. The PMI is the broad indicator of manufacturing sector health, adding up new orders, inventory sizes, recruitment levels, and supplier deliveries. A PMI reading of figures above 50 is an indicator of expansion in manufacturing. A figure below 50, on contrary, indicates contraction in manufacturing level. Agata, HSBC economist noted in the article that a marginal increase in PMI occurred between the months of September and July, a faint positive sign. He added on that new export orders declined only moderately. Poland recorded a PMI of 49.5, and a figure noted to be slightly below average and standard mark. An increase in manufacturing activities in Czech Republic and Hungary as reported by Rousek, 2014, prompts companies to expand their inventory management. Inventory management entails coordination and supervision of adequate goods to suit current production level in the company. In the article, Rousek, 2014, addresses PMI increase in production in Czech Republic and Hungary. PMI is an indicator of inventory sizes. An increase in inventory sizes among manufacturing companies is a critical indicator of the necessity to enhance efficiency in companies’ inventory departments. Rousek, L. (October 1, 2014). Factory Output Varies in Central Europe with Czech, Hungary Going Strong, Poland Stalling. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 21, 2014 from,

Contemporary Brand Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Contemporary Brand Management - Essay Example ..a set of mental associations, held by the consumers, which add to the perceived value of a product or service† (Kapferer, 2008, pp. 10). The alliance ought to be exceptional, well distinctive, effective and affirmative. Brands act as a key attribute to differentiate its products or services from that of its competitors. It constructs a separate individuality for the company in favour of it from others. Brand is considered as the asset for an organisation as it augments the value of the product with the assistance of its outstanding salient features. A brand is intangible in nature as it does not possess the characteristic of being figured. Thus, it is quite different from being just a product, or a service or a commodity. It enhances the image of the corporation. Therefore, it is also different from a company. It has been witnessed that consumers review a product or service on the basis of the brand name that is allied with it. Branding aids in developing an elongated, vigoro us and emotional affiliation between the brand and the company. It divulges about the company and other essential information with context to the company internationally. The brand name in itself influences the purchaser to purchase the product. Branding facilitates a corporation to provide a clear definition of any product, position the product and distribute it to the prospect customer (Kapferer, 2008). Background Information about Rolex Rolex, the exquisite brand coined by Hans Wilsdorf and produced by Swiss watch making company at Bennie, brought forward a wonderful range of watches. Since ages, Rolex prolongs to sustain efficiently and also persists to be a strong position in the copious watch market. Rolex is assisting its company with an enlarged market share and a significant competitive advantage to sustain in the fiercely competitive global industry. It enhances its market position which is a factor that makes the brand an asset for the enterprise which segregates it from merely being a product, service or commodity. Rolex focuses on brand purity, trend, business presentation and constancy. These are the most important reasons that have made Rolex an astounding brand (Liebeskind, 2004). It has been seen that customers always evaluate and scrutinises a particular product on the basis of brand name. Similarly, Rolex having a superior brand name stimulates customers to spend on its product, although it has encountered various competitors as a consequence of globalisation, still it stands to be an internationally exclusive brand. The main competitors of Rolex include Citizen and Omega. The watches endowed by Rolex primarily focus on the sports person as their potential target customers as it deals with giving immense importance to luxury and deluxe products. It has also developed its brand on classic, fashionable and water resistant watches. The international players dealing with the similar nature of products and similar market segment may be regarded a s their competitors. It follows the scheme of premium pricing to distinguish its product from its contenders

African American Girls Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

African American Girls - Essay Example While studying the two contradictory family settings of African American girls, it was observed that the girls with father can enjoy healthier life than those who are fatherless. The paper focuses on discussing about two types of African girls, one is the girl with father and another is without father. For the healthy development of the child the presence of father in the family is very essential. In the family setting regarding this issue, the basic characters involved are the girl, her mother, father and sometimes other members of the family such as her siblings and her close relatives. The scope of the paper is African American girl with father and her counterpart, the girl of same race without father. Here also we have to take into consideration the status of the father, that means whether the father present in the family is a biological father of the girl or he is the social father (mother’s second husband) it makes a lot of difference in the girl’s life. While com menting on the relationship of father and daughter especially in African American family, Belgrave Faye states, â€Å"Father-daughter relationship is important in the shaping of a daughter’s body image, self worth, and other self attributes.† The setting in which the relationship of a father and his daughter shapes is the family. It is the centre point from which the personality starts shaping. The bringing up and the behavioural pattern are decided by the family and the overall surrounding he/she gets especially at home. The common view of a healthy family means the presence of both father and mother. If anyone of them is missing, the life of the children gets affected adversely. Our paper basically focuses on the importance of father in shaping the life of the Black American Girls. The study aimed at focusing on the major factors of African American girls’ lives and they are as follows: The physical and mental development of African American girls and the role s of their fathers, in shaping them The second theme was to study the behavioural pattern of African American Women in the presence and absence of their fathers. While studying it was hypothesized that: The African American girls having fathers live healthier life physically and psychologically. The behavioural pattern in African American girls having fathers is more balanced and normal as compared to the girls who are fatherless. African American girls with fathers are brighter academically than the girls without fathers The African American Girls with Fathers: Fathers’ role in the physical activities of their daughters is very crucial in the family. For psychological needs, they rely on their mothers but for physical activities, they get support, encouragement and motivation from their fathers. Taylor et al. (1999) studied African American and Letina middle school girls regarding physical activity and found that African American girls ages 14 – 18 reported biological fathers positively influence their physical activity levels. Bungum and Vincent (1997) also found that fathers are instrumental in physical activity promotion among African American girls. (Tara Blackshear P. 24) In the study of Thompson (2003) it was found that African American girls require additional social support to increase physical activity behaviours, especially from their fathers. The girls are so much close both to their fathers and mothers. When it is a question of spending time with the father, they like to engage in sports activities with their fathers (such as playing sports, attending sports events, or going for any amusement with their father. While engaging with their parents, girls are equally engaged with

Are there ever circumstances in which nations are justified in Essay

Are there ever circumstances in which nations are justified in suspending the laws of war - Essay Example The law also gives a time period that the war should continue. This is considered in the international humanitarian law that insists that the war time conduct should be limited to acceptable volumes. Therefore, the war should only continue to a certain length of time. On the other hand, just war theory deals with issues that are related to why and how wars are fought between countries, states and regions. Some wars are justified as they have a noble cause. This brings the point where countries have to engage in wars that have a solid bearing and they should be fought. In this historic aspect of war, there are traditions that are directly inclined to rules of agreement where they have been applied across many wars across the world. In many times, people use their philosophical conventions to decide on these particular decisions. War does rely on the use of weaponry and strategy, to ensure a country protects its interests. Since time immemorial, people have been fighting in the world w ith different causes implicated to the beginning of the war. With the prevalence in fighting, people have been blaming each other for the fighting (Shanahan, 2005:34). There are many aspects that go beyond historical philosophy, philosophy of the incumbent law and the political history of a place or country that could lead to suspension of laws of war. They deem to protect countries, human race and any group of people (Duffield, 2007:31). They have to consider all other options that would be prominent in securing human life. Many historical figures have had their fair share of reflection on the issue of war and have generated their strong recommendations. This includes philosophical leaders, religious leaders and political bigwigs. There are many circumstances where a country has to suspend laws of war, since there are other interests that should be protected. As a fact, war is openly referred to as a brutal enterprise that is used to solve problems. However, Carl von Clausewitz sta tes that war is a continuity of policies that are implemented in other means. In this statement, he suggests that war is violent ways of ensuring people adhere to the stated rules. The leaders in such countries do not have an option of solving and implementing the policies in a peaceful way, and have to consider forceful implementation (Nathanson, 2010:45). This leads to eruption of war in a country, which could go on for a long period of time. In his word, circumstances that lead to war are about the will to perform what other people are suggesting. Therefore, war only erupts when people refuse to do what is to be done and oppose the will of the implementing leaders. Before engaging in any warfare, countries have to consult the law of war. However, countries evaluate the laws of war and decide to suspend them. These are set criteria that countries should use before engaging in any war. Therefore, countries do make decisions before engaging in any act of war. This is well explained in the jus ad bellum which gives the country the right perspectives before engaging in any war. As such, this is a universal law that has to be consulted before taking any actions that might jeopardise the peaceful coexistence of the world. As a fact, these laws were incepted to ensure that countries only engaged in wars that were justified (Coady, 2007:41). Therefore, this is a law that ensures countries and other parties engage in wars that are justified, and should avoid any

Review, Evaluation & Analysis of a case study Essay

Review, Evaluation & Analysis of a case study - Essay Example However, Rosen (1998) emphasizes the importance of initial finance in ventures of small businesses. On the other hand, Santarelli& Vivarelli (2006) found a positive correlation between the choice of financing and the growth and survival of a venture. This paper explores the role of entrepreneurial finance in the entrepreneurial life cycle. According to Leach & Melicher (2003), the early phases of the entrepreneurship life cycle, the venture exhibits undercapitalization and in effect the entrepreneur must grab the different sources of capital. Mason (2007) discusses the role of informal sources of finances, which are often ignored in class room environment, but have significant role in the entrepreneurial life cycle. According to Preston (2007), angel investors are high net worth persons who inject funds in the early stage companies. Reminiscent of an American program, Shark Tank, that features high net worth individuals who are looking for investment opportunities in television. Kerr, Lerner & Schoar (2010) found out that angel investments improve entrepreneurial success. These opportunities for tapping capital at such early stages must occur as the venture progresses from startup through the survival stage. The major objective of the entrepreneurial finance is to assist the entrepreneurs through the life cycle of the venture to continually make better investment and financing decisions. The process covers the entire venture life cycle from startup to exit and inquires into issues such as deal structures, incentives, business models and valuation to a greater degree than normal equity management. Winton & Yerramilli (2008) in a comparison between bank and venture capital financing delved into the metrics of the choice between these two methods of financing a venture. According to N Berger & F Udell (1998), entrepreneurial finance plays an important role in small business as opposed to the large business. The small

The Personalisation Agenda Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

The Personalisation Agenda - Dissertation Example In the same year, a concordat was issued between central government, local government and the social care sector. The document is entitled â€Å"Putting People First: A Shared Vision and Commitment to the Transformation of Adult Social Care (2007)† and through it the idea of a personalised adult social care system was first introduced. The plan called for affording people maximum choice and control over the health care and services they receive. The plan dovetails a more broad-based government strategy that included the notion of â€Å"place-shaping† and other concepts contained in the local government white paper â€Å"Strong and Prosperous Communities† (2006). In the 2008 Carers’ Strategy, the New Deal has advanced the initiatives of integrated and personalised services. Carers called for recognition of their work and expertise, better service coordination and information, improved collaboration between staff and agencies, and health and social care. The Carers’ Strategy was arrived at after a wide consultation and with the cooperation and agreement of various government departments. Many of the themes articulated in recent developments in the personalisation agenda are not new, having been contained in the community care reforms under the National Health Service and Community Care Act of 1990. These reforms aimed to develop a needs-led approach wherein new arrangements for assessment and health care management would include individuals receiving tailored packages of care rather than block-contracted services. The practical advantage in the development of individual or personal budgets is the direct payments scheme, initially made available to disabled adults of working age, but since then has been extended to other groups. The success of the scheme covered some 54,000 individuals as of March 2007, including parents who cared for disabled children and young carers, who used direct payments. The use of direct payments actuall y came about as an initiative championed by disabled people. Among the driving forces behind direct payments were the service user movement, the mental health survivor movement, and the social model of disability, which originally took root in the 1970s when people first lobbied for change. Throughout the development of personalisation, key concepts included independent living, participation, control, choice and empowerment. 2.2 The Social Model of Disability The social model of disability was developed in the 1970s by progressive members of the Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation (UPIAS), and given academic validity by the works of Finkelstein (1981), Barnes (1991) and Oliver (1996) (cited in Shakespeare & Watson, 2002). The model is now described as the â€Å"ideological litmus test of disability politics in Britain† (Shakespeare & Watson, 2002). It is relied upon when distinguishing among organisations, policies, legislations and concepts regarding the pro gressive view of disability. The core definition of the British social model was first articulated in the UPIAS document â€Å"Fundamental Principles of Disability.† An edited version that was reprinted in Oliver (1996) and Shakespeare and Watson (2002) is reproduced here, for purposes of elucidation, as follows: â€Å"†¦In our view, it is society which disables physically impaired people. Disability is something imposed on top of our

First impressions Essay Example for Free

First impressions Essay In my opinion it is your first impression of something that ultimately gives you the perfect vantage point in which to accurately assume the true nature of something. Your notion of this something is then unaffected or swayed by any outside sources or by second guessing yourself. Upon first experiencing this first time offered course, I immediately felt right at home concerning the direction in which the course was headed and also with the enthusiasm and involvement of the professor. The first class began as any other, anxiously awaiting an unknown professor and the educational information he bears. With a proverbial collective sigh of relief, the class was greeted with a pleasant professor offering a most interesting lesson plan on the writing in the discipline of psychology. After welcomed introductions class was underway and a new appreciation for my major was attained. Our first homework assignment required us to read and analyze an article entitled â€Å"Making Science Understandable to a Broad Audience† by Richard Reis. The article portrays the notion that we as those in search of educational advancement must accommodate the manner in which we write for individuals many whom are otherwise unaware. This piece I believe sets the tone for this course in its entirety and my perceptions as to what is seeks to achieve, in that to truly know and understand an idea or concept one must have the ability to correctly perceive and present information of the utmost importance to the vast majority. Throughout my college career I have strived to put forth my best effort and achieve a great standing in all my courses. I plan on not doing any different here, so upon perusing the course syllabus I noticed many assignments wherein groups were involved. In my past experience, sadly I have had many instances in which fellow group members became ‘clingers’ to my dedicated work whilst I labored on it. Assignments listed as anything prefaced by the dreaded utterance â€Å"Group,† made me question my position here. Despite my reservations I believe that those fellow students in my class are just as dedicated as I and wish to succeed just as much. Without further explanation of the group work involved, much of it looks fairly familiar to projects that I have done in past classes both in college and high school concerning poster presentations and literature reviews. My worries, other than those aforementioned, lie in the â€Å"Individual Components† of the course description and what they might entail. At least for me, when work pertaining to that of doling out constructive criticism is required I simply feel inadequate in telling others how to go about their work. Other than that one hiccup, the rest of the work to be done individually seems common or at least manageable. In the past I have kept a record or journal of daily events of significance, in that I can see doing well in keeping a research journal. Being accustomed to modern times and technology use should help serve me in using the â€Å"Learning E-Portfolios,† and submitting assignments online. My major is in psychology and therefore have read extensively on the subject as well as taken previous writing courses, all of which will hopefully aid me in doing well this semester. I feel as though this course will play towards my strengths and will be successful overall. Although, I do not expect to go without surprises, I trust this course to challenge my writing ability as well as my grasp on psychology ASSIGNMENT REFLECTION FORM 1. How would you describe your experience in working on this assignment (Was it difficult to begin? Did the ideas come easily or with difficulty? What obstacles did you face in the process of writing? How long did it take you?)? A: As with any paper, I found it slightly difficult to begin because I enjoy taking the time to organize my thoughts into a cohesive and coherent piece. In the writing process I found it difficult to completely fulfill the requirements in that the book contained in the courses required reading section had been backordered and in an attempt to continue, I had purchased a copy on Amazon.com and am sadly still awaiting its arrival. From beginning to end this essay took me around two hours to complete in its entirety. 2. What do you see as the strengths of this paper? A: I believe the strengths of this paper to be my honesty involving the course. It may or may not help with improvements and or changes in future assignments and course direction. 3. What do you see as areas for improvement in the paper? A: Not to sound clichà © but I believe that all papers still require improvement. No matter how many edits or drafts it takes there will always be one idea or point that may have been over expressed or a central one that had been simply left out completely. I may need to improve upon my ordering or overall flow of my paper to achieve a better read. 4. What did you learn (about yourself, the subject, writing, or reading) from doing this assignment? A: While writing this piece I learned that I truly enjoy expressing myself through writing. Although I consider myself to have a limited vocabulary I find nothing more exciting than to surprise someone with my work.

Thomas Hobbes Essay Example for Free

Thomas Hobbes Essay The philosophy of Thomas Hobbes, especially that of his major work, Leviathan, is designed to understand the motives of human nature and, from these, seek the surest way to civil peace. This is one of the earliest examples of a â€Å"scientific† method of understanding political science in that the commonwealth was to be built on a handful of axioms, all deriving from what Hobbes considered facts of human nature (cf. Matthews, 118). The nature of these axioms leading to civil peace is the purpose of this present essay. The primary understanding of human nature that, if applied properly, would lead to social peace is that human beings desire power. This is nearly identical to Machiavelli’s approach to politics. It seems that in both Hobbes and Machiavelli, human beings desire power, and hence, develop â€Å"moral† systems that justify the present holding or seeking of power (Morgan, 528-530, and 581-582). But the nature of this axiom is that people are naturally programmed to seek power and no matter of moral suasion will stop this. Hobbes wants to begin from a single concept and build upon it rather than attempt to suppress it, since any attempt at suppression itself proves the axiom correct. If human nature is taken seriously rather than covered over with metaphysical theories, then peace might be the consequent: human beings must be taken as they are, not as one might want them to be. If the above axiom is true, that is, people desire power, than many other axioms follow from it. The first axiom that follows from the first is that reason is a slave to the passions (Morgan, 641). Reason, in other words, cannot provide ends, but merely means, and significantly, justifications after the fact. Appealing to reason is hence, not appropriate with such a view of humanity, and only the appeal to passion will work here. Passion is nothing that can be suppressed, but it can be controlled. Passion is the engine of human nature in a similar sense that hunks of matter in a vacuum will continue in constant morion unless acted upon by another force. This is an exact parallel to Hobbes here, and the only opposing force to passionate human motion is other human beings, and hence, the problem: humans are constantly, following from this, in a state of war. What makes this state of war particularly harsh is that the abilities of human beings as individuals, or organizing into groups, are roughly equal (Morgan, 591). This means that the war of all against all will continue constantly, with no clear winner. Any â€Å"winner† will be only a temporary winner, and will soon be dethroned by another faction. The fact of equality is not something here taken from observation, but from a deduction from â€Å"atomic† theory (or at least, the theories of matter current at the time), where atoms, in their basic structure, are all the same. Matter is matter, energy is energy, humans are humans. From the above, it follows that human beings are determined. Free will, to an extent, is rejected in Hobbes. For him, liberty is the ability to do what one wills without outside opposition (Morgan, 621). This is consistent with determinism in that the will must have a reason, that is, a cause, for having the desire it has and bringing it to fruition. Hence, man is determined, but since he does what he wants, he is thus free. This just underscores the fact that reason is impotent to being about peace, only the passions can be appealed to in that the constant clashing of wills and the frustration of one’s freedom as Hobbes describes it is constant warfare. From the above, Hobbes deduces that humanity is egocentric, power hungry and willful, and as a result, without some countervailing power, is in a constant state of warfare. The nature of this countervailing power is the real centerpiece of the Leviathan. The general point is that if humanity can be reduced to a few, simple, clear axioms that follow logically from one another, as any good scientific theory should do, then the state, the countervailing power that keeps these human â€Å"atoms† in line relative to one another, should also be simple, unified and follow logically from the axioms about human nature. Hence, Hobbes is seeking to be completely scientific and a â€Å"realist† about both humanity and the state that they will live under in order to reach peace. At this point in the logical progression, it seems impossible to live in a state of peace. Human beings are depicted as lustful, egocentric and equal beings constantly in a state of motion and hence, clashing with all other peoples, essentially hunks of matter in motion, connected to an almost arbitrary engine of passion. But it is the Leviathan that will bring this peace, and it is passion that it will use to justify itself and bring peace to the commonwealth. Hobbes describes humanity prior to all law and custom, that is, the â€Å"law of nature. † The primary motive force of humanity is power, considered generally. But if warfare is a constant feature of the â€Å"state of nature,† then the drive for power for each and all is constantly being frustrated. It seems logical to hold that eventually, these egocentric people will constantly see their designs thwarted and their purposes constantly harmed y others. From this, all those that seek power, that is, everyone, will be forced to come to some agreement, a â€Å"covenant† among themselves that will provide a measure of peace so that the power struggle can continue in more peaceful channels. This is the nature of the covenant (Morgan, 594). This agreement comes not about through reason, but through the constant frustration of passion. Reason is a means to an end, and power is always that end. But power cannot be had in the state of nature given its constantly shifting nature, and therefore, reason then acts as a slave to passion and demands some kind of agreement, a contract that will bring peace. The nature of this covenant must follow from the facts of human nature outlined above. Hence, it cannot really be a parliamentary democracy because that merely leaves the state of nature intact, one faction constantly unseating another, leading to the same chaos as before. The kind of state that is agreed upon is basically a dictatorship of a party that must act equally between individuals and factions within the society. All power is hence transferred to the state, the dictatorship, and in return, this power is used to keep the warring factions from destroying each other. The only real demand laid on the state is that of objectivity in judging among the factions, and hence, the state must ultimately be a monarchy (of sorts), equidistant from all centers of power in society and hence, able to judge among them fairly (Morgan, 613). Putting this differently, if power is the desire of all individuals and factions, then it follows that the state exists solely for security (Morgan, 606). If humanity is described in axiomatic terms all following one from another, and the state is itself part of this logical progression, then it also follows that the nature of the state’s action also must follow from the above. This means that the state is unitary, dedicated to one purpose and based on a rule of law that is simple and dedicated entirely to security and, according to the contract, treats all individuals and factions as morally equal to one another (Morgan, 641). The logical structure of the Leviathan comes down to working out contradictions in the axiomatic description of human beings. If human beings desire power and cannot get it in the state of nature, then a powerful state must be crated that permits humanity to live and seek after power through peaceful means. But since no faction will permit one group to rule at the expense of all others, the state must be single, focused and based on an agreed upon set of laws (a â€Å"constitution†) that enshrines this concept of political equality. Only then can all factions agree to give up their violent ways to the central authority. Since human beings are egocentric and passionate, the state based on the rule of law agreed to by all factions beforehand follows logically. The terms â€Å"peace† and â€Å"justice† are used here in highly technical and scientific ways that part radically with previous attempts to define and justify these words. Peace, according to Hobbes, is merely the absence of war (Morgan, 592). It simply is a state of affairs that permits power hungry individuals to pursue their designs in a peaceful manner. Any breach of this peace will, ideally, lead to swift and harsh action from the state that they have empowered to keep watch over their actions. Justice is similar in that it is based on knowledge. The early parts of the Leviathan are based on a scientific method, a means of coming to know human nature as generally and simply as possible. Justice just flows from this. Ultimately, justice derives from science, which is the knowledge of good and evil (Morgan, 603). In practice, this merely means that humans are attracted by the same set of things, and recoil from the same set of things. If power and what it implies are seen in the former, then the frustration of their liberty (as defined above) is what repels them. This knowledge alone allows one to see the basis and ultimate justice of the state. Hence, justice is defined accordingly, as the ability of the person, or, at last, the state, to control the passions of the population when they threaten to disrupt the precarious balance of peace in the commonwealth (Morgan, 599-600). But this is understood by all who are punished by the state in that they have agreed to this on the basis that their own liberty is endlessly obstructed by others in the state of nature. But, as a final thought, this is the very nature of one’s civic duty–to eliminate all private desires and to follow the laws as laid down by the sovereign and agreed upon by those who have demanded these laws (Morgan, 610-611). Duty is not something that is arrived at through reason, but through the passionate desire for power. It is frustrated in the state of nature, but permitted to function freely under the rule of law. There is no â€Å"thick† view of civic duty here, but rather, the control over one’s passions in the interest of those same passions, to permit them to develop in peace. The desire for peace derives from the identical desire for power, except that this desire is frustrated in a state of war. This is what makes Hobbes compelling: the approach to politics could not be simpler. The concept of civic duty is summed up by Hobbes as the act of giving up â€Å"governing oneself† (Morgan, 608), and permitting the more violent elements of one’s passion to be governed by the state only. What is left to the person is the peaceful pursuit of his passionate desires. Politically speaking, the commonwealth is that entity that exists for the sake of peace and security by the efficient control of the private desires of the people involved. In its place, the public will as expressed by the laws of the sovereign so far as they do not violate the very simple terms of the contract. In conclusion, the nature of peace and civic duty for Hobbes are two sides of the same coin. The public persona of the person in the commonwealth is as a public entity, a person dedicated to civic peace and dedicated to the elimination of all personal desires relative to other members of the community. The final end, according to Hobbes’ own description is the pursuit of power by peaceful means, engaging in commerce, etc. The sovereign is the public persona and serves to maintain this persona within the personalities of all involved.

Ethical Issues In Information Systems Privacy

Ethical Issues In Information Systems Privacy This essay aims to identify the ethical, social, professional and legal issues relevant to social media. It is a literature review that will present some of the key issues in both privacy and security subject matters. It is divided into several parts and to begin, it will present what social media is as well as mention some of the issues that users have had regarding the use of social media. It will then explain the ethical, social professional and legal issues related to the use social media. The essay will mainly be focusing on social networking and will present a balanced overview of some of the opposing perspectives of the issues presented. To conclude, the essay will reflect critically on these various perspectives, assess some of the key issues that have been presented and propose some appropriate solutions or courses of action from the perspective of an ethical IT professional. Social Media covers many aspects such as, blogs, videos, podcasts, discussion forums and social networking and the key stakeholders of social media include: programmers, developers and anyone who has access to a computer and a network. The particular aspect that will be covered is social networking. Social media may have several advantages such as keeping in touch with friends, families and coworkers enabling open communication which can lead to improved information discovery and distribution. For businesses, it can improve business reputation and can even gain a large target market with minimal use of advertising. An interesting quote from Klepic (2010), a blogger, journalist and social media innovator who uses a reasonable approach to convey how social media impacts our daily lives, states that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, what happens on twitter stays on Google forever. This shows that this social media user or stakeholder has used social media and has been affected by it. Nowadays, websites that no longer exist have articles taken from them and are being used by other websites to show to the public. In the case of social media, privacy is obsolete as users and stakeholders of social networking websites and blogs, no longer have any sort of confidentiality when they post pictures, videos and posts of themselves on the internet in general. Another interesting quote from a social media user called Christian Hollingsworth (2011) stated that Years ago, before Gravatars even existed, I would inflate my blog comments. What Id do is use a few of my different email addresses, and post comme nts on blog posts with pen (fake) names. I thought I was rather tricky. A few months ago I was looking through old blog posts on some old blogs, and found that those comments now had Gravatar images attached. And behold, they were all images of me! Due to my Gravatar account now linking to those email addresses. This social media user or blogger was harmlessly posting comments on other blogs using fake names for privacy reasons and was later found that due to an online social media application, an image of him was posted next to all his previous blog posts. The application or website did not mention that his old posts were going to have images of himself posted right next to his comments and therefor his right to privacy has been violated. Most of the public are using social media such as twitter and Facebook and have no knowledge on where or how their personal information is being shared. Legal Issues This section covers any questions that have any concerns on the protection that laws and regulations provide regarding social media. The rules and legislations that we will be looking at is the United Kingdom Laws (UK Laws) that help protect an individuals privacy and security rights and support ideas and concepts on privacy and security. In the Data Protection Act (1998) under Section 55 it states that it is an offence to knowingly or recklessly obtain, disclose or procure the disclosure of personal information without the consent of the data controller. This means that an individual is not allowed to obtain another persons personal information, which includes information such as name, home address and age, and expose it without the consent of that person. This applies to the use of social media as this principle is at stake. An individual can access another persons private information through blogs, for instance, and obtain his or her name or home address and expose it to others wi thout the consent of that person. The Data Protection Act (1998) states that if organizations were to collect or share an individuals information, they must use it fairly and the person has the right to know whether an organization has collected information about them and to whom they shared it with. This includes any information that has been obtained from social media websites which is stated in The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) which is the UKs independent authority. Facebook, the social networking website, was sued due to sharing personal information of individuals, such as their names, to third-party application makers without their consent or permission in late 2012 (Essers, 2012). The third-party applications, which were running through Facebooks Application Center, accessed chat logs of several users on Facebook and gained their personal information without the consent of the users. The first hearing takes place in the summer of 2013. The Data Protection Act (1998) is threatened as the social networking website gains personal information from their users and shares them to third-party application makers without the users consents. Due to wrongfully sharing personal information, users have sued Facebook. The Computer Misuse Act (1990) under Section 1: Unauthorized Access to Computer Material, Section 2: Unauthorized Access with Intent to Commit or Facilitate Commission of Further Offences, and Section 3: Unauthorized Modifications of Computer Materials, the principles are threatened. These sections of the Computer Misuse Act (1990) all deal with the offence of hacking with or without the intent to commit serious crime such as fraud. In the case of social media, it is an offence to use an individuals username and password to gain unauthorized access to social networking sites and computers to gain, share and change private information. Social networking websites can even be hacked and used to hack into computers to gain private information such as credit card information just by looking at the purchases a person has made in Facebook for instance. Another principle similar to The Computer Misuse Act (1990) is stated in the Federal Decree-Law no. 5 (2012), which was first issued in the United Arab Emirates, under Article 10 regarding hacking. The article states that there is a penalty for whoever willfully and without authorization runs a software on the computer network or an electronic information system or any information technology means, and caused them to stop functioning or being impaired, or resulted in crashing, deletion, omission, destruction of the program, system, website, data or information. This means that there is a consequence for an individual to hack into another persons computer application or systems (ex. Facebook or Forums) and change or delete any information that belongs to that person. This standard is threatened as people can gain access to website applications and alter or delete any system or information located on the network. This must not be done as there is a large penalty for undertaking such im moral conducts. Another principle that could be at stake is the Computer, Designs and Patents Act (1998). This principle or act illustrates the penalties of wrongfully sharing or transferring copyrighted information to other people. It is illegal to share information such as music, which does not belong to an individual, without the consent or permission of the owner. Social media can be easily used to share and transfer data and information, often copyrighted information, such as music, video and even images. Napster, a free music sharing network, had to be shut down due to copyright in 2001. Peer-to-peer programs and applications can be considered part of Social Media as individuals can communicate between each other through their personal computers. Napster was sued due to sharing music freely without the permission of the owners and due to the lawsuit it was shutdown (McGuinn, 2000). Ethical Issues The ethical issues that come to mind when social media is present is that social media can be used to spread distasteful information such as racism, hatred, violence and even sexual material. Organizations can send junk or chain letters that most individuals do not want. This can be related to the Human Rights Act (1998) under Section 8 where it states that everyone has the right to respect for his or her private and family life, home and correspondence. To put it simply, this means that everyone has the right to privacy. Privacy is an ethical principle that is at stake when it comes to the use of social media as social networking websites can be used to invade the privacy of others. Privacy has several meanings depending on a persons beliefs, culture and even religion and therefore different perspectives plays a huge role. However, most laws and regulations define privacy as the condition or quality of being completely free from being witnessed or seen. It is also the state of being free from information distributed from other people, whether its co-workers, friends or even family. We as individuals value the need of space and privacy and therefore it is an important aspect in our daily lives. Joseph (2007: 109) states that in the information age, the value of privacy has been eroded. We can no longer guarantee our privacy. Our right to privacy is violated when using social media. In the case of the use of social media, the Human Rights Act (1998) is threatened due to the fact that an individuals right to privacy can be vulnerable as people can obtain other peoples information and spread distasteful material about them to other people or organizations. In fact, spreading distasteful information is mainly done through social networking websites. It is an offence to publish news, pictures or comments relating to the secrets of a persons private or family life or to use another persons secret for your own, or someone elses, advantage without the consent of the person to whom the secret relates, (Garrod Smith 2011). An ethical principle very much like The Human Rights Act (1998), in the United Arab Emirates individuals have their right to privacy and there is a penalty for publishing distasteful or personal information on a person to the public. The principle of integrity can also be violated as the security of a person can be threatened. Security can be defined as the state of being completely safe from any sort of danger. As individuals we value the need of security especially when it comes to using the internet as there are many dangers of using social networks or blogs such as hacking. A persons security maybe threatened when using social media due to the fact that his or her personal information such as credit card information may be stolen. Information technology plays a huge role on several types of security which may include: Computer Security, Data Security, Application Security, Information Security and Network Security and all of these can be threatened by Malware/Adware, Viruses, Spam and Information Theft. These threats to security and information technology can be used to secretly access a computer system without the owners informed consent to perform hostile, intrusive or annoying actions. Another ethical issue of social media is false reports and acquisitions. In June of 2009 when the pop star Michael Jackson died there have been unsubstantiated reports stating that the actor Jeff Goldblum had also died and the report spread onto many people and thats when the ethics of social media were tested. According to Dodson (2009) most people thought it was a harmless rumor but in Australia, Channel 9 news spent almost two minutes in its show spreading this information to the public, saying that it was a tragedy. This entire story was a hoax and was first posted via two social media websites; Facebook and Twitter. To put it in the perspective of others, some people would have though this as a joke while others would have taken this seriously and think it was real. This means that no everything online is true. To understand Social Media and the ethical issues that arise on individuals it is important to look at the two ethical theories (Consequentialist and Deontological) and their opposing perspectives on a certain situation, an example being a users activity on YouTube. This persons activity can be viewed by other YouTube users as well as non-YouTube users, including comments posted, videos watched and videos posted. The consequentialist theorist would argue that it is acceptable for other people to see his activities while the deontological theorist would argue that his right to privacy is violated and it is wrong for people to see his activities. It is important to understand whether privacy may or may not be violated depending on the individuals theories or perspectives behind social media. Social Issues Social issues are any behaviors or conditions a person may find undesirable. Social media can have several negative effects on a person including social isolation; some people would rather browse the internet playing video games and chatting online than having an actual social life outside the internet world. According to Goldsmith (2013), witnessing friends vacations, love lives and work successes on Facebook can cause envy and trigger feelings of misery and loneliness. In social networking, most individuals only care about how many likes they have obtained on their photos or posts as opposed to what really matters which is who liked their photos or posts. Another issue according, to Yao (2012), is that stalking becomes easy. In order to search for someone, all a person needs to do is search for their name online. Loneliness is another issue as people comment on their friends pages and not yours. From the point of view of a social network user, people only contact you if they need s ome sort of assistance such as when they only want you to like their posts or images rather than having a normal friendly conversation. A person can feel lonely when they see that their friends have been invited to a large gathering that they had no idea about. From the perspective of a non-social network user, a person can feel that he or she does not exist to certain old people due to the fact that nowadays the main way of communication is through social networking websites such as Facebook or MySpace. Another issue is that some social networking users will talk to other users depending on how many friends they have. The more friends an individual has the more popular they become and therefor social interaction is at an all-time high. Another issue can be the confusion of defining a friend. A study by Weiner (2009) has shown that the traditional notion of friendship is trust, support as well as sharing similar values whereas on a social network a friend is someone whos link an individual has clicked on. In a childs perspective and in some cases adults, they can be very competitive as they talk about how many friends they have whereas most of these alleged social networking friends are not actual people that share some sort of trust or sha re similar values. Of course form the point of the view of managers, researchers as well as participants, these issues are ignored as their jobs are to solely market their products or conduct research and find new information, for example, and dont bother with the social side of their life when using social networking websites. Professional Issues Organizations need to watch what employees publicly comment about their own organizations and employers. An example would be that an employee working at an organization wrote on his profile on a social networking stating that his job was tedious and unexciting. This person can be dismissed from the organization. Another example is that what if an unhappy employee decides to complain about a company and the products they make using social networking. Consumers might think twice before buying any of that companys products. There are also legal penalties if employees view and click on offensive content on social networking websites as employers could be held liable for failing to protect workers from viewing such distasteful material. The penalties, legal costs and damages to the companys reputation can be extensive. In the BCS Code of Conduct (2011) under Article 3 of the Duty to Relevant Authority it states that a person may NOT disclose or authorize to be disclosed, or use for personal gain or to benefit a third party, confidential information except with the permission of your Relevant Authority, or as required by Legislation and may NOT misrepresent or withhold information on the performance of products, systems or services (unless lawfully bound by a duty of confidentiality not to disclose such information), or take advantage of the lack of relevant knowledge or inexperience of others. This is a direct correlation to what employees must not do to misrepresent their organization. This means that employees must not misrepresent their organizations in anyway. Social networking websites can be easily used to do misrepresent an organization to the public as the information is being passed on to other people quickly. This is also stated in the social networking website Facebook under their Facebo ok Terms of Service (2012) under Article 5; Protecting Other Peoples Rights, where it explains that an individual cannot violate a person, including companies, right to privacy and must not misrepresent said person in anyway. In Facebooks Privacy Policy under section 3: Information you share with Third Parties, it states that certain types of communications that you send to other users cannot be removed, such as messages. From the perspective of a manager or owner of an organization, this can be a threat to the company as employees can post distasteful information about the company to certain people and cannot remove or delete that information which can be a problem as that information is always there for the public to see therefore giving the organization a bad reputation. From the perspective and point of view of a professional individual or a manager as well as a social network provider, the use of social networking websites should be encouraged to employees as it is a good way to market the organization and its products as well as communicate with business partners; however the employees should not misrepresent their company to the public when using social networking. Another minor professional issue, that may be taken seriously, is an organizations bandwidth usage. Software updates from social networking websites such as Facebook or Twitter may not take up large amounts of bandwidth; however video links that are posted on these sites may create difficulties for information technology administrators in a company as there is a cost to pay, especially in terms of bandwidth-hungry applications, when browsing on the internet. Recommendations Codes and principles are necessary for the practice of social media. If every person did not play fairly and have any respect, honesty or decency, then there would be more laws and principles that would be much stricter than the current laws as social media would be chaotic. For businesses, social media is a dilemma as they need to adopt and change the way they communicate, however they realize that social media can be a threat as employee can misrepresent or express distasteful information about the organizations to the public. Every minute spent on social media websites can expose and cause a threat to the security of an organization. Organizations need to set limits and restrictions with certain monitoring systems, as to not offend an employee, to help reduce the release of any unpleasant information to the public. An optimal solution, yet not recommended (to not indicate a lack of trust from the organizations to the employees), is banning any access to social media websites. For security reasons and as a basic safeguard, organizations must have an anti-virus software setup on each computer. Social media users must ensure that they do not, under any circumstances, publish any personal or private information on social media websites. For their security, they must ensure that they have the latest version of anti-virus software installed on to their computers. Conclusion Though people are aware of their privacy and security threats, sometimes they choose to ignore them. Social media websites heavily encourage individuals to reveal information about them regardless of what the information is about. Sometimes even the brightest of intellectuals give out information that they should not have. Today, almost the full population of the world has a profile account on Facebook or Twitter and they enjoy the idea of communicating with their friends, families and coworkers online. Individuals must not forget that because they have their own profile page they can only gain access to, they must know that whatever information is written on the internet, will most likely stay there forever.

The Easter Uprising of 1916 Essay -- Essays Papers

The Easter Uprising of 1916 The Easter Uprising of 1916 was an event that happened at the tail end of a long list of events that would forever change Ireland. The Uprising or Rising, as some call it, took place mostly in Dublin but was felt throughout Ireland. The point was to gain independence from Great Britain who had ruled Ireland for the past couple hundred years. At the turn of the 19th century England believed that Ireland had too much independence and made the Act of Union. â€Å"The result was the Act of Union of 1801: the Irish parliament voted itself out of existence and England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales were formally politically unified for the first time† (Hegarty 2). Around the time of the First World War, Ireland began the fight for the Home Rule to be enacted. But this kind of rule was quickly overturned with the start of the Easter Rising in 1916; two years after World War I broke out in Europe. The pull of the Home Rule Act led to the formation of the Citizen Army which was a major cause of the Easter Rising. James Connolly used the Citizen Army to protect his newspaper â€Å"The Workers’ Republic† to call for an armed revolt (Green 5). The Easter Uprising left 440 British and 75 Irish troops dead in the end. To shows the disapproval of the Rising Britain publicly executed fifteen leaders of the Uprising and 60 others via firing squad. Many more other were sentenced to long prison terms. Of all of the things that could have happened in Ireland, the Easter Uprising was by far the most unpopular thing to do in the eye of the Dublin public. The majority of people in Dublin at the beginning of the 20th century did not want the Uprising to happen, because it would postpone the ability to gain their independ... ...land continues to be one of the quickest growing countries in modern day Europe despite all of the problems it had to put up with to get there. Sources BBC, The. The Executions. 8, February 2004 BBC 1 The Blacks and Tans.8, February 2004 Easter Uprising, The The Easter Uprising of 1916. 8 February 2004 < http://www.geocities.com/rollofhonour32/1916.html> Green, Michael. The Easter Rising in Ireland, 1916. 30 January 2004 Hegarty, N and Harvey-Craig, A. History of Dublin. 25 January 2004 Luby, Damian. Irish Liberation. 25 January 2004

An Assassin of John F. Kennedy :: Roscoe White History Assassination Essays

An Assassin of John F. Kennedy In another bizarre twist to a mystery that has haunted Americans for more than a quarter century, the son of a former Dallas police officer plans to tell the world that his father was one of the assassins of President John F. Kennedy. Ricky White, a 29-year-old, unemployed oil equipment salesman in Midland, says he "had no conception of ever, ever giving this story out" but decided to do so after FBI agents began asking questions in May 1988. "I'm telling you a story that has touched me, not only others, and I feel uncomfortable just telling it to strangers," White said during a recent interview with the Austin American-Statesman. Monday in Dallas, White is scheduled to show reports material implicating his father, Roscoe Anthony White, in the 1963 assassination. It suggests that White, who died in 1971, was a member of an assassination team of three shooters, that he fired two of the three bullets that killed the president, and that he also killed Dallas police officer J. D. Tippit during the manhunt for Lee Harvey Oswald. Among the material: a rifle with telescopic sight that uses the same kind of ammunition as Oswald's gun; records showing that Oswald and White served together in the Marines; three faded messages that appear to be decoded orders to kill someone in Dallas in November 1963; and a son's recollections of his father's incriminating diary - a document that is missing. The press conference is being sponsored by two private groups - the JFK Assassination Information Centre of Dallas and the Assassination Archives and Research Centre of Washington - and some Midland Businessmen. The possibility of Ricky White's story being a hoax - a falsehood concocted either by Ricky or his father - has not been dismissed by the people urging him to publicly talk about the matter. During the last 27 years, many private researchers have claimed to have found evidence of a conspiracy, only to be proved wrong or deceitful. Bernard Fensterwald, executive director of the Assassination Archives and Research Centre, says if there was a conspiracy, Ricky White may have the key. "I think it's our best shot," he says, "and we better take it." J. Gary Shaw, co-director of the JFK Assassination Information Centre, says he hopes White's story will result in an investigation of the assassination by Texas authorities. Two Washington-based probes - the Warren Commission in 1963-64 and the House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1976-78 failed to resolve the enigma of the Kennedy shooting, Shaw maintains. As with previous conspiracy theories, White's story is tantalizing, the evidence intriguing. Yet, as with other theories, it raises more

Health - The Controversial Topic of Food Allergies :: Health Nutrition Diet Exercise Essays

The Controversial Topic of Food Allergies Food allergies are the most controversial allergy-related topic right now. It's controversial because of several facts like: * many kinds of bad reactions to foods have nothing to do with allergies * * foods are often for symptoms that result from each other * * children often out grow sensitivities to foods * * even if you're allergic to certain foods, you might be able to eat small amounts of the food without any reaction * Some of the most common foods that cause symptoms like severe stomach pain, diarrhea, hives, swellings, wheezing, vomiting, hayfever symptoms, excema and wheezing are nuts, chocolate, strawberries, milk, wheat and corn. There is one term in particular that can be used to clear up some confusion about various kinds of reactions called food allergies. That term is called "food intolerance" and it applies to abnormal reactions to foods regardless of the cause. Food intolerance may cause the release of amines (histamine, dopamine, etc.) from cells. Amines are found in food and can affect many body functions like the size of the blood vessels, blood pressure control, heart rate, brain activity, and nerve function. Histamine is the most common mediator. It also is a compound that causes allergic responses. Foods high in histamine are red wine, sauerkraut, strawberries, some cheeses and alcoholic beverages. Dopomine comes from fava beans and octopamine comes from some citrus fruits. Beta-phenylethylamine comes from chocolate. If your body is depleted or has an overabundant amount of amines you might have neurological or psychological problems. There are many allergic reactions that come with food allergies. The main one is called anaphylaxis. This fatal reaction is a violent allergic reaction that occurs thought the body causing nausea, vomiting, swelling, chest pain, choking and collapse. "Another painful allergic reaction is called Celiac Disease. This reaction is caused by a chronic adverse reaction to gluten, a protein found in grain, wheat and corn. Children who have this disease, are sickly, have chronic diarrhea and fail to grow properly until all gluten containing products are taken out of the child's diet" (Edelson, 49). You probably didn't even consider food additives as being something that would cause an allergic reaction. Well this food additive named Tartrazine, better known as FD&C (Food, Drug & Cosmetic) No. 5 has been suspected of creating asthmatic attacks & chronic hives. Tartrazine sensitivity is also linked to aspirin sensitivity.

Animal Farm by George Orwell Essay

Animal Farm is an allegorical novella by George Orwell published in England on 17 August 1945. According to Orwell, the book reflects events leading up to and during the Stalin era before the Second World War. Orwell, a democratic socialist,[1] was a critic of Joseph Stalin and hostile to Moscow-directed Stalinism, especially after his experiences with the NKVD and the Spanish Civil War.[2] In a letter to Yvonne Davet, Orwell described Animal Farm as his novel â€Å"contre Stalin†.[3] The original title was Animal Farm: A Fairy Story, but the subtitle was dropped by U.S. publishers for its 1946 publication and subsequently all but one of the translations during Orwell’s lifetime omitted the addition. Other variations in the title include: A Satire and A Contemporary Satire.[3] Orwell suggested the title Union des rà ©publiques socialistes animales for the French translation, which recalled the French name of the Soviet Union, Union des rà ©publiques socialistes sovià ©tiques, and which abbreviates to URSA, the Latin for â€Å"bear†, a symbol of Russia.[3] Time magazine chose the book as one of the 100 best English-language novels (1923 to 2005);[4] it also places at number 31 on the Modern Library List of Best 20th-Century Novels. It won a Retrospective Hugo Award in 1996 and is also included in the Great Books of the Western World. The novel addresses not only the corruption of the revolution by its leaders but also how wickedness, indifference, ignorance, greed and myopia corrupt the revolution. It portrays corrupt leadership as the flaw in revolution, rather than the act of revolution itself. It also shows how potential ignorance and indifference to problems within a revolution could allow horrors to happen if a smooth transition to a people’s government is not achieved. Plot summary Snowball’s revolution Old Major, the old boar on the Manor Farm, calls the animals on the farm for a meeting, where he compares the humans to parasites and teaches  the animals a revolutionary song, ‘Beasts of England’. When Major dies two young pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, assume command and turn his dream into a philosophy. The animals revolt and drive the drunken and irresponsible Mr Jones from the farm, renaming it â€Å"Animal Farm†. They adopt Seven Commandments of Animal-ism, the most important of which is, â€Å"All animals are equal†. Snowball attempts to teach the animals reading and writing; food is plentiful, and the farm runs smoothly. The pigs elevate themselves to positions of leadership and set aside special food items, ostensibly for their personal health. Napoleon takes the pups from the farm dogs and trains them privately. When Mr Jones tries to retake the farm, the animals defeat him at what they call the â€Å"Battle of the Cowshed†. Napoleon and Snowball struggle for leadership. When Snowball announces his idea for a windmill, Napoleon has his dogs chase Snowball away and declares himself leader. Napoleon’s rule Napoleon enacts changes to the governance structure of the farm, replacing meetings with a committee of pigs, who will run the farm. Using a young pig named Squealer as a â€Å"mouthpiece†, Napoleon announces that Snowball stole the idea for the windmill from him. The animals work harder with the promise of easier lives with the windmill. After a violent storm, the animals find the windmill annihilated. Napoleon and Squealer convince the animals that Snowball destroyed the windmill, although the scorn of the neighbouring farmers suggests that the windmill’s walls were too thin. Once Snowball becomes a scapegoat, Napoleon begins purging the farm with his dogs, killing animals he accuses of consorting with Snowball. He and the pigs abuse their power, imposing more control while reserving privileges for themselves and rewriting history, villainising Snowball and glorifying Napoleon. Squealer justifies every statement Napoleon makes, even the pigs’ alteration of the Seven Commandments of Animalism. â€Å"No animal shall sleep in beds† is changed to â€Å"No animal shall sleep in beds with sheets† when the pigs are discovered to have been sleeping in the old  farmhouse. â€Å"No animal shall drink alcohol† is changed to â€Å"No animal shall drink alcohol to excess† when the pigs discover the farmer’s whiskey. ‘Beasts of England’ is replaced by an anthem glorifying Napoleon, who appears to be adopting the lifestyle of a man. The animals, though cold, starving and overworked, remain convinced that they are better off than they were when under Mr Jones. Squealer abuses the animals’ poor memories and invents numbers to show their improvement. Mr Frederick, one of the neighbouring farmers, swindles Napoleon by buying old wood with forged money, and then attacks the farm, using blasting powder to blow up the restored windmill. Though the animals win the battle, they do so at great cost, as many, including Boxer, are wounded. Despite his injuries, Boxer continues working harder and harder, until he collapses while working on the windmill. Napoleon sends for a van to take Boxer to the veterinary surgeon’s, explaining that better care can be given there. Benjamin the donkey, who â€Å"could read as well as any pig†,[5] notices that the van belongs to â€Å"Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler† (a knacker), and attempts to mount a rescue; but the animals’ attempts are futile. Squealer reports that the van was purchased by the hospital and the writing from the previous owner had not been repainted. He recounts a tale of Boxer’s death in the hands of the best medical care. Shortly after Boxer’s death, it is revealed that the pigs have purchased more whiskey. Humanisation Years pass, and the pigs learn to walk upright, carry whips and wear clothes. The Seven Commandments are reduced to a single phrase: â€Å"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others†. Napoleon holds a dinner party for the pigs and the humans of the area, who congratulate Napoleon on having the hardest-working but least fed animals in the country. Napoleon announces an alliance with the humans, against the labouring classes of both â€Å"worlds†. He abolishes practices and traditions related to the Revolution, and changes the name of the farm to â€Å"The Manor Farm†. The animals, overhearing the conversation, notice that the faces of the  pigs have begun changing. During a poker match, an argument breaks out between Napoleon and Mr Pilkington when they both play the Ace of Spades, and the animals realise that the faces of the pigs look like the faces of humans, and no one can tell the difference between them. Animalism â€Å"Seven Commandments† redirects here. For the Noahide code, see Seven Laws of Noah.: The seven laws listed by the Tosefta and the Talmud are[7] 1. Prohibition of Idolatry 2. Prohibition of Murder 3. Prohibition of Theft 4. Prohibition of Sexual immorality 5. Prohibition of Blasphemy 6. Prohibition of eating flesh taken from an animal while it is still alive 7. Establishment of courts of law The pigs Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer adapt Old Major’s ideas into an actual philosophy, which they formally name Animalism. Soon after, Napoleon and Squealer indulge in the vices of humans (drinking alcohol, sleeping in beds, trading). Squealer is employed to alter the Seven Commandments to account for this humanisation, an allusion to the Soviet government’s revising of history in order to exercise control of the people’s beliefs about themselves and their society.[6] The original commandments are: 1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. 2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. 3. No animal shall wear clothes. 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed. 5. No animal shall drink alcohol. 6. No animal shall kill any other animal. 7. All animals are equal. Later, Napoleon and his pigs secretly revise some commandments to clear them of accusations of law-breaking (such as â€Å"No animal shall drink alcohol† having â€Å"to excess† appended to it and â€Å"No animal shall sleep in a bed† with â€Å"with sheets† added to it). The changed commandments are as follows, with the changes bolded: 1. No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets. 2. No animal shall drink alcohol to excess. 3. No animal shall kill any other animal without cause. Eventually these are replaced with the maxims, â€Å"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others†, and â€Å"Four legs good, two legs better!† as the pigs become more human. This is an ironic twist to the original purpose of the Seven Commandments, which were supposed to keep order within Animal Farm by uniting the animals together against the humans, and by prevent animals from following the humans’ evil habits. Through the revision of the commandments, Orwell demonstrates how simply political dogma can be turned into malleable propaganda.[7] Characters Pigs Old Major – An aged prize Middle White boar provides the inspiration  that fuels the Rebellion in the book. He is an allegory of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, the founders of communism, in that he draws up the principles of the revolution. His skull being put on revered public display also recalls Lenin, whose embalmed body was put on display.[8][9] Napoleon – â€Å"A large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar, the only Berkshire on the farm, not much of a talker, but with a reputation for getting his own way†,[10] An allegory ofJoseph Stalin,[8] Napoleon is the main villain of Animal Farm. In the first French version of Animal Farm, Napoleon is called Cà ©sar, the French form of Caesar,[3] although another translation has him as Napolà ©on.[11] Snowball – Napoleon’s rival and original head of the farm after Jones’ overthrow. He is mainly based on Leon Trotsky,[8] but also combines elements from Vladimir Lenin.[9] Squealer – A small white fat porker who serves as Napoleon’s right hand pig and minister of propaganda, holding a position similar to that of Molotov.[8] Minimus – A poetic pig who writes the second and third national anthems of Animal Farm after the singing of â€Å"Beasts of England† is banned. The Piglets – Hinted to be the children of Napoleon (albeit not explicitly stated) and are the first generation of animals actually subjugated to his idea of animal inequality. The young pigs – Four pigs who complain about Napoleon’s takeover of the farm but are quickly silenced and later executed. Pinkeye – A minor pig who is mentioned only once; he is the pig that tastes Napoleon’s food to make sure it is not poisoned, in response to rumours about an assassination attempt on Napoleon. Humans Mr Jones – The former owner of the farm, Jones is a very heavy drinker. The animals revolt against him after he drinks so much that he does not feed or take care of them. Mr Frederick – The tough owner of Pinchfield, a well-kept neighbouring farm, who briefly enters into an â€Å"alliance† with Napoleon, represents Germany. Mr Pilkington – The easy-going but crafty owner of Foxwood, a neighbouring farm overgrown with weeds, represents Britain. Mr Whymper – A man hired by Napoleon for the public relations of Animal Farm to human society, who is eventually used to procure luxuries like alcohol for the pigs. Equines Boxer – Boxer is a loyal, kind, dedicated, and respectable horse, although quite dim-witted. Clover – Boxer’s companion, constantly caring for him; she also acts as a matriarch of sorts for the other horses and the other animals in general. Mollie – Mollie is a self-centred, self-indulgent and vain young white mare who quickly leaves for another farm after the revolution. Benjamin – Benjamin, a donkey, is one of the oldest animals. He has the worst temper, but is also one of the wisest animals on the farm, and is one of the few who can actually read. He is skeptical and pessimistic, his most-often-made statement being â€Å"Life will go on as it has always gone on – that is, badly.†[12] Other animals Muriel – A wise old goat who is friends with all of the animals on the farm. She, like Benjamin and Snowball, is one of the few animals on the farm who can read. The Puppies – Offspring of Jessie and Bluebell, taken away from them by Napoleon at birth and reared by Napoleon to be his security force. Moses – An old raven who occasionally visits the farm, regaling its denizens with tales of a wondrous place beyond the clouds called Sugarcandy Mountain, where he avers that all animals go when they die—but only if they work hard. He is interpreted as symbolising the Russian Orthodox Church, with Sugarcandy Mountain an allusion to Heaven for the animals.[13] The Sheep – They show limited understanding of the situations but nonetheless blindly support Napoleon’s ideals. The Hens – The hens are among the first to rebel against Napoleon. The Cows – Their milk is stolen by the pigs, who learn to milk them, and is stirred into the pigs’ mash every day while the other animals are denied such luxuries. The Cat – Never seen to carry out any work, the cat is absent for long periods, and is forgiven because her excuses are so convincing and she â€Å"purred so affectionately that is was impossible not to believe in her good intentions†.[14] She has no interest in the politics of the farm, and the only time she is recorded as having participated in an election, she is found to have actually â€Å"voted on both sides†.[14] Glossary of Terms Coccidiosis: a parasitic infection that causes bloody diarrhea and sudden death in animals Communism: a theory or system of social organization based on the  holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state; in practice, communism is often a totalitarian system of government Comrade: a fellow member of a political party; a member of the Communist party Disinter: to exhume; to unearth that which is buried Proletariat: in Marxism, the class of workers, especially industrial wage earners, who do not possess capital or property and must sell their labor to survive Propaganda: information, ideas, or rumors disseminated to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, or other entity Regime: a mode or system of rule or government; such a system when in power Socialism: a theory or system of social organization that advocates vesting the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, and other assets in the community as a whole Totalitarianism: absolute control by the state or a governing branch of a highly centralized institution Tushes: small, short tusks such as those belonging to a boar. Major Themes The Soviet Union under Stalinism Animal Farm is a satire of totalitarian governments in their many guises. But Orwell composed the book for a more specific purpose: to serve as a cautionary tale about Stalinism. It was for this reason that he faced  such difficulty in getting the book published; by the time Animal Farm was ready to meet its readers, the Allies were cooperating with the Soviet Union. The allegorical characters of the novel represent specific historical figures and different factions of Imperial Russian and Soviet society. These include Karl Marx (Major), Vladimir Lenin (Major), Leon Trotsky (Snowball), Joseph Stalin (Napoleon), Adolf Hitler (Frederick), the Allies (Pilkington), the peasants (Boxer), the elite (Mollie), and the church (Moses). The resemblance of some of the novel’s events to events in Soviet history is indubitable. For example, Snowball’s and Napoleon’s power struggle is a direct allegory of Trotsky’s and Stalin’s. Frederick’s trade agreement with Napoleon, and his subsequent breaking of the agreement, represents the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact that preceded World War II. The following Battle of the Windmill represents World War II itself. Despite his fairy-tale clarity in satirizing some historical events, Orwell is less specific about others. For example, the executions in Chapter VII conflate the Red Terror with the Great Purge. The executions themselves bear resemblance to both events, although their details connect them more to the Moscow Trials than to the Red Terror. Squealer’s subsequent announcement that the executions have ended the Rebellion connects them to the period of the Red Terror, however. Orwell leaves some ambiguity in the identities of the Rebellion and the Battle of the Cowshed. These ambiguities help the reader focus on the overall satire of Stalinism and the broader warning about the evils of totalitarian government. The Inevitability of Totalitarianism Orwell held the pessimistic belief that totalitarianism was inevitable, even in the West. According to Russell Baker, who wrote the preface to Animal Farm’s 1996 Signet Classics version, Orwell’s pessimism stemmed from his having grown up in an age of dictatorship. Witnessing Hitler’s and Stalin’s movements from afar, as well as fighting totalitarianism in the Spanish Civil War, Orwell came to believe in the rise of a new species of autocrat, worse even than the tyrants of old. This cynicism is reflected in  both of his highly successful novels, Animal Farm and 1984. Orwell emphasizes the insidiousness of totalitarianism early in the novel, when the pigs take the fresh milk and apples. The pigs justify their actions on the basis of their superiority; they are smart and need more nutrition than the other animals to fuel their brainpower. There is no scientific basis for the pigs’ claim—in fact, if anyone needs more food to fuel their labor, it is the manual laborers—but they can count on the animals’ being too ignorant to realize that. In this way, Orwell makes the point that totalitarianism need not be blatant in order to be operating. It can hide under the guise of the â€Å"greater good† as it did in the Soviet Union before the totalitarianism became obvious. Orwell uses a cyclical structure in Animal Farm, which helps advance the idea of totalitarianism’s predictability. The novel begins with Jones as autocratic tyrant and ends with Napoleon not only in Jones’s position, but in his clothes as well. Over the course of the novel, Napoleon essentially becomes Jones just as Stalin becomes an autocrat after pretending to espouse equality and freedom. Orwell cements this idea in the book’s final scene, where he writes, â€Å"Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which† (139). The circularity of Orwell’s story prevents the reader from imagining a better future for Animal Farm. After all, even if another Rebellion were to take place, its leaders would eventually come to emulate Napoleon. According to Baker, technology turned out to be the force freeing people from Orwell’s age of dictators. But â€Å"technology† can be just another banner under which to rally the people. While Orwell does portray technology as a source of progress in Animal Farm, he points out that it is useless unless it is in the people’s hands. Most notably, even when the windmill is finished it is used for milling corn instead of its original purpose of supplying the animals with electricity in their stalls. Intelligence and Education as Tools of Oppression From the very beginning of the novel, we become aware of education’s role in stratifying Animal Farm’s population. Following Major’s death, the pigs are the ones that take on the task of organizing and mobilizing the other animals because they are â€Å"generally recognized as being the cleverest of the animals† (35). At first, the pigs are loyal to their fellow animals and to the revolutionary cause. They translate Major’s vision of the future faithfully into the Seven Commandments of Animalism. However, it is not long before the pigs’ intelligence and education turn from tools of enlightenment to implements of oppression. The moment the pigs are faced with something material that they want—the fresh milk—they abandon their morals and use their superior intellect and knowledge to deceive the other animals. The pigs also limit the other animals’ opportunities to gain intelligence and education early on. They teach themselves to read and write from a children’s book but destroy it before the other animals can have the same chance. Indeed, most of the animals never learn more than a few letters of the alphabet. Once the pigs cement their status as the educated elite, they use their mental advantage to manipulate the other animals. For example, knowing that the other animals cannot read the Seven Commandments, they revise them whenever they like. The pigs also use their literacy to learn trades from manuals, giving them an opportunity for economic specialization and advancement. Content in the role of the intelligentsia, the pigs forgo manual labor in favor of bookkeeping and organizing. This shows that the pigs have not only the advantage of opportunity, but also the opportunity to reject whatever opportunities they like. The pigs’ intelligence and education allow them to bring the other animals into submission through the use of propaganda and revisionism. At the book’s end, we witness Napoleon’s preparations to educate a new generation of pigs and indoctrinate them into the code of oppression. Propaganda and Duplicity Working as a propagandist during World War II, Orwell experienced firsthand both the immense power and the dishonesty of propaganda. Many  types of governments make use of propaganda, not only totalitarian ones. Consider, for instance, the arguments that led many United States citizens to go along with the idea of invading Iraq after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks. Propaganda serves the positive task of uniting the people, sometimes at the cost of misleading them. Orwell takes a firm stance on the harmfulness of propaganda in Animal Farm while acknowledging its value for rallying a mistreated and disillusioned populace. In Chapter IX, Orwell demonstrates the positive value of propaganda. By this point, the animals are so downtrodden that they are desperate for something in which to believe. (Note the irony, though: it is Napoleon who has robbed them of their belief in the original version of Animalism.) The falsely optimistic statistics, the songs, and especially the Spontaneous Demonstrations give the animals something to live for. This chapter is an exception in terms of portraying propaganda in a positive light. For the majority ofAnimal Farm, Orwell skewers propaganda and exposes its nature as deception. Squealer represents a totalitarian government’s propaganda machine. Eloquent to a fault, he can make the animals believe almost anything. This fact is especially clear in Squealer’s interactions with Clover and Muriel. Each time Clover suspects that the Seven Commandments have been changed, Squealer manages to convince her that she is wrong. After the executions, Napoleon abolishes the singing of â€Å"Beasts of England† in favor of a new anthem, the lyrics of which contain a promise never to harm Animal Farm. In this propagandist manoeuvre, Napoleon replaces the revolutionary spirit of â€Å"Beasts of England† with the exact opposite, a promise not to rebel. In addition to being a source of manipulation, propaganda is an agent of fear and terror. Orwell demonstrates this quite clearly with Napoleon’s vilification of Snowball and his assurances that Snowball could attack the animals at any minute. He uses similar fear tactics regarding Frederick and Pilkington. The most egregious example of propaganda in the novel is the maxim that replaces the Seven Commandments: â€Å"All animals are equal / But some animals are more equal than others.† The idea of â€Å"more equal† is mathematically improbable and a nonsensical manipulation of language, but by  this time, the animals are too brainwashed to notice. Violence and Terror as Means of Control In Animal Farm, Orwell criticizes the ways that dictators use violence and terror to frighten their populaces into submission. Violence is one of the yokes from which the animals wish to free themselves when they prepare for the Rebellion. Not only does Jones overwork the animals and steal the products of their labor, but he can whip or slaughter them at his discretion. Once the pigs gain control of the animals, they, like Jones, discover how useful violence and terror can be. They use this knowledge to their full advantage. The foremost example of violence and terror in the novel is the pattern of public executions. The executions can be said to represent both the Red Terror and the Great Purge, but they stand more broadly for the abuse of power. For example, they are also similar to the Taliban’s public executions in Kabul’s soccer stadium in modern Afghanistan. Capital punishment for criminals is a hotly debated issue. Killing suspected criminals, as Napoleon does, is quite another issue. The executions perhaps best symbolize the Moscow Trials, which were show trials that Stalin arranged to instill fear in the Soviet people. To witnesses at the time, the accused traitors’ confessions seemed to be given freely. In fact, they were coerced. Napoleon likely coerces confessions from many of the animals that he executes. Orwell’s use of the allegory genre serves him well in the execution scene. Execution with weapons is a violent and horrifying act, but many people have become desensitized to it. Orwell’s allegorical executioners, the dogs that kill cruelly, portray the bloody and inescapably animalistic side of execution. Terror comes also in threats and propaganda. Each time the animals dare to question an aspect of Napoleon’s regime, Squealer threatens them with Jones’s return. This is doubly threatening to the animals because it would mean another battle that, if lost, would result in a return to their former lifestyle of submission. Jones’s return is such a serious threat that it quashes the animals’ curiosity without fail. The other major example of fear  tactics in the novel is the threat of Snowball and his collaborators. Napoleon is able to vilify Snowball in the latter’s absence and to make the animals believe that his return, like Jones’s, is imminent. Snowball is a worse threat than Jones, because Jones is at least safely out of Animal Farm. Snowball is â€Å"proved† to be not only lurking along Animal Farm’s borders but infiltrating the farm. Napoleon’s public investigation of Snowball’s whereabouts cements the animals’ fear of Snowball’s influence. In modern language, Snowball is pegged as the terrorist responsible for the infringements on the rights and liberties instigated by the pigs. Exploitation and the Need for Human Rights Exploitation is the issue around which the animals unite. Initially, the animals do not realize Jones is exploiting them. For this reason, Old Major’s speech is a revelation of momentous proportions. Major explains to the animals that they are enslaved and exploited and that Man is to blame. He teaches them not only what exploitation means, but also the fact that it is not inevitable. Orwell suggests that exploitation is, in fact, bound to happen when one class of society has an advantage over another. The opposite of exploitation, according to Major, is the state of being â€Å"rich and free.† Major’s ideas about animal rights symbolize the importance—and scarcity—of human rights in an oppressive regime. Gaining freedom does not necessarily lead people also to become rich, but it is better to be poor and free than poor and exploited. All the animals on Animal Farm are exploited under Napoleon’s control, save the pigs. Even the dogs, which work closely with the pigs, are exploited. The dogs face perhaps even a worse form of exploitation than the other animals, because they are made into agents of intimidation and death. Whereas Napoleon exploits the other animals’ physical strength and their ignorance, he exploits the dogs’ viciousness and turns them into villains against their parents’ wishes. Boxer’s life is a particularly sad example of exploitation because he exploits himself, believing wholeheartedly in Napoleon’s goodness. In the  end, Napoleon turns the tables and exploits Boxer, having him slaughtered for profit. By the end of the novel, we see clearly how the animals participate in their own exploitation. They are beginning to build a schoolhouse for the thirty-one young pigs Napoleon has fathered (perhaps an oblique reference to the â€Å"Thirty Tyrants† of ancient Greece). That schoolhouse will never benefit the animals that build it; rather, it will be used to educate the pigs and indoctrinate them into the cycle of exploiting others. Throughout the novel, Orwell shows us how the lack of human rights results in total helplessness. However, though it underscores the need for human rights, the novel does not suggest how to achieve them. After all, once the animals expel Jones and gain rights for themselves, the pigs take those rights away and the cycle of exploitation continues with new players. Apathy and Acceptance In the beginning of Animal Farm, the idea of freedom rouses the animals as if from a long slumber. Immediately following Major’s death, the animals begin preparing themselves for the Rebellion; just the idea of revolution is enough to motivate them, since they do not expect it to happen in their lifetimes. By the book’s end, the animals have become as apathetic as Benjamin always was. Despite the many hardships and injustices they face, the animals’ pride as well as Napoleon’s propaganda keep them invested in the â€Å"greater good† and the illusion of freedom. If Benjamin is the harbinger of apathy, Boxer is its antithesis. Strong not only in body but also in spirit, Boxer will make any sacrifice for the benefit of Animal Farm. With Boxer’s eventual betrayal by the leaders he served so unconditionally, Orwell lays bare another type of apathy—theirs. Far from truly considering Boxer a loyal comrade, the pigs treat him as apathetically as they would a mere object. Symbolically, they even make a profit by having him turned into literal objects—glue and bone meal. Boxer’s enthusiasm does not give him an advantage, but the other animals’ eventual apathy gives them a defense mechanism against the painful reality of their lives. It is no coincidence that Animal Farm’s most apathetic and cynical animal, Benjamin, is one of those that survives the  longest. Benjamin’s emotional detachment from situations, whether they are good or bad, keeps him from being disappointed. In his apathy and cynicism, Benjamin represents the stereotypical â€Å"gloomy† Russian and also the perennially pessimistic Orwell himself. Summary and analysis of Chapter I Mr. Jones, the owner of Manor Farm, stumbles drunkenly up to bed as the farm animals wait in still silence. The moment he is out of sight, they begin to bustle around, preparing themselves for the big meeting that is to take place that night. Old Major has called the meeting to discuss a strange dream he had the previous night. He is waiting for his fellow animals in the big barn.