Free Essays on Communications Technology

Communication/ Media Technology This essay will be based on the life and works of some of the more noted innovators in the field of communication and media technology and will include a discussion around how technological advancement may have a detrimental effect on the lives of individuals and society as a whole. Early Methods  ¡Ã‚ ¥Communication ¡Ã‚ ¦ is the act of transmitting and receiving ideas, messages and information. When considering communication between two people it could be described as a by-product or outgrowth of various different methods of self expression that have developed over thousands of years: Gestures accompanied by sounds could have been the beginnings of language. Smoke signals as used by Native Americans, cave paintings and engravings from the Palaeolithic period dating as far back as 10,000  ¡V 40,000 BC are all forms of expression and are efforts to communicate thoughts and ideas. Long before the telephone was developed and became universally available and before the invention of the electric telegraph, communicating over any significant distance would undoubtedly have been protracted and frustrating with letter mail being among the most popular and relied upon method of communication. Semaphore It seems that  ¡Ã‚ ¥fast ¡Ã‚ ¦ long distance technology began during the French revolution, in the late eighteenth century, when French merchant Claude Chappe used a semaphore telegraph to send messages between the French army at Lille and Paris. This was achieved by using a relay system and by changing the position of the arms which were set upon a mast or tower. A message could be sent considerable distances and it was possible to send a semaphore telegraph the 240 kilometres from Lille to Paris in two minutes. Semaphore telegraphs continued to be popular until the early 19th century, until the electric telegraph was invented. Telegraph The electric telegraph was pioneered... Free Essays on Communications Technology Free Essays on Communications Technology Communication/ Media Technology This essay will be based on the life and works of some of the more noted innovators in the field of communication and media technology and will include a discussion around how technological advancement may have a detrimental effect on the lives of individuals and society as a whole. Early Methods  ¡Ã‚ ¥Communication ¡Ã‚ ¦ is the act of transmitting and receiving ideas, messages and information. When considering communication between two people it could be described as a by-product or outgrowth of various different methods of self expression that have developed over thousands of years: Gestures accompanied by sounds could have been the beginnings of language. Smoke signals as used by Native Americans, cave paintings and engravings from the Palaeolithic period dating as far back as 10,000  ¡V 40,000 BC are all forms of expression and are efforts to communicate thoughts and ideas. Long before the telephone was developed and became universally available and before the invention of the electric telegraph, communicating over any significant distance would undoubtedly have been protracted and frustrating with letter mail being among the most popular and relied upon method of communication. Semaphore It seems that  ¡Ã‚ ¥fast ¡Ã‚ ¦ long distance technology began during the French revolution, in the late eighteenth century, when French merchant Claude Chappe used a semaphore telegraph to send messages between the French army at Lille and Paris. This was achieved by using a relay system and by changing the position of the arms which were set upon a mast or tower. A message could be sent considerable distances and it was possible to send a semaphore telegraph the 240 kilometres from Lille to Paris in two minutes. Semaphore telegraphs continued to be popular until the early 19th century, until the electric telegraph was invented. Telegraph The electric telegraph was pioneered...

Dinah and Male-Dominated Biblical Narrative

Dinah and Male-Dominated Biblical Narrative One of the aptest historical criticisms of The Holy Bible is the way it fails to chronicle womens lives, abilities and viewpoints with the same effort it puts into mens lives. The story of Dinah in Genesis 34 is one of the best examples of this male-dominated narrative. A Young Woman at the Mercy of Men Dinahs story actually starts in Genesis 30:21, which tells of her birth to Jacob and his first wife, Leah. Dinah reappears in Genesis 34, a chapter that early versions of the Bible titled the rape of Dinah. Ironically, Dinah never speaks for herself in this significant episode of her life. In brief, Jacob and his family are encamped in Canaan near the city of Shechem. By now having reached puberty, teen-aged Dinah understandably wants to see something of the world. While visiting the city, she is defiled or outraged by the prince of the land, also called Shechem, who is the son of Hamor the Hivite. Although scripture says Prince Shechem is eager to marry Dinah, her brothers Simeon and Levi are enraged at the way their sister has been treated. They convince their father, Jacob, to exact a high bride price, or dowry. They tell Hamor and Shechem that it is against their religion to allow their women to marry men who are not circumcised, i.e., converts to the religion of Abraham. Because Shechem is in love with Dinah, he, his father, and eventually all the men of the city agree to this extreme measure. However, circumcision turns out to be a trap devised by Simeon and Levi to incapacitate the Shechemites. Genesis 34 says they, and possibly more of Dinahs brothers, attack the city, kill all the men, rescue their sister and despoil the town. Jacob is horrified and frightened, fearing that other Canaanites sympathetic with the people of Shechem will rise against his tribe in retaliation. How Dinah feels at the murder of her betrothed, who by this time may even have been her husband, is never mentioned. Rabbinical Interpretations Vary on Dinahs Story Later sources blame Dinah for this episode, citing her curiosity about life in the city as a sin since it exposed her to risk of rape. Shes also condemned in other rabbinical interpretations of scripture known as Midrash because she didnt want to leave her prince, Shechem. This earns Dinah the nickname of the Canaanite woman. A text of Jewish myth and mysticism, The Testament of the Patriarchs, justifies the anger of Dinahs brothers by saying that an angel instructed Levi to take revenge on Shechem for the rape of Dinah. A more critical view of Dinahs story holds the tale may be not historical at all. Instead, some Jewish scholars think Dinahs story is an allegory that symbolizes the way Israelite men conducted feuds against neighboring tribes or clans that raped or abducted their women. This reflection of ancient customs makes the story valuable, according to Jewish historians. A Feminist View of Dinahs Story In 1997, novelist Anita Diamant re-imagined Dinahs story in her book, The Red Tent, a New York Times best-seller. In this novel, Dinah is the first-person narrator, and her encounter with Shechem is not rape but consensual sex in anticipation of marriage. Dinah willingly marries the Canaanite prince and is horrified and grieved by her brothers vengeful actions. She flees to Egypt to bear Shechems son and is reunited with her brother Joseph, now Egypts prime minister. The Red Tent became a worldwide phenomenon embraced by women who longed for a more positive view of women in the Bible. Although entirely fiction, Diamant said she wrote the novel with attention to the history of the era, around 1600 B.C., particularly in terms of what could be discerned about the lives of ancient women. The red tent of the title refers to a practice common to tribes of the ancient Near East, in which menstruating women or women giving birth lived in such a tent along with their co-wives, sisters, daughters and mothers. In a question-and-answer on her website, Diamant cites work by Rabbi Arthur Waskow, who links the biblical law that keeps a mother separate from the tribe for 60 days upon the birth of a daughter as a sign that it is a sacred act for a woman to bear to another potential birth-giver. A subsequent work of non-fiction, Inside the Red Tent by Baptist scholar Sandra Hack Polaski, examines Diamants novel in light of both biblical story and ancient history, particularly the difficulties of finding historical documentation for womens lives. Diamants novel and Polaskis non-fiction work are completely extra-biblical, and yet their readers believe that they give voice to a female character whom the Bible never allows to speak for herself. Sources Giving Voice to Dinah Sermon given December 12, 2003, by Rabbi Allison Bergman Vann The Jewish Study Bible, featuring the Jewish Publication Societys TANAKH translation (Oxford University Press, 2004). Dinah by Eduard KÃ ¶nig, Emil G. Hirsch, Louis Ginzberg, Caspar Levias, Jewish Encyclopedia. Ten Questions on the Occasion of the Tenth Anniversary of The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (St. Martins Press, 1997). Inside the Red Tent (Popular Insights) by Sandra Hack Polaski (Chalice Press, 2006)

What are the strengths and weaknesses of dependency theorists Essay - 1

What are the strengths and weaknesses of dependency theorists interoperation of global inequality What are the strengths and weaknesses of modernisation theorists interoperation of global inequality - Essay Example this paper will focus on other factors that are perceived to be of immense significance when it comes to general shortcomings of these theories and their strengths as well. Specifically, this paper is going to evaluate the view of dependency theory in relation to its strengths and weaknesses in relation to interpretation of global inequality. The emergence of dependence theory is based on the questioning of reliability of market-oriented theories like modernization theory. The major issue of concern was to reject the idea that the major reason according to modernization theory, why underdeveloped countries continued to be poor was due to their cultural and institutional faults. Dependency theorist built their argument based on Karl Marx’s capitalism. This is what was highlighted in major areas of concern as to why these countries were underdeveloped. They argued that capitalism was responsible for creation of a class of countries that manipulated other countries (Giddens 2009). This is in relation to what happens to capitalism within a country, where the rich or owners of means of production exploit workers or low class people. In light with this, dependency theorist argues that poverty and underdevelopment of low income countries is as a result of exploitation by the wealthy nations. In their view, dependency theorist believes that this kind of exploitation began with colonialism. This is the spectrum through which wealthy and powerful nations ruled over the weak nations for their greed for profit maximization and domination. For example, powerful nations have colonized poor countries in a bid to acquire raw materials to use in their factories. In addition, they ensure that they control the market from which the poor countries trade on. Unfortunately, the products sold in the controlled market are the end products of the raw materials taken by the wealthy nations. In fact, it is believed that this is well executed by global companies supported by big banks

Critical literature review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critical literature review - Assignment Example In contrast, some of the scholars have shown that performance management involves the scope for stereotyping and many other errors very frequently (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009). Therefore, it cannot be considered as a key constituent of organizational growth and development. In this paper, various aspects of performance appraisal will be critically analysed from the researchers’ point of view. Eminent researchers Melnyk, Bititci, Platts, Tobias and Andersen (2014) have identified the concept of performance management as a research paradox. According to them, though the system provides a critical and constructive assessment of employee functions in the organization, comparative assessment of employees in turn results in demotivation and deterioration of performance of some of the employees within the same organization. Therefore, performance management creates a paradoxical situation in the organization. Conversely, Armstrong and Taylor (2014) have shown that effective performance management enables the managers of an organization to review the performances of all individual employees and accordingly plan requirement for training and skill development, determine the performance gap and infuse visibility and accountability among the employees. Therefore, according to them, performance management tends to enhance organizational efficiency. Performance management can be explained through two contrasting theoretical perspectives such as Universalistic perspective and Contingency perspective. As defined by Hamid (2013) the universalistic approach establishes a direct relationship between management of human resource of an organization and performance of the employees. Hamid (2013) also stated that the universalistic approach of Human Resource Management (HRM) is based on the core idea of best practices of HRM. The approach is

Chaucer creates humour Essay Example for Free

Chaucer creates humour Essay The Merchants Tale is only rarely seen as humorous; most often it is noted for its darkness, its unrelieved acidity; it is said to offer a perversion of the courtly code.1 I disagree with this statement made by J. S. P. Tatlock. Chaucer was successful at creating humour within his narratives, which is partly why his works were, and still are, so popular. Humour can be achieved through a variety of elements including plot, characterisation, language, timing and circumstance. Chaucer used of all these, but largely drew upon the satirical portrayals of both the courtly love genre and religion within The Merchants Tale. The tale opens with The Merchant who is envious and astringent of all people that are of a higher class than he; therefore, in his narrative, he targets and satirizes the traditions of the knightly class, including the romantic conventions of courtly love often attributed to the upper classes.  Another of Chaucers tales is The Knights Tale which is about two knights and close friends, Arcite and Palamon, who are imprisoned by Theseus, duke of Athens. Whilst in prison they fall in love with the beautiful sister of Hippolyta, Emily (Emelye). The sense of competition brought about by this love causes them to hate each other. They eventually get let out of prison and fight each other to win the girl.  Arcite wins the battle, but dies before he can claim Emily, so Palamon marries her. The story introduces many typical aspects of knighthood such as courtly love and ethical dilemmas. The Merchants Tale begins with a description of Januarie who is presented, satirically, as A worthy knight. The Merchant however attempts to display to the audience that this knight is not worthy at all. He contrasts him to the knights in The Knights Tale. Theseus was tough, forceful, confident and young but Januarie is portrayed as old and fading, old and hoor. He is also shown as an exception to many knightly virtues, as he folwed al his bodily delit On women, thereas was his apetite. This portrayal of him shows the audience that he is in fact obsessed with women and sex. In the tale he attempts to gain himself a young wife, despite the warnings of his advisors. Chaucer uses the dialogue of the characters to explain to Januarie that a young wife will be difficult to keep happy at his age. He makes Januarie exclaim that She shal nat passe twenty yeer, certain Thanne shoulde I lede my lif in avoutrye,/ And go straight to the devel whan I die. Chaucer portrays him as a character envious of youth, so much so that if he cannot have a young wife he will have no choice but to sin. In other words, he must have a young wife for his own moral safety. This is not the image of a strong and powerful knight like Theseus. Januarie fails in the area of courtly love and ends up having his courtship mocked by the Merchant. This not only creates humour in the audiences eyes as we see how dim-witted Januarie really is, but it also creates sympathy for the character as he cannot help how he is portrayed. Another example of the use of satire is the whole incident with Damien, May and Januarie and the adultery issue. One could argue that May does not love Damien any more than she loves January. He could perhaps just be a suitable alternative for May to love. When she receives a love-letter from Damien, she disposes of it in the toilet (privy) which could show this lack of love for him. Therefore, her motivation for adultery could be seen as an action of revenge, as January assaulted May by marrying her, and not out of affection for Damien. This is satire on the whole theme of courtly love. This feeling of revenge on her part is further demonstrated in the cuckold scene. May deceives January in the garden and we, as the audience, cannot blame her for doing so. January built the garden so that he can have May sexually in the way he wants her. She feigns pregnancy and then steps onto Januarys back to have sex with Damien in the tree. She has been stepped on by January and now she gets to do the same to him. When Januarys sight is restored by the Gods, he rightfully accuses her of adultery. In response she acts impertinent and insulted: This thank have I for I have maad yow see/ Allas, quod she, that evere I was so kinde!'. This creates humour as the audience knows that Chaucer is satirising the idea of courtly love and cannot believe that Januarie is so dense that he believes Mays excuse.

The Character of Torvald Helmer and Nils Krogstad in A Dolls House Ess

Torvald Helmer is the least likeable character in A Doll's House, a play by Henrik Ibsen. Torvald is sometimes portrayed as a sexist pig. Such a reading does an injustice to Torvald. There is more depth to his character if one follows the hints that he had actively covered up for Nora's father. The first hint came when Nora told Kristina that Torvald had given up his government post because there was no prospect of advancement. It may be that there was no opportunity for getting ahead because promotion was slow in the bureau, but it may have been because his most intimate co-workers (those who would have used the familiar Du with him) were aware of what he had done. While the management did not prosecute him (just as Krogstad was not prosecuted), those acquainted with the incident could prevent his advancement into an office where his larcenous tendencies could do real harm. A second hint is that Helmer saw Krogstad as a threat to his new post in the savings bank: "he seems to think he has a right to be familiar with me." Did he suspect that Krogstad knew the one awful secret that could destroy him? The third hint follows that trail: Krogstad expected that Nora had sufficient influence to persuade her husband not to dismiss him. Why did he believe this unless he had some su spicion of her past influence? A further hint comes when Helmer remarks: "I pretend we're secretly in love--engaged in secret--and that no one dreams that there's anything between us." Why does he want that? Is this not a reference to the conflict of interest regarding her father? Lastly, after reading Krogstad's letter, almost immediately Nora's father comes to mind; he exclaims, "So this is what I get for condoning his fault! I did it for your sake, and t... ...e Artist. Coral Gables, Florida: University of Miami. Koht, Halvdan. 1971. Life of Ibsen. New York: Benjamin Blom. Meyer, Michael. 1971. Ibsen. A Biography. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday and Company. Northam, John. 1965. "Ibsen's Search for the Hero." Ibsen. A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. Â   Notes: 1. Clurman (1977:115, 117). Brandes (1964:77-78): "The man is thoroughly honourable, scrupulously upright, thrifty, careful of his position in the eyes of strangers and inferiors, a faithful husband, a strict and loving father, kind-hearted. . . ." 2. Brandes (1964:49) says that Ibsen views Helmer as a stupid and evil man, whose "stupidity arises solely from his self-righteous egoism." 3. Clurman (1977:115-116) presents the traditional interpretation of Krogstad: "a soft man driven to hardness."

The 20th Century State of the American Dream

The American dream has always been a popular and typical subject matter in literature and arts in the United States. Though not a lot of people may be able to define the term in technical detail, Americans certainly know it by heart. The American dream has grown to a multitude of meanings over the years. A 15-year old girl may see the American dream as winning Ms. USA and being able to represent her country in front of the whole world. A young college student on the hand may see it as finding the most promising job and succeeding in his dream profession someday.While a newly wed man may see the American dream as acquiring his own house and property in a typical sub-urban area where he can start his life with his family calmly and peacefully. These are just some possible faces of American dream based on the perspectives of Americans from different walks of life. However, the real and concrete definition of ideal may not be that certain. The American dream have also been observed to ev olve through the years since it has to base itself on the necessity of the American society.And considering the current state of the American society in this modern age of the 20th century, the American dream can be easily seen as the vision of America as an economically stable, politically peaceful and societally harmonious nation. In this light, one may easily see how the different sectors of the country contributes to the achievement of this dream. However, although it can be observed that all of the American's visions are directed to this goal, there may still be things that hinder the achievement of this ultimate dream.In Loren Hickock's letter to Harry Hopkins in 1934 reveals the state of America, and this was reflected in this statement: â€Å"A Promised Land, bathed in golden sunlight, is rising out of the grey shadows of want and squalor and wrethchedness down here in the Tennessee Valley these days† (Hichock, 1934). The United States of America as the nation on whic h the roots of the state if Tennessee stands was evidently described as a gifted nation showered with golden sunlight. This entails a lot of positive things. This can entail how rich the soil of America is, and this can entail how great it natural resources are.This could have made the American Dream reachable if only the showers of the golden sun was put to good use. In the same letter by Hickock, she describes the state of American farm lands in Tennessee and how these lands, despite their arability and richness do not even grow sufficient crops for people to consume. Hickock writes, â€Å"Crops grown on it are stunted. Corn, for instance, grows only about a third as tall there as it does in Iowa. They tell me it isn't even good timber land. Just a thin coating of soil over rock. † (Hickock, 1934). This was during the 1930s.The situations at present may already be the same, but these confessions may reveal a pre-existing predicament which may have found its way to the roots of all Americans. A similar situation to this which can be seen to hinder America in achieving its ultimate dream is people's waste of resources. Just like the failure of earlier Americans to maximize the capacity or arable lands in Tennessee, American nowadays are suffered with debts and unnecessary financial debts that eventually make them fail in balancing and maximizing their prime resource which is money.Aside from the dilemma on resources, one of the most significant dilemmas of Americans that may have hindered them for so long in achieving the American dream is racism and discrimination on religion. The popular men's magazine in the US, Playboy conducted an interview with Malcolm X regarding the state of racism in America. During the 1960s. In Malcom X's answers, his view of the American dream was clear; however, the destruction of this dream was depicted even clearer. Malcom X says: â€Å"Freedom, justice and equality are our principal ambitions[†¦ The white man has t aught the black people in this country to hate themselves as inferior, to hate each other, to be divided against each other[†¦ ] the brainwashed black man can never learn to stand on his own two feet until he is on his own. We must learn to become our own producers, manufacturers and traders; we must have industry of our own,to employ our own† (â€Å"Playboy Interview Malcolm X, Alex Haley†, 1963). In these lines, the division between black and whites Americans was very apparent.It seemed like these people were living in two separate nations, when in fact, there were sharing one ground. Hence, there was practically no concrete sense of unity during that time. And although most Americans would claim that racism has finally found its end in the country, it can never be denied that it has created a serious scar in America's history. That although the current American society may be doing everything to heal the issue, the scar will always be there and it will never be erased in America's face.This can also be one of the most significant and considerable hindrances of achieving the American dream. Today, almost everything is being commercialized already. Everything seems to have a price tag. Because of this, people are becoming more and more competitive against each other to the extent that human rights violations are committed against their own countrymen. Evidently, in this kind of situation, achieving the ultimate American dream would be impossible. America has always been deemed as the land of the free.But considering how pressured, restrained and oppressed people are now due to financial debts, poltical predicaments and economic instability, America may not be totally free after all. At least not yet. This picture can be easily seen in this statement of Hickock in the same letter she sent to Hopkins: â€Å"And all over the state, in rural areas, the story is the same– an illiterate, wretched people, undernourished, with standards of l iving so low that, once on relief, they are quite willing to stay living so low that, once on relief, they are quite willing to stay there for the rest of their lives. It's a mess† (Hickock, 1934)

Positive effects of media

The media influences people in different ways, some positive and some negative. It is Important to realize although media can have a positive effect on society too much exposure to television, computers, or magazines can lead to unhealthy effects. The media gives people a way to connect with one another through news updates or even social networking. Most everyone wakes up in the morning grabs the newspaper, computer, or flips on the television to educate themselves on the worldly happenings of that day.According to Manali Oak author of â€Å"Positive Effects of the Media†, Research has revealed that media Is responsible for influencing a major part of our daily life. Media contribute to a transformation in the cultural and social values of the masses. Medla can bring about a change in the attitudes and beliefs of the common man. The persuasive nature of the content presented over media influences the thoughts and behavior of the general public. Medla has a direct impact over the lifestyle of society. The media gives society a way to come together and educate us as a whole. With this education we are able to make crucial decisions toward elections, polls, or any other vent that affects everyone In our country. -Friends and Relations: Social networks started as a place to connect with your friends In an easy and convenient way. Truly speaking, many of you might have found your old pals from school or college who were out of touch due to one reason or other, well I would say I have and I thank social networks for this.Social networks has provided us the opportunity to connect with people and bulld better relationships with friends with whom we are unable to meet personally, and let them know about our life and take Input about their lives and events happening with them. Reducing communication Barriers: With social networks we are able to communicate our thoughts and perceptions over different topics with a large number of audiences, and raise our voice. Th e sharing feature available on the social networks makes your opinion about any topic reach huge number of people (even to those who are not on your friends list).We have the option to make groups with people who are Ilke minded and share the related news 1 OF2 wltn tnem ana ask Tor tnelr oplnlon or Input aoout tne toplc. Slmply tnere are a number of options available for us to communicate with others on these social etworks. -Opportunities for Businesses: Social networks have become a crucial part of many of us. We don't even notice this but as soon as we open our desktops or laptops to access the web, we sub- consciously open our favorite social network Just to see about the updates received.Businesses have noticed the value of social networks in our life, and they are using different techniques to promote their products. There are a number of customized applications being made on the social platforms, whose main purpose is to promote the product or brand. As social marketing is c ost effective and brands have a huge udience, they are shifting more towards social marketing. Without the media, most people would know little of events beyond their immediate neighborhood. The further one goes outside of one's circle of friends and family, the more time-consuming and expensive it becomes to get information.Very few, if any, individuals have the resources to stay independently informed of world events. With the news, however, all one has to do is turn on a television or turn to the Internet. Even when it is biased or limited, it is a picture of what is happening around the world. The more sources one compares, the more accurate the picture that can be ut together. In addition to the media conglomerates, there are also a range of independent news outlets, though they have a much smaller audience.Some of these provide an alternative view of events and often strive to publish stories that cannot be found in the mainstream media. Technological advances in many industri alized (primarily Western) countries make it possible to read papers and watch broadcasts from around the globe. While language skills can be a barrier, it is possible to live in the United States and watch Arab-language broadcasts from the Middle East, or to get on the Internet and read scores of Chinese newspapers. Having access to these alternative voices limits the power of monopolies over information.Another important benefit of a functioning mass news media is that information can be relayed quickly in times of crisis. Tornado and hurricane announcement can give large populations advance warning and allow them to take precautions and move out of harm's way. In a country suffering war, a radio broadcast outlining where the latest fighting is can alert people to areas to avoid. In quieter times, the media can publish other useful announcements, from traffic reports to how to avoid getting HIV. It is a stabilizing and civilizing force. Positive Effects of Media The media influences people in different ways, some positive and some negative. It is important to realize although media can have a positive effect on society too much exposure to television, computers, or magazines can lead to unhealthy effects. The media gives people a way to connect with one another through news updates or even social networking. Most everyone wakes up in the morning grabs the newspaper, computer, or flips on the television to educate themselves on the worldly happenings of that day. According to Manali Oak author of â€Å"Positive Effects of the Media†,â€Å"Research has revealed that media is responsible for influencing a major part of our daily life. Media contribute to a transformation in the cultural and social values of the masses. Media can bring about a change in the attitudes and beliefs of the common man. The persuasive nature of the content presented over media influences the thoughts and behavior of the general public. Media has a direct impac t over the lifestyle of society.†The media gives society a way to come together and educate us as a whole. With this education we are able to make crucial decisions toward elections, polls, or any other event that affects everyone in our country.Friends and RelationsSocial networks started as a place to connect with your friends in an easy and convenient way. Truly speaking, many of you might have found your old pals from school or college who were out of touch due to one reason or other, well I would say I have and I thank social networks for this. Social networks has provided us the opportunity to connect with people and build better relationships with friends with whom we are unable to meet personally, and let them know about our life and take input about their lives and events happening with them.Reducing Communication BarriersWith social networks we are able to communicate our thoughts and perceptions  over different topics with a large number of audiences, and raise ou r voice. The sharing feature available on the social networks makes your opinion about any topic reach huge number of people (even to those who are not on your friends list). We have the option to make groups with people who are like minded and share the related news with them and ask for their opinion or input about the topic. Simply there are a number of options available for us to communicate with others on these social networks.Opportunities for BusinessesSocial networks have become a crucial part of many of us. We don’t even notice this but as soon as we open our desktops or laptops to access the web, we sub-consciously open our favorite social network just to see about the updates received. Businesses have noticed the value of social networks in our life, and they are using different techniques to promote their products. There are a number of customized applications being made on the social platforms, whose main purpose is to promote the product or brand. As social mark eting is cost effective and brands have a huge audience, they are shifting more towards social marketing.Without the media, most people would know little of events beyond their immediate neighborhood. The further one goes outside of one's circle of friends and family, the more time-consuming and expensive it becomes to get information. Very few, if any, individuals have the resources to stay independently informed of world events. With the news, however, all one has to do is turn on a television or turn to the Internet. Even when it is biased or limited, it is a picture of what is happening around the world. The more sources one compares, the more accurate the picture that can be put together.In addition to the media conglomerates, there are also a range of independent news outlets, though they have a much smaller audience. Some of these provide an alternative view of events and often strive to publish stories that cannot be found in the mainstream media. Technological advances in m any industrialized (primarily Western) countries make it possible to read papers and watch broadcasts from around the globe. While language skills can be a barrier, it is possible to live in the United States and  watch Arab-language broadcasts from the Middle East, or to get on the Internet and read scores of Chinese newspapers. Having access to these alternative voices limits the power of monopolies over information.Another important benefit of a functioning mass news media is that information can be relayed quickly in times of crisis. Tornado and hurricane announcement can give large populations advance warning and allow them to take precautions and move out of harm's way. In a country suffering war, a radio broadcast outlining where the latest fighting is can alert people to areas to avoid. In quieter times, the media can publish other useful announcements, from traffic reports to how to avoid getting HIV. It is a stabilizing and civilizing force.

Biotechnology and genetic engineering Essays

Biotechnology and genetic engineering Essays Biotechnology and genetic engineering Paper Biotechnology and genetic engineering Paper 1 Biotechnology and genetic engineering of both plants and animals raise a lot of issues from concerned groups such as the Green Peace and Friends of the Earth environmental activists. Biotechnology is â€Å"defined as the application of scientific and engineering principles to manipulate life forms to provide desirable products for human use (Lewis 70) This definition is applicable to the proponents but to those who oppose, they consider this process as the cause of the destruction of nature. 2. aBiotechnology involves processes of manipulating and modifying the genes of an organism to suit the desired structure of the genes such as greater yield quality, tastier character, immune resistance to pests and weeds and a lot of other qualities that may be useful for humans. This is not entirely different from selective breeding that improves the breeds of an organism but the latter is more of a natural process and does not involve very advance modification processs. Another difference is the time needed in completing the process. Selctiive breeding involves programs to choose the traits to be improved while the genetically modified or genetically engineered organisms are, as the names suggest, forcedly modified and engineered in their genes. â€Å"Scientists at Beltsville, Maryland, created a boar by injecting cattle genes into fertilized embryos of a pig and implanting the embryos in the womb of a surrogate cow(Krimsky, 1991, p. 55) is an example of modifying the genes. This is not possible in selective breeding because a cow cannot actually give birth to a pig naturally. 2. b The good side and potential advantages of biotechnology is that it causes the genetically engineered food crops to yield more which is beneficial to farmers and to the world that needs food. It also makes the food to taste better and fortified with induced vitamins and nutrients in it, while causing the crops to have resistance to pests and weeds reducing the use of expensive and environmentally harsh chemicals. 2c On the side of those environment activists and ethically concerned groups, they argue that biotechnology causes a lot of troubles in the long-run and even in the present. The case of seed patenting letting farmers suffer is one among these many issues. Another is on the possibility of causing immunities to weeds and pests in the long run and they would not be able to be eliminated due to these immunities caused by chemicals that are paired with genetically engineered crops. Another issue is on the loss of diversity in the environment, genetic erosion, environment problems that may be caused by genetic engineered cropping in the future such as soil erosion and many more. Reference Krimsky, S. (1991). Biotechnics Society: The Rise of Industrial Genetics. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. Lewis, N. (2006) Pursuing Biotechnology: Opportunities Abound for Innovative Entrepreneurs in This Multibillion-Dollar Industry. Black Enterprise. Questia. 31 May 2008 questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5016671750.

Biography of Saddam Hussein of Iraq

Biography of Saddam Hussein of Iraq Born: April 28, 1937 at Ouja, near Tikrit, Iraq Died: Executed December 30, 2006 in Baghdad, Iraq Ruled: Fifth President of Iraq, July 16, 1979 to April 9, 2003 Saddam Hussein endured childhood abuse and later torture as a political prisoner. He survived to become one of the most ruthless dictators the modern Middle East has seen. His life began with despair and violence and ended the same way. Early Years Saddam Hussein was born to a shepherds family on April 28, 1937 in northern Iraq, near Tikrit. His father disappeared before the child was born, never to be heard from again, and several months later, Saddams 13-year-old brother died of cancer. The babys mother was too despondent to care for him properly. He was sent to live with the family of his uncle Khairallah Talfah in Baghdad. When Saddam was three, his mother remarried and the child was returned to her in Tikrit. His new stepfather was a violent and abusive man. When he was ten, Saddam ran away from home and returned to his uncles house in Baghdad. Khairallah Talfah had recently been released from prison, after serving time as a political prisoner. Saddams uncle took him in, raised him, allowed him to go to school for the first time, and taught him about Arab nationalism and the pan-Arabist Baath Party. As a youth, Saddam Hussein dreamed of joining the military. His aspirations were crushed, however, when he failed the military school entrance exams. He attended a highly nationalistic secondary school in Baghdad instead, focusing his energy on politics. Entry into Politics In 1957, the twenty-year-old Saddam formally joined the Baath Party. He was selected in 1959 as part of an assassination squad sent to kill the Iraqi president, General Abd al-Karim Qasim. However, the October 7, 1959 assassination attempt did not succeed. Saddam had to flee Iraq overland, by donkey, moving first to However, the October 7, 1959 assassination attempt did not succeed.   Saddam had to flee Iraq overland, by donkey, moving first to Syria for a few months, and then going into exile in Egypt until 1963. Baath Party-linked army officers overthrew Qasim in 1963, and Saddam Hussein returned to Iraq. The following year, due to infighting within the party, he was arrested and imprisoned. For the next three years, he languished as a political prisoner, enduring torture, until he escaped in 1967. Free from prison, he began to organize followers for yet another coup. In 1968, Baathists led by Saddam and Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr took power; Al-Bakr became president, and Saddam Hussein his deputy.   The elderly Al-Bakr was nominally the ruler of Iraq, but Saddam Hussein really held the reins of power.   He sought to stabilize the country, which was divided among Arabs and Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites, and rural tribes versus urban elites. Saddam dealt with these factions through a combination of modernization and development programs, improved living standards and social security, and brutal suppression of anyone who caused trouble despite these measures.   On June 1, 1972, Saddam ordered the nationalization of all foreign-owned oil interests in Iraq. When the 1973 energy crisis struck the following year, Iraqs oil revenues shot up in a sudden windfall of wealth for the country. With this flow of money, Saddam Hussein instituted free compulsory education for all Iraq children all the way through university; free nationalized medical care for all; and generous farm subsidies. He also worked to diversify Iraqs economy, so that it would not be utterly dependent on volatile oil prices. Some of the oil wealth also went into chemical weapons development. Saddam used some of the proceeds to build up the army, party-linked paramilitaries, and a secretive security service. These organizations used disappearances, assassination, and rape as weapons against perceived opponents of the state. Rise to Formal Power In 1976, Saddam Hussein became a general in the armed forces, despite having no military training. He was the de facto leader and strongman of the country, which was still supposedly ruled by the sickly and aged Al-Bakr. Early in 1979, Al-Bakr entered into negotiations with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad to unite the two countries under al-Assads rule, a move that would have marginalized Saddam from power. To Saddam Hussein, the union with Syria was unacceptable. He had become convinced that he was the reincarnation of the ancient Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar (r. 605 - 562 BCE)  and destined for greatness. On July 16, 1979, Saddam forced Al-Bakr to resign, naming himself president. He called a meeting of the Baath party leadership  and called out the names of 68 alleged traitors among those assembled.   They were removed from the room and arrested; 22 were executed. In the following weeks, hundreds more were purged and executed. Saddam Hussein was not willing to risk party in-fighting like that in 1964 that had landed him in prison. Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolution in neighboring Iran put the Shiite clergy in power there. Saddam feared that Iraqi Shiites would be inspired to rise up, so he invaded Iran. He used chemical weapons against the Iranians, tried to wipe out Iraqi Kurds on grounds that they might be sympathetic to Iran, and committed other atrocities. This invasion turned into the grinding, eight-year-long Iran / Iraq War.   Despite Saddam Husseins aggression and violations of international law, much of the Arab world, the Soviet Union, and the United States all supported him in the war against Irans new theocracy. The Iran/Iraq War left hundreds of thousands of people dead on both sides, without changing the borders or governments of either side. To pay for this expensive war, Saddam Hussein decided to seize the oil-rich Gulf nation of Kuwait on grounds that it was historically part of Iraq. He invaded on August 2, 1990. A US-led coalition of UN troops drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait just six weeks later, but Saddams troops had created an environmental catastrophe in Kuwait, setting fire to the oil wells. The UN coalition pushed the Iraqi army back well inside Iraq  but decided not to roll on to Baghdad and depose Saddam. Domestically, Saddam Hussein cracked down ever harder on real or imagined opponents of his rule. He used chemical weapons against the Kurds of northern Iraq  and tried to wipe out the marsh Arabs of the delta region. His security services also arrested and tortured thousands of suspected political dissidents. Second Gulf War and Fall On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda launched a massive attack on the United States. US government officials began to imply, without offering any proof, that Iraq might have been implicated in the terrorist plot. The US also charged that Iraq was developing nuclear weapons; UN weapons inspection teams found no evidence that those programs existed. Despite the lack of any ties to 9/11 or any proof of WMD (weapons of mass destruction) development, the US launched a new invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003. This was the beginning of the Iraq War, or Second Gulf War. Baghdad fell to the US-led coalition on April 9, 2003. However, Saddam Hussein escaped. He remained on the run for months, issuing recorded statements to the people of Iraq urging them to resist the invaders. On December 13, 2003, US troops finally located him in a tiny underground bunker near Tikrit.   He was arrested and sent to a US base in Baghdad. After six months, the US handed him over to the interim Iraqi government for trial. Saddam was charged with 148 specific counts of murder, torture of women and children, illegal detention, and other crimes against humanity. The Iraqi Special Tribunal found him guilty on November 5, 2006, and sentenced him to death. His subsequent appeal was denied, as was his request for execution by firing squad instead of hanging. On December 30, 2006, Saddam Hussein was hanged at an Iraqi army base near Baghdad. Video of his death soon leaked on the internet, sparking international controversy.

Critical Thinking - Applying Evidence To Practice Essay

Critical Thinking - Applying Evidence To Practice - Essay Example 112). Smoking has been regarded as the single largest cause of preventable deaths in UK with passive smoking claimed to be taking away between 1000 and 16000 lives on non-smokers annually. Various nations including UK have enacted legislations prohibiting smoking in public places (Webber, 2011). The goal of such laws is to protect non-smokers from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke. However, there is concern about the welfare of the district nurses and other health care providers because these legislations do not cover them. Second-hand smoking is of major concern in this study because people who get exposed to it suffer involuntary unlike in the smokers who smoke at their will (Whitehead & Irvine, 2010). Its causes and effects are widely known and the menace can be prevented or reduced to a greater extent through massive campaign and implementation of proper policies to create awareness among the public. Therefore, employers should come up with policies to protect the nurse worke rs against exposure to second-hand smoking when they visit the patients in their homes. Tobacco smoke contains over 4000 chemical particles of which about 250 are toxic to a human being, and about 69 have carcinogenic effects. It has been termed as the leading single cause of death of human beings around the globe (Pearson, Field & Jordan, 2006, p 153). Exposure to smoking claims about 5 million people annually across the globe. Between 1964 and 2014, there were more than 20 million death cases related to smoking in US out of which 2.5 million occurred to non-smokers and were associated with exposure to secondary smoking. Each year smoking kills about 120,000 people in UK of which more than 11,000 die from second hand smoking (Law & MacDermid, 2013). People get exposed to second-hand smoking in various places such as the workplace, at home and