Taping over uneven ground Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Taping over uneven ground - Lab Report Example Given the product’s uniqueness, it is rather difficult to find one made of cheap material and thus the tough nylon cover. Some measuring tapes have temperature affecting them and consequently offer non-accurate results. However, this product is temperature proof. Moreover, the product is very strong and can persevere however kinds of usage in the field. The reinforced crank handle makes it easy to carry around while at work. 3/9 inch blade minimizes wind drift and the weight of the tape. The image above is that of a plumb bob. This equipment is used in the contemporary engineering environment to determine the vertical aspect or rather the vertical properties of a commodity or area. Many people do not understand that this equipment is used not only in the construction field but also in the field to measure the amount of uneven ground at some particular point. There are areas where the level of the ground is too steep to measure with other equipment and the person carrying out the survey has to use these plummet to determine the vertical measure of the particular location (Ceaser 37). In all circumstances, this plumb bob is attached to a string so that the person working on the calculation can measure the angle and consequently offer advice on whether to continue with a project or not with the angle being the basis. There are different kinds of plumb bobs used in the engineering environment depending on the particular engineering field where they are involved. The plu mb bobs present in the image are those of field engineering where they have to be sharp to the point and this is critical to ensure that the centre of gravity remains high on the bob to eliminate false results. The above image is that containing plain marking flags. These flags are very important and not only in this kind of project but for many other engineering endeavors. These flags assist the surveyor or other

The Need for Privatization Essay Example for Free

The Need for Privatization Essay Every paycheck 7.65 percent is taken out for a retirement program, after the employer kicks in, a total of 12.4 percent of what you earn goes to the government to fund your retirement. The government system offers minuscule returns by anyones measure and the system is expected to go bankrupt as soon as 2014. If a private company had these problems, no one would invest. But, this is a mandatory program, Americans have to stay in this system and are forced to invest in its fated future. Social Security is one of the biggest disasters of American history. In a country that was founded on the principles of Capitalism and free markets, this socialist program limits peoples pursuit of happiness. Percent Who Believe Social Security Will Not Be There When They Retire All under 6560% Generation X70% Baby Boomers69% Social Security is an un-funded pay-as-you-go system. The idea is fundamentally flawed and follows the design of the famous illegal pyramid schemes. Many people claim that the constitution provides a social safety net, because the preamble of the constitution states that the government should promote the general welfare of the people. The constitution then goes on to list the enumerated powers of the state. Nowhere in the list does it say that the government should provide a retirement of healthcare for the people. If the founding fathers wanted these programs, they would have provided a way to pay for them. The rate of savings in the United States is 26 percent of Gross National Product; the country of Chile saves 30 percent of their GNP. With these two countries saving close to the same amount for their future, you would expect both to have similar results for retirees. The United States Government run pay-as-you-go system provides meager results as compared to even the least progressive private investment. The  Country of Chile used to have the same system the US currently uses, but decided to let people invest their own money how they choose in the open market. Chileans pensions are 70 to 100 percent higher than under the old government system since the switch to a private solution. The Chile system says that a person must contribute at least ten percent of their wages to the retirement program. Many workers contribute more than the ten percent that is required. In a private retirement system, people are free to choose what is best for them. Josà © Pià ±era, who is Chiles minister of labor, says: A worker can contribute more than 10 percent if he wants a higher pension or if he wants to retire early. Individuals have different preferences: some want to work until they are 85; others want to go fishing at 55, or 50, or 45, if they can. The uniform pay-as-you-go social security system does not recognize differences in individual preferences. In my country, those differences had led to pressure on the congress to legislate different retirement ages for different groups. As a result, we had a discriminatory retirement-age system. Blue-collar workers could retire at 65; white-collar workers could retire more or less at 55; bank employees could retire after 25 years of work; and the most powerful group of all, those who make the laws, the congressmen, were able to retire after 15 years of work. Opinion of Social Security Reforms The privatized Chilean system is obviously working better than the current US system. Many critics claim that the switch to a private system would be difficult to do. Chile, Mexico, Britain, and Australia have all successfully made the switch to a non-government system. All four of these countries are now striving under their new private retirement systems. The main problem cited in privatizing social security is how to pay the people that have paid into the program their whole life. There is an easy solution to this. The American Government has many programs that it does not have to provide under the Constitution. The government could easily abolish unnecessary arms such as the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Education. The government  also has excess assets that could be sold to support the people who have been forced to be dependent on Social Security. Social Securitys website lists the number of agency field offices at 1,300; thats a lot of office space, and a lot of bureaucrats that wouldnt need to be paid. If countries like Mexico and Chile can change over to privatized retirement systems, the United States will have no problem replicating their success. Josà © Pià ±era, Chiles minister of labor, described how the transition to a private system was made: The real transition cost of the system is the money the government ceases to obtain from the workers who moved to the new system, because the government is committed to pay the pensions of the people already retired and of those who will retire in the future. That transition cost can be calculated. In Chile it was around 3 percent of gross national product. How we financed it is another story. It will be done differently in each country. Suffice it to say that even though governments have enormous pension liabilities, they also have enormous assets. In Chile we had state-owned enterprises. In America I understand that the federal government owns a third of the land. I dont know why the government owns land, and I dont know the value. Nor am I saying that you should sell the land tomorrow. What I am saying is that when you consider privatizing Social Security, you must look at assets as well as liabilities. I am sure that the U.S. government has gigantic assets. Are they more or less than the liabilities of the Social Security system? I dont know, but the Cato project on privatizing Social Security will study that. In Chile we calculated the real balance sheet and, knowing there were enough assets, financed the transition without raising tax rates, generating inflation, or pressuring interest rates upward. In the last several years we have had a fiscal surplus of 1 to 2 percent of GNP. Opinion of Privatization Plan Strongly Favor38% Somewhat in Favor31% Lean in Favor4% No Opinion12% Lean Opposed2% Somewhat Opposed6% Strongly Opposed6% DK2% The future for Social Security looks grim, but there is some hope for privatization. The Republicans currently want private Social Security, and George Bush said Dont treat Social Security like its a federal program. In February of 1997 the Oregon state senate passed a resolution requesting that the state be allowed to opt out of the Federal Social Security program to start their own private retirement system. As people begin to see that the national program is going bankrupt, there will be great political pressure on congressmen to enact a new program. Medicare/Medicaid is another Federal program that is in great need of reform. Medical costs account for fourteen percent of our Gross Domestic Product. The current system decreases competition and skyrockets prices for medical care. The heavily regulated heath care business is restricted in not only getting cutting edge treatments to patients, but also in how they see patients. The American Medical Association limits the number of medical students accepted to Universities and decrease competition. There is never an ad in the help wanted section of the newspaper looking for doctors. When was the last time you heard of a doctor collecting unemployment? Government regulations also limit what non-doctors can do. Its easy to see that its doesnt take a PHD to do an annual checkup or to fix a broken bone. Regulations hurt Americans and drive up healthcare. With Medicare, there is a price put on procedures. An experienced doctor gets just as much as the recent med school graduate for doing open-heart surgery. The experienced  doctor is unable to make his own prices. These practices discourage competition and are bad for America. Canada and Britain both have socialized health care systems. The programs cost more than the semi-capitalist American system, but polls seem to show that citizens in those countries enjoy them. The care in these countries is mediocre and there is not much cutting edge medicine being done because there is no incentive to. There is also no incentive for doctors to perform to the best of their ability. Canadian patients cross the boarder to seek care at the Cleveland Clinic and when Margaret Thatcher needed surgery, she crossed the Atlantic to get help. The wait for cancer radiation in Canada is three to six months, twelve to twenty two months for a new plastic hip. Federally run programs will never be as cost effective or efficient as those run in the private sector. Time will tell as to whether Social Security and Medicare will fall out of Federal hands, but common knowledge of Economics shows that more competition breeds more innovative and less expensive solutions.

Dialogue - Losing Humanity :: Dialogue Conversation Essays

Dialogue - Losing Humanity "We've lost, haven't we?" her dark eyes turned to him, not pleading, not appealing, but merely stating the undeniable truth. David's heart wrenched at the loss of innocence, and ultimately, the loss of hope, he saw in that gaze. Sera had been his source of inspiration so many times in the past that David was half-afraid that he'd used up so much of her spark himself that he'd left none for her. To see her so bitter, so hopeless like this, cut him deep. "Humanity, I mean. Mankind, people - whatever. We've failed. We're not going to make it," her eyes drifted meaningfully down to the crowd of racist protesters on the street below them. Their cries had reached a crescendo now and they were battering human dummies with their placards. Sera knew what would happen next. In a few minutes, the dummies would be alight and the protesters would be cheering, and eventually, when their excitement had died down a little, they'd go to a pub and get boisterously drunk, without a thought to the destruction they had caused. She'd seen the same scene so many times before. So had the history of mankind. "Who knows, kid?" David shrugged, his own eyes distant. "The part of us that does these things is the same part that makes us human, the part that got us down from the trees in the first place." Sera snorted bitterly. "There's irony for you," her gaze drifted once more - but to the sky this time rather than the protesters "We're no better, y' know. We've been looking down on these people the same way that they've been looking down on us. We don't burn dummies in the streets, but it's still the same." Her dark eyes shifted once again, this time searching for something in David's gaze. Understanding perhaps. "'Them and us', David. That's what this is all about. It should be just 'us', but it's not. That's where humanity falls down." Her eyes drifted back to the horizon and David reached out and gently took her small hand in his big one. He cleared his throat awkwardly, capturing her gaze, and though his words were casually said, his eyes were intense. "Darlin', I know I'm not exactly educated, but I've been around awhile. And if there's one thing I've learnt it's that as long as there is one person left in the fight, there's a chance the fight can be won," he said, his gaze flicking to the particular section of the horizon she'd been looking at a little while before - the part where the sea met the sky.

Elie Wiesel’s Night Essay -- Elie Wiesel

There exist only two types of people in a time of war and crisis, those who survive and those who die. Elie Wiesel’s novel, Night shows how Elie, himself, faces difficult problems and struggles to survive World War II. Wilfred Owen’s poem, â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est†, tells a story about a young soldier thinking of himself before others during World War I. The poem â€Å"Mary Hamilton† shows how a mother killed her child so she would not get into trouble. Sir John Harrington writes about a sad truth in the poem â€Å"On Treason†; the poem reflects humanity’s selfish tendencies during tough times. When people face difficult times they often care about only one person, themselves; the need to survive clouds people’s moral and judgment. Elie Wiesel writes about the times when he notices himself being selfish, instead of caring for others. When the Nazis forced the prisoners to run, Elie faces many difficult challenges. Any prisoner who stopped running would be shot, or trampled by other prisoners. The young boy, named Zalman, running next to Elie cannot continue to run. Zalman, â€Å"trampled under the feet of thousands of men† (Wiesel 86) becomes forgotten shortly after he dies. Elie admits, â€Å"I soon forgot him. I began to think of myself again† (86). The war has made Elie realize he can only afford to think of himself or else he will die. â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† shows how one soldiers need to survive indirectly causes another soldiers death. From the very beginning of the poem the reader sees how the war affects the soldiers. Fighting in the war has aged the soldiers, the once young men now â€Å"bent double, like old beggars under sacks, knock-kneed, coughing like hags† trudge through the warzone (Owen 1-2). The men, completely drained f... ...d war show how easily the morals of people can be twisted. When faced with challenging, demanding times people will often choose what benefits them best. The poems and the novel, Night, show how cruel and selfish humans can be when they feel their survival threatened. People will turn against one another in order to live another day or deny help to a fallen soldier. The harsh truths of humanity leak out in times of war and crisis. At the end of the day, every man has to fight for himself in order to survive. Works Cited â€Å"Mary Hamilton.† Honors Poetry Unit Class Handout. Sir John Harrington. "Treason." Honors Poetry Unit Class Handout. Wiesel, Elie, and Marion Wiesel. Night. New York, NY: Hill and Wang, a Division of Farrar, . Straus and Giroux, 2006. Print. Wilfred Owen. â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est.† Honors Poetry Unit Class Handout.

Adversity Essay

I woke up at 11 am feeling refreshed. I hadn’t slept in since my family had started on our road trip to Canada. We were finally in Calgary and were leaving for home the next day-A good 22-hour drive. I got up quickly from my bed and jumped over my laptop charger. A disorienting head rush suddenly came upon me and I felt dizzy. I saw the stairs briefly and then it seemed like I was tumbling. When I could finally think again, I realized that my parents were in panic and I was surrounded by blood. Turned out, I fell right into some glass and as I would later find out, it had cut an important tendon in my shin. I was rushed to the ER and got surgery to fix my tendon. I asked the doctor to take some pictures of my leg right before I was sedated. After the surgery, a huge temporary cast was put on my leg and I was given crutches with which I could hobble around. Now came the 22-hours in a car with my injured leg. Luckily they weren’t as bad as I had thought they would be. Finally I was home. My friends visited me and were aghast at the size of my cast and the pictures of my leg! They thought I was just joking and wasn’t really injured. I had to spend 6 weeks in my cast. Six grueling weeks during which all I did was watch movies and tv shows on my laptop. My whole summer passed me by and I couldn’t do anything. My friends play basketball in the heat, thoroughly enjoying themselves while I watched them wistfully. Time went by slowly but finally I got my cast off only to find out that my tendon was too weak to walk on so I had to endure two weeks in a black boot. It was still summer and because my boot absorbed sunlight, my foot often smelled and had heat sores on it. I almost preferred my cast to this hell. Eventually my boot came off too. I could finally walk! I was sent to six weeks of physiotherapy where I found out that I probably wouldn’t be running or jumping for another 6 months almost. Well, at least I didn’t have to run miles for PE. I have only three more months now and I am optimistic. Since I can’t run, I started working on my biceps and now I can show them off. Soon I will be running as fast as the wind and touching the sky with my perfect two legs. That day cannot come fast enough.

3 Tips to Improve Writing in English

3 Tips to Improve Writing in English The most important rule to writing effectively is to not repeat yourself. Each of these three rules focuses on avoiding repetition in English. Rule 1: Dont Repeat the Same Word One of the most important rules in writing English is to avoid repetition. In other words, dont use the same words over and over again. Use synonyms, phrases with a similar meaning, and so on to spice up your writing stile. Sometimes, this is not possible. For example, if you are writing a report about a specific disease or perhaps a chemical compound, you will not be able to vary your vocabulary. However, when using descriptive vocabulary, its important to vary your choice of words.   We went on holiday to a ski resort. The resort was very beautiful with lots of things to do. The mountains were also beautiful, and, to be honest, there were also many beautiful people. In this example, the adjective beautiful is used three times. This is considered poor writing style. Here is the same example using synonyms.   We went on a holiday to a ski resort. The resort was very beautiful with lots of things to do. The mountains were majestic, and, to be honest, there were also many glamourous people.   Rule 2: Dont Repeat the Same Sentence Style In a similar way, using the same sentence structure by repeating the same structure over and over again is also considered bad style. Its important to know a variety of ways to make the same statement. This is often referred to as using equivalencies. Here are some examples  of similar types of sentences using different equivalencies to vary the style. The students studied hard as the test was sure to be difficult.They reviewed the grammar in great detail due to the many exceptions.Sentence structure was reviewed, for it was sure to be on the test.As they had covered all the materials, the students were assured success. In the four sentences above, Ive used four different variations on because. Sentences one and four use subordinating conjunctions. Note that the dependent clause can begin the sentence if followed by a comma. The second sentence uses a preposition (due to) followed by a noun phrase, and the third sentence uses the coordinating conjunction for.   Heres a quick review of these forms: Coordinating Conjunctions - also known as FANBOYS. Combine two simple sentences with a coordinating conjunction preceded by a comma. Coordinating conjunctions can NOT begin a sentence.   Examples The weather was very cold, but we took a walk.She needed some extra money for her vacation, so she found a part-time job.The toy was broken, for the boy had thrown it against the wall. Subordinating Conjunctions - Subordinating conjunctions introduce dependent clauses. They can be used to begin a sentence followed by a comma, or they can introduce the dependent clause in the second position without using a comma. Examples Though we need to review the grammar, we decided to take the day off for some fun.Mr. Smith hired a lawyer as he needed to defend himself in court.Well take car of the problem when John returns. Conjunctive Adverbs - Conjunctive adverbs begin a sentence linking it directly to the sentence before. Place a comma directly after the conjunctive adverb. Examples The car was in need of repair. As a result, Peter took the car into the repair shop.Its very important to study grammar. However, knowing grammar doesnt necessarily mean you can speak the language well.Lets hurry up and finish this report. Otherwise, we wont be able to work on the presentation. Prepositions - Prepositions are used with nouns or noun phrases NOT full clauses. However, prepositions such as due to or despite can provide a similar meaning to a dependent clause.   Examples Just like our neighbors, we decided to put a new roof on our home.The school decided to fire the teacher despite the students protest.As a result of poor attendance, well have to repeat chapter seven. Rule 3: Vary Sequencing and Linking Language Finally, when writing longer passages youll be using linking words and sequencing to connect your ideas. As in word choice and sentence style, its important to vary the linking language you use. For example, there are many ways to say next. If you are providing instructions, try to vary the words you use to take someone through each step in the process.   Instead of writing: First, open the box. Next, take out the equipment. Next, insert the batteries. Next, turn the device on and begin work. You could write: First, open the box. Next, take out the equipment. After that, insert the batteries. Finally, turn the device on and begin work. This is a just a short example to give you an idea. Try to vary the sequences, or linking language you use in each paragraph. If you use first, secondly, thirdly, finally in one paragraph, switch it up and use to begin with, next, after that in another paragraph. Follow the links in this article to study each of these variation types in more depth and you will quickly improve your writing style through variety.

Deborah-Leaders Essays

Deborah-Leaders Essays Deborah-Leaders Essay Deborah-Leaders Essay Essay Topic: The Namesake Biblical Servant Leadership Fall 2013 Dry. Martin Deborah From Judges, Chapters 4 and 5 I dont often think about leaders in the Bible, but when I do, I often think of the only woman Judge mentioned In scripture Deborah. She Is one to admire. This woman of God provides a picture of leadership quite out of the ordinary in the society of her time. Very few women in of that day rose to positions of Judge. There were powerful queens, but to be a Judge For a woman it could only mean God had ordained her to this position. Deborah stands out equally for her civic leadership, as for her spiritual dervish; exemplifying qualities we all should possess to lead today. In Deborah day, Israel had no king, no central leader to whom Israel looked. Judges describes these perilous times as In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever he wanted During this time Israel found itself oppressed by Cabin, the Canniest king, and Sellers, the general of his army. Japans army was formidable. He had oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for nearly twenty years. This is the situation in which Deborah found herself. The narrative of Deborah in scripture calls how she led the Israelites against these fearsome Canniest. She received specific and distinct Instructions and directions from God so that He could deliver the Canniest into their hands. Guided by God, Deborah stood with Bark, urging and encouraging him to lead the armies of Israel to Mount Tabor in a full on assault of these cruel Canniest. Israel obediently followed Deborah as she followed Gods leadership and defeated Easier, the commander of the Canniest; enjoying an extended period of peace. Deborah might rightly be viewed as a true heroine of history. She was a multi-tasked working as a wife and mother, a prophetess and judge, a poet and singer, as well as a political and military leader. As prophetess, Deborah was In exclusive company. Only two other women In the Old Testament (Miriam, Exodus 15:20 and Hula, 2 Kings share this designation. As a judge, God gave her the authority to render civil court decisions with wisdom, prudence, and equity. As prophetess, God used her to deliver His messages to His people; she was careful not to voice her own words, but only Gods as she yielded herself to Him. My vision, as I imagine her, is not one of a cranky, sarcastic Judge Judy type. No, I see her as an honored mediator dispensing advice and counsel in the Spirit of the Lord. The discernment and assurance God gave to Deborah positioned her as one of the outstanding female leaders In history. Her wisdom and judgment were sought after. Judges says that At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lapidated, was judging Israel. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Raman and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for Judgment. From this vantage point of power and position, she knew that there were storms of battle constantly churning In the valley below. There was chaos and confusion. From that muck and mess, God caused a woman to rise up and lead this nation to the victory God would show her. She recruited the reluctant battle, she stepped up. Her answer was unhesitant and confidently assertive and forthright l will surely go with you; never theless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Easier into the hand of a woman. wish I could say that I am her namesake, but sadly no. However far from my mothers hopes in a name it may have been, the Lord has seen to it that I would share some attributes with Deborah. I feel a kinship with her and if I were a contemporary of Deborah, I would have wanted to hang out with her. She demonstrated such strength of faith and leadership. In many of the ways illustrated below she represents an ideal leader. I believe we can learn much from her by observing her leadership qualities. In verse 5, the people of Israel came to her. Daily she took her seat of Judgment, mediation and prophecy in the shade off palm tree. The people knew where to find her because she made herself available and approachable. From her station under the palm trees, her countenance shone with confidence in the Lord ND a sure word. She did not think herself to be above them, but created an atmosphere of welcome to all. Since leaders are most effective when they are servants, cultivating an environment where others can find counsel and guidance is important. It begins in the heart and is lived out via the value placed on those who would seek direction. Judges 4:6 confirms that Deborah knew God and spent time with Him. Deborah knew Gods word and held tightly to the confidence in Him to deliver it. This confidence, however, did not breed pride. Deborah remained humble, delivering Gods words, and not her own. Even before Palls admonishment that we must decrease but He must increase, she was wisely aware that any significance in her was really of the Lord. When the people of Israel grew too accustom to their neighbors and their gods, becoming too comfortable with the godless unrestrained living of the Canniest then Israel began to adjust to their culture, becoming prey to those who would seek to dominate them. Deborah, however, chose to listen to the true and living God; bending her will to His to redeem the Israelites from the hands of slavery. She was available to be used by Him and ailing to stand in rejection of the foolishness of false gods and worship of self. How would God not select her to lead Israel into victory? It was her confident trust in God that would encourage the troops to battle. It was Deborah resolute and unshakable confidence that drove the Israelites to snatch the victory of the Lord from the godless Canniest. She was brave and steadfast, even in battle. Is it any wonder, then, in verses 8-10 that as Deborah shared with Bark the battle plan and the command to Go he insisted he would not go unless she went with him? Her story is truly a lesson f God conferring success upon those who allow themselves to be led by Him; giving Him all the credit. Deborah took action and led the leaders at a critical time, but with humility, a servants heart and great love and confidence in the Lord. We can learn from Deborah leadership style by putting aside any personal agenda, listening for Gods clear direction, and letting others know who is really running the show. She could have given herself a nice little pat on the back, but she knew the boundaries of the Lord. While Bark was the general and a leader in his own right, she was infinite enough that she could lead him when the need arose. Leaders always rise to the top in crisis. Leaders will even lead leaders, if the outcome demands it. She victory and ultimately she led him into battle 4:14-for this is the day which the Lord delivered Easier into your hand. Has not the Lord gone out before you? A modern day Deborah, Margaret Thatcher, once quipped In politics, if you want anything, as a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman. Her daring leadership brought the victory to a downtrodden people and brought peace for decades. So confident were hey in her courage to lead in the face of fierce enemies and her passion for God that they were willing to fight for the cause no matter the number or odds against them. She stood firm in a time of fear. She even took the helm in luring the enemy into the hands of her soldiers. So sure was she in Lords promise of ordained victory that even the fact she was living and Judging in a patriarchal society, where men seemed to dominate everything around her, did not sway or hinder her in leading men into the battle. Deborah demonstrated wisdom by standing for Godly wisdom in a time of escalating deadliness, fraught with humanism and polytheism; when every man did what was right in his own eyes. Her wise influence is evidenced in that all of Israel CAME to her for counsel, Judgment and advice on matters great and small. Deborah offered Godly counsel. Surely, she was seen as a person who was a thinker and equitable judge; dispensing individual Judgment, she prudently led people back to the truth and to God. Deborah used her tongue to speak Gods truth and encouragement to free themselves from oppression, verse 6. Verse 14 recounts her shouts of encouragement Does not the Lord go out before you? Her later song (5:31) recalling the supernatural victory says that her love for God is like the sun, when it comes in full strength. She wise to understand that positive words of victory were like a 812 shot to the troops as they faced the enemy, verse 14; she lifted their spirits to fight and secure the win Israels God has promised them. Oh, that there were men and women of wisdom like Deborah in our modern age; people who would challenge the people of God to restore their loyalties and fidelitys to God. But, sadly, wise leaders are very rare. Deborah also understood her leadership role in history it was only by he grace of God and the obedience of the people to submit to God, 5:2. Though she was the conduit to deliver the message of victory, she did not manipulate, she did not manhandle or demean those she led. She led with the knowledge that she held a place in history only by the choice and blessing of God. She did not dilute the message by sending the Israeli UN to negotiate she knew the will of God for the people of the Lord. This knowledge brought confidence and an unshakable perseverance to convince Israel that the battle was the Lords, if they would but submit to His will. The adversary, the adversity, the position as a woman in a mans world, prosperity, and flattery none could sway her because she knew this was of the Lord. Deborah, because of strength of character and love for God and His word, gave herself completely to the call, God made her capable for the task and she exuded the confidence to get the Job done. Deborah had placed a love for Gods people deep in her being. Her heart, she said in 5:9, was with the rulers. As one version puts it, her heart was with the willing volunteers among the people Her acute and instinctive sense of discernment told he could see the impact of this waywardness on her own family and the families of her community. She did not argue with God over that fact for she had sat in the gate of Judgment and knew the people were selfish and defying God. She was a prophetess, Gods hand was on her, and her heart was for the people. Though human nature often demands that we take our due, take a bow, get the recognition Deborah refused to proclaim her good deeds, but rather the goodness of the Lord in the battle won. She gives God praise, in chapter 5 and verse will sing to the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel. She also praised the leaders and that faithful destroyer, Jail, who sealed the deal and killed the wicked Canniest king, Easier calling her most blessed of tent-dwelling women Judges 5:24). Deborah had seen as she Judged she had seen the selfish, self-centered, self-seeking Israelites demand their own way. It did not look good on them and would not look good on her. Deborah was wise to make it clear who sat as the definitive commander in chief: The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you, Judges 4:6) and who would gain the praise, Judges 5:3). The life she lived should spur us on. It is a pattern to allow for leaders: Deborah life challenges us in several ways. To seek the wisdom of the Lord as we lead, to retain humility as we lead, to be available to those we lead, give credit to those to whom it is due, be courageous, stand strong in the Lord and in His love and have confidence that this is what he has ordained for you. There is no limit to what can be done when we let Him lead and give Him all the credit when His plan works out. Deborah convened her court under a palm tree over three millennia ago. The Song of Deborah is one of the oldest of these missives in song recorded in he Bible. It states that the stars strayed from their courses and the river washed Sierras armies away in a massive flood. All the Army of Easier fell by the sword; no one was left. Deborah delivered defeat with total destruction. Because of her persistence, because of her presence, because of this utter destruction, peace prevailed. From the first word to the last punctuation, God ordained this woman to lead. She could not and did not deny her giftedness as a leader. Her word for today is her word found in Judges 5:21 March on, my soul; be strong!

Vietnam War General William Westmoreland

Vietnam War General William Westmoreland Born on March 26, 1914, William C. Westmoreland was the son of a Spartanburg, SC textile manufacturer. Joining the Boy Scouts as a youth, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout before entering the Citadel in 1931. After one year in school, he transferred to West Point. During his time at the academy he proved to be an exceptional cadet and by graduation had become the corps first captain. In addition, he received the Pershing Sword which was given to the most outstanding cadet in the class. After graduation, Westmoreland was assigned to the artillery. World War II With the outbreak of World War II, Westmoreland swiftly rose through the ranks as the army expanded to meet wartime needs, reaching lieutenant colonel by September 1942. Initially an operations officer, he was soon given command of the 34th Field Artillery Battalion (9th Division) and saw service in North Africa and Sicily before the unit was transferred to England for use in Western Europe. Landing in France, Westmorelands battalion provided fire support for the 82nd Airborne Division. His strong performance in this role was noted by the divisions commander, Brigadier General James M. Gavin. Promoted to executive officer of the 9th Divisions artillery in 1944, he was temporarily promoted to colonel that July. Serving with the 9th for the remainder of the war, Westmoreland became the divisions chief of staff in October 1944. With the surrender of Germany, Westmoreland was given command of the 60th Infantry in the US occupation forces. After moving through a number of infantry assignments, Westmoreland was asked by Gavin to take command of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (82nd Airborne Division) in 1946. While in this assignment, Westmoreland married Katherine S. Van Deusen. Korean War Serving with the 82nd for four years, Westmoreland rose to become the divisions chief of staff. In 1950, he was detailed to the Command and General Staff College as instructor. The following year he was moved to the Army War College in the same capacity. With the Korean War raging, Westmoreland was given command of the 187th Regimental Combat Team. Arriving in Korea, he led the 187th for over a year before returning to the US to become deputy assistant chief of staff, G–1, for manpower control. Serving at the Pentagon for five years, he took the advanced management program at Harvard Business School in 1954. Promoted to major general in 1956, he took command of the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell, KY in 1958, and led the division for two years before being assigned to West Point as the academys superintendent. One of the Armys rising stars, Westmoreland was temporarily promoted to lieutenant general in July 1963, and placed in charge of the Strategic Army Corps and XVIII Airborne Corps. After a year in this assignment, he was transferred to Vietnam as deputy commander and acting commander of the United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV). Vietnam War Shortly after his arrival, Westmoreland was made permanent commander of MACV and given command of all US forces in Vietnam. Commanding 16,000 men in 1964, Westmoreland oversaw the escalation of the conflict and had 535,000 troops under his control when he departed in 1968. Employing an aggressive strategy of search and destroy, he sought to draw the forces of the Viet Cong (National Liberation Front) into the open where they could be eliminated. Westmoreland believed that the Viet Cong could be defeated through large-scale use of artillery, air power, and large-unit battles. In late 1967, Viet Cong forced began striking US bases across the country. Responding in force, Westmoreland won a series of fights such as the Battle of Dak To. Victorious, US forces inflicted heavy casualties leading Westmoreland to inform President Lyndon Johnson that the end of the war was in sight. While victorious, the battles that fall pulled US forces out of South Vietnamese cities and set the stage for the Tet Offensive in late January 1968. Striking all across the country, the Viet Cong, with support from the North Vietnamese army, launched major attacks on South Vietnamese cities. Responding to the offensive, Westmoreland led a successful campaign which defeated the Viet Cong. Despite this, the damage had been done as Westmorelands optimistic reports about the wars course were discredited by North Vietnams ability to mount such a large-scale campaign. In June 1968, Westmoreland was replaced by General Creighton Abrams. During his tenure in Vietnam, Westmoreland had sought to win a battle of attrition with the North Vietnamese, however, he was never able to force the enemy to abandon a guerilla-style of warfare which repeatedly left his own forces at a disadvantage. Army Chief of Staff Returning home, Westmoreland was criticized as the general who won every battle until [he] lost the war. Assigned as Army Chief of Staff, Westmoreland continued to oversee the war from afar. Taking control in a difficult period, he assisted Abrams in winding down operations in Vietnam, while also attempting to transition the US Army to an all-volunteer force. In doing so, he worked to make army life more inviting to young Americans by issuing directives which allowed for a more relaxed approach to grooming and discipline. While necessary, Westmoreland was attacked by the establishment for being too liberal. Westmoreland was also faced in this period with having to deal with widespread civil disturbance. Employing troops where necessary, he worked to aid in quelling the domestic unrest caused by the Vietnam War. In June 1972, Westmorelands term as chief of staff ended and he elected to retire from the service. After unsuccessfully running for governor of South Carolina in 1974, he penned his autobiography, A Soldier Reports. For the remainder of his life he worked to defend his actions in Vietnam. He died in Charleston, SC on July 18, 2005.

An informative report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

An informative report - Essay Example The stress that he experiences otherwise gets added to the stress that waits for him at the workplace. In today’s world where leaders have to cope with difficult economic situations, they essentially have to go through stress both emotionally and physically. During financial crisis, stress adds up. For the management, layoffs, delayed salaries, low budgets, and pressure from senior staff produces put strain over the managers’ minds which then results in decreased productivity and poor output. They undergo fear, become irritable, suffer through nuisance, and all this reflects in their relationship with the co-workers. Workplace stress includes: fatigue due to overworking without lunch or rest breaks or working for longer hours without naps dissatisfaction caused by lack of motivation when the employees are not given their due rewards lack of interest in the job due to constant pressure coming from seniors and poor communication among the leaders, management and the emplo yees. It becomes important for the leaders and the management to learn how to deal with stressful situations to escape fear, tension and uncertainty. This stress management ability decides whether a leader is going to prove himself as success or failure. Stress is, mostly, very much related to how a person deals with the situation. According to the research carried out by Professor Cox (qtd.

Listening assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Listening assignment - Essay Example The trumpet was played at the fast notes which please the ears of the listener. It added a new modern touch to the typical jazz composition. The addition of drum compliments the soloist in creating the composition while keeping in mind the beats of drum. On the other hand, the addition of piano in making a new bebop composition made a huge difference. It made the typical jazz tune more modern and harmonious. In my point of view, the entire composition and setting of the instruments made this solo performance a classic masterpiece which is melodious as well as it gave a new meaning to bebop style in jazz. Starting off with slow beats and then gradually reaching the point where the sounds and composition as well as the instrumental collaboration mesmerize the hearts and souls of the listeners. All I can say that the composition is melodious with a soulful performance by Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie

The cause of civil war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The cause of civil war - Essay Example Generally the northerners and southerners had totally conflicting outlooks and values. The south was rich in agriculture and agricultural related output while the north was more of an industrial hub. The north was also a cosmopolitan area in both religion and nationalities (Hewitt and Lawson 104). The north was not willing to tolerate slave and slavery actions of the south states and undertook measures such as starting the abolitionist movement that aimed at ending slavery across America. The south was angered by northerners’ actions and values of protecting escaping slaves and wanted to impose the rights of states to own slaves (Hewitt and Lawson 111). Slavery among other factors made America to reach the great American tragedy since 1861, slavery was a state’s rights, and provided for in the state laws. By 1860, cracks were clear in the American society and it was no longer a homogeneous society, but instead one that had different outlooks and different values. This was vitalized by the emergence of the north and the southern divides that formed the two sides of the war (Hewitt and Lawson 173) Economically, the use of slaves in cotton plantations by the south states and northern abolitionist movements created tensions between the south and north. Four out ten people in 1860 were slaves providing labor force to the rich agricultural south and this formed the strong foundation of the southern economy (Hewitt and Lawson 165). All southerners viewed any attempt by the federal government to control the rights of slave owners as a catastrophic threat to the southern economic system. The northern merchants benefitted from the demands of the south for shipping the cheaply produced cotton abroad and the southerners also benefitted from the imports of consumption goods by the northerners (Hewitt and Lawson 133). Politically, the north and south read from different scripts with the

Women Suffrage Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Women Suffrage - Research Paper Example This change was triggered by the alarming changes subsequent to the Great Depression. The Great Depression led to a fundamental change in how economies worked and challenged classical economic theories and their real life application. The increasing role of women was further enhanced by the implementation of the 19th amendment which led to greater importance of women in all fronts, leading, in turn, to increased involvement in education, military, public offices, technology and electoral processes. Women and Great Depression: The role of women during the Great Depression was in contrast to traditional modes of economic contribution. The traditional modes of contribution and work anticipate monetary rewards and compensation to justify effort, but for a significant period of time, women continued to work without expecting monetary rewards. Traditional societies viewed working outside home and serving the home at two distinct, non-overlapping activities, wherein, traditionally, men are associated with earning money by working outside the house, whereas women are expected to stay at home. During the Great Depression, economics, idealists and esteemed philosophers thought that women had to come out of their shell and take up responsibility to help the country out of an economic calamity of such magnitude. Women in the 1930s, time of the depression, had employed husbands who provided enough to help the family live on. There were times, however, where they would struggle to survive given the lack of resources at their disposal. The decade saw a study decrease in median income across all fronts leading to increased stress and survivability issues. Women and men experienced the Great Depression in different ways. Men considered themselves as breadwinners, hence when they lost their jobs; they considered themselves failures because they couldn’t provide their families with sufficient resources. Women, on the other hand, saw their significance at home increase as t hey juggled home and work responsibilities and started to play a role as breadwinners. It is interesting to note that no women lost her ‘job’ of working at home whereas their husbands struggled to earn money and find new sources of work. Challenging economic conditions challenged traditional gender roles and women slowly but surely started to move out of their role of staying at home. Women who were widowed or divorced, or single women, struggled to keep themselves afloat. They were truly living on the margins. The Great Depression is often associated with the struggling, unemployed man, however, women who were in a similar state of economic disaster, found themselves working it out on the sidelines on their own and trying to survive. Women who sought employment were often scorned as transgressors guilty of taking jobs away from deserving men. Many theorists and opinion leaders shared this view and when Norman Cousins noted that the gainfully employed number of women eq ualed the national unemployment total in 1939, he suggested that women should be fired, as they are not supposed to be working anyway, and men should be hired instead. Women were made a convenient scapegoat for the Great Depression. This was despite the fact that women had little options as they had to do something to ensure survival. Furthermore, the social segregation entrenched during those days made it difficult for men to take up jobs performed by women in any case. While men were concentrated in jobs involving heavy machinery, mining, etc. women were working in domains such as nursing, cleaning and clerical jobs. It is also essential to note that men dominated fields such as heavy industry and manufacturing were the hardest hit by the depression whereas women

Homeland Security for the Port of Baltimore Essay

Homeland Security for the Port of Baltimore - Essay Example With so much at stake, it is no doubt crucial to consider all possible threats a place like Port Baltimore may be vulnerable to and be prepared with measures to ensure the safety of the city, the people involved, the property and the security of the whole country. Ports are crucial for both, the security of a country and its trade and economy, as they serve as terminals with access across its boundaries. This opens possibilities for infiltration of illegal activities and products along with the usual trade. Thus ports pose a great threat of certain hazards or sources of possible disaster to the city and the country if left improvised. Of the many threats that enable U.S agencies to take effective measures for the protection of the country’s resources and vulnerable assets, the threat of terrorism has the greatest power, especially in the post 9/11 era. The possibilities of terrorist attacks via shipping ports are innumerable. With only six percent of the nine million container s entering the U.S, (Medalia 2) and fourteen percent of the 140,000 containers at Baltimore being examined for explosives, (Davis and GormanSun), it is evident that these portals to the United States are pretty much available to terrorists wanting to strike. It would be fairly easy to hide explosives in the eight to nine feet high and twenty to forty feet long containers that are used to carry the cargo transported between ports. (Medalia 2) Apart from being easy and susceptible targets, they are also fairly attractive in terms of results for such terrorist groups as well. With inflammable material that can cause a minor explosion to spread over miles, even a ten to twenty kiloton bomb could cause a loss of more than $1.2 trillion from direct and indirect costs resulting from the damage of property and disruption of trade activity. (Medalia 2). The destruction could extend to a radius of one or two miles, thus affecting the city the port is in, resulting in a comprehensive disaster. (Medalia 3). Another equally hazardous threat to the U.S port is Drug smuggling, which was the number one priority before September 11, 2001. The failure in the prohibition of drugs infiltrating the country may result in indirect facilitation of terrorist activities and a larger impact on the society by fuelling crime and disease. (Loy 156). According to statistics provided by Interagency Assessment of Cocaine Movement, most of the transportation of illegal drugs is carried out through the sea. (Loy 157) The third effective threat to U.S coasts and ports is the possibility of damage and injury caused by the mishandling of hazardous materials that have the ability to contaminate and destroy not only cargo and property, but marine life and the environment. All this can inadvertently affect the economy by interference in trade and recreation activities around the water front as well as health of the citizens of the port city. Provided that the forces threatening the security of port t oday are much better equipped than they were a decade ago, it is necessary to maintain the efficiency of security systems in the context of developing technology and update methodologies to keep up with the unpredictable and surreptitious approach of the possible enemies of the state. (Pike) Coast guard and customs and Border protection are federal agencies with the strongest presence in seaports. After 9/11 coast guard has created the largest port

Women Suffrage Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Women Suffrage - Research Paper Example This change was triggered by the alarming changes subsequent to the Great Depression. The Great Depression led to a fundamental change in how economies worked and challenged classical economic theories and their real life application. The increasing role of women was further enhanced by the implementation of the 19th amendment which led to greater importance of women in all fronts, leading, in turn, to increased involvement in education, military, public offices, technology and electoral processes. Women and Great Depression: The role of women during the Great Depression was in contrast to traditional modes of economic contribution. The traditional modes of contribution and work anticipate monetary rewards and compensation to justify effort, but for a significant period of time, women continued to work without expecting monetary rewards. Traditional societies viewed working outside home and serving the home at two distinct, non-overlapping activities, wherein, traditionally, men are associated with earning money by working outside the house, whereas women are expected to stay at home. During the Great Depression, economics, idealists and esteemed philosophers thought that women had to come out of their shell and take up responsibility to help the country out of an economic calamity of such magnitude. Women in the 1930s, time of the depression, had employed husbands who provided enough to help the family live on. There were times, however, where they would struggle to survive given the lack of resources at their disposal. The decade saw a study decrease in median income across all fronts leading to increased stress and survivability issues. Women and men experienced the Great Depression in different ways. Men considered themselves as breadwinners, hence when they lost their jobs; they considered themselves failures because they couldn’t provide their families with sufficient resources. Women, on the other hand, saw their significance at home increase as t hey juggled home and work responsibilities and started to play a role as breadwinners. It is interesting to note that no women lost her ‘job’ of working at home whereas their husbands struggled to earn money and find new sources of work. Challenging economic conditions challenged traditional gender roles and women slowly but surely started to move out of their role of staying at home. Women who were widowed or divorced, or single women, struggled to keep themselves afloat. They were truly living on the margins. The Great Depression is often associated with the struggling, unemployed man, however, women who were in a similar state of economic disaster, found themselves working it out on the sidelines on their own and trying to survive. Women who sought employment were often scorned as transgressors guilty of taking jobs away from deserving men. Many theorists and opinion leaders shared this view and when Norman Cousins noted that the gainfully employed number of women eq ualed the national unemployment total in 1939, he suggested that women should be fired, as they are not supposed to be working anyway, and men should be hired instead. Women were made a convenient scapegoat for the Great Depression. This was despite the fact that women had little options as they had to do something to ensure survival. Furthermore, the social segregation entrenched during those days made it difficult for men to take up jobs performed by women in any case. While men were concentrated in jobs involving heavy machinery, mining, etc. women were working in domains such as nursing, cleaning and clerical jobs. It is also essential to note that men dominated fields such as heavy industry and manufacturing were the hardest hit by the depression whereas women

Article Summary and Reaction Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Article Summary and Reaction Paper - Essay Example Marvels claim was that its obligations to pay royalty for the patent ceases when the patent expires. Marvel relied on an earlier Supreme Court decision in Brullote v Thys Co., which found that agreements are not enforceable when patents expire. Mr. Kimble asked the court to overrule its previous decision (Kendall, 2015). The principles of stare decisis provide that courts should adhere to previous precedents of earlier cases. Stare decisis is an important aspect of a common law system and follows that once a court answers a question, subsequent questions to the court should be answered in a similar manner (Anderlini, Felli, & Riboni, 2014). The courts should seek to follow precedents to maintain the stability of the law. The courts should rarely overrule its precedents unless there are strong reasons because doing so sets a new interpretation of a legal issue (Waldron, 2012). In the current case, the court considered overruling the precedent established in Brullote v Thys Co. The article showed that the doctrine of stare decisis is binding on subsequent decisions by the court and that a court may only overrule its precedent if there are good reasons to do

The prevalence of bullying Essay Example for Free

The prevalence of bullying Essay Bullying among the children is found to typically occur at school or during their way to the school. As children do not have an option of changing the environment by not being in the school, most of them are unable to avoid bullying. A study conducted by US Department of Education and Justice in 1999 indicated that almost 1 million students (4%) who are aged between 12 and 18 years reported fear of being attacked or harmed in the school vicinity. see more:speeches about bullying About 5% reported that they avoided one or more places in the school wile 13% reported that they were targets of language of hate. The National Threat Assessment Center found that more than two thirds of the attackers involved in 37 shootings did the attack for taking revenge for incidents in their lives when they felt persecuted, bullied, threatened, attacked or injured by others. It was found that exposure to bullying at school played a major role in motivating most of the perpetrators to take up violence. (AMA, 2002) Studies conducted by Olweus in Norway and Sweden with 150,000 students who are from grades one to nine indicated that 15% of the students reported of being involved in bully or victim problems several times within a three to five month period. About 9 percentage of the students reported that they had been bullied by their peers several times and about 7 percentage of the students indicated that they bullied others. About 2 percentage of students reported that they were bullied as well as they bullied other students. Studies in Europe and United States have indicated higher level of bullying among the children and the youth. In a study that involved 6,500 students who are between the 4th grade and the 6th grade in South Carolina, about 23 percentage of the students reported of being bullied several times during the three months and 9 percent reported of being victim of very frequent bullying, which was qualified as once a week or more. About one in five reported that they bully other students several times during the period of the study. A study conducted by Nansel with representation of about 15,600 students from 6th to 10th grades provided similar results. Seventeen percent of the students studied indicated that they bullied sometimes during the school term and 19 percent reported bullying others more often. Six percent of the full sample reported both bullying and having been bullied. Many studied have found that the rates of bullying decrease steadily through the elementary grades such as the study conducted by Melton, Nansel shows. A study conducted by Olweus on about 10,000 Norwegian studies indicated that the rates of victimisation were twice as high among the 4th grade students when compared to the 10th grade. Nansel found that about one quarter of the students in the 6th grade reported being bullied during the current school term which was less than one tenth of the 10th graders. (AMA, 2002).

Cultural Phenomenon of the Celebrity: Hermeneutic Analysis

Cultural Phenomenon of the Celebrity: Hermeneutic Analysis New ways of thinking can often illuminate new ideas that would not come to light using our conventional and most natural modes of reasoning. We can be stretched in dynamic ways by altering our methods or approaches to our thinking. Several methods of thinking include exploration of the unconscious, symbolic systems, radical Synthesis, hermeneutic analysis, among others. For me, the hermeneutic form of thinking has the most unsettling effect upon my mind. A hermeneutic approach has experience a revival in recent times in the wake of influential thinkers such as Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, and others. These hold a significant place in the present intellectual climate in the Western world. For this essay, I decided to use a hermeneutic approach to analyze a particular cultural phenomenon. Cultural phenomena are of vital importance for study since they represent aspects of human nature (en masse) that are impossible to extrapolate independently. Not only are they interesting to stu dy, but they maintain continual interest for elites and common people alike. It is not a stretch to state that these phenomena successfully capture the population’s imagination. In this particular essay, I will look at the cultural phenomena of the celebrity using hermeneutic analysis. The hermeneutical way of thinking, in this case, won’t apply to a given text but rather to the social phenomenon of â€Å"celebritydom†. By thinking about social phenomena in a hermeneutical way, one can look at a subject that rarely gets such scrutiny and hopefully begin to find understanding as to why our societies are so enthralled by the celebrity narrative. The development of a new form of â€Å"celebritydom† can be understood in a new way by understanding the context, audience, media sources, and other hermeneutical factors. First of all, we will begin to think about the context of celebrities in the past. There has most obviously been a shift in Western Society in the development of the celebrity. It has not been an overnight shift by any means, but it has been significant. The most outstanding example of recent changes in the nature of celebrity is the professional celebrity—a celebrity with little reason to be revered or famous. The prime example would be the infamous Paris Hilton. Although a notable heiress to her parent’s fortune, she has become a celebrity in her own right through self-promotion. There are countless heirs to various fortunes that will never be known. This kind of character, however, is unprecedented, even in the 20th century. Most celebrities came into being through some sort of accomplishment, i.e. film, music, politics, sports, etc. Or, they became celebrities by association, such as royalty. The amount of coverage allotted to celebrity-esque storylines has grown exponentially. Entire television channels are devoted to the ceaseless coverage of ce lebrity’s lives. A whole subclass of photography has developed in the â€Å"paparazzi,† known for being the epitome of the dog-eat-dog line of work. Not to mention the countless â€Å"tabloids† that line the newsstands. These are some of the basic contextual factors that surround the modern celebrity phenomenon. Another factor for thinking about this social phenomenon is the audience. The audience for the development of new celebrities that must be analyzed if one is to use a hermeneutical strategy. The audience for much of celebrity press and concern has largely not changed in type, but likely has changes in how broad the appeal is. It would have been impossible to imagine that Clark Gable’s personal life would have been known or a concern for Middle East youth fifty years ago. Today, however, in all corners of the world they not only know the names of key celebrities but also their storylines of gossip. I remember being asked in a remote village in Albania about the future of â€Å"J-Lo† and Ben Affleck’s relationship if they got married. Obviously this change has a lot to do with the digital revolution—opening up a large part of the world to a previously unknown celebrity world. It also betrays the fact that the same phenomenon is at work in these non-Western c ountries as is here in the West. Knowledge and a pursuit of information about Western celebrities could also reveal an admiration of the culture of celebrities by the non-West, but often times these elements remain even in countries predisposed to hate the west. Although many citizens of these said countries likely separate the politics and the culture of the West, a large majority still do not. There is an effect of â€Å"can’t help but look† type psychology in regards to coverage of celebrities. Just like in the West, many in these societies likely think the coverage is superfluous and or wrong. Although a judgment has been made concerning the validity and morality of celebrity coverage many remain to have a working knowledge of the ins and outs of Hollywood love life. These ‘stories’ seem to do something for us en masse. Using further hermeneutical strategies, we will now turn to the sources for the coverage of celebrity gossip and the like. If one is to exit the supermarket on a given day he or she is given the opportunity to be swiftly educated in celebritydom. The print media is a key source of information on celebrities. This seems to be chiefly centered on magazines; the newspaper medium seems to inadequately address the goals of celebrity coverage. The magazine provides the opportunity for vivid pictures, small pithy commentary, and quick entertainment. It is glitzy, stylish, and most of all fast. Whereas one may need to have some backround in Middle Eastern politics in order to find parts of the newspaper engaging, the celebrity magazine can bring the glamour and scandal of the celebrity phenomenon with little or no education. The celebrity magazine is an odd mix of â€Å"posed† shots of red carpet entries into various galas, possibly a celebrity interview/photo shoot, and scandalizing pictures kindly provided by the paparazzi. This seems to be a winning combination of glamour, personal interest, and scandal. The second main conduit for the celebrity phenomenon is the television medium. As mentioned before, â€Å"E!† is an entire channel devoted to the coverage of celebrity life. This is not to mention the countless celebrity news shows, and their subsequent spoofs. Celebrity news shows use a similar format compared to that of their magazine cousins. The show usually features some sort of personal interaction with a celebrity, praising the glamour or character of a particular celebrity, and (of course) the mandatory scandal. These shows have produced celebrities in their own right out of the mere reporting on celebrities. The prime example is Ryan Seacrest. Seacrest is the epitome of the ultimate host, having hosted the top twenty for years on a radio station in Los Angeles, been an E! â€Å"anchor,† and most famously the host of American Idol. Seacrest has become a celebrity by merely reporting on celebrities. Both media types—that of magazine and t.v.—have wo rked in conjunction. One reports on the other and vice versa. One makes the other. Using a hermeneutical strategy to look at the social phenomenon of the celebrity has brought to light several profound new ideas for me. The first is what celebrity coverage does for us. I have come to the conclusion at various times that humans have at all times needed a common narrative in their social relationships. In days gone by, this narrative could be sustained by regional parochial concerns. A village would find a bond in the fact that their story was shared, they lived close to one another, married into each other’s families, etc. The gossip and glory of a small town would sustain its people. Yet, as society has diversified, fragmented, pluralized, etc. it has lost that local connection that is vital for human connection. At the most basic social level, we need something to talk about—a common ground. Human connection is essential for the flourishing of human life. Celebrity coverage, professional sports, and other modern social phenomena seek to fill that voi d. In a time when we increasingly find our human contact in less connected or natural ways, such coverage give us a cultural common ground. We can gripe about the fortunes of Liverpool or quip about the Beckham family to absolute strangers and they will likely be able to track with our line of thought. Celebrity narratives give us a common ground for humor, social reflection, and allusions. In order to have fulfilling communication we must have some sort of shared story, even if these stories are plastic in nature. Our society has inevitably become more diverse, global, and connected. This has inevitably lead to an erosion of parochial concerns, and pushed us to socially evolve in order to maintain human connection. We have found common social narrative in the celebrity. Their story has become a common story for us. Their divorces, their cheating, their success, their money, etc., have all become a commentary about our own lives. This line of thought leads me to an additional hermen eutic conclusion concerning celebrity coverage and its reflective nature. We are not interested in celebrities just because they happen to be successful but because they are reflective. Celebrities embody our hopes and dreams, fears and pitfalls, and desire for detachedness. The populace not only celebrates celebrity success, but also celebrates celebrity failure. There is a lust for failure as much as there is for success in the interest in these lives. It is interesting to note that the most famous celebrities are those where there are equal portions success and failure. This is important. Without adjoining failure these celebrities fail to capture people’s imagination. Too much success and too much failure both trigger a lose of interest in the given celebrity. Celebrities find themselves in a proverbial catch-22, trying to allow promotion while not being raked through the coals. The most successful in this respect have allowed both. The reality about celebrity coverage is that we are not interested because these people are necessarily glamorous (there are a lot of unknown glamorous people to be found). We are interested because celebrities create for us a narrative for self reflection and self understanding. Having used hermeneutical techniques such as analyzing the context, audience, media sources, etc., I have come to some interesting new ideas and understanding about a key phenomenon in our society—the celebrity. In previous times, I have been rather perplexed as to why we care so much about these lives. Yet after thinking about the topic using hermeneutical analysis, I have come to several profound reasons as to why this is so.

My Angels :: Personal Narrative

My Angels It wasn't until I started to write this testimony that I realized that there are two special angels in my life. One in heaven and one on Earth. I had the general reasoning of any teenager: run to your closest friends, boyfriend, girlfriend, family, teachers for solutions to your problems, or for guidance, but that's not always so. Sure, some good friends and family are close enough to relate to, but it's the people that can read your face like a book that I am speaking of. The people that always bring a smile to your face even when you're in your deepest turmoil. These are your angels. Adam has been and always will be my angel. He was my salvation when I was weak, my shoulder to weep on, a joker, and an all around nice guy. If if it weren't for him I probably wouldn't have auditioned for Juilliard a few weeks back. I owe so much to him, but the biggest thanks I could ever give would be his persistent manner in getting me to audition for the drama plays. I have always had a passion for drama but didn't want to pursue it in St. Paul. I was so depressed about leaving all my friends behind at Whittier, that when I came here I didn't even give up---- I just didn't start at all. It wasn't until my first week of school that I met Adam, the boy who smiled from ear to ear... Little did I know that he would be the best friend I would make at St. Paul, and the first to leave me behind. Over the next two years we had gotten incredibly close. We went out for weekends, celebrated his 15th birthday with Andrea and Crystal, and Miguel---his closest friends. We helped ea ch other with our relationship problems, family problems, school mishaps... We were each other's alter egos when we went out. We had a conversation over the Internet a week before he died. He was so mad that I hadn't auditioned for the musical that he forced me to join crew (which a few weeks previous I had). That night we were talking about all these pranks we would play on the cast and crew, and the cast party to be had, and all the fun.

A Midsummer Night?s Dream Essay -- essays research papers

Loves Misfortunes A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is a romantic comedy written by William Shakespeare. It deals with the feelings of love and marriage as well as the laws and social order of the time. The story contains fairies and other mystical creatures who take it upon themselves to guide the mortals in the directions they think necessary. This leads to many hilarious situations and misfortunes for the humans. There are many characters in the play and, for the most part, each one is in love with one of the other characters. The play starts with Theseus, the Duke of Athens, proposing to Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons. This is the only couple throughout the play who seem to never waver in their love for each other. These two seem to have a perfect love for each other, much like the love Hermia and Lysander have for each other before the fairies intervene. The other couple in the story that are of royal blood are Oberon, the king of the fairies, and Titania, the queen of the fairies. These two are having a lovers quarrel which has sent the seasons out of order and caused great disorder. Oberon is in love with Hoppolyta and Titania is in love with Theseus. Their lovers quarrels provide much of the comedy in the play. The other four characters caught in love triangles are Lysander and Hermia, who are in love with each other, Demetrius who loves Hermia, and Helena who loves Demetrius. Lysander and Hermia wish to marry each other but Hermia’s father, Egeu...

History of Relational Database

Hao-Wei He Wilmington University October 9, 2010 Abstract Database system have been inseparable with our daily life, since IBM developed the hierarchical database management system in 1969, database system has been innovated many times, such as hierarchical database, network database, relational database, and object-oriented database. Nowadays, relational database still is the most popular model used by different industries; this article is going to introduce the history of the relational database.History of Relational Database Data, which can be defined as an entity of meaning, it is the original material to construct message and knowledge. Thanks to the assistance of computer, data processing practices reached several important milestones. The earliest way to store data are done through manual file management, all documents will be filed and then store, but this method had many processing restrict, such as search, storage takes up a lot of space, and cannot be access by people at t he same time.After IBM announced the first set of hard disk drive for data storage in 1956, due to the innovate development of hard drive, and the access speed much faster than magnetic tape, it replaced the tape drive gradually, and then direct access file system developed. Although direct access file system could access each files directly and improved a lot of missing, but since the objects are files, it still lack of flexibility of processing. Database can be considered to automatically query and modify data sets.There are a variety of database types; from the simplest store all kinds of information forms to large-scale database systems that able to process a variety of mass data storage, are widely used in all inspects of applications. The advantages of database management system: * Reduced redundancy * Integrated data * Integrity * Data commonality * Protect data safety and privacy The disadvantages of database management system: * Overall operating cost will increase * More c omplex to use Need to backup regularly, or unexpected conditions will cause serious data damage * Hard to training database administrator * Difficult to integrate or manage different format from multi systems Therefore, there was an idea about divide files into a sum of record, and store it as an unit in the computer, it also formed the â€Å"Centralized Database System†, it can record a record through hard disk drive, and can directly navigate to the record or fields for further data processing and computing.This concept also derived to the following data types: * Hierarchical Data Model (1960s) Use record as a processing unit, and organize record by tree structure. As a result of the characteristic of tree structure, hierarchical data model particularly suitable for describe â€Å"One to Many† data composition relationship but â€Å"Many to Many† relationship. * Network Data Model (1970s)As a result of the tree structure does not reflect network connection rel ationship between data and data, so after hierarchical data model, some groups proposed â€Å"Network Data Model†, organize records by network structure. However, records in both Hierarchical data model and network data model use link to strung together, so when programming applications must accommodate the structure status between links, a lot of dependencies between programming applications and data structure, and the independence of data is hard to reach, cause the system difficult to maintain. Relational Data Model (1970 ~ present) Edgar Codd, a British computer scientist, proposed â€Å"Relational Data Model in 1970, emphasize the applications should not have any dependencies with internal structure of data, it also known as â€Å"Data Independence†, this data model lead the development of the database system entered a new milestone. In relational data model, data use record as a processing unit, and organize record in tabular form.The applications just face to t he tabular structure, without to understanding the internal structure of the data. Conclusion Relational Database Management System (Relational DBMS) is the most widely used database management system in recent years, the mainly reason is the concept of relational data models is simple, and the basic theory was developed very completely. Since Relational Database management System be proposed in 1970, almost all the commercial database management systems are based on this model.We often hear of the data table, is a relational database foundation.References Yung-Fang Chen, Relational Database management system lecture, Retrieved from http://allen. chen. name/teachdata. htm Jeffrey H. , Mary P. , & Heikki T. (2009). Modern Database Management 9th Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Shou-Jeng Tseng. Review Database System and Future Research Develop. Taiwan, Retrieved from http://www. iicm. org. tw/communication/c1_1/page02. html.

Essential Questions Essay

1. How and why did America turn toward domestic isolation and social conservatism in the 1920s? Americans turned toward domestic isolation and social conservatism in the 1920s because of the red scare. Many people used the red scare to break the backs of all struggling unions. Isolationist Americans had did not have a lot of hope in the 1920s. There began to be a large amount of immigrants flowing into the US. During 1920-1921, over 800,000 immigrants had come. This type of immigration was known as the â€Å"New Immigration†. The Emergency Quota act of 1921 and the Immigration Act of 1924 severely limited immigration and was taken from the census of 1890 rather than 1910, because 1890 was a huge immigration year. It was the worst for the Japanese. The main reasons for isolation was due to anti European feelings, immigrant labor that lowered wages, the need for skilled workers and radical political movement and beliefs such as socialism, communism, and anarchism which were usually known as the Red Scare. 2. How was the character of American culture affected by the social political changes of the 1920s? (Include both white ethnic groups and blacks in your discussion.) The character of American culture was affected by the social political changes of the 1920s and America became a country focused on individualism. After World War 1 ended, the political and economic focus on the individual instead of community needs lead to a time of isolationism. There was less emphasis placed on the family than in past decades which resulted in a divorce rate of 20 percent. The 1920’s were a period of riches and very expensive economic practices. 3. Why was immigration which had existed for many generations, seen as such a great threat to American identity and culture in the prosperous 1920s? America was always seen as a country where it would be safe for immigration and immigrants from Europe to come to make a living. While immigration had always been open for generations, in fact, since the United States was born, people started to resent immigrants because they started to take jobs away from normal citizens, and also because of just plain racism. People wouldn’t like Japanese, Chinese, Italians, Irish, etc. As for assimilation, many people come to this country with no intention of ever becoming Americans. They want to be known as Americans. A lot of the immigrants didn’t want to pay taxes or learn English, except work at a really low wage and steal jobs. 4. Why did critics like Horace Kallen and Randolph Bourne dislike the pressure on immigrants to â€Å"Americanize† and join the â€Å"melting pot†? What did they envision that America should be like under the ideals of â€Å"cultural pluralism†? Critics like Horace Kallen and Randolph Bourne, who was a progressive writer and public intellectual from New Jersey, both disliked the pressure on immigrants to â€Å"Americanize† and join the â€Å"melting pot† because they felt that Americanism should not be associated with Anglo-Saxonism. Randolph said that the US should put up immigrant cultures into a cosmopolitan America instead of forcing immigrants to get used to Anglophilic culture. 5. How did some of the events of the 1920s reflect national conflict over social, cultural and religious values? The Red Scare reflected the fear of Americans which they had of communists infiltrating the US government. Sacco and Vanzetti’s arrest and execution made foreigners fear America even more, especially the anarchists. This caused worldwide dispute over whether they were given a fair trial, or if it was just based on them being Italian and â€Å"anarchists†. The Scopes Trial reflected American fear of new ideas that looked like it challenged traditional religious values and the Biblical origin of man. The Teapot Dome Scandal reflected America’s want of wealth and their materialistic ways, which made people want material possessions at any price. The Flappers reflected America’s changing values of enjoyment, immorality, and worldliness. 6. How did the automobile and other new products create a mass-consumption economy in the 1920s? When the United States made the model T Ford, this was the first time the US found a way to mass produce a one color one size fits all reliable and at the time fashionable Model T. Thomas Edison also invented a major thing that many people just had to get to go into the next millennium, which was the light bulb. This new era destroyed the old way of light, which was the candle, and replaced it with an electricity consuming item that was really useful. Also, there was George Washington Carver, who was a Botanist and a Chemist. He established an official industrial research center in both Alabama and Iowa. Carver was able to make legumes into useful ingredients in medicines and materials for consumer use, like the peanut. 7. How did the new films, literature, and music of 20’s affect American values in areas of religion, sexuality, and family life? Were African American cultural developments fundamentally different, or were they part of the same cultural movement? The 1920s has been known for a long time as the â€Å"Roaring Twenties†. This was an era of first-time prosperity that was best remembered through the cultural artifacts made by its new mass-consumption economy. The new media erased the old values and helped to bring in a new set of values. You could argue that the movies and music, which was mostly jazz, encouraged people to take on more self-indulgent values. 8. In what ways were the twenties a social and cultural reaction against the progressive idealism that held sway before and during WWI? The 1920s were a time when people stopped being idealistic and started to just be interested in fun and getting ahead in money. Before WWI, there was a Progressive movement that was very idealistic. The Progressives were trying to change the world and â€Å"progress†, but after WWI, this idealism seemed to be gone, probably because the war was so bad. People probably no longer thought they would be able to change the world and just wanted to turn their attention to having fun. Because of this change, the ’20s were a time of fun and materialism. People were getting rich because of the stock market boom. Many were enjoying themselves with the new movies, abundant amount of cars, and the exciting new music, like Jazz. They were coming to have different values which emphasized having fun.

Muscle movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Muscle movement - Essay Example ment to the muscles and many sets of muscles in the body work together in conjunction with each other in the form of various types of levers to bring about movement as a whole process. The typical skeletal muscle consists of three parts: It’s origin from a bone where it is attached to a large area, its main body of muscular tissue and the insertion at the other end which is in the form of a glistening white tendon. The body of the muscle is made up of hundreds of cylindrical fibers which usually run all the way from the origin to the insertion. These cylindrical fibers are composed of an array of myofibrils which are a specialized category of animal cells. Each muscle fiber develops from the fusion of many cells called myoblasts. Muscles contract by the action of Acetyl choline, a neurotransmitter secreted through the nerves which brings about a change in the action potential at the neuromuscular synapse leading to binding of actin and myosin molecules and bringing about contraction. Antagonistic Muscles: For every group of muscles that move a specific portion of the body, there is an opposite group of muscles which brings about the opposite movement. Such pairs of muscles are called antagonistic muscles. The main pairs of antagonistic muscles and their respective movements are explained below: 1. Biceps-Triceps: The upper end of the biceps or its origin is at the scapula and its other end or insertion is on the radius bone of the forearm. Contraction of biceps brings about flexion or rising of the forearm and is called a flexor muscle. The antagonistic triceps relaxes at this time. The triceps is located behind the upper arm and its origin is at the scapula as well as the Humerus bone in the upper arm and the point of insertion is at the Olecranon process of the ulna. Its contraction brings about straightening of the arm and hence it is known as an extensor muscle. 2. Anterior tibialis and gastrocnemius muscles: This pair is located in the lower leg. When a

EU Constitutional Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

EU Constitutional Law - Essay Example The frustration with integration theories was due to, first, the scope of the study of integration, second, the participants who were effectively engendering integration and third, the process or mechanism of integration. This approach indicated the importance of certain factors, which had been omitted in the initial assessment. Despite, rejection by the intergovernmental conference, the proposed introduction showed that the Convention's aim was to vitalize the idea of democracy. The democratic constitution of the European Communities was considered unimportant and unnecessary by many scholars who felt that an internal market endorsed individual freedom1. In spite of this, the EU's transformation from purely economic to political cooperation has necessitated such thinking. The Amsterdam Treaty2 has incorporated democracy as a fundamental value into the foundational treaties3. Article 2 of the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe4 (CT) lists democracy as a central value of the Union and Articles 1- 47 buttresses this notion under the title "The Democratic Life of the Union" as representative5 and participatory6 democracy. Although, the necessity of democratic governance is universally recognized its discourse, premises and content are frequently discussed7. The holistic approach is based on society and the assumption that there exists a common good which differs from the aggregate of all individual interests. The subject of legitimacy in the individualist position refers to the individual and hence, the aim of public policy is to promote individual interests. A state-centered collectivist approach deters further integration and limits decision-making to the national parliaments8. Hence, at the European level, the Council of Ministers have to play a vital role and from an individualistic perspective and the European Parliament, which represents the European citizenry is the main organ for obtaining democratic legitimacy9. Foundation. The holistic legitimacy concept justifies the state-centered democratic vision, which states that only national peoples are subjects of legitimacy. Since, minorities accept majority decisions only if the citizenry has a certain national homogeneity, legitimacy has to be derived from national parliaments. Hence, absence of a European demos is a hurdle to further integration. The legitimacy of the state-centered, collectivist approach is dubious as no relationship exists between society and the nation state10, which is independent of a national or homogenous group11 or a cultural, religious or social consensus. Constitutional Treaty and Legitimacy. Article 2 CT lists dignity and individual liberty in the Union's fundamental values with the individualistic concept of democracy being adopted theoretically and it accords center stage to the individual in the European legal order, which is further strengthened by the guarantee of equality prescribed in Articles 2 and 45 CT. These provisions grant European citizens equal rights, rendering mediation of citizen's rights by a state or nation unnecessary. Therefore, the guarantee of liberty and equality exemplify that the European Constitution is based on an individualistic concept of democracy12. Article 1 (1) CT, lists the will of the member states to build a common future beneath

Organizational Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Organizational Culture - Essay Example According to his perspective artifacts, values, and basic assumptions do not reflect separate levels of culture. This perspective tries to link the manifestations of culture to provide a deeper understanding of the overall organizational culture. Therefore, the perspectives of these two authors regarding organizational culture are very different from each other. Changing organizational culture is very significant in an organization’s effort to increase its performance. However, this culture requires continuous changes in order to sustain growth in organization’s performance. Organizational culture can be changed by following four major steps. The first step is undertaking a research on the current organizational culture. The second step is designing a strategy to change the culture while the third step is implementing the strategy designed. The final step of changing the organizational culture is the evaluation of the changes obtained from the strategy. Organizations can undertake changes on their different aspects. The changes are always very closely associated with changes in the organizational culture. This is because organizational culture results to overall change in the organization. Organizational development is regarded as a change in the primary level of organizational aspects of a company. Such changes include changes in both the individual and group level of the employees of the organization. Introduction of new technology in an organization is a challenge to both the management and members. In implementing a new accounting information system, I would begin by researching on various accounting management systems and the benefits of each of the systems. After researching, I would select the most beneficial accounting management system and then communicate to employees about the benefits that the organization would obtain from the new system. Moreover, I would inform them the benefits they can derive from the system and

Speech Audiometry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Speech Audiometry - Essay Example Use of hearing aids of many types and formats can bring normalcy and comfort to patient short fallings relates to listening and recognition of words which may result in improvement of professional capabilities, understanding relationships with others, self-confidence and self-satisfaction. Many researches were conducted in past and still going on for effective detection of primary listening disabilities. Scientists study speech as auditory signal to test new equipment. Since the advent of speech audiometry, it has helped in differentiating hearing aids from one another and so has come to be known as the basic assessment of the ability of hearing. Due to the significance and accuracy of its results; it has also been considered as the foundation in the hearing aid evaluation of the majority of speech. Hence, speech audiometry became the centre of evaluation in audiology and the primary methods used now are the same that were used in the 1920's. The research for speech audiometry has not only been vastly useful but also is revolutionary in regard to the technological advances. Communication ability of a person is considered very important thus, continual research on the subject has been going on for the past 60 years and more. The credit not only goes to the scientists but even to the military investigators, industrial development and clinical audiology researchers. In rel History: In relation to the hearing aid fitting procedure, speech audiometry serves its purpose through assessing the effect of occlusion, analysis of intelligibility, evaluation of quality, and degree of loudness. Comparative hearing aid assessments also used speech audiometry as the main evaluation of performance. In the late 1940s, speech testing started being used for evaluating and differentiating hearing aids due to its advancement speech audiometry quickly became the preferred method to evaluate real-ear hearing aid performance. Speech testing assesses how amply speech is understood. Surveys conducted in the 1970s show that almost 85% of audiologists were using speech testing when fitting hearing aid. But after almost 30 years it was realized that these methods were not reliable enough to secure investment by selecting hearing aids in a large amount of clinical time. As the 1980s rolled on, use of speech audiometry in hearing aid fittings dropped to an exceptionally low level. All this was caused because it was seen that hearing aid dispensing is a much less time consuming process than speech testing and fitting approaches were the ones comprising of functional gain rather than speech audiometry. It also lacked the sensitivity to distinguish small differences on an individual basis in hearing aid performance. The benefits received were limited in regard to the time taken to get to them. Due to the technological advancement of that time, the industry started using in-the-ear hearing aid fittings as they effectively eradicated the comparative hearing aid evaluation approach altogether. Recent Research: Eventually in the 1990s, speech testing was on the whole, rarely used for hearing aid differentiation and aided speech testing was

Family Medical Leave Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Family Medical Leave Act - Essay Example Until 1993, workers were at the mercy of their employer's demands, and would often be forced to resign to accommodate their sick child or ailing parent. Larger workforces usually had some form of a leave of absence, but there was no standardization or legal protection to guarantee that your job would still be waiting for you when you returned. In 1993, President Clinton signed the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) that guaranteed US workers that they would have some amount of legal protection if they are forced to take time off from work to take care of a sick family member, or help a woman through the childbirth period. While the intent of the FMLA is simple enough, there are myriad caveats and regulations that enact the legislation. The 1993 FMLA, and subsequent amendments, have created a law that allows time off to be taken by an immediate family member to care for a sick or injured relative. The time frame allowed is generally 12 weeks, though this may vary in specific situations. Because the law attempts to accommodate a wide range of scenarios, and anticipate the application of the law, it has numerous special provisions and entitlements. The purpose of this paper will be to clearly define the eligibility requirements for FMLA leave. This paper will explain what is required to obtain a leave under FMLA. It will present examples of the proper use of the FMLA, as well as the improper use of the Act. This paper will examine the potential for fraud and abuse under the law, and what is currently done to eliminate or reduce these cases. In addition, it will explain the penalty for abuse, and attempt to reveal why abuse may be difficult to identify and punish. It will accomplish these goals by examining the law fr om the standpoint of the individual as well as the organization. While this paper will strive to be complete, it is recognized that the number of specific rules, regulations, and exceptions makes a full and detailed explanation beyond the scope of this paper. The paper will cover the most widely used, and most common requests that are made to employers by workers that have a family member in need of care. Brief Historical Background The 1993 Act was finally passed and signed into law by President Clinton after two unsuccessful attempts were vetoed by President George Bush SR. in the 101st and 102nd Congresses. A Senate Report from the time noted the "demographic revolution" of the time, as well as the increasing numbers of women in the workforce, the number of adults who care for their parents, and the growing number of single parent families (Lee, 1993, 8). The Senate further contended that these numbers would have "profound consequences for the lives of working men and women and their families" (Lee, 1993, 8). In essence, single parent homes left sick children with no caregiver except the breadwinner, and aging adults that would be left to the mercy of the welfare system. In passing the FMLA in 1993 Congress stated that the Act was to "provide job security as well as a proper balance between work and family life for employees, resulting in increased worker productivity for employers" (Lee, 1993, 9). At the tim e the bill was passed, private employers had "failed to adequately respond to economic and social changes that intensified the tensions between work and