Oral Communication Essays - Communication Studies,

Oral Communication Once viewed as two separate disciplines, business and communication, have now meshed together to produce a hybrid business environment in which the everyday functions of business are intimately tied to communication (Pincus, 1997). Communication in the business world is imperative for success. This holds true for interpersonal communication, communication between management and staff, and for practically every other contact a business has, both within its own establishment and the outside world. Effective communication is critical for the success of any organization. Through the use of proper communication skills, individuals will be better able to function as a group, thus allowing organizations to share information, analyze situations and to set goals (Nelton, 1995). Communicating properly among peers improves an individual's all around skills. The more successfully a business functions the better it enables employees to perform jobs better. Managers pass on information and train subordinates more effectively, and in general a business has a better chance of profiting. In today's turbulent economic environment and rapid technological change, communication is critical in allowing a business to deal with the restructuring of national and international economies, in preventing market saturation, and in allowing a business to deal with their competitors more effectively (Nelton, 1995, PG). Cushman and King (1997) have proposed the ?high speed management? to describe this new b usiness environment. They emphasize the importance of communication in this theory and conclude that: ?In the final analysis it is the innovative, adaptable, flexible, efficient, and rapid use of information and communication which allows an organization to reorient rapidly and successfully in a volatile business environment.? Another very important factor in the changing business environment is that of globalization (Nelton, 1995). It is very evident when we look at the current state of world affairs that our world is becoming a smaller place. We now have overnight delivery of packages, email communication and the ever so popular cellular communication. Globalization and increased international business can be directly attributed to mass media and mass transit. With new technologies such as videophone, Internet chat and Internet meeting rooms the thought of globalization becomes a reality for even the smallest of companies. The concept of globalization sometimes approaches this change as being one which either should or will result in a complete homogenization of culture and the formation of a unified global community. At the very least globalization will result in a number of distinct border cultures, which are hybrids of interacting cultures. What this means is that the savvy business person not only ha s to be prepared to communicate with those of his or her own culture but also with other cultures (Nelton, 1995). Many obvious precipitators of this increased business contact between the world's cultures can be attributed to this globalization phenomenon. One of the reasons is international agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement. The North American Free Trade Agreement was initiated between the United States, Canada, and Mexico on January 1, 1994. This agreement referred to as the ?trade agreement? has had a huge impact on exchange of material and cultural goods between the United States and other nations in North America as well as on the degree of business communication which occurs between these countries. Increased business diversity is not only occurring because of factors such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, it is also occurring because of a greater number of cultures within business itself. Women in the workplace are also making the work force more diversified and increasing the need for more effective communication skills (Nelton, 1995). It is an acknowledged fact that conversational styles and communication skills vary between cultures and genders (Nelton, 1995). It has been noted regarding the increased business contact between cultures as a result of globalization; increased diversity in the workplace itself, whether through the presence of an increased number of cultures or through the presence of a greater number of women; businesses must now devote greater amounts of effort toward communication in recognition of the different communication styles which exist (Nelton, 1995). Deborah Tannen, author of ?Talking from Nine to Five? states: ?Each individual has a unique style, influenced by a personal history of many influences such as geographic region, ethnicity, class, sexual

The Function and Location of the Brainstem

The Function and Location of the Brainstem The brainstem is the region of the brain that connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord. It consists of the midbrain, medulla oblongata, and the pons. Motor and sensory neurons travel through the brainstem allowing for the relay of signals between the brain and the spinal cord. Most  cranial nerves  are found in the brainstem. The brainstem coordinates motor control signals sent from the ​brain to the body. This brain region also controls life supporting autonomic functions of the peripheral nervous system. The fourth cerebral ventricle is located in the brainstem, posterior to the pons and medulla oblongata. This  cerebrospinal fluid-filled ventricle is continuous with the cerebral aqueduct and the central canal of the spinal cord. Function In addition to linking the cerebrum and spinal cord, the brainstem also connects the cerebrum with the cerebellum. The cerebellum is important for regulating functions such as movement coordination, balance, equilibrium, and muscle tone. It is positioned above the brainstem and beneath the occipital lobes of the cerebral cortex. Nerve tracts traveling through the brainstem relay signals from the cerebellum to areas of the cerebral cortex that are involved in motor control. This allows for the coordination of fine motor movements needed for activities such as walking or playing video games. The brainstem also controls several important functions of the body including: AlertnessArousalBreathingBlood pressure controlDigestionHeart rateOther autonomic functionsRelays information between the peripheral nerves and spinal cord to the upper parts of the brain Location Directionally, the brainstem is located at the juncture of the cerebrum and the spinal column. It is anterior to the cerebellum. Brainstem Structures The brainstem is composed of the midbrain and portions of the hindbrain, specifically the pons and medulla. A major function of the midbrain is to connect the three major brain divisions: forebrain, midbrain, and  hindbrain. Major structures of the midbrain include the tectum and cerebral peduncle. The tectum is composed of rounded bulges of brain matter that are involved in visual and auditory reflexes. The cerebral peduncle consists of large bundles of nerve fiber tracts that connect the forebrain to the hindbrain. The hindbrain is composed of two subregions known as the metencephalon and myelencephalon. The metencephalon is composed of the pons and cerebellum. The pons assists in the regulation  of breathing, as well as states of sleep and arousal. The cerebellum relays information between muscles and the  brain. The myelencephalon consists of the medulla oblongata and functions to connect the spinal cord with higher brain regions. The medulla also helps to regulate autonomic functions, such as breathing and blood pressure. Brainstem Injury Injury to the brainstem caused by trauma or stroke can lead to difficulties with mobility and movement coordination. Activities such as walking, writing, and eating become difficult and the individual may require life-long treatment. Stroke that occurs in the brainstem causes the destruction of brain tissue that is needed for the direction of vital body functions such as respiration, heart rhythm, and swallowing. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is disrupted, most commonly by a blood clot. When the brainstem is damaged, signals between the brain and the rest of the body are disrupted. Brainstem stroke can cause problems with breathing, heart rate, hearing, and speech. It may also cause paralysis of the arms and legs, as well as numbness in the body or on one side of the body. Sources Murphy, Andrew. Brainstem. Dr. Jeremy Jones, Radiopaedia, 2005. Pietrangelo, Ann. Brain Stem Stroke. Healthline, May 23, 2018.

Reviseing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reviseing - Essay Example It is imperative that an individual would be able to survive the fight of this life on his own without the companionship of any friends who would share their heart out with him. It is essential that trusted individuals be part of a person’s company in order to enable him to survive this world. God himself promoted the companionship of individuals by befriending the lonely Adam with Eve (Fairchild). Before her arrival Adam was the only man that existed in the world. It was their friendship that led to the prosperity of human race as a whole in the times to come. Friendships could come at stake due to a number of factors. Glick & Rose have mentioned in their work that â€Å"youths with peer relationship problems are at risk for maladjustment. Likewise, social skills deficits could contribute to problems in friendships† (Glick & Rose, p.1117). The statement mentioned above narrates a very strong fact. It emphasizes that socializing is the key to prosperity not only for the personal needs of an individual but also for him to be able to survive in the corporate world out there. Establishment of friendly relations with peers often results in confidence building eventually leading to achievement of success in whatever fields concerned. If a person befriends an individual who does not belong to his native cultural and ethnic background it is very likely that such a happening may result in the broadening of that individual’s perspectives and may become a source of increase in his knowledge. Cross cultural friendships are often a source of an entry into a whole new world. These friendships often develop at the basic levels of elementary school. Studies suggest that cross cultural friendships assist students greatly if they are formed those relationships during middle school (McGlothlin, Edmonds, & Killen, p.424). Moreover, â€Å"Children,

The Concepts of Moral Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Concepts of Moral Development - Assignment Example The concept of Kohlberg’s moral development is explained in 3 levels and each level is classified into two stages. STAGE 1: â€Å"Wrong or immoral actions are determined by punishments†.   Example: Punctuality is considered an important aspect of the performance evaluation of an employee. The employee that comes late to the office is considered as wrong action and employee gets punishment on such actions. Generally, salary deduction is the punishment for late timings. Here the salary deduction is indicating that coming late is considered as an immoral action in the company.      STAGE 2: â€Å"Right actions are determined by rewards†. Example: According to Kohlberg’s view, rewards are the justification of the employee’s good performance in the company. Sales employee in the company is rewarded with extra benefits when he or she makes more than a sales target. In this case, extra benefits are rewards for efficient performance.      STAGE 3: â€Å"Good behavior is the reflection of good intentions† Example: Employee realizes that drinking alcohol in the office during the lunch timings is an immoral action because it decreases the efficiency and productivity at the workplace. Employee’s positive concerned behavior towards work efficiency is the justification of his/her good intentions for the company.      STAGE 4: Compliance to authority, Significance of â€Å"doing one’s duty†. Example: Human resource employee is against the firing of production labor but he/she decided not to protest in the company without the permission of management. The sense of obedience to the authority of HR employee is justifying that he/she is maintaining social order. STAGE 5: â€Å"Recognizing that rules can be changed in order to adapt differences in moral and legal rights†. Example: Sometimes it can be seen that organizations perform activities like tax evasion, so the employee realizes that this should be change and organization should pay taxes to the government to encourage the application of equal distribution of wealth in the country.      STAGE 6: â€Å"Considering every Individual’s view based on conscience regarding any moral decision†. Example: A person refuses to obey the law of the society which treats a major portion of the population as second-class citizens.

Service quality management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Service quality management - Research Paper Example Online banking, for instance provide customers with an enhanced way of running financial processes and the rapid use of mobile payment reduce the needs for carrying cash. However, most of the times banks back office have thousands of employees that are handling customer requests. This traditional way of executing customer requests is costly and slow, lead to delays in handling customer’s needs and it contains higher error rate. In our research, it was obvious that the chance for automating the back office operations is exists. By redesigning the IT-infrastructure, banks will be able to provide the same financial services with smaller operational divisions running value-adding responsibilities, such as deal originating, loan requests, and any financial process that might require human involvement such as financial reviews. In this report, we will examine and analyze the processes of providing financial services to customers in Dubai. XYZ bank is facing a lot of quality issues i n providing financial services to its customers. The process is taking long time, for example, sometimes the verification process is delayed for 7 days, and the bank is suffering the high cost of its back office. Service Quality Role in Improving Quality of Services in the Banking Industry: A Case of XYZ Bank Recent years has witnessed tremendous changes in the business world which have presented serious challenges to the performance of businesses. These changes have been attributed to a number of factors including increasing customers and shareholders’ expectations, technological advancements and increased competition among other factors (Kotler and Keller, 2006, p. 23). The banking industry is one of the industries that have been greatly impacted by the changes in the business world and particularly the technological advancements. Service quality is one of the areas that many banks have focused on in an effort to gain competitive advantage over their rivals. Service quality is defined as the sum effect of service performances that are essential in determining the level or degree of satisfaction of a particular user of the services being offered or provided (Harvey, 2008, p. 584). Quality is viewed as what the customer perceives of a certain delivered service by a particular service provider. Service quality can thus be said to be the comparison that a customer makes between his expectations with the service provider’s performance. Banks use the service quality tool to improve their employees’ productivity and customer satisfaction (David, 2001, p. 86). This paper will investigate the role that service quality plays in improving quality of services in the banking industry by looking at a case of the XYZ bank. It will look at the key issues of the bank, their consequences and how the bank is dealing with these issues. Service quality is a critical determinant and prerequisite of competitiveness for creating and sustaining satisfying relati onship between service provider and the customers (Wang and Wang, 2006, p. 4). It is thus an important indicator and measure of customer satisfaction and organization therefore needs to pay more attention to service quality that can lead an organization to gain a lasting competitive advantage. Banks have wildly employed service quality as a tool of evaluating performance of their service (Berry and Zeithami, 2009, p. 45). The advent of internet has incredibly

River Pattern Classification System

River Pattern Classification System Abstract A new empirical river pattern classification system is established based on the generalization of the famous Darcy-Weisbach equation. A parameter ψ for representing river shape is derived and defined as the river pattern discriminant criteria. After transformation, the discriminant thresholds are expressed as dimensionless form relating the resistance factor to the relative roughness factor of the channel, which reflect the channel slope, sediment size, bank strength and channel geometry integrated. Adopting the most promising discriminant mode that combines both regime theory and linear stability theory, a threshold function is used to separate single-thread channels (including straight and meandering) from multi-thread channels, and another one is employed to distinguish stable and unstable multi-thread channels (i.e., anabranching and braided) in this paper. A novel bank strength impact factor (ÃŽ ¼) is proposed herein and turns out to be rather representative. Some channel pat terns are redefined using this method and proved to be reasonable enough. Analysis of various data sets reveals that riparian vegetation condition is a sensitive part of this classification system, in particular for single-thread channels, but not braided channels, because overlarge width-depth ratio(W/d) would have strongly weaken this impact. Moreover, we support that transient anabranching or braiding pattern could also occur in single-thread typical zone following external disturbance, but would eventually go back dynamic equilibrium state. Despite some construction mechanism shortcomings, our discriminant method is supported by the selected existing data sets and could effectively distinguish three distinct types of channels by just a few hydrodynamic parameters. Keywords: river pattern; Darcy-Weisbach equation; river shape; bank strength 1 Introduction River pattern reveals the physical geometry and dynamic behavioral process of a river system (Schumm, 1985; Nanson and Knighton, 1996). It is well understood that an alluvial channel could adjust itself to the ever-changing water flow and sediment conditions. Thus river patterns could exhibit a series of continuous variations, described as straight, meandering and braided patterns in tradition (Leopold and Wolman, 1957). It is pretty necessary to distinguish several distinct types of channels for better understanding the consistent changing progresses of river channels in different environment conditions. Numerous classification schemes using discriminant functions have been proposed, based on a set of typical properties, such as discharge, channel slope, width-depth ratio, sediment grain size, etc. Noteworthy is that the still least well-known multi-thread river pattern, anabranching pattern, has been attracting considerable attention (e.g., Schumm, 1981, 1985; Nanson and Knighton, 1996; Wende and Nanson, 1998; Tooth and Nanson, 1999; Burge, 2006; Eaton et al., 2010; Kleinhans and van den Berg, 2011). It makes great contribution to the diversity of river systems (Wende and Nanson, 1998). Then based on tradition, following the popular discriminant mode and developing a novel river pattern discriminant method comprise the focus of this paper, and lead to the capture of different channel patterns, including single-thread, anabranching and braided. Many early empirical attempts used Leopold and Wolman (1957)’s method as base model, to improve understanding quantitative process of rive pattern transformation. Most of them focused on the critical discharge to construct discriminant function, later also included critical channel slope and bed grain size (Henderson, 1963; Millar, 2000). For a given bankfull discharge, braided usually corresponds to increased slope, while which in turn usually result in stronger sand transport rate, increased bank erosion and coarser bed surface sediment (Eaton et al., 2010). Due to powerful impediment that almost all channel properties have been varying desultorystrickly or methodically with flow progression downstream, some newly threshold schemes successively appear on related research hotspot topics, of which critical specific stream power(Nanson and Croke, 1992; Van den Berg, 1995; Lewin and Brewer, 2001; Petit et al., 2005) is outstanding. It can be viewed as a potential status with max imum flow energy and minimum sinuosity condition (Van den Berg, 1995). The classification between braided and meandering channels with high sinuosity in unconfined alluvial floodplains is well acceptable. But the argument about it also exists all the while. Lewin and Brewer (2001) argued that the analysis of potential bankfull stream power and grain size by Van den Berg (1995) is virtually ineffective; the classification of river pattern should not be limited to obtain an all-sided discriminant method, but the thresholds integrated with patterning process domain. Petit et al. (2005) conducted experiments on different sized rivers and concluded that critical specific stream power is the smallest for the largest river, while turns to the higher value in intermediate rivers, then becomes the highest in head water streams. The reasons are down to the bedform’s larger resistance that consumes energy for bedload transport. Recently, Kleinhans (2010) emphasized that channel pattern is directly bound up with the presence of bars. Then, Kleinhans and van den Berg (2011) combined the empirical stream power-based discrimination method and a physics-based bar pattern prediction method to undertake bold exploration about the underlying reasons of different river channel patterns. It was found that the range of specific potential stream power is rather narrow in gravel-bed meandering channel due to nonlinearity of sediment transport; anabranching channel is irrelevant to stream power but subject to additional factors such as bank strength, lateral confinement, avulsion, and vertical morphodynamics change; river pattern can actually be defined by bar pattern, channel division number, and bifurcation condition. The features common in empirical methods are that more is based on statistical correlation derivation, less to clearly expound inherent processes for discriminating river pattern. These models may really be questioned about application to broader scope, due to original data restrictions. Considering the shortcomings, many researchers have been contributing to develop physically based theories, and explore the relationship variables controlling river evolution process and pattern. Leading theories are regime theory and linear stability models. Rational regime model is developed for predicting reach-averaged channel pattern response to the controlled environment variables in equilibrium, such as width-depth ratio, relative roughness and channel slope (Eaton et al., 2004). This concept employs optimization theory to achieve relative stability of the fluvial system by assessing the resistance and energy expenditure, meanwhile adjusting channel geometry to given flow conditions (Valentine et al., 2001; Huang et al., 2004). It has been proved much more successful than statistical empirical equations in predicting the variation of width and slope along downstream area and helping understanding the influence of bank stability on channel geometry (Chew and Ashmore, 2001; Millar and Eaton, 2011). While, linear stability models are used for discriminating river pattern which based on physically morphodynamic equations. This theory explains that meandering is formed along with bend instability from planimetric perturbation (van Dijk et al., 2012). As perturbation propagates downstream, pattern transition towards braided occurs associated with multiple bars. In addition, this theoretical method could predict the threshold that bifurcation occurs by width-depth ratio (W/d) (Parsons et al., 2007; Crosato and Mosselman, 2009). A significant disadvantage in this theory is that we cannot establish a typical relationship about channel geometries, such as slope with discharge and sediment size, only if the channel dimensions have been obtained (Eaton et al., 2010). However, when combining regime theory with linear stability models, means that morphodynamic condition and fluvial system stability are together considered to describe pattern transition progress, has recently been given particular attention, represented by Eaton (Eaton and Church, 2004; Eaton, 2006; Eaton et al., 2004, 2010). In this paper, we attempt to develop a physical based classification system combining regime theory and linear stability theory, just like Eaton et al. (2010). A threshold could be used to distinguish single-thread and stable multi-thread channels, and another one could be used to distinguish stable and unstable multi-thread channels, from a stability perspective. However, when rereading the original work by Eaton et al. (2010), some limitations of subjectivity becomes clear that a threshold value of W/d =50 originally recommended for discriminating braided channels was employed to derive bifurcation criteria, and the number of channel divisions exceeding four was subjectively assumed as the beginning of system instability. We hold that this treatment should be regarded warily due to lack of absolute objective stability or instability criterion in fact. We turn in another new way. The famous Darcy-Weisbach equation (Weisbach, 1848; Darcy, 1857) is generalized from artificial rectangular channel case to natural alluvial channel cases and expressed as functions of assumed river shape parameter, resistance factor and relative roughness factor. A relevant scatter diagram reveals that several typical channel patterns correspond to differentiable distribution mode. Based on strictly fitting, river shape parameter is determined and defined as river pattern discrimination criterion. After transformation, we develop a new dimensionless style threshold for distinguishing different river patterns. Then the classification system based on two dimensionless threshold equations is established. However, it is also, by necessary, practically restricted to certain subjectivity, especially the judgment of system instability. Considering the data fitting dependency, this method may be better treated as an empirical method.

Sir Thomas More Essay example -- essays research papers

Thomas More In life, belief can be a very powerful thing, powerful enough to affect major choices. Believing is having faith in an idea, person, thing or religion. In Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons, Sir Thomas More made many important choices the were affected by a belief in the religious theory that the Pope is the "Vicar of God" (the descendant of St. Peter, and our only link to Christ.) Throughout Mores entire life he chose to be loyal this belief, even thought it cost him his life in 1535. More chose to go against the King's divorce of Catherine, and marry of Anne. He chose to not sign to oath for the act of Succession, and towards the end of the play More was put to the ultimate test in faith, choose to go against his belief or be executed. Sir Thomas More chose always to be against the King divorce to Catherine of Aragon. He shows this when Cardinal Woolsey summons him to attend a matter concerning the "Kings business". In their meeting the topic of the Kings re-marriage is what the Cardinal wanted to talk to More about, When Woolsey says "...that thing out there is at least fertile, Thomas". More shows that he is against the divorce by saying "But she's not his wife". More again shows his beliefs that a dispensation was given so that Henry could marry Catherine and Thomas knows that the Pope will not give a dispensation on a dispensation. More believes that the Pope should make the decision about the divorce. And More ...

Founding Fathers

When you think of the Founding Fathers, the common names George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin often come to mind. What many people don't realize, is there were many more significant people besides them that helped make America free and independent. Even more than this, there were many women and minorities that contributed to this change. The women and minorities males that I am going to talk about in this paper show true drive, determination, and passion. These people prove that it doesn't matter what your gender or race is for you to make a difference and have extraordinary triumphs.There were countless women throughout history whose actions and sacrifices helped to establish our independence. The first story of these brave women is about Molly Pitcher in the Revolutionary War. From a young age, Mary Ludwig, nicknamed Molly, had wanted to be a soldier. This goal was looked down upon in girls, and would have been expected from a man or boy. She grew up on a farm , and in any weather condition, would be found outside working hard. This sense of determination gave Molly strength, and the ability to do whatever she attempted quickly and efficiently.Wanting to utilize this quality usefully, she went to live with a family friend, assisting her in household work. Molly then learned how to use her hand for anything, but her need for helping was not yet fulfilled. Molly eventually married a comrade, John Hayes, who joined the Continental army when the battle of Lexington began. Proudly, Molly stood by her husband excited that he was able to serve his country. On January 3, 1777, the Continental army fought the British at Trenton, loosing thirty men, and then retreating to Morristown, New Jersey.When she was aware of this, she went to the fields to make sure there were no hurt men. Unfortunately, she found a wounded soldier, but was able to nurse him back to health. When June occurred, temperatures began to rise, scorching the fighters. Because of t he heat and long hours of fighting on June 28, 1778, many of the man's tongues became swollen, and their bodies became exhausted. Molly decided to spend her time through the blistering heat going back and forth carrying water to the soldiers. â€Å"Molly Pitcher! † was a frequent exclamation they would say, thankful to see the water.The heat did get to her husband, causing him to pass out, but Molly was right by his side to help him in any way possible. Since her husband was not able to use the cannon, Molly took his place, loading and firing the gunner. The courageous acts displayed by Molly played an important part of the soldiers' victory. General Washington praised her, and even awarded her â€Å"one of his gallant men†. Sticking by her husband's side, fighting for him when he couldn't, and even bringing water for the thirsty soldiers were valiant acts Molly portrayed.Molly was a prominent part in this battle and earned a spot in American history. One year later an other brave female helped gain America its independence, Penelope Barker. Back in their time, women were expected to stay home, cook, clean, and take care of their family. Penelope lived with her husband in North Carolina. Unlike how female were supposed to act, Penelope had a mind of her own and was interested and engaged in politics. Even though her husband was an agent of the English crown, Penelope believed that England had gone too far with the Tea Act of 1773.Once she learned about the Boston Tea Party, Penelope decided to have her own. Door to door Penelope went speaking with and convincing other women to boycott all British tea and clothing. Penelope was able to convince fifty other women to attend a meeting he held on October 25, 1774. By the end of the meeting, they wrote a letter proclaiming about their boycott, signed it, and published it in a London newspaper. The better known Boston Tea Party was conducted by men, wearing costumes to protect their identity, yet she rej ected the notion of hiding and instead made it public.Penelope Barker went on to say, â€Å"Maybe it has only been men who have protested the king up to now. That only means we women have taken too long to let our voices be heard. We are signing our names to a document, not hiding ourselves behind costumes like the men in Boston did at their tea party. The British will know who we are. † This turned into the first women’s political activity in colonial American History. She took a stand in what she believed in and did something about it. Once this reached the newspaper in London, it received a lot of negative feedback.The crown did not take the women colonists seriously, and many citizens laughed at their attempts. Because women's views on matters politic were not considered worthy of consideration, the British laughed and their cartoonist's had a fun day being able to make fun of them. Others called the women bad mothers or â€Å"loose† women. This shortly stop ped though, when other women in the colonies started to boycott the goods and listening to what these ladies had to say. More and more people started to join and boycott which eventually got the crown’ attention.Although this movement may not seem like a huge deal, we have Penelope Barker to thank for advancing the cause of women’s rights to engage in politics, and gaining more independence. Stepping out of the norm, and doing what you believe is right is the most courageous act. By making a petition and boycott, Penelope was able to bring attention to something that wasn’t right with America. Sybil Ludington is the next American female hero on the list. It was 1977 and America was fighting with England to claim our independence. As she was lying in bed, she was wishing there was something she could do to help the cause.She already used spun wool instead of England’s fabric, and refused to drink the English tea. Sybil felt as if that was all women were do ing, and she wanted to do more. From outside she heard someone yelling, â€Å"Colonel Ludington! Colonel Ludington! The British are burning Danbury, Sir! You must gather your men and march against the British! † Sybil’s father then said that their supplies were in Danbury, so all their weapons would be destroyed and they would need to muster the men. Sybil already knew that the men in her father’s militia lived in farms scattered all over the country, being released from their duty to spring plant.They needed to be called out to form their fighting unit. Sybil offered to help and to go get the men since she knew the roads but her father said that it would be far too dangerous, that she could be attacked. As she pleaded that she really wanted to help, that there was no one else to do it her father saw the determination and strength in her and let her go. As Sybil started to leave on her horse, Star, the sky was bright red, meaning the British were currently burni ng Danbury. Her father gave her detailed instructions right before she left to take a stick and knock on the men’s farmhouse doors with it.He also told her to go as far south as Mahopac Falls and then north to Stromyville. Finally she was off, and started at Alder place charging up to the farmhouses, yelling that the British were burning Danbury and where to meet. As Sybil went from farmhouse to farmhouse it was also continuously raining, resulting in her getting drenched. Also at one point she had to fight off a â€Å"highway man†. Finally, she reached all of her destinations, a distance of 40 miles and gathered all 400 men to her father. At the time Sybil Ludington was only 16 years old.Her sense of stability, audacity, and determination was enough to get 400 of her father’s men to fight in the war. If it wasn’t for her, there would be no men, and America would have lost the war. Sybil significantly impacted the result of that war, which is what caused us to become free. The last female who helped participate in the Revolutionary War and earn America independence was Deborah Sampson. From a young age, she learned to work hard because her father died, and her mother sent her away to work on a farm. Deborah was best known for her eagerness to learn, begging her new family to teach her anything the boys knew.One of her passions was to help the men in the Revolutionary War, although this seemed impossible because girls were not allowed to fight. Disregarding that rule, Deborah dressed up like a man called â€Å"Robert† and became a soldier at the age of 19. Her dedication, braveness, and willingness to sign up for dangerous missions, made the other soldiers proud of her, and landed her a spot to be an aide for the general. When Deborah was sent to West Point, New York, she got wounded in the leg. She didn't tell anyone and tended the wounds herself so no one would find out her secret.After serving another eighteen months and a few battles at West Point, she was wounded again, and her identity was discovered by the doctor. On October 25, 1783, Deborah was â€Å"honorably discharged† from the army. Although this was discouraging, she received a letter from Paul Revere , granting her a pension. On January 20, 1792, Massachusetts General Court recognized Deborah as a hero. They decided that she did â€Å"perform the duty of a soldier† and exhibited extraordinary heroism. It didn't matter what gender, Deborah Sampson was a faithful, gallant soldier that impacted America in a huge way.Besides just women who helped in making America independent and free, there were minorities. The actions of black men for our nation’s founding have often been ignored. There were many slaves who joined the army to gain their freedom, but there were thousands of other African Americans who served America just because it was the right thing to do and we as a nation needed it. These hero’s deeds are no le ss important than any white man’s deeds. They have also fought and died, held office, wrote in support of independence, and led their communities. There were many black men, about 12,00- 15,00 that became soldiers in the American Revolution.They fought in an integrated army. By 1779, fifteen percent of the Continental Army was black, getting to fight in the first Battle of Lexington and Concord, and the last battle at Yorktown. Besides integrated units, there were three all black units: Rhode Island First regiment, the Black Bucks of America, and Volunteer Chasseurs. Caesar Augustus was enlisted in the Continental Army at the age of 14. He was of mixed race and from Dorchester, Massachusetts. Augustus was able to serve the entire length of the war. For the first two years he spent in the service of an officer but then he reenlisted to be able to fight.Although Augustus didn’t do anything extraordinary, he was an African American who fought in the war, and eventually di ed fighting for our country. Another African American was Cyrus Bustill. He was born in 1732, with his father being a lawyer but his mother being a slave. Since the child takes the mother’s job, he had to be a slave. Cyrus was trained how to bake and once he got his freedom at the age of 36, he helped out by making bread for the solider. It was something that the soldiers during the American Revolution needed. George Washington even gave his a silver piece and commended him for his service.Cyrus also became a member of the Free African Society. Next was Prince Hall. He was the slave of William Hall, a Boston Family. A month after the Boston Massacre, he was freed by his master and worked as a peddler, caterer and leather dresser. He eventually served in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Hall was able to supply leather drum heads to the Continental Army. Before the war even began he joined the British Army Lodge of Masons, and once the British retreated they took over. It was the fir st African America Lodge, and was named after Hall. He became one of Boston’s most prominent citizens and a leader in the black community.Prince Hall was able to speak out against slavery and the rights of blacks. Because of the lack of schools for black children, he set one up in his own home. He also in 1797 spoke out against violence. â€Å" How, at such times, are we shamefully abused, and that to such a degree, that we may truly be said to carry our lives in our hands, and the arrows of death are flying about our heads†¦tis not for want of courage in you, for they know that they dare not face you man for man, but in a mob, which we despise†¦Ã¢â‚¬  During a harsh winter at Valley Forge, there was a new regiment created, the Rhode Island First.This was made up of all African Americans, 125 men, some were free and some were enslaved. Their first fight was at the Battle of Newport in 1778, resulting in the Continental Army forcing to retreat. The regiment put its elf between the retreating Americans and the British and were able to hold the line when the British attacked, causing the British to have many casualties. These men’s bravery helped save many lives not only there, but in other battles like the Battle of Croton River. Eventually, there was a statue in honor of the Black soldiers. It read, â€Å"?When the Constitution of the United States was framed, colored men voted in a majority of these States; they voted in the State of New York, in Pennsylvania, in Massachusetts, in Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware and North Carolina; and long after the adoption of the Constitution, they continued to vote in North Carolina and Tennessee also. The Constitution of the United States makes no distinction of color. † These men that I have mentioned above risked their own lives to help make America free. Sometimes when we hear the big named, popular people, we tend to forget about everyone else that was involved. Top of F orm

ATTACKS ON THE INSANITY DEFENSE Essays - Criminal Defenses

ATTACKS ON THE INSANITY DEFENSE Essays - Criminal Defenses ATTACKS ON THE INSANITY DEFENSE The insanity defense refers to that branch of the concept of insanity which defines the extent to which men accused of crimes may be relieved of criminal responsibility by virtue of mental disease. The terms of such a defense are to be found in the instructions presented by the trial judge to the jury at the close of a case. These instructions can be drawn from any of several rules used in the determination of mental illness. The final determination of mental illness rests solely on the jury who uses information drawn from the testimony of "expert" witnesses, usually professionals in the field of psychology. The net result of such a determination places an individual accordingly, be it placement in a mental facility, incarceration, or outright release. Due to these aforementioned factors, there are several problems raised by the existence of the insanity defense. Problems such as the actual possibility of determining mental illness, justifiable placement of judged "mentally ill" offe nders, and the overall usefulness of such a defense. In all, I believe that these problems, as well as others which will be mentioned later, lead us to the conclusion that the insanity defense is useless and should be abolished entirely. Insanity is a legal, not a medical definition. Therefore, mental illness and insanity are not synonymous: only some mental illness constitutes insanity. Insanity, however, includes not only mental illness but also mental deficiencies. Due to this, there are problems in exactly how to apply a medical theory to a legal matter (Herman, 1983;128). The legal concepts of mental illness and insanity raise questions in a conflict between what are termed legalistic criminology and scientific criminology: mens rea, punishment v. treatment, responsibility, and prisons v. hospitals. This debate seesaws to and fro amidst a grey area between law and science. The major difficulty with a theory such as mental illness is that it is just that, a theory. To scientists theories are a way of life, but applied to the concept of law theories become somewhat dangerous. By applying a loose theory such as mental illness to law we are in essence throwing the proverbial "monkey wrench" into the wheels of justic e. TESTING FOR INSANITY At the center of the legal use of insanity lies the mens rea. Every crime involves a physical act, or actus reus, and a mental act, or mens rea, the non-physical cause of behavior. The mens rea is the mental element required for a crime, and if absent excuses the defendant from criminal responsibility and punishment (Jeffery, 1985;49). The difficulty here lies in analyzing the mens rea. In order to do this lawyers apply one of several rules used by psychologists. These rules range from the Irresistible Impulse Test to the M'Naghten Rule. Each of these rules approach mental illness/capacity in a different way and in my opinion each falls short of actual proof. I will discuss each in detail. The M'Naghten Rule The M'Naghten Rule, also known as the right-wrong test, arose in 1843 during the trial of Daniel M'Naghten who argued that he was not criminally responsible for his actions because he suffered from delusions at the time of the killing. The M'Naghten Rule reads: A defendant may be excused from criminal responsibility if at the time of the commission of the act the party accused was laboring under such a defect of reason, from a disease of the mind, as not to know the nature and the quality of the act he was doing, or if he did know it, that he did not know that he was doing what was wrong. Thus, according to the rule, a person is basically insane if he or she is unable to distinguish between right and wrong as a result of some mental disability. Criticism of the M'Naghten Rule has come from both legal and medical professions. Many criticize that the test is unsound in its view of human psychology. Psychiatry, it is argued, views the human personality as an integrated entity, not divisible into separate compartments of reason, emotion, or volition (Herman, 1983;138). Additionally, the test is criticized for defining responsibility solely in terms of cognition. While cognitive symptoms may reveal disorder, they alone are not

The Old Man and the Sea essays

The Old Man and the Sea essays The main theme of Hemmingway's The Old Man and the Sea, is not an easy one to pick out. At first glance the book seems to simply be a story about a guy who goes out and battles with a fish. However, there has to be some underling theme. It could be the relationship between a boy and a man, and how both are treated by nature. This is illustrated by the boy's parents not allowing him to continue with the unlucky old man. It is also shown by the success the boy had and the failure the old man experienced after their parting. Still through all of this the boy remembers how well the old man treated him and does everything he can for the old man. On the whole, I liked this book. It was written in relatively easy to follow language, yet Hemmingway was still able to convey unbelievable images of picturesque settings in the reader's mind. There is also an interesting use of dialog, not only between the boy and the old man, but especially with the old man talking to himself. This is something I really haven't seen used that extensively. I think Hemmingway used this to fill in the parts of the story where the old man is simply at a stalemate with the fish, when he is just sitting there being pulled around the ocean. The one thing I didn't understand about this one sided conversation was the constant reference to Joe DiMaggio. I don't know if this was simply a tribute to a great ball player, or some kind of historical reference that I just didn't get. The pace and general flow of the story was good. There were a few times during the struggle where the action all but disappeared, but on the whole there was almost always something happening. The plot was also pretty simple and easy to follow. Another quality of this book which I have seen in others I have previously read was the complete lack of a male-female love subplot. As I have said before, this ofte ...

Does the Use of Ombudsmen, Tribunals and ADR Give the Citizen a Better Essay

Does the Use of Ombudsmen, Tribunals and ADR Give the Citizen a Better Solution for Settling Disputes Than Using the Courts - Essay Example This paper therefore addresses the significance of the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), Ombudsman and Tribunals in justice systems of the world.   Importance of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) In some countries, ADR is also referred to as external dispute resolution (EDR). It is found in countries such as Australia and encompasses dispute resolution techniques and processes that act as an enabling means for parties in disagreement to reach an amicable agreement. ADR is therefore an alternative system to a formal litigation. It encompasses resolving civil and communal disputes without involving the judicial process that involves court processes (Anderson1998, pp 113-128), although ADR has been a subject of heavy criticisms, the system has over the recent years gained popularity as well as acceptance among members of the bar and the general public. For example, some established courts now call for some parties to seek the services of ADR, mostly mediation before comm itting the cases to full trial in formal courts. The ever-increasing popularity of ADR may be partly attributed to the piling of cases in formal courts and the general perception that the system is cheaper as opposed to litigation. It is also widely believed that ADR upholds confidentiality. As is the case, the judiciary in some developed nations such as England has endorsed the system as it encourages mediation in settling disputes. ADR involves processes of mediation, negotiation, collaboration and arbitration and at times conciliation which as per now may fully be taken as a form of mediation. The system can satisfactorily be used alongside other legal systems, most notably the Sharia courts that falls within the jurisdictions of the common law as found in countries such as Australia (Anderson1998, pp 113-128), Mediation as one of the vital processes of ADR involves enlisting of a non-partisan third party to assist in the resolution of disputes.  Such a person is expected to pr ovide necessary ways for reaching a compromise. Arbitration on the other hand may be argued to be the most formal as far as the methods are concerned in settling of disputes without necessarily involving the courts.   Arbitration refers to a method where the parties involved in a dispute pass their concerns to an impartial party, who is mandated to come up with an impartial verdict on their behalf.   The judgment  passed is considered final and legally binding to both feuding parties.   The benefit of arbitration is that the agreement to carry it out can be made at any given moment. The involved parties can also strike a compromise on the number of arbitrators to preside over the dispute.   The parties also have the mandate of appointing an experienced expert in the field.   The hearings regarding arbitration can take so many forms paper arbitration, which compels the feuding parties to submit all their concerns to the arbitrator through writing. The arbitrator then stud ies the submissions before making a decision.   Transparency and objectivity is upheld as the parties have the right to request for a hearing that they appear as well as their witnesses if any (Slapper & Kelly 2004, pp 26-43). Is there justice in Tribunals? The establishment of tribunals anywhere in world has raised more eyebrows than praises. This relates to their intentions and goals in addition to statutory

Principles of Semiotics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Principles of Semiotics - Essay Example As language with its signs and symbols is a sign, then to many it is linguistics. So, semiotics is a complex subject studying everything that is expressed under the sky. It is no doubt that Saussure, a famous linguist, is one of the early developers of semiotics. Roland Barthes, Greimas, Julia Kristeva, Jakobson are important in modern semiotics. In its course of development, semiotics had close ties with linguistics, structuralism and social psychology. Structuralism looks at language as a set of signs. They explored the underlying structures beneath the language. Modern Semiotics strives to relate signs and their meaning to their social context and situates itself in the wider perspective offered by social semiotics. It is closely allied to Marxist theory in its social concerns. Semiology aims to take in any system of signs, whatever their substance and limits; images, gestures, musical sounds, objects, and the complex associations of all of these, which form the content of ritual, convention or public entertainment: these constitute, if not languages, at least systems of signification. (Barthes 1967, 9) Acknowledging Barthes idea of signs, semiotics concerns itself with everything that can be considered as a sign, according to Umberto Eco. Sign is anything that signifies something else. ‘Signify’ is very important in Semiotics. As Daniel says, â€Å"n a semiotic sense, signs take the form of words, images, sounds, gestures and objects†. It could be a study of signs in the social, personal or philosophical context. It could be read from Feminist, Marxist or Sociologist perspective. To put in other words, a sign... is something which stands to somebody for something in some respect or capacity (Peirce 1931-58, 2.228). Print and other media advertisements can be read closely to reveal themes and trends in the permutations and combinations of signs. It also gives clue of the readers and the advertisers. The