A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay Example for Free

A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay We watched two different versions of Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream. The first version we watched was from the BBC. This version showed the dream world mixed in with reality, which was quite good. The second version of this play was by channel 4. This was a little less detailed as it showed the forest with lights hanging down. The accents of the actors in the first version were hard to understand because they were from all over England. The first version was also hard to understand because the actors did not use very good body language. The first version also good in the way that it made its forest so life like, well as in the second version it was plain and had doorways in the middle from where people came from. The language use was easier to understand than the second version because the actors used more present English rather than old Shakespeare language. I think that the second version we watched was more suited to children rather than adults because it contained childish humour. When Puck gave Bottom a donkeys head it looked quite unrealistic in the first version because it looked like a rabbit. In the second version Bottoms ass head was good because it actually looked a little realistic. In the second version when Bottom and Titania fell in love, I think they went a bit over the top with the love scene. The first version of the play showed the dream world mixed with reality because Puck made it easy to see who was in the dream world and who wasnt. The strange thing about the second version was having the little boy as a narrator. I think that may confuse people because they have now added another world to the whole story. There is now reality in the film, the dream world and reality in our world. When the first version showed the play by Bottom and his friends it seemed unpracticed and shabby. The second play showed a little humour by adding people forgetting their lines and the good roaring by the lion. They actually performed on a stage which was more appropriate for the occasion. In the first version they had to perform on the floor. If the actors were performing in front of a Duke and a Duchess then the performers should be given a proper performing stage. I think the second version of the play was by far the best because it had better acting and it showed some humour. In the first version I did not like it how the audience could sense the presence of the dream world. After Bottom and his friends had acted I did not understand why Puck had led all of the fairies through the corridors of the house. I think I prefer the second version of the play because I think it is more suited to my age group and plus I understood it a lot better than the first version. This is because it used present English and it used better body language.

Role and Responsibility of Media in Shaping Death Penalty

Role and Responsibility of Media in Shaping Death Penalty Introduction: Nothing has received more praise and abuse than Death penalty. As a global controversial issue, Death penalty has been discussed for centuries. From the definition of the death penalty, it is obvious that the punishment is brutal and inhuman for people who commit a severe crime simply because Death penalty deprives a human’s right of living on this earth. Since the peaceful lives are expected by the whole society, the crime of punishment is discussed by people anywhere at any time. Each country has different kind of crime punishment, but as for death punishment, it arise public attention and the whole democracy has focus on this issue. People hold different opinions regarding to the penalty of death, since it relates to people ‘lives. Some people support death punishment because they believe people should be punished for what they did wrong. Others refuse the regulation of death penalty, because they expect liberal. There are many reasons that people support or object the death penalty, which encompass the political consideration, Liberal consideration and democratic reasons. However, these people can be affected by the social media in reporting the content of death penalty. The website, video and TV are considered as the social media, which is produced as a movie or advertising video to educate public. People who watch the news or events related to news every day may tend to be affected by the media (Bandes,S. 2003). This is considered as the power of me dia, people may change their mind by following the content or idea from media (Bandes,S. 2003). The aim of this article is to discuss the popular global issue-death penal. The reasons why people hold different opinions regarding to death penalty are various and why the social media could people’s opinion, which is to say, the relationship between social media and death penalty. Literature review In a lot of countries, The law allows countries to life imprisonment, But reserves the right to life. At present, Law and practice about 109 countries against the death penalty, 86 countries retain and use of the death penalty, (AI 2001). In Europe, there is no country introduce the death penalty now; and in 1999, The UN Human Rights Commission called for a global moratorium on the death penalty (Dieter 1999). Between 1990 and 2001, More than 30 countries abolished the death penalty (AI 2001). the United States still different in death penalty . In 2000, just five countries of the world government approval to perform death penalty which are: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq ,United States and China. the U.S. was one of them that accounted for 88% of executions of the worlds known (AI 2001). In the 1990s, there are seven countries to execute prisoners for crimes under 18 years old which are Iran, Pakistan, Nigeria, Congo , Yemen, Saudi Arabia and American (AI 2001). 38 American states and bot h civilian and military jurisdictions currently authorize the death penalty for capital crimes. Of this gross of 40 jurisdictions, 24 perform commitment under 18 years old (Streib 2001). Proposal In this essay will focus on â€Å"how the media influencing and covering death penalty.† and â€Å"what the influence of social media on the people opinions’ about the death penalty.† Death penalty is known as the capital punishment, which means the legal process and sentence that put people into death as the consequences for being guilty (Soss, J., Langbein, L., Metelko, A. R. 2003). There are many types of death penalty punishment, which includes burning, crushing by animals or car, falling, poison gas, hanging, sawing, shooting and so on (Niven, D. 2002). There are all brutal and horrible in the modern society which people carries the ideas of peace and cooperation. The establishment of these methods of death penalty strongly protects the whole society and people and makes sure that the criminal have the consideration of death when committing crime (Tyler Weber, 1982). However, everyone makes mistake and it does mean the person who make the mistake deserve d eath. For example, in most countries, stealing is not punished for death, but it is considered as illegal action. Therefore, how do we define if the crime is fair or unfair? As many case reveals the wrongful conviction and innocent people who dose not make the crime are killed. With respect to the reasons, people who support capital punishment would think that killers need to pay the price for what they do, slight punishment is not enough to prevent them from killing again (Wonkglog 2014). However the capital punishment is deemed to be unfair because the regulation is different from countries to countries. To illustrate, killers is sentenced to death in America but for those people who kill someone in Australia, it will only be sentenced into jail. Furthermore, some people believe that the criminal should be given the second chance, because they may be forced to kill someone or commit a crime as self-defense. Moreover, the capital punishment is an effective way to reduce crime rate (Sotirovic, Mira, 2001). Admittedly, everyone is afraid of death. Sometimes people are guilty because they need survive. Consequently, death punishment will be major consideration when they conducting a crime, such as killing, violation of women or bribery. Due to the implementation of death punishment, the rate of crime is decreased. For example, the White people are strongly supported for the death penalty for the consideration of the racial attitudes and composition. Since racial discrimination is severe in the US, everything related to the Black will be underestimated or discriminated by the White. Also, from the previous case or the imaginary content of books, movies or TV shows, the Black are deemed to conduct more severe crime for surviving. As the Black possesses low living standards, most Black people are sentenced to be guilty because they expect better living quality. They are forced to steal and kil l or duplicate ID. Because of the ambivalence, people are susceptible changing his mind. Social media play integral role in influencing people’s mind on the implementation of the death penalty. Media exaggerates and highlights the problems in the application of death penalty by evaluating the fairness of capital punishment (Lipschultz, J. H., Hilt, M. L. 1999). To be specific, to protect the safety of the society, the government tries to put up with effective way to deal with the crime rate. It is not possible that the government can educate and encourage each person to behave well, follow the moral instruction, obey the related laws and regulations, discipline as a reputable citizen. Therefore, the application of social media will assist government to report and reveal the nature of problems on the crime to the public. Since social media is an effective communicative tool that links people and people, people and society to interact each other globally. For example, a large amount of informatio n events and news can be seen from web-based Internet, TV, newspaper and on-line videos. These are useful tools as the public advocation when people using the social media to understand the information around their lives. The positive and negative effect of media on people’s opinion about death penalty The influence of social media on the people opinions’ about the death penalty can be positive or negative (Lynch, 2002). As for the negative point, media tend to exaggerate the problem regarding to the crime in order to tell people that the reality and crime is closely related and thus leading people to moral noble instruction and positive attitudes. The purpose of social media exposure and report crime is to educate the public in an opposite way, which is telling people the serious For instance, in America, the Black is discriminated. Most movies, related videos demonstrate the violence and bloody picture and pornographic contents about the black crime. Publishing and describing the negative side of the Black to people, the society and the whole world that the Black is dangerous and ruthless. Then, people are aware of the Black is dangerous and they will threaten the facilities and societies and tries to connect with them, avoid them to be friends or neighbors. Also, with more and more unhealthy, bloody and pornographic content exited via media, people, especially youngsters are affected by these content and thus their minds are changed followed by these. Indirectly, it is easy for them to go astray and more violent, supportive for the death penalty, instead losing the nature of real young people that possess native, nice and kind-hearted. Therefore, people tend to be more supportive of the death penalty in protecting themselves and societies. With respect to the positive effect, the social media is powerful tool to encourage people and the whole society to behave well as a responsible, law-abiding citizen. The media release the political news, economic information or Cultural issues, which are all considered as useful way to make people know more about the world and thus , understanding the right or wrong, what is a good responsible person? What should be done or what should not be done as responsible citizens? In understanding and acquiring more information regarding the politics and economics, people have the lower chance to commit crime. The primary aim of the creation of media is to educate and provide more information to public. The invention of social media is to offer the close relationship between people and people, people and society or the whole world. Given that each country has own sort of regulation and rules, but the main purpose is to make the better development of the society and improve the people’s living standards, provide the peace and security to people’s lives. Considering this reason, the government applies various of media resource to educate people or obtaining the democratic opinion on some important decisions. Specifically, some related video, newspaper and Internet are compiled with a story or documentary content of crime to be published with the purpose acquiring the public opinions or may change the people’s mind. For example, people who against death penalty change the mind due to the governmental advocation of the media. The liberal and democratic consideration is always the crucial when people thinking the punishment of crime. However, because the media highli ghts the problems of crime and the punishment, people consequently may choose opposite side to support capital punishment in protecting the whole society. Some citizens believe that death is bloody, violent and high profile, which indicates that the countries have no consideration of peace and sympathy. Also, it will bring a great impact in the education children’s lives. Although the media and press will cover the content or information of the real punishment of death, such as how one person should is killed by gun shot or how one person should is hanged by the rope, children can understand their countries have the regulation or laws about the death penalty. Because children are part of social media, they also, connect with the world; there is no doubt that, they can find the information via media regarding the crime punishment. The influence of media is tremendous. In the contemporary society, many actors and actress features the movies or TV shows which tells the duplicated and imaginary story and case of crime and punishment. After being sentenced as guilty, if the crime is server enough, such as killing or raping, the death penalty will be applied (Slater, M. D., Rouner, D., Long, M. 2006). Also, some bloody and unhealthy pictures are demonstrated in front of viewers, which mean people will be affected by the media potentially through watching these. In the movie of Saint of Joan, the French girl Joan was participated in the Country War to fight with England Arm. During the fight with the intruders, she was suspected as a traitor and sentenced as the death by fire. This is a good example of death penalty being implemented in an innocent people. In fact, there are several wrongful cases that innocent people being sentenced into jail or executed as death. What’s more, people could interact through media to discuss the crime related case or whether the death crime is appropriated around the society. Also, some governmental agency registered own account number on Twitter or Facebook to facilitate the discussion with the society and thus knowing if the democracy is supportive for the death penalty. Twitter and Face book provide the stage that billions of people could communicate and discuss the latest or popular news or events, no matter the limitation of the distance is bothered. Since Twitter and Facebook is globalized website and have share-linked function. People who live in the planet could communicate each other regarding global issue. One countries can attain the ideas or opinions regarding the implementation of penalty death from people who come from other countries in order to know what others people believe. Therefore the development of the countries can be better. Some people commit the guilty but the reasons can be forgiven by the public. It is common that some unsolved cases are being uploaded into website to let the public. The criminal acknowledge the guilty but he or she may be forced to do that or for the purpose of self-defense. The media provides that channel to people to speak or deliver their own opinions. People represent democracy and may have the opinions represents democracy, which means they have the sympathy on the criminal who can provide the reasons that could be forgiven to commit crime (Conquergood, 2002). By considering the opinions from people, the policeman and the government may or may not take the opinion from people but at least the democratic opinion will affect the final sentence they will be given. Also, considering the people’s opinions will reduce the chance of executed a innocent people and a false claim, because the multiple opinions and suggestions will improve the accuracy of a case. Death is not the best way to solve the problem of killing Sometimes, even the case is finished and the criminal is sentenced into death, it not the best solution for what he or she did harmful to people or the society. To illustrate, death is not the best way to solve the problem of killing. Instead, it still left panic or scare to the whole society. The primary purpose of death punishment is to ensure that people who make the severe crime, such as serial killer is responsible for what he or she did and thus it will not happen and threaten people and society in the future (Capital punishment, 2014). If the serial killer has already cause the panic and scare to people and society, capital punishment cannot help to solve the problem. After killing them, people are still scared of going outside alone at night or working alone at night. This indicates that the problem is not solved and people’s lives have been affected. Therefore, the key point is to solve the problem radically, which means make the serial killer get punished and also gi ve the society the peace and security. Last but not the least, the criminals make the crime because they are most physically and psychologically defect and probably lack of good education when they are young. Moreover, it is possible that the criminals have the bad living standards or inferior environment around them. Most case shows that large majority of criminals are from single parent family or they are divorced or they are suffered from harmful thing and horrible experience during the lives (McLeod et al. (1995). Therefore, it is effective and valid for the government to utilize social media as a channel to deliver more educated and moral documentary, motivational films on the TV, website or video. Also, the encouragement of young people accepts education when they are young and the government and parents should be supportive for children’s education. The crime rate is closely related to the education (Howard, 1995). In order to reduce the crime rate, the government should be not only educating public but also applying the cooperation of the social media. In providing the effective educational documentary via social media, people tend to behave well knowing how to be a responsible person and knowing the right thing to do and release positive energy to the whole society. Conclusion To sum up, death punishment which is known as the capital punishment is considered as brutal and ruthless in the contemporary society. To evaluate if this implementation is fair or unfair has been discussed globally. People hold different opinions because they pursue different things. As for many reasons, political, liberal and democratic consideration, the consequence of death penalty has arisen for various feedbacks. For those who support death penalty, they believe a good development and security of society can not live without punishment by people who do wrong. Death punishment is an effective tool in protecting the security and safety of human and society, so it is necessary. However, People who refuse the implementation of death penalty think it is brutal and will bring negative effective to the whole society, especially children; the key point is to solve the problem radically. These are under the consideration of liberal and democratic. Social media is a powerful tool to educ ation public with delivering the crime case to people and making them to behave moral and get away from the crime. It also highlights and exaggerates the problem of crime and thus makes people changes’ the mind and following the media. Everyone has the right to make the mistake and the right to be forgiven by public. Death penalty may be too serious for people but if the society is lack of severe punishment, the whole countries will be in chaos and people’s lives can not be guaranteed.

Issue Of Self Harm In Society Social Work Essay

Issue Of Self Harm In Society Social Work Essay This essay will discuss the complex issue that is self harm in society today; although word count will restrict many of the areas this essay will try and achieve an overall balance. The essay will look at the psychological causes and treatments available to service users via the National Health Service. It will be necessary throughout the essay to compare the issues surrounding self harm with that of parasuicide and suicide itself. Consideration will also be given to the views and perspectives of the service user with regard to the service they receive and where appropriate this essay will refer to practice experience to provide depth and insight into aspects of the discussion. Reference will also be made to the links with self harm in the animal kingdom. This brief discussion with animal self harm will be an attempt to show dual causation in humans and animals. Highly concise introduction, well done. In order to better understand self harm this issue must be clearly defined as to avoid inaccurate and misleading terminology as self-harm covers a wide range of behaviours some of which are directly related to suicide and some are not. Self harm (SH) or deliberate self harm (DSH) including self injury (SI) and self poisoning (SP) is defined as the intentional direct injury of body tissue without suicidal intent (Laye-Gindhu, A 2005., Klonsky, E.D 2007., Muehlenkamp, J.J 2005). Self harm is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-1V-TR) (1994) as a symptom of borderline personality disorder. However, patients with other diagnosis may also self harm including those with depression, and anxiety disorders, substance abuse, eating disorders post-traumatic stress disorders, schizophrenia and several personality disorders. Self harm is also apparent in high-functioning individuals who have no underlying clinical diagnosis. (Klonsky, E.D 2007). Guidelines for the treatment of self harm are not specified from NICE. What is self harm, self harm is deliberate damage of the body that is intentionally not life threatening, often repetitive in nature and usually considered socially unacceptable, 80% of self harm involves stabbing or cutting the skin with a sharp object (Greydanus, Shek, 2009). It is generally agreed that someone does not intend to die as a result of his or her self harm. However, many acts of self harm are not directly connected to suicidal intent they may be an attempt to communicate with others to influence or to secure help or care from others or a way of obtaining relief from it difficult and otherwise overwhelming situation or emotional state (Hjelmeland et al., 2002). Walsh and Rosen (1998) in discussing the difference between self mutilation and parasuicide have noted; In the case of ingesting pills or poison, the harm caused is uncertain, unpredictable, and basically invisible. In the case of self lacerations, the degree of self harm is clear, unambiguous, predictable as to course, and highly visible (Walsh, B.W., Rosen, P.M 1988). However someone who self harms is 50-100 times more likely to attempt suicide than someone who does not (Martinson, D. 1998).There are many reasons why people self harm, in a survey conducted of young people aged 16 through to 25 the most common reason was to find relief from a terrible situation (Samaritans 2001).Self harm is often associated with a history of trauma and abuse including emotional abuse, sexual abuse, drug dependence eating disorders or mental traits such as low self-esteem or perfectionism. (Swales, M. 2008) Emotionally invalidating environments where parents punish children for expressing sadness or hurt can contribute to a difficulty experiencing emotions and increased rates of self harm (Martinson, D. 2002). Abuse during childhood is accepted as the primary social factor as is bereavement, and troubled parental or partner relationships. Factors such as war, poverty, and unemployment may also contribute. In addition some individuals with pervasive developmental disabilities such as autism engage in self harm, although whether this is a form of self stimulation or for the purpose of harming oneself is a matter of debate (Edelson, 2004) It is noted that Service users who self harm give broadly three reasons for their behaviour these are, controlling mood, regulating moods in terms of how a person is able to cope with emotions and feelings especially feelings which are particularly unsettling unpleasant or intense. Communication, some people use self harm as a way of expressing themselves if those expressions are directed at others this can be seen by some as attention seeking and manipulation. Understand in what an act of self harm is trying to communicate can be crucial to dealing with it in an effective and constructive way. Control/punishment, people who self harm have often experienced traumatic experiences in their lives including emotional physical or sexual abuse. (Martinson, D. 1998). Self harm can be a form of trauma re-enactment or way of bargaining or engaging in magical thinking if I hurt myself I will prevent the thing I fear protect the person I care about. A common belief regarding self harm is that i t is an attention seeking behaviour however in most cases this is inaccurate. Many self- harmers are very self-conscious of their wounds and scars and feel guilty about their behaviour leading them to go to great lengths to conceal their behaviours from others (Mental Health Foundation 2006). People diagnosed as having certain types of medical disorder are much more likely to self harm in one survey of a sample of the British population people with current symptoms of mental disorder up to 20 times more likely to report having harm themselves in the past (Meltzer et al., 2002).People diagnosed as having schizophrenia are most at risk and about one-half of this group will have harmed themselves at some time. When assessed the majority of individuals engaging in self harm will be diagnosed with depression although two thirds will no longer fit the criteria after a year. This explains why nearly half of those who present to an emergency department meet criteria for having a personality disorder (Haw et al., 2001). However, there are problems with doing this because some people who self harm consider the term personality disorder to be offensive and to create a stereotype that can lead to damaging stigmatization by social care workers (Babiker Arnold, 1997., Pembroke, 1994). About one in six people who attend an emergency departments following self harm will harm themselves again in the following year (Owen et al., 2002). For the last 25 years it has been NHS policy that everybody who attends hospital after an episode of self harm should receive a psychological assessment (Department of Health and Social Security, 1984).While psychological assessment includes several components, the most important are the assessment of needs in the assessment of risks. The assessment of needs is to each item to identify those personal (psychological) and environmental (social) factors that might explain an act of self harm; this assessment should lead to a formulation, based upon which a management plan can be developed. Despite the importance of comprehensive assessment following an act of self harm many service users fall through the net. In many hospitals, more than half of the attendees are discharge from the emergency department without specialist assessment (Termansen Bywater, 1975; Thomas et al., 1996; Kapur et al., 1998). Patients who leave hospital direct from an emergency department and especially those who leave without a psychological assessment are less likely to have been offered to follow- up (Owens et al., 1991; Suokas Lonnquist, 1991; Gunnell et al., 1996; Kapur et al., 1998). In addition, those who do receive the psychological assessment (rather than the needs or risk assessment specifically) may be less likely to repeat an act of self- harm (Hickey et al., 2001; Kapur et al., 2002). These figures suggest that the service user is being set up to fail or more directly not being correctly diagnosed and treated properly. Service users experiences and attitudes to the services they receive can vary but most feel like the following quotation Got no help at all. All they wanted to do is pick on me like I was a naughty little girl, and it made me very angry, and I couldnt open all for how they treated me. I just dreaded going to see them (Harris, 200). Not only do these kinds of attitudes make users experiences of services unpleasant, but they can also increase service users echoes of distress. Not only are service users critical of emergency department staff, but patients admitted to hospital following self poisoning also feel isolated, ignored and inhibited by staff (Dunleavey 1992) a fast tracking of service users through the system should be considered to minimize harm resulting from their injury and to minimize distress. Service users also point out the importance of being listened to by staff even when the interaction is brief or only a single occasion (Arnold 1995). A safe environment and being li stened to it especially important since service users may reveal information about their injuries that makes them feel vulnerable, fearing negative repercussions. As a result of poor stuff attitudes towards people who self harm, service users feel that they are frequently treated differently compared with service users who have not self harmed. I was told off by nurses and the doctors; I just felt small. They do treat self harmers different to accident people. We are classed as suicides. The hospital staff just look at you as though youre wasting time. Thats how I felt. (Harris. 2000). Some self harmers, however, use the practice of self harm in a ritualistic way. This type of self harm has been practiced by different cultures for centuries, for example the Maya priesthood performed auto- sacrifice by cutting and piercing their bodies in order to draw blood (Gualberto, A. 1991). It is also practiced by the sadhu Hindu ascetic, in Catholic mortification of the flesh, in ancient Canaanite mourning rituals as described in the Ras Shamra tablets and in the Shiite annual ritual of self-flagellation, using chains and swords, that takes place during Ashura where there Shiites sect mourne the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (Reference). Another little known fact is that the animal world is prone to self harming and there is some correlation between animals and human beings on this issue. Self -mutilation in non-human mammals is well-established, although not a widely known phenomenon and its study under zoo or a laboratory conditions could lead to a better understanding of self harm in human patients (Jones, I.H., Barraclough, B.M. 2007). Zoo or laboratory rearing and isolation are important factors leading to increased susceptibility to self harm in higher mammals. Lower mammals are also known to mutilate themselves under laboratory conditions after administration of drugs (Jones, I.H., Barraclough, B.M 2007). In dogs, canine obsessive compulsory disorder can lead to self inflicted injuries, for example canine lick. Captive birds are sometimes known to engage in feather plucking causing damage to feathers or even the mutilation of skin or muscle tissue (20..?..) A good example of feather plucking in birds would be battery hens that are kept in cages with no access to movement or sunlight. Useful analogies! Many people who engage in self harm do so not that they intend to take their life or that they are seeking attention. People who self harm do so because they are looking for some form of relief from their situation. As a coping mechanism, self harm works for the person doing it. (Reference needed on coping mechanisms) Many self harmers who seek help in the form of medical attention face an uphill struggle in the face of adversity, negativity and disbelief from the service that is in situ to help them. Negative attitudes from medical staff and social care workers affect the self harmer and they feel increasingly isolated. Within the medical profession comes a coldness not afforded to accident and ill people, along with a lack of understanding and a lack of training. Communication with the service user as well as empowerment would enable service users to have a greater say in their treatment and rehabilitation and this would go a long way in addressing this problem. Service users know why they self harm but feel they are not being listened to. Until this issue is addressed the problem will go largely unchanged. (Need references for stigma and self harm treatment in A E)

July 31, 1976 Colorado :: essays research papers

On July 31, 1976, a violent rainstorm hit the area where the Big Thompson Canyon is located. According to reports the rainfall was falling at an alarming rate of 2† per hour which caused the Big Thompson river to rise and return to its primordial state. This all began when winds from the east pushed very humid air up the mountains. The unstable air continued rising as its water vapor condensed. The winds were less than 20 mph above 10,000 feet that was too weak to move the storm away. Humid high-altitude air combining with weak winds meant the storm pulled into little dry air to weaken the rainfall. Hardly any of the rain soaked into the steep-sided canyon. The river quickly went over its banks, filled with debris that acted like battering rams against downstream buildings and cars. The water then backed up in the canyon’s narrow mouth, in floods, water often backs up as debris piles against bridges. The Floodwater sped up as it squeezed through narrow places was freed when the dam that was formed by debris burst loose. Due to these events, occurring in such a short time the U.S. Army came to rescue 850 people off the tops of homes, canyon walls, and rocks. The flood destroyed 556 homes and 52 businesses. The total damage was $35.5 million to the area; it cost $1 million dollars to remove 320, 450 tons of debris. The storm and flood caused the Big Thompson River to change course in thirty places. The flood killed 144 people and it took the authorities working until mid-September to identify all the bodies. The town felt that most of the deaths occurred due to the lack of a timely warning. To prevent this from happening again they installed a reverse 911 emergency system.

Enders Game :: essays research papers

Ender’s Game In this book Orson Scott Card writes about a boy who is born to save the Earth. Ender Widgeon is born as a â€Å"Third† in the future where only two children are allowed per family. Ender’s older brother and sister, Peter and Valentine, were not what the government needed to save the world, so Ender was born, that he would be somewhere in the middle of their extremes. Peter is too violent, and Valentine has too much empathy. Ender is the right combination for the Battle School. Ender and Peter have power, but, only Ender has respect. Both of them are killers, but Peter loves killing while Ender regrets it after he does it. They both also become heroes, but both will not remain heroes when the historians begin to examine things. Though Peter and Ender both have power over other people. However, Ender & Peter get and use their power differently. Peter gets power by terrifying people. Everyone knows he is a cold-blooded murderer, so they do as he says because they are afraid. Also, he influences on the â€Å"nets† (The nets are networks similar to the internet). He uses them to sway the public. Once Peter has gotten power, he uses the power for himself. He uses people as pawns to do what he wants—to rule the world. However, Ender gets his power by being the best at all the games. He becomes commander of an army. But, he doesn’t use the army to get anything for himself, except to be number one in the point standings. He makes the people in his command better soldiers by telling them what he knows. He allows the platoon leaders to make decisions in battles, so that the whole army doesn’t rely on him all the time. Peter and Ender kill throughout the book. Peter kills squirrels and animals. He threatens to kill Ender and Valentine if they do not do as he tells them. He enjoys these kind of things. He shows no sorrow or sympathy for the dead animals he leaves in his back yard. Ender kills out of defense and feels lots of sorrow. He never intends to kill anyone that he kills. All the people he kills are accidental, but if Ender wouldn’t have killed them, they would have killed him. These deaths are hidden from Ender because of the pain he would feel knowing what he had done.

Private schools vs public schools Essay

Introduction: The controversy related to private schools vs public schools has developed over the years. Several arguments have been forwarded from the proponents of both view points and have eulogized the one stream of schools over the other. Private schools are generally regarded a better option for educating the children if one has the resources.   Private schools are able to execute more effective and efficient educational policies and programs and can take on better teachers owing to strong financial backup that itself is generated through heavy students tuitions. In contrast to private schools, public schools are funded by government treasury and have little sources to finance the more modern and effective education policies and methodologies. This paper will analyze the pros and cons of both streams of schools systems. Private Schools: Less-population-More Concentration: The most important aspects of private school as compared with public schools is the strength of the students at class and school level. Private schools have smaller number of students as mainstream students attend the local public schools. National Center for Education Statistics says in this regards; â€Å"As reported by teachers in 1999-2000, average class size for self-contained classes tended to be somewhat larger in traditional public and public charter elementary schools than in private elementary schools.† (NCES) According to a web site called Public School Review, â€Å"Private schools average 13 students per teacher, compared with an average of 16 students per teacher in public schools† (publicschoolreview). So public schools are more crowded as compared with private schools. This strength ratio clearly manifests that in private schools more attentions and concentration can be given to individual students. This one to one attention remains a hallmark of the private schools. Higher education Focused Courses and Programs: The second most important strength of the private schools is that it offers supplementary enhanced and higher education focused lessons and courses and their objective remains to polish their students to join an institute of higher education. NCES’ study shows in this regard; At least 40 percent of elementary schools in all sectors reported offering students extended, before-school, or after-school daycare programs. Private and public charter elementary schools were the most likely to offer such programs. An estimated 65.1 percent of private schools and 62.9 percent of public charter schools offered such programs, compared with 46.5 percent of traditional public elementary schools. (NCES) In comparison with private schools, public schools seem working on the conventional philosophy that each student is unique and college education does not suit everyone and hence no one should be forced to go ahead with higher education and they should be allowed and encouraged to choose and carve their own future paths.   Courses: Public schools offer general programs whereas private schools offer specialized programs for students that can enable them to take specialized courses at college and university level. In public schools the education of the students is pre-decided by the state what they have to learn and parents and/or students have no say in this regard. Private schools provides flexible programs and students and their parents can opt from variety of options. Great school staff website highlight and analyze the impotence of these flexible courses and says; Private schools have the flexibility to create a specialized program for students. For example, private schools may use art or science in all classes, or take children on extended outdoor trips that blend lessons across the curriculum. Private schools can create their own curriculum and assessment systems, although many also choose to use standardized tests. (Great School Staff, 2008). Less Bureaucracy: Another indirect advantage that contributes toward the overall efficiency of the private schools is the minimum role of state bureaucracy. Less time is spent on formalities including following unnecessary state policies and paperwork and thus more time is available to concentrate the quality of education, syllabus and methodologies. Teachers are more independent in their classrooms and they work out certain creative strategies to teach their students in an innovative way. The efficiency and usefulness of public schools is marred because they have to go after all national, state and local policies pertaining to education as well as finances. Higher Academic Excellence: Quality of education is the most important tool to measure the excellence of either a private school or a public school. The study â€Å"The 2003 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)† conducted by National Center for Education Statistics reveals that private schools produce more excellence academically than public schools. This comparison in academic excellence was conducted at various levels and in various subjects. The results of a grade 4 â€Å"Reading† discloses that; â€Å"In the first set of analyses, all private schools were compared to all public schools. The average private school mean reading score was 14.7 points higher than the average public school mean reading score†¦.† (NCES) Same was the case with Grade 4Mathamirtics where private school’s students scored 7.8 higher than the public schools’ students. Same results were shown for Grade 8. This study is a clear manifestation of higher academic superiority and quality of education they offer. Safety at Campus: General school environment related to safety and conflict among students is another factor that parents keep in mind while opting for a schools. This is an important factor as Schools are not only a home to impart quality education but they are also concerned with the personal grooming of the children. Safe and sound environment reflects itself in the development of a good and healthy personality whereas conflict-ridden environment does not produce high-quality characters. Studies show that Private schools’ campuses are less prone to conflict as compared with Public schools. NCES reports manifests; Private school teachers were also less likely than teachers in other sectors to report physical conflicts among students as a serious problem in their school. Just 1.0 percent of private school teachers reported that physical conflicts among students were a serious problem in their school, compared with 4.8 percent of both traditional public school and public charter school teachers. (NCES) Public Schools Proponents of the public schools forward certain arguments and supported evidence in favor of academic excellence at public schools. They further quote various studies in favor of their prepositions. The most important arguments forwarded by advocates of Public schools are as under; Enhanced Extra and co-curricular activities: This does not suggest that public schools have no advantages over private schools. Public schools can offer more on co-curricular activities and can fund more activities in this realm than private schools. Maureen Boland says in this regard; Most public schools are simply bigger than private schools, and have enough students to pull off a science fair or power a chorus or computer club. What’s more, federal and state laws require public schools to provide diagnostic and disability services. Public schools are more likely to offer gifted and talented and remedial programs, too. (Boland) Higher Teacher Qualification: NCES study reveals that Public schools teacher are more qualified as compared with their private school counterparts. Furthermore, teachers form public schools attend the professional development courses more often. The study says; â€Å"Among full-time traditional public school teachers, 59.3 percent participated in such professional development activities, compared with 55.2 percent of full-time public charter school teachers and 43.1 percent of full-time private school teachers.† (NCES) Adherents of public schools are of the view that â€Å"Private school innovations do not in every case stimulate improved practices at the public schools with which they compete.† (Rothstein et al) They further illustrate that â€Å"Private elementary school personnel are not necessarily more accountable to parents than are public elementary school personnel.† (Rothstein et al) Conclusion: The above-mentioned arguments of the proponents of the public schools can easily be refuted as the primary objective of the schools remains imparting academic excellence and quality education whereas co-curricular activities and higher teacher professional development are secondary or subservient to the stated primary objective. Public schools are cost effective as compared with private school because they are hugely funded from the state treasury. But the abovementioned arguments and supported evidence clearly manifest that this cost effective sacrifices the quality of education. Although private schools charge huge amounts as fees but there are two valid reasons for this. Firstly they are self-sponsored. Secondly they need huge amounts to spend on the quality of education they produce or wish to produce. On the whole, private schools are more focused and thoroughly committed to the development of education with excellence. They do not believe in the mere transfer of knowledge but take into account the aptitude and mental inclination of the children and believe in charging their creative batteries. The faculty member of the private schools earn more and thus are dedicated toward their work and hanker after more excellence. References Boland, Maureen. Public vs. private: Which is right for your child? Parent Center. Center on education Policy. Are private High Schools Better Academically Than Public High School? October 2007. Great Schools Staff. (2007). Private vs. Public: What’s the Difference?. National Center for Education Statistics. Schools and Staffing Survey, 1999-2000: Overview of the Data for Public, Private, Public Charter, and Bureau of Indian Affairs Elementary and Secondary Schools. Fast Facts. Public School Review. Public Versus Private Schools. Retrieved March 23, 2008 at Web Rothstein. Richard, Carnoy, Martin & Benveniste, Luis. Can Public Schools Learn From Private Schools? Case Studies in the Public & Private Nonprofit Sectors. Economic Policy Institute.    U.S. Department of Education. Comparing Private Schools and Public Schools. Retrieved March 23, 2008 at Web Site:nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/studies/2006461.pdf   

Business Strategy and the Importance of Data-Driven Decision Making Essay

Good decision making is arguably the most important skill a successful manager can possess, but the ability to make intelligent decisions on an on-going basis requires not only intuition and experience, but also the right data. In fact, Garrison, Noreen, and Brewer (2012) identify intelligent, data-driven decision making as a business leader’s most basic managerial skill. That basic skill plays a critical role in helping a manager formulate and execute a successful business strategy. Manager’s need access to relevant historical data and projections to make intelligent, fact based decisions. The use of business intelligence and analytics has become the cornerstone of strategy formulation and execution across corporations around the globe. Access to relevant data is a necessity in not only formulating a business strategy, but in monitoring the execution of that strategy. The use of data for effective decision making is not a new concept, but since the introduction of the balanced scorecard by Robert Kaplan and David Norton in 1996, the use of data to support decision making has taken off. In addition, the adoption of enabling technologies has accelerated the use of data-driven decision making. Whether it’s an operations manager monitoring key operational indicators or a sales manager forecasting sales revenue, appropriate data and the technologies which enable its most effective use, are key necessities in making intelligent and timely decisions. Formulating and executing a business strategy is a basic requirement for just about any business, but making good decisions is the difference between a successful business and one that goes bankrupt. The key to making those intelligent decisions that aid in the formulation and execution of a successful business strategy is the use of data to support those decisions. As an encore to their balanced scorecard concept, Robert Kaplan and David Norton (2001) describe how to successfully execute a business strategy by creating an organization where everyone is focused on strategy. At the heart of their approach was their original balanced scorecard which provides a summary of relevant data for managers. In their next book, they expand their original concept by making strategy a priority for everyone involved in the organization (2001). Although, Kaplan and Norton focused on business strategy, what they really succeeded in doing was putting data at the heart of every business process in every organization that adopted their approach. They enabled data-driven decision making as a by-product of designing a successful mechanism for executing business strategy. Kaplan and Norton understood that having access to relevant data was the key to successful decision making. Since Kaplan and Norton, the use of data-driven decision making has expanded. Today, aggregating, displaying, and analyzing data is referred to as business intelligence and analytics. Laursen and Thorlund (2010) contend that the deployment of business analytics and a business’ strategy are tightly linked. Analysis of important data sources and methods are a critical component of overall strategy development and decision making (2010). Today, successful business leaders not only recognize the use of data to make effective decisions, but they demand it. Although companies are capitalizing on the use of business intelligence and analytics today, it’s clear the use of data as a tool for decision making had its roots in Kaplan and Norton’s balanced scorecard (1996). The balanced scorecard concept was originally proposed by Kaplan and Norton (1996) as a way to measure a company’s performance and execute the company strategy. It was an improvement on the traditional method of using financial systems to track performance (1996). Kaplan and Norton’s balanced scorecard became the norm for not only measuring performance, but also as the preferred method for executing business strategy (1996). Although the use of data was nothing new in business, the balanced scorecard gave way to an era of using data for making critical business decisions. I have been involved in business meetings for a number of years with business leaders from operations managers to senior executives. Each meeting from operations reviews to performance or strategy always includes the review of some form of scorecard with critical business data. Simply adopting the balanced scorecard approach is not sufficient though. Managers must choose a method for implementing the approach that is efficient and gets the right data to the right people when they need it; the use of business intelligence can accomplish this goal (Paladino, 2008). Businesses have recognized the value of critical business intelligence, but some have taken the approach a step further. The most successful companies have adopted helpful business intelligence technologies available today to optimize the use of the balanced scorecard approach. Leading business intelligence tools on the market optimize the use of data for intelligent decision making by taking volumes of data and making it easy to access, organize, and augment to quickly fit the needs of the business. These enabling technologies allow a company to efficiently use data to formulate and execute a sound business strategy. Business Intelligence offerings from SAP, IBM, Oracle, and Microsoft represent more than half of the tools available in the market and are often tailored to specific industries (Henschen, 2012). For example, iLog is a business rule management system product from IBM that enables an insurance company to build a list of business rules that make a decision on whether or not an individual is approved for coverage based on user input (IBM ILOG, 2009). An individual enters all pertinent information into a form on the insurance company’s web site (powered by the ILOG product), and a decision based on coverage is immediately provided. An insurance company whose business strategy outlines process and operational optimization and improving customer acquisition is better positioned to execute that strategy with such a product. ILOG however is geared toward a more specific purpose. The more common business intelligence technologies take volumes of company and market data and organize it in such a way that provides a summary of valued business indicators. These technologies enable managers to make more informed decisions by having the right data readily available. Intelligent decision making is a complex process that requires a combination of experience and intuition, but most importantly, the use of the right supporting data. The formulation and execution of a successful business strategy requires managers to make a number of intelligent decisions. Having access to relevant data to make those intelligent decisions is the key to success. Integrating the balanced scorecard into the heart of a business’ management system as outlined by Kaplan and Norton (2001) is, in fact, a way to integrate data into every business process within an organization. More recent business intelligence and analytics technologies have made adopting these methodologies much easier for businesses. Managers are finding that an investment in enabling technologies yields significant financial results through efficiency and optimization. There is a common element that exists within any organization that has developed and executed a sound business strategy. Within each business, you will find a manager or team of business leaders who recognized and implemented the use of data to drive their decision making. References Garrison, R. H., Noreen, E. W., & Brewer, P. C. (2012). Managerial Accounting (14th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Learning Solutions. Henschen, D. (2012). Advanced analytics. InformationWeek, (1351), 7-15. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1220681098?accountid=7083 IBM ILOG Solutions for Insurance. (2009, July). IBM Software Group Solution Brief. Retrieved February 18, 2013, from http://www-304.ibm.com/easyaccess/fileserve?contentid=193615 Kaplan, Robert S., and David P. Norton. The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School, 1996. Print. Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (2001). The Strategy-Focused Organization: How balanced scorecard companies thrive in the new business environment. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Laursen, G. H., & Thorlund, J. (2010). Business Analytics for Managers: Taking Business Intelligence Beyond Reporting. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Paladino, B., & Williams, N. (2008). Moving strategy forward: Merging the balanced scorecard and business intelligence. Business Performance Management Magazine, 6(2), 12-17. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/218349922?accountid=7083