Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Gender segregation In US Essay

In the recent past, United State has been a victim of gender inequality. For instance, in the colonial era, reading and writing were the essential skills. However, these skills were mainly taught to boys and only privileged girls. This is a clear discrimination that makes the girls child disadvantaged and thus affects her social development and limit her interaction. One of the most important aspects in human development is the gender-role development. Age between two & six are the essential stage when the children start to learn of the abilities, and gender. In making of toys for playing, the America culture separates toys for girls and boys. The boys will shy from playing with dollies and the girls also avoid playing with tennis balls. This separation affects the social development of the children in many ways. First, the playing styles and behaviors will be centered on the identity ‘I am a Girl’ or ‘I am a Boy’. This spreads to the social context of the family, school, and peer group. Most theories of social development highlight early childhood as initial and the essential stage in social development. Much of the learning in this stage occurs by imitation. That is, boys learn to be boys by observing their fathers and girls learn l to be girls by observing their mothers. When children imitate similar sex they tend to be appreciated. However, imitating the opposite sex would attract punishment. This stereotype leaves a lasting impact on the mind of the children who grow up to believe that girls and boys are different and should be treated differently. This has been the root cause of gender disparity in US. Reference: Axtell, J. (1974). Gender-Role Development – The Development of Sex and Gender. Illinois; University of Illinois Press.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 22

Bonnie was disturbed and confused. It was dark. â€Å"All right,† a voice that was brusque and calming at once was saying. â€Å"That's two possible concussions, one puncture wound in need of a tetanus shot – and – well, I'm afraid I've got to sedate your girl, Jim. And I'm going to need help, but you're not allowed to move at all. You just lie back and keep your eyes shut.† Bonnie opened her own eyes. She had a vague memory of falling forward onto her bed. But she wasn't at home; she was still at the Saitou house, lying on a couch. As always, when in confusion or fear, she looked for Meredith. Meredith was just returning from the kitchen with a makeshift ice pack. She put it on Bonnie's already wet forehead. â€Å"I just fainted,† Bonnie explained, as she herself figured it out. â€Å"That's all.† â€Å"I know you fainted. You cracked your head pretty hard on the floor,† Meredith replied, and for once her face was perfectly readable: worry and sympathy and relief were all visible. She actually had tears pooling in her eyes. â€Å"Oh, Bonnie, I couldn't get to you in time. Isobel was in the way, and those tatami mats don't cushion the floor much – and you've been out for almost half an hour! Youscared me.† â€Å"I'm sorry.† Bonnie fumbled a hand out a blanket she seemed to be wrapped in and gave Meredith's hand a squeeze. It meantvelociraptor sisterhood is still in action . It also meantthank you for caring . Jim was sprawled on another couch holding an ice pack to the back of his head. His face was greenish-white. He tried to stand up but Dr. Alpert – it was her voice that was both crusty and kind – pushed him back onto the couch. â€Å"You don't need any more exertion,† she said. â€Å"But I do need an assistant. Meredith, can you help me with Isobel? It sounds as if she's going to be quite a handful.† â€Å"She hit me in the back of the head with a lamp,† Jim warned them. â€Å"Don't ever turn your back on her.† â€Å"We'll be careful,† Dr. Alpert said. â€Å"You two stayhere ,† Meredith added firmly. Bonnie was watching Meredith's eyes. She wanted to get up to help them with Isobel. But Meredith had that special look of determination that meant it was better not to argue. As soon as they left, Bonnie tried to stand up. But immediately she began to see the pulsating gray nothingness that meant she was going to pass out again. She lay back down, teeth gritted. For a long time there were crashes and shouts from Isobel's room. Bonnie would hear Dr. Alpert's voice raised, and then Isobel's, and then a third voice – not Meredith, who never shouted if she could help it, but what sounded like Isobel's voice, only slowed down and distorted. Then, finally, there was silence, and Meredith and Dr. Alpert came back carrying a limp Isobel between them. Meredith had a bloody nose and Dr. Alpert's short pepper-and-salt hair was standing on end, but they had somehow gotten a T-shirt onto Isobel's abused body and Dr. Alpert had managed to hang on to her black bag as well. â€Å"Walking wounded, stay where you are. We'll be back to lend you a hand,† the doctor said in her terse way. Next Dr. Albert and Meredith made another trip to take Isobel's grandmother with them. â€Å"I don't like her color,† Dr. Albert said briefly. â€Å"Or the tick of her tocker. We might as well all go get checked up.† A minute later they returned to help Jim and Bonnie to Dr. Albert's SUV. The sky had clouded over, and the sun was a red ball not far from the horizon. â€Å"Do you want me to give you something for the pain?† the doctor asked, seeing Bonnie eyeing the black bag. Isobel was in the very back of the SUV, where the seats had been folded down. Meredith and Jim were in the two seats in front of her, with Grandma Saitou between them, and Bonnie – at Meredith's insistence – was in the front with the doctor. â€Å"Um, no, it's okay,† Bonnie said. Actually, she had been wondering whether the hospital actually could cure Isobel of infection any better than Mrs. Flowers' herbal compresses could. But although her head throbbed and ached and she was developing a lump the size of a hard-boiled egg on her forehead, she didn't want to cloud her thinking. There was something nagging at her, some dream or something she'd had while Meredith said she'd been unconscious. Whatwas it? â€Å"All right then. Seat belts on? Here we go.† The SUV pulled away from the Saitou house. â€Å"Jim, you said Isobel has a three-year-old sister asleep upstairs, so I called my granddaughter Jayneela to come over here. At least it will be somebody in the house.† Bonnie twisted around to look at Meredith. They both spoke at once. â€Å"Oh, no! She can't go in!Especially not into Isobel's room! Look, please, you have to – † Bonnie babbled. â€Å"I'm really not sure if that's a good idea, Dr. Alpert,† Meredith said, no less urgently but much more coherently. â€Å"Unless she does stay away from that room and maybe has someone with her – a boy would be good.† â€Å"A boy?† Dr. Alpert seemed bewildered, but the combination of Bonnie's distress and Meredith's sincerity seemed to convince her. â€Å"Well, Tyrone, my grandson, was watching TV when I left. I'll try to get him.† â€Å"Wow!† Bonnie said involuntarily. â€Å"That's the Tyrone who's offensive tackle on the football team next year, huh? I heard that they call him the Tyre-minator.† â€Å"Well, let's say I think he'll be able to protect Jayneela,† Dr. Alpert said after making the call. â€Å"But we're the ones with the, ah,overexcited girl in the vehicle with us. From the way she fought the sedative, I'd say she's quite a ;;terminator' herself.† Meredith's mobile phone beeped out the tune it used for numbers not in its memory, and then announced, â€Å"Mrs. T. Flowers is calling you. Will you take the – † In a moment Meredith had hit thetalk button. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers?† she said. The hum of the SUV kept anything Mrs. Flowers might be saying from Bonnie and the others, so Bonnie went back to concentrating on two things: what she knew about the â€Å"victims† of the Salem â€Å"witches,† and what that elusive thought while she was unconscious had been. All of which promptly flew away when Meredith put down her mobile phone. â€Å"What was it? What?What? † Bonnie couldn't get a clear view of Meredith's face in the dusk, but it looked pale, and when she spoke shesounded pale, too. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers was doing some gardening and she was about to go inside when she noticed that there was something in her begonia bushes. She said it looked as if someone had tried to stuff something down between the bush and a wall, but a bit of fabric stuck up.† Bonnie felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her.†What was it?† â€Å"It was a duffel bag, full of shoes and clothes. Boots. Shirts. Pants. All Stefan's.† Bonnie gave a shriek that caused Dr. Alpert to swerve and then recover, the SUV fishtailing. â€Å"Oh, my God; oh, my God – he didn't go!† â€Å"Oh, I think he went all right. Just not of his own free will,† Meredith said grimly. â€Å"Damon,† Bonnie gasped, and slumped back into her own seat, tears welling up in her eyes and overflowing. â€Å"I couldn't help wanting to believe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Head getting worse?† Dr. Alpert asked, tactfully ignoring the conversation that had not included her. â€Å"No – well, yes, it is,† Bonnie admitted. â€Å"Here, open the bag and give me a look inside. I've got samples of this and that†¦all right, here you go. Anybody see a water bottle back there?† Jim listlessly handed one over. â€Å"Thanks,† Bonnie said, taking the small pill and a deep gulp. She had to get her head right. If Damon had kidnapped Stefan, then she should be Calling for him, shouldn't she? God only knew where he would end up this time. Why hadn't any of them even thought of it as a possibility? Well, first, because the new Stefan was supposed to be so strong, and second, because of the note in Elena's diary. â€Å"That's it!† she said, startling even herself. It had all come flooding back, everything that she and Matt had shared†¦. â€Å"Meredith!† she said, oblivious to the side look which Dr. Alpert gave her, â€Å"while I was unconscious I talked withMatt . He was unconscious, too – â€Å" â€Å"Was he hurt?† â€Å"God, yes. Damon must have been doing something awful. But he said to ignore it, that something had been bothering him about the note Stefan left for Elena ever since he saw it. Something about Stefan talking to the English teacher about how to spelljudgment last year. And he just kept saying,Look for the backup file. Look for the backup†¦before Damon does .† She stared at Meredith's dim face, aware as they cruised slowly to stop at an intersection that Dr. Alpert and Jim were both staring at her. Tact had its limits. Meredith's voice broke the silence. â€Å"Doctor,† she said, â€Å"I'm going to have to ask you something. If you take a left here and another one at Laurel Street and then just drive for about five minutes to Old Wood, it won't be too far out of your way. But it'll let me get to the boardinghouse where the computer Bonnie's talking about is. You may think I'm crazy, but Ineed to get to that computer.† â€Å"I know you're not crazy; I'd have noticed it by now.† The doctor laughed mirthlessly. â€Å"And I have heard some things about young Bonnie here†¦nothing bad, I promise, but a little difficult to believe. After seeing what I saw today, I think I'm beginning to change my opinion about them.† The doctor abruptly took a left turn, muttering, â€Å"Somebody's taken the stop sign from this road, too.† Then she continued, to Meredith, â€Å"I can do what you ask. I'd drive you all the way to the old boardinghouse – â€Å" â€Å"No! That would be much too dangerous!† † – but I've got to get Isobel to a hospital as soon as possible. Not to mention Jim. I think he really does have a concussion. And Bonnie – † â€Å"Bonnie,† Bonnie said, enunciating distinctly, â€Å"is going to the boardinghouse, too.† â€Å"No, Bonnie! I'm going torun , Bonnie, do you understand that? I'm going torun as fast as I can – and I can't let you hold me up.† Meredith's voice was grim. â€Å"I won't hold you up, I swear it. You go ahead and run. I'll run, too. My head feels fine, now. If you have to leave me behind, youkeep on running. I'll be coming after you.† Meredith opened her mouth and then closed it again. There must have been something in Bonnie's face that told her any kind of argument would be useless, Bonnie thought. Because that was the truth of the matter. â€Å"Here we are,† Dr. Alpert said a few minutes later. â€Å"Corner of Laurel and Old Wood.† She pulled a small flashlight out of her black bag and shone it in each of Bonnie's eyes, one after another. â€Å"Well, it still doesn't look as if you have concussion. But you know, Bonnie, that my medical opinion is that you shouldn't be running anywhere. I just can't force you to accept to take treatment if you don't want it. But I can make you take this.† She handed Bonnie the small flashlight. â€Å"Good luck.† â€Å"Thank you for everything,† Bonnie said, for an instant laying her pale hand on Dr. Alpert's long-fingered, dark brown one. â€Å"You be careful, too – of fallen trees and of Isobel, and of something red in the road.† â€Å"Bonnie, I'm leaving.† Meredith was already outside the SUV. â€Å"And lock your doors! And don't get out until you're away from the woods!† Bonnie said, as she tumbled down from the vehicle beside Meredith. And then they ran. Of course, all that Bonnie had said about Meredith running in front of her, leaving her behind, was nonsense, and they both knew it. Meredith seized Bonnie's hand as soon as Bonnie's feet had touched the road and began running like a greyhound, dragging Bonnie along with her, at times seeming to whirl her over dips in the road. Bonnie didn't need to be told how important speed was. She wished desperately that they had a car. She wished a lot of things, primarily that Mrs. Flowers lived in the middle of town and not way out here on the wild side. At last, as Meredith had foreseen, she was winded, and her hand so slick with sweat that it slipped out of Meredith's hand. She bent almost double, hands on her knees, trying to get her breath. â€Å"Bonnie! Wipe your hand! We have to run!† â€Å"Just – give me – a minute – â€Å" â€Å"We don't have a minute! Can't youhear it?Come on! â€Å" â€Å"I justneed – to get – my breath.† â€Å"Bonnie, look behind you. And don't scream!† Bonnie looked behind her, screamed, and then discovered that she wasn't winded after all. She took off, grabbing Meredith's hand. She could hear it, now, even above her own wheezing breath and the pounding in her ears. It was an insect sound, not a buzzing but still a sound that her brain filed underbug . It sounded like the whipwhipwhip of a helicopter, only much higher in pitch, as if a helicopter could have insect-like tentacles instead of blades. With that one glance, she had made out an entire gray mass of those tentacles, with heads in front – and all the heads were open to show mouths full of white sharp teeth. She struggled to turn on the flashlight. Night was falling, and she had no idea how long it would be until moonrise. All she knew was that the trees seemed to make everything darker, and thatthey were after her and Meredith. The malach. The whipping sound of tentacles beating the air was much louder now. Much closer. Bonnie didn't want to turn around and see the source of it. The sound was pushing her body beyond all sane limits. She couldn't help hearing over and over Matt's words:like putting my hand in a garbage disposal and turning it on. Like putting my hand in a garbage disposal†¦ Her hand and Meredith's were covered with sweat again. And the gray mass was definitely overtaking them. It was only half as far away as it had been at first, and the whipping noise was getting higher-pitched. At the same time her legs felt like rubber. Literally. She couldn't feel her knees. And now they felt like rubber dissolving into gelatin. Vipvipvipvipveeee†¦ It was the sound of one of them, closer than the rest. Closer, closer, and then it was in front of them, its mouth open in an oval shape with teeth all around the perimeter. Just like Matt had said. Bonnie had no breath to scream with. But she needed to scream. The headless thing with no eyes or features – just that horrible mouth – had turned ahead of them and was coming right for her. And her automatic response – to beat at it with her hands – could cost her an arm. Oh God, it was coming for her face†¦. â€Å"There's the boardinghouse,† gasped Meredith, giving her a jerk that lifted her off her feet.†Run!† Bonnie ducked, just as the malach tried to collide with her. Instantly, she felt tentacleswhipwhipwhip into her curly hair. She was abruptly yanked backward to a painful stumble and Meredith's hand was torn out of hers. Her legs wanted to collapse. Her guts wanted her to scream. â€Å"Oh, God, Meredith, it's got me! Run!Don't let one get you!† In front of her, the boardinghouse was lit up like a hotel. Usually it was dark except for maybe Stefan's window and one other. But now it shone like a jewel, just beyond her reach. â€Å"Bonnie, shut your eyes!† Meredith hadn't left her. She was still here. Bonnie could feel vine-like tentacles gently brushing her ear, lightly tasting her sweaty forehead, working toward her face, her throat†¦She sobbed. And then there was a sharp, loud crack mixed with a sound like a ripe melon bursting, and something damp scattered all over her back. She opened her eyes. Meredith was dropping a thick branch she had been holding like a baseball bat. The tentacles were already sliding out of Bonnie's hair. Bonnie didn't want to look at the mess behind her. â€Å"Meredith, you – â€Å" â€Å"Come on – run!† And she was running again. All the way up the gravel boardinghouse driveway, all the way up the path to the door. And there, in the doorway, Mrs. Flowers was standing with an old-fashioned kerosene lamp. â€Å"Get in, get in,† she said, and as Meredith and Bonnie skittered to a stop, sobbing for air, she slammed the door shut behind them. They all heard the sound that came next. It was like the sound the branch had made – a sharp crack plus a bursting, only much louder, and repeated many times over, like popcorn popping. Bonnie was shaking as she took her hands away from her ears and slid down to sit on the entry-hall rug. â€Å"What in heaven's name have you girls been doing to yourselves?† Mrs. Flowers said, eyeing Bonnie's forehead, Meredith's swollen nose, and their general state of sweaty exhaustion. â€Å"It takes too – long to explain,† Meredith got out. â€Å"Bonnie! You can sit down – upstairs.† Somehow or other Bonnie made it upstairs. Meredith went at once to the computer and turned it on, collapsing on the desk chair in front of it. Bonnie used the last of her energy to pull off her top. The back was stained with nameless insect juices. She crumpled it into a ball and threw it into a corner. Then she fell down on Stefan's bed. â€Å"What exactly did Matt say?† Meredith was getting her breath back. â€Å"He saidLook in the backup – orLook for the backup file or something. Meredith, my head†¦it isn't good.† â€Å"Okay. Just relax. You did great out there.† â€Å"I made it because you saved me. Thanks†¦again†¦.† â€Å"Don't worry about it. But I don't understand,† Meredith added in her talking-to-herself murmur. â€Å"There's a backup file of this note in the same directory, but it's no different. I don't see what Matt meant.† â€Å"Maybe he was confused,† Bonnie said reluctantly. â€Å"Maybe he was just in a lot of pain and sort of off his head.† â€Å"Backup file, backup file†¦wait a minute! Doesn't Word automatically save a backup in some weird place, like under the administrator directory or somewhere?† Meredith was clicking rapidly through directories. Then she said, in a disappointed voice, â€Å"No, nothing there.† She sat back, letting her breath out sharply. Bonnie knew what she must be thinking. Their long and desperate run through danger couldn't all be for nothing. Itcouldn't . Then, slowly, Meredith said, â€Å"There are a lot of temp files in here for one little note.† â€Å"What's a temp file?† â€Å"It's just a temporary storage of your file while you're working on it. Usually it just looks like gibberish, though.† The clicking started again. â€Å"But I must as well be thorough – oh!† She interrupted herself. The clicking stopped. And then there was dead silence. â€Å"What is it?† Bonnie said anxiously. More silence. â€Å"Meredith! Talk to me!Did you find a backup file? â€Å" Meredith said nothing. She seemed not even to hear. She was reading with what looked like horrified fascination.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Dating Violence among Teenagers Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dating Violence among Teenagers - Term Paper Example I have chosen two empirical studies to help me understand this phenomenon and try to bring about changes that would beneficial to them. In a study conducted by (Champion H. 2008) on different risk and protective factors involving individual behavior related to dating violence and victimization among teenagers, many interesting facts were highlighted. To analyze the facts on the important issue of dating violence among teenagers, surveys were conducted for 2000 students belonging to the North Carolina High School. On examining the level of violence on the dating issue from a gender point of view, it was found that females were more at risk than the males. Results showed that when comparing the females to males, females experienced a higher level of perpetration (8.8%) than the males who had only 4.0% risk. (Champion H. 2008) Findings on the issue of victimization showed that while females were at a higher risk with 7.2%, male victimization was only 5.0%. (Champion H. 2008) The results from the study proved that there is a higher incidence of female perpetration and victimization and they were more at risk when compar ed to males. Some of the common causes observed in the study were drunken driving, tobacco and alcohol abuse, drug abuse. When comparing the different multivariate models associated with violence in dating, men were less likely to be victimized than women. However, there could be few exceptions. The findings also showed that the role of community should be enhanced to counter this problem by conducting various activities within the community and making the youth more responsible in the way they approach life. In a study conducted by (Miller S. 2009) the method used to gauge dating violence among teenagers was directed towards interviewing parents and peers for predictors of violence and perpetration during physical dating. The participants chosen

Sunday, July 28, 2019

NVR Firm Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

NVR Firm Analysis - Essay Example Its scope of activities though is wide ranging. It not only deals with home construction and marketing of homes, but also other related things such as financing programs, settlement, and title services care of its NVR Mortgage Finance subsidiary. It therefore seeks to cater to every need of the homebuyer. The types of homes NVR builds include single-family detached homes, town homes and condominium buildings. It offers a variety of home designs. It sells about 15,000 homes annually. The sizes of the homes range from 900 sq. ft. to 7,300 sq. ft. The prices range from $60,000 to $2.5 million with an average of $373,000. NVR went through a difficult period in the 1990s when it had to file for bankruptcy. But since then the company has restructured itself and in the 2000s is once again a leading company. In 2004 the company reported solid gains including revenues of $4.3 billion, which was a 17% increase over the previous year. Its big competitive advantage is its branching out into providing financial services because this has really helped the company increase its revenues. In 2005 it was the 10th largest homebuilder firm in the United States. (builderonline.com) NVR now has a 1.32% share of the market compared to Pulte Homes’s 3.61%. (builderonline.com) â€Å"We believe that we operate our business with a conservative operating strategy. We do not engage in land development and primarily construct homes on a pre-sold basis. This strategy allows us to maximize inventory turnover, which we believe enables us to minimize market risk and to operate with less capital, thereby enhancing rates of return on equity and total capital. In addition, we focus on obtaining and maintaining a leading market position in each market we serve. This strategy allows us to gain valuable efficiencies and competitive advantages in our markets which management believes contributes to minimizing the adverse effects of regional economic cycles and provides growth opportunities within

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Hewlett Packard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Hewlett Packard - Essay Example The researcher states that as per SWOT analysis of HP, the company’s internal analysis is based on its strengths and weaknesses. Strengths Products and solutions of HP are competitive and provide a cost advantage. During the recession of 2009, efforts focused on reducing cost base and making it variable got succeeded in giving it the competitive advantage. It was the result of following proper processes that it could control spending and maintain the organization stability by integrating the services businesses attained from Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS). It has been successful in maintaining the strength of its products, services, and brand HP. The workforce of HP stands high in technical expertise providing a solid base by adding stability to its functions. Restructuring of the workforce in services and product businesses in the fiscal year 2008 and 2009 has added value by controlling total costs and expenses. HP is competitively positioned to benefit from the business trends to align its printing businesses from analog to digital printing, producing innovative products like the web-enabled home printer, w eb and mobile printing, graphics and retail photo printing in annuity businesses, and in the managed print services business. HP is well positioned to integrate storage, networking, servers, and management software. Further, its IT management software development would fulfill virtualization management besides automating processes

Organizational Change and Development in FMC Green River Essay

Organizational Change and Development in FMC Green River - Essay Example In that case, organizational change must be planned, monitored and controlled throughout its lifecycle, with completion occurring on full implementation and evaluation. Organizational change decisions are often complex, multi-faceted, and involve many different stakeholders with different priorities or objectives. Most people, when confronted with such a problem will attempt to use intuitive approaches to simplify complexity until the problem seems more manageable. In the process, important information may be lost, opposing points of view may be discarded, elements of uncertainty may be ignored -- in short, there are many reasons to expect that, on their own, individuals (either lay or expert) will often experience difficulty making informed, thoughtful choices about complex issues involving uncertainties and value tradeoffs. This fact and the tendency of change issues to involve shared resources and broad constituencies means that group decision processes are called for. These may have some advantages over individual processes: more perspectives may be put forward for consideration, the chances of having natural systematic thinkers involved are hig her, and groups may be able to rely upon the more deliberative, well-informed members. However, groups are also susceptible to the tendency to establish entrenched positions (defeating compromise initiatives) or to prematurely adopt a common perspective that excludes contrary information – a tendency termed â€Å"group think.† (McDaniel’s et al., 1999). For change management projects, decision makers may currently receive four types of technical input: modelling/monitoring, risk analysis, cost or cost-benefit analysis, and stakeholders’ preferences. However, current decision processes in Green River typically offer little guidance on how to integrate or judge the relative importance of information from each source. Also, information comes in different forms. While  modelling and monitoring results are usually presented as quantitative estimates, risk assessment and cost-benefit analyses incorporate a higher degree of qualitative judgment by the project team.  

Friday, July 26, 2019

China doing business in Venezuela Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

China doing business in Venezuela - Essay Example government has not made an official announcement, America feels threatened as an influence within the region. Currently, America is the largest importer of oil from Venezuela, and China will be taking away from this amount. 2) U.S. consumers may benefit from with deal through an increase in Venezuelan oil production. As of right now, Venezuela produces about 3 billion barrels of oil each day (James 2011). With help from the Chinese loans, oil production is expected to increase to increase massively. This, in turn, will benefit U.S. consumers because the oil price should hopefully come down. With more oil on the market, prices will be driven down. The cost of gas to U.S. consumers should reduce considerably. However, the United States government needs to be careful that there are not any deals going on between the Venezuelan government and their Chinese counterparts. Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez has said, â€Å"We don’t do discounts with anyone†¦We sell at international prices (James 2011). If the U.S. wants to remain competitive in the oil market, then it should hope that this is true. Associated Press. (2011, Nov. 25) Venezuela’s Chavez defends China ties as officials sign deals for $6 billion in loans. The Washington Post. Retrieved from

Thursday, July 25, 2019

The fourth amendment and NYPD Surveillance Essay

The fourth amendment and NYPD Surveillance - Essay Example Surveillance has also included such activities as monitoring websites frequented by Muslim students. A reason used by the NYPD has included permeation of Muslim communities in New York by extremist Muslims. The premise of this paper is to study the various facets of this surveillance, its benefits, and its criticisms and counter criticisms. In addition, this paper also discusses whether NYPD Surveillance has failed to uphold the U.S. constitution, particularly the fourth amendment. Since terrorists attacked New York on September 11th of 2001, the most aggressive intelligence agency, at least domestically, has been the NYPD (Tutt, 2012). The Demographics unit, a secret unit formed by the NYPD, has sent officers in ordinary clothes, mostly of Arab descent, into Muslim populated neighbourhoods to catalogue Muslim congregations in grocery stores, restaurants, travel agencies & also to photograph their places of worship. These officers acted via spying on businesses, eavesdropping on conv ersations, all the while filing reports daily on the various ethnic backgrounds of clientele, owners, and whatever they happened to overhear (Tutt, 2012). This program was based on no criminal activity neither did it stop at the boundaries of New York City. The goal revolved around the complete comprehension of communities professing Islam in New York, as well as around it. Their aim was to identify problematic areas explicitly, while working to prevent any further attacks. Student organizations formed by Muslims were not spared either, including their prayer groups. Names of professors and students were included by the officers in their files, even where no criminal allegations could be defined. Those allies of Islam who had supported mayor Bloomberg in denouncing of terrorism were themselves also victims of this NYPD monitoring (Tutt, 2012). Muslims who changed names to sound more American, or took on names that sounded more Arabic, were catalogued in the secret police files. Lice nse plate numbers at mosques were photographed and recorded, with their occupants pictured and filmed as they arrived for worship. Inside the mosques, undercover officials and informants aided the police in building files on sermons, even those that were irrelevant and innocuous (Tutt, 2012). The surveillance was kept under wraps for a long while, aided in no small part by the secrecy surrounding the unit. This secrecy was crucial for the uninterrupted work carried out by the NYPD. The â€Å"scandal† only came to light through the exposes printed by the associated press, which shocked the Muslim community, not only in New York, but also around the country & the world. There was an outpouring of anger, with hundreds of protesters gathering outside Fordham Law School to protest a speech by the commissioner of police, Raymond Kelly, where he was defending the controversial operation (Press, A, 2012). Numerous articles in various news papers also criticized the NYPD for what they called new age racism. Criticism of the NYPD surveillance has been savage and unrelenting. The white paper, authored by the NYPD, titled Radicalization in the West: the Home Grown Threat, was recently exposed and has been especially ravaged by columnists (Tutt, 2012). Some of its criticism has to do with perceived myths that are believed to have constituted the basis for the entire counter-terrorism philosophy, which

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Magnet Hospital Characteristics Research Proposal

Magnet Hospital Characteristics - Research Proposal Example This study will seek to explore the various ways in which magnet characteristics could be appropriated towards the objectives of empowerment, reduction of burnout and enhancing employee satisfaction within the healthcare facilities. Problem Statement The matter of job dissatisfaction and work related stress continues to engage the concern of stakeholders in the nursing profession. Nurses are continually subjected to adverse working conditions that affect their levels of production and dedication to duty (Earie & Denny, 2005). Despite the consistent improvements of other areas of the healthcare sector, there seems to be insufficient focus on the challenges that afflict the nursing fraternity. The general perception is that the healthcare system, as presently constituted, lays obstacles to the empowerment of nurses. The system is structured in such a way that assigns a subservient role to the nurses despite various research findings that emphasize the centrality of nurses to the succes s levels of every health care system. Among the many suggestions on the improvement of the nursing industry is the inclusion of magnet hospital characteristics. This study seeks to explore the possible effect of magnet hospital characteristics in solving the challenges of empowerment, work-related stress and burn-out within the nursing industry. Objectives of the Study The general objective of the study is to explore the impact of utilizing magnet hospital characteristics on fostering nursing empowerment, reducing the levels of burnout and job dissatisfaction. Specific Objectives 1. To determine the relationship between magnet hospital characteristics and power relationships within a healthcare institution with specific focus on the nurses and the... This paper stresses that researchers on nursing have established that fragmented systems often promote negative competition and conflict between the nursing fraternity and the doctors. Systems that exclude nurses from decision-making processes often foster non-cooperation. Naturally, lack of cooperation between nurses and doctors will impact negatively in quality matters. Poor coordination could result in accidents and other elements of professional malpractice in the nursing community. Generally, nurses will tend to operate in ways that do not promote the general good of the hospitals due to the detached interest that follows. The need for harmonization of systems is consistent with the realization that quality service must involve processes of collaboration and delegation of roles. Technology also helps in the decongesting of hospitals thus promoting ample working environment for the nurses. This report makes a conclusion that poor staffing is usually associated with the negative impacts of staff burnout and stress. Generally, the aim of magnet hospital characteristics is the improvement of all the processes, associations and arrangements in the hospital for the benefit of all the stakeholders. Other studies have associated it with the concept of total quality management as understood within the framework of management. Harmonization of the different systems, processes, and individuals within the framework of the core mission of the hospital is the chief objective of magnet hospital characteristics.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Cover letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cover letter - Essay Example My goal is to follow a career as an emergency room nurse. Through my past emergency room experiences I have gained a deep understanding of a nurse’s role in patient care. I am committed to providing the best outcome possible for those who come to me for help. It has been humbling to see the miracles that happen on a daily basis at my work, and I couldn’t imagine a more satisfying job. In my current position at Beth Israel, I have learned the importance of maintaining accuracy and precision in high pressure situations. Having gained the awareness of how my decisions impact those around me, I know that one of my top priorities is being a team player. I am very interested in working for St. Johns because of the excellent reputation the hospital has gained throughout the medical community. Paying close attention to following hospital policies have become second-nature for me. I am thoroughly acquainted with the proper procedures to get things done in the most efficient way possible. I would welcome the opportunity to talk with you in person about the possibilities. I will give you a call next week to discuss whether a meeting would be appropriate. Please feel free to contact me by phone or email if you have questions in the

Monday, July 22, 2019

Paraphrasing and Summarizing Essay Example for Free

Paraphrasing and Summarizing Essay Is there a difference between paraphrasing and summarizing? What is it? How do you know when it is most appropriate to use one or the other in an academic paper? In academic writing there are many do not’s to refrain from in writing academically. Two of the do not’s that relates to paraphrasing and summarizing are * Do not copy from other people’s work * Do not simply copy words and phrases from the question paper; try to use your own words at all times by paraphrasing the question. These points explain there is a difference between paraphrasing and summarizing. Paraphrasing is selecting the author or writer works and referencing the ideas that are used. As well as using your own words in a length that will capture the audience attention. Summarizing is related to your ideas and thoughts of what the writer or author discuss. Plotnick (2012),†Paraphrase and summary are indispensable tools in essay writing because they allow you to include other peoples ideas without cluttering up your essay with quotations. They help you take greater control of your essay. Consider relying on either tool when an idea from one of your sources is important to your essay but the wording is not. You should be guided in your choice of which tool to use by considerations of space. But above all, think about how much of the detail from your source is relevant to your argument. If all your reader needs to know is the bare bones, then summarize. Ultimately, be sure not to rely too heavily on either paraphrase or summary. Your ideas are what matter most. Allow yourself the space to develop those ideas. † (para. How do I paraphrase? ).

Benthams Utilitarianism Essay Example for Free

Benthams Utilitarianism Essay Bentham sees that man is being governed by two feelings, this is pleasure and pain. These determine that which is good and evil for man. These are also the basis of the act of man, and these-pain and pleasure would be the fundamentals of the philosophy, utilitarianism. The principle of utility is the action that approves or disapproves an action whatsoever. By the principle of utility, it aims to help man to choose which would give him benefit. The principle of utility determines that which would give man more happiness, good, and pleasure, and negate that which would give him otherwise. The perfect example of something that executes the principle of utility is the government. Since it upholds the betterment of the many, than the pleasure of the individualthis is demonstrated in law-making. Legislators are bound to the principle of utility as they legislate, while for manhe acts with Calculus of Felicity in his mind. Considering the intensity, duration, trueness and closeness of an act. But these are only applicable for a given moment of time, but if a man has to consider a succession of events he must consider fecunditywhere he thinks that a positive act would be followed followed by a positive act, and puritywhere man thinks that an act will not be followed by a negative effect, or karma. But for Bentham he asserts that this philosophy should be placed in context. The principle utilitarianism is nor always a good basis in judging the morality of an act. But the process of utilitarianism ail always be a good determiner of pleasure, profit, and advantage and also to tell which he should avert. Bentham considers that this principle maybe useless at times but he believes in the nature of man, he is innately born with pleasures of pain and this principle would always be useful to him.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Effect of the 2012 Olympic Games on Disabled Transportation

Effect of the 2012 Olympic Games on Disabled Transportation The Olympic Games in 2012 can â€Å"leave a legacy of accessible transport and facilities not just for disabled sportsmen and women, but for people with a disability in general.†[1] Phil Lane, British Paralympic Association Chief Executive Table of contents (Jump to) 1. Introduction 2. Methodology 3. Evaluation 3.1. Legislation 3.1.1. DDA 1995 3.1.1.1. Meaning of Disability 3.1.1.2. Meaning of Discrimination 3.1.1.3. Positive Duty under the DDA 2005 3.1.1.4. Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles 3.1.1.5. Rail Vehicles 3.1.1.6. Public Transport Vehicles 3.1.1.7. Aircraft and Ships 3.1.1.8. DDA 1995: Comparison to other Anti-Discrimination Legislation 3.1.1.9. Criticisms 3.2. Case Law 3.3. Stakeholder Commentary 3.4. Survey Results 4. Recommendations 5. Conclusion 5. Appendix â€Å"A† 6. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1.  Introduction The Labour government under Tony Blair has set out an ambitious agenda for tackling disability discrimination across society. Part of this agenda has involved amendments to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA 1995)[2] in order to ensure that the lessons of the first ten years of the Act having been in force are taken into account. The DDA 1995 sets out, along with the regulations and orders made under the Act, the legislative framework the intention of which is to ensure that disabled people throughout the country have access to the same opportunities as the public at large. With London having been awarded the Olympic Games in 2012, the ability of this legislative framework to force through change, both on a functional level, and on a cultural one, will be put to the test. The purpose of this report is to examine and critically assess, within the context of transport in London and airline operators, whether or not this legislative framework is sufficient to meet the needs of disabled people coming up to the Olympic Games and beyond. 2.  Methodology In order to assess the readiness of London to meet the needs of disabled travellers during the Olympic Games and beyond within the confines of a research paper it is necessary to clearly define the scope of the intended research. In this case, the scope of the investigation is limited to transport in London, which includes taxis, trains, public authority vehicles, buses, the underground, aircraft and, to a lesser degree, accessibility to the buildings from which those transport vehicles leave from and arrive to. In order for it to be concluded that London will be ready to meet the needs of disabled travellers by 2012, it will need to be shown, that the current legislative framework is sufficient; that where there are ambiguities within the legislation, the Courts have been willing to provide useful guidance to transport providers and disabled travellers generally; that the culture within the public transport industry has changed with managers and employees now aware of their obligations under the legislation; that there are adequate penalties in place to discourage those that fail to comply; and finally, that these previously mentioned factors will all work together to provide disabled travellers with a integrated means of getting around London by 2012. In order to investigate these matters, it was necessary to look in detail at the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA 1995), how the Act has been amended over the past eleven years, and in particular by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (DDA 2005), the various regulations and orders made under the DDA 1995 pertaining to public transport, cases decided dealing with the DDA 1995 and various commentary available from both public transport service providers, disabled travellers and other stakeholders. A survey of both rail and airline employees was also undertaken in order to gauge the level of understanding of the provisions of what is a complicated and often misinterpreted piece of legislation. The results of that survey are set out in Appendix A and discussed within the body of this report. 3.  Evaluation 3.1  Legislation One of the main aims of this report is to establish whether or not the amendments made to the DDA 1995 by the DDA 2005 have assisted in making the DDA 1995 more accessible or whether it remains, as noted by Lord Justice Mummery, â€Å"without doubt an unusually complex piece of legislation which poses novel questions of interpretation.†[3] 3.1.1  DDA 1995 The primary piece of legislation dealing with discrimination against disabled people using public transport is the DDA 1995 which has been amended by the DDA 2005. The DDA 2005 received royal assent on the 7th April 2005. Its main purpose was to give effect to the submissions made by various groups relating to the operation of the DDA 1995 over the preceding ten years by providing for certain important amendments in relation to that legislation. The DDA 2005 makes several substantial amendments to the DDA 1995. Those that apply to public transport are set out in Sections 5 to 9. Section 5 inserts a new Section 21ZA into the DDA 1995 and replaces the existing exclusion of transport services from Sections 19 to 21 of the DDA 1995 with a more precise exclusion which relates to only those transport services which consist of vehicle provision and use. Section 21ZA(1)(b) excludes discrimination which relates to a service provided, or not provided, while a disabled person is travelling in a vehicle. Section 21ZA(2) excludes from the duty to provide adjustments, transport services involving providing or using a vehicle. Sections 21ZA(1) and (2) can be disapplied through regulations made by the Secretary of State under Section 21ZA(3).[4] Section 6 of the DDA 2005 clarifies the timeframe for the bringing into force regulations dealing with all rail vehicles and the duty requiring rail operators to have in place measures allowing for disabled people to get on and off regulated rail vehicles in safety and without unreasonable difficulty and to be carried in regulated rail vehicles in safety and reasonable comfort. The Secretary of State is now required, under the new Section 46(4A) to ensure that all rail vehicles are regulated under the rail vehicles accessibility regulations by 1st January 2020. Section 6 also removes from the definition of â€Å"rail vehicle† the exemption relating to vehicles first brought into use after 31st December 1998. This means that there is now no start date and the Secretary of State is able to make regulations which apply to all rail vehicles and for instance, make regulations which apply to rail vehicles first brought into service before 1998 and which are for example refurbished. This closes a potential loop-hole in the legislation and allows the Secretary of State to meet the deadline imposed by 46(6A).[5] Section 6(3) clarifies the Secretary of State’s powers to make exemption orders relating to regulated rail vehicles by specifically allowing the making of exemption orders which relate to the operational as well as the construction elements of the rail vehicle accessibility regulations. Section 6(4) clarifies the procedure to be followed by the Secretary of State when exercising their discretion under Section 67(5A) of the DDA 1995. This procedure applies to the making of exemption orders and requires the Secretary of State to consult the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, and any other bodies that may be appropriate, and furthermore, for such regulations to be subject to the draft affirmative procedure which allows for greater parliamentary scrutiny. In the same vein of providing closer scrutiny over the making of exemption orders, Section 6(5) of the DDA 2005 inserts a new section (67B) which requires an annual report to be produced by the Secretary of State deta iling the exemption orders which have been made and containing details of the consultation process undertaken.[6] Section 7 of the DDA 2005 deals with the new concept of rail accessibility compliance certificates and allows for the Secretary of State to make regulations appointing independent assessors responsible for granting and enforcing the certificates, setting out the mechanisms for the charging of fees and dispute resolution. The intention of the certification scheme is to ultimately prohibit regulated rail vehicles operating without a valid compliance certificate. These certificates will also provide a degree of flexibility with Section 47A(4) allowing the certificates to be subject to conditions.[7] Section 8 of the DDA 2005 replaces the criminal sanctions set out in the DDA 1995 for a breach of the rail vehicle accessibility regulations with a civil regime allowing the levying of penalties should an improvement notice and final notice issued by the Secretary of State not be complied with. It also provides the Secretary of State with new powers of inspection in cases in which it is suspected that a regulated rail vehicle fails to conform to the provisions of the rail vehicle accessibility regulations (Sections 47E and 47F). New sections 47D to 47L deal with the imposition of penalties on train operators. Section 47D to 47H deal with the amount, due date and recovery of penalties imposed under the Act. Most importantly, any penalty imposed cannot exceed 10% of the operator’s â€Å"turnover†. Section 47K sets out the procedure to be followed and the operator’s right to object. If the operator is not satisfied with the penalty imposed by the Secretary of State, they have the right to appeal to a Court, whether or not they have lodged an appeal with the Secretary of State, but only on the grounds that either the penalty should not apply to them or that the level of the penalty is too high.[8] Section 9 allows for the recognition in England and Wales of disabled persons’ parking badges issued in foreign jurisdictions. This then allows for reciprocal recognition of UK badges in other EU countries.[9] 3.1.1.1  Meaning of Disability The DDA 1995 defines a â€Å"disabled person† as someone who has a disability.[10] A person has a disability if they have, â€Å"†¦a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.†[11] This is further clarified in Schedule 1 of the DDA 1995. A mental impairment is not exhaustively defined but it originally only included mental illnesses in cases in which that illness is clinically well-recognised.[12] This constraint has now been removed by Section 18(2) of the DDA 2005. In addition, the DDA 2005 by way of Section 18(3) deems those suffering from HIV, Cancer or MS to be disabled before the symptoms set out in Section 1, or paragraph 8 of Schedule 1, have been experienced by them.[13] An impairment is held to be long-term if a person has had it for at least twelve months, it is expected to last for at least twelve months or it is likely to affect the person for the rest of their life.[14] 3.1.1.2  Meaning of Discrimination Section 3A(1) of the DDA 1995 states that a disabled person is discriminated against if, for a reason relating to a disabled person’s disability, a person treats a disabled person less favourably than they would someone without a disability and the person alleged to be discriminating against the disabled person cannot show that it is justified to treat them in this way. In order for the treatment referred to above to be justified, it must be both substantial and material to the particular cases’ circumstances.[15] However, if the treatment amounts to direct discrimination, it cannot be justified.[16] Similarly, if the person was required to make reasonable adjustments to cater for disabled people and has not done so, they will not be able to rely on a defence of the treatment being justified unless even if he had complied with the duty it would have been justified.[17] More relevantly to the issue of public transport, a person is also held to have discriminated against a disabled person if when a duty to make reasonable adjustments in relation to disabled people is imposed on them, they fail to comply with that duty.[18] 3.1.1.3  Positive Duty under the DDA 2005 The DDA 2005 introduced the concept of a â€Å"positive duty† for public authorities which makes it unlawful for them to, in the course of carrying out its functions, to discriminate against disabled people.[19] A similar â€Å"positive duty† has not been included with respect to private companies and employers. 3.1.1.4  Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles The DDA 1995 allows the Secretary of State to make regulations to ensure that it is possible for disabled persons; â€Å"to get into and out of taxis in safety,† and â€Å"to be carried in taxis in safety and in reasonable comfort;† and for disabled persons in wheelchairs; â€Å"to be conveyed in safety into and out of taxis while remaining in their wheelchairs,† and â€Å"to be carried in taxis in safety and in reasonable comfort while remaining in their wheelchairs.† It is proposed that regulations are introduced in respect of all new Taxis by 2010 and all Taxis by 2020.[20] One notable exception is that private hire vehicles are not provided for under the DDA 1995 however, this is not an exception that is likely to remain for long with both the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Group and the Disability Rights Commission looking into the matter.[21] 3.1.1.5  Rail Vehicles A â€Å"rail vehicle† as amended by the DDA 2005 is a vehicle, â€Å"constructed or adapted to carry passengers on any railway, tramway or prescribed system.†[22] The DDA 1995 provides the Secretary of State with the power to make â€Å"rail vehicle accessibility regulations.†[23] These regulations, made in 1998 and amended in 2000, cover several important areas. They allow the Secretary of State to require, by way of these regulations, transport operators to provide means for disabled persons to be able to get on and off regulated rail vehicles in safety and without difficulty and to be able to travel in those vehicles in safety and comfort. They also cover such matters as, â€Å"wheelchair accessibility, the design of on-board accessible toilets, the size and location of handrails, handholds and control devices as well as the provision of audible warnings and other equipment.†[24] The DDA 1995 also allows the Secretary of State to make an exception in relation to a case in which a rail vehicle operator is unable to meet the requirements and makes an application for exemption. An example of such an exemption relating to London is the one granted to Gatwick Express (The Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Gatwick Express Class 458) Exemption Order 2006). This Order exempts Gatwick Express from some of the requirements of the regulations until April 2011.[25] However, without doubt, the main hurdle that the government needs to overcome to ensure that the Olympic Games in 2012 are an inclusive event is the issue of accessibility to the London Underground. Transport for London currently lists as accessible by means other than stairs or escalators, only 40 of its 275 underground stations.[26] The pace of improvements taking place also fails to fill one with confidence. Over the next five years there will be an additional 27 step-free stations. The intention is then for 25% to be step-free by 2010 and 50% by 2015.[27] As the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) correctly point out, if these figures are to be accepted, less than half of London’s Underground stations will be accessible by way of stair-free means by the time of the Olympics in 2012 and this is a situation that they find unacceptable.[28] While being the main means of transport for many spectators who will arrive in London at the time of the Olympic Games, the Tube is also perhaps the most culturally significant icon that London possesses and it will reflect poorly on the country as a whole if accessibility to London Underground stations has not been addressed in a productive manner before 2012. 3.1.1.6  Public Transport Vehicles The regulations applying to public transport vehicles are set out in the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000. These regulations provide standards which are to be met and apply to â€Å"all new public service vehicles (buses or coaches) introduced since 31st December 2000 with a capacity exceeding 22 passengers used to provide a local of scheduled service.†[29] They also set out deadlines for the meeting of the standards. For instance, wheel chair users must be able to access all small buses by the 1st January 2015, large single deck buses by the 1st January 2016 and double deck buses by the 1st January 2017.[30] At present the accessibility by wheelchair users of buses nationwide stands at approximately 30%.[31] However, the DPTAC note that with respect to London’s buses, accessibility for wheelchair users is close to 100%.[32] The main concern with respect to buses in the capital is not in relation to compliance with the required modifications, but rather with the failure of some drivers to use the modifications available to assist their disabled passengers.[33] It should be noted that the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000 do provide for a driver refusing to assist a disabled person in cases in which doing so would â€Å"adversely affect his health or safety, your safety or that of other passengers or the safety of the vehicle.† [34] However, it should be stressed to all drivers that this exemption should only be relied upon in specific circumstances with clear examples being provided. Finally, the DPTAC also suggest the greater availability of audible and visual information systems and this is an area that Transport for London is considering as an improvement for all their customers, not only those that are disabled.[35] 3.1.1.7  Aircraft and Ships One of the main criticisms of the DDA 1995 is that it fails to specifically address the duties of ship and airline operators. While ports and airports will still need to comply with the requirements of the legislation, the DDA 1995 fails to provide in respect of ships and aircraft the same regulatory making powers that it provides with respect to taxis, rail and public transport vehicles. Ships and aircraft come under European laws dealing with anti-discrimination legislation, however it is still argued that for disability discrimination legislation to be effective, it must apply to all public transport vehicles that operate within the UK. This gap in the legislation is seem as a major hurdle to ensuring that there is consistency across all types of public transport coming up to the Olympic Games and beyond. The DPTAC endorses this view and notes that â€Å"aircraft and ships will be the first and last Olympic travel experience that most overseas participants and audiences will experience, and we believe that the Government should do all it can to ensure that that experience is a positive one.†[36] They also emphasise that aviation and shipping are currently covered by voluntary codes but that the government has made it clear that should these codes fail, they would be prepared to remove the exemption from Part 3 of the DDA 1995 that currently applies to them.[37] As Karen Buck, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport sets out in her response to Tony Manwaring, CEO of Scope, the government is carrying out benchmarking tests in association with DPTAC the results of which were hoped to be available in early 2006. These exercises would then help determine whether or not it was necessary to lift the DDA 1995 Part 3 exemption currently granted to airline and shipping trans port providers.[38] 3.1.1.9  DDA 1995: Comparison to other Anti-Discrimination Legislation One of the most important differences between the DDA and other anti-discrimination legislation is that the DDA only applies to people who meet the criteria set out for being disabled. The Disability Rights Commission estimates that approximately ten million people have rights under the DDA 1995.[39] In contrast, other anti-discrimination legislation is much more pervasive in its application and applies to all members of society as long as they can show that the type of discrimination they are alleged to have suffered occurred. Another important difference is that the DDA takes into account the fact that the aim of assisting people with a disability is not to ensure that they receive equal treatment but rather, treatment which is appropriate to their circumstances. As such, the DDA does not aim to restrict the ability of those dealing with disabled people to positively discriminate in their favour, rather accepting that where appropriate, disabled people need to be treated differently.[40] Under other anti-discrimination legislation, discrimination can never be justified. 3.1.1.9  Criticisms Jan Nesbitt, chair of the Disability Law Service, notes that, â€Å"one of the weaknesses of the DDA has been that the service provision elements have been brought in over a lengthy period of time and some disabled people have had to wait for their needs to be met. There are some areas that are unsatisfactory, transport is still not covered, except for design features†¦Ã¢â‚¬ [41] The focus of the DDA 1995 is to put the duty to change on the public transport operators. This focus is sometimes referred to as being â€Å"solution-oriented†.[42] A solution-oriented approach to disability discrimination is a positive and extremely powerful tool in combating discrimination. However, this approach can only genuinely apply to those with physical disabilities and this has lead some commentators to suggest that the DDA 1995 is in fact discriminatory in itself as it places much more emphasis on those with physical disabilities as opposed to those suffering from mental disabilities. This however could be said to simply reflect the relative ease of making adjustments for those with physical disabilities, compared to making adjustments for those suffering from mental illnesses. People suffering from mental illnesses create a much more difficult problem for public transport providers to solve. There are no simple physical modifications that can be made to cater for people suffering from mental illnesses. This is further exacerbated by fact that it is often clear when someone is suffering from a physical impairment and staff can be trained to respond to their needs quickly and effectively. It is a lot more difficult to gauge whether or not someone is suffering from a mental illness, how best to assist them and whether or not they may pose a danger to staff and/or other members of the public. A frightening prospect is that the legislation as it currently stands could allow public transport companies to segregate those with disabilities from the rest of the travelling public. While this is already done to some extent, eg spaces for people needing wheelchair access; it is only a short distance from an ID card which lists a person’s disability, to a separate carriage for those with disabilities. The unfortunate aspect of this is that it would no doubt be argued that this solution provides the best means of catering for the individual needs of disabled people. 3.2  Case Law One of the leading cases decided under the DDA 1995 was Clark v TDG Ltd (t/a Novacold).[43] This was an appeal from the Employment Appeal Tribunal and was the first appeal decided by the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) under the DDA 1995. While that case dealt with employment law, Lord Justice Mummery’s comments about the DDA 1995 and its relationship to other anti-discrimination legislation is still of importance to the area of public transport. Lord Justice Mummery stated, â€Å"Contrary to what might be reasonably assumed, the exercise of interpretation is not facilitated by familiarity with the pre-existing legislation prohibiting discrimination in the field of employment (and elsewhere) on the grounds of sex (Sex Discrimination Act 1975) and race (Race Discrimination Act 1976). Indeed, it may be positively misleading to approach the 1995 Act with assumptions and concepts familiar from experience of the workings of the 1975 Act and the 1976 Act. Unlike the earlier discrimination Acts the 1995 Act does not draw the crucial distinction between direct and indirect discrimination on specified grounds; it provides a defence of justification to less favourable treatment which would constitute direct discrimination and be without such a defence under the earlier Acts; and it does not replicate the express requirement of the 1975 Act (section 5(3)) and the 1976 Act (section 3(4)) that, when a comparison of the cases of persons of different sex or persons of different racial groups falls to be made, the comparison must be such that the relevant circumstances in the one case are the same, or not materially different, in the other. One consequence of these differences is that the terms discriminate and discrimination are not used in Part II of the 1995 Act in the same sense as in the earlier Acts. Failure to discern and observe this difference in meaning in decision making (and in commentaries on both the 1995 Act and on decisions under it) can lead to serious conceptual confusion.† The key question that Lord Justice Mummery concluded as being fundamental to whether or not a disabled person had been discriminated against was, â€Å"is the treatment related to a complainant’s disability?†[44] Andy Rickell, director of the British Council of Disable People has stated, in respect of the case law arising from the DDA 1995, â€Å"Barristers are, and have been, running a coach and horses through disabled people’s rights.†[45] Jan Nesbitt, chair of the Disability Law Service, concurred with Rickell’s sentiments but added; â€Å"It’s like any new piece of legislation, barristers will find loopholes because there’s no case law so there’s nothing to test against. I think what happened in the beginning was that a lot of disabled people, in employment tribunals particularily, conducted their own case, and fell at the first hurdle which was proving that they were a disabled person. Any good barrister will make their case. The definition of â€Å"disability† is one of the things that’s currently being reviewed so that tribunals and courts have a better understanding of it. In any case, it is important for disabled people to get access to legal representation when taking a case.†[46] A case more relevant to transport was Roads v Central Trains.[47] This case involved a disabled resident of Norwich who relied on her electric wheelchair for mobility who brought a claim against Central Trains. The facts of the case revolved around the claimant not being able to access platform 1 at the station. The only means of accessing the platform from the side he was on was to either cross the footbridge or travel half a mile down the road where he could pass under the track and return on the other side. As both of these alternatives were not reasonable, the train company suggested the claimant, at no extra cost, take the train to a further station which was equipped with disabled access facilities, adding approximately one hour to the journey time. The claimant suggested that this was not reasonable and that the defendant company should have paid for a specially adapted taxi to drive him around to the other side. In the first instance, the Judge held that as the nearest specia lly adapted taxi was based in Norwich which was some way from Thetford where the station was located, it was unreas

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Subversion of Women in A Scandal in Bohemia :: Scandal in Bohemia Essays

Subversion of Women in A Scandal in Bohemia Doyle's "A Scandal in Bohemia" follows the story of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes on his adventures to retrieve a damaging photograph. In the society Watson describes, the apparent role of women is miniscule for emphasis focuses on one woman who is the object of Holmes' detective inquiries. In "A Scandal in Bohemia," society places women at a subordinate level pushing them to the background therefore never allowing us, the reader, to know them. Watson describes women as second-class citizens at the start of the story without directly saying so. When Watson says, "My own complete happiness, and home-centered interests which rise up around the man who first finds himself master of his own establishment were sufficient enough to absorb all my attention," (212) he declares outright that he wears the pants in the family, thus implying that his wife makes no important family decisions. Since Watson is the "master" or ruler of his own "establishment," he insinuates that the members of his family are his servants not his equals. Watson's wife is a trivial character, clearly evident because we never hear from her and never learn her name. On one occasion, Watson spends the night at Watson's house on Baker Street without once thinking to call his wife. Watson's behavior shows what little respect he has for his wife. This blatant disregard for his wife's feelings illustrates the insignificance of this woman. The King of Bohemia displays another example of the lack of respect given to women. His concerns do not center on his future wife becoming aware of this affair but rather tarnishing his own image. The King fears the revelation of this scandalous photograph for it lies on the hands of a woman. His interests to dominate this woman are evident in the callous actions the King directs towards Irene Adler. The King states, "Five attempts have been made. Twice burglars in my pay ransacked her house. Once we diverted her luggage when she traveled. Twice she has been waylaid. There has been no result" (218). This disregard for Adler's privacy questions the King's overall motives. Does he really want the photograph or do his actions focus on hurting Irene Adler? The King wants the upper hand on this beautiful, yet intelligent woman. The King's attitude towards his future wife and his former lover, Irene Adler fits into society's narrowly defined roles of women. In this society, women were the nurtures and the protectors of the children and what some deem as only monetarily valuable items. The female instinct to nurture reflects in the personality of Irene Adler.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Grendels Mothers Attack Essay -- Beowulf Grendel Mother Essays

Grendel's Mother's Attack In Beowulf, we see a number of elements throughout the poem. First, we see a pagan warrior society. In this society the relationship between a king and his thanes is key. It is a symbiotic relationship in which the thanes defend the king and his land and fight his wars. In return, the king provides for his men. He offers them such items as mailcoats, swords, helmets, gold rings, mead, beer, shelter and companionship. This society also places great value on kinship. If one's kin is killed, it is the remaining relative's duty to make the killer pay for the death, either with his own life or the payment of wergild (the "man price"). Finally, we see the recurrence of the pagan ideas of fate and courage. Men believe that fate controls their lives. Beowulf constantly tests fate and believes that through courage he can live on in the memory of those who will live after him. In the section of the poem dealing with Grendel's Mother's attack, we see the warriors settling down to sleep in Heorot after the huge celebration of Beowulf's victory over Grendel. They seem unaware of the fact that Grendel has kin who may come to avenge his death. Grendel's mother appears on the scene, snatches a man away and hurries back to the mere. When it is discovered a man is dead, sorrow is renewed. There is no more joy at Heorot, now that the she-monster has sought "payment" for the death of her son. Yet since she and her son are monsters, the thanes feel little sympat...