Sports And Aggressive Behavior Essays - Dispute Resolution, Emotions

Sports and Aggressive Behavior Sport and aggressive behavior, Do sports create aggressive behavior, or simply attract people who are already aggressive? Aggression and sport have gone together as long as sports have been around, be it the players themselves, to the parents, coaches, or spectators, they just seem to be an inseparable part of each other. The term violence is defined as physical assault based on total disregard for the well being of self and others, or the intent to injure another person ( 2. Coakley). Intimidation usually does not cause physical harm, but often is designed to produce psychological consequences, enabling one person to physically over power or dominate another. These statements as defined by the author, Jay J. Coakley, is what people today have made a must part on sport. Pleasure and participation sports absolutely cannot be grouped with power and performance sports when in relation to aggression.Pleasure sports are simply played for pleasure. Score is usually not kept. The athletes participating are usually on occasion doing it for fun and exercise. A majority of athletes who have been playing sports since they were little, have probably been pounded into their heads that to be successful in sport, you need to be aggressive, and at some times, unnecessary. Also that to get what you want, you have to go at it with all force. Not that this is wrong but, this attitude in today's society has been a major problem factor to the athletes when they get older, to get into trouble with the law. Those long-term effects of so called discipline, patterns develops these destructive behaviors. (9. Montague) Although some people are still in belief that aggressive behaviors in all forms, are grounded into instincts, but they also relate these actions to sports. Their parents played, who were known for their aggressive behavior, so the child feels that they have to live up to that expectation.( 6. Storr) Athletes do have to be aggressive to a point, so that the team can form a strategy to win. There is also a limit to aggression when it turns into violence. People might say that it's not aggression or violence, it's just adrenaline pumping. Adrenaline isn't even similar to violence. Aggression, maybe, but nothing that would be harmful to anyone else. This might be a factor to why contact sports are so popular. For example, football, hockey, rugby, wrestling, and boxing. Contrary to predictions of instinct theory, several studies show that contact sports exist and thrive in the same societies that have high rates of aggression and violence. Unfortunately, another belief is that contact sports teach discipline, self-respect, and self-defense. (8. May ) Contact sports aren't a positive way to teach these things. Being physically tough helps, but it also needs to be left on the field when the game is over. This can also lead to the abuse of family, girlfriends, boyfriends, friends, and any other person who gets in their "way", because athletes use these sports as a way to get their aggression and angers out. ( 10. Hauser, Powers, Noam ) Other's might argue that it's skill, and not in the least way violent. Although we really can't give a straight and to the point answer to the question "Is aggression an Instinct?" We can say that in man, as in other animals, there exists a physiological mechanism, when stimulated, it rises both subjective feelings of anger and to physical changes, which relate to fighting. This is easily set off, and like other emotional responses, it is very stereotyped, and instinctive. Just like one person is like a very angry person; they resemble one another at the psychological level. The way in which humans adapt to and control their feelings of rage. ( 5. Toch) The mechanisms in which these body changes, the functions that come about is still completely misunderstood. ( 5. Toch) Experiments from animal's show that it appears that there is a small area from the base of the brain in which the feeling of anger starts. This, from which is sent to the nervous impulses that cause the blood pressure to rise. This area is called the hypothalamus. Its function is to coordinate responses

Paul Henderson Essays - Politics And Sports, Free Essays

Paul Henderson Essays - Politics And Sports, Free Essays Paul Henderson For this project I chose as the quintessential Canadian, Paul Henderson. He is representative of the entire 1972 Team Canada. Before this famous series, it was assumed that Team Canada was unbeatable, but it soon became clear that Canada would be the underdogs and have to fight back. In the end, it was the little known player, Paul Henderson, who became the star and restored pride in the hearts of all Canadians. He is truly a "quintessential" Canadian. The 1972 Summit Series represented what was going to be a test of the best, to see who was the best "Hockey Country," Canada or the Soviet Union. Canada put their superstars up against the Soviet Union in an eight game Series where four games would be played in Canada and four in the Soviet Union. The games in Canada were played in Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver while in the Soviet Union, they were all played in Moscow. The superstars for Canada included Bobby Orr, Ken Dryden, Tony and Phil Esposito, the Mahovolich brothers, Jean Ratelle, Yvon Cournoyer, Rod Gilbert, Dennis Hull, Brad Park and Pat Stapleton. Canada seemed to have a stacked team, but the Soviet Union was not about to quit. In fact, they dominated Team Canada in Canada taking two of four, losing one and tying one. Canada was embarrassed! Losing game one in Montreal 7-3 Canada had given the mental edge to the Soviet Union, but took it right back in game two in Toronto with a 4-1 win. Game three in Winnipeg was anyone's game, but neither team could get a definite lead and the final was 4-4. The series was now 1-1-1 for both teams. Convinced that they could not go to the Soviet Union trailing in the series, Canada needed a big game, but to no avail as they lost in Vancouver 5-3. Team Canada left the ice to the sound of boos. When the game was over, Phil Esposito said that they (Team Canada) were going out every night and playing their butt's off and all the selfish Canadian fans can do is boo them off the ice. He thought it was a disgrace. They were giving it 150 percent every night for one reason, because they loved their country. After that interview, 3,000 fanatic fans bought tickets to see Canada in Moscow. Down two games to one, Team Canada needed three out of four to win the Summit Series and prove that Canada was the best. Unfortunately, Canada lost the first game in the Soviet Union, and were down 3-1-1. Canada was in a state of desperation and that is when Paul Henderson stepped up. Game six in Moscow was the first of the three crucial games in Canadian history. Henderson, with one minute left in Game six, slipped the puck past a sprawling Vladislav Tretiak to get the 3-2 win. In game seven, Henderson was again the hero scoring the winning goal in a dramatic 4-3 finish. Game eight was THE biggest game in Team Canada history. This Summit Series started with Team Canada as the favorites, and that changed to the Soviet Union being the favorites and the Canadians being the underdogs. Now Game eight was here and Canadians all over the world were watching. With the series tied 3-3-1 Canada needed the win to prove they were the best. With the score deadlocked at 5 and one minute to go, Henderson made Pete Mahovlich get off the ice to let him on. With 40 seconds left, Cournoyer sent the puck ahead to a speeding Henderson. Henderson slipped and fell into the near boards. Esposito intercepted the clearing attempt by the Soviet Union and banged it towards Tretiak who made the save but left the rebound loose. Henderson, alone in front, took two whacks and on the second whack it went in to the right of Tretiak with only 34 seconds left on the clock. Canada had won the game. Paul Henderson, is the true Canadian hero and the perfect definition of the "Quintessential Canadian". Canadians all over the world were filled with a sense of pride at that moment in time. At that time, Hockey was the one thing that helped identify us as Canadians. It

Systemic Professional Development and its Effect on Novice Teacher Dissertation

Systemic Professional Development and its Effect on Novice Teacher Retention Rates, A Qualitative Research Case Study - Dissertation Example The model of systematic professional development is also discussed vis-a-vis various parameters that influence teaching capabilities with significant impact on retention of novice teacher. Finally, possible remedies that have been suggested to date, with particular attention to mentorship, and systemic professional development were included in this review. To introduce newcomers to the professional culture of the school, induction and mentoring is often used, but with mixed success. For one thing, the time the assistance is offered is usually quite short, and often, if not always, the teacher is expected to be carrying an almost-full or full load. When compared with effective systemic professional development, induction and mentoring do not seem to be as successful. In the following section, the case study research methodology design will be established as a viable way to conduct a qualitative study. The specific qualitative research approach adopted for this study will be explored i n complete detail. Keywords: systematic professional development, K-12 education, retention/ attrition Section 2: Literature Review Introduction The study addresses the problem of low rate of retention among new teachers in the K-12 education system of the United States. The purpose of this study is to identify effective systemic professional development learning opportunities, if any, which aid in the retention of apprentice teachers in the teaching profession. The focus will be in answering the sub question: Why systemic professional development learning opportunities are beneficial to novice teachers? Systemic professional development is one of several possible strategies to deal with low retention amongst novice teachers. It has been credited with success in supporting apprentice teachers (Kent, 2004; Langraf, 2004; Wong et al., 1998). However, its possible influence on new teacher attrition rates is less studied. Siedentop (2006) suggests, that â€Å"what is really missing is systematic evidence to support that the approaches being advocated (work); there is some evidence to support the different positions, but it is spotty at best, flawed at worst† (p. 14). The literature to be reviewed consists primarily of books and scholarly journals from the last 15 years, though a few earlier studies are included to broaden the historical context. It concentrates on the situation in the United States, though studies of similar issues in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Europe will be consulted. The material for the review was gathered by library catalog and electronic database searches, using keywords relevant to each of its topics. The bibliographies found in nearly all source materials were critical in locating and identifying relevant studies, and the studies themselves sometimes cited valuable content from works that remained inaccessible. The gathering of material thus proceeded in a series of waves, where the last items discovered provided inf ormation on what would be most useful to access next. Literature examined in this section is closely associated with the most pertinent work available to address teacher attrition rates. Due consideration is given to the influence, if any, of professional development on novice teacher attrition rates. Included in this review is an investigation of the following:

Controversies in Correctional Education Assignment

Controversies in Correctional Education - Assignment Example From this paper it is clear that  the differences between these problems and controversies include the number of complainants. The problems involve the juveniles and their supervisors or teachers, while the controversies are national debates involving the nation. As a result, the governments seem to address the issue on controversies more compared to the problems based on statistics.This research study discusses that ome of the employed supervisors lack the skill to manage these young offenders who are still undergoing human development and maturity. Lack of proper supervision may equally lead to delinquent and problematic children instead of rehabilitated children. The problem of blending these juveniles and criminal sentences has caused prolonged stays in the correctional facilities. This does not only bias the juveniles, but also contributes to consumption of disproportionate share of facility resources.  The more important issues in relation to education include recidivism, a nd the poor supervision and treatment in the juvenile correction centers. The teacher has a duty to ensure change in these juveniles and this raises concerns of the high rates of recidivism.  The numbers of juveniles in correctional facilities are on the increase based on the changing laws. Juveniles continue indulging in crimes and the crowded centers seem to fail in supervising and treating these delinquents.

Education and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Education and Development - Essay Example This paper stresses that UNESCO has also identified three dynamically interrelated factors involved in the relationship between education and development: â€Å"the economic benefits of education; the impact of education on population growth, health, and social well-being; and the relationship between education and democratic society† (UNESCO). These serve as three paths or channels in which education can boost economic development. Nigerian education is said to evolve into a number of stage and formed by quite a number of influences such as the colonial influence, the military rule, the impact of independence and a new constitution. Tgis essay makes a conclusion that many realize that the current development trend may not prove to be sustainable and as such public awareness, education and trainings are crucial in moving towards sustainability. As a deviation to the normal concept of development, sustainable development is deemed as one â€Å"that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs†. With this definition, it is realized that education is the key to sustainability. This crucial role of education to sustainable development is established through the necessity of two major issues in sustainable development: population and resource consumption. The UN believes that the two things that can jeopardize sustainable development namely over population and excessive use of resources can be remedied with education. (United Nations General Assembly). Female education is found to have a negative relationship with fertility rates. Specifically, the supply of children is determined by the level of education through four intervening variables: (1) age at marriage, (2) breast feeding (3) post-partum abstinence and (4) child mortality (Akmam). A study in South Asia revealed that women with education around two to five years later than uneducated women (John Cleland). With regard to child mortality, "high rates of child mortality reduce the supply of children, which in turn is likely to increase the demand for children" (Akmam). Since educated parents have higher rates of their child surviving, they do not see the need to have more children thus abating population increase (Akmam).

Factors influencing assessment of language in school

Factors influencing assessment of language in school Due to the globalization, some people whose first language is not English are the fastest-growing school population, and in Australias classroom are becoming increasingly diverse. Take Deakin university for example, the students in the classroom come from Italy, America, China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Australia and so on. Many students are from none English Speaking countries and different cultural background. They share the considerable challenge of having to learn English while responding to the subject-matter demands of school. This article is to explore the cultural understandings which underpin pedagogies used in international education. Moreover, there has been great recent interest in the social and policy context of language testing and assessment. McNamara (1998)comments on the recency of discussion of the ethics of language testing, an area in which social values are a main concern; while the previous relative neglect of these issues in research on language testing has been doc umented by Kunnan (1996), quoted from Hamp-Lyons article. Finally, because effective use of technology must be supported by significant investment in hardware, software, infrastructure, professional development, and support services, over the last decade, technology is introduced into the nations school systems, ultimately, the schools will be held accountable for these investments. Assessment refers to the collection and interpretation of information about learners knowledge, skills, strategies and attitudes. It is a vital and integral part of classroom instruction, and serves several purposes and audiences.Assessment polices exert considerable influence over the education of English language learners because assessment influence the identification, classification, placement, and ongoing monitoring of students. Sometimes the assessment results can help the students to improve their abilities and the quality of instruction. Assessment practices were not designed with the diversity o f current population of English language learners in their mind. As a result, assessment practices have also sometimes prevented students who are learning English from gaining access to a high quality education. Many learners complain that the English language tests are too much, in fact their abilities and skills have not been adequately assessed because traditional testing practices do not capture all that they know and can do. This essay will argue that the culture, policy and social condition, the educational background and technology impact on assessment of language in Australia. In planning assessments to be taken by the general student population, including English language learners, the general principles of good assessment practices apply. This article describes different steps within the planning process, highlighting issues most relevant to the assessment of English language learners. First of all, the policy and social considerations influence on language assessment. McNamara (1998) mentions that the use of tests as an arm of policy reform in education and vocational training has grown, and it has been incorporated as an aspect of immigration policy. These developments have invited the kind of analysis made relevant by the new frameworks for thinking about tests outlined above. The policy influence on the school and university educational systems and even the workforce. National governments often require language tests or other formal assessment procedures to be used. Test fairness is a particularly important quality when tests are related to migration, residency or citizenship. Moreover, as labor mobility has risen and immigrant and refugee flows become a more entrenched part of the present global situation, the assessment of language skills has assumed importance in the context of immigration policy, especially in Australia. Besides that the concern of governme nts for greater industrial efficiency, and the needs of vocational education and training of workforces in rapidly changing environments of production, have motivated a range of policy initiatives which have had implications for assessment. In the past 15 years, language assessment has become increasingly uses as an instrument of policy in the areas of school education, vocational training, and immigration. Khattri and Sweet (1996) demonstrate that the policy context supporting the introduction of performance assessment in school and vocational training contexts at national, state, and district levels, quoted from McNamara article. Therefore, policy makers should be aware that there are some other kinds of assessment which may also be appropriate. Tests and other methods of assessment have their own particular benefits which relating to characteristics such as impact on the candidate, the interpretability of results, standardization and reliability of the results which means that it is easy to compare candidates across the same or different administrations, and cost and practicability. It is very significant that the requirements of the situation are considered carefully to identify the most appropriate kind of assessment. It should also be noted that a combination of assessment methods is possible. Brindley argues that the function of such frameworks in providing greater accountability for systems in their delivery of language training potentially involves a conflict with the educational needs of learners and the goals of teachers. For example, as notes in the ETS standards for quality and fairness, validity is one of the most important attributes of an assessment. Validity is commonly referred to as the extent to which a test measurement what it claims to measure. For English language learners, as well as for all populations, it is critical to consider the degree to which interpretations of their test results are valid reflections of the skill or proficiency that an assessment is intended measure (Educational Testing Service, 2009). Language assessment is a measure of language ability for the ELLs. According to study guide, the Rasch model attempt to generalize from test data to estimate candidate ability and item characteristics (difficulty, discrimination and fit to the model). Estimates of candidate ability take task or item difficulty into account and are based on the assumption that the propability of a correct response is a function of the difference between the persons ability and difficulty of the task. For instance, ESL tests are being increasingly used by the Australia government to manage immigration. One test, assess, raises ethical issues in the way it is used to limit numbers and types of immigrants. There are many immigrants from the other countries want to move to Australia, the government should take effective measures to control this situation; the other, step, was used to hasten the determination of residential statu s for substantial numbers of asylum seekers (McNamara, 1998). The Australian tradition of using language tests in immigration policy contexts, dating back to the notorious dictation test which was used to implement a blatantly discriminatory immigration policy until the 1960s, is analyzed by Davies (1996). Cumming (1994) has stressed the responsibility of language assessment practice to promote the welfare of immigration. As a result, where language assessment is being considered, policy makers are urged to first consider issues at a deeper level. 690 Second of all, different language and educational background influences the assessment of English language learners. This point of view describes factors to consider when developing assessments and make useful decisions relate to testing accommodations for English language learners. The factors provide useful context for the guidelines presented in the later parts of the document. As for language factors, many English language learners in Australia are from a wide range of linguistic backgrounds. This is particularly important to keep in mind when considering the use of native language testing accommodations, since it may not be possible to provide assessments in all native languages represented in a large school district to a state. For example, in Deakin University English Language Institute (DUELI), which is a language training school related to Deakin University, many overseas students are from different country, they can communicate with each other in English, through a period o f language learning, at the end of the step there is a language assessment provided. That is to detct the progress of students in language learning. Furthermore, different levels of proficiency in English for English language learners will influence their assessment of language. They may have varying levels of oral and written English proficiency. It also conclude the native speakers, some may not have had any formal schooling in their native language. The language learners should not be assumed that they can converse easily in language learning will have the literacy skills necessary to understand the written directions for a standardized test. Some English language learners may be proficient in the English used for interpersonal communications but not in the academic English needed to fully access content-area assessments (Educational Testing Service, 2009). According to some research that shows the level of language proficiency has an influence on processing speed. Comparing with native speakers, English language learners probably take longer on tasks presented in English. This is important to keep in mind when designing and scoring the assessment, as well as when making decisions about testing accommodations. In addition, as for educational background factors, English language learners vary widely in the level of formal schooling they have had in their native language (Educational Testing Service, 2009). The degree of native language formal schooling affects not only native language, but also for the assessment of English language learners. The other the proficiency of the language learners in literacy in the native language is involving the skills and knowledge. For instance, some students are refugee people, they want to go to the school which the educational system with little or no formal schooling in any language. These students must learn English and content-area knowledge simultaneously, while also being socialized into a school context that may be extremely unfamiliar. The other English language learners may come to the formal schooling and may have received instruction in the content area in their native language. Accord to Educational Testing Service (2009) describes the primary challenge for these students is simply to change their existing content knowledge into English. In addition, these factors come into play when making decisions about appropriate accommodations. Moreover, there are vary degrees of exposure to standardized testing, it should not be assumed that the English language learners have had the same exposure to the standardized testing that is prevalent in Australia. The learners in some countries may have had no exposure to multiple-choice questions, while those from other countries may never have seen a constructed-response question. Even English language learners from educationally advantaged backgrounds and with high levels of English language proficiency may not be accustomed to standardized, large-scale assessments and may be at a disadvantage in these testing situations. Thirdly, cultural factors can be potential sources of construct-irrelevant variance that add to the complex of appropriately assessing English language learners. Culture is an important facet of the learners social environment as cultural beliefs guide and direct behaviour. Each culture has different value systems and these guides the individual. English language learners are from a wide range of cultural background, and cultural difference may place the English language learners at a disadvantage in a standardized testing situation. Lack of familiarity with mainstream Australia culture, they may potentially have an impact on test scores for English language learners. The learners who are unfamiliar with Australia culture may be at disadvantage relative to their peers because they may hold different assumptions about the testing situation or the educational environment in general, have different background knowledge and experience, or unfamiliar with Australia culture may be at a pos sess different sets of cultural values and beliefs, and therefore respond to questions differently (Accord to Educational Testing Service, 2009). In fact, assessment the true value of language assessment is to check the language learners learning level, and based on the assessment results to help students progress. Culture differences are inevitable factors and impact on language assessment obviously. In addition, assessment can be used for a variety of purpose such as diagnosis of learners strengths and weaknesses, grading of learners performance, placement of learners in an appropriate class or teaching programme, and evaluation of learners for further studies. August, D., Pease-Alvarez, L. (1996) maintains that assessment presented builds on the school-wide and classroom cultures, policies, and practices that characterize effective schools for English language learners. Elements of these include a core curriculum aligned with rigorous content standards, student assessment that i s culturally responsive, teacher knowledge of strategies that support students cultural backgrounds, and a challenging and responsive learning environment. Every element of the model is first presented in a research-based discussion and then followed by attributes of effective practices based on examples from school sites. All cultures promote specific norms of behavior that can influence the assessment and intervention process with members of ethnically diverse groups, cultural issues related to the assessment process and culturally sensitive recommendations. Last but not least, technological aspects impact on assessment of language in schools. Each technology is likely to play a different role in students learning. Rather than trying to describe the impact of all technologies as if they were the same, researchers need to think about what kind of technologies are being used in the classroom and for what purposes, applied linguists might consider technology in language assessment by discussing ways in which streamlines the testing process. Two general distinctions can be made. Students can learn from computers-where technology used essentially as tutors and serves to increase students basic skills and knowledge; and can learn with computers-where technology is used a tool that can be applied to a variety of goals in the learning process and can serve as a resource to help develop higher order thinking, creativity and research skills (Reeves, 1998; Ringstaff Kelley, 2002). In fact, much progress can be identified with respect to this worth while goal, as many language tests today are delivered on microcomputers and over the internet. An equally important strand of language assessment concerns its effects on language learning, language teaching, and knowledge within the field of applied linguistics. The story of technology in language assessment needs to encompass both the efficiency of technical accomplishments, which is evident in part through the success of testing programs in constructing technology-based tests, as well as the effects of these test. Technology can encompass a board range of devices used in the testing process, from recording equipment, statistical programs, and data bases, to programs capable of language recognition (Burstein, Frase, Ginther, and Grant, 1996). Many different types of technology can be used to support and improve learning, involving the language assessment. Everything from video content and digital moviemaking to laptop computing and handheld technologies have been used in classroom s, and new uses of technology such as podcasting are constantly emerging(Marshall, 2002). For example, writing assessment is a suitable point which can support this belief that the students can become better writers when they use the computer for writing. By creating more frequent opportunities for students to learn, Students writing in digital form makes it possible to analyze writing quality in more detail, grade the writing by automated means, and provide immediate feedback to both the student and the teacher about how well the student performed (Miller, 2009), quoted from Bejar (2010). A digital writing environment also can provide students with tools or scaffolds (Deane, Quinlan, Kostin, in press) that can facilitate writing. The feasibility of detailed writing analysis also makes it possible to study the development of writing skills and to chart their development on a meaningful scale (Attali Powers, 2008). Many years ago, access to technology was limited and writing school was one of the nations highest education priorities. Public schools have also made consistent progress in expanding Internet access in instructional rooms. Technology is introduced into our nations school systems. Along with expanded access has come a growing pervasiveness of technology in society. For the new generation of young people, technology, particularly the Internet, has assumed a substan tial stake in their social and educational lives. To sum up, English as a world language, in the past few decades a significant change about the language, researchers have found that these changes not only from English language itself, but also from other factors. This chapter has attempted to outline the issues that need to be considered and, by implication, the issues for which policy makers should take responsibility. The questions of what type of assessment is necessary for the intended purpose, and what it can be expected to measure should be considered first. For the successful use of a language test for migration and citizenship purposes, those who define the policy must work with the test providers on several aspects after the decision to use a test has been made. During these changes will impact on language -related changes in language teaching and assessment. Assessment is the practice of collecting evidence of student learning. In the past, the English test or assessment still to the native English speakers of the languag e for criteria, which language closed to the native English speakers is a good standard of evaluation results, and vice versa is not up to the standard learning objectives. Language testing and evaluation is changed now, set the highest standards and evaluate the assessment of the highest standards from the distance and differences, and then view the object of study and progress through the content analysis. Language assessment also based on the different factors is change, and position of the language assessment is more important in the world, therefore, linguists, educators, and testing evaluators should pay more attention on the advantages and limitations of the language assessment, and to grasp these changes then take effective measures.

AP Essay -- essays papers

A&P In the story â€Å"A&P† by John Updike, the main character Sammy is portrayed as a typical young male. When the three young females enter the store, he is quickly distracted from his duties. As he watches the young girls move throughout the store, he describes each of their bodies in detail giving away his overwhelming sexual awareness. Sammy is so distracted by these â€Å"bathing beauties† that he rings up some old bat’s item twice and makes her angry. It is made quite evident that Sammy is finely attuned to each and every movement of these young ladies’ as they amble down each and every aisle throughout the store. Sammy’s carnal mindedness is first made apparent in the story when he describes the â€Å"chunky one† in her green, two-piece bathing suit. Sammy describes this girl as having â€Å"a good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two creasants of white just under it, where the sun never seems to hit, at the top of the back of her legs† (Updike 369). Sammy’s hormones kick into overdrive when he sets his eyes upon this girl’s overly fleshy backside. Sammy states that he likes what he sees even though this chic is chunky and her butt is soft and wide. It is quite clear that Sammy has a fetish of some sort with big â€Å"cans† when he refers to the girl as â€Å"the plump one in plaid, that I liked better from the back-a really sweet can† (Updike 372). Next Sammy focuses his attention on the tall, black haired girl. He views this young lady as pretty but not beautiful-â€Å"the kind of girl other girls think is very â€Å"striking† and â€Å"attractive† but never quite makes it† (Updike 370). Sammy’s sexual interest in this young female is described very overtly as he states â€Å"not that as raw material she was so bad† (Updike 373... ... the towel† and follow these affluent broads. As he looks at Queenie’s breasts that he describes as â€Å"the two smoothest scoops of vanilla I had even known were there† (Updike 373), Sammy makes his final decision to quit. It is evident that he did this in hopes to impress these women by the way in which he loudly announces his resignation to the manager. This was Sammy’s last, pitiful attempt to get these rich girls to notice him and take him to their world of utopia. Sammy soon realized that these girls either did not hear what he said, or may have heard and did not give a rip or even notice that he existed. At this point, I believe he felt like an idiot. The realization of the stupidity of his action is acknowledged by Sammy at the end of the story when he states that â€Å"his stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter† (Updike 373).

I.B. Comparative Politics and Economics (SL) Essay

In this article, The Economist talks about how the price for a barrel of oil has dropped below the fifty dollar mark, resting at $47.36. Though many people would be happy with this, it talks about how this could be cause for alarm as a possible indicator for a worsening economy. The main economic concept described in the article would have to be consumption because it ties in with many changes that will occur as an effect of oil prices going down. Consumption is basically what it says it is: the total spending by consumers of domestic goods and services. Another concept described in this article is that of aggregate demand, mainly because consumption is bound to it. Aggregate demand is the total spending on goods or services in a period of time at a given price. Lastly, Monetary Policy is touched on in this article since there is a deflation in prices those who control monetary policy cut interest rates. * Consumption: Because of the drop in oil and also economist’s predictions that it will drop even lower, we can probably guess that consumers will save more money when they buy gas. With this extra money, incomes change and go up. Income is one of the main factors of consumption because, when it rises, people have more money to spend on other things, which increases aggregate demand. Consumer confidence also plays a role in consumption and especially in this case because, if consumers believe that gas prices will become lower, then they will have a greater chance or spending more on various goods and services. * Aggregate Demand: Changes in any of the four determinants of aggregate demand will shift it, making it lower or higher depending on which way the determinant shifts. In this case, a graph of aggregate demand would be shifting to the left because price levels are going down as the cost of oil is decreasing. * Monetary Policy: Though not discussed to a deep extent in the article, it does say that in response to the price for a barrel of oil dropping â€Å"those setting monetary policy have had no hesitation in cutting interest rates dramatically.† They’re probably cutting them do to fears of deflation which would create a greater unemployment due to a decrease in profit. Cutting interest rates would decrease the incentive to save because the cost of borrowing would be lower, this would also increase investment. In this graph you can see that aggregate demand will shift from a change in price level. So, if we make the price level oil and it goes down, then we have our demand for it go up and the aggregate demand line will shift to the left (AD2). If we increase the price for oil, the exact opposite will occur and the line will shift to the right (AD3). This all comes back to monetary policy and the article talking about people cutting interest so that it could build up consumer confidence in spending. In terms of completeness of this article, I think The Economist does an overall decent job at explaining what was going on and what could come of it but I don’t think it really touched on what we should do (or what we are doing) as a country to prevent a shortage of oil. I think the article does a good job of assuming that, although we are pursuing renewable energy, oil will be with us for a while longer and that we need to jack up the prices to reduce demand so that we don’t have the shortage too soon. In the short term, the lowering of oil prices is immensely beneficial because it increases the amount of money consumers have to spend on goods and services, and it also increases consumer confidence, making them want to get loans and mortgages.

About the Social Security Death Master File

About the Social Security Death Master File One of the federal governments most effective weapons against financial fraud, identity theft and now terrorism is a massive database of dead people grimly known as the Death Master File. Produced and maintained by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and distributed by the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), the Death Master File is a massive computer database containing more than 85 million records of deaths, reported to Social Security, from 1936 to present. How Crooks Use Dead People Assuming the identity of a dead person has long been a favorite ploy of criminals. Everyday, living bad people use the names of dead people to  apply for credit cards, file for income tax refunds, try to buy guns, and any number of other fraudulent criminal activities. Sometimes they get away with it. More often, however, they are foiled by the Social Security Death Master file. State and federal government agencies, financial institutions, law enforcement, credit reporting and monitoring organizations, medical researchers and other industries access the Social Security Death Master file in an effort to prevent fraud and since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks comply with the USA Patriot Act. By methodically comparing applications for bank accounts, credit cards, mortgage loans, gun purchases, and other applications against the Death Master File, the financial community, insurance companies, security firms and state and local governments are better able to identify and prevent all forms of  identity fraud. Fighting Terrorism Part of the USA Patriot Act requires government agencies, banks, schools, credit card companies, gun dealers, and many other businesses, to make an  effort to verify the identity of customers. They must also maintaining records of the information they used in verifying customers identity. Those businesses may now access an online search application or maintain a raw data version of the file. The online service is updated weekly and the weekly and monthly updates are offered electronically via web applications, thus reducing handling and production time. Other Uses for the Death Master File Medical researchers, hospitals, oncology programs all need to track former patients and study subjects. Investigative firms use the data to identify persons, or the death of persons, in the course of their investigations. Pension funds, insurance organizations, Federal, State and Local governments and others responsible for payments to recipients/retirees all need to know if they might be sending checks to deceased persons. Individuals may search for loved ones, or work toward growing their family trees. Professional and amateur genealogists can search for missing links. What Information is on the Death Master File? With records of over 85 million deaths reported to SSA, the Death Master file includes some or all of the following information on each decedent: social security number, name, date of birth, date of death, state or country of residence (2/88 and prior), ZIP code of last residence, and ZIP code of lump sum payment. Since Social Security does not have the death records of all persons, the absence of a particular person from the Death Master file is not absolute proof that the person is alive, notes the Social Security Administration.

Elements in the Human Body and What They Do

Elements in the Human Body and What They Do There are several ways to consider the composition of the human body, including the elements, type of molecule, or type of cells.  Most of the human body is made up of water, H2O, with cells consisting of 65-90% water by weight. Therefore, it isnt surprising that most of a human bodys mass is oxygen. Carbon, the basic unit for organic molecules, comes in second. 99% of the mass of the human body is made up of just six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. Oxygen (O) - 65% - Oxygen together with hydrogen form water, which is the primary solvent found in the body and is used to regulate temperature and osmotic pressure. Oxygen is found in many key organic compounds.Carbon (C) - 18% - Carbon has four bonding sites for other atoms, which makes it the key atom for organic chemistry. Carbon chains are used to build carbohydrates, fats, nucleic acids, and proteins. Breaking bonds with carbon is an energy source.Hydrogen (H) - 10% - Hydrogen is found in water and in all organic molecules.Nitrogen (N) - 3% - Nitrogen is found in proteins and in the nucleic acids that make up the genetic code.Calcium (Ca) - 1.5% - Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Its used as a structural material in bones, but it is essential for protein regulation and muscle contraction.Phosphorus (P) - 1.0% - Phosphorus is found in the molecule ATP, which is the primary energy carrier in cells. Its also found in bone.Potassium (K) - 0.35% - Potassium is an im portant electrolyte. Its used to transmit nerve impulses and heartbeat regulation. Sulfur (S) - 0.25% - Two amino acids include sulfur. The bonds sulfur forms help give proteins the shape they need to perform their functions.Sodium (Na) - 0.15% - Sodium is an important electrolyte. Like potassium, it is used for nerve signaling. Sodium is one of the electrolytes that helps regulate the amount of water in the body.Chlorine (Cl) - 0.15% -  Chlorine is an important negatively-charged ion (anion) used to maintain fluid balance.Magnesium (Mg) - 0.05% - Magnesium is involved in over 300 metabolic reactions. Its used to build the structure of muscles and bones and is an important cofactor in enzymatic reactions.Iron (Fe) - 0.006% - Iron is found in hemoglobin, the molecule responsible for oxygen transport in red blood cells.Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Selenium (Se), Molybdenum (Mo), Fluorine (F), Iodine (I), Manganese (Mn), Cobalt (Co) - total less than 0.70%Lithium (Li), Strontium (Sr), Aluminum (Al), Silicon (Si), Lead (Pb), Vanadium (V), Arsenic (As), Bromine (Br) - pres ent in trace amounts Many other elements may be found in extremely small quantities. For example, the human body often contains trace amounts of thorium, uranium, samarium, tungsten, beryllium, and radium. Trace elements considered essential in humans include zinc, iodine, possibly silicon, probably boron, selenium, probably nickel, chromium, manganese, lithium, possibly arsenic, molybdenum, cobalt, and possibly vanadium. Not all of the elements found within the body are essential for life. Some are considered contaminants that appear to do no harm, but serve no known function. Examples include cesium and titanium. Others are actively toxic, including mercury, cadmium, and the radioactive elements. Arsenic is considered to be toxic to humans, but serves a function in other mammals (goats, rats, hamsters) in trace amounts. Aluminum is interesting because it is the third most common element in the Earths crust, yet serves no known function in living cells. While fluorine is used by plants to produce protective toxins, it serves no essential biological role in human beings. You may also wish to view the  elemental composition of an average human body  by mass. Sources Chang, Raymond (2007). Chemistry, 9th Edition. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-110595-6.Emsley, John (2011). Natures Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements. OUP Oxford. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-19-960563-7.Frausto Da Silva, J. J. R; Williams, R. J. P (2001-08-16). The Biological Chemistry of the Elements: The Inorganic Chemistry of Life. ISBN 9780198508489.H. A., V. W. Rodwell; P. A. Mayes, Review of Physiological Chemistry, 16th ed., Lange Medical Publications, Los Altos, California 1977.Zumdahl, Steven S. and Susan A. (2000). Chemistry, 5th Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 894. ISBN 0-395-98581-1. Elements in the Human Body and What They Do

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 47

History - Essay Example In over four hundred years ago, some of the settlers and Europeans coexisted peacefully, while others fought each other. Even today, many people are still migrating to America to seek a better life. Although slave trade is outdated, there is a high rise of illegal immigrants. Immigration is relevant in today’s world; it has a great impact on the economy. People who run factories, restaurants and farms, find immigrants helpful in their businesses. Immigrants are a cheap source of labor. Therefore, this means low operating costs, high profits, and low prices for commodities produced. For some Americans, immigrants are a hurt to the economy, for instance, high school drop outs who are seeking jobs say immigrants are interfering with the job entry level to take lower wages. Other groups in the society believe immigrants provide a great source of labor, which result to high yield. Immigrants spending on necessities like food, shelter and clothing leads to an increase in domestic gross product. Immigration has resulted to an increase in population, with an estimate of 82% increase from the immigrants. The immigrants come with a positive attitude to excel; they are known to be creative, industrious and adventurous. Many of the immigrants start their businesses that contribute to revenue. In social circles, racism is experienced towards the immigrants, especially the minority groups. For instance, racism exists between the Africa Americans and the non-white Latino immigrants. Attacks and fights have also been experienced between African immigrants and Africa Americans. Because of migration, religion has great diverse in America. For instance, increase in Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Politically, most of the immigrants associate with groups that address immigration issues. The issue of shared amenities is believed to strain a state with time. For instance, if water sources are not increased, then people will

Bowling for Columbine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bowling for Columbine - Essay Example Michael Moore unveils that in modern world, many teenagers follow the example of adults and film heroes trying to obtain guns and use force against innocent citizens. For most of them, guns represent "adulthood", a stylish and trendy way of life. According to Jasis Ordonez-Jasis (2003) "Moore's film explores issues of violence and fear in U.S. society, particularly surrounding the Columbine tragedy of the morning of April 20, 1999, when 12 high school students and one teacher were killed, and dozens of others were wounded, by two fellow classmates" (Jasis and Ordonez-Jasis, 2003, p. 127). In this documentary, Moore uses specific techniques and methods to unveil the message of the film. Traditional definition of a documentary states that "the film is only the sum of the facts recorded on film, or, if you like, not merely the sum, but the product, a 'higher mathematics' of facts" (Michelson cited Bruzzi, 2000, 11). In "Bowling for Columbine", Moore goes beyond traditional documentary practices and norms using elements of fiction. Some critics accuse him in using "false" facts and "deception" which help Moore to influence perception of viewers (Hardy, 2002, Galupo, 2002). For instance, Hardy comments that "Moore leads the reader to draw inferences which he must have known were wrong. Indeed, even speeches shown on screen are heavily edited, so that sentences are assembled in the speaker's voice, but which were not sentences he uttered. Bowling uses deception as its primary tool of persuasion and effect" (Hardy, 2003). Taking into account "Bowling for Columbine", the mix ture of different styles and tools can be interpreted as a specific style of Moore which distinguishes him from other filmmakers. Critics suppose that "Bowling for Columbine" "analyzes with irony and poignancy the corporate, media, and government involvement in creating a climate of pervasive paranoia, exacerbating threats, while glorifying, justifying, or trivializing violence here and abroad" (Ordonez-Jasis, Jasis, 2003, p. 127). To prove this idea, Moore uses military and diplomatic actions conducted by the USA. Throughout the film, Moore uses dramatization and summarization as the main methods to create the message in "Bowling for Columbine". From the very beginning, the signs in the film suggest that maybe evil can prevail even in the presence of good. The severity of this notion carries much weight in the "real" world. The documentary and gritty feel of the film also gives realistic mood and that might signify the reality of everyday life. The trend towards more graphic violence in movies parallels the transition of the general viewing audience to a higher shock level. Viewers are shocked by facts and events depicted in the documentary. Critics criticize Moore for "using too much jokey music, and also for making himself the focus of the story once or twice too often. Mostly, though, he listens to people, in sorrow and outrage and raucous amusement; and what he hears, he communicates without a dull moment, except maybe one" (Klawans, 2002, p. 44). In "Bowling for Columbine", Moore selects the most impressive facts and events creating atmosphere of fear and terror. Some critics (Hardy, 2002, Galupo, 2002) accuse Moore in subjectivity, because he presents one side of the problem only. This method is not typical for documentary films (Bruzzi, 2000), but it helps Moore to depict the gap between expected,