Case study -- Harpo Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

-- Harpo - Case Study Example This scenario happened because the leader was given extreme authority as a super powerful leader in the organization that she belonged. If Martha Stewart was not bestowed with the super-powers and treated as a super-powerful leader in the organization, the organization would have its powers divided into several parts into teams. This makes none of its leaders to regard himself or herself as a super powerful leader and end up misusing his or her powers to his or her advantage. By distributing powers in the organization, the organization would be benefiting from saving its reputation from being tampered with. In addition, if the organization wants to retain the position and the powers of one super powerful leader, it can come up with the idea of forming a committee or board members. The sole purpose is to approve any decision that the super powerful leader wants to exercise in the organization. Putting such restriction, the super powerful leader of the organization cannot abuse his or her powers by acting on his own. Rather, he or she has to convince the board members and get their approval to have a forward step and take actions (Colquitt, Lepine & Wesson, pg.474). The greatest danger in over-reliance of one individual leader in an organization is how to maintain the organizations success in the absence of a leader. The company must have a well-structured top management and distributes is powers laterally instead of relying on totalitarianism. The senior management should lead the entire team to manage not only vertically, but also work together in collaboration and with their peers laterally. This will help the company build a very strong structure that will help it stand up the troubling times and allows for effective solving of problems. In Harpo services, a leading superpower role was Winfrey. Therefore, Winfrey has a great role of

Why Is the Initial Consultation so Important Essay Example for Free

Why Is the Initial Consultation so Important Essay During this essay I will be discussing ethics and what ethical issues the therapist faces in relation to initial consultation with the client. What an initial consultation is and why it is so important that one is completed without exception. I will also explore what the process is, what happens at the initial consultation, and how the therapist will gather the required information. I also aim to explore what benefits and contra indications there are for having an initial consultation. According to a thesaurus the word â€Å"Ethics† means: a moral- code, values, principles and beliefs. This definition leads to the question, what is meant by the phrase, â€Å"Ethical therapist†? An ethical therapist within the UK works within the Code of Ethics which was developed from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Code of Ethics April 2002. This constitutes of a moral code of principles and values which should always be adhered to whenever the therapist is practising. The Code of Ethics covers for example: 1. Providing a good standard of care, safeguarding both the therapist and client. 2. Only treating clients within your own qualifications   3.  The therapist must attend regular supervision 4. Ensure your client understands the boundaries and limits. 5. Manage the clients’ expectations 6. Conflicts of interest 7. Gaining and keeping trust 8. Ensure that the therapy is â€Å"Client centred† The above points are a brief precis of what the Code of Ethics covers, and are an integral part of the therapists working practice. The therapist must remain professional at all times both in appearance and manner. It is also important to consider the layout of the consulting room to ensure safety for both the client and the therapist. The initial consultation will be the first time the client and therapist meet and first impressions are important to the client and will count. The therapist will have assumptions made about them within the first minutes of meeting. These assumptions will come from the way the client is greeted, the therapist’s pattern and manner of speech and their body language; these assumptions are pivotal to building rapport. A major objective of the initial consultation is for the therapist to assess if this type of therapy is suitable for the client, and whether or ot both client and therapist feel comfortable working with each other while beginning to build a working professional rapport. It is important for the therapist to gather detailed information about the client before embarking on therapy of any kind. As well as taking and recording obvious personal details, name address etc, it is important to probe to discover details about the client’s life, ie hobbies, work, family situation, the client’s GP details and medical history. This is a major factor in the assessment from an ethical point of view, as this alone can determine whether hypnotherapy is suitable for the client. If the client demonstrates reluctance to divulge medical information and/or GP details then it is advisable to ask them to get a letter from their GP stating that hypnotherapy will be suitable. Hypnotherapists treat neurosis not psychosis so it would not be ethical to treat the client with a psychosis. Neurosis is a term used to describe various psychological disorders such as: †¢ Anxiety Disorders – This is an overreaction to normal tolerated stresses †¢ Panic Disorders – Regular panic attacks where the client has no causing heart conditions. †¢ Phobias – A fear that affects the clients’ life Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – The client has unwelcoming or intrusive thoughts or behaviours that they have to carry out †¢ Separation Anxiety – An irrational feeling of separation from parents by the child †¢ Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – Symptoms following a disaster †¢ Psychosomatic Disorders – Symptoms of emotions or subconscious cognitions being released, sometimes with increased stress levels †¢ Reactive Depression – Depression that arises from an external event such as bereavement The client will be aware that they have this type of condition and completely aware of reality. Normally these disorders are associated with stress and anxiety but the client is likely to still be able to function within society. Psychoses are identified when the client is unaware that they have a problem. They may have a tendency to blame others or the world as long as it’s not them. There are two types of psychoses: †¢ Functional – This covers schizophrenia, split personalities, bipolar-disorder and delusional or confused states. †¢ Organic – This covers toxins in the body, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, excessive post natal depression and severe PMT. It is unethical for a herapist to treat clients with psychosis if they are not medically trained to do so. It should never be assumed by the therapist what type of psychosis the client is suffering from and an accurate diagnosis should always be obtained. There are many uncertain areas around these neuroses, it must also be understood that they can and may worsen subsequently developing into psychosis. If any of the above neuroses prevail then the doctor’s written consent must be obtained before being able to treat. This consent must also state that the client is not suffering from any form of psychosis. It is important to be aware that some conditions cannot be treated alone and may require specific expertise and specialist work. Extreme caution should be taken by the therapist when assessing if treatment can be given and they should always be prepared to refer the client on to the relevant professionals. Hypnotherapy should not be carried out on clients with certain medical histories or conditions; eg epilepsy. The therapist needs to know all medications the client may be taking; have an understanding as to what these medicines do and any side effects they may have. This should also include any historic medications that have been prescribed. Information can be obtained from the medical history should indicate if the client has any mental health problems. It is a good idea for the therapist to register with the British National Formulary (BNF) to use the drug database to check on medications if there is uncertainty. If the client has any special needs then consent from a guardian should be sought and ideally they should be present during the therapy sessions. It is also essential that the therapist gains a thorough understanding of what the client’s expectations of hypnotherapy are. The client may have previous experience and details should be obtained around the type of therapy received and what this was used for. Any particular styles used and the client’s reactions to these styles. Success of therapy is very important and exploring the client’s previous experiences will reveal barriers and/or successful approaches for this client. If the client has had negative previous experiences then these issues need to be approached carefully. If the client shows signs of not trusting the therapy or believing that it will not work for them the efficacy of the treatment may be compromised. The therapist will need to work on these issues and reassure the client, going onto advise if treatment sessions need to be extended to allow for the situation. It may also be decided that due to negative emotions or pre-conceptions, therapy will not be suitable for the client at this stage. The therapy style and approach should always be explained and discussed with the client. This helps with building trust and rapport and also provides reassurance for the clients with no experience of hypnotherapy. It should always be stressed to the client that they remain in control at all times and that the therapist will always keep the clients moral belief system at the forefront of the therapies conducted. It is important the therapist understands the client’s goal and their reason for seeking therapy. The goal should be discussed during the initial consultation so that it becomes a part of the contract between the client and the therapist. It is imperative that goal must be achievable and tangible. If the initial goal is not realistic, the therapist should explore with the client why it is unachievable and create a realistic goal. Complex goals can be made manageable by breaking the goal down into steps. Whatever the goal is, it must be ensured that it will not have a negative effect on the client’s health The therapist should consider that it is desirable to have a neutral client/therapist relationship; thus avoiding a possible conflict of interest if you know each other either as a friend, neighbour, work colleague or a relative. Working with people you know is best avoided. This is because the client/therapist relationship would rarely be neutral and it would be difficult to foresee whether this would have a beneficial or negative impact on the sessions. Therefore having a duel relationship with the client should be avoided as it may be detrimental to them and would breach the Code of Ethics. It is stated in section 7 of the National Code of Ethics for Hypnotherapists that, â€Å" The practitioner has the right to refuse or terminate any treatment if it is a reasonable belief that it will not be, or continue to be, efficacious. † It is at this point that the therapist should explain fully to clients in advance of any treatment; the fee levels, precise terms of payment and any charges which may incur for non-attendance or cancelled appointments and wherever relevant, confidentiality issues. This means that terms and conditions should be clarified in relation to the specific client’s needs. It should be advised that maybe, for therapeutic reasons, the treatment will need to be modified or extended, this must be discussed and the client must be made aware of the impact of these changes will have on the overall cost of the treatment. All services must be presented to the client in an unambiguous manner, including realistic outcomes of treatment and any limitations, the therapist should not under any circumstances guarantee a cure or successful resolution of the problem . This will ensure that the client has complete control over their decision to buy the services of the therapist and undergo hypnotherapy. At this point in setting the contract, the therapist should ensure all terms and conditions are made accessible to the client as it is ethical for both the client and the therapist’s well being. It must be discussed that everything that happens in the therapy sessions are confidential, however if the client says that they have committed a crime or wants to harm themselves then the therapist should consult their own supervisor for guidance. The therapist should explain that they may discuss their sessions with the therapist’s own supervisor, advising that names will not be mentioned. It is important that the client is fully aware that the therapist also undergoes regular supervision to ensure standards of practice and ethics are being met. There is a question whether to charge for the initial consultation. There are many things to support charging for the first consultation. The fact that the consultation is a vital part in assessing the client and potential therapy indicates that it should carry a charge. However it can seem that charging for this session is unjust if the therapist cannot provide therapy. A possible outcome of not charging is that clients may take advantage of this â€Å"free† time with no intention of seeking further sessions. It is therefore important that the therapist sets out the terms and conditions for the initial consultation, before it starts. I would charge for the first consultation regardless of whether treatment will commences, as this reduces the problems and issues that may occur around free sessions. It also provides some payment for the therapist’s time and ensures neither party is taken advantage of. However I would consider refunding the clients money at my discretion. In conclusion I consider it is imperative for an ethical therapist to gather information around the client’s background and history. There are many significant factors that have to be investigated before hypnotherapy can be carried out on a client and this is why the first consultation is very important regardless of whether it is envisaged that one session will complete the treatment or a series of sessions will be appropriate. A contract between both parties should be made every time a new course of treatment is commenced ensuring the safety of both parties. It must be remembered that the effectiveness of any hypnotherapy treatment heavily relies on the information, insight, rapport and openness of the initial consultation.

Cuban Cigars Brands and Companies :: Cuban Cigar Cuba

Cuban Cigars: Cigar Brands and Companies and Their Role in the Development of Exile Culture Political passions in the Cuban community run fervent and high. Cuban exiles were people that were forced to flee their homeland as a result of Fidel Castro seizing control of the government in 1959. Cubans greatly differ from other Hispanic groups in terms of why they migrated to the United States. Mexicans and Puerto Ricans came to the United States is search of greater economic opportunities. Cubans on the other hand were forced to leave Cuba due to their political beliefs and viewpoints. Those who opposed Castro's political views were looked upon as dissenters and were, in turn, forced out of Cuba. Cubans migrated to the United States in several different waves. The first wave of Cubans came in 1959; those that came then were mostly Batistianos, Cubans that were affiliated with the overthrown Fulgencio Batista. The next wave came between 1961 and 1962; this was when most of the major industries in Cuba began to become nationalized enterprises. Those that fled were predominantly doctors, lawyers, business people and skilled workers. Perhaps the largest migration occurred in 1980 with the Mariel Boatlift. In April 1980, due to growing discontent, Fidel Castro declared that anyone that wanted to leave could leave the island. Recently, other waves of migration have occurred. Most notably, between 1992 and 1994, thousands of Cubans attempted to reach the shores of the United States in rafts (balsas) and overcrowded boats. As a result of the large number of Cuban exiles in Miami, a certain exile culture has formed. Cubans that had to flee their homeland because of Fidel Castro, and his regime, possess great discontent and intolerance toward Castro. The anti-Castro point of view is prevalent in Miami and other areas that Cubans inhabit. The Cuban American National Foundation (CANF) is a powerful exile group that spearheads many efforts to enforce and uphold sanctions in order to expedite Castro's removal from power. This organization and others like it have supported trade embargoes on Cuba and all its national products. Since 1960, an embargo has been in effect on Cuban products. These embargoes are today supported by exiles who claim that the blockade is against Castro and not against Cuba. With the embargo in effect, it has been, and still is, illegal to buy, sell, trade or import Cuban products. In turn, it has been illegal to import Cuban Cigars.

Aztec Food and Agriculture Informative Speech Essay

Informative Speech Outline I. Introduction of cultural component: How does it reflect the culture as a whole? Food is considered to be an important part of Aztec society since the Aztecs had no type of currency for their economy. According to allabouthistory.org, the Aztecs had a barter system, basically a trading system where they used foods, primarily cacao beans to trade one another for items such as clothing, eggs, and etc. for daily use. The amount of beans traded would vary from item to item depending on its value. Central Idea: How food influences the culture. Preview Main Points: 1. Diet 2. Agriculture 3. Influence on foods today Transition to Body: II.Body Main Point #1 The Aztecs only ate two meals a day, unlike people today. Since the ancient Aztecs had no access to livestock such as cows and pigs, which were later introduced to them by the Spanish, their main diet consisted of vegetables and fruits such as corn, squash, beans, tomatoes, avocados, and etc. Though they did have domesticated turkeys, ducks, and dogs for food, they only played a minor contribution to the diet. According to foodtimeline.org, the Aztecs also hunted and ate fish, insects, iguanas, and deer but these sources were also very limited like the turkeys and dogs. The Aztecs’ number one staple food was corn, specifically a type of corn called maize. It came in various shapes, sizes and colors and was eaten by  all classes of the Aztec people. Maize is so important to Aztec society that it played a large part in their mythology and religion and was considered as precious as their flesh and bones. It is like the rice in Asia and the wheat in Europe. A meal would not be called a meal unless they had corn in it. There are various ways to eat corn such as corn tortillas, tamales, corn soup also called pozole, and many other ways. One particular method of preparing maize is called nixtamalization where a salty flavor and aroma is added to maize. Apart from maize, other staple foods would be beans and squash. To help add flavor into the food, they would be mixed with tomatoes, fruits, and spices such as chilies and herbs. That way, the food would be nutritionally satisfying and there will be no need for animal protein. The Aztecs also had a very special drink made from cacao, you could say that the origin of chocolate came from the Aztecs. This chocolate drink was spicy unlike the hot chocolate we have today and was intended only for the warriors and nobles of the empire. Main Point #2 Because the lands that the Aztecs lived in were not suitable and fertile enough for farming, they had to invent new methods and use them to increase productivity of foods and crops. That led to a very special way of farming. The Aztecs invented and built Chinampas also called raised fields, which were floating agricultural gardens where they produced their crops. These Chinampas used to be swamps that were turned into highly productive fields for farming. Building Chinampas was a lot more complex than growing their crops because it uses many advanced techniques and methods never seen before during the pre-contact New World period. Other than the Chinampas, they also built irrigation systems for fields of land where water or rainfall could not reach and used fertilizers on fields that didn’t have enough nutrients. According to foodtimeline.org , a Chinampa is built by first finding a swamp/lake near a town or city. Then ditches are dug through the marshes and swamps to drain excess water from the soon to be Chinampas, these ditches will also become the canals where the Aztecs will be traveling through to get from Chinampa to Chinampa. After that, the mud and muck from the ditches and vegetation will be placed on mats, which were made from weeds and straw between the ditches where they will become long artificial islands for farming purposes. The Aztecs would then drive wooden stakes/fences down into the lake to hold the field together. Then trees would be planted in the corners of the island to help stabilize the Chinampa. Once that is done, the Chinampa will be ready to be used for farming corn, squash, beans, etc. The muck and vegetation would act as fertilizer for the crops while the mats would be piled high enough to prevent the roots of the crops from being waterlogged. Fertility is easily maintained by periodically adding more muck and fertilizer to the fields. Since these floating gardens were very productive, they always led to a surplus of crops that would be stored and used during hard times. Main Point #3: Influence on foods today The foods that the Aztecs grew and ate are still used in traditional Mexican food today. Maize, the key ingredient of ancient Aztec food also became the most important ingredient to Mexican food. Other food ingredients in the Mexican diet today would also include beans, squash, chilies and tomatoes that the Aztecs also ate. The Aztec tacos for example, were filled with acocil, a type of crayfish but now, the tacos we have are filled with beef instead. Nixtamalization, is another influence that came from the Aztecs that is still used today. According to threestonehearth.com, what nixtamalization does is that it cooks and steeps dried corn kernels in an alkaline solution then they are cooked until tender. That way, it can be mashed and be made into a dough-like substance where it can be made into tortilla, tortilla chips, tamales, and many other items. Aztec food culture also expanded into many other countries because cacao beans which were the main ingredient of chocolate were brought over to Europe thanks to the Spanish quickly became a delicacy everywhere. III.Conclusion Review Main Points: Overall, the Aztec diet consisted of mainly corn. Without corn, the meal  wouldn’t be considered as a meal. Agriculture techniques was recreated with the invention of the Chinampa. With the newly invented Chinampa, Aztecs were able to dramatically increase the amount of crops they could grow unlike how they were struggling with growing crops on the unfertile lands. The Aztec food culture had inspired many countries today. Look at how chocolate, once a hot and spicy drink, was made into a global phenomenon.

Policing has affected a Nation not Just a Race Essay

Throughout the interview process I was able to understand and gain an adequate perception of how others felt about law enforcement here in the United States. I found that many answers were universal and were not only the views of one particular race. Law enforcement is set in place to up hold the laws and to protect and serve the people of the United States. However, I found that a few of my interviewees felt that law enforcement was biased and were not for all people. The interviewing process was very interesting and being able to listen to the participants’ responses was very enlightening. No two people had the same perception however, there were many concerns that were similar. My first interview was conducted on an African American woman. She is 75 years old and is originally from Saint Joseph, Louisiana. However, she is a widower and all of her children have passed on. She moved here to Houston Texas in 1960 with the husband and two children. Where they have resided in th e area of Houston known as Fifth Ward for over 54 years. She has spoken about how growing up in Louisiana as a black child was horrible, and how they were taught to avoid the police by all means. The town of Saint Joseph was a very small town, and it was divided by color. Yes my interviewee grew up during segregation, and she recalls that the police were not for the blacks. She recalls classmates being beaten by the police and nothing never being done about the fact that they were beaten for nothing. She spoke of the time when her sister worked for a white family and was raped by the man of the house. Her sister and family could not report such a crime because they feared that it would bring trouble to their entire family. She states that she has no respect for law enforcement, however she states that she never breaks the laws of the land. Obeying the law is her way of staying out of jail and feels as long as she abides the law she is quite alright. During her interview I found her having many stories to tell in regards to how black life has no value, and how she has never seen the law truly work for the African American. Her responses to the  questions left her stumbled sometime, and I found myself finding ways to inform her that law enforcement ha s made great changes since she was a child. I could understand but I was unable to relate because my experience with law enforcement has never been to the extent of hers. I did find it quite interesting when she was asked the question about domestic violence. Her response was, â€Å"I never heard of husband’s hitting their wives and if they did that was not something for the world to know†. She stated that, â€Å"You knew that what went on in your home stayed in your home†. I was shocked and somewhat appalled at her response. Her body language and her tone let me know that she was indeed serious about keeping affairs in the home. She believed that women who were hit must have done something pretty bad to make her husband hit her. I still found myself puzzled by her response. Although during the second interview when asked this very same question. She elaborated about an incident with her cousin who was caught cheating and her husband did abuse her. She inclined to say that, â€Å"You just do not do things in such a manner and not expect such behaviors†. I could understand where she was coming from, but I was not able to agree with a man or a woman hitting their mate. This 76 year old black women was still stuck in the era of when she was a child and very young adult. She felt that law enforcement would never been positioned to serve or protect African Americans, and that the only reason they have allowed blacks to become police officers was because it would not matter if another black man was killed. In her opinion there is no hope for the African American people here in the United States and that it is just a bunch of boloney in the world in which we live. However she did feel that the use of DNA was the greatest thing that could have come along. With a strong understanding that the use of DNA can help to solve crimes and maybe even help from crimes being committed. She believes that if they find a killer this way people may think twice before actually think twice before committing murder. Her wish is that law enforcement stop perceiving and believing that all black people are  criminals. My next interviewee is a Caucasian women and she is 41 years old. She is married and is the mother of three children. She is a fulltime student at the University of Houston-Downtown and she will be graduating in December. She is a Houston native and she grew up near Bellaire. Her and her family now reside in the historical area of the Heights. This too was a very interesting interview, simply because she was truly involved with the questions and she gave a statement as to why she felt the way she did with the answers she gave. Her answer in regards to domestic violence she felt that there are three sides to a story and that both parties should give their side. Then allow the police to determine if the call and the situation requires law enforcement to detain anyone. Her thoughts on how the police perceived citizens was very mind blowing, and she felt that it was not just minorities that were targeted by law enforcement. However she does feel that police are power hungry, bias, hardworking and underpaid, and this only adds stress. Stress can factor in how law enforcement responds and reacts to certain situations when performing their job without allowing race and location to blind their actually duty to the citizens. As stated early she feels that every citizens is scrutinized by law enforcement, and she feels that law enforcement tends to the jump the gun before completely assessing the situation. Being a mother of three she found what it felt like when her son was stopped and harassed by the police for no particular reason. She believes these acts are the very reason that the younger generation shows no respect for law enforcement. However she does feel that reaching out to high schools would be a proactive in the process of recruiting new offi cers. She also feels that there she be additional training included for those citizens with mental illness. Those trainings will help to keep the citizens and the officers out of harm’s way. I will now move on to my third participant who is a 46 year old African American woman who has recently divorced and has no children. She is originally from East Oakland, California and has been in Houston for 5 years. Returning back home is the plan in the five years. She has dealt with the police on a regular occasions due to her ex-husband being  incarcerated for ten years. Her answers were just as interesting as my second participant, and her answers were very colorful. I want to just note that her lifestyle was one that was accustomed to glitz and glam due to the fact that her ex-husband was a drug dealer. She recalls the time that law enforcement ran into her home and threw her on the floor and she stated talked to her like she was an actual dog. Not allowing her to speak, handcuffed her, and she was thrown in the back of a police car. She says that she was held for questioning for 2 days, and even with her ex-husband stating that she had nothing to do with his dealings. They keep her and continued to question her asking the same questions over and over. However she does not hate law enforcement and she believes that this very incident opened her eyes to a different type of guy she would ha ve. She feels that most part traditional policing strategies have been effective in combating crime, however police use excessive force when utilizing discretion in dealing with citizens sometimes. Recalling an incident that was made into a movie named â€Å"Fruitvale† was based on a true story and was right down the street from which she grew up. She believes that the police in East Oakland are very aggressive and are trigger happy. She feels that law enforcement here in Houston are not as aggressive with law enforcement back home in California. She does feel that in certain areas of town here in Houston. This participant would like to see a substantial increase of specialized training in the mental illness area, sign language for the hearing impaired and subtle prejudice courses for those law enforcement officers who are hiding behind their badge. Police officers are receiving adequate training as for as the physical requirements. To be well rounded you have to have some since of street smarts and able to deal with people from all walks of life. She agrees with every current method of police recruitment, selection, and training of officers, except the minimum age requirement for some law enforcement agencies. She had some personal views on domestic violence seeing that she was a domestic violence survivor. She does believe that women should be arrested for domestic violence, however she feels there is an exception if the woman is trying to defend herself. My fourth participant is 43 year old African American male and he is married with no kids. Had no run in with the law until he mad e 40 years old. His brushes with law came from driving while intoxicated and carrying a handgun. He was  able to have the handgun case dismissed, because he actually had his handgun concealed. However he is on probation for driving while intoxicated. He has lived in Houston his entire life and has very biased views about law enforcement. In his younger days he was a part of a gang and was what he refers to as a thug and drug dealer. He took pride in his past and stated that had he not have met his wife he would probably still be running the streets. I also found that he is a male chauvinist and has some harsh views on domestic violence. When asked about domestic violence he stated that a women should know her place and that the man is head of his home. He feels that as long as a woman is submissive and keeps her husband happy they should not have any problems. He does not feel that a wife should not call the police on her husband and that they should keep what goes on in their home. Being a woman that has experienced domestic violence I got off of subject and asked him why such harsh feelings about domestic violence. He stated that his step father was abusive and his mother stayed. She never called the police on him and over time the abuse stopped. They were pretty happy before his step father passed, and being the grandson of a pastor he feels that bible is key to keeping a happy home. When asked about how the police perceived citizens, he automatically stated that African Americans have no chance with the Houston police department. Growing up in the northeast intercity area of Houston he says he has seen police brutality on a regular. The police were not there to help black people is what he stated. He said the only way the police were on your side was if you had enough money to pay them. They do not fight crime and they are a part of the crimes that are committed. Biased and unethical are his choice words about law enforcement. Still today in 2013 ones race and ethnicity affects how police treat you. Blacks are treated as the criminal and Whites are treated as the innocent bystanders. He feels that police are a threat to minorities and there should be training to new officers so that they do not allow their personal views to interfere with their ability to protect and serve all citizens. He express the fact that the police have no understanding or training when it comes to dealing with the mentally ill, and feels they have no problem with shooting them. Extensive training should be given yearly, and maybe even some classes should be required to be able to realize that there may be some mental illness when dealing with certain individuals. I  want to be honest and inform you that I was not able to complete a second interview with this participant and I was able to find a fifth participant. Now my last participant is 35 year old African American women who is married with three children and is a fulltime student at the University of Houston. She is a Psychology major and will be graduating in May of 2014. She is native Houstonian and grew up in the fifth ward area. Having a daughter in the military has opened her eyes for all those that protect and serve. She is also the daughter of a preacher. She believes that females have more help now to escape an abusive home in a peaceful and confidential manner. However she feels in some cases determining the difference between minor and serious acts of domestic violence are ignored by officers that arrive on the scene. Understanding the frustration when officers deal with mentally ill people because many officers have died trying to help but in many cases officers are there to get them the help they need so yes they do respond appropriately. DNA is vital in most convictions because it can be used to clear suspects and exonerate persons mistakenly accused or convicted of crimes. She believes that laws are put in place to protect not only the citizens but those that are uniformed to do so. When asked about the current methods of recruiting she respond. The current method for recruiting officers is pretty good but as in any field how can you really predict or screen if you have a ‘bad’ or â€Å"good† officer as a candidate despite all the requirements including background and psychological information revealed. She felt that the only inadequate problem of training is the mental state of many of the officers. In the area of training she believes that all officers need to be trained on how to deal with other races and they need to be taught social skills within various cultures. Maybe this will help them erase preconceived notions and ideas of others that are not a part of their ethnic group. There are way too many cases involving officers and issues with minorities, stereotyping, racial profiling, brutality, injustice and racism, many officer perceptions is very negative when it comes to certain ethnicities. There has to be a stamp on the bias that affects the way minorities are treated when dealing with law enforcement. All of the participants were very strong about their views based on personal or others experiences with law enforcement. Listening to their answers and their stories opened my eyes, and allowed me to feel how they truly felt. However  I wondered did any of my participants understand that many officers may have the same opinion about the citizens that they protect and serve. Many men and women that are in law enforcement fear for their lives every day. I understand that some law enforcement officers are biased, however I feel that some of that may extend from personal experiences as well. Maybe there could be some common ground for both parties, and there should be a communal outreach to bring back community involvement.

5 Differences Between Italian and English Capitalization

5 Differences Between Italian and English Capitalization While there aren’t a ton of differences between Italian and English when it comes to areas like punctuation or writing style, there are a handful you should know about in the realm of capitalization. Many words that are capitalized in English are not capitalized in Italian, and while knowing this won’t increase your spoken conversational ability, it will make your written communication, like emails and text messages, feel more natural. Differences in Capitalization Between Italian and English Italian and English capitalization differs in these areas: Days of the weekMonths of the yearProper adjectivesTitles of books, movies, plays, etc.Personal titles such as Mr., Mrs., and Miss. Days of the Week Here are some examples with the days of the week.   Arriva domenica. - He is arriving on Sunday.Ci vediamo lunedà ¬! - We’ll see each other on Monday! / See you Monday!Sei libero giovedà ¬? Ti va di prendere un aperitivo? - Are you free on Thursday? Do you want to get an aperitivo with me?A mercoledà ¬! - To Wednesday! (This is a common way to tell someone that you’ll be seeing them for the plans you made. In this case, the plans are on Wednesday.) Months of the year Il mio compleanno à ¨ il diciotto aprile. - My birthday is April 18.Vado in Italia a gennaio. Sicuramente si geler! - I’m going to Italy in January. It’s going to be really cold!A marzo, ho appena finito un corso intensivo di italiano. - I just finished an intensive Italian course in March. TIP: Notice how the preposition â€Å"a† goes before the month. Proper adjectives Proper adjectives are the descriptive form of the noun. For example, she’s from Canada (proper noun), which makes her Canadian (proper adjective). Lei à ¨ russa. - She’s Russian.Penso che siano canadesi. - I think they’re Canadian.Riesco a capire dal suo accento che lui à ¨ italiano. - I can tell from his accent that he’s Italian. Titles of Books, Movies, Plays, Etc. If you’re writing about a recent book or movie that you just read, you won’t capitalize the beginning of each letter in the title (excluding articles and conjunctions). Abbiamo appena visto â€Å"La ragazza del fuoco† L’hai visto anche tu? - We just saw Catching Fire. Did you also see it?Hai letto â€Å"L’amica geniale† di Elena Ferrante? Ti à ¨ piaciuto? - You read My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante? DId you like it? Personal titles such as Mr., Mrs., and Miss. Il signor Neri à ¨ italiano. - Mr. Neri is Italian.Il mio nuovo capo si chiama signora Mazzocca. - My new boss’s name is Mrs. Mazzocca. TIP: You can use both forms with personal titles. In a formal context, like an email or a reference letter, you’ll want to capitalize all of the titles, like Prof. Arch. Dott. or Avv. minuscole a b c d e f g h i l m n o p q r s t u v z maiuscole A B C D E F G H I L M N O P Q R S T U V Z

Essay Sample on Indian Culture The Understanding of Values and Traditions

Essay Sample on Indian Culture The Understanding of Values and Traditions Human beings learn their cultural traditions and values from the inception of their lives. They acquire the cultural traditions and values through myths, legends, and fairy tales. Its great to know about ones own culture, but people should also attempt to inform themselves about other cultures for the sake of knowledge or to better understand each other. India is a beautiful country that shares different beliefs from other countries, which are what makes it unique. It has its own values, traditions and these are evident in the epic poems, fairy tales and famous people. The epic poems contain history and the beliefs that were passed down orally from generation to generation or a written down. The Mahabharata is one of the two most epic poems that embodies the essence of the Indian cultural heritage. The epic poem is an absorbing tale of a feud between two branches of a single Indian ruling family that culminates in a vast, cataclysmic battle. The two branches include the five Pandavas, the sons of the deceased Kind Pandu and the 100 Dhartarashtras, the sons of blind King Dhartarashtra. In a game of dice, the Dhartarashtras win and according the bet, the Pandavas live in wilderness for twelve years. After the Pandavas, fulfill their part of the bargain, the Dhartarashtras resist to restore half of the Kingdom to Pandavas. This dispute engenders the eighteen day battle between the two rival parties. In the end, Pandavas, with the help of God Vishnu in the form of Krishna, come out to be the victorious, but the victory was not easy because of the loss of beloved ones including Pandavas five sons by their only wife, Draupadi. The idea that The Mahabharata portrays is that good vs. evil, right vs. wrong always leads to the ascendancy of good over evil and right over wrong. Ramayana is the other great Indian epic that takes place in India around 1000 B.C.E. Rama, the main character, is born to a King of Aydohya, Dasaratha and being the oldest of the four sons, he is to become the ruler of Aydohya, but his stepmother wants her own son to be crowned as the next king. Remembering the the king once promised her any two wishes she desires, she demands to send Rama in exile for fourteen years and crown her son Bharata. Despite the kings relenting conscious, he asks his son to leave the kingdom. Rama who lives by the rules of dharma, accepts the order blithely. Rama accompanied with his wife, Sita, and his brother, Lakshma, leaves the palace immediately. Upon finding out what had happened, Bharata goes after Rama and begs him to come back, but Rama refuses to disobey his fathers order. During his journey in the forest, Rama faces many obstacles. He loses Sita when she is abducted by Ravana, the king of demons. With the help of a monkey named Hanuman, Rama successfully conquers Ravan and rescues Sita. The fourteen years expire and they return back to the palace where they receive warm welcome and Rama takes the places as a ruler. During this time, Sita proves to Rama her purity, but despite that Rama remains dubious of her fidelity, which leads to Sitas tragic end and departure from the earth. Besides that Ramayana is a story of love and jealously, separation and return, the moral reflects the idea of of dharma which is a duty that each person should fulfill and it also emphasizes ascendancy of good over evil. Famous people contributed and helped develop the Indian history. Mahatma Ghandi, born on Oct. 2, 1869, was known as the Father of the Nation. Throughout his life, Gandhi jis main mission was to fight against injustice. He devoted his entire life to diminish the oppression of the Indians by the whites. In order to accomplish his goal, he launched three significant movements serving one purpose freedom from the British rule. The first one was the Non-Cooperation Movement, the objective of which was to acquire independence by boycotting foreign goods, British courts and schools and go back to the Indian attire and values. The second was the Civil Disobedience Movement launched on April 6, 1930. It began the Dandi March. In order to oppose the British Salt Law, Gandhi ji, along with his followers, marched to Dandi to make their own salt. The third one was the Quit India Movement of 1942 resulting in the Quit India resolution urging the British to leave India. After all these year of stru ggling, India finally achieved its independence on August 15, 1947. All the protests that Ghandi ji initiated have one thing in common, which is the usage of peaceful and non-violent methods. It tells people that killing and committing atrocities is not the only way to resolve problems. Another person, Guru Nanak influenced and created a new religion called Sikhism. Since Guru Nanaks goal was to unify the Hindus and Muslims, he combined the both religions and created Sikhism. He taught people many lessons through his actions. He preferred to eat with the poor than the rich because when he squeezed poor mans bread, it oozed milk while rich mans bread oozed blood. Through this action, he taught that people should make honest living. Once at Mecca, he slept with his feet pointing to the holy book. An angry man outraged by this disgracefulness, shifted his feet and in whichever direction his feet were shifted, the Holy book also shifted. In this manner, he taught that God is ubiquitous. Guru Nanak believed that honest life would lead to salvation and freedom from the cycle of birth and death. A lesson one should learn is that its better to be poor and live honest life than be rich who is living off of peoples blood. Fairy tales play a great role in helping a child to develop the sense of its cultural traditions and moral values. The story Pigeon and the Crow is about a greedy crow. The crow sees that Pigeon lives in a household where there are all sorts of different food. In order to obtain delicious, savory food, he tells the pigeon that he wants to live with the pigeon to learn his sophisticated ways of eating. The pigeon agrees and they both head off in the wild to eat. Obviously, the crow pretends to observe pigeons ways and eats mostly worms. The next day, the cook is preparing fish for the household members and the crow determined to get some of the fish refuses to go along with the pigeon to eat in the wild. Upon his response, the pigeon leaves without the crow. The crow sits in the kitchen waiting for a chance for the cook to leave and when he does, the crow greedily eats the fish. The cook comes back and catches the crow red handed. In anger, he plucks crows feathers and applies a mixtu re of ginger and butter-milk. The moral that could be extracted out of this story is that one should not be greedy to take other peoples property because that only leads to chaos. The epic poems, famous people and the fairly tales play a great role in developing ones cultural understanding of the moral values and traditions. These elements help make a country unique and help bring the essence of the heritage. It is very important to read to the kids, so they can possess some knowledge about their own culture. It is great to know about ones culture, but its more interesting to learn about other peoples culture also.

German Exercise on Wann, Wenn and Als

German Exercise on Wann, Wenn and Als When is not necessarily an easy translation in German. There are three words you need to know to express different English variations of when. They are wann, wenn, and als.   A Quick Lesson On Als In German Als means as, when or then, depending on its context. Its the when translation that stumps most German learners. One way to remember it:  als  refers to when in the past, whereas  wenn  (more on that below) refers to when in the future or hypothetically.   When in the past: I should have bought bread when I went to the store. When in the future: When I graduate culinary school, I will make my own bread. Als  can be used when you assign a role to something, like as a child. You could also think of this sentence as saying when I was a child, which works with the when-in-the-past rule. But thats not always the case. Sometimes, the as is more like an as if it is a, such as you can use the box as a table. In German, thats als. Similarly,  als  is used to compare things.   A Quick Lesson on Wann/Wenn Click on  wann/wenn  to review the differences between those two words. An easy way to think of it is  wann  refers to time. Wenn is a bit more complicated. But the good news is, once you memorize the four situations when  wenn  works, the German language rarely breaks its rules.   A German Exercise Now test your knowledge.   The following exercise requires you to fill in the blanks with either the word als, wenn or wann. You will find the answers to this exercise on the next page. 1. ______ du genug schlfst, dann bist du niemals mà ¼de.2.______ kannst du morgen kommen?3. Er ist grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸er _____ ich.4. Sag mir bitte, ______ ich vorbeikommen kann.5. ______ es dir nichts ausmacht, dann werde ich hier bleiben.6. ______ ich klein war, sang ich viel.7. Es gibt nichts Lustigeres ______ ein Clown.8. ______ ich Zeit htte, wà ¼rde ich viel mehr lesen.9. Ich weiß, ______ meine Freundin kommt.10. Ich weiß, dass _______ meine Freundin kommt, werden wir viel Spaß haben. 1. Wenn du genug schlfst, dann bist du niemals mà ¼de.2. Wann kannst du morgen kommen?3. Er ist grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸er als ich.4. Sag mir bitte, wann ich vorbeikommen kann.5.Wenn es dir nichts ausmacht, dann werde ich hier bleiben.6. Als ich klein war, sang ich viel.7. Es gibt nichts Lustigeres als ein Clown.8. Wenn ich Zeit htte, wà ¼rde ich viel mehr lesen.9. Ich weiß, wann meine Freundin kommt.10. Ich weiß, dass wenn meine Freundin kommt, dann werden wir viel Spaß haben.

Creative Designs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Creative Designs - Essay Example Book resources for meeting. The ability to communicate internally and externally, reply, forward, find and store electronic communications To organize meetings, check availability of key attendees and invite them. To accept invitations to meetings. The ability to communicate internally and externally, reply, forward, find and store electronic communications. To organize meetings, check availability of key attendees and invite them. To accept invitations to meetings. The ability to communicate internally and externally, reply, forward, find and store electronic communications. To organize meetings, check availability of key attendees and invite them. To accept invitations to meetings. The ability to communicate internally and externally, reply, forward, find and store electronic communications. To organize meetings, check availability of key attendees and invite them. To accept invitations to meetings. 3. The table below compares the three short-listed office automation applications and compares them against identified criteria. KEY TO FUNCTIONALITY: A - WORD PROCESSING B - SPREADSHEETS C - PRESENTATIONS D - DATABASE E - E-MAIL Mary Thomas - Office Secretary Job Function Lotus Notes v 7.0 MS Office WordPerfect FUNCTIONALITY A B C D E A B C D E A B C D E Document preparation x x x Record incoming calls x x x x x x Email x x x TOTAL: 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 2 Jim Parker - Sales Person Job Function Lotus Notes v 7.0 MS Office 2007 SBE WordPerfect FUNCTIONALITY A B C D E A B C D E A B C D E Presentations x x Maintain presentation diary x x x x x x Email x x x TOTAL: 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 1 2 0 1 1 0 2 Howard Rice - Bookkeeper/Database... Since the organization has not yet decided which applications it wishes to use for generic things such as client relationship management and diary management, I have indicated that they could use either a spreadsheet, database, electronic diary manager built into the email function, or in some cases a simple list in a Word Processed document. MS Office has all the functionality they require, but one must first establish what applications they had used before, and focus on similarity to graphical user interface, ease of use and the amount of intuitive automation available. The next step would be backward compatibility with the applications currently in use - data conversion or data entry simply adds to the scope of the project and the costs. I would then look at licensing costs for 5 users and support options available to assist them as they configure the software to suit their working practices. Ultimately I would be concerned with scalability and longevity of the workgroup application chosen. For example, whilst MS Office is not to everyone's taste it is compatible with most software and operating systems, with a strong user base and relatively small learning curve because the user interface is very similar between the various applications.

The Analysis Of The Economic Activity Of The USA Essay

The Analysis Of The Economic Activity Of The USA - Essay Example The gross domestic product in the United States has been valued for the worth of 16800 US billion dollars in the year 2013. The value of the Gross domestic product of the United States includes mainly 27.10 % of the total world economy (Sexton, 2007). The United States is considered as the most technologically advanced and diversified economies of the world. Insurance, rental, leasing, health care, educational services, busiThe ness, real estate and finance contribute to around 40 % of the GDP. The retail and the wholesale sector contribute to around 12 % of the total GDP of United States. The government and the related services contribute to around 13 % of the total GDP of United States (Czinkota and Ronkainen, 2007). The agriculture sector contributes to around 1.5 % of the total GDP of the United States. When the Gross Domestic product of United States is compared with the other countries in the rest of economy it has been observed that US is considered as the most technologically advanced country when compared with the other countries of the world. The business firms of United States generally experiences and enjoys greater flexibility as compared to its counterparts in Japan and Europe (McEachern, 2008). The GDP of United States when compared with Japan can be explained by the fact that the worth of the Gross domestic product of Japan is 4901 billion US dollar in the year 2013. Japan contributes around 7.90 % whereas in case of United States it contributes around 27.10 % of the total world economy. The difference in the GDP of United States and Japan can be explained with the help of the following diagram (Gottheil, 2013).

Choose an American film made in the period since 1945 which, in your Essay

Choose an American film made in the period since 1945 which, in your view, can legitimately be described as 'popular' - Essay Example This essay will be exploring some of the textual and contextual criticism on this film. It will also examine the role or place for this film in a social, cultural and industrial context. Let us begin with a brief overview of film history from the mid 1940's up through the late nineties, when Titanic was introduced. During the 1940's, film evolved in a newly post war time and the genre of film noir began. During the 1950's post classical age in film, the introduction of television challenged the idea of film as it had been known. The 1960's brought with it the genesis of independent film which threatened the system of big Hollywood film. It was not until the 1970's that the term and idea of "blockbuster" was invented. By this time, the "new wave" of film was in place and the idea of cinema was changing. The 1980's kept the new idea of "blockbuster" alive with the introduction of teen based films (Breakfast Club, Saint Elmo's Fire). It was not until the 1990's that computer animation was alive and prominent in mainstream films. The movie Titanic arrived as not only a film using then, cutting edge computer animation but also an enormous (one of the largest in film history, a whopping $200 million USD) budget. Prior to this time period, big budget film was not as prominent. As an audience member to a showing of Titanic, one could watch a computer animated version of the famous ship ( The Titanic), slowly sink over a 2 hour period, bottom first followed by the full erecting of the ship in the Atlantic and finally the virtual sinking of the very ship that was never supposed to sink. This film is classified as historical drama or epic film, by most critics. An epic film or a historical drama (one in the same), can be defined as a historically based film that has been recreated and built upon fictionally. Usually, the use of powerful scoring and elaborate costumes can recreate a historical time or legend, so that the audience gains a sense of realism from the piece. In observing some criticism on the film, one critic says of Titanic"By deliberately adopting the stylistics of sentimentality in his screenplay, Cameron recalls yet another, less cynical time in Titanic. As with the golden age of Hollywood musicals or the 1950s-era films of Doris Day and Rock Hudson, Titanic eschews the irony of modernity and the narrative dislocation of post modernity in favor of yet another, more sentimentalized genre in which good inevitably wins out over evil, heroes invariably overcome class barriers, and lovers always find the means to endure despite harrowing odds" (Davis, Womack, 2001). This piece of criticism is referring to the film as viewing a "less cynical time" when that is really untrue. The essential conflict of the film, aside from the immanently sinking ship, is that the newly love stricken Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet) cannot be together but, due to their class differences, and Rose's engagement to another man, they are unable t o be together. Certainly, if there is any truth to the circumstances of Jack and Rose, the entire time period was more than cynical. They were kept apart because one had financial means and social status while the other did not. The sentimentality observed by this critic is not necessarily pointing out a less than cynical time. Love, especially unrequited love is timeless and

Evidence-Based Practice Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evidence-Based Practice - Research Paper Example lity quasi-experimental or randomized group design research and three high quality single subject design researches carried out by at least three different study groups or researchers (Autisminternetmodules.org). Social narratives are visually designed stories that illustrate social circumstances together with socially relevant responses or actions that help persons with autism spectrum disorder acquire and use relevant social skills. Some of the social skills include self-management, decision-making, communication, peer relations and problem-solving abilities. These skills allow individuals to start and sustain positive social relationships. There are numerous narrative approaches that have been developed to meet the social skills shortfalls of persons with ASD. The educators or parents write the narratives that are designed to improve social intelligence. Social narratives help persons with ASD to gain information about the views and emotions of other people. They also help in understanding contextual information that the individuals with ASD may have missed. Social narratives can be an efficient, inexpensive approach that promotes heightened social and behavioral comprehension (Autisminte rnetmodules.org). The first step in creating social narratives is to identify the social situation that needs intervention. The author selects a social behavior that should change, preferably the one in which improvement will enhance social interactions, new social learning opportunities, or even safer environment. The second step is to define clearly the target behavior for data collection. It can be done in a style that all individuals involved in data collection understand it. The author should ensure that the target behavior defined is observable, measurable and specific. In the third step, the author collects baseline data on the target behavior. If the data is gathered over a long period, it will allow the author to determine learning and outcome trends

Legal unit2 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Legal unit2 - Case Study Example or in the event that such unemployed individuals did not take steps to apply for available work without a justifiable reason or even failed to accept employment in which they were well suited for. However, distinction is made that any of the above reasons may lead to a denial of benefits and not necessary all of them. This argument has its basis on the usage of the term â€Å"if† in each of the terms. The terms do have exceptions that may have one be admissible for the unemployment benefits. Such exceptions lie mainly in the first clause of leaving employment voluntary. This is only possible in the event that such voluntary leaving of employment was prompted by their being pregnant or experiencing terminated pregnancy, or due to suffering domestic abuse. However, such abuse needs verification and validation via medical examination, backing of a legal document, or by a statement sworn by the claimant as true. The other exception to the statute stands in the event that the quitting of employment by an individual is motivated by the relocation of a spouse serving in the US military or the national guard of New Mexico. Other reasons may occur if the spouse orders to deploy from a unit, activation orders, or orders to change permanently from a

Evidence-Based Practice Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evidence-Based Practice - Research Paper Example lity quasi-experimental or randomized group design research and three high quality single subject design researches carried out by at least three different study groups or researchers (Autisminternetmodules.org). Social narratives are visually designed stories that illustrate social circumstances together with socially relevant responses or actions that help persons with autism spectrum disorder acquire and use relevant social skills. Some of the social skills include self-management, decision-making, communication, peer relations and problem-solving abilities. These skills allow individuals to start and sustain positive social relationships. There are numerous narrative approaches that have been developed to meet the social skills shortfalls of persons with ASD. The educators or parents write the narratives that are designed to improve social intelligence. Social narratives help persons with ASD to gain information about the views and emotions of other people. They also help in understanding contextual information that the individuals with ASD may have missed. Social narratives can be an efficient, inexpensive approach that promotes heightened social and behavioral comprehension (Autisminte rnetmodules.org). The first step in creating social narratives is to identify the social situation that needs intervention. The author selects a social behavior that should change, preferably the one in which improvement will enhance social interactions, new social learning opportunities, or even safer environment. The second step is to define clearly the target behavior for data collection. It can be done in a style that all individuals involved in data collection understand it. The author should ensure that the target behavior defined is observable, measurable and specific. In the third step, the author collects baseline data on the target behavior. If the data is gathered over a long period, it will allow the author to determine learning and outcome trends

H.W Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

H.W - Assignment Example Key stakeholders in this case include, Merck shareholders, decision makers with regard to research and development, other individuals that suffer from debilitating conditions that further research and development by Merck might otherwise cure, and those that are or might potentially become infected with River Blindness in the future. The costs of this decision would be that a potential cure would be knowingly passed over by the decision makers at Merck. The benefits would be that other potential remedies could be developed that might otherwise positively impact upon a much larger group of stakeholders. A strict utilitarian would seek to promote the greatest utility in this particular case. As the plight of new potential research would be unknown and there is a small percentage chance of the animal drugs to work well with regard to curing or addressing River Blindness, the utilitarian would ultimately choose the River Blindness research over the other alternatives. By means of contrast and comparison, the universalist would recognize the fact that there is a larger potential for the money to more effectively be used elsewhere; thereby encouraging one to prefer to pass over the River Blindness research. One of the ways that managers can encourage stakeholders to take back injuries more seriously is to provide an emotional appeal based on the individuals that have already been injured in the line of work. Whereas the employee might not think that the employer has their best interests in mind, by showing that the health, happiness, and safety of the employees is something that effects everyone is something that can be done as a means of engaging a further level of understanding throughout the firm. Advanced appreciation would be one extremely useful technique that the professor could use as a function of engaging participation.

Competency Goal Functional Areas Essay Example for Free

Competency Goal Functional Areas Essay To establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment. I keep children healthy by monitoring their health daily. I ask if they have any boo boos and if so how they got them and I put them on a daily health list, I also do this by carefully observing children, watching for signs of illness, making sure immunizations are up to date. I also keep children healthy by keeping the room clean. Children are informed and able to make good decisions on how to stay healthy like washing hands after going to the bathroom, blowing their nose or coughing into their hands, when we come in from outside and before after lunch. I also keep children safe by creating and environment where children gain the knowledge that allows then to make appropriate choices. I make sure activities are safe and developmentally appropriate. The children are encouraging to make good choices by having discussions, giving lessons, and reading books that talk about safety issues I try to create a fun and safe environment where children can learn and grow. I provide and age appropriate environment for the children. I do this by preparing a weekly lesson plan, providing activities for children of all developmental levels. I have activities that are for inside the classrooms which are for gross motor skills such as bean bags, musical instruments, dance music, and all sizes of blocks. I also have fine motor activities, such as large and small beads to string, Lego’s, locking flowers, stencils, scissors, crayon and markers. I also allow time for the children to practice writing skills like their names and letters also to draw beautiful pictures. Competency Goal 1 Functional Area 1: Safe In order to help provide an environment which is safe for the children in my care, I do the following to prevent and reduce injuries: I keep all cleaning supplies and chemicals locked up and out of the children’s reach, to avoid poisoning or other injuries. I am also certified in First Aid and CPR which give me the knowledge to handle any injuries or accidents. I am familiar with the classroom and center emergency evacuation procedures in case of a fire or other emergency. I maintain an easily accessible and current list of emergency numbers and also all the parent numbers. I inspect all toys and equipment, frequently throughout the day to ensure that they are safe for use. I teach safe use of playground equipment. Functional Area 2: Healthy In order to provide and environment that promotes health, and prevents illness and which teaches children about good nutrition and practices that promotes wellness, I do the following: I keep the toys and the rooms clean. I wash my hands and wear gloves before and after handling food. I wear gloves if and when children need help when going to the bathroom, cleaning their noses; in order not spread germs. I also teach the children how to wash their hands after using the bathroom, wiping their nose, coming in from outside, while letting them know how important, it is to washing their hands. I also follow centers’ policies for sick children to prevent other illnesses from spreading throughout the center. I also read books about health care and talk about going to the Doctor and Dentist. I also share the importance of healthy foods like fruits and vegetables.

Research On The Types Of Chocolates English Language Essay

Research On The Types Of Chocolates English Language Essay Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America, with its earliest documented use around 1100 BC. The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste, and must be fermented to develop the flavor. The type of chocolate is determined by the various amounts of cocoa butter and chocolate liquor the chocolate contains, as well the amount of sugar and any other ingredients added to the mixture. TYPES OF CHOCOLATES Dark chocolate Sweetened chocolate with high content of cocoa solids and no or very little milk, it may contain up to 12% milk solids. Dark chocolate can either be sweet, semi-sweet, bittersweet or unsweetened. White chocolate Chocolate made with cocoa butter, sugar, milk, emulsifier, vanilla and sometimes other flavorings. It does not contain any non-fat ingredients from the cacao bean and has therefore an off-white color. Milk chocolate Sweet chocolate which normally contains 10-20% cocoa solids (which includes cocoa and cocoa butter) and more than 12% milk solids. It is seldom used for baking, except for cookies. Sweet dark chocolate Similar to semi-sweet chocolate, it is not always possible to distinguish between the flavor of sweet and semi-sweet chocolate. If a recipe asks for sweet dark chocolate you may also use semi-sweet chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate This is the classic dark baking chocolate which can be purchased in most grocery stores. It is frequently used for cakes, cookies and brownies. Can be used instead of sweet dark chocolate. It has a good, sweet flavor. Contains often 40-62% cocoa solids. Bittersweet chocolate A dark sweetened chocolate which must contain at least 35% cocoa solids. Good quality bittersweet chocolate usually contains 60% to 85% cocoa solids depending on brand. If the content of cocoa solids is high the content of sugar is low, giving a rich, intense and more or less bitter chocolate flavor. Bittersweet chocolate is often used for baking/cooking. Unsweetened chocolate A bitter chocolate which is only used for baking. The flavor is not good, so it is not suitable for eating. HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHOCOLATES Studies show that eating chocolate, primarily dark chocolate, may contribute to improved cardiovascular health. Packed with natural antioxidants, dark chocolate and cocoa sit in the same good-for-you category as green tea and blueberries. Thats because chocolate comes from cacao beans (or cocoa beans), which grow on the cacao tree and are full of natural plant nutrients. Most of the studies to date highlight dark chocolates health values because it has the highest percentage of cocoa solids, therefore more flavanol antioxidants. Heart Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate: Dark chocolate is good for your heart. A small bar of it everyday can help keep your heart and cardiovascular system running well. Two heart health benefits of dark chocolate are: Lower Blood Pressure: Studies have shown that consuming a small bar of dark chocolate everyday can reduce blood pressure in individuals with high blood pressure. Lower Cholesterol: Dark chocolate has also been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) by up to 10 percent. Other Benefits of Dark Chocolate: Chocolate also holds benefits apart from protecting your heart: it tastes good it stimulates endorphin production, which gives a feeling of pleasure it contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant it contains Theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are stimulants Ph.D., Mark Stibich, (2006). Health Benefits of Chocolate. Retrieved 6 March 2011 from About.com: http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongnutrition/p/chocolate.htm cacaoweb (2005). types of chocolate. Retrieved 6 March 2011 from cacaoweb: http://www.cacaoweb.net/chocolate.html HISTORY OF CHOCOLATES 1500 B.C. 300 B.C. The Olmec Indians are believed to be the first to grow cocoa beans (kakawa) as a domestic crop. Cacao trees have grown wild for possibly 10,000 years. The Olmec civilization lasts to about 300 B.C. 300 B.C. 500 A.D. 250 to 900 The Olmec, a very sophisticated society, give much of their culture to the Maya, including xocoatl, sho-KWA-til. Consumption of cocoa beans is restricted to the Mayan societys elite, in the form of an unsweetened cocoa drink made from the ground beans. A.D. 600 1000 600 The Maya migrate into northern regions of South America and Mesoamerica, establishing the earliest known cocoa plantations in the Yucatan. Nobles drink frothy cacau from tall pottery beakers. Beans are a valuable commodity, used both as a means of payment and as units of calculation. Beans are local and international currency: a turkey could be bought for 200 beans, a tomato for 3 beans. Later, when the Maya trade with the Aztecs, 400 beans equal 1 Aztec Zontli, 8000 beans equal 1 Aztec Xiquipilli. Ancient Mexicans believe that Tonacatecutli, the goddess of food, and Calchiuhtlucue, the goddess of water, are guardian goddesses of cocoa. Each year they perform human sacrifices for the goddesses, giving the victim cocoa at his last meal. 1200 AD: The Aztecs believed the first cocoa plant was created by Quetzalcoatl who came from heaven on the morning star. As the Aztecs didnt know about sugar, other spices were used. Mostly spices like chilli to flavour the drink as it was a little bitter. During this time, cocoa beans were used for currency as they valued the plant so much. 1492 Columbus brings back a few beans to present to the King and Queen. However, they were mostly ignored amongst all the other wonderful array of goods that were brought back. 1528 Hernando Cortez again sees the benefit of the cocoa bean and surmises that it might taste a little better if sugar cane was added. Vanilla pods, flowers, cinnamon and other spices were used also. This blending was regarded as a success! Because of the high cost of cocoa, it was still a luxury which only the rich could afford. 1645 Beans were again part of the dowry of Princess Maria Theresa to Louis XIV. This time, the phenomenon of chocolate took off in France. It was also considered an aphrodisiac and was reputed to have helped several Kings and Queens to entice their lovers. 1671 An accident by a kitchen boy leads to the making of praline. A tray of almonds was dropped. Chef tries to whip the kitchen boy but instead drops the pan of hot sugar over the almonds. The Duke of Plesslis-Praslin was served up the cooled mess and was so happy with it, he named it after himself Late 1600s to early 1700s Chocolate houses spring up all over Europe. During this mass craze for the drink and the increase in growers, cocoa bean prices drop. The invention of a steam engine helps with the grinding of the beans and speeds up manufacturing. 1765 The first chocolate making factory in the USA. 1800 Chocolate becomes an Industry on its own. 1900-1970s 1900 Milton Hershey creates a model factory town town called Hersheyville dedicated to the production of chocolate. The specialty is the Hershey Kiss. Around 1900, the price of cacao and sugar drop tremendously, making chocolate affordable for the middle classes. 1912 Jean Neuhaus invents the chocolate shell that can be filled with soft centers and nut pastes, offering vast variety to the previous dipping and enrobing of chocolate. 1925 Barry Callebaut begins the production of chocolate couverture, in Belgium. (We dont know which company made the first couverture.) The New York Cocoa Exchange begins in New York City. 1926 Belgian chocolatier, Joseph Draps starts the Godiva Company to compete with Hersheys and Nestlà ©s American market. 1930 Nestlà © makes first white chocolate, named Galak, although it was called different names, such as Milkybar or Alpine White, in different countries. During the 1930s, brand names become increasingly important. After two years of research, Nestlà ©Ã‚  launches the Black Magic bar.4 1939 World War II rationing includes chocolate: in Europe it is rationed to 4 ounces per person per week. Sales of chocolate are half of pre-war sales. Production of Kit Kat, a leading brand, is suspended.4 1980s Present 1980 A story of chocolate espionage hit the world press when an apprentice of the Swiss company of Suchard-Tobler unsuccessfully attempted to sell secret chocolate recipes to Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, and other countries. 1986 Valrhona introduces the concept of the single origin chocolate bar, making their first with beans exclusively from South America. The 70% cacao bar is named Guanaja in honor of the island of Guanaja, off Honduras, where Christopher Columbus first tasted chocolate almost 500 years earlier. They call it a Grand Cru chocolate. 1990s Following Valrhonas pioneering efforts, other designer chocolate bars debut, including bars made from the beans of single plantations. Today, annual world consumption of cocoa beans averages approximately 600,000 tons, and per capita chocolate consumption is greatly on the rise. But the best chocolate, made of criollo beans, is just 5% of the world crop. 2000 A new generation of chocolatiers knows no bounds. The fusion cuisine of the late 20th century has logically found its way to chocolate: exotic spices such as saffron, curry and lemongrass are now commonplace in chocolate, as are everyday kitchen foods such as basil, goat cheese and olive oil. Most appropriately, chocolate has returned to its Mesoamerican roots. Many artisan chocolatiers now offer some version of Aztec chocolate, spiced with the original new world flavors of chile and cinnamon. The market has seen growth in organic and kosher brands and high percentage cacao chocolate is recognized as a functional food, delivering antioxidants. It seems that the Aztecs were right about the health-giving properties of cacao. 2000 The Cote dIvoire is the worlds largest exporter of cacao beans, 1.4 million tons. The Netherlands both imports and grinds the most cacao. Some is made into chocolates; the remainder is processed into couverture and cocoa powder and exported to other countries which make their own chocolates from it. the nibble (2006). The History Of Chocolate. Retrieved 6 March 2011 from the nibble: http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/chocolate/the-history-of-chocolate.asp TASK 2 PROJECT PLAN Task Description Marks Time Date 1 Research. The purpose of this research and the aim of the website is to promote chocolate as a versatile and healthy food. 10 1week 4th to 20th Feb 2 Project plan Produce a project plan for the way you intend to complete the rest of this assignment. 10 1week 21st to 27th Feb 3 Design Specification Using the appropriate techniques to specify the structure and navigation of the proposed site. 15 2weeks 27th Feb to 5th Mar 4 Website The website must be developed using XHTML 1.0(transitional or strict) and consist of 6 interlinked pages. A home page from which it is possible to navigate to the other resources in the website. A page that explains about health and chocolate. A page that describes the history of chocolate from ancient Mesoamerican times to present day. A recipe of the month page A page that provides links to other websites of interest and sources of further information A page that demonstrates the use of HTML forms 40 1 month 5th Mar to 5 April 5 Critical evaluation A short report of 1000 words analyzing the website you have submitted 25 2 weeks 5th to 15th April TASK 3 DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS HEIRARCHY Home Instructions Photographs Health benefits Recipe of the month Links Submission form History of Chocolates Fig 1.1 Site Plan Background info Home page has to communicate purpose of website. External sites (User will be required to press back button to go back to our site or have external sites open in a new window New Recipe Entry Page title Provide forms for users to submit new recipes Links Page title Give links to other websites of interest Recipe of the month Page title One quality photograph Clearly structured instructions History of chocolates Page title Describe history of chocolates Health and Chocolates Page title Provide health benefits of chocolates Give types and quantities of chocolates that should be eaten Show drawbacks of chocolates Home Page Background info Health chocolates History of chocolates Recipe of month Links New Recipe Entry Fig1.2

The African Athena Controversy Essay example -- Ancient Civilizations

The â€Å"African Athena Controversy† is a topic that has been under attack by numerous authorities as to who is the best authority and has the best interpretation on the origin of ancient Greece. The author’s in this reading set have some form of experience or expertise and offer their different perspectives on Greece’s origins. All three authors admit that the Greek language is an Indo-European language and words that do not directly correlate were probably loaned, borrowed, but not stolen (Bernal, p. 6), (Berlinerblau, p. 16), and (Lefkowitz, p. 4). After analyzing the three reading sets, this writer agrees with Bernal’s argument that the Egyptians and Phoenicians did have a strong influence on Greece as his Revised Ancient Model asserts and that his syllogism is plausible. He infers that his Revised Ancient Model had been in competition with the Aryan Model regarding its plausibility and not over certainty† (Bernal, p. 9). He elaborates, the issue of â€Å"competitive plausibility† was in regards to the model being â€Å"plausible† despite the facts of â€Å"contemporary documents of the Late Bronze Age, archaeology, language, toponyms, divine and mythological names, religious ritual, and historical analogy or typology† (Bernal, p. 9). Bernal’s Revised Ancient Model has both strong support and the movement towards favoring the model, by documents, archaeology, language, and cult. He goes on to say that plausibility is better than predictability. That plausibility hypothesis can and should be tested, as new evidence is unearthed and that the parallels of Eastern Mediterranean civilization should and need to be crossed check as well. His opinion on â€Å"prediction is not favorable, because in light of competition, evidence can fit into eith... ...of the Greece, as Bernal’s Revised Ancient Model asserts. Works Cited Berlinerblau, J. (1999). The Aryan Models. Heresy in the University: The Black Athena controversy and the reponsibilities of American intellectuals [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu Bernal, M. (2001). Introduction Black Athena writes back [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu Lefkowitz, M. R. (1996). Ancient history, Modern Myths. Black Athena Revisited [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu The African Athena Controversy [Portfolio reading set]. (2012, June). Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston, CEHD, CLA, CPCS, CSM, and CNHS Writing proficiency evaluation (WPE): http://www.UMB.edu The African Athena Controversy Essay example -- Ancient Civilizations The â€Å"African Athena Controversy† is a topic that has been under attack by numerous authorities as to who is the best authority and has the best interpretation on the origin of ancient Greece. The author’s in this reading set have some form of experience or expertise and offer their different perspectives on Greece’s origins. All three authors admit that the Greek language is an Indo-European language and words that do not directly correlate were probably loaned, borrowed, but not stolen (Bernal, p. 6), (Berlinerblau, p. 16), and (Lefkowitz, p. 4). After analyzing the three reading sets, this writer agrees with Bernal’s argument that the Egyptians and Phoenicians did have a strong influence on Greece as his Revised Ancient Model asserts and that his syllogism is plausible. He infers that his Revised Ancient Model had been in competition with the Aryan Model regarding its plausibility and not over certainty† (Bernal, p. 9). He elaborates, the issue of â€Å"competitive plausibility† was in regards to the model being â€Å"plausible† despite the facts of â€Å"contemporary documents of the Late Bronze Age, archaeology, language, toponyms, divine and mythological names, religious ritual, and historical analogy or typology† (Bernal, p. 9). Bernal’s Revised Ancient Model has both strong support and the movement towards favoring the model, by documents, archaeology, language, and cult. He goes on to say that plausibility is better than predictability. That plausibility hypothesis can and should be tested, as new evidence is unearthed and that the parallels of Eastern Mediterranean civilization should and need to be crossed check as well. His opinion on â€Å"prediction is not favorable, because in light of competition, evidence can fit into eith... ...of the Greece, as Bernal’s Revised Ancient Model asserts. Works Cited Berlinerblau, J. (1999). The Aryan Models. Heresy in the University: The Black Athena controversy and the reponsibilities of American intellectuals [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu Bernal, M. (2001). Introduction Black Athena writes back [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu Lefkowitz, M. R. (1996). Ancient history, Modern Myths. Black Athena Revisited [Portfolio reading set]. Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston: http://www.UMB.edu The African Athena Controversy [Portfolio reading set]. (2012, June). Retrieved from University of Massachusetts at Boston, CEHD, CLA, CPCS, CSM, and CNHS Writing proficiency evaluation (WPE): http://www.UMB.edu

Rene Descartes and Lao Tzu Essay

Rene Descartes remains one of the most significant philosophers of the West in the past few centuries. In his lifetime, the fame and popularity of Descartes is just like that of a mathematician or a physicist. But today, he is considered as an original philosopher and his ideas and thought are one of the most studied in philosophy. Descartes made attempts to bring philosophy to a new direction. His school of though has rejected the thoughts of Aristotle and scholastic traditions that had dominion on the whole of philosophical thought during the medieval period. It instead made attempts to integrate fully his philosophy of with sciences that were considered at that time to be new. Descartes altered the relationship between theology and philosophy. These new directions that Descartes had initiated made him a philosopher that is revolutionary, The most famous of his ideas are those that employ a method of hyperbolic doubt. Hi argument consist of the possibility that he may doubt but he cannot doubt that he exists. An essential aspect of this philosophical method is on the first of is ideas. In searching for the foundation of philosophy, whatever that has the possibility to be doubted must be rejected. He resolves the argument by saying that we must only trust what is clearly and distinctively seen that is free from doubt. It is in this way that Descartes peels or takes away the layers of beliefs and ideas that would only obstruct his perspective of the truth. His next philosophical thought is reconstructing knowledge little by little and by piece in such a way that the there will be no instance that doubt will be back. Descartes has proven th he himself should have the basic ability of thinking. This thinking mind is separate from the body, the existence of God, nature and the outside world. Descartes has shown that knowledge is truly possible and that a scientific knowledge of the material world is possible that is based on mathematics. Descartes also speaks about innate ideas. If exterior objects are known to have any clarity and that they really are, then there must be the existence of innate ideas. These ideas do not come from imagination or from the senses. These ideas came from the operation of the mind on its own. Only innate ideas have features of necessity or even universality. Ideas that are experienced are only contingent. He said that ideas do not have any similarity to the objects that they represent. Because of this statement, the mind is essentially a thinking entity and the body is just a substance that is extended and therefore essentially different. There is no idea of extension that can be formed in the mind using the senses. To have a thought of an extended substance, the idea of an extension must be innate or should first belong to the mind. The theory of innate ideas basically speaks about certain pieces of knowledge that are known to exist in man even before birth and not acquired from experiencing the outside world. Descartes used this in his claim that man has innate idea of God’s existence and basic nature. These innate ideas are not immediately made known to man but require reason in their discovery. The knowledge of God is innate because it is a product of the faculty of faith (Kenny 1997). Lao Tzu, a famous Chinese philosopher, treats the acquisition of knowledge is dictated because it is based on language and socialization. The composition of knowledge is of arbitrary, historically, accidental social systems of creating differences, guiding desires and acting. Lao Tzu justifies the abandoning of knowledge as a method of recovering the natural, genuine and spontaneous impulses of humanity. Society will mold the desires through the use of words and differences. The acquisition of a sophisticated taste will shape the desires of man and also actions and choices that man will take. Man will not desire things naturally because they are just simple and few. Lao Tzu accepts the idea of having pre-social desires. If man will forget or abandon the learned desires that rose from language socialization, then man cam return to nature. The social analysis of knowledge come with the conceptualization of the natural or innate knowledge (Henricks 1989). Although the teachings of Lao Tzu cannot be considered as part of dualism, his ideas will seem to support the primary idea of Descartes as evident in his book, Tao Te Ching. The book talks about the way of Tao that does not vary and compared it to something like a bellow that is inexhaustible but empty. In spite of this unchanging way that makes the world to what it is, everything relies on this unchanging way because it completes everything. There are some similarities to the philosophy of Lao Tzu and Descartes on knowledge. Descartes believed on the innate knowledge of things that man has before he was ever born. Lao Tzu also believed on knowledge that is acquired before pre-socialization wherein man has knowledge before he is immersed in the context of a social world and language. They also have similarities in ideas of dualism. Tao is not extensive and to the world’s order, it has a spiritual entity as a factor by affecting it by using the mind. Te will become the tool that the unvarying way will utilize to show the effects in the body or the natural world. Tao is the one controlling Te and Te follows what Tao says. Tao is being depicted here as God. The real Tao cannot be defined for when it can defined then it is not the real Tao. The Tao that cannot be named is the one who created heaven and earth. It is in reference of something that nothing greater can be thought of. Tao already existed before all the other beings. For Descartes, the knowledge of God’s existence is innate because it is the result of the faculty of faith. In man, there is this idea that lies of a perfect being that Descartes is incapable of creating this idea on his own. This kind of idea must have a cause or a formal reality. This cause cold not have come from a less than perfect being or reality. The attributes of God were of being independent, supremely intelligent and powerful and created everything else in this world. God exists necessarily. Note the similarities of Lao Tzu and Descartes of a supreme being. The only difference is that Lao Tzu did not call it a God. Descartes called it a God, being that it is something that cannot be explained or defined and one that existed before the world was created and the One who created everything else that is found in the world. Lao Tzu did not identify with the being as a personal creator.

Cusick and Her Lesbian Relationship with Music Essay

In the essay â€Å"On a Lesbian Relationship with Music: A Serious Effort Not to Think Straight† by Suzanne G. Cusick, she brings up an interesting topic about the connection between her being a lesbian and her being a musician, a musicologist, if there exists any. I’m especially interested in the â€Å"power system† and the link between musicality and lesbianism she mentions in this article. Here, I’ll try to analysis them in detail and relate them with other issues in music and sexuality, exploring them in a more general picture. Cusick redefines the concept of sexuality in her essay, as the way of â€Å"expressing and/or enacting relationships of intimacy through physical pleasure shared, accepted, or given.† According to her, this process of expressing and enacting can also be found in our musical activities, where the circulation of physical pleasure can be experienced as well. Thus, she says that our musicalities and our sexualities are â€Å"psychically next-door neighbors.† (70) I need to claim that this idea of her amazes me. From my previous musical experience, I’m pretty sure that music is a subject highly intimate for me. For instance, I usually have reluctance when I’m asked to sing or perform a song written by myself, even if I think it is a brilliant one. And this won’t happen if the song is someone else’s. In my opinion, music, especially my own music which I’m personally attached to, is an expression of my true self, and that identity and personal characteristics contained in it makes it so special that I won’t be willing to share it with others, unless it’s someone really close to me. Another fact that I think will support Cusick’s idea is that different people always have different opinions towards the same piece of music. No matter how the composer perceives it, the listener usually has the tendency to relate it to his/her own personal experiences, which differ from person to person. It is reasonable to think that music is a symbol of someone’s personalities and characteristics, because of the intimacy the music creates. Therefore, I believe that there exists a connection between the musicality and the sexuality of a certain person, since both of them are revelations of his/her true identity, and we can examine our own behaviors on both of them. In other words, these two factors are connected because of the person who they belong to, and they are contained in the system of his/her perspectives. Cusick also explains in her article what does it mean to be a â€Å"lesbian† and how to define sexuality, which are essential questions if we want to relate it to music. From her point of view, the essence of one’s sexuality and the element of all relationships is the power system. An example that can explain this is what musicologists say about the masculinity in Beethoven. In Susan McClary’s opinion, there exist musical constructions of gender and sexuality. She regards the field of music and musicology as male-dominated, since the masculine norm and the distinction between genders are deeply rooted in music, such as masculine and feminine cadences, rhythms, gendered major and minor triads, etc. (7) She also analyzes Beethoven’s music, which to her contains â€Å"pounding†, â€Å"thrusting† gestures that represent masculinity. (75) On the contrary, in Sanna Pederson’s article â€Å"Beethoven and Masculinity,† she redefines the concept of masculinity and the link between it with Beethoven. She states that we can find an alternative approach, arguing that we regard Beethoven as symbol of masculinity because of the overwhelming idea that viewing woman as â€Å"as unchanging, eternal essence, as the opposite of the dynamically striving and achieving man.† (326) Matthew Head also approaches this from another perspective by examining the heroic in Beethoven’s works, finding many cross-dressed he roines. (132) It’s notable that although there is importance put on female characters, women usually need to conceal their sexuality and transgress the gendered norms in order to serve as the epitomes in the aesthetic sphere. This shows that, no matter what kind of connection there exists between Beethoven and masculinity, there does exist a power system that emphasis on the inequality between men and women, where women as less – worth less, power less – man, in both our society and in music. Whichever argument we believe, we should admit the extensive presence of the power system in our society, and in practice, it can be found both in music and in many relationships between people, especially heterosexual ones. The most significant point of view of her in this essay, I think, is that she believes being a lesbian is an escape from this power system: As a woman, as a non-dominating and non-power woman who loves another woman in her relationship, the flow of power can exist in both directions, as opposed to a heterosexual relationship where a man typically plays the dominating and powerful part. And Cusick believes that this is the beauty of a lesbian relationship: it’s about â€Å"organizing the force field of power, pleasure, and intimacy that refuses the simple binary opposition male and female†. The lack of opposition creates a world that scrambles the usual components of â€Å"man† and â€Å"woman†, and a world â€Å"free of fixed categories.† (73) This reminds me of the documentary â€Å"Paris is Burning†, which stunned me with its idea of celebrations of a powerful expression of personalities, without any restriction of boundaries. There, what matters is the personal prides, which are fully showed in the â€Å"drag nights† in New York. Cusick further explains the elements in a lesbian relationship as the â€Å"power/pleasure/intimacy† triad. (71) From my understanding, this is indeed an appropriate way to observe a relationship. As I mentioned before, power is an important factor that circulates within the relationship. What’s more, pleasure and intimacy are objectives that we usually want to achieve when we are involved someone we love, and thus they are essential bolsters of a relationship. As Cusick says, this triad can be experienced more freely in lesbian relationships, because without the power flowing only in one direction, the equality and balance between the two lovers can give them more intimacy and pleasure, both physically and psychically, from their relationship. Hence, in Cusick’s article, being a lesbian is not merely a sexual orientation; it is also the way one prefers to behave, to organize the relationship to the world in a â€Å"power/pleasure/intimacy† triad. It’s a way of refusing, breaking, and creating, and to cope with the world in a way that she prefers. And these behaviors can also be detected in a person’s musicality, which is also built in his/he r identity. More interestingly, Cusick talks about the â€Å"lesbian relationship† she has with music. She treats music as a woman, and a woman that can be a lover, and also the beloved – as in a lesbian relationship where the power circulates both ways and cross without boundaries. (78) In the article â€Å"Musicality, Essentialism, and the Closet† written by Philip Brett, he also discusses music be perceived as feminine. Brett says that in history, music has often been considered a dangerous substance, â€Å"an agent of moral ambiguity always in dander of bestowing deviant status upon its practitioners.† (11) By describing music as a woman that â€Å"ravish† our sense or our soul, people from the medieval and early modern times let us see how close music and sexuality can be. This also makes Cusick’s treating music as a female lover more sensible. Another idea of her that interests me is that she thinks her choice of music can reflects her sexuality. She says that her love for hidden relationships and the tension between the ostensible structure, which represents the tension between a social norm and â€Å"a very high degree of eccentricity,† suggests her escape from the power system. Also, she dis-prefers music hat upset this power equilibrium. (77) She explains this by saying that her â€Å"lesbian self† let her prefer certain kinds of music and reject some other kinds. This makes me think about in general, how people’s choices of music reflect their sexuality and identity, and to what degree. I agree that the choices of music can reflect that person’s personality to some extent, but I also believe that the music he/she listens can shape that person into the qualities and personalities that the music wants him/her to have. The same as Cusick’s relationship with her music, there is a counter -influence here as well. Rentfrow and Gosling found in their research that people’s music preferences are related to a wide array of personality dimensions and self-views. If the links between music preferences and personality do exist, we can easily infer that our choices of music reflect our identity, which also links to our sexuality. Besides, we can always see the influences of music on people. It has been shown by Frederick H. Martens that music exerts its collective influence in the course of history. He also says that as an individual influence, music is one of the factors in the life of kings and rulers, which also â€Å"has exerted a more or less direct influence on the destinies of countries and peoples.† We can see clearly from his article that music can significantly affect one’s views and thoughts on this world, therefore it is an important element in directing people’s personality and characteristics. Hence, the relationship between a person and the music he/she listens is a mutual one. People’s preference of music decides the music they choose, and what they choose can reversely change them as well, directing them into the qualities that can be defined through that music. This can also illustrate Cusick’s point that her relationship with music is about the power dynamic that circulates both ways between music and her, and this relationship highly resembles the one between lesbian lovers. Thus, the link between music and sexuality is obvious. Furthermore, I’m wondering about how the connection between identity and sexuality works in other subjects and fields of study. Cusick says in her article that she does not address the texts of music because she thinks that they tend to trick us into staying in a â€Å"power-over paradigm that is mighty close to the regime of compulsory heterosexuality.† Personally, I don’t entirely agree with her on this. In my opinion, other subjects such as literature and art can also illustrate one’s identity, thus they can represent people’s qualities through the â€Å"â€Å"power/pleasure/intimacy† triad as well, and so does texts in music . The reason why Cusick thinks that focusing on texts can deviates us is that her love and professional interests in music leave her only looking at music as an intimate lover. But for people from other fields and domains, their subjects can be treated as lovers and beloved as well. For example, it is reasonable to imagine a poet feels extreme intimacy in his relationship with poems. Cusick mentioned by herself in the notes that she can also find tremendous joy from cooking, and she loves to peel fruits and vegetables without a knife, because she believes it will create wholly pleasurable experiences. (83) I would not say Cusick is also in love with vegetables, but what she says can suggest that pleasure and intimacy do not solely exist between people and music. As Pygmalion can fall in love with the statue he carved, why can’t a songwriter build a romantic tie with the texts of music he wrote? In other words, as long as we have passion, the relationship between people and his/her subject of study can be developed in any area, within which we can find its connection with sexuality. This essay of Cusick is not very long, but the notions it contains, I believe, are really valuable sources of thoughts if we want to explore the relationship between music and sexuality, especially when we want to discover it from a perspective about our own identity and personal characteristics. Cusick has nicely shown that the boundary between music and sex can be a blurred one, where both are means of negotiating power and intimacy through the circulation of pleasure. Here, the most important is the people that involves both with music and with sex, intimately experiencing them and wholly mingling with them. As Cusick says, what really matters is neither music nor sex, but â€Å"the transcendent joy of being alive, not dead, and aware of the existence.† (69) Works Cited: Brett, Philip, Elizabeth Wood, and Gary Thomas. Queering the Pitch : the New Gay and Lesbian Musicology. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2006. McClary, Susan. Reading Music : Selected Essays. Aldershot, England: Ashgate, 2007. McClary, Susan. Feminine Endings : Music, Gender, and Sexuality. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1991. Rentfrow, Peter J, and Samuel D Gosling. â€Å"The do re miÊ ¼s of everyday life: the structure and personality correlates of music preferences.† Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 84.6 (2003) : 1236-1256. Frederick H. Martens. The Musical Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Apr., 1925), pp. 196-218 Burnham, Scott G, and Michael P Steinberg. Beethoven and His World. Princeton [N.J.]: Princeton University Press, 2000. Head, Matthew. â€Å"Beethoven Heroine: A Female Allegory of Music and Authorship in Egmont.† 19th-Century Music 30 (2006-07), 97-132.