Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Analytical Essay Sample Based on the Book The Murder of Helen Jewett

Analytical Essay Sample Based on the Book The Murder of Helen Jewett Dorcas Doyen, more popularly known as Helen Jewett, is at the centre of the book The Murder of Helen Jewett written by Patricia Cline Cohen in 1999. Doyen or Jewett as she is popularly known was born in Temple, Maine on October 18 1883 to a working class family. Her mother died while she was still a child and her father, who was an alcoholic, followed soon. Orphaned at an early age, she was adopted by a local judge, Chief Justice Nathan Weston and his family who provided her with a good education (Cohen, 23). She additionally worked as a servant in the judge’s home and it is here that she grew into a young woman renowned for her beauty. She is said to have developed sexual assertiveness at this point and was rumoured to be involved with a Banker in an affair that became scandalous. Upon attaining 18 years of age, the girl moved out of the judge’s home and began working as a prostitute in Portland, Maine, under an assumed name, as was the practice at the time. Her trade took her to Boston, and then finally to New York where she met her death (Cohen, 37). Her murder brought to the fore various aspects of people’s lifestyles that may have contribute to the nature of life that Jewett led besides other women and men. Upon the discovery of her murder and the attempted arson on her body, investigators focused on her long time client and close associate, Richard P. Robinson who used the name Frank Rivers when visiting prostitutes such as Jewett. During the times when Jewett lived, the 19th century, women were expected to practice a lot of restraint during their lives yet their living conditions and the opportunities that were available to them were very limited compared to their men folk. Women were expected to be pious, which meant that were expected to be deeply spiritual and those women that actually managed were regarded well and accorded the honour of having a position in a church or in a charitable organization (Cohen, 78). It was believed that the nature of women placed them in a better position to handle both Christian leadership as well as domestic duties. The number of women that were church ministers at that time was great. Piety and observance of religious activities was supposed to keep women from conducting themselves â€Å"badly† and was supposed to encourage them to bring pleasure to their minds. Piety was also recommended for men but not as strongly (Cohen, 79). As a result of this preoccupation with religion, â€Å"mental derangement as a result of religious excitement† was blamed for suicide among women. This thinking on the part of society restricted women to lives that were devoid of challenges and excitement as a way of wielding control over them. However, men were not severely subjected to these terms of piety as the women folk were (Cohen, 79). Women were expected to get married and once married; they were considered the property of their husbands. Women were additionally expected to be â€Å"pure†. This purity referred to sexual matters and it is therefore hardly surprising that prostitutes such as Jewett were looked down on at this time after losing their â€Å"purity† (Cohen, 56). it is important to note that even though women were encouraged to be pure all their lives and given recommendations on how to go about this, men on the other hand were only advised on how to recover once they had participated in impure acts (Cohen, 59). Those who engaged in these â€Å"impure acts† knew of the implications as well as the perceptions of the society and it is therefore the reason both men and women who met for prostitution purposes used names other than their own. Prostitutes at this time were confined to parlour houses and brothels for those that attracted upper class clientele and bawdy houses that catered to clients of lower classes (Cohen, 63). Once a woman had engaged in prostitution, it was very hard for her to e integrate with society again and be accorded the same opportunities. Adulterous women were regarded with the same kind of contempt while adulterous men were not treated so harshly. Moreover, if a woman engaged in premarital sex and bore a baby out of it, she was disowned by her family. The woman may have been forced to leave the family home and in addition, the father of the child was not held responsible for child support (Cohen, 65). The opportunities that were available to women during the 19th century depended on the social economic status of the women. Lower class women, who were mostly daughters of poor farmers, had to work in order to support their poor families (Cohen, 68). The kind of employment that these girls got included household chores for richer families, laundry, tailoring, nursing or midwifery. The highest paying of these were midwifery, nursing and dressmaking as they involved skills. Upper class white women of the nineteenth century were generally pampered as they grew up with nothing to do and with servants to mind them (Cohen, 71). However, upon marriage, they were expected to oversee the welfare of their households and that of their slaves including but not limited to making clothes for them and nursing them. These women had very few opportunities for education with only three colleges admitting women; their opportunities for formal jobs were even less. However, there are omen that managed to get very high levels of education in those times and become experts in fields such as engineering, and physics among others. This ensured that women were not adequately equipped to live independent lives and they had to rely on somebody; most preferably a man (Cohen, 73). In the case of Jewett, she is reputed to have been a highly educated lady and very intelligent on the basis of the letters that she wrote and the books that she read. Unlike other women, she was better placed to benefit from opportunities that other women could not benefit from such as entry to one of the few colleges (Cohen, 77). She was possibly bound by the expectations that society had of her and by engaging in an affair with a banker to begin with, may have felt that she had no more options in life except for a life of prostitution (Cohen, 80). This career, which she chose, was The legal system of the day was no better for the women that lived in that period. Like everything else, when dealing with women, their marital status was a factor that determined the outcome of the legal situation (Cohen, 25). Women were expected to be married and have children; once married, all her assets, liabilities, and everything they owed was transferred to their husbands. Consequently, if somebody wronged a woman, it is her husband that could institute charges and prosecute (Cohen, 33). Because of this, married women relied on the possibility that their husbands were kind and good people that had their best interests at heart. This meant that it was highly unlikely for single women to get a fair hearing or even any hint of attention from the law enforcement and legal authorities (Cohen, 54). This is especially visible in the trial of Richard P Robinson in the murder of Helen Jewett. The judge that presided over the particular case particularly told the jury to not consider t he evidence that was presented by the prosecution’s witnesses for the reason that most of the witnesses worked as prostitutes. In conclusion, the lives which women lived in the 19th century were markedly different from the lives that men lived in the same period. Women were subjected to a vast number of rules and so much was expected from them in comparison to their male counterparts. Men were exposed to so many opportunities as far as education, place in society, and job opportunities are concerned (Cohen, 52). They were placed at a higher place than women were and in addition, hardly suffered the same consequences that women suffered for the same offences. Moreover, men were in a position to make rules, which would ensure women continued to be repressed in society (Cohen, 64). On the hand, women were mostly expected to marry and have children. After marriage, the woman and everything she owned or owed belonged to the husband. This placed her in a precarious position as even her wellbeing depended on the whims of her husband. Due to this kind of thinking, the learning opportunities for women were very few a nd even fewer were their job prospects even after finishing college if they ever managed to enter in one in the first place. Society expected women to be pious, pure and chaste and failure of a woman to achieve these standards meant that she was considered an outcast like Jewett was (Cohen, 69). It s this kind of situation that may have put Jewett in the situation that led to her murder as prostitution as a career even today has been proved to expose women to the dangers of death more than any other career. More than anything, it is her career and the career of the prosecution’s witnesses that caused her case to not be taken seriously by the legal system. This was done in total ignorance of the lives that women were forced to live at the time (Cohen, 74).

Friday, November 22, 2019

What Authors Actually Think of Amazon’s Pay-Per-Page Model

What Authors Actually Think of Amazon’s Pay-Per-Page Model What authors actually think of Amazon’s Pay-Per-Page Model This past month's buzz about Amazon’s announcement of a Pay-Per-Page  model for Kindle Unlimited authors has received a myriad of responses. Much of it has consisted of information being blown completely out of proportion on various media pages. Vocal journalists have expressed their fear of Amazon promoting length over quality, or of Amazon total dominance of the publishing industry. It all made us think: â€Å"what do authors actually think about it?† So we went ahead and asked a few â€Å"indie† and hybrid authors - the ones affected most by the changes.Amazon’s â€Å"Pay-per-page† responds to author feedbackIt turns out that the main thing that the media have been forgetting to say is that Amazon’s change is actually prompted by authors requesting it. When Kindle Unlimited was launched, Amazon paid authors for a full â€Å"borrow† as soon as the reader read more than 10% of the book. This means that authors who were writing long er novels were being undercut, but the ones writing shorter books were sliding under the radar and collecting their checks every time a reader made it 10% of the way through a book. If you are reading a short novel, 10% may not be many pages at all.This is what indie author Lindsay Buroker and hybrid author Bob Mayer point out:â€Å"The changes seem to be more a response to author feedback, and perhaps reader feedback as well. I know many novelists who were frustrated that short stories and installments of serialized fiction made as much as their full-length novels. Were readers also frustrated with all of the short fiction and chopped up books?† - Lindsay Buroker, author of  The Emperor's Edgeâ€Å"Overall, authors who wrote full length novels were actually getting screwed. If I’d wanted to game the system, I should have focused on writing five 20,000 words stories (earning $6.60 if all are borrowed) rather than one 100,000 page book (earning only $1.32 if borrowe d). Under Kindle Unlimited my income would have been five times what it is. Under the new system, my income is more, as long as those pages get read.† - Bob Mayer, author of the Area 51 seriesClick on the image to tweet it!Sharing is caring! Click on any images above to tweet the quote with the author's handle!What is  your opinion on the Amazon pay-per-page change? Are subscription services a threat to authors in the long term? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Business report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business report - Essay Example tement in mind, this work will focus on how patron satisfaction is affecting the use of a specific library technological tool, the self-checkout machine, at Library of American University in Dubai. The technological advancements of the electronic age have permeated all aspects of our everyday lives. Businesses in many parts of the world and most businesses in the industrialized countries have embraced some kind of technology in their daily operations. Libraries have certainly not been left out. Library administrators must be involved in ongoing decision making and planning to ensure that library equipment have appropriate capabilities to meet the purpose for which they are intended. Library automation is the process by which library operations are performed electronically. In particular, it performs tasks that people would normally do (Greenberg, 2002). The need for library automation has arisen because of the information explosion; many libraries are being inundated with unprecedented demands by their users. Almost all aspects of library services have been impacted by the technological advancements of the information age. In fact, libraries that recognize how technology can e nhance their services and consequently improve patron satisfaction are destined for success. Today’s technological innovations have indeed overtaken traditional library services, as libraries have undergone major transformations moving them from the Stone Age to the Electronic Age. In order to be successful in their work, librarians are now required to take a fresh look at their profession. In some cases, libraries may experience an increase in patronage as more and more people take advantage of the innovative services that have been introduced to the library world. Almost every aspect of library services has been affected by technology. The growth of technology has forced library professionals to rethink the way information is collected, stored, and dispensed. As a result of the wide

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

E-Commerce and IT Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

E-Commerce and IT Security - Essay Example initial forms, cell phones had specific and limited operational potentials; today cell phones have development a lot in order to respond to their new role as a primary mode of communication – an indicative example is the BlackBerry, a cell phone with advanced capabilities – for instance the Organiser or the GPS (referring to the Smartphone features, see the firm’s website); on the other hand, the fact that mobile phone has become the primary mode of communication has led to another problem: the social life of people takes new forms; the isolation of individuals is promoting; in this context, the mobile phone is no longer just a convenience; this change of the role of mobile phones should be reviewed. It should be noted that the above initiative is expected to face strong opposition if taking into consideration the fact that mobile phone is regarded as related with daily life at such a level that the warnings on the risks from its extensive use are ignored  œ like in the case of ‘electrosensitivity’ a health problem related with the use of mobile phone (Rubin et al., 2008, p.1). On the other hand, even in cases that rules were set for the use of mobile phone (for instance, when driving) these rules were not applied (Walsh et al., 2008, p.1893). Current paper examines key points on the use and the advances of mobile phones, e-commerce and IT-security aiming to explain their development internationally. Airtexting offers the ability to communicate ‘in silence’ – i.e. without actually speaking. This means that the people around are not likely to notice the specific activity; however, in practice this benefit of airtexting is lost because of a severe disadvantage: the ability of anyone near the sender to read the text of the message. At this point a dilemma is set? Is privacy of higher importance than the need for communication? It depends on each person’s perceptions and experiences. From a personal view, I would characterize this feature as

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Isaacs Storm Character Analysis Essay Example for Free

Isaacs Storm Character Analysis Essay After reading about Isaac Cline and the examples that demonstrate his character and distinct personality, I’ve realized that he is a very strong, independent, and knowledgeable man who sometimes appeared to be arrogant and narrow-minded. Isaac Cline was very intelligent and adventurous at a young age with a raving passion to reach his dreams of performing something that would â€Å"give results beneficial to mankind.† Sometimes though, his confidence got a little out of control and made him appear a bit cocky about himself and the intelligence about the weather and the world around him that he supplied. By the time Cline had reached his early twenties, Cline’s eyes had seen many horrific events that scarred his memory forever. Despite his hardships, I believe Cline is a very talented man in a numerous ways and uses his talents in a very resourceful and rewarding way. I also believe that Cline has many sides to him that others, and himself, are not aware even exist. When trying prove himself, he reveals his strong, determined side. When singing to his wife, he reveals his romantic side. When training new recruits to perform cavalry assaults, he reveals a dedicated and serious side. Isaac hides a strong, hard backbone behind a welcoming smile and sweet eyes. In all, I believe that Isaac carries many different sides of his character with him and enjoys displaying his intelligent and determined side most of the time in order to prove to others and himself that he is very talented. He is a very strong, respectful, intelligent, opinionated, and absolutely talented man who sets his goals and chases after them wholeheartedly.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Comapring Gardners Model to the Theory of John Dewey Essay -- Teachin

Philosophers are part of history, caught in its movement; creators perhaps in some measure of its future, but also assuredly creatures of its past.-John Dewey American philosopher, social commentator, idealist, educator, and democratic theorist, John Dewey has had a profound impact on America's educational system. Proponent of change and advocate of "hands-on" learning and interactive classrooms, Dewey accomplished a great deal in his long life, (interestingly enough, he is the only major philosopher to live beyond his ninetieth year). He is the one professional philosopher of our age whose ideas have touched the common man through institutional changes in education and social action. Born on October 20, 1859, in Burlington Vermont, John Dewey was born into a small-town middle class family. His father was a reasonably successful town grocer and tobacconist, while his mother, almost twenty years younger and "better-born", had come from a prominent Vermont family. Dewey remembered his mother as a woman of great piety, strict with her sons, and frequently questioning their "rightness with Jesus". Until he was almost thirty years old, the greater part of Dewey's intellectual life was concerned with mediating between the core of evangelicalism that his mother had given him and life as men live it, particularly the intellectual life of the later nineteenth century. Mrs. Dewey prized the principles of work, prayer, benevolence, maternity, and ambitious goals for her family. The disappointment of her marriage seems to have led her to seek an exaggerated sense of self-reliance. Due to her strong convictions, the home life of her three sons was very demanding. The teachings of his mother left Dewey with the notion that the world... ...ample is the characteristic of egoism among creative individuals. This also seems obvious, especially when dealing with the individuals he has chosen, as they are all famous and recognized worldwide for their achievements. On the whole I do not agree with Gardner's model, and I believe that it is somehow wrong to stereotype and dissect people to the extent that he has. But hey, maybe that's why I'm not an psychology or phyciatry major. Works Cited 1. Hook, Sidney. John Dewey: Philosopher of Science and Freedom. 1950. Dial Press. New York 2. Campbell, James. Understanding John Dewey. 1995. Open Court. Chicago, Illinois 3. Johnson, A.H. The Wit and Wisdom of John Dewey. 1949. The Beacon Press. Boston. 4. http://www.albany.edu/~dkw42/s2-dewey-progr.html 5. http://education.ucdavis.edu/ACADEMIC/EDU120/dewey1.html 6. http://www.fred.net/tzaka/demointr.html

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Navigating the Global Essay: Lost in Translation & Seamus Heaney Essay

The reactions of characters towards a growing global culture, whether a retreat or an embrace, are heavily influenced by personal choices. Within the arena of Navigating the Global, choices are almost certainly influenced by the circumstances in which they occur, whether this be a choice to keep the connection to the local, or move towards a more global setting. Three key texts that exemplify this phenomenon include the film ‘Lost in Translation’ by Sophia Coppola made in 2003, the Seamus Heaney’s poems ‘Digging’ (1998) and ‘Personal Helicon’, and finally the illustration ‘Globalisation’ (2012) by Michael Leunig. All three delve deeply into the interplay between internal choice and external circumstance. While they do explore how circumstances can influence choices, ‘Lost in Translation’ has a secondary investigation of how choices can impact the circumstance. ‘Lost in Translation’ is a film that explores the decisions made by two characters when they are stranded in a foreign country. It also shows how their circumstances ultimately shape the decisions that they make. The characters already exist in a highly globalised world, and furthermore, in one of the most technologically advanced cities on the planet – Japan. Although the film is set in this city, there is also an element of the local throughout the film. Japan’s juxtaposition of the new age and deep-rooted tradition becomes a focus throughout the film as the protagonists ultimately end up giving favor towards that global utopia they found with each other. The protagonists, Charlotte and Bob represent opposing sides of this; Charlotte the traditional, Bob the new age. A scene that best represents Charlotte’s displacement within this technological environment, is when she is situated within her hotel room, and is talking to a friend on the phone. The dull lighting and grey cityscape that is seen from out the extensive window, highlights her displacement within the hotel. The mid close up angle of Charlotte huddled on a seat in the middle of the room, crying to her friend about how she misses them, further demonstrates her isolation within the bleak setting. This juxtaposes strongly with her behavior when she is out near a temple with nature around her. She seems, although alone, to be more at home and interested with the culture than when alone in the hotel, and in one scene, is in awe of a tender moment between bride and groom. This is shown through the wide shot of her standing back from the couple, and a panning shot of them walking, with the bride in traditional dress. The fact that we feel Charlotte is more comfortable within a natural setting is even more relevant to the choice that she makes to spend more time with Bob in a more commercial and overbearing city, and within the hotel. The hotel is one of the most symbolic features of the film and as hotels are a worldwide symbol for globalization and the merging of culture with traditions, this becomes important when Bob chooses to stay longer because of the close friendship formed with Charlotte. They are a physical manifestation of cross-cultural convergence in one single place. Therefore, the hotel in ‘Lost in Translation’ becomes a clear depiction of not only the protagonists circumstances influencing their choice, but of isolation, of the limits of the American ethos, and of the dangers of language barriers. This is demonstrated clearly in the sauna scene for Bob, when two other men have a conversation, possibly in German, which he is incapable of understanding. The high angle mid close up shot of the two men sitting together, talking comfortably, while Bob is distanced from them with a pained expression, illustrates his confusion and ostracism from general banter and interaction with new people. Earlier in the film, Bob tries to communicate to the photographer in his whiskey advertisement. The director rants for a lengthy period, making grand physical gestures and dramatically giving instructions, but when he finished this performance, his translator says only a simple sentence of vague direction. This is another vital indication of how the true meaning of words and conversation is completely lost in translation. This theme of the globalised world of Japan is relevant to the circumstance that the movie has been set up in because of Sophia Coppola’s 21st century up bringing. The movie itself can be seen as a comment on the growing global scale of the world, and the multicultural boundaries that are blurring and changing within the world. Not unlike Lost in Translation, Michael Leunig’s cartoon ‘Globalisation’ focuses on the move away from the natural and towards embracing an increasingly global and technological world. The image portrays two human figures in the centre, they are framed on one side by a stark, black tree that seems to be smouldering as if having just been burnt, and on the other side by a collection of tall buildings with small windows, seen from a distance. The only text in the illustration says, ‘What is Globalisation? Globalisation is installing light globes in as many places as possible on the face of the earth’. The pun of ‘Globalisation’ is used to diminish or even parody the impact of actual globalisation. The human figures face away from nature and appear to prefer the cityscape, with their faces upturned with slight smiles. This symbolism of moving away from the smouldering, suffering tree and towards the seemingly pristine city is used to convey that we, as humans, are forgetting our original position in nature. He suggests a conscious choice to move away from the natural and towards the global culture. The fact that the tree is so prominent within the picture, and that it is giving off some kind of toxic looking smoke, is an ominous symbol which forshadows the dangers of preferring the man-made to our natural state. Similarly, this preference is reflected repeatedly in Lost In Translation, with characters moving towards the global and more technological world. But in contrast, Leunig conveys this in a more sinister and ignorant tone, whereas in Lost In Translation, the more modern setting is seen as a kind of safe haven for the two characters who are lost in their mutual isolation. This relates back to the issue of how the circumstances that you are in, e. g. the isolation that Charlotte and Bob feel, and the dying natural world in Leunig’s illustration, influence the choices that are made, this time being to move and accept a more global world. In contrast to Lost In Translation, Seamus Heaney’s poems ‘Digging’ and ‘Personal Helicon’ focus on the importance of the local, and the foundational relationships held within choosing to keep that homely connection. Within these two poems, great importance is placed on the exploration and appreciation of nature and the natural environment. Throughout the poem ‘Digging’, the connection to his father, grandfather and other family members, and his choice to remain connected with his Irish heritage is seen through â€Å" †¦ a clean rasping sound – When the spade sinks down into the gravelly ground – my father, digging. I look down. The auditory imagery in ‘rasping sound’ when explaining the shovel noise is an immediate link to nature, and the significance of potatoes and agriculture in Irish heritage is highlighted. The direct link to his father with ‘ My father, I look down’ conveys his relationship with his father is still there, but that it has changed from him looking up to his father, to him making the more adult choice of acknowledging his work, but moving away from him, or becoming an adult. This choice to distance himself from the expectations of his father comes within the last line â€Å"Between my finger and my thumb- The squat pen rests- Ill dig with it. The metaphor of turning his more modern job of a writer, and the tool in which he uses, his pen, and turning it into a spade which was his father and grandfathers tool, tells us that, although he is honoring family and keeping within the local by still maintaining connections, the circumstances for him have changed, and so he moves only slightly to a more modern world. The poem ‘Personal Helicon’ is slightly different, in that it is completely about moving away from the people around you, and the advancing world, and finding peace in solitude and nature. This poem of the recollections of a man looking back on his childhood and his fascination with wells, is one that demonstrates how childhood and the associations that you had as a child, in this instance with nature, can influence what you do later in life, and how he longs for that childhood fascination again. Within the line ‘I savored the rich crash when a bucket – Plummeted down at the end of a rope. ’ It gives us insight into Heaneys connection with the simplicity of nature, and his childlike self’s fascination with earthy objects. This is further shown in ‘ When you dragged out long roots from soft mulch – A white face hovered over the bottom. ’ The use of ‘you’ indicating that it is a relatable situation, and the tactile and visual imagery found in ‘ long roots’, ‘soft mulch’ and ‘ White face’ gives us further insight into his connection and love for nature. The mention of his reflection being seen in the water is a link to how he sees himself in nature, and is therefore connected to it. The last lines in the poem ‘ †¦ To pry into roots, to finger slime†¦ Is beneath all adult dignity. I rhyme- To see myself, to set the darkness echoing. Shows that as an adult, it is unacceptable to do the things he once loved as a child, and the only way to conjure the memory of that is to tell it through his poems. The use of the high modality of ‘beneath all adult dignity’ alludes to the fact that he is now in a world that is un-accepting of nature, and the choice he has made to stay within that position means that he can never really find his solitude within nature that he had as a child, growing up in Ireland and the farming culture that valued nature, again. Within the texts ‘Lost in Translation’ by Sophia Coppola, ‘Digging’ and ‘Personal Helicon’ by Seamus Heaney and ‘Globalisation? by Michael Leunig, the issues of how circumstances can affect choices within the globalised world, and how the choices you make will and can affect the circumstances you are in is explored through a number of different ways. Whether the characters have chosen to retreat from the modern world, or embrace it, the choices made within the texts are coming from some sort of influence from their previous circumstances. It is clear that your upbringing and loca l situation will influence how you go about navigating through an increasingly global situation.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Privacy Laws and Policies Debate Essay

Taking a closer look at the privacy laws and policies of companies debate, I believe that it makes perfect sense for companies to monitor employees when they are on the job. Making sure employees are working is the first thing that comes to many people’s minds when this subject comes up, but the monitoring of employees also helps to make sure that their equipment is not being used unethically. Harassment and discrimination are just two of many ways in which communication technologies can be misused at work and a company may be held responsible for these actions. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) is the primary piece of legislation that suggests employees have a right to privacy on the job, but there are three exceptions under the ECPA that effectively eliminate any substantial expectations of privacy at work. 1) If the company owns the internet, phone, or email services it falls under the â€Å"provider exception. † 2) According to the â€Å"ordinary course of business† exception the company is allowed to monitor employee communication to insure legitimate business objectives, such as quality control, preventing sexual harassment, or unauthorized use of equipment. ) Finally there is the â€Å"consent† exception; if at least one party of a communication consents to its interception then there is no violation of the ECPA (E-Monitoring, 2006). Both points for and against were discussed in the forum this week and I believe both sides had very valid points, but the reasons for monitoring were much more based in facts. Based on the responses I read I believe that while a company may have the right to monitor their employees, they should strive not to go overboard. This is because they may inadvertently create an us versus them mentality in the work place or lose important people who do not feel comfortable with how much or how they are monitored. That type of environment would greatly damage productivity, which is the opposite of what a monitoring policy is supposed to do. Mutual respect and understanding is needed first before a sensible and just monitoring plan can be created.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Wildlife Management in Urban Areas

Wildlife Management in Urban Areas Abstract In recent decades it has become clear that man has to learn to co-exist with nature. Even in urban areas it has become imperative to understand the principles of wildlife management. Ignorance and negligence of wildlife will one day lead to a rude awakening, of a world reeling from the impact of a major ecological imbalance.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Wildlife Management in Urban Areas specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is because wild animals that are conserved and managed will play a significant part in the earth’s ecosystem. Urban centers need not be a place where wild animals are doomed. The community must learn to develop programs so that wild animals and human beings can co-exist in a world of biodiversity and beauty. Human beings are oftentimes dictated by their impulses rather than sober thought. If there is a need for more land, they would not think twice in destroying forest cover or transforming farmlands into towns and cities. If they find other living things in that area that they believe is a pest or nuisance then there is no hesitation and once again irrational impulse leads them to kill and eradicate. However, in recent decades it has become clear that man has to learn to co-exist with nature. This is why it is important that even in cities they should learn the intricacies of wildlife management. There is a need to understand these things because ignorance and negligence will one day lead to a rude awakening, of a world reeling from the impact of a major ecological imbalance. It is understandable when humans act irrationally whenever they are faced with something they do not understand. Man would act on impulse especially when they are fearful. And there is nothing more terrifying than wildlife, such as carnivores with sharp fangs and vermin that carry diseases. Thus, the next logical step is to exterminate. This is where man is greatly mistaken because wildlife, properly conserved and managed play a significant part in the earth’s ecosystem. A wanton disregard for the natural system that was built in to ensure balance in the ecological sphere will surely create catastrophic results. Ecological and Social Impacts The end result of reducing the number of predator and carnivores in a given ecological system will cause an imbalance that allows organisms in the lower levels of the food chain to multiply to the point of becoming pests. Their population becoming a nuisance to others competing for the same resources. The same can create problems for humans living in areas wherein this delicate balance has to be maintained. In other words biodiversity will benefit every living thing whether in a national park or in an urban setting.Advertising Looking for essay on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A good example is the efficient conservation and wildlife manag ement of coyotes. Predators such as these limit the number of organisms that will grow and multiply in a given area. For instance, a coyote will serve as an ecological tool to control the prolific multiplication of a bird called grouse (MacDonald Zubiri, 2004). Even if this bird specie manages to multiply aggressively, the presence of coyotes will make sure that their population will always be in check. As a result grouses will never reach a number that will cause scarcity of food supply for other birds that have the same preferences for that same food resource (MacDonald Zubiri, 2004). Even if there are no competing animals the possible runaway population of grouses will pressure the insect population that they feed on thereby causing a possible extinction for the said insect group (MacDonald Zubiri, 2004). The need for wildlife management is not only justified in the context of biodiversity and some other ecological principles. Another importance of wildlife management is due t o the connection between managing wildlife and health and safety impacts. According to one expert many wild creatures are carriers of diseases and he added that animals like raccoons and skunks can carry diseases such as rabies and Lyme diseases (Landry, 1994). Furthermore, there is also the psychological impact because people has to feel safe in their homes and they need not be an anxious that animals will attack them in their homes or when they are taking a walk in the park. Aside from health and safety impacts there is also the social impacts of managing wildlife. There are those who strongly believe in the preservation of endangered animal species while there are those who will give more importance to urban development and therefore wildlife management takes a second priority. In New Jersey there was a divisive issue regarding the management of the black bear population (Gehrt, Riley, Cypher, 2010). This has created obstacles that prevented the residents and government official s to effectively deal with a burgeoning black bear population (Gehrt, Riley, Cypher, 2010). In other words no one benefited from such conflict. Wildlife management need not be a contentious issue. The community can see it from a health and safety vantage point and to some extent a tourist attraction.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Wildlife Management in Urban Areas specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In Louisiana for instance concern for the black bear population in the region prompted the creation of a coalition comprised of more than 60 organizations that resulted in a massive campaign for the support of the black bear and was instrumental in the creation of a habitat for the animals (Gehrt, Riley, Cypher, 2010). This means that wildlife management can produce positive social impacts. Wildlife Management As one considers the variety of environmental, social and even psychological impacts of wild animals in urban a reas, the need for a successful conservation and wildlife management program becomes more urgent. The challenge is two-fold. Community members must find a way to protect and conserve wild animals. It is imperative to maintain biodiversity and hence ecological balance. On the other hand it is also of utmost importance to do it in such a way that urban areas are kept safe primarily from carnivores and even other reptiles that may carry diseases or attack humans when provoked. One way to do this is to increase funding when it comes to studies related to wildlife management. Scientists were able to determine that disturbances in the natural habitat of the animals are creating long-term consequences but there is still much to learn (Morrison, 2006). This is part of the long term solution. But when it comes to creating immediate change in wildlife management there are some urgent measures that need to be implemented such as the creation of suitable habitats for wild animals so that they c an co-exist with human beings even in an urban setting. There is also a need to initiate projects that will determine the extent of the problems. For example coyotes are vulnerable in urban areas because there is scarcity of food. In addition coyotes have to deal with pest and parasites such as mites and ticks which may have been transferred to them when they come in contact with other animals (Wobeser,2006). In other words the community must get involve in creating measures to increase the survival rate of these animals or else the extinction of some wild animals will become a reality much sooner than expected.Advertising Looking for essay on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion The importance of effective wildlife management in urban areas is something that will benefit not only the present generation but also those who are to come. There is a need to maintain biodiversity because changes in the ecological balance does not only mean the extinction of a particular species, this can also mean the aggressive multiplication of undesirable wild animals. It is therefore important to learn how to balance conservation as well as the proper management of wildlife to prevent the early extinction of some of the endangered animals. Urban centers need not be a place where wild animals are doomed. The community must learn to develop programs so that wild animals and human beings can co-exist in a world of biodiversity and beauty. References Landry, Sarah. (1994). Peterson First Guide to Urban Wildlife. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. Morrison, Michael. (2006). Wildlife-Habitat Relationships: Concepts and  Applications. Washington, DC: Island Press. Gehrt, Stanley, Riley, Seth, Brian Cypher.(2010). Urban Carnivores: Ecology,  Conflict, and Conservation. Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press. Macdonald, D.W. C.S. Zubiri. (2004). Biology and Conservation of Wild Canids.  New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Wobeser, G. (2006). Essentials of Disease in Wild Animals. Ames, IA: Blackwell Publishing Professional.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court Justice

Biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (born Joan Ruth Bader on March 15, 1933) is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was first appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter, then to the Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993, taking the oath of office on August 10, 1993. After former Justice Sandra Day OConnor, Ginsburg is the second-ever female justice to be confirmed to the court. Along with justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, she is one of only four female justices ever to be confirmed. Fast Facts: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Full Name: Joan Ruth Bader GinsburgNickname: The Notorious RBGOccupation: Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United StatesBorn: March 15, 1933 in Brooklyn, New YorkParents’ Names: Nathan Bader and Celia Amster BaderSpouse: Martin D. Ginsburg (deceased 2010)Children: Jane C. Ginsburg (born 1955) and James S. Ginsburg (born 1965)Education: Cornell University, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, B.A. in government 1954; Harvard Law School (1956-58); Columbia Law School, LL.B. (J.D.) 1959Published Works: Harvard Law Review Columbia Law Review â€Å"Civil Procedure in Sweden† (1965), â€Å"Text, Cases, and Materials on Sex-Based Discrimination† (1974)Key Accomplishments: First female member of the Harvard Law Review, American Bar Associations Thurgood Marshall Award (1999) Generally considered part of the court’s moderate-to-liberal wing, Ginsburgs decisions reflect her support of gender equality, workers’ rights and constitutional separation of church and state. In 1999, the American Bar Association gave her its coveted Thurgood Marshall Award for her years of advocacy for gender equality, civil rights, and social justice. Early Years and Education Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born on March 15, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York, during the height of the Great Depression. Her father, Nathan Bader, was a furrier, and her mother, Celia Bader, worked in a clothing factory. From watching her mother forego high school in order to put her brother through college, Ginsburg gained a love for education. With the constant encouragement and help of her mother, Ginsburg excelled as a student at James Madison High School. Her mother, who had so greatly influenced her early life, died from cancer the day before her graduation ceremony. Ginsburg continued her education at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi at the top of her class with a Bachelor of Arts degree in government in 1954. Later the same year, she married Martin Ginsburg, a law student she met at Cornell. Soon after their marriage, the couple moved to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where Martin was stationed as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. While living in Oklahoma, Ginsburg worked for the Social Security Administration, where she was demoted for being pregnant. Ginsburg put her education on hold to start a family, giving birth to her first child, Jane, in 1955. Law School In 1956, after her husband’s completion of his military service, Ginsburg enrolled at Harvard Law School as one of only nine women in a class with over 500 men. In a 2015 interview with the New York Times, Ginsburg recalls being asked by the Dean of Harvard Law, â€Å"How do you justify taking a spot from a qualified man?† Though embarrassed by the question, Ginsburg offered the tongue-in-cheek response, â€Å"My husband is a second-year law student, and it’s important for a woman to understand her husband’s work.† In 1958, Ginsburg transferred to Columbia University Law School, where she earned her Bachelor of Laws degree in 1959, tying for first in her class. Over the course of her college years, she became the first woman to be published in both the prestigious Harvard Law Review and Columbia Law Review. Early Legal Career Not even her excellent academic record made Ginsburg immune to the overt gender-based discrimination of the 1960s. In her first attempt to find work out of college, Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter refused to hire her as his law clerk because of her gender. However, aided by a forceful recommendation from her professor at Columbia, Ginsburg was hired by U.S. District Judge Edmund L. Palmieri, working as his law clerk until 1961. Offered jobs at several law firms, but dismayed by finding them always to be at a much lower salary than those offered to her male counterparts, Ginsburg chose to join the Columbia Project on International Civil Procedure. The position required her to live in Sweden while doing research for her book on Swedish Civil Procedure practices. After returning to the States in 1963, she taught at Rutgers University Law School until accepting a full professorship at Columbia University Law School in 1972. In route to becoming the first tenured female professor at Columbia, Ginsburg headed the Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In this capacity, she argued six women’s rights cases before the U.S. Supreme Court from 1973 to 1976, winning five of them and setting legal precedents that would lead to significant changes in the law as it affects women. At the same time, however, Ginsburg’s record shows that she believed the law should be â€Å"gender-blind† and ensure equal rights and protections to persons of all genders and sexual orientations. For example, one of the five cases she won while representing the ACLU dealt with a provision of the Social Security Act that treated women more favorably than men by granting certain monetary benefits to widows but not to widowers. Judicial Career: Court of Appeals and Supreme Court On April 14, 1980, President Carter nominated Ginsburg to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. With her nomination confirmed by the Senate on June 18, 1980, she was sworn in later the same day. She served until August 9, 1993, when she was officially elevated to the U.S. Supreme Court. Ginsburg was nominated as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by President Clinton on June 14, 1993, to fill the seat vacated by the retirement of Justice Byron White. As she entered her Senate confirmation hearings, Ginsburg carried with her the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary’s â€Å"well qualified† rating- its highest possible rating for prospective justices.  Ã‚   In her Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Ginsburg declined to answer questions about the constitutionality of some issues on which she might have to rule as a Supreme Court justice, such as the death penalty. However, she did confirm her belief that the Constitution implied an overall right to privacy, and clearly addressed her constitutional philosophy as it applied to gender equality. The full Senate confirmed her nomination by a vote of 96 to 3 on August 3, 1993, and she was sworn in on August 10, 1993. Official Supreme Court Portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Public Domain Supreme Court Record Over the course of her tenure on the Supreme Court, some of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s written opinions and arguments during deliberations on landmark cases have reflected her lifelong advocacy for gender equality and equal rights. United States v. Virginia (1996): Ginsburg wrote the Court’s majority opinion holding that the previously male-only Virginia Military Institute could not deny admission to women based solely on their gender.Olmstead v. L.C. (1999): In this case involving the rights of female patients confined in state mental hospitals, Ginsburg wrote the Court’s majority opinion holding that under Title II of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), persons with mental disabilities have the right to live in the community rather than in institutions if medically and financially approved to do so.Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire Rubber Co. (2007): Though she voted in the minority in this case of gender-based wage discrimination, Ginsburg’s passionate dissenting opinion moved President Barack Obama to press Congress to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, overturning the Supreme Court’s 2007 ruling by making it clear that the time period allowed for the filing of proven claims of pay discrimination based on gender, race, national origin, age, religion, or disability may not be limited. As the first law signed by President Obama, a framed copy of the Lilly Ledbetter Act hangs in Justice Ginsburg’s office. Safford Unified School District v. Redding (2009): While she did not write the majority opinion, Ginsburg is credited with influencing the Court’s 8-1 ruling that a public school had violated the Fourth Amendment rights of a 13-year-old female student by ordering her to strip to her bra and underpants so that she could be searched for drugs by school authorities.Obergefell v. Hodges (2015): Ginsburg is considered to have been instrumental in influencing the Court’s 5-4 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges that ruled same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. For years, she had shown her support for the practice by officiating same-sex marriages and by challenging arguments against it while the case was still in the appellate courts. Since being seated on the Court in 1993, Ginsburg has never missed a day of oral argument, even while undergoing treatment for cancer and following her husbands death. In January 2018, shortly after President Donald Trump released a list of his potential Supreme Court nominees, the then 84-year-old Ginsburg silently signaled her intent to remain on the Court by hiring a full set of law clerks through 2020. On July 29, 2018, Ginsburg stated in an interview with CNN that she planned to serve on the Court until age 90. â€Å"I’m now 85,† Ginsburg said. â€Å"My senior colleague, Justice John Paul Stevens, he stepped down when he was 90, so think I have about at least five more years.†Ã‚   Cancer Surgery (2018) On December 21, 2018, Justice Ginsburg underwent surgery for the removal of two cancerous nodules from her left lung. According to the Supreme Court press office, there â€Å"was no evidence of any remaining disease,† following the procedure performed at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. â€Å"Scans performed before surgery indicated no evidence of disease elsewhere in the body. Currently, no further treatment is planned,† stated the court, adding, â€Å"Justice Ginsburg is resting comfortably and is expected to remain in the hospital for a few days.†Ã‚  The nodules were discovered during tests Ginsburg underwent in relationship to a fall that fractured three of her ribs on Nov. 7. On December 23, just two days after the surgery the Supreme Court reported that Justice Ginsburg was working from her hospital room. During the week of January 7, 2019, Ginsburg failed to attend oral arguments for the first time in her 25 years on the bench of the Supreme Court. However, the Court reported on January 11 that she would return to work and would need no further medical treatment. â€Å"Post-surgery evaluation indicates no evidence of remaining disease, and no further treatment is required,† said court spokeswoman Kathleen Arberg. â€Å"Justice Ginsburg will continue to work from home next week and will participate in the consideration and decision of the cases on the basis of the briefs and the transcripts of oral arguments. Her recovery from surgery is on track.† Personal and Family Life Less than a month after she graduated from Cornell in 1954, Ruth Bader married Martin D. Ginsburg, who would later enjoy a successful career as a tax attorney. The couple had two children: a daughter Jane, born in 1955, and a son James Steven, born in 1965. Today, Jane Ginsburg is a professor at Columbia Law School and James Steven Ginsburg is the founder and president of Cedille Records, a Chicago-based classical music recording company. Ruth Bader Ginsburg now has four grandchildren. Martin Ginsburg died of complications from metastatic cancer on June 27, 2010, just four days after the couple celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary. The couple often spoke fondly of their shared parenting and income-earning marriage. Ginsburg once described Martin as â€Å"the only young man I dated who cared that I had a brain.† Martin once explained the reason for their long and successful marriage: â€Å"My wife doesnt give me any advice about cooking and I dont give her any advice about the law.† The day after her husband’s death, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was at work hearing oral arguments on the final day of the Supreme Court’s 2010 term. Quotes Ruth Bader Ginsburg is known for her memorable statements both in and out of court. â€Å"I try to teach through my opinions, through my speeches, how wrong it is to judge people on the basis of what they look like, color of their skin, whether they’re men or women.† (MSNBC interview)My mother told me two things constantly. One was to be a lady, and the other was to be independent.† (ACLU)â€Å"Women will have achieved true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.† (The Record) Finally, when asked how she would like to be remembered, Ginsburg told MSNBC, â€Å"Someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability. And to help repair tears in her society, to make things a little better through the use of whatever ability she has. To do something, as my colleague (Justice) David Souter would say, outside myself.† Sources .†Ruth Bader Ginsburgâ€Å" Academy of AchievementGalanes, Philip (November 14, 2015). â€Å"†Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Gloria Steinem on the Unending Fight for Womens Rights. The New York Times.Irin Carmon, Irin and Knizhnik, Shana. â€Å"Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.† Dey Street Books (2015). ISBN-10: 0062415832Burton, Danielle (October 1, 2007). â€Å".†10 Things You Didnt Know About Ruth Bader Ginsburg US News World Report.Lewis, Neil A. (June 15, 1993). â€Å".†The Supreme Court: Woman in the News; Rejected as a Clerk, Chosen as a Justice: Ruth Joan Bader Ginsburg The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Report - Essay Example also proposed 11 key proposals for new reporting models for businesses including the development and implementation of balanced scorecard and other important strategic alternatives. More recent debates on the changes in the financial reporting standards focus on the need to address the non-financial aspects of the business reporting. (Tayyebi, 2008). Thus this new monograph was also focused on the development of new reporting models for businesses which can address the forward looking information regarding the businesses and their viability. Corporate social responsibility standards as well as the reporting on intangibles were some of the themes which emerged in the new efforts made to revamp the accounting reporting standards. The current economic situation however, has relatively changed the way business is being done in the world. There emerged different themes which need to be addressed and integrated in order to make the monograph more pertinent to the current business environment. This paper will therefore provide follow up on this monograph and discuss as to what could be done about the current issues. New Reporting Models for Business was an effort to propose an alternative view on the way businesses use to report their overall affairs to the shareholders. The main aim of financial reporting is always to allow the shareholders to make sound judgment based on information provided in the financial statements of the business. What is however, significant to note that after the issuance of this monograph, new developments took place and world economy started to slide into decline. Old models of doing business almost failed to provide the results and as such the emphasis shifted on the need for having better and more comprehensive financial reporting standards which can help the shareholders and regulators to keep a check on the future viability of the businesses. What is critical about this monograph is the fact that it emphasized on the need for adapting