Cold War Movies of 1960s and 1980s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cold War Movies of 1960s and 1980s - Essay Example A medium that, while being consumed by millions throughout the world, would play a factor in distinguishing ideological differences between nations, whatever those may be. In the case of this time in history, "The Cold War was characterized by mutual distrust, suspicion, and misunderstandings by both the United States and the Soviet Union, and their allies. At times, these conditions increased the likelihood of a third world war. The United States accused the Soviet Union of seeking to expand Communism throughout the world. The Soviets, meanwhile, charged the United States with practicing imperialism and with attempting to stop revolutionary activity in other countries," ("Cold War", p.1). Such mistrust would greatly impact how each nation was viewed on the part of the other. By the 1980s, "In 1987, Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed a treaty to eliminate many of the ground-launched, nuclear missiles of both nations. The treaty went into effect in 1988. In 1988 and 1989, the U.S.S.R. withdrew its troops from Afghanistan. Also in the late 1980's, the Soviet Union began to reduce its conventional military forces in Eastern Europe. In the U.S.S.R., Gorbachev worked for a more decentralized economic system and allowed more democracy and freedom of expression. He also encouraged similar actions in Eastern Europe," ("Cold War", p.1). In the 1960s, two movies produced, which would best exemplify the present views held about the Soviet Union, would have been, 'The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming!' & 'Dr. Strangelove'. In the case of "The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming!", the movie would have to do with a Russian submarine that would approach the American coastline. A Russian gentleman that was seeking to get a better look at America. A group of 9 men, lead by a Russian gentleman, is given the task of taking care of the submarine. These men head to a house, where they seek to convince the inhabitants that they are Norwegians, but are unsuccessful. One of the Russian gentleman points a gun at the man who lived in the house and requested his assistance in finding a boat so that the Russian crew could leave. As for 'Dr. Strangelove', Director Stanley Kubrick uses his movie to show what could very well occur, if when the time came, the decision to initiate a nuclear attack occurs. While doing this, Kubrick would take a more comedic approach to the broader issue at hand. In the movie, a US bomber is going about completing the mission they are involved in, when they are told by their command to attack the Russians. A chance for some in the American military to flex their muscle, they are later informed by representatives of the Russian government that they too have in their possession a weapon of great magnitude. On that, if fired, would create massive destruction that would be felt throughout the world and would be used if they were attacked. With the 1980s came a change in political policy, as well as the movies that would be produced. In 'Moscow on the Hudson', Robin Williams stars as a young Russian man that arrives in the United States looking for opportunities, which he felt he didn't have in his home country. After going to a major department store, Williams' character makes it known that he desires to become an American

Program Planning, Research, and Evaluation Essay

Program Planning, Research, and Evaluation - Essay Example Since the children cannot access most of the health check-ups and treatments due to lack of resources. This health promotion program will be developed in conjunction with Everett Community Health Partnership (ECHP). The mission of ECHP is to enhance health and the standard of life of the community of Everett. This is done by generating chances for the organizations, individuals, and families to work together and strategically in solving essential difficulties in the community (Cambridge Health Alliance, 2014). 3 The basic community health care assessment provides an evaluation of the general health status by the community members. However, this assessment has been difficult to be determined in the Everett, MA Public School System due to community violence. This research is important in establishing the effect of the persistent community violence on their (community members, that is, children) academic ability, substance use, as well as behavioral and emotional factors. This is because the African American girls are from an ethnic minority group that is prone to persistent community violence (Cooley-Strickland et al., 2009). 3 The city of Everett is in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, close to Boston. At the time of the United States Census in 2011, the total population estimate of the city was 41,079. The Everett, MA Public School is located at 100 Elm St, Everett, MA 02149 (Everett Public Schools, 2014). 4 However, MA Everett public school has a drop-out rate of 3.3%, which exceeds the state’s rate of 2.2%, but performs better than the state in regard to in-school suspensions with 1.4% as compared to 2.2% (Cambridge Health Alliance, 2014). The Everett High School graduation rate is 86.5%, which is in accordance with 85% state graduation rate (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2014). Hospitalization as a result of mental disorder is high in Everett in all age groups (Cambridge Health Alliance, 2014). 5 The

Role of Glucagon Analogues in Cardiovascular disease

Role of Glucagon Analogues in Cardiovascular disease The Potential Role of Glucagon – Like Peptide – 1 (GLP-1) Analogues in Cardiovascular disease Introduction People who have a diagnosis of diabetes have a triple chance of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and unfortunately poorer clinical outcomes following myocardial infarction, angioplasty and bypass surgeries (Hausenloy and Yellon 2008). It is estimated that CVD is responsible for 65% of deaths in people with type 2 diabetes (Burge 2012). Management of diabetes includes identifying, preventing and managing CVD risk factors such as dyslipidaemia and hypertension (NICE 2014). Other risk factors for CVD include poor or inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables, smoking, central obesity, psychosocial factors, altered lipids, inactivity and unsafe alcohol consumption (World Heart Federation 2014; Yusuf et al 2004). GLP-1 analogues indicated to treat diabetes have been shown to have cardiovascular benefits (Hausenloy and Yellon 2008). GLP – 1 GLP – 1 is an incretin naturally occurring in the body and is secreted due to the presence of food in the ileum, increasing endogenous insulin, inhibiting glucagon, thereby reducing post – prandial hyperglycaemia and is also responsible for controlling appetite and satiety (Hausenloy and Yellon 2008; Sheikh 2013). GLP -1 does not cause hypoglycaemia because its actions are inhibited when blood glucose is ≠¤ fasting levels (Hausenloy and Yellon 2008). GLP- 1 receptors are extensively distributed throughout the body: in the brain, lungs, intestines, stomach, pancreas, and heart. GLP-1 itself has a half – life of 1 – 2 minutes after secretion (Burge 2012; Zhao 2013). The presence of the receptors in the heart has been the focus of new research. Cardiovascular effects In animal studies GLP – 1 was seen to cause vasodilation (Brown 2012). An increase in heart rate and blood pressure were both observed in rats that were either conscious or sedated, but there is some controversy with the mechanism (Zhao 2013). When GLP-1 has been infused dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy showed improved cardiac performance after GLP – 1 infusion (Zhao 2013). Left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions were improved after GLP – 1 infusion in decompensated heart failure (Zhao 2013). Ban et al (2008) work on mouse heart as cited in Brown (2012) has shown that there are GLP – 1 receptors in the endothelium and cardiac myocytes. When GLP – 1 was administered during reperfusion studies cardiac damage was less likely (Brown 2012). Apart from the animal studies, there have been some phase 2 trials in humans with CVD (Zhao 2013). The first investigators to prove that infusing GLP – 1 for 3 days improved â€Å"global and regional left ventricular wall motion scores† in patients with dysfunction of the left ventricle after myocardial infraction was Shannon’s group (Zhao 2013). They also concluded that there was reduced hospital stay and mortality as an in – patient. Several weeks post discharge these effects remained. An experimental study of 14 people with coronary artery disease who were treated with GLP – 1 at a rate of 1.2pmol/kg/min resulted in improvement of left ventricular function (Zhao 2013). This was corroborated by another study of 172 patients who were treated with exenatide at a rate of 0.12 µg/min for 6 hours post elevation of ST – segment MI. A retrospective study of 420,493 people found that individuals who received treatment with exenatide were less likely to experience cardiovascular event, hospitalization due to CVD or all cause hospitalization when compared to non – exenatide treated people even though they were more likely to be obese, have prior CVD, high cholesterol and other co – morbidities at baseline (Best et al 2011; Brown 2012). The use of exenatide in patients with type 2 diabetes did not show an increase in cardiovascular disease and similarly liraglutide was not associated with any major adverse cardiac event in an analysis of phase 2 and 3 trials (Sheikh 2013). Hypertension Animal studies utilizing GLP – 1 have concluded a decrease in hypertension development in Dahl salt – sensitive rats (Zhao 2013). This decrease in blood pressure was also observed in human trials with the GLP – 1 agonists exenatide and liraglutide. A meta – analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials of 5860 people of which 3443 were randomized to a GLP – 1 agonist concluded that exenatide and liraglutide caused a fall in systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 1 – 5 mmHg when compared to other hypoglycaemic medication and placebo in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (Wang et al 2013). The LEAD trial concluded that liraglutide caused a reduction of systolic blood pressure ranging 3.6 – 6.7mmHg within 2 weeks of starting therapy (Burge 2012). This effect was seen for the full 26 weeks of the trial. The DURATION trial also reported reduction in systolic blood pressure (Burge 2012). Data from 6 trial concluded that subjects with T2DM who were treated for 6 months with exenatide saw a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure (Zhao 2013). There is also promising data from phase 3 trials of liraglutide which concluded that there may be reduction in systolic blood pressure when liraglutide is used with other agents such as metformin (Zhao 2013). Exenatide use reportedly cause a fall in systolic blood pressure in obese patients with T2DM who were also treated with insulin (Sheikh 2013). This decrease in systolic blood pressure was confirmed by an analysis of 2171 patients (Sheikh 2013). Liraglutide was also reported to cause a reduction in systolic blood pressure in Asian patients (Sheikh 2013). Conclusion The data from the use of GLP-1 in both animal and human studies show consistent reduction in systolic blood pressure a known risk factor for both cardiac disease and cerebrovascular accident (CVA). There have also been promising signs that there may be a GLP – 1 cardio protective effect post cardiac damage and improvement in left ventricular function. It is not clear whether the doses used to treat diabetes will provide the same level of reduction in systolic blood pressure and cardiovascular protection in the longer term. More clinical studies are required focusing the benefits of GLP-1 analogues on the cardiovascular system as the data will not only provide benefits to patients with T2DM but also patients who are at risk or suffer a CVD. References Best, J. H., Byron J. Hoogwerf, B. J. and Hussein, M. A. (2011) ‘Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Events in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Prescribed the Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonist Exenatide Twice Daily or Other Glucose-Lowering Therapies’, Diabetes Care, 34(1), pp. 90 – 95. American Diabetes Association. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3005487/?report=reader (Accessed: 22 September 2014). Brown, N. (2012) ‘Cardiovascular Effects of Anti-Diabetic Agents: Focus on Blood Pressure Effects of Incretin-Based Therapies’, Journal of American Society of Hypertension, 6(3), pp. 163 – 168. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3422131/ (Accessed: 22 September 2014). Burge, T. (2012) The Effects of GLP-1 on Cardiovascular Health. Available at: http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/articles/54-feature/13201-the-effects-of-glp-1-on-cardiovascular-health (Accessed: 11 September 2014). Hausenloy, D. J. and Yellon, D. M. (2008) ‘GLP-1 Therapy: Beyond Glucose Control’, Circulation: Heartfailure, 1, pp. 147 – 149. [Online]. Available at: http://circheartfailure.ahajournals.org/content/1/3/147.full (Accessed: 11 September 2014). NICE (2014) Managing type 2 diabetes. Available at: http://pathways.nice.org.uk/pathways/diabetes#path=view%3A/pathways/diabetes/managing-type-2-diabetes.xmlcontent=view-index (Accessed: 17 September 2014). Sheikh, A. (2013) ‘Direct cardiovascular effects of glucagon like peptide-1’, Diabetology Metabolic Syndrome, pp. 5 – 47. [Online]. Available at: http://www.dmsjournal.com/content/5/1/47 (Accessed: 11 September 2014). Wang, B., Zhong, J., Lin, H., Zhao, Z., Yan, Z., He, H., Ni, Y., Liu, D. and Zhu, Z. (2013) ‘Blood pressure-lowering effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists exenatide and liraglutide: a meta-analysis of clinical trials’, Diabetes, Obesity Metabolism, 15(8), pp. 737 – 749. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23433305 (Accessed: 23 September 2014). World Heart Federation (2014) Cardiovascular disease risk factors. Available at: http://www.world-heart-federation.org/cardiovascular-health/cardiovascular-disease-risk-factors/ (Accessed: 17 September 2014). Yusuf, S., Hawken, S., Ounpuu, S., Dans T, Avezum, A., Lanas, F., McQueen, M., Budaj, A., Pais, P., Varigos, J., Lisheng, L. and INTERHEART Study Investigators (2004) ‘Effect of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with myocardial infarction in 52 countries (the INTERHEART study): case-control study’, Lancet, 364(9438), pp. 937-52. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15364185 (Accessed: 17 September 2014). Zhao, T. (2013) ‘Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and protective effects in cardiovascular disease: a new therapeutic approach for myocardial protection’, Cardiovascular Diabetology, pp. 12 – 90. [Online]. Available at: http://www.cardiab.com/content/12/1/90 (Accessed: 11 September 2014).

Divine Comedy - Dante and Virgils Relationship in Canto XIV of Dante’s

Dante and Virgil's Relationship in Canto XIV of Dante’s Inferno In Canto XIV of Dante’s Inferno, Virgil describes the statue of the Old Man of Crete. Dante uses the Old Man of Crete as a metaphor for Virgil’s legacy in order to elucidate the nature of Dante’s and Virgil’s relationship. In the beginning of the metaphor, Dante carefully and methodically illustrates the grandeur of the Greek empire and Roman civilization. "[Mount Ida] was once chosen," Virgil explains, "as a trusted cradle/ by Rhea for her son" (XIV.100-101). According to Roman mythology, Rhea gave birth to Zeus, who ultimately became the father of all Greek gods and mortal heroes and served as the cornerstone of Greek civilization. Crete, thus, is the "cradle" or birthplace of Greek civilization. In the Aeneid, Crete is also the birthplace of the Roman civilization, a concept that is important because it already begins to point to the greatness of Virgil and his homeland. The position of the statue of the Old Man provides a straightforward glimpse of the status of Rome and the legacy of Virgil. Standing straight and "erect" (XIV.104), the Old Man "looks at Rome" with his back "turned toward Damietta" (XIV.104-105). The statue’s back faces Damietta, an ancient city in Egypt. What’s more important, though, is that the Old Man is facing Rome. This precise detail makes it clear that Dante the poet wants his contemporary readers to know that Rome is the direction towards which society is converging. The image of the statue looking at Rome "as if it were his mirror" (XIV.105) drives this point further. Within Rome, the Old Man sees a reflection of all of his characteristics; Rome is a natural extension of all the great aspects of the Greek culture, including... ...to the Romans. Virgil is the conduit through which the tradition of Homeric poets and Greek literature flows. On the other hand, Dante also seems to be describing the deterioration of Virgil’s legacy: the Old Man is "of choicest iron/ except for his right foot, made of baked clay; and he rests more on this than on the left" (XIV.109-111). Furthermore, "down that fissure there are tears that drip" (XIV.113). The tears are metaphors for the flowing away of Virgil’s legacy. The tears form the rivers of hell, which suggests that Dante is using Virgil’s description of hell as a basis for his own vision. By doing so, he builds his reputation but takes away from Virgil’s fame. Dante must stand on his own feet, which is the reason why the Old Man is leaning on his crumbling, "baked clay" foot. Dante’s challenge, then, is upholding Virgil’s legacy while building up his own.

Women & Crime

Women have been commonly stereotyped as loving, nurturing and compassionate people. Female offenses, over the past century, have been on the rise (Wormer, 2010). The battle for gender equality might play an important role in this phenomenon. Female offenders started to increase in numbers during the 1980s, as reported by the Uniformed Crime Report (UCR). However, the majority of offenses committed by females are not violent offenses (Wormer, 2010). As shown in the UCR, the percentage of females imprisoned for violent offenses have been declining over the past two decades (United States Department of Justice, 2010). When looking at crimes committed by women, compared to those committed by men, they are obviously smaller in numbers. The questions being asked is why are these numbers increasing at alarming rates? What is causing females to commit to a life of crime? In this paper I will attempt to find the cause or causes as to why a larger percentage of females are committing crime. It is important to note that there is a major increase in the number of females arrested, most notably for non-violent crimes. According to the UCR, during 1980, about 13,000 women were imprisoned in the nation. This number drastically increased to 80,000 by 1997. This clearly shows that the rate of female incarceration is rising faster than that of men. Over the past three decades, female incarceration has more than doubled. Statistics show that the rate of female imprisonment is significantly high being that 54 out of every 100,000 women, compared to 6 out of every 100,000 in 1930, when the first report came out (Simon, & Ahn-Redding, 2009). Amongst criminologists and social scientists, there are generally two perceptions as to why women commit crime. The first and most obviously known cause is that females generally maintain lower incarceration rates than males do. In every category, except embezzlement, prostitution and runaways, men tend to commit crimes at higher rates (Simon, & Ahn-Redding, 2009). The second observation is that the low rate of female crime has not been properly & thoroughly studied. Regarding the nation’s history, criminal research has basically ignored and overlooked the crimes that women commit and put a bigger emphasis on the male offender (Chesney-Lind, 1997). However, because of this rise in female crime, criminologists have begun to study the female offender with a greater emphasis. For the most part, men and female offenders tend to commit more property crimes and substance abuse crimes (Blanchette, & Brown 2006). There are more minor crimes committed versus violent crimes like aggravated assault or murder (United States Department of Justice, 2010). In 2009, the most common crime committed by males was drug abuse violations, whereas females committed other types of offenses except traffic. This category can include public disorder or any other state or law violation that is not specified in Part I or Part II offenses seen in the UCR (United States department of justice, 2010). The most noticeable difference between male and females in the reported arrests is the greater percentage of female offenders arrested for prostitution. In 2009, 56,640 people were arrested for prostitution and commercialized vice; 70% of those people were women (United States department of justice, 2010). The increase in female crimes began to rise after the end of World War II but surprisingly, the increase has not been in â€Å"customary† female crimes such as child abuse or prostitution. Crimes like robbery, larceny-theft and driving under the influence are the crimes that have staggering percentage increases. In 2000, 6,663 women were arrested for robbery, whereas in 2009 9,384 were arrested; that’s a 46% increase in a matter of only 10 years (Simon, & Ahn-Redding, 2009). According to the UCR’s data over the years, I have gained better knowledge about increasing female crimes. However, problems still arise as to why there are still such significantly higher numbers of imprisoned males than females. Social scientists have proposed many hypotheses regarding the disparity between female and male crimes. Traditionally, men are seen as being physically stronger than women. This, in turn, implies that they are more capable of committing violent crimes. In order to explain the gender gap that exists in the field of criminology, one must also take into consideration the emotional development and strength of a person. It seems as if gender and society’s norms have an impact on the low crime rates of women. Femininity is, for the most part, consists of the way a woman behaves but also the way she sees herself and her relationships with others. A woman’s femininity is influenced not only by her body but also her mind and her interactions with society. A â€Å"normal† woman can be perceived as caring, nurturing, and being selfless when it comes to others. Women, who take on responsibilities of a family or the ability to not only establish, but also maintain relationships, are thought of in the highest regards. â€Å"Derivative identity constrains deviance on the part of a women involved with onventional males, but it also encourages the criminal involvements of those who become accomplices of husbands or boyfriends† (Blanchette, & Brown, 2006). Tendencies and qualities that are seen in criminals, basically contradict those tendencies and qualities that females possess. Crime is much more disgraced for women than it is for men. Women hold certain expectations regarding the way they look to the way the conduct themselves. For example, a woman would stay away from locations where she would fall victim to the hands of a perpetuator such as nightclubs and crime-ridden streets. They’re lives are also altered when they find themselves victims of physical violence, such as spousal abuse and rape. Women tend to be victimized in ways that men cannot, so their behavior tends to change because they have that fear of being a victim (Chesney-Lind, 1997). Over the years, criminologists have come up with many theories as to why people commit crime. Hirschi’s Social Control Theory and Agnew’s General Strain Theory have helped in this cause. Social Control Theory focuses primarily on internal controls. The theory implies that an individual may commit crime as a result of having little or no bonds with society. This bond, as it is being referred to, is a structure that consists of four elements: attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief (Chesney-Lind, 1997). This theory maintains a belief that individual that have strong attachments to conventional people, are committed to school or work, are involved in conventional pursuits and do not rationalize or justify crime, are less likely to engage themselves in a life of crime. Hirschi’s theory does not specify itself within gender. When his initial theory testing was taking place, his sample consisted of both male and female adolescents. However, Hirschi only took into consideration the criminal information collected that pertained to males (Alder, & Worrall, 2004). During the 1990s, criminologists Sampson and Laub developed a social control theory to help explain and understand childhood antisocial conduct, adolescent delinquency and criminal conduct during an individual’s early adulthood. The theory implies that early childhood experiences and individual traits explain stability in criminal behavior during childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. Experiences like these are called â€Å"turning points†. These turning points can change the trajectories for better or worse. Turning points refer to how attached an individual becomes to another conventional person. The hypothesis within this theory is that these turning points are the primary cause for the alteration of the criminal trajectory (Alder, & Worrall, 2004). For example, an individual that possesses strong marital attachments and employment stability are more likely to refrain from any criminal activity than those who do not possess such qualities. Agnew’s General Strain theory derived from prior works from Robert Merton. Strain theory states that individuals, primarily in the lower class of society, will refrain to crime when they are unable to rank higher in the social ladder or achieve any type of monetary success through legitimate means (Blanchette, & Brown, 2006). The failure to achieve status or wealth causes an individual to become strained and pressured. This strain and pressure then causes an individual to resort to gaining such status and wealth through illegitimate means or non-conformist behavior. General Strain Theory (GST) is based on the psychological aspect that deals with aggression, stress, and coping mechanisms. GST implies that stressful events produce negative emotions for an individual which in turn results in criminal behavior (Alder, & Worrall, 2004). Agnew presumes that there are three sources of strain: inability to achieve positive fueled goals, the removal of a positive stimuli and the presentation of a negative one. It can be argued that GST can sufficiently explain the gender gap in crime. Both males and females experience different types of strain. However, statistics show that male strain tends to lead towards serious property and violent crime more than females. Males and females have different emotional systems. They respond differently to strain; women tend to turn towards depression whereas men tend to become very angry and hostile (Blanchette, & Brown, 2006). Males have very different coping mechanisms than those of females. This theory, according to Agnew, can also be used to describe why women commit crime. He argues that strain can be conceptualized as oppression, in feminist views. These oppressed-ridden individuals will then turn to crime in order to relieve themselves of such stress. Authors Alder and Worrall note how divorce rates and spousal abuse crate financial and emotional stress on a female. They also note that when society devalues a female’s capabilities, whether it is at home or in the workplace, it creates a new cause of strain we call injustice. Other forms of strain can include sexual harassment, death of a loved one, and discrimination (Blanchette, & Brown, 2006). Females, in general, commit fewer crimes than males because females they become greatly stigmatized by society. Society norms as well as the attachment to conventional people help them steer away from a life of crime. A woman will find ways to reach a higher position in social class based upon her personal experiences and her ability to attain a husband, who holds a high position in society. Obviously, women are able to use their feminism to achieve their goals without resorting to illegitimate ways, such as prostitution and robbery. Strain theory can be used to explain the difference as to why women commit less crime than males do; females and males have different ways of coping with stress. The result for both individual differs. The role of the female in today’s society has become less compliant than before. Women are now being dominated less by the male population and are able to take on a role as individuals. However, there is still an enormous amount of gender inequality surround society. Until this inequality diminishes, society and gender norms that remain will continue to take over the percentage of crimes committed by women. However, the substantial achievement on the female crime study and explanation must be acclaimed, as gender has been viewed in the way that it should be: as a crucial variable associated in the criminal study.

Audience Analysis Worksheet

You are called on to present quarterly sales information at an in-person meeting to a group of stakeholders, including managers, salespeople, and customers. Knowing communication must always be designed with the audience in mind, answer the following questions in 75-100 words each. 1. What characteristics of the audience must you consider? There are many characteristics to consider such as the audience’s knowledge on the presentation subject, their age, and the audience genders (all males, all females, or a mixture of both). Knowing the audiences educational background is also helpful. If all are managers they will have more knowledge than salespersons, etc. Other considerations would be are there members present from outside the company? If so you may need to be sure not to divulge company secrets. Last you might want to consider specifically what the audience needs to learn or get out of your presentation. 2. What communication channels are appropriate? Explain. I think for a presentation there are only three acceptable channels. One is face-to-face, another would be by way of video conference and last teleconference. Of the three Face-to-face would be the best channel because the presenter can interact with the audience based on the expression of the audience. Face-to-face presentations, allows the presenter to adapt to the audience. Video conference is also an effective channel but limits the presenter based on the size and view of the camera. Last teleconference would be my last resort. This channel limits the presenter by not knowing who is asking questions, who is attending the presentation and unavailability of two people to talk at the same time in the case a question arises. 3. What are some considerations to keep in mind given the diversity of the audience? When briefing diverse Audience’s there are many things to consider. You must realize that most people come from different backgrounds and have different lifestyles. Some of the things to consider would be; the audience beliefs, values, attitudes, genders, race, etc. Another major thing to consider is the importance of audience members. Company presidents, managers, stockholders, floor workers etc. If it is a presentation for all you must keep it general while making sure to cover main points that apply to all audience members. 4. How do you ensure your message is effective? When giving an oral presentation you should keep your message simple. Keep it simpler than if you were to write it. Also ensure that your opening and closing statements are strong, this places emphasis on the main points of the presentation. Get the audience involved in the presentation by asking questions. This also helps to ensure audience members retain the information upon conclusion of the presentation. Multimedia can be used such as video, still images, clipart, and text in your presentation, this helps to engage the audience. Last you can use humor to put the audience at ease, just be sure to joke about yourself and not others you do not want to offend anyone in the audience.

The Yellow Wallpaper Research Paper Example

The Yellow Wallpaper Research Paper Example The Yellow Wallpaper Paper The Yellow Wallpaper Paper Essay Topic: Literature The Yellow Wallpaper Escaping the jaundiced eye: Foucauldian Panopticism in Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper, is simply just another view of the short story. In this article, John Bak describes how Gilman was isolated during her time of depression. He further implies that Gilman wrote The Yellow Wallpaper to express how she felt when she went though this postpartum depression and how her husband and Dr. Mitchell kept her locked in this room all day as they assumed this was the best cure for her disease. Bak compares this room to the eighteenth-century Panopticon after Jeremy Bentham. Bak says in paragraph three of his article that the Panopticon was created to be a cruel igneous cage which came from Michel Foucault in Discipline and Punish. In detail The Yellow Wallpaper has the same idea but instead in more detail this was a woman who was very understanding to the room that was built like a prison but she was mentally tortured by the paper on the walls, this yellow wallpaper that was described as having eyes. To Bak, this room was very much like a dungeon of some sort but had many similarities to the Panopticon. He also describes the Panopticon as being a prison under watch and in The Yellow Wallpaper, he describes the wallpaper as being a form of surveillance as this lady with all these issues automatically assumes this paper has eyes on her and is watching her every move. Was this the best idea for a current situation like this? Being isolated from the entire world while going through an illness or was this making the disease worse? Bak says that Gilman wrote this story hoping it would get to Dr. Mitchell so he would see how his idea of helping cure her was not good at all but instead it was error he mentions in paragraph 21 of his article. In paragraph 20, Bak says the cure became more of a laboratory other than a institution for help, then he closes the paragraph with agreeing words from Susan Gilbert and Susan Gubar from Panoptican saying The cure is worse than the disease. This article has a lot of comparison to symbols in it. He compares it to another story that is a very similar situation to this lady in The Yellow Wallpaper. In his comparison the yellow wallpaper is viewed as surveillance meaning the paper was watching the lady at all times and this is what caused her to just be so terrified of the paper. He even mentions throughout his article although this was suppose to be a room to help cure her but this room was more like a prison with the bars being on the windows and the bed being railed to the floor. Although the lady was in this room most of the day alone looking at this torture, he tells how her husband is there to comfort her but instead of giving a loving symbol from him he is described as an officer compared to the security officers of Panopticon. Bak describes the room as a prison but yet he says to the narrator the wallpaper is the prison because that is what she wants to be free from.

buy custom Baby Care essay

buy custom Baby Care essay Introduction Baby care According to (Swanson, 2000), giving the infant the experience with what is safe and available in your home gives the baby a grasp of reality and life. The babys family should stimulate the babys touch and interaction as a part of her growth emotionally, mentally, and physically. The emotional care is given to the baby is her foundation for a lively and healthy baby. This is the basic care given to children. This surmised to be the primary goal of every parent. As noted by (Kishimoto Shizawa, 2008, p.287), each parent should endeavor in feeding the child well, as this plays an important role in preventing the child from contracting diseases. Essentially, one of the basic things that should be taken into account is the child sleep. The child should be swaddled well because, small children have big surface are to volume ratio, therefore; they should be kept warm and comfortable. This keeps them more secure, and they feel better, when they are tightly swaddled. This may vary with some children kicking the blanket. However, it is generally a requirement for all newborn children to undergo this procedure. One is required to lay the blanket to be a square. It should be followed by many receiving blankets which are mostly given in a package. The blanket is then placed as a diamond the head of the baby goes in one corner of the square blanket, the arms of the baby pointed the two corners and, the foot pointing the last corner which points the opposite of the head. Here, draw up first the foot portion, leave the arms on the chest, and bring one flap of the blanket over and tightly tuck it under, then, bring the other flap over and tuck it under. In doing this, child is tightly swaddled. When preparing for the arrival of the child from the hospital, it is necessary for one to have a good bottle, and a pacifier in the house. Consequently, one could wonder as to why bottle is necessary bearing in mind that the child is going to be breast fed, but these bottles come in handy in the event that the mother would require a break and leave the child in someones care. Therefore, the mothers milk is pumped into this bottle for someone else to feed the baby. It is also very important as it helps the baby in getting used to bottle feeding. The pacifiers, on the other hand, are of great help especially if the baby is fussy, who after coming home from hospital wont sleep as asserted by (Bostan, 1999, p. 87). The only disadvantages of using a pacifier is that the baby it might cause nipple confusion to the baby, and make the baby not want to latch on too well, in the event that one is planning to breast feed. In many cases, however, your child will guide in the way she likes to be treated from her responses on various treatment through crying or otherwise. This will bring out parental instinct the will guides one auto matically. Responses to babys cries A baby just like any other person needs to communicate. The media through which a child communicates are through crying. Therefore, anytime a child cries, she there is a message she is trying to put across that needs to be responded to that situation (Rowe Allison, 2010, p.240). It may imply that he is hungry or uncomfortable. It helps her in responding to sensations that are too intense to suit him and assists in release tension. Your baby may have fussy periods throughout the day and may be inconsolable, but after this periods, she back to her normal self and seems more alert than before, which is normally followed by good deep sleep. This condition helps the babies to release excess energy. If one pays close attention to different cries with time one is soon able to tell when she needs to be tended to, picked up, or consoled and those times that she needs to be on herself. One may even master specific needs, by the way, she cries. For example, for a hungry baby the cry is characterized by short and low-pitched, with rising and falling intervals. While, for an angry baby the cry is more unstable. The cry implying that she needs to be left alone is similar to the hunger cry. According to (Rowe, Allison, 2010, p 245), as the baby grows up, the cries become more elaborate as opposed to newborns cries that may sometimes overlap confusing one of the intended messages. In response to the infants cries, one should try to attend to the most pressing issues first. In case she is cold, hungry and his diapers are wet, the first thing should bemaking the baby warm then move on to feeding her. If the this cry persist, one should try the following and see which technique works for her: Rocking her in your arms and swaying her from side to side, singing, walking him in your arms, a stroller, or a carriage, Gently patting his chest or back, Playing soft music, a tight blanket that the baby has been swaddled in, give her a warm bath, Riding in the car, Burping her to relieve any trapped gas bubbles. In the event that all this fails, it is advisable to leave the baby alone since some babies have to cry before crying. In case, the baby is tired the cry mostly does not last long. If all this techniques proves futile, then the baby might be sick so the first thing one should do is checking the babys rectal temperature and if it exceeds 100 degrees Fahrenheit she could be having an infection and one should contact a pediatrician. In tackling with the baby when she is crying, one should be relaxed in doing this. Babies are sensitive to tension around them, and so when on panics it may worsen the cries of the baby as noted by (Zwart Ledebt, 2005, p. 249). Therefore, if you are unable to handle the baby at that point one should seek assistance from another person who is experienced with those kinds of situations, a change in faces can at times calm the baby. One should never result to shaking the baby as this could have an adverse effect to the child. For example, shaking an infant hard can bring blindness, brain damage, or even death. One should not take the babys cry personally it only normal for small children to cry. You should always be realistic to the approach to different circumstances, seek help whenever necessary and, give yourself plenty of rest. Helping your baby to sleep An infants stomach can only hold enough for three to four hours. For this reason, constant feeding and waking is a normal occurrence for the first few weeks. It is never so early to teach the baby that nighttime is for sleeping and day time for play. This is effectively achieved by maintaining nighttime feeding as subdued as possible. One should never turn on the lights at night when the baby is sleeping or prolonging the late-night diaper change. During the day, one should occasionally wake the baby in the late afternoon and try playing with her. The way to position the baby for sleep An infant of the age of between 0-4 months should be placed on her back while sleeping as this safer as it prevents Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Since within the duration of the first six months of the babys life, that SIDS is more prevalent. It is also important to note that it is never safe to place your child on soft, porous surfaces such as pillows or quilts as this may block the babys airway and suffocate her. Therefore, firm mattresses covered by a sheet are recommended as argued by (Zwart Ledebt, 2005). By three months, the baby weighs between 12-13 pounds is capable of sleeping between six to eight hours since their stomachs have now grown. In the case of this stage, if the child starts late-night wake-up, then the baby may be in a teething or development changes. Every parent should make it a habit of helping the baby doze off by giving them continuous stimulation. Toddler is the age where children are learning to walk. This occurs at the age between 1-2 years. This is a very crucial age for a child. It is the stage between infancy and childhood. When a child is able to learn and grow in many ways. At this stage, children learn to walk, talk and solve problems that they are encountering at this stage. The main challenge at this stage for the child is learning to be independent. They try to learn doing things for themselves and, have their own ideas on things around them. At this stage is normally characterized by vigorous growth and change, mood swings and so negativity. Though they will on many things, they are limited on skills. Thats the reason behind why they would often tend to misbehave. Toddlers with much energy and ideas they are eager to explore their environment. They feel so independent, while in the real sense, real sense they are very dependent. They are so troubled with their own needs and ideas. Thats the reason why at this stage they display a selfish nature to other people and other people. They feel so frustrated because they lack the language skills to express themselves. Therefore, they became inseparable from their parents and other whom they feel understands them. They beegin to take an interest in being toilet trained, and at the age of three, they are referred as preschoolers. This is the stage whereby, they are toilet trained, becoming more independent, and are developing verbal skills, they take a keen interest on the world around them. Their main aspects of growth being: physical, social, intellectual, and emotional. Physical development At this point, their growth is less quickly compared to infancy. They also tend to eat less, but will eat frequently throughout the day. From time to time, they are capable of scribbling and can stand blocks (Rowe Allison, 2010). They are able to drink from a cup but will do this will help from someone. At this stage, they are capable of walking around without support at 14 months. Many toddlers are in a position to walk backward and up steps by the time they are 22 months. At the age, of two years now they have really grown, and they can separate things, and put them back together. For example, screwing and unscrewing lids. Their legs and arms are now strong for them to kick and throw balls and the other thing around. They also are in a position to stand on tip toes. They have, at this point developed the coordination of their body and now can run, climb on things, walk up and down the stairs or even dig; though risky. They feel the discomfort brought about by the soiled or wet diapers. The social and emotional training For one year olds, they are out to do most things independently; they very quickly forget the rules set by their parents as noted by (Rowe Allison, 2010). High tempers and persistent tantrums become an everyday norm. Possessiveness and lack of willingness to share things with other children are common phenomena. They love playing by themselves or besides but dare not to play with those other children. Mostly at this stage, they always seek attention from their parents and other members of their families. They begin to express new emotions like shame, jealous pride or even affection. They want to be in constant company of their parents and in their absence they will tend to keep asking for them. They also suffer from rapid mood swings, and posses intense emotions but are usually very short-lived. In the case, of the two-year olds, they often refuse to be assisted when doing things. The two year olds are more secure of themselves than the one year children. They begin to play simple pretend games. They normally play short and simple fantasy games, and do not involve others. They try to assert themselves by saying no or disagreeing with other people. At this stage, they continuously act in opposition of what they are told to do; rebellious. They are easily and quickly frustrated and will be seen imitating the behavior of adults and others. Intellectual development This are those activities that toddlers are involved in, to show that the brain of the child is growing. In the case, of a one year old, their attention span is normally so short and, then becomes distracted by one thing or the other. They are so curious and what to know whatever is being done around them as noted by (Swanson, 2000). They try to combine words to form a sentence. Whenever they want something they always communicate by pointing at things that want. They are able to name body parts and pictures, many at times they imitates sounds that are familiar to them. They begin to involve a second person in pretend plays. They begin using the pronoun me and mine when referring to things that they believe is theirs. They end up using objects for intended use. They are always very active; since their imagination is also developing they always confuse what is real from what is imaginary. In conclusion, the two year olds, they are capable of following simple directions. They object to represent other objects. They are also capable of using three or more words when conversing. They are capable of expressing their feelings and wishes. It becomes very difficult for them to make choices. Many at times they join in simple songs and, think of doing something before doing it. It is very important for parents to take their time and watch their children as they play, because it is through this that they are able to notice various differences in their childs growth, be it, weight, or height or how they relate with other children. It is through this that they would be capable of noticing whether their children are growing normally or not. Buy custom Baby Care essay

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The program also contains other features including ways to better the health of your PC. Norton Internet Security plus 360 versions 4. 0 warns you of dangerous downloads before you install and run them on your computer. Norton Internet Security has an extra layer of protection that detects viruses, spyware, Trojans and other threats. In addition Norton 360 4. 0 identifies applications that are impacting the performance of your PC. Using an all-in-one computer security protects your CPU from hijackers, identity theft, spyware, and virus. In addition using a security all in one center generally protects the user computer on its own. This keeps your system and all your information safe from others. There are some security programs which protect as well such as Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Spam, Anti-Root kit, Identity Protection, Link Scanner Active Surf, Link Scanner Search, Web Protection Firewall, and Sophisticated threat detection. Using an all-in-one security system is effective because the programs are not conflicting with each other; instead they all work together within one system. An all-in-one security system will use less running memory than several security systems running parallel to each other. All-in-one security system is effective in many elements such physically secured security appliance, content discrimination, quick recovery from failure, highly configurable logging and notification, simplicity, high uptime, economy secure connections, well-conceived security system policies, scalability, distributed architecture, of IP addresses, secure remote management and communication, authentication, virtual private networking, and summarize and report network activity. What the all in one computer security systems protect against is with spyware, virus, identity theft, and hijackers. The all in one computer security systems block the threats from getting onto your computer as long as it is running at all times. References McAfee. McAfee Total Protection 2010. Retrieved from. http://download. mcafee. com/products/manuals/en-us/mtp_datasheet_2010. pdf Norton by Symantec. Top-ranked Protection. Norton 360â„ ¢ Version 6. 0. Retrieved from. http://us. norton. com/360 Internet Security Handbook. What Makes a Good Network Security System and effective security system. Retrieved from. http://www. watchguard. com/help/lss/41/handbook/need_fo3. htm AllinOne Computer Security Systems The program also contains other features including ways to better the health of your PC. Norton Internet Security plus 360 versions 4. 0 warns you of dangerous downloads before you install and run them on your computer. Norton Internet Security has an extra layer of protection that detects viruses, spyware, Trojans and other threats. In addition Norton 360 4. 0 identifies applications that are impacting the performance of your PC. Using an all-in-one computer security protects your CPU from hijackers, identity theft, spyware, and virus. In addition using a security all in one center generally protects the user computer on its own. This keeps your system and all your information safe from others. There are some security programs which protect as well such as Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Spam, Anti-Root kit, Identity Protection, Link Scanner Active Surf, Link Scanner Search, Web Protection Firewall, and Sophisticated threat detection. Using an all-in-one security system is effective because the programs are not conflicting with each other; instead they all work together within one system. An all-in-one security system will use less running memory than several security systems running parallel to each other. All-in-one security system is effective in many elements such physically secured security appliance, content discrimination, quick recovery from failure, highly configurable logging and notification, simplicity, high uptime, economy secure connections, well-conceived security system policies, scalability, distributed architecture, of IP addresses, secure remote management and communication, authentication, virtual private networking, and summarize and report network activity. What the all in one computer security systems protect against is with spyware, virus, identity theft, and hijackers. The all in one computer security systems block the threats from getting onto your computer as long as it is running at all times. References McAfee. McAfee Total Protection 2010. Retrieved from. http://download. mcafee. com/products/manuals/en-us/mtp_datasheet_2010. pdf Norton by Symantec. Top-ranked Protection. Norton 360â„ ¢ Version 6. 0. Retrieved from. http://us. norton. com/360 Internet Security Handbook. What Makes a Good Network Security System and effective security system. Retrieved from. http://www. watchguard. com/help/lss/41/handbook/need_fo3. htm

Analysis of Federal agency's proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Analysis of Federal agency's proposal - Essay Example The global economies have been in the recent past more vocal and vibrant in designing and imposing regulation frameworks towards curbing the increase in green house gas and the emissions into the atmosphere as a strategic step towards controlling effects of the gases on weather and the environment. In such an effort, the EPA proposed a rule on 13th April 2012, setting standards towards the new establishments in manufacturing and processing plants that depend on fossil fuels in firing. Millions of comments on the proposal were received through which the EPA got the feeling of other stakeholders and this warranted some revisions and amendments towards the proposal. This led to the release of the much anticipated for proposal by the EPA on 20th September, 2013 and this actually forms the basis of this paper. New plants that rely on fossil fuels (coal and natural gas) and EGUs (electric utility generating units) are the main targets of the proposed rules although being just one among the many regulations that Obama administration pursues towards curbing the increase and effects of GHG emissions into the atmosphere. Federal guidelines under state regulations are currently the main tools on use in regulating the carbon emissions (Miller, 2013). The globe has witnessed great change in climatic patterns as are attributed to global warming phenomena. Global warming on the other hand has been associated with lots of causes which range from human related factors to the natural causes. Humans in particular have been pointed to contribute highly towards causing the global temperatures to be on the rise especially through such activities that are associated with emitting carbon and other green house emissions into the atmosphere. It is to be noted that besides the industrial contribution to increased emission of GHG, individuals also contribute towards the menace through ‘small’ acts such as smoking and burning fossil fuels for

Overview of the iPhone Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Overview of the iPhone - Research Paper Example It was a GSM phone and had a button placement that is now consistent. (iMore) After that followed seven more generations of the iPhone each accompanied by a major release of the iOS. One year and a half later iPhone released its second generation of 3G and reviewed the hardware .the phone also added GPS capabilities. Some of the hardware improvements for iPhone 3GS that included a faster processor and a camera with a high resolution capable of recording 480p video. However, the phone had a few problems with its charger but overall it managed to make massive sales. (iMore) After that, it saw the release of other iPhone 4 models. iPhone 4 featured a front camera to enable video calling, a higher resolution of 960 x 640 and a rear camera of 5megapixels with 720p video capture. iPhone 4S upgraded its hardware to A5 dual-core processor and an upgrade of the camera to 8 megapixels with the ability to record a 1080p video. A voice control scheme by the name of Siri was employed. The next release was iPhone 5 which was an improvement of the iPhone 4.The iPhone 5 had an A6 dual-core processor, hosted LTE (Long-Term Evolution) support and increased the display size to 4 inches. An improvement to the iPhone 5 was released by the name of iPhone 5S. It had an A7 64-bit dual processor and an upgraded camera with two LED flashes. A fingerprint scanner with touch id incorporated to the home button. iPhone 5C features a casing made of polycarbonate and a rear well-lit camera. Apples latest iPhone release is the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone 6 has a screen size of 4.7inches while the iPhone 6 Plus has a screen of 5.5 inches. Both this models feature new A8 processor chip and motion coprocessors.

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel - Essay Example This leads to the creation of another version of the same story; this time, however, instead of animals on the raft there are people, Taiwanese sailor, his mother, the cook and the blind French man. The characters in the new story resembles to the animals in the life boat of the original story. And after two hundred and twenty-seven days adrift Pi is the only survivor. Somehow this second story told with hardly any details and seems more believable. By telling two different stories, Author wants to highlight the single most important concept and raised the question. Which story is better - the story with animals or the story without animals This faith revolves around the entire novel and serves as its conclusion. The center meaning of the book is to convey about man's relationship to animals. Pi is cast adrift in a lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan, and a huge Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Eventually, just the tiger and he are left in the boat, tale of 227 days at sea. The boat is well stocked for a human. Pi only hope for survival is to keep the tiger content and subservient to him. Pi lives in constant terror of Richard Parker, but manages to keep him supplied with fish, turtles, and fresh water so that he doesn't turn on him. Pi limited Richard Parker territory to the floor of the boat .In real life Richard Parker resembles dangerous people .A boundary should always be drawn and restricts them from crossing their limits or invading our territory Pi becomes increasingly convinced that his fate and the tiger's are inextricably linked and progresses to an uneasy truce between adversaries. Ultimately over the months they are together, he develops an ever-deepening relationship with the animal. But Richard Parker is a wild animal. He never forms an emotional attachment with Pi. Near the end of the novel, Richard Parker disappears into the forest without a trace and never returns. Not a single time he looked back. He unceremoniously concludes the relationship and left Pi with tears and a heavy heart. For Pi, caring for the tiger becomes his darkest moments in life. Like Dangerous people Richard Parker and other animals in the novel are never colored with sentimentality .They are revolving around our lives for their own cause and benefit. And they will never hesitate to leave us. 3. Explain why the author chose a tiger as the main animal protagonist instead of an elephant or rhinoceros Martel portrayed Richard Parker to be anything more than a dangerous Bengal tiger and Pi never to be more than a desperate boy lost at sea. His main aim was to show a 16-year old Indian boy, Pi relationship with a dangerously wild animal and survival through the use of his wits and sheer determination for 227 days at sea. So he chooses Richard Parker main animal protagonist unlike elephant or rhinoceros. A tiger symbolizes a carnivorous, wild and unsentimental animal. As the law of nature eventually rules in the lifeboat and Pi ends up as the tiger's last remaining occupant who lives in constant terror , but manages to keep of Richard Parker supplied with fish,

Weekly Journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Weekly Journal - Assignment Example To become what it is currently, family therapy underwent a lot of evolutions and changes. Many psychologists presented and tested their theories and approaches in solving family problems. Communication and information exchange are the basic sustaining elements of families. Psychologists and therapists also rely on communication as basic way of interacting with patients to ensure effective treatment (Nichols, 2013). When attending to patients, psychologists have a wide choice of theories that include Systems, Attachment and Social Construction Theories among others. As a professional and experienced counselor, one has to establish an open communication platform with the client. A counselor should not continue with counseling work until patients are willing to talk and participate in the therapy session. In addition, a professional counselor has to begin therapy by engaging with the patient alone, and then integrate the process to include other family members. Furthermore, a professional counselor has to analyze and consider many theories and be flexible as to the application in the given situation (Nichols, 2013). One of insights generated by the readings is that family therapy is a new concept that developed during 1950s. Another insight is that communication is important and basic in family therapy. Without effective communication, a therapist may not understand proper techniques or approaches to employ in treating a given situation (Nichols, 2013). Through class discussion, one is able to realize that family therapy is a new concept that is still developing. A student undertaking psychological studies has unlimited chances to enjoin in research and expansion of the concept of family therapy. Class discussion on the development of family therapy provides a view that there are no specific strategies and techniques in treating a troubled

Criminal Evidence Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Criminal Evidence - Dissertation Example The integrity of a witness is inferior, as the crime’s heinousness is superior. Experts on penal laws have taken on a different belief, that the trustworthiness of a witness is superior, for the criminal act is more unspeakable.2 In view of the above, this essay tries to answer the question: â€Å"to what extent is a characteristic of a witness is taken into account in criminal proceedings?† In order to clearly illustrate the arguments, this paper includes case law and statutes that govern the role played by witnesses in criminal cases. The author uses extensive library research and literature review. Role of Witnesses in Criminal Cases One of the objectives of criminal law is to make sure that the public honour the legal system in general and avoid perpetrating crimes. But, if an individual perpetrates a criminal act, their culpability should be determined through a properly established process and a justified penalty must be given. Criminal law specifies the provision s for implementing procedures in criminal cases, lays down the groups sanctioned to perform these procedures, the kind of procedures and the outcomes of violating the prerequisites of the law. As specified by the Law on Criminal Procedure, one of these processes is the evaluation of witnesses.3 The notion of witness should be viewed from two perspectives. Firstly, the identity and character of the witness, and, secondly, the reason the witness is involved in the trial; in short, the focus of the witness’ evidence should be determined. Criminal law permits and mandates the pertinent groups to determine the accuracy of evidence so as to take appropriate actions or make judgments.4 Evidence can be verified through a variety of ways, such as interrogating of witnesses. The interrogation of witnesses is strongly governed by a chain of legal prerequisites verifying the identity and character of the witness, those who should not be allowed as witness, the duties and rights of a witn ess, the handling of witnesses by officials carrying out the procedures, the interrogation methods, the principles, the assessment of the capacity of the witness to testify, the methods to document evidence, and the outcomes of breaching the abovementioned prerequisites.5 Evidence from a witness is a statement by an individual who is not the focus of criminal procedures. The statement is given to the group carrying out the procedure which will exercise it to assess the evidence on account of which the judgment shall be given. For example, the statement can be raised by the court in passing judgment, the prosecutor when making a decision whether to impeach, and by the accused when petitioning against the charges.6 Hence, witnesses play a very important role in criminal cases. Their importance goes above legal systems and is not confined to a specific form of bureaucratic structure or stage in the growth of a legal system. Even though recognised in different periods and territories as a useful and justifiable ground in which to establish a criminal sentence, evidence given by witnesses has long been dealt with doubt. Witnesses could bend the truth, overlook relevant details, recall events inaccurately or simply misunderstand an incident. In addition, witness may be influenced or manoeuvred and their testimony may hinge on the questions which will be thrown at them. This

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel - Essay Example This leads to the creation of another version of the same story; this time, however, instead of animals on the raft there are people, Taiwanese sailor, his mother, the cook and the blind French man. The characters in the new story resembles to the animals in the life boat of the original story. And after two hundred and twenty-seven days adrift Pi is the only survivor. Somehow this second story told with hardly any details and seems more believable. By telling two different stories, Author wants to highlight the single most important concept and raised the question. Which story is better - the story with animals or the story without animals This faith revolves around the entire novel and serves as its conclusion. The center meaning of the book is to convey about man's relationship to animals. Pi is cast adrift in a lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan, and a huge Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Eventually, just the tiger and he are left in the boat, tale of 227 days at sea. The boat is well stocked for a human. Pi only hope for survival is to keep the tiger content and subservient to him. Pi lives in constant terror of Richard Parker, but manages to keep him supplied with fish, turtles, and fresh water so that he doesn't turn on him. Pi limited Richard Parker territory to the floor of the boat .In real life Richard Parker resembles dangerous people .A boundary should always be drawn and restricts them from crossing their limits or invading our territory Pi becomes increasingly convinced that his fate and the tiger's are inextricably linked and progresses to an uneasy truce between adversaries. Ultimately over the months they are together, he develops an ever-deepening relationship with the animal. But Richard Parker is a wild animal. He never forms an emotional attachment with Pi. Near the end of the novel, Richard Parker disappears into the forest without a trace and never returns. Not a single time he looked back. He unceremoniously concludes the relationship and left Pi with tears and a heavy heart. For Pi, caring for the tiger becomes his darkest moments in life. Like Dangerous people Richard Parker and other animals in the novel are never colored with sentimentality .They are revolving around our lives for their own cause and benefit. And they will never hesitate to leave us. 3. Explain why the author chose a tiger as the main animal protagonist instead of an elephant or rhinoceros Martel portrayed Richard Parker to be anything more than a dangerous Bengal tiger and Pi never to be more than a desperate boy lost at sea. His main aim was to show a 16-year old Indian boy, Pi relationship with a dangerously wild animal and survival through the use of his wits and sheer determination for 227 days at sea. So he chooses Richard Parker main animal protagonist unlike elephant or rhinoceros. A tiger symbolizes a carnivorous, wild and unsentimental animal. As the law of nature eventually rules in the lifeboat and Pi ends up as the tiger's last remaining occupant who lives in constant terror , but manages to keep of Richard Parker supplied with fish,

Criminal Evidence Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Criminal Evidence - Dissertation Example The integrity of a witness is inferior, as the crime’s heinousness is superior. Experts on penal laws have taken on a different belief, that the trustworthiness of a witness is superior, for the criminal act is more unspeakable.2 In view of the above, this essay tries to answer the question: â€Å"to what extent is a characteristic of a witness is taken into account in criminal proceedings?† In order to clearly illustrate the arguments, this paper includes case law and statutes that govern the role played by witnesses in criminal cases. The author uses extensive library research and literature review. Role of Witnesses in Criminal Cases One of the objectives of criminal law is to make sure that the public honour the legal system in general and avoid perpetrating crimes. But, if an individual perpetrates a criminal act, their culpability should be determined through a properly established process and a justified penalty must be given. Criminal law specifies the provision s for implementing procedures in criminal cases, lays down the groups sanctioned to perform these procedures, the kind of procedures and the outcomes of violating the prerequisites of the law. As specified by the Law on Criminal Procedure, one of these processes is the evaluation of witnesses.3 The notion of witness should be viewed from two perspectives. Firstly, the identity and character of the witness, and, secondly, the reason the witness is involved in the trial; in short, the focus of the witness’ evidence should be determined. Criminal law permits and mandates the pertinent groups to determine the accuracy of evidence so as to take appropriate actions or make judgments.4 Evidence can be verified through a variety of ways, such as interrogating of witnesses. The interrogation of witnesses is strongly governed by a chain of legal prerequisites verifying the identity and character of the witness, those who should not be allowed as witness, the duties and rights of a witn ess, the handling of witnesses by officials carrying out the procedures, the interrogation methods, the principles, the assessment of the capacity of the witness to testify, the methods to document evidence, and the outcomes of breaching the abovementioned prerequisites.5 Evidence from a witness is a statement by an individual who is not the focus of criminal procedures. The statement is given to the group carrying out the procedure which will exercise it to assess the evidence on account of which the judgment shall be given. For example, the statement can be raised by the court in passing judgment, the prosecutor when making a decision whether to impeach, and by the accused when petitioning against the charges.6 Hence, witnesses play a very important role in criminal cases. Their importance goes above legal systems and is not confined to a specific form of bureaucratic structure or stage in the growth of a legal system. Even though recognised in different periods and territories as a useful and justifiable ground in which to establish a criminal sentence, evidence given by witnesses has long been dealt with doubt. Witnesses could bend the truth, overlook relevant details, recall events inaccurately or simply misunderstand an incident. In addition, witness may be influenced or manoeuvred and their testimony may hinge on the questions which will be thrown at them. This

Alternative solutions for internet censorship in Australia Essay Example for Free

Alternative solutions for internet censorship in Australia Essay This report was commissioned to elaborate other alternative methods that can be used to monitor internet information in Australia without incorporating internet filtration as the Australian government proposes. The future of Australian children has been compromised by the immoral vices that the use of the internet perpetuates. Moreover, organizations, customers and innovators have also suffered from this paradigm which advocates for phishing, on-line identity theft and piracy among others. Therefore, the report advocates for the use of technology, political power, moral ethics and civil libertarians. These methods are not liable to scrutiny and criticism as they do not impede the first amendment bill of the constitution which advocates for freedom of expression among other concerns explained in the report. Furthermore, the report evaluates this range of methods and concludes that it would be ideal to implement the technology method. Introduction Advancement in technology has increased the reliance of internet as a means of entertainment and education source. It has also encompassed the education curriculum, social, economic and political activities creating both a positive and a negative impact. We have been able to succeed and are actually grateful because most of the information and technological know how can be retrieved with ease. However, our children and business enterprises have been adversely affected by the increased internet sexual harassment, privacy invasion, cyber-bullying, on-line identity theft, piracy and phishing just to mention a few in the unending list. In the event our children have developed aggressive attitudes which advocates for delinquent behaviours. On the other hand children that have experienced internet sexual harassment and bullying among others become depressed and thus are cut out from social life and its benefits. This explains the increased rates of teenage suicidal attempts in Australia (Australian Government 2007). Therefore, the government has taken a further step in an attempt of curbing this predicament by introducing mandatory internet filtration to all internet services at home, in schools and public computers used by he Australian children. The government also plans to prepare the Australian children on strategies of being responsible cyber-citizens, protecting their identity while on-line, understanding the impact of their actions on others while using the internet, responding to cyber-bulling and invasion of their privacy among other negative internet vices. To achieve this the government plans to launch education curriculum that provides first rate cyber-safety education programs and educate parents on the negative vices prevailed by the internet thus ensuring their children use the internet responsibly. Furthermore, the government plans to use the blacklist formulated by the Australia Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to ensure harmful information is not availed to the children, establish a Youth Advisory Group (YAG) to easily access information affecting children on-line and to do further research on cyber- safety issues in Australia among others (Australian Government 2007). This initiative has been met with mixed reactions as some citizens support the idea while others reject the move critically analysing it. Critics view the move as a lash to the development and welfare of the citizens in terms of internet use because internet censorship will reduce the speed of the internet, the initiative is not effective because people will still be able to access the prohibited information through the use of proxy services and web services just to mention a few. The initiative will also violate the first amendment bill which advocates for freedom of expression. The country will waste a huge sum of its capital through the implementation of this impractical solution because approximately USD 22billion of tax payers’ money will be used to implement this initiative. Furthermore, the criteria that will be used to determine the appropriate age to use the internet, the appropriateness of information on the internet and determining a comprehensive blacklist are in question. Therefore, to anal the dilemma the government is facing this report will elaborate on alternative methods of internet censorship other than internet filtration that can be used (Harvey 2009b). Alternative solutions To end the conflicts that have arisen because of the proposal of incorporating compulsory Internet Service provider (ISP) filtering in the country the government should implement other alternatives such as use of technology, political power, moral ethics and civil libertarian to implement internet censorship as outlined below. Technology The government can utilize the available technology to help implement their strategies on internet censorship rather than using internet filtration. It can establish websites that teach and warn adults and children on the dangers prevailed by the internet and how to avoid them. Alternatively it can take the initiative of funding such programs that have already being established. This method will be effective as the probability of people using the internet to access such information is high. The method is also cost effective as such initiatives have been implemented in other countries for example USA and proved to be efficient. Also the government will easily be able to avail on-line safety rules to the vicinity of children such as using passwords, meeting people met through the internet with the consent or accompaniment of parents and avoiding giving out personal information. For instance the Business Software Alliance (BSA) has enable to alert and educate e-tailers and customers on the dangers of internet such as auction site frauds, counterfeiting, identity theft and phishing among others and effective ways of preventing being victims of the above vices. BSA has established a website were they offer their learning and safe guarding tips by displaying stories from victims and tips of avoiding such incidents (Lindroth 2008). Moreover, programs that allow parents to personally regulate internet information availed to their children should be used. This will prevent the government from formulating legislations that violated constitutional rights such as freedom of speech and expression. It will also allow the development of this technology thus benefiting the country and improving the welfare of the population at large. For example US citizens have been able to enjoy the benefits of using glubble a Firefox browser plug-in that has enabled parents to create a safe browsing environment for their kids. The technology is easy to use, fast to install, helps parents to manipulate internet information at the vicinity of their children and enable their children to have the appropriate on-line experience. Furthermore, it does not limit internet information that is important to adults but harmful to children such as family planning tips. Therefore, the government should capitalize on such mechanisms by offering their support either politically or economically (Gary 2009). Political power The government is politically empowered thus has the power to control legislations and policies that regulate this country. Therefore, it should use this opportunity to formulate policies that will enable attainment of cyber-security without contradicting on legislations that had been previously formulated. For instance use of plug-ins and programs that will allow parents and public utilities where children are predominate users of the internet will increase intellectual property infringement therefore, legislations that will protect owners innovation should be stipulated allowing effective use of trade marks, patents and copyright laws among others thus expand the rights of these intellectual property holders. This will encourage innovators thus increase the variety of the advanced technology to consumers. Furthermore, it will increase the competitive nature of the economy of Australia both locally and in the world market. The government should also stipulate mechanisms that will take stern action against culprits who are caught perpetuating cyber-bulling, internet sexual harassment and stealing peoples identity. The government should also avail easy mechanisms for reporting vices that curb cyber-safety. This will serve as a warning to prospective culprits and thus decrease the number of such incidents. Also children will grow up morally as they will avoid practising such vices because this initiative will effectively tame them. Victims of such vices, parents, and children will willingly surrender information concerning such culprits to the relevant authority because of the assurance that effective action will be taken (Harvey 2009a). Moral ethics Most of the activities and information in the internet are morally wrong as they violate ethics and human norms. Therefore, another mechanism that can be used to increase cyber-safety is educating and guiding the population and children in particular on moral vices that can be adopted, thus enabling the adherence and respect of business, religious, social and moral ethics. For example more incidents of school children participating in social networking sites that perpetuate immoral behaviour such as pornography and prostitution are evident therefore, learning institutions should formulate policies that will effectively deal with school children that participate in such incidents and break school rules. Parents on the other hand should develop engaging relationships with their children to be able to further instil the moral principles that they learn and adopt from their school environment. Therefore, the school administration should work hand in hand with the government to clearly outline guidelines that will discipline students in regards to information availed and collected from the internet. The collation that will be formed will also help parents and the general Australian population to access such guidelines thus further perpetuate adherence to moral ethics and human norms (Madson 2005). It is quite evident that teachers nowadays use social networking sites for education purposes. Therefore, teachers should ensure that they effectively elaborate to their students how they intend to communicate to them and the necessary instructions that they should follow when logged into such sites to prevent them from accessing information that is not related to education and perpetuates immorality. Alternatively the school administration should establish websites which should be regularly monitored where teachers and students can communicate. Moreover, the learning institutions should implement educative programs that will educate the students on issues related to on-line- safety and the responsible ways of using Facebook and MySpace among others. Furthermore, policies that will effectively deal with students that perpetuate and practice cyber-bullying should be enacted. This responsibility should not only be left to the school administration and the government, other bodies such as religious institutions, public conferences and gatherings, activists and ethicist should also advocate for the adherence of moral ethics and human norms through the use of mechanisms such as safety conversation (McMahon 2008). Civil libertarian The government should also not ignore the role played by civil libertarians rather they should work hand in hand with them. This will further help them to ensure cyber-safety in Australia is emanated and thus protect the innocence and rights of children. This is because civil libertarians fight for the rights and respect of computer and network users by encouraging those involved to register with them thus regulates their activities. Therefore when formulating new legislations or changing those that already exists the government should engage such organizations thus the policies that will be formulated will be at the best interest of all stakeholders. For instance the Electronic Frontier Foundation in US provides legal assistance to companies or organizations that have out rightly been denied their constitutional rights by implementation of impractical legislations. In the event the organization promotes the US laws and allows efficient incorporation of advanced technology into the country. However, it indirectly regulates the information in the internet by offering legal support to organizations that avail useful information which is not harmful to the social being and economic welfare of the community and the country. Therefore, Australia should implement this example and follow suit as cyber-security will be enhanced while protecting and respecting the constitutional and human rights of its citizens (Swidorski 2003). Conclusion From the above facts it is quite clear that all the above principles should be implemented to effectively implement internet censorship. Each principle covers a specific area of enhancing cyber-safety in the country and among the citizens. The role that the government and politicians in general can play in the attempt of protecting Australian children from internet immoral vices without developing conflicts is outlined. However, the government also needs to work hand in hand with the school administration, teachers, parents and civil libertarians to efficiently enhance on-line security and educate Australian children on mechanisms of being responsible cyber-citizens. Also as we aim to be a world class country we will have to incorporate more sophisticated technology which is mainly attained from the reliance of the internet therefore, this subject should be researched regularly to enable formulation of policies that are relevant to the current technology in the country. In the event the country will be able to attain the technology without restrictions that may curb its development. Therefore, from my own opinion it is ideal for the government to implement the technology method which will go hand in hand with the development objective of the country because it will be cheaper to incorporate, it will be easier to regulate internet information at the disclosure of children while still gaining access to information that will help in improving the welfare of the community and country at large and human rights will not be violated as a result of internet censorship which I do not support. Word Count: 2189 List of references Australian Government (2007), Attitudes and behaviour of young people on-line, Research Summary. Available at http://www. minister. dcita. gov. au/_data/assets/pdf_file/73394/research_summary- web. pdf [Accessed on 28th, May, 2009]. Gary, J. (2009), â€Å"Short range plug-ins work best in US,† Automotive Engineer, 34(3), p. 49. Harvey, S. (2009a), Australian internet censorship in practice, Available at http://www. pingudownunder. com/blog/2009/03/19/australian-internet-censorship-in- practice/ [Accessed on 28th, May, 2009] Harvey, S. (2009b), Issues with re-establishing identity after natural disasters, Available at http://www. pingudownunder. com/blog/index. php [Accessed on 28th, May, 2009] Lindroth, L. (2008), â€Å"How to improve on-line safety,† Teaching Pre K-8, 28(7), p20. Madson, W. (2005), Internet censorship, Available at http://www. rense. com/general69/intercens. htm [Accessed on 28th, May, 2009] McMahon, F. (2008), â€Å"Smooth operator,† Digital Content Producer, 34(11), pp. 30-33. Swidorski, C. (2003), â€Å"Political science, the Labour Movement, and the struggle for freedom of expression,† New Political Science, 22(3), pp. 319-340.

PEST Country Analysis: Cuba

PEST Country Analysis: Cuba ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost I thank my teacher who has assigned this term paper to bring out my creative capabilities. I express my gratitude to my parents for being continuous source of encouragement and for all their financial aids given to me. I would like to acknowledge the assistance provided to me by the library staff of Lovely Professional University. At last my heartfelt gratitude to my friends for helping me to complete my work in time. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Country Origin Cuba is one of the largest islands in the Caribbean which was once inhabited by tribal people when Christopher Columbus visited the island during his first voyage. He discovered it and declared it as a territory of Spain 1762 this country was briefly held by Britain before being returned in exchange for Florida. A series of rebellions occurred during the 19th century which failed to end Spanish rule, but increased tensions between Spain and the United States, resulted in the Spanish-American War, finally led to Spanish withdrawal, and in 1902, Cuba gained formal independence. American trade dominated Cuba during the first half of the 20th century. It was helped by US government policy measures assuring influence over the island. In 1959, Dictator Fulgencio Batista was overthrown in a revolution led by Fidel Castro. Cuba-United States relations froze while the island showed its faith towards the Soviet Union, which kept its economy running in spite of being US against Cuba. After the dissolution of the east-west-confrontation Cuba remains as one of the only Communist countries in the world. Past business Cuban business has mainly revolved around United States Soviet Union. Before 1958 everything was allright between US and Cuba and trade was carrying smoothly between them.In March 1958, when an armed conflict broke out in Cuba between rebels and the Fulgencio Batista government an arms embargo has been in effect. In July 1960, in response to Cubas new revolutionary governments seizure of US properties, the United States reduced the Cuban import quota of brown sugar by 7,000,000 tons, under the Sugar Act of 1948; the Soviet Union responded by agreeing to purchase the sugar instead, as Cubas new government continued to take further actions to confiscate American businesses and privately owned property. In 1963, the 1963 U.S. embargo was reinforced in October 1992 by the Cuban Democracy Act (the Torricelli Law) and in 1996 by the Cuban Liberty and Democracy Solidarity Act (known as the Helms-Burton Act) which penalized foreign companies that did business in Cuba by preventing them from doing business in the US. The justification provided for these restrictions were that these companies were trafficking in stolen U.S. properties, and should, thus, be excluded from the United States. The European Union resented the Helms Burton Act because it felt that the US was dictating how other nations ought to conduct their trade and challenged it on that basis. The EU eventually dropped its challenge in favor of negotiating a solution. PEST Analysis (P)olitical factors Cuba is a communist state. The departments of the state and the Cuban Communist Party are closely connected and their power is mainly devolved from the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers. Their National Assembly which has legislative e powers consists of 614 members. Their next elections for the provinces and nation are due in January 2012, the municipal elections in April 2010, even though there is only one legal party which is namely the Cuban Communist Party (PCC). The head of state and government of Cuba is Raà ºl Castro Ruz. (E)conomic factors The consumer prices, or inflation rate, rose by 3,4 % in 2008 which is, compared to other countries, an average figure, because they are number 47 on the world list. The Cuban labor force counts 4.962 million people of which 78% work in the state sector and 22% in the non-state sector. This figure scores them number 74 in comparison to the labor forces around the world. The unemployment rate is low compared to other countries as they only have 1,6 % jobless people and rank place 13 in the world. This rate even improved by 0,2 % from 2007 to 2008. The buying power, GDP per capita, of each Cuban was $9,500 in the year 2008. Compared to other countries they rank place 108 in the worlds list, but seeing that the values improved over the years from 2006 until 2008 by $1,000 per capita, their score is still positive. Cuba produces several agricultural products such as sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice,potatoes, beans and livestock. Main export goods are nickel, fish, citrus, coffee, tobacco products, sugar and its by-products and medicines. A 2008 estimate for their export of goods is $3.78 billion which makes them number 119 on the list of countries by exports. Their main export partners are China, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands and Iran. Goods that have to be imported are petroleum, food, machinery and equipment and chemicals. Their main import partners are Venezuela, China, Spain, Canada and the USA. (S)ociological factors Cuba has a population of estimated 11,451,652 people. The population grows by 0.233 % each year. 18,3 % of these people are between 0 and 14 years, 70,4 % are between 15 and 64 years old and 11,2 % are 65 years or older. Therefore the average age is 37,3 years. 65,1 % are white, 24,8 % are mulatto and mestizo and 10,1 % are black (2002 census). The most dominant religions are Roman Catholics and Protestants. Nearly the whole population is able to read and write (99,8 %) at the age of 15 which enables them to pursue a good education. The majority (76 %) of the population preferably lives in urban areas. (T)echnological factors Cuba is a recognized leading country in the field of biotechnology, but there are still sectors that lack development. Internet access is for example only provided by one provider at high costs which shows an inadequate telecommunications infrastructure. The information technology system in Cuba still has to be improved, because the profitable sectors such as tourism and biotechnology require good and continuously updated communication structures and instruments which are not sufficient at the moment. Castro sees that modern communication and computer networks are necessary for the economy and is willing to open new doors in order to make this possible. (Information technology in Cuba, 2009) Cuba World Economy In 2005 Cuba had exports of $2.4 billion, ranking 114 of 226 world countries, and imports of $6.9 billion, ranking 87 of 226 countries. Its major export partners are China 27.5%, Canada 26.9%, Netherlands 11.1%, Spain 4.7% (2007). Cubas major exports are sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, and coffee; imports include food, fuel, clothing, and machinery. Cuba presently holds debt in an amount estimated to be $13 billion, approximately 38% of GDP. According to the Heritage Foundation, Cuba is dependent on credit accounts that rotate from country to country. Cuba holds 6.4% of the global market for nickel which constitutes about 25% of total Cuban exports. Recently, large reserves of oil have been found in the North Cuba Basin. BUSINESS CULTURE OF CUBA DRESS Dressing is quite informal in for both men and women, For men: Depending on the situation, a guayabera shirt with nice slacks may be as formal as it gets. Business casual for a warm climate should suffice. For women: A pair of pants and nice shirt should do. Skirts are fine as well. Jeans and business casual attire are generally acceptable. TITLES AND BUSINESS CARDS Titles are very important and it is best to address people directly by using their professional title (or Mr., Mrs., or Miss) followed by the surname. It is advisable, although not required, to have one side of your business card translated into Spanish. Present your business card with the Spanish side facing the recipient. There is no specific ritual surrounding the giving of business cards. MEETINGS Arriving on time for a meeting is important even though you may have to wait 30 minutes or more. There is usually 5-15 minutes of small talk before getting down to business. It is best to allow your host to begin the business discussion. It is considered acceptable to interrupt someone who is speaking. NEGOTIATIONS Cubans value relationship building and harmony so it is important to avoid hard selling, pressure tactics and any sort of conflict or confrontation. Decisions are made from the top down and can take sometime. GIFT GIVING Gifts are not brought to a first meeting. When giving gifts it is best to bring something very modest as anything else could be misconstrued. COMMUNICATION STYLE Cubans tend to be direct and some what louder than what the norm is in North America. GESTURES Cubans tend to speak very quickly and loudly. They use their hands and bodies for emphasis when speaking and tend to be emotionally expressive. Cubans will point by puckering their lips in the direction or person they are referring to. Wrinkling or scrunching up of your nose usually means, huh or what? Geert Hofstedes Model After seeing some of the business culture and countrys culture we can draw some conclusions based on the five dimensions of the above mentioned model. POWER DISTANCE As Cuba is a Communist country, it is expected to have higher power distance than other capitalist countries. Geert Hofstede has not conducted his survey in Cuba so there arent any scores regarding it. INDIVIDUALISM Vs. COLLECTIVISM In Private sector individualism is practiced to achieve results with greater efficiency. While the majority of Cuba which is communist in nature has a greater faith in collectivism. LONG TERM ORIENTATION On observing the past and future business culture of Cuba, we can easily comprehend that in past it was more of short term oriented. Now while the country is growing , it has become more of a long term oriented country. HALLS MODEL High Context Cubans seem to pretty much fall in this category. I would like to state that because they behave in the following mentioned way :- Less verbally explicit communication, less written/formal information More internalized understandings of what is communicated Multiple cross-cutting ties and intersections with others Long term relationships Strong boundaries- who is accepted as belonging vs who is considered an outsider Knowledge is situational, relational. Decisions and activities focus around personal face-to-face relationships, often around a central person who has authority. HRM PRACTISES IN CUBA Human resource management (HRM) practices in Cuba are still incipient and close to what may be called the traditional Soviet-style model. In other words, HRM in Cuba mainly comprises a set of practices that emphasise cost control and administrative concerns, resource allocation being controlled by the administrative hierarchy and not by the market characteristics. Additionally, human resource management is an undervalued function compared to other areas. Those who are not good enough for anything else, go to the HR function, as one manager noticed. Within the last few years, and in the context of perfeccionamiento empresarial, new concerns with the quality of human resource management have arisen. The new goals, in industries that aim to achieve a competitive position in the international arena, include the development of staff competencies. Capacitacion (qualification) became HRMs recent major buzzword in the country. Qualification is the major human resource management challenge for Cuban companies, and is viewed as a necessary means for achieving a series of new business goals, including quality, customer service and independence in the execution of work, all of which are new descriptors in the national business vocabulary. The new market-oriented logic, which is emerging particularly in the globally exposed tourism sector, is far from being the normal. That is possibly one of the reasons why so many people try to work in tourism, the other being easier access to foreign currency. This has led to what is called the inverted pyramid: a hotel waiter can earn more money (in tips) than the best university educated specialist or work hero. Macro-level administration of human resources is thus being challenged by micro motives and is forcing companies to develop and implement incentive systems that stimulate individual motivation, while trying to respect the ideological orientation towards a more altruistic and disinterested motivated behaviour, such as the one mentioned above. In fact, as a traditional rule of the Cuban enterprise, incentivos (incentives) are non-material. They are called spiritual incentives, and may include a letter, a diploma, an appreciation from the company or, at a more material level, a dinner including lobster. Managers attitudes towards the effectiveness of material rewards are highly ambivalent. On the one hand, they deny the importance of material incentives. On the other hand, they enthusiastically refer to the possibility of obtaining material rewards in the more progressive firms. BUSINESS GROUPS OF CUBA SHERRITT INTERNATIONAL Sherritt International is one of the biggest business giants of Cuba that operates in Cuba Canada. Sherritt International Corporation is a diversified natural resource company that produces nickel, cobalt, thermal coal, oil and gas, and electricity. It also licenses its proprietary technologies to other metals companies. Sherritts 293.1 million common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol S. The company also produces oil from assets in Cuba, Spain and Pakistan, and manages 376 megawatts of power generation capacity in Cuba. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTISES The most important HRM practices practiced in Sherritt are HR planning (i.e. to forecast and foresee the future business and employee needs and plan for them) Recruitment and selection job descriptions, selection tools, background checks, offers Compensation (i.e. methods, consistency, market) Employee relations (i.e. labor agreements, performance management, disciplinary procedures, employee recognition) Mandated benefits (i.e. social security, unemployment insurance, workers compensation, COBRA/HIPPA) Optional group benefits (i.e. insurance, time off benefits, flexible benefits, retirement plans, employee assistance programs, perks) Payroll (i.e. internal vs. external options, compliance) Recordkeeping (i.e. HRIS, personnel files, confidential records, I-9, other forms) Training and development (i.e. new employee orientation, staff development, technical and safety, leadership, tuition reimbursement, career planning) Employee communications (i.e. handbook, newsletter, recognition programs, announcements, electronic communication) RECRUITMENT SELECTION The process of hiring begins when new recruits are sought and ends when their applications are submitted. The result is a pool of applications from which new employees are selected. Compensation Compensation is the remuneration provided to an employee in return for his/her contribution to the organization. It is an organized practice that involves balancing the work-employee relation by providing monetary and non-monetary benefits to employees. Training Training is also provided for increasing the knowledge and skills of people for a specific purpose. It helps the trainees acquire new skills, technical knowledge, and problem-solving ability etc. It also gives an awareness of the rules and procedures to guide their behavior thereby improving the performance of employee on present job and prepares them for taking up new assignments in future. Performance Appraisal Performance appraisal is a method of evaluating the behavior of employees in the work spot including both quantitative and qualitative aspects of job performance. A process in which employees strengths and weaknesses are identified to improve the performance on the present and future jobs. Performance appraisal is a systematic review of individual or a groups performance on the job. Pay Roll Section: After employee placement/joining the recruitment section handovers the details of the employees enclosed in a file to the payroll department. Pay Roll process starts from 25th of every month. First part is attendance, which will be coming from last 26th to 25th of the month. Salary is paid for 1st to 31st but attendance is calculated from 25th to 26th of the month. The Pay Roll department then looks after the following aspect of the employees. HSEQ HEALTH, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENT AND QUALITY (HSEQ) Every job involves certain risks. In order to provide a safer and healthy atmosphere at work place HSEQ is strengthened at all levels in the company. There is a possibility of occurrence of risk either from external and internal sources. External sources hear referred to infrastructure and internal sources referred to Behavior of employees. HSEQ is involved in regulation and controlling the risks involved in jobs. Bibliography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_america http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Countries/Latin-America/Cuba.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_exports http://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/cu.html http://www.cuba.com/index.php?catid=280cuba_info_record=Useful%20information%20of%20 http://www.indexmundi.com/cuba/demographics_profile.html http://www1.american.edu/carmel/ms4917a/cuba.htm http://www.phpclasses.org/browse/country/cu/