Sports Philosophy And Recreation Anabolic Steroids

Sports Philosophy and Recreation Are Anabolic Steroids Important Of Body Building? I will argue no that anabolic steroids are not important for body building because they have great negative effects. The use of anabolic steroids has been discouraged over the years because of their side effects, and they are against the philosophy of sports. The steroids are medicine and protein supplements that aid in the body building. I hugely oppose the notion that anabolic steroid are imperative in building the body. The studies clearly reveal that the side’s effects (demerits) of the anabolic steroid outweigh the benefits (merits). The essay will debate about the topic mentioned over. The essay will discuss the demerits and merits of anabolic†¦show more content†¦Thus, using anabolic steroids gives them the power to edge others in the competition. Most athletes who use anabolic steroid grow faster and develop better. The anabolic steroids help in building their body. People look at these people as their role model because of their prowess in sports such as wrestling and athletes. The athletes are using unacceptable supplements that are prohibited steroids to increase their public image. The athletes and wrestlers enjoy commercial advertisement. Morally, it is wrong to use these steroids to influence and accumulate wealth through unfair methods. However, the demerits outweigh the merits of the anabolic steroids. Thus, I stand to oppose the notion that anabolic steroids are important for body building. The anabolic steroids help in building the body by alternating and changing the Basal Metabolic Rate of the person by increasing it. The body muscles grow because of the anabolic steroid, but it impedes the growth rate of a person holistically. I oppose the use anabolic steroid for body building because they are alternating behavioral traits of an athlete or wrestler. The person who uses the steroids tends to have unusual behaviors like excessive anger and agitation. The athletes and wrestlers are physical aggressive because of the influence steroids. They have bigger and stronger physic than other people thus they bully

Marijuana as a Subculture Essay - 1357 Words

A subculture is a group of people who share a distinctive set of cultural beliefs and behaviors that differ in some significant way from that of larger society. Marijuana smokers can be considered a subculture for many reasons. Marijuana is used by millions of people around the world, either for recreational, spiritual, or therapeutic reasons. Some call themselves the cannabis connoisseurs; people who respect cannabis and use it responsibly. Few drugs have been so politicized recently as marijuana has. It is frequently praised by one side and condemned by the other, on the basis of emotional issues rather than an objective view of research. It was 1920 when smoking began to catch on in the United States. Its recreational use was†¦show more content†¦On every marijuana related website I visited I found there was a glossary. All of them were very similar. Some examples of different words contained in the glossary follow. The words high, stoned, blazed, and wasted are all defined as being under the influence of marijuana. Blades, skins, papers, and blunts are all synonyms for the paper used to roll marijuana. Joints and blunts are used to described as rolled marijuana, like a cigarette. The inhalation of marijuana smoke is called taking a hit, drag, or toke. A bong or bowl is used to smoke marijuana. There are hundreds of different names for marijuana, some of the most popular are: pot, reefer, weed, bud, chronic, ganja, green, grass, mary jane, and herb. They also have some symbols that represent things. A very popular one is the marijuana leaf. It can be seen a lot of places such as a bumper sticker or in graffi ti. 420 is another common one, it is the number used to represent marijuana or the smoking of it. The best explanation of this is it’s the California police code for possession of marijuana. Their subculture has a number of beliefs that differ from mainstream society as well. One belief is that marijuana use is increasing rapidly globally and The War on Drugs is a failure. This is one of their strongest beliefs. They are very correct about both points. The unsuccessful War on Drugs is very costly, andShow MoreRelatedMarijuana Subculture1712 Words   |  7 PagesSubculture: Marijuana in the United States Fatima Alikhan ENG 122 Professor Kenneth Newton Monday May 23, 2010 The United States has an approved list of drugs that are considered legal and illegal that create adverse side effects and hold diverse political views. Marijuana is a substance that popular media holds in a negative undertone while other drugs such as valium and alcohol are supported, if not glorified. Popular media is a powerful tool that gathers a mass of peopleRead MoreMarijuana as a Subculture Essay1356 Words   |  6 PagesA subculture is a group of people who share a distinctive set of cultural beliefs and behaviors that differ in some significant way from that of larger society. Marijuana smokers can be considered a subculture for many reasons. Marijuana is used by millions of people around the world, either for recreational, spiritual, or therapeutic reasons. Some call themselves the cannabis connoisseurs; people who respect cannabis and use it responsibly. Few drugs have been so politicized recently as marijuanaRead MoreDrug Abuse Among Teenagers And Young Adults11 14 Words   |  5 Pagesactivities. First we should define our terms and limits of discussion. â€Å"Drugs† here means not only substances that are illegal in themselves like marijuana and cocaine, but misused prescription medications as well as household substances not meant to be used as drugs such as glue and nutmeg. Doctors can actually sometimes prescribe drugs like cocaine, marijuana, and steroids for medical purposes but which are more often used illegally and harmfully. We are not going to consider alcohol even though perhapsRead MoreOutsiders By Howard S. Becker1619 Words   |  7 Pagessees the said judger as an outsider himself. Because the â€Å"outsiders† or said rule breakers can see the people not breaking the social norms as outsiders too, it sets up a subculture or a deviant society, where there is mutuality in non-conformity. On page one-hundred and forty-one a statistic of the number of articles on marijuana indexed in both Reader’s Guide and Periodical Literature is shown and explained. From July 1937 to June 1939, there was a record high on articles mostly helping out theRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legal?1356 Words   |  6 Pages Marijuana has been used as a medicine for millennia by cultures spanning the globe. Ever since 1937, that medical necessity has fallen in America to political pressure, and the cannabis plant remains illegal regardless of intended use. Since then, patients have continued demanding marijuana s therapeutic effects, thus prompting the pharmaceutical industry to find a legitimate means of meeting their needs without violating federal law. This quest for legal weed resulted in the introduction ofRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?2179 Words   |  9 Pagesdislike for marijuana user that the subculture grew. It came to a point where one could not discern fact from myth about marijuana in the 60s/70s war on drugs, mainly because no research was allowed. We must ask ourselves, why was this so, why was this one psychedelic drug as Nixon called it â€Å" Public Enemy Number One†. This drug became somewhat of a political tool to twist and turn making sure the general public’s ignorance stayed unabated, during a whole country against a subculture with no realRead MoreThe Greatful Dead Essay840 Words   |  4 PagesThe Greatful Dead A simple definition of a sub-culture is a group of people who have norms, values, and beliefs that are distinct from those of the main stream culture. A subculture is a group of people who have a distinct way of life. Dead heads fit into this category. They believe that there are many interpretations of reality, and that everyones interpretations are somewhat valid, but none of them are real. There are two reasons why this sub-culture has continued to exist for as longRead MoreLegalizing Marijuana in America978 Words   |  4 PagesLegalizing marijuana in America Illegal drug use is a huge part of American culture and one the most controversial of those drugs is marijuana; its technical name is Cannabis Sativa. But whether you call it cannabis, marijuana, pot, reefer, weed, bud, herb, Mary Jane, hemp, grass or wacky tabacci, it is still illegal in the United States. Actually, all over the world the deliberation rages about the harm or benefits that marijuana has to offer. Attempts to legalize it in the United StatesRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency, A And Violent Criminal Activities1530 Words   |  7 Pagesindustrialized nations that tend to have large cities. Delinquency is also associated with the youth subculture mainly focusing on non violent activities, but as noted subcultures can also turn into countercultures which are people who reject communities values and rules and change them with others that counter the larger cultures. As I proceed on this analytical essay, I will examine two aspects of youth subculture that constitute juve nile countercultures and sometimes promote serious and violent criminalRead More The Cultural and Sub Cultural Influence of Narcotics Anonymous845 Words   |  4 PagesThe Cultural And Sub Cultural Influence of Narcotics Anonymous. The Subculture of N.A is a life outside of any expectations formed by the main Cultural Influence. It is a very private organization that I belong to which became a way of life for me. It has values, traditions, beliefs, sanctions and roles. This is the only outside influence in my life that made me develop meaning to my life again. I was a complete and total crack addict who finally hit the bottom of the barrel and started looking

Brazilian Hip Hop Culture Essay Example For Students

Brazilian Hip Hop Culture Essay After finishing this book by Derek Pardue, it would be an understatement to call his work an interesting and insightful look into the world of Brazilian hip-hop culture. With the city of Sao Paulo at the forefront of discussion, the book is based on over five years of fieldwork by Pardue and highlights topics of race, class, and territory to make the overall argument that Brazilian hip hoppers are subjects rather than objects of history and everyday life. Brazilian hip hop is considered a national music genre in the Latin American country that has over time grown into a nationwide phenomenon since its earliest days in the African-Brazilian communities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in the 1980s. Initially, Brazilian hip hop was created as an assertion of the African-Brazilian identity. According to the 2010 census, over 14. 5 million African descendants call Brazil home, which makes up about 8% of Brazil’s overall population. As the genre gradually emerged, its themes widened to encompass a range of social and political issues. Pardue uses this book to identify and analyze three critical categories of Brazilian hip hop culture: space, race, and gender. Additionally, he looks at hip hoppers attempt to redesign the social categories of race, class, and gender as well as socio-geographical categories like periferia and marginality. Along with Pardue’s established argument, this essay will seek to argue that there is a positive relationship between listening to hip hop music and a racial consciousness among younger generations of Afro-Brazilians. In the second chapter of the book, Assembling Brazilian Hip Hop Histories, Pardue focuses on the importance of the access to informacao (information) among the marginalized youth in Brazil: â€Å"According to Sao Paulo DJs, music producers, rappers, and pop music critics, ‘to be informed’ is a valuable asset that speaks to culture, business, history, and ideology. The term ‘informacao’ penetrated almost every conversation I had with hip hoppers. Brazilian hip hoppers are always in search of more. It makes sense that this constant search for information among hip hoppers was considered so crucial. It is the direct link between information and identity that made Afro-Brazilians so thirsty for it. However, as Pardue points out, the identity of the periferia normally brought up negative attributes like the clear lack of true citizenship. It was these cultural markers and countless instances of racism, classism, and sexism that drove the Brazilian hip hop movement to the forefront in an attempt to completely reconstruct their misguided identity. Additionally, it is important to note that since the early 2000s, internet technologies have become more accessible to periferia dwellers, allowing for easier information trafficking. While the accumulation of information is a crucial step towards Afro-Brazilian consciousness, it’s truly only the beginning of this process. After information has been gathered, hip hoppers use the term ‘attitude’ to assess themselves. It is believed that when an individual grows a stronger attitude and becomes more conscious, respect is to follow and they will only then be regarded as a â€Å"real† hip hopper. Although the many facets of Brazilian hip hop culture (rapping, dancing, etc. ) are heavily reliant of competitiveness, the necessity for collaboration and unity overrides the individual in the grand scheme. This is yet another way that hip hoppers attempt to talk about consciousness: â€Å"(Consciousness) is to acknowledge that each individual is but one person within a larger collective and that for change to occur, it must be a group effort According to most hip hoppers, to contribute requires an ‘attitude’, a delicate process of balancing self-esteem and confidence. † This search for a collective effort was the driving force for the creation of hundreds of urban youth posses and hip hop groups. From artists like Thaide, and DJ Hum to groups like Racionais MCs, they all got behind the movement towards an Afro-Brazilian unity. These groups were important for their role in the community, but also as a vehicle for the individual to feel connected and involved in a cause. Each member of these hip hop groups had a particular skill to contribute to the group, a correlation that can be made to their overlying roles in the social movement. .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083 , .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083 .postImageUrl , .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083 , .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083:hover , .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083:visited , .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083:active { border:0!important; } .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083:active , .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083 .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1a5aa44883351834e85b1d6d065a1083:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Music in the Biography of an Ex-Colored man EssayAlong with Pardue’s argument that Brazilian hip-hoppers have turned themselves from objects of history into subjects of history, it can similarly be argued that there is a positive relationship between listening to hip hop music and a racial consciousness among younger generations of Afro-Brazilians. First, hip hoppers in Sao Paulo are considered active organizers and negotiators whether it be with state government or the general public. They’re most successful in engagement and gaining support by linking their hip hop practices to the themes of education and citizenship. Hip-hoppers view themselves as social agents who urge the public to be more comprehensive about what constitutes knowledge and a legitimate perspectives on their reality. With their constant hunger for more information, hip hoppers have become increasingly persuasive in presenting their music as educational because they reach large populations of urban youth that previously were completely isolated from public education. It is for these reasons that hip hop has a positive relationship with Afro-Brazilian urban youth. Hip-hop represents a recognized form of education that signi? s activism on the part of the Brazilian working classes. Therefore, hip-hoppers’ articulation to education holds both the key to positive identity formation and achievement. â€Å"Hip hop has always been about achieved, not ascribed, power. Unlike the bourgeoisie, the working classes, which represent the population pool and main point of address for Brazilian hip hoppers, depend on change in order to shape the essential discourses of hierarchy. † Overall, the Brazilian hip hop movement is something that continues to live on through to the young generations of today. The desire for information, attitude, and consciousness among hip hoppers and urban youth alike has propelled the Afro-Brazilian community from objects of history to the subjects of it. It is through these key concepts and a push for unity that the movement was so successful in educating the urban youth, who have otherwise been excluded from formal public education. It is because of this successful education that a positive relationship between listening to hip hop music and a racial consciousness among younger generations of Afro-Brazilians can be made.

The Merchants Tale Essay Example

The Merchants Tale Paper The use of the word ‘but’ in line 843 is the first signal to the audience that there is going to be a significant change within Januarie’s fortune. Up until this point he has been considerably lucky; he is described as a ‘worthy knight’ who has ‘lived in greet prosperitee’ and has been married to ‘fresshe may, his paradys, his make’. Through this excessive amount of fortune, Chaucer has led the audience to believe it is too good to be true, and so the change is almost inevitable. Januarie’s fortune is represented by the image of ‘the scorpion’, which smiles with its face while stinging with its ‘sweete venym queynte’, just as Januarie is deceived into believing he has found stable happiness when he suddenly goes blind. When Januarie becomes physically blind, this becomes a fulfilment of the metaphorical blindness of self-delusion which has afflicted him from the outset. On line 386, the audience are reminded of the proverb ‘love is blind’, and Januarie’s character has been built up to this point as a demonstration of the truth of this saying. At this point in the tale, we have only recently heard May’s voice for the first time, (like 770) but we are yet to know much about May’s personality from anyone other than Januarie’s perspective. However, the females already mentioned in the tale, such as Abigail, the wife of Nabal and Rebecca, the mother of Jacob all gained their own fortune and power through the use of deception and trickery, inclining the audience to believe that May is going to use similar techniques. We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchants Tale specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchants Tale specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchants Tale specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It soon becomes apparent that this deception is at the hands of Januarie, ‘for as good is blind deceyved be / As to be deceyved whan a man may se’. The fact that he is being deceived because of both his physical and mental blindness makes Januarie appear vulnerable, and the audience almost begins to pity him, showing that the power balance has shifted abruptly from Januarie to May. The language Chaucer chooses to use contributes to demonstrating this power balance effectively. Fortune is personified in this passage, as is common in Chaucer’s writing. Like a number of abstract qualities which have the female grammatical gender in Latin, the personification is feminised, and she is presented as a woman, often blindfolded, to demonstrate the arbitrariness of her operation, an holding a wheel on which her victims rise and fall. When comparing this image to May, it is clear that she now has full power and control over Januarie. It is not only clear how May has gained power over this passage, but also how Januarie has lost his. He becomes so possessed by jealousy that He nolde suffre hire for to ride or go/ But if that he hadde hond on her alway’ , ‘nor anywhere/ Would he allow his wife to take the air/ Unless his hand were on her, day and night’. Towards the beginning of the tale, it is unlikely that Januarie would have been so possessive over his new wife, as he had enough confidence within himself to prevent any jealousy. When he loses his sight, it is apparent that his self-consciousness becomes particularly strong, once again making him seem vulnerable and helpless, and May’s dishonesty only increases Januarie’s lack of power

Wonen in US military Essays

Wonen in US military Essays Wonen in US military Essay Wonen in US military Essay Essay Topic: Zone One Status and role of women in the US Army has been always considered as controversial and highly debated issue. The events of 9/11 are often understood as representing a fundamental shift within the nation, irrevocably changing the course of events in the US.   Along with other changes that are still unrecognized by national consciousness, September 2001 is a significant moment in American history precisely because, even if it led to a reification of some traditional gender roles, it also presents an important opportunity to reconsider womens role in the nation, and in the US Military particularly. On one level, the nation and the media have turned to traditional notions of masculinity and femininity to make sense of the ideological and political chaos following the attacks and expanded by the uncertainties of both the legitimacy and the usefulness of Americas war in Iraq. On another level, political and cultural discourses reflect an increased preoccupation w ith the role of women in war due to a visible collapse of traditional binaries and responsibilities in war. In the contemporary politics of representation, the figure of the female soldier is a challenge to the traditional war story, and also a transformative site in which traditional boundaries of public and private obligations to the nation are blurred and reconfigured.   This paper aims to discuss historical, political and social aspects surrounding the roles, functions and challenges of women in the US Army.HISTORICAL PHASES OF WOMEN’S STATUS CHANGE IN THE US MILITARYFrom the historical literature perspective, there are several enduring factors governing the evolution of womens roles in the United States Army. Foremost among these are cultural attitudes - the prevailing societal norms that determine the appropriate roles for women. In 1917 when women were first enlisted into the US Military, social norms dictated that a womans place was in the private sphere where her primary obligation was to her spouse and her children (Jones D., 1997). Fulfillment of this obligation was regarded as a fundamental cornerstone of society and the state. Therefore any woman who sought fulfillment outside of the narrowly prescribed confines of the home became a subject of suspicion and ridicule. Since the primary function of women was to produce and nurture children, any divergence from this socially-prescribed path brought with it an assumption of sexual deviancy. Such attitudes are remarkable in both their persistence and consistency to the present day. Cultural attitudes are in turn affected and informed by the next four factors. Political trends, such as the consequences of political enfranchisement of women and their greater participation in public life have helped to redefine the nature of the relationship of women to the state and to society.The first was militarization, the act of enlisting women in the armed service which took place between 1917 and 1947. W omen were permitted to serve in the army in strictly limited roles and in sex-segregated reserve organizations. The navy established the Yeomen (F) during the First World War and the WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service) in the Second World War. Public acceptance of the unprecedented idea of women in the military was mitigated by the exigent circumstances of the prevailing national emergency and strong feelings of patriotism (Jones D., 1997). The second phase of womens service in the army, occurring between 1948 and 1966 was characterized by marginalization. The Women in the Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 incorporated women into the regular branches of the armed forces, but there were restrictions on the number allowed to serve (no more than 2% of the overall manpower strength); restrictions on rank and enlisted ratings (job specialties) and a prohibition against service on ships and aircraft or in any duty with the potential to expose them to combat (Jones D., 1997).A great deal of effort was directed toward cultivating public acceptance of military service for women in peacetime. The third phase was a transitional period between 1967 and 1993 when policies towards women in the army evolved in response to the end of conscription and the creation of the all-volunteer military; federal judicial rulings and legislation that struck down long-standing assignment policies, and two highly publicized scandals (USS SAFEGUARD in 1987 and Tailhook in 1991) prompted comprehensive reassessments of internal attitudes and policies towards women in the US Military (Jones D., 1997). During this phase, much of the progress made by army women was the result of military leadership reacting to public and congressional pressure.The final phase is an integration, which only began with the passage of the Defense Authorization Act of 1994 repealing the combat exclusion laws. Although navy women are now allowed to serve in the warfare specialties of surface wa rfare, aviation and special operations, they are still precluded from serving with the submarine and special warfare communities. The majority of women with warfare specialties and enlisted qualifications serve in the Surface Warfare community. Although women now constitute more than fourteen percent of the total manpower strength of the U.S. Navy, their representation in the warfare communities is only a fraction of that. Integration continues to be an incremental and ongoing process.CONTEMPORARY STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE US ARMY: ANALYSISDuring the 1960s and 1970s, subsequent creation of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1967, and the National Womans political Caucus (NWPC) in 1971, culminated in the favorable vote for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1972.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Subsequently, the Supreme Court decided in Roe v. Wade (410 U.S. 113) that women had a right to an abortion, and more importantly, the principal right over their own bodies and their reproduction (Jones D ., 1997).   The majority of social science specialists points to the tremendous impact that feminist concerns with issues of economic equality, womens reproductive rights, and labor concerns have had on contemporary gender relations.   1960s and 1970s women experienced a transformation in their self-perceptions and their anticipations for their future roles in the nation. In the military, women took on the gender discriminatory dimensions of the policies regarding pregnancy and motherhood and by 1975, the Executive Order (EO 10240) giving the military permission to discharge a woman if she became pregnant, or a parent (by adoption or as a stepparent), was eliminated by the Secretary of Defense. In May 1974, Congress changed the minimum age for the enlistment of women to age 17, the same as for men, and on October 7, 1975, President Ford signed Public Law 94-106, permitting women to be admitted to all service academies beginning in 1976† (Jones K., 1990:129).   In 1996, B aldwin (1996) in the research aiming to reveal glass ceiling practices in the US Army collected data from 123,000 army candidates for promotion. Baldwin’s findings (1996) indicated that women were still underrepresented in middle officer ranks, were promoted at lower rates than males, and moreover their promotion rate differences did not increase consistency with rank.In January 2005, President Bush re-affirmed his administrations policy on women in war by publicly stating, No women in combat. But, in a context in which recruitment and retention numbers are low, and the end of the war against terrorism is far from sight, the ban on women in certain position in the armed forces has larger repercussions that go beyond the politics of gender and the role of women. In support of the administration a House Subcommittee led by the Chairman of the House Armed Service Committee in May 2005 proposed a measure that would add to a previous 1994 rule and bar women from forward support un its that could lead to direct combat (Neroni, 2005). Critics argued that in a time when reportedly more than 200,000 women are on active duty in the US Army, and an additional 150,000 serve in the US Guard and the Reserves the measure would result in 22,000 military jobs being closed to female military personnel (Neroni, 2005).   In contrast to this measure, some advocated implementing a collocation policy (Hartsock, 1982) that deploys mixed-sex noncombatant units alongside all-male combat brigades which, while in conflict with the military policy banning women from combat zones, would solve the problem of finding enough personnel to fill the ranks as political instability and military situation in the Middle East continues.The Center for Military Readiness, represented by its President Elaine Donnelly, critiqued the collocation policy arguing, The United States Army plans to force female soldiers into land combat units, despite current regulations and a law requiring prior notice to Congress (Dowler, 2002: 160).   Even as the possible elimination of the collocation policy is still being debated, members of the House Republicans abandoned the measure that would add to the 1994 ban on women in combat soon after it passed on a 61-1 vote in the House. Arguably the abandonment of the measure should not be interpreted as a sign of support for women in combat; rather it is a clear indication of the political significance of the figure of the female soldier.;

Definitions and Examples of Orthography

Definitions and Examples of Orthography Orthography is the practice or study of correct spelling according to established usage. In a broader sense,  orthography can refer to the study of letters and how they are used to express sounds and form words.  Prosody  and  orthography are not parts of  grammar,  Ben Johnson  wrote in the early 1600s, but diffused like the blood and spirits through the whole. Adjective: orthographic or orthographical.Etymology:  From the Greek, correct writingPronunciation:  or-THOG-rah-fee Examples and Observations Mark TwainSome people have an idea that correct spelling can be taught, and taught to anybody. That is a mistake. The spelling faculty is born in man, like poetry, music and art. It is a gift; a talent. People who have this talent in a high degree need only to see a word once in print and it is forever photographed upon their memory. They cannot forget it. People who havent it must be content to spell more or less like thunder, and expect to splinter the dictionary wherever their orthographic lightning happens to strike. Graphology Tom McArthurIn linguistics... the name for the study of the writing system is graphology, a level of language parallel to phonology. The earlier, prescriptive sense of the term [orthography] continues to be used, but the later, more neutral sense is common among scholars of language. Spelling Variations David CrystalEven in orthography, the area that is often said to have become completely standardized by 1800, we find a remarkable amount of variation, as Sidney Greenbaum established in 1986. He carried out a survey to estimate how much spelling variation there was in Modern English... He found an average of three variant forms per page [of a dictionary]296 entries... As a percentage of all the entries in the dictionary, this was a remarkable 5.6 per cent. Ben Franklins Warning David Wolman[Benjamin] Franklin felt that the ever-widening gap between spelling and pronunciation was leading the language down a denigrating path toward a logographic orthography, in which symbols represent whole words, not a system for producing sound units, as in c-a-t. He considered languages like Mandarin ghastly for their memorization requirements, an old manner of Writing that was less sophisticated than a phonological alphabet. If we go on as we have done a few Centuries longer, Franklin warned, our words will gradually cease to express sounds, they will only stand for things. Spelling Reform Joseph BergerLike such ideological forefathers as George Bernard Shaw, Theodore Roosevelt and Andrew Carnegie, [Edward Rondthaler] wants to clear up the whims of spelling by adopting a more phonetic version of English, one where words are written as they sound and pronounced as they are written...The kee to ending English iliterasy is to adopt a speling thats riten as it sounds, he writes in his fashion. The Lighter Side of Orthography If youve grown weary of hearing that you need to improve your spelling skills, consider these options: Boost your self-esteem and baffle your acquaintances by insisting that youre a specialist in cacography. You dont need to tell them that cacography is nothing more than a fancy term for bad spelling.Blame the English language. Compared to German, for instance, English spelling is unquestionably haphazard, eccentric, and sometimes downright perverse. Need an example? In English, cough, plough, rough, and through dont rhyme. (Of course, despite all the vagaries of English spelling, millions of people have figured out the system.)Work on improving your spelling skills. Seriouslyspelling matters. According to a report from BBC News, three-quarters of employers say that they would be put off by a job candidate who had poor spelling or grammar.Remind your teachers and friends that not all great writers have been great spellers, and then as evidence point them to Shakespeares Sonnet 138 in its original form: When my love sweares that she is made of truth,I do beleeve her, though I know she lyes,That she might thinke me some untuterd youth,Unlearned in the worlds false subtilties. But be careful: some wiseacre might remind you that Shakespeare wrote in an era before English spelling had been standardized. In fact, Will died 40 years before the publication of the first comprehensive English dictionary.

Admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Admission - Essay Example Furthermore, it will help me to serve my country and community with the utmost of commitment and thorough knowledge acquired through my education. Every person learns a second language. The practical aspects of this area of study have been clearly expressed in the book, Understanding Second Language Acquisition (Ortega, 2009). This book has proved to be of immense benefit for those who undertake research in teaching English as a second language. To my great fortune, I read this monumental work on the foundations of second language acquisition. This had a deep impact upon me and strengthened my resolve to work hard with focus towards the acquisition of a Doctorate in Teaching English as a Second Language. I have always been spellbound by original work in the area of linguistics and would be highly satisfied if I could take up research work. I have considerable experience in teaching English and this has always provided me with complete satisfaction. One of the highlights of this pleasurable activity has been the numerous occasions wherein I participated in lectures and had discussions with my peers and professors. Ortega’s scholarly work inspired me immensely and it is now my heartfelt desire to master this subject. Her knowledge and capacity to express complex and abstruse ideas in a lucid manner have inspired me tremendously. As such, I studied the theories of the major scholars in this area and realized that these studies had created a tremendous desire in me for conducting research in this area. Remaining a mere spectator and repeating the wise sayings of these outstanding thinkers failed to provide me with the feeling of undiluted bliss. Consequently, I came to the firm decision to undertake original research in this area. In the early years of my schooling, I fell deeply in love with the English language. Subsequently, in high school, I was extremely fortunate to

Review on Data impediments to empirical work on health insurance Article

Review on Data impediments to empirical work on health insurance markets paper - Article Example it is found out that majority of the publicly available sources of data, that is commonly used by researchers are to carry out their study on the health insurance market shares, is unreliable. These data sources are said to portray great variability over the years and are relative to both a rational prior and to the inconsistency demonstrated in the health sectors discharge data. These data sources assume merger activities from specialized and from high professional findings. Their unreliability to the studying competition in the health insurance sector is revealed in their character to omit significant components of the market. Such omitted components may include the self-insured health plans. The article considers the private insurance industry that plays a more significant role in the health care sector in the United States. A large number of individuals in U.S purchase private insurance plans. Another significant number of individuals are covered through Medicaid while they are still enrolled in the private plans. The article compared the elderly people in U.S to the nonelderly. It was revealed that majority of the nonelderly individuals opt for the private insurance plans while 95 % of the elderly people are enrolled to the Medicare. Although a few numbers of the nonelderly are enrolled to the Medicaid, they are also found to have enrolled into the private plans. Only a quarter of the elderly people opt for the private insurance plans (Leemore et al. 11). According to this paper, the antitrust analysts and researchers cannot generate an accurate empirical analysis of competition in the health insurance industry through the use of a readily available market share data. These differences in shares and the concentration reported within different data sources would force researchers to choose among the competing data sets. The doubtfully high unpredictability within the data sets suggests

Cell Phones While Driving Essay Example for Free

Cell Phones While Driving Essay Are cell phones dangerous while driving? Do you know hoy many deaths occur per year because of the cell phones? Everyday people die in car accidents for using cell phones while driving. According to NSC. Org â€Å"Drivers that use mobile phones are four times more likely to be involved in an accident†. Even though some people think that hand-free set is safe but it still dangerous. People should avoid talking while driving; those who defend the phone use often say that it makes no difference whether someone is talking on a phone or not. Some people who work depend on a cell phone like lawyers or businessmen. They always have to be available to answer the phone in order to keep their business running. However, their habits can create dangerous situations like a collision or an accident. Business issues can be stressful and hazardous while driving because it can cause emotional reactions that can lead to tragedies. Do to the fact that while they talk with someone of their coworkers they might get upset and this can lower their driving ability that can chief to lose control over the car. If people do not make the decision to leave aside their cell phones their routine can harm innocent people. Like mentioned before, other people say that hands-free set is safety. However, hands-free devices do not eliminate the risk of causing an accident and even worsen it by suggesting that the fact of using it is safe. Researches from the state Department of Transportation, show records that using headset can be as dangerous as holding a phone because the conversations distracts drivers from focusing on the road. Scientists had proven that people talking over the phone image person who they talking to and that does not interfere with driving. The problem is when a car swerves unexpectedly or pedestrian step into traffic, and the mind lacks the processing power to react in time. So the problem is not in holding the wheel and cell phone at the same time the cause is the lack of reaction at the particularly time People in favor of the use cell phones, say that it is a good option to do it in case of an emergency. However, I believe that it is a wrong thought. It is an illusion of safety because when people need them, the most their cell phones r they can not either reach them or find them because they could be stuck or hidden in some part of the car. People shouldnt fully depend on cell phones owing to that fact that they are not reliable; the trusty solution for the difficult situation it could be OnStar. Which is a service that in case of an accident or an emergency will contact you. If you are not able to answer, they will contact the police department, the hospital or the fire service. Therefore, nowadays cell phones are unnecessary devices because they are unreliable in emergency situations while you are in a car accident. In conclusion, I think drivers should be more conscious about using the cell phone while driving. As I said it earlier hand-free device is not safety at all, because requires the brain to be multitask. If drivers do not give up cell-phones the number of mortalities on the roads will continue to increase.

Ceramics - Incredible Refractory Materials :: Art

Ceramics - Incredible Refractory Materials Introduction First we will start with the definition of refractories and ceramics. Refractories and ceramics are non-metallic materials capable of maintaining physical and chemical stability at high temperatures. Refractories in modern practice are usually ceramic in nature, and are used in a wide variety of primary, secondary and tertiary industries. Wherever an industrial process involves heat in excess of 700 to 800 degrees Fahrenheit (roughly), one will find refractory material in place, either as a lining or forming the process vessel itself. Some common process vessels using refractories are; boiler combustion chambers, furnaces like the one in the foundry, incinerators, many emission control scrubbers, rotary kilns and so on. The list is by know means exhaustive. For example, Launch Pads 39A and 39B at the Kennedy Space Center are refractory lined. The shuttles themselves are lined with ceramic tiles to protect them from the heat of re-entry into earth’s atmosphere, these tiles are! unique to the shuttle, but are non-metallic and heat resistant. The Making of Refractory Materials The first step in processing ceramics is crushing of the raw materials. Crushing is usually done in a ball mill, either wet or dry. Wet crushing is more effective because it keeps the particles together and prevents the suspension of fine particles in air. The ground particles are then mixed with additives, the functions of which are one or more of the following: 1. Binder for the ceramic particles 2. Lubrication for mold release and to reduce internal friction between particles 3. Wetting agent to improve mixing 4. Plasticizer to make the mix more plastic and formable. 5. Various agents to control foaming and sintering. 6. De-flocculent to make ceramic-water suspension. De-flocculention changes the electrical charges on the clay particles so that they repel instead of attract each other. Next, it’s time to begin the casting process. The shaping process for refractories are casting plastic forming and pressing. The most common casting process is slip casting. The slip is poured into a porous mold made usually of plaster of paris. Then inverted and the remaining suspension is poured out for making hollow object much like slush casting. The part is then trimmed the mold opened and the part removed. The second process of shaping ceramics is plastic forming. We have various methods of plastic forming such as extrusion, injection molding and jiggering. Plastic forming tends to orient the layered structure of clays along the direction of material flow.

Which Do You Prefer?

Every person has their own ways of living life. When an individual starts to make decisions, the quality of life is always considered. People resides in different parts of the world and the lifestyles varies from where they came from. Determining for the best place to live could give a greater impact in one's life as there are two options that are worthwhile to consider. For any reasons, an individual can freely choose the lifestyle of either in urban and rural living providing the advantages and disadvantages from both places. Urban and Rural settlements affects the lifestyle of a person as it differs from the kind of education, employment opportunities and the environment they live in. Education plays an important role to a successful career depending to the quality of education a person can acquire to learn. In rural areas, poverty is one of the main problems that affects the educational outcome of the students. This often leads to individuals dropping out school just to support and provide for their parents and to also help them manage the household. Moreover, not many children living in less developed villages have the opportunity to study, especially in college. Countless amounts of people may not have the opportunity to have the future they dreamed of due to the fact of where they grew up or certain circumstances in their life that disabled them from their goals. Distance is another problem have to face because of the lack of transportation. Although many struggle to get to places due to lack of transportation, those who live in the rural area struggle more. A teacher also faces many challenges in rural schools. Teachers in rural areas are paid with low salaries and the lack of teachers is another huge obstacle on the way to education. Teachers are extremely important because they give the students a foundation to work from and help the students build their way up in life. So the lack of teachers would make a huge impact on the students life and future. In urban areas, by contrast, an advantage manifested by urban students usually takes place in advanced country and economy. All of the students can get access of the wealth and social opportunities that big cities can offer. Urban schools are usually larger in size and they particularly have the resources and facilities that the rural area tends to lack. Most of the schools in the cities have advanced and qualified teachers as they get ahold of continuing trainings and workshops. The range of employment options must be considered when choosing a kind of job. In Urban areas where the population is high and extremely populated, most people intend to apply for jobs where they can get a good salary. According to the research from Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA), â€Å"the most high-skilled, high paying occupations tend to cluster in urban areas. Urban centers tend to specialize in knowledge-based work with high concerns of Technicians, Engineers, Scientist and Executives, while in rural areas have larger concentration of Machinist and Makers, which generally require less skill and receive lower salaries.† (Florida 2012).In rural areas, residents do not have enough employment options due to the lack of job opportunities and most people has an inverse relationship with agriculture. In contrary, urban areas are developed in an a planned and systematic way in terms of industrialisation. A division of labor is always present in the urban settlement for job allotment and because of the great opportunities for growth and the concentration of people, urban areas are preferred for developmental programs where the business are most likely invested. Environmental conditions gives an impact on an individual's quality of life. People living in remote places is usually described as a quiet and peaceful paradise which is a perfect place to unwind and escape from hustle and bustle of the city life. Besides rural areas are less crowded because there are not many people and cars. The scenery in rural areas are beautiful and well- conserved thus the people can enjoy the nature and have a peaceful mind. In contrast with the city dwellers, who lead a hectic life and often feel annoyed due to great stress in the daily life such as traffic, dealing with higher rates of crime and paying higher taxes. With regards to the nature, the trees are cut in urban areas for construction of roads and buildings that results to the lost of agricultural lands. The pollution and the deforestation has led to environmental imbalance and health problems, which shadow the future of urban living. Urban settlements are determined by the advanced conveniences, opportunities of education, facilities for transport, and business while the rural settlements are based more on natural resources and events. For a person who plans to reside on a specific place and get the kind of dream life however, will note the contrast between the settlement options along with how it differs in the quality of education, employment options, and the environment in both rural and urban areas.

An investigation and analysis of the role of women in contemporary Islam in the context of a multicultural society

When a person thinks of a Muslim woman immediately the image that forms in your mind is one of veils, tent like garb and the word ‘oppression' and ‘suppression' comes to mind. This image of being suppressed and oppressed, being without any rights or social standing is a Western stereotypical view of Muslim women. To understand and appreciate the true essence of Islam it is important to carefully investigate the roles of both Muslim women and men in Islam and the religious authority for these. It is most important to consider what a Muslim woman's rights and obligations are, and how they are lived out in daily life. Alongside this it is relevant to find out how a Muslim woman may be influenced by her family's culture and the traditions and cultures of other peoples in this society. In a multicultural society such as Britain there are many people of different religious backgrounds. Britain today can be seen as a multicultural society or even a secular society, which is not governed by religious laws and certainly not by Shari'ah. Muslims living in Britain today come into day-to-day contact with many ideas, beliefs and practices which are not part of Islam. Analysing how Muslim women can stay true to their Islamic faith in such a society is an integral part of this essay. In Islam family life from many famous scholars is referred to as being the ‘corner-stone of society' as it brings new generations into the world, therefore the parents have very important duties to play. They also have vital duties and obligations towards one-another. The duties of a husband and the wife towards each other are clearly stated in Islam (Qur'an 4:34). This makes the fulfillment of the purpose of marriage easy and removes confusion. The husband's duties include providing food; clothing; accommodation as well as general welfare needs for his wife; she does not have to provide any of these herself from her own property or her earnings, unless she wishes and is able to help her husband. The husband also provides household help for his wife, or helps her himself, as well as giving help to her in training the children. He also must try to satisfy the sexual needs of his wife and treats her with kindness and honour as Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said : â€Å"The best of you is the one who is best to his family, and I am best to my family† Hadith : Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah) The wife, for her part is required to obey her husband as leader of the family so long as he does not try to make her disobey Allah. She must look after the home and children, bringing them up as good and righteous people – Allah will ask her about this duty (Hadith Al-Bukhari and Muslim). In her husband's absence she must ensure that no one not approved by her husband is allowed into the home, and also try to satisfy her husband's sexual needs. You can see that the duties of the husband are the rights of the wife, whilst the duties of the wife are the rights of the husband. Allah says: â€Å"†¦ the rights of the wives (with regards to their husbands) are equal to the rights of the husband with regard to them†. (Qur'an 2:228) The Qur'an states: â€Å"They (women) are your garments. And you (men) are their garments†. The words from the Holy Qur'an state precisely how men and women relate to one another – like a body and its garments. Without garments the body is meaningless and vice versa, this symbolizes the complimentary roles a husband and wife play and that they must got together, apart they would have little reason to exist. People in multi-cultural society may have noticed how a large number of Muslim women dress differently from one another, some from head to toe, others in more westernized but unrevealing clothing. This is mainly due to cultural impacts, for e. g. covering a woman's body does not necessarily require her to wear a ‘jilbab' (long dark coat-like dress), Islamically she is required to dress modestly in public. Places like Afghanistan's cultural impacts mean women are forced in the way they are dressed, as they have no choice. â€Å"Say to believing men†¦ nd believing women, that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty.. â€Å"(24:30-31) Living in a multicultural society poses many difficulties for Muslim parents or Muslim's in general. This is because within the sphere of their homes the environment is Islamic and very sheltered. However outside the home Muslim's come into contact with different ideas which can act as obstacles for them. This is because Britain allows what most Islamic societies would not allow for women for example involvement in pornography, modesty of dress, Muslim women do not walk around scantily dressed for example in a bikini. Abortion is not allowed except in exceptional circumstances in Islam whereas it is a common place in Britain. Also divorce is considered one of the worst acts in Islam but like abortion it is a commonplace as well as free mixing between the sexes. This shows that such things are taking place in Britain and that they oppose Islamic teachings. For a Muslim living in a multicultural society some of the issues that arise are usually the differences between secular law versus religious law (shari'ah). The fact that Muslim values are different to secular values and a Muslim lifestyle following such values makes more demands. These issues can cause problems for Muslims, especially the 2nd or third generation who seem to be becoming more and more secular. These youth can be seen to have adopted secular values in their pursuit of status, placing great value in cars, money and other material possessions more than religious values or practice. These remind parents of their native countries, so they arrange marriages for their children to people inn the native countries. What the parents don't realise is these ‘native countries' have become more secular too and that people there have become more westernized. The benefits for Muslims in a multicultural society like Britain is the access to education, there is a greater chance of Muslims obtaining education in this country compared to their ‘slim to none' chances back in their native countries. There is an opportunity to be involved in public life occupation wise. As the government in Britain is not ruled by a specific religion, people are allowed to practice their religion openly, whereas in Turkey a woman is not permitted to wear a headscarf to college, school, or university. Also in communist countries people did not have the right to proclaim what they believed in. Many Muslims in Great Britain are often asked whether they are British or Muslim first. There is a difference of opinion to this answer between the older and younger generations. The younger people tend to say they are British and Muslim whereas the older generation hesitate and reply they are Muslim first. What we should ask ourselves is how come it is only the Muslims this question is posed to? Why not the Christians or the Jews? These kinds of questions are asked for example during the Gulf War or since the incident on September 11th. The Muslims are expected to be on the defensive, as if there is going to be a conflict with being a Muslim and British at the same time. This is the way of thinking for the majority of Non-Muslim British people; it shows their lack of understanding of Islam and their deeply rooted misconceptions concerning the religion. This is also a result of lack of integration between people. The Muslim women that wear veils, head scarves and long flowing clothing are often seen as ‘oppressed' or ‘suppressed' by the majority of Non-Muslims in British society. They see these women as being ‘dominated' by men. In reality the majority of these women wearing veils or such articles of clothing do so voluntarily, the main aim is protection and not oppression. â€Å"Prophet, enjoin in your wives, your daughters and the wives of true believers to draw their veils close around them. That is more proper, so that they may be recognized (as virtuous women) and not molested. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful†. (33:59) It is mistaken to believe that Islam encourages the oppression of women. On the contrary, Islam elevates women in an all-round manner. Islam regards women and men as equals; they both have the same religious duties and get equal rewards. Allah says: â€Å"I will not allow the good deeds of any of you, male or female, to be lost. You (male and female) come from one-another†¦ † (Qur'an 3:195; 4:124) Islam stopped the female infanticide (81:8; 6:151) and promises the reward of paradise to parents who look after their daughters. Muslim women like men are encouraged to acquire education from the cradle to the grave. A Muslim woman retains her legal identity after marriage and can keep her family name. She may seek and obtain divorce if she needs it. She is free to move around in society (with her husbands consent), provided she is modestly dressed and straightforward to avoid molestation by evil men. (Qur'an 33:22-59) As a mother, the greatest respect is paid to her on account of her sacrifices on behalf of her children. (Qur'an 31:13; 46:15) â€Å"Paradise lies at the feet of the mothers†. In Great Britain Islam is a minority religion; it is not the way of life for the majority in this multicultural society. Britain is arguably not religious; therefore it can be seen as a secular society. Its laws do not reflect any particular religions beliefs, however in the past Christianity played a major role in the appointed laws. The society is still influenced by religious values, there are laws protecting what most religions consider sacred or valuable, an example of this is the value religions hold for life. There are laws introduced for the sole purpose of preventing death or injury like how a driver and passengers in a car must wear seat belts. The laws in Britain also evolve around individual religions, for example the law in Britain for people riding a motorcycle is that it is compulsory to wear a crash helmet. In the 1980's the Sikh community complained that it was impossible to do so if they were wearing turbans, the government then made a clause in the law for Sikhs who wore turbans, that when riding a motorbike it wasn't compulsory for them to wear a crash helmet. There are also many problems for Muslims who live in small individual communities that do not integrate with one another. This division often causes misunderstandings between them which results in conflict mostly between the youth of the communities. An incident of this occurred not very long ago in Oldham, between the Pakistani community and the white community. Oldham is one of the most segregated cities in Britain. The white and Pakistani communities have many riots, this is mainly due to lack of integration. To correct this situation faith leaders of the communities should hold regular meetings to discuss and promote interfaith relationships. This encourages less hostile attitudes between the people like in Leister. The majority of Asians came from Africa where they were used to British people, when they came to Britain they could relate to the people more easily than the Asians from Oldham. Another major barrier between people is language and dress. If people cannot communicate with one another it is impossible for interfaith relationships. It is also quite common for people from different racial backgrounds to stereotype Muslims by the way the women dress. As they find it foreign they cannot form a relationship with them, this results in people perceiving Muslims with hostility. In conclusion to this essay I believe there should be more interfaith relationships and language barriers should be broken down, this way people from different cultural and racial backgrounds can relate to one-another and not stereotype or generalize. There should be more integration especially in schools, also there shouldn't be segregated communities, people from different nationalities should live together. There already is an increase in women choosing there marriage partners, and women having children later on in life so they can actively partake in more career based roles. Due to the education in this country it is estimated that after a couple of generations language barriers would be broken down, that more Westernized dress would be adapted to in a way that seems Islamic and women would take up more prominent roles in the Islamic and in wider communities. This could be an advantage as well as a disadvantage, there could be spokeswomen who is highly educated in the fields of politics and other high profile careers, this way they could be interviewed by the media and as a result the general Non-Muslim public would be more aware of Islamic teachings and see it in a more acceptable and not so negative light. This is the possible future for Muslim women in this multicultural society. However, my personal opinion as a Muslim living in British society would be that it is important to remember that though these women may become more prominent in secular society as Islam's â€Å"leading women†, they would be placed under a negative light from fellow Muslims. These women in partaking such active roles would be leaving their idealistic obligatory role as according to Islam, also to get to this ‘possible future' would mean many rules would have to be broken, twisted or forgotten completely. According to Islam a woman's true worth would be greatly acknowledged if her duty at home first is complete.

Essay about Writing Assignment

Essay about Writing Assignment Essay about Writing Assignment Writing Assignment #2 The topic of dreams and their relative function or purpose has long been a topic of research and discussion. â€Å"Evolutionary psychologists have proposed that dreams may offer a safe way to rehearse ways of dealing with dangerous situations† (Franklin & Zyphur, 2005, as cited by Zimbardo, Johnson, & McCann, 2009, pp 351). Antti Revonsuo is in agreement with these evolutionary psychologists and has developed the Threat-Simulation Theory (TST) that suggests dreaming serves an evolutionary function. Revonsuo’s TST suggests that dreaming is specialized in the simulation of threatening events which provides an offline context in which threat perception and avoidance skills could be rehearsed (Revonsuo & Valli, 2008). According to Revonsuo and Valli (2008), â€Å"The main predictions of the TST are that threatening events are frequent and overrepresented in dreams, that exposure to real threats activates the threat-simulation system, and thats dream threats contain rea listic rehearsals of threat avoidance responses†. The TST also predicts that individuals that experience more real life threats will produce more threat-simulations and have more effective simulated responses (Revonsuo & Valli, 2008). Revonsuo conducted a study in which, according to his research, proves the TST to be true. Susan Malcolm- Smith and Mark Solms re-tested Revonsuo’s theory in which they state their research evidence contradicts the key aspects of the TST. Sampling In the study conducted by Revonsuo, Valli, Palkas, Ismail, Ali, and Punamaki, The threat simulation theory of the evolutionary function of dreaming: Evidence from dreams of traumatized children (2003), they sample and compare 187 children from Kurdish, Iraq and Finland. From this point forward I will refer to this study as â€Å"Revonsuo’s study†. This study used a sample of 117 children from the highly traumatized area of Kurdish. These children were split into two groups according to their relative reported amount of trauma experienced. The amount of trauma was determined based on a scale of 20 items referring to events typically experienced by children of this area. The Trauma group, or the children that experienced the most amount of trauma, consisted of 64 children ages 9-17 (M/F=28/36). The Control group, or the children that experienced the lesser amount of trauma of Kurdish children, consisted of 53 children ages 9-17(M/F=20/33). The sample of non-traumatized ch ildren came from a Finnish sample that had experienced significantly less environmental, political or military traumatic experiences. This Non- Trauma group consisted of 70 children ages 7-12 (M/F=23/47). In the study conducted by Malcolm-Smith and Solms, Incidence of threat in dreams: A response to Revonsuo’s threat simulation theory (2004), the research sample came from a group of undergraduate students at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. From this point forward I wil refer to this study as the â€Å"Malcolm-Smith’s study†. The authors state that violence and trauma are commonplace in South Africa (Malcolm-Smith & Solms, 2004). There were 401 participants (M/F=100/301) and the research only states that the median age of the sample is 20 years. I see many issues with these samplings. Again, I believe that if Malcolm-Smith and Solms were looking to replicate the previous Revonsou study than the sampling should have been more comparable in all aspects. Malcolm-Smith’s study only selected one group from a high trauma environment, there was no non-trauma group selected in which to compare results, the age range is not provided, the median age is much higher, and the male:female ratio is skewed much more than in Revonsuo’s study. Malcolm-Smith’s study also used college educated participants. It is much more likely that this group has knowledge of psychology and research methods than do the Revonsuo sample. I do not believe these sample groups are comparable. Data Collection and Method In Revonsuo’s

More Words Drawn from Trahere

More Words Drawn from Trahere More Words Drawn from â€Å"Trahere† More Words Drawn from â€Å"Trahere† By Mark Nichol A recent post explored tract and other words derived from the Latin verb trahere (â€Å"draw†) that are based on tract. Here, other words stemming from trahere that do not build on tract are listed and defined. The descendant of trahere that most closely resembles tract is trace. To trace is to discover or follow, to form or imprint, or to copy or record. A trace is a path or line (or a geometrical intersection), a barely detectable or measurable amount or a vestige of something, or a marking or plan. Someone or something that traces is a tracer, such as a substance that enables observers to chart a process or the progress of a condition in a medical patient; a tracer bullet is ammunition that gives off light or smoke to mark its path, helping the gunner determine accuracy of aim. To trail is to extend or hang down, to carry, drag, or tow, to lag behind, straggle, or plod, to dwindle, or to pursue prey. A trail is a course or path or a sign of progress along a course or path portray, such as a mark or a scent. It may also refer literally to something that is or appears to be drawn along or figuratively to an aftermath. Something that trails is a trailer, such as a vehicle that carries cargo or another vehicle or serves as a temporary shelter. In filmmaking, a trailer is an extra length of film attached at the end of a reel of footage or, counterintuitively, a short selection of footage from a film or television program that serves as a preview. Treat, from trahere by way of tractare, which came to mean â€Å"conduct oneself† or â€Å"manage,† means â€Å"bargain,† â€Å"negotiate,† or â€Å"deal with.† Extending the sense of â€Å"deal with,† treat also came to refer to medical attention, and from the other senses it eventually applied to food or drink offered to others. That sense resulted in the use of treat to refer to a delicacy (as in the Halloween expression â€Å"Trick or treat†) and, by extension, a pleasant experience. The noun treatment pertains to how something is managed or how one behaves toward someone or something, or to medical attention. (A medical condition is called treatable or untreatable based on whether there is a cure for it.) To maltreat or mistreat is to abuse; the noun forms are maltreatment and mistreatment. Meanwhile, a treatise is a methodical argument or exposition that treats, or deals, with a topic, and a treaty is a document that details an a greement resulting from negotiation. Entreat means â€Å"plead,† from the sense of negotiation; an act of pleading is called an entreaty and the notion of doing so is entreatment. To retreat is to draw back, literally or figuratively, and a retreat is such a movement, or an event at which one withdraws from one’s daily routine to study or reflect. American English directly borrowed trattoria, an Italian word for a small restaurant, to refer to such establishments, usually ones featuring Italian cuisine, in the United States; the word stems from the French verb traitier (meaning treat), which derives from tractare. To train (from trahere by way of traginare) is to literally or figurative draw along by directing, instructing, or teaching, or to subject oneself to such actions. One may train an aiming device at a target or objective, and train can also mean simply â€Å"drag.† A train is one or more of various things (or people) drawn by something else. It can consist of one or more connected vehicles drawn along a road or a railway by an engine, or simply a moving line of vehicles (or people or animals); it can also refer to a group of followers or attendants. (To entrain is to board a railroad train.) Train might also pertain to support vehicles and personnel for a military unit detailed for combat, to a series of mechanical parts that enable motion or a literal or figurative equivalent for achieving results, or to an order of occurrence or a succession of thoughts or actions. A train is also that part of a gown fashioned to trail along behind the person wearing it. One who trains is a trainer, and one who is trained is a trainee. Someone or something that can be trained is trainable, and the antonym is untrainable. (Something not or not yet trained is untrained.) To retrain is to train again, and training is both a verb referring to the action and a noun referring to the act or process (as well as an adjective). Portray (literally, â€Å"draw forth†) means â€Å"draw† or â€Å"paint†; the result is a portrait. (Both words also refer, by extension, to any characterization or description of one or more people.) Portraiture is the act of making portraits, though the word may also be synonymous with portrait. Trait, derived from trahere by way of tractare, means â€Å"characteristic† or â€Å"quality† or, less commonly, a stroke or trail. (Traitor is unrelated; it stems from tradere, meaning â€Å"deliver,† and is therefore related to trade.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Grammar Test 1Does "Mr" Take a Period?Confusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns

Impact of the teacher PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Impact of the teacher - PowerPoint Presentation Example This security came in the form of learning and in one’s own growth levels as well as the aspects related with fears of speaking out in class and deep down knowing that any answer given out loud was at very least an answer to the call for courage. Most of the students were safe and secure from their own mind that ridiculed them time and again. This was the essence of her teaching that the students stayed up late at night to complete their homework because every letter that looked back at them suggested who they were and what they had done. These letters looked deceiving one’s own self just like one’s brain. These swirled with doubt and self-loathing in a constant dazzling confusion, locked in an eternal uncertainty. Mrs. Martin was able to change all that. While it was not until fourth grade that Mrs. Martin showed me that there was nothing wrong with my mind, I had been battling with dyslexia ever since. I had to re-learn how to learn and find the shrewdest of tr icks just to get by. Mrs. Martin showed me and countless other students that while we might fail to accomplish our goal in some areas, it would certainly not mean we had failed as humans. To a dyslexic patient, the world can be easily learned and absorbed in a multitude of ways, sometimes not always through the most traditional means and ways. Books on tape, lectures, hands on, and kinesthetic learning in general became the savior of my academic career. Struggling to learn how to read and write allowed me to understand alternatives as well.

Organisational Learning and Knowledge Management at General Electric Essay

Organisational Learning and Knowledge Management at General Electric - Essay Example This is much higher than the industry average, due largely to the knowledge management systems in place at this multi-national enterprise. General Electric is a top-down, centralized management hierarchy with divisional management reporting to executive leadership at company headquarters, led by Chairman Jeffrey Immelt. In order to establish appropriate cost control and generalized leadership controls, the company requires this centralized organizational structure due to the interdependence between all divisions and the high volume of employees at GE. The centralized nature of General Electric somewhat confounds the traditionalist viewpoint of knowledge management systems, as it is generally recognised that in order to effectively manage knowledge, employees must be more interactive in decision-making through autonomous learning and job role functioning (Davenport, Jarvenpaa, and Beers, 1996; Swan, Scarbrough and Robertson, 2002). The centralized structure of General Electric is what prompted analysis of this particular business case as it defies the argument that a decentralized structure ensures more efficient knowledge management processes. In order to manage knowledge and promote organizational learning, GE relies on technology, experiential learning processes, the SECI model promoted by Nonaka, and bounded rationality as key approaches to facilitate KM practices. GE is governed by leadership that understands the complexities of multi-national business operations. Offers Jack Welch, previous CEO of GE, â€Å"you can’t manage what you can’t measure† (Seymour 2008: 28). Time constraints, the practical market environment and its unpredictability in certain markets, and the differing cultural dimensions of diverse employee populations create difficulty in creating concrete and time-sensitive decisions without recognizing the boundaries associated with rational decision-making. Thus, GE’s approach to knowledge management is based on p racticality rather than ideology which drives aspects of its cultural development focus and short-term business objective planning. This report highlights the knowledge management and learning practices at GE with a focus on the systems in place to promote such activities. GE cultures, systems, structure, and practices General Electric follows the SECI model which focuses on the relationship between socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization. Despite its centralized hierarchy, General Electric prides itself on its commitment to building positive interpersonal relationships between management and employees, building a culture of innovation, cooperation, team work, and loyalty. Thus, against the SECI model, GE is most closely focused on socialization in order to effectively manage knowledge and promote organizational learning. The knowledge that resides within GE is largely tacit, this being the knowledge that is largely intangible and attached closely to individ ual implicit expertise (Dinur 2011).

International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Relations - Essay Example This would involve the Americans thinking the worst about Iran and to act out of self-interest. This probably would mean that Iran would be bombed. The second approach could be a liberal one which would involve the U.S. acting within the bounds of the international system. Both of these approaches will be explored in this brief essay. Realism involves looking at the political system in a way that takes self-interest as the paramount motivator for actors. There is not really any such thing as altruism in this theory, only power and efforts to accumulate power. In order to have power, a country must have security (Bell, 2008, p. 25). For the United States, Iran represents a serious security threat to the world order it has established. Iran threatens Israel and to a less extent Saudi Arabia. A lot of the rhetoric from Iran is poisonous and also suggests Iran is a threat. Washington can only take Iran at its word when it says that it wants to destroy Israel, America's ally. The way that Iran treats its own people lends all of this credence too. Because of these factors, the United States should act decisively. Clearly, negotiation has not been successful. For many American realists, the only thing that Iran will understand is force. Following this theory through to its conclusion, it seems necessary for America to bomb Iran. Politicians like Dick Cheney might be described as realists.

Literature Review Of Forecasting And Definitions Business Essay

Literature Review Of Forecasting And Definitions Business Essay Forecasting is supposed to be one of the oldest management activities. In biblical times there were frequent allusions to clairvoyants and prophets. Nowadays it is becoming increasingly necessary for companies to make forecasts; those that do not give the prospect to their competitors a clear advantage. No forecasting is a main cause of most of todays business failures. In the past, goods could be sold on company reputation alone and forecasting was not too important. In todays more competitive times, sentiment does not apply, and firms that do not challenge their selves to make an accurate forecast on which to base their future production will find it increasingly difficult to survive (Lancaster G.A. Lomas R.A., 1985). Forecasting is important for many aspects of the modern business. Organisations make plans which become effective at some point in the future so they need information about prevailing circumstances (Waters, 2003). This information must be forecast; but unfortunately forecasting is a difficult situation and despite its importance, progress in many areas has been limited (Waters, 2003). According to literature forecasting can be defined: Forecasting is predicting, projecting, or estimating some future event or condition which is outside an organizations control and provides a basis for managerial planning (Golden J. et.al, 1994, p.33) Forecasting is generally used to predict or describe what will happen (for example to sales demand, cash flow, or employment levels) given a set of circumstances or assumptions (Waddell D., et.al, 1994, p.41) Forecasting is a projection into the future of expected demand, given a stated set of environmental conditions (Mentzer J.T. Moon M.A., 2005, p.9) 2.3 Importance of Forecasting Todays globalized business market, the systematic move from push to pull manufacturing, and the rise in consumer oriented economies, have led to a much more complex forecasting world (Lapide, 2006). Forecasters are being asked to create plans for expanding geographies, increased numbers of sales channels, and broader, more diverse, and shorter life cycle product lines. This complexity means that markets are more dynamic and the business environment is not stable (Lapide, 2006). The importance of forecasting is finding in a great range of planning and decision making circumstances. It is essential to mention those perspectives that forecasting can become a useful tool for management in many departments of an organization. In marketing, a great amount of decisions can be improved significantly by connect them with dependable forecasts of market size and market characteristics (Makridakis and Wheelwright, 1989). Having this in mind for example, a company that produces and sells electrical devices should be able to forecast what the demand will be for each of its products by geographic region and type of consumer (Makridakis and Wheelwright, 1989). In production an essential need of forecasting is the area of product demand. This relates with the both prediction of volumes mix so as the organization can plan its production schedule and organize appropriate its inventories (Makridakis and Wheelwright, 1989). Another area that the recent years have linked a lot with forecasting is finance and accounting. These departments must forecast cash flows and the rates at which various expenses and revenues will occur if they are to maintain company liquidity and operating efficiiency (Makridakis and Wheelwright, 1989). Due to the nowadays difficult economic conditions that the whole business markets face up the importance of forecasting has become more imperative than ever. Marketing practitioners regard forecasting as an important part of their jobs. For example, in Dalrymple (1975), 93% of the companies sampled pointed out that sales forecasting was one of the most critical aspects, or a very important aspect of their companys success. Also Jobber, Hooley and Sanderson (1985), in a survey of 353 marketing directors from British textile firms, found that sales forecasting was the most common of nine activities on which they reported (Armostrong J. S. et. al, 2005). Moreover Dalrymple (1987), in a survey among 134 US companies, found that 99% prepared formal forecasts when they developed written marketing plans. Winklhofer et. al (1996) notes some basic factors that the importance of forecasting has become widely essential for the organizations in recent years: The increasing complexity of organizations and their environments led to difficulties for decision makers to take account of all the factors relating to the future growth of the organization into account; Organizations have moved towards more systematic decision making that contains explicit justifications for individual actions, and formalized forecasting is one way that these actions can be maintained; The development of the forecasting methods has enables not only forecasting experts but also managers to become familiar with these techniques. 2.4 Forecasting Methods Moving on, the next step is to present and to analyze the forecasting methods. Forecasting methods can be divided in three basic categories: a) Quantitative or Statistical b) Qualitative or Judgmental c) Time Horizon 2.5 Quantitative or Statistical Quantitative Forecasts base on mathematical models and suppose that past data and other relevant factors can be combined into reliable predictions of the future (The Journal of Business Forecasting, fall 2000). In preparing a quantitative forecast it should begin with a number of observed values, past data, or observations (Makridakis and Wheelwright, 1989). These observations may represent many things, from the actual number of units sold to the cost of producing each unit to the number of people employed (Makridakis and Wheelwright, 1989). Quantitative Forecasts can be divided into two alternative options; projective and casual. 2.5.1 Projective Methods These methods rely on historical data and they are known as time-series. These can be used to discover systematic, seasonal deviations in the data, cyclical patterns, trends and growth rates of the trends (Korpela J. et.al, 1996, p.162). Time-series analyze the data to find out which patterns exist and then develop a suitable forecast equation (Mentzer T. and Mark A.M., 2005). The main forecasting techniques included in this category are moving averages, exponential smoothing and a model for trend and seasonality. A short review of these methods follows. Moving Average Moving average takes account of the calculation of the average of the sample and then forecast the next period having as a driver this average. This is a proper method in order to predict from a series of data which has shown regular historical patterns and where there is a long series. Also they are suitable of predicting seasonal sales but they cant predict accurate rapid modifications in markets. Exponential Smoothing Exponential smoothing is the most popular and cost effective of the statistical methods. It bases on the principle that the latest data should be weighted more heavily and smoothers out cyclical variations to forecast the trend (Armostrong J. S. et. al, 2005). It relies on the idea that as data gets older it becomes less relevant and should be given less weight (Waters, 2003). In order to make this calculation it is needed the old average, the actual new demand and a weighting factor (Wild, 2002). Model for seasonality and trend The techniques that have been discussed so far have assumed that the basic underlying pattern of the past sales data has been horizontal. Waters (2003) proposes a model for use under some specific circumstances such as seasonality and trend in the demand. Demand can be divided in separate parts and more specifically: a) underlying value, which characterizes the main demand that should be adjusted for seasonality and trend b) trend which is the change in demand, c) seasonality which is the cyclical variation around the trend and finally d) noise which is a random effect. 2.5.2 Casual Methods The core assumption behind the casual methods is to use refined and specific information concerning variables to develop a correlation between a lead event and the event being forecasted (Korpela J. et.al, 1996, p.162). The idea based on the hypothesis that there is a discernible relationship between the forecasted variable and a measurable independent variable (Lancaster G.A. Lomas R.A., 1985). A typical example of casual methods is regression method. Regression Method By using a regression method the demand forecast is based on a relationship of one event to another. The use of regression method requires a large amount of data for the forecast variable and the casual variables. 2.6 Qualitative or Judgmental Qualitative Forecasts (The Journal of Business Forecasting, fall 2000) are based on opinions, knowledge and skills rather than more formal analysis. They are used where there is no historical data. These types of forecasts are one of the simplest and widely used forecasting approaches available (Makridakis and Wheelwright, 1989). Its core idea rely on the corporation of the executives by discussing and deciding as a group what their best estimate for is for the item to be forecast (Makridakis and Wheelwright, 1989). The most important judgmental methods are Delphi, Market Surveys and Historical Analogy. Delphi In the Delphi method at least two rounds of forecasts are obtained independently from a small group of experts. This group can be between five and twenty experienced and suitable experts and poll them for their forecasts and reasons (Armstrong J.S, et.al, 2005). The experts never actually meet and typically do not know who the other panel members are (Wisniewski, 2006). After each round, the experts forecasts summed up and reported back to the experts (Armstrong J.S., 2006). The cycle can go on from a second to a third round and so on if appropriate (Lancaster G.A. Lomas R.A., 1985). Typically the Delphi method is used to produce a narrow range of forecasts rather than a single view of the future (Wisniewski, 2006). Market surveys Logic dictates that the most sensible approach to preparing a sales forecast might be ask ones customers (Lancaster G.A. Lomas R.A., 1985). It is a simple matter to ask customers what their likely purchases will be for the period it is desired to forecast. So companies make surveys in order to collect these data from customers and then by analysing their answers produce the forecasts. This method is best used when the number of users is small, when they are likely to state their purchasing intention with reasonable accuracy and when the forecaster knows the extent of competition in the market-place and the companys likely share of the total market (Lancaster G.A. Lomas R.A., 1985, p. 131). Historical Analogy Under limited circumstances it may be possible to produce forecasts based on observed patterns of some similar variable in the past (Wisniewski, 2006).The concept of this method based on the product life-cycle which assumes that the most of the products follow the reasonable stages of introduction, growth, maturity, decline (Lancaster G.A. Lomas R.A., 1985) as the figure 2.1 shows. The product life-cycle theory has been applied in many industries and has proved useful in identifying future strategies for products and services (Lancaster G.A. Lomas R.A., 1985). Maturity Sales/Profit Decline Growth Introduction Time Figure 2.1: Product life cycle Source: (Wisniewski M. (2006), Quantitative Methods for Decision Makers (4th Edition), Prentice Hall, p. 295) 2.7 Time Horizon Forecasts can be classified in terms of time span they cover in the future. The basic types of time horizon forecasts are long-term, medium-term and short-term (Korpela J. et.al, 1996, p.161). The long-term forecasts cover a time span of 3-10 years and they are used in the analysis of standard commitments and can be characterized as strategic decisions. The medium-term forecasts are made for one year to support production planning in the face of highly cyclical demand and can be characterized as tactical decisions. Finally short-term forecasts cover a time of one week to three months and they are used to control manufacturing levels and stock replenishment in the face of short demand variation. Short-term forecasts are concerned for operational decisions (Korpela J. et.al, 1996; Waters, 2003). 2.8 Forecast Error Inaccurate forecasts are the single most common problem that every company faces. Nowadays due to the rise of the technology there are many events or areas that can be predicted such as 1) seasonality, 2) average relationships, 3) average cyclical patterns, 4) emerging technological trends and their influence and many other factors. But on the other hand because future is something unknown there are always situations that are very difficult to predict such as 1) special events, 2) competitive actions or reactions, 3) sales of new products, 4) the start and depth of recessions, 5) changes in trends, 6) changes in relationships or attitudes, 7) and technological innovations (Makridakis and Wheelwright, 1989). Golden J. et.al, 1994, points out three ways-aspects that can reduce the forecast error by taking into consideration the followings: Knowing the market: take the pulse of those who will actually buy and use the product. Be independent. Deflate forecasts for a margin of safety. It is generally known that every forecaster knows that he/she should measure forecast errors. Most of them do it however only for the reason to see how well they are doing. The important is to measure forecasting errors for two primary reasons: to learn from them and to manage demand risk (Lapide L., 2007). Regarding learning from them, forecasts errors should be analyzed to access where errors are too high or have gotten to large so that more focus can be placed in those areas for improvement (Lapide L., 2007). Regarding managing for demand risk, users of the forecast need to know how accurate they are in order to leverage risk management strategies designed to mitigate the risk (Lapide L., 2007). 2.9 Forecasting methods criteria When carrying out market demand forecasts, one often confronts with the problem of the inappropriate selection of a forecast method. It should be noted that in every actual forecast situation methods have their advantages and disadvantages, hence, it is important to define and analyse forecast method selection criteria (Pilinkiene, 2008). In order to select the appropriate method several criteria should be considered such as a) forecast accuracy degree, b) time span, c) amount of necessary initial data, d) forecast costs, e) result implementation and applicability level (Pilinkiene, 2008). According to Cox and Mentzer study (Table 2.1) (1984;cited by Mentzer and Kahn,1995) identified accuracy (92%) and credibility (92%) as top criteria for choosing a forecast technique. Criteria Sample Size % Important Accuracy 205 92 Credibility 206 92 Customer Service Performance 199 77 Ease of Use 206 75 Inventory Turns 198 55 Amount of Data Required 205 46 Cost 205 41 Return on Investment 199 35 Table 2.1: Top criteria for choosing a forecast technique (Source: Mentzer J.T Kahn K.B., (1995) Forecasting Technique Familiarity, Satisfaction, Usage, and Application, Journal of Forecasting, vol.14, p.474) Moreover another important research made by Yokum and Armstrong (1995) (Table 2.2) which based in a survey among 322 experts in forecasting identified the most important criteria. There were 94 researchers, 55 educators, 133 practitioners (i.e. forecast preparers) and 40 decision makers (i.e. forecast users). From this study accuracy was the dominant criterion -rated 6.2 on average-, next was timeliness in providing forecasts, and cost savings resulting from improved decisions. After that five other criteria rated based on ease such as ease of use. Mean agreement rating Question Avg. Decision Maker (DM) Practitioner (PR) Educator (ED) Researcher (RS) Accuracy 6.20 6.20 6.10 6.09 6.39*DM,PR,ED Timeliness in providing forecasts 5.89 5.97 5.92 5.82 5.87 Cost savings resulting from improved decisions 5.75 5.97 5.62 5.66 5.89 Ease of interpretation 5.69 5.82 5.67 5.89 5.54 Flexibility 5.58 5.85*PR,ED,RS 5.63 5.35 5.54 Ease in using available data 5.54 5.79 5.44 5.52 5.59 Ease of use 5.54 5.84*PR,RS 5.39 5.77*PR, RS 5.47 Ease of implementation 5.41 5.80*PR,ED,RS 5.36 5.55 5.24 Incorporating judgmental input 5.11 5.15 5.19 5.12 4.98 Reliability of confidence int. 4.90 5.05 4.81 4.70 5.09 Development cost(computer, human resources) 4.86 5.10 4.83 5.02 4.70 Maintenance cost (data storage, modifications) 4.73 4.72 4.73 4.75 4.71 Theoretical relevance 4.40 3.72 4.43*DM 4.20*DM 4.81*DM *denotes significantly higher ratings (p Table 2.2: Importance of criteria in selecting a forecasting technique (scale- 1 unimportant to 7 important) (Source: Yokum, J. J.S. Armstrong (1995) Beyond Accuracy: Comparison of criteria Used to Select Forecasting Methods, International Journal of Forecasting, 11, p. 593) 2.10 Planning Practices for Improving Forecasting After the analysis of the available forecasting methods and their selection criteria the next step is to propose some planning practices that can improve forecasting, It is known that these practices are not necessary best fit with every company and before someone wants to implement them an evaluation of companys core practices should be made. That can help a company to identify its advantages and disadvantages in order to survive in todays tough market environment and with the help of these practices can become the leader of the market. The complexity and uncertainty that exist in the todays business environment creates many problems to every function of a company. This also affects supply chain management which its initial target is to meet the needs of the final consumer by supplying the right product at the right place, time and price (Helms et.al, 2000). This complexity elevates forecasting accuracy and effectiveness as an elusive target. Many companies are, however, making significant, improvements by using an approach that supports and facilitates the concept of supply chain management by improving the forecasting practices (Helms et.al, 2000). So the planning practices that can improve forecasting are: a) Sales and Operation Planning (SOP) and b) Collaborative Planning Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR). These practices will be analyzed and explained in the following subchapters. 2.10.1 Sales and Operation Planning****FRAMEWORKS*** Sales and Operating Planning (SOP), is a cross-functional process that brings together teams of individuals on a routine basis to plan for where businesses are going on a operational/tactical basis and is considered a supply chain best practice (The Journal of Business Forecasting, 2005; Lapide, 2006). Sales and Operations Planning (SOP) has emerged as a powerful decision-making tool for executives and managers (Wallace et.al, 2005). It is a set of decision making process that 1) balances demand and supply, 2) links a companys day-to-day operations with its strategic and business plans and 3) integrates operational planning with financial planning (Wallace et.al, 2005). ***ÃŽâ„ ¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ £ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ©ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ £ ÃŽÂ ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ ÃŽÅ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ © ÃŽÂ £ÃƒÅ½ÃƒÅ½-ΜΑ ÃŽâ€Å"ÃŽâ„ ¢ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ ÃŽÂ ¤ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ 1,2,3** Each team member brings to the process a specific perspective during the development of supply and demand plans/forecasts (Lapide, 2006). Each SOP team member may have to generate, review and revise demand forecasts that reflect the aspects of a business with which they are most familiar (Lapide, 2006). SOP, leverages Supply-Demand Matching, an operating principle that involves balancing supply and demand over time in order to satisfy demand, optimize operations, and minimize wasted resources (The Journal of Business Forecasting, 2005). Under an SOP process, a companys sales and marketing plans are aligned with the plans of operations, logistics, manufacturing, and procurement in order to jointly optimize future demand-supply operations. It is a process from which the final constrained and unconstrained demand forecasts are developed and then used to drive operational planning activities (The Journal of Business Forecasting, 2005). ***Ά¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ £ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒÅ½-ÃŽÂ £ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ ÃŽÂ ¤ÃƒÅ½Ã… ¸ ÃŽâ„ ¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¤ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¤, ÃŽÂ ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ ÃŽâ€Å"ÃŽÂ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¨ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ©*** The major input for the implementation of SP is the behavioural change of the people inside the organisation and is regarded to be as the most difficult element (Wallace, 2010). Other elements such as software tools, data and the specifics of the process may be essential, but theyre of far less significance. Taking this as a standard the point is that a successful implementation of SOP is a matter of change management. The amount of change is significant. Its not a matter of doing something better; its about doing things differently-to be better (Wallace, 2010). In order to understand SOP process in is important to present and explain the four fundamentals which are demand and supply, volume and mix figure 2.2. Volume (How much?, Rates, Product families) Supply Demand Mix (Which ones?, Timing/Sequence, Products/SKUs) Figure 2.2: The Four Fundamentals Source: Wallace T. Stahl B., (2005), Sales Operation Planning- The Next Generation, pp.6) SOP is a tool to balance demand and supply at the volume level. It deals with rates of sales and production, aggregate inventories and backlogs. It is typically expressed in product families or other aggregate groupings; it answers the question how much. At the mix level the matter is about with which individual products run first, second, third and which customer orders will ship when. It answers the question which ones giving the details (Wallace et.al, 2005). Another important mission for SOP is to tie together the companys operational plans with its financial plans. The financial plans represent, critically essential evident, to deliver X amount of revenue and profit dollars for a specific period of the year. These commitments are made to some very important people such as the corporate office, the board of the directors, the Wall Street and ultimately to owners of the business: the stockholders (Wallace et.al, 2005). On the other hand, the operational plans focus on things like procurement, production, sales, inventories and so on. When these operational plans are not aligned with the business and financial plans, there is a detach. (Wallace et.al, 2005). 2.10.1.1 Sales and Operation Planning Benefits Implementing SOP in a business the benefits will be essential and immediate. These benefits can be categorized into two groups, the hard benefits and the soft benefits. As far as it concerns the hard benefits these can be the following (Wallace et.al, 2005): Higher Customer Service, by developing the ability to ship on time and complete at a higher rate than before SOP. Lower Finished Goods Inventories, by doing a better job of shipping to customers with lower, not higher, inventories. Shorter Customer Lead Times, through an enhanced ability to manage the customer order backlog and keep it at a low level. More Stable Production Rates, due to the ability to predict the future shifts in customer demand sooner and thus make smaller adjustments to production rates. Higher Productivity, by avoiding extreme fluctuations in production volumes with their attendant layoffs and rehiring. Moving on to the soft benefits these include (Wallace et.al, 2005): Enhanced Teamwork, at both the executive and operating management levels, resulting from the holistic view of the business that SOP provides. Better Decisions, by decreasing effort and time. SOP offers, increases effectiveness which improves the quality and the structure of decisions on demand and supply issues. Greater Accountability and Control, due to the backward and forward visibility that SOP provides. 2.10.1.2 Examples of Implementing Sales and Operation Planning a) Coca-Cola Midi (CCM): In France there is a manufacturing regional plant that produces -over 700 SKUs, encompassing 79,000 tons- soft drinks concentrates and juice beverages bases for Europe, Asia and Africa. SOP was implemented at CCM when the plant was started in 1991. SOP is for CCM the backbone for planning, manufacturing and supply-chain activities. SOP enables disciplined and formalized communications across the company, and between all the suppliers, partners and customers. Continuous improvement in customer service, inventory management, obsolete products, and freight costs were some of SOP benefits after the implementation. (www.partnersforexcellence.com). b) ***ÃŽÂ ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ ΒΑΆºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ © ΑΆºÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃƒÅ½Ã… ¸ ÃŽÂ  ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬ ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â€ž ¢ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬Å"ΜΑ*** 2.10.2 Collaborative Planning Forecasting Replenishment (CPFR) Collaborative planning forecasting and replenishment (CPFR), is a revolutionary business practices where in trading partners use technology and a standard set of business processes for Internet-based collaboration on forecasts and plans for replenishment (KJR Consulting, 2002). CPFR can be categorized into these collaborative business practices that enabled trading partners to have visibility into ones other critical demand, order forecasts and promotional forecasts. The objective of CPFR is to improve efficiencies across the extended supply chain, reducing inventories, improving service levels and increasing sales (KJR Consulting, 2002). Wal-Mart and Warner-Lambert embarked on the first CPFR pilot, involving Listerine products, in 1991. In their pilot, Wal-Mart and Warner-Lambert used special CPFR software to exchange forecasts. Supportive data, such as past sales trends, promotion plans, and even the weather, were often transferred in an iterative fashion to allow them to converge on a single forecast in case their original forecast differed (Avin Y., 2001). As a result of CPFR implementation Warner-Lamberts service levels increased from 87% to 98%, while the lead times to deliver the product decreased from 21 to 11 days (Boone T. et.al, 2000).***ÃŽÂ ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ ΆÃƒÅ½Ã‚ © ÃŽ-ΜΆ¢ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã… ¸ÃƒÅ½Ã…“ÃŽ-ÃŽÂ ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â€ž ¢ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ** Also this pilot was very successful, having as a result an increase in Listerine sales and better fill rates, having also a reduction on inventory investment (Avin Y., 2001). The key idea behind CPRF is that the trading partners (retailer and manufacturer), work together in order to produce a common forecast. Both the retailer and the manufacturer collect market intelligence on product information, store programs etc., and share it in real-time over the Internet. In most cases, the retailer owns the sales forecast; if the manufacturer agrees with the forecast, automatic replenishments are made to the retailer via predetermined business contracts so that a specific level of inventory or customer service is maintained (Boone T. et.al, 2000). In the case that the retailer and the manufacturer cant agree on the forecasts or if there are exceptions, such as unusual demand season or a store opening, the forecasts are reconciled manually. An important point is before the implementation of CPFR when the partners should agree on several key questions such as how to measure service levels and stock-out, how to set inventory and service targets (Boone T. et.al, 2000). The difference between CPFR and other business process tools and initiatives, such as Efficient Consumer Response (ECR), is that the other models require critical mass before any benefits are realized. Promotional plans and the business goals are the most famous areas of collaboration between the trading partners. After that order/replenishment plans, inventory status and sales forecast seems to be very critical themes for this relationship. 2.10.2.1 CPFR Process Model ***ÃŽÂ ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ ÃŽÂ ¤ÃƒÅ½Ã… ¸ ÃŽÅ ¾ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ © ΑН ΒΠ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ © ÃŽÅ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¤ÃƒÅ½Ã¢â€ž ¢*** 2.10.2.2 CPFR Benefits There have been recorded and identified many benefits of CPFR. The CPFR documents that are available on the VICS Committee sites show that there is a 30%-40% improvement in forecast accuracy, significant increases in customer service, sales increase between 15% and 60% and reduction in days of supply 15%-20% (Sheffi Y., 2002). AMR Research (2001) reported a range of benefits that came through CPFR implementation in many companies and there are divided into retailer benefits and manufacturer benefits as it is shown in table 2.3. Retailer Benefits Typical Improvement Better store shelf stock rates 2% to 8% Lower inventory levels 10% to 40% Higher sales 5% to 20% Lower logistics costs 3% to 4% Manufacturer Benefits Typical Improvement Lower inventory levels 10% to 40% Faster replenishment cycles 12% to 30% Higher sales 2% to 10% Better customer service 5% to 10% Table 2.3: Typical CPFR Benefits Source: Sheffi Y.,(2002), The value of CPFR, RIRL Conference Proceedings As far as it concerns the retailers benefits the highest is the reduction in inventory levels which has a drop from 10% to 40%. After that the increase in sales from 5% to 20% is another essential benefit. On the other hand the manufacturers benefits relate again with a elimination in inventory levels from 10% to 40% and also it offers a faster replenishment cycles from 12% to 30%. In accordance with a questionnaire constructed by KJR Consulting and sent via e-mail to 130 GMA (Grocery Manufacturers of America) companies that have implement CPFR best practice a great range of benefits raised that can indicate the importance of CPRF for the modern complexity businesses. These benefits have been categorized in the following Figure 2.1. Figure 2.4: Anticipated Benefits of CPFR Sou