The beginning of the social media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The beginning of the social media - Essay Example The early social media explorers made gadgets that were called â€Å"boxes† which were homemade devices that were capable of generating tones hence allowing people to make calls as well as get an experimental back end of telephone systems (Peacock, 2011). Social media has various impacts to our lives especially the people who spend most of their times in social networks. Today, social media has enslaved 72% of men and 79% of women (Trusov, Bucklin, & Pauwels 2009). It has become part of our culture and almost everyone has been affected either directly or indirectly. One of the most profound effects of social media is its impact on our interaction with other people in offline situations. Social competency is a very vital ideal, which majorities of the people strive towards; however, it is very evident that social media affects people’s ability competently interacts in an offline setting. Recent studies based on social competency of teenagers and youths who spend most of their time on social media networks are very conflicting. For instance, a research conducted by the national institute of health showed that youths with stronger and positive offline relationships are probably those that frequently use social media networks in a dditional to interacting face-to –face with the peers (Ryan, 2011). Conversely, other studies show that social media is the excellent avenue for most introverted people to interact with others. Most of the people who are not comfortable in face-to-face interactions prefer interacting with other people in the online environment. The growth and popularity of social media is growing at very fast rates due the advancement in technology. The internet plays a very important role in the growth of social media networks. Today, the internet offers us with various social networking sites that enable us to interact with our friends online. Current

A Stars Life And Death Sciences Essay

A Stars Life And Death Sciences Essay When we look in the sky at night and see all the stars your eyes can see. We think they are permanent although we may think this technology has given us the chance to see otherwise. Massive telescopes like the Hubble space telescope has let us experience and see the birth and death of stars. Where some stars just burn out and fade away other stars go out with a bang. There are billions upon billions of starts in space and their all different sizes. But only one type of star will collapse in and turn its self into a black hole. A protostar: Lets start from the beginning, the pillars of creation is a piece of a space nebula 7,000 light years away from earth in the eagle nebula it is just one of the billion birth places of stars. What are they made up of well Ill tell you they are made up of dust gas and different elements of the periodic table like hydrogen, helium, calcium oxygen silicone and iron. As gravity forces this dust and gas mixture into a flat disc accretion occurs, a process in which more atoms are added to create a protostar. Now at this stage a star is not yet stable because of the countless reactions occurring within the forming star. For this newly forming star to become stable it must reach equilibrium. Equilibrium is the balancing act between the star and gravity. Equilibrium occurs by gas pressure equaling the force of gravity. Gas pressure occurs by thermonuclear fusion which is the combining of the nuclei of small atoms to form the nuclei of larger ones, with a resulting release of large quantities of energy. For nuclear fusion to begin and equilibrium to occur the core of a protostar has to reach 18 million degrees Fahrenheit. When it reaches this critical temperature it will begin nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium. And if nuclear fusion doesnt happen it will end up a brown dwarf. Once nuclear fusion begins a star is born. Main sequence star: A main sequence star is made up of essentially two sections the core where nuclear fusion occurs and the outer gaseous shell. Stars will live out most of their life in the main sequence just as our sun is. Once a star begins nuclear fusion it becomes self luminous it generates its own heat. Now how long will a star live out its life well thats hard to tell it all depends on the stars mass and it turns out that how hot a star is will determine the color of the star like for instance a red dwarf star which is  ½ to 1/10 the mass of our sun. With its surface temperature less than 7,000 degrees Fahrenheit and is also the most common type of star in the universe. However we dont see the small Red stars we see the massive blue main sequence star, its surface temperature is 45,000 degrees Fahrenheit, it is up to 20 times the mass of the sun and up to 10,000 times more luminous than that of our sun. There is however a down side to being a massive blue star. With that being said the less th e mass of a star the less atoms a star has to maintain its equilibrium. The bigger the mass of a star the more atoms a star will have to maintain its equilibrium. With regards to a stars life however the more massive a star the shorter its life will be and the less massive a star the longer its life. This is because in larger stars thermonuclear fusion happens at a much faster rate than that of a smaller star. Once a star has reached equilibrium it has not stopped changing there just isnt a huge amount of change going on, and as we already know a star will live out most of its life in this stage. But we must remember gravity forced the star together to begin with and it also wants to destroy it. The beginning of the end: Once a star has run out of hydrogen to convert to helium, the star will begin to contract so that it can begin to convert helium to carbon so that the star can continue to hold up its equilibrium. For a star to convert helium the internal temperature of the star must reach an astounding 180 million degrees Fahrenheit. at this point the star has now become a red giant or red super giant. As gravity causes the core to contract helium will begin to burn in the core. But rapid hydrogen reactions occur faster in the outer layers of the star. As the temperature of the shell increases the outer layers will begin to swell and expand. Since fusion is releasing more energy in the helium burning stage than in the main sequence the star is a lot less stable. As the star begins to run out of helium it will again contract to convert helium to carbon and oxygen into neon then, magnesium, silicone, sulfur and then iron. As massive stars come to the end of their life it begins to look like an onion i n cross section with the outer layer being hydrogen and the inside being layer after lay after layer of heavier elements. As the massive star tries to convert iron it fails because iron being the stable of all nuclei absorbs energy instead of releasing it. When fusion decreases temperature will also decrease. And the rate of the star collapse increases. As the iron core builds up in the star and gravity contracts it even further the iron core will rebound and smash through the outer layers of the sun kicking of a type 2 super nova. The only thing left of the star is the core left completely intact. Gravity still not giving up on destroying this star will contract it even further and force this core of a star to convert electrons to neutrons only one problem neutrons dont like to be near each other. So now you have a new stable object even smaller and denser. This compact star core becomes a rapid whirling ball of neutrons. Which give the star the name neutron star as gravity compact s this neutron star even further and if at the last moments of the neutron stars death enough matter falls in to its core it will collapse into itself and form a black hole in which nothing escapes not even light. So lets recap we have talked about gravity forcing dust and gas together to form a protostar. Also how nuclear fusion is what makes a star a star and for that to happen the core must reach 18 million degrees Fahrenheit. We also went over that as soon as nuclear fusion begins a star is born. As a star comes to the main sequence it will live here for most of its life. But as soon as the star runs out of hydrogen gravity will contract it until it reaches an internal temperature of 180 million degrees Fahrenheit and will burn helium to keep its equilibrium. The sun will also convert carbon and oxygen into neon then, magnesium, silicone, sulfur and then iron trying to fight off gravities crushing force. But it doesnt happen and the iron core in the star will rebound sending of shock waves causing a type 2 supernova. Leaving the left over core intact and allowing gravity to take over again gravity will force the electrons left over in the core to neutrons and now we have a neutron star tha t gravity will compress and if enough matter falls in the core it will eventually collapse in on itself and form a black hole. All information I used in this speech came from the history channels The Universe Life and death of a star. Season 1 episode 10 and also form http://sunshine.chpc.utah.edu life cycle of a star. Picture of brown dwarf star form http://news.discovery.com/space/rogue-brown-dwarf-lurks-in-our-cosmic-neighborhood.html Picture of Red super giant form http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_784.html Picture of black hole destroying to stars if an artists enactments of the destruction of a black hole picture form http://www.cosmographica.com title Don Dixon space art. All other pictures seen here today were from Hubble space telescope http://hubblesite.org I would like to thank all of you for taking the time to listen to my speech on a stars life and death. Enjoy the rest of your day.

The Death Penalty - Just Punishment for Murder Essay -- Capital Punish

The Death Penalty - Just Punishment for Murder Essay has Problems with Format The death penalty has always been and continues to be a very controversial issue. People on both sides of the issue argue endlessly to gain further support for their movements. While opponents of capital punishment are quick to point out that the United States remains one of the few Western countries that continue to support the death penalty, Americans are also more likely to encounter violent crime than citizens of other countries (Brownlee 31). Justice mandates that criminals receive what they deserve. The punishment must fit the crime. If a burglar deserves imprisonment, then a murderer deserves death (Winters 168). The death penalty is necessary and the only punishment suitable for those convicted of capital offenses. Seventy-five percent of Americans support the death penalty, according to Turner, because it provides a deterrent to some would-be murderers and it also provides for moral and legal justice (83). "Deterrence is a theory: It asks what the effects are of a punishment (does it reduce the crime rate?) and makes testable predictions (punishment reduces the crime rate compared to what it would be without the credible threat of punishment)", (Van Den Haag 29). The deterrent effect of any punishment depends on how quickly the punishment is applied (Workshop 16). Executions are so rare and delayed for so long in comparison th the number of capitol offenses committed that statistical correlations cannot be expected (Winters 104). The number of potential murders that are deterred by the threat of a death penalty may never be known, just as it may never be known how many lives are saved with it. However, it is known that the death penalty does definitely deter those who are executed. Life in prison without the possibility of parole is the alternative to execution presented by those that consider words to be equal to reality. Nothing prevents the people sentenced in this way from being paroled under later laws or later court rulings. Furthermore, nothing prevents them from escaping or killing again while in prison. After all, if they have already received the maximum sentence available, they have nothing to lose. For example, in 1972 the U.S. Supreme Court banished the death penalty. Like other states, Texas commuted all death sentences to life imprisonment. After being r... ...cibly take back what a robber took by force. It would be wrong to imprison someone that illegally imprisoned someone else. It would also be wrong for the police to drive over the speed limit to peruse someone who was speeding. The death penalty is a deserved and just punishment for murder. It does deter some murders, which saves an unknown number of innocent lives. These reasons are why, through all the controversy, three-quarters of Americans continue to support capital punishment. Works Cited The Bible. King James Version. Brownlee, Shannon, Don McGraw, and Jason Vest. "The Place For Vengeance." U.S. News and World Reports 16 June 1997: 24-32. Hartsburg, Hendrick. "Burning Question." The New Republic 20 February 1989: 4+. Norton, Mary, et al. A People and a Nation. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Inc, 1990. Turner, Richard. "Death-Penalty Taboos." Newsweek 30 June 1997: 83. Van Den Haag, Earnest, and John Conrad. The Death Penalty: A Debate. New York: Plenum Press, 1997. Winters. Paul (ed.). The Death Penalty: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press Inc, 1997. Worsnop, Richard. "Death Penalty Debate." CQ Researcher. Vol. 5. 10 March 1995: 193-213.

What Major Events in the Cold War Caused Fidel Castro?

What major events in the Cold War caused Fidel Castro to side with the Soviet Union Super Power? In the 1960’s the world was largely dominated by the Cold War which was a long period of tension and hostility that only occasionally broke out into open warfare. This conflict was caused by the rivalry of two superpowers – the United States and the Soviet Union and emerged after the Second World War. Both super powers had different ideologies – the United States was a capitalist democracy, whereas the Soviet Union were communist.These two super powers tried to influence many different countries throughout the world which ended up causing worldwide tension. More specifically, Cuba as country was affected by the Cold War in many ways and there were many events that caused them to side with the Soviet Union during this time when driven away by America. The major events such as Cuba’s New Regime, the Bay of Pigs attack and the Cuban Missile Crisis all had an impac t on Cuba being pushed away from American alliance and towards the Soviet Union. Cuba was largely controlled and owned by the United States.This includes their economic wealth, oil, refineries, mines, cattle ranches and railways. When Fidel Castro came into power in Cuba, many things changed. He introduced the new regime, which America was extremely suspicious of when Castro began to bring in socialist reforms such as redistribution of land, the collectivization of agriculture and nationalization of transport. These measures affected American investors and in turn caused America to react by banning Cuban sugar imports to America and break all diplomatic relations.USA became more hostile when Castro started trading with the Soviet Union and brought in thousands of Soviet technicians. America began to believe that Cuba was communist, which was not yet the case. America started secretly planning to invade Cuba and to overthrow Fidel Castro. This event of the new regime which was conduc ted after the Cuban Revolution had a great impact in the driving away of Cuba from their alliance with the United States and in turn pushed them closer to the Soviet Union.Another largely to blame event is the American failure of the landing at the Bay of Pigs. This was another attempt to over throw the Cuban government and evict Fidel Castro from power. This affair was a complete disaster on the behalf of America as Castro’s guerrilla forces easily defeated the US invaders within 2 days of the attack and all Americans were killed or taken as prisoners. The Bay of Pigs ambush was extremely embarrassing for the US, both because their involvement had been very public and the whole affair had been poorly planned and executed.Kennedy took public responsibility for the mistakes made, but remained determined to rid Cuba of Castro. This was an extremely short conflict and left USA with great shame and embarrassment. The Cuban Missile Crisis was also an important event that contribut ed largely to Fidel Castro being pushed into alliance with Soviet Union by America. US spy planes spotted nuclear missile sites being built by the Soviet Union on the island of Cuba. After being informed of this, Kennedy called together 18 of his closest advisers to try to resolve the most dangerous confrontation of the cold war.Kennedy decided to place a naval blockade around Cuba with the aim that it would prevent the Soviets from bringing in more military supplies into Cuba. Kennedy demanded the removal of the missiles already there and the destruction of the sites. During the crisis, the two sides exchanged many letters and other communications. The leaders of both superpowers recognized the devastating possibility of a nuclear war and publicly agreed to a deal in which the Soviets would dismantle the weapon sites in exchange for a pledge from the United States not to invade Cuba.In a separate deal, which remained secret for more than twenty-five years, the United States also ag reed to remove its nuclear missiles from Turkey. Although the Soviets removed their missiles from Cuba, they escalated the building of their military arsenal; the missile crisis was over, but the arms race was not. There were several monumental events that occurred during the Cold War that caused Fidel Castro and Cuba to side with the Soviet Union.There were political disagreements between Cuba and the United States, as well as direct conflict and violence between the two. There were extremely tense confrontations between the two super powers that could have ended tragically and caused an entire nuclear war. President Kennedy told Americans after the Cuban Missile Crisis had ended – â€Å"For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal. â€Å"

The Facts and Fictions of the Salem Witch Trials

The idea of witchcraft has been a controversial topic since the begging of time however, witchcraft became better known in 1692, with the begging of the Salem witch trials. Many stories have been written about the Salem witch trials. Some are found in journals, other stories are exaggerated from those journals. The comparison of historical facts and the play the Crucible are the perfect example of an exaggerated actual event. During the Salem witch trials, Tituba was asked to make a â€Å"witchcake† in order to figure was afflicting Betty Parris. She was later accused of witchcraft by Betty and Abigail Parris. Betty and Abigail Parris were the first to be afflicted. Actual symptoms consisted of violent physical tantrums. Rebecca Nurse was hung on July 19th , John Proctor on August 19th, and Martha Corey on September 22nd. Tituba brought stories of voodoo and other supernatural events from Barbados. This alone compelled the girls to take part in harmless fortune-telling. Mrs. Parris was alive during the incident and died in 1696, four years after the incident. The Parris family consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Parris, Betty, Thomas, and Susannah, Abigail was only â€Å"kinfolk†. After the trials Betty was sent away. Tituba was acutally an Indian woman who had a husband named John and a daughter Violet. She was also tortured for a long time before she confessed. John was actually 60 and a tavern keeper. Elizabeth was is 3rd wife. John had a daughter that was 15, a son that is 17, and another son that is 33 from a previous marriage. Mary Warren was 20. The adultery between Abigail and John is unlikely to occur as they lived far from each other and Abigail never worked for them. Rebecca Nurse was considered least likely to be a witch- she was seen as saint-like. The Nurses were not extremely respected because they owed money. Martha Corey was accused of witchcraft and didn't enter a plea. He was pressed with stones in an attempt to force him to plea either was, but he refused. In The Crucible, Tituba was accused of leading 6 girls into the forest to cast spells and charms by a wild dancing ritual. Ruth Putnam was the first girl to be afflicted. The only symptom of bewitchment was not being able to woke from a deep slumber. John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, and Martha Corey were all hung on the same day. Mrs. Parris has been dead for years and the family consisted of Betty. Mr. Parris, Abigail, and Tituba. Betty was present for the trials. Tituba was a single and didn't have a family as a slave. Tituba confessed quickly. John Proctor is young and is a farmer. Elizabeth is his only wife. John Proctor only has 2 young sons. Marry Warren was 17. John and Abigail committed adultery. Abigail worked for the Proctor before Mary. The daughter's named Ruth Putnam. Ruth was the only child of 8 the survive. Both of the Nurses were deeply respected and revered. Giles Corey was executed for refusing to reveal the name of a witness. But, none of this really occurred during the Salem Witch Trials. In my opinion, The Crucible reflected a lot of what happened during the Salem witch trials, but I feel like Arthur Miller exaggerated the historical facts. Miller changed the people's lives. I think he intentionally changed the story like that to make it more interesting, but he changed it just a little to much.

Pay Attention to the Email Subject

Pay Attention to the Email Subject Pay Attention to the Email Subject Pay Attention to the Email Subject By Michael The subject line is the most important part of your email. Its perhaps the source your readers use most to decide whether your message is spam or not. The other is the sender line, your own name and email address. If youre writing to a friend who recognizes your email address immediately (and are you sure they can, by the way?), then maybe you can get away with a subject line that says nothing, such as whats happening? or just a thought or hows it going? But spammers love to use those same meaningless subject lines. Anybody can, because they dont say what the email is about, and they allow spam to be mistaken as personal messages. So for important emails, avoid this sort of unprofessional subject line. Unless youre a spammer. Because you may get mistaken for one. Vague subject lines also make email hard to catalog and find later. Suppose your prospective business client does recognize your email address. Or, armed with the latest spyware and virus updates, your customer decides to take a chance on opening your message which you have cleverly titled Who knew? Suppose it has something important to say. I hope you had something important to say. When your customer rereads the subject lines, looking for the email containing the time and place where he was supposed to sign your $1.3 million contract, how in the world is your customer going to remember which email it was? Was it Who knew? or could it have been Update! Well, you didnt really need that $1.3 million anyway. Today, most email is spam, and your email subject line needs to authenticate your message as non-spam. Being specific and personal is the best way to do that. Put something in the subject line that a spammer couldnt guess: specific names or keywords that would interest your reader. And when you do that, you really are interesting your reader at the same time. Yes, detailed subject lines may seem less personal. But drastic times call for drastic measures. In a sea of spam, a clearly-written email subject line rises to the top like a message in a bottle that says Rescue me! 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 Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Good At, Good In, and Good With"Wracking" or "Racking" Your Brain?150 Foreign Expressions to Inspire You

Determining What Makes A Career Criminal essays

Determining What Makes A Career Criminal essays Determining What Makes A Career Criminal The career criminal, or, more pointedly, those individuals who participate in criminal acts on a regular basis for both a central and constant source of income has, generally, a specific set of identifying factors which, while conclusive in laymen's terms, fail to meet the criteria necessary for scientific inquiry. While definitions exist as to what a career criminal is, the research methods employed in determining these definitions are a large point of contention for criminal justice theorists, especially due to their potential and virtually imminent inclusion to modern hypothesis on the subject. These research methods include longitudinal data collection and compilation, cross-sectional data collection and compilation, and, as at least one group of theorists argue, the most efficient method, informative interviewing. The longitudinal research method employs a data collection technique which focuses on the duration of a particular actin this case, the so-called criminal careerbased not upon specific incidents, but the length of time measured between such acts (Blumstein, Cohen, and Farrington, 1988). That is, an individual's propensity for criminal conduct in a so-called career mode would be measured first by the original act as an origin, then with the succeeding acts, until a final point became evident. Therefore, such a research method would logically conclude that an individual who performed or participated in criminal conduct on two occasions several years apart would be considered a career criminal. It is for this reason, that criminal justice theorists differ as to the applicability and relevance of the longitudinal research method (Blumstein, Cohen, and Farrington, 1988). Since the longitudinal research method could construe two independentor even two interdependantcriminal acts as the foundational make-up of a career criminal, theorists may hypothesize incorrectly as to ...

Vinland Sagas - Viking Colonization of North America

Vinland Sagas - Viking Colonization of North America The Vinland Sagas are four medieval Viking manuscripts that report (among other things) the stories of the Norse colonization of Iceland, Greenland and North America. These stories speak of Thorvald Arvaldson, credited with the Norse discovery of Iceland; Thorvalds son Eirik the Red for Greenland, and Eiriks son Leif (the Lucky) Eiriksson for Baffin Island and North America. But Are the Sagas Accurate? Like any historical document, even those known to be authentic, the sagas are not necessarily factual. Some of them were written hundreds of years after the events; some of the stories were woven together into legends; some of the stories were written for political uses of the day or to highlight heroic events and downplay (or omit) not-so-heroic events. For example, the sagas describe the end of the colony on Greenland as having been the result of European piracy and ongoing battles between the Vikings and the Inuit occupants, called by the Vikings Skraelings. Archaeological evidence indicates that the Greenlanders also faced starvation and deteriorating climate, which is not reported in the sagas. For a long time, scholars dismissed the sagas as literary fabrications. But others such as Gisli Sigurdsson, have revisited the manuscripts to find a historical core that can be tied to Viking explorations of the 10th and 11th centuries. The written-down version of the stories are the result of centuries of oral traditions, during which the story may have been conflated with other heroic legends. But, there is, after all, accumulated archaeological evidence for Norse occupations in Greenland, Iceland, and the North American continent. Vinland Saga Discrepancies There are also discrepancies between the various manuscripts. Two major documents- the Greenlanders Saga and Eirik the Reds Saga- give differing roles to Leif and the merchant Thorfinn Karlsefni. In the Greenlanders Saga, lands southwest of Greenland are said to have been discovered accidentally by Bjarni Herjolfsson. Leif Eriksson was the chieftain of the Norse on Greenland, and Leif is given credit for exploring the lands of Helluland (probably Baffin Island), Markland (Treeland, likely the heavily wooded Labrador coast) and Vinland (probably what is southeasternern Canada); Thorfinn has a minor role. In Eirik the Reds Saga, Leifs role is downplayed. He is dismissed as the accidental discoverer of Vinland; and the explorer/leadership role is given to Thorfinn. Eirik the Reds Saga was written in the 13th century when one of Thorfinns descendants was being canonized; it may be, say some historians, propaganda by this mans supporters to inflate his ancestors role in the momentous discoveries. Historians have a fine time decoding such documents. Viking Sagas about Vinland About the Book of the Icelanders (à slendingabà ³k), written between 1122 and 1133 (Smithsonian)Text of the Icelandic Sagas (NorthVegr)Text of Eirik the Reds Saga, written about 1265 (Medieval History, About.com)About the Saga of the Greenlanders, compiled ~13th century (Smithsonian) Arnold, Martin. 2006. Atlantic Explorations and Settlements, pp. 192-214 in The Vikings, Culture and Conquest. Hambledon Continuum, London. Wallace, Birgitta L. 2003. L’Anse aux Meadows and Vinland: An Abandoned Experiment. Pp. 207-238 in Contact, Continuity, and Collapse: The Norse Colonization of the North Atlantic, edited by James H. Barrett. Brepols Publishers: Trunhout, Belgium. Sources and Further information The woodcut on this page is not from the Vinland sagas, but from another Viking saga, Erik Bloodaxes Saga. It shows Erik Bloodaxes widow Gunnhild Gormsdà ³ttir inciting her sons to take possession of Norway; and it was published in Snorre Sturlassonss Heimskringla in 1235. About.coms Guide to the Viking Age Hofstaà °ir, Viking settlement on Iceland Gardur, Viking estate in Greenland LAnse aux Meadows, Viking settlement in Canada Arnold, Martin. 2006. Atlantic Explorations and Settlements, pp. 192-214 in The Vikings, Culture and Conquest. Hambledon Continuum, London. Wallace, Birgitta L. 2003. L’Anse aux Meadows and Vinland: An Abandoned Experiment. Pp. 207-238 in Contact, Continuity, and Collapse: The Norse Colonization of the North Atlantic, edited by James H. Barrett. Brepols Publishers: Trunhout, Belgium.

A small high quality restaurant Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

A small high quality restaurant - Assignment Example This paper is a business report to the owners of a small high quality restaurant on how Internet Technologies (E-business) and Information Systems (IS) could enhance their business operations. The current global market is largely driven by advanced technologies like internet technologies (E-business) and Information Systems. These have been very instrumental in effective marketing, advertising, customer retention and capturing new markets. The effect of this is that those-businesses which only utilize very basic computer facilities are greatly disadvantaged. This is because their business operations cannot be able to match with those of similar enterprises which utilize E-business and IS. This therefore necessitates the adoption of such technologies and strategies in order to match up with the existing business trends and competition levels. Amor (1999) explains e-business as the conduction of business over the internet. The-business functions performed over the internet include buying, selling, collaborating with business partners and servicing customers. Such a strategy is very timely for businesses considering the increased access to the internet by many people for various reasons including search for the best eating places. This can apply both to the local as well as international customers for example tourists or people who travel for business purposes. E-business is about the application of ICT to support the-business activities of an organization or enterprise. Beynon-Davies (2004) states that the use of ICT enables the external activities of a business to be performed more effectively. It also fosters the relationship of a business with other businesses, individual and groups. According to Kalakota and Andrew (1997) the processes used in e-business enable-businesses to link their internal data processing with the external ones in a more efficient and flexible manner. With e-business, customers are allowed to pay for their goods using cheques. This

Healthcare Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Healthcare Management - Research Paper Example For Mini, her job was to identify the managerial processes that must be implemented, designed, and completed prior to opening day. Till now, she had identified several processes, like financial management, human resources, supply chain management, governmental compliance, and credentialing that would work behind providing Dr. Yen his dream solo practice. However, the main challenge in this situation was to assure that the practice is ready to operate in 60 days. With no ray of sunshine coming from the sky, Mini hoped to find a lightning of creativity to identify managerial processes that must be implemented, designed, and completed prior to opening day. Mini set to work immediately and started with the background. FroYen Clinic is a clinic that is developed and made for those individuals who need services for a doctor in the area of XYM. The service that is to be set in motion in the coming 60 days has set its focus on those individuals as well as patients that need an affordable, re liable, and clean place for the cure of their illness or problems. The market identified therefore begins from low end and continues till the high end market where more preference is on those patients who have enough money for healthcare. In order to set the operations of FroYen Clinic in motion, the main objective is to begin a service for those individuals who have income for healthcare. ... With the help of Dr. Yen’s best physician practices, thereby depicting the service, maintenance of the quality standards, establishing a comforting environment for the patients, and the activation of strong managerial practices, the confidence of the targeted market would be easy to gain. Zwith the amount of revenue generated over the years, the clinic will also expand by purchasing the relevant machines. The financing will be carried out from the initial capital and loans. For FroYen Clinic to be operating in the health sector environment would mean adding a huge contribution to the already existing infrastructure. This step will therefore reduce the influx of patients for other hospitals at the XYM area. The established clinic will hence, possess sufficient resources and professional conduct of the physician that will work as an advantage for the FroYen Clinic as well as the patients most of the times. The clinic will be following a result based performance evaluation framew ork so that the inefficiencies can be soundly addressed to ensure greater quality. A solo practice faces a number of challenges but developing strategies to ensure availability of quality health service will work towards decreasing those challenges. FroYen Clinic will therefore work as a means to curing illness through the use of efficient medical treatments and will commence its operations in the coming 60 days. The clinic will start on July 10th 2012 and will be established at the XYM Place Nth Ave with one physician that is Dr. Yen, a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner, and a receptionist. The one Line Pitch identified for FroYen Clinic is therefore: â€Å"Because We

Healthcare Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Healthcare Management - Research Paper Example For Mini, her job was to identify the managerial processes that must be implemented, designed, and completed prior to opening day. Till now, she had identified several processes, like financial management, human resources, supply chain management, governmental compliance, and credentialing that would work behind providing Dr. Yen his dream solo practice. However, the main challenge in this situation was to assure that the practice is ready to operate in 60 days. With no ray of sunshine coming from the sky, Mini hoped to find a lightning of creativity to identify managerial processes that must be implemented, designed, and completed prior to opening day. Mini set to work immediately and started with the background. FroYen Clinic is a clinic that is developed and made for those individuals who need services for a doctor in the area of XYM. The service that is to be set in motion in the coming 60 days has set its focus on those individuals as well as patients that need an affordable, re liable, and clean place for the cure of their illness or problems. The market identified therefore begins from low end and continues till the high end market where more preference is on those patients who have enough money for healthcare. In order to set the operations of FroYen Clinic in motion, the main objective is to begin a service for those individuals who have income for healthcare. ... With the help of Dr. Yen’s best physician practices, thereby depicting the service, maintenance of the quality standards, establishing a comforting environment for the patients, and the activation of strong managerial practices, the confidence of the targeted market would be easy to gain. Zwith the amount of revenue generated over the years, the clinic will also expand by purchasing the relevant machines. The financing will be carried out from the initial capital and loans. For FroYen Clinic to be operating in the health sector environment would mean adding a huge contribution to the already existing infrastructure. This step will therefore reduce the influx of patients for other hospitals at the XYM area. The established clinic will hence, possess sufficient resources and professional conduct of the physician that will work as an advantage for the FroYen Clinic as well as the patients most of the times. The clinic will be following a result based performance evaluation framew ork so that the inefficiencies can be soundly addressed to ensure greater quality. A solo practice faces a number of challenges but developing strategies to ensure availability of quality health service will work towards decreasing those challenges. FroYen Clinic will therefore work as a means to curing illness through the use of efficient medical treatments and will commence its operations in the coming 60 days. The clinic will start on July 10th 2012 and will be established at the XYM Place Nth Ave with one physician that is Dr. Yen, a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner, and a receptionist. The one Line Pitch identified for FroYen Clinic is therefore: â€Å"Because We

Comparing Between American Education and Saudi Education Research Paper

Comparing Between American Education and Saudi Education - Research Paper Example A comparison between the weakest and the strongest education systems can assist in understanding the benefits of a good educational system and provide guidance for the improvement of the weak educational system. It is for this reason that I want to compare the American Education and Saudi Education to understand the shortcomings of the educational system of Saudi Arabia. America is a nation with a very strong educational system whereas Saudi Arabia lacks in this field and it is for this reason that a comparison of the education in the two countries can highlight the factors that need to be improved in the education of Saudi Arabia. The governments in the United States and Saudi Arabia both work extensively for the promotion of the education in their respective countries. Both the countries are known to spend extensively for improving the educational sector. The countries offer free education to students till the school level. Saudi Arabia also offers financial assistance to students for further education. The two countries have similar sets of schools which include the schools of the public sector, the government sector and the option of home schooling is also available. But there are still many differences in the education imparted in two countries. This can be understood by comparing the literacy rates of the two countries. 99 percent of the males as well as the females in the United States are educated. On the other hand, only 84.7 percent males and 70.8 percent females are literate in Saudi Arabia. The two countries have many similarities in their educational systems but striking differences have also been noted. The education system in Saudi Arabia has a strong role of religion and Islamic studies are a compulsory part of the curriculum in the educational institutions in the country. This is not true in the United States as religious studies are not compulsory in most of the educational institutions. The grading system in the two countries is also differen t. In the United States, students are given grades from A to F where A is the highest grade and F is the lowest one. On the other hand, the grading system in Saudi Arabia is from 5 to 1 with 5 being the highest mark and 1 being the lowest. The two countries also have different policies with regard to attendance in the educational institutions. In the United States, there is a compulsion for the students to be present in their schools. This is implemented in primary and secondary educational institutions. This rule is not implied in Saudi Arabia and attendance in primary and secondary schools is not checked with much strictness (Stevenson). Medical education is extremely important for all the countries of the world. There is a sharp difference between the medical educational system and practicing in the United States and Saudi Arabia. The United States has very good medical institutions that excel in teaching medicine and are marked to be the best across the globe. Furthermore, there are many educational programs for the medical health professionals and there are strictly regulated examinations in the country which ensure the fact that qualified professionals enter the field (Dezee et al 521). On the other hand, medical education in Saudi Arabia lacks these qualities. Many new medical instituti

Blue Back Square Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Blue Back Square - Essay Example Therefore, in defining a myth, three aspects have to be considered: the signifier, the signified, and the sign (Barthes, 114). The significant according to Barthes has to be the original crisis within a subject about which people have to try and create meaning. The literature about the item may be termed as the signifier, while the relationship between the crisis and the language used may be termed as the signification. All above aspects have to be reduced to mere language, whether in form of symbolism, or the language used to describe such an object. In this article, the architectural work in Blue Back Square, the significance of the square and the myths that may be used to describe and construct meaning regarding the city will be illustrated in explaining the meaning of myth. Lynch (6) explains that the environmental or observable images in a particular place are as a result of the observer and the environment. In this case as Lynch elaborates, the environment offers distinctions a nd inherent relations, with the observer using their adaptations and reasoning to construct, organize and give meaning to what they see. The image observed in this case, limits and gives more emphasis on what is perceived, while the image is then tested with multiple inputs of perception, making the reality observed from such a building to have multiple realities between different observers; this makes any phenomena to qualify in being a myth. For example, in Blue Back Square, in West Hartford town, the community stands out in its peculiar and unique characteristics that make people to try in constructing meanings regarding the symbolism, or what is being communicated by such a culture, in what amounts to be a myth. The locality takes pride in many architectural works, which are perceived to communicate certain aspects in history or cultural orientation. For example, in Blue Back Square, though the square is in the middle of another city, the place looks like a city in its own, comp lete with a unique identity described by a rich heritage of buildings, some of which are a few hundred years old, and a rich mixture of different cultures from Europe, blacks, Moroccans, and others. The rich cultural heritage provides a rich mixture of cultures represented by buildings, people, and other styles that make people to construct the meaning regarding signification communicated by such different stylistic works, which gives the inner city a unique and beautiful image from the rest. The attempt to construct such signification constitutes to a myth in this case, as more and more explanations have to be made on the same. In other words, a myth needs the signified, which is the heritage and cultural context communicated by such architectural work, the signifier which is the language used to construct such meaning, and the signification, which is the relationship between the signifier and signification, or work that has to be done (Berthes, 114). Moreover, speech or message in this case is not constructed only through written language, but also through the photography, and the perceived images of such buildings. The purpose of a myth is to cause an impression which is treasured among the people with whom such impression is credited to, despite the reality of truth. For example,

10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

10 - Essay Example There are two groups of software professionals; one is the production part of software development and the other one is service part of IT providers. The reason for making two groups is that, the profession is more or less of the same, design and development. The second group is also doing the same but for public service. The responsibility of a software engineer is to design and implement a variety of software solutions. They may be occupied in the design and testing of various applications like computer game, some business applications, operating system or various superior software programmes for extreme hardware and equipment. Once the system is completely designed, the testing team will test and debug the system and after that the maintenance team maintain the system. The software engineers normally work in a complicated and highly technical environment. The application engages computer science as well as mathematics. They should know programming languages and applications because they will be involved in a variety of works. After a university or high school degree, most of the students select the career as IT professional or in software services. The path from university to a company is very straight. According to the recruitment policy; they recruit some experienced candidate. Companies prefer managerial skills as well as technical skills. The demand of IT jobs is extremely high as it provides a better economical potential, better salary scales, and job security. In the United Kingdom those who move to the IT sector from municipal administration won’t get enough job satisfaction. On the basis of their experience; It professionals are classified as a Software Programmer, Analyst, Project Leader and so on. In spite of an enormous reforms relying on outsourcing and transfer of personal, the interviewees assemble all their resources to carry on in the private company the organisational profession that they underway in public administration they

Special education discussion Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Special education discussion - Coursework Example For instance, a story about a blind person who still went ahead to finish his postgraduate studies and does motivational talks for other people with disabilities as well. Some of them despite their disabilities, work very hard against the perception that the society has towards them. They work very hard to prove that disability is not inability and that they can do the things that people without disabilities can do. Some of the articles are educative on the types of disabilities that exist. For instance, there are people who are physically challenged such as those who cannot walk, the blind and the deaf. Understanding special education is a skill that most people especially those dealing with the people living with disabilities should have (Friend, 2010). They need to be able to understand their feelings towards certain issues in addition to being very understanding. For instance, the teacher has to have some knowledge of braille if he is interacting with blind students. He also has to learn sign language if he dealing with deaf students. There is a group of teachers who are skilled in dealing with people living with disabilities and challenged in one way or another. This is particularly the case where the disability is so severe that the child cannot learn in normal classroom with the rest of her peers (Friend, 2010). The procedures of special education is so detailed and each child is treated differently according to the type of students that they are dealing with. Each type of disability has its own method of teaching and thus the carers should be aware of such. The mentally challenged is the most disadvantaged group as they are very easily taken advantage of. There have been many incidences where mentally disabled people have been locked in houses with no access whatsoever to the outside world. This is because they are not capable of having the same emotional responses as the rest of the population (Marshall,

10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

10 - Essay Example There are two groups of software professionals; one is the production part of software development and the other one is service part of IT providers. The reason for making two groups is that, the profession is more or less of the same, design and development. The second group is also doing the same but for public service. The responsibility of a software engineer is to design and implement a variety of software solutions. They may be occupied in the design and testing of various applications like computer game, some business applications, operating system or various superior software programmes for extreme hardware and equipment. Once the system is completely designed, the testing team will test and debug the system and after that the maintenance team maintain the system. The software engineers normally work in a complicated and highly technical environment. The application engages computer science as well as mathematics. They should know programming languages and applications because they will be involved in a variety of works. After a university or high school degree, most of the students select the career as IT professional or in software services. The path from university to a company is very straight. According to the recruitment policy; they recruit some experienced candidate. Companies prefer managerial skills as well as technical skills. The demand of IT jobs is extremely high as it provides a better economical potential, better salary scales, and job security. In the United Kingdom those who move to the IT sector from municipal administration won’t get enough job satisfaction. On the basis of their experience; It professionals are classified as a Software Programmer, Analyst, Project Leader and so on. In spite of an enormous reforms relying on outsourcing and transfer of personal, the interviewees assemble all their resources to carry on in the private company the organisational profession that they underway in public administration they

Linux Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Linux - Assignment Example The processor performs the instructed task, then sends the results back to the application via the operating system. Linux is utilized by both personal and business enterprises which makes it feasible for any organization. It is evident that Linux is still highly used in server side. The benefits of open source has been endless for organizations who attempt to save up server costs. Organizations such as IBM have been utilizing Linux for decades now. Around 30% of PCs run LINUX, and 60% of servers run linux. Before understanding Linux, it is crucial to look at how it was developed. In 1991, a gentleman known as Torvalds became curious about OS and invented this system in university of Helsinki. He began to work on his own operating system which eventually became the kernel. Additionally, developers worked to integrate GNU components with the Linux kernel, making a fully functional and free operating system. At that time, the notion of open source system was not fully developed. It was Torvald’s value of OS that lead to development of this. Linux can be downloaded from www.linux.org Linux, which began as only from server side, has also manifested itself as a desktop OS, can also be used on all of these devices.  One of the most unique elements about Linux is the fact that it has many Linux distributions, or "distros". These distros allow end users to manage a remote collection of system software and application software. Just as java has plug-ins and jars, these distros can be d ownloaded and act together as a component which is crucial to developers. Moreover, this allows users to adapt the operating system to their specific needs. These distros are maintained via volunteers and developers who continue to strive to make progress.   Linux can be used in super computers, which is a huge benefit. Linux is fairly easy to use even though it is not object-oriented programming. The  user interface, also known as shell or GUI in modern days is utilized by the

Marriage and Family Therapy Essay Example for Free

Marriage and Family Therapy Essay This paper will also evaluate five major themes relevant to Marriage and Family Therapy which include: ethical dilemmas in marriage and family counseling, premarital counseling qualifications of marriage and family therapists including licensure and certification. The biblical insight related to marriage and family therapy will also be explored as well as my personal reflections about this topic. History and Development of Marriage Counseling Marriage counseling was established in the early 1930s. Counselors recognized the advantages and effectiveness of treating married couples in joined sessions. This growing appreciation for patterns of relationships in families led to numerous studies on marital conflict and dynamics and the effects on childrens development. In 1932, there were three marital clinics said to open. They worked with individuals and their difficulties adhering to traditional gender role expectations. Developed and founded in the late 1970’s was the Marriage and Family Therapy’s code of ethics which is called The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). The organizations philosophy was that marriage and family therapy were two separate areas, each with their own histories, concepts and differing practices. (AAMFT, 2012) Introduction of Marriage and Family Counseling Counseling is to help persons understand and clarify their views of their life space, and to learn to reach their self-determined goals through meaningful, well-informed choices and through resolution or problems of an emotional or interpersonal nature. (Burks and Steffire, 1979 . Focusing on a broader field in counseling, What is Marriage and Family Counseling? Marriage and family counselors work with couples and families on a wide range of clinical problems including, but not limited to, depression, marital strife, communication, and anxiety and child-parent problems. Marriage and family counseling is not just for unhappy or struggling couples, couple’s therapy can be used proactively to strengthen bonds and to gain a better understanding of one other. In addition, before a marriage begins pre-marital counseling can help couples achieve a deeper understanding of each other and iron out differences before their wedding day. They also help families learn to solve their problems by managing their relationships effectively. Family therapists often work with individuals, the couple and parents and children to get a better perspective of patterns that affect the entire system to develop strategies for modification. (Corey, Corey ;amp; Callanan p. 450 2011). Family Counseling is important to the counseling field this therapy can help people within the family to resolve their disputes and quarrels through effective communication. Proper communication with the help of a therapist or a counselor can help family members discuss their problems and issues with each other. The importance of the family in our development as whole and healthy individuals is recognized as a basic truth by. In most cases, however, a disturbed and distressed client will have some difficult, challenging relationships within his/her family and these will need to be explored and addressed if the client is to discover and create relief and resolution of their problem. Biblical Insights related to Marriage and Family Therapy In the book, Competent Christian Counseling it states that â€Å"To understand the individual, the one must see the individual in the context of his or her system of relationships† This implies that the quality of a individual is much more than one person, the person is a part of a social system that begins with family. (Clinton ;amp; Ohlsclager p. 518 2002). From a biblical aspect Family is described as a social system that progressed by forming a set of rules, roles, power structure. Forms of communication and way to solve problems. There are four key principles that a Christian counselors point out when approaching any family. The first one is â€Å"The family, in is social dimensions, reflects God†. Meaning that The Father, Son and Holy Spirit all have unique distinctiveness however they are â€Å"one† as God; this is compared to the Family. A family can consist of a mother, father and children or a mother and husband. If thought they are their own persons, they are considered â€Å"one†. The second key principle that is describe is â€Å"Family health, individual health, and maturity are inseparably entwined†. This key principle entails that the powers of family identity and socialization is significant for growth and development among each family member, which can ultimately lead to healthy family living. â€Å"The Family is also like the church is that next basic principle, meaning that a family has functions like the church. Finally, the last key principle describes states that â€Å"Trouble is reproduced, but can also be stopped, in families and in generations of families†. This key principle indicates that there is a psychosocial and spiritual relation among family reproduction pertaining to alcoholism and other issues as describes in Competent Christian Counseling as â€Å"generational curses†. Christians believe that these issues within families from generation to generation can be transformed through Christ. A example is that of Abraham found in Genesis 20. Abrahams family was said to show favoritism to certain children, which continued for three generations. When it comes to marriage counseling, Christian counselors believe marriage counseling helps couples to understand God’s pattern for husband-wife relationships, diagnoses unbiblical patterns and their root causes, and prescribes God’s solutions for soul change that leads to relational growth. Biblical marriage counseling should result in enhanced relationship: closeness with Christ, intimacy with your spouse, and a sense of greater peace. Biblical insights involving to family counseling, the focus is solutions, not simply external solutions. Your counselor will help you to understand God’s design for healthy family living, will assist you to assess unhealthy and unbiblical ways of relating as parents and children, and will equip you to reconcile and grow in your family relationships. Counselor Identity, Functions and Ethics of Marriage and Family Counseling The practice of Marriage and Family counseling rest on the foundation of systems theory, which views psychological problems as arising from within the person’s present environment and intergenerational family system. Corey, Corey, Callanan p. 449 2011). The systems theory is very similar to the views on Christian Counselors as stated earlier; â€Å"Trouble is reproduced, but can also be stopped, in families and in generations of families†. Marriage and Family therapists follow a specific code of ethics know as The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Founded in 1942 as the American Association of Marriage Counselors, the A AMFT has been involved with the problems, needs and changing patterns of couples and family relationships. The association focuses on increasing understanding, research and education in the field of marriage and family therapy, and ensuring the quality training of marriage and family therapists. AAMFT members meet standards for education and training and are held to the ethical standards of the profession. (AAMFT, 2011) AAMFT ethics are broken down in eight core areas. The first area is the responsibility to Clients. Marriage and family therapist have a responsibility to the welfare of both the family and individuals in the family. Therapists are to make reasonable efforts to guarantee their services are used properly and accordingly. Confidentiality is the next core area, which applies to all code of ethics pertaining to the counseling field. Confidentially in Marriage and Family is distinctive because the therapist is dealing with a group of people. However, the AAMFT insist on therapists to respect the confidentiality of each individual client. Although, confidentiality is essential, there are some exceptions. Those exceptions include, mandates by the law pertaining to cases of child and elderly abuse, incest, or abuse to persons with disabilities. A therapist has an exemption from confidentially when it is necessary to protect clients from hurting themselves and others (AAMFT, 2011). When working with a family, all family members must agree concerning the release of any information. Some therapists, in fact, arrange for sessions with individual family members to actively encourage the sharing of secrets to better understand what is occurring in the family. The therapist then may work with the individual client in the hope of enabling that person to disclose the same information in the family session. Marriage and family therapists are to maintain high standards if professional competence and integrity. Therapists must remain current on any developments and advances relevant to their field of practice. They can do this by continuing education, training, workshops and interacting with other professionals in the marriage and family therapy field. (Corey, Corey ;amp; Callanan p. 452 2011). Therapists also have a responsibility to students and supervisees. They are not to manipulate the trust and dependency of the students and supervisees in which there are working with. Responsibility to the profession is the next core is in the AAMFT code of ethics. This includes reporting people practicing without a license and contributing to community service for advancement of the society. The next core area is financial arrangements. Marriage and family therapists are not to misuse clients financially for services. Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions states that clients are to be â€Å"truthful in representing facts to clients and to third parties regarding any services rendered†. The last core area in the ethical standards of Marriage and family therapy is advertising. Therapists are able to truthfully represent their competence, education, training and experience in marriage and family therapy. Nevertheless, they should not advertise themselves as specialists with show evidence and supporting this assertion. The therapists primary responsibilities are to protect the rights and to promote the welfare of his or her clients. The dilemma with multiple clients is that in some situations an intervention that serves one persons best interests may be conflicting to another. Indeed, the very reason that families tend to seek therapy is because they have conflicting goals and interests. The family therapist must insure that improvement in the status of one family member does not Occur at the expense of another family member. Other therapists implement the policy of not keeping secrets from other family members. They clearly discourage the sharing of any information that might lead to a special alliance with one individual and that excludes the remaining uninformed family members. The impact of the therapists values, unavoidable in any counseling process, can play a particularly role in marriage and family therapies. Issues discussed in family therapy elicit very important personal, familial, and societal values regarding preservation of the family system, extramarital relationships, and sex roles. Dealing with these values is not easy, particularly when the therapist confronts a conflict in values among different family members and is inclined to reinforce the beliefs and attitudes of one family member over another (Hines amp; Hare p. 65 1978). Premarital Counseling Couples now face more demands and have fewer supports than ever before. The typical complex marriage includes managing two careers while rearing children really requires that couples have very strong, well-established abilities to communicate, resolve issues, maintain support and set goals. Without this foundation, its easy to feel overwhelmed by stress and time pressures. Problems can intrude mu ch more easily than most couples realize. Therefore, premarital counseling is recommended for couples looking to eventually get married. Research shows that premarital counseling reduces the risk of divorce by up to 30% . Premarital counseling is a type of therapy that helps couples prepare for marriage. Premarital counseling can help ensure that you and your partner have a strong, healthy relationship, giving you a better chance for a stable and satisfying marriage. Premarital counseling can also help you identify weaknesses that could become bigger problems during marriage. There are a variety of formats of counseling through local psychology and counseling centers, including individual counseling, small group counseling and interactive seminars where couples participate with a large number of other couples. (Wright p. 65 1992) Characteristics and Qualifications of Marriage and Family Therapists To be qualified as a marriage and family therapist requires not just that you get the right degree, pass the right tests and meet the licensing requirements, but that you possess qualities that prove you to be both sensitive and firm. Corey, Corey and Callanan in Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions identifies personal characteristics for effective marriage and family therapists as being assertive, confident, accepting, appreciating the influence of diversity to just name a few. Self knowledge is predominantly vital for marriage and family therapists because when working with a family, their reactions and perceptions are influenced by their own regard to family of origin issues. Marriage and Family Therapists must be sensitive to dealing with peoples most personal and graphic secrets, shame, guilt and rage. A Marriage and Family therapist should be embarrassed to hear about these things or make distasteful comments about a chosen lifestyle or action, otherwise she risks shutting out the patient. An effective marriage and family therapists must listen to stories that are painful to hear but should remember that those stories are always more painful for the teller than the listener. An important quality in an marriage and family therapists is recognizing the difference between judging and advising. A good marriage and family therapist will help the patient with insights into sensible decisions that lead to greater personal happiness and responsibility but will not tell the patient what choice to make or ask the patient to adhere to the therapists own likes and dislikes. An marriage and family therapist should distinguish between dysfunctional qualities in a patient and those that are simply non-normative. Marriage and family therapists may hear confessions of illegal activity or hear from the victims of crimes, and legal codes dictate what they have to report. A therapists job is not just to listen but to encourage the patient to take action in his life to get the patient to see their actions in a clear light and make good decisions in turn. Marriage and family therapist can become eligible for state certification, or licensure, upon completion of their internship. First, candidates must register with the Association of Marital and Therapy Regulatory Boards. The Regulatory board will examine the applicants credentials, education and experience to establish competency before the applicant can qualify for testing. State certification costs vary from state to state. Each state has different rules regarding retesting if the candidate does not pass the test on his or her first attempt. Upon completion of the test, scores are validated and mailed to the candidate. A candidate who has passed the state exam is called a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and is free to practice in a private or clinical setting. The educational requirements to become a Marriage and Family Therapist are regulated by each state and thus may vary; however, most will require a masters degree or higher in Marriage and Family Therapy or a related field from an accredited institution. It is essential for students to gain experience in working with a selection of families from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. A program that offers a all-inclusive course work and clinical supervision provides the ideal learning situation. Corey, Corey amp; Callanan p. 457 2011) Ethical Dilemmas is Marriage and Family Counseling Couples counselors and family and marriage therapists are likely to encounter many ethical dilemmas throughout their careers. Because of the nature of couples therapy, issues pertaining to informed consent, confidentiality, multiple relationships, and value systems can have a damaging effect of the counselor-client relationship if they arent handled appropriately and discussed by both parties at the beginning of the counseling relationship. Informed consent refers to the process of informing clients about the therapeutic process. Issues such as fees and payment schedules, appointment cancellation policy, theoretical framework that the counselor employs in his practice, approaches and techniques the counselor intends to use with clients and the limits of confidentiality should all be discussed. In addition to discussing verbal consultation, clients also should be given an informed consent package detailing all the information discussed in session. Clients should be asked to sign an informed consent document for both the client and counselors records. In couples counseling, informed consent prevents misunderstandings, disagreements and hostility between the counselor and the client. (AAMFT, 2011) One of the biggest ethical dilemmas in any kind of counseling is confidentiality. This is particularly complicated when it comes to couples counseling in which couples receive both individual and couple counseling. It is important for the counselor to determine early on in the counseling process whether information disclosed in individual counseling sessions will be kept confidential or if both individuals will sign waivers allowing whats discussed in private sessions to be brought up in couples counseling. According to the AAMFT Code of Ethics, counselors must discuss the limits of confidentiality with their clients and make sure clients understand these limits. Article 2. of the AAMFT Code of Ethics states that marriage and family therapists do not disclose client confidences except by written authorization or waiver, or where mandated or permitted by law. Verbal authorization will not be sufficient except in emergency situations, unless prohibited by law. When providing couple, family or group treatment, the therapist does not disclose information outside the treatment context without a written authorization from each individual competent to execute a waiver. In the context of couple, family or group treatment, the therapist may not reveal any individuals confidences to others in the client unit without the prior written permission of that individual. (AAMFT, 2011) In counseling, multiple relationships refer to a situation when the counselor and client are engaged in a sexual or nonsexual relationship outside the counseling relationship. Multiple relationships are often unavoidable, especially in small towns; as a counselor, you may attend the same church as your clients, your children might be on the same soccer team or you may serve on the same board or council. However, multiple relationships should always be avoided when possible. In couples counseling, multiple relationships can further complicate the counseling relationship if the counselor is involved in a multiple relationship with one client but not the other. The client that is not involved in the multiple relationships may feel that the counselor is taking sides or treating her unfairly. (Corey, Corey ;amp; Callanan 2011) At some point in their careers, counselors are likely to encounter couples with a value and belief system that differs significantly from their own. Within the counseling relationship, the counselor has a position of authority; the counselor must not take advantage of this position by trying to impose his values on the client or clients. Counselors must understand that individuals from different backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities and religions than their own may have different value systems. It is not the counselors job to change his clients value system; it is only the counselors job to help clients become comfortable with the decisions they make within their personal value systems. Article 1. of the AAMFT Code of ethics states that marriage and family counselors respect the rights of clients to make decisions and help them to understand the consequences of these decisions. (AAMFT, 2011). Personal Reflections In todays world more and more people are experiencing life struggles when it comes to family. These issues can range from problems in a marriage, how to deal with your children issues and understand yourself and how to deal with your family and certain issues. The area of marriage and family counseling/therapy has had an outbreak over the past decade. The counselors are expected to work effectively with families experiencing a variety of issues and problems. In marriage and family therapy/counseling there are so many different types of techniques that are out there but should be used and looked upon not a cure, but a method to help mobilize the family. Choosing this topic wasnt hard for me because of the love I have my family and evaluating what I believe needs to be repaired and what I believe stands strong for us. I believe in saving marriages and families, I think it is really important. Having strong family and a stable marriage plays such a major part in kids lives today, they need a solid foundation in order to have a healthy life. Watching so many young couples get divorce after less than two years of marriage and seeing how the kids suffer really from the break up of the family. I believe that if younger therapist/counselors were out there and start getting involved in the community, church and conducting seminars relating to marriage and families this could be the beginning of change. This is why I chose this topic to research.

Study of Genetics Essay -- Biology, Genomics Era, Kenaf

1 INTRODUCTION Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is a type of fiber crop (Dempsey, 1975) and is commercially cultivated in more than 20 countries, particularly in India, China, Thailand and Vietnam (Fao, 2008). World production of kenaf and allied fibers reported as 3,251,125 tons in 2009 (Fao, 2011). Kenaf has a wide range of applications in making biocopmosite board, textile, industrial filters, and high-quality paper. Malaysia is one of the main exporters of timber and timber based products in the world. Renewable resource for biocomposite and timber based products in Malaysia is one of the essentials in agriculture sector. Kenaf has been considered as a potential renewable source for biocomposite making industry in Malaysia. Furthermore, kenaf has been considered as a valuable substitute for tobacco plantation in Malaysia. Kenaf production is increased from 1,163 tons in 2005 to 4,185 tons in 2007 as reported by Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister's Department, Malaysia (2008). Lack of suitable kenaf varieties for Malaysian climate is one the challenges that hinder kenaf integration. Kenaf varieties have not been extensively evaluated in Malaysia. The number of kenaf commercialized varieties is limited in the world. Besides, very few studies have been conducted on genetic control of fiber yield and fiber quality of kenaf. Understanding of the inheritance and genetic control of the fiber yield and quality will help in structuring breeding strategy to develop cultivars with improved fiber yield and quality. New tools and methods have been introduced to facilitate quantitative genetic studies, particularly in the study of complex traits. In genomics era, plant breeders benefited from new technologies and advances i... ...echnology to detect DNA melting behavior and developments in saturating DNA dyes, made possible to accurately plot and analyze melting behavior of targeted DNA (Vossen et al., 2009). High resolution melting (HRM) is a post PCR technique which can be used for high throughput mutation scanning and genotyping (Gundry, 2003). HRM curve analysis procedure can be used for SNP detection (Becsà ¡gh et al., 2010; De Koeyer et al., 2010; Lehmensiek et al., 2008; Miyamoto et al.; Rouleau et al., 2009; Studer et al., 2009a; Ujino-Ihara et al., 2010; Wittwer et al., 2003; Wittwer, 2009). Applicability of HRM curve analysis for genotyping of plants using SNP markers recently have been reported by many researcher (De Koeyer et al., 2010; Ganopoulos et al., 2010; Hofinger et al., 2009; Lehmensiek et al., 2008; Picard and Bosco, 2008; Studer et al., 2009b; Ujino-Ihara et al., 2010).

Sea Lions: Natures Playful Aquatic Land Mammals Essays -- Essays Pap

Sea Lions: Nature's Playful Aquatic Land Mammals Introduction Sea lions may look like sea creatures, but they also behave like terrestrial animals. Unlike whales, mammals that spend their entire lives in water, sea lions inhabit both the water and land throughout their lives. This aquatic land animal prefers the water for food, fun, and safety; while preferring the land for socializing, territory, and procreation. Being mammals, they share many behaviors common to humans and other mammals. Like mammals, they are born with the ability to walk on land shortly after birth. Surprisingly, they are not born with the ability to swim from birth, but need to be taught by their mothers. Like other mammals, they love to stay in social groups. During their reproductive season, females are dominated by aggressive males, that establish harems on the beaches. The relationship between females and their pups is characterized by affection, protection, nourishment, and instruction. In contrast to their limited terrestrial mobility, they can swim much better than they can walk. Unlike other land mammals, they have the ability to sleep in water . The most interesting thing is that they can sleep in water by using one part of their brain, while the other part of their brain is asleep ("Birds sleep with one eye open, half awake, study finds"). Clearly, sea lions have adapted well to a both an aquatic and land life. Sea lions are parts of the seal family and in the class of Pinnipedia ("Sea lion"). They have external ear flaps and well-developed foreflippers and hind flippers ("Sea lion"). Their predators include killer whales, sharks and humans ("Sea lion"). Sea lions have several types such as Zolophous, Steller, etc. Stellar sea lions are t... ...nd more than in the sea. Unfortunately, some species of sea lions are declining and may become extinct so that it is time to save them by enacting laws for protecting them and encouraging people not to kill them for commercial reasons. "Birds Sleep with One Eye Open, Half Awake, Study Finds." {CNN} 5 Feb. 1999. Bruemmer, Fred. "My Life Among Wild Pinnipeds." {International Wildlife} July-Aug. 1996: 10-12. Peterson, Richard S., and George A. Bartholomew. {The Natural History and Behavior of the California Sea Lion}. Los Angeles: American Society of Mammalogists, 1967. "Sea Lion." {Www.nhgs.tec.va.us/ptoption/sealion.html} (1999) "Sea Lion: Bark Is Worse Than His Bite." {Wysiwyg://104/http://www.letsfindout.com} (1999) "A Seal's-Eye View of Undersea Hunt." {MSNBC} 11 Feb. 1999. "Steller Sea Lion Distribution." {US Department of Commerce} (1999)

North Face

Assignment 2: North Face Auditors are faced with the very difficult task of insuring the public, that in their opinion, the financial statements of their clients are accurate and free of any material misstatements. The problem is that materiality is a subjective figure. In the North Face case an immaterial revenue recognition entry ended up being material when compounded with additional misstatements. North Face was the perpetrator of the intentional misstatements but they were concealed by the Deloitte audit advisor, Richard Fiedelman.Fiedelman allowed additional non-recognizable revenue to be posted and altered/replaced the original working papers that reported the original material misstatement. (Knapp, Rittenberg, Johnstone, & Gramling, 2012) Several generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) were violated (In the Matter of Richard Fiedelman, 2003) resulting in declining stock prices and Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) sanctions. SEC Sanctioned Richard Fiedelman The SEC requires the all registrant working papers be reviewed by a partner that is not assigned to the engagement.When the Deloitte concurring partner found the discrepancies and misstated revenue they investigated further leading to the review and the ultimate discovery of the altered working papers. North Face’s audit committee then retained a second accounting firm to investigate the accounting records which led to the SEC sanctioning Fiedelman. (Knapp, Rittenberg, Johnstone, & Gramling, 2012) 1. The SEC sanctioned Richard Fiedelman for failing to document the changes that his subordinates had made in 1997 North Face work papers and for failing to exercise due professional care.Explain the SEC’s rational in making each of these allegations. The SEC found that Fiedelman violated GAAP by allowing recognition of profit margin on the second barter transition and violated GAAS 150, 230, 326, and 338. (In the Matter of Richard Fiedelman, 2003) Failing to Document Work Paper Changes Per the several GAAS violations the SEC was right to sanction Fiedelman for failing to document the changes made to North Face working papers. AU 338 (339A) directs auditors on the importance of working papers.Working papers are the â€Å"principal record of the work that the auditor has done and the conclusions that are reached concerning significant matters. † (Public Company Accounitng Oversight Board, 1982) The working papers help insure that the audit engagement has been properly planned and adequately supervised. It is also the record of the audit evidence and procedures applied to the audit. Fiedelman also violated Auditing Standard No. 3 which is very clear that any changes must be documented. â€Å"Circumstances may require additions to audit documentation after the report release date.Audit documentation must not be deleted or discarded after the documentation completion date, however, information may be added . Any documentation added must indicate the date the information was added, the name of the person who prepared the additional documentation, and the reason for adding it. † (Public Accounting Oversight Board, 2004-06) When Fiedelman revised the 1997 work papers without the proper documentation he violated Standard No. 3 justifying the SEC sanction. Failing to Exercise Due Professional Care Fiedelman violated AU 150 and AU 326, failing to execute due professional care.AU 150 states that â€Å"due professional care is to be exercised in the performance of the audit and the preparation of the report. † (Public Accounitng Oversight Board, 2001) AU 230 explains that due professional care is â€Å"employments where peculiar skill is requisite, if one offers his services, he is understood as holding himself out to the public as possessing the degree of skill commonly possessed by others in the same employment, and if his pretentions are unfounded, he commits a species of fra ud upon every man who employs him in reliance on his public profession. † It does state however that no one is free of error.Due professional care does not intend work to be free of error but free of negligence. (Public Accouniting Oversighe Board, 1972) Fiedelman violated the due professional care standard when he allowed the misstatement and margin recognition to be posted. The misstatement was already noted but he himself should have been aware that the margin was not permitted and that the misstatement should have been corrected. It is also concerning that the increased sales from $90,000 to $3. 9 million was not investigated more thoroughly, again indicating Fiedelmans lack of due professional care.Fiedelman also violated AU 326 Evidential Matter. With the violations of so many auditing standards the SEC had no other choice but to sanction Fiedelman. (Knapp, Rittenberg, Johnstone, & Gramling, 2012) If there is no punishment for altering working papers auditors would fear no repercussions and they would alter the papers whenever they wanted reducing the public’s assurance of financial statement accuracy SEC’s Punishment The SEC punished Fiedelman by suspending him from being involved with audits of SEC clients for three years. 2.Take a position on the severity of the SEC’s punishment of Richard Fiedelman of a three year suspension on being involved in the audits of SEC clients, support your position. The punishment was fair. The responsibility of an auditor is to insure financial statement users that they are free of any material misstatements. In this case Fiedelman made a conscious choice to allow North Face to post margin that should not have been realized, per GAAP. Fiedelman should not be allowed to practice with a public accounting firm until the SEC feels that he will not allow the same misstatements to happen again. In the Matter of Richard Fiedelman, 2003) In order to insure the public that the auditing profession is rel iable this kind of punishment is necessary. Each case should be reviewed on an individual basis and if there is any question that the auditor will continue to allow misstatements they should be suspended from being involved with SEC clients. Modify Client Work Papers The PCAOB has very specific instructions that any additions or changes to audit documentation after the release date need to be documented. 3. Assuming that you are an audit manager in a public accounting firm.The engagement partner asks you to modify client work papers after the financial statements and opinion has been issued. Determine what you would do in this situation. Provide your rationale. If the partner is not asking me to hide the modification and the modification is necessary, per GAAP or audit principals, then I would make the modification. If the client partner is asking to have the papers modified without documentation, or the modification should not be done, I would not modify the work papers. Auditing s tandard No. 3 clearly states that any modification needs to be documented. Public Accounting Oversight Board, 2004-06) In the North Face case it does not indicate the personnel that altered the work papers were reprimanded, (Knapp, Rittenberg, Johnstone, & Gramling, 2012) however as a manger if it is discovered that you altered work papers without documentation or necessity, even if there were no legal repercussions, it would hurt your reputation and ultimately affect your career. The decision analysis framework could be used in determining if it is necessary to notify another audit partner or the client audit committee about the request.I would not alter the papers but if no one is made aware of the advisor’s request they may get someone else to alter the work papers. In this case morality and ethics should be enough to prevent a manger from altering work papers, but it helps to have punishments in place to help deter unethical actions. Materiality Public accountants general ly use qualitative analysis to determine the appropriate level of material misstatements. 4. Evaluate the practice of â€Å"materiality† used by public accounting firms and how accounting firms should address it with clients. Materiality is based on the assumption a reasonable investor would not be influenced in investment decisions by a fluctuation in net income less than or equal to 5%. This â€Å"5% rule† remains the fundamental basis for working materiality estimates. † (Vorhies, 2005) Since materiality is based on the fact that investors would not be influenced when immaterial misstatements are found, if the numbers of immaterial misstatements are small they will not prevent an unqualified audit opinion.Large misstatements and a large number of small misstatements that could be considered one misstatement need to be corrected before an unqualified opinion can be issued. Since all misstatements are presented to management and the audit committee, how the miss tatements need to be addressed should be discussed with them at that time on. If they refuse to make the corrections the auditor should refuse to issue an unqualified audit opinion. (Vorhies, 2005) It is important to remember that every misstatement needs to be analyzed for materiality.A small misstatement may not seem relevant but may be an indication of a larger aggregate or future misstatement. (Public Coumpany Accounting Oversight Board, 2010) North Face Management Auditors are not required to criticize key decisions made by their clients management team, that does not mean they should not use due professional care when analyzing management behavior. 5. North Face’s management teams were criticized for strategic blunders that they made over the course of the company’s history. Discuss whether auditors have a responsibility to assess the quality of the key decisions made by client executives.Defend your answer. When auditors are evaluating audit risks there are cert ain behaviors that should be analyzed. If management is refusing to cooperate, meet with, or puts unusual time constraints on the audit team it could indicate fraud. It is also important for the audit team to monitor management’s tolerance of violations of the company’s code of conduct, inconsistent accounting practices, or frequent changes to estimates for no reason. (Public Compaany Accouning Oversight Board, 2010) These can be key indications of management’s character and ethics.In the case of North Face since management established a goal to reach $1 billion in sales the audit team should have been more critical of the sales, revenue, and margin that were posted. The audit manager should have used due professional care when analyzing the fact that North Face was having a hard time mainstreaming their product yet implemented this lofty goal. If fraud was going to occur it would likely be in the revenue/sales area. The first auditor engagement partner did catc h the material misstatement but had these other considerations been taken into account the misstatement may have been investigated further.Even though it is not the responsibility of auditors to assess the quality of key decisions, by doing so they can gain valuable insight into how management thinks. Conclusion When auditing firms find financial misstatements it is important that they understand the materiality and reason behind the misstatements. The good thing that came out of this case is that the system worked. When the concurring partner reviewed the audit work papers the misstatement and revision was detected. The SEC sanctioned those responsible and even though the investors were affected they should feel some certainty that the system worked.References In the Matter of Richard Fiedelman. (2003, October 1). Retrieved November 4, 2012, from U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission: http://www. sec. gov/litigation/admin/34-48578. htm Accounitng Standards Oversight Board. (1980 , August). AU Section 326. Retrieved November 4, 2012, from PCAOB: http://pcaobus. org/Standards/Auditing/Pages/AU326. aspx Knapp, Rittenberg, Johnstone, & Gramling. (2012). Contemporary Auditing. Mason : Cengage Learning. Public Accouniting Oversighe Board. (1972, November). AU Section 230A. Retrieved November 4, 2012, from PCAOB: http://pcaobus. rg/Standards/Auditing/Pages/AU230A. aspx Public Accounitng Oversight Board. (2001, December 15). AU Section 150. Retrieved November 4, 2012, from PCAOB: http://pcaobus. org/Standards/Auditing/Pages/AU150. aspx Public Accounting Oversight Board. (2004-06). Auditing Standard No. 3. Retrieved October 28, 2012, from PCOAB: http://pcaobus. org/Standards/Auditing/Pages/Auditing_Standard_3. aspx#retentionandsubsequentchanges Public Compaany Accouning Oversight Board. (2010, December 15). Auditing Standard No. 14. Retrieved November 4, 2012, from PCAPB: http://pcaobus. org/Standards/Auditing/Pages/Auditing_Standard_14. spx Public Company Accounitn g Oversight Board. (1982, April 1). AU Section 339A. Retrieved November 4, 2012, from PCOAB: http://pcaobus. org/Standards/Auditing/Pages/AU339A. aspx Public Coumpany Accounting Oversight Board. (2010, December 15). Aditing Standard No. 11. Retrieved Novembe 4, 2012, from PCAOB: http://pcaobus. org/Standards/Auditing/Pages/Auditing_Standard_11. aspx Vorhies, J. B. (2005, May). The New Importance of Materiality . Retrieved November 4, 2012, from Journal of Accountancey: http://www. journalofaccountancy. com/Issues/2005/May/TheNewImportanceOfMateriality. htm

Marraige

Arranged marriage is happen a lot over seas in the western area, not so much in the United States. There is an article that is called â€Å"I’m Happy with an Arranged Marriage† by Gitangeli Sapra. In this article she discusses her view of arranged marriages. Ms. Gitangeli approves of arranged marriage, it is stated that people who get married for â€Å"love† has a 40% rate of divorce. She also states that arranged marriages have a lower rate of divorce for the fact that the couples do not want to start a wrath between their families. Is arranged marriage right or wrong?Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I disagree with arranged marriage; I believe that families should not have the right to set up their children with who they think best suits their child. I believe marriage is about two people who love, support and respect each other. I personally would not prefer my parents to set me up with someone who they think is a good match for me, because I have di fferent standards then they do and I have a different idea of who the type of person I would like to spend my time with. Parents want to see their children with successful spouses and who they think are a good person.If parents were to choose who they want their child to marry then they will be too involved in the couple’s relationship, so if the relationship is not working out the couple would be too scared to get a divorce because of what their family might do. A lot of countries make arranged marriage mandatory, and some people really do agree with it it are apart of some cultures, but others do not. Fatma Uncon was a twenty year old female who was forced into an arranged marriage, which she did not want. Since she was forced she decided to commit suicide by shooting herself

The Problem of Obesity in Our Schools

The Problem of Obesity in Our Schools Abstract Childhood obesity is a serious social problem that we face. We are responsible for teaching our children acceptable behaviors to interact with the world as well as to direct their own lives. When we do not teach our children the appropriate skills, they are unable to make healthy, safe choices for themselves. The key to combating this social issues lies in teaching our children at an early age the importance of good eating habits, then following that message up with our actions by showing them what good habits are and practicing them.According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States in the past 20 years. â€Å"In 2008, only one state (Colorado) had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. Thirty-two states had a prevalence equal to or greater than 25%; six of these states (Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia ) had a prevalence of o besity equal to or greater than 30%. † 1 This alarming trend only proves to emphasize that American are not addressing the issues needed to combat this problem.Nutrition habits are learned and practiced when we are young. Think back to when you were a kid. There were certain foods that were always around the house for you to snack on. Were these foods fresh vegetables and fruits, or were they cookies and potato chips? Did your family have a lot of pizza and TV dinners or did they have meals that your mother prepared from scratch? At least 25% of American teens are overweight or obese. 2 25%! That is an incredible number of kids.Overweight and obesity are also common in groups with low incomes. Women with low incomes are about 50 percent more likely to be obese than women with higher incomes. Among children and teens, overweight in non-Hispanic White teens is related to a lower family income. Low-income families also buy more high-calorie, high-fat foods, which may add to the p roblem. This is because they tend to cost less than more healthful foods such as fruits and vegetables. Instead of eating lean ground beef, they eat the 25% lean because it cost less. Biscuits and gravy are relatively cheap to make if you use the drippings from the hamburger for the basis of the gravy and use lard in the biscuits because it, too, is cheaper than margarine or butter. Physical activity is not as common these days as it was before. For example, almost every summer night as kids we would go outside after supper and play games with the neighborhood kids. We played and ran until our mothers called us in for bed.Now, however, families have to worry about their children’s safety so they don’t let them go outside alone or the children would prefer to stay in the house and play computer or video games. It is not surprising, then that children and teens are overweight and obese. Perhaps it is the times that we live in that has the greatest influence on us and our children. We need to take the time to recognize this difference from when we were kids and make a concerted effort to help our children learn good eating and exercise habits.References 1. Who Is At Risk for Overweight and Obesity? ; US Department of Health and Human Resources; retrieved from http://www. nhlbi. nih. gov/health/dci/Diseases/obe/obe_whoisatrisk. html[->0] ; August 3, 2009 2. Let Them Eat Fat: The Heavy Truths About American Obesity; Critser, G. : Crossroads, Readings in Social Problems; Tiemann, K. (Ed); Pearson Custom Publishing, 501 Boylston St. , Suite 90, Boston, MA 02116 [->0] – http://www. nhlbi. nih. gov/health/dci/Diseases/obe/obe_whoisatrisk. html