Assassinations to Sustain Governments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assassinations to Sustain Governments - Essay Example So, Stalin was evidently using all the harassments against his rivals to sustain his government that otherwise would have lost the public support. 2. Sergei Kirov was one of Stalins closest supporters on the Politburo and was in 1934, the party boss of Leningrad. At the 1934 Party Congress, Kirov changed side and began criticizing Stalin and his cruel policies. Fearless ones agreed with Kirov while other less daring ones stayed silent. Stalins position in the Central Committee was under doubt as Kirov pocketed highest number of votes while Stalin got zero. So, Stalin decided to take action against Kirov, the emerging rival for leadership in the Party. On 1st December 1934, Stalin had Kirov assassinated. On the same day, Stalin passed a law that ordered anyone accused of terrorism and plots against the government was to be arrested and executed immediately after conviction (Furia 8 - 9). 3. Stalin feared if Sergei Kirov would grab power from him. So, he tried to persuade Kirov to be loyal to him. Stalin asked Kirov to leave Leningrad to join him in Moscow. Stalin wanted Kirov in a place where he could keep a close eye on him. When Kirov refused, Stalin decided to have him assassinated (Furia 8 - 9). 4. Kirov was a potential rival in the party against Stalin. He used to disagree with Stalin over the issue of democracy within the party. Stalin feared if Sergei Kirov would topple him down from power. So, he tried to persuade Kirov to be loyal to him. Stalin asked Kirov to leave Leningrad to join him in Moscow. Stalin wanted Kirov in a place where he could keep a close eye on him. When Kirov refused, Stalin decided to have him assassinated. He was shot dead on December 1st 1934 by a party member called Leonid Nikolayev (Furia 8 - 9). 5. The assassination of Kirov turned out as expected by Stalin. Whatever Stalins specific role in the assassination of his political rival Kirov, he used the murder as an alleged reason for eliminating

Twains View on Violence and Superstition Essay Example for Free

Twains View on Violence and Superstition Essay Twain reflects violence and superstition Hucks experiences. These views are coming from pre-Civil War events through the experinces of southern life at the time. Huck views superstition from what he learns Jim. Violence can be seen throughtout Hucks many adventures, before and after he fakes his death. These views can be seen through Hucks reactions. Violence seemsto be the most reaccuring event throughout many of Hucks adventures. His father is an abusive drunk. I think Twain uses Hucks father as a representative of the worst in white society. Paps violence toward Huck shows that before the Civil War, Twain believes whites treated everyone with hate equaly no matter if the are black, white, or family. Huck could have, at any moment left his father, but I guess Twain views violence as somthing that can be tolerated for acceptance or lack there of. Twain also views violence something to sympathize with during the pre-Civil war era. In a number of events Huck disagrees or feels bad for those treated violently. Even if the violence was justified or not. Huck felt bad for the man tied up on the wrecked ship, so he trapped the ones causing the violence and went for the authorities. Huck also feels bad for the Duke and the Dauphin, even though they deserved to be tared and feathered or some other form of violoent punishment. Twains views on violence seems to me to contridict themselves. Going as far as faking ones death to escape violence and yet also sympathyzing with those who are treated with violence and yet they are deserving of it in any way, shape, or form. Superstition seems to be something that before the Civil War, only slaves acted upon superstition. Huck learns about supertions from Jim while they are on their island. Jim informs Huck that things are given to those who are deserving. Twain really doesnt reflect on this good or bad. Only considering that Huck learns many leasons from playing superstitous related tricks on Jim. Jim gets what is owed to him only after his owners death and having gone through, what Tom views as a romantic game, but a life or death situation for Jim revealing to Huck that in fact that things are given back to those who are deserving. These events, superstition and violence have contributed to Twains view of pre-Civil War southern life as seen throughout his novel and the experinces of Huckleberry Finn.

The Negative Aspects of Animal Experimentation Essay -- Ethical Issues

Imagine your dog, your cat, or even your favorite animal being hit by a car. The tests that animals are put through during research are not much different. Every year millions of animals are forced to endure pain and suffering while being put through cruel and unnecessary tests (Newkirk 1). Animal experimentation should be illegal because there are other options for research, it is cruel and unfair to the animals, and because the results are not always accurate. There are several other ways to conduct experiments that do not use animals. Instead human tissue and living cells can be used to test new drugs and their chemical toxicity (Hayhurst 36). The cell cultures are placed in test tubes, assay plates, or other experimental containers and injected with a small amount of a drug. The cells create an artificial environment exactly like the environment inside a human’s body. Organs from humans or animals can also be used along with bacteria, fertilized chicken eggs, and from embryos (Day 98-99). Animal cells are more commonly used for testing than human cells are. Some human cells cannot be cultured in labs. Also there is a limited supply of cells from humans. The human cells used only come from tissue that is left over from surgery or from cadavers. A single animal can supply a large amount of cells as well as many different kinds of cells. These cells can be used for toxicity testing and to evaluate the risk of the drug. When cell cultures are used the dosage required is only a very small amount, which prevents the drug from being wasted. The dosage can also be carefully controlled and measured resulting in more accurate data (Day 99). Organ cells can be used to predict toxicity in target organs such as the l... ...drug had been given to mice, rabbits, rats, and monkeys, and all of them showed no bad effects (Allen 1). Within minutes the volunteers were writhing on the floor in agony. The drug was designed to dampen the immune response, but instead it supercharged theirs, unleashing a cascade of chemicals. All six of them were sent to the hospital. Several of them suffered permanent organ damage. One man’s head swelled up so badly that the case was referred to as the â€Å"elephant man trial† (Allen 1). Every year millions of animals are used to test products before they are used on humans. People use these products without thinking about the animals that the suffered and died for their benefit. They are selfish, and they never stop to think about the other options for testing, the cruelty of the experiments, or whether or not the test results are even accurate.

“Of Mice and Men” By John Steinbeck †Coursework Essay

â€Å"Of Mice and Men† was set in the 1930’s in North California. This was a time of economic hardship due to the Wall Street Crash. Men were forced to leave their families and find work on ranches. Pay and working conditions were poor. Men scraped by, spending any extra money they had gambling or in one of the many whore houses. This is where Steinbeck drew his inspiration from; he spent time on the ranches experiencing the hardships experienced by the workers. The book is about these workers and the extremely lonely lives they led. It also exposes underlying themes of racism and how badly the disabled were treated. This was a time when people looked after number one, as there was nobody else to do this for them. The two main characters are somewhat different, as they travel and work together, looking out for each other. This was very unusual because life would have been hard enough without the extra responsibility of looking after another person. The two main characters have just been evicted from their work in a town called â€Å"Soledad† (which means loneliness). They are the only people in the book whose names Christian names are actually used. It shows that nobody makes the effort to make friends enough to be on first name terms. This is symbolic of the loneliness of each of the characters and shows how unusual the two main characters are. The two main characters are called George ands Lennie. There is very little information about them in the book. They work for their keep on the ranches. Lennie is slightly brain damaged and has a very limited memory. He is an enormous man and Steinbeck often compares his actions with those of a large, clumsy animal using similes and metaphors: â€Å"Dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws.† These are intended to subtly give the reader the impression that Lennie is big and clumsy, like an animal that does not know its own strength; â€Å"Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water.† George is exactly the opposite of Lennie. He is small, dark and quick, and is cautious about his surroundings; â€Å"The small man stepped nervously†¦Ã¢â‚¬  George is always on the look out and he knows how to look after himself. The town they had just come from was called â€Å"Weed† which could signify that they were unwanted, like a weed, there: they were forced out of there because Lennie made a mistake. He had grabbed a woman and she said that he had raped her. George is very much the dominant figure in the relationship and makes all the decisions. At the very start you can tell this because Lennie copies George in the way he looks and acts; â€Å"Lennie, who had been watching imitated George exactly.† This suggests that Lennie looks up to George and wants to be j ust like him. This is quite sad really as he has ended up nothing like him. Lennie hates to make George angry, like a dog that hates to make his master angry. George feels responsible for Lennie. He is like a father figure to him, and he knows that Lennie would never be able to survive without him. He feels a sense of duty because â€Å"Aunt Clara† told him to look after Lennie. The other reason they travel together is George, though he doesn’t like to admit it, enjoys Lennie’s company and he doesn’t want to let go of the â€Å"American Dream†. They share the dream of owning their own place with a few animals; â€Å"livin’ off the fatta’ the lan'†. George knows it is very unlikely to happen but Lennie still believes and always likes to hear the story of â€Å"how it’s gonna be†. This is painful for George and he is reluctant to talk about it. You can tell it is important to Lennie because he forgets anything he is told but he re members the dream. George and Lennie are always dreaming of the future. When George and Lennie arrive on the ranch, the ranch hands and the boss are suspicious of their relationship. They suspect that George is taking Lennie’s stake for himself; â€Å"I said what stake you got in this guy? You takin’ his pay away from him?† They cannot see why someone else would travel with someone who would restrict them unless they were getting paid. They are lonelier than George and Lennie, and have no real concept of friendship. Despite having Lennie as a companion, George is also lonely. He is alone in his responsibility for Lennie. In a way it is more like speaking to an animal than a human when speaking to Lennie because George knows that whatever he says to him will be forgotten and mean nothing. From the very beginning we get a hint of this by the way Lennie is made to seem more like a responsibility than a friend to George. Lennie is made to seen like an animal, â€Å"like a terrier that doesn’t want to bring his ball back to his master†, maybe signifying that he is like a pet that always needs looking after. Steinbeck also uses George playing solitaire as a metaphor for his loneliness; â€Å"George cut the cards again and put out a solitaire lay, slowly and deliberately.† George lays the cards out like he has done it many time’ before. Solitaire is a single player game (and solitaire is derived from solitary), this shows that Lennie is not capable of acting like an adult and so George must play on his own. George is held from having his own life by the responsibility of caring for Lennie. He continuously tells Lennie how life would be without him; how he could have a girl and a decent job: â€Å"God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy† The truth though, is that George would be even lonely without Lennie. It is ironic at the end of the book that George should be so upset by the death of Lennie, because then he realizes that he will have to spend all the rest if his time alone. You never know what you have until it is gone. One of the ranch workers, Candy, features heavily in the book. He tries to join the friendship of George and Lennie. Candy is extremely lonely. He has been working on the ranch for many years and due to his disability. He is unable to leave because he knows that no other employer would take him on. The only reason he has got work now, is that he suffered the injury to his hand on the ranch. He has seen many men come and go but he cannot move on. Candy knows he will probably die on the ranch. Candy is very talkative because he is so eager to make friends. He warms to this gossip because he on his own when all the workers are in the fields. As soon as he meets George and Lennie he engages them in conversation, hardly letting them speak. He lets out all the opinions, about Curley and his wife and the other ranch hands that he has formed and never had anybody to tell them to. In fact the only sort of a friend he has is an old dog. The dog is old, has no teeth and it stinks. The dog is used to symbolise Candy: old and useless. The dog is also used as a foreshadowing device for Lennie’s death. When Carlson tells him that he should kill the dog he tries to stop him by making up excuses: â€Å"Maybe it’d hurt him,† and tries to put the inevitable off; wants to spend just one more day with the dog by killing it in the morning. The only reason Candy had left to live was the dog so in a way Carlson killed a part of him. The dog is also used as a second foreshadowing device for what George has to do to Lennie in the conclusion of the book. Lennie, unlike the dog, however will be killed by the only person he trusts in the world. This will come from the pressure of other people. In the early 20th Century, blacks were heavily persecuted because of their colour. The stable buck is called Crooks and is discriminated because he is a black; â€Å"S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunkhouse and place rummy ’cause you were blackà ¢â‚¬ . He is kept apart from the other ranch hands because of his race. He is very nervous when Lennie enters his room. This is because crooks has his own living space away from the other men. The only people he sees are probably going to insult or hurt him so he is immediately on guard when someone comes in to his room. He is also discriminated against because of his crippled back, which means that he can’t work in the fields like the other men. Crooks reveals his past to Lennie in his barn. The irony that his father used to own his own ranch and once he used to lead a comfortable life must be extremely painful for him to relive when he thinks about his present lonely self. That is probably why he is so bitter towards the other men who are treating him so harshly. Crooks is always dreaming of the past; â€Å"Remember when I was a little kid on old man’s chicken ranch.† The other men would probably dream of having their own space but Crooks is so lonely he would rather be with other people; â€Å"A guy needs somebody to be near him.† All Crooks has for company is a small collection of books that he reads over and over again. It must be very lonely being on your own all the time when he thinks about what it had been like when he owned his own ranch. Sometimes he almost goes crazy with loneliness; â€Å"Maybe if he sees somethin’, he don’t know whether it’s right or not. He can’t turn to the other guy and ast him if he sees it too,† He is only admitting this because he knows that Lennie is not listening, and even if he was, he couldn’t remember and repeat what was being said anyway. Crooks is proud and doesn’t want to admit that he is lonely or that the men are getting to him by calling him names and abusing him, â€Å"If I say something, why it’s just a nigger saying it.† When someone calls somebody something enough times a person will start to absorb the names and start to believe that there is some truth to what the person is saying about them. Crooks is treated like an animal. One Christmas time they â€Å"let† him into the bunkhouse and made him fight. The word â€Å"let† is used like letting an animal in for a treat. He then leaves after his fight, for his own room. The men just use him as entertainment. His life is always under threat because he means nothing them. Curley’s wife plays a very prominent role in the book as she brings the death of Lennie and herself. She is not given a name through the whole book. This signifies how little everyone thinks of her. She is referred to as â€Å"jail bait† and â€Å"slut† by all the ranch hands. This is due to the manner she has adopted to befriend the men. She constantly flirts with any man she meets and being pretty at the same time, she is bound to get herself into some sort of trouble. She acts like this because she is lonely and it is her way of attracting attention to herself. The problem is that all the workers are afraid to talk to her because they fear what Curley would do to them if they did. Curley is always looking for a fight to show how much of man he is. If he got just the faint scent of her cheating on him he would fight. Nobody want to get on the wrong side of Curley because they know he is a good boxer and because he is the boss’s son he can probably get anyone â€Å"canned† if he wants, In reality, Curley’s wife doesn’t actually like Curley and even admits to Lennie: â€Å"I don’t like Curley.† She married him to show her mother that she could be independent and to get back at her for the letter that could have been her big break that she thinks her mother stole. Curley’s wife is dreaming of what could have been, how she could have been in the movies and what a lifestyle she could have had. The marriage between Curley and Curley’s wife is not based on love but on sexual attraction Curley’s wife is also very lonely, that is why she is always skulking around the bunkhouse with the men. She needs someone to talk to; She uses the excuse that she is looking for her husband. In the end her loneliness is the end of her when she tries to talk to Lennie (much the same way as Crooks let out his thoughts to him). The climax of the book starts in the barn. The scene begins with Lennie worrying about his puppy which he has just killed accidentally. Curley’s wife enters, as usual looking for someone to talk to. She begins telling Lennie her life story. All through the book she has been portrayed as a spiteful woman; â€Å"foolin’ around with other guys, causin’ trouble.†, but here her true character comes out. Lennie ends up telling her about his love for soft things so she lets him stroke her hair. The other men can resist her charms but Lennie is not clever enough to know. Lennie strokes it a bit too vigorously and her panic affects Lennie. He breaks her neck by accident, then thinks that if he hides the puppy, which is used as a foreshadowing device to Curley’s wife’s death George will be more likely to let him tend his precious rabbits. This is sad and ironic, as Lennie cannot grasp the enormity of the thing he has just done. Curley’s wife seemed peaceful after her death; â€Å"the ache for attention were gone from her face.† She was realised from her prison on the ranch and was now free and happy. When George hears, he despairs, for Lennie has ended their chance of achieving the impossible â€Å"American Dream†. One of the themes of this book is certainly loneliness. The people are segregated into groups. Age, disabilities, race and sex separate many people. Also the time of economic hardship forced men to look after number one. It made it very hard for the men to form friendships as they have very few responsibilities. The book is about the unusual friendship of George and Lennie who have nothing in common with each other apart from they share the American Dream. That is all that keeps them going. It is extremely sad when George is forced to kill Lennie because he was all that George had left. It was ironic because George had always spoken about what life would be like without Lennie; how he could be free. Now he had his wish he was devastated that he had had to kill the only friend that he had in the world.

Bloodless Surgery

Bloodless Surgery| [Type the document subtitle]| Michael Jones| Abstract There have been many court cases that has made, parent who deny their child blood transfusion, to have to get one. Most time the courts will side with the parents, but if their decision not to is life threatening, the court side with the hospital. Most times it is for religious reasons that parent don’t want their child to have blood transfusion. There are many risks associated with blood transfusion, some parents don’t want to take that risk. Some of the diseases you can get are hepatitis B and hepatitis C. HIV and AIDS can also be contracted through blood transfusion. It can even lead to death of a recipient. Is it ethical for parents to chose for their kids not to have blood transfusion. There is an alternative to blood transfusion. There are many tools and techniques to prevent the need for blood transfusion. Many doctors today are moving more towards bloodless surgery. The growth of bloodless surgery can be largely due to the number of Jehovah’s Witness patients. It is beneficial for both the patient and the hospital. More cost effective and faster recovery. I will talk about how preoperative planning is important for a successful bloodless surgery. I will touch on technique like cell savaging and Normothermia. Also introduce you to a cool tool called Cyber-Knife. I will show how Jehovah’s Witnesses and their Hospital Liaison Committee help my family when it came to bloodless surgery. Blood transfusions have been known to have many dangers. In most cases the cons outweighs the pros, causing many people to consider alternative measures. Today one of the most innovative and effective alternatives is bloodless surgery. In the event that you are faced by such a challenging yet important decision such a surgery, allow me to enlighten you on some of the statistics, procedures and benefits of bloodless surgery to assist you in making an informed decision. As we look at some of the dangers that are associated with blood transfusion alongside modern methods, equipment and benefits of bloodless surgery. We will see how these procedures have progressed over the years, and how the increase in use of bloodless surgery can be attributed to a small group of people known as Jehovah’s Witness. Witnesses as patients will not accept blood transfusion, under any circumstances. This has caused doctors to look for other solutions. The reasons why you should use bloodless surgery are the risk associated with blood transfusion. Transfusions have been used for over fifty years in clinical medicine. Within those fifty years it has become apparent that the risk such as infectious viruses, bacterial infections and even death has been linked to blood transfusion. Infectious viruses include but are limited to blood borne pathogens like hepatitis B and C. The Blood bank reports â€Å"for screened units of blood in 2007, 1 in 137,000 had hepatitis B, fewer than 1 in 1,000,000 for hepatitis C† (Nagarsheth, N. P. , Sasan, F. 2009) Blood transfusions have been associated with higher incidence of bacterial infections. â€Å"Bacterial infection was 2 percent non-transfusion patients, 15 percent for those with up to 2 units of blood red blood cells transfused, 22 percent with three to five units of blood, and 29 percent for patients transfused with 6 or more units of blood. † (Nagarsheth, N. P. , Sasan, F. 009) The more blood received in a transfusion, the more likely you are to get a postoperative infection. Many People today receive multiple transfusions. Transfusion in time develops allergenic immunization. This limits the supply of compatible blood. These numbers may seem like lottery chances, but why take the chance. Ultimately there is death. Death is not a foreign outcome of blood transfusion. Transfusion related acute l ung injury or TRALI, was first reported in the early 90’s. It’s a life threading reaction following a blood transfusion. TRALI is now known to cause many deaths each year. However, experts believe that the number of death is much higher than what is reported in relation to TRALI, because many doctors are unaware of the symptoms. The cause for such a reaction is conclusive. New scientist states â€Å"The blood that causes TRALI appears to come primarily from people who have multiple transfusions. TRALI is the top reason for blood transfusion death in the world. Jehovah’s Witnesses have benefited greatly from their faithful course. Although their reason for not having blood transfusions are not because of the negative reasons that derive from it, but because of their devout belief in God and the Bible. They obey scripture such as Acts 15; 20 which states â€Å"abstain from blood† and Leviticus 7; 26 â€Å"you must not eat any blood. † Jehovah’s Witnesses respect Gods authority and has taken their stand against blood transfusions, regardless of the outcome. If you do not agree with such a point of view, let’s examine the benefits to bloodless surgery and its advancing technology. Over the years the tools and techniques of surgery without blood transfusion has improved greatly. One tool or technique used for surgeries with a lot of blood lost is called cell salvage. This involves recovering the blood lost by a patient, cleaning it, and putting it back into the patient. This is done non-stop during surgery. â€Å"Technological advances have increased system automation†¦ offering higher processing speeds and better end product. †(Lawrence Goodnough. 2003 Vol. 4) Cell salvaging is also cost effective for the hospital and the patient. If there is a surgery with lots of blood lost, it is cheaper to use cell salvage than the units of blood used in a transfusion. Also the recovery time is faster reducing the time and money a patient spends at a hospital. How can blood loss during surgery be lowered in order to lessen the chance for need of a blood transfusion? The key is preoperative planning for a successful bloodless surgery. The first thing to be considered is the amount of red blood cell (RBC) that will lost before a transfusion is needed. This is called the transfusion threshold. Another thing that can be done before surgery is to â€Å"increase the patients RBC mass. † (Watchtower Bible and Track Society, 2004) RBC mass can be increased by injection of iron into the patient. Also erythropoietin(EPO). EPO is a protein hormone produced by the kidneys. â€Å"This synthetic hormone acts like the natural erythropoietin found in our kidneys and stimulates the bone marrow to send new, fresh red cells into the bloodstream. † (Watchtower. org)EPO is normally given 10 to 20 days before surgery. If you increase the RBC mass and lower the transfusion threshold, it allows for an even greater acceptable amount of blood loss. Normothermia is a technique used to keep the patient’s body temperature during surgery. This helps keep the blood flowing properly. Managing the patient body temperature throughout the entire process reduces the surreal shock to the body which reduces the chances of incurring infection. The patient can be warmed by a thermal suit or a machine that infuses warm fluid into the body. The position can also help reduces blood loss during surgery. Local veins pressure changes depending on the field of relativity to the heart. Low pressure goes hand in hand with blood saved. Stanford University Medical Center is a pioneer in the use of bloodless surgery in neurosurgery. â€Å"Without sawing into the skull or so much as cutting the scalp, they are curing patients whose brain and spine tumors were not long ago considered a death sentences. † (Fillon, Mike 1997) These surgeries are possible with the use of Stanford University’s computer mediated stereotaxis radio surgery known as the Cyber-knife. The Cyber-Knife is basically a robotic x-ray gun that shots small amounts of radiation into the tumor in a lot of different directions. This kills off the infected tissue without over exposing other parts of the body to radiation. Cyber-knife is a robotic arm that locks the radiation beam on to the tumor and constantly readjusts its aim in response to the patient’s natural small movement. To help doctors in providing treatment without blood transfusions, Jehovah's Witnesses have developed a helpful liaison service. Presently, more than 1,400 Hospital Liaison Committees worldwide are equipped to provide doctors and researchers with medical literature from a data base of over 3,000 articles related to bloodless medicine and surgery. Not only Jehovah's Witnesses, but all patients in general today, are less likely to be given unnecessary transfusions because of the work of the Jehovah’s Witnesses' Hospital Liaison Committees. In many surgeries which doctors felt that a transfusion was needed. The liaison committee has provided them with medical literature that shows how effective EPO can be. Some did not think that it would work fast enough to make up the amount of blood needed. A number of cases have shown how quickly EPO gets results. In one instance, on the very same day after EPO was administered, the count of new red cells was already four times normal! †(Watchtower. org) My mother and father got to see how effective the liaison committee, and blood surgery first hand. When my brother was 16 years old, we found out that he had cancer in his knee. At that time there was no hospitals with a committee or doctor that would perform bloodless surgery on Staten Island. So the hospital liaison committee located Mount Sinai Hospital that had one doctor that did do bloodless surgery. My brother was put on EPO, and was the only patient that was. For all of the doctors this was their first time use EPO, or even doing bloodless surgery. They were extremely surprised how much better he was doing than the other kid’s that were having blood transfusions. â€Å"It was really sad to see all those little kids and babies having blood pumped in to them. † That is what my mother said when I was asking her about my brother surgery. She said â€Å"Junior what the only kid that was up walking around, all the other kids was in their beds look like they was about to die. † Two things happened to my brother. First he lost all his hire because of chemotherapy. He also lost his leg because that was the only way they could remove all the cancer. It is reasonable to conclude that although blood transfusion has been around for many years. With all its side effects such as, infectious viruses bacterial infections and even death. It is quickly becoming a thing of the past! With strong scriptural basis and its practical benefits, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been the main reason for the growth of bloodless surgery. Today hospitals across the world implanted bloodless programs to help meet the demand for this growing number. Along with that, doctors have developed many techniques and tools in order to be successful in bloodless surgery. Techniques such as cell savaging and blood recovery and tools like the Cyber-knife. This have allowed for more cost effective surgeries, faster recovery, lower chance for infection and viruses. If ever surgery is something you have to undergo. I hope that I have persuaded you to make the right decision. References Cantrell, S. (2010). New normothermia measure heats up patient- temperature management. Healthcare Purchasing News, 34(3), 22-29. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Fillon, M. (1997). Bloodless surgery. Popular Mechanics, 174(1), 48. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Goodnough, L. , ; Shander, A. (2003). Evolution in alternatives to blood transfusion. Hematology Journal, 4(2), 87. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Nagarsheth, N. P. , ; Sasan, F. (2009). Bloodless Surgery in Gynecologic Oncology. Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, 76(6), 589-597. doi:10. 1002/msj. 20146 Watch Tower Bible and track society of Pennsylvania. (2004) Transfusion Alternatives, Document Series. Watchtower. org

Pledge of Allegiance essays

Pledge of Allegiance essays The pledge of allegiance is by definition a solemn swear of allegiance to the United States. But recently, it has been under attack by some for its use of the phrase one nation under God. This case was brought up by an atheist from Sacramento who didnt want his second-grade daughter to have to hear the pledge of allegiance. He took it federal court. After a self fought case to the Ninth Appellate Court, the court ruled that the phrase under God is an endorsement to monotheism, thereby in conflict of state and church separation. This ruling came at a tough time in America when everyone was still trying to find an answer to September 11. But, I do believe this to be the right decision. The state-sponsored use of one nation under God is a subtle, but intentional endorsement of religion. In so doing, the government is in breach of the First Amendment to the Constitution. The people who are fighting against the Courts decision to ban the phrase seem entirely to forget about the Constitution. A senior judge who disagreed with the ruling said there was only a miniscule risk that the use of the phrase under God would bring about a theocracy or suppress someones belief. Does something in there sound wrong to you? The judge implies the phrase could and would suppress small portions of Americans. Thats unacceptable. A Harvard professor predicted that the Supreme Court would overturn the decision. Our House of Representatives and the Senate were disgusted by the courts decision. The senate passed a resolution 99-0 showing support for the pledge of allegiance. The lawmakers of the United States are simply playing politics to appease the majority of Americans. We put our trust in these people's hands to represent us and defend the Constitution, not to appease constituents who support sta ...

Family Essays - Sojourner Truth, Burning Of Rome, Family Scholarship

Family Essays - Sojourner Truth, Burning Of Rome, Family Scholarship Family Scholarship Essay Since the day I was born, I have enjoyed story-telling. My first memories are of my father spinning me tales, as I nodded off. Every night I traveled back in time through his stories. I learned of Nero's sadistic burning of Rome, Adolph Hitler's maniacal reign, and Sojourner Truth's brilliant speech. All elements of our historical heritage, for which I have great affection. When I was quite young, my father purchased our very first computer. Through his hobby, I grew to love the technical side of the world in which we live. Through the years, we have owned many computers and they each taught me something new. Due to these two loves, I have chosen to double major in history and computer science. "Jewel, you have to make it. I want you to finish what the rest of us have started. You must finish college," my grandmother has stated to me many times. No one in my family has completed a four year degree. It is my intent to blaze a trail for my posterity, as also is my grandmother's ambition. As long as I can remember it has been my fondest dream (and my furthest goal) to attend college. From the beginning, I knew it would be an uphill climb to gain admission into a prestigious university. Lately I have realized I cannot reach my dreams alone. I need assistance financially. Through applying for financial aid, I am able to alleviate this need. I sincerely hope that you will seriously consider my application.

The New SAT vs. the ACT Full Breakdown

The New SAT vs. the ACT Full Breakdown SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips For the past decade or so, the SAT has come under increasingscrutiny for its confusing structure, trick questions, and obscure vocabulary. Meanwhile, the ACT is often seen asthe fairer test, more closely based in what students learn in school. As you might have heard, the College Board undertook a radical overhaul of the SAT that went into effect in March 2016 and, in many ways, made it much more similar to the ACT. Adding to the confusion is the fact that ACT, Inc., also made some minor changes to the ACT. What are the main differences between the current versions of the two tests?The short answer is that the SAT and ACT are now quite similar.The changes have eliminated many of the two tests' major differences in both style and content. Nonetheless, there remain important variations- some long-standing and some newly introduced. I'm going to start by talking about what the SAT and ACT look like in general, and then I'll break down the new similarities and unique characteristics of each test, section by section: Test Structure (Timing/Sections and Scoring) Reading Writing/English Math Science Essay Brief Timeline of Changes to the SAT and ACT Before we get into the key differences between the two tests, I've included a basic timeline of when the changes to each exam went into effect below: Early 2015 and earlier Slight changes to ACT question distribution Paired passages on ACT Reading Fall 2015 New ACT Writing test RedesignedPSAT March 2016 Redesigned SAT As you can see, the ACT, the SAT, and even the PSAT have all undergone noticeable changes in the past few years. Yet while the content and format of the ACT has stayed mostly the same, both the SAT and PSAT have been completely revamped (or, rather, redesigned). Now that you understand when these big changes happened, let's begin our analysis by comparing the overall structures of the current SAT and ACT. SAT vs ACT: Overall Test Structure One of the goals of the SAT overhaul was to make the testmore straightforward, so many of its structural oddities, such as the wrong-answer penalty, were eliminated.The College Board also streamlined the SAT structure by including only one section of each type (except for Math, which has two subsections now) rather than three. The ACT structure, on the other hand, hasstayed mostly the same.The biggest changes to the test mainly targeted the Writing (essay) section, and that's it. Let's go over the specific layouts of the two tests so you can better understand the similarities and differences between them. Timing and Sections The current SAThas one Reading section and one Writing section. The Math section is divided into a No Calculator Test and a Calculator Test (meaning you may not use your calculator on the former but may on the latter). In addition, there is one Essay section, which is optional. The four sections are always in the same order. The entire SAT is three hours without the Essay, and three hours and 50 minutes with the Essay. The exact breakdown looks like this: SAT Section Total Time # of Questions 1. Reading 65 minutes 52 2. Writing and Language 35 minutes 44 3. Math No Calculator 25 minutes 20 4. Math Calculator 55 minutes 38 5. Essay (Optional) 50 minutes 1 prompt By contrast, the basic ACT structure and timing have not changed, with the exception of the new essay section, which is longer.Here is the breakdown of the ACT's timing and questions: ACT Section Total Time # of Questions 1. English 45 minutes 75 2. Math 60 minutes 60 3. Reading 35 minutes 40 4. Science 35 minutes 40 5. Writing (Optional) 40 minutes 1 prompt As you can see, the format of the current SAT is more similar to that ofthe ACT than to that of its previous incarnation. While there's no Science section on the SAT, it contains sections on Reading, Writing/English, and Math, just like the ACT does. It also has an optional Essay section like the ACT (before, the SAT Essay was mandatory!). Scoring The 2016 SAT redesign also involved major changes to the scoring system; we'll go through these one at a time: Scoring returned to the 400-1600 scale:In 2005, when the College Board last implemented major changes to the SAT, it added the Writing section; this meant there were three scores (each on a scale of 200-800) to combine, making the top possible score 2400. Nowadays, the Writing and Reading sections count toward the same Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score, which are combined with your Math score to get a final score between 400 and 1600. There's no wrong-answer penalty:You're no longer penalized by 1/4 point for every wrong answer! The original idea behind this policy was to discourage guessing on the SAT, but the College Board's research found that eliminating it doesn't affect scores that much and cuts down on students' reliance on test-taking strategies (a major goal for this overhaul). The Essay is given three scoresand no longer affects your total SAT score:Since it's now optional, the SAT Essay works a lot more like the ACT essay- you get a separate Essayscore that does not factor into your final score (on the 400-1600 scale). Essay scoring also changed: rather than getting onescore between 2 and 12, you'll get three scores, for Reading, Analysis, and Writing, between 2 and 8. You get lots of subscores:As part of its attempt to provide more helpful information to colleges, the College Board now provides several subscores and cross-test scoresfor the SAT: Analysis in History/Social Studies, Analysis in Science, Command of Evidence, Words in Context,Expression of Ideas, Standard English Conventions,Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, and Passport to Advanced Math. That said, it's unclear how (or if) colleges use these scores, so don't worry about them for now. On the other hand,ACTscoringstayed mostly the same. You get four section scores, each on a scale of 1-36. These are then averaged to create a composite ACT score, also on a scale of 1-36. The exceptionis ACT Writing. This section is separate from your composite ACT score and scored on a scale of 2-12. Like the SAT Essay, it'sscored across multiple domains, which are as follows: Ideas and Analysis Development and Support Organization Language Use Each of these subscores is between 2 and 12, and the average of these four subscores is your ACT Writing score. Now that we've covered the big-picture changes, let's move on to the nitty-gritty of each section of the SAT and ACT. Jason Parrish/Flickr SAT/ACT Reading Section SAT Reading is the section that's most similar to its previous incarnation. However, there are still some big changes to note. One is that the SAT Reading section only includes longer passages.Without Sentence Completions or short passages, this section now looks a lot more like the ACT Reading section, which contains a series of 500-750 word passages followed by several questions. Also,thanks to a recent change to the ACT,both tests feature paired passages. These are just the basic similarities of the two tests' Reading sections, but how specificallydo these two sections differ? The chart below shows the specifications for each test: SAT Reading ACT Reading Total Time 65 minutes 35 minutes # of Questions 5 passages, 52 questions 4 passages, 40 questions Passage Types 1 US/World Literature, 2 History/Social Studies, 2 Science 1 Prose Fiction/Literary Narrative, 1 Social Sciences, 1 Humanities, 1 Natural Sciences Question Types Main Idea, Vocab-in-Context, Inference, Evidence Support, Data Reasoning, Technique, Detail-Oriented Main Idea, Vocab-in-Context, Inference, Detail-Oriented SAT Reading Although the Sentence Completions and short passages have been eliminated, the remaining long reading passages look more or less the same as they always have, with a few exceptions: Inclusion of classic texts:As part of the plan to make the Reading passages more complex and therefore more similar to what you might read in school, the SAT Reading section now includes excerpts from texts from the Western canon, including stories and essays by famous authors, US founding documents, and other historically important works. Because these are often quite old, they tend to include more challenginglanguage. Evidence questions:One of the big changes to SAT Reading that you might've heard about is the addition of evidence questions, which ask you to indicate what part of a passage supports your answer to a previous question. As these questions are quite tricky, you'll definitely want to learn effective ways to approach them. Questions go in chronological order (for a passage):This is one aspect of the SAT Reading section that didn't change and that really sets it apart from the ACT Reading section, in which questions do not follow the order of the passage. Charts and figures in science passages:Two of the five SAT Reading section passages cover scientific topics and include charts and figures. Here's an example of the types of charts and data you'll see, taken from an official SAT practice test: ACTReading The big difference between ACT Reading and SAT Reading remains how you need to budget time. Also, while the SAT is more focused on analyzing specific points in a passage and understanding how the author constructs an argument, the ACT deals more withreading comprehension. Here are some of the key features of ACT Reading, in comparison with SAT Reading: Randomly ordered questions:SAT Reading tells you where to look for the answers to most questions, but one of the biggest challenges on ACT Reading is finding the information you need. The questions are ordered randomly and often do not give line numbers, which can makefinding specific details very tricky. Less time per question:The strict time constraint is the other challenge many students face on ACT Reading: you have roughly eight and half minutes per 10-questionpassage on the ACT,compared with 13 minutes per 10- to 11-minute passage on SAT Reading. SAT Writing/ACT English Section Of the three SAT sections, Writing underwent the biggest changes (though if you've taken the ACT, its new format is going to look familiar). The current SAT Writing and Language section uses the same passage-based format as the ACT English section. Here's an official example of an SAT Writing passage and the questions that follow: SAT Writing also includes more ofthe same grammatical concepts as ACT English,most notably of which is punctuation. SAT Writing ACT English Total Time 35 minutes 45 minutes # of Questions 4 passages, 44 questions 5 passages, 75 questions Content Tested Standard English Conventions: 20 questions (45%), covering sentence structure, conventions of usage, and conventions of punctuation Expression of Ideas: 24 questions (55%), covering development, organization and effective language use Usage and Mechanics: sentence structure (20-25%), grammar and usage (15-20%), and punctuation (10-15%) Rhetorical Skills: style (15-20%), strategy (15-20%), and organization (10-15%) Despite the massivesimilarities between the SAT Writing and ACT English sections, there are still some noticeable differences. Let's go through them one at a time. SATWriting and Language As I noted above, the SAT overhaul involved a complete redesign of the Writing section so that all of the questions are now presented in the context of reading passages.Here are other major changes to note: The Writing section is included in your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score: With the current SAT, the Writing section is part of the same final section score as the Reading section is; this change returned the SAT to its original 400-1600 scale (as opposed to the previous 600-2400 scale). Slightly more focused on writing style:These days, SAT Writing has slightly more questions dealing with Expression of Ideas (writing style and argument) than it does targeting Standard English Conventions (grammar and sentence structure). Includes charts and graphs:Like the SAT Reading section, SAT Writing includes charts and graphs with its passages. However, there are only a few questions of this type per test. Some word choice questions involve challenging vocab:While word choice questions on the ACT are more focused on nuanced differences between common words, this type of question on the SAT sometimes tests knowledge of more traditional vocabulary words like those that wereincluded in old Sentence Completion questions. ACTEnglish Again, the similarities between these sections are much greater than their differences, but the ACT does emphasize slightly different skills than the SAT does. Here are the main features of the ACT English section and how they differ from the SAT Writing section: A lot more questions:ACT English has almost twice as many questions as SAT Writing. This doesn't necessarily make it more difficult, but it does necessitate a slightly different approach. Read our guide for more suggestions on how to approach ACT English passages. Slightly more focused on grammar and conventions:While the SAT has more questions about writing style, the ACT has theemphasis reversed: it's primarily focused on Usage and Mechanics questions, which coversentence structure, grammar, and punctuation. Big-picture questions:Though the two tests cover almost all the same material, ACT English hasone type of question that SAT Writing does not have: main idea questions. Both tests ask questions such as "What is the purpose of this passage?" on their Reading sections, but only the ACT includes these on the English section as well: SAT/ACT Math Section SAT Math is the section that remains the most similar structurally, but there were some pretty big changes in terms of its content. Like the ACT Math section, SAT Math now includes somemore advanced math topics, such astrigonometry and complex numbers, though there are only a few questions on these concepts. SAT Math questions are also closer to ACT Math questions in style: they're more straightforward and test the kinds of math you learn in school rather than more obscure topics. Here's an overview of the two Math sections: SAT Math ACT Math Total Time Calculator: 55 minutes No Calculator: 25 minutes 60 minutes # of Questions Calculator: 38 questions No Calculator: 20 questions 60 questions Topics Tested Heart of Algebra - 33% Problem Solving and Data Analysis - 28% Passport to Advanced Math - 29% Additional Topics in Math - 10% Pre-algebra - 20-25% Elementary algebra - 15-20% Intermediate algebra - 15-20% Coordinate geometry - 15-20% Plane geometry - 20-25% Trigonometry - 5-10% SAT Math The changes to SAT Math were designed to make it more similar to the tests you take in math class, meaning you're asked harder questions in a more straightforward way. Here are some of the key changes to note: Divided into a Calculator section and a No Calculator section:SAT Math is now split into two sections, one for which you're allowed to use a calculator and one for which you aren't. Don't worry about the No Calculatorsection too much, though, as it only requires basic calculations you can easilydo by hand or in your head. Heavily focused on algebra:As I mentioned above, one of the goals of the SAT was to make it more similar to what you learn in school and what you'll need for college. One part of this change was shifting the focus of the test toward algebra. Now, 61% of Math questions deal with algebra topics, including manipulating equations and expressions, writing equations to solve word problems, solving quadratics, and working with formulas. More data analysis: The proportionof data analysis questions has also increased. Almost one-third of SAT Math questions focus on manipulating ratios and percents, in addition to understanding graphs and charts. Very little geometry:With so much of the SAT Math section devoted to algebra and data analysis, there's very little room for geometry. In fact, only six questions ask about geometry and trigonometry, though the test still provides most of the common formulas you'll need. Still has grid-ins:Like the old version of SAT Math, the current Mathsectionhas 13 student-produced response questions, commonly known as grid-ins. These questions require you to write in your own answer instead of choosing one from the options given to you. ACT Math ACT Math stayed more or less the same, despite some tweaks to topic distribution. However, the changes to the SAT have created some new differences between the tests: Farmore geometry and trigonometry:If you like geometry, the ACT's the test for you. One-quarter to one-third of ACT Math questions deal with geometry or trig. However, unlike the SAT, the ACTdoesn't provide you with any formulas, so you'll absolutely have to know the common ones. A wider range of material:In fact, ACT Math tests more topics in general than the SAT does. You might see questions about logarithms, graphs of trig functions, and matrices- none of which appear on the SAT. SAT/ACT Science Section While there still isn't a Science section on the SAT, the College Board has attempted to incorporate these skills into the other three sections. According to the College Board website, "[the redesigned SAT]call[s] on the same sorts of knowledge and skills that students will use in college, in their jobs, and throughout their lives to make sense of recent discoveries, political developments, global events, and health and environmental issues." The current version of the SAT includes questions that ask you to analyze a chartorgraphin all three sections, as well as two reading passages on scientific topics. The ACT continues to have a lot more science questionssince it has a dedicated Science section. It also asks more complex questions than the SAT does, particularly with regard to experimental design. SAT Essay/ACT Writing Section The Essay is the one section for whichboth tests underwent a major overhaul.Moreover, both the SAT Essay and ACT Writing sections became more complex and are nowoptional. Ideally, the changes to the essay create results that better reflect your ability to understand and build arguments, though it remains to be seen how many schools will require the essay section onceit's optional for both tests. SAT Essay ACT Writing Total Time 50 minutes 40 minutes Optional? Yes Yes # of Prompts 1 prompt 1 prompt Scoring Domains Reading, Analysis, Writing Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, Language Use SAT Essay The College Board shifted the SAT essay task from one that asks you to make an argument to one that asks you to dissect an argument. Take a look at the official sample prompt below to get a sense of the type of question you'll be asked on test day: Here are some of the main features of the redesigned SAT Essay section and how it differs from the old SAT Essay: You're given a text and asked to analyzethe author's argument:Unlike the prompt for the old SAT Essay,the current essay assignment asks you to read and and analyze an argumentative essay. You're thengraded on three skills: reading, analysis, and writing. They don't want your opinion: According to each SAT Essay prompt, it doesn't matter what your opinion on the issue is- rather, you need toexplain how the author makes his point. More similar to essays in English class and on AP tests:In keeping with the College Board's goal to make the SAT more accurately reflect the skills you learn in school, the SAT Essay task is now much closer to the types of essays you write in school. ACT Writing The Writing (essay) section is the only part of the ACT that underwent major changes. Nonetheless, it's remaining more similar to itsold format than the current SAT Essay did to its. Take a look at the official sample prompt below to see what you'll be asked to write about: Here are some key ways in which the ACT Writing section differs from the SAT Essay section: Asked to analyze three perspectives on an issue:Rather than simply laying out a question, the prompt gives you three perspectiveson an issue and asks you to evaluate them. Must argue your opinion:Like the previous ACT and SAT essay prompts, the current ACT Writing task requires you to argue your own position on the issue at hand. Need to generate specific examples:Since the prompt itself only provides perspectives on the issue, not facts, you'll need to come up with specific examples to bolster your argument. Caleb Roenigk/Flickr What Do These SAT and ACT Differences Mean for You? I've written an in-depth breakdown of how to decide whether you should take the SAT or ACT here if you want to read through it. But for now, here are the important takeaway points as you create a long-term study plan. Content Differences Between the SAT and ACT The redesigned SAT is much more content-based than the old SAT, so if you're planning to take it, make sure you understand exactly what will be on it. Also, keep in mind that the ACT still tests more grammar and math concepts than the SAT does. Check Whether You Need to Take the Essay Both the ACT Writing test and SAT Essay are optional, so before registeringfor either test, check whether you need to take the essay. Requirementsvary depending on the schools you're applying to. Even if you aren't sure where you want to apply, I recommend signing up for the essay anyway. What's Next? If you've decided to takethe SAT,check out our in-depth study guideas well as our expert guide to a perfect 1600 SAT score, written by a full scorer. On the other hand, if you think the ACT might be the test for you, try an official ACT practice test, calculate your goal score, and learn how to get a perfect 36 ACT score. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Questions answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Questions answer - Essay Example In addition, the European press always presented war in a romantic analogy. Diplomacy was mainly tied to alliance systems between the central and the allied powers. The Central Powers comprised of Germany, Italy and Austro-Hungary while the allies included France, Britain and Russia (Shaara 8). In fact, according to the print media, warfare was a matter of nationalistic pride. This war was also facilitated by the ignorant nature of the citizens and their apathetic nature to foreign affairs. Additionally, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand beefed up the war in Europe. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand in the summer of 1914 led to the outbreak of the war which involved a Bosnian terrorist who was seeking Bosnian independence. In this period, the Europeans were eager to experience the war. Some of them were even willing to risk their life by fighting in the war. This is because most of the youths and students inculcated the spirit of patriotism and devotion to the state. There are some prominent individuals who influenced the citizens substantially in believing that the war encouraged togetherness in the country (Shaara 9). Question #2 In the 1920s, there was a great reaction in the world which was caused by the wars in the world. The Great War is also known as World War I. According to most individuals, the Great War was a unique war because it involved several countries. Further analysis also depicts that the Great War involved huge life losses. Approximately 10 million men were killed. In fact, the Great War differed from the expectations of the generals and the majority of the Europeans. Most individuals thought that the war would last a single winter. However, the war lasted for four years. The main reason why the Great War differed so much from the expectations of the generals and the Europeans was because; both the military and diplomatic plans of the political leaders had failed in Europe (Shaara 18). In addition, the technological innovations had cha nged the warfare at the battlefield. In this period, the introduction of machine guns, battleships and airplanes significantly affected the war both at sea and on land. The machine guns favored most of the defense schemes employed by countries. The airplanes were mostly utilized for the survey but, bombs were not used in the war. The main warfare took place in Northern France, Southeastern Europe and Russia. In these areas, most of the people who were killed were the men. This is because the individuals in the warzone were not able to predict the extensiveness of the war. This war also created a gulf between military and civilian populations (Shaara 10). Question #3 Total war was a military quarrel whereby numerous countries mobilized all the available resources in order to destroy the ability of other nations to participate in war. This practice of total war was significantly utilized in the 19th century. Total war was also recognized as a separate class of warfare. Research assert s that total war was mainly caused by industrialization. It is quite prevalent that World War I influenced the birth of total war in the industrial age. During this period, soldiers faced each other in battlegrounds that had become extremely lethal due to the advancement in warfare machinery. There was no war witnessed in history such as the First World War. The main reason why this war was significant as opposed to other wars was because it had a long-term effect on the industrial revolution. According to various

Organizational Behavior & Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Organizational Behavior & Leadership - Essay Example Leader B and leader C are senior members of the organization with chances of succeeding Executive A. Executive A is a level five leader. The leadership style integrates features of transformational and transactional leadership styles and focuses on an organization’s long term objectives while shifting focus from the leader. The leader therefore motivates and empowers people to achievement of collective objectives and defines rules to guide people in their designated roles. Rewards or penalty may follow this and integration of features of transformational and transactional leadership may be situational of hybrid. Executive A’s driven and ambitious state identifies transformational features towards inspiration and motivation of followers while his high level focus indicates transactional trait of adherence to guidelines. The leader also shifts focus from him to the organization by attributing success to other leaders. His ability to accept responsibility for mistakes and his role in developing leaders further identifies transformational trait. The executive therefore ha s the traits of a level five leader (Phillips and Gully, 2011). Leader B identifies with transactional leadership style. One of the features of the style is a contingent reward system in which the leaders establishes standards for followers and uses the standard for appraisal and reward. Employees who meet the set standards receive reward while those who do not may either not be rewarded or may be penalized for failure. The leaders also believed in routine operation and does not emphasize on employees’ innovation and growth. From this perspective, performance is based on set instructions and not on an organization’s overall objectives. The leader therefore becomes active when employees deviate from expectations. In leader B’s approach to leadership, clarification of roles to be

Network Effects and Path Dependence Research Paper - 2

Network Effects and Path Dependence - Research Paper Example Network effect or direct-benefit effect is considered to be a vital part of economics and business. It is a kind of effect which determines that for certain sorts of decisions, an individual would incur an explicit benefit when he/she aligns their behaviour with the behaviour of other individuals. In this context, it is determined that the value of a product is directly dependent on the number of users using it (Kemper 67-84). Path dependence can be stated as a substitute analytical process for economics which is acknowledged to be a radical change of the neo-classical standards. It is a process of economic allocation where the arrangement of allocating determinates such as technology, factor, endowment, preference and institution not only depend on certain fundamentals but also depend on a particular contingent event. Instead of converting into an identified determinant, the process has undergone a number of potential equilibrium and selects it on the basis of the specific history o f the process. It is worth mentioning that a positive feedback from the agents also helps in increasing the impact related to specific early selections and further actions that are to be done accordingly (1Liebowitz and Margolis, â€Å"Path Dependence, Lock-In, and History†; Perkins 1-8). However, numerous questions have been raised by a number of critics in order to derive an understanding regarding the conditions based on which an allocation path depends. The answer to this question can be provided by focusing on two issues which include the structure of the explicit network that helps in identifying the interdependency of the agent’s choice. Secondly, the characteristics of the rapidly emerging technological changes are also viewed to have an impact on the features of the different potential equilibrium and the permanence of â€Å"lock-in† to a specific path of allocation. In this context, David’s (1985) view can also be highlighted wherein he stated that the homomorphism of path dependency mainly depends on technology, institutions, organizations and other vital aspects.  Ã‚  

Accounting in its organisational context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Accounting in its organisational context - Essay Example Admittedly, many people dislike change. Thus, the popularity of the traditional costing accounting method still persists until today. The following will explain in detail the many advantages and disadvantages of using the new costing accounting method called Activity Based Costing when contrasted and compared with the Traditional Cost accounting method.Many companies in the United States have shifted from to Activity Based Costing. The prior costing method normally used is the traditional based costing. However, the Activity based costing uses several pre -determined cost drivers that include materials bought to service the customers. In addition, the new activity based costing method is better than the traditional costing method because this new costing method distributes the total estimated cost of service organisation using the daily service activities (Caplan et al., 2005; p1). Furthermore, Activity based costing is a better costing method as compared to the traditional costing method if the service organisation has many different products to market. In a nutshell, activity based costing is better than the traditional method of allocating total costs because it uses activities as the stepping stone to reach the main purpose of setting up a business which is to generate profits. Finally, activity based costing is a preferred choice because it does not stop its tracks after it manages costs (Krumwiede & Roth, 2004; p 1).The prior costing method normally used is the traditional based costing. There are main features for service organizations in both the United States and the United Kingdom that differentiate it from the traditional method of accounting. One of the main features that distinguishes it as a better costing method is that it has many cost cools unlike the traditional costing method. The traditional costing method normally uses only one or two cost pools. The most popular cost pool under the traditional costing method is that total cost is divided by the total number of hours to arrive at a per hour rate. Then the actual number of hours spent for servicing a specific customer service order is multiplied by the pre -determined hourly customer service rate to arrive at the actual cost (Hussein, 2004; p 1).However, the Activity based costing uses several pre -determined cost drivers that include materials bought to service the customers. Also, the number of machine set ups used to repair a car in a car repair centre is one cost driver that that has made this costing method a success. In addition, the number of inspections that have been done in order to determine if the repair shop employees are doing their jobs to comply with the minimum benchmark in terms of job cost and quality is another cost driver that puts activity based costing in high demand. This is also used in the traditional cost accounting method (Lewis, 1993; p. 1) .In addition, the new activity based costing method is

Argument analize 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Argument analize 3 - Essay Example However, it is a fact that pain and suffering do exist in the world, and its occurrence is beyond our control, for the very concept of God is pre-established in our ontology, for, by definition, we understand God as a benevolent and omnipotent creator. Thus, if God were not benevolent, then there would be no problem of pain and suffering. Therefore, either God is not benevolent or he is not omnipotent, or he is not benevolent and omnipotent. 2. Reconstructing the Argument of Pain The argument can be logically reconstructed as follows: 1. God is the benevolent and omnipotent creator of the natural world 2. If God were benevolent, then pain and suffering would not exist in his creations 3. If God were omnipotent, then he would everything in his power to eradicate pain and suffering. 4. Pain and suffering nevertheless exist as experienced by God’s creations 5. God could not have created pain and suffering, for that would contradict his benevolent and omnipotent nature 6. Therefor e, given that pain and suffering exists, either God is not benevolent or is not omnipotent, or is neither benevolent nor omnipotent. 3. ... Likewise, third premise follows from the first and the second, for if God were omnipotent, then he would use his powers to eradicate pain and suffering, since by nature, God is benevolent. Thus, the third premise is also true. However, things get a bit more complicated come the fourth premise, which states that pain and suffering exist as experienced in God’s creations. As C.S. Lewis explains, this is problematic for the main reason that what we experience as ‘pain and suffering’ in the natural world may not be ‘pain and suffering’ for God. Likewise, what we understand as ‘benevolent and omnipotent’ may not be the same as God’s understanding of ‘benevolent and omnipotent.’ This complexity is exemplified due to structure of our language. We understand good and evil to be two conflicting terms for instance. So the problem of reconciling good and evil becomes a problem only because we understand these concepts to conflict with each other. Based on the problem of pain, it was proposed that it is due to God’s benevolent nature that the problem of pain becomes a problem; that if God were something other than benevolent, then the problem is solved. This is evident in premise five, wherein it was shown that God, who is good, could not have created something that was not good, that is, pain and suffering. It is in this regard that the author concludes that either God’s omnipotence or benevolence, or both, is thus questionable. However, I do not think that this conclusion will suffice, for the transition from premise five to its conclusion misses an important point. This is as follows: Following premise four, premise five states that â€Å"God could not have created pain and suffering, for that would contradict his

Theology and arts reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theology and arts reflection paper - Essay Example This is due to their perceived insubordination to the government, which is attributed to their subscription to an alien Westernized culture. Apparently this culture is synonymously equated with the Christian faith (EndÃ…  and Johnston 31). The persecution of the foreign missionaries alongside their Japanese Christian faithful is thus traced back to the Japanese emperor’s concern about the Christianized Japanese inequality loyalty. This is in favor of the foreign Christian emissaries and to the defiance of the government’s directives. In addition, Japanese cultural ethnicity had a cognitively entrenched religious identity in form of Buddhism, which formed part of the Japanese ethnic identity (EndÃ…  and Johnston 18). Contrarily, Christianity challenged some of the religious ordinances of the Japanese tradition such as Buddhism due to their contravention with Christianity dogma teaching against idolatry. This was subsequently viewed as an attempt by the Japanese ethnic conservatism to obliterate and substitute Japanese ethnicity with Western European identity. On the other hand, the film â€Å"Mission† posits a purely evangelization missionary approach aimed at spreading Christianity as an integral part of the South American Gulani community cultural identity. The evangelism aspect of the missionary work amongst the Gulani community is exhibited by the mutual and harmonious coexistence between Christians and non-Christians groups. In addition, challenges to the Christian faith within the Gulani community exclusively come from forces outside the Gulani’s geopolitical locality such as the Portuguese. This is accompanied with minimum or no resistance experienced within the community’s multiethnic groups (Morricone). Evangelism missionary approach amongst the Gulani community is thus directed towards the exclusive substitution of the pagan religious dogma of the

Argument analize 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Argument analize 3 - Essay Example However, it is a fact that pain and suffering do exist in the world, and its occurrence is beyond our control, for the very concept of God is pre-established in our ontology, for, by definition, we understand God as a benevolent and omnipotent creator. Thus, if God were not benevolent, then there would be no problem of pain and suffering. Therefore, either God is not benevolent or he is not omnipotent, or he is not benevolent and omnipotent. 2. Reconstructing the Argument of Pain The argument can be logically reconstructed as follows: 1. God is the benevolent and omnipotent creator of the natural world 2. If God were benevolent, then pain and suffering would not exist in his creations 3. If God were omnipotent, then he would everything in his power to eradicate pain and suffering. 4. Pain and suffering nevertheless exist as experienced by God’s creations 5. God could not have created pain and suffering, for that would contradict his benevolent and omnipotent nature 6. Therefor e, given that pain and suffering exists, either God is not benevolent or is not omnipotent, or is neither benevolent nor omnipotent. 3. ... Likewise, third premise follows from the first and the second, for if God were omnipotent, then he would use his powers to eradicate pain and suffering, since by nature, God is benevolent. Thus, the third premise is also true. However, things get a bit more complicated come the fourth premise, which states that pain and suffering exist as experienced in God’s creations. As C.S. Lewis explains, this is problematic for the main reason that what we experience as ‘pain and suffering’ in the natural world may not be ‘pain and suffering’ for God. Likewise, what we understand as ‘benevolent and omnipotent’ may not be the same as God’s understanding of ‘benevolent and omnipotent.’ This complexity is exemplified due to structure of our language. We understand good and evil to be two conflicting terms for instance. So the problem of reconciling good and evil becomes a problem only because we understand these concepts to conflict with each other. Based on the problem of pain, it was proposed that it is due to God’s benevolent nature that the problem of pain becomes a problem; that if God were something other than benevolent, then the problem is solved. This is evident in premise five, wherein it was shown that God, who is good, could not have created something that was not good, that is, pain and suffering. It is in this regard that the author concludes that either God’s omnipotence or benevolence, or both, is thus questionable. However, I do not think that this conclusion will suffice, for the transition from premise five to its conclusion misses an important point. This is as follows: Following premise four, premise five states that â€Å"God could not have created pain and suffering, for that would contradict his

Spanish Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Spanish - Essay Example En la otra mano, la migraccion es como un descanso durante el dia. Esta musica combiinada con la magnifica fotografia de Vittorio Storaro crea una gran escena de cuando los immigrantes entran por la luz. Lo mismo occurre para la danza illustrada en la pelicula. Una gran escena para explicar como la musica y el baile crean semtimientos en los caracteres cuando Laura y Elena bailan con el mismo hombre durante una cancion. Para mi esta escena es la sumatoria de toda la pelicula. El hombre esta supuesto a representar los sentimientos de Mario y como su corazon miente com ambas mujeres, La musica cambia un poco cuando las mujeras bailan con el hombre. El uso de colores en la pelicula tambien esta represntado en las sentimientos de los caracteres. El trasfondo durante los diferentes bailes illustran el sentir de la escena. Un punto de vista interesante cuando examine la pelicula por segunda vez, es que Elena siempre se viste de rojo. El color rojo puede significar muchas cosas. Y pienso que significa el amor mutuo entre Mario y Elena y tambien pienso que su amor era

Policy issues affecting the police Essay Example for Free

Policy issues affecting the police Essay Just like any other department in the government, the police force is largely influenced by the policy issues that the government adopts. Be it new laws or strategies, they have to adjust their operations so as to fit what the policies dictate. The duty of the police is to maintain law and order and in doing this they have to incorporate policies set by the government. As it will be shown in this paper, these policy issues may affect the activities of the police force such that they may have to completely change their modes of operations to fit the governments requirements. Many policies concerning police conduct, human rights and police duties are have been put forward in many forums and conferences addressing national security. Analysis Unlike in the past where the police had an absolute power, a police officer nowadays may find himself or herself being sued for violation of human rights such as police manhandling or assault (Freund, 2006; Meadows, 2000). There are several policies that have been put forward following revision of several laws which affect the police directly. Policy issues on human rights requiring specific procedures of arrest and handling of suspects have been made. The fourth amendment has limited police power especially with the private law that protects citizens from unwarranted searches and seizures. This means that before a police officer can search or seize private property, there must be a warrant which is given when the need to search premises is of great importance to protect security. Individual liberty and human rights protects citizens from false detention. The fourth amendment comes as a civil liability to the police officers which limits their activities since they have to pay attention to avoid breaking the law (Freund, 2006). This has affected the police in that it has limited their ability to obtain as much information as possible concerning a crime. Some officers have also found themselves in court over what can be referred to as assault during arrest. Perhaps one of the most current policy issues that has affected the police is the governments anti-terrorism policy. A strong policy especially after the 9-11 attacks on the U. S brought out the importance of the need to heighten security to prevent such attacks from happening in future. The government aims at keeping the possibility of any terrorist attack which must involve the police (Pleck, 2004). The involvement of the police force in the war against terrorism has led to the need for more training on the police officers on incident management and terrorism intelligence. As the government noted, the police force was not well equipped to handle such severe incidents hence the need for training on incident management. Again, there the need to develop intelligence skills to counter any form of threats calls for proper training of the police. In order to ensure that the needs of this policy are met, the government has introduced special training schedules for the police which they have to attend to keep updating them on better skills and intelligence on avoiding terrorism attacks as well as how on how to deal with terrorism incidents if by any chance they occur (Pleck, 2004). Community policing is a policy issue that has come up as a result of the need for the community to take part in their own security through reporting any suspicious act to the police. This is because the community is at the best position to identify those that live among them (Palmiotto, 2000). The government requires that the police officers work hand in hand with the community so as to curb crime activities in the society. The effect of this on the police is that there has been need for training to help them be able to deal with the community and aid in identifying between potential danger and normal happenings (Palmiotto, 2000). The police have also been given the extra duty of training and educating members of the public on how to identify potential threats within the community and how they can deal with them in conjunction with the police. The community policing mostly focuses on vulnerable groups such as children and women who are likely to be victims of violence. Policy issues concerning rape have been put forward which has necessitated for trained specialists to handle rape calls as well as interaction between the police and medical practitioners to help in solving such cases (Palmiotto, 2000). The government advocates for advancement in technology for sustainable developments. As a matter of national security, there has been the rising need for the police to upgrade their technology so as to meet the ever increasing crime rates. Technology has been used by criminals to steal from numerous citizens and this has raised an issue of concern. Cyber crimes, phishing and identity theft have been on the rise. The problem with these kinds of crimes is that catching the perpetrators can be quite hard due to the advancement in technology that is used to conduct the crimes. Keeping up with these developments poses a challenge to the police who have to come up with more advanced methods to locate cyber thieves, hackers and identity thieves. More often than not, the police are subject to the laws of prosecution and provision for justice. Policies on the procedures of prosecution highly affect the police. For example, the police are bound by law to only file a prosecution when there is substantial evidence for the occurrence of the crime. Different policies exist for different kind of prosecutions. The juvenile justice for example has undergone many changes and new policies have come up following proceedings from various cases. Juveniles have a wide range of rights and detention of a juvenile can only be under serious suspicions of delinquency. Proof that is beyond reasonable doubt must also be established to ensure that the juvenile offender poses a threat to the community (Rick, 2003). Policies on juveniles also require that they be put under preventive detention according to the standards set by the law (Rick, 2003). This differentiates juvenile offenders from adult ones. The police therefore should pay attention to such details so as to be on the safe side of the law. It is also part of their duties to act according to the laws. Conclusion It is evident that the polices activities are highly influenced by policy issues. The government which also determines the rules of a country constantly comes up with policies for national development. These policies may alter a departments activities or increase its responsibilities depending on how the policy issue is to be tackled. It must also be noted that apart from government policies, each police department has its own policies which guide the officers (Miller, 1997). These include the code of ethics that must be followed by the respective officers. Rules on duties rosters, dress code and punishment for police misconduct within the department are strictly followed. Breaking of these laws may result in serious circumstances and hence the police officers must follow them to the letter. Word Count: 1179 References Freund, E. (2006). The Police Power, Public Policy and Constitutional Rights. New York: Callaghan Company. Meadows, R. J. (2000). A Study of Police Misconduct and Litigation: Findings and Implications. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice. 41(2), 77-92. Miller, S. et al. (1997). Police ethics. London: Allen Unwin, 1997. Palmiotto, M. (2000). Community policing: a policing strategy for the 21st century. New York: Jones Bartlett Publishers. Pleck, E. (2004). Police in the fight against terrorism. American Journal of Police, 25(1), 38- 45. Rick, A. (2003). Juvenile Justice. New York: Odhams Press.

Risk Assessments Within The Criminal Justice System Essay -- Criminal

Risk assessments are an essential component to the criminal justice system because without them jails and prisons could not perform their duties and would not be as efficient. Risk in principle is a fact, yet danger is an issue of perception, how much will society tolerate. People tolerate a lot of risks without noticing the dangers. Risk assessments let us know what is not easily noticed though they still have some blind spots where studies need to be done. The ways that community correction agencies use risk assessments, the elements that are risk assessed, and strengths and weaknesses of most risk assessments will be discussed. Uses of risk assessments There are various risk assessments that exist. For example, there are different ones for pre-sentencing, parole, and in-between that time with prison and jail time served for appropriate measures to be determined. These will help the offender get what is needed based on the severity of their needs. For instance, the specific treatments and/or programs for rehabilitation to occur the offender will need to notify the right authorities and the way to do that is filling out an assessment of risk. The first issue to be tackled for an offender is a drug referral if needed since other interventions and programs will not have much effect if the offender will not retain them due to drug use. These treatment facilities communicate with the probation officers. They keep them informed on the offender’s progress and/or issues the offender has. The lower risk offenders are eligible for treatment programs. (Loftus, lecture) There are more opportunities that apply to lower risk offenders, not just treatments and programs. Only lower risk offenders in jail have a chance to volunteer for... ...ing education. The weaknesses that were touched upon were social groups, gender gap, and racial influences. Works Cited Gould A. Laurie, Southwest Journal of Criminal Justice, Vol. 6(3) (2010), P. 267–285, Perceptions of Risk, Need, and Supervision Difficulty in the Community Corrections Setting, University of Texas at Arlington, http://www.jstor.org/. Accessed: 9/10/11 Loftus Rebecca PH.D., Lecture on risk assessments, Fall 2011, Probation and Community Probations. Noted: 9/6/11 & 9/8/11 MILLS F. JEREMY AND KRONER G. DARYL, Criminal Behavior and Mental Health Vol. 16 (2006), P. 155–166, The effect of discordance among violence and general recidivism risk estimates on predictive accuracy, 1Bath Institution, Bath, Canada and Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada; 2Pittsburgh Institution, Pittsburgh, Ontario, Canada, http://www.jstor.org/. Accessed: 9/10/11

The Dehumanization Process in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Do

The Dehumanization Process in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave Throughout American history, minority groups were victims of American governmental policies, and these policies made them vulnerable to barbaric and inhumane treatment at the hands of white Americans. American slavery is a telling example of a government sanctioned institution that victimized and oppressed a race of people by indoctrinating and encouraging enslavement, racism and abuse. This institution is injurious to slaves and slave holders alike because American society, especially in the south, underwent a dehumanization process in order to implement the harsh and inhumane doctrine. In the episodic autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Frederick Douglass illustrates, through personal experience, the brutality and violence of slave life. As a young boy, Douglass is sent to Baltimore, an event that gives him temporary relief from the harsh conditions on the plantation. In Baltimore, he teaches himself to read and write and begins a jou rney to mental freedom that eventually paves the way to his successful escape to the North. Despite the hardships he endures, â€Å"most amazing is the indestructible total humanity of [Douglass] whom society called a thing, a chattel to be bought and sold† (Rexroth 134). Amazingly, Douglass realizes at a young age that the institution of slavery poisons people who might otherwise act in good and decent ways. His autobiography focuses primarily on the ill effects slavery has on slaves; however, he also acknowledges the damage that enforcing the laws of slavery has on slave holders. Through the use of imagery, Douglass masterfully illustrates the dehuman... ...oppression due to the lack of liberty, education, humanity, or justice. Works Cited Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. Vol 1. 4th ed. Houghton Mifflin Company: New York, 2002. 1817-1880. Franklin, Bruce. â€Å"Animal Farm Unbound.† Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1988. 29-43. Houston PBS Online. Resource Book: People and Events Frederick Douglass 1818-1895. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1539.html Rexroth, Kenneth. â€Å"Frederick Douglass.† The Elastic Retort: Essays in Literature and Ideas. The Continuum, 1973: 108-11. Rpt. in Nineteenth Century Literature Criticism. Eds. Laura Lanzen Harris and Sheila Fitzgerald. Vol. 7. Detroit: Gale, 1984. 133-34.

Indigenous Peoples of the Americas and Guatemalan Culture Essay

Guatemala’s culture is a unique product of Native American ways and a strong Spanish colonial heritage. About half of Guatemala’s population is mestizo (known in Guatemala as ladino), people of mixed European and indigenous ancestry. Ladino culture is dominant in urban areas, and is heavily influenced by European and North American trends. Unlike many Latin American countries, Guatemala still has a large indigenous population, the Maya, which has retained a distinct identity. Deeply rooted in the rural highlands of Guatemala, many indigenous people speak a Mayan language, follow traditional religious and village customs, and continue a rich tradition in textiles and other crafts. The two cultures have made Guatemala a complex society that is deeply divided between rich and poor. This division has produced much of the tension and violence that have marked Guatemala’s history (Guatemalan Culture and History). Much of Guatemalan life revolves around families. Guatemalans say that parents are espejos (mirrors): through them, you learn who you are and what you can become. Children are able to depend on their parents for advice and guidance throughout their lives. Family members tend to live near each other, and Guatemalans rarely live or spend much time alone. Families also care for elderly relatives, and godparents (padrinos) are considered an important part of the family. Guatemalan women tend to marry young and have many children. Women give birth at home, though in cities they may go to a hospital (family life). The typical rural family is industrious; men usually work the fields, while women care for the children and weave beautiful textiles with motifs that are unique to each community. A diet of corn, beans, and a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables is standard. Chicken and rice dishes are also common. Beef or pork is less common among the poorer classes, but popular among middle and upper sectors in both town and country. Among a variety of native dishes, on festive occasions Guatemalans of all classes serve tamales made of cornmeal with a variety of vegetable and meat fillings wrapped in a banana leaf (Guatemalan Culture and History). Guatemala is home to a centuries-old weaving tradition through which indigenous women assert a sense of â€Å"belongingness† to family and community. The women and their families are descendants of the ancient Maya Indians, and the tools of their trade are cotton yarn, the backstrap loom, and time-proven patterns and techniques. Each village and region is identifiable for its own weaving design and colors. Techniques and designs are passed from mother to daughter and traditional clothes are still preferred by most. Some believe that the different patterns existed before the Spaniards arrived. Others believe they were brought from Europe. It is known that the conquistadors used the clothing to label people and control the populations. The traditional technique was to wrap the threads on a warping board, and then mount them on back-strap loom where a panel was woven. Panels were decorated with brocade designs depending on the textile tradition of the weaver’s community as well as her personal taste and skills. Finally, the woven panels were sewn together to make a garment (Guatemalan Culture). Poverty affects both urban and rural Guatemalans, but rural residents, including most of the Maya population, generally live under harsher conditions. Wiggins 4 More than 70% of rural residents are classified as living in extreme poverty, compared to 36% of urban inhabitants. 83% of Guatemalans have access to sanitation. About 54% of the population has access to health care, but the majority of doctors are around Guatemala City. Rates of sexually transmitted diseases and reproductive tract infections (RTIs) among Guatemalan women are high and are on the rise. Malnutrition affects about 60% of the young children (Guatemalan Culture and History). Guatemala has a young population, with 16% under age 5 and 27% age 5-15. The birth rate of 36 per 1000 population is five times the death rate. Guatemala’s people suffer from one of the highest infant mortality rates in Central America, 49 deaths per 1000 live births. Life expectancy at birth is 66 years (63 years for males and 68 for females), among the lowest in the region (Guatemalan Culture and History). The literacy rate for Guatemalans over the age of 15 stood at 56% of the population in 1995, among the lowest rates in Central America. Elementary education is free and compulsory, and 84% of the school-age children attend primary school. The enrollment ratio dropped to 25% for secondary schools. Wiggins 5 Enrollment figures are lower in rural areas than in urban areas. Many rural schools only go to third grade, and much of the nation’s education budget is spent in Guatemala City (Guatemalan Culture and History). Religion is important to Guatemalan life. Each village has a Catholic church; at home, people light candles to honor saints. While the majority of Guatemalans identify themselves as Roman Catholic, the form of Catholicism found in Guatemala, particularly in Mayan areas, differs from that of many other countries. Some people turn to traditional prayer men called brujos, ajkunes and chuchkujawes. These men are believed to have special powers for planting and removing curses, foretelling the future, and asking God to heal sick and bring back love or lost objects. Brujos hold their rituals in houses or caves, using offerings of incense and liquor (spirituality). A typical Sunday is spent for going to church, visiting others or being with family. Relatives stop by and families promenade in the streets, dressed in their best clothes. After a family meal, the afternoon might be devoted to a basketball game between cousins, or a visit to a local park or riverbank (Sports and Recreation). Men and women tend to socialize with their own sex. Male companionship is very important to men. Several times a week, men meet over coffee or beer with friends they have known since childhood to talk, play cards or watch soccer. Many men confide in their male friends more than their wives. Women are less likely to leave home in the evenings, although female co-workers sometimes get together for coffee after work. If woman do not work outside the home, daily chores and shopping are opportunities to socialize with other women during the day (Sports and Recreation). Guatemala’s climate is mild which allows people to relax and socialize outdoors much of the year. Children run around outside playing games such as â€Å"thieves and police,† hide and seek, tenta (tag) and electisado (statues). Children also play with simple materials such as shells and stones, and girls make dolls out of dough. Some school grounds have soccer fields, and the game is popular with both sexes. Boys also enjoy baseball, while girls prefer basketball or volleyball. A favorite evening activity is clustering on street corners to listen to ghost stories, including the one about the fearsome â€Å"man with the big sombrero. † Playtime is more limited for poorer children, who must help their parents on farms or with crafts (Sport and Recreation). Spanish is the official language of Guatemala, but the indigenous people of Guatemala have maintained a distinct identity, centered on lands and villages in the western highlands. Many speak a Mayan language rather than Spanish. Although most are poor by material standards, their lifestyle is ecologically and spiritually satisfying to them, and they have largely chosen to remain isolated from national life. The Guatemalan government at times has tried to suppress indigenous culture, make Spanish the universal language, and promote European ways (Guatemalan Culture and History).