Free Essays on Gay Adoption

â€Å"When a gay couple sought to adopt a boy- who had leukemia, had been neglected by his biological parents, had lived in five foster homes, and whose adoption was favored by his legal representative- the judge deemed it ‘not in the interest of a seven-year-old male child to be placed for adoption into the home of a pair of adult male homosexual lovers.’†(Utne 58) Three years of searching for a qualified heterosexual couple failed. This and many other similar cases have denied children a family by ignoring many qualified homosexuals. With this being an age when people are supposedly more open-minded, why is it that gays are treated this way just because of their sexual orientation? Many Americans are still uncomfortable with the idea of gay parents. The traditional family has always included a mother and a father. However, today more and more families are being headed by gay parents. Some have children from previous marriages. Many must use artificial inseminati on or surrogate mothers because it is extremely difficult for gays to adopt children. Although it seems to contradict society’s view of the traditional family, homosexuals should be allowed to adopt because they deserve equal rights, and sexual orientation is not a reasonable determining factor in the qualifications of a parent. Also, allowing them to adopt can actually help society. â€Å"Surveys suggest that a large majority of the American public generally favor anti-discrimination laws.†(Harris 2) Why then, according to a Newsweek survey, do only 36% of those surveyed think gay couples should have the right to adopt? Samuel Chavers, assistant general counsel for Children and Families, says â€Å"adoption is not a right; it’s a privilege.† If this is true, there is still not a rational basis for denying homosexuals the â€Å"privilege† to adopt. It is clearly an anti-gay bias. Although only two states specifically ban adoption by gays, most stat es discourage it. Just as ... Free Essays on Gay Adoption Free Essays on Gay Adoption The conception that lesbians and gay men may be parents is frequently perceived in today’s society as impossible or immoral. Gay men and lesbians are often viewed as excluded from having children because sexual reproduction is related to men and women only. My approach to this uniquely controversial topic of gay parenting will be that of attempting to analyze the Pro side first. Gays and lesbians are human too and who is to say that they don’t deserve equal rights in society. Society has to realize that the modern family has developed into many different forms in recent years in that the "nuclear family" is not necessarily the most common form anymore. Then I will attempt to analyze the Con side which expresses the fact that two people of the same sex should not be raising and rearing children together. Many believe that if the couple is unable to produce children together, then they shouldn’t be raising them as parents. Children need a balance in their lives and different sexed parents can provide that balance efficiently. Each parent (mom or dad) socializes the child differently and the child needs to be introduced to both worlds. I will then proceed to critique both sides on strengths and weaknesses, based on facts, studies, and my own opinion, and then draw some of my own conclusions on this controversial topic of Gay Parenting. Pro Position There is no valid reason for refusing to call lesbian and gay headed household families. They fall under every conceivable criterion for identifying families and the concept of a Family. "They are groups of coresident kin providing jointly through income-pooling for eachothers need of food and shelter. They socialize children, engage in emotional and physical support, and make up part of a larger kin network". (O’ Brien and Weir, 128). There are also many homophobic ( the irrational fear or hatred of homosexuality or gay people, Biery 88) individuals in today’s societ... Free Essays on Gay Adoption The conception that lesbians and gay men may be parents is frequently perceived in today’s society as impossible or immoral. Gay men and lesbians are often viewed as excluded from having children because sexual reproduction is related to men and women only. My approach to this uniquely controversial topic of gay parenting will be that of attempting to analyze the Pro side first. Gays and lesbians are human too and who is to say that they don’t deserve equal rights in society. Society has to realize that the modern family has developed into many different forms in recent years in that the "nuclear family" is not necessarily the most common form anymore. Then I will attempt to analyze the Con side which expresses the fact that two people of the same sex should not be raising and rearing children together. Many believe that if the couple is unable to produce children together, then they shouldn’t be raising them as parents. Children need a balance in their lives and different sexed parents can provide that balance efficiently. Each parent (mom or dad) socializes the child differently and the child needs to be introduced to both worlds. I will then proceed to critique both sides on strengths and weaknesses, based on facts, studies, and my own opinion, and then draw some of my own conclusions on this controversial topic of Gay Parenting. Pro Position There is no valid reason for refusing to call lesbian and gay headed household families. They fall under every conceivable criterion for identifying families and the concept of a Family. "They are groups of coresident kin providing jointly through income-pooling for eachothers need of food and shelter. They socialize children, engage in emotional and physical support, and make up part of a larger kin network". (O’ Brien and Weir, 128). There are also many homophobic ( the irrational fear or hatred of homosexuality or gay people, Biery 88) individuals in today’s societ... Free Essays on Gay Adoption The conception that lesbians and gay men may be parents is frequently perceived in today’s society as impossible or immoral. Gay men and lesbians are often viewed as excluded from having children because sexual reproduction is related to men and women only. My approach to this uniquely controversial topic of gay parenting will be that of attempting to analyze the Pro side first. Gays and lesbians are human too and who is to say that they don’t deserve equal rights in society. Society has to realize that the modern family has developed into many different forms in recent years in that the "nuclear family" is not necessarily the most common form anymore. Then I will attempt to analyze the Con side which expresses the fact that two people of the same sex should not be raising and rearing children together. Many believe that if the couple is unable to produce children together, then they shouldn’t be raising them as parents. Children need a balance in their lives and different sexed parents can provide that balance efficiently. Each parent (mom or dad) socializes the child differently and the child needs to be introduced to both worlds. I will then proceed to critique both sides on strengths and weaknesses, based on facts, studies, and my own opinion, and then draw some of my own conclusions on this controversial topic of Gay Parenting. Pro Position There is no valid reason for refusing to call lesbian and gay headed household families. They fall under every conceivable criterion for identifying families and the concept of a Family. "They are groups of coresident kin providing jointly through income-pooling for eachothers need of food and shelter. They socialize children, engage in emotional and physical support, and make up part of a larger kin network". (O’ Brien and Weir, 128). There are also many homophobic ( the irrational fear or hatred of homosexuality or gay people, Biery 88) individuals in today’s societ... Free Essays on Gay Adoption The conception that lesbians and gay men may be parents is frequently perceived in today’s society as impossible or immoral. Gay men and lesbians are often viewed as excluded from having children because sexual reproduction is related to men and women only. My approach to this uniquely controversial topic of gay parenting will be that of attempting to analyze the Pro side first. Gays and lesbians are human too and who is to say that they don’t deserve equal rights in society. Society has to realize that the modern family has developed into many different forms in recent years in that the "nuclear family" is not necessarily the most common form anymore. Then I will attempt to analyze the Con side which expresses the fact that two people of the same sex should not be raising and rearing children together. Many believe that if the couple is unable to produce children together, then they shouldn’t be raising them as parents. Children need a balance in their lives and different sexed parents can provide that balance efficiently. Each parent (mom or dad) socializes the child differently and the child needs to be introduced to both worlds. I will then proceed to critique both sides on strengths and weaknesses, based on facts, studies, and my own opinion, and then draw some of my own conclusions on this controversial topic of Gay Parenting. Pro Position There is no valid reason for refusing to call lesbian and gay headed household families. They fall under every conceivable criterion for identifying families and the concept of a Family. "They are groups of coresident kin providing jointly through income-pooling for eachothers need of food and shelter. They socialize children, engage in emotional and physical support, and make up part of a larger kin network". (O’ Brien and Weir, 128). There are also many homophobic ( the irrational fear or hatred of homosexuality or gay people, Biery 88) individuals in today’s societ... Free Essays on Gay Adoption â€Å"When a gay couple sought to adopt a boy- who had leukemia, had been neglected by his biological parents, had lived in five foster homes, and whose adoption was favored by his legal representative- the judge deemed it ‘not in the interest of a seven-year-old male child to be placed for adoption into the home of a pair of adult male homosexual lovers.’†(Utne 58) Three years of searching for a qualified heterosexual couple failed. This and many other similar cases have denied children a family by ignoring many qualified homosexuals. With this being an age when people are supposedly more open-minded, why is it that gays are treated this way just because of their sexual orientation? Many Americans are still uncomfortable with the idea of gay parents. The traditional family has always included a mother and a father. However, today more and more families are being headed by gay parents. Some have children from previous marriages. Many must use artificial inseminati on or surrogate mothers because it is extremely difficult for gays to adopt children. Although it seems to contradict society’s view of the traditional family, homosexuals should be allowed to adopt because they deserve equal rights, and sexual orientation is not a reasonable determining factor in the qualifications of a parent. Also, allowing them to adopt can actually help society. â€Å"Surveys suggest that a large majority of the American public generally favor anti-discrimination laws.†(Harris 2) Why then, according to a Newsweek survey, do only 36% of those surveyed think gay couples should have the right to adopt? Samuel Chavers, assistant general counsel for Children and Families, says â€Å"adoption is not a right; it’s a privilege.† If this is true, there is still not a rational basis for denying homosexuals the â€Å"privilege† to adopt. It is clearly an anti-gay bias. Although only two states specifically ban adoption by gays, most stat es discourage it. Just as ... Free Essays on Gay Adoption Gay Adoption Today people seem open about homosexuality, there is nothing to hide anymore it seems. I think this is not true when you look at the statistics of a gay / lesbian and their life styles it is embarrassing almost. I would definitely not want to be known as homosexual. People say that homosexuality is natural and it’s just the other side of heterosexual. If this is true why is the homosexual life style so unhealthy? But if they want to be homosexual that’s up to them but when people start to talk about letting a homosexual adopt a child, which seems absurd. With all the facts and information we have today and some of the population thinks its ok to have a homosexual adopt a child. Children that live with homosexual parent or parents are four times as likely to end up being gay. It is also a known fact that homosexuals are 16 times more likely to molest a child. Lastly stability is the key to raising an emotionally and mentally healthy child. Homosexual partners simp ly cannot provide the stability that married heterosexual couples can give. Children need a role model, both male and female. Every child has the right to both a father and a mother. In a study shown in January 1996 issue of Developmental Psychology, London researchers Susan Golombok and Fiona Tasker found that children who have been raised by homosexual parents were 4 times more likely to identify as homosexual or get involved in homosexual behavior than children raised in heterosexual households (Bagby 1). As resulted in their studies, Golombok and Tasker realize that â€Å"by creating a climate of acceptance or rejection of homosexuality within the family, parents may have some impact on their children’s sexual experimentation as heterosexual, lesbian or gay.† Homosexual adoption is just a way to gain the benefits and rights of a homosexual marriage. (Huggins 2) Its like unmarried heterosexuals shouldn’t be able to adopt because th...

Words That Follow Sequi

Words That Follow Sequi Words That Follow Sequi Words That Follow Sequi By Mark Nichol The Latin verb sequi, meaning â€Å"follow,† is the source of a diverse array of words pertaining to â€Å"going after† in one way or another. This post lists and defines the term’s descendants. Sequel, originally meaning â€Å"retinue† and later coming to mean â€Å"result,† came from a Latin term meaning â€Å"that which follows.† The dominant modern sense, that of â€Å"a continuation of a story,† is nearly as old; prequel is a recent coinage created on the model of sequel to refer to a story that predates a related tale in an overarching narrative but was created first. Sequence originally denoted liturgical verses that followed others; later, the word came to mean â€Å"series† or â€Å"continuity or order of events,† as well as â€Å"result.† The prevailing adjectival form is sequential, though sequent also exists. Consequent is the adjective form of consequence, which literally means â€Å"follows with† and refers to a result (often, an unfortunate one); the adverbial form is consequently. (Consequence also means â€Å"importance,† as in â€Å"a man of some consequence,† from the idea of something significant having multiple consequences.) Subsequent (â€Å"follows closely†), with the same transformations to other parts of speech, is generally more neutral in connotation and pertains more to chronology than to outcome. Segue, originally an instruction, meaning â€Å"now follows,† in a musical score, came to mean â€Å"smooth transition† and usually refers to such an event in communication or the media, as when someone effortlessly changes the subject of a conversation by bringing up a related topic, or when one filmed scene shifts to another with little or no disruption. The adjective obsequious refers to someone who is overly attentive so as to gain favor; a sequacious person lacks independent or original thought. (The latter term is much more rare than the former.) The noun forms are, respectively, obsequiousness and sequaciousness (or sequacity); adverbs are formed by adding -ly to the respective adjectives. Sequitur, adopted directly from Latin, means â€Å"consequence†; it is used rarely, though it appears in the common term â€Å"non sequitur,† describing something that does not logically follow from what occurred or was said before. Sequester originally meant â€Å"mediate† and later come to mean â€Å"place in safekeeping† and then â€Å"isolate.† (Sequestration is a legal procedure or a chemical process.) Persecute and prosecute both mean â€Å"follow,† but persecution is persistent harassment or punishment, whereas prosecution is performance or pursuit as a duty, especially as in the context of bringing legal action or instituting legal proceedings, though originally the former term had a legal sense as well. Pursue (the noun form is pursuit) is descended from prosecute- not persecute- by way of French and originally referred to following someone with antagonistic intent; it still means â€Å"chase,† but often refers simply to following an inclination, as in â€Å"He intends to pursue a medical degree.† One who pursues is a pursuer; pursuant is a rare variant that also serves as an adjective, usually in legislative documents. An associated word that may not be immediately apparent as such is, regardless, right there in pursuit: suit. The sense of â€Å"a set of clothing† for suit derives from the matching uniforms of a suite, or retinue; suite, by extension, came to also mean a set of things in general, especially a grouping of rooms or a series of musical compositions. The legal sense of suit (often referred to as a lawsuit) shares the â€Å"set† sense from the notion of being part of a retinue attending (following) one’s lord at court; courtiers would present a suit to obtain consideration from their superior. A suitor, therefore, is a party in a suit, or a petitioner, or one who seeks to take over a business or who courts a woman. To sue is to carry out a suit or to plead; the word is obsolete as a synonym for woo. (The name Sue, an abbreviation of Susan, ultimately from Hebrew and meaning â€Å"lily,† is unrelated.) Ensue originally meant â€Å"follow† or â€Å"seek†; it retains only the former sense. Two other words whose derivation from sequi may not be apparent are sect, which pertains to a group within a religion with distinctive beliefs or observances, and execute, which means â€Å"follow up,† though it also developed the sense of â€Å"carry out capital punishment† from a legal sense of â€Å"passing judgment.† Sequin, a word for a small, shiny ornament often used on clothing, is unrelated; it derives ultimately from an Arabic term pertaining to minting currency, from the resemblance of a sequin to a gold coin. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Because Of" and "Due To" In Search of a 4-Dot EllipsisPeople vs. Persons

Good performance appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Good performance appraisal - Essay Example Consequently, some employers use pure objective measures for workers with entry-level or repetitive jobs. Performance, therefore, is a function of executing (or not executing) some specific task (Boxall & Purcell, 2003, p. 14). However, some jobs such as those of attorneys and data analysts cannot be measured easily. Therefore, employers will identify measurement categories – for example, teamwork, customer service or professionalism. Survivors offer a numeric score, which represents the employer’s perceived element of categorization, but the question whether a rating is correct is a matter of interpretation. Objective measures are effective in situations where each worker can be assessed directly and his or her performance compared with that of another worker. However, objective measures are ineffective where supervisors distill sophisticated processes into simple scores, which may not be meaningful in reality (Pauwe & Boselie, 2005, p. 80). Subjective measures are effective at allowing supervisors to exercise judgment over a worker’s performance in sophisticated systems. However, if the worker/ employer relationship is strained, workers may view negative ratings as either unfair or punitive (Stiles et al., 1997, p. 59). Some employers use a hybrid system of evaluation – some measures are subjective, and some are objective (Pauwe & Boselie, 2005, p. 74). Because there is no purely right way of performance appraisal, managers should develop systems of assessment that match the standards of the industries in which they operate and typical employee works (Pauwe & Boselie, 2005, p. 77). For instance, a company engaging in the sale of cell phones might measure the sum of dollars sold by the sales representative and give them a score based on whether they achieved certain goals. On the other hand, a marketing agency might obtain feedback from the clients

Describe the culture (e.g., lifestyles, values, mores, and other Research Paper

Describe the culture (e.g., lifestyles, values, mores, and other characteristics) of at least two minority cultural populations living within your home state - Research Paper Example For the purpose of this paper, I have identified the Mexican and the Indians as the minority cultures living in my area. The reason for choosing these cultures is because they have managed to create a unique identity for themselves despite coming from one of the poorest countries of the world. Their cultures are rich and they often present a unique perspective of life through their customs and traditions. From an education point of view, I need to understand the background of these cultures in in order to interact with its people. For a successful bonding and communication, one needs to have an in-depth knowledge on the culture of the communicator. I will be discussing the educational aspirations, family life and beliefs of the two cultures that I have selected. I have focused on these three since I believe that as an educator, these are the most important aspect of every culture. My role as an educator demands that I should have knowledge on the educational aspirations of the cultures that I would possibly be teaching later on. Also family life deeply affects the academic life of a student and with each culture there is a difference in family life. Beliefs are important to study as most people are very possessive of their religions and as an educator I need to connect which requires me to understand the beliefs of each culture. The Chinese family life is quite unlike the typical family life of the western world. The Chinese respect and honor their families especially their elders. Chinese, like most Asian cultures, still give the maximum authority to the eldest male who is endowed with the highest respect and also the biggest responsibility of earning and looking after the family. While the nucleus family lives together in one household, the extended family is also treated with the respect and love. The Chinese family is complete with aunts, uncles, cousins etc. In

Interm Acct Essay Example for Free

Interm Acct Essay 1. What is the defining distinction between for-profit businesses and not-for-profit, including governments? What are the implications of this distinction for financial reporting? Governments and not-for-profits provide services that are targeted to groups of constituents who advocate a political or social cause or who carry out research or other activities for the betterment of society. The objectives of governments and not-for-profits cannot generally e expressed in dollars and cents and are often ambiguous. Government and not-for-profit have relationships (unlike with a business) with the parties providing their resources. 2. Why is the budget a far more important document in both governments and not-for-profits than it is in businesses? Revenues and expenditures are controlled or strongly influenced through the budgetary process. 3. What is meant by â€Å"interperiod equity†? What is its consequences for financial reporting? The term interperiod equity is the concept that emphasizes that entities should not transfer costs eve to future years, let alone future generations. 4. Why may the â€Å"matching concept† be less relevant for governments and not-for-profits than it is for businesses? 5. What is the significance for financial reporting of the many restrictions that are placed upon a government’s resources? 6. Why is it difficult to develop accounting principles that are appropriate for governments within the same category and even more difficult to develop them for governments within different categories? 7. What is the significance for financial reporting of a government’s power to tax? How does it affect the government’s overall financial strength? 8. Why has it proven especially difficult to establish accounting principles that enable governments to satisfy all three elements of GASB’s first objective of financial reporting in a single statement of revenue and expenditures or balance sheet?

Slavery Through Christianity :: Religion Love Essays

When Virgil wrote about Aeneus and Dido’s passionate affair, he showed how the unfortunate mixture of lust, love, and divine intervention could result in tormented hearts. The word â€Å"Love† in the context of the above quote refers to the desire the couple felt for each other, an erotic, impulsive force that consumed their lives and made them forget their responsibilities as leaders. Dido’s suicide further shows how this force drove her heart to the extreme. However, I believe that Love in the purest, unselfish sense can drive the heart to the irrational extreme and hence can be applied to the quote as well. Love untainted by sex or base, unruly passions is not typically thought to cause the same results as lust and desire, but this role makes an appearance in Christianity. Just as man becomes a slave to his lusts and passions, Pauline Christians become slaves in their religion because of the Love they have for their God. In order to understand how Christian Love can possibly be compared to lust and desire, this Love must first be defined. The very foundation of Christianity is sacrifice: God sacrificed Jesus and Jesus sacrificed his life. In Romans, Paul said that God sacrificed his only son so that humans could be saved from sin: â€Å"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us† (Rom. 5:8). The whole doctrine of this religion is based on a god sacrificing something dear to him for someone else as proof of his love for them, not because he expects anything in return. In this way, the concept of the sacrifice is very important in Pauline Christianity. It is not surprising that the sacrifice repeatedly appears in the texts of the New Testament. In Mark, Jesus urges the people to renounce their worldly possessions and family ties (Mark 10:25-30). In Matthew, Jesus commands a disciple to not bury his dead father but to â€Å" Foll ow me, and let the dead bury their own dead,† indicating the lower priority family should have (Matt. 8:22). Additionally, Pauline Christianity says that salvation comes from accepting Christ into the body and dying as he did: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

Apple †Needs, Wants, Demands, Utility & Value Essay

Needs are the recognition of any difference between a consumer’s actual state and some ideal or desired state. The actual state of the customer is someone without an iPhone, the desired state is someone with an iPhone. Apple, the creators of the iPhone, came to the conclusion that the need for mobility, flexibility and reliability are key to satisfying everyone involved in the marketing process. The customer has to be able to use the iPhone everywhere and always have a connection, it needs to be possible to use it the way you want it to use, and you have to be able to rely on your iPhone to work at all times. There are a couple of types of needs, but the need for an iPhone is a social one. The need to be in touch and to receive belonging and affection in an easy way. As an iPhone is a media product, there are five motivations for consumers to use one. Apple followed a few of these motivations at its best. An iPhone increases your self-confidence, status, and reassurance, you can always be involved in everything that is happening and you will never feel left out. This tells us that personal integrative needs are met. The social integrative needs are fulfilled since there is no easier way than an iPhone to talk to your friends and discuss, for instance, the same show you are watching from a different place. These two points make the key points that Apple wants to fulfil more understandable. The way that Apple fulfils the desires of the iPhone consumers are the wants. Next to mobility, flexibility and reliability, they also stand for integration, innovation, ease of use, and high-quality user interfaces. Starting off with the outside, the iPhone is specially designed to fit comfortably in your hand, it is thin and lightweight, making it easier to use. The iPhone is one big touch screen and has almost no buttons, this makes it faster to use. With every new iPhone generation comes a better camera, letting the consumer make full high definition photo’s. The consumers have numerous ways to entertain themselves: dozens of games, music at one touch away in good quality, and all the videos that YouTube offer can be watched. The consumer can see the latest posts on Facebook or Twitter and you can read the latest news, you will always be up-to-date. You can say that the Apple iPhone integrates almost all types of media, from music to television to games to press to the internet. Demand results when you couple desire with buying power to satisfy a want. It is very hard to talk about demands when it comes to the Apple iPhone. Apple made such a good name for itself, that people will buy every new generation of the iPhone that will come out, without thinking anything through. Two million people pre-ordered the latest iPhone, the iPhone 5. This doubles the pre-orders for the iPhone 4S and it outnumbers (by far) the pre-orders of cell phones from Apple’s competitors. The demand for an iPhone is dramatically high, even if the quality is not that good. The iPhone 4S was seen as a huge disappointment as it differed almost nothing from the iPhone 4, the pre-order price was $199. You would say that Apple would play it more safe with their next generation because people lost their ‘trust’ in the iPhone. Yet, Apple made the pre-order price for the iPhone 5 also $199, and as I said before, it was a huge success. This clearly shows that Apple can actually take the risks that other companies wouldn’t even dare to think off. They are in charge of the market and the demand will always stay high. Even with a fail like the iPhone 4S. Form, place, time, and possession make up the utility marketing model. Form utility is the value a consumer sees in a finished product. The consumer sees, of course, more value in a finishes iPhone than only it’s screen or loose buttons. The form of the product attracts the consumers. You need to produce a tangible good before it grabs the attention of the consumers. Place utility is the value consumers put on where they purchase products. The Apple iPhone is sold in almost every cell phone company, Apple store, or on sites like Ebay. Apple made sure that where ever you live, an iPhone is always around the corner. Consumers don’t have to travel to buy one. If they think that around the corner is still too far, they can always order one online. Ensuring a product is available when the customer wants it adheres to time utility. This is one where Apple has had trouble with. Apple was forced to push back the release date of the iPhone 5, resulting in a lot of negative comments from the consumers who pre-ordered it. The reason behind it was that the demand for the iPhone 5 was bigger than their stock. You need to make sure that you can provide your good when the consumer wants it and counts on it. Possession utility is the value consumers put on purchasing a product. You can by an iPhone with or without a contract. You will pay the same amount of money every month if you have an iPhone with a contract. You can choose between 1 or 2 years, after these years you can’t use your phone anymore. You have to trade it in for another (i)phone, a newer one. If you buy it without a contract, the buying price of the iPhone is extremely high, but the months afterwards will be lower and you will always be able to use your iPhone. The consumer has choices with both pro’s and con’s. It depends on how much they want to keep their old iPhone or just trade it in after a year or two. Value is the benefits a consumer gets from buying the product. As I said before, the Apple iPhone covers almost all media types in one. It meets up with plenty of the needs and wants of the consumers, which makes the good very beneficial. This means that consumers are prepared to pay a lot of money for the product. Although the first iPhone was seen as a huge step in technology, Apple’s competitors were able to keep up and offer the same features and functions on their phones, but in a slightly different way. Still, the iPhone stays number one of the phone sales. Apple offers the highly valuable iPhone for a high price, you would say that this makes the perceived value low. For the iPhone, this is the opposite. This makes it clear that consumers indeed think that the iPhone is valuable enough for the full price. Sources: http://www.apple.com/iphone/business/profiles/world-wide-technology/ http://suite101.com/article/an-introduction-to-apple-computer-inc-a219539 http://www.forbes.com/sites/connieguglielmo/2012/09/17/apple-says-iphone-5-demand-outstrips-supply-as-pre-orders-shatter-previous-record/ http://smallbusiness.chron.com/four-types-utility-marketing-24420.html http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/apple-forced-to-push-back-some-iphone-5-orders-due-to-heavy-demand-267577

Disaster Preparedness Essay

Name: Rivera, Rosalynd L. Prof. Tiongson Student No.: 2012- 78908 August 8, 2013 National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan: Disaster Preparedness According to the Word Disaster Report of 2012, The Philippines ranks third of the most disaster-prone countries. Because it is situated on a geologically unstable region and is surrounded by many subduction zones that may cause earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, typhoon and tsunamis, it is impossible to stop natural disasters from hitting our country; all we can do is to manage risks. The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan is established to become the basis of programs and proposals to help make the communities be disaster resilient and has four areas of responsibility that are interlinked, supporting each other. One of these key priorities of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan is disaster preparedness. It aims to increase the level of awareness of the communities to the threats and impacts of all hazards and risks, to equip the community with necessary skills to cope with the negative effects and to increase capacity of institutions. One of the main goals of disaster preparedness is to increase the level of awareness of the communities to the threats and impacts of all hazards and risks. This is due to some Filipino’s lack of knowledge about the geographical situation of the country and that probably, only a few knows the reasons why the Philippines gets hit by natural disasters very often. Some families may live in a geologically unstable location or near a water body that might be hit by natural hazards any time, but how do they know? Unless somebody is going to disseminate information regarding the threats and risks, Filipinos will continue to know nothing about how can these affect their lives. When the people’s level of awareness is increased, they  will be more prepared; they will know how to reduce the risks and how to react during calamities. The Philippine Information Agency together with its implementing partners, AFP, CHED, DEPED, DOH, PAGASA, and PHIVOLCS develops and implements Information, Education and Communication campaigns and programs both locally and nationwide. For example, the Bagyo,Lindol, Tsunami, and Baha or the BLTB Project of DOST-PAGASA, a part of PAGASA’s greater campaign against natural disasters which aims to â€Å"do away with the technical side of natural hazards and instead provide the public with clearer, more simplified explanations so they will have a stronger grasp of these calamities and be better prepared† was launched on July 23, 2013 partly in an animated audio-visual presentation. This way, people will easily understand these calamities thus letting them be more prepared when disasters strike. To help strengthen the disaster preparedness of the society, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan also aims to equip the communities with necessary skills and capability to cope with the impacts of the disaster. This serves as the second step towards the effective disaster preparedness because information dissemination is not enough. Filipinos need to be trained for them to know what proper measures are to be undertaken before, during and after a calamity. Through the coordination of Department of Interior and Local Government, the Office of Civil Defense and other government agencies like the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Department of Education, Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Philippine National Police, various activities and programs such as, trainings and simulation exercises in disaster preparedness and response, integration of DRRM and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) to school curricula and establishment of DRRM trainin g institutes to conduct education, training, research and publication programs were developed and implemented to accomplish the target outputs. For example, in eastern Visayas, the principles of disaster preparedness are now fully included in the curriculum of secondary and tertiary levels and in addition, other approaches like the preparation of modules in disaster preparedness used in Alternative Learning System (ALS) and the expansion of the focus of the  Citizen Army training (CAT) for high school seniors on civic work, community service and law enforcement training are also undertaken. As a part of this program, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, releases guides on earthquake preparedness to reduce the impacts. Lastly, the disaster preparedness program of the DRRMP also identified the increase of capacity of institutions as one of its priorities. The support of government and non-government sectors are necessary to equip the community with essential skills to cope with the effects of a disaster so that people will have emotional stability, too. The Department of Interior and Local Government through the help of other government agencies leads actions such as: accreditation of Non-Government Organizations, development of local DRRM plan, administration of risk assessments, contingency planning, knowledge management and training activities, inventory of resources, stockpiling and prepositioning of resources and establishment of DRRM Operations Center to ensure self-reliant and operational DRRM councils and fully-functioning, adequately staffed and financially capable local DRRM offices. In the present, the local government collaborates with NGOs for better implementation of disaster manageme nt and preparedness programs, these organizations engage more in advocacy and legal support for populations facing increased risk because of development projects and environmental destruction. In conclusion, the disaster preparedness priority area of the NDRRMP offers strategic actions that help people to improve their awareness and understanding through information dissemination, contingency planning, and conduct of drills and development of natural disaster management plans. However, to ensure these services and operations, the other three key priority areas must be properly handled too because they work as a whole. Revisions on the NDRRMP are to be made depending on the observations of concerned sectors to achieve the goals in the most effective way. The Philippines have very good established disaster preparedness plans and in fact, it is considered as one of the well-prepared countries when it comes to natural disasters. The goals and activities presented above are very important because not only properties but lives will be destroyed if people  will neglect disaster preparedness and it also show that both authorities and the community must actively participate for t hese plans to work and for the people to attain better security.

Colombia at a Crossroads essays

Colombia at a Crossroads essays Colombia is presently at a crossroads, Nazzi suggests, noting that since 1995 the dynamics of their civil war intensified with a tendency to escalate, partly due to the rise of paramilitarism. Sweig takes us further, to 2003, after President Uribes sweeping election victory during the fall of the peace process and the advent of a policy of "democratic security for the region. Through hard-line policy, Uribe has focused on three challengers- all on the US State Department's list of terrorist organizations: the insurgent Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the paramilitant United Self-Defense Groups of Colombia (AUC) and the leftist National Liberation Army (ELN). Sweig attributes Colombias friction to a mixture of terrorism, drugs, resistance and counterinsurgency. The FARC, the AUC, and the ELN battle the state, each other and society. The FARC and the AUC use the coca and poppy trade, kidnapping, extortion, and assassination; the ELN uses kidnapping and targets Colombias oil. Hence, Colombia is the murder capital of the planet with the third largest amount of people having been pushed out of their homes worldwide. Importing weapons globally, it exports eighty percent of European and US consumed cocaine and most heroin on the East Coast. Nazzi pinpoints those that oppose the peace process- landowners, the military, the middle class and the paramilitary, who transformed the battle with the rebels into a more complex, three-way interaction, President Reagan's shoddy "contra" war in Nicaragua and brutality in El Salvador were thought to have brought counter-insurgency to a hault. With the flick of a switch, Bush restarted it. Most agree that drug eradication in Colombia failed. The billion-dollar aid given to Plan Colombia in 2000 was offset by an increase in coca production; efforts to supply coca farmers with alternate means of sustenance failed. Washington&a...

Difference Between Atomic Weight and Atomic Mass

Difference Between Atomic Weight and Atomic Mass Atomic weight and atomic mass are two important concepts in chemistry and physics. Many people use the terms interchangeably, but they dont actually mean the same thing. Take a look at the difference between atomic weight and atomic mass and understand why most people are confused or dont care about the distinction. (If youre taking a chemistry class, it could show up on a test, so pay attention!) Atomic Mass Versus Atomic Weight Uranium has two primordial isotopes (uranium-238 and uranium-235). Uranium-238 has 92 protons plus 146 neutrons and uranium-235 92 protons and 143 neutrons. Â  Pallava Bagla/Getty Images Atomic mass (ma) is the mass of an atom. A single atom has a set number of protons and neutrons, so the mass is unequivocal (wont change) and is the sum of the number of protons and neutrons in the atom. Electrons contribute so little mass that they arent counted. Atomic weight is a weighted average of the mass of all the atoms of an element, based on the abundance of isotopes. The atomic weight can change because it depends on our understanding of how much of each isotope of an element exists. Both atomic mass and atomic weight rely on the atomic mass unit (amu), which is 1/12th the mass of an atom of carbon-12 in its ​ground state. Can Atomic Mass and Atomic Weight Ever Be the Same? If you find an element that exists as only one isotope, then the atomic mass and the atomic weight will be the same. Atomic mass and atomic weight may equal each other whenever you are working with a single isotope of an element, too. In this case, you use the atomic mass in calculations rather than the atomic weight of the element from the periodic table. Weight Versus Mass: Atoms and More Mass is a measure of the quantity of a substance, while weight is a measure of how a mass acts in a gravitational field. On Earth, where we are exposed to a fairly constant acceleration due to gravity, we dont pay much attention to the difference between the terms. After all, our definitions of mass were pretty much made with Earth gravity in mind, so if you say a weight has a mass of 1 kilogram and a 1 weight of 1 kilogram, youre right. Now, if you take that 1 kg mass to the Moon, its weight will be less. So, when the term atomic weight was coined back in 1808, isotopes were unknown and Earth gravity was the norm. The difference between atomic weight and atomic mass became known when F.W. Aston, the inventor of the mass spectrometer (1927) used his new device to study neon. At that time, the atomic weight of neon was believed to be 20.2 amu, yet Aston observed two peaks in the mass spectrum of neon, at relative masses 20.0 amu and 22.0 amu. Aston suggested there two actually two types of neon atoms in his sample: 90% of the atoms having a mass of 20 amu and 10% with a mass of 22 amu. This ratio gave a weighted average mass of 20.2 amu. He called the different forms of the neon atoms isotopes. Frederick Soddy had proposed the term isotopes in 1911 to describe atoms that occupy the same position in the periodic table, yet are different. Even though atomic weight is not a good description, the phrase has stuck around for historical reasons. The correct term today is relative atomic mass - the only weight part of the atomic weight is that it is based on a weighted average of isotope abundance.

Choose the topic in the document Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Choose the topic in the document - Essay Example In addition, many of the music artists, despite the fact that they did most of the work, tended not to gain as much as the recording companies for which they worked. This created a situation where artists who were very talented often lived on a hand to mouth basis; where they barely kept themselves from being sucked into poverty. Song writing was done on an individual basis where the artists wrote and performed their own songs, mostly without any help from the companies with which they worked. In 1946, there were barely any companies dedicated to music and this is because of the fact that it was yet to be taken seriously as a many making venture. All this changed within the next decade as more music companies were formed as the music industry started becoming competitive and as new talent was discovered and nurtured (Garofalo 320). However, by 1956, all this had changed as the marketing of the music produced was not only done at a local level, but marketing campaigns were also done a t a regional, national, and international level. The diverse marketing of music by the various music producing companies ensured that the music of even less known artists reached a wider audience than it would normally have if marketing were done at only the local level, as was the case in 1946. The professionalism of the music production companies also increased and this made the latter to be able to compete effectively against other record companies attempting fight for the music market. The song writing was no longer the domain of musicians as many of them ended up singing songs that were written by other people. In addition, the production of music was done at a larger scale as more people became attracted to music that was not created in their own localities, and instead started looking far afield to gratify their tests. Furthermore, radio station played music on a larger scale than before and this was done because of the popular demand for music from the listeners. This create d a situation where it was much easier for the record companies involved to assess the fan base of all the songs that they produced and look for potential markets. This trend continued in the music industry for decades to come and it has become the norm as music has gained a worldwide audience. Q4 One of the greatest and most unappreciated roles that rock and roll music played was that of helping to undermine the power of the Soviet Union as well as that of its satellites. This form of music ensured that the west, which was demonized by the soviet bloc as being occupied by inhuman individuals whose only goal was the accumulation of personal wealth, was humanized. It created a situation where individuals in the soviet bloc began to look at the west differently, and it enabled rock and roll to be listened to even in the eastern bloc. The success of rock and roll was so great that it was able to have a wide audience in the soviet bloc even though this block had many political and socia l rivalries with the west. One would go as far as to say that rock and roll may have played a huge role in ensuring that the west was marketed as being a place where individuals could live in peace, enjoying all the freedom that was theirs from birth. This is perhaps the reason why despite living in rival states, the people of the west and of the east were brought together for the love of rock

Uses of Bt insect resistance in agriculture Essay

Uses of Bt insect resistance in agriculture - Essay Example Uses of Bt insect resistance in agriculture This remarkable finding which happened in 1911 was not the first time Bt went under close inspection; in the Far East, ten years before, a Japanese scientist who was investigating the almost instantaneous death of silkworms first discovered it. More than a century has now passed since Bt's discovery, and for more than half of it, Bt has been used as a natural insecticide, being sprayed onto crops. (Shelton 2008) But just how does Bt work in the first place' Unlike Dichlorodiphenyltricloroethane, which has been known to be a three-letter acronym for the words notorious killer because of its infamousness in inflicting damage to organisms it should not, Bt is not a contact poison. Bt has to be eaten first before it can poison any unsuspecting insect. B. thuringiensis has spores which contain crystal proteins or cry proteins. When ingested by an insect, the active insecticidal crystal protein or (ICP) breaks down in the insect's gut and releases a toxin called delta-endotoxin. This delta-endotoxin then reacts with certain receptors on the intestinal lining and makes pores causing the leakage of its contents and paralyzation of the insect's digestive system resulting to insect death. The killing is a slow process that may take hours or even days. (Shelton 2008) However, it must be noted that because of the paralysis of the insect’s digestive system, the insect soon stops eating. Immediately dead or not, the goal of saving the crops fr om mass mastication of unwanted living forms is definitely achieved. (Office of Biotechnology at Iowa State University 2008) Bt may not be as fast a killer as the conventional insecticides are, but in this ever health conscious world, speed is not the only thing to consider. Synthetic insecticides such as those whose active ingredient is DDT have been banned in many countries and for a number of good reasons. And it is because of such reasons why many farmers choose Bt over it; human safety, of course, is the primary concern. (Bassein 2008) As mentioned, Bt has been used for more than 50 years now as an effective insecticide. So far, there are no reports of it harming anyone. And the underlying reason according to experts is the fact that Bt toxins are toxic only to certain insects; truly, this is good news for bees and beekeepers alike. The rationale' The receptors which are present in the insects' guts are not found in most other organisms, in mammals, and most importantly, in humans. (Federal Ministry of Education and Research 2008) The different strains of B. thuringiensis produce different delta-endotoxins, each "catering" to a specific order of insect. The most common of Bt's cry proteins are those that belong to the Cry1 class which are toxic to lepidopterous insects (e.g. moths such as the European corn borer, butterflies). It is also the most active ingredient in most Bt-based commercial insecticides today. Other proteins belong to the Cry2 class which unlike their Cry1 counterparts, produce a single, smaller crystal per cell. This class is toxic to insects belonging in both the Lepidoptera and Diptera (e.g. flies and mosquitoes) orders. There is also the Cry3 class which poisons the coleopterous (e.g. beetles like the