Police Patrol & Different Patrol Programs in New York Assignment

Police Patrol & Different Patrol Programs in New York - Assignment Example For the most part, most people will meet up with the police on the streets or highways, when stopped for traffic infractions. Therefore, in downtown areas, it is good to have another presence, that of the police officer who is available to the public and who provides more a level of protection rather than of fear. Introduction Police departments in any city maintain their presence through a number of ways: foot patrols, bicycle patrols, patrolling neighborhoods in squad cars or motorcycles, and in some areas, horse patrols. The patrol system is the means by which the police are able to interact with the communities they serve and build relationships of trust and respect (Craven 2009). When neighbors in a community get to know who is patrolling their sector, then they are far more likely to confide in the members of the police that they see on an almost daily basis (Shelden 2003). Generally, members of the police department are assigned to a ‘beat’ which means they get to know the area through its streets, buildings, businesses, and homes that are part of the individual’s sector of patrol (Hunter & Barker 2011). Accordingly, as part of this beat, police officers get to know the people who live and work in the area and are able to build relationships with local people. ... As large cities had numerous neighborhoods to contend with, as well as business districts, the police were required to walk their beats which also provided opportunities to get to know the people in their area (Craven 2009). In the early days of foot patrols, this was the preferred method of patrolling the beats until bicycles, and then cars, were utilized. Bicycles allowed the police officer to get to one area of his beat to the next spot quicker than ever before. When the automobile was brought into the patrol system, then the police could get around in any weather and go wherever needed, at any time, as well as be able to transport prisoners (Hunter & Barker 2011). It also provided a sense of protection for the police officer, particularly in dangerous areas. Some cities also had the horse patrols in earlier years although maintaining horses could be somewhat expensive. As a consequence, horse patrols were used more often for ceremonial purposes than the actual police beat. New Yo rk City is famous for having a horse division for some of its patrol sectors (Cordner & Scarborough 2010). In other areas of the United States, the motorcycle is the alternative to the car patrol and is more likely to be a part of ceremonial processions rather than horses. 2.Traditional policies in community relations refer to engaging with the public in the various communities which are patrolled on a regular basis. There are several levels of community operations and interactions: individual, as a group and also, as political actors, whereby the police tend to represent those who are in legislature of the city or state under which they work (Hunter & Barker 2011). While the police officers can maintain a friendly attitude towards members

The Model Devil Essay Example for Free

The Model Devil Essay Humanity views Satan in different forms, having various ideas of his being. Each race and religion has different faces of what Satan is. However, the world universally associates him with one concept: evil. Lucifer – his alternative name – has been depicted in religious teachings, in films, in literature, and in music throughout the years. All of these depictions give him life, thus giving humanity a solid picture of what is evil. The face of evil has been portrayed in two of the most prominent works of literature. Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus has Mephistophilis as the main character for the devil. It was followed by John Milton’s Paradise Lost which gave a detailed account of Satan’s background. These two literary works shared notable descriptions of the devil and became the basis of most people on how hell and Lucifer was viewed. Doctor Faustus referred to the German academician, Faust, who sold his soul to Lucifer in exchange for power and knowledge. One of Lucifer’s trusted follower, Mephistophilis was summoned by the doctor’s practice of necromancy. Faust spent the remaining twenty four years of his life doing deeds that will acquire him power through Mephistophilis’ assistance. The doctor questioned about the world by having debates with the servant of Lucifer. The devil also acted as a guardian to the doctor to make sure that he will follow the oath. The devil was portrayed in Marlowe’s work as the messenger of Lucifer. He generously shared with Faustus the truths of hell and willingly participated with Faust’s debates. From their first meeting Mephistophilis transformed into a Franciscan friar because Faust was unable to bear the devil’s original appearance. I charge thee to return, and change thy shape; Thou art too ugly to attend on me: Go, and return an old Franciscan friar; That holy shape becomes a devil best. (Marlowe) It was more convenient interacting with the devil after Faustus asked Mephistophilis to change its hideous form. Mephistophilis can be symbolized as an Angel of Death during his companionship with Faust’s last twenty four years. The devil aided Faustus in fulfilling every worldly desire. On the other hand, he watched the doctor closely to make sure that every move will only be faithful to the oath with Lucifer. The devil was with him until the very last day he lived on earth. In the course of the story, some scenes may have given an impression that Mephistophilis was portrayed in a friendly manner with some of the conversation with Faust. O, Faustus, leave these frivolous demands, Which strike a terror to my fainting soul! (Marlowe) Mephistophilis have been helping Faust because of the duty that was bestowed on him. On the other hand, the words that the devil uttered had an impression of allegiance with the doctor. The very moment that Dr. Faustus repented by the end of the story, that was the time that Mephistophilis had taken his life. The devil may have become a servant of Faust however; its loyalty still remained with Lucifer. Mephistophilis was able to claim Faust’s soul and the devil made sure the pact will be accomplished. This literary work of Marlowe became a model for the depiction of evil specifically in poetry. John Milton came out with an epic entitled Paradise Lost that has a brief similarity with Marlowe’s character. Milton’s work offered what the Catholic bible has forgotten to explain. He related a detailed account of Satan’s origin and how the formation of evil and hell came about. The dearest angel of God had begun to take pride into him and desired to be as powerful as the Almighty. Satan gathered all the other angels who shared the same view or who were persuaded by him, until a battle erupted in heaven. Defeated by God, all of the rebels were thrown out of heaven and fell into a burning lake. From this event, Satan took the role as the leader and started formulating strategies to defeat God. More than can be in Heaven, we now return To claim our just inheritance of old, †¦Whether of open war or covert guile, We now debate. Who can advise may speak. (Milton Book II)   The beginnings of Satan’s kingdom inflicted an inner conflict for the fallen angel. The defeat made him realized more of God’s superior power. The debates of whether to wage war or not, posed his hesitations of seeing his chances of winning but shortly, his pride and narcissism earned his confidence. To battle Heaven directly, he knew that the chances were slim but he was able to find a possible target to fight God. In Book II of Milton’s Paradise Lost, Satan was informed of the new world being built by God. †¦There is a place (If ancient and prophetic fame in Heaven Err not)—another World, the happy seat Of some new race, called Man, about this time To be created like to us, though less In power and excellence, but favoured more Of him who rules above; (book II) He found the new world as a vulnerable environment. Satan saw the vision inside him that if this world will be destroyed, he can persuade man to join his forces to fight God.   This particular work of Milton showed an evolution of an important character in humanity. Satan was given an established identity by relating his origin. The rest of Paradise Lost narrated the fallen angel’s quest for the downfall of man. When he succeeded with his plans with Adam Eve, he was able to create his own kingdom called Pandemonium. This place, in the eyes of the readers, became the physical location of hell. The depiction of these two characters has made a striking impact on how people of today view evil. Mephistophilis and Satan shared attributes that made them identifiable with the concept of evil. Somehow, these fictional devils became real in the eyes of the people. Marlowe and Milton were able to create a solid image of the devil that prompted society to view evil according to what the authors made. From the two literary works, the concept of hell was the first aspect that was discussed. Mephistophilis and Satan both narrated that hell cannot be found in a physical territory. Hell was viewed as a state of mind. A torture that cannot be determine unless it is felt. Within the bowels of these elements, Where we are tortur’d and remain for ever: Hell hath no limits, nor is circumscrib’d In one self-place; but where we are is hell, And where hell is, there must we ever be: †¦Ay, think so still, till experience change thy mind. (Marlowe) The Hell within him; for within him Hell He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell One step, no more than from himself, can fly By change of place: Now conscience wakes despair. (Milton Book IV) The above citations from both books pertain to the same views of the two devils regarding the concept of hell. It can be said that this particular notion of hell suggested that to see hell is to be emotionally tormented. The devils both interacted closely with humans with the intent of man’s destruction.   It was seen from both literature that man was seen as a weapon to battle God. Man as God’s creation was made vulnerable to temptations. This was used by the devil to lure man to commit sin and to disobey God. Both of the devils’ pursuit to lure man into disobedience was accompanied in the form of disguise. The transformation of Mephistophilis into a friar can symbolize Faustus’ desire to mock religion. Faustus was portrayed as a highly ambitious man who excelled in all academic areas and disregard religious laws. As Mephistophilis changed, this helped Faustus to interact with the devil without feeling intimidated and even gaining a sort of camaraderie in some of their outtakes. MEPHIST. †¦Here, take this book, peruse it well: The iterating of these lines brings gold; †¦Pronounce this thrice devoutly to thyself, And men in harness shall appear to thee, Ready to execute what thou commandst. FAUSTUS. Thanks, Mephistophilis, for this sweet book: This will I keep as chary as my life. (Marlowe) On the other hand, Satan changed into a serpent to blend with the nature of Adam and Eve’s habitat. It was easier for him to tempt Eve in the form of a creature that was made by God as well. God created the world and placed Adam and Eve in paradise, where animals were created to aid the couple in taking care of the land. The serpent being part of that creation, posed no threat to Eve. From Milton’s Book IX, it was easy for Satan to tempt Eve in the form of a serpent to serve as evidence that the beast did not die after eating the fruit. Thus, it made his lie more convincing. Whose rigid threats of Death; ye shall not Die: How should ye? by the Fruit? it gives you Life To Knowledge, By the Threatner, look on mee, Mee who have touchd and tasted, yet both live, †¦Shall that be shut to Man, which to the Beast Is open? or will God incense his ire For such a petty Trespass, and not praise Rather your dauntless virtue. (Book IX) In the course of events from both literary works, Mephistophilis and Satan shortly expressed a desire to re-experience the joy of heaven. Why, this is hell, nor am I out of it: Thinkst thou that I, that saw the face of God, And tasted the eternal joys of heaven, Am not tormented with ten thousand hells,   In being deprivd of everlasting bliss? (Marlowe) Mephistophilis described to Faust that heaven is an eternal joy. The devil was completely aware that by being damned together with Lucifer, it entailed a never ending unhappiness of the spirit. Me miserable! which way shall I fly Infinite wrath, and infinite despair? Which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell; And, in the lowest deep, a lower deep   Still threatening to devour me opens wide, To which the Hell I suffer seems a Heaven. O, then, at last relent: Is there no place Left for repentance, none for pardon left? None left but by submission; (Milton Book IV) On the other hand, Satan shortly reflected of his previous stature from heaven. It can be considered that the particular text above gave a shadow of regret from Satan’s rebellious action. This desire of wanting to go back to heaven was depicted in the two literatures very briefly. In the end, both devils were overpowered by their decision to do evil deeds and battle God. Mephistophilis and Satan were associated in the same concept of evil. However, both of them were shaped and portrayed differently in the development of each story. They differed in creating impact and affecting changes in the flow of events. Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus already had an existing concept of evil where his characters and plot revolved around it. But it was Paradise Lost by John Milton who related the origin of evil. Taking that into account, it can be seen why Satan was portrayed as a political leader and Mephistophilis as Lucifer’s messenger. Milton made Satan navigate the direction of events in Paradise Lost. Being the central character, Satan’s actions created huge effects on other characters. On the contrary, though Mephistophilis was only described as a follower, he was the cause of the downfall of the central character when he ended Faustus’ life. The story of the origin of evil provided Satan’s character with depth. It entailed that evil has a reason why it exists, that somehow it can be justified. Unlike Mephistophilis who interacted with Faustus out of sheer pleasure for doing evil, Satan had progression with his character. The approach with evil was more personal and Paradise Lost showed the inner workings of Satan’s mind which was beyond unimaginable in Marlowe’s poetry. Satan can be seen either as a protagonist or a villain. He was bounded with a purpose, his character behaved as such because of that purpose. Mephistophilis’ dialogue was similar to the evil angel urging Faust not to repent. He was consistently persuasive and encouraging to Faust in fulfilling every worldly desire and denouncing God. Satan, on the other hand, exuded more of an emotional tone in his words. His despair and anger reflected the vengeance that he wanted to achieve against God because of his downfall. Here we may reign secure; and, in my choice, To reign is worth ambition, though in Hell: Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven. (Book I) Centuries have passed after Marlowe and Milton created these notable literary classics. The modern society still perceives evil as similar from the characters that were drawn in the poetries. Mephistophilis and Satan became prominent figures especially in the aspects of religious issues. These two created recognized features of the devil which were once incoherently described by religious entities. The devil may have been derived from fictional creations but it became part of human reality.

Essay --

Sleep: Why We Need It or Do We? There are many different philosophies on how much sleep the body needs or doesn’t need. Sleep has been said to be the body’s way of refueling. It allows the body to restore its mental energy (msnbc.com). The question is how much sleep does the body truly need to function? One theory pertaining to sleep is that if your body has a lack of sleep it would just adapt to less sleep. Sleep deprivation can cause us to lose our agility, cognitive, and immune responses. There is no explanation as to why people sleep an average of eight hours each night (msnbc.com). Scientists are still exploring the bodies need for sleep, depths of sleep, typical sleep patterns, the negative impact a lack of sleep can cause, if age and schedules of people affect it, and to what degree does it affect the functions of the nervous system. Sleep deprivation has been a major factor in some of the biggest disasters in history. The notable ones are the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear meltdown, and the 1979 Nuclear accident at Three Mile Island (Peri). Drowsiness is also a leading cause of accidents according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They estimate that nearly 100,000 automobile accidents and 1,550 crash-related deaths occur each year in the United States (Peri). Some work related injuries are also cause by a poor quality of sleep. There are many other negative factors that are related to sleep deprivation. It is estimated that 90% of people who suffer from insomnia also suffer from other medical issues. People who Gautier 2 suffer from sleep disorders are at a higher risk for high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, irregular heartbeat, heart failure, heart attack and h... ...stems. The researchers have found a connection between lack of sleep and obesity in adults and children. Reduced levels of leptin, a hormone that is produced by an adipose tissue hormone, cause the body to not suppress the appetite (Colten). In conclusion, scientists have discovered that the body is negatively impacted from a lack of sleep. Human bodies need sleep to restore and maintain its cognitive process, bodily functions, overall health and well being. The body has to have all depths of sleep in order to function properly. Sleep deprivation can cause serious health issues such as heart disease, lower sex drive, obesity, and heart attack. Age is a factor in how many quality hours we require throughout our lifetime. Scientists continue to discover more information every day on how our sleep can impact the body, mental state, and overall happiness.

The Setting of The Cask of Amontillado Essay -- Papers Poe Essays

The Setting of The Cask of Amontillado An important element in any story is setting. Authors use setting to convey certain feelings brought on by the character’s surroundings. It also subliminally serves to illustrate the character’s intentions. In â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† Edgar Allen Poe uses the dark, imposing setting to do just that, communicate the underlying theme of the story, being death, revenge and deception. Poe begins setting the tone of the story by describing the gloomy and threatening vaults beneath Montressor’s home. The first description of the Montressor home, as well as the reader’s first hint that something is amiss, is the description of the time off Montressor had required his employees to take. This alone lets us know that some of his intentions are less than virtuous. He describes the vaults as extensive, having many rooms, and being insufferably damp. This description of Montressor’s vaults strikes a feeling of uneasiness and fear in the reader, as well as a fear of malevolent things to come. References to the bodies laid to rest in the ca...

No Zero Policy Essay

In most schools in many states, teachers and parents consider a grade of zero acceptable for incomplete homework. It is common for teachers to give zeros for late or slacked off assignments. Unfortunately, few teachers or parents question the usefulness of the consequence, and students continue to reap the consequences without benefit. Giving zeros as an punished measurement produces failure rather than performance. Administrators conjure up the fact that raising questions about grading procedures could induce powerful emotional responses from all the teachers. Even when school policies exist, teachers often deviate from the prescribed standard to reflect the teacher’s personal preferences for evaluating students. Grading policies usually develop from teachers’ personal school experiences without questioning or considering the validity of the process. Most teachers agree that grades are a measurement of learning and should reflect the effort of the student rather than the knowledge. However, many grading policies promise zeros for things like not doing homework, having incomplete or late assignments, being tardy, coming to class without books, chewing gum, or failing to follow through with any other required classroom rules. Unfortunately, many teachers combine behavior issues with a students’ academic measurement. Giving zeros for behavior issues is an inaccurate reflection of the student’s academic performance. Academic measurement should only measure learning. A zero is a mathematically imbalanced measurement as the normal grading scale for most school. Conant using the unbalanced tipped scale for certain performance classes. Letter grades usually have a ten point range or less. For instance, A would be 90-100, B is 80-89, C is 70-79, D is 60-69. Using this method, an evaluation for an â€Å"F† should be F as 50-59. It is not required for the â€Å"F† to carry 59 points (0-59) while all other grades carry 10 points. An â€Å"A† averaged with an â€Å"F† should make a â€Å"C.† However, if the â€Å"A† is 100 and the â€Å"F† is 0, averaged they equal a 50 which is still an â€Å"F†. Teachers usually use zeros to motivate students to do better. However, zeros kill motivation. Two zeros, whether just or unjust, can destroy a good average. Zeros produce a sense of hopelessness and certain failure. Many students fail courses due to a lack of organizational abilities rather than defiance. When teachers give zeros for homework assigned for extra credit rather than for the actual learning process, they are using grades as a behavior punishment. Recording a failing grade for assignments not intended for the means of simple knowledge is not reasonable. Assigning zeros for homework issues is especially common for students with organizational issues and dysfunctional homes that lack parental support. The grade of a zero does not benefit the motivation of a child’s education. Students through laziness take zeros as an easy way out of doing the assignment. Students often avoid assignments like research papers, essays, and reports by taking a zero instead of doing the work. The student barely passes to the next grade without having gained these vital learning experiences. Students with organizational problems do not increase performance skills through the automatic zero. Neither does the automatic zero help students who do not understand the assignment gain the knowledge intended. In fact, the automatic zero threatens failure. Teachers need to use logical consequences rather than a full blown zero when work is not completed. There are several possible alternatives to giving a zero. The school can include tardiness and other behavior issues in its own discipline policy rather than in the grading system. If the teacher must give a failing grade, give a grade no more than ten points lower than the last passing grade to make the measurement equitable. The teacher can have a homework detention hall after school to help those who struggle with completing assignments. The student receives a grade of incomplete until the student completes major assignments such as research papers, essays, and reports. The final average for the term is recorded only when the assignments are all received and graded. The student cannot earn credit for the course until these valuable assignments are completed and turned in. A minimal passing grade would be appropriate for extremely late assignments. For many years teachers have followed grading procedures learned from their teachers without evaluating their effectiveness or appropriateness. Grades should measure academic learning not the slacking effort of the student, for they may have their reasons. Receiving a zero for not putting your name on a paper or failing to do homework does not reflect a student’s lack of knowledge. Zeros promote failure rather than the student gaining more knowledge. Three 100’s averaged with one zero gives a score of 75. The zero forces failure and is not an evenhanded measurement of learning. Anything that is inequitable is unjust. If it is unjust, it is unethical. Therefore, giving zeros as an academic measurement is not proper to the safe learning environment of High Schools.

The eNotes Blog Step Into Our EssayLab

Step Into Our EssayLab Looking for help on your latest essay or term paper? Essay Lab is designed to cater to your every writing need. Search our list of tips to tackle the most common essay hurdles, or ask a question of our educators to receive specific help with your prompt, outline, or latest draft. Its all explained in depth below! For many of you, midterms are approaching, which means so are the essays and term papers. If you struggle with writing it can be hard to get the specific help you need, especially from the comfort of your own home. Tutors are expensive, and teachers are often too busy to offer the one-on-one help you need when writing or proofing essay drafts.  But at weve got you covered. With our new and improved  Essay Lab  you can browse the most important writing tips for free, plus ask questions tailored to your very own essay using our  Homework Help  service. Let us walk you through this area of and show how it can help you to study smarter: First, find the Essay Lab section at  this link, or by searching   Study Guides  via the navigation bar at the top of every page. On the Essay Lab home page, youll see a list of our most popular essay writing topics. Each section is further broken down into step-by-step tips under the topics of How to Write an Introduction, How to Write a Compare-Contrast Essay, How to Write an SAT Essay and many more. You can use these tips to self-correct the way you go about writing each kind of essay. For assistance catered to your essay alone, head to the Essay Labs  Homework Help  area to talk with staff of expert educators. educators are teachers and professors themselves; who could be better to provide feedback on your first draft, or assistance with forming a thesis statement or essay outline? Just take a look at some of our recommended questions and answers  here  to see for yourself. You can browse hundreds of answered questions for free any time, or post your own question and decide how much to pay for an expert answer. Many students post a first draft of their essay in a question to receive detailed proofreading and constructive criticism. Having that second pair of eyes- especially an expert set of eyes- on your paper can be a vital step to receiving the grade you want. Were making magic in the Essay Lab. Ready to step inside? Check it out at this link today.

Elizabeth the Great essays

Elizabeth the Great essays The novel, The Color Purple, was written by Alice Walker in 1982. The Color Purple unleashed a storm of controversy upon its publication. Many critics said that Alice Walker focused on the sexual oppression of black women at the expense of dealing with the overall oppression of blacks. However, Walkers novel is a complex analysis of race relations and racial identity. The novel is about Celie, a young African American woman who sees herself as nothing, only property. Whatever anyone tells her to do, she does it, she doesnt think anyone wants her opinion. That is, until she meets Shug Avery, an African American singer/celebrity. Shug helps Celie see herself as a woman, an important woman who has her own voice. Celies letters to God are the sole narrative for the first half of the novel. Celie is a poor uneducated, Southern black woman. Her experiences are limited to a small geographic area. However, when she comes upon her sister Netties letters after many years of separation, Walker situates Celies narrative at the crossroads of a long road to finding her racial identity. Celie's narrative provides a compelling contrast to the situation of African women. She suffers rape at the hands of her stepfather and physical abuse at the hands of her husband. She is a Christian woman, but Christianity does not alleviate her problems. Moreover, the church she attends subscribes to restrictive notions of femininity. The women at her church stared judgmentally at her when she was pregnant with her two children. They condemn Shug Avery for having a sexually active lifestyle. They disapprove of her singing, her risqu clothing, and her smoking. Celie does not even know about the existence of her clitoris until Shug tells her about it. When she and Shug become lovers, Celie experiences the pleasures of sex for the first time in her life. She celebrates the discovery of her sexuality. The...

How to Celebrate Even the Biggest Mistakes!

How to Celebrate Even the Biggest Mistakes! Big Mistakes in Big Companies In a famous 2010 tale, Zappos’ CEO Tony Hsieh chose not to fire an employee who had made a $1.6 million mistake. In another story, a CEO actually thanked the IT guy who caused the company’s site to go down (causing a loss of thousands of dollars per hour) for uncovering a systematic weakness that needed to be fixed. See Top 5 Reasons to Celebrate Mistakes at Work. My Blog Mistake I did not know these anecdotes until I sat down to write this blog about mistakes. Last week, as many of you are aware, I wrote a draft of my blog and sent it to my assistant with a request that she come up with an appropriate title for the article. She offered six suggestions, with her top pick being â€Å"3 Trends Effecting LinkedIn That You Need to Know.† I wrote back the following: I chose #3 [3 Ways LinkedIn Times are a Changin’] and updated the title on WordPress. Note it would be Affecting not Effecting!! The next thing I knew, the blog had gone out to my e-list with the original subject line, the word â€Å"Effecting† intact. Oops. The emails rolled in: I noticed a spelling mistake in your subject title. It should read 3 Trends Affecting LinkedIn†¦. I see this error a lot, but thought you might want to make a note of it. It should be 3 trends AFFECTING Did you use effecting rather than affecting on purpose? Living â€Å"Above the Line† My first response was â€Å"This is bad.† I mean, here I was, a writer and editor, making an error that I’ve actually blogged about in the past! See Top 7 Grammatical and Spelling Errors of 2012. But as I aim to do in my life, I looked at where the opportunity was in the face of this breakdown. I’ve taken plenty of personal growth courses where we are coached to say things like â€Å"Yay! I made a mistake!† So how could I, dare I say, celebrate this initially embarrassing mistake in my blog title? I issued a correction as soon as possible, thanking my readers for their eagle eyes and explaining what had happened. I did my best to convey an understanding that mistakes happen, and that I probably need another round of editorial proofing before sending out my blog. One message from a reader confirmed I had done the right thing: Love the graceful save you did on this you got it goin on, as they say, girl. Always a fan. When I can ever get a moment I want to work with you to update my LI profile! In the grand scheme of things, this was a small mistake. While I feared I might lose clients over it, since people count on me to know English grammar and spelling, I hope my correction set the record straight. No one was injured or taken advantage of as a result of this mistake. Celebrating Mistakes! Mistakes are the way we learn most in life. Looking back, I can see that my mistake last week was a testament to my ability to trust another person to do work for me! It would not have happened if I had not expanded my business to the point where I need an assistant. The mistake also showed me that many of my readers care and are paying attention. And I was given the opportunity to â€Å"play above the line,† issuing a correction that was gracious and non-blaming. I got to show my commitment to quality, and that I was unwilling to let something like this error go unaddressed! I recently spoke with someone who told me about a $250K mistake she once made at work. When she went to her boss expecting to be fired, she had another thing coming. He appreciated her honesty and let the monetary loss roll off his back. As he said, he could always make another $250K, but he would not be able to get her back. That’s how I feel about what happened with my assistant. I wouldn’t let this one mistake color my undying appreciation of what she does for me and how responsible she is when she does make a mistake! In fact, in the midst of writing this blog, I took a break to apologize to her for my initial â€Å"This is bad† response. I have a lot to learn about celebrating my own mistakes and the mistakes of the people around me. And I’d love to hear what you have learned in your life! How have you celebrated mistakes? How could you or someone around you have done better in their response to a mistake? I look forward to hearing what you have to share!

Prescription Health Care Costs and its Effects on the Elderly Essay

Prescription Health Care Costs and its Effects on the Elderly - Essay Example ribed in case of the elderly and the price are these drugs are more compared to the older drugs thus adding additional burden on the elderly (Berndt et al, 1998). However, those who rely on a fixed income are vulnerable towards price inflation of prescription drugs due to which they either skip doses or at times even forgo the prescriptions which can have an adverse affect o their health (Berndt et al, 1998; Safran et al, 2005). According to a national survey report on prescription drug adherence by the elderly more than one-quarter of elderly did not adhere to the prescription due to the associated high costs. The non adherence was more prominent among those without drug coverage, low-income groups and those with complex chronic illnesses (Safran et al, 2005). The introduction of public health insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and private-employer insurance programs has not seen a significant reduction in prescription drug adherence by the elderly. These programs cove r only partial medical services for the elderly and do not cover the costs of outpatient prescription drugs (Safran et al, 2005; U. S. Healthcare, 2010; The cost of Prescription Drugs, 2001; Shang & Goldman, 2007). This coupled with the rising inflation and global economic recession in the recent years has only laid excess strain on healthcare expenditure due to which the costs have outweighed the benefits (U. S. Healthcare, 2010). The increase in the costs of prescription drugs has been mainly associated with the emergence of expensive state-of-the-art technology in drug production and for the development of such high-end drugs the costs will have to be shared with the consumer. Factors such as larger prevalence of chronic and long-term illness coupled with longer life spans have increased the demand for such drugs. Additionally population ageing and administrative costs also add up to the health care costs (U. S. Healthcare, 2010). Public health insurance programs such as Medicare

Apocalyptic SciFi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Apocalyptic SciFi - Essay Example Apocalyptical elements we can find in the prophetical books of Joel and Zecharian and more mature and well-developed apocalypse presented in the book of Iaiah and book of Daniel. So the origin of the apocalyptical genre begins from unfulfilled prophecy and traditional elements drawn in different sources. One more source of apocalyptical fiction was basic mythological and cosmological traditions that open before the seer the secrets of the future no less surely than those of the past. The general object of apocalyptic literature was to solve the difficulties connected with the saintliness of God and the suffering of His righteous servants on earth. The saintliness of God stipulated according to the law the temporal happiness of the righteous and the common prosperity of necessity; for as yet there was no promise of life or recompense beyond the grave. But this feature was not found to obtain as a rule in life, and the difficulties arising from this conflict between perspective and experience centered round the lot of the righteous as a community and the lot of the righteous man as an individual. Old Testament prophecy had addressed itself to both these problems, though it was hardly conscious of the claims of this latter. It concerned itself essentially with the present, and with the future only as growing organically out of the present. Moder Modern variant of apocalyptic literature exists in genre of Science Fiction. Author who writes in the genre of Science Fiction at the same time is close to and far from religion. Every Science Fiction writer tries to be a creator of his own world with its own laws and creatures. Apocalyptic Science Fiction is a branch of Science Fiction that is concerned with the end of whole civilization through the nuclear war, plague or some other general disaster. The nature of catastrophe varies and depends only on author's imagination. In the history there were so unusual disasters and one of them is coming of the darkness described in the story "Nightfall" written by the famous Science Fiction author Isaac Asimov. It is one of his earliest stories and one of the best-known stories. To make sure that "Nightfall" belongs to apocalyptic literature peculiar features of the genre must be identified. Some main aspects such as "the last day of the world", "connection with religion" and "social criticism" that approve this belonging are shown below. Understand the nature of composition helps biography of the author. Speaking about the author Isaac Asimov, he was born on the 2nd of January in 1920, in Petrovichi shtetl, near Smolensk, Russia. His real name was Isaak Judah Ozimov. He was the oldest of three children. His parents were Orthodox Jews. In 1923 Isaac with his parents immigrated to the USA and settled in Brooklyn, New York. There his parents temporarily changed his birthday to September 7, 1919, in order to send him to school a year earlier. Their family name was changed from Ozimov to Asimov. From his early childhood Asimov was an avid reader. He knew Yiddish and English languages and only a few words in Russian. His education began in 1925 in the New York Public School. In 1935 he graduated from high school, in 1939 received a B.S. and in 1941 he earned his M. Sc. in Chemistry from Columbia

Internet and Digital Marketing Communications Essay

Internet and Digital Marketing Communications - Essay Example Dropbox Company is a company that designs a service to share and sync files over the internet between personal computers. It is a downloadable application. Through it, the users can easily share and synchronize files across smart phones and personal computers. The company is located in San Francisco, United States. The company further offers the customers with specific tasks, which include collaboration on office documents, running a startup and backing up photos. Despite the success of the company, the past few years has proven challenging to the management and the entire company. During this time, the company experienced a crisis management problem and lost many of its customers, making the image of the company to be tarnished. The company has since then taken a major step to win back the customers improve the image of the company as well as attracting perspective customers. Despite these great services to the users, users have been asking for new features. Most of these features violate the commitment of the company to offer a simple product that is also easy-to-use. Therefore, Dropbox needs to go beyond syncing and file sharing so that it targets the customer needs. This is the only way it can stay the course. This situation has raised the need for the company to take the company back to its previous performance or to even high heights. The marketing department of this company has been pointed to have the most significant role in this activity. This is because this department has a major responsibility in guiding. and leading the other departments of the company in the development, production, fulfilling the products and the services to the customers. Marketing communication Marketing communication is a strategy that refers to the process of creating awareness, reminding or/and persuading customers of a product or a service (Yeshin, 2002). Marketing communication is significant in influencing a buyer’s purchasing decision. Integrated marketing communication (IMC), on the other hand, refers to judicious and the effective use of promotional tools of a product in passing a message across to the customers or potential customers (Yeshin, 2002). The effect of IMC to the existing and prospective customers is often noticeable. This is because the framework of IMC involves the interaction of different marketing communication elements, which have potential to improve or trigger other communication media to contribute (Belch and Belch, 2003). A marketing plan is important in attaining success in marketing. This is because it enables a company and its marketing team to focus on the marketing process. A marketing plan can be prepared using different approaches. However, there are key stages to these different approaches. These key stages are contained in an acronym SOSTC, that is, situation analysis, objectives, strategies, tactics, and control (Reid, 2003). Integrated marketing communication is an aggressive marketing strategy that aims to capture and use extensive amount of information about customers to set and track marketing strategy

Textual Analysis Of Western Europe In South-West India Essay

Textual Analysis Of Western Europe In South-West India - Essay Example For example, one set of authors might indicate the absence of nothing positive to learn from  one  part of the world. On the other hand, a different set of authors might provide a positive viewpoint of the same part of the world provided by the first set of authors. Nonetheless, the differences in the differing viewpoints are a result of the different undertakings that these authors carried out in order to build their opinions and justifications for their viewpoints. In their separate articles, Richard Grove and James D. Tracy provide two different viewpoints of Europe’s involvement in the South East Asia during the Renaissance period. In this case, the two authors use different sources to provide evidence about two differing sets of societies in South East Asia that Europeans interacted with during this period. On  one hand, Grove presents a dark side of the region during the time the Dutch East India Company carried out its operations. In this regard, Grove’s ar ticle depicts a region whose leaders represented an illustration of ways not to govern territories since the authors used sources that identified the leadership of the Asian region as despotic. In effect, Grove does not identify any influential role that the region played in Europe. On the other hand, James D. Tracy's article identifies the region as influential in developing medicine and botany in Europe. In this case, Tracy’s sources outline the influential role of the South East Asia society in developing classification systems and defining contemporary medicine and botany. Hence, this expose is an analysis of these differing viewpoints and identifies the authors disagreement due to the various sources used in developing the two disagreeing articles. In a synopsis, Grove’s article is a description of what the Portuguese and Dutch learnt from their interaction with the indigenous communities in South-West India. The author indicates the simulation of an awareness of the wider world in Western Europe. In addition, the author indicates that the voyages and the explorations enabled the development of natural history and the status of government. In this case, the article seems to indicate that the Dutch and Portuguese and the entire Western Europe benefited from their interactions with South-East Asia. For example, as the first explorers, the Portuguese had earlier settled and occupied territories of the indigenous people of South-West India. In line with this, the Portuguese explorative agenda was instrumental in accelerating the renewed interest in botanic gardens and medicine, which was through the knowledge offered by the indigenous communities in South-West India.1Conversely, the author argues that the Dutch’s replacement of the Portuguese in South-West India also benefited the Dutch since they interacted with the local communities and established a relationship that contributed to modern-day medicine and classification system.2 To del iver the argument about the benefits that the Portuguese and Dutch accrued from these communities, the author argues that European and Asian constructions of nature are a result of the South-West India and the Leiden botanic gardens incorporation.3 The author identifies two texts as core in the diffusion of botanic gardens into the explorative nature of the Europeans. The first of this text is the Coloquioso by Da Orta while the other text is Hortus Malabaricus by Van Reede.4 The author identi

Classical Image of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Classical Image of Education - Essay Example Though it defies description and is not easily defined, we know it when we see it as our imagination offers us a clue to its possibilities. Our classical image of education and its definition falls short of the true meaning when it is applied to a lifetime of learning. Typically, an education has been thought of as a specified period of time in which certain subjects are learned to a pre-determined level. Education is sometimes mistaken for the Bachelor's or Master's degree that indicates we have attended school, but it is not an education. Albert Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world". The spark that ignites our imagination is education. The subjects taught in pursuit of these goals give us information and provides us with a key to further learning, but this is not education. Learning to appreciate art, perform logical operations, or the history of rock and roll are interesting to know, but they do not qualify as education. All of these activities and endeavors are simply the tools required to begin to mine an education. Yet, listing all the tools and components involved in making an education would be of no more relevance than calling a list of ingredients a cake. The traditional view of 120 credits, electives, and compulsory courses fails to completely define education. Education is the creation of a task, concept, or belief that we find useful in our life and defines us as a human being. The formal learning that was required to obtain a degree becomes useful as we enter the workplace and begin to assimilate with the culture of our livelihood. Here we learn what is expected of us, what is needed to make progress on a task, and how to complete a workplace function. Logic and art may help us temper the new environment and give us a sense of deeper understanding of the world around us, but the education takes place when we learn to undertake a project and develop the confidence that gives us our self-identity. Information needs to be put to use and contribute to our sense of self-worth to be considered education. In essence, we define education by how education defines us and the way that we define ourselves. Education is part and parcel of the human spirit that drives us to imagine, create, inspire, innovate, and invent. We may have an intricate knowledge of calculus, but in its dormant state it adds nothing to our education. Education is an action word that demands that we act and react to the facts and information we gained from attending school. When we encounter a new situation that requires us to solve a problem we create a solution from the tools we gained from our classroom experience. The innovative experience that we create out of our limited knowledge is the true meaning of education. It is not simply the information or the knowledge that defines us. Education is the inspiration we receive when we put our knowledge into action. When we integrate several fields of knowledge, while we stretch to invent a new process or concept, we can then say that the experience was 'a real education'.

Textual Analysis Of Western Europe In South-West India Essay

Textual Analysis Of Western Europe In South-West India - Essay Example For example, one set of authors might indicate the absence of nothing positive to learn from  one  part of the world. On the other hand, a different set of authors might provide a positive viewpoint of the same part of the world provided by the first set of authors. Nonetheless, the differences in the differing viewpoints are a result of the different undertakings that these authors carried out in order to build their opinions and justifications for their viewpoints. In their separate articles, Richard Grove and James D. Tracy provide two different viewpoints of Europe’s involvement in the South East Asia during the Renaissance period. In this case, the two authors use different sources to provide evidence about two differing sets of societies in South East Asia that Europeans interacted with during this period. On  one hand, Grove presents a dark side of the region during the time the Dutch East India Company carried out its operations. In this regard, Grove’s ar ticle depicts a region whose leaders represented an illustration of ways not to govern territories since the authors used sources that identified the leadership of the Asian region as despotic. In effect, Grove does not identify any influential role that the region played in Europe. On the other hand, James D. Tracy's article identifies the region as influential in developing medicine and botany in Europe. In this case, Tracy’s sources outline the influential role of the South East Asia society in developing classification systems and defining contemporary medicine and botany. Hence, this expose is an analysis of these differing viewpoints and identifies the authors disagreement due to the various sources used in developing the two disagreeing articles. In a synopsis, Grove’s article is a description of what the Portuguese and Dutch learnt from their interaction with the indigenous communities in South-West India. The author indicates the simulation of an awareness of the wider world in Western Europe. In addition, the author indicates that the voyages and the explorations enabled the development of natural history and the status of government. In this case, the article seems to indicate that the Dutch and Portuguese and the entire Western Europe benefited from their interactions with South-East Asia. For example, as the first explorers, the Portuguese had earlier settled and occupied territories of the indigenous people of South-West India. In line with this, the Portuguese explorative agenda was instrumental in accelerating the renewed interest in botanic gardens and medicine, which was through the knowledge offered by the indigenous communities in South-West India.1Conversely, the author argues that the Dutch’s replacement of the Portuguese in South-West India also benefited the Dutch since they interacted with the local communities and established a relationship that contributed to modern-day medicine and classification system.2 To del iver the argument about the benefits that the Portuguese and Dutch accrued from these communities, the author argues that European and Asian constructions of nature are a result of the South-West India and the Leiden botanic gardens incorporation.3 The author identifies two texts as core in the diffusion of botanic gardens into the explorative nature of the Europeans. The first of this text is the Coloquioso by Da Orta while the other text is Hortus Malabaricus by Van Reede.4 The author identi

Infringement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Infringement - Essay Example Section 10 of the Trade Mark Act 1994 states. A person infringes a registered trade mark if he uses in the course of trade a sign where because – (a) the sign is identical with the trade mark and is used in relation to goods or services similar to those for which the trade mark is registered, or, in specifically addressing the question at hand concerning Adam, (b) the sign is similar to the trademark and is used in relation to goods or services identical with or similar to those for which the trade mark is registered, there exists a likelihood of confusion on the part of the public, which includes the likelihood of association with the trade mark. In English statute or case law, there is no definition for what is use as a mark. Use as a mark will depend on the facts of each case, in particular, the nature of the mark and the goods and services concerned. English case law indicates that the judges are looking for use which is taken by the public as a badge of origin, in other w ords as an indication that the goods and services are from a particular trader. This requirement is not the same as a requirement that the relevant public should know the identity of owner’s of trade marks, but nevertheless associate the marks of products with a particular trade origin. It will be more difficult for an applicant or proprietor to show use as a trade mark with very non-distinctive marks or where the use has been mainly in conjunction with another trade mark.

Foreshadowing is the essential part of Steinbecks style in Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Foreshadowing is the essential part of Steinbecks style in Of Mice and Men Essay Steinbeck, in my opinion, has one of the most unique styles of writing which is not only effective but also inspirational. The fact that he puts the whole plot and the ending right in front of us (at the beginning, in every section and even in the name) and we dont recognise it easily is truly fascinating. Hints of the grand finale could be found nearly everywhere in the novella. In the beginning of the play we learn that Lennie likes to pet soft things. He starts off by petting a mouse and then petting a puppy, of which he kills both as a result of his unrecognised brutal strength. The puppy was all innocent and fragile and Curleys wife was seen in the same way which foreshadows the killing of Curleys wife. The idea of Curleys wife knowing the history of Lennie with pets and his blindness about the strength he possesses and still allowing him to stroke her hair was particularly considered peculiar by me. The only way I managed to justify this was that perhaps she was unaware of the dangers at that particular time as she was too caught up in the moment of perhaps she wanted to be rid of her depressive and oppressive life. Perhaps she was just fed up of her failure of her dreams and living a life of such misery that she thought of death to be the only way out and maybe death by the hands of Lennie seemed like a good idea because he was still considered to be childish meaning the element of innocence could be attached to him. Foreshadowing plays a huge role in indicating towards the fact that Lennie wont make it alive to the end of the novella. The opening sets a pleasant mood to the story, it makes the world seem peaceful and lively then these feelings transforms into a darker and a much more sorrowful aura. The extract Ill put the old devil out of his misery right now was said by Carlson to Candy. This action foreshadows the death of Lennie; He can be personified as Candys dog as his main purpose is also to accompany George hence when Lennie/ the dog is of no use or has exceeded his limit then he will be put down. This also highlights one of the theories attached to this story in perspective; the idea of Darwins Survival of the fittest theory. The natural environment and settings could also emphasise Darwins theory as it was linked to nature but the quote also shows that a weak element in the food chain (Carlson) preys a weaker member of the food chain (the dog) and later on we learn that George (a weak member of the food chain) kills Lennie (a weaker member of the food chain in terms of mental abilities) regardless what the intents where. Furthermore, the death of Candys Dog and Lennie is pretty identical which can contribute to the method in which Lennie was murdered. The dog was shot in the head which was the same way Lennie was killed. The quotes I ought to of shot that dog myself and He wont even feel it. shows that the idea of George killing Lennie himself rather than getting some else to do it is being suggested to George. Additionally, the second quotes highlights that its all for the best and this action is being taken for the greater good. In Addition, I should have done it myself said by Candy also suggests and foreshadows that George will be the murderer of Lennie. Candy realised afterwards and in a way regretted that he didnt kill his dog, his best companion, himself, in the same George wouldnt want Curley to kill Lennie so he would commit the murder himself. This could be considered a gesture of loyalty and love that now Lennie wouldnt have to suffer anymore or it could also be a sign that George was just fed up of carrying Lennies burden around on his back. In my judgement, I would question Georges actions because I believe there are always other ways of getting around the situation and who gave George the right to take someones life. In conclusion, the element of foreshadowing is the main and one of the most important techniques which the novella is based on. Foreshadowing and hints of the future aspects of the story could be found at nearly every stage of the novella and I think that this doesnt only make the story interesting but it also clamps the reader in deeper and deeper, it makes a readers hunger to find out the ending even more and more. In my opinion, Of Mice and Men is one of the most inspiring storys Ive read not only plot and content wise but also writers techniques wise.

Effectiveness of Active Learning Over Passive Learning

Effectiveness of Active Learning Over Passive Learning In this study, there has been a thorough examination and careful observations which show, that within passive learning although a primitive form of learning there is also some kind of active learning taking place. There is no clear difference between the active and passive learning and there is some kind of active learning taking place within the passive learning which is unconsciously being ignored. In reality, active learning is the measurement of the extent to which the learner is challenged to use his or her mental abilities while learning. The effect of various teaching and learning strategies show the clear impact of active forms of teaching and learning techniques on higher level students but there are still some factors that are posing a great barrier to active learning at secondary levels. These barriers involve curriculum, content, teaching pedagogy, school and classroom environment, behaviour, social factors and new electronic media (mobiles and social networking sites) be ing the worst. In order to create a better active learning environment within secondary schools, there is strong need for giving more autonomy to teachers within the classes. There are also some factors which have been discussed that could influence the students involvement within the classes which also hinders the active form of teaching and learning. There is also a need to realise that there are several teaching and learning styles that one could use to gain same learning skills that are again ignored unconsciously. Each and every learning activity has a different processes that could initiate the active form of learning within the brain even though they are regarded as active or passive learning in the real world. Teachers also have to realise that there are some students who prefer to learn through a passive style of learning as opposed to an active style of learning which may hinder them in a number of ways. Context: I have been teaching in a comprehensive girls school where 70% of the students are from an Minority Ethnic Background. The school accommodates over 1000 students with over 100 teachers from diverse back grounds. I was initially covering for a member of staff, when the position became vacant and I applied and was appointed to the post. The problem arose when I began teaching MFL as there had been a tendency of learning through passive teaching over a number of years. The behaviour in general of the pupils was good with some odd occasions of bad behaviour. There was a mix tenedency and attitude towards innovation and active learning by the students and the language faculty. The majority of my students were from an ethnic background, learning to improve their Urdu language. The major problem students faced was in relation to reading and writing skills because of the alien nature of the writing style of Urdu language. The students speaking and listening skills were very good due to their social environment and the electronic media around them. There is a huge difference between two sets of skills and it is very hard to correlate most of the time. There were students who were forced to learn Urdu by either parents or their peers and were there without any love or passion for the subject. Also the students were not willing to accept the new changes such as the new teacher, teaching style and the presence of opposite gender within their classes. There was a change within the school at management level and was a move towards a change in teaching methodology and assessment. The higher management was trying to implement the OFSTED lesson observation criteria throughout the school. The behaviour management system also went under changes and some staff members had problems in understanding and implementing them within the classes. Alongside these factors there was a huge task of assessing the pupils within all the four essential skills within MFL (Listening, speaking, reading and writing). I had few lesson observations that did not go well because of the behaviour problem and by being defensive as I was teaching more passively than active. I had implemented various strategies within the class of which some worked very well and some of them were disaster. One of them was the introduction of the active form of learning and teaching upon which some classes appreciated the new strategies and techniques where as some gave an insight of the problem that could arise when introducing the active form of learning and teaching within the classes. Analysis of Problem: Active learning is probably more striking for learners than passive forms of leaning. Learners are supposed to be more motivated and interested when their mental activity is challenged and when they can make decisions about their own learning. The retention capabilities are also greater in case of active learning as compared to passive learning as per figure 1.By being involved in some of the decisions related to their own learning the learners can connect to their prior knowledge and their needs more optimally. As a consequence, they will learn all the kinds of valuable skills, such as social skills, decision making skills and taking responsibility. In addition, by finding out things independently, they can follow their own interests and motivation. In reality, active learning is the measurement of the extent to which the learner is challenged to use his or her mental abilities while learning. The passive learner does the same in less content as passive learning is mainly involved in the initial phases where as active learning enhances the passive learning. There are various types of learning skills that could structure the focus of process-oriented instruction such as cognitive skills, meta-cognitive skills and affective-motivational skills. (Simon et al, 2000). The cognitive skills involve deep learning strategies like comparing, overview skills like summarising, criticising and structuring, reviewing and generalising, schematising, and transfer skills like considering potential and essential conditions of use. Meta-cognitive skills involve planning of times and planning for leaning, realistic goal setting, orientation on goals and outcomes, regular inspection and testing and finally restarting and reflection on process and outcome. There are two main types of communication which occurs within the class named one way and two way communications. Within One-way communication, Listener has little or no opportunity to respond straight away and directly. A teacher must make assumptions about the listeners skill level, prior training, and understanding of the material being communicated. Therefore, errors like the following could be made by the teacher: making the material too difficult, making the material too simple, making assumptions which are not fully shared by the audience, thus making it impossible for them to understand what is being said. Other characteristics: faster transmission less accuracy, potential lack of common vocabulary. Within Two-way communication, there is a flow of information among and between individuals. Because of the opportunity for immediate feedback, many of the assumptions that one makes under one-way communication about skill level, prior training, and understanding of the material being communicated get tested immediately. Other characteristics: slower transmission, greater accuracy, time to develop a common vocabulary. According to Bergquist et al (1975), Psychological effects of one-way communication on students. Frustration the student cannot easily communicate or ask for clarification of teacher information. Apathy a lack of involvement and interest in what is going on. Fear students dont want to talk in front of the group for fear of being put down or for fear of making the teacher angry. Dependence students expect the teacher to give all the necessary information. Most become unable to judge the value of the information. Hostility and/or aggression-they may cheat or quit coming to class Three other learning styles are more likely to result in classroom participation; they are: Collaborative: This style is typical of the student who feels he can learn the most by sharing his ideas and talents. He cooperates with teachers and peers and likes to work with others. He sees the classroom as a place for social interaction as well as content learning. Participant: This style is characteristic of the student who wants to learn subject content and likes to go to class. He takes responsibility for getting the most out of class and participates with others when told to do so. He feels that he should take part in as much of the class related activity as possible, but he does little that is not part of the subject outline. Independent: This response style is characteristic of the student who likes to think for himself. He prefers to work on his own, but he will listen to the ideas of others in the classroom. He learns the content he feels is important and is confident in his learning abilities Research shows that students do not have just one style but that instead they have several in varying degrees and in various situations. It is not necessary to have a battery of psychological instruments to assess these styles, since an awareness of your students behaviours will give you clues as to which ones are operating. A more formal way of obtaining this information is to give each student the description of the various learning styles (without the descriptive word) and ask them to rank the styles on a scale of most and least like them. A tabulation of that information may give you useful information about the predominate learning styles in your classroom. (Bergquist et al, 1975) Students exhibit a number of learning styles in their approach to the classroom. Three that are related to a lack of involvement are: Avoidant: This response style is typical of a student who is not interested in learning subject content in the traditional classroom. He does not participate with students and teachers in the classroom. He is uninterested or overwhelmed by what goes on in the classes. Competitive: This response style is exhibited by the student who learns material in order to perform better than others in the class. He feels he must compete with other students in the class for the rewards of the classroom, such as grades or teachers attention. He views the classroom as a win-lose situation where he must always win. Other students are unlikely to join this student in participation because of the win- lose nature of the interaction. Dependent: This style is characteristic of the student who shows little intellectual curiosity and who learns only what is required. He sees teachers and peers as sources of structure and support. He looks to authority figures for guidelines and wants to be told what to do. Consequently, this student is unlikely to initiate or have much that is original to say in class discussions Analysis of Intervention (Solution): Learning to collaborate and learning from collaboration means acquiring skills like dividing tasks between group members, leading a group, learning together, monitoring group progress, defining group goals and group learning goals, negotiating and co-structuring knowledge, coordinating cognitive and social communicative actions and creating a supportive collaborative climate (Simon et al, 2000). Another important factor is the ability to regulate own learning which is the regular increase of independence in thinking and learning through systematic scaffolding. Simons and Zuijlen (1995) have suggested the following sequence: working independently, Learning strategically and self directed learning. When working independently the learning goals, the learning strategies, the time and place of leaning, the way of testing and feedback is determined by the teacher or learning environment. Students just have to fulfil assignments and learning will occur if and when they obey. (Simon et al, 2000) When learning strategically, students should have freedom of choice related to the learning strategy such as what kinds of learning approach to take, when and where learning will take place. In self-directed learning students have more freedom even though the learning goals remain under teacher control and for example with respect to choice goals, self testing and or feedback/judgement procedures. As described by the Simon et al (1995), In the beginning stages of any learning the simpler forms of independence should occupy more time than the more complex ones with a gradual increase of time for more complex forms. Whereas more complex forms of independence can regulate and only be practiced with respect to themes where one has relative high level of expertise. Simply there should be more independent work with some strategic learning relating to topics at beginning stages which will provide more room for strategic learning, also in relation to less familiar topics and some room for self directed learning about familiar topics. More importantly, by demonstrating and discussing them with each other on a regular basis, the important thinking, learning and regulation skills are made public. One of the main obstacles to learning and think is that these processes are hidden and remain invisible (new learning ref), the students dont realise that all human beings have many different ways to approach tasks instead of believing their way is the only possible way for learning new things. Interventions aimed at fostering students development of active general self regulated learning and conditional or metacognitive knowledge about learning have involved specifically designed learning how to learn programs as well as integrated programs where learning how to learn is embedded within regular discipline instruction. Simpson et al, (1997) especially mention the problems of limited transfer of the learned strategies to new situations and the lack of long term evaluation data. One well know successful program of that kind emphasise integrated learning to think, integrated learning to learn and integrated learning to regulate learning and thinking (Simons et al, 1997). In integrated programme, students are induced to activate their existing knowledge and strategies about learning, to reflect on their own and alternative approaches to learning, and on the impact of different learning styles on the quality of learning outcomes in their particular discipline area as well as in general. A major advantage of integrated programme is that they can be implemented with, and benefit learners of all ages, all levels of development and across all fields of study. Cognitive interventions during regular instructions rely on reflection, persuasion, awareness raising as well as constructive frictions (Vermunt Verloop, 1999) in order to raise challenge students possible misconception about learning. Carrying out such interventions during the actual process of learning is particularly well suited to raise students awareness of the relationships between learning strategies and learning outcomes. Evaluation (analysis of findings/evaluation of impact): Active learning is defined as a form of learning in which the learner uses opportunities to decide about aspects of learning process or the extent to which the learner is challenged to use his or her mental abilities while learning. In reality, there is no clear difference between active and passive learning. It is more a dimension a matter of less and more than dichotomy. In other words in active learning the learners make their own time planning, they choose learning goals and activities they like, they test their progress, they take care of their learning and understanding on their own, and they reflect on errors and successes. Thus active learning also involves preparation, execution, regulation, control, feedback and maintenance of learning activities by learners. (Simon et al, 2000) In independent active learning, it is not so much the number and quality of decisions about learning that count but how much activity is asked from the learner. Are the students figuring out things on their own? Are they working without teacher supervision? Are they working together as a group? Are they thinking while learning? The goals and kinds of activities, the control and regulations as well as the feedback and maintenance of the learning are under teacher control. The major findings after the research show the same findings as Riemersma Veugelers, 1997; Van Hout-Wolters, 1994; Veugelers, 1999 (cited in Simons et al, 2000) have identified a number of factors contributing to the difficulties in the implementation of active forms of learning. School Management and organisation: Some schools provide very few opportunities for active learning to students because of too many traditional teacher directed classes and insufficient self study hours in their time table. School experience problems with changing the curriculum to fit in with the learning-to-learn lessons or with integrating learning to learn instructions in the content lessons. Teachers: Many teachers are not highly motivated to give attention to active learning as they do not see the benefits of it within the subject matter and argue that these activities take up too much valuable time. Other teachers want to concentrate all their attention on the instruction of content knowledge as otherwise it will affect their results or grades. This results in creating chaos amongst the students relating various new forms of teaching and learning. The use of active learning within the class makes teaching more intensive and time consuming, while teacher salaries remain the same. Also not all the teachers possess sufficient knowledge and skills to foster active learning and to supervise their students in active self directed learning. Most teachers would need to develop forms of instruction which are fundamentally different from those they are currently using and familiar with. Particularly the greatest barrier of all is the fact that faculty members efforts to employ active learning involve risk that students will not participate, learn sufficient content or use higher-order thinking. There is also a misconception or fears that faculty members will feel a loss of control, lack necessary skills, or be criticised for teaching in unconventional ways. However, each barrier or obstacle and type of risk can be successfully overcome through thoughtful and careful planning. Learners are not always motivated to invest much time and energy in gaining the new skills either. They do not always recognise the usefulness of these skills, or they dread the needed effort to learn them (Rabinowits , Freeman, Cohen, 1992, (cited in Simons et al, 2000)). Students often hold strong beliefs and persistent approaches to learning especially failure fearing students prefer to learn a whole paragraph by heart than to understand and remember the main issues. Students in especially secondary schools are not very interested in the subject matter instead they go to school to meet their friends; learning seems to be more or less a side issue. Such students prefer to follow teacher directed lessons, than to engage in self directed activities. Individual differences between students create problems such as attention seeking students who attract more attention as well as causing disruption. Some students get little teacher attention during individual study hours as they ask ver y few questions and thus are offered little supervision. A failure to periodically solicit student feedback in a subject about how it is progressing. Are students getting out of the subject what they want? Are the classroom procedures and methods used well? Are there some things that you are doing which students dont like (for example, lecture, clarity of presentations, unfriendly manner)? Information on these factors not only helps make the classroom atmosphere better but it also creates an atmosphere where students feel the teacher is interested in what they have to say. This has a tendency to transfer into content areas as well. Contents: There are specific learning skills which are considered most important by a school or teacher. There still appears to be a lack of good learning-material within the subject areas in which active learning is incorporated. Snow and Lohmans (1984) argument that direct training of content related cognitive strategies may be counterproductive for more able students because they have already developed effective models of learning. Therefore students were provided with opportunities to witness the mental activity of more able individuals, and then encouraged to practice the strategies with guidance in a socially supportive environment. While some students learn to self regulate their learning without much tuition or prompts, others need guidance, not only to acquire the strategies but also to develop the conditional knowledge necessary to know how, when and where to these strategies can be applied appropriately (Hattie, Biggs, Purdie, 1996; Winograd Hare, 1988, (cited in Simons et al, 2000)). There are several techniques or strategies that are regarded as Passive learning strategies used for the externalisation of mental activity such as think aloud and expert modelling that provide a learner unique insight into the thinking processes of an expert. While scaffolding, cognitive coaching, reciprocal teaching and other forms of guided learning are expected to provide the support necessary to develop the skills and confidence for independent use of techniques. Two popular strategies based on problem-solving model take account of the case study methods of instruction and guided design. Whereas other active learning pedagogies worthy of teachers use include debates, cooperative learning, role playing, drama,simmulation, and peer teaching. College teachers are commonly facing problems and complaining that the secondary school teachers are not playing their roles properly as they are wasting their time in games or activities rather than giving attention to reading or improving cognitive skills. Where schools and parents fail students at school, when they get to college they lack the capacity to concentrate on anything for longer than about 10 minutes at a time. Such students have been failed by their schools and teachers, its too late, as in many cases, for them to change and their chances of a decent education/job are already finished. Conclusions and Recommendations: Active learning is also important for teachers. Motivational and burnout problems of teachers are likely to decrease if students are more motivated and more actively engaged in their own learning. Besides, teaching becomes more intellectually challenging when students are learning actively and independently. An excellent first step in promoting active teaching and learning is to select strategies with that one can feel comfortable. Low-risk strategies, on the other hand, are structured and planned, naturally of short duration, focused on subject matter that is neither too abstract nor too controversial, and well-known to both the students and the faculty members. The modification of traditional lectures (Penner 1984) is one way to incorporate active learning in the classroom. Discussion in class is regarded as one of the most widespread strategies promoting active learning with good reason. If the objectives of a subject are to encourage long-term retention of information, to inspire students toward further learning, to allow students to apply information in new settings, or to develop students thinking skills, then discussion is preferable to lecture (McKeachie et al. 1986). Bergquist et al (1975) have described the following factors within Getting Students Involved in the Classroom. Encourage exclusive dialogue with the teacher and not between students. This fosters a lack of involvement since students must compete with each other for the kings ear. Front to back seating arrangements encourage one-way communication. It is hard to talk to the back of someone elses head. Front to back seating arrangements discourage students from talking among themselves but they do focus attention on the teacher . Students who feel pressurised into attending every session are less likely to want to participate. An overemphasis on grades and grading, constantly stressing the importance of material for the midterm or final, how important a good grade in your subject is, and how much you appreciate good students will lead to a lack of involvement. Students are less likely to be involved when the name of the game is to get a grade and not learning something that might be of value to them. If active self regulated learning is to increase in school, at university and in the workplace, there is a need for learners to be equipped with the skills, confidence and commitment for active learning across tasks and situations. It also requires the educational context to provide the opportunities and affordance for active and independent self regulated learning to take place and be valued. All of the above help create an atmosphere where students do not want to get involved (The non-involvement cycle). Consequently, they begin to behave that way, which leads the teacher to assume they are apathetic and uninterested, thus the teacher continues to treat them in ways that lead to more apathy and uninvolvement. Thus a self-fulfilling prophecy begins to emerge. Even though active learning provides a great benefit within the teaching and learning arena the question still remains whether the students at secondary school are ready for this change. Research completed with higher level students indicated that when the learning skills and behaviour reached a mature state the majority of the students were there to learn. Whereas at secondary schools, there are several issues that require attention at a higher level such as behaviour issues within schools and classes, teachers training, teachers right with in the classes, more freedom with the curriculum, specially designed curriculum to promote active teaching and learning including others. In a recent article in the Guardian news paper, Mortimore, P (2010) reiterates that teachers are the solution not the problem. This means the profession attracting, and keeping, the most talented and the best-motivated people. It also means the government allowing teachers reasonable autonomy in how they teach. If the officials address the following issues, there will possibility of promoting active learning at the secondary level.

The Chechen Wars Essay -- Islam in the North Caucasus 2014

From Western audiences, Chechnya—whether as an autonomous oblast, a sovereign state, or a war zone—has never received much consideration. Just one of dozens of ethnic groups within Russia who have declared since the end of the Soviet Union their right to self-rule and self-determination, the Chechens’ struggle for independence was drowned out in the cacophony of calls for independence during the 1990s. However, in a world so greatly affected by the events of September 11, 2001 and given the role of Chechen separatist groups in bombings of Russian apartment buildings in 1999 (which killed more than 300) and the hostage-taking of a Russian theater in 2002 (which resulted in the deaths of 130 Russians and 30 rebels), the rhetoric of Islamic fundamentalism and the terminology of terrorism has brought the Chechen people to the forefront of international concern (Trenin & Malashenko, 2004, p. 45). Yet the roots of the conflict in Chechnya, which have spurned two wa rs with the Russian Federation over the past two decades, are defined neither by terrorist activities or the Islamists who have recently come to typify the most virulent of the separatist rebels; rather, the origin is in the centuries long forging of a group that has faced common persecution from the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and the Russian Federation. Ethnicity compounded with a new emphasis on fundamentalist religious ideology has greatly complicated a struggle that has benefited the economic and political interests of groups as disparate as elected officials, crime bosses, business leaders, and international governments (Politkovskaya, 2003). War has wrought the economic and social collapse of Chechnya and simultaneously embarrassed a Russia giant whose parti... ...thcaucasus.pdf Jaimoukha, A. (2005) The Chechens: A Handbook. New York: Routledge. Meier, A. (2005). Chechnya: To the Heart of a Conflict. New York: W. E. Norton & Company. Nikolaev. Y. V., Ed. (2013). The Chechen Tragedy: Who is to Blame? Cormack, New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. (March 19, 2013) Oliker, O. (2001). Russia’s Chechen Wars: 1994-2000. Washington: RAND. Politkovskaya, A. (2003). A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya. University of Chicago Press Tishkov, V. (2004). Chechnya: Life in a War Torn society. Berkeley, California: The University of California Press. Trenin, D. V. & Malashenko, A. V. (2004). Russia’s Restless Frontier: The Chechnya Factor in Post-Soviet Russia. Washington: Carnegie Endowment for Peace. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.1538-165X.2005.tb01379.x/abstract

Arvay’s Epiphany in Hurston’s Seraph on the Suwanee Essay -- Hurston’s

Arvay’s Epiphany in Hurston’s Seraph on the Suwanee In the middle of Chapter four, we find Jim and Arvay in the middle of a journey to the courthouse; the reader, halfway through the journey from the top of the page encounters an interior journey as Arvay travels within herself. This four-line passage serves as a milestone marking the beginning of the narrative, which is a journey across the landscape of the life of Jim and Arvay’s relationship. The passage begins with â€Å"The elements opened above Avery and she arose inside of herself†(57). The first clause of this sentence has a poetic eye focusing on an atmosphere, or an aura rising and expanding around Arvay’s form, perhaps circular, like the break in clouds whereby a ray of sunshine appears, suggesting even further, the halo, or the circle of seraphim as described in the words of the prophets. The coordinating conjunction â€Å"and† begins the second clause, implying the synchronous relation between the outer sky change, and the inner event of rising â€Å"inside of herself.† In this sense her experiences, her conversation with Jim, her anxieties about her â€Å"secret sin,† her religious drive converge and for a brief space are unifying, interlocking, affirming and redeeming. The mystical language employed reveals a kind of â€Å"interpenetration.† That this epiphany comes at the moment when she is discussing her own rape with the man that raped her shows the way in which she thinks about her experiences. Also, this passage shows how Jim speaks to her in ways that produce thoughts and feelings that she cannot seem to find words for annunciation. Her mystical language contrasts sharply with Jim’s straightforward sentences, recalling the title of the novel, Seraph on the Sewanee. After reading... ... complex allowing no passage to Jim or anyone else. The epiphany resulting from her sacrifice â€Å"under the mulberry tree† exemplifies how Jim talks to her, but she cannot respond in ways that he can understand, leaving her helpless to the world around her while Jim is continuously carrying her off over further horizons. Throughout the book she continues this movement upward and outwards into the world, though with the limits of her tongue. In the end, as she becomes reconciled with the world she discovers the â€Å"Resurrection† where â€Å"Human flesh was full of mysteries and a wonderful unknown thing†(350). If the epiphany at the conclusion of the novel marks point Omega, then the Alpha point comes in this passage in the middle of Chapter four at the moment she tries to place her relationship with Jim, and the suffering from the rape within her understanding of the Cosmos. Arvay’s Epiphany in Hurston’s Seraph on the Suwanee Essay -- Hurston’s Arvay’s Epiphany in Hurston’s Seraph on the Suwanee In the middle of Chapter four, we find Jim and Arvay in the middle of a journey to the courthouse; the reader, halfway through the journey from the top of the page encounters an interior journey as Arvay travels within herself. This four-line passage serves as a milestone marking the beginning of the narrative, which is a journey across the landscape of the life of Jim and Arvay’s relationship. The passage begins with â€Å"The elements opened above Avery and she arose inside of herself†(57). The first clause of this sentence has a poetic eye focusing on an atmosphere, or an aura rising and expanding around Arvay’s form, perhaps circular, like the break in clouds whereby a ray of sunshine appears, suggesting even further, the halo, or the circle of seraphim as described in the words of the prophets. The coordinating conjunction â€Å"and† begins the second clause, implying the synchronous relation between the outer sky change, and the inner event of rising â€Å"inside of herself.† In this sense her experiences, her conversation with Jim, her anxieties about her â€Å"secret sin,† her religious drive converge and for a brief space are unifying, interlocking, affirming and redeeming. The mystical language employed reveals a kind of â€Å"interpenetration.† That this epiphany comes at the moment when she is discussing her own rape with the man that raped her shows the way in which she thinks about her experiences. Also, this passage shows how Jim speaks to her in ways that produce thoughts and feelings that she cannot seem to find words for annunciation. Her mystical language contrasts sharply with Jim’s straightforward sentences, recalling the title of the novel, Seraph on the Sewanee. After reading... ... complex allowing no passage to Jim or anyone else. The epiphany resulting from her sacrifice â€Å"under the mulberry tree† exemplifies how Jim talks to her, but she cannot respond in ways that he can understand, leaving her helpless to the world around her while Jim is continuously carrying her off over further horizons. Throughout the book she continues this movement upward and outwards into the world, though with the limits of her tongue. In the end, as she becomes reconciled with the world she discovers the â€Å"Resurrection† where â€Å"Human flesh was full of mysteries and a wonderful unknown thing†(350). If the epiphany at the conclusion of the novel marks point Omega, then the Alpha point comes in this passage in the middle of Chapter four at the moment she tries to place her relationship with Jim, and the suffering from the rape within her understanding of the Cosmos.

EU economic relation with MERCOSUR Essay

Introduction MERCOSUR (Southern Common Market) was established in 1991 as a customs union and common market between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Chile and Bolivia later joined as associate Mercosur members. Since mid-2000, they have been engaged in negotiations with the EU to establish a free trade area covering both regions. History in the Making On May 28, 2004, EU and MERCOSUR trade representatives convened in Guadalajara, Mexico to continue an ongoing negotiation process. MERCOSUR holds a comparative advantage in a wide range of agricultural produce, which composes more than half of its total exports, while Europe is particularly strong in industrial and capital markets, such as automobiles, telecommunications and banking. Their complementary economies seem ideally suited for engaging in free trade, with each component of the bloc specializing in their specific fields of strength. However, import quotas and tariffs, intended to protect MERCOSUR members’ infant industries as well as high cost European farmers, present mountainous obstacles to the realization of any free trade agreement. At the May 28 summit, both sides tentatively agreed to open their markets to foreign competition. The EU and MERCOSUR have each shown a willingness to make difficult concessions in order to see their negotiations come to fruition. The Border is Closed The European Union’s protectionist agriculture regulations insulate locally grown produce from foreign competition. Cultivatable land, a precious and scarce commodity on the continent, is extraordinarily expensive. Hence the European Parliament instituted subsidies, import quotas and tariffs to keep the region†s relatively inefficient agro-industry afloat by regulating prices on the European market. These policies have effectively kept MERCOSUR products out of the European market as the EU refused to negotiate on opening its markets up to foreign competition by the raising of its quotas and the lowering of its tariffs. However, European negotiations have recently made important concessions aimed at expediting the process. The EU Common Agricultural Policy of 2003, which significantly reduced Europe’s farm subsidies, coupled with an increase in import quotas and a lowering of tariffs, have strengthened MERCOSUR’s confidence in the positive outcome of trade talks. Europe’s reluctant acquiescence to MERCOSUR’s demands is an attempt to pursue a strategy aimed at obtaining greater access to South American markets where European industries and sectors (such as automobile, telecommunication, banking and computer production) have excelled in the past and appear to have an even more prosperous future. Like its European counterpart, MERCOSUR has traditionally been averse to granting greater access to these markets, defending its protectionist policies with an infant industry argument. These industries are too small, it maintains, to compete in the world market, and therefore opening its borders at this time could destroy domestic firms. However, the South American Common Market has recognized the significance of Europe’s offer, and in return, has allowed for ever greater access to its telecommunication and banking industries. Partners in Decay There is a downside to the growing ties between Europe and MERCOSUR. Europe’s courting of MERCOSUR is at best undermining the fabric that binds the fragile G20 together. G20 members fear that the EU-MERCOSUR agreement could provide unfair access to markets, which would be illegal according to the World Trade Organization (WTO) standards. According to these, Most Favored Nation Status (MFN) cannot be reserved for specific countries, but must be shared among all applicable WTO members. According to some G20 members, including China, India, South Africa and Brazil, the European Union’s decision to engage in trade talks with MERCOSUR is a stratagem to undermine the G20, an organization that could potentially cause serious problems for both the EU and the United States. Restructuring the Map An accord between the two giant trading blocs has the potential to upset and shift the balance of power in the global trade arena, not only affecting the G20 but also challenging US economic hegemony in the Western Hemisphere. A â€Å"leading light in the Cairns group of agricultural exporters† and a founding member of the G20, Brazil’s political clout in the international community is growing exponentially. Its ability to command greater respect in political and economic agreements has persuaded the EU to offer greater concessions to MERCOSUR and is forcing the United States to reformulate its position on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). There is no doubt that Brazil is using the EU-MERCOSUR trade agreement, and the commercial bonanza it should bring, as a weapon to increase its bargaining power in forthcoming FTAA talks with Washington concerning farm subsidies. The election of two left-leaning presidents in Brazil and Argentina, as well as a shift away from a Western Hemisphere trade pact toward a more amicable courtship with Europe, reflects a fundamental change in Brazilian and Argentine politics as well as in their strategy in dealing with the US. Neither government wants to be considered, as Brazilian President Lula stated during his presidential campaign, an â€Å"annexation† of the United States. In 2004, worries over progress in negotiations deepened as the co-chairmanship of the FTAA rotated to the United States and Brazil. Unfortunately, the inability to compromise by the proposed trading bloc’s two major powers has stalled progress on the realization of such an agreement. It also has persuaded a newly confirmed pessimist MERCOSUR to look across the Atlantic for an opportunity to further its global thrust and self-interests. The United States’s reluctance to discuss any reductions in farm subsidies during recent FTAA trade rounds has hindered the chances of signing a Free Trade Area of the Americas agreement by 2005, the projected year for it to be announced. Meanwhile, Europe has slipped into the foreground, prepared to equal or even replace the United States as the dominant trading power on the South American continent. The United States’s hegemonic status in the Americas is in peril. To maintain a semblance of the status-quo, Washington will have to concede to demands for a slash in farm subsidies if it wishes to reignite the negotiation process, or at least keep it alive, and to maintain itself as the predominant regional superpower, the US will be forced to compromise. The EU-MERCOSUR free trade agreement without a question is a threat to the United States’s dominance in the region. Europe’s belated decision to open its agricultural markets to foreign competition leaves Washington in a precarious position at the negotiating table with its Latin American counterparts. Previously, the EU and the US held the same line regarding agricultural subsidies; both argued that the subject should be addressed at future WTO trade rounds rather than through bilateral trade agreements. If it now wishes to remain competitive with Europe in the South American market, Washington will have to address the issue of the subsidies and import quotas that up to now have plagued many of the Latin American countries. With the EU now retreating from its long held protectionist position, the US can no longer expect to walk away from negotiations with a victory in hand which places Latin America in a dependent position in the FTAA. Scraping Bottom: US-Latin American Relations There is no question that US-Latin America relations are at their lowest point in a generation. Clearly, when it has come to leadership and a strong moral stance regarding US policy initiatives towards Cuba, Venezuela and Haiti, Secretary of State Powell has provided no leadership and certainly no vision. By default, such leadership fell into the hands of Otto Reich and a small band of venomous rightwing ideologies headed by Otto Reich, Roger Noriega and Dan Fisk, who held their places because Powell allowed them to be imposed on him. As a career propagandist and huckster-ideologue, Otto Reich built his professional existence on disseminating public disinformation along with a capacity for extremist politics that have done incalculable damage to the maintenance of a balanced and responsible regional policy. Almost single-handedly, he has bent and distorted US-Latin American relations and has produced a level of odium that cannot be easily recalled in the recent chapters of the bilateral relationship between the two hemispheres. His legacy hardly serves that word, filled as it has been with vulgar rhetoric, meretricious analysis, Rasputin-like conspiracies, and an inability to distinguish responsible behavior from that of a low quality goon. He, together with his fellow alumni from former Senator Helms’s tawdry regional policy-making workshop at the Senate’s foreign relations committee, the State of Department’s Roger Noriega and Dan Fisk, have gone a long way to pollute US hemispheric ties so fundamentally that it will take a generation to undo. From a Caribbean, Andean or South American standpoint, the EU-MERCOSUR pact strengthens their respective chances for a fairer and freer FTAA agreement. The United States can no longer treat its hemispheric partners as subsidiaries of a holding company which it controls now that Europe has presented itself as a viable second option for a binding trade relationship. Living in an era of increasingly free global trade, the EU-MERCOSUR pact could be a refreshing change from a history of largely self-serving and US-dominated agreements. The trade agreement between the European Union and MERCOSUR could come to rival the Free Trade Area of the Americas as a major hemispheric economic force, even if both are achieved. As the United States’s soft power continues to decline in the region, Europe’s global stock looks increasingly more appealing. If the US wishes to maintain its traditional position astride the Western Hemisphere, it must learn from its European counterparts how to stop talking down and start talking to Latin America. Internet References: REDES / Friends of the Earth Uruguay: http://www.redes.org.uy/ L`Observatori de las Transnacionales (LO’T), research group focusing on Spanish TNCs in Latin-America. Contact: David Llistar david.llistar@debtwatch.org Red Mexicana de Accion Frente al Libre Comercio (RMALC): http://www.rmalc.org.mx/ Transnational Institute (TNI): http://www.tni.org/altreg/index.htm Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO): http://www.corporateeurope.org/ Alianza Chilena Por Un Comercio Justo y Responsable (ACJR): http://www.comerciojusto.cl/index.htm Asociacion Latinoamercana de Organizaciones de Promocion (ALOP): http://www.alop.or.cr/