Mark Doty: Life and Career Essay

Doty was born in Maryville, Tennessee, earned his Bachelor of Arts from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and received his Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Goddard College in Vermont. In 1989, his partner Wally Roberts tested positive for HIV,[1] which drastically changed Doty’s writing. Roberts’s death in 1994 inspired Doty to write Atlantis. Heaven’s Coast: A Memoir also deals with this subject and received the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for First Nonfiction. [2] In 1995, he was the first American poet to win the  £10,000 T.S. Eliot Prize for Poetry, for his book My Alexandria. The book was also a finalist for the National Book Award and the winner of the 1993 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Poetry and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Doty also received a 1994 Whiting Writers’ Award. Look more:  mark twain satire essay He has written twelve books of poetry and three memoirs. Firebird told the story of his childhood in the American South and in Arizona. Dog Years was a memoir of the lives of two of his dogs who Doty had while dealing with the death of his partner and the devastation of 9-11. Louise Erdrich praised the book as being â€Å"about dogs, that is to say, about everything we cannot talk about†¦ the ‘unsayable’ about our relationships with animals, and about unspeakable times of loss, Dog Years is not a dark book. It is illuminated from within by gorgeous wonder.† Dog Years is the winner of the 2008 American Library Association Stonewall Book Awards Israel Fishman Non-Fiction Award. His last book of poetry Fire to Fire: New and Selected Poems won the 2008 National Book Award for Poetry.[3] He lives in New York City and Fire Island, New York. He was the John and Rebecca Moores Professor in the graduate program at The University of Houston Creative Writing Program. He has also participated in The Juniper Summer Writing Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s MFA Program for Poets & Writers and was on the faculty of the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference in August 2006. He is the inaugural judge of the White Crane/James White Poetry Prize for Excellence in Gay Men’s Poetry. Doty is a judge for the 2013 Griffin Poetry Prize. He now teaches at Rutgers University. His husband since 1995 is the writer Paul Lisicky.

How Smell Affects Taste

How Does Smell Affect Taste? Table of Contents 1. Abstract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 2. Scripture Reference†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 3. Research Section†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦.. 3-5 4. Hypothesis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 5. Materials List†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 6. Procedure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 7. Observation/Results/Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9-13 8. Works Cited†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 14 9. Acknowledgements †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 15 Abstract The purpose of this project is to experiment if smell affects taste.In the hypothesis it is stated that when the nose is plugged the taste of a jellybean will be affected. It is also hypothesized that when a subject is given a certain flavor of jellybean to taste they will remember the taste of the same flavored jellybean with the smell impaired. A brief overview of the experiment is as follows. Eight subjects will be tested for their sense of taste. They were given four different flavors of jellybeans to taste twice, once with a nose plug and once without. Group one was asked to taste the first flavor of a jellybean with the nose plugged first.Then they were given the same flavor of jellybean to taste without the nose plug. The same procedure was used with the remaining three flavors. In contrast, group two was given the jellybean to taste without the nose plug first and with the nose plug second. The four flavors of the jellybeans were tasted in this order: marshmallow, lemon, pear, licorice. The results for each independent variable are as follows. The nose plug did affect the taste of the jellybean. But, group two did not remember the taste of the jellybean when the nose was unplugged. In both groups, taste was affected and flavors were not easily guessed. Scriptural ReferenceTaste â€Å"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. † Psalm 34:8 (NIV) I chose this Bible verse because it is very important that as Christians we actively seek God in all things. Even though we really do not â€Å"taste† God, we need to thirst for His Word and love. In return, we will see that He is good, we receive His blessing, and find that He is our refuge. Smell â€Å"The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in His heart: Never again will I curse th e ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. Genesis 8:21 (NIV) God uses His senses like we do. He created us in His own image and made us to have senses. God finds obedience to be pleasant just as we think the smell of red roses is pleasant to our nose. Research The human body was created by God to have five different detected senses: taste, smell, hearing, touch, and sight. Taste and smell are the two senses that people have to help us enjoy food. They are separate, but also related. Much can be learned about the correlation between taste and smell and how they affect each other. Taste is the sense that comes from food molecules touching the taste buds on the tongue.The taste buds send signals to the brain which then translates the signals into a taste. Taste buds are nerve receptors on the tongue and palate. Different parts of the tongue have specific receptors for different types of tastes. There are thousands of taste buds on the tongue, each with a surface opening called a taste pore. At the base, microvilli sensors pick up the molecule. The molecule gets changed by sensory cells of the taste bud into a nerve impulse. The signal gets sent to the brain through the glossopharyngeal nerve to the brainstem, then to the thalamus, and on to the forebrain. That signal is translated to specific taste (Swindle, Mark). On the tongue, different tastes are picked up on different parts of the tongue. First, the sweet taste buds occur on the outside part of the tongue. A second kind is salty taste buds that are located on the back outside portion of the tongue. Lastly, the bitter taste buds are located in the far back of the tongue. There are some taste buds on the palate that pick up different tastes (Smith, David). Smell, on the other hand, is the sense that comes from odor molecules attaching to the olfactory nerve. Air carries the odor into the nose. Then odor contacts the olfactory nerves at the top of the nasal passages.The the olfactory nerves send a signal to the olfactory bulb of the brain, and the nerve sends a signal to the front of the brain. The forebrain translates the signals of the odor into a specific smell (Swindle, Mark). Smell and taste are so interrelated that many scientists think that taste is about 80% of aroma and 20% actual taste (American Academy of Otolaryngology). It changes as people age, the sense of smell seems to be better in adults than in kids. Usually at age 60 or over, adults may start to lose their sense of smell. Scientists have proven that women have a better sense of smell than men.People who have head injuries often lose their sense of smell and lose weight because the taste of the food they eat has been impaired through the injury. Also, people with sinus problems or upper respiratory problems lose weight because of a decreased sense of smell and appetite (American Academy of Otolaryngolog y). In previous studies, Frank and Byram’s article suggest that taste and smell interactions are dependent on taste and odor. In their experiments, they gave subjects strawberry whipped cream while pinching their nose and then strawberry cream not pinching their nose.The addition of smell to taste made the strawberry whip cream seem 85% sweeter. The same experiment was used, but with peanut butter flavored whip cream. It was found that peanut butter odor did not enhance sweetness. They then evaluated the same people with salted strawberry whip cream, and found that the odor did not increase the sweetness. This suggested that sweetness is both taste and odor dependent. The experiment with salted strawberry whip cream proves that the sense of smell is a dependent factor in a person experiencing the full sense of taste (Frank, Robert). HypothesisWhen the nose is plugged and the olfactory system is impaired, taste will be affected. Each of the eight subjects will be tested on fou r different flavors of jellybean, once with the nose plugged and once with the nose unplugged. The four flavors tested in order were: marshmallow, lemon, pear, and licorice. People in group one will have a nose plug on during the first taste. They will be impaired to taste and guess the flavor of the jelly bean. At the second attempt to taste without the nose plug, they will be able to taste easily and be able to guess the flavor of the jellybean. Group two, will start by not having the nose plugged.This group will be able to taste easily and easily guess the flavor of the jellybean. When the plug is then placed on the subject’s nose, they will be able to taste because they already know the real taste from memory. Materials List -Log Book -Pencil -Jelly Beans -2 Marshmallow, 2 Lemon, 2 Pear, 2 Licorice flavored jellybeans -Towel as blindfold -Baggies -Eight Test Subjects -Nose Plug -Charts -Water Procedure To set up this experiment, eight human subjects were needed for evalua tion. Each person was tested for their sense of taste and smell. The subjects were split into two evaluation groups.The first group was given a blindfold and a nose plug. They were given a jellybean to taste. They were asked the following questions: What flavor do you think this is? Is it sweet, sour, or bitter? After the tester recorded the data, the subjects were asked to remove the nose plug. They were given the same flavor of jellybean and asked the same questions. This same procedure was used for the remaining three flavors of jellybeans. The data was recorded and the results compared. The second group was given a blind fold, but asked to taste the jellybean without the nose plug first. They were asked the same questions as group one.Data was recorded. Then they were given the nose plug and asked to taste and evaluate the same flavor of jellybean. This same procedure was used for the remaining three flavors of jellybeans. Data again was recorded and results compared. The four d ifferent types of jelly beans given were in this order; marshmallow, lemon, pear, and licorice. Observations Preston| Plugged Nose | | | No Plug| | Actual Jelly- Bean Flavor| Guessed Flavor| Sweet/Sour/Bitter (Sw/S/B) | | Guessed Flavor| Sw/S/B| 1-Marshmallow | Coconut| Sweet/Sour| | Coconut/lime| Sweet| 2-Lemon| Blueberry| Sour| | Lemon| Sour| -Pear| Cherry| Sweet| | Cranberry| Sweet/Sour| 4-Lic| Nothing| Sweet| | Rubber| Bitter| | | | | | | Tyler| Plugged Nose| | | No Plug| | 1-Marshmallow| Cinnamon| Sour| | Nothing| Bitter| 2-Lemon| Orange| Sour| | Orange| Sour| 3-Pear| Apple| Sour| | Apple| Sweet| 4-Lic| Licorice| Bitter| | Licorice| Sweet| | | | | | | Makenzie| Plugged Nose| | | No Plug | | 1-Marshmallow| Coconut| Sweet| | Cotton Candy| Sweet| 2-Lemon| Lemon| Sour| | Lemon| Sour| 3-Pear| Apple| Bitter| | Pear | Sweet| 4-Lic| Nothing| Sweet| | Licorice| Bitter| | | | | | | Pierce| Plugged Nose| | | No Plug| | 1-MM| Lime| Sour| | Popcorn| Sweet/bitter| -Lemon| Lime| Sour| | Lemon | Sour| 3-Pear| Pear| Sour/Bitter| | Pear| Sour/Bitter| 4-Lic| Peach| Sour| | Licorice| Bitter| | | | | | | | | GROUP | TWO| | | Autumn| No Plug| | | Plugged Nose| | 1-Marshmallow| Marshmallow| Sweet| | Lemon| Sweet| 2-Lemon| Lime| Sour| | Grape| Sour/Sweet| 3-Pear| Lemon| Sweet| | Blueberry| Bitter| 4-Lic| Green| Bitter| | Strawberry| Sweet| | | | | | | David| No Plug| | | Plugged Nose| | 1-Marshmallow| Cotton Candy| Sweet| | Cotton Candy| Sweet/Sour| 2-Lemon| Lemon| Sour| | Green Apple| Bitter| 3-Pear| Strawberry| Sweet| | Lemon| Bitter/Sour| 4-Lic| Black Berry| Sweet | | Strawberry| Sweet| | | | | | Katy| No Plug| | | Plugged Nose| | 1-Marshmallow| Pineapple| Sweet| | Banana| Sweet| 2-Lemon| Lemon| Sour| | Lemon /Lime| Sour| 3-Pear | Pear| Sweet| | Apple| Sweet| 4-Lic| Root beer| Sweet| | Root beer| Sweet| | | | | | | Sam| No Plug| | | Plugged Nose| | 1-Marshmallow| Mint| Sweet| | Nothing | Bitter| 2-Lemon| Lemon| Sour| | Apple| Sour| 3-Pear| Green apple| Sour| | Lemon| Sweet/Sou r| 4-Lic| Lemon/Mint| Bitter| | Cherry| Sweet| Results/Conclusion The results for each independent variable are as follows: Number of right guesses of jellybean flavor without nose plug= 13 out of 32.Number of right guesses of jellybean flavor with nose plug= 3 out of 32. Number of right guesses of jellybean flavor with nose plug after already tasting jellybean without nose plug= 1 out of 16. The first part of the hypothesis stated that impairing the sense of smell with a nose plug would affect the taste of the jellybeans. Almost half of the flavors were guessed when given without smell impairment compared to three flavors guessed when smell was impaired. This supports the hypothesis that when smell is impaired taste is affected. The nose plug did affect the taste of the jellybeans.The hypothesis also stated that the subjects would remember the actual taste of the jellybean by memory when first given a certain flavor with no smell impairment and then given the same flavor with impai rment of smell. Only 1 out of 16 guesses were accurate. Therefore, group two did not remember the taste of the same flavored jellybean when given the nose plug. In conclusion, the hypothesis was partially supported. Works Cited 1. American Academy of Otolaryngology. â€Å"How do Taste and Smell work? † http://www. etnet. orgHealthInformation/smellTaste. crm 2010. 2. Frank, Robert. â€Å"Taste–smell Interactions Are Talent and Odorant Dependent — Chem.Senses. † Oxford Journals | Life Sciences & Medicine | Chemical Senses. Web. 7 Dec. 2010. . 3. Smith, David V. â€Å"How Taste Works. † World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. T. 2006. 4. Swindle, Mark. â€Å"How Odors Are Detected. † World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. Smell. 2000. 5. Swindle, Mark. â€Å"Structures Important In Smell. † World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. Smell. 2000. Acknowledgements I would like to thank God for making the human body so interesting and wonderful. Also, I would like to than ks my teachers and parents for helping

A View on Japanese Customs As Depicted In Films and Figurines

A View on Japanese Customs As Depicted In Films and Figurines Gojira, Hello Kitty, and other forms of Japanese culture have been integrated through popular culture in such things as movies and toys. The aspects that can make these mediums fun and interesting can make them popular which gives a lot of credit to the culture that it is behind. These two forms although representing popular culture, are still able to draw towards representations of everyday life, and Japanese culture. Christine R Yano explains how the consumerism of Hello Kitty has shaped Hello Kitty, and it has become an obsession of a sort. â€Å"Hello Kitty expresses herself through disarming, benign mouthlessness, while Godzilla is dark, and oversized (Yano,153).† The characteristics which Gojira, and Hello Kitty have are important because Hello Kitty’s characteristics of being cute appeal to many people’s senses, and can be the reason why Hello Kitty Goods earned a hundred million from products and an additional four hundred million in licensing fees. Maybe it has to do with the fact that Hello Kitty is described as being â€Å"Irresistable† (Yano, 154). Japan threw elements like these has been able to show other areas of the world their culture, which has prompted integration, but their culture can still be closely derived from the elements represented in these movies, as well as a representation. From looking at elements of media, such as Hello Kitty, and Gojira we are able to see Japanese culture embedded. Though Hello Kitty may be looked at by most people as just simply Japanese cute, it has aspects that help define culture as well. The kitty is small, does not have a mouth, and seems to be staring into a distance. This can be tied into the fact that females in the Japanese culture, are regarded as being passive. We were able to see this aspect while viewing Gojira, in the character of Emiko. In the movie she seems to display a passive role, by crying, and seeming to have a frail personality. Emiko’s role was important in this movie because rather than just making a storyline only it was important to integrate culture so that as the movie is exchanged between different people they can get a feel of Japanese culture. By looking at the overview in Gojira we can also see this well. After the postwar period which Gojira was filmed around, it was a very destructive time, and the whole city was ruined. The movie represents Japan during the postwar period showing some of the suffering which they went through. It helps to show Japanese people’s fear of nuclear attacks, which makes the movie a symbol. Japan does a good job of doing this, but we are also able to see aspects of American culture from some of the media we have looked at. Them! shows the same relationship between popular culture, and culture as do Hello Kitty, and Gojira. The movie which came out in 1954 takes you on a path of monstrous ants, who are trying to take over the world. Them has also been regarded as an important medium in American popular culture as it was integrated in video games, and television shows such as Zombies ate my neighbors, and Invader Zim respectively (Them!) Through the ants conquest which resolves the city is taken over, and many aspects of American culture ensue, and are described. For instance towards the end of the movie the firefighters want to burn the cave because they feel that everyone who is in it must be dead, and it is not worth risking the whole city for. The police officers tell them not to do so because they said they believe two young little boys are in there, and it is not worth risking their lives. This is an important part of the movie because it demonstrates a part of American culture. This illustrates t hat in American culture children are deemed as being very important. The cops made sure that they saved their lives because even two people’s lives were important to them, and they wanted to make sure that everything was ok. The police force was also shown as being very important in the movie which is an aspect that can be true as well in real life. Them did a good job of displaying cultural elements of Godzilla it was able to do the same thing. Them also does a good job of mentioning the atomic bomb which America happened to be testing at that time, and referencing this to the Cold War. This helps a vivid picture of the time period that this movie was made because factual events are being used. Godzilla was derived from Gojira as we have been told many times, but at the same time it has many special elements of its own that illustrate American culture, and popular culture. Through the many versions that Godzilla has been changed it has been able to have many interpretations especially through the different roles that Gojira has taken. In some movies we see Gojira destroying the nation of Japan, but in other instances we see the American version showing how Godzilla is a hero. This has a significant importance because this was probably done to help display a positive image form American culture rather than being the enemies. For this reason Gojira was really important for this reason because it helped bridge the gap, and this was just one of the lasting impacts the cultures had on each other. Through the Pacific Century series we are able to identify different parts of Japanese culture, and see just how exactly Japanese culture evolved. Although at first not everyone was happy about the fact of the U.S. occupying Japan, it had some certain positive characteristics. During the time of their occupation they gave credit to America for the fact that they were able to help them unify Japan, and give them a strong sense of government. America had many intentions of creating positive standards for Japan’s culture whether it was dress, music, or cartoons, but through the two cultures you are able to spot many differences. Coming from an American point of view there were initially many differences between Japanese culture, and American culture. Americans believed that Japan’s technology was different, and a lot more inferior. On Commodore Perry’s conquest to America he brought to them many different types of tools, and toys which fascinated the Japanese. Along with the tools they also introduced Japanese people to western culture by showing them new clothes, education, and music forms. The Americans also did not approve of the governmental system that Japan was run by, and made them change this as well. The Japanese on the other hand saw American people as barbaric, and did not approve of some of their practices. The Americans were surprised to find out that the Japanese regularly took baths (The Pacific Century). Through the close contact that ensued between both cultures we see how each was able to modernize, and use each other’s ideas. By starting off from modernizing during th e time of Perry we see that Japan, and America would have a lot of similarities which would continue for a long time. This would include Japan exchanging anime with America, as well as seemingly all of America’s electronics. Looking at the two cultures we see so many of the aspects that Japan and America share, but if you look more closely you can see some of the differences they possess as well. Through Gojira, Godzilla, and Them, we are able to see differences between Japanese, and American culture. We see how in Gojira the women such as Emiko are given the scared submissive role, but this is very different from Them, when Joan Weldon is one of the main scientists on the team, and conducts the experiments which may be needed to ultimately save mankind. When you look at Hello Kitty as well you see it as being referred to mainly a cute, furry, fuzzy creature that is irresistible. The emphasis of children is taken into great consideration when it comes to looking at American culture, but this differs when you look at Japan. The hydrogen bomb which was used to kill Gojira was thought to be dangerous, but at the same time the larger picture was what many people were considering, rather than the life of just two people. As the cultures of America, and Japan differed drastically this can explain the paths that they took to become more alike, and exchange cultures. It could explai n the paths that they took in order to be modernized as well as aware of other cultures. Modernity is the idea of discontinuing with the past through a process of social, and cultural change, and most importantly it helps to redefine tradition (Crisis of Modernity). Japan and America were both able to be modernized, by adapting new forms of culture, and seeing ways of life. This can highlight the fact that the Meiji Reform had such significant importance because it was a way for Japan to see how the outside and western world was rather than being close minded, and not seeing all it had to offer. The reason why modernization was so important to these two nations is because it was able to help them fend for themselves, as well as learning new ideas. For instance as Japan entered conflicts with America, they needed to modernize to overcome modernity, an idea which we have been presented with in this class. If they did not modernize then they would be subject to attacks, and other consequences that could have ensued. Modernization was popular to them in this way, and it was also important to the Americans as they tried to have contact with other parts of the world. Looking back at the information I have now I would be able to make revisions on how I look at modernization. Modernization is able to be integrated into pop culture, but it cannot entirely define one culture, just by itself. The reason that this hit me is because a couple weeks ago, I would have thought that the insights that Japan gained from the Meiji Restoration entirely defined their culture, and that is false. Modernizing your culture serves to add layers to the foundation that has already been established. Gojira was a movie produced by the Japanese, for the Japanese, and it helped to convey meaning, and display Japanese culture. This was the same way how Them gave a picture of American culture. This is very important to know because when a country is modernized, such as Japan was and tends to adopt jazz, watch movies, and watch certain movies, their core ideals are still the same as they always are. The way people think does not change just because of new things that they have experienced it just means that they have experienced closer contact with other groups, and people. Gojira w as founded in Japan, which had a thriving movie industry before America came into contact with them, and this movie was essential to Japan. When certain culture has elements that make it popular it becomes popular on a world scale leaving room for the discussion of globalization. Globalization can be in ways tied to modernization, and ultimately affects the relationship on how Japan and America, are similar or different. Globalization is human societies having close contact, and being shaped through global integration, whether it be politics, culture, or anything (Global Policy). Popular culture is important in making cultures such as Japan, and America have close contact because so much can be exchanged. From an American point of view you are able to see just how much we have comes from Japan. Whether it is the anime, Hello Kitty, and most importantly Gojira many things are taken from Japan to America in the great cultural exchange. Some of America’s popular culture has gone to Japan as well in the acculturation process by Japanese being enthralled by some American socialites, and movies as well. Globalization plays a big factor in all of this because without popular culture mediums such as Gojira, and Them there would be no standard that would be tr ying to be met. Culture, and pop culture are so important for so many reasons. They effect globalization as well as, modernization, and everything in between. Without clearly defining one, another one may not be defined. The reason that this comes to be is because culture is the underlying precepts which people have been tought to live by, but at the same time this can mingle with culture. The reason that this crosses in with pop culture is because pop culture is a way that you can at times directly relate to other nations. If you are able to relate to them by the mediums you watch, listen to, or however then they can exchange ideas, and other influences with you allowing them to assimilate them to your culture. At times through assimilating your culture through popular culture this allows you to modernize to keep to the standard which the world is embracing. After you are kept to this standard you are ultimately globalized because everyone is sharing ideas from this point, and afterwards it just b ecomes a natural process.

Slavery in the American Colonies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Slavery in the American Colonies - Essay Example According to the discussion  America since its very beginning practiced cruel racism which does not have any true scientific or biological base. Ethnic segregation and discrimination was very much evident in all areas. This practice started long years back and was followed by people and transferred to the next generations. It later became a political phenomenon. The white majority was found to be proud in their own race (a part of heritage). They were of the belief that they are superior to others in race as well as culture. They tried to put the minorities down in order to strengthen their own group. They developed extreme hatred towards the black minorities and had an overall sense of bigotry. The black minorities were oppressed to the core and were denied all rights. The demands and opinion of the blacks were never considered at all.  From this essay it is clear that  Story of the elimination of slavery from the American land is quite long. Slavery is the core reason the nat ion witnessed the disastrous civil war. United States started practicing slavery as early as 1619. Towards the closing of American Revolution, majority of the northern states stopped slavery, while the plantation economy of the South continued practicing it. In the years before the Civil War all the issues were centered on the issue of slavery. This started with the debates made on the three-fifths clause on the Constitutional Convention of 1787.... In the years before the Civil War all the issues were centered on the issue of slavery. This started with the debates made on the three-fifths clause on the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It further proceeded with the Compromise of 1820, the anti-slavery Gag Rule, the Nullification Crisis, and finally the Compromise of 1850. In the first half of the nineteenth century slavery was supported by the Southern politicians. They maintained the control of the federal government. Though they had most of their Presidents hailing from the South, they were very serious about maintaining a balance of power in the Senate. New states joined the Union and several compromises appeared to keep an equal number of free and slave states. In 1820, Missouri joined as a slave state and Maine came as a free state. The balance got disrupted in 1850 as Southerners allowed California to come as a free state in return for laws upholding slavery. The balance was later disturbed with the joining of free Orego n and Minnesota. The increase of the gap between free and slave state illustrates the changes happening in each region. When South, with a slow population growth, adopted an agrarian plantation economy, North adopted industrialization. They had large urban areas, with large infrastructures. They witnessed increased birth rates and a large inflow of European immigrants. The increase in population made South to keep a balance in the government. This lead to the addition of several free states. An anti-slavery president was also appointed. The political issue that ultimately took the nation towards the war was nothing but slavery in the western territories acquired during the Mexican-American War. The same

Emotional health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Emotional health - Essay Example Erickson’s Eight Stages of Psycho-Social Development: States that the individual has to undergo eight stages of development, in order for them to become integrated into society (Erikson 359-396). Erickson focuses on eight stages in total; however the first five are aimed at childhood, whereas the last three are classifications of changes which take place throughout the rest of the individual’s lifetime. In summary, Erickson was concerned with the individual’s adaptation to society. Let’s now compare this to Sigmund Freud, and his approach, which is centered towards the individual’s adaptation to their own psychic sphere. According to Freud, the young child first develops an oral fixation, whereby as a baby and then toddler, everything goes into the mouth. They then move onto the anal stage, during toilet training, and finally at around five to seven years of age they undergo what is known as the Oedipus complex, whereby the boy fears castration, at the hands of their father, for lusting after the mother; and whereby the young girl accepts the reality that she has already been castrated. Either way, the phallic stage represents an acceptance of external authority, and a reordering of the individual’s psychic World, so that they become emotionally well regulated. Erickson versus Freud: Interestingly, when we compare, Freud to Erickson, we can clearly see that both theorists are attempting to explain the emotional developmental stages of the individual, and that for Erickson the focus is on adaptation to external challenges; whereas with Freud the focus is upon internal adaptation within the psychic reality of the individual, to the external reality which faces them. While the focus might be slightly different, the inference is the same, that a healthy individual has to come to terms with the society, in which

Engreeing desing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Engreeing desing - Essay Example Safe escape route are provided in all points of a building and directs people to a safe place without any assistance from the fire fighting team or from the people outside. The most important reason for performing fire test is to determine whether or not the fire suppression system meets the minimum requirement as set by different building codes and legislation. Tests are done by companies holding international accreditation and certification It is important to perform more than one experiment to actually proof that the installed product will not fail in times of fire. Conducting of one experiment may give conflicting results that may indicate that the product is ok but another test may reveal the fire fighting product will not work. This is the process by which the fire rapidly spreads or climbs up an inclined surface. The trench effects are caused by the flash over concept and the Coanda effect. The flash over effects is a condition that occurs when a fire spreads on a surface rapidly due to the surface emitting flammable gases hot enough to ignite themselves. The Coanda effect is the tendency of fast moving stream of air to deflect towards the surface nearby it. This is because the fast moving streams of air tend to experience a decrease in static pressure that creates a pressure difference between the areas far from the wall as well as the wall itself The flammability limit gives the proportion of combustible gases in a mixture between which the mixture is flammable. The flammability limit is also referred to as the explosive limit. There are two extremes defined by the lower flammable limit and the upper flammable limit. The highest flammable limit: this limit describes the richest flammable mixture. Adjustment is done to the flammable gases mixture to either increase the lowest flammable mixture or reduce the highest flammable mixture. Inert gas are used for flammability

Free Market Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Free Market Economy - Essay Example The fact that a free market economy operates automatically is one of its major advantages. Moreover, when firms, consumers and workers pursue their own self interest through buying and selling in competitive markets, it helps in minimizing the central economic problem of scarcity, by encouraging the efficient use of resources (Lipsey 2003). In an actual scenario, however, markets fail to achieve maximum efficiency in the allocation of scarce resources resulting in inequality and unfavorable externalities therefore governments feel it necessary to intervene thus, in practice, perfect free market economies do not exist. Even in countries like USA, Germany and France, which are considered to be practicing free market to a great extent, there are many areas that are in government’s control. For example, in USA, there are laws proposed to verify illegal trade practices. They also have a government department called the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) that ensures all consumer products that are taken in to the body are toxic free. There are number of reasons as to why a free market ascends level of inequality and inefficiency in the economy. Firstly, a perfectly performing price system, as the case in a free market, does not provide for the issue of an ethical income distribution. In such a system, the limited supplies of goods and services are rationed out to those who can afford it. In other words, the scarce resources are usually diverted to the production of luxuries for the rich before an adequate output of commodities for the poor is produced. In addition, essential goods and services that are socially desirable may not be produced in sufficient amount under the price system because they are not profit yielding. These goods and services include health, education, defence, lighting, etc. This is the reason why the state provides, in most countries, for what are considered to be basic needs. Furthermore, a free market economy fails to consider all the costs and benefits associated with the production and c onsumption of commodities. Since they are profit motivated, producers tend to ignore the costs they impose on society as a result of their activities (Begg 1997). In this kind of economy, there is limited competition between firms. A few giant firms may control an industry, in such a case consumer sovereignty is affected; the bargaining position of consumers is weakened considerably while the sellers position is enhances resulting in higher prices and restricted output. Lack of competition and high profits also tend to reduce the incentive for firms to be efficient and resourceful. Due to the imperfection in market mechanism, market economy tends to further increase the disparities between people, that is, those with power and property gain at the expense of those without it. It also, due to its self interested behavior, tends to encourage greed, materialism and the acquisition of power (Sloman 1997). In my opinion, an economy should use the market mechanism to some extent and allow a certain degree of government intervention. Such economies are called mixed economies and all real world economies are a mixture of the two systems. Such a system proves beneficial for all the parties as it gives everyone the freedom to choose and produce while maintaining equality in the economy. 2.1 According to demand and supply analysis, there is an inverse relationship between the price and quantity demanded for a product. When the price for a product is too high, the quantity demanded eventually falls. Likewise, when price is low, quantity demanded increases. The movement along the demand curve is

20th century arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

20th century arts - Essay Example Both in quantity and quality, Picasso’s art – paintings, sculptures, etchings and ceramics – were revolutionary, introducing innovations and breaking established traditions in art. (Walther 2000, p. 7) For instance, it was he who founded cubism in art. It is for these reasons why Picasso became a tremendous influence in the subsequent generation of artists in various visual media in the modern time. The Beatles is often described as the most astonishing thing to happen in the world’s rock ‘n’ roll. Perhaps this is true with the hysteria this band bank elicited from its fans and with its defining role in the contemporary music industry. Also, their recording innovations and showmanship transformed the music scene into emotionally intense, media event. According to Wiley Lee Umphlett (2006), their influence â€Å"was strong enough to direct music toward a future of varied stylistic interpretations, as seen in the wave of other innovative†¦ groups that appeared, each striving to be more audacious than the others.† (p. 113) Just like The Beatles, succeeding performers would henceforth capitalize on the fruits of recording experimentations and in promotional gimmickry of antifashion or flamboyant dress that transformed the way the audience and the fans embraced music. In the history of world cinema – of what became of it, its far-reaching influence on the masses and society as a whole – it was Marlon Brando’s legacy that is mostly evident. He infused a new vitality to the theater, film and the entertainment industry. Starting from his starring role in the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, Marlon Brando went to represent our period’s portrait of the mass man – in effect changing our attitude and standards towards film, performance and entertainment. As with The Beatles, he epitomized the rebel icon which helped define not just the American but the world’s pop culture. (Marshall and Stilwell, p. 86) No other

Mythology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Mythology - Essay Example Mythology also enters the discourse when it comes to symbolisms of national pride. Specific colors and figures upon the varying national flags all carry important historical and mythological stories behind them (McClure and Leonard, 2004, pp. 1-6). National emblems have their own mythological backgrounds as well. These figures serve as important testaments to the events that molded and formed the sovereign nation that they are today. National emblems and flags are not the only factors dictate the presence of symbolic mythology. Culture is also a field where myths reside. In the case of American mythological importance, the Grand Canyon in Arizona is a place of great interest. The area holds deep American heritage which is an important factor for the nation’s identity and culture. It reminds them of the early and the indigenous settlers who dwelt along the site. Stories of American myths on Indian tribes and the mythological beings attached to them are part of the structure of what early American culture is about (McClure and Leonard, 2004, 331-336). When it comes to modern day myths, the impact of such stories does not greatly influence the view that I look at the constant flow of history in the modern society that I dwell in. However, myths from the past like that of the stories confined within ancient American tribes make me think about the flow of unexplained powers of nature that may or may not exist. Such makes me wonder whether natural forces narrate the everyday lives of people. It makes me contemplate about one’s adherence to the will of nature’s spirit. The worldview of a particular people can also be affected by myths. This can be seen in the philosophical values of the Japanese people. The mythological stories of Kobo Daishi are of great significance to the formation of the mentality that the Shinto-Buddhists have. The symbolic events that happened in the stories of Kobo show the precepts of Buddhism and thus, a background which explains the Japanese attitude. Hence, the mentioned myths explain the simplicity, asceticism and practicality of the people through the influence of their religious oath (McClure and Leonard, 2004, 360). . Aside from the Japanese, the Jewish have their Waters of Eternal Life (McClure and Leonard, 2004, 361-363). Like the mentioned, mythologies create a huge influence in modern society. To emphasize the roles of myths in the modern era, religious tales are the most influential. These form the standards of ideological and religious belief thus, creating a way-of-life for a certain group of people. I have not personally travelled to any sacred place but I am greatly familiar with the Grand Canyon of Arizona. From an observer’s stand point, I presume that there is, indeed, a huge difference between secular places and the Grand Canyon. First of all, the aura of the place is entirely unique. The Grand Canyon is rich of the Native American heritage which entails a great deal of cul tural significance for the American nation as a whole. When topic of travelling is concerned, souvenirs make a great deal because it functions as a testament to the first hand experience that a certain individual has in the presence of a particular landmark. Souvenirs transform into an artefact or a relic which gives proof that a person had seen the splendour of a specific place. For my personal hobby, I collect book that spans to non-fiction, fiction, the occult and the

Time Continues To Fly and Changes Continue to Occur Essay

Time Continues To Fly and Changes Continue to Occur - Essay Example Similarly, in John Updike’s short story A & P, the protagonist Sammy works as a checkout clerk at the supermarket of the same name as the title of the story. He finds his work monotonous, goes on with it robotically until his attention is caught by a group of girls who are clad in swimming costumes. Being a boy of nineteen years, he is, not so surprisingly, immediately attracted to them especially the tallest one who he nicknames Queenie. He watches them closely, almost acting like a stalker. He sees and imagines and wishes. When the manager Lengel tells the group of girls off for coming to A & P dressed in their swimsuits and nothing more, Sammy is indignant on their behalf. Wanting to play the hero and to get their attention, maybe even their number, he resigns on the spot. Lengel tries to reason with him, even brings in his parents’ displeasure at the resignation. Sammy realizes what he has done will bring repercussions but what is done is done and he is willing to f ace the consequences (Updike). Sammy acts the way he does because he had been distracted by a couple of beautiful girls. It is understandable, of course, but giving up his job turns out to be useless since the girls leave before he does and have no idea of what he has done for them. He follows his impulses, is emotional about his decision and loses his job. He is unemployed once again and has no way of earning money. As Lengel reminds him, his parents would be disappointed because of this. Resigning may even seem worth it if he had actually gotten the girl but he had not. He had only ended up making bad decisions out of which he got nothing. They backfired from all angles. This is how life to a teenager seems like. All problems and no successes no matter what they do to achieve whatever they wish. In the story Greasy Lake which is written by the author T. Coraghessan Boyle, he is reminiscing about his years as a â€Å"rebellious punk†. He writes about three boys who think the y are â€Å"cool† because they act like â€Å"bad boys† when; in fact, they still are boys with their own insecurities and are unsure about life. They are nineteen year old young men called Jeff, Digby and the unnamed narrator. These three are on a lookout for adventures and thrill and think that is all to life. They drive around in their mother’s car, drinking, wishing for a change in life but are not exactly excited when their wishes do come true. The three hang out at their spot away from the town, it is dirty with rubbish around it and obviously nothing good can happen there. When they reach the Greasy Lake, they pull a prank but it turns horribly wrong and they do not know what to do. They were aiming to make fun of another friend but they end up pranking someone else completely. A fight breaks out between the three boys and the man who is, in actuality, a â€Å"bad guy† and not just pretending to be one like them. The man hits them and injures them but eventually the three manage to overcome him and hit him with an iron rod which makes him lose conscious (Boyle). After this, the man’s girlfriend comes running out and when the boys find her attractive, they start ripping off her clothes and it seems like they are attempting to rape her but then another car arrives. The occupants of the car start to scream at them so they rush for cover. The narrator tries to hide himself in the swampy water and is disgusted and very frightened when he sees a dead body in front of him. The other cars’

Rebellion and Social Norms Among Youth Essay Example for Free

Rebellion and Social Norms Among Youth Essay Young people have a tendency not to comply with any laws when it’s come to their wellbeing. Young people always try to express their opinions and restrain from obeying their leaders which sometimes lead to a disaster result of their poor decisions in life. According to Gary Schwartz book, explain what happens in Sammy’s mind and what causes the reaction of quitting his job at the end (Schwartz 55). Therefore, the issue of young people is rebellion against their social norms is the central theme of the â€Å"AP† john Updike story. At the beginning of the story, Sammy is fully within his place in society as a whole (Saldana 95). Meaning that he is just an average teenager with an average job in a small town where everyone knows each other. At that time, Sammy was a cashier at a supermarket named AP in a small town north of Boston in 1961. There begins Sammy’s rebellion when the trio of girls enter the supermarket with bathing suits on and barefoot. After the girls enter the Supermarket and walk in every department to look for the item they need. Lengel the manager of the supermarket approaches the girls and lectures them on what they are wearing on them inside of the supermarket. After the girls walk away, Sammy gets mad and decides to quit his job at this point. Sammy unleashes an impression identity style behavior against Lengel (Schwartz 35). Which mean Sammy feels for the first time in his life that he has to let go his timidity and confront Lengel without thinking of his action to get Queenie attention. The way Lengel undresses the girls with his eyes make Sammy sick to his stomach. That is what triggers Sammy’s anger to react as if he does not care of what happens to him. As long he receives Queenie’s attention, it’s enough for him. Today, young people wear any kind of clothes that attract people’s attention. Sometimes the way they dress can be very provocative. Even though Sammy is gloomy at the beginning of the story, he begins to feel his happiness at the end but not the way he has plan it would be for his action. Sammy has gone from being judgmental to a hero Fritz 2 and then he starts regretting his decisions (Saldana 96). He experiences a transformation; he knows that life will be harder for him hereafter. That is why an old priest of Haiti said â€Å"one must never act in conformity with society and should be willing to take risks†. Meaning a wrong move at any time can make the society reject you. Social class structures have a significant role in this story and can be viewed as one of the norms that Sammy is rebelling against (Schwartz 45). Perhaps in Lengel mind, he thinks that they come from a low class family that does not teach them how to act in public. When Lengel makes it his business to reprimand Queenie and the other girls, she maintains her stubborn comportment and explains that she is here to pick up an item that her mother requests her to buy. In response to this, Lengel takes a step further by first repeating himself and then explains to the girls, â€Å"We want you decently dressed when you come in here† (Updike). According to Sammy, Lengel is a heart cold person, whose interpretation of the ideal person in this society: God fearing, church people who know their place and not go against their will. It is at this point in the story that Queenie loses her bearing for the first time. Sammy’s response to this predicts that his decision to defy Lengel and the supermarket rules will be signified by his exposing his own shoulders, and that is precisely what occurs. Rebellion and social norms appear to have an impact among young people this day. Most of the time, they stand up for what they feel is right and neglect the consequences. Sammy was able to bring attention to him, but it did not work the way that he had planned it would be. The girls most likely didn’t even know that Sammy even quit his job. He tried very hard to get Queenie to see him and accept him, but that didn’t work either. That is why people can never sympathize with Sammy’s action because it results to an act of rebellion against his social norms.

Boston Red Sox Spring Training Stadium Essay Example for Free

Boston Red Sox Spring Training Stadium Essay Figure 1 the center of gravity model According to the requirement from City Council Members, the weighted of important places (included the Population Center) had ranked in the table above. The highest weight mean the important of that location. Therefore, according to the center gravity model, the best result of the training stadium site is the red dot in the figure 1. 2) Weighted Scoring Model Table 2 Calculation of Weight Scoring Model (Considering the Cost) According to table, the best stadium site from all the candidate would be Site C, because the weighted score of Site C is the highest among all Sites. However, the weight ranked by the important of the issues in the future. On the other hand, the Site C does not include the Cost of the Land, because it is a wetland and preserve area, so that it is not fair to other sites, which they have the land cost. Therefore, I come up with the new Table that not consider the cost of the land. Table 3 Calculation of Weight Scoring Model (without Considering the Land Cost) Therefore, it turn out to be that the Site D has the best score among all the sites. PS: The minus sign means the value is negative because it is a cost. 3) Combine the result from Center of Gravity Model and Weight Scoring Model Accord to the answers from Figure1 and Table3, the best result would be the Stadium Site A because it in between the â€Å"Best Point† and the weight scoring is nearly the same as site-D 4) Final Recommendation According to these analysis and modeling, the best site would be the Site A  for two reasons. First, Site A is closed to two major Shopping Malls, which this could provide the jobs in the area and generate more revenue in the area. Second, it is very close to the Interstate 75 (I-75) which means it is very easy to access the stadium from the Airport and the stadium would be the new landmark for the city, because the stadium would huge enough for seeing from the I-75. However, the cost of the utility is highest among those sites, but for the long-run with revenue that generate from the long lease with Red Sox team, it is a guarantee that the revenue will cover all the cost and generate a really nice profit for the city. Therefore, Site A is the best suite for the new Boston Red Sox Spring Training Stadium that generate the better economic in the local businesses in the shopping malls and area around there and also created the new landmark for the city that is very easy to access from the interstate 75.

Therapeutic Engagement Is A Basic Tool For Nurses

Therapeutic Engagement Is A Basic Tool For Nurses My rationale for choosing communication and therapeutic engagement is that it occupies a central position in my experience and transition and from student nurse to an accountable practitioner. Through communication the nurse gets to know the patient and is able to form a therapeutic relationship. It is the foundation and a basic tool of the nurse -patient relationship. Without clear communication it is impossible to give care, effectively make decisions, protect clients from threats to well being and ensure their safety on the ward, co ordinate and manage clients care and offer comfort. The relevance of communication and therapeutic engagement in mental health is emphasised in the summary of the Chief Nursing Officers review of mental health nursing (DH, 2006). One of the key recommendations in improving outcome for service users is developing and sustaining positive therapeutic relationship with service users, their families and/or carers and should form the basis of all care. The N MC (2008) Code of Professional Conduct similarly emphasise that nurses must work with other members of the team and patients to promote healthcare environment that are conductive to safe, therapeutic and ethical practice. The SLAM NHS Foundation Trust document Engagement and Formal Observation Policy (SLAM, 2008) also highlight the importance of communication and engagement with patients under observation. Many patients and their family members often experience difficulty in communicating with healthcare professionals. The Audit Commission (1993) has stated that poor communication between patients and healthcare professionals is one of the main reasons for compliant and litigation in the healthcare service. The NHS Plan (DH, 2000) emphasised the importance getting the basics right by improving the quality of care and the experience of patients. One of the ways of achieving this is through effective communication between patients, carers and healthcare personnel. This is highlighted in the Department of Health document, Essence of Care (2003) (www.dh.gov.uk):Patient focused benchmark for clinical governance. In this document is a new benchmark focusing on communication between patients and/or carers and healthcare personnel which compliments that of record keeping and privacy and dignity benchmarks. The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) (DH, 2004) lists communication as a core dimension which is a key aspect of all jobs in the NHS and underpins all other dimension in the KSF. The United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC) now Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) stated that communication is an essential part of good practice in nursing and it is the basis for building a trusting relationship that will greatly improve care and help reduce anxiety and stress for patients/ clients, their families and their carers ( UKCC, 1996). My ward is a Patient Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of a forensic setting. It has thirteen in-patients and a staff strength of twenty three nurses both qualified and unqualified. Agency staffs are frequently engaged to make up the number of staff necessary to care for patients on a particular shift. On the average there are between seven and eleven nursing staff per shift depending on the prevailing situation on the ward. It has two supervised confinements and two intensive care areas. Admissions are planned and it is based on a set of assessment criteria. Only acutely unwell patients are admitted. This essay will draw on my first working experience as a primary nurse of an acutely unwell psychiatric patient to illustrate my development with regards to communication and therapeutic engagement. Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle will be used to reflect this experience. Description I had just started work as a newly employed member of staff and was assigned primary nurse to a thirty year old patient of Afro-Caribbean origin who was transferred from another ward following a relapse in his mental state. He was under section 3 of the Mental Health Act (1983). This patient is named A for confidentiality purposes (NMC, 2008) had diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and had no insight into his mental illness. His carer was his mother with whom he had a luke-warm relationship. He was very suspicious of staff interventions and would not engage. Routine blood tests had revealed that he had elevated cretenine kinase (CK) levels (Cretenine Kinase enzyme, high levels of which case severe muscle damage, neuropletic malignant syndrome, myocardial infarction etc). Following this finding, his antipsychotic medication was withdrawn pending further blood tests. He refused to have a blood sample taken for further tests; he believed staff would drink his blood. As his primary nurse , I made several attempts to encourage him to have the blood tests, but he would not be persuaded. He was also diagnosed with type II diabetes and was dependent of insulin. He self managed his physical illness by carrying out blood glucose level monitoring and self administering insulin under staff supervision. Patient A fed only on pre-packed barbeque chicken purchased from the supermarket and would not eat food served on the ward. I had one to one engagement with him to discuss his dietary intake and also formulate a physical and mental healthcare plan. He was not interested and made no contributions to the discussions. I gave him copies of the care plans which he declined. He said you can keep those care plans I dont need them and I am able to take care of myself. By the end of the second week, his mental state had deteriorated so much that he was very paranoid, irritable and getting into arguments with fellow patients and staff. He was involved in incidents both verbal and physical aggression and became increasingly difficult to manage on the ward. For his safety and that of others the team made a decision to nurse Mr. A in supervised confinement based on rationalist -analytical approach, having carried out risk assessment and looked at his history as well as the trust policy. As part of this risk management plan he was transferred to the intensive care area (ICA) and nursed under enhanced observation by two nursing staff. I requested to be allocated to nurse him in the ICA as often as the trust and unity policy would allow, in order to assess his mental state and attempt to build a rapport with him. Mr. A would not talk but I persisted. He noticed that I was frequently allocated to observe him and gradually opened up. I explained to him the teams decision to nurse him in the supervised confinement and the ICA. We talked about politics, football, music etc and our relationship developed and continued till he was transferred to a rehabilitation ward. Feelings I felt very frustrated and inadequate and was very much under stress. It was obvious from his reaction that he had no confidence nor trust in me and saw me just like any other healthcare professional. Woods (2004) highlights the complex problems and needs of patients who find themselves in forensic settings and maintain that it is a common occurrence that some patients can not engage in treatment while others simply refuse to do so. Arnold and Underman-Boggs (1999) maintain that any meaningful relationship begins with trust. Trusting a nurse is particularly difficult for the mentally ill, for whom the idea of having a caring relationship is incomprehensible. As his primary nurse I saw myself as the advocate ready to work with him and seek his interest at all times. As nurses, we are called upon to play our roles as advocates, supervising and protecting clients rights and empowering them to take charge of their lives. Ironbar et al (2003) stresses that, therapeutic relationships can b e stressful. Working closely with people who are mentally unwell and under stress can be very demanding and emotionally draining experience. Consequently, nurses need to be aware of the effect that such relationships can have on them. This requires insight, self awareness and ability to cope effectively with stress. My initial perception was that Mr A was a difficult patient and considered withdrawing as his primary nurse but I felt emotionally attached. I understood that I owed Mr A. a duty of care (NMC, 2008) and simply withdrawing was not professional in my view. OCarrol et al (2007) contended that in our professional roles, nurses do not have the same option as we do in our personal life by withdrawing from difficult relationships. Rather it requires exploring the situation which may help recognise ways in which the nurse is influenced by his emotions. The authors caution that nurses must learn to manage their own emotions. Furthermore, they need to communicate their emotional r eactions to the patient, albeit in a modified form. I empathised with Mr A and it drew me closer to him, revealing to me the depth of hi mental illness. I wished I could doe something here and now to help alleviate the state f confusion, anxiety and helplessness in which he found himself. Barker (2003) reports of how in recent times empathy has been shown to enable nurses to investigate and understand the experience of persons experiencing a state of chaos as a consequence of psychiatric order. I felt uncomfortable when Mr A had to be physically restrained (PSTS techniques) and nursed in supervisory confinement, I felt that this procedure was not justifiable because the privacy, dignity and respect of this client had been compromised. As nurses we are to demonstrate respect for patients by promoting their privacy and dignity (NMC, 2008) (Essence of Care, 2003). On the other hand, I thought that his safety and that f others was paramount and this could be achieved only by nursing him separately from the rest. The NMC (2008: para 8:4) Code of Professional Conduct clearly states that when facing a professional dilemma, the first consideration must be the safety of patients. The collaborative team decision to nurse him in the supervised confinement area made me feel valued as a team member. I was actively involved in the decision making process and carried out risk assessments. I felt that I was insensitive with my sustained persistence to get him to talk. I should have understood that his moments of silence were necessary to help him calm down (SLAM, 2008). I also felt unsupported and struggled to cope with the management and care of Mr A. I was unable to access clinical supervision because my supervisor was away on holiday. Evaluation Although it seemed difficult at the beginning, but by the time Mr A was out of the ICA we had developed a good working relationship. I did not show my disappointment at his reluctance to engage when he was acutely unwell and stayed positive. Engaging with him while nursing him in the ICA offered me the opportunity to explain to him the teams decision to place him under enhanced observation. Actively listening to him and discussing with him his thoughts and feelings have helped lessen his distress. It also enabled me to give a comprehensive feedback to the team regarding his mental state. We met in one to one engagements and discussed his concerns and needs. A good and well ventilated environment was always made for our meetings. Following assessments, we discussed his care plans, participation in group activities, crisis management and other forms of therapies. He felt very much in charge, highlighting his most pressing needs. Whenever we met, there as a demonstration of mutual respect and desire for working together in a partnership. Together we identified and prioritised his goals for recovery based on his strengths and what he believes is achievable. Faulkner (1998) asserts that goals must be clearly defined so that both the professional and the patient are going in the same direction in terms of what they wish to achieve by a certain time. During our interactions, clear boundaries were set and clarified for Mr A what were acceptable behaviours. Boundaries were set as to what he was allowed to do without supervision, how he engaged with others and appropriate ways of addressing issues he felt unhappy or uncomfortable with. The plan of care was therefore service-user centred and recovery orientated approach. The recovery model has been incorporated into the principles of care delivery in the trust (SLAM, 2007). It aims to help service-users to move beyond mere survival and existence, encouraging them to move forward and carry out activities and develop relationships that give their lives meanings. Wood (2004) indicated that nursing forensic patients is not easy and requires complex treatment plans that focus fundamentally on reducing risk of harm to others. As part of his recovery, he was encouraged to self manage his diabetes under supervision. Giving his understanding of his physical illness information was provided to enable him to make informed decisions about his lifestyle. Mr A consented to giving regular blood samples. His CK level fell to normal levels and was restarted on anti psychotic medication. However, it took time for Mr A to adequately understand the situation that he was in and the effect of his illness on his lifestyles. It must also be stated that it was not always possible to meet with Mr A as planned. Scheduled meetings had to be cancelled due to being engaged with very pressing ward issues. Analysis The use of therapeutic communications in nursing, particularly empathy, is what enables therapeutic change and should not be underestimated (Norman and Ryrie, 2004). Egan (2002) argues that empathy is not just the ability to enter into and understand the world of another person but also be able to communicate this understanding to him/her. The relevance of empathetic relationships to the goals of health services are suggested by the increase in focus on patient centred care and the growth of consumerism. The client-centred focus is illustrated by the NHS patient charter which emphasises that clinicians need to collaborate with users of the health services in the prioritising of clinical needs and the setting of treatment goals (Barker, 2003). Nurses should be aware that patients who are paranoid and suspicious of staff interventions as was the case of Mr A, might not readily accept support from staff. This implies that working with such patients can be very challenging and difficult. It therefore calls for the nurse to remain impatient, calm and focused. The need to build therapeutic relationship with the patient is paramount in gaining trust and respect (Rigby and Alexander, 2008). Caring, empathy and good communication skills are needed to help patients through their illness. Therefore the use of effective interpersonal skill s facilitates the development of a positive nurse-patient relationship. McCabe (2004) argues that the use of effective interpersonal skills, a basic component of nursing, must be patient centred. Nursing Mr A in supervised confinement and subsequently in the ICA was in accordance to SLAM (2008) Engagement and Formal Observation Policy. Despite the frequent occurrence of this nursing intervention in mental health settings, for the whole of the UK there are no national standards or guidelines for practice of observation. The current situation in England and Wales is that policies are developed and implemented at a local level using SNMAC (1999) practice guidance for observation of patients at risk as a template (Harrison et al, 2006). Nursing patients in supervised confinement, though a common practice in the PICU raises a number of ethical, professional and legal issues about the role of the nurse, whether he/she is a custodian or therapist and a friend is debateable. Alland et al (2003) noted that patients view enhanced observation as uncomfortable at best, custodial and dehumanising at worst. Mr A felt that his pride and dignity had been taken away from him he was at risk an d therefore an immediate and effective risk management plan had to be implemented. This was necessary to ensure his safety and that of others even though he expressed unhappiness with this intervention. By engaging him and encouraging him to share his thoughts and feelings his anger appeared to have lessened as he joined in the discussions of politics, music, football etc. Thurgood (2004) empathised that showing your human side to clients is very important. Engaging meaningfully with patients and helping them talk about their feelings is the first step to alleviating some of their distress. The NMC (2008) Code of Professional Conduct clearly points to the rights of patients in relation to autonomy. There appeared to have been a reach to Mr As rights. The difficulty we faced as a team was finding the balance between allowing some privacy and dignity versus persevering his safety and security. Consequently, a dilemma arose for me as his primary nurse in relation to his rights, obligat ions and duties. In fact Article 5(1) e of the Human Rights Act (1998) specifies the right of the state to lawfully detain the person of unsound mind. Within the UK, that framework is provides by the Mental Health Act 1983 (DOH, 1998). One may argue then that there is no fundamental incompatibility between the Mental Health Act and the Human Rights Act. There were times that scheduled meetings with Mr A had to be cancelled because of urgent administrative duties. It meant that he lost the opportunity to meet up with me to discuss his concerns and needs. The concept of Patient Protected Time (PPT) in inpatient units is therefore valid. It allows patients to meet with a healthcare provider on one to one for a specified time when the ward is closed to administrative duties to discuss care plans, social activities, therapies and others. Such interaction according to Song and Soobratty (2007) promotes feelings of self confidence, esteem and recovery. It can also aid the patient therapeutic progress as it can help with social interaction and building relationships. However, nurses complain they already have plenty to do without an added pressure of PPT to contend with. Nurses frequently complaining of being too busy to develop therapeutic rapport with patents (Mental Health Act Commission 2008). Yawar (2008) reported that only 16% of pati ents time was spent in what can loosely be termed as therapeutic interaction. The remaining of the 84% was spent aimlessly either pacing p and down the ward or doing nothing. Nurses recognise their responsibilities to engage with patients and welcome the opportunity to do this without other demands (Edward, 2008). The Department of Health (2002) called for improvements to ensure adequate clinical support inputs to inpatient wards and to maximise the time spent by staff therapeutically engaged with patients. Therapeutic engagement, therefore involves spending quality time with patients with the aim to empower them to actively participate in their care. Conclusion Communication is without doubt the medium through which the nurse-patient relationship takes place. The skills of active listening and reflection promote better communication and encourage empathy building. My first role as a primary nurse as a good learning experience. My conduct throughout the whole experience earned me a favourable feedback from my team leader. Caring for acutely mentally unwell patients requires of the nurse sensitivity, conveying warmth and empathy. Engaging meaningfully and actively listening to patients under enhanced observation makes them perceive the practice as valuing rather than punishing, therapeutic rather then custodial. Feeling safe and secured provides a platform which can assist patients to begin to resolve some of the difficulties they may be facing in their lives. It is imperative that nurses involve patients in all aspects of their care, empowering and making decisions in partnership with the team. By developing collaborative relationship with p atients, nurses can provide prompt and focused interventions which can limit illness damage, assist in the process of symptoms management and help the process of recovery. Action plan My aim is to be proactive in the future by promptly seeking support from senior colleagues and requesting for clinical supervision. I aim to develop the skill of emotional resilience and intelligence to be able to deliver care that will promote patient welfare and aid recovery. The preceptorship experience has been a breath of fresh air. A time to look back and take stock of the transition from student nurse to an accountable practitioner. Listening and sharing in the experiences of fellow nurses was a good learning experience. The preceptors were fantastic master clinicians who were receptive to our contributions as they explored our experiences at the beginning of each teaching session. This experience has undoubtedly enhanced my critical thinking as a nurse and prepared me to move forward in my development and practice as a caring and competent nurse. I see myself as being in the right job which offers many opportunities for development and to improve upon my knowledge and skills.

PAULA ABDUL :: essays research papers

Rarely in the history of entertainment has there been an artist equally recognized, awarded and celebrated in front of the camera as well as behind the camera, as is Paula Abdul. Abdul’s extraordinary music career encompasses worldwide album sales exceeding 40 million records, two #1 Albums, six #1 Singles, a Grammy Award, seven MTV Awards, 3 American Music Awards, two Emmy Awards, two People ¹s Choice Awards and two Kid’s Choice Awards. She has also been honored with her very own Star on Hollywood Boulevard and inducted into Nickelodeon’s Kid’s Choice Hall of Fame. Currently, Abdul is receiving acclaim as â€Å"the heart and soul† of the record-breaking primetime FOX show American Idol, for which she is a Celebrity judge. Abdul has even gone so far as to design inspirational â€Å"Innergy† good luck jewelry for the American Idol contestants, which they can occasionally be seen grasping for strength and inspiration during more stressful times on the popular high-stakes show. The jewelry became so popular, that Paula developed an entire jewelry line to make available for all men and women in America. Each piece represents the â€Å"Inner Energy† it takes to succeed. Paula’s jewelry is available at Sam’s Club and on her web site, www.paulaabdul.com. Most recently, Paula has used her former dance and cheer career, along with her unique expression of style, to design her own lines of dance and cheer clothing called â€Å"Skirtz.† â€Å"Skirtz† serves as an inspiration for young girls and teens all over the country. Her clothing is available at Wal Mart stores. Behind the camera, Abdul is known as one of the most gifted and recognized choreographers in the industry of film, television, video, stage and live tours. Her celebrated work in choreography includes Emmy-winning contributions to The Tracey Ullman Show, She choreographed the film Coming toAmerica, which starred Eddie Murphy. Paula’s own performance as an artist on the American Music Award, and her choreography for the Academy Awards, for which she earned an Emmy nomination. Other triumphs include her award-winning work with Janet Jackson, which garnered two MTV Video Awards; and working with such musical legends as Aretha Franklin, George Michael, Luther Vandross, INXS, Heart and Prince.

Two Conceptions of Freedom or Two Appearances of a single Conception? E

In his essay "Two Concepts of Liberty," Isaiah Berlin distinguishes between two conceptions of freedom, namely negative and positive conception of freedom. Basically he defines negative liberty as the absence of coercion. He states: "To coerce a man is to deprive him of freedom" (121). According to him, coercion is the intention to interfere in the freedom of an individual. Thus, absence of coercion is absence of deliberate, intentional coercion. For him, negative liberty requires an immune area, away from the obtrusive action of other people. For the accomplishment of freedom "[s]ome portion of human existence must remain independent of the sphere of social control" (126) However, achievement of negative liberty, creation of the immune area from coercion, is contingent upon the authority to be kept at bay. Therefore, the position of authority, which entails coercive powers, should be controlled in order to make them accountable to the people, whose fre edom, immunity from coercion depends on. Positive liberty, on the other hand, is, not freedom from coercion, but freedom to determine one's own destiny: it is self-determination. In this sense positive liberty is a necessary condition of human being, right to choose, right to determine ones behavior. Berlin maintains that the negative and positive concepts of liberty are "at no great logical distance from each other," but in reality they are profoundly divergent, in fact irreconcilable,...

Essay on Variety in The Merchants Tale -- The Merchants Tale

Use of Variety in The Merchant's Tale  Ã‚   The Merchant's Tale tells the story of an old man searching for a wife and finding one, who is ultimately unfaithful to him. Chaucer uses a variety of elements in the poem to show his knowledge of contemporary interests and his story telling capacity through another figure. Irony flows through the poem, laced with allusions to the Bible. Chaucer's use of his astronomical knowledge not only allows modern day scholars to date events, but also adds another dimension of interest for the contemporary audience and of course, the pilgrims. Januarie's discussion of Heaven and Hell leads to the idea of marriage providing a Heaven on Earth. It is said that a wife is a husband's "paradis terrestre, and his disport" (l. 120), but at the introduction of the idea of a paradise, the reader can begin to contemplate the introduction of a serpent at a later point. Chaucer uses heavy irony as Januarie worries about experiencing his only Heaven on Earth. It becomes evident that May is anything but his Heaven. Her behaviour with Damyan in the pear tree is reminiscent of the story of Adam and Eve and the temptation of the apple tree as Damyan has become the serpent in Januarie's paradise of wedded bliss. The Biblical allusions that are used in the Tale have the effect of broadening the moral behind the story. By using the irony of the Biblical stories along with the thoughts of Januarie, a contemporary audience would have quickly perceived that there would be trouble with the marriage, as they would have been relatively well versed on the Bible. The priest at the marriage ceremony "bade [May] be lik Sarra and Rebekke" (l.492). While these two figures are held up as examples of holy and virtuous wom... ... the possibility, says Maurice Hussey, that Chaucer knew that St. Damian was the patron saint of medicine, thus giving ironic undertones to the sight-healing excuse for the pear tree tryst. Geoffrey Chaucer used many different aspects of his wide knowledge when writing the Merchant's Prologue and Tale. Biblical references and parallels with and inclusions of mythological characters are evidence of this. The appeal of such references to a medieval audience is extended with the inclusion of detailed and seemingly accurate astronomical minutiae. These details provide another level of information about the characters and their fates, such as the future of the marriage - it having been performed when the planet of war and the planet of love were in conjunction. Around these imaginative inclusions weaves a line of irony and a use of contemporary views and literature.

Smith Consulting Project

These reviews will bring awareness to the employees that their efforts (or lack of) have not gone unnoticed. They will realize that their performance level is directly proportional to the bonus, so instinctively, employees will strive to do their best in order to maximize the rewards. Encourage employees to further education, or seek professional certifications by offering tuition reimbursement, and bonus or salary perks for successful completion of degrees or certifications. This will let the employee know that the company is willing to invest in him or her, and by extension, he or she is considered an asset.Form an employee relations committee which will plan social activities for employees to take part in. Possible events include: Potluck lunch, Christmas dinner, Charity endeavors (food, clothes, and book drives, etc. ), community cleanups, etc. This is an opportunity for staff members of varied levels to come together and socialize without the constraints of bureaucracy or compan y politics. Clients Engagement Approach can be extended to include the way that a company interacts with its Clients. Similar to the Employee Relationship, the company must find a way to keep Clients happy, and loyal.Failure to do this could result in negative reviews, loss of clients, loss of business, and loss of revenues. The trickle-down effect of this can be disastrous as the company may have to lay off staff in response to decreased income. With this in mind, it is extremely important to maintain good client relations. To achieve this, the company must be mindful to do the following: Obtain clear directives from the client in terms of their expectations. When in doubt, do not hesitate to follow up with the client for clarification. This ensures that both parties are on the same page and prevents miscommunication which can lead to inflict.Always communicate respectively with the client. Always keep an open line of communication. It is extremely frustrating when a client is unab le to contact his or her service provider. Deliver products on time. This fosters reliability and loyalty. Software Development Definition The formal definition of software is a set of written computer interpreted instruction dictating how to process data input and output. The development of software is the process of creating the written set of instructions that meet the requested specification requirements according to customer need.The software development life cycle is the development model to achieve a practical product fitting the description of the specification requirements. The development end-goal is to produce a product that is easily maintainable, productive, and dependable. Methodologies Scrum is the principal software development methodology in practice by Smith Consulting for new software development requests. Scrum is an agile development methodology involving development teams working in unison independent of each other and at the same time interdependent on each te am's work (Tech Target, 2007).The Scrum methodology spawns developmental decisions as a result of active software creation, directing and guiding the development team task to keep on the project timeline and according to specification. The Lean Software Development approach is Smith Consulting secondary software development method in practice. The consideration of the Lean methodology for development is in regard to redevelopment or version upgrade to existing software products. The Lean methodology is a derivative of a project management approach originally developed by the Toyota Motor Corporation (MANS, 2012).The purpose of the Lean approach is to develop a more robust and efficient software product. The development technique is to achieve a reduction in processing overhead. Rework includes removing invaluable features and employing modern coding technique to improve overall program flow. Project Management Project management is a critical function because the prosperity of the e ntire organization depends on it. Since the success of project management depends on the leaders of this company, they should possess a clear business vision that includes IT and business experience.This vision should be established at the ginning of the project and should clarify what is in and outside the scope of the project. The most efficient engagement approach should be one that includes a good line of communication with stakeholders including end-users. These stakeholders should be tasked to show commitment to the project by agreeing to a contract. The project management process should be divided into manageable pieces that are easier to easier to understand and manage. Proper management also includes ensuring the required tools and manpower is available to the teams.The contract should clearly identify who has what responsibility and how they are to be accomplished. Other requirements include: Ensure each process has someone responsible for managing it Identify who is respo nsible for managing costs Identify who and how many analysts and what their functions are Identify contract programmer costs The project will be reviewed on a weekly basis to identify if the company is still on the correct course and if any additional changes or if any previously unknown problems have arrived. Reviews are also a good time to find if any of the key player's ideas have changed and how to approach it if at all.For this project I recommend selecting omen independent of the project to conduct these reviews. Single systems not one-size-fits-all The reason why a single system is not likely to be a one-size-fits-all solution is because you for one have a lot of areas that needs to be addressed. Now, when you look at the legal field in today's world it I becoming increasingly technical-dominated by the availability of technologies that are specific to the legal field as well as the tangible type improvements for both the efficiency and productivity when solutions are impleme nted in many firm's especially law firms.For the firm's broad services you ill have to come up with decisions to purchase and implement specific technologies because it's a heavy part of them all, and the reason for this is because if you choose and well as put in the wrong solutions in place. The work environment will suffer as the staff will also struggle to adapt to the software that is being used, ultimately not taking full advantage of the software or worst case scenario by abandoning the whole system altogether. Another reason why a single system will not likely be a one-size- fits-all is because you will need different systems to be in place like: PracticeManagement Software, and Storing Information and Automation. The biggest reason why a single system is not likely to be a one-size-fits-all is because it will most likely lack the depth of functionality, so by this being said the firm will be looking to find more than one type of solution when it comes down to finding more t han one practice area. One other difference is the level of customization because the one- size-fits-all provides for both front-end as well as back-end but lacks areas and you will need to find a better way to implement everything to work and function properly. Program Specification GuidelinesThis portion of the document should act as a guide for Smith Systems Consulting Software Developers to adhere to closely during the software development phase. This guide will help to streamline the company's way of determining requirements, and incorporating them into the developing program. The uniformed approach will ensure that the same level of care and attention is bestowed on all of Smith Systems Consulting projects – no matter what size or budget. Stakeholders A project's stakeholder is anyone who will be affected by, or who has an interest in the project's progress and execution.Stakeholders in a systems development project usually include (but are not limited to) the project's users, Information Technology department, the affected department(s)'s manager, members of the company's upper management, the chief financial officer (SCOFF), and the company's president. Prior to entering the requirements elicitation phase of the project, it is imperative for the development team to make a list of all stakeholders, as they will play an important role in defining the system's requirements.User Requirements User requirements refer to the unique functionality aspects of a system that are accessory for the user to accomplish his or her Job. In order for the programmer or system developer to fully understand what the resulting program is meant to do, it is important to discuss the functionality details with those who know the operation best – the users. The users will provide in-depth and clear understanding of the inner- workings of the system as well as the crucial tools and functions that are necessary for optimal performance.The development team should be p repared to use various methods to elicit the requirements so that feedback is gathered from all of the users that were nitpicked for the task. Some common methods for gathering requirements are surveys and face to face interviews. Where necessary, the developer should also be prepared to offer an anonymous system to collect requirements in order to protect the identity of the user – should they so desire that mode. The users play a profound role in system development.By offering different avenues for feedback and requirements retrieval the company is maximizing the amount of data it receives and therefore ensuring that all bases are covered in the resulting product. Once the business development plan has been created it is important to consult with the users again. This ensures that the requested functionality and tools are accounted for and helps to prevent any costly misunderstandings in the future. System Security Requirements To describe the security requirements in the c ompany's policy it must first define in detail what data it is expected to handle.This requires working closely with the clients to gain an understanding of the confidentiality and importance of data. Once that is established, and then the types of employees who will have access to certain levels of data should be clearly described in terms of security levels. System Security sting will focus on the following tasks: Sign-on procedures This determines the security of passwords and defines when and how often users are expected to change them. Password reset methods will also be defined in the policy.In addition a method of accessing the system through back-door methods should be described as a means of access in case of an emergency. Database security Access to the database is described here. This highlights which users have access to applicable data and which are designed on a need to know basis. Physical security Here the physical security of the equipment associated with the busine ss to include reward such as workstations and servers are described. Cameras will be installed at strategic locations along with bagged access points to minimize the possibility of the theft of physical property.Third-party tools Establish an understanding with vendors to ensure their continued partnership is dependent on their ability to match our system security standards. Test environment A secure test environment ensures that only required personnel have access to the testing environment. Additionally, a test environment is a safe environment to prepare changes before officially rolling them out to the company as a whole. The yester security of Smith Consulting will require compliance with semi-annual evaluations from an outside source to determine an evaluation of security precautions, procedures, and vulnerabilities.The results of the evaluation are to be maintained along with the policy instruction so that the requirements of future evaluations can be validated against past t ests. Software Platform Compatibility Requirements Software compatibility is an important part of the process of software development. Compatibility is first determined by which operating system(s) the software to be developed will be designed to run on successfully. A determining factor may be what system the company is using now or what the computer they may be using in the future.For example, there may be some issues with Windows XP but the company may be set to release Windows 8 machines as part of the role-out of the new software. In this case it is best to design software compatibility for the Windows 8 machines. The same can be said with servers if the software will be network based. Additionally the company may consider running their services from the cloud. In this case the software compatibility may be no more than ensuring a compatible browser such as Internet Explorer, Firebox or Chrome.Each scenario is different and is precisely one of the reasons why each company will require a customized Software Platform Compatibility Requirement list. Database Application Testing Requirements This section will serve as a generic methodology of Smith Consulting approach to database application testing requirements. The objective is to document a reusable database performance evaluation strategy regardless of database vendor or design specification. Additional testing steps may be applicable per vendor recommendation.Any additional steps are a project plan requirement used in injunction with Smith Consulting guidelines of database verification. The intention of database examination is for conducting a systematic test to validate data structure and data integrity during user software application read write performance testing. Assumptions Database performance testing in conjunction with software application database read write operations assumes the database architecture and structure development is to specification and logically designed.An additional assumption is the development of indexes, views, triggers, stored procedures, and functions exist and the database is available for software unit testing. Data Mapping Data mapping is a validation process to ensure end-user data entry form fields correspond with the mapped database table fields. The expected result of the verification of the retrieved data from application input must be consistent with the outlined data model from the database data dictionary. The only acceptable result will prove data writes to the designated table or tables and is congruent with format, length, and type of the data definition.Stress Testing The purpose of stress testing a database is to understand the performance and reliability during heavy user interaction. Performing a high volume stress test assessment is essential to uncover database bottlenecks resulting in long response times and slow performance. A stress load is performed by simulation of a designated number of application users. The load variance selection shall simulate, according to project specification, the average number of end-users, below average number of end-users, slightly above average number of end-users, and five times the average number of end-users.The load simulation will create scenarios where users concurrently query against and write to the same table and numerous tables across he database. Result failure requires documentation and further evaluation for database optimization. Failure also warrants a hardware design team consultation to determine if the hardware is sufficient to handle the transaction load simulation. Transaction Isolation Transaction isolation verification tests the database reaction during the occurrence of multiple table transactions taking place at the same time. A realistic situation exists where various read write requests will be present concurrently.While the scenario is unavoidable in a multi-user environment the state of the database is at risk during a existing read write reques t. The performance outcome ought to appear as though each database demand executes one right after the other. Depending on the applied transaction isolation level, record locks are set in accordance with the transaction call (Microsoft SQL Server, 2012). The importance of testing transaction isolation validates read and write record locking, how long the locks are held, and the on-screen response time of the simultaneous operations.The transaction isolation testing is a sub-set testing situation of the database load testing. Isolation result documentation hall include the number of transactions, the response time of the transaction, and note the accuracy of the data read write. Data integrity errors must be reported to the database design team as well as the software design team for evaluation. Required submission includes the detailed steps of the data integrity inaccuracy for reproduction of the error.Budgetary Constraints Testing is the most widely used approach to ensure softwar e quality but it also can be the most cost and time-consuming. To ensure the project for Smith Consulting stays in the green for budget concerns the project is scheduled with strict deadlines. Some cost overruns are normal for any project but the goal is to minimize the impact. Wars to accomplish these goals include defining clearly the responsibility of everyone involved with the project with clear methods of holding them accountable for their parts. Setting a financial goal is the best method to maintain a budget constraint.The project budget estimate should be accurately documented for management and the estimate should include when and how to handle costs associated with manpower in the event more help is required. The project statement should include a scope that is clearly defined in the beginning of the project. In situations where budget cuts may affect the ability to complete the project, managers should always start with physical resources before staff cuts. In more dire s ituations (where personnel are at risk) the standard remedy is to fill necessary positions with staff covering other potions to fill in until the financial situation has recovered.This design will ensure the impact on the project for the customer is minimal and will also prove our procedures are detailed. Software Testing To qualify new software for production the development team performs a multitude of readiness tests. Qualified software must pass the following tests: Integration, Compatibility, Functionality, Usability, Security, Load/Stress, Documentation, Implementation, Automation, Support, and, Debugging. The following sections will highlight the various testing methods that Smith Systems Consulting uses to ensure product reliability and competency.Performance Testing Meeting the needs of a company and client is a performance requirement of software engineering. Performance testing is a routine performance evaluation that determines how the system will behave. The behavior co rresponds with the terms of responsiveness along with execution stability under a system initiated workload. One major thing that performance testing can serve well in is to measure, validate, investigate, or even verify all other attributes that are set up within the system such as: the reliability, resource usage, and scalability.To monitor the system's performance, it is important to perform the steps that are highlighted in the following sections. Integration Testing While software is generally produced to perform specific Job functions, it is important and efficiency encouraging to incorporate integration with other applications. For example, an accounting information system would benefit from company database integration, as well as Microsoft Excel and Adobe Acrobat report saving integrations. Lately, it has become commonplace for programs to include software integrations as they incorporate the Software Oriented Architecture platform.With this in mind, it is extremely importa nt for the development team to iron out the integration kinks before the software is released. To ensure that product integrations are functioning properly, the program testers have to: Identify all of the integrated programs and software Determine the associated version numbers that the program is being tested on. For ACH integration, perform in-depth testing. If the integration is not working well, the tester will have to troubleshoot, and possibly contact the product team of the integrated product or service.When the integration is working properly, the version number should be noted. When the program is released to the public, the integrated programs' version numbers that the program has passed the integration tests for should be displayed within its documentation as verification of compliance. Compatibility Testing Within an organization, there are many different platforms and software at use. In order for the company to be successful, all of the information systems must be abl e to communicate with their respective devices.The company's architecture must be built so that this wide web of services, and products are working in tandem with each other, and are able to co-exist in an unobtrusive manner. Ensuring this prevents software incompatibility issues, which can prove to be very costly. As an example, if an organization is only using Microsoft Windows devices, it would not make sense to purchase Office for MAC or other proprietary Apple software that do not integrate with the Microsoft Windows platform.Similarly, if a seer wanted to use the Microsoft Skydive feature which allows them to connect to a remote PC, they will be unhappy to learn that Microsoft Windows 8. 1 does not support this. Performing compatibility testing showcases the limitations of the software and allows the programmer to compile a list of programs and versions which works with the system. Compatibility testing involves: Determining the software that the program is required to maintai n compatibility with. Performing thorough compatibility testing.If the system is found to be incompatible with the software already in place at the organization, the programmer just reevaluate, troubleshoot, and redo the section in question to make sire, Once the software is deemed compatible, the version numbers must be noted for inclusion in the project description documentation. Usability Testing One important factor when running an analysis on a potential client for Smith Systems Consulting is usability. Usability, by definition, are asking the questions is this â€Å"capable of being used† or is it â€Å"convenient and practicable for use† (Usable, 2014).Each organization that SC approaches will answer this question differently. What one company deems as an important and commonly used featured may be impolitely ignored by the next. This is why usability is so important. Another way of looking at usability is trimming the fat. If a company doesn't need certain feat ures than it really should be noted as not needing to be produced. This cuts down on production times and overall costs to the client making a more efficient project in the end.Functionality Testing To follow up with this of course it must be determined what is to be used most commonly and ensure that this is how the client envisioned. What is most important is that organization Smith Systems Consulting is working with feels they are getting apt attention and one certain way to do that is make the client feel as though they've been listened to in the usability and functionality fields. Functionality is defined as â€Å"the particular use or set of uses for which something is designed† (Functionality, 2014).In this notion it is clear that functionality is heavily tied to usability. How something is used is in relation to how it is designed. When Smith Systems Consulting designs their products it is important to keep the user and usability in mind. These are both best accomplis hed by performing speaking with users who will e using the product – especially those who may assist in any beta testing. If the end users and stakeholders provide a clear vision then the project should be nothing less than a success when the developers attain that goal.Load/Stress Testing Each organization that Smith System Consulting will be working with will have their own unique technology environment they will be operating in. The more that SC knows of these environments the more they can consider potential benefits or weakness that can be considered. Once these have been considered then a test environment can be established. What makes a good test environment is running the intended software in mock environment, ideally on a system with near identical computer specs. This would include running on the same operating system and using the same amount of RAM, processing power, and hard drive utilization.Once these parameters have been set then a server / client test can be run – ideally in a virtual environment. Once the program is operating on the network with an average number of computers connected and using the software then it can be fair to say this running a load test – that is a test within normal operating parameters. To fully stress the system would be to mimic running the network at high capacity. This may include either a high number of concurrently connected users or the server carry a high load of responsibilities, such as sharing heavy SQL queries in addition to the software testing.Debugging Debugger or debugging tool is a computer created software program that allows the programmer to test as well as debug other types of programs. Therefore, with debugging the software plays a major factor because when a program is debugged, the programmer will find errors such as missing coding areas when creating the program. For example imagine that a developer created a weeping and he or she wanted to place a picture on it but wonder ed why the picture wouldn't display. Debugging the program can assist the developer with diagnosing and fixing the problem that is causing the program to malfunction.This goes to show that having a debugger is a worth tool for correcting programming errors. Software Security Assessment The purpose of a software security assessment is to identify and expel code vulnerabilities prior to customer delivery. Identifying the presence of a code-layer exposed vulnerability is a fundamental action for conforming to a high standard. A good quality assurance model involves proactive steps to extinguish security flaws. Smith Consulting must guarantee the customer a secure product release and reduce the risk of threat exploitation via a thorough security testing regiment.Definition Software Security Assessment refers to testing criteria to establish threat resistant software. Testing shall demonstrate the software's ability to withstand the attempts of infiltration with mall-intentions. Strategy Examination and assessment validate the absence of typical security errors exposing subjection to threat according to the Common Weakness Enumeration (The MITER Corporation, 2011). Black Box Testing The black box testing strategy involves the use of a testing group with no working knowledge of the software code structure, engineering, or implementation plan (Michael, Van Wok, & Radicchio, 2005).Black box testers employ hostile approach to penetrate an application's security to identify bounds unknown during OSDL design and implementation phases. White Box Testing The white box testing strategy involves an orderly one-to-one validation source code is according to design specification and expected security components exist. The key preference from the black box testing is the assessor possesses an intimate knowledge of application code and construction (Mono, No Date). Analysis scans source code for common development faults identified from the Common Weakness Enumeration.The tester also keeps a lookout for seemingly harmless routines that can act as a back door for intrusion. Authentication Testing Authentication testing is a method of determining if a process or end-user is legitimate. The objective is to understand how the authentication process behaves and use that information to circumnavigate the authentication mechanism. Types of authentication tests are as follows: 1 User Enumeration – a brute force test using a valid user credential to determine if uncovering the authenticating password is possible (SPAS, 2012). Dictionary Testing – a method for determining common words found in a dictionary exist in a user passers (SPAS, 2012). 3 Password Recovery – the method to test the authenticity of a password reset or forgotten password request (SPAS, 2012). 4 Race Condition Testing – identification of multiple processes executing simultaneously that modify the same data (SPAS, 2012). Documentation A good method of documenting process es in Smith Consulting products is to mirror the practices of life-cycle management tools that are in compliance with the Serbians-Cooley Act.A sound business in today's environment should focus their efforts on automation development and documentation processes. Smith Consulting documentation procedures will involve in audit process that will identify who has accessed code and what changes have been made. The documentation process will also include the ability to track what testing and assurance of quality has occurred during the construction of the project. In addition, the procedures will also include the ability to change parts of an existing project that have been determined to fall out of the scope of the goal of the business vision.The idea behind aligning documentation testing procedures with the described Act is to yield rewards such as rework reduction by automating change management aspects of programming within a project (Heavenliest, 2006). In doing so, the replacement of old paper-based software development tools with change management and code-management tools that allow Smith Consulting to monitor change request within the software development process by attaching electronic signatures to the software. This further alps the rework elimination process by verifying that the documentation changes in line with the goals of the business.The different documentation types are listed as: Source Code Unit Test Report Software Test Procedure (provides instruction on how to test each component of a project) Code Explanation Report Implementation At times, in the implementation of test procedures it may become necessary to perform target testing to prove critical functions and reduce the risk of large amounts of rework. Prior to the testing of each unit the developer is required to update the test procedure for conducting each test and record the results as scribed in the documentation procedure.In situation where more tests are required they will be compl eted as needed in order to satisfy those implementation requirements. Developers are required to implement and test development projects in accordance with coding standards and methods outline in the Software Engineering Manual. All unit test results are maintained in the Unit Test Report. Automation The automation method requires that the development framework is separate from the test automation tools. The framework as designed is flexible enough to adapt to changes that the environment or the project may bring.The purpose of utilizing this method is because it is low costing. Implementing the test automation is a full- time effort that requires significant time and up-front investment. Automated tests are scheduled at 1,250, every other day. The only change to the automation procedure is if there is an unforeseen change to the business requirement that suggests a change should be made. Since automation is such an exhaustive task, it is reserved for projects on an enterprise level that expect multiple releases. The approach that Smith Consulting will use for its development projects is Test