Bite Me: A Love Story Chapter 2

2. Test 1. The Countess Abigail Von Normal is: A. Emergency Backup Mistress of the Bay Area Dark. B. A Gothic hottie consumed by the banal hopelessness of existence. C. Not perky, but dark, complex, and trs mysterious. D. All the above, and possibly more. 2. The vampire Flood and his nosferatu maker, the Countess Jody, were imprisoned in a bronze shell in the pose from Rodin's The Kiss because: A. Their love is eternal and their mingled souls will live on in romantic embrace to the end of time. B. Foo and I were pretty sure that the Countess would go FOAKES (Freak Out and Kill Everything in Sight) when she found out our plan to turn the Animals back to human. C. We just like to look at our friends, naked and bronzed, because it gets us all hot. D. I can't believe you picked â€Å"c.† You should get a big â€Å"L† tattooed on your forehead to save people time in figuring out what a ginormous loser you are! You wish that Foo and I needed pervy preludes to stimulate our orgasmic, toe-curling soul-sex. Trust me, the sun weeps that it cannot achieve the blistering hotness of our nookie. 3. Despite myths perpetrated by jealous day dwellers, the nosferatu are only vulnerable to the effects of: A. Garlic. (Right, because pizza and the breath of vegans will quell their ancient power.) B. Crosses and holy water. (Oh right, because creatures of darkest evil are total bitches of the baby Jebus.) C. Silver. (Uh-huh, and aluminum, because that makes sense.) D. Sunlight. 4. My and Foo's greatest challenge as minions is to protect our dark masters, the Countess and Lord Flood, from: A. Cops, specifically Inspector Rivera and his clueless Gay Bear partner Cavuto. B. The most crusty old vampire and his mysterious fashion-vamp posse. C. The Animals, slacker wastee night crew from the Marina Safeway. D. All of the above and whatnot. 5. Our best chance of defeating Chet, the huge shaved vampire cat, is: A. Mouse ninjas. B. A big hug while wearing my most fly UV-LED leather jacket, fashioned for my protection by my aforementioned muffin master, Foo. C. A saucer of tuna blood laced with sedatives and kitty-butt flavor. (I observed in his former mortal form, that Chet loves kitty-butt flavor.) D. Make a vampire Rottweiler to rock Chet's worldview. E. Either â€Å"a† or â€Å"c,† but definitely not â€Å"d† wouldn't â€Å"a† be trs cool? Mouse ninjas! Answers: 1: D, 2: B, 3: D, 4: D, 5: E Give yourself one point for every right answer. Score: 5. You rock my stripy socks. 4. Loser! 3. Trs Loser! 2. Such a Loser that Losers pity you. 0-1. Spare us your contagious loserness. Next bridge you pass? Over you go.

Florida Department of Management Services Essay

Introduction In the early 1990s, the Florida Department of Management Services (DMS) had built up a large information systems network that served state government agencies in 10 regional sites and connected these to the data center in Tallahassee. The network was based on the use of the proprietary Systems Network Architecture (SNA) from IBM and a mainframe at the data center that housed most of the applications. Body 1. Analyze the security mechanisms needed to protect the DMS systems from both state employees and users accessing over the Internet. Two security mechanisms needed to protect the DMS systems are Virtual Private Networks and IP Security. According to Stalling (2009) Virtual Private Networks (VPN) makes use of encryption and special protocols to provide security for those using the Internet or some other public network to interconnect sites. These public networks provide an access path for telecommuters and other mobile employees to log on to corporate systems from remote sites. The state employees would have to use the VPN to access the DMS by authenticating using their work credentials. IP Security (IPSec) provides the capability to secure communications across a LAN, across private and public WANs and across the Internet. Some examples of IPSec are: (1) Secure branch office connectivity over the Internet: A company can build a secure virtual private network over the Internet or ove r a public WAN. This type of business rely heavily on the Internet and reduce its need for private networks, saving costs and network management overhead. (2) Secure remote access over the Internet: An end user whose system is equipped with IP security protocols can make a local call to an Internet service provider (ISP) and gain secure access to a company network. This reduces the cost of toll charges for traveling employees and telecommuters; (3) establishing extranet  and intranet connectivity with partners: IPSec can be used to secure communication with other organizations, ensuring authentication and confidentiality and providing a key exchange mechanism; (4) enhancing electronic commerce security: even though some Web and electronic commerce applications have built-in security protocols, the use of IPSec enhances that security. IPSec guarantees that all traffic designated by the network administrator is both encrypted and authenticated, adding an additional layer of security to whatever is provided at the application layer. Similarly, whether other industries give rise to spheres in which competition takes place in open, intellectual-property-free spaces depends on various factors including the existence in a space of companies with proprietary solutions and the presence of technologies so complex they are vulnerable to inadvertent patent infringement. (Alexy, O., & Reitzig, M. (2012). 2. Critique the transition process performed by the DMS in the case study. Then, recommend two (2) alternatives to the IP infrastructure or applications not already mentioned in the case study. What is there to critique? All DMS did was install some routers and configured them. Can someone please help with this? Maturing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are able to integrate business systems with building management systems for improved management controls (such as consolidated dashboard-type reporting). Driven by business requirements for resource efficiencies and management by measurement’, this business intelligence adaptation has been essential for the business leadership to steer, priorities and justify new investment. Allocating costs for usage, amortizing capital towards specific business causes and employing financial wizardry to get best tax advantage – these all mean that the new generation of ERP tools needs to be ‘facilities-aware’. They should come with tools to digest ‘consumption’ data; so, whichever department had most use of video conferencing, or toner ink, or WAN bandwidth, or access to out-of-hours air conditioning – it’s all in the mix now. So many systems – integrated BMS (iBMS), facilities reservation systems, maintenance management systems, cashless vending and EPOS, CCTV and access control – are able to push the mountains of data they generate each day to other central management systems. Now IP networks are at the heart of enabling such data capture, collation and consolidation. (Manivannan, 2012) 3. Critique the merits of  the major services found on the DMS Website. According to the website, DMS is a shared service provider that supports state agencies and state employees through: Human Resource Support and Business Operations: the Department of Management Services is responsible for managing the state personnel system, including: Insurance Benefits, Florida Retirement System, Human Resource Management. DMS strives to provide the high-quality service our customers expect and deserve while decreasing the operating costs of state government so that more resources can be focused where they are needed most. Insurance Benefits-The Division of State Group Insurance (DSGI) offers and manages a comprehensive package of pre- and post-tax health and welfare insurance benefits for active and retired state employees and their families, including: a variety of health insurance options; flexible spending and health savings accounts; life insurance; dental, vision and kind of insurance p roducts. Florida Retirement System=The Division of Retirement (Division) was established to administer the Florida Retirement System (FRS), which was created in December 1970 to consolidate existing state-administered retirement systems. Since its creation, the Divisions responsibilities have expanded to include: administering; monitoring; overseeing; ensuring compliance. Human Resource Management- Florida’s state employees are our most valuable resource. They are the face of state government. The Division of Human Resource Management works with the agency personnel offices to develop human resource policies, practices and strategies. As human resource professionals, it is our responsibility to ensure that the State’s HR policies and practices are designed to attract and support the employees who serve the people of Florida. People First is the state’s self-service, secure, web-based personnel information system and enterprise-wide suite of human resource (HR) services. The system streamlines and automates many of the state’s HR functions and is comprised of the following modules: payroll preparation, attendance and leave, recruitment, benefits administration, human resources management, organizational management. 4. Recommend an additional service to add to the DMS Website. With technology today, there is a increased of the use of portable IP-enabled devices and group content distribution applications on Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs). This surge is facilitated by its relative low cost of installation and as such is an attractive option in environments  lacking existing communication infrastructure and/or in times of natural emergencies. DMS would greatly benefits from this because, their employees will be able to access the website for information quicker when they are away from their desk. The WMNs is equally capable of providing high bandwidth access to the web. The capability of the WMNs can be enhanced by reinforcing the system with multicasting and mobility features. However, there are challenges of seamless integration when such existing multicasting and mobility features of MANET and fixed networks are migrated to the WMNs domain. Thus, a wide range of efforts have been directed at finding solutions to these challenges in order to increase the widespread deployment of the WMNs based communication infrastructure. By producing a one volume comprehensive account of incorporating multicasting with mobility support deployable via Wireless Mesh Networks, this work at aiming at research directions in the area of integrated mobile multicasting on Wireless Mesh Networks. (Sanni, Hashim, Anwar & etc,2011). Summary or Conclusion Florida DMS will benefit from the use of WMN added to their IP infrastructures. Every day technology is advancing with new ideas in dealing with communications between people. DMS will continue to succeed in the future. References Stallings, W. (2009). CIS 505: Business Data Communications: Custom edition (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Florida DMS http://www.dms.myflorida.com Manivannan, M. M. (2012). Building around IP. Engineering & Technology (17509637), 7(2), 78-81. doi:10.1049/et.2012.0211 Alexy, O., & Reitzig, M. (2012). Managing the business risks of open innovation. Mckinsey Quarterly, (1), 17-21. Sanni, M. L., Hashim, A. A., Anwar, F. F., Naji, A. W., & Ahmed, G. M. (2011). Mobile Multicast in Wireless Mesh Networks. Australian Journal Of Basic & Applied Sciences, 5(9), 957-966.

News Summaries

A July 9 online article from dallasnews. com, entitled Top 10 personal finance mistakes, provides a prime example of one form of learning: lesson by failure. The article discusses ten common pitfalls when individuals are addressing their own financial tasks. By shining a spotlight on these mistakes, the article reinforces principles in Chapter 22—namely, the essential need for solid personal financial planning.Each ‘mistake’ receives a few paragraphs of attention, and the information holds more value because the author also pinpoints expert tips that can lessen the impact and occurrence of each problem.The first two discussed mistakes, for example, address the scarcity of people who develop a logical and flexible statement of goals. Too often, as the article elaborates, individuals make financial decisions based on emotion rather than factual information. In addition, those who do develop goals and plans are many times reluctant to ‘stray the course’ from initial goals. However, experts advise that adaptability and structure can strengthen financial prospects for any individual, regardless of economic standing.Budgeting, in particular, is an important skill to develop in matters of finance. Debt and savings comprise the next part of the discussion. According to the article, a surplus of people sink into credit card debt that may only be eradicated through years of payments. Prompt, maximum-level monthly payments can ease these burdens, say the experts. Debt accumulation is symptomatic of another financial planning problem mentioned in the article: savings, or the lack thereof.A depletion of saved income can negatively impact both short-term and long-term financial goals. One remedy the interviewed experts recommend involves the creation of an emergency savings fund (used in case of unexpected expenses). Such a fund would be bolstered by a set amount of money from each employee paycheck. Finally, the article concludes with warnin gs involving two other important aspects of personal finance, employee benefits and stock investment.The author argues for 401(K) plans, life insurance, and reasonable investing, respectively. Each of these subjects—if handled improperly—holds the potential for catastrophic financial consequences. 401(K)s can help ensure an individual has a secure retirement nest egg (alleviating at least one burden for the elderly); life insurance in turn ensures a family’s security, and minimal stock investing will help prevent an abolishment of personal savings.

The Impact of Internet on Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Impact of Internet on Thinking - Essay Example Despite this the internet has many advantages on the way people think. My research question is: does the web shorten our attention spans? Attention span can be defined as the ability of a person to concentrate on a task without distraction. Attention varies with age and is measured by the time we spend continuously on a particular task. No, the internet does not shorten our span of attention as the studies conducted have shown that adults who spend time on the web boosted their brain power and also helped in preventing cognitive turn down like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Spending time on the internet is beneficial to both adults and the young people. To the young the web has been of great importance as they use the internet as a tool of education and has registered positive effects on their academic performance. However the exposure of the web to children at a younger age should be minimal and if necessary, can be increased moderately with time and age as studies show th at the use of web increases attention of the adults better than the children (Dreyfus 60). The use of the web has made people to function like computers as they are able to receive, encode process and retrieve information faster than before and have become adapted to multi-tasking as a result of engaging or brains into activity. The attention span has improved because when people spend time on the web, this means that they spend time reading and studies have shown that students who spend at least 30 minutes on the internet have been shown to perform better. The use of the web keeps our brains active and improves our efficiency as well as our attention span. The brain has a nature of a muscle and therefore needs regular exercise, when we use the web, the brain is engaged in some activity and therefore it becomes more attentive. Failure to engage the brain makes it to be passive and thus lowers the span of attention. Most people have are easily distracted when reading a book than when on the web. The monotonous nature of the book makes one to be easily distracted unlike when one is on the web. The web has interesting things and one can learn new information at a very short time. Most people can concentrate for about 30 minutes when not using the internet and this span increases when they are using the web. The reason behind this is that the web has a lot of new, interesting information and this makes the person to want to learn more and therefore ends up concentrating on a particular task for a long period without getting distracted or bored (Brockman 176). The use of the web has enabled people to easily access information and learn new information unlike when not using the internet where people may spend a lot of time looking for specific information at the libraries for a long time. However, precaution is necessary as the use of the web has its setbacks among them is addiction to the wrong information. Studies conducted in the past have shown that students who are use the internet regularly do not use the internet in a productive way as they may be on social network sites ( Dreyfus 87). Most institutions are coming up with ways in which they can divert their attention from these social networking sites and makes their time when using the web more productive. The institutions are blocking the accessibility of these sites when students are in the institution and can only access the sites when they leave school.

Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Business Law - Essay Example this instance, the concept of unilateral and mutual mistakes under the Restatement (Second) of Contracts can be made use of by both the buyer and the seller. It is evident that, either both the parties made a mistake with regard to the value of the rock, or one of them (the owner through his inexperienced clerk) had made one. It is not clear in this instance whether the geologist had intentionally withheld his understanding of the rock’s value. But since the person (geologist) handed over the rock to experts for valuation, he may not be an expert and it can be assumed that it is a case of mutual mistakes. As per the Restatement (Second) of Contracts, â€Å"Where a mistake of both parties at the time of contract was made as to a basic assumption on which the contract was made has a material effect on the agreed exchange of performances, the contract is voidable by the adversely affected party unless he bears the risk of the mistake under the rule stated in 154† (Ayers, n .d.). It cannot be done in case of unilateral mistake. If it can be proved by the store owner that the geologist also made a mistake in assessing the value, he can make the contract voidable. But the geologist can take recourse to Section 154 mentioned above. Applying clause (b) of the section, the store owner had only limited knowledge about the stone and gave it to the geologist in the premise that he will have fairly good knowledge because of his professional qualifications. It is difficult to prove whether a person has limited or full knowledge of a product being exchanged in a contract. The store owner showed that he had limited knowledge, but not the geologist. In this instance there is every chance that the geologist may get full legal ownership of the stone. Since an employee is an agent of the employer, it does not matter whether the deal was done by the former. The choice of using the unconscionability clause is open to the store owner, but it is doubtful whether it can ov erride the

Nutrition Data and Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nutrition Data and Analysis - Assignment Example It is evident from the data that I am below the target of all the required food types or kinds that I am supposed to take in order to be in a position to count that I am eating healthy. All the graphs are showing a trend below the target for good and healthy eating. This aspect cuts across all the 12 graphs s shown above. My diet therefore, fails to meet the minimum amounts of needed food kinds to make me a healthy person. Basing on the data above, the weight of my height falls above the recommended health range. I think this can increase the risk of contracting diseases and facing or experiencing several problems of health. I may need to consider weight loss in order to be fit and healthy. My diet therefore, needs to be enhanced a bit and checked to ensure that it balances out well in order to make sure that what I take ends up making me healthy rather than exposing me to risks of disease. It may be important that I talk to a nutritionist or a health provider in order to seek guidance and help with selecting what is healthy for me to take. The counseling will include the pattern and the progam for eating and physical activity in order to balance out well and to eat healthy foods. This will greatly assist me in managing my weight, ensuring that I set goals, and I track the calories that I take. When carrying out an activity that is moderate, I can talk while when doing one that is vigorous I can say some few words when holding my breath. In order to increase the fibre level in my diet, I may have to choose foods rich in fibre as compared to those that lack fibre. This will help in the enhancement of my body tissues. In sufficient in-take of proteins and carbohydrates for instance, may contribute to illnesses. Therefore, I will need to watch keenly the amounts of all this types of food that I take so that I do not end up not balancing them. A healthy diet will ensure that I keep fit and safe. My body will not be susceptible to

Possible entry modes strategies into china for australian beer product Essay

Possible entry modes strategies into china for australian beer product and examine the key strategic issues that need to be considered - Essay Example FDI, and then to cost-orientated FDI; Technology and marketing factors combine to explain standardization, which drives location decisions’ (Buckley et al., 1998, 539) The decision of a firm to entry a foreign market is depended on a series of factors. According to Gaba et al. (2002, 39) ‘firms face three interlocking questions with regard to international expansion: what market to enter (entry location), how to enter (mode of entry), and when to enter (timing of entry)’. On the other hand, it has been considered by Zacharakis (1997, 23) that international expansion involves ‘risks, including political instability in the target market, expropriation, social unrest, fluctuating exchange rates, poor infrastructures, host government regulations, differing language, norms, religion, and legal systems’. The presentation of the above factors however does not exclude the possible existence of other elements that can influence the company’s decision to enter a foreign market. In accordance with the views stated in the literature, a firm’s decision to enter a foreign market could be possibly analyzed using certain theoretical models. One of these models (Agarwal et al., 1992, 2), the normative decision theory suggests that ‘the choice of a foreign market entry mode should be based on trade-offs between risks and returns; A firm is expected to choose the entry mode that offers the highest risk-adjusted return on investment’. On the other hand, behavioral evidence indicates that a firms choices may also be determined by resource availability and need for control; Resource availability refers to the financial and managerial capacity of a firm for serving a particular foreign market while control refers to a firms need to influence systems, methods, and decisions in that foreign market’ (Agarwal et al., 1992, 2). Entry mode has been characterized as ‘the cornerstone of a firms market entry strategy’ (Au et al., 1997, 780). Moreover, in accordance

Enhancing a Home Computer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Enhancing a Home Computer - Essay Example Buying a new one is quite expensive and is a waste of money if one already has a computer that is functioning well; in this case, upgrading the computer system seems to be a favorable option. A few changes here and there, and a computer system will be ready to take on any game to provide computer users with a better gaming experience (Kohler 234). Mostly, the problem experienced by gamers while gaming is the speed of the game; the games require higher amount of speed and the computer can only afford to provide a limited amount of speed. This happens because the Ram (Random Access Memory) of a particular gamer’s personal computer is lesser than the amount of space required to run a particular game. In this scenario, the gamer has to change the RAM of his/her personal computer. The RAM level should be higher than the desired amount of RAM required. Switching RAMs is quite easy and is less expensive than changing the entire personal computer. The current version of upgraded RAM on which the current high quality games are based and designed is DDR3; a 4GB RAM of DDR3 only costs around 50 pounds (Vandome 310). Just a small expense of 50 pounds, and the computer will be ready to help one play high quality games. Upgrade of RAM is not the only thing required to play high quality PC games; games now even require high quality video cards. Both RAM and video cards operate together to give a user the best experience of a particular game. The choice of video card depends on one’s pocket size; this means one’s willingness to spend money and the kind of games one wants to play (Dukish 210). If a particular game requires a gaming video card, it can not be played on a ordinary VGA card. Currently, the best available video cards for a gamer to make his PC a gaming paradise are GTX 460 and 570 (Debevec 125). The 460 one is much expensive than the

Comparative Economic Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Comparative Economic Systems - Essay Example The size of the population along with the role of the government in programming economic growth processes, all help to determine the stability of the country. The labor market, capital market, the agriculture, trade, healthcare together reflects the economic strength of the country. Emphasizing these aspects of economic growth dynamics, this paper will aim at assessing the economic components of the US in comparison to the performance of China, Russia and the UK. Prime focus will remain in studying the economic variability of these countries in the recent era. From a generalized point of view, as can be observed, the growth of the US economy as compared to the other nations has been more because of its industrialization benefits, which illustrates that the economy considerably depends on its micro and macro environment. Discussion Comparison between China and the US The US has remained one of the leading economies of the world since 1979. However, recent statistics comparing the US g rowth rate with that of China reveals that both the countries reside alongside with insignificant differences in their growth rates. As per the statistical reports of aThe World Bank (2013), China’s GDP growth rates have been consistently higher than the US since 2003 to 2012. Comparisons on the performances of the two economies further indicate that even though the GDP growth rate was higher for China, its GDP in the USD tends to be much lower in comparison to that of the US. For instance, the GDP USD recorded for China as on the fiscal year 2012 was estimated at $8.358 trillion, while the recorded GDP USD for the US in the same year amounted to $15.68 trillion. One of the possible reasons to such fluctuation may be caused due to their differences in terms of population and other socio-economic components. To be noted, China currently is recorded to host 1.351 billion nationals, where the total population of the US is recorded to be 313.9 million in comparison [refer to Tabl e 1 in the Appendix] (aThe World Bank, 2013; bThe World Bank, 2013). This indicates that even though the Chinese economic growth may seem to be better than that of the US, an in-depth understanding to the issue exhibits a different scenario altogether, owing to their differences in terms of various other inherent economic factors. . As per the data, China is the second largest trade partner of America, since 1980 to 2012, the countries saw a growth of $5 billion to $536 billion (Morrison, 2013). This again makes the macro-economic components of trade largely interdependent among these two countries, where the economic prosperity of China may also influence the economic performance of the US to a substantial extent. It is worth mentioning in this context that as a developing nation, China possesses certain benefits, which the US lacks when performing in the global market. For instance, the GDP growth rate of China has shown a regular growth since 1979 to 2013, even when the world was facing an economic slowdown and the GDP growth rate in the US declined to zero [refer to Table 1 in the Appendix]. It was fundamentally owing to the flexibility enjoyed by a developing natio

The Two Burials In Beowulf Essay Example for Free

The Two Burials In Beowulf Essay The focal point of this essay is to present a clear and original argument in relation to the two burials that begin and end Beowulf. Scyld ScÄ“fing’s burial at sea in lines 24-46, and Beowulf`s burial in lines 2755-2796. It would be evaluated and analyzed the difference of these two funerals and probable reasons behind the difference and the details of two methods of burial that depict about the two men and about their cultures. However, it would also be ascertained whether these differences are just aspects of two different cultures of the basically same landscape but modified over a huge period of time frame. The journey undertaken by Beowulf is not only personal journey of self-discovery, but journey that establishes the values of the culture. While the personal adventure and situations are unique, the travels of Beowulf are representative of each human’s quest to find meaning and purpose in life. As epics of the oral tradition, Beowulf did not appear in writing until many years after the stories originated. Through the many retellings of the tale, probably changed significantly over time; however, the essences of the society and the culture have survived. In many ways, Beowulf is not only epic and myth from their time period, but also serves as historiographies of the society and culture of the time and the funeral ceremonies depicted in the epic, first the incident of Scyld ScÄ“fing`s burial at sea and then the narrative of Beowulf`s burial, are enlightening enough for understanding the nature of customs and funeral rituals. (Lamb, 378, 2-4) At the time of the earliest telling of Beowulf, the people were pagans. With the acceptance of Christianity, â€Å"God† provided the people of Beowulf’s time with an explanation for good and evil and an afterlife for the souls of those who followed God. As Breizmann points out that later generations attempted to incorporate their Christian beliefs, the text â€Å"abounds with inserted narratives† (Breizmann 1030). When Grendel terrorizes the mead hall, the explanation is that, â€Å"He was spawned in that slime, /Conceived by a pair of those monsters born/ Of Cain† (104-106). This Christian theme reappears several times in the epic, and when Beowulf is dying, he says, â€Å"I can die, here,/ Knowing the Lord of all life has never/Watched me wash my sword in blood/Born of my own family† (274-43). . Because he has been good and has served his god and his people, when Beowulf dies, â€Å"Almighty God Himself, was moved, / To let him enter† (3056-7). This influence alone drifted initial purity of the epic from its initial cultural originality. The funeral of Scyld ScÄ“fing appears to be more concerning the original ritualistic rites of the actual time when the epic was composed. In Scyld ScÄ“fing’s case it was found that the rituals includes placing various arms and armors with other valuables with the dead and drifting the body in the sea on a boat or burn it. In this case, the boat was drifted away. This is specifically a Scandinavian ritual and was well in practice when the epic was conceptualized. We can find this funeral rite in lines 24-46 of the epic. The text reads. â€Å"His people carried him to the sea, / which was his last request. / In the harbor stood / a well-built ship, / icy but ready for the sea./ They laid Shield there, / propped him against the mast / surrounded by gold / and treasure from distant lands./ Ive never heard / of a more beautiful ship, /filled with shields, swords, /and coats of mail, gifts / to him for his long trip.† (Naik, ed. 182-183) this is in stark contrast with the funeral rites of Beowulf. Here we find that â€Å"Wiglaf ordered / the brave warriors / to carry wood / from far and wide / to the funeral pyre / for the great leader†¦. There they laid / the famous prince / and lamented / that beloved lord. / Warriors then built / the greatest of fires. / Wood-smoke ascended, / dark black over the flames.† (Naik, ed. 294) This form of funeral is basically aligned with the Roman concept of ritual ceremony that the Christian community initially took and implemented in this epic. Thus it is obvious that this part was changed and incorporated in a much latter stage. (Lamb, 379, 5) While the rituals and adventures of Beowulf are pleasant tales of quests, the real value of the epic is the glimpse they provide of ancient cultures and peoples. In addition, Beowulf is links between the past and the present and between the values all cultures seem to share. Although the cultural and historical contexts change, certain human truths do not, and in the end, like Beowulf, all men leave their earthly existences, perhaps with the hopes that the myths they leave behind will provide lessons for those who come after them. This is more aligned to the Christian learning than ancient pagan thought process. These incorporations result in the intermingled format of affairs in terms of cultural identifications. (Lamb, 380, 1-3) Thus in the ultimate conclusion it can be well ascertained that the influence of different culture and religion affected the original epic with various additions making it juxtaposed within the different cultural aspects spread over a huge time period. The funerals depicted in the epic are just result of these changes and thus it is unable to tell us anything specific on the topic of funeral rituals during the era when this epic was composed initially. References: Breizmann, Natalia. â€Å"Beowulf as Romance: Literary Interpretations as Quest.† MLN 113.5; (1998): 1022-1035; JSTOR; Retrieved on 23 February 2007 http://www.jstor.org Naik, S; The legends of the North: A compilation of ancient epics; National Book Trust; 2006 Lamb, Davis; Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization on the Strategic Strata; National Book Trust. 2004

The Chomsky On Language Acquisition English Language Essay

The Chomsky On Language Acquisition English Language Essay By learning how to learn Bruner believes that one can  transfer what was learnt from one  situation  to another. Life-long learning is closely associated with this concept. Interactionist Theory and ESL How does the Interactionist Theory fit in with  ESL in a classroom? When faced with learning English as a second language, the student is essentially an infant. They cannot communicate with the teacher except through non-verbal communication. Therefore, it is up to the teacher to act as the adult in the infant-adult relationship. He or she is responsible for leading all interaction at first, and as the student becomes more familiar with the English language and able to communicate, the control of the interaction can be relinquished a bit and the students can take more control of their own language learning. Also, if students are encouraged to experiment with the language and learn that it is okay to make mistakes, they will be able to discover for themselves how to combine words and phrases to form full sentences and dialogues. Chomsky on Language Acquisition Noam Chomsky postulated that the mechanism of the language acquisition is derived from the innate processes. Innate is something which is already there in mind since birth. The theory proposed by Chomsky is proved by the children living in same linguistic community. Moreover, they are not influenced by the external experiences which bring about the comparable grammar. He thus proposed his theory on language acquisition in 1977 as all children share the same internal constraints which characterize narrowly the grammar they are going to construct. He also proposed that all of us live in a biological world, and according to him, mental world is no exception. He also believes that as there are stages of development for other parts of the body,  language development  can also be achieved up to a certain age. LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN CHILDREN I.INTRODUCTION Language acquisition is one of the central topics in cognitive science. Every theory of cognition has tried to explain it; probably no other topic has aroused such controversy. Possessing a language is the quintessentially human trait: all normal humans speak, no nonhuman animal does. Language is the main vehicle by which we know about other peoples thoughts, and the two must be intimately related. Every time we speak we are revealing something about language, so the facts of language structure are easy to come by; these data hint at a system of extraordinary complexity. Nonetheless, learning a first language is something every child does successfully, in a matter of a few years and without the need for formal lessons. With language so close to the core of what it means to be human, it is not surprising that childrens acquisition of language has received so much attention. Anyone with strong views about the human mind would like to show that childrens first few steps are steps in the right direction. II. LANGUAGE ACQUISITION THEORIES Language acquisition is the process by which the language capability develops in a human. First language acquisition concerns the development of language in children, while second language acquisition focuses on language development in adults as well. In this paper, we are focussed on the first language acquisition which concerns in the development of language in children. Nativist theories hold that children are born with an innate propensity for language acquisition, and that this ability makes the task of learning a first language easier than it would otherwise be. These hidden assumptions allow children to quickly figure out what is and isnt possible in the grammar of their native language, and allow them to master that grammar by the age of three. Nativists view language as a fundamental part of the human genome, as the trait that makes humans human, and its acquisition as a natural part of maturation, no different from dolphins learning to swim or songbirds learning to sing. Chomsky originally theorized that children were born with a hard-wired language acquisition device (LAD) in their brains. He later expanded this idea into that of Universal Grammar, a set of innate principles and adjustable parameters that are common to all human languages. According to Chomsky, the presence of Universal Grammar in the brains of children allows them to deduce the structure of their native languages from mere exposure. The Language Acquisition Device (LAD) is a postulated organ of the brain that is supposed to function as a congenital device for learning symbolic language (i.e., language acquisition). The LAD concept is a component of the nativist theory of language which dominates contemporary formal linguistics, which asserts that humans are born with the instinct or innate facility for acquiring language. Chomsky motivated the LAD hypothesis by what he perceived as intractable complexity of language acquisition, citing the notion of infinite use of finite means proposed by Wilhelm von Humboldt. At the time it was conceived (1957-1965), the LAD concept was in strict contrast to B.F. Skinners behavioral psychology which emphasized principles of learning theory such as classical and operant conditioning and imitation over biological predisposition. The interactionist theory of Jerome Bruner and Jean Piaget later emphasized the importance of the interaction between biological and social (nature and nurture) aspects of language acquisition. Chomsky (1965) set out an innate language schema which provides the basis for the childs acquisition of a language. The acquisition process takes place despite the limited nature of the primary linguistic data (PLD, the input signals received) and the degenerate nature (frequent incorrect usage, utterances of partial sentences) of that data. Given this poverty of the stimulus, a language acquisition model requires a number of components. Firstly, the child must have a technique for representing input signals and, secondly, a way of representing structural information about them. Thirdly, there must be some initial delimitation of the class of possible language structure hypotheses. Fourthly, the child requires a method for determining what each of these hypotheses implies with respect to each sentence. Finally, an additional method is needed by which the child can select which hypothesis is compatible with the PLD. Equipped with this endowment, first language learning is explained as performed by a Language Acquisition Device progressing through the following stages: 1. The device searches the class of language structure hypotheses and selects those compatible with input signals and structural information drawn from the PLD. 2. The device then tests the compatibility using the knowledge of implications of each hypothesis for the sentences. 3. One hypothesis or grammar is selected as being compatible with the PLD. 4. This grammar provides the device with a method of interpreting sentences (by virtue of its capacity for internally representing structural information and applying the grammar to sentences). Through this process the device constructs a theory of the language of which the PLD are a sample. Chomsky argues that in this way, the child comes to know a great deal more than she has learned, acquiring knowledge of language, which goes far beyond the presented primary linguistic data and is in no sense an inductive generalization from these data. In some views of language acquisition, the LAD is thought to become unavailable after a certain age the critical period hypothesis (i.e., is subject to maturational constraints). Chomsky has gradually abandoned the LAD in favour of a parameter-setting model of language acquisition (principles and parameters). Much of the nativist position is based on the early age at which children show competency in their native grammars, as well as the ways in which they do (and do not) make errors. Infants are born able to distinguish between phonemes in minimal pairs, distinguishing between bah and pah, for example. Young children (under the age of three) do not speak in fully formed sentences, instead saying things like want cookie or my coat. They do not, however, say things like want my or I cookie, statements that would break the syntactic structure of the Phrase, a component of universal grammar. Children also seem remarkably immune from error correction by adults, which Nativists say would not be the case if children were learning from their parents. III. CRITICISM AND ALTERNATIVE THEORIES Non-nativist theories include the competition model, functionalist linguistics, usage-based language acquisition, social interactionism and others. Social-interactionists, like Snow, theorize that adults play an important part in childrens language acquisition. However, some researchers claim that the empirical data on which theories of social interactionism are based have often been over-representative of middle class American and European parent-child interactions. Various anthropological studies of other human cultures, as well as anecdotal evidence from western families, suggests rather that many, if not the majority, of the worlds children are not spoken to in a manner akin to traditional language lessons, but nevertheless grow up to be fully fluent language users. Many researchers now take this into account in their analyses. Those linguists who do not agree with Chomsky point to several problems: 1. Chomsky differentiates between competence and performance. Performance is what people actually say, which is often ungrammatical, whereas competence is what they instinctively know about the syntax of their language and this is more or less equated with the Universal Grammar. Chomsky concentrates upon this aspect of language he thus ignores the things that people actually say. The problem here is that he relies upon peoples intuitions as to what is right or wrong but it is not at all clear that people will all make the same judgments, or that their judgments actually reflect the way people really do use the language. 2. Chomsky distinguishes between the core or central grammar of a language, which is essentially founded on the UG, and peripheral grammar. Thus, in English, the fact that We were is considered correct, and We was incorrect is a historical accident, rather than an integral part of the core grammar as late as the 18th Century, recognized writers, such as Dean Swift, could write We was à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ without feeling that they had committed a terrible error. Similarly, the outlawing of the double negation in English is peripheral, due to social and historical circumstances rather than anything specific to the language itself. To Chomsky, the real object of linguistic science is the core grammar. But how do we determine what belongs to the core, and what belongs to the periphery? To some observers, all grammar is conventional, and there is no particular reason to make the Chomskian distinction. 3. Chomsky also appears to reduce language to its grammar. He seems to regard meaning as secondary a sentence such as Colorless may be considered as part of the English language, for it is grammatically correct, and therefore worthy of study by Transformational Grammarians. A sentence such as My mother, he no like bananas, on the other hand, is of no interest to the Chomskian linguist. Nor would he be particularly interested in most of the utterances heard in the course of a normal lecture. 4. Because he disregards meaning, and the social situation in which language is normally produced, he disregards in particular the situation in which the child learns his first language. Bruners LASS Let us look closely at this fourth objection. The psychologist, Jerome Bruner, holds that while there very well may be, as Chomsky suggests, a Language Acquisition Device, or LAD, there must also be a Language Acquisition Support System, or LASS. He is referring to the family and entourage of the child. If we watch closely the way a child interacts with the adults around her, we will see that they constantly provide opportunities for her to acquire her mother tongue. Mother or father provide ritualized scenarios the ceremony of having a bath, eating a meal, getting dressed, or playing a game in which the phases of interaction are rapidly recognized and predicted by the infant. It is within such clear and emotionally charged contexts that the child first becomes aware of the way in which language is used. The utterances of the mother or father are themselves ritualized, and accompany the activity in predictable and comprehensible ways. Gradually, the child moves from a passive position to an active one, taking over the movements of the caretaker, and, eventually, the language as well. Bruner cites the example of a well-known childhood game, in which the mother, or other caretaker, disappears and then reappears. Through this ritual, which at first may be accompanied by simple noises or Bye-bye Hello, and later by lengthier commentaries, the child is both learning about separation and return and being offered a context within which language, charged with emotive content, may be acquired. It is this reciprocal and affective nature of language that Chomsky appears to leave out of his hypotheses. Bruners conception of the way children learn language is taken a little further by John Macnamara, who holds that children, rather than having an in-built language device, have an innate capacity to read meaning into social situations. It is this capacity that makes them capable of understanding language, and therefore learning it with ease, rather than an LAD. IV. CONCLUSION Chomsky, then, sees the child as essentially autonomous in the creation of language. She is programmed to learn, and will learn so long as minimal social and economic conditions are realized. In Bruners version, the program is indeed in place, but the social conditions become more important. The child is still an active participant, is still essentially creative in her approach to language acquisition, but the role of the parents and other caretakers is also seen as primordial. Finally, we could draw the conclusion that we can successfully teach any child any language we like as it is provided with Language Acquisition Device (LAD) and supported with Language Acquisition Support System (LASS).

Hypokalemia After Acute Acetaminophen Overdose

Hypokalemia After Acute Acetaminophen Overdose Objectives: This study intended to determine the prevalence of hypokalemia and its clinical correlates in acute psychiatric illness among hypokalemic and normokalemic patients after acetaminophen overdose. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of hospital admissions for acute acetaminophen overdose conducted over a period of 5 years from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2008. Demographic data and different types of psychiatric illness were compared between hypokalemic and normokalemic patients. Hypokalemia was predefined by a serum concentration < 3.5 mmol/ L. SPSS 15 was used for data analysis. Results: Two hundred and eighty patients out of 305 admissions were studied. Hypokalemia was found in 63.6% of patients with a higher prevalence in the presence of psychiatric illness (67.7%). Hypokalemic patients were significantly associated with the presence of major depression (P = 0.04), adjustment disorder (P < 0.001), anxiety (P = 0.01), and suicidal attempts (P = 0.04). Conclusion: Hypokalemia was common among patients with psychiatric illness and acute acetaminophen overdose. Key Words: Acetaminophen; Hypokalemia; Overdose; Potassium; Psychiatric illness. Introduction Deliberate self-poisoning (DSP) is recognized as a major cause of suicide around the world.1 Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) is the most common drug employed in DSP in many countries, 2, 3 including Malaysia.4 Despite excellent safety in therapeutic doses of acetaminophen; it is also one of the leading causes of severe hepatic necrosis.5 Acetaminophen overdose may be accompanied by electrolyte disturbances including hypokalemia, and these appear to be independent of the hepatotoxic effects.6 These electrolyte changes appear to be due to the increase in fractional renal excretion of potassium, but the underlying cellular mechanisms by which acetaminophen might alter electrolyte transport are still unknown.6-9 In some cases, hypokalemia may be severe, reaching a level of 2.3 mmol/ L after reported ingestion of 48 g of acetaminophen.8 Hypokalemia, an easily identifiable and clinically important condition in clinical settings, has received little attention from researchers worldwide. Not only is hypokalemia associated with frequent cardiac and neuromuscular complications, but its effect on mental function may also exacerbate psychiatric disturbances.10, 11 Both anxiety12 and intense exercise13 increase circulating epinephrine, which induces a ÃŽ ²2 receptor-mediated influx of potassium into skeletal muscle.14 As this condition may be similar to the acute psychotic state, it was hypothesized that the decline in serum potassium concentration could be associated with the presence of psychiatric illness during acetaminophen overdose. To improve our knowledge of hypokalemia after acute acetaminophen overdose, we carried out a five-year, hospital-based study with the following objectives: 1) to determine the prevalence of hypokalemia in patients presenting to hospital after acetaminophen overdose, and 2) to investigate the clinical correlates in acute psychiatric illness among hypokalemic and normokalemic patients after acetaminophen overdose. Methods Settings and Study Design This is an observational retrospective case review of all patients with acute acetaminophen overdose admitted to a 1200-bed hospital located in the Northern region of Malaysia. The hospital provides health care and emergency treatment for all illnesses and accidents. All aspects of the study protocol, including access to and use of the patients clinical information, were authorized by the local health authorities before initiation of this study. Participants and Data Collection Data were collected from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2008. A computer generated list was obtained from the Hospital Record Office. We identified our cases according to the T-codes of the International Classification of Diseases-Tenth revision (ICD-10). All patients with diagnostic codes T 39.1 (acetaminophen overdose) were included in the study. Specially designed data-collection forms were used to collect data concerning age, gender, circumstances of overdose (accidental or suicidal), stated date and time of poisoning to calculate the latency time (the time of ingestion to the time the patient was presented at the hospital), quantity of acetaminophen ingested, GI decontamination such as stomach wash, laboratory tests including serum acetaminophen concentration, and serum potassium concentrations during the first day of admission and after a minimum of 4 hours of ingestion. Data on serum acetaminophen concentration measurements were obtained from the hospitals therapeutic drug monitoring laboratory service. In addition, data related to the presence of psychiatric illness were obtained. psychiatric illness was defined as the presence of any disturbance of emotional equilibrium, as manifested in maladaptive behavior and impaired functioning, caused by genetic, physical, chemical, biological, psychological, or social and cultur al factors such as depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders, impulsive behaviors and stress reactions, either emotional or behavioral; these causes were noted by the hospital psychiatric specialist report. Hypokalemia was defined as a serum potassium level of less than 3.5 mmol/ L.11 Patients with hypokalemia were classified into three groups based on potassium levels: (1) mild/ grade 1 (3.0 3.4 mmol/ L), (2) moderate/grade 2 (2.5 2.9 mmol/ L) and, (3) severe/grade 3 (< 2.5 mmol/ L).15 The charts of all patients identified through the search were reviewed and the data collected. Charts were excluded from analysis for the following reasons: (1) baseline potassium concentrations were not measured, (2) if patients had taken acetaminophen but the cause of ingestion was unknown or undetermined, (3) the time of ingestion was not known or (4) the patients were on regular prescribed drugs that lead to hypokalemia, such as furosemide, and (5) the patients were children under 13 years of age. Charts of patients who had laboratory tests at or more than 4 hours post-ingestion were extracted for further analysis. Statistical analysis Data were entered and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences program version 15 (SPSS). Data were expressed as mean  ± SD for continuous variables and as frequency for categorical variables. The Chi square or Fischers exact test, as appropriate, was used to test the significance between categorical variables. The independent samples t-test was used to compare means of continuous variables. Variables were tested for normality using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Variables that were not normally distributed were expressed as a median (lower upper quartiles). Statistical significance was considered at P < 0.05. Results Three hundred and five cases of acetaminophen overdose were identified. Of these, 25 patients (8.2%) were excluded. Baseline potassium concentrations were not measured in eight patients, one patient was given furosemide at admission, five patients were less than 13 years old, the cause of ingestion was unknown or undetermined in 11 patients, and therefore, the study population consisted of 280 patients (45 male and 235 female patients with a mean age of 23.4  ± 7.1, giving a female: male ratio of 5.22: 1). The majority (72.1%) of cases of acetaminophen ingestion were presented within eight hours. The median (interquartile range) quantity of acetaminophen ingested was 10 g (6 15 g). Initial management included stomach wash, which was performed in 181 (64.6%) cases. Activated charcoal was given while patients were in the Accident and Emergency department; it was given as single or multiple doses in 173 cases (61.8%). Intravenous N-acetylcysteine (NAC) was given to 140 patients (50%) after acetaminophen levels were estimated. The median (interquartile range) serum acetaminophen concentration was 55.6 mg/ L (14 120 mg/ L). During the study period, 63.6% (178 patients; 33 males and 145 females) had potassium levels of less than 3.5 mmol/ L. For the hypokalemic patients, the mean potassium level was 3.1  ± 0.26 mmol/ L, while that for the normokalemic patients was 3.76  ± 0.35 mmol/ L. Most of the patients (129) were in mild stage hypokalemia and 45 patients were in moderate stage hypokalemia. Few patients (4) were in severe stage hypokalemia. Psychiatrically ill subjects were found to have hypokalemia, and the prevalence was higher than that in non-psychiatrically ill subjects (67.7% versus 43.8%; respectively, P = 0.002) (Figure 1). The most common clinical diagnosis among medically treated suicide attempters was adjustment disorder (45.7%) followed by impulsive behavior (24.3%), major depression (10.7%), and anxiety (2.1%). Hypokalemia was significantly associated with the presence of major depression (P = 0.04), adjustment disorder (P < 0.001), anxiety (P = 0.01), and suicidal attempts (P = 0.04). However, normokalemia was significantly associated with impulsive behavior (P < 0.001), the absence of psychiatric illness (P = 0.002), and the presence of accidental overdose (P = 0.04) (Table 1). One hundred and twelve patients with adjustment disorder and six patients with anxiety were found to have hypokalemia, and the prevalence of hypokalemia among these patients was higher than that in the overall study population and in patients with other psychiatric disorders (100% and 87.5%, respectively). Similarly, their mean potassium level was lower than that of the overall study population (3.16  ± 0.41 and 3.2  ± 0.21 mmol/ L, respectively) (Table 2). Eight hypokalemic patients (4.5%) were supplemented with oral potassium medication, and 85 hypokalemic patients (47.8%) were treated with intravenous potassium chloride, and their potassium levels were normalized in the next blood test. Additionally, most of the treated patients (59) were in mild stage hypokalemia and 32 patients were in moderate stage hypokalemia. Few patients (2) were in severe stage hypokalemia. Discussion This study is the first of its kind in Malaysia and has been carried out to determine the prevalence of hypokalemia in patients presenting to hospital after acute acetaminophen overdose, and to investigate the clinical correlates in acute psychiatric illness among hypokalemic and normokalemic patients after acetaminophen overdose in 280 patients with acute acetaminophen overdose collected retrospectively from a records registry. In this study hypokalemia was identified in 178 patients, and the prevalence of hypokalemia among hospitalized patients with acetaminophen overdose was 63.6%. A previous study found that hypokalemia was common in medical inpatient settings.16 About 20% of stroke, 10% of myocardial infarction patients,17 21.2% of psychiatric disorders,18 and about one third of acute acetaminophen overdose patients suffered from hypokalemia.9 The high prevalence of hypokalemia after acetaminophen overdose might be due to multiple risk factors. The etiology of hypokalemia is complex. The level of serum potassium depends on the balance between oral intake, renal and gastrointestinal losses as well as the balance and movement between extra and intra-cellular compartments.11 A previous study found that 7.6% of psychiatric patients had nutritional problems;19 inadequate dietary potassium intake was relatively rare unless daily potassium intake was less than 25 mmol.20 This study found that it was the psychiatrically ill patients, rather than those patients with no psychiatric illness, who were more likely to develop hypokalemia. This finding is consistent with other published studies that showed that hypokalemia was common among acute psychiatric inpatients.18, 21, 22 Adjustment disorders are often precipitated by stress reactions.23 For most people, stress is associated with higher cortisol levels.24, 25 Previous studies have suggested that high cortisol levels may be the principal cause of hypokalemia.26-28 In this study, patients with anxiety were suffering from a low mean potassium concentration and a high prevalence of hypokalemia. The exact mechanism was uncertain. This finding is in agreement with another published study that has shown small decreases in serum potassium among 200 pre-operative patients who had an increase in anxiety.12 The explanation of this finding is that anxiety increases the circulating epinephrine, 12 which induces a ÃŽ ²2 receptor-mediated influx of potassium into skeletal muscle.14 In the present study, patients with major depression were suffering from a high prevalence of hypokalemia. This finding is similar to a previous work that has shown patients with major depression had lower mean serum potassium values and a higher incidence of hypokalemia than other disorders such as dysthymic disorder and schizophrenic psychosis.18 This finding may be due to changes in adrenergic drive or in sensitivity or density of the ÃŽ ²2-receptor. 18 Expected findings in our study were the low incidence of hypokalemia in the patients with impulsive behavior. These patients differed significantly from the other types of psychiatric illness and considered as a part of the normal behavior.29 This is supported by findings that impulsivity is a type of human behavior characterized by the inclination of an individual to act on impulse rather than thought.30 It has been concluded in previous study that the decreased peripheral epinephrine levels may be involved in pathophysiology of impulsive and hyperactive behaviors.31 This mechanism results in a decreased uptake of potassium by cells. In addition, this study found that it was the suicidal patients, rather than those with accidental overdose, who were more likely to develop hypokalemia. Attempted suicide is assumed to be a hyper-adrenergic state.18 A retrospective study carried out on patients with psychiatric disorders concluded that significant differences existed among the attempted suicide group with regard to hypokalemia.18 ÃŽ ²-adrenergic receptor stimulation causes hypokalemia in experimental animals and humans.32 There is little doubt that one of the mechanisms of hypokalemia is a beta 2-receptor-mediated influx of potassium into skeletal muscle, induced by circulating epinephrine.18, 33, 34 It has been demonstrated that epinephrine causes excessive activation of the sodium/potassium-ATPase pump as a result of ÃŽ ²2-adrenergic receptor stimulation.14, 33 This mechanism results in an increased uptake of potassium by cells, leading to a decrease in serum potassium levels. As the influence of the adrenergic sy stem on serum potassium is found in many psychiatric situations, 18, 21, 22, 35 it may explain why a high prevalence of the patients included in our study were presented with hypokalemia. A high percentage of patients (47.7%) were still not being treated for low potassium levels, putting their health in jeopardy. The common occurrence of hypokalemia in patients with acute acetaminophen overdose should alert all clinicians to the importance of correcting potassium loss, since most of the patients with an acetaminophen overdose might have received intravenous fluids or N-acetylcysteine in serum dextrose 5%. However, this may have altered serum potassium concentrations through endogenous insulin production induced by 5% dextrose, resulting in movement of potassium into the intracellular compartment. Nonetheless, the extensive use of dextrose may expose the patients to higher risks. This study is the first one of its type in Malaysia to investigate the clinical correlates in acute psychiatric illness among hypokalemic and normokalemic patients after acetaminophen overdose. It is also the first study suggested that hypokalemia is related to psychiatric status after acetaminophen overdose rather than the previous studious that showed a dose-dependent relationship between fall in serum potassium and serum acetaminophen at presentation.6, 9 Our study suffers from a few limitations. Firstly, further risk factors for hypokalemia were not taken into account in the analysis. A second limitation is its retrospective nature and the lack of structured interview assessment of the subjects. Thirdly, we can only suggest, rather than prove, that the psychiatric state is responsible for the high occurrence of hypokalemia diagnosed in our population. Conclusions and recommendations In conclusion, hypokalemia is highly prevalent among psychiatrically ill patients and after acute acetaminophen overdose. Therefore, monitoring of serum potassium concentration may be clinically important on emergency admission for all cases of acute acetaminophen overdoses to prevent the consequences of hypokalemia. Supplemental potassium administration should be commenced as soon as possible. Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) for the financial support provided for their research. The assistance of the medical and record office staff is gratefully acknowledged. Conflict of interests: We would like to declare that there was no conflict of interests in conducting this research.

Television Advertisement Essay -- Communication, Media

Television can be used to demonstrate the product in action, or to use colour and sound to build an atmosphere around the product, thus enhancing its image (Fahy & Jobber, 2006). The emphasis for this thesis will be television advertisements, because of the many elements of television, sound, colour, sight and motion that aid the presentation of the message. Also the fact that Brassington and Pettitt (2000) argue that television is better for creating an advertisement message with emotional appeals, contributes to our concentration to television advertisements. The degree of television advertisement standardization/adaptation at the international level refers mainly to the manipulation by the manager of the promotional mix elements (Bradley & Sousa, 2005). Supporters of standardization say a trend is sweeping both marketing and advertising – the movement to create products that are manufactured, packaged and promoted the same way around the world, regardless of individual cult ures (Mueller, 1989). According to Bradley & Sousa (2005) higher degree of adaptation is encouraged when the manager perceives great differences, in the economic environment and life styles between the home and foreign country. On the one hand, those who support the global standardization approach argue that a single television advertisement should be used in international markets to reduce total costs and promote a global corporate image. On the other hand, those who support the internationalization school of thought see the need for marketing adaptation to fit the unique dimensions of each local market. (Vrontis, 2003). Countries differ widely in the availability, quality, coverage, audience, and cost of advertising media (Root, 1994). According to Laroche ... ... Paek (2007) observed that domestic brands were more likely than multinational brands to use localized Latin music and lyrics in the Dominican Republic. Visual elements Colour is an essential part of products, logos and advertising, and can be an effective means of creating and sustaining brand and corporate images in customers’ minds. Colours are known to possess emotional and psychological properties. The meanings associated with different colours are important to marketers when developing advertisements, because results have demonstrated that people of different cultures have various preferences for colour. It is important for marketers to understand which colours that people prefer. Consequently, managers must acknowledge that the meanings associated with some colours may be pan-cultural, regional, or unique to a given culture. (Hewett, Madden & Roth, 1999)

Regulating Dietary Supplements Essay -- Health, Nutrition

According to the 2002 Harris poll, seven out of ten adults in the United States take vitamins, minerals, herbs, or other supplements (Schardt 2). Due to media advertising, dietary supplements are becoming more popular. Companies compete to have the best supplements. It is said that forty percent of American adults take vitamin supplements and over the counter products, which total in several billion dollars (Farley 2). Although many of the supplements claim to be healthy and help lose weight, the dangers are endless. Dietary supplements can be illegally spiked and are not safe. Therefore, putting regulations on dietary supplements and their safety hazards is necessary. To begin, the Federal Food and Drug Administration does not have the power to regulate supplements like it does with drugs. Once a product is out on the market, the FDA has to prove that it is dangerous or has illegal additives before it can be removed. The FDA has targeted around seventy tainted weight loss products after learning that they had been mixed with undeclared stimulants, diuretics, and antidepressants (Trebilcock 2). The Federal Food, and Drug, Administration is responsible for ensuring that the manufacturers of foods provide safe ingredients and the correct amount of dosages for their products. In addition, the agency is also in charge of providing accurate labels without any misleading information (Farley 1). The DSHEA lets â€Å"natural† products be sold without any proof that the product is safe. "In 1994 Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, which allowed supplements- broadly defined as vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, and other products that don’t contain approved pharmaceutical drugs and don’t claim to treat d... ...low. It is important to take precautions in all aspects. With all the unregulated dietary supplements being sold and recommended, our health insurance costs will continue to rise. If the product causes severe side effects, it should no longer be permitted to be sold in stores. The only way to touch the minds of many people is to inform them of the dangers of consuming dietary supplements. Disposing of all incorrect information in product labeling and ingredient lists is important. People need to recognize the faults that plague many advertisements. In addition businesses should promote safe products instead of the harmful ones that they advocate for. The United States Congress should consider regulating dietary supplements to maintain safety. If people are aware of the many lies companies present, then dietary supplements will be one less problem to worry about.

Digital Supply Chain Managment

| CLICK AND MORTAR TO PURE PLAY| HOW APPLE AND DISNEY ARE MAKING THE MOST OF THEIR DIGITAL SUPPLY CHAINS A Management Information Systems Project Assignment: Select two organizations in the same industry and study their SCM. Prepare a report on how the companies are managing their customers and suppliers. Make some recommendations as to how they can improve their efficiency. Submitted to: Sir Waqas Saeed Submitted by: Muhammad Babar Suleman Hassan Irshad Atif Murtaza Arslan Sadiq Arslan Zafar Ran Amjid Mehmood Ehtisham-ur-Rasool 01. INTRODUCTION 1. 1 AMR SUPPLY CHAIN TOP 25: STRONG SHOWINGS BY APPLE AND WALT DISNEY Apple stays on top with an unbeatable combination of killer financials and stellar opinion scores. AMR Research The AMR Research institute recently published its list of the companies boasting the best Supply Chain Management procedures (see Appendix 01). Two of the top 25 players represented a radical departure from the traditional Supply Chains. Apple tops the list with a supply chain which is as much a revolution for traditional supply chains as it is a negation of almost everything the supply chains have previously been characterized by. For one, Apple’s supply chain for its online store iTunes is completely digital in nature. It is the apex and materialization of what Management Information Systems and Information Technology Disney combines demand-driven advancements had hinted at. Another company in the top 25, the entertainment giant Walt Disney combines a digital supply chain with a streamlined traditional one with spectacular results. replenishment with new collaborative models for pure content distribution. AMR Research As lines between companies’ offers of physical and digital products become blurred, Apple and Disney are the forerunners of what will be the future of supply chains: The Digital Supply Chain. Additionally, both the companies’ supply chain models are based on the â€Å"demand driven excellence† model which is the modern solution to meeting the needs of the global market. 1. 2 GROWING IMPORTANCE OF CONTENT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY The reason why the supply chains of Apple and Disney were able to rank so high is because both the companies were able to recognize the immense significance of digital content and Intellectual Property in the modern era. The music industry has by far experienced the most significant effects (positive AND negative) of digitization of music (in the form of mp3s and other digital formats). However where piracy quickly became the biggest challenge for the industry, sales of digital music have exploded over the past couple of years, thanks to Apple’s ubiquitous online store iTunes. iTunes started with 99 cents per song- now it’s a thriving market leader that encompasses music, movies, TV shows, apps, eBooks, podcasts and so much more. Disney benefits from â€Å"the best of both worlds† (as the title character of its popular Hannah Montana TV show would say) by combining a digital supply chain with its traditional practices such as that of supplying stores such as Blockbuster and Netflix with DVDs of its movies and TV shows. 2. THE DIGITAL SUPPLY CHAIN 2. 1 WHAT IS THE DIGITAL SUPPLY CHAIN? At the core of Apple and Disney’s fantastic success is the digital supply chain. The question arises as to what the digital supply chain is and how it differs from traditional supply chains. Before getting into the specifics, it is important to define the di gital supply chain. According to Wikipedia: â€Å"Digital supply chain is a new media term that encompasses the process of the delivery of digital media, be it music or video, by electronic means from the point of origin (content provider) to destination (consumer). Similar to how a physical medium must go through a supply chain process in order to mature into a consumable product, digital media must pass through various stages in processing to get to a point where the consumer can enjoy the music or video on a computer or television set. † All supply chains work within the same framework- the delivery of product from its origin to the hands of the end-user, while being worked on in every step on the way. Broadly, the digital supply chain involves the process of transferring digital content (music/video) from the content provider to the end consumer online and in a suitable format. The digital supply chain is different in four major ways: 1) 2) 3) 4) It exists solely online and for digital items. It is highly compressed and shorter. It has lower attached costs. It has an unbeatable inventory turnover rate. Recognizing the market forces and new technologies that are reshaping the industry, Capgemini has introduced its practice of digital supply chain, the content value chain: Capgemini is not the only company that has invested in digital supply chain solutions. HewlettPackard (HP) offers Digital Entertainment Services- solutions for digital supply chain needs of companies. The reason why the digital supply chain works is because of the immense increase that digital content has seen in its adoption. The results of a recent IBM digital consumer survey show a high trend towards digital content in every leading economy. Online access to digital content is most common in: Media and Entertainment (Music, Movies, Games, eBooks etc). E-learning Software Given the evolution in media, technology and the marketing scenario, the supply chain to manage this evolution requires a new set of complexities and metrics. Warehouses are being replaced with data centers, boxes replaced by bits, and trucks replaced by bandwidth. And it may very well be an easier supply chain to manage, with no inventory carrying costs, purchase orders, supplier scorecards, MRP, trucks, excess and obsolete, or quality issues, but it will take a new way of thinking. Long gone is the plan, buy, and make functions supply chains have been built on. Within the digital supply chain, you receive one item into inventory and sell it a million times over without restocking. Vendors can be paid for each digital asset sold, without having to stock inventory that may never move. Combine the enormous growth of the mobile market, a highly fragmented market expertise, and the asset costs to build and maintain a digital supply chain, and it’s clear the model is transforming traditional practices. So far, digital supply chains have been controlled by the innovators. But with the amount of digital content increasing dramatically and the Internet providing a point-to-point access for customers, the following will become increasingly important: Innovation—This goes for product and supply chain delivery methods. Time to market—Since digital products can be made once and sold many times, speed of collaboration between design and delivery will be a major measure of success Customer service—This includes quality of the transaction and product, speed of activations, and ease of refunds. 2. 2 THE DIGITAL SUPPLY CHAIN PROCESS The digital supply chain involves three players: Content Provider (Task: Encoding and Ingesting) Content Processor (Task: Vaulting and Processing and Transformation) Digital/Physical Retailer (Task: Packaging and Distribution) Intermediate components include processes like Quality Control, Digital Asset Management, Metadata entry, Digital Rights Management and the Content Delivery Network. †¢Media is converted from source to file. Vaulting †¢File based media mezzanines are stored and backed up. †¢Content is processed and transferred according to consumer needs. Packaging and Distribution †¢Media files are packaged and delivered to customers over the network. Encoding and Ingesting Processing and Transformation Apple and Disney both have a high degree of streamlining at every step of the process. The main functions of a digital supply chain are as follows: True on-demand product availability Ease of use and speed for content search and activation Pricing and subscriptions Quality management built on licensing and refunds One thing to remember is that there is no ONE digital supply chain. It’s as dynamic as it is flexible as you can see from the table below: Different media types Different business models Different technologies Different maturity of markets Different distribution models Audio / Video / Software / Games / Books Electronic sell through / subscriptions / free content Devices / offline vs. nline usage / formats / DRM Established structures vs. new models Direct-to-consumer / Aggregation 2. 3 COMPARISON WITH TRADITIONAL SUPPLY CHAINS The following table compares the digital supply chain with the traditional structure on the basis of some key processes associated with SCM. Value Addition Because of the inherent structure, each step of the digital supply chain has a higher percentage of contribution to the value delivered. As mentioned earlier, computer storages have taken the place of physical warehouses. The digital supply chain is at a high risk of security issues because of problems relating to piracy, hacking, viruses and data mishandling. Virtually, self-replenishing and never runs short! Because of superior communication, time costs are reduced. Disney is a good example of how on-demand product availability made possible by digital supply chains Increasing Download Speeds, Content Quality, Speed of Activation and Ease of Refunds are some of the benefits offered by the digital supply chain that give it an edge over the traditional supply chains when it comes to Customer Service. Physical Storage Security Stocking Time to Market On-demand product availability Customer Service 03. DEMAND DRIVEN EXCELLENCE The â€Å"Demand Driven Excellence† model has three overlapping areas of corporate responsibility: Supply Management (Manufacturing, logistics and sourcing) Demand Management (Marketing, sales and service) Product Management (R&D, engineering and product development) Basically, Apple and Disney’s strength is that they don’t treat their supply chain as an isolated business process. It is a crucial part of what makes the entire thing work and in order for its maximum efficiency, management of demand and products is essential simultaneously. Only thus, the supply chain is able to give such top-notch results. With visibility, communication and reliable processes all these three functional units can be made to work together for optimum performance. When these overlapping areas work together, thanks to compatible and efficient business processes, businesses are able to respond directly, quickly and efficiently to opportunities arising from demands from the market or the customers. Because all the three areas are able to rise up to any occasion of business opportunity and the tasks keep shifting back and forth among the units as required, in a hybrid, dynamic web of solution formation, Apple and Disney are Defining characteristics of supply chains built able to achieve superior results while each to this design [demand driven excellence] of their functional area benefits from include the ability to manage demand rather collaboration with the other two. AMR Research cites the demand driven exellence model as the reason why companies like Apple and Disney are able to perform so well. The new phrase that’s making the rounds in the corporate world is that â€Å"pull† is the new â€Å"push†. Creating solutions and coaxing customers to purchase them is fastly becoming a redundant technique. The modern business strategy is responding dynamically to consumer needs and making your solutions fit their demands than just respond to it, a networked rather than linear approach to global supply, and the ability to embed innovation in operations rather than keep it isolated in the laboratory. The demand-driven model is inherently circular and self-renewing, unlike the push supply chains of our factory-centric industrial past. AMR Research like a glove. The focus is to make them want what you are offering- and not wanting them to purchase what you’ve put out. Apple’s iTunes store is the perfect example. Previously, record labels put out albums out on the market and they were expected to sell based on the couple of singles released to the airwaves. The albums were â€Å"pushed† to the customers. These days, iTunes allows consumers to purchase individual tracks- and only the ones they want to- from any album. That way they are shifting control of the purchase entirely to the customer and it has only helped in mutual growth. The demand driven global supply chain is assessed by two key measures: Operational Excellence (Key Metrics: Perfect Order Rate, Total SCM costs) Innovation Excellence (Time to Value, Return on New Product Launch) The relationship of demand driven excellence and the key measures can be see in the following table which differentiates between market leaders and losers on the basis of their performance in the above mentioned areas. 4. APPLE AND DISNEY 4. 1. SPECIFICS Apple’s digital supply chain comprises procuring content from record labels and television networks (among others), processing the content to digital format and then making it available on its iTunes store. eBooks, Podcasts and Applications for its iPod and iPhone devices also form a big portion of the content that is distributed on its digital supply chain. The success of Apple’s digital supply chain is due to â€Å"an intoxicating mix of brilliant industrial design, transcendent software interfaces and consumable goods that are purely digital†, according to the authors of an AMR Research write-up. The authors also note that â€Å"the mechanical and financial benefits of this approach include extremely high inventory turns, minimal material or capacity limitations to growth, and excellent margins. † Following is an excellent article by a blogger on how iTunes manages suppliers and customers. ARTICLE 01: By Cara Smith As far as iTunes is concerned, both upstream and downstream supply chains apply. I feel iTunes use both strategies simply because in the case of upstream, iTunes acquire the vast majority of its digital content from well known music labels and film producers, who will trade with iTunes who will then use a downstream approach in order to sell their products and services onto their customers. Push vs pull supply models Nowadays with the digital music market at an all time high with sales hitting the roof, customers are experiencing a new way of purchasing. In terms of iTunes we can see that ‘pull’ is the new ‘push’ simply because customers are able to purchase individual tracks produced by an artist rather than having to purchase the entire album to only like one or two songs from the track listing. This then gives the customer the opportunity to customize their very own iTunes library or playlists with a range of songs made my various artists meaning that customers will want to hear what is in that playlist without having tracks or items pushed towards them. With the pull strategy concentrating solely on the customer the main importance of the company is to ensure they provide value and ensure the service will be one in order to ensure customer satisfaction as well as attracting new customer leading to a broadened customer base as well as increased sales rather than to deter customers from purchasing or visiting at all. Vertical integration vs disintegration vs virtual integration I would say that iTunes would most likely operate using ‘Virtual Integration’. I feel iTunes would operate using this strategy in its day to day running simply because they rely on management activities being undertaken and controlled by outside sources such as the record labels, film producers, application developers and many others, supplying them with all their up to date, high quality digital media and services of which their customers will purchase or subscribe to. Due to dealing with so many widely known record labels and film producers etc, iTunes always ensures to maintain a strong relationship in order to help secure any future deals these labels may offer as well as trying to broaden their supplier base at the same time. Evidence of value networks In terms of value networks I would say that by ensuring their customers are well looked after by providing them with everything they need and are satisfied with the products and services they are receiving, including the time in which it takes for a product to download or the quality of their purchase, iTunes will always maintain a good relationship with its customer and supplier base in terms of how they work in partnership with each other. By ensuring that their customers are always happy with what they are receiving it will be hard for iTunes to loose many of its customers at any one time unless some new top of the range platform was developed with extraordinary features of which iTunes has never thought of. Through continuously updating its platform and interface, whilst adding new and improved features and services iTunes always has something new for customers to explore giving them a sense of ease as they know customers will always be around to check out what new meaning that they are more likely to stay around and use its facilities. Evidence of efficiencies in supply chain As Apple iTunes continuously strive to provide the best quality service and produce top of the range goods they are always making changes to the way in which they deliver products and services to customers. With iTunes being considered the ‘Number 1’ music platform and online digital retail store, iTunes have proved they can be successful in every way possible by exceeding cashflow and turnaround targets through the huge demand for online digital content of which many of music record labels and film producers supply and give permission for iTunes to sell on to its customers at price. With this success iTunes will do anything and everything in order to keep its existing customer and attract new customers in, so with their ideas of continuous new and improved updates to the iTunes interface and by introducing better ways of syncing and managing your iPod or iPhone contents on the iTunes platform. In terms of ensuring customer have all the content they require iTunes it always up to date with the current charts and applications, however when a customer has made a purchase the item(s) will automatically start to download and will be accessible to listen to or view as soon as the download is complete. ttp://csmithcom425. wordpress. com/2009/10/30/week-6-supply-chain-management/ Apple’s revolutionary digital supply chain (nurtured by its demand driven excellence focus) is in addition to its distribution of its own physical products, the aforementioned iPod and iPhone as well as Macs and Macbooks. Whereas the line between the products that travel through Appleâ⠂¬â„¢s digital supply chain (music, movies, eBooks) and the ones that are distributed through its traditional supply chain (iPods, Macs) is quite distinct, Disney has a more blurred array of products offered on its digital and traditional supply chains. While it maintains its practice of maintaining top-notch physical distribution channels with its retailers (such as Blockbuster which carries Disney DVDs) the same content is also offered through its digital network (on-demand movies, online premieres, digital books), albeit not in the same format. The simultaneous existence of both the supply chains is necessary for Disney even though the content distributed differs only in format because the modern market demands ask for digital content whereas it has to fulfill the continued, if diminishing, demands of its physical etailers and varied businesses such as the supply chain needs of its theme parks. The Arvato Digital Services model can be used to understand how Disney manages the distribution of the same content across the two channels, digital and physical. Also, see the model on the next page for more detailed insight on how the Digital Supply Chain relates to Disney and other entertainment industry players. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS Our recommendation for both the companies would be to draft better licensing deals, capitalize on the immense potential of the digital supply chain, and use the internet to distribute digital content worldwide and not a select list of geographic locations. People in third world economies like Pakistan can make online purchases and download digital content as well. Without incurring significant additional costs, Apple and Disney can make their entire repository of digital content and access available without exceptions on the basis of location, and reap the financial benefits that will surely come. Apple has been doing a fantastic job of managing its supply chains but whereas its physical chain is finally sounder than it once was, the company needs to be careful not to underestimate the incredible popularity of its online content. Recently, during the rollout of a new iPhone, the physical supply chain was able to endure and accommodate the rush of early purchasers but the digital supply chain became overtaxed with demands of device activation and content synchronization which led to a slew of wait times, customer service issues and of course, unhappy customers. Disney should start preparing for a future where distribution of its content, that can be provided digitally, would be extinct. That would pose several new challenges for the company- Should it form lucrative liaisons with online retailers like Apple’s iTunes or sell its own content such as the TV Network NBC? An analysis of the pros and cons of both the alternatives could make better decisions possible in planning its supply chain strategies for the future. The biggest challenge we've been confronted with, preparing for, and have every expectation we'll be successful in is how technology will dramatically change the way consumers worldwide enjoy entertainment content,† DVD sales are already facing a slump (they slid by – Bill Patrizio, senior VP of 6. 9% last year). Studios are facing the dilemma of strategic sourcing and devising profitable solutions for the new age while procurement for Disney. trying to maintain profitability from the decreasing momentum of th e cash cow that was the DVD market. Our recommendation in this respect would be to brainstorm a fresh business model instead of trying to teach the old dog new tricks. A complete overhauling of the way the company thinks of content could be the solution for the problems that are sure to arise in the near future. The rumored â€Å"Keychest† could be a step in the right direction. Disney has always shown business savvy (as is obvious from the quote from 2005 display above) and we’re sure the company has some smart strategies thought out. REFERENCES Wikipedia Digital Supply Chain http://en. ikipedia. org/wiki/Digital_supply_chain AMR Research www. amrresearch. com PC World â€Å"How Apple’s Supply Chain fared during the 3G Rollout† http://www. pcworld. com/businesscenter/article/148429/how_apples_supply_chain_fared_during_t he_3g_rollout. html Cara’s Com425 Blog http://csmithcom425. wordpress. com/2009/10/30/week-6-supply-chain-management/ â€Å"Understanding the Digital Supply Chainâ⠂¬  Presented at Media-Tech Conference, 23rd April 2009 by Sven Deutschman, CEO, Arvato Digital Services EMEA http://www. media-tech. et/fileadmin/templates/europe09/pdf/presentations/MEDIATECH_2009_Sven_Deutschmann. pdf Business Week â€Å"Hollywood Is Worried as DVD Sales Slow† http://www. businessweek. com/magazine/content/09_09/b4121056770437. htm MESA Disney developing ‘Keychest’ for Digital Content Access http://mesalliance. org/blog/2009/10/21/disney-developing-‘keychest’-for-digital-content-access/ Information Week â€Å"Q&A with Disney's Patrizio: Digital Content Is the Future† http://www. informationweek. com/news/globalcio/interviews/showArticle. jhtml? articleID=160403913

Bros before hoe’s in masculinity Essay

Although there are some men that break the mold, the majority of men will never fully endorse women’s equality. This is not because most men are pigs looking to degrade women, it is because of the concept of the paradox of men’s power. Men as a social group are powerful and yet so many men feel weak, especially in relationships with women. Women seem to have the power to put a leash on men. Many men feel in control when they have the support of their fraternity of brothers. Most men are not willing to let their brothers down by siding with pro-feminists. Siding with pro-feminists, as a male, could be seen as trying to escape from the box that is hegemonic masculinity. There has been a destabilization of hegemonic masculinity with the movement of civil rights groups, namely the women’s rights movement. There are many arguments in favor of equality amongst men and women. In the past women were seen as the homemakers, that there was no need to educate them and there was clearly no place in the workforce for their sex. â€Å"The time when girls needed no education, because all they had to do was to pick one of a troop of suitors, marry him, keep house for him, and live on his wages, is gone forever, for the very simple reason that no woman can consistently live on a man’s wages any more (Kimmel and Mosmiller, 1992: 178-179).† Early in this nations history, men were viewed as the breadwinners; it was very seldom that one would see a woman in the workplace. As the years have progressed however, there has been a steady shift towards a society where just as many women are working as men. It has also become more common to see stay at home dads. By 1999, the percentage of women in the workforce was nearly sixty percent and men had fallen to about seventy-five percent according to the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America’s (UAW) website. R.W. Connell states that there are many reasons why equality in the workplace would benefit men in his article â€Å"Change among the Gatekeepers.† â€Å"For instance, very large numbers of men are fathers, and about half of their children are girls (Connell, 2005: 617).† Men with daughters will clearly want their children to succeed and have the same opportunities as other children, regardless of gender. Connell also states that the role of breadwinner is a burden that many men feel compelled to fill. Over the years this has led to health concerns as a result of stress and work related  illness and injury. With more women in the workplace the number of men with these problems should significantly decrease. Recently there has been a surge of women in the political realm. Hillary Clinton running for president and Sarah Palin being picked, by a man, to be his vice presidential running mate shows that times have changed immensely. If a woman were to run for a position such as this early in America’s history, she would have been laughed at. The idea of a female president still is not completely accepted by everyone, but Clinton did have her share of male supporters. Connell states that men would be subject to less violence if more women were in the workplace and if they held high power positions such as governor and president (Connell, 2005: 615). People in high power positions are often targeted for acts of violence, for instance John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, and Robert Kennedy, just to name a few. It is not often that one turns on the news to hear of a female being assassinated. Men’s violence towards women will also be decreased(Kimmel and Mosmiller, 1992). â€Å"Many pro-feminist men have embraced a feminist analysis male violence against women, particularly battery and rape (Kimmel and Mosmiller, 1992: 371).† The idea is that if equality is reached in society, men and women will have more meaningful relationships thus increasing understanding of one another and decreasing hostility and aggression. â€Å"In our society, caring (for children, sick people, the elderly etc.) is viewed as a ‘woman’s business’. The ‘art of caring’ appears almost as a natural condition of being a woman: ‘Being a woman means being good at caring for people.’ However, in many parts of the world, we are seeing more men carrying out tasks associated with child care, either inside the home or in institutions (Lyra, 2004: 3).† Although many believe that women should have equal rights, there is still a sense that a woman’s place is in the household. These beliefs have been proliferated for centuries from the establishment of the United States. In the beginning this was how society was organized, a somewhat caste-like system. Now there has been a shift, but the ideas still remain. For example when Hillary Clinton ran for president if these issues did not still exist then the fact that she is a woman would never have been as big a talking point as it proved to be. Many men and women for that matter refused to support her simply because she was in fact  a female running for president. The problem with universal equality is that one group will always be looking for an advantage over another group. â€Å"An essential question for any pro-feminist man must be whether or not it is possible for men to act against their own collective material interests (Douglas, 1994: 33).† As Michael Kaufman states in his idea of the paradox of men’s power, men as a group are powerful. For as long as this country has been in existence, men have had the certain privileges over women. This may not seem fair and to be honest it isn’t, but it would be interesting to turn the tables and see how women would act then. Would they be as fiercely in favor of equal rights, or would they do as many men do and just leave the system alone? This is a clear question that could easily cross the mind of any male pondering gender equality. The answer is not so cut and dry, this is why it will be difficult, even after many years, to get all men on board with the women’s rights movement. â€Å"The pro-feminist men’s movement starts from the acknowledgement that men have power and privilege in a male-dominated society (Kaufman, 1994: 156).† This idea is a problem for many men, so much so that there are even Men’s rights activists. Not all men are willing to admit that males have an advantage over women in society. â€Å"Men’s rights activists fight perceived men’s oppression, including selective service registration, unfair legal decrees of alimony and child support, and domestic violence against men (Fox, 2004: 104).† A common argument that I’ve heard is that women are looking for equal rights, but everyone on that side of the fence seems to be perfectly content with only allowing men to be drafted for wars. I don’t wish to sound like a hostile sexist because I am most definitely in favor of women’s rights, I just don’t see it as a reality for any time in the near future. The fact of the matter is that you cant have it both ways. In order for full equality, the feminists need to take the good with the bad, otherwise it is not equality that feminists are looking for, but instead to gain the upper hand on men. I feel that many men recognize this fact and it is for this reason they shy away from supporting the feminist movement. Most of this issue lies on the idea of equality in the workplace. â€Å"Let the ablest of the sex be called to the lecture room, to the temperance rostrum, and whenever a post office falls vacant and a deserving woman is competent to fill and willingly take it, let her be appointed (Greely, 1852: 167).† If I am the candidate for a job and I am up against a woman, I am not going to step aside and say ‘you take this position because women have been oppressed for quite some time.’ I, like Horace Greely, believe that the most qualified person should get the job. I know that I’ve seen many women, who are clearly in favor of equal treatment, bat their eyelashes, show some cleavage, and flirt with police officers to get out of a ticket. The same thing occurs in the workplace with interviews, some women will cast aside their beliefs in order to flirt their way into a job. As an on-looking male, I must make note that these women are playing on the very stereotypes that they seek to eliminate. This makes it even more difficult for men to take up the fight for pro-feminism; if women cannot take their fight seriously, how can men be expected to join? Most men are all for women fighting for equality and many will not be completely opposed to those men who do choose to fight on the pro-feminist side. There is a sense that these men are leaving the brotherhood. Some might say that it is almost an oxymoron to be a pro-feminist man. If a complete level of equality among genders were to be reached, which I don’t see anytime in the near future, it would be as a result of the lowering of men’s rights in order to level the playing field. Many men hold this view and this is why men who choose to fight for women can be viewed as traitors in a sense. A lot of men can feel constricted by women who often use tools like sex to get what they want. It is in these times that men usually turn to their ‘brothers in arms’ to loosen the collar that women impose as a means of control. As bad as it may sound, a lot of men will be in favor of women’s rights, but do nothing about it. Honestly what group with power is looking to relinquish their supremacy? The way society progresses is through competition. Most people, men and women alike, will always be looking for the upper hand. It is for this reason that full equality among genders is not a realistic goal. View as multi-pages