Parole system in the United States

A Girl or A Boy . . . You Pick essays

A Girl or A Boy . . . You Pick essays In the July 23, 2002 issue of the Los Angeles Times Newspaper, there was an article entitled "A Girl or a Boy, You Pick" written by Aaron Zitner. The article discusses the embryo-sorting technique called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis or "PGD" and how embryo sorting makes it possible to screen for gender and diseases prior to implantation in the uterus. In the article, the author brings up some of the ethical questions PGD raises with regard to the embryos no one wants. Is it proper to discard an embryo based on its genes or gender? Which lives are not worth living? Who decides? In this paper I will argue against embryo selection for these reasons: First of all, PGD is the ultimate form of discrimination, a discrimination based on the very building blocks of a person's life; secondly if PGD technology was available and used years ago the world more than likely would have lost the great ideals and works of contributors with genetically acquired disabilities. In the last few years a genetic basis has been discovered not just for various illnesses, but for such behavioral traits as shyness, sexual promiscuity, musical ability, risk-taking and over-eating and in the future it may be possible to select for genes that contribute to higher IQ, better eyesight, etc. PGD allows parents to specify that their children will not suffer from any "defects". But by who's standard do we define "defects"? Where do we draw the line? Isn't this genetic selection process the ultimate form of discrimination? Many parents will leap at the chance to make their children smarter, healthier and prettier and the ethical concerns will be overshadowed by the promise of creating better children. I believe that almost every parent would choose to genetically engineer their child when presented the question "Do you want to tamper with nature or would you rather leave your offspring to chance?" The way I see it, utilizing PGD technology to order ...

Kayte Clark Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Kayte Clark - Case Study Example According to the US Employment Law different employee unions are not required to ask for such formal permissions prior to contacting any employee. Therefore Kayte accepted their request and allowed them to meet the employees but the company heads including CEO reacted negatively on her action. They passed a notice to the employees stating that Kayte does not have any right to allow employee unions in the organization. Later she was given a onetime retirement offer excluding all the social security and funding benefits. This was supposed to be accepted then and there but she refused to admit it. Consequently, after two weeks she was terminated. Her sudden termination from the organization represents a clear case of retirement discrimination which will be discussed in detail with reference to Employee Retirement Income Security Act: Title VII, The recommendations of National Labor Relations Board and State Torts. This shall be further linked with the elements she must prove for a prima facie case and the awards and damages that she must receive in return. Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA): Title VII Title VII of ERISA covers all the rights of employees while safeguarding them from any social or organizational harm. This is one of the most unique laws in USA as it is solely based upon the individuals who are currently working in an organization rather than contractors or unemployed people. Title VII consists of three fundamental tests through which legal associates recognize that whether an employee falls under this category or not. These include: Agency test i.e. the rights and control of employer over the activities of employees, Economic Realities test which defines the economic dependency of employee over the employer and lastly the Hybrid test which is the combination of agency test and economic test. In addition to this, the legal authorities scrutinize the employment claims as per the duration given to review the contract, nature of agreement either related to employment or retirement, the peculiar terms and conditions and the overall education and experience of the employee. This law is highly applicable in cases such as the one of Kayte because she had significant education and experience in the same organization. Moreover, the time given to Kayte in order to review the retirement package was insufficient neither she was given the opportunity to seek counseling from the company heads. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) NLRB is primarily responsible to improve the working conditions for employees while protecting their wage rights. It guarantees the right of forming an employees’ union in an organization while terminating the inefficient unions or employee groups. Moreover, it encourages the employees to join unions even without the consent of their employer so as to seek social and economic protection. Hence Kayte’s decision to allow the employee union in the organization is justified on the basis of N LRB elements. Furthermore the rules and regulations of National Labor Relations Board are applicable to every employee working at the level of local, state or federal government, in agricultural sector or in domestic service. It also extends protection to people who are employed by their family members or those who work as contractors. This represents that Kayte can easily

Critique of Strategic Thinking for Information Technology Essay

Critique of Strategic Thinking for Information Technology - Essay Example line that requires study and preparation† as well as â€Å"a discipline that enables one to develop deep and far reaching conclusions about the information age and IT fighting.† Strategy is seen as an essential factor in the success of a business organization especially in an IT company where alignment is highly required. He also stressed that alignment is not a point-in-time concept and that IT must change in response to the changes that the organization faces. The chapter also presents the scenario of the information age where bits become source of value and where IT intensifies rivalry among industry players. In response to this, the traditional sustainable advantage is replaced with throwaway temporary advantage. Boar stresses that in order to keep up with the current competition, business organizations need not capitalize on long-term capacities but on short term competitive advantage. The main idea is to keep up with the competition by manoeuvring across time. An important point that Boar discuss is the importance of having a strategy in order to propel a business organization to its expected end (Boar 62-63). The author furthers his point by stating that business organizations can strategically position themselves by acquiring advantages both competitive and sustainable. In the end, his emphasis is on acquiring temporary competitive advantage that building on long-term sustainable advantage. This point is in direct contrast with what is taught by strategic management theorists Thomson and Strickland. In their book entitled Strategic Management, these thinkers recognize the importance of turning competitive advantage into sustainable advantage. They argue that business organizations should focus on the long-run and thus, find ways to sustain the competitive advantage that they have. The ideas presented by Boar contrasts that of Thomson and Strickland. While Boar favors competitive advantage, Thomson and Strickland are advocating sustainab le advantage. These

Contract and procurement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 11500 words

Contract and procurement - Essay Example The contractor is to carry out the work diligently without breaking any items or facilities of the company. The facilities are then neatly arranged in Site B just the same way they were in Site A. given Site A had a 1000 square meters of office space and Site B is 1600 square meters of office space, the facilities should be adjusted to fit the stated space.Location of work  The whole contract will be performed within the two premises. There will be a physical movement from Site A to Site B. however, the meeting with the contractor will take place in Site A where headquarter was initially based. This is where the signing of the contract will take place. The physical location of Site B is situated four kilometers from Site A, so the distance to be covered while moving the facilities will be considered in the contract.Period of performance  The contract will have to be performed within a specified time. As a company, we need a fast relocation of within two weeks inclusive of the pla nning of activities and executing them. Daily work will start from 8am in the morning and ends at 4pm in the evening in order to allow for preparation for the next day’s work and also to avoid loss of items of the company. In practice, there will only be 8 working hours allowed in a day for the contract. The billing will also be done based on the number of hours worked in a day. Any other activity scheduled will have to be performed within the working hours allocated.The company expects a relocation service to be performed by the contractor. Generally, we expect the whole headquarter moved to Site B. some of the particulars to be moved include: the 15 desks in the current company; three sofas, three coffee tables, ten arm chairs; 15 computers; between 120 to 160 cardboard boxes; and 34 framed pictures. Every company item should be moved at intervals beginning with desks, computers, cardboard boxes, and framed pictures. The time allowable has been stated above.

Challenges Faced by Managers in the Public Sector

Challenges Faced by Managers in the Public Sector There are different levels of management in the three different sectors of the economy. There are non-managerial employees, first-line managers, middle managers and the top managers. Robbins et al ;( 2009). This essay will critically evaluate the challenges faced by managers in the public sector organisations. The essay will assess the roles of the manager in this sector and the difficulties managers encounter whilst carrying out their duties. The challenges posed by organisational structure and design with an example from the Northampton Borough Council, the issues due to the organisational culture, privatisation of some of the public sector services, the strategic management of the public sector and the complexities due to the constant changing environment in which these organisations operate, and the challenges to managers of the most recent comprehensive budget cuts, will be evaluated in this essay. The typical roles of a manager in any organisation is to organise, lead, plan and control the activities of the people and other resources within it towards achieving the objectives of that organisation; Naylor (2004). The role a manager plays is dependent on the level of management position although each level has its challenges. At the senior level, the managers role is much broader and in depth and it requires creativity and innovativeness; Robbins et al (2009). The senior manager is involved in decision making, strategic management planning and control, the manager, at this level of management is expected to have an understanding of all areas of the organisation to enable sensible handling of any given situation Hanagan;(2008). The role of the manager did not change in the 21st century rather the method of carrying out the above mentioned roles are different, for instance the manager has to organise work differently, communication is more sophisticated such as, the use of internet, mobile telephones and e-mail. In recent times, the management of change is considered as the most important skill of management due to the pace of change in the 21st century Hanagan, (2008).The rapid changes in technology, enormous improvements in communication, the increase in focus on global economy, and the environment are issues to the modern day manager. In addition to the above, the role of the manager in the public sector is challenged by the constant changes in legislation and political policies subject to government in power Hanagan (2008). An organisation is an arrangement which has been set up for a particular purpose. Robbins et al (2009). Different organisations belong to different sectors of the economy. There are three sectors; the public, the private and the third sector such as social enterprises. This three sectors have some common characteristics which are: they all have distinct purpose, each organisation is made up of people, and all create a structure within which the people could carry out their duties Robbins et al(2009). Organisations are grouped as public sector depending on certain factors such as; how much the organisation competes with similar organisations, goods and services are charged indirectly and how much it allows itself to be influenced by demand and supply of goods and services. The less such organisations are influenced by the above factors the more the organisations are considered as public sector organisations Hanagan (2008). Instances of these organisations are; Local Government council, Libraries, the National Police Force, the Defence Ministry, Colleges and Universities. The common features of these organisations are; they are set up to fulfil specific purposes, they are service motivated, they are accountable to many stakeholders and the public, they carry out their duties for the good of the people and they are funded through the use of taxpayers money. Avery important challenge to a manager whether in the public sector or in the private sector is to be aware of their relevant s takeholders and operate the organisation in ways which will yield maximum returns to each stakeholder group Bloisi et al (2007). The public sector organisation has a centralised organisational structure whereby authority and decision making is made at the senior managerial level. Organisational structure is a connected arrangement of positions and work units through which the important tasks of an organisation are subdivided and categorised to form decision centres from where the strategic plans of the organisation are carried out Bloisi et al (2007). Most of these organisations have a Matrix design structure which enables double responsibility and reporting roles with particular projects. Bloisi et al (2007). The managers in the matrix organisation are challenged by the constant need to resolve conflicts due to differences in perspectives and priority Bloisi et al (2007). For instance, the organisational structure of the Northampton Borough Council has over five managerial levels of management. According to Nicole Macdonald, a HR Manager Strategy with the council, one of the challenges they have is getting approval to carry out plans as quickly as possible. The council has about forty-seven councillors through whom decisions are made. These councillors represent different political fronts. Sometimes it is difficult to reach a consensus on certain issues and therefore arriving at a decision is elongated said, Cassie Triggs, a Democratic Chief Executive Services Manager at the Northampton Borough Council. The manager in the private sector will in relation to their organisational structure which is much flatter be able to arrive at a decision much quicker. Private sector organisational structures are designed to embrace the pace of changes in technology and also to survive. Flatter structure allows for incorporation of ideas from almost every employee in the organisation Bloisi et al (2007). The manager in the private sector will be challenged by how to control an employee wh o is working from home and coming to the place of work only one day in a working week Naylor (2004). Included in the challenges encountered by managers in the public sector are challenges due to the cultural beliefs of the organisation. Organisational culture is the way we do things around here Robbins et al (2009). According to Meek (1988), organisational culture could be used as a means to find out how people behave in a complex setting Hanagan, (2008). Organisational culture can be something abstract or peoples perception and experience within an organised setting. According to Stacey, the culture of any group of people is that set of beliefs, customs, practices and ways of thinking that they have come to share with each other through being and working together. Hanagan (2008). According to Handy, there are four major types of organisational cultures; the power culture in which the power and authority is from one person in a central position, the role culture which is labelled as a bureaucracy where the role of the individual specialists are more important than position and power , the task culture is about the activity which is being carried out and lastly the person culture which focuses more on what individuals do in a particular setting Mullins (2005). The challenge of managing cultural change in a public sector organisation will depend on how strong the existing culture is and the weight of the proposed change Hanagan (2008).The difficulty is in bringing about the change. For instance the Further and Higher Education Act which made colleges and higher education in England to become Corporate Bodies Limited by Guarantee indicates that organisational culture can be overtaken by accountability to more prominent stakeholders as the organisation would want to survive Hanagan (2008). The challenge is even more where there is existence of subcultures within the organisation. For decades, Public organisations have been managed by people who have been raised into managerial positions through years of service to the organisation, for instance; football clubs were managed by ex-footballers, and schools were managed by former teachers, local government council by people who were promoted through long years of service Hanagan (2008). There are difficulties faced by managers moving from the private sector to the public sector. The manager from the private sector is more focused on profits and accounting to shareholders, decision making is simplified, there is much flexibility and autonomy, there is power and authority attached therefore, the challenge to the private sector manager moving into the public sector will be changing the profit making, quick decision making mindset, there is less power and authority, no flexibility and autonomy Hanagan (2008). These challenges are not without approaches with which the managers could use to minimise them. For instance, the managers could use the recruitment process to recruit people who will fit into the existing culture, by the method of questioning they are made aware of what is important in the organisation, the induction process, promotion policy, training and development Hanagan (2008). Following the challenges posed by organisational structure, design and culture, are the challenges which managers face with the move of the UK government in the 1980s to privatise some of the services of the public sector when they realised that the costs of providing services were becoming too much, costs were weighing much on National budgets and the motive to make public sector organisations to work more effectively and efficiently Hanagan (2008). The move gave rise to such contractual arrangements as the Public Private Partnership (PPP) and the London underground contractual arrangement which came from a simpler Private Finance Initiative (PFI) which was set up to establish contracts between the local authority controlled London Underground and Tubelines and Metronet Hanagan (2008). Privatisation as defined by Bryan Hurl (1992), is the sale of government owned equity in nationalised industries or other commercial enterprises, to private investors with or without the loss of government control of the organisation. There are three methods which have been used by the government, these are; denationalisation which is the sale of public sector assets, deregulation which is removal of barriers to entry to a previously protected market to allow private enterprises to compete and franchising whereby the public sector provides the finance and the private sector provide the services Hurl (1992). One of the key principles of managing resources to deliver better services is by setting up strong partnerships which means that various departments of the public sector are relying on other public, private and third sector to deliver public services, these organisations, most of the time may have better expertise and better understanding of the needs of the citizens Bourn (2003, p26). The increasing difficulty with which public services are delivered is a challenge. According to the National Audit Office, delivery of public services are no longer the duty of a single department for instance, different organisations are involved in provision of criminal justice such as the police, the crown prosecution service, the forensic Science service and the courts. Changes in economic conditions and unforeseen circumstances could place much demand for public services, for instance, the sudden rise in unemployment during the most recent inflationary period. The volume and value of benefits payment made by the job centre plus or the unexpected foot and mouth disease and its effect to the public requires a good resource management Bourn (2003 p18). Some of the services provided by the public sector organisations are; Defence by the Army, Public Health by the NHS, Direct service delivery agencies which handle payments of benefits, issuing of prescriptions and National insurance numbers, processing of student loans, access to heritage, museums and galleries, developing frameworks for other service providers such as regulation of educational standards, teacher training and social housing, promotion of business opportunities abroad, transport integration, purchasing information technology systems and professional services and others. The challenge to the manager is the ability to coordinate and monitor the different service chains involved in the delivery of public services and also the difficulty in ensuring that resources are channelled appropriately to the provision of the most required service Bourn (2003 p.20) . Strategic thinking, planning and continuous are important in every organisation Bloisi et al (2007). Strategic thinking means being able as a manager to device ways to balance both the human, technical and the limited resources of the organisation and the environmental forces Bloisi et al (2007). The public sector manager has no power and authority, no autonomy and flexibility and therefore may not have as much influence in the decision making as their counterpart in the private sector Hanagan (2008). Strategic management is used in the public sector to find out schedules of activities in the sector which fit into the political agendas taking into consideration the politicians who might be looking for quick returns which they can point to as their successes and achievements Hanagan (2008). This means that the strategic planning has to be short term. There is lack of clarity in relation to what the manager is trying to achieve. There is the constant challenge to the manager in the public sector as to whether you are trying to fulfil your statutory obligation, please the politicians, follow the directions of the board or the people for whom the services were meant for. The manager in the public sector is challenged as he cannot change or alter the system. There are too many stakeholders, interest groups to satisfy in the public sector therefore the manager in this sector has to device different kinds of ways to deliver information to the different groups in the public who believes they have a stake in the public sector, such methods are through, governing bodies, advisory committees, taskforces, public meetings and public announcements Hanagan (2008). The manager in the private sector uses strategic management to review actions, slow down processes and hence make changes where necessary, the manager in the private sector has a profit making mindset and therefore considers product viability, the private secto r manager has power and authority, flexibility and autonomy and therefore decision making is quicker. The private sector manager is accountable to shareholders Bloisi et al (2007). The public sector is funded by the government and the managers are accountable to whichever ruling political party at any given time. According to the National Audit Office, before the 1998 public service agreements, different departments were funded annually with some exception such as the Department of Health, so there was uncertainty as to whether funding will be the same as the previous year or reduced or increased. This was a challenge to managers as there was no certainty with the flow of funds to make long term plans as the private sector with assurance of long term financing. The agreement was set out with the awareness of the aims, ideals and targets of the various departments Bourn (2003 p.20). Assessed so far are internal factors which challenge managers in the public sector however there are certain external factors which managers have to contend with as well. Some of these are; the speed of technology which has affected every process in organisations irrespective of sector, the force of competing interests who are not ordinary rivals to gain customers but those seeking for resources and those trying to make their points to be heard and the fluctuations in social behaviour which starts with movements in peoples expectations and values Bloisi et al (2007). Finally, managers are currently facing challenges due to the recent comprehensive budget cut. There is greater demand for services however there are fewer resources to meet demand. It is morally challenging to managers to prioritize who to help and who not to In conclusion, Suggested approaches from management science which could alleviate some of the challenges are; the systems approach and contingency approach. With systems approach, managers could discuss their departmental needs in terms of the general organisational requirement. The use of this approach requires open communication and the removal of barriers between the individual departments, also the approach shows management consideration of all the systems involved, synergy that is the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, open and closed systems, limits, movements of information, materials and feedback through which the manager could monitor and evaluate progress reports Hanagan (2008). The second recommended approach is the contingency approach. This approach says that different problems requires different ways of solving them it all depends on how much experience the manager has because what might work well in one situation may not work well in another situation Hanagan (2008). Applica tion of this approach requires that the manager recognises several view points, one of which is the pragmatic view point. Pragmatic viewpoint says that no approach is generally acceptable which means that the manager has to check the motives for every action taken for instance, the services being delivered, the availability of equipment required and also the internal and external environment Hanagan (2008).

Brain Fingerprinting Essay -- Science Crime Scientific Essays

Brain Fingerprinting Murders', rapists, robbers, con artists, terrorist, kidnappers, and the list could go on. They bring fear and disgrace to a town. They are a part of society that we would like to get rid of. Even though the number of crimes has been declining in the past few years, ideally we as a society would like it to continue to decline to zero, but realistically we would be happy with a low crime rate. There are a number of technologies that facilitate the conviction of suspects such as DNA testing, lie detector testing, fingerprinting, hypnosis, forensic study, etc. Of course, there is always a bit of discrepancy with the accuracy of each of these technologies. However, a very recent development called Brain fingerprinting, is taking a big step towards eliminating that margin of error. Dr. Lawrence Farwell, a Director and Chief Scientist at the Human Brain Research Laboratory in Fairfield, Iowa first introduced brain fingerprinting. Brain fingerprinting serves a similar purpose as that of the lie detector testing device, but claims to be 100% accurate unlike the lie detector, which is nearly 100% accurate. Brain fingerprinting determines whether the crime was committed or not and the results are not affected by anxiety, nervousness, or lying, since it simply measures if the information is stored in the brain (2). Since the brain is the archive to a human's life story, storing all of the memories, the brain cannot lie, whereas the person can verbally lie. Taking images and words that are irrelevant and relevant to the crime are shown to the suspect by flashing them on a computer screen. Electrical brain responses are measured non-invasively through a patented headband equipped with sensors (1).... ...that "With great powers comes a great responsibility," as best put by Spiderman's uncle. References 1)Brain Fingerprinting, A Brief Study of the Technology http://www.forensic-evidence.com/site/Behv_Evid/Farewll_sum6_00.html 2)Health Watch- A View of the Criminal Mind http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/health/print_health_030102_mind.html 3) Brainwave Sensor Touted as Tool in Counter-Terrorism http://www.neurotechreports.com/pages/brainfingerprinting.html 4)A truth Machine http://reason.com/rb/rb111401.shtml 5) Brain Fingerprinting: A New Paradigm in Counter terrorism http://www.brainwavescience.com/counter-terrorism/ 6) The Neuropsychology of CRP, Dreams, and REM http://www.geocities.com/iona_m/Chaosophy3/neuropsych.html 7)Brain Fingerprinting Fails First Court Test in Iowa http://www.forensic-evidence.com/site/Behv_Evid/brainfp_Iowa.html

Classroom Management Paper Essay

During my classroom observation, I observed the classroom of Mrs. Shanesta Pettway. Mrs. Pettway is a 9th grade history teacher at Jeff Davis High School. She runs a very structured class with a well plan classroom management plan. Mrs. Pettway follows a strict schedule during the 50 minutes of class time that students follow such as 15 minute bell ringer at the beginning of class, 15 minutes of lecture and class participation, and 15 minutes of section review assessment questions. She utilizes the final five minutes for students to put away books and prepare for their next class. Her classroom management plan does not allow students much time to talk or interact with each other. Her transition from the bell ringer to the class lecture was very smooth and the students seem to be in routine with moving from one assignment to the next. I believe her daily schedule is a great method of classroom management because it helps her to keep the students on track. Interaction with Students Mrs. Pettway fully interacts with her students throughout the class period. She walks also the classroom and monitors the progress of each student and makes sure they are staying on task with their assignment. She gets students involved in the discussion questions by randomly calling on them to answer questions. When her students have questions or do not understand information about their assignment, she provides them feedback to get them back on the right track. Classroom Setup The classroom is set up with 27 students. The students’ desks are all facing the front of the classroom. Her class consisted of a whiteboard, smart board, and projector. Mrs. Pettway desk is also stationed at the front of the classroom where she is able to see each student. The students are seated in the classroom in alphabetical order facing the white board where the objectives and assignments and daily schedule were placed visible to the students. She also has two tables in the classroom that are seated away from the rest of the class for students with behavior issues. Classroom rules are placed on the wall near the entrance of the classroom visible for all students to see as they enter the classroom. Examples and Incidents of Mutual Respect Mrs. Pettway seems to be the person controlling the class at all times. She has built a personal rapport with students and they have a lot of respect for her. Mrs. Pettway greets the students by theirs name as they enter the class. When students want to get her attention they raise their hand, she acknowledges them and provides them with an appropriate answer. For example, when Mrs. Pettway was during her lecture, all students were attentive and listening. Her class exhibited no behaviors or distractions during class time. She also gives her students mutual respect by acknowledging and praising them for engaging in class discussion and completing the classroom before the end of class. Preventive Procedures and Activities At the beginning of class, Mrs. Pettway had already had her books turned to the chapter that she would be lecturing from. She also had the students’ assignments for the day listed on the board so they would know what the tasks were for the day. Her lesson was prepared before class and she was confident in the information she was teaching. The class activities were in line with the lecture and class discussion that was previously discussed and they were engaging and seemed to be interesting for the students. Discipline model used in the classroom and school The discipline model that was used in the classroom was to separate the students that had disruptive behavior from the rest of the class. She stated that she uses this model because it helps to cut down on the distractions and helps the rest of the class stay on track. Another discipline that she uses is parent teacher conferences for students with disruptive behavior. The schools discipline policy of disruptive behavior usually result in ISS in school suspension, detention, or suspension away from school. How does the teacher deal with a parent or guardian of a disruptive child? Mrs. Pettway stated that she holds parent or guardian conferences for her students often. If a student is being disruptive in the classroom, she makes contact with the parents or guardian for a conference to discuss the behavior. Mrs. Pettway stated that she deals with a parent or guardian of a disruptive child in a calm and professional manor. She discusses the student’s behaviors with the parents and possible solutions. She also stated that she works closely with the parents to set achieve goals for their child, monitor their behavior and holds follow up conferences with the parents to determine if the student’s behavior is improving. In conclusion, I learned how to effectively run a classroom management plan. The classroom observation was very informative and a great learning experience. I discovered different ways to deal with classroom behavior without affecting the learning of the other students in the classroom. I really enjoyed this classroom observation experience.

SAT Latin Subject Test Information

SAT Latin Subject Test Information Lingua Latina optimum in universo, et utinam possem student singula die. If you know what this Latin phrase means, then perhaps you better showcase that Latin talent and sign up for the SAT Latin Subject Test before you apply to the school of your choice. Want to know more? See below. Note: This test is not part of the SAT Reasoning Test, the popular college admissions exam. Nope. This is one of the many SAT Subject Tests, exams designed to showcase your particular talents in all sorts of fields.​ SAT Latin Subject Tests Basics Before you register for this test, (which only pops up twice a year) here are the basics about your testing conditions: 60 minutes70 - 75 multiple-choice questions200-800 points possibleMacrons appear on the testVariations of Latin words appear in parentheses on the test. For example: iudicium (judicium).Questions following a poetry passage will always include one question requiring you to scan the first four feet of a line of dactylic hexameter verse or determine the number of elisions in a line (just to keep it interesting). SAT Latin Subject Test Skills So, whats on this thing? What kinds of skills are required? Here are the skills youll need in order to master this test.: Choose appropriate grammatical forms of Latin wordsChoose Latin words from which English words are derivedTranslate from Latin to EnglishComplete Latin sentencesChoose alternative ways of expressing the same thought in LatinAnswer a variety of questions based on short passages of prose or poetry SAT Latin Subject Test Question Breakdown As you can see, the majority of the test is based on those reading comprehension questions, but other Latin knowledge is tested, too: Grammar and Syntax: Approximately 21 - 23 questions Derivatives: Approximately 4 - 5 questions Reading Comprehension: Approximately 46 – 49 questions These questions include three to five reading passages and one or two poetry passages. Why Take the SAT Latin Subject Test? Since many people believe Latin to be a dead language – no one really speaks it in everyday life – why should you showcase your knowledge of it? In some cases, youll need to, especially if youre considering choosing Latin as a major in college. In other cases, its a great idea to take the Latin Subject Test so you can showcase a different skill other than sports or drama club. It shows the college admissions officers that you have more up your sleeve than your GPA. Taking the test, and scoring high on it, demonstrates qualities of a well-rounded applicant. Plus, it can get you out of those entry-level language courses. How to Prepare for the SAT Latin Subject Test To ace this thing, youll need at least two years in Latin during high school, and youll want to take the test as close to the end of or during your most advanced Latin class you plan to take. Getting your high school Latin teacher to offer you some supplementary materials is always a good idea, too. In addition, you should practice with legitimate practice questions like youll see on the test. The College Board offers free practice questions for the SAT Latin Test along with a pdf of the answers, too. Sample SAT Latin Subject Test Question This question comes from the College Boards free practice questions. The writers have ranked the questions from 1 to 5 where 1 is the least difficult. The question below is ranked as a 4. Agricola dÄ «xit sÄ“ puellam vÄ «sÃ… «rum esse. (A) that he would see the girl(B) that he had seen the girl(C) that the girl would see him(D) that they will see the girl Choice (A) is correct. The sentence presents an indirect statement introduced by Agricola dÄ «xit (The farmer said). The underlined indirect statement has the reflexive pronoun sÄ“ (referring to Agricola) as its accusative subject, the noun puellam (girl) as its accusative direct object and the future infinitive vÄ «sÃ… «rum esse (to be about to see) as its verb. The use of the masculine future active participle vÄ «sÃ… «rum indicates that sÄ“, not the feminine puellam, is the subject of the infinitive. The underlined portion of the sentence may therefore be translated as â€Å"that he would see the girl.† Choice (B) mistranslates the future infinitive vÄ «sÃ… «rum esse as pluperfect (had seen); choice (C) mistranslates puellam as subject rather than object (the girl would see); and choice (D) mistranslates sÄ“ (referring to the singular Agricola) as plural (they). The entire sentence may be translated as The farmer said that he would see the girl.† Good Luck!

The Privatization or Commodification of Water

The Privatization or Commodification of Water Introduction For a long time, ethics has been seen as the study of what comprises good and bad conduct which includes the values that influence the conduct. Generally, contemporary culture has given humans unprecedented liberty and prosperity which has necessitated the growth of the concept of ethics.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Privatization or Commodification of Water specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Business ethics on the other hand has existed in the form of reflection on the ethical dimensions of business exchanges and institutions whereby the concept has been understood in two distinctive ways, where one group views it from the background of philosophy while the other group views it from the background of business community (Brenkert and Beauchamp 3). These two approaches are not exclusive, but the philosophical approach appears to be the broader of the two. In all cases, it becomes important t o appreciate the fact that moral problems and the process of analyzing them invites different forms of useful analysis. Water forms an essential commodity that ensures continuity of life, though for a long time no systematic way has been elaborated in appreciating its value (Brown and Schmidt 3). For long, people have regarded water as a renewable commodity that has potential to develop without limit. With the larger society utilizing water in different ways such as irrigation, energy and burgeoning urban centers, the reality is now clearer that like just other renewable commodities, water is a finite resource. However, providing answers to modern water problems requires giving answers to questions of value: how should society capture, store or distribute water; at what cost; for whom; and for how long (Brown and Schmidt 4). All these questions are regarded as ethical because just like any other essential resource, determining a fair and just distribution of water has direct effects on human and nonhuman lives and also the systems that sustain them. Commodification of water Borgmann argues that the driving force of the contemporary society is the aspect of commodification which is described as, that vital structure of modern society of the market which conveys a sense of moral censure (Borgmann 143). The author, in reference to Viviana Zelizer, states that, â€Å"economic prophets have frequently warned us against global commodification and the loss of the moral-emotional fiber it brings† (Borgmann 144). Using the Marx’s concept of commodification, Borgmann first sees the concept to possess the verb to commodify, which to him is â€Å"to draw something from outside the market into the market so that it becomes available for sale and purchase† (Borgmann 144).Advertising Looking for research paper on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Marx looked at the va rious ways in which capitalism perceived the production of things such as wheat, shoes and clothing out of the hands and circumstances of the farmers, artisan and householders, stripped them of their context of skills and persons, of exchanges and uses and made them into commodities (goods) whose importance was reduced to their price. Moreover, Marx became critical of how labor was being converted into something that could be purchased and sold under conditions that only favored the capitalists and made the workers beggars (Borgmann 144); thus, commodification became purely and totally exploitation. The contemporary discussions continue to see the concept of commodification as contested. In such discussions, the broader agreement has remained that, certain goods such as justice should never be for sale (Borgmann 145). But other goods have continued to draw divided opinions. For a long time, goods at issue in this discussion have generally constituted those in Michael Walzer’s list of items which are subject to ‘blocked exchanges’: 1) Human beings; 2) political power and influence; 3) criminal justice; 4) freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly; 5) marriage and procreation; 6) the right to leave the political community; 7) exemptions from military service, from jury duty, and from any other form of communally imposed work; 8) political offices; 9) basic welfare services like police protection or primary and secondary schooling; 10) desperate exchanges; 11) prizes and honors of many sorts; 12) divine grace; 13) love and friendship; and 14) a long series of criminal sales (Borgmann p.145). The above list can be complete if addition of certain public goods is made. These public goods are; clean air and clean water, safety from crime, basic health care and public lands. The main argument in disfavor of commodification of public goods is that commodification may leads to social injustice, for instance, if education is totally commodified, th e children of the poor will get no education or for them, inferior education will be enough (Borgmann p.145). Commodification of water: Public vs. Private debate There exist two debates that continue to dominate the lives of many people concerning the issue of water. For instance, there are arguments whether water services should remain public or go private. One of the arguments â€Å"is concerned with practical issues of efficiency and economics, and the other is about principle† (Snitow, Kaufman and Fox p.10). Privatizing water in a country like USA has been a hard venture to undertake. Those opposed to such move include personalities such as Barlow of the Council of Canadians and Tony Clarke of Canada’s Polaris Institute (Snitow, Kaufman and Fox 10). The two have opposed the move to privatize water in principle and they are convinced that private companies should only get involved in narrow areas of infrastructure development but not allowed to have ownership, contr ol or delivery of the basic service.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Privatization or Commodification of Water specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To them, the process or actions of commodifying water is generally wrong in terms of ethics, environmental and social (Snitow, Kaufman and Fox p.10). They are on the view that the process will, â€Å"insure that decisions regarding the allocation of water would center on commercial, not environmental or social justice considerations; privatization means that management of water resources is based on principles of scarcity and profit maximization rather than long-term sustainability† (Snitow, Kaufman and Fox 10). Contrary to this position, there is a divergent view which has been adopted by Peter Cook of the National Association of Water Companies who is convinced that if market principles are applicable to other products in the market, then water as a com modity cannot be exceptional. Cook sees nothing wrong or unethical in making profits from water since the money which has been pumped into the business by the investors is used to benefit customers and provide them with services. Cook sums up his position by quoting the bible by stating that, the bible and especially the Ten Commandments have no provision that prohibits people from making profits, and utilities need to be operated as enterprises (Snitow, Kaufman and Fox pp.10-11). To this extent, â€Å"the practical debate over who can provide water better focuses on the issues of transparency, efficiency, rates, and sustainability† (Snitow, Kaufman and Fox pp.11).. Indeed, most of these values are possible in public controlled enterprises but far more difficult in private owned enterprises or corporations. Ethical dilemma The essence of water being a commodity that sustains life has drawn conflicting debates and reactions on whether it is ethical to commodify and therefore s ubject it to market competition principles. This particular confusion has been precipitated by the actions of United Nations to declare that water is a human right that should be accessible to everyone. The question that arises is; are their moral consequences that arise as a result of commodifying water and hence its availability and accessibility largely become determined by market mechanisms? Ethical lapse In most cases, ethical lapse can be categorized into three groups: deception, stealing and harming (Howard and Korver 13). There exists many variants to these but the mentioned three have come out as the most wrongdoings which people commit.Advertising Looking for research paper on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lying has been described in many ways that include: doctor, cover up, overstate, understate, misinform, misguide or stretch the truth (Howard and Korver p.14). additionally, the act of lying has psychological costs, for example, when individuals lie there is always a clash between their values and who they are; lying also creates barriers in relationships and soils self-image of an individual (Howard and Korver p.15). Moral reasoning The contemporary society is faced with a situation where people are facing dilemma on various ethical decisions and as a result there have been numerous methods of moral reasoning. Moral reasoning has taken center stage in various social issues as people continue to debate on what is right and what is wrong or what ought to be or not be done. In most cases many people are convinced that it is not necessary the principles which determine what is right or wrong, but the consequences produced by the actions in question (Rae p.81). When a particular course of action or decision produces the best set of consequences, then to majority such actions need to be allowed and accepted. In other words the action(s) that produces the greatest balance of benefits over harms is the one that is considered as the most moral. Generally actions considered right or wrong (morality) should depend on the situation and also on what the cultural consensus of right and wrong is at that time. In the case of commodifying water, if the society and hence culture reaches consensus that water commodification is wrong then it would be morally wrong to commodify or privatize water. Ethical approaches Utilitarianism ethics Utilitarianism ethics postulate that morality of an act is determined by the end result. From this observation, utilitarianism conviction is that the moral choice is the one that produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people or at the same time the moral choice is the course of action that produces more good consequences than harmf ul ones. Utilitarianism sometimes is regarded as consequentialism ethics due to its emphasis on the consequences of an action. Jeremy Bentham, one of the philosophers credited to utilitarianism believed in hedonistic utilitarianism which postulates that â€Å"the most moral acts are those that maximize pleasure and minimize pain† (Rae p.85). On the other hand John Mill, another believer of utilitarianism ethics established his approach which differed from that of Bentham which was general concept of maximizing the general happiness, or what he termed as the greatest good for the greatest number. Hence ethics can be seen as the art of directing the actions of people so as to bring about the greatest possible happiness to all those who are concerned with these actions. As a result, Bentham observed that the interests of the community are simply the sum of the interests of its members. In sum the utilitarianism principle hold that, â€Å"an action is right from an ethical point of view if and only if the sum total of utilities produced by that act is greater than the sum total of utilities produced by any other act the agent could have performed in its place† (Fernando p.34). Water commodification can be analyzed within the precepts of utilitarianism ethics where business principles can take a backseat to consequences, if on balance, commodification of water provides more beneficial consequences for more people then utilitarianism ethics consider it to be the most moral choice. Evaluation of actions needs to be made on the basis of benefits or harms the action(s) will bring upon human beings. The morality of the theory is that, individual or an organization performing particular actions need to impartially take into account interests of everyone on equal basis. Kantian ethics Kant was convinced that morality should be derived from recognition that people share a common human condition and what makes humans valuable and special is their ability to re ason and that moral rules based on reason should govern human behavior. To Kant moral rules need to be based on tradition, intuition, desire, conscience, emotion and sympathy and that free will among humans comes from their ability to reason and prompts them to develop rules for moral behavior which in turn can be applicable universally disregarding utilitarianism consequences. The moral rules established needs to recognize the fact that all people have a certain human dignity and therefore they should be accorded respect as autonomous beings (Fernando p.35). According to Kant moral ethics, an action is only moral for an individual in a certain situation if, and only if, the individual’s reason for carrying out the action is one that he or she would be willing to have every person act on in any similar situation. At the same time moral worth would not be attached to an action motivated singularly to promote individual interests or for pleasure and that if an action is wrong f or other people, it is wrong for any one person. For Kant an action is regarded morally worth if it reflects a good will and it is only when individuals act from duty that their actions are regarded to be moral worth. As a result Kant believes that ethics should be grounded in reason alone and not on human nature (Fernando p.35). Ethicality in commodifying water On November 27 2002, United Nation declared water to be a human right for the first time and went a head to require states to adopt key legal mechanisms that would ensure this fundamental right is achieved (Sierra Club par. 1). From UN observation, the conviction was that privatizing water could not be achieved since it is impossible to marry the profit motive of a private enterprise and the necessity and importance of a commodity like water which many people require in order to survive (utilitarianism). The conclusion is that the issue of rendering water as a private thing should be done away from the market place since wat er belongs to earth, to all species, to the future generation and in this regard no one has the right to commodify water for personal (deontological) or corporate gain (Sierra Club par. 1). On advancing this claim, the Cochabamba Declaration of December 8, 2000, which brought together interested parties aimed at ensuring the privatization of water, was not achieved (welfare concern). To cement and solidify their claim the group came up with key points to be observed which turned out to constitute the Cochabamba Declaration (Sierra Club par. 4). To the group access to water is the fundamental right of every human and all humans are required to respect nature as they use water given by the earth. The three main points formulated were: Water was described to belong to the earth and also to all species of the world and that water need to be regarded as sacred to life, and from this view the water of the world needs to be conserved, reclaimed and put under adequate protection in order t o ensure the future generation is safe; Water was described as fundamental human right and also as a public trust that needs to be guarded by all structures of the government and as a result it should not be commodified, privatized or commercially traded; lastly Water can be best protected by local communities and people and who must be given equal respect as partners of various governments in the process of protecting and regulating water (Sierra Club par. 5). Conclusion Water ethic has developed in many societies as a result of continued efforts by enterprises and corporation to commodifying water. As a result, in most societies specifically the developed ones, water ethics commodification and privatization with marginalized access to water continue to raise key questions such as: Can water be sustainably managed while the global financial institutions and transnational corporations possess the means to do so? How can the empowerment of public and rights of people over water be r estored? How can global skills, capital and user practices are reconciled with the need and desire for control over water of local people? Such questions give an impression of how fundamental ethics has become essential in addressing the issue of water commodification. Ethical reasoning in regards to water will ensure proper, efficient and sustainable use of water despite its scarcity in nature. Borgmann, Albert. Real American ethics: taking responsibility for our country. IL, University of Chicago Press. 2006. 16 August 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=fJJccik-SRECpg=PA145dq=Ethics+of+commodification+of+waterhl=enei=zQZpTPagL5H34gb75pyZBAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3ved=0CDIQ6AEwAg#v=onepageq=Ethics%20of%20commodification%20of%20waterf=false. Brenkert, George G. and Beauchamp, Tom L. The Oxford Handbook of Business Ethics. NY, Oxford University Press US. 2009. 16 August 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=Qn1BDj7SRUsCpg=PA78dq=Ethics+of+commodification+of+waterhl= enei=GvJoTPmcB4aS4gb6npCZBAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=9ved=0CFkQ6AEwCA#v=onepageqf=false. Brown, Peter G. and Schmidt, Jeremy J. Water Ethics: Foundational Readings for Students and Professionals. NW, Island Press. 2010. 16 August 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=fwFXY-vAwNsCpg=PA161dq=Ethics+of+commodification+of+waterhl=enei=GvJoTPmcB4aS4gb6npCZBAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=4ved=0CDgQ6AEwAw#v=onepageqf=false. Fernando, A. C. Business Ethics: An Indian Perspective. New Delhi, Pearson Education India, 2009. 16 August 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=A-k_uWkGCEUCpg=PA35dq=business+ethics+theorieshl=enei=Od1rTLK0EcHT4wa4ncDkAgsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3ved=0CDYQ6AEwAg#v=onepageq=business%20ethics%20theoriesf=false. Howard, Ronald A. and Korver, Clinton D. Ethics for the real world: creating a personal code to guide decisions in work and life. MA, Harvard Business Press. 2008. 16 August 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=OqnrtQFfXb0Cprintsec=fron tcoverdq=Ethics+for+the+Real+World.hl=enei=RBtqTKP8LZCl4Qan5OCaAQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCUQ6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false. Rae, Scott B. Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics. MI, Zondervan, 2000. 16 August 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=n55iiynlwmMCpg=PA77dq=moral+reasoninghl=enei=1sVrTN_nHMKk4Qb9kJz3Agsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=8ved=0CFMQ6AEwBw#v=onepageq=moral%20reasoningf=false. Sierra Club. Corporate Water Privatization: Water is a Human Right not a Commodity. 2008. 16 August 2010. sierraclub.org/committees/cac/water/human_right/. Snitow, Allan, Kaufman, Deborah and Fox, Michael. Thirst: fighting the corporate theft of our water. CA, John Wiley and Sons. 2007. 16 August 2010.https://books.google.com/books?id=wyW30HVewtACpg=PA10dq=Ethics+of+commodification+of+waterhl=enei=tiNpTMXOIuTT4waqqZiZBAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CC0Q6AEwATgK#v=onepageq=Ethics%20of%20commodification%20of%20waterf=false.

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Genetics - Essay Example In step 2, the aerobic endosymbiont evolves into a mitochondrion. This step is followed by step 3 in which a portion of the plasma membrane invaginate in the process of evolving into a nuclear envelope as well as associated endoplasmic reticulum. Step 3 results to a primitive eukaryote in step 4 that give rise to two main groups of eukaryotes. The primitive eukaryote shown in step 4 evolves into nonphotosynthetic protest, animal cells as well as fungal (Karp, 2009). The other group of â€Å"the primitive eukaryote takes in a photosynthetic prokaryote†, which later becomes endosymbiont that evolves into a chloroplast. In relation to this assertion, it is evident that endosymbiosis resulted to life. It is the one that led to the existence of both plants and animals. I more like my dad than my mom because I think the genes from my dad are more dominant those I inherited from my mom. In relation to this, it is evident that all mammals use majority of the genetic material passed down by males even though the offspring resembles and acts like the mom. Thus, my more resemblance to my dad is dictated by the paternal

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Discussion Board 1-1 - Essay Example Examples of common tragic events that lead to crisis include and not limited to terrorism, suicides, earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes, financial meltdowns, job termination and deaths. Crises have three main elements namely, stressor event, perception of the event and effects and inadequate resources or incompetent strategies to absolve the given problems. Usually, psychologists gain interests to study life events after realizing associated negative effects of the events on human survival. In the same manner, the interest to study crises related to their effects on human life. The objectives of such studies are to find reasonable and reliable interventions to avoid and suppress human suffering due to the tragic events. Ideally, crisis intervention strategies differ from other counseling therapeutic intervention in certain ways. Compared to other counseling therapeutic interventions such as Structural Theory, Cognitive Behavioral and Systems theory among others, crisis intervention can take place at any place and setting and can be formal or informal. For example, depending on the severity of a stressing event, counselors might find it necessary to start crisis intervention in a chaotic and disorganized environments such those just hit by hurricanes, suicides or serial shootings. This form of intervention sounds informal and may not work with other counseling interventions. Another difference between crisis interventions from other counseling therapeutic interventions is that many counselors with different expertise can work as a team to handle single case of treatment (Jackson-Cherry & Erford, 2014). This is difficult especially with Structural, Systems and Cognitive Behavioral Theories that are mostly effective when implemented by single counselors. For instance, crises intervention for a tragic event such as earthquake that leaves people in various problems may need various expatriates in Cognitive Behavioral, Systems, Psychoanalytic, Experiential and