Best Places to Find Gifts for Geologists

Best Places to Find Gifts for Geologists Stumped on what to get the geologist in your life for the upcoming holiday, birthday, or anniversary? Heres a short list of places to shop and gifts to get for that person who loves all things geological. The gift ideas in this geologic gift guide range from serious to wacky, plus a few items to make your jaw drop! Not on the list are all of our favorite books for geologists - for those, visit our  book reviews. Geological Tool Gifts   The Brunton Co. The Brunton Company is the maker of world-standard field tools for geologists, starting with their famous compasses many of us know simply as Bruntons. Forestry Suppliers For everything from hammers to sieves, Forestry Suppliers has a great inventory of tools your geologist will enjoy. Amateur Geologist Amateur Geologist boasts all sorts of gifts for geologists from the tools they’ll need in the field to books, geological maps, and even fun, educational items for kids. One can never have too many 10X magnifiers – at least a geologist can’t! Here are our picks for the best magnifiers on the market. Magazine and Guide Gifts for Geologists Bobs Rock ShopWhile Bob doesnt sell rocks at his rock shop (Bob’s Rock Shop is actually an online publication and community for rock enthusiasts), but this great Web destination has advertisers who do- or you can get a subscription to  Rock Gem  magazine here. Earth MagazineEarth Magazine is one of the best and most popular magazines for those who take geology seriously (the publication was formerly  titled Geotimes). You can buy gift subscriptions for your geologist on their site. Mountain Press PublishingMountain Press Publishing’s online bookstore is home to the highly regarded Roadside Guide and Geology Underfoot series of books. U.S. Geological Survey Maps and MoreYes, the USGS has a store, and it’s full of great gifts for geologists! Find maps, posters, passes, products and more from the worlds coolest government agency. Desert GuidesDesert Guides host an assortment of books about getting around, and even finding wealth, in the desert. Your geologist will get lost in the fascinating information and stories! Minerals, Rocks, and Collectibles Gifts Science Stuff Science Stuff, formerly known as Earth Stuff, has gifts for any young scientist. We especially like their Earth science section with rocks, minerals, tools, fossils, and books for smart kids interested in all things geology. The Mineral GalleryThere are hundreds of mineral shops on the Web, but the Mineral Gallery probably has the best selection of minerals for sale for your geology enthusiast. FulguritesWhen lightning strikes the ground, sediments are fused together by the energy creating beautiful and unique crystal-like structures. Various mineral dealers sell the melted results as collectibles, you can find them at the link above. Top Stone Rolling FountainsThese fountains feature large stone spheres spinning miraculously suspended on water. Uniquely beautiful, these gifts are perfect for the geologist or rock enthusiast who has everything. We love this site. Spheres To YouThey call themselves the biggest seller of stone spheres in the world, and we believe them. Their selection is incredible. The Soft EarthPottery artist, Joan Lederman, uses pedigreed seafloor mud from Woods Holes oceanographers to make wonderful objects and collectibles. U.S. Geological Survey Bench Mark ReplicasFull-size reproductions in pewter of those cool brass benchmarkers from all around the world from the most famous summits to the South Pole. They even make earrings, pins, pendants, and more.

Step-by-Step Guide to Getting a Job as a Recent Grad

Step-by-Step Guide to Getting a Job as a Recent Grad So you’ve just graduated, or you’re about to. Congratulations! All of your hard work and long hours are paying off in the form of that hard-won piece of paper. But victorious as this moment is, it’s a transitional one- celebration gives way to the realities of your new professional life. Namely, that you need a professional life. Now that you’ve achieved your goal of graduating, the next steps can seem a little murky, so we’d like to help guide you through your next steps on the way to your new (or new and improved) career. Step 1: Figure out your plan.If you’re one of those amazing people who has had a detailed, spreadsheet-ed life plan since seventh grade, this step is probably not for you. (Go directly to step 2!) If you’re like many of us, and have mostly vague/idealistic thoughts about what you want to do next, then now is the time to buckle down on that. Presumably you have some idea, having chosen a specific school, program, or major with your eventual career in mind. That’s your starting point.Think about what you want to do. If you have a specific job in mind, research current job opportunities, and ask yourself these questions:Is this an entry-level job, or does it require stepping-stone jobs first?Do I have the baseline skills necessary to perform this job?Once I get this job, what are the next two or three levels? What do I need to prepare for leveling up?If you have an industry in mind rather than a particular job, try these questions:Is there a particular industry niche I’m interested in?What are the top companies in the field, and what kinds of job openings do they have?Do I have the baseline skills that the job listings are seeking?Once I get a job in this field, what are the next two or three levels? What do I need to prepare for leveling up?The goal here is to come up with a five-year plan. It doesn’t have to be plotted down to the day, but should at least have general outli nes of what you hope to achieve in the first job or two of your new career. And realism is key here: going from junior employee to CEO in five years is not going to happen (sorry).Step 2: Start packaging yourself.Ideally, you’ve already got the bare bones of your resume in order from part-time or summer jobs, internships, or just general preparedness. If you haven’t been as on top of that as you’d like (for example, if you’ve been busy with exams and a goodbye tour of the campus watering holes), no worries. The best bet here is actually to start from scratch. If you have old resumes for reference and reminders about your experience, that’s great†¦but a surgical find-and-replace update of dates and responsibilities isn’t the best starting point for your new career.And don’t worry too much about the catch-22 that plagues many job seekers just out of college: how do you get job experience to get a job? The lack of direct experience is going to be unavoidable at some point, but the good news is that you do have experience, whether it’s in the form of internships, jobs that built skills like administrative work or customer service, or volunteer work. The most important part of your new resume is harnessing the best professional qualities you have in a format that works.Step 3: Build up (or clean up) your social media brand.The Facebook comments posted on your timeline by friends goofing off? The public Instagram account that features the party highlights of Spring Break? The Twitter feed where you try to provoke celebrities into RTing you? Those have no place in your job hunt. For personal accounts, make them private, or scrub them of stuff you really wouldn’t want a potential employer to see. (Rule of thumb: would you be okay with your grandmother seeing this?)After you’ve cleaned up your profiles, or made them private, start new accounts for your professional self. Pick a @handle that†™s based on your name. Instead of tweeting at celebrities, follow industry leaders or that guy who gave an awesome TED talk about productivity. Share articles about your field that you find interesting or informative. And always (ALWAYS) keep the tone professional. You can be witty or serious, and give opinions, but always be aware that anyone could be reading your posts. Don’t post anything you wouldn’t feel comfortable defending in a job interview.Your social media presence is crucial because more than ever, employers are using social media as their preferred methods for recruiting potential employees, or at least screening them.Courtesy of: onlinedegrees.comStep 4: Build your real world network.Social media is essential, but don’t neglect the web of people you know IRL who can help your career. Coming out of college, you have a crazy number of networking options. Your school or program likely has some kind of career development office that can link you up w ith mentors or current people in your target field. Your school also has alumni networks for you to tap into as well. And don’t forget professors and instructors- you have access real, live experts in your field, who may have valuable insight into what it’s like to work in the field, or connections of their own that they can refer to you.Right now, it’s important that you start taking advantage of those before you leave, get busy with real life, and lose touch with people. (That struggle is very real, trust me.) Put at least as much care into your fledgling professional network as you put into staying in touch with classmates and friends. Make those connections now, so that you’ll have them later. It’s a lot easier to maintain relationships than to try to go back after they’ve lapsed. It’ll be awkward if you pop back into someone’s life five years later, only to ask them for a LinkedIn recommendation. If you connect on LinkedIn or other networking sites now, you’re at least somewhat on each other’s radar in the future. You don’t have to have coffee with them every week, but staying connected online keeps your options open.Step 5: Get out and start looking.You can do this while you’re working on other things (like building your network), but if you start finding job opportunities, you’ll want your resume and professional social media presence to be in order first. From your research during your five-year-planning stage, you probably have a good idea of where to start searching for jobs. Online job sites are a great place to start, but if your industry has online hubs or job-matching sites, start haunting those too.Step 6: Practice your interview game.Even if you don’t have an interview lined up just yet, that’s no reason to slack on practicing for it. Things you can do in the meantime:If you have friends who are also on the job hunt, set up some time to grab coffee and practice asking each other interview questions.Work on your handshake grip: strong, but not Hulk-ish.When you brush your teeth in the morning and at night, practice your most winning â€Å"hire me† smile.Fix that hem on your interview suit, and make sure your interview outfit is dry-cleaned and ready to go in case you get an interview on short notice.Come up with real-life examples for each skill and bullet point on your resume.Don’t get discouraged if you feel like things aren’t happening quickly enough. The hard work you’re putting now is making you a better candidate, so when the right opportunity comes along, you’ll be ready to seize it. Congrats on all the great things you’ve achieved so far, and good luck on the journey that come next!

Javascript Sanboxing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Javascript Sanboxing - Essay Example Recent statistics has proven that the sandboxing application is essential in offering security and prevention of malwares to the computers. Sandboxing keeps the privileges of any attack or threat low. Any malware cannot execute on a system without authorized permissions. During installation or uninstallation of any new software in the computer, there are no traces left likely to harm the computer. In addition, it allows restoration of the computer to the original state after some changes have been made. It is also safe to browse on the internet, as the application does not remember the malicious sites visited (Resig 2013, pg. 28). Contrary to the immense benefits the system offers, the application is also at risk of attacks by malwares since it is not secure in all angles. In essence, the advanced threats do bypass the security controls; hence, it is not very efficient in its functions. One cannot have total trust on its operations. Therefore, all an attacker needs to do is to escalate the privilege of a vulnerability, then exploit the system (Saxena et al. 2010, pg.

Business Ethical Issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Business Ethical Issues - Assignment Example However, this massive network of suppliers also posed certain problems. IKEA hogged the limelight, albeit for wrong reasons, when a Swedish television documentary revealed that the company’s rug suppliers based in South Asian countries employed children at their looms (factories). Many children worked as bonded labor to pay off their parent’s debt. Estimates revealed that close to 2, 00,000 children were employed in the carpet industry in India. In 1995, IKEA was apprised by a German documentary maker that a film had been made which provided evidence of deployment of child labor at Rangan Exports, one of IKEA’s biggest suppliers in India. Unlike the Swedish television documentary which talked of prevalence of child labor in the industry, the German documentary pointed the finger directly at IKEA and its Indian supplier. India was not a signatory to Convention 138 adopted by International Labor Organization (ILO). Countries that ratified the convention were committed to abolition of child labor. Bonded labor was prohibited in India under the provisions of Pledging of Labor Act, 1933. The government machinery was however weak and the prevalence of child labor was widespread in the country. The Indian government had also enacted the Bonded Labor System (Abolition) Act, 1976 but gained little success in eradicating the problem of child labor. The Indian government treated unbounded child labor as a socio-economic phenomenon. Many regarded children working along with their parents as a source of income for the family.

Short stories Essay Example for Free

Short stories Essay 1. In Poe`s story he tries to create an effect for the reader. What is it, and how does he create it? The effect that Poe seeks to impart in the reader is how greed can lead to one’s downfall. This is created in the form of a cautionary tale where the victim’s blindness to danger puts him in a compromising position. To a great extent, Poe attempts to paint a picture of a descent into insanity that provides a number of morality lessons. In the tale, the narrator opts to wall a man alive for a perceived insult. The narrator is clearly insane, but he is still able to con his victim into a compromising position by playing to the greed and ego of the victim. That is, because the victim wishes to be a part of the elite club that tastes the Cask of Amontillado, he follows the narrator to what is eventually his death. This could have all been avoided had the victim not placed blind faith and trust in the narrator. 2. In Hawthorne`s story, the main character is an `everyman` charactera young, good man. What is the punishment he receives for going into the forest that night? Why is he always so gloomy afterward? Essentially the punishment that Brown receives by following the Devil into the forest is that his perspective on the world is forever changed thanks to his experience. Because his journey teaches him that many of the people he knows are hypocrites and not what he previously believed them to be, Brown becomes â€Å"gloomily† cynical about life, society and people in general. In a way, his ultimate punishment is that he now must look at the world through the lens of a cynical existentialist and is no longer the man he once was. He has been changed by his own experiences due to an errant choice to visit the forest, a mistake he must now pay for the rest of his life. 3. In Mellville`s story, the narrator or story teller seems compelled to ask `Am I my brother`s keeper?` Why does he tell us this story and should he feel guilty about the outcome? Why does he? Because of the absurd nature of the story, the narrator may be repeating the story out of a psychological compulsion to make sense of it. After all, Bartelby’s actions are beyond the norm and well into the realm of insanity. This ultimately leads to his death by starvation which the narrator attempted to circumvent by providing him money that was refused. In a way, it would seem that the narrator feels somewhat responsible for the weird situation that Bartelby finds himself largely because the narrator moved offices leaving Bartelby to the devices of the new landlords. As such, the narrator becomes absorbed by guilt. Should the narrator feel guilty? In a way, the narrator could have handled the situation better, but Bartelby’s fate was decided by him own actions and no one else’s. After all, Bartelby could have moved from the office when asked. Then again, he is insane. 4. Hemingway uses the scenery to reflect the argument between the two characters? How does that work? In a way, the scenery is used so that the characters do not have to truly engage themselves. Their conversation often travels in circles and does not really directly tackle the subject at hand. They never make eye contact and they are constantly looking away at the scenery. This allows the argument to perpetuate because they never truly engage each other. From this, Hemingway provides a clear insight into the problems with confrontation and communication and shows that conflict that is never addressed is never reconciled. 5. In O`Connor`s story, Why does the killer say that last line after killing the old woman? Its no real pleasure in life. This is the last line of O’Conner’s short story and it provides a unique insight into both the killer and society in general. This derives from the sequence of events that drives The Misfit to killing the character of the very dislikable grandmother. In a way, The Misfit’s murder of the old woman frees her from the shackles of the miserable life she endures and The Misfit’s ending of her suffering is, in a way, a welcome relief. However, with that last line, The Misfit acknowledges that the entire course of events could have been avoided had the women’s attitude had not been one of what was essentially self-loathing. In short, she should not have descended into a mental state that welcomed a mercy killing.

The Lottery :: essays papers

The Lottery Merriam-Webster's online dictionary defines tradition as, an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom) and the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction. If we are to go by the latter definition , we can understand how traditions are easily lost. Have you ever played the game telephone? You whisper something in someone's ear and they whisper it in another person^s ear until it finally returns back to you and normally what is returned isn't even close to what you originally whispered into the first person's ear In Shirley Jackson's short story ,"The Lottery" ,the main theme is how traditions that lose their meaning due to human forgetfulness can cause dreadful consequences to occur. Jackson uses a lot of symbolism to show this. The story is set in a small town, ^on the morning of June 27th^(272). It opens with false innocence , using the children building a rock pile, tricking the reader into a disturbingly unaware state. The reader almost expects the Lottery to be something wonderful since the "normal" lottery has the winner getting a prize of a large amount of money or possesion. Even the story alludes to the innocence , explaining how the the town also holds ^square dances, teenage club and the Halloween program^(273) in the same spot that the lottery is held. In "the Lottery" we discover that the town-folk use a lottery, to pick a "winner" to stone to death. The winner is picked using a black box that has been around for ages, and has even been ^rebuilt with parts supposedly from the original black box^.(273) Within the box are slips of paper, enough for the entire town. On one slip of paper is a black dot for the one lucky winner. Black has always been a symbol for death, and the color of the box and dot are no exception to this rule. One of Merriam-Webster^s dictionary definitions of black is ^marked by the occurance of disaster^ . The black dot on the slip of paper identifies the lucky winner of the lottery-the person who will get stoned to death. No-one in town really knows exactly why it is a tradition although they have some vague ideas. Old Man Warner alludes that it was once said "lottery in June, corn be heavy soon".(276) Ironically, even the oldest member of this village doesn^t even remember the real reason behind the lottery.

Britain’s Social Policy

Britain’s National Health Service (NHS), set up by the Department of Heath in July 1848 as a healthcare provision, is based on its citizen’s needs not ability to pay. The Department of Health oversees the NHS with funds provided through taxpayers (History of the NHS, n. d. ). Launched as a single organization, the NHS was founded around 14 regional hospital boards in three segments consisting of hospital services; family doctors, dentists, opticians and pharmacists; and local authority health services, including community nursing and health visiting (Ibid).As with any public service agency, changes are imminent. Since 1948, the NHS has undergone major changes in the organizational structure of the agency and in the manner in which patient services are provided. While the NHS proved beneficial to Britain’s citizens, there remained negatives in the program. In spite of improvements and successes, the NHS food was still rationed, building materials were short, and t here was a significant economic crisis and a shortage of fuel. In spite of efforts to improve conditions, the war created a housing crisis in addition to the post-war reconstruction of cities.The New Towns Act (1946) created major new centers of population, but each center was in need of health services. During the period from 1948 to 1957 (History of the NHS), the agency underwent administrative difficulties, financial problems, criticism over minimal fees charges to recipients (e. g. â€Å"a flat rate of ? 1 for ordinary dental treatment†) (Ibid), problems balancing all responsibilities and demands of the government and public, and maintaining medical professional and community health issues. By 1960, the NHS began to see positive changes. The introduction of improved drugs lead to better treatment to citizens.It was during this period that the polio vaccine was introduced along with â€Å"dialysis for chronic renal failure and chemotherapy for certain cancers were develop ed† (NHS, n. d. ). As time progressed, through 1967, problems concerning doctor’s pay arose. However, some of the problems were resolved through the Royal Commission. Like the reformation in pay structures, improved management conditions also became a significant concern. In fact, the NHS introduced a Hospital Activity Analysis to enable medical professionals and managers â€Å"better patient-based information† (NHS, n.d. ). Furthermore, the 1960s brought about a change in segmentation as medical staff was divided into specialty groups, leading to additional criticism (e. g. the 1962 Porritt Report called for unification) (NHS). Also launched in 1962 was Enoch Powell’s Hospital Plan, a ten-year program approving the development of district general hospitals for areas with populations of about 125,000 (NHS), advocating new postgraduate education centers, and giving nurses and doctors a better opportunity for education and future employment and stability.In 1967, recommendations for developing a senior nursing staff structure and moving forward with advancements in hospital management were made in the Salmon Report, while the Cogwheel Report marked the first report on the organization of doctors in hospitals. By 1968, the NHS boasted clinical and organization optimism. However, the optimism was short-lived. Medical progress was notable (e. g. inclusion of endoscopy and Computerized Axial Tomography scanning), including an extension of investigative groups.Also prevalent during the period of 1968 to 1977, transplant surgery became widely used, pharmaceutical improvements were evident, and intensive care units gave the NHS a renewed sense of how medical care would be provided to its citizens. This renewed spirit was short-lived with the mergence of Lassa Fever. The general practice charter encouraged the formation of primary health care teams, new group practice grounds and a rapid increase in the number of health centers.Additionally, t his period saw a change in the Government’s Hospital Plan as new hospitals began to provide even more people with improved and local services. Also indicative of progressive changes is the arrival of information technology through â€Å"health service computerization and clinical budgeting† (NHS). Nevertheless, advancements did not remove the continued debate concerning the organizational structure of the NHS. In 1974, a new system was introduced, but conflict continued combined with an increase in inflation.When inflation reached 26 percent, a wage restraint was enacted. According to the NHS, â€Å"industrial action hit the NHS while consultants were also alienated by proposals to reduce private practice within the service† (NHS, n. d. ). NHS historical sources relate that by 1978 the NHS â€Å"had become a victim of its own success† (n. d. ). Changes were imminent. The introduction of new technology and multifaceted treatment methods led the NHS and its governing forces to realize additional advancements were imperative.By the late 1980s, the NHS reported highly recognized advances, including the areas of primary health care, genetic engineering, successful drug advancements, and the introduction of the MRI of which the agency states: â€Å"the number of operations for fractured neck or femur and osteoarthritis of the hip was reaching almost epidemic proportions†¦increasing numbers of heart and liver transplants were being performed and surgical treatment for heart disease was becoming more common† (n. d. ).In spite of the positive changes, the NHS continued to face on constant dilemma –financial stability. Increasing demand for services exceeded the resources available, leading to the mandated audit process of what NHS professionals were doing. By 1987, the NHS’s medical staff was in debt (NHS, n. d. ), waiting lists were increasing, and hospital wards were being closed (n. d. ). The NHS reports the peri od of 1988 to 1997 as its â€Å"most significant cultural shift since its inception with the introduction of the so-called internal market† (NHS, n. d. ).A 1989 White Paper, Working for Patients, was passed into law (Community Care Act 1990). Leading up to the beginning of the 1990s, the NHS saw the emergence of the internal market while health organizations became NHS trusts (independent, competing organizations with their own managements). By 1991, the NHS reported 57 Trusts, with all care provided by Trust at the end of 1995. All of the changes marked what the agency calls the â€Å"New NHS† and defines this change as â€Å"modern, dependable† (NHS, n. d. ). The new NHS operates under â€Å"six principles† of which include:†¢ The renewal of the NHS as a genuinely national service, offering fair access to consistently high quality, prompt and accessible services right across the country; †¢ To make the delivery of healthcare against these new national standards a matter of local responsibility, with local doctors and nurses in the driving seat in shaping services; †¢ To get the NHS to work in partnership, breaking down organizational barriers and forging stronger links with local authorities; †¢ To drive efficiency through a more rigorous approach to performance, cutting bureaucracy to maximize every pound spent in the NHS for the care of patients;†¢ To shift the focus onto quality of care so that excellence would be guaranteed to all patients, with quality the driving force for decision-making at every level of the service; †¢ To rebuild public confidence in the NHS as a public service, accountable to patients, open to the public and shaped by their views. (â€Å"Six Principles†) Of all influences on the changes in the social policies of Britain the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 has had the greatest impact. In fact, before the Act, most of Britain’s health and public services were pla nned and provided by health and local authorities (Commissioning the New NHS, 1998).The Act divided the role of health and local authorities by changing their internal structure thereby giving local authority departments responsibility for assessing the needs of the local population and then purchasing the necessary services from providers (1998). However, under the terms of the Act, a select number of health and social services authorities opted out of what would mean competing with other providers to work together in other sections of the community (e. g. voluntary groups and housing associations) (1998).Under a â€Å"mixed economy of care† (NHS), social policies evolved to also include a service specification inviting providers to â€Å"tender for the contract to provide those services† (Commissioning the New NHS, 1998). This mixed economy was intended as a tool to give citizens a variety of health care choices. However, according the Department of Heath’s re port (1998): Some local authorities chose to purchase services as part of a ‘block contract’ (where a certain service is provided for a fixed price and a fixed length of time).Purchasing services in this way may actually reduce choice for the individual, as frequently no alternatives (outside those provided by the block contract) are made available. Key Elements of Housing Policy Post-war housing policy is believed to have been a â€Å"notable success† (Ball, 1983). Since the days following the war, the physical housing situation in Britain has improved dramatically. In the period of the 1950s to 1980, Britain had seen a significant net gain of 200-250,000 dwellings each year (p. 2).In fact, Ball (1983) reports that â€Å"millions of slums have been demolished† and â€Å"thousands of other dwellings have been renovated to [meet] modern standards† (1983). Britain’s housing conditions have seen a significant improvement, specifically into the 1 980s. In fact, the change was so dramatic that less than 5 percent of dwellings were overcrowded. Improvements in housing includes the inclusion of a bath/shower and an inside toilet. Of all policies in post-war Britain, the 1977 Housing Policy Review was the best moment of all changes in housing provision.By the early 1980s, however, satisfaction disappeared and a growing housing crisis became a concern once again. According to Ball (1983), Britain’s post-war housing record has been poor compared with other West European countries. While all experienced a housing boom from the late 1950s to the early 1970s, Britain’s population size resulted in its trailing behind other countries’ house building rates (see Table 1), most predominately those with a similar welfare state social democratic tradition. Key elements of the housing policies includes the Department of Health’s responsibilities to:†¢ Identify local market information on the supply of housing , care and support services for older and disabled people; †¢ Access support on developing and implementing regional and local housing with care action plans; †¢ Obtain advice on public and private sector capital and revenue streams to inform business investment decisions; †¢ Disseminate guidance on the DH’s Extra Care Housing fund and grant allocation arrangements; †¢ Facilitate the adaptation of good practice to local settings; †¢ Support successful applicants with the development process and share their learning with unsuccessful applicants;†¢ Access knowledge management tools to support practice development and service improvement. †¢ Secure funding to research, test and evaluate new and innovative models of housing with care solutions support; †¢ Offer training and consultancy resources to support service development and change management processes; and †¢ Convene regional LIN meetings to identify and share what works (Departm ent of Health, 2007). According to Gummer (2005), in the 25 years since the UK’s â€Å"right to buy† housing policy, approximately 2 million families have become homeowners, changing the way Britain’s housing policies and market is perceived.The â€Å"right to buy† policy opened opportunity to â€Å"a whole new group† giving them â€Å"a stake in the community that they had never had before† (p. 69). However, in spite of the positive changes, Gummer (2005) reports that Britain continues to receive criticism with the most cited concern being â€Å"that the sale of council houses means there is a shortage of homes to let† (p. 69). Contrary to the positives, negative critism has surfaced, including a Contract Journal article (Penny, 2005) stating that â€Å"social housing schemes could be about to receive a much-needed shot in the arm — as well as a much-needed boost from the private sector† (p.40). Penny (2005) argues the impracticability of Britain’s urging to commit to a social housing PFI. â€Å"Unless you know exactly what you are taking on, anyone involved in such a scheme could be taking a huge risk,† argues Penny (p. 40). The author, among others, believe that the proposed new NHS LIFT approach indicates the public sector retains an interest in the scheme of which Penny also argues will â€Å"sidestep tenants’ objections to being put into the hands of a firm being run solely to generate profit† (Ibid).Despite obvious objections, the Contract Journal (Penny, 2005) does see positive aspects of moving to NHS LIFT-style management and asserts that a move flexible program would benefit the public in more ways than better housing alone. Based on references concerning LIFT-style initiatives (NHS LIFT Guidance, 2007; Penny, 2005; Millet, 2005) the program addresses almost all concerns in social housing, including the continued coverage of health and schools. As time progres ses, Britain’s housing policy changes continue to be focus of debates on just how much of the changes are for the good of citizens and how much is political agenda.One must question the validity of various housing programs, including the current and forthcoming plans for housing for the elderly. One such program is the Wanless Telecare proposal (Housing LIN Policy Briefing, 2006) that the Audit Commission defines as â€Å"any service that brings health and social care directly to a user, generally in their own homes, supported by communication and information technology. Data is collected through sensors, fed into a home hub and sent electronically to a monitoring center† (2006, p.1). According to the Briefing document (2006), Britain’s government believes the Telecare program can help older people to remain in their homes for longer (p. 1). However, while the program proposal defines the costs associated with implementing the program as â€Å"modest† (20 06, p. 2), they are high, specifically to the homeowner. The set up fee of a basic home safety package costs about ? 360 plus monitoring costs of ? 5 per week. Home health monitoring is more expensive, around ? 700 and ? 10 per week monitoring costs.Given these high figures, combined with the already luminous housing problems with the elderly, how can such a program benefit citizens? According to the Audit Commission’s review of the Telecare housing safety program, â€Å"Telecare equipment and services provide the opportunity to react to hazardous events and to alert and prevent deterioration in an individual’s ability to care for themselves† (2006, p. 3). One specific pilot study (West Lothian: Opening Doors for Older People, 1999 quoted in Department of Health White Paper, 2006) for the inclusion of Telecare surveyed 10,000 households in the West Lothian district age 60 or over.The survey purpose was to reveal the validity of Telecare inclusion as a possible m eans of â€Å"reengineering† services for older people to include the development of extra care housing and changes to home care services. According to the survey, implementing Telecare on its own without wider system improvements is a wasted opportunity. In fact, the survey revealed: †¢ Telecare is not a cut price alternative to personal care, but sits alongside it †¢ A technology driven approach does not work †¢ A focus on cost saving/shunting does not work †¢ A high level of commitment at senior level is required†¢ West Lothian has found ‘minimal interest’ from the local NHS in telecare/telemedicine possibilities (Department of Health, 2006; Audit Commission, 2004; Brownsell et al, 2001). Understanding the changes in Britain’s housing policy since 1979 enables its citizens to better equip themselves for what future changes may come. In fact, Britain’s housing policies have fluctuated, indicating a positive change and decl ining to criticism and little faith of its citizens. While the government is consistently working toward bettering its housing policies, there remains many avenues yet to be explored. References:Audit Commission (2004). Older People: Implementing Telecare. London: Audit Commission. Ball, M. (1983). Housing Policy and Economic Power: The Political Economy of Owner Occupation. Methuen: London. Brownsell, S et al (2001). An attributable cost model for a telecare system using advanced community alarms. Journal of Telecare and Telemedicine, Volume 7. _______________ (1998). Commissioning the new NHS, 1999/2000. Department of Health, HSC (98) 198. Department of Health (2007). Official website. Crown, retrieved January 11, 2007 from http://www. dh. gov. uk/Home/fs/en Department of Health White Paper (2006).Our health, our care, our say: a new vision for community services. London: The Stationery Office. Gummer, J. (2005, Nov 5). â€Å"Right to buy† was the right move for everyone. E states Gazette, Issue 544, 69. Millet, C. (2005, Oct 10). Social housing set for LIFT-style deals. Contract Journal, Vol. 430 Issue 6545, 1. ______________ (2007). NHS LIFT Guidance. Crown, retrieved January 10, 2007 from http://www. dh. gov. uk/ProcurementAndProposals/PublicPrivatePartnership/NHSLIFT/N HSLIFTGuidance/fs/en Penny, E. (2005, Oct 10). Editor’s Comment. Contract Journal, Vol. 430 Issue 6545, 40. United Nations Statistical Yearbook 1978

Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology Essay

The day and the life of a teenagers, is consumed with text messages, Face time, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Face book messages. Many of us watch TV, listen to music, and â€Å"live chat† with our friends by way of the â€Å"smart phone†. I’m sure our parents wished for once, we would â€Å"look up† from our phones and have an actual conversation with them, but we can’t. We’re addicted to our phones. And sadly, this is typical living for modern people to â€Å"deal with† this hurried and fast-paced society. Nevertheless, it seems that we have less and less time to face the real world around as â€Å"technology† owns us. Is this new form of communication doing us good or bad? In chapter eight of the book â€Å"Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other,† the author Sherry Turkle, emphasize that people prefer technology over face-to-face communication and therefore, as known as â€Å"cy borgs†. It seems impossible for people to a moment without technological devices such as webcams, cell phones or laptops. We love the ideal of staying connected with others by way of our handheld or lap devices. As stated by the author, â€Å"cyberspace† offer teenagers a place to create and explore identity. Additionally, virtual communities, such as the internet, allow us a chance at forming a â€Å"Second Life†. By creating an avatar, we can edit our lives as we know it by creating a profile that will attract â€Å"followers, friend requests, and likes†. We literally have our relationships in the â€Å"palm† of our hands. But, is this real? Can we sustain these types of relationships? As noted in the chapter, â€Å"Virtual places offers connection with uncertain claims to commitment†¦People talk about digital life as the â€Å"place for hope,† the place where something new will come to them† (Turkle 153). I can admit to checking my phone just about every 5 minutes for a new pictures or messages from my â€Å"friends†. Social media provides instant updates and allow us to stay attune with what’s happening in the world – my world. However, Turkle’s stance remains neutral, yet depicts both the advantages and disadvantages being tethered to the internet gives us. We tend to remove ourselves from society by talking on phones or glancing down at screens of their mobile devices. We â€Å"log out† of the â€Å"real world† and â€Å"log in† the virtual space and therefore, cease the interaction or human connection with people surrounding us. In Chapter 1, Turkle states â€Å"†¦Whether or not our devices are in use, without them we feel  disconnected, adrift. Gradually, we come to see our online life as life itself. †¦ Technology reshapes the landscape of our emotional lives, but is it offering the lives we want to lead?† (16, 17). We’re unable to live without technology. We have conditioned ourselves to never leave home without our devices . Gone are the days of remember important contact information. Our handheld device house all of this information, so should we lose the smart phone, we’re completely lost. Moreover, people feel like their abilities are enhanced and efficiency are increased while multitasking. As noted in chapter 8, â€Å"†¦We have moved from multitasking to multi-lifing.† (160). In fact, we’re unable to perform basic tasks without some form of technological device near us – streaming music, TV, or live chats. It seems that we gain more time from the technological devices than we gain from picking up the phone or having a face-to-face meeting. Turkel, stated, â€Å"The online life may be enjoyable and fulfilling, making one even less satisfied with life at home. Networked, we are together, but so lessened are our expectations of each other that we can feel utterly alone. And there is the risk that we come to see others as objects to be accessed–and only for the parts we find useful, comforting, or amusing.† (154). Our expectations have â€Å"dimmed† due to our reliance on text messages, emails, and other social media outlets. We accept cryptic messages instead of organized, well throughout communications or agenda. Is there such a thing as social media overload? Can we escape from our devices long enough to simply â€Å"breathe†? One of the examples from the book, a museum curator Diane, she can barely keep up with the pace of technology. It’s her goal to remain â€Å"offline† in order to enjoy her life during her scheduled vacation and not feel inclined to response to the â€Å"unread† messages. The author suggests to us that in order to have more time to think, we have to the networked devices away, especially our youth. The author, Sherry Turkle, does not clearly express whether she encourage or discourages the use of networked devices, however, through her words, we can see that she implies that it is important for that we take a break from the virtual world and try to get back to the basics. As for my opinion, I enjoy my smart phone and the access that I have, however, realize after reading this book, I need to develop â€Å"real† friendships and not rely on my â€Å"followers† on the popular social media outlets to bring me instant gratification. However, I agree  with the author, people have a hard time relaxing because we’re always â€Å"on† and in receipt of news, be it good or bad. Yet, I choose the virtual world. Works Cited Turkle, Sherry. Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. New York: Basic Books, 2011. Print.

Night Father-son Relationship essays

Night Father-son Relationship essays Elie Weisels memoir Night focuses on Elies harsh life in the concentration camp. One of the important aspects of the books is the change in not only Elies father-son relationship but other father-son relationships in the book. The book reveals a great deal on how humans can change in a harsh environment like the concentration camp. The concentration camp is the cause of the change in the father-son relationship. For the father-son relationship, Elie gets closer. At the beginning of the book Elies father was occupied with his business and the doings of his community. Elies father discourages him to study the Cabbala when Elie asked if he could find a master to guide his studies for the Cabbala. Elies father replies by saying You must first study the basic subjects within your own understanding. (pg 2) From this we see that Elies father isnt willing to give up his time to teach Elie, or to even bother finding a man who will help him with study the Cabbala. In the beginning at the concentration camp, Elie sees his father beaten by Idek who suddenly broke out in a frenzy. Elie watched Idek beat his father while he kept quiet and didnt move. Elie says I was angry with him, for not knowing how to avoid Ideks outbreak. That is what the concentration camp life had made me. (pg 52) Elie does not show any sympathy for his fathers life because he was trying to avoid Idek and he gets angry at his father for not knowing how to avoid Idek. Elie fears that helping his father would result him being hurt. At the end of the book, Elie is incredibly closer to his father. The only thing that was keeping Elie and his father alive was the existence of each other. If one died, the other person probably could not make it, and would die eventually. My fathers presence was the only thing that stopped me... I had no right to let mys...

How to Tackle the 2015-16 Common Application Essay Prompts - The Essay Expert

How to Tackle the 2015-16 Common Application Essay Prompts - The Essay Expert In preparation for a TV interview on Channel 3000 last summer, I researched the new Common Application Essay questions. Somehow I got it into my head that I had already written about them since I had researched them. But in actuality, I did not share these new topics on my blog! Now that it’s college application season, I am really and truly sharing the Common Application Essay Prompts for 2015-2016. These new college essay prompts, on which I’ve commented below, were crafted based on survey results from almost 6,000 people who were members and constituents of the Common Application organization. The parts that changed from last year are in italics: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it.  If this sounds like you, then please share your story. (Previous prompt: â€Å"Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it†¦.†) I like that â€Å"identity, interest, and talent† were added as options and that the words â€Å"so central to your identity† were replaced with â€Å"meaningful.† These changes open up the question to a broader range of possible responses, and frankly take some pressure off. Not every applicant has a background that they consider â€Å"so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it.† But just about everyone has something in their life that’s meaningful enough to be important to share with the admissions committee. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? (First sentence was added to prompt.) Honestly, I don’t love this addition. To me it’s too handholding and should be clear to any student writing an essay about failure. Perhaps schools were not getting enough essays that showed how students applied the lessons they learned from their failures? But I would think a student’s approach to this essay would be one of the aspects admissions officers would want to consider, without handing a directive to them on a silver platter. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again? (No change.) In my experience, this question proves challenging for most high school students. Few youngsters at that age have gone against the grain in a meaningful way. I recall in second grade challenging teachers who were talking during a fire drill, and, in high school, writing an editorial expressing my dislike of the student dress code. Neither was serious fodder for a college essay. Nevertheless, for those debaters and newspaper editors and political activists in the college application pool, answering this prompt might be just the right road to admission. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. (Completely new prompt, replacing this previous one: â€Å"Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?†) I like this change a lot! The previous question was fairly bland and presented a difficult writing challenge, with no obvious opportunity to show growth. The new question, in contrast, provides an exciting opportunity for students to display their intellectual prowess or emotional intelligence. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family. (No change.) This might be the prompt to go or be changed significantly in 2016-17. Can you imagine thousands of students struggling to find something â€Å"different† to say about their Bar Mitzvah or Eagle Scout project? However, the prompt does offer an opportunity to explore and describe a unique childhood-to-adulthood transition. I remember fondly, for instance, the essay of one of my clients who taught his sister how to ride a bike, going from being annoyed at her wimpiness to owning his teacher role and succeeding in his task. The challenge here is to steer clear of anything clichà ©. That’s my take on the new College Application essays. As for other people’s opinions on these prompts, almost all of those surveyed agreed that the current prompts would generate effective essays on the whole. A slight majority believed the â€Å"story/background† prompt is the most effective, and I agree. In fact, most students could probably answer that question and submit a very effective essay; but there’s value in offering four more ways for students to approach thinking about their unique offerings and how to talk about their lives in 650 words. Note that very few participants in the survey wanted the â€Å"Topic of Your Choice† topic back. This is understandable since a student could write about pretty much any topic of their choice that’s personal to them and fit it within one of the current essay choices. If your child is applying to college and wants support on writing a great response to the Common Application questions, contact The Essay Expert. Remember, approximately 26% of all college applicants hire an admissions consultant, and your child is in the same pool they are. You might also enjoy some of my other articles about college essays and admissions.

Module 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Module 8 - Essay Example nards, from whence the cryptic prediction came that â€Å"the enemy of Rome will be defeated.† Naturally, Maxentius took this to mean that Constantine, the other Western emperor and who marches against him, will be defeated as the foretold enemy of Rome. Maxentius equated himself to Rome, and his enemy Constantine as the enemy of Rome. From this brief glimpse of Maxentius’ personality, one may deduce that character flaws in the person of the nation’s leader may have a defining impact on the future not only of the leader as an individual, but also upon the nation he leads. The moral ascendancy of the person who stands as father (mother) to an entire nation should be without question, else he would tend to lead his countrymen to perdition (Giovanni Milani-Santarpia, Moral Principles of the Ancient Romans, 2009). In the case of Maxentius, his hubris and tyranny were the causes for his misguided leadership that eventually spelled out the end of his reign as emperor of Rome (Edward Gibbon, Decline and fall of the Roman empire, 1998). This gives us something to think about, particularly in the persons of our own leaders. For instance, many of our political leaders, a former US President, and a leading golf player who served as role model for many aspiring young people, were compelled to admit before the pu blic their illicit relationships with women. If such is the moral fibre of our leaders, then it is time to ask ourselves if the fall of our nation is not too far off. The story of how Christianity became the official religion of 4th century Rome and the world religion it is today has assumed the status of legend. Christianity entailed the worship of an executed Jewish criminal; it was the religion of Jews and slaves. Therefore, its attribution to Constantine, 4th century Roman emperor, stretches the imagination and makes the story more intriguing. Two early Christian narrators tie the conversion of Constantine directly to his triumph in a military campaign