Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Three branches of the U.S. government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Three branches of the U.S. government - Essay Example The U.S. government has three branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary, each performing independently various function that support the functioning of the government. The three branches work independently.Consequently, the singular purpose of having the three branches working separately is to promise that they do not become too powerful to infringe on the freedoms of the population. In analyzing the three branches of the government, we see that all of their functions serve the public differently, and some branches seem to have more power than others in affecting the work of the government. Hence, this essay discusses the legislature because it has done and is doing a lot for the people of the United State (Trueman, 2000). The legislature is comprised of the bicameral Congress, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. The two houses are tasked with many functions, but their main purpose is to make legislative laws. The Senate is the upper house with each state represented by two senators in it. The House of Representatives represents the lower house and has a number of elected members proportionate to the population of a state. The Senate has one hundred seats and allows elected members to serve for a six-year term. However, the House of Representatives has a bigger number of members, and currently there are 435 members serving for a two-year term. The House of Representatives and the Senate have almost similar functions, but they also have specific responsibilities and powers. In addition, the two chambers work parallelly to each other in passing the bills that originate from either the Senate or the House of Representative (Wilson, Dilulio, & Bose, 2009). The legislative branch has many functions, but law making is its key function. The executive branch implements and enforces the law, whereas the judiciary branch interprets them. Hence, in serving the people, the legislative branch has the most power given that it is the one that delib erates on the bill that later becomes a law. The input of bills in addressing the challenges people encounter in their daily activities acknowledges the work of the Congress for the benefit of the Americans. Therefore, their service to the people supersedes the enforcing and elucidation of the executive and the judiciary branches. Furthermore, the legislative branch consists of elected members, and thus it represents the heart of representative democracy. When the law makers make laws, they do so in a democratic manner to meet the public interests and to ensure they are upheld (Wilson et al., 2009). In addition to making laws, the legislature has other non-legislative powers and responsibilities. These functions are not in any way related to the legislation of laws. One of the non-legislation powers of the Congress are the electoral powers. The electoral powers are only exercised when the electoral process fails to determine the results of a presidential election. The House of Repre sentatives is privileged to elect the president in cases where no candidate gains a majority Electoral College. On the other hand, the Senate is responsible for electing vice president in case no presidential candidate has enough Electoral College to ensure the victory of his nominee to the position of a vice president (Wilson et al., 2009). The legislative branch also has the non-legislative power of impeachment. The House of Representatives has the power to impeach federal government officials who are deemed to have bribed, committed high crimes, misdemeanors, and treason. While the House has the powers to impeach, the Senate acts as the judge and jury. In the history of the United States, only two presidents have been impeach: Bill Clinton (1998) and Andrew Johnson (1868), who both were acquitted by the Senate. Another non-legislative function of the Congress is the power of confirmation. The senate has the

Monday, October 28, 2019

Genetically modified organism Essay Example for Free

Genetically modified organism Essay In 1994, the first genetically modified food was tested and sold out into the market. Since then, over 35 countries and establishments from all around the world have started producing genetically modified foods. Genetically modified foods should be permitted because of it’s health benefits and advantages to the economy. Genetically modified foods, also known as engineered foods and biotech foods, are foods whose DNA has been modified in ways that do not naturally occur. Scientists tweak the DNA of the food by collaborating it with genes from a different organism, which gives the manufacturer all control over the plants genetic structure. Most of the genetically modified foods are from plants such as potatoes, corn, rice and even salmon. Animal feed, is also made up of crops such as soybeans, which are almost all genetically modified, meaning the food we eat from animals such as cows and chickens, are all being fed genetically modified foods, which then passes down to the meat they produce. There are a variety of reasons to why people have started genetically modifying food. To begin, it can enhance the taste of food; it increases the nutrients and also prevents pesticides and diseases. It is also a beneficial factor for the producers and the consumers as they can both save money since genetically modified foods are cheaper and most importantly since they last longer, making this an economic benefit. Although all the benefits it provides, a lot of harm comes with it. The way GM foods are engineered, is by taking a gene out of one organism and placing it into another, which disturbs the plants natural DNA. This factor kills off normal cells and provides the plant with the chemicals that scientist have injected into the plants for them to be able to last longer. Lastly, this action introduces allergens and toxins to food. The only ones to benefit from GM foods are multinational biotech companies and GM food consumers. To begin, it is economically beneficial for biotech companies because they are able to grow more crops that would last longer than a naturally grown crop. An example of this would be a potato. A naturally grown potato could last up to 3 weeks without being destroyed, in comparison to the genetically modified potato, which could last up to 7 weeks without being destroyed. Meaning this could benefit both the producers and the consumers because the fruits and vegetables that are being modified have longer shelf lives making the consumer save money and benefit from the bought products. Following its long life ability, genetically modified foods improve the availability of food for the world. As it lasts longer and cost cheaper than organic products, it improves the availability of food for the world by only producing so much at a time. Instead of producing 5 organic potatoes that will die off in 3 weeks, genetically modified potatoes are grown and will last 7 weeks, making us save potato seeds, which save more food for later increasing the worlds food supply. As GM foods are increasing the world’s food supply, they also provide an additional amount of nutrients chemically made. Genetically modified foods are modified to have more nutrients in it than the original food would have. Golden Rice, for example, is claimed to be â€Å"fortified† with vitamin A, which is an essential vitamin for the human body, which is provided by GM Golden Rice. There have been a great number of studies tracking the effects of GMOs on animals. Overwhelmingly, these studies indicate that GMOs are safe to consume. Impact on farming, GMOs allows plants to be modified to grow in environments that would be normally inhospitable. Cheaper food means, easier farming means more food, which, in turn, means less expensive food. This is not only beneficial for the average consumer, but it can have global implications: less expensive food makes it easier to feed hungry populations around the world. Increased nutritional value GMOs can be modified to have greater nutritional value than the organism would have naturally. For example, scientists, hoping to eliminate the need for post-harvest processing, have genetically modified rice to contain significantly higher amounts of vitamin A. This â€Å"golden rice† is not yet legal in most countries, but experts expect it to be within the next few years. All the Yes points 1. Genetically modified foods fill original food with chemicals. 2. Genetically Modified Food can cause cancer. 3. Genetically modified foods greatly affect our long-term health and well-being. 4. Genetically Modified foods All the No points Genetically modified foods can help solve the food crisis.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Ellen Foster :: essays research papers

At the age of ten, most children are dependent on their parents for everything in their lives needing a great deal of attention and care. However, Ellen, the main character and protagonist of the novel Ellen Foster, exemplifies a substantial amount of independence and mature, rational thought as a ten-year-old girl. The recent death of her mother sends her on a quest for the ideal family, or anywhere her father, who had shown apathy to both she and her fragile mother, was not. Kaye Gibbons’ use of simple diction, unmarked dialogue, and a unique story structure in her first novel, Ellen Foster, allows the reader to explore the emotions and thoughts of this heroic, ten-year-old girl modeled after Gibbons’ own experiences as a young girl. Kaye Gibbons’ experiences as a child are the foundations for this breathtaking saga of a young girl’s tragic memories of her childhood. As with Ellen, Gibbons’ parents both died before she was twelve-years-old forming the basis of the plot and themes of this novel. The fond memories she possessed of her mother and the harsh ones of her father are reflected in the thoughts and actions of Ellen. The simplistic and humble attitude that both Gibbons and Ellen epitomize in the novel is portrayed through diction and dialogue throughout the novel allows the audience to gain a better understanding and personal compassion for both the character and author. The novel is written in a short, choppy sentence structure using simple word choice, or diction, in a stream of consciousness to enable the reader to perceive the novel in the rational of an eleven-year-old girl. One short, simple sentence is followed by another , relating each in an easy flow of thoughts. Gibbons allows this stream of thoughts to again emphasize the childish perception of life’s greatest tragedies. For example, Gibbons uses the simple diction and stream of consciousness as Ellen searches herself for the true person she is. Gibbons uses this to show the reader how Ellen is an average girl who enjoys all of the things normal children relish and to contrast the naive lucidity of the sentences to the depth of the conceptions which Ellen has such a simplistic way of explaining. Gibbons’ and Ellen’s harrowing past is related in the novel through Ellen’s inner thoughts and the dialogue between characters. However, when Ellen converses with other characters, Gibbons chose not to use quotation marks or any of the formal methods of documenting dialogue between characters; she Ellen Foster :: essays research papers At the age of ten, most children are dependent on their parents for everything in their lives needing a great deal of attention and care. However, Ellen, the main character and protagonist of the novel Ellen Foster, exemplifies a substantial amount of independence and mature, rational thought as a ten-year-old girl. The recent death of her mother sends her on a quest for the ideal family, or anywhere her father, who had shown apathy to both she and her fragile mother, was not. Kaye Gibbons’ use of simple diction, unmarked dialogue, and a unique story structure in her first novel, Ellen Foster, allows the reader to explore the emotions and thoughts of this heroic, ten-year-old girl modeled after Gibbons’ own experiences as a young girl. Kaye Gibbons’ experiences as a child are the foundations for this breathtaking saga of a young girl’s tragic memories of her childhood. As with Ellen, Gibbons’ parents both died before she was twelve-years-old forming the basis of the plot and themes of this novel. The fond memories she possessed of her mother and the harsh ones of her father are reflected in the thoughts and actions of Ellen. The simplistic and humble attitude that both Gibbons and Ellen epitomize in the novel is portrayed through diction and dialogue throughout the novel allows the audience to gain a better understanding and personal compassion for both the character and author. The novel is written in a short, choppy sentence structure using simple word choice, or diction, in a stream of consciousness to enable the reader to perceive the novel in the rational of an eleven-year-old girl. One short, simple sentence is followed by another , relating each in an easy flow of thoughts. Gibbons allows this stream of thoughts to again emphasize the childish perception of life’s greatest tragedies. For example, Gibbons uses the simple diction and stream of consciousness as Ellen searches herself for the true person she is. Gibbons uses this to show the reader how Ellen is an average girl who enjoys all of the things normal children relish and to contrast the naive lucidity of the sentences to the depth of the conceptions which Ellen has such a simplistic way of explaining. Gibbons’ and Ellen’s harrowing past is related in the novel through Ellen’s inner thoughts and the dialogue between characters. However, when Ellen converses with other characters, Gibbons chose not to use quotation marks or any of the formal methods of documenting dialogue between characters; she

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Understanding adolescence: Current developments in adolescent psychology Essay

Children and young people in their life development pass through various stages that have mental problems. Some of these problems result from self-assessment about life. When one finds that the kind of life that he or she is living, is rather below her expectation tend to be faced by depression emotions that they seek to eliminate. In case from their thoughts one thinks that he or she is leading a life that is higher relatively to his or her friends, there is the likelihood of the person to grow to be proud. Mostly, the problems that affect family at a large in the children result from negative feelings about themselves. Some of the behaviours that young people develop through these development stages are such as disobedience, drug abuse, delayed duties, poor academic performances, and low self-esteem amongst other emotional problems (Freeman, 1985, p. 321). From the case study, Ben is encountered undergoing psychological problem that have caused an alarm to the whole family. These problems are far from external causes, they are problems that he has built for himself through thought. He is pessimistic about the future and this has brought to him much stress, he sees no need to work hard in class work, he is engaged in drug and substance abuse and disobedient. Bad peer influence has contributed a lot in the behavioural changes of ben. The only remedy to ben’s problems is counsel him I an effort to input positive thought in his mind. Systematic approach of tackling families and their children problems involve family based approach such as parent training. Parents could be trained on how to approach their children to realize their emotional problems they may be undergoing and try to reach them as per their capacity. The problem of drug abuse could be dealt with by parents’ commitment to free their children from drug abuse (Adams, 1968, p. 67). Parents create drug-free environment if they act as role models by not engaging in drug abuse. It will be very hard to convince a young person to refrain from drugs if you abuse drugs. In the case of Ben, his parents need to embrace a systematic psychology therapy to make him avoid being involved in drug abuse by acting as role models to him. Central to the cognitive view of people is the idea that they are actively trying to make sense of their environment by imposing order and meaning in the things they encounter. Cognitive explanations of the behaviour are found within the ways in which Ben organise and process information that is relevant to the particular methods of acting. In the case study, we could only recognise the fate of Ben by engaging in efforts to study the causes of what make him behave in a differently way. The idea that Ben is born by old couple contributes and in addition, very busy parents, contributes to a lack of parental love. Ben’s situation could also be analysed through creative approach. Creative approach in working with young people to build coherent intervention entails an analytical examination of the problems and gathering of various ideas about solving it. The ideas on how to solve the emotional problems could come from experience of the parent. The outcome of a particular psychological problem that Ben has ever been exposed to could guide his parents in solving a related matter at hand (Myers, 2004, p.266). Integrating creative, cognitive behaviour and systematic approach comprises of merging all these three techniques of solving emotional problems, to a strong design of solving psychological problems. This model may take several routes in efforts to make it realistic. The very first plan in integration of different psychological approaches is common factors. The common factors plan of integration tries to judge the core elements that different approaches have in common. The merit of common factors approach is that, it emphasis on therapeutic actions that have been demonstrated to be the most effective. This helps to analyse Ben’s emotional problem based on common elements found in all the three methods, therefore, more efficient model in working with Ben to build a coherent intervention (Neenam & Palmer, 2012, p. 56). Young people are taught in a way to conduct. By showing Ben on what is right and wrong, you build on his character. A good character is a great contribution to the society. Young people create the potential future generation and influencing a young person positively adds value in the generation to come. The other method to psychological approach integration is through technical eclecticism. Through technical eclecticism, Ben’s parents are guided to picking what has worked best for others previously. In solving a mental problem, Ben’s parents would try to look at the past instances of a similar case and adopt the same model of resolution that was past adopted. The model could be improved if the latter situation is more complicated than the previous situation. The improvement on the design of solving mental problems could be through buying more ideas from every psychological approach. The situation of poor academic performance by ben because of lack of positive attitude could be solving through both systematic and cognitive behavioural approach. Through cognitive behavioural approach, the parent would put himself in the standards of ben and class work through critically obtaining real facts from him, this would help to guide the parent come up with viable ideas about the problem resolution (Mclean & woody, 2001, p.671). Theoretical integration focuses on merging all small elements of theories in each of the approach and tries to come up with one deep level design. This model arrived at, bears all material facts from all the methods and, therefore, more effective in solving emotional problems. It is believed to be effective than constituent therapies alone. Assimilative integration is another route in integrating different psychological approaches and therapies. Assimilative integration is a model that would a view from either of the approach to deal with the current problem on the table. It is constructed by assimilating different ideas from different methods in one design that can solve a specific psychological problem. Parental love enables children to grow healthy emotionally. It helps them avoid emotional worries about their love security. Any child, who grows up in an environment that lacks the touch of love, is likely to improve inhumane behaviours. Some of inhumane behaviour that a person may develop because of lack of parental love is such as misconduct for duty of care, high negligence and immoral behaviours. Parental control to a child is very essential in the child’s development. Parental control contributes to instil moral virtues in a child, which he grows to mature while to recognize. From a research, psychologists argue that children that grow up under high control are more intelligent than those that grow in a less disciplined environment. This is true because disciplined children rarely waste time in unconstructive engagements; hence, they are more constructive in nature (Ginsberg, 1964, p.551).Ben is found in a family where he is the only child in their family. This has exposed ben to a lonely life. Because of the loneliness that he is undergoing, he suffers from increased mental thinking due to lack of business of friends to share with. A lot of thought and quietness without a person to share with may amount to stress. A stressed person is prone to some illnesses such as low self-esteem; lack of appetite and poor performing habits is no someone to motivate him (Oxington, 2005, p.99). Systematic dealing of Ben’s loneliness life could help him. The remedy to a lonely life could be by providing a person with an interactive environment. Interactive environment social groups such as ball clubs, study groups, religious groups amongst the others. It is the responsibility of his parents to ensure that Ben interact with a peer group that impact positively to his life (Bierman, 2004, p. 178). By integrating the cognitive behaviour, systematic and creative approaches in working with Ben, reliable model of solving psychological problem is realized. A model to solving a problem is said to be effective if it achieves its purpose in a way that it leaves no harm. A model also is said to be effective if it can achieve the target on which is set for without many struggles. An effective model is complex enough to reach all forms of psychological problems. From the case study we are provided with, parents to Ben think of visiting a psychiatrist to help them, solve the problem affecting their son. Ben bears the information that a psychiatrist would use to help Ben from his psychological problems. The parents can perform what the psychiatrist would perform only that they need technological skills to conduct it. Through systematic approach of psychology, parents ought to be trained on how to face and solve psychological problems facing Ben. Parental training is a systematic approach p sychological treatment of problem solving techniques. An integrated psychological model covers the whole range of therapeutic models and professionalism. Psychological treatment provision is a multi-professional and multi-agency endeavour. Psychiatrist, psychotherapists, psychologists, counsellors, nurses, social workers and many other organizations are involved all of whom need to communicate and coordinate effectively with one another. Psychological therapies are fundamental to primary mental health care and can make a highly significant contribution to the user satisfaction. Its recommendations are based on the range of well-established scientific evidence but also on professional consensus and views of service users (Feinstem & Kuumba, 2006, p. 249). It would be a good idea to visit a psychiatrist on a psychological problem. One of the main characteristics of a managed counselling service is that it can be proactive in helping the psychological counselling and testing to conduct health needs assessments and implement the changes to services required, as a result of it (Hearley, 2012, p.107). In other words, if counselling is in the system it can be effective both clinically and organizationally. However, paradoxically, if there is a lack of counselling services not even an embryonic condition for such, there is often an absence of knowledge at the strategic level about the basic principles of treatment. Psychology and counselling are different professions. Counselling service managers can equally lead the provision of integrated psychological therapy services in primary care or remain in parallel arm (Dorfman & hersen, 2001, p. 455). Although, there is professional difference between psychology and counselling, their main goal is almost the same. Psychiatrists are psychology professionals that help one restore his or her normal state of performance and perception of various issues. It is important to note that Ben has engaged in some practices because of the impact from peers. Some practices such as drugs and substance abuse are adopted due to influence from other people. Ben has engaged in drug abuse to keep in touch with his friends, keeping away from them and not supporting would mean, unfriending them. Friends fill up the lives with joy, acceptability and self-confidence. Friends are the source of motivation and power to lead a happy life, nevertheless friendship at time may be running. Ben and his friends engage themselves in drug abuse as a way of passing their leisure time. This bad practice results from efforts to keep friends. It is the mandate of the parents to observe the company of friends that Ben interact with and pass to him a word of advice if necessary. If the friendship is constructive, show parental support on it, if the friendship behaves kind it is destructive, the parents should immediately discourage it (Granot, 2005, p. 115). By integrating different psychological methods, a design that is cost effective is achieved. The model is said to be cost effective if it is considerate in nature. Both the Ben’s parent and psychiatrist that are using the model should experience a mutual benefit from it. No party, either that seeks to help or the one that utilise the model to support should be in the worse side. The design is flexible enough if it is able to reach all the parties efficiently at their standards. Any matters arising during problem solving, should as well have their appropriate way of dealing with them. This is all that comprises of an efficient model (Cain, 1969, p.23). Creativity borrows a lot from psychology. Cognitive psychologist tries to build up cognitive models of the information processing that goes on inside people’s mind. A cognitive model of the memory system would suggest that it has two main components, one for dealing with the information that we need to process now. This brain based psychology where psychiatrist tries to measure your brain level of adopting things. It is after this critical brain analysis that the psychologist gets to know how to approach Ben in different brain dealings (Sigston, 1996, p 103). A clear strength of the cognitive behavioural therapy approach to depression is its grounding in cognitive theory of depression that has been subject to extensive empirical testing over several decades. This has brought the original theory into focus and led to important elaborations and changes (Luxmoore, 2006. P. 17). The cognitive model of depression that contextualizes cognitive behavioural therapy exemplifies the diathesis, stress approach to psychopathology. This is one of the best methods in dealing with stress, as searches for the reason of depression in an individual. Cognitive model tries to examine the sources of the stress to an individual after which it gathers information about on various solutions to the stress. In the case study, Ben is face within a situation full of depression. The pressure on ben is because of the parental requirement from him that he struggles to reach. Another source of depression comes in where he tries to impress his friends at the expense of his morality. That does not close the list of Ben in terms of being stressed up; Ben is in a depression following poor academic performance in the class. Poor academic performance is caused by being not very serious with his class duties due to engagement in some unproductive activities. Cognitive behavioural approach would guide his parent to try to create a positive attitude in ben that would enable him have a positive attitude toward his undertakings. Unhealthy social conduct amounts to a psychological problem. This could be dealt with by integrating the three approaches to psychology. An integrated model has all the appropriate ways in ensuring a well Ben’s psychological environment is maintained. By adopting an integrated model that combines the three approaches to solving psychological problems affecting Ben, an efficient way of tackling with social misconducts is realized. It is very vital to note that for a goal to be achieved effort must be made. In solving Ben’s psychological problem, it is very important to create a conducive environment for implementing measures to solve the problem. Creation of a good environment is achieved by equipping oneself with the entire facts amount to the source of psychological problems. It is also appropriate to approach Ben wisely. Every person does not want be seen as problematic even he or she is in a problem. One best method of creating a conducive environment in Ben is by showing him how importance he is. Once Ben is told about his necessity in the society, it becomes very easily to attack him. By attacking Ben, it means to put effort in counselling or executing the most appropriate measure in solving the psychological problem affecting Ben. For an objective to be achieved, there is should a mechanism to achieve the goal. This mechanism comprises of the method to follow in reaching the solution of the problem. By integrating approaches to understanding psychological matters, it creates effective models in solving psychological problems that affect Ben. It is easy to approach Ben for correction than an adult. Young people are quick learners and hence, they grasp things at a higher level as compared to the older ones. When it comes to parental guidance, use of disciplinary measures that are fierce is also encouraged; some children and young people are very naughty to change from a bad behaviour. In such a situation, a parent is advice to put into measures things as punishment in controlling the behaviour of their children (Morgan, 1991, p.113). Through correcting children by punishment, they learn faster on how to avoid such a mistake again, unlike just by a mere word of mouth. Due to fear of undergoing punishment, it would very hard for Ben to repeat the same mistake. The usefulness of integrating cognitive behavioural, systematic and creative approaches in working with Ben to build a coherent intervention has a great contribution in improving his life. It tries to come up with different and effective approaches to deal with psychological problems affecting Ben. Nevertheless, improved models of dealing with psychological problems may fail at times; this is because some psychological problems have some source in biological development of a person. As a young person develops, especially in adolescent, he may develop another psychological problem such as pride that is very hard to deal within integrated cognitive behavioural, systematic and creative approaches. The growth of cognitive behavioural perspective reflects the impact of a more generally cognitive view of psychology. The cognitive approach focuses on how our behaviour is affect, by the way, in which we take in, mentally represent, process, and store information. Psychologists who take a cognitive approach suggest that there be several ways, in which children learn to be aggressive. Children may see others being reward for acting aggressively and then might be rewarded themselves for doing the same. Aggressiveness might also be more likely if a child constantly hears that other people can be dangerous and that aggression is the only way to deal with threats, disagreements and another conflict situation. In dealing with the emotional problems affecting Ben, it will be vital to try to examine his logical understanding of the issues; this would help to try change Ben’s way of perceiving an understanding some life aggregate issues (Ashworth, 2000, p.253). Cognitive approach in solving a mental problem has a significant contribution in decision. It could help Ben change a negative mentality to a positive and composed mind. Psychologist who takes a cognitive approach suggests that mental processes help us to understand many kinds of individual and social behaviours, from decision-making and problem solving to interpersonal attraction and intelligence. The cognitive approach is especially important in the field of cognitive science, in which researchers from psychology and philosophy study intelligent systems in the human (Gallagler, 2011, p 13). Generally, cognitive approach refers to those therapeutic techniques aiming to change or modify Ben’s thoughts or beliefs. Beliefs are assumptions about life values that a person creates. References Adams,  J.  F. (1968). Understanding adolescence: Current developments in adolescent psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. American Psychopathological Association, In Hoch,  P.  H., & In Zubin,  J. (1964). Anxiety: The proceedings of the Thirty-ninth Annual Meeting of the American Psychopathological Association, held in New York City, June, 1949. New York: Hafner Pub. Co. Ashworth,  P.  D. (2000). Psychology and ‘human nature’. London: Psychology Press. Bierman,  K.  L. (2004). Peer rejection: Developmental processes and intervention strategies. New York: Guilford Press. Cain, A. H. (1969). Young people and drugs. New York: John Day Co.. Council for Exceptional Children (1951). Exceptional children: Journal of the International Council for Exceptional Children. Washington, D.C: The Council. Dorfman,  W.  I., & Hersen,  M. (2001). Understanding psychological assessment. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers Freeman,  J. (1985). The Psychology of gifted children: Perspectives on development and education. Chichester [West Sussex: Wiley. Feinstein,  J., & Kuumba,  N.  I. (2006). Working with gangs and young people: A toolkit for resolving group conflict. London: J. Kingsley. Gallagher,  W. (2011). New: Understanding our need for novelty and change. New York: Penguin Press. Ginsberg,  M. (1964). The psychology of society. New York: Barnes & Noble. Granot, T. (2005). Without you children and young people growing up with loss and its effects. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Grolier Educational Corporation (2002). Psychology. Danbury, Conn: Grolier Educational. Healey, J. (2012). Self-harm and young people. Thirroul, N.S.W.: Spinney Press. Jacoby,  S. (2008). The age of American unreason. New York: Pantheon Books. Long,  M. (2000). The psychology of education. London: Routledge/Falmer. Luxmoore, N. (2006). Working with anger and young people. London: J. Kingsley. Copied to Clipboard! McLean,  P.  D., & Woody,  S.  R. (2001). Anxiety disorders in adults: An evidence-based approach to psychological treatment. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Morgan, J. D. (1991). Young people and death. Philadelphia: Charles Press. Myers,  D.  G. (2004). Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers. Neenan,  M., & Palmer,  S. (2012). Cognitive behavioural coaching in practice: An evidence based approach. Hove: Routledge. Oxington,  K.  V. (2005). Psychology of stress. New York: Nova Biomedical Books. Sigston, A. (1996). Psychology in practice with young people, families, and schools. London: D. Fulton Publishers. Wilding,  C., & Milne,  A. (2010). Cognitive behavioural therapy. London: Teach Yourself. . Copied to Clipboard! Source document

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Bad Writing Assignment(Intentional)

An Indiana supermarket has started the next trend in do-it-yourself grocery shopping – allowing customers not only to check themselves out. But also to let themselves in. On Thanksgiving night in Goshen, the locking mechanism on its front door was not checked by someone at the store. That resulted in a dozen customers entering the store and trying to shop despite a complete absence of store employees. Normally open 24 hours a day, the doors of the store were shut at 6 p. m. on Thanksgiving evening. Store manager, Sheila Donley, said. It seems the locks on the front doors must have failed, and instead of actually sleeping off their turkey dinners or getting an early head start on Black Friday, some loyal Kroger customers decided to pick up a few extra items. † Since the locking mechanism had failed the doors were not easy to slide open, Donley said, that may have deterred others who came earlier in the evening. About 10:15 p. m. , though, one customer decided the store lo oked open. And pulled the sliding front doors apart just as several other shoppers arrived. When I arrived at the store I could see a little space between the doors, because all the lights were on inside, I just assumed the automatic opener had stopped working but I could still shop,† said, Goshen resident, Bill Terrell. â€Å"I looked for an employee to alert, I found no one and decided just to buy what I needed. † Several other late-night shoppers gathered items and went to the self-checkout lanes, seemingly oblivious to the utter lack of employees. They realized something was wrong after seeing all registers closed, Terrell said. At some point, police were called.Puzzled by the situation, a call came from a customer or a neighbor concerned about the sudden activity. Police spokeswoman, Christy Samms said, â€Å"There were definitely no signs of forced entry at all and apparently no one stole any items from the business. † She said it appeared the door’s locking mechanism had not completely engaged. At this point in time, Donley, called in by police, secured all of the entrances and sent the confused customers on their way – each with a voucher for $20 worth of Kroger-brand items on a upcoming future visit.The customers, taking it in stride, left without incident, Terrell said. â€Å"As foolish as we probably were to be out on Thanksgiving night, I guess it’s hard to complain about free food on our next trip,† he said. 1a. Original: Donley, called in by police†¦. 1b. Revision: At this point in time, Donley, called in by police†¦ (Concise Wording) 2a. Original: â€Å"There were no signs of forced entry and apparently†¦. 2b. Revision: â€Å"There were no signs of forced entry at all and apparently†¦ (Unnecessary Filler) 3a.Original: †¦and apparently no one stole from the business. † 3b. Revision: †¦and apparently no one stole any items from the business. † (Unnecessary Filler) 4a. Original: â€Å"It seems the locks on the front doors failed†¦ 4b. Revision: â€Å"It seems the locks on the front doors must have stopped working†¦ (Concise wording) 5a. Original: â€Å"I could see a little space between the doors†¦ 5b. Revision: â€Å"When I arrived at the store I could see a little space between the doors†¦ (Long Lead Ins) 6a. The doors were not easy to slide open,†¦. 6b.Since the locking mechanism had failed the doors were not easy to slide open,.. (Long Lead Ins) 7a. †¦and instead of sleeping off†¦. 7b. †¦and instead of actually sleeping off†¦ (Needless Adverb) 8a. †¦brand items on a future visit. 8b. †¦brand items on a upcoming future visit. (Redundant Words) 9a. â€Å"There were no signs of forced entry†¦ 9b. â€Å"There were definitely no signs of forced entry†¦ (Needless Adverb) 10a. †¦or getting an early start on Black Friday†¦ 10b. †¦or getting an early head start on Black Friday†¦ (Redundant Words)

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Love in Oceania essays

Love in Oceania essays Winston Smith lives in Oceania. Oceania is the utopian vision of Big Brother and the Inner Party. The year is 1984 and Winstons world is made up of telescreens and thought police. At any given moment in time he is being watched. Despite all of this he is lonely. He desires someone to talk to and someone to love. Winstons love interests in 1984 vary from Julia, O'Brien, to Big Brother. The concept of love in Oceania is controlled and perceived in a frightening manner. The daily loneliness is very difficult for Winston. He begins a diary knowing he will be caught. This seems trivial to him. There is little that makes him happy in life and the consequences of his diary seem unimportant. This all changes when he is given a slip of paper with three simple words on it, I love you. Their love affair gave Winston something to live for. He felt a sort of purpose in loving Julia. He satisfied his human urge to talk to someone and to be affectionate with another human being. Sex was also purposeful. Sexual intercourse was almost forbidden. Sex and love were to never be intertwined. Orgasms were practically illegal and promiscuity even worse. Winston felt that his love for Julia and their lovemaking was a rebellious act against the Inner Party and Big Brother. Winston became a much happier character after he began his relationship with Julia. He appreciated life and times he could sneak away to be with her. For a short while he stopped writ ing in his diary for fear of death; he wished to live for Julia and their love. Winston feels and affinity with his superior, O'Brien. There is a love affair on Winstons part to OBrien. OBrien is the father figure missing from Winstons past. He is the protector and the savior of Winston. Within the Ministry of Love, the true job of OBrien is revealed. The concept of live in the Ministry of Love is to love Big Brother. O&ap...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Changes in Roger Chillingsworth essays

Changes in Roger Chillingsworth essays In the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, there is a character by the name of Roger Prynne. He changes in the many different ways. His changes are physical, moral, and spiritual. Roger Prynne changes physically over the course of the book. First of all he changes his name. He is the Roger Prynne and changes to Roger Chillingworth to hide form the shame of being Hesters husband. He also changes his physical appearance. Before the book starts he is a well-dressed scholar form Amsterdam. Then at his first appearance in the book he is very wild looking with wild dress from living with Indians. Third of all, his expression changes. At the beginning he has a look of calm intelligence. Now his face has become somewhat ugly and evil looking. Secondly Chillingworth changes morally. Before he enters Boston he is a very caring, selfless man. Then, as he sees his wife holding a baby, not his own, standing on a scaffold, his attitude changes to one of revenge. As the novel comes towards the en, it appears Chillingworth has transformed into a devil. He has become someone who is to the point of being selfish to the extreme, willing to surrender his fellow man to delight his own desires. Last of all Roger Chillingworth changes spiritually. Although he does not go from good to bad, the sins committed do change. In the beginning it seems as if he is the one being sinned against, being shipwrecked, captured by Indians, and then entering Boston and finding his wife holding a baby that is not his. In truth, he has committed sin first. His first sin is marrying a young and passionate Hester, knowing she does not love him and he cannot be to her the type of husband she needs. Secondly Chillingworth tries to play God by judging Dimmesdale. He is so intent on vengeance that he spends his time trying to destroy Dimmesdales sanity. Thirdly he has destroyed himself. When Chillingworth says ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Dial One, Followed by the Octothorpe

Dial One, Followed by the Octothorpe Dial One, Followed by the Octothorpe Dial One, Followed by the Octothorpe By Maeve Maddox Everyone knows the cross-hatched symbol #. For some its the pound sign because it has been used by greengrocers as a symbol for pound on the little signs pricing fruit and vegetables: .75# (seventy-five cents a pound). For some its the tic-tac-toe sign because of the game that uses it as the playing area. Automated telephone systems instruct us to dial certain numbers, followed by the pound sign, a direction that confused me at first because I think of this symbol as the number sign. As if there werent already enough names for it, engineers at Bell have come up with an official moniker for it: the octothorpe. The octo part comes from the fact that the symbol has eight points. No one seems to be able to say with any certainty where the thorpe comes from. European phone companies, like British Telecom, call the symbol a square, a term apparently too simple for the North American telephone industry. On the other hand, rather than use the obvious word asterisk for that symbol on the dial, the telephone powers prefer to call it a star. Go figure. For an exploration of the etymology of octothorpe visit World Wide Words. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Types of LanguageGrammar Quiz #21: Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses50 Synonyms for â€Å"Villain†

Saturday, October 19, 2019

American Slave Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

American Slave - Essay Example Most slave owners had one great fear that of slaves learning how to write and read. The owners knew that the less the slaves knew the better they would be. Having the potential to write and read meant that, slaves would realize that they are equal to their masters. This would lead to them questioning slave owners about their treatment towards their fellow men. Douglas started reading and writing. As he kept on reading more it became easy to look at things extraordinarily differently. His attitude changed altogether. He started seeing things, not as a slave but a citizen. As a result of his gain in knowledge, he started to envy illiterate slaves, who did not understand the horrible living conditions. Therefore, he could not at all bear the thought of being captive as a slave (Fredrick 33). Any slave who got noticed by his master to be a quick learner or trying to read and write, he or she would be stopped and discouraged from learning. This is because slave owners never wanted their slaves to become aware of the news about slavery. Slave owners never wanted their slaves to know anything related to being free or freedom. In spite of the harsh rules against a teaching of slaves, they always found a way to gain knowledge of how to read or write. All this happened by Douglas holding classes on Sundays where slaves from other farms and plantation who sneaked and risked their lives, came over to learn (Fredrick 34). At the time, when Douglas is extremely young, he witnesses a slave getting whipped for the first time.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Hitler's non-traditional weapons of Wold War 2. I.E. other than Guns, Term Paper

Hitler's non-traditional weapons of Wold War 2. I.E. other than Guns, Planes, Tanks, Bombs, Gas and rockets - Term Paper Example Most of these were conventional weapons although some were an exaggerated show of might while others were discovered accidentally such as certain nerve gas weapons that had potential to be extremely damaging but never saw use in the war. Others still proved very effective in achieving set objectives of destruction and advancing the war in Germany’s favor. However, it was none of these conventional weapons that caused the most devastation. It was neither of them that made Hitler so feared and loathed in an equal measure. The non-traditional weapons gave Hitler an iron grip on those working under him during his reign (Welsch, 1998). Hitler was a master at using terror to intimidate as well as garner admiration from his followers. On more than one occasion he overruled and even had killed those he viewed as being disloyal to him or being incompetent for tasks assigned. For instance, during the advance of soviet troops toward Berlin, Goring, who tried to assume leadership from Hitler who was besieged in Berlin was ordered arrested and was removed from all positions in government. During the same period, Himmler was trying to negotiate terms of surrender with forces allied to the west. When Hitler discovered this, he had him arrested and had his representative Fegelein shot (Bullock, 1962). Hitlers promise of a more united and integrated society earned his admiration from his followers, but the reality was that he brokered deals with whomever he felt necessary to achieve his goals. Hitler got political mileage from the fact that he disregarded prior treaties and brokered deals that prevented him from achieving his goals (Welsch, 1998). Despite promising a united nation, he felt that other ethnic groups within Germany were enemies and were a stain on a potentially pure German race. His anti-Semitic views fuelled his policies and his hatred for the Jews led to one of World history’s worst mass killing acts to date;

Effects of flicker on reading comfort Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Effects of flicker on reading comfort - Essay Example Meares in 1980 and subsequently Irlen in 1983 described same set of symptoms induced by reading as visual perceptual disorder known as Meares-Irlen syndrome (MIS) or scotopic sensitivity syndrome (SSS)2,3. Jeanes et al4 reported that this syndrome can be found in 12 percent of general population and 65 percent of dyslexics. Furthermore, Wilkins5 identified these symptoms as ‘visual stress’ and categorised them into somatic such as tired eyes and visuo-perceptual like color, motion or shape illusions. Another name of this group of symptoms is ‘pattern glare’ that was used by Wilkins and Nimmo-Smith6 because they induced in normal people, who do not have photosensitive epilepsy, when they observed patterns of strips. There are number of parameters to characterise pattern of strips such as the total size, spatial frequency, duty cycle and contrast7. Wilkins et al8 found that the frequency of pattern glare depends on the characteristics of patterns. Similarly, reading text can induce same effects of discomfort because straight lines of text form a pattern of strips5. The same characteristics of pattern of strips can also determine the effects induced from text. The size of the page contains text excluding the margins corresponds to the size of pattern, the interline spacing represents the spatial frequency, the middle body of written letters excluding ascenders and descenders corresponds to duty cycle, and the contrast of the ink used on the paper besides the thickness and spacing of the words strokes determines the grating contrast7. Thus, text can induce the incidence of pattern glare, which depends on text characteristics. The book â€Å"Visual stress†, by Wilkins5 has a whole chapter to discuss photosensitive epilepsy and the visual stimulation of seizures. Wilkins states that visual stimulation may trigger seizures in 4 percent of patient with epilepsy. In addition, visual stimulation is the only factor to provoke seizures in many

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Payday loans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Payday loans - Essay Example Even more is the issue of employment. As the nation struggles with high unemployment rate, the payday loans industry has come to be one industry that is absorbing a lot of unemployed citizens. The economic relation in determining the interest rates on loans paid to low income earners and middle and high income earners emanates from the common principle of guarantee and surety. It is logical to assume that the middle and high income earners would easily pay off their loans. To the lender, it is the low income earner who would face problems paying off the loans. Experience has showed that some low income earners stop paying off their loan half way through (Gardener, 2008). This means that if higher interest rates were changed, the lender may not have much to loss because of the stoppage because as at the time of the stoppage, they might have made enough accumulated sum for the original amount taken. Banks seem to be refusing to enter the venture because of the risk involved. It would be noted that the loans are mostly patronized by low income earners who cannot guarantee payment. The banks therefore do not want to risk having their monies being made away with especially as the economic meltdown seem not to have been totally recovered from. In the absence of payday loans, those who benefit from it would simply have had to cut down on their expenditure in order to make their earnings sufficient for

Finite Element Analysis of structures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Finite Element Analysis of structures - Essay Example Each element contains nodes which are points were the elements are mathematically connected to one another. The idea of dividing a domain up into subdomains is the basic principle of how FEA works' FEA consists of a computer model of a material or design that is stressed and analyzed for specific results. It is used in new product design, and existing product refinement. A company is able to verify a proposed design will be able to perform to the client's specifications prior to manufacturing or construction. Modifying an existing product or structure is utilized to qualify the product or structure for a new service condition. In case of structural failure, FEA may be used to help determine the design modifications to meet the new condition. There are generally two types of analysis that are used in industry: 2-D modeling, and 3-D modeling. While 2-D modeling conserves simplicity and allows the analysis to be run on a relatively normal computer, it tends to yield less accurate results. 3-D modeling, however, produces more accurate results while sacrificing the ability to run on all but the fastest computers effectively. Within each of these modeling schemes, the programmer can insert numerous algorithms (functions) which may make the system behave linearly or non-linearly. Linear systems are far less complex and generally do not take into account plastic deformation. Non-linear systems do account for plastic deformation, and many also are capable of testing a material all the way to fracture. How Does Finite Element Analysis Work' FEA uses a complex system of points called nodes which make a grid called a mesh . This mesh is programmed to contain the material and structural properties which define how the structure will react to certain loading conditions. Nodes are assigned at a certain density throughout the material depending on the anticipated stress levels of a particular area. Regions which will receive large amounts of stress usually have a higher node density than those which experience little or no stress. Points of interest may consist of: fracture point of previously tested material, fillets, corners, complex detail, and high stress areas. The mesh acts like a spider web in that from each node, there extends a mesh element to each of the adjacent nodes. This web of vectors is what carries the material properties to the object, creating many elements. A wide range of objective functions (variables within the system) are available for minimization or maximization: Mass, volume, temperature Strain energy, stress strain Force, displacement, velocity, acceleration Synthetic (User defined) There are multiple loading conditions which may be applied to a system. Next to Figure 3, some examples are shown: Point, pressure (Figure 3), thermal, gravity, and centrifugal static loads Thermal loads from solution of heat transfer analysis Enforced displacements Heat flux and convection Point, pressure and gravity dynamic loads Each FEA program may come with an element library, or one is constructed over time. Some sample elements are: Rod elements Beam elements Plate/Shell/Composite elements Shear panel Solid elements Spring elements Mass elements Rigid elements Viscous damping elements Many FEA programs also are equipped with the capability to use multiple materials within the structure such as: Isotropic, identical throughout Orthotropic, identical at 90 degrees General anisotropic, different throughout Types of

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Payday loans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Payday loans - Essay Example Even more is the issue of employment. As the nation struggles with high unemployment rate, the payday loans industry has come to be one industry that is absorbing a lot of unemployed citizens. The economic relation in determining the interest rates on loans paid to low income earners and middle and high income earners emanates from the common principle of guarantee and surety. It is logical to assume that the middle and high income earners would easily pay off their loans. To the lender, it is the low income earner who would face problems paying off the loans. Experience has showed that some low income earners stop paying off their loan half way through (Gardener, 2008). This means that if higher interest rates were changed, the lender may not have much to loss because of the stoppage because as at the time of the stoppage, they might have made enough accumulated sum for the original amount taken. Banks seem to be refusing to enter the venture because of the risk involved. It would be noted that the loans are mostly patronized by low income earners who cannot guarantee payment. The banks therefore do not want to risk having their monies being made away with especially as the economic meltdown seem not to have been totally recovered from. In the absence of payday loans, those who benefit from it would simply have had to cut down on their expenditure in order to make their earnings sufficient for

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

India’s Classical Age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

India’s Classical Age - Essay Example It is believed that Kalidasa was one of the nine gems in the court of the great Vikramaditya. Therefore, it is evident that some influence of the socio-political elements of the period can be traced in the plot of the great drama as no literature is free from the local and contemporary social influences. The great drama by Kalidasa, in the similar fashion, captivates the rich and glorious heritage of India and its tradition. We come to know that kings were fond of hunting and as the opening scene shows the king set out for hunting and chasing the antelopes, Sakoontala indeed is a great material to be incorporated as a film. The plot of the drama and its narrative structure captivates great dramatic element. Along with that character portrayal and character development of the drama give the play a total cinematic dimension. All the characters are portrayed brilliantly and coherently for the support of the plot and its development. A thorough focus on the main characters that of Sakoontala and Dushyanta launches its readers to a better understanding of the play incorporated as a film. The tender and innocent Sakoontala at the lap of nature falls in love with the king. Her love is fresh and pure as the nature. Amid the charm of the nature and enchantment of the nature girl Sakoontala, the king is enamoured in the love of the nature and the young tender girl with the ferocity of lightening and charm of an antelope. But their departure and the trajectory which the tender girl from the lap of the nature, Sakoontala undertakes launch her to a n evolved character of a matured fighter of her social rights and give a complete coherence to the plot and trajectory of the character development. On the other hand, the character transformation of Dushyanta, the king also is worth appreciation. His journey from falling in love to forgetting it and finding the lost love once more supports the plot development and trajectory of Sakoontala’s character equally

Monday, October 14, 2019

Two Kinds Essay Example for Free

Two Kinds Essay She is a mother who got a second chance at having a family and is very controlling thinking she is doing what is best or her child. The narrator which is the daughter; she starts off as a normal child in the story, but the conflict between her and her mother causes her to be resentful and a underachiever. There is the father who does not say anything in the story but seems to agree with the mother. There is the Aunt Lindo that is really her mothers friend who seems to brag about her child Waverly; a character in the story who seems quite spoiled. And the piano teacher Mr. Chong who the daughter likes to refer to as â€Å"Old Chong†. He is a deaf piano teacher that has no idea that the daughter is not playing the right tunes. The mother who is very strict on her daughter, she did not think she was pushing the daughter to far. The mother felt the daughter was not trying hard enough, which she showed she was very disappointed. The mother went as far as insulting the daughter and blaming her or the way she looked. In the beginning of the story the was very excited to become a prodigy. She tried real hard to get it right and please her parents. The daughter tried real hard to find out what she was perfect at. That was until the daughter no longer felt like she would ever be perfect. She spent so much time believing that she was perfect and wanting to please her parents every time she could not do something right she knew how much her mother would be disappointed and she also disappointed herself as well. The daughters whole life revolved around her being a perfect little girl. The mother just new that there was something her daughter could master. The little girl started to doubt herself, but the mother tried everything she heard or seen these little prodigy kids in America do. The Mother started to get angry because she felt her daughter was not trying hard enough. The little girl started to believe that she was just an ordinary little girl, but knew that was not except-able to her mother. Her mother spent years comparing her daughter to these other children. She was trying to find her daughters hidden talent. The mother felt her daughter could do anything she put her mind to. I think the mother felt her daughter had chances that she never had in China and did not want her to ruin her opportunity. The daughter did not understand this she just wanted to be a normal little girl and have fun. The little girl was over trying to be perfect, but the mother was not ready to give up. The mother kept on trying to show her daughter how these other kids can do these things, and that she should be able to do them as well. The mother showed her disappointment time and time again, not knowing that she was making her daughter feel self-conscious and resentful towards her. The daughter new she was never going to be perfect, and being herself would never be good enough for her mother. The little girl started to feel anger towards her parents and wanted to rebel against them. The little girl feeling so much anger with her mother would purposely fail everything her mother wanted her to do. The little girl was hoping if she disappointed her mother enough she would give up on her the way the little girl gave up on herself. The mother refusing to give up felt she new her daughter would be great at something if her daughter would just put her mind to it she could do anything. So the mother just pushed harder not knowing she was pushing her daughter away from her and away from her dreams or her. The mother was so determined even know they could not afford lessons the mother made arrangements to trade work for piano lessons. I think the mother felt that at this point the daughter would see how hard she was willing to work for her and maybe appreciate it and work harder. The little girl felt differently she was angry towards her mother and felt as if her mother did not except her for who she was and she wanted to get back at her. The daughter practiced every day with Mr. Chong not even trying her mind wondering in other places. Mr. Chong was a deaf man who could only see her hand movements, so that is how he taught her. The girl caught on fast that Mr. Chong eyes could not keep up with her hands so she used it to her advantage not to learn. Mr. Chong so proud thinking she was listening to him he was very excited because she learned how to fake him out. The mother bragged about her daughter playing the piano everyday to her friend, although the mother never herd her play until the recital. The mother wanted so bad to see her child in front of the room making her proud like all of the other mothers before her, but when the little girl went up on stage the mother didnt know that she had been just wasting her time. The little girl even had her self fooled she for a second thought maybe she could play, well maybe if Mr. Chong thought she could play maybe it was true. As she played she seen the embarrassment on her parents face; the only one who seemed to enjoy her performance was Mr. Chong. The parents wanted to run out of the room, but know their pride could never allow them to do that they stayed until the end. The little girl wanted to show her mother that she was not what she wanted her to be, but was shocked and just wish her mother would say something. When they returned home the daughter taught the mother would give up on her; she thought she knew for sure that her daughter had no talent. The little girl sat down to watch TV which angered the mother. The mother did not give up she wanted her to practice. The daughter seen how angry the mother was and was scared, so the daughter not giving up the fight hit the mother where it hurt the most. The little girl told her mother she wishes she were not alive knowing how bad that ould hurt her. The little girl won the battle against her mother; the mother gave up all hope. I think the mother felt a piece of her self die that day knowing her daughter would hurt her so bad. I think the mother knew she was loosing the daughter. I think there was a lot of misscommunication between the mother and the daughter which is very realistic in real life. It makes you wounder how Amy Tan got where she is today. The mother wanted to start over and give her child the perfect life and the daughter just thought her mother just wanted her to be a perfect child. In the end it was very ironic because they both lost the battle against each other. They did not have a good relationship because they couldnt make scene of their differences. The mother pushed her child away from her and any talent she may have had. The child chose to not even finish college. I think the child forgave her mother when it was to late and the mother never found the words to say to her daughter until the end the stubborn lady still went back to the piano,and the child finally learned how to respect and listen to what her mother had to tell her about her talent. â€Å"Two Kinds† (Tan 1952, p. 524)

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Simulating Depth Of Field Effects Film Studies Essay

Simulating Depth Of Field Effects Film Studies Essay Depth of field effects: The distance between foreground and background is called depth of field. The depth of field is the distance in front and behind the point of focus. Objects outside of the depth of field are out of focus. In most cases, the depth of field extends one-third of its distance in front of the focal point, and two thirds its distance behind the focal point. Suppose a lens is focused at area, and lens required sharpness at X distance, and the subject is approximately at X distance, now if we move subject sometime near and far away from the camera at same position, than a very minute changes happen to sharpness . So in anywhere not in camera but our eyes also have some zone through which subject is acceptable sharp and that zone itself is the distance between the lens and the subject and that is called depth of field. However, due to limitations in the human eye, subjects that are slightly nearer to the lens and also subjects slightly further from the lens are perceived to be in focus. These below are the factors which affect more and less depth of field effects. More Depth of field effects Less depth of field effects To achieve more depth of field we have to use shorter focal length of lens. To achieve less depth ofd field effects we have to use longer focal length of lens. To achieve more depth of field we have to use small aperture size. To achieve less depth of field we have to use large aperture. Larger acceptable center of confusion (COC). Smaller acceptable center of confusion (COC). Distant plane of critical focus. Close plane of critical focus. Smaller film format. Larger film format. Focus split: Selecting near and far distance which need to be held equally and acceptably in focus and setting the focus distance to suit. Factors affecting Shallow depth of field effects in cameras High contrast lenses have less depth of field effects than the low contrast lens. Consequently, a smaller diameter of center of confusion should be used in depth of field calculation.(eg- 1/2000 instead of 1/1000 ) Lighting which sharply focused details, brightly lighted objects will appear to have less depth of field effects. The use of lens filter in between the lens and the subject, which will reduces maximum definition and make a greater degree of soft focus. As usual but very common, depth of field effects situation arises with uses of wide angle lens at moderate focus distance.( for e.g. 3ft to 12 ft) Object at infinity: This is occur especially when photographed using long focal length lens( more than 55 mm lenses) trend to appear tend to appear soft because of atmospheric elements(like moisture, smoke, dust, haze, smog). There is solution too for such situation that is only either use HAZE filters available in market or using light yellow filters to increase contrast and sharpness in film. This affects when you filming or photographing in any hilly area, mountain area, beaches, waterfall, or any natural area sometime forest too). In case of shutter release Priority: A fast shutter speed used in photography in order to capture fast moving object( e.g. like if you want to take a shot of moving car), whereas a slow shutter speed used to create blur effects on fast moving object( for e.g. a fast moving car in night and you want to capture back light of car as beam using slow shutter speed) , so therefore a fast shutter speed requires a larger aperture size lets say (f1/16or f/11 ) which allow small amount of light to enter the lens hence it extended depth of field effects and in case of slow shutter speed requires small aperture lets say (f2.8, or f2) which allow more light to enter the camera and hence it produce shallow depth of field effects. When aperture is more open than it allows more light to enter the camera and fall on camera CCD, hence to control amount of light we need a more shutter speed to accumulate and to prevent the photograph from over exposed. A telephoto lens gives you a narrow depth of field effects, by moving a lens as close as to the subject and use largest aperture size of camera lens, while to get the large depth of field use Wide angle lens and move your camera and lens as far as possible and use small aperture size. The degree of magnification that the image may be subjected to when shown or projected close or near to the audience sheet to the screen. I mean to say that when Audience close to a cinema screen will be more aware of soft focus than those who are far away from the cinema screen. Focus Bias: This can occur when one subject is in focus and rest is in out of focus like in case of macro photography with small aperture and long focal length for eg a 200 mm lens with aperture value of 2.8 or 2.0. Effects of aperture and the depth of field: The depth of field effects is being controlled by lens aperture value. If you increase the f-number than depth of field effects also increased but decrease the amount of light entering to the camera and when you decrease the f-number than depth of field effects also decreased (it gives shallow depth of field effect). In motion picture its very limited use of it. Generally cinematographer take a single aperture settings for a shot and for another shot they choose another setting as par locality and they adjust exposure settings with the help of light meter device which tells actuall amount of light presents in that area. Aperture settings and exposure settings are changed more frequently in still cameras than motion picture cameras. In photography and cinematography, variation in depth of field effects used to create various kinds of special effects. Camera movement and the depth of field effects: In film making, a person who looks and takes care of responsibility of lens changing, filter changing, point to focus, maintaining depth of field, setting focal length is known as focus-puller. Focus-puller is one of the assistant person in shooting crew members or camera man. A good focus-puller has very adequate and vast knowledge of cinematography. He has to focus and shift focus smoothly in such a manner that audience cant find jerk on them. In film industry most hard job is of focus puller. He has to perform his duty very accurately because suppose if any role given to actor to act on that, and he done that, but while recording focus puller didnt check focal length and filter than actor has to act again. Doing reshot is tough to achieve same expression what he achieved in previous shot. So this was example how much focus puller important to the cinematography. His work is more technical rather than creative. He has to keep in mind all the guidelines given by the director of phot ography during shooting a shot. Cameras depth of field limits The sharpness of depth of field can be increased by decreasing by Center of confusion, but its not as easy to decrease because it also has some disadvantage that is motion blur and diffraction. As we know center of confusion has inversely relation with f-number like a smaller center of confusion need a greater f number, but need a long exposure time. if we increase f-number than diffraction also increases which will soften or soft all the part of image, thus image will no longer be in sharp. The f-number which will overcome from center of confusion is the minimum acceptable sharpness value. If we increase f- number than the sharpness at limited depth of field improved. As we know there is also maximum f-numbers through which sharpness of depth of field in image gets over. The best f-number should be chosen in between of minimum and maximum f-numbers. Depth of field and Macro or close-up: One of the main difficulties with close-up photography is that keeping the image enough in focus. The closer the lens focuses, the less depth of field you have. When using a macro lens at its maximum magnification, depth of field may only extend a fraction of an inch. With floral close-ups, a small aperture is almost always needed, but even so, it is important that the lens focuses on a key focal point in the composition, since not in the entire frame. Depth of field and shooting on bright hot afternoon: While shooting at outdoor especially in day light, the director of photography may wish to reduce amount of light and the depth of field for a close-up shot. For reducing light, a very good filter available called neutral density filter commonly known as ND filter. Suppose the light meter indicating F/22 but we have till f/16, than ND filter play a very important role. This will reduce the amount of light entering to the camera and enable you to shoot on bright sunny day. On other case, if the director of photography wants a close-up shot, and you have to reduce your depth of field, because by reducing depth of field, it will out of focused the background and puts more importance to the subject or highlight the subject. Circle of confusion While shooting the film, the focus puller must be know that which part of scene should be sharp, so therefore we need something to measure the sharpness of image in relative to film limits of the eyes resolution at the time of viewing or at time of projection on screen. For example: if a image is captured through 35 mm film projected at theater, audience must be at distance of 1/3 back from screen. Now we know that eye resolving power is 1 minute of arc. From audience I mean 1/3 back from screen, the smallest size of a dot appearing on a screen which is in perfectly focused or sharp. Now we can easily measures the distance between audience and the screen through any inch tape, from screen the previous sharpen dot which appeared smallest at back now that will be largest dot from the screen, the arc of 1 minute comes up with physical dimension on the screen for the largest dot that the audience previously seen as a smaller sharp point. Figure 1 (need to put a diagram over here) Now the diameter of dot on screen is not actual size of dot, to find actual size of dot we have to calculate diameter of big dot appearing on screen, than we have to divide with enlargement factor needs to bring the size of our 33 mm film up to size of our cinema screen or projected area. This will bring the size of maximum or big dot. When lens is focused at infinity: If any point is focused from the infinity, the distance between plane of focus and the lens become the focal length of the lens. How image size varies at different points behind the camera lens: Figure 2 (need to put a diagram over here) You can see the image is not at extract plane of focus. The image was there somewhere after plane of focus. So in this case size the dot size forming big. Now imagine if the audience sees this dot size sharpen, clearly in focus, than we can easily calculate the amount of sharpness in which part of overall image looks sharp. Near and far points of focus: Figure 3 (need to put a diagram over here) In this case point B creating a sharp image on image plane or plane of focus, while point A creating image after crossing image plane or plane of focus, which means out of focus or blur or less sharpen image. Conclusion: In film plane, both near object and far away object (Lets take Point A and Point B) expanded and become confused to larger dot than the original dot. Hence this is the circle of confusion. Figure 4 (need to put a diagram over here) Thus, a center of confusion (COC) is the diameter of largest dot which is still considers being sharp, focused, and also seen by the audience in Film Theater when it projected on screen. Focus Split: Focus split is selecting the near and far distance which need to be held equally and acceptably in-focus and setting the focus distance to suit. Lets take x as the distance of near object from the camera lens Lets take y as the distance of far away object from the camera lens Than what could be the focus area? Hyper focal Distance: Hyper focal distance is maximum depth of field that starts from infinity to the camera. If a lens is set to hyper focal distance, than the depth of field effects is half of hyper focal distance from infinity. Hyper focal distance is the distance in which lens is focused at infinity, so that the object in background and foreground both will be at sharper focused. Hyper focal distance depends on many factors, some of like Focal length of the camera lens The aperture f- value Diameter of circle of confusion Hyper Focal distance = (FL2) f X COC Where FL means focal length, f-number means aperture size and COC means circle of confusion After knowing hyper focal distance, its easy to calculate near and far point Near point depth of field = H X S H+(S-F) Far point depth of field = H X S H-(S-F) Where H = Hyper focal distance value S = Distance from camera to the subject F = Focal length of camera lens COC = Circle of confusion Focus Bias: Focus bias occurs when one object is in focus and rest is in out of focus (for e.g like in case of macro photography, with larger aperture and longh focal length, i.e f 2.8 with 200 mm focal length) In cinematography, focus plane yet depth of field effects is calculated using the entrance puple position of

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Hydro cruiser :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Hydro Cruiser Do you ever find yourself looking down at your gas gauge on your way to school or work, noticing that little pointer is staggering off way below the empty mark? Well, today we are here for your rescue, presenting the Hydro Cruiser. We are doing are part to help the environment. Also it helps â€Å"you† the common man save money, and helps us in contributing to a smog free earth. The Hydro Cruiser is a stylish sport utility vehicle that runs off of H20 (water) instead of gasoline. Purchasing the Hydro Cruiser just shows how smart and efficient you are. If its selling to the high class business men or to the common everyday family, both classes will be driving safe and in style.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you find yourself falling into the average Joe, penny pincher category, our product will be a far sure seller for you. By using water instead of gas you will be saving yourself hundreds of dollars every month. Knowing water instead of gas will save you money is obvious, because water is basically free. However buying the Hydro Cruiser, you will feel better and more productive by knowing you are doing your part in reaching our goal of a smog free earth. We feel our product is like a fat free option that tastes the same. This meaning are car can do anything and everything a gas powered car can do but, we can do it cheaper, safer, and extremely more conveniently.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Let yourself go the Hydro Cruiser will take you on an experience to any and all lengths. With a 250 horsepower engine, four wheel drive, climb the steepest hills. Then after having a rugged day with Mother Nature, sit back and relax in your waterproof interior. Turn up the CD player and enjoy your peaceful ride home, letting others know your saving money and doing your part in making a smog free tomorrow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you decide to invest in our car we can guarantee that you will not be disappointed. If you will invest in this car you will make lots of money. We know this, because we did a survey and we found that more than half the people would buy a car like this one. Not only will you make money you will have a good public image. Hydro cruiser :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Hydro Cruiser Do you ever find yourself looking down at your gas gauge on your way to school or work, noticing that little pointer is staggering off way below the empty mark? Well, today we are here for your rescue, presenting the Hydro Cruiser. We are doing are part to help the environment. Also it helps â€Å"you† the common man save money, and helps us in contributing to a smog free earth. The Hydro Cruiser is a stylish sport utility vehicle that runs off of H20 (water) instead of gasoline. Purchasing the Hydro Cruiser just shows how smart and efficient you are. If its selling to the high class business men or to the common everyday family, both classes will be driving safe and in style.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you find yourself falling into the average Joe, penny pincher category, our product will be a far sure seller for you. By using water instead of gas you will be saving yourself hundreds of dollars every month. Knowing water instead of gas will save you money is obvious, because water is basically free. However buying the Hydro Cruiser, you will feel better and more productive by knowing you are doing your part in reaching our goal of a smog free earth. We feel our product is like a fat free option that tastes the same. This meaning are car can do anything and everything a gas powered car can do but, we can do it cheaper, safer, and extremely more conveniently.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Let yourself go the Hydro Cruiser will take you on an experience to any and all lengths. With a 250 horsepower engine, four wheel drive, climb the steepest hills. Then after having a rugged day with Mother Nature, sit back and relax in your waterproof interior. Turn up the CD player and enjoy your peaceful ride home, letting others know your saving money and doing your part in making a smog free tomorrow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you decide to invest in our car we can guarantee that you will not be disappointed. If you will invest in this car you will make lots of money. We know this, because we did a survey and we found that more than half the people would buy a car like this one. Not only will you make money you will have a good public image.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Public Company and Patagonia

As resources and commodity's decrease, it is harder and harder to make a difference in the world today. Patagonia continues to work hard to do their part with the resources that are available. Patagonia is a privately held outdoor clothing company based out of Ventura, California that generates yearly sales of approximately $540 million. Patagonia has developed outdoor apparel that is marketed towards outdoor sports, travel and every day wear. The company integrates Its core values into every product that it produces. They are known for their innovative designs, and environmental responsibility.Its high integrity and commitment to the environment has placed Patagonia on the Deciphers Institute's â€Å"WorldS Most Ethical Companies† list for SIX consecutive years since the list was first developed In 2007 (Unknown, WOMEN Honorees, 2012). This case analysis will examine the history of Patagonia, and Its business philosophy. Patagonians business model will be evaluated as well as the captured cost and value of the company. Next, we will examine Patagonians environmental position and its sustainability. The product lifestyle initiative will be analyzed and how well it worked for the company.Patagonians financial statements are important to determine the success of the company's financial goals. Lastly, I will share some lessons that I learned from Patagonia and this case study. History Patagonia was started from one entrepreneur's passion. Hypochondriac, founder of Patagonia, developed a passion for rock climbing. In 1953 his passions brought him west to the San Fernando Valley in California, where he became an expert at climbing. He knew that he couldn't explore his passion of climbing the way he wanted to because of limited appropriate climbing gear available.The only available climbing ear were pitons, which are metal spikes that were driven Into cracks or seams In the rocks. Pitons are left In the rock, meaning that a long climb could require hundreds of these tools. After frustration, and financial hardship, Schoolyard became Inspired after meeting a Swiss climber that had crafted his own set of iron pitons. He turned pitons that were stronger than what was currently on the market. Word of Cinnabar's invention spread, and he began selling his pitons out of the back of his car for $1. 50 each.Although the hobby was enough to support him, he often lived on less than a dollar day. Drifting along the California coast, climbing in Yosemite, and surfing in Baja, Cinchonas was happy with his lifestyle. By 1966 Cinchonas decided to partner with Tom and Doreen Frost to create Cinchonas Equipment. They quickly became the largest supplier in the United States. For nearly a decade Cinchonas and Frost made improvements on nearly every climbing tool. Tom and Doreen worked with Cinchonas â€Å"Just to pay the bills†. In 1972 Cinchonas Equipment added an outdoor apparel line called â€Å"Patagonia†.Patagonia grew very quickly. Cinch onas and his wife Melinda knew they wanted to sell items that would have a minimal impact on he environment. So they made many decisions in their business approach that would help the environment such as using organic cotton to make t-shirts. Soon after the establishment of Patagonia, it became its own company, no longer under the ownership of Cinchonas equipment. However, like many start-up companies, Patagonia tried to expand too quickly. Growing its sales from $20 million to $100 million as well as expanding its services into Japan and Europe.This wide-scale expansion placed Patagonia into a dire financial situation. The recession that took place in the ass's forced the company to lay off about 20% of its staff. Patagonia continued to grow despite some of the financial troubles that they faced (Reinhardt, Cascade's, & Hymn, 2010). Cinchonas did not allow the recession or the financial troubles of the company to stop his vision for Patagonia. Instead, he chose to go in a more sust ainable direction. The company switched to the more expensive organic cotton in 1996, a risky business move considering it increased the firm's supply costs.However, no other company was producing clothes with organic cotton. He invested in other sustainable materials and decided to make products more durable. This session a risky move because companies often rely on consumers coming back to get replacement products. Plausibly, the more durable the product, the less customers will need to purchase for replacement. However, the exact opposite occurred: consumers were more willing to do business with Patagonia due to its environmental consciousness and the fact that they could trust Patagonians products to last a long time.Connoisseurship's on Business Cinchonas used Patagonia as an experiment to â€Å"challenge conventional wisdom and present a new style of responsible business† (McAllen, 2011). He wanted to stay way from the traditional way of doing business, and focused his efforts on â€Å"doing the right thing†, rather than on profits. Doing the right thing for Cinchonas meant ensuring that every decision that was made regarding the business, was environmentally sound and responsible. One decision that he made was to no longer use anti-odor technology because it was not safe for the environment.The competition Patagonians products were comparable to those of their competitors. Other stores in the industry such as North Face, Marmot Mountain, and Mountain Hardware, all shared the same interest of selling outdoor apparel. However, because of quality, environmental impact, and innovation, Patagonia is able to charge more for their and some of the top outdoor sportswear companies in the industry during 2009. Patagonians gross profit margin for 2010 was 52. 6%. Whereas the average gross profit margin of the other five companies (Columbia Sportswear, V. F.Corporation, Nikkei, and Timberland) was $44. 95%. Not to mention Patagonians 12- month Net Inc ome Growth for 2010 was 42. 5%, which was substantially higher than the average net income growth of its competitors at 26. 525% (Reinhardt, Cascade's, & Hymn, 2010, p. 12). This goes to show that despite the company's more expensive product, consumers were willing to pay more for higher quality, and items that were environmentally safe. Marketing isn't that important Patagonia used a much different marketing approach than its competitors, using less than 1% of its sales towards marketing and advertising.They have strengthened their brand based upon their environmental commitment, and â€Å"profit sharing with environmental causes† (Alienist & Door-Near, 2012). As social media becomes more popular, and ads are now a part of what one sees when scrolling down their timeline, any companies get free advertising. The company took advantage of this and used it as an outlet to communicate to consumers and the public. Although it would have given them possibly some advantage, Patagon ia did not use its environmental stance as part of their marketing tool.However they educated the public on the impact that their company had on the environment. Doing so attracted more consumers. Patagonia uses its website not Just for selling outdoor apparel but also as an educational tool about the environment, and the products that the company uses in its production. The type of information that Patagonia put on their website shows that the company has taken their business very serious and that they are aware of their environmental responsibility. They use the website not Just to sell the items, but to showcase that they items that are produced show corporate responsibility.In addition to the information on their website, Patagonia at times did put out ads for their company. The advertisements were usually very short and included educational messages. They believe that it is more important to show people useful information that will help enhance their lives. In a recent intervie w Patagonia UP Joy Howard stated that their position is to â€Å"solve problems in the world,† and that advertising is the â€Å"dead last thing† to the company (McAllen, 2011). This goes to show that the company is more focused on the environmental sustainability than on profitability.Educating consumers about what they are buying and how it affects the environment, sells the product itself. Exhibit Use of organically grown cotton Patagonians concern for the environment also caused them to decide to use organic cotton in their clothing. They wanted to continue to follow their mission tenement of â€Å"Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis† (Unknown, Company Info, n. D. ). Cotton is one of the world's most insect dependent crops, therefore causing a risk to the environment because of the pesticides that are used.In 1996 Patagonia switched apparel to 100% organic cotton produ cts. They already had clothing that was made with conventional cotton, and made up about 20% of the company's sales, but switching to organic cotton was a risk that they were willing to take. Patagonia was not the first company to use organic cotton. The decision to clothing companies decided to cancel their organic cotton line, so it was perfect timing for Patagonia to drop their line. Although initially Patagonia found success in introducing its organic cotton products, they also faced some challenges.Because of the items and styles that were unavailable for production using organic cotton and because some of the suppliers refused to switch to organic cotton citing â€Å"lack of supplier alternatives and skepticism about the market potential†, Patagonia had to decrease its product line in order to stay in line with the 100% organic cotton initiative that they made. Due to the increased price for organic cotton, the company's costs increased. Product costs increased 25-30% w ith the use of the organic cotton. Organic cotton had a drastic decline in production, therefore costs were higher than normal.In addition, Patagonia struggled to maintain the quality of its product, once they switched. With cotton products making up more than 20% of the company's sales (Reinhardt, Cascade's, & Hymn, 2010), they were forced to get it right, and to make their product desirable enough to sell. Business Model: Does it really work? A business model is a model that is designed for the successful operation of the equines, identifying customer base, revenue sources, products and details of financing. Patagonia seems to have a business model that has helped the company be very successful and remain relevant amongst its customers and competitors.They have stayed true to their core values which is to provide quality, integrity, and environmentalism. Since the start- up of Patagonia, they have never operated under conventionalism, and has continued to stand out from every othe r outdoor apparel chain. Focusing more on environmental sustainability and social responsibility rather Han profits, Patagonia has become the worldwide leader of environmentally responsible business. They have continued to remain innovative in their approach to doing business, as well as in the product development and marketing.Creating and Capturing Value Achieving Growth, being Profitable, and minimizing ecological expenses are somewhat contradictory goals but somehow Patagonia has been very successful at achieving these goals. Their business model is based on making minimum environmental impact but creating products that have create value, without compromising the company's capital. In order to stand apart from competition, Patagonia has effectively positioned itself as a supplier of superior quality products and has continued to commit itself to minimize its impact on the environment, once again staying true to its core values, and mission statement.On the supply side of the bus iness the company uses activities and relationships along the value chain that provide the finished goods and create value. The company has been able to create value by creating integrity in its product and product's performance. The company shows confidence in the product that they create, by offering warranties and as well s the promise to provide replacement products when items become too worn. They also creates value by using only quality materials such as organic cotton when manufacturing its products.They have also created value by influencing the customer's experience. Patagonians uses catalogs that don't focus so much on selling their product as other companies do, but the catalogs are informational in nature regarding the environment (Wang, 2010). Patagonia also only works with suppliers responsibility, therefore never compromising the value of the company or its products. Patagonia has also created a social and psychological factor through their advertising, educational me ssages, donations, and campaigns.This has helped the company capture value because the company differentiated themselves from its competitors and other apparel companies, and it gave consumers the willingness to purchase a product with quality despite the fact that their apparel was more expensive than its competitors. The fact that Patagonia cares about the environment, and customers feel that they can trust their product, consumers are willing to pay more for Patagonians products.Sustainable future Patagonians business model is not one that is begging for consumers to come in a arches their product on an impulse. In fact their model is designed to do the exact opposite. In 2004 Hypochondriac, wrote in a black Friday ad â€Å"Don't buy this shirt, unless you need it† (Exhibit 1). This statement was not made because Cinchonas doesn't want his items to sell, or doesn't want the business, he made the statement because he wants his consumers to make responsible decisions that wi ll have a positive effect on the environment.He helps consumers make those smarter decisions by producing items that last longer and that do not need to be replaced as often. Patagonians Environmental Position Patagonians business model supports environmental position in that the company makes a deliberate attempt to focus more on the products that they sell rather than on the profits that they make. They do so by launching such initiatives as their Product Lifestyle Initiative where they encourage consumers to reduce, repair, reuse, and recycle their Patagonia purchased products.This particular initiative does not focus on profit, it actually costs the company more money, however, they choose to stay focused on acting environmentally responsible, and not causing unnecessary harm to the environment. For the most part, Patagonia has used the same business model since it opens its doors in 1972. Their focus has always been the same, â€Å"inspire and implement solutions to the enviro nmental crisis† (Unknown, Environmental and Social Responsibility, n. D. Over the last 40 years, Patagonia has become a leader in the industry have implemented many environmental and social initiatives such as; using only organic cotton in its cotton products since 1996; redefining corporate transparency through its Footprint Chronicle† website – documenting what is working in the supply chain, what's not, and steps the company is doing to address TTS challenges; launching its Common Threads Partnership, which invites customers to take mutual responsibility for the entire life cycle of the company's products through the 5 Or's: reduce, repair, reuse, recycle and remained; becoming the first brand member of the [email  protected] system; being one of the first California companies to switch to wind energy upon deregulation and adding on-site solar energy systems; being the first company in California to incorporate as a benefit corporation launching $20 Million & Change, a fund to help like-minded responsible start-up companies; and Becoming one of he first U. S. Outdoor apparel companies to introduce Fair Trade Certified†* garments (for fall 2014). (Elks, 2013) resources to help the environment and still maintain its integrity as well as follow its mission statement. They have continued to remain as the leading outdoor apparel company with more than $600 million revenue in 2013. Patagonia has not slowed down.Their business model has worked for them over the last 40 years. As times continue to change and other retailers pick up on Patagonians business practices, such as being more environmentally conscience, the use of organically grown cotton, he product differentiation threatens the sustainability of Patagonians business model. Other retailers offering a similar product as Patagonia, affects their gross profit margin, therefore causing Patagonia to continue evolve and spend more money to create product differentiation within their o rganization. Patagonians business model does place some pressure on their environmental stance and could cause some conflict in providing high quality products.Although consumers are willing to purchase products from Patagonia at a high price, with initiatives such as the Product Life Cycle, consumers are purchasing less, and Patagonia will overall have more overhead, due the repairs that they are offering their consumers. If consumers aren't buying as often, it will be difficult for Patagonia to continue to purchase the high quality materials that they use to produce their garments. Product Lifestyle Initiative: â€Å"Reduce, Repair, Reuse, and Recycle† The Product Lifestyle Initiative was a plan by Patagonia to help customers to buy only what they really needed, and encourage them to reduce their consumption.Patagonia would promise to provide their customers with high quality garments, and roved a guarantee that would allow customers to have their items repaired if anything ever happened to them as many times as needed. Once the products are no longer wanted, the customers are asked to â€Å"facilitate its reuse† (Reinhardt, Cascade's, & Hymn, 2010). The store planned on doing this by creating an online swap meet. Once all options were exhausted and there is no longer use for the product, customers are asked to recycle their items with Patagonia. In planning for this initiative to take off, the executives acknowledged many obstacles that would hinder the success of the initiative.Analysis of the Initiative As Patagonia stays focused on doing their part to not cause unnecessary harm to the environment and plans to reach and maintain 10% annual growth in sales other a five year timeshare, starting in 2010, their Product Lifestyle initiative would likely hinder the type of above average growth that they are seeking. The initiative is expected to cost $60,000 over the course of the first year of implementation (Reinhardt, Cascade's, & Hymn, 2010). Although that amount is very small compared to the amount of profit the company makes, sales would drop and cost of labor would increase. Patagonia is one of the only companies that offers to fix damaged items for customers. Through the Product Lifestyle Initiative, they will repair products from other brands, and â€Å"encourage customers to limit their consumption to only essential products,† (Reinhardt, Cascade's, & Hymn, 2010, p. 8).The Product Lifestyle Initiative however, it seems as though it will cost more to implement and maintain the initiative, than revenue that will be generated from the initiative. The initiative will cause a higher rate of product returns, and new team members will need to be hired in order to create a repair department or use a third-party vendor. In 2010 the company was insignificantly staffed to handle the existing returns. In order to accommodate the increase of returns, the stores were told to provide replacement products in order to reduce wait times. Furthermore, in order to increase â€Å"the percentage of recyclable products from 65% of products in June 2010 to 90% in spring 2011† investment in research and development would have to increase (Reinhardt, Cascade's, & Hymn, 2010).All of the things that are involved in this portion of the initiative cost more money for the company, but it does not mean that there would be more profit. The initiative does not seem to generate any venue. Although Patagonia focuses more on the environmental footprint than on profits, realistically, in order for them to stay in business and continue to grow at a steady rate, it is not beneficial for them to implement initiative that cost a more than they will be able to bring in. The replacement portion of the initiative could increase revenue for the company. Since Patagonia is willing to allow customers to bring in garments purchased from other retailers for repair, they could charge those customers a small fee.Customers who pur chased their products directly from Patagonia and are able to provide a except or some proof of purchase, could get their products repaired for free. For customers who own Patagonia products, but bought them from other sources such as used clothing stores, could still bring in their garments for repair, but at a small fee. The initiative would have no affect on the way that customers purchase products in the store nor customer behavior, but it could potentially have a negative effect on the business if implemented. Although implementing the initiative will promote responsible behavior for customers and the company, it may do more harm than good to gross profit margin.If the company is serious about continuing to grow the company 10% over the five year time frame, they would want to think about how they can implement initiatives that not only help maintain their environmental position, but also that increase their profit. Has Patagonia been successful in achieving its goal of profit? Although Patagonia spends most of its efforts focusing on its environmental responsibility, in order to remain in business and profitable they must also set financial goals. While focusing on their environmental responsibility, they set a goal to increase sales by 10% annually. Patagonia has been successful at achieving this goal. For 2011 fiscal year, Patagonia reported annual sales of $417 million.During the 2012 fiscal year Patagonia recorded its best year financially. They increased their sells by 30% earning $543 million (Shannon, 2013). As of 2012 Patagonia has doubled its revenue and tripled its profits since 2008 (Martin, 2012). They continue to perform financially although not at a consistent rate. However they have come very close to their sales goals each year and some years far exceeding that goal. Patagonia has done many things to continue to remain competitive in the outdoors apparel industry. In 2010 Patagonia Cost of goods sold and the company's sales have not been truly consistent, but they remain successful in their efforts.Although Patagonia has a history of doing well financially, Yves Chicagoan admitted in 2012 that he did not expect the company to continue to grow at the same rate as other retailers are catching on and trying to adopt some of their philosophy. Richard Jeff, a retail and apparel expert, says that Patagonia â€Å"is doing things incrementally better† (Martin, 2012). Which means that the competition is lurking closely behind. As Meany's catch on to their philosophy, Patagonia will need to be more innovative in its approach in order to continue to grow at a steady rate. What if Patagonia were publicly traded? Some of the most successful organizations are publicly traded. Companies that are publicly traded allow the market to determine the value of the company through daily stock market trading (Unknown, Public Company, 2014).Publicly traded companies have less control over the organization structure and must answer to shareholders' on certain decisions. They also give less control to the owner and company founders. Patagonia has an organization structure that is different than any other organization out there. The structure of the organization allows the company to focus on environmental awareness as opposed to profits as most companies. If Patagonia were publicly traded, the dynamic of the organization would be completely different. Being a private company, Patagonia is not required to report to stockholders or gain their approval in any way. This is one of the biggest advantages for Patagonia and their business structure.If Patagonia were publicly traded they would have to change the organization Truckee to focus more on the profit, as shareholder's would have an interest in the company, and would want to ensure that they are able to profit from any decisions that are made regarding the organization. The decision to use only organically grown cotton may not have been approved had Patagonia bee n publicly traded, because to shareholder's they could see it as a potential risk. They are able to take on greater risk because there is no one to tell them that they can't. As a publicly traded company Patagonia and its founder would have much less control over the business structure, ND every decision would be about how to gain profit. Publicly traded companies have many pressures on them including how quickly the company is expected to grow. The business model would not focus on being responsible.Not to mention as a private company, Patagonia is not required to make their financial information public, as publicly traded companies are. With sales growth reaching an average of 6% each year, and the company closely reaching their sales growth goal of 10% the current strategy works very well for Patagonia. The decision to utilize organic grown cotton in its garments, has been very successful. Patagonia has been innovative and works diligently to stay ahead in sales as well as it env ironmental operations. Being a private company has allowed Patagonians decision-makers to not only focus on what they want, but also on what is best for the company.Patagonians market strategy, though exceedingly bold, is sustainable in the sense that eccentric ideas have become their norm. In Cinnabar's book Let My People Go Surfing, he said, â€Å"it's okay to be eccentric, as long as you are The sustainability of Patagonia also falls in line with the sustainability of the planet. There are many companies that can learn from Patagonians business model forever in order to remain successful it would be difficult for some of the top retailers to remain competitive in the market should they change and adopt Patagonians practices. Patagonia has built their business and brand around a philosophy instead of around products.Their business strategy has driven up sales to 6% and continues to offer high-quality premier garments. Patagonians business model being much different than its compe titors, leaves room for continued growth and innovative ideas. Would other firms choose to follow Patagonians environmental practice? Although Patagonia has been successful in its business approach and environmental practice, it would be difficult for already established firms to successfully fully take on Patagonians environmental practices. All things being equal, if Nikkei and Patagonia were to share their practices, they would reach a Nash equilibrium. Lessons Learned Patagonia continues to focus on the environment and making a difference one step at a time.This action is commendable, especially because they are not following the norm for the industry. With the success of Patagonia I have learned that in order to be successful, you must also do what you are passionate about, and allow everything else to fall into place. That is what Cinchonas did with Patagonia. He was passionate about the environment and the affect that his decisions had on it. Although he wasn't as focused on profits as other organizations, he was able to follow his passion and have the most successful outdoor apparel company in the country. The type of passion that Yves Cinchonas has for the environment and Patagonia can definitely be applied to many aspects in life.