Reflective Account of Environmental Assessment Essay

Reflective Account of Environmental Assessment - Essay Example environmental management system (EMS), environmental impact assessment, environmental statement, carbon accounting, and carbon management in buildings, environmental economic appraisal and strategic environment management. All these activities aim at securing the environment. The environmental management system (EMS) is a kind of tool and program that is used in managing the impacts of the activities on the environment at large. EMS provides an effective approach and structure of planning and implementing measures of protection of the environment. An EMS ensures that environmental management are integrated in an organizations day to day activities, short term goals and in long term planning of the organizations objectives (Melnyk, Robert and Roger, 2003). For an organization to be able to come up with an EMS, it should first access and analyze the impact it has on the environment, it should come up with goals of reducing impacts on the environment and come up with a strategy of achieving the goals and objectives that have been set. For the development of an effective EMS, commitment and support should be evident from the top level management to the staff as well (Sroufe, 2003). The environmental policy of the organization should be firstly considered when coming up with an EMS. The policy ensures that the activities of EMS are in line with the objectives of the organization. An environmental audit should be taken before coming up with an EMS to help in identifying the impacts of the organizations activities on the environment. The target and objectives of an organization should also be considered when developing an EMS because it will guide the organization on how to achieve it. The staff and the community surrounding the environment should be committed before, during and after the establishment or developing of the EMS. The operations and procedures also need to be compatible with the objectives of the EMS. The monitoring of the performance of the organization

Glimpse Of The Indian Society Media Essay

Glimpse Of The Indian Society Media Essay Media today presents a glimpse of the Indian society that is filled with images of tradition, romance, nationalism and familial love. Teeming with energetic music, vibrant colors and heavenly portrayals of Indian families, the audiences are easily cajoled into believing that these depictions are accurate representations of attitudes and beliefs of the Indian life. However, many times, the realities of life do not always approximate the images presented by the media. As a result, media sometimes start affecting the society in an ominous manner. One such issue that is distorted by the media is the dowry system. In the process of raising alarm bells, Bollywood films, TV shows and news media have exploited this issue too much and consequently, worsened its effect. The insatiable greed of the in-laws, which ultimately leads to torturing of brides, has been highlighted so many times by the media that the viewers minds no longer recoils from such phenomenon. Moreover, with the rising consum erism, higher standards of living and exposure to the masses through media, the desires of people for material wealth have also gone up, aggravating the malevolent system of dowry. The dowry system, the custom of making payments from the brides family to the grooms family at the time of marriage, has a long history in India. It stems out from the traditional upper caste practices of kanyadaan or gifting the virgin bride (). Traditionally, these gifts could range from anything significant to even small token of good wishes. Historically, the dowry system could have been established as a form of inheritance for women, because only men inherited the family property. Furthermore, it could have been a way of compensating the grooms family for the economic support that they would give to the new bride as women has little role as bread earners for the family, making them dependent on the in laws. However, in recent times with exposure to mass media, these tokens of gifts or dowry have transformed into substantial transfer of wealth from the grooms family to the brides family, becoming an important factor in marriage proposals. Most of the marriage decisions nowadays a re based on how much dowry is the brides family ready to give. Even if the bride and groom do not suit each other, their marriage is arranged based on the exchange of dowry between the families. (). However, in the current society, where even women act as economic contributors to the family, this system becomes trivial. Yet, it has only inflamed with time. Consequently, the Government of India could not do much to alleviate this issue. Even with the changes brought about by the Hindu Succession Acts of 1956, which gave women legal rights of inheritance, and Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961, which legally outlawed dowry respectively, this practice still continues mainly because of two reasons. Firstly, even though in recent times, the exposure to media decreased the support for dowry among women, it appears that women have started valuing the resources that their dowries bring to their families. The exposure to mass media increased the desirability of consumer goods, causing the newly wed couples to view dowry as a way of obtaining them (). The other reason is that parents of daughters still believe that a large dowry will ensure better treatment of their daughters by her in-laws. They believe that the dowry will increase their daughters standing in her new household as it will act as a signal of parental support of the bride. However, thi s belief is largely baseless and stems from medias misrepresentation of this issue through its different outlets. Dowry is a hot topic that many Bollywood films tried to address. Films like Lajja and Lage Raho Munnabhai try to create awareness about this issue by depicting extreme sequences. However, this path taken by the directors sometimes backfires. In Lajja, Maithilis parents give everything to fulfill the dowry demands put up by their in-laws. They lose their land, saved money and even take on loans for the dowry. Though, Maithili rebels and calls off the wedding, seeing her father being humiliated by the grooms family for dowry. Even in Lago Raho Munnabhai, Simrans father Lucky Singh goes on to appropriating an old age house, leaving 20 old men homeless because the grooms parents wanted the land on which house was built. These acts by the brides family do not take place in the real world. However, they are able to distort the views of audiences, who then start believing strongly in this system. Vivah A journey from Engagement to Marriage, another mainstream Bollywood film, also presents a distorted vision of the dowry system but towards the other extreme. In the film, the grooms father wants nothing more for his son than a virtuous and beautiful wife dowry is unimportant and unwanted (). As Poonams father is asked for a mere token, the viewers are assured that a dowry is unnecessary when two families are as well suited as these. These films, as a result, distort the way the society views the dowry system. The reality of dowry demands in India is quite different from its portrayal in Bollywood films. The images of the dowry system presented in these films are not usually what comes to pass for a woman after her marriage and the giving of her dowry. In Lajja, Maithilis parents tried to call of the wedding because Maithilis father could not fulfill all but one of their demands. This would never happen in the real world. Similarly, what Lucky Singh did in Lage Raho Munnabhai to fulfill the dowry is unlikely to be seen today. However, one would also not find someone like Poonams father- in- law, who declined the dowry given by Poonams father. There are still many Indian marriages, where the brides treatment at the hands of her in-laws is often tied to the amount of dowry they receive. Moreover, theses dowry demands sometimes do not end with the wedding (). The shameless greed of the grooms families in the form of dowry demands continue for years after the wedding, with suggestions of furth er gifts to be made-for celebrations of the birth, naming and initiation of grandchildren. Most of the Bollywood fail to show this aftermath of a dowry induced marriage. According to Bedi, the ever-increasing demands for dowry have led to an increase in dowry-related violence and death among young married women in India, with 8391 dowry death cases in 2010 alone. The violence that the women have to undergo, despite giving dowry, has increased exponentially with the demands of the every-growing dowries. This dowry-related violence is mostly prearranged attacks within the grooms house. Many of these attacks include severe burnings, poisonings, hangings, gunshots, sharp objects, and jumping from height, generally resulting in the immediate deaths of the women (). Furthermore, the victims do not report this due to fear of another attack. They have to accept this cruelty as the price of keeping their families intact (). In some of the dowry-induced marriages, women try to commit suicides in a bid to escape the abuse from her in-laws. However, other families try to take advantage of these cases by reporting the death caused by dowry violence as suicides an d protect themselves from trials. Media, in such cases, immediately tries to capitalize on them through films and TV shows. A recent Bollywood film, Teen Behenein is based on the real-life incident of combined suicides by three sisters, which occurred in Kanpur in 1988. Though this film has flaws in every technical aspect, including script, direction and acting, it still managed to receive praise merely because of the issue that it takes up. Teen Behenien seeks to make an important point about the kinds of sexual, social, psychological and physical violence that continues to be encountered by women. This film only takes the seed of its story from real-life incidents of combined suicides by three sisters, and then builds a narrative around it (). The director was able to influence the society by combining the fictional and non-fictional worlds. In order to profit, the director exploited the issue of dowry system by exploiting it. Satyamev Jayate, a reality TV, also tried hard to create awareness about dowry. Aamir Khan, a famous Bollywood actor, is the protagonist who reveals social issues that are prevalent in India which need to be addressed. In the dowry-focused episode, Aamir delineates that every hour one bride in the country dies due to dowry harassment. This certainly is not true. Consequently, he invites a few women who have been victims of the dowry system to speak about their torture. For instance, Komal Sethi spoke about how after being tortured to pay a hefty amount to her in-laws and husband, she was left to die in the US. Lecturer Nishana, who underwent a cosmetic surgery to please her husband, succumbed to the dowry demands of her in-laws and ended up committing suicide (1.5 million rupees that were given by her parents. Though, these cases depict the extremes that this system can go to, they leave a mark of the audience who begin to consider girls as burdens. Furthermore, the fact that Satyame v Jayate commercialized such sensitive issues to profit from them only undermines the validity of its claims. In a country, where film stars are considered as ideals, the distorted depiction of their personal lives can have a profound effect on society. Through the creation of superstars, media distorts the view of the Indian society on dowry. In India, film is the principal form of entertainment, and therefore, film stars are accorded a respect otherwise offer only to family elder and men of God(). An average of ten million people a day spend the equivalent of a days wages just to enter into a fantasy world of images of bad landlord, greedy industrialist, corrupt politicians and traditional virtues of virginity, devotion to God and family and service to men (). The protagonists, therefore, become the saviors of mankind and the actors start to be revered by the Indian public. According to Gokulsing and Dissanayake, star worship offer a mental escape from the pressures and poverty of everyday life and statements or actions made by big Bollywood stars, like Amitabh or Shahrukh, can have great effects on public attitudes. In high profile and star-studded marriages, the dowry worth fortunes are given; however, just as a custom. Millions of rupees in cash, gold, along with luxurious cars are given by the brides family, but this is not a compulsion and is given just out of generosity. However, the masses get influenced when they see this on the televisions and their desires increase many- folds. They start dreaming of lavish wedding and end up making brides lives miserable, ruining their families and turning the concept of marriage has been turned into a transaction, without any importance placed on the people or the relationship (). As a result of the societys distortion view of the dowry system, in many parts of the country, the birth of a girl is not seen as an event to celebrate. Unlike the loving parents of Poonam in Vivah, the thoughts of many Indian parents are not positive at the birth of a daughter (). The lyrics of an old Indian chant used in Punjab Eat the jiggery, spin the cotton, you should not come, send your brother suggests that the birth of a girl is seen as an event of sorrow. There is no singing or celebration, as the parents have to start worrying about the dowry. Girls become a drain of familys money, unlike boys who create income for the family and stay to take care of his parents in their old age (). This belief has skewed the sex ratio in India, fostered by sex-selective abortions and infanticides. Matrubhoomi, a Bollywood film, is set in a hypothetical village in India without women. The film tries to bring forth the message that if the rampant female infanticide and feticide were to cont inue, then there would be a time where there will be no women left. However, this film failed in its goal. The film is so extreme that the audience could not digest it and the film only succeeded at undermining the seriousness of this issue. The numerous representations of dowry system on both big and small screens, it seems to be distorting to an extent. Since the introduction of mass media in the Indian society, views of the people on the dowry have change significantly. The system, which was initially meant as a form of inheritance for women, changed over time because of its misrepresentation by media. The increasing exposure to media coupled, which increased the desirability of consumer goods, transformed this system into a substantial transfer of wealth from the brides family to the grooms and made dowry an important factor determining marriage decisions. Furthermore, recent films like Lajja, Vivah or Teen Beheinen only distorted the societys view on dowry by showing extremes situation that are highly unlikely to occur. On the other hand, TV shows like Satyamev Jayate tried to commercialize this issue; however, undermined its validity in the process. In addition, medias depictions of lavish weddings of media persona lities, increases the dowry systems prevalence as more and more people try to emulate their ideals. Dowry system, therefore, has become a big problem in India and has led to practices of female infanticide skewing the sex ratio in India. In drawing this paper to a close, it is clear that the problem of dowry is only intensified by media. Until media becomes more responsible in its depiction of the dowry system, leaving aside the monetary intentions, this problem will continue unabated.

German Nazism vs. Italian Fascism Essay -- Papers Nazi Fascism Compare

German Nazism vs. Italian Fascism Fascism and Nazism were two different political groups taken place in two different locations. Nazism was evolved in Germany which were the people that mainly were against Judaism. As for fascism, it took place in Italy and focused mainly on a system of government that was under a dictator, or a ruler who had absolute power. Both these groups had similariteis as well as differences in which will soon be understood. Benito Mussolini which was born in 1883 and died in 1945. He came to power with his new ideas in 1919, called Fascio di Combat, which is also known as Fascism. To understand Fascism better, it is basically a spiritual attitude. It sees not only the individual but also the nation and the country. Individuals and generations are bound together by a moral law. Adolf Hitler and his national socialist state influenced Mussolini. In time, Mussolini became the victim of his own propaganda efforts. He dreamed of wars of conquest, but these wars that were far beyond the industrial capacity of the state to maintain. Mussolini came to involved the state in wars of colonial conquest, which was probably the last of the great imperialistic wars of Europe. In 1938 a change was made in the Italian government which separated the people from the decision-making process entirely. The list of parliamentary candidates was no longer offered to the masses for their approval. Mussolini merely emulated Hitler by creating the totalitarian state while removing basic democracy. After Mussolini's fall from power and his heroic rescue by German paratroopers, it was created under the watchful protection of nazi troops. There was, however, time remained to develop a theory. Mussolini was wholly ... ...hen Germany becomes a dictatorship ruled by Hitler and the Nazi Party. It was also the begging of total chaos, such as several revolutions and world War II. There were many revolts like the Kristallnacht, which was a destructive rampage against the Jews. The Jews were drastically restricted and leaving Germany was each time becoming more difficult. In time the Nazis Parteis and Adolph Hitler killed many Jews, more than 30 thousand. Even though World War II was later finished by an agreement, it took many lives away. As for the fascist parties, they were not as gruesome as Nazism, even if one influenced the other. Although both were beliefs, which involved later in to something much greater and catastrophic, they were only people fighting for what they believed were right. But the problem was it effected on innocent's people's lives, and that is not tolerable.

Gays in the Military

Steven Danielson Gays in the Military A hot topic in the news these days is whether gays should be allowed to serve openly in the military. Many issues have arisen from allowing or not allowing gays to serve openly. Those opposed are concerned that gays would cause a break down in unit cohesion, a rise in assaults or violence, a drop in recruitment or retention, and feel that since America is currently fighting two wars that right now is not a good time to implement a new policy when it is felt that the current one is working just fine. Numerous studies have been conducted on this issue.Through poll, surveys, observing other countries that allow gays to serve openly and even by checking history it is felt that this would not be the case. Given all the evidence that points to allowing gays to serve openly outweigh any negatives that would possibly come about. Gays make up a portion of key personnel that is sorely needed in this time of war especially with a all volunteer force. The fa ct that military personal are being lost due to this law not only is harmful to military it also wrong on that these gays are having their basic human rights violated by the very country they are trying to protect.This has been an issue within the military since the very beginnings of its establishment of this nation since â€Å"The discharge of military personnel for homosexual behavior dates from at least the continental army of the revolutionary period† (Rayside 258). The military had a strict no gays allowed to serve for many years and it wasn’t until former president Clinton raised the issue in his campaign for presidency in 1991 did it come onto the radar of the news and on the minds of the American people.He promised to fight to have it so gays could serve in the armed forces of the United States. When he was elected president he set out to change things. Then President made a effort to change the policy but â€Å"Clinton was persuaded by the military, mobilize d by Chief of Staff Colin Powell, not to fulfill his campaign promise to allow gays and leasbians to serve openly† (Pencak 178). He was unable to change the policy drastically and had to settle for a compromise with the military and congress. This is where we got the still standing don’t ask don’t tell policy.This new law allowed gays to serve but they were required to keep their sexual orientation private and by going public with it would end in discharge from the service. The new policy also covered any homosexual actions stating that â€Å"A service member who engages in, attempts to engage in, or solicits a homosexual act is to be discharged, unless he can prove that such an act was an aberration and is unlikely to recur† (Hillman 264). If they were to state that they were gays or attempt to marry someone of the same sex this would too lead to termination.The phrase â€Å"don’t ask don’t tell† comes from the fact that no one will e ver ask if you are gays; as the military used to screen potential future military members by asking them before they joined. The don’t ask tell part comes from the fact that a gay service member must not tell anyone that they are homosexual. Later â€Å"don’t pursue† would added to it, meaning that the military would not pursue a suspected gay member as long as they didn’t tell. This was established out of fear that people would conduct â€Å"witch hunts† for gay members.Since the 1980s over 32,000 active duty members have been discharged for being gay. This is a large percent of people who were willing to serve but through no fault of their own we told they could not and were sent on their way. That is 32,000 already fully trained personnel that had to be replaced costing the country millions of dollars. There had been cases were people with key jobs being discharged as in a few Arabic translators be discharge when as of now they are in great dema nd. Discharging these personal is non sense. Not only is it violating their rights, â€Å"U.S. law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, race, or gender with regard to the rights of citizenship, the military maintains policies that are opposed to this most-basic American ideal† but it is putting this country and other service members at risk cause translators are a key competent of fighting the war on terror (Issit 4). How can a military succeed in winning the hearts and minds of people they cannot even talk with? The number of service members discharged each year in the United States is approximately 1,000-1,200.All of which are needed to be replaced with new people who require training. Losing the experience of those who were serving longer period of times is detrimental to the military because they possess the knowledge and skills required to accomplish the mission and have the ability to pass they knowledge on to new personnel. The amount of money r equired to replace them is enough that any tax paying American would be upset about. There are many reasons for someone to be discharged, from drug use to medical reasons.By changing this law the country would be losing a third less personnel each year. The American public is split on the issue. With about 60% saying that gays should be allowed to serve and 40% feeling they should be able to serve openly. A service wide survey was conducted asking the opinions of those who would be serving side by side with gays. The views of current service member varied much like that of American civilians. But they had reason for their concern when it came to those who opposed it. They were concerns about privacy issues.They were not comfortable with living with a known homosexual. The military does not allow males and females to share a room and there is concern having a same sex and gays living together. This might lead to a change in housing policy and bathroom faculties in having to separate men and women and gay men and lesbian women. This would lead to having to make new restrooms and building of new living quarters for gays. With another concern being the effect on Unit cohesion which can be broken down in two parts; task cohesion and social cohesion.Task cohesion referring to the ability to work together effectively in order to accomplish a mission and social cohesion referring to the emotional bonds and trust among unit members (US Government, DoD 102). The military is worried that gays would become a distraction for straights and this would disrupt the comradely between troops, all of which is very important in a wartime setting â€Å"because soldiers must withstand the tremendous emotional strain of seeing many of their friends brutally killed by the enemy† (Wilson 2). There are also religious and moral issues that have been brought up.The fact is that most religions say the homosexuality is wrong and by making personnel who are religious serve with gays i nfringes on the religious beliefs and the right to religious freedom in the military. Some feel that being gay is just wrong and do no want to be force to work alongside or live with someone of is known to be gay. Some also believe that don’t ask don’t tell law is working just fine and that it should just stay that way feeling that gays can serve but they just have to keep their sexuality to themselves.The same people feel that right now is not the best time to change the policy. Service member have a lot on their plates right now fighting two wars it that a change in the don’t ask don’t tell policy right now is just not the time to do so. There are some who are concerned that if gays were to serve openly then that would result in unwanted sexual advances and assaults. There is objection to gays showing public displays of affection. And that a gays flamboyant behavior would be a distraction. The possibility of a rise in HIV is of concern too.There is a be lief that AIDS is a running epidemic in the gay community and by allowing those to serve would lead to a increase in the HIV cases in the services. Marriage is another issue in that where would the money come from to pay for all the new cases of same sex marriages because married members receive benefits for the spouses and are paid more too. Some members feel that gays would become a protected class and in return would be forced to acknowledge gay pride week and be forced to mingle with them outside of work. With the fear that if they chose no too there would be displiniary actions placed against them.Other feel that the military is the last moral institution in America and feel that allowing gays to serve would destroy that. There are many service members that feel that gays should be allowed to serve openly and the have reasons for their support of the repeal of don’t ask don’t tell policy. Many know that there already are gays serving and by allowing them to acknow ledge their sexual orientation is not going to change anything. There is a feeling that as long as the gay service member can do their job then there is no reason they cannot serve.A person in America has the right to be who they are and by discharging a gay person who only wants to fight and protect the country that provides them that right is wrong. Any American regardless of sexual orientation should be allowed to sever their country. In given that this is a time of war the military needs every service member it can get. Since it is an all volunteer force they should allow anyone who wants to volunteer serve. The military is behind the times when is comes to its policy of homosexuals. It is the only institution that is discriminating openly against gays.It is illegal to fire a person from their jobs for being gays any where else they could be working and the military should be no different. Upon looking at the results of other militaries allowing gays to serve it is scene that it really has no effect on anything what so ever. So there is no reason not to believe that the some non-event would happen in the United States military too. If one is too look on when the military started to allow blacks and white to sever together as well as men and women it is seen that this was not harmful, but actually beneficial to the military as a whole.It is a brden to gays in the military to have to hide their homosexuality and that if there was a repeal to this law then that would liberate them from the fear of discharge. It is not that gays want to be able to tell everyone that they are gay but more that they won’t be afraid of losing their job if it were found out. â€Å"Sexual harassment regulations and sensitivity training would need to be updated, and guidance from leadership would be necessary† if this transition to a openly gay military is to be done (Prakash 92).History is said to repeat itself and if that is the case then there should be no problems associated with the repeal of the â€Å"don’t ask, don’t tell† law. Prior to 1953 blacks were not allowed to serve in the same unit as whites. There are similarities to be found when comparing concerns for when the racial integration of African-Americans was underway and the integration of homosexuals today in that â€Å"military leaders predicted disastrous consequences for unit cohesion, discipline, troop morale, and the achievement of military goals† (Knapp 239).Racial integration was a much bigger deal to the country than that of the integration of gays today. We can see that once racial integration was implemented that it turned out just fine. But it must be acknowledged that blacks are not gays so it won’t be exactly the same type of movement. The integration of women into the military also came out in positive terms. Though gender integration was slower than that of blacks, it is fully integrated today. Today women and blacks make up a sizab le portion of the military and without their service the military would not as strong as it is today.Women and African-Americans have succeeded in the U. S. military so there is no reason to believe that gays and lesbians cannot do the same. Many other nations’ military allow gays to openly serve and they experienced few if any problems because of it. It is such a non existent problem that it is considered a non-issue to most. The major militaries to open to gays are the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, and Israel. When these countries lifted their bans on gays in their militaries they noticed that nothing changed.In a official report released by the Canadian government it was stated that â€Å"Despite all the anxiety that existed through the late 80’s into the early 90’s about the change in policy, here’s what the indicators show—no effect† (Belkin 108). It was thought that maybe a mass coming out would happen but it didn’ t. Most still chose to keep their sexual orientation a private matter and only disclosed it to certain people, much like gays in the corporate world or anywhere else for that matter.The repeal is more for gays not to be discharged or fear being discharged for being gay and less for them to be able to go around and tell everyone that they are gay. There were no noticeable changes to recruiting numbers of the number of people choosing to remain in the military as a result of the lift ban on gays. The United Kingdom show no increase in same sex harassment and most countries commented that harassment die to gender integration was far more pronounced then harassment die to sexual orientation (US Government, DoD 92).This shows one that there is no reason that the integration of gays into the U. S. military will be difficult for its service members to adapt to. It will surely be a non-issue here itself. When looking at the issue of integrating gays into other organizations it is seen that many on the same things occurred that happened in the militaries that did the same. In 1998 an Executive Order was established in the prohibition of discrimination based on the sexual orientation for civilian employees in all Federal agencies. Many states have done the same with state organizations.It is to be noted that employees of these institutions reported that having day and lesbian personnel among their ranks has had no effect on their organization’s performance (US Government, DoD 94). It was found that in some cases allowing gays to be open about their sexual orientation actually improved their performance because now they were not worried about someone finding out they were gay and we able to put more focus on their work. When looking at the issue of privacy that was of a concern to some service members it was seen that in these organizations there was no need for additional accommodations for gays and lesbians.They also say the same thing when it came to gays publi cally announcing their homosexuality. It was found that none really chose to come out to everybody but instead only to certain people. And as far as service member worrying about the â€Å"flamboyant behavior† one might witness in the military by a gay is just not the case in the corporate world. Gays are very well aware of the professionalism associated with a Federal or State job and surely would be the case for any gay military member and would not act in such a way. There are many sides to this debate and given the concerns of each side it should be looked at carefully.When one does observe each side they can see that the concerns of those opposed to the repeal of don’t ask don’t tell are trivial and based on stereotypes and should not be enough to stop and any American from serving their country. The loss of personnel is unacceptable when their service is needed the most in these times of war. When seeing how other militaries favored with their lifting of b ans on gays it can be seen that it was so little a problem and should be the case here. Today’s troops do have a lot going on with fighting two wars and don’t need another thing on their plate, but they do need every helping hand they can get.It most likely would be the case that if repealed many troops would not disclose their sexual orientation so much would not change since a lot of troops know that they are already serving along side gays and lesbians. When weighing the pros and cons of this issue one shouldn’t be able to infringe on a American’s desire to serve their country based on their sexual orientation. It be great if these brave gay and lesbian women didn’t have to worry about their military careers coming to an end of they were or someone were to disclose their sexual orientation that way they would be able to fully concentrate on their mission. Gays in the Military Steven Danielson Gays in the Military A hot topic in the news these days is whether gays should be allowed to serve openly in the military. Many issues have arisen from allowing or not allowing gays to serve openly. Those opposed are concerned that gays would cause a break down in unit cohesion, a rise in assaults or violence, a drop in recruitment or retention, and feel that since America is currently fighting two wars that right now is not a good time to implement a new policy when it is felt that the current one is working just fine. Numerous studies have been conducted on this issue.Through poll, surveys, observing other countries that allow gays to serve openly and even by checking history it is felt that this would not be the case. Given all the evidence that points to allowing gays to serve openly outweigh any negatives that would possibly come about. Gays make up a portion of key personnel that is sorely needed in this time of war especially with a all volunteer force. The fa ct that military personal are being lost due to this law not only is harmful to military it also wrong on that these gays are having their basic human rights violated by the very country they are trying to protect.This has been an issue within the military since the very beginnings of its establishment of this nation since â€Å"The discharge of military personnel for homosexual behavior dates from at least the continental army of the revolutionary period† (Rayside 258). The military had a strict no gays allowed to serve for many years and it wasn’t until former president Clinton raised the issue in his campaign for presidency in 1991 did it come onto the radar of the news and on the minds of the American people.He promised to fight to have it so gays could serve in the armed forces of the United States. When he was elected president he set out to change things. Then President made a effort to change the policy but â€Å"Clinton was persuaded by the military, mobilize d by Chief of Staff Colin Powell, not to fulfill his campaign promise to allow gays and leasbians to serve openly† (Pencak 178). He was unable to change the policy drastically and had to settle for a compromise with the military and congress. This is where we got the still standing don’t ask don’t tell policy.This new law allowed gays to serve but they were required to keep their sexual orientation private and by going public with it would end in discharge from the service. The new policy also covered any homosexual actions stating that â€Å"A service member who engages in, attempts to engage in, or solicits a homosexual act is to be discharged, unless he can prove that such an act was an aberration and is unlikely to recur† (Hillman 264). If they were to state that they were gays or attempt to marry someone of the same sex this would too lead to termination.The phrase â€Å"don’t ask don’t tell† comes from the fact that no one will e ver ask if you are gays; as the military used to screen potential future military members by asking them before they joined. The don’t ask tell part comes from the fact that a gay service member must not tell anyone that they are homosexual. Later â€Å"don’t pursue† would added to it, meaning that the military would not pursue a suspected gay member as long as they didn’t tell. This was established out of fear that people would conduct â€Å"witch hunts† for gay members.Since the 1980s over 32,000 active duty members have been discharged for being gay. This is a large percent of people who were willing to serve but through no fault of their own we told they could not and were sent on their way. That is 32,000 already fully trained personnel that had to be replaced costing the country millions of dollars. There had been cases were people with key jobs being discharged as in a few Arabic translators be discharge when as of now they are in great dema nd. Discharging these personal is non sense. Not only is it violating their rights, â€Å"U.S. law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, race, or gender with regard to the rights of citizenship, the military maintains policies that are opposed to this most-basic American ideal† but it is putting this country and other service members at risk cause translators are a key competent of fighting the war on terror (Issit 4). How can a military succeed in winning the hearts and minds of people they cannot even talk with? The number of service members discharged each year in the United States is approximately 1,000-1,200.All of which are needed to be replaced with new people who require training. Losing the experience of those who were serving longer period of times is detrimental to the military because they possess the knowledge and skills required to accomplish the mission and have the ability to pass they knowledge on to new personnel. The amount of money r equired to replace them is enough that any tax paying American would be upset about. There are many reasons for someone to be discharged, from drug use to medical reasons.By changing this law the country would be losing a third less personnel each year. The American public is split on the issue. With about 60% saying that gays should be allowed to serve and 40% feeling they should be able to serve openly. A service wide survey was conducted asking the opinions of those who would be serving side by side with gays. The views of current service member varied much like that of American civilians. But they had reason for their concern when it came to those who opposed it. They were concerns about privacy issues.They were not comfortable with living with a known homosexual. The military does not allow males and females to share a room and there is concern having a same sex and gays living together. This might lead to a change in housing policy and bathroom faculties in having to separate men and women and gay men and lesbian women. This would lead to having to make new restrooms and building of new living quarters for gays. With another concern being the effect on Unit cohesion which can be broken down in two parts; task cohesion and social cohesion.Task cohesion referring to the ability to work together effectively in order to accomplish a mission and social cohesion referring to the emotional bonds and trust among unit members (US Government, DoD 102). The military is worried that gays would become a distraction for straights and this would disrupt the comradely between troops, all of which is very important in a wartime setting â€Å"because soldiers must withstand the tremendous emotional strain of seeing many of their friends brutally killed by the enemy† (Wilson 2). There are also religious and moral issues that have been brought up.The fact is that most religions say the homosexuality is wrong and by making personnel who are religious serve with gays i nfringes on the religious beliefs and the right to religious freedom in the military. Some feel that being gay is just wrong and do no want to be force to work alongside or live with someone of is known to be gay. Some also believe that don’t ask don’t tell law is working just fine and that it should just stay that way feeling that gays can serve but they just have to keep their sexuality to themselves.The same people feel that right now is not the best time to change the policy. Service member have a lot on their plates right now fighting two wars it that a change in the don’t ask don’t tell policy right now is just not the time to do so. There are some who are concerned that if gays were to serve openly then that would result in unwanted sexual advances and assaults. There is objection to gays showing public displays of affection. And that a gays flamboyant behavior would be a distraction. The possibility of a rise in HIV is of concern too.There is a be lief that AIDS is a running epidemic in the gay community and by allowing those to serve would lead to a increase in the HIV cases in the services. Marriage is another issue in that where would the money come from to pay for all the new cases of same sex marriages because married members receive benefits for the spouses and are paid more too. Some members feel that gays would become a protected class and in return would be forced to acknowledge gay pride week and be forced to mingle with them outside of work. With the fear that if they chose no too there would be displiniary actions placed against them.Other feel that the military is the last moral institution in America and feel that allowing gays to serve would destroy that. There are many service members that feel that gays should be allowed to serve openly and the have reasons for their support of the repeal of don’t ask don’t tell policy. Many know that there already are gays serving and by allowing them to acknow ledge their sexual orientation is not going to change anything. There is a feeling that as long as the gay service member can do their job then there is no reason they cannot serve.A person in America has the right to be who they are and by discharging a gay person who only wants to fight and protect the country that provides them that right is wrong. Any American regardless of sexual orientation should be allowed to sever their country. In given that this is a time of war the military needs every service member it can get. Since it is an all volunteer force they should allow anyone who wants to volunteer serve. The military is behind the times when is comes to its policy of homosexuals. It is the only institution that is discriminating openly against gays.It is illegal to fire a person from their jobs for being gays any where else they could be working and the military should be no different. Upon looking at the results of other militaries allowing gays to serve it is scene that it really has no effect on anything what so ever. So there is no reason not to believe that the some non-event would happen in the United States military too. If one is too look on when the military started to allow blacks and white to sever together as well as men and women it is seen that this was not harmful, but actually beneficial to the military as a whole.It is a brden to gays in the military to have to hide their homosexuality and that if there was a repeal to this law then that would liberate them from the fear of discharge. It is not that gays want to be able to tell everyone that they are gay but more that they won’t be afraid of losing their job if it were found out. â€Å"Sexual harassment regulations and sensitivity training would need to be updated, and guidance from leadership would be necessary† if this transition to a openly gay military is to be done (Prakash 92).History is said to repeat itself and if that is the case then there should be no problems associated with the repeal of the â€Å"don’t ask, don’t tell† law. Prior to 1953 blacks were not allowed to serve in the same unit as whites. There are similarities to be found when comparing concerns for when the racial integration of African-Americans was underway and the integration of homosexuals today in that â€Å"military leaders predicted disastrous consequences for unit cohesion, discipline, troop morale, and the achievement of military goals† (Knapp 239).Racial integration was a much bigger deal to the country than that of the integration of gays today. We can see that once racial integration was implemented that it turned out just fine. But it must be acknowledged that blacks are not gays so it won’t be exactly the same type of movement. The integration of women into the military also came out in positive terms. Though gender integration was slower than that of blacks, it is fully integrated today. Today women and blacks make up a sizab le portion of the military and without their service the military would not as strong as it is today.Women and African-Americans have succeeded in the U. S. military so there is no reason to believe that gays and lesbians cannot do the same. Many other nations’ military allow gays to openly serve and they experienced few if any problems because of it. It is such a non existent problem that it is considered a non-issue to most. The major militaries to open to gays are the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, and Israel. When these countries lifted their bans on gays in their militaries they noticed that nothing changed.In a official report released by the Canadian government it was stated that â€Å"Despite all the anxiety that existed through the late 80’s into the early 90’s about the change in policy, here’s what the indicators show—no effect† (Belkin 108). It was thought that maybe a mass coming out would happen but it didn’ t. Most still chose to keep their sexual orientation a private matter and only disclosed it to certain people, much like gays in the corporate world or anywhere else for that matter.The repeal is more for gays not to be discharged or fear being discharged for being gay and less for them to be able to go around and tell everyone that they are gay. There were no noticeable changes to recruiting numbers of the number of people choosing to remain in the military as a result of the lift ban on gays. The United Kingdom show no increase in same sex harassment and most countries commented that harassment die to gender integration was far more pronounced then harassment die to sexual orientation (US Government, DoD 92).This shows one that there is no reason that the integration of gays into the U. S. military will be difficult for its service members to adapt to. It will surely be a non-issue here itself. When looking at the issue of integrating gays into other organizations it is seen that many on the same things occurred that happened in the militaries that did the same. In 1998 an Executive Order was established in the prohibition of discrimination based on the sexual orientation for civilian employees in all Federal agencies. Many states have done the same with state organizations.It is to be noted that employees of these institutions reported that having day and lesbian personnel among their ranks has had no effect on their organization’s performance (US Government, DoD 94). It was found that in some cases allowing gays to be open about their sexual orientation actually improved their performance because now they were not worried about someone finding out they were gay and we able to put more focus on their work. When looking at the issue of privacy that was of a concern to some service members it was seen that in these organizations there was no need for additional accommodations for gays and lesbians.They also say the same thing when it came to gays publi cally announcing their homosexuality. It was found that none really chose to come out to everybody but instead only to certain people. And as far as service member worrying about the â€Å"flamboyant behavior† one might witness in the military by a gay is just not the case in the corporate world. Gays are very well aware of the professionalism associated with a Federal or State job and surely would be the case for any gay military member and would not act in such a way. There are many sides to this debate and given the concerns of each side it should be looked at carefully.When one does observe each side they can see that the concerns of those opposed to the repeal of don’t ask don’t tell are trivial and based on stereotypes and should not be enough to stop and any American from serving their country. The loss of personnel is unacceptable when their service is needed the most in these times of war. When seeing how other militaries favored with their lifting of b ans on gays it can be seen that it was so little a problem and should be the case here. Today’s troops do have a lot going on with fighting two wars and don’t need another thing on their plate, but they do need every helping hand they can get.It most likely would be the case that if repealed many troops would not disclose their sexual orientation so much would not change since a lot of troops know that they are already serving along side gays and lesbians. When weighing the pros and cons of this issue one shouldn’t be able to infringe on a American’s desire to serve their country based on their sexual orientation. It be great if these brave gay and lesbian women didn’t have to worry about their military careers coming to an end of they were or someone were to disclose their sexual orientation that way they would be able to fully concentrate on their mission.

Multi Layered Security Plan Essay

Simplicity of user’s passwords can be a major problem so we need to implement complex passwords including eight or more characters, both upper and lower case, and use of at least one special character. Passwords will need to be changed every three months and the same password cannot be used again for one calendar year. In the workstation domain, we need to make sure that each of the workstations, whether desktop or laptop, has antivirus and malware protection installed on them. Laptops are very vulnerable for loss or theft, so all company laptops should have an encrypted hard drive so that if they are stolen, the data contained on them is not recovered by anyone but the owner. For the LAN domain, we need to have training about email scams. Most users know not to access suspicious emails when on our system but a quick training course will help. Also, adding spam filters will help get rid of most of the junk email, so there is much less risk of employees opening emails containing malware. In the LAN-to-WAN domain, we need to shut down the FTP server we have running and switch it over to use secure FTP so that only users allowed on our system can access our FTP server. In the WAN domain, we need to make sure that we have firewalls set up on our network to filter all incoming traffic. A firewall will stop all traffic coming on to our system that is not meant or not wanted on the Richman Investments network. For the remote access domain, we need to make sure the VPN we use is secure so that our employees are not exposing sensitive data to anyone outside of our network. In order to do this we will make sure that everyone using a VPN to access our network has to authenticate to the system to get authorization. For the systems/application domain, we need to lessen chances for attacks on our servers. This will be done by figuring out which ports and services are not being used and shutting off access to those ports. This will give hackers less ways onto our system. Also we need to make sure all servers have the latest patches and updates. These updates provide the latest security patches and keep our servers running at their full potential with less likelihood of vulnerabilities. Applying all these security measures will ensure a much safer environment, technically speaking. This multi-layered security approach will help keep our network secure and running smoothly.

Real Gas Definition and Examples

Real Gas Definition and Examples A real gas is a gas that does not behave as an ideal gas due to interactions between gas molecules. A real gas is also known as a nonideal gas because the behavior of a real gas in only approximated by the ideal gas law. When Real Gases Differ From Ideal Gases Usually, its fine to use the ideal gas law to make calculations for gases. However, the approximation gives considerable error at very high pressure, near the critical point, or near the condensation point of a gas. Unlike ideal gases, a real gas is subject to: Van der Waals forcesCompressibility effectsNon-equilibrium thermodynamic effectsVariable specific heat capacityVariable composition, including molecular dissociation and other chemical reactions Real Gas Example While cool air at ordinary pressure behaves like an ideal gas, increasing its pressure or temperature increases the interactions between molecules, resulting in real gas behavior that cannot be predicted reliably using the ideal gas law. Sources Cengel, Yunus A. and Michael A. Boles (2010). Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach (7th Ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN 007-352932-X.Xiang, H. W. (2005). The Corresponding-States Principle and its Practice: Thermodynamic, Transport and Surface Properties of Fluids. Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-08-045904-2.

Environmental Ethics and the Principles of Pluralism and Environmental Pragmatism Essays

Environmental Ethics and the Principles of Pluralism and Environmental Pragmatism Essays Environmental Ethics and the Principles of Pluralism and Environmental Pragmatism Paper Environmental Ethics and the Principles of Pluralism and Environmental Pragmatism Paper by Chum Hamilton Environmental Ethics ENV362 Professor Dave Williams August 16, 2008 CONTENTS Pluralism and Environmental Pragmatism3 My Response6 References9 Pluralism and Environmental Pragmatism With the widely differing theoretical environmental ethic philosophical frameworks that are currently espoused, it is clear that a single unified theory has not yet emanated from this discipline. This has frustrated â€Å"monists† within the discipline. Monists contend that there must be a single environmental ethic framework that is the only true framework. Underpinning this standpoint is the idea that environmental ethics would be devoid of any objectivity if there is not a single â€Å"true† theoretical framework: â€Å"One strong motivation behind moral monism is the fear of the alternative. Without a single unified and coherent theory, we seem relegated to ethical relativism† (Desjardins, 2006, p. 262). In contrast to the monists, â€Å"pluralists† are those who â€Å"accept the possibility that more than one basic approach can be legitimate† (Desjardins, 2006, p. 262) and they subscribe to â€Å"a plurality of moral truths,† as opposed to the relativist, who contends that lack of a single truth means that there can be no moral truth. Desjardins notes that â€Å"perhaps it is a mistake to apply scientific and mathematical standards to ethics. Perhaps we are asking too much when we seek clear, unambiguous and certain decisions on ethical matters. Perhaps we can be rational about ethical matters without having unequivocal, definitive answers† (Desjardins, 2006, p. 263). Environmental pragmatism acknowledges moral pluralism, and focuses less on what is true, per se, and more on what it is that we should do about issues. It is a very â€Å"contextual† approach in that each issue presents its own complexities that need to be reviewed in order to begin to make a decision. Pragmatists â€Å"understand that practical reasoning may not always offer unambiguous advice† (Desjardins, 2006, p. 66). Desjardins also goes on to describe that â€Å"pragmatism also supports democratic values such as tolerance and respect for diverse opinions and the commitment to engaging in free and open procedures for deciding rather than seeking the single ‘true’ decision† (Desjardins, 2006, p. 266). Desjardin then goes on to note that he had a personal experience where a task force had to make a difference. Apparent ly, the task force was not able to make much headway in its first two years of existence. He contends that this resulted from the fact that the first two years were characterized by the task force members coming at the issue unyieldingly from whatever their theoretical viewpoint was that they began the meetings with. He feels that once the task force began focusing on what the different participants actually did already agree on that they really started to gain momentum and make headway with the issue: â€Å"the alternative began with the practical matter of getting things done, and it did this by starting with specific issues on which people agreed. Ultimately, ‘theory’ followed practice in the sense that the final governing principle was developed out of the agreed upon starting points† (Desjardins, 2006, p. 267). Critics of environmental pragmatism claim that the decision plans that emanate from this pragmatism approach are really nothing more than more of the same. In other words, they still reflect business as usual and the status quo. Pragmatists feel as if this criticism is not valid because they view the pragmatic approach to decision-making as a venue through which opinions not in step with the status quo get surfaced so that more people may benefit from them as they make decisions. In other words, because this process makes differing positions known and because it makes the black-box of the decision-making process transparent, then it opens the door for the status quo to evolve: â€Å"as values are brought in line with practices, they evolve to guide future practices, which in turn shape future values† (Desjardins, 2006, p. 268). Critics also feel that because pragmatism relies heavily on the notion that decisions should be made within that context within which they arise that it must, therefore, be relativistic. Desjardins notes that pragmatists have responded to this criticism by claiming that they are more interested in what is reasonable as opposed to what is true. And, further, they hold that there are standards to reasonableness that are upheld: 1) intellectual and moral openness, 2) intellectual and moral care, and 3) attention to detail. These standards â€Å"prevent the collapse of pragmatism into relativism† (Desjardins, 2006, p. 69). My Response Information I have read to date regarding pluralism and environmental pragmatism leads me to believe that these approaches are more aligned with my own personal values and ethical beliefs than are the other environmental ethics frameworks we have surveyed in this class. However, I would not be comfortable referring to pluralism and environmental prag matism as an â€Å"environmental ethic framework† in and of itself. It strikes me more like a valid decision-making process that may eventually lead to establishing a more coherent framework rather than a framework itself. As Kelly Parker noted in her chapter in Environmental Pragmatism, â€Å"Pragmatism sees philosophical ethics as an ongoing attempt to determine what is good, and what actions are right† (Parker, 1996, p. 30). It also strikes me as the only way we will actually be able to get anything done with respect to solving/mitigating environmental problems in the meantime while the debates over the â€Å"correct unified theory† continue. However, I am not too deeply discounting the role of theoretical environmental ethic frameworks- without these multiple frameworks, the â€Å"plural† would be taken out of â€Å"pluralism. Obviously, these theories will (and should) continue to evolve. I just feel that when we are dealing with environmental issues, we should look to pluralism and pragmatism as our â€Å"first responder. † In many situations, we are in an environmental emergency and time is of the essence. Pragmatic approaches are probably the only approaches that ca n be agreed upon the fastest. Imagine the time it would take us to agree on the one â€Å"true† theory before we were able to even decide what to do! It will take a lot less time to agree on at least some things that can be done now in order to help solve environmental issues. Supporting the notion that theory should not be too deeply discounted if pragmatism is to gain ground is Piers H. G. Stevens, the feature editor for the Sage publication Organization and Environment. In his book review of Bryan G. Norton’s Sustainability: A Philosophy of Adaptive Ecosystem Management voices a concern that political participation has waned and corporate monopoly power has grown and that this situation threatens true democracy. Consequently, he doesn’t share Norton’s desire to dispose with theory and focus only on the pragmatic. He feels that theory is needed as inspiration â€Å"to help reclaim true democracy in the public sphere. (pg 391). Thus it seems to me that theory without pragmatism is foolish, but pragmatism without theory is just as foolish. I very much enjoyed the way that Desjardins ended the textbook chapter on pluralism and environmental pragmatism. He made note of the three pillars of sustainable development when writing â€Å"A s ustainable future must be sustainable on three related grounds: economic, environmental, and ethical. † (pg. 269). Reviewing the issues that were brought up in this course allowed me to see that for many, many years we have gone about our business as if we were in a vacuum and that environmental issues didn’t need our attention. This â€Å"discounting environmental matters† is clearly the wrong way to approach our current and future existence. However, we should not let the pendulum swing too far in the other direction where we discount economic needs. It is true that too much of a focus on economic considerations may have caused us to be short-sighted. However, we should not lose sight of the importance of the economy. We have in fact already done this if you ask me. In my opinion, we did this a while back when we elevated the notion of the â€Å"economy† so high up that we let people become subservient to the â€Å"economy. All interests- environmental, social, spiritual, and individual- may be better served if we take a view of the economy where the â€Å"economy should be for the people† not where â€Å"the people should be for the economy. † In many ways, our economy is also very much part of our human habitat and we must be concerned with it since it is the venue through wh ich we are able to work in exchange for goods and services that we NEED. Of course, there are also plenty of goods and services that we don’t need. These are expressions of our wants as opposed to our needs. Human survival is as important as is the survival of anything else on this planet. However, it is undoubtedly the case that notions of human comfort should be revisited in light of the importance of the survival of other things on this planet. References Desjardins, J. (2006). Environmental Ethics: An Introduction to Environmental Philosophy (4th ed. ). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Parker, K. (1996). Pragmatism and environmental thought. In A. Light E. Katz (Eds. ), Environmental Pragmatism (pp. 21-37). New York: Routledge. Stephens, P. (2007). Sustainability, democracy, and pragmatism in Bryan Nortons philosophy of ecosystem management. Organization and Environment, 20, 386-392.

The History of the Cabbage Patch Kids Dolls

The History of the Cabbage Patch Kids Dolls During the 1983 Christmas season, parents in the United States frantically searched everywhere for the coveted Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. While many stores had extremely long waiting lists, others had a first-come first-serve policy, which led to shocking, vicious fights between potential buyers. By the end of the year, approximately three million Cabbage Patch Kids dolls had been adopted. The Cabbage Patch Kids frenzy of 1983 was to be the first of many such holiday-season, toy frenzies in the years to come. What Is a Cabbage Patch Kids Doll? In 1983, a Cabbage Patch Kids doll was a 16-inch doll, usually with a plastic head, a fabric body, and yarn hair (unless it was bald). What made them so desirable, besides the fact that they were huggable, was both their supposed uniqueness and their adoptability. It was claimed that each Cabbage Patch Kids doll was unique. Different head molds, eye shapes and colors, hair styles and colors, and clothing options did make each one look different than the other. This, plus the fact that inside each Cabbage Patch Kids box came a birth certificate with that particular kids first and middle name on it, made the dolls as individual as the kids who wanted to adopt them. The official Cabbage Patch Kids story tells of a young boy named Xavier Roberts, who was led by a Bunnybee through a waterfall, down a long tunnel, and out into a magical land where a cabbage patch grew little children. When he was asked to help, Roberts agreed to find loving homes for these Cabbage Patch Kids. The real Xavier Roberts, who invented the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, had no trouble adopting out his dolls in 1983, for real kids around the country vied to be one of the few whose parents were able to buy them one. The Real Story Behind the Cabbage Patch Dolls The real history of Cabbage Patch Kids dolls had little to do with Bunnybees; instead, the real story began with 21-year-old Xavier Roberts, who, when he was an art student, came up with the beginning doll idea in 1976. By 1978, Roberts joined up with five of his school friends and started a company called the Original Appalachian Artworks, Inc., which sold the entirely plush, hand-made Little People dolls (the name was to change later). Roberts would travel to arts and craft shows to sell his dolls, which already had the signature adoption aspect to them. The dolls were a hit even with the first buyers and soon orders started to pour in. By 1981, Roberts and his dolls were being written about in many magazines, even appearing on the cover of Atlantic Weekly. In 1982, Roberts and his friends were unable to keep up with the orders and thus signed a contract with Coleco, a toy manufacturer, who could mass produce the dolls, which were now to have plastic heads and be called Cabbage Patch Kids. By the following year, Coleco couldnt keep up either. Kids were demanding the doll, causing a buying frenzy at the end of 1983. A Few Things You Dont Know About Cabbage Patch Kids Dolls Later, when Hasbro took over manufacturing (1989 to 1994), the dolls shrunk down to 14 inches tall. Mattel, which manufactured Cabbage Patch Kids from 1994 to today also kept the smaller, 14-inch size. On the left-side of every dolls tush, you can find the signature of Cabbage Patch Kids inventor, Xavier Roberts. However, what you might not know is that just about every year the dolls were made, the color of the signature changed. For instance, in 1983, the signature was black but in 1993 it was forest green. If you are an avid fan of Cabbage Patch Kids, you can go visit the Babyland General Hospital and see the birth of a doll. Located in Cleveland, Georgia, the large, Southern-style house holds thousands of Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. Be forewarned, it is highly unlikely that you could bring kids here and escape without buying them a doll. Do you have a Cabbage Patch Kids doll in your garage that youre hoping will eventually bring you lots of money? Check out the Doll Collecting site at About.com to find out if what you have is worth anything.

Unit VII Assessment#1 Gaussian Plume Models Essay

Unit VII Assessment#1 Gaussian Plume Models - Essay Example Screen 3 models are an air pollution dispersion method used to investigate environmental aspect and condition of the atmospheric air (Livermore, 1998).it is a model designed to estimate worst case ground level concentrations of a single source as well as that in a cavity zone and the concentrations resulting from inversion break and shoreline fumigation. Therefore, SCREEN3 is a screening version of the ISC3 modeling. Its initial modeling works towards removing the need for a complicated modeling and helps in saving time and resources (Gaujar, 2010). It was developed in 1995 following the Gaussian plume modeling to cover regional scales. (Nieuwstadt and Dop, 1975). SCREEN3 has various advantages compared to other modeling types. First, it investigates ground level concentrations over large zones saving on time consumptions and minimizing resource inputs. It also covers models over any terrain while setting up any sources and pollutants in one file, it sets thresholds concentrations quickly while identifying specified value. In addition it analyses results in different formats such as graphical, text and use of tables (Nieuwstadt and Dop,

Bussiness integration & ERP (master level) Essay

Bussiness integration & ERP (master level) - Essay Example In terms management business integration can also lead to firmed grip on their internal and external control process. Also, the globalization is considered to be one of the factors behind in the adaption of business integration to compete with others in order to succeed in their business and prove their existence in the market. As the company or business gets bigger, the need for integration becomes a demand in order to ensure the smooth flowing of information between different departments and units to operate sufficiently and effectively with regard to quickly and reliability of this kind of information flow. In fact, as the integration process bring so many advantages and benefits it also bring with it some challenges too. The integration process between people, technology and process holds real challenges that need to be overcome in order to have successful integration process. At the process level, the challenge may materialize within the company itself, let me explain how. In ge neral, companies despite their size have various numbers of units and therefore that means they may have various numbers of autonomous and heterogeneous applications or systems for particular purpose. During the integration process which is often a result of strategic plan these systems that could cause integration problems thus inability to co-operate together. Another dimension of the problem is the construction of metadata. In order to integrate business processes there is a need to understand the meaning of metadata and their use in the existing system or applications to figure out how they can be integrated. The challenge here is that collecting these data is difficult especially if the people who defined them or familiar with are not available anymore. Metadata hold information like purpose, specification and context of the data which helps to understand the meaning of data. Another challenge is that in order to integrate process there is a need to understand precisely what th e current system and applications are used for. That would include their functionality and the means by which they can be integrated. The challenge here is that many companies do not have this information. At people level or socio-technical level, there is the challenge between people and technology therefore the organizational change aspects need to be considered in the integration process, some may resist using the new system or find it difficult to accept it or use it therefore implementing organizational change practices could be of help through training and support. Another challenge is that the lack of people intervention in integrated process to deal with and exception handling in case they appear. At implementation level, the integration process would be complex and the cost of available methods for business integration is expensive also the process would take time and efforts to be completed while some could perceive that the cost of implementing might overweigh the benefit s or the return on investment would take time to be achieved. There are cross organizational challenges like the connectivity to suppliers, service providers, and customers and so on and all security issues related to that. There are a number of companies that were able to achieve the benefits of adapting an

Teaching IT Ethics in Arabic Countries Approaches and Attitudes Research Paper

Teaching IT Ethics in Arabic Countries Approaches and Attitudes - Research Paper Example Thus maintaining ethical codes of conduct for the uses of computers or information systems has become a necessary aspect in every institutional organization. This study focuses on the ethical measures reflected in the information technology within organizations in the Arab countries particularly highlighting the region of Saudi Arabia. It considers certain literature reviews as well as focused on some of the companies to unlearn the present scenario of ethical practices in information technology uses, and hence conducted a detailed analysis on the ethical structure of information systems in Saudi Arabian organizations. Keywords: Computers, Information technology, Ethics, Business organizations List of Abbreviations: IT: Information Technology NCS: National Computer Systems Introduction:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the current global scenario, information technology can be found to have advanced to a great extent. Companies require performing under different rules and policies (Northcu tt, 2004, p.4). With greater advancements, the use of computers and the IT systems have become very uncomplicated and easy for the users to exchange information. However, attitudes towards the ethical issues have been found to alter amongst the users in the modern organizations and several unethical practices are being prevalent. Often acquaintances may create circumstances where a person tends to get influenced to follow unethical practices. IT proficient organizational members are capable of controlling information systems and hence can manipulate the system procedures. To put a control on such issues, several institutions in developed countries are endorsing ethical codes that the professionals are required to follow. The absence of ethical codes in computers and IT reflects the threats of the users getting involved in â€Å"privacy and software piracy† (Information Resources Management Association, 1994, p.428). The ethical codes in computers and information technology ad minister and control the use of computers, networks and information systems. The ethical issues that generally arise in this respect include unlawful use of computers, theft in computer software, hardware or other process systems, privacy issues as well as use of any material that may be unacceptable in the organizational culture. Thus, organizations need to focus on the codes of ethics to control these measures (Shelly, Cashman, Gunter & Gunter, 2007, p.484). The study has taken into consideration certain literature reviews and a few companies in the region of Saudi Arabia have been taken as case studies reflecting the ethical practices in business organizations on the use of computers and information technology.   Research Framework:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To study the ethical codes maintained in organizations in Saudi Arabia in the context of the use of computers and IT, this report focuses on certain theoretical study work based on the institutional theories on IT and organiz ational learning to provide with a fundamental understanding on the ethical issues related to information systems. Moreover, the research focuses on some of the selected organizations from Saudi Arabia to reflect on the current scenario of ethical practices in Saudi Arabia. The use of IT has developed largely in a short period of time spreading across the globe in different regions providing high quality services to its users. The broadening of the information syste

Write a 3-page response paper with thesis and argument on Plato cave Essay

Write a 3-page response paper with thesis and argument on Plato cave of analogy - Essay Example In psychological theory, there is the concept of metacognition, which is loosely defined as â€Å"awareness of person, task and strategy variables and the ways these factors affect cognitive tasks† (Lorch, Lorch and Klusewitz 241). A person with metacognitive characteristics maintains tacit as well as explicit knowledge about the process of cognition, learning to think with a theoretical philosophy and adjust learning to meet with environmental conditions. Metacognition is the process of using a range of different thinking and processing strategies, consciously, to facilitate well-rounded learning and adjust cognitive processes accordingly. Plato’s analogy is very relevant to metacognition, as the individuals within the cave are being held prisoner, thus they maintain no metacognitive characteristics (no blended approach to discerning reality from perception). The prisoners in the cave understand only a single reality, which is largely distorted by the tangible construc ts of the cave, such as with the diminished lighting that conflicts with the reality outside of the cave. Metacognition as a modern example used in comparison to Plato’s analogy is relevant as Plato is attempting to illustrate that inherent learning desire within the prisoners is stifled by lack of experience and knowledge. Without some governing force to promote higher learning and explain the concept of tangible reality, people will not use metacognition and have no inherent desire to seek additional understanding. Plato attempts to use this analogy to illustrate that an inquisitive person, such as the prisoner led into reality, will have more foundations of genuine understanding to be equipped to be a more effective leader for others. Plato attempts to illustrate that those who are darkened or have their lives shadowed cannot effectively discern wisdom, but the unfortunate part of this phenomenon is that there is no

ETHICAL CONSUMERS . myth or reality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

ETHICAL CONSUMERS . myth or reality - Essay Example The result was obvious and very predictable. It led to huge scale destruction and exploitation of resources of the planet earth, pollution, human and animal abuse and a long run destruction of everyone at this planet. That was the time when the experts and media people jumped on to the scene and started creating awareness amongst the public. The masses wanted to follow the ethical path and wanted to stop the companies from their unethical actions for making profits. They all agreed that it is the responsibility of all of them to stop this destruction and unethical actions, somehow or other. That was when; the consumers became conscious about their power, about the difference that they could make. They understood the fact that these companies depend of them and they can use this dependency to make these companies work their way. Consumers developed common platforms and came up with useful strategies. It started to work. By boycotting, the products of those companies involved in unethical means of production pressure grew on the companies to change their course of action. Moreover, the decreased profits made the companies to do it so as well. The process of acquiring products that are produced without violating ethical grounds and code of conduct can be termed as ethical consumerism and these consumers are called as ethical consumers (Wetherly, & Otter, pp.12-18, 2008). People were unaware of the term of ethical consumerism before the past three decades. This is after the early 70’s era that the masses became conscious about the violation of moral and ethical standards for more profits by companies. These actions were certainly crossing the limits of patience of the public, that is why the masses had to stand up by themselves for the sake of this planet, its eco-system and betterment of their coming generations and making sure that they leave a better world for their coming generations. Following are some of most notable

Franchising of SMEs in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Franchising of SMEs in China - Essay Example Franchising in China proposes great opportunities for local businesses and international small and medium-size enterprises to expand their activities and enter new markets. Following Welsh et al (2006): "franchising is seen as a means of obtaining scarce capital, as the franchise is generally required to make a substantial investment in the business. Franchisees share risk with the franchiser. Franchising is also identified as a way of addressing the agency problem, specifically, the issue of monitoring managers" (2006, p. 130). In China, key to the success of the organization is the mutually dependent relationship between the two companies-the franchisors and the franchise. Miller and Grossman (1986) described franchising as an organizational form structured by a long-term contract whereby the franchisor (usual owner) of a product and service grants the non-exclusive rights to a franchise for the local (in this case Chinese) distribution of the particular product or service. The franchise has to pay a fee and ongoing royalties and agrees to follow to quality standards. Also, a franchise can be defined as "an incentive distribution system for organizing individual firms pursuing their own rewards" (Abbott 1998, p. 76). Taking this perspective into account, researchers determine the phenomenon as an inter-organizational form. A possible, roughly natural rate of SME density also has limited implications for policies designed to promote 'entrepreneurship'. The logic is as follows: Let's assume that heading a small firm is an important mark of entrepreneurship, since the founder of a firm that quickly disappears may be less entrepreneurial than the leader of an SME that exists and survives, whether or not the leader was the original founder. In this analysis, the number of SMEs then becomes a proxy for the number of 'entrepreneurs': Entrepreneurs are the independent leaders of SMEs (Abbott 1998). Once economists accept that this assumption is one logical proxy of entrepreneurial activity (although by no means the only one), we can then say that a roughly natural rate of SME density implies there is little that can help, or hinder, ent repreneurship at the national level in a broadly liberal trading environment (Ambler & Witzel 2003). Ratios of 'entrepreneurs' (leaders of SMEs) are somewhat constant across European national populations. If one measures entrepreneurial activity by the rates of start-ups, then the analysis would change; but it is not clear that high start-up rates on a national scale really correlate with economic success either. The lowest start-up rates in Europe are in rich Sweden, the highest are in southern Europe, where unemployment is high and GDP per capita is lower. Definitions of entrepreneurship should encompass success measured by economic production and profits, and not just frenetic activities, primarily in the low-tech service sector (Justis & Judd 1999). In China, the majority of franchising companies operate as SMEs. In emerging markets like China, "retail franchising can sometimes supplant traditional and local cultural elements, which over time can lead to homogenization and westernization of preferences, especially among the youth. The older generations and the political establishments often resist such cultural shifts" (Welsh et al 2006, p. 132).

ETHICAL CONSUMERS . myth or reality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

ETHICAL CONSUMERS . myth or reality - Essay Example The result was obvious and very predictable. It led to huge scale destruction and exploitation of resources of the planet earth, pollution, human and animal abuse and a long run destruction of everyone at this planet. That was the time when the experts and media people jumped on to the scene and started creating awareness amongst the public. The masses wanted to follow the ethical path and wanted to stop the companies from their unethical actions for making profits. They all agreed that it is the responsibility of all of them to stop this destruction and unethical actions, somehow or other. That was when; the consumers became conscious about their power, about the difference that they could make. They understood the fact that these companies depend of them and they can use this dependency to make these companies work their way. Consumers developed common platforms and came up with useful strategies. It started to work. By boycotting, the products of those companies involved in unethical means of production pressure grew on the companies to change their course of action. Moreover, the decreased profits made the companies to do it so as well. The process of acquiring products that are produced without violating ethical grounds and code of conduct can be termed as ethical consumerism and these consumers are called as ethical consumers (Wetherly, & Otter, pp.12-18, 2008). People were unaware of the term of ethical consumerism before the past three decades. This is after the early 70’s era that the masses became conscious about the violation of moral and ethical standards for more profits by companies. These actions were certainly crossing the limits of patience of the public, that is why the masses had to stand up by themselves for the sake of this planet, its eco-system and betterment of their coming generations and making sure that they leave a better world for their coming generations. Following are some of most notable

How occupational status, intergenerational mobility and social network Essay

How occupational status, intergenerational mobility and social network affects individual's status attainment - Essay Example There are different factors which are responsible for status attainment. Some of them are occupational status, intergenerational mobility and social network. Depending on the positioning of the individual with respect to these factors, the status attainment of an individual is determined. This paper studies some of the likely effects of these three factors on the individual's attainment of his status. In studying the concept of social attainment, human capital theory, theories on discrimination and the status attainment models have been used. According to Dr.Pretty Lam (2000) Human capital theory explains the differences in social and economic positions on the basis of factors like, education, work experience and on the job training. Besides the human capital, the concepts of social capital and cultural capital will also be used. "The educational and occupational status attainment process links socio-economic status and mental ability to educational and occupational attainment by means of intervening social psychological variables, including academic performance, the influence of significant others and educational and occupational aspirations." (William H. Sewell, Archibald O. Haller, George W. Ohlendorf 1970) Many analysts even today will substantiate the statement of Blau & Duncan (1967) that "occupational status summarizes much of what matters in the system of inequality". While this fully applies to modern societies, it is even more true for historically observed societies. Occupational position has been the most prominent indicator of social inequality in the past, even more than it is today. Thus by subscribing to the social inequality, the status attainment is more than influenced by an individual's occupational standing and its relevance to his societal status. The occupational position this assumes an important position in the status attainment of an individual. 3.0 Intergenerational Mobility and Status Attainment: For quite some time, the influence of family background on the adult children's economic outcomes has been the focus of research economists. Most of the studies are based on the model developed by Becker and Tomes (1986). In the model, the altruism of the parents is assumed to be of great importance and the parents care about their children's welfare. Parents through heredity like generic traits, cognitive ability and through family environments like family connections pass on endowments to their children. As per Anh Nguyen and Haile Getinet (2003) in addition, parents can influence the economic outcomes of their children by purportedly investing in their children human capital. Because of market imperfections, some parents cannot invest in their children's education at the optimum points, which leads to persistence across generations in economic status, and the poor remains poor. Thus intergenerational mobility of income and earnings has a clear impact on the status attainment of an individual. Apart from the income and earnings, educational attainment and occupational linkage across generatio

Banking fraud

Banking fraud Presentation of the Issue Banks are not being prepared for their clients online bank accounts to under come frauds. Not all banks have good security systems and blame their clients with the benefit for thief.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An opportunistic thief who stole  £ 14,000 from a womans bank account after she failed to log out of a public computer has avoided a jail term. ¹ When the woman complained to the bank, they refused to reimburse her because of her negligence in failing to log off. ¹   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The negative impact of this issue shows that, online banking fraud increased 55 percent to  £39 million in the first six months of the year compared to the same period a year ago, said Financial Fraud Action U.K.(FFA). ² The main issue consumers have with online banking is security. ³ The head of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has stopped banking online after nearly falling for a phishing attempt.4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Positive impacts of using online banking are; elimination of paper ³, cheaper than traditional methods, available 24/7 without the need of going out from home, fast payment for delivery services. Technology Background of the Issue E-banking includes the systems that enable financial institution customers, individuals or businesses, to access accounts, transact business, or obtain information on financial products and services through a public or private network, including the Internet.5 Hundreds of financial institutions offer online banking services, making it possible to pay bills, check account balances, and transfer funds using software.6 Customers access e-banking services using an intelligent electronic device, such as a personal computer (PC), personal digital assistant (PDA), automated teller machine (ATM), kiosk, or Touch Tone telephone.5 While the risks and controls are similar for the various e-banking access channels, this booklet focuses specifically on Internet-based services due to the Internets widely accessible public network.5 Failing to log off in public places, leads to online banking fraud. Only with the help of the court people can get their money back. The court heard that the woman had used the internet banking computer to transfer  £ 1,000 from her account, then left believing she had logged out correctly. ¹ A widely know online banking fraud is phishing. In phishing scams, criminals send spam e-mails to their victims, hoping to track them into entering sensitive information such as usernames and passwords at fake Web sites.4 Phishing has evolved into a big problem, not just for banks, but for online retailers and even providers of consumer Web applications such as Facebook and Yahoo.4 Nonetheless, most bank security measures are defeatable if a person fails victim to a phishing scam and sends a fraudster their authentication credentials. ² Impact of the Issue   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Online fraud increased very much over the last year. The rise in banking fraud comes as U.K. banks have taken more rigorous measures to combat online fraud. ² While U.S. banks have often only require a log-in and password to get access to online banking, U.K. banks often have several more steps. ²   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most known fraud is phishing. It has become widely popular not only present in online banking. People lose a great amount of money with this fraud, due to the fact that they are not aware there are the victims of phishing. If the fraud is small usually clients to do not recognize it, and it is harder to get their money back from the bank. Only if the phishing is done for a big scale of consumers, it can be identified by the bank software. FBI Director Robert Mueller said he has recently came just a few clicks away from falling into a classic Internet phishing scam after receiving an e-mail that appeared to be from his bank.4 Far too little attention has been paid to cyber threats and their consequences, Mueller said.4 Intruders are reaching into our networks every day looking for valuable information.4 Unfortunately theyre finding it.4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another fraud connected with online banking is the usage of online banking on public computers. This increases the probability of online banking fraud. This was the case of the woman, whose money have been stolen by Max Glover, who observed her and transferred money from her account onto his. She later discovered that her account was overdrawn and that money have been transferred without her knowledge. ¹ But data such as log-in can be saved on the computers web site history in form of a cookie. A small data file created by a Web server that is stored on your computer either temporarily for that session only or permanently on the hard disk (persistent cookie).7 Cookies provide a way for the Web site to recognize you and keep track of your preferences.7 Although online banking should be secure it still contains many positive impacts. It is very ecological, due to the fact that paper is not used. It is cheaper than the standard bank account because the customer does not pay for the worker as he does everything by himself. It is easier and faster for buying products from the Internet. Online banking is available from every place on earth, 24/7, so the client does not need to look for his bank on holidays, but he can easily transfer the money. Solutions to the Problem Arising   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The problem of the woman in my article can be easily eliminated by not using online banking in public places. If there is such need, the customer should remember to log out and clear the history and the Internet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The solutions arising from my issue, should be implied by banks. They should install better security software, so that online banking fraud will be eliminated or at least reduces. A U.K. security company is giving to banks, for free, security software that it says can block malicious software from manipulating online banking transactions or stealing data, even if the computer is infected.9 Online banking should be fast, easy and secure.8 Firstly and foremost, the site should be secure with strong validation process and data encryption.8 For example, NatWest- owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group- requires customers to enter their birth date plus a unique four digit code. ² During the second step, a person is prompted to enter some digits of a separate four-digit PIN (Personal Identification Number), which is not the same as the persons at ATM card. ² Even if banks install new security software, it wont eliminate online banking fraud completely. This can only cause reduction, because hackers will unlock the codes to the online bank software. This will take time but as the new security system is created by human it can be unscrambled by them. Bibliography  ¹ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8017138.stm  ² http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/173267/online_banking_fraud_in_the_uk_hits_a_new_high.html  ³ http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/BetterBanking/TheTop10OnlineBanks.aspx 4 http://www.pcworld.com/article/173319/citing_cybercrime_fbi_director_doesnt_bank_online.html 5 http://www.ffiec.gov/ffiecinfobase/booklets/e_banking/ebanking_00_intro_def.html 6 Tomorrows Technolgy and you pg.164 7 http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=cookiei=40334,00.asp 8 http://www.moolanomy.com/1817/best-online-bank-for-savings-and-checking/ 9 http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/181310/software_shields_online_banking_on_infected_pcs.html

Life Of The Settlers :: essays research papers

The Life of the Settlers ( Book Report ) Book : Tubman Harriet Ross Tubman was one of the youngest of the eleven children born to Benjamin Ross and Araminta Rittia Green Ross. Since her parents both were slaves, she was born a slave. Harriet was the fourth generation of her family to be enslaved in the United States. Harriet lived in Bucktown, Maryland as a slave. When she was five years old, Edward Brodas, her owner, hired her out to other people, who would pay him for her services. As a custom for slaves, she took another name when she was hired out, calling herself Araminta or "Minty." As a slave Harriet was treated brutally. She was beaten and whipped about her face, neck and back. She had the scars for the rest of her life. This all happened because her owners said it wasn’t good enough, without thinking that the work she did was to the best of her abilities because she was five years old. She received no education and so she couldn’t read or write. Yet in later life she gave speeches in support of women’s rights. Harriet was described as a wilful and moody child. She was determined to do outdoor work, and Brodas finally gave in when she was nine years old. She was hired out as a field hand. She did well in the fields. She enjoyed the outdoors, feeling of almost being free since she wasn’t being closely monitored. It also gave her strength and endurance, both of which later served her well. It also brought her in contact with slaves who travelled north with their owners. Harriet almost killed herself while trying to help Jim, another slave, escape. McCracken, Jim’s owner, had chased him and finally caught him. He demanded Harriet to tie Jim up, but she refused. Jim then bounded out the door and Harriet blocked the door. McCracken responded by throwing an iron which hit Harriet on the forehead. Since the head injuries she suffered sleeping seizures. Harriet, at the age of 24 got married to John Tubman, a freed black man. When Harriet learned from John how he gained freedom, she checked out from a lawyer and found out that her mother was supposed to be free but was tricked into thinking she was a slave. In 1849 Harriet over heard that her and two of her brother’s were to be sold far south. Life Of The Settlers :: essays research papers The Life of the Settlers ( Book Report ) Book : Tubman Harriet Ross Tubman was one of the youngest of the eleven children born to Benjamin Ross and Araminta Rittia Green Ross. Since her parents both were slaves, she was born a slave. Harriet was the fourth generation of her family to be enslaved in the United States. Harriet lived in Bucktown, Maryland as a slave. When she was five years old, Edward Brodas, her owner, hired her out to other people, who would pay him for her services. As a custom for slaves, she took another name when she was hired out, calling herself Araminta or "Minty." As a slave Harriet was treated brutally. She was beaten and whipped about her face, neck and back. She had the scars for the rest of her life. This all happened because her owners said it wasn’t good enough, without thinking that the work she did was to the best of her abilities because she was five years old. She received no education and so she couldn’t read or write. Yet in later life she gave speeches in support of women’s rights. Harriet was described as a wilful and moody child. She was determined to do outdoor work, and Brodas finally gave in when she was nine years old. She was hired out as a field hand. She did well in the fields. She enjoyed the outdoors, feeling of almost being free since she wasn’t being closely monitored. It also gave her strength and endurance, both of which later served her well. It also brought her in contact with slaves who travelled north with their owners. Harriet almost killed herself while trying to help Jim, another slave, escape. McCracken, Jim’s owner, had chased him and finally caught him. He demanded Harriet to tie Jim up, but she refused. Jim then bounded out the door and Harriet blocked the door. McCracken responded by throwing an iron which hit Harriet on the forehead. Since the head injuries she suffered sleeping seizures. Harriet, at the age of 24 got married to John Tubman, a freed black man. When Harriet learned from John how he gained freedom, she checked out from a lawyer and found out that her mother was supposed to be free but was tricked into thinking she was a slave. In 1849 Harriet over heard that her and two of her brother’s were to be sold far south.