Citizen Engagement in development research Essay

Citizen Engagement in development research - Essay Example Its purpose is to contribute in meaningful ways to specific public policy decisions in a transparent and accountable manner". (Phillips, 2002) Around the period centering 1970s, the different governments, especially of the Western nations, more profoundly thought of extending the responsibilities of the citizens and gradually increased and spread the application of the plans in various arenas primarily including the social and infrastructural bodies to address more deeply the quintessential aspects of education and health. Citizens were encouraged to intensively participate and monitor in many small developmental projects and related campaigns in their respective community areas.  Lack of substantial civilian involvement at that period prompted many theories to be developed and scrutinized at this very context. There have been several approaches and detailed theoretical study and discussion regarding literature of public involvement in developmental affairs of the governance. Many such views were studied exhaustively and dissected minutely to frame administrative policies across the nations of the world. One such view to understand the role of civilians in attaining developmental goals was the neo-liberal market approach. The main argument of the neo-liberal market approach is a continually sustained moderation of the government authority through a proper mix of privatization and decentralization policies (Gaventa, 2007). In this particular framework, the main critic is the civilians are mechanically.

Systems Maintenance Essay Example for Free

Systems Maintenance Essay Onsite help desk will be located at the head Office. It will provide help desk support to all of their branches via a toll-free number and/or website. When a problem has occurred at a franchisee, the franchisee staff needs to log a call through to their helpdesk over phone or website. The help desk will try to troubleshoot over phone first and if that does not fix the problem, subsequently they will organize for a technician to attend ASAP. In addition to that there will a full time technician at the web server location at the head office providing 247 support. User support will be provided in number of methods, such as online documentation and troubleshooting, a help desk, technical support, end user satisfaction, resolving service request quickly and seamlessly, increase productivities, online document, online enquiry facilities, online transaction facilities and others. A. User Documentation a. User guide The user guide would feature all the roles of the system users and the various functionalities they possess for the successful operation and use of the system. A business process-oriented manual The business process oriented model would collate all the business processes that the equipment tracking system holds and ensures rightful use of them for exploiting the system. c. Security policies for the equipment tracking system The security issues are the primary issues which an organization must take care to protect their data which is king to any organization. In particular as the system implements payment system, security is very much required as that would ensure safe communication with financial information. The following are the identified issues and their correct implementation process: 1. Login/Access Issues: Every customer would be asked to sign up with the company before any services are provided. That would ensure safety of transactions made with the company. It could be similar to Pay Pal, where a person can get verified by giving his Credit card number. 2. Back up: Periodic backups can be taken of the database in magnetic tapes so that data remains safe and is not lost. The saved data also ensures continuity of business and good recoverability options. 3. Antivirus software: The system needs to be protected against all vulnerabilities and threats like viruses. Good anti-virus software would ensure that the system is well protected and operations will not halt for any external threat. 4. Access control: This ensures that everyone is not allowed to access all information and all business functions. Access control is a mechanism which creates views for every type of user. Views are used for giving a user a specific access area outside which nothing is available. Such as an accounts officer should not be able to view reports of the profits in the business which is meant for the owners and higher management. B. Evaluation 1. Critical Appraisal The database designed is a fully automated system for the equipment tracking system. It follows all the CRUD properties and ensure better handling the users and the roles. 2. Strengths of each stage All information is stored and retrieved in the RDBMS tool created for the system. 3. Weaknesses of each stage The cost of maintaining the system is a little overhead for the organization. The backups and support issues may pose a problem. C. Conclusion The equipment tracking system’s fundamental goal was to manage the inventory and ascertain at any point of time the availability of the equipments to be allocated to departments. Another intention is to check the various calculations of the firm based on their earnings and profit in the long run. Content should be maintained and produced for scan-ability. Engineering principles were a necessity in the complexity/diversity surrounding online activity. Legal and ethical issues are vital to security conscious users. Further work can be in the form of a web based system to spread its operation and functionality over the internet to increase its usability, acceptance, workability and many other factors. The systems development model based on the web technologies would make sure that the complete supply chain of the business is managed thoroughly by the system and would take care of the process of getting the products to their warehouse to ultimately selling to the customers (Laudon, 2003). Online order tracking options can be implemented to reinforce visual symbols such as â€Å"Best Buys†, â€Å"Add to Basket† and instructions to â€Å"proceed to Basket and Checkout† which are reminders of physical store environments, providing familiarity to customers. (Weick, 2001). References / Bibliography Barry Mawer (2000). Systems Maintenance, vol 32, pp 12. Booch, Grady (2003). Object-Oriented Analysis and Design with Applications, 2nd Edition, Addison-Wesley Professional.

Analysis of Public Celebrity Apologies in America

Analysis of Public Celebrity Apologies in America Devin Black Julia TofantÃ… ¡uk Their circumstances and effects via analyzing specific cases Introduction Recently, I have become aware of a trend that has been sweeping across America – the celebrity apology, or precisely, the non-apology. I think I have always been aware of the constant apologies made by celebrities, but it has only been in the past year when I have actually paid attention to the words they were using to apologize, and under what circumstances they were apologizing. In fact, the exact moment when I became infatuated with the celebrity apology was when I was listening to a broadcast of the Opie and Anthony Radio Show in March 2014 and the hosts were discussing the numerous celebrity apologies that had been made during the previous week. Their discussion about celebrity apologies began to consume the show daily, until they officially established an â€Å"Apology Clock† on June 5, 2014 (Apology Clock, 2014). The experiment was to see if they could go ten days without a celebrity apology. The results showed that they could not, as there was at least one new apology a day and more often than not there were apologies from multiple celebrities. Their research ended unexpectedly one month later when one of the hosts became a victim of the celebrity apology. I will discuss more about this later in the paper. For the purposes of this paper, I will begin by defining the terms and scope the paper covers. Secondly, I will present some cases from a wide range of circumstances which celebrities apologized, and the results of their apology. Finally, I will discuss Americans’ reaction to the celebrity apology. Definitions According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, a celebrity is defined as â€Å"a person who is famous.† For this paper, the definition will be narrowed to only a person who is recognizable in North America and broadened to include corporations, as these are considered individuals under the law. An apology is defined as â€Å"an expression of regret for having done or said something wrong.† For this paper, we also need to consider the definition of a non-apology apology, which is defined as â€Å"a statement that has the form of an apology but does not express the expected contrition.† An example of a non-apology apology would be saying Im sorry that you feel that way to someone who has been offended by a statement. This apology does not admit that there was anything wrong with the remarks made, and additionally, it may be taken as insinuating that the person taking offense was excessively thin-skinned or irrational in taking offense at the remarks in the first place (Lazare, 2005). Case Studies of celebrity apologies and the results of the apology There are hundreds, if not thousands of examples of celebrity apologies. For this paper, the time frame of the case studies of celebrity apologies examined will begin in 1998, well after the advent of the Internet. This starting point was chosen because the Internet disseminates information almost effortlessly, therefore more people would be aware of the apologies given by celebrities. Furthermore, the case studies offered are examples of the wide range of circumstances under which a celebrity has had to apologize. There are countless more examples to choose from, but the following examples provide a general overview, so the scope has had to be narrowed. Case study 1: Bill Clinton apologizes for having an affair Indeed I did have a relationship with Miss Lewinsky that was not appropriate. In fact, it was wrong I misled people, including even my wife. I deeply regret that. On August 17, 1998, President Bill Clinton stood in the White House pressroom and apologized to the American people for having an affair with a White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. When the affair first became public, Bill Clinton denied having a sexual relationship with Ms. Lewinsky even though she offered circumstantial evidence to a Senate investigating committee. The news of this extra-marital affair and the resulting investigation eventually led to the impeachment of President Clinton in 1998 by the U.S. House of Representatives and his subsequent acquittal on all impeachment charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in a 21-day Senate trial (Posner, 2009). This apology most likely saved his presidency. His apology was emotional and appeared sincere. He was able to connect with Americans, while at the same time admitting he was wrong and asking for forgiveness (Bill Clinton apologizing for his affair with Monica Lewinsky, 2008). However, what makes the circumstances of this apology important is the fact that the political motivations of the Republican Party forced President Clinton into a position where he had to apologize. The results, politically, led to the rise of the Republican Party from 2000 to 2008, and an ever increasing motivation to use the personal affairs of politicians as a weapon in elections, and politics in general. Case study 2: Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction On February 1, 2004 during the half-time show of Super Bowl XXXVIII, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake were performing when suddenly Timberlake removed an article of Jackson’s clothing, revealing an exposed breast to a live television audience. This event has been termed Nipplegate by the media (Apologetic Jackson says costume reveal went awry, 2004). The next day Jackson apologized to the public â€Å"to anyone who was offended.† This is an example of the non-apology apology. There are several reasons why the circumstances surrounding this particular non-apology apology is important. First of all, a wardrobe malfunction is considered to be an accident, so the question remains why an apology was even necessary. Secondly, the American sensitivity to nudity is revealed to have a low threshold, while their sensitivity threshold to a violent sport, American football, is high. This means that Americans are more offended by nudity than violence. Finally, the results of this apology led to the Federal Communications Commission to impose higher fines and regulations concerning obscenity in broadcast media on public airwaves, which still continue today (Ahrens, 2006). Case study 3: Michael Richards â€Å"nigger† rant During a November 17, 2006 performance, Michael Richards, a stand-up comedian who became popular for the role of â€Å"Krammer† he played on the successful American sitcom Seinfeld, shouted a racially charged response to black hecklers in the audience, shouting Hes a nigger! several times and referring to lynching (Farhi, 2006). This is only one example of an apology or non-apology apology based on racism, religion, or sexual orientation. Other celebrities who have had to apologize for racist rants or, more importantly, opinions based on race; include Mel Gibson, Gary Oldman, and many others (Hare, 2014). However, what makes this apology most interesting is the public’s initial reaction and later action. Richards made a public apology on the Late Show with David Letterman, when Jerry Seinfeld was the guest, saying: For me to be at a comedy club and to flip out and say this crap, Im deeply, deeply sorry. Im not a racist, thats whats so insane about this. What happened next is surprising; the audience initially laughed during uncomfortable pauses in Richards explanation and apology, unable to decide if the interview was a comedy bit; at one point Seinfeld chided the audience, Stop laughing, its not funny. (CNN Newsroom, 2006) Later, Richards called civil rights leaders Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson to apologize. He also appeared as a guest on Jacksons syndicated radio show. This began a new trend in apologizing; the guilty party had to personally apologize to representatives of the groups who might be offended (Sharpton: Comedians apology not enough, 2006). Case study 4: Various corporate apologies Since corporations, as well as celebrities, are extremely vigilant when protecting their brand, it is no surprise that they find themselves in situations where they have to apologize. Most corporate apologies are sincere because they have directly affected the lives of individuals or the environment. However, many corporate apologies are non-apology apologies because the circumstances around which they have apologized usually involve trivial matters that would not normally offend the majority of the population. One example of a typical corporate non-apology apology involves Delta Airlines. During the 2014 World Cup competition in Brazil, Delta Airlines posted a message on Twitter congratulating the United States soccer team for their defeat over Ghana. In their message, they posted a picture the Statue of Liberty with the number 2 super-imposed over it and another picture of a giraffe with the number 1 super-imposed over it. These graphics symbolized both the country and the score of the game. The problem with this is that giraffes are not to be found in Ghana (Mendoza, 2014). Critics found the Twitter post to be â€Å"ignorant and offensive,† and some even considered the post racist. Delta Airlines felt they had to apologize the next day on their website saying the â€Å"tweet was both inaccurate and inappropriate† and that the company was â€Å"reviewing its procedures to ensure that future images and posts reflect both our values and our global focus. (Delta Air Lines Apologizes for Giraffe Gaffe, 2014) Case study 5: Celebrities who do not apologize There are many times when celebrities say or do things which people find offensive, and the public usually waits for an apology a few days after. However, some celebrities refuse to apologize. What makes these cases interesting is the effect their refusal to apologize has on their career. Two recent examples of this scenario involve Charles Barkley, a former NBA basketball player; and Anthony Cumia, a popular radio presenter. In the first scenario, Charles Barkley was commenting on his travels to different cities in the United States while he was an NBA player during a live television broadcast. During his narrative, he described women from San Antonio, Texas as being â€Å"big old women,† referring to their weight. When people from San Antonia demanded an apology, Barkley replied that he will apologize â€Å"when hell gonna (sic) freeze over. (Dater, 2014)† There was no negative fallout from his response. In fact, he continues to be a sports commentator and presenter today. Many believe that Barkley did not have to apologize because this behavior is what is expected from him. The story eventually left the news cycle and is practically forgotten. On the other hand, the situation is different for Anthony Cumia. Cumia was one half of the radio show Opie and Anthony, the same show that had the aforementioned â€Å"Apology Clock† experiment, which lasted from June 5 to July 4, 2014. During the show’s holiday break for Independence Day, Cumia was walking in Times Square, New York City late at night photographing the city lights. While he was taking one particular photograph, an African-American woman happened to walk in the frame of the picture. She heard the camera’s click and immediately began to accost Cumia, and she was joined by a group of African-American men. Later that evening while he was at home, he began posting the pictures and his comments on Twitter. Many of these comments were charged with emotion, and some of them were construed as being racist and violent towards women. The posts were noticed by a blogger, and the incident was reported in the mainstream press a couple of days later (Perex, 2014). Cumia refused to apologize. In fact, he appeared on various news programs to explain and defend himself. The only thing he admitted was that he should have â€Å"cooled down† before posting his experience on Twitter. His refusal to apologize lead to his firing from SiriusXM radio four days later (MacNeal, 2014). Americans’ response to and attitudes towards celebrity apologies Social Justice Warriors Currently, the trend in America is that celebrity apologies are increasing. This can be attributed to the importance of social media; not only Twitter and Face Book, but also public blogging sites that act as mainstream media, such as TMZ or The Huffington Post. These blogging sites have given rise to the â€Å"social justice warrior†. A â€Å"social justice warrior† is a blogger who uses social media to â€Å"fight for the rights of the minority, under-privileged, and under-represented (Internet Observation Project).† They actively seek out celebrities, generally white males, and search for things that they say or do which are considered offensive to the people they want to protect and then write about the circumstance. Their blogs are read by a few and then linked in Twitter, where the article is read by many. More often than not, the mainstream press will report on the story if the blog post has been shared enough times. There is much criticism towards the â€Å"social justice warrior.† Many believe that they are nothing more than gossip columnists who do not have the talent to write for established tabloids. Most â€Å"social justice warriors† earn money when people view their blog and/or click the advertisements posted on the site, so it is in their interest to write about controversial topics. Furthermore, â€Å"social justice warriors† do not have to answer questions about their sources, and usually hide themselves if there is an attack against them (Roosh, 2014). Backlash against celebrity apologies More recently, many people are starting to question why celebrities need to apologize, particularly for an unpopular opinion they may have voiced. An example of this backlash is when the actor Robin Williams committed suicide. After this tragedy, many celebrities voiced their opinions about suicide, and one celebrity who voiced unpopular opinions about suicide, the singer and author Henry Rollins, particularly received a lot of criticism (Joyce, 2014). This led to the question, â€Å"Do we now have to apologize for our opinions (Norton, 2014)?† Finally, the celebrity apology has become embedded in humor. A recent example, and one that defines how ridiculous the celebrity apology has become, is the Twitter #IAmSorry started by actor Shia LaBeouf, which celebrities now have to use when posting their apologies. He has stated that the celebrity apology has become â€Å"an art form now,† and should be instructed in every drama class (Hare, 2014). Conclusion The celebrity apology is more than a humiliating moment for an individual or a corporation. The reason why many Americans are obsessed with celebrity apologies is because maybe it is a reflection of American sensitivities. When they see someone apologizing, it makes them feel better, maybe even more perfect. Also, it may be easier for people to look at others’ shortcomings and mistakes instead of looking at their own. After completing my research, I noticed that their further investigation can be done. For example, it would be interesting to know if there has been a real increase in celebrity apologies recently, or if the publics’ backlash toward celebrity apologies has increased, which in turn makes it seem like there are more apologies. Also, a more quantitative analysis of celebrity apologies would reveal more about the phenomena. Finally, I wonder if the apology culture is only prevalent in the United States or is it common in other parts of the world. Works Cited (2006, November 21). Retrieved October 11, 2014, from CNN NEWSROOM: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0611/21/cnr.01.html Ahrens, F. (2006, June 8). The Price for On-Air Indecency Goes Up. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/07/AR2006060700287.html Apologetic Jackson says costume reveal went awry. (2004, February 3). Retrieved October 2014, 11, from CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/02/02/superbowl.jackson/ Apology Clock. (2014, July 4). Retrieved October 11, 2014, from OApedia: https://oapedia.com/oa/Apology_Clock Bill Clinton apologizing for his affair with Monica Lewinsky. (2008, August 2). Retrieved October 11, 2014, from You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPxwKS12TXE Dater, J. (2014, May 11). Charles Barkley wont apologize for his comments about San Antonios women. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from SB Nation: http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2014/5/11/5708198/charles-barkley-wont-apologize-for-his-comments-about-san-antonios Delta Air Lines Apologizes for Giraffe Gaffe. (18, June 2014). Retrieved October 12, 2014, from NBC News: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/delta-air-lines-apologizes-giraffe-gaffe-n134106 Farhi, P. (2006, November 21). Seinfeld Comic Richards Apologizes for Racial Rant. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from The Washington Post : http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/21/AR2006112100242.html Hare, B. (2014, June 9). Celebrity apologies: The good, bad and uncomfortable. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from Time: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/09/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/celebrity-apologies-best-worst-uncomfortable/ Hare, B. (2014, June 9). Celebrity apologies: The good, bad and uncomfortable. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/09/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/celebrity-apologies-best-worst-uncomfortable/ Joyce, C. (2014, August 25). Henry Rollins Is Still Really Sorry for His Comments About Robin Williams Suicide. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from Spin Magazine: http://www.spin.com/articles/henry-rollins-suicide-comments-la-weekly-column-robin-williams/ Lazare, A. (2005). On Apologies. Oxford University Press. MacNeal, C. (2014, July 13). Anthony Cumia Wont Apologize For Twitter Rant: It Wasnt Racist. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from Talking Points Memo: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/anthony-cumia-no-apology-racist-rant Mendoza, D. (2014, June 17). Deltas giraffe gaffe. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/17/travel/delta-tweet-storify/ Norton, J. (2014, August 27). It’s Time for Celebrities To Apologize—For All Their Apologizing. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from Time: http://time.com/3196100/suicide-apology-culture/ Perex, C. (2014, July 4). Shock jock fired for racist Twitter rant. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from The New York Post: http://nypost.com/2014/07/04/shock-jock-anthony-cumia-fired-for-racist-twitter-rant/ Posner, R. A. (2009). An Affair of State: The Investigation, Impeachment, and Trial of President Clinton. Harvard University Press. Roosh, V. (2014, October 6). What is a social justice warrior. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from Roosh: http://www.rooshv.com/what-is-a-social-justice-warrior-sjw Sharpton: Comedians apology not enough. (2006, November 23). Retrieved October 2014, 2014, from CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/22/sharpton.richard/index.html Social Justice Warrior. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from Internet Observation Project: http://internetobservationproject.com/social-justice-warrior-definition/

Heart of Darkness versus Apocalypse Now Essay -- essays research paper

Books and movies present stories in different ways because the medias are incredibly different. In the story Heart of Darkness, the author takes the motif of the journey and presents it in the third person in a way that people could understand with the topic of the spread of culture in the â€Å"third world.† Apocalypse Now shows the journey in a completely different way. It is made into a first person narrative and is changed from colonization to the modern day equivalent of the Vietnam War. Both ways of showing the story keeps the main idea of the journey both inside and outside, but the way of presenting it is very different.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story Heart of Darkness is presented to us in the third person. From the beginning, the story is shown as someone telling a story about something that’s already happened and it goes back and forth between the â€Å"present† and several times which make up the past. The story starts with the narrator telling his fellow boat-mates about a man named Marlow and his adventure into the wild to find a man Kurtz. The whole time the story goes back and forth between the narrator and his telling the story and Marlow driving the action. This is an interesting way of narrating the story because we really do not hear much from the actual speaker but most of the action takes place through Marlow. In the movie Apocalypse Now, the entire story is presented to us from one persons point of view. The Marlow figure in the movie is Captain Willard...

Does Age Really Matter? Essay

Some people may think that age matters in relationship while others say that relationships work best when the male is older, but I do not agree with either ideology. I used to believe that age matters in a relationship but after personally going through an experience that counteracted those beliefs, I finally believed. When my cousin, Mojgun, met the love of their life no one, including myself, ever believed that the relationship would work, especially since she was five years older than him. Usually in the Persian culture, the man is supposed to be older than the female, always, and when that isn’t the case, there is not much hope for the relationship. After being together for six years, they finally married, and now she is expecting their second child, and they are happier than they could ever be. With that, age doesn’t matter in a relationship because it all depends on the individual’s ideals, culture, and what their goal is in that relationship or that point in their life what they’re looking for. Age doesn’t matter in a relationship; as long as they both are mature and they have a same goal in their life and they care about each other. A relationship is like a boat in the ocean if they don’t know where they’re heading too and if they can’t work together, they never can land the boat. The only thing that matters the most in a relationship is the love between couples. If you are in a relationship with a person that takes advantage of you or abuses you, it makes no difference what your situation or age is they will do that no matter what the age is. An example of that is one of my mom’s childhood friends married a man two years younger than here, and since they have been together he has been abusive to her ever since. It has not gotten any better, in fact it has gotten worse, because now she is use to it and thinks that’s what love is. No matter what people try to do, including my mom intervening, she always goes back to him because that ’s how her brain is trained now. That’s what she grew up with, especially with her relationship, and that’s what she is accustomed to. The relationship obviously is not healthy because they both don’t have the same goals in that relationship, which should be including treating each other with respect, not degrading each other. No matter what the age, if she was younger or  older, her husband is the type of person who is abusive, and age would not fix any of it. It would remain the same because that’s how his personality is. Perhaps, if he was actually loving, and really treated her with respect, she would know what real love is, but she does not, and it is sad to see her live with that, thinking that deep down it is love. Love should not hurt, and in her case that’s all she feels on a constant basis from him. Through this example, it clearly shows that age does not take a toll on the end result or on what’s occurring between my mother’s friend and her husband. No matter what the age, everything will still stay the same, and eventually as time passes by things will get worse and w orse, as sad as that is. When people have the same goals on the other hand, like for example, wanting to settle down and have children, relationships are more likely to be successful. When couples have the same goals at the time of meeting or starting a relationship, it plays really vital to the success of that relationship. If one likes to go out and party, and the other does not there is always going to be that friction between them because one is doing something the other does not approve of, and so forth. Regardless of the age, there is always going to be that friction. On the other hand, if both like to stay at home, dine in, and share the same interests it really doesn’t matter what age they are because they share the same interests or common goals. When couples have the same long-term goals in mind, such as having kids or settling down getting married, they will do whatever they have to do to complete that end goal, and both do that to make sure it happens. For example, if a man is not looking to settle down, while the woman is, there is always going to be friction, and most likely that relationship is not going to work out. In my own experience, even though I am only twenty two years old, I have had relationships where girls wanted to become something more serious than I could handle, and I just was not ready for that. As a result it caused a lot of road blocks because we did not see eye to eye on what was going on with the relationship and where it was going, therefore me having to break up with her because it’s not a common goal we shared. I did not plan on marrying her or being in a committed relationship where I knew I wanted to marry her, I just was not ready. Regardless of age, if one is ready to settle, when the other is not, the relationship is most likely not going to work, because it’s in their  mentality, the personality, whether they want to settle down at that point in time or in their life. Anyone could make an argument that if someone was older or younger, it could have an impact, but in the end, it all depends on the individual and age doesn’t necessarily mean that your outlook, personality, or opinions change. As one gets older, you can argue that their opinions become more solidified, and they become more stable with who they are, and what they want in life. Primarily in the Persian culture, women are always treated with the utmost respect. It does not matter how old each partner is in the relationship, because there is always the basic foundation of treating each other with respect, especially Persian men with Persian women. They are like a team, and no matter what, they will do what they have to do to win the game (life), side by side. When a couple sees eye to eye, it does not matter how old they are, it matters that they understand each other, and want their relationship to work. Relationships work if you take the time to get to the know the person you are going to be with. If they don’t share the same ideals, culture beliefs, or goals in life, most likely the relationship is not going to work. It all depends on the type of individuals that are paired together and whether there is chemistry and that drive to make it work, otherwise it’s an uphill battle. When couples who are together share the same interests, goals in life, and beliefs, there’s a higher probability that their relationship will work, regardless of their age.

Role of Engineer in Global Challenges

Role of Engineer in Global Challenges Executive Summary The present paper discusses roles that engineers could actively play to address the challenges of global food insecurity, WMD terrorism, and environmental degradation. The rationale is premised on the fact that food insecurity, global terrorism, and environmental degradation are at the core of the very existence of mankind.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Engineer in Global Challenges specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The results demonstrate that engineers can play an active role in taming environmental degradation by working on ways to actualize the fuel cell technology, developing innovations to capture and store excess carbon dioxide, and initiate sustainable and green engineering to cut down on harmful emissions. In addressing the challenge of food insecurity, engineers can develop novel fertilizers and irrigation capabilities, use biotechnology to develop disease-resistant and fast matur ing crops, and develop new techniques of harvesting rain water for use in irrigation. Lastly, in addressing the challenge of WMD terrorism, engineers can develop high-tech defense mechanisms having the capacity to deal with WMDs before they reach their target, develop and implement comprehensive surveillance systems, and play an active role in developing novel strategies that could be used to neutralize the effects of chemical or biological weapons. The paper concludes by underscoring the importance of engineers in advancing human welfare. The paper recommends (1) core curricula for engineers to be changed to ensure they receive comprehensive training to reflect new challenges and (2) funding and concessions to be made to enable engineers come up with innovative ways to address challenges. Introduction Around the world, demands on the profession and practice of engineering are increasingly shifting to reflect new challenges and expectations fuelled by the pressures of internalizatio n and globalization (Bryce et al., 2004). Today, more than ever before, there are increasing demands for engineering professionals to disembark from the cocoon of narrow technical focus and embrace a positive role in working with their communities to address a multiplicity of challenges and create opportunities that serve to improve life in the universe (National Academy of Engineering, 2012; Vanasupa et al., 2006).Advertising Looking for essay on engineering? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The present paper discusses roles that engineers could actively play to address the challenges of global food insecurity, WMD terrorism, and environmental degradation. Rationale It is important to note that these challenges have been carefully selected on a needs assessment basis. Whereas it is a well known fact that the world is facing very many challenges that are hinged on the pressures toward internalization and globalization (Bryce et al., 2004), food insecurity, global terrorism, and environmental degradation are at the core of the very existence of mankind, hence their selection. Environmental Degradation Extant literature demonstrates that â€Å"†¦the global population is currently consuming natural resources at a rate of 120% of what the earth can regenerate† (Vanasupa et al., 2006 p. 375). Industrialized and industrializing counties are well known for their insatiable appetite for fossil fuels; however, available literature demonstrates that not only will we deplete our fossil fuel reserves within the next 40-100 years if we ignore to take immediate action to control their use, but our propensity to consume these resources will continue to accelerate the melting of the polarize caps, leading to flooding (Vanasupa et al., 2006). Excessive consumption of fossil fuels have also been positively correlated with the rapid accumulation of atmospheric greenhouse gases responsible for causing g lobal warming, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, and other forms of adverse environmental events. Engineers can play an active role in taming environmental degradation by working on ways to actualize the fuel cell technology, which has the capacity to convert hydrogen or hydrogen-containing fuels into the much needed electrical energy and heat through approvingly simple and mechanically straight forward electrochemical processes that do not degrade the environment (Nordin, 2010). In essence, the perfection of fuel cell technology by relevant engineers presents our best bet of addressing the real challenges emboldened by the mounting use of fossil fuels, including the depletion of natural resources and the ensuing global environmental concerns.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Engineer in Global Challenges specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Engineers also need to come up with technological innovations that could be used by communities and countries to capture and store excess carbon dioxide within the environment so as to prevent global warming (Bourn Neil, 2008). Such innovations require heavy investment in financial resources and heavy concessions from participating stakeholders, but are intrinsically important if we are to reduce the harmful environmental events occasioned by excessive emissions of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases into the environment. Lastly, engineers should be at the forefront in initiating sustainable and green engineering to cut down on harmful emissions into the environment (UNESCO, 2010). Food Insecurity The world’s population has now reached seven billion owing to great advances in health care, elevated levels of prosperity and longer life expectancy, but available statistics indicate that two in every seven people residing in developing countries are exposed to hunger and starvation due to food insecurity brought about by rising temperatures and e rratic rainfall patterns (Fan, 2011). The world’s population, according to these authors, is expected to reach nine billion by 2050, hence the need to come up with approaches and policy frameworks to guarantee food security. Engineers can play an active role in ensuring food security by developing novel fertilizers and irrigation capabilities that will ensure faster and more efficient production of food to feed the population. Agricultural engineers in Israel, for example, have been able to apply modern irrigation techniques and high-yield fertilizers to grow food in arid areas. Second, engineers can use biotechnology and other scientific techniques to develop disease-resistant and fast maturing crops. Such technologically-enhanced crops, in my view, will ensure that food is available in abundance. Lastly, engineers can undertake to develop new techniques of harvesting rain water for use in irrigating crops grown under harsh conditions (Bourn Neil, 2008).Advertising Looking for essay on engineering? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Weapons of mass destruction Global Terrorism Owing to the September 11 2001 terrorist attack on U.S. soil, it is increasingly becoming clear that the nexus of weapons of mass destruction (WMB) and terrorism poses one of the greatest challenges to world peace and prosperity. While it is a well known fact that a successful major WMD terrorist assault could lead to mass casualties and generate extensive social, economic and political ramifications that would adversely affect developed and developing countries, non-state actors such as the Al-Qaeda, Taliban, Ansar al-Islam and Islamic Jihad Union have openly stated their insatiable desire to obtain and use WMDs against targets perceived as enemies to their religious fanaticism (U.S. Department of Sate, 2008). Such a global challenge is real considering the amount of information available on the Internet regarding the assembly and use of WMDs, not mentioning the many black market proliferators and transnational criminal networks that ma y seek to benefit financially from the sale of these weapons to terrorists organizations. To minimize the challenge of WMD terrorism, engineers can engage in the development of high-tech defense mechanisms that have the capacity to deal with WMDs before they reach their target. The U.S. military engineers, for instance, have succeeded in developing strategic missile defense systems that can guard the country against incoming missiles. Second, it should be the role of upcoming engineers to develop and implement comprehensive surveillance systems with the capacity to receive and transmit information about the activities of known terrorist groups. In this light, it can be argued that engineers who designed and developed the U.S. drone surveillance systems succeeded to minimize terrorist activities due to their excellent data gathering capabilities. Still, engineers can play an active role in developing novel strategies that could be used to neutralize the effects of chemical or biologi cal weapons in case of use by terrorist groupings (Bourn Neil, 2008). Conclusion Recommendations The present paper has discussed some of the top-most challenges affecting communities globally, including environmental degradation, food insecurity and WMD terrorism. Additionally, the paper has clearly outlined the critical roles that engineers are expected to play to address these challenges in line with their professional calling to advance human welfare. But while these roles lie at the core of the engineering profession, it is imperative to note that they may be unachievable if concerted efforts are not made by stakeholders and governments. It is therefore recommended that the core curricula for engineers should be changed to reflect these dynamics and ensure that upcoming engineers receive comprehensive education and awareness reflective of these challenges. Additionally, concessions should be made by stakeholders in terms of funding and availing the necessary conditions for eng ineers to come up with innovative ways aimed at dealing with these challenges. References Bourn, D., Neil, I. (2008). The global engineer: Incorporating global skills within UK high education of engineers. Web. Bryce, P., Johnston, S., Yasukawa, K. (2004). Implementing a program in sustainability for engineers at University of Technology, Sydney: A story of intersecting agendas. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 5(3), 267-277. Fan, S. (2011). Global food security challenges and opportunities. International Food Policy Research Institute. Web. National Academy of Engineering. (2012). Grand challenges for engineering. Web. Nordin, N. (2010). Limitations of commercializing fuel cell technologies. AIP Conference Technologies, 1225(1), 498-506. UNESCO. (2010). Engineering: Issues, challenges and opportunities for development. Web. U.S. Department of State. (2008). The global challenge of WMD terrorism. Web. Vanasupa, L., Slivovsky, L., Chen, K.C. (2006). Glo bal challenges as aspiration: A classroom strategy to foster social responsibility. Science Engineering Ethics, 12(2), 373-380.

Writing Tips on Book Reviews for Students

Writing Tips on Book Reviews for Students How to Write a Book Review So, you have got a book to review and chances are big that it will be published if you manage your job well. How to write such kind of paper? Some writers consider reviews as the opportunity to advance their own strongly held opinions and to do it at great length. However, you should not do that (neither should they!). Keep in mind that you have to describe a book and you usually have just about 1,000 words to do that. Of course, your readers might be interested in your opinion, but first of all they are interested in the book itself and in the question whether it is worth reading. Just like any other genre of academic writing, book reviews have a standard structure. It can differ a bit depending on the discipline and publication venue, but there are basic writing tips on how to complete a book review. Write One Paragraph for Each of the Following Sections Introductory Paragraph Every well-written academic paper has an introduction. Start with the general explanation of the topic or issue described in the book. The introduction is your only chance to grab your readers attention and make him/her want to continue reading. Summary of Argument In this section, you should do your best to briefly and clearly summarize the argument of the book. What is the purpose of this book? If there is a clearly identifiable thesis statement in the work, you can also quote it directly. About the Author While writing a book review, you should also include some basic biographical information about its author. Write a couple of words about who he/she is; what he/she is known for; what certain sort of qualifications and expertise he/she brings to the subject; what are the ways the work you are writing about can fit into a bigger research or career trajectory. Summary of Content It is necessary to describe the research methods, which are used in the book and the range of substantive material, which is covered in it. Strengths You should identify one or a couple of certain areas, in which the book is great. You can point out just a single major strength if it is an academic work. Weaknesses You also have to identify certain area or areas, in which the work could be improved. It can be related to something you really believe is incorrect, but it would be better if it is something that the author omitted or neglected to address in detail. Concluding Paragraph Make sure to end your writing with a concluding statement, which summarizes your point of view. Besides, you should clearly identify the audience that in your opinion would appreciate reading it. Writing good reviews comes with experience, as any other skill. Everything that is required from you is to take the first step in that direction.