Celebrating 10 Years With Our Senior Editor Stephanie Hashagen - The Writers For Hire

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS WITH OUR SENIOR EDITOR STEPHANIE HASHAGEN Since joining The Writers For Hire (TWFH) 10 years ago, Senior Editor Stephanie Hashagen has learned something important about herself. She can write about almost anything. Some of the weird and wonderful topics Stephanie has tackled during the last decade include the health benefits of beets, machines used to clean oil and gas pipelines, how to boost personal credit scores and invest in hedge funds, greening the construction industry, and growing medical marijuana. Reaching the 10-year mark with TWFH has led Stephanie to reflect a bit on her writing and editing career.   While learning something new and out of your scope is always interesting and sometimes unexpectedly applicable (as most professional copywriters can attest to), Stephanie notes that her very favorite projects are those that are personally meaningful to clients. A few highlights:   A few years back, we helped a father write a book about his son who died of cystic fibrosis when he was a teenager. It was an emotional project, but it meant so much to our client to have all of those memories and stories in one place. By the end of the project, I felt like I’d gotten to know his son. We also did a book about a woman who came to the U.S. as a German war bride in the ’40s. She lived on a ranch in the middle of nowhere in Eureka, Nevada, like, six hours or so away from anything. We had to fly into Reno and drive for a bazillion hours on Highway 50 to get to her. It’s a really interesting drive. The people who live in that area, most of them have ranches and live in town through the winter when they’re not ranching. It’s beautiful, but you feel completely isolated. Stephen King wrote an entire book about that road. More recently, I helped a client edit/revise his personal finance book. It wasn’t like a â€Å"traditional† finance book. He wanted to do something that was entertaining — like something that the average person would want to read. The book is awesome. It’s hilarious and full of random facts and pop culture references and whatnot.    When we asked Stephanie what advice she’d give to new writers, her answers had more to do with being real than technicalities. It’s perfectly fine to break the grammar rules you learned in English class. â€Å"Professional† writing doesn’t mean awkward and overly formal. Sometimes contractions work. It’s OK to start sentences with â€Å"and.† Don’t be afraid to sound like a real person.    With writing, you never get it right the first time, it’s always a collaborative process, not one-sided.    When asked what advice she finds herself giving clients and team members most often, Stephanie chimed in with a few snippets of wisdom. One thing I always tell clients is, don’t be afraid to tell us if you don’t like something. On some projects, your writing team will nail it on the first try and give you exactly what you wanted. And when that happens, it’s awesome. But on other projects, you might review a draft and think, â€Å"meh.† And that’s totally fine.   Sometimes you don’t know what you really wanted until you see something that you’re not that crazy about. And it’s incredibly helpful to us if you can say, â€Å"Hey, I wanted something more conversational,† or â€Å"I think we focused on the wrong benefit on the home page.† Writing is a back-and-forth process. It’s normal to go through a couple rounds of revisions.   I often tell our writers that much of any writing job comes down to simply listening to what clients have to say. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. There’s no such thing as having too much information or getting too much clarification.   Ã‚     In her 10 years at TWFH, Stephanie has most enjoyed the collaborative nature of the team. She loves that everyone is on the same page and is working towards a core mission: to produce high quality deliverables that will offer exceptional and lasting value to each and every client. And TWFH team has enjoyed working with Stephanie, owner Wintress Odom says. Stephanie has been an invaluable member of the TWFH team, and we hope she sticks around for another 10. Congratulations, Stephanie. Thank you for 10 years of grit, focus, passion, active listening, outstanding editorial guidance, strength of character, and solid leadership on every single level.   Ã‚   NOTE:  Stephanie was too humble to take a photo of herself with her 10-year anniversary trophy, but has kindly substituted Emilio, who used to be our office cat and was generously adopted by Stephanie during Hurricane Rita.

Free Essays on Stem Cell Research

Imagine you have a family member or friend sick. That person has a heart disease; it’s the muscle tissue in their heart. Wouldn’t you want every bit of help you could find to cure that person and make them healthy again? New studies with stem cell research show that this type of study may find cures for many diseases including transportation of healthy heart muscle cells. Recent reports on the isolation and successful culturing of the first human pluripotent stem cell lines have generated great excitement and have brought biomedical research to the edge of a new frontier. In order to understand the importance of this discovery as well as the related scientific, medical, and ethical issues, I need to first explain what stem cell research is and how it works. Stem cells can divide for indefinite periods in culture and to give rise to specialized cells. They are best described in the normal human development. Human development begins when a sperm fertilizes an egg and creates a single cell that has the potential to form an entire organism. This fertilized egg is totipotent, meaning that its potential is total. In the first hours after fertilization, this cell divides into identical totipotent cells. (show first picture) This means that either one of these cells, if placed into a woman's uterus, has the potential to develop into a fetus. In fact, identical twins develop when two totipotent cells separate and develop into two individual, genetically identical human beings. Approximately four days after fertilization and after several cycles of cell division, these totipotent cells begin to specialize, forming a hollow sphere of cells, called a blastocyst. The blastocyst has an outer layer of cells and inside the hollow sphere; there is a clu ster of cells called the inner cell mass. The outer layer of cells will go on to form the placenta and other supporting tissues needed for fetal development in the uterus. The inner cell mass ... Free Essays on Stem Cell Research Free Essays on Stem Cell Research Scientists have been disputing whether or not governmental funds should be assigned for Stem Cell Research, which goes against the Catholic Church’s teaching. Some people see this practice as revolutionary practice that may help our future generations in years to come, while others see it as an immoral and unethical practice. About 30 hours after a woman’s egg is fertilized, it begins to divide. There are 4 types of cells that are created after this division process; Totipotent, Blastocyst, Trophoblast, and Pluripotent make up the cells. What scientists see as a beneficial resource are the Pluripotent cells because when isolated, these cells unlimitedly divide, making them an abundant resource. Scientists say that if they can learn how to teach these cells to be part of certain tissues, they could be used for the treatment of disease or one day even regenerate organs for transplants. Also, scientists say that they may be used to test medical drugs, all for the benefit of humanity. Why does the Catholic Church view this as immoral if they can be used for the good of humanity? These cells are derived from human embryos, aborted fetuses, and even embryos of genetic clones, if possible. What’s wrong with taking these cell from these locations. In human embryos, they sometimes discard the unused ones, starting an issue of abortion. In aborted fetuses, there is not really an explanation. Scientists are taking cells from a dead baby. Cloning is just seen as an immoral practice itself, so to take cells from a cloned embryo is no better. So why can’t we just take cells from adults, and avoid all the fuss about this topic? Adult stem cells are seen as less versatile as embryonic ones. This means that because adult cells have been used and working for many years, we cannot change what happens in the human body. As for an embryo, they are still developing, allowing scientists to alter them in any way, shape, or form. Why ... Free Essays on Stem Cell Research Media Coverage â€Å"The mass media has played an integral, interactive role within scientific controversies generally and the stem cell debate specifically.† (Brossard 2003) â€Å"Not only does the media influence the attention of competing political actors, and the public but the media also powerfully shapes how policy issues related to science and technology controversy are identified, symbolized, and ultimately resolved.† (Brossard 2003) When the media controls the public opinion political decisions are decided keeping in mind the beliefs the media promotes. â€Å"Moreover, when a issue does appear in the media, it interests can define their stand as well as the alternatives available for discussion, then they have â€Å"framed† the situation in more winnable terms, delimitating the arguments the opposition can make and screening them off from participation.† (Brossard 2003) To frame an issue is to provide a storyline to the controversy, suggesting a particular stance. Who does the framing? There are many actors involved when an issue is framed. â€Å"United States media attention to biotechnology has been driven mostly by industrial and economic development of the technology, and coverage, has historically been overwhelmingly positive, emphasizing frames of scientific progress and economic prospect.† Other actors could include interest groups, politicians, doctors, lawyers, and celebrities, and more. Journalists too need to take the blame for framing because they tend to dramatize an issue to draw attention to the subject. They create protagonists and antagonist to further a storyline. Journalists pitted two groups against each other, scientists vs. religious leaders. â€Å"The first group is referenced as the advocates of scientific advancement and the second group is appointed moral guardians of society.† (Brossard 2003) Since this countries ideals arise from religion most people tend to side with the religious le... Free Essays on Stem Cell Research Imagine you have a family member or friend sick. That person has a heart disease; it’s the muscle tissue in their heart. Wouldn’t you want every bit of help you could find to cure that person and make them healthy again? New studies with stem cell research show that this type of study may find cures for many diseases including transportation of healthy heart muscle cells. Recent reports on the isolation and successful culturing of the first human pluripotent stem cell lines have generated great excitement and have brought biomedical research to the edge of a new frontier. In order to understand the importance of this discovery as well as the related scientific, medical, and ethical issues, I need to first explain what stem cell research is and how it works. Stem cells can divide for indefinite periods in culture and to give rise to specialized cells. They are best described in the normal human development. Human development begins when a sperm fertilizes an egg and creates a single cell that has the potential to form an entire organism. This fertilized egg is totipotent, meaning that its potential is total. In the first hours after fertilization, this cell divides into identical totipotent cells. (show first picture) This means that either one of these cells, if placed into a woman's uterus, has the potential to develop into a fetus. In fact, identical twins develop when two totipotent cells separate and develop into two individual, genetically identical human beings. Approximately four days after fertilization and after several cycles of cell division, these totipotent cells begin to specialize, forming a hollow sphere of cells, called a blastocyst. The blastocyst has an outer layer of cells and inside the hollow sphere; there is a clu ster of cells called the inner cell mass. The outer layer of cells will go on to form the placenta and other supporting tissues needed for fetal development in the uterus. The inner cell mass ...

CSR and Corporations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

CSR and Corporations - Essay Example â€Å"Even though companies publish huge volumes of literature with respect to their works for the well-being of the society, in practice, many companies define their obligations in a much more limited† (Geoffrey, 2008). This paper analyses the sincerity of corporations in showing their social responsibility for the development of society. Does the evidence to date suggest that CSR is a useful way to enable corporations to make meaningful contributions to social development? Plenty of companies have shown sincerity in demonstrating social responsibility in recent times. For example, Acer is a socially committed organization which has engaged in a conscious effort to make environmentally-friendly products. â€Å"Acer focuses on developing an effective corporate governance mechanism of CSR and sustainability issues, improving efficiency among working groups, initiating stakeholder engagement, and building for better internal and external communications†(CSR within Acer, n . d). It should be noted that the disposal of computers and peripherals is a big problem nowadays. Injudicious disposal of computers and peripherals may cause immense damage to the environment. Acer has strong waste management and recycling mechanisms which help them to collect the e-waste generated by them and recycle it properly. Moreover, CFC cleaners have been completely eliminated from the Acer circuit board production. In short, Acer is not only interested in accumulating profits, but also in protecting the environment. British Petroleum or BP is another company which showed good examples of social responsibility in recent times. They faced stiff challenges because of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill recently. More than 4.9  million barrels ^ of crude oil spilled over the water as a result of Mexico oil spill. It caused huge damages to the marine and wild life near the Gulf of Mexico. BP never tried to wash their hands and stay away from the responsibilities of this

Evaluating Assessment Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Evaluating Assessment - Research Proposal Example The person being assessed also needs to know how the scoring is done, with respect to the criteria chosen and the important of each criterion for the overall score. This is because "learning increaseswhen learners have a sense of what they are setting out to learn, a statement of explicit standards they must meet and a way of seeing what they have learned" (Loacker, Cromwell & O'Brien, 1986) The assessment will be done as part of the ongoing daily work of the person concerned. We will select a meeting that the person is to lead, for a nominal period of 45 - 60 minutes. We will evaluate the person's performance in speaking confidently to others on the following basis: What external signs of confidence does the person show (rated on a level from one to five, where one is none and five is excellent - if however the person overdoes it, then assessors should subtract points accordingly) These points carry equal weight as each one is important to convey confidence while talking to other people. The assessment will be shared with the person concerned afterwards. Knowledge of the assessors' view point will help the person understand the relationship between the way he/she thinks that he/she replies to these criteria and the way that his/her performance is assessed by others. Assessing effective working in a team requires a longer term approach for the assessment. An attempt to measure this by an assessment of very short duration would run the risk of being unrepresentative of the person's performance. For these reasons we chose the portfolio assessment which has the characteristic of being an ongoing, rather than an episodic assessment (AAHE, 1996). In addition to this, completing the portfolio assessment becomes part of the learning process for the person concerned where the goal is as much to affect the learner's growth, instead of just passively measuring it (Courts & McInerney, 1993). The portfolio assessment will be done over a period of time (2 months) and will correspond to stated criteria against which the person being assessed and the assessors have agreed. The person puts together the portfolio with information that demonstrates how he or she works effectively within a team. The portfolio is shown regularly to the assessors as well. At the end of the 2 months, the assessors will review the portfolio with the person to assess the performance of the person concerned on the following basis: evidence of a particular role or function taken on by the person within the context

Financial implications of disaster management Case Study

Financial implications of disaster management - Case Study Example This paper discusses all the financial aspects of disaster management in the context of organizational settings. Donor Fatigue – with the global economy still in the doldrums and recovery mostly uncertain, major donor countries are now often reluctant to give bigger amounts although the said countries pledge much larger donations but come up short with the actual monies. Series of successive natural calamities had likewise depleted the financial resources of most donors and there is a feeling of fatigue among them, of constantly sending aid with little results. The governmental aid sent by developed countries are now often supplemented by private donors. Non-governmental organizations which are mostly private initiatives must now realize that a fountain of goodwill is not unlimited and must therefore spend their financial resources well. When the next disaster strikes, there might not be enough money for an adequate response. A consequence of donor fatigue is worsening of the situation and drop in funding due to apathy. Politics – humanitarian assistance is the usual international response whenever there is a natural calamity or a man-made disaster (such as regional conflicts and genocidal wars).

How Factors Perpetuate Violent Crimes Against Women Criminology Essay

How Factors Perpetuate Violent Crimes Against Women Criminology Essay This essay will examine how individual, social, and cultural factors cause and perpetuate violent crimes against women. These three elements have created a gendered inverse power relation with in society that permeates into a multiplicity of social phenomenon and in fact has been the primary factors in constructing the order of power with in society. Through individual, social, and cultural factors, power maximization has become increasingly more complex with in human civilizations. These complexities are due to a number of different social factors that influence humans on an individual and collective scale. This essay is a brief composition summarizing male aggression against female victims, particularly sexual violence and physical assaults, that attempt to reinforce the inverse power relation between the two genders. First, a brief background from a constructionist perspective will be presented to convince the reader of the severity of sexual violence and physical assaults. Then t his essay will explore individual, social, and cultural theories that attempt to explain the causes of violent crimes against women. Finally, this essay will argue that when there is genuine equality between females and males, gender crime will decrease. Within the social sciences, especially with statistical reporting, there is much controversy on the frequency and severity of this almost one-way street in gender violence. According to Harway and ONeil (1999, p. 5) approximately three to four million women are victims of gender violence each year in the United States. However, because the majority of female  sexual assault victims know their assailants, the victim is often too scared or embarrassed to report the crime and thus the likelihood of prosecution decreases (Jones 2006, p. 443). Statistics reflect only crimes reported to the police. So therefore, Harway and ONeils (1999, p. 5) approximation of three to four million female victims a year may be an underestimate. One study even suggests that fewer than 30% of [rape] crimes are reported to the police (Rennison 2009). Prior to the 1970s, the law required substantial evidence of an alleged rape in corroboration with a convincing testimony because of the common belief that wome n often falsely reported being sexually  assaulted as a form of retribution against a man. Although the law has changed and this belief is not as common in todays society, sexual  assault victims often feel stigmatized by the thought of not having enough proof to convict an assailant, leaving them to feel embarrassed about the possibility of having a testimony rejected in court (Rennison 2009). Also prior to the 1970s feminist movement, gender inequalities were much more overt and explicit and it falsely asserted that males are superior to females (Henslin J. 2006, pp. 264-247). This paradigm has constructed a social relationship between females and males in every aspect of life that can still be identified today. That is because it has encapsulated all social institutions, including politics, civil life, and economics, among others. Patriarchy, a society in which authority is vested in males, is a near universal human phenomenon that develops adversarial relationships between genders (Kottak 1997, p. 241). These patriarchic societies allow for the socialization of a distorted gender-role that has historically resulted in gender oppression, denial of basic human rights, and crime against women (White Haines 2008, p. 108). It can, therefore, be concluded that because patriarchy has become a norm in society, sexism and inverse power relations among the genders are, for the most part, imperceptible and near universal (ed. Cunneen 2008, pp. 291-302). Anthropologists and evolutionary psychologists have widely agreed that there is substantial evidence from proto-humans and other primates that male sexual coercion and female resistance to it suggest that sexual conflicts underlie patriarchy (Smuts 1995, pp. 1-32).  With this in mind, it is evident that adversarial relationships between genders are deeply rooted into human biology, human evolutionary past, and is reflected in the contemporary construct of culture. Although this may be true, genetics and evolutionary processes alone do not dictate human choice. However, genetics and evolutionary processes have universally constructed culture, which in turn impose norms on how humans interact with each other, which includes sexual violence and physical assaults (Smuts 1995, pp. 1-32). The manner in which culture has been constructed and the common patterns of behavior in society is a major cause of criminal sexual conduct, overarching all other theoretical explanations. The adversarial relationship between genders is extremely complex and multiple levels of explanations are necessary to link developmental and biological characteristics, personalities, sub-cultural variations, and economics, social, political, and community dimensions (Miller 1996, p. 208). Although it is important to examine this social problem from multiple theoretical perspectives, because of the brevity of this essay, I will only elaborate on constructionism, feminism, and social learning theory. Feminist sociologists have frequently used constructivism, symbolic interactionism and conflict theory to explain violence against women. Feminism fundamentally argues that there is a structural and institutional division between genders, including unequal pay, education, and legal and political inequalities, among others. Interactionist feminists argue that men are socialized to display strength and virility but because there is an inverse power relation among the genders, men turn violent against women (Henslin 2006, p. 273-274). Research has supported this theory by explaining that aggressive men who seek power dominance accept the stereotypes that characterize women as timid and passive, which make them an ideal target (White Haines 2008, p. 124). Feminists that have used conflict theory to explain criminal sexual conduct argue that because men are losing dominate power in society, some men turn violently against women as a way to reassert their declining power (Henslin 2006, p. 273-274). While other feminists use conflict theory to explain that, the structural system of a society and its norms reflect the interests and values of the powerful elite, which are primarily men (White Haines 2008, p. 91). Because these norms favor patriarchy, male intra-group coalition is maintained, causing out-group enmity and prevents women from obtaining an equal social position. Therefore, crimes that target females are the result of social and cultural patterns of maintaining that inverse power relation between the genders (ed. Cunneen 2008, pp.291-302). This fallaciously reinforces the stereotype that women cannot achieve positions of power and are easy targets. Social learning theory assumes that deviant behavior is acquired through new knowledge or through observation of others behaviors, preferences, or values (Ellis 1989; Akers, R. 2009). Social learning theory also examines reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavioral and environmental determinants (Bandura 1977, vii). Many proponents of this theory argue that learning is greatly influenced by the people whom an individual decides to differentially associate with, regardless if the interaction occurs directly or indirectly, because people tend to imitate others. This is especially true when there are little or no social consequences (Ellis 1989; Akers, R. 2009). Male aggression against women is thought to be sustained through various forms of intermittent reinforcement from various sources. For example, family members and peers, an individuals culture and subculture, and the mass media may all contribute by teaching methods of expressing aggression, which was then followed by li ttle or no social stigmatization (Ellis 1989, pp. 12-14). A sexual aggressor, therefore, may associate sex and violence by learning from sources such as violent pornography and then attempt to model those rape scenes or other acts of violence against women and then expect little or no consequences (Ellis 1989, pp. 12-14). This paper has thus far provided a brief over-view of social constructionist, feminist, and social learning theory perspectives. Now, this paper will describe the social impacts and social responses to violence against women. Many of the points that will be presented will come from the said theories to further substantiate their position when dealing with violence against women. Social responses from feminists have particularly been a strong voice against female victimization. Gendered crimes have an extensive array of social impacts and consequences, which includes reinforcing male dominance in society, gender inequalities and stratification, and generational consequences, among others. From this authors perspective, the definition of violent crime against women, such as rape and physical assault, is legal in that it is a violation of a semi-universal federal state law and it is natural because it is a violation of human consciousness and basic human rights. As a response to the global phenomenon of gendered crimes, the legal etymology of violence against women has changed dramatically over time from different nations to different states (Fulcher, Alesha, Emily 2008). For example, prior to the feminist movement in the 1970s, in all U.S. states, laws exempted a husband from being prosecuted for forcing their spouse to have sex against their will. Modern laws now include sexual assault and spousal abuse, regardless of who the assailant and victim is (Fulcher, et al. 2008). The United Nations (1993) has defined violence against women as, any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. This, in a very general sense, characterizes the contemporary consensus of the global society on the issue of violence against women. These positive changes, however, have not been met with widespread positive consequences. As mentioned earlier, some feminist theorists argue that because men are losing dominate power in society, some men turn violently against women as a way to reassert their declining power (Henslin 2006, p. 273-274). In fact, ONeil and Harway (1999) claim that recent changes in gender equality have produced a fear in some men that the natural order of society is being repressed. These men defend what they think is a defining quality of manhood through verbal aggression and violence in an attempt to preserve their natural right over women. Patriarchal values and beliefs about male dominance and female subordination reinforce a gender inverse power relation that permeates into a multiplicity of social phenomenon. The World Health Organization (2009) has concluded Violence against women is a major public health problem and a violation of human rights. When aggressive men violate women to maintain their sexist advantage women may display eating disorders, depression, passivity, submission, feelings of inferiority, dependence, and sacrificing personal needs for others (Nutt 1999, pp. 117-134). These feeling restrict women from seeking help and prevent them from leaving an abusive relationship. As the aggressive-submissive behaviors continue, women internalize oppression, which results in mental, sexual, reproductive, and maternal health problems (Nutt 1999, pp. 117-134; The World Health Organization 2009). These feelings also restrict women from taking risks, for instance academic achievements, career progression, asking for a salary increase, and socialization. These feelings perpetuate the problem because of the continued dependence on an abusive spouse (Nutt 1999, pp. 117-134). However, there is a strong association between status inconsistency, status incompatibility, and gendered abuse. Thus, a woman may increase her chances of abuse if she obtains greater occupational, academic, or financial achievements than her male counterpart does. Some men believe that a successful woman has usurped their natural dominant position within the family and so they attempt to reassert their dominance by using violence or coercion (Gelles 1999 pp. 36-48). So therefore, some men will continue to be violence, regardless if a woman is successful or submissive. Since the 1970s, the academic community has valuably contributed to appropriate response and prevention methods to decreasing mens violence against women. However, because of the sensitivity and deeply rooted nature of patriarchy and sexism, it is rather difficult to significantly minimize criminal sexual and abusive conduct. There is a rather long list of prevention methods suggested by the academic community and to be most effective they must all work in corroboration with each other. These methods include, but are not limited to: deinstitutionalization of patriarchy (Marin Russo 1999, pp. 18-35); academic, employment, financial equality for women (Nutt 1999, pp. 117-134); examination of how police handle domestic crime (Radford, Stanko 1989); examination of how medical and psychological practitioners handle treatment (Feder L. 1999); education of young children (O Neil Harway 1999 pp. 207-241); governments legal response (Ferraro 1989, pp. 155-184; Office of the status of women 1995); and the strengthening of women-women social collaboration (Silverstein 1999, pp. 81-83). This essay will briefly cover the deinstitutionalization of patriarchy, education of school-aged children, and governments legal response in more detail. As mentioned earlier, patriarchal values underpin all criminal sexual and abusive conduct, in so much that it may seem to some to be a part of everyday life. Eliminating male violence against females requires the elimination of a culture that establishes authority in males and prevents equal authority in females. O Neil and Harway (1999, p. 240) suggests that the old masculine paradigm can be replaced with new values, such as healthy emotionality, non-competitive relationships, empathy for others, friendships, and new concepts of power. Strengthening alliances between women and men will help both genders take responsibility for their actions and resist the ways of the old paradigm. Because violence against women is a societal problem that influences everyone, community consultation, combined with discursive democracy and a cross-government approach, can be an effective method to target specific communal problems by reducing gender-based violence. Public discussion and debate are an indispensable method to raise awareness of the scale of the problem within the community. This will also build confidence in women that this issue is being addressed and dealt with proactively within their community (O Neil and Harway 1999, pp. 238-240). One technique the community consultation program can implement is designing school programs that educate children on how interpersonal violence occurs, its consequences, and prevention. These children may learn how to counter current gender stereotypes portrayed in the media and pop-culture. To encourage diversity, the community consultation program should seek out the opinions and advise from school-aged children (O Neil and Harway 1999, pp. 238-240). Governments should be engage with all sectors of society to minimize criminal sexual conduct and violence against women, which includes providing information, community grants and medical care for victims, being involved in community engagement and specific social projects, and conduct legislative reforms that support gender equality. The British government has exerting a program that compels all governmental administrations into action in efforts to prevent violence against women (HM Government 2009). One of the programs preventive methods includes special training and services so that police, prosecutors, courts, protective services and intervention programs are able to work together to reduce violence against women. Another aspect of the program is to establish a sexual assault referral center in every police station that can provide medical care, counseling, and gather forensic evidence. This model also includes efforts to reduce the demand for prostitution and overall make publi c space safer for women. It is vitally necessary that all governments implement federal and state programs, similar to this one, in attempt to reduce violence against women on a national and international scale. Only a collective effort will be successful. As social scientists continue to provide information and explanations for male aggression and violence against female victims, the more people will accept that there is a genuine equality between females and males. As there is a growing concern and awareness for this issue, more community interventions will be created and government legal changes and policy initiatives will continue to address the problem more affectively. As a result, sexual violence, physical assaults, and psychological abuse against women should degrees. This essay has provided a brief overview from multiple theoretical perspectives on the causation of male aggression and violence against female victims. It has also examined historical through contemporary responses and impacts of female victimization. Then this essay introduced a contemporary case study from Britain that has utilized specific prevention methods. The reoccurring theme has emphasized that only a collective effort among academics, community members, professionals, and the government will provide a successful outcome in preventing male violence against women.

Argumentative Against Death Penalty

Abolishment of Capital Punishment Capital punishment should be abolished for the following reasons. 1) It violates the Eight Amendment of the use of cruel and unusual punishment, for which the Supreme Court has vacillated. 2) It is a form of premeditated murder. 3) It promotes racism. 4) It can be administered to innocent individuals through tainted evidence. 5) The death penalty does not deter criminals from committing violent crimes. The death penalty is a form of cruel and unusual punishment that violates citizen’s Eighth Amendment which has forced the Supreme Court to step in and evaluate this form of punishment.The death penalty has not always been practiced in the United States; however, there have been about 13,000 people who have been legally executed since colonial times. In 1972, the Supreme Court effectively nullified the death penalty. However, in 1976 another Supreme Court found capital punishment to be Constitutional (White 1). One must wonder why they made this decision. In 2007 the court put executions across the country on hold for eight months while it examined whether lethal injection, the most common means of executing prisoners, violated the Eight Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment (Lacayo).How can they not see this form of punishment as cruel and unusual? Individuals are killed by electricity seeping through their bodies, or drugs that cause their organs to shut down one at a time. It’s difficult to unerstand what the government perceives as cruel and unusual punishment. Maybe to them this would mean lining individuals up and killing them at point blank range. What could be crueler than strapping individuals to a chair and sending electricity through their bodies essentially cooking their insides, or putting a lethal dose of drugs into their body that causes organ failure.The method of taking another human’s life is cruel no matter how it is achieved. This gives too much power to individuals in society. The death penalty is a form of premeditated murder. According to dictionary. com, murder is the killing or slaughter of an individual inhumanely or barbarously. What gives the state or normal everyday citizens the right to determine whether or not an individual lives or dies? This is essentially doing what the criminal did and justifying it by hiding behind the law. Murder is murder whether it is committed by the drug dealer on the street or y the executioner who administers the lethal dose of medication into the inmate’s veins. Some individuals feel that the death penalty gives way to racism and class oppression. African Americans and Latinos represent the majority of inmates on death row. Because of this, executions are exclusively for the poor. Ninety percent of those awaiting execution cannot afford to hire a competent trial attorney (â€Å"Reasons to Abolish Death Penalty,†). Too often those convicted are unable to afford a dream defense team and must set tle for court appointed attorneys.These attorneys are often overworked and underpaid. In many cases the appointed attorney has little at stake regardless of the outcome. The biggest problem with the use of the death penalty is that often innocent individuals are sentenced to this heinous form of punishment. There are a staggering number of cases where individuals have been wrongfully convicted. Over the past few years, there have been several stories of individuals who have been convicted of horrific crimes and been sentenced to death only to be freed years later by DNA evidence. Here is a prime example of one of those individuals.Earl Washington spent almost ten years on Virginia’s death row. He was exonerated by DNA evidence and pardoned by the governor. The same DNA test that cleared Earl, implicated a known serial rapist, yet law enforcement and prosecution continue to claim Earl guilty, apparently believing that Earl raped the victim leaving another man’s sperm. N ationwide over 100 condemned Americans have been exonerated since 1976 and walked off death row as free men (Ballard). Even though we have come a long way with DNA there will always be police officers who are pressured to solve cases too fast.Some may use whatever tools are necessary including planting evidence or falsifying documents to establish guilt. As with the case above most police officers, as well as district attorneys, do not want to admit when they are wrong, even if it spares the life of an innocent human. It is heard time and time again that capital punishment helps to deter similar crimes. Evidence does not support this claim. Representative Maxine Waters stated that she does not believe you deter the taking of lives by others by having a death penalty.She went on to say that in the final analysis it does not work fairly if there’s any such thing as being fair about killing people (â€Å"Reasons to Abolish Death Penalty†) Society tends to follow the trend s and mindset of those around them. They often feel that since the Supreme Court has upheld the death penalty, it does not violate the rights of those citizens who have been tried and convicted of crimes that warrant this type of punishment. They presume that justice is being carried out in accordance with the laws that the United States government has set forth.Then there are those who feel the death penalty is an appropriate means of punishing individuals who commit heinous crimes. Many people often refer to this biblical verse, â€Å"Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand and foot for foot† (King James Version, Exodus 20:28). Too often they feel that this gives them the right to take justice into their own hands. Some individuals feel as though criminals should die by execution if the crime fits the punishment. Talk show host Larry Elder stated that society has the right to judge who lives and who dies.He says â€Å"criminals have made the ultimate sin against societ y and society is making a moral statement about your conduct† (Ballard, 2003). People who support the death penalty laugh at the notion that they are promoting racism. Statistics about race indicate that 90% of crimes are committed against whites. The study also stated that African Americans committed 7. 5 times more violent than whites (Sheehan, 1995). The conclusion is drawn that they are not targeting race as a factor when handing out death penalties, they are punishing the perpetrator of the crime without taking the race of the individual into factor.The fact that innocent people are placed on death row has not deterred judges from handing down this punishment. Many do not discount the fact that several people have been placed on death row only to be exonerated. The justice system allows every individual convicted of a crime so many appeals before the sentence is carried out. To the supporters of the death penalty this allows those wrongfully convicted the opportunity to p roduce evidence that will exonerate themselves. Supporters of the death penalty feel as though this helps to deter other criminals from committing the same act.According to a dozen studies, execution saves lives. The study stated that for each inmate executed three to eighteen murders are prevented (Liptak, 2007). Two law professors from Harvard also agree that the evidence of deterrent effect from capital punishment seems impressive. They seem to agree that capital punishment will save lives. After examining the information available for both the supporters and the non-supporters of capital punishment, it is clearly evident that capital punishment should be abolished. This form of unishment is cruel and unusual. It also allows our peers to commit murder by standing behind the law, which is no different than the criminals that are being put to death. Too often this form of punishment is passed down to innocent individuals who spend years trying to clear their name, and often do not get the chance to do so. Furthermore, there is not enough evidence to support that the death penalty deters other criminals. After all, there are better ways that tax money could be spent on individuals who commit crimes against society.The question that the government needs to ask themselves is if this form of punishment is worth the cost of innocent life that comes with it. Works Cited â€Å"Another Reason to Abolish the Death Penalty. † Workers. com. 2009. 11 Mar. 2013. . Ballard, Scotty . www. findarticles. com. 2003. 11 Mar. 2013. . Lacayo, Richard . â€Å"The Tide Shifts Against the Death Penalty. † www. time. com. 3 Feb. 2009. 12 Mar. 2013. . Liptak, Adam . â€Å"Does Death Penalty Save Lives?A New Debate. † The New York Times. 18 Nov. 2007. 12 Mar. 2013. . Sheenan, Paul . â€Å"The Race War of Blacks Against Whites. † heretical. com. 20 May. 1995. 11 Mar. 2013. . The Holy Bible, King James Version. New York: Oxford Edition: 1769; King James Bible Online, 2008. http://www. kingjamesbibleonline. org/. White, Deborah . â€Å"Pros and Cons of Death Penalty and Capital Punishment. † About. com US Liberal Politics. 12 Mar. 2013. .

Gully Trap

Everything you need to know about gully traps Waste Pipes Ground Level Concrete Surface Grating 25mm above paved and 100mm above unpaved What is a gully trap? Agullytrapisabasininthegroundwhichreceivespiped wastewaterfromyourkitchen,bathroomandlaundrybeforeitis emptiedintothesewer. Thebasinhasawatersealtopreventfoul odoursofthesewerreachingthesurface. Thetoporsurroundis raisedabovegroundleveltopreventstormwaterandotherforeign matterenteringthesewer. What should my gully trap look like? Thediagramshowstheacceptedconfigurationofagullytrapasset outintheNewZealandBuildingCode.Gullytraparrangementswhich TheBuildingCodesaysyourgullytrapsurroundsmustbe25mm aboveapavedsurfaceor100mmaboveunpavedsurfaces. Compacted granular bedding material Separation from building material Gully traps are not meant for stormwater Inperiodsofheavyrain,asuddenincreaseinwater flowingintothesewerthroughgullytrapscanresult inwastewateroverflowselsewhereinthesewerage system. Thiscanresultinrawsewageentering ourharb our. Theseexcessiveflowscanalsocause problemsatthewastewatertreatmentplantdueto systemoverloading. Approved gully trap keeping rain water out of the wastewater system.Illegal gully trap allowing rain into the wastewater system. Common reasons why rain water flows into a gully trap inClude: †¢ Incorrectheightofthegullytrapsurrounds †¢ Downpipesplumbedintothegullytrapinsteadofthestormwatersystem A TAURANGA CITY COUNCIL SERVICE †¢ Landscapingthatdirectswaterintothegullytrap Water seal 65mm (min) donotcomplywiththisconfigurationareconsideredillegal. 600mm (max) Preventing sewer overflows to keep our harbour clean TheSouthernPipelineisa$106Mwastewaterpipeline thatwillredirectmostofthecity’swastewateroverto TeMaunga.However,it’sstillafewyearsaway. InthemeantimeCouncilhasstartedinspectinggully trapsthroughoutthecitytohelpcustomersknowif theirsisOK,andtoofferadviceonhowtofixthemif they’renot. Ifeverypropertyownerwithanincorrectlydesigned gullytrapfixedit, theamountofstormwatersneaking intothewastewatersystemwouldbegreatlyreduced. Not all problems will be solved by these options . . . Ifyouhavelandscapingthatdirectsstormwater intoyourgullytrap,youmayneedtospeaktoyour drainlayeraboutoptionstofixthis. Somegully trapsmayalsoneedadditionalworktomakethem compliant.Tofurtherminimiseanywatergettingintothe wastewatersystemallpropertyownersmust ensurethat: †¢ anypavingsurroundingthegullytrapisgraded todirectallstormwaterawayfromit †¢ allwastepipeconnectionstothegullytrap remainwatertight †¢ anydownpipesthatcurrentlydischargeinto thegullytrapareredirectedtoastormwater system(e. g. soakholeorreticulationsystem). How can I fix my gully trap? Toraiseyourgullytraptotherequiredheight, suitable. hereareacoupleoflowcostoptionsthatmaybe 1. Installaplasticriser. Thisisfittedoverthe gullytrapwithsealantaroundtheedgesand walltokeepstormwateroutofthegullytrap.Theseareavailablefromhardwareoutlets likeMitre10,PlacemakersorCarters. 2. Installac oncretehalfring(alsoknownasa nibwall). Thisiscementedintoplacewith sealantaroundtheedgesandwalltokeep stormwateroutofthegullytrap. These areavailablefromaconcretesupplierlike Humes. For more information or advice, please contact Tauranga City Council on (07) 577 7000 or go to www. tauranga. govt. nz and type in key words ‘gully trap’. A TAURANGA CITY COUNCIL SERVICE If you need more help contact Waterline Ph: 577 7000 Web: www. tauranga. govt. nz MVM50675F

Iago Essays - Othello, English-language Films, Operas, Iago

Iago Essays - Othello, English-language Films, Operas, Iago Iago When Shakespeare attempted to create the ultimate villain (and I must say he was stunningly successful), Iago was the result. This cunningly evil character always keeps the audience guessing at his true personality until he has the opportunity to plan in solitude or so gracefully manipulate an inferior intellect that he can let his true colors shine while preserving his "image". Such is the case in act I, scene III, when he recites to Roderigo a beautifully worded speech revealing his true feelings about life, love, and Othello. This near-soliloquy shows us some of the thinking behind Iago's Machiavellian actions. 320Virtue! a fig! 'Tis in ourselves are we thus or thus. Our bodies are gardens, to which our wills are gardeners; so that if we plant nettles or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up thyme, supply it with one gender of herbs or distract it with 325many, either to have it sterile with idleness or manured with industry, why, the power and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills. If the balance of our lives had not one scale of reason to poise another of sensuality, the blood and baseness of our natures would conduct us to the most 330preposterous conclusions. But we have reason to cool our raging motions, our carnal stings, our umbitted lusts, wherof I take this that you call love to be a sect or scion?It is merely a lust of the blood and a permission of the will. Come, be a man. Drown thyself? Drown cats and blind 335puppies. I profess me thy friend, and I confess me knit to thy deserving with cables of perdurable toughness. I could never better stead thee than now. Put money in thy purse. Follow these wars; defeat thy favour with an usurped beard I say, put money in thy purse. It cannot be that Desdemona 340should long continue her love unto the Moor,-Put money in thy purse,-nor he his to her. It was a violent commencement, and thou shalt see an answerable sequestration. Put but money in thy purse. These Moors are changeable in their wills. Fill thy purse with money. The 345food that to him now is as luscious as locusts, shall be to him shortly acerb as the coloquintida. (She must change for youth.)? The main point behind the first section of the "soliloquy" in line 320 is that humans make their destinies and rules (Virtue! a fig! 'Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus ln. 320). Our friendly villain uses a metaphor relating a garden to our lives, and gardeners to our independent wills (Our bodies are gardens, to which our wills are gardeners ln 321). This view on life has many hidden insights into the character of Iago. First among these is that Iago believes that god is a fa?ade created by people with no heart. The quotes that back this up are: 'Tis in ourselves ln 320, corrigible authority of this lies in our wills ln 327 If the balance of our lives ln 328, and love to be a sect or scion. ln. 333. We can tell by the connotations of the words Iago uses that he does not consider god to be a motivating force in the lives of humans. Take, for instance, the use of the words sect and balance; these words normally refer to religion, and god as a major force in the balance of a person's life, but Iago uses them to refer to our own decisions, playing down god's importance. Secondly, he believes that people who do not get ahead in life and live to get everything possible are suckers. This conclusion is backed up by two major statements: sterile with idleness ln 323 and one gender of herbs ln 322. The images these words call up in our minds are desolate and pitiful gardeners either being just plain lazy, or trying to just scoot by. These quotes also show what a highly motivated person Iago is. When Iago concludes his tirade about our bodies being gardens, we get an extreme look into his demented psyche (May I say it is not a pretty sight). Iago's view about love are not much better than his opinions about other

Emily dickinson 5

Emily dickinson 5 Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was born on December 10,1830 in the quiet community of Amherst, Massachusetts (Davidson 247). She was the second born to Edward and Emily Norcross Dickinson (Davidson 247). Her older brother Austin and her younger sister Lavina lived in a reserved family headed by their authoritative father (Davidson 247). Emily's mother was not "emotionally accessible," thought out there lives (Davidson 247). Their parents weren't involved in their children's lives. One thing that their parents did do was raise there children with the Chistian tradition (Chase 28). They were expected to take up their father's religious beliefs and values without any argument. Emily though did not fit in with her father's religion and as she got older challenged these conventional religious viewpoints of her father and his church (Chase 28). Here put more stuff about why she did not except the Puritan God and why because of this you saw it in her writing (on page 12-? In Aiken).Photo of the Dickinson Homestead taken in October ...Her father was also an influential politician in Massachusetts holding powerful positions (Johnson 26). Due to this her family was very prominent in Amherst. Emily did not enjoy the popularity and excitement of her public life in Amherst. So she began to withdraw from the town, her family and friends (Johnson 29). This private life that she lived gave her, her own private society. She refused to see almost everyone that came to visit and rarely left her father's house (Johnson 31).In Emily's writing changed over the years due to events in her life. Most of her writing was about nature, friends, love and almost a third of her poems dealt with the subject of death (Ferlazzo 22). I'm going to focus my paper on the topic of death. A lot of Dickinson's life was in morning the deaths...

Gender differences as a function of perception and stereotypes Dissertation

Gender differences as a function of perception and stereotypes - Dissertation Example The researcher states that the changing leadership practices of school principals at the secondary school level are evident through the development programs and leadership preparations for women in positions of leadership in schools. There is now increasing emphasis on preparing women for school leadership positions, which underlines two connected concerns. Firstly, the prevailing patterns illustrate the ways in which preparation programs are intentionally leveraging designs and delivery aspects in preparing larger numbers of women for leadership functions in schools. This is to equip them with the knowledge and skills required for systemically changing school working. Such patterns clearly suggest the transforming characteristics of school leadership in terms of being driven and accompanied through conceptualizing the principal’s role in new ways. It is thus important to examine the changing roles of school leadership, the environment in which principals are developed and pre pared, the gender differences relative to perception and stereotypes and stratification of roles. In considering them together it becomes evident that the increasing emphasis on instructional capacities in school leadership has disturbed the conventional gender balance of authority whereby men’s roles are related with masculinity. For example, male roles such as administration are indicative of higher status relative to women’s functions in regard to femaleness, child care and instruction. (Bennett and Anderson, 2003). The shortage of women in roles of secondary school principals is a global phenomenon, which is evident from the fact that women comprise of at least half of total secondary school teachers but in secondary school administration functions they form a minority. It is required of professionals in the area of education to appreciate the fact that gender determines important roles in regard to women being assigned the role of principals in secondary schools. Analysts in the field of education believe that there are three standards relative to leadership and gender: That orthodox leaders are male Leadership styles are characteristic of being macho It can be theorized that leadership tends to marginalize gender. Tallerico and Blount (2004) have held that society has orthodox beliefs about leadership being vested with males and that such belief systems continue supporting male domination. They also believe that norms such as gender filters are perpetuated due to shared understanding amongst administrators that males have the ability to resolve matters relative to discipline. However, the transforming environment of enhanced accountability has impacted shifts in concepts of leadership through which principals are being inducted. In regard to enhanced local and national emphasis on enhancing students’

Corporal Punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Corporal Punishment - Essay Example The message that violence is a way to solve problems is surely not lost on children. Parents who were beaten as children end up beating their own children. Teachers who attended schools in which corporal punishment was an accepted practice may in a like manner find it natural to turn to it themselves, although other people, beaten as children, react adversely to the notion of using physical force themselves (Straus and Donnelley 2004). Critics (Straus and Donnelley 2004) explain that the parents of children who are victims of the "battered child syndrome" are mentally ill. While corporal punishment applied by teachers is usually not so extreme in intent or result as the abuse inflicted on children by their own parents, its use by teachers who experienced corporal punishment as children suggests a tendency to "identify with the aggressor" which characterizes the authoritarian personality The use of force on children stems from an inherent cultural belief that violence is an acceptable way to solve problems. Carried far enough, that position could suggest that the society itself is "mentally ill," judged by its approach to violence (Straus and Donnelley 2004). Corporal punishment is ineffective because it has extremely negative impact on learning and child development.