President Theodore Roosevelt Essay Example for Free

President Theodore Roosevelt Essay Theodore Roosevelt was an asthmatic, nearsighted, shy and physically weak child who later on became one of the most powerful Presidents of the United States. His leadership style was tough, yet his charisma kept him in the circles of smart people. His communication skills were popular among the masses but his tough leadership style was disliked by his fellow republicans. His leadership was considered too domineering by them. Although, much before succeeding as the President, he was the president of the board of New York Police commissioners. During his two years as its presidents, he radically transformed the organization. With his iron-will and honesty, he brought major reforms to the organization and saved its tainted image. His style of working with others was tough and usually liked to take unilateral decisions, yet his major decisions proved correct Theodore Roosevelt had a very ambitious personality.   He took up sports as diverse as boxing, hiking, horseback riding, and tennis. In his childhood, he was hyperactive and rather mischievous and was an excellent conversationalist (Thayer, 1919). He was an avid reader. He chose to lead a strenuous life despite the fact that his doctors advised him to find a desk job.   All these aspects of his personality later reflected in his life as a leader. His ambitious personality helped him overcome his physical abilities to become a powerful masculine figure and later became one of the most robust and ambitious U.S presidents. His hyperactive personality was later instrumental in his success as he became an activist and a reformer. His excellent communication skills helped him in his election campaign as it captivated the masses.   Above all, his personality aspect of being tough and leading a strenuous life was one of the prime reasons that he rose from being a timid boy to becoming among the most powerful U.S presidents (Morris, 2001). Issues that engaged my emotions Theodore Roosevelt had a poor state of health. From his physical condition, one could only infer that he would later end up finding a desk job and leading a normal life. But since his childhood, he had great ambitions. He worked out in gymnasium to improve his physical health and took up boxing to deal with bullies (Thayer, 1919). His memorable fight at Harvard is a testament of how hard work helped him achieve something others won’t expect of him (Thayer, 1919). I feel emotionally engaged with these issues because it would have taken him great pains to overcome his physical state, which was probably the reason for him being shy in childhood, to become a great man in history. The death of his mother and wife on the same day, both very dear to him, was also one of the issues I felt emotionally engaged with. His recovery from this great loss was an evidence of the strength of his personality and his emotional stability. Though, Theodore Roosevelt was awarded a Noble Peace prize for his efforts to end Russo-Japanese wars, he was equally eager to wage war with any country to test the naval supremacy of the U.S. I disagree with his hawkish stance when he disclosed his desire to fight war with any country. I also disagree with his position on racism. He was also a racist and seriously doubted the loyalties of Irish-American and German-American and termed them unpatriotic. No doubt, Theodore Roosevelt was an important historical figure. But there have been instances when his motives seemed to me more inclined towards personal gains rather than being towards national interest. He sought to give the President wide ranging authority and thus extended the president’s powers. He considered the president the sole authority to make decisions and in the process undermined the judiciary to some extent. He split his party and even split with his friend William Howard Taft, who was Roosevelt’s candidate for presidency (Morris, 2001). I am also critical of some of his actions. He was responsible for splitting his party and did not succeed in getting the loyalties of his fellow republicans, which was mainly due to their reservations about his domination of the party politics.   He was also responsible for establishing a temporary colonial rule over the Dominican Republic in 1905 and Cuba in 1906 (Morris, 2001). Instead of supporting President Wilson’s pledge of neutrality during World War 1, he became one of its biggest critics. If I were in place of President Theodore Roosevelt, I would have adopted a dovish approach to the problems of that time. I would have tried to ensure that fellow republicans have been taken into confidence on all major decisions, a step that could have proved useful for the President in his future campaigns. Instead of a hawkish approach towards enemies in World War 1 after the presidency, I would have supported the strategy of President Wilson. References Morris, Edmund (2001). The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. Modern Library. Roosevelt, Theodore (1913). An Autobiography. Thayer, Charles Roscoe (1919). Theodore Roosevelt.

The Importance Of Finding Alternative Materials Environmental Sciences Essay

The Importance Of Finding Alternative Materials Environmental Sciences Essay What is Alternative Building? This is usually the type of building that are considered alternative today, have their heredity in structures that humans have been constructing for centuries. The reason why these building techniques are gaining popularity in modern times is twofold. First, the old building techniques are far more eco-friendly than the majority structures we used to seeing; second, these structures are simple enough in nature that they can built cheaply and can be built without the aid of a lot of the heavy and expensive equipment which is normally related with most new construction. Currently words such as green, sustainable and alternative get used often in the construction industry, which make its pretty confusing and difficult to tell if any one particular method or material fall under one or many of these heading. The report will help identify, green alternative building method and materials which are less damaging to the environment than a similar practice used in conventional lumber-framed construction. The need to find alternative practices will encompass any building technique that can be done repeatedly without changing the environment in any noticeable way. The Importance of Finding alternative Materials As the world population continues to grow at an alarming rate, people are realizing that planet cannot sustain such continuous and exponential growth. With land being increasable limited and we are continually diminishing our natural resource such are timber, with majority of it being used to build homes. It is evident that we cannot continue to use our natural material at this rate to build our homes. With the awareness of these natural materials become increasing limited, has made the construction industry rethink their way and start to think more about sustainable construction. Using alternative material for 8building homes is much more environmental sustainable than conventional homes building. Depending on the type and amount of sustainable materials used, these types of alternative material can reduce the carbon footprint which is produce in building homes. According to the Worldwatch Institute, an independent organization that analyzes critical global issues, one-fourth of the worlds wood and one-sixth of its fresh water are used  in building construction. This situation will only become worse as the worlds population and more people continue to migrate toward cities. The greater demands also will add pressure on increasingly scarce essential resources, especially water. The Environment The environment has now become issues and with it being heightened news, the Governments and individuals have seem to take notice and now taking to make a change because we cannot continuing abusing the environment, this is not an option anymore. The chart below shows the proportion of CO2 emissions in the UK from buildings in use, the construction process (mainly due to the CO2 from the manufacture of building materials) and from all other sectors including industry, transport, agriculture etc. Buildings in use contribute about half of our CO2 emissions (and consume about half of our energy use). Figure 1 CO2 emissions The next chart shows where these emissions come from and with over half of our energy use and CO2 emissions from building use come from heating our buildings. Figure two Energy Waste. Government Action The UK government have stated that England must take action now, in order to make vast improvement to energy efficiency in both new and existing buildings. The government have set many ambitious goals, an example of one: they anticipate dramatic energy reductions to achieve its goal that all new homes in England will be carbon-neutral by 2016. World Business Council for Sustainable Development (2007) There are three main approaches to energy neutrality: Cut buildings energy demand by, for example, using equipment that is more energy efficient Produce energy locally from renewable and otherwise wasted energy resources Share energy create buildings that can generate surplus energy and feed it into an intelligent grid infrastructure. Efficiency gains in buildings are likely to provide the greatest energy reductions and in many cases will be the most economic option. A study by McKinsey estimated that demand reduction measures with no net cost could almost halve expected growth in global electricity demand. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report estimates that by 2020 CO2 emissions from building energy used can be reduced by 29% at no net cost World Business Council for Sustainable Development (2007) and a cost curve for greenhouse gas reduction, McKinsey Quarterly 2007 Number 1. Fox and Murrell (1989) state the fundamental ecology principle of renewable material, such as wood is sustainable source and are renewable however, for materials like metal, plastic, gravel and sand, stone-based materials such as cement, concrete and plaster, have been used cannot be used again, their consumption if the earth itself. (Berge, 1992) The extraction of certain raw material can be very destructive effects especially to the water table and wildlife habitats. Over usage of these materials can affect the availabilities of in the near future, cause environmental degradation, and contribute to global warming. Impact of the Construction The industry has a major impact on the environment, it affect are not only on the resources it consumes but also the waste it produces. The construction industry is accountable for producing a whole variety of different wastes, the amount and type of which depends on factors such as the stage of construction, type of construction work and practices on site. In Great Britain, over 90% of non-energy minerals is extracted and are used to supply the construction industry with materials. Furthermore, every year more than 70 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste has been produced in England and Wales The key is alternative basic materials because they have historically driven innovation in every industry, and could spur significant advances in todays housing. In order to gain acceptance, however, basic alternative materials must offer more benefits than the traditional materials or methods they replace. They must reduce costs, increase design flexibility, enhance sustainability, perform multiple functions, have superior performance characteristics, or meet a market niche. Another potential driver for adopting alternative basic materials is a shortage of existing natural materials or concerns about their long-term sustainability. Martà ­n(2005) states that in recent years, there has been a shortages of core natural resources; including lumber, steel, and gypsum, and this has driven construction costs higher. This volatility of supply and price motivates the industry to look for more sustainable solutions. Sustainability and resource shortages, in fact, will help to drive innovati ons in the future. The objective of alternative basic materials is to develop new materials that spur innovation by serving multiple functions, increasing cost-effectiveness and efficiency, and using more sustainable materials. In many cases, these technologies form building systems that enable other Concept Home principles such as integrated functions, floor plan flexibility, and improved production processes. Alternative basic materials consist of core technologies that manufacturers can use to create products or systems and composite systems that builders can purchase and use to build homes. Martà ­n(2005) Before considering the use of alternative materials, and before implementing into homes, practical issues must be considered, (Berge, 1992) say to be realistic to imagine a technology that functions in line holistic ideas, none-mainstream approach but also providing humanity with an acceptable material standard of living, basically Berge is trying to say there just be a balance between the Eco approach and what consumer want. Government Schemes and Regulation After The Stern Review (2006) advised that the implications of climate change couldnt be avoided any longer and urgent action was required, by that the comment the government took notice and started implementing changes to building regulations. In 2007, the Government introduced the  Code for Sustainable Homes  to help improve the standard of energy efficiency and sustainability of the housing sector, by setting target for all new houses to achieve a carbon rate of zero by 2016. This is a level 6 in the Code for Sustainable. Currently, the standards of the code are not mandatory for private house builders but there are intentions to incorporate them into the  Building Regulations over the next couple years, by implementing the changes to Part L which started in 2010. CAN I ADD MORE Constructing environmental friendly house To construct an environmental friendly houses are to focus on reducing the environmental impact of both its  construction  and its ongoing  operation. This is achievable at the design phase by selecting the correct material and the process. Environmental friendly houses and sustainable construction present an exciting opportunity for building houses. With the prospect of living in an environmentally efficient house that can generate its own power, also by reducing waste and running costs would be the first positive step for a sustainable future. Our activities have had a negative effect on the plant and the the Office for Climate Change 2010, attributing have stated that 27% of the UKs total carbon emissions to household heating and electricity, house construction is an area where we can make a huge difference. Ecological impact During the development and construction stages of house being built, a ecological assessment should be carried out that reduces its impact and if it would be possible to construct green or living roofs for new habitats to live.

Impact of the Credit Crunch on the Workplace and Politics

Impact of the Credit Crunch on the Workplace and Politics Social World Economy and UK Government Employers, Employees and the Unions Conclusions Bibliography The credit crunch in 2008 is swiftly being followed by an imminent global recession, perhaps the worst recession for many decades. Irresponsible lending, mis-management by the banks, the pay freezes in industry and the general economic climate means that we can no longer take for granted our jobs, homes and financial security. In 2009 the tide is turning from boom, very probably to bust in just a few months, although it was claimed by some analysts that the recession started proper half way through 2008. The situation does not look to improve any time soon either, as Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England was cited in the Daily Telegraph of 26th October, 2008: â€Å"The combination of a squeeze on real take-home pay and a decline in the availability of credit poses the risk of a sharp and prolonged slowdown in domestic demand. It now seems likely that the UK economy is entering a recession.† (Jonathan Sibun, Daily Telegraph, 2008). So we see that there can be a number of factors which provide the root cause of a recession. The end result of a recession is not only the loss of business, jobs, reduced cash flow and tightening of financial belts; the social, economic and political impact this has on employers, employees and the government. Employer and employee relationships are also a â€Å"side effect† of the environment within a recession. Does the balance of power change? Do employees become resentful? Do managers become more fearful and does this affect their judgement in the workplace? Many happy and productive workplaces are suddenly â€Å"not so happy† when a credit crunch hits. This paper investigates the implications of a credit crunch on relationships both at the workplace and in the political arena. Social From a social perspective, the effects of the credit crunch are already being evidenced. Housing repossessions are on the increase in the UK and people are having difficulty keeping up with their mortgages. Another factor is that the number of job losses is on the increase and this is expected to continue in 2009. The social impact this has on people is very often not reported by the media. For instance, people who would normally go on holiday with their friends and attend social outings may no longer do so after losing their job. The impact of a credit crunch and recession is inevitably job losses. This affects the person being laid off not only financially, but in terms of self confidence and a feeling of hopelessness for some. Some people after being made redundant may never work again, due to their age or the industry they have worked in, which may be something they have been involved in all their life. The credit crunch affects relationships generally, but also marriages. Husbands try to hold off telling their partners when they lose there jobs. The feeling of failure abounds and it also becomes a shock when it is not possible to find another job immediately. The credit crunch seems to hit men particularly hard, as pride and status play their parts when he has to rely solely on his wife for their main income: Traditionally, the man provides and for a man to lose his job, its not just about money, its loss of status, which can be a huge knock to his confidence.† Steve Miller, cited in (Becky Howard, 2008). It can cause relationship breakdowns as: There is also a real danger that the woman may become angry and resentful (Becky Howard, 2008). This may be due to women become the main breadwinner and also the need to perform duties at home, like cleaning, ironing and other household chores. The Times article points out a number of ways to assist couples through a crisis such as the credit crunch and the loss of a job. The balance of power can shift from an even situation, in a relationship to a dominant partner, when both partners have jobs or in the case of the sole breadwinner, it can cause even more difficulty. World Economy and UK The economic effects are also being seen, as employers are trying to emphasise the importance of pay restraints as companies try to avoid job losses: If employees understand the competitive pressures facing their organisation, they are more likely to understand why pay restraint in the current economic environment is critical. (CIPD, 2008) However, pay is only one of a number of issues. Mortgage repossessions are on the increasing by 40% in the last 12 months (Economics Help, 2008). It is claimed that this is only a small proportion of the total mortgage market in the UK however. In the US loans to sub-prime mortgage markets proved highly risky, and these loans were then embedded into the whole financial system (Economics Help, 2008). This in turn affected the whole of the global capital markets. Hence the world economy is currently in very poor shape. Each country is trying to solve the crisis in their own way, but some countries in Europe are following the UK lead were VAT is concerned, in that they aim to reduce it. On a world level, the economy has probably been in downturn since December 2007. They were predicting then that the economy would have forthcoming problems and so it has been proved. For instance, this report by World Economic Update (2008) states for the US economy: The U.S. economy is already in a recession it started in December 07 and it will last four to six quarters. Negative growth starts in the first quarter of 2008. The former the latter may, I guess, or may not end up being true, but surely its going to be unimpressive. The same article also suggests the economy of the US will be severe and protracted rather than mild. The US is the richest economy in the world, and when something happens on the scale of the current credit crunch it affects the world economy. It is also stated that many emerging markets are not directly affected by the US economy, and these should provide a cushion for the overall world economy, even though the banks of the emerging economies are also tightening their belts. It is stated that countries, such as Brazil, China, Russia, Peru, Poland and Hungary are all in growth stages and not directly affected by the US as they mainly deal with commodities. There has also been a shift away from the US in terms of the commodities markets (World Economic Update, 2008). The question we need to ask are the emerging markets enough to help stave off the imminent recession? The way that emerging markets can assist the global economy is through cheap commodity prices such as metals and agricultural products. Unfortunately however, the price of oil continues to escalate in the light of a world oil shortage. The repercussions of the current financial crisis were discussed by Andrew Watt (2008) when he states that there will be a combination of: â€Å" Share-price collapse Blockages with the banking system Reduced access to bank loans, and More expensive bond financing â€Å" resulting in a reduction in corporate investment, which in turn will have knock-on effects elsewhere. Much can be gleaned from the current crisis for future generations however. Andrew Watt has identified a number of other possible factors which have a bearing on the world economy and the UK. For instance, he points out that there has been a lack of regulatory institutions required for global finance, throughout the world and in Europe. He also claims that income at the national level has moved in that the poor borrow more, and speculation by the rich has made them wealthier. This really is a case of the poor getting poorer, and the rich getting richer. Lack of low interest rates, lack of regulation in the financial sector, risk taking and tax competition; including the EU have also contributed, in his opinion (Andrew Watt, 2008). From this we can assume that although the US crisis was the initial spark, that the petrol was already ready to light in the world economy and so we are all affected by the end result. The following figure from this report shows a summary of the events of the last 12 months or so, resulting in the credit crunch and imminent recession: One affect of the economy the credit crunch has had in the UK is the reduction of house prices and the price of goods in the shops, which have reduced dramatically in the last few months; in order to keep consumers interested thus keeping the finances flowing in the shops. The credit crunch has been blamed on a number of factors, and some unusual ideas emerge from various parts of the world, who all deal with the situation in a different manner. For instance, President Sarkozy has made calls to end foreign ownership (David Charter, 2008). The concern is that key industries will fall into foreign hands. The ideas are that each country should use sovereign wealth funds to take stakes in key industries: â€Å"Nicolas Sarkozy risked blowing apart the European consensus over how to deal with the financial crisis by proposing today that each country launch sovereign wealth funds to take stakes in key industries to stop them falling into foreign hands. â€Å" (David Charter, 2008) The theory is that non-EU countries may take advantage of the current crisis, who are not affected by it and therefore it would enable them to have an advantage in investing in shares within EU industries when they were at their cheapest. Not all the EU countries agree with this approach as stated, but even during his EU presidential year it is debatable if he can win approval from his EU partners. Government From a political perspective, some people will leave the original credit crunch was caused in the US, and this has had a knock-on effect on global economy. One definition of a credit crunch is rapid decline of credit that it is unusually large for a given stage of the business cycle (Bernanke and Lown, 1991). However, one of the key causes of the current credit crunch is said to be irresponsible lending in the US. However, it is fair to say that although the credit crunch originally emanated from the US, that irresponsible lending has also been occuring in the Uk and in Europe, but not on as large a scale. From a political perspective it is being stated that the UK government could have done more to regulate banks who were lending irresponsibly, and that the credit crunch has shown that financial institutions can easily abuse systems of self-regulation. (Economics Help, 2008) A few years ago, house prices were going through the roof, and this bubble would eventually burst, as it inevitably did. Gordon Brown the current prime minister, did identify that this would happen, and as Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time thought the issue had been addressed and avoided a boom and bust scenario, but this was obviously not the case (Alex Barker, 2008). Now that Gordon Brown is the Prime Minister, some of the earlier issues have come back to haunt him. Politically, a credit crunch and recession is always good for the opposition, as they can claim that the current government of the day is to blame for the current economic climate in this country. David Cameron, the leader of the opposition has made this point often, and has stated that the current labour government could have done more to avoid the consequences. Gordon Brown points out that the current crisis is global and has recently instigated a number of steps to avoid the crisis becoming even more serious in 2009. Banks all over the world have been in difficulty all over the world. The collapse of the Lehman Brothers bank in the US was soon followed by a crisis of one of the largest banks in the UK, Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS). A recent merger between Lloyds and HBOS will provide a super bank and will avoid HBOS going the same way as Lehman Brothers. The government has supported the merger. Another recent, but risky step is to plough public money in the banking system, and by doing so the government hopes the banks will continue to lend to each other and at least keep the financial syste fluid. Along with this, there has been a reduction in VAT to 15% from 17.5% so that consumers will continue to spend and keep business operating. These are risky measures, and longer term it has been pointed out by David Cameron, that the UK tax payer will have to pay back an increased deficit. Only time time will tell if Gordon Browns policies will enable a swifter recovery or take the UK further into debt. As some analysts point out, this is not a normal situation and extreme situations call for extreme measures. This is certainly the case for Gordon Brown on a political level. Employers, Employees and the Unions One thing is certain in 2009, relationships between employer and employer are sure to be tense in 2009. A survey report was commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in September, 2008 around this subject. The following table from this report summarises the main issues around employer/employee relationships: So what are the anticipated changes in regard to the effects of the Credit Crunch to employer/employee relations? The following table from the same reports highlights the expected changes: On the face of it, if we analyse the two tables we can see that although most agree that there will be problems in the current credit crisis, that the only potential benefit longer term is that the employers will engage with their employees on an increasing level. However, it is said that there is a contrast of opinion between the public and private services with regard to employee engagement, as: Looking at the results in more detail, however, there is a marked contrast in attitudes between private and public services. In private services, 51% of respondents identified employee engagement as the single most likely development, compared with only 29% in public services and an average across all sectors of 43%. (CIPD,2008) It seems that partnerships with trade unions are very low on the agenda, but again it depends on the sector as: partnership is seen as among the three most likely developments by 46% of respondents in public services but only 11% in private services. (CIPD,2008). The wait and see scenario was also a favourable option. This would make perfect sense seeing as no one yet has a clear picture of how the recession will develop in 2009. So how will all this effect relationships on the shop floor and in the office? Well, cooperation is the key to a successful relationship for both employers and employees alike. It will be the case that in some organisations that job losses will be inevitable, and the unions and employees will be able to do very little as a result. In some cases, it will just be a case of management and unions working together to alleviate the impact as much as possible, and by providing assistance to those employees who will need to be looking for another job or training. In fact, if you have been made unemployed during a recession and there is little likelihood that a new job in the same career will be practical (in some cases), then training during the downturn may be a very good option. The reasoning behind this is that when the economy returns to normal the employee will be better placed to get themselves back on to the job market. Some people may be concerned about the safety of their jobs in 2009, and for very good reason. It is claimed that the indebted young people will be the hardest hit (Iain Macwhirter, 2008). It is claimed that the level of unemployment will have reached 3 million by 2010. It is the â€Å"flexible† labour market which usually receives the initial job losses, such as freelancers and contractors (Iain Macwhirter, 2008). From a company management perspective it is financially sound to fire the expensive contractors first. There is also little complication in doing this legally as there is with permanent employees. However, the sign of a contractor being fired can cause panic amongst the permanent employees in the workplace, as they know that they could easily be next on the list. Ironically, once the dust has settled and companies find themselves short staffed on the upturn it is contractors who are the first back in to assist. Unlike a redundancy situation based on â€Å"last in, first out† it could be said that with contractors and the credit crunch it is a case of â€Å"first out, first in†. The effect of the credit crunch will not only affect the lower level employees, but jobs in banks, and professions i.e. the middle income groups. This will be a real blow to self esteem and confidence to some employees, and it is also something the employers and unions must take into account when wielding the axe in the name of survival. There is no longer a predictable future for anyone, anywhere as a result of the credit crunch. This is emphasised by: â€Å"Certainly, the first to be hit will be those at the bottom. But they are likely to be joined by large numbers of articulate, middle-class individuals shaken out of the financial, media and peripheral service occupations from aroma therapy to management consultancy which have grown up during the long boom.† (Iain Macwhirter, 2008) We have seen that the credit crunch affects everyone from the top down, including governments, large and small organisations and individuals. We have seen the ways in which people can be affected. Governments lose credibility, organisations lose valuable staff, and individuals lose their self esteem and confidence. In analysing the credit crunch we see that although it seems the US problems was the initial spark, it was basically a financial accident waiting to happen, and on a. global scale. However, we have to ask ourselves if the rest of the world can be protected from the mistakes made in the US. Should we all insulate ourselves from this happening on such a large scale again? In looking at possible solutions, we have many suggestions and some of these are risky, but possibly may work. In the UK only time will tell if Gordon Brown’s ideas of ploughing additional funds into the banking system and reducing VAT with lower interest rates will stimulate the economy enough to allow progress through what is sure to be a very difficult period in 2009 and beyond. The surprising thing and perhaps most worrying is how quickly the economy turned from 2007 from what was a relatively economically sound period to its current state. For future generations, much will be learned and there are sure to be large scale changes, especially in the banking sector. More regulation is sure to follow and huge bonuses for some could be a thing of the past. Such is the effect of the current crisis. Journals/Reports Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Survey Report, 2008  World Economic Update, April 25 2008 available from:  http://www.cfr.org/publication/16111/world_economic_update_rush_transcript_federal_news_service.html Andrew Watt, The economic and financial crisis: dealing with the  repercussions and the causes./ Presentation to ETUI Seminar ‘The economic and financial crisis: Elements to construct a new paradigm’ 8 December  2008 Bernanke, Ben S., and Cara S. Lown (1991), â€Å"The  Credit Crunch,† Brookings Papers on Economic  Activity, no. 2: 205-47. Newspapers Iain Macwhirter, New Statesman  Economy, How safe is your job?  Published 27 November 2008 available from:  http://www.newstatesman.com/economy/2008/11/middle-class-labour-jobs Jonathon Sibun, UK Recession is here to stay experts warn, Daily Telegraph Online, 10/2008 available from:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/3259483/UK-recession-is-here-to-stay-experts-warn.html Becky Howard, The credit crunch hits relationships and marriages,  Times Online, December 6, 2008 available from:  http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article5292365.ece David Charter, From Times Online October 21, 2008,  Sarkozy calls for halt to foreign ownership available from:  http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article4984670.ece Internet Economics Help, Who is to Blame for Credit Crunch? 2008, accessed on 03/01/2009 available from: http://www.economicshelp.org/2008/08/who-is-to-blame-for-credit-crunch.html Alex Barker, Asleep at the Wheel? ,December 15th, 2008 by Alex Barker accessed on 03/01/2009 available from:  http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/category/credit-crunch/

Things Found Inside of People :: Personal Narrative Papers

Things Found Inside of People 1. Things found inside of people. There is a museum in Philadelphia called the MÃ ¼tter Museum. I went there once with an old boyfriend. We saw babies in formaldehyde with serious birth defects, two heads, four legs, five noses. Siamese twins. An eight-foot-long colon in a glass case, black, dry, and empty, beside a photograph of its former keeper, a man with a bloated, pregnant stomach. Deformed skulls. The assembled bones of the tallest man in the world, the assembled bones of the shortest man in the world. Model faces made of wax, people with leprosy, noses eaten away, people with real horns growing from their foreheads. Infectious diseases-the results. The dried and preserved veins and heart of a whole man, shellacked and hovering behind a plastic wall. We stayed for two whole hours, until the place closed. At the end we found a set of drawers. Upon opening each little drawer we found something new; there were various buttons, keys, pieces of metal, rocks, hard plastics, coins. My ex-boyfriend asked me what thes e things were. The sign said, "Things Found Inside of People." 2. The bar. This morning I listened to Joy Division with my new boyfriend. The song is called Ceremony, and he has the Joy Division version, an earlier, more distorted version of the New Order song later to come, the one that I own. I could describe the song, but I won't. Other than to say that it is very 80s, and it sounds like New York City and steel-beamed skyscrapers, and it is what I hear when I fly in my head. He had a dream for a few minutes early this morning about skydiving, and he said, "I just had a dream that I had to jump out of a plane. I'll never do that." I said I didn't think jumping out of a plane and flying would be so bad. We were up until six o'clock in the morning again, frustrating each other. I think he thinks about having sex with me too much, and I'm not sure if that's negative or just not important. He's delicate, but he's a guy all the same, and it's a little confusing. He likes Joy Division. He saw me last year with my ex-boyfriend. I was wearing a Joy Division t-shirt, a relic from the 80s, Dan's brother Marc's old shirt.

Can Ethical Terms Be Defined? :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Can Ethical Terms Be Defined? The answer might seem obvious. Ethical terms can be defined because they have been. "Good" means pleasure; "good" means utility; "good" means self-realisation, or self interest and so on. Classical moral philosophy philosophers have apparently had no difficulty at all in defning terms like "good". It was just this multitude of different and incompatible definitions however, which led Moore to have some doubts about whether philosophers knew what they were doing when they attempted to define "good". Is it really possible to define "good" as one might define "triangle" or "horse"? Are there not some important differences? Moore is convinced that there are. In the first place, when we define "triangle" or "horse" we know what we are defining in the sense that we can see or at least formulate an empirical representation of what we are talking about. We aren't able to see goodness, or point to it, at least in the same way. Furthermore when we define "triangle" as "an enclosed three sided plane figure", it makes no sense to ask, "but is an enclosed three sided plane figure a triangle"? — not at least if we know what we are talking about, i.e. a triangle. But if we define "good" as pleasure for instance, it does seem to make sense to ask "but is pleasure (really or always) good? Moore is convinced that it makes sense to ask this question, not merely because we may happen to be ignorant of what goodness is, and have thus made a mistake such as would be the case if we defined a triangle as a four sided figure; rather the error occurs because we have confused two quite different kinds of things with one another. We have confused a natural property (pleasure) with a non natural property (good). He calls this kind of error a "naturalistic fallacy". Since it is bound to occur whenever we attempt to identify good with something that isn't, all purported definitions of "good" commit this fallacy. "Good" h e concludes is indefinable This does not mean however that the term "good" is meaningless. On the contrary it is no more meaningless than the term "yellow" which is also indefinable in the requisite sense. Still the question remains. "What does "good" then refer to ?" Certainly not to any sensed property like yellow. It refers, according to Moore, to an intuited and unanalysiable property of goodness which some things have and others do not have.

A Study in Scarlet Essay

The great author Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was born on the 22nd May 1859 in Edinburgh Scotland. He had graduated with a degree in medicine at Edinburgh University in 1881. His first short story was published in1879 however the first mystery featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, ‘A Study in Scarlet’, was not until 1887. He had married twice and fathered five children. Conan Doyle had died in 1930. People are drawn to the Sherlock Holmes mystery as Conan Doyle is able to make the reader feel part of the story. The suspense and tension in his stories raise questions in the readers mind. This piece of course work will trace why Conan Doyle writings are popular in the 21st century. One key feature that helped the popularity of Sherlock Holmes stories is Conan Doyle’s use of language, style of writing and its simplicity. In the man with the twisted lip, Mr. Boone was a horrific looking beggar described as â€Å"a broad wheel from an old scar ran right across it from an old scar ran right across it from eye to chin, and by contraction had turned up one side of the upper lip, so that three teeth were exposed in a perpetual snarl. A shock of very bright red hair grew low over his eyes and forehead. † Conan Doyle’s use of descriptive language enables the reader to put together a picture of this revolting beggar. In the Red Headed League John Clay, also known as Vincent Spaulding, the criminal had asked to be called with respect â€Å"Have the goodness also, when you address me always say ‘sir’ and ‘please’. † The use of language to introduce humour can be picked up from such comments. Also the idea that a red headed man had died and he wanted to give his inheritance to any other red headed man. Conan Doyle starts to put questions in the readers mind ‘Why would someone want to do this? ‘ This seems virtually impossible and farfetched; such reference continually adds flavour to his writing. In the speckled band Dr. Roylott tried to threaten Sherlock Holmes and called him names â€Å"I know you, you scoundrel! I have heard of you before. You are Holmes, the meddler†¦ Holmes, the busybody†¦ Holmes the Scotland Yard Jack-In-Office†. Through dialogue we are able to deduce the character of Dr. Grimsby Roylott and his aggressive attitude towards people. The reader begins to understand why Helen stoner was afraid of her step father and had come to Holmes without his permission. Sherlock Holmes was able to speak fluent Latin â€Å"omne ignotum pro magnifico†; in the Victorian era you had to be well educated to be able to articulate a word of Latin. Conan Doyle has used this technique to show the reader Holmes accomplishments and status in society. Language plays a very important role in all Conan Doyle’s stories which in many ways have added to the never ending success. It has helped to transform the stories the stories into pleasant readings for a wide range of audiences. In all the stories a similar pattern seems to emerge which helps create the perfect recipe for a mystery. The stories unfold in the most unusual way leaving the reader intrigued up to the very end. The themes in Conan Doyle’s stories are directed towards acts of injustice, crimes, the clever villains and innocent victims; all spiced with greed. In the speckled band the victim was Helen stoner, who had come to seek help relating to the sudden death of her sister Julia. The villain to the readers surprise was Dr. Grimsby Roylott. Mrs. Stoner, mother of Helen and Julia Stoner, had received â€Å"not less than 1000 pounds a year† she gave this money to Dr. Roylott. â€Å"a certain annual sum should be allowed† to each daughter after marriage; due to Dr. Roylott’s selfish needs he was responsible for the death of Julia and attempt to murder Helen. In the red headed league Mr. Jabez Wilson had consulted Sherlock Holmes to look into an advert that seemed peculiar. Mr. Jabez Wilson had taken a job because it offered double a normal wage, â€Å"4 pound a week†. To the readers it seemed a shock that Vincent Spaulding, who was the loyal employee, had been the criminal John Clay. John clay had planned to steal the French napoleons from the bank. He was a con man â€Å"he’ll crack a crib in Scotland one week, and be raising money to build an orphanage in Cornwall the next. † In the man with the twisted lip Mrs. Neville StClair, the victim, had approached Holmes because she needed help finding her husband. Boone, the beggar, was able to earn â€Å"700 pounds a year† where as Mr. Neville StClair, a journalist, earned â€Å"two pounds a week. † Mr. Neville StClair was the victim of his own deeds as he was not able to meet the expectation of society within the Victorian era. In the 21st century many people are not able to find time to read long novels. Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories are short and simple to read, anyone can find time for them. You can pick up a story and read it on your way to work or school. The stories start in a similar way; we are first introduced to the innocent victims who are always reassured by Sherlock Holmes with his sympatric and caring nature and in most cases in the company of Dr. Watson. There is always a mention of the residence of Sherlock Holmes. This is to create a make believe situation in the readers mind. The setting is always dark and gloomy when the client comes to seek for advice; this gives a cosy and calm atmosphere. Conan Doyle was taught how to make deductions about patients by observing them closely; this skill was transferred to his stories and injected into his main character Sherlock Holmes. Holmes carries out his investigation using simple means. His use of knowledge allows him to give an insight in the red headed league. Vincent Spaulding had worked for half wage; he was always â€Å"diving down into the cellar like a rabbit† and he was the one who showed Mr. Jabez Wilson the advert. When Sherlock Holmes went to ask for directions, under pretence just to come in contact with the so called assistant Vincent Spaulding, he was reassuring himself that what he was thinking was actually possible. Holmes was able to conclude on the note that Vincent Spaulding and John Clay was the same person. Sherlock Holmes has a special essence which draws the reader towards him. Sherlock Holmes is known as one of the world’s greatest detectives. His mission was always to help gain justice for his clients. He is an individual who is never after money but more interested in solving the crime â€Å"my profession is its own reward†. He was a guardian angel to all and everyone had total trust in his skill. There are two sides of Holmes, one which is the never quitting crime solver and other which just likes to relax. He also has many weaknesses â€Å"cocaine injections and all the little weaknesses†. In these three stories Conan Doyle has used Watson to narrate the story. We are able to learn what is in the Dr. Watsons mind towards Holmes. John Watson is a very close friend and assistant of Holmes. He has full trust in friend’s skills and has the same thirst for mysteries as Holmes; â€Å"Your cases have indeed been of the greatest interest to me† The mystery in most cases concludes on the note that Sherlock Holmes has solved the case. In the speckled band Helen stoner was able to live without fear of her stepfather. This pattern of a constant happy ending allows the reader to look forward to the end and they know that they can always rely on Holmes. In the 21st century Conan Doyle still rubs shoulder with many other famous detective stories such as â€Å"murder she wrote† and â€Å"C. S. I†. None of them however can beat Sherlock Holmes!!! Conan Doyle has out done himself. The Sherlock Holmes stories are suitable for all age groups. Worldwide he is an accomplished writer as the stories have been translated into over 60 different languages. Even today the famous residence 221b baker street is still known as the fictional home of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Now it is the site of the Sherlock Holmes museum. Such tributes have helped keep the stories alive to date. Neelam Hirani Page 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

Dual and Multiple Relationships and Boundaries

Case study 14 is an illustration of a clinical situation that has a potential harm in terms of loss of objectivity and conflict of interest. Teresa being a professional counselor is entangled in a multiple relationship with her client. The ethical concern is on maintaining the boundaries. The potentiality of Teresa crossing them is high and precautions have to be taken. According to Herlihy and Corey,( 2006), boundaries get crossed if there is divergence from acceptable practices thus putting the client at a risk of harm. Another ethical concern is on whether Teresa will adhere to the code of ethics as expected of a professional counselor without compromising to some temptations.   Another concern is on how effective Teresa will be as a counselor in the way she handles Chris’ problem because the potentiality of her being influenced by the fact that Chris’ mother is her best friend, is high. Barbara Herlihy and Gerald Corey, (as cited from Knapp and Verdecreak, 2003) state that a sexual dual relationship is an absolutely harmful situation that should be avoided by all means because the repercussions severely affect individuals negatively. However the situation in the case of Theresa and Evelyn’s son, Chris has a low potentiality of harm especially if Teresa takes some important pre-cautions. Compared to sexual-dual relationship, counselors are also harmed or get stressed because circumstances force them to play different roles simultaneously and juggling between them can be very difficult. Gerald, Marianne and Patrick ( as cited from Lazarus and Zur, 2002) state that some multiple relationships are not harmful and are unavoidable. This can be explained by the fact that none of the codes of ethics deem non-sexual relationships unethical. This situation has a possibility of having a negative impact for instance impairment of judgment by the counselor because of the aspect of friendship between Theresa and her clients mother, alongside this is the possibility of Chris not being open enough to talk about everything that bugs him for fear of disclosure to the mother by his counselor. He may want to hide some information to protect him from the Teresa who is the mother’s friend. Efficacy in this case is questionable in the end, resulting in the client not getting the help he needs. My recommendation for Teresa would be to find another independent colleague to do the counseling. One who does not have   affiliations of any kind to both Chris and the mother. I would advice her to strongly advise Evelyn that the potential harm or risk is more intense than the hustle that comes with the 3km that she would have to do when   driving Chris to another counselor. This case can be ethically resolved by the following steps; a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Teresa has to weigh the potential harm that exists if she takes on the counseling. b)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Upon commencement of the counseling session, Teresa should call upon her supervisor or colleague at work to supervise how she handles the counseling. c)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another consideration is that Teresa should explain about the risks to both Chris and his mother so as not to lose her friendship to Evelyn and to make it clear why she cannot counsel Chris. She should ask herself whether According to (Gottlieb and Younggren) as mentioned by Gerald, Marianne and Patrick, Teresa should establish the necessity of entering into a professional relationship since the friendship relationship still exists. Secondly, she should find out any potentiality of harm to the client in the event that she enters into a multiple relationship i.e. both the friendly one and the professional one. Teresa should determine whether the dual relationship is going to add value to the situation and if it will influence the manner in which she will analyze the problem. Thirdly she is obliged to let the parties at stake know the risks that come with multiple relationships and let the client to have a participatory role in the decisions made. Having done all these and there being no risk of harm Teresa should put every thing in writing showing consent by the client where the latter even appends his signature. Finally the counselor should consult with her colleagues who support the decision. In circumstances where a non professional relationship is unavailable the counselor should make sure that he does not cross boundaries or rather he just holds on to practices that are beneficial to the client. He should let the clients know about the pros and cons of dual or multiple relationships and should be prepared to face arising conflicts and discuss about the same with clients. The counselor should be alert incase he finds out that he might give an impaired professional judgment or foresees   harm, in which case he should reach out to other professionals for advice on how to handle any problematic situation. Dual relationships need to be documented. The last option would be to recommend counseling services from another professional. Herlihy and Gerald, citing St. Germaine (1993), suggest the above procedures to protect the client from the harm. As I disseminate my duties I will always make sure that I avoid dealing with clients with whom I have existing relations like friends, relatives and business associates. In line with this I would strictly maintain boundaries by refusing to receive gifts from clients, or exchanging goods and services for the services I render (Gabbord, 1994, 1995, 1996; Gutheil and Gabbard; 1993). Finally, I would always refer to the code of ethics and see to it that I don’t breach any of them. I would always keep it professional through documentation and filing of proceedings for further reference. References: Barbara, H., & Gerald, C. (Eds.). ACA – Ethical Standards Casebook: (6th Edition). Gerald, C., Marianne, S, C. & Patrick, C. (Eds.). ISSUES AND ETHICS IN HELPING PROFESSIONS: (7th Edition.)