Cost management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Cost management - Essay Example ent even the best marketing brains from boosting sales, the only option available to even the most adventurous management is to reduce costs to maintain the existing profit level. At a cursory glance it seems to be the only and might be the most prudent approach that any management might conceive. But ill conceived cost reduction triggered as a panic reaction to the gloomy market scenario might cause more harm to the company than any good as expenditures that are absolutely imperative for the company’s health might be sacrificed in this new avalanche of trimming down of expenses. The role of the management accountant as a custodian of entire database of the company has thus assumed a critical importance as the management accountant occupies a vantage position from where a critical and dispassionate evaluation of exiting cost structure and a prudent management of costs, as contrasted to cost reduction, can be implemented. There has thus been a phenomenal, and largely unnoticed, shift in the role of management accountant in managing a business. But this change can be properly appreciated only if one examines the basic nature of accounting and the inherent differences that exist between financial, management and cost accounting. This knowledge will equip an avid observer the wherewithal to adequately appreciate the subtle difference between cost and management accounting and cost management. The basic objective of accounting is interpretation of financial data to provide a sound basis for action by management, investors and other stockholders in the entire commercial venture. (Paton 1949) Thus, from a means-end perspective the end is an expected cache of sound and economically relevant information and the means adopted can best be referred to as descriptions. From a more practical aspect it can therefore be said that accounting provides information for two distinct but inextricably interlinked purposes; the first one quite obviously consists of reporting to

Drug Abuse Essay Example for Free

Drug Abuse Essay 1.0 Topic and Chosen aspect Drug abuse among teenagers is the chosen aspect for this report. Drug abuse is defined as the excessive use of drugs without medicine justification. It is reported that 50% of teenagers have abused a drug of some kind (Teendrugrehabs n.d.). 1.1 Critical evaluation of findings One of the main factors of drug abuse among teenagers is due to peer pressure. Based on statistics 80% of teenagers are affected by peer pressure (Wallace 2011). Wanting to be accepted by their peers, they are willing to do anything. Their desire to be socially accepted will cause them to be influence by their peers. Thus, this will lead them to the abuse of drugs to make things more exciting and not left out. Besides that, it is very hard to say â€Å"NO!† to their peers. Furthermore, another reason for teenagers to be easily involved in drug abuse is due to the easy access to drugs. 54% of the students of private high schools reported that drugs are accessible in their schools while 61% of the public high school students state that their schools are â€Å"drug-infested† (Pahuriray 2012). As drugs can be easily obtained everywhere. 2.0 Processes Various steps were undertaken to attain the sources needed for the report. However, a lot of the sources from the internet is too vague and the statistics are already outdated.

Caring for Child and Family with terminal Illness

Caring for Child and Family with terminal Illness The aim of this assignment is to critically explore the concept of paediatric palliative care and the relevance of a childrens hospice in Ireland. A critical analysis of literature surrounding this topic will be undertaken in order to gain an in-depth understanding. Key elements relating to paediatric palliative care will be highlighted. Finally, the author will conclude on appropriateness of a hospice for sick children. An initial need for palliative care for children was acknowledged in the 1980s; having identified the need for this service, a nun opened and successfully ran a hospice for sick children (Rowse 2008). Interestingly, thirty years on, there is much debate surrounding the advantages and disadvantages of a national childrens hospice in Ireland. However, contrary to beliefs and the success of many hospices, it is recognised by the Department of Health and Children (DOHC) (2001); Rowse (2008); Watson et al (2009); Bishop et al (2008); that children with a life-limiting illness are best cared for at home. In addition, Watson et al (2009) outlined that when the premature death of a child was evident, the option of home, hospice or hospital as a place of death was presented to a child and their family, the majority of children and their families chose home. Caring for a child with a life-limiting illness can be a stressful and exhausting experience; it can put enormous pressures on the family unit (Wolff 2008). From personal experience, a familys dynamics can be seen to change over a period of time when a child is born or diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. Individual family members appear to take up a specific role when faced with a diagnosis of a life-limiting illness. A life limited-illness can be viewed as a condition that has no cure at present and will inevitably lead to the premature death a child (International Childrens Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) 2008; DOHC 2005). However, in many cases of paediatric palliative care it is very difficult to place a time frame on the length of the illness and its trajectory. Watson et al (2009) illustrated that these factors depend greatly on the individual childs diagnosis and the rarity of the illnesses being experienced. The DOHC (2010) identified conditions and diseases that children most commonly suffer with and divided them into 4 individual groups according to their types. However, experience and further reading has demonstrate that, in reality these illnesses dont always stand alone and can be combined with another illness or condition; as a result they may not always fit into a specific group type. Therefore, needs change and vary depending on the individual. While et al (1996) identified that an alarming 60% of children suffering with a life-limiting illness were dying from non cancer related conditions. It would appear difficult to clearly ascertain how long individual paediatric palliative care provisions would needed for, as many of the paediatric cases are unique in there diagnoses and have vast amounts of unknown variables. Similarly, these problems can be mirrored within the adult population of individuals with an intellectual disability, many individuals within this group are living with complex mental/physical illnesses throughout their lives, a further diagnosis of a life-limiting illness and its illness trajectory is surrounded by even more uncertainty (Gary and Stein 2008). Unfortunately, individuals with an intellectual disability are viewed as being one of the most disadvantage groups in society (Ryan McQuillan 2005). It would appear that a comparison could be drawn to a childs position regarding their needs, Watson et al (2009) highlighted that when a child is at an advanced stage within the illness trajectory many problems can occur, however, children unlike adults tend to live many years longer; many parents find this extremely difficult. From the authors experience many individuals with a primary diagnosis of severe intellectual disabilities and a life-limiting illness, appear to live longe r than that envisaged by the doctor. Although it has been acknowledged by the DOHC (2005), that within the trajectory of a child illness, children can cross over in their requirements for care needs throughout their illness due to the individuality of cases. The same has not been recognised within individuals with an intellectual disability. It can be argued that there are similarities between the philosophies of adult and paediatric palliative care. Gaining recognition of these differences has proven difficult to achieve (Richie 2008). In addition to this, Malcom et al (2008) acknowledged that children and adult palliative care principles were comparable, although, the uniqueness and specialist field of paediatric palliative care continues to emerge on its merits. McCulloch et al (2008) identified that paediatric palliative care principles are largely based on adaptation of the adult principles. However, Watson et al (2009) recognised some variations of these were developmental factors, approaches to consultation, physiology/pharmacokinetics, family structure and function, school and finally illness trajectory. Unfortunately, Dangel (2002) acknowledged that in the past some groups of children within Europe, where paediatric palliative care was not recognised or offered as part of multidisciplinary team involvement, a pr edisposing factor for the more recent tapered number of children receiving the provisions and benefits of a palliative care input. Furthermore, The European Association of Palliative Care (2009) advocated that a child should not be compared to that of a small adult, it was reiterated that their individual needs differed to that of an adult, although adult palliative care knowledge and experience can be a valuable and enriched source of expertise. The World Health Organisation (WHO) (2002a) illustrated that adult palliative care aims to improve quality of life for patients and their families with problems associated with life-threatening illness, this can be achieved through the prevention, relief, early identification, holistic assessment and treatment of pain, encompassing all factors associated with physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs. Moreover, the paediatric definition applied by the WHO (1998a) bears a very close resemblance to that of the adult definition, however, central to the paediatric definition is active total care of the childs body, mind and spirit, giving support to the family from the start of diagnose and will continue regardless of whether or not a child receives treatment directed at the disease, this should be a broad multidisciplinary approach availing of community resources provided tertiary care including that of the home. Furthermore, a Report of the National Advisory Committee on Palliative Ca re (2001) stated that, if a child requires a palliative care service due to their life-limiting illness, their individual needs must be addresses and differ from that of adults. As a direct result of the recommendations published within this report, the DOHC (2005) devised a document on the assessment needs of a child needing palliative care. Murphy (2009) cited by Hawley (2010) outlined that the collaboration and interagency workings of professionals and families is key to unlocking the puzzle and viewing the holistic needs of a child and family. Interestingly, Hawley (2010); Gary and Stein (2008); McKechnie (2006) reported that as professionals we only see the needs of individuals based on the experiences and components that our own disciplines allow us to see. The needs of a child are identified by the DoHC (2010), where they foresee the future provision of paediatric palliative care in Ireland. Within this insight there is much change and some encouraging prospects for the field of paediatric palliative care. The main areas within both medical and nursing care that are being addressed are specialist paediatric positions, education and training, co-operation and collaboration between paediatric and palliative care services (DOHC 2005). Furthermore, in light of the primary care strategy DOHC (2001) the focus of health c are is being developed within the community setting, lead by General Practitioners, Public Health Nurses (PHNs) and other members of the multidisciplinary team. The question on many people minds is, is there adequate funding, recourses and trained staff in place to deal with the number of complex palliative care cases? It would appear that the Department of Health and Children and the Irish Hospice Foundation have worked collaboratively in response to the needs of those within the community and paediatric palliative care, concurring with recent advances in publication of paediatric palliative care. However, it would appear that the greatest financial input has come from the voluntary sector. The Irish Hospice Foundation (2010) has vowed to provide somewhere in the region of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2.25 million over the next three to five years to fund the cost of providing eight outreach nurses with specific training to work and care for children with life-limiting illnesses. Furthermore, the Jack and Jill Foundation a registered charity, also provide à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3m annually to families whose children suffer with a form of brain damage, providing them with financial and emotion support in their homes. Hynson et al (2003) identified that as home care is central to paediatric palliative care it would appea r the most appropriate place to begin supporting in the task of improving the quality of life, reducing fears and allowing families to continue with as much normality as possible within their lives. However, in the case where home care is not appropriate or possible due to the complexity of illnesses, lack of trained nurses or that of geographical problems, a hospice may be more appropriate from that of an acute hospital setting. It was been well documented that children with a life-limiting illness and their families needing palliative care support, require a holistic approach to their individual case (Wolfe et al 2000). This can be an extremely challenging experience for the health care professional. To provide adequate care it is important to assess the needs of health care professional as well as the service users needs. Papafadatou (1997) identified that as health care professionals deal with a death of a child, they too can become disheartened by their failed attempts to save a childs life, this can happen on different three levels, firstly, the feeling of not being able to save the childs life, secondly, as a practitioner they could not protect the child from harm and thirdly the feeling of betrayal to the parents who trusted them with their child. The importance of supervision is reiterated by Butterworth and Faugier (1992), where it allows professionals to care for their emotional, social, physical a nd physiological needs. It would appear easier to be achieved within a hospice due to the central locality of staff. Having identified concerns related to paediatric palliative care, is it not more commendable to have a paediatric hospice that encompasses all needs supported by highly skilled staff, adapted and equipment within this specific area of medicine. An advantage of a hospice could be that of continuity of care and expertise management of rare and complex conditions. However, a disadvantage could be taking a child out of its familiar environment, causing fear and anxiety. The DOHC (2005) illustrate that only in exceptional and rare circumstances is taking a child out of its home is in the best interest of the child and their family. It only seems natural that grief associated with life-limiting illnesses will have long lasting effects on a childs siblings and a family as a unit. Wells (2001) outlined that coping with the death of a sibling was an impossible task; a surviving childs self esteem was directly related to the length and trajectory of the illness experience. Many problems can oc cur and personality changes in a surviving child can be seen following the death of a child with a life-limiting illness. However, Groot et al (2005) outlined, that these problems were less apparent when a child was cared for throughout the illness within the home environment. Again, this leads one to believe that the most appropriate place for a child to be cared for is that of the home with extensive provision of palliative care in place. However, Stelle et al (2008) identified little is known about a childs or families rational for attending a hospice. Benini et al (2008) outlines that in the Veneto region of Italy there is a paediatric palliative care network team supported by a regional paediatric hospice, there is a multi-disciplinary team approach with specialist supervision, training and care integrated within acute hospital services. It would appear that when a child is diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, there is a cascade of expert professionals contacted from the hospice, the child and their family then meet with the skilled professionals affiliated to the case to discuss options and resources available to them; as a result they coordinate care accordingly. The ultimate aim is to try getting the child home, pending influencing factors such as locality, staffing and cost, once a home a continuous reassessment of needs is carried out by the family paediatrician who coordinates care and liaises closely with the members of the multi disciplinary team involved. From this model it would appear that the hospice has multi functions. It appears to provide professional expertise, training, skills, knowledge and is a base for experts within the profession. The above concerns are similar to that within Ireland; the optimum locality for a hospice that is accessible to all within Ireland is of great concern. Furthermore, the American Academy of Paediatricians (AAP) (2000) cited by Jennings (2005) illustrated that hospice care is different to that of palliative care, as hospice care offers a package of care incorporating multi-disciplinary team workings. However, within the DOHC (2010) it is envisaged that there will be integration and co-ordination of services in a bid to provide an effective and efficient seamless palliative care service for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families within the home. In order for this to be implemented and carried out there will be an amalgamation of services from all organisations within the healthcare system. The DOHC (2005) reiterates the importance of a key worker to act as a link connecting services. The implementation of a childrens outreach nurse will undertake this role in an attempt to co-ordinate services and facilitate the needs of health and social care professionals, (Department of Health and Children 2010). From the literature, it would appear that nurses have a greater knowledge and experience in dealing with adult palliative care cases (While et al 1996). This is primary due to the limited number of paediatric palliative care cases in Ireland. In 2002 it was believed that there was a population of 1,013,301 children in Ireland (The Government of Ireland 2007). Moreover, the Irish Hospice Foundation (2008) estimated that there are 1,369 children living in Ireland with a life-limiting illness. As there are limited cases of paediatric life-limiting illnesses many cases appeared to be spread over a wide geographical area and this is bound to pose problems for organisations, influencing the levels of available expertise, training and costs European Association of Palliative Care (EAPC) Taskforce (2007). However, under the directions of the DOHC (2010) policy it has recognised that if effective palliative care is required, it can be successfully delivered even if resources are limited. Bear ing this is mind, the DOHC (2001), illustrated that there were three levels of palliative care, a minimum of level 1 should be practiced by all staff indifferent of their area of expertise. The role of outreach nurses incorporates the training needs of staff at a local level (DoHC 2010). Furthermore, within the DoHC (2010) document it states there is a requirement for a consultant paediatrician with an interest in palliative care. However, some criticism with lack of limited research within this field and the majority of guidelines are based on opinions and a need for evidence based medicine Straatman et al (2008). The All Ireland Institute for Hospices and Palliative care (2007) identified that educational programmes were being made available for staff caring for children with a life-limiting illness. This was done in order to raise standards and provide up-to-date evidenced based care for children with a life-limiting illness. However, these programmes are located in Northern Ireland; recent economic difficulties do not promote attendance of staff to courses due to the financial burden and reduced staffing levels within organisations. However, within the current policy the DOHC (2010) have acknowledged that staff should ideally have knowledge, skills and confidence in both childrens and palliative care practices when providing paediatric palliative care. Many of the nurses who are experience within this field appear to work within the acute setting. While et al (1996) identifies that families have expressed a wish that when the time comes their child could die at home, however, there was some unease that without adequate nursing support this would not be possible. The Health Service Executive plan to implement a hospice home care programme, combined with a group of skilled and knowledgeable nurses providing advice and support to parents and other professionals alike who are caring for children at home (DoHC 2010). Benini et al (2008) advocates that a paediatric hospice is an important link within the paediatric palliative care chain, it can aid the transition from hospital to home, with the aim to achieve some normalisation within the childs life and prepare them for the home environment. The Cancer Strategy (2007) sets out principles outlining the ways in which palliative care service for the adult population should be developed and met. This is reiterated globally within the World Health Organisation (2007) document. Moreover, The Department of Aging and Disability Home Care (2004) produced a report more specific to the needs of an individual with intellectual disabilities identifying how policies and procedures can be implemented to achieve standardised practice. On a paediatric level, the publication of a national policy is a starting point for things to come. The DoHC (2010) aims to provide training in paediatric palliative care, thus improving standards for those afflict with a life limi ting illness. Literature informs the author that both the hospice and the home have equal credibility when implementing palliative care principles. However, firsthand experience speaks for itself, Time is precious and whatever time a child has left should be used to ensure they are as happy as possible in a home environment ODwyer-Quinn (2010), this is a profound and very heartfelt message sent out by a mother who suffered the loss of her little girl, 5 years later, she remains heavily involved and at the forefront of paediatric palliative care, contributing and present at the unveiling of the national policy on paediatric palliative care in March this year.

In Defense of Capital Punishment :: Pro Capital Punishment Essays

In Defense of Capital Punishment There are some words that often return when we defend the death penalty: justice and human dignity. These words also constitute a foundation for that which is called democracy and civilization. These two realities can also be regarded as two bearing pillars in the defense of capital punishment. Justice is a highly regarded word in society and in politics, but within the judicial system and that which concerns crime and punishment, justice has, both as a word and as a conception, ended up existing in the shadows. People want to lift forth this truth in the light, since justice should be the foundation within the legal system. When the death penalty is discussed the aspect of justice should be allowed in the foreground first and foremost. Man has an inviolable dignity and, therefore, deserves the highest respect. Human dignity and respect, not foremost for the one who hurts his fellowman but for the victims of crimes and his relatives, is something that should be brought forth considerably more than today, and especially in connection with the death penalty. But the prerequisite for that is that sympathy and solidarity with the victim should increase in society. In order to rightly value the death penalty it is necessary to have empathy and understanding for all the victims and their relatives. The capital punishment makes up one link on the way to a safer society. The capital punishment means that some heinous criminals never again will walk on the streets, and that makes the society a somewhat safer place. Murderers and violent criminals will always exist in society and the death penalty will only lower the number of criminals marginally. It is inevitable, however, that every violent criminal less that exists in a society will mean a safer society. A prison term on the other hand would mean that there would always be a pressing dark cloud of worries over a society. Also, in prisons the interns and personnel would feel safer with the death penalty. It is not unusual with conflicts, violence and murder in prison. Some interns who have been sentenced to long prison terms or lifetime would probably deter from cruel acts of violence and murder if they knew that it could lead to the death penalty. Today, on the other hand, he who has been sentenced to lifetime in prison cannot be sentenced too much more and, therefore, he would probably neither be deterred from committing further crimes. In Defense of Capital Punishment :: Pro Capital Punishment Essays In Defense of Capital Punishment There are some words that often return when we defend the death penalty: justice and human dignity. These words also constitute a foundation for that which is called democracy and civilization. These two realities can also be regarded as two bearing pillars in the defense of capital punishment. Justice is a highly regarded word in society and in politics, but within the judicial system and that which concerns crime and punishment, justice has, both as a word and as a conception, ended up existing in the shadows. People want to lift forth this truth in the light, since justice should be the foundation within the legal system. When the death penalty is discussed the aspect of justice should be allowed in the foreground first and foremost. Man has an inviolable dignity and, therefore, deserves the highest respect. Human dignity and respect, not foremost for the one who hurts his fellowman but for the victims of crimes and his relatives, is something that should be brought forth considerably more than today, and especially in connection with the death penalty. But the prerequisite for that is that sympathy and solidarity with the victim should increase in society. In order to rightly value the death penalty it is necessary to have empathy and understanding for all the victims and their relatives. The capital punishment makes up one link on the way to a safer society. The capital punishment means that some heinous criminals never again will walk on the streets, and that makes the society a somewhat safer place. Murderers and violent criminals will always exist in society and the death penalty will only lower the number of criminals marginally. It is inevitable, however, that every violent criminal less that exists in a society will mean a safer society. A prison term on the other hand would mean that there would always be a pressing dark cloud of worries over a society. Also, in prisons the interns and personnel would feel safer with the death penalty. It is not unusual with conflicts, violence and murder in prison. Some interns who have been sentenced to long prison terms or lifetime would probably deter from cruel acts of violence and murder if they knew that it could lead to the death penalty. Today, on the other hand, he who has been sentenced to lifetime in prison cannot be sentenced too much more and, therefore, he would probably neither be deterred from committing further crimes.

Indian Education by Sherman Alexie Reading Response

Indian Education Reading Responses 1. The overarching tone of this piece is shamefully miserable. Sherman Alexie conveys this by using negative diction, for example; Alexie begins his first grade excerpt by saying, â€Å"My hair was short and the U. S. Government glasses were horn-rimmed, ugly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The author uses the word ‘ugly’ to indicate young Alexie lacks in self confidence and is ashamed of his appearance. Alexie continues on saying, â€Å"†¦ in school the other Indian boys chased me from one corner of the playground to the other.They pushed me down, buried me in the snow until I couldn’t breathe, thought I’d never breathe again. † He was miserable since the day he started school, that’s sad. The phrase â€Å"couldn’t breathe, thought I’d never breathe† makes me feel hopeless and vulnerable all at once. As the school years goes by, nothing seems to change except Alexie no longer gets physically hurt. H e still feels ashamed and dejected from his own tribe. He will always be a misfit. 2. Three examples of satire: * Fifth Grade: satirizes young Indians access to drugs as an escape route from their misery.Uses imagery to show the beauty of drugs. There is also sarcasm at the very end, â€Å"Oh, do you remember those sweet, almost innocent choices that the Indian boys were forced to make? † Horatian satire. * Sixth Grade: Satirizes the young Indians who lack in self confidence. He uses Caustic wit when he said, â€Å"Always throw the first punch. † An Epiphany to defend oneself. I believe it is horatian satire. * Eight Grade: Satire that the anorexic and bulimic girls are no better than himself. Hyperbole is used to show both â€Å"grew skinny from self pity. † Juvenilia satire.

Whose or Whos 3 Tips for Remembering the Difference

Whose or Who's 3 Tips for Remembering the Difference SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Who’s and whose both come from the pronoun who. While both words sound the same, they have very different meanings. These homophones can be tricky for even the most seasoned writers. In this article, we’ll discuss whose vs who’s, explain when to use whose or who’s, and give you tricks for remembering proper usage. Whose vs Who’s: What’s the Difference? To start, let’s define whose and who’s. Whose is a possessive pronoun that you should use when you’re asking or telling whom something belongs to. Who’s is a contraction made up of the words â€Å"who† and â€Å"is† or â€Å"who† and â€Å"has†. The Roots of Whose vs Who’s: Who and Whom The key to using â€Å"whose† vs â€Å"who’s† correctly is to understand the word at the root of each. When you learn the pronoun that forms the basis for â€Å"whose† and â€Å"who’s,† you’ll also develop a better understanding of how each word functions in a sentence. â€Å"Who† is one pronoun at the root of the difference between â€Å"whose† and â€Å"who’s.† â€Å"Who† is used as the subject of a sentence or clause. You’ll use â€Å"who† when asking a question about which person did something or when you’re describing a person. For example: Who put the pizza here? Who owns that dog? Hayley, who owns a cat, often has cat hair all over her clothes. â€Å"Whom† is the other word at the center of the â€Å"whose or who’s† conundrum. "Whom" is an object pronoun. An object pronoun is a word like â€Å"him,† â€Å"her,† or â€Å"them†. An object pronoun is a type of pronoun that’s used as a grammatical object, such as object of a verb or the object of a preposition. For example: Whom does she love? To whom was the teacher talking? With whom was she walking? In these examples, â€Å"whom† is the object, not the subject. Whose or Who’s? Now we know that whose and who’s come from whom and who. But when do you use each version? Who’s "Who’s" is a contraction made up of either â€Å"who+is† or â€Å"who+has†. The apostrophe in â€Å"who’s† stands in for the missing letters of â€Å"who+is† or â€Å"who+has.† You use â€Å"who’s† when you would otherwise be saying â€Å"who is† or â€Å"who has†. For instance, â€Å"Who is going to the party?† can become â€Å"Who’s going to the party?† Here are other examples of when you’d use â€Å"who’s†: Who’s coming to dinner tonight? Who’s got a better idea? Who’s excited for the new Avengers movie? Whose While â€Å"who’s† comes from â€Å"who†, â€Å"whose† is related to â€Å"whom.† Whose is a possessive pronoun that you used in questions where you’re asking about who owns something. For instance, â€Å"Whose puppy is this?† is another way of saying, â€Å"To whom does this puppy belong?† Here are some examples of when you’d use â€Å"whose†: Whose car alarm is going off? Whose house are we going to? Whose shoes are these? Tricks For Remembering Whose vs Who’s It might seem simple to remember the difference between whose or who’s when reading this article, but how will you remember when you’re off on your own? These tricks can help. #1: Say â€Å"Who Is† or â€Å"Who Has† One way to figure out whether you should use â€Å"who’s† or â€Å"whose† is to say â€Å"who is† out loud to yourself as you read or write. If that makes sense in the sentence, you should use who’s. If it doesn’t, you should use whose. #2: Look at What Follows Remember, whose is possessive. That means that whose is normally followed by a noun. If the sentence has a noun immediately after the whose or who’s, you should use whose. If there’s no noun or an article, use who’s. #3: Am I Using a Contraction? â€Å"Who’s† is a contraction while â€Å"whose† is not. All contractions use apostrophes to replace the missing letters formed by joining together words. If the word you’re writing is a contraction, it’s â€Å"who’s.† If the word isn’t a contraction, it’s â€Å"whose.† Whose or Who’s Examples Let’s take a look at some examples of when to use whose or who’s. Correct Usage of â€Å"Whose† in a Sentence Do you know whose car that is? Whose backpack is this? Whose line is it anyway? Correct Usage of â€Å"Who’s† in a Sentence Who’s excited for the holiday season? Do you know who’s going to the game? Who’s got the takeout menu? Key Takeaways: Whose vs. Who's Who’s is a contraction of â€Å"who + is† or â€Å"who + has†. Whose is another way of saying â€Å"belonging to whom†. What's Next? Reading The Great Gatsby for class or even just for fun?Then you'll definitely want to check out our expert guides on the biggest themes in this classic book, from love and relationships to money and materialism. Got questions about Arthur Miller'sThe Crucible? Readour in-depth articles to learn about the most important themes in this playand geta complete rundown of all the characters. For more information on your favorite works of literature, take a look at our collection of high-quality book guides!

Ernest Hemmingway Essays - Ernest Hemingway, In Our Time

Ernest Hemmingway Essays - Ernest Hemingway, In Our Time Ernest Hemmingway Ernest Miller Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois. His father was the owner of a prosperous real estate business. His father, Dr. Hemingway, imparted to Ernest the importance of appearances, especially in public. Dr. Hemingway invented surgical forceps for which he would not accept money. He believed that one should not profit from something important for the good of mankind. Ernest's father, a man of high ideals, was very strict and censored the books he allowed his children to read. He forbad Ernest's sister from studying ballet for it was coeducational, and dancing together led to "hell and damnation". Grace Hall Hemingway, Ernest's mother, considered herself pure and proper. She was a dreamer who was upset at anything which disturbed her perception of the world as beautiful. She hated dirty diapers, upset stomachs, and cleaning house; they were not fit for a lady. She taught her children to always act with decorum. She adored the singing of the birds and th e smell of flowers. Her children were expected to behave properly and to please her, always. Mrs. Hemingway treated Ernest, when he was a small boy, as if he were a female baby doll and she dressed him accordingly. This arrangement was alright until Ernest got to the age when he wanted to be a "gun-toting Pawnee Bill". He began, at that time, to pull away from his mother, and never forgave her for his humiliation. The town of Oak Park, where Ernest grew up, was very old fashioned and quite religious. The townspeople forbad the word "virgin" from appearing in school books, and the word "breast" was questioned, though it appeared in the Bible. Ernest loved to fish, canoe and explore the woods. When he couldn't get outside, he escaped to his room and read books. He loved to tell stories to his classmates, often insisting that a friend listen to one of his stories. In spite of his mother's desire, he played on the football team at Oak Park High School. As a student, Ernest was a perfectionist about his grammar and studied English with a fervor. He contributed articles to the weekly school newspaper. It seems that the principal did not approve of Ernest's writings and he complained, often, about the content of Ernest's articles. Ernest was clear about his writing; he wanted people to "see and feel" and he wanted to enjoy himself while writing. Ernest loved having fun. If nothing was happening, mischievous Ernest made something happen. He would sometimes use forbidden words just to create a ruckus. Ernest, though wild and crazy, was a warm, caring individual. He loved the sea, mountains and the stars and hated anyone who he saw as a fake. During World War I, Ernest, rejected from service because of a bad left eye, was an ambulance driver, in Italy, for the Red Cross. Very much like the hero of A Farewell to Arms, Ernest is shot in his knee and recuperates in a hospital, tended by a caring nurse named Agnes. Like Frederick Henry, in the book, he fell in love with the nurse and was given a medal for his heroism. Ernest returned home after the war, rejected by the nurse with whom he fell in love. He would party late into the night and invite, to his house, people his parents disapproved of. Ernest's mother rejected him and he felt that he had to move from home. He moved in with a friend living in Chicago and he wrote articles for The Toronto Star. In Chicago he met and then married Hadley Richardson. She believed that he should spend all his time in writing, and bought him a typewriter for his birthday. They decided that the best place for a writer to live was Paris, where he could devote himself to his writing. He said, at the time, that the most difficult thing to write about was being a man. They could not live on income from his stories and so Ernest, again, wrote for The Toronto Star. Ernest took Hadley to Italy to show her where he had been during the war. He was devastated, everything had changed, everything was destroyed.

DISCRIMINATED CRIMINALS essays

DISCRIMINATED CRIMINALS essays The Criminal Justice system has always had discrimination in it. Discrimination can come from the police, courts, or even from lawyers. For example, in the Gideon vs. Wainwright case the court ruled that the state must provide a public defender but it did not rule that the public defender must be good or competent. (Too Poor N.Pag.). In most cases where a public defender is provided the defendant loses the case because the lawyer is new or incompetent. Thus the criminal justice system needs reform. The Criminal Justice System discriminates against the economically challenged and minorities because of police discrimination, unbalanced sentencing and incompetent public defenders. Police discrimination is a major factor in the criminal justice system. Police can discriminate towards different people and in different places at anytime the officers want. White police discriminate in jails and on the streets, which can be called racial profiling. In jail a white officer could give a black man a harder time then he would a white man. On the streets a white officer will stop a black man for no reason, ask where the black man is going, and often the officer will search the black mans car of belongings (Cole 7.). White police will go through poor neighborhoods to stop and search anyone the white police want (Cole 7.). A black man has a chance of getting picked up by the police for a DWB, which is Driving While Black which is impossible for most white people to even comprehend (Cole 7.). Another form of discrimination is from the black police. Sometimes the black police can discriminate just like the white police. Black police will discriminate against all ethnic groups like whites, blacks and other minorities. The black police discriminate against other blacks because the police believe that the black criminals are keeping the rest of the black community down. Black police also discriminate against the o...

Tomorrowland Brazil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tomorrowland Brazil - Essay Example That’s why we care for people & our planet†. The event is to take place in the City of Sao Paulo on 1st, 2nd and 3rd of May 2015. Pre-event party: A party is usually held on the night before day of the festival so as to give those to attend the event a clue of what to expect from the festival. It is known as The Gathering. The event attracts huge number of people who may not be taking part in the tomorrowland event itself. Tomorrowland Brazil offers rentable mansions: The mansions can be rented for a period of five days and is valid for a maximum of twelve people. The rentable mansions available in tomorrowland Brazil are made up of spacious living room, a kitchen with filled fridge, a bedroom, a terrace and a private bathroom, is supported by its own garden, private parking and a 24/7 service staff. It has an exclusive Jacuzzi which can accommodate many people. Mobile Apps: Those who will be attending the event will be provided with Mobile Apps that is available in both Android and Apple phones. The Apps have a number of features such as news feeds, updates on the various artists and appmiral connect. The minimum age requirement for the event is 18 years and this forms a very strictly policy of the event. This policy is ensured through the presentation of an official government-issued photo identification cards which includes original driving license, passport and ID. The tickets are grouped into four packages namely full madness regular pass, full madness comfort pass, day regular pass, day comfort pass. The rates for the packages are as follows for all the three

Case Study 6.1 United Technologies Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

6.1 United Technologies - Case Study Example Therefore, United Technologies was advantaged to outsource its activities to reputable and successful companies. The government efforts and funds pumped into the sector implied that United Technologies would not use massive funds in establishing their operations in those two countries. Both India and United States of America have an extraordinary manpower. Additionally, the manpower from these two countries is known for their quantity and quality. Americans and Indians are known for their adjustability, tenacity and immense talent. Therefore, United Technologies was going to benefit a great deal from the specialized talent they would get from the two chosen countries (Margaret & Bruton, 2010). They would be giving their services to skilled professionals, who know how to do their job. In this way, there was no way the company was going to register failures and losses. Lastly, United Technologies was wise to choose USA and India because the two countries have developed infrastructures. This would make United Technologies incur minimal start-up costs. Additionally, the already established support systems implied the transition costs of United Technologies would be reduced significantly to an extent that the company would not feel the pinch. 2. The Otis unit of United Technologies illustrates differences that occur in a worldwide firm as it manages alliances. What are some of the other differences illustrated? What other issues should be considered? There are several differences that occur in firms managing alliances. These may include; strategic and nonstrategic activities of firms, among others. In order for a firm to succeed in its alliance, it must have focused strategic goals (Margaret & Bruton, 2010). It is essential for organizations to set realistic goals, as well as have an understanding of what the companion firm should bring to the alliance.

Account principle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Account principle - Essay Example b) It is a tool to control the activities of different subunits within the organisation. c) Budget exercise is used as a tool for forecasting and it can be used to motivate employees towards the set goals. Budgetary activity facilitates the planning process of the firm in a systematised manner keeping in view the organizational goals. Budget not only helps allocate resources and set the direction of the firm but also helps determine priorities to act in a manner that can bring results. Since budget sets targets in numbers, monitoring becomes easy and effective; it helps guide and coordinate activities of different functional units within the organisation. For startup businesses, a budget acts like a roadmap that helps them formulate goals and assess their functioning. For established businesses, a budget helps them see their performance through the years and likely future growth prospects to justify their capital investments. By comparing actual and budgeted figures, management can s ee how well or bad their organisation is sailing through in the marketplace. Budgets help forecast the need of cash flow without which any business is likely to strangle and suffer immensely. Budget brings efficiency in the operation by providing a framework for performance evaluation of different unit heads and the whole organisation. Budget is the best way of controlling expenses and to take remedial measures as and when becomes necessary ((Budgets and Budgeting, 2012). Answer (B) Conventional budgeting works best when conditions are relatively stable and market is continuously growing. In a downturn, the approach has several fallacies. There is no doubt that conventional budgeting system has contributed a lot ever since corporations began working in a more systematized way yet it is a fact that conventional budgeting system has its own strengths and weaknesses. Conventional budgeting exercise looks at the numbers of the previous year and then depending on the targeted growth deci des for expense and revenue figures. Traditional budget is also known as incremental budgeting. Some of the advantages of the conventional budget are: a) It is more stable and brings gradual change. b) It is more simple and easy to work on it. c) Any changes can be observed easily. d) It is easy for managers to run their department on traditional budget formulations. e) The impact of change is visible clearly. Following disadvantages are observed in the conventional budgeting (Stokdyk, 2007). f) There is not enough space for new ideas. g) Cost reduction is not provided with suitable incentives; spending up to budgeted figure gets natural encouragement so that next year’s budget do not get converted to a reduced amount. h) It is likely that priority may have changed after budgets are set; and budgeted figure may have gone out of date due to inflation or extraneous factor that has now no connection to the level of activity and type of work being performed. Budgetary Control thr ough Variance Measurement Variance analysis sets the process for budgetary control. Any change from the budgeted figure is known as variance and variance can be either favorable or adverse. When revenue is higher or expense is less than expected, a favorable variance occurs. An adverse variance is said to have occurred when revenues are lower or expenditures are higher than forecast. Budget needs to be monitored for variance for a suitable time period so that timely remedial action can be taken. A following illustration speaks about favorable and adverse variance with respect to expense and revenue generated in a typical organization. Adverse/Favourable Variance Yearly Budget Pro rata monthly Budget Monthly Actual Variance Labour Charges ?360,000 ?30,000 ?31,500 ?1,500 (adverse) Raw Materials ? 720,000 ? 60,000 ?62,500

Analyze the article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analyze the article - Essay Example A drop in the stock market has increased adverse selection and moral hazards because it has resulted in a weakening of the market value of firms' net worth, so lenders are less eager to lend, as deficits from loans are likely to be acute. This decline in lending has then triggered investment and aggregate yield to decline. Also, the waning corporate net worth has increased moral hazard inducements for companies to make risky investments because they now have less to lose. Again this increase in moral hazard makes lending less attractive. The failure of financial institutions in the mortgage debacle, together with the drop in the stock market has led to uncertainty in financial markets. It is more difficult to determine good from bad credit, which again has resulted to a fall in lending, investment and cumulative activity. The source of the current bank panic therefore, is asymmetric information. The result is that loan funds have been reduced and the price of intermediation has risen, which has caused a drop in investment and a decline in aggregate economic activity (Mishkin).

A Moral Program for Myself as a Person and as a Professional Essay

A Moral Program for Myself as a Person and as a Professional - Essay Example Nevertheless, in order to attain this betterment, I need to come up with a moral program for my personal and professional lives. Whether it is applying the ethical principles of Aristotle, Kant and Mill, or combating moral illiteracy within my department, I plan to use my newfound information to its greatest potential. Therefore, this article first elucidates on the moral program that I would implement in my professional life as a nurse. Consequently, the second part is on a program fitted for my personal life as a single mother to a four-year-old child. Out of all the philosophers that we studied during the course, Aristotles virtue ethics is the most suitable theory for my profession. According to Solomon (1992), Aristotle believed that â€Å"virtuous acts required conscious choice and moral purpose or motivation† (p. 321). In this regard, this is the most crucial aspect that I must exemplify in my professional life as a nurse. Furthermore, the six dimensions of virtue ethics are community, excellence, role identity, holism, integrity and judgment are crucial for an exemplary career as a nurse. According to Solomon (1992), Aristotles virtue ethics has its foundation â€Å"upon the character of a moral agent as a driving force for ethical behavior† (p. 326). As registered nurses, we have a code of ethics, which are similar to Aristotles virtue ethics. From a general point of view, the nursing code of ethics calls for a nurse to practice with sympathy and reverence for the natural dignity, value and distinctiveness of every human being (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2011, p. 3). In this regard, I need to engage Aristotle’s virtue ethics as a nurse in order to practice compassion and respect my patients. In addition, ANA (2011) notes that the second provision in this code of ethics provides that â€Å"the nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, and not to the company or hospital,

The Benefits of increasing Drinking Age Research Paper

The Benefits of increasing Drinking Age - Research Paper Example In many developed nations such as USA and Australia, the legal age for consuming alcohol is 21, but there are sections of society, which claim that lowering drinking age is the best solution to curb this habit among youngsters and specifically students. However, those who propose lowering drinking age as a feasible solution in this regard does not understand the salient disadvantages associated with allowing drinking at teen-age. Alcohol consumption is no more a habit or just a beverage option among youngsters; it has become a way of life, a part of the culture in today's scenario (Alcohol and Drug Information Service). There is a dire need to restrict their access to alcohol because it is a proven fact that starting to drink early can impose several short-term as well as long-term disadvantages on human health and society. This paper is an attempt to evaluate the benefits of increasing the drinking age from various aspects of an individual’s life as well as the impact on gove rnment and society in a broader spectrum. Health-related benefits of increasing drinking age: Increasing drinking age restricts young students from consuming alcohol at an early age, and as they reach adulthood, the craving for alcohol is likely to die-down or controlled. Various critics of increasing drinking age argue that when people can vote and marry at 18, why cannot they drink according to their choice? The problem is that voting and marriage do not harm a person’s psyche, mental development, and physiological health. However, consuming alcohol is susceptible to infinite life-risking implications from every possible aspect of human health and also considerably deters public welfare. The most significant point in the debate upon lowering or increasing drinking age is that, Is drinking suitable for individual health at all? Then the other point that arises is that will it benefit young people in any way if they are allowed. to drink at the age of 18? The fact which canno t be ignored is that alcohol in itself is extremely injurious to health, and its impact can be devastating. Frances Webb and Ellie Whitney claimed that â€Å"Age does matter. Young people do not benefit their health by drinking; rather, they increase their risk of dying from all causes; young non-drinkers are found to have a lower risk of dying than even light drinkers† (101). There is enough substance in this claim from Webb and Whitney, since if medical science research is anything to abide by, then it is true that drinking is not a healthy habit at all, instead, it becomes the base for various life-threatening ailments. It is a reality that alcohol consumption paves the way for more than 60 fatal diseases in the human body (Freeman). James Garbutt, a psychiatry professor and researcher of Alcohol studies at the University of North Carolina, revealed that â€Å"Alcohol does all kinds of things in the body, and we're not fully aware of all its effects. It's a pretty complic ated little molecule† (Freeman). Diseases like Anemia, Cancer, Cardiovascular problems, Gout, Depression, Nerve damage, Dementia, high-blood pressure, Pancreatitis, and Cirrhosis are all caused by alcohol consumption, and the virus gets triggered more intensively if one starts drinking at an early stage of life (Freeman).  

Analyze the article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analyze the article - Essay Example A drop in the stock market has increased adverse selection and moral hazards because it has resulted in a weakening of the market value of firms' net worth, so lenders are less eager to lend, as deficits from loans are likely to be acute. This decline in lending has then triggered investment and aggregate yield to decline. Also, the waning corporate net worth has increased moral hazard inducements for companies to make risky investments because they now have less to lose. Again this increase in moral hazard makes lending less attractive. The failure of financial institutions in the mortgage debacle, together with the drop in the stock market has led to uncertainty in financial markets. It is more difficult to determine good from bad credit, which again has resulted to a fall in lending, investment and cumulative activity. The source of the current bank panic therefore, is asymmetric information. The result is that loan funds have been reduced and the price of intermediation has risen, which has caused a drop in investment and a decline in aggregate economic activity (Mishkin).

The Benefits of increasing Drinking Age Research Paper

The Benefits of increasing Drinking Age - Research Paper Example In many developed nations such as USA and Australia, the legal age for consuming alcohol is 21, but there are sections of society, which claim that lowering drinking age is the best solution to curb this habit among youngsters and specifically students. However, those who propose lowering drinking age as a feasible solution in this regard does not understand the salient disadvantages associated with allowing drinking at teen-age. Alcohol consumption is no more a habit or just a beverage option among youngsters; it has become a way of life, a part of the culture in today's scenario (Alcohol and Drug Information Service). There is a dire need to restrict their access to alcohol because it is a proven fact that starting to drink early can impose several short-term as well as long-term disadvantages on human health and society. This paper is an attempt to evaluate the benefits of increasing the drinking age from various aspects of an individual’s life as well as the impact on gove rnment and society in a broader spectrum. Health-related benefits of increasing drinking age: Increasing drinking age restricts young students from consuming alcohol at an early age, and as they reach adulthood, the craving for alcohol is likely to die-down or controlled. Various critics of increasing drinking age argue that when people can vote and marry at 18, why cannot they drink according to their choice? The problem is that voting and marriage do not harm a person’s psyche, mental development, and physiological health. However, consuming alcohol is susceptible to infinite life-risking implications from every possible aspect of human health and also considerably deters public welfare. The most significant point in the debate upon lowering or increasing drinking age is that, Is drinking suitable for individual health at all? Then the other point that arises is that will it benefit young people in any way if they are allowed. to drink at the age of 18? The fact which canno t be ignored is that alcohol in itself is extremely injurious to health, and its impact can be devastating. Frances Webb and Ellie Whitney claimed that â€Å"Age does matter. Young people do not benefit their health by drinking; rather, they increase their risk of dying from all causes; young non-drinkers are found to have a lower risk of dying than even light drinkers† (101). There is enough substance in this claim from Webb and Whitney, since if medical science research is anything to abide by, then it is true that drinking is not a healthy habit at all, instead, it becomes the base for various life-threatening ailments. It is a reality that alcohol consumption paves the way for more than 60 fatal diseases in the human body (Freeman). James Garbutt, a psychiatry professor and researcher of Alcohol studies at the University of North Carolina, revealed that â€Å"Alcohol does all kinds of things in the body, and we're not fully aware of all its effects. It's a pretty complic ated little molecule† (Freeman). Diseases like Anemia, Cancer, Cardiovascular problems, Gout, Depression, Nerve damage, Dementia, high-blood pressure, Pancreatitis, and Cirrhosis are all caused by alcohol consumption, and the virus gets triggered more intensively if one starts drinking at an early stage of life (Freeman).  

Realism and Its Role in US War Against Iraq Essay Example for Free

Realism and Its Role in US War Against Iraq Essay Presence of biological warfare, inhumane leadership, anti-democracy; these were the reasons which were proclaimed in the past explaining US war against Iraq. I believe that US spearheaded by then President Bush played Realists in their decision-making vis a vis the issue at hand. Tony Blair himself admitted few months after US won Iraq over their Head of State, Saddam Hussein, that there were no biological warfare proven to be under the custody of the latter’s government. Moreover, most nations believe that despite Hussein’s dictatorial means, he was nonetheless feared hence was able to maintain peaceful coexistence between two Islamic yet conflicting groups- the Sunni and Shi’ite. As regards, the question of the absence of democratic government in Iraq, isn’t the establishment and sustainability of any government dependent on its constituents/nationals? Who is the United States to take away the chance from Iraq’s own people to deal with their own government and its leader should there be a question of legitimacy? Perhaps, guided by Realist perspective of International Relations, the following reasons are more truthful; security, statism, and self-help. Military power according to Realism is a measure of political power relations among states alongside economic power. States are rational and unitary actors whose decisions are always based on a calculation of survival and national security. There is the absence of universal principles while the only guide of states in an anarchic set-up is pragmatic assessment of other state’s actions in solving problems. How then are these helpful in the analysis of US intentions toward Iraq? US seeking to maintain its global dominance would have to sustain military power. While Liberals and Idealists thought world peace could be attained and that no more wars shall ever exist, US apparently showed that war is still a solution and a means to furthering state gains. Oil is Iraq’s source of wealth and power. If that was the only missing link to US’ superiority, by all means, US would get hold of it. Oil promotes military and economic power. It also gives US security against threats from North Korea. Hence, for me, it was the desire of the Bush administration to retain hegemonic status- free from external threats of every form that made US enter into a catastrophic war.

The Science Of Artificial Neural Networks Psychology Essay

The Science Of Artificial Neural Networks Psychology Essay The science of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), commonly referred as Neural Networks, stills a new and promising area of research. The concept of creation of neural networks exists for many decades. Nevertheless neural networks have become known and have been developed in international levels only in the recent years. It is noteworthy, scientist showing interest in neural networks, come from different scientific areas such as chemistry, medicine, physics, mathematics, engineering and the list goes on. That shows Neural Networks is a new challenge in science. No other science today combines and needs direct knowledge from such diverse areas. One of the main differences of the Artificial Neural Networks from the biological is that while ANNs learn through training and experience just like the biological ones but they follow different rules from regular computers. A Neural Network is a parallel data processing system consisted by multitude of artificial neurons, organized in structure s similar with the ones in human brain. They function as parallel computing devices made by many highly interconnected simple processors. Artificial Neurons are mainly organized in layers. The first of those layers called the input layer and is used to insert the data. Input layers are unable to proceed to any sort of computation as its elements do not comprise input weights or bias (threshold). The axon: mean of transfer of neural signals from the neuron. Its length can be tens of thousands of times the diameter of its body and it is characterized by high electrical resistance and very large capacitance. Every neuron has only one axon, however it can branch and thus enabling communication with many target cells or other neurons. The dendrite: short highly branched cell projections (filaments). Most neurons have many dendrites, attached on the soma and increase the surface area. There are approximately 10^3 to 10^4 dendrites per neuron, to receive information from other neurons through synapses they are covered with and transmit electrochemical stimulation to the soma. The axon terminal: located in the end of the axon and is responsible for transmitting signals on to other neurons. On axon terminals are attached the terminal buttons, that store the information in synaptic vesicles and secreting them in neurotransmitters. As mentioned above, the connection between neurons happens through the synapses. Neural synapses are a silent exchange of information. The electrical nerve impulses travel along neurons and transmitted by chemical transmitters (neurotransmitters) in the next neuron across a tiny gap, the synapses and are located between the neuron and the neighboring cell (target cell). Therefore dendrites are very close to each other but never in touch. It is estimated that there are approximately 10 billion neurons in the human cortex, and 60 trillion synapses or connections (Shepherd and Koch, 1990). A number of neurons and their connections form a neural network. The entire system of neural networks in the human body forms the Central Nervous System. This system goes through the whole human body with central points the brain and the spine. During lifetime, synapses are in constant dynamic equilibrium, new are created and old are destroyed. The creation of new synapse happens when the brain acquires more experiences from the surrounding environment, learns, recognizes and understands. On the other side, diseases cause the devastation of neurons and therefore the devastation of synapses. In comparison to other cells, neurons might not replaced by new ones, if destroyed. That means after the birth of a new individual, its neural system is fully developed within the first few months of its life. A neuron can be either active or inactive. When it is activated, it produces an electric signal. This signal has intensity of only a few mVolt. The way those electric signals are produced is pretty similar with the way a capacitor works. Between the external and internal surface of the cell of the neuron there is a dynamic difference. Although the mass of the human brain is only the 2% of human body mass, consumes more than the 20% of the oxygen that goes in the organism. The energy consumption in the brain is about 20 Watt in comparison to a computer that needs a lot more. The computational power of brain is measured by three possible approaches: The number of synapses (Kandel, 1985), the computational power of the retina and multiply it by their brain-to-retina ratio (Moravec, 1998b), and the total useful energy used by the brain per second by the amount of energy used for each basic operation to give the maximum operation per second (Merkle, 1989) From the three approaches above, is concluded that the estimated computational power of human brain is about 10^14 operations per second (Ng, 2009). It is interesting to mention how the electric pulses are created to stimulate neurons. On the membrane of the cell it is appeared to be an electric potential difference between its external and internal surface just like a capacitor. Most of the times the negative charges found in the internal surface as they cant penetrate the membrane and leave the cell. The membrane has many openings that allow ions and atoms to go through each element from its own channel. The endings of the channels are secured by gates which directing the flow of those elements. Proteins that act like pumps force the elements to travel in the opposite direction from their natural and thus neurons consume larger amounts of energy. Eventually the balanced movement of the elements along the surface of the membrane produces an electric current which is the corresponding electrical pulse that stimulates the neuron. Once the neuron has fired it returns to a state of potential equilibrium and in this state it cant be fired again until it recovers. Each neuron has a specific threshold or weight. When electric signals reach that point, sum up and if their weight value is same or larger than the one of the threshold the neuron stimulates. If the sum of the signals is smaller than the required value of the threshold, then the neuron stays inactive. Add images. Models of artificial neurons As mentioned earlier, ANNs are parallel data processing systems, consisting out of large numbers of artificial neurons, inspired by the biological neurons. A neuron is an information-processing unit that is fundamental to the operation of a neural network (Haykin, 1999, pg-10). A neuron may have many inputs, an internal structure consisting out of multiple layers but it always has a single output. Every single neuron accepts variable input signals x0, x1, x2 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦xn. This corresponds to the electric pulses of the biological brain. Every input signal is multiplied by the synaptic weights of the neuron, wi, where i=1,2,3..n, the input nodes. The weights represent the biological synapses and indicate the strength of the bond (the connection) between them. The range of value of a weight can be positive or negative depending on if the function of synapse suspend or propagate (transmit) the stimuli from other neurons, unlike the biological synapses that do not take negative values. This is because external bias, b, are applied when the weights added. Bias or threshold, is the standard value of the internal potential energy of the neuron that the sum of the combined output must be reached in order the activation (or squashing) function to be activated. An important element of the neuronal body is the adder .At the adder, all the input signals, influenced by weight vectors are summing up together and produce a resultant combined output u. When the sum of weight is big (0 Therefore, the product u is given by the relationship: The result of combined output u, pass through the activation function, denoted with the letter  Ã¢â‚¬  ( ). The activation function is a non linear function where the resultant combined output u takes its final value y. The calculated activation output signal of the neuron is shown as: and where Therefore, Activation functions There are several activation functions, however three of the most basic types are the following 🙠 they slightly vary from book to book) The threshold activation function, which gives as an output 1, if the adder produce a value greater than the one of the threshold. This is expressed as: The Piecewise-Linear function, where the unity is assumed to be the amplification factor inside the linear region of operation (Haykin, 1999, pg:14) The Sigmoid function, which is expressed as: Where  Ã‚ ¡ is is the slope parameter of the sigmoid function. This function is one of the most important and most commonly used as it provides non-linearity to the neuron. Some other activation functions are, the rump function, the bipolar sigmoid function, and the signum function. The signum function gives a positive or negative output, with values usually ranging from 1 to -1 depending on the value of the summation of the weights on the threshold. This can be applied to the activation functions mentioned above and more specifically to the threshold faction giving: Add images and graphs A simple neural network In this paragraph, neural networks will be introduced, starting from their simplest form. Every neural network consists out of hundreds or thousands of tiny units, the neurons. Each neuron has an input where the electric signals are received. A neuron may have more than one input but no matter how many layers of neurons and synaptic connections are in between (the body), there is always one output value. The neurons of a layer between each input and output are not connected to each other however each layer is interconnected with the layer of the next and the previous level. In its simplest form, a neuron has no layers but is limited only to an input and an output. Every signal that leaves an output and enters an input has a value, the weights. The weights represent the importance of each signal reaching the threshold of an input. Depending on the value of weight (wn), the contribution of the electric signal can be great or small for the function of the system. Artificial intelligence and neural networks Historical background (The study of the brain and the biological neurons has started thousands of years ago.) However, as artificial neural networks started to be developing the past century, the historical background still not as broad as in other sciences. The first union of mathematical logic and neuropsychology, commenced in 1943 by Warren S. McCulloch and Walter Pitts. McCulloch was a pioneer neuroanatomist and psychiatrist. Pitts was a young mathematical prodigy, who joined McCulloch in 1942. (Haykin, 1999, pg: 38). Together they created the first model a neural network that was represented by a great number of interconnected neurons. In their well-known paper, A logical calculus of the ideas immanent in nervous activity, (1943), came up with theorems that describe the function of neurons and the neural networks. As a result of those theorems, neural networks and artificial intelligence ideas established a new era of research began. The paper of McCulloch and Pitts, triggered the interest of many scientists like von Neumann, Wiener and Uttley in their effort to extract information of the function of biological neurons and create corresponding artificial ones. In 1949 another idea appeared by D. Hebb who published the book The Organisation of Behavior. Although his book had greater influence on the psychological rather than the engineering community, he introduced the concept of postulate and learning and the synaptic modification rule, which suggests that the connectivity of the brain changes continually thorough its entire life in the process of learning new tasks. From 1950 to 1979, a number of remarkable books were written about neural networks developing the ideas of neurons abilities, such as learning and memorising. Some of these books are the Design for a Brain: The origin of Adaptive Behaviors, (1952) by Ashby, that still exciting to read nowadays, and the Learning Machines, (1965) by Nilsson, one of the best-written expositions about linearly separable patterns in hypersurfaces. (Haykin, 1999, pg: 40). A novel model, the perceptron, introduced in 1958 by F. Rosenblatt. The perceptron is a very simple model of supervised learning, which has only one input and one output built around a nonlinear neuron (Haykin pg 135). Although this model appeared to have many limitations the idea of training the neurons encouraged many scientists for building larger neural networks. In 1969, Minsky and Papert in their book Perceptron they make a complete evaluation of the features and uses of the perceptrons. It proved with mathematics that there were fundamental limitations on the computational ability of single-layered perceptrons and therefore those limitations assumed to carry on in the multilayered levels of perceptrons. A period followed were scientists start losing hope about neural networks and turned to other knowledge based systems. In 1982, neural networks make an interesting come back when John Hopfield proved in a strict mathematical way that by time a neural network can be adjusted to use the minimum energy to function just like human brain does. In addition, Hopfield proved that a simple neural network can be used as storage devise. Such networks are called the Hopfield networks. A very important work was published in 1986 by Rumelhart and McClelland. The two-volume book, Parallel Distributed Processing: Explorations in the Microstructures of Cognitions, shows new methods of training neural networks and introduces the idea of parallel data processor. This theory had a great influence in the use of back-propagation learning as and allowed the development of multilayered networks (perceptrons). The books published by McCulloch- Pitts (1943), Hopfield (1982) and Rumelhart-McClelland (1986), are the most influential in the revolution of neural networks. Since 1980 to nowadays, Neural Networks have been established as a new independent science branch. Conferences and magazines appeared with complete interest on artificial neural networks while the first commercial companies dedicated to the improvement of them, created, supported by thousands of members worldwide especially in America, Europe and Japan. Learning processes/ training Fundamental ideas The present, looking to future Ann applications areas Anns in civil engineering Can it be applied in? Benefits/disadvantages Program Observations comments summary references

Gender Differences and Gender Stereotypes from a Psychological Perspect

Gender Differences and Gender Stereotypes from a Psychological Perspective Gender Differences and Gender Stereotypes Gender differences and gender stereotypes are fascinating in that one must sift through the theories, assumptions and inevitable confusion to distinguish the reality from the assumption. Men and women are obviously different, especially inherently, but how? And why? And which differences are more individualized than generalized? Even more interesting is to observe how the differences between men and women have evolved, especially over the past 30 years- since the sexual revolution. A generous amount of research has been done since then, and this research is continually updated as men and women evolve themselves. Our understanding of the innate gender differences as opposed to the acquired one is still growing, yet it still seems tainted by such misunderstanding. There is a lot of research regarding stereotypical views of men and women, and psychological testing has helped integrate and differentiate the documented "real" behavior. Even through the sexual revolution, there still exists gender-role stereotypes, although the stereotyping has decreased in recent years. Surprisingly, stereotypes are adhered to by people of every status, educated or not. Americans generally believe that men are aggressive, independent, unemotional, dominant, active, and overly self-confident. On the other hand, women are thought of to be gentle, religious, neat and dependent. Americans in general seem to believe that males and females have distinguishing opposing characteristics. Aggressiveness is one behavior which is consistently noted in psychological gender differences. The majority of people seem to believe th... ..."100% masculine" or "100% feminine." There is no argument about men and women being physically different, yet there has been much debate involving the intangible differences between the two differences. Over the centuries, stereotyping of men’s and women’s intangible aspects has evolved. This stereotyping has influenced our society so much. The studies which are done refuting the fact that stereotyping of a gender is not always valid turns out to be invalid, since the studies themselves have been influenced by stereotyping. It is hard to argue whether the stereotypes traits of each gender are true or not. However, it is important for us to overlook the stereotyping of the two genders and focus on each individual and respect their individuality, whether they demonstrate more masculinity, femininity, or either, which may or may not fit their gender stereotyping. Gender Differences and Gender Stereotypes from a Psychological Perspect Gender Differences and Gender Stereotypes from a Psychological Perspective Gender Differences and Gender Stereotypes Gender differences and gender stereotypes are fascinating in that one must sift through the theories, assumptions and inevitable confusion to distinguish the reality from the assumption. Men and women are obviously different, especially inherently, but how? And why? And which differences are more individualized than generalized? Even more interesting is to observe how the differences between men and women have evolved, especially over the past 30 years- since the sexual revolution. A generous amount of research has been done since then, and this research is continually updated as men and women evolve themselves. Our understanding of the innate gender differences as opposed to the acquired one is still growing, yet it still seems tainted by such misunderstanding. There is a lot of research regarding stereotypical views of men and women, and psychological testing has helped integrate and differentiate the documented "real" behavior. Even through the sexual revolution, there still exists gender-role stereotypes, although the stereotyping has decreased in recent years. Surprisingly, stereotypes are adhered to by people of every status, educated or not. Americans generally believe that men are aggressive, independent, unemotional, dominant, active, and overly self-confident. On the other hand, women are thought of to be gentle, religious, neat and dependent. Americans in general seem to believe that males and females have distinguishing opposing characteristics. Aggressiveness is one behavior which is consistently noted in psychological gender differences. The majority of people seem to believe th... ..."100% masculine" or "100% feminine." There is no argument about men and women being physically different, yet there has been much debate involving the intangible differences between the two differences. Over the centuries, stereotyping of men’s and women’s intangible aspects has evolved. This stereotyping has influenced our society so much. The studies which are done refuting the fact that stereotyping of a gender is not always valid turns out to be invalid, since the studies themselves have been influenced by stereotyping. It is hard to argue whether the stereotypes traits of each gender are true or not. However, it is important for us to overlook the stereotyping of the two genders and focus on each individual and respect their individuality, whether they demonstrate more masculinity, femininity, or either, which may or may not fit their gender stereotyping.

Tariff the Shield and FTA the Spear :: Essays Papers

Tariff the Shield and FTA the Spear There was time when countries fought one another to take other’s territory because land meant power and royalty at that period. All of the great conquerors dreamed of ruling whole world under their feet. As time passed the meaning of land became just a boundary that identify each country. Then what takes the position of land? What means power and royalty in modern world? With globalization countries fight one another again with their economic power to have more money. That is right. Now we are living in the world that money is a symbol of power. Threaten countries by attack of all different kinds of economy had to make certain level of tool to protect themselves. And tariff is one of the most powerful economic shields. The purpose of tariff is largely categorized by two big concepts. First and original concept is to defend domestic industries from foreign capital that would have comparative or absolute advantage to domestic products. Second one is to have extra profit from imported goods. Usually the profit is from taxation due to tariff. Sometimes international conflict occurs between countries when the competition is over-steamed. First of all, we need to look how tariff works in theory. There are three basic functions on the graph before imposing tariff. Supply curve has positive slope and going toward upper right and demand curve having negative slope is pointing down right. These two are most basic functions of economics. There is one more line that is parallel to X-axis. This implies world price and where the intersections meet with this line creates market supply S0 and market demand D0. Now let’s impose tariff to protect our industry. Tax due to imposing tariff will push world price line upward. Producers are willing to produce more goods because the price is increased and market supply moves from S0 to S1. Similarly, domestic consumption decreases from D0 to D1 since consumers are willing to buy less due to increased price after world price with tariff. As you see there are four empty areas between original world price line and world price with tariff divided by supply and demand functions. These four have their own meanings and they made net loss or national loss. Area a is a increased producer’s surplus. Area c implies government tariff revenue, and at last, those two small triangles are dead weight losses which are just nothing but wasting.

AD scholarship essay

I had this mindset that I would never be able to survive off of my medicine, and I came to see them as a necessity to function properly in this world. I succeeded in community college by getting into the Honors Program, and was able to graduate as an Honors Scholar. It wasn't until I got into a university that my academic abilities and character as a pre-allied health major was tested. I made the ingenious decision to handle my ADD without any pharmaceutical help, whatsoever.Exercise and dietary choices are my main method f treatment, along with sheer willpower and self-discipline. Not only was I able to lose about twenty-five pounds of fat, I got physically, and mentally stronger as well. I developed a better mindset, which lead to a stronger body. I started to learn a lot about myself, and how the brain actually works on its own. I learned that Is It Indeed possible to channel my â€Å"hyper-focusing† abilities when I need to, and It Is especially easy to hyper-focus when I want to! As a Sinology major, my classes are science- heavy.I learned that when I'm In a class that I am passionate about, the ability to focus seems to get easier. I started reading a lot of books about ADD living, and I started to make my life more ADD friendly, which meant simplifying my life. Working with my ADD, rather than against It, seems to work out better In my favor. I started studying in ways that would make my ADD symptoms seem to go away. I utilized color, mnemonics, and videos to understand concepts that most students would understand through a lecture.Honestly, I wish It were easier living with ADD, and I sis I didn't have the difficulties that come with It, specifically the Inability to naturally filter out extrasensory Information. However, the gifts that come from a hyper-creative brain often outweigh the more annoying aspects of living with the disorder. People with ADD aren't stupid; we Just process things differently. In many careers, that can be a massive asse t! Eventually, I want to go to graduate school to pursue a career as a Physical Therapist. I figure that this would be a good career that utilizes the creative and hyperactive ADD brain.I decided I would never succeed In a monotonous desk Job, and as a physical therapist, my workplace would be a gym– which Is something that I would absolutely love! ADD scholarship essay By Shelby-Piper about myself, and how the brain actually works on its own. I learned that is it indeed possible to channel my â€Å"hyper-focusing† abilities when I need to, and it is especially heavy. I learned that when I'm in a class that I am passionate about, the ability to with my ADD, rather than against it, seems to work out better in my favor.I started understand through a lecture. Honestly, I wish it were easier living with ADD, and I wish I didn't have the difficulties that come with it, specifically the inability to naturally filter out extrasensory information. However, the gifts that come from a pursue a career as a Physical Therapist. I figure that this would be a good career that utilizes the creative and hyperactive ADD brain. I decided I would never succeed in a monotonous desk Job, and as a physical therapist, my workplace would be a gym— which is something that I would absolutely love!

Biography of Barack Obama

Senator Barack Obama (D, Illinois) said that nowhere else is his â€Å"story even possible. † The junior senator is a candidate for his party’s 2008 presidential nomination. Born Barrack Hussein Obama on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack, Sr. and Ann Dunham. Barack Sr. was a goat herder like his own father, a servant in the home of the British. The Obamas were from the Luo ethnic group of Nyanza Province in Kenya. Ann was a White American from Wichita, Kansas whose father was an oil rigger during the Depression. At the outbreak of World War II he enlisted in the army of General Patton.Her mother worked in the production line of bombers. At the end of the war, they pursued their studies through the G. I. Bill. With the Federal Housing Program they purchased their house and settled in Hawaii. In the 1950s, the Obamas’ Luo ethnic group was a frontrunner in Kenya’s struggle for independence. The Dunhams, on the other hand, were against slavery as ea rly as the 1800s. Barack Obama’s parents met at the East-West Center, Manoa Campus of the University of Hawaii. Barack’s father was on a scholarship and was the first ever from a country in Africa. The marriage did not last, as interracial unions were not accepted.In some states it was illegal. It was not much of a problem to the Dunhams but it was to the Obamas, who found it difficult to have a White American for a daughter in law. Under the circumstances, they had to divorce when Barack was two years old. Barack Sr. moved to Harvard on another scholarship for a Doctorate in Economics. Father and son met again when Barack was ten. They kept in touch through letters until Barack Sr. ’s return to Kenya and his death by car accident in the early 1980s. Barack’s mother remarried. Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian student of the East-West Center became her husband.In 1967 when Barack was six they moved to Jakarta where Lolo got a job in an oil company. Barackâ€⠄¢s half-sister Maya was born. Barack went to school in Jakarta where lessons were conducted in Indonesian. Barack or Barry returned to Hawaii when he was 10. He joined his grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham. His mother lived with them later until her death in 1995 due to ovarian cancer. In 1979, Barack graduated with honors at the renowned Punahou Academy. They were only 3 Black students in Punahou. It was at this time that became conscious as well as concerned about mixed racial heritage.He was troubled about racism and his African-American background. He could not deal with his being African-American having a White American family. He turned to cocaine, marijuana and alcohol. Just like most teens of his background they needed an outlet for their inner rage and in the process tended to self-destruct. After Punahou, he transferred to Occidental College in Los Angeles where he got his act together. After two years he moved to the esteemed Columbia University in New York. He go t to visit Kenya for the first time and renewed ties with his relatives.He graduated from Columbia with a Degree in Political Science. For a while he involved himself in community work in Harlem. He decided he could not live to support himself with so little pay. He decided to leave New York and move to Chicago. The South Side of Chicago is an impoverished community. Barack worked as a community organizer for the poor residents of Roseland and the development of public housing for Altgeid Gardens. Law school beckoned. This time his application was accepted by Harvard Law School, one of the best in the country. He became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review Journal.It opened doors of opportunities for him upon graduation. He graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1991. True enough, top Manhattan law firms came knocking on his door. $100,000 annual pay offers were turned down by Barack. He opted to return to Chicago to work for Miner, Barnhill & Galland as a civil righ ts lawyer. He handled housing and labor discrimination cases, taught at the Law School of the University of Chicago and organized voter registration drives. The large turnout of registered Black voters in Chicago, helped bring Bill Clinton straight to the White House in 1992. Chicago has a special place in Obama’s heart.In 1988 while working as a summer associate in Sidley & Austin, a Chicago Law Firm, Michelle Robinson was assigned as his mentor. Michelle was also a graduate of Harvard Law School. She was from a Black, working-class family on the South Side. She and a brother who excelled in Basketball went to Princeton University. Michelle obtained her undergraduate degree at Princeton. Michelle became Mrs. Obama, when he married her in October 1992. They have two daughters, Malia and Sasha. Michelle and the girls have remained in Kenwood on Chicago’s South Side instead of moving to Washington. Michelle still works as an executive in a hospital.In 1996 Barack Obama r an for and won a senate seat from Hyde Park, his home district. Hyde Park is the neighborhood around the University of Chicago. The community even with its upscale side has a high rate of crime and unemployment. Among Obama’s accomplishments are: tax breaks for the low-incomed, a state insurance to include uninsured children, increase health care services as well as education programs in early childhood for the poor, and tracking stops and speed of drivers by law enforcers. The latter was supposed to reduce discriminatory profiling by police patrol officers.Another significant legislation was for police to videotape confessions on homicide cases. In 2000 he made a try for a congressional seat against Bobby Rush, a Black former member of the Chicago City Council. Rush was the founder of the Black Panther Party, Illinois Chapter. The Black Panther was the 1960s nationalist party of the revolutionary, radical Blacks. Rush capitalized on his experience and criticized Obamaâ€℠¢s wealthy and white votes. Obama experienced his first major defeat garnering only 30% of the votes. In 2004 when Peter G. Fitzgerald (R, Illinois) bared plans of retirement, Obama made a bid for a senate seat.When supporters thought it premature for him to aim for a position that high, they were certainly in for a big surprise. Obama garnered 53% of the votes in the primary, against 6 other challengers. This appeared to be a record high among African-Americans who figured prominently in white-populated precincts. These made the Democrats take him and his campaign more seriously. In the 2004 senate elections, he faced Jack Ryan of the Republicans. Ryan was a good-looking parochial school teacher, who used to be an investment banker. His former wife was Jeri Ryan, the star of Boston Public.There were issues on the Ryans’ divorce that did not sit well with the Republican’s platform with regards to family values. Jack Ryan withdrew from the race. Alan Keyes, the talk sho w host from Maryland moved to Illinois to oppose Obama’s senate bid. Keyes’ adversarial stand on homosexuality and his two unsuccessful white house campaigns did not make him a strong opponent. With free trades that removed tariffs, US industries started to transfer their factories outside of the United States. Such meant great loss of jobs and employment. Obama’s campaign promise was a halt in bringing jobs overseas.That swayed the votes for Obama. What would happen next would Obama’s defining moment. In the Democratic National Convention of July 2004 Obama delivered the keynote address of the convention as requested by John Kerry who would end up the party’s standard bearer. Much was expected of Obama and he delivered! He earned praises and standing ovations for his well-crafted speech and his eloquent delivery. He spoke about the need for America to unite in order that it may be strong. He reminded everyone of America’s diverse ethnicity and ideologies that made the county rich.He said that the American way was to provide for all, not for just a few. If there was an elderly who was not at all related to him and was too poor to pay both rent and medicines, Barack Obama said, it made his life poorer. He said the people should mind what injustice is committed to his fellowmen like a brother to a brother. He believed that such acts of concern make America work. Analysts found in Obama’s speech a great amount of positivism, hope and optimism. They all found a promise in Obama, an emerging leader among the Democrats and possibly a near-future president of America.70% of the votes of Illinois went to the 43 year old Obama with only 27% left for Keyes in the senatorial contest. In the US Senate of 2005, Obama was one of the youngest. His first significant legislation was the Higher Education Opportunity through the Pell Grant Expansion Act of 2005 or the HOPE Act. This was for those students who received financial ai d for college from the Federal Government, the legislation aimed for an increase in the amount provided. He crossed party lines to seek support for important legislations. He teamed up with Sen.Richard Lugar (R, Indiana) for a bill to expand efforts to destroy all weapons of mass destruction in Russia and Eastern Europe. Together with Sen. Tom Corburn (R, Oklahoma) they kept tight watch on government spending through a website they created. He and Sen. Russ Feingold (D, Wisconsin) also sought to stop the lobbyists from giving members of Congress gifts like travel on private jets. He raised vital issues on the senate floor like awareness of Avian flu and its threats, the destruction of Hurricane Katrina and its victims, alternative fuel sources and worked for better benefits for the veterans.As senator he is on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Veterans Affairs Committee and the Environment and Public Affairs Committee. In US hi story, Obama is the fifth African American elected to the senate in 2005 and only the third towards the end of Reconstruction. Obama joined the few other Blacks who made it to the senate, the first ever was Hiram Rhoades Revels of North Carolina in 1870, Blanche K. Bruce of Virginia in 1875, Edward William Brooke III from Massachusetts in 1966, and Carol Moseley Braun from Illinois in 1992.Braun is also the first African-American woman elected to the senate. Obama was a strong critic of President Bush’ policy on Iraq since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He spoke against using force in Iraq at the Chicago’s Federal Plaza rally of October 2002. Barack Obama opposed what he called â€Å"dumb wars† and was particularly concerned with the lives they had cost. He believed that there was a better way to handle Saddam Hussein. He saw Iraq’s economy battered and his military weak and that there was no way for Saddam but down.He knew that the war in Iraq will be a pro tracted one with an unpredictable end, costs, and consequences. He warned that it could bring out the worst from the Middle East, the Arab world and the Al-Qaeda. He has authored two books, namely: (1) His autobiography â€Å"Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance† published in 1995, and (2) â€Å"The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream,† published in 2008. Obama announced that he is gunning for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. He is up against the Sen.Hillary Rodham-Clinton. Works Cited â€Å"About Barack Obama. † 2008. United States Senate. 6 May 2008 http://obama. senate. gov/about/ â€Å"Barack Obama Biography. † 2006. Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. 6 May 2008 http://www. notablebiographies. com/news/Li-Ou/Obama-Barack. html â€Å"Barack Obama Biography (1961-)† 2008. bio. biographies. com. 6 May 2008 http://www. biography. com/search/article. do? id=12782369&page=1 â€Å"Me et Barack. † 2008. Barack ’08. BarackObama. com. 6 May 2008 http://www. barackobama. com/about/