The Power of Words free essay sample

Who can describe the movement of a pen as it flows across a page, forming an endless summation of shapes, bearing myriads of riddles in its creation? Words have always held a certain fascination for me, a kind of magic I am unable to resist. To write is to express oneself. Pen and paper do not judge; they have no preconceived notions about who you are or who you might become. They know only truth. Ink cannot lie. Deception comes only from the one who wields the pen, who shapes the words, and from the one who allows himself to be deceived, who can think not of his own accord. This is the beauty of language. Not only to speak a language, but to understand it, to feel its heartbeat, to know its rhythm—then may one serve as a true master, a master of communication. Communication holds a society together, as it has since the beginning of mankind’s existence. We will write a custom essay sample on The Power of Words or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I appreciate this power, along with the importance of speech, and of literacy, in the modern world. Words used effectively can manipulate, persuade, ease, irritate, or function however the composer intends. I wish to be such a composer. With the appropriate eloquence, one person can sway the opinions of an audience or open the eyes of the world to some guarded truth. Yet within such potent writing resides a veiled kind of power. Many do not acknowledge its full value, or are not even aware of its capabilities. Underestimation is dangerous. Underestimation can lead to destruction. I know this, though I do not claim to have perfected the essential skills required to craft extraordinary works of art using only words. For this, I am going to college. During my time there and forever afterwards I will be on the constant lookout for the perfect expression, the perfect phrase to put into effect. Perhaps then may I have the power to influence the world.

Natural Capitalism Essays

Natural Capitalism Essays Natural Capitalism Essay Natural Capitalism Essay Natural Capitalism by Amory Lovins (www. natcap. org) Capital It’s the accumulated wealth in the form of investments, factories, and equipment. An economy requires four types of capitalism to function: 1. Human capital – labour intelligence, culture and organization 2. Financial capital – cash investments, and monetary instruments 3. Manufactured capital – infrastructure, machines, tools and factories 4. Natural capital – resources, living systems ecosystem services The first 3 forms of capital are used to transform natural capital into the stuff of our daily lives: cars, highways, cities, bridges, houses, food, medicine, hospitals and schools. Capitalism is a financially profitable, non-sustainable aberration in human development and does not conform to its own accounting principles. It liquidates capital and calls it income and it neglects to assign any value to the largest stocks of capital it employs – the natural resources and living systems, as well as the social and cultural systems that are the basis of human capital. This deficiency in business operation can’t be corrected by simply assigning monetary values to natural capital for 3 reasons: 1. Many of the services we receive from living systems have no known substitutes at any price. Ex; oxygen production by green plants. 2. Valuating natural capital is a difficult and imprecise exercise. -Biological services flowing directly into society from the stock of natural capital are estimated at $36 trillion vs the annual gross world product estimated at $39 trillion. 3. Machines are unable to provide a substitute for human intelligence, knowledge, wisdom, organizational abilities and culture. The sum value of human capital is 3x greater than all the financial manufactured capital reflected on global balance sheets. Conventional Capitalism: In order to bring about any comprehensive economic and ecological change we must understand the basis of present economic thinking. The Industrial Revolution brought about this primary economic ideology summ arized below: * Economic progress can best occur in free-market systems of production and distribution where reinvested profits make labour and capital increasingly productive. Competitive advantage is gained when bigger, more efficient plants manufacture more products for sale to expanding markets. * Growth in total output (GDP) maximizes human well-being. * Any resource shortages that do occur will elicit the development of substitutes. * Concerns for a healthy environment are important but must be balanced against the requirements of economic growth, if a high standard of living is to be maintained. * Free enterprise and market forces will allocate people and resources to their highest and best uses. Natural Capitalism: Four central strategies of Natural Capitalism are: 1. Radical Resource Productivity: It’s the cornerstone of natural capitalism because using resources more effectively has three significant benefits: * Slows resource depletion at one end of the value chain. * Lowers pollution at the other end * Provides a basis to increase world-wide employment with meaningful jobs. The result is lower costs for business and society. Radical resource productivity strategies can nearly halt the degradation of the biosphere, make it more profitable to employ people and thus safeguard against the loss of vital living system and social cohesion. 2. Biomimicry: It’s reducing the wasteful throughput of materials (eliminating the very idea of waste) by redesigning industrial systems on biological lines that change the nature of industrial processes and materials. Materials are constantly reused in a continuous closed cycle thereby eliminating any waste product or toxicity. . Service and Flow Economy: It’s an economy that is based on a FLOW of economic SERVICES that can better protect the ecosystem services upon which it depends. It’s a fundamental change in the relationship between producer and consumer, a shift from and economy of goods and purchases to one of service and flow. This concept entails a new perception of value, a shift from the acquisition of goods as a measure of affluence to an econ omy where the continuous receipt of quality, utility, and performance promotes well-being. This concept offers incentive to put into practice the first two innovation of natural capitalism: 1. Restructuring the economy to focus on relationships that better meet customers’ changing value needs 2. Offer rewards automatically for both resource productivity and closed-loop cycles of material usage. 4. Investing in Natural Capital: It’s the re-investment in sustaining, restoring, and expanding stocks of natural capital, so that the biosphere can produce more abundant ecosystem services and natural resources.

Aspects of interntional accounting & finance Essay

Aspects of interntional accounting & finance - Essay Example Around the world the names and formats of the additional information do very, but the actual information included is often of a similar nature.'' Use recent journals as source of information 2008/2009, these journals will be the main source of information, also use latest books as source of information as the tutor does not accept older sources of information. (2008/2009), and only official websites to be used as sources of information. Financial results are objective numerical yardsticks designed to simplify the assessment of financial strength and progress over a period of time (Hanna et al 2002). Indeed, the increase in academic papers emphasizing on the importance of corporate reporting and financial results of late seems to have outpaced following the Enron Accounting Scandal (Hanna et al 2002:496). According to Hensmans (2003), Adam Smith the founding father of Economics has long acknowledged the important role of financial reporting when he argued that, "the common sense basis of a prospering economy could only be provided by prudence" (Hensman 2003:563). According to Lev (2003), financial results serve as major inputs into investor's valuation models, affecting securities prices and in turn managers compensation and wealth. The figures from financial results are also being used by institutional investors to gauge enterprise performance and the quality of management (Lev 2003). The aim of this paper is analyse BP's 2005 through 2008 annual reports so as to assess the influence of

Potential Computer Application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Potential Computer Application - Essay Example Amazon.com, e-bay are few of the notable sites that deal in such businesses and are world renowned (Dave, 2008). Many a times, it is being said that the threats arise at the end nodes; however the threats are still equally potent even if they do not penetrate the system across the medium. The e-commerce setup largely consists of three components, the server, the I.P section and the client section. Clients are usually the soft targets for the hackers. Security breaches have taken place in history of e-commerce in case of Yahoo and E-bay.com trading and have resulted in large amount of financial damages as well as loss of trust of customers. Code Red Warm, The NIMDA, are few of the threats and experienced by Microsoft in recent past where private data was at direct threat (Whitman & Mattord, 2007). Various other threats include viruses and Trojan horses. Denial of service (D.O.S) is a common term in the world of e commerce and is another menace towards the smooth and reliable operation s in the world of online businesses. The need is to install vendor patches in order to minimize the impact of denial of service intrusions. This along with providing the customers more security n form of protecting their SSN numbers, and most importantly enable encryption mechanism on the transactions performed by the customers (Marchany & Tront, 2002). Installation of firewalls can minimize the entry of undesired elements, and would limit the interaction to only authenticated customers and the parent companies. Encryption in shape of digital signatures and secret keys are small efforts that can make a large difference. Privacy issues about RFID have received extensive attention. Discuss how to protect privacy in electronic society. RFID, acronym for radio frequency identification technique, is largely in use nearly all business centers and malls as well as industries. Their use is not just limited to the commercial applications; rather it is being used in military equipments as wel l. It has reduced the manual work and through the computerized data storing, has added large value to various components of the system. However, of late numbers of issues have popped up during its use. The issues come in various forms and they are believed to be able to trace the customer even after they have left the premises of the mall just because of the tag that is embalmed on the product (Dempsey, 2010) .Other issues concerning this technology include the compatibility in terms of universal handling and the factor of various proprietary bodies that have created further obstacles by restricting its use. With efforts in place for globalization of RFID based on unique numbers, it could further hamper the security factor since the standardization may lead to tracing of other important numbers like credit card and social security numbers. In terms of the supply chain and various industries, it is being believed that the RFID tags can enable getting the information about the interna l components of the supply chain which is otherwise strongly held from other organizations and competitors. On the application front, the possibility of jamming of the particular frequency at which RFID operates, can result in halting of entire system which can be least afforded in the field of medical and military

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Sociology - Essay Example In this first article researchers examined the mental health of Arab Americans. They wanted to determine if their mental health was in any way influenced by how they fit in in their larger communities. They wanted to know if their general social environment and their lives as a minority altered their perceptions of the world. In this article, the researchers define acculturation as â€Å"the process of change on both the individual and group level that results from contact between a minority and a dominant culture, leading members of the minority culture to adjust their original cultural beliefs, values, and behaviors† (81). This definition is a useful starting point. A certain amount of stress accompanies any group that may not have as many opportunities or access to employment than a more dominant social group. For ethnic groups that are new to a country or community, or that share space with a larger group, this can be especially acute. However, the authors of this article did not find that acculturation had a determinant role in the mental health of Arab Americans. It could increase their stress levels but many other factors were involved in their mental health. Ghaddar S, et al. â€Å"Acculturation and healthy lifestyle habits among Hispanics in United States-Mexico border communities.† Rev Panam Salud Publica. 28 (2010):190–7. Many aspects of the lives of ethnic groups can be altered through acculturation.

Task-Centred Anti-Discriminatory Practice in Social Work

Task-Centred Anti-Discriminatory Practice in Social Work Demonstrate your understanding of the main principles of TASK CENTRED PRACTICE. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of the theory in its application to anti discriminatory practice. Introduction The International Federation of Social Work states that: â€Å"The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human  relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being.  Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the  points where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and  social justice are fundamental to social work†[1]. The best kind of social work is that which places the client or service user at the centre of everything it does. This is a core principle of task based social work, rather than working with a set of preconceived ideas the social worker has to negotiate the legal framework within which she/he is obliged to operate in order to achieve the best results for the service user. Task based social work is therefore first and foremost ethical and anti-oppressive social work which takes as its foundation the Human Rights Act of 1998 that each person should be dealt with in terms of the concept of the inherent worth of the individual. This assignment will first give some definition of the role and responsibilities of the social worker. From within this framework it will then look at the main principles of task centred practice and will use imaginary scenarios to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the theory and its application to anti-discriminatory practice. Social Work People looking for a career as a social worker usually have more luck if they have had some experience of dealing with individuals in the community. This could involve work placements or being involved with voluntary work, both of which seen as good practice and background to engage in social work practice. Prior community involvement is seen as a valuable asset for anyone wishing to become a social worker. Social services is set against a background of voluntary charity work in the late nineteenth century and people who get involved in community work are seen to have the right kind of spirit, or an interest in social justice that is a valuable part of social work (Moore, 2002). Tasks and Roles Within the Legal Framework The social worker’s role is outlined by what was the personal social services. The overall aim of social workers is a concern with individuals and the care they may need. Under Government legislation and the Code of Practice, social workers have to act in accordance with the 1998 Human Rights Act, the 1990 NHS and Care in the Community Act (a result of the 1988 Griffiths Report), the Chronically Sick and Disabled Person’s Act of 1970 and the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act. More recently social workers are legally required to be involved in partnership working with other agencies (ref) and this has been extended to include the service user/service provider relationship. There is, arguably, some truth in the fact that this takes what is at heart a charitable search for social justice and puts it on a par with businesses and at the mercy of market forces. The primary work behind task centred practice is the identification of social systems, what they might be and what they do. Thus the properly qualified social worker needs a good deal of sociological knowledge with regard to things like class, gender, race and religion. He/she would also need to be aware of Parson’s work on social systems and socialisation because this gives an insight into the boundaries from which a service user may be operating (Payne, 1991). Once social workers are aware of social systems and how they operate then it is possible to be able to define any imbalances within a working relationship (Payne ibid). This last is a necessary part of anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice, however, we shall see that task centred practice can be a two edged sword for the social worker. Payne’s (1991) systems analysis is essential to task centred practice because it provides the social worker with a conceptual basis to start breaking a problem and its solution into manageable pieces.Task centred practice is based on the idea that people learn by doing and that when they have a success this then improves their performance (Hanvey, 1994). Task centred theory is further premised on the view that tasks are a series of steps that a professional would take in order to help a service user achieve a goal. This goal would need to take into account the rights and responsibilities of others as well as those of the service user. There are three key parts of task centred practice the first part of this process focuses on the problem or situation that the social worker is faced with, for example a young mother who has been hospitalised with mental health problems and now wishes to look after her child herself. In this situation the social worker would have to break the problem down for example what might the risks to the child be if it was left unsupervised with a mother from a difficult client group? The social worker would begin by looking at the whole picture and then focus on particular aspects of the situation that could be problematic. Added to this as the social worker investigates the problem further he/she may find the shape and scope of the problem changing (Hanvey, ibid). Thus the social worker has to establish certain parameters e.g. the urgency of the problem and the chances of failure or success as well as any support the service user may have. In the case of a young mother with mental health iss ues for example the following problem might occur: If the social worker needs to make a visit and the service user refuses to allow entry this could cause problems with regards to any future assessment, something which is required by the legal framework. According to the terms of the Community Care Act of 1990 (circular LAC (92) 12, any needs assessment would have to take into account that persons current living situation, any help or support from friends and relatives and what she herself hopes to gain from the assessment. Because of mental health needs this client would be entitled to a specific type of assessment.[2] A task centred approach involves looking at what the service user wants (in this case to have parental rights and control of her child), what the problems might be. If an earlier assessment has shown that family and friends would be able to offer little in the way of help and a young child is involved then the social worker has a duty to search for alternatives. If the mother’s care of the child is erratic and she is posing a problem for other people around then it would be the social worker’s duty to call in the medical officer of health who then has to obtain an order from the magistrates’ court. This would allow the social worker to gain entry and to assess the situation and the needs of the child, however, this could bring the social worker into a value conflict situation (this, I think is one of the problems with the task centred approach). Task centred social work means that once the social worker has defined the problem and the hoped for outcome, he/she then has to decide whether the outcome is really attainable and what the consequences might be if it were achieved. With the imagined scenario used here achieving what the client wants could involve the social worker in a variety of problematic situations. Ethically speaking the interests of the service user should take priority. However the social worker has a duty to bear in mind the BASW guidelines on ethical practice, Boulton (2003) has said of this: In exceptional circumstances where the priority of the service users interest is outweighed by the need to protect others or by legal requirements, make service users aware that their interests may be overridden (Boulton, 2003 p.10).[3] Where it has been estimated that a child may be at risk then a social worker has a duty of care under the 1989 Children’s Act. At the same time there is a requirement to act within a framework that is informed by the Human Rights Act of 1998 and the rights of the mother have to be taken into consideration. There is a dilemma here for the social worker because a wrong decision could result in harm occasioned either to the child or to the mother as a result of her own actions. In such circumstances a social worker is bound to make an assessment of risk, and also probable harm. If harm is occasioned then the social worker could be held to account. The (system we are in now is almost ready to treat every death as chargeable to someone’s account, every accident as caused by someone’s criminal negligence, every sickness a threatened prosecution. Whose fault? Is the first question (Douglas, 1992:15-16).[4] Clearly this situation needs a multi-agency approach including the social worker, his/her immediate superior, someone from the child protection scheme, the mother’s GP, the health visitor and the mother. Putting the child on the child protection register with regular reviews may help alleviate the situation and is in line with the requirements of the 1989 Children’s Act. This could therefore become a case where the service user’s rights will be overridden because the primary duty is to the child. This is where a social worker would be faced with a conflict of ethics and values which may lead to a practice situation where, as a practitioner, the social worker cannot be right. The final part of a task centred approach is to define just how long a social worker can give to a particular case and this is almost impossible to define, particularly in the imagined scenario above. A case like this could go on for years with different levels of professional involvement. Conclusion Task centred theory, I believe is a good starting point for social workers as it provides some sort of framework for dealing with some of the problems service users may present. While the theory is meant to support anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice, this relies on a thorough understanding of social systems and how they operate. On the other hand there are some situations where a social worker has to weigh the needs of one person against another and this can result in apparent oppression and neglect of a service user’s human rights. The fact of the matter is that there will always be cases where someone is the loser and this is a sad fact of social work experience. Bibliography http://www.gscc.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/30BC32F2-20B2-4D90-ABAB-3666D5BB44EB/0/Rolesandtasksconsultationpaper.pdf accessed 31st March 2007 Boulton, J 2003 Code of Ethics for Social Work available at http://www.basw.co.uk/articles.php?articleId=2page=14 Hanvey, C and Philpot, T. 1994 Practicing Social Work New York, Routledge Kemshall, 2002 Kemshall, H. 2002. Risk, Social Policy and Welfare Buckingham, Open University Press p.9 Payne, M. 1991 Modern Social Work Theory. A Critical Introduction, London: Macmillan. The Care Programme Approach Policy: towards integrated care programme approach and care management (2000) South London and Maudsley NHS Trust 1 [1] http://www.gscc.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/30BC32F2-20B2-4D90-ABAB-3666D5BB44EB/0/Rolesandtasksconsultationpaper.pdf accessed 31st March 2007 [2] The Care Programme Approach Policy: towards integrated care programme approach and care management (2000) South London and Maudsley NHS Trust [3] Boulton, J 2003 Code of Ethics for Social Work available at http://www.basw.co.uk/articles.php?articleId=2page=14 [4] Quoted in Kemshall, 2002 Kemshall, H. 2002. Risk, Social Policy and Welfare Buckingham, Open University Press p.9

I Want to Face the Challenges of Architecture :: Graduate Admissions Essays

I Want to Face the Challenges of Architecture    When you drive home from work, do you ever explore? Sure, it might take longer than usual, and there may be unpleasant stops along the way, but occasionally you will find an unexpected surprise. By casting aside strict conventions and routines and by taking risks, we can achieve things we never considered or thought possible.    I find that many people in our religiously capitalist society only seek the fastest, cheapest, and most efficient route. While some industries hire to increase diversity and thereby innovation, many dare not attempt anything new. In particular, many established architects and developers fear taking chances and fear the risk of failure inherent in untested methods. I, on the other hand, believe that architects must not feel constrained by the past but must follow-up on promising possibilities.    Exploring undiscovered methods and paths requires self-criticism, self-assurance, and courage. In my junior year in college, I doubted the teaching style of my instructor in my first design studio class. I felt as if he pushed his own rigid ideas into the students' creations and did not allow the students the opportunity to pursue their own original designs. Fearing my intellectual growth might be stunted by his lectures and dissatisfied with his teaching, I basically taught myself design by researching and combing through hundreds of architecture books. Through my own studies, I came to realize that architecture should be learned, not preached. That semester, I further challenged myself by working on a design of my own creation, a design not assigned by my instructor. While it would have been easier to accept the instructor' s lessons and just follow his ideas, I realized that I could never take the easy way again now that I discovered that the beauty of architecture lies in learnin g it myself. That semester helped formulate my approach towards architecture and influence my design decisions to this day.    Although self-motivation is extremely important, seeking the guidance and critique of others is essential to good design since others can find what I may have overlooked. One critic who has been particularly crucial to the development of my work is Craig Scott, a Progressive Architecture Awards Winner in 1996,who worked together with Homa Fardjadi and Sima Fardjadi. Craig was my studio critic during the spring term of 1997.