Ways to Keep Fit and Healthy

HOME EXERCISE You don't have to join a gym to get exercise. Depending on your interests you can purchase inexpensive equipment for improving muscle strength, endurance, flexibility, aerobic capacity, fat burning, core training and the like. I recommend an exercise ball, and yoga mats for stretching. Pilates equipment for floor work, a small weight set, and abdominal exercisers are also a good investment. EAT YOUR VEGGIESYou are what you eat; therefore you can only create the body you want when you fuel yourself with food that is good for you. Find food grown locally. Daily servings of vegetables, and food grown without pesticides are best. SPEND TIME OUTDOORS Take a daily walk. Walking burns fat, and boosts your mood as well as your metabolism. Walking will also get you outside, where you can enjoy nature and experience your neighborhood. BREATHE Sounds easy, and it is! Conscious breathing centers your mind, develops focus, and calms the  nervous system.HYDRATE Drink plenty of wate r. Your body is made of over 80% water. Water cleans your blood, floats your brain and burns fat! Drink plenty of fresh water every day. FIND PASSION IN EACH DAY Doing what you love keeps your mind fit and focused. SCHEDULE TIME FOR YOURSELF It is all too easy to let the demands of others interfere with our best of plans. Pencil in your fitness time and keep those appointments as conscientiously as you do all your appointments.A few minutes of meditation, breathing or walking will restore your energy so you can better address the tasks at hand. INNER FITNESS. MEDITATION Meditation provides calm center to work from. It can reduce health risks, and has been known to lower  blood pressure  and reduce inflammation inautoimmune disease. Meditation can heal your body, mind and soul. SLEEP Sleep is when your body grows, your body heals, and your mind dreams, relaxes and organizes. To encourage healthy sleep,

GCSE Macbeth Assignment Essay

Shakespeare wrote â€Å"Macbeth† around 1606. This was a very violent time for the newly recognised British Isles. Just three years earlier, after nearly half a century in power, Queen Elizabeth I had died. She was succeeded by James I (or James VI of Scotland). James was of Scottish heritage and his style of rule was very different to that of Elizabeth who had been strong and imposing character. It would seem that James was a weaker monarch and in 1605, just two years after being crowned, there was a plot to destroy the houses of parliament, a symbol of his power. This is famously known as the Gunpowder Plot and is still commemorated every year on the 5th of November. Most agree that Shakespeare wrote â€Å"Macbeth† (or â€Å"The Scottish Play†) to comment on the underlying mood of the time. He sets his play in Scotland to try and win favour with King James and furthermore, makes the subject matter that of assassination and regicide ending in overall failure, to try and warn other possible plotters against the king. King James was renowned for his fascination and hatred of witches and during his reign tens of thousands of â€Å"witches† were killed. Shakespeare thus makes all the carnage and murder in the play the result of the witches’ prophecies. Our first impression of Macbeth is a very good one. In only the second scene, before we even meet Macbeth, we hear him referred to as â€Å"brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name.† Again, before Macbeth is even introduced to us, King Duncan remarks (with regard to Macbeth and Banquo) â€Å"they smack of honour both.† Although we are also told that Macbeth’s sword was â€Å"smoked with bloody execution† this is most definitely seen as a positive attribute and not as grounds for worry for the other characters. It could however, be a hint from Shakespeare that things are not completely as they seem. Initially, we see Macbeth as valiant and honourable and the man who, almost single-handedly, has saved the battle for his country. At this point, there is no finite indication of the madness that is to follow. In my opinion, right from the scene where we first meet Macbeth, Shakespeare makes it perfectly clear that he is not completely emotionally or psychologically stable. Whilst returning from the battle, Macbeth and his good friend Banquo encounter the three withes that commenced the play. They tell him, â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter.† Macbeth is clearly startled by this, but he tries to reason with himself that what has been said cannot possibly be true. After a short jovial interlude with Banquo – Angus and Ross arrive and congratulate the two on their victory. Then they endow Macbeth with the title of â€Å"Thane of Cawdor,† and I believe that this is the turning point of the whole play. Macbeth seems almost entranced by this and speaks almost the whole of the rest of the scene to himself. He tries to reason what had just taken place but now, he seems changed. As the play develops, we get a closer insight into Macbeth’s mental instabilities and nowhere more so than before the murder of Duncan. Shakespeare has purposefully orchestrated a situation to show Macbeth’s true personality and inner feelings. Macbeth, however bloody and deranged he may seem after his encounter with the witches, is still a respectable man, and killing his king is a very large decision for him to take. Lady Macbeth has completely pressured him into this situation and this in itself shows us that Macbeth is not a strong person at all. We can see this clearly by the fact that Macbeth says â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business,† supposedly putting his foot down. However, by the end of Lady Macbeth’s response Macbeth is already asking the question â€Å"If we should fail?† This indicates that Lady Macbeth has no respect or fear for Macbeth who, only three scenes earlier was being described as bloody, valiant and honourable. He reminds his wife that â€Å"Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return to plague th’inventor,† pondering whether he would be killed if he were to be found out. Possibly in another act of cowardice he never directly tells Lady Macbeth about what he thinks will happen. But instead tells her, â€Å"This blow might be the be-all and the end-all here.† However, Lady Macbeth’s influence and determination is far greater than his and she forces Macbeth into the committing the deed. Macbeth tells his wife that it would be inhumane to kill King Duncan, â€Å"I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none.† We can also see that there is a definite element of fear in Macbeth, as when speaking, he refrains from using the word â€Å"murder.† Instead he uses euphemisms, â€Å"done† or â€Å"it†: â€Å"If it were done when’t is done.† He uses other words such as, â€Å"surcease† and â€Å"blow,† because Macbeth cannot even bear to say the word â€Å"murder.† Throughout the scene we see flashes of the â€Å"honourable† Macbeth described at the beginning of the play. For instance Macbeth displays a degree loyalty to Duncan when arguing with Lady Macbeth because he tells her, â€Å"as his host who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself.† The words â€Å"who should† mean that although Macbeth accepts that he should have said no to his wife, her influenced has forced him otherwise. In fitting with the times, Shakespeare uses Biblical imagery in his writing. Macbeth says â€Å"That is virtues will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against the deep damnation of his taking-off.† Apart from showing us that Macbeth is fearful of the immediate consequences of his actions, this also reveals his paranoia over the effects it will have on his after-life. The belief that someone would either go to heaven or to hell was virtually taken for granted in the early 17th Century. By using religious imagery in his play, Shakespeare makes sure that his intended audience are able to relate to the play fully. Finally, a stronger side of Macbeth then comes out and he says â€Å"I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition.† Meaning that the only thing â€Å"spurring† him on is his ambition and nothing else, not even the pressure being exerted by his wife. He tells her that she is not affecting his actions, and in doing so, attempts to reassert him authority on the conversation. Shakespeare investigates many different aspects of Macbeths psyche in this short scene. On the one hand, contradictory to the picture of Macbeth that we have built up, Macbeth seems to be very weak. This is shown by the way Lady Macbeth has easily manipulated him and in some ways poisoned his mind. In this scene we also see shades of a more gentle Macbeth coming through, with his reluctance and doubt about killing Duncan. This whole scene leaves the audience very confused. Should they feel sympathy for Macbeth as they watch him try to defend himself against Lady Macbeth’s barrage of out-downs? Or should they dismiss his reluctance to kill Duncan as a symptom of his schizophrenia (and not that his conscience is catching up with or his more humane side coming out)? I am not even sure that Macbeth quite knows what to think, something that works perfectly for Shakespeare – as this layer of uncertainty creates suspense within the audience and forces them to carry on listening. After the murder, we are given yet more insight into Macbeth’s character. Fleeing from the scene of the crime he shows signs of paranoia. After hearing someone in the distance he shouts â€Å"Who’s there? what, ho!† He is clearly not thinking as, having just committed a terrible crime; he should have tried to have stayed undetected. The murder has definitely had an effect on him. He then discovers that luckily, it is only his wife and when he meets her anxiety clouds his thoughts. The first thing that he asks is â€Å"Didst thou not hear a noise?† To calm himself down he persistently asks Lady Macbeth whether she heard noises â€Å"When?†, â€Å"As I descended?† trying to reassure himself that he was not detected and there is nothing to worry about. His speech is edgy and uneasy. It that shows that he has not managed to calm down. Shakespeare usually wrote in iambic pentameters and these short one-word questions distort the flow of this pattern and are meant to indicate the paranoia and nervousness of Macbeth and his wife. Macbeth must have been extremely perturbed when he was in the room with Duncan. He says â€Å"this is a sorry sight,† whilst he is looking at his hands. This indicates that the killing was messy and later, Macbeth describes them as â€Å"hangman’s hands.† This could mean that Macbeth is disgusted and sorrowful for committing such a disgraceful crime and that he is showing signs of remorse. He continues to use euphemisms, such as â€Å"deed† to block out and forget the murder as much as he can. Shakespeare tries to give the audience the impression that Macbeth is sorry for his actions and not a cold-blooded person. Shakespeare also gives Macbeth another human element whereby he has him looking down at his hands, something that many people can identify with. Macbeth then goes on to talk about the â€Å"deed.† He mentions that when the two grooms were in the room with Duncan one cried, â€Å"Murder!† As Macbeth has refrained from using this tabooed word throughout the passage he must be very unstable to finally use it. Shakespeare also uses an exclamation mark which is meant to startle the audience and create suspense with a short pause. The short pause here is in start contrast to Macbeths other words which are written to be spoken very quickly. This is to give the audience the idea that Macbeth wants to forget his experience and get it off his chest as quickly as possible. A good example is when Macbeth is again talking about the two grooms, â€Å"That they did wake each other: I stood and heard them; but they did say their prayers, and addressed them again to sleep†. What Macbeth says next can also tell us much about his inner feelings. He does not respond to Lady Macbeth’s remark â€Å"There are two lodged together,† but instead carries on as if she were not there. This is a sure sign, as if it were needed, that he has been deeply affected by the prior events. He speaks in a jumbled fashion but yet his flow is uninterrupted. He refers to the Biblical terms used by the guards, â€Å"G-d bless us!† and â€Å"Amen.† He then says that he could not respond to the statement â€Å"G-d bless us† with the traditional â€Å"Amen.† This is probably because, looking at his blood soaked hands and thinking about what he has done he feels that he has badly dishonoured his religion Muddling his sentences, once more reveals the volatile state of his mind and his inability to think straight. Obsessed with the betrayal of his religion, he continues to talk about his inability to say â€Å"Amen.† He also mentions, â€Å"I had most need of blessing.† Here, Macbeth must be thinking about what will happen to him in the afterlife and whether he will be eternally damned for his actions. Macbeth then carries on to talk about sleep. He tells us that sleep is â€Å"innocent,† hinting that whilst he is asleep, he does not feel the guilt of whatever cruel actions he has taken during the day. He says that sleeps is â€Å"great nature’s second course,† referring to his life as a meal and saying that his â€Å"innocent sleep† is the best course. Then his words take on a dark tone. Again, completely ignoring what Lady Macbeth has said, he carries on in an entranced state. He says â€Å"Macbeth does murder sleep†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"Glamis hath murder’d sleep, and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more.’ The fact that he can no longer escape to his â€Å"innocent sleep† because â€Å"Cawdor† and â€Å"Glamis† (he does not mention his own name or talk in the first person, probably through guilt) have murdered it evidently disturbs Macbeth. In my opinion, Shakespeare uses makes Macbeth say â€Å"Cawdor† and â€Å"Glamis† to remind the audience of the significance of the prophecy by the witches to the plot of the play – and specifically the murder. Finally, the audience are shown that Macbeth is broken and hysterical. Macbeth has given up and is reluctant to carry on. â€Å"I’ll go on no more: I am afraid to think what I have done.† Macbeth believes that he cannot carry on through fear of being discovered and that he would be constantly reminded of this great sin. This scene reiterates to the audience Macbeth’s insanity and shows us many of his emotions that we have already seen such. However, we see yet another side to Macbeth’s persona in the form of his religiousness. The audience is now confronted with someone who initially was the archetypal hero, but now is the complete antithesis. During the play the audience have seen his rationality and his insanity, his treachery and honour and both his bravery and cowardice. Now furthermore, we see his spirituality. Again, the audience cannot help but be bemused about who the real Macbeth is – and at this point in the play, which signals Macbeths psychological demise, this serves a brilliant dramatic purpose in that the audience really do not know what to expect next. The final act regards Macbeth’s demise. After hearing that Macbeth has murdered his entire family, Macduff (who has had his doubts about Macbeth ever since the murder of Duncan) joins forces with Prince Malcolm (Duncan’s son who fled to England after hearing of his father’s death).Meanwhile, Macbeth has visited the witches again – paranoid of Macduff’s challenge to his crown. They told him that he has nothing to worry to about â€Å"for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth† and that he was alright â€Å"until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane shall come against him.† At the beginning of Act 5 Scene 3, Macduff is already advancing on Macbeth. Macbeth seems confident and he insists, â€Å"bring me no more reports: let them fly all.† He is obviously not worried, however desperate the situation may seem because he truly believes that what the witches have told him is true. Shakespeare is possibly hinting this when he uses the word â€Å"fly† which has connotations of witchcraft. We are then reminded of Macbeth’s valiant side we were told about at the beginning of the play. He shows fearlessness by describing his servant as a â€Å"cream-faced loon,† meaning that he is pale faced and fearful. Macbeth therefore tells the servant to â€Å"prick thy face, and over-red thy fear.† Here telling him to cut himself and cover his face with the blood to look less pale. The Macbeth speaking now able to talk about subjects like shedding blood and feels no need to replace such words with euphemisms. This could be a sign that either Macbeth has lost all the guilt and remorse for his past murders, or that he is completely insane and no longer has any humanity left. We see flashes of this valiant Macbeth throughout the act. An example of this is when he says â€Å"I’ll fight, till from my bones my flesh be hacked.† Macbeth is then greeted with the news that – in the words of his messenger – â€Å"The wood began to move† He wonders whether the witches have deceived him, and he sets out fighting even though it may be in vain. He crosses Siward’s son. Macbeth is very arrogant about his clash with Siward’s son, because the witches’ predictions have proved correct so far, and they have told him not to fear any human born of a woman. Siward’s Son asks him his name, and as if a man assured of victory he replies â€Å"Thou’lt be afraid to hear it.† He finally answers â€Å"My name’s Macbeth,† this short phrase shows how self-assured Macbeth is. It also carries alliteration when spoken. The conflict concludes with Siward’s Son’s death. Macbeth makes a speech in soliloquy after killing Siward, â€Å"But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn, Brandished by man that’s of a woman born.† The rhyming couplet gives his image a boost by convincing the audience that he is invincible. He assures himself that he has power and control over fate. When Macbeth meets Macduff, he tries to take the same tone as with Siward’s Son. He tells Macduff that â€Å"I bear a charmed life, which must not yield To one of woman born† Macduff replies â€Å"Despair thy charm†¦ Macduff was from his mother’s womb Untimely ripp’d.† At this Macbeth is clearly startled and he curses the witches accusing them of being â€Å"juggling fiends,† because they have tricked him through â€Å"juggling† their words. When Macbeth accepts Macduff’s challenge, even though he knows the end is near, the valiant and honourable side of his character shines through again. Macduff calls Macbeth a â€Å"coward† and tells him to â€Å"yield.† Possibly in one final maniac act of desperation he accepts the challenge and does not yield. He says that he cannot be dishonoured, â€Å"to kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet.† This is very clever as it uses distinct imagery that is easy to relate to. He goes on to say â€Å"I will not yield†¦ to be baited with the rabble’s curse†, saying that if he yields even common people will tease him. He goes forth to battle with Macduff and is killed. Shakespeare’s Macbeth is on of the classic tragic figures in literary history. He personifies a man’s corruption as a result of power. From our initial view of him, as what can only be described as a hero, we see him fall into an abyss of mental instability and eventually insanity. Shakespeare investigates many ideas such as, things not being as they seem, feminine influence and the overall result of regicide. He uses many cleverly crafted semantic fields such as clothes (â€Å"why do you dress me in borrow’d robes†) and a man’s face (â€Å"There’s daggers in men’s smiles†). These all work as clever imagery to further entice the audience. Apart from being a tragic hero, Macbeth is also one of the most complicated of all of Shakespeare’s characters. He goes through almost every emotion that we have a word for, and his feelings always contradict. First we think he is a fearless warrior, and then we see him bullied by his heartless wife. This serves a superb dramatic purpose for Shakespeare as the audience are never sure what to think or what to expect next. The conclude, the play â€Å"Macbeth† is undoubtedly one of Shakespeare’s greatest masterpieces and is a timeless piece of theatre – with its core, being the dramatic enigma that it the character, Macbeth.

Bleakness and Futility in Chapter 2 of The Great Gatsby

Consider the second chapter of Great Gates, pages 23-25; investigate Fitzgerald 's image, form, structure, and his comments on American society in the 1920' s. The swaying and bleaky images of the Valley of Ash juxtaposed with the end of the starlight in Chapter 1 show the devastation and useless of the society of the 1920s Jazz era. It embodies the spiritual hollow nature of society, eventually collapsing and falling into its fundamental entity-free nature. The connection of the hedonistic carnival in the opening chapter finds the division of the metaphor in the contradiction of Chapter 2; they collapse like the American dream structure. Gatsby is wonderful. When you pick up the book, the first thing you see is the title Great Gatsby so you expect Gatsby before opening the book. As we revealed in the first chapter that the narrator is the same as Gatsby's neighbor Nick Calloway, it tells us that he hates Gatsby, but at the end of the paragraph he marks the character of Gatsby gorgeo us . Scott Fitzgerald's great Gatsby was known as a roaring twenty in the American history in the 1920s. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby reflects the life of the 1920s. In the roaring twenties, prospering parties, outstanding fresh fashion trends, and excessive alcohol are every aspect of life. The magnificent party of Scott Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby reflects the American life in the 1920s. Gatsby shows his excellent wealth by opening a spectacular party We must recognize that there are many similarities between Great Gatsby and its author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Most importantly, Great Gatsby was done in the 1920s, and Fitzgerald experienced this period. The 1920s was an important point in Fitzgerald 's life. It is just like the important link in this novel. But the period is not the only similarity between Fitzgerald and great Gatsby, but it is the one that can best form the story. Fitzgerald is one of the themes of Great Gatsby, focusing on important differences between th e pursuit of dreams and the realization of dreams. Fitzgerald does not directly address this idea, but it plays it through the actions of the character. For example, in Chapter 5, Gatsby showed Daisy and Nick all the wealth he accumulated to impress Daisy. The author's topic can be seen in the behavior of Gatsby.

Dupont Analysis Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Dupont Analysis Project - Assignment Example Adidas AG is on the other had a German MNC that designs and manufactures sports accessories and apparels. Adidas also produces shirts, watches, bags, eyewear, and other sports related accessories. The products of Nike can be categorized into seven key types namely, Basketball, Football or Soccer, Women’s Training, Running, Men’s Training, Nike Sportswear, and Action Sports. In addition to the products mentioned above the portfolio of Adidas also include products like Cricket, Tennis, Golf, Rugby, Lacrosse, Gymnastics, Skateboarding, and Hockey. The companies operate in a very competitive domestic and macroeconomic environment. This is apparent from the level of diversification strategies adopted by Adidas and Nike in order to reduce the level of competition. Both companies have also diversified their operations internationally and but still faces competition from other local and international firms like Puma. Rapid transition in technology and consumer preferences in market for athletic apparel and accessories posed considerable risk for business operations. Some of the specific identified risk factors are: The DuPont analysis can be used to analyse the inherent strengths and weakness of any firm as reflected from it’s publish financial statements. Basically, the analysis involves determination of three types of key ratios namely profitability, efficiency, and equity multiplier that estimates operating efficiency, asset utilization and financial leverage respectively. The DuPont analysis calculates the return on equity that is calculated using the following formula: Profitability- This ratio is a comprehensive measure of profitability that gives the rate at which the sales are being transformed into corporate profits at different levels of business operations. The profitability of Nike was higher than that of Adidas from 2010 to 2012. When profitability trends of both

The Thought Experiment in the Foundations of Artificial Intelligence Research Paper

The Thought Experiment in the Foundations of Artificial Intelligence - Research Paper Example However, this is limited to a text only channel such as a keyboard and display screen to display the results. The test involves an interrogator, a machine and a person. The interrogator should be in a room separated from both the machine and the other person. All participants are in fact completely separated from each other, whereby both the machine and the person are designated labels X and Y. This means that he does not know which one is the machine and which one is the person at the beginning of the game. The interrogator’s objective is to distinguish between the two using a series of questions on the machine and the other person as well. The questions could be of the form â€Å"Will X please tell me whether X plays chess?† (Oppy Graham, Dowe David, 2011, The Turing Test, para. 7). Both must answer the question. The machine’s objective is to try and convince the interrogator that it’s indeed the other person, while the person tries to help him identify correctly which one is the machine. If the interrogator fails to reliably tell the machine from the human, then the machine is said to have passed the test. The test does not check the ability to give the correct answer; however it checks how closely the answer resembles that of a typical human answer. ... The technology available now is far from achieving a credible human-like conversation for five minutes as Turing believed it would. The dynamics of human conversation are far too complex as factors like arrangement of words come into play. This can be well observed in the Loebner Prize Competition; an annual event in which computer programs are submitted to the Turing Test. Such competitions have catalysed the growth of AI technology substantially over the years, whereby programs like ELIZA came up. In 1997, one exceptional program called CONVERSE, developed by David Levi and his team, including a well-known researcher in computational linguistics, Yorick Wilks, won the Loebner Prize competition (William J. Rapaport, 2005, The Turing Test). Turing’s experiments focuses mainly on an AI machine’s ability to understand natural language. However this test has undergone some objections over time whereby some people suggest that it is chauvinistic i.e. it only recognizes inte lligence in things that have the capacity to sustain a conversation with humans. Others thought that the Turing Test is not sufficiently demanding. Turing (1950) however considered possible objections to his claim that machines can â€Å"think†. He went ahead and labelled them such as; The Theological objection, the â€Å"Heads in the sand† objection, The Argument from Consciousness, Arguments from Various Disabilities, Lady Lovelace's Objection, Argument from Continuity of the Nervous System, The Argument from Informality of Behaviour and finally, The Argument from Extra-Sensory Perception (Oppy & Dowe, 2011, Turing (1950) and Responses to Objections, para.1). A rather simplified

See email Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

See email - Essay Example In this research we will use Christopoulous and Tsionas (2004) model, where the growth rate of GDP is dependent of financial development along side with other variable. Some of the countries in the Asian economy which will be considered are South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Pakistan and China. These countries will be focused in trying to study the contribution of financial market in the process of developing the economy. They all have similar economic development progress, culture and geographic proximity, thus making it possible to be used in determining the impact of financial market to the overall economic growth in a particular economy. The results will vary depending on the nature of the economic system, pattern of financial system and the type of model used to analyze the data. A strong correlation that exists between economic growth and financial market is a well recognized fact which has received more attention by most economists. This can be supported by the revolutionary works of Walter Bagehot (1873) and Joseph Schumpeter (1912). Over time, the direction in financial markets has really evolved growth and a strong association of development with rapid capital increase. Generally, when there are no funds in a particular country, then, there is no incentive for economic development. Immediately after accumulation of funds and an increase in per capita, financial markets become very active with the emergence of the financial intermediaries that tend to grow in number and size. This economic growth has a positive change in the overall production level of goods and services in that particular economy. Most of the conventional economists suggest that, factors of production such as capital, land and labor are the key determinants of technological change and a re the main source of change in the production function. It is obvious that a well functioning financial

TEENAGE PREGNANCY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

TEENAGE PREGNANCY - Essay Example In the past few years, pregnant teenagers have become a twisted fashion statement, a heavily sought-out fad (Moore, 2006). Now, at the beginning of the second decade of this new millennium, teenage pregnancies are increasing at an alarming rate with no decrease in sight due to a lack of knowledge being given to the teenagers. There are three common causes as to why teenagers are becoming pregnant at a shocking rate. Socially, it is ordinary for teenagers to be pressured by their peers to engage in underage sex, resulting in young pregnancies. Teenagers have the mindset that if their friends and classmates are involving themselves in underage sex, then not only should they do the same, but they feel that their actions will be condoned by the commonality of underage sex. Economically, it has been proven that teenagers from lower income neighborhoods or situations of poverty have an increased chance at becoming pregnant due to a lack of information and resources, as well as access to contraceptives (Cherry, 2001). Legally, many teenagers believe that they are old enough than what the age of consent lays down, and that they are old enough to know what they want as possible parents at such a young age. Furthermore, it is quite often that the men that impregnate the girls are unaware of how old they really are , which, regardless of whether or not the girls give permission, goes against the law of age of consent. Teenagers either going through pregnancy or making their rounds as teenage moms face numerous social problems as a result of their poorly calculated sex romps. Due to the demand of infants for their mothers, the majority of teenage moms have no choice but to drop out of school to tend to their baby. Although they do exist, very few schools offer specialized daycare facilities to take care of children while their mothers are in class

Management Change at Cal-Tek Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

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Business - Essay Example One of the primary aspects of how globalisation impacts international business is the inter-dependency of international trade. Whereby historically economies were limited to geographical boundaries, having economic systems wholly contained within a national infrastructure, today with the presence of global product trade, it is altering the global economy. For instance, this can be witnessed in China, a country that maintained a very immature capital market until the 1990s as a result of the historical command economy that was centrally controlled by Chinese government. As China’s economy began to expand as a result of government deregulation, GDP and exportation became a favourable activity to ensure rapid economic growth. As a result, in order to become competitive with the rest of the developed world, it was necessary for businesses (once dominated by government) to adopt capitalistic and neoliberal ideologies which allows for capital assets and production systems to be whol ly owned and managed by private business leaders (Degen 2008). As a result of this change toward capitalism in a previously Communist nation, it became more inviting for foreign businesses to establish joint ventures and strategic alliances with growing Chinese companies to gain a foothold for market entry. Government in China no longer owned majority equity stakes in businesses which ultimately led to opening new competitive opportunities for smaller firms that could not previously compete with government-controlled business group conglomerates. As a result, Western management philosophy (as one relevant example) became entrenched in Chinese businesses with an emphasis on human capital development and organisational culture development rather than operating under tightly-controlled and centralised hierarchies of authority. Adopting a more

Probability Games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Probability Games - Essay Example The coin flip has only two probable outcomes, that is, either it is heads or tails. One flipped the coin twenty times and got a result of eleven heads and nine tails. Although flipping a coin is said to have an equal chance of coming up on either side, one’s experience did not have such a result. This may be due to the fact that the experiment was only made twenty times. According to frequentists, â€Å"the probability of getting a heads is 1/2, not because there are two equally likely outcomes but because repeated series of large numbers of trials demonstrate that the empirical frequency converges to the limit 1/2 as the number of trials goes to infinity† (Edurite.com, n.d.). ` When one played the dice roll, one realized that the outcomes are much more than the coin flip because each die has six sides. The other die has also six sides; thus, rolling the two dice at the same time would mean that there are greater possible outcomes. It is therefore harder to predict the results of the dice roll than the coin flip. The method that will be difficult for children to understand is the theoretical method because it is difficult to imagine it. Experimental probabilities are easier to understand because they can see it clearly, such as the coin flipping. For children, using formulas to determine the probabilities is quite a challenge. Through the games that one played, one learned that in determining probabilities, it is important that one knows what the likely outcomes of the experiment are. One also learned that some outcomes may have equal likely outcomes while others may be mutually exclusive events (Homepages.ius.edu, n.d.). There are also some events which may be non-mutually exclusive, which means that some events may have common outcomes (Homepages.ius.edu, n.d.). The study of probabilities is very relevant to decision making. Although, the experiment that one performed by playing the coin flip and the dice roll may not be so important,

Best Buy Case Study Write Up Essay Example for Free

Best Buy Case Study Write Up Essay 1. How does Best Buy define customer centricity? The idea behind customer centricity was to be the customer’s smart friend and give a full solution. The sales people stand by the customers and try to find what they really need and what they want. The opposite of this would be product centricity. At this time the electronics were getting easier to use, their interaction required specific knowledge that only a fraction of the client base possessed. In this situation, the used to be advantage of best buy disappeared, and the company tested the first version of customer-centricity by setting up 12 laboratory stores and then rolling out tested concepts in 32 pilot stores. The test were successful very successful. Best buy changed its segments from products such as MP3, TV, or PC to customers like Barry. All these make customers more convenient to shop in the store. Compared to the other stores, Best Buy did not focus on brands but usage. The sales person never asked what do you want to buy, but rather ask what you want to do. In launching customer centricity, Anderson used an autocratic set of power tools and expected swift support from his top team to execute his vision. 2. Is Customer-Centricity the same as customer services? No, the customer-Centricity is not the same as customer service. The difference is that they can contour their sales and service pitch to each individual after they know which category that they fall into. They know from past company stastistics and knowledge about the different types and what their shopping style is like. Customer service is about trying to sell your existing products. The case states also that customer service may be in response to its competitors, and not its customers. Customer centricity mainly focuses on research of customers buying power, purchase preference and customer behavior. It is based on the research that Best Buy has gathered over time. From here, the company can redesign its products, and develop a new marketing strategy and give more suitable service. 3. How does it relate to Consumer behavior? Chapter 10 touches upon things that could be related to consumer behavior. In store decision making talks about spontaneous shopping which is unplanned buying and impulse buying. Point of purchase stimuli is product display or demonstration that draws attention. The salesperson also can create exchange process. This involves commercial friendships. This is basically what customer centricity is about, forming commercial friendships. Chapter 10 also talks post purchase satisfaction which is the overall feeling about a product after someone has purchased it. Chapter 13 discusses income and social class and this is directly correlated to the customer centricity model. The model puts people in different classes. They were Jill, Barry, angles and devils. Chapter 13 goes into detail and talks about how people can be put in classes based on income, education, age, religion, gender, just like Best Buy put these four people into classes to segment them. Best Buy, in essence, used consumer behavior to classify these people. 4. Finally, do you agree with this new strategy for Best Buy? What is its impact on the financial performance? We think that it was a good idea for Best Buy to implement this. It has worked financially and it seemed to have made the company more profitable. From looking at the financials from 2002 to 2004, it appears as though the strategy seems to be working. Best Buy remains at the top of the list for Consumer electronics companies in the United States. Its revenue was 49.7 billion dollars in 2010, which is 18% of North American market share. In the last 5 years, it keeps 25% of gross profit growth. It seemed like it was known that Wal Mart would catch Best Buy as the number one store at that time, but I think this was because of different reasons, like its building of so many new stores and supply chain capability.

Alien Rhyming Poem Essay Example for Free

Alien Rhyming Poem Essay I’ll even do the rhyming thing, I guess. Firstly, I should tell you of our species But keep in mind, we’re very different beings Our social status is decided by blood. Some were brightly colored, others were like mud. Not of whom we are from descended from, We had no family, no dad, or mum. We are assigned a caretaker from birth, Not of Troll descent, for what it’s worth. They’re assigned an animal, called a lusus, I, was a special case. One that caused a fuss. I had candy red blood. I was a mutant. And most trolls, considered me a pollutant. I was left for dead as a baby grub, It was quite an intentional snub. I would have died that first night, cold and lonesome, If it weren’t for one troll, who was wholesome. No troll had ever cared for a young one, Let alone raise it, was their son. She was an adult, in green attire, And the look on her face, made her seem quite dire. Despite her outwardly appearance She taught me the meaning of adherence. Our species is naturally hostile, And knowing this, made me feel quite vile. I despised all of my species needless strife, The type that nearly ended my life. The hierarchical system is cruel, Leaving it to chance if you serve or rule. The lowest color on the hemospectrum, Were the bronze-bloods, all of which were thought as scum They were lucky to live through their childhood, And they were blessed if they were understood. The second of blood colors was yellow, These poor souls were forced to live in the ghetto. And if they could not afford to live there, They were sold to slavery, and none would care. Up next was olive, jade, and then teal, And none of these were really a big deal. After that, cerulean and dark blue, These were the hardest to attend to. These classes were always struggling for power, It made their general tone, quite sour. The highest of the normal bloods was purple, And out of all of them, they were most verbal. Always making demands, but never amends, However, the aggrievance extends. They considered themselves royalty, Flaunting around all flamboyantly. Near the top, were the violet blooded, And they lived in places that were flooded. They had a mutation which gave them gills, And plenty of impractical frills. And at the top were those with blood like gold, And every single one of them was cold. They like the purple-bloods had gills and frills, But they would kill others just for thrills They ruled over our race with an iron fist, But only one at any time could exist. This made a cruel sort of monarchy One which plunged plunged the lowbloods into poverty. And if you spoke out against the crimes Well it was like stepping into a field of landmines. And if one was seen with my blood hue, They’d be allowed to kill me. Through, and through. Despite all this, she raised me as a child, And when I learned of this I think I smiled But that was the only blessing I was brought, For the rest of my life, I wish I forgot. I traveled the lands, preaching my ideal, I had set out on my quest with a great zeal. I sought to change the views of society, And change all of their impropriety. I taught the values of peace and love, Something that most were afraid to talk of. Not all were too fond of my teachings, They thought of it as annoying screeching. But eventually, I gathered a cult. One much to her majesty’s insult. She sent her best men to find and catch me, I on the other hand, did my best to flee. Eventually they caught me, my disciple too, But in some stroke of luck, the let her through. She went on, spreading word of my Lessons, I hope she went on, to teach her own sessions I, however was not treated so well, They locked me up in their deepest cell. They tortured me for what seemed like forever, They had no mercy for me whatsoever. I screamed with anger that pierced the skies All of my love, had said their goodbyes. The only thing left, was anger and hatred, And in time, all my teachings faded. I could not make a stand for peace and love, For those, my species are unworthy of. And now you know all of my suffering, And why my irons, are still burning. †

Understanding Fatigue and the Implications for Worker Safety

Understanding Fatigue and the Implications for Worker Safety Introduction Workplace safety requires a systematic approach that includes an understanding of risk factors and identification of hazards. Worker fatigue has been identified as a risk factor for both acute and cumulative injuries. Fatigue and incomplete recovery can lead to decreased capacity that can result in an increased risk of injury and a decline in work efficiency (Kumar 2001, de Looze, Bosch, and van Dieà «n 2009, Visser and van Dieà «n 2006). In addition, fatigue contributes to accidents, injuries and death (Williamson et al. 2011). Over $300 million in lost productivity time in US workplaces can be tied to fatigue. Significantly reducing the incidence of fatigue-induced workplace injuries and lost productivity depends on the accurate and timely detection of fatigue to allow for appropriate intervention. Although the term fatigue is commonly used, it has come to refer to many concepts in occupational safety and health. In order to manage and mitigate fatigue and the associated risks, it is essential to understand the different types and components. Fatigue is generally accepted as resulting in the impairment of capacity or performance as a result of work. However, fatigue is multidimensional, either acute or chronic, whole body or muscle level, physical or mental, central or peripheral. In addition, it includes a decline in objective performance, as well as perceptions of fatigue. Of added importance are the roles of sleep and circadian function. Each of these aspects of fatigue do not occur in isolation, but interact to modify worker capacity and injury risk. Both mental and physical fatigue can result in poor decision making, which may result in an acute injury (Williamson et al. 2011). The risk of injury is dependent on both the injury mechanism and the characteristics of the work being performed. Parameters of importance in the development of fatigue, and subsequent risk, include the length of time-on-task between breaks, work pace, and the timing of rest breaks (Williamson et al. 2011). Researchers have postulated that through delineation of the quantitative details of relevant variables, appropriate interventions and injury control can be developed (Kumar 2001). How to best quantify workplace conditions, particularly physical exposures experienced by the worker, remains an open research question (Kim and Nussbaum 2012). Current approaches to fatigue monitoring and detection often rely either on fitness-for-duty tests to determine whether the worker has sufficient capacity prior to start work, monitoring of sleep habits, or intrusive monitoring of brain activation (using electroencephalography (EEG)) (Balkin et al. 2011) or changes in local muscle fatigue (using electromyography (EMG)) (Dong, Ugaldey, and El Saddik 2014). While there is no single standard measurement of fatigue, there are numerous subjective measurement scales and objective measurement techniques that can be adapted for workplace use. Recent advances in wearable technologies also present an opportun ity for real-time and in-the-field assessment of fatigue development. Why should we care about fatigue? Fatigue in the workplace is often described as a multidimensional process, which results in a diminishing of worker performance. It results from prolonged activity, and is associated with psychological, socioeconomic and environmental factors (Barker and Nussbaum 2011, Yung 2016). From an occupational health and safety perspective, fatigue must be managed and controlled since it has significant short-term and long-term implications. In the short-term, fatigue can result in discomfort, diminished motor control, and reduced strength capacity (Bjà ¶rklund et al. 2000, Cà ´tà © et al. 2005, Huysmans et al. 2010). These effects might lead to reduced performance, lowered productivity, deficits in work quality, and increased incidence of accidents and human errors (Yung 2016). Fatigue can also result in longer term adverse health outcomes, including, e.g., chronic fatigue syndrome (Yung 2016) and reduced immune function (Kajimoto 2008). It can be seen as a precursor to work-related muscu loskeletal disorders (WMSDs) (Iridiastadi and Nussbaum 2006). These outcomes have been associated with future morbidity and mortality, work disability, occupational accidents, increased absenteeism, increased presenteeism, unemployment, reduced quality of life, and disruptive effects on social relationships and activities (Yung 2016). The safety impacts of fatigue are best evidenced in the transportation domain. In the U.S., an estimated 32,675 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2014 (2015a). In 2013 there were 342,000 reported truck crashes that resulted in 3,964 fatalities and ~95,000 injuries (2015b). While these crashes often result from several factors, it is estimated that driver-related factors are the leading cause for 75-90% of fatal/injury-inducing crashes (Craye et al. 2015, Stanton and Salmon 2009, Medina et al. 2004, Lal and Craig 2001). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that about 20% of all crashes are fatigue-related (Strohl et al. 1998) and 60% of fatal truck crashes can be attributed to the driver falling asleep while driving (Craye et al. 2015). Drowsy driving increases crash risk by 600% over normal driving (Klauer et al. 2006). For many years, a succinct definition of fatigue has been sought after (Aaronson et al. 1999). In our estimation, there is no simple and standard definition for fatigue. For example, our statement above: Fatigue in the workplace is often described as a multidimensional process, which results in a diminishing of worker performance, while true, is not sufficient to describe fatigue, since there are many other conditions that may result in a diminished workers performance (e.g., motivation). Perhaps, more importantly, there are several other factors that impact our ability to determine one standard definition: Workplace fatigue development mechanisms differ significantly according to the occupation type. For example, in manufacturing, the focus is typically on physical/muscle fatigue or related to the shift schedule, and in transportation drowsiness and sleepiness are often the root-causes for driver fatigue. Given the complexity of the human body, a single mechanism unlikely explains fatigue under all conditions, even for a single task and fatigue type (i.e. muscle fatigue) (Weir et al. 2006). No one definition can explain the complex interactions between biological processes, behavior, and psychological phenomena (Aaronson et al. 1999). It is unlikely that a single theory can be used to explain all observations of performance deterioration (Weir et al. 2006). Thus, we cannot provide a single definition of fatigue in this paper. Instead we refer the reader to Yung (2016, p.14) for a summary of multiple example fatigue definitions from various domains. Measuring and Quantifying Fatigue In this section, we divide how fatigue is measured according to cognitive and physical functions respectively. Talk about PVT and reaction time as the main standards for sleep-related fatigue There are several important cognitive characteristics that are typically assed in the context of fatigue. These include: a) arousal, b) alertness/ attention, c) cognitive control, d) motivation, and e) stress. Arousal is commonly measured in transportation safety studies since it aims at assessing sleep deprivation, an important root-cause for trucking crashes (especially at night) (Philip et al. 2005, Strohl et al. 1998). Measures of arousal include heart rate, electrodermal response (EDR), pupil dilation and self-report questionnaires (Yung 2016). Alertness and attention are important in translating sensory and work-related inputs into actionable items. They can be measured using gaze direction, EEG, validated scales, and questionnaires. The third characteristic, cognitive control, has to do with the time taken to process information, and thus, reaction time is perhaps the most commonly used measure for evaluating it. The fourth characteristic is perhaps the hardest to measure sinc e motivation cannot be assessed except through questionnaires and validated scales. Stress can be assessed through a number of measures which include heart rate variability, blood pressure and body postures (Yung 2016). The reader should note that the measures for quantifying mental fatigue include intrusive monitoring systems (e.g. EEG and blood pressure monitoring systems), non-intrusive measures (camera systems to detect gaze direction), and somewhat subjective measures (questionnaires and scales). Table 1 provides a summary of physiological and physical indicators of fatigue. Table 1: Typical Physiological and Physical Indicators of Fatigue Development Measurement Direction of Change with Fatigue Heart rate Increases with physical fatigue Heart rate variability Decreases with mental fatigue (for root-mean square of the successive differences (RMSSD)) Increased Low Frequency / High Frequency (LF/HF) power ratio Electromyography Decrease in mean power frequency Increase in root mean square amplitude Strength Decrease in maximum exertion Tremor Increase in physiological and postural tremor Pupil dilation Increases with mental fatigue and drowsiness Blink rate Increased percentage eyelid closure over the pupil, over time (PERCLOS) Reaction time Increased reaction time and lapses (using psychomotor vigilance task (PVT)) Performance Increase in errors and task completion time Force variability Increase in variability with physical fatigue Subjective assessment Increase in ratings of discomfort and fatigue On the physical side, electromyography is one of the most commonly used evaluation tools for muscle fatigue in a laboratory setting. The gold standard is to detect cellular and metabolic changes through blood sampling techniques (Garde, Hansen, and Jensen 2003). Since these approaches are intrusive, some researchers attempt to detect symptoms of physical fatigue. These symptoms include an impairment in postural control (Davidson, Madigan, and Nussbaum 2004), increased sway (Davidson, Madigan, and Nussbaum 2004), and joint angle variability (Madigan, Davidson, and Nussbaum 2006). Additional symptoms include an increase in exerted force variability (Svendson et al. 2010) and increased tremor (Lippold 1981). Note that these symptoms can be observed through the use of check sheets, visual inspection (manual and/or through cameras), and self-reported questionnaires among other tools. In our estimation, most methods described above are of limited use in practice since they are either invasive (and will be resisted by individuals/unions) or rely on visual inspection performed by an observer. Perhaps, more importantly, each observational and measurement technique also focuses primarily on one main risk factor, such as posture or force, or a combined set of factors but for a repetitive task, such as the NIOSH work practices guide (Waters et al. 1993). This fails to capture the interactive nature of many fatigue precursors as well as the variability of the work performed. In addition, these methods do not take into account the characteristics of the individual, beyond general anthropometric and demographic attributes, such as height and age. One important consideration is that the application of these methods in field studies and practice have also been limited by the question: can we detect if fatigue (or its symptoms) has occurred? Note that this question is binary with a yes/no answer. However, it is well understood that fatigue is a process that occurs as a function of loading, time and exertion and is not an end point. From a safety perspective, a more interesting question is: Can we predict when fatigue will occur for a given worker based on their schedule, environment and job tasks? If this can be done, then fatigue management will progress from a reactive state (equivalent of the personal protective equipment state in traditional hazard control theory) to higher/safer levels of engineering controls, substitution and/or perhaps elimination through modeling and scheduling. The increasing availability of pervasive sensing technologies, including wearable devices, combined with the digitization of health information has the potential to provide the necessary monitoring, recording, and communication of individuals physical and environmental exposures to address this question (Kim and Nussbaum 2012, Vignais et al. 2013). In the following section, we describe some of the research and commercially available products that are used for predicting/monitoring fatigue development. Predicting Fatigue Development Models for fatigue development are not new, but the existing models are often incomplete. Models for predicting/understanding how humans fatigue have received significant attention over the past few decades in the fields of aviation, driving, mining, and professional athletics. In the transportation areas (i.e. aviation and driving), the models originated from efforts to model the underlying relationships between sleep regulation and circadian dynamics (Dinges 2004). Dinges (2004) present a survey of the biomathematical models used in this area. There are also some surveys on driver fatigue detection models, see e.g. Wang et al. (2006). However, based on our interactions with one of the larger trucking companies in the U.S., these models do not offer answers to the following question: Given the massive data collected on each truck that include indirect indicators of fatigue, e.g. lane departures and hard brakes, and individual characteristics of each driver, can we predict how each driver will fatigue for a given assignment, traffic condition and weather profile? With the advent of big data, this is the direction that is needed for fatigue development in the trucking industry. One can make parallels for aviation and military applications. In mining, there are commercially available products that claim to predict fatigue among mine workers. The authors did not have the chance to test these products and thus, we cannot verify/validate these claims. However, if true, this system will be a significant contribution to mining safety. Based on the above discussion, there are several important observations to be made. First, there has not been much independent research verifying the claims made for any commercial products. Thus, practitioners should use them with caution and in tandem with their current safety methods. Second, there have been only limited attempts to perform inter-disciplinary research in fatigue development. Thus, the current approaches are domain-dependent and are often incomplete since they consider only a few precursors. There needs to be a systematic move towards utilizing big data analytics as a mechanism to harness the massive amounts of data that is being captured on our equipment, workers, etc. The research challenge is to ensure that we are asking the right questions prior to considering what the technology can (or cannot) provide. Third, it is somewhat inexplicable that the manufacturing safety community is significantly behind other safety domains. We believe that there is a significant opportunity for both researchers and practitioners in examining how other disciplines are managing fatigue. General Strategies for Fatigue Management and Mitigation There are several somewhat recent publications that detail how to manage physical and/or mental fatigue indicators (Hartley and Commission 2000, Caldwell, Caldwell, and Schmidt 2008, Williamson et al. 2011, Williamson and Friswell 2013). These studies have presented the typical hazard control recommendations, which include administrative and engineering controls that can reduce/mitigate the development of fatigue. Practitioners should also consult the documentation from Transport Canada on Developing and Implementing a Fatigue Risk Management System (https://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/ca-standards/14575e.pdf). Typical interventions include: rest (for physical fatigue), sleep (for alertness), modified work-rest schedules, and limits on the cumulative hours worked in a week (or shift changes). While these strategies are effective for population averages/overall, they do not address the weakest link in the workforce (i.e. those most likely to fatigue and/or get injured). We see much w ork needed in this area. Concluding Remarks In this paper, we have provided an overview of some of the current issues in fatigue detection/ management research and practice. Based on our review of the literature, we offer the following advice to safety professionals: Transportation Safety Professionals: There is a significant body of research that highlights the impact of lack of sleep (e.g. from sleep apnea and/or scheduling), night driving, weather (e.g. cloudy or rainy), and work-rest schedules on fatigue development. In general, less sleep, night driving, bad weather and frequent changes in the work-rest schedule are more detrimental to transportation safety. To mitigate these risks, the routing/scheduling can be modified to alleviate some of these precursors. In addition, wearable sensors and on-vehicle systems (e.g. lane departure and hard brake detection sensors) can provide real-time indicators of fatigue development in driving. The data from these sensors can be used through simple dashboards that provide the dispatcher with information on which drivers are at risk. The dispatcher can then force these drivers to rest if fatigued (and sleep in-cabin at a truck stop if necessary) since a short break/nap can help mitigate these effects. Manufacturing Safety Professionals: Fatigue has been shown to be a precursor to risky behaviors and long-term injuries. It is also associated with a diminished performance and, therefore, can result in significant quality problems. Based on our discussion with several safety managers from large automotive companies, we have learned that it is often easier to sell safety projects to upper management when it is combined with quality improvement initiatives. The rationale is simple to management since they can see a return on investment (ROI) on these projects when compared to a softer objective (reducing/eliminating the probability of a safety problem that has not occurred before). In addition, we challenge practitioners to categorize their at-risk populations (e.g. unexperienced workers, obese and/or elder workers, etc.). These workers cannot be modeled by existing ergonomics and safety models that consider an average worker. Thus, a dashboard and sensors that monitor their absenteeis m, quality of their work and/or complaints can be used to trigger appropriate interventions. Mining Safety Researchers: The technology with fatigue monitoring (and more general safety) in mining has evolved significantly over the past decade. There are several commercial products that allow for active monitoring, scheduling, and equipment safety checks. To our knowledge, at least one major equipment manufacturer has released a safety systems suite that incorporates all these data sources to present a clear picture of a workers fatigue and distraction risk. We did not test the validity of these claims and therefore, we ask safety practitioners to ask for system demos and ensure that this particular system meets their needs. A word of caution: fatigue detection systems do not mitigate and/or eliminate fatigue. In addition, we urge safety professionals to embrace the role of technology and its potential to redefine safety from a one system fits all to an individualized approach. For researchers and educators, we believe that there is a sufficient body of literature that suggests that our community is headed to individualized safety models. To develop these models, there needs to be an emphasis on managing large amounts of data, revisiting our old models and ensuring that we can offer data-driven interventions for safety/ergonomics problems. In essence, our field is moving towards individualized models and evidence-based interventions. Acknowledgments This research was partially supported by the American Society for Safety Engineers (ASSE) Foundation grant titled ASSIST: Advancing Safety Surveillance using Individualized Sensor Technology. Bibliography 2015a. Crash Stats: Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2014. edited by U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration. Washington, DC: NHTSAs National Center for Statistics and Analysis. 2015b. Large Trucks: 2013 Data (Traffic Safety Facts. DOT HS 812 150). National Center for Statistics and Analysis, accessed 06/01. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812150.pdf. Aaronson, Lauren S, Cynthia S Teel, Virginia Cassmeyer, Geri B Neuberger, Leonie Pallikkathayil, Janet Pierce, Allan N Press, Phoebe D Williams, and Anita Wingate. 1999. Defining and measuring fatigue. Image: the journal of nursing scholarship 31 (1):45-50. Balkin, Thomas J., William J. Horrey, R. Curtis Graeber, Charles A. Czeisler, and David F. Dinges. 2011. The challenges and opportunities of technological approaches to fatigue management. Accident Analysis Prevention 43 (2):565-572. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2009.12.006. Barker, L. M., and M. A. Nussbaum. 2011. The effects of fatigue on performance in simulated nursing work. Ergonomics 54 (9):815-29. doi: 10.1080/00140139.2011.597878. Bjà ¶rklund, Martin, Albert G Crenshaw, Mats Djupsjà ¶backa, and Hà ¥kan Johansson. 2000. Position sense acuity is diminished following repetitive low-intensity work to fatigue in a simulated occupational setting. European journal of applied physiology 81 (5):361-367. Caldwell, John A, J Lynn Caldwell, and Regina M Schmidt. 2008. Alertness management strategies for operational contexts. Sleep medicine reviews 12 (4):257-273. Cà ´tà ©, Julie N, Denis Raymond, Pierre A Mathieu, Anatol G Feldman, and Mindy F Levin. 2005. Differences in multi-joint kinematic patterns of repetitive hammering in healthy, fatigued and shoulder-injured individuals. Clinical Biomechanics 20 (6):581-590. Craye, Cà ©line, Abdullah Rashwan, Mohamed S. Kamel, and Fakhri Karray. 2015. A Multi-Modal Driver Fatigue and Distraction Assessment System. International Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems Research:1-22. doi: 10.1007/s13177-015-0112-9. Davidson, Bradley S, Michael L Madigan, and Maury A Nussbaum. 2004. Effects of lumbar extensor fatigue and fatigue rate on postural sway. 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Review of fatigue detection and prediction technologies: National Road Transport Commission Melbourne. Huysmans, Maaike A, Marco JM Hoozemans, Allard J van der Beek, Michiel P de Looze, and Jaap H van Dieà «n. 2010. Position sense acuity of the upper extremity and tracking performance in subjects with non-specific neck and upper extremity pain and healthy controls. Journal of rehabilitation medicine 42 (9):876-883. Iridiastadi, H, and MA Nussbaum. 2006. Muscle fatigue and endurance during repetitive intermittent static efforts: development of prediction models. Ergonomics 49 (4):344-360. Kajimoto, Osami. 2008. Development of a method of evaluation of fatigue and its economic impacts. In Fatigue Science for Human Health, 33-46. Springer. Kim, Sunwook, and Maury A. Nussbaum. 2012. Performance evaluation of a wearable inertial motion capture system for capturing physical exposures during manual material handling tasks. Ergonomics 56 (2):314-326. doi: 10.1080/00140139.2012.742932. Klauer, Sheila G, Thomas A Dingus, Vicki L Neale, Jeremy D Sudweeks, and David J Ramsey. 2006. The impact of driver inattention on near-crash/crash risk: An analysis using the 100-car naturalistic driving study data. Washington, DC. Kumar, Shrawan. 2001. Theories of musculoskeletal injury causation. Ergonomics 44 (1):17-47. doi: 10.1080/00140130120716. Lal, Saroj K. L., and Ashley Craig. 2001. A critical review of the psychophysiology of driver fatigue. Biological Psychology 55 (3):173-194. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0301-0511(00)00085-5. Lippold, OCJ. 1981. The tremor in fatigue. In Human muscle fatigue: Physiological mechanisms, 234-248. Pitman Medical London (CIBA Foundation symposium 82). Madigan, Michael L, Bradley S Davidson, and Maury A Nussbaum. 2006. Postural sway and joint kinematics during quiet standing are affected by lumbar extensor fatigue. Human movement science 25 (6):788-799. Medina, Alejandra L., Suzanne E. Lee, Walter W. Wierwille, and Richard J. Hanowski. 2004. Relationship between Infrastructure, Driver Error, and Critical Incidents. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting 48 (16):2075-2079. doi: 10.1177/154193120404801661. Philip, Pierre, Patricia Sagaspe, Nicholas Moore, Jacques Taillard, Andrà © Charles, Christian Guilleminault, and Bernard Bioulac. 2005. Fatigue, sleep restriction and driving performance. Accident Analysis Prevention 37 (3):473-478. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2004.07.007. Stanton, Neville A., and Paul M. Salmon. 2009. Human error taxonomies applied to driving: A generic driver error taxonomy and its implications for intelligent transport systems. Safety Science 47 (2):227-237. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2008.03.006. Strohl, KP, SL Merritt, J Blatt, AI Pack, F Council, and S Rogus. 1998. Drowsy driving and automobile crashes. nccdr/nhtsa expert panel on driver fatigue and sleepiness. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, accessed 01/25. http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/drowsy_driving1/Drowsy.html. Vignais, Nicolas, Markus Miezal, Gabriele Bleser, Katharina Mura, Dominic Gorecky, and Frà ©dà ©ric Marin. 2013. Innovative system for real-time ergonomic feedback in industrial manufacturing. Applied Ergonomics 44 (4):566-574. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2012.11.008. Visser, Bart, and Jaap H. van Dieà «n. 2006. Pathophysiology of upper extremity muscle disorders. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology 16 (1):1-16. doi: DOI: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2005.06.005. Wang, Qiong, Jingyu Yang, Mingwu Ren, and Yujie Zheng. 2006. Driver fatigue detection: a survey. WCICA 2006: The Sixth World Congress on Intelligent Control and Automation, Dalian, China. Waters, Thomas R., Vern Putz-Anderson, Arun Garg, and Lawrence J. Fine. 1993. Revised NIOSH equation for the design and evaluation of manual lifting tasks. Ergonomics 36 (7):749 776. Weir, JP, TW Beck, JT Cramer, and TJ Housh. 2006. Is fatigue all in your head? A critical review of the central governor model. British journal of sports medicine 40 (7):573-586. Williamson, Ann, and Rena Friswell. 2013. Fatigue in the workplace: causes and countermeasures. Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health Behavior 1 (1-2):81-98. doi: 10.1080/21641846.2012.744581. Williamson, Ann, David A. Lombardi, Simon Folkard, Jane Stutts, Theodore K. Courtney, and Jennie L. Connor. 2011. The link between fatigue and safety. Accident Analysis Prevention 43 (2):498-515. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2009.11.011. Yung, Marcus. 2016. Fatigue at the Workplace: Measurement and Temporal Development. PhD, Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo.

Suicide :: essays research papers

In the sixth century before the Christian era, religion was forgotten in India. The lofty teachings of the Vedas were thrown into the background. There was much priest craft everywhere. The insincere priests traded on religion. They duped the people in a variety of ways and amassed wealth for themselves. They were irreligious to say the least. In the name of religion, people followed in the footsteps of these cruel priests and performed meaningless rituals. They killed animals and performed various sacrifices. The country was in great need of a reformer. At such a critical period, when there were cruelty, degeneration, and unrighteousness everywhere, a reformer was to be born to save the people, and disseminate the message of equality, unity and cosmic love everywhere. Buddha was born in 560 B.C. and died at the age of eighty in 480 B.C. . Buddha's father was Suddhodana, king of the Sakhyas. Buddha's mother was named Maya. The place of his birth was a grove known as Lumbini, near the city of Kapilavastu, at the foot of Mount Palpa in the Himalayan ranges within Nepal. This small city Kapilavastu, stood on the bank of the little river Rohini, about a hundred miles north-east of the city of Varnasi. As the time grew near for Buddha to enter the world, the gods themselves prepared the way before him with celestial portents and signs. Flowers bloomed and gentle rains fell although out of season. Heavenly music was heard, and delicious scents filled the air. On the body of the child bore at birth, were thirty-two auspicious marks (Mahavyanjana) which indicated his future greatness, besides secondary marks (Anuvyanjana) in large numbers. Guatama’s mother Maya died seven days after her son's birth. He was brought up by his aunt Mahaprajapati, who b ecame his foster- mother. On the birth of the child Siddhartha, astrologers made predictions to his father Suddhodana. "The child, on attaining manhood, would become either a universal monarch (Chakravarti), or abandoning house and home, would assume the robe of a monk and become a Buddha, a perfectly enlightened soul, for the salvation of mankind". Then the king said: "What shall my son see to make him retire from the world?" The astrologer replied: "Four signs". "What four?" asked the king. "A decrepit old man, a diseased man, a dead man and a monk - these four will make the prince retire from the world" replied the astrologers.

Essay --

Why Mt. Lassen is what it is today Lassen Peak, also known as Mount Lassen, is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range. It is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc which is an arc that covers southwestern British Columbia to northern California. Located in the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California, Lassen rises 2,000 meters above the surrounding terrain and has a volume of 0.5 cubic miles, making it one of the largest lava domes on Earth. It was created on the destroyed northeastern side of now gone Mount Tehama, a stratovolcano that was at least 1,000 feet higher than Lassen Peak. Lassen Peak was named in honor of the Danish blacksmith Peter Lassen, who guided immigrants past this peak to the Sacramento Valley during the 1830s. His trail never found global long-term use because it was considered unsafe. This trail was replaced by the Nobles Emigrant Trail, named for the guide, William Nobles. In 1864, Helen Tanner Brodt became the first woman to reach the summit of Lassen Peak. A tarn lake on Lassen Peak was named "Lake Helen" in her honor. In the 1914 to 1921 time zone, Lassen Peak emerged from inactivity with a series of steam explosions, dacite lava flows, and volcanic mud flows. There were 200 to 400 volcanic eruptions during this period of activity. Because of the eruptive activity and the area's brilliant volcanic beauty, Lassen Peak, Cinder Cone and the area surrounding were designated as the Lassen Volcanic National Park on August 9, 1916. Mt. Lassen eruptions On May 22, 1915, an explosive eruption at Lassen Peak devastated nearby areas and rained volcanic ash farther 200 miles to the east! This explosion was the most powerful in a series of eruptions from 1914 through 1917. ... ...e than 30 volcanoes that have erupted over the past 300,000 years in the Lassen Peak volcanic area. 6. Lassen Peak has the highest known winter snowfall amounts in California. There is an average annual snowfall of 660 in, and in some years, more than 1,000 inches of snowfall at its base altitude of 8,250 feet at Lake Helen. 7. The Mount Lassen area receives more precipitation than anywhere in the Cascade Range south of the Three Sisters volcanoes in Oregon. 8. The heavy annual snowfall on Lassen Peak creates fourteen permanent patches of snow on and around the mountain top, despite Lassen's rather modest elevation, but no glaciers. 9. Lightning has been known to strike the summit of the volcano frequently during summer thunderstorms. 10. Lassen Peak and Mount St. Helens are the only two volcanoes in the contiguous United States to erupt during the 20th century.

Food Irradiation Essay -- essays research papers

Food Irradiation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Food irradiation has the longest history, more than 40 years, of scientific research and testing of any food technology before approval. Research has been comprehensive, and has included wholesomeness, toxicological, and microbiological evaluation. Worldwide, 38 countries permit irradiation of food, and more than 28 billion lb of food is irradiated annually in Europe. It is important to note that food irradiation has a pretty remarkable list of national and international endorsements: ADA, American Council on Science and Health, American Medical Association, Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, International Atomic Energy Agency, Institute of Food Technologists, Scientific Committee of the European Union, United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), and the World Health Organization (WHO).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although the US food supply has achieved a high level of safety, microbiological hazards exist. Because foods may contain pathogens, mishandling, including improper cooking, can result in food-born illness. Irradiation has been identified as one solution that enhances food safety through the reduction of potential pathogens and has been recommended as part of a comprehensive program to enhance food safety. However, food irradiation does not replace proper food handling. So the handling of foods processed by irradiation should be governed by the same food safety precautions as all...

What explanations are offered for the development of nationalism?

Introduction The roots of nationalism go back to the middle of the eighteenth century and a movement called romanticism. Affecting art, journalism, philosophy, music, and politics, romanticism was a mood or a disposition that defied rigid definition. It did indicate a revolt against rationalism and a consequent emphasis on sentiment, feeling, and imagination. The emotions of the heart, it was argued, though irrational, should be valued over and above the intellectualizations of the head. So that whereas Rene Descartes had said, â€Å"I think, therefore I am,† Jean-Jacques Rousseau proclaimed, â€Å"A thinking man is a depraved animal.† In this havoc of power and ideas, one familiar face has re-emerged: that of nationalism. For many it is as undesirable as it is unbidden and unexpected. For others its recurrence is regrettable but comes as no surprise. For still others, it symbolizes the only sure way forward after the sudden shatters created by totalitarianism in the de velopmental paths of so numerous societies. For all, nationalism symbolizes a stage in the evolution of humanity to ‘higher forms' of culture, one that should be endured or embraced, but is certainly destined to pass after a few chaotic decades (Smith 1995; Brown, Micheal, 1997).None of these situations seems to accord with the chronological facts or sociological realisms of ethnicity and nationalism. Instead of treating ethnicity and nationalism as phenomenon in their own right, they persist on evaluating them by the yardstick of a liberal evolutionary scheme, overt or tacit, one that is intrinsically problematic and perceptibly irrelevant to the dynamics of nations, nationalism and ethnic conflict.For liberals and socialists dedicated to the view that humanity progresses in stages to greater units of comprehensiveness and higher values, the nation and nationalism can simply represent a halfway house to the aim of a cosmopolitan culture and a global polity. On the one hand, t he nation can be applauded for superseding all those local, inscriptive ties and communities that have controlled innovation and opportunity and enchained the human spirit.Its wider horizons have brought collectively all kinds of peoples with changeable origins, religions, occupations and class backgrounds and turned them into citizens of the defensive, civic nation. Conversely, the nation today has become an obstruction to progress, seeking ineffectively to control the flow of information and the channels of mass communication, and to obstruct and control the great economic institutions–transnational companies, world banks and trade organizations and the global financial and commodities markets.Although the great forces of globalization, economic, political and cultural, have already diluted the power of the nation-state and are fast making all national boundaries and responses obsolete (Schopfin, George, 2000; Hobsbawm 1990: ch. 6). Romanticism rejected the idea of the inde pendence of the individual and stressed identification with an external whole, with something outside of oneself. Quite normally, this outside whole took the form of nature, as marked in the works of such romanticists as Wordsworth in England; Herder, Schiller, and Goethe in Germany; and Hugo, Rousseau, and Madame de Stael in France.Frequently also, the center of one's identification was the â€Å"folk,† the cultural group, or nation. Nationalism, in other words, was a political expression of romanticism (William Booth, 1996, p. A-1). In many ways, the major philosopher of nationalism was Rousseau, whose influence on the French Revolution has been generally recognized. Rousseau's ideal was the small, well-knit community in which each person freely gave himself over, quite literally, to every other person. We should obey the community, Rousseau taught, because in observing the community we obey ourselves.The identity and unity of our wills produce a â€Å"General Will† that is completing, indivisible, infallible, and always for the common good. The individual's commitment and fondness to the community and the General Will are total. French Revolution and Nationalism Following the French Revolution, nationalism spread across the continent of Europe and beyond. In a real sense, the past of nineteenth-century Europe is the history of nationalism or as a minimum this is one way of looking at it. The twentieth century saw the dispersal of nationalism throughout the world.No country has been spared; none is an exemption. â€Å"Some Euro-enthusiasts, have hinted at the prospect of transcending the state and nation by forming a wider federation and a district political identity. Yet the federalists have been continually frustrated by the continuing vivacity of the national idea†. James Mayall, 1990, 94-5 With the exclusion of two brief periods, Western nationalism has continued unabated. For about a decade after each of the two world wars, Western nationalism was in a state of decline, even of ill reputation.It was nationalism, after all, that had set in motion cataclysmic events, leading to appalling waste of human and material resources. But the decline of Western nationalism did not last long. Its renaissance after World War I was much hastened by the fascist and the Nazi movements of the 1920s and 1930s. After the Second World War, Western nationalism owed much of its vitality to the French Gaullist movement of the 1950s and the 1960s. More about this currently. The same world wars that led to the transient decline of nationalism in the West set the stage for the rise of nationalism in the East.The â€Å"new nationalism,† as it came to be called, took place, for the most part, in colonial areas; and it was in large appraise a reaction against the Western policies of imperialism and invasion. At the turn of the century, colonial nationalism (more exactly, anticolonial nationalism) was almost an unknown phenomenon. F ollowing World War I and the disintegration of the Ottoman and the Austro-Hungarian empires, nationalism began to appear in a few countries, most notably in India.After the Second World War and the dissolution of the German, British, French, and other imperial designs, nationalism mushroomed in formerly colonial countries. Nationalism after Cold War Nationalism takes hold after the Cold war. By 1950, the philosophy of the Nationalism after Cold War had come to control public life in the United States. It was an ideology of American nationalist globalism, in which the United States was seen to be locked in global struggle with forces of international communism, proscribed by a Soviet government intent on world invasion.That struggle was believed to intimidate fundamental American values, most particularly freedom of enterprise and freedom of religion, and the leeway of spreading those values, which were deemed collective, to the rest of the world, which longed for them. Within this i deology, almost all international problems or crises were seen as part of the overarching conflict between the United States and the USSR—between their contending ideologies and ways of life. Within this framework, a threat to â€Å"freedom† anywhere in the world was deemed a risk to the American way of life.This presented a simple, dichotomous view that seemed too many if not most Americans to elucidate the often frustrating and considerably more composite developments of the postwar world. The roots of this philosophy lay in a tradition of belief about America's national mission and destiny, a ritual reaching back to the seventeenth century. Key elements of this ideology were in place at the end of World War II; some developed throughout the war, and others preceded it. The final pieces fell into place between 1945 and 1950.All through those years, the range of U. S. foreign policy discourse grew more and more narrow. Though, American nationalist ideology given the p rincipal underpinning for the broad public consent that supported Cold War foreign policy. Seen through the prism of that principles, the U. S. had emerged from World War II as a completely matured great power, dedicated to comprehending freedom all through the world and prepared to usher in a new golden age in its own image.After the war, the Soviet Union became a relentless foe because it exposed this idea of the American Century. From the late forties through the late eighties, the United States waged cold war against the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics not mainly in the name of capitalism or Western civilization (neither of which would have united the American people behind the cause), but in the name of America in the name, that is, of the nation. The potency of the Nationalism ideology that appeared between 1945 and 1950—an principles that dominated U.S. public life at least until the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991—derivative largely from its nati onalist appeal. Yet although the vast scholarly literature on the Cold War, American nationalism remains a little-studied element of postwar U. S. history. Indeed, as Stephen Vaughn noted practically twenty years ago in his study of democracy and nationalism in the propaganda work of the Committee on Public Information during World War I, twentieth-century American nationalism remains a subject deficiently in need of further study.(Vaughn, Stephen, 1980). Involvement of Soviet Empire Since the implosion first of the Soviet empire and then of the Soviet Union itself, nationalism has again affirmed itself as a force on the world scene, one not expected to fade away soon. The scholarly literature on nationalism is voluminous and seems to expand exponentially, mainly in the years since the earth-shaking events of 1989-91. The ideology around which the Cold War consent was forged from 1947 on consisted of three main constructs: national greatness, global accountability, and anticommunism .Anticommunism was the last leg of this ideological triad to fall into place. By illumination why the United States was having such a hard time meeting its global responsibilities while concurrently buttressing the nation's claims to greatness, anticommunism put the entire ideology in working order. The third leg permitted the triad to stand. But the fundamental ideology was one of American nationalist globalism, not anticommunism. In itself, anticommunism was barely new to U. S. political culture in 1947.But with the Soviet Union sitting spanning Eastern and Central Europe, global anticommunism now became a defining constituent in U. S. foreign-policy ideology as signified in public discourse. The perception that the communist threat was worldwide received momentous amplification in 1949, with the â€Å"loss† of China to Mao's army and the Soviet Union's detonation of its first atomic device (William Claiborne, Washington Post, November 24, 1996, p. A-12). Nationalism and Am erican Globalism The idea of the Soviet threat proved relevant precisely because it threatened the idea of the American Century.Global anticommunism fit impressively into the existing mixture of national greatness and global accountability, American nationalism and American globalism—as this mixture had already begun to function as an ideology of nationalist globalism that facilitated many Americans makes sense of their nation's overriding place in the postwar world. Global anticommunism lent increased force to this ideological vision. The appeal of global anticommunism—and particularly the impact of the Truman Doctrine speech of March 12, 1947 should be understood in that context.In 1947 the Truman Doctrine provoked influential debate, though it clearly carried the day. In 1950 the application of that principle to Asia provoked overwhelming support. After the accent of the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan in the first six months of 1947, and particularly after co ngressional support of the Marshall Plan in the wake of the Czech coup in February and March of 1948, the range of adequate public debate about the basic objectives of U. S. foreign policy had grown gradually more constricted.Fairly, Henry Wallace attempted to make these objectives a central question of the 1948 presidential campaign. But Wallace and the foreign-policy questions he sought to heave were painted with a red brush that left them beyond the pale of adequate public discussion. Certain basics of the civil rights and labor movements attempted to express dissent over U. S. foreign-policy initiatives in planned terms, but to do so they accepted the terms of the debate as recognized by the Truman administration's stated global objectives.In doing so, groups like the NAACP and the UAW sought to gain both government and public support to precede their own domestic agendas. While both organized labor and African Americans achieved certain objectives as a result, their acceptance of the official objectives of U. S. foreign policy put in to the narrowing of public discourse relating to both national and international issues. In late 1948 and 1949, systematic dissidents who forthrightly opposed the fundamental foreign-policy strategy of the Truman administration, such as W. E. B.Du Bois, Paul Robeson, and Henry Wallace, found themselves more insignificant than ever. The UE and other left-wing unions that divergent the Marshall Plan were debarred from the CIO, which in effect took away their status as well thought-of American trade unions. These dissenters had stepped outside the boundaries of legitimate discourse as distinct by the established notions of national greatness, global responsibility, and anticommunism. Wallace definitely preached his own principle of national greatness and global responsibility, but his failure to recognize global anticommunism nevertheless placed him beyond the pale.The lack of fundamental public debate concerning the nature and purposes of U. S. foreign policy after 1950 given to the development of an ever more militarized foreign policy controlled by narrow ideological blinders that covered fundamental international realities. â€Å"The so-called Cold War,† in the words of Joyce and Gabriel Kolko, â€Å"was far less the altercation of the United States with Russia than America's expansion into the entire world—a world the Soviet Union neither proscribed nor created. † (Everett Carll Ladd, 1995)The ideology of American nationalist globalism, which distinct international reality in terms of a Manichaean struggle between the U. S. -led â€Å"free world† and Soviet-controlled communist totalitarianism, served to validate the expansion of U. S. power all through the world while obfuscating the enormous complications of a world experiencing the final collapse of European colonialism. It facilitated most Americans to feel pride in being citizens of a great nation that required only to protect its own way of life and to defend â€Å"free peoples everywhere† from totalitarian aggression.The absence of debate about the fundamental assumptions of U. S. foreign policy throughout most of the Cold War era served to reify that ideological commencement. Nationalism has been a momentous theme of the post-Cold War era. Throughout the Cold War, Americans welcomed refugees from the Captive Nations. After the Cold War, refugees either escaping the terror of dictatorial rulers or wanting to stake their claim to the American Dream lost their cachet with voters (accept those fleeing Castro's Cuba).â€Å"The arrival of the greatest number of immigrants as the wave of eastern, central, and southern European ethnics in 1901-1910 caused anti-immigrant commitment to spread† (â€Å"Immigration,† Time/CNN, All Politics, Internet, March 25, 1996). Passions ran high in vote-rich states such as California, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, Illinois, New York, and California . Throughout the 1994 midterm elections, Californians ratified Proposition 187, which banned all state spending on illegal immigrants and requisite police to report suspected illegal to the California Department of Justice and the U.S. Immigration Service. Television sets sputtered with pictures of illegal Mexicans swarming across the border as a presenter intoned, â€Å"They just keep . † (Barone and Ujifusa,1996, p. 81). As the campaign escalated, Republicans Jack Kemp and William Bennett accused the measure, claiming it was â€Å"politically unwise and essentially at odds with the best tradition and courage of our party. † (Dick Kirschten, 1995, p. 150). Regardless of their protestations, Proposition 187 won handily, 59 percent to 41 percent.But whereas whites gave it 64 percent backing, 69 percent of Hispanics disapproved–a sharp demarcation of the new â€Å"us-versus-them† politics. (J. Joseph Huthmacher, 1969) Pete Wilson, the GOP governor who made the vote initiative a cornerstone of his reelection bid, won by an almost equal vote of 55 percent to 41 percent. Two years later, Kemp realigned his immigration stance once he was chosen by Bob Dole to be the 1996 Republican vice presidential nominee. ConclusionHowever, the role of nationalism, and particularly the nationalist symbolism of American world power, remains a derelict factor in our understanding of the Cold War's origins. As the Cold War itself recedes into history and the view that the Russians ongoing it and the Americans won it becomes ever more commonplace, it is more important than ever to observe the ways in which the United States contributed to the Cold War's origins, mainly through the universalist pretensions of its political culture.The triumphalism embedded in Francis Fukuyama's view that the end of the Cold War marked â€Å"the end of history† constitutes a new, traditionally contingent variation on the ideology that framed that conflict from the beg inning. In a world growing less rather than more pliant to the dictates of U. S. policy, such ideological thinking is potentially quite precarious. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union two years later, the ideological basics of American nationalist globalism have been loosened but not undone.There is no longer a domineering consensus, because there is no longer a prime perception of a single, overarching threat to the United States. But most Americans are quite sure that their country won the Cold War and that they are citizens of the world's favored nation. As the Persian Gulf War demonstrated, national enormity and global responsibility can activate a potent public consensus behind large-scale intervention without anticommunism playing a role.Until we have a more thorough debate over the nature and purposes of our nation's foreign policy in a multifaceted rapidly changing world, we remain in danger of falling back into an ideological descr iption of international realities. If that should happen particularly if it should happen in combination with declining U. S. global domination, domestic economic travails, and the determination of awesome U. S. military power, it could pose a grave new threat itself, both to the wellbeing of the republic and to the wellbeing of the world. References: â€Å"Immigration,† Time/CNN, All Politics, Internet, March 25, 1996. Barone and Ujifusa, â€Å"The Almanac of American Politics†, 1996, p. 81. Brown, Micheal E., Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict (MIT:1997); Dick Kirschten, â€Å"Second Thoughts,† National Journal, January 21, 1995, p. 150. Everett Carll Ladd, America at the Polls, 1994 ( Storrs, Connecticut: Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, 1995), p. 124. Hobsbawm, E.J., Nations and Nationalism since 1780 (Cambridge:1992); J. Joseph Huthmacher, Massachusetts: People and Politics, 1919-1933 ( New York: Atheneum, 1969), p. 162. Mayall, James, Nationalism and International Society (Cambridge,1990); Schopfin, George, Nations, Identity, Power: The New Politics of Europe (Hurst, 2000) Smith, A., Nations and Nationalism in a Global Era (1995) Vaughn, Stephen. Holding Fast the Inner Lines: Democracy, Nationalism, and the Committee on Public Information. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1980 William Booth, â€Å"In a Rush, New Citizens Register Their Political Interest,† Washington Post, September 26, 1996, p. A-1. William Claiborne, â€Å"Democrats Don't Have Lock on Hispanic Vote, Latino Leaders Say,† Washington Post, November 24, 1996, p. A-12.