Fire Protection Systems-Bachelor of Science Essay

1. Specifications for a dry pipe sprinkler system in a cold storage warehouse The fire protection system to be supplied based on these specifications is dry pipe sprinkler Related works include electrical installations, walls penetrations sealing as well as the relevant drawings and calculations. To assure quality, all materials designs and works shall be supervised by qualified person (NICET level III certificate). Calculations are to be based on NFPA 13 and no detail shall be left or assumed. Sprinklers shall be availed in elevators and stairwells. The sprinkler performance shall be tested after installation. The new system of sprinkling design should meet all pre-set codes and standards for effective performance. The system components and devices shall be recommended by under writer Lab in ULFPE directory. Minimum experience of the contractor is 5 years. Layout must be supervised by experienced person and quality assurance done by a different qualified person. Submittals shall be done in one package, reviewed and then signed as required. The system drawings with all relevant required information by NFPA shall be provided. Calculations for the system’s remote areas with regard to one critical light hazard and ordinary hazard areas shall be done as requires by NFPA. Relevant compliance certificates shall be submitted. They include certificate of quality assurance, experience, test certificate for contractor and the various respective NICET III certificates. Again, all design and installation documents shall be required as issued by NFPA as well as the contract drawings. The dry pipe system sprinkler shall be piped in accordance with NFIA 13. All valves (control, drain, alarm and check valves) should meet the fine specifications as listed in UL. The sprinkler installed shall UL listed, its location strategic and its temperature appropriate for the room in is installed. Listing of each sprinkler shall be based on the classification of the room in which it is installed. The rooms are classified based on their occupancy. The dry systems switch and all tamper switches have to be linked to the fire alarm control panel as required by NFPA code 71 and 72 (Zalosh, 2003, pp. 166-168). 2. The reasons why a builder or architect might give a sprinkler contractor an incomplete set of contract drawings. There are a number of reasons that have been placed to explain why an architect may end up giving a contractor for sprinklers incomplete contract drawings. First, the builder or the architect may lack the competence in the engineering field. He may not the capacity to make workable designs for fire fighting equipment and for sprinklers in particular. Again, the architect may not have the relevant experience with respect to designing various systems for buildings that are of varying sizes and that may have varying needs for fire fighting systems. Through experience, a builder is capable of easily spotting an incomplete drawing. This is because most experienced architects have customized their expertise by developing check lists for the various requirements that make a contact drawing complete. In case they are in hurry, these check lists can fruitfully assist them in ensuring all important components in a contract drawn for a sprinkler contractor is complete. It is true to say that most architects specialize in designing houses and most leave minimum provisions for structures that are installed long after the house is competed. This is because most architects do not have an idea for what purpose the house they are designing shall be used. The fire fighting systems are installed as the need arise depending on the use for which the house shall be used. Sometimes, although rarely, some architects once they spot errors they had made in their designs, they may distort the designs to cover up their errors and this way, they evade possible blame for such errors (Gagnon, 1998, p. 107). This blame is avoided because it can cause serious impacts on the company contracted to design, given that they are in business and they need to keep their reputation. However, this action is against the requirements of the Code of Conduct for engineers. 3. The response time for the Californian fire department According to the Californian fire control and suppression department, the response time for this department vary considerably. This was evident from the various reports obtained from the department. The response time as discussed here denotes the period from the time when the department is informed about a fire incident through the preparation for take off until the time they reach the fire site. The major explanation given for this difference in response time was due to the various circumstances surrounding each fire break case. This could range from issues like distance, accessibility, appropriateness of the equipment available and the preparedness of the fire fighting crew in the given station. Response time Based on the principles of effective fire control, suppression and management, there is no specified time which can be termed as the ideal response time. The ideal response time is the best time possible within which a crew will get to the burning site and start acting upon the fire, in the given circumstances. For this ideal response time to be gotten there is need of strong spirit of team work from all parties concerned, starting with the commanders at the station to the fire fighters in action (Ammons, 2001, p. 157). Communication has to be most effective and the message about the incidence must be clearly and coherently communicated and information about what, where and when should be precisely given for response time to be as short as possible. Accessibility will be determined by the location of the burning property. Air crafts may be used where the fire is deep in the forests and land vehicles may be used where the site is accessible by road. Response time is usually prolonged in cases where fire is in a slum or where the estate planning was too poor as to allow accessibility in times of emergency. Some times, the planning could have provided for this but poor management of the available structures such as bridges could be the barrier. Generally, an exponential function is the result of correlating the damage caused by fire with the time it takes before suppression efforts begin. This means the more time you take, the little you should expect to rescue. Therefore, it is essentially basic to respond within the first few minutes from the time you receive the signal and the approach should of course avoid panic. The fire should be fought professionally. Although the response time for this department appear to be timely, it is advisable for companies relying on this facility for fire management to install their sprinkler fire fighting systems to avoid any loss that can result to delayed response from the fire department. Although this may not fully content the fire, it can substantially suppress the fire before the crew from the department arrives, therefore preventing total losses. 4. Measure the height of your house from ground level to the highest ceiling. What water supply must be available to supply 35 psi for a sprinkler at the highest ceiling? Pressure A= Pressure B+ Pressure C , Force ‘B’ must correspondingly increase to maintain the equilibrium balance of forces which in turn translates to an outlet pressure rise. Therefore a maximum water supply pressure of 100 psi is required. 5. Actions taken by the fire service when fighting flammable liquid storage tank fires with fixed water spray protection installed and without fixed water spray protection installed. The fire brigade commander professionally and quickly determines the kind of flammable liquid that is burning, its immediate properties such as density as compared to that of water. In cases where the water is denser, it is mostly avoided because it can potentially worsen the situation. The commander expertly and in no time determines the flash point of the burning fluid. If the liquid has the potential of burning when it mixes with air upon ignition, the commander may command the use of water to prevent reaching the flash point of that liquid. When the fire is detected in time, the spraying of water using the fixed apparatus will but not in large quantities will lower the temperature in the room and thus reduce the potential of the ambient room temperature to cause the ignition as this has been known to cause the ignition of most flammable liquids whose flash point is low. It is necessary to close the container from which the vapors are coming from as the ignited vapor can burn back to the liquid, thus resulting to a fatal explosion. In cases where there is no fixed water spray, the portable water sprayers can be used to spray water (but not to pour because the fluid will float on water and even burn more) to the atmosphere and even near the liquid containers to lower the temperature. It is important to assess the risk in both cases by referring to the flammability characteristics of the fluid in question. Again, both cases require a person to first wear personal protection gear such as eye protection equipment, gloves on hands to prevent burning in case you come in contact with the flammable liquid, and also additional protective clothing for the whole body. Safety shield is useful in cases where a potential explosion is most likely or an exothermic reaction is most likely. Generally, the actions done here include the transfer of the flammable liquid to a working fume board if possible. Any potential source of ignition should be completely eliminated (Fitzgerald, 2004, pp. 422-424). Then locate all the safety equipment. Use appropriate mode of alerting the nearby people. The use of water as a fire extinguisher in case the fire has been ignited should not be attempted but instead, the use of dry chemical extinguishers can be suitably used. Alternatively, the use of liquefied carbon dioxide can be effective on these flammable liquid fires. Ask for assistance from the nearby fire facility by calling the emergency numbers. 6. Fire alarm systems in a factory Fire alarms noted in the factory were of various kinds. First, the M-Fire Alarm system which had manual call points. They were placed mostly near escape routes and they largely lacked an automatic way of detecting fire. It mainly relied on a person raising alarm. In case of fire disaster L-Fire alarm system which was designed to preserve life. It could enable non affected people in a factory on fire to safely escape unhurt. It had automatic sensors of a possible fire disaster, beacons and sirens. The third kind is P fire alarm system which is designed such that it can simultaneously protect life of building occupants; protect the property inside and most importantly the building itself by having the ability to automatically dial out the emergency number of the fire brigade. The available fire alarm systems identified could also be classified either as single stage system or double stage system. The single stage system when activated could transmit a signal in the whole building such that all the occupants in the building become aware of the fire danger the soonest possible. The two stage system could first release a characteristic alert signal to all occupying staff. If the staffs confirm the existence of the fire, they activate the alarm signal. In case the component alert is false, the alarm can be silenced and the system reset. According to the fire protection engineer, the M fire alarm system was used because it could serve the whole chain of factory buildings. L fire alarm system was to ensure timely evacuation and that there was no loss of life as a result of inconveniences. The system requires use of fire resistant materials in the factory to avoid fast spread of fire in the factory which is common in most factories. On the other approach to identifying the alarm system in the factory, the two stage system was installed based on the fact that most industrial workers especially those in the offices may panic very easily if they abruptly learn about a fire in the building they are in. This system was seen a necessary measure to reduce the possible effects of false alarms. Finally, the installation of single stage alarm systems in the factory sites where most machines are in operation was based on the idea that the fuel for running the machines could easily catch fire and lead to a very rapid spread and therefore this form of alarm would avoid any form of delay (Gill, 1997, p. 97). The performance objectives of the company in using these systems is to attain fastest response to fire break in industry while keeping the panic associated with raising fire alarms as minimum as possible to the senior management and other support staff in the factory offices. 7. How the first Montreal Protocol agreement has been modified since 1987. The Montreal protocol meant to address the issues related to the production of substances that result to depletion of the critical ozone layer has been modified several times. Since its signing in 1987 by only 25 nations, the membership tally has rose up to one hundred and sixty eight nations as of now. Much of these changes are as a result of more awareness of the effects of the various halogen substances and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) on the ozone layer. This has been obtained through intensive scientific research. The major changes in this original protocol were noted in the year 1990 in London, 1992 in Copenhagen, 1995 in Vienna and the most recent was done in 1997 in the city of Montreal. The amendments were made to speed up the withdrawal and abstinence from the production of substances that deplete the ozone layer. First, the production and the use of halogen matter have a phase-out completely on the first day of January, 1994. Exactly two years later, the production and use of other ozone depleting substances was phased out. These substances include CFCs, tetra chlorides of carbon, methyl chloroform and others like complex compounds of hydrogen, bromine, fluorine and carbon (hydrobromofluorocarbons). It is important to note that some companies in certain nations were exempted from the above discussed bans while compounds of H, Cl, F and carbon are to be phased by the year 2020. As more knowledge continue to be obtained from scientific research, the current ozone depleting potentials of various substances shall continue to reviewed from time to time and the best standards shall be used. The Montreal Protocol has resulted to a decline of chlorinated hydrocarbons while the controlled use of hydrocarbons has resulted to leveled trend in emission levels. They have been predicted to begin declining by 2020 (Newton, 1995, p. 1). 8. Aqueous and non-aqueous agents are employed by the Californian fire service, Aqueous agents used First, the most commonly used aqueous substance in fire fighting is water itself. It can either be pure or salty but mostly pure water is rarely used. Ice has been sparingly used but it is effective in keeping room temperature low below the flash point of most flammable liquids. However, an array of hydrated chemicals has been developed for use in the fire fighting exercise. Most of the agents that are used in this chemical formulations include chlorinated metaxylenol, some forms of Urea, heteropolysaccharide-7 substance, aqueous solution of equal amount of sodium decylsulfate and sodium octylsulfate (both used in equal amounts in terms of their molar masses, other compounds like monobutyl ether made of diethylene glycol as well as the hydrated form of isopropyl mixture. Other chemicals used may vary narrowly from this typical composition to contain fewer compounds than these or include a few more compounds such as ammonia and magnesium sulfate. Non aqueous agents used The most commonly used non water agents in fighting fire in this fire service was Liquefied carbon dioxide which is packed in sturdy metallic cylinders and let out through some nozzles at the top of the cylinders. It is popularly known for its effectiveness in fighting and suppressing fires on flammable liquid tanks and containers. It acts by cutting off the oxygen supply from the atmosphere by forming a blanket like layer over the fire. In additions, these kinds of fires can also be handled by the use of dry chemical extinguishers. Fire beaters are commonly used in the grassland wildfires in California and they are used by trained fire beating crew who must wear appropriate garments and gears that are not only resistant to the fire itself but also protective from the painful burning characteristic of open-fire fighting. The criteria for determining the kind of agent to be used is based on the kind of fire (in the open or in a building), the kind of material burning (flammable liquid or wood or plastic or any other) and also on the resources available. Curbed fires can be suppressed by adequate water spray while fire from a fuel tank can be suppressed by used of liquid carbon dioxide. The agent selected should be the most appropriate under the prevailing conditions (Schwartz & Perry, 2007, p. 334). 9. Gift from a client or other person with whom one has a professional relationship, which must be reported to an employer, those if accepted could create a conflict of interest and state the justification. a. A pen with promotional advertising on it. It should be reported because if kept as a secret, other parties with similar interest as this client may see this as a campaign for this particular client’s company. b. A promotional videotape- it should be reported but it has no potential for causing conflict of interest. Reporting will allow for analyzing of the message in the tape and whether it is acceptable or not. c. A book of engineering data – this should be reported because the information contained in this book has not been established to be in conformity with the applicable standards for engineering. If not reported, it can cause a conflict of interest because if an engineer beliefs in the data, he is likely to have conflicts with others who use the preset standards. d. An engraved briefcase – it should also be reported because the material used to make it may be unsafe. Since briefcases are carried at work, the engraved briefcase may act as a source of irradiations which can potentially form a source of ignition for liquids with low splash points. e. A car – This should be reported because if not reported, it may be perceived as a reward for favor done before which is not acceptable according to the engineering code of ethics. This client may also be malicious and implant explosive materials in the car, and set it to explode when parked near the factory. Reporting will give room for inspection to avoid such terrorism minded clients or persons. f. A calendar- This should not be reported and cannot be a source of conflict if reported because it does not feature any where within the codes of ethics. However, if it contains advertisements of a company with which you have business relations, it should be reported because it has the potential of influencing the decisions of the engineer and may be seen as unfair by other companies with which you have similar business ties. g. A sterling silver pen with your name engraved on it- it should not be accepted if the person is involved in fraudulent enterprise as stipulated in the Rules of Practice number 1d. The engraved material may be radioactive and thus form a hazard especially when working in factories with highly flammable liquid tanks. h. An encyclopedia. This should be accepted and never reported because it has general information and the information contained is usually standardized and can be believed to be true. In case it is not reliable, the publisher can be held responsible (NSPE, 2003, pp. 1-2). 10. About an article related to unethical conduct The article is about a company that was involved in corrupt tendering process. The way it obtained road construction tenders was questionable by its competitors. This unethical engineering conduct has led to several impacts. First, there has been pressure from the other registered road constructors to de-register this constructor and soon, this individual company may be out of business. The engineers directly involved in the scandal may as well be deregistered. Since this has been highlighted by the press, the whole society may lose the trust they had on the engineering society unless a stern action is taken. This is against the professionalism of engineering and it is ‘staining’ the profession. This act is against the code of conduct for engineers since they are required to execute their duties honestly. The law also requires them to conduct themselves honorably and ethically and always act within the law. This is meant to retain the reputation and most importantly the usefulness of the profession. The ethical actions that should be taken against the perpetrators of this act include appearing for questioning to prove the misconduct, and if found guilty, the perpetrators should be sentenced as per the law (NSPE, 2003, pp. 1-2). The engineers involved should also be de-registered from the society for engineers for ‘staining’ the society and violating the rules they know very well. References Ammons, D. (2001). Assessing Municipal Performance. US: Sage. Fitzgerald, W. (2004). Building Fire Performance Analysis. New York: J. Wiley and Sons. Gagnon, R. M. (1998). Special Hazard Design. New York: Thomson Delmar. Gill, P. (1997). Factory Management and Maintenance. Michigan: McGraw Hill. National humanity of skilled engineers (NSPE). (2003). Code of Ethics for Engineers. Alexandria: NSPE. Newton, D. C. (1995). ‘The Ozone Dilemma’, The Columbia Encyclopedia. Columbia: Columbia University press.

The Negative Effects of Casinos

As stated in the â€Å"Harvard Mental Health Letter, pathological gambling has 0 symptoms, which include :†preoccupation with gambling, gambling with increased amounts of money, returns to gambling after losing money In order to recover the losses, and asking others for money to solve financial problems caused by gambling. † According to calendaring. Com, â€Å"about 2. 5 million adults in America are pathological gamblers and another 3 million of them should be considered problem gamblers, 15 million adults are at a risk for problem gambling and about 148 million are low-risk gamblers. There were many sociological and psychological tests done on the subject f casinos and gambling addictions; these tests support my final thought and opinion, that casinos will do more harm than help; although, I will show both views. They will cause many problems and may even cause a domino effect starting with personal problems, than expanding to sociological issues, and leading to gove rnmental tragedy. We will first look at the earliest effects of casinos which are the ones that effect Americans personally. When one enters a casino for their first time, they don't realize the trouble lurking closely behind them.Upon premature gambling problems, most addicts don't even realize there Is a problem. Herbert A. Bloch stated In The American Journal of Sociology. â€Å"Its danger Lies In the fact that It interferes with the normal assumption of responsibility which organized society compels. Simply implies that gambling most dangerous attack is the one in which impairs our Judgment of social and psychological norms to the point where we cannot make responsible decisions. Because of this, addictions may become larger and may bring on other addictions, such as alcohol and drug abuse.Casinos cause financial problems In many lives of Americans, which also leads back to drug ND substance abuse because people use these to cope with their problems. An example of the snare of addictions, which originate from the habit of gambling, would go hand and hand with a person who reads the literary work, The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson. In the story the reader has no idea of the horror involved with the lottery; they assume it to be a normal money type reward, until the devastating end of the story, when the winner Is to be stoned.It Is Important to heed warnings and place Limitations when going to a casino, because If a casual drinker can turn Into an alcoholic, a casual gambler can turn into a compulsive gambler. Scripturally gambling is wrong, and many Christians believe it isn't a godly thing to do because you may win some other person's money that they over spent and now have no bill or grocery money. In 1 Corinthians 8:13 it reads, â€Å"Wherefore, if meat cassette my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standees, lest I make make my brother to offend. KAVA)† They also believe that It Is wrong to be a bad example to others, so If a Eternal or Tamely memoir NAS Ana a gambling problem In ten past, Its Test to not associate with that person in a casino so they will not have any temptation. Gambling significantly affects the finances of many Americans. Casinos bring in over 500 billion dollars a year as stated by calendaring. Com. Sometimes the gambler puts his/her addiction before what is really important in life, causing problems with work, friends, and even family.Spending budgeted money is a big issue within a family and causes problems, but an even bigger argument is the fact that the time used in gambling is being robbed from the people who truly deserve it, like children. MUSM Kayak states in an article on canticles. Mom, â€Å"the spending of money is not the only devastating affect that this can have on kids, they can also suffer from other kinds of abuse such as verbal, physical and emotional. As these people tend to suffer from an enormous amount of stress, which will effectively make them angrier and more anxious. The psychological effects of gambling cause problems within the family, which may potentially break it up either by divorce or child services. The stress put on the gambler can come on so strong, that they feel helpless. They feel like there is no way out of the trap that they are in and resort to suicide. Many studies are now being done on this subject, to see if the rise in suicide ratings has any correlation with the effects of casinos, though there are many cases that prove this to be true.A wider view of how casinos negatively affect Americans is by taking a look at the reactions within societies. A society is the bigger picture which is less personal, and more collective. We can view society as the people, areas and environments surrounding the casino. First, we see the amount of crime increase within and surrounding casinos. This has been proven recently in Bangor, Minneapolis, where he local paper â€Å"Bangor Daily News,† had an article stating, â€Å" In 2008, crime increased to 65. 07 per 1,000 and this year [2010], the rate eclipsed 70. The increase was due to a casino, and they came to this conclusion, because other areas near or surrounding Bangor, had decreasing crime rates. The main 5 crime rates that increased were homicide, domestic violence, robbery, forgery, and drugs. Prostitution is also a big factor around casinos. Murders and armed robberies happened more often in parking lots of casinos due to stalkers inside of the casino, that follow big winners. The crime helps with the dilapidation of neighborhoods, which is basically the deterioration of a community. Neighborhoods look run down, and are filled with litter.When this occurs, property values go down, homes become abandoned, drug propaganda elevates (also with the crime rates), and the neighborhood is considered to be, at all costs unsafe. Traffic elevates in areas that contain casinos causing higher averages of pollution. Gas franchisers increase the prices of ga s and fuel around casinos because of the guaranteed flow of traffic. Another bad result in society is an increased rate of accidents, hit and runs, and Duds; all caused by either anxiety, rage, or being under the influence of alcohol or a substance.The biggest view to see how casinos negatively affect America is to look at its government. Look and view how the economy is, in today's realm, and answer to yourself if casinos can help. With people using their paychecks at casinos, they fall deeper into debt. People these days want easy money, but gambling is an extremely risky way to retrieve it. Especially because people believe that they have a 50/50 chance at winning, when in reality (it has been proven) to actually be 60/40- 70/30 in en salons Tabor. Casino taxes are extremely sustainable, Delving at ten Nell rate AT 21. % back in 2008, nevertheless, we have yet to see improvement on roads and in schools, which are where the tax payers wish see the funds go the most. And while fund s have Just been mentioned, I must bring up the concern for loss of budgeting in many cases, by way of casinos. Because of crime, many more police officers are needed in the surrounding areas of the casino. Especially for the ones opened for 24 hrs. The funds used to pay for police officers come from federal and county funds, which could be used in more important fields. Unemployment rates have sky rocketed lately.And it has been true in many cases that unemployment money has been used within casinos, leaving families in need, bills unpaid, and debts accumulating and some even with interest. Sadly the unemployment rates continue to rise and extensions continue to be placed on many cases. Casinos are only hurting the financial of the addicted. Many families are also on welfare, due to the lack of money. And with the numbers of both unemployment and welfare rising, we can only expect our nation's economy to go into a bigger deficit. If anything, we should raise gambling taxes. It is t he right of an American to go to a casino.Most people who do go into a casino do not have a strong or addictive gambling problem. It is their individual decision which they are free to make. If humanity could not make decisions, we would have a world or society like the one in the literary work of Any Rand, Anthem, which states,† We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE,One, indivisible and forever. (19)† Americans have many freedoms, it is possible for us to drink, to use medicine rugs, and even to gamble, but many Americans have proven that strength is needed when engaging in any of these.Just like the alcoholic starts off as a casual drinker, it is very possible for a casual gambler to become a pathological gambler. Casinos do provide Jobs for many Americans, but it robs the Americans that do have Jobs. The basic argument that faces us is freedom verses right/wrong. That is up to you as an individual to decide. To conclude, you have see n the negative effects that are overcoming many Americans. Many problems, in which are controllable, but even more importantly avoidable. The only way to actually avoid these problems would be to eliminate casinos all together.Fewer financial problems within the family, society, and government is a great plus; greener, cleaner neighborhoods with less traffic will help society; fewer men and women on unemployment and welfare, and less police needed in and around the casinos area will provide more money for our nation eliminating some devastating debt. I believe that the best option for America would be to prohibit the building of anymore casinos and to begin shutting down the ones that are open now, starting with the larger ones.

Organized Sport Essay

It is obvious that the American society is obsessed with sports. All one needs to do to see this obsession is turn on the television and watch one of the dozens of twenty -four hour sports stations and commercials dedicated to sports. Still not convinced, then hop into your car and take a drive across any suburban American town and look at the parks and playing fields. They are full of adult and children athletes playing for leisure and competition. We, as adults, have made athletics into a billion dollar industry as spectators and participants. Our need for sports fuels our pride and self worth as Americans. However, organized youth sports in the U. S. are still a relatively new phenomenon. Prior to 1954, most organized sports in this country took place through social agencies such as the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, etc. (Seefelt & Ewing, 1997). Since this time, the benefits provided by these activities have developed into private youth sports organizations primarily run by volunteering adults. Does our obsession have a purpose? Do organized sports play a positive role in the lives of our children? At first thought, any red blooded American would say absolutely. But can we explain why and in what way organized sports benefit our children? Parents and coaches have alluded to the idea that sports are great for kids for decades, but when this comment is made it seems to be accepted without any question. In the following text we will discuss specific benefits from participation in organized sports including the physical, psychological, and academic impact of sport on children. We will also look at the research to see the concrete proof that organized sports play a vital role in the development of the youth of this country. Physical The most alarming issue facing the health of our country and specifically our children is the epidemic of childhood obesity. The infrastructure of our nation’s health care system will be tested as we see the first wave of obese children reach adulthood and deal with the related health issues. The scary facts are that the lifestyle and diet we promote is trickling down to the children of this country. Health issues that are linked to adult obesity are now becoming more and more common in children and teens. For example, type II diabetes was once considered adult on-set diabetes, but today the cases of children with type II diabetes is raising at an alarming rate. The estimated yearly cost of obesity in this country is estimated at around 61 billion dollars. With these issues facing the children of this country we need a cure right? Well a portion of that cure is located in organized sports. The solution is simple to stopping the trend of childhood obesity; eat less and be more active. Today children in this country are far less active than prior generations. Through childhood activity, we are not only saving our children from a life of obesity as adults but we are also potentially saving this country billions of dollars in missed days of work, dollars spent on health care, and rising disability rates. (Healthierchildren. org). In 1997, the CDC stated within its â€Å"Guidelines for Schools and Communities for Promoting Lifelong Physical Activity† that youth sports can promote positive behavior that can last a lifetime (Seefelt & Ewing, 1997). Much debate has been discussed in the general public about the frequency and duration it takes for a child athlete to receive benefits from physical activity. Boys and girls who participate in just two 50 minute training sessions per week improved their aerobic capacity by 15% in just six months (Eppright, Sanfacon, Beck & Bradley, 1996). How young is too young for involvement in organized sports? Children under the age of 5 are more than likely to receive from organized sports the simplest of benefits. For example, children at this age seem to enjoy the advancement in motor skills and interaction and not the competitive aspect of the activity (Eppright, Sanfacon, Beck & Bradley, 1996). A study in Singapore showed that even preschoolers could benefit from involvement in organized sports. This study showed that preschoolers who participated in organized sports where stronger physically, socially, and emotionally developed than peers who were not evolved in organized sports at the preschool level (Nonis, 2004). As with adults over training is a serious issue. A 1980 study detailed the risks of over training with child athletes. There is points in training were growth actually may be retarded (McKeag, 1980). This extreme should not scare parents from allowing there children to participate in a appropriate level of physical activity. Academics We live in a competitive world and as a culture it is our duty to prepare children for the competition. The benefits of organized sports reach farther than the playing fields and hardwood floors of our schools. Organized sport has the potential to also help our children in the realm of academia. Sports help us to prepare for a life filled with stiff competition. Organized athletics teach children to respect authority and to develop time management skills outside the classroom; to be able to balance the responsibilities of being a student and an athlete. The typical stereo-type of the â€Å"dumb athlete† couldn’t be any farther from the actual truth. Current research actually points to a relationship between organized athletics and higher academics. The lessons learned outside the classroom transfer directly into relationships with teachers and peers in an educational environment. The research points to a direct correlation between organized sports and higher development rates in academics. Athletics teach our children to master skills and to focus on the development of virtue over the outcome (Durrant, 2007)). This is a concept that parents and coaches since the dawn of sports have stressed. Organized sports teach life lessons of discipline, hard work, dedication, and how to push through adversity. But the stereotype of the â€Å"dumb jock† has also haunted organized sport as well. The truth is that students who participate in extra curricular activities including organized sports tend to be more academically equipped (Fredricks & Eccles, 2006). It must be noted that students who participate in multiple extracurricular activities including those outside of organized sport seem to benefit the most academically. Psychological The average person knows that there is a positive feeling of self that comes from physical activity and exercise. From a physiological stand point we could say that this is caused by the body producing natural endorphins that just make us feel good for a short period of time following exercise. But the truth is through organized sport we build a sense of self worth, and accomplishment not present in exercise and physical activity alone. These positive feelings we feel following participation in organized sport are the direct result of putting hard work in and seeing the outcome for the whole group not just the individual. The truth is that sports give children an opportunity to develop self concept and how to express themselves within a group. It seems that this is a natural need that even children who do not participate in organized sports have. For example, children in early elementary school are seen looking for situations to act out their competitive nature; competition becomes an independent social motive. Organized sports give these children an outlet for this natural behavior (Eppright, Sanfacon, Beck & Bradely, 1996) As health professionals, it is our job to promote behavior that will increase quality of life and educate Americans on the risk taken in certain behaviors, yet in this country today our children are living lives of risk. Our children are putting themselves at risk for sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, adult obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, etc. Extracurricular activities including organized sports have a direct impact on decreasing risky behavior by children. This can mainly be explained due to the type of peers a child associates with on a regular basis. If a child participates in extracurricular activities his or her choice of friends is likely to be from the pool of children that participate in the given extracurricular activity. Peers who are involved in extracurricular activities tend to be more academically conscience and less likely to live lifestyles promoting risky behavior (Fredricks & Eccles, 2006). If a child is surrounding them selves with responsible peers risky behavior is likely being decreased. In American society today it seems antisocial behavior is accepted, we claim that it’s just a phase or that it’s alright to just be who we are. While both of these may be true, a healthy person is a pro-social person who can function in main stream society. So what role can organized sport play in creating positive pro-social behaviors in children? Children who have been involved in organized sport tend to be more pro-social than their counterparts who have not been exposed to organized sport at an early age. Sports have been used with some success with improving adults and children with antisocial issues, but no clear evidence has shown sports as an effective treatment for antisocial behavior issues (Duncan, 2004). Organized sports may not have a place in treatment of children with antisocial issues but it is clear that children who have been exposed to sports at an early age are less likely to have antisocial disorders. Organized sports participation has been proven to lower scores in the areas of externalizing problems, social problems, aggression problems, and delinquency problems(Donaldson & Ronan, 2006). The number one psychological issue in the life of a child or young adult is the idea of self worth or self concept. The easiest way to define self concept is how do I feel about myself? What kind of self worth do I have? Various researchers have pointed to self concept as the variable with the most potential to reflect the most positive psychological gains (Sonstroem & Morgan, 1988). Researchers have found a positive relationship between organized or formal sports and a positive concept of self (Donaldson & Ronan, 2006). The strength of self concept is built through the knowledge that I, as a person on my own, can finish what I start. I, as a person, can put my mind to a given task and perform that task with the skill I have learned through hard work. And most of all, I can contribute to the group giving us overall success. The large focus of research in the health and sport community has focused on the benefits of organized sport, but can children receive the same social benefits from relatively unorganized sports activities? The answer to this question seems to be that children do not benefit from the same life skills that come from organized sports. Organized sports do create an environment where we learn to exist within the team concept. The world of organized sport appeals to young people who are drawn to the team concept and have a positive view of authority and the group concept. However, the earlier children are involved in organized athletics the more likely they are to be attracted to these sports as a adolescent (Donaldson & Ronon, 2007). Many have witnessed the out of control parent at a little league game or a child who participates in too many activities and gives up a sport at a later age. These are examples of the negative impact of youth sports. The negative impact of youth sports is a real and valid concern. The psychological benefits of youth sports are just as great for the child who grows up to have nothing to do with competitive athletics (McKeag, 1980). Conclusion The proof is in the research, organized sports provide positive benefits. Physically, children who participate in organized sport are less likely to develop asthma and diabetes as adults. Academically, children who participate in organized sports are more likely to excel in the classroom. Socially, children who participate in organized sport are less likely to suffer from depression and less likely to participate in antisocial high risk behavior. With all the positives involved, why do we see so many states and individual school districts cutting funds and opportunities for children to participate in organized childhood sports? It is vital that we fight to not only keep childhood sports a priority in our primary schools but also expand those programs. As parents we must take it on ourselves to give our children every chance to benefit from organized youth sports, even if it means taking time out of our own busy schedules to volunteer. As Americans we cannot afford to see a day when organized sports are limited to only those families who can afford to pay for their children to participate in them. In order for organized sport to become a priority in this country, we as health professionals must educate the public on the positives and how they translate to the long term financial and social benefits for our country. Works Cited Donaldson, S. , & Ronan,K. (2006 Summer). The Effecs of Sports Participation on Young Adolescents’ Emotional Well-being. Adolescence, 41(162), 369-389. Duncan, S. , Duncan, T. , Strycker, L. , & Chaumeton, N. (March 3, 2002). Relations Beween Youth Antisocial and Prosocial Activites, Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 25 (5) 425-438. Durant, S. (2007 Summer). Raising Successful and Emotionally Healthy Children in a Competitive World. Independent School, 66(4), 116-116. Eppright, T. , Sanfacon, J. , Beck, N. , & Bradley, J. (December 23, 1996). Sports Psychiatry in Childhood and Adolescence: An Overview, Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 28(2), 71-86. McKeag, D. (1980). Sports and the Young Athlete: A Family Practice Perspective, Sports and the Young Athlete, 3-16. Nonis, K. (November 2005). Kindergarten Teachers’ View About the Importance of Preschoolers’ Partcipation in Sports in Singapore. Early Child Development and Care, 175(7-8), 719-742. Seefeldt, V. , & Ewing, M. , (September 1997). Youth Sports in America, President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Research Digest, 2(11), 2-14.

Gun Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Gun Control - Essay Example This essay dwells upon the problem of gun control and its influence.There is a widespread perception that committing suicide is a long process that requires planning just like a wedding or something else. Studies have shown that suicide does not require much rational decision but it is something done spontaneously. This means that if a person came across a death striking murder is at the verge life and death. This might sound far-fetched, according to Boston Globe report, states with high level of gun ownership have a suicide rate almost twice as high as those states with low ownership level. More surprisingly, people who committed suicide were found to be seventeen times more likely to live with guns at home than not. Most criminals who cause a massacre utilize illegal weapons. Between 1982 and 2012, the US has heard an astonishing number of roughly sixty-two mass shooting which was propagated by gun licensing. Mother Jones research outlines that out of sixty-two shooting; forty-nine were perpetrated using legal weapons. It is worth noting that, half of all mass shooters use assault weapons and high capacity magazines. A few sensible restrictions could have saved a lot of lives. If a criminal is determined to pull off a massacre, he could do it very easily using a shotgun, handgun or even a musket. So putting controls on the assault firearms is a good thing and should be encouraged. Gun control decreases the number of lives lost through reckless act of senseless shooting thus it save lives. Australia parliament supports this action. In fact in 1996, a mass shooter killed thirty five people in port Arthur in a massacre, two weeks later, the prime minister by then , John Howard launched an aggressive clampdown on gun ownership that have never been experienced in the history of Australia. Within this exercise, around 650,000 automatic and semi-automatic weapons were destroyed and a whole raft of checks and controls brought in. As a result, individuals stop the aimless killing (Lott 52). In fact, the killing rate reduced to zero. The main aim of gun is consumed by the lifestyle of US citizen. Frankly, very few of those who

Learning Journal on Motivating Others Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Learning Journal on Motivating Others - Essay Example This might be done through proper training to ensure that the individual has the required skills. The concept of motivation simply entails enhancing the desire and commitment to responsibilities as far as work is concerned in order to boost performance. In order to increase an individual’s performance through motivation, there is need to ensure that the individual gains proper understanding of performance expectations for the specific work. After making the person understand the performance expectations of the work, it is also important to ensure that the person feels that the expectations can be achieved. This can be done by first eliminating the existing personal and organizational obstacles to performance and making the person feel like he or she has the capability to achieve the expectations. There is also need to use appropriate rewards and discipline in order to encourage exceptional performance and extinguish unacceptable behavior. On identifying the specific inappropriate behavior, it is important to explain the reason why the behavior is considered as inappropriate and clearly indicate that the behavior should be stopped. Elaborate the impact of this kind of behavior on the performance of the individual and others i n terms of how it may hinder the achievement of the set performance expectations. By doing all the above, it will be a sure way of making the individual understand that high performance is more rewarding than average or low performance. In order to gain much from effective administration of the reward and discipline aspect, it is necessary to make the subordinate feel that the rewards gained from being a high performer are worth the effort. This means that the rewards are supposed to be substantial enough to increase the person’s urge to meet expectations so as to gain the rewards. This is also supposed to be done equitably so that the subordinates will not feel that there is any form of favoritism in one’s administration of

Assignment on Corporate Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Assignment on Corporate Finance - Essay Example A merger can resemble a takeover but result in a new company name or combining the names of the original companies. (http://en.wikipedia.org) Shleifer and vishny (2003) proposed a market timing model of acquisition. They assumed that acquirers are overvalued, and the motive for acquisition is not to gain synergies, but to reserve some of their temporary overvaluation for long-run shareholder. Specifically, by acquiring less-overvalued target with overpriced stock (or less interestingly, undervalued target with cash) overvalued acquirers can cushion the fall for their shareholders by leaving them with more hard assets per share or, if the deals value proposition. This refers to the fact that the combined company can often reduce duplicate departments or operations, lowering the cost of the company relative to theoretically the same revenue stream thus, increasing profit. For example, a bank buying a stock broker could then sell its banking products to the stock's customers while the broker can sign up the banks customers for brokerage account. Or a manufacturer can acquire and sell complimentary products. This is the sign to smoothen the earning result of a company, which over the long-term smoothes a stock price of a company, giving conservative investors more confidence in investing in the company. However, this does not always deliver value to shareholders (http://en.wikipedia.org) From datamonitor analyses, UCB has an inorganic expansion into lucrative AIID and oncology market. The acquisition of the Biotechnology Company, Celltech offered UCB technology platforms and experience for the development of biological drugs. And the new regulations allows our company to create motive for us to merge and acquire, which is an opportunity for us to have a strong R & D pipeline and new expertise in the pharmaceutical sectors. So all of this would be achieved rapidly if acquisition decision is taken. Asset acquisition UCB is a multinational company, operating in more than one hundred and forty countries, also it is one of the largest pharmaceutical and chemical

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 124

Discussion - Essay Example The website explains how an entrepreneur can maximize the profitability of his or her business. According to the site, cost control is very essential if an entrepreneur needs to maximize profits. The site also analyzes a number of benefits for the business such as ways of improving productivity and growing with confidence as retrieved from http://www.accpac.com. This information is very substantial to all entrepreneurs since it is highlighting some paramount aspects in the business world (ACCPAC, 2015). Choose to save is another website that I reviewed. The site analyzes an efficient way to save as indicated in http://www.choosetosave.org/asec/. This is very essential information to every person who is cautious about the future hence an important site for knowledge purposes (ASEC, 2014). The Ex-Im Bank of USA is another website that was put into consideration. It is not only educative but also interesting after analyzing how it operates. After going through it, as an American entrepreneur one can get essential information that will help him or her to understand how he can obtain assistance from the Ex-Im bank which will in turn improve his or her business as retrieved from http://www.exim.gov/index.cfm. The discussion, therefore, shows how these sites possess essential information. The sites are also dated 2015, showing that they have been recently updated thus the information is up to

Theory of Human Caring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Theory of Human Caring - Essay Example According to Watson (2009), "nursing is a lifetime journey of caring and healing, seeking to understand and preserve the wholeness of human existence, and to offer compassionate, informed, knowledgeable human caring to society and humankind." Thus, nurses play an important role in the healing of human suffering. In this essay, role of Watson's theory in caring of patients in nursing profession will be discussed through review of a particular case and reflection. Case scenario 55 year James was transferred to the neurology ward from neurosurgical ICU to which he was admitted one week ago with right sided hemiplegia following stroke. Besides right sided hemiplegia, the patient had bladder and bowel incontinence, pneumonia and depression. I was one of the nurses assigned to take care of the patient. The patient stayed in the stroke rehabilitation ward for 4 weeks. During the first week in the ward, I found James to be depressed and frustrated. His only family member with him was his wif e. I found out from the couple that they had 2 sons, who were married and stayed in different countries. They had not come down because the parents did not want to trouble them and hence did not deliver proper information. During my sessions of nursing care I convinced the patient that their sons be asked to come down as it would make the patient feel a lot better. I finally managed to convince them to do so in the second week and when their sons came down, the patient was a lot better psychologically. The patient was a spiritual person and believed in Christianity. He missed attending church regularly. I allowed him to offer prayers by arranging a father to meet him every week. This uplifted the psychological and spiritual morale of the patient. As he improved, I asked his wife and sons to contact a few friends of James and asked them to meet him in the rehabilitation center. James was very much upset about his physical deficiencies because of stroke, especially the bowel and bladd er incontinence. I instilled lot of confidence and hope in the patient and told him that recovery occurs with good positive outlook and physiotherapy. The patient got discharged after 4 weeks. When he came for review after 4 weeks of discharge, he was a lot more improved physically and psychologically and confident person. Jean Watson and her theory Jean Watson, an eminent nurse educator and theorist has contributed significantly to the profession of nursing through her famous theory, the Theory of Transpersonal Caring, which is also known as the Theory of Human Caring. Watson was born in West Virginia and is currently settled in Colarado (Cara, 2003). She graduated from the University of Colarado and did her Master's degree in psychiatric-mental health nursing (Cara, 2003). She further achieved Ph.D degree in psychology and counseling. She is the founder of the Center for Human Caring located in Colarado and is currently a distinguished professor at the University of Colarado (Cara , 2003). The theory was developed by the nursing scholar based on her experiences in the field of mental health, psychology and counseling. This theory is very important for the nursing profession because it emphasizes the role of humanistic perspective of profession based on

Business Plan based on a case study of a leisure centre Essay

Business Plan based on a case study of a leisure centre - Essay Example In order sort out issues better, one of the major problems would be identified for every segment, the aspects that need to be addressed in such problem would be discussed, then the process of implementing the action plan would be stated and the way it would assist the leisure club would also be clarified. Sales, Marketing and Customer Service In this segment focus would be on the marketing, sales and customer service segment of the fitness and leisure club. As the customer survey report indicate, the customers seem to be quite satisfied with the services being offered in the club, but the yearly statistics for marketing or customer service reveal a different picture, and sales is totally depended on these two aspect. The sports hall is closed for two month as the roof is leaky, poor food safety standards, etc. These are maintenance drawbacks, which reveal that the council and employees of the centre are not marketing their services well to the customers. In such case immediate refurb ishment of the centres are required. If the quality of facilities and amenities offered to the customers are improved and provided in a systematic manner, through right planning and restoration, then this condition will improve. Sales will automatically increase when the centres are renovated and re-launched along with all the facilities that would also include a technology based framework for performance, and sales assessment and monitoring (Lewis, 2007). As far as the record of customer service goes for these centres, it is even poor because the female members are not safe; there are no female lifeguards, and many more. The assistant manager is being accused of sexually harassing the female staff, which reveals that when the environment of the organisation and the standard of customer service can be expected from the incidents mentioned. The quality of customer service and safety of members especially female and children is necessary (Jeffs, 2008). The action plan for marketing an d customer service would be discussed in steps to provide a clear view of what needs to be done: The first step would be to list all the refurbishment work that needs to be done for the centres. The second step should be to estimate the refurbishment cost, and assess the sources through which funds would be derived for refurbishment. The third step should be to develop strategies to offer all those facilities appropriately to the customers, for which Fridley Leisure Centre is known for. The fourth step to arrange for financial assistance from the assumed sources. The fifth step would be to re-launch the centres, invite members, and ensure them of good environment, facilities, and safety (Griffin, 2012). The final step would be to stay focused towards the safety and specific requirement of female members and children. This is a way of extensive marketing through which revenue will increase aggressively. The club membership once became stagnant, will start increasing again. Goodwill w ill increase for improved customer service, and increasing level of safety. It will also assist in receiving grants from government for further financial assistance and improvements (Brassington, and Pettitt, 2007). Human Resources or Staff Management This discussion would be based on another most significant area of the organisati

Does Religion Cause War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Does Religion Cause War - Essay Example Beliefs are the key word of the definition. When an individual or group has a set of religious beliefs, these beliefs are their life. Religious beliefs are the main component reflecting decisions that one may make. This means that religious beliefs do not cause war but may influence decisions made after a war has already begun. This can raise argument but truth has shown that most war has begun as a result of territory and possessions and not solely because of religion. Religion regarding beliefs has been an issue of war since creation. Every individual practices some form of religion like Christianity, Judaism, or Atheism. Each form of religion is similar in the sense that the belief is a religion and a way of life. Each religion is also quite different. Many like those in the Christian religion are persecuted for their religious beliefs and cannot be caught acting in a Christian manner. The persecution creates a war in the life of the Christian. They must choose between honoring th eir beliefs and being persecuted. The United States, according to a poll by ABC news consist of 83% Christians. This may be because Christianity is so well tolerated in America and Christians can freely practice Christianity. In other areas of the world Christianity is not accepted and has been known to cause war. This war is more so between the Christian and Muslim communities.

TESCO's Business Plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

TESCO's Business Plan - Case Study Example According to Kanter (1995) such an action will not constitute an adequate response. This is so because success is based on an organisation's ability to create, rather than predict the future by developing those products that will literally transform the way the world thinks and view it self and the needs (Kanter 1995:71). The study first of all scans the market environment using the PESTLE framework; thereafter the study looks at TESCO corporate mission and vision statement in the phase of its new business plan. Finally the study looks into how ecological factors and other environmental factors have been used by TESCO to benefit its business plan. The last section of the paper provides the conclusion and recommendation for the study. Founded by Jack Cohen in 1919, Tesco Plc today, has established itself as the largest super store in Europe. According to the company 2007 corporate report and the website, Tesco PLC is an international retailer. Tesco principal activities include food retailing having over 2,000 stores in the United Kingdom. The company also has stores and retail outlet in other countries like the Republic of Ireland, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan and China (Tesco 2006 Review). Tesco operates 165 International Express stores. In addition it operates 39 stores in China, 111 in Japan, 13 in Malaysia, 62 in South Korea, 6 in Taiwan, 219 in Thailand, 35 in Czech Republic, 87 in Hungary, 105 in Poland, 91 in Republic of Ireland, 37 in Slovakia and 8 in Turkey. (Tesco Annual Review, 2006). It therefore operates round the clock which demonstrates its commitment to create customer value which in turn generates superior value for its shareholders. Tesco denotes its success to an aggressive global strategy of geographical diversification, product differentiation, cost focus and it use of umbrella branding. In its attempt to renew the brand and keep it in sync with changing customer tastes, Tesco follows various strategies including international diversification, providing value to customers, product diversification, innovation, acquisition and umbrella branding. Its recent strategy is the creation and opening of environmental friendly and energy efficient stores. 1.1.1 Political Factors The PESTLE framework outline in appendix one stipulates that a company is

Social Issues Essay Example for Free

Social Issues Essay 1) What social issues do I feel strongly about? I feel strongly that the minimum wage should be raised because the lower class will be able to provide for themselves and their families.The government feels the lower your class, the lower the cost of living , which is not necessarily true. I think that it’s more expensive to live in a lower class area.For example in Dayton,Ohio, the cost of living is â€Å"low† as opposed to Atlanta,Georgia, and the high expense of living. At the wage it is at they will never be able to rise out of the poverty stricken levels. It seems like the cost of living and food is steady rising but the pay is slowing rising. Companies are making millions and even billions and its employees are barely able to make a decent living, while the higher ups need to take a pay cut. Employees who make minimum wage have a much higher stress load and are at the crossroads between paying the light bill or putting food on the table. Then you have the higher ups who seems to only have to decide where they want to go for vacation or what new car or house to buy. 2) How do I go about solving personal problems? When I need to solve a personal problem I try to first figure out what is causing the issue and what I can do to eliminate it. If that doesn’t help I seek help from family and friends who have the same issue or issues. I try to find someone who has experience and ask them what they have done to help them out. I also seek help from professional doctors, therapists, instructors and or counselors. I understand that some problems will not go away on their own or overnight so I make sure to not get overwhelmed. It was suggested that I take it one problem , one step and one day at a time. I have also learned that writing in journal or notebook has helped as well. I believe that listening to music and meditating are also great ways to reduce stress and solve problems. A lot of people tend to use violence as away to escape there problems. I on the other hand am totally against violence unless its really called for. When I feel overwhelmed, frustrated, angry,  stressed and hurt, it cause anxiety to kick in fullest extreme. 3) Do I readily seek help from others when I need it? I do not always seek help from others when i need it because I have found that a lot of people tend to give their personal opinions versus helpful advice. I do however seek help from a few individuals when every other option hasn’t helped or worked out. It depends on the issue and the person in whom I am asking. For example if I was in a situation and I needed advice I would probably sit and think of ways of figuring it out for at least three days before I would even consider seeking additional help. It’s not so much that I’m independent. I dont mind receiving help , I just rather be able to say I did this on my own. Some individuals end to feel that they are better than you when you seek help from them. 4) Which of my values would I like to change? I would like to change my focus and my ambition for my youngest son to go to college because I want that to be his decision.I do not want my focus and what I want for him to drown out his own focus or dreams in life. Of course, I want him to do well and excel in life but I want him to make his own decisions and choices so he does not resent me when he gets older. As his mother it is easy to want to plan his life, career choice, mate, house car, etc etc but I understand that he will be an adult and make his own choices and all I can do is raise him to be a respectable young man and teach him good home values. Also as his mother , I can be a positive role model for him. Some mothers tend to get angry with their children , when they see them doing the same behaviors they were showing. As my son gets older i wont do things around him, that i wouldnt want him doing as a man. I do know he will do what he feels is best for him. I just have to accept that my focus and ambition is to be the b est mother I can be for him.

Long Term Evolution (LTE) Technology

Long Term Evolution (LTE) Technology Long-Term Evolution [LTE] Abstract The 3GPP long-term evolution [LTE] is the step towards the radio air-interface evolution for 3G technology to deliver â€Å"Mobile Broadband†. It is being defined and standardized by the 3GPP to functionally evolve the radio access technology and enhance the performance of 3G technologies to meet user-expectations over long-term i.e, 10 years and beyond. LTE targets to achieve this by improving the 3G coverage, system capacity, data rates and spectrum efficiency. It also aims at reducing the latency and enhance other radio performance parameters while reducing user and operator costs. The above LTE requirements would be fulfilled by the use of new multiple access schemes on the air interface: OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) in downlink and SC-FDMA (Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access) in uplink. Furthermore, Multiple-Input and Multiple Output(MIMO) antenna schemes are used to achieve higher bit-rates. The first section of the article present s the evolution of the 3GPP-LTE, while the second section lists the physical performance targets as defined by the standards. The section that follows presents the technical building blocks and the architecture of the LTE system. The article concludes by discussing the economic target defined by the standards and the current status of the LTE system. Introduction: The large-scale deployment of the Wide-band Code Division Multiplexing (W-CDMA) or the 3G technology across the globe prompted the 3GPP to take steps towards the evolution of the 3G air interface. The High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) was introduced in 3GPP Release 5[1] to increase the performance of the downlink while High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) was introduced in 3GPP Release 6[2] to enhance the uplink data rates. HSPA+(High-Speed Packet Access Plus) is being introduced in release 7[3] to enhance performance of HSPA based radio networks in terms of spectrum efficiency, peak data rate and latency, and exploit the full potential of WCDMA. The characteristics of HSPA+ such as the use of the downlink MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output), higher order modulation for uplink and downlink, improvements of layer 2 protocols, continuous packet connectivity and enhanced uplink meet immediate and mid-term needs of the end-users. However the operator and end-users expectatio ns are growing rapidly and alternative competitive access technologies are emerging continuously. To ensure long-term competitiveness of 3G technology, the 3GPP included the â€Å"Evolved UTRA and UTRAN â€Å"work item in 2004[3][4]. The aim of the work item is to investigate the means of achieving enhanced service provisioning by improving data rates, capacity, spectrum-efficiency, and latency thereby providing optimum support for packet-switched services[5][6]. Physical air-interface Performance Requirements of the 3GPP Long –term Evolution [LTE]: The requirements for the design of the 3GPP LTE system is prescribed in the 3GPP specification 3GPP TR 25.913[3] and is summarized as follows: Providing significantly higher data rates compared to the existing technology such as the HSDPA and enhanced uplink, with target peak data rates up to 100 Mb/s for the downlink and up to 50 Mb/s for the uplink. The capability to provide three to four times higher average throughput and two to three times higher cell-edge throughput when compared to systems based on HSDPA and enhanced uplink as standardized in 3GPP Release 6. Increased spectral efficiency upto four-folds compared to 3G technology. Improved architecture and signalling to significantly reduce control and user plane latency, with a target of less than 10 ms user plane RAN round-trip time (RTT) and less than 100 ms channel setup delay. Support scalable bandwidths of 5, 10, 15, 20 MHz and including bandwidths smaller than 5 MHz for more flexibility. In order to protect the investments already made by the operators, updates and modifications to the existing radio network architecture is being proposed. This involves a smooth migration into other frequency bands, including those currently used for second-generation (2G) cellular technologies such as GSM and IS-95. Support for operation in paired (Frequency Division Duplex / FDD mode) and unpaired spectrum (Time Division Duplex / TDD mode) is possible. Support for end-to-end Quality of Service Support for inter-working between the existing UTRAN/GERAN and other non-3GPP systems. The handover delay between them to be less than 300 milliseconds for real-time services and less than 500 milliseconds for non-real-time services. An enhanced Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service(E-MBMS) shall be supported. Reduced capital and operational expense shall be ensured. Optimized support for low mobile speeds (0-10 mph) as well as support for high mobile speeds (10 -30 mph). LTE System Building blocks: The following technological building blocks enable to meet the LTE system requirements as prescribed by the 3GPP: Radio Interface Technology: In order to meet the requirements of higher data rates, a new radio transmission technology called the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) has been selected for the downlink and Single Carrier-Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) for the uplink. In an OFDM system, the available spectrum is divided into multiple carriers, called sub-carriers, which are orthogonal to each other. Each of these sub-carriers is independently modulated by a low rate data stream. Different bandwidths are realized by varying the number of subcarriers used for transmission, while the subcarrier spacing remains unchanged. In this way operation in spectrum allocations of 1.25, 2.5, 5,10, 15, and 20 MHz is supported. OFDM enables transmission adaptation in frequency domain in E-UTRA. OFDM has several benefits including its robustness against multipath fading and its efficient receiver architecture. It is used in WLAN, WiMAX and broadcast technologies. In order to achieve higher throughputs and increased spectral efficiency so as to meet the coverage, capacity and data rate requirements, Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna solutions are used by the LTE systems. MIMO refers to the use of multiple antennas at the transmitter and the receiver side. MIMO beamforming could be used to increase coverage and/or capacity, and spatial multiplexing, sometimes referred to as MIMO, can be used to increase data rates by transmitting multiple parallel streams to a single user[7]. In order to meet the improved latency requirement, it was required to reduce the number of network nodes involved in data processing and transport. A flatter architecture[8] as prescribed by the standards would lead to improved latency and transmission delay. Figure below depicts a simplified LTE system architecture and it consist of two types of network nodes one at user plane and the other at the control plane. Evolved NodeB(eNodeB): It is the enhanced BTS that provides the LTE air interface and performs radio resource management for the enhanced LTE radio interface Access Gateway(AGW): It provides the termination of LTE bearer and acts as the mobility anchor point and packet date network gateway for user plane. SAE is a study within 3GPP targeting at the evolution of the overall system architecture. The focus of this work is on the packet-switched domain with the assumption that voice services are supported in this domain. This study envisions of an all-IP network [8] and the support of heterogeneous access networks in terms of mobility and service continuity[9]. LTE Economic Targets Benefits to Operators and End-users: Performance and capacity of LTE systems as discussed in the earlier sections shall facilitate the provisioning of high-quality multimedia-rich applications. While the users are catered with innovative services, the operators generate revenue from alternate avenues other than from voice. Avoidance of complicated architectures and unnecessary interfaces, reuse of existing system and spectrum, efficient operations and management along with the optimized performance by the radio technologies yield an overall reduction cost per bit. This benefit the end-users to access services at a low cost and operators benefit from low OPEX and CAPEX. Current Status and Future of LTE: For LTE that offers high-performance radio interface, it requires a high-performance core network inorder to experience commercial success. Impact on the overall network architecture including the core network is being investigated in the context of 3GPP System Architecture Evolution (SAE). It aims at optimizing the core network for packet-switched services and including the IP multimedia subsystem that supports all access technologies. The combined evolution of LTE and SAE forms the basis for the 3GPP release-8. As of today[3GPP website], 3GPP has approved to freeze the functional requirements of LTE as well as SAE as part of release-8.[10] There is proof of substantial industrial commitment towards LTE deployment in form of contributions and intellectual inputs to the 3GPP LTE specification groups. Also, many recent press announcements from vendors and operators indicate the same[11]. References [1] 3GPP TS25.855, â€Å"High Speed Downlink Packet Access;Overall UTRAN Description†, version 5.0.0. [2] 3GPP TS25.999,†High Speed Packet Access Evolution, Frequency Division Duplex†, version 6.1.0 [3] 3GPP TS 25.913; Requirements for E-UTRA and E-UTRAN(Release 7) [4] 3GPP, RP-040461, †Proposed Study Item on Evolved UTRA and UTRANâ€Å", www.3gpp.org. [5] H. Ekstrà ¶m et al., â€Å"Technical Solutions for the 3G Long-term Evolution†, IEEE Communications Magazine, March 2006. [6] E. Dahlman et al. â€Å"The 3G Long-Term Evolution – Radio Interface Concepts and Performance Evaluation†, Proceedings of the VTC 2006 Spring. [7] http://www.3g4g.co.uk/Lte/Tutorials/RandS_WP_LTE.pdf [8] 3GPP TS 22.978; All-IP Network (AIPN) feasibility study (Release 7) [9] 3GPP TS 23.882;† 3GPP system architecture evolution (SAE): Report on technical options  and conclusions†, Release 7.1.9 [10] 3GPP TS 36.201;† Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA); Long Term Evolution (LTE) physical layer; General description†, Release 8.0.1 [11] http://www.etsi.org/WebSite/document/Barcelona_2008.pdf [12] http://www.ericsson.com/technology/whitepapers/lte_overview.pdf

Restraint Essay -- essays research papers

Restraint   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Restraint is a major idea in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Restraint constantly influences the decisions people make. Kurtz’s lack of restraint kills him, while Marlow’s restraint saves and prevents him from becoming like Kurtz. Kurtz is a man who â€Å"[kicks] himself loose of the earth† (Conrad, 61). He does not have allegiance to anyone except to himself. Kurtz’s absence of restraint exists because he holds a lusty power in an un-civilized country. Restraint is affected by three factors; power, lust, and his surroundings. Kurtz’s display of restraint is a prime example that exemplifies the affect of these three factors on restraint.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kurtz was not always the power hungry man portrayed in Conrad’s book. According to his Intended, Kurtz was an admired man who had a â€Å"generous heart† and a â€Å"noble mind† (Conrad, 70). However, after his expedition into Africa, he became a changed man; an â€Å"insoluble problem† (Conrad, 50). The new Kurtz â€Å"[kicks] the very earth to pieces† (Conrad, 61). â€Å"Let us say – nerves, [go] wrong, and [causes] him to preside at certain midnight dances ending with unspeakable rites† (Conrad, 45). He has dropped all sense and morality and continues to live on according to his various lusts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kurtz originally goes to Africa in order to earn a living by collecting ivory. His massive compilation of ivory exceeds those of the other men put together. Although the areas...

Albert Einstein And His Theories :: essays research papers

Albert Einstein and His Theories Einstein, Albert (1879-1955), German-born American physicist and Nobel laureate, best known as the creator of the special and general theories of relativity and for his bold hypothesis concerning the particle nature of light. He is perhaps the most well-known scientist of the 20th century. Einstein was born in Ulm on March 14, 1879, and spent his youth in Munich, where his family owned a small shop that manufactured electric machinery. He did not talk until the age of three, but even as a youth he showed a brilliant curiosity about nature and an ability to understand difficult mathematical concepts. At the age of 12 he taught himself Euclidean geometry. Einstein hated the dull regimentation and unimaginative spirit of school in Munich. When repeated business failure led the family to leave Germany for Milan, Italy, Einstein, who was then 15 years old, used the opportunity to withdraw from the school. He spent a year with his parents in Milan, and when it became clear that he would have to make his own way in the world, he finished secondary school in Arrau, Switzerland, and entered the Swiss National Polytechnic in Zà ¼rich. Einstein did not enjoy the methods of instruction there. He often cut classes and used the time to study physics on his own or to play his beloved violin. He passed his examinations and graduated in 1900 by studying the notes of a classmate. His professors did not think highly of him and would not recommend him for a university position. For two years Einstein worked as a tutor and substitute teacher. In 1902 he secured a position as an examiner in the Swiss patent office in Bern. In 1903 he married Mileva Marià §, who had been his classmate at the polytechnic. They had two sons but eventually divorced. Einstein later remarried. Early Scientific Publications In 1905 Einstein received his doctorate from the University of Zà ¼rich for a theoretical dissertation on the dimensions of molecules, and he also published three theoretical papers of central importance to the development of 20th-century physics. In the first of these papers, on Brownian motion, he made significant predictions about the motion of particles that are randomly distributed in a fluid. These predictions were later confirmed by experiment. The second paper, on the photoelectric effect, contained a revolutionary hypothesis concerning the nature of light. Einstein not only proposed that under certain circumstances light can be considered as consisting of particles, but he also hypothesized that the energy carried by any light particle, called a photon, is proportional to the frequency of the radiation.

The Post-Industrialism Era Essay -- Globalization

The era of post-industrialism refers to a period of change where a society advances from a manufacturing base, to a society reliant on knowledge, services, and research. What emerges from the remains of the industrial society is a society based around services, contracts, precariousness, segmentation, and insecurity, etc. Divided are the prospects for this globalized, post-industrial society. People question who will benefit from this new era of globalization. Some view the post-industrial era as one that offers opportunities for the well-educated, creative, and young professional while others view it as an era involving less security, job deskilling and high levels of inequality (Krahn, Lowe, Hughes, 2008). If one of the main consequences of post-industrialism is a widening gap between the â€Å"haves† and the â€Å"have not’s† then who are those who make up these two distinct groups? The re-organization of work in the 21st century marks a shift from manufacturing to services. By 2004, 74 percent of employed Canadians held service-sector jobs, 21 percent in the secondary sector, and 5 percent in the primary industries (Krahn, Lowe, Hughes, 2008; Bowlby 2000). We can divide these service jobs into two distinct groups, upper-tier jobs and lower-tier jobs. The upper-tier jobs are referred to as the â€Å"good† jobs while the lower-tier jobs can be considered the â€Å"bad† jobs. Dominating the lower-tier are women, youth, immigrants, and those with less than a high-school diploma. Jobs in this tier include retail, hospitality, customer service jobs such as call centres and help desks, janitorial work, etc. Many of these jobs are part-time, temporary or contractual, therefore preventing workers from obtaining the same benefits that many o... ...e potential for a highly fragmented and highly unequal job market or one that embraces the changes listed above and works towards better unity amongst workers, unions, and government. Works Cited Krahn, Lowe, Hughes (2008) Work, Industry, & Canadian Society. (5th ed.) Toronto, ON: Nelson Education Ltd. Athabasca University (2010) Sociology 321 Reading File. Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Critoph, U (2010) Sociology 321 Study Guide. (Revised edition). Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Krahn, H (1991) Non-Standard Work Arrangements. (Vol.3,No. 4) Statistics Canada, Catalogue 75-001E) Lowe, G. (1998) The future of Work: Implications for Unions. (Vol. 53, No.2) Montreal, Quebec. Retrieved May 2012 from http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/005291ar Betcherman, G.; Lowe, G.(1997) The future of work in Canada: A Synthesis Report. Ottawa ON: CPRN Inc. The Post-Industrialism Era Essay -- Globalization The era of post-industrialism refers to a period of change where a society advances from a manufacturing base, to a society reliant on knowledge, services, and research. What emerges from the remains of the industrial society is a society based around services, contracts, precariousness, segmentation, and insecurity, etc. Divided are the prospects for this globalized, post-industrial society. People question who will benefit from this new era of globalization. Some view the post-industrial era as one that offers opportunities for the well-educated, creative, and young professional while others view it as an era involving less security, job deskilling and high levels of inequality (Krahn, Lowe, Hughes, 2008). If one of the main consequences of post-industrialism is a widening gap between the â€Å"haves† and the â€Å"have not’s† then who are those who make up these two distinct groups? The re-organization of work in the 21st century marks a shift from manufacturing to services. By 2004, 74 percent of employed Canadians held service-sector jobs, 21 percent in the secondary sector, and 5 percent in the primary industries (Krahn, Lowe, Hughes, 2008; Bowlby 2000). We can divide these service jobs into two distinct groups, upper-tier jobs and lower-tier jobs. The upper-tier jobs are referred to as the â€Å"good† jobs while the lower-tier jobs can be considered the â€Å"bad† jobs. Dominating the lower-tier are women, youth, immigrants, and those with less than a high-school diploma. Jobs in this tier include retail, hospitality, customer service jobs such as call centres and help desks, janitorial work, etc. Many of these jobs are part-time, temporary or contractual, therefore preventing workers from obtaining the same benefits that many o... ...e potential for a highly fragmented and highly unequal job market or one that embraces the changes listed above and works towards better unity amongst workers, unions, and government. Works Cited Krahn, Lowe, Hughes (2008) Work, Industry, & Canadian Society. (5th ed.) Toronto, ON: Nelson Education Ltd. Athabasca University (2010) Sociology 321 Reading File. Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Critoph, U (2010) Sociology 321 Study Guide. (Revised edition). Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Krahn, H (1991) Non-Standard Work Arrangements. (Vol.3,No. 4) Statistics Canada, Catalogue 75-001E) Lowe, G. (1998) The future of Work: Implications for Unions. (Vol. 53, No.2) Montreal, Quebec. Retrieved May 2012 from http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/005291ar Betcherman, G.; Lowe, G.(1997) The future of work in Canada: A Synthesis Report. Ottawa ON: CPRN Inc.

Gender and sexuality Essay

Gender and sexuality has permeated the character of Latin American nations throughout history. Latin America has demonstrated examples of the manipulation of gender as a means of a nation’s government asserting its political and social control, and the history of the Cuban Revolution shows that Cuba is among such nations. Since its infancy in 1959 and through the 1990s, the Cuban revolutionary government has managed to achieve a well-documented history of oppressive practices that has made the Cuban government the subject of much worldwide criticism and scrutiny over the years. Among the root of this oppression is a commitment to political and social control along gender lines for a greater nationalistic cause. Not unlike other Latin American nations, gender roles as they are recognized in Cuba have been constructed and forcefully prescribed by the government. The citizens of the nation have been socialized to discern between masculine and feminine traits, as well understand why certain traits are desirable while others are not. These determinations have had far-reaching consequences in the cultural realm of Cuban society. Social circles are designed partly upon a person’s recognition of and adherence to specific gender roles. A part of the Cuban revolutionary government’s use of gender for political and social control is its attitude toward and relationship with male homosexuality. The systematic persecution of homosexuals in Cuba has been used by the state in an insular fashion against its citizens for the purpose of controlling them, but also as an outward political maneuver of serves to uphold national dignity and honor as part of a Cuban national identity that is to be recognized and respected throughout the rest of the world. In addition to this paper’s thesis being based on the Cuban revolutionary government’s use of gender and sexuality as a tool of political and social control, the notion of patriarchy is a theory that is central to this thesis. Part of Cuba’s national identity is the patriarchal nature of its government, which not only applies to the relationship between the state and its citizens, but also applies to the relationship between Cuba and other nations. Dominance and strength, two factors upon which patriarchy is based, are what Cuba stands to project to larger, more powerful nations as a symbol of an exalted position in the world. As discussed in the paper, Cuba’s patriarchal government uses its rejection of homosexuality outwardly as a tactic of resisting and rejecting the systems and ideals of nations that the Cuban Revolution finds itself to be fundamentally at odds with. Evidence of this can be found in works such as Ian Lumsden’s Machos, Maricones, and Gays: Cuba and Homosexuality. The arguments made in this paper are written around various primary documents that not only support the central thesis, but also serve as a base for extended discussion of certain elements that have contributed to a greater part of a nation’s history. One such element is the notion of gender roles and norms being defined and prescribed by the state, which in turn affects its society’s views. This includes the legal and penal mechanisms through which the prescriptions are upheld. Legal enforcement leads to a second element, which is nationalism as the motive for the state’s manipulation of gender and sexuality. This control of the Cuban people is part of a greater political agenda: ensuring the success of the Cuban Revolution. A part of this political maneuver is maintaining the honor of the nation and defending its worldwide image. A third and final element is the concept of cultures and governments undergoing change over a period of time. Such changes include the state’s gender-based ideas and prescriptions, as well as the catalysts for such change. These changes are ultimtately reflected in the attitudes of a nation’s people. The film â€Å"Fresa y Chocolate† is one of the primary sources that this paper is written around. Set in Cuba circa 1979, â€Å"Fresa y Chocolate† reflects the attitudes toward homosexuality that were the norm in Cuba during the first couple of decades of the Cuban revolution, and also depicts the government’s use of gender and sexuality to advance its own political agenda. What qualities make or do not make the revolutionary? What place does a homosexual have in the Cuban revolution? What is homosexuality supposed to mean to the communist youth? These are questions that â€Å"Fresa y Chocolate† raises and helps answer. The other primary documents that this paper is written around are the writings of controversial gay Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas. This paper discusses some examples of the persecution that Arenas endured as a homosexual coming up during the Cuban Revolution. From physical attacks and censorship to arrests and imprisonment, Arenas symbolized to the Cuban revolutionary government the classic threat to the patriarchal state that the government feared and aimed to neutralize. Although writings from a persecuted homosexual in Cuba stand to possibly reflect certain biases, it is important to look at alternate points of view with the purpose of still supporting the basic arguments conveyed herein. For that reason, this paper will also discuss the works of writers such as Rafael L. Ramirez and Rafael Ocasio, who did not emerge from a situation similar to that of Arenas’s. Ocasio explains that Reinaldo Arenas initially expressed interest in the Cuban Revolution, having left home at the age of fifteen to become a guerilla fighter for Fidel Castro. (14) Arenas was rejected due to his young age and the fact that he had no firearms. His enthusiasm for supporting Castro eventually waned, however, and it was the sexual repression that Arenas encountered at his boarding school that began his discontent with the Castro regime. (17) Ocasio cites the reprisal that students faced if caught committing homosexual acts. In addition to expulsion, school officials also went as far as detailing the nature of student’s transgression in school records, thereby barring these homosexual students from other state-run schools. According to Ocasio, Arenas stated that arrest and incarceration could also result from certain instances of such activity. (17) This made Arenas aware of politically-related persecution of homosexuals as an adolescent. Systematic, state-sanctioned persecution of homosexuals is further exemplified by the nighttime roundups of homosexuals organized by Cuban police, a practice that traces back to 1961. The earliest documented case of this is known as the Night of the Three Ps (prostitutes, pimps, y pederasts). Gay playwright Virgilio Pinera was among those who were arrested. (Ocasio 24) These raids were purely politically-motivated, for as Salas explains, police targeted anything they found in these raids that appeared to be antisocial or non-conformist, including clothing or hairstyles deemed inappropriate. In support of this, Salas cites an instance in which a Young Communist League leader was arrested in one of the raids despite not being involved in any homosexual activity. Police targeted him because of his long hair, which was cut by authorities. The man was released once he confirmed his identity. (155) Homosexuals targeted in these raids were considered part of a greater antisocial element that the government sought to eliminate. Ocasio explains that while officials assigned prostitutes to schools where they could supposedly be rehabilitated, Castro stated that homosexuals would be barred from the possibility of having any influence in cultural life, schools, or the arts. (24) The aforementioned roundups of homosexuals organized by Cuban police had an affect on Cuba’s intellectual community, and was only one example of the Castro regime’s politically-inspired oppression. Various official statements were made by the Cuban government against homosexuals as part of a nationwide campaign promoting proper ethical policies that fostered acceptable revolutionary behavior. It was clear that writers such as Arenas and artists such as Pinera were not seen by the new regime as conducive to the political achievement to which the Cuban revolutionary government aspired. This is supported by Castro’s famous â€Å"Words to Intellectuals† speech, which Ocasio cites as the first official statement made by the Cuban revolutionary government that determined the boundaries within which revolutionary writers and artists were to operate: â€Å"What are the rights of writers and artists, revolutionary or not? In support of the Revolution, every right; against the Revolution, no rights. † Homosexual persecution rooted in the Cuban revolutionary cause is indicative of the revolutionary government’s concept of what it referred to as the New Man. In Social Control and Deviance in Cuba, author Luis Salas discusses the state’s concept of the New Man as Cuba’s ideal revolutionary, which allows no place for a homosexual in the revolution. (166) According to Salas, such a question was clearly answered by Fidel Castro with the following statement: â€Å"Nothing prevents a homosexual from professing revolutionary ideology and consequently, exhibiting a correct political position. In this case he should not be considered politically negative. And yet we would never come to believe that a homosexual could embody the conditions and requirements of conduct that would enable us to consider him a true revolutionary, a true Communist militant. A deviation of that nature clashes with the concept we have of what a militant Communist must be. † Salas contends that to the Cuban revolutionary, the New Man represents strength, honor, and â€Å"connotes maleness and virility. †(166) Conversely, homosexuality is considered to represent weakness, a classically feminine trait. The strength needed to be a true revolutionary is something that the Cuban revolutionary government saw in the uncorrupted youth of Cuba. The youth of the nation was regarded by the state as â€Å"one of the most treasured possessions of the nation† that was expected contribute to the success of the revolution, and as such, was to be protected from â€Å"a group viewed as seducers of small children. †(167) This aforementioned political attitude with regards to homosexuals in relation to the communist youth of Cuba was reflected in the film â€Å"Fresa y Chocolate. † In the film, David is a young communist university student who initially views an older homosexual artist named Diego as someone who is to be avoided and not to be trusted. David’s roommate Miguel is even more militant in his revolutionary, homophobic stance, and resorts to using David to spy on Diego due to his belief that Diego is a danger to the revolutionary cause and thus cannot be trusted. Although Diego eventually befriends David, there is a mutual understanding between both characters of the dangers that such a friendship can pose to a young communist like David, and David makes it clear to Diego that they are not to be seen together in public. This depiction is indicative of the state’s effort to socialize its youth towards anti-homosexual sentiment by portraying homosexuals as political obstacles and enemies of the state in order to influence public opinion and sway political action in the government’s favor. As Leiner explains, homosexuality played a role in Cuba’s prerevolutionary tourism economy, for the widespread solicitation of male prostitutes by gay tourists contributed to the economy. Furthermore, the stratification of prerevolutionary Cuba also lured many heterosexual working-class men into the underworld of homosexual prostitution in order to earn a living. According to Leiner, the homosexual bourgeoisie largely controlled this underworld as did American organized crime, which managed the lucrative, but seedy occupational sector based on prostitution, drugs, and gambling. Such an aspect of prerevolutionary Cuban history is indicative of fears present among state officials in revolutionary Cuba, who perceived homosexuality as fertile ground for the re-emergence of American imperialism, the bourgeoisie, and classism in Cuban society. This is consistent with Lumsden’s contention of revolutionary Cuba’s regulation of gender and sexuality in Cuba being a part of the state’s willingness to overcome underdevelopment and resist American efforts to prevent the revolution from succeeding. (xxi) According to Salas, gays were a remnant of capitalism in the eyes of the militant Cuban revolutionary. According to the Cuban government, the New Man was not motivated by the decadence and wanton lusts that characterize homosexuality, which the government believe was associated with the selfishness that marked capitalist societies. In a speech given on July 26, 1968, Fidel Castro characterized the revolution’s ideal New Man as possessing an altruistic and humanistic nature: â€Å"In a communist society, man will have succeeded in achieving just as much understanding, closeness, and brotherhood as he has on occasion achieved within the narrow circle of his own family. To live in a communist society is to live without selfishness, to live among the people, as if every one of our fellow citizens were really our dearest brother. † In addition to the idealism of Castro’s statement, there is also the character of the language behind his statement that is undoubtedly male as well as overwhelmingly exclusionary. The ideals promoted by Castro in the above excerpt can just as easily be prescribed to women for them to live by such ideals, but the â€Å"macho/socialist amalgam questioned whether male homosexuals could. †(Leiner 27) Leiner explains a study conducted by esteemed commentator Lourdes Casal, who analyzed the influence that the Cuban revolution had on Cuban literature. According to Leiner, Casal discovered a general disdain for homosexuals reflected in over 100 novels. Casal contended that the rejection of homosexuality was the rejection of femininity. Accusing a man of being a homosexual was to be considered an assault on that man’s masculinity, and was considered synonymous with deeming that man a female who is devoid of strength â€Å"and unworthy of holding power. â€Å"(23) Such a meaning prescribed to the title â€Å"homosexual† underscores the nature of the Cuban government’s patriarchal structure, in which power is directly associated with being a man both physically and sexually. Leiner also explains that in revolutionary Cuban society, the perception of homosexuality – and therefore, femininity – went beyond mere sexual preference. Physical weakness and lack of muscularity, a lack of interest in physical competition, the display of a quiet demeanor, or a gentle, nurturing or sensitive nature were enough to raise suspicion of homosexuality. According to Leiner, such qualities were perceived as weak and inferior, and therefore effeminate. The strong, abrasive, and competitive male was above suspicion of homosexuality. (22) The question of why homosexuals were perceived by the state as counter to the revolution remains partly unanswered. In addition to the Cuban government’s belief that homosexuals possessed undesirable qualities such as weakness, cowardice, and perversion, the state’s view of homosexuals as a danger to the institution that is the traditional family further compelled the state and the society it influenced to write homosexuals off as â€Å"antithetical to a socialist society. †(Leiner 25) Lesbian playwright Ana Maria Simo was jailed for four-and-a-half months in 1965 and also suffered shock treatment to â€Å"correct† her simply due to her associating with people who were suspected of being homosexual. She was not a lesbian at the time. She states that she and her friends were political individualists and anarchistic, and that is what bothered the government, not their being gay. (Ocasio 30) According to Leiner, lesbians were no cause of concern for the revolutionary government. Leiner states that Lourdes Casal found no mention, or even the vaguest hint of evidence of concern over lesbianism in either the pre- or post-revolutionary literary works that she analyzed. This is a manifestation of the Cuban government’s patriarchal structure in that the government’s complete absence of concern over the lesbianism in Cuba is indicative of the government’s â€Å"relegation of women as secondary, lesser ‘others. ‘†(Leiner 23) Unlike homosexuals, lesbians posed no threat to the Cuban revolutionary cause, for the revolution never looked to women for signs of strength or power upon which the government could rely in order to ensure the success of the revolution. However, lesbians, even those who displayed overly masculine qualities, were still considered women just as homosexual males were, and both were deemed unqualified for revolutionary status by the state. Standards of gender and sexuality were prescribed and legitimized by the revolutionary state, thus criminalizing homosexuality. The government’s enforcement of its prescriptions has been carried out via formal as well as informal means. A prime example of a formal method of this enforcement is penal legislation. Such legislation involving homosexuality can be found in two sections of the Cuban statutes. In one section of the statutes, legislation involves the relation between homosexuality and the state’s concept of social dangerousness. Article 73 of the Cuban Penal Code regulates social dangerousness, and cites behavior deemed antisocial as its target. In Cuba, homosexuality has been legally deemed antisocial. (Salas 151) Lumsden cites the use of the word antisocial as a code to describe displays of homosexuality deemed ostentatious. (83) According to Salas, anti-homosexual legislation was considered a preventive measure, for the display of so much as even an attitude that authorities perceived as antisocial justified police intervention. (Salas 153) These laws stem from government fears, such as the fear of the threat that homosexuality poses to the traditional family structure. There is also the government’s fear of homosexuality hindering the success of the revolution, of which the fear of homosexuals corrupting the nation’s youth is a part. (Salas 154) The latter fear can explain homosexual males receiving much harsher punishments for having sex with underage boys compared to the punishments that males faced for having sex with underage females. (Lumsden 82) The fact that laws pertaining to homosexuality are in a section of the Penal Code that pertains to violations against sexual development and sexual relations that are considered normal is indicative of the state’s perception of homosexuality as a condition that is contagious and leads to pedophilia. For this reason, Article 317 also includes the act of propositioning an adult for homosexual sex in its permanent barring of convicted sex offenders from the teaching profession and any other field in which such an adult stands to have authority or potential influence over children. (Lumsden 84) Aside from the Cuban revolutionary government’s fears related to the issue of homosexuality, the eagerness of some government officials to enforce anti-homosexual law is also indicative of their determination to remain above suspicion of being homosexual for their own fear of legal and social reprisal at the hands of the government. Examples of this are provided by Reinaldo Arenas in his highly acclaimed autobiography Before Night Falls, in which he discusses various sexual encounters he had with homosexual government officials in Cuba. Arenas cited an incident in which a police officer with whom he had just had sexual intercourse actually arrested Arenas â€Å"for being queer. † â€Å"Perhaps he thought that by being the active partner he had not done anything wrong,† Arenas stated. This statement by Arenas is a clear reference to the commonly held perception of the active, penetrating partner in a sexual act between two men not being a homosexual because his dominant position is considered a product of masculinity and power. This perception is diametrically opposed to the perception of the penetrated partner, for this partner assumes a role that is subordinate to the dominant penetrator, thus representing the role of a woman. In Arenas’s aforementioned discussion of his arrest, he stated that at the police station, the arresting officer attempted to explain his arresting Arenas by falsely accusing Arenas of groping him. However, Arenas managed to prove the officer’s involvement in the homosexual act by quickly admitting to the other officers that he still had the officer’s semen on his body, thus making the officer the subject of much surprise and scorn from his colleagues and work superiors. As part of his account of this incident, Arenas alluded to the revolutionary government’s belief that it is not possible for a homosexual male to possess the qualities that makes a true revolutionary. At the same time, Arenas also made a reference to the belief of a homosexual male being equivalent to a woman: â€Å"They ended up saying it was a shame that a member of the police force would engage in such acts, because I, after all, had my weakness, but for him, being a man, there was no excuse for getting involved with a queer. † Because he managed to achieve a position as a police officer in the Cuban revolutionary government, which included a convincing display of the masculine traits that the Cuban government believed were instrumental to the composition of a true revolutionary, the police officer was undoubtedly a â€Å"man† in the eyes of the state, whereas Arenas was not. The engendering of the passive and active partner in homosexual intercourse is not exclusive to Cuban revolutionary society, however. In What It Means to Be a Man, Casper and Ramirez cite the bugarron, a term used in Puerto Rican society to describe a male who is always the one to penetrate the male partner, yet always considers himself heterosexual. The bugarron blatantly dismisses the notion of his partner’s masculinity, and confirms his partner as the â€Å"woman† of the situation by calling his partner names such as mujer, mami, mamita, or loca. (96) Furthermore, the bugarron’s â€Å"usage of sexuality is highly ritualized to conserve his manhood and avoid being questioned about it. †(Casper, Ramirez 97) The desire to only be a penetrator and never a recipient of penetration serves as a political metaphor. The perception of a penetrator as heterosexual and undeniably male is underscored by masculine traits such as strength and dominance. Pingueros, a name given to male prostitutes in Cuba who only penetrate and refuse to be penetrated, represent the conquering of foreign bodies when solicited by gay tourists. (Chant, Kraske 139) This representation mirrors the notion of Cuba not just fending off but successfully invading and â€Å"screwing back† the imperialist, capitalist nation that has – or might wish to – exploit Cuba for its own self-interests. Just like the concept of prescribing gender to an active and passive partner in sexual intercourse between two men was reached over time by way of changing attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions, attitudes and behaviors toward homosexuality in general changing over time is also to be considered. Cultures are not static; they change over time, as do the notions of gender and sexuality in a culture. (Casper, Ramirez 27) Over the past decades, Cuba has witnessed a certain degree of change in attitudes and actions toward homosexuality on behalf of Cuban society at large as well as on behalf of the state.