Pronouncing the Spanish L

You may not have noticed, but the L in English has two sounds that are quite different from each other — and if you can remember that, you can easily learn the sound of the L in Spanish. The two L sounds occur in the word little — and the sound of the Spanish L is basically the same as the first L but not the second (a sound, by the way, that native Spanish speakers often find quite difficult). In other words, the Spanish L is always pronounced with the tongue at the front of the roof of the mouth similar to the L in words such as love and alike. It is never pronounced with the vowel-like sound found in words such as ball or cell. Phrases used by native speakers in our audio lesson on pronouncing the L are lo siento mucho, hola,  ¿quà © tal? and igualmente, gracias. The pronunciation of the L should not be confused with that of the LL, which used to be a separate letter of the alphabet.

War in Owens Dulce et Decorum est and Sassoons Base...

War in Owens Dulce et Decorum est and Sassoons Base Details World War I brought about a revolution in the ideas of the masses. No longer would people of warring nations apathetically back their governments and armies. A concerted and public effort on the part of a literary circle turned soldiers attacked government propaganda. Questioning the glories of war and the need for nationalism, an anti-war literary genre developed in the trenches of Europe during World War I. Gruesome imagery juxtaposed with daily events brought war to the pages of literature. Despite the formation of this new anti-war literary genre, few popular poets chose to tackle the theme of war and its purpose. Of the few poets, only two, Siegfried†¦show more content†¦Through this facilitation of Horaces quote, Owen subtly and objectively splits the romanticism and the reality of war. Owens use of slant rhyme, his mastery of alliteration, and his employment of consonance and dissonance highlight his poems (Magill 2157). Owens mastery of sound in Dulce et and the use of the s sound in the line Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! - An ecstasy of fumbling,(9), creates the effect of gas hissing out of a canister. Repetition of the word drowning in the lines, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning./In all my dreams my helpless sight/ He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning (14-16) objectively forces the death of the young soldier onto the reader. Owens gruesome, unbiased imagery, presents a realistic story; the mixing of the deadly and the beautiful, the green sea(14) of chlorine gas to drown the soldier, represents an aspect of this brutal realism (Magill 21 à »60). This realism serves to warn the reader, without indoctrinating him, of the dangers of war. The devices in Dulce et, as in Owens other poems, flexibly adapt his to any form of poetic interpretation (Magill 2156). Through his continued efforts to master the form of poetry, Owen learned to escape the parody apparent in Sassoons work while still holding onto the intensity of war as a subject m atter. The ability to present the story in the true modernist style, rising above subjectivity to include the audience in the story, characterizes OwensShow MoreRelated‘’the Experience of the Great War Stripped Men of Their Masculinity’’Explore the Ways in Which Barker, Sassoon and Owen Portray This in Their Writing.2204 Words   |  9 Pages‘’The experience of the Great War stripped men of their masculinity’’explore the ways in which Barker, Sassoon and Owen portray this in their writing. Sassoon and Owen as poets and Barker as a novelist, explore through their works of literature the changing and challenging notions of masculinity experienced as a result of The Great War. Furthermore, all three writers suggest that the often overlooked reality of the conflict was the creation of a subversion of the stereotypical ‘heroic soldier’.Read MoreA Comparison of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoons War Poetry1665 Words   |  7 PagesA Comparison of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoons War Poetry Lieutenant Wilfred Edward Salter Owen M.C. of the second Battalion Manchester Regiment, was born March 18th 1893 in Oswestry, Shropshire. He was educated at the Birkenhead Institute and at Shrewsbury Technical school. Wilfred Owen was the eldest of four children and the son of a railway official. He was of welsh ancestry and was particularly close to his mother whose evangelical Christianity greatly influenced

Dorian Gray Essay Free Essays

The Picture Of Dorian Gray Essay There are certain aspects of Dorian Gray’s personality that make me think he is schizophrenic, such an example is multiple personalities. In the beginning of the story, Dorian was a young, attractive boy with cunning wit and a semi-feminine charm. It was just an ordinary day and all of the sudden, Dorian meets Basil Howard. We will write a custom essay sample on Dorian Gray Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Infatuated with his good looks, the beauty of Dorian hit Basil like a Mata bus. As Basil began painting a picture of Dorian, he met Lord Henry, a close companion of Basil and he too was struck by Dorian in a different way. He had interests of studying him instead of admiring him. Finally, Basil finishes the picture and in the first two chapters of the book and in one paragraph, you have met three contributions of Dorian’s conscience: the painting, Lord Henry Wotton, and Basil Howard. The painting was an obvious representation of Dorian’s conscience in my opinion because as his soul grew weaker, as did his conscience. As Dorian aged, he became evil and he never thought for himself, he either adopted Lord Henry’s views or Basil’s. Dorian clearly listened to Lord Henry more because in the long run, he became evil. â€Å"It had, perhaps, served often as a pall for the dead. Now it was to hide something that had a certain corruption of its own, worse than the corruption of death itself– something that would breed horrors and yet would never die† (Wilde 122). According to the bible, your soul is immortal and I think Dorian is expressing this in his thoughts. In this quote, Dorian wants to cover up his conscience and his soul to avoid listening to it. The portrait represents his constant nagging conscience and bad decisions he has made in the past. Lord Henry and Basil Howard were the good angel (Basil) and bad angel (Lord Henry) on Dorian’s shoulder. Lord Henry always tried to speak aphorisms and spoke of himself as a higher power, such as: â€Å"My dear boy, no woman is a genius. Women are a decorative sex. They never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals† (Wilde 51). Lord Henry was always trying to force his opinions into Dorian’s head and the sad thing was, he ate every word and practiced it in his life. Lord Henry represents the bad angel/conscience and it was also the side he listened to more often than any other. On the other hand, Basil represents the good angle/conscience. Throughout the book, Basil always tried to steer Dorian in the right direction. Dorian looked up to Basil in the beginning but, as his infatuation became stronger with Lord Henry, the respect dwindled and Dorian listened less and less. The prayer of your pride has been answered. The prayer of your repentance will be answered also. I worshiped you too much. I am punished for it† (Wilde 162). Even in a time of horror, Basil stood behind Dorian and tried to help him in a hard situation but, Dorian did not listen and turned to the dark side when he said: â€Å"Each of us has Heaven and Hell in him, Basil! † (Wilde 161). Dorian had finally shut the door on his good conscience and killed him within minutes. In Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde is telling his readers it is harder to follow the better side of your conscience. There are many temptations to do the right and the wrong thing and this story is an example of when you always make the wrong choices. The ending of this story also showed the final bad decision when a change is presented right in front of you and yet the weak character still follows a bad influence. Wilde is teaching us a lesson in life, to always follow your heart as you take in bad and good influences. Works Cited Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Barnes Noble, 2003. How to cite Dorian Gray Essay, Essays

Homeschooling should replace normal schooling for the betterment of students in Hong Kong free essay sample

Homeschooling refers to the education of children at home, typically by parents or tutors, unlike the formal settings of schools. In many countries around the world, children are not legally obligated to attend school. In England, France, Canada, the United States and Australia, it is perfectly legal for parents to educate their kids at home. Homeschooling is becoming more popular every day, with a growth rate of 7 to 15 percent per year over the world. There are about two million children currently learning at home in the world. Homeschooled kids do well on standardized tests, are welcome at college and universities, and as adults, have a reputation for being self-directed learners and reliable employees. This essay is going to examine whether homeschooling should replace normal schooling for the betterment of students in Hong Kong. Homeschooling makes children miss the golden opportunity to practice their social skills. School is the miniature of society. We will write a custom essay sample on Homeschooling should replace normal schooling for the betterment of students in Hong Kong or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One needs to have not only knowledge of the world, but also interpersonal communication skills in order to survive, not to mention excel in a society. If a child is taught at home solely by his/ her parents, the child misses the chance to meet and interact with other kids. Peer learning has vital benefits as well. By communicating with friends, students can improve their interpersonal skills. Homeschooled children cannot take part in extra-curricular activities like debate, choir and team sports. As interactive learning is such an important component in modern education, homeschooling deprives children of their chance to develop their social skills and network, and even friends. Furthermore, home is not the most suitable environment for learning which lower the effectiveness of learning. Home cannot provide many different hardware which can only be provided by day schools. For instance, the different kinds of experiments must be conducted in a safety equipped and qualified laboratory . The many apparatus like Bunsen Burner, funnel and beaker can only be found in a laboratory. Home can never provide such hardware to support the diverse learning needs of children . The equipment of language labs, music room and library only appear in a school setting. Besides, there are too many temptations at home, such as television and computer games, which would prevent children from concentrating on learning. Homeschooling undermines the development of creative thinking. Parents-to-children teaching is after all the indoctrination of parents thinking and values system to their children. In Hong Kong, most parents are very concerned about their children and hope them have a bright future. Therefore, they may try to give what they think is the best to the children. It is common that parents force their children to have piano lesson, choir practice, drawing class and so on in Hong Kong. Parents tend to forcefully spoon feed what they want their children to know. In many cases, children cannot develop multiple thinking perspectives. They just do what their parents ask them to do. Their creativity and critical thinking, which are highly-valued in todays competitive world, can hardly be formed. On the other hand, it is not suitable to implement home-schooling in Hong Kong. Most parents have full time job. They do not have time to teach their children. Moreover, parents are not professional in teaching when compared to trained teachers. They may not know how to teach their children effectively. Also, it is impossible for parents to know all knowledge of different subjects. In school, teachers are specialize in few subjects and they can concentrate on those subjects to prepare teaching materials. According to Bill and Ana Moody, who homeschool their children, they admitted that it is hard to teach science topics properly at home. They do not have sufficient knowledge of science and science requires to do experiments. Homeschooling brings another problem: how to assess the ability of students? Hong Kong is a knowledge-based society, it is important to have certificates to prove ones academic Usually, one will get a job easily with higher education level. Different jobs have different required education levels. If homeschooling is implemented, there is no standard to assess students unless all students join public examinations offered by authorized organization and the Education Bureau. Homeschooling does not provide a standard to assess whether students has understand the knowledge fully. As every parents and tutors may have design a different curriculum for students, there is no standard of what basic knowledge that students should learn. Some people argued that a unified education system simply cannot cater for the individual needs of each and every student and, therefore, homeschooling is a better way for children to learn as it is more flexible which can cater individuals needs. It can provide a tailor-made learning schedule which can cater learning speed of the children and specific requirements by those who best understand them: their parents. It may allow students a more flexible combination of subjects which cater for individual needs. This would arouse interest in study, giving students the initiative to learn. However, small class teaching , which is quite popular in Hong Kong, can also cater the needs of different children. Due to the decreasing birth rate, schools started to implement small-class teaching and has smaller teacher-to student ratio. This allows teachers to pay more attention to each student in class. Flexible combination of subjects can also be achieved by new curriculum. In the past, usually students were divided into art, science and commerce classes and they were only allowed to choose subjects which are related to each other. Now, students under the new curriculum are allowed to choose subjects freely. For example, student can choose to study Biology, a science subject, and Geography, an art subject. Some also claimed that homeschooling can enhance close family relationship. However, this may not be true. Conflicts and arguments are easily happened when parents stay with their children all the time. Parents may easily lose temper when their children are not listening to them or cannot follow their teaching schedule as they are more emotionally affected when facing their own children. Moreover, children may easily lose concentration on learning as there are too many temptations at home as mentioned before. If parents punished their children for this, the parent-child relationship would suffer. All in all, homeschooling should not replace normal schooling for the betterment of students as there are too many weaknesses of homeschooling though admitted that normal schooling has its flaws. In the current education system, students are required to study a fixed and long syllabus within a short period of time. Students study under tremendous pressure and may eventually lose interest in study. However, homeschooling neglects the social development of children which is vital in modern society. Normal schooling not only let children to absorb knowledge, it also gives chances for children to socialize and provides an all-round education. Also, the advantages and claims of homeschooling can also achieved by other means under the system of normal schooling.

Family values Essay Example

Family values Paper DEFINING FAMILY IN A BROAD SPECTRUM Universally, people recognize family as â€Å"a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, and co-residence. † From the rudimentary explanation, family has the simplest structure composed of mother, father, brothers, and sisters living harmoniously in a house in a certain community, having definite roles to portray as demanded by their culture, regardless where they maybe defines the layman understanding of it. But beyond personalization and visualization of family itself, several different established groups and organization based their context of family according to what qualities are acceptable for them to be qualified a family. According to Dr. Gordon Neal Diem, the Assistant Professor of Political Science at North Carolina Central University and a former member of the North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapy Certification Board, he cited several social groups who advocate new ideas of family in the society. Selected highlights of his article depicted two uniquely interesting definitions. From Diem’s article he clearly summarized, â€Å"In a Conservative free society, individuals and couples merely exchange the states definitions of family for definitions imposed by other social institutions. † In a conservative society, church does not include couples cohabiting without getting married. Church strictly abides by their rules on pre-marital living of men and women. In a â€Å"free society†, as he quoted, description of a family lies on how people they perceive it for themselves, of what suits their needs and fits their situation. We will write a custom essay sample on Family values specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Family values specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Family values specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Parents who are incapable of caring for their children can delegate their social responsibilities to members of the nuclear family or to close relatives. In a modern American society where divorce is prevalent and is on the rise, the practicality of this modern context is highly invaluable. FAMILY VALUES DEFINED The Encyclopedia of American History describes â€Å"Family Values† â€Å"as a set of beliefs or morals that help provide for family unity and social interaction as well as providing for a societal view for childhood development. These beliefs have encompassed such topics as the roles of marriage, divorce, childbearing, gender roles, and sexual activity and have shaped not only the familys interaction with society, but also legislative policy. † The Encyclopedia of American History base their grounds on moral standards a particular society and culture imposes on families inhabiting in a particular area. Also, the government plays a crucial role in keeping family values as standard and top priority by means of enactment and enforcement of pro-family laws. Laws against physical and verbal abuse on women and children, corruption of minors, and unrestricted, unhealthy media programs have been firmly supported by the government to ensure preservation of moral values in individual family members and to the members of the society at large. REACHING A DECISION Television is ubiquitous and has become a visibly essential possession in almost all American households and the world in general. Taking into account the growing number of reality television programs, American family have been the usual target of media to market morally corrupt TV programs feeding and competing against other same program on rating share. I affirm television promotes further degenerating family values then and now. According to Mary Winn, one of America’s respected television critiques, television has imminent adverse and long term effects to the relationship of American family. Television promotes a â€Å"passive and non-challenging† attitude towards children. Immobile and focused on the TV program, a child learns one way communication rather than the normal interactive conversation in real situation. Since family members are living in one house, they are being robbed with quality time; thus, television wears precious time of â€Å"family rituals† such as intermingling, simple face to face talk, and chance to discuss unsolved personal burdens. She has used the effects of television as manifested on the shift from nostalgic heart-warming family rituals to depressing cold, careless family. Some families use TV as â€Å"defense mechanism† to avoid opening-up of serious personal troubles. On the other side of the coin, Winn offered Kubey and Csikzenymihalyi’s research grasping on affirmative values of television to the family. Based on research they conducted, majority of the viewers feels good and calm; nonetheless, those situations were felt during watching TV together with their families compare to families who allocated less time to TV viewing. Pragmatically, families share the quiet time together but they can’t express real family values; they can only relate to the portrayed inaccurate and â€Å"pseudo community† adaptation of TV programs. Other significant studies show the relevance of television impact to the children’s social development. Hilary Jackson, on her research work on the effects of television to children as absorbed from violent themes of various television programs, stated that †¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Over thirty years, findings have consistently demonstrated that violence on TV correlates with subsequent aggressive behaviour† This study proves how TV can easily corrupt upright, innocent without discerning the basic human values of right from wrong. In 2000, CBS has risen the pop television culture â€Å"Reality TV† through Big Brother . Do you realize why this program this program isn’t beneficial to us? First, it gives the idea of dependency on game-shows offering fat cash, leaving respectable value of hard-work elsewhere. Second, contenders are willing to show and do malicious acts for the sake of winning the $500,000. 00 cash prize and some intently camouflage their true identity even if the truth is the opposite of who they are in the Big Brother house for the same goal. Third, they only result to voyeurism. In a recent study on reality-based programs conducted by Robert Nabi and collegues, â€Å"results suggest first that though voyeurism (i. e. , curiosity about others) appears to be a key distinguishing gratification between reality and fictional programming, it is not always a predictor of reality television enjoyment. † In his popular commentary in The Guardian in 2001, Salman Rushdie shares similar view on voyeurism in television. as Nabi. Big Brother house is like a human size aquarium. It permits a consented invasion of privacy of the contestants; thus, insatiable sex perverts can freely view them bare 24 hours a day. Finally, programs like Survivor and Big Brother, are just trivializing sacred human feelings for network rating’s sake and an equivalent affluence and popularity for the winner who has capitalized on either pretending or immorally real. They definitely can’t give us decent family values. It all ends to business as usual.

Essay on Using Attitudes to Predict Consumer Behavior part 2

Essay on Using Attitudes to Predict Consumer Behavior part 2 Essay on Using Attitudes to Predict Consumer Behavior part 2 Essay on Using Attitudes to Predict Consumer Behavior part 2Essay on Using Attitudes to Predict Consumer Behavior part  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In fact, marketers are interested in the major causes of attitude’s failure to predict consumer behavior. The TORA Model is used to determine the factors, which affect consumers in their decisions to purchase products (Hoyer, 2012). There are several factors that influence consumer behavior and can create certain barriers to predicting consumer behavior:Level of involvement. It is known that attitudes may predict consumer behavior if an individual’s cognitive involvement is rather high. In this case, consumers effectively use the information that â€Å"gives raise to their attitudes† (Hoyer, 2012, p. 146). If the level of involvement is low, attitudes are not strong enough and are less predictable. In other words, the attitude-behavior relationship is weak if consumers fail to â€Å"resolve the in consistency through elaboration† (Hoyer, 2012, p. 146).Consumer knowledge and experience. Attitudes can predict behavior if consumers have enough knowledge and experience about the object of the attitude (Hoyer, 2012). On the other hand, low level of knowledge and experience can become an important barrier to predicting consumer behavior (Hoyer, 2012).Analysis of the key reasons. Hoyer (2012) suggests that â€Å"attitudes are more strongly related to behavior when they are accessible or top of mind† (p.147). This fact means that attitudes have little impact on behavior if accessibility of attitudes is rather low. For example, the reduced attitude accessibility for some attributed of a product.Emotional attachment. High level of emotional attachment can be viewed as a strong predictor of consumer behavior. The higher is the consumers’ emotional attachment to the brand, the more likely they will be involved in purchasing process (Hoyer, 2012).Normative factors. Nor mative factors affect attitude-behavior relationship. In some cases, normative beliefs create barriers to predicting consumer behavior. Some consumers are more motivated to follow the established norms, while others violate these norms (Hoyer, 2012).Situational factors. Situational factors create barriers to predicting behavior. In some cases, these factors may prevent a consumer behavior from being performed. In other cases, situational factors may change attitude. As a result, the attitude-behavior relationship becomes rather weak (Hoyer, 2012).Besides, Geoffrey P. Lantos (2010) suggests that problems with predicting consumer behavior may be connected with personality traits. Attitudes are closely connected with personality traits, which can be found in observable behavior of an individual (Lantos, 2010). Both attitudes and personality traits can be used to give explanation to an individual’s behavior (Lantos, 2010).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marketing pra ctitioners argue that consumers use brands in order to develop and assess their unique and memorable experiences. As a result, marketers highlight the importance of the concept of brand experience in predicting consumer behavior. Lia Zarantonello and Bernd H Schmitt (2010) have conducted a research that helps to address the issue regarding the relationships between attitudes’ failure to predict consumer behavior. They assume thatdifferent consumers have different experiences and, as a result, different experiential appeals (Zarantonello Schmitt, 2010). They explore experiential types moderate the relationships between brand attitude and consumer behavior and intention. Researchers have found that there are several types of consumers, who demonstrate different attitudes and behavior: â€Å"hedonistic, action-oriented, holistic, inner-directed, and utilitarian consumers† (Zarantonello Schmitt, 2010, p. 532). Besides, the relationship between consumer attitudes, behaviors and intentions is the most powerful for holistic consumers, whilethe weakest relationship is for utilitarian consumers (Ajzen, 2005; Zarantonello Schmitt, 2010).The major causes of the attitude-behavior gap prevalence The attitude-behavior gap might be prevalent due to a variety of factors, including market and environmental factors, as well as personal and informative factors (Devinney et al.,2010). Ethical issues play an important role in consumer purchasing decisions. Recent research point out to the fact that there is a gap between consumer attitudes (what consumers are planning to do) and consumer behaviors (what consumers actually do) (Zarantonello Schmitt, 2010;Devinney et al., 2010). This phenomenon is defined as attitude-behavior gap. Researchers suggest that it is necessary to fill the gap through the proper understanding and analysis of the consumer rationalizations that can justify their behavior and decisions in order to develop effective strategies that will help to promote and enhance behavioral change (Devinney et al.,2010). Special attention should be paid not only to the relationship between attitudes and consumer beliefs, but also to purchase intention or consumer behavior.The attitude-behavior gap can be assessed by the Attitude and Attitude Strength, Consideration and Choice (A2SC2) Model, which assumes the influence of attitudes on consideration and choice. Researchers state that â€Å"attitude strength moderates the influence of attitudes on consideration, such that attitudes guide consideration more for strongly held attitudes than for weakly held attitudes and consideration of a brand mediates the influence of attitudes and attitude strength on choice† (Priester et al., 2004, p.574). Researchers compare consumer behavior and attitudes of Health Enthusiasts and Organic Idealists and find the attitude-behavior gap. Organic Idealists and Health Enthusiasts demonstrate positive attitudes toward purchasing organic food (Priester e t al., 2004).The attitude-behavior gap stands for the discrepancy between consumer’s intentions and consumers’ actions. This gap poses a serious threat to sustainable development supported by consumer behaviors. According to Hans C.M. van Trijp and Arnout R. H. Fischer (2010), sustainable consumption depends of the gap between attitudes and behaviors, which can be explained by the application of social dilemma theory, consumers’ value orientations, and other theories. In order to bridge the attitude-behavior gap, it is recommended to use the proper techniques and strategies from commercial marketing with the major goal – to promote sustainable development. Researchers state that â€Å"social marketing of sustainability is based on the voluntary increase in consumer motivation, opportunity and ability towards behaving sustainably† (Trijp Fischer, 2010, p. 73). In other words, the attitude-behavior gap involves consumers’ concern on sustainab ility of their choice and the lack of performance of their actual choice behaviors (Trijp Fischer, 2010).Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, it is necessary to conclude that the use of consumer attitudes to predict consumer behavior is not always helpful. Consumer attitudes can be viewed as both an obstacle to a marketer and a benefit. Those marketers who ignore consumer attitudes of a product or service do not succeed in developing effective marketing strategies because of certain limitations. In contrast, those marketers, who have a deep understanding of consumer attitudes, may predict the behavior of consumers. They should be able to distinguish the existing differences between consumer beliefs, attitudes, intentions and behaviors, as well as to take into consideration the fact that attitudes may not always help to predict behavior.The Theory of Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behavior help to give explanation to consumers’ intention of being involved in consumer behavior. In general, consumer attitudes reflect consumers’ evaluation of a product or service and personal motives, which affect consumer behavior and purchasing habits of consumers. The attitude-behavior gap might be prevalent because of a variety of factors, including market, environmental, personal and informative factors. Attitudes may not always be helpful in predicting consumer behavior.

Canadaian Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Canadaian Studies - Essay Example The past governments leading to its poor social, educational, and health outcomes in relation to their Aboriginal Canadian citizens have sidelined the Northwest region (Simeone, 2011). Despite the little improvements in the Northwest Region, more still needs to be done so that the Aboriginal Canadians also enjoy good standards of living like the other Canadian citizens. According to the 2006 Census, 3.8% of the Canadian population was made of the Aboriginal communities (Simeone, 2011). Amongst these communities, the Indians make the largest percentage of 60%. Furthermore, Canadas Northwest Aboriginal population is growing faster than the nonaboriginal population (Simeone, 2011). Moreover, from 1996-2006 there was almost 45% increase of the aboriginal population in Canada (Simeone, 2011). Despite the various gains in sectors of education, employment, and income in the past decade, the aboriginal population in Canada still lags behind on those sectors. In Northwest region, Inuits fare worse on a variety of economic indicators when compared to the Metis. Some of the social and economic challenges that face the region include poor prevalence on health issues in the region, unemployment, and low income and educational levels. The Northwest region in Canada has been a topic of concern with its increasing gas and oil development in the region. The political situation in the region has been high with the local communities and non-governmental organizations raising their concerns on the need to protect the environment (Cain and Ken, 2013). Additionally, the Aboriginal communities in the region often experience a dynamic political and social, cultural response. The politics of the region are concerned with the ultimate protection of various cultural landscapes in the Northwest region. Furthermore, the government has consistently negotiated with the community leaders through the government resource managers towards amicable solutions that could lead to

Is our election process fair Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Is our election process fair - Essay Example This paper will highlight the unfairness that exists in the election process citing examples. The college vote is one of the critical aspects that determine whether a presidential candidate clinches the top seat or not. Contrary to many emerging democratic nations that rely on the popular vote, the American nation decides the president using the college vote. Apparently, all citizens participate in the popular vote of the president and vice president, but also elect a representative of each state to the Electoral College (Ryden 56). Usually, the individuals chosen as electors in the college are people who express allegiance to a certain party. In other cases, they operate under state laws that vary from state to state. It is worth noting that each of the 52 states has a different number of representatives in the Electoral College depending on their population. The Electoral College then determines who wins the presidential race. The candidate who secures a majority of the 538 college votes becomes the designated president. There is limited fairness in this process as will be discussed below. The popular vote is of little regard in the United States. However, it is of essence to highlight that the popular vote represents the opinion of each American who is eligible and chooses to vote. Despite the fact that the popular vote represents the voice of the majority, the elections system disregards it and relies on the college votes to determine the president. This is an indirect implication that an individual’s vote is irrelevant. Considering the 2000 presidential elections where Gore and Bush were competing for the top seat and Gore won the popular vote. However, the popular vote decided that Bush had won. The irony in this is that the majority voice represented by the popular vote had proved less significant. For the many people who voted in this election, this was unfair (Ryden 56). The Electoral College does not adequately represent the voice of the majori ty of the Americans. The electors are highly partial, and their opinion does not have to reflect the pledges they made to parties. This leaves them with the opportunity to vote according to individual preference. This compromises the level of democracy because 538 people shoulder the responsibility of electing a president for everyone. With the advancing level of understanding and participation in presidential debates, the defense that the electoral colleges serves as a fair opinion because of the level of information that the electors have is no longer valid. Majority of Americans exhibit the potential to hold an independent opinion contrary to buying the opinion of the national media. Although the media expresses its opinion on the preferred candidates, Americans know better than blindly buying the waves on popular media. This explains why the opinion expressed in the popular vote when electing the president needs consideration. The popular vote represents the opinion of 315,000,0 00 votes. Each of the electors in the college does not necessarily vote in conformity to the popular vote in their state (Rush, and Engstrom 66). It would be fair if the United States scrapped off the Electoral College. This would leave the popular vote to determine the candidate who wins the presidential race. The Electoral College superiority denies the people the free will of choice expected in a nation that claims to be a mature

Was the britsh navy pro nationalist during the spanish civil war Essay

Was the britsh navy pro nationalist during the spanish civil war - Essay Example Consequently the safest option for the British Government was to play an non-intervention role throughout the whole war but with secret support for the Franco Regime. Jill Edwards comments on this communist phobia of the British ruling class, ‘in the first weeks of the rebellion, it was the thread of anti-communism which formed the warp of British government attitudes.’ 1 The dilemma of the British Government was that on one side she had to address the fear of the rise of the socialist among the Republicans while there was another posing danger from the Nazi who were striving to establish control over the Franco Regime. Like other democratic countries of Europe officially turn a blind eye to the war just because of the fear that any bias and direct support might eventually lead to another Bloody world war. But Franco Regime received an indirect and unofficial favour from the British Naval Force just because the British Government strove to check the unanimous control over the Franco Regime. 2 But meanwhile the emotional rise of the Socialists among the Republican due to the aloofness of the European democratic countries and the direct artillery support of the Stalin Government pushed the British rulers to take a strong stand for the Nationalists. In an article ‘International Naval Cooperation During the Spanish Civil war† Adam B Siegel co mments on the overall picture of the war situation as following: Among ideologues on the left and the right, the Spanish civil war was perhaps the most controversial conflict†¦. Moreover, European powers could not ignore the fact that it posed the greatest threat to peace†¦. Spain’s strategic location, the rise of fascism†¦.drew international naval forces into Spanish waters. 3 British Naval Support for the Nationalists has a lot to do with the fear of the rise of the socialists among the Republics. During the war

Glaxosmithkline Marketing Analysis

Glaxosmithkline Marketing Analysis Jump to: GSK PESTLE | SWOT | Pfizters SWOT | SMART Objectives | Environmental SMART Objectives | Financial SMART Objectives | Strategic Priorities | Marketing Mix GlaxoSmithKline is a UK based pharmaceutical, biological and healthcare company. It is the worlds second largest pharmaceutical company. Glaxo Wellcome, which is formed from the merger of Glaxo Laboratories and Burroughs Wellcome Company, together with the SmithKline Beecham and they have form the GlaxoSmithKline. In the year 2000, GlaxoSmithKline have the name and known as GSK. GSK had employs around 110,000 workers in 117 countries, and is including over 40,000 that participate in sales and marketing. There are few global headquarters which is separated in GSK House in Brebtfort, London, United Kingdom and United States. The London and New York stock exchanges have listed the GSK Company in their list. Some well known brands such as Ribena (beverage), Panadol Zantac (anti-ulcer), Zavirax (anti-viral), (pain relief) and Augmentin (antibiotic) which is selling by them. Mission statement: The GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) global quest is to improve the quality of human life by guiding people to do more, to let them feel better, and also live longer. Besides that, the GSK has to undertake the entrepreneurial spirit of enthusiasm. It is inspired by the constant search for the pursuit of innovation.  GlaxoSmithKline attention to performance also made their complete realization and each and every citizen, as a global leader in world-class and unparalleled passion for the success of awareness contribute to the sense of urgency.  In addition, two have been entered into by the diversity of life and set statements declaration statements. Diversity Statement: GlaxoSmithKline provides an employee with respect and dignity for all working towards the environment diverse workforce.  With different backgrounds, cultures and world views of the labour force to help it understand the different patients, but also the needs of customers.  GlaxoSmithKline in the right positions to ensure that they do the best to provide genuine equality of opportunity best work.  It can monitor and manage the level and then around the world, the report by the UK ethnic and gender diversity on the data, to ensure compliance with the commitment to diversity. Life Statement: GSK committed to the hope that all workers can do their best work.  The way they do, not only to meet the business, but for your own personal needs and need it. That is why they attach so much importance to flexible working.  GlaxoSmithKline is to support flexible working arrangements, as long as it can make a better life for employees, while ensuring that business needs are met.  Flexible work policies, applicable to all staff, and it covers several modes of operation, for example, like home work, part-time jobs, annual hours, but also long-time work.  In addition, the types of flexible working options are particularly attractive to parents and caregivers.  However, the reduction or re-allocation of time or home-working arrangements can also support peoples religious observances.  It is there along with all other interests and responsibilities outside the workplace of the host. GSK Values and Behaviours Health care market in the past decade there is a need to change our business model into a more customer-centric, innovative how we perform as a collective organization, will determine our success.  To the external environment with increasingly complex and effective changes in speed index, GlaxoSmithKline need to establish an internal learning culture by GlaxoSmithKline reflect the values and behaviour. Summary of 2009 financial information As a 2nd largest pharmaceutical company, GSK financial should be doing well in their financial to maintain the images and reputation of the company. Well, to increase its market competitiveness, GSK need to have stable profits to run the research and future development. According to the table above we can understand the financial summary of GSK in year 2005 to year 2009. First we can see that the total revenue in year 2005 to 2009 is performing well. But the total revenue of year 2005 and 2006 is remaining the same while in year 2007 is decreasing and it increase back when year 2008 and 2009 as well. The total revenue amount of year 2005 is  £21660 million and 2006 is  £23225 million. The years 2005 to year 2006 it has 7.23% increase in the company. And by the year 2007 it decrease to amount of  £22716 million, which is reducing about  £509 million, about 2.192% decrease compare to year 2006. In the year 2008 it increases  £1636 million back to amount of  £24352 million, which the percentage is 7.202%. And in between year 2008 to 2009 it increase  £4016 million to amount of  £28368 million which the percentage is 16.491%. PESTLE Technological advancements, tighter regulatory-compliance overheads, rafts of patent expiries and volatile investor confidence have made the modern pharmaceutical industry an increasingly tough and competitive environment. Below is an analysis of the structure of the pharmaceutical industry using the PESTLE which mean political, economic, social and technological, and legal environment. (P)olitical: Over the years, the industry has witnessed increased political attention due to the increased the recognition of the economic importance of healthcare as a component of social welfare. Political interest has also been generated because of the increasing social and financial burden of healthcare. Examples are the UKs National Health Service debate and Medicare in the US. (E)conomic: In the decade to 2003 the pharmaceutical industry witnessed high value mergers and acquisitions 7 with a projected stock value growth rate of 10.5% (2003-2010) and Health Care. Growth rate of 12.5% (2003-2010), the audited value of the global pharmaceutical market is estimated to reach a huge 500 billion dollars by 2004. Only information technology has a higher expected growth rate of 12.6%. Majority of pharmaceutical sales originate in the US, EU and Japanese markets. Nine geographic markets account for over 80% of global pharmaceutical sales these are, US, Japan, France, Germany, UK, Italy, Canada, Brazil and Spain. Of these markets, the US is the fastest growing market and since 1995 it has accounted for close to 60% of global sales. In 2000 alone the US market grew by 16% to $133 billion dollars making it a key strategic market for pharmaceuticals. (S)ocial: Good health is an important personal and social requirement and the unique role pharmaceutical firms play in meeting societys need for popular wellbeing cannot be underestimated. In recent times, the impact of various global epidemics likes SARS, AIDS etc has also attracted popular and media attention to the industry. The effect of the intense media and political attention has resulted in increasing industry efforts to create and maintain good government-industry-society communications. (T)echnological: A modern scientific and technological advance in science is forcing industry players to adapt ever faster to the evolving environments in which they participate. Scientific advancements have also increased the need for increased spending on research and development in order to encourage innovation. (L)egal Environment: Pharmaceutical industry is a highly regulated industry and compliance enforcement. Therefore there are a huge laws, regulations and compliance with the industry indirectly absorbed.  This tends to limit its activity, and in recent years, the Government has begun to require regulation of the industry cost of the proposal, in order to avoid obstacles, embedded in the external market, global challenges, in the face of innovation. Market share Direct Competitor Comparison Competitor situation One of the main competitors of GSK is Pfizer. Pfizer Inc. is a U.S. listed global biopharmaceutical company.  Founded in 1849, the company is headquartered in New York City, in Groton research, based in Connecticut.  It is engaged in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and global human and animal prescription drug market, currently sells the second-largest pharmaceutical company. Its main products include devices for blood, high blood pressure and cardiovascular events Caduet Pfizers Lipitor cholesterol levels.  Pfizer and its subsidiaries employ approximately 116,500 people worldwide.  The company is among the world top 500, ranking No. 40 in 2010, and the most recent dollar price of 68.0bn acquisition of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Company. In 2009, Pfizer reported revenues of 50.0bn and an  operating profit  of  £12.1bn and  £7.8bn was invested in RD. GlaxoSmithKline SWOT (S)trengths Reputation management   large market share   large highly skilled work force     Globally positioned   2nd largest in the pharmaceutical industry (W)eaknesses No online presence Inconsistency of attractive promotions High dependency on only several products Strong focus on UK market (O)pportunities New drug development Organic growth Licensing (T)hreats Rising drug cost Drug side effect competition SWOT stands for strength, weakness, opportunity and threats The rationale for conducting a SWOT analysis before proceeding to the development of the strategic plan is to know whether the organizations plan is a good fit for its internal and external situation or not. An organizations internal situation is defined by its strengths and weaknesses. An organizations external situation is defined by its opportunities and threats that exist in the business environment Pfizer SWOT analysis (S)trengths Strong sales and marketing infrastructure Strong RD departments Marketing strength in major geographical and therapeutic areas (W)eaknesses Very limited penetration of biologics market Discontinuation of products in the latter stages of development Co-marketing agreements can limit Pfizers global presence (O)pportunities Funding available to facilitate product Biologic market expansion Emergence of integrated global markets and globalisation for new products Strengths, providing Pfizer with strong products and therefore revenue growth (T)hreats which is Lipitor, due to lose patent exclusivity in 2011 Further large scale MA activity could further decline Pfizers profitability An increase in the number of safety issues surrounding Viagra Economic downturn influencing consumers purchasing power For the price of the microprocessor produce by Intel and AMD, the difference of the performance actually not very big there is just a small different of the performance, but AMD able to sell their product with a cheapest price compare to Intel but at the same AMD having a very big problem which is their product quality is not that stable, it might not be long lasting compare to Intel and Intel having a partnership with Microsoft company and this is another advantage that the buyers of Intel processor would not need to purchase operating system for their computer compare to AMD which the buyers need to purchase another operating system from Microsoft or Mac by themselves. The opportunities of Intel actually is the dominance of the market share in the market, they having a lots of different customer around the world unlike AMD which only having a little section of the market share while they lost a little of the customer will having a difficulty of the company operating due to the lack of financial power, but at the same time AMD having a growth on the market share and they might grab some of the market share due to the unstable demand of the market towards microprocessor and while they grab the market share will lead to the loss of Intel market share in microprocessor market. Smart objectives Objective for branding and promotional Specific Increase more healthy drinks like Horlicks and Ribena that has no artificial colour, flavour and sweetener Having more outlet to sell the healthy product in hypermarket Create more advertisement about GSK healthy drinks product Measurable sells more than 120 million bottles of drinks each year by the year 2013, become one of the largest healthy drinks company in market Achievable Services developed and developing countries to improve peoples quality of life enabling people to do more to improve the quality of life of people Realistic provide the good service and the high quality of product increase public trust and to let consumers feel that it is worth and they are willing to buy the product Timely In 3 years time, recognize by community as providing the healthy product company Environmental Objective for growth Specific Become the environmental friendly company Have more advertisement about recycle and educate the consumer and make resources available for them. Measurable Having 0% of industrial waste Producing 100% recycle product from company Achievable Let public and user know more about recycle product Research and develop more recycle and reuse product Realistic Become one of the best and largest product recycle company in the world Timely In year 2012, company are fully environmental friendly Financial Specific Increase and improve the sales in UK Having an improvement in total revenue and profit of the company Measurable Increase 5% of sales compare to the previous year Achievable Producing new product to influence and increase the purchasing of consumers of our product Realistic Facing so many competitors, product packaging and convenient of having the product, good services should be there to attract customers. So, an increment of 5% in revenue should not be a problem. Timely In year 2012, increase the sales and revenue by 5% and remain increase 5% year by year. GSK is focused on delivering three strategic priorities to transform into a company that delivers more growth that has less risk and an improved long-term financial performance. To be a successful and sustainable business, GSK also fulfils the social responsibilities. By doing this GSK is seen like more responsive, more flexible and more open. Three Strategic priorities The first priority of GSK is growing a diversified global business. GSK diversifying its business to create a balanced product portfolio, in the same time move away from reliance on traditional like white pill or western markets. Besides that, GSK also investing in key growth areas such as Emerging Markets, Japan, Vaccines and the Consumer Healthcare business. Next, the second priority is delivering more products of value. It aims to sustain in an industry leading pipeline of products, this is to ensuring that they demonstrate value for healthcare providers. The RD strategy is built around to focusing on the best science which diversifying through externalisation of research and also improving the returns on investment. The last priority is simplifying the operating model. GSK is a large and complex organisation which is transforming the operating model to reduce the complexities, to improve efficiency and also reducing the costs. The marketing mix strategy which need 4P (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) to make the market decision, actually is the best strategy to be used on the company in the industry. Marketing Mix Product Horlicks is considered one of GSKs main brands in the health food segment. Due to slow profit made in health products of Horlicks, the company has come up with strategies to push the flagship of the brand. Horlicks has previously target old people as a nourishment health drink for, but now they are re-launching its brand and targeting children in the market. GSK is expecting Horlicks to have an increase in turnover of health food sector. Horlicks has relaunched new products that are now available in the market such as Chocolate, Creamy Vanilla and Honey Buzz varieties in package that not only tickles the taste bud of children but also providing nutrients for the health and growth of children such as Vitamin A, Proteins, Carbohydrate and so on. A fresh new image for  Horlicks Price Horlick has white and brown drinks, where the white drink is for entire family and the brown drink focuses on children. White drink has a faster growth rate and this has added the benefits of enhancing the healthy image of Horlicks. This does not mean the target market of children has left unattended. Horlicks now positioned as a nourishment drink targeting children of age group between 8-14. Children nowadays have huge influence on things that family members buy, and therefore Horlicks prefer children to purchase their health drinks. Horlicks has also come up with products that that target kids between one and three. Place In UK, Horlicks already is a very famous product which able to found in every hypermarket, mini market in UK. Other than that, it also can be found in all the convenience stores. Besides that, the main wholesalers distribute products, so small shops within easy reach of local grain through the cash and carry. Promotion In order to increase consumer awareness of the brand of Horlicks, GSK can promote the product through TV advertisement, radio advertisement. Besides that, it also can advertise in the cinema before a movie or having a banner on the internet. On the other hand, we can also having free gift of Horlicks product by giving through the radio when the audience answer one question about Horlicks.

Management Accounting Essay -- Management

Finances Future: Challenge or threat?-Management Accounting Missing Article This article is a bout the changing demands of the business world and the impact it will have on management accounting. According to this article the business role that management accountants play will be significantly different in the future. While this change is inevitable it is unclear how many of today's accountants will be able or willing to adjust to the change and conform to what is being called "New Accounting." Accountants in the future will have to play a much larger role in their organization. Becoming a change agent, someone who can help accelerate change in an organization. This is a problem for most accountants who are used to doing the same job year after year with little to no change. Since the introduction of the computer management has recognized that the PC can perform in much less time many of the tedious number crunching activities accountants spend hours doing. As a result of this accountants are being asked to do more and become analytical and proactive, looking into the future and joining with management in making and taking responsibility for all those tough decisions. Management expects the accounting department in addition to its role processing transactions to serve as the central information hub and purveyor of all sorts of data stored on the computers. Accountants doing the same time that all these changes were happening due to PC were also facing change due to the new idea of "reengineering." This is the idea of going beyond seeking efficiencies and asking is this business process really necessary?. And if it is how can it be designed to better serve the business. If a task is unnecessary then the people who perfor... ... constant as learning should be in order to stay competitive. With the introduction of the PC accountants need to step up and prove that their role is still necessary focusing not only on balancing the books but serving as a center of information for the organization. In the future I think that this is what management accounting will be all about. Crunching number is a job better left up to the computer systems. By integrating all the functions of the finance department, finance becomes a chief driver of the decision making process. Accountants in the future must be able to adapt to change, take risks, and do more thinking and analyzing than number crunching and reporting. The new role of management accountants as the data keeper for the entire organization makes them the backbone of today's organizations which is a far larger job than balancing the books on time.

Perception of the African American Males

Perception of the African American males African Americans males are considered dangerous based on a false identity, misconceptions, and misinformation that are available in the media; this includes but is not limited to rap music, news, and TV shows. This misconception can be traced as far back as slavery. The perception of blacks’ males as being dangerous began when the slave came to America on 1619. Due to the situation of being treated as property, to be freely bought and sold, and that the owner was free to split up a couple or family at any time simply by selling some of his/her slaves. African slaves started to behave in a hostile manner. Because of their behavior the Caucasians immediately started to classify the slaves as being dangerous, and they need to be tame as if they were wild animals. This lead the slave masters to start putting chain and walking around with their rifles when they would be in the fields with them. As it was stated in ‘The Brut Caricature†, it portrays black men as innately savage, animalistic, destructive, and criminal; deserving punishment, and maybe death. Due to the negative influence and portrayals of African Americans males, these individuals are often misguided. The nature vs. nurture theory comes into play. I. e. Low income black males are predisposed to innate qualities, while behavioral traits are learned i. e. through the media. â€Å"Get Rich or Die Trying† is the mentality of most African American males with the help of the media. Most males see themselves as rap stars, sports stars, and or comedians. There is limited exposure of African American as doctors or lawyers at an early age its learned that their chance of success in life is limited. The men in the low income communities have the tendencies of wanting to become like the â€Å"white man†. The main problem is that they portray the idea of â€Å"get rich quick†. These perceptions cause them to turn into drugs, and from there into violence and crimes. According to a 2006 National Urban League report a third of black males will spend time in prison before their 35th birthday. This fact could be because of the high school dropouts and the poor understanding they get from society. Yes, I said the poor understanding from society, because black men are one of the least understood groups in our country. People don't look at the conditions that cause a lot of black men to be in the situations they're in today, they just look at the results. † According to my findings, among men, blacks (28. 5%) are about six times more likely than whites (4. 4%) to be admitted to prison during their life. I also noted that there are more black males in prison in America than are in college. (The Black and White of Justice, Freedom Magazine). Volume 28. Another consequence for African Americans it’s that the â€Å"monster† image given by the Caucasian people are carry by the poor African American people. According to Stallworth (early 1990’s) young black males continue to follow patterns of slavery times. Many fulfill white America’s image of them legitimately by becoming successful gangster rappers, others fulfill these image illegitimately by becoming â€Å"bad niggers† Rappers, therefore reinforce the popular belief that as â€Å"bad ass niggers† young black can achieve fame, recognition, and sense of being (somebody). If they lose, however, they can face a long stay in our jails and prisons or even bodily injury and death. Which it’s happening now days. Media and the African American Males According to the book ‘Black Demons’ there is a â€Å"black pathology† a fundamental weakness in African American families that can be traced to their experiences as slaves. The news media, for example, have taken the lead in equating young African American males with aggressiveness, lawlessness, and violence. Likewise, the entertainment media have eagerly taken their cue from the journalists, and these false images not only affect race relationship but also create a self felling prophecy for African American youngsters, whose limits of achievement can be determined for them by suggestions in the media. A common stereotype about African American men is that they are engage in drug abuse a disproportionate way which it’s not true because according to statistics from the US department of Health and Human services that although eight percent of African American males cocaine, eleven percent of whites have use the same drug. This is, however, not the impression that we get from watching the evening local news or even an episode of television program COPS. Blacks Stereotyped of Being Intellectually Inferior and Criminals. Another common negative stereotype, establishes the African American male as intellectually inferior. Studies directed by psychologist Claude Stale, indicate that African American teenagers are aware that they are stigmatized as being intellectually inferior and the go to school bearing what psychologist Claude has called a â€Å"burden of suspicion† Such burden can affect their attitudes and achievements. These shadows hang over stigmatized people no matter their status or accomplishments. These stigmas have the potential to roll them of their individually and debilitate their attempts to break out of the stereotypical roles. Blacks are the repository for the American fear of crime. Ask anyone, of any race, to picture a criminal and the image will have a black face. The linked between blackness and criminality it’s routinized by terms such a â€Å"black-on-black crimes† or â€Å"black crimes†. I also have to mention the ‘black brute stereotype arise in the early 1870’s. Such stereotype is one of the pictures white Americans have in their heads about black men: as savage, violent amazingly strong and not caring about right and wrong. Even today according to my findings , blacks are three times more likely to be physically threatened, harmed or killed because if their race than whites. So this idea of whites as peaceful and blacks ad threatening to white is not rooted in fact. It is rooted in something else. Yes, there are black men who are violent and savage, who do unspeakable things. But there are white men like that too. In either case they are hardly common enough to reasonably determine one’s ideas about the ordinary people of their race. Rap Music and its influence in African American males Rap music celebrates vulgarity. Indeed, it markets vulgarity; that is its product. It is the vulgar excesses of rap-the profanity, the over-sized jewelry, the naked acquisitiveness, the sexual aggressiveness-that are its hallmarks. New media attention on rap music seems obsessed on instances of violence at rap concerts, rap producers’ illegal use of musical samples, gangster raps’ lurid fanatics of cop killing, and female dismemberment, and Black Nationalist rappers suggestions that white peoples are devils disciples. It seems that rappers to notice the influence they have in people mostly African American people, and by say this type of things they send an incorrect message to their fanatics and other people in general. In most of the songs you can find a high level of aggravated language, images, and high crimes scenarios. . According to the authors of these songs, they just make it for the entertainment of their fans without thinking of the image they are given of their people and themselves. One question and many answers from our society I took the duty to find out the perception that common US citizens have towards African American males, by submitting a question on (answersyahoo. com) people from all around our country answered to my question. The following are the answers to my survey. †¢ People poisonous stereotypes the black males with the â€Å"5 Ds†Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬Å"Dumb, deprived, dangerous, deviant, and disturbed†. †¢ Lazy & uneducated †¢ Drug dealers †¢ Poor †¢ Hate other races †¢ They are dirty †¢ Loud, obnoxious, rude My Opinion For these reasons and many other African American males are consider dangerous for our society. But stop and think for a minute, are they all really dangerous or this is only a big misunderstanding? Can we judge them all as a whole, or there are some of them that can be excluded of being stereotyped as â€Å"dangerous†, â€Å"criminal†, etc? In my opinion we cannot judged them all as a whole and we should also try to understand the reasons behind their actions. We have to learn how to be open minded and see things from different perspectives. We also have to realize that not everything that we see and listen in the media is always the truth, there is always a second part of a story and most of the time we fail to look for that second part. African American behavior has been shaped by us (society) because of our mistreatment towards them and our racism†¦ I believe if we change the way we look at them and express about them, they will change their behavior and we no longer will have to use the statement of â€Å"dangerous† when referring to a African American male. Conclusion To conclude to this issue in question I just have to say ‘Black or white, God gave us the opportunity to succeed, and regardless of the situation we are dealt, we can all live the life we imagined. After s days of research I can’t say there is a wrong or right theory about African American males because everyone has their own way of thinking and their own opinion. But just to add ‘the world would be shocked to know that the majority of black men make the right choices and build successful families and careers every day in America, yet are rarely discussed in the headlines’. Bibliogaphy

How to Get Recommendation Letters for Grad School

How to Get Recommendation Letters for Grad School Recommendation letters are a critical part of the graduate school application. If you are planning on applying to grad school, think about who you will ask for letters of recommendation well before you begin preparing your graduate school application. Make contact with professors during the first two years of college and develop relationships as you will rely on them to write recommendation letters that will land you a spot in the graduate program of your choice. Every graduate program requires applicants to submit recommendation letters. Dont underestimate the importance of these letters. While your transcript, standardized test scores, and admissions essay are vital components of your graduate school application, an excellent recommendation letter can make up for weaknesses in any of these areas. Why Do Graduate School Applications Require Recommendation Letters? A well-written recommendation letter provides admissions committees with information that isnt found elsewhere in the application. A recommendation letter is a detailed discussion, from a faculty member, of the personal qualities, accomplishments, and experiences that make you unique and perfect for the programs to which youve applied. A helpful letter of recommendation provides insights that cannot be gleaned by simply reviewing an applicants transcript  or standardized test scores. Moreover, a recommendation can validate a candidates admissions essay. Who to Ask? Most graduate programs require at least two, more commonly three, recommendation letters. Most students find choosing professionals to write recommendations difficult. Consider faculty members, administrators, internship/co-operative education supervisors, and employers. The people you ask to write your recommendation letters should: Know you wellKnow you long enough to write with authorityKnow your workDescribe your work positivelyHave a high opinion of youKnow where you are applyingKnow your educational and career goalsBe able to favorably compare you with your peersBe well knownBe able to write a good letter Keep in mind that no one person will satisfy all of these criteria. Aim for a set of recommendation letters that cover the range of your skills. Ideally, letters should cover your academic and scholastic skills, research abilities and experiences, and applied experiences (e.g., co-operative education, internships, related work experience). For example, a student who is applying to an MSW program or a program in clinical psychology might include recommendations from faculty who can attest to their research skills as well as recommendation letters from faculty or supervisors who can speak to their clinical and applies skills and potential. How to Ask for a Recommendation Letter There are good and bad ways of approaching faculty to ask for a letter of recommendation. For example, time your request well: dont corner professors in the hallway or immediately before or after class. Request an appointment, explaining that youd like to discuss your plans for graduate school. Save the official request and explanation for that meeting. Ask the professor if he or she knows you well enough to write a meaningful and helpful recommendation letter. Pay attention to their demeanor. If you sense reluctance, thank them and ask someone else. Remember that it is best to ask early in the semester. As the end of the semester approaches, faculty may hesitate because of time restraints. Also be aware of common mistakes students make when requesting recommendation letters, such as asking too close to the admissions deadline. Ask at least a month ahead of time, even if you dont have your application materials composed or your final list of programs chosen. Provide Information   The best thing that you can do to ensure that your recommendation letters cover all the bases is to provide your referees with all the necessary information. Dont assume that they will remember everything about you. For example, I might remember that a student is exceptional and an excellent participant in class but I may not remember all of the details when I sit down to write, such as how many classes the student took with me and extracurricular interests (such as being active in the psychology honors society, for example).  Provide a file with all of your background information: TranscriptResume or curriculum vitaeAdmissions essaysCourses youve taken with themResearch experienceInternship and other applied experiencesHonor societies to which you belongAwards youve wonWork experienceProfessional goalsDue date for the applicationCopy of the application recommendation forms (if a paper/hard copy letter is required and if the forms are provided by the institution)List of programs to which you are applying (and have them send email requests for recommendations early, well before the deadline) Confidentiality The recommendation forms supplied by graduate programs require you to decide whether to waive or retain your rights to see your recommendation letters. As you decide whether to retain your rights, remember that confidential recommendation letters tend to carry more weight with admissions committees. In addition, many faculty will not write a recommendation letter unless it is confidential. Other faculty may provide you with a copy of each letter, even if it is confidential. If you are unsure of what to decide, discuss it with your referee. As the application deadline approaches, check back with your referees to remind professors of the deadline (but dont nag!). Contacting the graduate programs to inquire whether your materials were received is also appropriate. Regardless of the outcome of your application, be sure to send a thank you note once you have determined that faculty have submitted their letters.

Caesar feels guilty Essays

Caesar feels guilty Essays Caesar feels guilty Essay Caesar feels guilty Essay The death of Fulvia means Antony can no longer neglect his duties or the people of Rome will label him a traitor and will lose his power. The death of Fulvia doesnt upset Antony but he feel like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders give the gods a thankful sacrifice essentially this means that he believes Fulvias death was a good thing. However now Shakespeare creates a new stage in Antony and Cleopatras relationship. This event causes Antony to return to Rome to fix his affairs and whilst he is there he leaves insecure Cleopatra to embellish and exaggerate their relationship.This also creates doubts in Cleopatras mind in praising Antony, Ive dispraised Caesar which means she is considering leaving Antony to escape a tragic end. This also shows that she is only with Antony to enhance her reputation. Antony on the other hand is in Rome and dreams only of returning to his Egyptian dish Caesar knows Antony will return to Cleopatra and uses this to his advantage by making Antony marry his sister to capture the now traitorous Antony, which shows how little emotion Caesar has. This grief is crowned with consolation I, ii, 160-165This event has added to Cleopatras insecurity, she feels if he goes back to Rome he will forget her and stay in Rome. I believe Cleopatra is now using Antony to appease her insecurity. Act 2 opens with a speech from Pompeii and in this speech he sums up the three triumvirates. Shakespeare has used Pompeii because he has no emotional attachments to the main characters. This is very effective, as it is an unbiased view. I like how Shakespeare has used this man. He is clearly unbiased and makes it very obvious to the audience that this is the way these men really are. Mark Antony.In Egypt sits at dinner and will make No wars without doors, Caesar gets money where He loses heart: Lepidus flatters both. II, I, 12-14. He says that Antony is a coward and wont commit to a fight unless there is a way for him to escape and that he is lazy. He says that Caesar is only interested in money and if he keeps taxing his people then they will be lost and finally he says that lepidus is useless which is backed up by the fact he is usually drunk. Antony who is now in Rome meets with Caesar and he blames Antony for being in Egypt enjoying himself and neglecting his duties.Did pocket up my letters; and with taunts Did gibe my miss ive out of audience II, ii, 72-73 Aggripa then prompts Antony to marry Ceases sister Octavia. The speech he gives is full of well rehearsed points which will show Antony that Caesar is willing to sacrifice his own sister to capture Antony. Antony must marry Octavia or the triumvirate will fall apart. Antony agrees to marry her but later runs back to his Egyptian dish another food image used by Shakespeare in representation of Antonys love.Shakespeare has used this as a mid point between the stages in their relationship. Antony now is torn between his love and his country. He agrees to marry Octavia to keep the triumvirate together but he could also have realised that Cleopatra will lead him to his downfall. This is where tragedy enters the play for the first time shown when Antony talks with the soothe sayer He heats thee gainst the odds Antony knows he is going to lose but it shows how courageous he is by risking everything.In contrast Cleopatra is a lot more secure however she does still try to manipulate Antony by changing her moods. She now shows us that in light of these new events she is contemplating her other choices in praising Antony we dispraised Caesar this makes us wonder whether Cleopatras feeling for Antony are real. However she is getting old and the only way Caesar would take Cleopatra, as a lover would be as an insult to Antony. There are now a few battle scenes in which Cleopatras inexperience in battle causes them to lose.This makes Antony believe Cleopatra has betrayed him and he is now a complete wreck as he now truly has lost everything. He has a large argument with Cleopatra, which culminates in her running away and telling a messenger to tell Antony she has committed suicide. This is the third and final change in their relationship. Both characters now have been completely destroyed. Antony has no way of escape and Cleopatra will now only be Caesers toy. Antony feels betrayed he has no will to live and as a final attempt tries to over come a tragic end.When Antony hears of Cleopatras death his attitude becomes more focused and he attempts to kill himself which is a final acceptance of Egyptian values, He fails to kill himself with his own sword, which shows how ineffective he has become. I dont like the way Antony dies. It seems less tragic than it could have been. Ill admit that he uses the symbolism especially how his sword has become ineffective against himself is excellent but his death seems to lack the honour Antony deserved. He lies there until he is taken to Cleopatra when he finds out she is still alive.Even now Cleopatra wont let Antony talk and she refuses to get down off her monument to see Antony and makes sure he is taken to her. She refers to sexual imagery and wont let Antony say his dying words. Antony at least had an honourable death, as he wasnt going to let Caesar take his life, he chose the time and the place. The crown othe earth doth melt IV, XV, 62. When Caesar hears about Antonys death he shows some emotion for the first time in the play. He becomes very solemn and his language is very plain.However he composes himself quickly. Caesar feels guilty. Caesar is touched V, I, 33. He now wants Cleopatra to become his lover as a final insult to Antony so that he will be feared and merciless. Cleoptra holds back half of her wealth when Caesar asks for it. We are unsure about her intentions when she did this because it as two outcomes, either she did it to stop Caesar thinking she was going to commit suicide so she could kill herself or that she was planning on running away and building a new empire.Cleo then finally before her death honours Antony memory and it makes the audience believe she really did love Antony, which is the final show of tragedy in the play. In conclusion I believe Antony and Cleopatra truly did love each other in some way even if it was only a memory. However Antony does say they will enter heaven as lovers. This play is fraught with tragedy built up slowly through the play. It truly is a pitiful end for the two lovers.I think Shakespeare has used imagery well to show the love of the two and it helps build up their tragic end. The tragic end comes from the conflict between Rome and Egypt and is illustrated by three images, the sword, armour and dimensions. His lowness or highness shows Antonys tragic end, Antonys own sword is ineffective when he tries to kill himself. The final speech is by Caesar in his monotone, simplistic language however he does seem to be inspired and shows how great Antony and Cleopatra were!

Crisis in Ukraine Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Crisis in Ukraine - Assignment Example But there are two perspectives and interpretations from the entire scenario. The standoff came about in the form of Ukraine’s possible enrollment into E.U. Backed by Russia, it abstained from it. The first is about the possible attack and other punitive measures undertaking by United States of America. However, writers like Loren Thomspon argue that Untied States of America would never go into war or to the extreme limit with Russia. It is based on the fact that United States would not want to disturb the prevailing status quo that has been in place for last two decades. Thomspon has given a set of reasons based on which he supports his claims of United States of America’s helplessness and its inability to unleash war upon Russia. These reasons range from awareness in the domestic segments to the internal realization of the fact knowing that America can least afford a war on new battle field in present circumstances and that too against a far more formidable rival in the form of Russia (Thompson). Russia has time and again expressed and shown its interest in the region, and more so in the Crimea where it states that the people have historic, lingual and religious affiliations and thereby must be protected at any cost. The other dimension of Russia’s interest and influence is subject to the natural resources and primarily the gas pipe line that touches past this area and is of high importance to the Russian industries. So far, even the actions and potential political maneuvers and diplomacy of the European powers in the form Germany and Great Britain have also failed. The upcoming meeting between the two foreign ministers is of high value and hopes are pinned against it towards a resolution of the issue faced (GORDON). Russia has an edge in this case and has caught United States of America on a weak footing. The only option United States of America is the backing of European Nations

Nobody Gets Married Anymore, Mister by Gerry Garibaldi Article

Nobody Gets Married Anymore, Mister by Gerry Garibaldi - Article Example The author predicts in the article that although money, reforms, and the gleaming porcelain hold great importance for the schools they can hardly make a good impact on the minds of the children. The reason is that urban teachers and students are facing such problems, which are associated with the mindset of children, which cannot be changed due to reforms. â€Å"Urban teachers face an intractable problem, one that we cannot spend or even teach our way out of teen pregnancy†. In the remaining part of the article, the author describes her experience of dealing with her pregnant students. The author mainly emphasizes her encounter with a girl named Nicole who is likely to become a teenage mother. Along with Nicole, who has been the focus of the author in the whole article, the author also highlights her experience with another student, jasmine, who gave birth to a child nearly six months ago. In the end, the author tells us about Data Wall, which is a strategy for the teachers to produce data about the progress of the students. My own belief about the issue of teenage pregnancies is somewhat conservative. I believe that teenage pregnancies result in creating many social and health problems. The government of the U.S.A provides considerable benefits to the unwed teenage mothers, which is one of the main factors behind the increase in the rate of teenage pregnancies. Jansson states, â€Å"Refusing or severely limiting public benefits to teenage mothers, will reduce out-of-wedlock birthrates†. Some girls do not get pregnant intentionally. Such girls forget using pills or other contraceptive methods during sex, so their chances of getting a pregnant increase. Such pregnancies also give rise to illegal abortions, which is another ethical issue.

The Externalities of Petroleum Sector in Saudi Arabia Term Paper

The Externalities of Petroleum Sector in Saudi Arabia - Term Paper Example The production of petroleum accounts for one of the most environment-polluting activity around the globe which results in adverse side effects on the environments ability to support life. The same activity, however, accounts for the greatest revenue generating activity for major oil producing countries of the world including Saudi Arabia. The production of petroleum thus can be said to impact both positively and negatively on both people and the environment. Saudi Arabia is the leading oil producer and exporter in the world. With its petroleum-based economy, Saudi Arabia’s oil accounts for about 75% of the government revenues and 90% of the country’s total exports. The petroleum sector in Saudi Arabia contributes about 45% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product compared to the 40% contribution by the private sector (Alshehry and Belloumi, 2015). The Per Capita GDP in the country is estimated at $20,700. Despite the efforts for diversification in the petrochemical sector, the economy of the country remains highly dependent on oil in the second decade of the 21st century. As of 2011, Saudi Arabia produced approximately 10.782 million barrels of petroleum daily with a greater portion being exported. Domestic consumption of oil to generate electricity has been on the increase over the years. The country has the largest crude oil reserves in the world that account for about 18% of the world reserves as reported by the O rganization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Saudi Arabia can economically be said to be a rentier state given that it depends on externally generated rents as opposed to the surplus production of its population. The categorization of the country as a rentier state is evidenced by the percentage of its petroleum rents in terms of total government revenues. As a rentier state, the rent-seeking behaviour is characteristic that cuts commonly across the public and private sector (Al-Thukair, Abed and Mohamed, 2007). The

The Human Society and its Environment Essay Example for Free

The Human Society and its Environment Essay Environment (HSIE) syllabus has a two-pronged objective that seeks ultimately to help scaffold students in their development both as persons and as citizens of local and global communities. It seeks to give them a sense of identity, and this involves an understanding of how their talents and opinions are relevant in their society. Research has shown that students (as human beings) develop, not in an isolated context or in a vacuum, but within the context of the family, community, and society in which they live (Panofsky, 2003, p. 411, Azmitia, 2002, p. 355). Therefore, allowing students to feel themselves true citizens of their society is an important aspect of creating identity and participation, according to the ideas of Vygotsky, Dewey, and Gibson, is therefore a key factor in learning (Rahm, 2002, p. 164; Wong Pugh, 2001). Separated into four strands (introduction, rationale, aims and objectives, and an overview of learning in HSIE), the syllabus’ introductory pages demonstrate how its objectives can be addressed in a classroom setting. Each strand clearly outlines how knowledge will be of benefit to the student and by extension to society. In fact, much thought and effort has been placed into determining the individual outcomes of particular aspects of the HSIE content. Though the syllabus is not particularly explicit about how these goals are to be achieved, nor does it clearly define the ideals of citizenship, it does give the teacher enough direction to facilitate the proper delivery of the information. A detailed look at the formulation of the goals in these introductory pages will demonstrate that the syllabus, though not explicit, is adequate in its explanation of how its aims are to be achieved. It will also present a view the interconnected aspects of the syllabus and how essential each is to the achievement of HSIE’s major goals. The introductory pages of the syllabus indicate that some of its content is taken from research into the thought processes of the children (Human Society and its Environment K-6, 2006, p. 9). Its writers have considered the fact that children might think differently about such issues than adults do, and have suggested suitable ways of teaching. This indicates that the syllabus intends to address how students are to be taught the material. The syllabus also indicates that the effective classroom practices of many previous teachers have informed its content, and this too indicates that effective strategies for instruction are to be included in the text of the syllabus. It appears that the strategies will involve equipping teachers with the tools necessary to create a classroom atmosphere in which students go beyond the level of hearing or reading the information to the level at which learning becomes an experience. It implies that teaching should begin on a plane with which the child is familiar and then branch of to less familiar areas, thereby building on schematic knowledge and making connections that allow them to assimilate the information gained (Human Society and its Environment K-6, 2006, p. 7). Though the explanation does not clearly delineate how the will be achieved, it is a promise that the syllabus itself will provide more explicit information on how to do this. Another way in which the introduction to the syllabus promises to demonstrate how to achieve its goals is in its deliberate organisation to allow for depth of understanding by its readers. It not only categorises the content according to the knowledge, values, and skills students ought to take from the class, but it further breaks down these areas, creating in effect a checklist of goals that teachers can try to incorporate into the planning of each lesson (Human Society and its Environment K-6, 2006, p. 8). It suggests to a certain extent the different aspects of the subject that the teachers are meant to emphasise. The goals are explicitly defined, though methods are not. Therefore, though details are not given as to how teachers should teach the lesson, this may mainly be seen as a method of allowing the creativity of each teacher to surface. The syllabus’ introduction appeals to the creativity of the teacher in its conciseness, yet does offer some direction through the thorough way in which the goals are dealt with. For example, though it does not suggest tasks that students should be made to perform in learning about the transmission of culture, it clearly states a number of ways through which culture transmission can be achieved (Human Society and its Environment K-6, 2006, p. 10). Another example is in the reference to the students’ gaining a sense of identity through their environment. The syllabus points toward learning the use of globes, diagrams, maps, and other tools that give direction and perspective about the local and global environment. Though it does not expressly tell how to teach the lessons that incorporate them, it does demonstrate that their use will aid in the achievement of the overall aims of the HSIE syllabus. The syllabus demonstrates a connection among its three main aspects and among the content from different disciplines that make up each of these parts. It argues that knowledge/understandings, skills, and attitudes/values are related in such a way that the student cannot be expected to fully grasp the ideas being presented them unless they have an adequate grasp of each of the areas (Human Society and its Environment K-6, 2006, p. 10). The knowledge provides a basis for students to gain appreciation for themselves and others, as well as for their societal groups. They are able to gain perspectives on cultures, systems, the environment, and historical facts on how these systems came into being. A key factor that contributes to the interrelatedness of the syllabus’ content is the fact that all knowledge cannot be acquired within a classroom setting. Along with exposure to this knowledge comes a similar exposure to the tools and skills that will allow students opportunity to acquire more knowledge on their own. It is to be noted that according to Howard Gardner, people have different ways of perceiving the world (Mbuva, 2003) and should learn different skills that allow them to use their own type of intelligence. All these skills allow for participation, investigation, the ability to identify biases, and the use of higher- and lower-order thinking skills. Yet the knowledge gained through these methods cannot, by itself, lead to understanding without a suitable way of processing it (State of NSW, 2003, p. 7). According to A classroom practice guide published by the Department of Education and Training of the State of New South Wales, the difference between deep knowledge and deep understanding lies in the assimilation of content that defines students’ learning (2003, p. 7). Quality instruction blended with the attitudes and values that students are desired to learn will grant them a way of processing the knowledge that they gain through classroom and out-of-class lessons (Human Society and its Environment K-6, 2006, p. 13; 2003, p. 7). They allow students to see what use they can make of the knowledge that they gain about themselves, others, their history and their environment. It inculcates a level of respect for other cultures and allows them to develop a sense of societal responsibility. Because, for example, the student understands how the society and its governmental systems work—why each part is necessary—he or she is able to appreciate the need to become a good citizen and to preserve the civilisation which he or she has inherited (Harris, 2001, p. 3). The student, being cognisant of the struggles that ancestors have gone through to create the society, will further respect and honour the traditions that have been passed down. Further historical and cultural studies will also grant respect for other cultures within the Australian society and those of the rest of the world. Students will be able to have respect for the differences between theirs and Aboriginal cultures, and this will enhance their citizenship as they will learn how to treat those citizens whose actions might portray differences to their own (Human Society and its Environment K-6, 2006, p. 13-14). After considering how each aspect of the syllabus relates to the others, it becomes evident that all sections are necessary to the complete education of the student in HSIE. Though the student might have the resources that contain knowledge, they will not be able to access that knowledge without skills that allow them to tap such repositories as the library, internet, and even textbooks. Even once this knowledge is gained, it is necessary that students be able to process it in order to turn that knowledge into understanding and into good citizenship, which is the reason usually cited for teaching HSIE (Reynolds Lewis, 1995, p. 3). Another important aspect of HSIE is to transform students into lifelong learners. All parts of the HSIE learning programme are necessary in order to add meaningfulness to the sense of knowledge acquisition so that students might consider it necessary and worthwhile to use their skills continually to gain knowledge for the betterment of society. It is often problematic that teachers have the ability to make value judgements about particular outcomes of lessons. Students often place high value on teachers’ preferences and pay keen attention to how teachers speak and feel about certain topics. However, teachers may use their influence to an advantage. Demonstrating openness especially to diversity of culture and frowning upon intolerance especially as it regards other people’s values and belief systems will help create a more tolerant class and ultimately a more tolerant society. Related to this is the fact that students will become more exposed to different religions and political views—a situation that might offer some discomfort to parents. It is important that parents be assured that culture sensitivity and tolerance (and not indoctrination) are the main goals of this kind of education. Human Society and its Environment attempts to delineate the different facets of societal groups, show how they connect with each other, and demonstrate to the student how he or she fits within one or all of them. It desires to show the variety of organisations that exist, how these organisations work, and how students with varied interests can become a part of them. It also involves the inculcation of the individual’s debt and responsibility to society—lessons that can be learned through history, environmental, and civil education. The syllabus connects three perspectives: knowledge/understandings, skills, and attitudes/values which students master through the acquisition of low- and high-order thinking skills. Yet all these facets depend upon the provision of quality instruction in a quality learning environment in order to produce deep understanding (State of NSW, 2003, p. 10). References Azmitia, M. (2002). â€Å"Interpretative reproduction: a tool for unpacking the sociocultural dynamics of development. † Human Development. Vol. 45, 355-359. Harris, C. (2001). â€Å"Curriculum control: at what cost to teachers? † AARE Annual Conference 2001. Notre Dame University. Retrieved 3rd August 2006 Available: http://www. aare. edu. au/01pap/har01535. htm Human Society and its Environment K-6: syllabus. (2006). Board of Studies, HSW. Sydney. www. boardofstudies. nsw. edu. au