Sunday, August 18, 2019

Art and History Displayed at the Pompeii Exhibition at LACMA Essay

The Pompeii exhibition at LACMA was an astounding visualization of history. The exhibition provided all sorts of objects; from sculptures, glass figures, painted art, and more. These art pieces specify the kind of life that was taking place in the Bay of Naples during the second century. As we know the cities around the Bay of Naples, which include Pompeii and Herculaneum, became tourist attractions when the cities were excavated after they were buried from the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. However, the comprehension of how the art pieces made their way into the museum is just a little fact of the history behind them. With this exhibition we are able to feel like we are back in time and living in the exhilarating time of Pompeii. At the start of the exhibition we are presented with various busts and sculptures of certain, and presumably famous, figures. It is when we see the sculpture of Aphrodite (see Fig. 1) that we start sensing the significance of the exhibition. These sculptures were the norm during the second century in the Bay of Naples, and by viewing the intricate details in each art piece we understand how worthy each work meant to each of the artists. The sculpture of Aphrodite portrayed a serene greeting to the exhibitors. She stood in the middle welcoming us with a soft and warm smile. Through this sculpture we view how the Pompeii artist was following the Greek perception of the human body such as what we see in Polykleitos’ sculpture, Doryphoros; Aphrodite stands with the weight shifted on to her left foot portraying the cross balance of the human body. Once we appreciate the first art room we are then presented with various pieces of the gardens that were found around the Bay of Naples. In, w... ...hristen Kobke were on display including The Forum at Pompeii. The Forum painting depicts a tragic scene of Pompeii as it sits torn and destructed. Novels and photo albums also are displayed at the end of the exhibition. However, one of the last sculptures on view, Nydia, The Blind Girl of Pompeii (see Fig. 4), provides us with the fact that many people were truly inspired by the great tragic story of Pompeii. The sculpture of Nydia expresses the sadness and horror that many had experienced during that time. The Pompeii exhibition featured a number of objects, and how these objects were showed to the public presented a story. We were welcomed by the people into the home and gardens. Later we were given our parting with the photo albums and illuminated Pompeii art. This exhibition shows how much information and history can be presented in a few pieces of art.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Internet Regulation in Australia Essay

The Australian Communication and Media Authority – a media content regulating body has come out strongly to bar some oversea internet sites from being accessed albeit criticisms from not only oversea internet website owners but also some of her citizens. The reasons as advanced by this body are that, internet use is non-discriminatory. This means that, the age of the users does not matter to the internet content developers. The aim, according to this body, is not to deter consumers from accessing the sites they want to but instead, to protect consumers who may suffer negative consequences because of exposure to explicit media content. These consumers mostly include the children who are not adequately protected by the Child Online Protection Act. Importance of regulation Mitigation of insecurity deems of importance to the government as it comes to online information access. Cyber crime which include spam, hacking, online fraud, malware dissemination as well cyber bullying and grooming have detrimental effects on unsuspecting or naive users such as elderly people (Newton, 2008). Stalkers are also posing danger to individual’s security. Through censorship, the government endeavors to alleviate all these. Concisely, the government aims to regulate the online content, boost online security as well as uphold moral standards as required by the society. The government also aims at creating a more responsible population in economy building within the country through helping them learn how to protect their information, be it business of personal during use (Commonwealth of Australia, 2008). Channels of internet abuse The use of social media sites is on the increase. People who use these sites are on an upward trend, and proliferation of commission of crime are continues to increase. This is what the government is working hard to avoid by censoring access to some online sites at certain points within the internet transmission channels. The fact that internet service providers cannot hinder one to access whichever site he/she wants to puts the users of their service security at stake (Talbot, 2009). Inappropriate materials like pornography or even media violence cannot be controlled by these service providers because everybody asserts that they have freedom to information access and information dissemination. Online sex is on the increase and rendered incapable of determining who should participate in such or who should not, service providers can only play it safe when they block everybody. The government though does not intend to hinder everything but to create an environment of online responsibility by abating interactions online and having the appropriate content online only accessed. In his view, Gaylord (1999) argues that, internet service providers need to create a culture of responsibility by the users through establishing and overseeing the implementation of code of conduct whilst using internet. Parents play a great role in this censorship as they should control what their children do online. This is only possible by the use digital technology in order to block the inappropriate site. Criticism of regulation Many critics of this kind of control argue that their freedom to information is being curtailed. In the academic field, the move seems detrimental as viable information which is of academic value may be filtered at some points in the control system, as it may be grouped inappropriate (McCarthy, 2005). The question to most critics is that, ‘why deter freedom to access information? Some information might seem inconsequential to the government, but of great use to online writers and researchers. Blocking of some sites will lead curtailing of freedom of expression and part of leisure. Critics argue that the process of censoring has hitches and therefore need not to be implemented. In other countries like the US it has not worked and has proved otherwise counterproductive as those blocked from accessing some of these sites and images are students who really need that information for their study (Thierer, 2003). This led to massive protests creating a row between students and the administration. The same might happen in Australia. The advancement of technology might overthrow the control mechanism the government is advocating. This is because, the use of circumvention program will make all the efforts null and void as this endeavors to surpass censorship in all perspectives. According to Johnson, (2010), each time a national censor blocks news sites and You Tube, or an ISP or website loses or sells or gives away user data, people will seek solutions. In an article published by Electronic frontiers (2006), critics of this move argue that censoring will be a total waste of tax payer’s money. This is because most of the explicit materials that lead to exposure to sexually explicit material are distributed manually rather than through the internet. Therefore, censoring may not hamper children from accessing such content or participating in immoral activities as they will continue accessing these obscene materials. According to critics, regulating internet content is curtailing freedom. This is because one will not have the freedom to expression, through publishing something via the internet. A true free country like Australia should not do such a thing as it will not only portray it in the negative but it will also have a negative impact on the people who visit from other liberal countries (Dobija, 2007). Australia having a certain level of influence over other Western democracies, it might influence them to undertake the measures it is advocating to take, thus creating a kind of communist empire. Communism is oppressive, meaning that people in the countries affiliated to Australia will no longer be free in information sharing as they are. This is because, of the censored materials, most are unclassified and the scope of this information is very wide. Conclusion Though this censorship is a contentious issue, it should be put in mind that for as long as human beings yearn for freedom, unregulated freedom might be disastrous. On the other hand, high handedness might not solve the looming stalemate. Therefore the government and the die hard critics of this regulation should work together to reach to an amicable solution. This should however be done without having to suppress many individuals who use internet content. The government should let the individuals to regulate for themselves whatever they need to use, of course with education and awareness on the need to protect the vulnerable groups like the children (Corsa, 2008). This is because such regulation would put many internet users at ransom and freedom of expression would be a thing of the past. For example, regulation in China has made many not to be able to express themselves freely or even access information that deem of importance. The same applies to Zimbabwe where many journalists are hindered to post online content depicting violence or scenes of suppression and oppression as a way of government protectionism.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Cango Analysis Essay

Like Liz mentions in the video (speech); CanGo acts as a personal shopper for their customers. Customers don’t have go to different store to buy their merchandise when they can buy online at the same place and for affordable prices. Weaknesses: When Liz was asked to prepare a speech of how their company developed over time, she had no clue of where to start. She didn’t plan anything ahead, for example; she mentions in the resolution video that if she had done some planning for her company, her company would have gone much far from where they are at now. CanGo didn’t have a strategic plan for online gaming. Liz and her employees just had a small meeting and without giving a notice ahead of time, she just announced that they are entering into a new market of online gaming. All her employees were surprised at first. She didn’t ask any of her employees before that if they liked the idea of online gaming or not. She just went ahead and asked for preliminary marketing plan. The employees seemed hesitant as to asking questions. The employees at CanGo don’t work together and are not working in a team setting as should be implemented. Furthermore, the company doesn’t determine what this online gaming includes. Further, the company didn’t speak to determine what would be the various levels of support it would provide to its customers. CanGo didn’t develop a strategy explaining how it will conduct its business. Opportunities: As one of the employee mentions what about online â€Å"football† game ? I think it would be great idea for the company to go ahead and implement an online football game, since a lot of customers like to play football or sports. It could be that during the football season they can get a huge rush. Secondly online gaming also allows people from different countries to play at the same time which is a huge plus. Threats: CanGo doesn’t have a huge capital to invest. If they waste it on the idea of online gaming without knowing if they have any future with it, CanGo will be in a huge debt. If they are going to train their staff to do the operations, their customers are going to be unhappy because they have few people and there is a lot of work to do. They would have to increase wages of their employees because they will be handling more work than they are supposed to. Recommendation: CanGo company needs to have a mission and vision statement. Mission statement is going to describe what their company does and vision statement is where management wants to see their company in future. First step is, to have these two statements ready, which this company is missing. I don’t think CanGo should expand on their idea of online gaming without having a strategic plan. They were missing all the elements of strategic planning which are implementation, evaluation and formation. There were no questions about the future of online gaming nor there do any report to see how much success other companies had so far with online gaming. No one discussed about the equipment they are going to need to build this huge project. Liz has put the whole burden on one employee. There is no teamwork; what if that person gets lazy and comes up a lazy marketing plan. Then everyone would have to agree to it because no other member knows anything about marketing. Liz should have told her employees that everyone needs to come up with marketing plan and then in the next meeting they will choose the best one by consensus. I don’t think company is in its best financial condition. If they go ahead with their idea of online gaming, operational costs of buying equipment and software are going to cost a lot by itself. I also think they need new personnel; training old employees about the new technology is going to be a tough job. Hiring the new staff will be cheaper. May be they should wait for the financial times to get better or they should outsource. The company can outsource the implementation of equipment which would save them a lot of money and keeping the customer service here in America. CanGo’s customers will be very happy because they will be able to talk to their own people in their language comfortably. Customer Service should be the priority in any decision they make or any service they provide. References: Devry. (n. d. ). CanGo videos. Retrieved July 15, 2009, from devry: www. devry. edu/ec/crs

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Separating Students Based on Academic Skill Level

Khalid Sarsak 22 October 2012 Separating Students Based on Academic Skill Level Separating students based on academic skill level is a topic discussed by many people. I believe that junior high and high school students with special needs, as well as all other students, should be separated based on academic skill level because every person is different. All humans are unique which is what defines each person as their own being. Not separating students, in my opinion, can have negative results. First, advanced students get held back because teachers must go slower for the students that take more time to learn certain lessons.They begin to get bored and tend to dose off because the material the teacher is going over is too easy for them. For example, when I was in my math class in 7th grade, I would always understand the lessons quickly. Math came easy to me so whenever the teacher was in the middle of a lesson, I would talk to my friends and distract them or I would draw goofy pictures . I wouldn’t take class seriously and sometimes I felt like I should just not come to class. A second reason students should be separated based on academic skill level is because students that need help can get it.Some students that aren’t as academically gifted as others might get disappointed because they are not doing so well in a certain class. They might get stressed too much which can lead to depression and anxiety. If they are separated it would be easier for them to get individual help. Also they will be with students at their same skill level so the class will run more smoothly, they can help each other out, and they will feel more comfortable in class. These issues can be fixed by having all students take an assessment test to evaluate what level each person is in each class.If this would have happened when I was in my 7th grade math class it would have helped me a lot because I would have been ahead in my math classes. Being ahead in my math classes would ha ve helped me because I am currently majoring in computer engineering which needs many math classes. Another reason why students should be separated based on academic skill level is because students that need help or are struggling with a topic might get singled out and made fun of. Their peers might make them feel embarrassed and sometimes insecure to the point where they never ask for help.Some kids are also very shy so they will have a difficult time keeping up with the rest of the class because they won’t ask for help. Similarly, David Raymond, a young dyslexic man, was made fun of and embarrassed in school. In his essay â€Å"On Being 17, Bright, and Unable to Read,† he talks about the hardships of dyslexia that he faced in school. He says â€Å"I just felt dumb. And dumb was how the kids treated me. They’d make fun of me every chance they got, asking me to spell â€Å"cat† or something like that† (197). He shows us how being in a class that he had trouble with caused his peers to single him out which made him feel like he was not smart.He also says in his essay that he wanted to die (197). Anyone that feels like they want to die because of kids making fun of them is never good. However, Raymond attended a summer camp for kids that had dyslexia. He found out that he actually is a smart kid. All the kids at the camp had the same problems that he had so he felt better about himself. He begins to do well in school. In his essay, he says â€Å"Life began to change a little for me then, because I began to feel better about myself [†¦] making vases and pots that teachers said were pretty good† (Raymond 198).Separating David Raymond by putting him with other kids with the same problem helped him cope with his learning disability. He learned new hobbies and other activities that he succeeded with. It also helped him by showing him that he is an intelligent kid because he had a higher IQ than 90% of the camp (198). On the other hand, some people believe that separating kids based on academic skill level may cause some negative things. For example, in his essay â€Å"Of My Friend Hector and My Achilles Heel,† Michael Kaufman discussed how being separated based on academic skill level caused him to become prejudiced towards his friend Hector.Michael Kaufman and Hector were two kids that became neighbors and friends at a young age and grew up together in school. Kaufman was placed in a higher class than Hector, which Kaufman believes, caused him to become arrogant and prejudiced towards Hector in their adult years (148-149). However, there are other ways to stop labeling and prejudices without completely stopping the separation of students by their academic skill levels. For example, schools can have teachers talk about stereotypes, labeling, and prejudices to show how it can negatively affect other kids.This can teach students that labeling kids a hurtful name can cause them to distance them selves from people and become depressed. Also schools can try to teach students about a variety of different people and their cultures so they have a better understanding of their peers. All in all, this world has millions of different people that think differently and have different levels of intelligence. There are many jobs and careers that are different from each other and take different skills to do.Separating students based on academic skill level will not only make a more organized schooling system, but it will also help the students learn at their own pace and set the sights toward their future careers. Works Cited Kaufman, Michael T. â€Å"Of My Friend Hector and My Achilles Heel. † Models for Writers. Eds. Alfred Rosa and Paul Eschholz. 10th ed. Boston: Bedford, 2010. 146-149. Print. Raymond, David. â€Å"On Being 17, Bright, and Unable to Read. † Models for Writers. Eds. Alfred Rosa and Paul Eschholz. 10th ed. Boston: Bedford, 2010. 196-199. Print.

A Letter to Morrie Shwartz

It really started to dawn on me how lightly we take the time we have in our lives and how little we love and live to the fullest. I feel that your belief in â€Å"when we learn how to die, we learn how to live† was really enlightening and true. As I read your philosophies on death and aging, you really described aging as not something to be hated and feared, but something to be embraced. You thought of it as more knowledge and experience, and had no reason to be jealous of young people; why be jealous of a man who is 40 when you've already been there?This idea really changed my thoughts on aging. Another belief of yours that admired was the bird perched on your shoulder. Though it wasn't your philosophy, it changed me a lot to try harder in life. I ask myself each day whether or not would be satisfied with dying at the end of the day. From this idea, thought of each time I sleep as me dying, but being reborn in the morning and starting the day anew. However, some days I'm just really unsatisfied, and that's okay, but will always try my best to have a great day every day.When you had one of your early conversations catching up with Mitch after so many years, I found your outlook on people's everyday lives to be very true. In the past few months, found myself very unsatisfied with how I was doing in school and keeping my body active. I had many unsatisfied days and nights, falling asleep unsure and anxious. During the day, I try my best to be alive and in the moment, and really being there, having my presence in the room in front of my peers. This idea really changed my thoughts on everyday fife and experiencing it fully.Yet another philosophy of yours that really moved me was your â€Å"detachment' technique. Recently, I've taken a lot of blows to my pride, and have lost a lot of respect from others and myself. I just have a lot of self-pity. Some days, when I feel incredibly sad and helpless, I detach myself; experience, wash myself in all the negative emotions bothering me. Face these problems and emotions so that I can understand it, know it, and then let go. It really helps when I feel pretty low, and I'm sure it will help even more n the future, and thankful for that, Morris. Next pig) All in all, my idea Of the meaning Of life has changed so much. I have learned to live more, love more, and do more. It has changed me as a person, and really could never have had such a great learning experience. I've learned a lot about myself and the people around me; flaws, talents, interests, opinions, beliefs, the list goes on. A lot of the problems I've had have been solved thanks to your story, Morris. I am sincerely thankful for that, and your student Mitch, for sharing it with us. Sincerely yours,

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

On Site Wellness Programs in Corporate America Essay

On site wellness programs are now focal points in major corporate organizations in America, as company managers attempt to improve the health and well being of their employees, in order to control health care costs. Some health conditions can be diagnosed early by building health awareness among employees, and carrying out screening campaigns. Early diagnosis also ensures that health problems are treated on time, to decrease the risk of complications arising, thus reducing overall health care costs, and improving or maintaining employees’ optimal health status, and work performance. In the early 1990s, managed care plans were implemented, which helped in the control of increasing health care costs. Organizations continued throughout the 1990s to upgrade their health care plans, in an effort to further reduce health care costs. As we entered the beginning of the millennium, it became increasingly difficult for these modifications to contain the continuous rise in health care costs. It became clear that it was necessary have additional measures in place. Wellness in a corporate environment begins with a conscious decision to shape employees’ habits to fit into a healthy lifestyle. This conscious effort is a much better alternative in the long run, than dependency on drugs and doctors. This encompasses employee education, fitness, adequate and proper nutrition, stress reduction and mental health. Most times, employees in a corporate organization are plagued by Poor exercise habits, High stress levels, High cholesterol, Former or current use of tobacco products, and extreme weight (either too high or too low body weight). Employees whose lifestyles include health risks like smoking, drinking, and who get little or no exercise become overweight at a rate that is 75% higher than those of employees who participate in wellness programs and activities. High-risk employees at this Grand Rapids, Michigan-furniture manufacturing company who improved their health habits through the company’s health promotion program and became low risk cut their average medical claims in half thus lowering their medical insurance costs by an average of $618 per year. If all high-risk employees (20% of the total employee population) in one location changed their lifestyles to become low risk, the projected savings could total $20 million over three years. The Steelcase study that correlated health risk and lifestyle assessments with medical claim costs showed that employees who were high risk in 1985 but had shifted to a low risk profile by 1998 had much lower medical claims from 1988-1990. (2004). In 1985, Average annual claims increased from $1,155 to about $1,677. Medical claims also remained at approximately the same level for low risk employees, both in 1985 and 1988. But those who went from low risk to high risk in the same period saw an increase in their medical claims from about $655 to $1,513. Ten years into a 20-year study of Steelcase Inc, a conducted by the University of Michigan, the following results were evident — high-risk employees who dropped to low-risk through participation in health and fitness programs at work decreased their average annual medical claims by 54 percent. In contrast, high-risk individuals who remained high-risk increased their costs by 26 percent. And low-risk employees who became high-risk increased their annual claims by 130 percent. To establish and continue with a corporate lifestyle that is consistent with wellness principles of wellness and well-being on a daily basis, is not an easy task . Most people who do not indulge in exercise and wellness activities say that they simply don’t have time to exercise. Indeed, various work-life surveys have shown that about 84. percent of employees in corporate organizations are in a constant struggle to maintain their fitness levels and their health. In 1999, a study on corporate wellness was carried out by the Lewin Group. This study confirmed that obesity among corporate employees greatly increases the risk of developing chronic heath conditions, and it was also discovered that about 22% of the working adult population have obesity related problems. Obesity and excess weight are directly responsible for 31% of health care costs in corporate America. The fifteen ailments involved in the study included breast cancer, arthritis, endometrial cancer, colorectal cancer, Type II diabetes, end stage renal disease, gall bladder disease, heart disease, hypertension, renal cell cancer, sleep apnea, liver disease, low back pain, urinary incontinence, and stroke. People with a BMI (Body Mass Index) that is above 35 are 6. 61 times more at risk of having Type II diabetes than people with a BMI that is less than 25. employees with high BMI are also 3. 77 percent more at risk of being hypertensive. Lifestyle related conditions are disorders that can be positively or negatively impacted by lifestyle behaviors such as eating habits, wellness checkups, exercise, safety habits, and alcohol and substance abuse. Other behaviors such as adherence to physician prescribed therapies and medication have a direct impact on outcomes and utilization. By practicing healthy lifestyle behaviors and adhering to prescribed plans of care, individuals can improve their health and decrease risk of illness, accident or injury. By doing so, related health care costs can be significantly reduced. Lifestyle Related Conditions also account for over 50% of health care related costs (CDC). Research indicates that early detection and/or practice of health promoting behavior can significantly decrease the severity of Lifestyle Related Conditions (hypertensives can be removed from medication, etc. ) or even prevent their occurrence (cancer, heart disease, etc. ). There are effective programs available that use the latest behavior change techniques that are designed to reduce risks and associated costs for illness, prevent illness, and help individuals develop patterns of behavior that enhance their health. It has also been found that one in every four Americans suffer from have high blood pressure but 35% are undiagnosed (AHA). Undiagnosed individuals sometimes end up in emergency situations or when diagnosed, their illness is at a more costly, critical stage like bone fracture, stroke, heart attack, late stage cancer, blindness, and so on. 50% of men and 33% of women are going to get cancer in their lifetime; and 2/3rds of the time it could have been prevented. Research indicates that approximately 13% of women and 9% of men fail to get the care they need.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Reaction Paper on David Cole interviews with Dr Franciszek Piper Movie Review

Reaction Paper on David Cole interviews with Dr Franciszek Piper - Movie Review Example We should start worrying about how history can get corrupted like anything and how any extreme act of inhumanity can go unaccounted for as time passes by. It is a truth that holocaust is always understood as a Jewish holocaust but on the fringes of that narrative, we also see Russians, Poles, Ukrainians and communists. Why should communists take up the Jewish propaganda is a question worth probing. Providing trivial aspects like the growth of Auschwitz into a commercial tourism spot to suggest that ‘Auschwitz’ is more hype than truth, is not adding to the serious tone of this video but only diminishing it. Also the mocking tone reflects of some kind of a prejudice. For example, when the presence of shops selling video cameras in Auschwitz is mentioned it is mockingly added that the visitors need not fear about missing a shot of the â€Å"final solution† (â€Å"David Cole Interviews With Dr. Franciszek Piper†). The contradiction in the statement of two ladie s about the holes on the roof of the gas chamber, is there but the second lady is not asked to explain her statement- that is, why the holes were made if they were not original. Also, I wonder whether the deaths (of all those people who have been killed by gassing in Auschwitz) have ever been properly documented or not. This information is lacking in this video. Did the relatives and friends of each ‘victim’ not try to locate the person, and the cause of death? Even the revised figure of the number of deaths in Auschwitz given by Dr. Franciszek Piper is 1.1 million, which is not a small figure. In any instance of mass death, there happens often a controversy about the death toll. And the version of Dr. Franciszek Piper also need not be the authentic version. The truth can be somewhere between these figures but that does not make irrelevant the question, how did people in such great numbers perish. Dr. Piper is readily