Friday, July 10, 2020

APA Writing Styles - Learn How to Discuss Five Topics in an Essay

APA Writing Styles - Learn How to Discuss Five Topics in an EssayIt is never too late to learn about APA writing styles and have a good chance of earning a great grade. If you do not like the rules or are unsure about how to address important issues, it can be easy to end up with less than stellar grades, so it is important to learn these tactics.One of the best ways to learn about APA writing styles is to first look at your essay topic. Do you have any knowledge of common topics, such as a physical examination? What are some other examples of APA writing styles? Understanding how APA writing works can lead to better grades.One of the most important aspects of APA writing is discussing five topics in an essay. By exploring this five-topic section, you have a better chance of making a good grade. One word of caution though: don't dive right into it.Use this time to focus on presenting your ideas in a way that will help you succeed in your APA writing projects. This might mean being a little more specific about what you want to say or going into a bit more detail in the body of your paper.The last part of your APA course is to read through your APA writing and get ideas for how to discuss five topics in an essay. At the very least, this will help you focus on the important issues.In a survey conducted by the College Board, students found that students who wrote using APA writing techniques were much more likely to get great results. At the same time, students said that they were happier with their own essays. If you do decide to use APA writing techniques in your own college course, be sure to try them out before you sit down to write.The three simple tactics you should use to learn about APA writing styles and the five topics in an essay are straightforward. Just make sure that you get started in advance of your course, and don't dive into this too soon. By engaging in this project early, you can prepare yourself and your writing skills for the real test.

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Obesity in Ameirca Essay - 722 Words

The dramatic growth in obesity and over weight among Americans can become a hot topic, receiving widespread attention in the media. In a recent article in science magazine said that the national obesity rate will be 39% by 2008. Obesity has risen dramatically in the past 10 years. It is estimated that as many as one in five Americans is obese, a condition defined as being more than 30 percent above the ideal weight based on height. Even scarier is that obesity rates for children have doubled over the last 20 years, and overweight children are being diagnosed with obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes sleep apnea, and respiratory illness that in the past have only afflicted adults... They are eating too much-fat-rich foods such as†¦show more content†¦The body mass index is the measure used to define obesity. In adults BMI between 25 and 29 is overweight and BMI of 30 and higher is obese. In children with the BMI changes with age and gender.† The center for disease control defines a child whose Body Mass Index is between the 85th and 95th percentile for age (meaning that 85-95% of his or her peers have equal or lower BMI) as being at risk for obesity† A child that has a body mass index of 95 or higher is consider obese. Obesity increases one’s risk of developing conditions such as high blood pressure type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gall Bladder disease, and breast cancer. The tendency toward obesity is fostered by our environment the lack of physical activities with high calorie, and lost cost foods. The growing prevalence of obesity and overweight is a reflection of the enormous success for there United States food system. Food that is cheap and frequently high in calorie content is widely available. Over ten thousands years ago food was essential problem for most people. Food was considered sacred. Obtaining food by hunting and farming require a lot of physical activity. Now food is easily gotten and people no longer need to over exert themselves to obtain it. Obesity and being overweight has usually been viewed as a personal issue. But today with enormous attention now being focused on this issue there is aShow MoreRelatedEssay on Obesity in Ameirca647 Words   |  3 Pages   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Obesity has become a concern for many people in our culture. The obesity rate among Americans has gotten worse over the years. The topic of weight is very prevalent among people in todays society. Everywhere you look you see people of different weights and appearances. Tall, small, thin, wide, fat and skinny are just a variety of the words we use to describe people. Not many people are completely satisfied with their weight. People are constantly looking for ways to better themselves and improve

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Funding Sources. Having Sources For Special Education Is

Funding Sources Having sources for special education is important to meet the needs of the students. It is important for schools and the districts to know how to find these sources when they are not available to them. Per the National Legislative Conference Special Committee on School Finance (1971), funding alone cannot cure all the troubles of our public education system, but advances cannot be complete until the way educational capitals are elevated and allocation is reformed. There are many people in the schools besides the administrator that can apply for funding to support their classes. If they know where to look and how to go about it, they will receive what is needed. The teacher must ensure they comply with the stipulations that†¦show more content†¦Donors Choose is another grant site that educators can use to provide their students with resources that will help them in the classroom. Unlike the other sites, Donors Choose allows educators to choose the resources ne eded for their classroom. The slogan for the site is â€Å"Teachers all over the U.S. need your help to bring their classroom dreams to life. Choose a project that inspires you and give any amount† (Donors Choose, 2017). Grants 500 dollars or below typically get funded first. Educators must write the grant explaining why each of the items are necessities and how the students will utilize the resources. The educators must provide information on the background of the students such as school demographics. Compared to the other sites Donors Choose allows various donors to provide funding for the grants instead of on sole source of funding. Limitations of Funds Limitations for eSchool News are as followed: limited grant funds provide grant suppliers with challenges. Funding many proposals have reduced because they cannot fund as many grants as previous years. Thus, the applications that are well written and well supported will have preferential funding (Prabhu, 2010). This hinders many schools from getting grants because the budget has depreciated. Educators are not aware as to how they are to write grants so it hinders them from getting the money needed for theirShow MoreRelatedEducational Funding Levels For Public Schools Essay909 Words   |  4 Pagesdetermine K-12 educational funding levels for public schools (Green, 2014). This approach utilizes a fixed method to allocate funds and, as maintained by Green (2014), is intended to provide an objective, efficient, and equitable manner to distribute state education funds to local schools districts. However, as observed with Georgia’s own funding formula, this budgeting approach falls short when full funding is not provided. As a result, funding inequities do occur as local sources of revenue vary acrossRead MoreExamples Of District Grant Procedures1434 Words   |  6 Pagesaccounting approvals. The Grant Accounting Office must fiscally manage any grant that meets one or more of the following criteria: a. Funding sources require restricted funds program financial reports b. Grant requires cash, in-kind matching funds, or commitment of HCPSS resources c. Grant funds will be used for salaries, substitute teachers, or workshop wages d. Funding request is equal to or exceeds the amount requiring Board approval 4. The grant applicant and the Grant Support Services Office mayRead MoreThe A Independent School District1463 Words   |  6 Pagesstudents receive an equitable education, is through its adoption and implementation of the Response to Intervention (RtI) program. The Response to Intervention program came into existence as a result of various federal legislative mandates. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) emphasized the responsibility of schools to ensure academic progress from all students, including English-language learners, students of lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and those in special education (NCLB, 2001;) Then, InRead MoreEqualization of Local, County, and State Funding Systems1339 Words   |  6 PagesEqualization of Local, County, and State Funding Systems Siria Rivera Grand Canyon University: EDA 535 August 15, 2014 * * Students today face many challenges that we did not encounter in our adolescence. One of the biggest challenges they face is the need for them to evolve into capable civic members in a ever changing and far more complex world than the one we grew up in. Their futures and that of our communities depend on their education. Cutting things like smaller student to teacherRead MoreThe Evolving Role of Government Education Essay1185 Words   |  5 PagesGovernment in Education What are the roles of federal and state government when it comes to American education? The roles of education have evolved from historic liabilities to current liabilities. There are many laws and cases that have had an impact on American education that still has a strong influence on education today such as the debate between church and state, racial desegregation, and education finances. Other impacts as relevant are testing standards and special education programs thatRead MoreCapital Budgeting Is Important For Developing Strategic Goals, Facilitating Communication, And Justifying Decisions1303 Words   |  6 Pagesfund, special education, transportation, and several other school services, infrastructure has been neglected a state and local levels† (2008, p. 270). When a district has a capital expense, they need to expect their operational budget to increase because the project will require maintenance and repair, therefore, growth will be limited if a district spends all of the money in their operating budget (http://www.fmlink.com/article.cgi?type=How%20Topub=BOMI%20Internationalid=31144mode=source). TheRead MoreProblems Faced By The American System1720 Words   |  7 PagesProblems in Education The American system has undergone several commendable reforms in the past. However, some factors still remain wanting and in need of more aggressive action to address. The unequal distribution of funds for schools has been a practice thought to be one that suits all schools. To the contrary, this method of fund distribution has raised other pertinent issues that suggest it should be revised. There is also concern over the large student-teacher ratio at these learning institutionsRead MoreProblems Of The American System1729 Words   |  7 PagesMichael Wood Professor Hicks English 100 23 November 2014 Problems in Education The American system has undergone several commendable reforms in the past. However, some factors still remain wanting and in need of more aggressive action to address. The unequal distribution of funds for schools has been a practice thought to be one that suits all schools. To the contrary, this method of fund distribution has raised other pertinent issues that suggest it should be revised. There is also concern overRead MoreProblems Faced By The American System1720 Words   |  7 PagesProblems in Education The American system has undergone several commendable reforms in the past. However, some factors still remain wanting and in need of more aggressive action to address. The unequal distribution of funds for schools has been a practice thought to be one that suits all schools. To the contrary, this method of fund distribution has raised other pertinent issues that suggest it should be revised. There is also concern over the large student-teacher ratio at these learning institutionsRead MorePros and Cons on Public and Private Schools1187 Words   |  5 PagesEducation is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. -William Butler Yeats. We have many choices when it comes to educating our children. It is a matter of personal choice which road you will follow and which choice is the best decision for your child. When you’re weighing the pros and cons of public versus private school some things to consider are class size, academic offering, cultural diversity, aftersch ool activities and cost. The type of school to choose can be equally as

Introduction To the Organization Psychology - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Introduction To the Organization Psychology. Answer: The assignment, being a reflection of understanding of the concept of Industrial/Organizational Psychology, emphasizes specifically on the role and need for the same in the contemporary business scenario, keeping into consideration the fact that the global organizational framework is becoming increasingly complex, cognitive and integrating with time. The assignment, for the purpose of studying the same, takes into account the recent news article by Jill Bowers, published in Business News Daily, on August, 21, 2017, which discussed extensively about the description of the I/O Psychology and its roles in the contemporary business scenario. An extensive review of the relevant literatures is also conducted in the later sections, to understand the dimensions and parameters of difference of this genre of cognitive psychology from that of the conventional notion, the positive implications of the same and also the loopholes which are currently present in this aspect and the scopes of explora tion and expansion of domain of operations of this genre of psychology. I/O in the News Over the years the overall industrial, business and social environment in the global scenario have become more integrated, inclusive and cognitive, with each of these domains experiencing considerable dynamics and modifications. Global phenomena like Globalization, industrial and technological revolutions and others have contributed significantly in changing the overall lifestyle of people, both personal as well as professional, thereby affecting considerably the business environment in the overall basis (Dries, 2013, pp. 272-285). Keeping this into consideration, in the span of my academic coursework, I came to understand that like any other genre, psychology as a subject has also expanded its domain of operations significantly with time and has become more integrated and liberated. The genre of study being already cognitive in nature, has infiltrated in many arena of real world scenario, including that of the industrial domain. Industrial/Organizational Psychology has been into spe culation and is a much talked about topic in the contemporary period, with the global business and industrial environment becoming more complex and multi-dimensional (Koppes, 2014). In this context, I recently came across several news articles in some eminent dailies which talked about the concept of Industrial/Organizational Psychology and their significance in the contemporary business environment. Among these articles, I found the one by Jill Bowers, named What is Industrial-Organizational Psychology, published in Business News Daily, on August 21, 2017, to be detailed and intriguing as well as impartial (Bowers, 2018). The news article extensively discusses the concept of Industrial/Organizational Psychology, which in the recent periods, due to the presence of different point of views and perspectives have created different definitions and confusions among those who want to know about this genre. The article, clearly defines the term Industrial/Organizational Psychology, by splitting it into two parts- organizational and industrial. According to the author of the article, this genre of psychologists, in general emphasizes on studying the behavioral patterns of the workers in their professional domains and on improving the overall efficiency, productivity and welfare of the workers in their workplaces, which may have long term positive implications on the business organizations as well. Among the two parts of this comparative new genre of psychology, the industrial psychology aspect deals with the different problems and issues which the contemporary commercial institutions deal with owing to their expanding domain of operations and increasingly complex activity framework (Ployhart, 2012, pp. 62-81). This includes contribution in deciding the process of hiring relevant employees for the organization after a detailed analysis of the work culture and methods in which the concerne d company operate. Under this domain, the I/O Psychologists also work on finding the missing skills of the employees and on creating the scopes of trainings for the fulfillment of the existing gaps. As per the article, the role of increasing the efficiency of the employees, by studying the behavioral aspects, also falls under the job role of I/O Psychologists. On the other hand, the other domain of this cognitive form of psychology, that is the organizational psychology, according to the concerned article, emphasizes on the broader picture present in the global business environment. This includes studying the behaviors and attitudes of the employees in an organization, to suggest modifications in order to increase their satisfaction, thereby contributing positively to their productivity and the benefits of the organizations for which they work (Imran et al., 2012, pp. 1455-1462). This also gives the I/O psychologists to analyze and suggest methods of operations, on part of the organizations, which may contribute in reducing stresses and anxieties among the employees and improve their work-life balance. In an overall perspective the organizational perspective of the I/O Psychology, as per the assertions of the news article, deals with the creation of a healthy and efficient work environment in the commercial institutions, in the contemporar y periods. The article not only emphasizes on the aspects which fall under the domain of I/O Psychology but also suggests how the business organizations can take help of these psychologists in improving the overall efficiency and productivity of their workers. According to the article, large, multinational companies and those organizations which target extensive changes in their organizational structure and modus operandi, can hire in-house I/O Psychologist whereas those commercial institutions which are comparatively smaller or just need to study or modify only a small sector of their operations can go for I/O consultant. In the final section of the concerned news article, the author also gives a vital suggestion of introducing I/O in the organizations in the form of conduction of personality assessments of the employees, which can help the managers and the entrepreneurs to get a view of the team and individual dynamics of the workers, thereby creating scopes of improvements in their work styles, overall efficiency, productivity and welfare (which includes increase in the happiness quotient and decrease in the level of work related stress among the workers). For the purpose of doing the same the article suggest several personality tests like DiSC Assessment, Predictive Index, Myer-Briggs and Five-Factor Model of Personality, each of which, with its unique way of assessing the behaviors of the employees, can be used by the organizations to improve the overall work environment and productivity and welfare of their workers (Devonish, 2013, pp. 630-647). I found the article and the points emphasized upon by the author of the article regarding the nature and domain of operations of the Industrial/Organizational Psychologists and the need for the implementation of the same in the contemporary global business framework, highly relevant to my coursework and what we have been taught about the same in our classes. Taking into account the above discussion the following section of the assignment reviews the extensive literary and scholarly works which are present in this aspect and which discusses about the different aspects of Industrial/Organizational Psychology and the roles played by the psychologists in this domain. I also tried to review those literatures regarding this aspect, which takes into account the loopholes and scopes of exploration which are still present in the domain of Industrial/Organizational Psychology. There have been many speculations regarding the genre of Industrial/Organizational Psychology, as has been defined by many scholars over the years. However, one of the most convenient descriptions of the specialty has been put forward by the abridged version of the approved Commit Proficiencies in Professional Psychology Petition, as can be found from the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. The same describes this genre of psychology as the study which takes into account the organizational and work environment and analyzes the same with the help of the different principles, methodologies and tools of psychology. According to the document, this genre of psychologists are versatile and specifically specializes in studying the behavior of the people specifically in their workplaces and the interdependence of the workers and workplace on one another in developing an efficient and productive work environment (Sackett Walmsley, 2014, 538-551). The above description of I/O psychology has been strongly supported by many other eminent literary evidences which include the works of Landy Conte (2016). According to the authors there exist significant differences between the psychologists in general and Industrial/Organizational Psychologists. The authors divide the two genres according to different parameters, as per the conventional guidelines, which are as follows: Population- According to the authors, while the domain of focus of psychologists in general can be any section of the population in the global scenario, the I/O Psychologists specifically targets the dynamics present in the behavior of human beings in their respective professional settings. Therefore, the targeted population in this domain includes those operating in the business environment, including that of the workers, the applicants to businesses, industries as a whole and also communities. Problems- The domain of operations of the I/O Psychologists also differ considerably from that of psychologists in general. While psychologists in general deal with the behavioral aspects of people in general and the problems which people face in this aspect, the I/O Psychologists focus on the behavioral issues of the workers in their professional domains. This includes extensive research on the motivation, communication, leadership and social interaction in the organizations (Riggio, 2015). The objectives of these psychologists are to suggest scientific solutions regarding the problems which the workers face in their professional domain. The domain includes recruitment, selection of workers, training of the relevant employees, measurement of their performance, motivation, work life quality and happiness quotient. There are significant literary works regarding the scientific framework in which the I/O Psychologists usually operate. Jex Britt (2014), in their working paper puts forward these scientific approaches from the practitioners point of view. According to the authors there already exists a variety of tools, procedures and techniques in this aspect. This includes the presence of both standardized as well as situation specific methods for assessing the three primary elements of I/O Psychology, the workers, the context of the work and the work they do. The author indicates towards the need of tests to assess the differences in cognitive and physical abilities, inherent personality traits and work behaviors of different workers. Due to the presence of extensive data and empirical works, the I/O Psychologists have also developed procedures to analyze the statistical issues like that of the validity of the tests, the level of generalization and integration of individual as well as group leve l data. However, I also came across several bottlenecks present regarding this aspect and the literary evidences supporting the presence of the same. Among several crucial loopholes, Ruggs et al. (2013), points out the opportunities of addressing the problems faced by the marginalized workers in the enterprises and their grievances which are often not taken into account. Thus often this branch of psychology deviates from their main goal of creating a fair workplace for all, which they often miss out, which leaves scope of improvement and expansion of this domain of psychology in the coming future. Thus, from the above discussion and the literatures which I reviewed, it is clearly evident that the comparatively newer branch of I/O Psychology is steadily gaining immense significance in the complex and multi-dimensional work place dynamics as the same is directly related to the welfare and efficiency of the workers as well as the organizations they work for. However, there still remain several gaps in this aspect and scopes of further and more scientific development of this genre in the coming years, thereby giving the people venturing in this domain considerable scope of explorations and innovations. References Bowers, J. (2018).What Is Industrial-Organizational Psychology?.Business News Daily. Retrieved 6 January 2018, from https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10162-industrial-organizational-psychology.html Devonish, D. (2013). Workplace bullying, employee performance and behaviors: The mediating role of psychological well-being.Employee Relations,35(6), 630-647. Dries, N. (2013). The psychology of talent management: A review and research agenda.Human Resource Management Review,23(4), 272-285. Imran, R., Fatima, A., Zaheer, A., Yousaf, I., Batool, I. (2012). How to boost employee performance: investigating the influence of transformational leadership and work environment in a Pakistani perspective.Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research,11(10), 1455-1462. Jex, S. M., Britt, T. W. (2014).Organizational psychology: A scientist-practitioner approach. John Wiley Sons. Koppes, L. L. (2014).Historical perspectives in industrial and organizational psychology. Psychology Press. Landy, F. J., Conte, J. M. (2016).Work in the 21st Century, Binder Ready Version: An Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology. John Wiley Sons. Ployhart, R. E. (2012). The psychology of competitive advantage: An adjacent possibility.Industrial and Organizational Psychology,5(1), 62-81. Riggio, R. (2015).Introduction to industrial and organizational psychology. Routledge. Ruggs, E. N., Law, C., Cox, C. B., Roehling, M. V., Wiener, R. L., Hebl, M. R., Barron, L. (2013). Gone fishing: IO psychologists' missed opportunities to understand marginalized employees' experiences with discrimination.Industrial and Organizational Psychology,6(1), 39-60. Sackett, P. R., Walmsley, P. T. (2014). Which personality attributes are most important in the workplace?.Perspectives on Psychological Science,9(5), 538-551. Siop.org. (2018).Industrial and Organizational Psychology.Siop.org. Retrieved 6 January 2018, from https://www.siop.org/history/crsppp.aspx

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

The US energy diplomacy

There is only one market for oil, and that is the global market. The market is subject to effects of world politics especially concerning matters of diplomacy, and pricing wars between major suppliers. These will in effect have adverse political implications as well as economic effect to the major players especially the United States of America.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The US energy diplomacy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is because the US is the world-leading importer of oil, with the country importing at least 70% of its oil needs, which has risen from 33% in the last 20 years (Yergin I). As such, the US heavily relies on major suppliers of the commodity to fulfill its domestic energy requirement, thus enhance its energy security. The major exporters of oil to US include Canada, Venezuela, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. The complexity of the global oil market is enhanced because the global oil business has heavy political implications with major world suppliers led by Russia using it as a political tool to advance self interest in the world political affairs. As such the US finds it hard to engage effectively with such countries especially Russia as such dependency will undermine the place of the US in the world politics (I). Former British premier, Sir Winston Churchill observed that to circumvent the issue of political manipulation from oil supplying countries, oil dependent countries ought to create a diverse oil supply mechanism such that should one source be affected, the country will still have enough suppliers as contingency plans (LeVine 1). As such, the US government has been strongly opposed to over reliance on one source especially Russia, for oil; Europe is heavily reliant on Russia for her oil and natural gas supplies (Woehrel 18). Major players in the global oil market such as India and china have made tremendous effort in diversifying their energy suppl y by moving from energy sufficiency to development of a diverse energy supply mechanism. This is not only as a way of ensuring energy security but also as part of their foreign policy development. This proves how important oil is to diplomacy and foreign policy development and as such, the US cannot be left behind by emerging nation such as Indian and china. This means that due to the frosty diplomatic and politically complex nature of the US-Russia ties, Washington cannot therefore turn to this Moscow for its energy supply diversification needs. America will have to look elsewhere and possibly towards the east. Despite the tension that has [previously existed between the two countries America has no alternative than to enhance its ties with Saudi Arabia. Developing such relations means multiple benefits that come along with it especially in enhancing America’s foreign policy in the entire Middle East. Thus, this paper endeavors to describe why the US needs Saudi Arabia for i ts energy supply diversification program as well as foreign policy development for the Middles East.Advertising Looking for critical writing on diplomacy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Russia has developed its natural gas and oil resource as well as investing heavily in the energy supply infrastructure to become a force to reckon with in the global energy market. It has established something of a monopolistic strategy in European and Eurasian energy market. Diplomats and political analysts have argued that this, accompanied by the decision to abolish trade aids to former soviets states is the new Russian foreign policy aimed at consolidating its position in matters of international politics (Woehrel 1). The US is however strongly opposed to Russian energy expansion program and has seen advised European countries to check their reliance on Russian oil. Furthermore it has supported the development of oil pipelines such as Baku -Tiblisi-Ceyahn pipeline that will help supply oil from Azerbaijan to the European market thus shrinking Russian European domain and subsequently its (political) influence (14, 15). This is in efforts to contain Russian growth and influence as a world power. Therefore the Washington cannot look up to Moscow as a energy supply diversification alternative but consider other alternatives especially those that The US stands to gain at the economic as well as the diplomatic fronts. America’s major suppliers of oil and natural gas are Canada, Mexico Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. Canada supplies about 17% of America’s needs while Mexico 13% exports to the US market. Venezuela averages about 7% of America’s oil needs. The three are among the four main suppliers and more importantly are Americas neighbors. Since oil is part of the wider foreign policy the US needs to look further beyond its neighbor and develop strong relationship with Saudi Arabia the suppler that complet e the quartet and the third major exporter of oil to the US market at 11%, which is about 1.46 million barrels per day. With the price if oil approaching US$ 100, the US is spending a colossal amount of money on oil from the gulf (LeVine 1; Yergin II). Further studies have indicated that the demand for oil will rise in the next forty years and Saudi Arabia tops the countries with the greatest potential for expanding oil supply, and as such will be a possible supplier to the US future increased energy needs (Yergin II). This further supports the need that the US needs Saudi Arabia more than ever before. LeVine adds that the notion that some sections of Washington think that some of that money spent by US to buy oil from Arabia goes to fund terrorism is misplaced and a misrepresentation of facts (2). This is because of the important role that Saudi Arabia is applying in maintaining peace in the Middle East. Washington has always called upon Riyadh as one of its key diplomatic alleys i n carrying out its activities of repressing terrorism in that region.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The US energy diplomacy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Riyadh is playing key diplomatic roles , and successfully so, such a mediation with terrorists and terror groups in countries like Afghanistan, Yemen Lebanon and Iraq, as well as gathering counter terrorism intelligence , the latest of which thwarted an attempt to send explosive parcels to Washington. Without Riyadh’s support, the US diplomatic duties in the Middle East would almost be non-existent and in great peril where they exist. Thus, they us need to look to Riyadh for oil as its energy diversification strategy but more importantly, it needs to needs the oil as a way of strengthening its only ally in the Middle East. The very nature of the political situation exposes the US Middle East soft diplomatic underbelly and thus makes the U S more dependent on Saudi help (oil). Such dependency however has its negative repercussions on a country. Some suppliers such as Russia use oil as a political weapon to advance their political agenda, and as such may use that trade advantage to influence political decision in their weak trade partners. To avoid such occurrences the US is diversifying its energy sources not only through diversifying supply and sources but also in looking at alternatives to oil. This is intended to reduce its dependency on oil. There are efforts to develop new technologies and enhance energy efficiency. Energy efficiency is a technology that ensures that there is optimum out put for every input of unit of energy and thus avoids wastage. Energy efficiency efforts have doubled up in the last decade. Accompanying energy efficiency methods is the development of clean energy through solar, wind and other liquid fuels such as bio fuels. These alternative sources are supposed to supplement US domestic energ y needs and reduce overdependence on oil (Yergin II). However, LeVine explains that alternative energy in the US accounts only for a small percentage of its energy use and as such cannot be entirely depend upon as supplement to oil (2). Despite the fact that future Saudi Arabia oil potential will significantly increase while the US oil needs will reduce marginally this does not reduce America dependent on oil supply from outside sources. It is also not threat to America’s future but an opportunity to explore and tighten diplomatic relations between these twp frenemies. As such, America still needs oil from Saudi Arabia now and in future. The future of America greatly depends on how it plays its diplomatic crds well with Saudi Arabia, especially concerning oil trade. This oil is impotent because it has economic implication as well as diplomatic implications. Tightening the relationship will mean the US can buy more oil for the Arab country while Arabia can use that money to st rengthen its politics and economy so as to help America carry is diplomatic duties in that region.Advertising Looking for critical writing on diplomacy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited LeVine, Steven. Frenemies Forever: How Washington Stopped Worrying and Learned To Love Saudi Arabia, Again. Foreign Policy, 2011. Web. Yergin, Daniel. The Fundamentals of Energy Security, Foreign Affairs House, 2007. Web. Woehrel, Steven. CRS Report for Congress: Russian Energy Policy Toward Neighboring Countries. 2008. Web. This critical writing on The US energy diplomacy was written and submitted by user Warren Worthington III to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Informative Spatial cues Essays

Informative Spatial cues Essays Informative Spatial cues Essay Informative Spatial cues Essay Essay Topic: Informative Experiment 5 was conducted to investigate the effect of the introduction of the speech cue in experiment 4. As discussed previously, the introduction of the speech cue may have had some unforeseen influence on the results obtained in experiment 4. Therefore experiment 5 mirrors experiment 3 with the introduction of a spatially informative speech cue instead of the spatially informative pure tone. The results of the experiment supported the earlier findings in experiment 3 wherein, a significant response time advantage was found for valid cues for all SOA conditions in experiment 5. Therefore it can be assumed that the introduction of the speech cue was not the cause of the weakened response time advantage found for SOA of 200ms and 1100ms in experiment 4, and further that the major contributor to this response time advantage reduction is the removal of the spatial component to the cue. It can be said that the spatial cue plays a greater role in covert auditory attention rather than speech cues, although a combination of both would be the most optimal conditions. The factors that influences the localizability of an auditory stimulus is varied and complex. It should be noted that the frequency range of the sound affects both the presence and quality of both interaural time differences (ITD) and interaural intensity differences (IID), moreover, the intensity, duration, rise/fall time and complexity of the sound also affects the detecting of the sound. The lack of spatial cuing decreased the response time of subjects for they did not have basis for localization. Flanagan, McAnally, Martin, Meehan Oldfield (1998) visual search times were reduced when spatially informative auditory information was supplied. They used a spatial localization task in which the search for a visual target was aided by either a visual arrow or an auditory cue. They found both the visual and the auditory cues aided in significantly reducing the search times when compared to unaided search. It is however important that the visual and auditory information presented are detectable and localizable. Hence a signal should be localizable when information presented is critical (i. e. ; location of threats such as enemy fighters, missiles etc.) and that information presented is expected in that location will improve response time and accuracy (Posner, 1980, Spence and Driver, 1996). One interesting observation from experiment 5 was the overall decrease of response times for all conditions. In comparison to experiment 3 overall response times were about 30ms faster in experiment 5. The question raised is could the replacement of the spatially informative pure tone with the spatially informative speech have caused this improvement in overall response time. The introduction of speech alone did not have the effect of reducing response times in experiment 4 where a non-spatial speech cue was used. Hence the combination of the informative speech with the likely spatial location of the target may engage both exogenous and endogenous processes more completely than the just the likely spatial location alone. The essentially â€Å"double-barred† cue of both correct spatial location and the informativeness of a speech confirmation of the spatial location could have the effect of increasing the subject’s confidence and/or efficiency at completing the task correctly. Therefore the reduced response times observed in experiment 5 in comparison to experiment 3 could be as a result of this â€Å"double-barreled† type of cue. Unfortunately, this assumption cannot be made in this case due to the fact that not all subjects who completed experiment 3 also completed experiment 5. Furthermore despite three subjects completing both experiments, the order of completion was the same with experiment 3 completed first, therefore no statistical analysis could be performed on the data due to the possibility of practice effects influencing the result.

Saturday, February 29, 2020

An Analysis of P.S. I Love You

Running Head: P. S. I LOVE YOU 1 An Analysis of P. S. I Love You Tammy McDaniel ENG 225 Jonathan Beller August 15, 2011 P. S. I LOVE YOU 2 An Analysis of P. S. I Love You The 2007 film, P. S. I Love You, is a film about learning to let go and move on with your life after the death of a spouse. The Film stars Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby and Gerard Butler, 300. It also stars Lisa Kudrow as Denise, Gina Gershon as Sharon, James Marsters as John, Kathy Bates as Patricia (Hollys mom), Nellie McKay as Ciara (Hollys sister), Harry Connick Jr. s Daniel, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as William. This paper will critique the film, P. S. I Love You, through textual and formal analysis focusing on the following elements.. Storytelling, Acting, Cinematography, Editing, Sound, Style and Directing, Societal Impact, Genre, and Film Criticism and Analysis. By examining the films technical elements, you can gain a better understanding of the directors vision of the film. P. S. I Love You is a 2007 American drama directed by Richard LaGavenese. The screenplay by LaGavenese and Steven Rogers is based on the 2004 novel P. S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern. This film was shot on locations in New York City and county Wicklow, Ireland. (Imdb. com) In this film, P. S. I Love You, Hilary Swank plays Holly, an American who marries an Irishman,Gerry (played by Gerard Butler). Gerry is Hollys soul mate, the love of her life. A few weeks shy of her 30th birthday Gerry dies from a brain tumor. Holly feels so lost without Gerry that for weeks she stays in her apartment and does not want to see or talk to anyone except Gerry. On her 30th birthday her friends come over to force her to celebrate and get out of her slump. A cake arrives mysteriously. When opened Holly finds a tape recorded message from Gerry. He tells her that she will receive a series of letters and that she has to do what each letter says. A different letter will arrive each month for ten months. The letters range from singing Karaoke to P. S. I LOVE YOU 3 going to Ireland with her friends. During the course of these letters Holly is pushed into a new future. Gerry has sent her on a journey to discover who she is without him in her life. Gerry ends each letter with P. S. I Love You. The filmmakers presented this film in chronological order to show how Holly deals with her life without Gerry and how she finds the courage to move on. This film takes place in a years time with a few flashbacks to help you understand the love that Holly and Gerry shared. Some of the settings used in this film include: Holly and Gerrys apartment, Hollys Moms bar, and Ireland. Holly suffers from an internal conflict. She knows that she will have to let Gerry go but, she does not want to. She resolves this conflict by reading Gerrys letters and doing what he asks. The letters in this film are a symbolic gesture of Gerrys love for Holly and him wanting her to move on with her life and not be depressed that he is gone. People who have lost a loved one can understand the internal conflict that Holly suffers from. This makes the movie more real to these people. I think this film ends up being a Situational Irony occurs when we expect one thing to happen and something else does. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011). Through out the entire movie film you believe that Gerry set everything up with the post office so the letters arrive to Holly on certain days. At the end of the film you find the Gerry talked Hollys mom into delivering the letters to Holly. Against her feelings that this was not good For Holly she does what Gerry asks. The dialogue in this film allows you to see how Holly goes from being depressed to being happy with her life. You can tell the difference when Holly is talking to someone that she is slowly letting go of Gerry. I believe that the plot and the character drives the film forward. The plot P. S. I LOVE YOU 4 consists of carefully chosen elements from the tory that the writer feels the viewer needs to know and has arranged into a consciously designed order, leaving out some things and possibly repeating other things more than once. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) I feel that this goes hand in hand with Hollys mom being the one delivering the letters. The character drives the film,because you want to see how Holly handles receiving the letters and following through with what Gerry wants her to do. This is a film that uses flashbacks to help you understand certain things. The flashbacks in this film allows the audience to see just how much Gerry loved Holly. It shows that he loved her so much he wanted to help her move on with her life. He wrote those letters knowing that he was going to die. He wanted to help ease Hollys pain after he was gone. I feel that the flashbacks in this film help the film so much, because without them you would never really know how much Gerry loved Holly. This Film used realism acting. This is acting that does not draw attention to itself but instead gives the impression of genuine human action and emotion. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) I believe that both Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler are wild card actors. Wild card actors are actors that can play a wide variety of characters equally without becoming typecast. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) Both Hilary and Gerard I feel are actors that can do any kind of role. Hilary has done roles from Million Dollar Baby to Boys Dont Cry. Gerard has done roles from 300 to Bounty Hunter. Bot h can do comedy, drama, and romance. Which is what P. S. I Love You is. I thinks that the casting in this film was excellent and I do not feel that anyone was miscast. I feel that it helped quite a bit knowing who these actors were before seeing this movie and I do not feel that their persona distracted from their character. While watching this film I forgot that I was watching Hilary Swank and was just watching Holly. There is a scene in the P. S. I LOVE YOU 5 few weeks after Gerrys death where Holly is lip-syncing to a Judy Garland song. I feel that this scene shows us just how much Holly misses Gerry. She has let herself go. Her clothes are dirty as is her hair. The apartment is a total wreck (trash, food, old take-out, and dirty dishes everywhere). When you see all this you view Holly as a depressed and sad person. At the end of the year Holly is clean and dresses very nice and you view her as happy and enjoying her new life. What drew me to this movie in the first place was the title and the actors. After seeing the movie after taking this class I found that I enjoyed the movie in a different and better way. When you notice small things that you did not notice before this class I feel that you can understand the movie better. When you understand how a movie is made it opens up a lot of different aspects of learning for you. If the director is responsible for the film overall, in a general way, the cinematographer is specifically responsible for its look, in very specific, shot–by–shot terms. He or she is responsible for the images that the camera sees, and by extension the images that the audience will see in the finished film. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) This film uses a variety of different shots. They vary fr om long shots, medium long shots, medium shots, and medium close-up shots. Most directors use several takes, and different camera setups or versions, of the same scene. This allows them to pick and choose the best of what they have shot and to put scenes together in the way that most effectively tells the story they are trying to tell. In order to have a variety of shots to edit together, however, all those different types of shots must be photographed in the first place. (Goodykoontz , 2011) This is the job of the Cinematographer and I feel that this cinematographer did an excellent job doing just that. P. S. I LOVE YOU 6 The cinematographer choice in lighting for different parts of the the movie was superb. For the funeral scene the cinematographer used low-key lighting. For the rest of the film he used high-key lighting. I like movies that a full of color. I have only one black and white movie that I like (Casablanca). The cinematographer uses Saturation color, Desaturation color, and The Golden Hour color in this film. Saturation color is deep, vibrant, bright, pure color. (Goodykoontz , 2011) and is used through most of the movie. Desaturation color has been muted, appearing less intense, which contributes to a more realistic, often–gritty look. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) and I feel is used during some f the funeral scene. The Golden Hour color also known as the magic hour (although it actually lasts only about 20 minutes), is the term used for the time of day just before sunrise and the time just after sunset, when colors appear more warm, almost glowing, and there are no shadows, since the sun is not in the sky. (Goodykoontz , 2011) is used during the outdoor scenes in I reland. All three used in the same movie allows the audience to feel different emotions through out the film. For the apartment a narrow focus is used to make the apartment feel smaller and more claustrophobic. When watching a movie at home I prefer watching it in widescreen compared to full screen. Widescreen allows the audience to feel like they are at a movie theater. Watching a movie on full screen feels like you are missing parts of the movie. The cinematographer wants you to focus on the characters more so than the background, but at times I feel like her wants you to also focus on the background at the same time. An example of this would be when Holly and Gerry meet for the first time in Ireland. You are focused on the characters but at the same time you are also focused on the beautiful scenery of Ireland. That is also the same for when the Holly, Denise, and Sharon are stuck on the boat. P. S. I LOVE YOU 7 The editors use fade-out/fade-in and direct cut shots. An example of a fade-out/fade-in shot would be after the opening scene and after the opening credits. An example of a direct cut shot would be when the girls are stuck in the boat on the lake. The next scene shows another boat coming to save them. The editor also used an establishing shot during the scenes to let you know who, what, and where for a scene. An example of this would be when Holly and Gerry meet for the first time. You know that it is Holly and Gerry in the scene, you know that they are meeting for the first time, you also know that they are in Ireland. There is also a lot of shot/reverse-shots in this movie. An example of this would be when Holly and Gerry are in their apartment at their own dressers arguing. The camera moves from Holly to Gerry through out the entire argument so you can see each of their expressions and you can also see if they make faces at each other because of something the other said. There are two kinds of film sound used in this movie. They are dialogue and voice-over. Dialogue is when two or more characters are speaking to each other. Through dialogue you feel how the characters are feeling and also you understand what is happening. An example of this would be when Holly and her mom are arguing that Holly is obsessed with the letters. You understand that Patricia does not like the letters at all. Voice-over is when a character’s voice narrates the action to help the audience understand what is going on. (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) Another form of sound you have in a film is the score or the background music. This music allows the audience to experience a whole other experience during a movie. The score can make you happy, sad, scared, or excited. It also can portray how a character is feeling at the exact moment. P. S. I LOVE YOU 8 To me Richard LaGravenese is a director that likes to tell a story and show meaning in his work. In addition to P. S. I Love You his work includes: Water for Elephants, Freedom Writers, and Living Out Loud. I believe that this film is very well made. I have never seen a movie by this director before I could not tell you about how he approaches the subject matter of the film. I do not know anything about this directors own personal vision, however, by looking at his other pieces of work it seems to me that he runs toward romance and films that tend to have a meaning behind them. For this film I believe his meaning is that after losing a loved one you can move on and have fun again and enjoy your life. This film is a Drama and Romance movie with a sub-genre of comedy. I went into this film thinking it was a romance movie. While watching it a realized that it was a lot more than that. The purpose of a drama is to allow the audience to feel what the characters are feeling. The purpose of a romance is to feel the love that the characters share. The purpose of a comedy is to allow the audience to laugh with the characters. I feel that this is a film that can influence society. I say that because I feel that after seeing a movie like this people would want to have that kind of love. When my sister and I walked out of the theater we both said I want a man to love me like that! This is a film that allows the audience to escape from their daily lives and have a good time. What is more fun than laughing and crying at the same time when watching a movie? To me the answer is nothing is more fun. This film is Rated PG-13 for sexual references and brief nudity. This is definitely not a movie for a child younger than 13. P. S. I LOVE YOU 9 As with all films you will have critics that tell you whether a film is good or not. That critic can be a professional critic, a family member or a friend. I found a phrase and a quote in our text that explains what a critic is. What is a critic? There are many definitions, some of which are unflattering, including as they do charges of jealousy, mean–spiritedness, and flat–out incompetence. Ironically enough, one of the best definitions comes from a character in a film, and in an animated film, at that. In Pixar’s film Ratatouille (2007), Peter O’Toole provides the voice of Anton Ego, a famous food critic feared for his discriminating palate and his withering criticism. When he samples food that has secretly been prepared by a rat, everyone fears the worst (particularly the rat). However, Ego begins his review with a spirited defense of the art of criticism, observations that apply just as much to film criticism as to food criticism. In the movie Ego says, In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations; the new needs friends . . . Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. (Bird, 207) (Goodykoontz Jacobs, 2011) I myself do not read or listen to a critic or a review. If you do and that person said that a movie was bad than you might have missed a very good movie. P. S. I LOVE YOU 10 I watched this movie again with my sister before writing this assignment and as we watched I found myself telling my sister what kind of shots were being used and explaining what a fade-out/fade-in was. Watching this movie after taking these few weeks of class I understood the movie in a different and good way. I believe that the director wanted the audience to feel what Holly does and through his direction I did. After I was finished examining the films different technical elements, I definitely gained a better understanding of the directors vision of the film. In conclusion I want to say that after taking this class and learning all about Storytelling, Acting, Cinematography, Editing, Sound, Style and Directing, Societal Impact, Genre, and Film Criticism and Analysis I am more in tune to how a movie is made and find that I enjoy watching movies a little better now that I understand what goes into it. Sometimes theres only one thing left to say P. S. I LOVE YOU P. S. I LOVE YOU 11 References Goodykoontz, B. Jacobs, C. P. (2011) Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content. ashford. edu/books/AUENG225. 11. 2 IMDB. (2011). P. S. I Love You. Retrieved from http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0431308/combined LaGravenese, R. (Director). (2007). P. S. I Love You. [Motion Picture]. USA: