Centralized PC Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Centralized PC Security - Essay Example To protect data, security policies are required to be defined. Contingency planning is also an essential aspect which cannot be disregarded. As per Ramesh, V.C., and Xuan Li there are three dimensions of contingency planning â€Å"The first issue concerns the handling of multiple objectives; we discuss the benefits of using fuzzy logic for handling this issue.  The second issue is the consideration of the economic cost of post-contingency corrective actions as well as the utility of discrete control actions that complicate the modeling and solution of the contingency planning problem.  The last issue is the need for of advanced parallel computing techniques for addressing the real-time aspects of many contingency planning problems;† 2 Analysis of Problems ABC Corporation has twenty seven desktop workstations either connected with each other via a hub or a switch. The workstations are only workgroups as there is no domain and security policies applied in the organization ex cept some users have Internet access and only the manager has a separate email account. There is no email server available to provide separate email addresses to employees. The separate email addresses enables instant correspondence between the subordinates, hence making the communication better and cost effective. Currently the employees are using telephone for coordination which is not cost effective. Some workstations are used to store data. There is no access policy defined for the data stored in the workstations. The data is vulnerable as anyone can access it or delete it. The server is used only for providing internet access and data transfer within the network. There is no firewall installed in the network, either hardware or software which makes the data, hardware, software defenseless. There is no connectivity between the regional offices and head office. The manager access the financial information from the head office using the computer network. The 5 regional offices hav e five databases which they are maintaining individually. Immense amount of time is wasted when head office sends a CD named â€Å"House types data† to each regional office. The administrator copies the files available on the CD to the locally maintained database. The data is updated because the project managers have to access the plans and building specifications of the houses the company builds. The data contains all the detailed information of the house construction material which is required. There is no backup of devices, data, workstations and server. If any workstation containing database crashes, the data will be lost. 2.1 Security Vulnerabilities The impact of the security breach issues is unpredictable. It can be diverted and involves human suffering as well as revenue loss for the organizations. One of the security breach took place on 21 October 2010, as per â€Å"www.networksecurityedge.com† The Philadelphia Inquirer states â€Å"Keystone Mercy Health Pla n and AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan have notified 280,000 Medicaid members that their information may be at risk after a portable computer drive containing the names, addresses, and health information was lost. The last four digits of 801 members' Social Security numbers were also stored on the hard drive†. This incident is related to theft of the hardware devices risking 280,000 Medicaid

Business Constant Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Constant Development - Essay Example The world around this business can never remain unchanged as every second, something happens. Every change, whether it is demographic or social, leaves a certain impact on the business and everything around it (Pride et al 2011 3). Demographic changes around the world have showcased that there has been an ever-increasing change in the population that means more chances of economic growth and employment. These changes are actually reconstructing the labor market all around the world and are eventually changing the picture of many running businesses. There has been a decline in the birth rate which has resulted in an aging population. Many businesses like the ones in Japan have adapted to this change by making many sensible decisions like investing in robotics for children care and the aged care (Schoemer 2001 21). Whereas in case of social changes, these are considered to be some short-lived fads or they bring some very permanent changes in the market. When a social trend makes its pl ace, it means that it will be followed by some changes in supply and demand of a certain commodity/industry. This can leave both, good and bad, impact on the business. ... This is how these demographic and social changes appear, leave an impact and wait to see their effects on the businesses. Once adapted successfully results in a completely positive effect on the business’s future. It is now the responsibility of the business to respond to these changes and developments that occur. And in order to perform this, CSR has been developed which stands for Corporate Social Responsibility. In this, business professionals make efforts to come up with numerous ways which can be used by the business to overcome all these changes and cope with this situation. This is one of the ways which has been found pretty successful for the business. If a business fails to manage to learn effectively with the ongoing change in the market, all the hard work and time it puts to make an attempt to adapt to change comes to drain. (Johnson and Turner 2003 334) Demographic changes bring a transformation in the workforce and the number of customers. Every country experience s different situations i.e. in some, birth rate keeps on increasing whereas in some it declines, leading to an aging population. The latter situation is not at all favorable for any business as this means a decline in the number of people who can render their services. This means the supply of labor in the market will fall, leading to higher wage rate in the market in order to attract the workers, as the business will be demanding more to carry on their production processes (Brindley 2008 43). A business can cope with this situation successfully if it implements some strategic clever plans for improving the mobility, quality of jobs, job creation, life-longing training and learning programs and managing change with diversity.  

Devoted For Multi Vendor Network

Devoted For Multi Vendor Network 1 Introduction This document is comprised of two chapters, one each for two case studies given in the assignment. First chapter defines the diskless workstations and introduces the characteristics of diskless workstations. It also introduces the choices available in the thin client market. First chapter also discusses on how to choose an operating system for the diskless workstations. Later in the chapter, a discussion is made on interdependence among workstation and network hardware, when it comes to implementing diskless workstations in the network. Chapter two is devoted for multi-vendor network concept/ Strategy. First, it discusses the pros and cons of multi-vendor networking systems. Then it evaluates the impact of current network technology and standards. Furthermore the chapter contains a discussion on how network protocols facilitate multi-vendor networks. In the final part of this document the role of the software and hardware components and also the guidelines for selecting server types for multi-vendor networks is also discussed. 2 Case 1 Task 1.1 a) Diskless Workstations Diskless workstation is a computer system with no disk drives installed locally; therefore booting its operating system from a server in the local area network. Sometimes when a computer system is having a disk drive but do not using it, that system is also called a diskless workstation. Diskless Workstations provide less costly but more secure networking solutions for enterprises. Characteristics of diskless workstations are, The operating system is loaded from the server when booting up. Obviously all the other software resides in the server. (Firmware is installed on the diskless workstations itself to initiate the boot process) Processing is done in the diskless workstations, not in the server. In some implementations, processing is also done on the server and those diskless workstations are originally called Thin clients. Both the raw data and processed data are stored in the server. Diskless workstation fetches them when needed. Choices available on the market Conventional Diskless workstations with lower processing power and memory. E.g. Dell Wyse R Thin client High performance Thin clients like HP t510 Flexible Thin Client Server choices Almost all the Linux flavours such as Ubuntu, openSUSE and etc. supports network booting and therefore can be installed on our centralized server. Also windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 supports booting over the local area network and therefore those operating systems can also be deployed. There are user friendly third party software available in the internet to facilitate easy deployment of diskless workstations in the company networks. When choosing an operating system for the diskless workstations following facts can be considered. Linux Operating systems and the software are totally free, whereas windows operating systems cost hundreds of US dollars (Agrawal et al, 2005). Linux supports many more processor types and architectures than windows does. Since Linux is open source, an experienced IT administrator can change the behaviour of operating system as needed. Linux is extremely stable. It offers a feature called memory protection which prevents a crashed application from crashing the entire system (Agrawal et al, 2005). Linux offer more security than windows does. Linux doesnt have viruses and malwares as windows and therefore the server can operate freely without a danger to its operating system or data stored in it. Linux outperforms windows when it comes to multi user workstations. But sometimes Linux is more resource hungry than other workstations (Agrawal et al, 2005). Both Linux and Windows supports multi-tasking. b) Interdependence of workstation hardware with other network components Diskless workstations have their operating systems in the server. When workstation needs to use a network component like a printer, the server will have to communicate with that network component. I.e. server has to communicate on behalf of all the diskless workstations. This can lead to congestions and increase in traffic. Also, all the network computers are using the server hard disk, CPU, Memory and etc. workstation (Client) hardware has to wait until server hardware provides the data it requested. So the bottom line is deploying diskless workstations/ Network computers in the network will increase the Interdependence of workstation hardware. Therefore it is very important to install reliable hardware and software components in the server, and implement backup techniques and redundancy techniques for the server. Task 1.2 a) Benefits and constrains of different network topologies Network topologies characterize the way in which network elements (Nodes) are interconnected to each other in a network. There are four standard network topologies to be identified. (Tanenbaum 2006) 1) Bus topology 2) Ring topology 3) Star topology 4) Mesh topology Bus topology All the nodes are connected to a single cable called a Bus. Benefits 1) Easy to implement 2) Requires less cable length, and therefore it is cheaper 3) If a node (Computer) fails, that does not affect others Constrains 1) Suitable only for networks with few computers (Lowe 2008) 2) If the cable breaks from a point, entire network will fail Ring Topology Network nodes are connected as a ring. When two nodes are communicating, data must travel through all the intermediate nodes (Lowe 2008) Benefits 1) Easy to implement 2) Easy to troubleshoot Constrains 1) If a node fails, entire network will fail Star topology Each and every computer is connected to a hub or switch. Benefits 1) Centralized nature gives simplicity (Easy to troubleshoot) (Lowe 2008) 2) If a node (Computer) fails, that does not affect others Constrains 1) If the hub fails, entire network fails 2) Require more cable lengths Mesh Topology Each and every node is connected to each other Benefits 1) Offers redundancy 2) Easy to troubleshoot 3) Multiple conversations can take place at same time Constrains 3) Waste of resources 4) Require more cable lengths and therefore expensive Network computer was originally a trademark of Sun Microsystems for their diskless workstations. Later this term was used for all the diskless workstations. Thin client is also a diskless workstation, but unlike diskless workstation, thin client does the processing on the server. For network computers and thin clients, mesh topology is not suitable. In mesh topology all the clients are connected with each other, but these connections are useless. Since the server is connected to all the clients and server has the files and processed data, it can directly transfer them to the desired destinations. Bus topology and ring topology are too risky and it is also a waste of resources. If the network has the star topology; i.e. each and every diskless node is connected to the centralized server using a dedicated path the resources will be used in an efficient manner. b) Impact of current network technology on network computers One can think, if the files are stored on a remote server, then to access those files from the thin client will take more time than a normal workstation does. Also in one particular implementation of a thin client all the processing is done in the server. But thanks to the modern LAN technologies that is not a problem at all. Gigabit Ethernet provides 10-100 gigabits per second data rates within the LAN. Also in the last decade hard disk drives and processors evolved a lot giving greater speeds, memory capacities and performance to the network. Since all the clients are storing their data on central server, server needs to have high capacity hard disks with higher access speeds. Also the technology has become cheaper over the time. These facts really help the evolvement of network computer concept. c) How network protocols enable the effective utilization of Network computers It is evident that a network with diskless workstations/ Network computers has much data to be transferred back and forth between the server and itself than a network with normal PC workstations. So there will be more traffic in the network and almost all the time server will be accessed by many client workstations. This will lead to collisions and collisions will trigger retries from the clients and that will also add up to the network traffic, thus making exponential growth of the traffic. Therefore an impressive multiple access protocol is needed for the network, in order to effectively utilizes the true strength of network computers. TCP/IP protocol stack provides a powerful multiple access technology in its data link layer. Ethernet, fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet are some of the most important physical layer protocols that enable fast communication between network computers. 3 Case 2 Task 2.1 a) Benefits and constrains of Network systems and topologies in multi-vendor networks When a network evolves with the time the enterprise would want to purchase more equipment for the network. But by now there may be cheaper products in the market, from other vendors than your original vendor. So multi-vendor networks can save initial cost for the evolved network. Also when a new technology is introduced by a different vendor, that saves time and cost, it is good to purchase those equipments than sticking to the same vendor. Different vendors have different configuration changes, different user interfaces different terms and etc. Therefore working in a multi-vendor system is a harder job and requires more expertise and experience. Also it will require training programs for existing professionals and it may demand more IT professionals for the company. If we consider star topology, each node is connected to the hub or switch. Therefore at most only two nodes of different vendors will be communicating with each other physically. But if we take mesh topology, the situation is different. Each node is connected with every other node in the network. Therefore a machine built by a particular vendor will have to communicate with many more machines manufactured by different vendors. b) Impact of Current Network Technology for the multi-vendor networks New network operating systems are compatible with each other. Services are built in to those operating systems and therefore they can co-exist after little or no configuration changes are done. Network protocols are standardized by IEEE to maintain consistency in networking devices and operations. This facilitates the multi-vendor network environments to grow popularity. c) Duty of Network Protocols in multi-vendor network environments Different network components may have different hardware and/or software specifications. They may be manufactured by different vendors. But at the end of the day, a network administrator must be able to connect all those network components with each other and build a working network. This is achieved by the use of network protocols. (Lammle 2007) Generally todays multi-vendor networks use TCP/IP protocol stack which comprises of five layers. A layer normally has two interfaces with the immediate bottom layer and the immediate top layer. Each layer provides a set of functions to the layer above, and relies on the functions of the layer below (Kozierok 2005). Interface on the top will clearly specify the services that are available from that layer. And Interface on the bottom will clearly specify the services that required from the immediate bottom layer (Kozierok 2005). So, as long as network components manufacturers stick to this layered protocol architectures, it does not matter how the hardware work, what are the hardware and software specifications inside and etc. d) Role of software and Hardware in multi-vendor networks Different vendors will implement the same process using different hardware units with different performance. Even though the hardware is vendor specific, sometimes same software can be installed on them and then the user will have the same interfaces and that will hide the complexity induced by the multi-vendor network for some extent. But sometimes the vendor itself develops the software that runs on its hardware and that will increase the overhead of remembering configuration settings and menu items for different vendors. So in a multi-vendor network environment the job of the hardware would be to perform the task in a unique way with its available hardware chips and processing powers. The job of the software is to control the unique hardware as needed but presenting common configurations settings and interfaces to the user. e) Server types for multi-vendor networks When selecting a server for a multi-vendor network environment, the IT administrator must take into account the vendors that are in the network. Some vendors are interoperable while some are not. Server can be used to make communication possible among those non interoperable vendors and that technique is called Server Interoperability. This is accomplished by installing communication services on the server as opposed to the other approach where software are installed on the clients to make communication compatible. This way we can connect an Apple Macintosh client to a Windows network environment. Microsoft Windows provides software that facilitates network services for Apple Macintosh and Linux clients. Some modern servers have these services built into them, so that the network administrator doesnt have to worry about it. 4 Conclusion From this assignment I was able to sharpen my knowledge on Diskless workstations and thin clients. I identified the characteristics of diskless workstations and the choices available on the market; both in hardware aspect and in software aspect. I discussed about the network operating systems available for the diskless workstations and also about the interdependence of workstation hardware in the context of networks with diskless workstations. Also, in order to provide answers for task 2, I studied about the advantages and dis advantages of multi-vendor network Strategy. Then I discussed the impact of multi-vendor network Strategy on current network technology and standards. Also I studied about how network protocols enable machines of different vendors coexist in the same network. Also I did a small research about selecting a server for a multi-vendor network environment and about the role of software and hardware in a multi-vendor network. That was really helpful for me and the results were introduced in the latter part of the assignment.

The Digital Divide Essay -- Technology Society

The Digital Divide A new generation is forming the way its members will be written into history books. These are the members of the digital culture, a lifestyle relying on the use of technology and the Internet as a tool of communication and information-sharing. Nevertheless, as with the generations of the past, some individuals are not participating in this new cultural experience. It is common knowledge that some citizens do not use the Internet. Many do not use the Internet simply due to economic or social restrictions that prevent them from easily accessing the technology. However, what is not as common is why some members of our society are even choosing not to use the Internet. â€Å"Access, Civic Involvement, and Social Interaction† from the American Behavioral Scientist compare users and nonusers of the Internet across the United States: â€Å"8% were dropouts in 1995, 11% in 1996, 10% in 1997, and 11.5% in 2000† (Katz et al., Access 411). http://www.sci ls.rutgers.edu/~jimkatz/publications.htm No matter how small the statistic is, a choice not to use the Internet must have legitimate reasons and may result in conflicting effects. However, while it shows the amount of never users to be shrinking, the amount of former users is growing, implying that some people are already logging off the Internet while most are logging on. A lack of participation in the digital culture could have an effect on society, including both those who use the Internet, and those who do not. It is possible that either users or nonusers could have an advantage in the end due to their choice. Although the numbers are a minority, the nonusers must be analyzed and predictions need to be made about the reasons and effects of not... ...aythornthwaite, Caroline. â€Å"The Internet in Everyday Life.† American Behavioral Scientist. Vol. 45 No. 3, November 2001 363-382. Katz, James, and Philip Aspden. Communications of the ACM. Vol. 40 No. 4. April 1997. Katz, James, Ronald Rice, and Philip Aspden. â€Å"Access, Civic Involvement, and Social Interaction.† American Behavioral Scientist. Vol. 45 No. 3, November 2001 405-419 National Telecommunications and Information Administration. â€Å"A NATION ONLINE: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use Of The Internet.† September 2001. 21 February 2003 http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/html/Chapter8.htm Sources Consulted www.icdri.org/technology/ indexbp.htm www.foreignpolicy.com/issue_janfeb_2002/ digital_divide.html www.cliffsnotes.com/internet/ www.tpj.org/reports/luddites02/ luddites02.jpg www.executive.govt.nz/minister/ maharey/divide/01-01.htm

How to Swim the Freestyle Stroke

Erika Eissler February 18, 2010 How to Swim the Freestyle Stroke The freestyle is also known as the front crawl or the sidestroke. It is used in competitions but there are no real regulations on how it has to be swum. Most swimmers choose to swim front crawl during freestyle competition because it is the fastest technique. For individual freestyle competitions, however, a swimmer can use any stroke they want, but during medley competitions they cannot use the breaststroke, butterfly stroke or backstroke. The freestyle stroke involves: coordination, movement and breathing. First off, coordination is the key to successfully learning how to swim. Visualize a line running down the center of the body from the chin to the chest. This line is the axis upon which the whole body should move, and it should extend horizontally in the direction one is swimming. Keep the legs straight with the toes pointed out, and kick up and down. The secret is to continue kicking the entire time. Remain horizontal in the water. A strong kick will keep the legs from sinking behind one’s body. The kick should not make a big splash, but rather, should just churn the surface of the water. Also remember to move the arms in a windmill motion opposite of each other. While one arm is extended completely out, the other should be all the way back, almost against the side of the body. Keep the hands flat, thumb separated from the index finger and pull the extended arm through the water beneath the body. Bend the arm at the elbow and draw the fingertips along the imaginary line down the center of the body. Stretch each stroke out as much as possible without ever pausing from the windmill motion. Most importantly, remember to breathe on one side by turning the head to that side as the arm comes out of the water. After that, lift the other arm out of the water and move it all the way forward as the first arm is pulling beneath the body. Then while bending at the elbow, drag the fingertips along the surface of the water. Penetrate the water with the fingertips and completely extend the arm. As the hands are being pulled through the water, keep them cupped firmly, but not rigidly. Fingers should be held just slightly apart. These few steps are the basics of learning how to freestyle swim. It is the most basic swim style and is very commonly used. Coordination, movement and breathing are the main factors in learning how to swim. These steps will definitely increase your swimming successfulness.

Contemporary Politics and Economics in Mexico Essay

Over the course of Mexican history, the governmental and economic state of Mexico has been largely unstable. The nation was marked by dictatorial shifts in party-list (and their candidates) and their constant bickering with each other; the deformed presidency, the elite and the political group controlled the economic fervor with constant insurgencies from the lower classes; the shift of the informal traditional ‘relatively’ closed market system to an international open trading system as a form of ‘globalization’; and finally, the drastic environmental events, like the 1985 earthquake which had shaken up the nation. In the following paper, there is an attempt to elucidate the static forces that govern the Mexican politics and economics from 1980s to the contemporary times. Mexican politics was largely determined by the ‘evolution’ of the ruling party Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), their gradual shifts or hold in power from a hegemonic- (1929 to 1979), bipartisan- (1979 to 1985) and finally, the pluripartisan stage (1988-2000). The bipartisan stage marked the initial infiltration of the opposing party Partido Accion Nacional (PAN) and the strong comptetion between the PRI, PAN and the PRD (Partido de la Revolucion Democratica during the pluripartic years. PRI had a hold on presidential seat for 71 years until it was put to a stop in the 2000 elections. The presidential monarchy from 1970 to 1982 coincided with a period of shared development in political organization with the emergence of the bourgeoisie in governmental positions and puts an end to the ‘sustained’ economy that Mexico originally enjoyed under the Echeverria . To combat the economic crisis and peso devaluation, the State attempted to intervene with the entrepreneurial activities, thus sparking State-Entrepeneur dissent; the private businesses erected Entrepreneurial Coordinating Council (ECC) institutions as a protective mechanism. Portillo delivered his counterattack by nationalizing bank systems and increasing the interest rates. Mexico experienced general economic quagmire — inflation, external inequity, currency devaluation, peso flight, mounting unemployment and low purchasing power — in 1976, 1982, 1987 [ e. g. 59 % inflation] and 1994-95 with middle periods of mild economic recuperation. The September 19 1985 earthquake, which killed approximately 6,500 to 30,000 individuals, aggravated the economic crisis. The 80s were dominated by neoliberal (semi-democratized state implementing free election rule) over the freemarket system, as a result of mounting external debts and the ‘Washington Consensus’. The freemarket system/informal market system originally dominated by local ‘street market vendor’ types, became an open humdrum to international financial organizations like the World Bank to ‘negotiate’ for the debts. The State Restructuring generally involved administration modernization, openness of the national market/participation with free trade with the State neighbors (e. g. 1986 General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs), privatization of public enterprises, and introduction of radical social and political reforms to the relatively ‘traditional’ State. The ‘Restructuring’ debilitated the State with most of the reforms resulting to dispersed control in politics, loss of ethics in politicians and political institutions, and mounting economic problems. The Neoliberal State, 1982-2000, demonstrated a stunningly low GIP per head of 0. 3 %. With income distribution becoming more unequal. The year 1994 marked the participation of State to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Inequality in income and devaluation of the market price coupled with the global inflation of prices created insurgencies from the lower classes and the emergence of anti-political groups like the Zapatista Army of National Liberation from the State of Chiapaz. The peso devaluation, increased exchange rate volatility and meltdown of stocks will persist up to the current state of economic affairs. This was naturally fueled by distrust of external investors to the weak form of governance. Federal Electoral Institute, mediated by ordinary citizens was erected in the early 90s to ensure that elections are ‘clean’ compared to PRI unfair appointing of offices in the past. Quesada won the 2000 election due to the insurgency and popular voting but have few votes from the Congress. It was the former President Zedillo who officiated the electoral results thus stunting the chance of PRI to question the results. The administration of Fox signed up with the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America with the hope of modernizing the reforms and the pre-existing labor laws, opening investments in the energy sector, and improving the infrastructure. The 1994 NAFTA agreement’ beneficial effects were apparently not agreed upon by participants. Whereas the US reiterates that there is ‘speeding up’ of the economic activity of the free market system of Mexico as indicated by the thrillion dollar class, the quick economic growth did not improved the standards of living of the lower and middle class. Calderon, the current president of the Mexico and also a PAN member, experienced many oppositions from the PRD; the attacks were on post-electoral and on ‘Banobras-borrowing’. Calderon attempted to reduce the economic crisis of the country by producing reforms like Tortilla Price Stabilization Pact, salary caps, security policy and first employment program. The current presidents waged an active advocacy against drugs. The contemporary politics and economic changes in Mexico are centered on neo-liberalism with opening of the State to globalized free trade. The drastic results of the State restructuring persisted up to now and the reforms enacted by the current government will hopefully resolved the problems.

Free Essays on Internet Freedom

Defining Our Rights Freedom of speech is a fight that has been going on for as long as the people have had the right. The Internet is just a new forum for waging this war. While people do have the right to post and say what they want, there is something to be said for protecting the youth, as well as easily impressionable minds. At this time the Internet is an ideal medium for the population to express what it wants at any time. This however may change soon, as international governments are discussing legislation and implementing censorship for the Internet. I think that we as a people need to address this issue now and fight to keep a right that has been a foundation for our culture. If we do nothing now, then laws will get passed that may very well infringe upon our right to freedom. Everybody is essentially for free speech. The issue is the limits and boundaries to that speech, and how we should enforce them. There are two sides to this issue and they make it extremely hard to distinguish right action from wrong. On one side you have parents protecting their kids from obscene material, and government protecting its people from terrorism. On the other side are groups and agencies fighting for every last ounce of free speech. Trying to empower the people by keeping them overly and completely informed. Both of these groups are entitled to the feelings they have and neither one of them are in the wrong. So the goal is to create legislation and law that conforms to all walks of life, and is non-bias towards any of our people. Freedom of expression has already faced tremendous judicial attention, and now that the Internet is involved there are even more difficulties to deal with. At this time attempts are being made to control two aspects of expression. Thes e aspects are obscene material such as pornography, and compelling government interest such as instructions on how to make a bomb. The Communication Decency Act is o... Free Essays on Internet Freedom Free Essays on Internet Freedom Defining Our Rights Freedom of speech is a fight that has been going on for as long as the people have had the right. The Internet is just a new forum for waging this war. While people do have the right to post and say what they want, there is something to be said for protecting the youth, as well as easily impressionable minds. At this time the Internet is an ideal medium for the population to express what it wants at any time. This however may change soon, as international governments are discussing legislation and implementing censorship for the Internet. I think that we as a people need to address this issue now and fight to keep a right that has been a foundation for our culture. If we do nothing now, then laws will get passed that may very well infringe upon our right to freedom. Everybody is essentially for free speech. The issue is the limits and boundaries to that speech, and how we should enforce them. There are two sides to this issue and they make it extremely hard to distinguish right action from wrong. On one side you have parents protecting their kids from obscene material, and government protecting its people from terrorism. On the other side are groups and agencies fighting for every last ounce of free speech. Trying to empower the people by keeping them overly and completely informed. Both of these groups are entitled to the feelings they have and neither one of them are in the wrong. So the goal is to create legislation and law that conforms to all walks of life, and is non-bias towards any of our people. Freedom of expression has already faced tremendous judicial attention, and now that the Internet is involved there are even more difficulties to deal with. At this time attempts are being made to control two aspects of expression. Thes e aspects are obscene material such as pornography, and compelling government interest such as instructions on how to make a bomb. The Communication Decency Act is o...

Harriet Osmond Wall Draft AO1 Essay

Harriet Osmond Wall Draft AO1 Essay Harriet Osmond Wall Draft AO1 Essay Table of Contents Demographic factors 2 Single parent families and teenage pregnancies: 3 Services available to meet the needs of pregnant teenagers: 4 Breast feeding matters: 5 SureStart: (picture) 6 Health needs of the population: 6 Child obesity: 7 Change4life: 7 The planning and provision stages: 7 The planning stages: CCG 8 Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) 9 The planning stages: 9 Demographic factors Demographic factors are characteristics assigned to age, sex, education, income, marital status, job, religion, birth rate, death rate, family size, and marriage age. Demographics are used by governments, corporations and non-government organizations to learn more about a populations characteristics. Demography studies and measures populations to see if there are any direct impacts on the planning and delivery of health, social care and early years social care services to meet the needs of service users at a local level. The demographic factors can be; Health needs of the population: the health needs of the population is an important aspect for the local government to know as they need to be able to accommodate for everyone’s needs efficiently. Finding out the health needs of the population helps the government to decide on which areas of health they need to be more focused on. For example, if there is a higher number of obesity in Portsmouth, they will focus on advertising health initiatives (Change4life) to lower the number of obese people. Age of population: knowledge of the age in a population can help health services decide how much health care they need to provide in the area. For example, if there are more elderly people above 70 years of age living in that area then they would need more health care providers and equipment as they are more prone to health issues. Disability: can influence the planning in a population as the area needs to be equipped with the right equipment to attend to all their needs. If there are more disabled people in the area, the government/NHS will have to spend more money on equipping the area with health equipment. Unemployment: the socio-economic status of an area indicates how much health services there needs to be in the area. For example, low income families may have a poor diet due to buying ready meals often so they could get more health issues than people of a higher income. The income of a family has an impact of the diet, housing, exercise, stress levels; these can all increase health needs. Number of single-parent families: 26% of households with children are living in single-parent families and there are 2 million single-parent families in Britain today. There is an increase in demand for childcare services so there will need to be more pre-schools and nurseries in the area to accommodate all the children. The number of older people: the average age of life expectancy has risen to 85 years for men and 89 years for women. Over the last 50 years, the average life span has increased by 10 years for a male and 8 years for a female. The UK has more people over the age of 60 than they do under 16 so there needs to be enough health services to accommodate their needs. Older people have a lot more health implications than younger people, so if a town has a lot of elderly people in there will need to be more health services set up. In 1901, there was less than 2 million people over the age of 65. There are now over 9 million over 65's in Britain today1. Single parent families and teenage pregnancies: A single parent is a parent who is not living with a spouse or partner and is raising the children by themselves. The number of single parents are increasing; In the UK there are 26% of children living with a single parent and there are 2 million single parents in Britain today, less than 2 percent of single parents are teenagers. The median age of a single parent is 38 years old and 49% of single parents are separated from a marriage or widowed2. It can be extremely hard

The Ultimate Guide to Business Casual for Women

The Ultimate Guide to Business Casual for Women SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips What does a "business casual" dress code even mean for women? Why is it so poorly defined yet so strictly enforced in certain offices? This article will unravel how to dress business casual for women so you can easily select appropriate outfits for the workplace that also suit your personal style. Introduction â€Å"Business casual† is a fairly straightforward dress code for men. You can wear khakis or some other non-jean pant, a button-down shirt, and maybe a sport coat. Pair it with loafers or a similar dress shoe, and you’re done. Business casual for women is a another story. While some women also reach for button-downs and khakis, for many (myself included), button-downs rarely fit well off the rack, and khakis don’t look as nice as darker slacks or a skirt. To fit the business casual dress code for women, you need an outfit that’s not a boring suit or something super fashion-forward and distracting. Since women’s fashion has so many more cuts, styles, and colors than men’s, the average woman has to sift through a daunting number of choices when shopping. Plus, women are scrutinized much more closely for their fashion choices. This has lead to confusion over what women’s business casual fashion is and how to achieve it. This article breaks down what business casual means, gives concrete outfit suggestions, and lists places to shop at a range of price points. Who Is This Guide For? What Is It Designed to Do? This guide is designed to help women put together BC outfits for a new job where they're not yet familiar with the company or its dress code beyond the fact that they're expected to dress â€Å"business casual.† The goal is to make your shopping trips more efficient and productive and help you pick out a few no-fail outfits that are undeniably business casual and professional. We’re also mainly operating in the context of industries that are likely to require a stricter dress code- business, teaching, finance, law. If you’re in a more creative field or a tech environment where you’re not public facing, business casual is likely to lean more toward â€Å"casual.† The outfits in this article may be a touch too formal for your situation. The idea is these outfits will hopefully be formal enough for any workplace (they won’t be too far on the casual side of business casual), and once you get settled in you can grow your wardrobe based on your company’s/workplace’s take on business casual. It’s safer to look slightly too formal than too casual, especially during your first week of work. Also, keep in mind there are cultural differences. Between the US and Japan, for example, the expectations are different. Women can get away with more playful and short dresses and skirts in Japan, but tops in general have to be much more conservative. Just within the US, San Francisco offices tend to be much less formal than NY ones. Because of that, we've chosen to lean towards relatively conservative choices, but we’ll show a range of styles so you can adapt your outfits to your particular location. Re: Dress Codes and Sexism Another point that needs to be addressed before I get into the guide is the fact that women’s dress codes are often unfair and even sexist. There has thankfully been a lot of discussion and activism on this point recently when it comes to school dress codes. However, there hasn’t been as much discussion about this in the workplace, and many guides online to women’s business casual range from condescending at best (don’t dress like you’re hitting the club!) to sexist at worst (weird preoccupation with necklines, lingerie, and pantyhose). I don’t want this to be one of those guides that lists the obvious in a very demeaning way. At the same time, the outfits we have chosen err on the more conservative side of things in the hopes they will work for a variety of workplaces during the first week, whether you’re in a very traditional office or a more casual one. I think it’s unfair that in many cases women have to spend much more time agonizing over wardrobe choices, and I’m hoping this guide takes some of that pressure off. Once you get to know your workplace, you can start wearing things closer to your own style that are still professional and fall under the business casual umbrella. Who I Am You might be thinking, â€Å"who is this person, and what makes her an expert on the business casual dress code, or workplaces in general?† Well, let’s clarify this right away: I’m NOT an expert. I’m a recent college graduate who has worked or interned in a handful of industries (commercial real estate, banking, education, public relations) both during and after college, primarily in Massachusetts. As a visual artist myself, I enjoy and appreciate fashion, but I fall more on the grunge/overly quirky side of things in my daily life. Business casual dress codes are always difficult for me because I feel like I’m spending money on clothes that are no fun. (I can’t wear crop tops fashioned from oversized thrift store t-shirts? I QUIT.) I've struggled with putting together outfits that adhered to each workplace’s rules, were professional, and fit my budget. This guide started out as my own personal quest to see if I could research a no-fail business-casual outfit that didn’t bore me to tears. I was frustrated at the dearth of helpful resources and realized that if I wanted such a guide, I would have to write one myself. Hopefully this guide will be helpful to anyone trying to put together a business casual wardrobe, but I don't intend for any of this to be definitive, end-all be-all advice. Evidence of me rejecting business casual fashion for weirder fare. (Sam Lindsay/All rights reserved) Who I Am Not Now that you know who I am, let me give you a bit of a disclaimer about who I'm not. #1: A professional stylist/fashion blogger- I did have a short-lived fashion blog in college, but it fizzled out when I got busy with other things. I like to think that I have good fashion sense, but I’m by no means an official â€Å"expert†. This guide is designed to be more utilitarian than anything else! #2: Someone with extensive experience in a single industry- I’m not someone who could talk in detail about how business casual applies to a range of law firms, for example, or the difference between working for a start-up or a job at Apple. #3: Your parents/your boss/your teacher/your counselor- Essentially, I obviously don’t have any authority over you! Which means you should take this advice as advice you are getting from a friend. Take the stuff that is helpful to you, leave or ignore the stuff you think is bullshit. Everyone's situation is going to be a little bit different. What Is Business Casual? Before we get into the good stuff, it’s important to understand what business casual is and how it affects dress codes and expectations at work. Business casual started in the 1990s as an outgrowth of â€Å"casual Fridays,† which was adopted in previous decades as a free perk companies could offer to employees to make their offices seem less soul-sucking. The grown of business casual dress codes in white-collar office jobs was spurred on by a combination of the success of Silicon Valley companies and their casually dressed executives, clever marketing by the Dockers brand, and a push toward more comfortable clothing in general during the late twentieth century. From the beginning of business casual, it was always clearly defined for men: replace your suit and tie with khakis or jeans, a button down, and loafers. Maybe add a sweater. You’re done! But for women (for whom workplace dressing has always been tricky!), a business casual dress code was never clearly articulated. It doesn’t help that these days, each workplace has its own spin on business casual. Business casual lies at the intersection between professional and functional. Companies switched to â€Å"business casual† instead of â€Å"casual† for a reason. They want everyone to look professional without requiring a full suit-and-tie combo every day. â€Å"Business casual† doesn’t mean â€Å"we don’t care what you look like.† It means â€Å"we want you to look professional, but we get that dry-cleaning is expensive and wearing suits all the time is annoying.† So how can you put together outfits that straddle the not-formal-but-not-casual line? Especially given that each office is so different? And that expectations for how women dress are already so complex? I think this jacket is probably fine for business casual...or is it just regular casual? Why must I use space in my brain for this 5 Business Casual Rules to Live By Before we offer up some concrete outfit suggestions, here are five rules to keep in mind as you think about your business casual outfits. #1: Business Casual 101- No Stains, Rips, or Wrinkles These mostly go without saying, but avoid anything that looks old, dirty, wrinkled, or stained. Don’t wear sheer or revealing clothing or clothes with obvious logos. Many â€Å"guides to business casual dressing† online stop here, which is unfortunate, because I figure this rule is fairly obvious. One tip- if you have an item of clothing, like a pair of slacks from your high school debate days or a sundress in muted colors, that you think could pass as professional but you’re not sure if it looks too worn, ask a friend or family member for their honest opinion. Getting a pair of fresh eyes can help you spot a stain, wrinkle, or discolored spot that you didn’t notice yourself. #2: Work From the Outside In Make sure you have a professional coat/jacket if you’re wearing one, a bag, and a versatile pair of shoes before you put together your base outfits. Why is this necessary? Imagine this scenario. Your new job starts Monday. You need some business casual pieces, so you go shopping Sunday and manage to find a neat pencil skirt, a blouse you don’t hate, and a tasteful pair of stud earrings. You buy them, and Monday morning you get dressed. You feel comfortable, and you look professional without appearing too stiff or formal. Mission accomplished, right? Until you look outside. It’s freezing, so you pull on a pair of tights and grab your weathered down parka that has survived four years of college. You look around for shoes, and correctly veto your sneakers, TOMs, and going-out heels. That leaves a pair of scuffed black ballet flats. Whatever, no one will be looking at your feet, right? And last, you pick up your trusty Fjallraven backpack before heading out the door. You know you’re working in a cubicle, so you figure you can stash it there as soon as you get into the office. Post-commute, you enter your new office, excited to meet your new coworkers. Their first impression? A college kid in a casual coat and worn shoes, still sporting a backpack. True, once you ditch the coat and backpack, they’ll see your professional new outfit, but that doesn’t erase the fact that their first introduction to you was decidedly more casual than you would have wanted. (And you know what they say about second chances and first impressions.) Instead, what if you spent the money you used for the blouse, skirt, and earrings on a new pair of flats, a smart wool overcoat, and a professional briefcase or purse? Even if underneath you had a slightly more casual sweater and slacks combination, your first impression would be much more impactful and professional. Plus, you will be able to use those accessories for multiple work days, getting way more bang for your buck than a single blouse-and-skirt combo could ever provide. What’s the lesson here? Make sure your coat, bag, and shoes- the first and last thing that your coworkers will see you wearing each day, as well as the pieces that you will recycle each day- are professional and career-oriented. Not only will these pieces elevate all your other work outfits, they will ensure that the very first impression you make is a strong one. Here are some suggestions and guidelines for the types of coats, shoes, and bags you should be on the lookout for in your shopping: Coats Appropriate styles for coats include trenches, wool cuts with shape. You should also steer yourself towards neutral colors and longer lengths. A solid neutral colored coat can work with any outfit you put under it. Flickr/Joseph Kranak Shoes It's worth spending a bit more money on shoes. Go for high quality natural materials like leather and suede, simple styles, and comfort in movement. In general, you should avoid open-toe shoes, though if you live in a warmer climate they are more often accepted. Ballet flats, pumps, and classy boots are all good options. Flickr/ Spera Bags It’s time to retire your Jansport! In business casual for women, choose a bag with a more structured shape (like a laptop bag, satchel, or leather tote) rather than a bucket bag or a fabric tote. Again, a neutral color like black, navy, or beige is better than something really eye-catching since you want the bag to blend in and convey maturity. Your bag should be big enough to comfortably carry your laptop/tablet and whatever else you need to bring into the workplace. A clutch or small purse won't cut it! Flickr/ateodolinda #3: The 50% Rule Each outfit you wear should be half business formal. Remember that business formal is essentially a suit (matched pants/skirt and suit jacket) with a crisp shirt or blouse and professional shoes. The easiest application of this is rule is to pair formal bottoms (slacks or a pencil/straight skirt), with a more casual blouse. (We'll talk about slacks in detail in the outfit section. I don't shy away from controversial topics.) Another easy adaptation is adding a blazer over a dress. You can also try a formal, structured top (a blazer and/or a button down) with khakis or maybe jeans (though it depends on the style and your workplace, as we will discuss later). The 50% rule ensures that your outfit has at least one obviously formal piece, but it gives you the freedom to make the other half of the ensemble slightly more casual and fun. #4: Don’t Dress Like Someone Else If you’re uncomfortable with your outfit, it will show. Pick an outfit template that most closely fits your personal style. I tend towards a more bohemian and quirky aesthetic in my casual dress, which I try to translate into business casual outfits that incorporate interesting patterns in tasteful ways. I like wearing skirts and dresses as business casual options because I think the options for pants are all kind of dull. But if you’re a person who is most comfortable wearing just jeans and a t-shirt on any given day, then you shouldn’t feel compelled to wear a dress or skirt. Although your business casual outfits will never feel as comfortable as a casual outfit or loungewear, you should like the way you look and feel in them. The longer you work somewhere, the more you’ll come to understand that workplace’s specific definition of business casual and incorporate more of your personal style. This guide will get you through the first few weeks when you’re still navigating the new office! Dressing exactly the same as someone else is only acceptable if you're both adorable twin babies. #5: Know Your Colors If you’re buying a new set of clothes, make sure you can mix and match all of them. This gives you the most utility for your money and can be a lifesaver if half of your clothes are in the laundry. For example, if you buy one pair of slacks, one skirt, and three blouses, you should be able to pair each blouse with each bottom. Also, build your wardrobe on your formal pieces, not your casual pieces. Buy blouses that match the bottoms, not the other way around, or a dress that matches your blazer. Finally, choose a color palette that suits you. Your most readily available options for work slacks, skirts, and blazers will be neutral shades like black, navy, olive, grey, and khaki. These will be the easiest shades to use for creating a foundation for the rest of your business casual wardrobe. In my opinion, black is the most versatile (and almost always looks chic), but if you strongly prefer any of the other shades, you can choose to use one of them as a base instead. Flickr/Maria Morri No-Fail Business Casual Outfits The goal of this section is to give you three basic, customizable outfits. You can choose your favorite(s) and then look for clothes you have or buy pieces to build the perfect business casual outfit for your first few days of work! Also, remember that our goal here isn’t necessarily for you to look super fashionable. You want to wear clothes that are universally read as professional and put-together but don’t stand out too much. That way if your outfit skews slightly too formal or too casual, you won’t draw undue attention to yourself. Outfit 1: Pants / Blouse In an ideal world, this would be an incredibly easy outfit to put together, since it’s literally just pants and a top. But the devil is in the details! Pants For the pants, think slacks, in a material like wool crepe or a polyester blend that resembles it. You can go for either ankle or full-length. Look for skinnies, straight leg, or a slight flare. Avoid capris, culottes, super wide flares, low-rise super tight skinnies, and leggings. For the first week, avoid jeans, but if you see your coworkers wearing them, you are of course free to adopt them. Stick to darker washes, and avoid looks that are faded, damaged, and distressed. Also avoid jeans with contrast-color stitching (like American Eagle and Levis), since they look more casual. Blouse What about the blouse? You have two types to choose from: #1: Button Downs: Button downs can be a great choice because they’re universally perceived as â€Å"businessy† tops. However, they do have a downside in that for many women, it can be hard to find a button down that doesn’t have some sort of fit issue. Especially if you have a larger chest, button downs that fit perfectly in all areas without being custom tailored are basically unicorns. #2: Non Button Down: The benefits to non-button down shirts include more variety, no contention with gaping buttons, and more comfort overall. The issue on this side of things is that it’s a challenge to find blouses that aren’t too casual, sheer, or loud in their design. Lots of people run into the paradox of choice here because there are many, many options and it can be unclear which are appropriate. Here are some guidelines for the types of blouses you should choose for a business casual outfit: Has sleeves - Some workplaces will allow nice sleeveless blouses, but to be safe you should stick to designs with sleeves until you get confirmation on the policy. Relatively conservative color - Jewel tones and pastels are great, but nothing neon, no super loud prints. Not see-through - If a shirt is sheer, have something to easily layer beneath it that doesn’t look sloppy or bulky. Not too many extra details - In general, you should avoid sheer panels or lace cut-outs. One fun detail like decorative buttons should be okay, but decorative buttons plus a giant bow plus a lace hemline will look a little too garish for the workplace. If it feels boring, you can use accessories to spice things up. Sweaters: Yes or No? If a blazer and slacks or a skirt is the most common business formal outfit for women, some people say that slacks and a sweater is a standard business casual outfit. However, sweaters are tricky because they don’t work in all climates, and they run the risk of looking too casual compared to a tailored blouse. Furthermore, sweaters can show their wear pretty quickly thanks to shrinking or stretching, loose threads, and fading dye. That’s why I'm focusing more on blouses and blazers as opposed to sweaters, but if you really like wearing them, feel free to mix in some cardigans or other classy sweaters! Shoes and Accessories As discussed above, your outside choice- coat, shoes, and bag- are crucial pieces. In addition to these, you might also consider: Subtle jewelry A watch A silk scarf A low-key manicure Here are a few examples of business casual outfits that follow the pants/blouse model: Outfit 2: Skirt/Blouse Your second option is similar to the first, but replaces the pants with a skirt! Skirt When choosing a skirt, you should (at least initially) stick with options that don’t have too many bells and whistles and aren’t too short. A length just above the knee or even longer is ideal if you want to err on the more conservative side of things. The shape of the skirt is also something to consider. If you want to look professional, straight or pencil skirts are safe bets. Most A-line skirts will also work as long as they’re not too puffy. Puffy skirts can have a princess-like look that might seem too casual or immature for certain office environments. Again, neutral colors are smart choices because you’ll be able to pair the skirt with a variety of different blouses, although subtly patterned skirts can also be great options as long as they’re an appropriate length and style. Blouse For advice on choosing blouses, see the discussion in the previous section! Shoes and Accessories Again, you can incorporate some classy accessories into your look if you feel like it’s too plain. A small pop of bright color against a neutral outfit always looks nice, and it’s a way of making things more interesting without undermining the professionalism of the look as a whole. Sticking to just one accessory at first is a smart idea. Here are examples of appropriate skirt/blouse combos (some including nice sweaters as an extra layer): Outfit 3: Dress/Blazer Our final standby outfit is quite different from the others, but offers a bit more playfulness and room to experiment! Dress In choosing a dress for a business casual look, you should be on the lookout for styles with hems that fall just above the knee or lower. Shift and A-line dresses are safe bets as long as they’re an appropriate length and not too flimsy or excessively tight. Avoid sundresses, cocktail dresses, dresses with super loud prints, and dresses with cutouts. Necklines should be high cut rather than a deep V or wide neck. It’s best to assume that sleeveless dresses are off limits as well until you know otherwise. You can still wear one, but be prepared to leave your blazer on over it in the office. Blazer Ah, the blazer- that piece of clothing which seems to universally scream â€Å"business!† Since we’re in the realm of business casual for women, you don’t need to worry about getting a fancy-schmancy, lined, tailored blazer (though you can if you want to). Instead, just focus on finding a fit and color you like. Again, stick to a neutral color. It will match with a variety of outfits and won’t be too much of a distraction in the workplace. Save your hot pink blazer for after you’ve settled in and proven yourself. Also, try on different lengths. Blazers range from waist-length to hip-length to tunic-style. You may decide that one style suits you better than another. As with the other pieces in this guide, lean toward more conservative cuts (i.e. nothing super short or sleeveless) Also, don’t be afraid to bargain-shop. I found a simple black blazer at Forever 21 for probably less than $20 once, and I’ve used it to â€Å"class up† my outfits for years. You don’t have to splurge to look stylish. Although, in general, Forever 21 is probably not the best place to go to find durable professional wear. Shoes and Accessories The shoes you get to match this type of outfit depends on your personal style, but ankle boots, ballet flats, and pumps are all good options. Shoes in neutral colors are your best bet because you can wear them with a variety of different outfits. You might also choose to accessorize with one or two subtle pieces of jewelry that echo the color palette of the rest of your outfit. Here are a few examples of office-appropriate outfits that incorporate dresses and blazers (or cardigans): Adapting Business Casual for Summer and Winter Finding appropriate business casual outfits is made even more difficult if you live in an area with drastic temperature fluctuations from season to season. Here are some tips on how to adapt your business casual for women style so you can stay comfortable throughout these climate changes. How to Dress Business Casual in Summer Summer is especially difficult time to dress for work, since outside temperatures make traditional office staples like long slacks, tights, and long-sleeved shirts uncomfortable. At the same time, many of us have to deal with freezing temperatures inside the office thanks to aggressive air-conditioning. So what can you do to cope with the temperature whiplash? #1: Look for Light, Natural Fabrics Time to start reading clothing labels! When shopping for summer work clothes, go for natural fabrics like cotton and linen instead of polyester or polyester blends, because they’re less breathable. Also make sure to avoid heavier natural fabrics like wool. #2: Check the Sleeveless Policy Be careful about going sleeveless unless other coworkers do it! If it’s your first week in a new office, don’t assume it’s acceptable, but if you’ve worked there for a while and you know it won’t be objectionable, sleeveless dresses and blouses are a great way to stay cool. If you do go sleeveless, make sure you still follow all the basic business casual rules- no sheer fabrics, relatively conservative colors- and avoid anything strapless. #3: Ditch the Tights/Pantyhose You can definitely skip tights and pantyhose in the summer (unless you happen to work in a very traditional office), but keep your skirt and dress lengths conservative. Just above the knee or lower is fine, but avoid anything that veers into mini-skirt or mini-dress territory for work. #4: Investigate Sandal Options Thick leather loafers or closed-toe heels that were comfortable in cold weather might not be your favorite choice for summer. Scout out what other women in your office are wearing (are open-toed shoes ok based on what you see?). Summer friendly options include: Canvas slip-ons (even toms, depending on the office) Espiradilles Sandals in neutral colors Make sure to avoid shoes that look too casual, including flip flops and sneakers. #5: Bring Some Layers! Like we mentioned earlier, your office AC might make you cold during the day despite an uncomfortably warm commute. It’s smart to have a cardigan or blazer on hand that you can slip on if things get too chilly. If you pick one in a neutral shade like black, grey, or navy that matches all your work outfits, you only have to worry about having one! Just make sure to avoid any layers that look too casual, like hoodies or denim jackets. Or Snuggies. How to Dress Business Casual in Winter On the flip side, it can be difficult to deal with colder temperatures in winter, not to mention slogging through rain and/or snow to get to work. The good news is that more traditional office wear- pants, blazers, tights or pantyhose, wool materials- tend to keep you warmer than casual clothes. The challenge is shoring up your outfits with additional layers to keep you warm, investing in durable shoes, and finding warm but professional coats. If You Drive... Since you don’t have to cope with slogging through ice and snow, you might be able to get away with skipping winter boots and a parka. That said, if it’s freezing, no one will judge you for wearing a parka into the office or arriving in your snow boots as long as you slip into more office-appropriate footwear once you're inside. If You Commute/Walk... Definitely wear all the layers of clothes and shoes you need to get to work safely and warmly- parka, snow boots, scarf, mittens, etc. You can keep a pair of dress shoes at the office to change into when you get there. Consider wearing tights or long underwear under your work clothes, including your slacks, to help keep warm. You can even double up on tights for extra insulation! Where to Shop for Business Casual Outfits for Women So where do you go to find all this stuff? There’s a ton of options out there. I’ll categorize some of the best places to look for business casual clothes for women by price range so you can make smart decisions about where to begin your shopping. Lowest price point Target Old Navy HM Nordstrom Rack T. J. Maxx Macy's Kohl's JCPenney Dressbarn Medium price point The Gap Express The Limited Ann Taylor Modcloth Banana Republic Dillard's Nordstrom Talbots ASOS Zara Topshop UNIQLO j. jill High price point Anthropologie Calvin Klein Nordstrom J. Crew (suiting collection) Joie Boden Brooks Brothers Club Monaco Moving Forward: How to Take Style Cues from Your Office As you settle into your new office, you can start to tailor (heh) your wardrobe to fit the company culture rather than sticking with generic business casual looks. Here are a few tips on how to use your observations in the office to inform subtle outfit updates that will make a positive impact on the image you present at work. #1: Observe How Management/High-Performers Dress You know the old saying â€Å"dress for the job you want, not the job you have?† It’s actually good advice. You don’t want your work outfits to be just formal enough that they’re barely considered appropriate. You want build an overall professional, competent image for yourself. One tip in that regard is to pay particular attention to how managers and/or high-performers at your job present themselves. If you dress similarly, you're likely to be seen as one of the more focused, driven members of the team as well. #2: Don’t Completely Copy Outfits- Create Your Own Spin-Offs On the flip side, you shouldn’t carbon-copy someone else’s style, especially if it’s quite different from what you normally wear! It’s awkward, and it might suggest that you lack your own creativity or gusto. Look at how other people dress, and think about how you can create your own variations on their outfits that aligns with your personal style. #3: Pay Attention to Weekly Patterns Do people dress down on Friday? Are there specific events where people are dressed more formally (important meetings etc), or does everyone maintain the same level of formality all week? By paying attention to these cues, you’ll ensure that your outfits never look too formal or too casual. #4: Determine If Day-to-Night Transferability Is Important Some offices require you to attend work dinners or events where you're expected to dress more formally, while others focus solely on dressing for the 9-5. When in doubt, stray towards more formal looks! #5: Don’t Try to Pioneer New Office Fashion Trends (Unless You Work in a Creative Field) Even if there’s an event like a company party or dinner or fundraiser, and you’re not sure how to dress for it, you should lean toward more formal and business-y looks rather than either casual or overly dressy. It’s probably not the best time to break out your new pink faux fur jacket and light up sneakers or your full-length ball gown. I do love this jacket though. (Flickr/kelly) Business Casual for Women: Key Tips and Reliable Styles Business casual dress codes are extremely common in office environments, but it can be hard to sort out what's appropriate when you have so many different styles to choose from. Here's a quick recap of the guidelines established in this article. First, the five rules to live by when dressing for a business casual workplace: #1: No clothes with stains, rips, or wrinkles#2: Dress from the outside in (start with staple pieces like shoes, coats, and bags)#3: Follow the 50% rule- half of your outfit should be formal pieces#4: Don't dress too far out of your comfort zone#5: Start with a neutral color foundation (navy, khaki, olive green, black, or grey) Three outfit combinations that, given certain style constraints, will always be appropriate include: #1: Pants with a blouse#2: A skirt with a blouse#3: A dress with a blazer As you get more comfortable in your new office, you can adapt the rules to fit with the specific policies put in place by your company. Over time, you'll be able to personalize your business casual looks to match more with your personal style in casual dress.

Letter to the Shareholders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Letter to the Shareholders - Essay Example The emerging animal cruelty campaign has a great effect on the image of the company which translates to reduced revenues hence low shareholder returns. It is therefore important that urgent and strategic measures are accommodated by the entire shareholders’ fraternity in an effort to restore the firm. It should be noted that what happens is of significant concern as far as the future of the company is concerned. This could be noted from the shock response towards the public opinion and reactions towards the company’s crumbling image are real. However, there are alternative actions that the firm is working towards implementing to restore the glory of the company in stock market. Adoption of ethical practices that touches on animal cruelty policies will serve as key to regaining the bad organization image. Some of the changes that are important include immediate restructuring of entertainment policy which must capture the right of the whales to stress free life. There is a lease of life expected to spring back in the company after the top management made appropriate recommendations to be executed with immediate effect. AS a step towards reversing the negative publicity the company has got from the perceived animal cruelty, the shareholders are assured of immediate change of tact. It is in line with the moral obligation of the company and its esteemed shareholders to recognize the right of the whales. It is therefore important to reconcile efforts to maximize returns with the interest of the animals in question. For that reason, the company seeks to revitalize its policies on entertainment approach and adhere to rules and regulations that govern the interest of animals against harsh treatment. Should the recommended ideas be pursued, the image of the company will be restored, customer size will begin to rise and revenue will definite grow. Plans are in place to hold awareness campaign as a corporate social responsibility and

Kraft Foods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Kraft Foods - Essay Example The effectiveness of using this website as a marketing tool depends on the extent to which it achieves the desired goals and objectives set by the company. The ultimate objective of designing and hosting a website is to ensure that the company profile reaches out to as many people as possible. The fall of new and improved technologies has enhanced the company’s use of this website. The company reaches to its potential markets at the click of a button. This enhances consumer awareness, which is a fundamental aspect in marketing. The company acknowledges that markets within and without the United States are diverse and dynamic. In this respect, the Kraft Foods’ website offers a variety of product and service packages that suit specific markets in and out of the United States. Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, and the United States are some of the regions that enjoy customized product and service packages (http://www.kraft.com/). However, this does not imply that markets outside these regions are irrelevant to the company. The website is actually open to the global population, and most importantly the global market. An effective marketing tool has to account for the variations in buyer behavior, tastes, and preferences. Considering these aspects influences the performance of any given marketing tool. Kraft Foods’ website highlights the company’s product base and all the services factored in the company’s operations. This allows the consumers to enjoy a wide range of products and services that the company offers. On the same note, the website provides a platform where the user can directly engage and interact with the company, thereby allowing the company to foster functional relations with the target markets. A positive impact on the company’s marketing pursuit is realized in the process. Amid the effective use of the website by Kraft Foods, the customer service aspect could be done better. The direct interaction between

Class Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Class - Movie Review Example The opening clips are really not surprising because the United States Secretary of Defense is always accusing the Iraqis of presenting a biased view of the American operation yet the Iraqi Minister of Information was doing the exact same thing. The way that the documentary shows these two opposing views side by side is making fun of them in a way because it shows how single minded some news organizations can be when they have already decided what the news will be and then they find a story to suit that. Other networks are shown to only select news stories that fit their point of view, while a producer for Al Jazeera comments that he wants his news channel to set the standard for news reporting in the Middle East. â€Å"Control Room† follows the careers of three main individuals: Josh Rushing, David Shuster, and Tom Mintier. All of these reporters are American and so they have instruction to only show the Iraq War in a certain light. Josh Rushing is perhaps the most interesting of these three reporters because he works at the U.S. Central Command, or what is known as CENTCOM. At the start, Rushing shows how much he dislikes the Al Jazeera network because it does not show any of crimes committed by Iraqi soldiers. An American reporter then claims that there is no footage of such events even though they are likely occurring. The problem is that without any evidence of these crimes, most Arab people had a hard time believing it. Rushing also says that many American news media are guilty of the same thing, except in the opposite way. The whole film is built around this central idea that news media organizations in general are bias and only show stories that fit their beliefs. The problem i s that the truth is not told, and this is a really important during the time of war. The film changes tact part way through and focuses on American

The politics of cultural stereotyping in Los Vendidos Research Paper

The politics of cultural stereotyping in Los Vendidos - Research Paper Example Los Vendidos talks of a time in California when policies regarding race regularly emphasized the differences between black and white, rather than talking of them as one unified whole. The governorship of Ronald Reagan was a prominent cause for this, as his policies regarding race relations have been widely condemned as racist and one where class plays an important role; with poor African Americans facing the brunt of his policies (Reagan). The reference to Reagan in Los Vendidos, is thus not a passing remark on the part of Valdez. It is an overt critique of Reagan, who was then the Californian governor. Miss Jimenez is a character who has moved beyond the lower class beginnings of the Mexican immigrants that Honest Sancho initially shows her, when she asks for a representative of the Mexican American community for the campaign that Reagan intends to carry out. The story thus points to the degeneration of democratic politics into a system where it becomes merely a system where people of different communities are trapped in the form of vote banks. Valdez pokes fun at this tendency by pointing out the utter lack of agency that such representatives possess within the democratic setup that is thus envisaged. He also highlights the bitter truth of the Mexican American himself/herself choosing to stereotype people of his/her own community. This is exactly what Miss Jimenez seems to be doing (Chabram-Dernersesian, 130-45). She moreover, desires to move out of the stereotype that is forced upon her by the mainstream American society, thereby showing that stereotypes are created both by the mainstream and the marginalized sections of the society. By the end of the play, the three Mexican American men, hitherto thought to be robots, by declaring themselves human, come out of the stereotypes that are created for them by the society. They choose also to remain outside the realm of the stereotypes that Mexican Americans choose to create for themselves by uniting for the caus e of the Mexican community and thereby breaking the boundaries that are created within the Mexican American community by people like Miss Jimenez. Miss Jimenez represents the bourgeoisie who chooses to dissociate herself from her own marginalized community so as to try and be a part of the mainstream society. Her need for disguising herself as a â€Å"white washed Mexican† is something that Valdez chooses to poke fun at (Valdez). The recognition of the need for a collective action on the part of marginalized ethnic groups across the world and the need for a nation to be wary of the bourgeoisie which seeks to stifle any such attempt at revolution is what stays with the reader at the end of the story. The play also seeks to undercut the idea of the United States of America as the melting pot of all cultures, and a place where every culture is accepted, an image that is summed up in the phrase, ‘the American Dream’, which seems to promise immigrants a free society t hat does not discriminate between its citizens on superficial grounds such as race. The idea of an egalitarian America has been undercut by many writers of non-white origin during the twentieth century. This idea, which dates back to the puritanical idea of America as a utopian land was one that was created by its white settlers. The need for creating such a society through revolution and unrest is articulated in this play by the three characters who turn out to be humans and not robots, at the end of the pla

Persuasive Peer Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Persuasive Peer Review - Assignment Example It also uses the claim of â€Å"common philosophy,† which does not automatically prove that the thesis is right. The thesis for me can be rewritten into: â€Å"Technology can help people become better parents, because it supports communication needs, it teaches children to be responsible, accountable and trustworthy, and it supports connectivity and family time.† The organization of the essay is clear, but better transitions can be made, where they are connected from one main point to another. Not all paragraphs are related to the thesis. The second paragraph, in particular, does not talk about the role of technology in better parenting, and it is more focused on the role of communication skills for parents. Each paragraph has one topic only and one topic sentence, but sometimes, the paragraphs are too long. Some sentences can be removed, when they no longer contribute to the claims of the writer. The major claims are not supported with outside evidence. The writer uses personal experiences and anecdotes only to support her claims. She should have used the sources she listed at the end of the paper to support her main points. The writer, nevertheless, responds to opposing views, such as concerns for young children having cellular phones and the impact of technology on quality family time. As for citation, MLA citation is not properly used. In-text citation is missing, and the works cited list is not completed and properly organized. The writing style is sometimes too informal, because of the use of contractions, and its excessive conversational style makes the paper less credible in proving its thesis. The paper is appropriate according to the instructions, because it has 6 pages, it is double-spaced, and it has a thesis at the end of the introduction. It also uses five outside sources. The introduction does not provide any hook and it does not end with a thesis. It provides background on some of the technologies used nowadays and some potential effects of

Managing Change Project Feasibility Study Essay

Managing Change Project Feasibility Study - Essay Example Despite having a remarkable growth, there is a need to evaluate alternative fuel vehicles or more hybrid vehicles that align with consumer interests for the company to set the pace in the competitive world and dominate a position in the market place. Currently, gasoline prices have been so high thus affecting the Company’s earnings. Following this, hybrid vehicles are a significant approach to augment a positive change in the organization. The benefit of introducing hybrid cars is that, it will attribute technical and economical benefits. It is worth noting that, hybrid cars will benefit the company and the country that from gasoline saving not affected by high prices of oil. This advantage will also benefit clients as the government gives reductions to taxes attributed by gasoline savings thus overcome much crisis related to oil prices. With this in mind, the future of ABC car hire looks brighter with rapid developments of the hybrid vehicles that will improve the companyâ₠¬â„¢s earnings, economical benefit that in turn, benefits consumers. For the past years, the company utilizes gasoline that tends to be a high cost. Baearing this in mind, the United State’s dependency on the foreign oil is extremely high, and with ever shifting concern of the Middle Eastern climate teetering at impulsive level, there is a need to consider hybrid vehicles. ... te need of this project is that, gasoline has major effects on the health, environment, and the economic change that hybrid vehicles might dissipate if used. In consideration, a hybrid vehicle is the automobile with two or more sources of propulsion power. The hybrid power sources include coal, electricity, radio waves, electromagnetic, liquefied natural gas, solar, and air engine. With no doubt, there are advantages of using different power sources such as, eradicating oil politics. Globally, the Middle East has an extreme authority due to the oil deposits in that region. In this regard, some of the wars in that region have largely affected the oil prices. Following this, if the company has domestic power source for cars, this strong effect on oil prices would not affect the company. As gas prices continues to go up all the time and as climate change becomes more serious, there is a strong need of introducing hybrid cars that use two or more different power sources. Such combination makes these cars lower emissions and increase fuel efficiency compared to traditional gas cars. At these tentative economic times, when fuel efficiency matters, hybrid cars have many benefits over traditional cars that the company has used over years. Section B This section provides an outline of the proposed change and describes how this should be undertaken. To evaluate the viability of the hybrid vehicles; the management will assess the available types of fuel in the company. While there are various options of alternative fuels available, most are impractical. For instance, after carrying a thorough research, I found out that, the most popular power used is gasoline, which tends to be more expensive compared to other power sources. Ultimately, the only economical, practical, and

Persuasive Peer Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Persuasive Peer Review - Assignment Example It also uses the claim of â€Å"common philosophy,† which does not automatically prove that the thesis is right. The thesis for me can be rewritten into: â€Å"Technology can help people become better parents, because it supports communication needs, it teaches children to be responsible, accountable and trustworthy, and it supports connectivity and family time.† The organization of the essay is clear, but better transitions can be made, where they are connected from one main point to another. Not all paragraphs are related to the thesis. The second paragraph, in particular, does not talk about the role of technology in better parenting, and it is more focused on the role of communication skills for parents. Each paragraph has one topic only and one topic sentence, but sometimes, the paragraphs are too long. Some sentences can be removed, when they no longer contribute to the claims of the writer. The major claims are not supported with outside evidence. The writer uses personal experiences and anecdotes only to support her claims. She should have used the sources she listed at the end of the paper to support her main points. The writer, nevertheless, responds to opposing views, such as concerns for young children having cellular phones and the impact of technology on quality family time. As for citation, MLA citation is not properly used. In-text citation is missing, and the works cited list is not completed and properly organized. The writing style is sometimes too informal, because of the use of contractions, and its excessive conversational style makes the paper less credible in proving its thesis. The paper is appropriate according to the instructions, because it has 6 pages, it is double-spaced, and it has a thesis at the end of the introduction. It also uses five outside sources. The introduction does not provide any hook and it does not end with a thesis. It provides background on some of the technologies used nowadays and some potential effects of

A passionate and powerful poet Essay Example for Free

A passionate and powerful poet Essay Sheenagh Pugh is for me, a passionate and powerful poet; the majority of her poetry has contained the themes of the earth and how it will be ruined if we are not careful. Even within her childrens poetry, these themes are prominent. The other major theme within the poetry of Sheenagh Pugh is the bible this theme is quite often in association with divine love for earth. She deals with this in a startlingly refreshing and compassionate way, often with the sense of melancholy but never with depression. Sheenagh Pugh refers in the title of The craft I left in was called Esau  that the pilots name is Esau and she is suggesting that mankind has made a bad bargain like Esau did in the bible. The settings of the poems are different from each other; The craft I left in was called Esau is set in an spacecraft while Do you think Well ever get to see Earth again, Sir? is set in a classroom on a different planet evoking memories of home.  In Do you think well ever see earth again, sir? the setting is in a classroom and the teacher referring about earth. Sheenagh Pugh has set this poem in another world and in a class because she wants to show how it would make us think of home. She is uprooted from her culture or roots and she speaks I cant fancy a tour through the ruins of my home which suggests that she has no intentions of seeing her old traditions and earth. The theme of Sheenagh Pugh poems are to present us with a sad view of the future and a grim warning of what could be. In the craft I left in was called Esau Sheenagh Pugh mentions People joked nervously; just like a plane flight this suggests that people are joking to make themselves feel better to forget the true purpose of this trip, to forget that theyll never return.  I would have you ten years before the flood: this image gives the picture of how extreme his eternal love is and to what extent it goes. This effect of this is dramatic to the reader and builds up tension. The language of the poem becomes more positive as it progresses. The first stanza up to line ten, with its image of a woman in a trip ready to leave and never to return. The questions in the second section of the poem suggest progress towards understanding and the exclamations in the final section give the impression of sadness and remorse. In the second part she mentions No bother, no big deal. I cant recall feeling sad, not then which suggests the mood that the person is in a sad mood. The poet says that she cannot remember being sad at that moment in time but in line 12 not then she indicates she did feel sad at some point. We dont exactly when, but at some stage, she felt remorse and sad. In do you think well ever see earth again, sir? Sheenagh Pugh has been critical of Earth. The but in line 11 signals a change in direction. The speaker changes his/her approach completely and becomes optimistic. Sheenagh Pugh uses alliteration should see something to describe some beautiful thing like a leaf. This type of language gives a dramatic effect as we start to feel as we are ruining the earth and how we will remember it in the grim future. Towards the end of the craft I left in was called Esau, the passengers looked back in line 20 as they struggle to look ahead. They are still looking back to what theyre leaving behind. She mentions that earth is quite small really compared to the rest of the universe. The poet compares Earth to a guesthouse and we are just passing time on it but Earth is our permanent home. This gives us a grim warning of what could happen if we are not to careful. In do you think well ever get to see earth, sir? The speaker says at the end Look at it with the inside of your head, look at it for later, look at it for ever, and look at it once for me which suggests that the speaker wished that he/she looked at these simple things the last time they saw them? The speaker regrets not savoring the little moments and this is what Sheenagh Pugh is trying to get over the message to us to look after the earth as well not see it again once it has gone.  The language and structure of Sheenagh Pughs poems are to convey that we have to look after earth. She gets this message thought by using language as alliteration like in do you think line 11 should see some and similes in the craft I left line 7 people joked neverously; like a plane flight to show us what can happen in the near future.

Benefits of Gaming

Benefits of Gaming â€Å"You are wasting our time in front of those computers, throwing away our life as we are not getting anything back.† As I reach for the power button of my laptop, I always remember this statement from my parents. This belief, â€Å"Time is precious, it need not to be spent on something that is so wasteful like video games,† always seems to have place that is very special place in my parents’ eyes and the image of me turning on a laptop represents as the threat to them. Soon, I start to raise questions about the reasons behind these negative attitudes towards gaming. What I found, is rather nerve wracking. Because of their long complicated history associated with traditional class barriers and problems arising in our society, video games have become a stereotype in a way that is unconsciously accepted by people in every culture, including my parents. To this day, gamers are still placed at the bottom of the ladder being the worthless ones, receiving labels that falsely describe who they are. However, as our society moves forward, video games haven proven to be outweighed any criticisms out there. With new play styles being adopted over the years, video games have taught individual players the benefits of dealing with frustration and anxiety in adaptive ways, equipped them with sharper minds and creativity, motivated them to work for a better goal, while at the same time, led an industry that significantly impacted our economy in a positive way. Games were originally created with a purpose for a world in which any players could be free to become what he/she wants through individual effort. They were unlike any real world situations as in here, success was measured purely on mental talent. As expected, this new type of entertainment rapidly gained popularity all over the world. The poor class, the underrepresented people, succeeding at video game received admiration which was not easily obtainable outside of the gaming world (Meadows). For those who felt like they are left out from the community, stuck where they were because of social barriers, video games allowed them to unite under one domain as they strived to be more than their reality allowed. Utilizing this unique characteristic of video games, arcades were created to embrace this cracking of social status, making gaming more accessible for anyone. A local arcade could attract a diverse range of people, in age and race. As an 18-years-old gamer girl was quoted in an interview with Newsweek at a local arcade: â€Å"Look at all these people together—blacks, whites, Puerto Ricans, Chinese, this is probably the one place in Boston where there are not hassles about race.† However, this emerging diversity soon faced the suspicious eyes of the public as arcades got more and more popular in the media. (Langway) As many outsiders saw, arcades or video games in general were mediums attracting a complex mix of people, threating the traditional barriers. It was followed then by a series of years when the public tried to blame a specific group of people. Soon, these framing youth caused by these conservative thoughts would grow into a widely accepted stereotype that disc riminated against gamers. Gary M. Grobman, a vice president from the Special Projects, White Hat Communications defines â€Å"a â€Å"stereotype† as a generalization about a group of people within a larger community. We resort to stereotype when we cannot see the whole picture of problems in our society (Grobman). We then allow ourselves to blame gamers all that are wrong. What is involved in the stereotype of gamer? What gender do you think gamers would be? What place will they usually stay? And lastly, how do they look? If you instantly think of an overweight teen male who spends most of his life in one room, soullessly looking at the computer or TV screen, then you are falling into the classic video game stereotype because this imaginary â€Å"logo† doesn’t apply to all of the gamers out there. My parents always yell at me for how â€Å"stupid† I am sitting in front of the computer and blame video games for the cause of my low scores at school. They even compare me to my brother who doesn’t have the hobby of playing games like I do. On an imaginary scale of â€Å"addiction† in their eyes, I am at the extreme side of horrific addiction while my brother is on the other end, heavenly purity. The true reason for my dropping scores at school, however, was different. When we moved to the US, the fears being in a foreign land as well as my English pronunciation hindered most of my motivation of schooling. And long with the home sick I was experiencing, ending up in front of the computer screen was the only refuge available as it was my only way of exiting the reality. In fact, video games were not the tools that lowered my score; rather, they were the only buddy that followed and stayed with me through my journey half way around the Earth. Unfortunately, this is not the only case of the stereotype. At school, if you go around and tell your friends that you are interested in video games, the answer you receive for sharing a hobby is: â€Å"Oh that is cool.† However, when being compared to athletic kids who are on the soccer team, the reactions are at a whole different level, ranging from â€Å"Wow, what team are you rooting for at this upcoming competition? to â€Å"You must be very good right?† Somehow, we have placed the athletic kids and the smart kids as the good and active ones while putting â€Å"gamer† kids at the lowest of the bar of not â€Å"cool.† Recently, Michael Atkison, former South Australian Attorney-General made a statement in a public campaign favoring the bill of a R18+ classification for video games that: â€Å"my family is more at risk by more at risk from gamers than we are from the outlaw motorcycle gangs who also hate me† (Ramadge). The statement above can be dissected into two parts where the first part pointed out that gamers are threats for a politician’s family, while the second part stated that these threats posed by gamers are even more dangerous than motorcycle gangs. From a bias viewpoint, this statement was spoken by a politician who desperately tried to persuade people to go for his bill. More than that, from a another viewpoint, this 5 second segment of the speech made by that South Australian attorney was in many ways disproportional to the time that will in fact, be taken by scientists to confirm the certainty of the matter. According to PBS, scientist states no one has proven definite relationship between violence and video games. Despite all, what certain here is an answer which can confuse scientists â€Å"20-30 years† was stated within five seconds by a South Australian attorney. (Keim) In February 2010, Caroline Overington, an opinion writer of â€Å"The Australian†, an international and nation news company, wrote an article in which she proposed that â€Å"anyone over the age of 30 who spends any time deep in some sagging sofa, console in one hand, the other down the front of their pants, imagining themselves to be a combatant in some pretend city, is lame, they don’t participate in life in any meaningful way†, she also described gamers as ‘sadsacks’ and will â€Å"never get through an interview.† (Overington, 2010) This statement alone has revealed her inability to distinguish between gamers and lazy people who â€Å"don’t live life in a meaningful way.† She is an opinion writer who speaks her mind but doesn’t realize that such actions are not creditable without backed up documented sources. One of the well-known professional player in a game called â€Å"Leagues of Legend† named Voyboy recently released his biography involving a 2300 SAT score and the completion of International Baccalaureate program, an international high school degree . To this extent, the part of â€Å"never get through an interview† or â€Å"not living life in a meaningful way† would not be valid for applying to this case since Voyboy was accepted by competitive universities, but he refused in order to pursuit of his dream as a League of Legend professional player.(Voyboy) The fact is that gamers are not corrupted by video games. Not all of them are dangerous like motorcycle gangs or seem to be more violent than others. They play games because they are human beings with hobbies like everyone else. And as humans, they also share the same life experiences like many others. Bjergsen, a player from a League of Legend professional team called TSM shared his life story on Facebook which has many characteristic similar to what is happening in our society. He grew up with a past of being bullied; he struggled through schools and ended up dropping out. League of Legend was the refuge he usually hid in when coming home and surprisingly, it was also the path that took him out of bullying (Bjergsen). Sound familiar? With the recently title of Superbowl champion, Seattle must be familiar with the name Derrick Coleman. Growing up deaf at the age of three, he must have suffered many difficulties adapting to the schooling environment (Derrick Coleman). Much like Bjerg sen, both of them surpassed their limitations and groomed to be famous names in different fields of entertainment. With these examples being shown, it has been proven that the labels originally discriminated gamers are invalid since these players are not called â€Å"jobless ‘sadsacks’† anymore; instead they are earning an employee status with a consistence stipend for as long as they are living up to the audiences’ expectation. Gaming is like any other hobby; it always provides people unique ways of improving their potentials. Acknowledging this stereotype is a first step, the second one is learning to recognize these benefits of gaming. League of Legend is recently recognized as the most played online game in the world; it is hard to imagine that within five years the game has accumulated 32.5 million players (League of Legends). So what it make the game so popular? The game itself was based on team synergy in which there are five roles in a team (healer, magical damage carrier, tanker, and physical damage carrier) (League of Legends), each with their own unique skill sets, advantages and drawbacks. All aim for one goal: victory. Because the matching system was random, players could not always get the role they were strong at, forcing them to switch among the roles to fit the team’s need. This unique characteristic not only refreshes the game setting, attracting players, but it also promotes the idea of flexibility and efficiency, teaching players the benefits of dealing with frustration and anxiety in adaptive ways, as researchers at Radboud University Nijmegen said (Granic, Adam, Rutger) Along with the practice of control your anxiety and temper, video games can also possess the potential of enhancing players’ creativity. At grade 7, my close friend and I started playing a game called â€Å"Crossfire† for five hours on the weekends, whenever we had the chance to go out. Every week, we would challenge a couple of kids from our school to play against us with the prize being the fun we all received. These little challenges soon became an all-out, formal invitation only, series of matches that involved around sixteen participants per week. My friends and I were twelve years old back then, but we had already worked on the job of managing the tournaments, setting up the times, and planning out places where we could meet. Together we were able to maintain the tournament’s schedule of one match per week and track all the score in every match to ensure the fairness that we had promised in our invitation. Compared to what an ordinary 5th-7th grader would do, was I being unproductive with my time or anti-social as many would say? With the undeniable success of our tournament, this word could hardly be used to describe any of us who had put much of our passion to this tournament. And certainly, we are not wasting our time either, as people say. In fact, our tournament was the evidence that gaming is not only not wasteful, it also enhances gamers’ creativity. I read in the news a week ago that in 2008 players of a game called Foldit helped researchers to identify the crystal structure for a monkey virus related to AIDS (Cooper 2010). This problem had taken researchers over ten years, yet, with the creative minds used by these players, the solutions were found three weeks after the launch date of Foldit. In summary, not all video games promote the sense of creativity, however, the stereotype seems to generalize this field, making all games harmful to people. From this perspective, the claim: â€Å"Gamers are wasting their life† has proven to be inaccurate. Much like the competitive aspect of our little tournament, League of Legend has their own system which attracts players to work toward better divisions; however, the competitive atmosphere of this game is more intense compared to ours, as winning here means the difference in the level of admiration. According to Dweck and her colleagues, people who were raised within the environment where their traits meant more than their effort develop a belief that they are superior to others because of the characteristics passed on by their parents. On the other hand, people experiencing the environment based solely on effort establish a notion that success is something to be worked for, not given (Dweck). Believe it or not, these beliefs between both thoughts can lead to different outcomes when having to face the same problem. Given this information, League of Legend is placed in the â€Å"worked-for† environment. As described above, the game is set within the team based environment in which each team member is expected to perform well in order for everyone to get victory. This can be very stressful sometimes. In the virtual world, it doesn’t matter whether you are the president of the US or a drop-out high school student; if you can prove your abilities on the field, then you are better than the rest of the pack. However, if you cannot do so accordingly, then others in the team will citizen you for the loss. The problems are that players can’t constantly perform well in every match they participate. But, if they are exposed to the â€Å"worked- for† success environment, then players are more than likely to remain open to those criticism (Dweck). Unfortunately, there are not any proven relations between persistence in video games and real-world situations; however, the idea can spark the further examination into those effects that video games are bringing. As Charlie Brooker, an editor of The Sydney Morning Herald once said: â€Å"If you don’t play games, you’re not just missing out; you’re ignoring the most rapidly evolving creative medium in history.† (Brooker) Unlike their ancestor games like Mario and Pac Man of 10 to 20 years ago, modern video games have expanded through many regions on our planet, giving players more connections than ever before. Contrary to the stereotype which describes gamers as these isolated creatures who spend most of the time by themselves, a lot of players actually play with their friends and family members. In games like Farmville, a Facebook game, neighbors are crucial to your success at the farm as they are the key of improvement. In this game that Zynga created, the object is to expand the scale of your farm, from a paddle field to an animal based farm, however, because this game is created on a social network medium, the developer placed a big emphasis on the connections p eople have. As the result, in order to strive for better items to improve their farms, players need to make the decisions to trust good neighbors, the active ones, as well as reject the inactive ones. Given these diverse social interactions, players are able to acquire and practice these social skills in a little to no risk involved environment, making Farmville a candidate for social benefits that video games provide. Moving away from the personal benefits that players get from playing video games, what can society get from getting rid of this stereotype, encouraging the growth of video games? Nowadays, about half of the US populations spend their time playing either computer or video games, or both, according to the Entertainment Software Association. In fact in the past 10 years, US video games sales have grown tripled to $7 billion (Glazer). Many people think that this growing industry would not affect them at all in anyway, however, based on the principle of economic: One person’s spending is another person’s income (Krugman), this growing industry can translate into many other field, proving people with many job. And as their income rises, people can have a more flexible plan for their budget which leads to an increase in consumer spending. These chain reactions can soon boost the whole economy as more and more money is being circled around. As for our country’s benefit, we are getting a huge amount of tax revenue generated from this growing industry. And with this money, our government can have a more flexible space to work with when implementing new bills or policies. A sport is an activity in which people compete with each other while abiding the rules. Football requires the corporation between men in a team. Similarly, League of Legend or DotA ask for a team of five people in order to win a battle. All team has their unsung heroes, the one who guide them to victory, a coach. And the most important thing, both fields are soaked with the tear of victory along with disappointment of the defeats. With all these shared characters and the mentioned advantages, can someday video games be recognized as a sport if played professionally? In conclusion, time is indeed very precious as many people know, however, we cannot disregard that the fact that time spent by gamer is also valuable. For those who aim for cultural benefits, eventually, with all these presented benefits to the participants, we might recognize video games as a sport, just as we once did with chess. On the other hand, those who would like to look more into the individual benefits, video games have proven their potentials to develop players mind, equipping them with a sharper reaction and better creativity.