Human Resource Management and East Midlands Ambulance Essay

1. Executive summary The purpose of this report is to investigate the human resource management (HRM) problems that the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) is experiencing. One of the issues EMAS is experiencing is paramedics possess a lack of motivation and commitment to the job consequently causing a rise in absence. This is caused by the new budgets cuts enforced on the NHS and is impacting on the paramedic’s working life such as, cancellation of allocated break times. Another problem they are facing is the human resource department has been downsized therefor there is one HR manager and adviser covering 3 counties. This is causing work relations between HR and line managers to break down due to not enough HR staff to support every individual station. It is recommended that HR should allocate time to each station to support managers and employees and directors come to an agreement to give employees their breaks. There is additional web information to support the concepts chosen to analyse the problem. These are www.telegraph.co.uk/article/absenteeism and www.thefreelibaray.com/psycologicalcontacts. 2. Problem identification and analysis The new budget cuts to the National Health Service (NHS) are causing many  changes throughout the organisation; one sector of the organisation being highly effected is the Ambulance service. Throughout the East Midlands Ambulance Service many cost efficient changes are taking place, however they still have to meet the same standards of performance to meet their annual targets so that they will receive the same budget for the service next year if the targets are not met the budget each year will decrease. Major changes to EMAS include: * No allocated break times and lunch times. The directors say paramedics are to have their breaks and lunch aboard the ambulance between jobs ‘’when they get a minute’’ however due to the increase in emergency calls, reports revealed that some paramedics were not having lunch at all throughout a 12 hour shift. This is a breach of not only their written employment contract but their psychological contract as well. * Human resources has been downsized, there were HR managers and advisers for every county over the east midlands. The new change saw one HR manager and one HR adviser covering 3 counties and researched showed that employees felt like they had no one to turn to for advise as there HR department was far too busy for individual employee needs. This is making it very difficult for the HR department to focus on what is demotivating the employees causing absenteeism. Even though there have been many other changes to EMAS these are the priority because the result of these changes has had an immense impact on absence and sick leave, as employees are not satisfied with the new conditions to their job description. The new changes to EMAS are causing a vast chain reaction throughout the organisation mainly because most of the changes are hugely breaching employee’s psychological contract. The terms they were expecting to have when they were first employed by EMAS has now been removed for example if a paramedic were to smoke there breaks they used to get off the ambulance for refreshments etc. have now been removed they are expected to remain on board the ambulance. Such a breach would have a massive impact on their commitment to the job as they would feel that the employer has been disloyal to them and not having care for the job would lead them to take unnecessary time off. The HR department cutbacks have had a big impact to not only employees but their line mangers to. HR are finding it difficult to attain any spare time to meet with the managers to discuss recent  problems/procedures therefore all the contact is being made thought documents and letters leaving the managers confused about dealing with their team. The managers are being put under a great deal of stress as their employee expectations have been disregarded. Managers expect to have the HR department at hand for advice on employee problems and procedure. Not having this is not the job expectation they had when they first started. 3. Recommendations Solutions to these problems are very complex and the most obvious solutions are obstructed by the budget cuts. Yes the HR department need more advisers covering each county but unfortunately that cannot occur, instead propose a new system as to where the HR department travels to each station, maybe 1 district a day, to assist the line managers and provide them with up to date policies and procedures. They could also enlist employee time to discuss and problems they are facing and offer advice. This could help to build the relationships that are currently being strained. Also arranging for back to work interviews and help schemes for absentees could help to make them feel more empowered and feel the organisation really needs them back to work giving the employee a sense of purpose. As for the impractical break times for paramedics, give them a designated time to eat their lunch and have their breaks in a suitable environment, whilst one team is having a break have another standing in but make sure that whether on a break or not they must always make themselves available should they be needed. A breach in written/psychological contracts like this is unacceptable for the organisation to enforce upon the employees. The research carried out by Steers and Rhodes (1978) on absenteeism is what this organisation should follow because the employee’s ability to do the job is becoming complicated by a breach in job expectation, not resting on break creating role stress etc. therefor rescinding the employee’s motivation to work. Studying this research could open up compromises for the managers and their employees. Information The web page studied to back up the concept of absenteeism is www.telegraph.co.uk/article/absenteesim on the 26/11/2012 showed that the main cause for absenteeism was work related stress. This web page has been  selected to back up the concept of absenteeism because work related stress can be through unsatisfied job expectation and losing commitment to the role maybe through breaking of a psychological contract. This information was also backed up by the web page www.ukessays.co.uk 26/11/2012 which proves the information is a reliable source. The second concept chosen in this report is psychological contracts and web page chosen is www.thefreelibrary.com/psycologicalcontracts 26/11/2012. This page studied what would be a breach of a psychological contract. This information came from an article written by Pittensburg State University and has been back up by other sources mentioned in the article therefore is a reliable source. References Pittensburg State University. (2010). Psychological contracts. www.thefreelibrary.com/psychologicalcontracts. Last accessed 26 Nov 2012. Preston, D (2012). Book 2 An introduction to human resource management in business. p9-22. Steers, R. M. and Rhodes, S. R. (1978) ‘Major influences on employee attendance: a process model’ Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 63, No4, pp. 391-407 The Telegraph. (2011). Absenteeism. www.telegraph.co.uk/absenteeism. Last accessed 26 Nov 2012. UK essays. (2003). concepts of absenteeism. www.ukessays.co.uk. Last accessed 26 Nov 2012.

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 9

Chapter 9 THE LOCAL GUYS, THEY HAVE THEIR MOMENTS Thursday morning it became official: Dale Pearson, evil developer, was a missing person. Theo Crowe was going over the big red truck parked by the pounding Pacific at Lime Kiln Rock in the Big Sur wilderness area above Pine Cove. This was the area where half the world's car commercials were filmed – everything from Detroit minivans to German lux-o-cruisers was filmed snaking around the cliffs of Big Sur, as if all you needed to do was sign the lease papers and your life would be an open road of frothy waves beating on majestic seawalls, with nothing but leisure and prosperity ahead. Dale Pearson's big red truck did look carefree and prosperous, parked there by the sea, despite the crust of salt forming on the paint and the appearance that the owner had been washed away in the surf. Theo wanted that to be the case. The highway patrol, who had found the truck, had reported it as an accident. There was a surf-casting rod there on the rocks, conveniently monogrammed with Dale's initials. And the Santa hat he'd been wearing was found washed up nearby, and therein lay the problem. Betsy Butler, Dale's squeeze, had said that Dale had gone out two nights ago to play Santa at the Caribou Lodge and had never come home. Who went fishing in the middle of the night while wearing a Santa hat? Granted, according to the other Caribou, Dale had done â€Å"some drinking,† and he was a little wound up from his confrontation with his ex-wife the day before, but he hadn't lost his mind completely. Negotiating the cliffs by Lime Kiln Rock to get down to the water during the day was risky business; there's no way that Dale would have tried it in the middle of the night. (Theo had lost his footing and slid twenty feet before he caught himself, wrenching his back in the process. Sure he was a little stoned, but then, Dale would have been a little drunk.) The highway patrolman, who had a crew cut and looked to be about twelve – an escapee from one of the hygiene films Theo had seen in sixth-grade health class, Why Mary Won't Go in the Water – had Theo sign off on his report, then climbed in his cruiser and headed up the coast into Monterey County. Theo went back and looked through the truck again. All the things that should have been there – some tools, a black Mag flashlight, a couple of fast-food wrappers, another fishing rod, a tube of blueprints – were there. And all the things that shouldn't – bloody knives, shell casings, severed limbs, evidence of bleach from cleanup – were not. It was like the guy had just driven up here, climbed down the cliff, and washed away. But that just couldn't be the case. Dale could be mean-spirited, crude, and even violent, but he wasn't stupid. Unless he knew the exact topography of these cliffs, and had a good flashlight, he'd never have made it down in the dark. And his flashlight was still in the truck. Theo wished that he had better training in crime-scene investigation. He'd learned most of what he knew from television, not at the academy where he'd spent a miserable eight weeks fifteen years ago when the corrupt sheriff who had found his personal pot patch had railroaded him into becoming Pine Cove's constable. Since the academy, almost every crime scene he'd encountered had been turned over to the county sheriff or highway patrol almost immediately. He went over the truck cab again looking for something that might be a clue. The only thing remotely out of order was some dog hairs on the headrest. Theo couldn't remember if Dale had a dog. He put the dog hairs in a sandwich bag and dialed Betsy Butler on his cell phone. She didn't sound that broken up about Dale's disappearance. â€Å"No, Dale didn't like dogs. He didn't like cats either. He was kind of a cow man.† â€Å"He liked cows? Did you guys have a pet cow?† Could it be cow hair? â€Å"No, he liked to eat them, Theo. Are you okay?† â€Å"No, sorry, Betsy.† He had been so sure that he didn't sound stoned. â€Å"So, do I get the truck? I mean, are you going to bring it here?† â€Å"I have no idea,† said Theo. â€Å"They'll tow it to the impound yard. I don't know if they'll release it to you. I'd better go, Betsy.† He snapped the phone shut. Maybe he was just tired. Molly had made him sleep on the couch last night – saying something about him having mutant tendencies. He hadn't even known that she liked the salad shooter. He was sure that she could tell that he'd been smoking pot. He flipped the phone back open and called Gabe Fenton. â€Å"Hey, Theo. I don't know what that stuff is you brought me, but it's not hair. It won't burn or melt, and it's damn hard to cut or break. Good thing it was torn out by the roots.† Theo cringed. He had almost forgotten about the crazed blond guy he'd run over. He shuddered now, thinking about it. â€Å"Gabe, I have some more hair I'd like you to look at.† â€Å"Oh my God, Theo, did you run over someone else?† â€Å"No, I didn't run over anybody. Jeez, Gabe.† â€Å"Okay. I'll be here all day. Actually, I'll be here all night, too. It's not like I have anywhere to go. Or anyone who cares whether I live or die. It's not like –  » â€Å"Okay. I'm coming over.† There were two men and three women, including Lena, in the offices of Properties in the Pines when Tucker Case came through the door. The women were immediately intrigued by him and the men immediately disliked him. It had always been that way with Tuck. Later, if they got to know him, the women would dismiss him and the men would still dislike him. Basically, he was a geek in a cool guy's body – one feature or the other worked against him. It was an open stable of desks and Tuck went directly to Lena's desk at the back. As he went he smiled and nodded to the realtors, who smiled back weakly, trying not to sneer. They were beat from showing properties to Christmas vacation be-backs who wouldn't move here even if they could find employment in this toy town. They'd just failed to plan any vacation activities and so decided to take the kids out for a rousing round of jerk off the realtor. Or so went the party line at the MLS meetings. Lena met Tuck's gaze and instinctively smiled, then frowned. â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"Lunch? You. Me. Eating. Talking. I need to ask you something.† â€Å"I thought you were supposed to be flying.† Tuck hadn't seen Lena in her business clothes – a sensible skirt and blouse, just a little mascara and lipstick, her hair pinned up with lacquered chopsticks, a few strands escaping here and there to frame her face. He liked the look. â€Å"I flew all morning. There's weather. The edge of a storm coming.† He really wanted to pull the chopsticks out of her hair and throw her down there on the desk and tell her how he really felt, which was somewhat aroused. â€Å"We could get Chinese,† he added. Lena looked out the window. The sky was going dark gray over the shops across the street. â€Å"There's no Chinese place in Pine Cove. Besides, I'm really swamped here. I handle vacation rentals and it's Christmas Eve eve.† â€Å"We could go to your place for a quick lunch. You have no idea how quick I can be if I put my mind to it.† Lena looked past him to her coworkers, who, of course, were now staring. â€Å"Is that what you need to ask me?† â€Å"Oh, no, no, of course not. I wouldn't – that would be, well, yes – but there's something else.† Now Tuck was feeling the realtors watching him, listening to him. He leaned over Lena's desk so only she could hear. â€Å"You said this morning that that constable guy your friend is married to lives in a cabin at the edge of a ranch. It wouldn't be the big ranch north of town, would it?† Lena was still looking past him. â€Å"Yes, the Beer-Bar Ranch, belongs to Jim Beer.† â€Å"And there's an old single-wide trailer next to the cabin?† â€Å"Yes, that used to be Molly's, but now they live in the cabin. Why?† Tuck stood back and grinned. â€Å"Then white roses it is,† he said, a little too loudly for the benefit of the audience. â€Å"I just didn't know if they'd be appropriate for the holidays.† â€Å"Huh?† Lena said. â€Å"See you tonight,† Tuck said. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, then sauntered out of the office, smiling apologetically at the exhausted realtors as he went. â€Å"Merry Christmas, you guys,† he said, waving from the door. The first thing that Theo noticed when he entered Gabe Fenton's cabin was the aquariums with the dead rats. The female was scampering around the center cage, sniffing and crapping and looking rat-happy, but the others, the males, lay on their backs, feet shot to the sky, like plastic soldiers in a death diorama. â€Å"How did that happen?† â€Å"They wouldn't learn. Once they associated the shock with sex, they started liking it.† Theo thought about his relationship with Molly over the last few days. He pictured himself in the dead-rat display. â€Å"So you just kept shocking them until they died?† â€Å"I had to keep the parameters of the experiment constant.† Theo nodded gravely, as if he understood completely, which he didn't. Skinner came over and headbutted him in the thigh. Theo scratched his ears to comfort him. Skinner was worried about the Food Guy, and he was hoping that maybe the Emergency Backup Food Guy might give him one of the tasty-smelling white squirrels in the cages on the table, now that it appeared that the Food Guy was finished cooking them. This teasing was as bad as when that kid at the beach used to pretend to throw the ball, then not throw the ball. Then pretend to throw the ball, but not throw the ball. Skinner had to knock the kid down and sit on his face. Boy, had he been bad-dogged for that. Nothing hurt like being bad-dogged, but if the Food Guy kept teasing him with the white squirrels, Skinner knew he was going to have to knock him down and sit on his face, maybe even poop in his shoe. Oh, I am a bad, bad dog. No, wait, the Emergency Backup Food Guy was scratching his ears. Oh, that felt good. He was fine. Doggie Xanax. Never mind. Theo handed Gabe the sandwich bag with the hairs in it. â€Å"What's the oily substance in the bag?† Gabe said, examining the specimen. â€Å"Potato-chip flotsam. The bag is from my lunch yesterday.† Gabe nodded, then looked at Theo the way the coroner always looks at the cop on TV – like: You numbskull, don't you know that you're contaminating evidence just by continuing to draw breath and I'd be a lot more comfortable with you if you'd stop? He took the bag over to the microscope on the counter, removed a couple of the hairs, and put them on a slide with a cover, then fitted it into the microscope. â€Å"Please don't tell me it's polar bear,† Theo said. â€Å"No, but at least it's an animal. It seems to have a distinct sour-cream-and-onion signature.† Gabe pulled back from the microscope and grinned at Theo. â€Å"Just fucking with you.† He gave Theo a gentle punch to the arm and looked back into the microscope. â€Å"Wow, the medulla is absent and there's low birefringence.† â€Å"Wow,† echoed Theo, trying but not really feeling the low-birefringence stoke that Gabe was. â€Å"I have to check the hair database online, but I think it's from a bat.† â€Å"There's a database for that? What, Bat Hair Dot-Com?† â€Å"That was supposed to be the whole purpose of the Internet, you know. To share scientific information.† â€Å"Not a Viagra- and porn-delivery system?† Theo said. Maybe Gabe was going to be okay after all. Gabe moved to the computer at his desk and scrolled through screen after screen of microscope photos of mammal hair until he found one he liked, then went back to the microscope and checked it again. â€Å"Wow, Theo, you've got yourself an endangered species here.† â€Å"No way.† â€Å"Where the hell did you get this? Micronesian giant fruit bat.† â€Å"Out of a Dodge pickup truck.† â€Å"Hmm, that's not listed as their habitat. It wasn't parked in Guam, was it?† Theo fished his car keys out of his pocket. â€Å"Look, Gabe, I have to go. Meet at the Slug for a beer tonight, okay?† â€Å"We can have beer now, if you want. I have some in the fridge.† â€Å"You need to get out. I need to get out. Okay?† Theo was backing out the door. â€Å"Okay. I'll meet you at six. I have to go pick up some Super Glue solvent at the Thrifty-Mart.† â€Å"Bye.† Theo jumped off the porch and loped to the Volvo. Skinner barked at him in four-four time. Hello? Tasty white squirrels? Still in the little box? Hello? You forgot? When Theo pulled up to Lena Marquez's house, there was a generic white economy rental car (A Ford Mucus, he thought) parked out front. He looked for the bat he'd seen hanging from the porch ceiling, but it wasn't there. He hadn't even filed the experience of running over the apparently indestructible blond guy, and now he was facing the possibility that he might actually be about to confront a murderer. Just in case, he'd stopped at home and gotten his gun off the shelf in the closet and his handcuffs off the bedpost where Molly had last imprisoned him when they had still been speaking. (She'd been in the yard out behind the cabin, working out with a bamboo shinai kendo sword she'd been using since breaking her broadsword – he'd snuck in and out without confrontation.) He unsnapped the Glock's nylon holster that was clipped to the back of his jeans and rang the doorbell. The door opened. Theo screamed and drew his gun as he jumped back. On the other side of the threshold, Tucker Case screamed and dove backward also, shielding his face with his hands. His hat made a little yelping sound. â€Å"Hold it right there,† Theo said. He could feel his pulse beating in his neck. â€Å"I'm holding, I'm holding. Jesus, what the fuck is this about?† â€Å"You have a bat on your head!† â€Å"Yeah, and for that you're going to shoot me?† The bat, his huge black wings wrapped around the pilot's head, gave the impression of a large leather cap with a Mohawk crest of fur that culminated in a big-eared little dog face that was now barking at Theo. â€Å"Well, uh, no.† Theo lowered the gun, feeling a little embarrassed now. He was still in his shooter's crouch, though, which now, with the gun lowered, made him look like he was posing as the world's skinniest sumo wrestler. â€Å"Can I get up?† Tuck asked. â€Å"Sure, I just wanted to talk to Lena.† Tucker Case was exasperated and his bat had fallen over one eye. â€Å"Well, she's at her office. Look, if you're going to get high, maybe you ought to leave the gun at home, huh?† â€Å"What?† Theo had been careful to use some Visine, and it had been hours since he'd hit his Sneaky Pete pot pipe. He said, â€Å"I'm not high. I haven't gotten high in years.† â€Å"Yeah, right. Constable, maybe you'd better come in.† Theo stood and tried to shake off the appearance that he'd just had about five years of life scared out of him by a guy with a bat on his head. He followed Tucker Case into Lena's kitchen, where the pilot offered him a seat at the table. â€Å"So, Constable, what can I do for you?† Theo wasn't sure. He'd planned on talking to Lena, or at least the two of them together. â€Å"Well, as you probably know, we found Lena's ex-husband's truck up in Big Sur.† â€Å"Of course, I saw it.† â€Å"You saw it?† â€Å"From the helicopter. Tucker Case, contract pilot for the DEA, remember? You can check me out if you want to. Anyway, we've been patrolling that area.† â€Å"You have?† The bat was looking at Theo and Theo was having trouble following his own thoughts. The bat was wearing tiny sunglasses. Ray-Bans, Theo could see by the trademark in the corner of one lens. â€Å"I'm sorry, Mr., uh – Case, could you take the bat off your head. It's very distracting.† â€Å"Him.† â€Å"Pardon?† â€Å"It's a him. Roberto. He no like the light.† â€Å"Pardon?† â€Å"Friend of mine used to say that. Sorry.† Tucker Case unwrapped the bat and put it on the floor, where it spidered away, walking on its wing tips into the living room. â€Å"God, that's creepy,† Theo said. â€Å"Yeah, you know, kids. What are you gonna do?† Tuck dazzled a perfect grin. â€Å"So, you found this guy's truck? Not him, though?† â€Å"No. It was made to look like he was washed into the ocean while fishing off the rocks.† â€Å"Made to look? So, you suspect foul play?† Tuck bounced his eyebrows. Theo thought the pilot should be taking this more seriously. It was time to drop the bomb. â€Å"Yes. First, he never came home after the Caribou Christmas party Tuesday night, where he played the joke Santa. No one goes surf-fishing in the middle of the night, wearing a Santa suit. We found the Santa hat still in the truck, and I found hairs from a Micronesian fruit bat on the headrest.† â€Å"Well, that's a coincidence. Jeez, that's got to make you suspicious, doesn't it?† Tucker Case got up and went over to the counter. â€Å"Coffee? I just made it.† Theo stood up, too, just because he didn't want the suspect to get away, or maybe to show that he was taller, because it seemed like the only advantage he had over the pilot. â€Å"Yes, it is suspicious. And I talked to a kid Tuesday night who said he saw a woman killing Santa Claus with a shovel. I didn't think anything of it then, but now I think the kid might have actually seen something.† Tucker Case was busying himself with getting cups out of the cupboard, milk out of the fridge. â€Å"So, you did tell the kid that there's no Santa, right?† â€Å"No, I didn't.† Now Tucker Case turned, coffeepot in hand, and regarded Theo. â€Å"You know that there is no Santa, don't you, Constable?† â€Å"This is not a joke,† Theo said. He hated this – hated being the MAN. He was supposed to be the smart-ass in the face of authority figures. â€Å"Cream?† Theo sighed. â€Å"Sure. And sugar, please.† Tuck finished preparing the coffee, brought the cups to the table, and sat down. â€Å"Look, I see where you're going with this, Theo. Can I call you Theo?† Theo nodded. â€Å"Thanks. Anyway, Lena was with me Tuesday night, all night.† â€Å"Really? I saw Lena on Monday. She didn't mention you. Where did you meet?† â€Å"At the Thrifty-Mart. She was a Salvation Army Santa. I thought she was attractive, so I asked her out. We hit it off.† â€Å"You make it a habit of hitting on the Salvation Army Santas?† â€Å"Lena said that you're married to a scream queen called Kendra, Warrior Babe of the Outland.† Theo nearly shot coffee out his nose. â€Å"That was a character she used to play.† â€Å"Yeah, Lena says sometimes that's not so clear to her. My point is: Love is where you find it.† Theo nodded. Yeah, that was true. Before he drifted into a wistful state of mind, Theo reminded himself that this guy was, in an offhand way, attacking the woman he loved. â€Å"Hey,† Theo said. â€Å"It's okay? Who am I to judge? I married an island girl who had never seen indoor plumbing until I brought her to the States. Didn't work out –  » â€Å"Fruit-bat hair in the truck,† Theo interrupted. â€Å"Yeah, I knew you'd come back to that. Well, who knows? Roberto goes out on his own from time to time. Maybe he met this Dale guy. Maybe they hit it off. You know, love is where you find it. I doubt it, though. I hear that this Dale guy was a real creep.† â€Å"Are you implying that your bat may have something to do with the disappearance of Dale Pearson?† â€Å"No, you nitwit, I'm saying that my bat may have had something to do with bat hair, which, even you, with your Sherlock Holmes-like powers of observation, may have noticed he is all covered with.† â€Å"I can't believe you're a cop,† Theo said, getting truly angry now. â€Å"I'm not a cop. I just fly the helicopter for the DEA. They hire me by the season, and this is close to the harvest season in Big Sur and surrounding areas, so here I am, flying around looking in the forest for dark green patches while the agents in the back look at it through infrared and record everything on GPS so they can get specific warrants. And man, do they pay well. ‘Vive la war on drugs, I say. But no, I'm not a cop.† â€Å"I didn't think so.† â€Å"Funny thing is, I have learned to spot the right color of green from the sky, and usually the infrared confirms my suspicions. This morning I spotted about a thousand-square-foot patch of marijuana growing just north of the Beer-Bar Ranch. You know where that is?† Theo felt a lump in his throat the size of one of Gabe's dead rats. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Man, that's a lot of pot, even by commercial growers' standards. Felony quantity. I turned the helicopter – steered away without calling it to the agent's attention, but weather permitting, we could go back. There's a storm coming in, you know? Roberto and I drove by there this afternoon just to make sure. I guess I can always show the agents tomorrow.† Tucker Case put down his coffee, leaned on his elbows, and turned his head sideways like he was a cute kid in a cereal commercial who was reaching sugar nirvana. â€Å"You're a very unlikable man, Mr. Case.† â€Å"Oh my God, you should have seen me before I had my epiphany. I used to really be an asshole. I'm actually very charming now. By the way, I saw your wife working out in the yard at your house – very nice. The whole sword thing is a little scary, but otherwise, very nice.† Theo got to his feet, feeling a little dizzy even as he stood, like he'd been hit with a sock full of sand. â€Å"I'd better be going.† Tucker Case put his hand on Theo's shoulder as he walked him to the door. â€Å"You probably don't believe this, Theo, but at another time, I'm sure we'd be friends. And you have to understand, I really, really want things to work out with Lena. It was like we met just at the precise moment, the exact second, that I got over my divorce and was ready to love again. And it's so nice to have someone to bone under the Christmas tree, don't you think? She's a great woman.† â€Å"I like Lena,† Theo said. â€Å"But you are a psychopath.† â€Å"You think?† Tuck said. â€Å"I've really been trying to be more helpful.†

Contributions of Tun Dr Mahathir Essay

Dr Mahathir was Malaysia’s fourth Prime Minister and he worked very hard to develope our country since the day he was appointed as the Prime Minister. Dr M served as the prime minister of Malaysia for 22 years. He created a concept called VISION 2020, where by the year 2020 Malaysia is expected to be a fully developed country. He called upon the entire citizens of Malaysia to work harder and to prepare themselves to really achieve that vision. Dr M transformed Malaysia from a country that completely depended on self-subsistant agriculture, cultivation of rubber and tin mining, into a vibrant economic country based on trading and industrialisation. Malaysia now has heavy and high technology industries that have become more developed and competitive with other developed countries in the world. Besides that, Dr Mahathir took steps to enable Malaysia to face the future by establishing the Multimedia Super Corridor, which emphasizes ‘Information Technology’ as a very i mportant asset for the country in the new millennium. Dr Mahathir also announced the National Car Project (Proton), which is one of the many important developments of Malaysia in achieving Vision 2020. In the field of literature, Dr Mahathir has contributed greatly since his schooling days. Due to his great interest in writing, Dr Mahathir was an editor of a magazine called Darulaman. Other than that, Dr Mahathir successfully handled the financial crisis 1997 and stabilized the Malaysian economy. All schools were equipped with computers with the help of Dr Mahathir. Dr Mahathir helped Malaysia to not depend too much on neighbouring country ports by constructing Malaysia’s own major ports. This helped Malaysia to reduce foreign currency outflow until now. Dr Mahathir beginned various large scale national projects, such as the North-South Highway, The Multimedia Super Corridor, Malaysia’s new administrative capital Putrajaya, Port of Tanjung Pelepas, KLIA in Sepang, and an adjacent Formula One Circuit, Olympic-class stadium in Bukit Jalil and the Petronas Twin Towers, the tallest twin towers in the world, the world’s tallest building from 1997-2003, that has become the symbol of modern Malaysia.

A Description of Gangnam Style Viral Videos Essay

A Description of Gangnam Style Viral Videos - Essay Example The principal idea of the song is of a self-declared popular man searching for the ideal partner who knows the time to become wild and the time to be refined (Copsey 6). In addition, Psy’s Gangnam style unanticipated reputation has led to many  interpretations of its meaning. Psy’s Gangnam style established a comical connection with its audience from the beginning. The video rapidly developed an association with the artiste, his actions, and events by permitting the viewers to share in Psy’s captivating dancing moves. As Psy entertains his viewers with the dancing moves, he also highlights aspects of his location, the Gangnam district. Associations such as these can be made through an entertaining artist or attractive elements in a video. Moreover, Psy’s Gangnam style video also went viral because it employed the element of creative disruption (Ramstad 26). The video contains memorable dance styles, a carousel, singing from a toilet, and houses. Gangnam style is entirely unexpected, catchy, and outrageous. The video received significant coverage from all over the world and from sites, for example, KoreaBoo, Yahoo, and AllKPop, and became viral within days of its circulation. The following weeks saw the music videos get recognition from pop music and internet humor sites, for example, PopDust, Gawker, FunnyJunk, and BuzzFeed. Psy’s Gangnam style was presumed to be a viral YouTube video by newsrooms, for example, ABC News and CNN by the first week of August (Ramstad 32). Community influencers also contributed to the video going viral. The popularity of a video can be enhanced by getting support from tastemakers and influencers within the related online communities. Psy’s Gangnam style has also had an impact in Asia. The video’s sophisticated arrangement and rendering have made it extremely popular with the entire public.  

High Speed Rail in United States Research Paper

High Speed Rail in United States - Research Paper Example The commitment of the USA government in the developing of high speed rail is captured in the recent speech by president Obama that: â€Å"We want to start looking deep into the 21st century and say to ourselves, There is no reason why other countries can build high-speed rail lines and we cant", Right here in Tampa we’re building the future’’ (Walsh, 2010)   "Building a world class transportation system is part of what made us an economic superpower."  Ã‚  "And now we're going to sit back and watch China build newer airports and faster railroads - at a time when millions of unemployed construction workers could build them right here in America." (US High-Speed Rail Association, 2011)  Ã‚  The above speeches by President Obama called for the creation of a high-speed rail so as to enhance economic productivity. According to Walsh (2010), on Thursday, January 28, 2010, the White House announced that it was to award $8 billion in efforts to stimulate the start ing of high-speed rail projects and improve 13 other corridors across the USA. President Obama and his deputy president Joe Biden traveled to Tampa, Florida in their campaign to announce the kicking off an 84-mile high-speed track project from Tampa to Orlando.  High-speed Rails brings about economic development creates employment and brings changes in land uses which are beneficial. nationalatlas.gov (2011) observes that Freight railroads are important for global competitiveness and the economic well-being of United States.

Geology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Geology - Essay Example After miners have extracted the ores from the ground, they then refine them using other substances to remain with the valuable elements. Extraction and processing of these iron ores is an expensive venture but it largely depends on mineral concentration and the form it occurs in the ground. In order to establish if a mine is commercially viable, the engineers evaluate if it has substantial mineral and metal deposits whose proceeds will generate income over and above the mining costs. In mineral extraction, there are terms that help us understand this whole refining process. Industrial minerals are stones and other naturally occurring substances that are mined and processed because they have an economic value. This is because they are used to produce other compounds and objects that are used for technological advancements. Protolith is the original rock formation that is passed through a series of solutions to come up with the resultant mineral, the process of passing these rocks thro ugh water and other solutions through a chemical reaction is called metasomatism. Gangue is a term that refers to the parts of the ore left after minerals and metals have been extracted. It is the largest contributor to environmental concerns associated with mineral extraction since it forms large debris that is not easily disposed. They also contaminate water meant for commercial and domestic use when it comes into contact with. This is because it has other dangerous minerals which mix with water to form a harmful compound to animal and plant life (Middleton, 2003 p 56)2. Other gases are released to the atmosphere causing air pollution. Occurrences The earth is made up of three components; the air (atmosphere), water (hydrosphere) and land (lithosphere). Minerals form part of the soil underneath our feet. There are numerous geological reactions that happen underground that result in mineral formation and its contents largely depends on the amount of each element taking part in the process. The time taken to form these minerals also ensures huge deposits since some chemical reactions take time to reach full reaction. The time taken and amount of elements forming these minerals and metals determine the quantity and quality of eventual produce. Geologists then determine these considerations before engaging the authorities and locals in preparations for extraction. For instance, to extract commercially viable aluminium from the ground, its composition in the gangue should be at 8.2%, with an acceptable grade of 30%. It is at 5.6% and 50% for iron respectively (Mather, 1967)3. These metals exist in their mineral form in a variety of compounds shown by chemical formulas. Table 1: Mineral occurrences of famous metals Mineral Metal Mineral formula Galena Silver Ag Native gold Gold Au Azurite Malachite Chalcopyrite Copper (exists in three forms) Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 Cu2CO3(OH)2 CuFeS2 Haematite Magnetite Pyrite Iron(exists in three forms) Fe2O3 Fe3O4 FeS2 Galena Lead PbS Ca ssiterite Tin SnO3 Cinnabar Mercury HgS Geological distribution These metals exist in the ground as sulphides, sulphites, sulphates, silicates and oxides. The choice of chemicals used in purification stage depends on the form parent metal exists in. Copper exists in three forms (Cu, Cu2 and CuO) and together with iron, are mostly found in carbonate rocks which are formed through a prolonged process of chemical reactions. These metals are also found in sandstones and shales which are sub-crustal rock formations (Press, 2004 p 71)4. Evaluating mineral deposits across the globe is an arduous task since it is difficult to effectively determine the presence of a metal in geographically expansive

Prediction of Coastal Wave Breaking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Prediction of Coastal Wave Breaking - Essay Example However the magnitude of such waves may be unequal. In the process, the energy from the wind is transferred to the wave and this is then carried on to great distances. In this process, a waver undergoes many transitions in its energy and characteristics when it interferes with other waves. The energy of such a wave might then increase or decrease when such interferences occur. In this phenomenon of energy transfer, the water molecules itself do not physically move with the wave but rather pass on the energy in the direction of the wave by just moving up and down. Creation of waves is a continuous process and therefore small and large waves can be seen almost continuously to be moving towards the shore. Such waves are created at any location in oceans irrespective to its relative location with the land mass however differential temperature play an important role in governing where shall the wind blow from and eventually plays a vital role in generation of waves. The temperatures of oceans also differ from each other and the kind of waves that can be seen in one differs much from the other. When the wave approaches landmass and as the sea floor begins to rise, the wave gradually changes its shape. Its physical form gets transformed and edge waves are generated by this interaction. When a swell reaches the coastline it also comes nearer to the sea floor which offers friction and results in eventually slowing down of the wave. The wave loses some part of its energy with this contact. With this retardation in speed, the period of the wave is shortened and thus the wave height increases and this creates more visible and turbulent crests in a wave. This phenomenon of slowing down of waves is called shoaling. The manner in which this happens is largely dependent upon the nature of the sea floor; especially it's gradient. This process of shoaling ultimately results into a situation where the top of the wave attains a considerable height and the forward movement of the upper part overtakes the wave and begins to spill foreword. This results into the disintegration of the wave formation and thus resulting into what is called a 'wave break'. This breaking of wave is dependent on many different factors such as the type of swell, the direction and intensity of wind, slope of sea bed and sea floor features like physical objects, vegetation etc. The factor of wind is the most vital in understanding and prediction how the wave shall break in what time of the day. When the offshore wind is blowing from the land side to the seaside, it prolongs the time that a wave takes to break. The wind blows to act against the top part of the wave and thus provides it a support. Therefore the wave takes longer time to break in comparison to what it would have taken in the absence of wind. In this case the wave creates more powerful break when it is achieved. The onshore wind that flows from sea side to the landside acts in the opposite manner to the phenomenon explained in the offshore winds and therefore it lessens the time that a wave needs to break by pushing the upper part of the wave. In a way, it aids the water to break even before it reaches the desired amount of rise so as to cause its naturally swelling. In this phenomenon it can be seen that many times the waves break before teaching the

Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Finance - Essay Example Here the opportunity cost of capital is assumed to be 12%. Thus by adopting it as the discount rate for all future cash flows one can effectively obtain the NPV for them. This gives a few advantages. In the first place proper financial management requires a realistic opportunity cost to be set against capital. Though over a period of 5 years there can be considerable pressure on interest rates, a steady return of earnings would be ensured through proper cash flow management. After all the above cash flow forecasts are assumed to be constant though, in reality they might vary. The decision to make the investment is based on the apparent returns by way of future cash flows and it does not take into account the risk factor involved. For instance the investor has totally disregarded DCF method because he probably considers those future returns to be final and conclusive with respect to their values. The DCF calculations and the NPV figure of the total investment show that the decision is fairly justifiable because the NPV is equal to  £ 123,928.60 which is a considerable value against probable future inflationary pressure, i.e. the opportunity cost of capital. The importance of discounting future cash flows by using these formulas also depends on other factors as well. Discounted cash flows give a real picture of the future possibilities. Since DCF is what an individual is willing to pay at present in order to have what he expects to have in the future, it’s a process of expressing future revenue flows in terms of today’s value. Probably the most important reason behind DCF is the fact that inflation erodes the value of money in times to come, i.e. future. Therefore it’s essential to make up for the loss. That is why in each subsequent DCF multiplied by the number of years, a lower value comes up. The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) sets the present value of all future cash flows of an investment equal to zero.

TOPIC C Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

TOPIC C - Essay Example I can imagine how crucial it would be to develop analytical skills and train creative faculties of mind for every engineer who is bound to pursue a career in the industry where it takes pure heart and determination to exercise potentials toward achieving optimum results. Besides scholastic endeavour, I could foresee much fruitfulness in active participation through extra-curricular activities by which to become disposed to communicating with different kinds of people with diverse educational orientation and cultural background. This would enable socialization that is vital to my growth as an engineering student in need of learning via individual effort and that derived from dynamic human relation, in equal measures. Engaging in organizations that facilitate such activities may direct me to satisfy professional aims in the light of understanding the world better and know thereafter what I can do at best to serve it as I discover rich source of ideas and values to obtain and impart by means of constant interaction with others, in and out of the

Example Lay Out of School Paper Essay Example for Free

Example Lay Out of School Paper Essay It has been 5 years since the School of Education (SOE) tasted the sweetness of pride wearing the crown of Miss WVSU-LC. And now Miss Rita Marie Penado got it again for the SOE last September 21, 2012 when she outshined the three other competitors from the three departments/school. Miss Penado, a first timer for the pageant will represent the campus to Miss WVSU 2013 during the University Week Celebration scheduled on January 2013 at Main Campus Lapaz Iloilo City. During the local pageant, Penado received minor awards on Miss Photogenic, Most Popularity, Best in Talent, and Best in Interview. Mr. James Paren of BSED-IV escorted Miss Penado to the contest and consequently won the title of First Runner Up with special awards on Best in Talent and Mr. Popularity. Representative from the School of Technology Mr. Ricky Javana was crowned Mr. WVSU-LC 2012 with the following minor awards: Mr. Photogenic, Best in Formal Wear, and Best in Interview. Other contenders were Miss Jessa Horlador from the School of Technology, First Runner Up; Miss Beverly Lubas and Mr. Mark Anthony Espadon from the School of Criminology, Second Runner Up; and Mr. Raymond John Tiu and Miss Jerelyn Lomitillo from the School of Management, Third Runner Up. Hinampang 2012 By: April Lyn Geti-ayon Christine Joy Vallejo West Visayas State University-Lambunao Campus extended their annual University Hinampang last September 13-15, 2012. The activity was participated by the schools which are segregated into four energetic and competing Units; Unit 1-Torch (school of education), Unit 2-Pheonix (school of Technology), Unit 3-Eagles (school of Criminology) and Unit 4-Lions (school of management). This three days celebration had started with the parade of the faculty and staff and the different schools, organizations,  and clubs. The opening program was highlighted with the cheer dance competition sponsored by the cultural affairs wherein the Unit 4-Lions (school of Management) bagged the trophy of championship for the year’s cheer dance competition. Hinampang 2012 activity aims to intensify the hidden skills, talents and abilities of every student as well as to strengthen their good sportsmanship among other students. Editorial†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ K12: for Globalization By: Hazel Hablador After considering various proposals, K12 Program finally took its step towards globalization. Officially, the implementation of this program had started this School Year 2012-2013. Despite of the shortcomings such as lack of school facilities, classrooms, and teachers, the government believes that Philippine Education needs this program in order to decongest and enhance the basic education curriculum and provide better quality education for all which is the demand in the global market. The model that is currently proposed by the Dep-Ed is the K-6-4-2 Model. This model embroils Kindergarten, six years of elementary education, four years junior high school (grades 7-10), and two years senior high school (grades 11-12). The two years senior high school anticipates running time for students to consolidate acquired academic skills competencies. With the help of k12, we can show the world that we can compete globally. Upshot to this are accelerated economic growth, mutual recognition of Filipino graduates and professionals in other countries and positive overall impact on society. This is the best step that the government had imposed for the betterment of all. Let us always remember that whatever changes that may happen in the education system of our country, it is still part of our learning. We just need to follow and widen our fruitage of knowledge so that whatever zigzag road we may take, at the end, the road we have taken is still peaceful and bountiful. This is the change that will bring us to a new life and will make us competent to other countries. The BSED III Jefhrey Canopin Janine Marie Pama Marven Losaria April Lyn Geti-ayon Harold Quimba Christine Joy Vallejo Hazel Hablador April Lasangre Anthea Lebanan Richen Lindres Krizzan Jade Jumilla Jenalyn Gonzaga Mhay Lauron April Rose Lindong Anna Rose Soler Essays†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. The Joy of Triumph (A simple Talk to a Queen) By: Jenalyn Gonzaga and April Rose Lindong It was early in the morning of October 5, 2012 when I was walking along the corridor to attend the World’s Teachers’ Day; I met the reigning queen of WVSU-LC 2012. In a far distance I spotted the exotic beauty of Rita Marie Penado so I turned my way just to meet her. The crowned queen was very approachable and kind hearted so I invited her for a short chat. â€Å"Hello Miss Rita can I ask you a favor?† â€Å"Yes what is it?† â€Å"I just want to ask you about the pageant†. â€Å"What did you feel w2hen you were crowned as Miss WVSU-LC?† Rita replied with a sweet smile on her face â€Å"well, when I was crowned as Miss WVSU-LC 2012, I couldn’t exactly explain what my feeling was. It was unexplainable happiness. My tears run down my eyes; tears of joy. Likewise, I felt proud of my school. I didn’t expect of winning the crown but I did. It’s because I trust God. â€Å"Wow that’s great! â€Å"What are your preparations before the grand pageant?† â€Å"Actually, I’m not prepared like the other candidates. All I did was set my mind for the pageant, a little bit of practice and pray for God’s guidance during the pageant. That’s all, nothing less, nothing more.† â€Å"Really? What do you feel when you are walking on stage?† â€Å"Definitely, I was  nervous, so nervous that I couldn’t stand nor looked straight to the judges as well as the audiences. I imagined a crowd was looking at me. Oh My Gosh! That was my first time to join a pageant. I thought of stepping back, but never did me. The worst about it was I’m not even expecting to win the crown.† Rita told me with open heart. To be continued on page ..4 AGONY OF DEFEAT By: Richen Lindres and Anthea Lebanan After such tremendous victory winning the cheerdance competition it is surprising to say the least. Suddenly we are presented with a series of failure that stands and striking contrast for the wonderful victorious of the past two years. How instructive this if we only have the ears to listen to the message of this: â€Å"the thrill of victory was so quickly replaced by the agony of defeat†. This is the story of defeat. This the story of life and something we must learn to deal within our daily walk. One minute, we can be living in victory and next is defeat. The whistle blew. It was all over. The long practices and hard game, all the running and training, all the tough and shooting, all the pasta parties and toilet papering, everything. Over, ended, done. Why? Because the whistle had blown.as one team run off the field for joy and excitement, the other walked off in utter disappointment . as one side cheered, the other cried. The opposing team had left, the crowds had cleared, but our team just sat at our bench, looking, staring, and glaring at the empty field; mud patches and torn up grass everywhere. Poster everywhere, some hug high on the windows and some still sturdy on walls while others hung by a thread , others were just thrown to the ground by one-lookers and still more hung on fences wishing, wanting, hoping, for nothing but for the best of the team. Everyone stood, sat, laid looking at the field in amazing filled with disappointment, anger and sadness all the same time, trying to comprehend how everything they had worked so hard for had come to an end so quickly. Put to an end by the blow of the whistle. Thinking back to all the perfect opportunities..missed, all the unlucky touches or unconnected passed wondering what would have happened  if one thing had been done differently. Tears, hugs, words, it was all enough; it all meant nothing. It wasn’t supposed to end like this, and yet, with the final whistle, it did. Everyone now is experiencing the agony of defeat. Some days when they are sitting in class, staring out the window, at the field, they remember, they wonder, they wish, they push it out of their minds, still experiencing the agony of defeat. Sports†¦and others†¦. EAGLES BEATS THE TORCHES By: Janine Marie Pama and Ana Rose Soler Joy of triumph†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. â€Å"So will you kindly share to us some beauty tips in order to maintain our beauty and body.† â€Å"hahahaha† Rita gave a short laugh. â€Å" to tell you frankly, I never expected that question. Well, to maintain your beauty and body; simply relax, eat moderately with healthy foods, be stress free and most of all smile, all out smile and the world will smile at you.† â€Å"Thanks Rita. It was a pleasure to have a talk with you. Rita just gave a big â€Å"hahahahahahahahhaha† We exchanged laughter together. It was a great moment for me to have a chat with the reigning queen. Despite of the rain and muddy field, Eagles (School of Criminology) made it to the top when they smashed down the Torches (School of Education) during the championship game of football women last September 15, 2012. The Eagles beat down the torches with the score of 1-0 on the first half. Another ball was made to goal on the second half score of Eagles. The game ended with the tally of 2-0. Lions Roared and Crushed the Eagles By: Harold Quimba and April Lasangre On the hotness of the game, the management lions made it to the champ and whitewashed the Criminology Eagles during the University Hinampang, championship game Volleyball boys held September 15,2012. The ball spin and hit down the players of the Eagles as the Lions made the crushing spikes on  the first quarter. Another winning score had made the game hotter as they tally tie on the middle of the game. The last quarter had ended scored to the lions-23-25. Experience of an aspiring teacher†¦ By: Mhay L. Lauron Ambition is part and parcel of everyone’s life. It serves as a guiding star that lights our way to triumph. I never expected to be future teacher someday, but as time passes by, the feeling of being a future educator someday had eventually embraced me I grew up in a poor family, my father was a farmer and we are 10 in the family. I know the situation that we have during that time. I was the youngest but still the faith that I have in my heart is to help my parents in return of their sacrifices that they had. It is the farthest school which is 12- 14 kilometers walking distance from our house. For me this was only a start of my life. The next level of my life in school was totally a great sacrifice. It is now my college life. There are times in that I am about to cry because the boredom and longing for my family. I had to be strong and forget the loneliness; instead I focused on my studies. As an aspiring teacher, I worked hard for it. All my pains and sacrifices resulted in a reward. This is now the time that 6months from now I am about to graduate in this university. West Visayas State University- Lambunao Campus. I guess there’s always a first time for everything no matter how old we are. For the last semester a series of â€Å"First† followed: * This was my first to handle a class with heterogeneous pupils. * First time to experience a pupil that urinated and eliminated his waste while the class was going on. * First time to have a pupil who goes home in tears without any reason at all. * Lastly , I had for the first time a parent scolded me for making her child upset because I scolded him for being absent in my class and teasing his other classmates to make noise inside the classroom. Based on my own experiences, I learned a lot of things after the OJT and it really transforms me to a new creature. Well I guess this was the most essential part of being an aspiring teacher. To explore  and to adjust what is going on in our new environment. That is a specialty of a teacher that no one could ever had. Lastly, I would say that poverty is not an obstacle to higher education but a mere challenge to fight for a professional survival and achieve your dreams in your most noble way

Development of Right to Privacy in UK Law

Development of Right to Privacy in UK Law ‘Critically evaluate how privacy is protected and what extent a right to privacy has been developed in English law.’ The law of privacy remains a fast moving and chaotic area of law, where newspapers and Courts have something new to say almost on a weekly basis[1]. However, at present there is no single comprehensive tort of privacy in statute law in the United Kingdom, the House of Lords confirmed this view in the Wainwright v Home Office[2]. Yet, even with no protected rights to privacy enshrined in domestic law, people have now never been in a better situation to protect their privacy. This essay will therefore attempt to evaluate the evidential paradox England has in relation to how individuals are protected. In order to answer the initial question of how privacy is protected, this essay will firstly address the significance of the pre-existing torts and implementation of Human Rights Act (HRA) being the â€Å"catalyst for legal change†[3]. Whilst in conjunction examining the relevant case laws which have been at the forefront of these claims. Secondly, in order to answer the latter part of the question this analysis will explore the allegations of an infringement of personal privacy that have emerged from the Campbell ruling. Lastly, it will then conclude by summarising the points made within this evaluation and a proposal into the future of the law. First off, in order to consider the extent to which privacy is protected it is important to examine the values that underpin this somewhat vague concept. Privacy by its nature consists of many differing paradigms, which vary wildly between context and environment; it is therefore difficult to rely on a single interpretation. This was emphasised by the Calcutt Committee in 1990 with the Report of the Committee on Privacy and Related Matters who concluded that they couldn’t find â€Å"a wholly satisfactory statutory definition of privacy†[4]. The climate of uncertainty can be related to the fact that even within the 21st century; the legal definition of privacy remains in its infancy, still deriving from the 19th century Judge Cooley â€Å"the right to be let alone†[5]. What then makes Privacy law such a problematic area for journalists is the fact that journalists work to publish what is considered in the public interest, which are both eager to sell and hungry to devour any salacious information about celebrities. Nevertheless what newspaper proprietors and the public want are not considered a legitimate test[6]. Thus, creating a tense relationship between interests of privacy and interest of freedom of expression. Because there is no privacy law journalists must work within other laws which provide privacy. For the purpose of a chronological analysis into English law, the starting point concerning the debate between privacy and freedom of expression for journalists involves the era pre HRA. A pivotal case which emerged from this period was the Kaye V Robertson[7] when the actor Gordon Kaye was ‘interviewed’ and photographed by a journalist whilst he was heavily sedated and recovering from brain surgery. He was granted a legal case under malicious falsehood, even though Lord Justice Bingham acknowledged it was a â€Å"monstrous invasion of privacy†[8]. The laws of trespass and nuisance provided a slight protection against physical intrusions by the media when Kaye obtained a partial injunction; however, it evidently failed to provide protection against the publication of private facts when they have been obtained by other means. So prior to the enactment of HRA, the potential remedies available to an individual to media intrusions were severely limited and the breach of confidence was often the most useful remedy for protecting information. Recognising the problematic void within the law the British judiciary attempted to bridge the gap by adapting a pre-existing tort into a general right to privacy. Therefore breach of confidence has undergone some significant developments, extending the types of confidential information into a relevant stepping stone to decide privacy cases. Traditionally, this tort was developed in 19th century in common law to protect secrets to Albert v Strange[9], not specifically designed to protect privacy. However, Later cases including Coco v A. N. ClarkCoco v A. N. Clark Coco v A. N. Clark Coco v A. N. Clark [10] and the Spy catcher case[11] could be argued to have narrowed the area of the law down which lay the parameters for the Megarry test. This test extended privacy to where there is no relationship between the parties and that the information will likely to have damaging consequences if published. Taking the Francome v Mirror Group Newspapers[12] as an example; the defendant was able to claim damages when a journalist acquired private information by tapping the telephone of John Francome. So whilst breach of confidence no longer requires a pre-existing relationship. It can now make it entirely possible for it to become a move towards protecting privacy, as opposed to primarily protecting Confidence. Which was further emphasised in Douglas v. Hello!, Ltd[13] where actors Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones won an injunction against a tabloid magazine for publishing covertly taking photos of their wedding when the rights had already been sold to its rival. Dispending that the requirement of a relationship of confidence as Hello! were not never a party to the relationship. The crucial stage of privacy law lies with the implementation of the HRA which came into effect in October, 2000. It became clear early on that this development would be responsible for developing a legal concept of privacy beyond the law of confidentiality[14]. As whilst Breach of confidence faces us with a simple balancing exercise between how information is collected, when we turn to the HRA, we’re faced with something more complex. As in accordance with Section.1 of the HRA it contains the rights and fundamental freedoms set out in Article.8 everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life[15]. Yet, Article.10 asserts everyone has the right to freedom of expression[16] and these rights set out in both Articles are both qualified and neither article has precedence over the other blurring the line between what can be reported on. The leading case to come before the English courts post HRA was the Campbell v Mirror Group Newspapers Ltd[17]. This case was concerned with two articles that were published by the Mirror on Naomi Campbell’s drug addiction and treatment. The news articles were accompanied with a covertly obtained photograph of the claimant leaving Narcotics Anonymous. The Mirror Group asserted that they should not be liable as the information published was in the public interest, since Campbell had deceived the public in regards to her drug addiction. What remains pivotal about this case is that the majority did rely upon the HRA in its decision. Furthermore, the discussions surrounding confidence laid the foundation for a new tort, which has come to be known by the name given to it by Lord Nicholls: â€Å"misuse of private information†[18]. Stating that ‘the description of information as ‘confidential’ is not altogether comfortable, information on an individualâ€⠄¢s private life would not, be called ‘confidential’. The more natural description is that such information is private and is better encapsulated now as misuse of private information[19]. By contrast, the misuse of private information is directly aligned to the protection of private information which is governed by the Data Protection Act 1998 providing regulation of the processing of information relating to individuals including the obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of such information[20]. Meaning the claimant only needs to establish a reasonable exception to privacy with the information in question. This is a clear juxtaposition to pre HRA as the balancing act is tipping in favour of Article 8. For instance, when John Terry[21] applied for an injunction to restrain a publication of details about his extra marital affairs, the person possessing the information is referred to as ‘persons unknown’. Although, the judge did not uphold the injunction, he firmly established that if there was a real risk that intrusive details about Mr Terry’s relationship in the article, he would have ordered that publication be prohibited. The development of this breach is therefore the underlying foundations to a kind of tort of privacy. The media were therefore undoubtedly concerned about results of these cases calling for a comprehensive legislation which the media have always adamantly discouraged. As suggesting tougher sanctions on what is considered private could potentially ‘gag’ them from any form of investigative journalism in fear of legal letters over any individual who claims they have had their privacy invaded. This claim can be related to The Bureau of Investigative Journalismwho published a story about two Staffordshire NHS surgeons, Mr Hutchinson and Mr Ravikumar. These surgeons had been criticised over deaths at then Britains worst hospital and yet did still carrying out operations without patients knowing about their record. The paper that was running the story backed off running the piece due to a legal letter from the lawyers claiming the information was plainly private information[22]. Clearly, this valuable investigation should be able to be published without fear of prejudice, as ef fectively the only thing that is being hindered is the truth[23]. It seems the evolution of the judge-made law of misuse of private information has allowed less known individuals, children[24] and vulnerable adults (under the mental health act) to be protected against privacy infringements by the media. Yet, it also seems this area of law has become disproportionately swamped by vanity driven celebrities complaining about photos taken by paparazzi’s[25]. There is no disregarding the significance of the Campbell case as it has established several important precedents, but what it seems that injunctions have become only the rich and powerful are able to fend off the media. These gagging orders have stopped newspapers reporting allegations of everything from extramarital affairs to legal disputes. Premiership footballers, actors, television personalities, bankers and celebrity chefs are among those who have successfully used the courts to stop such disclosures entering the public domain[26]. So where does this leave article 10 of the HRA in rel ation to the balancing act? Because as stated earlier in this analysis neither articles have precedent over each other. Yet, these gagging orders which have become a common phenomenon is highlighting that something is failing. Take McKennitt v Ash[27] when the court ruled someones right to protect their private life outweighs someone elses freedom to tell their story it cast shadow over the media industry. So following the historic 3:2 decision in the Lords, it should now be addressed of where do we go from here? Despite some feeling that the Wainwright and Campbell case could signal a completion of the development of a new remedy in English private law. It seems that these cases have merely become a staging post on route to the evolution of a fully-fledged tort[28]. However, a A symbolic case that demonstrates the delicate balance between the right to privacy and the freedom of expression post implementation of the misuse of private information lies with the Max Mosley case[29]. This case was brought to the courts attention on the 30, March 2008 when the News of the World published an article titled â€Å"F1 Boss Has a Sick Nazi Orgy with Hookers†[30], also making reference to Mosley being a sadomasochist Sex Pervert[31]. This judgment further tipped the balance in the favour of greater privacy where there was no public interest. As clearly this article was not in the public in terest as it did not affect the job and revealing immoral behaviour is not a legitimate public interest because it does not expose illegal wrong doings. Mosley won his privacy claim and award  £60,000, although Eady J in the Mosley case stated: â€Å"It has to be recognised that no amount of damages can fully compensate the claimant for the damage done. He is hardly exaggerating when he says that his life is ruined†[32]. It could be argued that the convention is therefore intended to guarantee rights that are practical and effective so injunctions against potential life changing stories are better to be blocked than to have a remedy of a substantial pay-out. In respect to the Campbell and Mosley decision it is clear that most media organisations and lawyers will agree that privacy is now based upon a case to case basis, which must be applied through confidentiality and the Human Rights Act. Whilst the verdict came as a damaging blow to media organisations, they can take solace in the statements from the dissenting judges for example Lord Nicholls and Hoffman expressed; â€Å"from a journalistic point of view, photographs are an essential part of the story. The picture carried the message, more strongly than anything in the text alone†¦in my opinion†¦should be allowed†[33]. Some however have vented their frustration that this development of a backdoor law is â€Å"driven by a deep loathing of the popular press, the judges have long been itching to bring in a privacy law by the back door. Thus free speech is to be made conditional on the prejudices of the judiciary†[34]. The reporting on private matters only became harder when the media’s reputation went into free fall during the Leveson inquiry of 2011, following the revelation that mainstream newspaper organisations had been tapping into phones of officials, celebrities and even the deceased in order to generate content. This subsequent down fall of the media brought from the ashes a new regulatory body which itself is responsible for the protection of privacy. This Royal Charter which was proposed appears on the face of things baring similar characteristics to the press complaints commission. Yet, there are some distinctive differences. Unlike the PCC the body will be an independent from both the judiciary and the press meaning it should allow a balanced decision. Furthermore an independent regulatory body that has the power to impose heavy sanctions (capped at  £1 million) will initiate the first step of weighting right to privacy over the freedom of the press. Furthermore, this leads onto the quintessential debate of who should be developing this law? Has Parliament failed to address this issue? Mr Justice Lindsay stated in the Zeta Jones case, â€Å"Parliament has failed so far to grasp the nettle†¦if Parliament doesn’t act soon the less satisfactory course of the Courts creating a law bit by bit†[35]. However, the HRA is not the only tort which has been passed through the Houses that deals with the issue of privacy. There are a number of overlapping Acts which address this issue. For example, the theSexual Offences Act add a criminal offence to the act of voyeurism, and, theProtection from Harassment Act creates both criminal sanctions and civil remedies against harassment, to which all have been employed in the decisions made by judges. So even though David Cameron has expressed his concern and ‘unease’ about judges formulating a law. It is difficult to suggest that even though Parliament has not legislat ed on privacy issues, reviewing the evidence it would be extremely difficult to draft a new or improve our existing laws. Without moving too far away from the restraints being held over the UK for being a member of the European Union. In conclusion, the liberty of the press is indeed an essential cornerstone of a free state; and to forbid this, is to destroy democracy[36]. However, Lord Denning accepted that even though this remains an absolute right it is still subject to limitations stating â€Å"the press shouldn’t be free to ruin a reputation, break confidence or to pollute the course of justice†[37]. To a large degree most if not all journalists and judges would accept this statement as ethically factual. So after examining the evolving tort throughout this essay with the various debates which have been highlighted by both journalists and the judiciary it is clear that some progress has been made as the ‘position for victims of shameful intrusions †¦ is better now than it ever was in the past’[38]. Appeals such as Wainwright v Home Office[39] and Mosley v News Group Newspapers Ltd[40] emphasise that over the past twenty three years something fundamental has happened into how we re protected. The induction of a HRA has ultimately been the spring board that has helped develop the law of privacy that protects us today. Even though there have of course been improvements made there still remains a significant way to go in regards to privacy in English law. For instance, there still contains many inconsistencies into how article 8 is applied to cases on such a broad scale this includes the recent judgment on ZH v The Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis[41] as at trial, Sir Robert Nelson held the police liable in tort assault, battery, and false imprisonment and trespasses to the person. The judge also identified the police as having breached the HRA; inhuman and degrading treatment (article.3); deprivation of liberty (article.5); and privacy (artcle.8). Which given the past history of cases would have been dismissed by some English law judges. Finally, what this essay finds is that for every wrong there is a remedy. Trespass, Nuisance Defamation, malicious falsehood, Breach of confidence, Protection from Harassment and Data Protection Act 1998 so whilst there are piecemeal protections, why do judges or parliament need to make a grand step?[42] [1] Hertfordshire law Journal 2(2), 30 [2] [2003] UKHL 53 [3] Harris, O‘Boyle and Warbrick, 2009, p 31 [4] Report of the Committee on Privacy and Related Matters, London: HMSO, at 7. [5] Cooley on Torts, 2nd ed (1888), p29 [6] [7] [8] Court of Appeal Kaye v Robertson and Sports Newspapers Ltd[1991] FSR 62 [9] Prince Albert –v- Strange : [1849] 1 HT 1 [10] Coco –v- A N Clark (Engineers) Limited : 1969 [RPC 41,47] [11] Attorney General –v- Guardian Newspapers [1999] 1AC 109 [12] [1984] 1 WLR 892 [13] Douglas and Zeta Jones Ors –v- Hello : [2001] QB 967, 997 CA Sedley LJ [14] Hertfordshire law Journal 2(2), 30-40 [15] [16] [17] Naomi Campbell –v-MGN Limited: [2004] UKHL 22 [18] Ibid [2004] UKHL 22 [19] Ibid [2004] UKHL 22 [20] Plymouth Law and Criminal Justice Review (2014) p182 [21] John Terry(previously LNS) vPersons Unknown[2010] EWHC 119 [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] British Steel Corporation v Granada Television Ltd [1981] AC 1096. [37] Ibid AC 1096 [38] [39] [40] [41] [42]

The Basics Of Trapdoor Hacking Information Technology Essay

The Basics Of Trapdoor Hacking Information Technology Essay For a programmer, trap doors make sense. If the programmer needs to modify the program sometime in the future, he can use the trap door instead of having to go through all of the normal, customer-directed protocols just to make the change. Trap doors should be closed or eliminated in the final version of the program after all testing is complete, but, intentionally or unintentionally, some are left in place. Other trap doors may be introduced by error and only later discovered by crackers who are roaming around, looking for a way into system programs and files. Typical trap doors use such system features as debugging tools, program exits that transfer control to privileged areas of memory, undocumented application calls and parameters, and many others. Trap doors make obvious sense to expert computer criminals as well, whether they are malicious programmers or crackers. Trap doors are an easy way to get into a system or to gain access to privileged information or to introduce viruses or other unauthorized programs into the system. Cases In 1993 and 1994, an unknown group of computer criminals repetitively broke into systems on the Internet using passwords captured by password sniffers. Once on the system, they exploited software flaws to gain privileged access. They installed modified login and network programs that allowed them reentry even if the original passwords were changed. In 1996, Philip Myers described the insertion and exploitation of back doors as subversion in his MSc thesis at the Naval Postgraduate School.   He pointed out that subversion, unlike penetration attacks, can begin at any phase of the system development life cycle, including design, implementation, distribution, installation and production. Donn B. Parker described interesting back-door cases in some papers (no longer available) from the 1990s.   For example, a programmer discovered a back door left in a FORTRAN compiler by the writers of the compiler. This section of code allowed execution to jump from a regular program file to code stored in a data file. The criminal used the back door to steal computer processing time from a service bureau so he could execute his own code at other users expense.   In another case, remote users from Detroit used back doors in the operating system of a Florida timesharing service to find passwords that allowed unauthorized and unpaid access to proprietary data and programs. Even the US government has attempted to insert back doors in code. In September 1997, Congress proposed legislation to ban domestic US encryption unless the algorithm included a back door allowing decryption on demand by law enforcement authorities moved famed Ron Rivest to satire.   The famed co-inventor of the Public Key Cryptosystem and founder of RSA Data Security Inc. pointed out that some people believe the Bible contains secret messages and codes, so the proposed law would ban the Bible. More recently, devices using the Palm operating system (PalmOS) were discovered to have no effective security despite the password function.   Apparently developer tools supplied by Palm allow a back-door conduit into the supposedly locked data. Dumpster Diving What is Dumpster Diving? Dumpster diving is a name given to a very simple type of security attack, which is scavenging through materials that have been thrown away, as shown below. This type of attack isnt illegal in any obvious way. If papers are thrown away, it means that nobody wants them, right? Dumpster diving also isnt unique only to computer facilities. All kinds of sensitive information ends up in the trash, and industrial spies through the years have used this method to get information about their competitors. http://oreilly.com/catalog/crime/chapter/f_02_01.gif Dumpster Diving in Process There is another type of computer-related trash that we might not consider. In the system itself are files that have been deleted, but that havent actually been erased from the system. Computers and users used only to save data, not destroying it, and sometimes some data is saved that shouldnt be saved. Electronic trashing is easy because of the way that systems typically delete data. Usually, deleting a file, a disk, or a tape doesnt actually delete data, but simply rewrites a header record. Using MS-DOS, for example, a file can be deleted via the DEL command, however, someone else can retrieve the contents of the file simply by running UNDELETE. System utilities are available that make it easy to retrieve files that may seem to be completely gone. Although there are methods for truly erasing files and magnetic media, most users who work on large systems do not take the time to erase disks and tapes when they are finished with them. They may discard old disks and tapes with data still on them. They simply write the new data over the old data already on the tape. Because the new data may not be the same length as the old, there may be sensitive data left for those skilled enough to find it. It is far safer to explicitly write over storage media and memory contents with random data and to degauss magnetic tapes. Cases One computer company in Texas that does business with a number of oil companies noticed that whenever a certain company asked them to mount a temporary storage (scratch) tape on the tape drive, the read-tape light would always come on before the write-tape light. The ingenious oil company was scavenging the tape for information that might have been put on it by competitors that used the tape before them. Trashing can have deadly consequences. When some old Department of Justice computers were sold off, they had on their disks information on the whereabouts of witnesses in the Federal Witness Protection Program. Although the data had been deleted, it had not been completely erased from the disk. The DOJ was able to get back some of the computers, but not all, and was forced to relocate the compromised families as a result. In 1991, spies posed as garbage collectors outside of a U.S. defense contractor executives home, dug through trash cans looking for information. One of the collectors was actually Frances consul general and claimed he was collecting fill for a hole in his yard. Upon investigation, the FBI determined that this operation was part of a French secret-searching mission, aimed at finding U.S. military or scientific information. Then in 1999, two key members of a group called the Phonemasters were convicted of theft and possession of unauthorized access devices and unauthorized access to a federal interest computer. This international group of cyber criminals had allegedly penetrated the computer systems of MCI, Sprint, ATT, Equifax and the National Crime Information Center. The Phonemasters skills had enabled them to download hundreds of calling card numbers and distribute them to organized crime groups around the world. Part of their method included dumpster diving and collecting old phone books and system manuals. These tools, combined with social engineering, led to the attacks on the mentioned systems. In 2000, in a widely publicized case, the CEO of Oracle, Larry Ellison, hired private investigators to dig through corporate dumpsters at Microsoft. This was an effort aimed at finding information about Microsofts possible development of grassroots organizations to support its side in an anti-trust lawsuit. One of the investigators unsuccessfully tried to pay off a member of the janitorial service in exchange for the garbage of one of these organizations. Ellison held that his actions were a civic duty, to uncover Microsofts secret funding of such groups, but his opponents assert that the incident was distasteful and scandalous. Microsoft complained that various organizations allied to it have been victimized by industrial espionage agents who attempted to steal documents from trash bins. The organizations include the Association for Competitive Technology in Washington, D.C., the Independent Institute in Oakland, California, and Citizens for a Sound Economy, another Washington D.C. based entity. Microsoft said, We have sort of always known that our competitors have been actively engaged in trying to define us, and sort of attack us. But these revelations are particularly concerning and really show the lengths to which theyre willing to go to attack Microsoft. Saying he was exercising a civic duty, Oracle chairman and founder Lawrence J. Ellison defended his company of suggestions that Oracles behavior was Nixonian when it hired private detectives to scrutinize organizations that supported Microsofts side in the antitrust suit brought against it by the government. The investigators went through trash from those organizations in attempts to find information that would show that the organizations were controlled by Microsoft. Ellison, who, like his nemesis Bill Gates at Microsoft, is a billionaire, said, All we did was to try to take information that was hidden and bring it into the light, and added: We will ship our garbage to Microsoft, and they can go through it. We believe in full disclosure. The only thing more disturbing than Oracles behavior is their ongoing attempt to justify these actions, Microsoft said in a statement. Mr. Ellison now appears to acknowledge that he was personally aware of and personally authorized the broad overall strategy of a covert operation against a variety of trade associations. During the year 2001, industrial espionage came to light concerning the shampoo market between fierce competitors Proctor Gamble and Unilever. Private Investigators hired by Proctor Gamble sifted through garbage bins outside of the Unilever corporation, succeeding in gathering viable information about market analysis, predictions and future products.[16] Upon legal action by Unilever, the two corporations settled out-of-court, because these actions broke Proctor Gambles internal policy on information gathering. Logic Bombs What is a Logic Bomb? Logic bombs are small programs or sections of a program triggered by some event such as a certain date or time, a certain percentage of disk space filled, the removal of a file, and so on. For example, a programmer could establish a logic bomb to delete critical sections of code if she is terminated from the company. Logic bombs are most commonly installed by insiders with access to the system. Logic bombs are a malicious programming code that is inserted into a network system or a single computer for the purpose of deleting data or creating other malicious acts on a specified date. A logic bomb works similar to a time bomb because it can be set to go off at a specific date. A logic bomb does not distribute malicious codes until the specified date is reached. How Logic Bombs Work Logic bombs are created by criminals who are well-versed in computer programming and are generally used to perform acts with malicious intent that threaten network security. The criminal acts include setting a virus to be released into a network system or PC at a specified date or other actions such as deleting or corrupting data and completely reformatting a computer hard drive. A logic bomb works through a code that is inserted into existing software on a network or in a computer where it will lie dormant until a specific event occurs such as a date or time or other command from the computer programmer. When the bomb finally releases the code it can delete files, send confidential information to unauthorized parties, wipe out databases, and disable a network for a period of days. Why a Logic Bomb is Used A logic bomb can be used by a disgruntled employee or other IT personnel that has the knowledge of how to program a logic bomb to threaten network security. Other than targeting a specific computer or network system, a logic bomb can also be used to demand money for software by creating a code that makes the software application into a trial version. After a specific period of time the user must pay a specified sum of money to continue to use the software. Logic bombs can also be used for blackmail and if the demand is not met, the logic bomb will detonate into a computer system or network to destroy data and perform other malicious acts that are included in the command codes. Logic bombs are fairly easy to create if you have a lot of knowledge in computer programming and they do not replicate like other malicious programs. For this reason, logic bombs are usually targeted to specific victims and will not spread to unintended victims. A logic bomb can be rather difficult to detect, however you can take security measures such as constantly monitoring the network system for any suspicious activity, using antivirus applications and other scanning programs that can detect any new activity in the data on a network system. The scanning systems should also monitor the entire network and the individual computers connected to the network. Cases A former system administrator for UBS PaineWebber, Roger Duronio, was charged in a New Jersey federal court on charges of sabotaging two-thirds of the companys computer systems. His alleged motive was to undermine the companys stock price and make a bunch of money in the process. He is alleged to have shorted over 30,000 shares of UBS stock prior to unleashing his attack which means the potential was there to make 30,000 times the amount by which the stock dropped when the media got wind of the attacks. In a recent stock manipulation case involving Emulex, shares fell 50 percent. Based on the trading range of UBS PaineWebber stock at the time of Duronios alleged attack, it is reasonable to say his profits could have exceeded half a million dollars. The flaw in Duronios alleged scheme was the obviously unexpected ability of UBS PaineWebber to prevent news of the attack getting out. This was quite a feat on the companys part because the logic bombs activated on about 1,000 of its nearly 1,500 computers and the malicious programs did actually delete files. Indeed, the company says attack cost it $3 million. In the end, the federal grand jury charged Duronio with one count of securities fraud and one count of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Duronio was hit with up to 20 years in prison and fines of more than $1.25 million. In September 1990, Donald Burleson, a programmer at the Fort Worth-based insurance company, USPA, was fired for allegedly being quarrelsome and difficult to work with. Two days later, approximately 168,000 vital records erased themselves from the companys computers. Burleson was caught after investigators went back through several years worth of system files and found that, two years before he was fired, Burleson had planted a logic bomb that lay dormant until he triggered it on the day of his dismissal. Burleson became the first person in America to be convicted of harmful access to a computer. In early 2009, Timothy Allen Lloyd was sentenced to 41 months in prison for leaving behind malicious programs that deleted critical data from the servers of Omega Engineering, a high-tech measurement company that claimed the cost of the attack was $10 million. According to a report in the National Computer Security Association section on CompuServe, the Orlando Sentinel reported in January 1992 that a computer programmer was fined $5,000 for leaving a logic bomb at General Dynamics. His intention was to return after his program had erased critical data and get paid lots of money to fix the problem. In 1995, a disgruntled computer security officer at an insurance brokerage firm in Texas set up a complex series of Job Control Language (JCL) and RPG programs described later as trip wires and time bombs. For example, a routine data retrieval function was modified to cause the IBM System/38 midrange computer to power down. Another routine was programmed to erase random sections of main memory, change its own name, and reset itself to execute a month later.

Nursing Research Article Critique Essay example -- Healthcare Nursing

The development of knowledge requires a number of processes in order to establish credible data to ensure the validity and appropriateness of how it can be used in the future. For the healthcare industry, this has provided the ability to create and form new types of interventions in order to give adequate care across a of number of fields within the system. Research then, has been an essential part in providing definitive data, either by disproving previous beliefs or confirming newly found data and methods. Moreover, research in itself contains its own process with a methodological approach. Of the notable methods, quantitative research is often used for its systemic approach (Polit & Beck, 2006). Thus, the use of the scientific method is used, which also utilizes the use of numerical data (Polit & Beck). Here, researches make use of creating surveys, scales, or placing a numerical value on it subjects (Polit & Beck). In the end the resulting data is neutral and statistical. Howeve r, like all things its approach is not perfect, yet, it has the ability to yield valuable data. Summary of Critiqued Article For nursing, research has played a major role in the way clinical practice is done. Research has allowed nurses to provide appropriate care to patients. It allows them to perform their job by providing them the tools and information they need in order to make the decisions on the concerns for caring the patient (Polit & Beck, 2006). Moreover, research can also take focus on the workers themselves in order to improve the practice both on a professional and personal level. An example of a study conducted by King, Vidourek, and Schweibert of University of Cincinnati created a study to determine if there is a correlation between ... ...nce in the outcomes for many. Knowledge grants others the ability to fulfill their duties across a spectrum of fields and for nurses; it allows them to make decision that can improve the outcome of patient's health. Nurses are a vital backbone to the healthcare system and through research they are able to continue to expand their roles, knowledge, and abilities on a professional and personal level. References King, K. A., Vidourek, R., & Schwiebert, M. (2009). Disordered eating and job stress among nurses. Journal of Nursing Management, 17, 861-869. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.nu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&hid=108&sid=56ec0737-792e-4eac-aad7-1ce285824dce%40sessionmgr115 Polit, D., & Beck, C. (2006). Essentials of nursing research: appraising evidence for nursing practice (7th ed.). Phildelphia: Lippencott Wilkins & Williams.

A Time Of Change:The 1880’s and 1890’s Kansas Essay -- American Histor

A Time Of Change:The 1880’s and 1890’s Kansas As history cascades through an hourglass, the changing, developmental hands of time are shrouded throughout American history. This ever-changing hourglass of time is reflected in the process of maturation undertaken by western America in the late nineteenth century. Change, as defined by Oxford’s Dictionary, is â€Å"To make or become different through alteration or modification.† The notion of change is essential when attempting to unwind the economic make-up of Kansas in the 1880’s and 1890’s. Popular culture often reveres the American cowboy, which has led him to become the predominate figure in America’s â€Å"westering† experience (Savage, p3). However, by 1880 the cowboy had become a mythical figure rather than a presence in western life. The era of the cowboy roaming the Great Plains had past and farmers now sought to become the culturally dominant figure and force in the American West. Unlike the cowboys, farmers were able to evo lved, organizing and establishing the Populist Party. The farmers’ newly formed political organization provided them with a voice, which mandated western reform. Furthermore, the populist ideas spread quickly and dominated western thought in the 1880’s and 1890’s. The period of the 1880’s and 1890’s marked the end of the American cowboy and gave farmers a political stronghold that would forever impact the modernization of the West. Although early nineteenth century Kansas was vast in territory, the land was mostly unpopulated. This cheap abundant land along with the dream of a better life lured farmers from the east to start their lives in Kansas. Many people were driven to pack their belongings and start their westward bound journey. Floyd Benjamin St... ...ture and the development of small towns led to the inevitable transformation of cattle-towns into large well-populated cities. In June of 1887, a survey conducted by Bradstreet ranking real-estate transactions listed Wichita third with a population increase of 500% (Miner, 174). As the cowboys lost national prominence, farmers became organized groups and gained access to government offices. The Populist Movement brought national attention to the struggling farmer, and secured them an unprecedented quality of life. No longer a diminutive group that the government could ignore, many populist leaders had now attained prominent spots in the House and Senate. The western voice was now abundant, an unyielding force that not only legitimatised farmers, but also helped facilitate the development and modernization of Kansas and other territories throughout the American West.