Barry Glassner’s The Culture of Fear Essay

The murder of thousands of Americans on their own soil on September 11, 2001 created a new era in United States History: the era of fear. That is the finding Barry Glassner, author of The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things. In the book’s pages is found a thorough examination of why Americans are fearful, why they aren’t, and what this says about the average citizen. It is not to say that Glassner indicates that Americans do, or should, live in fear of unexpected terrorist attack. Rather, his purpose in writing is to illuminate why it is that Americans fear the wrong things and fail to act on the right fears: he cites examples such as fearing shootings on school grounds, but not limiting access to guns. In other words, he is attempting to describe what fear is like in the culture of America and what it says about reality and perception. That is his thesis. Summed up, Glassner writes that when it comes to fear, Americans live in a culture of false paranoia and irrational paradoxes. His methodology comes through clearly. He utilizes individual case studies to coherently and cohesively build a strong unified theory. Each story and topic becomes one more brick in the foundation of his thesis. In that way he easily compels and convinces all but the most cynical reader. Finally, it is Glassner’s point of view that really works wonders. He acts as if he is but a casual, though analytical, objective observer. What Does the Author Have to Say? Fear can be created – and manipulated. Time and again Glassner returns to the example of the events of September 11, 2001 for treasures with which to bolster his theory. It is indeed ripe ground for that. It seems to be the case study for just why American citizens are paranoid for all of the wrong reasons. Yes, the terrorist attacks were awful, and all the more so because 1) they were completely unexpected and unannounced, and 2) they targeted the innocent civilian populace. That being said, writes Glassner, they were also completely anomalous. The fear of such an attack in the future due to the fact that it happened once before is unjustifiable. It had been two hundred and twenty-five years from the beginnings of the United States for such an attack to occur, and as of this tenth anniversary edition of the book it has been another ten years without such attack. Sure, that is not to say that it couldn’t happen again. However, the point that the author makes is that it is just circumstances like this that are fertile breeding ground for manipulators. In this case, he cites the then ongoing efforts of President George W. Bush to convince the population that there was an active war on terror. This war, he reminded frequently, was directed at the American citizen, the mom and pop on the street. The war could reach every home, every business. The entire country was under various alert conditions at all times. This supports the first main point of The Culture of Fear. Fear can be a force of manipulation and creation. The second point of the book is closely related to its main premise. It is the ongoing effects of a mass media accentuating the most unlikely of crimes. Each and every day the media, including the press, the internet, and the television networks, blares out stories of kidnappings, murders and more. The chief aim seems to be that ‘it could happen to you. ’ In fact, it probably will happen to you unless you take precautions daily. Fingerprint your children. Update your photographs and dental records. Plant microchips in your children’s skin. Anything to do to escape the boogeyman, because undoubtedly he’s out there. Never mind the fact that more often than not, the statistics behind the reports are skewed mightily to prove these points ex post facto. The announcements alone are proof enough for most people. The culture of fear is encouraged, and bought into. After all, the media is a powerful presence. When it comes to the third point, it becomes somewhat murky as to how some things come about. Glassner relates example after example of public policy responses to these scenarios – and how they absolutely fail to deal with the actual situations that spawn the fear. In other words, ineffective public policy is the knee jerk reaction to fear. The author is quick to relate such failures. He points out the sheer number of dollars allocated to these efforts and the startling statistics that show the problem has not changed at all. Also, he is not shy at pointing out that this culture of fear and reaction provides great political opportunity for candidates that are ‘tough on crime’ to emerge, ready to raise the banners of various well-meaning causes. Once the candidates become elected officials, either the cause is dropped along with its passion, or new laws are passed that in essence are just excuses to spend money and advance political careers. Criticism of the Author I greatly enjoyed this book. I will be unequivocal about that. Perhaps it biases my review, but I do have points to support my response. To begin with, the book is well-paced. By that I mean to say that it reads well. Much of non-fiction – particularly educated and researched non-fiction – is dry, and fails to engage the reader in the sense that its subjects remain remote. Granted, Glassner has a subject that is much more accessible to readers than the typical tome, but he does not bore with statistics or inane stories. He moves the action right along by showing readers why this involves them, and why it should naturally interest them. Each chapter begins with a premise that is readily understandable. It also includes a counterpoint and then the fun begins. Every chapter delivers. There is a natural satisfaction to this and makes reading the book enjoyable. I never experienced a more well planned out book, in this regard. I was never left wondering why something was missing, or what the author’s point was after all. He provides vignettes that most every reader either has knowledge of, or direct experience with. In that regard, the book almost reads like a continuous narrative, full of intrigue and personal connections. What surprised me in particular were the findings of the author. He clearly exposed the myths behind much of the country’s fears – fears that turn out to be nearly entirely fictitious or so improbable as to be nearly laughable. Then he does something important and which caused my surprise. He listed the fears that all Americans should actually be concerned with. These are the issues that most citizens will encounter on a daily basis and should be giving their attention rather than the stories at the top of newspaper headlines. Motor vehicle injuries, drowning, fires, head injuries to children from bicycle accidents, these are the realities of danger in America. And these can be prevented. Safer vehicles, more restrictive drivers’ licenses, and bicycle helmet laws – these are the tools of the fearful citizen that can bring some peace to life. I never thought that Glassner would make such a strong point out of such mundane information. It made me want to actually change my personal living styles, and not in the manner of investing in gas masks or bunkers. Naturally, the book is not perfect. Probably the greatest weakness is the ability of it to be dismissed as a big government bashing book. It could be accused of having an agenda. It is fairly heavy handed when it comes to discussing the media and the government’s efforts at propagating fears among the population. Perhaps Glassner could have helped himself some by providing statistical analysis of actual terrorist linked events over the course of the century. This may have more convincingly pointed out just how anachronistic the terror attacks of Fall 2001 really were, and remain. Rather than describe the government’s reaction to it, he could have simply left it at that and trusted the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. But that is a small point. One area that could have been covered differently is that chapter on Youth at Risk. With a subtitle of Faulty Diagnoses and Callous Cures one would expect that it would be a medically related chapter. Indeed that it is. However, I feel that the chapter rather disregards the pervasive depression and angst that this generation seems to be finding themselves in. It would appear at least from common experience that these troubles which are leading to more and more suicides and bullying are real and worth a serious look. It is not as if Glassner just glosses over these things, but I think that his overall take on the situation is not serious enough. He instead appears to have it out for the medical establishment. Some could say that this trivializes the problems that teens today are undergoing. I think that would be an accurate indictment. The chapter could either have been more aimed that direction, or perhaps could be eliminated altogether as a general fear among the United States population at large. Summation Barry Glassner’s book The Culture of Fear is one to be read. It is quite easy to recommend. Primarily it is because the book’s audience is also the general population. Every reader would know a potential reader in a neighbor, co-worker, relative. Glassner makes his point very clear – the culture of fear is absolutely pervasive. We are all a part of this society that lives in near constant paranoia over things that probably will never happen; and we ignore what we probably should fear on a daily basis. That is what is so ultimately compelling about the book. It is nearly a handbook for peaceful living. The Culture of Fear makes promises through its introduction and its chapter titles, and it delivers. The prose is concise and clearly understandable. The scenarios, likewise, are situations in which nearly every reader can either imagine, or has actually experienced. This lends an instant authority and trustworthiness to the book. And after all, where there is trustworthy authority, there is careful consideration of fears itself.

Money Matters

Money Matters Money is desired by everyone, but the majority of wealth is held by only a small percentage of people in society. Is this minority of the rich as happy as we think they should be with all that money? Two songs regarding currency will help answer this; Pink Floyd’s song, â€Å"Money†, from the album The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) and AC/DC’s song, â€Å"Money Talks†, from the album The Razors Edge (1990). â€Å"Money† presents the idea that money allows the individual to get what they want. Money Talks† presents the idea that money allows the individual to get whomever they want. At the heart of both of these songs it is evident that the song writers wanted the listener to know the cycle of money and obtaining materialistic things which suggest that the key point being conveyed by these songs is that money enables greed which can lead to negative behavior. People often want money to make them feel happier; this is accomplished b y buying materialistic things or by trying to buy an individual’s affection or approval.But do these things really make us happy, or do they just give us more problems like greed and physical conflicts? According to Sonja Lyubomirsky , from The Scientific American, â€Å"The single biggest culprit, I argue, is that having money raises our aspirations about the happiness that we expect in our daily lives, and these raised aspirations can be toxic. † (Lyumbomirsky). The more one achieves, the more one wants, is the definition of greed.This is a viscous cycle that, if fueled by enough money, can end in bad decisions or negative behavior. For example, if you are conditioned to eating at nice restaurants, and then you go to a fast food chain, you wouldn’t be as satisfied in comparison to always going to fast food restaurants and not knowing the luxurious pleasure of dining at a fancy establishment. (Lyumbomirsky) Money can buy nice things and services, but it will no t always eliminate stress and bad moods.A Princeton University Study published in 2010 concluded that income is directly proportional to emotional experiences up to about $75,000 a year where it plateaus. (Staff) This study analyzed over 450,000 responses from over 1,000 test subjects on a daily basis asking questions about the previous day’s emotional experiences. These results are quite interesting but throughout the whole study it was evident that there were still daily stresses and depressing times regardless of your social and economical status. Staff) Instead of contentment and happiness, too much money can just lead to greed. Both songs, â€Å"Money† and â€Å"Money Talks† have the same social issue at their core, money. According to both songs if money allows you to get everything you desire, then ultimately it will cause greed and result in immoral decisions. The key difference in the songs is that in â€Å"Money† they want to get materialistic t hings and in â€Å"Money Talks† they money to buy materialistic things to attract the individuals they want.This is shown when Pink Floyd says â€Å"Money, it’s a gas Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash New car, caviar, four star daydream Think I’ll buy me a football team† in â€Å"Money,† and when AC/DC says â€Å"Hey little girl, you want it all The furs, the diamonds, the painting on the wall come on come on lovin’ for the money† in â€Å"Money Talks. † Both songs describe individuals using money to reach their aspirations, possessions or people. After using money to obtain their wants, each song describes the resulting negative consequences.By using money to attract a female mate, â€Å"Money Talks† describes the kind of immoral tendencies of a woman who is attracted by money. This effect is shown in the lyric â€Å"Hey little girl, you broke the laws You hustle, you deal, you steal from us all. † In â€Å"Money†, Pink Floyd plainly states â€Å"Money, so they say Is the root of all evil today. † Then the song describes a dispute over wanting more money, beginning with the lyric â€Å"But if you ask for a raise its no surprise that they’re giving none away. † Both songs depict the negative results created from too much money by describing greedy and immoral behavior based around wanting more. Money† is a story of the natural progression of money and greed. The song starts with a man who gets a good job, then buys expensive things, and then the greed of the money causes him to make a physical dispute started by asking for more money. The grooving beat starts with the sounds of a cash register, coins, and money to let the audience conform to the subject. When the instruments join the materialistic set groove, the piano, bass, and drums create a walking feeling to simulate someone on the move spending money.When the singer starts the first verse , he immediately talks about making money and spending money, which perfectly matches the sound effects and walking groove set up by the instrumental intro. The second verse describes the next stage of money and greed, which is using money for the rush like a drug. This connection is shown in the lyric â€Å"money, it’s a hit,† so spending money is like taking a hit of a mind altering substance. Just like drug use, money use can lead to bad judgment and skewed values.After the last line of the second verse, â€Å"And I think I need a Lear jet,† the guitarists and piano take turns to create a three minute psychedelic solo. The solo is very relaxing and enjoyable, simulating the early stages of drug use, or in this case, money use. The last sung verse describes the obsession of money leading to negative things such as crime and fights. The verse ends with the line â€Å"But if you ask for a raise it’s no surprise that they’re giving none away. † This line shows the subject needing more money to fuel his expensive spending addiction.The verse shows greed on both ends of the interaction, because the subject wants more money and the employer does not want to share any money. After this verse, the background tells a story of an argument which ended in a fist fight. Though not specifically stated, the listener can conclude from the reoccurrence of the music from the intro that the dispute started from spending too much money. â€Å"Money Talks† starts out with a twenty second instrumental introduction that has an upbeat tempo and really makes the listener want to tap their feet and nod their head .The fast happy mood directly contradicts the subject matter, which is closely related to prostitution. This kind of contradiction is known as musical irony. After ACDC sets the foundation for a happy and energetic song, the singer dives right into what money can do for you, â€Å"Tailored suits, chauffeured cars, Fine hotels and big cigars†. The singer has a natural energetic growl sound, but he will slightly change the volume or intensity of his tone depending on what the lyrics are saying. Every line that deals with negative behavior due to spending, the singer will mark it by adding slight emphasis to his voice.The first verse is sung with a pretty consistent tone until he introduces his female target by stating â€Å"Hey little girl, you want it all,† then he adds slightly more growl to his voice. After the first chorus, the subject takes a turn almost into a business proposition as the man asks what services she offers and how much she would like to be paid evidenced by these lyrics â€Å"So what do you do that’s guaranteed †¦ love me for the money Come on, come on, listen to the money talk†. During this line, the singer raises his volume, as well as his energy to show the decline of moral behavior with the increase of spending.The last line of this verse, â€Å"Yo u hustle, you deal, you steal from us all† is sung with more edge and energy than any other line of the song. This lyric directly shows how someone could be stuck in the cycle of compromising morals for money. Even though the music has little to do with the subject, the singer makes the lyric music connection by adding slightly more energy to the lines depicting negative behavior in relation to spending and making money. Money or wealth is an attribute of daily life for everyone. Unfortunately, having too much money can cause problems for the user and recipient in the form of greed.Pink Floyd’s song â€Å"Money† goes through the cycle of wealth by starting with making the money and then ends by describing a dispute driven by greed. ACDC depicts their view of the corruption of money by telling the story of a man who uses money to get women, also known as prostitution. Both songs accurately portray the negative connotations attached to wealth in today’s soci ety by ending their songs on greedy behavior started by obtaining and spending too much money. ? Bibliography Lyumbomirsky, Sonja. Scientific American. 10 August 2010. 15 April 2012. . Staff, PNAS and World Science. World Science. 8 September 2010. 14 April 2012. .

Dave Matthews Band Bio

Formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991, Dave Matthews Band, or DMB, is an enormously successful rock, jazz and jam band that has had various tours around the United States and around the world. Originally from South Africa, Dave Matthews was working as a bartender in downtown Charlottesville when approached about forming a band, for he was already known as a good songwriter. This set the wheels in motion for Dave to meet other future members of DMB. DMB’s drummer, Carter Beauford, grew up in Charlottesville and agreed to join upon Matthews’ project. At about the same time as Beauford, Matthews recruited prominent Charlottesville saxophonist Leroi Moore, who also agreed to join. Moore, due from complications suffered in an ATV accident, died in 2008. DMB’s latest album, â€Å"Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King†, is dedicated to Moore’s memory. With a drummer and saxophonist secured, Matthews approached bassist Stefan Lessard, who also grew up in Charlottesville. Lessard, who was enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University, eventually dropped out due to becoming so involved in the band. Boyd Tinsley, DMB’s violinist, was studying at the University of Virginia when asked by Matthews to join the collaboration. With the band now fully formed, Dave Matthews Band started playing local joints and bars and eventually released their first studio album â€Å"Under the Table and Dreaming† in 1994. With 5 albums released between their first and their latest, DMB has shown immense longevity in the music scene. DMB is also heavily involved in philanthropy, always supporting local Charlottesville charities and Habitat for Humanity across the country. With Leroi Moore’s unfortunate passing in 2008, Jeff Coffin became the band’s new saxophonist but has not yet been named an official member. DMB has released more than 15 live albums, which often include improvisation on some of their most recognizable songs and lyrics. The band has won one Grammy Award, and has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.

Management in Health and social care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management in Health and social care - Essay Example By contrast, the new reform models require purchasers-government-appointed authorities, private insurers, or risk-bearing groups of health providers-to proactively manage and allocate resources amongst different health care needs. Purchasers are expected to manage treatment decision-making by physicians and other health providers. Managed competition and traditional single structured management combine elements of both government planning and market approaches. Managed care, another concept that is often referred to in the context of health care reform, is the mechanism through which managed competition proposals seek to obtain cost savings, but as described further below, can be employed in any health care system. The internal market programme has been surprisingly successful. The large majority of the measures of which the programme was made up have been adopted in time. Admittedly, there are areas which lag behind (such as free movement of persons). Moreover, it has not always bee n possible to maintain the rigorous approach originally and a lot remains to be done with regard to implementing the adopted measures at national level. Nevertheless, the essence of the internal market is in place, which finds perhaps its most spectacular expression in the complete abolition of controls on the movement of goods. From an economic point of view, the question whether there is an external dimension to the internal market sounds almost ridiculous. How could, an economist would argue, a policy of economic integration that is as encompassing as the internal market programme and that applies to twelve developed countries which play an important role in international trade not affect trade and economic relations with the outside world However, from the point of view of law-and policy-making the question could be raised in the early stages, as indeed it has been. One can safely say that until 1988 the attitude of the Community's institutions towards both the external effects of the internal market programme and the relationship between the programme and the Community's external policies was one of benign neglect. Before describing the competition-oriented reform models, a preliminary question must be addressed: why is health care reform needed A number of factors have converged creating strong pressures for health care reform in developed countries. These factors include: concerns over increases in total spending on health care services; concerns over rapidly increasing government spending; access and rationing concerns; and concerns over the cost-effectiveness and, indeed, effectiveness of many services supplied. Let us look more closely at the forces contributing to reform throughout the 1980s and 1990s, beginning first with the concern over growth in total health care spending. Throughout the 1970s there were significant increases in the proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) (the total value of all goods and services produced by a country) absorbed by health care spending. Between 1972 and 1982 there was a 36-percent, 30-percent, 26-percent and 25-percent increase, respectively, in the percentage of GDP spent on

Language of Art and Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Language of Art and Design - Essay Example We must learn to do this before we can learn about interpretation and the meaning of various art works.1 We have to know how to walk before we can know how to run very fast. Firstly, we need to look at the physical parts of a work of art – how do we name and describe the visual facts? To do this we need a basic vocabulary. These are terms that can be applied to a work of art in any of the forms of art, be it photography, sculpture, or painting—these are the things we first see.2 The first thing we see is the medium, the material used in the work of art. Medium also refers to dimension as well. Is it two dimensions or three dimensions? Is it a painting on a piece of canvas or on a wood? Is it a sculpture in clay or charcoal? What kinds of paints are used? Acrylic, oil, watercolour? These factors all add to the effect of the creation. To understand the creation we must understand the many parts that make it up. Another important building block: One of the first rules of geometry is a line. A line the â€Å"path of a point moving through space.† It can be used to draw the eye to important parts of a composition. Lines also mark divisions between different spaces. You could say they are the basic â€Å"building blocks† of shape and form.3 Colour is another important one. Everything that we see from nature to fashion to our favourite football team impacts our brain with the exciting colours available in our world. Colour effects our emotions in both subtle and unsubtle ways. Without it, our daily life experiences would be dull as dishwater. Think how much our eyes are more drawn to a colourful magazine than to a black and white newspaper. The artist is sensitive to these issues and takes the use of color seriously, making serious choices for a various effects. For example, Matisse was a master of using colour and created some of his best paintings using the colour red. As with colour, light makes

WRITTEN PROPOSAL Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

WRITTEN PROPOSAL - Annotated Bibliography Example Studies that have reports about exercise’s healing qualities is slowly gaining popularity as well as a way to delay aging and increase longevity. With regard to benefits of exercise to mental health, one of the most compelling discussion is made by Deslandes and Schuch who proposed that the benefits of exercise particularly aerobic and strength training â€Å"contribute to improve cognitive function, especially the executive function†. In the same study, it also reported that exercise reduces depressive symptoms through the â€Å"occurrence of redundant neurobiological pathways with the increase of neurotrophins due to exercise†. Interestingly, Dunn and Jewel, even contend that physical exercise could even be a cure to mental disorder. Their study also reported that exercise can change an indivdiual’s outlook in life to become optimistic that can contribute to one’s health and well-being (Dunn and Jewel 204). Other studies supported this report that physical exercise could reduce and resist anxiety. It prescribed long term exercise however to promote mental wellness that is resistant to anxiety (Strickland and Smith). Interestingly, it seems that exercise could also make one intelligent because according to Brow et al’s study, physical exercise can help â€Å"maintain superior cognitive functioning as well as modify the risk of cognitive decline, AD and dementia† (Brown et al 872). Other benefits of exercise was stated by Raj et al, where he reported that physical exercise make people avoid unwholesome lifestyle such as smoking and drinking. In the same study, Raj et al contended that exercise does not only make people healthy but also increases their philanthropic tendency (Raj 1191). Of course we can deduce that given the benefits of exercise of having a healthy body that is resistant to diseases, that we would live long and slow aging (CBN News). Quoting Brian Kinney assertion that â€Å"the harder you exercise, the longer you live†

The Information Asymmetry, Corporate Failures in Contemporary Issue in Essay

The Information Asymmetry, Corporate Failures in Contemporary Issue in Accounting - Essay Example The internal auditor plays a critical role in reducing agency costs by ensuring and assuring that financial reports prepared by the firm are consistent with regulations and standards as expected by the investors (Ahlawat & Lowe 2004, p. 147). There is often a business relationship between the client and the external audit. The firm contracts the auditor to audit and attest to the firm’s accuracy of the financial statements. Corporate failures and major financial scandals like Enron and WorldCom have resulted from poor accounting system where there were information asymmetry between shareholders, investors as well as other outside parties, and the insider parties mainly the management executives and the internal auditors. There is also a business relationship between the auditor and the shareholders who rely on the financial statements prepared by the auditor. Internal audit function works closely with the management in examining internal controls, detecting fraud and advising them in the appropriate remedial measures in case of fraud detection in the system (Sengupta 1998, p. 462). In the vase of internal audit function and audit committees, these auditors are employed by the firm and are therefore paid by their firms, the interaction between the internal auditors and managers as well as the employees can be potential sources of conflict of interest, which may result in the auditors not being fundamentally objective and also compromising their independence. Internal auditors and the dominant senior managers can work together to ensure that their individual interests override those of the firm. In such cases, the financial reports issued to the investors and shareholders may look consistent with accounting standards and principles while being far from the true position of the company. Role of information in the firms’ corporate governance Information plays an important role in facilitating firms’ corporate governance. One of the important is sues of corporate governance is the construction of mechanisms that help in aligning objectives of executives with those of the firm’s shareholders (Hermalin & Weisbach 2008). The firms’ board of directors often find themselves heavily tasked with the role of monitoring and advising executives. These boards comprise of internal directors who are the firm’s senior executives and outside directors. Outside directors are essential in bringing independence to the function while the internal directors help in bringing information about the firm’s activities. These directors being insiders or senior executives in the management can hide information where they detect that such information will be utilized in disciplining or taking away the executives private benefits. Information plays an important role in the selection and construction of corporate governance mechanisms that help in aligning actions of managers and senior executives with shareholders’ in terests. Information also helps in reducing contracting costs and in the making of strategic decisions. Information asymmetry The internal audit function and the management generally have more information about the firm’s performance than the firm’s shareholders. This information asymmetry can be detrimental to the firm’

BORDER SECURITY USING WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK Research Paper

BORDER SECURITY USING WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK - Research Paper Example Borders are critical features of any state since they define territory. Individualterritories on the other hand have specific rules and acceptable ways of conduct which must be protected. As such, it is important that borders should be protected so as to keep away intruders such as illegal immigrants, smugglers, and terrorists. WSNs are being embraced in surveillance because they are cheaper and more effective as compared to traditional surveillance methods such as radar or satellite (Wang &Guo 358). Wireless border control sensor network architecture is made up of three main components: sensor nodes, gateways, and task managers. Sensor nodes are the components at the end of the architecture which capture the data at the border (through sensing). They are also referred to as the sink, source, or actuators. As such, movement for example at unauthorized areas can be sensed from the sensor nodes. Several sensors are situated differently and are usually interconnected. The sensor nodes may do some calculations before transmitting the data at the border though a gateway (Kalita, &Kar 2). Gateways on the other hand are proxies for the wireless border control systems. They allow the system administrators to interface Motes to some relay points such as personal digital assistants and personal computers for monitoring. In short, all the interconnected sensor nodes relay their information to the administrator through the same proxy (gateway) (Maharrey, Lim, &Gao 7). Gateways may be active (allow nodes to actively relay data to the system (gateway server), passive (allows gateway to send requests to sensor nodes), or hybrid (performs tasks of both active and passive gateways) (Villegas, Tang, &Qian 4). The task managers are the receiving ends of the wireless border control sensor network architecture. After the sensor notes acquire information from the

Government Regulations for Small Firms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Government Regulations for Small Firms - Essay Example This paper illustrates that very often small business is positioned as small fish in the ocean, where only strong sharks can survive due to strict conditions, rapidly changing the environment and high competition. On the other hand, in the modern globalized world being an owner of a small business warrant the need to have a strong position to withstand the challenges and hardships in case business owners’ rights are not protected. Government protection is cited as one of the major prerequisites for achieving success and profitability in small business. Simultaneously, small firms are obliged to comply with the \ laws and rules developed by governments to assist economies and citizens. Unfortunately, even with the presence of sophisticated small business policies, the interests of small firms tend to be neglected; this is particularly the case of economies in transition. However, to understand whether or not government regulations benefit small businesses, the concept of regula tion has to be understood. Regulation plays a crucial role in the market. Very often this role is diminished. There is a need to promote regulation in order to advance relations within the market and develop the market economy in general. Regulation should not be positioned as a restriction imposed on the performance of the small firms. On the contrary, regulations have the potential to positively affect small business performance. More often than not, firms claim government regulations to be an important impediment to small business growth. However, most of these claims are too general to be valid. Only 36 percent of small firm owners have been successful in identifying the factor that impedes their development, whereas the rest tend to blame governments just because they impose their rules on games on businesses.

The prevention of Obesity in Childhood Term Paper

The prevention of Obesity in Childhood - Term Paper Example Obese children tend to suffer from some symptom of attention deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD). Childhood obesity is a major worldwide concern especially in the developed countries and now are reaching epidemic proportions (Dehghan et al,2005). The prevalence rate is increasing worldwide and has been growing rapidly in the recent years(Procter , 2007). Therefore, this increase is considered a very critical issue by global public health authorities(Jones et al ,2008: North Ireland centre for diet and health,2001). In US the prevalence of obesity among children increased between year 1973 to 1994 by 11%. While, between 1999 and 2000 obesity increased by just 4%(Dehghan et al,2005).On the other hand 27.6% of American children and adolescents aged 2 through 19 years were overweight or obese between 2003 and 2006(Maryer, 2009). Similarly the UK saw a rise in the rate of childhood obesity from 8% to 20% between the years 1984 to 1993(Dehghan et al,2005). So, childhood obesity has been observed in the developed countries and developing countries as well. Moreover, childhood obesity i s high in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. According to Dehghan et al (2005), one in every six children aged between 6 and 18 years old is obese in Saudi Arabia. Obesity is defined as "an excess of body fat The World Health Organization (WHO) defines "overweight" as a BMI more than 25 or equal , and "obesity" as a BMI more than 30 or equal. The exact reason for obesity is not fully understood and it is believed to be a disorder with multiple causes. For instance environmental factors, lifestyle favorites, and cultural environment play crucial roles. In general obesity is assumed to be the results of an increase in caloric and fat intake. It is known many food favorites responsible for these caloric and fat intakes. Such as excessive sugar intake by soft drinks, increased portion size, fast foods, and steady decline in physical activity have been playing major roles in the rising rates of obesity all around the world. Thus, both over-consumption of calories and reduced physical activity are involved in childhood obesity. Knowing a child's BMI (Body Mass Index) can help you find the kids who are at risk of becoming overweight. 2. Analysis Childhood obesity can be defined as a condition where excessive body fat negatively affected on a children's health and wellbeing. Thus due to the increasingly rising prevalence of obesity in children and its many adverse effects on healthy life, it is being identified as one of the growing and major public health issues in the world. In fact strong evidence on the subject suggests that over the billions of children are overweight and obesity. The evidence clarifies and argues the importance of prevention of childhood obesity. The overall aim of this review is to investigate and examine the effectiveness of varying interventions to prevent childhood obesity in terms of either from healthy lifestyle education, or by combining the effects of both dietary education interventions and physical activity interventions to prevent obesity in childhood. This aim will be achieved through two specific clear targets. The first one is to evaluate the effectiveness of dietary education interventio ns versus control. The second one is intended to assess the action of the combined impact for both of dietary educat