Believe Acoustic by Justin Bieber free essay sample

Believe Acoustic Canadian pop artist Justin Bieber has done it again. Seven month after releasing his 6th album entitled â€Å"Believe† Justin recently released a follow-up album, â€Å"Believe Acoustic.† Believe Acoustic is filled with a combination of songs from new tunes, a live version, to three new singles. This album will have anyone humming his tunes all day. Justin is known for his a fast and up beat songs like Baby, and Beauty and a Beat. In this album he slows it down particularly in â€Å"Nothing Like Us† written about his break-up with his ex-girlfriend, actress and singer Selena Gomez. Justin did a really good job of putting heartfelt lyrics into this song that made you feel his pain and distress. His voice and the instruments seemed to â€Å"click† in perfectly like puzzle pieces. One lyric that was a dead giveaway this song was written about Selena was â€Å"Babe.† When Justin and Selena dated he called her babe as a nickname. We will write a custom essay sample on Believe Acoustic by Justin Bieber or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page That, and the fact he even said it was about their break-up. Another song that was well done was â€Å"Yellow Raincoat.† In this song Justin sings about how â€Å"The fame, and the money, and the money, and the girls drive him crazy† sometimes. He refers to the â€Å"Yellow Raincoat† as a cover up for him when he is getting stressed out or really upset. This song almost makes who ever listening to it feel bad for him about how cruel the media can be to celebrities. Though Believe Acoustic lacks the idea of any â€Å"theme,† it honestly doesn’t need one. It’s so good even without any theme going for it. Another thing this album lacks is a â€Å"bad† song. Justin does an un-belieb-able job of entertaining you with not only amazing lyrics, but awesome, well thought out tunes. Overall, Believe Acoustic is an amazing album that will turn you into a belieber by the end of the day. Magnificent percussion, awesome lyrics, and great songs easily score this album a 10 decibel beliebers scream. â€Å"Glice† going Justin! Believe Acoustic by Justin Bieber free essay sample Justin Bieber is a teen pop singer. His music is usually upbeat and makes you happy and want to dance. My favorite album by him is â€Å"Believe Acoustic†. Justin Bieber has been around for a little while. He started becoming popular when he was about 15 in 2009 and now he’s 19. He started as a you tube sensation and everybody loved him. Today, there is even a movie about his life. He was born in Canada. His first big hit was â€Å"Baby† and some of his other albums are â€Å"Believe†, â€Å"My World† and â€Å"Never Say Never†. â€Å"Believe Acoustic† is his first acoustic album. â€Å"Believe Acoustics† overall theme is the acoustic version of â€Å"Believe†. It also has some extra songs that aren’t from â€Å"Believe†. The lyrics of the songs on this album are very well thought out. They rhyme and make sense. A good example would be â€Å"if I could make a better way so you could see a better day†. We will write a custom essay sample on Believe Acoustic by Justin Bieber or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Justin Bieber writes some of his own songs. On Justin Biebers â€Å"Believe Acoustic† my favorite song is â€Å"I would†. It is my favorite song on the album because it stands out and is very catchy and upbeat. The song that sags on the album is â€Å"Fall†. It is a little boring and the real version of the song was already slow but now it’s even slower since it’s acoustic. â€Å"Believe Acoustic† is slower than Justin’s previous albums but it is still very good. I give â€Å"Believe Acoustic† by Justin Bieber a 10 out of 10 because its my favorite album bye him. He did a really good job on converting the â€Å"Believe† songs into acoustic version. Believe Acoustic by Justin Bieber free essay sample Have you heard Justin Bieber’s new album, Believe Acoustic? No? Well let me tell you about it. This new pop album is amazing, but the original, Believe, is just a little bit better. In 2008, Scooter Braun found little Justin Bieber singing his heart out in a YouTube video. Braun searched day and night to find this little Canadian boy. Braun got a hold of Justin’s mom’s phone number and they made a plan to fly from Canada to Georgia. Justin was signed almost instantly. As a child, Bieber’s dad walked out on Justin and his mom. He grew up with his single mom and grandparents. With their help, Justin recorded seven albums: My World, My World 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Believe Acoustic by Justin Bieber or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 0, My Worlds Acoustic, Never Say Never the Remixes, Under the Mistletoe, Believe, and Believe Acoustic. Believe Acoustic is Bieber’s second acoustic album and it is his second best album, behind My World 2.0, in my opinion. The overall theme of Believe Acoustic is growing into an adult and falling in love. The lyrics show how much Justin cares about the people he love, â€Å"For you I would walk a thousand miles to be in your arms, holding my heart.† The songs that stand out the most are ‘Nothing Like Us’ and ‘Yellow Raincoat’ because all of the other songs are mostly upbeat, but these two are slow and meaningful. The only track that sags is ‘Be Alright’ because it gets kind of boring. This album is equally as good as others in this genre, if not better. I give Believe Acoustic a rating of 9 out of 10 because it’s such a good album, but one or two songs sag a little bit.

Phillips Surname Meaning and Family History

Phillips Surname Meaning and Family History Phillips is a patronymic surname meaning son of Phillip. The given name Phillip comes from the Greek name Philippos which means friend of horses, composed of the elements philos, meaning friend and hippos, or horse. Surname Origin:  Welsh Alternate Surname Spellings:  PHILIPS, PHILLIP, PHILIP Famous People With the Surname Phillips Elizabeth J. (Magie) Phillips - American inventor whose The Landlords Game (patented in 1904) was the precursor to Parker Brothers MonopolyAlban William Phillips - New Zealand economist known for the Phillips Curve, a relation between inflation and unemployment. Where Is the Phillips Surname Most Common? The Phillips surname, according to surname distribution information from  Forebears, is the 819th most common surname in the world, and is especially prevalent in Wales (where it ranks 17th), the United States (46th), England (50th), New Zealand (48th) and Australia (56th). WorldNames PublicProfiler  data also has the Phillips surname as being especially common in Wales, particularly in the western half of the country. It is also common throughout England, as well as New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and Canada. Genealogy Resources for the Surname Phillips 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census? Phillips  Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Phillips  family crest or coat of arms for the Phillips surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. Phillips  DNA ProjectThis very active DNA project brings together individuals with the Phillips surname interested in combining DNA testing with traditional genealogy research to help identify Phillips ancestors. Phillips Family Genealogy ForumThis free message board is focused on descendants of Phillips ancestors around the world. Search the forum for posts about your Phillips ancestors, or join the forum and post your own queries.   FamilySearch - Phillips GenealogyExplore over 9.6 million  results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Phillips surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Phillips Surname Mailing ListA free mailing list for researchers of the Phillips surname and its variations includes subscription details and searchable archives of past messages. GeneaNet - Phillips  RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Phillips surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Phillips  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Phillips surname from the website of Genealogy Today. Ancestry.com: Phillips SurnameExplore over 14  million digitized records and database entries, including census records, passenger lists, military records, land deeds, probates, wills and other records for the Phillips surname on the subscription-based website, Ancestry.com References Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Elements of the Legal System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Elements of the Legal System - Essay Example The adversarial type is always seen on films and read in novels. The adversarial model works in two types of criminal cases: First are the celebrated cases, where famous people are involved, or cases that are horrifying and beyond the normal type of crime. Second are the serious felonies, which include serious misdemeanors that are done by strangers. The consensual model is a model classified as more effective because there is good cooperation from both the defense and prosecutor. In this model, the two attorneys from both sides share the same understanding of the crimes and punishments. These attorneys think that arguing over the case will only slow down the court proceedings of the case when their main purpose is to make the process faster and finish the throng of cases as quickly and effectively as possible. Crime Control vs. Due Process Models. Crime control model is the assurance of public protection. This type of model believes that all criminal suspects are guilty; thus, their cases should be dealt quickly in the courts or in any other legal branches. The legal process of this model with the criminal suspects is characterized like that of a conveyer belt where all cases and the suspects pass by in the conveyer belt quick and fast. â€Å"Crime control and consensual models complement each other since crime control gives importance to quickly and efficiently convict criminal suspects to ensure the public their safety† (Barkan, 2009). The consensual model gives importance of the same goal but only because to ensure of the continuous and uninterrupted court proceedings. In contrast, due process model is a model that protects and ensures the suspected criminal from the likely abuse of the government of its power. This model take into consideration that the suspected criminal or defendant is innocent of the charges thrown at him. In a democratic country, both the innocent and the guilty deserve to have proper court proceedings and ensure of their indivi dual freedom. The adversarial model and the due process model â€Å"complement each other† since the former model stresses on challenging the evidences of the two parties while the latter highlights on protecting the rights of the suspected offender (Barkan, 2009). Lawyers The significance of the function of a defense attorney is to talk and act in behalf of the defendant. A defense attorney understands the fair process of the criminal justice system. A defendant is in need of every legal advice and counsel throughout the court proceedings, and a defense attorney is the one that gives such. A defense attorney also â€Å"represents the defendant after the he or she is taken into custody†¦to give advice and to make sure constitutional rights are not violated during pretrial procedures† (â€Å"The Adversary Justice System,† n.d.). The prosecuting attorney does not give advices the same way a defense attorney does. A prosecutor’s responsibility is making sure that parties involved in the trial are conscious and be aware of legal measures. Prosecuting vs. Defense Attorney. The prosecuting and the defense attorneys both lay their sides to the judge and to the jury, and during the trial proceedings of the case both are involved. The prosecuting team goes first in presenting evidence that proves the conviction of the defendant followed by the defendant who is going to present his or her

Assignment # 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment # 7 - Essay Example Policy makers only consider less number of options when tackling problems. The selected policy options only differ marginally with the existing policies. For each option, just the most significant consequences are considered. There is no best policy assessment; an excellent policy is one that all participants consent on rather than what is most excellent to solve a crisis. Incremental policy advocates for making corrections; it centers on small modification to already existing policies rather than remarkable fundamental modifications. In this model, policy-making is also sequential; you have to keep solving problems as mistakes become obvious and are rectified. Fresh approaches to the problems are developed. In this model urgency and importance are the barriers. Since the model advocates for small parts solving of problems, some problems may have serious consequences and need fast solutions. Additionally, some problems may be new and of high risk which need new policies. The mending of already existing polices may not solve the problems. With the analysis of problems before implementing or creation of policies should be advocated so as significant policy change to occur. The Steams theory applies the consideration of three example applications of streams, i.e. politics, policies and problems. However, the streams have drawbacks which hinder effective policy making. First, the independence of the streams is questioned. The streams are said not to be independent which makes them manipulated easily. People tend to embrace solutions that they have a belief that it will solve their problem. They do not identify solutions because that solves a particular issue. Politically, in governments, regardless problems have been solved or not, problems still arise. The streams only come together when solutions and problems are attached and presented to political audiences. The other barrier is that the streams need a proper entrepreneurial culture

Locus of control and self-esteem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Locus of control and self-esteem - Essay Example A drive to accomplish and maintain high self-esteem is one of the strongest motives of personality. People with high self-esteem possess a positive image about themselves while people with low self-esteem possess a negative about themselves (Baumeister, 1998). In recent times, psychologist and other social scientists have shifted emphasis on studying the personality traits of students. A number of researchers have studied the relationship between self-esteem and locus of control (Martin, 1978; Liu, Haiyan & Li, 2009). The findings of the researches suggested that locus of control and self-esteem has a negative or inverse relationship. This means that individuals having a high locus of control, that is, external locus on control will have a low self-esteem. Similarly, individuals having a low locus of control, that is, internal locus of control will have a high self-esteem (Martin, 1978; Liu, Haiyan & Li, 2009). These results are not only consistent in the academic field rather researchers investigated the relationship of the two variables among different ethnic backgrounds, socio-economic status, gender roles and discovered the same results (Goodman, Cooley, Sewell & Leavitt, 1994; Harrison, Guy & Lupfer, 1981). The main purpose of the research is to study the relationship between locus of control and self-esteem among students studying at Marshall Graduate College, Charleston. The study aims to investigate whether students having a higher locus of control have a low self-esteem and vice versa. In order to understand the two variables; locus of control and self-esteem better, the conceptual definitions are presented. The locus of control is an important concept of psychology which explains how a human perceives the events that he has gone through in his or her life. It is considered as an important part of an individual’s personality as it mainly refers to the way one perceives his/her actions and the events that his/his life passes through,

3D Cone Beam Imaging in Dental Practices

3D Cone Beam Imaging in Dental Practices Abstract Cone Beam Imaging is increasingly being considered as an important source of three dimensional (3D) imaging in orthodontics ever since it was introduced back in 1998. This manuscript has been designed to highlight the applications of cone beam imaging, its background, efficiency and its scope over the years. Although its advantages are more over the routine radiography cases, and its ever increasing popularity, there are a few disadvantages that exist under the surface and this manuscript tends to explore that as well. Similarly, there are some dentists who use it frequently while some refuse to use it in the office. All such scenarios have been evaluated in this research manuscript. Keywords: radiography, orthodontics, cone beam CT, computed, tomography, dental practices, instrumentation 3D Cone Beam Imaging in Dental Practices For quite a while now, the use of advanced imaging for most dental practitioners has been limited due to the considerations of radiation doses, availability and cost. However, after the introduction of Cone Beam Imaging with the help of Computed Tomography, the opportunities for multi-planar imaging have made their way for applications in maxillofacial regions. Introduction to 3D Cone Beam Imaging Cone beam imaging is based on volumetric tomography, in which an extended two-dimensional digital array is used in combination with a three-dimensional x-ray beam and an area detector. The technology uses a single scan of 360 degrees in which the detector and x-ray source move around the head of the patient in a synchronization, which is fixed in a stable position with the help of a head holder. At specific intervals of degrees, basis images or the single projection images are acquired by the device. These basis images resemble the lateral cephalometric radiographic pictures, and the series of these images is termed as the projection data (Lofthag-Hansen, Thilander-Klang, Kerstin, 2011). Different software are then used to employ back-filtered projection to these images in order to generate a 3D set of volumetric data, which is then used to provide reconstruction images in the coronal, sagittal and axial planes (Noo, 2010). Although the principle of cone beam imaging has been into applications for the last two decades, the recent availability of powerful computers, high-quality detector systems and affordable x-ray tubes have given way to more commercial usage of this technology. Ever since the introduction of first cone beam imaging back in 2001 as NewTom QR DVT 9000 (Benavides, et al., 2012), a lot of systems have been introduced in the market. All of these systems can be categorized on the basis of their detection system. For maxillofacial applications, most of these units used a charge-coupled device and an image intensifier tube. Only recently, a flat panel imager was brought into applications which consisted of a scintillator made up of cesium iodide and an amorphous silicon thin film transistor (Shah, Mann, Tornai, Richmond, Zentai, 2014; Stratemann, Huang, Maki, Miller, Hatcher, 2014). These systems generated lesser noise and did not need the preprocessing for the reductions of geometric disto rtions present in the configuration of detectors. Applications of Cone Beam Imaging in Clinical Dental Practice Cone beam imaging technology is suitable for usage in clinical dental practice due to its size, unlike the conventional computed tomography scanners that are expensive and large to maintain and purchase (Poeschl, et al., 2013). In dental practices where space is at a premium, dose considerations and costs are taken under consideration and the scanning scope is limited to the head, cone beam imaging systems become quite popular. All cone beam imaging technology units provide sagittal, coronal and axial images, with basic enhancement options of magnification, zoom and visual adjustments, have the capability of cursor-driven measurement and annotation additions. Other enhancements include color ranges and contrast levels within the frame window. Values of cone beam imaging technology imaging in post-operative assessment of craniofacial fractures (Wortche, et al., 2014; Mischkowski, et al., 2014), TMJ assessments (Honda, et al., 2014; Tsiklakis, Syriopoulos, Stamatakis, 2014; Kijima, et al., 2014), surgical assessment of pathology and implant planning (Weitz, et al., 2011; Maret, et al., 2014; Liang, et al., 2010) have been evaluated into applications. Similarly, cone beam imaging technology has also been found into popular applications in the field of orthodontics for the assessment of development and growths (Stratemann S. , Huang, Maki, Hatcher, Miller, 2011), with popularity increasing evermore at the Wes t Coast of the United States. Advantages of Cone Beam Imaging Cone beam imaging technology is highly suitable for the craniofacial area as it provides clear images of bones and contrasted structures. There are a number of advantages for cone beam imaging technology over the conventional computed tomography which include: Limitation of X-Ray Beam With the reduction of the size of irradiated area to the area of interest by the collimation of primary x-ray beam, the amount of radiation dose is greatly reduced. Most units can be adjusted to scan the beam perfectly allowing the scan of entire craniofacial complex whenever necessary. Accuracy of Images In the conventional computed tomography, the voxels are rectangular and anisotropic, whereas the voxels in cone beam imaging are square and isotropic. This allows the units to produce high quality images varying from as high as 0.4mm down to as few as 0.125mm of resolution. Rapid Scan Time Since all the images are acquired within a single rotation, the scan time is rapid and comparable to the medical spiral systems ranging from 10 seconds to 70 seconds. The reduction in scan time also reduces the probability of motion artifacts (Suomalainen, Vehmas, Kortesniemi, Robinson, Peltola, 2014). Reduction in Doses Different reports indicate that the effective radiation dose is reduced greatly in conic beam imaging systems as compared to conventional computed tomographic systems. The average dosage of the conventional systems is reduced up to 98% in the cone beam imaging systems (Tyndall Kohltfarber, 2012; Pauwels, et al., 2012; Tyndall, et al., 2012). Reduced Image Artifacts Cone beam imaging technology images produce low image artifacts due to the suppressed algorithms and increased number of projections, especially in the reconstructions designed secondarily for observing teeth and jaws (Miles, 2013). Conclusion The rapid commercialization and development of cone beam imaging technology has undoubtedly increased the access of dental practitioners to 3D radiographic procedures dedicated to imaging the maxillofacial region in the clinical dental practice. Cone beam imaging technology imaging provides sub-millimeter, high quality images with spatial resolution and short scanning times ranging between ten seconds to a minute, defining it as a convenient source of diagnostic procedures. References Benavides, E., Rios, H. F., Ganz, S. D., An, C. H., Resnik, R., Reardon, G. T., Wang, H. L. (2012). Use of cone beam computed tomography in implant dentistry: the International Congress of Oral Implantologists consensus report. Implant dentistry, 78-86. Honda, K., Matumoto, K., Kashima, M., Takano, Y., Kawashima, S., Arai, Y. (2014). Single air contrast arthrography for temporomandibular joint disorder using limited cone beam computed tomography for dental use. Dentomaxillofacial Radiology. Kijima, N., Honda, K., Kuroki, Y., Sakabe, J., Ejima, K., Nakajima, I. (2014). Relationship between patient characteristics, mandibular head morphology and thickness of the roof of the glenoid fossa in symptomatic temporomandibular joints. Dentomaxillofacial Radiology. Liang, X., Jacobs, R., Hassan, B., Li, L., Pauwels, R., Corpas, L., Lambrichts, I. (2010). A comparative evaluation of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and multi-slice CT (MSCT): Part I. On subjective image quality. European journal of radiology, 2(75), 265-269. Lofthag-Hansen, S., Thilander-Klang, A., Grà ¶ndahl, K. (2011). Evaluation of subjective image quality in relation to diagnostic task for cone beam computed tomography with different fields of view.European journal of radiology,80(2), 483-488. Maret, D., Peters, O. A., Galibourg, A., Dumoncel, J., Esclassan, R., Kahn, J. L., Telmon, N. (2014). Comparison of the Accuracy of 3-dimensional Cone-beam Computed Tomography and Micro-Computed Tomography Reconstructions by Using Different Voxel Sizes. Journal of endodontics, 9(40), 1321-1326. Miles, D. A. (2013). Atlas of cone beam imaging for dental applications. Quintessence Pub. Mischkowski, R. A., Scherer, P., Ritter, L., Neugebauer, J., Keeve, E., Zoller, J. E. (2014). Diagnostic quality of multiplanar reformations obtained with a newly developed cone beam device for maxillofacial imaging. Dentomaxillofacial Radiology. Noo, F. (2010, March). X-ray cone-beam computed tomography: principles, applications, challenges and solutions. In APS March Meeting Abstracts , 1, 5003. Pauwels, R., Beinsberger, J., Collaert, B., Theodorakou, C., Rogers, J., Walker, A., Horner, K. (2012). Effective dose range for dental cone beam computed tomography scanners. European journal of radiology, 2(81), 267-271. Poeschl, P. W., Schmidt, N., Guevara-Rojas, G., Seemann, R., Ewers, R., Zipko, H. T., Schicho, K. (2013). Comparison of cone-beam and conventional multislice computed tomography for image-guided dental implant planning.Clinical oral investigations,17(1), 317-324. Shah, J., Mann, S. D., Tornai, M. P., Richmond, M., Zentai, G. (2014, March). MTF characterization in 2D and 3D for a high resolution, large field of view flat panel imager for cone beam CT. In SPIE Medical Imaging. Stratemann, S. A., Huang, J. C., Maki, K., Miller, A. J., Hatcher, D. C. (2014). Comparison of cone beam computed tomography imaging with physical measures. Dentomaxillofacial Radiology. Stratemann, S., Huang, J. C., Maki, K., Hatcher, D., Miller, A. J. (2011). Three-dimensional analysis of the airway with cone-beam computed tomography. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, 5(140), 607-615. Suomalainen, A., Vehmas, T., Kortesniemi, M., Robinson, S., Peltola, J. (2014). Accuracy of linear measurements using dental cone beam and conventional multislice computed tomography. Dentomaxillofacial Radiology. Tsiklakis, K., Syriopoulos, K., Stamatakis, H. C. (2014). Radiographic examination of the temporomandibular joint using cone beam computed tomography. Dentomaxillofacial Radiology. Tyndall, D. A., Price, J. B., Tetradis, S., Ganz, S. D., Hildebolt, C., Scarfe, W. C. (2012). Position statement of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology on selection criteria for the use of radiology in dental implantology with emphasis on cone beam computed tomography. Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology, 6(113), 817-826. Tyndall, D., Kohltfarber, H. (2012). Application of cone beam volumetric tomography in endodontics. Australian Dental Journal(57), 72-81. doi:10.1111/j.1834-7819.2011.01654.x Weitz, J., Deppe, H., Stopp, S., Lueth, T., Mueller, S., Hohlweg-Majert, B. (2011). Accuracy of templates for navigated implantation made by rapid prototyping with DICOM datasets of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Clinical Oral Investigations, 6(15), 1001-1006. Wortche, R., Hassfeld, S., Lux, C. J., Mussig, E., Hensley, F. W., Krempien, R., Hofele, C. (2014). Clinical application of cone beam digital volume tomography in children with cleft lip and palate. Dentomaxillofacial Radiology.

Future of North Korea Economy: Politics over Economic Policy

Future of North Korea Economy: Politics Over Economic Policy The terms starvation, isolation, totalitarianism, and nuclear ambitions combined would remind most people the hermit kingdom in East Asia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and its Kim dynasty. After the demise of the aged dictator Kim Jong Il in December 2011, the country went through a period of mourning the death of their â€Å"beloved† Great General and, undergoing a power succession to his 29-year-old son, Kim Jong Un. He has been known to have attended a Swiss school in his childhood years, enjoying playing basketball and video games (Yan & Shubert, 2011).However, even though many outsiders have a hopeful outlook on this young dictator to be somewhat liberal in both economic and political perspectives, analyzing the situation through levels of analysis suggests that he is unlikely to be any different than his predecessors. In fact, because maintaining the nation’s authoritarian Kim dynast y and communist political system is the most important objective for North Korea, he will probably continue to put low priority on economy, defying international norms as a totalitarian nation of a closed, rigidly planned economy.The Three Levels Explained The levels-of-analysis is an approach conceptualized by Kenneth Waltz in his book Man, the State, and War to understand global politics through categorizing different factors shaping states’ behaviors (Ray, 2001). The approach can be categorized in to three levels: the individual level, which emphasizes the roles played by individual leaders, nation-state level, focusing on interaction between various actors under the nation’s political system and culture, and the system level, addressing distribution of power in the international system (Dorff, 2004).Although levels-of-analysis problem, regarding limitation and vagueness of integrating units, is an ongoing issue according to James Lee Ray (2001), the levels can be i ntegrated more simply in to a more structured and comprehensive analysis when they are considered as different explanatory variables of different location as in this case. Individual Level of AnalysisKim’s past actions show that his main goal is consolidating and maintaining ultimate power through an authoritarian, inhumane method that closely resembles his father’s methods. His fondness for Michael Jordan and his chic, stylish wife may give the impression that he would adopt a more â€Å"open† leadership, but since succession, he has been ruthlessly eliminating anyone in his way of solidifying power within the ruling party, while also verbally and physically provoking South Korea.Not long after ascending to the â€Å"throne†, he executed Kim Chol, vice minister of the army, with a mortar round for â€Å"reportedly drinking and carousing during the official mourning period after Kim Jong Il’s death† (Ryall, 2012). Moreover Klug (2012) report ed that Ri Yong Ho, the military chief who was Kim’s mentor during the power transition and one of the key figures that the former leader relied upon, had also been removed from his position, for health reasons, this July.Baek Seung-joo of the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis say that these replacements of influential military officers and purges of over a dozen senior officials are signs that the young dictator is reshuffling the cabinet to appoint people loyal to him, while also keeping check of any possible dissidents (Kim, 2012). In addition, Kim has clearly shown that he is not concerned with international norms when he reportedly played a major role in planning the shelling of South Korea’s territory, Yeonpyeong Island, a couple of years ago (Yang, 2012).Statements threatening to attack South Korea and its key figures have also escalated in a harsher, specific tone after the change of leadership, even out threatening to send revolutionary armed forces to â₠¬Å"reduce all the ratlike groups and the bases for provocations to ashes in three or four minutes, in much shorter time, by unprecedented peculiar means and methods of our own style† in April (Choe, 2012). Byman and Lind (2010) claim that these provocations help Kim to stoke popular nationalism, while strengthening his position within the military.It has been only a few years since Kim entered politics, but these series of eliminating potentially threatening figures, including even those who have helped in smoothing the transition, and continuous provocation to the international society suggest that consolidating power through provocation and purging is the main focus of Kim on the individual level. Even if Kim Jong Un succeeds in gaining stable power, it is unlikely that he would be enthusiastic in bringing forth major economic reforms as expected by some analysts because such extensive reforms could undermine his authority as they would risk loyalty of the military and the p arty.As Ben Ascione (2012) argues, unless the military becomes a major stake holder in economic reforms through generating profit instead of depleting huge amounts of North Korea’s budget, economic reforms will have to be pursued at the cost of the military first policy, which is a guideline his father, prioritizing the military in allocating resources to foster loyalty from the army by strengthening its position. Therefore, Kim would have to face dissatisfied military elites if he were to start expensive economic reforms.He may have vowed to develop the economy, and rumors have spread that he will push through reforms allowing farmers to keep 30% of their yield, eventually replacing the state rationing system, but these reforms have been postponed numerous times, while the state has even officially denied any intent to reform and called the expectation â€Å"a foolish and silly dream† (â€Å"Where the Sun†, 2012). Nuclear aspiration is another major characteris tic of Kim Jong Un that makes economic reforms unlikely in the near future as this deters the possibility of the army profiting from economy growth.Pouring billions of national money into developing nuclear program can be traced back to more than half a century ago, when his grandfather had allegedly became intimidated by the United States placing nuclear-tipped Matador missiles in South Korea (Pincus, 2006). Kim Jong Un shares the same goal for developing nuclear weapons, showed by launching North Korea’s forth rocket, criticized by the international community as a disguise for developing long distance missile, while also declaring to launch once more this December (Ramstad, 2012).North Korea’s drive for nuclearization has been condemned by the international society and resulted in a UN Security sanction that aim to deter North Korea from acquiring goods for its nuclear programs (Albright & Walrond, 2012). Therefore, since profiting from the military sector is nearly impossible without trade, which is difficult under current international sanctions unless Kim gives up nuclearization, heavy economic reform is a dangerous option for Kim if he wishes to heighten loyalty from the military to maintain power.Nation-state Level of Analysis The unique culture and political system of North Korea combined with the military first policy create an environment where opposing the leader is almost impossible, resulting in an ideal political system for sustaining totalitarianism regime. After decades of propaganda, the juche ideology, emphasizing autarky, or self- sufficiency, and suryong ideology, which means â€Å"leader† and which idolizes the Kim family, have now become almost a religion for the North Korean people (Byman & Lind, 2010).These ideologies have permeated every aspects of the closed society to an extent that many North Koreans are xenophobic, feeling strong hatred and disgust toward the United States and South Korea (Byman & Lind, 2010). According to Brian Myers (2010), North Korean math textbooks ask questions of ‘Three People's Army soldiers rubbed out thirty American bastards. What was the ratio of the soldiers who fought? ’, while dictionaries and schoolbooks endorse students to call foreigners â€Å"muzzles† and â€Å"snouts†.Myers continues on to say that these kinds of propaganda leads to form a culture of ethno-centric nationalism, where the North Korean people sincerely believe in their blood’s pureness and superiority over other races, while honoring their ‘great father’. South Koreans were shocked when they heard the news of the modernized looking North Korean cheering squad turning furious with tears when they saw a portrait of their ‘beloved father’ soaked in rain, running out of the bus to protect his face on the banner ad (Kum, 2003).Even if the effects of propaganda might have weakened through the influx of South Korean movies and drama seri es, Ken E. Gause (2012) found that the state constantly conducts surveillance and investigation on ordinary citizens through various overlapping security organizations, which can even lead to execution of those who have been found to violate law and order, thereby effectively blocking the civilian sector from forming any opposition groups.Government and military officials are no exceptions but are rather even more spied upon through organizations such as the Political Bureau and Military Security Command (Gause, 2012). On the other hand, the military first policy favoring the military serves to encourage loyalty from the group most needed to enforce power and stability. These conditions of propaganda, surveillance, and favoritism form a somewhat stable domestic politics, consisting of only the supreme leader and his favored military officials, that has lasted for three generations of dictatorship and seen by some, including Albright and Walrond, to last for ore. Moreover, these dime nsions shaping the domestic cultural and political nature of North Korea act as countervail to economic reform, which cannot be successful if the state does not give up its military first policy and rigid rules. The ethno-centric nationalism promoted by the two ideologies deters many North Koreans from accepting their system to be a failure in comparison with democratic countries such as the United States and South Korea (Myers, 2010).Thus, North Koreans would have greater utility from any minor improvements in standard in living through weak reforms. This would incentivize Kim to focus more on propaganda and security, while maximizing the use of propaganda to indoctrinate people of how successful the economic reforms, if any, were, thanks to the regime. This could be the reason why Kim Jong Un continuously emphasize that he will improve economy, but drags on doing much change.Also, Un-Chul Yang found that momentum of economic reform diminishes because economics is strictly consider ed to be subordinate to politics, which leads to rejection of economic policies, no matter how rational they may be, if they challenge the authority of the supreme leader (2012). The two largest and only players in domestic politics, Kim and the military, due to the unique structure of the society, will thereby choose to continue the military first policy to conserve their power and maintain the totalitarian regime. System Level of AnalysisIt is highly unlikely for North Korea to give up its only mean of leverage in international relations – nuclear weapons. Not only are they significant in building support from the military internally, they bolster North Korea’s stance more than any other weapon in the power and legitimacy struggle with its South Korea (Byman ; Lind, 2010). Moreover, the weapons allow North Korea to have an upper hand in negotiations for food, energy, and other economic assistance with other major powers. They even incentivized its only ally, China, t o bribe the country with cash and energy aids to just sit them down at the negotiating table (Kim, 2006).Because of these power incentives, North Korea will be more unwilling to give its nuclear ambitions up, leading to further economic sanctions from the international society, while North Korea would try to maximize its gains from utilizing the leverage to compensate for the loss from sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council. David Albright and Christina Walrond (2012) says that China continues to be a major loop hole of this international sanction, giving North Korea plenty of opportunities to secure resources for developing its nuclear program.Albright and Walrond (2012) also predicts in their ISIS report that North Korea's nuclear program and uranium enrichment efforts will continue, and succeed in building at least 28 nuclear weapons by 2016. Therefore, as North Korea’s nuclear programs continue rather successfully regardless of international condemn, it is ironically rational for North Korea to keep its economy closed and planned to strengthen its power, stability, and leverage in international relations. Conclusion and Future PerspectivesIn conclusion, Kim Jong Un’s own motivations to hold power, the unique political system and culture of North Korea, and rational choices that the country should make to win the power struggle would all act in favor for a closed, planned economy. Unlike South Korea and other democratic nations where the economic situation greatly influences politics, North Korea have been steered by the regime for so long that everything including economy now depends only on the government.Hence, despite recently being named as the ‘sexiest man’ of the year 2012 by The Onion, Kim Jong Un would also remain an unappealing Kim for his democratic counterparts. The major stakeholders including the Unites States, South Korea, and China should continue to negotiate with North Korea to convince them tha t their gain from opening up is greater than following their traditional acts of provocation. Also, China should not allow North Korea to exploit its weak implementation of export controls and should bind to the U. N.Security Council’s sanction to put greater pressure on North Korea. Even though future prospective is still dark in the current situation, more intimate negotiation and actions of responsibility from Beijing could result in positive news in the future. References Albright, D. , & Walrond, C. (2012, August 16). North Korea’s estimated stocks of plutonium and weapon-grade uranium. Institute for Science and International Studies. Retrieved from http://isis-online. org/uploads/isis-reports/documents/dprk_fissile_material_p

Negotiation in Management Decision Making Essay

Having been approached by The Director of the Cowley Council Council (CCC) regarding an industrial dispute with their refuse collectors, a report has been prepared to give insight into the field of negotiation and aid the council in their talks with the refuse collectors. The dispute is primarily concerned with CCC’s plans to change working practices but there are also a number of other issues regarding pay, shift patterns and recent cuts in the training budget and expenses. The refuse collectors are threatening to go on strike if their demands are not met, an action that the council would undoubtedly like to avoid. According to Rubin and Brown (1975), negotiation refers to a process in which individuals work together to formulate agreements regarding an issue or issues in dispute. An agreement will only occur if the offers made are accepted by both of the parties (Neale & Northcraft 1991) and should lead to order and stability, foster social harmony, increase feelings of self-efficacy, reduce the probability of future conflict, and stimulate economic prosperity (Rubin et al 1994). Getting the negotiation game right is ever important for managers â€Å"as the global economy expands, as the service sector grows, as corporate restructuring continues and as employees continue to be concerned with managing their own careers† (Neale and Bazerman 1992: 3). The initial stages of the report will cover theory and research on the decision-analytic approach to negotiation and discuss its relevance and potential use for CCC regarding its dispute with the Cowley refuse collectors. I will then identify potential biases and pitfalls that can act as barriers to effective negotiation that CCC should try to avoid. Finally I will conclude and outline suggested proposals for CCC to consider with the aim of assisting and improving their negotiations with the refuse collectors. The decision-analytic approach to decision making is a more pragmatic alternative to the dominant psychological and economic perspectives, which contain a number of limitations. The individual-attribute literature fails to measure dispositions adequately, the situational literature does not consider the importance of the negotiator’s perceptions in interpreting situational characteristics (Neale and Bazerman 1991: 20) and the game theory unrealistically assumes â€Å"impeccably rational, supersmart people† (Raiffa 1982, 2001). What differentiates the decision-analytic approach is its focus on â€Å"how erring folks like you and me actually behave† rather than on how we would behave if we were â€Å"smarter, thought harder, were more consistent, were all knowing† (Raiffa, 1982: 21). Previous psychological and economic approaches have focused on describing how people make decisions or prescribing how to improve decision making. However, â€Å"very little interaction has occurred between the descriptive and prescriptive camps† (Neale and Bazerman 1991: 20), and it is Raiffa’s (1982) avocation of an â€Å"asymmetrical† prescriptive/descriptive relationship that makes the decision-analytic approach stand out, â€Å"creating a prescriptive need to descriptively understand how negotiators actually make decisions† (Bazerman et al 2001). Many scholars hold the view that the prescriptions gained from this model are more valuable than those offered by more traditional approaches (Lax and Sebenius 1986). Raiffa’s framework for approaching effective negotiations distinguishes three sets of information, a combination of which determines the structure of the negotiation game: each parties alternative to a negotiated agreement, each parties set of interests, and the relative importance of each parties interests. â€Å"To develop agreement, people need to get a good understanding of their own preferences and priorities, to communicate those to their counterpart, and to integrate information about other’s preferences and priorities into their own understanding of the problem at hand† (De Dreu et al 2000). Before CCC enter into any negotiations with the refuse collectors, it is imperative to determine a Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA), â€Å"the standard against which any proposed agreement should be  measured† (Fisher, and Ury 1981). Negotiations can be greatly improved by identifying a BATNA and â€Å"carefully evaluating the negotiated agreement against that alternative† (Ertel 1999). This helps negotiators fix a reservation point, a lower bound, which is crucial to monitor throughout the negotiation. Agreements that provide more value than the BATNA are preferred over impasse; likewise any agreements that provide less than the BATNA should be rejected. A potential BATNA for CCC would be to look into other refuse collection companies opening up the possibility of privatisation. The privatisation of refuse collection is a serious consideration in many areas of the UK and a â€Å"major debating point for the city council† (Birmingham Mail 2013) in Birmingham. Waste Concern, a private refuse collection company, claims that 17% of council tax goes towards refuse collection and that privatisation would lead to a cheaper, more frequent collection service, and a more efficient recycling system (edieWaste 2010). If CCC values the current refuse collectors, despite the current dispute, and they are reluctant to consider such an ultimatum, they could consider a more strategic change by introducing the proposed changes incrementally, or by altering the amount of changes being made. It is crucial for negotiators to understand each party’s key interests and how they align (Reardon 2005 : 28). Fisher and Ury (1981) emphasize the importance of the distinction between a parties’ position, and their interests, with a position being the stated requirement that a party demands from the other side, whist an interest is the underlying desire of the negotiator and the motives for their position. It can however be difficult to understand ones interests and those of the other party. CCC’s primary interests are increasing productivity and decreasing costs, whilst the refuse collectors’ interests are concerned with their financial rewards. It is however important to try and understand all of the parties’ interests. The Personnel Director may be under pressure to cut costs in order to stick to a budget so her personal interests may have more focus on performing her job in order to maintain it. The interests of the refuse collectors also concern HR aspects such as, work life balance and training and development. These interests are motives behind the position of their threat of strike, and further scrutiny may offer CCC potential areas to focus on during negotiation. Focussing on deeper interests can provide a more reasonable bargaining platform and a creative and practical solution to a negotiation. Once the interests of each party have been established, it is important for negotiators to try and value the relative importance of each party’s interests. This then allows the parties to effectively trade-off less important issues to gain more important issues. If CCC can establish that, for example, the refuse collectors desire a better work life balance as well as sufficient financial benefits, there may be potential for a medium ground to be reached offering a certain amount of each. The importance of interests often comes down to economic factors, thus job security is frequent consideration. In this instance the job security of the refuse collectors is at risk as there is a chance of redundancies if they do not cooperate. This information provides â€Å"the building blocks for thinking analytically about a negotiation† (Bazerman and Moore 2009:154) and prepares the parties for the two primary tasks of negotiation: creating and claiming value (Lax and Sebenius 1986). It is crucial for negotiators to establish the reservation points of both parties. That is the worst possible outcome they will accept before a negotiation is impasse. With both reservation points established, a positive bargaining zone is created, which allows negotiators to â€Å"aim for a resolution that is barely acceptable to the other party† (Bazerman and Moore 2009: 156) by getting as close to their reservation point as possible. It is however, also vital for both parties to try and cooperate in creating value in the negotiation, as there is often â€Å"opportunity to considerably enlarge the pie before cutting it into shares for each side to enjoy† (Raiffa 2002: 91). Lax and Sebenius (1986) stress that differences must be seen as opportunities, as opposed to barriers, that can be explored to find the most efficient solution rather than just ‘satisficing’ (Simon 1956). According to Schmidt and Tannenbaum (1960) â€Å"differences can help to increase the range and variety of alternatives suggested† and even potentially â€Å"enrich ones own goals, ideas, and methods. † So CCC must capitalise on the differences in the party preferences (Pruitt 1983) by evaluating the  position of the refuse collectors, and looking into finer detail at the interests behind these positions, before attempting to develop â€Å"novel alternatives† through â€Å"creative problem solving† (Neale and Bazerman 1991: 24). Negotiation then depends fundamentally on parties’ ability to trade issues against each other (Froman & Cohen 1970) and â€Å"place demands and formulate concessions to foster agreements that meet their own goals, while avoiding that the counterpart leaves the situation† (De Dreu et al 2000). CCC could for example offer certain alternative benefits to the refuse collectors if the changes are implemented. Perhaps an investment in more efficient equipment and machinery would be appealing. There are certain tools that negotiators can use in order to aid their efforts in collecting information and subsequently increase the probability of creating value. It is certainly the case that deception is often used in negotiation (Schweitzer 1997) and can be an effective strategy for increasing one’s own outcomes (O’Connor and Carnevale 1997). However in this instance, both parties must also note that building trust and initiating a â€Å"free flow of information is critical to finding and integrative agreement† (Johns and Saks 2011)). In heated negotiations this is far easier said than done, as neither side wants to give away too much information on their stance on particular issues. However, CCC is in the position to try and create a trustworthy relationship in order to improve their informational position. The director could inform the refuse collectors of the councils’ pressures and financial limitations that are the driving factor behind the need to change the working practices and make cuts. If no suitable solution is agreed upon, then there may have to be redundancies, as the council cannot overspend. Another tactic could be to strategically disclose some information. As behaviours in negotiation are often reciprocated (Lewicki and Litterer 1985), this may prompt the refuse collectors to open up and start revealing information which may facilitate the negotiation process. CCC must also ask a lot of questions to increase the chances of ascertaining critical information. According to Bazerman and Moore (2009: 162) â€Å"asking questions and listening actively are the keys to collecting important new information from the other side† but it also important for negotiators to remember that information can be gained from what is not said, as well as  what is said. An alternative to trading issues would be for CCC to arrange some kind of contingency contract to verify weather their plans to change working practices is fair or weather it is being rightly disputed by the refuse collectors. CCC could assess a weeks worth of collection rounds and together with the refuse collectors, formulate weekly targets in terms of time and productivity. A weeks trial on this type of contingency contract could easily establish weather CCC’s planned changes are justifiable or not. There are a number of ways in which contingent contracts can benefit the outcomes to negotiations as outlined by Bazerman and Gillespie (1999). Firstly organising the implementation of a contingency contract can identify bluffs by insincere parties. This will aid CCC initially with regard to their uncertainties over issues such as the number of staff needed on each collection round, shift patterns and pay. Contingency contracts are also a useful tool in incentivising performance. It may provide more motivation for the refuse collectors to start working at or above the levels specified in the contract.

What Is a Reach School Which Reach Schools Should I Choose

What Is a Reach School Which Reach Schools Should I Choose SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips For those of you who have started researching college admissions, you may have heard the term â€Å"reach school.† What is a reach school? Simply, a reach school is one that you shouldn't expect to be admitted to. It would be a reach to get in. In this article, I will define and explain the concept of a reach school. Furthermore, I will discuss how to identify your reach schools and determine the number of reach schools you should apply to. What Is a Reach School? A reach school is a college that is unlikely to offer you admission. A particular college qualifies as a reach school for you if your high school GPA and standardized test scores are significantly below those of the college's average student. Also, you should consider a college a reach school if it is one of the most selective colleges. For example, MIT, Stanford, and Ivy League colleges are reach schools for everyone due to their extremely low acceptance rates. In general, you should consider a college a reach school if you have less than a 30% chance of gaining admission. Here are some hypothetical examples to give you a better understanding of a reach school. Example #1 Joe has a 3.6 weighted GPA, a 1700 SAT score, and wants to go to UCLA. Joe's GPA is well below UCLA's average GPA of 4.29 and average SAT score of 1941. Furthermore, UCLA only admits 20% of its applicants. Therefore, Joe shouldn't expect to get into UCLA; he should consider UCLA a reach school. Typically, the only students who are offered admission with well below average numbers are highly recruited athletes in major sports, legacy students with donor parents, students from extraordinary backgrounds or circumstances, and students with amazing accomplishments. Even though colleges review your recommendations, personal essays, and extracurricular activities, gaining admission to a college is difficult with subpar grades and standardized test scores. Example #2 Regardless of your GPA and standardized test scores, for any student who wants to apply to Harvard, Harvard is a reach school. Harvard's admissions rate is only 6%. Obviously, that's an amazingly low percentage. Among Harvard students, the average high school GPA is 4.04 and the average SAT score is 2260. The 75th percentile SAT score is a perfect 2400. Even if you have a perfect GPA and perfect SAT score, Harvard is so selective that it's still a reach school. Harvard is a reach school for everyone. How to Identify Your Reach Schools Let's go through how to curate your list of schools to apply to, step-by-step. Step #1: Create Your List of Dream Schools Initially, don't consider your odds of getting in when creating your list of dream schools.Learn how to choose a collegeand use as many sources as possible to identify the colleges you want to go to. The most prestigious schools are likely to be reach schools. Use the best college search websites to help create your list. If necessary, you can also use guide books like Fiske Guide to Colleges and The Best 379 Colleges for in-depth college profiles and comparisons. Seek advice from others. Talk to your teachers, counselors, friends, and parents about colleges. Don't just blindly accept their college recommendations, but research the schools they recommend, and then determine whether or not those schools would be a good fit for you. After doing your research and consulting these various sources, you should be able to compile your list of dream schools. I recommend having about 8-15 schools on this list. If you have fewer schools, you may not be giving yourself enough options. If you have more, you probably haven't done enough to narrow down your college search and the application and selection process may end up being too costly and tedious. Step #2: Determine Which of the Schools From Your List Are Reach Schools The next step in identifying your reach schools is to determine which schools on your list of dream schools qualify as reach schools for you. How do you do this? I recommend using the PrepScholar school database. You can google â€Å"(name of school) prepscholar admissions requirements† to find a school profile for each college on your list. On the school profile, use the admissions calculator to get a rough idea of your chances of admission. The admissions calculator combines your GPA and standardized test scores with the admissions rate to approximate your chances of getting into the school. If, according to the admissions calculator, you have less than a 30% of gaining admission or the school has an admissions rate of less than 15%, then you should categorize the college as a reach school for you. Keep in mind that your GPA and SAT scores are only two components that determine whether you’re accepted to a school. Your extracurricular activities, recommendations, essays, and background play a role, too. However, GPA and SAT scores are the most important factors and they’re the most objective available statistics. How Many Reach Schools Should You Apply to? You may be wondering how many reach schools you should apply to. The number you should apply to depends on a few of different factors. Keep in mind that the college application process can be costly, if you don't qualify for application fee waivers. Also, it can be very time-consuming, especially if you apply to schools that don't use the Common Application. A general rule is to apply to 1/3 reach schools out of all the schools you apply to. If you follow this formula, then if you apply to 10 schools, no more than 3 should be considered reaches. Also, 1/3 of the schools you apply to should be safety schools, schools that typically admit students with your qualifications. The remaining 1/3 should be schools that are in the middle, colleges that give you about a 30%-80% chance of admission based on your qualifications. If the cost and time you spend on your applications doesn't matter as much to you, you can apply to more reach schools. However, you do want to make sure that you apply to enough other schools to ensure that you give yourself choices. If you're likely to get rejected by most of the schools you apply to, your options may be limited when you're selecting a college to attend. If you're not even close to the average GPA or 25th percentile SAT score at a selective college, you may be wasting your time applying. Your chances of getting in are probably close to zero unless there's something else truly extraordinary in your application or there's a building on campus named after one of your immediate family members. Quick Review A reach school is a college that is not likely to admit you, generally offering you less than a 30% chance of admission. Use the admissions rate of a college and its average GPA and standardized test scores to determine if its a reach school for you. The most selective colleges are reach schools for everyone. Apply to roughly 1/3 reach schools to ensure that you have options during the college selection process. Give yourself college options. What's Next? If you want to make yourself competitive for college admission, learn how to build the most versatile college application. For those of you who need to improve your standardized test scores, find out how to get a 2400 on the SAT or a 36 on the ACT. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Ethnic Group Essay Essays

Ethnic Group Essay Essays Ethnic Group Essay Essay Ethnic Group Essay Essay In this essay. I write about cultural group and why we can non specify an cultural group by their cultural elements such as linguistic communication. faith. imposts and so on. I write this essay because there is a inquiry about why we can non specify an cultural group by their civilization. whereas civilization are one elements of an cultural. There is job of seeing cultural groups as cultural groups ; â€Å"the mere fact that two groups of people are of different civilization does non needfully connote – as has about ever been assumed – that they belong to two rather different societal systems ( Leach 1954: 17 ) . â€Å"Someone is Lue by virtuousness of believing and naming himself Lue and of moving in ways that validate his Lueness† ( Moerman. 1965:1219 ) . First of all. I want to state what is cultural group. Before cultural groups. anthropologies who study colonial topic and society called society they studied as ‘tribe’ and people they studied as â€Å"tribal people† . The word â€Å"tribe† was replaced by the word â€Å"ethnic groups† by the sixtiess because ; a tribal society is non every bit stray as being assumed. tribal societies interact with one another. and the word folk reflects Europocentric positions. a crisp qualitative differentiation between ourselves and the people we study. There is a job when we seeing cultural groups as cultural groups because there will be a different in their pattern. For an illustration. cultural Java Banyumasan or Banyumas at Indonesia with Orang Jawa of Malaysia. Basically. they are an specific ethnic. But due to geographical differences for illustration. they have different pattern. linguistic communication. faith and others. In the field of human ecology. we can see Jawa Banyumasan normally live in the sou-west of Central Java. Technically. Jawa Banyumasan is one of the subgroups of the Jawa people groups. but they have their ain cultural fluctuations which differ from other Jawa peoples. While The Orang Jawa. ( Jawa of Malaysia ) has migrated from Central Java. where the same topographic point of Jawa Banyumasan. to Malaysia. This migrations due to Dutch colonisation at Indonesia from 1880 to 1930. The Orang Jawa live in peninsular Malaysia in parts of Johor. Malacca. Perak. Selangor. and Kedah. Jawa Banyumasan have typical Javanese idiom. Normally. easy for Jawa Banyumasan to understand conversations with other Jawa idioms. Degree of Javanese are likely household tree. The higher you go the more similarity or standardisation there is. But the lower you go the more assortment. However. many other Jawa groups hard to understand the Banyumasan idiom because of the widespread of Banyumasan vocabulary. While the younger Orang Jawa who use Jawa linguistic communication being less among them. Most of them can non retrieve how to talk it or neer learned about it. In their day-to-day live. Most of the Java’s Banyumasan live as a husbandman. When we compare with other folk in Indonesia. Banyumasan have an progress in the manner they farm. Other than have a fertile dirt. they cultivate the land good and they besides have modern equipment to make their agriculture. Banyumasan besides have their ain little industries for illustration woven bamboo and brown sugar. To run into other demands. this trade good is sold to other parts. For Orang Jawa ( Malaysia ) . their new coevalss who live in metropolis have assimilated with the general Malay civilization. Now they besides work as a bankers. pilots. comptrollers. politicians. and besides applied scientists. They good known as a efficient and hardworking people. In Selangor. some of Orang Jawa work as a Islamic spiritual instructor. Orang Jawa who live in small towns. they still maintains their individuality and traditions. Peoples who are non Jawa but come from other Malay group. when they married with Orang Jawa. they besides claimed or called themselves as Orang Jawa. or Jawa Peranakan. Other than grown up their ain veggies. and farm animal. they besides involved in touristry activities by make their manner of life as a tourer attractive force. Orang jawa good known as a friendly people. They normally will ask for visitants to portion repast with their households even though they frequently have a big household with some holding between 10 to 17 kids. Marital personal businesss is a large thing to Orang Jawa. Sometimes. they celebrate matrimonies last up to three yearss. Giving gift to the honeymooners are besides a common thing for Orang Jawa. They more to assist each other instead than during nuptialss instead than have a larges amount of money. In their belief. or faith. bulk of Java’s Banyumas are Muslims. However. around 80 % of them are â€Å"Muslim individuality card† ( abangan ) . While the other 20 % were god-fearing Muslim ( pupils ) . who are pious Muslim and lead Islamic instruction earnestly. Other than that. some of Java’s Banyumas still believe in animism. They besides believe with liquors such as bujungan. jangkrong. and dhemit. Topographic points like grave. mountains. caves and sea it is considered sacred. When they sick or being disturbed by liquors. they will utilizing priest-doctor to assist them. They frequently hold ceremonials with mantras and offerings to their countries protected by catastrophes. While the Orang Jawa are normally Sunni Muslims. During marrying ceremonials and Circumcision. they perform the jedur. a vocals of congratulations to the Prophet of Muhammad which have been compiled in a book called Silawatan. They will besides execute the kempling. a type of dance to giving congratulations to Allah during spiritual occasions. During the public presentation. they will utilize tools where made of lambs wool and wood. Before and after the dance. Quran is being read. It takes a group of 10 to twenty people to execute it. The kempling public presentation is a clip for people to acquire together to construct cultural solidarity and integrity. They besides will portion job to the other members during the public presentation. As a decision. due to differences in their cultural elements such as linguistic communication. faith. imposts. manner of life and so on. we can non specify an cultural group by their civilization. The cultural boundaries do non ever correspond with cultural boundaries. Like Edmund Leach. Political systems of Highland Burma: A survey of Kachin Social Structure ( 1954 ) said ; â€Å"the mere fact that two groups of people are of different civilization does non needfully connote – as has about ever been assumed – that they belong to two rather different societal systems ( Leach 1954: 17 ) Assuming that cultural groups are cultural groups will neglect to turn to assorted facets of cultural phenomena. † Other than that. Cultural groups can non be defined by civilization. An cultural group is a group of people who believe that they portion the same lineage. history. cultural traits such as linguistic communication and faith which are distinguishable from other groups.

Interpersonal Relationships that Detract from a University Student's Essay

Interpersonal Relationships that Detract from a University Student's - Essay Example Often students may choose to please people in their immediate environment rather than completing assignments. Possible consequences include lower grades, increased stress and overall dissatisfaction with one's own academic achievement. The question arises as to how these interpersonal relationships can compromise a student's scholastic priorities. This paper will detail the effect these pressures have on academic performance and highlight some of the ways students have found to overcome these hurdles. The data supporting these claims was drawn from a set of twenty interviews conducted to ascertain a student's ability to cope to university life. The focus of these conversations was on how students combine academic and non-academic priorities to gain a balance between scholastic demands and non-academic requests for his time. The interview was conducted in a question and answer format with the questions. The questions from each interview contained strong similarities although not exactly alike. The subjects of the interviews were undergraduate students either majoring in or having a strong interest in Sociology or Child and Youth Studies. Many students have an additional minor relative to their proposed career upon graduating but the primary emphasis of students queried fell in one of these two fields. All conclusions reached in this study were arrived at by analyzing each case point by point in an exhaustive examination of files. The files contained quotes from both interviewer and students recorded exactly as spoken. Files scrutinized include students who have adapted well to external social pressures as well as those who haven't. This paper does not assume that the daily life of a student should be all work and no play. Rather, the author believes a student's university experience should also be enjoyable. Satisfaction in a student experience is directly correlated with their ability to balance studying with socializing. For example, as one student said, she wants "to find time to spend time with friends and my boyfriend but school is more important to me than these other responsibilities (Trina, 75). The most obvious diversions students face come from friends. Though well-meaning, friends may exert pressure on the student to neglect assignments. Different course schedules cause a student's deadlines to vary from that of his friends. This naturally results in conflicts between the student's free time and that of his peers. "I mean, everyone's been in that situation where all their friends are leaving to go to the bar and you feel like you're chained to your desk writing an essay" (Elizabeth, 101). Often the student is unable to resist the urge to please their friends. The dilemma faced is described as "going out, that's a big thing so far, and like, I find that I cave in a lot, too, to people" (Marta, 234). Rejecting social invitations too many times can cause a student to be perceived as a loner or asocial. Eventually the student may not be invited anymore. University students for the most part are not that removed from high school. The herd mentality of that age creates a desire to belong that makes them susceptible to placing studies on the back burner. They may not have developed the ability to say no. Socializing

US foreign policy and Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

US foreign policy and Iraq - Essay Example The essential political goals set by the Iraqi administration are concerning governance and reconciliation to the changed circumstances. Some of these goals are discussed in succeeding paragraphs.Major effort needs to be dovetailed to build national reconciliation through dialogues and consensus between all sectarian factions.Another important task at hand would be to mend the socially and politically divided factions through dialogue and confidence building measures. This would require strengthening of all the democratic institutions of the country and uphold the rule of law.To gain confidence, it is imperative to improve infrastructure and living conditions of all Iraqis and put the country on a path of peace and security. Most importantly, there is requirement to firmly deal with the challenges of insurgency, crime, sectarian violence and foreign terror outfits inciting a civil war in the region. Also on the anvil is a critical review of anti-terror and de-Ba'athifiation legislati on.While the aim of the democratically elected government is to bring back the country from its present quagmire to peace and security, these good intentions continue to be hampered due to adverse security conditions. The problem also lies in credible representation in governance. The present government is a representative form of government, but Sunni elements supported by external insurgents and terrorist organisations have considerable say in many regions, especially so in Baghdad, Ninewa, Salahuddin, Anbar, Diyala and Basra. Over 81% of attacks were reported in these provinces during past few years. The terrorist organisations still intimidate vulnerable sections of the society to participate in violent acts against civilians and security forces, attempt to create a civil war like condition, attack country's infrastructure and oil assets etc. Another problem area has been cooperation with multi-national (mainly US) forces, which have been likened by many as occupation forces rather than friendly forces. This aspect is also exploited by insurgents to incite civilian Iraqis to support their cause willingly or unwillingly. Other causes of serious concern remain the ever mounting loss of civilian lives, sense of uncertainty, high levels of sectarian violence and certain serious law and order situations. Implications of US Long Term Deployment or Early Withdrawal A recent US General Accountability Office report stated that the Iraqi government had failed to meet 11 of the 18 benchmarks established by the US regarding authorisation of troop surge recently. The Iraqi government had fully met only three of the legislative, security and economic benchmarks. (Easley, 2007) Only one legislative benchmark regarding rights of minority parties has been met, while only two benchmarks in area of security have been achieved. The government is yet to overcome militia control in certain regions; however there is reduced political interference in military operations, improvement in military capability to conduct independent operations and reduced political claims over military achievements. Economically, only partial implementation of utilisation of funds provided for infrastructural development has been achieved. While the report definitely falls short of expectations, there has been considerable progress in many areas which could not have been possible two years back. Thus, withdrawal of coalition forces at this stage would again reverse these positive developments undesirably. Perhaps, the need of