Army Physical Fitness Training Standards

Marc Smurr English 101 January 28, 2011 Responding to Another’s Voice New Army Physical Fitness Training Standards The United States Army Physical Fitness test, or Pt test consist of a two mile run, push ups and sit ups, each event is graded based on age, and sex. There is a simple pass or fail in each category and this is based on how many repetitions, whether it being sit-ups or pushed up, the person can complete in a two minute time period. The two mile run is based on age, sex, and time, how long it takes the person to run the two mile long distance. Many soldiers are faced with the grueling problem of not passing this test based on their previous injuries from being deployed, or that they can not meet the fitness demands of the physical test. I myself have struggled with the physical training test over the last year and I have watched many of my battle buddies struggle as well. It is a kind of stigma that makes the soldier feel worthless. The Army’s consequence for failure of the PT test could be loss of rank and pay, a kind of military probation, where the soldier can not advance or be promoted to the next rank, the solider may be made to do extra physical training. If the soldier continues to fail the PT test, they can be dishonorably discharged from the Army, or can be barred from re-enlistments. In 2003 the Army began launching a brand new physical fitness program for basic-training units at Fort Bliss, Texas; the program has now started rolling out across the Army worldwide. The program is design to better prepare soldiers for combat, it emphasis on a full-body workout. The program was made to limit injuries and increase deployment readiness. One of the most popular drills is the 300-yard shuttle run, Soldier runs to one end of the field and touches the ground with their left hand, then come back touch the ground with their right hand. Soldiers will find the program is designed to improve their PT scores instead of hurt them. The program consists of many sprinting exercises to help with longer running routes, like the wo-miles run. The other training that the soldier is going to have to do during the physical training test is going to be more obstacles. With this it helps soldiers to be able to maneuver around obstacles, over obstacles and under obstacles. With this training it with help soldiers with the terrain that is overseas. With my experience of being overseas and what I have seen there are a lot of obstacles that soldiers have to cross everyday. When a soldier is at basic training they are trained on three to five second rushes. The three to five second rushes consist of running for three to five seconds and then dropping to the ground. This is good for when a unit over seas is under fire and they are out on a walking patrol. It helps get people back to a safe position and when you get down it helps conceal the soldier from the opposing force that is firing on them. The other training that is involved will be a lot of core training. With this training it will make the upper body of the soldier stronger and the lower body. This helps with the gear that the soldier would have to carry when they are deployed. The gear will consist of the body armor, the ammo, the weapon, the helmet, and sometimes the ruck sack. With all of this together it could weigh around 50 to 100 pounds or even more depending on the job that the soldier has. I am a military police officer so my gear consisted of all of those things. It’s a tough journey but with the right training and exercise the soldier is able to carry the gear with out any problems. I agree with the physical fitness that is coming out for the army. The new one helps the soldiers be more prepared than the old one. The old on consisted on push ups, sit ups and a 2 mile run. In combat there will never be a time that you would have to run 2 miles. The most you will ever run is maybe 30 meters. With the push ups and sit ups that just help to get your body in shape but do not get your body to the place where you need it to be to carry all of your gear. The new physical fitness will be a lot better than the old one because it will help out a lot of people with the physical requirements that are meant for overseas.

Christianization throughout History Essay

Introduction â€Å"Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is the secret of great creative people†, Leo Burnett once said. I agree, and can proudly say that curiosity is my motive for writing this project. The purpose of this project is pure research. I want to gain knowledge about the subject of my choice and also improve my writing and planning skills. I chose this topic after watching a National Geographic program concerning Mithraism in ancient Rome. I became very curious about Religious customs, Christian in particular. My main form of research was the Internet. I read University studies and encyclopedia articles. Finally I ended up with 3 research questions. I wanted to find out the true origins of the 3 major Christian holidays: Christmas, Easter and Halloween. Where their (sometimes strange) traditions came from, if other cultures celebrated similar holidays in the past and how they came to be the Christian holidays we know today. 1. What are the true origins of Christmas? The dictionary definition of â€Å"Christmas† is: The annual festival of the Christian church commemorating the birth of Jesus. It is basically a feast in which Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the most prominent figure in Christian belief, making this their most cherished holiday. Christmas is celebrated on December 25 (or January 7 in eastern orthodox churches, due to incompatibility between the Julian and Gregorian calendars). Popular customs of the holiday include gift-giving, music, church celebrations, a special meal, and decorations like Christmas trees, lights, garlands, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly. Today, Christmas is celebrated in many places around the world by Christians and an increasing amount of non-Christians, but few people know the true pagan roots of this holiday. First and foremost, the early Christians did not celebrate the birth of Christ. There were two reasons for it: The first was the simple truth that no one knew the exact day of Christ’s birth. Today, most historians believe, according to the biblical description, that his birth took place around September (approx. six months after Passover). One thing is sure though, that it is very unlikely that Jesus was born in December. The biblical story tells us there were shepherds tending their sheep in the fields that night. This is quite unlikely to have happened during a cold winter. The second reason came further in the church’s development. During the first three hundred years of the religion the church in Rome discouraged celebrating the birth of Christ, not wanting it to seem more like a pagan ritual than a Christian holiday. So why is Christ’s birth celebrated on the 25th of December? The Answer is simple: Christianization, or the conversion of native pagan culture to Christian use. Church officials developed different methods of conversion to Christianity, and the main one was based on the belief that conversions were easier if people were allowed to retain the outward forms of their traditions, while claiming that the traditions were in honor of the Christian God. Basically, the traditions and practices themselves were kept, but the reasoning behind them was altered. Many pagan societies held celebrations around the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year, which occurs between the 21st and the 25th of December) with the prevailing theme being the welcoming of the sun and the joy in the rebirth of the world. There are also many stories of children of wonder being born on or near the winter solstice, like Mithras, Attis, Dionysus or Apollo, who are all savior deities sent in manifestation at the darkest time of the year. The oldest winter solstice celebration known to us took place in ancient Egypt over 4000 years ago. Large parties were held to celebrate the rebirth of the sun god Horus. The held a 12-day festival that mirrored their 12 month calendar, which revolved around Horus. This Egyptian idea of a 12 day celebration was also the first of its kind. Local countries adopted these ideas from the Egyptians (perhaps wanting to share in Egypt’s success). A prominent celebration was the Babylonian â€Å"Zagmuk† honoring the creator-sun god Marduk. The Babylonians believed that while Marduk had created the world peaceful and beautiful he has to battle the monsters of chaos to keep it so. Every year as the weather grows colder the monsters regain their strength and Marduk has to fight them off, but he needs the help of the people. This battle lasted for 12 days and it was the duty of the people to cheer Marduk on and help him win the war. Only then peace would be restored, the earth’s beauty renewed and the people would be safe for another year. As we move east we reach the Persian â€Å"Sacaea†, a celebration honoring the return of the sun. The Sacaea was also celebrated by the Greek in honor of Zeus’s defeat of Kronos and the Titans. These celebrations consisted mainly of feasting, partying and light ing of large bonfires. The Roman holiday season lasted a week and was called Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birth of the Unconquered Sun. It began on the 25th of December with the Saturnalia, the holiday honoring Saturn (the God of agriculture) and ended with the Kalends of January (the roman new year’s), which represented the triumph of life over death. This holiday was celebrated in honor of Sol Invictus (the invincible sun), The official Roman Sun God (whose day of rest was Sunday). Mithraism was also a common cult in the Roman Empire, and many celebrated the birth of Mithras on this date as well. This festival was marked by much feasting, gift giving and merrymaking in general. The Pagans of northern Europe also celebrated the winter solstice, with a festival called â€Å"Yule†. Yule has many names for the different tribes: For the Celts it was â€Å"Nodlaig†, for the Saxons â€Å"Gehul†, and for the Welsh is was â€Å"Hal†. More names were Juul, Oel, Heol and many more. The word Yule is derived from the Norse word Iul, meaning wheel. The wheel was a pagan symbol for the sun and for the cycle of life. The Yule celebration lasted for a number of days and involved feasting, fires, and sacrifices. Bonfires blazed in honor of the sun’s struggle against, and eventual triumph over, the darkness and cold of winter. One of the most prominent symbols of Yule was the evergreen tree. The evergreens seemed to have magic powers enabling them to resist the short and cold days. Evergreen trees would often be brought into home and evergreen boughs were carried as luck totems (especially Holly, which was considered the food of the gods). Sacred ceremonies were held by druids surrounding and worshiping these trees. More traditions included kissing under the mistletoe (a fertility ritual) and gift giving. Even the idea of Santa Clause can be found in many Yule celebrations. The Pagans viewed these celebrations of the return of the sun as the fact that good will prevail over evil, which made it easy to adapt them to Christianity, seeing how Jesus was born to save the world (according to the belief). Jesus has often been referred to as the â€Å"light of the world† and it only seemed fitting that his birth would be celebrated with the rebirth of the sun. So, in the year 350, Pope Julius the first and the roman emperor Constantine declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25. There is little doubt that he was trying to make it as painless as possible for the pagan Romans (who remained a majority at that time) to convert to Christianity. The new religion went down a bit easier, knowing that their feasts would not be taken away from them. However, some experts believe it went the other way around. They say the early Christians were tempted by the partying and feasting, so the Christian leaders quickly decided to give the holiday a Christian reasoning so as not to lose their followers. 2. What are the true origins of Easter? Easter is the second major holiday in the Christian liturgical year. According to the New Testament, Jesus rose from the dead 3 days after his crucifixion. Easter Day is the celebration of his resurrection, also called Resurrection Sunday. Prior to Easter Day come a 40 day period called Lent. This is a time for fasting, praying and penance. The last week of Lent is called Holy week and it contains Good Friday, which honors the crucifixion of Christ. After Resurrection Sunday comes a 50 day period called Eastertide, ending with Pentecost Sunday. This is a time for rejoicing and growth. Easter is not fixed in the civil calendar because it is a lunar holiday. Easter Sunday occurs on the first Sunday after the full moon proceeding the vernal (spring) equinox, which occurs on March 21. Easter customs and symbols include a large feast (with ham as the main course), a sunrise worship service, egg hunting and decorating, hot cross buns, flowers, the Easter bunny and outdoor activities. The thing is, none of the customs and symbols, or even the name of this holiday, has anything to do with Christianity. The word Easter is actually the name of the pagan goddess of fertility, also named Ostare, Oestre, Ostara, Ishtar, Ashtoreth, and Asthart in different cultures. Many pagan cultures held vernal festivals in honor of this goddess, celebrating the arrival of spring and the awakening of life. The oldest of these festivals was held in ancient Babylon, Phrygia (modern day Turkey), Canaan and Phoenicia. The Phoenicians were a civilization of traders who brought the Easter customs to Greece, Rome and the northern countries of Great Britain. The legend of this spring festival begins with Nimrod. Nimrod is, according to the book of Genesis the son of Cush, grandson of Ham and great grandson of Noah. Nimrod was a powerful leader who formed the first empire in the world, Babylon, by conquering the â€Å"Land of the Seven Cities† (the Persian gulf). In his rule he made the people rebel against God and join in his own mystery religion, in which he figured prominently. When Nimrod eventually died, his mystery religion continued on. His wife Queen Semiramis saw to that. Once he was dead, she deified him as the Sun-god. In various cultures he later became known as Baal, the Great Life Giver, the god of fire, Baalim, Bel, Molech, etc. Queen Semiramis continued developing her mystery religion. She set herself as a goddess as well, proclaiming to have hatched from an egg that fell down from the moon on the first full moon after the spring equinox (she taught that the moon went through a 28 day cycle and ovulated when full). She became known as the goddess of fertility and the moon, mother of all life. She later became known as Ishtar, or Easter. Semiramis soon became pregnant, claiming that is the rays of the sun god Baal which caused her to conceive. She gave birth to Tammuz, who was the supposed savior, the son of God. Tammuz was a hunter, and was one day killed by a wild boar. He was sent to the underworld, but through his mother’s weeping he was resurrected and allowed to ascend to be with his father Baal. Another version tells that Semiramis (or Ishtar) was so grief stricken that she followed Tammuz to the underworld. With her gone, the world became a cold and barren place. Ea, the Babylonian God of water and wisdom, sprinkled them both with the water of life, allowing them to return to the world for 6 months of the year. The remaining part of the year Tammuz was to return to the underworld, causing Ishtar to follow him and the cycle to continue. This is how the people explained to themselves the miracle of spring that happened every year. Each year a spring festival was held to celebrate Tammuz’s resurrection from the underworld on the first Sunday after the full moon of the spring equinox, Ishtar Sunday. All of the common Easter traditions originate from this belief. Ham was to be eaten as a reminder of Tammuz’s death. The sunrise worship service is a common pagan practice honoring the Sun God. The egg is probably the oldest symbol of fertility and new life in pagan worship. Then there is the story of Ishtar’s hatching from the moon egg, known as the Ishatr, or Easter egg. The hare too, is an old fertility symbol, due to its rapid rate of reproduction. The story of the Easter bunny brings us back to Ishtar, or Ostara as she was called in northern Europe. The Goddes Ostara arrived late from the underworld one spring and found a little bird whose wings had frozen from the snow. Full of pity for the creature she made him her pet and turned him into a snow white hare (which would then become her symbol). She also gave him the gift of being able to run with incredible speed. In remembrance of his earlier form as abird, the hare had the ability to lay eggs, which were rainbow colored, but only on one day of the year (guess which?). The Hare eventually managed to annoy the goddess, and she put in the sky as the constellation Lepus (the hare). He was allowed to return to the earth once each year on Easter Sunday to lay his eggs. It became an Easter tradition to seek out the Easter hare’s rainbow colored eggs. Also, in Celtic culture, it was forbidden to eat hare meat except on Beltane (the 1st of May) when a ceremonial hare hunt was held (Beltane is the Celtic name for Easter – Bel meaning the same as Baal). The hare remains a symbol of luck and fertility even today. The Act of fasting in preparation for a great occasion can be found in many lands. The Babylonians and their neighbors fasted for 40 days in preparation for the annual celebration of Tammuz’s resurrection. This is probably the direct source of the Christian Lent, but a pennence period like this can be found in many other societies as well. Pagans in Mexico and the Andes mountains practiced a 40 day fast in honor of the sun around this time of year. The Egyptians fasted for 40 days to honor Adonis and Osiris. The lighting of fires was also a common pagan ritual. Fire was the symbol of Baal and the fires were used in ceremonies and even for human sacrifices. The New Testament says nothing about sunrise ceremonies, lent, colored eggs or bunnies. These are all classic examples of Christianization. The Christian leaders wanted to convert the pagans to Christianity, so they decided to adopt their rituals and give them Christian significance in order to make the transition easier. But perhaps there is another, more primitive reason. People enjoy celebrations and festivities, and do not care for the most part who or what the celebration honors. The pagans probably did not care what name was given to their festival, as long as they could continue feasting and rejoicing. 3. What are the true origins of Halloween? The name Halloween is actually a Scottish shortening of the name â€Å"All Hallows Evening† or â€Å"All Hallows Eve†. It is celebrated on October 31st and it is so named because it comes before All Saints Day (or All Hallows day) which occurs on the first of November. According to Christian tradition, the souls of dead roam the earth until All Saints Day, when the prayers of the people free them from purgatory and allow them to reach heaven. Halloween is the last night the dead spend on earth and their last chance of gaining vengeance on their enemies before moving on to the next life. To avoid being recognized by a soul, Christians would wear masks and costumes to disguise themselves. This is where the custom of dressing up and â€Å"trick or treating† came from. More traditions of Halloween include costume parties, carving jack-o’-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions and playing pranks. In these traditions we can see the pagan origins of Halloween crystal clear. The Celts of Northern Europe celebrated their New Year on the evening of October 31st and the first of November (the Celts followed a lunar calendar and their days began at sunset). This holiday was named â€Å"Samhain† in Ireland, Galan Gaeaf in Wales and Allantide in Cornwall, and is Celtic for â€Å"summer’s end†. They believed that the New Year starts with the death of the sun god in winter. It was also believed that the veils of the world were thinnest as the old year waned into the new and that troublesome spirits, ghosts of the dead, fairies, and demons were free to roam about, scaring people and damaging crops. Traditionally, Samhain was time to take stock of the herds and grain supplies, and decide which animals would need to be slaughtered in order for the people and livestock to survive the winter. The reason for this was that the meat could keep since the cold months have come and also since summer grass is gone and free foraging is no longer possible . Large fires played a large part in the festivities. They were called Bonfires because the bones of the slaughtered cattle were thrown in as sacrifices to the sun and spirits. Often two bonfires would be built side by side, and the people would walk between the fires as a ritual of purification. The druids (celtic priests) performed ceremonies around these fires including divination concerning marriage, luck, health and death. Since the barrier to the otherworld was so thin this was the best time for these rites. Each family in the village would extinguish the fire in their home, and then relight their hearth from the common flame. This ritual was said to bond the village together and protect each family from the spirits roaming about. More attempts to ward off spirits included wearing costumes and masks and carving candle lanterns from turnips. Large turnips were hollowed out, carved with face and placed in windows. Samhain was also a night of mischief and confusion. The spirits were impersonated by young men with masked, veiled or blackened faces, dressed in white or disguises of straw. These young men would go from house to house â€Å"trick or treating† as a form of bribery. The family would give the â€Å"spirits† fruits or nuts to keep them from damaging their crops. Mischievous pranks were played on the ungenerous including moving farm equipment and livestock and bombarding their houses with cabbages pulled at random from gardens. Other than these young men people usually preferred to stay indoors on Samhain night. During the Roman rule in Britain (43-410 AD) aspects of Roman religion were incorporated into Samhain. Candied apples and bobbing for apples became associated with this holiday because of Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit trees and gardens, whose symbol was the apple. Traditions often involve fruit centerpieces and decorations. Furthermore, the Romans observed the holiday of Feralia, intended to give rest and peace to the departed. Sacrifices were made in honor of the dead and prayers were offered as well. The jack – o – lantern is perhaps the most famous Halloween symbol. It is named after the phenomenon of strange light flickering over peat bogs, also known as will –o –the wisp, representing the scary spirits roaming about. Furthermore, the Celtic folklore tells about a fellow named Stingy Jack, a thief that managed to trick and trap the devil. In order to be set free, the devil had to promise never to takes Jack’s soul. When the day came and Jack died, he wasn’t allowed to enter Heaven because of all the bad deeds he had committed in his life. He was sent to Hell, but the Devil kept his promise and wouldn’t take Jack in. Jack was condemned to roam the earth with only a burning ember in a turnip lamp to light his way. This is where the tradition of carving vegetable lamps came from. When the first English immigrants came to North America they traded the turnip for the larger native pumpkin, which was larger and readily available. This pumpkin lantern is the jack- o –lantern known to us today. Another important holiday honoring the dead belonged to the ancient Aztecs. It was named â€Å"The Day of The Dead† (El Dà ­a de los Muertos) and is still celebrated in Mexico, South America and around the world. Originally it fell on the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, symbolizing the nine stops the dead must pass on their way to heaven, and was celebrated for an entire month. Sacrifices were made to the lady of the dead, Mictecacihuatl. Today, â€Å"The Day of The Dead† is celebrated on the 1-2 of November, probably due to the Catholic Spanish conquering which led to the merge of the Day of The Dead with All Saints Day. Traditions of this holiday include a family meal with emphasis on remembering deceased family members, decorating graves and family altars, and prayer. These are the basic traditions, but in different cultures activities may vary, from kite-flying in Guatemala to skull decorating in Bolivia. The essence of this day is celebrating the lives of those who are gone and helping them on their way. The early Christians also had a day celebrating the remembrance of all the church’s martyrs. It was established by Pope Boniface the 4th and was set on May 13. Later, it was Pope Gregory the 3rd that changed the date to November 1st, and renamed it â€Å"All Saints day†, so it would correspond with the existing pagan holidays. Christianity continued to spread throughout the world, and pagan holidays were either Christianized or forgotten. Samhain and The Day of The Dead were absorbed into Halloween. Their traditions and rituals were preserved and incorporated into the new holiday, but their names were omitted. However, now, despite all of the Christian efforts, people essentially enjoy the aspects of the holiday that derive from pagan origins. The Halloween celebrated by the great majority of people today is just a fun holiday, and has lost its religious signifance for most people. Conclusion To summarize everything, I believe it can be safely said that Christian holidays rarely mean and originate where they seemed to at first. Christianization can be found throughout history in many different cultures and aspects, from major holidays to minor superstitions. Celebrations of the winter solstice were common around the world, and Christmas was just the latest addition. The early Christians merely replaced the birth of the sun with the birth of the son, but kept the rituals and traditions of the pagan festivals. The Easter holiday even managed to keep its pagan name. The festival of the earth’s rebirth is recycled today as the day honoring the resurrection of Jesus, and celebrated in the same way the Babylonians did 3000 years ago. Even Halloween is just a pagan holiday dipped in holy water. It’s as pagan as you can get, honoring ghosts, spirits and the like, but it got Christianized nonetheless. In my personal opinion, there is nothing religious about these holidays anymore. They merely represent how far ideas can travel when you take advantage of human nature. The early Christians understood that people are just simple beings who like to have a good time, and don’t really care in whose honor. Christianization was a smart idea, but I believe it breaks a few copyright laws. Working on this project I improved my research and writing skills, and also my time management. If I had been given the chance I would have written more about the Christianization of sacred places, like the pantheon and Celtic sacred groves. All in all, I learned a lot during the entire process and am satisfied with the result.    Bibliography Websites 1. http://www.nvcc.edu/home/lshulman/rel232/resource/RileyPaper.htm 2. http://www.pocm.info 3. http://searchforbibletruths.blogspot.com/2011/04/easter-origins-traditions-and-customs.html 4. http://www.thercg.org/books/ttooe.html 5. http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/tracts/tract1.html 6. http://www.goddessgift.com/Pandora’s_Box/Easter-history.htm 7. http://www.essortment.com/christmas-pagan-origins-42543.html 8. http://www.wikipedia.org 9. http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas_TheRealStory.htm 10. http://www.goodnewsaboutgod.com/studies/holidays2.htm 11. http://christmas-celebrations.org/ 12. http://www.near-death.com/experiences/origen048.html 13. http://www.frontline-apologetics.com/Mithras.html 14. http://ldolphin.org/semir.html 15. http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/08/ajb/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Ninus.html 16. http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-t020.html 17. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05224d.htm 18. http://www.goodnewsaboutgod.com/studies/holidays2.htm 19. https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/barnold/www/lectures/holloween.html 20. http://spanish.about.com/cs/culture/a/dayofdead.htm 21. http://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/e008rp_Halloween.htm 22. http://landscaping.about.com/cs/landscapecolor/a/halloweenOrigin.htm 23. http://www.allaboutpopularissues.org/origin-of-halloween.htm 24. http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Samhain.htm 25. http://www.etsu.edu/writing/adcomp_f06/students/halloween.htm 26. http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/halloween/halloween_Pagan_Ankerberg.aspx 27. http://www.albee.org/halloween/history.htm Articles 1. Julia A. Gengenbach, â€Å"Is Christmas Christian†, Prism University of Wisonsin- Eau Claire Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, 2002 2. Prof. Bettina Arnold, â€Å"Halloween Customs in the Celtic World†, Center of Celtic Studies, Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, 2001 3. Donna-Lynn Riley, â€Å"Christian Feast Days and their Relationship to Pagan Holidays† , Introduction to World Religions, 2003

Why My Brother Is My Best Friend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why My Brother Is My Best Friend - Essay Example I told him that Aljendro was there. The teacher called Aljendro in the classroom and showed him my blank page of class work. The teacher also showed Aljendro that I had been missing the classes on the attendance register. Alejandro told the teacher that he would take care of that. The teacher also placed confidence in Aljendro because Aljendro had been holding the first position throughout his education. Alejandro left the class. I was terrified that Aljendro would tell mom and dad, and they would be furious with me to know that I had been missing the classes as well as class work. I was very upset until I realized that Aljendro did not say a word to mom and dad. It so happened that he came to me in my room to talk to me about the teacher’s complaint. I had a beautiful and comfortable relationship with him, so I thought not to lie to him. I told him that I was having trouble gaining certain concepts. Aljendro identified those areas and personally taught me them with such detai l that I grasped those concepts. Aljendro also helped me organize my work by designing a schedule for me. As I had full confidence in Aljendro and wanted to be a position holder for him, I tried my best to follow his schedule, and it did work for me. A few days later, the teacher again called Aljendro in the classroom, but this time, it was not for a complaint, but for a reward. The teacher thanked Aljendro for helping me focus on the studies and told the class to clap and appreciate the efforts of an elder brother for a younger brother.... Aljendro also helped me organize my work by designing a schedule for me. As I had full confidence in Aljendro and wanted to be a position holder like him, I tried my best to follow his schedule, and it did work for me. Few days later, the teacher again called Aljendro in the classroom, but this time, it was not for a complaint, but for a reward. The teacher thanked Aljendro for helping me focus on the studies and told the class to clap and appreciate the efforts of an elder brother for a younger brother. Aljendro really helped me improve my academic performance. Had he told mom and dad all that the teacher had confided in him, that would have shattered my confidence as well as my trust upon him, but he kept that from happening. I believe that elder brother is always much more responsible for the type of relationship between two brothers, because he is wiser and is looked up to by the younger brother in all aspects. Younger brothers imitate elder brothers, so they naturally display ru de or nice behavior when they see elder brothers doing either of the two. Also, since elder brother has got more resources and authority than younger brother at any point in time, he is more able to affect the relationship for better or worse. For example, I remember my friend Bob whose elder brother would not let him touch his computer and that made Bob dislike him. My brother was never like that. Whatever he got, he shared it with me with a view to teaching me new things and inculcating new skills in me. From the books to his clothes, Aljendro has shared his every belonging with me, and has really fulfilled all responsibilities of an elder brother. Today, I fundamentally attribute my sense of

Judaism, Christianity, Islamic and Buddhisms beliefs on Heaven and Research Paper

Judaism, Christianity, Islamic and Buddhisms beliefs on Heaven and Hell - Research Paper Example Judaism, which is the main religion of the Jews, believes in the existence of both heaven and hell. According to Hebrew, the Jews refer to heaven as Olam Haba, which translates to the world to come. Their main belief is that a heaven is a place for the righteous and that those who live in it are blessed to reside under continuous divine intervention. Furthermore, the Jews believe that those who live in heaven are customarily rewarded with a better life to make up for the misfortunes that they underwent on earth (Ellens 38). According to Judaism, the experience of this world is aimed at preparing their believers for the next, and that fulfilling the commandments is instrumental in earning one entry into heaven. The Jews similarly share the ideology that the soul should be purified before its final rest, a process that often goes on for eleven months. Given the wideness of Judaism, a section of Jews believes that God is the resuscitator of the dead through a process known as the transm igration of souls (Ellens 43). They regard the transmigration of souls as a second chance, and an opportunity for an individual to make up for some of the commandments he or she never fulfilled while on earth. Christianity, just like Judaism teaches on the existence of both heaven and hell. In as much as information on both heaven and hell remains light, Christians believe that heaven is a place where all their suffering and pain will end and that they will live forever

The Biggest Issue Facing The American Correction System Research Paper

The Biggest Issue Facing The American Correction System - Research Paper Example The correctional system in the US continues to suffer serious problems that hamper its smooth operations. These problems include but not limited to; overcrowding, the radicalization of inmates, prisoners deviant behaviors, funding, litigation, negative coverage from the media, mental conditions affecting inmates, lack of staff morale from the prison officers, and lack of proper training of prison officers and guards (Cole, 2015). The radicalization of inmates has become a growing concern in the correctional system today. Members of organized gangs, terrorist groups, and religious sects are quietly and rapidly recruiting inmates into their outfits. The usage of contraband mobile phones inside the prisons is also a contributory factor. The proliferation of violence and other deviant behaviors in prisons is also a problem. It is estimated that about 60 percent of all incarcerated persons in the US is violent (Cole, 2015). This behavior leads to confrontations between inmates and officer s. Funding has also been highlighted as one of the bottlenecks the correctional system is facing. Federal budget cuts targeting the prison system affects programs such as staff training, consequently affecting job morale. However, overcrowding is the arguably the biggest issue affecting the American correctional system today. Overcrowding, of all issues bugging the prison system, has been cited as the biggest and most troubling. In the US today, over 2 million Americans and other foreign individuals have been incarcerated.

The growth of anti-capitalism in the world Research Paper

The growth of anti-capitalism in the world - Research Paper Example nti-capitalism are differentiated in countries worldwide, as explained below, it is necessary for the relevant plans to be appropriately aligned with the local culture and rules. 2. Anti-capitalism in the international community 2.1 The context of anti-capitalism Anti-capitalism is a movement trying to confront the development of capitalism, as the specific concept was described by theorists and economists worldwide. In this way, in order to identify the elements of anti-capitalism, it would be necessary to understand the characteristics and the role of capitalism. In accordance with Fabra (1993) capitalism can be defined as ‘the system enabling man to regain the full value of the product of his labor’ (Fabra 1993, 139); the above explanation is based on the terms that capital is considered as ‘the accumulated product of labor’ (Fabra 1993, 140). As explained above, capitalism leads to a series of practices for accumulating the wealth – the one spent for acquiring the product. However, the practical implications of this process are many. For this reason, capitalism has been negatively criticized, as of its involvement in the development of social inequalities. This fact is made clear in the theory of Marx, who supported that as capitalism grows, the purchasing power of laborers is reduced (Fabra 1993, 23); the increase of unemployment is, in accordance with Marx, another implication of capitalism which, in any case, is considered as quite difficult to be controlled. Currently, it seems that the above efforts towards the limitation of capitalism have been fully justified. The high increase of the power of multinational corporations has led to their independency towards the governments; in this way, the rules of trade internationally have been negatively...Anti-capitalism is a movement trying to confront the development of capitalism, as the specific concept was described by theorists and economists worldwide. In this way, in orde r to identify the elements of anti-capitalism, it would be necessary to understand the characteristics and the role of capitalism. In accordance with Fabra (1993) capitalism can be defined as ‘the system enabling man to regain the full value of the product of his labor’ (Fabra 1993, 139); the above explanation is based on the terms that capital is considered as ‘the accumulated product of labor’ (Fabra 1993, 140). As explained above, capitalism leads to a series of practices for accumulating the wealth – the one spent for acquiring the product. However, the practical implications of this process are many. For this reason, capitalism has been negatively criticized, as of its involvement in the development of social inequalities. This fact is made clear in the theory of Marx, who supported that as capitalism grows, the purchasing power of laborers is reduced (Fabra 1993, 23); the increase of unemployment is, in accordance with Marx, another implication of capitalism which, in any case, is considered as quite difficult to be controlled. Currently, it seems that the above efforts towards the limitation of capitalism have been fully justified. The high increase of the power of multinational corporations has led to their independency towards the governments; in this way, the rules of trade internationally have been negatively affected and competition, inevitably, has been harmed.

Organizational Behavior under Radical Change Term Paper

Organizational Behavior under Radical Change - Term Paper Example Even the smallest businesses are now targeting the global market. This can be seen as an advantage as new markets have been opened by the real challenge is to keep up with the drastic changes taking place. According to ArauÃŒ jo (2011) business and the corporate world have to be keen with the changes in their industries and the world as a whole to ensure that they are able to come up with relevant strategies to measure up with the changes. The technology today is advancing at the highest rate ever and this has led to emergence of other concepts and aspects like the social media, globalization among others. While this happens, people from all over the world are now in a position to study and learn about global issues related to business and this has led to emergence of more qualified and skilled professionals from all corners of the world who can work effectively in any company. New degree courses have been introduced in universities that train and equip students on issues to deal with international issues like International business management and accounting among others. Communication has been simplified with the social media but most importantly is the growth of global languages like English which has eradicated linguistic barriers. According to Thomas et al. (2013) the corporate world in the 21st century has been exposed to new opportunities as well as challenges. New markets have been created for businesses and mo re qualified people can now be access from any part of the world. The corporate world has equally been transformed in the past two decades. However, the transformation has not been an overnight occurrence that saw companies being upgraded like software. Instead, companies have been forced to develop new strategies and plans that will help them remain relevant in an ever changing market and industry. The companies have been affected in three main areas; technology; globalization, internet and social media; and education. When talking

Normal and Pathological mourning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8500 words

Normal and Pathological mourning - Essay Example The object thus is to evaluate the understanding of a model of mourning and object loss in the light of academic perspectives and to define a demarcation between normal and pathological mourning. Finally in the light of case studies and examples drawn from academic literature the Paper culminates with an attempt to formulate a diagnostic approach to facilitate better handling of mourning and grief which may turn depressive There are many ways in which we view the world and ourselves. We can go inward or go outward, forward or backward. Precisely defining the psychological processes which takes place in experiences and express it into certain behavior pattern has always been contentious and has occupied the minds of thinkers through out the ages, that is since the time people probably developed the faculty of introspection and analysis1. The obvious importance of knowing self, knowing the most innermost processes which goes on as we tackle everyday life lies in several assumptions about ourselves which without having a frame into which we can view ourselves will lead to a sort of a vicious intellectual cycle and places us in a paradoxical situation due to uncertainties, when unknowns overtake our attempt at articulation. And here lies the importance of the field of study opened by Freud and the array of thinkers and researchers which followed this path of probing for the very nature of our being including the innermost recesses of the mind, the unconscious. It is essential to abandon the overvaluation of the property of being conscious before it becomes possible to form any correct view of the origin of what is mental. In Lipps's words, the unconscious must be assumed to be the general basis of psychical life. The unconscious is the larger sphere, which includes within it the smaller sphere of the conscious. (Freud) To Freud, the influence of the unconscious is such that it shapes personality and behavior and understanding how the unconscious world has enormous significance as knowing the reality of the external world. This suggests that the internal psychical process which may be unarticulated is intimately related to processes which gather and process such sense data from the external world. To Freud every thing conscious "has an unconscious preliminary state," and the unconscious is "incompletely presented by the data of consciousness as is the external world by the communication of our sense organs ("The Interpretation of Dreams," 1900). We come then to a possible key principle in trying to understand the functionality of the unconscious as it may frame object loss and consequent psychological reaction to it which we may call the incompleteness principle. In such an observe phenomenon of mourning for example how was this complex of emotions could be triggered and brought to consciousness and how this "incompleteness" could lead to anxiety deep seated in the recess of the unconscious could enormously aid in facilitating awareness on the part of the mourner especially those which may have strong indication of

An evaluation with recommendations of electronic banking, with Essay

An evaluation with recommendations of electronic banking, with particular reference to user ability and security issues - Essay Example The paper tells that the introduction of e-banking systems has been related with specific needs: the needs of the customers to save time and money in regard to their transactions in banks but also the needs of banks to reduce their operational expenses – the limitation of the transactions developed within the banks’ branches leads to the limitation of the working hours required on the specific activities. In this context, the implementation of e-banking systems in banks can be characterized as an expected policy – necessary to resolve specific problems. The value of e-banking cannot be doubted; the importance of e-banking for the development of financial transactions can be understood by referring to this scheme’s definition. In this context, it is noted that ‘e-banking refers to electronic banking over the internet; e-banks can have some brick-and-mortar facilities: telephone and web call centers and, increasingly, physical "touch points" for in-per son demos and consultation’. At the next level, the value of e-banking systems can be understood by referring to their characteristics; the definitions of e-banking systems developed in the literature have been differentiated as they are based on different criteria. In any case, e-banking systems are likely to include devices that serve the following needs: the communication and the exchange of data. In accordance with Claessens et al. ‘the interaction between user and bank has been substantially improved by deploying ATMs, phone banking, Internet banking, and more recently, mobile banking’.

Marking Time Essay Example for Free

Marking Time Essay Marking Time is an Australian mini TV series written by John Doyle and was aired on ABC in 2003. Its based on a small town called Brakley. The story is told through the eyes of an 18 year old named Hal. Hal falls in love with an Afghani girl, Randa, who recently fled her own country with her father to escape the Taliban. The two face racism and taunts by their community, whose views are influenced greatly by the media and politicians that are expressed during historical events taking place at the time. Soon after 9/11 occured, their home was set on fire by arsonists. Hals family let them stay in their home and Randa needed comforting, but Hal and Randa were found in bed together the next morning. Their refugee status got later denied and they were orderd to return to Afghanistan. Hal then went over seas to look for her. This mini-series reflects whats happening in the world during the years 2000 and 2001 by representing the small town of Brakley as a microcosm. It shows the attitudes Australians have towards Asylum seekers. Hal is educated about whats really going on by his father and his fathers girlfriend and therefore sees Randa for the person she really is, rather than just a refugee or boatie apparently causing trouble. Everyone else in Brackley dont have the right education and are believing everything the media and politicians are saying about them. The aim of this series is to make us question the information we get fed us, and to hopefully change the assumptions we place on refugees. Marking Time covers the events surrounding the Afghanistan war and Australia’s involvement. This included historical and political events. These events include The 2000 Olympic games and the re-election of the Howard government, The Tampa Crisis, the 9/11 Terrror attack and the Children Overboard affair. These events also include the social aspects in Brakley which led the town to behave in such ways. Australia was the host of the 2000 Olympic games. During this period there was a lot of conflicting opinions regarding the refugee policy as more refugees headed our way. There was also a lot of argument regarding what Australias part in the war in Afghanistan was. These two tied together led to suspicion of other cultures, especially refugees. People had little knowledge with what was going on in the war in Afghanistan and about refugees and what they were going through. The social attitude towards what was happening was very mixed. People didnt have the knowledge for a different view point and they found it hard to understand what was going on, and how they should be responding. Politicians have a large impact on how a society acts towards everything. Its very easy to believe what they say about anything, especially if all the news were saying the same thing. The Prime Minister of the time, John Howard put the ideas that George W Bush was using in America on Australia. These ideas were that refugees coming to the country were terrorists.

Globalisation Effect on Singapore

Globalisation Effect on Singapore Globalization can be described as an ongoing process where resources, believes, ideas and technology from different cultures are integrated to each other and promote new ways of thinking and practices among the society. As a continuing progression, globalization aroused from the influences of other cultures, which has been adapted with the local cultural conditions and modified to fit in the context of social behaviour. The external influences will directly override some local particularities, and the culture itself will be altered, or maybe damaged, or even enhanced, according to the perspective of society life. Therefore, the expression of culture itself will be interpreted and analysed in different way which encouraged the people to think, act, and learn the new disciplines in every aspect of life. These processes, hence, have an outcome of a cultural diversity, in which introducing the local values in global culture. In other words, it offered a global and local linkage of social changes that happened in the nation. Looking through the contemporary social life, globalization has become a major issue all over the world. Many countries have developed new approaches in most of the living aspects, and transformed peoples lifestyle in order to follow the major flow that happened globally. In todays modern days, globalization can act as a tool to open the opportunities of influence by other countries, and expand the cross-cultural interaction that may build up the cohesion among the nation. Globalization, however, implies to westernization in present days. The nature of western countries seems to appear as a science based tradition and the world is highly developed towards that tradition, as a sense of control. These global forces appear to superficially standardized and homogenized cultures, and equivalent to westernization. Majority of cultures are converging to the western standards, local identities have been replaced with global culture, and western values have become significant trends in this modern world. Looking at Singapore, a cosmopolitan city, where variety of cultures merges together, is one of a good example of a country that embraces globalization. Besides accepting the westernization, Singapore has been spanning borders through other cultures, such as Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Caucasian. These four interwoven cultures has created a genuine blending of traditions, believes, and ideas. A fusion of cultures in which Singapore brought in, has created a multi-disciplinary notions and practices, rooted in many cultural traditions. This synthesis has altered and transforms the peoples way of life according to the local context. On the other hand, not only western value that the world, including Singapore, has been developing on, but also majority of the countries have welcoming influences from Asian culture. Japan has brought a significant shift in the worlds globalization. Beside westernization, it has been become a popular culture among the world. Japanese culture has generated a different approach in global trends. Its tradition does not rest on science based technology and for them technology is a choice, not a necessity. Japan has greatly developed their long standing traditions towards something that instinctive rather than rationalistic way of thinking, like what the western do. Japan has its own original characteristic, which has a capacity to adapt and integrate new forms and function. Hence, there is no doubt that Japanese influence has an impact on the worlds culture, such as, in space, design, architecture, style, and even food culture. There is no large city in the world in which a Japanese restaurant cannot be found. Far from being a passing fad, Japanese cuisine is an establishment item in restaurants all over the world. The popularity of Japanese food is in part due to its reputation as a healthy alternative and also the curiosity and willingness to constantly introducing new tastes in their daily meals. Japanese way of dining, since the olden days, has put emphasized on food arrangement as a piece of art. For the Japanese, food must be enjoyed visually and pleasing to the eyes. They have developed the aesthetic sense to design exquisite harmony between colours, texture and shape throughout the food arrangement. This visual pleasure is an essential prelude and accompaniment to the savoury pleasure that follow. The influence of Japanese cuisine has been successfully creating a new atmosphere in Singapore food culture. It is proven that Singapore people accepted the taste and ambience of Japanese food by looking to the increasing number of sushi chain restaurant, such as Sushi Tei, Sakae Sushi; numerous traditional and contemporary Japanese restaurant, and also Japanese themed food court such as Ishimura and Manpuku. The diversity of food which has been influenced by Japanese cuisine, has become an inspiration for the designers to introduce innovative and exciting solutions to design dining spaces, through the essential aspect of Japanese dining and design in new ways that suit todays restaurant-goers. Recognizing the context of social behaviour in Singapore, innovation is the key elements for Singaporean. In terms of food culture, people like an excitement and it is a challenge for them to try something fresh and different, both in food and also ambience of dining space. Experience is another strong point, another extra ordinary atmosphere can attract people to get in and try a new restaurant. Besides the tendency to look for new things, the image of Singapore as a fast paced country gave an impact to the society. The time-oriented and multi-tasking people have built a busy working environment and hectic lifestyle in this metropolis city. Consequently, they are likely dont have time to have the luxury of enjoying social fellowship during the weekdays. This could be why it seems that forms of entertainment in Singapore tend to be designed to fit peoples activity on weekends. The big leisure activity that Singapore offers is shopping. There are numerous numbers of malls and shopping centres have been build or even renovated to drag people in the shopping as an attraction. Other than shopping; casinos, theme parks, nature reserves, are the other forms of leisure that Singapore provided. Despite the fact that all those type of facilities can serve as a very relaxing and stress relieving activity, people need to spend their time on weekend to do these activities.

Protein Thermal Stability Essay examples -- Scientific Research, Soy P

Proteins are a series of connected amino acids, and in food products, proteins provide both nutritional and functional properties that contribute to the quality of a food system (Christen and Smith 2000). Protein in the diet is essential to the maintenance of life and health. Proteins are compounds with a function that do work in the body such as facilitate reactions; however, proteins are also functional in food systems. Proteins are used for a variety of reasons such as: to create an emulsion, join pieces of meat together, form a skin on the surface of a product, and form a stable foam matrix. Milk proteins such as whey and casein are isolated for many different functions in food systems such as: foaming, whipping, gelation, nutrition, flavor enhancement, and emulsification (Punidadas and Rizvi 1998). Casein in milk compromises approximately 78% of proteins found in milk, and determining the amount of casein in milk is essential to cheese manufacturing (Punidadas and Rizvi 1998). Whey proteins in milk are often isolated from cheese production and are used for a variety of reasons such as a nutritional protein supplement. Whey protein isolates are also used as a whipping agent (Punidadas and Rizvi 1998). Milk proteins can be extracted in numerous ways such as the Wijis method, chromatography, and cross flow filtration (Punidadas and Rizvi 1998; Christen and Smith 2000). Soy proteins are commonly used in commercial food products as a relatively inexpensive form of protein for many reasons. Soy can be added to meat products to increase the regulated amount of water that can be added to product. Soy proteins are also a good source of nutrition (L’hocine and others 2006). Soy proteins have functional properties si... ...5: 256-259. Punidadas P and Rizvi SSH. 1998. Separation of milk proteins into fractions rich in casein or whey proteins by cross flow filtration. Food Research International. 31(4): 265-272. Ryan M, McEvoy, E, Duignam S, Crowley C, Fenelon M, O’Callaghan, DM, and FitzGerald RJ. 2008. Thermal stability of soy protein isolate and hydrosolate ingredients. Food Chem. 108: 503-510. Stellwagen E and Wilgus H. 1978. Relationship of protein thermostability to accessible surface area. Nature. 275: 342-343. Thompson LD and Dinh T. 2009. Acid-Base Chemistry. FDSC 5305 food chemistry laboratory manual. Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech University, Department of Animal and Food Sciences. Vogt G and Argos P. 1997. Protein thermal stability: hydrogen bonds of internal packing? Distance-Based Approaches to Protein Structure Determination III Supplement 2: 40-46.

JFK and the Warren Commission :: American America History

JFK and the Warren Commission Why did the Warren Commission decide that John F Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald, acting on his own? On 22 November 1963, President John F Kennedy was shot dead as he took part in a motorcade through the streets of Dallas, Texas. Soon afterwards a man named Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested and accused of having shot Kennedy from the sixth floor of the Texas school Depository building . Even though Oswald refused to co-operate and denied all knowledge of the assassination, he was formerly charged the next day, on the 23 November. However, he never stood trial as just two days later Oswald himself was shot dead by Jack Ruby, a Dallas night club owner, as he was being taken from police headquarters to court. As Jack Ruby went to prison and the police had no longer a suspect to question, President Lyndon Baines Johnson, set up a committee led by chief justice Earl Warren, to conduct an official investigation into Kennedy's murder. They were under immense pressure by the public to come up with a conclusion. On 24 September 1964, the Warren Commission finally issued a report of their findin gs. They concluded that President Kennedy was murdered by a single gunmen, Lee Harvey Oswald. There were numerous reasons why the Warren Commission came to this conclusion, varying from Oswalds background and most predominantly the hard evidence there was against him. In fact, there was a substantial amount of evidence that linked Oswald to the murder weapon and the crime scene which, undoubtedly helped a great deal in his conviction. The main evidence against Oswald was a unique Mannlicher-Carcano rifle, which was recovered on the sixth floor of the school depository building and had allegedly been used for the shooting. Witnesses claimed that three shots had been fired. Three spent cartridges were found alongside the rifle. Ballistics proved that the fragments from two bullets that were recovered from the Presidents limousine and from the wounds of Kennedy and Governor Connally, came from the same unusual type of rifle, made in Italy during the Second World War. Forsenic evidence also linked Oswald to the weapon. Fibres found on the rifles stock matched those on a shirt Oswald was wearing when he was arrested. Oswalds palm prints were also found on the underside of the gun barrel. His prints were found on a part of the rifle that was exposed only when it was taken to pieces.

Cocultural Communication :: Essays Papers

Cocultural Communication A co-cultural experience When asked to write this paper about a co-cultural experience there was one that jumped right in to my mind. My experience occurred right around a year ago while I working for United Airlines. I worked out of the Canton-Akron Airport so the planes we flew were smaller then the jets out of Cleveland and were propeller planes. One day while checking in passengers like normal for our 5:50pm flight my co-cultural experience came up to the counter to check in. She was probably in her 30’s and was with two of her friends. She was on her way to Chicago to be a guest speaker at a large conference. There was a few things that made this woman unique to me from first sight. First of all she was in an electric wheelchair. Secondly this woman was overweight. Third she appeared to be slightly retarded judging by her actions. And lastly this woman had no arms and no legs. When I found out she was flying to Chicago and not her friends, I recommended that she fly out of Cleveland and that United Airlines would provide her with transportation up to the airport. The reason I recommended this is due to the fact that propeller planes do not have jet-ways that you walk or roll out in to the plane on. But rather propeller planes have approximately 8 or 9 narrow steps that people have to climb up to get in to the plane. For people with disabilities that could not walk up the steps we had a straight back chair to carry them up the steps with. The straight back chair involved a guy at the top of the chair and one at the bottom carrying the chair while walking up the steps. A woman of her size though would be very difficult to carry up the stairs and the fact that the steps are narrow could come in to play also. After my suggestion her friends were very disgusted with me and walked away upset I could tell. No less than a minute later I had a phone call from a represenative of the Americans with Disabilities Act telling me that it was discrimination what I was doing. I explained to him the situation with the steps and that in Cleveland she would be able to roll right onto the plane through a jet-way. Cocultural Communication :: Essays Papers Cocultural Communication A co-cultural experience When asked to write this paper about a co-cultural experience there was one that jumped right in to my mind. My experience occurred right around a year ago while I working for United Airlines. I worked out of the Canton-Akron Airport so the planes we flew were smaller then the jets out of Cleveland and were propeller planes. One day while checking in passengers like normal for our 5:50pm flight my co-cultural experience came up to the counter to check in. She was probably in her 30’s and was with two of her friends. She was on her way to Chicago to be a guest speaker at a large conference. There was a few things that made this woman unique to me from first sight. First of all she was in an electric wheelchair. Secondly this woman was overweight. Third she appeared to be slightly retarded judging by her actions. And lastly this woman had no arms and no legs. When I found out she was flying to Chicago and not her friends, I recommended that she fly out of Cleveland and that United Airlines would provide her with transportation up to the airport. The reason I recommended this is due to the fact that propeller planes do not have jet-ways that you walk or roll out in to the plane on. But rather propeller planes have approximately 8 or 9 narrow steps that people have to climb up to get in to the plane. For people with disabilities that could not walk up the steps we had a straight back chair to carry them up the steps with. The straight back chair involved a guy at the top of the chair and one at the bottom carrying the chair while walking up the steps. A woman of her size though would be very difficult to carry up the stairs and the fact that the steps are narrow could come in to play also. After my suggestion her friends were very disgusted with me and walked away upset I could tell. No less than a minute later I had a phone call from a represenative of the Americans with Disabilities Act telling me that it was discrimination what I was doing. I explained to him the situation with the steps and that in Cleveland she would be able to roll right onto the plane through a jet-way.

Proctor and Gamble – Strategic Management Case Study

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Proctor and Gamble (P&G) over its journey of about 175 years has become one of the world’s largest consumer goods Company with sales of nearly $80 billion and a net profit of about $10 billion. P&G has a presence in more than 180 countries with brands that accumulate to in excess of $25 billion. The company has achieved success by creating high quality brand recognized products that are sold on multinational level.It enjoys one of the largest brand names in household products like Pampers, Gillette, Tide, Ariel, Downy, Pantene, Head  &  Shoulders, Olay, Oral-B, Crest, Dawn, Fairy and Always and segments like household care, beauty, grooming, and personal health care. Although, P&G has world renowned brands, P&G needs to adopt strategies that enable it to maintain its competitive advantage over its rival. Consumer Goods industry where P&G operates has matured reaching the consolidation stage and competition amongst rivals is intense.P&G has many strategic options create competitive advantage over its rivals such as further market penetrations by rebranding its current line of products and selling them at a lower price. Another option for P&G is to expand in the emerging markets by collaboration or alliances with local businesses in various geographical regions. Lastly, P&G can specialize in skin care/beauty segment of consumer industry. P&G can provide consumers with products that are made with natural ingredients as trend in health and wellness is growing along with providing specialized products for men.INTRODUCTION P&G is a part of a competitive industry, and as such faces very stiff and fierce competition from its rivals. The competition faced by the company is virtually on every front like, market share, product line up, innovation of new products, R&D for new and existing products. It has witnessed a drop in market share and revenue from the developed market and but sustained appreciable performance in the developing markets.Th is report provides a thorough internal as well as external analysis of P&G, identifies its mandate, along with certain strategies that would help it increase its profitability, profit growth and sustain its competitive advantage in both developed and developing markets. The limitations of this report are due to the fact that it primarily relies on the information and facts as presented in Case 27, Proctor & Gamble: The Beauty/Feminine Care Segment of the Consumer Goods Industry.External references were also used and information was sought from the Proctor & Gamble Company 2012 Annual Report and the Proctor & Gamble website. COMPANY OVERVIEW Procter & Gamble was founded in 1837, by William Procter and James Gamble, who laid the foundation of P&G by initially making and selling soap and candles. By 1879, founders of P&G developed Ivory soap and established their own laboratory, and by 1935 the company established another factory in the Philippines after its acquisition of the British soap manufacturer, Thomas Hedley & Sons.In January 2005, P&G announced an acquisition of Gillette, forming the largest consumer goods company and placing Unilever into second place. At present, Procter & Gamble sells more than 300 leading brands, such as Pampers, Tide, Pringles, Ariel, Downy, Pantene, Head  &  Shoulders, Olay, Cover Girl, Pantene, Crest, Duracell, Secret, Folgers, Hugo Boss, Mr. Clean, Oral-B, Old Spice, Clairol and Zest. The company markets its products through mass merchandisers, grocery stores, membership club stores, drug stores, high-frequency stores, department stores, perfumeries, pharmacies, salons, and e-commerce.It markets its products to over 160 countries, and operates a total of 115 plants in more than 80 countries all over the world. Procter & Gamble’s headquarters are located in Cincinnati, Ohio and it employs more than 98,000 employees worldwide. Off late, the company’s performance has dwindled as the company has been shuffling its strategy and has not been able to keep competitors at bay (Chung, 2012). Recently the company’s Board has unanimously accepted CEO McDonald, who had joined in July 2009, as the one who would plan and head the company’s turnaround of performance (Chung, Jul 2012).As such the company has adopted a multi-fold strategy to cut costs by a big chunk and bring up new and innovative products to shore up sales and profits. Example being the fact that â€Å"the company will launch at least nine new products in the next four months, many of them priced at a premium to generate higher profit margins† (Monk, 2012). MANDATE The mission of the company is to â€Å"provide branded products and services of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the world’s consumers, now and for generations to come†.And this would automatically generate value for all its stakeholders in form of higher sales and returns. The vision of the company is to be recognized as à ¢â‚¬Å"the best consumer products and services company in the world†. P&G has kept is vision powerful and yet pretty clear. This vision of the company is simple enough be easily comprehended by all its stakeholders. The core values of the company rotate around the consumers, its brands and its employees. These values are leadership, ownership, integrity, passion for winning and trust.The company, through all its core values, has tried to address the fact that they seek to work and deliver a trust to their consumers with the help of their employees, who are expected to work with leadership and ownership and must have a passion for winning so that they can together work to strive to achieve the vision of the company. Just like the vision of the company, the core values also are very clear and straight forward that define the reason for the existence of the company. P&G’s stakeholders are its customers, shareholders, employees, uppliers and communities in which it operates. P&G’s customers are the ones who ultimately use the products and given the fact that the industry is highly customer oriented and demand driven. The shareholders invest in P&G’s shares providing the company with capital and the company rewards them by consistently creating and increasing the shareholder value. Proctor and gamble employees worldwide are considered its most important asset who are the back bone of this giant corporation, they expect ethical treatment along with fair wages and good working conditions.Another important stakeholder of P&G is its suppliers whose organizations heavily rely on the business agreements with P&G, and the businesses who sell and distribute P&G products. Also, different communities all over the world from Cincinnati, Ohio to the many communities around the world who are provided with jobs, employee education, stability and who pay taxes because of Procter & Gamble. EXTERNAL ANALYSIS 1. Competitive Rivalry: The industry that P&G op erates in is highly competitive and it has emerged as one of the leaders in the industry.This industry has five major competitors and has reached the stage of consolidation. Due to industry consolidation, changes made by one company forces other competitors to react and follow suit. This increases rivalry and might lead to price wars. The demand for beauty and personal hygiene products is on the rise due to many factors such as; the growth in the economies of developing world has improved the standard of living of people in those regions; men are becoming more interested in beauty and skin care; and also due to the growing demand for products made with natural ingredients and raw materials.This increase in demand and potential for growth has provided stability in the industry. 2. Threat of New Entrants: Five major competitors in this industry have captured most of the market share through economies of scale and brand loyalty. The wide range of products in major competitor’s p ortfolio makes it extremely difficult for the new entrants to compete and gain any significant market share. Potential entrant would require an enormous amount of capital for manufacturing alongside a huge budget for marketing activities, R&D, supply/sales channel in order to compete at the same level as major competitors.This creates a very high barrier to entry in the industry that makes the threat of new entrants, very low for the industry. The patents held by the company on various products also act as barriers to entry. 3. Bargaining Power of the Buyers: Businesses in this industry rely heavily on its buyers to generate a considerable portion of revenue. Buyers of this industry are mainly distributors like Walmart, Macy’s, Target etc. These distributors buy in large quantities which increases their buying power allowing them to bargain lower prices.As a result, over exposure of sales to any single buyer could pose a serious threat to this industry if competitors do not h ave their own customized distribution network. 4. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: There are almost no substitutes for raw materials being used in products manufactured by this industry which is a cause of concern. Suppliers seem to enjoy high bargaining power but the sheer size and quantities purchased by major competitors in this industry tends to scale back the supplier power as competitors can move towards vertical integration.Hence, the buying power of suppliers is medium. 5. Threat of Substitutes: There are no known substitutes for this industry which places the threat of substitutes at a very low level. Macro Environment The raw materials used to manufacture products in various segments of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry are regulated by governments in many countries. There is a risk that currently used raw materials may be considered potentially dangerous and therefore restricted in their use due to the increase in health consciousness especially in western markets. Product testing can take months even years before getting an approval for consumption and during this time regulations can change preventing a product from ever being introduced to the market resulting in large R&D expenses which may never be recovered. Social forces can have an effect on this industry such as the desire for organic products as consumers become concerned that chemicals currently being used can cause long-term health ailments like cancer and skin diseases.Men are also fast becoming more interested in beauty and hygiene products and populations in developing countries are also turning towards beauty and personal hygiene products as their living standards improve. The future for this industry is bright with potential for growth but for some companies this can be a threat if they fail at product innovation and strategizing their business as per the changing trends. Technological changes such as exponential growth in internet and ecommerce provides a great platform to th is industry to market its products directly to target demographics and also to raise awareness of personal hygiene.On the internet, there is a massive potential to target consumers based on their web searches, previous online purchases, etc. Advancement in technology can also help this industry’s distribution systems such as emergence of real-time inventory systems allows inventory levels to be replenished on time and prevent excessive inventory on-hand in factories or warehouses. The reduced barriers to international trade give companies in the industry the opportunity to expand into various regions of the world. Many regions like China, India, and South America are opening up to the world providing an excellent opportunity for expansion.However, the reduced barriers to international trade can also be considered a threat if international companies expand into home bases such as Europe and North America which will in turn give rise to the local competition. INTERNAL ANALYSIS P&G is the industry leader because of its ability to maintain a competitive advantage over its rivals resulting in higher than average profitability. P&G has many resources that contribute towards gaining and maintaining competitive advantage over the rival. One ofP&G’s main strength is its strong financial position which allows it to acquire other companies. P&G has acquired Gillette boosting its competitive advantage over its rivals as Gillette mainly caters to Men which is growing market. Strong financial position also allows P&G to incur high R&D costs i. e. in excess of 2. 2 billion dollars. P&G is constantly investing in product innovation and improving its current line of products. The company over the past many years has successfully launched and managed new products.As such, P&G has the ability to push for innovation and ensure faster commercialization than any of its competitor in the industry. This investment in improving brands and innovation also promotes brand l oyalty. P&G operates in various segments of FMCG industry such as Personal hygiene, Household care, and Beauty. This variety of products offerings from P&G caters to almost all demographics; throughout different ages, genders, countries and cultures. P&G operates in various regions across the globe and has successfully managed to establish itself as a leader in these markets across many segments.This diverse range of product offerings along with its operation in various geographic regions allows P&G to reel through the recessions in the economy and maintain its profitability. Any slowdown in the economy of anyone region or segment is countered by growing economy and segments in other regions. Also, type of products offered by P&G are considered to be recession proof as they considered to necessity such as soaps, shampoos, personal health products etc. P&G derives its strengths from its various capabilities. First of all is that P&G has the marketing of its products in the industry.T his enables P&G to convince its consumers to buy products and also keeps them up to date with new products as well as about any improvements in the current line of products. P&G also has an efficient distribution system which allows it to distribute its products in various region of the globe at a lower cost than its competitors. P&G also collaborates with distributors like Wal-Mart, Target etc. to keep supply chain functioning efficiently. This allows restocking of shelves at distributors much easier as it provides real time data to P&G as stock levels deplete.This allows P&G to save costs associated with huge inventories and warehouses. Also, P&G owns and operates almost 115 manufacturing facilities across 80 countries around the globe. This is a great asset of the company which provides it with the capability of saving on cost of shipping products from one region to another. All these sets of co-related resources and capabilities allow P&G to save on costs and provide high qualit y products at a reasonable people which in turn has generated above average profits in the industry making P&G the industry leader.Along with strengths, P&G also has certain weaknesses and threats that can offset its competitive advantage and affect its profitability. In the current global down turn commodity prices across the globe are increasing due to transportation costs associated with higher oil prices. This will force P&G to raise prices on many of their products which might affect market share because some consumers may switch to cheaper low quality products. This is further exacerbated by the fact that switching costs for consumer are quite low between the competitors in many segments of this industry.While P&G has great collaboration with Wal-Mart, which allows it to maintain an efficient supply chain management but this is also one of the weaknesses of P&G as Wal-Mart is its number one buyer as considerable amount of P&G sales are accounted to Wal-Mart and followed by oth er major retailers like Target, Zellers, etc. This provides buyers with immense buying power and any decrease of sales at any of the top customers can affect P&G effecting its revenues and subsequent profitability.P&G is also exposed heavily towards the matured markets of Europe and North America. STRATEGIC OPTIONS Further Market Penetration – In this strategy, P&G should increase market penetration its current skin care and personal hygiene segments. P&G should look towards in its customer base and specifically targeting low income consumers in mature markets. P&G can achieve economies of scale in its current product mix by rebranding such as packaging or size/volume of the product. This way P&G will be altering its existing products at a low fixed cost.By harbouring this strategy, P&G will be able sell its products at a cheaper price and increase its revenue and subsequent profits. This is low risk strategy because P&G has managed to achieve strong brand recognition and cus tomer loyalty so P&G does not have to incur huge marketing costs in order to introduce its products to the market. P&G already and effective supply chain management and it has good relationship with mega distributors like Wal-Mart, Target etc. so it will be much easier for P&G to introduce these rebranded products to consumers.Furthermore, P&G has a strong financial position which is essential in case the strategy fails to garner expected results. Further Market Penetration| Arena| All markets where P&G currently has a presence| Differentiator| Price, Quality| Vehicles| Rebranding, marketing| Staging| Rebrand products in different packaging with less volume quantities| Economic Model| Sell rebranded products at lower price to the low income consumers| Pros| Enhances existing capabilities and resources Low Risk| Cons| Short to medium term solutionBrand loyalty is scarce in consumers looking for lower priced products| Table 1There are some drawbacks in this strategy which must be cons idered such as the lack brand loyalty in low income consumers. Low income consumers tend to prefer products that are competitively priced so if another competitor implements the same strategy they can take away P&G’s market share. Hence, this strategy is only viable from short to medium term. Global Expansion in Emerging Markets – P&G derive most of its revenues from matured market of North America and Europe where market has reached the saturation point and revenue growth is stagnant.Unlike the mature markets, emerging or growth markets have a lot of potential for growth and there is a lot of market share up for grabs. As P&G looks to gain greater share in the developing countries, it needs to adjust its planning according to the demographics of such country i. e. ethnic groups with different skins, hair types etc. As P&G already has a strong set of products, it must be relatively easier for P&G to penetrate into emerging markets especially in terms of brand recogniti on, mass market presence, and brand loyalty.P&G can avail this opportunity by introducing quality products based on the specific needs of the local population or by acquisition of businesses who produce such products. This strategy would help P&G in the long run as it would allow P&G in keep its revenues up during the economic downturns in mature markets as sales in emerging markets will offset the recessions in the mature markets. Rules and regulations vary country to country so some countries can have stringent rules for Multi-national Corporation to protect its local businesses.Global Strategic Alliance or collaborations with local businesses will enable P&G to expand in to the local market in areas such as China, India or South America. The extensive knowledge of consumers, market trends, laws and regulations that Partner Company brings to the table can be considered an excellent distinctive competency. Global Expansion in to emerging Markets| Arena| Emerging Markets| Differenti ator| Price, Quality| Vehicles| Collaborations (Global strategic alliances), Acquisitions,| Staging| Collaboration with local businesses and then move towards acquisition of the same. Economic Model| Provide quality product at reasonable price to consumers in the emerging markets| Pros| Great long term potentialDiversification through operations in various regions which provides an opportunity to keep revenues up during recession in one region| Cons| High risk involved in collaboration/acquisitions along with the instability of economic growth in emerging marketsCompany can lag behind in innovation| Table 2 P&G should select it partner carefully in emerging markets keeping in mind the risks associated such as rules, regulations etc.P&G must form a structure where the share, responsibilities of each party is clearly defined along with contingency plans to mitigate various risks involved. P&G should protect its trade secrets and product formulas so manufacturing facilities must have s eparate units, and PG should also get all its patents recognized in the region where it will operate. Some of the cons of this strategy are embedded with the collaborations with local businesses and the instability in the emerging markets.Also, P&G will essentially be rebranding most of the products it sells in mature markets along with selling some products of its partners which means there will be less spending on R&D and company might lag behind in innovation of new revolutionary products. Differentiation in Beauty/Skin Care Segment – In this strategy, P&G will offer unique and innovative products that address special needs of various market segments and demographics such as products with natural/organic ingredients, products for certain demographics such as men, ethnic groups etc.Beauty/skin care segment of consumer goods industry is growing as consumers are more interested in grooming themselves with better products and growing trends in health/wellness. P&G can create a competetive advantage by specializing in products made for men and products made with natural/organic ingredients. This strategy will require acquisition of products or spending in R&D to innovate such products in house. This will also require aggressive marketing and branding of such products to introduce them to the consumer.These products must be priced at a premium price based on the advertising costs, acquisitions and R&D spending. Many features of the products along with quality will offset and justify the higher price for such products. With continuous R&D spending over time, advancement in technologies and increasing competition, prices will eventually reduce. If P&G is able to acquire or create new line of specialized products which caters to certain market segments or demographics, it will be a competitive advantage for P&G over its rivals.Differentiation in Beauty/Skin Care Segment| Arena| Mature Markets first and move into growth/emerging markets| Differentiator| Select ion, Quality| Vehicles| Acquisitions, Signalling| Staging| Acquisitions of major business involved in organic and men beauty/personal hygiene segments| Economic Model| Sell specialized products targeting certain customers with premium prices i. e. organic products| Pros| Leverages existing resources and capabilitiesLong Term potential| Cons| High Risk with acquisitionsHigh costs associated with R&D spending| Table 3This strategy has some disadvantages as well such as it requires a lot of capital investment either for acquisition or R&D to create new products. REFERENCES Mockler, R. J. (2007). â€Å"Procter & Gamble: The Beauty/Feminine Care Segment of the Consumer Goods Industry† In C. W. L. Hill & G. R. Jones, Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach, 6th Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Chung, J. (2012). â€Å"P&G's Board ‘Unanimously Supports' CEO McDonald† Retrieved from http://online. wsj. com/article/SB10000872396390444464304577534930564069566. tm l Mo nk, D. ( 2012) â€Å"Procter ; Gamble planning nine new product launches† Retrieved from http://www. bizjournals. com/cincinnati/blog/2012/09/procter-gamble-planning-nine-new. html Annual Report (2012) Retrieved from http://annualreport. pg. com/annualreport2012/files/PG_2012_AnnualReport. pdf P;G History (2012) Retrieved from http://www. pg. com/translations/history_pdf/english_history. pdf P;G Purpose, Vision and Principles. (2012) Retrieved from http://www. pg. com/translations/pvp_pdf/english_PVP. pdf

Student: Critical Thinking and Sensory Data

Assignment 1: â€Å"Sensory Perceptions†Can you really trust your senses and the interpretation of sensory data to give you an accurate view of the world? Describe and discuss the accuracy and the weaknesses of the human senses as they pertain to thinking in general and to your own thinking in particular.Write a two to three (2–3) page (approximately 500–750 word) paper that addresses the following: 1. Provide at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. 2. Identify and describe at least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory data. 3. Discuss the roles of â€Å"nature† and â€Å"nurture† with regard to the interpretation and evaluation of sensory data. 4. Use at least two (2) quality resources in this assignment. Your textbook may count as one (1) source. At least one (1) of your sources must be obtained from the collection of databases accessible from the Learning Re sources Center Web page. The format of the paper is to be as follows:1. Typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman font (size 12), one-inch margins on all sides, APA format. 2. In addition to the two (2) pages assigned, a title page with the title of the assignment, your name, the instructor’s name, the course title, and the date is to be included, as well as a Reference Page. Sources documented using APA style for in-text citations and listed on the References Page using APA style format. Assignment 1: Sensory Perceptions Due Week 2 and worth 100 pointsCan you really trust your senses and the interpretation of sensory data to give you an accurate view of the world? Describe and discuss the accuracy and the weaknesses of the human senses as they pertain to thinking in general and to your own thinking in particular. Write a 2-3 page paper in which you:1. Provide at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. 2. Identify and describe a t least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory data. 3. Discuss the roles of ―natureâ€â€" and ―nurtureâ€â€" with regard to the interpretation and evaluation of sensory data.  © 2010 Strayer University, All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University. PHI 210 Student Version 1134 [1071 04-11-11] Page 6 of 314. Use at least two (2) quality resources in this assignment. Your textbook may count as one (1) source. At least one (1) of your sources must be obtained from the collection of databases accessible from the Learning Resources Center Web page.Your assignment must: Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific for mat. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. ï‚ · Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student‘s name, the professor‘s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: ï‚ · Develop skills for overcoming barriers which limit objective and productive critical thinking. ï‚ · Create written work utilizing the concepts of critical thinking. ï‚ · Demonstrate adherence to academic integrity policy and APA Style guidelines for academic citations. ï‚ · Use technology and information resources to research issues in critical thinking skills and informal logic.Write clearly and concisely about issues in critical thinking using proper writing mechanics.Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic/organization of the paper, and language and writin g skills, using the following rubric. Points: 100 Assignment 1: Sensory PerceptionsCriteria Unacceptable Below 60% F Meets Minimum Expectations 60-69% D Fair 70-79% C Proficient 80-89% B Exemplary 90-100% A1. Provide at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. Weight: 30%Did not submit or incompletely provided at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. Insufficiently provided at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. Partially provided at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. Satisfactorily provided at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. Thoroughly provided at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. 2. Identify and describe at least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory data. Weight: 30%Did not submit or incompletely identified and described at least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy or Insufficiently identified and described at least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy or   Partially identified and described at least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy or Satisfactorily identified and described at least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy or Thoroughly identified and described at least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy or 3.

Psychoanalytic Case Study of Preston Essay

Preston was concerned over his aggressive behavior towards other males in and outside of the home. He had frequent altercations with his brother, both of whom lived with their parents. Preston was adopted at a very young age. This was a major cause of his recent issues. He feared that his emotions would progressively get worse, and that something detrimental would happen. In accordance with psychoanalysis, Preston was allowed to explore these issues through free association. Preston was shown that his subconscious had been concealing issues related to his early adoption. Preston was shown constructive ways to deal with these issues. Preston continues to make progress in this area, and is exhibiting less signs of his previous issues. Psychoanalytic Case Study of: Preston A Conceptualization and Treatment Plan The individual in this case study presents a multitude of symptoms that are affecting his daily life. The individual has many factors from his childhood that would contribute to these issues. This study goes to show how the subject’s childhood has a direct relationship to the issues that he is currently experiencing. The identification of these issues is necessary in order for treatment to be successfully implemented. Presenting Concerns Preston presents himself as suffering from multiple issues that affect his daily life. He claims to have issues with forming any relationships with other males. He states that he is overtly competitive when dealing with these other males. His biggest issues arise when dealing with his brother. Preston was adopted at a very young age, and has always had issues getting along with this brother. This aggression has moved from just dealing with his brother to all males in general. There have been instances where the police have been involved in altercations that Preston has had at home. He fears that this will continue until he is arrested outside of the home. Preston still lives with both of his adopted parents and his brother. Preston has stated that he is constantly vying for his parents’ attention, and his aggression increases whenever someone else is monopolizing their time. He does not feel that he will always become violent, but that his anxiety is constantly increasing in situations such as this. He is afraid that his frustration and need to outdo others will end very negatively. Case Conceptualization It appears that one of Preston’s main issues is that of Displacement. According to Murdock (2013), this occurs when a subject shows anger towards someone who is less dangerous than the real cause of an issue (p. 40). Preston shows that he has issues in dealing with the fact that he still lives at home with his parents. He verbally abuses those that he sees as â€Å"better† than him. Preston does not wish to abuse himself over this issue. So, he abuses others that he believes will accept the abuse. He seems to blame others for whatever failings he has in life. He takes his frustrations out on whoever is the most convenient to him. This involves rage towards his brother, as well as friends of his parents. The fact that Preston was adopted as such an early age raises the issue of attachment bonds as well. It appears that Preston may have become overly attached to his adopted parents. Much of this may have to do with the way that they raised him. His parents were very protective, and would cater to his every need. This seems to have created a kind of subconscious reliance on his parents, and the need for their constant approval. This leads to the constant need for their attention as well as the need to outdo peers. The aggressiveness towards peers does not seem to have started until Preston was old enough to identify that was adopted. He seemed to be displacing fear that his current parents would abandon him onto others. This is the main subconscious issue that is affecting Preston. His fear of abandonment has caused him to irrationally fear any force outside of his parental relationship, including his brother. This affects his appraisal tendency, which is the way his brain perceives threats and relates to his aggression and depression (Gilbert, 2007, p. 47). This is the disconnect that is causing most of Preston’s issues. He feels threats that just are not there. He remains living with his parents, constantly vigilant of anyone that will take them away from him, including his brother. This has manifested itself in a sort of hyper-masculinity. Preston’s ego identifies no other way to express these abandonment issues other than with aggressiveness. Also, the fact that Preston’s aggression has continued to increase could be directly correlated with his parents aging. Perhaps he fears that not only could people take his parents away, but the fear that death is closing in on them. This could also be manifesting itself in Preston’s fear and frustration. Treatment Plan Goals for Counseling The goal for psychoanalytic therapy is to get Preston in touch with his subconscious. This serves to identify the root causes of his present issues. Preston will need to identify specific defense mechanisms that he created in childhood. The material that has shifted from the subconscious to the conscious will need to be readily identified (Murdock, 2013, p. 37). Once these mechanisms and thoughts are out in the open, it will be easier to discuss them and change present behavior. Interventions The fundamental intervention to employ with Preston will be â€Å"free association†. According to Murdock (2013), free association encourages the client to reveal whatever he is thinking even if it seems irrelevant or offensive (p. 49). This will be particularly helpful for Preston, and can reveal what his thought process is when he has these aggressive bouts. It seems that Preston has not been totally honest with himself. Free association can help him to bring out deep-rooted ideas for analysis and discussion. This intervention can provide logic and reason to the seemingly illogical thoughts he is experiencing. Establishing the Relationship I realized that Preston had issues in dealing with other males. I asked him if he would feel more comfortable dealing with a female counselor. He indicated that he did not react the same way to me as with other males. He stated that he realized that my sole purpose was to help him with his issues, and this made him not feel anxious or aggressive. I relayed that I was glad this was the case, but that I needed to be immediately notified if these sentiments changed. Whenever I felt that Preston was actually getting anxious or aggressive, I made him aware. I explained to him that he was projecting these feelings onto me, and that it was harmful to the counselor/client relationship. He quickly calmed down, and apologized. He seemed to genuinely understand my concern for his well-being. Analysis of Transference The occasions that Preston did display anxiousness/aggressiveness, he did seem to understand that he was doing so after it was brought to his attention. He realized that I was not causing his issues, and I attempted to apply this to his other personal relationships. We would analyze why he was feeling this way, and how it related to his childhood and parents. He came to the conclusion that if he did not get these feelings under control in session, then he was never going to get them under control outside of it. Insight Preston came to realize that he had subconscious issues regarding his adoption as a child. He understood that he was so shocked by learning he was adopted that he was afraid it was going to happen again. He learned that he was very afraid of losing his parents. He acknowledged that his aggressive outbursts were not about the people he was dealing with, but about his fear that his parents would somehow like them better and abandon him. Preston identified that this is not considered normal behavior for someone his age. He picked up various calming techniques, and needed to constantly remind himself that the issue was him, not others. I was able to assist Preston in identifying the root causes of different scenarios and emotions that he discussed. His visible anxiety and aggression seemed to be kept to a minimum. With his understanding of why he was experiencing these emotions, Preston seemed to be doing better in his daily life. He reports being able to hold a discussion with other males without feeling the need to be dominant. He has also taken steps in explaining his fears and issues with his parents. Conclusions The next main milestone for Preston will be to find a home of his own. This will take time and adjustment, but will be a great leap forward. Also, he is noticing some of the same issues he is dealing with in his brother. Hopefully, Preston can persuade his brother to seek the same sort of help that he has received. This will have to be gradual so as to not induce any sort of separation anxiety. However, if Preston continues with treatment and making positive choices, then he will be continuing on the path to recovery.