Kilauea essays

Kilauea essays Hawaii consists of a string of islands, or an archapelago. Kilauea is located on one of these islands, the central Hawaii island. Kilauea is one of the worlds most active volcanic craters. Craters are formed either by the massive collapse of material during volcanic activity, by unusually violent explosions, or later by erosion during dormancy (Comptons). It is situated on the southeastern slope of the great volcanic mountain Mauna Loa. Its elevation is 1111 m (3646 ft.) above sea level. The crater has an area of about 10 sq. km., which forms a great cavity in the side of the mountain. Volcanic activity recently has been restricted to an inner crater called Halemaumau. Halemaumau measures more than 900 m (about 3000 ft.) across and has a depth of about 400 m (about 1300 ft.). Kilauea has erupted at least once a year since 1952. The volcano spews an average of 525,000 cubic yards of lava a day and by 1995 had added about 500 acres of new land to the island (Encarta 98). By June 1989, it had destroyed the visitors center at the national park, a stretch of Kalapana Highway, and more than 65 houses by 1990. Kilauea is located on a hot spot under the island, and the magma is thought to come from a depth of at least 50 km. below the surface. A hot spot is an area of volcanic activity near the center of two lithospeheric plates. Normally, lava streams constantly into the floor of the crater from subterranean sources which either cools and hardens, or accumulates until it drains off into other subterranean passages. When greater volcanic activity occurs, the lava is subjected to sudden changes of level, where it may escape from vents on the lower slope toward the sea. Kilauea is classified as a shield volcano. Shield volcanoes have a low, broad profile created by highly fluid basalt flows that spread over wide areas. The fluid basalt ...

Good vs. Well, Bad vs. Badly

Good vs. Well, Bad vs. Badly Good vs. Well, Bad vs. Badly Good vs. Well, Bad vs. Badly By Maeve Maddox Do you cringe when you ask someone â€Å"How are you?† and the person replies, â€Å"I’m good†? Why? Perhaps, like me, you are expecting the response to be â€Å"I’m well, thank you,† and the â€Å"I’m good† offends your expectations. However, if your complaint is that good is an adjective and well is an adverb, you’re on thin ice. The fact that well is the adverbial form of good is irrelevant because in this expression, both good and well are being used as adjectives. Good and well function as more than one part of speech: The diner is noted for good food. (adjective) A true statesman is dedicated to the common good. (noun) You speak French well. (adverb) He was ill, but now he is well. (adjective) Life is like a well. (noun) As an adjective, well is usually used to mean â€Å"sound in health,† or â€Å"recovered from sickness.† An earlier sense of â€Å"prosperous† survives in the expressions â€Å"well to do,† and â€Å"well off.† One of the numerous meanings of good is â€Å"morally commendable, virtuous.† This definition is invoked by speakers who wish to ridicule the â€Å"I’m good† response. For example, in an episode of 30 Rock, Tracy Jordan corrects another character who has said â€Å"I’m good† this way: â€Å"Superman is good; you’re well.† Another meaning of good is â€Å"satisfactory, unimpaired, not depressed or dejected.† Although the â€Å"I’m good† response still strikes many ears as colloquial at best, it is not ungrammatical. Speakers who object to the usage are free to avoid it in their own speech, but they may wish to refrain from ridiculing its use in the speech of others. While we’re at it, this may be a good place to mention a common error with the adjective bad and its adverbial form badly. Here are some incorrect uses of badly from the web: Facebook makes us feel badly about ourselves. I think awards just make the other kids who didn’t get awards feel badly. Maybe her intention isn’t to make you feel badly, and you’re making yourself feel badly. I guess I just sometimes feel badly for my extrovert kids. These are all from commenters and amateur bloggers, but even professional writers fall into the error: People who go through life applying a measuring ruler against every situation judging its â€Å"fairness† will often feel badly and negative because of it. –John M. Grohol, Doctor of Psychology You must never feel badly about making mistakes† Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth In each instance, the expression should be â€Å"feel bad,† not â€Å"feel badly.† Badly is an adverb. It must be used with a verb that expresses an action. Feel can be either a linking verb or an action verb, but when it is used in the sense of experiencing an emotion, it is a linking verb and takes an adjective to complete it: â€Å"I feel bad.† As an action verb, feel means â€Å"to handle† or â€Å"to touch.† For example, a person who â€Å"feels badly† would have trouble learning to read Braille. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:25 Subordinating Conjunctions40 Fish Idioms10 Humorous, Derisive, or Slang Synonyms for â€Å"Leader† or â€Å"Official†

Factors Used to Measure the Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Factors Used to Measure the Economy - Essay Example The essay "Factors Used to Measure the Economy" talks about such economic factors as the GDP, employment levels, inflation levels and the interest rates and tries to identify which of them is the best for this purpose. The GDP of a country is taken to be the value of all goods and services that are provided within the economic system. It can also be the total value which is added to a product at every stage of production whether the final product is a good or a service. It is measured on a period to period basis, therefore, it allows for easy comparisons to show how the economy has grown or shrunk over time. If the GDP of the United States grows from 10 trillion dollars to 11 trillion dollars in real terms over a one year period then it can be said that the American economy itself has grown by a trillion dollars in one year. Inflation level and interest rates are often connected with each other since both of them are dealing with the level of money which is being supplied to the economy. They are also popular in the media since they connect deeply with people’s abilities to borrow money and their money purchasing more goods and services (inflation). Interest rates refer to the cost of borrowing money which can be controlled by the government to slow down the economy if it appears to be overhearing or to increase economic output if the economy seems to be slowing down. Increasing inflation often means that prices are rising and unless wages keep up with rising prices, the standard of life for individuals is bound to go down.

FDI Albania Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

FDI Albania - Dissertation Example The goal of this study is to identify the external opportunities, threats, trends and strategic uncertainties that may be present in Albania, the country chosen for investment. Albania is a country that has recently joined the open economy system. It is encouraging foreign investments thru different government policy measures. However, before foreign investments get in place, there is a need to make an environment analysis on whether or not the country is an appropriate place for investment. Thru available methods of analysis, development of performance is provided as background information, the economic growth of Albania is reviewed, weaknesses of the country system are discovered, and threats for the operations of an investor are found. Conclusion provides benchmark information that could be used by the government in making the country feasible for foreign investment. The overall assessment is explained as a business cycle experienced by the Albanian government. A business cycle is perceived to be a general experience present in all economies, but its length and depth differs in each country experience. Albania is lucky to have a short lived period of recession as it shows signs of recovery already although it is still far into getting back to its former shape. Environment analysis of Albania Introduction Globalization has led to the interests of foreign investors in investing to emerging economies and to the developing countries. Logically, these foreign investors conduct an environment analysis to find out the most efficient economy among various options available. Among the most favoured places for investment are the big emerging markets; i.e. Brazil, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and Turkey. Albania, which is the subject of this analysis, is unfortunately not included among the lists classified by analysts of FSTSE, Dow Jones, and The Economists. Purpose of this research The motivation in conductin g this research is to find out whether the economic environment of Albania provides an impetus of interest to foreign investors. Findings will be relevant to policy makers in order to adapt measures that will encourage foreign investors to become players in various investments opened by the government. In this context a country report analysis will be provided to analyze whether the political and economic trends in Albania will have an effect in the short to medium term prospects of investments of foreign companies. The report will constitute the issues shaping Albania, the political scene, economic policy, domestic economy, sector trends, foreign trade and payments. Background – the development performance of Albania Albania is a South Eastern European Country situated on the Adriatic and Ionian Coast with a population of 3.2 million ( CIA Factbook, 2011) After World War II Albania became a Stalinist state under Enver Hoxha, and remained staunchly isolationist until its tran sition to democracy after 1990. The 1992 elections ended 47 years of communist rule, but the latter half of the decade saw a quick turnover of presidents and prime ministers. Many Albanians left the country in search of work; the money they

Junior Officers Essay Example for Free

Junior Officers Essay This result appeared to be the same with the statistical results for the data set of all samples combined. The deviation was the item Human Resource Focus, Item 5, which appeared to be not correlated with Leadership, Item 1. There could be logical reasons why such a result, but we cannot at this stage, extrapolate without first conducting the same test for the Leaders Group. A. 3. The Pearson Correlation Matrix for the Leaders Group For the Leaders Group, Leadership, Item 1, is not correlated at all, ALL from Strategic Planning, Item 2 to Business Results, Item 7 as shown by Table 3. Table 3. Excerpt from the Correlation Matrix for the Leaders Group Leadership, Item 1 Strategic Planning, Item 2 0. 371 0. 413 Customer And Market Focus, Item 3 0. 164 0. 726 Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management, Item 4 0. 753 0. 051 Human Resource Focus, Item 5 0. 715 0. 071 Process Management, Item 6 0. 247 0. 594 Business Results, Item 7 0. 524 0. 227 Cell Contents: Pearson correlation p-Value The results were revealing on two counts. First, it told us that the correlation trend shown by the Combined Data Samples of the Others Group and the Leaders Group was mainly due to the effect of the Others Group given its bigger sample size, 37 respondents compared to the Leaders Group, 7 respondents. This is manifest in that the correlation test for the Others Group showed correlation between Leadership, Item 1, and other items except in Customer and Market Focus, Item 3, which was possibly influenced by the results of the Leaders Group which showed no correlation between Leadership, Item 1, and the other items. Second, the results pointed to the contrast between the two groups being compared. There was a significant difference in perception between the Others Group and the Leaders Group. It should be noted that the Leaders Group, comprising, take note, the Senior Leaders, or specifically, the Senior Officers in the surveyed organization occupied the higher hierarchy and when we mentioned the Others Group, we are referring to leaders still, but leaders occupying the lower hierarchy, the Others Group comprising, take note, the Junior Leaders, or specifically the Junior Officers. It may argued that based on their respective position in the surveyed organization, ESGR there may be strong factors which create opposing views or that their perceptions could be affected by the imperatives, necessities, and the like and the nature of their respective positions being held in the organization. Whereas, for the Others Group, wherein Leadership, Item 1, was correlated with all the other items: Strategic Planning, Item 2; Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management, Item 4; Human Resource Focus, Item 5; Process Management, Item 6; and Business Results, Item 7; however, in the Leaders Group, its Leadership, Item 1, had NO significant correlation established with ALL the other items from Item 2 to Item 7. It could mean that the Others Group, mainly Junior Officers were more concerned with function which required them to be aware of all the aspects and details of the organization. It could be contended that Junior Officers were the implementers of the details of projects and operations hence, with Strategic Planning, Item 2 of the Baldrige Criteria, the Junior Officers were more concerned with examining how organizations develop objectives and action plans and how flexible the organization should be in case of situational changes in circumstance. Junior Officers are expected to be familiar with stock knowledge on the planning step and deployment to achieve objectives at the various stages of implementation. Chances are, they are the ones evaluating data from various reports and they are the ones making the progress reports and updates for the higher echelon officers. In other words it is possible that Junior Officers differed with the Senior Leaders in terms of data/details exposure, requiring the Junior Officers to pay more particular attention to the different aspects of the organization at the field or at the ground level. Other items such as Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management, Item 4, could be interpreted as part of the functions of Junior Leadership and Junior Officers were more conscious of the procedures involved in handling voluminous data and information which needed sorting and which may require immediate and appropriate response. In Question 26, under the sub-category, Information and Knowledge Management, for example, in dealing with hardware and software reliability, we can expect that senior leadership not to be doing the actual testing of new software or hardware for that matter. It would thus be more the function of Junior Officers to test such new innovations. Due to the difference in focus and priorities between the Others Group and the Leaders Group as suggested by their diverging trend in the correlation test outcome, further tests had to be conducted to enable deeper probe into why such results occurred. How come?

Charles Marius Barbeau’s Ethnography and the Canadian Folklore Essay

Charles Marius Barbeau’s Ethnography and the Canadian Folklore Born on 5 March 1883, in Sainte-Marie-de-Bauce, Charles Marius Barbeau is widely seen as the first Canadian educated anthropologist. He graduated from Università © Laval in Quà ©bec, from his studies of law, in 1907; he never practised law. Upon graduating, Marius was awarded – as the first French-Canadian recipient – the Cecil Rhodes scholarship which allowed him to study at Oxford University where he was introduced to the emerging field of Anthropology.  « Je [voulais] savoir comment l’homme a à ©tà © crà ©Ãƒ ©  » he later explained to Marcel Rioux. (Benoà ®t 1959a) During his stay in Europe, Marius also attended classes at the Sorbonne’s École des Hautes Études and at the École d’anthropologie in Paris. In June 1910, he received a Bachelor of Science degree, from Oxford, for his thesis on The Totemic System of the Northwestern Indian Tribes of North America. Back in Canada, he took the position of Assistant Ethnologist for E dward Sapir at the Anthropological division of the Geological Survey of Canada at the Victoria Memorial Museum in Ottawa (one of the ancestors of today’s – since 1986 – Canadian Museum of Civilization). Then Marius began his life long career of collecting ethnographic and folkloric data on the cultures of aboriginal North-Americans and French creoles of Canada†¦ Theoretical Bases  « Pour Barbeau, les manifestations du folklore sont un peu comme des petits fruits sauvages. Le folkloriste est un cueilleur. [†¦] Si l’on ne cueille pas les fruits sauvages, eh bien ils se perdront pour toujours. [†¦] Un jour, la forà ªt aura envahi le terrain et tout effacà ©. Le modeste champ ne sera plus là  . Il sera oublià ©.  » (Gauthier 2001: 38) Marius Barbeau’s theoretical ... ...stion and the politics of recognition.† Ethnic & Racial Studies. April 1995, 18(2): 277–314. Accessed November 2004 on EBSCO http://0-web29.epnet.com.mercury.concordia.ca/. Accession number: 9506073480; Database: Academic Search Premier SMITH, Derek G. 2001. â€Å"The Barbeau archives at the Canadian Museum of Civilization: some current research problems† Anthropologica 43(2): 191. Accessed November 2004 on ProQuest http://proquest.umi.com/. ProQuest document ID: 357968991 SUZUKI, David 2001. â€Å"A Personal Foreword: The Value of Native Ecologies† in Peter KNUDTSON and David SUZUKI. Wisdom Of The Elders. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing, 2001 [1992]: XXI–XXXV TURGEON, Laurier; Denys DELÂGE and Rà ©al OUELLET 1995. â€Å"Marius Barbeau et l’ethnologie des Amà ©rindiens† Canadian Folklore Canadien 17(1). Accessed November 2004 http://www.fl.ulaval.ca/celat/acef/171f.htm

Implementing Change

Implementing change in a department of organization can be difficult. Management must have a plan before implementing the change. The manager’s role and responsibility in implementing change within a department is very important. The manager’s role is to assess the change that needs to take place, come up with a plan to implement a change, implement the change, and evaluate the change in a timely order. To have a successful implementation of a new process, the manager must be involved in each step. The manager must keep the staff involved and let the staff know why the change is taking place and how it will affect the work process. The manager faces many challenges such as meeting the organizations goals and working with staff members who might resist the change. This paper will focus on the manager’s role and responsibility in implementing change, the way a manager should successfully handle staff resistance to change and define each step of the change process such as assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. When there is a change in the work process within the department, the manager’s role and responsibility is to make sure the implementation of the changes takes place smoothly with the help of the staff. According to Sullivan & Decker (2009), the manager must be able to communicate openly and honestly with the staff, support the staff if they are resisting the change, emphasize the positive outcomes from initiating change, find solutions to problems that are obstacles to change and accept the constancy of change. The manager must be able to identify the change, collect and analyze data, develop a plan, help the staff prepare for the change, prepare to handle resistance, provide feedback, and evaluate effectiveness of the change. The manager should involve the staff in the implementation of the new work process. According to Knoer (2011), communication is one of the most important tools that a leader must utilize to successfully implement. If the manager does not involve the staff, the staff might think their input is not important or their employment will be affected. This can lead to resistance from staff and have a negative affect in the department. The staff can give managers their input on what areas should be focused on and raise concerns that management might look over. By having the staff involved the manager can prevent them from resisting the change or have a better understanding of why the staff might be resisting and work on ways to lower the staff resistance. With change comes resistance. According to Fiedler (2010), resistance is considered to possibly have positive and/or negative impact on a change, and to be exerted by internal or external environments. The department manager must be able to successfully handle resistance from staff members. Some reasons why a staff member might resist the change is because he or she might not trust the manager, have a fear of failure, believe the change is unnecessary, staff may think if a certain change did not work in the past it will fail again, and the number one reason is the staff member might think he or she will lose their job. Resistance can also come in the form of poor work habits, not showing up to work on time, calling in sick, and lack of interest in the change. The department manager can manage resistance by talking to staff members who are opposed to the change. By talking to the staff, the manager will understand the staff’s concerns and clarify any misunderstanding. The manager must be willing to listen to the staff’s ideas but explain to the staff why the change needs to take place and the positive changes the implementation will bring to the department. The manager must keep open communication, support, and maintain trust of the resisting staff. A manager can be successful with resisting staff if he or she is flexible, confident, realistic, staying focused on the big picture, by combining ideas, energizing the resistors with interests, and solves problems. The change process should be taken in steps of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The first step assessing the change requires collecting and analyzing important data. Assessing the department will help the manager learn what changes are needed, how to improve the quality of work, stay ahead of the competition, and how to approach the implementation. The plan is the second step and involves gathering the resources needed to implement the change. According to Lombardi & Schermerhorn, â€Å"planning is the process of setting performance objectives and determining what actions should be taken to accomplish them† (p. 7). By having a plan management can prevents mistakes and accidents from happening, without a plan the new change can become a chaos. Employees will be doing what they think is right and this can cause many problems between the staff and management. When management has a plan employees know what is expected of them and know how to achieve the depart ments goals. The next step is to implement the change, where the plan is put into action. The manager has to make sure the staff has the resources needed for the change. If the staff needs to be trained they should receive all trainings before the implementation of the change. This can help the manager keep employees focused and energized. The last step is the evaluation of the change. In this step the manager will evaluate the new step after a set amount of time. The evaluation allows the manger to see how the change has affected the department, whether the change is working, and meeting the goals required in the plan. When implementing change, the manager must knows his or her roles, responsibilities, and how to approach the staff. The manager should not decide what changes needs to take place without assessing the departments needs. The manager must take into consideration how the new change will affect the employees work process, productivity of the department, the morale of the department. Employees concerns should be taken into consideration as well as the expectation of resistance from some employees. At each phase of the change the manager must refer to the plan and must be able to evaluate the change in a timely manner. Implementing change can be difficult but if the manager follows the change process they will be successful.

Positive Psychology – a Well Lived Life

What constitutes a well-lived life? Defining the meaning of life and the conditions, traits and features of a well-lived life is a question that throughout history engrossed theologians, philosophers, artists and, more recently, positive psychologists. This essay outlines findings from a selection of the literature and research to answer this question with the aim of identifying whether happiness is the true sign and the ultimate goal and marker of a well-lived life.This review of the literature has yielded findings that possessing a disposition towards gratitude is not only indicated to be present in a well-lived life, but can enhance and improve mental, physical and spiritual life outcomes. The different research models used to explain, measure and identify the markers of a well-lived life are briefly outlined, and finally further research directions are indicated to expand understanding about how gratitude affects life satisfaction outcomes in specific populations.A challenge in r esearching this topic is that the literature describes happiness and well-lived in terms that are used by different researchers interchangeably and inconsistently. In this essay and in accordance with the literature reviewed, the terms happiness and the well-lived life are used synonymously. Definitions A problem with defining a well-lived life is that the terms well-being and happiness (Frey, 2011; Kristjansson, 2010), and the good life and happiness (Dunn & Brody, 2008) are used by researchers interchangeably.Indeed Diener (2000) notes that the very term well-being has come to be known in common usage as happiness. Seligman (2011, pp 420) notes that sometimes the terms happiness and well-being define emotions whilst at other times refer to activities. This ambiguous terminology has caused some to criticize Positive Psychology but, as both Lazarus (2003) and Kristjansson (2010) point out, precise definitions to describe a well-lived life have also eluded philosophers and other acad emics for over 2,000 years.Imprecision of terminology aside, many have attempted to describe the conditions required to nurture a good or well-lived life. Some researchers have described the good life as one full of the hedonistic pursuit of frequent positive experiences (Lyubomirsky, Sheldon, & Schkade, 2005). Others have described it in terms of the result of employing unique talents to achieve abundance (Seligman, 2002), whilst still others have argued that the good life involves personal growth (Bauer, McAdams, & Sakaeda, 2005).Seligman (2002) argues that these descriptions are all valid because there are different pathways to happiness, although it is by combining them that one lives a full or well-lived life. He describes these pathways as the pleasant life, concerned with hedonistic pursuits, the good life, concerned with gratification of desire and the meaningful life, using ones talent to serve a higher purpose (Seligman & Royzman, 2003). Research Findings And ChallengesEar ly studies involved in identifying precisely what elements contribute to life satisfaction involved field research with participant self-reported satisfaction ratings recorded against a range of factors (Diener, 2000; Lazarus, 2003; Lyubomirsky et al. , 2005). Self reported satisfaction ratings are problematic because they are, as noted by Kristjansson (2010), by their very nature subjective. People in difficult situations can report themselves as living a good life, whereas people who are in happier circumstances can report themselves as having low life satisfaction.Additionally the factors used to measure life satisfaction are problematic because what some would consider critical to a well-lived life may be anathema to another (Bauer et al. , 2005) or not supported by the participants culture (Diener, 2000; Peterson, Ruch, Beermann, Park & Seligman, 2007). Further research is indicated to firstly identify what factors are actually desired in a good life, rather than simply measuri ng and reporting happiness levels (Kristjansson, 2010). Diener’s (2000) and Peterson et al. 2007) findings appear to support Kristjansson’s suggestion (2010). Both research studies identified significant cross country differences not only in the rates of life satisfaction but also the factors rated as important to life satisfaction. The findings appear to indicate that individualistic cultures, or those that place high value on individual choice and desires, and collectivist cultures, where the needs of group are paramount, prioritise factors contributing to life satisfaction differently (Diener, 2000).By way of example, Diener (2000) notes that participants from collectivist cultures may sacrifice personal desires for the common good, and this is not a normative feature of individualistic cultures. Diener further notes that sacrifice in collectivist cultures may, in fact, benefit the individual by providing them with the knowledge they are performing their duty. The c oncept of personal sacrifice as a factor affecting life satisfaction does not appear to be studied in the literature reviewed for this essay.Despite the significance of the findings in both studies, the researchers note a limitation of their design is that is that they relied upon self-selected participants who were motivated enough to complete the survey (Diener, 2000; Peterson et al. , 2007). This may have resulted in bias. Conclusions concerning differences in cross cultural impacts upon life satisfaction levels and factors are not unanimous. A study conducted by Linley, Joseph, Harrington and Wood (2006) found no significant difference in life satisfaction ratings or factors amongst participants from different cultures, ages or gender.A limitation of this research however, as noted by the authors, is that the study only included a small number of countries with participants who could speak and respond in English (Linley et al. , 2006). It may well be that the participants who re sponded to the survey were Westernised. Linley et al. (2006) indicate that the study should be repeated using a multi-lingual questionnaire so that participants are drawn from a wider sample. The Social Component of a Well Lived Life Examining the literature outlining models related to a well-lived life yields important clues towards determining the ultimate signs of a well lived life.The three pathways model of a full life which includes the pleasant life of hedonistic pursuits, the good life full of desire gratification and the meaningful life (Seligman & Royzman, 2003), has been criticized because the model could be applied to the non ethical, such as drug dealers, as well as those engaged in more ethical activities alike (Kristjansson, 2010). Seligman (2000) noted this as a possibility but argues this is not problematic because science is not concerned with morality.Morality aside, anti-social activities do not necessarily promote relationships and research indicates that a well lived life does indeed involve actions that promote positive social relationships (Bauer et al. , 2005; McCullough, Kimeldorf & Cohen, 2008; Peterson et al. , 2007). One way that Kristjansson (2010) suggests that the thorny issue of morality and psychology could be overcome is by applying values to define those behaviours that fall outside of societal norms, although this may result in other issues if these norms are restrictive.Although Kristjansson is not a psychologist, the idea that a well-lived life should involve societal norms does seem to be supported by Diener (2000) who suggests that societal pressures do have some bearing upon individual life satisfaction reporting. Building on the concept that a life satisfaction includes a social component, Bauer et al. (2005) argue that a well lived life includes social experiences and the ability to ascribe those experiences to a positive meaning. They go on to explain that in psychological terms this translates to having a balance b etween social interactions and having positive feelings about them (Bauer et al. 2005). These findings imply that there is indeed a social element to a life well lived which is supported by further research. Peterson et al. (2007) found that the sociable character traits such as gratitude have strong effects upon life satisfaction. Indeed Peterson et al. (2007) note that social character traits such as gratitude are more strongly correlated with life satisfaction than the three pathways to happiness (Seligman & Royzman, 2003, pp 153). Gratitude As with a well-lived life, gratitude is not easily defined (Wood, Froh & Geraghty, 2010).Although gratitude is variously described as an emotion, a trait and an action, nevertheless the literature indicates that a grateful disposition tends to be positively associated with happiness and a well-lived life (McCullough, Emmons & Tsang, 2002; McCullough et al. , 2008; Wood, Joseph & Maltby, 2008). Typically, gratitude is described as a response t hat occurs after the receipt of something perceived as positive due to the prosocial actions of another (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).Aware of the limitations of previous field research, Emmons and McCullough (2003) attempted to apply a study design that randomly assigned participants to different treatment conditions. They found a difference in mean well being scores across gratitude treatment groups from the comparison group, although less than expected, concluding that gratitude tended to increase psychological, social and spiritual well-being. One of the limitations noted in the study design (Emmons & McCullough, 2003), however, was that the study period was only three weeks long which ay not have been long enough to identify changes in responses. This limitation has been commented upon by others (Lazarus, 2003). Indeed, Lazarus (2003) notes in particular that the lack of longitudinal studies in Positive Psychology studies concerning life satisfaction makes it difficult to identif y causation and track precisely how different circumstances affect individuals, whatever the factors that contribute to a well lived life. Kristjansson (2010) notes that this is not a problem unique to studies of well-lived lives. Wood et al. 2010) noted that the definition of gratitude used in the Emmons and McCullough (2003) study did not include all of the things participants reported gratitude for that did not include a benefactor. He proposed that gratitude includes an eight level hierarchical life orientation including in ascending order; noticing and appreciating life could be worse, life is short, the present moment, engaging in ritual acts of thankfulness, admiring beauty, focusing on what one has, appreciating other people and reflecting upon what one has to be thankful for (Wood, et al. 2010). Using this expanded definition, Wood, linked gratitude to the Big Five traits, used to broadly describe human personality (Watson, Clark, & Harkness, 1994) and that people who are g rateful tend to be more agreeable, sociable, less neurotic, conscientious and extroverted. Commenting upon the benefits of gratitude, Lyubomirsky et al. (2005) note that an attitude of gratitude appears to be incompatible with negative life feelings such as greed and envy.They note that appears to encourage individuals to reflect on experiences and social relationships in a positive way. It has also been suggested that gratitude appears to protect individuals from depression (Wood et al. , 2010) and support recovery from injury (Dunn & Brody, 2008). Possible Future Research Directions The literature indicates several interesting areas for future research. The first, based on observations by Wood et al. (2010) is that there have been only a few studies studying the direct relationship between gratitude and happiness.Given the lack of longitudinal research to date as noted by Lazarus (2003) and alluded to by Emmons and McCullough (2003), it may well be promising to conduct intra-indiv idual longitudinal research of the impact of gratitude on an individual’s perception of happiness when experiencing the normal stressors of daily living (Lazarus, 2003). It may also be useful to apply a longitudinal study to examine if the things that make one grateful change across cultures, ages and genders (Diener, 2000; Linley et al. , 2006; Peterson et al. 2007) although it would be highly recommended to avoid using self-selected participants in the study. Conclusion Defining a life well-lived and the factors associated with it is a problem that has defied easy explanation for philosophers and other academics across the ages. Much of the previous research has involved recording self-reporting by participants. Given this and the fact that the very nature of happiness and a life well lived is a subjective experience, it has been argued that a propensity for gratitude impacts on an individual’s ability to view their lives in a positive way, despite individual circums tances.It has also been argued that an attitude of gratefulness has several physical and mental benefits for the individual, although these studies have not yet examined precisely if the factors that make an individual grateful change across cultures and genders. Further research is indicated in this fascinating area, possibly using longitudinal studies to explore how gratitude enables individuals to view adverse circumstances differently over time. References Bauer, J. J. , McAdams, D. P. , & Sakaeda, A. R. (2005). Interpreting the Good Life: Growth Memories in the Lives of Mature, Happy People.Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 88, 203-217. doi:10. 1037/0022-3514. 88. 1. 203 Diener, E. (2000). Subjective well-being: The science of happiness and a proposal for a national index. American Psychologist, 55(1), 34-43. Dunn, D. S. , & Brody, C. (2008). Defining the good life following acquired physical disability. Rehabilitation Psychology, 53(4), 413-425. doi:10. 1037/a00137 49 Emmons, R. A. , & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 84, 377-389. oi:10. 1037/0022-3514. 84. 2. 377 Kristjansson, K. (2010). Positive psychology, happiness, and virtue: The troublesome conceptual issues. Review Of General Psychology, 14(4), 296-310. doi:10. 1037/a0020781 Lazarus, R S. (2003). The Lazarus Manifesto For Positive Psychology And Psychology In General. Psychological inquiry, 14(2), 173-189. Linley, P. , Joseph, S. , Harrington, S. , & Wood, A. M. (2006). Positive psychology: Past, present, and (possible) future. Journal Of Positive Psychology, 1(1), 3-16. doi:10. 1080/17439760500372796 Lyubomirsky, S. , Sheldon, K. M. , & Schkade, D. 2005). Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. Review Of General Psychology, 9(2), 111-131. doi:10. 1037/1089-2680. 9. 2. 111 McCullough, M. E. , Emmons, R. A. , & Tsang, J. (2002). The grateful disposition: A conceptual and empirical topography. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 82(1), 112-127. doi:10. 1037/0022-3514. 82. 1. 112 McCullough, M. E. , Kimeldorf, M. B. , & Cohen, A. D. (2008). An Adaptation for Altruism The Social Causes, Social Effects, and Social Evolution of Gratitude. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17(4), 281-286.Peterson, C. , Ruch, W. , Beermann, U. , Park, N. , & Seligman, M. P. (2007). Strengths of character, orientations to happiness, and life satisfaction. Journal Of Positive Psychology, 2(3), 149-156. doi:10. 1080/17439760701228938 Seligman, M. E. P. , & Royzman, E. (2003). Happiness: The three traditional theories. Adapted and edited by Paul Quek. Retrieved from http://pq. 2004. tripod. com/happiness_three_traditional_theories. pdf Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Authentic Happiness. Nicholas Brealey Publishing. Retrieved July 27, 2012, from Ebook Library. Watson, D. , Clark, L. A. & Harkness, A. R. (1994). Structures of personality and their relevance to psychopathology. Journal Of Abnormal Psychology, 103(1). 18-31. doi:10. 1037/0021-843X. 103. 1. 18 Wood. A. M. , Joseph, S, & Maltby, J. (2008) Gratitude uniquely predicts satisfaction with life: Incremental validity above the domains and facets of the five factor model. Personality and Individual Differences, 45(1), pp 49–54 Wood, A. M. , Froh, J. J. , & Geraghty, A. W. A. (2010) Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration. Clinical Psychology Review, 2010, Vol. 30(7), pp. 890-905.

Effective Dialogue in Fiction

Effective Dialogue in Fiction The art of great dialogue is a skill that- when authors master it- holds the key to changing a mediocre story into a great one. Dialogue is what draws readers into the moment, and what gives that sensation of time and place, allowing us to hear what the characters are saying as if we are there with them.Just as good dialogue is an essential ingredient to a good story, bad dialogue can ruin an otherwise great narrative. The difference between good and bad dialogue is often a matter of one or two words, and those words are typically modifiers. Yes, most authors have it- that fatal attraction to the adverb when writing dialogue:But, in art, how do you create without descriptors, she said despairingly.Art tends to overcomplicate itself, he replied, with a knowing smile.The above examples show one of the most common mistakes writers make. Adverbs tend to show hesitation, self-doubt, even fear that what you are writing needs validation. The overuse of adverbs and adjectives, particularly w ithin the structure of dialogue, is the mark of a timid author who believes that what his characters say isnt revealing enough for effective characterization.When dialogue is right, we know. When its wrong we also know- it jags on the ear like a badly tuned musical instrument.Stephen KingStephen King, one of the most prolific novelists of our time by the sheer quantity of successful books he has written, points out that the first step to creating good dialogue is to listen to others talk. In his book, On Writing, King begins his foray about bad writers and equally bad dialogue with this simple advice: The job [of writing good dialogue] boils down to two things- paying attention to how the real people around you behave and then telling the truth about what you see.Readers subconsciously (and sometimes consciously) pick up on disingenuous conversation between characters. Its the reality in which fiction is based, and one that is necessary to hold together a good story. King points out that often, what people say reveals more about them than they realize. The rule is: the more authentic your character seems, the more your reader will connect with him or her. The same goes for dialogue; when what the character says is authentic, the adverbs that decorate he said or she said not only become unnecessary- they become distracting. Which takes the greater talent: describing to the reader how something is said, or guiding the reader to fill in that subtext correctly on his or her own?Then, there is always the cardinal rule of writing great fiction, which states that a writer should never say what he or she can show. If your character is a poorly educated one, the words he says can let your reader know:Them aint got no sign on the door, he said.A writer might be tempted to follow those words with he said dumbly or he drawled, but what is the point? This is when dialogue is honest and revealing at once, and stands on its own to provide enough characterization without the addition of modifiers.If the words of your character cant convey the message you want, before resorting to the adjective or adverb, let their actions tell the rest of the story.You can do what you want, she said, as the frayed thread on her shirt suddenly became more interesting than his response.We know from this excerpt that the woman is cutting the man off, that the conversation is over- the readers imagination is then led to supply the subtext. We dont need a she said nonchalantly or a she said coolly. The authentic words followed by revealing action say all that needs to be said.Despite the dos and donts mentioned above, some writers are simply born with a natural ability to create believable, engaging dialogue. Although many readers cant pinpoint exactly what it is that they like about a certain author, good dialogue is usually what draws them into a story and keeps them there. The authors who tend to write great dialogue are not usually the loner type- they like to have conve rsations with people and like to observe the way people speak, to whom they speak, and what they say.Stephen King points to a great example of H.P. Lovecraft, a writer who is hailed as a master storyteller but has never been known for his great dialogue. King credits this unfortunate truth with Lovecrafts personal life, stating that although Lovecraft was able to communicate with acquaintances via correspondence, he did not like conversation and spent much of his life as a recluse.Lovecrafts example proves that a writer is more or less limited to his ability in the craft of writing. Some things can be taught, while others can only be accepted. Lovecrafts lack of believable dialogue might have been what kept him from having a wider audience, but his writing still has an almost cult following. Lovecraft accepted his limitations and focused on poetically dense descriptions and startling plot twists rather than authentic characterization.If you want to create better dialogue, and dont m ind leaving your house, your best bet would be to get out in public, attend a party, and find every way possible to listen to others speak, observe how others respond, and memorize the brutally honest details. This simple exercise could do wonders for your ability to write effective dialogue.

Exercise in Building and Connecting Sentences

Exercise in Building and Connecting Sentences This exercise will give you a chance to practice condensing and combining sentences using transitional words or phrases.  Combine the sentences in each set into two clear sentences. Add a transitional word or phrase to the second sentence to show how it relates to the first. Heres an example: Retirement should be the reward for a lifetime of work.It is widely viewed as a sort of punishment.It is a punishment for growing old.Sample Combination:Retirement should be the reward for a lifetime of work. Instead, it is widely viewed as a sort of punishment for growing old. When you are done, compare your sentences with the sample combinations  below. Exercise: Building and Connecting Sentences With Transitional Words and Phrases To be self-centered does not mean to disregard the worth of other people.We are all self-centered.Most psychologists would probably accept this position.There are differences in math performance between boys and girls.These differences cannot be attributed simply to differences in innate ability.If one were to ask the children themselves, they would probably disagree.We do not seek solitude.If we find ourselves alone for once, we flick a switch.We invite the whole world in.The world comes in through the TV or Internet.Little girls, of course, dont take toy guns out of their hip pockets.They do not say Pow, pow to all their neighbors and friends.The average well-adjusted little boy does this.If we gave little girls the six-shooters, we would soon have double the body count.We know very little about pain.What we dont know makes it hurt all the more.There is ignorance about pain.No form of illiteracy in the United States is so widespread.No form of illiteracy in the United States is so costly. We drove the wagon close to a corner post.We twisted the end of the wire around it.We twisted the wire one foot above the ground.We stapled it fast.We drove along the line of posts.We drove for about 200 yards.We unreeled the wire on the ground behind us.The historical sciences have made us very conscious of our past.They have made us conscious of the world as a machine.The machine generates successive events out of foregoing ones.Some scholars tend to look totally backward.They look backward in their interpretation of the human future.Rewriting is something that most writers find they have to do.They rewrite to discover what they have to say.They rewrite to discover how to say it.There are a few writers who do little formal rewriting.They have capacity and experience.They create and review a large number of invisible drafts.They create and review in their minds.They do this before they approach the page. When you are done, compare your sentences with the sample combinations below. Sample Combinations To be self-centered does not mean to disregard the worth of other people.  In fact,  most psychologists would probably accept the position that we are  all  self-centered.The differences in math performance between boys and girls cannot be attributed simply to differences in innate ability.  Still,  if one were to ask the children themselves, they would probably disagree.We do not seek solitude.  In fact,  if we find ourselves alone for once we flick a switch and invite the whole world in through the TV or  Internet.Little girls, of course, dont take toy guns out of their hip pockets and say Pow, pow to all their neighbors and friends like average well-adjusted little boys.  However,  if we gave little girls the six-shooters, we would soon have double the body count.(Anne Roiphe, Confessions of a Female Chauvinist Sow)We know very little about pain and what we dont know makes it hurt all the more.  Indeed,  no form of illiteracy in the United States is so wi despread or costly as ignorance about pain.(Norman Cousins, Pain Is Not the Ultimate Enemy) We drove the wagon close to a corner post, twisted the end of the wire around it one foot above the ground, and stapled it fast.  Next,  we drove along the line of posts for about 200 yards, unreeling wire on the ground behind us.(John Fischer, Barbed Wire)The historical sciences have made us very conscious of our past, and of the world as a machine generating successive events out of foregoing ones.  For this reason,  some scholars tend to look totally backward in their interpretation of the human future.(Loren Eiseley,  The Unexpected Universe)Rewriting is something that most writers find they have to do to discover what they have to say and how to say it. There are,  however,  a few writers who do little formal rewriting because they have the capacity and experience to create and review a large number of invisible drafts in their minds before they approach the page.(Donald M. Murray, The Makers Eye: Revising Your Own Manuscripts)

Movie review Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Movie review - Research Paper Example It is during the research on Doctor Death that Morris came across Adams who convinced him of his innocence. Emotional Aspect: Investigations into the Adams case revealed that five of the witnesses in the case had committed perjury. This resulted in Adams being given a death sentence that was later overturned by the Supreme Court in 1980 and was commuted to life imprisonment by the then Governor of Texas. Film Craft: The documentary was done by re-enacting scenes as they were told in the witnesses’ statements. In making the documentary, Morris and his team recreated several versions of the shooting that Adams was convicted for. It does not, however, recreate the scene where David Harris shoots the officer. The final scene of the film is an audio recording in which Morris and Harris can be heard speaking in the background. Comments: Although most convicted criminals are known to pledge their innocence, some of them are actually innocent of the crimes they were sentenced for. The Adams case is a clear illustration of cases where the innocent are prosecuted while the guilty roam

Personal Data Privacy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Personal Data Privacy - Research Paper Example everyone do not follow an approach to provide personal information to any online organization. Nowadays, an online consumer finds a credible source of websites prior to processing online transactions. Consumers can only judge their credibility by security seals or their international presence around the globe. Unfortunately, no one knows that these organizations do, in order to protect customer data that is stored in their databases. For instance, if a security breach occurs in one of the databases of these organizations, millions of records related to customer personal information and most importantly, credit card numbers will be in control of cyber criminals and hackers. This concludes to a new term that is known as identity and data theft. This is the first major concern of data privacy. Secondly, there are issues where customers are not aware from the pros and cons of providing personal information online. They tend to provide information on unsecure social networking sites and v ague online businesses. As a result, they suffer the consequences. This paper will highlight local regulations concerning personal data privacy. ... 36% of consumers would not put personal information online, yet 11% of them have still been a victim of data theft. Only 5% of the UK public surveyed are not worried about data loss. As well as the security of financial data being a concern, 46% of all respondents are most concerned about protecting their medical records, and is highest amongst the 45+ ages 45-plus (52%). Data retrieved from (Lack of Consumer Trust in Data Security in the UK. 2007) After interviewing the people, most people blamed themselves, for making their personal information vulnerable and includes the rating of 60% people blamed retailers, 28% people blamed themselves as they consider that they have exposed their personal information themselves and it is their own fault. Moreover, 12% people blamed financial institutions i.e. banks (Survey Reveals Massive Incidence of Credit Card Fraud and Identity Theft; Retailers blamed for making people vulnerable to fraud. 2010). After reviewing these figures, there is also a requirement to create an awareness program for people who tends to provide personal information on the Internet. 3 Impact of Exposing Personal Data The requirement for securing personal data and privacy online is due to many reasons. The first reason incorporates not a single law of how to handle customer data. For instance, if an online company sells products and maintains databases including customer information, they can do whatever they want. Most probably, they can sell data in terms of cash. Every website has a link stated as ‘Website Privacy Policy’, but no one knows exactly, to what extent they are authentic. The practical approach to that privacy policy is a different story. The second most prominent reasons are hacking, viruses, Trojans, spywares,