Geography of water and energy resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Geography of water and energy resources - Essay Example Based on the reading of "Who Gets What From Imported Oil?" concerning the viewpoints on OPEC wealth and power, it can be ascertained that OPEC, being an international organization, is often regarded an economic association of the oil producing or exporting countries having the mission to increase the fixed income of its associated countries. The survey conducted by OPEC in the year 2012 highlights that the OECD countries are making more profits from oil taxation as compared to the nations of OPEC. The results of the survey also explained that the OPEC countries are earning revenues of $4,888 billion, whereas OECD countries are earning $5,553 billion from exporting oil. The outcome from this survey eventually reveals the prevalence of inefficiency in the functions of OPEC. It is worth mentioning in this regard that every country falling under OPEC fails to reset the value of crude oil, which in turn, creates huge differences in taxation (OPEC,

Characters Effect on a Reader Essay Example for Free

Characters Effect on a Reader Essay Characters dealing with a situation affect each reader differently. The characters reaction to a situation may have a reader feel exactly as the character does, or in some instances, the reader may look more at how differently they would feel in the same situation. In an attempt to answer Henry James on how characters are only as interesting as their response to the particular situation we will look at â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† by John Steinbeck and â€Å"To Build a Fire† by Jack London. In â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† we are introduced to Elisa Allen at her ranch working in her garden. She is described in the story as: â€Å"She was thirty five. Her face was lean and strong and her eyes were clear as water. Her figure was blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man’s black hat pulled down over her eyes, clodhopper shoes, a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron with four big pockets to hold the snips, the trowel and scratcher, the seeds and the knife she worked with. She wore heavy leather gloves to protect her hand while she worked. †(Steinbeck 242) This detail gives the reader the mental picture of Elisa. The description makes it easy for the reader to know exactly what she looks like. Being around the outdoors and growing up on a farm helps me in picturing how a busy female rancher would look. This sets up the reader for when the wagon pulls up. As the gentlemen from the wagon talks with Elisa in attempt to get her to purchase work from him, I felt there was sexual tension between the two. Elisa attempts to hold her ground in the hopes he would just go away, but he finally breaks through to her by showing interest in her Chrysanthemums. By showing that they had something in common, the gentlemen is able to break the guard Elisa had put up, and she in turn, gives him work to do by fixing old saucepans. Once the gentlemen leaves, she runs into the house and begins to bathe almost in a way to remove the dirty thoughts. Once out of the bath, she takes her time looking at herself in the mirror and getting dressed; almost as if the thoughts were coming back, all to go away when she heard her husband returning. That is the way I felt towards Elisa Allen’s character. I am not sure if that is the intended way the author meant. Trying to look at the story from the author’s point of view, I almost see Elisa looking at the wagon as a way of freedom from where she has perfected her Chrysanthemums and looking for something new in her life. Early in the story, her husband jokingly asked about going to the fights and she quickly declined, but towards the end, after her encounter with the traveler, she started questioning how the fights were. It is almost as if she was looking for something different, something that would give her a sense of adventure to take her away from the monotony of her boring life. In the end she declines the opportunity and the author shows us she has accepted the reality of her life being boring with this excerpt: â€Å"She relaxed limply in the seat. â€Å"Oh, no. No. I don’t want to go. I’m sure I don’t. † Her face was turned away from him. â€Å"It will be enough if we can have wine. It will be plenty. † She turned up her coat collar so he could not see that she was crying weakly like an old woman. †(Steinbeck 249) Either way it was perceived, the character shows that there is something in her life she is missing and she attempts to fulfill it with the Chrysanthemums. Other readers may find different ways of seeing how Elisa Allen may feel in this story. Without the description of how she was, and the way she reacted to the fights, this may have been a boring story because it would have lacked the information about the character to make her interesting enough for the reader to wonder about her. Next, we will look at â€Å"To Build a Fire†. Right from the beginning the character has no name, only referred to as â€Å"the Man†. This gives the reader the chance to put themselves in the story. By not giving the character a name, it allows the reader to fall into the pages, especially with how descriptive the setting is. Each detail brings more and more bitterness on how cold it is. With this cold comes the overconfidence of the man: â€Å"Fifty degrees below zero was to him just a precisely fifty degrees below zero. That there should be anything more to it than that was a thought that never entered his head. †(London 128) This overconfidence leads the man down a path to death. My experiences in scouting and life have taught me to respect Mother Nature and never take her for granted. This also allowed me to put myself in the same situation in the story and imagine all the things I would have done differently. The man’s attitude was that cold is cold, no matter the temperature, and his knowledge will get him through his lack of experience. I became more frustrated with his actions, as I knew he was dealing with each situation incorrectly. As the story progressed, there was continued hope that his luck wouldn’t run out, but in the end, his handicap of ignorance led to his demise. A reader that has never been in this type of situation may not have understood the severity of the situation and would only be able to see from the eyes of the man. It is also possible for a reader to feel the frustration of him dealing with each of the problems he came across. If the man’s confidence was not as great, there would have been more thought to the situation, and he may have listened to what advice had been given. It may have also led to the man making different choices, or allowing himself some humility and turned around. This confidence allows the story to be thought of from a point of view that anyone could be put in a similar situation and that any daily life situation can cause our confidence to sometimes gets the best of us. We always think we know more that we do. â€Å"All a man had to do was keep his head, and he was all right. Any man who was a man could travel alone. †(London 132) This excerpt is a perfect example as shortly after this, the snow falls on the fire and the man admits his mistake. This would have not happened if the man’s confidence had not got the best of him. Additionally, the entire story would have changed, and the character would have had better chance if he would have thought things through or if he would have had someone else traveling with him. Both of these stories can be interesting to the readers from their own personal experiences, or quite simply by the details the authors publish. If the characters would have dealt with the situations differently, or the details of the characters, then they would have been boring. I believe that this easily answers Henry James because the details allowed my thoughts to wander and kept me interested on what would happen next. Works Cited Steinbeck, John. â€Å"The Chrysanthemums. † Literature: An introduction to fiction, poetry, drama, and writing. 12th ed. Kennedy, X. J. , and Gioia, D. New York, New York 2013. Pearson. pp 242-249 London, Jack. â€Å"To Build a Fire. † Literature: An introduction to fiction, poetry, drama, and writing. 12th ed. Kennedy, X. J. , and Gioia, D. New York, New York 2013. Pearson. pp 127-146.

Effect of Violent Video Games on Teenager Behaviour

Effect of Violent Video Games on Teenager Behaviour Maria Alejandra Urroz Gaità ¡n Topic: What Effect Does Playing Violent Video Games Has on Teen’s Behavior Introduction: â€Å"No other sector has experienced the same explosive growth as the computer and video game industry. Our creative publishers and talented workforce continue to accelerate advancement and pioneer new products that push boundaries and unlock entertainment experiences. These innovations in turn drive enhanced player connectivity, fuel demand for products, and encourage the progression of an expanding and diversified consumer base.†[1] (Gallagher, Michael D.; President and CEO, Entertainment Software association) One of the major problems society is facing today is the addiction kids are developing towards electronic devices such as television, computer and video games. Parents complain about their kids getting distracted with those machines, start thinking it’s only their son or daughter, and later realize it’s something that most people at school does. Some see it as normal and now it’s common. Violent video games can lead to, from small changes in behavior to in the worst of all cases, killing someone. How are teenagers reacting to playing video games, and does it affect their behavior even if there’s not an addiction developed. Violent video games can’t be that bad, right? Video games have also proven to have health benefits, and psychological benefits. But what are video games? According to the Oxford Dictionary they are: â€Å"(N.) a game played by electronically manipulating images produced by a computer program on a monitor or other display†[2 ]. The engaging aspect of video games is that they allow the player to become whatever he wants to be. The player is able to become their fantasy, and to experience a life he doesn’t have. The video games allow the player become what they are not, this also makes them feel powerful. People are able to express who they truly are; meaning they are free to do anything they please, even if it’s not considered correct. â€Å"Hard fun is, of course, the idea that we take pleasure in accomplishing something difficult: the joy in meeting and mastering a challenge. As a result, when someone is doing something that is hard fun, moment by moment it looks more like work than fun, but the net effect is pleasurable overall.†[3](Williamson Shaffer, David). The harder the video game is the more interesting it turns out to be for the public, the greater demand it has. People like what challenges them, what makes them think outside their comfort zone and look for brighter ideas that they portray through their reactions and solutions to the situations they face. Are there reasons to start playing video games? Teenagers are the ones who tend to play video games in extended periods of time due to their feeling of lacking control of situations in their lives, so they use video games as a way of controlling what will happen. This essay focuses on violent video games, because those are most teen’s preferences. Playing violent video games have shown to have more and faster influence on its players than educative video games have; they have turned out to be more engaging. The former have shown to have both, good and bad, effects; external situations are what define as to whether teens reflect either effect. The violence in video games can be categorized in different aspects, as to whether the characters are representing people or are fantasy characters, violent video games also have different context in the plot of the video games. There are violent video games which present a justified type of violence, or if it’s killing just for pl easure. What is the story based in how does it begins and ends; some video games have no context of that at all and merely show a story, only reckless killings. Through the essay external factors which affect the reaction teens have to those games. How Video Games Begin: Teens are generally introduced to the violent video games by their friends; they consider it the cool thing, since the media has promoted the game as such. Then they constantly play when they are bored, or with friends. Generally they tend to choose to play violent video games because they are a way for a teen to have control over something, which is what teens are mostly looking forward. They are also looking for a distraction, or an activity so that they can have fun. They start playing violent video games, not because they are looking forward to becoming serial killers, but because they are appealing a way by which they feel they can release their anger without actually being violent; because they can be stressed because of different reasons such as school, or a discussion with their parents and getting to do something where they are the ones that control the actions, relaxes them. Addiction: Teens begin playing video games as hobbies, which then become habits and in no time they become addiction. What differentiates hobbies with habits is that hobbies might be performed eventually but habits are constant making them harder to change. Habits are behavioral patterns developed by repeating the action constantly, so that eventually the brain does it automatically. Habits can be controlled or modified, they tend to become addictions when the person begins feeling the necessity of performing the action but addiction requires professional help and motivation for a change. Playing video games has become an addiction in many cases. ‘Addiction’ comes from the action of being addicted to something; which is being physically and mentally dependent on a substance or behavior. Addictions affect interactions within the structures of the brain, such as the anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, and accumbens[4], such that a person’s motivation switches to those addictive behaviors; it also affects interactions and neurotransmissions between the cortical and hippocampal circuits which are the sides of the brain in which the rewards are stored, and the person begins to constantly perform actions that were normally a reward[5]. In this case video games are played for many hours on a daily bases, instead of being played for fun becomes the main activity in the person’s routine. The addiction causes, behavioral, cognitive and emotional changes. Behavioral changes are the first symptom to be noticeable to others, such as excessive engagement in video games, and narrowing the actions of the day to end up playing. Cognitive changes become obvious to others when the person begins having difficulties because of the addiction, but continues blaming his problems to the addiction. Emotional changes are those such as an increase in anxiety, and increased sensitivity to stress. A person will present certain symptoms when an addiction is being developed such as: preoccupation, time loss, lack of control, making excuses, and defensiveness. The teen starts to show preoccupation as they do daily activities, and he doesn’t enjoy the activities he is doing, he is worried about continuing playing, or thinking about new strategies to use in his game; the teen stops enjoying outdoor, family or any other type of activities, only worrying about his virtual life. Time loss happens when the person has other activities to do but chooses as a priority to continue playing video games, that also shows lack of control and lack of organization; it might be normal for it to happen once or every once in a while but when it happens repeatedly it’s a sign of an addiction. The individual also makes excuses for postponing more important activities, choosing to play video games instead. Making excuses such as those shows the full engagement the teen has with the games and the lack of interest he has with reality; so the teen is becoming less capable of managing his own time, he may be playing ten minutes more, three hours or as long as the teen is able to keep up playing the game. Positive Aspects: â€Å"I find that many professionals simply havent even considered the alternative arguments. They just go with the mainstream studies, or theyre so wrapped up in their own part of the field its not a consideration. I work hard to try to draw comparisons to the things that they love and feel passionate about. We all have those things that are important to us, but stupid to other people. It becomes easier to discuss gaming when I draw those comparisons.[6] Says Dr. Steve Kuniak, he uses violent video games as a way of having a connection with his patients, since he is a player, he understands why they like video games so much. He has found out that video games have the benefit of coping and wellness. Players of video games, especially when they are young, are able to develop their own world and their own personality. Teens also develop the habit of following instructions, and of analyzing situations better. Many psychologists also contradict the theory of teens isolating themselves from the rest of the world; instead they say that teens have the possibility to socialize more through the possibility of interacting with other players that the video games propose. They will also be able to develop coordination and agility skills. Coordination, between hand and eye, in shooting games the character is able to run and shot at once, this requires coordinating the brain’s interpretations and reactions with the player’s movements and thoughts. Research has also shown that players can learn spatial, iconic and visual attention from the skills on video games. In the game the player needs to pay attention to the different situations and the different objects that are on a scene because they might need them later on; the player should be able to notice all those little details as well in the real world. Teens are able to make guesses and test their hypotheses about the different situations presented. They start taking more risks, through those gaining experiences, which in the psychologists’ point of view is good because the consequences they could be having in real life they are experiencing them through a video game. Experiencing the games it’s better than them taking those situations to r eality; it would be dangerous to people. Violent video games also help with team work, especially those online games in which the player is able to create alliances or teams to accomplish a mission. The player learns how to play their role in the team work and how to distribute work. They learn how working as a team can be better than working alone, how it makes things simpler. The player is also able to view situations from a different perspective; they may switch roles and experience harder jobs than theirs. They are realizing how hard accomplishing something, because there are always different obstacles that get in the way. Video games are also a way to release stress, especially for kids who don’t practice sports. It gives them a type to deviate their attention from what could be going wrong in their lives. Video games may have a positive aspect, this also depends on the orientation teens have from parents if parents guide kids in order for them to understand that video games are not reality and that they can’t do all the things they do in video games, like killing someone, teens will react appropriately to violent types of video games because they’ll know to differentiate right from wrong; it may even help them to react to certain situations better. First Changes: The most known change in behavior is an increase in aggressiveness. â€Å"Playing video games may increase aggressive behavior because violent acts are continually repeated throughout the video game. This method of repetition has long been considered an effective teaching method in reinforcing learning patterns.† (Anderson Gentile, 2003) [7] This reaction may not mean that they will be provoking fights, in the weaker of the cases the teen will react harshly to situations, such as a lecture from their parents or an insult from anyone. In a stronger case the teen might react violently to strong situations he or she might be facing. How much is enough? External factors Does it affect the family? Possible solutions Brands which are considered the most addicting Bibliography: American Society of Addiction Medicine. Definition of Addiction. (2014). http://www.asam.org/for-the-public/definition-of-addiction>. Web. (Jan 24, 2014). Goldstein, Jeffrey. Violent Video Games. PDF. (Feb 23, 2014). http://intra.iam.hva.nl/content/1213/propedeuse/maatschappij_en_interactie/lesprogramma/Jeffrey-Goldstein-Violent-Videogames.pdf> Norcia, Andrea. Parents and Teachers: The Impact of Video Games.August (2013). http://www.pamf.org/parenting-teens/general/media-web/videogames.html>. Web. (Dec. 28/2013). Runge, Paul. Video Games Represent The Most Powerful (and Potentially Dangerous) Era in Storytelling. (Oct. 21/2013) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-runge/video-game-violence_b_4067069.html>. Web. (Feb. 23/2014). The Entertainment Sofware Association. Sales and Democratic Usage Data: Essential Facts about Computer and Video Games Industry. (2013). http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2013.pdf>. PDF. (Feb.22, 2014) f) The Oxford Dictionary. Video Game, meaning. Web. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/video-game>. (Feb. 23/2014). g) Violent Video Games: Psychology Expert Finds Numerous Health Benefits in Gaming. (September 24, 2013). http://www.examiner.com/article/violent-video-games-psychology-expert-finds-numerous-health-benefits-gaming>>. Web.(Jan 29, 2014). Jenkins, Henry. How Computer Games Help Children Learn: An Interview With David Williamson Shaffer.. Interview. Web. (Jan 25, 2007).http://henryjenkins.org/2007/01/an_interview_with_david_schaff.html>. (Feb. 23/2014). [1] Entertainment Software Association ®, Essential Facts, 2013 http://www.theesa.com/> [2] The Oxford Dictionary, Video Games [3] Jenkins, Henri. How Computer Games Help Children Learn: An Interview With David Williamson’s Shaffer [4] American Society of Addiction Medicine.http://www.asam.org/for-the-public/definition-of-addiction> [5] American Society of Addiction Medicine.http://www.asam.org/for-the-public/definition-of-addiction> [6] Kuniak, Steve. http://www.examiner.com/article/violent-video-games-psychology-expert-finds-numerous-health-benefits-gaming> [7] Gentile, Anderson. http://www.pamf.org/parenting-teens/general/media-web/videogames.html>.

Banquo - a Spiritual Force in Shakespeares Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

Banquo - a Spiritual Force in Macbeth      Ã‚  Ã‚   Who cannot learn from Shakespeare's Macbeth this moral lesson: That crime does not pay? And who can deny that the playwright created a spiritual force in the play in the person of Banquo? This essay is his story.    Lily B. Campbell in her volume of criticism, Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes: Slaves of Passion, discusses how fear enters the life of Banquo with the murder of Duncan and his two attendants:    And as Lady Macbeth is helped from the room, we see fear working in the others. Banquo admits that fears and scruples shake them all, even while he proclaims his enmity to treason. But Banquo fears rightly the anger or hatred of the Macbeth who has power to do him harm. (222)    In Shakespeare and Tragedy John Bayley discusses Banquo shortly before his murder:    [. . .] like Banquo, who, in the tense hour before the murder, expresses in more forceful form the idea of evil speculation and possibility as ranging in the mind:    Merciful powers, Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature Gives way to in repose. II.i.7-9    At such a moment the activities of the mind become almost palpable and express themselves in bodily form, as they do in the other two mind tragedies. In the speech which he imagines the thoughts that may come to him when he goes to rest, Banquo hands his sword to his son Fleance, and then - with a dream-like precision - hands over his belt with its dagger too:    Hold, take my sword. There's husbandry in heaven; Their candles are all out. Take thee that too. (188-89)    Clark and Wright in their Introduction to The Complete Works of William Shakespeare comment that Banquo is a force of good in the play, set in opposition to Macbeth:    Banquo, the loyal soldier, praying for restraint against evil thoughts which enter his mind as they had entered Macbeth's, but which work no evil there, is set over against Macbeth, as virtue is set over against disloyalty.   (792)    In Fools of Time: Studies in Shakespearean Tragedy, Northrop Frye explains the rationale behind Banquo's ghost in this play:    Except for the episode of Hercules leaving Antony, where mysterious music is heard again, there is nothing really supernatural in Shakespeare's tragedies that is not connected with the murder of the order-figures.

What Do You Think Makes a Good Manager?

Kuznetsova Ksenia What do you think makes a good manager? What are the main functions of a manager according to Peter Drucker? Manager is the person who organizes and coordinates the activities of the rest of the staff. The importance of a good manager can’t be overestimated. First of all, a good manager is a leader, a respected, professional and strong-willed person who can motivate inspire and lead people. Great managers accept blame that means that they are fully responsible for their team.They understand the importance of developing – both their subordinates and themselves. In that case I think that good managers make themselves redundant. They always learn something new and acquire useful information from the outside world so as to get the right experience. A good manager is competent: he knows the job perfectly as well as the work of subordinates. Most of the time manager works in a team, so it’s vital to be friendly and sociable and have good communication skills.They have to be persuasive and to convince people to do things like forming teams even those who are responsible for performing individual jobs. Moreover good managers have empathy – the ability to step in someone else’s shoes – because they are good listeners. They are open and always ready to discuss and solve problems. As the managers have to measure the performance of the staff they should give praise if the objectives set for the organization as a whole and for each individual member of it are being achieved. A good manager judges on merit..So managers who regularly give praise are in much stronger position to criticize or reprimand poor performance. In that case it won’t be taken as personal dislike. Good managers are not afraid of others people strengths. Furthermore, good managers encourage employees to use their own initiative, to take decisions on their own. This process is called empowerment. As the result decision making becomes more d ecentralized and less bureaucratic. However, managers should still keep the control of the operations, otherwise their authority could be undermined.As a good manager is a good leader, one should be visible and accusable, provide a clear mission and show what the company’s values are. According to Peter Drucker there are 5 main functions of a manager. First of all, managers set objectives and decide how the organization can achieve them Secondly, managers organize. This involves allocating resources especially human resources so that the overall objectives can be attained. Thirdly, managers communicate objectives to the people responsible for attaining them and motivate the staff.They coordinate and supervise the work of their subordinates. Fourthly, managers evaluate how well company’s objectives are being met. Lastly, managers develop people. Unfortunately not every manager can combine all these characteristics and skills. I consider that the management is more an ar t than a science. First of all a good manager have at least basic flair for leadership so that they can develop their skills. However, not all of them will be able to put management techniques into practice. Others will lack good ideas. Outstanding managers are rather rare.

Balanced Equation Definition and Examples

Balanced Equation Definition and Examples A balanced equation is an equation for a chemical reaction in which the number of atoms for each element in the reaction and the total charge are the same for both the reactants and the products. In other words, the mass and the charge are balanced on both sides of the reaction.Also Known As: Balancing the equation, balancing the reaction, conservation of charge and mass. Examples of Unbalanced and Balanced Equations An unbalanced chemical equation lists the reactants and products in a chemical reaction but doesnt state the amounts required to satisfy conservation of mass. For example, this equation for the reaction between iron oxide and carbon to form iron and carbon dioxide is unbalanced with respect to mass: Fe2O3 C → Fe CO2 The equation is balanced for charge  because both sides of the equation have no ions (net neutral charge). The equation has 2 iron atoms on the reactants side of the equation (left of the arrow), but 1 iron atom on the products side (right of the arrow). Even without counting up the quantities of other atoms, you can tell the equation is not balanced. The goal of balancing the equation is to have the same number of each type of atom on both the left and right sides of the arrow. This is achieved by changing the coefficients of the compounds (numbers placed in front of compound formulas). The subscripts are never changed (small numbers to the right of some atoms, as for iron and oxygen in this example). Changing the subscripts would alter the chemical identity of the compound! The balanced equation is: 2 Fe2O3 3 C → 4 Fe 3 CO2 Both the left and right sides of the equation have 4 Fe, 6 O, and 3 C atoms. When you balance equations, its a good idea to check your work by multiplying the subscript of each atom by the coefficient. When no subscript is cited, consider it to be 1. Its also good practice to cite the state of matter of each reactant. This is listed in parentheses immediately following the compound. For example, the earlier reaction could be written: 2 Fe2O3(s) 3 C(s) → 4 Fe(s) 3 CO2(g) where s indicates a solid and g is a gas Balanced Ionic Equation Example In aqueous solutions, its common to balance chemical equations for both mass and charge. Balancing for mass produces the same numbers and kinds of atoms on both sides of the equation. Balancing for charge means the net charge is zero on both sides of the equation. The state of matter (aq) stands for aqueous, meaning only the ions are shown in the equation and that they are in water. For example: Ag(aq) NO3-(aq) Na(aq) Cl-(aq) → AgCl(s) Na(aq) NO3-(aq) Check that an ionic equation is balanced for charge by seeing if all of the positive and negative charges cancel each other out on each side of the equation. For example, on the left side of the equation, there are 2 positive charges and 2 negative charges, which means the net charge on the left side is neutral. On the right side, there is a neutral compound, one positive, and one negative charge, again yielding a net charge of 0.