Saturday, September 7, 2019

PESO Online Job Posting System Essay Example for Free

PESO Online Job Posting System Essay INTRODUCTION Today, we are living in a modern age engaged in highly computerized technology where computer devices manifest everywhere aiming to enhance individual lifestyle and most especially in the world of business. Manual operations are considered out of date and are left behind because of modern technology. Using computers and modern technology is a great help to every individual most especially to business transaction. Individuals and companies today wants manual operations to be replace with an automated one in order for them to have a better and easy lifestyle and operations. But today, many companies even local government offices are using manual operations that consume a lot of time, money and effort that gives every individual and companies a hard time. As modern technology continues to improve, all processes are automated and are moved onto the web or cloud based. The online job posting system replace the manual operation of the office regarding the posting of jobs, referral and screening of applicants, recording and creation of reports and information and screening and communication with companies. Online job posting will improve the office services and provides convenience on the applicants, employers and office staff. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Public Employment Service Office or PESO is a multi-service facility that was established to provide information and assistance to DOLE clients and constituents of local government units (LGU’s). It makes available under one roof the various employment programs and services of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to enable all types of clientele to know more about them and to provide assistance on employment and income opportunities or other specific assistance needed. It’s services are to provide job fairs, livelihood and self-employment bazaars, Special Credit Assistance for Placed Overseas Workers, Special Program for Employment of Students and Out-of-School Youth, Work Appreciation Program, Workers Hiring for  Infrastructure Projects and Other programs/activities developed by DOLE to enhance provision of employment assistance to PESO clients HISTORY This study focuses on the ordering process in Public Employment Service Office. The Public Employment Service Office or PESO is a non-fee charging multi-employment service facility or entity established or accredited pursuant to Republic Act No. 8759 otherwise known as the PESO Act of 1999. The Republic Act No. 8759 was signed in to law on February 14, 1999. Its purpose is to carry out full employment and equality of employment opportunities. Duties: 1. Ensure the prompt, timely and efficient delivery of employment service and provision of information on the other DOLE programs. 2. Provide a venue where people could explore simultaneously various employment options and actually seek assistance they prefer. 3. Serve as referral and information center for the various services and programs of DOLE and other government agencies present in the area. 4. Provide clients with adequate information on employment and labor market situation in the area. 5. Network with other PESOs within the region on employment for job exchange purposes. Functions: 1. Encourage employers to submit to the PESO on a regular basis a list of job vacancies in their respective establishments in order to facilitate the exchange of labor market information services to job seekers and employers by providing employment services to job seeker, both for local and overseas employment, and recruitment assistance to employers. 2. Develop and  administer testing and evaluation instruments for effective job selection, training and counseling. 3. Provide persons with entrepreneurship qualities access to the various livelihood and self-employment programs offered by both government and non-governmental organizations at the provincial/city/municipal/barangay levels by undertaking referrals for such program. 4. Undertake employability enhancement trainings/seminar for jobseekers as well as those would like to change career or enhance their employability. This function is presently supervised by TESDA and conducted by other training. 5. Provide employment and occu pational counseling, career guidance, mass motivation and values development activities. 6. Conduct pre-employment counseling and orientation to prospective local and overseas workers. 7. Provide reintegration assistance services to returning Filipino migrant workers. 8. Perform such functions as willfully carry out the objectives of this Act. ORGANIZATIONAL CHART Figure 1: PESO Organization Chart RESEARCH LOCALE Figure 2: PESO Location Map PROBLEM DEFINITION Currently, the Public Employment Service Office at San Jose Del Monte Bulacan is using a manual operation in posting of jobs, referral and screening of applicants, recording and creation of reports and information and screening and communication with companies. Companies having a hard time on submitting reports about the applicants they hire because of the manual operation, thus, the PESO staff are also having a hard time creating reports.  Inconvenience, the applicants need to go to the office from time to time for them to know what jobs are available. And the companies must send a  representative to communicate and present the needed requirements before they can become a qualified employer for PESO. The problems stated above will all be solved using the proposed system which is the Online Job Posting System. OBJECTIVES OF STUDY Generally this study aims to solve issues that happened in the manual operations in Public Employment Service Office. The study is conducted to find out if minimizing the manual operations with an online job posting system could help Public Employment Service Office customers to achieve quality ordering service. Specifically, it aims to; Identify the key issues relating to the development of an online job posting system and understand the flow posting of jobs, referral and screening of applicants, recording and creation of reports and information and screening and communication with companies. Identify the problem that the staffs, employers and applicants encountered in the existing manual operations of PESO Provide a solution for the identified problem. SCOPES AND LIMITATION . The system which is job posting system will be implemented for the Public Employment Service Office. The system will be used by the staffs, employers, and applicants. The system will allow the applicants to browse jobs and be notified to new qualified jobs. It will also make the registrations of the applicants easy by not needing for them to go to the office. It will also benefit the employers, they will be no longer need to go the office just to communicate and give requirements. It will also make the creation of reports easy on the part of staffs and employers. On the other hand, the system limitations are, only citizens of San Jose Del Monte Bulacan can register online; citizens of other city are required to go to the office of PESO of CSJDM for special cases. The said system cannot be used when there is power shortage and can only be used if there is an internet connection. Notifications through SMS are limited to those who provide their contact information and to those who have a good network signal. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Figure 3: Project Sytem Logo SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY The study will help the PESO to improve and speed up their services. The developed system will greatly improve the processes and replace the manual operations with a more organized and automated processes. It will give benefit the staffs, employers and applicants. Staffs- the proposed system will help the staffs to provide a more reliable and easy to do reports and records, more effective and efficient way of job posting, easier way of screening, giving referrals, communicating with applicants and employers and will eliminate human errors.. Employers-the proposed system will help the employers to provide a more reliable and easy to do reports and records, convenient way of submitting requirements and communicating with PESO staffs. Applicants- the proposed system will help the applicants to register and search for jobs in a more convenient and easier way. It will save them effort, time and money. Proponents. The study allowed the proponents to gain knowledge and experience doing rese arch study and learn how to automate a particular process. The study gives a great aid to the proponents to have a first-hand experience in making a system which can contribute to the suitable solution of the company’s necessity. Future Researchers. The study serves as a guide for future researchers having the same field of topic and subject matter. The study is capable of being an instrument and as future point of reference for the correlated study. The material can be a helpful citation of ideas to the future researchers having the same field of research. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS User Interface- the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine and feedback  from the machine which aids the operator in making operational decisions. Admin- the admin will maintain the system it can review reject and approve the profiles of every applicant or employer and jobs recruitment request of the company. Profiling- the act or process of extrapolating information about a person based on what is already known. Analysis is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts to gain a better understanding of it. The technique has been applied in the study of mathematics and logic since before Aristotle (384–322 B.C.), though analysis as a formal concept is a relatively recent development. Login The process of identifying oneself to a computer, usually by entering ones username and password. Logout Once a us er has logged in, they can then log out or log off when access is no longer needed. To log out is to close off ones access to a computer system after having previously logged in. Referral the process of directing or redirecting to an appropriate agency TECHNICAL DEFINITION OF TERMS Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a style sheet language used for describing the presentation semantics of a document written in a markup language. Its most common application is to style web pages written in HTML and XHTML, but the language can also be applied to any kind of XML document, including plain XML, SVG and XUL. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascading_Style_Sheets: retrieved October 2, 2014) Database is an organized collection of data. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality in a way that supports processes requiring this information. Database management systems (DBMSs) are specially designed applications that interact with the user, other applications, and the database itself to capture and analyze data. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database: retrieved October 2, 2014) Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) is a domain name that specifies its exact location in the tree hierarchy of the Domain Name System (DNS). It specifies all domain levels, including the top-level domain and the root zone. A  fully qualified domain name is distinguished by its lack of ambiguity: it can only be interpreted one way. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fully_qualified_domain_name: retrieved October 2, 2014) Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) -is the main markup language for creating web pages and other information that can be displayed in a web browser. HTML is written in the form of HTML elements consisting of tags enclosed in angle brackets (like ), within the web page content. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyper_text_markup_language: retrieved October 2, 2014) JavaScript (JS) is an interpreted computer programming language. JavaScript is a prototype-based scripting language with dynamic typing and has first-class functions. Its syntax was influenced by C. JavaScript copies many names and naming conventions from Java, but the two languages are otherwise unrelated and have very different semantics. The key design principles within JavaScript are taken from the Self and Scheme programming languages. It is a multi-paradigm language, supporting object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JavaScript: retrieved October 2, 2014) JQuery is a multi-browser JavaScript library designed to simplify the client-side scripting of HTML. JQuery is free, open source software, licensed under the MIT License. J query’s syntax is designed to make it easier to navigate a document, select DOM elements, create animations, handle events, and develop Ajax applications. jQuery also provides capabilities for developers to create plug-ins on top of the JavaScript library. This enables developers to create abstractions for low-level interaction and animation, advanced effects and high-level, theme-able widgets. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/jQuery: retrieved October 2, 2014) Microsoft Excel -is a spread sheet application developed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual  Basic for Applications. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/jQuery: retrieved October 2, 2014) MySQL runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases, though SQLite probably has more total embedded deployments. The MySQL development project has made its source code available under the terms of the GNU General Public License, as well as under a variety of proprietary agreements. MySQL was owned and sponsored by a single for-profit firm, the Swedish company MySQL AB, now owned by Oracle Corporation. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MySQL: retrieved October 2, 2014) Network Is a collection of computers and devices interconnected by communications channels that facilitate communications among users and allows users to share resources. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network: retrieved October 2, 2014) Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format used to represent documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. Each PDF file encapsulates a complete description of a fixed-layout flat document, including the text, fonts, graphics, and other information needed to display it. In 1991, Adobe Systems co-founder John Warnock outlined a system called Camelot that evolved into PDF. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network: retrieved October 2, 2014) PHP is a server-side scripting language designed for web development but also used as a general-purpose programming language. PHP code is interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the resulting web page: PHP commands can be embedded directly into an HTML source document rather than calling an external file to process data. Server A computer, or a software package, that provides a specific kind of service to client software running on other computers. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server: retrieved October 2, 2014) Web browser- displays a web page on a monitor or mobile device. On a network, a web browser can retrieve a web page from a remote web server. On a higher level, the web server may restrict access to only a private network such as a corporate intranet or it provide access to the World Wide Web. On a lower level, the web browser uses the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to make such requests. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_browser: retrieved October 2, 2014) Webpage is a web document that is suitable for the World Wide Web and the web browser. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webpage: retrieved October 2, 2014) Web server can refer to either the hardware (the computer) or the software (the computer application) that helps to deliver web content that can be accessed through the Internet. The most common use of web servers is to host websites, but there are other uses such as gaming, data storage or running enterprise applications. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_server: retrieved October 2, 2014) World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet. With a web browser, one can view web pages that may contain text, images, videos, and other multimedia and navigate between them via hyperlinks. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_wide_web: retrieved October 2, 2014) XAMPP is a free and open source cross-platform web server solution stack package, consisting mainly of the Apache HTTP Server, MySQL database, and interpreters for scripts written in the PHP and Perl programming languages. (L. Grimmer, 2006)

Friday, September 6, 2019

Local Authority Housing in Ireland Essay Example for Free

Local Authority Housing in Ireland Essay Local authority housing plays a vital role in Ireland housing system. Without it many people would find themselves on the streets without a roof over their heads. However it is not a solution to all problems we are experiencing in this country today. In fact while local authority housing solves many problems it can also be the cause of some problems too. In this paper I will look at and evaluate the strengths and the weaknesses of local authority housing in Ireland today. I will also look at prime examples of these strengths and weaknesses, using a number of local authority housing estates throughout the country. Firstly I feel it is imperative to briefly describe the housing system Ireland as a whole, in order to gain a clearer perspective on the status of local authority housing in the country. In Ireland we have a dual housing system. This means we have a mix of both private and social housing and public tenures. State owned and social housing accounts for 19% of the housing market. The government enforced policies to ensure that a percentage of newly constructed houses were to be kept and dedicated to the local authority housing scheme. Local authority housing caters for poor and low income households, who may otherwise not be able to afford housing. It is accessed by means testing and also by special needs qualification. The rent for these houses are determined by the income of the household occupying them. The landlords are generally the local authorities. Some examples of well known local authority housing estates are: Moyross estate in Limerick City, Fatima Mansions in Dublin and Knocknaheeny in Cork. Unfortunately over the years these local authority housing estates have built up a bad reputation, negative images and negative stigmas. A few different factors play a role in this. I will be looking into these factors in more detail, as I speak later, about the weaknesses of local authority housing. An example of this would be the former Ballymun high rise flats which were renowned for appearing on the news linked with stories of crime and violence. In order to combat this problem and create less of a bad image for these problem estates, the government set out a ten year plan to regenerate 7 local authority housing estates throughout Ireland. They aimed to do this by means of policy changes and state funding. These estates are : â€Å"Fatima Mansions and Finglas South in Dublin City, Fettercairn, Tallaght, in South County Dublin; Deanrock estate in Togher, Cork City; Moyross in Limerick City, Muirhevnamor in Dundalk and Cranmore in Sligo town.† (Norris, M and OConnell, C. 201 0) Strengths of local authority housing: Local authority housing provides affordable homes for those who would not otherwise be able to afford housing and this is a much needed and great service provided by our local authorities here in Ireland. Local authority housing has a number of benefits to both its tenants and to the community as a whole. It has many strengths. Good quality houses: As stated above the government as part of the local authority housing scheme set out a number of newly built houses during the construction boom, and dedicated them to the local authority housing scheme. This was a very clever tactic by the government as it meant that these local authority houses were newly built good quality housing, moving away from the previous opinion that local authority houses were often undesirable and of poor quality. The most typical form of these houses were â€Å"cottage type or terrace housing in low density estates† (Fahey 1999. Pg. 236) Cheaper, affordable rent: Because local authority housing is accessed via means testing and rent payment is determined by household income it means that lower income households can afford to live more comfortably and ensures that they have a roof over their heads. Without this scheme homelessness rates would undoubtedly be a lot higher in Ireland. More owner occupation: A lot of people renting local authority housing as a long term arrangement often eventually come to own their houses. This instills a level of independence which they could never have achieved otherwise. Happier tenants: For the most part, people in local authority housing have reported that they are â€Å"happy with their overall housing experience† (Fahey 1999. Pg. 236) Community Development Programmes: Often in areas of local authority housing local authorities dedicate themselves to the provision of facilities and programmes to improve living conditions, social condition, education and employment conditions for those living there. Community employment schemes are just one example of this. This is a great benefit to both the residents and the community as a whole as it leads to a higher standard of living for the individuals and also helps reduce rates of unemployment in the area, which in turn leads to a reduction in other social problems in the area such as crime. (Fahey, T., Norris, M., McCafferty, D. Humphreys, E. 2011 Pg. 24) Preventative Interventions: Local authority housing can also act as a means of protection and prevention for many people. Local services provided within these local authority estates provide â€Å"support for families and individuals who would otherwise have negative outcomes†(Fahey, T., Norris, M., McCafferty, D. Humphreys, E. 2011 Pg. 24) Previously at risk people have more chance of being safe from abuse and crime etc. in these local authority housing estates. An example of the strengths within a local housing estate: Dean Rock estate, situated in Togher in Cork city, is a prime example of the many strengths of local housing estates in Ireland. This estate is in high demand with a very low turnover, long waiting lists to get in and very settled conditions. Dean Rock is now home to a voluntary, community based family support centre and also to social workers too. The estate has flourished over the years and is now a highly popular local authority housing estate with low levels of crime, delinquency, unemployment and enjoys a high status in terms of its visual appearance, absence of litter and graffiti and upholds high levels of planting and public green areas. It has become a very desirable place to live with good quality neighbors, ridding it of any stigmas which had previously applied to local authority housing estates. (Fahey, T. 1999. Pg. 238-239) Weaknesses of local authority housing estates: The fundamental aim of local authority housing that is, to help those who cannot otherwise afford housing, means that local authority housing should be a very positive and problem free area. Unfortunately this is not always the case. Because these estates are linked with poor and low income families it often means there are high levels of unemployment, low levels of education and thus resulting in high levels of delinquency and crime. (Fahey, T. 1999. Pg. 238) These factors all cause great social problems within these estates. Also high levels of diversity within the estates lead to a hierarchy within them. Higher and lower status areas emerge within the estates, causing a lack of social cohesion. â€Å"Appearances of houses, presence/ absence of litter and graffiti, and vandalism†(Fahey, T. 1999. Pg. 239) can often result in conflict between neighbors and thus lead to poor quality neighborhoods. Failure of the government to integrate with local authorities to improve provide vital amenities and service to the local authority housing estates also creates a huge problem in these estates. It creates a great level of social exclusion between those living in these estates and those that dont. (Fahey, T., Norris, M., McCafferty, D. Humphreys, E. 2011 Pg. 31) An example of the weaknesses within a local housing estate: Fatima Mansions is a local authority housing estate in Dublin. Unlike Dean Rock estate in Cork, Fatima Mansions has been described as â€Å"troubled and difficult to let†(Fahey, T. 1999. Pg. 238) Over 15% of the premises are vacant and some are derelict. There is no waiting list to get in to this estate. There is a severe lack of social cohesion and this causes other social problems. Heroin usage is high in the area and this has knock on effects to the levels of crime and violence in the area two. It is in stark contrast to Dean Rock estate and highlights the diversity between local authority estates. Conclusion: While it is evident, from the information in this paper, that local authority housing has huge and undeniable benefits to the lower income population of society I think that many improvements can still be made to these schemes. I feel the government needs to take more responsibility perhaps in funding local authorities and enabling them to better facilities and services available to these estates. This would bring about a major difference in the areas for the better and hopefully result in all the local authority estates being as successful as Dean Rock estate in Cork. Bibliography: Cowan, D. and McDermont, M. (2006) Regulating Social Housing: Governing Decline, Routledge, London. Fahey, T. (1999) (ed.) Social Housing in Ireland: A study of success, failures and lessons learned. Oak Tree Press, Dublin. Fahey, T., Norris, M., McCafferty, D. Humphreys, E. (2011) Combating Social Disadvantage in Social Housing Estates: The policy implications of a ten-year follow-up study. Combat Poverty Agency. National Economic and Social Forum (1999), Local Development Issues, Dublin: National Economic and Social Forum. Norris, M and OConnell, C (2002), ‘Local Authority Housing Management Reform in the Republic of Ireland: progress to date impediments to further progress’, European Journal of Housing Policy. Norris, M and OConnell, C (2010) Social Housing Management, Governance and Delivery in Ireland: Ten Years of Reform on Seven Estates. O’Connell, C and Fahey, T. (1999), ‘Local Authority Housing in Ireland’, Fahey, T. (eds.), Social Housing in Ireland: A study of success, failure and lessons learned, Oak Tree Press, Dublin.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Does Life Have Meaning?

Does Life Have Meaning? Danny Irwin   Since the beginning of time people have been asking the universal question of What is the meaning of life? Answers from people today may vary greatly from that of thousands of years ago. However, two key philosophers, Camus and Nagel, have both contributed greatly to what we believe gives life value. Nagels stance is that no matter what, we can always doubt that the world has any intrinsic value, or that everything we do matters. Camus, however, focuses on the idea of the confrontation between mans demand for meaning/sense/value/rationality and the worlds intrinsic lack of these same values. Personally, I side with Camus and his beliefs due to the fact that each decision we make on a day to day basis is somehow correlated with each demand. One of the key differences between Camus and Nagel is Camus maintains in The Myth of Sisyphus that the absurd arises because the world is unable to meet our demands for meaning. This suggests that the world might satisfy those demands if it were different. This idea depends on not only people but the world, similar to the idea of Sir I Exist. One cannot be without the other. If people did not demand meaning, or if the world wasnt meaningful enough there wouldnt be any absurd. Then if you look at Nagel, his absurd is entirely contained within people, and the fact that people can always doubt that the world is meaningful, so, therefore, the absurd is an essential fact to that of human existence. While each viewpoint is important, I am more interested in the response that each philosopher, especially Nagel, has to the absurd. Camus response to the absurd is naturally, rebellion: the idea of being honest with yourself about the true meaninglessness of the world, but not giving up on your mandate for meaning. This, however, doesnt erase the absurd nothing short of suicide can do that but instead, it allows us to live with honesty, dignity, and integrity. Then there is Nagels response, irony. Which, to me, appears that it is simply an attempt at Camus rebellion, but it falls short and ends up amounting to philosophical suicide. Which can be explained by two opposing tendencies that lie within ones self. Nagel argues that the sense of the absurd result from two opposing tendencies within us: To start, we take our lives, or at least activities and projects within lives, seriously, and we cannot avoid doing so. On the flip side, we are also capable of undermining the reasons for any of our projects. Nothing we do can be justified from a point of view radically outside human interests. Nagel condemns the idea of rebellion for being melodramatic and histrionic. He compares it to shaking ones fist at the world and deems it pointless, nothing more than a ridiculous spectacle.   What does Nagel then recommend? When discussing life through his eyes Nagel ultimately says that, if there is no reason to believe that anything matters, then that doesnt matter either, and we can approach our absurd lives with irony instead of heroism or despair (Nagel, The Absurd) However, that begs the question what is irony? Is it not in and of itself detachment and denial, essentially saying what one doe snt mean? This is what irony looks like, knowing that you may have absolutely no meaning in life, but you continue on your merry way with a grin on your face. Irony is taking life too seriously while also laughing at yourself because you are fully aware of the fact that you are taking it too literally. This is the kind of philosophical suicide that Camus would consider to be a humiliated reason. Irony attempts to weaken, and even, therefore, eliminate the fundamental demand for meaning. Irony reduces the demand for meaning into a simple human desire, which can then be modified or suppressed, at least to some degree. However, meaning is not a desire; but instead is a need. We need meaning almost like we need simple physiological human needs like food and water. We cant simply laugh off meaninglessness and say, I didnt really need objective meaning anyway. That doesnt solve the problem of the absurd as Nagel says it does. That escapes the problem. To be ironic is to not be honest with oneself. While Nagel and Camus each have their own point of view on the world, I believe that Camus perspective is far more logical and is better interpreted for everyday life.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Strengthen the Separation between Church and State Essay -- Argumentat

Strengthen the Separation between Church and State First Amendment issues of the separation of church and state and state establishment of religion have long been litigated in the federal courts. Until recently, the Supreme Court had a consistent track record of preventing the intermingling of religion and government, especially when it came to the nation's public schools. Yet this past year, a newly activist conservative court has set about rewriting some of the Warren Court's judicial legacy. In the 1995 case of Rosenberger v. University of Virginia, the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, declared that the University of Virginia was constitutionally required to subsidize a student religious magazine on the same basis as secular publications and activities. This decision opens the door to greater government financial support for religious organizations. Groups like the Christian Coalition and the American Center for Law and Justice, the legal wing of Pat Robertson's financial empire, saw this narrow decision as a victory for their agen da of weaving together government and religion, thus tearing down the wall of separation between church and state, To justify their pursuits, they site the need for moral leadership in this country, which many view as ethically and morally rudderless. Yet Ralph Reed, Pat Robertson, the Christian Coalition, and other similarly thinking individuals and groups are promoting an agenda more far reaching than their mainstream supporters have in mind. The move to infuse government with a greater religious presence has almost nothing to do with instilling traditional values and morality, and almost everything to do establishing Christianity, specifically evangelical Christianity, as the state religion. ... ... such unions. The United States has the highest level of religious involvement in the western world precisely because we have no state religion, as most nations in Europe do. In that region, state-sponsored churches are moribund, and religious enthusiasm is lackluster. America has a vast diversity of religious viewpoints because the spiritual aspect of people's lives is free from the intrusive tentacles of Uncle Sam. If it were not for our separation of church and state, odds are the evangelical faiths that gave rise to the Christian Coalition never would have existed. Therefore, Ralph Reed and Pat Robertson are destroying the agent of their own creation. They would never want socialized medicine, yet they are trying to implement socialized religion. But if you don't want government meddling with your body, why would you want government interfering with your soul.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Slavery Today and How Can We End It :: essays research papers

-Children Dangerous working conditions and long hours is an everyday reality for 14 percent of children today. Using children for cheap labor is common in many countries. Some of these children have never attended school or dropped out after a few years. Believing that every child has the right to education and playtime, thousands of people from every corner of the world marched together to say no to child labor in 1998 under the banner of ?Global March Against Child Labor?. The international community responded by drafting the International Labor Organization Convection against the worst forms of child labor. From these efforts, the network of organizations under the umbrella of Global March Against Child Labor was born. Global March works worldwide to promote every child?s right to meaningful education and freedom from exploitation and dangerous labor. In my opinion I still think that if kids want a job and want an education then they should have a choice. Global March is now asking people to sign to the "Keep Your Promises" petition. This campaign reminds governments of their commitments to keep children out of dangerous labor environments, provide universal education. I believe children should make the most of their childhood and have fun with it! Children shouldn?t be trapped into slavery, the children shouldn?t be put to wars, children shouldn?t be the victims of the adult created sins and problems, children have to enjoy their childhood and that is the most important thing to me. -Women There are many similarities the way women today are treated and the slave institution which was the most devastating system in this country's history. First of all, slavery was a system of degradation that destroyed the self-esteem, self-worth, and the self-importance of the people considered slaves. This system enabled the white upper class to create a level of servitude and a mentality that still exists. The slaves were thought of as "free labor" that was placed on earth to serve the Europeans, particularly men. Well, women today are considered by society to be second-class citizens that are expected to serve men. So the servitude issue didn?t die. The slaves were considered to be property and were given the last name of their owners, so that people would know whom they belonged to when they encountered them. This was a way of claiming them as property. The same thing exists today. When women get married today, they take the last name of their husband.

Monday, September 2, 2019

Television Violence :: essays research papers

Violence and Television In today’s society, television violence is shaping the way our children behave, making them prone to violence and abuse as they get older. Living in a world where the majority of our entertainment is television, it is very likely that we would become more immune to the physical and damaging acts of damaging force committed. Violence is all over our media but mostly on the TV. Parents should monitor what their children are watching closely, so that their behavior does not become more destructive at; even at the age of 5. History shows that some of the first violent acts were noticed in the 1950’s. They say that even back then a lot of television was filled with destructive acts. From talking to my grandparents television was not as much of a necessity as we believe it to be today. Being the society that has to be entertained around the clock, we just do not think about what is going into our children’s heads. It seems to affect children more, because their behavior patterns are still developing, and are very vulnerable, and we don’t want them to develop into what they see on TV. Children who watch television a lot of the time become less aware to the pain and suffering of other people around them. If they are always in front of the tube, and just sit there, and soak in all of that bad stuff they are seeing, they become not as aware as they should be. When terrible acts of violence happen in the children’s life that do watch a lot of TV, they are not as aroused by the acts going on in front of them. It is not as disturbing as it would be for a child who does not watch a lot of violent television. A study was shown that a child who had watched a violent television show such as The Power Rangers, rather than a nonviolent show like My Little Pony, were slower getting involved when they saw a younger child getting beat up or playing destructively. Instead of children taking action, or getting involved if they are old enough, they are more fearful of the things going on around them. If a child watches a lot of violence, when a violent or destructive situation came up they might be afraid to take action. They could be fearful that they would get hurt. Television Violence :: essays research papers Violence and Television In today’s society, television violence is shaping the way our children behave, making them prone to violence and abuse as they get older. Living in a world where the majority of our entertainment is television, it is very likely that we would become more immune to the physical and damaging acts of damaging force committed. Violence is all over our media but mostly on the TV. Parents should monitor what their children are watching closely, so that their behavior does not become more destructive at; even at the age of 5. History shows that some of the first violent acts were noticed in the 1950’s. They say that even back then a lot of television was filled with destructive acts. From talking to my grandparents television was not as much of a necessity as we believe it to be today. Being the society that has to be entertained around the clock, we just do not think about what is going into our children’s heads. It seems to affect children more, because their behavior patterns are still developing, and are very vulnerable, and we don’t want them to develop into what they see on TV. Children who watch television a lot of the time become less aware to the pain and suffering of other people around them. If they are always in front of the tube, and just sit there, and soak in all of that bad stuff they are seeing, they become not as aware as they should be. When terrible acts of violence happen in the children’s life that do watch a lot of TV, they are not as aroused by the acts going on in front of them. It is not as disturbing as it would be for a child who does not watch a lot of violent television. A study was shown that a child who had watched a violent television show such as The Power Rangers, rather than a nonviolent show like My Little Pony, were slower getting involved when they saw a younger child getting beat up or playing destructively. Instead of children taking action, or getting involved if they are old enough, they are more fearful of the things going on around them. If a child watches a lot of violence, when a violent or destructive situation came up they might be afraid to take action. They could be fearful that they would get hurt.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Should the Coast be Managed?

Every year land is both lost and gained in coastal areas due to physical processes, including the action of the sea. Much time and money is spent in an attempt to limit the change, seen as â€Å"damage†, that occurs. More advanced methods of coastal defence are tested and put into place and research is carried out. Yet coastal management remains as a piece-meal approach, with different areas of coast dealt with using widely varying methods, some of which are the cause of this â€Å"damage† further along the coast. â€Å"Coastal defences, by their very nature, disrupt the natural processes operating on the coastline† (www. orth-norfolk. gov. uk) and it is this fundamental fact that should be considered by all those responsible for coastal management. Although this disruption is sometimes intentional, often it is not and thus more coastal defences must be put in place in order to correct the harm done by the original scheme. Conversely, there exists much land that is considered to be valuable in terms of its economic, social and environmental significance. It may seem a waste to simply watch this land being taken by the sea when there are preventative measures that can be employed. This essay will look at why the coast is protected, from what, and will give some examples of how as well as the advantages and disadvantages of coastal management strategies including taking no action against the work of the sea. The uses of the coastal area are numerous and diverse, making it difficult to prioritise on what should and should not warrant protection. Land that is situated close to the sea is often the location of homes with a high economic value in addition to the obvious emotional attachment of the owners. Historically valuable features such as buildings or monuments are important in terms of heritage and in turn tourism. Land that provides an income, i. e. farmland and camping ground is often situated along the coast and due to the natural beauty of coastal areas, attracts tourists as well as being aesthetically appealing for those that live close to it. Another natural feature is, of course, the precious habitats that are contained by the cliffs, and the scientific interest in those habitats. Settlements were originally located close to the sea for the purpose of transport and for many coastal locations, the import and export of both people and goods remains their principal function. Indeed, it is estimated that around 60 percent of the global population live within 50 km of the sea (Briggs, Smithson, Addison and Atkinson 1997). Consequently all of these activities and uses have strong arguments as to why they justify the time, expense and risk of affecting other locations in a detrimental way, that coastal defence schemes entail. The purpose of this essay is not to evaluate which of these is the most deserving but simply to acknowledge that all of these valuable features can be found in coastal locations and are therefore at risk from erosion by the sea. The processes that affect the coastline involve the action of the sea against the vulnerable beach and cliffs. Waves attack the coast in two fundamental ways. Firstly waves are formed and their energy increased by a combination of wind, tide and current. The force of this wave action is often enough to cause fractures in the rock and sometimes failures and de-stabilization through the trapping of air. The structure and geology are obviously major contributing factors when the severity of â€Å"damage† is considered. The second way in which the waves attack the coastline is really a strengthening of the first method and this is by the transport of sediments in the water. A wave that is carrying material that it has eroded or that is originally from the seabed has more power to potentially erode. This shoreline abrasion relies on both wave energy as well as a supply of material with which to attack (Summerfield 1991). Another coastal process is weathering which also occurs inland but is exacerbated at the coast due to the very nature of the area. This includes the wetting and drying cycles and also the existence of salt. Salt weathering has a greater effect on rock that can absorb seawater as this allows the salt to penetrate the rock and so work on its structure as opposed to only the external surfaces. Coastal defences obviously do not directly combat weathering as even if the land behind is protected from the sea, salt is ubiquitous and so will still reach it. So it is this persistent force from which the shoreline is, in some locations, protected. The methods used in this protection vary in construction and purpose but also in their efficiency, with each method exhibiting both positive and negative aspects. The best defence against erosion†¦ by the sea is a natural wide beach topped off at the inshore end with either high deep sand dunes or a shingle bank† (www. north-norfolk. gov. uk). Unfortunately not every coastal location has this advantage either for natural reasons or where the beach material has been removed for human use, for example building. In the case where there is erosion occurring and shoreline assets are threatened, artificial defences are put into place. One example of a coastal engineering method is the sea wall. These were widely used in the early stages of coastline management and some modern designs have since emerged which now play a major role in defence from the sea. The sea wall is intended to reflect the wave away from the land behind as opposed to a natural beach which absorbs and dissipates the wave energy. Another form that is frequently seen is the utilization of groynes. Groynes prevent the loss of beach material by creating an obstacle. They also encourage the build-up of sediment by interrupting and thus slowing the inshore tidal current. Combined, this means that there is a â€Å"natural† defence in the form of a more substantial beach in order to dissipate wave energy, consequently less erosion occurs at that particular site (see figure 1). Revetments are another commonly employed type of defence, constructed mainly from wood or concrete. The idea is that a surface sloping towards the beach dissipates wave energy meaning that less energy is available for erosion and also that sediment builds up in front of the revetment (www. north-norfolk. gov. uk). Type of defence Cost per metre (i) Revetment 500 Seawall 5000 Groyne 1000 There are, of course, many more coastal engineering methods but for the purpose of this essay, only three have been outlined. All methods, however, have their advantages and disadvantages. Management of the coastline in the UK, in terms of erosion, is generally taken as a piece-meal approach. That is to say each area is dealt with almost in isolation, and only relatively recently have the r elevant authorities become aware that the interference in one place is likely to have a considerable effect on another, further along the coast. An example of this is the implementation of groynes. The prevention of material loss and the subsequent build-up of sediment through interruption of the inshore tidal current can, in some cases, starve beaches further along, of the material that is required to maintain size and stability. So although one area is benefiting and a â€Å"problem† being solved, other areas can lose out and thus another problem is created. Conversely if groynes are correctly designed, they can work very well and they essentially do exactly what they are designed to. As many were constructed before it was realised that harm could be caused as well as good, the knock-on effects were not taken into account. Modern groynes are designed to be permeable in order that some sediment may pass through them and reach beaches further along. These have been used successfully on the north Norfolk coast where erosion and its prevention is of great significance. Sea walls work best on large beaches, where the sea only reaches the highest point of the beach during a storm (www. orth-norfolk. gov. uk). Then, should it happen that high tide and a storm coincide, the land behind the sea wall is protected from flooding and erosion. Sea walls require regular maintenance such as in the case of Ostend in north Norfolk, where annual maintenance is required (see figure 2 for approximate cost of initial building of sea defences). In addition to the costliness, there exists the situation of beach scouring caused by the waves reflected from the sea wall. This can, over time, lead to the collapse of the wall but also means that valuable sediment is being taken away from the beach – so reducing what little natural defence there was. A controversial approach to coastal management is that of leaving it to nature. This â€Å"do nothing† strategy has been adopted in numerous locations on the north Norfolk coast, including the area between Cromer and Overstrand where the present groynes are not being maintained and will eventually fail and be removed (see figure 3). A variation of this â€Å"do nothing† policy is the so-called managed retreat. This is where, again, the existing defences are no longer maintained or their maintenance is limited but in some locations a method of soft engineering is employed for example beach replenishment. The issues surrounding these types of â€Å"management† are not as simple as may be first thought. For example the financial benefit arising from either no defence being put in place or no longer maintaining the existing defence seems rather insignificant when the loss of valuable assets is taken into consideration. It is, however, almost completely natural, with material that is eroded form one location being accreted at another. The natural processes are, in this way, allowed to continue and the lack of interference would eventually ensure that there are no negative consequences at other locations as a result of coastal defence action. Despite this, it must be considered that once action is taken to defend the coast from the erosive power of the sea, it creates an issue as to at what point the management should cease and where. To suddenly no longer protect an area of coast may generate new problems and perhaps more expense. So the proposal of an integrated shoreline management strategy seems appealing. This is looked at in much depth by Karen Nichols in her paper â€Å"Coming to terms with Integrated Coastal Management†. Fundamentally, it would involve the linkage of all areas of the coastline in terms of action taken upon them. One possible solution could consist of a review followed by the implementation of a fully integrated coastal defence scheme combined with managed retreat. If this was undertaken on a national scale, with the co-ordination of all resources and authorities, perhaps loss of important assets and further damage in the course of protecting those assets would gradually be reduced to a minimum. It seems to be that the protection of our coastal locations will remain a much-debated issue, with the needs and wants of people contrasting greatly with the power of the sea's natural activities. It is interesting that the focus of coastal management is to reduce coastal erosion yet it is the erosion of coastal land that supplies the beach with much of its material. As discussed earlier, a natural beach is the best form of shoreline defence†¦.. In conclusion it can be said that coastal protection is essential in certain localities but that it is an integrated management plan that will be most likely to succeed.