Mobile Internet Protocol Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mobile Internet Protocol - Essay Example However, the higher-level protocols require IP address of a host to be fixed for identifying connections'. IP protocol is therefore a necessary element of the network activities. In this context, many companies that activate in the area of IT technology and especially those which provide network - related services offer to their customers the chance to use Internet even when they are far from their home or office, i.e. when there is a physical distance from the area where the Internet connected device is placed and operate. The particular technology that offers such an advantage is called Mobile IP and it is available by several IT companies including CISCO, IBM, NOKIA and so on, which have included the above technology in their products offering at the same time to the interest customers all the necessary support. According to a general definition of Mobile IP used by CISCO (2006) 'Mobile IP provides users the freedom to roam beyond their home subnet while consistently maintaining their home IP address; This enables transparent routing of IP data grams to mobile users during their movement, so that data sessions can be initiated to them while they roam; it also enables sessions to be maintained in spite of physical movement between points of attachment to the Internet or other networks'. In the same context, it has been stated that Mobile IP is 'a standard that allows users with mobile devices whose IP addresses are associated with one network to stay connected when moving to a network with a different IP address; When a user leaves the network with which his device is associated (home network) and enters the domain of a foreign network, the foreign network uses the Mobile IP protocol to inform the home network of a care-of address to which all packets for the user's device should be sent. Image 1 - Description of a Mobile IP system (Ghosh, 2006) In a similar definition presented by Chen (2006) 'Mobile IP is an internet protocol designed to support host mobility; Its goal is to provide the ability of a host to stay connected to the internet regardless of their location; Mobile IP is able to track a mobile host without needing to change the mobile host's long-term IP address'. It should be noticed that in accordance with Ollikainen (1999) 'when IP routing was originally defined, mobility of hosts was not considered to be an issue because routing methods were built for static networks, where the hosts were unlikely to move from one subnet to another. Thus, the IP address encodes the computer's physical location, and - by default - the location is fixed'. The main element of Mobile IP is therefore the IP protocol which enables the users to access the Internet even when they are far from the device which is connected with the Internet - the use of a mobile node towards the achievement of such an effort is crucial. It should also be noticed that Mobile IP tends to present a different level of performance in accordance with the system in which it is implemented (i.e. capabilities of the specific system) as well as with the type of protocol using for its formulation and configuration. More

Teacher Evaluation Essay Example for Free

Teacher Evaluation Essay Teacher evaluation is a complex process. It is a series of activities and actions that are interconnected and ultimately related to a specific purpose. Day to day, teachers deal with complex problems and from this, they should be evaluated as professionals which means that their standards should be developed by their peers and their evaluation in turn focus on the degree in which they solve professional problems. While not always true, the emphasis of these evaluations should be on their ability to teach and not them as sole individuals, while taking into consideration the involvement of the overall educational process. The general rule of thumb is that the evaluation process typically involves preparation, observation, data collecting, reporting and most importantly, follow-up. Though each of these serves a specific purpose throughout the overall evaluation process, when missing just one, an ineffective evaluation systems being to resonate. Over time, ineffective teacher evaluation systems have become more costly than effective overall strategies. In most cases, teacher evaluation programs contain inferior material because they neither improve a teacher’s instructional skill, nor do they permit the dismissal of incompetent teachers. These points bring into clear perspective the need for effective teacher evaluation policies, and the need for boards and administrators to examine these practices with a view to improve learning opportunities across different situations. Back in 2001, Patricia Hopkins became superintendent of the Five Town CSD and Maine School Administrative District #28 in Camden Rockport with one of her first tasks being to review summative evaluations of all the teachers in the two districts. What she discovered troubled her, but yet this did not surprise her at the same time. As she read through the evaluations, she found that many were full of valentines her word for vague, meaningless praise and largely deprived of constructive criticism or concrete feedback. Hopkins believed that teacher evaluation held great potential to improve instruction, so she set out to eliminate the valentines by strengthening the culture and structures supporting teacher evaluation in district schools (Kane, Taylor, Tyler, Wooten, 2010). In recent years, the spotlight on teacher evaluation has intensified. For myself, this was something of a topic that I initially gave little to no accountability towards until viewing â€Å"Waiting For Superman† this semester. With this inside look into an exhaustive review of public education with it’s methodically dissecting the system and its seemingly intractable problems, now more than ever is the overall review of teacher’s performance a must in our academic communities. With dissecting that the teacher’s effect on student learning and achievement, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers are beginning to call for boosting the judgment and quality of a teacher’s evaluation. From this, we are starting to see the track record for evaluation and how the increasing consensus that teacher evaluation could play an important part in improving teaching and learning. During the last wave of efforts to strengthen teacher evaluation back in the 1980s, most initiatives died on the spot. This time around, however, there may be cause for more optimism. Key changes in the education world may make it easier for broad-scale improvement efforts to take hold. Moreover, some schools and districts, like those Hopkins leads, have already taken steps to more tightly link teacher evaluation with instructional improvement and increased student learning, along with implementing real consequences for those who perform superbly and for other teachers who perform poorly. Time and again, analyses of summative evaluation ratings of teacher’s show that the vast majority of teachers in any school, district, or state are rated above sometimes well above average (Donaldson, 2009). Although it is possible that all teachers are above average in some schools, there is generally more variation in teacher effectiveness within schools than between them. Thus, any school low performing or high performing, wealthy suburban or under resourced urban is likely to employ more underperforming teachers than its evaluation ratings suggest (Hanushek, Kain, OBrien, Rivkin, 2005). In fact, both principals and teachers believe that teachers are less effective than ratings indicate which ultimately leads to inflated ratings of teachers and this reflects the following problems that seriously limit the extent to which evaluation could improve instruction and achievement. Poor Evaluation Instruments: Systems have tend to emphasize what can be measured, not necessarily what matters. In turn, evaluation instruments have traditionally required evaluators to look for things that they can easily be checked off (such as the neatness of bulletin boards), but that may not indicate high-quality instruction. Limited District Guidance: Districts typically give little direction regarding what evaluators should look for. Instead of providing guidelines or rubrics that detail the substance of evaluations, districts are more likely to set out time lines and explain processes (Koppich Showalter, 2008). Lack of Evaluator Time: Evaluators, usually school administrators, report having insufficient time to conduct thorough and accurate evaluations. As the reporting requirements for schools have increased, evaluator’s time has become even scarcer. Lack of Evaluator Skill: Evaluators often lack specific knowledge about the content areas in which they evaluate teachers, especially at the secondary level. Moreover, professional development for evaluators is not frequent or comprehensive. Lack of Evaluator Moral Fiber: Principals are not always held accountable for conducting rigorous evaluations. A culture of nice pervades schools, suppressing critical feedback and encouraging principals to rate all teachers above average. Absence of High-Quality Feedback for Teachers: Even though teachers express a strong desire for more concrete, detailed feedback, evaluators generally do not provide it after their observations (New Teacher Project, 2009). Few Consequences Attached to Evaluation: Because there is little variation in the teachers summative evaluation ratings, teachers who teach exceptionally well cannot be identified or rewarded. At the same time its difficult to identify, if needed, those who struggle (New Teacher Project, 2009). Despite the deep, longstanding roots of these problems, the challenges might be easier to overcome than they appear. Currently, we know more about the links between teaching and learning than at any time in the past (Donovan Pellegrino, 2003). We know, for example, that explicit instruction in the alphabetic principle is a key component of effective reading instruction (National Reading Panel, 2000; Snow, Burns, Griffin, 1998). This knowledge enables evaluators to determine whether such instruction is occurring. In addition, the teacher workforce is undergoing a massive transition as baby boomers retire and individuals in their 20’s 30’s enter teaching. There is some indication that new teachers today differ from the retiring generation (Johnson Project on the Next Generation of Teachers, 2004). Surveys suggest that they are more open to differential recognition and rewards than are their retiring counterparts. Finally, teachers unions, long perceived as a major bar rier to the improvement of teacher evaluation, have shown an increasing openness to collaborating with districts to improve the appraisal of teachers (Johnson, Donaldson, Munger, Papay, Qazilbash, 2009; Weingarten, 2010). Another sign of hope is in the districts that are already making strides and progressing towards tightening the link between teacher evaluation and improved instruction and – potentially achievement. While dissecting the above situation, along with two other districts, I was able to obtain different a better understanding on different steps taken toward mitigating some of the current problems in teacher evaluation. These approaches represent a new direction in evaluation that, if it spreads, can transform teaching and learning. In Ohio, Cincinnatis Teacher Evaluation System exerts an influence on instruction and potential stronghold on student achievement (Kane, Taylor, Tyler, Wooten, 2010). This evaluation system grew out of a 1997 collective bargaining agreement between the Cincinnati Board of Education and the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers. Through careful study and advice from experts in research and practice, they were able to develop a program for its 58 schools and approximately 2,200 teachers that provides a clear evaluation system and structure that mitigates some of the common problems with teacher evaluation. Using Charlotte Danielsons (2007) framework as a guide, Cincinnati has built its evaluation criteria on 16 standards that are prominent within four specific domains: (1) Planning and Preparing for Student Learning, (2) Creating an Environment for Student Learning, (3) Teaching for Student Learning, and (4) Professionalism. Overall, this system devotes considerable time and resources to providing professional development on these standards. From this, teachers in the district can apply for a three-year term as an evaluator or a consulting teacher. Through this process, teacher evaluators are obligated to conduct three observations, while administrators conduct one of the tenured teachers four formal observations during the comprehensive evaluation cycle, which tenured teachers undergo every five years. Two of the observations are announced, and at least two are followed by post-observation conferences with evaluators. New teachers and struggling veterans are evaluated under a different, but related system. The districts Peer Assistance and Evaluation Program assigns consulting teachers to these teachers; these consulting teachers usually also serve as evaluators for other teachers, but they evaluate new or struggling teachers more frequently. This system reduces the time problem many evaluators face by dividing evaluation responsibilities between teachers and administrators. Each full-time evaluator typically has a caseload of 18–25 teachers. With them focused on evaluating and assisting their peers, these individuals have the time to conduct high-quality evaluations and provide useful feedback to teachers. New consulting teachers and teacher evaluators receive 10–11 days of training before starting their work, where as continuing evaluators receive five days of training each summer. Before their first term, all evaluators and consulting teachers must pass an evaluator certification test that requires them to assess instruction using the systems rubrics and demonstrate their reliability as raters. Over the course of the school year, consulting teachers and evaluators receive two hours of training every other week to review evaluation standards and calibrate scoring. After three years in their role, consultin g teachers and teacher evaluators return to full-time teaching positions, which keep their knowledge of teaching and learning current. Looking at a different approach, some charter schools have also attempted to make teacher evaluation a more powerful tool for instructional improvement. One charter management organization in the northern United States, a successful network of 15 urban schools serving high percentages of low-income and minority children, has done so by deemphasizing formal summative evaluations and focusing instead on ongoing informal evaluation and feedback (Donaldson Peske, 2010). In this organization, teachers receive one-on-one and small-group coaching from administrators on a weekly or biweekly basis, as well as a midyear summative evaluation. The coaching is differentiated according to the teachers needs and aimed at developing teacher’s skills over time. For the summative appraisal, evaluators and teachers complete a same six-page appraisal form that focuses on the organizations â€Å"Aspects of Instruction†, which covers such approaches as differentiation and checking for under standing. Comments on the appraisal do not simply reflect a short period of formal observation, as those of some evaluation systems do. Instead, the document prompts both the teacher and evaluator to reflect on all the work the teacher has done so far for that academic year. Thus, evaluators may draw on all their observations of the teacher—inside or outside the classroom, brief or sustained. This includes not only classroom instruction but also non-instructional contributions to teams and committees they hold responsibility towards, along with the school as a whole. With all of this taken into accountability, teachers reported spending three to five hours preparing these documents and another 90–180 minutes debriefing with their evaluator (Donaldson Peske, 2010). With having generally more flexibility than traditional public school, the charter organization enables administrators to spend considerable time observing, evaluating, and coaching teachers by keeping the teacher to evaluator ratio quite low approximately six teachers to one administrator. The organization has also strategically aligned personnel to handle certain administrative tasks so that principals can focus on instruction. Furthermore, an operations team handles facilities management, budgeting, certification, and ordering. In turn, a dean of students manages student behavior challenges, an intervention coordinator organizes school wide data and testing, and in some cases, an executive assistant coordinates activities with teachers and students and fills in where extra help is needed. The organization lives by the principle that, as one teacher noted, Feedback is a gift. A key part of professional development focuses on training teachers and leaders to have difficult conversations, which sometimes occurs during the evaluation of debriefs. One principal explained that her school has adopted specific norms such as staying on your side of the net and not stepping over and making claims on the other person that helps to depersonalize potential disagreements. Another principal said that in the process of hiring teachers, he deliberately gives them critical feedback on their demonstration lesson to see how they handle constructive criticism (Donaldson Peske, 2010). Evaluators receive training in how to deliver feedback in such a way that their suggestions will be implemented. They learn to give concrete and specific feedback that teachers can immediately respond to. Evaluation and coaching sessions deliberately focus on one or two major issues a teacher needs to work o n and are anchored in student data, often the organizations benchmark assessments. This ultimately narrows the focus on changes that teachers need to make to be effective. Finally, the Five Town CSD and Maine School Administrative District #28, under Patricia Hopkinss guidance, have also strengthened their evaluation systems (Kane, Taylor, Tyler, Wooten, 2010). Hopkins notes, I have seen a shift. People arent just saying you’re doing great. Theyre posing questions and making recommendations to help inform teacher’s efforts to improve instruction. This shift has come about in large part as a result of the districts efforts to solve one typical problem of evaluation systems lack of evaluator will. Early on, Hopkins decided to increase evaluator’s accountability for completing high-quality assessments. First, she posted a calendar in her office showing the names and due dates of all teacher evaluations throughout the district. This calendar enabled her to keep track of and follow up with evaluators during the school year. Administrators must conduct at least two observations each year for first and second-year teachers and one every third year for teachers on a continuing contract. The evaluations themselves are based on both these observations and such factors as promptness and accuracy of reports and evidence of professional growth. With this in place, administrators in turn meet with teachers before and after the observations and evaluations to help clarify the outcomes. Second, Hopkins and the assistant superintenden t began to informally observe all first and second-year teachers in the district. This practice of providing another set of eyes helps school-based administrators to be more critical. In some cases, Hopkins said, the informal observation led to additional observations of teachers and more in-depth conversations with administrators. Lastly, Hopkins has required principals to share their draft evaluation reports with assistant principals and vice versa before the post observation conference with the teacher. This sharing has enabled administrators to clarify their expectations, maintain consistency with one another, and ensure that their commendations and recommendations for improvement are appropriate.

Alice Walkers In Search of Our Mothers Gardens and Virginia Woolfs A

Alice Walker's In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens and Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own It is interesting to contrast the points of view of Alice Walker and Virgina Woolf on the same subject.  These writers display how versatile the English language can be. Alice Walker was born in 1944 as a farm girl in Georgia. Virginia Woolf was born in London in1882. They have both come to be highly recognized writers of their time, and they both have rather large portfolios of work. The scenes they might have grown up seeing and living through may have greatly influenced their views of subjects which they both seem to write about. In her essay "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens," Alice Walker speaks first about the untouchable faith of the black women of the post-Reconstruction South. She speaks highly of the faith and undying hope of these women and their families. She even comes to recognize them as saints as she describes their faith as "so intense, deep, unconscious, the they themselves were unaware of the richness they held" (Walker 694). In a passage in which she speaks about the treatment and social status of the women of the sixteenth century, Woolf explains that a woman who might have had a truly great gift in this time "would have surely gone crazy, shot herself, or ended up in some lonely cottage on the outside of town, half witch, half wizard, feared and mocked" (Woolf 749). Her use of some of these powerful nominative shows that she feels strongly about what she is writing. Also for her, life growing up and stories she may have heard may have influenced this passage greatly. In her passage she imagines what it may have been like had William Shakespeare had a sister. She notices how difficult it would be even given... ...the first person and imagine the South very easily because of how descriptive she is in her narration. The reader of Woolf's essay clearly can understand and come to realize the unfairness and downright cruelty of the pure neglect of hidden talent among many women throughout time. She does this through simply telling a good story. This perhaps shows that Virginia Woolf may have been fond of Walker's work. Woolf chooses to clearly state and agree with the same points Walker makes and shows the ideas in a different light because indeed she is a different person with different attributes. This shows up dominantly in her rewriting of Walker's "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens." Works Cited: Walker, Alice. In Search of Our Mother's Gardens. New York: Harcourt Brace Javanovich, 1983. Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. San Diego, Calif. : Harvest-HBJ, 1989.

Free College Admissions Essays: The FIRST Engineering Competition :: College Admissions Essays

The FIRST Engineering Competition    It was just the second week of school, and I had mustered up all my courage to venture to the nether regions of our school known as the basement to attend the first meeting of the newly forming FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics team. When I walked into room one, the newly proclaimed FIRST headquarters, I looked around with apprehension, and I noticed that I did not recognize a single face in the room. Nervously, I took a seat, and Mr. Mothersele, the advisor for the program began describing the program. FIRST is a national engineering competition in which partnerships are formed between local businesses and high schools to design and build a robot-like machine from identical kits of parts supplied by FIRST. The team has about six weeks to build the machine which must be able to compete in a timed sporting event. As soon as I saw the video of the students working and competing with the robots, I was hooked. The program seemed tailored to my int erest in math in science and to my competitive spirit. I couldn't resist the opportunity.    As a shy and relatively inexperienced freshman, I signed up for the program as the only underclassmen on the team of ten students. I bumbled along, learning about design and how to use the machines. I made my full share of mistakes and then some, but by the end of the program, I was gaining some real experience. Although our robot did not fare very well in the competition our first year, my learning process was underway, and I knew that I had found my place.    The second year of the competition, I was only one of two returning students. I took an active role in recruiting new students, and our membership doubled. It was a complete role reversal for me because all of a sudden I was the experienced team member. We finished fifth out of forty teams at the regional competition, and at the national tournament, we placed in the top third.    This past year, was the golden year of my FIRST career. In September, I was voted team captain. It was my job to ensure that our team was well organized and that we stayed on task. Our team advanced to the semifinals, where we lost to the eventual National Champion.

Deception Point Page 10

The President dropped a sugar cube into his mug. â€Å"As surprising as this may sound, the NASA discovery I'm referring to was made by EOS.† Now Rachel felt lost. If EOS had enjoyed a recent success, NASA certainly would have announced it, wouldn't they? Her father had been crucifying EOS in the media, and the space agency could use any good news they could find. â€Å"I've heard nothing,† Rachel said, â€Å"about any EOS discovery.† â€Å"I know. NASA prefers to keep the good news to themselves for a while.† Rachel doubted it. â€Å"In my experience, sir, when it comes to NASA, no news is generally bad news.† Restraint was not a forte of the NASA public relations department. The standing joke at the NRO was that NASA held a press conference every time one of their scientists so much as farted. The President frowned. â€Å"Ah, yes. I forget I'm talking to one of Pickering's NRO security disciples. Is he still moaning and groaning about NASA's loose lips?† â€Å"Security is his business, sir. He takes it very seriously.† â€Å"He damn well better. I just find it hard to believe that two agencies with so much in common constantly find something to fight about.† Rachel had learned early in her tenure under William Pickering that although both NASA and the NRO were space-related agencies, they had philosophies that were polar opposites. The NRO was a defense agency and kept all of its space activities classified, while NASA was academic and excitedly publicized all of its breakthroughs around the globe – often, William Pickering argued, at the risk of national security. Some of NASA's finest technologies-high-resolution lenses for satellite telescopes, long-range communications systems, and radio imaging devices – had a nasty habit of appearing in the intelligence arsenal of hostile countries and being used to spy against us. Bill Pickering often grumbled that NASA scientists had big brains†¦ and even bigger mouths. A more pointed issue between the agencies, however, was the fact that because NASA handled the NRO's satellite launches, many of NASA's recent failures directly affected the NRO. No failure had been more dramatic than that of August 12, 1998, when a NASA/Air Force Titan 4 rocket blew up forty seconds into launch and obliterated its payload – a $1.2 billion NRO satellite code-named Vortex 2. Pickering seemed particularly unwilling to forget that one. â€Å"So why hasn't NASA gone public about this recent success?† Rachel challenged. â€Å"They certainly could use some good news right now.† â€Å"NASA is being silent,† the President declared, â€Å"because I ordered them to be.† Rachel wondered if she had heard him correctly. If so, the President was committing some kind of political hara-kiri that she did not understand. â€Å"This discovery,† the President said, â€Å"is†¦ shall we say†¦ nothing short of astounding in its ramifications.† Rachel felt an uneasy chill. In the world of intelligence, â€Å"astounding ramifications† seldom meant good news. She now wondered if all the EOS secrecy was on account of the satellite system having spotted some impending environmental disaster. â€Å"Is there a problem?† â€Å"No problem at all. What EOS discovered is quite wonderful.† Rachel fell silent. â€Å"Suppose, Rachel, that I told you NASA has just made a discovery of such scientific importance†¦ such earth-shattering significance†¦ that it validated every dollar Americans have ever spent in space?† Rachel could not imagine. The President stood up. â€Å"Let's take a walk, shall we?† 11 Rachel followed President Herney out onto the glistening gangway of Air Force One. As they descended the stairs, Rachel felt the bleak March air clearing her mind. Unfortunately, clarity only made the President's claims seem more outlandish than before. NASA made a discovery of such scientific importance that it validates every dollar Americans have ever spent in space? Rachel could only imagine that a discovery of that magnitude would only center on one thing – the holy grail of NASA – contact with extraterrestrial life. Unfortunately, Rachel knew enough about that particular holy grail to know it was utterly implausible. As an intelligence analyst, Rachel constantly fielded questions from friends who wanted to know about the alleged government cover-ups of alien contact. She was consistently appalled by the theories her â€Å"educated† friends bought into – crashed alien saucers hidden in secret government bunkers, extraterrestrial corpses kept on ice, even unsuspecting civilians being abducted and surgically probed. It was all absurd, of course. There were no aliens. No cover-ups. Everyone in the intelligence community understood that the vast majority of sightings and alien abductions were simply the product of active imaginations or moneymaking hoaxes. When authentic photographic UFO evidence did exist, it had a strange habit of occurring near U.S. military airbases that were testing advanced classified aircraft. When Lockheed began air-testing aradical new jet called the Stealth Bomber, UFO sightings around Edwards Air Force Base increased fifteen-fold. â€Å"You have a skeptical look on your face,† the President said, eyeing her askance. The sound of his voice startled Rachel. She glanced over, unsure how to respond. â€Å"Well†¦ † She hesitated. â€Å"May I assume, sir, that we are not talking about alien spacecrafts or little green men?† The President looked quietly amused. â€Å"Rachel, I think you'll find this discovery far more intriguing than science fiction.† Rachel was relieved to hear NASA had not been so desperate as to try selling the President on an alien story. Nonetheless, his comment served only to deepen the mystery. â€Å"Well,† she said, â€Å"whatever NASA found, I must say the timing is exceptionally convenient.† Herney paused on the gangway. â€Å"Convenient? How so?† How so? Rachel stopped and stared. â€Å"Mr. President, NASA is currently in a life or death battle to justify its very existence, and you are under attack for continuing to fund it. A major NASA breakthrough right now would be a panacea for both NASA and your campaign. Your critics will obviously find the timing highly suspect.† â€Å"So†¦ are you calling me a liar or a fool?† Rachel felt a knot rise in her throat. â€Å"I meant no disrespect, sir. I simply-â€Å" â€Å"Relax.† A faint grin grew on Herney's lips, and he started to descend again. â€Å"When the NASA administrator first told me about this discovery, I flat out rejected it as absurd. I accused him of masterminding the most transparent political sham in history.† Rachel felt the knot in her throat dissolve somewhat. At the bottom of the ramp, Herney stopped and looked at her. â€Å"One reason I've asked NASA to keep their discovery under wraps is to protect them. The magnitude of this find is well beyond anything NASA has ever announced. It will make landing men on the moon seem insignificant. Because everyone, myself included, has so much to gain – and lose – I thought it prudent for someone to double-check the NASA data before we step into the world spotlight with a formal announcement.† Rachel was startled. â€Å"Certainly you can't mean me, sir?† The President laughed. â€Å"No, this is not your area of expertise. Besides, I've already achieved verification through extragovernmental channels.† Rachel's relief gave way to a new mystification. â€Å"Extragovernmental, sir? You mean you used the private sector? On something this classified?† The President nodded with conviction. â€Å"I put together an external confirmation team – four civilian scientists-non-NASA personnel with big names and serious reputations to protect. They used their own equipment to make observations and come to their own conclusions. Over the past forty-eight hours, these civilian scientists have confirmed the NASA discovery beyond the shadow of a doubt.†

Marc Chagalls I and the Village

The piece I have chosen for this assignment is Marc Chagalls I and the Village. This piece, done in oil paints seems to have taken on many of the characteristics of watercolors. Many of the colors are very translucent, and many bleed into each other. The subjects in this piece are very defined. However, I am unsure what point the artist is trying to make. The contrasting colors of green and red, along with blue and orange create movement, and keep your eye from staying in one place for very long. The ultimate effect of the whole piece is very tranquil and peaceful. There are no sharp points or angles, which helps create the effect of softness and calmness. In this painting, I feel that color is the predominant feature. I feel that the use of color in this work is very similar to the work of the Fauves in that it is liberally applied. Chagalls painting captures several scenes, occurring at the same time. These scenes being a women milking a cow, an man with a grass or hay cutting tool, and another man starring into the eyes of a cow. These subject matters really give you a sense of the past, and make the work quite nostalgic. I feel that there can be many reasons as to why Chagall chose to paint the subjects he painted. However, he feels quite differently, as shown in the following quote where he describes his work. I dont understand them at all. They are only pictorial arrangements of images that obsess me...The theories I would make up to explain myself and those which others elaborate in connection with my work are nonsense... My paintings are my reason for existence, my life, and thats all. I feel that Chagall chose the subjects of his past times because of everything that was going on in the world, while he was painting. This work was done in the beginning of a new century, of which had drastic changes in the everyday lives of many people due to new developments in technology

Zimmermann Note essays

Zimmermann Note essays Before the United States had entered World War I, Nationalism, Imperialism, Militarism, and the Alliance System were factors of the First World War. France, Great Britain, and Russia were known as the Triple Entente, Allies. Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire were called the Triple Alliance, also known as the Central Powers. The United States had declared it self-neutral, not taking any sides. Later, as the war goes on, the United States had entered the war because of the British Blockade, German U-boats, and the Zimmermann Note, also called the Zimmermann Telegraph. The Zimmermann Note is the actual set off the United States involvement in the First World War. On January 16, 1917, German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann sent a telegram from the German government to the German Ambassador of Mexico. The Telegram was encrypted, using numerical numbers as its code so other countries would not know of what it says. The telegram, however, was intercepted by British Intelligence. British Intelligence had easily decoded the message. In the telegram it had stated, "We intend to begin on the first of February unrestricted submarine warfare. We shall endeavor in spite of this to keep the United States of America neutral. In the event of this not succeeding, we make Mexico a proposal or alliance on the following basis: make war together, make peace together, generous financial support and an understanding on our part that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The settlement in detail is left to you. You will inform the President of the above most secretly as soon as the outbreak of war with the United States of America is certain and add the suggestion that he should, on his own initiative, invite Japan to immediate adherence and at the same time mediate between Japan and ourselves. Please call the President's attention to the fact that the ruthless employm ...

buy custom Einstein’s Problem Solving Model essay

buy custom Einstein’s Problem Solving Model essay Introduction Life is full of problems, and the success of an individual significantly depends on the manner in which he or she solves these problems. Different people have different methods of solving different problems. In addition, no single model can solve all the problems. This simply implies that certain problem solving methodologies are efficient in certain problem domains. However, all problem solvers share one common characteristic, that is, they all have problem solving skills. According to Hayes (2013), problem-solving skills refer to the analytical abilities required by an individual to determine which framework or model to use in order to solve a given problem. There are various strategies, such as Einsteins problem solving, interpersonal conflict and effective communication, and the problem solving process, that can be deployed in solving problems. This paper focuses on Einsteins problem solving model to illustrate the key steps in finding a solution to a real problem. Applying Einsteins Problem Solving Model The given scenario describes a problem in which an individual faces conflicting responsibilities. He or she has to organize time effectively in order to meet the responsibilities. This way, ten steps involved in Einsteins problem solving model will be used to solve the problem represented in the scenario. Rephrasing the Problem This phase involves rewording the problem statement in few precise words (Jonassen, 2000). The term conflicting responsibilities is not precise, and therefore the individual might experience difficulty in understanding the problem. In order to solve the problem, a proper understanding is necessary. The individual has to search for ways of dealing with conflicting responsibilities. The terms ways of dealing with conflicting responsibilities can be replaced by ways of scheduling responsibilities. ccording to Jonassen (2000), words have strong implicit meaning. As a result, words play a major role in the manner in which one perceives a problem. Exposing Challenges and Assumptions All problems have at least one assumption attached. There are various assumptions linked to the problem presented in the scenario (Hayes, 2013). The first assumption is that weekday job will always last from 9 am to 6 pm. This cannot always be the case since the job might take more or less time. It can also be assumed that classes will always take place between 6 pm and 10 pm. Thus, there is the question whether other activities will be affected if classes take longer than expected. In addition, the scenario assumes that online classes will always take place regardless of various communication problems. One sibling is also assumed to live two miles away. This might not be the case because people can change location. Lastly, medical cost can fluctuate. By testing every assumption for validity, one brings more clarity to the problem at hand. Chunking Up This involves viewing the problem from a wider perspective (Hayes, 2013). Every problem is essentially a portion of a greater problem. The scenario describes a problem, which is sub-problem of another larger problem. For instance, the general viewpoint of the scenario is disorganization. By dealing with disorganization, the individual is likely to deal with conflicting responsibilities, which is the sub-problem. Conflicting responsibilities are essentially part of lack of life planning. Chunking Down This involves developing a narrow perspective concerning the problem (Hayes, 2013). According to Hayes (2013), every problem is a sub-problem of another larger problem. The problem presented by the scenario contains other examples of problems. For example, the scenario explains that the individual is likely to have high level of cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obbesity. Apparently, these health problems might be caused by having a poor lifestyle, which is linked to a long-term disorganization of life events. Finding Multiple Perspectives This involves looking at the problem from various angles. The scenario can be examined from various perspectives during this phase. In the scenario, the problem is to find ways of scheduling the activities properly so that they do not conflict. One perspective that can be taken is that of the children who either play soccer or participate in the band. Such a perspective will indicate dangers of not attending soccer or band. According to Hayes (2013), looking at the problem from various viewpoints is an effective way of having instant understanding of new overlooked directions. Using Effective Language Constructs This involves formulating multiple problem statements (Hayes, 2013). It should be noted that there is no single formula that can be used to construct all the problem statements. The individuals can assume various solutions. In the case scenario, the individual can ask himself or herself such question as How can the degree be completed within two years while taking care of the children? Another construct that can be formulated when dealing with the problem is Can the paper be postponed and done after attending the soccer tournament? Essentially, this involves framing the problem as a question that should be answered using multiple assumptions. Making the Problem Engaging The problem solving methods should be exciting in order to enable an individual to solve it (Hayes, 2013). The problem statement should not subject an individual to tight boring schedule. In the case scenario, it is possible to miss the childrens soccer tournament, and compensate the damages done to the children by taking them to picnics. This is enjoyable and exciting to both the children and the parent. Buy custom Einstein’s Problem Solving Model essay

Risk assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Risk assessment - Essay Example All the above risks posses a challenge of exposure to risks of loss hence uncertainty and instilled fear in major economic, social and political pillars of the society (Adams,pp 23). Risk assessment on the other hand involves a systematic method of looking at or identifying work and field activities activities, considering all alternatives in relation to what could go wrong in is certainly likely to occur, and deciding on suitable control measures to prevent loss or help to avoid such losses, damage or related injuries in the workplace or work environments. Risk assessment is also the careful examination of the diverse and numerous factors that can bring about these risks. The Assessment should include the controls required to eliminate, reduce, and attach to cause or minimize the risks (Adams,pp111). REASONS FOR RISK ASSESSMENT Therefore, the need for risk assessment can never be underestimated given that it is the process that will always lead individuals into risk management activ ities. Risk Assessments are a critical requirement and necessity for most human and businesses organizations (Wisher,pp 155-9). If you don’t know, or appreciate where the risks are, you are placing yourself as an individual, your employees if any, your customers and your organization or business in danger and all the stakeholders that surround your operations. Therefore to an individual doing business risk assessment is a must thing to ensure minimization of risks and risk related activities, this leads to profit and wealth maximization hence successful business operations. Legal environment and systems surrounding businesses given their countries of operation also forces employers and owners of ventures or businesses must always look into all work involvements that are likely to cause harm in order to decide whether they are doing enough to meet their legal obligations so as to avoid legal risk which result into financial losses as payments are made due to court orders. In b usiness its always reasonably practicable for employers to meet the legal minimum requirement of operations as laid down by the law requirements of the land or state. The main aim of this should always be to assist reduce the risks as much as is 'reasonably practicable' (Gleason,pp275-7 ). Risk assessment is also meant to help reduce the costs of operating business. This is because when stringent risk control measures are put in place, there would be less payments for insurance premiums hence reduced insurance costs. Risk assessment also contributes to social well being of the societal members. This because with the psychological feeling of reduced risk comes the peace of mind and this puts in place a peaceful and healthy growing society. PROCEDURE OR PROCESS OF RISK ASSESSMENT Normally, there are no hard or fastened rules as to how risk assessment should be conducted due to the sole reason that each and every organization is unique and very much different from each other. This diff erence is on the diversified ways in which most organizations and businesses operate, the kinds of businesses in which they are involved which are also not the same and also the laws that govern each and every business (Luhmann,pp236).

Scholarship essay Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scholarship essay - Personal Statement Example In 2008, I took the first step to feeling like I belonged here—I began taking English classes at the HCC. From these humble beginnings, I progressed to the point where I was able to begin taking college classes, specifically to do with computers. From here my English improved so much that I was able to pass my citizenship exams just last year. Although I will always be treated as an outsider, I now feel proud to call America my home. The skills that I have picked up on will help me in my pursuit of a degree in Computer Information Systems at the University of Houston. A scholarship will greatly assist me in reaching my goal of completing my degree in Computer Information Systems. I believe that I deserve this not only for my educational achievements, but also for the volunteer work that I have done in the community. I am someone who always likes to give back to the community because I feel that everyone has helped me so much along the way. I am an approved TDCJ volunteer and have participated in the TDCJ Mentoring Program. The main tasks that I have been involved with as a volunteer include fostering care and support, encouraging personal development, assisting in personal visioning, and developing active community partnerships. I feel that this experience has not only helped me as a person, but has also made me appreciate this country that I now call home. For the mentoring program, the objective is to establish a trust-based relationship with accountability and responsibility from both the mentor and the mentee. As I have been a mentor with thi s program, it has been great to listen to the stories of people who come to me with their problems. I feel privileged to be able to offer suggestions and help in any way that I can. Even though my work as a volunteer and a mentor is not directly related to my degree, I feel that I have gained other invaluable skills that will assist me in the future. Looking towards the future, I would like to further my pursuit

The Fight for Protecting Women Rights in 1700-1877 Research Paper - 1

The Fight for Protecting Women Rights in 1700-1877 - Research Paper Example Feminism, in the modern socio-political and philosophical domain, has been provided with special attention from every discipline of sociological studies. However, there is no denying that in order to evaluate the position of feminism as a poignant socio-political and philosophical discipline it is also important to acknowledge the history of women activism as well as the gradual process of development of the movement that was gradually germinating since late 16th century. Compared to the recent situation of women in civilized world they were tremendously challenged and consequently oppressed in the context of â€Å"expressing themselves in a patriarchal system that generally refused to grant merit to women's views.†1 One of the greatest feminist thinkers of all time, Simone de Beauvoir, in her essay â€Å"The Second Sex,† while attempted to evaluate the position of women in the traditional patriarchal system said that a woman in terms of patriarchal judgment is nothing but a womb, a mere organism for child production2. She also has specified that every time women have proved their existence as equal to their male counterparts in terms of merit and capacity of accomplishment the same system has declared that â€Å"they are not women, although they are equipped with a uterus like the rest.†3 It is clear from these observations that women in hands of the traditional social patriarchy are considered as mere instruments of sensuality, objects of attaining physical pleasure, an organic manifestation of sensuality and above all they are regarded as organisms without individual identity and human entity. The patriarchy has always denied acknowledging the humane attributes of a woman. The male-dominated social system always faced difficulty to share its monopolistic position with female counterparts and by denying humane attributes or entity of women they actually aimed at oppressing women for its selfish  benefits.

Risk Management Plan in hospital (2) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6750 words

Risk Management Plan in hospital (2) - Essay Example Administrative control Cost containment Part of the business plan for the hospital Hospital Risk Management: Operative Activities Risk identification Preparation for emergencies and disaster Proper discharge and appropriate patient transfer Attainment of informed patient consent Optimal medical staff monitoring and peer review Claims investigation and claims management Specific disease policies Administrative Control Administration Operation Environmental concerns Patient care Medical ancillary departments Legal and ethical issues Financing for these activities Scope Cost containment Counteracting spiraling risk associated costs Specific risks and their solutions Improvement in stakeholder satisfaction Integration with quality assessment Specific Risks Liability risks Malpractice suits Local legislation and regulations Financing and insuring risks Risk prevention Transfer techniques Patients' rights Accidental falls Property damage Reduction in cash flow Employee benefit risks Lowering community image Objectives A confident decision making and planning to ensure patient safety Analysis of patient safety issues and policies yields accurate identification of opportunities and threats Appraisal of uncertainty and variability of scenarios and extracting meaning out of them Proactive management and planning targeted at prevention Uniform and legitimate allocation of resources in synchronization with quality policies of the hospital Efficient management of adverse incidents leading to cost cutting and loss prevention Enhanced stakeholder trust, reputation of hospital, and confidence building in potential future customers Conformity to legislative and legal frameworks Smooth and effective corporate and clinical...From that perspective, while dealing with the issues related to patient safety, it must be considered that most medical and nursing professionals are aware about the issues related to patient safety. Studies of other high-risk industries and human factor engineering have led to advancement of knowledge about how mistakes and errors can lead to compromise in patient safety while cared for in a hospital. Indeed, the issues with patient safety are very closely linked with quality of care delivered, and medical profession is ethically bound by the principles of no harm. Current knowledge indicates that many people admitted to the hospital may suffer an injury resulting from error or negligence on the part of caregiver, for which not only the hospital, but also healthcare professional is responsible leading to liabilities. These are known as adverse events, and a risk management plan drawn on the current scenario of the care in the hospital wo uld be legitimate. In this assignment drawing on the AS/ANZ 4360:2004 as developed in HB436:2004, a risk management plan for patient safety in this writer's hospital will be developed with appropriate arguments for all steps of the plan. Connection of the context with the hospital's internal policies of safety risk solutions, quality control, goals, and objec

The Strategic Planning Process Scenario Analysis Essay

The Strategic Planning Process Scenario Analysis - Essay Example Eastern Hills’ capacity for change at the time Principal Jones assumed office was remarkable. The long tenures of the majority of the faculty are one important indicator of Eastern Hills’ capacity for change. Long tenures provide the faculty with essential knowledge that can work to the advantage of Principal Jones’ endeavor to bring about change in the school’s community. Responsiveness of the school and surrounding community is one other important attribute that points to the capacity for change for Eastern Hills (Green, 2013). To assess Principal Jones’ approach to the introduction of change to Eastern Hills’ faculty, one would need to consider his devotion and commitment to analyze the faculty. This analysis helped establish such important information about the faculty including ethnic origin, tenure, and frequency of subject area change. Consideration of teacher evaluation is another important element in assessing Principal Jones’ approach of introducing change in the faculty. An instance that indicates the manner in which Principal Jones’ developed is the alertness that his ideas elicited in the members of the faculty. This alertness is seen in the questions that members of the faculty rose with him and one can already see the genesis of change (Green, 2013). One of the things that illustrated Principal Jones’ knowledge and understanding of information sources is his selection of student records, proficiency test scores, state standards, disciplinary reports, attendance records, and curriculum guides as his sources of information. Mobilization of teachers to help compile data from these sources demonstrated his data collection skills. His initiative to analyze the data collected synthesizing it using tables characterizes his methodical strategies for program development. His creative way of informing the faculty of his intended plans and his provocative way of

Risk Management Plan in hospital (2) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6750 words

Risk Management Plan in hospital (2) - Essay Example Administrative control Cost containment Part of the business plan for the hospital Hospital Risk Management: Operative Activities Risk identification Preparation for emergencies and disaster Proper discharge and appropriate patient transfer Attainment of informed patient consent Optimal medical staff monitoring and peer review Claims investigation and claims management Specific disease policies Administrative Control Administration Operation Environmental concerns Patient care Medical ancillary departments Legal and ethical issues Financing for these activities Scope Cost containment Counteracting spiraling risk associated costs Specific risks and their solutions Improvement in stakeholder satisfaction Integration with quality assessment Specific Risks Liability risks Malpractice suits Local legislation and regulations Financing and insuring risks Risk prevention Transfer techniques Patients' rights Accidental falls Property damage Reduction in cash flow Employee benefit risks Lowering community image Objectives A confident decision making and planning to ensure patient safety Analysis of patient safety issues and policies yields accurate identification of opportunities and threats Appraisal of uncertainty and variability of scenarios and extracting meaning out of them Proactive management and planning targeted at prevention Uniform and legitimate allocation of resources in synchronization with quality policies of the hospital Efficient management of adverse incidents leading to cost cutting and loss prevention Enhanced stakeholder trust, reputation of hospital, and confidence building in potential future customers Conformity to legislative and legal frameworks Smooth and effective corporate and clinical...From that perspective, while dealing with the issues related to patient safety, it must be considered that most medical and nursing professionals are aware about the issues related to patient safety. Studies of other high-risk industries and human factor engineering have led to advancement of knowledge about how mistakes and errors can lead to compromise in patient safety while cared for in a hospital. Indeed, the issues with patient safety are very closely linked with quality of care delivered, and medical profession is ethically bound by the principles of no harm. Current knowledge indicates that many people admitted to the hospital may suffer an injury resulting from error or negligence on the part of caregiver, for which not only the hospital, but also healthcare professional is responsible leading to liabilities. These are known as adverse events, and a risk management plan drawn on the current scenario of the care in the hospital wo uld be legitimate. In this assignment drawing on the AS/ANZ 4360:2004 as developed in HB436:2004, a risk management plan for patient safety in this writer's hospital will be developed with appropriate arguments for all steps of the plan. Connection of the context with the hospital's internal policies of safety risk solutions, quality control, goals, and objec

Reasons for Seasons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reasons for Seasons - Essay Example The misconception by many people has always been that differences in seasons come about as a result of differences in the earth’s distance relative to the sun. The belief is that at certain times the distance between the earth and sun is wide and sometimes the two bodies are closer to one another. This seems to make sense since the nearer the sun the warmer it gets and the far from the sun the icy it gets. The truth is that the earth revolves around the sun in a circle that is almost perfect and hence there are no significance changes in terms of how far the earth is relative to the sun. Also North America experiences summer at the time when the South is experiencing winter. While spinning on the axis to yield days and nights, the earth also revolves in a circular orbit around the sun which takes 364 Â ¼ days or one year. The spin axis of the earth tilts with respect to the plane of its orbit and this is responsible for seasons. When the axis of the earth is pointed directly towards the sun then that particular hemisphere experiences summer and winter comes about when the axis is pointed away from the sun. The hemisphere tilting in the sun’s direction gets warmer as sunlight will travel directly to the surface of the earth and less of it scatters to the atmosphere. The hemisphere tilting in the direction of the sun also receives longer days as compared to nights hence during summer there are longer days than the winter days. All the other planets experience seasons but they markedly differ from what is traditionally seen on earth i.e., summer, spring, winter and fall. This is because the other planets have orbits which are more elliptical. Mercury for instance witnesses the most peculiar conditions; it makes three rotations in every two years and the eccentricity of its orbits has odd effects. Mars is the planet with orbit eccentricity that is highest and has a greater axial tilt than earth’s hence great seasonal

To what extent do you regard Essay Example for Free

To what extent do you regard Essay At first glance Audens poem the Shield of Achilles appears to be focused on the classical world. The poems classical nature is first indicated by the title- Achilles was of course a famous Greek hero, and throughout the poem there are further classical references, many of which Auden has taken from Book XVIII of Homers Iliad- Marble well-governed cities (l. 3), athletes at their games (l. 46), Hephaestos, hobbled away (l. 61). However, the poem also combines these classical details with the modern world- Proved by statistics (l. 17), Barbed wire enclosed an arbitrary spot (l. 31). Although there is this unusual combination of classical and modern, the poem can be seen as timeless: Column by column in a cloud of dust They marched away enduring a belief Whose logic brought them, somewhere else, to grief. (The Shield of Achilles ll. 21-23) Here the army who are enduring a belief (l. 21) that they are doing good can be as easily applicable to the modern day (i. e. the situation in Iraq) as to classical times. The timeless nature of the poem can be said to be a characteristic feature as it appears in other poems such as Gare du Midi: clutching a little case. He walks out briskly to infect a city Whose terrible future may have just arrived. (Gare Du Midi, ll. 6-8) Here we are led to believe that a man is about to unleash a terrible weapon on a city and although the poem was written in December 1938, its proleptic nature allows the poem to be much more in tune with the worlds present fears1. The timelessness nature of Audens poems can perhaps be explained by his underlining of the cyclical nature of human history. Auden implies in The Shield Of Achilles that although the context of war may change through history, the content doesnt; war is frequently irrational: Where logic brought them, somewhere else, to grief. (The Shield of Achilles, l. 22) Audens use of occasional modern day diction (statistics, l. 17) allows us to realise that he is also referring to modern day situations. Thus Auden is also implying that humans dont ever learn form their mistakes; we continue to go to war. Auden also refers to this cyclical nature in September 1, 1939 Exiled Thucydides knew The habit-forming pain, Mismanagement and grief: We must suffer them all again (September 1, 1939, ll. 23-33) Here Auden is talking of the Athenian philosopher and historian Thucydides who is again underlining that human history will keep repeating because humans do not seem to learn from it: For the present stalk abroad Like the past and its wronged again Whimper and are ignored (A Walk After Dark, ll. 31-33) those who whimper continue to be ignored by those in power and so mistakes continue to be made. Similarly in The Shield Of Achilles, the strong iron-hearted man-slaying Achilles (ll. 65-6) is seen as a great hero in classical times because of his warrior status. However, in todays world the general perception of Achilles would be exceedingly different as violent, warrior-like attitudes to problems are increasingly condemned by todays society; the response to a well-aimed stone (l. 55) shouldnt be to throw a stone back. It is this kind of moral vacancy(l. 54) that leads warriors to wreak destruction upon society. Consequently it was historys mistake to celebrate warriors and Auden is implying that we shouldnt continue to idealise them because they are bearers of havoc and do not live long (l. 67), and equally dont allow others to live long either. The contrast between fantasy and reality is shown in The Shield of Achilles when Thetis, Achilles mother, looks into the shield: But there on the shining metal She saw by his flickering forge-light Quite another scene. (ll. 27-30) Thetis has fantasised about finding a pastoral idyll in the Shield, but what she actually discovers are scenes of horror- a weed-choked field (l. 52). Just as in Moon Landing, an occasional poem written to mark the landing of Apollo 11 in 1969, the moon itself has been idealised as an amazing, perfect place- worth going to see? I can well believe it (Moon Landing, l.21). The moon was very much something that many fantasized about visiting. But when the moon is actually seen on the television all the fantasies are shattered because it is no longer a mysterious, idyllic place- Worth seeing? Mneh! (Moon Landing, l. 22)- it has become besmirched by mans presence. It is clear from Audens poetry that he mistrusts idealistic dreams like those sought by Thetis, for example in Epitaph on a Tyrant, Auden criticises the ideal of perfection: Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after, And when he cried the little children died on the streets. (Epitaph on a Tyrant, ll. 1-6) The poem is referring to a dictator whose ideas of perfection, which cause children to die on the streets, are another mans nightmares, thus perfection should not always be strove for. Although like many of Audens poems The Shield Of Achilles is characteristic in certain features, it is perhaps impossible to outline a characteristic Auden poem. The Shield of Achilles lacks many features that would make it characteristic. For example, poems such as Moon Landing and a Walk After Dark are rife with colloquial (Mneh- Moon Landing, ll. 22) and recherchi (Lacrimae rerum- A Walk After Dark, l. 30) language, whereas The Shield of Achilles has none, instead the language in the poem obeys the poems principle of contrast- it alternates between classical and modern language. Therefore its reasonable to say that there are many re-occurring themes throughout Audens poems, but not that there are entire poems which are characteristic. 1 It is notable that Ist September 1939 appeared on many websites after the September 11th attacks in 2001.

E-grocery Industry in the US

E-grocery Industry in the US 1.1 Introduction and Background An old Chinese saying goes like this: Food to the people is like people to a king. It means that just like a king has to rely on the support of his people to remain on the throne, ordinary people have to rely on food for survival. The importance of food is universal, and the retail food industry is a vital part of the economic activity of every country. The food on Americas table is mainly supplied by supermarkets, hypermarkets and discounters. Americans are used to going to these traditional stores in person to buy groceries. With an increasing number of grocers now offer online ordering and home delivery of groceries, Americans are gradually changing the way they shop for groceries. Online grocery retailing is becoming more and more common. New start-up online grocery retailers such as Peapod and FreshDirect are in the market to compete with traditional supermarkets. Some of these new online grocers have support from traditional supermarket chains. Some are â€Å"pure-play† or stand-alone grocers that operate their own supply chains and facilities. Traditional supermarkets are also offering online ordering and home delivery to customers as a new distribution channel in a struggle to keep the market shares from being taken away by the new ventures. Online grocers utilize different operating strategies and business models. History has seen both successes and failures in this industry. Various aspects of online grocery shopping have been studied, but few studies have compared the successful and less successful companies in this industry to identify the characteristics that contribute to these outcomes. By identifying these key variables, this study intends to look for business models that have a better chance of success. Once considered a symbol of the dot-com crash, the online grocery industry struggles to come back to life. Applying a sound business model and effective operational strategies is essential for the existing players in order to stay competitive and successful. New ventures that intend to join this business also need to come up with a promising plan. This study attempts to add to the body of knowledge and provide insights that might be helpful to these companies. 1.2 History of Home Grocery Delivery Neighborhood grocery stores have, in fact, offered delivery services since the 19th century. At that time, urban citizens, who did not own horses like the residents of rural areas, had groceries delivered to their home free of charge. Most of them did not own a car until the beginning of mass production of automobiles in 1914. Fifty years ago, Americans were used to having milkmen deliver fresh milk to their doorstep each morning. In more recent decades, grocers have allowed customers to order and receive their food at home. In the 1960s, third-party companies offered phone-in delivery services for groceries. However, these services were usually short lived. Todays shoppers are sensual shoppers who prefer to use their five senses in choosing their purchases. Groceries, especially food, are the kind of merchandise that shoppers would want to see, feel, smell, touch, and possibly taste in person before they make the purchase (Underhill, 1999). The convenience of driving their own family cars and being able to really touch and feel the food in big supermarkets made many customers unwilling to take advantage of phone-in services. Lack of profitability has been the biggest problem for these grocery delivery services for vendors. By the mid-1980s, some local grocery delivery services allowed customers to browse product listings and place orders by computer. Marketing strategies used during this time, such as the foc us on suburban families and the use of price promotions to attract new customers, would later surface again among the online companies of the late-1990s (â€Å"E-Commerce: Online,† 2004). In 1989, Peapod, an online grocery business, emerged in suburban Chicago. In the days before the World Wide Web, Peapods customers used proprietary software and a modem to dial into their systems in Chicago and San Francisco (â€Å"Background on Peapod,† n.d.). Peapod partnered with Jewel in Chicago and with Safeway in San Francisco to put together the orders to be delivered to customers (â€Å"Peapod company history,† n.d.). Afraid they were missing out on the market share occupied by Peapod, many grocery stores jumped on the bandwagon of home-based ordering and delivery in the 1990si. Safeway considered expanding their partnership with Peapod to cover a larger part of the Southwestern United States. Other chains linked their catalogues to online content services like Prodigy and used their own employees to fulfill orders. However, by the mid-1990s, it was clear many of the early expectations for the industry would not be met. Grocery chains and stores discovered that online ordering and delivery were not profitable. Peapod relied only on computer-based ordering and experienced growing demand. Sales doubled every year (Funding Universe, n.d.); however, costs also rose, causing Peapod to suffer continuing losses and growing debt. Peapod saw the rise of new competitors like Streamline Inc. in suburban Boston in 1993. Unlike Peapods partnerships with existing grocers, Streamline developed its own warehouses, as well as relationships with wholesalers and distributors. Streamline delivered to their own boxes located in the garages of their customers (Borrego, 2001). By 1996, companies like Peapod, Streamline, and HomeRuns had created their own websites. The World Wide Web had created a common platform in which these companies could build their ordering systems. During the height of the Internet boom, investors poured money into these dot-com ventures. Taking advantage of this trend, HomeGrocer and Webvan joined the field of competitors. Webvan was started in 1999, offering over 18,000 perishable and nonperishable items. It built highly automated warehouses to process its orders. Webvan allowed customers to schedule a 30-minute window for next-day grocery delivery (Feather, 2001). Webvan had attracted $1 billion of venture capital and had planned to aggressively expand into 26 cities. Founded in 1999, SimonDelivers was another online grocer. It serves the Minneapolis-St.Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota and Western Wisconsin (â€Å"SimonDelivers,† 2008). Expansion did not go smoothly for these new grocers, however. Peapod was suffering cash-flow problems by 1999. It wasnt until Royal Ahold, a Dutch-based international supermarket operator, came to the rescue with $73 million in 2000 that Peapod was saved from collapse (Lerner, 2002). By 2002, nearly all the leading online grocers (HomeGrocer, HomeRuns, Kozmo, Shoplink, Streamline, Urbanfetch, and Webvan) were gone. The only survivors were Peapod and SimonDelivers. The online grocery industry was crushed. Webvan was the most spectacular failure, having burned through $1 billion of venture capital in just two years despite having what was once considered to be the model most likely to succeed (Porres, 2003). Webvans subsequent failure caused many to lose faith in the idea of online grocery shopping altogether. In the early years, overenthusiastic projections of the online grocery industry predicted it would cover as much as 20 percent of all grocery sales by the mid-1990s or 2000. Late r, estimates by Forrester Research in 1998 toned down their forecasts, dropping their projections of 2004s expected online sales to less than five percent of US grocery retail sales (â€Å"E-Commerce: Online,† 2004). Rising from the ashes of the online grocery failures were more cautious ventures in the online world. A scaled-down Peapod, with backing from Royal Ahold, was joined by brick-and-mortar grocers now testing the online waters. Although experiencing some financial difficulty, SimonDelivers weathered the dot-com boom and bust by securing $15 million in funding and focusing on its local market instead of expanding nationwide (Tellijohn, 2000). 1.3 Factors Driving the Popularity of Online Grocery Shopping In todays busy world, the time available for grocery shopping is scarce. Americans now work more and thus have less free time. According to a 2008 ranking by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Americans are among the hardest working people in the world with 1,797 work hours on average each year (Olson, 2008). For families with children, having to take the kids to the market adds to the stress of the chore. Due to competing demands on their time from work and home, people are more likely to shop for groceries online. Many disabled people rely on online grocery services to fill their refrigerators and because of the quickly aging US population, more elderly people are also likely to be interested in e-grocery shopping. With Peapod operating in the Midwest and East Coast, FreshDirect in New York City, Albertsons and Safeway in the West, Simon Delivers in Minnesotas Twin Cities area and Shnucks in St. Louis, Central Illinois and parts of Southern Indiana ( Fishman, 2005), this revived e-grocery industry has both new and old players that are now attempting to stake out their shares of the online grocery market and working hard to achieve what their predecessors could not. (See Appendix A for a complete list of current US online grocers.) Scott and Scott (2008) report the following figures regarding the current market size and potential of selling groceries online. The estimated online grocery revenue was $235 million in 1998, $2.4 billion in 2002 and $6.2 billion in 2006; Jupiter research estimates that the percentage of US online grocery sales will rise to 1% by 2009. Manor (2006) stated that industry analysts estimated US online grocery sales would reach $4.2 billion in 2006, up 27 percent from 2005. Despite still being less than one percent of all grocery purchases, online grocery sales are expected to double by the end of the decade. 1.4 Problem Statement Many consumers welcome the option to shop for groceries online, but they are not yet ready to abandon the traditional in-store method of shopping. Many still consider online grocery shopping too expensive, mostly due to the high delivery charges. Since customers are not able to pick out produce themselves, grocers must be able to convince customers that they are choosing only items of the desired quality. The logistics of going from the customer making an order to delivery at an agreed upon time requires a great deal of effort. Many new companies, as well as traditional grocers, have attempted to provide electronic grocery shopping to consumers. Various different approaches to establishing infrastructure, fulfilling orders, and making deliveries have been tried. Margins are very thin; surviving in this industry is tough. Many failed companies litter the history of the industry. Grocers are desperately searching for the best formula for success. 1.5 Purpose of This Study Although grocery delivery is not a new idea, the electronic grocery shopping business is underdeveloped and still in a nascent stage. This is a very challenging business, yet it offers extraordinary opportunities. Despite the efforts made by the egrocers to implement various service concepts and the interest of consumers in online grocery, not much research has been done in this area. The purpose of this study is to identify successful operating strategies that can be employed by online grocers and less successful strategies that should be avoided. 1.6 Major Research Questions of the Study This study will attempt to understand the factors contributing to online grocery success by finding answers to the following research questions: †¢ How should an online grocers management function to ensure its success? †¢ How should an e-grocer expand its business and decide its target market? †¢ How should an e-grocer put together orders? Should it use central warehouses or the shelves of physical stores? †¢ How should an e-grocer deliver orders to customers and achieve operational efficiency? †¢ How should an online grocers website function, and how is customer relations management handled? 1.7 Significance and Limitations The importance of the online segment in the overall retail food industry will be determined in the years to come. Although it presently only accounts for one to two percent of food sales in the US, market share of online grocery shopping may increase due to social and demographic drivers and technological and operational improvements. It has the potential to account for a major percentage of retail food sales if business strategies are chosen wisely in the right environments. Alternately, it may be relegated to the fringes of the grocery industry if the right business choices are not made. There have been many casualties in the history of the e-grocery industry. Todays survivors and newcomers are all hoping to find the strategies for success. By performing case studies on the successes and failures of a group of selected online grocers, this study hopes to find answers to the major research questions stated above and put together a big picture view of the industry. Some of these comp anies are still operating, while others have failed. Various aspects of their business strategies will be compared, and an effort will be made to distill the characteristics of these businesses that led to their success or downfall. This study intends to help the online grocery business learn from the mistakes of the past so that they can increase market share in the future. The study will be limited to e-grocers that offer online ordering and home delivery/pick-up service with product selections similar to a traditional supermarket— specialty food grocers and companies with restricted selections (such as dry food only) will not be examined. 1.8 Structure of the Thesis This thesis is made up of five chapters. The first chapter is the introduction/thesis proposal. It gives a historical overview of the e-grocery industry, presents the problem and states the importance of the study. Major research questions are also identified in this chapter. The second chapter is the literature review which describes the target market of online grocers. The customer base will be reviewed based on demographic, geographic and psychographic characteristics. The literature review also provides information about the state of the market following a chronological and geographical order. The operational aspects of how different e-grocery businesses complete a typical transaction will be described as well. The third chapter presents the methods used. This study will primarily be an inductive qualitative analysis of the e-grocery industry. This research consists of casestudies of successful and not-so-successful e-grocers. A meta-analysis will be performed to compare various aspects of the e-grocers strategies in an attempt to identify patterns and variables that contribute to their varied success levels. The fourth chapter analyzes data. The fifth chapter confers research findings and draws conclusions. It also offers possible directions of future research. 19 Keywords: e-grocery, online grocery business, supermarket, business model, target market, store-pick, online order, warehouse-pick, delivery, customer demand, customer density, cost, investment, knowledge, experience, expansion, Peapod, Tesco, Safeway, FreshDirect, Webvan, Streamline Chapter Two The goal of this chapter is to lay out the operational and strategic groundwork for the analysis. E-grocers employ different business models. To make their business models work, online grocers use various strategies and target different markets. Each operational model varies along several dimensions, such as how orders are placed, assembled and delivered. The first part of this chapter presents statistics and descriptions of the electronic grocery industry in chronological and geographical order. The second part of this chapter presents a review of the online grocery industrys customer base and target market. The third section describes the process of completing an online grocery transaction and how each business model functions differently to fulfill orders. The fourth part of this chapter offers opinions from previous studies regarding the factors contributing to the varied outcomes in the e-grocery industry. 2.1 Industry Overview Americans are familiar with grocery home-delivery services. This concept has been around in one form or another for decades. In the early days, when not many people had a fridge at home, milk needed to be delivered to customers daily. Milk delivery often occurred in the morning while people were still asleep. Glass bottles or cartons were left at the doorstep. Milkmen even delivered other dairy and farm products, such as eggs, cream, yogurt and butter (â€Å"Milkman,† 2008). Although demand for the service decreased significantly during the past 50 years, some people still prefer the old-fashioned way of getting their milk as they think milk tastes better in glass bottles. The milk delivery business is actually regaining some of its lost ground. The United States Department of Agriculture saw three-to-five percent of milk sold in the US delivered to homes in 1995, compared with only one percent in 1993 (Shih, 1995). In the 1950s, groceries could be ordered over the phone and d elivered to a customers kitchen within an hour or so, free of charge (Underhill, 1999). American grocery stores used to carry only dry grocery items, such as flour, baking soda, dry beans and canned foods. People bought fresh produce and meat from specialty food retailers like butchers and greengrocers. These stores were often located near one another for shoppers convenience. Starting in the 1920s, chain grocers experimented with consolidating smaller stores into larger ones with meats and produce along with the dry grocery items. As a result of this consolidating process, by the 1950s, there were much fewer neighborhood stores but more larger supermarkets and shopping centers that people had to drive some distance to go to (â€Å"A quick history,† n.d.). Fewer grocers offered home delivery after this period, as Americans enjoyed driving their family cars to shop in large, well-decorated supermarkets and spending some leisure time at the urban and suburban shopping centers. Even before the World Wide Web ever existed, getting groceries online was made possible by dialing into grocers servers with special modems provided to customers. Independent online ordering and home-delivery grocery companies like Peapod began to emerge in the US retail food industry. Food retailers like these were referred to as pure-play e-grocers because they only sold groceries online and had no storefronts. The development of the web provided a whole new platform for online ordering of groceries. More pure-play e-grocers jumped into the market. Among these companies were Streamline, HomeRuns, HomeGrocer, Kozmo, Shoplink, Urbanfetch, Webvan and SimonDelivers. Fearing of missing out on the market share occupied by pure-play e-grocers, traditional supermarkets also began to offer grocery delivery service. For example, Sandoval (2002) described Safeways reentry into home-delivery, with experienced UK major e-grocer Tesco by its side. (In 1990, Safeway had started a delivery service , but discontinued it after just two years.) From the emerging of Peapod in 1989 to Webvan s grand entry in 1999, the online grocery retailing industry seemed to be very promising. Industry expectation for the e-grocery sector was optimistic at the time. According to LeClaire (2002), Forrester predicted that 14 million households would eventually buy at least some of their groceries online. Jupiter predicted that sales would reach $11 billion in a few years. Datamonitor reported that the online retail food and beverage market in the United States was worth $2.1 billion in 2001 after growing 43.5% that year (â€Å"United States Online,† 2002). The growth rate slowed from a high in 1999, when the market had grown by 131.6%. Datamonitor predicted the value of the market to increase to $49.9 billion by 2007 (â€Å"United States Food,† 2003). At the time, Webvan accounted for 30.9% of the market volume, followed by Peapod with 28.3% and GroceryWorks with 12.7%. However, problems with customer retention and revenue generation in the pureplay businesses led to a big shakeout in the US online grocery industry. Most of the independent online grocers shut down their websites permanently by 2002. Only Peapod and SimonDelivers weathered the dot com crash and survived. Brick-andmortar stores continued to offer online grocery service and soon took the lead. Later came some new players into the market. FreshDirect (founded in New York City in 2002) was one of them. 2.2 Customer Base/Target Market 2.2.1 Demographic Characteristics According to Buy4Now, an internet shopping service, 80% of online grocery shoppers were 29 to 50 years old in 2002. Seventy-four percent (74%) of the respondents were female shoppers (â€Å"Typical Customer Profile,† 2008). According to eGroceryUSA.com (â€Å"Typical Customer Profile,† 2008), three categories of people are the major users of online grocery services: affluent shoppers pressed for time, families with young children, and people who cant easily get to the store. The first category is people who have higher incomes and less time. These shoppers are usually technology-savvy, heavy internet users who are single or have a dual-income family with no kids. These big spenders prefer to pay someone else to do grocery shopping for them. The second group consists of families with young children. They comprise the largest number of online grocery shoppers. A typical e-grocery shopper in this category is 29-to-50 years old with one or more children and at least one chi ld under the age of five. They normally would cook family dinners, and, therefore, are regular grocery shoppers with above average spending. People in this category expect to save time and avoid the hassle of dragging kids along for grocery shopping (â€Å"Typical Customer Profile,† 2008). The third group is relatively small compared to the first two. They are older or disabled people and those who find going to a grocery store difficult. People are living longer than ever. In 1960, life expectancy of the US population was only 69.7. The number increased to 73.7 in 1980 and 77 in 2000. The projected life expectancies for the years 2010 and 2015 are 78.5 and 79.2 respectively (U. S. Census Bureau, n.d.). Older people may need some form of help with grocery shopping when it becomes difficult for them to drive to supermarkets and carry heavy items home. Online grocery shopping can be a good alternative to hiring personal helpers. For disabled people and others who are physically challenged (temporarily injured, bed-resting, etc.), online ordering and home delivery of groceries would also be of great help. 2.2.2 Geographic Characteristics Sandoval (2002) quoted analyst Robert Rubin saying that average American cities are less densely populated compared to ones in the UK, which means high fuel costs will hurt even more when it comes to grocery delivery. Rubin believed Americans are more likely to drive to the grocer because of the more entrenched car culture. The UK (248 per sq. km) had 8 times the population density of the US (31 per sq. km) in 2004 (â€Å"World Population Prospects,† n.d.). Tesco has been having a relatively successful online grocery operation in the UK. This led to the idea that US online grocers should aim their target at large urban areas with higher population density for more potential customers. In these urban centers, people reside closer together. Less people own family cars in large cities. The dependence on public transportation, more crowded shopping environments, busier lifestyle and higher income make many urban residents favor online grocers over personally going to traditional grocery stores. According to Mclaughlin (2005), Richard Braddock, who was appointed chairman of FreshDirect.com in 2005, mentioned that FreshDirect would look for cities that are similar to New York to expand its business. Those are cities with a high percentage of internet usage, a high number of residents per square mile, and residents with a good deal of disposable income. He suggested that FreshDirect would not expand to the whole surrounding area of New York. Instead it would expand from one urban population center to another to make sure its delivery trucks could make as many deliveries as possible every time they stopped. 2.2.3 Psychographic Characteristics Fox and Kempiak (2006) pointed out that out of MyWebGrocers five critical elements that decide whether a consumer shops for groceries online (price, ambiance, convenience, service and product variety), e-grocers have advantages in ambiance, convenience, and service. Fox and Kempiak stated that changing family structures and increased work hours have made consumers busier, more time-starved, richer and more impatient with time-consuming tasks like grocery shopping. Because of these social and attitudinal changes, many people are more likely to be attracted to convenient, dependable alternatives for the recurring chore of grocery shopping. This makes the e-grocery service more appealing for consumers that fit this profile. Consumers with certain disabilities that make in-store grocery shopping hard are another major market for e-grocers. The ease of shopping from home and the time saved are two of the reasons some prefer buying online. Gennifer Calise, a working Manhattan mom, admitted that she would not want to lug her ten-month old son to the grocery store and lug him back.Instead, she can stay home and play with him on the floor and be clicking online at the same time. With both a child and a full-time job, she said she did not want to do anything that wasnt easy (Koeppen, 2006). Similarly, Sietsema (2007) stated that those who worked long hours at the office and had little time for everyday life were delighted to be able to not have to go to a grocery store. Anckar et al. (2002) stated that the ability to shop from any place, at any time, was an undeniable convenience offered by e-commerce. The status of grocery shopping as an undesirable chore for many people makes it ripe for online efforts that can offer both speed and convenience. Time and convenience have been cited as the principal reasons for purchasing groceries electronically in a study by Morganosky and Cude. With the technology available online, general purpose grocers can easily become specialty grocers tailored to the individual needs of customers with allergies that require a special diet or people with different food preferences, like organic, ethnic, religious, or gourmet items. Scott and Scott (2008) state that by changing and reusing previous shopping lists online, consumers save time. Customers become familiar with the e-grocers website fairly quickly. The average ordering time is only 20 minutes versus 60 minutes when a customer shops online for the first time. The benefits of buying groceries online include the ability to establish, save and modify shopping lists online over time, emailing shopping lists to other family members, getting personalized coupons, sorting items according to nutritional information provided and automatically ordering all the ingredients for a certain recipe. Bates and Lauder (2008) pointed out that customers are often not loyal to just one particular retailer. They can be loyal to several retailers at the same time. These retailers share the spending of each customer. Therefore, the goal of competition becomes maximizing the wallet share a retailer could possibly get from each customer. Offering online grocery shopping to customers as a new distribution channel has the potential to gain a greater wallet share for a grocer. Bates and Lauder (2008) also believed that the market adoption rate is another influencing factor that decides how many customers an online grocer can attract. Customers adopt online grocery services at different rates and at different times. Due to Webvans failure and the dot com meltdown in 2000, the natural evolution and adoption process were set back for years, both for potential customers and for grocers. Bates and Lauder used the figure in Appendix B to show the adoption process being extended. Fox and Kempiak (2006) brought up some major concerns that prevent some consumers from choosing to buy groceries online. These concerns included delivery time and methods, quality of produce, a limited variety of goods, and the security and privacy of online shopping. Anckar et al. (2002) considered the fear of receiving lowquality goods to be a potentially important obstacle to purchasing food online. Some customers fear that store employees may not pick the freshest produce in an attem pt to minimize storage losses or maximize picking speed. While some people consider grocery shopping a burden, there are still a lot of food lovers who enjoy their trips to traditional grocery stores to actually touch and handpick everything they are buying. Online grocery shopping is just not the right experience for them, and, therefore, does not satisfy their needs. When Scott and Scott (2008) described the resistance to online grocery shopping, they mentioned that customers may not be willing to pay the delivery fee. It is also hard to change the established shopping habits of consumers. Customers might not like the long lines at the registers of traditional grocers, but that does not necessarily mean they are ready to give up standing in them right now. The cost involved in the acquisition and retention of customers tends to be high, because once consumers have a negative online grocery shopping experience, they may not buy groceries online again and tell their acquaintances not to try the experience. 2.2.4 Technological Characteristics The internet makes online grocery shopping viable. According to Fox and Kempiak (2006), the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) indicated that 86% of US consumers go online or use their computers every day. Seventy percent (70%) of them shop online frequently. While in the UK, broadband use is ranked number two in Europe and number five in the world. This has been a boon for online businesses in the UK 15.9% of the respondents of this research bought groceries online at least once a year. 3.2% used e-grocers at least once a week. 2.7% used them two or three times a month. 4.5%, the largest group, used an e-grocer once or twice a year (â€Å"E-commerce: The Internet,† 2007). The increasing rate of internet usage likely contributes to the rising number of consumers who purchase groceries online. According to Foley et al. (2003), online shoppers actually had habits different from their unwired counterparts. Online grocery shoppers made fewer shopping trips per month (for all goods) and spent more per trip than those who did not shop online. Online orders tended to be larger than in-store purchases. At Tesco, for example, instore purchases averaged  £21 (about $33), while online orders averaged  £85 (about $136). Online shopping households averaged nearly $10,000 more in annual income over offline ones at a little over $70,000 per year. 2.3 e-Grocery Shopping Process and Various Business Models The process of buying grocery online consists of several major steps. They are ordering and payment, order-picking/ assembly and order delivery/ pickup. (Appendix C shows the process of e-grocery shopping in a figure.) Although all e-grocery transactions have these basic activities, e-grocers vary in how they carry them out. 2.3.1 Online Ordering A consumer who intends to buy groceries on the web would first go to an egrocers website to enter the zip code of the intended delivery address. The e-grocers website would tell the consumer whether home delivery or in-store pick-up i

The Narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper -- The Yellow Wallpaper

The Narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† the narrator becomes more depressed throughout the story because of the recommendation of isolation that was made to her. In this short story the narrator is detained in a lonesome, drab room in an attempt to free herself of a nervous disorder. The narrator’s husband, a physician, adheres to this belief and forces his wife into a treatment of solitude. Rather than heal the narrator of her psychological disorder, the treatment only contributes to its effects, driving her into a severe depression. Under the orders of her husband, the narrator is moved to a house far from society in the country, where in she is locked into an upstairs room. This environment serves not as an inspiration for mental health but as an element of repression. The locked door and barred windows serve to physically restrain her: â€Å"the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls.† The narrator is affected not only by the physical restraints but also by being exposed to the room’s yellow wallpaper is dreadful and fosters only negative creativity. â€Å"It is dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenly commit suicide – plunge off at outrageous angles, destroy themselves in unheard of contradictions.† All through the story the yellow wallpaper acts as an antagonist causing her to become very annoyed and disturbed. There is nothing to do in the secluded room but stare at the wallpaper. The narrator tells of the haphazard pattern having no organization or symmetrical plot. Her constant examination of and reflection o... ...reep over him every time!† Clearly this treatment is issued with good intentions but fails to bring about positive results. Gilman tries to show that according to her husband, the narrator continually brings her great depression upon herself. The author, Charlotte Perkins Gilman also attempts to show that the lack of social exposure, physical repression, and ugly wallpaper cause the treatment to be extremely ineffective and detrimental. The disorder which is being treated is actually strengthened to the point of a serious mental illness. Similarly in today’s society, medical and psychological advice may have the same effect. Medical technology and practice have progressed considerably since the time of the â€Å"Yellow Wallpaper.† This is not to say that today’s physicians are infallible. Perhaps some of today’s treatments are the â€Å"Yellow Wallpaper† of the future .