Culture briefing for a US based company selling bicycles Essay

Culture instructions for a US based organization selling bikes - Essay Example These divisions incorporate the pre-pioneer time, provincial period, and the post-frontier time. Kenya is generally known to contain forty two clans each with an unmistakable primary language. Generally, every single clan has its own particular history regarding movements and resettlements, improvement, correspondence and relations with different clans, customs, conventions, just as in exchange and industry. Based on resettlements, Kenya’s populace is bunches into Bantus, Nilotes, and Cushites. Cushites incorporate Somali and Borana among others. A few instances of the Nilotes incorporate Nandi, Pokot, and the Luos. Instances of Bantus incorporate Kikuyu, Embu, Meru, and Kambas. During the pre-pioneer period, most people in Kenya relied upon yields and creatures. In 1985, Kenya was colonized by Britain. The nation got its autonomy in 1963 (Hornsby, 2013). Geology According to Hornsby (2013), Kenya is a novel nation with a broad shoreline, an enormous extent secured by vegetati on, excellent mountains, bone-dry district, lakes, just as home to the Great Rift Valley. The Indian Ocean contacts Kenya towards the south east course. The nation has an aggregate of five nations as its neighbors. These nations incorporate Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, Sudan, and Ethiopia. Accessible sources affirm that the nation includes five climatic locales. These incorporate the Coast, the Rift Valley, Semi-desert, desert, and the lake district. Just 20% of the nation is viewed as fitting for both yield developing and creature keeping. A challenging 70% of the nation is either desert or semi desert. Political framework Since autonomy, the nation has maintained and protected a brought together type of government. It is essential to call attention to this concentrated type of government carried with it individualistic pioneers, for example, Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel Arap Moi. These rulers were exempt from the rules that everyone else follows during their residencies as presidents. T he present president is the fourth since freedom. The nation adjusted a multi-party framework in 1992. This saw the development of new gatherings dissimilar to the hour of Jomo Kenya and incompletely during Moi’s time whereby the nation had just a single ideological group, Kanu (Hornsby, 2013). Right now, Kenya is partitioned into forty seven districts each being spoken to by a representative and a congressperson. Financial point of view Economically, Kenya is a creating country. Therefore, this nation can be named as an entrepreneur country as far as the economy. It relies upon a huge extent with the global markets for exchange and trade. The nation gets the vast majority of its income through the importation of money harvests, for example, espresso and tea. The travel industry is likewise very much organized and composed in Kenya and is a wellspring of outside trade. Vacationer crowd the country’s natural life holds, game parks, too at the beach front district for it s positive and warm atmosphere (Hornsby, 2013). Conventions and customs Kenya contains forty two clans each rehearsing its own traditions and conventions. For example, Kambas experience different transitional experiences. They experience inception to become grown-up individuals from the network as right on time as the age of twelve. Youngsters are given the duty of maintaining, saving, just as protection of the network. The last stage among the Kambas is turning into a senior. The Maasai then again are known for keeping creatures and making decorations. There are

Case Study about 32 employees Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Contextual analysis around 32 workers - Research Paper Example Also, the meeting strategy shows the subjective quality of the information that the expert is gathering. In leading a Descriptive Research, the specialist will basically have the option to give a depiction of the common conduct of the representatives in the work environment (Creswell, 2003). Question Two: How might you arrange the kind of research directed in Phase Two? Answer: The kind of research led in Phase Two is Quantitative research. The Quantitative Research configuration utilizes numeric information so as to make surmisings about a specific gathering. For this situation, the advisor assembled numeric or quantitative information from the organization work records in the desire for finding huge contrasts in the information contained in the records (Creswell, 2003). Information: 1. During Phase One, the advisor discovered that half of the workers were PhDs associated with new item explore, the other half were workers engaged with conveying the product offerings to clients. The entirety of the PhDs were male, and the entirety of the workers were female. For the entirety of the females, the employee’s salary was an optional pay for the family; all were hitched and the larger part had kids. For the PhDs, the employee’s salary was the family’s essential pay; the larger part was hitched with kids. When solicited, the supervisors noticed that none of the representatives at any point abused the company’s truancy or lateness strategies. Most of the representatives communicated fulfillment with the company’s participation arrangements. A few workers (all workers) noticed that the approach managed them a decent arrangement of adaptability to deal with family matters varying. The organization granted 20 days (160 hours) out of each time of get-away time that could gather to a sum of 40 days; they likewise gave 20 days (160 hours) of debilitated leave that could accumulate to 180 days at which time long haul incapacity took over pay ing the person’s compensation. Wiped out leave and excursion could be taken on an hourly premise with administrator endorsement. 2. The table underneath contains the numerical information gathered by the expert. Vac. Time Sick Leave Employee Gender Class. (hours) (hours) 1 M R 250 1000 2 M R 300 1250 3 F L 5 10 4 F L 4 25 5 M R 200 900 6 F L 100 24 7 M R 110 875 8 F L 75 150 9 F L 65 140 10 F L 120 250 11 M R 250 1225 12 M R 243 1210 13 F L 25 100 14 F L 10 50 15 M R 200 1100 16 M R 210 1098 17 F L 24 45 18 F L 15 23 19 F L 10 15 20 M R 220 1200 21 M R 250 1245 22 F L 25 54 23 M R 300 1300 24 F L 70 80 25 F L 80 100 26 M R 320 1440 27 M R 320 1440 28 F L 45 100 29 F L 34 100 30 M R 190 1000 31 M R 200 1100 32 M R 210 1200 Question Three: Calculate the normal measure of excursion and debilitated leave for the two gatherings of workers (i.e., PhDs and workers). It would be ideal if you show your work. Answer: In figuring the normal measure of excursion and debilitated leave for the two gatherings of workers, the table was inputted to Excel and the information was arranged so all analysts were assembled and all workers were gathered. Afterwhich, the â€Å"AVERAGE† work was utilized to locate the required qualities. The accompanying outcomes were discovered: Table 1. Normal Vacation and Sick Leave for Laborers and Researchers.  Vacation Time (in hours) Sick Leave (in hours) Laborers 44.2 79.1 Researchers 235.8 1161.4 Question Four: Calculate the standard deviation for the measure of vacati

New Student Photo Entry #3 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

New Student Photo Entry #3 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog These photos come from incoming MIA student Emily Donnan. This is a photograph taken in a rural village in Malawi during the summer of 2008; I volunteered with the organization World Camp for Kids and spent six weeks helping to provide HIV/AIDS and deforestation education to over 1,800 Malawian children.   In this photo I am building a solar oven with one of our students out of cardboard and tin foil.   I hope to merge joint interests in child welfare and sustainability at SIPA. This is a photo of me reading to my new nephew in June 2008; I am ecstatic to be an Aunt! __________________________________________________ The following comes from new student Rostyslav R. Korchysnkyy who will be entering the PEPM program. This photo was taken in late May, 2009 in the Carpathian mountains, Western Ukraine. Colorful and intricate craftsmanship of the 18-th century clothing of Hutsuls, an ethno-cultural group of Ukrainian highlanders who for centuries have inhabited the Carpathian mountains, mainly in Ukraine, but also in the northern extremity of Romania, as well as in Slovakia and Poland.

Legal and Ethical Issues Essay - 832 Words

Assignment 1 2 Health care professionals must learn how to balance the principles of Nonmaleficence, Beneficence, Autonomy, and Justice especially in a busy hospital as in the case of Armando Dimas. Health care ethics is a type of normative, applied ethics. It is based on the assumption that, despite all of our differences, we can determine what is right and wrong within the constraints of a human condition prone to error. The goal of health care ethics is to provide health care professionals, students who seek health care careers, and members of the general public with moral guidelines that any rational†¦show more content†¦It was a surprise to the staff when they were able to speak with Armando, they found that he actually wanted all measures possible to save his life even though he would be a quadriplegic for the rest of his life. Doing this, he was asserting his autonomy and not taking the disregard of beneficence and nonmalefience from the staff. Mr. Dimas stayed in the hospital and was given all possible services that the hospital could provide for him. Problems came about which are related to justice. In our country, it is not right to treat one patient different than another patient when the circumstances are similar. One must think about the effort, need, ability to pay, resources and merit to provide fair treatment to everyone. In this situation, Armando had no insurance and became a financial burden to the hospital. The hospital however, did do everything they could to help Armando and even helped him get a custom wheel chair thus keeping their principles of justice. As time went on, even though the hospital did what they could, their ethical standards became too much for them. They had to compare what it was costing for just one patient compared to how many they would have to turn away if they continued to abso rb the costs for Armando’s care. The hospital made the decision to transfer him to a cheaper facility that could care for him. Armando actually liked the new facility, Barts, and the care thatShow MoreRelatedThe Legal And Ethical Issues1532 Words   |  7 Pages Introduction This essay will address the Legal and Ethical issues in relation to the case study. It will outline the four elements of valid consent and applicable issues needed to prove and defend the claim for all parties involved. The Universal declaration of bioethics and human rights identifies three relevant principles to this case study. Beneficence and non-maleficent, the notion of proper free and informed consent, autonomy and the measure in place to protect individuals not capable ofRead MoreLegal And Ethical Issues1098 Words   |  5 PagesWhile the achievements Rob Smith in the Research and Development department are quite extraordinary to say the least, there has been information put forward by Michael Jones (Senior VP of RD) that brings both, legal and ethical concerns to light. These rumors being that Rob had acquired some outside knowledge, which in turn led to a breakthrough within the Research and Development department. I have been asked to review all relevant information, and make a determination of if MegaLab acted unethicallyRead MoreThe Ethical And Legal Issues1831 Words   |  8 PagesThe Issue The concept of autonomy spans both ethical and legal issues as it pertains to the aging population. This paper will focus on the ethical perspective of trying to keep a balance between allowing an aging (65+) person to maintain their autonomy when making rational and intelligent life choices while at the same time assisting them from making bad choices that might harm them emotionally, financial, spiritually or even physically in some instances. Autonomy comes from the Greek word forRead MoreQuestions On Ethical And Legal Issues929 Words   |  4 PagesChapter Summary 4: Ethical and Legal Issues Chapter four was very informative and explain a lot about the legal issues and rules that are placed in the psychology field. The text put in perspective the importance of ethical and legal issues and how interns should be aware of policies. It also talked about confidentiality and release of information. It is very imperative that a client’s information stays private for legal matters. Ethical and law codes were created so that clients can have securityRead MoreLegal Ethical and Regulatory Issues1479 Words   |  6 PagesLegal, Ethical Regulatory Issues The online banking industry is a growing and a continually evolving business. This paper will identify and describes the legal, ethical, and regulatory issues that impact online banking the Websites. Business ethics examines ethical rules and principles within a commercial context involved in e-commerce are faced with the same if not more legal issues as any other business; these issues include, but are not limited to jurisdiction, contract, and legitimacyRead MoreLegal, Ethical, And Policy Issues1392 Words   |  6 Pages Legal, Ethical, and Policy Issues, Oh My! Julia Colasurdo SUNY College of Technology at Alfred State Abstract Legal, ethical, and policy issues are an important aspect of nursing and medical informatics. Nurses should be aware of the dilemmas facing the use of informatics in the health care facilities. It is important to note the legal issues facing nursing because of the charges of negligence that can be incurred on the nurse if not aware. Ethical dilemmas of privacy including securityRead MorePlan For Legal And Ethical Issues989 Words   |  4 PagesPlan for Legal and Ethical Issues It can be stressful enough to find the best location for a business to build a home base in the United States; it is even more challenging to attempt to expand the business to other parts of the world. It is important for the company to consider what are the most viable options in location and which can better assist in the success and growth of the company. This paper will discuss a manufacturing company looking to base a plant here in the United States, but alsoRead MoreEthical and Legal Issues in Nursing956 Words   |  4 PagesETHICAL AND LEGAL ISSUES OF Nursing Many confusing factors make it a task to establish, monitor and sustain ethical and legal issues in nursing. Everyone has various personal views based on experiences of life, religion, education and political affiliations, all nurses should be aware about nursing laws and ethics and understand how nursing legal issues can affect them. The American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics is very influential to nurses because it is used as a framework for makingRead MoreEthical and Legal Issues in Nursing1221 Words   |  5 PagesEthical and Legal Issues in Nursing University of Phoenix Nursing 391 Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing Marianne, the 79-year old woman who presented with a hemorrhagic stroke in a recent case study, brings up thought for ethical debate. Her outlook is poor, with or without surgery, and she has no advanced directive. Her husband and children cannot come to an agreement on whether life support should end or if all resuscitative measures should be attempted. The following paper will discussRead MoreThe Ethical And Legal Issues Of Healthcare1680 Words   |  7 Pagesamong the largest ethical and legal issues in healthcare. There is a concern as to whether or not there will be enough medications to go around in the future and how will these limited quantities be distributed. When shortages happen it is usually because economic incentive for a manufacturer is down. Money is king and if there is no profit to be made in manufacturing these medications then manufactures will not waste production time on them. Drug shortages will be a prevailing issue unless we can

Rape and Intimate Partner Abuse In The Lesbian Community...

In every 45 seconds, someone is sexually violated in the United States. Out of every 6 women, one has experienced an attempted rape or complete rape. Lesbians and bisexual women remain at increased risk of sexual victimization compared to heterosexual women. In order for a woman to determine the direction of her life, she must first determine her sexuality. Sexuality is a deep, integral part of any human’s life. This should not be a subject of coercion or debate. The society must recognize that a woman has the right to freely pre-determine her sexuality without oppression and discrimination (Burn, 2004). Traditionally, women throughout history and culture have undertaken the role of independent, non-heterosexual, women-connected existence.†¦show more content†¦Women neither become lesbians due to shortage of men nor because they were abused by men. Lesbians, just like women in heterosexual relationships are subjected to physical, sexual and verbal abuse by their partn ers. Abusive dominating partner may subject the partner to emotional, physical and psychological abuse. The notion that a woman does not possess the strength or aggressiveness possessed by men is wrong and misplaced. Cases of lesbians being abused by their partners have been reported in the United States and other parts of the world including South Africa. Studies on domestic violence have been carried out for decades. In recent years, scholars have been paying attention to domestic violence in the context of non-heterosexual relationships. They have called for intensive research of lesbian intimate partner violence (IPV) and into the experience of lesbian survivors (Walters, 2011). There is a myth regarding lesbian utopia. The myth originated from the idea that societies in which friendships and relationships are void of men are protected from the natural control and power men possess over women in the patriarchal society. This utopian myth has the perception that since lesbian rel ationships are composed of two women, then a kind of default egalitarianism is naturally created. Such a myth encourages the delusion that lesbian communities are more enlightened thanShow MoreRelated Rape and Intimate Partner Abuse1558 Words   |  7 PagesIn every 45 seconds, someone is sexually violated in the United States. Out of every 6 women, one has experienced an attempted rape or complete rape. Lesbians and bisexual women remain at increased risk of sexual victimization compared to heterosexual women. In order for a woman to determine the direction of her life, she must first determine her sexuality. Sexuality is a deep, integral part of any human’s life. This should not be a subject of coercion or debate. The society must recognize that aRead MoreGender, And Sexuality Studies1285 Words   |  6 PagesHomosexuality Are lesbian more accepted by society than gay men? Acceptance amongst lesbian more so than gay men is one of the few of many discriminating factors that occur amongst the homosexual community. When it comes to homosexuality women has a better chance of being accepted by society than gay men. In most cases lesbians are taken less serious, people do not react to lesbians the same way they react to gay men. Studies have shown that gay men are more victimized by society than lesbians. It does notRead MoreDomestic Violence At Affordable Price Please Use Custom Research Paper1276 Words   |  6 Pagesin-text citations, and a bibliography with 31 sources. Outline I. Introduction II. History III. Types of Abuse A. Physical Violence B. Sexual Violence C. Psychological Violence D. Stalking E. Dating Violence IV. Prevalence of Domestic Violence V. Explaining Domestic Violence A. Cycle of Violence B. Psychopathology C. Perceived Gender Roles VI. Domestic Violence and the GLBT Community VII. Domestic Violence: Myth Versus Fact VIII. Domestic Violence Legislation A. Effects of LegislationRead MoreViolence Against Women s Violence872 Words   |  4 Pagesof our cultures and our lives. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), it is estimated that 84,376 forcible rapes were reported to law enforcement in 2012, estimated at 52.9 per 100,000 female inhabitants (Uniform Crime Reporting [UCR], 2013). However, these rape statistics are actually much greater, due to the fact that many women do not report their rape and/or the violence and assault itself. Thirty years ago, most forms of violence against women were hidden under a cloak of silenceRead MoreGender And Gender Violence1482 Words   |  6 PagesGender-based violence is the unequal power relationships between men and women. It includes rape, sexual assault and harassment, domestic abuse, and stalking. Gender violence reflects the idea that violence is often used to uphold structural gender inequalities. Gender violence includes all types of violence against men, women, childr en, gay, lesbian, and transgender people. Gender violence may be experienced differently based on the social variables of race, age, gender, social class or anotherRead MoreDefinition Of Violence Against Women Essay1372 Words   |  6 Pagesdomestic violence usually refers to interpersonal violence in a domestic setting such as family or intimate relationships. This can occur between man and woman, parent and child, siblings and same sex partners (Flood Fergus, n.d). There are nine different types of violence perpetrated against women. These include physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, verbal, spiritual, cultural, financial and abuse (Violence prevention initiative, 2015). Violence against women can happen anywhere such as inRead MoreDomestic Violence And Sexual Abuse881 Words   |  4 Pagesof domestic abuse against current players. In it, a woman phones the police, forced to pretend to be ordering a pizza in order to not raise suspicion from her abuser, who is in the roo m with her. The creator of the commercial, No More, is an advocacy group that is working to end domestic violence and sexual abuse. On their website, they cite the 2013 Avon Foundation for Women’s NO MORE study, which found that while nearly two thirds of Americans know a victim of domestic or sexual abuse, those twoRead MoreDomestic violence Essay examples7765 Words   |  32 Pagesviolence or other abuse by one person against another in a domestic context, such as in marriage or cohabitation. Intimate partner violence is domestic violence against a spouse or other intimate partner. Domestic violence can take place in heterosexual or same-sex relationships. Domestic violence can take a number of forms including physical, emotional, verbal, economic and sexual abuse, which can range from subtle, coercive forms to marital rape and to violent physical abuse that results in disfigurementRead MoreHunyango Sa Bato - Abdon Balde Jr.6135 Words   |  25 Pagesalso known as  domestic abuse,à ‚  spousal abuse,  battering,  family violence, and  intimate partner violence (IPV), is defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one partner against another in an  intimate relationship  such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation.[1]  Domestic violence, so defined, has many forms, including physical aggression or assault (hitting, kicking, biting, shoving, restraining, slapping, throwing objects), or threats thereof;  sexual abuse;  emotional abuse; controlling or domineering;  intimidation;  stalking;Read MoreEssay on Domestic Violence Informative Outline1358 Words   |  6 PagesViolence, Every nine seconds a woman is abused by her husband or intimate partner. At least 1 in every 4 women and 1 in every 9 men have been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in their lifetime. Most often the abuser is one of their own family. Domestic violence is a problem that somehow affects every one of us in this room at some time and is actually the leadi ng cause of injury to women -- more than car accidents, muggings and rapes combined. RELATE TOPIC TO AUDIENCE: As I mentioned, domestic

Continue to Fund NASA Free Essays

The wreckage of the ship and the remains of her seven crew members were strewn all across Texas and parts of Louisiana. Even the most staunch NASA believers contemplated their support for the agency as fire rained from the sky. It had been nearly 17 years since the last fatal disaster of the Challenger explosion, and this served as another frightening reminder that space travel till is not safe. We will write a custom essay sample on Continue to Fund NASA or any similar topic only for you Order Now The incident caused the question that everyone asked themselves that day: Is the journey Of space travel and exploration worth the sacrifice of human lives? This line of thinking has ultimately lead to the debate over whether we, as American tax payers, should continue to fund NASA in its mission to explore and understand the universe. I propose that NASA is not only an important part of our government, but an absolute critical piece of our development as a human species. We are a race destined for the stars, and the formation of agencies like NASA were the first steps to that end. To better understand NASA, we have to look at the agency from its inception. NASA was essentially born out of fear of Soviet space superiority. On October 4, 1957 the Soviet Union launch the worlds first artificial satellite into space by the name of Sputnik (Gerber, Lanais). As a direct result, almost exactly one year later NASA was formed with 8,000 employees and a 1 00 million dollar budget. The initial goal of NASA was to make up lost ground on the Soviets in the space race, but on May 25, 1961 President John F Kennedy gave NASA its prime directive: put a man on the moon and bring him back feely before the end of the decade. With an astonishing pace and efficiency, that goal was achieve on July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon and gave his famous â€Å"One Small Step for Man† speech. At that time, the whole country was behind NASA and its mission. The very act of putting a man on the moon changed our society in many ways. Man was no longer bound to the Earth, and it changed our perception of the universe. Exploration of space and the stars seemed within our grasp. It looked like only a matter of time before the common man would be colonizing the moon. Fast forward almost forty years later and we find that Man has not been back since. The notion that we were able to send a man to the moon in eight years, but spend the next forty idly by on Earth and our low orbit space stations does not sit well with some. And, if you are just looking at the small picture of manned space travel, it would seem that NASA is moving at a snails pace. Since the last moon landing, Man has not moved an inch past our low orbit space stations. When looking at faults, there are many to be found as to why this has occurred. The first thing we can look at is the faltered support NASA received from our entry in the past few decades. When Americans started dying for the cause, we all slowly started losing our taste for space travel. This also occurred when we realized the high cost of sending man into space. The public does not see the benefits of sending a man to the moon again, as the â€Å"been there, done that† mentality has prevailed. This is especially apparent as of late when Obama just recently canceled the Constellation Program, which aimed at getting a man back on the moon by 2020 (Atkinson). The ultimate goal was to start towards building a lunar base from which we could launch other space sessions from. Yet, even though we had already spent 9 billion dollars on the project, it was axed. NASA was cited as â€Å"over budget, behind schedule, and lacking in innovation due to a failure to invest in critical new technologies. † Instead, NASA was urged to invest and inspire the centralization of space flight (Belton). This comes about because the space shuttle fleet will be retiring this year, and the US will be entirely reliant on the Russian space agency to ferry our astronauts to the International Space Station for the next few years. It is suggested that spurring growth in this sector will achieve Beam’s angle of creating jobs and will be better economically than sending our money to Russia. While I find the centralization of space flight a step in a good direction, I believe the cancellation of the Constellation program shows an enormous lack of foresight on the Obama administration’s part. While this move harkens back to when the government spurred growth in commercial aviation sector by use of the Airmail initiative (Simmers 2), one must realize that the money is just not there yet for commercial study and exploration. The projects NASA have undertaken have required massive budgets with usually very little monetary return. This is not necessarily the arena for private industry, who have a bottom line to worry about. There has been much outcry as to the cost of supporting NASA through public funding. This year Anna’s budget actually increased 6% to just under 18 billion dollars, which to some, are not being spent wisely. It is unfortunately true that NASA has become the government agency that nobody wanted it to be: big, bloated, inefficient and expensive. It seems it has fallen into the pit that most other government agencies have. For proof of this e can look at Anna’s latest Mars rover project, the Mars Science Laboratory (MS). The rover was supposed to launch near the end of 2009 and now has been delayed (twice) to 201 1 (Chance). The budget for this project was approved at 1. 6 billion but now is projected to surpass 2. 2 billion by launch. Even if you look at Anna’s more recent success stories the public has been asking â€Å"is it worth it? ‘ The Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity launched in 2003 and were expected to last only 6 months. Six years later and we find they are still operating on Mars and sending back data. At a total cost of -? 944 million for a six year mission, you could say that’s a bargain (Chivies). Yet, there are many who wonder how soil samples and weather patterns on Mars help us when there many more issues down on Earth that need attention. Some have urged for the slashing and outright abolishment of NASA in favor of shifting its budget to other social programs like well fare, national health care or education. While I am not debating the whether or not these programs need more funding, I am stating that diminishing Anna’s budget and overall presence would be a huge blow to the development of the IIS and he human race as a whole. When looking at the overall governmental spending budget, NASA is only a drop in the bucket, totaling only less than 1% (Change). Compare that to the height of the Apollo missions that took 5% of the budget, it shows that today’s program is affordable. The national defense budget is nearly 40 times that of Anna’s. While NASA does not directly work towards the hyphenation of space (that is the Air Force’s domain), maintaining space superiority does lend to our country’s defense. One can only imagine if Russia or China gains the upper hand. Regardless, the minute anis we might see by diverting Anna’s funding elsewhere would be greatly outweighed by the detrimental effects this would have on our country and perhaps the world. So far you might say there haven’t been many pro’s for NASA that have been presented. The fruits of Anna’s labors really fall into two categories: tangible and intangible. The intangible gifts that NASA has given us are really the hardest to defend as they may not directly benefit us. For instance, NASA has discovered more than 300 explants (planets orbiting stars outside our solar system) and are still finding new and better ways to detect them Cowmen). They recent launched the Keeper space telescope that will aid us in finding even more explants. The knowledge that there are definitively more planets outside our solar system, while not surprising, does nothing for us now and helps no one at the moment. Yet, the information we might glean from these explants may perhaps unlock how planets are formed in our universe; and may even give a glimpse into how life is formed. One cannot put a price tag on expanding the human understanding of the universe. But, knowing how life or planets are formed do not help the starving or the dying. For those who do not care that Uranus has 1000 MPH wind speeds or that at the center of every galaxy there may be a super massive black hole; we must look at the direct and tangible presents that NASA has bestowed on our society. Many, many innovative technologies have been directly and indirectly created by NASA is pursuit of its goals. If you get lost in the woods and your GAPS leads you back to safety; you can thank NASA for that. If MR. scan catches the early stages of cancer and you get to live a full life because of it, you can thank NASA (Change 2). If your fire alarm goes off and you can get out of your souse before it is engulfed in flames; again, you can thank NASA. If you have an ear thermometer, cell phone, satellite TV or cordless drill; you can thank in whole or in part, NASA. The technologies NASA has given the world has not only made life easier, but has saved countless lives as well. Let’s not forgot Anna’s enormous contributions to meteorology either, which have not only saved lives but have help the agricultural sector as well. All these things we may not have come about if NASA hadn’t help create them as a means to their end. If all of Anna’s contributions to humanity have not swayed you than reaps nothing will. You must take into account this though; that the fate of the entire world and the human race may be on Nanas shoulders. I’m sure you have all seen movies like Armageddon and Deep Impact, and believable or not these Earth striking comets are a very real possibility. The only way we will have fair warning if this comes to pass will be through the efforts of agencies like NASA. The only organizations even considering the possibilities and contingency plans are those like NASA This is not fear mongering either; the widely accepted notion that Earth has been hit by a comet before exulting in the extinction of species like the dinosaurs is proof enough that it is possible. It may very well be that one day NASA saves the Earth from destruction, and We will breath sigh of relief that we kept them around. When its all said and done, we need NASA. They have given us so much in the way of knowledge and tech analogical advancements that we shouldn’t turn our backs on them now. Granted, they are not perfect and do have many glaring flaws. Perhaps they need a restructuring or new leadership to get them back on the path. The fact remains that we are indebted to NASA for eloping us grow technologically and as humans looking up wide eyed at the sky. How to cite Continue to Fund NASA, Papers

Responding to the Work on Textile Mills From Consent to Liberation

Nowadays, it is hard to believe that the rights and freedoms which people have used to be nothing resembling the reality even remotely in the recent past. However, before having obtained their rights comparatively not so long ago, women in the USA have had to go a long way to the independence from their employers and the recognition of their own freedoms.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Responding to the Work on Textile Mills: From Consent to Liberation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Claiming that the response of the women working on the farms to the harsh conditions and the unbearable attitude from the employers has changed rapidly over several decades after women started gaining positions in the given sphere of employment, Thomas Dublin stresses that women in the United States finally started fighting for their rights and mad the while country recognize the fact that women working in the mills also had to hav e decent working conditions. Despite the doubtless fact of the incredible change in the attitudes towards female workers, it must be admitted that at the very start of engaging women in the work on mills, the employees accepted the harsh and even brutal working conditions eagerly. The latter could be explained rather easily, since, according to Dublin, the rules on the mills were strict and even the slightest disobedience resulted in immediate dismissal (The Annenberg/CPB collection, n.d.). It is worth mentioning, though, that women themselves first agreed to the moral restrictions which were imposed on every single one of them and followed them without a word of disconcert, which is a clear cut example of the model for women behavior in the given time period. According to Dublin, the work on mills was supposed to be â€Å"a process in which young women are socializing their peers in which women are able to escape their families for a short period of time† (The Annenberg/CPB collection, n.d.), e.g., a kind of boarding school or college experience for women. What could be called as â€Å"corporate paternalism† (The Annenberg/CPB collection, n.d.) appeared to be the strictest set of rules for moral conduct. Therefore, despite the expectations, young women obtained the same patronizing attitude as the one in their families. In addition, women followed these rules eagerly, which could be explained by the enthusiasm to work: â€Å"I was so invested in learning that I endured it very well† (The Annenberg/CPB collection, n.d.), one of the workers explained. The given attitude towards rather cruel and extremely uncomfortable working conditions were caused not only by the prospects of learning certain skills and obtaining the rights and ability to work, but also from the poverty which seized New England then; as Bernstein (1991) states, â€Å"Dublin found that between 1830 and 1860, rural economic disasters predisposed young farm daughters to ente r the mills† (221). Hence, it was the financial necessity that made women start working on mills.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, according to Dublin, the working conditions started to become even harsher and the response did not keep the employer waiting. According to Dublin (1995), â€Å"The New England textile industry expanded dramatically between 1850 and 1900† (230). Since more mills emerged and the productivity increased, the price of the cloth produced on the mills started decreasing rapidly, which meant more working hours and less payment per hour for the female employees in the mills; as Dublin explained, in 1830, female workers were to produce only 2 looms of cloth, while later on, the average amount of the produced material peaked to four looms (The Annenberg/CPB collection, n.d.). Together with the same harsh working environment, low wages and the same sanctimonious morals which the employers still approved of, the above-mentioned facts triggered a logically negative response, which should have been anticipated. Not only did women create their own associations, but also took even more decisive steps, like organizing strikes: â€Å"In February 1834, the women textile mill operatives of Lowell, Massachusetts ‘turned out’ (went on strike) when employers proposed a wage reduction† (Allan DeLuzio, 2009, 67). As a result of the inhumane treatment which they received in mills, women grouped in associations in the forties. As Dublin explained, â€Å"In the forties, a law of female labor reform association was formed with Sarah Bagley as its president. Under Bagley’s leadership, other female labor reform associations began to appear† (The Annenberg/CPB collection, n.d.). Thus, it is obvious that the New England women did not respond to the harsh and cruel environment immediately, since the very fact of o btaining a working position meant solely a whole new world to the female population of the USA. However, in a moment incredibly short from a historical point of view, women managed to gain practically the same freedoms and rights which men used to have on the given time slot; moreover, not only the recognition of women’s rights, but also the failure of the false morals which women had no longer to follow with after their breakthrough must be mentioned.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Responding to the Work on Textile Mills: From Consent to Liberation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Indeed, it is clear that because of the change in the response to the unbearable working conditions and the creation of the unions which further on defended women’s rights in the sphere of employment, women in New England started being treated as human beings by their employers. Reference List Allan, C. DeLuzio, C. (20 09). Women’s rights: People and perspectives. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. Bernstein, G. L. (1991). Recreating Japanese women, 1600-1945. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. The Annenberg/CPB collection (n.d.). American history I. The Annenberg/CPB collection, Annenberg, CA. This essay on Responding to the Work on Textile Mills: From Consent to Liberation was written and submitted by user Jane Roth to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Legacy Of James Earl Rudder

The Legacy of James Earl Rudder James Earl Rudder, soldier, land commissioner, and president of Texas A however, the most memorable description would undoubtedly be as lieutenant colonel commander and trainer of the Second Ranger Battalion during World War II. It was this part of Rudder that established his name as one of America’s greatest leaders and war heroes. In a search for the perfect leader, few would make a list lacking his name, and when looking for a model for future leaders, who better than the man who successfully led the most important mission in World War II. The story, in short, happened as such: At approximately 4:30 a.m. on the morning of 6 June 1944 the Rangers set out for their objective. The small flotilla of British assault landing craft, loaded down with 225 men of the U.S. 2nd Ranger Battalion, approached the cliffs of Normandy. Fifteen Rangers were killed or wounded during the struggle through the rough surf, and the dash across the heavily cratered narrow beach. The fighting, the bleeding, and the dying on the Normandy beaches had begun. The D-Day Ranger Force of two battalions, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James Earl Rudder, a former football coach and rancher of Brady, Texas, had a special mission on the right flank (western anchor) of Omaha Beach. Three companies of the 2nd Ranger Battalion were to scale the 100 foot high cliffs in an isolated action three miles west of the main landings, and take a heavily fortified battery position at the "Pointe du Hoc". One compan... Free Essays on Legacy Of James Earl Rudder Free Essays on Legacy Of James Earl Rudder The Legacy of James Earl Rudder James Earl Rudder, soldier, land commissioner, and president of Texas A however, the most memorable description would undoubtedly be as lieutenant colonel commander and trainer of the Second Ranger Battalion during World War II. It was this part of Rudder that established his name as one of America’s greatest leaders and war heroes. In a search for the perfect leader, few would make a list lacking his name, and when looking for a model for future leaders, who better than the man who successfully led the most important mission in World War II. The story, in short, happened as such: At approximately 4:30 a.m. on the morning of 6 June 1944 the Rangers set out for their objective. The small flotilla of British assault landing craft, loaded down with 225 men of the U.S. 2nd Ranger Battalion, approached the cliffs of Normandy. Fifteen Rangers were killed or wounded during the struggle through the rough surf, and the dash across the heavily cratered narrow beach. The fighting, the bleeding, and the dying on the Normandy beaches had begun. The D-Day Ranger Force of two battalions, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James Earl Rudder, a former football coach and rancher of Brady, Texas, had a special mission on the right flank (western anchor) of Omaha Beach. Three companies of the 2nd Ranger Battalion were to scale the 100 foot high cliffs in an isolated action three miles west of the main landings, and take a heavily fortified battery position at the "Pointe du Hoc". One compan...

Definition and Examples of Word Grammar (WG)

Definition and Examples of Word Grammar (WG) Word grammar is a general theory of language structure which holds that grammatical knowledge is largely a body (or network) of knowledge about words. Word grammar (WG) was originally developed in the 1980s by British linguist Richard Hudson (University College London).   Observations [Word Grammar theory] consists of the [following] generalization: A language is a network of entities related by propositions. -Richard Hudson, Word Grammar Dependency RelationsIn WG, syntactic structures are analyzed in terms of dependency relations between single words, a parent and a dependent. Phrases ​are defined by dependency structures which consist of a word plus the phrases rooted in any of its dependents. In other words, WG syntax does not use phrase structure in describing sentence structure, because everything that needs to be said about sentence structure can be formulated in terms of dependencies between single words. -Eva Eppler Language as a NetworkThe conclusions so far, then, are more or less uncontroversial:[T]he idea of language as a conceptual network actually leads to new questions and highly controversial conclusions. The words network and conceptual are both contentious. We start with the notion of language as a network. In WG, the point of this claim is that language is nothing but a networkthere are no rules, principles, or parameters to complement the network. Everything in language can be defined formally in terms of nodes and their relations. This is also accepted as one of the main tenets of cognitive linguistics. -Richard Hudson, Language Networks: The New Word Grammar.   Word Grammar (WG) and Construction Grammar (CG)The central claim of WG is that language is organized as a cognitive network; the major consequence of this claim is that the theory eschews part-whole structures such as are central in Phrase Structure Grammar.   Phrases are not basic to WG analyses and so the central unit of organization within WG is the dependency, which is a pairwise relationship between two words. In this respect, the theory is different from Construction Grammar (CG), because WG has no level of analysis which is larger than the word and  the (pairwise) dependency which associates two words. . . . There are, however, some key points of similarity between WG and CG: both theories assume a symbolic relationship between the units  of syntax and an associated semantic structure; both theories are usage based;  both theories are declarative; both theories have a structured lexicon; and both theories exploit default inheritance. -Nikolas Gisborne, Dependencies Are Constructions: A Case Study in Predicative Complementation.   Sources Richard Hudson,  Word Grammar. Blackwell, 1984Eva Eppler, Word Grammar and Syntactic Code-Mixing Research.  Word Grammar: New Perspectives, ed. K. Sugayama and R. Hudson. Continuum, 2006Richard Hudson,  Language Networks: The New Word Grammar. Oxford University Press, 2007Nikolas Gisborne, Dependencies Are Constructions: A Case Study in Predicative Complementation.  Constructional Approaches to English Grammar, ed. by  Graeme Trousdale and Nikolas Gisborne. Walter de Gruyter, 2008

Leadership Communication Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Leadership Communication - Coursework Example The understanding of one’s audience is very important for leaders in ensuring effective communication for several reasons. The first reason is that understanding the audience presents the leader an opportunity to know the best ways to employ in delivering the message to the audience to ensure a great number of the audience understand or benefit from the information conveyed (Barret, 2014). The leader needs to understand the reasons why his topic is important to the audience, as well as the lessons he may want the audience to learn or know relevant to his presentation. Knowing the audience involves understanding their cultural differences, religious beliefs, age, educational levels, among other things. In order to ensure effective communication in this case, the leader needs to project positive ethos. In order to achieve this, a leader needs to be trustworthy (Agarwal, 2010). This helps make the audience build trust on him. In addition, the leader needs to have good reputation as well as develop and uphold similarity with the audience. This helps in maintaining trust as well as winning the approval of the audience, thereby making the communication effective (Barret, 2014). There are several barriers to effective communication. Some of these include language barriers, gender, emotional barriers, as well as cultural barriers. Physical, perceptual as well as interpersonal barriers may also form part of the barriers to effective communication (Agarwal, 2010). For instance, a person may communicate in a language that the audience do not understand. This is a form of language barrier. This was one case experienced in my workplace recently involving ineffective communication. The leader came and issued instructions in his local dialect. As a result, nobody understood what he said. However, he never bothered to explain or translate to a language that we could understand. This could be

Intellectual property project ( Business and Commercial law ) Assignment

Intellectual property project ( Business and Commercial law ) - Assignment Example This paper presents an example of a case in which the intellectual property legislation of the cell phone market has been breached. In the shop where I spotted this original HTC phone, it was selling at $120. However, according to what one of the shop attendants told me, the price was slightly negotiable. I guess it could sell as low as $110. The price of this product according to the shop, in which I spotted it, was $52. Comparing with the previous similar phone (real) that I had seen earlier, I got interested in why it was selling so cheap. At a glance, I could not notice any difference. However, after a close look at the phone, I noticed some differences from the original phone. The original HTC phones are manufactured by a company called HTC Corporation, with its headquarters in Xindian, New Taipei City, Taiwan. The company was formerly known as High-Tech Computer Corporation. State laws protect the intellectual properties. Any attempt use an intellectual property without authorization is considered infringement (Hg.org, 2015). The manufacturers of the fake hTC mobile phones violate the intellectual laws in a number of ways. The first and foremost, their product resembles the HTC corporation’s product by general look as well as the product name. The HTC label used on the phone is a trademark of HTC Corporation. Any other firm that sells products with a similar label violates the federal law No. 8 of 2002, as provided by the trade regulations in UAE. If the firm runs its businesses in United States, it would be a violation of the intellectual law, as provided in section 396(3A) of Act 1988 (Groves, 1997). The production of a product similar to those patented by another company is an offense. It violates the intellectual laws related to copyright, patent, design rights, just to mention a few. The manufacturer of the fake HTC mobile, in this case, violated the intellectual laws by manufacturing phone similar to the ones that existed

The Theoretical Approach To Innovation Business Essay

The Theoretical Approach To Innovation Business Essay It is difficult to imagine nowadays business world without innovation. Many enterprises simply depend on their ability to be innovative for achieving and sustaining competitive advantage (Frishammar, Parida, Westerberg, 2012). Moreover, it is important to note that not only theoretical but also conceptual understanding of innovation has developed significantly since the early 1980s (Hong, Oxley, McCann, 2012). Hence, it is essential to understand the importance of linking innovation to new markets. In this paper the following will be discussed: Models of innovation; Types of innovation; The importance of anticipating market needs and connecting them with a new technological capability in the cases of radical and incremental innovations; Ways to empower people to innovate. Theoretical Approach to Innovation Innovation undoubtedly became the engine of the progress, competitive ability and economic growth. Baumol (2002) even regards innovation as a life-and-death matter for a firm. However, paradox is that still some difficulties remain in understanding what exactly the innovation is and how important it is in nowadays world. Despite the fact that there are many definitions of processes of innovation, Gordon and McCann (2005) suggest that, generally, all innovations contain three underlying elements: newness (1), improvement (2) and the overcoming of uncertainty (3). Newness is probably one of the most important parts of innovation, although such newness could be understood as something novel to the form or industry as a whole (McCann, Oxley, 2013, p.54). Improvemet is related to the fact that firms need to find the superior quality to those products which currently exist in the market. Overcoming uncertainty means that such improvement is determined by the market and that market need have to be clarified. In addition, it is esential to remember that all these elements are driven by the technological advance. So it is clear that the process of innovation is complex, involving many different variables to consider. Models of Innovation When talking about innovation and its importance it is substancial to understand the models, concepts and types of innovation. Many models have been developed throughout all these years. However, no model appears to be capable to being utilized as a generalised model of innovation (Forrest, 1991). In this paper the following 5 models will be discussed: Linear model Technology push Linear model Market pull Interactive Network System Linear Models Technology Push and Maket Pull In 1960s and 1970s the new approach to the models of innovation has come. Concentration was focused on the idea that specific processes can generate new technologies and the learning involved in technological change (Shavinina, 2003). The first linear description of innovation was called technology push. The main idea of this model is that innovation is based on the advance in both science and techology because, at the same time, it can lead to the technological development and rise of new products in the market. The step sequence is as follows (Shavinina, 2003): Basic Science à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Applied Science and Engineering à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacturing à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Marketing à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Sales Another linear model was developed afterwards the technology push model and was called market pull. The main focus in this model was orientated into the importance of marketplace and existing demand. Hence, innovation is the result of the demands of potential customers. The step sequence is as follows (Shavinina, 2003): Market Place à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Technology Development à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacturing à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Sales Both linear models were comparatively simple and rational so they were widely adopted until 1980s. However, the growing compexity of innovations and market made both models hardly adaptable to the future innovations. Interactive Models After the linear models the need to create a more detailed model arose. Interactive model was very important step in the progress of conceptualizing innovation because it was an attempt to bring together the technology push and marketing pull approaches into a comprehensive model of innovation (Shavinina, 2003). Rothwell and Zegveld (1985, p.50) suggest that the overall pattern of innovation process can be thought of as a complex net of communication paths, both intra-organisational and extra-organisational, linking together the various in-house functions and linking the firm to the broader scientific and technological community and to the marketplace. The key fact in the interactive model is that the innovation is no longer the end product of a final stage of activity and the process is more circular then sequential. The interactive model is relevant even in nowadays as the original model has been extended to make it specific to particular situation. System and Network Models As the process of innovation is getting more complex in the course of time, the importance of systematic approach to the innovation is growing. In addition, such complexity requires interaction not only from agents within the firm but also from cooperation amongst firms (Shavinina, 2003). Synergy, interactions and crossing between organisational boundaries are the most descriptive features when talking about system and network models. All the models described above are very important in understanding the process of innovation and its importance. One models lack of some important elements, others are more elaborate but still lacking some important points (e.g. taking into account the post-innovation stage, including different environmental variables or such external factors like trade unions, goverments, social interest grouos, etc.). Hence, it is clear that it is impossible to adjust only one particular model as the best one. The research and understanding of the particular innovation have to be included in every innovative organisation. Types of Innovation The same important is to consider the different types of innovation. Generally, innovations are classified according to the market that the innovations are aimed at (product innovations; process innovations) or according to the technical knowledge and investment to the development. Mainly, there are 4 types of innovations: Type of Innovation Explanation Incremental innovation The intention of incremental innovation is to use the insights from customers or others to develop better solutions that are attractive and would add to the profits from the existing products (Pavitt 1998; Xin, Yeung, and Cheng 2008). Radical innovation The core idea of the radical innovation is the development of a completely new technology, which can provide a product which has never been available before (Nasirpourosgoei, Coles, 2006). Product innovation A product innovation is the introduction of a good or service that is new or significantly improved with respect to its characteristics or intended uses (OECD, 2005). Process innovation A process innovation is the implementation of a new or significantly improved production or delivery method (OECD, 2005). Table 1. The Types of Innovations. Source: Authors Consruction. The data was taken from OECD and research papers. In this paper the incremental and radical innovations will be discussed in greater detail. Radical and incremental innovations are fundamentally different. In the main, radical innovation represents the ability to develop products that are completely new to the world or particular industry, while incremental innovation refers to the ability to develop products that are new to the firm (Frishammar, Parida, Westerberg, 2012). In other words, incremental innovations are usually thought to enhance the capabilities of the firm, whereas radical ones are thought to undermine it (Holck, Mahnke, Zicari, 2008). Moreover, radical innovations are ground-breaking development that requires significant resources to materialize. For that reason, such innovation has longer time lags to profitability compared with incremental innovations (Chaney, Devinney, and Winer 1991; Veryzer 1998). Radical innovations, in comparison with incremental innovations, are more noticeable and visible. What is more, radical innovations are more likely to arise in large corporate or networked ventures. Hence, there is a long list of radical innovation examples that have changed the market, its structure and understanding: penicillin, X-rays, computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, personal computer, cell phones, laser, etc (Ruben, Slocum 2008). Example of Radical Innovation. The Case of Amazon.com One of the latest examples of radical innovation is the case of amazon.com and its approach to sell books via the Internet. Amazon successfully emerged from the dot-com bubble and demonstrated significant results of growth from $4 billion in 2002 to $20 billion in 2008. One of the main reason why Amazon successfully survived the Internet bubble was the firms ability to anticipate the changing market needs and customer values. Amazon started to sell wide range of books that upended the staid book industry that led to a number of the traditional book stores going out of business. A few years later, the company offered another completely new field a commission-based brokerage service to buyers and sellers of used books. Then Amazon moved forward again developing a model to serve an entirely different customer: third-party sellers (Johnson, 2010). Jeffrey Preston, the founder and CEO of Amazon.com, Inc., says: If you want to continuously revitalize the service that you offer to your customers, you cannot stop at what you are good at. You have to ask what your customers need and want, and then, no matter how hard it is, you better get good at those things (Johnson, 2010). It is obvious, that Amazon.com, Inc. is one of the best examples how important is to understand and anticipate market needs and connect them with a new technological capability. Example of Incremental Innovation. The Case of MySQL All the differencies between radical and incremental innovations has shaped the common belief that only radical innovations can bring more tangible results and recognition. However, the following example of the incremental innovation can break that stereotype. Jesper Holck, Volker Mahnke, and Roberto Zicari (2008) presents the case of the MySQL AB as a proof that it is possible to win and succeed through the incremental innovation. MySQL is a SQL  [1]  database management system. Despite the fact that the genesis of this system is dated in the late 80s the most important advance has been made with the beginning of 21st century when www.MySQL.com was formed to maintain the database. MySQL gained a sound position in the Web service community. Another advantageous feature was the fact that MySQL understood and anticipated the market need in the late 1990s when business and new ventures were trying to join the Internet and exploit the WWW revolution. The key point why MySQL was successful in that was the firms strategy to to follow the 15 minute rule, stating that it should be possible to get MySQL up and running in less than 15 minutes (Holck, Mahnke, Zicari, 2008). This was very attractive, especially for the Internet start-ups, because it was simple, quick and reliable way to use Relational DataBase Management Systems. Moreover, MySQL databases did not require any specific IT eduction to install those system s, the users were less considered with the missing features of MySQL and they needed the basic functionality of MySQL as a data store for customers, goods, etc. MySQL was attractive even for the great enterprises, because of the free availability and possibility for the computer departments to test it without asking for financial resources to do this (Holck, Mahnke, Zicari, 2008). In addition, MySQL had a strong superiority in demanding comparatively very little computer resources and can run efficiently even on inexpensive PCs. After the burst of the Internet bubble, MySQL AB consisted of 20 people who were focusing on technology and the managerial issues played secondary role in the firm. To enhance organisational efficiency a number of highly professional people for the top management were recruited. Therefore, MySQL AB showed significant results in the growth of employees, operating income and profits (Holck, Mahnke, Zicari, 2008). Another important issue that was faced was the battle of the storage engines (Holck, Mahnke, Zicari, 2008). Storage engine is the program that handles how data are read from and written to the files etc. where the data are stored. MySQL AB chose the InnoDB as a promising and copetitive storage engine. However, afterwards one of the MySQL competitors, Oracle, made a strategically important movement and bought Innobase OY, the company behind InnoDB. My SQL felt a pressure and increasing competitors. In response, in 2007 MySQL released its first own open source storage engine: Fa lcon (Holck, Mahnke, Zicari, 2008). So what strategy has empowered MySQL AB to achieve significant results and become serious competitor to giant companies like IBM, Microsoft, Oracle? Jesper Holck, Volker Mahnke, and Roberto Zicari (2008) suggest that success was determined by small incremental innovations and ability to anticipate the market. The following 7 principles of MySQL strategy were the basis of the firms strategy (Holck, Mahnke, Zicari, 2008): Commitment to existing standarts. MySQL chose to rely on existing application programming interface and data storage technology. That enabled users of to easily switch to MySQL and so the switching costs were reduced. Ability to distinguish and prioritize must-to-have features from nice-to-have features. MySQL concentrated on a key features of the product, like speed, simplicity to install and size of the memory footprint. Ability to link the development of both commercial and non-commercial product versions. MySQL chose to let both the Community and the Enterprise version build on the same code base, i.e. the exact same source code files (Holck, Mahnke, Zicari, 2008). The most important thing by linking the development of both commercial and non-commercial product versions was the fact that it helped to realize the economies of scale. Upbringing and coordination of user communities. MySQL undertsand the importance of paying attention to various groups of users that are involved in the development process, e.g. MySQL employees, developer community (active users, contributing with interfaces, forum answers, blog entries, etc.), user community. MySQL created a coherent community that are interested in the product. Such cohesiveness enables not only to understand users, collect the feedback but also to motivate community members to develop the product. Product testing with communities. Despite the fact that majority of MySQLs open source development community do not generate revenue directly, community members are great supporters. In other words, they provide valuable testing, error-reporting, and bug-fixing information that allows to reduce the costs of testing and even marketing. Implementation of dual-licensing strategy. MySQL offers different licensing arrangements for different user groups. Jesper Holck, Volker Mahnke, and Roberto Zicari (2008) note that Dual licensing is an important element in benefiting from an incremental innovation based business model for software products that are embedded in other products. Linking the power of market and communities. One of the main reasons why MySQL was successful in incremental innovation is the fact that the firm was capable to combine community and markets. Important feature is that MySQL can offer enterprise customers extra value, like more functionality, better performance, new features and fewer errors, while community users provide very valuable testing and feedback that delivers error-reporting and bug-fixing. Empowering People to Innovate Talking about the need for innovation and the main drivers of innovation, there are many factors that can determine it. According to the Canadian Innovation Centre (Canadian Dairy Commission, 2010), these factors can be divided into both internal and external drivers: Internal Factors External Factors Competition Improve Profitability Lower Costs Improve Return on Investment New Entrants Improve the Cash Flow Market drivers: Demand Economic Forces Social Changes Demographics Improve Quality Table 2. External and Internal Drivers of Innovation Source: Authors Consruction. The data was taken from Canadian Dairy Commission However, this list of factors is not limited and could be expanded. For example, Canadian firms (Canadian Dairy Commission, 2010) from the food industry responded that they were engaging in innovation projects because they wanted: To introduce new products to the existing line of products; To increase market share; To meet buyers standarts and requirements; To improve productivity; To reduce production costs. Innovation seems to be an engine of every organisation and its progress. However, some companies are not successful in innovating. In 2010 Strategyn, an innovation management consulting firm, conducted an independent study to measure the success rate of traditional innovation processes. The study averaged the success rates cited in 12 sources, including the Harvard Business Review, the consulting firm Frost Sullivan, the professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Product Development Management Association and the Corporate Strategy Board. The results were surprinsingly low innovation success rate was calculated at only 17 percent (Strategyn, 2010). Hence, it is extremely imporant to know, how encourage people to participate in innovation. OECD (2010) suggests that there are 7 determinants which can influence peoples capabilities to innovate: Basic scientific skills. Education is very important factor in supporting innovation because knowledge-based societies rely on a highly qualified and flexible labour force in all sectors of the economy and society. Innovation requires the capacity to continually learn and upgrade skills (OECD, 2010, p.46). Tertiary education. Well-developed higher education system is another important factor. High graduation rates in universities can foster the development of a highly skilled workforce. Doctorate holders. Doctoral graduates are the most promising innovators. They have been specifically trained to conduct reasearch and are considered best qualified to create and diffuse knowledge (OECD, 2010, p.48). International mobility. It plays an important role in creating and diffusing knowledge, especially tacit knowledge. Entrepreneurial talent. It provides with a broader skill development, employment opportunities as well as greater possibility to innovate. Innovative workplace. Effective management is a crucial factor. It is highly important to ensure that the talents of individuals are being tapped. Ability to motivate and organisational culture can also determine the success of innovation. Consumers demand for innovation. Users and consumers play inevitable role in the innovation process. Hence, it is extremely important for companies to understand and anticipate market needs and connect them with a new technological capability. Users and consumers have a power to stimulate and encourage the process of development. It is visible that despite the list of benefits and drivers of innovation, some firms might be reluctant to innovate. For that reason, it is extremely important to know how to empower people to be more innovative. Considering the OECD research, it is obvious that probably the most important role goes to the educational system, consumers demand and workplace. Conclusion There are many different models of innovation (linear, interactive, network, system, etc.). However, the complexity of the process of innovation determines that it is impossible to adjust only one particular model as the best one. For that reason, the success of the firm highly depends on its ability to find and adapt the best model according to the nature of the company, its strategy, product, size, etc. The types of innovation can also vary. However, the general types are as follows: incremental innovation, radical innovation, product innovation and process innovation. The common belief that incremental innovation can be less tangible than radical innovation is disproved by the example of the case of MySQL AB. The set of incremental innovations became a reason of success and enabled company to gain a competitive advantage amongst the market leaders. The cases of Amazon.com and MySQL AB proved the importance of anticipating the market needs. Both companies were successful in understanding its costumers: Amazon.com found a completely new niche, while MySQL paid high attention to user communities, tried to gather feedback and nurture its potential customers. Understanding the market needs was successfully connected with the new technological capabilities in both Amazon.com and MySQL cases. Hence, despite the fact that both firms used different type of innovation, they achieved significant results by understanding the consumers need and developing new technological approach. Innovation is extremely important for every company that seeks to achieve the progress. Hence, there are list of external and internal drivers that have a power to motivate firms to innovate. However, even in nowadays business world, some companies remain reluctant to be innovative. For that reason Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development identified a need to give some indications about what can actually empower people to innovate. The most important factors that can determine peoples willingness to innovate are educational system, consumers demand and workplace. All in all, innovation is an endless process. Companies need to have a clear strategy and vision, undersand the market and pay attention to the processes of research and development. However, despite its complexity, innovation is the key to the success and continuous progress.

Ageplay

Gentry, Kristin Jennifer Cherry English 101. 04 Spring 2012 Ageplay: Emotionally Gratifying, Socially Taboo! Ageplay, or the often sexually- taboo act of role playing, where one consenting adult personifies a minor child, while the other serves as a caretaker for the â€Å"minor child†, is a highly common phenomenon that shocks and perplexes many, but serves as profound emotional fulfillment for those who participate in the lifestyle. Throughout the following pages it is my intent to explore the many facets of age play and especially dissect, with integrity, the â€Å"why† behind this unique subject matter.Overwhelmed with a wealth of information, I have broken down the subtopics, for convenience and ease in reading. I have incorporated a variety or research sources varying from books written by esteemed sexologists to personal interviews from age players right here in the community. To protect their identity some have chosen to anonymously contribute to the paper while others have allowed me to use and alias. What is this age play thing all about? Ageplay is type of role playing mostly practiced amongst the kink community.In some cases, ageplayers will limit â€Å"sceneing† or â€Å"play† to the â€Å"vanilla† world, sexless, or seemingly blase, 9-5, mundane life, but, it is far less frequent than the sexually- driven alternative. There are three common age ranges that are explored in this kink. The first is Adolescentilism, where a relationship is formed around a person who identifies as a young adult or high school aged person. Often, a â€Å"naughty school girl† fantasy falls into this category.Authors Gloria and William Brame and Jon Jacobs, educated Sexologists and experts in the BDSM arena, wrote about this in the candid, wildly-popular book: Different Loving: The World of Sexual Domination and Submission. On page 129 it reads â€Å"[in this type of ageplay] the fantasy is likely of only temporary duration. â₠¬  Paul Rulof, a lifestyle educator and conference presenter raises a good, supportive point in his writings that suggests why this might be true. On page 52 of his first book, he sheds a new perspective about this particular age range of role play.He notes the following: â€Å"The teenage years are often ones of exploration of the self-identity, interactions with others, and many different experiences. Many firsts often happen during this time: first kiss, first date and first romantic partner. † The attraction of new and exciting events is most likely short-lived once those first experiences have occurred. When prompted during an interview, â€Å"Draven†, a Bloomington-Normal based Daddy had to say this about the appeal of this age range. The naive instincts of a pre-teen appeal to the hero complex that most men possess. We like to be needed and especially when we can offer our insight about sexual discovery. I personally enjoy watching my baby girl grow emotionally and become a sweet young lady as a result of my influence. † The next age group fetish mentioned in the trio-penned â€Å"Different Loving† was the Juvenilism range. This includes littles who personify, or emotionally connect with 6-12 years of age.Punishment is a cornerstone of functionality in this age range. Littles who identify as a juvenile are typically more sensitive and require great emotional care. Most littles who have a bratty, or disobedient streak, fall into this group, thus the frequency in punishment for these preteen boys and girls. Brame, Brame and Jacobs had this to say about unique, therapeutic punishment tactics for littles in this age range, â€Å"The parent figure may ask embarrassing questions about the submissive’s personal or sexual habits.By stripping away the submissive’s privacy, the dominant exposes not only the submissive’s body but also her inner nakedness and vulnerability. In some juvenilist scenarios the dominant role plays as the erotic guide. † Surprisingly, despite the small amount of littles who fall into the pre-teen category, the Juvenilism age range is not the most popular. The last age fetish, Infantilism, or â€Å"ABDL†s (Adult Baby/Diaper Lovers), is the most commonly known age play fetish (Different Loving, p 137).This class of ageplayers is, by far, the most controversial and is what has been most depicted in the media, in documentaries, and even on reality shows since the 1980’s when a Phil Donahue episode practically turned daytime television viewers inside out with discomfort. The episode featured an adult baby, his Mommy and clips of footage showing his daily routines as an ABDL. Visions of an adult willingly soiling himself or fully relying on another adult to feed him, when he was physically capable to feed himself, shocked the studio audience, and home viewers, alike.Very young myself at the time, less than 9 years old, I had so many questions and the i mages burned into my memory, mostly from fascination and wonder. I was so very confused and yet, so afraid to ask my very judgmental and cynical grandmother why everyone was yelling at this big baby and his Mommy. I filed the images away into the back of my mind and, on occasion, when I hear stories of bigotry and discrimination surrounding ageplayers, that particular story comes flooding back to me.The controversy behind age play absolutely stuck me for over two decades. During my research for this paper I was surprised to find that two of the interviewees, a couple, not involved in the lifestyle in any way, for the Brames’ and Jacobs’ book referenced the same Donahue show in their testimonial: â€Å"We saw a [Phil] Donahue [show] about infantilism and were amazed at the outrage that some people felt about infantilists, who are engaged in something completely innocent.They enjoy being in baby clothes and get a certain amount of satisfaction from recreating their earl y childhood. Statistically, nobody knows whether it’s normal or not. The psychiatrist on the show was very clear on the fact that these people were doing nothing wrong. † (p137) The experts who scripted â€Å"Different Loving† had this to say about this controversial group of littles: â€Å"Many D&Sers ( BDSM participants) express discomfort with infantilism, as well, perhaps because it is difficult to understand why someone would wish to be as helpless as and infant. (p137) History has taught us that anger and fear are products of ignorance. I believe that this is a solid explanation for the public’s response to ABDLs in the media. The intolerance is most likely fueled, further, by the notion that most adult babies are typically of male gender, which contradicts, completely, the general standard of patriarchy in our society. Unfortunately, with minimal awareness and exposure I do not see a wave of acceptance and empathy any time soon from the greater pop ulation.Despite the negative talk about adult babies, and/or their caretakers, and the lifestyles that they lead, of the three categories, Infantilism offers one unique aspect that neither of the other two can offer. The ABDL model is the perfect erotic outlet for those that are afflicted with disabilities that affect fine and gross motor skills and mobility, as well as neurological conditions that may affect the ability to control bodily functions.In all age ranges the caretaker will make decisions and approach their relationship with their little as they would a person who is biologically the age that their little feels. This includes physical and emotional care. In my observation of a social setting, where several couples were gathered for a kinky birthday party for a local Daddy, I saw first-hand how this plays out between a top (the roleplayer of authority) and the bottom ( the role player with the least amount of obvious power), or in this case, a Daddy and his daughter.During the birthday party the little was feeling feisty and apparently a little bratty. Much like an over-stimulated, attention-seeking, sugary-cake-filled six year old would, the little aimed to be the center of attention and repeatedly was speaking over her Daddy and interrupting him as he attempted to make announcements about the food to his party guests. Excited, the little would bounce up and down in front of him in attempt to get him to listen to her not-at-all-related-to-birthday-cake story.Despite the Daddy’s firm verbal prompts to calm down and fully fueled by an adoring on-looking crowd, the little continued to be a nuisance. Finally, the Daddy grabbed the little by the arm, guided her to a nearby chair, firmly guided her bottom into the seat, bent over to her eye level and sternly ordered to her sit down, stop talking and to make no attempt to get up without his permission. It looked like a scene I have seen a million times myself as a parent and former preschool classro om assistant.The little was petite in stature and sported short, pink hair in a pixie styled haircut and natural looking make-up. It was certainly believable to the party attendees and understandably so. The little was acting like a typical child the age the same age of her inner little would act and her Daddy was acting like any loving parent would. For Bigs and littles, this relationship is not a scripted, â€Å"fairytale-esque† , theatrical experience. The bond between the pair and their interactions are easily solidified by a fascinating concept called â€Å"headspace†.Once a scene begins between a caretaker and a little, the reality and natural roles melt away and, almost like a person with multiple personalities, the emotions, thoughts, habits, preferences, and behaviors of the inner personality surfaces and the person that they function as during their vanilla life dissipates, even if for a little while. It is very much trance-like in some cases, and almost alwa ys, in sexual scenes. In order to best understand what age play is all about there are terms that one should become familiar with.These terms are pivotal to communicating with those who identify as minors or caretakers. The lifestyle breeds a whole new language of its own and knowing the lingo fosters a relatable nature when building trust amongst the kink community members. You will note new definitions and terms you have most likely not been introduced to prior to the reading of this paper. For example, the most common term is â€Å" a/the little†, referring to the person who identifies as the minor.The term â€Å"Big† is intentionally capitalized, and can refer to the little when they are functioning as their genuine, or â€Å"real life† age; it can also be used as a term to describe the caretaker, or counterpart to the little. Another popular word often heard in conversations about age play is â€Å"inner little†. This refers to the distinct feeling o f being â€Å"small†, or younger, than one’s true age, a separate entity, if you will, from who they are forced to be every day in their â€Å"adult life†. There have been great debates when it comes to phrasing the description of littles and their personal connection with their inner little.I recently surveyed a group of littles, in a discussion forum, online ( that shall not be named for the protection of the contributors), as to how they speak of their inner little. The great phrasing debate is typically split between themselves as â€Å"having a little† or â€Å"being a little†, while on a rare occasion, some will say that they â€Å"are little†. This particular description is the least common as very few people desire, or are able, to live the lifestyle 24/7. When I posed the question: â€Å"How do you refer to your relationship with your little? in a discussion forum, open only to littles, I was bombarded with an avalanche of response s. After filtering through and reading the ample list of opinions over 50% of the littles speak of ownership of their little, as if their body hosts a shell for their little to live and safely surface when the need strikes. Slightly over 25% of the all-female responders would represent their little by saying â€Å"I am a little â€Å", while the rest commented that they do not ever leave the feeling of being little therefore it is senseless to refer to it at all.Littles have preferences, much different than their Big (in this case I am referencing the vanilla person who â€Å"hosts† the inner little), in everything from hobbies, to fashion, to sleep habits, to comfort rituals, to sexual fantasies, to even how they talk, behave and relate to those around them. In most things ageplay when a debate arises, there is no consensus, as the ageplay community is still evolving. It is adaptable, based on personal preference and relationship history, to whatever extent the partners ar e comfortable with, in any facet that they so choose.There are no societal expectations with ageplay, as there are with traditional parent/child roles. There are no social norms to adhere to within the community. The world of ageplay is very pliable and the appeal is very transparent once you begin to take a close look at the logistics of ageplay. Who age plays? As someone who is rarely surprised by taboo or kinky concepts and ideas, I am generally taken back by the diversity of those involved in the ageplay community. No one is excluded from having unique sexual preferences and, certainly, no one is ever exempt from personal hurt and â€Å"baggage†.In ageplay, the egalitarian roles serve as unconventional, therapeutic tool for people from all walks of life. In my personal interviews and connections that were made with the local ageplayers I have met everyone from the college-educated, pre-med student all the way the blue collar, entry-level, fast food worker. Like profession or education level, other demographics do not limit who participates in such a lifestyle. I have met participants as young as 18 years old and as old as 72. Sexual kinks and taboos are not dictated by demographics and age play is no exception.Why age play? The beauty in this way of life is that it is customizable to individual needs. As an aspiring sex therapist I find immeasurable worth in personalizing what works for healing old hurts and sorting through hang ups with the tools you have before you. If someone is to grow from their pain and rise above it the method has to be something they believe in and trust will work. With ageplay, both partners steer the ship, so to speak, and the whole intent is to do so with their partner’s well-being in mind.The caretaker, also referred to as the â€Å"top†, â€Å"master†, â€Å"Daddy†, â€Å"Mommy†, or â€Å"Big†, depending on those involved and to what extent they interact, parents the little with loving guidance and reassurance while the little fills a need to almost â€Å"ego stroke† their Big and construct a confidence and self-esteem boost within them. There is a mutual understanding, and a simultaneous bond between the two, that buffs out the unfulfilled emotional needs of each other and brings great joy and liberation from those wounds. During an e-mail conversation with â€Å"Mr.Beck†, a local Daddy and leader in the BDSM social scene here in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois , that I have had the fortune of befriending, I discovered that the â€Å"why† is a sensitive topic that some choose not explore for themselves. In response to a question asking if he thought there was a direct link between trauma and eroticism (a personal attempt to deconstruct Sexologist Gloria Brame’s theory on the matter, stating that there is no direct link ( Different Loving, p127) he responded as follows: â€Å"I believe that every form of sexual expression exists o n a spectrum.Some people are gay with only one person. Some people are into the â€Å"lifestyle† only with younger people. So on and so on. There isn't a one size fits all with any form of sexual expression. There are littles working out issues, of course. I have been with a little who had been groped by her father but wanted to call me â€Å"Daddy† during sex. When I asked she was clear that her biological father and the â€Å"Daddy† figure of her fantasies were completely different people. I think that age play is, at the heart of it, about finding a role that makes sense and embracing it.There are â€Å"kittens† and experts are not rushing out to find out what role the family cat played in their upbringing. Those who are attempting to push age play out into the realms of the broken homes and disquieted minds are, in my opinion, wanting to push uncomfortable questions, about their own sexual landscape, out at arm’s length. † This particular Daddy is what is called a â€Å"24/7 Daddy†, or a Daddy who lives the lifestyle around the clock, at every opportunity. There aren’t many spaces where he would edit his words or interactions with his little. When questioned about his version of the â€Å"why ageplay? He seemed to be passive aggressive in his response, and evasive to a complete, personal answer. I would say that he was defensive in his wording and not at all comfortable in examining his personal motivation for entering a relationship of the age play nature. For some members of the kink community doing self-reflective exercises unveils some scary and uncomfortable truths that are too intense in nature to comprehend and deal with. This is a common issue when looking at most taboo practices. Many age players share in Mr. Beck’s mentality mentioned in his interview.The idea behind trying to understand the origin for the kink is usually â€Å"just go with it and embrace it†¦it is what it is. à ¢â‚¬  For those like myself and Paul Rulof, Chicago- based age play educator and Daddy, we believe that there is a certain, natural connection, through ageplay, to â€Å"righting the wrongs† of the past that children have no control over. Rulof speaks to this theory in his book: â€Å"Ageplay: From Diapers to Diplomas â€Å"when he wrote: â€Å"For many, ageplay is an opportunity to connect with an aspect of themselves that they have forgotten or set aside†¦some people like to explore alternate models of who they could have been with ageplay. p. 65) As a researcher of this social phenomenon I am on the fence about making a claim that 100% of ageplayers are motivated by deep, unmet, emotional need. I would still say that the majority of ageplayers are gaining a sense of control over an area in their life that they felt they lost early on, but I don’t ever care to categorize any group of people, in its entirety, and attach it to one label or judgment, no matter how concrete the evidence is proving that the label is justified.Rulof listed some of his thoughts on the reasons why people partake of this lifestyle, some sexually motivated, some not. His reasons were listed, as follows, on pages 19-34, the biggest chapter in the book: The participants get to: * Relive their childhood – â€Å"†¦ a great number of people have experienced childhoods that they look back upon as desirable or ideal times†. Paul goes on to write that adult life can be viewed as boring and mundane, whereas childhood is generally the complete opposite. Mr.Rulof paints this point as an obvious motivator for ageplaying. (p19) * Rewriting their childhood – â€Å"For littles, rewriting or re-envisioning their childhood is one reason that ageplay might be appealing. However, ageplay is not simply a reaction to one’s own childhood events. Some ageplayer’s own personal childhood or possible negative events may not influence their play mu ch at all†¦Everyone has something in their childhood that they would like to change: disappointments, lacks, incompletion and missed opportunities. (p19) I felt that the author seems to have waivered in his stance on this particular justification, however, at a closer look, and full reading of his book, his claim strongly supports that point I mentioned earlier about how subjective this lifestyle truly is. Sure! Some people do use the little part of themselves to mend the past through conscious actions as an adult while others may focus more on specific hurtful events and relationships. The third option is that ageplay benefits them in some way not at all linked to negative childhood experiences.This group of participants, I gather, based on my interviews, are the ones that are working to address something they would improve about themselves in their current phase of life, be it confidence, the ability to connect with others, building trust in intimate relationships, mastering discipline and will power issues, or just filling a need to be needed†¦which brings me to Paul’s next theory for reasoning. * Practicing Caregiving – â€Å"When caregivers play, they are able to explore the naturally ingrained caregiving traits that they have. (p23) I view this as playing â€Å"grown up house†, or maturing the favored childhood role play game to better hone in on nurturing skills in a less threatening way than what usually occurs in vanilla relationships. * Exploring Gendered Childhoods – â€Å"Especially for transgendered individuals, ageplay provides opportunities to explore childhood experiences as the gender they feel more closely associated with and different than their biological sex. † (p23) During my research I found a podcast whose subject matter is solely based on ageplay.One of the hosts, a lively and entertaining male, â€Å"scenes†, or role plays, as a female baby. Spacey, the host is one of three regular hosts of the show. He recently helped produce an episode of the podcast that completely focused on â€Å"sissies†, or male adults who roleplay as young, adolescent or baby girls. The guests on the show were two â€Å"sissies†, one of which who exercises his civil rights, even in instances of airport pat downs, to live his sissy life around the clock.The gentleman went by the name â€Å"Sissy Stephanie† and he spoke about some of the challenges he encounters living the lifestyle but felt that they emotional payoff is worth the attacks. The second guest, â€Å"Bunny†, talked about his transgendered ageplay and how his youthful, female persona serves as a mechanism to relate to others through a sweet and vulnerable personality, as his vanilla, male self struggles with connection, relatability and trust, typically. Taking Different Options – Much like rewriting your childhood, this theory talks supports the idea that there are particular details in the ageplayer’s childhood that they would like to â€Å"re-do†. Paul writes, on page 24: â€Å"For example, ‘good girls’ can be tease, tramps, or hang out with the â€Å"wrong type of guys†. He went on to offer that some littles appreciate the chance to earn praise for poor or disappointing choices from their past, or even a shot at living on the wild side and pushing boundaries that were obviously unsafe to do as children, such as actually going with the creepy neighbor who offers little kids candy. Shrinking Childhoods – This point was very interesting me, as I had never heard of such an idea about role playing as a minor, but Mr. Rulof wrote about how one might be dissatisfied with their timing of hitting developmental, social or emotional milestones in their childhood and ageplay offers them the a shot at restoring their self-image and confidence in their abilities. * Innocence – â€Å"†¦the loss of a childlike innocence and be coming jaded with the world seems to be a reoccurring theme with some ageplayers.The realization that there are not magical places, fanciful creatures, and happy endings is difficult for some to accept. The desire to regain innocence and escape adult responsibilities could factor in to a desire for ageplay. † (p25) * Relaxing and Enjoyable – Page 26 of Paul Rulof’s book highlights how ageplay encompasses the simplicity and carefree nature of childhood and how the escape from everyday adulthood is sometimes just enough reason, alone, to partake in a non-sexual form of age play. A combination of Popular Fetishes – Paul, not only an author and educator, is a creator of CAPcon, Central Illinois’ premiere ageplay convention. He has a wealth of knowledge on the subject matter and did fervent research, himself, while penning his book and the statistics he uncovered proved to be helpful in supporting this point. Page 27, in Ageplay, describes how this form of role playing is ranked 51st, out of the 100 top favored fetishes. Three of the main components that make for good role play are fetishes in themselves and were also ranked on the top 100 list.Upon reaching out to Mr. Rulof, I discovered that his statistics came from a kinky social networking site, much like Facebook; it is a hub, the high ground, for those in the kink community at large. The site listed role-play itself as the 23rd most popular fetish, followed by cuddling in 81st place and costumes barely squeezing in under the 100 mark as the 92nd most practiced kink. These items were ranked in order based upon serving as the number one kink choice for the site members. For example, Mrs.Smith may like to be spanked during intercourse but being bitten is her favorite fetish so biting would have been her vote. This supports how well age play involves three majorly ranked fetishes, out of thousands, literally, and wraps them up into one kinky, therapeutic ball of goodness. * Enhan cing Roles – â€Å"Ageplay presents a different mental framework through which you can view your partners or others. † Paul wrote for three pages examples that show how a dominant personality or a submissive personality can flourish in this type of role play.People who may not typically be drawn to this type of play just may participate because of the ability to fine-tune egalitarian roles in this medium. * Filling Psychological Needs – I am a huge fan of how the author referenced â€Å"Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs† to prove, what I personally see as the greatest motivator for role playing as a Big or little. There are essential human physical and emotional needs that human’s require fulfillment of to develop in a healthy and productive fashion. Much like ageplay, there is a parallel between the progression of human development from birth to adulthood and beyond.Many ageplayers will identify with multiple ages and, depending on their mood, re quire different things from their caregiver. Often, littles will not â€Å"morph†, for a lack of a better term, into a different age until they feel satisfied with their needs being met at their current age. In Maslow’s model, humans cannot progress or develop in the natural way without having their basic needs met at their current stage in life. * Playing with the Taboo – This idea hones in the basic human calling to be rebellious, or go against the grain, if you will.There is something engrained in us, as a society formed from hunters and gatherers ages ago, that tugs at our moral compass and prods us to be daring and bold and to break the mold of what is socially acceptable. Men especially are often deduced to a walking set of procreating DNA who lack in the ability to make ethically-upstanding choices without challenge. This set up allows all role players to abandon what is socially acceptable and what is defined as â€Å"normal† and escape to a place where it is ok to break the rules and enjoy it. Fetishes -Different from the supporting point earlier that highlighted similarly ranked fetishes, this last reason speaks to the flexibility for exploration into other, new kinks, that ageplay allows. Because of the disciplinary aspects of ageplay there are countless punishment-based fetishes that could be brought into a scene, as well breast-feeding, diapering, play date, schoolgirl, dollification, and many, many other adjacent fetishes for those who wish to dabble in new sexual discovery.Ageplay is often a starting point for kinksters who wish to slowly introduce themselves to harsher, less – nurturing-based fetishes. Though the BDSM pioneer took a seminal approach in analyzing the logic and motivation behind â€Å"sceneing† with ageplay principles, is all truly speculation and the reasoning varies for each individual. In addition to varied gains between top and bottom roles, personal needs manifest from each role play er, independently, and there rarely a clear understanding of why this is such a comforting, natural expression for anyone.The reasons for entering this lifestyle can be many and completely askew, much like rewards. The Power Exchange Book series, written by Dr. Bob Rubel, includes a book about ageplay. The Doctor shared first-hand accounts and experiences from fellow ageplayers that he interviewed during his research for the literature. The most profound and beautifully moving words were from a woman who goes by â€Å"Bethie Hope O. †. On page 70, the next to last page of the book, these words were composed what following her heart and investing in her Daddy has added to her life: I remember the first few times I visited my Daddy, looking at him or being around him, or even just talking to him on the phone felt like someone was shining a light into the world that was not there before. It was like the world was covered in clouds all the time and when he was around the clouds p arted and the sun came out and shone down on everything and I felt warm. I remember the days before my Daddy like a kind of dream, and really, that is how I lived, like I was sleepwalking. I got by, but I did not thrive. Now I feel like I truly live, like the sun is shining on me all of the time.Part of the reason for that is because I’ve learned so much about myself and I’ve found the freedom to just be me, and to do what makes me happy. Part of the reason is my Daddy and how he is with me and how he makes me feel. Part of it is how I love him and how loving someone so much makes me feel. People seem to think that it’s an unhealthy thing to have such strong attachments to just one person and maybe it is but my Daddy is my everything. He is my Daddy, my Master, My partner, my best friend, my confidant, my lover†¦I love him as if I were bore from his own body! †