Income Statement for Leak-Stoppers LLC for the Year Ended 31st Essay

Income Statement for Leak-Stoppers LLC for the Year Ended 31st December 2013 - Essay Example As the discussion outlines, the accrual concept states that revenue is recognized when it is earned and realized or realizable while expenses are recognized in the period in which the related revenue is earned. In the case of Mr. Mansoor, the insurance premium expenses can only be realized when revenue is earned and therefore the prepaid premium of 200 is subtracted from 800 to obtain premium expense of 600. Also the interest expense for the cash borrowed from Mustafa is an example of accrued expense. The principle states that a company should report an expense on the income statement in the same period that the related revenue is earned. For instance, the depreciation expenses for the non-current assets such as plumbing equipment and van are only recognized to the current year i.e. at the end of 2013 when they might have earned revenue. The prudence concept states that the transactions that the company is uncertain about should not be overstated or understated. Mr. Mansoor has exercised the prudence concept since he has created allowance for the doubtful debts that should be written off i.e. 10% of the accounts receivable. Since the company was able to record a net profit of $12,926, this shows that its currents expenses are less than its revenues/income. Therefore, the company is able to meet its short-term financial needs. Additionally, the income statement shows that the company is liquid and can be able to meet its daily/short-term needs. The balance sheet reflects a snapsho t of the performance of the company on a single date; it’s usually on the last date of the financial year. Judging from the income statement, the company’s financial performance as at 31st Dec 2013, the company’s current ratio i.e. current assets/current liabilities, 10,887/1,773=6.14 shows that the company is able to pay the bills.  

Wildlife Tourism and Environmental Impacts Research Paper

Wildlife Tourism and Environmental Impacts - Research Paper Example Inasmuch as wildlife tourism provides opportunities for wildlife protection, it also creates negative impacts on the environment. This paper shall discuss wildlife tourism and its environmental impacts. It shall review various research materials on wildlife tourism, summarising the main issues on this topic and the general impacts on related activities which pertain to wildlife tourism. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP, 2006) discusses that wildlife tourism is related to wildlife watch, mostly those of large mammals or flocks of birds; however, all types of animals are also included in this type of tourism. Wildlife watching is set apart from hunting and fishing and is confined to observations on animals; interactions in some cases are also seen, including the touching and feeding of these animals (UNEP, 2006). Wildlife tourism has grown significantly in recent years and it has evolved in its features to include other optional activities which tourists can choose to include in their package (UNEP, 2006). In some instances, wildlife tourism also includes hunting or fishing and in some instances viewing animals in zoos and confined parks (UNEP, 2006). This paper shall include both wildlife watching and wildlife tourism (with hunting and fishing) and the term wildlife tourism shall include wildlife watching. In the study by Roe, Leader-Williams, and Dalal-Clayton (1997), the authors discuss that wildlife tourism is usually associated with wildlife management and economic enterprises which support conservation, most especially in developing nations. The proliferation of other forms of tourism has occurred alongside the increased recognition of the need to secure sustainable development and ecotourism has been considered as a stable means of implementing sustainability (Roe, et.al., 1997).

To Be Effective As A Counsellor Sociology Essay

To Be Effective As A Counsellor Sociology Essay This essay will look into what it means to be effective as a counsellor. The characteristics that could be expected to be found in an effective counsellor will be discussed. Specific reference will be made also to the ways in which a client should feel when they are in the presence of an effective counsellor. Before a counsellor can be classified as either effective or ineffective, it should be noted that a comprehensive definition of a counsellor, and since a counsellor can best be defined in terms of counselling , then a clear-cut definition of counselling is necessary. According to the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, a counsellor is a person who has been trained to advise people with problems, especially personal problems(p.332). This definition already gives one an idea of how to define counselling- this can be defined as professional advice about a problem. (p. 332). Another way in which counselling can be defined is accordance with the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary , which says counselling is professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various technique of the personal interview, and testing interests and attitudes (accessed 04/04/2012). These definitions are quite informative, especially in terms of giving one an idea of what to expect a counsellor to be and what to expect from a counsellor or a counselling session. They offer insight into the type of setting a counsellor would work in, the field of study that a counsellor may have undertaken and such like. But one thing the aforementioned definitions lack is the capacity to broaden ones prospects about counselling and the role of a counsellor in society. Counselling is merely limited to individual therapy and is taken no further. But a person who is directly involved in counselling- be it a counsellor, a scholar of counselling or even a client who consults with a counsellor can agree that counselling is more than just a professional advice or guidance; its a professional relationship(counselling.org) because the counsellors engages in some form of interaction with his clients , which he relates to each client differently from the next. This relationship is multidi mensional, it is not only between the counsellor and client (well at least not in all cases), but is one that can lead a client to meet and relate with other professionals; whether it be health professionals or otherwise. The counsellor as well, in some instances, would get to know more people than initially plannedthese people would be those that the counsellor would need to work with (referring clients to such people). These would be occupational therapists, psychiatrists, financial advisers, etc. This makes counselling a professional dynamic relationship which aims to help the client who comes needing help of one kind or the other. Counselling involves a process, the aim of which is to help others to help themselves by making better choices and becoming better choosers of options (iona-k-lister.suite101.com). So this relationship is not one that should be confined to personal matters only, because it is such a broad relationship that it has the capacity to empower diverse individ uals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education and career goals(counselling.org). What can a counsellor do to make a client feel safe? As it has already been established, a counsellor must understand that what he has with the client is more than just fee-for-serviceit is a special relationship (sci.csuhayward.edu). With this in mind, it becomes easier for the helper to make his client feel safe. Even if the client does not understand the nature of the relationship, the helper does and so should guide the client to a knowledge of such information. Like in every relationship, both parties involved have a part to play; a part which is particularly meant to be played by the specific counterpart; so it is with the professional relationship between the counsellor and the client. So if the client is not aware of the relationship that is there between them, it is the counsellors duty to enlighten the client. And this will in fact be what can initiate the process of making the client feel safe. If a client does not know that he is in a relationship with the counsellor, the counsellors every effort to make the client feel safe will be virtually futile. One thing that a counsellor can do to make his client feel safe especially in individual therapy is try by all means necessary to eliminate feelings of inferiority on the part of the client. As was mentioned earlier, individuals are all different and unique. So a counsellor might find that employing Alfred Adlers Individual Psychology in his counselling style might be helpful in eliminating the aforementioned feelings. Inferiority takes normal feelings of incompetence and exaggerates them, making the individual feel as if it is impossible to achieve goals and therefore hopeless to try(Friedman Schustack, 2012, p.115). A counsellor can also change his terminology, never calling his clients patients as some other health professionals do but keep calling them clients, since this sounds more egalitarian and less pejorative(sci.csuhayward.edu). Making a client feel safe in the counselling setting is not easy, so if a counsellor can do that, this says a lot about his effectiveness as a counsellor. They should be able to show a client that they recognize the limits of their own power(sci.csuhayward.edu) to help clients prevent feeling inferior; show a willingness to learn about their culture, background, etc. Confidentiality is another factor in making a client feel safe; not only in that, but as well in establishing and maintaining a strong therapeutic relationship(sci.csuhayward.edu). Whenever necessary, the counsellor should inform the client of the limits to confidentiality in the least threatening way possible. There is also the issue of multiple relationships; an effective counsellor knows better than to form a relationship with a clients family member or anyone else that is close to the client. He also does not form a non-professional relationship with people who already have a professional relationship formed with him , because this is destructive it can make it difficult for the client to feel safe in the counselling sessions. What Characteristics Should Effective Counsellors Possess? The main aim of this essay is to show what it means to be an effective as a counsellor, so it should be no surprise that throughout the essay, this question seems to be answered through the various answers to the previous questions that the assignment raises. Qualities such as confidentiality, the ability to guide clients toward productive goals, and the ability to establish and maintain relationships are seen already in previous sections of the essay. Other qualities, like empathy, unconditional positive regard and congruence are essential to being effective as a counsellor; these will be discussed at a later stage. An important aspect of an effective counsellor is the ability to facilitate fullexpression of the clients feelings, without diverting any attention to their own feelings(iona-k-lister.suite101.com). An effective counsellor must be able to listen to a client and have no prejudice. Although counsellors have their own values, these should not be imposed on the client(iona-k-lister.suite101.com). According to iona-k-lister.suite101.com a good counsellor is someone who can learn not to make judgements on behalf of the person being helped. Other traits that one might expect to find in an effective counsellor are patience and acceptance, which help the counsellor to refrain from showing contempt toward those clients that are not likeable. Education is another factor to consider; people tend to think that since they have a Degree and are registered with the counsel, they know everything there is to know. Effective counsellors are willing to learn more about themselves, other counsellor, and even their clients. Social skills should also be looked into by a counsellor that wants to be effective; as a counsellor, one meets many different people from different backgrounds and cultures; so one has to know how to perceive all aspects of verbal and non-verbal communication. Another very important quality to possess is discretion, never revealing what others say or do within the counsell ing context. Because even if a counsellor does not say the other clients name; the fact that he reveals a certain clients situation to another without the consent of that client, he is perceived as unprofessional by the current client. (iona-k-lister.suite101.com; www.sci.csuhayward.edu) How Important are Carl Rogers Core Conditions in Counselling? In order to appreciate fully the importance of something, one should first know what exactly the thing is. If that knowledge is not given, the acknowledgement will be but a task carried out to pass the time. Therefore, before the importance of the core conditions can be discussed, a clear definition of these will be given. According to Cormier Hackney(2012) empathy is the ability to identify with or understand the feelings and emotions of a client as if you were feeling that way, just without losing the as if quality(p.23). Unconditional positive regard is expressing to a client the qualities that make him feel that he is special and appreciated as a human being. Congruence is seen as the helpers ability to remain true to himself in the presence of the client. The act of being genuine and not allowing conformity to influence him in any way, especially when conforming to please a client. As defined by simplypsychololgy.org unconditional positive regard is where parents, significant others(and the humanist therapist) accept and love the person for what he or she is. Therefore, to be effective as a counsellor, one needs to be fortified with such a quality. Now it should be noted that unconditional positive regard works best when accompanied by empathy and congruence. Imagine a homosexual client comes for therapy; he got married to some man not long ago, and tells of how he met the man in university. He recently found out that the man is cheating with another man, whom he met on their honeymoon while they were away. The client says he does not know whether to divorce this husband or to separate with him for a while, since hes finding it so difficult to forgive him. The best response for an effective counsellor in a such a situation is expressing genuineness: acknowledging to himself, perhaps, that he is uncomfortable with the whole gay thing, and that his opinion is just one way of looking at things so that he can more readily accept the clients lifestyle choice. This can help him develop unconditional positive regard, coupled with empathy towards the client. This is because if he is able to acknowledge that his discomfort with the clients attributes, it becomes easier to get into the clients reality and try to see things through the clients eyes(empathy). It is through this same empathy that unconditional positive regard will come about; as he begins to picture what the client might be going through. How Important is Self-Care for the Counsellor? While an enhanced regimen of self-care may sound like a good idea, most people are fuzzy on what self-care is and how to practice it(www.psychologytoday.com). And for this reason, it is always best to define something before attempting to describe it. It is as in warfare, a soldier has to have a well-rounded definition of his enemy, so that he should not wage war against soldiers that actually came to the assistance of his own country, thinking that they are the opposition. One way to look at self-care is to see it as something one does to improve (their) sense of subjective well-being(www.thefreelibrary.com). From to this definition, one can already see how important it is to exercise self-care as a counsellor. Imagine(bearing in mind the above definition) the counsellor who does not consider self-care to be of much value would this counsellor not be judgemental towards his clients? How will he be able to exercise empathy, positive regard and congruence with all his clients? Thus, self-care is important for the counsellor that seeks to be effective in his occupation. Contrary to popular belief, self-care is not an easy thing to practice. This belief springs from advertisers deception and their inability to define self-care clearly(psychologytoday.com). Many of us think that getting pedicures, choosing hand-dipped dark chocolates and buying thread count bed linens equal self-care. This, in actual fact, is self-pampering(www.psychologytoday.com). Self-pampering cannot improve ones sense of subjective well-being, neither can it equip one to practice congruence/genuineness, empathy or unconditional positive regard. According to psychologytoday.com the way to practice self-care is to choose behaviours that balance the effects of emotional and physical stressors: exercising, eating healthy foods, getting enough sleep, practicing yoga or meditation or relaxation techniques and the like. Another important factor that contributes to the effectiveness of self-care is learning to depend less on other people for healing, be it healing from emotional or even physical pain. Once a counsellor learns to be independent in these areas of his own life, then it will become very difficult for him to keep using his clients problems as a means of helping him deal with his own. So in essence, self-care is necessary and helpful to the development of an effective counsellor. Conclusion This essay has discussed and examined the meaning of an effective counsellor. It has looked into the basic meaning or definition of a counsellor in order to properly differentiate between just a counsellor and an effective one. The qualities that are important for helping a counsellor become effective in his expertise have been outlined. It has also been seen throughout this essay that being a counsellor especially an effective one is not as easy a task as it might appear; a lifetime of commitment is necessary for this to be achieved.

Modeling Ocean Acoustic Tomography Essay -- Science Ocean Tomography

Modeling Ocean Acoustic Tomography Ocean acoustic tomography is a recent scientific breakthrough in the last thirty years. This usage of this tomography is key because of the major affect the oceans play on the Earth’s biosphere. Water takes up about 75% of the world and plays a role in land temperature variance and seasonal climate changes. In 1965, scientists pictured the ocean’s general circulation being large slow-moving currents like the Gulf Stream. These conclusions were based on periodic observations. No one had a grasp on the water’s vast expansion and high reaching depths. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, new instruments were brought to the table. Subsurface floats moved with the ocean currents. Data was gathered while a signal was emitted so ships could track it. Ocean current meters weren’t mobile, but rather fixed to one location. They would remain anchored for several months gathering the changes within the water around them. These tools discovered variability within the water’s movements. The theories on slow, basin-scale currents were hidden by the domination of mesoscale fields. These fields are high energy flows that reach ten times the average velocity of major currents. These up-tempo movements relate to the out of water weather patterns. A mesoscale can be 100 square km in size and persist for 100 days while atmospheric weather will be 1000 km, but only resonant for 3-5 days. 99% of the ocean’s kinetic energy can be summed into these mesoscale rather than the slow basin-scales. Monitoring the newly discovered mesoscales became a problem. A grid would have to be set up with monitoring equipment at 50 km intervals. Sensors would be lowered to average ocean depths (approximately 5... ...phy system along with the old ship method. The tomography setup accomplished the task in 24 hours. It took the ship, though, three weeks because each interval stop took 4-5 hours. The map was also blurred because of the long â€Å"exposing† time. Quickness has become a major role characteristic, along with coverage. 1000 km of a current was measured for temperature averages. The methods are near the point of being able to measure temperatures around the world simultaneously for references on global warming. 75% of the world is water. Finally, we are being able to study it and apply it to weather patterns within the air. Works Cited Munk, Worcester, and Wunsch. Ocean Acoustic Tomography. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Spindel, Robert C., and Peter F. Worcester. â€Å"Ocean Acoustic Tomography.† Scientific American Oct. 1990, vol. 263: 94-99.

Karl Marx and Max Weber Essay

Karl Marx and Max Weber are among the famous theorist who formed the pillar of the study of society. This come about in their contradict theories the conflict and protestant ethic respectively. It is understood that these two people lived in different eras, Marx being exposed to conditions and perspectives of the eighteen century whilst Weber dwells in the nineteen century where noticeable changes on the fast emergence of innovative technology, and a path where modernity take its toll (the industrial revolution) (Tui, 2014). The theories of Marx and Weber were applicable in their times with regards to the type, functions and interactions existing within society. As follows is the discussion of their main arguments on the contrary of their perspectives on the basis of society. According to Karl Marx, society of all hitherto is the result of social stratification and conflict. The organized economic activities and mode of production, determined the division of labor which causes the formation of two classes, the bourgeoisies and the proletariat (the rich and the poor) showing opposition (antagonistic interaction). The proletariat (working class) controlled the modes of production while the bourgeois owned the means of production (Brym & Lie, 2007). The conflict theory by Marx, argued that a position in a productive system is the basis of peoples conflict. The rich attained privilege of accessing revenue and surplus whilst the poor did not resist, but remained subordinate. The bourgeois also maintained their interest by suppressing and maintaining the subordination of the proletariat (Worsley, et al., 1970). A revolution originated on the fact that men realized how capitalism deprives them of self-independence and freedom. Capitalism also increased inequality within society and enhanced further subordination of the working class. Marx believed that in the f uture there will be classless societies ( (Worsley, et al., 1970)). Therefore modern society is the result of the breakdown of the feudal system; the proletariats were being absorbed by the bourgeois to work in their factory, hence bringing society to the end of communism (Tui, 2014). But also a classless society still experienced antagonistic, a trend of dependency between these two class, that is the bourgeois depend on the manual labor and productivity of the proletariat and vice versa, for their stability and co-existence. In contrast, Weber, in his theory, the protestant ethics, believed in hard work, personal achievement and motivations. It focuses on  individual actions and most importantly an individual’s knowledge and skills to bring about transformation of new society. In other words people consciously making decision at important times or junctures (Tui, 2014). People whom abided to protestant ethics and maintain the spirit of capitalism succeeded economically. He emphasized the importance of the growth of the service sector of th e economy, with its many non-manual workers and professionals. He also articulated that capitalist development was not just caused by favorable economic conditions but religious beliefs also plays an important role (awareness to the society of values and virtues: right and wrong) of facilitating great capitalist growth. He argued that Marx, fails to see that people in society can improve their condition in terms of education, technology to attain a better standard of living. Weber, also showed the flaws of the Conflict theory whereby he said that a revolution is not necessarily the solution to dissatisfaction and grievances. There are medium of resolving matters peacefully whereby the government is required to improve such conditions (Weber, 2005). In light of the above arguments, there is also controversy and contradiction in their discussion of class (created by eligibility and accessing to product of economy), status (social honor or professional position) and power (the ability and opportunity to control) (Worsley, et al., 1970). According to Marx, in society, there are two distinct classes: the bourgeois and the proletariat. These classes were inherited and there is nothing that can be done apart from revolution that can make the differences. The revolution would result in a classless society where the state come to own the means of production. According to Marx, whoever has a class will have a complimentary standard of status and power. For him class is the originator of all kinds of status in society and source of power. He also stated that traditional status ascribed was used to acquire power such as the members of the noble family were born and entitled to rule. This class of nobles subsequently has high social status (Brym & Lie, 2007). Weber strongly argued that class, status and power were three totally different categories. Status and power were achieved through ones commitment and successes. It favored the concept of meritocracy which allows people to rise or fall to a position that matches their talent and efforts ( (Brym & Lie, 2007)). All of these were independent of each other. It is not necessary of an individual  or group of people in high class to have a corresponding level(s) of status and power. In general, class is directly related to how people have access to part of the society’s resources. Class should be related to your ability to buy power or your market position (Tui, 2014). Such as a proletariat can become a very important figure in government just because of his/her qualification, oratory skills and achievement. For example a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), commissioner of police, captain. These people worked their way like every proletariat from scratch and because of their ambition and hard work they are able to become successful, even though they do not have a royal or ruling background After having compared the two theories of Karl Marx and Max Weber, the latter theory of protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism by Max Weber is considered the best and useful theory to understand and explain the dynamics of my local society. Kiribati society is an example of an egalitarian society whereby people are equal and have the same rights and opportunities. The decision making process and access to government’s resources and all opportunities are carried out following established processes and procedures. Everyone is given a chance to talk for themselves or by a representative (Teitiniman, 1993). As mentioned earlier, access to opportunities are open to everyone such as position in government and non-government organization through advertisement. Eligible candidates announced and a screening test is conducted to screen out best candidates. It takes one’s effort, hardship and commitment towards professional development in order to improve life conditioning, status and attainment of power for example people acquiring scholarship for higher qualification and to qualify a higher post with high salary in the government institution (Itaia, 1979). According to Koae (1993) and agreed by Macdonald (2001) there are existing mediums of solving any grievance and dissatisfaction. These are put up in writing to the concerned department and or are taken up to court. Communities’ views and perspectives are considered as a means of improvement to policing strategies such as that adopted by the Kiribati Police Services. Elections of leaders are conducted on the basis of the public vote towards candidates (Brechtefeld, 1993). As Weber highlighted, class, status and power are achieved which is correspondingly true of my Kiribati so ciety. Peoples’ hard work irrespective of religious beliefs and traditional social class and status, have equal and equitable access to opportunities which determine social and economic standings in my society. Bibliography Brechtefeld, N., 1993. The Electoral System. In: H. V. Trease, ed. Atoll Politics. Christchurch: Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, pp. 43, 44, 45. Brym, R. J. & Lie, J., 2007. Sociology Your Compass for a New World. third ed. California: Thomson Wadsworth. Itaia, M., 1979. Rebirth Te Mauri, Te Raoi, ao Te Tabomoa. In: KIRIBATI Aspects of History. Suva: Institutes of Pacific Studies, The University of the South Pacific, pp. 123,124. Koae, T., 1993. Corrupt and Illegal Electoral Practices. In: H. V. Trease, ed. Atoll Politics. Christchurch: Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, pp. 105-110. Macdonald, B., 2001. Cinderellas of the Empire. Suva: Institute of Pacific Studies, The University of the South Pacific. Teitiniman, T., 1993. Serving the People. In: H. V. Trease, ed. Atoll Politics. Christchurch: Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, pp. 343, 344, 345. Tui, R., 2014. Social Structures in Modern/Contemporary Societies. Suva: s.n. Weber, M., 2005. The Protestan t Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism. New York: Taylor & Francis e-Library,. Worsley, P. et al., 1970. INTRODUCING SOCIOLOGY. 1 ed. Victoria: Penguin Education.

The Value Wastelands

Critique â€Å"The†Values† Wasteland† Charles Skyes’ work has been in seen in many prosperous newspapers throughout time, to name a few New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Most of what Skyes writes is educational issues. Skyes has also written a number of books, ProfScam: Professors and the Demise of Higher Education (1988), The Hollow Man: Politics and Corruption in Higher Education (1990) and 50 Rules Kids Won’t Learn In School (2007).Skyes is involved in many other things for example he is a senior fellow at the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute and he hosts a radio show in Milwaukee that is popular. Skyes addresses mostly topics that he sees as breakdown in the American culture. The following critique is from an excerpt from Skyes book Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why America’s Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can’t Read, Write or Add. Skyes addresses numerous controversial moral issues within American children today, giv ing statistics from many different surveys claiming that American children are not so intune as they once were.Skyes also quotes a few different people that have done various studies and or surveys along with his own opinions on these same issues. Skyes conclusion is that we have given our children array of irrational morals and that we need to look at the ones who provide them to these children. Skyes includes all that is negative and has no mind for any of the positive with our children today. A weakness of this article, Skyes has put down children and their morals and then takes his readers with points that it is the parents, communities, the media and even the churches that society need to take a look at and settle the blame there.Charles Skyes excerpt â€Å"The†Values† Wasteland† gives an example of a teenager who was accused of rape and the repercussions afterwards. Skyes introduces his readers with statistics and research on issues such as â€Å"it was acc eptable for a man to force sex on a woman† (199). Skyes’ statistics have his readers believing that this is all teens. Skyes credibility is for his self-gain, only showing his view point. He does not tell his readers where in Rhode Island the statistics were gathered from. Were the statistics taken from only urban areas, or rural areas?Skyes inferences are based solely on one group of students giving a sense of incomplete comparison. The article explicitly and deliberately distracts the readers to other issues that Skyes thinks will hit more at home about morals. â€Å"A write in survey of 126,000 teenagers found that 25 to 40 percent of teens see nothing wrong with cheating on exams, stealing from employers, or keeping money that wasn’t theirs†(199). Grabbing the attention of the readers with a â€Å"red herring† knowing that this issue would cause the reader to identify.Skyes only includes from the survey that one point. Skyes hasty generalization gives his readers insufficient statistics and what the survey was based on while playing on his readers emotions. Skyes purpose for this book clearly shows how he perceives American children. He gives factual statistics on the negative influences on American children to sway his readers into believing that today’s they are need of a huge change and reform. Skyes has written continuously about the educational issues in America.Taking a look back at his other work and what he is involved in now, TV, Radio, books, it is all about the same things: educational issues with children and how we need to act on changing it or forever be doomed. Skyes effectively gave all negative statistics, doing his research thoroughly although it was quite biased, skipping over anything that had anything to do with the positive. â€Å"More than 60 percent of high school students said they had cheated at least once on an exam†(199).Showing the large amount of students that admitted to cheatin g yet there is nothing to support this statistic as the actual question and how it was worded and how Skyes actually came to have that 60 percent of students. Did it come from one school or many schools? Skyes needed to give more information about the statistics he acquired and focus less on the negative. Skyes uses the phrase â€Å"IDI’s† (I-Deserve-Its) saying that today’s kids are all about entitlement and are completely surrounded by â€Å"personal needs wants and don’t wants and rights. (199) Again where is Skyes getting all his information? In the poverty stricken areas or middle class? It really does make a difference where Skyes got his information. Then he could have added in the different neighborhoods that people need to really take a look at and change. As the reader, I don’t know. Perhaps it is an all-around assement maybe not but, Skyes is not very clear on the where’s, or how’s. His argument is valid to a point but doe s not give any information for the readers to make a decision.Skyes leaves this wide open for the reader to think that it is all American kids that are IDI’s. Skyes compares American children to Asian children who are not given a choice in what they are allowed to read. â€Å"Asian children continue to read about stories of perseverance, hard work, loyalty, duty, prudence, heroism, and honesty†(200). The examples that Skyes gives that American students used to study are all white and dead; Benjamin Franklin, Florence Nightingale and Thomas Edison.Skyes boosts that they taught lessons of â€Å"inventiveness, character, compassion, curiosity, and truthfulness†(200). I agree that all of those mentioned are very noble historical people but we do have in today’s living that carry the same lessons that children can relate with more than a bunch of dead white people. This was a very racist comment made by Skyes and his credibility went right out the window. Skye s has given a lot of statistics of negative morals with our American children of today.He does not allow the reader to make his or her own educated decision without giving anything to go on except the negative statistics that Skyes has provided. Skyes tries to convince the readers that it is not just the schools but parents, media, and church that are to blame for the way American kids are. In addition he has proven his racism with comments he has slipped in trying to sway the reader to think that other children are better than the American child. This excerpt makes me exceptionally angry with Skyes who makes me think that he is all holier than thou.Skyes knocks down the very country he lives in. He makes some very interesting points about the way children â€Å"may† think, but I do not agree with him. I feel that the American children are right where they are supposed to be. These issues have always been. If he really wants a change, Skyes needs to include all the good that could be going on and not leaving teachers, parent, and clergy members feeling helpless. This excerpt was poorly thought out and Skyes really needs to reevaluate his own morals and social issues.

Reduce the Use of Of

Reduce the Use of Of Reduce the Use of â€Å"Of† Reduce the Use of â€Å"Of† By Mark Nichol How long can you go on writing without using of? You’ll quickly find that it’s an invaluable word, but writers often take it for granted, and its repeated use is a sure sign of prolixity. Of is a preposition, a word positioned before its object: In â€Å"a stroke of luck,† for example, of is the preposition of luck. We rely on such constructions often and, in moderation, they’re perfectly acceptable but we can easily overuse them. Fortunately, they’re (usually) easily revised: For example, with a few strokes of the pen (or a few taps on the keyboard), â€Å"a stroke of luck† becomes â€Å"a lucky stroke.† The formula is easy just convert the second noun in a â€Å"(noun) of (noun)† phrase to an adjective and move the first noun after the adjective. But such a strategy isn’t always elegant: â€Å"A pen’s stroke† might appeal to a computer seeking the most concise, efficient phrasing, but it is jarring to a human mind, which prefers â€Å"a stroke of the pen.† One’s goal, however, should be to reduce, not eliminate, use of of: After you’ve written a document, search for of, and if you find that you have used it more than once in a sentence or several times in a paragraph, consider revising one or more phrases in which it appears. For example, a sentence with an in-line list, such as â€Å"Information theory has been crucial in the invention of the compact disc, the technology of mobile phones, and the development of the Internet† can be revised to â€Å"Information theory has been crucial in the invention of the compact disc, the technology behind mobile phones, and the Internet’s development.† Note, however, that of is sometimes mistakenly omitted: â€Å"He took a couple days off† is acceptable in casual writing, but â€Å"He took a couple of days off† is correct, and regardless should always be followed by of, as in â€Å"I’m supporting her regardless of whether she’s right or wrong† (though â€Å"regardless of† is redundant to whether and might better be eliminated from the sentence). This post lists some wordy prepositional phrases that can be easily replaced by single words or shorter phrases, and this one suggests strategies for achieving more concise writing by avoiding prepositional phrases altogether. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and ToesHow to Punctuate with â€Å"However†The Uses of â€Å"The†