Critique of a Political Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Critique of a Political Speech - Essay Example On the 4th of November 2008, Senator Barack Obama spoke at the rally in Grant Park in his hometown, Chicago, Illinois, after winning the competition for the seat of the President of America. After his victory, the first black president of the United States gave a speech before an enthusiastic audience of 240,000. This speech was marked as one of the most awaited, watched, and reviewed political address in history. Obama’s voice echoed in the world, his slogan of change and his strong political campaign were praised. He mentioned the fundamental issues faced by the United States and the rest of the world. He also mentioned about his late grandmother who died just two nights before this date. The speech referenced some of the influential leaders of the US history. Words and thoughts of John F.Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King were discussed. The voice of Martin Luther King’s â€Å"I Have A Dream† was revived. There were echoes in favor of democratic principle, Abraham Lincoln’s â€Å"a government of the people, by the people and for the people† were heard in President Obama’s manner. The speech granted a deep sense of hope despite of adverse circumstances, an optimistic approach in hard times of tough goals. President Obama also directly quoted Abraham Lincoln’s first inaugural address in these words:† As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection." Indeed, history was made on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. The impact of the elections result and the speech was tremendous; the sense of joy was carved on the faces of millions listening to the speech. Long term impacts of the slogan â€Å"YES WE CAN† and Obama’s speech were written in journals and newspapers throughout the globe (Saldin). The performance of

Impact of Television Violence on Children Essay Example for Free

Impact of Television Violence on Children Essay These days, we are seeing an increasing amount of violence on television, and this is having a negative impact on children’s behaviour. At present, television plays an important role in everyone’s lives, especially in children’s lives. Television has become a member of almost every single family on our planet. And not just an ordinary member, but a very important one, because the time spent next to it exceeds the amount of time spent together with any other family member. Gone are those days, where children used to watch only ‘Tom and Jerry’, instead they want to watch ‘Power Rangers’, ‘Chota Bheem’, etc. Instead of playing together people prefer to watch an episode from a thriller. The base of the tomorrow’s society – are children today. And on the way they develop depends how are world is going to look like tomorrow. Contemporary parents work a lot, but when they come back home they are not eager to spend time with their child, the consequences of this fact are the following: kids are given to themselves and watch everything they want or TV plays a role of a babysitter. Therefore children learn moral principles from the television, where by the age of 16 they observe 100,000 violent acts and 33,000 murders. Violence on television causes children and teenagers to become less caring, to lose their inhibitions, to become less sensitive, and also may cause violent and aggressive behaviour. In a study on the connection between violence and television done with 1,565 children over a six-year period in London, William Belson, a British psychologist, found that every time a child saw someone being shot or killed on television they became less caring towards other people. William Belson also discovered that every time a child viewed this violence on television, they lost a fragment of their inhibitions towards others. In addition to William Belsons study, other studies did by many scientists and doctors show that seeing violence on television causes children to become less sensitive to the pain of others. Many people believe that children who watch violent television programs exhibit more aggressive behaviour than, that exhibited by children who do not. According to the results of many studies and reports, violence on television can lead to aggressive behaviour in children. Also, when television was introduced into a community of children for the first time, researchers observed a rise in the level of physical and verbal aggression among these children.

Reflection on Sending US Troops to Iraq

Reflection on Sending US Troops to Iraq Why The U.S. Should Leave Iraq. We have been in Iraq since President George Bush launched the invasion on Iraq in March 2003. Since then the war the U.S. has spent about seven hundred million dollars. While we still are in fighting to try to rebuild Iraq when we should be trying to save the U.S. from the down fall of our own economy since March of last year. From the National Priorities Project website I found this chart that shows the cost by year the money we are spending on the war in Iraq as well as Afghanistan. Another reason why staying in Iraq is just a bad idea, as John Weiss states, â€Å"We face a paradox in Iraq: the longer we stay, the stronger our enemies become. We cannot defeat either the insurgency or the civil war resulting from our invasion and occupation; in fact, both have grown stronger. Nor can we protect the Iraqis we came to save. A corrupt Iraqi government wastes the billions we have allocated for rebuilding, while the middle class flees to avoid the danger. The Pentagon trains Iraqis to fight, but we may well be training the army of our future enemies.†(Weiss) The longer we are there the more the people there will learn how to hurt the U.S. learn the ways to operate our own military forces. The longer we leave our troops the longer the people of Iraq have time to see what we do in the middle of war. The longer we stay the longer our nation stays unprotected, think about it we have all these troops across seas fighting when and if there is another terrorist attack we in a way have our shields down. It will take longer for us to get prepared or try to reassemble what just happened. Also I ask the question why are we sending more troops? Costing the nation more money, endangering the lives of more Americans? If we are doing what needs to be done and we are doing our job why send more? If they are fighting back harder than we are wasting our time trying to save a lost cause. Hurting our own nation to support a country just so oil prices will drop seems to be a little much some would say. Like Cenk Uygur says. â€Å"If were doing well, its because of the extra troops so we shouldnt pull them out. If were doing poorly, obviously we need more troops. Either way, we need more troops and need to stay in Iraq longer. This supposition is obvious nonsense, yet were taking it seriously.†( Uygur) On the other hand I guess you could say a reason why we should stay in Iraq is, by leaving our troops in Iraq and leave a few there set up a base to watch over operations of what is going on. In one article Marcus Fryman puts it, â€Å"You see, some people are just incapable of thinking long term. In the grand scheme of things, its better to keep US troops in Iraq just so theyll be ready to enter into combat operations in Iran. I mean, doesnt it seem pointless bringing them all the way back home only to deploy them back onto the streets of Tehran a month later?†(Fryman) Plus it could have the opportunity to set up more jobs in the future. Have you ever heard of the term PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder)? It is defined as a severe anxiety disorder can develop after exposure to any event which results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to ones own or someone elses physical, sexual, or psychological integrity, overwhelming the individuals psychological defenses. Symptoms include re-experiencing original trauma, by means of flashbacks or nightmares; avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma; and increased arousal, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, anger. Formal diagnostic criteria require that the symptoms last more than one month and cause significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning, meaning trying to fit back into society or trying to get back to work after experience PTSD. In a test given to 2525 soldiers returning from a year-long tour in Iraq, 124 (4.9%) reported injuries with loss of co nsciousness, 260 (10.3%) reported injuries with altered mental status, and 435 (17.2%) reported other injuries during deployment. Of those reporting loss of consciousness, 43.9% met criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as compared with 27.3% of those reporting altered mental status, 16.2% with other injuries, and 9.1% with no injury. Soldiers with mild traumatic brain injury, primarily those who had loss of consciousness, were significantly more likely to report poor general health, missed workdays, medical visits, and a high number of somatic and post concussive symptoms than were soldiers with other injuries. However, after adjustment for PTSD and depression, mild traumatic brain injury was no longer significantly associated with these physical health outcomes or symptoms, except for headache. I found a story about a soldier call him Mr. K, a 38-year-old National Guard soldier, was assessed in an outpatient psychiatric clinic several months after he returned home fr om a 12-month deployment to the Sunni Triangle in Iraq, where he had his first exposure to combat in his 10 years of National Guard duty. Before deployment, he worked successfully as an automobile salesman, was a happily married father with children ages 10 and 12 years, and was socially outgoing with a large circle of friends and active in civic and church activities. While in Iraq, he had extensive combat exposure. His platoon was heavily shelled and was ambushed on many occasions, often resulting in death or injury to his buddies. He was a passenger on patrols and convoys in which roadside bombs destroyed vehicles and wounded or killed people with whom he had become close. He was aware that he had killed a number of enemy combatants, and he feared that he may also have been responsible for the deaths of civilian bystanders. He blamed himself for being unable to prevent the death of his best friend, who was shot by a sniper. When asked about the worst moment during his deployment, he readily stated that it occurred when he was unable to intercede, but only to watch helplessly, while a small group of Iraqi women and children were killed in the crossfire during a particularly bloody assault. Since returning home, he has been anxious, irritable, and on edge most of the time. He has become preoccupied with concerns about the personal safety of his family, keeping a loaded 9-mm pistol with him at all times and under his pillow at night. Sleep has been difficult, and when sleep occurs, it has often been interrupted by vivid nightmares during which he thrashes about, kicks his wife, or jumps out of bed to turn on the lights. His children complained that he has become so overprotective that he will not let them out of his sight. His wife reported that he has been emotionally distant since his return. She also believed that driving the car had become dangerous when he is a passenger because he has sometimes reached over suddenly to grab the steering wheel because he thinks he has seen a roadside bomb. His friends have wearied of inviting him to social gatherings because he has consistently turned down all invitations to get together. His employer, who has patiently supported him, has reported that his work has suffered dramatically, that he seems preoccupied with his own thoughts and irritable with customers, that he often makes mistakes, and that he has not functioned effectively at the automobile dealership where he was previously a top salesman. Mr. K acknowledged that he has changed since his deployment. He reported that he sometimes experiences strong surges of fear, panic, guilt, and despair and that at other times he has felt emotionally dead, unable to return the love and warmth of family and friends. Life has become a terrible burden. Although he has not been actively suicidal, he reported that he sometimes thinks everyone would be better off if he had not survived his tour in Iraq. Do we want more troops coming back with things like t his happening when they do not even what our help anymore? Is it worth it? I find myself asking the same question. With everything going on here in the United States I do not think we have the money and are running out of the resources to keep fighting a battle that just may be already lost. By pulling out bring most of our troops home back their families, saves lives, and makes a stronger nation. We can keep some troops there you know a small base let our presents be known. I think we need to keep an eye on them, but this fighting for lost cause just needs to end. Sources. Weiss, John. Why We Should Leave Iraq Now. History News Network. 10-9-06 . Uygur, Cenk. Three Reasons Why We Should Leave Iraq. Mo Rocca 180. 4-10-2008 . Cost of War. National Priorities Project . 2008 . Fryman, Marcus. 10 Reasons Why US Troops Should Stay in Iraq. Marcus Frymans 10 reasons why. 2-27-2009 . Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in U.S. Soldiers Returning from Iraq. The New England Journal of Medicine. January 31, 2008 . Friedman, Matthew. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Military Returnees From Afghanistan and Iraq. Treatment in Psychiatry. 4, April 2006 .

House Of The Seven Gables :: essays research papers fc

The House of the Seven Gables   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"[The] sympathy or magnetism among human beings is more subtle and universal than we think; it exists, indeed, among different classes of organized life, and vibrates from one to another† (Hawthorne 178). Loosely based on the events of Hawthorne’s own life, The House of the Seven Gables attempts to show the suffering of descendants forced to repent for the sins of their â€Å"father†, while they are unknowingly renewing the curse by nurturing the ancestral greed that has passed through the generations (O’ Connor 6) . Thus the various themes of the novel reflect the central idea of continued sin through the greed and guilt of a declining family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each generation struggles to escape the sins of the past, only to be thrust forcefully back to face the offenses of their forefathers. The House of the Seven Gables is a tale of loneliness and greed caused by the sin of preceding generations. The opening of the novel is set in puritan times during the Salem witch hunts. The villainous Colonel Pyncheon wrongly accused the innocent Matthew Maule of witchcraft so that the Maule land would fall into the Pyncheon family’s hands. Upon his death, Maule â€Å"addressed [Colonel Pyncheon] from the scaffold, and uttered a prophecy...God will give him blood to drink† (Hawthorne 4-5) . The physical wrongdoing of Colonel Pyncheon against Matthew Maule was avenged at the former’s death, with the curse being fulfilled. However, the essence of the crime lived on through the generations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By chapter two, the focus of the novel has shifted to the modern generations of the Pyncheon family. The family has severely declined since the Colonel’s time, yet the curse of greed is as strong as ever. The remains of the family consist of a decrepit spinster named Hepzibah, now the caretaker of the house of the seven gables; her insane brother Clifford, who was just recently released from prison; their devilish cousin Judge Jaffrey, a man fixated upon his own greed; and their distant cousin Phoebe, the sunny country girl that will be their redemption. Also, the last surviving descendant of the Maule lineage, the handsome Holgrave Maule, resides at the house.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a compilation by F.O. Matthiessen, it is stated that the â€Å"main theme was not the original curse on the house, but the curse that the Pyncheons have continued to bring upon themselves†. It is not Maule’s death which needs avenging, but the anguish caused by the Pyncheon family’s greed. â€Å"Lust for wealth has held the Pyncheon’ in its inflexible

Chapter 20 – Neurofinance

20. 1 INTRODUCTION In this book we have argued that cognition and emotion are powerful influences on people’s decisions. Traders are, of course, no different. This chapter begins by considering what we know about what sets a successful trader apart from other people. We have all contemplated the oft-debated question of nature versus nurture in explaining whether a person thrives or fails. In this final chapter, we further investigate where choices come from. The evidence suggests that there are both environmental and biological foundations. The chapter begins in Section 20. with a discussion of expertise, namely, what makes a skillful trader? Cognitive skills are honed through practice and repetition, but emotion also has a significant role. Next, in Section 20. 3, we turn to the emerging field of neurofinance. Using imaging technology, researchers are contributing to our understanding of how people make decisions. In Section 20. 4, we describe some of the insights recently pr ovided by neurofinance researchers. These researchers have found that cognition and emotion have complementary effects. Traders whose emotions appear to be in balance perform the best.Uncertainty and risk are experienced differently by our brains, as are gains versus losses and risk versus return. The chapter concludes in Section 20. 5 with some practical advice. 20. 2 EXPERTISE AND IMPLICIT LEARNING Consider the following situation. You are at a large concert and run into a good friend, Molly. Of course, you recognize her face immediately. Now think about this. What if, instead, you know Molly is at the concert but is seated across the venue. The friend you came to the concert with, Amy, is going to look for Molly, but the two have never met.You do your best at describing Molly to Amy. What’s the chance that Amy will be able to identify Molly among thousands of concert goers? Not too likely. Much of what we know we cannot describe in words. A face is a very complex thing, an d we simply do not have enough words to explicitly describe one particular person very accurately. Language is categorical, whereas the distinguishing features of two similar faces may be fuzzy. Some cognitive scientists assert that people have knowledge that they cannot verbalize, referred to as implicit learning or tacit knowledge.Brett Steenbarger argues that traders also have information about markets that they cannot adequately describe in words. Like a human face, markets are probably more complex than the language we have to describe them. Does this mean we need a finer grid with which to describe markets? Or, does this view suggest that we need to better understand how traders make decisions? Excellence in most fields requires expertise. How do we define expertise? Usually we think in terms of relative performance so that those at the top of their game are considered to be the experts.Because of tacit knowledge, an expert chess player or pro football player often knows insti nctively what the best move is, perhaps without any cognitive evaluation whatsoever. Recall in our discussion of the foundations of emotion in Chapter 7 that psychologists believe that emotions can develop completely independently from cognition. In other words, you can feel fear without first cognitively recognizing what is making you fearful. While observing a market, a trader may instinctively know the move he wants to make.Steenbarger notes that in many instances traders will make similar buy or sell decisions and then, ex post, provide very different descriptions of the information that led to the decision. The traders saw the same information, acted the same way, but understood their behavior quite differently. Perhaps a trader makes a decision based on instinct with no preceding cognitive evaluation. Afterward, the trader generates an explanation that is cognitively consistent with his expectations. Steenbarger argues that â€Å"the successful trader feels the market but doe s not become lost in those feelings. Studies of expert athletic performers have reached similar conclusions. For example, one study argues that â€Å"emotions, and the capability to regulate them effectively, arguably account for a large portion of the variance in athletic performance. † In the trading domain, an expert trader often has a gut feeling about a particular situation but remains in control by taking careful, deliberate action. Does this mean that trading expertise is innate and cannot be learned? Reading the information in a market could be like understanding a social interaction. Some people are just better at it than others.While some level of innate ability is probably requisite, the evidence suggests that expertise is finely honed. Not too many of us would believe that a professional quarterback spent his teen and early adult years watching football on television while sitting on the couch eating chips. Knowing the rules of a game does not make you good at the game. Practice and repetition are common ingredients across successful experts. For example, accomplished violinists spend, on average, 10,000 hours practicing. Successful traders also devote a lot of time to practice.This practice gives them the ability to connect what they know about a market to the action they should take. Through implicit learning they are able to make better and more efficient decisions. A day trader who spends hours, or even minutes, evaluating a current market circumstance before making a trading decision will certainly find it difficult to succeed. 20. 3 NEUROFINANCE While we know that practice is necessary to hone any skill, unlocking the mysteries of the brain is an important key to understanding how to promote the development of expertise in any realm, including investing.Are evolutionary theorists correct in their contention that our basic emotions have evolved to promote the survival of the species as we discussed in Chapter 7? Do expert performers hav e innate characteristics, or can anyone develop expertise in trading? Neurofinance and neuroeconomics use neurotechnology to examine how the brain behaves while a person is making financial and economic decisions. In these new and growing fields, results from economics, finance, psychology, and neuroscience provide the basis for further investigation.Neuroscience uses brain imaging, as we described in Chapter 7, to understand brain activity and how the brain works. With this technology, scientists can actually measure emotional response. The potential of the technology has not gone unnoticed by practitioners. In fact, Jason Zweig, senior writer for Money magazine and guest columnist for Time magazine and cnn. com writes: I’ve been a financial journalist since 1987, and nothing I’ve ever learned about investing has excited me more than the spectacular findings emerging form the study of â€Å"neuroeconomics. Thanks to this newborn field †¦ we can begin to understa nd what drives investing behavior not only on the theoretical or practical level, but as a basic biological function. These flashes of fundamental insight will enable you to see as never before what makes you tick as an investor. Investors who better understand â€Å"what makes them tick† will be better prepared to make good investment decisions. It is important to understand that neuroscience is not simply interested in mapping out parts of the brain. Instead, by looking at how the brain reacts during various activities, scientists can understand how the brain functions and solves problems.We will better understand the mix of cognitive processing and emotional responses. Which responses are controlled and which are automatic responses? These insights will allow economic theorists to improve models of decision-making, as well as investor education efforts. Recall from our earlier discussion of the brain that automatic and controlled responses are associated with different par ts of the brain. Automatic responses often stimulate the amygdala, whereas controlled responses activate the forebrain (or prefrontal cortex). Using imaging technology, scientists can observe the areas of the brain that are activated during a task.In Chapter 7 we also talked about Damasio’s studies of the behavior of brain-damaged patients. The patients were emotionally flat due to frontal brain lobe damage, and Damasio concluded that decision-making and emotion are intertwined. Though studies of braindamaged patients can be informative, brain imaging technology allows more control so that research can be conducted with greater precision. Neuroscientists are making great progress on brain function, and, as a result, researchers are proposing new models and theories that better incorporate aspects of psychology, including emotion. 0. 4 INSIGHTS FROM NEUROFINANCE Neuroscientists have investigated a variety of questions related to financial decision-making. Several studies have lent insight into the forces of emotion on trading by studying the physiological characteristics of professional securities traders while they were actively engaged in live trading. In one study significant correlations between market movements and physiological characteristics such as skin conductance and cardiovascular data were reported. Differences were also detected across traders, perhaps related to trading experience.Another study looked at whether emotion was found to be an important determinant of a trader’s ability to succeed in financial markets. It was found that those whose reaction to gains and losses was most intense had the worst trading performance, suggesting the obvious need for balanced emotions. Brain imaging has been used as experimental participants have made risky choices. This research indicates that how gains and losses are both anticipated and realized is likely to differ inasmuch as different regions of the brain are activated.When gains are antici pated, a subcortical region known as the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) becomes active. This region is rich in dopamine, a substance that has been associated with both the positive affect of monetary rewards and addictive drug use. The fact that this region is only active during anticipated gains (but not losses) lends plausibility to the differential experiencing of gains and losses in prospect theory. Other brain imaging research indicates that what might lie behind ambiguity aversion is the fact that risk and uncertainty are experienced in different ways.Recall in Chapter 1 where we discussed the distinction between risk and uncertainty. With a risky choice, the person can assess the probability of the outcomes, but under uncertainty the probabilities are unknown. The distinction is important here because the brain may evaluate a choice in a risky situation differently from a choice when one faces uncertainty. Research indicates that when facing uncertainty the most active regions were the orbitofrontal cortex (a region integrating emotion and cognition) and the amygdala (a region central to emotional reaction).In contrast, when facing risk, the brain areas that responded during their task were typically in the parietal lobes so that the researchers concluded that choices in this setting were driven by cognitive factors. In sum, uncertainty appears to be more strongly associated with an emotional response, while risk leads to a cognitive reaction. It has been suggested that when times becomes more uncertain (for example in 2008, as was described in Chapter 14), the inability of investors to properly assess the distribution of future returns leads to their moving from rational deliberation to a primarily emotional response.The result could be widespread unwillingness to hold risky assets in turbulent markets, a tendency that can only exacerbate market declines. A neural test of myopic loss aversion has also been conducted. A group of patients with brain lesions on areas known to be associated with the processing of emotions were compared to a control group. The former group was significantly more likely to take on risk than the control group. Further, the lesion group exhibited greater consistency in their levels of risk aversion. In other words, those with a reduced capacity for fearful responses behaved in a manner more in line with expected utility theory.Another study focused on how decision-makers’ brains reacted to varying levels of risk, rather than on learning or expected values. Using a gambling game, expected values and risk were varied while participants’ brain activation was monitored. As is typical in finance, rewards were measured using expected payoffs and risk using the variance of payoffs. Interestingly, the researchers report that brain activation varied in both time and location for reward and risk. Brain activation in response to rewards was immediate, whereas brain activation in response to risk was delayed .Time and location of activation is important because if we can separate the effects of risk and reward in the brain, researchers can further investigate how changes in risk perception affect decision-making. For example, they could examine how misperception of risk and cognitive difficulties contribute to less-than-optimal behavior. 20. 5 EXPERTISE AND EMOTION Research indicates that understanding neural responses will help us to gain insight into some of the puzzles we have talked about in this book. In addition, there are important implications for trader education.We are all familiar with the old adage that â€Å"practice makes perfect. † In order to gain expertise, it is important to know the rules of the game, so reading up on investing is not a bad idea. But, at the same time, much practice through many simulations under divergent market conditions will promote better decision-making while trading. But, does it pay to become an expert? While we know that many long hour s of studying and practice are required, is this effort sufficiently rewarded? There is evidence that this question can be answered in the affirmative for financial practitioners.One researcher constructed a â€Å"differential reward index† as the income for a specified percentile divided by the median income for each occupation. This measure allows us to differentiate high average income from high income for those whose expertise is greatest in a particular profession. For financial and business advisors, including stock brokers, earnings are related closely to achievement. At the 90th percentile the differential reward index was 3. 5, indicating that the top 10% earned 3. 5 times more than the median income level.In fact, this was the largest observed value for the differential reward index across all occupations studied! Thus the evidence suggests that the benefit of becoming a skilled financial advisor may far exceed the cost. So how can one become an expert? Researchers have concluded that tacit knowledge is an important predictor of success in business as measured by salary, rank, and the level of one’s company (e. g. , whether it is among the top 500 in the Fortune rankings). Practical knowledge, or the ability to gain tacit knowledge and turn it into a good strategy, is a function of a person’s environment and ability.Thus, with a certain level of competence, hard work can be translated into success. A successful trader, nonetheless, should always remember that emotion is critical to the outcome. We have argued throughout this book that emotion can enhance decision-making. Previously cited evidence suggested, however, that traders are advised to be wary of intense emotional reactions. Another recent study used neuroimaging to examine how decision-makers’ brains responded while playing the ultimatum game described in Chapter 11.When unfair offers were rejected by the responders, the investigators reported significant increase s in brain activity in the anterior insula, a brain area associated with emotion. Recall that even offers that are viewed as unfair should be accepted by a responder who cares only about increasing her earnings. Thus, traders are advised to exert their cognitive skills when experiencing a strong emotional reaction in order to overcome the tendency to react emotionally, just as a responder in the ultimatum game who is aware of his emotional response is well advised to accept an offer even if it seems unfair.Emotional responses and cognitive evaluations of risk can be quite different. Think about how many people perceive the risks of automobile and airplane accidents. Though riding in an automobile has been shown to be the less safe alternative, often an emotional response plays the dominant role, which may keep some people off airplanes. CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS 1. Expertise is defined in terms of relative performance so that those at the top of their game are considered to be the experts. 2. Implicit learning reflects knowledge that cannot be described using language. 3.Experts have developed implicit knowledge that enhances performance in their particular domain. 4. Neurofinance uses brain imaging technology and results from economics, finance, and psychology to better understand how the brain works. 5. Physiological differences exist across professional traders, and emotion is an important determinant of a trader’s ability. 6. Measured brain responses to changes in risk and reward vary in both location and time of activation. 7. Practice is necessary to excel in trading, and good traders may make decisions based on gut feelings, while at the same time ensuring that they control their emotional responses.

Free Essays on Air France-KLM

BACKGROUND On Wednesday, February 11th 2004 the merger that would create the world's third-largest airline was approved by the European Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice. Air France and the Netherlands-based KLM plan to operate two carriers under a single holding. The two airlines have agreed to form a joint holding company under which the Air France and KLM brands would co-exist for three years. Under the agreement KLM will retain its foreign landing rights even though it will join a French-led holding company. The company, Air France-KLM, will own 100 percent of both airlines but KLM will remain Dutch, with 51 percent of its voting rights held by the state and two foundations. Air France's takeover of KLM will bring the Dutch carrier into the SkyTeam alliance, currently the world's third largest. The product of the Dutch KLM and Air France merger may get even bigger as Italian airline Alitalia seeks Commission approval to join. But even if Alitalia does not come on board, the initial merger will create a competitor for European airline leviathans British Airways and Lufthansa. Additionally, KLM has alliances with Northwest and Continental airlines, while Air France has one with Delta. The partners KLM is a Dutch-based full-service carrier operating worldwide. The KLM group has four main activities: passenger air transport, cargo transport, maintenance services and the operation of charter and low-cost/low-fare scheduled services by its subsidiary Transavia. KLM operates a hub and-spoke network with its principal hub at Schiphol airport. KLM has an alliance with Northwest Airlines covering principally operations on North Atlantic routes and related feeder routes. There is currently no majority shareholder in KLM, although the Dutch State currently holds 14% of the voting rights. Air France is a French-based full-service air carrier with significant international operations. The Air France group has three main... Free Essays on Air France-KLM Free Essays on Air France-KLM BACKGROUND On Wednesday, February 11th 2004 the merger that would create the world's third-largest airline was approved by the European Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice. Air France and the Netherlands-based KLM plan to operate two carriers under a single holding. The two airlines have agreed to form a joint holding company under which the Air France and KLM brands would co-exist for three years. Under the agreement KLM will retain its foreign landing rights even though it will join a French-led holding company. The company, Air France-KLM, will own 100 percent of both airlines but KLM will remain Dutch, with 51 percent of its voting rights held by the state and two foundations. Air France's takeover of KLM will bring the Dutch carrier into the SkyTeam alliance, currently the world's third largest. The product of the Dutch KLM and Air France merger may get even bigger as Italian airline Alitalia seeks Commission approval to join. But even if Alitalia does not come on board, the initial merger will create a competitor for European airline leviathans British Airways and Lufthansa. Additionally, KLM has alliances with Northwest and Continental airlines, while Air France has one with Delta. The partners KLM is a Dutch-based full-service carrier operating worldwide. The KLM group has four main activities: passenger air transport, cargo transport, maintenance services and the operation of charter and low-cost/low-fare scheduled services by its subsidiary Transavia. KLM operates a hub and-spoke network with its principal hub at Schiphol airport. KLM has an alliance with Northwest Airlines covering principally operations on North Atlantic routes and related feeder routes. There is currently no majority shareholder in KLM, although the Dutch State currently holds 14% of the voting rights. Air France is a French-based full-service air carrier with significant international operations. The Air France group has three main...

Two Lives Between Schools Professor Ramos Blog

Two Lives Between Schools My story began when I was enrolled in a Catholic grade school, or private school, at the age of five. At that point, I was a part of a huge flock of students that consisted of different two races and ethnicities that were present in different class grades. I noticed that as I started experiencing diversity in during my years in Kindergarten and first grade. In Kindergarten, I sat with different students who come from different races and ethnicities. There were some students that were of Hispanic descent, some were of Caucasian descent, a couple of African-American students, and there were a couple of students that were of Filipino descent. This was the case until everything changed for me in the middle of my year in first grade. At that time, I was being bullied by this one kid that was in the same class I was in and he made me look like I had behavioral problems in front of the teachers. Even worse, my first grade teacher and the principal thought I was the problem child even though I was not at fault. I remember the words of the principal that made my parents switch me to a different school. Those words of that principal that was said to my parents were, â€Å"I think your son has autism.† Since that happened, my parents were offended by that notion and later proved to them that I did not have behavioral problems. In the end, they switched me to a Christian grade school where I later experienced different side of diversity. As my six year-old self began my first time in a Christian grade school, I soon adapted with the fresh, and friendlier faces of students and teachers. It was then that understood my pain   from my time in private school. For about six years, I was with the same students I met since the middle of my first grade since I began my education in a Christian grade school who were in the same class I was in. Moreover, I even met new students that became new additions to our classes and became friends with them. The diversity among my classmates was a little different from my classmates from private school. My class was a mix of mostly Caucasian students, a couple of African-American students, some students that were of Hispanic descent, and some students that were of Asian descent - specifically Filipino and Korean. Aside from the diversity in my school being based on race, color, and ethnicity, the only predicament in the diversity of that school was religion. In other words, my Catholic faith conflicted with their Christian faith. As a matter of fact, I thought my religious faith was the same as a Christian faith even though both were different. At one point, they noticed a side of my Catholic faith when I had ashes on my forehead. That day when that happened was Ash Wednesday. Some of them asked me, â€Å"Joseph. What is that on your forehead?† I told them, â€Å"Today is Ash Wednesday. I had to get my ashes.† Since that moment, I started to notice the differences between the Catholic and Christian faiths. To some, they were confused about what kind of religion I worshipped.   All was well until in the middle of my sixth grade year. At that time, I had a discrepancy with my teacher over some unintended joke my eleven-year-old self made. Since that incident, my parents thought that my teacher was at fault and later moved me back to private grade school. At that point, I thought to myself: it’s just gonna be like private school again. When I began private school, I was now eleven years old - one month before turning twelve years old - and I started my life in private school again. I was along with a different group of faces that I have never seen or met in my class. The class was mostly of Hispanic descent, some were Filipino, and, interestingly, there was one Native American girl whom I later developed a crush on before the end of my year in sixth grade. Since then, I got along with my class and my teachers very well. There were some jokes in bad taste, but I made resolutions with my classmates and we got along very well. For that friendship I had with that one girl I had a crush on, we were good friends. But the ease of friendships in private grade school was more complicated when we were in high school.  I was fourteen years old when I started my first year in a Catholic high school. The sense of diversity in race, ethnicity, and religion was and felt the same as I adapted along with the classmates in the same year I’m in. But as the years passed by until the end of my high school years, some of the friendships I’ve had with some students just died down. That was mostly because of the fact that there were more interesting faces that stood out to my classmates from private grade school. The only friendships I’ve had during my time in high school grew from a few people who were in the second private grade school I went to and from some students who came from different high schools and were friendly with me. Since then, I was with the true friends I knew in my grade level until the end of my senior year. I was eighteen when I graduated from high school and, since then, most of the classmates I was acquainted with and the true friends I knew were off to different colleges or off doing their own thing. For twelve years, my journey in religious education has been quite a ride. From principals being insensitive to my churlish self, to experiencing what it feels like to be in a different faith in a public Christian school, and to being with different faces after switching back to private school, I had gone through a wild ride during my religious education. What I liked the most out of this was having a close friendship with that one girl I had a crush on during my sixth and seventh grade years. Moreover, I also liked the fact that my perspective of diversity has been broadened from the students and teachers I’ve meet in the schools I went to. On the contrary, what I did not like the most was that principal in the first private school I went to seeing me as a problem child. But as time passed by, I later learned and concluded that diversity yields good and bad results. Specifically, I would make friendships with different people because of the different faiths, interests, cultur es, and other background factors that I share or differentiate. Furthermore, I learned and experienced the friendships I made with people of different races and ethnicities because of the interests that the people and I share, differentiate, or favor between one another.