Corporate governance, reporting and regulation Essay

Corporate governance, reporting and regulation - Essay Example independent directors are also appointed in order to have some added benefits in terms of additional knowledge and experience which would be useful for achieving better results by the company. There has always been a debate about the relevance of the independent directors in improving the performance of the company. This project is an attempt to identify and analyse the relevance of the independent directors in improving the organisational performance. The paper discusses the extent to which the appointment of independent director can influence the performance of the company and whether the independent director can improve the performance of the company or not. The meaning and the reasons behind the appointment of the independent directors have been studied and discussed in order to have an idea about the independent directors moreover the role and responsibilities of the independent directors have also been analysed to assess the independent director’s scope in improving the organisational performance. The executive directors are employed by the company therefore the company has a control over them. The concept of the independent director came from the thought of having someone in the board who would think only for the betterment of the company without being influenced by someone. Thus the decisions taken by such person would be unbiased and free of any personal interest. Hence the independent director would be someone who cannot be controlled by the company or its management and could not interfere in the work of the independent director. Hence an independent is a director who was not an employee of the company or any of the related party of the company in the last five years. The independent director should not be the company’s advisor or should not have any contract of personal service where the company or any of its related members is a party to such contract. The independent director should not be related to any non-profit organisation to which the

Football definition Essay Example for Free

Football definition Essay Football is a sport defined by its field, equipment, players, and uniforms. Football is a sport with the objective to gain possession of a ball and advance it in running or passing plays across the opponents goal line or kick it through the air between the opponents goalposts. Football is played on a 360 by 160 yard rectangle defined as a field. The players of football are another trait being that each game played consist of 11 players, there is always an offense, a defense, and special teams. In football the uniforms worn consist of tight jerseys so opposing team members can easily be taken down, padded football pants for protective leg covering, high socks to protect their skin from cleats which are shoes with long spikes for the grass fields, and a helmet to protect the head. The equipment used is an oval shaped football. Football is a sport defined by its field, equipment, players, and uniforms. Andrea Dixon Eng. 090-03 May 31, 2012 Instructor Case Definition Paragraph Football I. Topic a. A sport defined by its field, equipment, players, and uniforms. II. Body a. sport i.the object being to gain possession of a ball and advance it in running or passing plays across the opponents goal line or kick it through the air between the opponents goalposts b. field i. played on a field 360 by 160 ii. A game played by two teams of 11 players each on a rectangular c. Players i. A game played by two teams of 11 players each on a rectangular field ii. the offense iii. Defense iv. Special teams d. Uniforms i. Jerseys ii. Padded Football Pants iii. Socks and Shoes iv. helmet v. gloves e. Equipment i. Oval shaped ball III. Conclusion a. A sport defined by its field, equipment, players, and uniforms.

The Anthropogenic Impacts On Biodiversity Environmental Sciences Essay

The Anthropogenic Impacts On Biodiversity Environmental Sciences Essay Introduction Anthropocentrism or being Anthropogenic in nature refers to the way of thinking that regards humans as the source of all value and is predominantly concerned with human interests. (Carter, N, 2003, p. 14) Biodiversity is the abundance of different species and ecosystems in nature making it the earths most valuable resource. Biodiversity is of very much importance as it boosts the productivity of the ecosystem where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. In other words, there would be no population of humans without biodiversity but the irony is that, the biodiversity is decreasing at an alarming rate due to the various human activities which is also referred as the biodiversity crisis. The three main factors impacting the biodiversity as a whole may be listed as: population growth, overconsumption and technology. This essay will describe how and where the biodiversity has been impacted at very great extents because of the above mentioned factors. Population growth of the humans can be considered as the root of the problem of the loss of biodiversity. According to Ehrlich (The Population Bomb, 1968 as cited in Cahn, A and OBrien, R, 1996), the human population has been doubling every 37 years and if this continued for the next 900 years, then the world population will be nothing less than sixty million billion people implying that there will be about 100 persons for each square yard of the Earths surface, land and sea. The human population now is at 6 billion; with an annual global growth rate of 1.8%, three more people that are added to the earth every second. (Quebec biodiversity, 1994) The simple fact that the countries are not able to feed their populations shows that they are overpopulated. With such high rates of increase in human inhabitants, the problem of the need to convert the natural habitats to land for human consumption becomes obvious. This ultimately results in five primary processes of degradation namely: over harvesting, habitat fragmentation, habitat destruction, alien species introduction and pollution. (Biodiversity and Human Health, 2001) It is the anthropogenic nature of the humans to rule the environment by spreading to new habitats in order to find newer food sources. The innovative man has always been discovering various types of technologies right from the technology of the spear and arrow to the modern technology of the harpoon, gun-powder and the drift nets helping him to over harvest on the various species. According to the Fisheries Agency, Japan consumes about 60,000 tons of fish a year, mainly the three blue fin tuna species which is more than 75% of the worlds annual catch and also other countries, such as the U.S. and Russia, are catching up with the Japanese as a result of which the blue fin tuna has been becoming very hard to find and the prices for these species have hit the extremes. (Tuna Shortage in Japan, 2007) Apart from overconsumption, humans have also been de monstrating their anthropogenic nature by wasteful mass kills where the entire herds of some species are slaughtered. A classic example of this is the Dumfries fish killing festival of Scotland where individuals have been killing fish in the Galloways River Urr as a part of the Grande Internationale World Flounder Tramping Championships where the person who captures the most number of fish by the unorthodox method of treading on the fish is awarded by giving three bottles of whisky,  £150 and also the title of The Undisputed Champion Of The World. (Facebook, 2010) Also the Denmarks Gruesome Festival of mass killing dolphins and whales to prove adulthood, where nearly 1,000 whales and dolphins are killed annually. (Think about it, 2009) This clearly shows the mans exploitation of the natural resources exceeding their cycling capacity. Natural resources are classified as renewable and non-renewable resources. Forests and wild-life are considered as renewable resources because of the ir ability to regenerate by reproduction but the rate at which humans have been utilizing the so called natural resources is very much of a concern. The extensive use of forest lands for timber and other valued wood resources has resulted in the loss of habitats for hundreds of species. And with the increase in human inhabitants arises the need to convert natural habitats to land for more human consumption. The innovative man has been able to exploit the forests and its resources for his selfish needs with the use of new machines and better means of transport. Clearing a dense forest has become much easier now. Humans have been able to sustain their growth by converting natural habitats to fields where food can be produced. At least 23 percent of the earths land is being used for agriculture. Most tropical forests were not greatly disturbed in the past mostly because of their inaccessibility and other factors but now the trend has been changing with the increase in the demand for th e various raw materials used in plastic production. Tropical forests have been disappearing rapidly as a result of the need of the humans to make room for more farms of timber used for construction and also used as a fuel. Deforestation has alarming global consequences such as: extinction of species (plants and animals) and climate change. Although the tropical forests cover only about 7 percent of the Earths dry land, they are home to half of all the species on Earth. Many species have micro-habitats or in simple terms, they are present only in those small areas in these forests and due to this their extinction is very much at stake because of the deforestation here. The edges of the deforested fragments dry out because of incoming hot winds as a result of which the matured rain forest trees die standing at the margins and eventually the biodiversity is lost. This also has a devastating effect on the tropical soils as the soil cover in the tropical rain forests is very thin and wit h deforestation, over time all the minerals in the soil are lost because of the high temperatures and heavy rains. (Deforestation in the Amazon, 2010) (Tropical Deforestation, 2007) (Deforestation in the Amazon, 2010) A large portion of deforestation in Brazil has been primarily because of land being cleared for pastureland by commercial and speculative interests. Between May 2000 and August 2006, Brazil lost nearly 150,000 km2 of forest and over 600,000 km2 of Amazon rainforest has been destroyed. About 60-70 percent of deforestation in the Amazon results from cattle ranches and the want for palm oil while the rest mostly results from small-scale agriculture. The numbers of endangered species in the forests of Brazil have been increasing at alarming rates because of the various anthropogenic activities of the humans as reported by the Associated Press. (Mongabay website, 2010) Deforestation and fragmentation is increasing at an alarming rate in Amazon. In Amazon nearly 2 million ha of land is deforested annually (Fearnside et al. 2005). Habitat fragmentation is a serious threat to species persistence in tropical forests (Ewers Didham 2006). According to Wilcox and Murphy (1985), the effects of f ragmentation are loss of original habitats, creation of edge effects, and isolation of habitat patches and this will affect the species composition. According to Turner and Corbett (1996), forest patches are further affected by invasion of further plant and animal species, and increased human exploitation such as hunting, burning, grazing, and extraction of resources. The greatest human impact in Southwest Australia has been the clearing of native vegetation for agriculture. Forest fragmentation differentially affects seed dispersal of large and small-seeded tropical trees (Cramer et al. 2007) Due to fragmentation, not only are individual species are affected but the plant- animal interactions are also affected (Andresen and Levey, 2004). In tropical regions, fragmentation affects the dispersal of large seeds to a greater extent than the small seed. Cramer et al. (2007), studied the seed dispersal of two Amazonian tree species, the large-seeded, mammal dispersed Duckeodendron cestro ides and the small-seeded, avian dispersed Bocageopsis multiflora. The percentage, distance and distributions of Duckeodendron cestroides seeds were all reduced in fragments when compared to Bocageopsis multiflora. This is supported by facts such as, large seeded plant species are prone to extinction, fragmentation affects large animals dispersers than small animal dispersers; and large and small seeded plants are linked differentially to primary and secondary habitats (Cramer et al. 2007). Large animals are for needed for dispersal of large seeds, and these animals need large home range but are affected by edge effects caused by fragmentation and also due to hunting. Primates are often absent from fragments (Gilbert and Setz, 2001). From Meehan et al. (2002), it is known that the extinction of frugivorous pigeons in Tonga (Polynesia) left 18 large-seeded plant species with no dispersers. From the work of Babweteera et al., (2007), the loss of elephants in Ugandan forests has left Balanites Wilsoniana regeneration concentrated under parent plants and is greatly affected. Bush fires have been used for hunting and clearing land here. Although native plants are highly adaptive to fires, intensified burning changes the composition and condition of the natural vegetation. This has resulted in the spread of a root disease called jarrah dieback caused by the root fungus called Phytophthora cinnamomi which has been spreading to other habitats, particularly in the Stirling Range National Park, where it has caused the loss of plants like the Banksias. (Conservation International, 2007) The tiger population in India is declining so fast that the whole population may be extinct here in the next 10 years because of deforestation and poaching. (Animal of the Day, 2010) In the forests of Armenia, habitat loss poses a particular threat to a range of species. Many species have been threatened to extinction because of the increasing use of land for agriculture. (National Repor t, 2002) The forests in Succulent Karoo have been affected badly by the diamond mining carried out in these areas. Approximately two-thirds of the South African coastline and almost the complete Namibian coastline have been mined for diamonds and other minerals like gypsum, marble, monazite, kaolin and titanium threatens the regions biodiversity. (Conservation International, 2007) Destruction of habitats for requirements such as building of canals, dams and houses is the most important threat to biodiversity. The Aswan High Dam located in Egypt, is an example for habitat destruction where the environmental side effects of the project have been disastrous with the spread of the disease called, schistosomiasis which is spread by snails living in the irrigation channels here. (Quarterdeck, 1995) A major contributor to depletion and extinction, after habitat loss, is the introduction of alien species. Man has always tried to introduce animals and plants familiar to him where ever he is. It started with the goats and pigs for familiar animal protein. These alien species damage the flora and fauna of the local area where they are introduced. The spread of these alien species replaces healthy, diverse ecosystems with biologically weak landscapes. Prior to the arrival of humans, there were a range of species of birds, invertebrates and plants in Hawaii but with the introduction of many plant and animal alien species, more than half the bird species and also many species of snails have become extinct. (Biodiversity and Human Health, 2001) Rabbits being introduced into Australia, Asian fish species put into the waters of Florida, introduction of Africanized bees into Brazil and also the introduction of rhododendrons into England are few examples of alien species that have destroyed the local plant and animal species. It is estimated that about 4,000 plant and 2,300 animal alien species are present in the United States at this time resulting in the endangering of more than 42% of the animal and plant species here. (Biodiversity Web, 2005) Also in the Nile river, despite the presence of a wide variety of fish, the regions fishing industries struggled to grow because the fish that lived there were small-bodied and bony, not the kind they wanted thereby, there was a need for a larger and a more commercially desired fish for the fishing economy to grow. They introduced the fish species called the Nile perch, Lates niloticus. It grew far larger than many of the other Nile fish, and was perfect for commercial fishing purposes. Being carnivorous, the Nile perch made the smaller native fish its prey. As the population of the Nile perch grew, the populations of the other 150-200 of the native species have vanished entirely. Introduction of foreign species has had simil ar impacts in other waterways worldwide by making the simplified ecosystems unstable indefinitely. (Human Impacts on the Nile River, 2010) ArcGIS map examining modern day fish biodiversity. (Human Impacts on the Nile River, 2010) Climate change has significant impacts on ecosystems. It is predicted to be the greatest long-term threat to biodiversity in many regions and is listed as a key threatening process under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth). The various technological developments made by man giving him an upper hand over other species come only at a price and this price is undoubtedly pollution. The use of various fossil fuels, petrochemicals and many other heavy metals has been increasing the greenhouse gas emissions. The drastic increase in the emission of green house gases has resulted in global warming and thereby causing a sea level rise and ultimately leading to melting. The oceans are being acidified due to the tremendous increase of the carbon content in the atmosphere which leads to the loss of biodiversity.   (Biodiversity Web, 2005) (Global Issues, Climate Change and Global Warming Introduction, 2010) (Global Issues, Climate Change and Global Warming Introduction, 2010) The quantity of oceanic plankton on earth is being affected by the depleting ozone layer.  The tiny organisms that float in the oceans are known as planktons and they play a vital role in maintaining the marine biodiversity as they are major sources of food here. Therefore, a decrease in quantity will cause a domino effect in the marine food chain species which is dangerous for the marine plant and animal species. Even though there have been global warming instances in the past, the rate at which the temperature has been increasing now is what is alarming. (Global Issues, Climate Change and Global Warming Introduction, 2010) Strategies adopted by humans to mitigate these impacts: Educational programmes are being introduced by governments to educate the populations on the importance of biodiversity. One such educational programme was initiated in the 1990s by the US Congress where they had set up an environmental education office to promote environmental education at all levels. The Plant Conservation Alliance and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were the partners to the U.S government. In 2002, the UK along with all other Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), made a commitment to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on earth. This commitment was subsequently endorsed by world leaders at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. At its meeting in Gothenburg in 2001 the European Council agreed to halt biodiversity decline with the aim of reaching this objective by 2010. The 2010 biodiversity target has become incorporated into the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as one of the targets under MDG 7 (Ensure environmental sustainability). (Natural Environment Research Council, 2007) The concept of protected areas has been introduced for the conservation of the biodiversity. These are locations which receive protection by the enabling laws of each country or rules of international organizations. They include parks, reserves and wildlife sanctuaries and they also Marine Protected Areas whose boundaries include some area of ocean. There are over 147,000 protected areas in the world with more added daily, representing a total area of 19,300,000  km2 (7,500,000 sq  mi). (Green Facts, 2009) The governments have also been purchasing property rights for the sake of conservation taking over all the rights from the owner or it can purchase a conservation easement where it acquires rights necessary to protect the target species or ecosystem while leaving the owner free to use the land. This law also allows water rights to increase stream flows, and permits for grazing or the emission of air pollutants can be bought and retired. Like acquisition, regulatory approaches a re being used by governments to limit the manner in which any activity can be carried out. Regulations are being enforced by governments by a wide range of sanctions. Sanctions carry additional internal (guilt) and external (bad publicity) costs for the individuals or the companies who violate the regulations. The example of biodiversity regulation is the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). (U.S Environmental Protection Agency, 2009) Another major strategy is to encourage private conservation action through incentives like tax credits and regulatory reliefs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Safe Harbor program is an example of a regulatory relief incentive. Safe Harbor agreements assure landowners who improve habitat that they will not be responsible for protecting the increased populations of endangered or threatened species those lands may attract. (U.S Environmental Protection Agency, 2009) Finally, with the help of genetic engineering, using the various DNA techniques, different kinds of bacteria capable of synthesizing plants to be able to restrain to the changes in climate and also to avoid various diseases are being created by the modification of their genes. I would like to conclude by saying that, the very little the governments do to save biodiversity, What matters is the initiative taken by each individual human to save himself and his future generations (or) Only if the last tree has been cut down and the last river has dried to a trickle will man finally realise that we cannot eat money!

Microbiology Essay -- Cryptobiosis, NASA

The study of microbiology is an intense endeavor, requiring students to have a great deal of focus, and sometimes a bit of imagination. When observing things under a microscope, they often look entirely different than what is seen with the naked eye. This is fascinating, yet frustrating, as trying to make associations to one's inherent knowledge becomes challenging. Hypsibius dujardini is a microscopic animal from the phylum Tardigrada that is commonly called a water bear (Mach, 2011). When viewed microscopically, this eight-legged, water dwelling animal appears to be walking slowly, like a bear that we are familiar with on a macroscopic level (Piper, 2007). Despite their cute and cuddly name, water bears, like Hypsibius dujardini are true extremophiles, surviving in some of the harshest conditions that exist (Mobjerg, et al., 2011). From temperatures near absolute zero to the vacuum of space, these astounding microorganisms are almost invincible (Mach, 2011). The state which allows a tardigrade to withstand extreme conditions is termed cryptobiosis (Gabriel, et al., 2007). When the outside environment is unfavorable, the tardigrade willingly submits to this inactive metabolic form, and is termed a â€Å"tun (Mobjerg et al., 2011).† There are five types of cryptobiosis, all of which are in response to a particular environmental inadequacy (Wharton, 2002). Anhydrobiosis takes place when there is a lack of water, Anoxybiosis occurs when there is limited oxygen, Chemobiosis is the response to excessive environmental toxins, Cryobiosis is a result of decreased temperature, and lastly, Osmobiosis happens when an increased solute concentration occurs in the organisms environment (Wharton, 2002). Although many organisms can enter a sing... ... storage, without destruction, at a low temperature, which allows future observation. The Goldstein Lab at UNC Chapel Hill has certainly proven that Hypsibius dujardini is a useful laboratory species. Although reference to tardigrades root back to Anton van Leeuwenhok, a father of microbiological studies, there is a powerful modern-day following that continues to exist today (Mach, 2011). Microbiologists around the world have grown fond of the water bear and it's amazing survival skills. Beyond that, the appearance of the microorganism captivates people's hearts. I believe that with further research by NASA and other institutions, like The Goldstein Lab, Hypsibius dujardini can make a lasting impact on our society. Whether that be by proving evolution, or providing tools for human preservation, we can certainly utilize these great microorganisms to our advantage.

Analysis of Albert Ellis’s Life Experiences and Psychological Philosophies Essay

At the age of 12 his parents divorced (DiGiuseppe 1989, Ellis 1992, , Sheehy 1997). These two life-altering events were, in part, what led him to begin focusing his mind on understanding people (DiGiuseppe 1989, Ellis 1992, , Sheehy 1997). In junior high Albert Ellis dreamed of becoming a great novelist (DiGiuseppe 1989, Ellis 1992, , Sheehy 1997) but by the time he reached college age, he decided it might be more practical to become an accountant instead. However, he planned to retire by the age of 30 so that he could then take up writing at his own leisure (DiGiuseppe 1989, Ellis 1992, , Sheehy 1997). Due in part to the Great Depression, his goals changed but he did go on to graduate college in 1934 with a degree in business (DiGiuseppe 1989, Ellis 1992, , Sheehy 1997). After graduation he and his brother became entrepreneurs and started their own business. They sold pants purchased from the garment district (DiGiuseppe 1989, Ellis 1992, , Sheehy 1997). In 1938 a gift and novelty firm employed him as their personal manager. Some of his controversial articles included The Influence of Heterosexual Cultures on the Attitudes of Homosexuals (1951) and Prostitution Re-assessed (1951) both of these articles were written for the International Journal of Sexology (DiGiuseppe 1989, Ellis 1992, , Ellis 2004). Albert Ellis’ writings were groundbreaking material that opened the door to the sexual revolution of the 1960s and the gay and lesbian rights movement in the 1970’s (Ellis 1992). These writings were controversial at that time and may have stigmatized or put a negative label on Albert Ellis. However, these writings as well as references from his friends was how he formed his client base (DiGiuseppe 1989, Ellis 1992, , Ellis 2004). Most of Albert Ellis’ early clients were individuals and couples suffering from sex, love and marital problems (DiGiuseppe 1989, Ellis 1992, , Ellis 2004). Albert Ellis also grew his private practice through publicity from his talks, workshops, radio, and television presentations which led to referrals from a number of psychologists with whom he had no personal relationship with (Ellis 1997). Besides maintaining a full-time private practice, Albert Ellis also found the time to become the first Chairman of the first Committee on Private Practice of the Division of Clinical Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Ellis 1997). During that time he conducted a study of the members of the American Psychological Association (Ellis 1997). This study showed that only 56% of the American Psychological Association members were engaged in some kind of paid private practice, and only 30% devoted 20 or more hours a week (Ellis 1997). Only a few individuals including Albert Ellis were in full-time private practices (Ellis 1997). Albert Ellis also worked with Reverend Ilsley Boone on a New York District Federal Court to legally sell nudist magazines (Ellis 1997)_. _ They lost the New York District Federal court case and immediately start working on a brief for the United States Supreme Court and alternately reversed and New York district Federal Court decision (Ellis 1997). This was a major victory for nudists across the country (Ellis 1997). Albert Ellis quickly became an â€Å"Idol† for many American nudists (Ellis 1997). Philosophical and Psychological Beliefs Albert Ellis experimented with various forms of psychotherapy keeping therapies that he believed work better than others and disregarded everything else. Albert Ellis began building his own therapeutic process and started questioning traditional Freudian psychoanalysis. In 1953 Albert Ellis started calling himself a â€Å"psychotherapist† instead of the traditional â€Å"psychoanalyst† label (DiGiuseppe 1989 , Ellis 1997, 2004). Albert Ellis thought that this change of title would separate him from the classical psychoanalytic practices (DiGiuseppe 1989 , Ellis 1997, 2004). Albert Ellis had a passion for reading early philosophy e. g. Epictetus and Spinoza (DiGiuseppe 1989 , Ellis 1992). Albert Ellis also read famous works from the leading psychologist of his time e. g. Alfred Adler and Karen Horney (DiGiuseppe 1989 , Ellis 1997, 2004). His study of philosophy and psychology also led him to become interested in understanding the philosophy of happiness. Albert Ellis came to the conclusion that if an individual’s basic needs were met, the individual would be happy. He found that basic needs were only part of the equation for personal happiness. Albert Ellis then focused on negative thoughts. Albert Ellis thought that if people had a rational philosophy of life they would rarely be emotionally disturbed (DiGiuseppe 1989 , Ellis 1997, 2004). Albert Ellis formulated a theory that psychological issues and emotional issues of the individual were causing the negative thoughts or what Albert Ellis called irrational beliefs (Ellis 1997, 2004). Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy Basics Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) is a therapy in which individuals change their perceived believes about perceived negative events. Albert Ellis acquired several disabilities such as diabetes, tired eyes, deficient hearing, as well as other physical handicaps (Ellis 1997). Albert Ellis used Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) to overcome his negative perceptions of his disabilities. † If you really accept it, and stop whining about it, you can turn some of its lemons into quite tasty lemonade† (Ellis 1997). Albert Ellis used rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT), on himself, in 1943 soon after he became a practicing psychologist (Ellis 1997, 2004). Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) is an important and useful therapy still used today. First, an individual must be aware of their irrational thoughts or explain to the individual that the way they perceive an event is irrational. Then, the individual must replace the irrational thought with rational thought. Finally the individual believes in â€Å"unconditional self acceptance (USA)† (Ellis 1997, 2004). Unconditional self acceptance (USA) is when an individual learns to accept and love their self for who they are rather than what they do. The unconditional self acceptance (USA) is reached when the low frustration tolerance (LFT) is raised and ultimately achieves high frustration tolerance (HFT) (Ellis 1997, 2004). The ABC’s of REBT Albert Ellis believed emotional problems that an individual suffers from are the link to a set of irrational beliefs held about themselves, others, and the world they live in. These rational beliefs perpetuate negative self talk in the individual’s consciousness. The negative self talk puts emphasis on â€Å"shoulds†, â€Å"oughts†, and â€Å"musts† of irrational thinking. Rational emotive behavioral therapy attempts to replace these irrational beliefs with new rational thoughts. The process of helping the client change their irrational believes is a two step process. The first step is setting up or choosing for themselves certain happiness producing values, purposes, goals, or ideals; and effective, flexible, scientific, logico-empirical [sic] ways to achieve these values and goals and upload boarding contradictory or self defeating result (Ellis 1997, 2004). Rational beliefs or irrational beliefs shape who we are how we act. Albert Ellis created an ABC model to help both the client and the therapist engage and treat unrealistic, immature, and absolutist modes of thinking into realistic, mature, logical, and a realistic approach to thinking (DiGiuseppe 1989 , Ellis 2004). The â€Å"A† in the ABC model refers to the â€Å"activating an event†. Activating events are events that trigger or cause our beliefs and perception. The Activating event could be a real situation that the individual had experience are could be inferred event were individual their own meeting contrary to what the situation was (DiGiuseppe 1989, Ellis 2004). In Either case the activating event is negative stimuli cause by an event or situation triggers any irrational belief (Ellis 2004). The â€Å"B† in the ABC model is beliefs that shape an individual emotions and behaviors (DiGiuseppe 1989 , Ellis 2004). In other word, an individual who experiences an activating event then forms a belief based upon that activating event affecting their decision-making about their consequences and/or reaction to other stimuli (Ellis 2004). These Beliefs can either be you’re rational or rational (Ellis 2004). The â€Å"C† in the ABC model stands for the consequences of the irrational beliefs (DiGiuseppe 1989 , Ellis 2004). There are emotional and behavioral consequences, either positive or negative, to a set of beliefs about the activating event (DiGiuseppe 1989 , Ellis 2004). Individuals that suffer from irrational beliefs about a given situation will likely suffer from unhealthy negative emotions (DiGiuseppe 1989 , Ellis 2004). Unhealthy negative emotions are extreme emotions that can manifest themselves in a variety of forms e. g. guilt, anxiety, andor depression (Ellis 2004). The extreme negative feelings are so intense that the individual afflicted with these emotions often cannot function normally (DiGiuseppe 1989 , Ellis 2004). Albert Ellis does not believe that one should live a life free of negative emotions (Ellis 2004). Albert Ellis believed that healthy negative emotions were emotions that were relatively â€Å"low in intensity† (Ellis 2004). Albert Ellis believed that the healthy negative emotions experienced in a mentally healthy individual can modify behavior for the betterment of the individuals’ life (DiGiuseppe 1989, Ellis 2004). Albert Ellis later added the (D), (E), and (F) to his ABC’s ofRational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (Ellis 2004). The â€Å"D† is disputing the irrational beliefs that the individual possesses about the activating event (Ellis 2004). The â€Å"E† or effect the person feels is only achieved when the individual or client successfully disputes the irrational belief and replaces the irrational belief with a rational belief (Ellis 2004). This will ultimately lead to a new effect in the persons behavior. The effect will then lead the individual to a healthier and happier way of feeling â€Å"F† (Ellis 2004). The application of the rational emotive behavioral therapy’s ABC model allows people to visualize how their reactions to events are formed (Ellis 2004). Once an individual visualizes how irrational beliefs are formed and changes their behavior negatively therapy will, more than likely, be successful. The 4 steps of applying the ABC model Rational emotive behavioral therapy is an approach that makes the client participates in an active role in the therapy process. There are four steps in applying the ABC model. As the client Progresses through the four steps will work through an individual’s irrational beliefs and use certain skills to combat any irrational beliefs that may arise after private counseling has ended (Ellis 2004). Step one is to reveal the individuals or clients irrational beliefs in their current mode of thinking (Ellis 2004). In many cases the individuals of clients have had these irrational beliefs for so long that they cannot distinguish their irrational beliefs from normal rational beliefs (Ellis 2004). Also when the individual or the client has family and friends reinforcing their irrational beliefs, even though the irrational beliefs may not fall into societal norms, only reinforces the idea that their irrational beliefs are rational or normal (Ellis 2004). The first step, basically, outlines the treatment plan and formulates a plan of action to dispute the irrational beliefs. Clients must be aware of their irrational and rational beliefs and distinguish the differences between the two different beliefs. In step two the client or individual expands their understanding of what is irrational and what is rational (Ellis 2004). This step is similar to step one, but step two the therapy is more in-depth and intense. In step two the client or individual must be made aware of their irrational beliefs and how the individuals’ irrational beliefs are perpetuating their own turmoil (Ellis 2004). If the client or individual continues to think unreasonable or irrational, they will repeat their irrational behavior and have continued unpleasant feeling that interrupt their normal way of life (Ellis 2004). In showing the individual or client the pattern of their irrational beliefs and the consequences their irrational beliefs impose on them is detrimental to the success of their treatment (Ellis 2004). Only when the client can distinguish the difference between rational beliefs and irrational beliefs, can realize that the negative problems they are having are in direct correlation with their irrational beliefs, and can see the pattern they follow when irrational beliefs are present (Ellis 2004). Step three begins once the previous objectives have been met. In step three the individual or client will learn how to stop illogical or irrational beliefs and change the irrational and negative pattern into a new logical and rational mode of thinking and behaving (Ellis 2004). This is achieved when the individual ceases the negative self talk and stop the irrational beliefs from affecting their mode of thinking (Ellis 2004). Many individuals have their irrational beliefs so embedded in their mode of behaving and their mode thinking that the individual may not even be aware that their irrational beliefs are irrational (Ellis 2004). The client with help from their therapist will attempt to identify the irrational beliefs from the rational beliefs (Ellis 2004). In the fourth and final step the client has identified their irrational beliefs (Ellis 2004). The client along with the help of the therapist, work to modify the clients negative way of thinking and identify and change the clients irrational beliefs into rational modes of thinking (Ellis 2004). The therapist works with the client until a new set of rational beliefs are fashioned (Ellis 2004). Once the irrational belief system is replaced by a more rational and logical belief system the client will notice negative feelings and negative behaviors change into a more positive feelings and positive behaviors (Ellis 2004). The rational emotive behavioral theapry techniques used by the therapist to dispute irrational beliefs can vary from client to client depending on the type of the client and modes of irrational thinking REBT Techniques Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy is a multimodal form of therapy (Ellis 2004). Some of the different techniques used in Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy include â€Å"Disputing the client’s irrational beliefs†, â€Å"changing the language of the client†, and emotive techniques like â€Å"role playing† and â€Å"rational emotive inventory† (Ellis 2004). These different techniques can be used to modify several types or irrational behaviors caused by irrational beliefs e. g. anxiety, depression, anger, and addictions (Ellis 2004). These techniques show the client how to refute their irrational beliefs in a precise and rapid method. Disputing the client’s irrational beliefs technique is a technique that makes the client challenge their beliefs and modes of thinking (Ellis 2004). In this technique the therapist presents a series of questions such as: Why do you assume this? or Why must it be this way? When the client answers these questions the client start to realize that the way they are thinking is irrational (Ellis 2004). The language of the client technique disputes â€Å"the shoulds† and â€Å"the oughts† in the client’s way of thinking (Ellis 2004). In most cases the language used by the client forms their irrational way of thinking (Ellis 2004). By changing â€Å"the shoulds† and â€Å"the oughts† into wishes, wants, and desires may change the client’s irrational beliefs (Ellis 2004). Example of Self-Application of REBT The techniques outlined by Albert Ellis shows how simplistic but meaningful Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) can be (Ellis 2004). Take for example when Albert Ellis gets impatient or angry about his various limitations (Ellis 2004). Albert Ellis says to himself: â€Å"Too damn bad! I really do not like taking all this time and effort to deal with my impairments and wish to hell that I didn’t have to do so. But alas, I do. It is hard doing so many things to keep myself in a relatively healthy condition, but it is much harder in the long run and much more painful and deadly, if I do not keep doing this. There is no reason whatsoever why I absolutely must have it easier than I do. Yes it is unfair for me to be more afflicted than many other people are. But, damn it, I should be just as afflicted as I am! Unfairness should exist in the world—to me, and to whomever else it does exist—because it does exist! Too bad that it does—but it does! † sic Albert Ellis lived a full and rich life filled with controversy and an outspoken attitude. Albert Ellis fought for gay and lesbian rights and the right to send uncensored or â€Å"obscene† mail through the Federal mail system. Albert Ellis was also one of the first individuals start their own private practice as a psychologist.

Digital Dating: Desperation or Necessity?

In this essay I will examine the articles, Digital Dating: Desperation or Necessity? Written by Christine Hassler, a former Hollywood Agent, and the author of the book called Twenty-Something, Twenty-Everything. This article talks about social networks, their impact on both of our social and love life. It tries to convince us to try to experience all the benefits that online dating provides us. Technology has implemented itself in almost every aspect of our daily lives, and the new big thing we have currently is the rave of online dating. Computers are day in day out coming out with new dating websites, and people are buying into the whole idea of it being a last resort and only option left. Of course it is so much easier to sit on a computer and explain detailed information about yourself and come up with matches or results, but where was this decades ago when there was no such thing as the internet. Before computers this means that men and women actually had to go out in public and communicate back and forth to find their life partners. Nonetheless, I don’t consider the online dating strategy to be an effective or good idea in the first place because there are too many problems and negative effects that can come from it more so than positive ones. I think people should be very careful. Meeting strangers face to face in social situations is good so long as you size them up, look at their body language and how they interact with others. See their friends as this will tell you a lot about them. Before considering them a romantic possibility it is better to get to know them first as friends and find out what they are really like.