Thursday, September 5, 2019

Executive Summary Of The 3 Idiots Movie Media Essay

Executive Summary Of The 3 Idiots Movie Media Essay 3 idiots, the movie made it a fashion for people to say All izz Well in any kind of situation, whether truly a problem or not. But as Aamir Khan says in the movie: it gives you faith in yourself to face the situation in a more confident manner. Crisis has always been a part of the world. Everyday, accidents and disasters make the news headlines. It is vital that the potential damage is limited by providing clear messages to the public and media. Crisis could be at any level, but it affects all individuals. According to the 6 degrees of separation theory, we are only 6 links away from being connected to any person in the world. So any kind of crisis can snowball into something that affects you. What we have focused upon are some national level crisis, some organizational level crisis and personal level crisis. In these we have taken cases of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, The Satyam Scam, The fall of Lehmann Brothers and Winston Churchill and his crisis communication. The terrorist attacks have been one of the most disturbing times for modern India. However it is important to see how the parties affected: the government, the people, the expatriates; how did they communicated between themselves and what was the message thus delivered. The Satyam scam took the corporate India by surprise. No one had anticipated that a good, and respectable company like Satyam could have such a level of fraud going on at the senior management level. It was important that internally it be communicated that the employees (most of them) had little to do with the scam and are as surprised by the revelations as the world was. To the world, it was to be communicated that India is not a country where this is the norm and we do take business seriously. Adequate enquiry and restructuring was done to ensure that. The fall of Lehman brothers marked an important period in recent history. It was an indicative fall. The world was already staring in the face of a downturn. It was a signal that the crisis has only worsened when Lehman brothers declared bankruptcy. It was like a final nail in the coffin and the world did accept the reality that yes, we are in trouble and lots of it! It was important here that the governments be extremely cautious with their words. People are one step short of hitting the panic button and it is the governments duty to ensure that it is communicated to them that even if such iconic institutions are at huge risk, the people shall have minimal damage. Some part will definitely be affected, but not all. On a personal level crisis, it could be getting a divorce or unemployment or for teenagers, it could even be peer pressure. It is also a secondary level of crisis where one of the national or organizational level crisis results into a personal level problem. What we have taken here are cases of David Letterman and Tiger Woods, celebrities whose personal crisis was for the world to witness. Crises are an important part of life. They help us identify the weak links in the system and correct itself for future. A crisis can be turned into an opportunity if the paradigm is unconventional and the communication is clear. It is upon us as to how do we make the best use of the resources at disposal. Contents Sr. No. Topic Page No. 1. Introduction 5 2. When Terror strikes 6 3. The Satyam Saga 10 4. Big Brothers in deep trouble 13 5. Am I OK!?!? 16 6. To V-E Day- Winston Churchill 19 7. Conclusion 23 8. References 24 Introduction According to Murphys Law whatever can go wrong, will go wrong (or whatever can go wrong, will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way). Mr. Murphy certainly didnt envision himself being the face of all the tongue-in-cheek truths that we put across in his name. But that law sums up most crises. It is essentially things going wrong. While all crisis are unique, the method of handling each one of them is also different. But what connects them is the fact that communication is an integral part of all these crises. Senior management and leaders within companies, organizations and governments embroiled in a crisis have leart the hard way what happens when the unthinkable becomes reality. These crises are then made public and are often grossly exaggerated by the media. The fact that we live in the age of transparency and the Internet, no one and nothing is immune to crisis. We identified crisis on three levels: National level crisis: These include natural disasters, wars, terrorist attacks, and other crisis of this scale. These disasters affect the nation as a whole and are nation wide effects. We have taken terrorist attacks and Winston Churchill and his communication tactics during the WWII as the examples for national level crisis. Organisational level crisis: These are the crisis that affect organizations internally and the outside world too. It could happen in any industry or field. We have chosen two examples namely Satyam and Lehman brothers as a case in point. Personal level crisis: Personal crisis are a part of each and every persons life. Celebrities are people whose personal life falls in the public domain. David Letterman and Tiger Woods are the cases we have picked up from recent past. Their crisis was made public and the world learnt lessons. When terror strikesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Crisis communication is at times considered as the branch of PR that is mainly designed to defend and protect the reputation, dignity and the self respect of and individual, government or an organization. This may come in either form like economic crisis, natural disaster, inquiry by the government or the terrorist attacks on the country. Now, India is a country whos almost all the sides are surrounded by some or the other attacks made on the people and the government officials. But history proves that some of the worst and the worst attacks happen from the Maoists and from the Islamic terrorist groups in Pakistan. Right from the partition, there have been multiple wars or terrorist attacks done on India. The other way, India is a country with more than 100 crore of population. So, even a small attack has a capability to create a greater impact killing quite a huge number of people. And the role of media and the government is highly important during these attacks because, people are kept away from the proximity and hence the only source of information from them is the media reporters and government officials. So the situation can be judged as the crisis situation and the communication to be made to the public is very crucial. There have been multiple attacks like akshardham attack, Mumbai train attacks and the most recent, Taj Mahal hotel attack. A large part of crisis communication is the prevention of situations before they escalate to full-blown crises. For example, the communication was very badly handled by the government and the media during the Taj Mahal attack. Media was just involved in minting money without thinking that their communication strategy is indirectly harming the country and the emotions of the countrymen. While good crisis communication is useless without a good response, bad communication can cause a needless loss of lives. Take, for example, the time when news channels reported that the Nariman House siege was over, and thousands rushed onto the street in a spontaneous outpouring of relief. They did this because they saw a RAF officer signal a thumbs up on the roof of the building. It turned out that the siege was not over, and the army had to take a loudspeaker onto the street in an attempt ultimately in vain to disperse the mob. Imagine if someone had been hurt subsequently. It would have been a direct result of faulty lines of communication between the responders and the media. Also, whenever the terrorist attacks are going on and still all the terrorists are not killed, it should be noted that the basic form of communication which media should use is to avoid going into the depth of the news and still provide a sigh of relief to the people in brief. Whenever it goes into the depth of the events, it will give unnecessary information to the person who is controlling the terrorist operations and hence for that instant, he remains well informed on what is exactly happening there. So, this is the way, media should control the crisis communication during the attack. But, immediately, after the terrorists are killed and operation is declared over, the same government can give the whole news in detail. Thus, this way, government should realize the strategies of communicating even at the times of crisis. In the Mumbai terror attack the media was criticized for 3 most important reasons as far as the poor communication by them is concerned. 1) Why is it that they had to leak out the most sensitive information as a part of the news? It should remain sensitive till the time it is not going to affect the situation there. Some TV channels showed the positions of security forces stationed outside the buildings that were under siege, and some aired information about commandoes movements. That alarmed security officials: They worried that the information might reach the terrorists, who Indian authorities believe carried cellphones. 2) Media was more involved in covering Trident and Taj hotel, but it give very little information on what happened at CST. Whenever, the communication is being made, all essential information should have been passed and CST could have been the first thing they should have reported as any common man would not go to Taj but would surely remain at CST and hence the density of population there at any time would always be more than that at Taj. So, this was the lack of proper communication that prevented them from managing crisis. 3) Why is it that the media was involved in asking about the same situation to different police officials and the government? There was a wide-spread difference in opinions and information among all the information passed by every individual. It is very well understood that there should have been only 1 point of contact who could become the spokesperson and hence the only authority to report to the media. This could have created less discrepancy and hence only the authenticated information could have reached to the people. This is the model called Joint Information Centre where all the messages from different forces working to manage the crisis and only 1 appointed person is responsible to decide and speak out only the required information to the country. This might take some time to co-ordinate with all the departments, but once implemented, it can bring good clarity along with adequate security in every address to the country. As much as the media, government has also equal responsibility in handling the crisis communication effectively. It was observed at times that some parties did not forget to criticise not only the attack, but the ruling party, home minister, chief minister of the state and most importantly few people who lost their lives in this attack. Some rude politician immediately asked for the resignation of the home minister of the country, of the state and the chief minister of the state. Now, this crisis situation was not the time when communication should contain this type of communication. It should have been towards the concern for all those who lost their lives and purely the prayers for getting the operations ended at the earliest. This was the time when the country should have managed the communication showing unity and integrity. Everyone which includes the ruling as well as opposition parties to completely support the ethics of the country, the public and those trapped inside. The co mmunication could have been aimed at increasing the confidence and trust of the people on the government and not at increasing the vote banks by spitting out 4-5 sentences. The communication was mainly aimed at the countrymen, but the event as a whole was a major event to create its place in the history of terrorist attacks in the world. So, every communication by the government and the media was watched carefully by not only Indians but the world too. And hence, the communications should have been made to give a clear and strong message to the world that India still believes in Unity in Diversity. The Satyam Saga It has been more than a year since Mr. Ramalinga Raju confessed to orchestrating one of Indias biggest frauds. Still the crisis haunts the country and gives umpteen opportunities to learn from the situation. The scandal was scrutinized by media day in and day out. On one hand, shareholders and promoters were flabbergasted by this revelation. On the other hand the employees and internal staff were left in the lurch, not knowing what their future would be. How the company dealt with the crisis internally is an interesting story. Communication in such a crisis should become top priority for managers and the organization as a whole. In a crisis as that of Satyam the information can reach the employees faster from outside source than their managers. The crisis gets magnified when wrong information is gathered by employees. The managers cannot assume that employees already have all the information and that too the correct ones. It became important for the managers of Satyam to interact with his/her team on a daily basis and ease their tension. Satyam managers actually met their team hourly and several times a day. In a crisis every word heard is taken to be authentic information. It usually dissipates the organizational energy when the employees are trying to figure out what is fact and what is fiction. The efficiency of the work gets reduced, leading to sub standard or incomplete deliverables. Satyams strategy to communicate effectively was to use web television and turn their web communication expertise into a n emergency broadcast system. This they called the lights on strategy. The main focus of this strategy was to ensure that the employees have complete control over the information so that they are well informed and they dont end up making up things. In India communicating bad news has always been a tough job. Most people shirk away from communicating any bad news. They do not have the courage to look into the eye of their team and tell them that the news they have been getting from the outside world about their company is actually true. The senior management were confident enough in telling that there will not be any layoffs and they would be continuing to pay them the salaries. Since the situation was not very clear immediately, the managers had to talk about all the possibilities that could happen. Reassure the employees that the lights were still on and there will be some solution coming out soon. The government appointed a board and made the strategic decision of not laying off anyone till the organization was transferred to a new owner. Other companies started to lure the best employees of Satyam knowing that they will be available for a much lower pay given the extent of the crisis and the psychology the employees at that time. Since there was continuous communication from the management to employees, this made them feel belonged to the company. All the employees came forward to help the company come out of the crisis. They volunteered for pay cuts, did not protest against cut of variable pay and stood united in companys dark hour. Satyams consultants had always planned in preparing the employees to face the worst situation. Every team had a contingency plan for their deliverables in case of worst-case scenarios. For the safety of the employees the administration planned mock fire drills. Hence, during crisis the employees became their first priority. They setup a 24 hour helpline for counselling and guiding the employees. Employees were even given therapeutic help if needed. Web television was used extensively during these days. Meet the Board series was run for employees where the interview with every board member was telecasted. Employees could then send their questions to the board member. The management did not lose any time and tried to take as much control of the situation as possible. They kept all the stakeholders in the loop of their decision making. Communication had to be done not just to the employees, but also to the customers. They needed to be told that the company was still in business. This reassurance could be given mostly because of the excellent relations that the company had with its customers over the years. Satyam did not wait for the resolution of the crisis to serve its customers and clients. The projects that was underway continued to give its deliverables to the clients. They made sure that there was no break in the service. After the sale of stake to Mahindras was confirmed, the customers were spoken to again; this time to ask their feedback about how happy they would be to continue their ties with newly formed Mahindra Satyam. Many of them having heard of Mahindra, its reputation and its financial strength had confidence to continue their ties. This happened because of the perpetual communication that the management of Satyam had with their clients. It is always essential to communicate the right message, to t he right person, by the right authority and at the right time. The shareholders were also a worried lot. The day Satyams Chairman B Ramalinga Raju resigned as a result of the fraud, the stock prices fell by 70% to an all time low of Rs 58. There was a panic selling of a sort where nearly 13 crore shares had changed hands within an hour. Declining stock prices are always an indicator of the declining reputation of the company. The management needs to constantly keep in touch with the investors, be open to financial analysts and the media. Once a trust relationship is built with the investors a short-lived second opportunity can be expected from them. This can also avoid the panic selling which is the case in most situations of this sort. Opinions are formed almost immediately in case of fraud cases and stock prices are gravely affected by this. The government of India also became one of the stakeholders because of the magnitude of the issue. It was a question of the countrys reputation as the IT hub. This was the reason that government intervened and established a board to resolve the issue. The shareholders, clients and customers needed a reliable team on the board and the government came to the rescue. Communication through a neutral team becomes effective to pacify the various stakeholders. The government appointed people who were not related to the company and had in the past acted as consultants for the government to resolve issues. This proved to be successful strategy of communication. A management always needs a competitive, straightforward and yielding strategy while handling crisis. The communication strategy used in Satyam scandal was effective and this led to a smooth transition and change of ownership. Big Brothers in deep trouble It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it- Warren  Buffett This encompasses the importance of Communication during crisis. Every organization is vulnerable to crisis. The most challenging part of crisis communication is reacting but what is more important is reacting with the right response and the speed with which ones reacting. This is because inaction or inappropriate communication leads to humiliation, prolonged visibility and unnecessary litigation. Success in crisis management depends largely on how an organization communicates with its stakeholders. Stakeholders have something at risk, and therefore something to gain or lose as a result of your organizations activity. During a crisis an organization has to look at itself from their stakeholders perspective because stakeholders would be most concerned at how the crisis incident would affect them. They are expecting the organization to communicate with them, so it is vital to be proactive if possible. One of the worst managed crises during recent times has been the financial meltdown in United States of America (USA). We would be concentrating on Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. whose downfall commenced the meltdown. Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc was a global financial services firm which, until declaring bankruptcy in 2008, participated in business investment banking, equity and fixed-income sales, research and trading, investment management, private equity, and private banking. It was a primary dealer in the U.S Treasury securities market. The history of Lehman Brothers parallels the growth of the United States and its energetic drive toward prosperity and international prominence. What would evolve into a global financial entity began as a general store in the American South. Henry Lehman, an immigrant from Germany, opened his small shop in the city of Montgomery, Alabama in 1844. Six years later, he was joined by brothers Emanuel and Mayer, and they named the business Lehman Brothers. The firm, thus, was founded in 1850. In 1858, they opened an office in New York, which was the commodity trading centre of the country. Later firm also moved into the area of financial advisory, which provided th e foundation for underwriting expertise. On September 15, 2008, the firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following the massive exodus of most of its clients, drastic losses in its stock, and devaluation of its assets by credit rating agencies. The filing marked the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history. The following day, Barclays announced its agreement to purchase, subject to regulatory approval, Lehmans North American investment-banking and trading divisions along with its New York headquarters building. Lehman went down and it was evident in April. Why? Because of what didnt happen. As I have mentioned earlier inaction can be hazardous, in this case it was. Now let us understand from where it all began. In March, 2008 David Einhorn, founder of Greenlight, a famous hedge fund asked a simple question of Lehmans CFO, Erin Callan during a conference call with Wall Street analysts. The question was not answered. So scepticism set in. A month later Lehmans shares plunged by 40%. What did Dick Fuld (then the CEO of Lehman Brothers) do? He sued a Japanese trading company for 35 billion yen in unpaid fees. In April, Einhorn announced he was short selling Lehman stock (This meant that he believed Lehmans stock would decline). Callan called Einhorn and asked for a copy of his speech and he complied. After reading it Callan spent her time badmouthing Einhorn. Why would anyone do that? Try to deflect attention from issue and blame someone else? This implied that something was drastically wrong. But Fuld did nothing. What should have happened? At this juncture, Dick Fuld should have gotten out in front of his investors, his clients, the market and he didnt. He should have studied history. What did similar companies do in such situations? All Dick Fuld had to do was take the situation in his hands, address the financial situation, support his CFO, develop a new plan of action, if there were mistakes admit them, and be realistic. The problem with Lehman was Dick Fulds refusal to understand what Lehman was worth! Its called the art of negotiatingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦he thought it was worth more than it was. He should have sat down with his lieutenants and asked the question, what are our options? Instead Fuld demoted Callan, in June after raising $6 billion in new capital, after disclosing a $2.8 billion loss the quarter before, then fired a long time lieutenant and friend Joseph Gregory. Then the stock fell. What message did he send to his customers and investors? One needs to be 1000 times more committed to your customers, clients and owners than anyone else. One must have integrity to your owners, your stockholders and Fuld didnt do that. When you are a public company your legal obligation is to your stockholders, your customers and your employees. As a hedge fund your legal obligation is to your investors and your employeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦its not all about you. So what should a company in crisis do to salvage the situation? The CEO should surround himself with good people that challenge you to mitigate executive hubris. When there is a crisis, emulate other companies that have successfully managed through a crisis. The minute a crisis begins, the company should hire a consumer research company to start polling consumer and client perceptions about the organization. Identify five executives on the crisis team. Develop a risk scenarios and contingent plans. Identify a Public Relations expert who can help the company through the crisis (before the crisis not during!). Create a culture that is committed to challenging one another. Create a board of directors that has at least one naysayer on it. If theyre all yes people, trouble is in brewing. Recognize the weakness of the company When there is a problem, develop the plan and get out in front of the issue right away. Dont procrastinate, which includes a media plan! When peoples livelihoods depend on you, it better not be about your ego, you need to serve the greater good. Am I OK?!?! When written in Chinese, the word crisis is composed of two characters-one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity. The personal crisis a person encounters in life pales in comparison to how he communicates and responds during the crisis. Effective communication can palliate the crisis and turn it into an opportunity .On the contrary, ineffective communication amplifies the crisis and results in the person enrolling himself in a crash course towards destruction. A quintessential crisis communication would be to analyze how Tiger Woods and David Letterman communicated after being embroiled in infidelity .It is hands down one of the greatest personal crisis communication story of the decade. Both these individuals have touched the acme of success in their respective fields. Tigers Woods is arguably the greatest athlete to have walked on the face of this planet and David Letterman,to his credit is one of the most renowned talk show hosts of this era. The parallels between their ways of communication was very vivid. David Letterman emerged from his story relatively unscathed and Tigers story appears to keep going and going, putting his endorsement deals and his status as the first Billion-Dollar Athlete in serious jeopardy. David Letterman, isnt just a talk show host, he is a huge brand. He and his show are an integral part of the multi-billion dollar CBS brand. So when the crisis hit Letterman, there were ramifications that could have gone far beyond mere personal embarrassment. He did what most brands or people are terrified to do, he released the information first. This was a positive thing to do as the story was then coated with his version of events.He didnt sugarcoat the worst news and acceded that he had affairs with his woman staffers. He ensured that the most damaging information came out from his lips first. He apologized to his family ,all his fans and all the woman over the world for his actions. He exercised his gift of gab and turned his parched sarcasm on himself .It was deadpan candor and ace crisis management. It made him look like a person who took complete responsibility for his actions and was genuinely contrite for the same. David Letterman was proactive to get in front of his situa tion, he told people what happened, what he did, and he made it a non-story. He emulated crisis communication 101- which is to describe the situation, be honest, apologize, say what you are , make an honest attempt to fix it and live your life. When it becomes a story is when you lie, when you avert questions, and when there clearly is something people want to find out to bring you down. He communicated the crisis in an exemplary way which precluded it from decimating and sabotaging his entire career . Tiger Woods communication after a similar crisis was a complete contrast to how David Letterman tackled the situation. Their ways are at the opposite ends of the spectrum. It would be the understatement of the year to say that Tiger Woods bungled the crisis. Essentially, Tiger should have ripped the bandage off the wound in one clean sweep when the story first broke. Instead he slowly peeled it away, which only created more curiosity and media interest. He should have stood up and owned the issue before the issue started owning him. Tiger Woods forgot that there are two courts a legal court and the court of public opinion, and he ignored the court of public opinion. If he had come forward with his side of the story and an act of contrition, it would have played better than having it come out piecemeal. It would have taken all the oxygen out of the womens statements. The announcement and the coverage would have been painful, but quicker. He also would have looked like a man who was t ruly sorry. His silence and then denial prolonged the story, and left reporters looking for other sources to talk about the scandal. Initially, he continued to sport his squeaky clean image and finally when he apologized by reading a scripted message ,it was very disjointed and discombobulated. Tiger Woods should have realized that world, both his fans and the general marketplace, are very forgiving but when you deliberately make yourself inaccessible or disguise the truth, it inevitably comes out and its always worse. It is a perfect example of how a man communicated terribly in a crisis which resulted in irreparable damages . His brand value has plummeted to an all time low and the odds of him recovering from it are very low.This case reinforces the importance of communication in a crisis. There are a plethora of personal crises that an individual faces in life ,but none of them can be as tangible,as palpable and as common as mid life crisis. It is something which majority of people on the wrong side of thirty or forty go through. These people act inconsistently with who they believe they are and set the stage for the societal clichà © of an identity crisis. When the crisis hits, they are immediately disoriented, questioning their previous convictions. Their whole world is turned upside down, and they experience an intense fear of pain. Often these people identify themselves as being young, and some environmental stimulant(turning a certain age, comments from friends, graying hair,wrinkles )causes them to dread their approaching years and the new, less desirable identity that they expect to experience with it. Thus, in a desperate effort to maintain their identity, they do things to prove theyre still young: buy fast cars, wear gaudy clothes, divorce their spouses, ch ange jobs. It is imperative that people understand the gravity of the predicament and do some soul searching and brutally honest self introspection to identify the problems in their life which they could rectify. They need to engage themselves in an intrapersonal communication to tackle the crisis. It is an incredibly potent but often underestimated way to deal with a personal crisis. It helps people have a solid grasp of their true identities and have a broader sense of who they are, hence their identity never becomes threatened. Intrapersonal communication helps them become more secure and comfortable in their skin as they realize that it is prudent to link their identity to something which is not ephemeral. Intrapersonal comm

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Henrik Isbens A Dolls House :: A Dolls House Essays

Torvald Holmer's refusal to borrow money displays the character of a proud and controlling man. Helmer provided the financial support for his family through hard work, not depending on others for money. When Torvald's law practice did not provide financially, he sought a job at the bank. After Helmer received a promotion at the bank, Nora felt they could now afford to be extravagant for Christmas. Nora says, "This is the first Christmas that we have not needed to economize." Torvald announces that his promotion is not until ". . . after the New Year," so Nora blurts out ". . . we can borrow till then." Helmer interprets Nora's spending of money as wasteful and foolish, telling her "That is like a woman! ...There can be no freedom or beauty about a home life that depends on borrowing and debt." Obviously Torvald earns and manages the money in the house, and he attributes Nora's lack of understanding of these matters to her gender. Torvald views a woman's place to beautify the home through proper management of domestic life, behavior, and appearance. Helmer demeans Nora about spending in calling her "sweet little spendthrift, but she sure uses up a deal of money . . . " After accusing Nora of being irresponsible with money, Torvald rejoices at her dependence on him stating, ". . . Is my little squirrel out of temper? ...what do you think I have here?" Nora exclaims, "Money!" Torvald finds merriment in watching her happy reaction to him giving her money, and Nora saying, ". . . Thank you, thank you, . . . " This illustrates the helplessness of Nora and her dependence on Helmer, causing him to feel in control. 8. Nora's secret crime confessed to Christine Linde, a childhood friend, had been to save her deathly ill husband's life by borrowing money. She borrowed the money from Krogstad, without getting her husband's permission. As Nora and Christine palaver about their lives, Nora explains the financial hardships they had. "...Torvald left his office . . . There was no prospect of promotion . . . during the first year he overworked himself dreadfully . . . but he could not stand it, and fell dreadfully ill, and the doctors said it was necessary for him to go south." Since he was in danger of dying, Nora's explanation was that the doctors urged them to live in the South for a year; yet they thought Helmer should not know how ill he really was.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Adolescent Nutrition Essay -- Health Nutrition Pyramid Diet

During adolescence there is a high susceptibility to nutritional deficiencies and poor eating habits. This may lead to problems later on in life such as osteoporosis, obesity, hyperlipedemia, sexual maturation delays, and final adult height. The development of eating disorders is also prominent during this time. Adolescents require extra nutrients due to a growth spurt, which girls experience during the ages of 10 or 11, reaches its peak at age 12 and is completed by about age 15. In boys, it begins at 12 or 13 years of age, peaks at age 14 and ends by about age 19. Adequate amounts of iron and calcium are important as the adolescent body undergoes the growth period. At the ages of 9 to 18 years, both males and females are encouraged to have a calcium rich diet in order to have proper calcium deposits in the bones. This may help reduce obtaining osteoporosis in later years. Eating disorders are also common among teens whose food choices are influenced by society’s pressures to have the ideal look. Some eating disorders are classified as anorexia, bulimia, compulsive overeating or binge eating. Both anorexia and bulimia can lead to convulsions, kidney failure, irregular heartbeats, osteoporosis and dental erosion. Adolescents suffering from compulsive overeating disorder are at risk for heart attack, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, kidney disease, arthritis, and stroke. Healthy eating during adolescence is important because an individual's nutritional and dieta...

Monday, September 2, 2019

Mosfet

Jovany Tavera August 7, 2011 ET 475 Electronic Design William Shockley proposed the Field Effect Transistor (FET) in 1952. FETs are majority carrier devices and its operation depends on its applied voltage to control the majority carriers. The applied voltage controls the current in the device by means of an electric field. FETs are voltage sensitive with high input impedance. FETs are more temperature stable then Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT). They are easier to fabricate than BJTs. FETs, with their high input impedance, can store charge long enough to be used as storage elements. A later version of FETs is the metal-oxide semiconductor FET (MOSFET). There are four terminals in total: source, gate, drain and the substrate. The MOSFET is constructed with the gate insulated with a silicon dioxide dielectric. Depletion and enhancement is the two modes on the MOSFET. MOSFETs are also known as IGFETs (Insulated Gate Field Effect Transistor). Just as BJTs has either npn or pnp, MOSFETs can be either NMOS or PMOS. The depletion mode was design with a physical channel connected between the drain and source. In operation, a negative gate-to-source voltage pushes out electrons from the channel region, therefore depleting the channel. When the gate-to-source voltage reaches the threshold voltage the channel is pinched off. A positive charge of the gate-to-source voltages increases the channel size, as a result, an increase of drain current. Due to the insulated gate, the gate current is extremely small. Enhancement MOSFET is different from depletion MOSFET due to not having the thin n-layer. In order to establish a channel it requires a positive voltage between the gate and the source. Positive gate-to-source voltage accumulates electrons at the surface beneath the oxide layer. When the voltage reaches the threshold voltage a number of electrons are attracted to the substrate region therefore acting as an conducting n-channel. No current exist in the drain until gate-to-source voltage exceeds the threshold voltage.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Shadow Kiss Chapter 19

Nineteen LISSA HAD BEEN MY best friend ever since elementary school, which was why keeping so many secrets from her lately had hurt so much. She was always open with me, always willing to share what was on her mind – but then, maybe that was because she had no choice. I used to be that way with her, yet at some point, I'd started locking my secrets in, unable to tell her about Dimitri or the real reason I'd messed up with Stan. I hated it being that way. It ate me up inside and made me feel guilty around her. Today, however, there was absolutely no way I could wiggle out of explaining what had happened at the airport. Even if I made up something, the fact that I was on half-time with Christian would be a huge tip-off that something was going on. No excuses this time. So, as much as it hurt, I gave her and Christian – as well as Eddie and Adrian, who were hanging around – the short version of what had happened. â€Å"You think you saw ghosts?† Christian exclaimed. â€Å"Seriously?† The look on his face showed me that he was already building a list of snide comments to make. â€Å"Look,† I snapped, â€Å"I told you what was going on, but I don't want to elaborate on it. It's getting worked out, so just let it drop.† †Rose †¦Ã¢â‚¬  began Lissa uneasily. A hurricane of emotions was beating through to me from her. Fear. Concern. Shock. Her compassion made me feel that much worse. I shook my head. â€Å"No, Liss. Please. You guys can think whatever you want about me or make up your own theories, but we're not going to talk about it. Not now. Just leave me alone about it.† I expected Lissa to badger me because of her normal persistence. I expected Adrian and Christian to because of their irritating natures. But even though my words had been simple, I realized I'd delivered them with a harshness both in voice and manner. It was Lissa's surprised mental reaction that alerted me to that, and then I needed only to look at the guys' faces to realize I must have sounded incredibly bitchy. â€Å"Sorry,† I mumbled. â€Å"I appreciate the concern, but I'm just not in the mood.† Lissa eyed me. Later, she said in my mind. I gave her a brief nod, secretly wondering how I could avoid that conversation. She and Adrian had met to practice magic again. I still liked being able to be close to her, but I was only able to do so because Christian was hanging around too. And honestly, I couldn't figure out why he stayed. I guess he was still a little jealous, despite everything that had happened. Of course, if he'd known about the queen's matchmaking schemes, he might have had good reason. Nonetheless, it was clear these magic lessons were starting to bore him. We were in Ms. Meissner's classroom today, and he pulled two desks together and stretched out across them, tossing an arm over his eyes. â€Å"Wake me when it gets interesting,† he said. Eddie and I stood in a central position that let us watch the door and windows while also staying near the Moroi. â€Å"You really saw Mason?† Eddie whispered to me. He turned sheepish. â€Å"Sorry†¦you said you didn't want to talk about it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I started to say yes, that was exactly what I'd said†¦but then I saw the look on Eddie's face. He wasn't asking me about this out of perverse curiosity. He asked because of Mason, because of their closeness, and because Eddie wasn't over his best friend's death any more than I was. I think he found the idea of Mason communicating from beyond the grave reassuring, but then, he hadn't been the one to actually see Mason's ghost. â€Å"I think it was him,† I murmured back. â€Å"I don't know. Everyone thinks I imagined it.† â€Å"How did he look? Was he upset?† â€Å"He looked †¦ sad. Really sad.† â€Å"If it was really him †¦ I mean, I don't know.† Eddie looked at the ground, momentarily forgetting to watch the room. â€Å"I've always wondered if he was upset that we didn't save him.† â€Å"There was nothing we could have done,† I told him, reiterating exactly what everyone had told me. â€Å"But I wondered that too, because Father Andrew had mentioned that ghosts sometimes come back for revenge. But Mason didn't look that way. He just seemed like he wanted to tell me something.† Eddie looked back up suddenly, realizing he was still on guard duty. He didn't say anything else after that, but I knew where his thoughts were. Meanwhile, Adrian and Lissa were making progress. Or rather, Adrian was. The two of them had dug up a bunch of scraggly plants that had died or gone dormant for the winter and put them in little pots. The pots were now lined up in a row on a long table. Lissa touched one, and I felt the euphoria of magic burn within her. A moment later, the scrappy little plant turned green and sprouted leaves. Adrian stared hard at it, as though it held all the secrets of the universe, and then exhaled deeply. â€Å"Okay. Here goes nothing.† He lightly placed his fingers on a different plant. Here goes nothing might have been an accurate statement, because nothing actually happened. Then, a few moments later, the plant shuddered a little. A hint of green started to grow in it and then it stopped. â€Å"You did it,† said Lissa, impressed. I could also feel that she was a little jealous. Adrian had learned one of her tricks, but she still hadn't learned any of his. â€Å"Hardly,† he said, glaring at the plant. He was completely sober, with none of his vices to mellow him. Spirit had nothing to stop it from making him feel irritable. With our moods, we actually had something in common tonight. â€Å"Damn it.† â€Å"Are you kidding?† she asked. â€Å"It was great. You made a plant grow – with your mind. That's amazing.† â€Å"Not as good as you, though,† he said, still sounding like he was ten years old. I couldn't help but pipe in. â€Å"Then stop bitching and try again.† He glanced over at me, a smile twisting his lips. â€Å"Hey, no advice, Ghost Girl. Guardians should be seen and not heard.† I flipped him off for the â€Å"Ghost Girl† comment, but he didn't notice because Lissa was talking to him again. â€Å"She's right. Try it again.† â€Å"You do it one more time,† he said. â€Å"I want to watch you†¦. I can kind of feel what you do to it.† She performed her trick on another plant. I again felt the magic flare up, as well as the joy that came with it – and then she faltered. A flash of fear and instability tinged the magic, smacking a little of when her mental state had deteriorated so badly. No, no, I begged silently. It's happening. I knew it would if she kept using the magic. Please don't let it happen again. And like that, the dark spot within her magic went away. All of her thoughts and feelings returned to normal. I noticed then that she'd also made the plant grow. I'd missed it because I'd been distracted by her lapse. Adrian had missed the magic too because his eyes were on me. His expression was troubled and very, very confused. â€Å"Okay,† said Lissa happily. She didn't realize he hadn't paid attention. â€Å"Try again.† Adrian focused his attention back on their work. Sighing, he moved to a new plant, but she gestured him back. â€Å"No, keep working on the one you started. Maybe you can only do it in small bursts.† Nodding, he turned his attention to his original plant. For a few minutes, he just did nothing but stare. Silence reigned in the room. I'd never seen him so focused on anything, and sweat was actually forming on his forehead. Finally, at long last, the plant twitched again. It grew even greener, and tiny buds appeared on it. Glancing up at him, I saw him narrow his eyes and grit his teeth, no doubt concentrating for all he was worth. The buds burst. Leaves and tiny white flowers appeared. Lissa made what could only be called a whoop of joy. â€Å"You did it!† She hugged him, and feelings of delight washed over me from her. She was sincerely happy that he'd been able to do it. And while she was still disappointed at her lack of progress, it inspired hope in her that he'd replicated her abilities. That meant they truly could learn from each other. â€Å"I can't wait until I'm able to do something new,† she said, still a tiny bit jealous. Adrian tapped a notebook. â€Å"Well, there are plenty of other tricks in the world of spirit. You've got to be able to learn at least one of them.† â€Å"What's that?† I asked. â€Å"Remember that research I did on people who'd shown weird behaviors?† she asked. â€Å"We made a list of all the different things that showed up.† I did remember. In her search to find others with spirit, she'd uncovered claims about Moroi demonstrating abilities no one had ever seen. Few people believed the reports were true, but Lissa was convinced they were spirit users. â€Å"Along with healing, auras, and dream walking, we seem to also have some super compulsion going on.† â€Å"You already knew that,† I said. â€Å"No, this is even more hard-core. It's not just telling people what to do. It's also making them see and feel things that aren't even there.† â€Å"What, like hallucinations?† I asked. â€Å"Kind of,† he said. â€Å"There are stories of people using compulsion to make others live through their worst nightmares, thinking they're being attacked or whatever.† I shivered. â€Å"That's actually kind of scary.† â€Å"And awesome,† said Adrian. Lissa agreed with me. â€Å"I don't know. Regular compulsion is one thing, but that just seems wrong.† Christian yawned. â€Å"Now that victory has been achieved, can we call it a night with the magic?† Glancing behind me, I saw that Christian was sitting up and alert. His eyes were on Lissa and Adrian, and he did not look happy about the victory hug. Lissa and Christian had broken apart, though not because they'd noticed his reaction. They were both too distracted by their own excitement to notice his glare. â€Å"Can you do it again?† asked Lissa eagerly. â€Å"Make it grow?† Adrian shook his head. â€Å"Not right away. That took a lot out of me. I think I need a cigarette.† He gestured in Christian's direction. â€Å"Go do something with your guy. He's been terribly patient through all of this.† Lissa walked over to Christian, her face alight with joy. She looked beautiful and radiant, and I could tell it was hard for him to stay too mad at her. The harsh expression on his face softened, and I saw the rare gentleness that only she could bring out in him. â€Å"Let's go back to the dorm,† she said, grabbing his hand. We set off. Eddie walked near guard with Lissa and Christian, which left me with far guard. It also left me with Adrian, who had chosen to lag behind and talk to me. He was smoking, so I got to be the one to deal with the toxic cloud that generated. Honestly, I couldn't figure out why no one in charge had busted him for this. I wrinkled my nose at the smell. â€Å"You know, you can always be our far-far guard and stay behind with that thing,† I told him. â€Å"Mm, I've had enough.† He dropped the cigarette and stamped it out, leaving it behind. I hated that almost as much as him smoking in the first place. â€Å"What do you think, little dhampir?† he asked. â€Å"I was pretty badass with that plant, wasn't I? Of course, it would have been more badass if I'd, I dunno, helped an amputee grow a limb back. Or maybe separated Siamese twins. But that'll come with more practice.† â€Å"If you want some advice – which I'm sure you don't – you guys should lay off on the magic. Christian still thinks you're moving in on Lissa.† â€Å"What?† he asked in mock astonishment. â€Å"Doesn't he know my heart belongs to you?† â€Å"It does not. And no, he's still worried about it, despite what I've told him.† â€Å"You know, I bet if we started making out right now, it would make him feel better.† â€Å"If you touch me,† I said pleasantly, â€Å"I'll provide you with the opportunity to see if you can heal yourself. Then we'd see how badass you really are.† â€Å"I'd get Lissa to heal me,† he said smugly. â€Å"It'd be easy for her. Although†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The sardonic smirk faded. â€Å"Something weird happened when she used her magic.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said. â€Å"I know. Could you sense it too?† â€Å"No. But I saw it.† He frowned. â€Å"Rose †¦ remember when you asked about being crazy and I said you weren't?† â€Å"Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I think I might have been wrong. I think you are crazy.† I nearly stopped walking. â€Å"What the hell does that mean?† â€Å"Well†¦you see, the thing is, when Lissa did the second plant†¦ her aura dimmed a little.† â€Å"That would go along with what I felt,† I said. â€Å"It was kind of like she †¦ I don't know, grew mentally fragile for a moment, kind of like she used to. But it went away.† He nodded. â€Å"Yeah, that's the thing†¦the darkness in her aura went away and into yours. Like, I've noticed before that you guys have a big difference in auras, but this time, I saw it happening. It was like that spot of darkness jumped out of hers and into yours.† Something about that made me shiver. â€Å"What does it mean?† â€Å"Well, this is why I think you're crazy. Lissa isn't having any side effects from the magic anymore, right? And you, well†¦ you've been feeling kind of short-tempered lately and you're, like, seeing ghosts.† He said the words casually, like seeing ghosts was just something that happened from time to time. â€Å"I think whatever harmful thing there is in spirit that screws with the mind is leaking out of her and into you. It's making her stay stable, and you, well†¦ as I said, you're seeing ghosts.† It was like being smacked in the face. A new theory. Not trauma. Not real ghosts. Me â€Å"catching† Lissa's madness. I remembered how she'd been at her worst, depressed and self-destructive. I remembered our former teacher, Ms. Karp, who'd also been a spirit user – and completely out of her mind enough to become Strigoi. â€Å"No,† I said in a strained voice. â€Å"That's not happening to me.† â€Å"What about your bond? You have that connection. Her thoughts and feelings creep into you †¦ why not the madness too?† Adrian's manner was typically light and curious. He didn't realize just how much this was starting to freak me out. â€Å"Because it doesn't make any – â€Å" And then, it hit me. The answer we'd been searching for this whole time. St. Vladimir had struggled his whole life with spirit's side effects. He'd had dreams and delusions, experiences he wrote off to â€Å"demons.† But he hadn't gone completely crazy or tried to kill himself. Lissa and I had felt certain that it was because he had a shadow-kissed guardian, Anna, and that sharing that bond with her had helped him. We'd assumed it was simply the act of having such a close friend around, someone who could support him and talk him through the bad times since they hadn't had antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs back then. But what if†¦ what if†¦ I couldn't breathe. I couldn't go another single moment without knowing the answer. What time was it anyway? An hour or so before curfew? I had to find out. I came to an abrupt halt, nearly slipping on the slick ground. â€Å"Christian!† The group in front of us stopped and looked back at me and Adrian. â€Å"Yeah?† Christian asked. â€Å"I need to take a detour – or rather, we do since I can't go anywhere without you. We need to go to the church.† His eyebrows rose in surprise. â€Å"What, you need to confess something?† â€Å"Don't ask questions. Please. It'll only take a few minutes.† Concern crossed Lissa's face. â€Å"Well, we can all go – â€Å" â€Å"No, we'll be fast.† I didn't want her there. I didn't want her to hear the answer I was certain I'd get. â€Å"Go to the dorm. We'll catch up. Please, Christian?† He studied me, expression oscillating between wanting to mock me and wanting to help. He wasn't a complete jerk, after all. The latter emotion won out. â€Å"Okay, but if you try to get me to pray with you, I walk.† He and I split off toward the chapel. I moved so fast that he had to scurry to keep up. â€Å"I don't suppose you want to tell me what this is about?† he asked. â€Å"Nope. I appreciate your cooperation, though.† â€Å"Always glad to help,† he said. I was certain he was rolling his eyes, but I was more focused on the path ahead. We reached the chapel, and the door was locked, unsurprisingly. I knocked on it, staring anxiously around to see if any lights shone through the windows. It didn't look like it. â€Å"You know, I've broken in here before,† said Christian. â€Å"If you need inside – â€Å" â€Å"No, more than that. I need to see the priest. Damn it, he's not here.† â€Å"He's probably in bed.† â€Å"Damn it,† I repeated, feeling only a little bad about swearing on a church's doorstep. If the priest was in bed, he'd be off in Moroi staff housing and inaccessible. â€Å"I need to – â€Å" The door opened, and Father Andrew peered out at us. He looked surprised but not upset. â€Å"Rose? Christian? Is something wrong?† â€Å"I have to ask you a question,† I told him. â€Å"It won't take long.† His surprise grew, but he stepped aside so we could enter. We all stopped and stood in the chapel's lobby, just outside the main sanctuary. â€Å"I was just about to go home for the night,† Father Andrew told us. â€Å"I was shutting everything down.† â€Å"You told me that St. Vladimir lived a long life and died of old age. Is that true?† â€Å"Yes,† he said slowly. â€Å"To the best of my knowledge. All the books I've read – including these latest ones – say as much.† â€Å"But what about Anna?† I demanded. I sounded like I was on the verge of hysteria. Which I kind of was. â€Å"What about her?† â€Å"What happened to her? How did she die?† All this time. All this time, Lissa and I had worried about Vlad's outcome. We'd never considered Anna's. â€Å"Ah, well.† Father Andrew sighed. â€Å"Her end wasn't as good, I'm afraid. She spent her whole life protecting him, though there are hints that in her old age, she started growing a little unstable too. And then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And then?† I asked. Christian was looking between the priest and me, completely lost. â€Å"And then, well, a couple months after St. Vladimir passed on, she committed suicide.† I squeezed my eyes shut for half a second and then opened them. This was what I'd been afraid of. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Father Andrew said. â€Å"I know how closely you've followed their story. I didn't even learn this about her until reading it recently. Taking one's life is a sin, of course†¦but, well, considering how close they were, it's not hard to imagine how she may have felt when he was gone.† â€Å"And you also said that she was starting to go a little crazy.† He nodded and spread his hands out. â€Å"It's hard to say what that poor woman was thinking. Many factors were probably involved. Why was this so pressing?† I shook my head. â€Å"It's a long story. Thanks for helping me.† Christian and I were halfway to the dorm before he finally asked, â€Å"What was that all about? I remember when you guys were looking into this. Vladimir and Anna were like Lissa and you, right?† â€Å"Yeah,† I said glumly. â€Å"Look, I don't want to get between you guys, but please don't tell Lissa about this. Not until I find out more. Just tell her †¦ I don't know. I'll tell her that I suddenly panicked because I thought I had more community service scheduled.† â€Å"Both of us lying to her, huh?† â€Å"I hate it, believe me. But it's also best for her at the moment.† Because if Lissa knew that she might potentially make me insane †¦ yeah, she'd take that hard. She'd want to stop working her magic. Of course, that was what I'd always wanted †¦ and yet, I'd felt that joy in her when she used it. Could I take that away from her? Could I sacrifice myself? There was no easy answer, and I couldn't start jumping to conclusions. Not until I knew more. Christian agreed to keep it secret, and by the time we joined the others, it was almost time for curfew anyway. We had only about a half hour together, and then we all split off for bed – including me, since the part-time field experience agreement said I couldn't do nighttime duty. The Strigoi risk was low in general anyway, and my instructors were more concerned about me getting a full night's sleep. So when curfew came, I walked back to the dhampir dorm alone. And then, when I was almost there, he appeared again. Mason. I came to an abrupt halt and glanced around me, wishing someone else was there to witness this and settle the crazy-or-not thing once and for all. His pearly form stood there, hands in the pockets of his coat in an almost casual way that somehow made the experience that much weirder. â€Å"Well,† I said, feeling surprisingly calm, despite the sorrow that washed over me whenever I saw him. â€Å"Glad to see you're alone again. I didn't really like the extras on the plane.† He stared, expression blank and eyes sad. It made me feel worse, guilt twisting my stomach into knots. I broke. â€Å"What are you?† I cried. â€Å"Are you real? Am I going crazy?† To my surprise, he nodded. â€Å"Which?† I squeaked. â€Å"Yes, you're real?† He nodded. â€Å"Yes, I'm crazy?† He shook his head. â€Å"Well,† I said, forcing a joke through my hurricane of emotions. â€Å"That's a relief, but honestly, what else would you say if you're a hallucination?† Mason just stared. I glanced around again, wishing someone would come by. â€Å"Why are you here? Are you mad at us and looking for revenge?† He shook his head, and something in me relaxed. Until that moment, I hadn't realized how worried I'd been about that. The guilt and grief had been wound up so tightly in me. Him blaming me – just as Ryan had – had seemed inevitable. â€Å"Are you †¦ are you having trouble finding peace?† Mason nodded and seemed to grow sadder. I thought back to his final moments and swallowed back tears. I'd probably have a hard time finding peace too, taken from my life before it began. â€Å"Is there more than that, though? Another reason you keep coming to me?† He nodded. â€Å"What?† I asked. There were too many questions lately. I needed answers. â€Å"What is it? What do I need to do?† But anything other than a yes or no question was beyond us, apparently. He opened up his mouth as though he would say something. He looked like he was trying hard, like Adrian had with the plant. But no sound came out. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I whispered. â€Å"I'm sorry I don't understand †¦ and†¦I'm sorry for everything else.† Mason gave me one last wistful look and then vanished.

Saturday, August 31, 2019

Kabaddi: South Asian Games and Bonus Line

Kabaddi is aptly known as the â€Å"GAME OF THE MASSES â€Å"due to its popularity, simplicity, easy to comprehend rules, and public appeal. The game calls for no sophisticated equipment what so ever, which makes it a very popular sport in the developing countries. It is basically an out door sport played on clay court, of late the game is being played on synthetic surface indoors with great success. The duration of the game is 45 minutes for MEN & Junior BOYS with a 5 minutes break in between for the teams to change sides.The duration of the game is 35 minutes with a 5 miniutes break in between for WOMEN, GIRLS, Sub-Junior BOYS and Sub-Junior GIRLS. Kabaddi is a combative team game, played on a rectangular court, either out-doors or indoors with seven players on the ground for each side. Each side takes alternate chances of offence and defense. The basic idea of the game is to score points by raiding into the opponents court and touching as many defense players as possible without getting caught on a single breath. During play, the players on the defensive side are called â€Å"Antis† while the player of the offense is called the â€Å"Raider†.Kabaddi is perhaps the only combative sport in which attack is an individual attempt while defense is a group effort. The attack in Kabaddi is known as a ‘Raid'. The antis touched by the raider during the attack are declared ‘out' if they do not succeed in catching, the raider before he returns to home court. These players can resume play only when their side scores points against the opposite side during their raiding turn or if the remaining players succeed in catching the opponent's raider. Yoga, the Indian science to control body and mind through meditation and self-control . lays an integral part of Kabaddi. The raider has to enter the opponent's court chanting the word â€Å"Kabaddi† while holding his breath and has to continue to do so until he returns to his home court. This is known as ‘Cant', which is closely related to â€Å"Pranayama† of yoga. While Pranayama is about with holding breath in order to exercise internal organs, cant is the means to with hold breath with vigorous physical activity. This is perhaps one of the few sports to combine yoga with hectic physical activity.The game calls for agility, good lung capacity, muscular co-ordination, presence of mind and quick responses. For a single player to take on seven opponents is no mean task, requires dare as well as an ability to concentrate and anticipate the opponent's moves. TECHNIQUES OF KABADDI TOP ORIGIN The sport has a long history dating back to pre-historic times. It was probably invented to ward off croup attacks by individuals and vice-versa. The game was very popular in the southern part of Asia played in its different forms under different names.A dramatized version of the great Indian epic, the â€Å"Mahabharata†. has made an analogy of the game to a tight situat ion faced by Abhimaneu, the heir of ‘ the Pandava kings when he is surrounded on all sides by the enemy. Buddhist literature speaks of the Gautam Buddha playing Kabaddi for recreation. History also reveals that princes of yore played Kabaddi to display their strength and win their brides! The game, known as Hu-Tu-Tu in Western India, Ha-Do-Do in Eastern India & Bangladesh, Chedugudu in Southern India and Kaunbada in Northern India, has undergone a sea chance through the ages.Modem Kabaddi is a synthesis of the game played in its various forms under different names. TOP FORMS OF KABADDI AMAR Amar literally means invincible. This is a form of Kabaddi, which is played based -on points scored by both sides. The play field has no specific measurements and nine to eleven players constitute each of the teams. In this form of Kabaddi, there is no ‘out' and . revival' system or ‘Iona' but time is the deciding factor. The main advantage of this form of the game is that tile players remain in the court through out the match and are able to give their best performanceGEMINI This form of Kabaddi is played with nine players on either side, in a play-field of no specific measurements. The principle characteristic of this form of Kabaddi is that a player who is put out has to remain out until all his team members are put out. The team that is successful in putting out all the players of the opponent's side secures a point. This is akin to the present system of ‘Iona'. After all the players are put out, the team is revived and the game continues. The game continues until five or seven ‘Iona' are secured. The game has no fixed time.The main disadvantage of this form of Kabaddi is that the player Is not in position to give his best performance since he is likely to remain out for the better part of the match until a Iona is scored. SANJEEVANI This form of Kabaddi is the closest to the present game. In this form of Kabaddi, players are put out and re vived and the game lasts for 40 minutes with a 5-minute break in between. The team consists of nine players on each side. The team that puts out all the players on the opponent's side scores four extra points for a ‘Iona'.The winning team is the one that scores the maximum number of points at the end of 40 minutes. The play field is bigger in this form of Kabaddi and the ‘cant' was different in various regions. Modem Kabaddi resembles this form of Kabaddi a great deal especially with regard to ‘out & revival system' and ‘Iona'. The present form of Kabaddi is a synthesis of all these forms of Kabaddi with a good number of changes in the rules and regulations. TOP THE GAME'S HISTORY Kabaddi attained National status in the year 1918. Maharashtra was the pioneer state to bring the game to the National platform and give it further popularity.Standard rules and regulations were formulated in 1918 but were brought out in print in the year 1923 and in this very year, an All India Tournament was organized at Baroda with these rules. Kabaddi has not looked back since then and numerous tournaments are organized all over the country through out the year. Kabaddi received its first Inter-National exposure during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, demonstrated by Hanuman Vyayam Prasarak Mandal, Amaravati, Maharashtra. The game was introduced in the Indian Olympic Games at Calcutta, in the year 1938.It was in 1950, that the All India Kabaddi Federation came into existence. Regular conduct of National level championships as per laid down rules and regulations began with effect from the year 1952. After the formation of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India, the first men's Nationals were held in Madras (now re-named Chennai), while the women's Nationals were held in Calcutta in the year 1955. The rules were modified and some changes were introduced to the game during the National Championships held at New Delhi in the year 1954.Efforts were made to demonstrat e the game in the World Youth Festival held at Moscow in the year 1957, but due to various unforeseen reasons, this could not be accomplished. The game was included in the curriculum of the Indian University Sports Control Board as a main sports discipline in the year 1961. The game got further recognition when the School Games Federation of India included it in the school games in the year 1962. This body has taken up the responsibility of organizing state and national level competitions for school going children all over the country in various sports on a regular basis, every year.The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India, the new body, came into existence in the year 1972. This body was formed with a view to popularize the game in the neighboring countries and organize regular National level Men and Women tournaments. After the formation of this body, sub-junior and junior sections were included in Kabaddi national level tournaments, as a regular feature. Kabaddi was included in th e curriculum of Regular Diploma courses in coaching conducted by the National Institute of Sports, the premier institute to develop sports in the country with effect from the year 1971.There after, qualified coaches in Kabaddi are being produced every ear. The neighboring countries, Nepal & Bangladesh also send I their coaches for the diploma course in various disciplines including Kabaddi, regularly. These qualified coaches are equipped to train players at different levels in a systematic manner with sports science back up. In the year 1974, the Indian men's team toured Bangladesh as part of the cultural exchange program to play five test matches in different parts of the country.The Bangladesh returned the visit in the year 1979 and played five test matches in India. The Asian Amateur Kabaddi Federation was formed in the year 1978, during the silver jubilee celebrations of National Kabaddi Championships in India, organized at Bhilai, Madhya Pradesh. The first Asian Championship in Kabaddi was organized in Calcutta, in the year 1980. A goodwill tour was organized in the year 1981 in which, the Indian men & women teams visited Thailand, Japan and Malaysia to play exhibition Kabaddi matches.Federation Cup Kabaddi matches also commenced in the year 1981. Kabaddi was included as a demonstration game in the IX Asian Games hosted by India in the year 1982. In the year 1984, an open Inter- National tournament was organized at Bombay (now renamed as Mumbai), in India. During the Tri-Centenary celebrations of the city of Calcutta, an Inter-National Invitation Kabaddi Tournament was organized in the city. The South Asian Federation included Kabaddi as a regular sports discipline from the year 1984. Kabaddi was played for first time in the SAF games at Dacca, Bangladesh.Since then Kabaddi is being included in every SAF Games, which is played every once in two years. For the first time in the Inter-National Kabaddi scenario, India faced defeat at the hands of Pakistan an d had to be satisfied with second place, winning the silver medal, in the VI SAF Games at Dacca, Bangladesh, in the year 1993. The second Asian Championship was hosted by India and was organized at Jaipur, Rajasthan. Malaysia and Japan participated for the first time in this Championship. In the XI Asian Games held in the year 1990 at Beijing, China, Kabaddi was included in the main disciplines.This was a major landmark in the history of Kabaddi. India won the Gold Medal, which was a proud and unforgettable moment for Kabaddi lovers who had strived to bring Kabaddi to the Asian platform. India has been the reigning champion in the succeeding Asian Games held in 1994 at Hiroshima, Japan and in the Asian Games held in 1998 at Bangkok in Thailand. An International Women Kabaddi tournament commenced in the year 1995, called the Nike Gold Cup, sponsored by NIKE, Japan. The III Asian Championship was hosted by Sri-Lanka in the year 2000.For the first time, Sri-Lanka secured a silver medal , defeating Kabaddi stalwarts Pakistan, in this Championship. Kabaddi will be introduced to the African countries as a demonstration sport in the Afro-Asian Games, which is to be hosted by India in the year 2002. This is a feather in the cap for Kabaddi lovers and has been made possible thanks to the efforts of Mr. J. S. Gehlot, President, Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India and the Indian Olympic Association. TOP DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME There is a gradual but marked change in the style of the game during the past fifty years.What was once considered a game of brawn is not so now. The introduction of more techniques to the came has made it relatively easier for a player with more skill than weight to score points against better-built opponents. Over the years, the game's pattern changed along with the rules and the size of the playfield. The concept of Kabaddi as an Indigenous Game of India first came up during the year 1921 in Maharashtra, when a certain framework of rules was prep ared and the game was played on the pattern of Sanjeevani & Gemini in a combined form.A special committee was constituted in 1923 which amended the rules. These rules were applied in an All India Kabaddi Tournament organized during the same year. It was the Hanuman Vyayam Prasarak Mandal, Amaravati, Maharashtra, which took up the task of organizing and developing Kabaddi in a more systematic & scientific manner. This Institution believes in the maxim † A healthy mind in a healthy body†, and has been doing yeoman's service to sports in general and indigenous games in particular, over the years.During the years 1927 to 1952, Kabaddi was played in different parts of the country based on rules framed by the various clubs and organizing committees, which mushroomed and gained in prominence. There were frequent disputes over the rules during tournaments owing to lack of uniformity in the rules and regulations followed in various parts of the country. In Maharashtra, the pionee ring state to regularize the game and bring it to the National platform, Kabaddi, which was known as â€Å"Hu-Tu-Tu†, was played according to the rules framed by the Deccan Gymkhana from 1928 to I 938.The introduction of the game to the Inter-national arena as a demonstration game in the 1936 Berlin Olympics led to the inclusion of Kabaddi in the list of priority games of the Indian Olympic Committee, in the year 1940. Thereafter, Inter-provincial Kabaddi tournaments were organized biannually. The matches at the district and provincial level were played as per the rules framed by the Akhil Maharashtra Sharirik Shikshan Mandal, while the Inter-Provincial Championships were based on Buck's Rules of Games and Sports, published by Mr. H. C Buck, Founder principal of YMCA College of Physical Education, Madras.The Indian Olympic Games were re-named as National Games in the year 1952 and are since being organized once in a year instead of biannually. The All India Kabaddi Federation , which was formed in the year 1952 appointed a ‘Rules Sub-Committee' with the express purpose of laying down standard rules and regulations to be followed by affiliated provincial units all over the country. A new set of rules were framed by the Rules Sub-Committee based on Buck's Rules and the game rules followed till then by the Akhil Maharashtra Sharirik Shikshan Mandal.The game's pattern also changed over the years, along with the standardization of rules and regulations. Some of the major changes in the game's pattern include the introduction of the Unproductive Raid Rule, Time Out system, Bonus Line Game, etc that did not change the basic structure of the game but all the same had a lot of impact. Some of the major changes that had an impact on the game are being elaborated in this chapter for the benefit of the readers. UNPRODUCTIVE RAID RULEThe Asian Amateur Kabaddi Federation at the behest of certain member countries introduced the Unproductive Raid Rule. The ‘ rule reads as follows. â€Å"If in three consecutive raids by a side no point is scored by either side, the opponent's will get a point. The referee shall immediately declare such point which is to be recorded in the running score sheet by cutting the number with a cross mark â€Å"X†. The counts of such unproductive raids shall not be carried over to the game after ‘Lona', recess at half time and to extra time. â€Å"[Rules of Kabaddi Asian Amateur Kabaddi Federation 1980]As per the rule, in case no point is scored in three consecutive raids, the opponent's side automatically gains a point. The referee is to immediately declare the point which shall be recorded in the running score sheet with the mark ‘X'. Though the score sheets records the scoring of a point, there is to be no revival of teammates as in the normal points scored. The idea behind the introduction of this rule was to make sure that the raider went all out to struggle and gain points in order to avoid the risk of giving away points to the opponent's side through three consecutive unproductive raids.However, it did not work out the way in which it was visualized, since the game lost some of its thrill and the scores did not reflect the true picture of the team's performance. After practicing the rule for three years in the National as well as Inter-National level, it was unanimously decided by the Asian Amateur Kabaddi Federation and the Amateur Kabaddi federation of India to cancel the rule. Now the rule is not in force at either the National or the inter- National level anymore. TIME OUT SYSTEM The time out system has recently been introduced in the Asian and Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India rules.Hither to, â€Å"Time Out† was allowed when called by the captain of the team, with the permission of the referee, only in the event of injury of a player, not exceeding two minutes. Even in such an instance, no player on either side was allowed to leave the court witho ut the permission of the referee. The Time Out Rule reads: † Each team shall be allowed to take two ‘time out' of 30 seconds in each half. Such time out may be called by the captain/coach of the team with the permission of the referee. † †¢During the time out, team shall not leave the ground.Any violation is committed by the player/s/coach; a technical point shall be awarded to the opponent team. †¢Official time out: In the event of any injury to a player only, the referee shall call such time out. Such time out should not exceed two minutes. † BONUS LINE GAME The bonus line rule came into existence in the year 1978 as an out-come of some experiments conducted during a workshop organized by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India in the year 1976, to make the game more interesting. The Bonus Line is a line drawn parallel to the baulk line at a distance of one meter from the baulk line towards the end line.The rule reads: †¢Bon-us Line should be drawn at a distance of one meter from the baulk line towards the end lines. †¢One point shall be awarded to the raider when he completely crosses the Bonus Line. If the raider is caught, he shall be declared out and the opponent shall be awarded one point. One point shall also be awarded to the raider for having crossed the bonus line first. In this situation, the raider shall be awarded first point. †¢The bonus line will be applicable when there are minimum six players in the court.The bonus point shall be awarded by the Referee/Umpire after the completion of the raid, by showing thumb upwards towards the side which scores. †¢There shall be no revival for bonus point. †¢The bonus point shall be marked in the shape of a triangle in the running score. †¢If the raider after crossing the bonus line reaches home court safely touching one or more antis he will be awarded one bonus point in addition to the numbers. † It is further clarified that crossing th e Bonus Line is not compulsory and this rule applies only when the raider crosses the bonus line before the struggle.This rule makes the game more interesting since agile raiders can score points for their side without the risk of a struggle. A good defense is required to counter the raider's move to cross the Bonus Line and as such, the defense will concentrate on the Bonus Line, which will make the playing area smaller and increase the game's tempo. Without the Bonus Line, it is possible that both sides begin very cautiously and end up with zero or single digit points, which makes the match very dull and slow.It is also possible that neither the raider nor the defense will take any risk, which will make the result of the match very predictable. This rule is being followed in the Kabaddi tournaments at all levels in India and efforts are being made to include the rule at the Asian Level. In the meeting of the Asian Amateur Kabaddi Federation held during the SAF Games at Katmandu, N epal 1999, it was decided that the Bonus Line Rule be adopted by all member countries on an experimental basis for competitions at National level so as to consider the inclusion of the rule in the next Asian Games 2002.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Priestley’s Paradox

It is assumed that technology has aided the increase in interpersonal communication however it important to discuss the effects of technology on modern communication. This essay briefly provides a critical opinion on modern communication and provides examples of some interpersonal communication that rely on new technology, its potential advantage and possible dilemma with the use of modern technology in interpersonal communication. The world today is a global world; we live in a global village and the world as we know it keeps decreasing due to the rapid growth of technology. The ever increasing speed at the development of new technology creates innovative ways of communicating and in more ways than one has changed the way people communicate. Although modern communication has some advantages, which include convenience, speed, dissemination, and these advantages can be overpowered by disadvantages such as lack of content, language confusion. It will be argued here that the role of modern technology provides methods that hinder interpersonal communication, therefore while there are certain advantages associated with the increase of communications technology; these are evidently outweighed by the disadvantages. Communication is important to humans and a vital part of our world; man is a social animal and therefore requires communication as an essential tool for socializing. Focusing on interpersonal communication skills, Eunson (2008, p. 86) defines this as the processes that help, distort or block communication of messages between individuals but communicating effectively requires some basic skills such as active listening, usage and interpretation of body language and facial expressions. Technology however has created different channels to enhance interpersonal communication, invention such as mobile phones, emails, social networks, has made for easier, faster and smarter ways of communicating. This has led to the internet becoming an essential instrument in the media and communication strategies of civil society (Bailey, Cammaers, Carpentier 2008, p. 98). However with such availability, communication barriers are constantly increasing, with language confusion and a vast vocabulary of ever growing internet slang. Priestley’s paradox suggests that the rapid increase in communications technology has increased the quantity but decreased the quality of contemporary communication (Eunson 2008, p. 4-5). Whether or not this statement is entirely true, it is undeniable that it is very representative of the degree to which communication has deteriorated due to the constant increase of different technologically enhanced means of communication. Communication between individuals includes both verbal and non-verbal that can be easily misunderstood depending on the medium of communication. The occurrence of misunderstanding between individuals is heightened because of the lack of personal connection and context. Emails are generally informal, unstructured with the use of colloquialisms and jargons, email has rendered irrelevant more direct and often more effective forms of communication such as using telephone, walking down the corridor and talking, or attending meetings (Eunson 2008, p. 208-215). In addition to that, some people take advantage of the accessibility of sending an email and say things they wouldn’t feel comfortable saying in face to face conversations and messages sent can be misinterpreted or misunderstood by receiver further reducing the quality of communication. Things such as body language and eye contact is non-existent when it comes to sending emails, these are very essential part of daily conversations and some people use it as an excuse to avoid face to face conversation. Many may argue that in the past few years the world has undergone radical changes with the amount of available modern communication mediums, and these appears to have caused an increase in the number of social networks. Online communications mediums, weblogs in part, are sites of author audience interaction that differ from face to face performance and traditional reader relationship (Buckingham 2000, p. 207). Most young people spend countless hours on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo creating friendships and relationships with people they meet in cyberspace. The strangeway in which so many of these interactants see the internet as both an intimate area for exchange, as well as a place for public display, challenges our perceptions of these boundaries (Buckingham & Willet 2006, p. 19). The ease at which many disclose personal information on the internet via social networking sites is alarming as they generally are exposed to risks of contact with paedophiles (e. g. via grooming in chat rooms) and often exposure to violent or racist / hate material (Buckingham & Willet 2006, p. 94). Another advantage of communicating via social network sites is that people can share ideas a nd values while maintaining anonymity. Concerns about modern communication is the