Listen to the following Freakonomics episode: 

http://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-is-my-life-so-hard/ (????????)

After listening to the episode discuss and answer the following questions:

What are your initial thoughts about what was discussed in the Freakonomics episode in relation to headwinds and tailwinds?

What are your “invisibles” (tailwinds you take for granted)?

What headwinds do you often find yourself complaining about or overestimating? 

What can you do in the future to not undervalue or take for granted your tailwinds and overestimate your headwinds?

Comment on the two students’ discussion:

1. What are your initial thoughts about what was discussed in the Freakonomics episode in relation to headwinds and tailwinds?
   Headwinds and tailwinds are a valuable way to externalize the idea of circumstance and fortune, negative and positive, in order to better analyze and reflect on life events. This relates to Gilovich’s research of hedonic studies of happiness, well-being, and gratitude. Related psychological research of Gilovich describes the spotlight effect, the idea that whenever we do something people are attending to what we do; the hothand fallacy, which observation that the feeling of being ‘hot’ does not improve performance; and the bias blindspot, which describes how it is easier to see bias in others. The headwinds/tailwinds asymmetry paper by Gilovich discusses the importance of gratitude. It describes “invisibles,” the things assumed to be normal, that we sometimes forget to be grateful for. The “Hedonic treadmill” describes the adaptation to a new pleasure normal, which requires a new goalpost for additional pleasure. Availability bias is a psychological term that describes overemphasizing things in our immediate attention – such as tailwinds – which make it is easier to summon emotions that are the contrary to gratitude.
2. What are your “invisibles” (tailwinds you take for granted)?
   There are many “invisibles” to daily life that are often forgotten, that life would not be the same without. Running water, clear and drinkable, is a luxury. If you wake at night, and drink from the tap, you are unlikely to fall ill. This something that would be difficult to imagine in some parts of the world for various reasons of economics and infrastructure and location; it is an essential for life, satisfied at the flick of a wrist, and something that the availability bias that attends to the headwinds, which are often matters at less fundamental levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, would forget to be grateful for. Another invisible is the access to chocolate and bananas and chocolate bananas. Imagine trying to get a banana during most of history, in any place where bananas didn’t grow. Or divining the secrets of processing beans into chocolate, even if you lived in a place with cacao beans. All the opportunity and availability that have gathered over the collective effort of centuries of applied knowledge are invisibles.
3. What headwinds do you often find yourself complaining about or overestimating?
   I try not to complain. I have yet to see a situation improved by it, and have seen many worsened because of it. I mean of course “complaining” that lacks of proactive component, protesting as a collective effort to improve some social wrong, or flagging down a waiter who has abandoned your group in patio seating for more than half an hour is not the “complaining” I refer to. Many headwinds affect me subconsciously, even if I avoid dwelling on them. Most of the headwinds are incredibly mundane and I’m embarrassed to mention them: I’d like to be smarter and taller and better endowed in all the ways a person can be endowed. I read too slowly, get tired to quickly, and wish I didn’t have to worry about a number of medical issues and family responsibilities that others may not need to attend to (though I know many people have their own to worry about). I overestimate (hopefully) the importance of making the right decisions early in life, or being born in a lucky environment where talents are rigorously trained, and sometimes feel that my efforts will all be wasted because I possessed neither the focus or robustness to contribute anything of meaning or value to the world. For a person who claims he tries not to complain, I’ve managed to ramble for quite a while – little to no self-awareness will need to be added to the headwind list.
4. What can you do in the future to not undervalue or take for granted your tailwinds and overestimate your headwinds?
   In the future, one could try to keep in mind the availability bias and focus more on tailwinds than headwinds. Gilovich’s research suggests the shift in awareness itself can have positive effects, in a way similar to Dweck’s research surrounding growth mindset vs. fixed mindset. Understanding and perspective may radically alter performance and consistency.

1. Headwinds and tailwinds as a concept initially makes a lot of sense to me. Everyone has at some point or another felt like life has been tougher on them than others, and the specific examples relating to siblings as well as political parties also really adds up. Headwinds make us feel like we struggle more than others and tailwinds make us undervalue our support which makes us ungrateful.

2. My invisible tailwinds are my family support in the support of decent rent and a generally very pleasant environment, and the people I have met through social events that have continued to connect me to opportunities that have furthered my career. It is exactly like was said in the podcast – I was grateful for about a minute then forgot, then remembered, and forgot again. I should find a way to return the favor and not just say thank you to the important people in my life.

3. I often find myself complaining a lot about small headwinds that add up in my mind some days. Some examples of this are the bad drivers in my area and how they only seem to get worse, or the strange visitors that loiter in and around some apartment complexes here. It feels like things have fallen from grace in my town and that makes me angry with the cost of the rent here. I try my best to ignore a lot of it but it’s a pretty strained process when pretending to

4. What can you do in the future to not undervalue or take for granted your tailwinds and overestimate your headwinds? What I can do in the future to not take my tailwinds for granted is to keep a journal of things I am grateful for and also by using guided imagery to relieve some stresses that might impede my thought process. When keeping a journal of things I’ve been grateful for in the past, it helped me view my struggles in a much more positive light. I need to take a little more time every day to think about how others are struggling the same way as me, and that no matter what happens, we all have different struggles. Nobody is immune no matter who they are. 

Description: Between 750 and 1200 words (which usually works out to be about three to five pages) in length, double-spaced essay aimed at a friend who has questions and objections to the Bible. (1) Using the Bible itself as much as possible, explain what the Bible is and how to think about it, in response to questions (see Canvas assignment description). (2) Using the Bible itself as much as possible, respond to one objection concerning the Bible, such as the Bible’s view of women (see Canvas assignment description).

Your friend (hopefully a real person—otherwise, imagine) has serious questions about the Bible, e.g., what is it, where did it come from, why read it? Your friend also has objections to the Bible—maybe several, but focus on one: something they’ve read in the Bible or heard about that troubles them, such as the Bible’s view of women, or the claim that it’s unscientific.

This assignment is your opportunity to apply what you’re learning about the Bible in Part 3 of Foundations by thinking through how to answer their questions and objection. Write out your thoughts as a 750-1000 word (double-spaced—this works out to about 3 to 5 typed pages) response to your friend in the form of an essay. Think of this as a kind of letter to your friend, but in essay form, beginning: “Dear _____, thank you for your questions about the Bible. I’d like to explain briefly what it is and briefly address your concern that it is ____. ” And then just give the substance of what you would say to explain what the Bible is and respond to their objection. No further personal references, chitchat, etc.

Two parts to the letter:

(1) Questions: Introduce what the Bible is and how to think about it. Some questions to consider and answer: What is the Bible? Why does it exist? What is it about? What does it mean to say that it’s the word of God, and why think that’s true? What does the Bible itself say about these things? What does the Bible claim about its truth? Does it claim to be the only source of truth (what about truth outside the Bible? This is the issue of general and special revelation.) Obviously, you won’t be able to answer every question, but do your best to answer the ones you think are most important, the ones your friend is most likely to ask. As much as possible, use the Bible itself in answering these questions. Cite at least four Scriptures in this part (although you usually won’t have room to quote the verses themselves—refer to them and summarize their relevance to what you’re saying). (1-2 pages) 

(2) Objection: Choose an issue such as Kimball discusses and address that one as your friend’s objection. Using Kimball’s approach as a model, explain how correctly reading the Bible helps us understand and answer common misconceptions and objections about this issue. As much as possible, use the Bible itself in answering these questions. Cite at least four Scriptures in this part (although you usually won’t have room to quote the verses themselves—refer to them and summarize their relevance to what you’re saying). (2-3 pages)

Which issue should you choose? It’s up to you, depending on which one you really want to think through. You have three choices, in relation to Kimball:

(a) Choose one of the issues Kimball develops a response to, but in a chapter that is NOT part of the course’s assigned reading (e.g., the Bible and women, the Bible and science, the Bible and other religions). This is the easiest option, since you will only need to read Kimball’s chapters on this other issue as background (although you’re welcome to consult other sources as well).

(b) Choose an objection that Kimball does develop a response to in the chapters required for class reading (e.g., the Bible and slavery).

(c) Choose an objection that Kimball does not develop a response to in this book.

If you choose (b) you need to use at least one other source, in addition to Kimball. If you choose (c) you’ll have to draw directly on sources other than Kimball. However, I still want you to follow Kimball’s approach as your model, as set forth in the assignment description.

For part (1), draw on class lectures and all readings, especially Plummer, as resources. What you want to give your friend is a kind of introduction to the doctrine of Scripture, based on the Bible. For part (2), your main resource will be Kimball, but you may want to draw from other class readings as well, as well as other sources. If you use other sources of information, cite them properly. But this is not a research paper, so you don’t need to consult more sources than are helpful. Even though you’re drawing upon Kimball, make it your own as much as possible, as you would do in a letter to a friend. Your focus, as much as possible, should be on helping them to thinking about Scripture for themselves. So draw mostly on the Bible itself.

Reply:

Topic: the art of varity

1.

For our two paintings this week I decided to go with “The Third-Class Carriage” by Honoré Daumier and “Vision After the Sermon” by Paul Gauguin. In the first piece “The Third-Class Carriage” the style of art is realism. This should be easy to identify because as you may know Realism is supposed to represent subject matter truthfully, without artificiality, and avoid speculative fiction and supernatural elements. Here you just see people there’s nothing extra to the piece that seems out of place. Also looking into this piece Honoré Daumier made this oil painting to portray the poverty and fortitude of working-class travelers in a third-class railway carriage. Now with the second piece “Vision After the Sermon” Paul Gauguin decided to go with a post-impressionism style. This style is a reaction to Impressionists’ concern for the naturalistic depiction of light and color. To me the colors in this painting make the people look flat, but the application of paint seems very smooth. After researching the piece a little more Paul Gauguin made this piece to make a clear distinction between what is real (people praying) and what is imagined (the religious vision). I feel both of the artists were portraying what is real in their pieces. The only difference is that Paul Gauguin also portrayed what isn’t real.

2.

hapter 25 (Figure 2) is about the Age of Positivism while Chapter 26 (Figure 1) is about key features of the Progressive Art and its discontents. The Wheat Field with Crows, by Van Gogh (1890) used an impressionist style marked by the real-life subject matter, vivid colors, thick application of paint, and distinguishing brush strokes. Comparatively, the Positivism image also relies on vivid colors but lacks the evidence of brush strokes. The use of brushstrokes and yellow color helps in illustrating the wheat field. More evidence of brush strokes also appears in the horizon where the artist uses a darker color and crows. The brush strokes also reveal the road and green vegetation on either side of the road. The thick application of paint is also evident in the Wheat Field with Crows and missing in the Orchestra of the Opera (Figure 2). The Orchestra of the Opera demonstrates the application of smooth colors to illustrate the members of the orchestra.

However, both paintings demonstrate real-life subject matter. The Wheat Field with the Crows demonstrates wheat cultivation for both subsistence and commercial use while the Orchestra of the Opera demonstrates members of an Orchestra performing in an opera. According to Almond et al. (1982), the use of real-life subject matter was a common trend in both agesof positivism and progress. The real-life representations assisted in developing more effective expressions and connections with the audience. However, artists in the progressive era mostly emphasized geometric forms and distorted forms for expressive effect. Besides, there was also frequent use of unnatural or arbitrary colors in their compositions.

Topic: Cloud Applications

1.

Mobile devices can use cloud-based applications in a concept known as Mobile cloud computing (MCC). MCC can be used on virtual platforms and in cloud environments as Software as a Service (B?l?oi, 2022, p. 39). The concept behind MCC refers to the infrastructure for storing and processing data outside of the mobile device, which benefits all smart devices (B?l?oi, 2022, p. 39). Other benefits of MCC are extended battery life, improved data storage, and increased reliability and scalability (B?l?oi, 2022, p. 39-40). Thus, leading to improve productivity.

2.

One example of a common cloud based application for mobile devices is Google photos. In the early days of camera phones, photos that were taken on the device were stored directly on the device. However, these photos accounted for a large portion of the phones’ memory and the storage capacity could not handle a large load of photos. As cloud storage became more common, photos taken on the device could be moved to the cloud, therefore freeing up alot of the phones’ internal memory storage.

The negative aspects of cloud applications is that cyber threats play a large role in mobile technology. It is estimated that 96% of mobile devices do not have preinstalled security software, leaving them vulnerable to malicious attacks (Dawson, M. 2015). Bad actors could capitalize upon this by hacking into photos or other cloud applications to steal information from a user or a user’s identity.

TUTOR MUST BE ABLE ANSWER MASTER LEVEL QUESTIONS, GOOD MASTERY WITH RESEARCH AND WRITING AND KNOWLEDGEABLE IN LEADERSHIP AND MANAGING PEOPLE 

INTRODUCTION

For this task, you will write a paper on an existing organization with which you have had personal experience. The organization can be a business or a nonprofit, and you may represent any level of the organization (e.g., team, department, division, whole) in your analysis.
 

You will first describe the chosen organization. Your description of the organization should convey personal experience, rather than information gained from secondhand sources or media coverage. You will then perform a SWOT analysis on that organization. Last, you will analyze that organization’s leadership.

Note: Any information that would be considered confidential, proprietary, or personal in nature should not be included in the actual task submission. Do not include the actual names of people, suppliers, the organization(s), or other identifiable information. Fictional names should be used. Also, organization-specific data, including financial information, should not be included but should be addressed in a general fashion as appropriate. Work performed for clients and employers is their property and should not be used without written permission.

REQUIREMENTS

Your submission must be your original work. No more than a combined total of 30% of the submission and no more than a 10% match to any one individual source can be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from sources, even if cited correctly. The originality report that is provided when you submit your task can be used as a guide.

You must use the rubric to direct the creation of your submission because it provides detailed criteria that will be used to evaluate your work. Each requirement below may be evaluated by more than one rubric aspect. The rubric aspect titles may contain hyperlinks to relevant portions of the course.

Write a paper (suggested length of 10–16 pages) by doing the following:

A.  Describe an existing organization with which you have had personal experience and its objective(s).

1.  Describe three leadership practices of the current leader, other than yourself, in the existing organization.

Note: Leadership practices are routine actions, behaviors, functions, and responsibilities that the current leader performs.

2.  Discuss how the current leader has affected organizational culture.

Note: You may represent any level of the chosen organization (e.g., team, department, division, whole) and the respective current leader in your description.

B.  Conduct a SWOT analysis evaluating the chosen organization by doing the following:

1.  Evaluate two of the organization’s current strengths.

2.  Evaluate two of the organization’s current weaknesses.

3.  Evaluate two of the organization’s current unmet opportunities.

4.  Evaluate two of the organization’s current unresolved threats.

C.  Conduct a leadership evaluation of the current leader discussed in part A1, using one of the scholarly leadership theories below that is different from task 1, by doing the following:

  transformational leadership

  transactional leadership

  situational leadership

  participative leadership

  servant leadership

  behavioral leadership

  trait theory of leadership

1.  Evaluate three strengths of the current leader, using the chosen scholarly leadership theory, including how each strength relates to the theory. Support the evaluation of the leader’s strengths with at least one scholarly source.

2.  Evaluate three weaknesses of the current leader, using the chosen scholarly leadership theory, including how each weakness relates to the theory. Support the evaluation of the leader’s weaknesses with at least one scholarly source.

3.  Recommend three actionable items to improve the effectiveness of the current leader, including how each actionable item relates to the chosen scholarly leadership theory. Support the recommendations of actionable items with at least one scholarly source.

Note: The recommendations need to address the current leaders identified leadership weakness.

Note: A scholarly source could be a reputable journal, a published book, or any source from a university faculty member or business leader. Scholarly sources also include any article or book in the online WGU library.

D.  Acknowledge sources, using in-text citations and references, for content that is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.

E.  Demonstrate professional communication in the content and presentation of your submission.

This paper asks you to take the method you described last unit and apply it to your artifact (you know, the movie, ad, etc. that you did your background paper on). This paper is the third step in developing your final piece of media criticism   Next unit we’ll add it to your background and method paper and you’ll have the rough draft of the final paper for the class.  

Still not sure what you’re doing?  Well, most of the method papers—semiotics paper, Marxist criticism paper, etc.  were essentially analyses of artifacts.  You’re doing the same thing here that you did in each one of those—except this time you’ve picked the method you’ll use instead of being told what to do.  Does that make sense?

Here is a sample of the organizational structure of a paper:

This paper should focus on method you will use in your analysis of the artifact/text/communication.  Use the textbook and at least three additional sources representing article done with the method you have chosen.

A.  Introduction

1. Create an introduction to this section/this paper that reiterates the artifact you will be examining and reference the method you will use.
   2.  Give a brief thesis—something along the lines of “a Marxist analysis of Harry Potter reveals that even in the wizarding world, social class is the primary driver of success at Hogwarts.” You may have to come back to this and tweak it later.  Often we don’t know what we really think, until we get to the end of the paper!
   3.  Preview your points to come in the body of the paper.  So, if you’re talking about false consciousness, alienation, and social class as the three major concepts you see in the artifact, tell us this in the introduction

   B.  Body
   1.  Tackle that first concept. Give us a super brief definition of the concept and then provide three examples to support that this concept is indeed in the artifact. This is critical.  You must provide examples of actions, quotes from characters, the reactions of characters, etc. to prove that the concept is demonstrated. You may want to discuss each example in a separate paragraph. Paragraphs that are a page long are intimidating for your reader.  
   2. Tackle the next concept you identified in your preview.  Again provide three examples where you see it in the artifact.
   3. Tackle the third concept you identified in your preview. Again provide three examples or quotes or other evidence to support your idea.
   4.  Now that you’ve gotten all the evidence in the paper, it’s time to think about what all this means. This is where you get back to your thesis and see if you need to tweak it.  You might think about who’s interests are being served by this artifact.  Look back at the chapter on the method and review it in case something stands out at you now, that didn’t before.

   C.  Conclusion
   1. Summarize your points in the conclusion
   2. Talk more about how we should see the artifact now that we’ve read your analysis.
   3.  Pull the paper together.  Often this means to return to the idea you put in the introduction to the background paper.