The Crossrail railway project-Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Crossrail railway project-Report - Essay Example ing connections between the city of London and those in the East and the West thought direct linkages, employment of thousands of workers and creation of business opportunities, significant reduction of time taken by commuters while travelling, and most importantly eases perennial congestion of commuters through increased capacity of existing railways and the construction of others (House of Lords, 2005:62). Easing up of congestion has been highlighted as the most important benefit the Crossrail project will deliver. It is envisaged that over 20 trains will operate every hour when the project is officially opened in the year 2014, with each train having a capacity to ferry about 1400 commuters. As such, it is estimated that annually, over 200 million passengers will use the Crossrail (Pagan, 2011:54). The Crossrail is without doubt a very ambitious project which will have significant impact to the economy of Europe once completed. In this paper, we will look at the factors that are contributing to its success across the stages of presentation of the bill to parliament, building, and being ready to commence operations. We will also look at the practices employed, both bad and good, in its management and development against skill and managerial primary elements usually used in the management of such projects. Factors that have contributed to the success of the development of the Crossrail development project include political good will, especially in funding, identification of reliable sponsors, and time tracking to ensure completion of project is on schedule. The Crossrail bill was introduced to parliament in the year 2005 for discussion, deliberations and possible approvals (Colville, 2008:34). The support accorded to it has been very positive so far, with the bill being granted a royal assent in 2008, effectively making it an act of parliament, that is, the Crossrail Act of 2008 (Bernand, 2008:29). One of the good practices employed in the management and

Assignment 4 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment 4 - Term Paper Example However, employees in the private company have limited options with regards to vesting their options especially while they are still employed there. Within the private enterprise there is really no way of knowing the fair market value for one’s stock options. Going public offers a better market for employees to exercise their stock options. Therefore, from the employee perspective, Deltek’s reason for going public was merited. 2-What advantages did Deltek find in going public once it became a public company? What disadvantages did it face? In going public, Deltek’s experienced two major benefits: increase in brand equity that came with all the attention it received as a public image and extra cash from the sale of stock which have it the resources to make important acquisitions. However, from the case, it seems that the company experience greater disadvantages than advantages on becoming a public company. The biggest disadvantage was the obsession with the stock price. Everything in the company now revolved around the stock price and this focus shifted the company’s attention away from the more important long-term goals (Johnston 4). This was especially dangerous given that it directly has an effect on the company’s ability to survive in future. ... Why did those companies go public? Who gained? The three major differences between Deltek and other dot-com companies that rushed to go public were that: (1) it had a single investor – who was the founder; (2) the founder was not eager to sell his stake; and (3) Deltek was already a profitable company. The other dot-com companies went public largely for three reasons. Firstly it was to raise money to fund growth irrespective of whether they were currently profitable or not. Secondly, these companies went public to gain the visibility or prestige offered by being a publicly traded stock. Thirdly, these dot-coms went public in order to cash in on the inflated prices that others were willing to pay for tech start-ups at the time. The people who gained from the dot-com IPOs were mostly the venture capital investors, the founders and employees who had stock options within those tech start-ups. These individuals cashed in on the high IPO prices whereas the new investors were left to face the dot-com bubble burst a few years later. For Deltek, both the founder and employees who had stock options gained from the initial IPO prices, however their work-life balance was adversely affected by the demand placed on them by their new public status. 4-Why did Deltek decide to leave the public arena and become a closely held corporation once again? Do you think its management made the right decision? Deltek decided to leave the public arena for three main reasons: (1) to focus on its long-term goals; (2) to avoid being second-guessed by the fits and starts of a volatile stock market; and (3) to regain the work-life balance that was taken away by going public. Deltek’s management made the right decision with regards to

Indias Foreign Exchange System: An Analysis

Indias Foreign Exchange System: An Analysis CHAPTER-2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction: It is a fact that the currencies of different countries have different values that is based upon their actual economic and monetary strength. It is from this difference that the genesis of foreign exchange occurs. Foreign exchange can be termed as the act of matching the different values of the goods and services that is involved in the international business transaction process in order to attain the exact value that is to be transferred between the parties of an international trading transaction in monetary terms. Foreign exchange as an activity had started the day civilization and independent principalities got established in the world. But in those days it was a case of exchanging value in the form of transfer of goods and services of identical value that is commonly identified with barter system. Moreover the transactions were done on a one-to-one basis, and the terms and conditions were determined by the parties entering into such transactions. There was no universal system or rule that determined these transactions. In that way foreign exchange and international monetary system is a modern day trend that gained an institutional form in the first half of the twentieth century and has been developing since then. 2.2 Foreign Exchange: According to International Monetary Fund (IMF), Foreign Exchange is defined as different forms of financial instruments like foreign currency notes, deposits held in foreign banks, debt obligations of foreign banks and foreign governments, monetary gold and Special Drawing Rights (SDR) that are resorted to make payments in lieu of business transactions that is done by two business entities or otherwise, of nations that have currencies having different inherent monetary value (www.imf.org). Leading economist Lipsey Richard G.,1993 has mentioned that the foreign exchange transactions are basically a form of negotiable instrument that are resorted to deliver the cost of goods and services that form a part of trading transactions and otherwise, between business and public entities of nations of the global economy. Sarno, Taylor and Frankel, 2003 gives the definition of foreign exchange as denoting the act of purchase and sale of currencies of different economies that is performed over the counter for various purposes that includes international payments and deliverance of cost of various business transactions, where the value is usually measured by tallying the value of the currencies involved in the foreign exchange transaction with that of the value of U.S. Dollar. According to Clark and Ghosh 2004, Foreign Exchange denotes transactions in international currency i.e. currencies of different economies. In such transactions the value of a currency of one country is tallied and exchanged with similar value of the currency of the country in order to exchange the cost of a business transaction or public monetary transfer that is taking place between two entities of these economies. 2.2.1 Foreign Exchange Transactions: Transactions in foreign exchange are done through various types and various modes between different countries of the world. According to information mentioned in the Reuters Financial Training Series, 1999,TOD Transactions, TOM Transactions, Swap Rates, Spot Rates, Forward Rates, Margin Trading and Buy / Sell on Fixed Rates foreign exchange transaction methods are some of the commonly used methods that are widely used by global managers for their foreign exchange transaction activities. 2.2.1.1 TOD Operations: TOD Operations are foreign exchange transaction methods where the trader uses the exchange rate of the day on which the foreign exchange transaction order is to be executed. In other words TOP operations are commonly used in intra-day foreign exchange transactions. As a result they are commonly resorted to by speculators in foreign exchange transactions and those who general speculate on the rates of different foreign exchange markets of the globe. 2.2.1.2 TOM Operations: In this type of transactions the transaction process carried forward to the next day instead of it being an intra-day trading. TOM transactions rate is fixed on the day the transaction is signed, but the rate of exchange is agreed upon to be that of the next day. 2.2.1.3 SPOTTransactions: SPOT Transactions can be compared with TOM transactions because here also the exchange rate is fixed at a value that prevails over the exchange rate of intra-day trading of shares. But SPOT transactions have been separated as a different category because unlike TOM transactions, SPOT transactions contracts are executed on the third day after the signing of agreement between the Bank and the client. 2.2.1.4 Forward Contract: Forward contracts are those exchange rate contracts where the currency conversion exchange rate agreement is decided at a certain rate at a time that is well before the date of execution of the exchange contract. In that way they are similar to TOM transactions. The only differ from them in the fact that these transactions are made for a long term i.e. generally for one year, and the parties involved in making this foreign exchange transaction deposit five percent of the contract value with the bank involved in facilitating the transaction at the time of executing the contract which is then returned to the client after execution of the exchange transaction. The need for depositing this amount is to secure the transaction against any loss due to market fluctuations. 2.2.1.5 SWAP: The greatest advantage of SWAP transactions is that the clients involved in the foreign exchange get prior information about the exchange rate of the currencies that are part of the transaction. In this type of transaction the bank first buys the amount of transaction form the client and resells it to the client after a few days after disclosing the exchange rate of the currencies involved in the transaction process. SWAP transactions are much sought after by traders because here they get to know beforehand the exchange rate of the currencies involved in the transaction process that helps them in avoiding fluctuations in market rate and gives them the advantage of determining the prices of goods, the nature of the currency market notwithstanding. . 2.2.1.6 MarginTrading: The key element of Margin trading is that any trader can opt for SPOT trading round the clock by going through the margin trading mode. The other key element of margin trading is that the traders can make deals with a minimal spread for a huge amount of funds by projecting fraction of the needed amount. In that way it is a unique form of global financial transaction where the threshold value that can be transacted through the margin trading mode is $ 100000 with bigger deals being multiples of $ 100000. But in order to deal in margin trading the trader has to make a security deposit of five recent of the contract value that has to be replenished from time to time in order to maintain the amount from which the probable losses from margin trading transactions are accommodated. 2.2.1.7 Buying/Selling on Fixed Rate Order: This is a mutual agreement between the buyer and seller of foreign exchange. Neither its rate nor its other terms and conditions are based upon actual conditions. Rather the deal is based keeping the mutual profitability of the buyer and seller intact where both of them get their desired amount. 2.3 Global Foreign Exchange Market: According to the table depicting the Triennial Bank Survey of Foreign Exchange and Derivatives Market Activity done by Bank for International Settlements (BIS)2007, as shown below the global foreign exchange market has an average daily turnover of over $ 2 trillion, which is an increase of around forty percent in terms of volumes . This rise in foreign exchange transactions it is observed has been due to rise in the volume of trading in Spot and Forward markets. This is indicative towards increase in volatility of foreign exchange markets around the world. (www.bis.org). Global Foreign Exchange Market Turnover Daily averages in April, (in billions $) Year 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 Spot Transactions 317 394 494 568 387 621 Outright Forwards 27 58 97 128 131 208 Swaps in Foreign Exchange 190 324 546 734 656 944 Gaps in Reporting (Estimated) 56 44 53 60 26 107 Total Turnover (Traditional) 590 820 1,190 1,490 1,200 1,880 Memo: Turnover (At April 2004 Exchange Rates) 650 840 1,120 1,590 1,380 1,880 (BIS Triennial Central Bank Survey, 2004) As observed by Jacque Laurent L.1996, Studies in foreign exchange point to the fact that the volume involved in foreign exchange transactions in the total markets around the globe has the potential to affect the overall functioning of the global financial system due to the systematic risks that are part and parcel of the foreign exchange transaction system. Most of the transactions occur in the major markets of the world with the London Exchange followed by New York and Tokyo Stock Exchange accounting for over sixty percent of the foreign exchange transactions done around the globe. Among these transactions the largest share is carried out by banks and financial institutions followed by other business transactions i.e. exchange of value for goods and services as well as dealers involved in securities and financial market transactions. According to the studies by Levi Maurice D., 2005, in foreign exchange transactions most of the transactions happen in the spot market in the realm of OTC derivative contracts. This is followed by hedging and forward contracts that are done in large numbers. The central banks of different countries of the world and the financial institutions operating in multiple markets are the main players that operate in the foreign exchange market and provide the risk exchange control mechanism to the players of the exchange market and the system where around $ 3 trillion amount of money is transacted in 300000 exchanges located around the globe. The largest amount of transactions takes place in the spot rate and that too in the liquidity market. The quotation on price in these markets sometimes reaches to around two thousand times in a single day with the maximum quotations being done in Dollar and Deutschemark with the rates fluctuating every two to three minutes with the volume of transaction for a dealer in foreign exchange i.e. both individual and companies going to the range of $ 500 million in normal times. In recent years the derivativ e market is also gaining popularity in OTC dealings with regards to the foreign exchange market. 2.4 Global Foreign Exchange Market Management Risks: According to the researcher Kim S. H., 2005, Foreign exchange transactions are identified by their connection with some financial transactions occurring in some overseas market or markets. But this interconnectivity does not affect the inherent value of the currency of the country which is determined by the economic strength of that country. This means that the inherent value of each currency of the world is different and unequal. So when the need arises to exchange the value of some goods or service between countries engaged in such activity it becomes imperative to exchange the exact value of goods and services. Considering the complexity and volume of such trading and exchange activity occurring in the global market between countries it is but natural that the currencies of individual countries is subject to continual readjustment of value with the currency with which its value has to be exchanged. This gives rise to the importance of foreign exchange transactions as a separate ar ea of study and thereby needs much focus for its understanding (Frenkel , Hommel and Rudolf , 2005). In addition to this it is to be realized that with the growing pace globalization and integration of global economic order there has been a tremendous increase in international business transactions and closer integration of economic systems of countries around the world especially between the members of WTO, that has led to the increase in economic transactions and consequent activity in international foreign currency exchange system (Adams, Mathieson and Schinasi, 1998). Added to this is the fact that the exchange value of currencies in the transactions is not determined by the respective countries but by the interplay of value of the currencies engaged in an international foreign exchange transaction and the overall value of each currency in the transaction prevailing at that time. In fact each country in the global economic order would want to determine the value of its currency to its maximum advantage, which was possible a few years ago in when the countries used to determine the value of their currency according to the existing value of their economy. The individual countries till the early nineties used to follow a policy of total or partial control over the exchange value of their currency in the global market. At the same time there also were a group of countries that followed the policy or system in determining the exchange value of their currency i.e. left it to the interplay of global economic activity where the value was determined by its economic performance. The currencies of countries that provide full or partial amount of control in the international exchange value of its currency are known to follow a Fixed Rate whereas the currencies of countries that allow its currency to seek its inherent value through its performance in the global economic system are termed as following the Floating Rate of foreign exchange conversion mechanism. Though lo gically both the type of mechanism of foreign exchange face the effect of exchange rate fluctuations and consequent volatility in rate it is the currencies having a floating rate that are continually affected by the fluctuations in exchange rate in the global market when in the case of currencies with a fixed rate it is more of a controlled and regulated affair (Chorafas Dimitris N., 1992). 2.5 Foreign Exchange Risks Prevailing in the Global Market: Risks related to the exchange rate of a currency in the global market as has been mentioned, occurs due to the interplay of inherent value of each currency of the respective countries that are part of the global financial mechanism. Risks related to foreign exchange come into picture and are also inevitable in this world marching towards increased interaction due to globalization. The risks will occur due to business interaction and consequent exchange of value for goods and services. According to Kodres LauraE., 1996, the risks related to foreign exchange occur when there is increased interaction between the currency of a country with that of other countries in the international market and that too if the currency has a floating exchange rate. In that case the value of the currency is continually affected by its business and financial performance. This relation with other currencies in the market affects it during the time when the need arises to exchange it with another currency for settlement of financial transaction in some business or financial purposes and gives rise to various types of risks. The prominent risks associated during this situation are Herstatt Risk, and Liquidity Risk. 2.5.1 Herstatt Risk: Herstatt risk is a risk that is named after a German Bank that got liquidated by the German Government in the seventies of the last century and made to return all; the claims accruing to its customers. This is because its creditworthiness was affected and it could not pay the settlement claims to its customers and also on behalf of its customers to their clients. It is basically connected to the time aspect of foreign exchange value claim settlements in which the foreign exchange transactions do not get realized as the bank loses its ability to honour the transaction in the intervening period due to some causes. In the particular case the German bank failed to honour the financial settlement claims of its clients to their counter parties that were to be paid in values of U.S Dollars. The main issues that arose were regarding quantifying the amount to be delivered and the time of the transaction process due to the two countries financial systems being located and working according to different or separate time zones. This case has established a phenomenon in foreign exchange market where there may erupt situations in which the working hours of banks located in different time zones may never match with each other leading to foreign exchange settlement transactions getting affected during the mismatch of the two banks closing and opening time. In fact the Alsopp Report that studied this phenomenon in detail said that though the foreign exchange transactions are made in pen and paper on a single day the actual transfer of value takes place within three to four days. And with the exchange value of currencies operating in the international market always remaining in a state of flux they either get jacked up or devalued. In either case it affects the clause of transactions that was decided on an intra-day rate, as the value of both the currencies in the international market has changed during these days. 2.5.2 Risks related to Liquidity: There can crop up different problems related to the banking systems operations and dynamics i.e. in both technical and management systems as well as inability in terms of volume of available liquidity strength or in mismatch in tallying of time etc; that can affect the capacity of banks to honour foreign exchange transactions in terms of transfer of liquidity. These types of risks are being commonly witnessed in newly emerging economies that are being unable to cope with the sudden surge in volume of global business transactions thereby leading to exchange rate settlement and payment delays, outstanding payments and dishonouring of financial commitments in the exchange rate transaction market. 2.5.3 Financial Repercussions: According to the Studies in foreign exchange related risks by Dumas and Solnik, 1995 aver that risk related to transactions in foreign exchange have increased with globalization and the rise of global economic integration process with the countries getting affected in relation to the volume of their transactions in the global financial and business marketplace. This is because the market is now more oriented towards market value driven convertibility of currencies that is influenced by the global financial movements and transactions, and any independent transaction especially of transnational and multinational companies; will automatically affect other transactions happening in the global financial marketplace (Klopfenstein G.,1997). However, according to another study by Gallati Reto R., 2003, these multinational and transnational companies are simultaneously being affected by the fluctuations in exchange rate of different currencies of the global market that is exposing their business operations in different global markets to exchange rate related risks especially due to difference in Spot and Forward rates and the inevitable fluctuations (Choi , 2003) that give rise to foreign exchange settlement related problems. 2.5.4 Remedies to Foreign Exchange Settlement Risks: As there risks that have cropped up in foreign exchange transactions due to increase in volume and frequency of transactions mainly as a result of globalization so, also there have come up remedies to minimize the risk related to adverse conditions in foreign exchange transactions. The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in one of its studies in 1999 has said that settlement of claims is the most predominant risk that is related to foreign exchange transactions, especially the speed with which these transactions are materialized and the roadblocks that they may face in the process due to tremendous increase in volume of foreign exchange transactions that cannot be cleared in expected times. The solution to these risks according to the study is to simultaneously clear transactions on either side i.e. for both the parties side so that they simultaneously give and receive payments at the agreed rate of exchange. This would solve the problem of extended time of actual payment when the rate of exchange fluctuates, thereby creating problems for both the parties. This arrangement is related to deals being processed simultaneously, which requires the concurrence and common cause of both the parties. This is because the party that is expecting a hike in value of it s currency may not agree to such a proposal. In that case there should be some law or arrangement that would make it mandatory for both the parties to settle their intra-day payments on that day itself so that there is no scope left for speculation by them. According to the study, such arrangements have been made in USA and Europe where systems like Fedwire and Trans- European Automated Real-Time Gross Settlement Express Transfer (TARGET) have been established. Fedwire facilitates payments in foreign exchange transactions under the mode of Real Time Gross Settlements (RTGS)and TARGET facilitates intra-day transfer of foreign exchange between parties of member countries of Europe on the same day itself. But, for simultaneous release of funds by both the parties and the intra-day settlement of claims to succeed it is imperative that the member countries of the global economic system should come together have concurrence on these issues. This is because all said and done the foreign exchange transaction related rules and laws are still governed by the respective countries. And most of these countries are reluctant to make any headway in linking their currency system to the global currency system for speedy disposal of foreign exchange transactions for fear that such a move would expose their currency end financial system to the baneful effects of risks and volatility of global foreign exchange system (Hagelin and Pramborg, 2004). At the level of international trading corporations there has been initiated some steps whereby they have formed a private arrangement known as Group of Twenty. They are a group of twenty internationally acclaimed global clearing banks who have formed an system called the Global Clearing Bank that acts as a connection between the payment systems of different countries and verifies international foreign exchange transactions in order to simultaneously satisfy both the parties regarding authenticity of the process of transaction. The thing is that this system puts a high amount of strain on the financial and foreign exchange system as well as reserves of individual countries along with requiring them to bring about some amount of commonality between the financial rules and regulations of individual countries which is easier said than done. All the same the establishment of Bilateral Netting System and Multilateral Netting Systems as well as of Exchange Clearing House (ECHO) are trying t o facilitate foreign exchange transactions and minimize the inherent risks involved (McDonough ,1996). 2.6 Indian Foreign Exchange System: 2.6.1 Historical Background: The historical background of foreign exchange system in India was a saga of excess control and monitoring with even minor transactions being made to undergo the rigorous scrutiny of concerned government authorities to avoid any risks associated with such transactions and save the scarce foreign exchange reserves from being frittered away in some transactions considered unimportant or anti-national by the government. The Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) that was enacted in 1947 and made more stringent in 1973 was the embodiment of the prevailing sentiment of the governments of those days, which was to completely regulate and control all the foreign exchange transactions and protect the foreign currency reserves. (Mehta, 1985) All these changed in the nineties of the last century with the opening up of Indian economy in 1991 in keeping with the recommendations of the High Level Committee on Balance of Payments set up under the chairmanship of Dr C. Rangarajan by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India and subsequent entry of India into World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1994. This was preceded by the liberating of current account transactions and establishing full convertibility of current account transactions in 1993. In 1994 also the Government of India accepted Article VIII of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund that established the system of current account convertibility and the exchange value of rupee came to be determined according to the market rates with only the convertibility of capital account being under the control of the government (Krueger,2002) as the Tarapore Committee on Capital Account Convertibility of 1997 (Panagariya A., 2008) suggested the government to keep adequate sa feguards before allowing the convertibility of capital account to be determined according to the market forces as there was need to consolidate the financial system and have an accepted inflation target before such a venture. The Tarapore Committee also suggested that the legal framework governing the foreign exchange transaction system in India also needs to be modernized before going for total convertibility of the capital account due to which the Government repealed the FERA Act of 1973 and promulgated the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in 2000. This new act did away with the system of regulation and control and established a system of facilitation and management of foreign exchange transactions thereby promoting all the activities related to foreign exchange transactions. The most important thing that was done by FEMA was to recognize violations or mistakes in foreign exchange transactions as a civil offence instead of a criminal offence as was done by FERA. FEMA also shifted the responsibility of proving the violation or mistake in foreign exchange transaction and related rules from the prosecutor to the prosecuted. And if the prosecuted was proved guilty he or she was to pay only monetary fine or compensation instead of being jailed as was the earlier provision under FERA. FEMA also simplified many of the rules and notified specific time frames for delivering judgments related to violations of foreign exchange rules and regulations and provide rules for establishing special tribunals and forums to deal with such cases. Th e compounding rules were also made less stringent and all matters related to compounding rules were notified to be dealt by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) instead of the previously assigned Enforcement Directorate. RBI was made the designated Compounding Authority in all related matters. Only the cases involving hawala transactions were left from its purview As per Mecklal and Chand

Time For Americans To Be A Family :: essays research papers

Time for Americans To Be A Family By D.C. Burch It seems to be a time for Americans to try and be a family again. Maybe a quarrelsome and restless family not entirely happy with each member all of the time, but a family nonetheless. OK, I admit it. I am confused and perplexed by the storm of political correctness sweeping throughout the nation, raising dust-devils and tempests; leaving destruction and chaos in its wake. The English language is being transmogrified to quell and satisfy members of the American society who feel they should somehow, be special; apart from our citizenry. Thus my confusion. I've been called a privileged white-boy by some, honky by others, and cracker by others still. All this because I grew up in a middle class family in Toledo, Ohio? I've never considered myself to be anything special, certainly never superior to anyone or anything by virtue of my ancestry, just your basic, run- of-the-mill guy who wants to do the right thing. From the time I was little boy, I have seen one particular group called colored, Negro, black, and now, African-American. I can't seem to find a consensus out there in any media, one moment the reference is to blacks, and the next to African-Americans, when they are referring to the same group of people. I'm not knocking what people want to call themselves, it's the mixed messages I'm getting and the inaccuracy of the terminology that frustrates me. Look around and you will see there is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Black Muslims, and African-Americans. All of these terms are used to refer to members of one group of people. Is it any wonder I'm confused? I have particular problems with the term African-American, a misnomer which would lead me to believe these people somehow hold dual citizenship with another country, or even worse, lead everyone to believe all those who use that term to describe themselves are of African origin and are exclusively black in color. As we all know, there are white Africans, too. Should they choose to come to the U.S., they too, would be eligible for the label African-American, which would further confuse the issue. Enter the U.S. Census Bureau. Rather than help clear up the mess, they perpetuate it by requesting racial information and make-up of families that does nothing more than perpetuate the lies we tell one another. At least with the Census Bureau, their are Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, Other, and Whites. I don't know about you folks but, I was born here in the U.

Frank Norris’ work “Vandover and the Brute” Essay

The development of sexuality in Frank Norris’ work â€Å"Vandover and the Brute† is an interesting reflection of the Puritanical views that Americans have towards sexuality, promiscuity and the consequences thereof. The importance of this book is that it openly examined this value system in 1914, a time when Vandover’s behavior, even without the lycanthropy, was considered brutish and improper. Yet the American environment was in the midst of the first â€Å"sexual† revolution as many young women of the 1920s would don clothing that revealed their flesh and boyish haircuts for the â€Å"Roaring Twenties†. Again in the 1960s, the next major era of women’s rights movements, sexuality would be tied to freedom and women would equate burning their bras and free love with freedom and independence. This book then is a look at how a young man might acquire the values of the community around him without ever being taught directly that sex is dirty and that women are somehow degraded when they participate in it. The interesting thing about Norris’ work, which was published after his death, is that Vandover managed to acquire these misguided notions of sexuality on his own. In the first chapter, the author points out that during his adolescent years Vandover’s only female contact was with the housekeeper with whom he was constantly at odds. In addition, because his father would not discuss sexuality with him, he was forced to turn to an Encyclopedia Britannica to answers his questions about women and sex. He was subjected to the crude jokes and unconscious sexual immaturity of boys going through puberty, but without a mother, governess or other strong feminine influence to teach him right from wrong. Indeed, if one assumes that the author was in fact trying to make a statement about society rather than just tell a story about a maladjusted young man in the late 19th century, it becomes clear from the very first chapters that one of Norris’ indictments is against Vandover’s father and his unwillingness to talk to his son about the facts of life. In dead, one of the underlying themes through the entire work is the idea that people only hint at their feelings and do not openly discuss the sexual nature of humanity even though it is a significant portion of their lives. One of the most interesting facets of this book is the discussion of Vandover’s first sexual encounter and his embarrassment and guilt over it. If the situation had perhaps been handled with some amount of discussion, it might have prevented the events that would later occur, including Vandover’s seduction of a â€Å"good girl†, her subsequent suicide, and his eventuality degradation to gambling and alcoholism. The author’s message that society needs to quit hiding its own nature and covering for the high class when they engage in reckless behavior is evident mid-book when Haight explains to Vandover that several of the young, classy women at a cotillion were drunk. Haight tells his friends that society should call a spade a spade and that when women of class drink too much they should be considered drunk as much as any man. This dual criticism of the means by which people receive a sexual education and the double-standards applied to men and women is perhaps the most interesting passage in the book. Another interesting idea that Norris sets forth through the theme of the book and the story itself is that Vandover’s sexuality and promisecuity are to blame for the turn of events for him, including the loss of his family fortune and his new role as a werewolf. Interestingly, rather than approaching the concept that Vandover’s situation might be a result of his addictive behavior including his sexually predatory nature, his alcoholism and his gambling addiction, the reader is left with the idea that the bad things which happen to him are consequences of his sexuality alone. Though Norris portrays Vandover throughout the novel as a weak-willed individual who is too lazy to work hard and get what he wants out of life, everything in his life is blamed on his sexuality and his desire for women of a certain type. The fact that Vandover does not settle down with a fine, upstanding woman, regardless of his feelings for her is seen as an affront to society as a whole. The most important messages about sexuality that are relayed via â€Å"Vandover and The Brute† are the concepts that sexuality exists as it does because people don’t talk about it and that there are consequences for sexual behavior. The first concept is perhaps the most intriguing because it still applies now, almost 100 years later. Though we do not have the same level of closed-mouth attitudes toward sex as Vandover encountered, it is not uncommon even in the modern day to find parents of high school students who do not want their children exposed to sex education for fear that the education will lead to promiscuity. Instead of teaching real information regarding the dangers, both physical and emotional, of beginning a sexual relationship at the wrong time, too many parents concentrate on the Puritanical approach to sex education, associating it with guilt and sin. Young people are not properly educated regarding the safety issues of sex and sexually transmitted diseases continue at epidemic levels when they could be prevented with adequate discussion of the topic. Ironically, as we approach the 100-year mark for the publication, Norris’ primary criticism of the teaching of sexuality still stands today.

Problems with Education Essay

What is it that’s making our nation suffer from excelling in education? Not many would argue about the importance of excellence in education. Problems such as teacher attrition, lack of parent involvement, and teaching high-stakes testing may hinder progress in education. An education is an indispensable and essential tool, unfortunately, with all the jaded judgments; our students aren’t valuing or able to value their education. An Education can open the doors to opportunities that would have never been possible if it had not been for the knowledge and preparation that one received while in school. With the fluctuating economy and hesitant times, it is more important than ever for our nation’s children to receive the proper education and training that will allow them to acquire a good job and produce the revenue needed to live. Unfortunately, there are many problems facing our education system today, and several of them are having negative effects on the quality of the education our students are receiving. Would one feel comfortable fifty years from now, when the children who are victim of the disadvantages of teacher attrition, lack of parent involvement and a majority of their education being how to take a high stakes test, are running this nation? How soundly can one sleep knowing that their decisions on a bill deciphering how much of a pension someone will receive or what’s legal and what’s not is at stake? Should these problems be quietly swept under the rug and addressed again in another five years, or is it best bite the financial bullet and at the very least, acknowledge there is an issue? A serious problem that is attacking the education system in America is the alarming attrition rate of teachers. Only those not involved with education at all will argue that it is an undemanding profession; in actuality, it is a very demanding profession with an often overwhelming amount of pressure and responsibility tied to it. However, it can also be a very rewarding profession. Unfortunately, many teachers simply cannot overcome the immense responsibilities well enough to stick with the profession for any length of time. Jalongo and Heider (2006) present staggering statistics in their article, saying that forty-six percent of new teachers in this country quit teaching after five years or less, with that percentage growing to fifty percent in urban areas. Even more shocking is the fact that ninety percent of teachers who are hired in this country are replacements for teachers who have left teaching for some reason other than retirement (p. 379). There are many reasons that the rate of teachers leaving the profession is so high. Anhorn (2008) very concisely sums up some of the major problems in her article when she says, â€Å"Difficult work assignments, inadequate resources, isolation, role conflict, and reality shock are some top reasons for the horrendous attrition statistics with the widespread â€Å"sink or swim† attitude that is prevalent in so many schools† (p. 15). It is easy to see why the beginning teacher attrition rate is so high. There is simply so much to do these days, between extracurricular responsibilities and high-stakes testing, it is easy to get overwhelmed. In her article, Sitler (2007) sums it up quite nicely when she says, No one expects the first years of teaching to be easy. No one expects that Teaching assignments will never change. But no one expects either that One’s first years of teaching will be compromised by administrative Systems that make instability and disillusionment routine occurrences Rather than exceptions. (p. 22) If teachers received more support from the administration and less of the strong arm effect, educators wouldn’t be so timid in teaching and instead bring more value to the classroom. Many of us probably remember our parents being very involved with our education, whether they were part of the PTA or just asked about your grades and homework every day when you got home. Unfortunately, today, parental involvement seems to be waning. While there still is a good deal of involvement at the elementary level, middle school and high school, when children really need that parental guidance, it’s almost nonexistent. It is our responsibility to try to involve parents who seem hesitant and reluctant to be a part of their child’s education. No matter what the hesitation is from the parent, be it a language barrier,  fear of school itself, whatever might be causing a parent to be stand offish about their child’s education and being an active part of it, not only the teacher, but administration should use every opportunity to pull a parent in and allow them to become and active part in their child’s education. When parents are involved in education, teens typically have higher grade point averages, higher test scores on standardized and classroom assessments, enrollment in more rigorous academic courses, more classes passed, more credits earned toward graduation, and higher graduation rates. Parents are not performing their duties as first teacher to their kids in education. Many parents left their kids behind and keep putting the blame on the teachers due to their misunderstanding of the No Child Left Behind Act. These parents concerned are the ones who left their kids behind and not the schools; teachers are secondary to kids’ education. Unfortunately so many educators feel such pressure to prepare students for the TAKS test that they fail to ever demonstrate the relevance of what they are teaching. They fail to teach the items within the curriculum that are useful outside of the walls of the school. So, we have students who graduate and can solve quadratic equations, classify living organisms and distinguish between a plant and an animal cell but don’t know how to budget money, complete a financial aid form, solve a real-world problem, think for themselves, or apply the testing information beyond what was taught. I have heard people say the purpose of the exams is to make sure our students do not graduate before they know basics skills†¦ like Physics? Most of the arguments I hear come from people who have never even looked at the test; people who just blindly adhere to the regulations because it is a law. Which leads me to the most frustrating and most often argument I hear which is, â€Å"We need to hold students accountable because it is the law? † Well, there have been lots of bad laws over the years. Does anyone remember the Jim Crow laws? If as a country we were to have blindly followed these laws, then blacks and whites would still be segregated. There is no denying the fact that the problems mentioned, are not going to go away over night. They are major issues facing American education, and educators simply must do everything in our power to conquer them. An education is such a valuable and necessary tool, and we must do everything we can to get our students to value their education. I personally do believe there is hope for a positive change. Problems don’t fix themselves, and if admitting that we need help in going about the way our nation views the importance of education is what needs to be done, then it’s time to slap on the â€Å"HELLO MY NAME IS †¦Ã¢â‚¬  sticker and start being honest and start fixing the problems of teacher attrition, lack of parent involvement and teaching children how to take a state issued test. References Jalongo, M. R. , & Heider, K. (2006). Editorial teacher attrition: An issue of national concern. Early Childhood Education Journal, 33(6), 379-380. Anhorn, R. (2008). The profession that eats its young. The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 74(3), 15-26. Sitler, H. C. (2007). The lived experience of new teachers, or why should I stay in this profession? Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 87(4), 22.

Top 3 Time Management Tools to Meet Deadlines for Your College Assignment

Top 3 Time Management Tools to Meet Deadlines for Your College Assignment Top 3 Time Management Tools to Meet Deadlines for Your College Assignment College life can be incredibly stressful for many students if they are not organized properly. Every individual is different while some live without noticing how time runs fast, others can’t realize how to succeed in performing all the task from a schedule. According to the study â€Å"The Impact of Time Management on the Students’ Academic Achievements†, time management is highly related to the student’s academic performance. So, the ability to effectively budget and manage time will have a positive impact on your student life and not only. The time management skill is especially important to ensure that you complete all your assignments in due time. How to Develop Time Management Skills? Being a student, you should understand that every assignment is important and failing to deliver a top-quality one on time can play a cruel joke with you. There is a big difference between focusing on schedule and being forced to finish the entire year of education. Furthermore, good skills at managing time can help you avoid unnecessary stress. You’ll be able to free up time for extracurricular activities. Granted, not everyone is good at efficient time management but there are ways to improve and make time for the studies and relax. 1.   Create a Schedule and Stick to It One of the easiest ways to ensure that you manage your time effectively is to create a daily schedule for yourself. While you are creating your schedule, you can determine what activities are a top priority and what activities are not so important. By doing so, you can ensure that you leave enough time on planning, research, writing and reviewing your assignments before the deadlines. For this purpose, use the following online app: Google Calendar. It is an online platform where you can create your schedule for the studies at university or college. Set time for particular tasks and this app will remind you what you should do in the nearest time. 2.   Use a Time Tracker Experienced the situation when you planned to spend 20 minutes on a task but finally spent an hour? It is a common practice among students. It’s one of the challenges to stick to schedule time. It happens only because of the lack of an instrument that you would use to measure time. You’re lucky to be focused on time with the help of: Tomighty. It is a timer that can help you be focused on a task and meet its deadline. Make an oath to finish, for example, in 30 minutes. Plunge into an assignment until the timer rings. It allows you to rest at the same time by taking little breaks as well. 3.   Block Yourself from Different Distractions Look around yourself to see what takes your attention. Is it a social media site that you check many times while working on an assignment? Thus, it‘s time to take control of your success by means of: Stay Focused. It is a block application that allows to reduce the daily usage of distracting websites. It is much better to keep focused on the brilliant academic performance than to waste time on social networking or messaging. Later, after you finish a task, feel free to communicate with pen-friends at your leisure. Identifying useful tools and resources can help you better manage your time, whether you are a part-time student or a full-time freshman. Avoid missing important deadlines. The most important tip to keep in mind is to always list your assignments in order of priority. The sooner you complete the task, the lower your stress levels will be. Learn not to put off your assignments until the last minute even if they are small. Even if you feel you don’t manage to submit a paper on time, don’t worry. Our certified specialists in custom assignment writing are able to boost your final score within the shortest deadline.

Learning the Basic Steps of MySQL

Learning the Basic Steps of MySQL New website owners often stumble at the mention of database management, not realizing how much a database can enhance a  website experience. A database is just  an organized and structured collection of data.   MySQL is a free open source SQL database management system. When you understand MySQL, you can use it to store content for your website and access that content directly using PHP. You dont even need to know SQL to communicate with MySQL. You just need to know how to operate the software that your web host provides. In most cases that is phpMyAdmin. Before You Begin Experienced programmers might choose to manage data  by using the SQL code directly either through a shell prompt or through some sort of a query window. New users are better off learning how to use phpMyAdmin. It is the most popular MySQL management program, and almost all web hosts have it installed for you to use. Contact your host to find out where and how you can access it. You need to know your MySQL login before you begin.   Create a Database The first thing you need to do is create a database. Once that is done, you can start adding information. To create a database in phpMyAdmin: Log in to your account at your web hosting site.Locate and click the phpMyAdmin icon and log in. It will be in your websites root folder.Look for Create New Database on the screen.Enter the database name in the field provided and  click Create.   If the create database feature is disabled, contact your host to create a new database. You must have permission  to create new databases. After you create the database, you are taken to a screen where you can enter tables. Creating Tables In the database, you can have many tables, and each table is a grid with information held in  cells on the grid. You need to create at least one table to hold data in your database. In the area labeled Create new table on database [your_database_name], enter a name (for example: address_book) and type a number in the Fields cell. Fields are columns that hold information. In the address_book example, these fields hold first name, last name, street address and so on. If you know the number of fields you need, enter it. Otherwise, just enter a default number 4. You can change the number of fields later. Click Go. In the next screen, enter a descriptive name for each field and select a data type for each field. Text and number are the two most popular types. The Data Now that you have created a database, you can enter data directly into the fields using phpMyAdmin. Data in a table can be managed in many ways. A tutorial on ways to  add, edit, delete, and search the information in your database  gets you started.   Get Relational The great thing about MySQL is that it is a relational database. This means the data from one of your tables can be used in conjunction with data on another table as long as they have one field in common. This is called a Join, and you can learn how to do it in this  MySQL Joins tutorial. Working From PHP Once you get the hang of using  SQL to work with your database, you can use SQL from PHP files on your website. This allows your website to store all its content in your database and access it dynamically as needed by each page or each visitors request.

Hyper and Hypo

Hyper and Hypo Hyper and Hypo Hyper and Hypo By Simon Kewin Be careful with hyper- and hypo-. These two prefixes are easily confused as they sound so similar but they have, in fact, more-or-less opposite meanings. Hyper- means over, excessive, more than normal, as in such words as hyperbole (extravagant and obvious exaggeration) and hyperactive (abnormally or pathologically active). The prefix derives from the Greek word hyper, meaning simply over. Hypo-, on the other hand, means under, defective or inadequate, as in such words as hypodermic (under the skin) or hypoallergenic (specially formulated to minimize the risk of an allergic reaction). This, too, derives from the Greek : hypo, meaning under. These prefixes are often used in a medical context, and confusion can arise because different conditions can have such similar sounding names. For example, hyperthyroidism (the over-production of thyroid hormones) doesn’t sound too different to hypothyroidism (the under-production of these hormones). Similarly, hypertension refers to high blood pressure whereas hypotension means the opposite : low blood pressure. Hyperglycaemia refers to abnormally high blood-sugar levels whilst hypoglycaemia means abnormally low levels, and so forth. In whatever context you’re using hyper- and hypo- words, it makes sense to be very clear about which prefix is the correct one to use. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Arrive To vs. Arrive AtBroadcast vs Broadcasted as Past Form5 Erroneously Constructed â€Å"Not Only . . . But Also† Sentences

Film Production Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Film Production - Essay Example In order to be able to learn more about the film production process, all of the previously mentioned issues need to be discussed, as well as any and all other key and related matters in this regards. The aim of this paper is to allow for an attainment of a better understanding on the issue of film production in general, particularly of its more technical aspects, and as well on how film production is used in the world today. This is what will be dissertated in the following. Film production basically involves four major steps, which are: development, preproduction, production, and postproduction. During the development stage is when the idea is actually beginning to be developed, and usually a summary of the actual story will be given in a few pages. Then, through several different iterations, these few pages will eventually end up becoming a detailed prose piece which will better tell the story of the film. Concept art is also developed more during this process, and character descriptions are worked on more thoroughly. This particular process, as with every single other that is included within the film production process, is incredibly important and takes some time, and is usually gone over two, three or even more times before being considered as being complete, and even then often times workers involved will go back and edit or add on. The development process is also the time during which the script is composed, and this again will go through several drafts as the writer and others involved make their comments and opinions about it. Then there is the preproduction stage, which is the stage that takes place before the actual production stage, and it is during this stage when a storyboard is created from the script, which basically means that writers and illustrators work together using the script as their guide in order to be able to create a visual storyboard including words and illustrations, which will be the basis of the production image that they are going to create. From an initial written version, this will then end up progressing into a series of images, of which are either created in a 3d software or drawn by hand, and then they are turned into a moving video, which is known as the 'animatic', and it is this animatic which will actually serve as the major blueprint for the film itself. Next is the production stage, which is where most of the action takes place, as it is where the filming begins. There are many more crew members which need to be recruited at this stage, and that includes, for example: property master, script supervisor, assistant directors, stills photographer, picture editor, and sound editors. These are the most common roles that are involved in the filmmaking production process, although there are many others which may need to be taken into consideration as well, depending on the specific type of film that you are making. A typical day will begin with "an assistant director following the shooting schedule for the day. The film set is constructed and the props made

The Oil Spill in The Gulf of Mexico Research Paper

The Oil Spill in The Gulf of Mexico - Research Paper Example This phenomenal and epic oil spill tragedy has remained so potentially capable of every single soul around the globe that no one is oblivious to the negative consequences it produced. This paper presents a thorough discussion particularly related to the infamous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that affected many and is still continually affecting the Gulf despite many human efforts made at a global level. Both short and long-term effects of this astoundingly horrific man-made disaster are scrutinized and results are presented in this paper backed up with recent research reports regarding the disaster. Myriad efforts made to control the mass destruction caused by the oil spill are also highlighted and discussed in the paper in special relation to the differences made by those efforts, and their contribution to the restriction of the devastation. The worst ever disaster that could be imagined by anyone turned into a reality-based incident when a semisubmersible offshore drilling rig ca lled Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico and got engulfed in indescribably horrendous flames before sinking in the deep waters in 2010. Immediate casualties reported following the incident did not appear to be do large as to wreak disastrous havoc in the surroundings and the rest of the world. About 17 turned out to be injured out of 126 people who were on board and 11 are still reported to be missing who are presumed to be dead now. (Raines). This presumption is based on the viewpoint that those missing ill-fated workers must be within immediate vicinity of the unpredictable explosion, as a result of which they remained incapable of finding an escape. The Deepwater Horizon did not immediately sink in the Gulf after the dreadful explosion, rather it remained afloat for almost two days engulfed by fiery flames and leaving behind plumes of thick black smoke that were phenomenal enough to be seen from space as well as the smoke plumes were reported to be more than many mil es long. The real disastrous reality was discovered some two days after the Deepwater Horizon had sunk in the Gulf. No person could imagine that the explosion of the oil drilling rig would lead to worst imaginable consequences concerning the casualties reported initially. It was only after the discovery was made regarding thousands of barrels of oil being dumped surreptitiously on daily basis into the ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico that the real devastating consequences of the oil drilling rig explosion came to limelight. The story would definitely have ended with the sinking of Deepwater Horizon had it not been for the technical defect in the riser structure of the oil drilling rig that is meant for connecting the rig with the well. After the discovery was made about the daily loss of thousands of oil barrels in the water, immediate concerns regarding the Gulf’s ecosystems created a wave of pandemonium around the globe and a seemingly ended story turned into a vibrant live ly disaster in full swing. The oil leakage presented a major problematic and intricate issue because researchers reported that even with the use of the best and latest scientific technology like using sophisticated robots for detecting the bedrock of the problem, the oil leak effect could take months to be suppressed and finished forever. The catch-22 faced by the US Coast Guard

The film Boys Dont Cry Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The film Boys Dont Cry - Movie Review Example Since its inception, films are determined to encompass a plethora of complete human activities and are saturated with them. Human mind and its excellence at aesthetic paradigm evolve out with multiple hues at length while coming into the interface of any art medium. Films like any other art medium involve human mind in its creation, it displays human action and most importantly they are made to be comprehended and enjoyed by human minds as its audiences. Films are always considered as a wide form of art medium through which the manifestation of the striking moving images decorated with vibrant colors and sounds enables a connection between the film-makers and audience upon the matrix of celluloid and the senses enhanced through the pictorial description of emotions and actions. The intensity of the influence which a film leaves on the minds of its audiences cannot be undermined at any level. Therefore, the sociological aspect of the film, or myriad social psychologies depicted through the medium of the films holds a very important space in the minds of the modern audiences. With the growing complexities of life, the films began to develop with foreboding complexities. Skip Dine Young in his book, â€Å"Psychology at the Movies† mentioned rightly, â€Å"The psychology of film can be unified by thinking of movies as symbols. Movies are symbols that have meaning; these symbols are created by ways do they infuse aspects of themselves into their creations? While it is probable that everyone who works on a movie brings something of him or herself to the activity, I focus on those artists whose individuality is in the foreground- the directors (who make the final choices about how a movie looks and sounds) and the actors (whose visual likeness is so vividl y captured on the screen)† (Young, 2012). A latent symbolic framework does operate within the films upon which the complex social psychology depicted through various modern films gets manifested. â€Å"Boys Don’t Cry† as an independent American drama amazed the audiences in the year 1999 by depicting the story of Brandon Teena, a transsexual man and his predicament evoked the themes of desperation, insensitive attitude and the issues of empowerment and gender equality prevalent in the society of contemporary times. At the same time, the subtle display of psychology operating in terms of dealing with these issues in society forms the crux of the film. Social Psychology and Boys Don’t Cry In October 1999, the American drama, â€Å"Boys Don’t Cry† was first premiered which was based on a real life story. Being the reflection of a true incident, the film mirrored many intricacies and complexities of modern society at length. Directed by Kimberly Peirce and co-written by Andy Bienen, the film stars Hilary Swank in the role of Brandon Teena whose powerful acting paved the way for her receiving Best Actress in the Academy Awards. Brandon Teena was a transsexual man who was allegedly beaten up brutally, raped and tortured by his male partners after they discovered that Teena had a female by body. Depiction of this incident through the medium of film was not a piece of cake. The film did not hint at only displaying the content as a crime thriller. On the contrary, a very strong social message was inherent within the film which evidently develops its social psychology. A strong notion and social perception towards body of a woman specially develops the pivot of the film’s aspect towards prevailing psychology of the society. When America was vouching on the propositions of same-sex marriages and gender equality, the film, â€Å"Boys Don’t Cry† reinstated the hollow pursuits involved with the concepts of gender equality and rights of transsexuals in the American society. If America with its teeming American dreams could not secure the rights of its citizen within a social structure which is so liberal and cosmopolitan in nature, it is quite evident that the future of the minor sexual entities such as transsexual men or women is in

The story about my friend Ali Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The story about my friend Ali - Essay Example Soon though, my family, including myself, relocated to the United States of America, and at that time, I was apprehensive of the relationship that shared with Ali. Until the time that we were together, things were good for us however, we had never given any thought to what life would be like without the other person around. We did not realise that we had grown so close to each other that it was impossible to spend some time apart. As Ali and I both entered our teens, we used to spend nights talking to each other on the phone, and our parents and friends knew that there was something special between us. I, however, remained naive to that fact and would take all my problems to Ali. He would answer patiently, â€Å"Look inside yourself, you’ll find the answer soon.† So when it was time to move, I asked him, â€Å"What will happen to us?† and I recall that he said the same thing, in the calmest manner possible. Fortunately, Ali and I did not have to grow apart becaus e he soon followed me to America, but to fulfil his dreams of becoming a medical surgeon. I was overjoyed that Ali would once again be by my side, but despite the closeness being reinstated, I always felt that Ali thought of me as his little sister. That was what I told myself when he was always nice to me. This was probably because I felt this way about all my other male friends too and did not know how to think differently of him even though I always knew that he and I shared something completely out of the ordinary with each other.... Till the time that we were together, things were good for us however, we had never given any thought to what life would be like without the other person around. We did not realise that we had grown so close to each other that it was impossible to spend some time apart. As Ali and I both entered our teens, we used to spend nights talking to each other on the phone, and our parents and friends knew that there was something special between us. I however, remained naive to that fact and would take all my problems to Ali. He would answer patiently, â€Å"Look inside yourself, you’ll find the answer soon.† So when it was time to move, I asked him, â€Å"What will happen to us?† and I recall that he said the same thing, in the calmest manner possible. Fortunately, Ali and I did not have to grow apart because he soon followed me to America, but to fulfil his dreams of becoming a medical surgeon. I was overjoyed that Ali would once again be by my side, but despite the clo seness being reinstated, I always felt that Ali thought of me as his little sister. That was what I told myself when he was always nice to me. This was probably because I felt this way about all my other male friends too and did not know how to think differently of him even though I always knew that he and I shared something completely out of the ordinary with each other. I never bothered to segregate the relationship that I shared with Ali into something different than what I had for everyone else around me. Soon, the time came for Ali to express himself to my friends by telling them the inevitable – the fact that he had feelings for me. My friends, Natasha and Rustam, however always knew this to be true because they knew about our history together and how he was

Criminal justice system Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Criminal justice system - Research Paper Example This paper describes the criminal justice system and its importance. The paper concludes with a brief summary of the main content as well as the perception of the author in respect to the topic. Undeniably, the criminal justice system is a broad area. The following is a discussion of importance of studying criminal justice system as well as the comparison between United States of America’s criminal justice system and the international criminal justice system. Proper criminal justice system attempts to restore peace and harmony within a given society. Hence, by training people on criminal justice systems, a society or nation prepares itself in experiencing remarkable peace and harmony as the trained personnel carry out their duty in preventing and reducing crimes. This marks the first significance of studying criminal justice system. Other than equipping people with skills and knowledge, studying criminal justice system enables the learners not only to understand but also appreciate forms of crimes and how they can be reduced or prevented within the society. In addition, studying of criminal justice system provides an opportunity to an individual to understand and appreciate different forms of institutions, public or private, which are actively involved in preventing and reducing crimes. Since criminal law is studied within the criminal justice system, studying the latter informs learners on criminal and other branches of law. Indeed, studying criminal justice system is very vital for ensuring maintenance of law and order with an aim of restoring peace and harmony. United States versus International Criminal Justice Systems United States of America being a western country has different criminal justice system from other international parties especially the non-western countries. USA unlike other international cou ntries has varied goals and conceptions of criminal justice systems. For instance, USA practices the Anglo-Saxon legal culture and system in achieving goals and concepts of criminal justice. Following the culture and system of Anglo-Saxon principles, USA has developed varied legal ideologies in comparison to those of the international arena. In this respect, USA has for a long time through the tradition relied on emphasizing rights of defendants during the trial process as opposed to other international countries such as United Kingdom whose criminal justice system emphasizes on punishing the guilty persons (Reichel, 2007). In addition, America’s processes and procedures in determining the innocence of an individual especially within the court rooms significantly vary from other international countries. Training of personnel to take up positions, functions, and responsibilities within criminal justice department vary

How a firm can make an entry into EU economic zone Essay

How a firm can make an entry into EU economic zone - Essay Example According to the research, European Economic Area was established in 1994 in order to facilitate trade between different member countries and to outline a uniform framework for member countries to actually trade with each other without any significant barriers to entry. In order to make a successful entry into any new market, it is important that the international firms must take into consideration particular factors related to that economic zone. Each zone has its own unique characteristics in terms of its demographics, culture, economics, legal framework, political environment as well as other issues which can directly have an impact on the organization and the way it is going to operate in that region. EU shares a larger cultural heritage which is relatively similar across all countries with most of the countries speaking either German or French with English being dominating language in the UK only. The cultural similarity coupled with integrated economic zone has actually made it easier for international firms to actually make an entry into this region. However, due to the uniqueness of the culture, economic integration, geo-demographics as well as legal and social factors, new businesses can easily tap into the great potential offered by EU economic zone comprised of many countries of the region. Increasing economic burden on the countries like UK and Germany to actually pay off for the sovereign debt of countries like Ireland, Greece, Spain, and Italy making it difficult for these countries to actually normalize political pressure in their own home countries.

Criminal justice system Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Criminal justice system - Research Paper Example This paper describes the criminal justice system and its importance. The paper concludes with a brief summary of the main content as well as the perception of the author in respect to the topic. Undeniably, the criminal justice system is a broad area. The following is a discussion of importance of studying criminal justice system as well as the comparison between United States of America’s criminal justice system and the international criminal justice system. Proper criminal justice system attempts to restore peace and harmony within a given society. Hence, by training people on criminal justice systems, a society or nation prepares itself in experiencing remarkable peace and harmony as the trained personnel carry out their duty in preventing and reducing crimes. This marks the first significance of studying criminal justice system. Other than equipping people with skills and knowledge, studying criminal justice system enables the learners not only to understand but also appreciate forms of crimes and how they can be reduced or prevented within the society. In addition, studying of criminal justice system provides an opportunity to an individual to understand and appreciate different forms of institutions, public or private, which are actively involved in preventing and reducing crimes. Since criminal law is studied within the criminal justice system, studying the latter informs learners on criminal and other branches of law. Indeed, studying criminal justice system is very vital for ensuring maintenance of law and order with an aim of restoring peace and harmony. United States versus International Criminal Justice Systems United States of America being a western country has different criminal justice system from other international parties especially the non-western countries. USA unlike other international cou ntries has varied goals and conceptions of criminal justice systems. For instance, USA practices the Anglo-Saxon legal culture and system in achieving goals and concepts of criminal justice. Following the culture and system of Anglo-Saxon principles, USA has developed varied legal ideologies in comparison to those of the international arena. In this respect, USA has for a long time through the tradition relied on emphasizing rights of defendants during the trial process as opposed to other international countries such as United Kingdom whose criminal justice system emphasizes on punishing the guilty persons (Reichel, 2007). In addition, America’s processes and procedures in determining the innocence of an individual especially within the court rooms significantly vary from other international countries. Training of personnel to take up positions, functions, and responsibilities within criminal justice department vary

Gothic Cathedral Essay Example for Free

Gothic Cathedral Essay Gothic architecture was developed from a Christian perspective, and therefore attained its most meaningful expression in churches. Clerics began to demand taller churches with more windows than had been present in the dark, but sturdy Romanesque churches. This desire was derived from new intellectual and spiritual concepts that took a more rational view of God, and saw God encompassed many things, such as light, reason and proportion. The Gothic church displayed a visual attempt to leave behind the mysterious world of the Romanesque, and create a setting that was drawn toward light and purity that could be an image of heaven. The middle class also had a great influence on the Gothic style as they desired churches that could reflect their economic power and social status. The most magnificent characteristics of Gothic style were the use of light and relationship between structure and appearance. Other defining characteristics were that the massive thickness of the walls from Romanesque architecture were replaced with membrane-thin frameworks used for enclosure which could support nothing but their own weight. Ribbed vaults were used to allow lighter materials to be placed between stone ribs, thus reducing weight. The weight of the walls and roof were no longer supported by columns, but by external flying buttresses. They also used pointed arches and slender columns to lift the ceiling, which created an overwhelming height. Wall paintings, which had been common in the Romanesque, were now replaced with beautiful and enormous stained glass windows that allowed more light into the structures, imbuing all with a sense of warmth and color. Chartres Cathedral-Interior Chartres CathedralInterior The cathedral at Chartres was built during the Gothic period, and it showed an ideal of harmony within its structure and contents. Work on the cathedral started in 1194, and was mostly completed in 1220. It emphasizes strong vertical lines in its structure. The stained glass windows that are used in this cathedral, (it has 176), are recognized as the finest example from the gothic style. Today, 94% of the stained glass is original, and it is the largest, most extensive collection of medieval glass in the world. Rose windows were used. The primary subject of the great roses is the Virgin and the Child. The rose windows created wholeness and completeness. Indeed, it  has a special relationship to the Virgin Mary in that it portrayed more realistic and humane qualities of the Virgin Mary. The cathedral reflects the strong influence that God held over the people at that time. It shows an expression of piety and local identity to those that were proud to live in the vicinity of the cathedral itself. It enhanced civic pride, and was the focus of the town itself.

Conflict between Freedom and Determinism

Conflict between Freedom and Determinism Freedom, Determinism Responsibility Instructions Demonstrate an understanding of the underlying conflict between freedom and determinism and the various options for resolving that conflict. Demonstrate my own thinking about the problem, must show that I have made a determined effort to grapple with the problem. Essay is written for a cold audience; theyre smart, but they have no prior knowledge of what Im talking about. Try to organize your essay so that each part of it builds up a defence of your position. Introduction The idea that human beings exercise free will seems commonsensical; that is, we understand that when we act, we were capable of acting otherwise than we did. It may come as a surprise to hear that this is actually a hotly contested claim, and it has been subjected to philosophical scrutiny for thousands of years. The position that I will be defending is called hard determinism, a view that up until several months ago, I was blissfully unaware even existed. Hard determinism is the view that humans exist within the causal loop of the universe, that our actions are inextricably bound to the laws of nature. It proposes that human behaviour is caused by an individuals personality, desires and values, but that their personality, desires and values are caused by external antecedent factors over which the individual has no control. These factors can range anywhere from genetic predisposition to their upbringing to the cultural norms of the society they happened to be born in. In short, hard determinism rejects the notion of human agency. The objective of my paper is two-fold: 1) To make the argument that the thesis of determinism does not undermine our every day conceptualization of the will, but simply proposes an explanation for the cause of what we call moral behaviour. 2) To make the argument that the thesis of free will and moral responsibility does not cohere with the thesis of determinism; or in other words, to attack the compatibilist/soft-determinist view. Different interpretations of determinisms truth exist. So I guess here I would outline specifically what the different views of determinism are, just like that dudes paper LOL. I would identify mine and elaborate on the arguments. This definition admits a â€Å"will† or a desire-that-produces-action, but it admits no â€Å"free will† or free desire. Libertarians subscribe to the notion that human actions are uncaused and undetermined. They operate on the premise that humans are capable of originating acts, initiating a sequence of events, self-governing and thus we are independent of natural causal chains. Clearly formulate and explain the position you hold. In order to defend your position of hard determinism, I need to undermine their defence of freedom. Libertarians attack determinism by making a case for the exceptions theyre pointing to. Their only point of attack to make a case of their counter example; I need to prove their counter-example is not true. You can point to the sorts of suppositions that libertarians are making about human beings. Question the plausibility of those suppositions; the idea that were autonomous, the idea that we exist somehow outside of the causal loop. I also argue against the claim of human uniqueness held by Libertarian philosophers, so look at Chisholm and look at Lewis, who kind of touches on that. Libertarians argue that humans are capable of originating acts, initiating a sequence of events, self-governing and thus we are independent of natural causal chains. Libertarians maintain that freedom and moral responsibility are logically incompatible with determinism. They believe that for humans to be free, there must be some instances, fundamentally, human action, which are not the effects of causal antecedents. But if this were true, then the human will must be subject to a special kind of explanation. Libertarians seem to support partial determinism, which suggests a break in the ongoing process of cause and effect. For instance, history is not characterized by a linear progression, whereby one cause produces certain effects and so on ad infinitum. Instead, life can be described as a vast tree with an infinite number of branches, which divide into numerous possible directions. Yet, for human action to transcend causal determinism one of two possibilities must be fulfilled: i) events themselves must be uncaused and therefore random, or ii) particular events must be causi sui (the cause of itself). Refuting the compatibilist/soft-determinist poses more of a challenge, as they share common ground with a hard determinist. Outline the main points and objectives of my paper and establish which of the 3 classical positions I hold. In this case, it is hard determinism. As such, I seek to prove that the thesis of free will does not and cannot cohere with the thesis of determinism. I also argue that the thesis of determinism does not undermine our every day conceptualization of the â€Å"will,† it simply â€Å"proposes the source of what causes us to fall back on moral behaviour.† Then why do we act morally? Because it is evolutionarily useful for us to do so. Ruse says that true morality developed over time evolutionarily. Talk about monkeys nigga lol. Well see how that works out. For both of the following paragraphs, draw specific arguments from the readings, explain those arguments in my own words, critically assess the arguments and make clear why you accept or reject those arguments. Its harder to defend yourself against soft determinism. Give the main argument or arguments in its defence. State as clearly and forcefully as you can the main objections which would be raised by those holding the other positions. So here I can explain libertarianism and soft determinism. Rebut those objections. Libertarians argue that humans are capable of originating acts, initiating a sequence of events, self-governing and thus we are independent of natural causal chains. Libertarians maintain that freedom and moral responsibility are logically incompatible with determinism. They believe that for humans to be free, there must be some instances, fundamentally, human action, which are not the effects of causal antecedents. But if this were true, then the human will must be subject to a special kind of explanation. Libertarians seem to support partial determinism, which suggests a break in the ongoing process of cause and effect. For instance, history is not characterized by a linear progression, whereby one cause produces certain effects and so on ad infinitum. Instead, life can be described as a vast tree with an infinite number of branches, which divide into numerous possible directions. Yet, for human action to transcend causal determinism one of two possibilities must be fulfilled: i) events themselves must be uncaused and therefore random, or ii) particular events must be causi sui (the cause of itself). Human independence in the strong sense for our lives to be meaningful and important. How do you hold people morally responsible in a deterministic world? Focus on the deliberative process; theres no compulsion or constraint, then were freely deliberating and thus can be held morally responsible. Libertarians often worry about â€Å"objective worth.† Look at Kane in Fischer. Its true that all of our behaviour is causally determined. Look at Widerker and how he talks about how youd act if there was an announcement that the universe is deterministic. Would you feel like your life is meaningless? A third argument for incompatibilism was formulated by Carl Ginet in the 1960s and has received much attention in the modern literature. The simplified argument runs along these lines: if determinism is true, then we have no control over the events of the past that determined our present state and no control over the laws of nature. Since we can have no control over these matters, we also can have no control over the consequences of them. Since our present choices and acts, under determinism, are the necessary consequences of the past and the laws of nature, then we have no control over them and, hence, no free will. Opposition to determinism promotes that without belief in uncaused free will, humans will not have reason to behave ethically. Determinism, however, does not negate emotions and reason of a person, but simply proposes the source of what causes us to fall back on moral behavior. Anyone susceptible to immoral actions from the idea of determinism was susceptible before and does not hold strong moral judgment prior to the idea. Determinism implies the moral differences between two people are caused by hereditary predispositions and environmental effects and events. Simply because the cause of a persons morality (depending on the branch of determinism) is not entirely themselves, this does not mean determinists are against punishment of people who commit crimes: independent of moral judgement, punishment can still serve to modify a persons behaviour. Another point of view is that if determinism is true, and free will is not, then morality and ethics are meaningless concepts. Morality and ethics require that a choice can be made in order for these concepts to have any meaning. But if a person has no choice, in the case of a deterministic world with no free will, then it does not make sense to say whether individuals can make more (or less) ethical or moral choices, because there are no options available to them except the one they must deterministically follow. I will use the words determinism and causality interchangeably to mean approximately the same thing, with determinism referring to the more general state of the world and causality referring to more specific causal relationships. On the other hand, Sam has argued that morality can be studied scientifically. This would require operationally defining morality (Harris suggests a definition akin to a behaviors probability of maximizing human wellbeing but the definition itself is not the focus of his argument). Harris goes on to suggest that, given that human brains have certain properties, we could go on to identify objectively superior moral frameworks; that is, multiple optimized ethical systems may emerge that satisfy our definition of moral.

Drugs Should NOT be Legal :: Against Legalization of Drugs

Drugs Should NOT be Legal Everyone agrees that something must be done about the tremendous physical and emotional health problems that drug abuse causes. Concern about the abuse of drugs is so widespread that recent polls indicate it to be one of the most serious problems in today's world, threatening the security and freedom of whole nations. Politicians, health experts and much of the general public feel that no issue is more important than drug abuse. America's other pressing social problems- disease, poverty, child abuse and neglect, and corruption- often have a common element; that is drug abuse. The use of illegal drugs such as cocaine, crack, heroin and marijuana cause extensive harm to the body and brain. Yet, even after knowing this many people want illegal drugs to be legalized in every aspect. The last thing we need is a policy that makes widely available substances that impair memory, concentration and attention span; why in God's name foster the uses of drugs that make you stupid? The campaign for drug legalization is morally disgusting.The number of people who are addicted to illegal drugs or are users of these drugs is quite shocking. Drug abuse is clearly an injurious and sometimes fatal problem. The leaders of the international economic summit in Paris in July 1989 concluded that the devastating proportions of the drug problem calls for decisive action. On September 5, 1989, President Bush called upon the United States to join in an all-out fight against drugs. The United States Congress reports an estimated 25 to 30 million addicts of illegal drugs worldwide. Not all users are addicts, but some of the 26 million regular users of illegal drugs in the United States are addicted. Reports of child abuse to New York social services tripled between 1986 and 1988 and most of the cases involved drug abuse. Approximately 35 percent of the inmates of state prison were under the influence of illegal drugs at the time they committed the crimes for which they are incarcerated. In some parts of the country, that percentage is as high as 75 to 80! Another fact that hits people hard is that out-right deaths from illegal drugs have quadrupled in the last ten years! The proportion of 19 to 22 year olds who were at risk from using illegal drugs rose from 44 percent in 1980 to 69 percent in 1987. Among 17-18 year olds the shift over the same interval was from 50 percent to 74 percent (Williams 226)! The abuse of illegal drugs is very threatening to America's future. These drugs are the cause of many problems and crimes.

Tribalism :: Personal Narrative Papers

Tribalism I. My sister recently put a map of the world in her bedroom, where she dreams always of being chased. Warfare is the greatest affair of state, the basis of life and death, the Tao of survival and extinction. It must be thoroughly pondered and analyzed. If you want to succeed in battle, act as if deranged. 1 I overheard two women arguing. One of them was me, in a later life. The other was God. My sister pushes her dream away and we'll call her a mystic; her lived reality defers to the visions, and details of where we'll live, how we'll earn a living, or who is at the door sink into the background. If creatures are helpless in a world of flags and fairies, we can break tyrants with our fists. Why wake up from that vision? If I could remember, I would never return to sunburn, rental cars, boy scout leaders, garbage, greasy hair, no water in the desert, cold nights of sweat and gleaning. Trust me. Spring the trap - a package with an umbilical cord, ties straining. Mourning doves and the sound of birds and rapids. The wind pushes the river backwards, completing the cycle. Before night fell into your lap you stared blankly at the traffic light on the corner wondering, why consult the Book of Changes? Every sign you need is right here: fire trucks a staple on brook street, power lines buzzing overhead like soldiers of fortune. The planets align in your seventh house, poking feebly at an electromagnetic field. So if I ever say anything I'm lying to you. Feel better or worse, see if I care. March toward madness, in the evening we swore up and down to stay alive. Foundry the boundary down to the last gravedigger. Morning or evening times are unimportant; don't live to compete, but fight when you must for a better world. We are all singers and mad and we make less and less money every year. Perhaps you care about all this loss, heaped onto your plate like steaming eggs on an English. Further along and we come to a crossing, where I found you waiting for me and left. Pretend you have come to a crossing. Not a fork in the yellow wood but a good city intersection, with traffic and manholes and strangers not particularly watching.

Learner Profile

Student Self-assessment Please tick in one of the columns beside each statement. Name:| Always| Usually| Sometimes| Rarely| Date:| | | | | Throughout the process of the Exhibition I have been:| | | | | An inquirer who loves learning and always tries to develop my research skills and ability to work independently. | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Knowledgeable by exploring ideas and issues that have local and global importance. I try to develop my knowledge and understanding in all subjects. Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | A thinker who shows initiative and creativity when solving problems. | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | A communicator who tries to understand and express ideas in different ways. I try to work well with others in groups. I am trying to develop my language skills in all the languages I am studying. | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Principled by being honest and fair. I am respectful of others. I have responsibility for my own actions and their consequences. | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Open-minded b ecause I understand, respect and appreciate my own culture and that of others.I am open to different ideas, values and traditions. | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Caring by showing respect towards the environment and the needs and feelings of others. I try to make a positive difference through my actions. | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | A risk-taker who tries new experiences and makes informed and thoughtful decisions. I try to defend what I believe is important. | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | A balanced person who understands that it is important to study, exercise, sleep, eat well and enjoy life with friends and family. Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Reflective by thinking about my own learning and experience. I am able to understand my strengths and areas where I could improve, and set goals for myself. | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Comment:| | | | | Choose two of the Learner Profile Attributes, which you feel your partner has demonstrated throughout the Exhibition process. Write comment explaining which at tribute they have shown and how they have shown this. Name:Learner Profile Attributes: Comment:Signature: _____________________________________________| | | | |

Tunnel connection

An ethical hacker is a person who performs most of the same activities a cracker does, but with the owner or company's permission. T 2. Even though the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CHIPS) certification is not geared toward the technical IT professional, it has become one of the standards for many security professionals. F 3. To retrieve e-mail from a mail server, you most likely access port 119. T 4.An octal digit can be represented with only three bits because the largest digit in octal is seven. T 5. A hex number is written with two characters, each representing a byte. 6. Macro viruses are hard to create. 7. Computer crime is the fastest growing type of crime worldwide. 8. To limit the amount of information a company makes public, you should have a good understanding of what a competitor would do to discover confidential information. _F 9. The HTTP CONNECT method starts a remote application-layer Lubbock of the request message. 0. A Entries name does not ne ed to be unique on a network. Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. C 11. Hacking Security testing b. Cracking takes penetration testing to a higher level. D. Packet sniffing A 12. Some hackers are skillful computer operators, but others are younger inexperienced people who experienced hackers refer to as script kiddies packet snifters repetition monkeys crackers D 13.The International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants (SEC- Council) has developed a certification designation called . A. Compact Security+ CUSTOM professional security -rested (POST) Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CHIPS) Certified Ethical Hacker (CUE) A 14. The Stamina,Audit,Network, Security (SANS) Institute offers training and IT security certifications through Global Information Assurance Certification (IAC) can be created that welcomes new users Joining a chat session, D 15. A even though a person isn't actually present to welco me them. . Byte switch packet boot can replicate itself, usually through an executable program B 16. A attached to an e-mail. A. Shell Kellogg virus retrofit _C 17. Which of the following provides the most secure method of securing a company's assets? A. Rotary locks card access combination locks deadbolt locks D 18. Can be used to gather information useful for computer criminals, like many phone directories, financial reports, interoffice memos, resumes of employees, etc. A. Shoulder surfing Piggybacking Footprint Dumpster diving _C 19.In an JACK scan, if the attacked port returns an REST packet the attacked port is considered to be † open unfiltered closed unassigned Completion Complete each statement. 20. In the TCP/IP stack, the _ Transport_ layer is responsible for getting data packets to and from the Application layer by using port numbers. In addition to a unique network address, each network must be assigned 21. A(n) _subnet which helps distinguish the network address bits from the host dress bits. Mallard is malicious software, such as a virus,worm, or Trojan program, introduced to a network for Just that reason. 3. Antivirus software compares signatures of known viruses against the files on the computer; if there's a match, the software warns you that the program or file is infected. 24. In computer Jargon, the process of finding information on a company's network is called _footprint_; 25. The HTTP HTTP(S) method is used with a proxy that can dynamically switch to a tunnel connection, such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL). 26. What makes the _ Opens_ tool unique is the ability to update security heck plug-ins when they become available. 27.To determine what resources or shares are on a network, security testers must first determine what services footprint. Is being used via port scanning and 28. Nesses can be used to enumerate Windows Joss, as well as Linux systems. 29. RPC stands for Short Answer Remote Procedure Call . 30. How can DNS be used fo r footprint? DNS uses name servers to resolve names. After you determine what name server a company is using, you can attempt to transfer all the records for which the DNS server is responsible. This process, called a zone transfer, can be done with the Dig