Saturday, August 31, 2019

Financial Statement Essay: Internal & External Users Essay

Abstract Whether or not myself or anybody else who may or may not be going to school to be an accountant, it’s still important to know the basic fundamentals of more than just a business and/ or company but the numbers as well. Any success comes from the time, patience, passion, potential, and MONEY. Money is most important because without it, how can anything become an investment. We have to learn the four basic financial statements to set ourselves for a future. Even if there are ones who are going to be internal users- such as managers or external users- ones who are creditors and investors that may use financial statements to use as a tool of decision making. In this essay, I have discussed the importance of financial statements and the usefulness that it is to both internal and external users. Identifying & describing the four basic financial statements. The backbone of financial accounting is arranged in four different financial statements. The first would be a balance sheet, in which the purpose of this financial statement is presenting a picture at a point in time of what the business owns (assets) and what it owes its (liabilities). The second, an income statement, which shows how successful your business is performed during a period of time and this is where you report all the revenues and expenses. Third, the retained earnings statement, which indicates how much of previous income was distributed to you and the other owners of your business in the form of dividends- shares, and how much was retained in the business to allow for further growth and increase. Lastly, a statement of cash flows, which shows where your business obtained cash during a period of time and how much cash was used. How financial statements can be useful to internal users. Financial statements would be useful to internal users because managers are those who plan, organize, and run an entire business; they have to be able to present summarized financial information, which is a financial statement. It is important for them to know because numbers matters when it comes down to any type of business. They have so many important questions that needs to be asked and answered; for an example, â€Å"Is cash sufficient to pay dividends to Microsoft stockholders,† which is a Finance question. All the information has to be detailed on a timely basis. Also, for internal users, accounting provides internal reports, such as forecasts of cash needs for the next year. How financial statements can be useful to external users. External users are investors- owners, creditors, and investors. Financial statements are very important when it comes down to external users. Investors buy and sell stocks based upon their own belief of a company’s performance in the future; they are always interested in a company’s past net income because it does provide information for predicting how well the company’s will do. For an example, The United Airlines, creditors will ask â€Å"Will United Airlines be able to pay its debts as they come due?† Concerns all depends on the past, present, and future of a company’s success of its net income because if investors and creditors didn’t have assurance in different types of businesses then the economy would suffer. Many prospective company’s look to receive loans and borrow money so they can invest into something they have been planning over a period of time but, doesn’t have the funds to cover it so they are in need of sources to finance their vision. It takes money to make money. References Kimmel, P. D., Weygandt, J. J., & Kieso, D. E. (2011). Financial accounting: Tools for business making (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Happy Loman’s Significance In Arthur Miller’s “Death Of A Salesman” Essay

The definition of the American Dream is an important theme that is woven throughout the attitudes and actions of Arthur Miller’s characters in his play The Death of A Salesman. Happy Loman, a character dominated by his material greed and desire to crush anyone standing between him and the almighty dollar, represents a skewed perspective of that Dream, a perspective shared by an increasingly large amount of Americans. Through his insatiable appetite for power, lust, and wealth, Happy Loman embodies the modern capitalist American Dream. And through his never-ending discontent and incessant feeling of unfulfillment, Happy also embodies the fallacy and shortcomings of that Dream. One could consider Happy Loman to be a success. He may not be the president of his company (in fact he is one of two assistants to an assistant buyer), but at roughly thirty years of age, he has a steady job and a place of his own. And he’s moving up in the world, he’s getting somewhere. And there’s nothing wrong with this. American society and capitalism in general is based on the Puritan individualist work ethic, which states that hard work breeds success and happiness. But Happy isn’t succeeding because he works hard, because he’s well liked, or because he’s exceptionally good at what he does. He’s succeeding through the neo-American shortcut to happiness, the modern American Dream, which encourages cut-throat competition at every level. Happy, much like millions of other Americans, is moving up in the world by defeating his competition, by destroying all of those in his way. On page 23 and 24, he says, â€Å"All I can do now is wait for the merchandise manager to die†Ã‚ ¦He’s a good friend of mine.† Happy desires more money, more power, and more responsibility strongly enough that he is willing to lose a good friend of his, just to get his job. His job. Not a job. Another reason why Happy symbolizes the new American Dream is his obsession with ruining the lives of others in order to better himself. â€Å"I don’t know what gets into me, maybe I just have an overdeveloped sense of competition or something†Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  he says on page 25. Happy can get any woman he wants. Yet he deliberately chooses to sleep with the wives and  fiancÃÆ' ©es of his co-workers and bosses as a way of defeating them in some nonexistent competition for power. Therefore, despite the fact that they may be ahead of him in the business world, Happy can find solace in the fact that he â€Å"went and ruined† his bosses’ spouses. â€Å"Isn’t that a crummy characteristic?† he asks Biff. Of course it is, but it doesn’t stop Happy from doing it over and over. Happy may represent the quintessential American in the aspects mentioned above, but what truly cements his position as the epitome of the neo-capitalist is his pervading feelings of unhappiness and discontent. When Happy speaks of possibly becoming the new merchandise manager, he says that he would do the same thing that the old merchandise manager did: build a mansion of a house for himself, then sell in in two months. He says on page 23, â€Å"It’s crazy†Ã‚ ¦it’s what I always wanted. My own apartment, a car, and plenty of women.† Yet when Biff asks if he is content, Happy retorts, â€Å"Hell no!†. When speaking of women, whom Happy appears to be incredibly fond of, he says, â€Å"I keep knockin’ em over, and it doesn’t mean anything.† And why is Happy discontent? Because he defined the American Dream, his American Dream, in terms of money and power, instead of happiness and self-actualization. He will never be content, and nei ther will anyone else who shares his Dream. When goals are determined in denominations of currency, then they can never be reached, because no one can possess all the money that exists in the world. What’s better than a Toyota? A Lexus. What’s better than a Lexus? A Ferrari. What’s better than a Ferrari? A hovercraft? A yacht? 2 yachts? A goddamn jumbo jet? It never ends. And thus, the American Dream can be crushed under the weight of a dollar bill when it is improperly defined. The Dream becomes farce, a crock, a hoax, an old wives’ tale, an urban legend, an orange that consists of nothing but the peel, a person whose soul, whose brains have been sucked out of his nose by little aliens wearing wing-tipped shoes, carrying attachÃÆ' © cases, and driving hovercrafts with the future wives of their bosses in the passenger seat. But it doesn’t have to.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Managing Change Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managing Change - Research Proposal Example A successful management of change process leads to implement the procedural changes in a sustainable manner so that the organization can enjoy the long enduring benefits arising out of such changes (Hernes, Hendrup and Schà ¤ffnerc, 2015). In this paper, research will be done on change management of a renowned global fast food restaurant, Burger King. Theories of cultural changes and adaptation versus standardization will be analysed in order to establish the research agenda. Since its inception, the company has gone through several transformations in terms of management changes and changes in the production and operational process, as a result of external environmental changes. The Florida based company has gone through substantial changes since it has decided to expand its business in the Gulf Region. The research paper will concentrate on how the management has been able to manage the changes exclusively in Gulf region over a period of time. Organizational change is a critical aspect for every organization operating in global business framework. According to Hoenen and Kostova (2014), as the Gulf region is still in a state of pursuing its socio-economic and political reforms and accordingly changing the rules and legislations from time to time, it has become necessary for all the multinational companies operating in this region to change their business process and align their operations with the transforming regulations in this region. Schmid and Kotulla (2011) are on the opinion that when a multinational company decides to expand business in a new region on the globe, the management has to decide for every aspects of business starting from source of raw material, production and distribution process to supply chain and marketing strategies. Therefore, depending on the availability of resources and other facilities they should decide whether the company will standardize their existing

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The Fashion Industry and the New Consumer Coursework

The Fashion Industry and the New Consumer - Coursework Example The paper "The Fashion Industry and the New Consumer" analyzes the fashion industry in relation to new customers. For the greater portion of the 20th century, organizing communications had been tackled principally through marketing divisions and public relations, this being an inherently limited approach, consequently current forms of communications administration have incorporated these divisions into the wider company communications function. Moreover, the changes from inflexible to flexible market enabled the company to widen its market by diversifying its products. The move aimed at increasing competitiveness in the dynamic market and this saw Tesco investing in clothe line stores. The Tesco clothes vending company is amongst the largest clothing retailer, by capacity, in the UK and in 2008 it ranked third. 2008. Tesco clothes are dedicated to bringing a broad collection of clothes to men, kids and women. Its website developed swiftly and the sales had risen by almost 47% in the year 2009 as compared to sales at such a time in 2008. Consequently, Tescos rivals, e.g. Asos.com retailer, have felt the impact of from Tesco clothes retailer’s entry in the clothes market. The company parenting appears to work well as Tesco plc, provides a clear vision to the clothing retailer and promotes the business activity to maximize the total corporate turnover. It also assist this business unit to widen its strategic potential and helps all the other business units to ease cooperation and relations between themselves.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Factors of production and circular flow of income Coursework

Factors of production and circular flow of income - Coursework Example These factors are divided into four main categories: Land is the first category; land entails all the natural resources. Labor is another factor which simply refers to man power or human resources available for production through the utilization of natural resources and others. The third factor is capital also referred to as the man-made resources. Last but not least is Enterprise; which combines the other three factors or resources for production purpose. The factors are also classified in terms of management, money, materials and machines (Gitman, & McDaniel, 2009, Pg. 5). Where management depicts land resources, machines refer to labor, capital is equated to materials and enterprise to money. They are termed as factors of production since they are scarce resources, which are useful for the creation of services and goods, though, not for immediate and direct satisfaction of human needs. Economists simplify the different sorts of factors of production into broad categories to assist in understanding these factors of production. Land as a factor of production involves anything that comes from it. The most common land resources include water, oil, minerals, forests, gas and others. The land resources form the raw resources or materials in the production process. Natural resources are classified in three kinds such as chemical nature, their availability and abundances and lastly their distribution. Chemical nature resources entail inorganic resources such as air, minerals and water. Organic resources of the chemical nature refer to animals, plants, microorganisms and fossil fuels. The last chemical nature category includes mixed resources like soils. The other category of land resources is abundance and availability which entails in exhaustible or exhaustible resources. Exhaustible resources entails renewable and non-renewable, whereas renewable resources can sustain themselves or be replaced if properly managed. Non-renewable resources are lost forever once has been used. The distribution category involves national, multinational and international resources, which are used to create resources. The revenue that resource proprietors receive in return for land amenities is known as rent. The next factor of production to analyze is labor. Labor as a factor of production is the effort that human beings contribute to the production of services and goods. Labor resources encompass the activities of the people to facilitate service provision and production of goods to assist in day to day activities. Labor resources are almost contributed by people who have attained age of working to earn. This is because economist says that if one has ever been paid for the work he or she did then in that way has contributed labor resources; thus, has enabled production of goods and services. The income obtained from labor resources is referred to as wages and forms the greatest source of income for the majority. The third resource of production is capital. Accor ding to economist, capital as a factor of production refers to tools, machineries or other instruments that humans use to produce goods and services. Capital as a resource of production differs; this is because different services and goods require different resources to produce them. The income that is gained from capital as a fact

Monday, August 26, 2019

Criminal Law Case Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Criminal Law Case Report - Essay Example She therefore initiated a legal action in order to challenge the constitutionality of the criminal abortion laws in Texas. There were additional plaintiffs, however, the facts were quite different than those of Roe. In particular, these plaintiffs were not pregnant and they did not present the same sense of urgency and relevance as existed in the case of Roe. The United State Supreme Court dismissed these plaintiffs because they lacked legal "standing" and because the issues in their cases were not yet decidable or "justiceable." This report, consequently, will focus on the specifics and the legal merits of the case involving Roe. The main questions presented are whether the Texas criminal abortion laws violate certain constitutional principles and provisions. Roe, a resident of Dallas, Texas, initiated this lawsuit in a federal court. The defendant was the District Attorney of the county in which she resided. She didn't sue for money; instead she requested that the federal court issue a declaratory judgment stating that the criminal abortion laws violated the federal constitution and she further requested that the federal court issue an injunction to prohibit the District Attorney from enforcing the criminal abortion statutes. ... Roe was successful as the federal trial court found that the ninth and fourteenth amendments did, in fact, extend to women a "fundamental right" to decide whether or not to have children. The federal court further decided that the Texas criminal abortion laws were "unconstitutionally vague" and that Roe was entitled to a declaratory judgment. A difficulty, however, was that because the criminal abortion laws were declared void, the injunctive relief requested by Roe was dismissed. Neither party was satisfied. Roe appealed from the rejection of her request for injunctive relief and the District Attorney appealed from the declaration that the criminal abortion laws were unconstitutional and therefore void. Traditionally, cases are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. In this case, by contrast, a "protective appeal" was made to the 5th Circuit and also directly to the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court noted some awkwardness with the skipping of the intermediate appellate court, but at the same time noted that it had discretion to review the appeals. Therefore, the Supreme Court proceeded to review the case on its merits. Legal Discussion: The United States Supreme Court Justice Blackmun was compelled to address a number of preliminary issues prior to addressing the constitutionality of the Texas criminal abortion laws. There was a suggestion that Roe did not have legal standing to bring this case because she was not pregnant at certain times during the course of the litigation. The Supreme Court dismissed these arguments by stating that pregnancy is by its very nature a limited condition and that the legal issues were of sufficient important to

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Economics for Business Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Economics for Business Assignment - Essay Example This product differentiation gives the players in the monopolistic competition pricing power (A.Koutsoyiannis, 2010). The ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel believes that the fuel market is characterized by a comfortable oligopoly. I agree with Mr. Samuel’s opinion. At the retail stage of the fuel market, Woolworths and Wesfarmers Coals each have 22% of the market share. BP has 19%. Caltex has 16% and Exxon-Mobil has 6%. This totals to 85% of the total market share. Therefore these five players definitely dominate the industry at the retail stage. The situation at the refining stage is also similar with Caltex supplying as much as 55% of the wholesale supply in some states like New South Wales. The oligopolistic structure in the fuel industry in Australia arises from the barriers to entry because of intensive capital and technological requirements for operating in the industry. 2) The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is the competition regulator of Australia. The ACCC promotes competition and fair trade in the Australian marketplace to benefit consumers, business and the community ( ACCC, 2011). In the year 2007, the ACCC undertook a detailed investigation in the Australian fuel industry to determine if there was ‘collusive oligopoly’ marked by price-fixing. The investigation found no â€Å"obvious† investigation of price-fixing, but it said that there were operational concerns because of the oligopolistic nature of the industry (ACCC, 2011). The ACCC opposed the acquisition by Caltex on the ground that it would substantially lessen competition across a range of fuel markets in Australia. The ACCC believed that this acquisition would have an adverse impact on competition in the petrol, diesel and automotive LPG markets. During a six month investigation of the proposed deal the ACCC identified 53 Mobil sites that, if they were acquired by Caltex, would result in

Saturday, August 24, 2019

PLANNING PERSONAL FINANCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

PLANNING PERSONAL FINANCE - Essay Example In case of dividend if the income is received or accumulated it is given a credit @ 10%. For example, if an investor gets a dividend of 90p then total dividend would be counted as 100p as 10% credit built in it. Tax payers who fall in starting rate and basic rates and non tax payers does not have to do any other things in this regard. No refund will be accommodated by HMRC (Her Majestys Revenue and Customs) on this claim by non tax payers. It should be noted that the losses made on disposals can be adjusted with profits made during the year and then the tax would be calculated. Further the losses accumulated can be carried forward for indefinite period. Term life assurance is a policy which gives coverage at a fixed payment rate for decided period of time which is normally limited in nature. After the period has lapsed coverage automatically expires and the rates and premiums also get changed. It is on the client either to leave the coverage or obtain more coverage by making different payment on different terms and conditions. In case of death of insured during the term, the benefits of insured will be paid to the beneficiaries. An individual can also make contributions on his own by making an arrangement with an insurance company or some other provider. These schemes will also enjoy similar tax advantages as that of occupational schemes. Normally individuals invest during their employment life and then enjoy the pension in their post retirement life. There are various advantages attached with an scheme in respect of tax which got itself registered. Some of the advantages are assets grow free from income tax, capital gains tax and corporation tax, employees are allowed to contribute out of their untaxed income and employer contributions are allowed in tax as deductible expenses. Only funded schemes are allowed to get registered. It is not necessary that the shares are available on par

Friday, August 23, 2019

The Geek Crises Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Geek Crises - Essay Example The recession that has overtaken the European zone post the housing bubble burst in the US is poised to shake things up in the European region as well. The small states like Greece, Spain and Italy which hitherto have been irresponsible and caviler with their fiscal policies have been putting the overall aggregate demand within their territories under too much of a stress. The augmenting debt has not only placed the aggregate demand in these countries under too much of a stress, but has also lead to drastic changes in the wage and labor markets, which has made the aggregate supply and consequently the national outputs to shrink as well. This call for drastic austerity measures so that the free market forces could come into play and rescue the shrinking aggregate demand thereby resuscitating the aggregate supply to the full employment levels in Greece and other suffering European states. Table of Contents 1.1 Executive Summary †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 2.0 Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.... 4 2.1 Things to be Discussed †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 3.0 Discussion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ... the Greek situation by suggesting situation bound and conditional rescue packages tagged to tough austerity measures and an enhanced centralization of fiscal power in the European Union (Erlanger 2012). In contrast the liberal states like France intend to propose a more lax attitude towards the Greek situation and want to allow Greece a measure of fiscal and financial freedom thereby allowing the possibly new elected government in Greece a somewhat enhanced flexibility and maneuverability (Erlanger 2012). At present the possible Greek exit has emerged to be a bone of contention between the liberals and conservatives in the European Union. Not to mention that the current political situation in Greece at the time when this article was published happened to be volatile with no stable government that could accrue the people’s confidence and thereby push the proposed European backed reforms and austerity measures. The situation demands a withdrawal of the state fiscal measures from the Greek economy in a time bound and systematic manner so that the free market forces could operate and bring back the economy to a normal level (Erlanger 2012). However, no party in Greece seems to be willing to face the wrath of the masses by raising the public anger. In the mean time the capital from Greece is flowing out and the rating agencies have not only downgraded the credit worthiness of Greece as a region, but have also downgraded the credit worthiness of many salient Greek financial institutions and banks (Erlanger 2012). This has given way to a catch 22 situation in which the European Union expects Greece to act responsible and accept a conditional bailout package and opt for tough austerity measures while the people of Greece seem to be totally averse to any such compromises.

Business of Ford Pinto Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business of Ford Pinto - Essay Example For advocates of utilitarian ethics, an ethical doctrine that states that the decision or course of action that will yield the highest benefit (or utility) is the best and most morally upright, on the other hand, the continued production of Ford Pinto after knowing that it has a major safety flaw is unjustifiable. First looking at the benefit or the utility that Ford, itself, will receive out of releasing Pinto in the market, utilitarians may argue that production of this product knowing that it has a vital defect is itself unjustifiable. There is no good reason why Ford will endanger its reputation to the public. Though they may reap benefits in terms of profit in the short run, still it will not compensate the loss of trust that their risky move will engender. This marred reputation most probably will result in lower sales in the future. In terms of its responsibility to the society, Ford’s move for utilitarians is irresponsible and unacceptable. Though it may have computed the cost that they may incur once there compensate casualties because of their product, still that does not justify the loss of a human life because of their negligence and irresponsibility. In terms of computing financial costs, a human life and moral damages are incomparable to the figures that they released. Ford also know even before the launching of the car that additional parts and equipment might have saved the lives of their customers, yet still, they commenced the production without adding it.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

John Steinbacks Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

John Steinbacks Of Mice and Men Essay John Steinbacks Of Mice and Men is a tale of two travelling workers in the harsh depression years of 1930s America. Steinback uses a Cyclical Structure upon finishing the book I noticed many similarities between the first and last chapter. The first similarity was the location. In Chapter One Steinback mentions a deserted place near a non-flowing pool, and then introduces both Lennie and George, the same happens in the last chapter but this time Lennie is alone having run away from the ranch. Lennie is shown to the readers as simple-minded and so Steinback uses this to an advantage; His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool; drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse Lennie dipped his whole head under, hat and all, and then he sat up on the bank and his hat dripped down on his blue coat and ran down his back Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water and wiggled his fingers so the water arose in little splashes; rings widened across the pool to the other side and came back again, Lennie watched them go. Look George. Look what I done. Steinback mentions the drinking of the pool water later in Chapter Six. The second similarity that I noticed was of the dream that Lennie and George shared. Just like a little child, Lennie likes the idea of their dream and asks for it to be repeated on numerous occasions. The most significant times are mentioned in the book; at the beginning where they both feel that they are able to achieve the dream and at the end, just before George shoots Lennie. Lennie has this problem where once he holds onto to something he cant let go. In Chapter One George and Lennie are running away from a ranch in Weed, due to Lennie holding onto a girls red silk dress, as he felt the silk, the girl thought that she was going to be sexually assaulted and so panicked. She ran off to tell the other ranch workers giving George and Lennie time to run off. In the Last Chapter Lennie runs from the Soledad ranch to the brush area because he killed Curleys wife. Having to put up with Lennies bad behavior, George feels pressurized and so says that he could live a lot better without Lennie; Why, I could stay in a cat house all night. I could eat any place I want, hotel or any place, and order any damn thing I could think of. This is all mentioned in Chapter One and in the last chapter Georges feelings are represented by Lennies hallucination in the form of Aunt Clara; And then from out of Lennies head there came a little fat old woman. She wore thick bulls-eye glasses and she wore a huge gingham apron with pockets, and she was starched and clean. She stood in front of Lennie and put her hands on her hips, and frowned disapprovingly at him. And when she spoke, it was in Lennies voice. I tol you an tol you, I tol you Min George because hes such a nice fella an good to you But you dont never take no care. You do bad things. You never give a thought to George, hes been doin nice things for you alla time. When he got a piece a pie you always got half or moren half All the time he coulda had such a good time if it wasnt for you. He woulda took his pay an raised hell in a whorehouse, and he coulda set in a poolroom an played snooker. But he got to take care of you. Knowing that he has done something bad this time, Lennie reflects back the entire sayings that him and George said before going to work on the ranch in Soledad. From the Ketchup argument Lennie threatens to leave George and climb up into the mountains, yet again in the last chapter he threatens to go off into the caves to Aunt Clara. Steinbacks use of language describing the water snake and the heron gives the reader a very secretive message; If your not careful something bad may happen, and just like the watersnake being caught by the heron, the watersnake represents Lennie and the heron represents George.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Why Is Soil Conservation Important Environmental Sciences Essay

Why Is Soil Conservation Important Environmental Sciences Essay Quantitative determination of the extent and impact of soil erosion by water in the tropics have been sketchy. However all available evidence indicates that accelerated erosion is a problem of serious magnitude and with a multitude of negative effects in many tropical countries. The awareness to conserve soil began approximately nine thousand years ago when human civilization shifted from nomadic hunting and gathering experience to a more permanent, settled and intensive soil-dependent plant and animal farming systems (Miller, Rasmussen and Meyer, 1985). Soil provides the medium from which most of the sustenance for humankind is derived. This thin, complex, crustal carpet uniquely integrates many attributes of the lithosphere, atomosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere (Miller, Rasmussen and Meyer 1985). Soil is regarded as a nonrenewable source since its formation from the parent rock material to an agriculturally productive growth medium is a very slow process (Lal 1990). The top soil is where most of the living activities of both flora and fauna take place. According to Brady and Weil 1999, the top soil is the upper most part of the soil ordinarily moved in tillage or its equivalent in uncultivated soils which range in depth from 7 to 25 cm (the plow layer). Removal of this plant nutrient enriched topsoil due to soil erosion would result in lowering of soil fertility through losses of both organic matter and nutrients which would result in decline of crop yields (Lal 1986; Rose and Dalal 1988). This loss in soil productivity due to erosion is serious in caribbean countries where fertilizer substitute for the lost plant nutrients is not affordable. This would lead to poorer soil profile characteristics such as low organic matter levels (Rose 1989;Rose 1998). Soil Erosion is perhaps the most serious form of land degradation throughout the world. For the tropics specifically, while it is acknowledged that erosion is more serious than else where, no analytical or systematic studies have been undertaken to document the problem, it consequences or potential solutions. Soil erosion results in lost water and plant nutrients at rates even greater than those occurring naturally through leaching ( Brady and Weil 1999). If there are no conservation practices present, soil erosion will occur and land degradation, reduced productivity due to loos of top soil, increased runoff and off site sedimentation problems (such as siltation of bodies of water and damage to crops and roads) will occur. The consequent socio-economic costs of sometimes more obvious off site damage are commonly easier to identify and quantify (Chrisholm 1987; Rose 1993). 1.2 Soil Conservation Strategies The caribbean is characterized by steep slopes. The degrees of steepness and the proportion of the land area classified as steep may vary. In Trinidad and Tobago, a larger propotion of steep slopes is still covered with natural vegetation which reduces the soil washed off the surface. Trinidad is marked with a long dry season in the early part of the year and then followed by an intense wet season. Most erosion occurs when the land is cleared of vegetation for farming. This usually occurs just before the rainy season. It is important to note however that most food crop production in Trinidad as well as the rest of the Caribbean, is carried out by small farmers on sloping land with no attention to soil conservation practices. This is the main reason for severe soil erosion in Trinidad and Tobago and by extension the Caribbean. Soil conservation is understood as not only involving the control of loss of soil material due to erosion but also the decline in fertility (chemical, physical and biological breakdown of the soil). (Young 1984). The adverse effect of soil erosion is not confined only to decrease in soil depth but ultimately to the loss loss of organic matter and plant nutrients and consequently to degradation of soil physical properties and crop yield decline ( Young 1984). It is important to note however that treating the benefits of soil conservation in isolation from other agricultural improvements does not assure adoption of the soil conservation practice (Young 1984). Integration of soil conservation is important ( Douglas 1988; Shaxson 1988). Sheng and Meiman (1988) stated reasons for the difficulty of farmers in adopting soil conservation practice. The reasons are as follows: i) long time for the result of soil conservation to be realized, ii) identification of benefits from soil conservation and iii) the need for big investments by farmers. It is important to note however that Williams and Walter (1988), in a terracing project in Venezuela, found that improvement in the living incomes and opportunites for employment, increases the difficulty of motivating the farmers to adopt soil conservation practices. Apparently when low income and underemployment prevail, farmers easily participate in soil conservation programmes (Williams and Walter 1988; Liao et al 1988). The adverse effect of soil erosion is not confined only to loss of soil particles but also the loss of organic matter and plant nutrients. As a result of this crop yield decline will occur (Young 1984). Conservation farming should serve as the basis for counteracting the problem of soil erosion. To carry out this approach in developing countries, novel approaches in extension and research are needed. The majority of the soil conservation techniques were developed in the United States of America under condtions different from the other parts of the world experiencing erosion (Sheng, 1982; Hudson 1988; Sheng 1988). The techniques that worked well in the United States were extrapolated to the tropics in the 1930s and 1940s. It took fifty years to realize that these methods were unsuitable for the tropics ( Hudson,1987; Hudson 1988). The dominant traditional farming system in the tropics are the shifting cultivation and related bush fallow systems (Okigbo and Greenland, 1976). The non-ac ceptance of the many recommendations on soil conservation methods is attributed to their in appropriateness and incompatibility with the farmers operating environment (Douglas, 1988). The following agricultural conditions in the United States of America paved the way for the development of soil conservation activities (Hudson,1982;Hudson 1987): Combined good topography and favourable climate Low population pressure for intensive land use Strong and sustained government support well educated and informed agriculture sector Readily available credit and financial support Reliable prices and market outlets for agricultural produce Highly developed and highly mechanized agricultural industry. According to Hudson (1987), the absence of these conditions in most developing countries made the North American approach to soil conseration in appropriate. The absence of political will, or the limitations in or lack of resources often hindered soil conservation programmes in developing countries. The main aim of soil conservation should be preventation rather than cure. Soil conservation activity should be focused mainly on preserving good land rather than reclaiming damaged land. Without waiting for visible soil erosion damage, farmers should be encouraged to understand that there is a need for soil conservation due to continuing reduction in agricultural yield (Hudson, 1987). Loss of agricultural productivity should be emphasized in any soil conservation programme. For sometime, soil erosion research activities had almost been exclusively directed towards uantfying soil loss, hence data on the effect of soil erosion on agriculture productivity is seriously lacking (Crosson and Stout, 1983; ASAE,1985; Follet and Stewart, 1985; Stocking, 1985). Removal of topsoil resulted in decline of yield of a variety of agricultural crops (El-Swaify, Dangler and Amstrong 1982). Factors like type of soil, depth of soil, fertility status, topography, and type of crop affected the size of the decline in agricultural yield (Frye et al, 1982; Langdale and Schrader, 1982; Schertz 1983). There is limited data for soil and crops in the tropics (Lal, 1977). The effects of soil erosion on soil productivity in the tropics are move severe than for temperate countries (Moberg, 1972). This is because of highly weathered soils, fragile fertility status and most crop nutrents are found in the topmost layer of the soil. There is also significant deterioration of physical qualities of the soil as a growing medium after soil erosion (Lo, 1990). Higher erosion rates, the more severe changes in chemical qualities resulting from erosion and the inability of the farmer to provide the necessary inputs for restoring those qualities to a sufficient level were the primary reasons given for these conclusions (El-Swaify, 1990). The benefits of soil conservation are not immediately realized in every case and may initially result in crop yield reductions (John 1988). Improvement in agricultural production, rather than mitigating soil erosion, is of more significance and desirable for the farmer, while prevention of soil loss is an unreal concept for them (Hudson, 1987). The new approach of soil conservation will be a mixture of both agronomy measures as well as mechanical works ( Tracy, 1988). Mechanical systems are frequently expensive, consume space and time, need regular maintenance and do not assure improved crop production (Roose, 1988). Too much emphasis put into mechanical works discourages effective soil conservation policies (Rose, 1989). Conservation farming systems include improved farming, with mechanical protection works being a component of last resort. This approach is consistent with the principle that improved agricultural production should lead to better soil erosion control (Hudson 1988). Biological measures provide immediately recognizable short term benefits to farmers. Any mechanical work involved in soil conservation must m aximize the use of locally available experts, minimize, the use of structures and required labour. Community involvement must be involved (Hudson, 1987). To gain acceptance by farmers, any proposed soil conservation strategy should offer short-term, apparent, rapid or immediately recognizable, directly effective benefits and positive results, particularly for subsistence farmers who work in a short-time scale and who comprise a large percentage of farmers in less developed countries (Harper and El-Swaify 1988; Hudson,1988; Lovejoy and Naiper, 1988; Sanders, 1988; Thomas 1988; Tracy, 1988; Wenner, 1988; Williams and Walter, 1988). Soil conservation techniques recommended for farmers should be simple, easily understood and demonstrated, low cost, productive, sustainable and acceptable (Douglas, 1988;Vonk 1988). Conservation measures should involve principles that can be applied to more than one situation. However, methods and techniques are often site specific and caution should be exercised in extrapolating them to other sites (Saunders 1988). Adoption of soil conservation technology is assured if the farmers have full understanding, support and participation in all the stages of the project, from planning, implementation to maintenance (Harper and El-Swaify, 1988; Sanders, 1988; Vonk 1988; Tracy 1988). Farmers full participation is ensured if they are convinced that their relevant and important needs can be adequately met (Sanders 1988). Thus the farmer needs to be recognized as part of the solution rather than a part of the problem (Hudson,1987; Hudson,1988). The three (3) main objectives of this study are: To investigate the effect of slope angle and rainfall intensities on soil erosion under controlled conditions using four distinct soil types To compare this data with that for a cropped plot. To highlight an approach at estimating erosion risk and nutrient loss for Trinidad and Tobago.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Advanced technology in speech-based interfaces

Advanced technology in speech-based interfaces Abstract Speech-based interfaces are not new to computing, they have been relatively underused as an efficient and effective method of human and computer interaction. The technology has been of great interest over the past few years, although there are still significant improvements and possibilities for the future. This paper investigates current usages and standards of the technology and what contributions are being made. The paper also identifies some possible future uses of Speech-based interfaces, and possible future benefits of this technology, when compared to current methods and certain types of users. Speech-based interfaces are not new to computing, they have been relatively underused as an efficient and effective method of human and computer interaction. A background to the technology is included and it is described how the need for natural language and speech interfaces increased, and there became a need for standardisation, and the standard VoiceXML was released. From this standard other technologies were born, including a combination of XHTML and VoiceXML to develop Internet applications with a speech-based interface. These technologies combined with web and car technologies have provided an opportunity for voice controller motor vehicle control in the near future. While this technology has been designed to help the average person be more efficient, with some small changes there can be benefits to be gained from elderly users and disabled users as well. With every new technology there exist problems which will be discussed as well, and this will lead to a conclusion summarisi ng points and justifying the benefits. Natural language interfaces are an important part of Human Computer Interaction, as the number of telephones in the world still outnumbers of computers and therefore natural language is more widely used than a mouse or keyboard. To smooth the progress of exchanges between humans and machines the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has published a recommendation for vocal interaction language based on XML, which allows interactions on many interfaces including Internet applications by using XHTML combined with VoiceXML. Because VoiceXML uses the HTTP protocol to communicate it is possible for a VoiceXML telephone gateway to communicate with a web server, in this type of environment the web server is providing a response to a user on a telephone and bridging the gap between phone and Internet. This is supported by the World Wide Web Consortium (2010): The telephone was invented more than 150 years ago, and continues to be a very important means for us to communicate with each other. The Web by comparison is very recent, but has rapidly become a competing communications channel. The convergence of telecommunications and the Web is now bringing the benefits of Web technology to the telephone, enabling Web developers to create applications that can be accessed via any telephone, and allowing people to interact with these applications via speech and telephone keypads (p. 1). VoiceXML is becoming a standard for Human-Computer audio, with speech synthesis and recognition of spoken input. This technology brings the ability to have a natural conversation as an Internet and content manipulation interface. An automated phone system with VoiceXML also has the ability to understand or translate multiple languages. The popularity is increasing as major companies such as IBM, HP and Motorola are now supporting and using VoiceXML. A major goal is to bring the advantages of web-based development and content delivery to interactive voice response applications (Rouillard, 2007, p. 27). XHTML + Voice (X+V) are a technology for describing visual and audio web pages, visual interaction is described by XHTML and auditory interaction is described by VoiceXML. Enabling users to have a HTML display of a website, with the ability to navigate and use the site by voice or by traditional methods of input. Until recently XHTML and VoiceXML (X+V) functionality had not been implemented by major Internet browser companies, instead it had been used by small companies with government grants and been talked about as a possible future technology. Currently the Opera web browser offers native support for XHTML and VoiceXML, it will also attempt voice interaction with standard XHTML pages. While Internet Explorer and Firefox still do not have native support for XHTML and VoiceXML, although third party extensions and add-ons have been created. Opera Software ASA say, any ordinary browser command can be done by voice, such as navigating to, and following the next link in a document, goin g to the next slide in an Opera Show presentation, or logging on to a password protected Website (p. 1). XHTML and VoiceXML offer an increased opportunity with Opera web browser now being installed in Ford vehicles, for a speech-based interface to enable eye-free and hands-free computer interaction while driving. This technology could potentially control dash-panel and computer systems via speech-based interfaces, enable users functionality from changing the temperature of the heater to sending emails by voice while driving a car. Opera Software ASA say, This solution will allow Ford truck and van owners to maintain a virtual work environment with access to all of the important files, information and applications they need on a daily basis (p. 1). Because XML is a dynamic and universal language overseen by the W3C, it means that XML based technologies such as VoiceXML are not limited to Internet applications. The same piece of XML can be used for various applications and imported into other applications if they support it, and there is no reason why VoiceXML cannot be the same in the future as well. Mobile phones for some time have had the ability to read text messages and email messages aloud to the user, which could be beneficial for visually impaired persons and persons operating a vehicle. Text-to-speech software reads the text on the screen aloud in a natural sounding voice, giving you convenient access to phone menus and functions, short messages, e-mail messages (Nokia, n.d., p. 1). Using VoiceXML based technology it is entirely possible for a user to read a text message aloud to the mobile phone, the phone translate this to textual content and sends it via the SMS service. This may sound silly at first, due to the tech nology to be able to call someone and say it verbally without a computer translating the words into text for you. Although this would give businesses a greater ability to stay in contact while on the move, as text messaging is used extensively in business and preferred in some cases depending on the message being sent. This could also provide a solution to a major problem with cellular phones, which is texting while driving. In principle a technology that allows a user to drive and sent text messages safely while talking to their cell phone will save lives and make lives easier. Talking to a passenger or singing to the radio has not been noted as a significant cause of crashes, which are very similar functions to verbalising a text message. Government officials arent the only ones getting on the texting ban-wagon. TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey has launched a national television and Internet campaign to encourage people to commit to putting their cell phones away while driving (Hat tiesburg American, 2010, p. 1). As technology has progressed, people have continuously sought after smaller and smaller devices with greater detail and speed. Technology has reached the point where the input devices themselves are holding back the device from becoming any smaller. Voice interaction can escape the physical limitations on keypads and displays as mobile devices become ever smaller (World Wide Web Consortium, 2010, p. 5). With a global aging population it is important that we enable and help elderly people to function and live as independently as technology will allow. Elderly people may be able to benefit by the advancement of speech-based technologies, but to first understand how they could benefit, it is important to understand their characteristics. The human interfaces to most computer systems for general use have been designed, either deliberately or by default, for a typical, younger user (Gregor, P., Newell, A. F., 2001, p. 1). Elderly people can be crudely generalised into three groups: fit older people, frail older people and older people with long term disabilities. Fit older people can be described as those who appear or do not consider themselves disabled. Frail older people who would be considered as disabled and have one or more difficulties, including at least one that impairs their functionality in some way. The elderly who have had a long-term disability throughout their life that ha s affected the aging process and their ability to function is dependent on declining functions. Other aspects to keep into consideration are the variability in physical, sensory and cognitive abilities with the elderly, as one size does not fit all in this situation. Another aspect is the variations in ability to operate a computer system due to disabilities, impairments and learning capabilities. Gregor and Newell (2001) conclude: In general, as people grow older their abilities change. This process of change includes a decline over time in the cognitive, physical and sensory functions, and each of these will decline at different rates relative to one another for each individual. This pattern of capabilities varies widely between individuals, and as people grow older, this variability increases. In addition, any given individuals capabilities vary in the short term due, for example, to temporary decrease in, or loss of, function due to a variety of causes including illness, blood sugar levels and state of arousal (p. 2). Interfaces for older people need to have a greater diversity of functionality when compared to a younger group, to meet the greater needs. By providing a speech based interface as an option for operating a computer, it is dependent on a function that most people have used their entire lives and is reliant on a function that is not considered to dramatically decrease with age. This can also enable them to use a computer system with a telephone as described previously with VoiceXML capabilities, for those who are intimidated by technology and the thought of using a computer. Finally the interface designed needs to use general terms over technical terms, for example moving to the main section rather than clicking on the home link. Most systems and interfaces are designed for typical healthy or high functioning users, when compared with users with disabilities that can have difficulties using a standard keyboard or mouse. It is important with the growth of the Internet and technology that disabled users are not left out, and that they are able to access these resources if they choose, or if it could benefit their lives. There may be situations where a computer application could benefit the life of somebody with a handicap, but they cannot use a computer due to motor-function restrictions. This demonstrates the need for hands-free or eye-free computer access and includes two main groups, visually impaired users and motor-handicapped. The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) works with organizations around the world to develop strategies, guidelines, and resources to help make the Web accessible to people with disabilities (Web Accessibility Initiative, 2009, p. 1). Many applications and web browsers are developed to assist people with disabilities, although many of them have been quietly withdrawn leaving broken links or on the occasion that the system is still available for download it may have been abandoned and not maintained anymore. An important aspect of developing voice applications for handicapped users is that they may want to use voice control in combination with other interfaces such as a joystick or other aid devices. The aim of speech systems is generally naturalness and to copy conversations that we have had our entire lives, but in the case of users with disabilities it may be more beneficial to aim for learn-ability over naturalness. For example instead of saying activate microphone or something technical to activate the microphone, saying Wake Up: un-mutes the microphone and turns on the light in left side (Brondsted Aaskoven, 2005, p.4). Technology is currently heading toward eye-free and hands-free access of systems, for purposes such as accessing a computer while driving a car or making us more productive. The same base technology is required to support speech based services for disabled users, but the difference of needs when interacting are very different. We generally would prefer to speak to a computer in a turn based communication like we have when we are talking to other human beings, although as an aid for using systems or interface for disabled users it would be more beneficial to use command driven voice systems using non-technical terms. While still using human to human terms, such as wake-up and sleep which even severely mentally disabled users would understand. There are people with mental disabilities so severe that they are unable to understand wake-up or sleep, but they are highly unlikely to have any need for a computer, as they are more concerned with surviving day to day. The VoiceXML standard has ensured a guideline for developing voice applications, but there are currently no standards for the development environments or interfaces. This means that the layout and functionality from development environments will be completely different, and the code generated by the development environments will not necessarily be compatible, as the two different development environments will generate completely different tags and formats. Building spoken applications from scratch can take a long period of time, and several different frameworks and technologies. As VoiceXML works with predetermined grammar, which can be troublesome in the development of some applications. But by combining the VoiceXML platform with independent systems for voice recognition, it is possible to increase its capacities of understanding. VoiceXML is great step toward speech and voice based interfaces, but it has a lot of work to become a complete framework for developing speech applicatio ns. Accordingly, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on the development of toolkits and environments that hide some of this complexity and allow developers to rapidly prototype and deploy speech-based applications. (Bennett Llitjod Shriver Rudnicky Black, 2002, p. 1). Natural speech-based interfaces can provide a known and familiar interface for interacting with computer systems, because we spend our lives conversing with other people and communicating over the telephone. Current technology makes it possible to interact with a website or computer application via a telephone and it is possible to translate the language spoken for the system, and translate a response back to the user. The ability to use a generic markup language like VoiceXML with applications such as XHTML is a leap forward in creating an Internet that can be accessible via speech-based interfaces. This enables future technology such as voice controlled functions of a motor vehicle and improved cell phone speech interface. One of the most significant impacts of this technology is the ability for elderly people to use a function is not known for degeneration as a computing interface. This will also enable users who are new to computers but familiar with telephones to use a computer more easily. Many disabled people struggle to maintain their independence, with motor function restrictions that prevents them from using a computer effectively. With the ability for disabled people to manipulate programs and browse the Internet with a speech interface, it could help them maintain their freedom and independence. As with all new technologies, there are severe problems that a solution must be found for before this technology can take off; this includes a standard for a complete framework rather than just a markup language providing grammar and large vocabulary support. It is concluded that speech-based interfaces currently, and will continue to, provide benefits in the advancement of the technology, providing that the right people get access to this technology and not just the average user who is happy to type. References Bennett, C., Llitjod, A. F., Shriver, S., Rudnicky, A., Black, A.W. (2002). Building voicexml-based applications. Paper presented at the7th International Conference on Spoken Language Processing September 2002, Denver, Colorado, United States of America. Retrieved February 19, 2010, from http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~awb/papers/ICSLP2002/voicexml.pdf Brondsted, T., Aaskoven, E. (2005). Voice-controlled internet browsing for motor-handicapped users. Design and Implementation Issues, Interspeech 2005. doi:10.1.1.65.3974 Gregor, P., Newell, A. F. (2001). Designing for Dynamic Diversity Making accessible interfaces for older people. In J. Jorge., R. Heller., R. Guedj (Eds.). Proceedings of 2001 EC/NSF Workshop on Universal Accessibility of Ubiquitous Computing: Providing for the Elderly: 22-25 May 2001, Alcacer do Sal, Portugal. Dunhee: University of Dunhee. Hattiesburg American. (2010). Texting while driving deadly at any age. Retrieved March 1, from 2010 from http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20100221/OPINION01/2210304/Texting-while-driving-deadly-at-any-age Opera Software ASA. (2010). Opera Tutorials. Retrieved March 1, 2010 from http://www.opera.com/browser/tutorials/voice/using/ Opera Software ASA. (2009). Opera brings full web browsing to new ford trucks and vans. Retrieved March 3, 2010 from http://www.opera.com/press/releases/2009/04/02_2/ Nokia. (n.d.). Nokia accessibility: Text to speech. Retrieved March 1, 2010 from http://www.nokiaaccessibility.com/tts.html Rouillard, J. (2007) Web services and speech-based applications around voicexml. Journal of Networks, 2(1), 27-35. Web Accessibility Initiative. (2009). About WAI. Retrieved March 1, 2010 from http://www.w3.org/WAI/about-links.html World Wide Web Consortium. (2010). W3C voice browser working group. Retrieved March 1, 2010 from http://www.w3.org/Voice/

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Use of Flashback in Kenneth Branaghs Henry V Essay -- Film, Movie

The Use of Flashback in Kenneth Branagh's Henry V Â   In Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Henry V flashback is used at key moments to comment on the action and to explain points in Henry's past, and how that past effects his present judgment. Certain scenes and lines are borrowed from parts one and two of Shakespeare's Henry IV to do this. The result is an amalgam of scenes, lines, and characters which brings about a telling expose of Henry V, and the man he was before becoming king of England. Flashback is used in this adaptation directly, to establish key points and players in Henry's life, as well as in a less direct manner, coming through in his current actions, to show his sovereignty, what that means to him and why. The initial flashback scene displays a memory of Pistol's concerning Sir John Falstaff (portrayed by actor Robbie Coltrane). The flashback occurs while Falstaff is on his deathbed, and his remaining friends lament his impending loss. Branagh gives Pistol a line of Falstaff's, describing Falstaff in his own words as "A goodly, portly man, in faith," (1 Henry IV. II. iv. 421), apparently to establish Falstaff as the well loved character he seems to be in the Branagh film. Falstaff is shown as the jolly jester in this flashback, and not at all as the dangerous, mischief making deceiver he is in the texts, themselves. Branagh focuses on the pathos of Falstaff, to display his rejection as an unfortunate one. It is in this flashback that the audience sees the Machiavellian seeds being sewn in Prince Hal's personality as he shows his willingness to banish "valiant Jack Falstaff", however it is not shown where these seeds came from. Falstaff advises his young friend not to banish him f... ...am Shakespeare's Henry V, Branagh uses flashback in more than one way to retell the classic story of King Henry V. Both in actual, and implied flashback Branagh shows the true character of Henry, along with what makes him the king that he is and what gets him to this point in his life. The byproducts of the humanization of Falstaff, and the vilification of Bardolph, coupled with the unique look at Henry's image of his father gives the audience a very different look at this life story, but one which is nonetheless accurate, and entertaining. Works Cited Henry V. Dir. Kenneth Branagh. The Samuel Goldwyn Company, 1989. Kliman, Bernice W. "Branagh's Henry V: Allusion and Illusion." Shakespeare on Film Newsletter. 14.1 (Dec. 1989): 1+. Shaw, William P. "Textual Ambiguities and Cinematic Certainties in Henry V." Literature Film Quarterly. 22.2 (1994): 117-28.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Aphra Behns Oroonoko †Slaughter of the Human Spirit Essay -- Behn Or

Oroonoko – Slaughter of the Human Spirit   Aphra Behn introduces her characters in Oroonoko as beautiful people who possess a pure, innocent love.   Behn does this in an effort to make her readers feel and question.   Her poetic description of their emotions magnify the horror of the final scene.   Behn's romantic love story is brought to a tragic end through brutality and death.   Why did she choose such an ending?   Her decision to have Oroonoko take the life of his wife and unborn child leaves her audience questioning.   Was what they had love?   If not, what was it?   What had killed their innocence?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story of Oroonoko and Imoinda began with him approaching her and ended with the cut of his knife.   Oroonoko both began and ended the story that was "theirs."   Therefore, when analyzing their relationship it is most important to examine Oroonoko's behavior.   Oroonoko is the one who determined what path their story would take.   What drove him to end "their" story in such a brutal way?   What caused him to act so uncontrollable?   The truth is that his heart couldn't stand to lose her again.   He couldn't risk not finding her.   He was scared because he realized that he could not protect her.   Even the strong, powerful Oroonoko was not able to rescue her and her unborn child from slavery.   His hope and innocence were killed by fear.   He finally met a force that could beat him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the story, Oroonoko exhibits his power and control.   In order to once again prove his courage, Oroonoko goes hunting to kill a tiger that had been too fierce and powerful for others to conquer.   When Oroonoko comes upon the tiger, she is devouring her new kill.   Upon Oroonoko's approach, the tiger stares at him with a "very fierce rag... ...heaven.   This is a beautiful image.   Does it really matter how they chose to exit this world?   The truth is that it does.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Aphra Behn's tale of Oroonoko is not only a tragic love story.   It is also a story about slavery and how it can kill a person.   The relationship between Oroonoko and Imoinda is described as pure and innocent.   Their story compliments the point that Behn was trying to make about slavery.   Slavery can kill hope, purity, and innocence.   Slavery does not only kill the human spirit.   It slaughters it. The student may wish to begin the paper with the following quote: "And these two People represented to me an absolute Idea of the first State of Innocence, before Man knew how to sin." (pg.10) Works Cited: Behn, Aphra. â€Å"Oroonoko.† The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. AH Abrams. New York. WW Norton and Company, Inc 2000.

Decision 2000 :: Internet Communication Papers

Decision 2000 A community is constructed for people to interact with each other in a particular area. We usually refer to a community as the people who live in or surround our own neighborhoods. The idea of a community is for people to interact with one another about concerns, beliefs, and interests. Therefore a community does not have to be restricted to only neighborhoods, but can be available on the Internet as places for forum discussions, informative discussions, and chat rooms to interact about concerns, beliefs, and interests. Since a community is not restricted to a neighborhood, it can include any particular area of interest such as entertainment, education, professions, hobbies, and people. To explore a community on the Internet, people usually know where they want to go because they have a particular interest. Many people go to chat rooms where people interact as friends, love-relationships, or even sexual relations. When people go to chat rooms for sex, they refer it to as cyber sex. Chat rooms are somewhat impersonal because people usually never get to see the person at the other end of the computer, and people feel free to express themselves in any way they want. Some people are known to lie because they might want to live out some kind of fantasy and figure that they might not ever meet the person that they are interacting with. There have been situations where people have developed personal and sometimes emotional relationships where people have met each other. At times people confess their lies when they know they might meet the other person, or people find out about lies when they actually meet the person. Sometimes people exchange pictures and phone numbers whe n they meet a person in a chat room that they actually liked throughout their interaction. I had never chatted myself in a chat room until a couple months ago at the age of twenty-three. I have had little experience in chat rooms because I only interacted with different people for about three weeks and I stopped because I enjoyed it too much, but felt that it was taking up a lot of my time. The whole concept of chat rooms can become addicting. My experience in chat rooms have been in rooms labeled Friends, Twenties Friends, Latino Friends, and Lounging. Most of the people I interacted with were interested in finding out things about people that they had in common with such as hobbies and likes and dislikes.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Language Policy Essay

LANGUAGE LEGISLATION: VOTER DRIVEN INITIATIVES Kelly M. Jefferson Grand Canyon University: SPE 523 July 23, 2012 The issue of language policy and the education of English language learners (ELLs) in this country has been hotly debated and widely contested. Students who enter our school systems without an understanding of the English language must attain not only conversational proficiency, but also academic literacy in English. Academic literacy is the foundation of school success and necessary for students to master content standards (Echevarria, Short, & Vogt, 2008).All parties agree that ELLs are federally entitled to a quality education once they join this country’s educational system. The debate stems from how to effectively teach students English and core content, simultaneously, in ways that ensure their success within the curriculum. Politicians and educators must also grapple with the dilemma of how to effectively educate non-native students, so as to facilitate their adequate proficiency on a myriad of statewide tests required of all pupils enrolled in public schools.ELLs are concentrated in the urban areas of states like California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, and New York, which have seen the largest influx of English learners within their schools (Boyle, Cadiero-Kaplan, & Peregoy, 2008). Students with limited English proficiency (LEP) made up almost ten percent of the K-12 public school student population in the 2004-2005 school year (Echevarria et al. , 2008). Spanish is the most prevalent primary language (L1) and is spoken by eighty percent of ELLs (Boyle et al. , 2008).In the absence of clear direction at the federal level on how to best prepare ELLs academically, many states have taken the matter into their own hands through various voter initiatives. Arizona, California, and Massachusetts are states that have attempted to solve these questions through ballot initiatives. The voters of each state overwhelmingly adopted a Structured Englis h Immersion (SEI) approach in which ELLs receive all content in English via a sheltering technique that allows learners to understand their instruction.The goal of SEI is language, literacy, and content learning exclusively in English. Each state elected to limit the amount of time ELLs are provided with language assistance to roughly one year, despite research findings that show students need at least five to seven years of language assistance to acquire the English proficiency required for successful academic participation (Boyle et al. , 2008). Arizona’s Proposition 203 was passed in November of 2000 and effectively repealed bilingual education laws in effect at that time.Proposition 203 required all students to be taught in English with the exception of those classified as† English Learners†. Designated pupils are instructed through sheltered English immersion programs (SEI) primarily in English, although a minimal amount of a child’s native language ma y be incorporated, when necessary (â€Å"www. ballotpedia. org†, 2012). Students who demonstrate a solid working knowledge of English are transferred out of the SEI program into a regular English classroom. Parents of identified ELL children have the ability to obtain a waiver that excuses their child from participation in the SEI program.Excused students are often taught English and other content via traditional bilingual education instruction or another recognized instruction method (www. ballotpedia. org, 2012). Parents are also entitled to recoup any actual and compensatory damages they incur as the result of school officials failing to comply with Proposition 203. The Massachusetts English in Public Schools Initiative, known as Question 2, is very similar to the Arizona law, in that Question 2 places a heavy reliance on SEI programs and lessens the availability and access to bilingual education programs.Passed in 2002, the law mandates that all public school children mus t be taught English. All content is delivered in English language classrooms (â€Å"www. ballotpedia. org†, 2012). Children whose native language is not English are educated using the SEI method with minimal access to their native language at their teacher’s discretion. Question 2 allows for children from diverse native language groups to be placed in the same classroom provided their English skills are of similar levels. The law does not affect students with physical and mental impairments in special education programs (â€Å"www. ballotpedia. org†, 2012).Question 2 differs from Arizona’s Proposition 203, in that if twenty or more students in any one grade level at a school obtain waivers that school must offer bilingual education classes in both the child’s native language and English or another type of generally recognized educational program. Question 2 contains some of the same provisions as Proposition 203, such as a parent’s right to sue school officials who obstruct its implementation. English learners in the state undergo annual standardized tests of their English skills and students in grades two and above take annual written standardized tests in English (â€Å"www. allotpedia. org†, 2012). California voters passed Proposition 227 by a huge majority in 1998. The law answered the question of how to educate English language learners in that state by putting in place a statewide SEI program and drastically eliminating access to bilingual education programs (Purcell, 2002). In sync with similar initiatives in Arizona and Massachusetts, Proposition 227 calls for the education of all children in English by being taught in English. The law allows LEP students one year of language assistance before they are mainstreamed into total English speaking classrooms.Each piece of legislation fails to consider the body of research that finds that nonnative speakers need anywhere from five to seven years of language in struction in order to attain a level of proficiency within a second language. The laws also neglect studies that prove that time spent learning in a student’s native tongue does not negate English language development, but enhances it due the transference of literacy skills from one language to another (Purcell, 2002). Also, within the pressurized and time constrained settings of many SEI programs, students are not granted the involuntary and often incidental tmosphere that language development often occurs in. Without necessary native language instruction amid an English language deficit, many LEP students have failed to attain the level of academic achievement and English language proficiency entitled to them. References Arizona english language education for children in public schools, proposition 203 (2000). (2012, February 28). Retrieved from http://ballotpedia. org/wiki/index. php/Arizona_English_Language. Boyle, O. F. , Cadiero-Kaplan, K. , & Peregoy, S. F. (2008). Rea ding, writing, and learning in ESL: A resource book for K-12 teachers.Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Echevarria, J. , Short, D. J. , & Vogt, M. (2008). Making content comprehensible for English learners: The SIOP Model. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Massachusetts english in public schools initiative, question 2 (2002). (2012, February 27). Retrieved from http://www. ballotpedia. org/wiki/index. php/Massachusetts_Question 2. Purcell, J. (2002). The foundations and current impact of california’s proposition 227. Retrieved February 28, 2012 from U. S Department of Education, Educational Resources Information Center: http://www. eric. ed. gov.

Friday, August 16, 2019

How does Mass Media affect people in society? Essay

So far, there’re various media for people to choose and access the information such as television, radio, Internet, or even mobile phone, consequently, media have a full capacity to set a social subject for mass audience to think and talk about. Often, media do not deliberately set the agenda and determine the pros and cons of that particular issue, so it repeatedly causes bad consequences towards public as well as establishes ‘moral panics’, which can sometimes lead to mob violence. The studies point that there is a correlation between violence on media and violent behavior. The reason that violent programs go well on the global market is violent imagery on television gets high ratings; therefore, producers are forced onto market to make a profit. But more significantly, television has taken the place of other forms of communication that at one time tied us together in families and communities, and gave us all the opportunity to participate in creating and passing along our cultural story. Since mass media as crucial vehicles to influence public opinion, the government is likely to control and dominate the press and broadcasting. There was a wide range of restrictions on reporting and in many countries in the region at the time, we had a number of governments that were authoritarian governments that used press control as one of their political tools. Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, Laos, just to name a few; all had restrictions on their own domestic media, restrictions on foreign journalists working within those countries, and restrictions on what news could be sent out. As example in Malaysia, during the government of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, authorities controlled all major newspapers and broadcast outlets, ensuring a substantial degree of official influence over news published in the country. The only exception was the Internet, which had so far remained censorship-free. Additionally, under Malaysian law, authorities are required to screen foreign publications prior to their distribution in the country. For instance, Malaysian government blocked the distribution of some U.S. newsmagazines in 2002, apparently because the government considered some stories inaccurate and untrue, including reports on alleged links between the al-Qaeda terrorist network and groups in Malaysia. On the other side, Thailand, as the democratic society, is still in the criticism about the current Prime minister, Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra, regarding his policies and style of leadership whether they’re against the constitution and good moral or not particularly ‘War on Drugs’ policy. Furthermore, many people mentioned that he attempted to cover his critics by taking control of the country’s independent television station since 23 ITV staffs dismissed due to they â€Å"damaged the station’s reputation† by openly criticizing the station’s buyout by the Prime Minister. Not very long, the press violently reacted and declared that he was as dictator. Even more serious, some journalists believed that they were exposed to serious reprisals when they disclose the corruption of local authorities. Although Dr. Thaksin sharply uses media effect to structure individuals’ thinking and increase efficiency of mass communication for the governm ent, his propaganda shouldn’t be contrary to the legal constrains in terms of the right of expression. Media play an important role as a showcase that reveals trait of a certain area through outsiders. Obviously, when the press emphasizes on any topic and criticize people would be instantly interested in and rapidly spreading out till sometimes hardly cope with it. In conclusion, mass communication can affect cognitive change among individuals, mentally order and organize the world for us and also simply create conflict or violence among people in society. Therefore, authorities or interest groups who extremely control on media especially the government, television program producers and newspaper need a proper consideration for media use as well as being responsible for consequences.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Why Companies Engage in Corporate Social Responsibility

Buss. Ethics Why do companies engage in corporate social responsibility? ~ Companies engage in CSR in order to maintain a business on track to do the right thing. However, there's three reasons that keeps a business engage with CSR. Pragmatic, where the term â€Å"use power or loose it† is used , this mean that if businesses are not responsible certain advantages could be taken away. Ethical reason, is when businesses have a responsability to behave ethically, this mean that executives' duty is to care about multiple stakeholders. The last reason is the strategic one, which is based identifying activities that can harm the business. . Do you believe that employees are more attracted and committed to socially responsible companies? Why or why not? Are you? Why or why not? ~Yes i truly believe so because they will be certain that the company stays on task and ethically manages situations. However, they will have in mind that they are working in an ethical environment and that th ey must work hard to keep it up that way. I know i will certainly be attracted more attracted to these companies because first of all, The social responsible environment will motivates me to do a good job. 3.A number of organizations have robust sustainability sections on their internet sites. Pick two and highlight what they are doing regarding sustainability, as well as compare and contrast. Interface Global: http://www. interfaceglobal. com/Sustainability ~ This organization has considerable resolutions on 3 key areas; They are, +reducing footprint +designing and manufacturing innovative products with less enviromental and social impacts. +creating a culture with engaged employees with a share vision of sustainable businesses. †¢ Wal-Mart: http://walmartstores. om/Sustainability/ ~ This organization is trying to make customers save money and help ensure a better world for generations to come. In order to do so they've set three aspirational sustainability goals: +To be suppl ied 100% by renewable energy+To create zero waste +To sell products that sustain people and the environment Overall, both organization have something in common, which is trying to maintain a sustainable business and a good environment. 4. Read the Merck and River Blindness case. What is River Blindness and who are the stakeholders in the Merck case. The River Blindness case is a disease that is cause by parasitic worms that live in the small black flies that breed in the rivver of the countries if middle east, Africa, and LAtin America. When a person is bitten by one of these blaack flies, the larvae of the worm can entern the person's body, reproduce and spread out causin the person itchiness and blindness. ~ The stackeholders for Merck are individual with disease, horses, Merck, and Merck scientists 5. Explain why socially responsible business is good business.Social Responsible business is good business because Being socially responsible creates goodwill and a positive image for the business. Trust and a good reputation are some of the company’s most valuable assets. In fact, without these, a business can't function. These important assets can be encourage by being socially responsible. However, it is crucial the right socially responsible program is plan for the business. When used properly, it will open up a countless of new relationships and opportunities. It will grow success and the company’s culture. It will become a culture that the company's staff and the whole community will believe in.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Nicotine Addictions

Nicotine addiction is a serious mental disease and illness. There are currently 1. 35 billion smokers in the world today and that number is increasing at an alarming rate. Nicotine related diseases are the number one killer in the world. It is responsible for more deaths each year than drug and alcohol abuse, car crashes, AIDS, murder and suicide put together. There are few ways to fight this addiction, like rehab, the nicotine patch, nicotine gum, or the new drug, Chantix. Nicotine addiction is a serious mental disease and illness and it affects all ages. To first understand nicotine addiction you first need to understand why we start smoking in the first place and why we get hooked. Most people start smoking to relieve stress or anxiety, other people want to lose weight, teens succumb to peer pressure or they’re trying to look cool. Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to go without eating, why we feel anxiety when bored and an â€Å"aahh† sense of relief when we finish a task? This was dopamine. When we feel hunger our dopamine pathways are teasing us with anticipation, wanting for food. If we keep wanting the anticipation may build into urges or even craves. Each bite that we take or drag off a cigarette stimulates the dopamine until we had enough and have become satisfied. While family members and loved ones are screaming at the smoker to stop, their brain dopamine pathways are screaming even louder that continuing to smoke is important as life itself. Nicotine addiction is permanent, just like alcohol there is one rule when you quit, just using once you will have to go back. It does not matter how much will power we have, the years of smoking, the recorded years of nicotine feeding have wired your brain for relapse. If this is true, that no matter how much will power you have you will go relapse. Then why are some social smokers able to continue and stop like its nothing while the rest of the smoking population got hooked. These social smokers are referred to as â€Å"chippers. † These â€Å"chippers† account for less than 10% of all smokers. Being immune to nicotine addiction is thought to be from genetics. Smokers who are hooked tend to feel sorry for themselves atching 10% walk away like its nothing, little do they realize they were once chippers to, at least for their first couple of cigarettes. Nicotine addiction affects all ages, there are many children who smoke around the world, take for example Ardi Rizal. Ardi Rizal is a two year Indonesian baby who smokes about 2 packs a day or 40 cigarettes. Smoking is normal in Indonesia it is the world 3rd largest leading tobacco consuming country in the world. A lot of adults who are around children will smoke; they will carry a baby in one hand and a cigarette on the other. His mother wants Ardi to quit, but her motivation for Ardi to quit was more on the spending 4 dollars a day other than his health. If Ardi does not smoke he throws tantrums, he has a scar on his head from running into a wall during one of his tantrums, and he also vomits when he cannot satisfy his addiction. The government has offered to pay the family with a brand new car and 100 thousand dollars if they help the baby stop smoking. Nicotine addiction affects all ages. The road to recovery from nicotine addictions is very hard. The first few days might feel like an emotional train wreck on the average smoker but as each passing day the challenge begins to grow less intense. In fact there are more ex-smokers in the United States then there are smokers! There are roughly 70% of daily smokers who want to stop. But few realize that they’re dealing with a permanent disorder and disease of the mind. A puff of nicotine is all it takes for relapse to occur. Usually it takes multiple fail attempts for the user to actually find the key to success. Every recovery is different, it be days, weeks, months, maybe even years to successfully quit smoking, to not feel the desire of a cigarette. There many types of treatment but no cure, there is the nicotine patch, rehab, nicotine gum and Chantix, Chantix has a 50% chance to help the smoker. Nicotine addiction is a serious mental disease and illness. Nicotine related disease causes 440,000 thousand deaths per year, 36,666 thousand per month, 8,461 thousand per week, 1,205 thousand per day, 50 per hour, in the United States alone. It is the number one killer around the world. Every cigarette that you smoke cuts 5 minutes off your life, the same time it takes to smoke it. Smoking just doesn’t cut a few months off the end of your life; it reduces the life of the average smoker by 12 years. Most people don’t think when lighting up especially teenagers, they don’t care about the cancer it causes, the things that it does to your body and physical appearance, that’s how addicted they are. They willing to ignore these facts for a death trap called tobacco.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Data Analysis on Questionnaires (edit) Research Paper

Data Analysis on Questionnaires (edit) - Research Paper Example The first question in this survey simply asked patients to list the age at which they were diagnosed with diabetes. The participants in this group were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at ages ranging from 31 to 50, the youngest being a woman who initially developed Gestational diabetes during a pregnancy. Eighty-four percent of the participants were diagnosed when they were in the range of 40 to 49-years-old, supporting the evidence showing that this type of diabetes is most commonly found in adults. Answers referring to the diagnosis of the participants show a trend that most people are unaware that they even suffer from the disease until they are diagnosed by a medical professional. Participants were asked how they were diagnosed with diabetes with the second question of the survey. Almost half of the surveyed group – forty-eight percent – went to their general practitioner based on symptoms that the patients recognized as possibly being linked to diabetes because of family members with the disease or for symptoms ranging from wounds that would not heal to dizziness to rapid weight loss or gain. Glucose tests were then performed to diagnose the disease. Conversely, the other fifty-two percent of the participants were surprised by a diagnosis of diabetes. Three women developed Gestational diabetes during or after pregnancies when no history of the disease was present. The other ten participants were all incidentally diagnosed because of other health problems. Half were being hospitalized for other illnesses and blood tests showed abnormal glucose levels. The other half was having routine blood tests, pre-surgery blood tests, and even an insurance s creening when their diabetes was diagnosed. Thus, while almost half of the group was aware of present symptoms of the disease, over half had no idea they had any blood glucose abnormalities until the lab test results were stumbled

Monday, August 12, 2019

Project Portfolio Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Project Portfolio Management - Term Paper Example The researcher states that for an efficient and effective analysis of the process of Project Portfolio Management (PPM) the balance scorecard is part of this process. This is so since it is the balance scorecard that helps in monitoring organizational projects in order to ensure that the projects are in line with the mission, vision, and the overall goals of the organization. It tries to quantify these objective and goals so that they are measurable. In general, the balance scorecard balances the project so that it becomes successful. The processes of PPM analysis always follow a given systematic order or steps. The following are the steps involved in the analysis of the PPM. The first and foremost thing that one must subscribe to before he begins the project is the submission and request for projects. It involves considering projects that are of essential strategic importance to FCC. The stage requires that it is imperative to submit projects that are radar screen incorporated. It m ust be noted that it is at this stage that pay offs are done. This is important as it ensures that: Major threats or risks that might be experienced in the project are fully done away with through strategic alignment and integration; it also ensures that enough resources are set aside for the project therefore ensuring a successful project completion. It also balances off portfolio projects and finally, it ensures that the best practices are applied in the management of the project; this further ensures successful completion of the project.... Remember the projects are always placed in something like a quadrant after which priority is given to each project. The following formula can be used in project prioritization; Strategy +return- risk= project prioritization result (Norrie, 2010) The next stage is the project registration. After the prioritization has been made on projects, what follows is the project registration. This is always important as it makes the project to be official in nature. Registration is always done in the order of priority. (Norrie 2010) The next stage is the project activation. This is also important as it seeks to bargain for the approval and allocation of resources to a particular project depending on the amount of the resources that the project call for. It also links the project to the major projects and sets budgets for the projects. The next stage is the project completion and execution. This is done in order to monitor and measure the performance of the project; it marks the last stage of PPM process. Before we can look into the PPM processes available, it is first important to understand what models are and why they are vital in PPM. In relation to PPM, a model can be defined as a well-programmed mathematical tool that can be used to systematically determine the areas of interest in a given project. A computerized program can be used to determine the value worth of any given project before it is selected. Models are always important as they can be used to create solutions that are beyond human power; research shows that â€Å"human beings have very limited information processing skills and often make errors or are sometimes biased when making choices. However, they are good at creative skills and they can generate more alternatives. Though models are good as they

Sociology Research - Hacking subculture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sociology Research - Hacking subculture - Essay Example In order to clarify the issue about hackers, it is but necessary to trace the history of these group.. Hackers are members of a sub-culture from the group of Information Technology professionals. According to the website Cyber punk project, Hackers are technical people like programmers and designers who â€Å"enjoy exploring details of programmable systems and an expert at a particular program, sometimes going to the length of being obsessive about programming† ( Cyber punk Project ). Thus, hackers are highly- skilled people who have their own culture, considerably a group with their own language and rituals. Hackers have different motives which can often lead them to committing malicious acts. In a study made by Taylor among young hackers, he identified some reasons behind hacking : feelings of addiction, urge of curiosity, boredom with educational system, enjoyment of feeling of power ,peer recognition, and political acts ( Jordan and Taylor 46) In 1994, Levy categorized the hackers into generations, the first of which are computer aficionados in the 50’s and 60’s mostly from MIT. The second generation are the ones who popularized computing through the development of PCs, and the third generation are responsible for the advent of computer games ( Taylor 15 ). Nowadays, hackers are considered belonging in the fourth generation (Taylor 17). Unfortunately, the fourth generation hackers have been perceived also as crackers. Crackers are hackers who commit cyber crime by maliciously spreading virus or illegally accessing other people’s PC or system. Nevertheless, there is a group of hackers known as â€Å"white hackers â€Å" who can be considered as a pure form of hacker. According to an article in the website koiskea, their ( white hackers ) main goal is to â€Å"help improve computer systems and technologies â€Å"(koiskea.net ). Ross also argued that ethical hacking done by these white hackers provide a lot of benefits such as

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Developing the Charter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Developing the Charter - Essay Example The managing director of the PROVISION Healthcare Technologies manufactures has authority to spend up to $90000 for this project. The managing director has established a committee that consists of project manager, financial manager and feasibility analysts. This committee is responsible for the budget estimation and authority to take the decision for the budget finalization. Here in this project we have the tasks divided in such ways that each team has independent but connective roles and responsibilities. In this section I will present the roles and responsibilities of each project team and their roles regarding the successful completion of the project. The team of the Product Development the Analysts is responsible for analyzing the main market demands and needed up-gradations. The Designs will design the products and finally the Testes will test the resultant product. The role of the Product Manufacturing; In the process of WANDS production the Designers will analysis the main up-gradation those are presently needed for the company business. Develops will develop the product. The team of the Product Distribution will responsible for the effective delivery of the product. The main functionality of the testers is the installation of the product effectively. Sales & Marketing roles: The Sales & Marketing team will be responsible for the effective promotion of the new product features and functionalities. This team have a very huge responsibility for the better promotion and advertisement of the product in the online as well as on the others mediums. 2. Crosby, Benjamin L. March (1992). Stakeholder Analysis: A Vital Tool for Strategic Managers; Technical Notes, no. 2. Washington, DC: Implementing Policy Change Project for the US Agency for International Development

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Hospitality Current Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hospitality Current - Essay Example Challenges Facing the Hospitality Industry Introduction In the past centuries, hospitality was not a common field known by many people as an important and critical part of societal life. This fact just changed with the booming international trade and changes in lifestyles for many citizens across the world. The two factors have not existed peaceably but have been posing challenges in the sector of hospitality. Among the challenges faced by the hospitality sector include competition, technological advancement, diversity, lack of professionalism to offer proper services, food safety and sanitation, security issues, and globalization among other problems. Rigorous technological advancement has posed serious challenges to the hospitality industry the world over. Technological advancement has transformed the way work is done in the hospitality industry (Powers & Barrows, 2008). Almost every activity is automated or computerized and the marketing venues are shifting to the internet. Hospit ality industry players have sought to employ the use of websites for marketing their products, increasing operation costs due to high costs of maintaining the websites. In order to broaden customer base, players in the hospitality industry need to invest on technologies that can enable online booking for services by the customers (Binion, 2006). The initial cost and maintenance of such technologies is exorbitant and in some cases unaffordable by certain operators in the industries Uncertainty occasioned by rising security has triggered unrest among the customers of the hospitality industry such as hotels which record low bookings as visitors shy away. Increased cases of terrorism have raised fear in customers as they always think of their safety when travelling (Powers & Barrows, 2008). Cases of abduction have also caused security doubts among many, which has negatively affected the hospitality industry as customers fear to travel freely across the world. Many operators in the hospi tality industry such as hotels and air travel agencies have been forced to invest in expensive and hi-tech security measures to retain the confidence of consumers as far as their security is concerned. The hospitality industry players have also been compelled to spend much money in insuring their operations against any occurrence of insecurity. Cases of food poisoning in various hotels have raised concerns of food safety and proper sanitation. Reported death cases occasioned by food poisoning affects customers consumption of good food products in the hospitality industry (Powers & Barrows, 2008). Cultural diversity has also pushed hospitality industry into expensive foodstuffs to meet the demands of their customers The significant challenge that has disrupted the growth of sectors in the hospitality is the recent global economic recession. The crisis has done a lot to discourage people from travelling due to high cost of travelling and low income earned by many consumers (Rob, 2010) . Additionally, the financial crisis has pushed the hospitality industry to increase the costs of accommodation, causing a sharp decline in demand of hotel and hospitality related services. Increase in the level and number of individual acquiring education has resulted to high levels of customer awareness. Customers have tended to demand services whose quality gives good value for their money.