Term Definition Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Term Definition Paper - Essay Example This paper stresses that the current economic situation affects my organization in the form of lower demands for output because of the financial crunch. While the effect is on the national scale, if not on the global scale, local organizations can feel the effect through decrease in sales due to curbing down on consumption. At times like these when there is recession, organizations face a challenge of coming up with ways in order to boost demand, despite the developing mentality of curbing down on consumption. The inflation rate is determined by the interaction of the aggregate demand—the overall level of demand in the economy, and the aggregate supply—the overall level of output producers are willing to supply in order to meet these demands. An increase or upward shift in the aggregate demand at the same level of aggregate supply causes an increase in inflation rate—also known as demand-pull inflation. This article makes a conclusion that the most important economic indicator which affects my organization is the growing inflation, which is of the cost-push variety that a lot of other countries in the whole world also experience. The cost-push inflation makes the prices of inputs higher, therefore squeezes the profit of the organization. With the challenge of lower demands, the profitability is further worsened. Therefore, my organization faces a challenge to come up with ways in order to improve profitability, either by finding ways to cut down on cost and lessen the higher prices of inputs, or boosting demand and repeat purchase among the customers.

Iraq War Was Wrong Essay Example for Free

Iraq War Was Wrong Essay The Iraq war was a horrible thing. It caused many things to happen. I’m against going to war with them because there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq as the US government claimed. One of the main reasons listed by George W Bush for the war was to secure Iraqs chemical and biological weapons, which did not even exist. Secondly, there were no terrorists in Iraq, and Iraq had no connection to Sept. 11. We should have focused our resources in Afghanistan where the real terrorists were. Thirdly, we were underprepared for the occupation of Iraq and couldnt deal with the insurgency that followed. And lastly, the war was a huge waste of resources which the US gained nothing from. The United States lost over 1,040 American soldiers fighting in this war that we got nothing from. The war has hurt our country economically greatly. Over $151.1 Billion has been out towards the war. I feel since from this outcome that we shouldn’t have gone to war with them. It’s a hard thing to put our country through. Iraq was attacked by the United States in the year of 2003. The US went to war with Iraq, because on either the administration or disinformation, and the started reason have changed over the time. The main reason given by the administration of George W. Bush was that Saddam Hussein the leader of Iraq was engaged in having nuclear weapons. Many thought that Hussein might use these weapons to attack against The United States. One of the main reasons for the attacks on Iraq was to disarm them of any weapons of mass destruction that they have. This makes sense to prevent future terrorist attacks, but no weapons of mass destruction were in Iraq. Iraq did use weapons of mass destruction in the 1980’s but not since then. Almost all of Iraqs weapons of mass destruction were destroyed or otherwise made unusable in the 1990s. Also, Saddam wanted to stay in power. Using weapons of mass destruction would mean a sure end to his power. This calls into question whether or not invading Iraq was justified because the Bush administration should have known that weapons of mass destruction in Iraq were effectively contained. Because Iraq is effectively contained, it was no longer an imminent threat to the United States or any other countries anymore. Saddam Hussein had never threatened to attack the United States or to use weapons of mass destruction offensively. Sure, Iraqs surrounding countries such as Kuwait and Iran hated Saddam Hussein, but they were not afraid of him. They knew that Iraq was the weakest country in the region. Iraq had been weak and under control since the Gulf War and has not troubled its neighbors. If Iraq is not a threat, there was no reason to be attacking them. Iraq was not involved in the September 11th attacks. So why did we go to war with them? Since, the war had continued, because the forces of the US were attacked by Iraqi guerillas. The US supported a new democratic government within Iraq, which was opposed by various Islamic groups that held power in the country. The US attempted to control the flow of oil from Iraq, one of the largest petroleum producers in the Middle East.

Genetically Engineered Crops: The Benefits Outweigh the Risks Essay

In order to understand the controversy of genetically engineered crops one must understand what genetic engineering or genetic modification is: â€Å"GMO are organisms that are generated by combining genes of different species using recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology. Resulting organisms are then said to be transgenic, genetically engineered or genetically modified (GM). This group of organisms includes... plants.† (Celec et al., 2005) The genetic modification of crops and plants was created so that crops could, â€Å"... protect themselves against insects and disease, to feed and vaccinate people at the same time, to flourish in poor soil and drought, or to improve the quantity and bioavailability of individual nutrients.† (Roberts, Struble, McCullum-Gomez, Wilkins, 2006). These benefits may seem to outweigh the risks and in reality they do, however this does not mean the consumer should not be notified of the risks they are taking. The hallmark of our free society demands that the consumer be able to choose whether or not they want to eat something that may have health risks product labeling that identifies GMO ingredients allows for consumers to choose a particular product while ensuring that the producer feel more at ease with the way they disclose information and promote their product. Genetically engineered crops have many risks ranging from mild to serious. The risks of food allergy is one more serious factor. â€Å"There are risks not only from the parent crop, but in addition the new transgenic product can be an allergen.† (Celec et al., 2005) The risk of food allergens from genetic engineering is evident in this case with Brazil nuts and soy beans. In this case genetically modified soy beans had been given a protein from Brazil nut... ...base Ehrenfreund, M., Wheat With Engineered Gene Demonstrates Challenges for Researchers. (2013, May). Retrieved November 14, 2013, from www.washingtonpost.com Guidance for Industry: Voluntary Labeling Indicating Whether Foods Have or Have Not Been Developed Using Bioengineering; Draft Guidance, (2013, August). Retrieved November 15, 2013, from www.fda.gov Kaya, I. H. (2012). Genetically modified crops and human health. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 11(19), 3613-3617. Retrieved November 20, 2013, from Medwell Journals database. Roberts, K. S., Struble, M. B., McCullum-Gomez, C., Wilkins J. L. (2006). Use of a risk communication model to evaluate dietetics professionals’ viewpoints on genetically engineered foods and crops. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 106(5), 719-727. Retrieved November 15, 2013, from ScienceDirect database.

My Cousins Death :: Disease Health Personal narrative Essays

My Cousin's Death The year was 1996, and I had traveled to England to spend the summer with my cousin at his farm in northern Lincolnshire. I arrived in late May, and was warmly greeted by my host. He suggested we travel in to the town and go for a pint at the local pub. I agreed and we traveled the few miles from his somewhat isolated residence to the nearby village of Barton upon Humber, a quaint historical village with a population of only a few hundred people. However when we arrived at the Red Lion, as the local public house was called, there was an eerie air of sobriety. Everyone was watching the television behind the bar, which was tuned to the evening news. The story was that there had been an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as "Mad Cow Disease" at a farm in another region of Lincolnshire. This was obviously disastrous news, since virtually all of those present were, like my cousin, livestock farmers and such an outbreak had the potential to destroy whole herds of animals. Even those not yet infected might be destroyed or at least quarantined in order to eliminate the risk of spread of the disease. I was given to understand, from my cousin on the return trip to his farm, that the disease originated from use of cow and sheep meat in animal feed, or offal, but that it had not been identified until 10 years before and the regulations banning protein supplements containing sheep and cattle offal had not been rigidly enforced until 1992. Little more was known about the disease, except that it did have a variant which could potentially kill humans who ate infected meat. However such cases were extremely rare relative to the huge numbers of infected animals.1 Over the following weeks the scale of the epidemic increased. Government officials from the Department of Health came round to everyone's farms to perform tests and in some cases the animals were ordered to be slaughtered and their remains burned. The whole thing seemed to me wholly medieval, in the sense both of the lack of any cure and the destructive solutions. My cousin these days was acting somewhat strangely. He would forget to lock up the animals and perform other tasks around the farm.

Analyse item 1 a newspaper article from ‘ The Guardian’ Essay

I am writing an assignment which is on media. The two sources I have been given to analyse is a leaflet from ‘ The Salvation Army’ and a newspaper article from ‘ The Guardian. ‘ Both are based on the subject of homelessness. The problem of homelessness is a very unsettled issue. It is evident in many countries but in the UK it is concentrated in London. The two items are different, as one is an article from a broad sheet newspaper whereas item 2 is a leaflet asking for donation for a charity which helps the homeless. The article on homelessness states many facts on the reasons why homelessness is an issue which is faced by many people today. It is estimated that â€Å"419, 400† individuals have been accepted homeless by the local authorities in which many are living in a â€Å"sub standard† condition and are not even included in the statistics. This means that there are many out there who are regarded homeless and are yet not to be found. The main reason that people are homeless is the fact that most of them are â€Å"rough sleepers† who go about during the day and sleep wherever there is a dry place. It is mentioned that the majority are â€Å"single people†. This may have been due to the fact that many of them leave home at a young age and are unable to support themselves financially and resulting in not having kids. It is estimated tat â€Å"90%† of the homeless population is male. One may think why? The answer to this is due to the fact of excess consumption of alcohol resulting in spending a huge amount of money and leading to bankruptcy and not affording to a good life. People who are † dependant on non prescribed drugs† are also homeless because they spend most of their income on drugs. It is also stated that those who suffer from â€Å"multiple social problems† are mostly either family problems or are kicked out due to other problems. They suffer mentally as these problems mount up leading them to leave home and run away with no benefits and live on the streets without a fixed home. As homelessness is increasing, government intends to abolish the problem by setting up plans for the future, which may help in development. The newspaper states that in order for this plan to work out successfully, the government proposed many new acts since 1980’s Due to â€Å"public outcry† against â€Å"doss houses† many of these houses were closed down, in return new warm â€Å"hostels† were opened; the downside to this improvement was that it was â€Å"insufficient† as by 1989 they were, â€Å"5000 fewer beds than there were 10 years ago. † By 1990 the government estimated 1000 to 2000 people were sleeping rough in central London. Along the government response to this was the Department of the Environment had launched a â€Å"three year i 90,000,000 rough sleepers initiative (RSI) in which they funded resettlement workers, temporary cold workers and a permanent accommodation† for rough sleepers to move on. Other authorities like the Department of Health launched a â€Å"homeless mentally ill initiative† to provide a more high care hostels for those with mental problems. Because of its success, the initiatives were â€Å"renewed† for a further 3 years in 1993. By 1995, the government reported that the number of rough sleepers in London dropped to around â€Å"270† which means it was successful. The problem of homelessness was reported in the newspaper article in the Guardian. Now I will analyse an extract of a leaflet from ‘ The Salvation Army’ which helps to tackle the problem of homelessness. ‘The Salvation Army’ is an agency, which works on people’s contributions to continue the agency’s work on helping homeless people. ‘The Salvation Army’ is â€Å"a provider of accommodation† for those who are single and homeless all year round. This group has â€Å"developed† a † successful programme† for helping people to find â€Å"permanent homes. † This means that ‘the Salvation Army’ is not only working on short-term projects but also on long term projects to ensure safety for the future and help build their lives. An example of a successful help project is Jim. It is stated that Jim was a success because of many people’s â€Å"generosity† which enabled a â€Å"brighter future for Jim. † Home for Jim was not good. He lived on a hill amongst â€Å"brambles†, because of the reason that his life living on the streets was disappointing, and also the reason about the time he got is hopes high of getting a job that was refused, because of â€Å"the interviewer took one look at his crumpled clothes† his hopes of living a good life with a fresh start was shattered and he was left where he started from. But then ‘ the Salvation Army’ stepped in. Once the Army hears a person in need like Jim, they send someone to investigate the matter. After that incident an officer visited him. With a helping hand and a shoulder to cry on Jim was taken to a hostel where he â€Å"enjoyed a hot bath, a shave† and most of all â€Å"friendship. † From then, Jim had been living in the local ‘Salvation Army’ hostel. Building up his confidence with the dedicated help of the officers he has open up his hope and is determined to find a job and build up his life once again. As this story was successful in Jim’s case it may mean many other cases which are there must be successful too. With this story as an example ‘the Salvation Army’ is a charity which is there to â€Å"lend a sympathetic ear and a comforting arm† and most importantly it is there to offer â€Å"true friendship† to those who are lonely and scared. ‘The Salvation Army’ is not there just to provide a temporary home but also to offer a long-term programme which enables a better future for the unfortunate homeless people. As ‘The Salvation Army’ is a charity which helps to build long term projects for the homeless, they have to find a way to make people pay attention and one strategy used is the use of emotional language. There are many examples in which emotional language is used but the main ones are: â€Å"Once in the streets, homeless people become prey to all sorts of illnesses, all potential killers. In fact over 600 people a year on the streets die on the streets. † In this sentence the word â€Å"prey† is used. The literal meaning of â€Å"prey† is a victim. This tells the reader that homeless people are victims of cold weather and the use of this word is emotional and used to make a point; it is also supported by a fact â€Å"600† making this statement true. Another sentence where the use of language is strong is † With your generosity we can give vulnerable people not only a happier Christmas but a brighter future too†. The word â€Å"generosity† is used to give an opinion of being helpful or kind. This suggests that with the help of the people outside giving donations it can give â€Å"vulnerable† people a happier Christmas and give a lifelong help of a good future. Another sentence which captures the reader’s eye is â€Å"We are the ones to lend a sympathetic ear, the ones with the comforting arm, the ones offering true friendship and support during difficult times†. The words â€Å"comforting, sympathetic† are both very emotional. They are used here in order for the reader to be aware of the good nature of ‘The Salvation Army’, how at difficult times they can offer â€Å"friendship† and show support to those who are in â€Å"difficult times†. The Salvation Army is there to help people who can’t help themselves and those who do not show help to others. The use of emotive words gives an impression of a sad tone to the story about Jim and to the life of homeless people. The two items about homelessness are very unlike as item 1 is an article from a broadsheet newspaper ‘The Guardian’ whereas item 2 is a information leaflet from ‘ The Salvation Army’. The newspaper article follows a parliamentary debate which is going to take place on the issue of homelessness. The article begins with a subheading getting to the key point about † the size of the problem†. It begins with the historical past of homelessness. A lot of statistical information is given; it also states what kind of people is most likely to be found homeless â€Å"single people, childless couples†. It also shows previous parliament records † over 8,000 people† which tells you that this debate has taken place once before. There are many facts given to show evidence of the controversial issue of homelessness. The newspaper article finally shows what the government has done to overcome homelessness; an example of this is doss houses which were â€Å"closed down†. The leaflet from ‘ the Salvation Army’ begins with an opinion, of how sleeping rough you can dread bad weather. It states a fact about living outside in the cold weather can feel like. Compared to the newspaper article which is not biased about who is to blame for being homeless, the leaflet states a biased opinion on how homeless people are â€Å"blameless† for their situation. It also states what kind of people is likely to be homeless, which is different from the newspaper article. It gives a reason for publishing the leaflet but does not give a lot of statistical information. There is a blend of facts and opinions like â€Å"over 600 people a year die on the streets† which is a fact. It also gives a reason for why they are successful by giving the story about Jim, which was a success. It does not show background information on the issue of homelessness. It ends with a paragraph on requesting help from the readers by donating money. The newspaper article gets to the point on what the article is about with a large heading in bold and capitals † HOMELESSNESS† which later is followed by sub- headings. It is set out in vertical columns which are not fully justified. It has short paragraphs and sub-headings. The paragraphs give much information in a compact place. In comparison to the leaflet which begins with bold highlighted blocks giving little facts. The paragraphs are set like tabloid newspapers also in vertical columns. There are very short paragraphs and some of them are in Italics; the font of the letters varies in style like Italics â€Å"with your generosity†¦ â€Å". It does not give substantial information on the issue. The newspaper article’s use of language is formal and direct; it is very informative stating many facts on the issue and the historical background. Like the parliament debate, the sentences are easy to understand and the sentences are balanced with connectives like â€Å"however, or†. It gives a lot of statistical information to show evidence of how homelessness is a very big issue. No emotional language is used. The leaflet’s use of language is very straightforward and easy to understand. The sentences are very simple. It has information but not in a great amount. There is a case study shown in the story about Jim and how ‘ the Salvation Army’ was a success and this can draw a person’s attention. Many financial appeals are requested using emotive words â€Å"with your generosity† and â€Å"become prey† which also catches the reader’s attention. The leaflet is based on appeal rather than factual information like the newspaper article. The Salvation Army’s main motive’s to ask for donations to help resolve homelessness whereas the newspaper article is informative and has a lot of statistical information in a more formal manner. The article appeals to me as a more informative packed story. It gives more amount of statistical information to prove many facts; the sentence which caught my eye was â€Å"90 per cent were male† as I did not think that most homeless people were male. It also begins on with what kind of people are most likely to be homeless which can tell the reader how homelessness has begun. The information on how homelessness has increased during the years shows the reader how it has become a more highly regarded issue and is something to think about. It also shows what the government is doing to tackle the problem and how at a yearly basis new initiatives have been introduced. The reader is left to make their own opinion about homelessness whether it is an issue worth thinking about and, make a public stand to it or leave it to the government to sort it out. The leaflet has a more emotional tone for public appeal on donating for a charity which is helping to reduce the problem of homelessness. The Salvation Army is a charity which is based on people’s donation to help the homeless and develop long term projects for a good future. It gives information on what kind of conditions the homeless have to sleep in. it also shows a case study to support their success. It is not as informative as the newspaper article. It has no fixed presentation device unlike the newspaper article which is all set in columns. Towards the end of the leaflet the reader is left to make a choice of feeling sorry for the homeless and donate money or is left untouched by the story about Jim.

Eva Peron Argentinas Hero Essay

Eva Peron Argentinas Hero Essay Eva Peron: Argentinas Hero Essay Mario Espaà ±a 11-12-12 Spanish 3 4 Sra.lynch Eva Peron is a topic hard to understand because people have their own opinions of her. A lot of people could say she’s a hero to Argentina and other people would say she’s a prostitute. Everyone has their own opinion about her. She always stood up for Argentina especially the poor people which no one has interest in them. She changed that, she changed a lot of things she accomplished a lot in Argentina but does all this justify the means. I believe that her accomplishments outweighed her contributions because she does a lot for her country and it was all worth it at the end. Eva Peron accomplished a lot of things. She helped women a lot she gave them rights to have a divorce in Argentina because a lot of women use to get beat by their husbands till they were all swollen up and no one would say a thing or even try to help anyone. Eva traveled the country making speeches, distributing food, clothes, and household goods to the needy, visiting the poor, building homes, hos pitals, and schools, and rallying for higher wages for union workers. The real question is that did all her accomplishments outweigh her contributions? I agree because she accomplished many things in Argentina which this she contributed a lot because of the way she treated the poor she treated them very good which then they contributed by voting for Peron. Was all of this worth it though, this was because all of the political

Long-term memory loss and treatments essays

Short/Long-term memory loss and treatments essays For my article summary paper, I have chosen to use chapter 7 The Human Memory. I have picked several articles to summarize. The majority of my information will becoming from Human Memory and Researchers Find Protein that Makes Long-term Memory possible. According to our text book, short-term memory is defined as a limited-capacity store that can maintain unrehearsed information, and long-term memory is defined as unlimited capacity store that can hold information over lengthy periods of time. The first article discusses the functions of short-term memory loss, and gives an example via experiment with mice. The second article focuses on the role protein plays in long-term memory. This article also features an experiment using mice. In the first article, they explains how STM works. When the brain forms new short-term memories, it creates new neurons in a region of the hippocampus called the dentate gyrus. This process also cleans out the outdated memories, in order to fit new ones. The article then talks about popular, but potentially disruptive treatments for Alzheimers disease. Patients with the disease loose cells in the hippocampus. One popular treatment is to transplant stem cells into the region to replace the dead cells. Contrary to that treatment, new work suggest that the addition of new cells might disrupt memory retention. Memory retention is disrupted by altering connections between neurons in the hippocampus and by boosting the memory clearance process. (Human Memory) Richard Harvey, director of research at the Alzheimer's Society, says he is not surprised that stem cell transplants might damage memory. "Our view is that stem cells offer hope in disorders like Parkinson's, but in Alz heimer's the problem is more to do with the network connections of neurons, transplanting new neurons could disrupt these networks, he says. ...

Free Essays on George Washigton

#1 George Washington is best known as the â€Å"Father of our Country.† He cared for this country much like a parent would care for a child. During his presidency, he solved many noteworthy problems. His achievements led to a democratic, wonderful country we like to call The United States of America. Although he’s not thought of as glamorous, George Washington is looked upon with the utmost respect and awe by all countries of the world. George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia on February 22, 1732. He was the oldest son of a Virginia farmer. Washington received most of his education at home. When he was 17 he was appointed surveyor of Culpeper County, Virginia. In 1752 Washington inherited Mount Vernon, in Fairfax County. The same year he was appointed adjutant of the southern district of Virginia, a full-time salaried appointment, carrying the rank of major. He wanted to eventually secure a commission in the regular British army. In 1753, Virginia was alarmed when a French expedition from Canada established posts on the headwaters of the Ohio River. Conflict over this area eventually erupted into the French and Indian War, in which Washington played a major military role that established his reputation as a commander. In the fall of 1758 the French were defeated. In 1759 he married Martha Dandridge Custis, a wealthy young widow. Washington matured into a solid member of Virginia society. From 1759 to 1774 he served in the House of Burgesses. By 1774 Washington had become a key supporter of the colonial cause. That same year he was elected to the First Continental Congress. In 1775 the Second Continental Congress elected Washington commander in chief of its army. In July Washington arrived in Massachusetts, where the battles at #2 Lexington and Concord had been fought. The British pulled back most of their troops to winter in New York City, leaving scattered garrisons of German mercenaries in New... Free Essays on George Washigton Free Essays on George Washigton #1 George Washington is best known as the â€Å"Father of our Country.† He cared for this country much like a parent would care for a child. During his presidency, he solved many noteworthy problems. His achievements led to a democratic, wonderful country we like to call The United States of America. Although he’s not thought of as glamorous, George Washington is looked upon with the utmost respect and awe by all countries of the world. George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia on February 22, 1732. He was the oldest son of a Virginia farmer. Washington received most of his education at home. When he was 17 he was appointed surveyor of Culpeper County, Virginia. In 1752 Washington inherited Mount Vernon, in Fairfax County. The same year he was appointed adjutant of the southern district of Virginia, a full-time salaried appointment, carrying the rank of major. He wanted to eventually secure a commission in the regular British army. In 1753, Virginia was alarmed when a French expedition from Canada established posts on the headwaters of the Ohio River. Conflict over this area eventually erupted into the French and Indian War, in which Washington played a major military role that established his reputation as a commander. In the fall of 1758 the French were defeated. In 1759 he married Martha Dandridge Custis, a wealthy young widow. Washington matured into a solid member of Virginia society. From 1759 to 1774 he served in the House of Burgesses. By 1774 Washington had become a key supporter of the colonial cause. That same year he was elected to the First Continental Congress. In 1775 the Second Continental Congress elected Washington commander in chief of its army. In July Washington arrived in Massachusetts, where the battles at #2 Lexington and Concord had been fought. The British pulled back most of their troops to winter in New York City, leaving scattered garrisons of German mercenaries in New...

Introduction to Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Introduction to Financial Management - Essay Example Do 16 (1 + g) ^2 where Do is the opening amount of dividend, g is the growth rate and â€Å"2† is the period. For this type of growth, to determine the growth level at time t, the value can be determined once by introducing a power, which is t as follows Dt = 16 (1 + g) ^t (Titman, Keown & Martin, n.d., pp. 3-13). The time t for the dividend growth is one year, therefore, the t = 1. Market capitalization rate indicates the rate of return on investment. Therefore, the price of the stock = 24 (1 +0.09) ^1/(1 + 0.15) ^1 = 22.75 pence (Titman, Keown & Martin, n.d., pp. 3-13). The return on equity = Net income/equity. Mannington’s ROE = 20%. Let net income be x. Therefore, 20% = x/(200,000,000 * 50) = x/10,000,000,000. X = (20% * 10,000,000,000) = 2,000,000,000. Mannington company declared 60% of the profits (net profit) as dividends. On that note, the total dividend to be paid = (60% * 2,000,000,000) = 1,200,000,000. The company’s dividend per share = (1,200,000,000/200,000,000) = 6pence per share. Given the company’s expected rate of return, at this point it is possible to obtain the value of the shares using the formula Vs = D/rs where Vs is share value, D is the dividend and rs is the expected return. Therefore, Vs = (6/0.13) = 46.15pence (Titman, Keown & Martin, n.d., pp. 3-13). Using the formula for constant dividend growth, RCs = D/Vcs + g where rcs is the return, D is the dividend, Vcs is the share price and g is the growth. Therefore, return = (20/2.35) + 0.06 = 8.571% (Titman, Keown & Martin, n.d., pp. 3-13). The director’s view that the retained earnings would be cheaper than the preference share is valid. To justify the validity, the only cost that accompanies the use of retained earnings is the failure to pay dividends to the shareholders. Thus retained earnings have no flotation cost, they are tax free and does not lead to loss of control of a company. Preference shares on the

Treasury bills Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Treasury bills - Assignment Example T-Bills are usually sold at a profit but are not charged any additional interest such as in the case of other loans. The profits are calculated by finding the remaining amount after ‘redemption value’ has been subtracted from the value at which it was purchased (Brigham and Ehrhardt, 2013). In the financial market, T-bills is considered to be the best selling security compared to others in the money market. In nutshell, they are ways and strategies that a government devises to generate some amounts from its citizens. As discussed, they are short-term and usually mature within a year or less. Investors who buy these securities earn through buying them at cheaper prices than those they sell them at when they mature and this provides for a remarkable profit generation. To issue these marketable securities, the government usually operate under ‘bidding system’. This means that to acquire the T-bills, one has to forward their bids requesting for the items of which will be determined through rigorous analysis and considerations. There are two ways in which the bids can be submitted; either through ‘competitive or non-competitive forms (Garbade, 2012). Competitive means that one only stands a chance of allocation if they forward the lowest bid and the bidders are therefore asked to mention precisely the profit they seek to earn at the end. Those who quote low profits are given the T-bills. Non-competitive system is where the bidders just forward their bids and they are given the whole sum of the money they requested once it matures. This investment is good and bad to a financial company that seeks to generate revenue and sustain itself in the money market industry. One of the reasons they have gained market fame and admiration is because they are relatively not expensive and so many companies can easily acquire them. They range from one thousand to a million US Dollars and

Work Setting as a Learning Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Work Setting as a Learning Environment - Essay Example What would students on placement do with learning programs in clinical environments? The learners expect to accomplish the appropriate professional and inter-professional theoretical and practical objectives in their curriculum. Working in the clinical environment can present challenges but with ready and efficient placement programs, the prospective clinical professional achieves coping strategies. Satisfactory placement environment also promotes academic excellence (McCulloch, Rathbone and Catchpole, 2011). Â  The clinical experts would not ascertain their clinical experiences if the work setting did not offer them the right platform for learning. Not only does a professional or student clinical officer achieve and evaluate varied perspectives of dealing with health care issues, but also increases the hope and expectations of realizing the ultimate as public health policy requires. The work setting becomes the ideal starting point for students and clinical officers because every day presents new challenges and opportunities. Â  The health officers would lack research and advance education pathways without a proper clinical learning environment. Gopee (2015) acknowledges healthcare institutions as the ultimate centers for sustaining inter-professional learning, creating the desire to advance in education and conduct research. Research is critical due to the dynamic nature of healthcare concerns. Â  Teamwork and leadership increase the scope of responsibilities for healthcare professionals within the practice setting (McCulloch, Rathbone, and Catchpole, 2011).

Marketing Strategies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing Strategies - Assignment Example It will shape the product features based on cost considerations. The marketing plan will allocate resources where they will gain the best return. Packaging, advertising, and distribution will all be a part of the marketing plan. To begin writing an effective marketing plan first requires a detailed marketing strategy based on a number of strategic criteria. Market power is the degree of penetration that a company or product currently has in the market. If a company has a large market share, or market dominance, they can benefit from the ability to set prices and less competition. If a company has a small market share they will be forced to follow the pricing plan of the market leaders. Market dominance can also be attained if there are barriers to entry for other companies. Dominance can also be acquired if the product has a sufficient profit margin to allow pricing competition. If a product has low market share, easy entry to the market, and a low profit margin the marketing will be from the aspect of low market power. This will be a consideration when placing the product in the market. The product may opt to challenge the market leader or find a niche market. The company may also place the product as a market follower or suitable substitute for the market leader. Innovation strategies determine the extent that a company or product will lead or f... Continual innovation and product improvement is mandatory. Other products may not be as influenced by innovation and consumers may prefer proven reliability rather than innovation. Innovation strategies also extend to the distribution and customer base of the product or company. New uses for an existing product is innovation. Finding new outlets, markets, and generating new customers is also an innovative strategy. Growth Strategies One of the most basic measurements of a firm's success is its growth rate. Aside from selling more of an existing product, a company may decide to grow vertically or horizontally. The company that employs vertical integration seeks to control the raw material, production, transportation, and marketing of their product ("Vertical Integration"). In this strategy, the firm profits from every step in the product's life. Horizontal integration is the acquisition of additional processes or markets that are similar to the existing base. An oil company that acquires additional refinery capability through purchase or mergers is employing horizontal integration. Products can be marketed to targeted and segmented markets with this strategy. A firm can likewise grow through either diversification or specialization. Kraft Food has benefited by offering a wide range of food products. A firm can also benefit from specializing in a product and becoming the market maker for the item. Kleenex and Xerox were both known for their focused product and expertise. Aggressiveness Strategies Part of the business plan will be plans for future expansion. The strategy will determine how fast and in what ways the firm will grow. These factors will be determined by the ability to take risks, financial leverage, level of bureaucracy, and aggressiveness. A company is

Information Systems Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Information Systems Master - Essay Example Across all brands the bank operates some 1800 sites in the UK. The area considered for analysis is the human resource management of HSBC Bank plc. The various procedures and facilities of the human resource management at the HSBC is discussed. Then an analysis is carried out on various subdivisions like Recruitment, Training etc and evaluation is done by framing models. Once the application form has been received, a credit check will be undertaken. This check will include CCJs, bankruptcy and delinquent debts registered (e.g. defaulted on payments to a loan which has not yet been paid in full.) Full details on this are contained within the application form. This is the next stage and is undertaken online. Typically instructions will be received on how to complete this questionnaire within 5 days from your initial submission of the application. The Experienced Commercial Relationship Manager applicants will also receive instructions on how to complete verbal and numeric reasoning tests, which are part of the assessment process for this role. A 30 to 40 minute telephone interview based on key skills for the role applied will be conducted. This is a competency based interview and applicant will need to talk through situations for the displayed particular skills. The final stage conducted by the recruiting manager, ... 1) Initial suitability A series of questions will be asked (such as your eligibility to work in the UK). 2) Online application form Complete the application form as prescribed with appropriate information. 3) Credit Check Once the application form has been received, a credit check will be undertaken. This check will include CCJs, bankruptcy and delinquent debts registered (e.g. defaulted on payments to a loan which has not yet been paid in full.) Full details on this are contained within the application form. 4) Profiling questionnaire This is the next stage and is undertaken online. Typically instructions will be received on how to complete this questionnaire within 5 days from your initial submission of the application. The Experienced Commercial Relationship Manager applicants will also receive instructions on how to complete verbal and numeric reasoning tests, which are part of the assessment process for this role. 5) Telephone interview A 30 to 40 minute telephone interview based on key skills for the role applied will be conducted. This is a competency based interview and applicant will need to talk through situations for the displayed particular skills. The key skills for each Customer Sales roles are: sales, customer service, teamwork, work standards and communication. For the Management roles the key skills are: sales/retail management, relationship building, leadership/team management, customer service, drive, resilience and communication. 6) Face-to-face interview The final stage conducted by the recruiting manager, typically at the location for the role applied for. Again the interview will focus on applicant's skills and experiences and how they match with Bank's requirements.

Marketing Strategies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing Strategies - Assignment Example It will shape the product features based on cost considerations. The marketing plan will allocate resources where they will gain the best return. Packaging, advertising, and distribution will all be a part of the marketing plan. To begin writing an effective marketing plan first requires a detailed marketing strategy based on a number of strategic criteria. Market power is the degree of penetration that a company or product currently has in the market. If a company has a large market share, or market dominance, they can benefit from the ability to set prices and less competition. If a company has a small market share they will be forced to follow the pricing plan of the market leaders. Market dominance can also be attained if there are barriers to entry for other companies. Dominance can also be acquired if the product has a sufficient profit margin to allow pricing competition. If a product has low market share, easy entry to the market, and a low profit margin the marketing will be from the aspect of low market power. This will be a consideration when placing the product in the market. The product may opt to challenge the market leader or find a niche market. The company may also place the product as a market follower or suitable substitute for the market leader. Innovation strategies determine the extent that a company or product will lead or f... Continual innovation and product improvement is mandatory. Other products may not be as influenced by innovation and consumers may prefer proven reliability rather than innovation. Innovation strategies also extend to the distribution and customer base of the product or company. New uses for an existing product is innovation. Finding new outlets, markets, and generating new customers is also an innovative strategy. Growth Strategies One of the most basic measurements of a firm's success is its growth rate. Aside from selling more of an existing product, a company may decide to grow vertically or horizontally. The company that employs vertical integration seeks to control the raw material, production, transportation, and marketing of their product ("Vertical Integration"). In this strategy, the firm profits from every step in the product's life. Horizontal integration is the acquisition of additional processes or markets that are similar to the existing base. An oil company that acquires additional refinery capability through purchase or mergers is employing horizontal integration. Products can be marketed to targeted and segmented markets with this strategy. A firm can likewise grow through either diversification or specialization. Kraft Food has benefited by offering a wide range of food products. A firm can also benefit from specializing in a product and becoming the market maker for the item. Kleenex and Xerox were both known for their focused product and expertise. Aggressiveness Strategies Part of the business plan will be plans for future expansion. The strategy will determine how fast and in what ways the firm will grow. These factors will be determined by the ability to take risks, financial leverage, level of bureaucracy, and aggressiveness. A company is

Basket of currency and the economy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Basket of currency and the economy - Term Paper Example Every country has its own accepted currency. They have unique ways of identifying the currencies; for example, the American Dollar ($) and the Swiss Franc and so on. Basket of currency can be defined as the weighted average of a group of currencies that can be used as a measure of its value. What makes up the basket of currency and the weighting is highly depends on the purpose intended. It serves as a way to tell the movements of regional currency. As Investopedia asserts, countries sign contracts to avoid the fluctuations of currencies. The best examples are the Asian and European currency unit but, the Euro replaced the European Currency Unit. The basket of currency helps countries' currencies not to collapse. In 1997, Asia experienced a currency crisis and this has led to the discussion on how the Asian countries can have a desirable exchange rate. The crisis major cause was the adoption and use of the dollar peg system. It is said that the dollar peg system led to huge capital inflow in to the Asian countries thus led to the crisis (Ogawa & Sasaki, 2002). Huge capital inflows are dangerous to the economy as it can lead to a reverse of the capital flow direction. This led to the Asian economies adopting the currency basket system which included a more flexible exchange rate. The main currencies which show a strong economic relationship are included in the currency basket. The strong relationships are in terms of international finance and trade and foreign direct investment. The main currencies are: the Japanese Yen, the Euro and the US dollar. An analysis of the Asian countries interest and exchange rates, foreign reserves and monetary base was done and it revealed that the Asian currenc ies and the US dollar exhibited a strong link and the exchange rates were not floating freely as expected (Calvo& Reinhart, 2002). The Asian countries saw that by acquiring the intermediate exchange rate, it would lead to overvaluation or undervaluation of their currencies. Undervaluation would yield import inflation while overvaluation would make goods for trade to be less competitive. Therefore, currency of basket was the only significant way for Asian countries to avoid the crisis but they must have been export-oriented. Currency swap A currency swap occurs when two parties agree to exchange a specific amount of different types of currencies. At the initial stage of the exchange there are interest payments that are done. The deal can be either of the parties to pay floating exchange or fixed interest rate. Agreements can be made to ensure that both parties use both at the same time. The principal amounts are always exchanged back as the currency swap matures. It must be noted that in a currency swap, both the principal and the interest are exchanged in full amounts. After the Asian countries currency crisis, the monetary authorities have come up with a new initiative, Chiang Mai Initiative, which is a regional monetary cooperation. The initiative comprises of many currency swaps to help manage the currency crisis. More so it acts as a tool of surveillance and helps in the preventing currency crisis. It helps the Deputy finance Ministers to mainly observe the macroeconomic domestic variables, inflation rates and GD P, at any policy making meetings and economic

A view from the bridge Essay Example for Free

A view from the bridge Essay The immigrants travelled to America to escape the extreme circumstances in their home countries. They went in search of the American Dream, which was denied them because of the discrimination they suffered under the right wing Government established in America at the time. The policies of the American Government forced the immigrants to live in densely populated slums on the outskirts of the cities. They were wage slaves and were forced to seek day labour, especially in the docks, as is shown in A View from the Bridge. Anyone who became known as a left-wing political activist usually within a trade union was blacked and denied work. What is the social context of the play? The play A View from the Bridge was set in the proletarian slums of Brooklyn harbour, New York during the nineteen-fifties. At this point in time, life for immigrants and other people of the working class was very tough as men received the minimum wage for hard labour in the Brooklyn docks. The immigrants tried to save some of their poor earnings to send home to their impoverished families, which is what Marco sets out to do in the play. However, the conflict between the characters in the play results in the destruction of this goal. What is the cultural context of the play? The play is based on the idea of the laws of the street, which revolved mainly around honour. This creates an alternative society with its own concept of justice, which differs from the constitutional law of America. Eddie upholds the law of the land when he informs the immigration authorities that Marco and Rodolfo are illegal immigrants, however, by doing this, he breaks the social and moral laws of his community. The macho male dominant figure within the family demonstrated in the play by Eddie reflects the culture of Sicilian society and the power of the mores of the Mafia. In his society name is everything and Eddie is destroyed by the loss of his reputation, and he cries out, I want my name! Marcos got my name - (page 62) The tragic outcome of the play is caused by the conflict between trying to maintain traditional Italian values within a very different society, where individuals are driven by desire to achieve the American Dream. Rodolfo and Catherine start to live the American dream, whilst Eddie and Marco cling to their Italian roots. Rodolfo buys American records and clothes as he prepares to settle in America, whilst Marco sends his money home to his family in Italy as is expected of a good Italian father. When Marco wants a traditionally Sicilian blood revenge against Eddie, Rodolfo argues with him for the first time and wants him to compromise so that he can have a future in America: MARCO In my country he would be dead now. He would not live this long. ALFIERI All right, Rodolfo you come with me now RODOLFO Marco promise the man. Please, I want you to watch the wedding. How can I be married and youre in here? Please, youre not going to do anything; you know youre not. (page 58) This last speech by Rodolfo shows how powerless the immigrants are in a society where they are forced to compromise with a culture that is alien to them and to live by rules that go against their concept of justice and honour.

Different Scientific Theories For Drugs And Crime Criminology Essay

Different Scientific Theories For Drugs And Crime Criminology Essay There are many different social scientific theories about the ever debated issue of the relationship between drugs and crime. The book highlights a few of the major social scientific theoretical perspectives. Although there are many different arguments as to the nature of the correlation, the one thing that is certain is that there is a significant relationship between drug use and crime. The first group of perspectives are from ethnographic and role theory analyses. They see the drug and crime relationship as being associated with subcultures more than directly causal of each other. Society would term these subculture behaviors as extremely deviant. This includes high frequencies of drug use, high crime rates, and high-risk sexual behavior. These are viewed as an integral part of the societal role of a typical street level drug-user. This perspective argues that drug use and crime are mutually reinforcing, not directly linear in cause. Another perspective comes from the ecological theoretical analysis. It argues that the relationship between drugs and crime are because the two activities happen in similar environmental conditions. These conditions include lack of social control, poverty, and economic opportunity. This perspective argues that crime is spuriously related to drug use. The final interpretation is the radical theory. This perspective says that the relationship between drugs and crime is a production of governmental legal policy since 1914, which criminalized many drug using behaviors. These theorists argue that the drug-crime relationship can be fought with the decriminalization of drugs, as well as treating drug use and addictions through social help programs. It is impossible to pinpoint the exact cause of the drug-crime relationship. But by using several different theories, such as the previous mentioned ones, it is possible to begin to develop an idea of the root cause. It is important to remember that one theory may not fit every single situation, but a group of well thought out theories can help us better explain the overall relationship of a particular problem. Chapter 1: Question 3 The Goldstein model is a framework for the linkage between drugs and crime. It attempts to explain the three different causes of violence that is linked with drugs. These three different classifications are; the psychopharmacological explanation, the economic-compulsive explanation, and the systematic explanation. Drug use is proven to be a major factor in crime in many cases. The majority of prisoners in the United States are there because of drugs, whether that be selling or using. The Goldstein model gets down to the bare minimum of how drugs affect violent crime. The first classification is the psychopharmacological violence. In this group, the violence that is committed happens because of the direct effects of a psychoactive drug on a user. This is not motivated by anything except for the compulsive effects of the drug. Drugs cause the body to act differently than normal. Some drugs cause the body to become mellow and calm, while others cause the body to lash out in fits of rage. The majority of people view psychopharmacological violence as mainly due to alcohol rather than any other drugs. The next classification for the drug-crime connection is the economic-compulsive violence. This happens when offenders commit an offense for the purpose of raising money to support their drug habit. Studies show that this classification is especially true for heroin addicts, but that it can be prevalent in other drugs as well. One of the major economic crimes committed for these drug addicts is drug dealing. Drug dealing is an easy way for the addicts to make enough money to support their habit, and at the same time they can keep some of the drugs for themselves. The final classification is the systematic violence. This violence happens in the course of struggles for market power. These drug markets have a high propensity for violence, whether that be from other dealers (turf war) or the buyers. A more in depth view of the violence in drug markets reveals that there are four factors that contribute to the violence. These are: the youth of the participants (youths are naturally more violent), the value of the drugs themselves (killing the buyer allows you to keep their money and still have your drugs), the intensity of law enforcement (potential police informants), and the indirect consequence of drug use (drug users are inclined to more violence due to the drug use). Chapter 2: Question 3 According to Andrew Golub and Bruce D. Johnson there are four phases of epidemics. They argue that drug epidemics usually will follow predictable steps. Their model was originally used to study the Crack Epidemic, but has gone on to be used to study the Heroin Injection Epidemic and the Marijuana Epidemic as well. The four steps are: the incubation phase, the expansion phase, the plateau phase, and the decline phase. The incubation phase is based on the idea that drug epidemics usually grow out of an individual social context (heroin from the jazz era and crack from inner-city drug dealers). During this incubation phase, the new drug practice is developed and perfected among a small group of adult drug users. Research suggests that the new fascination with marijuana was because of the youth inner-city hip-hop movement. They praised marijuana use in songs, clothing, and other venues. The next phase is the expansion phase. In this phase, the drug use spreads rapidly among subcultures. These subcultures are usually newly emerging who embrace the new drug use as hip and their thing. In the crack and heroin epidemics, this expansion phase took place among adults. Only after it spread through the adults was it embraced by youth. In contrast, the marijuana epidemic was first spread among youth. Next is the plateau phase of the drug epidemic. This stage is defined by youths becoming adults and wanting to get involved with the widespread drug of choice, currently that is marijuana. The rate of use of the drug of choice would be at high levels. The rate would be stable at this high rate and even slowly increasing. The final phase is the decline phase. This is just how it sounds. The rate of use for the specific drug would be declining overall, even rapidly declining. These four phases give an outline for the life of a drug epidemic. It is not necessarily a rule, but a general guideline for these epidemics. Chapter 2: Question 4 The gateway theory is a popular theory of drug addiction. It is widely accepted as true in many circles. It is based on the fact that a lot of research has shown that many American youths, who are involved in substance use and abuse, usually have a progression to their substance abuse. This progression of substance use involves four stages: the nonuse stage, alcohol/tobacco stage, marijuana stage, and finally harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin. The research shows that youths who do not use certain substances in one stage, rarely use the harder drugs in the later stages. However it does not say that every single user at one stage will necessarily progress to the next. This theory has produced the label of gateway drugs for substances such as alcohol, marijuana, and even tobacco. Current policies seek to prevent, or at least delay as long as possible, the youth from using gateway drugs. This is in hopes that if youth do not use gateway drugs, they wont move on to harder, more seri ous, drugs. This theory is not necessarily a strong theory. There have been several studies suggesting that this gateway progression may not be very relevant to mainstream youth of today or to inner-city populations. A study from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse found that youths coming of age during the 1990s were highly unlikely to progress from the gateway drug, marijuana, to cocaine (powder and crack) or heroin. This was compared to youths born previously in decades before. This leads researchers to believe that substance abuse among youth reflects cultural, or even subcultural, norms among the youth. It suggests that substance abuse is acceptable or unacceptable among youth cultures, and that this cultural norm will reflect substance abuse. These cultural norms vary over time and locations as well. This theory has some credibility, but it is important to realize that theories may be strong one year, but may be weakened by cultural influences the next. Cultures progress and change over time, so it is impossible to assume that trends and patterns will not change as well. Chapter 3: Question 2 According to Lisa Maher and Kathleen Daly, the basic structure of New York City crack markets is an organized system of distribution. This is in contrast to the commonly characterized unregulated markets of individual crack dealers trying to get rich by themselves as crack entrepreneurs. The research suggests that as soon as there is a high enough demand for the crack, the individual freelancers are taken over by a more organized system for distribution. This is evidenced by the crack epidemic in New York City during the late 1980s. During that time many of the neighborhoods had highly organized street-level drug markets. These markets were dependent on each other and they had a hierarchical structure of organization. The organizational structure is much like that of the mafia, a highly organized street gang, or a Fortune-500 business. The drug business owners had many different crew bosses and managers or lieutenants. These managers were in charge of relaying orders from the owners to the street-level employees. They had the responsibility to organize and deliver all the necessary supplies and also for collecting the money made by the street-level workers. These managers could hire, fire, and pay the workers as they saw fit. They also handled problems the lower level employees had with each other or even the upper management. The next level down in the organizational structure, after the managers, crew bosses, or lieutenants; was the street-level drug dealers. These dealers had a specific area that they were in charge of selling to. The dealers were assisted in any way needed by the lower-level members; such as the runners, look-outs, and enforcers. The runners are responsible for having a continuous supply going to the dealers. The look-outs were in charge of warning the dealer of immanent threats (i.e. cops). And the enforcers were in charge of maintaining order, whether by force or presence. This system of drug dealing was extremely organized and sophisticated. It made it a serious problem for law enforcement officials to fight the already impossible war on drugs. This system made it possible for the drug companies to run smoothly and efficiently. Chapter 4: Question 3 In the article Street Youth and Criminal Violence Stephen W. Baron and Timothy F. Hartnagel offer three possible theories that explain youth violence. It is important to understand different possible explanations of youth violence because the criminal justice system needs to know the root cause in order to develop prevention strategies. The theories are the street subculture and lifestyle theory, the economic deprivation theory, and the routine activities theory. The street subculture and lifestyle theory is a popular explanation for violence among youths. It says that peer groups and role models glorify violent behavior rather than shunning it. The highest rates of violence are located in neighborhoods where violent role models are everywhere, such as inner-city neighborhoods with high rates of gang violence. This perspective argues that criminal acts are almost essential to the cultures and subcultures of the street, which slowly make violence more and more acceptable in youths. The economic deprivation theory argues that violent behavior is rooted in inequality, uneven distribution of wealth, and the deprivation of the have-nots compared to the haves. The degree of inequality is all a matter of perception by the individual. If the individual has a negative view of others compared to himself, this will create feelings of resentment and bitterness. These feelings can be manifested in expressions of violence and crime. The routine activities theory suggests that just presenting someone with the opportunity to commit crime can lead to increase in crime, completely dependent of social or structural conditions. This perspective says that violent street crime is merely a product opportunities that are presented to individuals in the daily life on the street. These perspectives differ because they each attribute the root cause of crime to different factors. In the street subculture theory, the crime is attributed to cultural norms, role models, and peer influence. In the economic deprivation theory, crime is attributed to financial unhappiness. In the routine activities theory, crime is attributed to the availability to commit the crime. All three of these perspectives probably are mostly truth, so it is wise to look at all three of them from a broad encompassing perspective. Chapter 4: Question 1 There are many etiological factors that predict young adult drug use and delinquency. These factors are not 100% accurate all of the time, but they serve as a means to help direct prevention and detection efforts. The causal factors are concluded from survey data taken of youth in high school. There are some obvious causal factors to youth delinquency and drug use and some not so obvious ones. There is a gender gap that is noticeable in this data as well. In the data, one of the obvious results was that a significantly smaller proportion of youth had committed a delinquent act in the twelve months prior to the survey than compared to their lifetimes. It also found that women were less likely to get involved in delinquent activities initially, but that after they were involved they were just as likely as men to remain persistent in delinquent acts. Another interesting finding was that about 50% of the individuals who admitted to committing an offense in their lifetime also did so in the previous twelve months leading up to the interview. One consistent finding was the persistence of participation in delinquent acts. If an individual committed an act once, they were much more likely to commit more delinquent acts in the future. The trend of committing delinquent acts differs from the trend of involvement in illegal drugs among youth. For example, persistent use of illegal drugs is much more likely than persistent commission of delinquent acts. Also, the proportion of continual illegal drug users is much lower for women than for men. Women are also much less likely to become initially involved and then to remain persistent users of illegal drugs than men. The disparity between men and women has always been large when it comes to crime. This can be due to a number of reasons. The first potential explanation for the disparity could be that the Criminal Justice System is more lenient on women than on men. Another possible, and statistically proven, explanation is that men are just proportionately over involved in crime compared to women. Whatever the reason, we know for sure that women are less likely to be involved in crime and illegal drugs. Chapter 5: Question 1 An interesting phenomenon has developed over the past twenty to thirty years in the Criminal Justice System. The prison population has more than tripled since the 1980s, while the crime rate has gone down drastically. It has especially dropped significantly since the early 1990s, yet the number of prisoners has steadily grown. There are a few different explanations for this seemingly out of control trend. Lana D. Harrison offers a well researched explanation of this phenomenon. She suggests that this wild rise in prison numbers can be attributed to policy changes and the war on drugs. In the early 2000s, over 2 million people were imprisoned in the United States. This is more than three times the number of prisoners that the United States had in the 1980s. Harrison argues that the majority of these drug prisoners were incarcerated in the 1980s at the beginning of the war on drugs. By 1996, 60% of the federal prisoners were imprisoned for drug offenses, 23% of state prisoners, and 22% of jail prisoners. The changing criminal justice process and new policies have contributed to this rise, including mandatory minimum sentences and the three-strikes laws. In the 1980s, the moral drug panics caused lawmakers to pass extremely strict drug laws. This in turn caused the dramatic increase in the numbers of drug prisoners across the board at all levels. Drug users who were incarcerated because of these stricter penalties went into prison addicted to drugs, and many times they also left prison addicted to drugs. These drug addicts returning to the communities returned no better than when they had gone to prison, still the same person, just older. Since these drug addicts had been to prison beforehand, they were much more likely to be convicted again for crimes they committed. This is a self perpetuating cycle which may be another explanation to the rising prison population. The rising prison population coupled with the decreasing crime rate is a much studied phenomenon in the criminal justice world. Harrison offers the explanation that it is due to the changing policies and the changes that took place in the criminal justice system itself. The war on drugs had far reaching consequences that caused a major crack down on drugs of all kinds, from the lowest of users to the most organized cartels. Chapter 5: Question 3 Douglas Longshore and his colleagues pose five different dimensions of the conceptual framework of drug courts. These dimensions include leverage, population severity, program intensity, predictability, and rehabilitation emphasis. Longshore suggests that the first two dimensions (leverage and population severity) of drug courts are structural characteristics. He says that the final three dimensions (program intensity, predictability, and rehabilitation emphasis) are characteristics of the process, which describe what occurs while offenders are processed through the drug courts. Leverage refers to the seriousness of penalties that offenders face who do not meet the requirements of programs and are dismissed from drug courts. When the participant completes all of the program requirements, the charge is reduced and even sometimes dropped completely. If the offender fails to complete the program, he or she may be sentenced and possibly incarcerated. Longshore suggests that the outcomes will be better when drug courts have more leverage (whether that be actual or just perceived) over the participants. The next structural characteristic is population severity, which refers to the difference in drug courts which are established to handle serious offenders as opposed to minor offenders, or the other way around. Other indicators of severity may include age, gender, or even employment history. Longshore says that courts set up to handle the more serious offenders will have less favorable outcomes. He does say however that there might be other less obvious dimensions that impact population severity as well. Program intensity refers to the requirements set out by the court for the completion of the drug court. These include urine tests, appearing in court, drug abuse classes and treatment. Optional requirements may be imposed as well such as employment, suitable living quarters, education, and paying fines. The next process characteristic is predictability, which refers to how the participant thinks the court will respond to their compliance or noncompliance. Predictability indicators may be drawn from court statistics and records. The final characteristic is rehabilitation emphasis. This is important when viewing the criminal justice system as rehabilitative instead of punishment focused. Rehabilitation is the focus of most drug courts. This emphasis can include how often the judge talks directly to and listens to the participant, time spent with the participant by all parties involved, and how close the participants sit in relationship to the bench. Longshore suggests that outcomes are better when drug courts are emphasized more on rehabilitation. Chapter 6: Question 1 Harm reduction is a goal for some policies and programs concerning drug abuse and other criminal issues. It is not a program in and of itself, but simply a goal of the programs. The two conflicting goals that divide peoples opinions are harm reduction and prohibition (demand and supply reduction). While prohibition seeks to completely do away with the illegal activity (alcohol, drugs, prostitution, etc.), harm reduction seeks to make those activities safer for the people who choose to participate in them. Harm reduction is seen by some people as the lesser of two evils. Peter Reuter and Robert J. MacCoun discuss the attempt at harm reduction with illegal drugs. People who hold the harm reduction point of view believe that it is more beneficial to reduce the harm done by illegal drugs than to try and do away with them altogether. The belief is that people will always be harming their bodies with drugs. The idea of harm reduction accepts this fact that people will always do drugs, and thus tries to make it safer for the people who choose to do so. This is a controversial policy, but may have more merit than it seems to have at face value. For example, in some countries public health services provide prescriptions for heroin users to obtain heroin legally. In some places, there are designated locations where heroin addicts can obtain and use heroin in a controlled and safe environment. Another example of harm reduction is needle exchange programs. These programs allow heroin addicts to exchange dirty needles for clean ones. This is in hopes of reducing the spreading of diseases, such as HIV and Hepatitis C, from one user to another. Proponents of harm reduction policies argue that it is much cheaper to provide these drug services to every single addict than to imprison the addict. They also say that by providing the drugs for the addicts, they reduce crime that the addict would need to commit in order to purchase the drugs for themselves. Opponents of harm reduction policies argue that making it safer (and thus easier) for addicts to use drugs will cause an increase in drug use. Chapter 6: Question 6 According to Philippe Bourgeois there are many different regional variations in using methadone as treatment. Methadone is a drug that is used to treat opiate (such as morphine or heroin) addicts. The addicts are given the methadone in small doses to help reduce withdrawal symptoms, and in large doses to block the high that opiates give the user. This method of treatment is not accepted 100% in the United States. For example, in eight states methadone is illegal to use in the treatment of opiate addicts. Even in the rest of the states where it is legal, there are still many divergent opinions about the treatment. Bourgeois argues that this difference in opinions depends on the focus of medical and criminal justice establishments in an area, the amount of street addicts in an area, and the overall culture and politics of the region. Along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, the overwhelming cultural view is that substance abuse is a biological disease that requires medical intervention. Methadone treatment is fairly easy to obtain in these areas. It is also a multi-million dollar industry (for both treatment and research) and has dozens of locations throughout the region. Many of these methadone clinics and research facilities are paid for by the government. San Francisco is in stark contrast to the Eastern Seaboard. This city is dominated by a more New Age type thinking. This culture honors a healthy and drug free person. Some people (conspiracy theorists) even argue that methadone treatment is genocide against non-white people. Because of these viewpoints held by a majority of the culture, methadone clinics are few and far between. The few clinics that are in this region have very strict entrance requirements to be admitted into their programs. Some of the facilities require proof (from medical, police, or other record) that the user has been addicted for over a year with previous failed detox attempts. They fear that some people who really arent addicted to opiates will sneak their way into the program, and consequentially become methadone addicts. Chapter 7: Question 7 According to Lise-Marie VanNostrand and Richard Tewksbury, individuals desire to operate illegal drug enterprises for three reasons. They discovered these three motives by interviewing 20 dealers who were in drug court program. The three reasons are financial need, greed, and addition to the lifestyle. Most of the drug dealers interviewed in this study began their dealing career with a single one of these motives, but slowly over time the three motives began to overtake them. Financial need is a very motivating need. This is what motivated some of the individuals to begin their life of dealing drugs. Many people feel like they have no other option to provide for their responsibilities than drug dealing. Some of the people interviewed said that they had a job, but that it just wasnt able to pay for all of their needs and so they began dealing drugs. The majority of people who said that financial need was their motivation to deal drugs had kids and a family to take care of. These individuals saw drug dealing as the fastest and sometimes the only way to provide their familys needs. Greed is also a strong motivation in some people. These people do not necessarily need more money to take care of their needs, but they crave more money to take care of luxuries. Many of the dealers in the study conducted said that drug dealing appealed to them because of the opportunity to make fast and easy money. They often had legitimate employment or even ran businesses, but the desire for money overtook them and led them down a road to drug dealing. These individuals usually did not need to maintain normal jobs for the money, but they maintained normal jobs as a front or sometimes just to have something to fall back on. An addiction to the drug dealing lifestyle is a unique motivation. Some dealers simply want to live a fast paced lifestyle or have popularity and power. These desires seemingly cannot be filled by legitimate jobs. Many of these individuals believe that they cannot achieve recognition or respect due to their perceived lack of skills or respectable attributes, and so they turn to dealing drugs as a means to earn that respect. After they begin their drug selling careers, they begin to have a self perception that everyone respects and admires them. This, coupled with the immense financial gains, is a self perpetuating cycle that leads them farther and farther into a life of drug dealing.

My Personal Philosophy of Education :: Philosophy of Education Statement Teaching

An educator means that you are someone who cares and wants to see children be successful in your class and in their futures. The reason I want to become an educator is to make a difference in a child's life. I have worked with children for over seven years and everyday I spend with a child I learn someone new, about them and about myself. I want to give back to the community in which I was raised. I want to show them that they have helped make me become what I am today. A teacher can make a difference in a child's life to the good or bad if they went into the field for the wrong reason. I want to be remembered for the one who helped and made a difference a child?s life and also as good role model. In my classroom I would like to arrange the desk in a semi-circle and I want a sit at the head of the circle and than the circle will be complete. That way I will be able to see all of the children faces when involved in class discussion or in-group activities. This will show the students that I am equal and no one is better or less than the other. I still want my students to see me as the teacher and not a playmate when it comes to learning and see that I am in control of the class not them. I want them to be able to express what they are feeling and not be afraid that someone is going to put them down. On my bulletin boards I want to place work and coloring pictures that the students have brought in or did in class. I want to work with every student not just a selected few. I do not want to leave anyone out; I want them to be proud of their work. I would also like to have bulletin board with an historical theme such as up coming holidays, where the st udents can go and learn through different fun activities like coloring pages and information sheets that are on the board.

Comments on Society in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman :: Death Salesman essays

Comments on Society in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman Often times when we read literature, we can derive certain ideas or messages that the author of the work is trying to illustrate. After reading the play Death Of A Salesman by Arthur Miller, it is evident that he is trying to comment on our society . These comments on society being expressed are demonstrated in several examples throughout the play.   I think the idea that Miller is trying to get across to the audience is that, today's society is filled with people who don't get the credit they deserve for the "little things" they do in life.   These people in society are like "unsung heroes" because the hard work they do might be overlooked. If others around you see that you are not living up to their expectations or their standards, they may put you down instead of giving you the credit you deserve. Other times we do not appreciate the "little things" that our loved ones do for us until it is too late. Usually these little things impact us the most.   In this play, I think the "unsung hero" is no doubt Willy Loman, an aging salesman, father, and husband to the Loman Family. For example in the play, Willy is getting old and his success in business is suddenly declining. His salary was even taken away, leaving him to depend only on commission. Because of this, his two sons Biff and Happy, along with others that knew him, constantly put him down for not always being on top, saying how he didn't have any character, and that he was crazy. No one knew him at work anymore and no one showed Willy the respect he needed. Others looked down on him not realizing how exhausted he was trying to make a living just for his family. In reality,   Willy would drive 700 miles to work and come home without even earning a cent. He had to borrow money from Charley just to provide food on the table so that he could provide a future for his sons. I think that Willy should've been acknowledged for that in itself but instead, his two sons never even t ook the time out to thank him for just going out everyday trying to make it in the world. Unfortunately, Biff and Happy could only fully realize this when Willy was at the end of his rope, secretly trying to kill himself.

Re-offender puts lives at risk Essay

Ex-convict Mr. Jones was held in custody yesterday for the bribery of 2 local children, Jack and Jill Bramcote. The pair of children aged no less than 12 were bribed with a pack of sweets to climb up the green hill formally known as â€Å"the death trap† to collect a pale of water. The 2 children unaware of the great danger accepted the offer to consequently risk their lives. Whilst on their voyage up the death trap to the derelict well Jack passed out from exhaustion and dehydration, falling 40 meters to the ground. Unfortunately Jill came plummeting after trying to save her be-loved brother. When questioned all Mr Jones had to say was, â€Å"stupid naive kids!† But of cause we all no Mr. Jones is very used to the â€Å"you have a right to remain silent, anything you do say may be held against you in court† concept as this isn’t his first time in trouble with the police now is it Mr Jones?! Mr Jones is due to be in court next week for a number of charges, one of which aiding and betting. Haunted Happenings Two local 9 year old children Jack and Jill Morris were found in a critical state at the bottom of the green hill on Saturday evening. It’s thought that the 2 children were planning on climbing the hill to prove their belief that the derelict well is not haunted and is not the home of â€Å"bloody Mary†. A girl from the children’s school explains the myths,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦well for generations people that have lived in the village of Nottingham have known that the well at the top of the green hill is haunted and that it is the home of the bloody Mary, a vicious women, who can poses anyone with evil spirits, and marks all victims with a Greek symbol†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Trails found on the green hill have been identified as Jack and Jill’s, the trails were found going up the hill, but none were found coming down it, there is no evidence that Jack and Jill ever came down the hill, yet they both ended up at the bottom of it. Doctors have stated that the cause of the pairs injury was not due to a trip or a fall. Symbols forensics found on the wall of the well have also been found on Jack and Jill on their left shoulder. After an intense 2 days historian’s reported that the symbol means â€Å"let the curse be upon the persons whom are marked† and that it is Greek terminology. Both children are in intensive care and have not yet awoken. Police hope to question the pair when they regain consciousness and have said that until then they cannot comment on the evidence until done so. The green hill and well have both been cordoned off until more evidence has been gathered on the happenings of the 22nd January. Killer construction On Tuesday 23rd October 2008 police found 2 children in a critical state at the bottom of a hill in Nottingham. It’s believed that the children (not named for security reasons) were roaming the town in their holidays and decided to get a drink from a well positioned on the summit of the hill. Prints have been found on the well matching the children’s and so prove they got to the well, but after having a drink the pair had a water fight and in frantic running, rushing, ducking and diving the eldest out of the two came stumbling down the hill after falling over a piece of timber. All alone the younger sibling was left startled and shocked, and came running down after her brother only to fall over a scaffolding pole left behind after construction work. The pair was airlifted to the nearest hospital and received urgent medical care. Police investigating found the construction company, Gilford Try to blame due to the state the company left the hill in after aborting a major plan to build a mega-home on the land. The company should by law put up signs, posters and gates with warning and danger written in bold that can be clearly seen, however the company didn’t have any signs or anything to indicate danger. Seen as the company failed to follow the rules, they have been fined à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½300,000. The mother of the children gave us her view, â€Å"†¦I think it’s pathetic, a big company like that would risk lives and their reputation just because they can’t be bothered to put up a few signs! There is no excuse for putting someone’s life at risk and that’s just what they did to both of my children putting them through a lot of pain and suffering. It seems they left behind a death trap only to start building another one†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Susan Miles the mother of the children have begun the process of suing the company and will have a minimum settlement of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½400,000. Step up or fall down On Monday of last week celebrities Jack Johnson and Jill Hepp were both emitted to hospital with several broken bones after a terrible accident filming choreography for their upcoming movie step up two, the streets. Jack was said to have tripped over whilst lifting Jill, sending the pair flying down the Hollywood hill. First aiders on standby immediately treated the stars while waiting for a helicopter to airlift them both to the nearest private hospital. In a statement the producers of step up two, the streets announced that the films launch date has been postponed until November.

Kinesthetic Learning

When I first read this assignment, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I remembered back to when my children were in preschool, which was sixteen and eighteen years ago, and was struck by the realization that I couldn’t recall them learning kinesthetically. It seemed to me that the only time I really saw them moving was during designated play time. I was very pleased when I walked into my church preschool, for a day of observing and volunteering, and the first thing I saw was the children learning through movement.In an effort to learn their numbers, they were all standing in a large circle, with Teacher Karla standing in the center holding a stack of cards with a number printed on each. She passed a ball to one student and then held up a card with the number four (4) on it, and the little boy bounced the ball four times and then passed the ball to the next child, who looked to the teacher for his number, which was a seven (7). He had a little more trouble and only bounced th e ball six times because he forgot the number five.He passed the ball on to the little girl next to him, who looked to the teacher, who still held up the number seven (7), due to the mistake of the previous child. I wasn’t sure how that would work, but the little girl bounced the ball seven times, and the boy, responded with â€Å"Oh yeah, I forgot five. How come you didn’t tell me Teacher? † Teacher Karla responded to this by explaining that we don’t always just learn from the teacher and that we can learn from each other, as well.Later in the day, I was pleasantly surprised to see that teacher Karla was using the Letter Mats that I had created for her a few years ago when I helped out in the preschool. The Letter Mats are large laminated mats with big letters written on them. The letters are not in alphabetical order and each letter is written more than once on each mat. Because this was an activity that I had come up with, Teacher Karla asked me to lea d. I stood in front of the mats and called out a letter. Each child then jumped on that letter on the mat in front of them. I then called out another letter and they jumped from letter to letter.We continued this until they had jumped from A to Z, with a few mess ups in between, but for the most part, most of the children jumped to the right letters most of the time. Chapter 2, Question While volunteering at the preschool, I have a lot of opportunity to watch the way different music affects the children’s moods and behavior. I wasn’t too surprised by my observations because music has always been something I have loved and when I ran an in home childcare, I used different forms of music all of the time. While at the preschool, I observed teacher Karla change the music frequently, depending on the mood she was trying to create.When they were playing the number and ball game, there was lively music playing, with children singing strong and loud. This music seemed to energ ize the children. When it was art time, and the children were painting, she slowed the music down and, while the children still chatted while doing their painting, they were much calmer than they had been earlier. When we did the activity with the Letter Mats, we listened to children singing the alphabet. The children really enjoyed singing along and I think because it was an alphabet song and coincided with our activity, it helped them stay on focus.

The Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations - Essay Example They both had developed their own writing system and their wealth and sovereign as they expanded to the East, as evidences of their culture were found by means of archeological digs. It is important to note that the Minoan Civilization came first. The civilization took root in Crete at around 7000 BC. Minoans were fishermen, as they were island people. At around 2700 BC, the Bronze Age started in Crete. This brought upon a surge of development, from the arts to commerce. By 1700 BC, the Minoan civilization and culture showed a lot of sophistication and organization. Because of newly-found power, the upper class practiced their leadership abilities but this was later thwarted with monarchy in later times, as evidenced by the presence of palaces in Crete. The Early Bronze Age showed a certain degree of greatness, a promise of success for the Minoan Civilization. The Minoans were merchants. Their economy thrived on trading. Most historians believe that the Minoans traded tin, the most i mportant commodity that time, along with copper. Tin with copper (which came from Cyprus) are the major components of Bronze. Other important objects that the Minoans traded were saffron, ceramics, gold and silver. ... Their religion even focused on females, as they had female deities and female priests. It was thought that Minoan religion was matriarchal and the same goes for their society. Minoan religion has several goddesses and the major god that they revere is also a female goddess. They had their own language. Archeologists have found at least 3000 tablets with filled with Cretan scripts. Historians believe that Cretans had their own hieroglyphic system. There were also cups that were recovered and they were thought to be inkwells, as they have ink residue in it. The Minoans also had their art. Best examples of Minoan art are preserved through pottery and architecture. Their palaces also had frescoes that are also evidences that Minoan culture was indeed urbane. Their pottery designs, as well as the style and design in their other artifacts can be largely described as having a strong geometrical aesthetic. Some of the designs tend to be naturalistic too, as the pieces tend to have animals in it. Most Minoan art has bulls in it. Bulls had a special place in Minoan culture. Minoan architecture was quite defining, especially for their culture. Minoan architecture was believed to be heavily influenced by geography. The architecture must have been influenced by the earthquakes that were frequent around the area. That explains why the buildings in Minoan architecture are big but they had little stories, or they are not as multi-leveled as other palaces at the time. The palaces had small rooms and had a lot of divisions, partitions; they also had little windows and the buildings were constructed in blocks. Other techniques also indicate that they were preparing for some seismic activity. One of the most striking contributions of the Minoan

Teacher Professional Learning and Development Assignment

Teacher Professional Learning and Development - Assignment Example This should be useful particularly to those who are involved in helping teachers develop the professional skills they need to teach challenging curricula to diverse students, including students who typically have not achieved well in some of our educational systems. There are four out ten important understandings that arise from the evidence base. These include notwithstanding the influence of factors such as socio-economic status, home, and community, student learning is strongly influenced by what and how teachers teach. Teaching is complex and teachers’ moment-by-moment decisions about lesson content and process are shaped by multiple factors, not just the agendas of those looking for changes in practice. Such factors include teachers’ knowledge and their beliefs about what is important to teach, how students learn, and how to manage student behavior and meet external demands. It is important to create conditions that are responsive to the ways in which teachers lear n. A recent overview of the research identified the following as important for encouraging learning: engaging learners’ prior conceptions about how the world works; developing deep factual and conceptual knowledge, organized into frameworks that facilitate retrieval and application; and promoting met cognitive and self-regulatory processes that help learners define goals and then monitor their progress towards them. Professional learning is strongly determined by the context in which the teacher practices. This is usually the classroom, which, in turn, is strongly influenced by the wider school culture and the community, and society in which the school is located. Teachers’ daily experiences in their practice context determine their understandings, and their understandings determine their experiences. The focus of this particular research is on the conditions for professional learning and development that impact positively on valued student outcomes (Sleezer, 2002). 1. Focus on valued student outcomes Professional learning experiences that focus on the relationship between particular teaching activities and valued student outcomes are associated with positive impacts on those outcomes. Research findings The major factor influencing whether professional learning activities have a positive impact on outcomes for students is the extent to which those outcomes form the rationale for, and ongoing focus of, teacher engagement. Such focus requires teachers to understand the links between particular teaching activities, the ways different groups of students respond, and what their students actually learn. In addition, success needs to be defined not in terms of teacher mastery of new strategies but in terms of the impact that changed practice has on valued outcomes. Because teachers work in such varied contexts, there is no guarantee that any specific approach to teaching will have the desired outcomes for students. Therefore, it is important to keep pro gress towards

Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Politics - Essay Example There are three main topics which I cover in this essay, the first is explaining the current approaches to the post - Cold war international order, secondly I examine the role of the U.S.A in the international order, and finally, I discuss the future possibilities of the international order. I take each topic in turn, present both arguments and show the similarities and differences between Liberals and Marxists. The end of the Cold War can be analysed as a significant development in world politics and as the defeat of Marxism and triumph of Liberalism. Fukuyama is quoted as saying that this is â€Å"the end of History† and explains in his thesis, â€Å" [the end of the Cold war is] not to an â€Å"end of ideology† or a convergence between capitalism and socialism, but to an unabashed victory of economic and political liberalism† (1989 pp.39). The triumphant Liberals will claim that the post-Cold war world order has the U.S.A as the single world super-power, however, they have grasped this power through consent rather than through imperialist measures like past super-powers have done, for example, Great British Empire throughout the 19th century. This has been achieved through introduction of Free-trade agreements via the WTO, and, as a result of certain policies and economic development, other important liberal factors, such as democracy and freedom, have flourished, pa rticularly in former Soviet Union satellite states such as Poland and the Ukraine. The traditional Liberal position on the international order is a â€Å"bottom-up approach† (p121) which means that the needs of the individuals is paramount so the states orientations reflect the peoples desires and not the other way around. This in turn is reflected onto the international scene where different states want different things and hence free-trade can be quite effective in this position. From the