The major issues between Israel and Palestine, in their not being able Essay - 1

The major issues between Israel and Palestine, in their not being able to reach a peace agreement - Essay Example However, history proved to be detrimental to their mission. The Land of Israel was conquered by Arabs for a millennium and was later renamed Palestine (Isseroff, 2007). Today, the Land of Israel as stated in the Old Testament encompasses both the State of Israel and the State of Palestine after it was divided by the United Nations after World War II; and the rest, as they say, is a bloody history (Isseroff, 2007). Before discussing some of the major issues in the conflict between Israel and Palestine, it must be noted that it is a conflict that is extremely complicated in that too many things have happened that have caused each peace agreement to fail. The deep-rooted enmity that has existed in Israelis and Palestinians through the centuries makes one major issue that it seems cannot be bypassed through several attempts to reach a peace agreement. It is like trying to reconcile two archenemies who are not yet ready to make peace with each other, with the level of mistrust increasing with every little wrong move (Bar-On, n.d.). Each camp seems to want to make sure that it is not being cheated, leading to violations in peace agreement stipulations. For instance, the Oslo Accord in 1993 seemed to have been working to keep the peace between the two warring peoples. At least, there were hopes that it would generate enough goodwill between the two opposing sides that a peace agreement can be reache d in the years after (Bar-On, n.d.). But it was not to be as â€Å"the murder of Prime Minister Rabin, the massive Palestinian terror attacks and Israeli continuous building in the settlements showed how deep and extensive was the drive to prevent a solution, rather than enhance it† (Bar-On, n.d.). Aside from the deep hatred each camp feels for the other, the rise of extremist parties, particularly Hamas in Palestine, has become Israel’s most recent scapegoat in protecting its

The History of Community Policing Research Paper - 1

The History of Community Policing - Research Paper Example In looking for the key variable that provided the cohesiveness and viability to the concept of democracy, Alexis de Tocqueville identified the abundance of voluntary associations (Trojanowicz, 1982). It is likely that American judges, attorneys, and police officers of the 1800s and 1900s had a good sense of values of community, the decisions required relative to crime and social control, and the resources required to maintain the community in a healthy state (Tocqueville, 1961). Democratic ideological fears of adopting an institution from monarchical Europe helped ensure that local political repre ­sentatives would control American police departments. This local control eventually resulted in the misuse of police agencies by politicians and corruption flowed over into police departments (Miller, 2000). The first American police department to advance beyond the night watch concept and organize along the professional lines of Peel's model was the New York City police department in 1845 (Fogelson, 1977). Since the 19th century the United States has seen three specific periods of policing methodology that have been predominately, but not exclusively, directed at urban areas. The majority of information that has been learned from researchers has come from studies that have focused on large metropolitan police departments that were the first to implement these programs (Maguire et al., 1997). These three periods of policing strategy include: the political era, the reform era, and the community problem-solving era.

Reliability of Reflotron in Testing of Total Cholesterol

Reliability of Reflotron in Testing of Total Cholesterol Reliability of Reflotron in Testing of total Cholesterol and Urea in Non- centralized Medical Setting Introduction Point-of-care testing (PoCT) has been defined as â€Å"those analytical patient-testing activities provided within the institution, but performed outside the physical facilities of the clinical laboratories (1). There has been a growing interest in point-of-care testing (PoCT) because of its advantages over standard laboratory procedures, it provides timely information to medical teams, facilitating rational, time-critical decisions, and has been demonstrated to improve patient outcomes in critical care settings (2). At least a dozen portable cholesterol and urea testing instruments have been designed for use in community and office settings. These instruments have made mass screenings for these risk factors feasible and thus are now in widespread use for this purpose (3). Dyslipidemia; including both hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia represent significant risk factors for the development of peripheral artery diseases and negative health outcomes (4, 5). High blood cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease, is a major modifiable risk factor, and contributes to the leading cause of death in the USA (6,7). Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is now recognized as a major world-wide health problem (8). A method for the estimation of the urea in blood coming from individual organs and for clinical purposes must be efficient when only small quantities of blood can be obtained (9). Aim of work: In Arar city many non- centralized Medical Setting used Reflotron for medical analysis and diagnosis disease. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of Reflotron in the testing of total cholesterol and urea for screening and diagnosis in Arar city. Methods: Cross sectional study held in Arar city in the period from 1 November 2013 to 10 November 2013, 30 blood sample was taken and measured by Reflotron apparatus and the results was rechecked by Dimension RXI MAX apparatus to compare between the results between 2 methods. Approximately 20ml of blood was collected from each participant, after fasting for 12h, using standardized venipuncture techniques in the antecubital vein in the bend of the elbow. In order to overcome technician error, two drops of blood (30ÃŽ ¼l) were collected immediately from the previously drawn venous sample by drawing blood into the capillary tube from the opening in the top of the venous tube before centrifuging the venous sample, rather than ‘sticking’ the finger. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS 20 and suitable statistical methods were used, p Results: Table (1): Comparison between Reading of Reflotron and Dimension RXI MAX test: Table 1 shows that the mean of urea was 65.22 ±46.3 by Dimension RXI MAX apparatus while it was 63.73 ±41.1 by Reflotron, as regards Total cholesterol mean by Dimension RXI MAX and Reflotron was 150.04 ±38.9 and 167.7 ±40.3 respectively, the difference between the reading of the two apparatuses was not statistically significant in both Urea and cholesterol. Table (2): Mean Percent of change between Reflotron and Dimension RXI MAX test in urea and cholesterol Table 2 shows that the mean percent of change between Reflotron and Dimension RXI MAX test in urea and cholesterol was -0.4% and 12.5% respectively Discussion The Reflotron has been marketed aggressively for use in community screening programs. The marketing has focused heavily on the instrument’s relatively low cost, ease of operation, and accuracy. This strategy has resulted in the widespread use of this instrument in blood cholesterol screenings. The Reflotron has been studied previously using various settings, sample sizes, and methodologies (10). This study compared the same blood sample using dry chemistry by the portable analyzer Reflotron plus and wet chemistry by Dimension RXI MAX apparatus. The MultiCare systems are pocket-sized reflectance photometers, in which the intensity of the color developed from a chromogen reaction being proportional to the concentration of the cholesterol or urea in the blood. The results of the MultiCare method compared with the reference method demonstrated good agreement between the 2 methods, the difference between the reading of the two apparatuses was not statistically significant in both Urea and cholesterol with a mean difference of 12.5% and –0.4% for cholesterol and urea, respectively. The availability of POCT lipid monitors has increased in recent years, any POCT must be validated for bias and imprecision to ensure that appropriate medical decisions and population screenings are made (11-17). The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) in the United States recommended bias goals of 3% and 5% for cholesterol and triglycerides, respectively. Conclusion: The portable analyzer Reflotron provided clinically relevant underestimations of total cholesterol values comparison with Dimension RXI MAX, whereas, urea values urea values satisfied. Consequently, lipid values obtained using the Reflotron may be useful for screening, but the Reflotron should not be used as a diagnostic tool. Urea values useful for screening and diagnosis kidney diseases . References U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National institutes of Health. Point-of-Care Diagnostic Testing Fact Sheet. Jul 2007. Birkhahn RH, Haines E, Wen W, Reddy L, Briggs WM, Datillo PA (2011). Estimating the clinical impact of bringing a multimarker cardiac panel to the bedside in the ED. Am J Emerg Med, 29(3):304-8. Havas, Stephen; Bishop, Robert; et al Performance of the Reflotron in Massachusetts Model System for blood cholesterol screening program. American journal of public health; Mar 1992;82,3, ProQuist central. Davis, C.L., Harmon, W.E., Himmelfarb, J., Hostetter, T., Powe, N., Smedberg, P., Szczech, L.A. and Aronson, P.S. 2008: World Kidney Day 2008: think globally, speak locally. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology 19, 413–16. Sullivan DR. Screening for cardiovascular disease with cholesterol. Int J Clin Chem 2002;315:49–60. State-specific cholesterol screening trends-United States, 1991–1999. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2000;284: p. 1374–5. Cheng AY, Leiter LA. (2006). Implications of recent clinical trials for the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines. Curr Opin Cardiol 21(4):400–404. Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (2001).Executive summary of the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA 285:2486–2497. Volles DF, McKenney JM, Miller WG, Ruffen D, Zhang D. Ana- lytic and clinical performance of two compact cholesterol-testing devices. Pharmacotherapy 1998;18:184–92. Havas S, Bishop R, Koumjian L, Reisman J, Wozenski S.Performance of the Reflotron in Massachusetts’ model system for blood cholesterol measurement. Am J Public Health 1992;82:458–61. Shephard MD, Mazzachi BC, Shephard AK. Comparative perfor- mance of two point-of-care analysers for lipid testing. Clin Lab 2007;53:561–6. Stein JH, Carlsson CM, Papcke-Benson K, Einerson JA, McBride PE, Wiebe DA. Inaccuracy of lipid measurements with the portable Cholestech L.D.X analyzer in patients with hypercho- lesterolemia. Clin Chem 2002;48:284–90. du Plessis M, Ubbink JB, Vermaak WJ. Analytical quality of near- patient blood cholesterol and glucose determinations. Clin Chem 2000;46:1085–90. Gottschling HD, Reuter W, Ronquist G, Steinmetz A, Hattemer A. Multicentre evaluation of a non-wipe system for the rapid determination of total cholesterol in capillary blood, Accutrend Cholesterol on Accutrend GC. Eur J Clin Chem Clin Biochem 1995;33:373–81. Laboratory Standardization Panel of the National Cholesterol Education Program. Current status of blood cholesterol measurement in clinical laboratories in the United States: a report from the Laboratory Standardization Panel of the National Cholesterol Education Program. Clin Chem 1988;34:193–201. Carey M, Markham C, Gaffney P, Boran C, Maher V. Validation of a point of care lipid analyser using a hospital based reference laboratory. Ir J Med Sci 2006;175:30–5. Luley C, Ronquist G, Reuter W, et al. Point-of-care testing of triglycerides: evaluation of the Accutrend triglycerides system. Clin Chem 2000;46:287–91.

Shifts in Sensibility :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the end of the seventeenth century and early eighteenth century a socio-political shift occurred. Sensibilities transferred from the logic of the Enlightenment, or Neo-classical Period, to those feelings and emotions of the Romantic Age.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the Enlightenment authors such as Molià ©re & Swift used reason and rational to present their ideas. They address broad socio-political issues with their writings. Molià ©re in his satirical work, Tartuffe, focuses upon hypocrisy within the clergy. He uses Clà ©ante to voice his argument of logic against Tartuffe throughout the play. Swift, in A Modest Proposal, uses shock therapy to motivate people into action with anger and wrath. Swift still uses the philosophy of the Enlightenment; his narrator provides sound, well-considered arguments and logic in sharing his proposal. And Swift, himself, provides us with an actual list of proposed solutions under disguise. Both authors attempted to bring about a change in society by reasoning with their audience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the Enlightenment ended and the Romantics took hold, logic gave way to emotions. The Romantic Poets relied upon their feelings and were driven by their passions. They were inspired by nature and by the imagination. They focused upon the uniqueness of the individual, not broad socio-political issues. Rousseau’s Confessions perfectly exemplifies the change in sensibilities. The piece focuses directly upon is unique, individual life. He relies completely on his feelings. His thoughts and longings center around his whims and fancy, not upon logic. He states that it is only objects for which he yearns which tempt and sometimes lead him to thievery. He would not consider stealing actual money, which he could use to purchase the desired items. He prefers to let the impetuous passion guide his actions. He makes tracks for Paris which he â€Å"had heard so much praised† without any money or means of support or even any real plan for such (674). Rousseau claims that he is unable to simply sit and write what comes to mind, the train of thought process. He states that his writings under such circumstances result in dense and verbose ramblings of which â€Å"[his] meaning is difficult to make out† (672). He finds it tough to organize his thoughts and opinions without adequate time to arrange his mind. Another prime example of Romantic ideals is William Woodsworth Lines Composed Above Tintern Abbey. Woodsworth delightfully captures for the reader the beloved place of his youth. Only with the reflection of age does he realize that the natural beauty lied within his imagination and the warmth of his memories.

Emancipation of the slaves Essay

uestion: Examine the methods employed by planters to induce â€Å"labourers† to work on sugar estates after emancipation. Full emancipation of the slaves was achieved in 1838 in the British West Indies and 1848 in the French colonies. The post-emancipation period was viewed with fear by planters who believed that mass of ex-slaves would exodus the plantations, robbing them of their labour supply. In many cases this was so. However, one can argue that the British West Indies experienced a greater labour problem than the French colonies of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Therefore, the coercive measures put in place in the French colonies were unjust, an example of over-exaggerated panic on the part of the planters, and a form of maintaining control over their declining power over labour. The term â€Å"freed people† refers to persons who were not enslaved to anyone, who had open to them various opportunities previously closed, who maintained complete control over their movements and in general their lives. According to the historian Rawle Farley, many ex-slaves saw the estates as an oppression of this particular meaning of freedom and hence left as a form of resisting it. To desert the plantations the ex-slave had to take into consideration land availability, population density and the flexibility to move from one profession to another or even to one with similar characteristics, such as small scale farming. Within low density colonies like British Guiana where land was plentiful, ex-slaves left to settle on small plots. Many ex-slaves also left to their original plantations to work on others where pay was high, some even ventured into other professions such as hucksters, butchers, skilled workers and managers. In some low density colonies like St. Lucia, conciliatory measures like the metayage system was employed so as to make plantation work more appealing. In these cases planters provided the tools, and the ex-slaves, the labour. Both parties shared in the produce at crop time making the ex-slave more eager to not only be present at crop time, but to do the premiere labour efficiently. However, in many other islands planters created a problematic situation for ex-slaves. In high density colonies like Antigua, coercive measures were put in place as a demonstration of power by planters. Even in the low density colony of Jamaica coercive measures dominated and undermined the entire concept of freedom. According to the historian, William A. Green, Jamaica suffered from not a labour shortage but a labour problem, that is, there was a labour force but they did not want to work on the plantations. Douglas Hall furthers this argument with the statement that, â€Å"[Planters] were likely to exaggerate the withdrawal of ex-slaves from the estates†. This leads one to blame the planters for being the creators of their own problems. In a panic, they attempted to force the ex-slaves to remain on the estates by applying the coercive measure of lowering wage rates while raising rents. This was intended to diminish net earnings from sales of provisions in local markets and so make the ex-slave dependent wages for his livelihood. It was this â€Å"rent question† that really was burning issue between employer and employee. In some cases rent was levied on each occupant of a cottage, while in other cases no rent was collected at all so that the labourers could be ejected at a moment’s notice. All requests by ex-slaves for annual tenacy was denied. Many labourers were faced with the situation whereby rents were paid form their wages. In addition this the tenant and his family household must still work for the landlord. According to Swithin Wilmot, â€Å"rent was manipulated in such a fashion that it was a penalty rather than a charge for the use of estate property†¦ [and]†¦refus[al] to pay [resulted in] increased rental†. This coercive measure applied to keep freed persons on the estates had the opposite effect. Ex-slaves abandoned plantations to squat on crown land or purchased land and engaged in various agricultural endeavours for subsistence and market. If these â€Å"escapees† required additional income, they engaged in providing casual labour for the nearby plantations. Many ex-slaves bought land and formed â€Å"freed villages†. These â€Å"freed villages† were a danger to the sugar economy since peasant farmers provided competition with their crops. Within the French colonies labour laws were passed with the intention of controlling the peasantry. In Martinique in particular, where land availability was scarce, ex-slaves were forced to comply with many of the insufferable regulations, for example paying the personal tax, tolerating the pass system and maintaining a domestic passport. The personal tax was created before 1848 with the aim of restricting the movement of Blacks to the towns and served to restrict movement from the countryside. The law imposed a sum payable annually by inhabitants, the boroughs receiving higher taxes than those living in the countryside. In 1848 the personal tax jumped from 10 francs 50 centimes per year in Pointe-a-Pitre, to 15 francs. Even in the country areas, the personal tax rose from 4 francs 50 centimes to 5 francs. The creation of this tax was intended to both restrict the Blacks movement to that of the plantations while forcing them to work to pay for it. The need for the Blacks to pay taxes is extremely interesting, especially since, according to historian Dale Tomich, most planters could not afford to pay freed men wages. On February 15, 1852 the pass system was introduced to attempt to force the ex-slaves to adopt contractual labour. Rosamunde Renard notes that under this system, â€Å"every individual working for a salary or a daily wage, or every holder of a work contract of less than one year should possess a pass†. If they did not own a pass then they were sentenced to working in the workhouses. The authorities tended to play a greater role in supporting planters in the French colonies than in the British West Indies. Ex-slaves however responded at first with violence, attacking anyone trying to remove them from their homes or take away their freedom, and later engaging in passive resistance. When they had to register, they gave a different name for everything, the governor de Gueydon declared they â€Å"†¦baptized under one name, married under another, taxed under a third and unknown under all these names†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The Blacks also loitered and refused to accept contractual work when ever they could. Though the planters mainly used coercive measures, they also attempted to apply conciliatory measures. In Martinique a system of medals for model workers was devised so as to encourage work on the plantations. Gold and bronze medals were distributed among the pupils of religious institutions who had done fairly well in agriculture. Schools were created with the purpose of training plantation workshop leaders and good workers. The freedmen were not fooled. They responded with increasing hostility towards these new attempts to make them stay on the plantations. In conclusion, the term â€Å"induce† tends to mean, according the dictionary to persuade. However, planters were seen applying more often force, that is, coercive measures rather than conciliatory measures to attempt to keep ex-slaves on the plantations. Within the high density colonies the coercive measures were not really necessary but rather a demonstration of planter control and power. Within the French colonies, if one is believe Perrison, there was absolutely no reason to apply the coercive measures the historian Rosamunde Renard described. For Martinique, one can question the sensibility of a slave revolt resulting in emancipation just before it was officially declared. Not surprisingly, an increasing distrust of the slaves exploded directly after emancipation was declared together with fear of economic ruin for the society. Planters and the Authorities joined forces against the â€Å"savage, uncivilized† Blacks whose nature inclined them away from the â€Å"delights of working in the blistering sun on the plantations† and more towards their â€Å"crude and uninformed version of what freedom was about, like liberty of movement†. These hostile attitudes of planters and authorities alike are responsible for the exodus of ex-slaves in both the British West Indies and the French colonies.

English Language Coursework †Task One and Introduction Essay

Task One Robin Lakoff devised a theory of language and gender differences. She believed that women had a greater lexis when describing subjects such as colours where men would have a greater lexis in subjects such as sports. Lakoff also believed that women use more prestige grammar and clear pronunciation with more intensifiers than men. Therefore I have chosen to see whether these patterns occur within boys and girls aged 7-8 to see if they have developed these attributes even at an early age. The audience I feel that would be appropriate to my research are people who work with or study children, A level or university students and people with a general interest of this topic. This is because by working with children you will be keen to pick up new information to help you with your work so you may find some here and an A level student taking English language may look at this for an example. By observing the speech of children’s language I will be able to decide whether there is a difference in gender. People are influenced throughout their lives; they are influenced by things such as their environment, media and social groups. At an early age children are looking towards their families and peers to see how they should act. This shows children are aware upon how to communicate with others, therefore leading the possibility that even at a young age they have the same traits as an adult. The research question I have concluded with is, are language and gender differences apparent within children ages 7-8 as there are in adults? Robin Lakoff stated that there are differences in spoken language between men and women so I have decided to see if children still have these differences. The reason for this is because at such an early age every child is thought of the same and it is hard to see a dominate gender; this was a key issue with early studies of men and women. Robin Lakoff also said ‘women use hypercorrect grammar and pronunciation’ but since the children are only 7-8 years old they are still learning basic English skills. This means that this point will not apply here since the children are young. I have chosen this topic area because I was not aware that there was a gender difference in language until I was taught it. I have taken a interest in this because men and women are both educated in the same way and thought to be brought up the same so I believed that they would have the same attitude in language. Another reason I have chosen this is because women are seen as the less dominate gender but when I was a child I was not aware of this so I am interested to see if there are signs of this even at such a young age. I expect to find that even at an early age the boys will interrupt more as they tend to be very energetic whereas the girls will be more descriptive in describing an object. Introduction When studying English language I found out that there was gender differences within speech, this took my interest as I believe that women now are equal to men. I felt that some of these differences maybe because of the language men and women use. When researching this topic I found out that Robin Lakoff devised a theory that there are differences between the language of men and women and how males are more dominant speakers than females. This is because females are believed to be less assertive and tend not to interrupt during conversation like men do. This could branch onto discrimination as this a topic seen throughout life and it may give reasons to why females are discriminated more than males since they are not seen as the dominate gender. Another reason why I am doing this because I am interested how we develop our skills when we are young, why we develop them and who influences us on the language we use. I think the way we brought up and the language we are taught to use plays a big role in our society because I feel that each person uses their own distinctive language from each one and another, this is because I could tell a friend from another purely because of the vocabulary and dialect the person uses. Therefore I wanted to look to see if this still applies to boys and girls at a young age where they are seen to be innocent and they would not pick up on these differences. I will do this by talking to children ages 7-8 the same questions and taking down their response. The problem that may arise with this is that some children are more confident than others; this means they will not be as shy with their response as another child would.

Awesome Jobs with Good Work Life Balance [Infographic]

Awesome Jobs with Good Work Life Balance [Infographic] So you want to have your life and live it, too- that doesn’t seem too much to ask, right? Yet some people seem to think career success comes at the steep price of giving up fun, family, and friends. Not so! Read on to find out how you, too, can attain that mythical and coveted â€Å"work-life balance† you’ve heard about, but never actually found. It’s there for the taking, really. You just need to know where to look.

Music Defines Dress essays

Music Defines Dress essays Often I have found myself people watching for the amusement of everyday life. Not by luck or sheer investigation, I have noticed something that everyone shares in common guys and girls alike, their personal style of clothing in reflection of their choose in music. I am not talking about or brand names or the clothes make the man, but that of the general appearance of how the individual displays themselves to the world around them. Over the generations people have been influenced greatly by the music that they enjoy. By conscious decisions or not, people tend to dress to the type of music that they enjoy most. Dress and Music are linked by the way of how the individual walks, carries themselves, and their general attitude. As I sit placing trying to place people with their taste in music, I have noticed that the attire of the individual somewhat perceives my notions. This notion is often accurate but not decisive. There are many instances that this does not hold true. People are defined who they are and what they are at any given moment and the music that they represent are just a rhythm away. The first thing that I notice about the people is the way that they are dressed. People usually wearing the tight jeans, boots and cowboy hats generally fall within the country music. This may not always be the case. Country music fans have a pride in their stride or a dip in their hip that makes the movement look like someone doing a two-step. The person is generally is walking with a jovial stride. The persona, in which this individual gives off, will indicate a modest, somewhat insecure, but fun loving person. Around here, country music fans wear mostly jeans and boots, but biggest give away of all is the belt buckle that is twice their IQ size. Just the other afternoon while waiting for Julia, my lunch date, an attractive young lady wearing the cowboy boots and the cowboy hat was just standing about th...

Profile and Biography of Socrates

Profile and Biography of Socrates The Greek philosopher Socrates was born c. 470/469 B.C., in Athens, and died in 399 B.C. To put this in the context of the other great men of his time, the sculptor Pheidias died c. 430; Sophocles and Euripides died c. 406; Pericles died in 429; Thucydides died c. 399; and the architect Ictinus completed the Parthenon in c. 438. Athens was producing the extraordinary art and monuments for which she would be remembered. Beauty, including personal, was vital. It was linked with being good. However, Socrates was ugly, according to all accounts, a fact that made him a good target for Aristophanes in his comedies. Who Was Socrates? Socrates was a great Greek philosopher, possibly the wisest sage of all time. He is famous for contributing to philosophy: Pithy sayingsThe Socratic method of discussion or dialogueSocratic irony A discussion of Greek democracy often focuses on a sadder aspect of his life: his state-mandated execution. Family Although we have many details about his death, we know little about the life of Socrates. Plato provides us the names of some of his family members: Socrates father was Sophroniscus (thought to have been a stonemason), his mother was Phaenarete, and his wife, Xanthippe (a proverbial shrew). Socrates had 3 sons, Lamprocles, Sophroniscus, and Menexenus. The oldest, Lamprocles, was about 15 at the time his father died. Death The Council of 500 [see Athenian Officials in the Time of Pericles] condemned Socrates to death for impiety for not believing in the gods of the city and for introducing new gods. He was offered an alternative to death, paying a fine, but refused it. Socrates fulfilled his sentence by drinking a cup of poison hemlock in front of friends. Socrates as Citizen of Athens Socrates is remembered chiefly as a philosopher and the teacher of Plato, but he was also a citizen of Athens, and served the military as a hoplite during the Peloponnesian War, at Potidaea (432–429), where he saved Alcibiades life in a skirmish, Delium (424), where he remained calm while most around him were in a panic, and Amphipolis (422). Socrates also participated in the Athenian democratic political organ, the Council of the 500. As a Sophist The 5th century B.C. sophists, a name based on the Greek word for wisdom, are familiar to us mostly from the writings of Aristophanes, Plato, and Xenophon, who opposed them. Sophists taught valuable skills, especially rhetoric, for a price. Although Plato shows Socrates opposing the sophists, and not charging for his instruction, Aristophanes, in his comedy Clouds, portrays Socrates as a greedy master of the sophists craft. Although Plato is considered the most reliable source on Socrates and he says Socrates was not a sophist, opinions differ on whether Socrates was essentially different from the (other) sophists. Contemporary Sources Socrates is not known to have written anything. He is best known for the dialogues of Plato, but before Plato painted his memorable portrait in his dialogues, Socrates was an object of ridicule, described as a sophist, by Aristophanes. In addition to writing about his life and teaching, Plato and Xenophon wrote about Socrates defense at his trial, in separate works both called Apology. The Socratic Method Socrates is known for the Socratic method (elenchus), Socratic irony, and the pursuit of knowledge. Socrates is famous for saying that he knows nothing and that the unexamined life is not worth living. The Socratic method involves asking a series of questions until a contradiction emerges invalidating the initial assumption. Socratic irony is the position that the inquisitor takes that he knows nothing while leading the questioning.

Ethical Dilema Drug Tesing in Nigeria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ethical Dilema Drug Tesing in Nigeria - Essay Example There was evidence that using Trovan could lead to problems with joints, tendons and bones, and even perhaps cause liver damage. Led by Scott Hopkins, the team developing Trovan were anxious to carry out controlled clinical trials of the drug on children, in order to conclude whether it could safely be marketed as a treatment for diseases in children. While they believed that further refinement of the drug would make it much safer for children, they would need firm evidence in order to obtain approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for it to be marketed. At around the same time, in February 1996, there was a serious outbreak of meningitis in the area around Kano, a major city in northern Nigeria. Soon, over a hundred children were being brought to the basic local hospitals every day, and by March 3, 1,273 deaths had been reported, with some accounts putting the total at closer to 10,000 (Spar and Day, 2006, p.11). As most of the children infected with menin gitis would certainly die if given no treatment, Hopkins looked upon the outbreak as ‘a unique opportunity to test Trovan pills on children’, and ‘since Nigeria had both a raging epidemic and a distinct absence of personal injury lawyers, a drug trial there would be far more efficient’ than in the United States (Spar and Day, 2006, p.2). Meningitis outbreaks are fairly common across a large area of sub Saharan Africa during the dry season, when cold weather, malnutrition, and urban overcrowding can lead to the disease spreading rapidly among children. Epidemics of meningitis are caused by a particular strain of the bacteria, and the Trovan researchers had reason to believe, after extensive testing, that their new drug would be effective against that strain. It is worth understanding the processes which a drugs company needs to complete if it intends to market a drug in the United States, because, as we will see, it is questionable whether the situation at K ano provided an opportunity to carry out a satisfactory trial of Trovan on children. When a new compound is being developed, the pharmaceutical company responsible for it lodges an investigational new drug application, or IND, with the FDA. Having obtained this, the company is authorised to begin conducting clinical tests, which may be rolled out to many scenarios and over thousands of patients before a drug seeks FDA approval to be marketed. While such approval is sought within the United States, or from the appropriate authorities in other countries, it does not preclude a pharmaceutical company from carrying out clinical trials overseas. Indeed, it is even possible for a drugs company to conduct all of their clinical testing overseas, and only when the research gathered has shown the drug to be both safe and effective, for it to be submitted to the FDA for approval. In the case of Trovan, the new drug already had an IND, had already been subject to extensive clinical trials withi n the US, and so the team developing it were perfectly entitled to add a trial in Kano to its IND, or, alternatively, to carry out the tests in Nigeria and, if the results were positive, submit this data to the FDA subsequently. Pfizer would also have to meet some conditions under Nigerian law

Security and Domestics Anti-Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Security and Domestics Anti-Terrorism - Essay Example However, there are those who have since claimed that the Federal government also surveys and taps into every citizen’s calls, financial records and so on in order to keep up with terrorist trends. This has caused widespread uproar and condemnation from the public. It is held that terrorist related surveillance must not be used as an excuse to violate the privacy of persons both in the United States and in the rest of the world. In my opinion, from the readings, the FBI, composed of several branches, offices and departments (sections) such as Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF), National Joint Terrorism Task Force, Public Internet Tip Line, Strategic Command Center (SIOC), Terrorism Fly Team, Terrorist Explosives Device Analytical Center, Terrorist Financing Operations Section, Directorate of Intelligence (ensures the FBI produces the intelligence necessary to protect the nation), Counter-Intelligence and Spy Departments and so on, is adequately organized and staffed to perform its mission tasks. The training regime is also arguably the highest of standards with different training for different personnel depending on what capacity they will be serving in the FBI. Some of the trainings include international terrorism training, domestic terrorism training, weapons of mass destruction training, legal training, and Muslim-Arab culture training (DAngelo, 2007). In addition, the FBI works in conjunction with a number of other security agencies such as the Department of Homeland (adding to personnel therefore). For combat operations on terrorists, there is at least one special combat unit for each of the 59 FBI departments. This is the SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics Team) who are trained to shoot from snipers and other heavy artillery weapons and also taught how to fight and survive in harsh (hostile) environments (DAngelo, 2007). Currently, certain provisions of the

Journal free writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal free writing - Essay Example The author recalls the memories of his childhood when he was not noticed as a Negro but as a regular boy. He had friends and he was equal to them until a tall girl refused to accept an exchange card from him. Right after that his friends started to notice that he was different. They isolated him due to him being dark. He was left with no one to compete with, in exams and games. People started looking at him with pity as he was an outcast and was judged by his color instead of seeing the beauty of his heart. Du Bois decided not to give up as an outcast and planned on reading law, healing the sick and spreading knowledge. He realized he had the burden of a dark, half named race on his shoulders. Very soon he had learned that to make his place in this world he had to be himself and not someone else. The problem was that he was not only a poor man but a poor race living in a rich country with skilled competitors’. Further on the author states that he does not want to be an America n nor a Negro completely. He wants to learn from America and has Negro blood flowing in his body. He does not want to depart from any. Being an African American, he has one thing common with his ancestors except for his color and hair and that is the number of difficulties faced by them since the fifteenth century and most importantly slavery. Back in the days of slavery, people only desired to be free and to be treated as humans.

The Use Of The Business Ethics For Society And The Economy Essay

The Use Of The Business Ethics For Society And The Economy - Essay Example Of course, company employees are expected to obey the law and an act in accordance with customary public ethical guidelines but mainly because this is in the best interest of the company and not because the company itself has a moral obligation. The end result justifies any means by which to achieve it including the destruction of the environment as well as the financial gouging of customers and employees. Corporations do have social responsibilities and society should demand corporate adherence to those responsibilities. Employees cannot simply give away company funds to their favorite charity. That would be irresponsible, unethical and illegal. Certainly, company officials are also individuals whose conscience extends past workplace concerns. The person outside the corporation may feel a duty to voluntarily give their time and money to charities, the church, community, and family. In these instances, the individual is not acting as the agent of the giving but the principal. They ar e spending their own time and money or time and not the resources of a company. â€Å"If these are ‘social responsibilities,’ they are the social responsibilities of individuals, not business† (Friedman, 1970). Though the view that business does not have a social responsibility is logical and fits the capitalist ideology on which the country was built, others argue that the self-serving goals of corporate America have created a value system not only separate but in opposition to that of society. This reality is apparent not only in the U.S. but in many other countries as well, both in the developed world and Third World nations. The banking debacle in Mexico escalated its national debt by $80 billion due to the government financially bailing out unscrupulous shareholders who were in league with government officials at the taxpayer’s expense. When Argentina privatized most of the public works departments, corporations stole money from millions of Argentinean citizens. In Europe, the pharmaceutical industries essentially regulated themselves due to their influence within the government. The drug companies did not sufficiently test its products interested only in profits and not the benefits of the drugs for patients. Steps have since been taken to reduce the harm committed by this type of corporate corruption. Many suggest that the situation in the U.S. today involving pharmaceutical company influence and the consequential effects is hauntingly similar. (Borger, 2001) O f course, corporate corruption in the U.S. is sadly legendary in scope. The recent banking and Wall Street debacle in the U.S. is expected to cost taxpayers into the trillions of Dollars. The Bernie Madoff scandal, Worldcom, Tyco, and Enron are but a few of examples of fraudulent practices by company heads which cost thousands of people millions of dollars including

Mesh Networks Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Mesh Networks - Coursework Example As organizations are relying more on high-speed wireless networks, security is a vital factor. Wireless security is a framework that emphasizes on prevention of workstations or networks from unauthorized access. An automated system known as mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) is integrated within the wireless networks to establish communication between wireless nodes or access points. However, MANET does not have centralized administration. MANET is defined as â€Å"Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) refers to a type of mobile network in which each node has the ability to act as a router, permitting adaptable multi-hop communications† [3]. The ad-hoc on demand distant vector protocol (AODV) that is operated by MANET provides loopholes for the hackers to gain access to the network or the system via a wireless network. AODV is widely used due to its significant advantages such as lower network overhead with a complex algorithm. However, AODV does not maintain the database for routing infor mation in the router. This is the area where there is a possibility of the hackers to break in the network. This paper will discuss the details associated with attacks incorporated with AODV. Moreover, other type of threats that may affect the domestic wireless network operating on an 802.11 will also be defined and discussed. 3. Introduction MANET is constructed on multiple routers knows as multi hop communication paths, these multi hop communication paths, can be dislocated any time and in any direction. The routing protocols that are associated with MANET are categorized in to hybrid, table-driven and demand-driven routing protocols [1]. Table-driven protocols attempt to synchronize routing information with the routing table for each wireless router. For example, Destination Sequenced Distance Vector (DSDV) and Wireless Routing Protocol (WRP) protocols fall under the category of table-driven protocols. Demand-driven protocols are associated with AODV and dynamic source routing pr otocol (DSR). Hybrid routing protocols interlinks with the other two protocols i.e. table driven and demand driven routing protocols. The wireless MANET network is associated with protocols that are not well designed in terms of network security, as there is no centralized administration to monitor or configure MANET. However, most of the wireless network protocols associated with MANET is designed for optimum bandwidth utilization but not for optimal security. These factors have made the wireless network vulnerable for the hackers and cyber criminals. One of the examples of mesh networks are illustrated in Fig. 1. Figure 1 Source: (Siraj and Bakar 1263-1271) One of the latest examples for mesh network is the youtube architecture, as shown Fig 1.2. Figure 2 Source: (Staehle et al. 144-148) In this competitive and evolutionary world of technological advancements, threats and vulnerabilities are a great concern. Similarly, any wireless protocol must address security issues during the design phase. The protocol must add

Skin Cancer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Skin Cancer - Research Paper Example Metastasis is a term that refers to the process of invading and spreading to other body organs. Tumors invade the surrounding tissues and overwhelm them by taking their space as well as the nutrients and oxygen that they require to function as well as survive (Emedicinehealth.com, 1). Rockoff records that skin cancer is the commonest form of human cancer and that it is estimated that every year, more than one million new cases arise. He also asserts that each year, the rates of all skin cancer forms are mounting, which has raised an increasing public concern. Estimates also have it that of all Americans who live to age 65, almost half will get skin cancer no less than once. The classification of skin cancers depends on the types of epidermal cells involved. Different skin cancer types include melanoma, which takes place in the cells that produce pigment/melanocytes. This type of cancer is not so common but the most dangerous since it has a tendency of quickly metastasizing/spreading all over the body. It is the primary cause of skin disease death. There is also basal cell carcinoma/basal cell carcinoma epithelioma, which develops when there is abnormal growth of the cells in epidermis’ lowest layer as well as squamous cell carcinoma, which occurs as a result of changes in the squamous cells, which are found in the epidermis’ middle layer (A.D.A.M., para4). The first phase of squamous cell carcinoma is known as actinic keratosis (Rockoff, 1). The last two cancer types are the most common cancer forms and they are both known as nonmelanoma skin cancer (1). Other nonmelanoma skin cancers include cutaneous lymphoma, merkel cell carcinoma, and kaposi's sarcoma (A.D.A.M., para4). According to the American Cancer Society, most cases of nonmelanoma skin cancers grow on areas of the body that are mostly exposed to the sun, including the backs of the hands, ear, face neck and lips. Additionally, they can be slow or fast growing depending on the type. Howeve r, they hardly ever spread to other body parts. These forms of cancer are very likely to be healed if identified and treated early. Risk factors of Skin Cancer Some of the recognized risk factors for skin cancer include exposure to the sun and sunburn – as earlier noted, skin areas that are frequently exposed to ultraviolet radiation or sunlight are more prone to skin cancer. This is deemed all skin cancers’ primary cause. Others include genetics (having a family history of melanoma); light-colored skin, eyes and hair (fair complexion); atypical/multiple moles; occupational exposures to radium, pitch, coal tar, arsenic compounds or creosote; as well as age – nonmelanoma skin cancers are common mostly past the age of forty (A.D.A.M., para5 & American Cancer Society, para10). Emedicinehealth.com also points other risk factors to include use of tanning booths as well as the immune system’s immunosuppression-impairment, which may be brought about by medicatio ns prescribed to prevent organ transplant rejection or fight autoimmune diseases or can be due to other diseases. Individuals who have numerous, unusual or large moles present at birth, those with certain genetic disorders such as pigmentosum, xeroderma and albinism that deplete skin pigment , and those who experienced severe sunburn

Mesh Networks Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Mesh Networks - Coursework Example As organizations are relying more on high-speed wireless networks, security is a vital factor. Wireless security is a framework that emphasizes on prevention of workstations or networks from unauthorized access. An automated system known as mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) is integrated within the wireless networks to establish communication between wireless nodes or access points. However, MANET does not have centralized administration. MANET is defined as â€Å"Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) refers to a type of mobile network in which each node has the ability to act as a router, permitting adaptable multi-hop communications† [3]. The ad-hoc on demand distant vector protocol (AODV) that is operated by MANET provides loopholes for the hackers to gain access to the network or the system via a wireless network. AODV is widely used due to its significant advantages such as lower network overhead with a complex algorithm. However, AODV does not maintain the database for routing infor mation in the router. This is the area where there is a possibility of the hackers to break in the network. This paper will discuss the details associated with attacks incorporated with AODV. Moreover, other type of threats that may affect the domestic wireless network operating on an 802.11 will also be defined and discussed. 3. Introduction MANET is constructed on multiple routers knows as multi hop communication paths, these multi hop communication paths, can be dislocated any time and in any direction. The routing protocols that are associated with MANET are categorized in to hybrid, table-driven and demand-driven routing protocols [1]. Table-driven protocols attempt to synchronize routing information with the routing table for each wireless router. For example, Destination Sequenced Distance Vector (DSDV) and Wireless Routing Protocol (WRP) protocols fall under the category of table-driven protocols. Demand-driven protocols are associated with AODV and dynamic source routing pr otocol (DSR). Hybrid routing protocols interlinks with the other two protocols i.e. table driven and demand driven routing protocols. The wireless MANET network is associated with protocols that are not well designed in terms of network security, as there is no centralized administration to monitor or configure MANET. However, most of the wireless network protocols associated with MANET is designed for optimum bandwidth utilization but not for optimal security. These factors have made the wireless network vulnerable for the hackers and cyber criminals. One of the examples of mesh networks are illustrated in Fig. 1. Figure 1 Source: (Siraj and Bakar 1263-1271) One of the latest examples for mesh network is the youtube architecture, as shown Fig 1.2. Figure 2 Source: (Staehle et al. 144-148) In this competitive and evolutionary world of technological advancements, threats and vulnerabilities are a great concern. Similarly, any wireless protocol must address security issues during the design phase. The protocol must add

Short Story and Mick Essay Example for Free

Short Story and Mick Essay Serrusalmus I have road a short story called Serrusalmus written by Lesley Glaister. Lesley Glaister was born in Northampton shire, The United Kingdom at October 04, 1956. Lesley Glaister is a fiction writer and her first novel got published in 1990. The short story is about the protagonist Marjorie who is a woman. I will say she is in her forties and lives by herself in a apartment on the nineteenth floor. When Marjorie was a little girl she liked ants she felt that the ants inspired her. As a little girl she would have liked ants as pets. She thought as ants like people. They worked together as a team, and they were Just as pushy as the human beings was. As the years pasted and she got older, she got a illness. She suffered from the a illness called agoraphobia who made afraid to be at big open places with lot of people. her opinion also changes it was no longer ants there was like people but people there was like ants. She was afraid of people and did not speak with a lot of people. Therefore she kept fishes she meant that they were so peaceful in there aquarium. She felt like she cut be peaceful and safe when she looked at them in the aquarium. She loved her fishes like they were her own children. But one day the troublemaker Mick, came looking for her in her apartment at the nineteenth floor. He used to come when he needed something from Marjorie. Most of the time when he came did he beg her for money, food or clothing . This time did he not beg her four any of this tings. He actually came to help her with moving her sick angle fish to a new clean aquarium. Marjorie believed him because he helped her with her beloved fish. But Mick was only pretending to care for her and the fish. Mick picked up the net and caught the fish. He took the fish with him over to the open window and then asked Marjorie how much she thing the fish was worth. He wanted a hundred quid four not killing the fish. But bad for her she did not have all those money and Just like that he flipped the fish out the open window. Then he left and she was so sad. Mick come back and Marjorie gave him a rink were she had dropped some drugs in. The drugs was for her illness. The drugs made Mick felt asleep like a stone. She took her Piranha in toa bucked and then took Micks hand in to the bucked. The Piranha eat his hand in a few minutes. Now was the boot on the other foot. In The very end she got revenge over Mick not Just because he killed her fish but also for the long time where he had used her and all her things, money and food. She was free now and was now longer under his power. Short Story and Mick By cami646t

the importance of water in plant growth

the importance of water in plant growth Water is a vital component to the survival of every plant in the world as it is aids in the way that they obtain their food (through the process of photosynthesis), grow (cell division, mitosis), respire (cellular respiration) and how they keep their formation (rigidity). Water helps plants maintain their formation by transporting dissolved nutrients, amino acids and sugars from the soil to areas where it is of high demand. It flows through cell membranes from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration (osmosis) (A Sanders, 2010). Water allows plants to survive by being one of the vital reactants in the chemical reaction of photosynthesis. Every molecule of water contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom which are tightly held together by covalent bonds. This molecule contains 10 protons, 10 electrons and 8 neutrons (refer to fig 6) (Answers Cooperation, 2010). Water has a boiling point of 100Â °C and a freezing point of 0Â °C. In our world water is found in three different states; ice, liquid and as steam or water vapour. Due to cohesive forces, the molecules of water are strongly attracted to each other and therefore the surface tension (the charge of the water molecules attract eachother to form a skin across the surface of the water) that is created is vital to the survival of many animals (e.g. pond skater). Water molecules have dipoles due to the electrons being shared from both hydrogen atoms to the oxygen atom (refer to fig 6). This means that the electrons spend more time near the oxygen atom then near the hydrogen atoms resulting in a slight negative charge on the side of the molecule which contains t he oxygen atom and a slight positive charge on the side of the molecule which contains both hydrogen atoms (A Capri, 2010) (Chemistry, MJones, GJones, DAcaster). Fig 6: Basic Water Molecule. Fig 7: Root Structure of a Plant. The main area of plants which absorb water from their surrounding environment is the root hair zone. Inside the zone, are the roots hairs of the plants which are found growing parallel to the roots. The root hairs (refer to fig 7) of the plants have fragile like characteristics so they are replaced every day at an average rate of 100 million. The root hairs are slender and are present in hefty sizes so they are able to cover enormous amount of surface area therefore absorbing maximum water (containing nutrients, amino acids and sugars from the soil. From the roots hairs, the water (and what contained in the water) travel through the tissues found within the roots, stems and leaves of plants called xylem and phloem. (B Dery, 2009) (TutorVista.com, 2010) (R Bailey, 2010). Fig8: Xylem and Phloem Structures. The transport system of vascular plants is made up of the xylem tissue and the phloem tissue, two different tissues which run through the roots, stem and leaves of plants (refer to fig 8) (Andrew Rader Studios, 2010) (SlideShare Inc, 2008). These two tissues are shaped like tubes and due to this characteristic, are easily able to transport water from the soil to the areas of the plants where it is needed most. There are three main differences between the two tissues with the first one being that the tubes of xylem transport water and dissolved nutrients throughout the plant whilst the tubes of the phloem transports amino acids and sugars (N Neezal, 2010). Secondly the cells within the xylem tubes are dead whilst the cells within the phloem tubes are living and thirdly the xylem tissue only allows a one-way flow whilst the phloem tissue allows a two-way flow (refer to fig 10). Fig 10: Characteristics of Xylem and Phloem Vessels. The xylem tubes are long and thick and are made of vessels and tracheids (Harun Yahya International, 2004). The tubes are attached from end to end allowing the water to reach maximum speed throughout its journey of the plant (Andrew Rader Studios, 2010). The phloem tubes are made up of sieve and companion cells which run parallel to each other. They are long and thin also joined from end to end. Located on the end walls of the tubes are large pores which allow amino acids and sugars to enter and flow out of the tubes throughout the plant to areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration (Tiscali UK Limited, No Date). Fig 9: The Transpiration Process of Plants. From the xylem and phloem tissues, water, dissolved nutrients, amino acids and sugars are transported up through the plant due to a process called transpiration. Transpiration (refer to fig 9) is the evaporation of water generally from the leaves of plants (Refer to reference 12, 13). The process of transpiration allows all the dissolved nutrients contained in the water molecules to move from the roots to the leaves, allowing them to be rehydrated due to the water loss experienced from transpiration. The process of transpiration is a continuous cycle allowing the leaves of plants to transpire yet still allowing them to rehydrate from the nutrients, amino acids and sugar contained in the water molecules. Fig 12: Evenly Transferred Molecular Motion of Kettles/Stoves. Water is water; fresh, boiled, heated, cooled, frozen, its all the same or so it is thought. The way in which water is heated and/or boiled by common household appliances for example a kettle or a microwave, may change the function and the way of which water molecules are designed to work. By boiling water in a kettle (or on a stove), water is heated evenly (refer to fig 12) due to the continuous cycle that occurs in this particular way of heating. The warmer water molecules rise and the cooler water molecules descend until they are warm therefore resulting in evenly heated water. The process of how water heats up in a microwave is completely different to how it heats up in a kettle. In a microwave, random parts of the water are chosen from the various angles within the microwave, therefore heating up minimal surface area compared to a kettle which heats up the complete area (refer to fig 11). This is the reason why sometimes when heating food up in a microwave some areas are hot whilst others are cold (Wimpy, 2010). Fig 11: Random Microwave Waves. The aim of this extended experimental investigation is to investigate what effect, if there is an effect, water that has been heated up in a microwave has on Petunia x hybrida and Tagetes patula plants. What effect will water heated up in a microwave have on the growth and development of Petunia x hybrida and Tagetes patula plants? It was hypothesized that water that is heated up in a microwave will somehow (due to the components of the microwave) be unable to pick up essential nutrients such as amino acids and sugar from the soil. By the hypothesis stated, it is evident to see that the reason for investigating and performing this experiment is to discover whether or not plants are still able to grow and develop to their full potential using water that has been heated up in a microwave.

The Role of Technology in Management Leadership Essay -- Business Mana

The Role of Technology in Management Leadership Over the last sixty years of business activity, there has been new ways and means of conducting business through something we call technology. Technology is the advancement and use of electronic devices and other high-tech equipment to produce and progress knowledge into the future. Advancements in technology have affected management leadership in many ways over the last sixty years. New technology has altered leaders’ consciousness, language, and the way they view their organization. Technological advancements have made things easier for those in management leadership roles. But as with anything, there are positive and negative aspects of technology on leadership. Some of the positive aspects of technology are: the availability and use of wireless networking, collaboration tools, digital video, handheld devices, and videoconferencing. On the other hand, the negative aspects of technology are: it offers less privacy, it allows for less interaction with others, and it runs a h igh risk of contact with viruses. On the more positive side, wireless networking allows leaders to share resources with their team operating by means of wireless media, such as microwaves, cellular technology, and radio frequencies. Wireless networking is paving the way for technology integration around the world. The use of collaboration tools allows ongoing conversations among leaders, their subordinates, board members, and community members. Professional development is one area where collaboration can have an enormous impact on management leadership. When leaders can casually share new approaches and practices with each other through a technology connection to their workplace, both leaders and their team will benefit. One way of doing this is to create an Internet mailing list where they can share questions, problems, solutions, successful techniques, and less successful techniques. The Internet is enabling digital video to achieve professional-quality and two-way interaction. This will be one of the rare cases wh ere management leadership will be leading a technological shift in society as a whole. Hand-held devices are high-tech gadgets, now more powerful than early Windows or Macintosh machines. Handheld devices offer more versatility than full-size computers and are much more portable than the alternative personal device, the ... ... to remember that the Internet is a public place, and you should never assume that something is secure. Leaders should be the moral compass for groups, but... Technology has blurred some distinctions between what's right and wrong. Many institutions have been caught in the discourse about websites such as Napster. Some people seem to want to have two sets of rules, one for the cold reality of the analog world and another for the magical digital world. It may take many years to establish equilibrium. In the meantime, be clear and consistent about expectations, after you've given full consideration to the implications. Choose your battles, but be prepared to say "let's wait and see". Leaders appreciate differences, but technology threatens to marginalize others. As for any program goal, a leader should always ask "who gets excluded by this approach?" There is a misperception among many leaders that technology is naturally bias-free: The research suggests otherwise. Furthermore, ind ividuals from some backgrounds do not "buy into" or choose to participate in the emerging technology culture, as should be their choice. Be careful when a technological solution becomes the only solution.

DNA :: Deoxyribonucleic Acid essays research papers

DNA DNA, or Deoxyribonucleic Acid, is described, in Encarta Encyclopedia as a genetic material of all cellular organisms and most viruses. DNA carries the information needed to direct protein synthesis and replication. Protein synthesis is the production of the proteins needed by the cell or virus for its activities and development. Replication is the process by which DNA copies itself for each descendant cell or virus, passing on the information needed for protein synthesis. In most cellular organisms, DNA is organized on chromosomes located in the nucleus of the cell. A molecule of DNA consists of two chains, strands composed of a large number of nucleotides, that are linked together to form a chain. These chains look like a twisted ladder and are called a double helix. Each nucleotide consists of three units: sugar molecules called deoxyribose, a phosphate group, and one of four different nitrogen containing compounds, also called bases. The four are adenine (A), guanine (G), thymine (T), and cytosine (C). The deoxyribose molecule occupies the center of the nucleotide, with the phosphate group on one side and a base on the other. The phosphate group of each nucleotide is also linked to the deoxyribose of the adjacent nucleotide in the chain. These linked deoxyribose-phosphate subunits form the side rails of the ladder. The bases face inward toward each other, forming the steps of the ladder. The nucleotides in one DNA strand have a specific association with the corresponding nucleotides in the other DNA strand. Because of the chemical affinity of the bases, nucleotides containing adenine are always paired with nucleotides containing thymine, and nucleotides containing cytosine are always paired with nucleotides containing guanine. The complementary bases are joined to each other by weak chemical bonds called hydrogen bonds. DNA carries the instructions for the production of proteins. A protein is composed of smaller molecules called amino acids, and the structure and function of the protein is determined by the sequence of its amino acids. The sequence of amino acids, in turn, is determined by the sequence of nucleotide bases in the DNA. A sequence of three nucleotide bases, called a triplet, is the genetic code word, or codon, that specifies a particular amino acid. For instance, the triplet GAC (guanine, adenine, and cytosine) is the codon for the amino acid leucine, and the triplet CAG (cytosine, adenine, and guanine) is the codon for the amino acid valine.

Mexican Food

The increasing number of immigrant population in the US, is topped by the Mexican presence with more than 8.5 Million legal immigrants (Mexico’s National Council of Populations, Sept. 2001). The United States is therefore slowly inheriting traditions brought about by the oldest and newest Mexican inhabitants. One cannot even deny that anything to do with the Mexican culture has gained popularity in TV shows and advertisements endorsing Mexican products to radio programs playing guitars and crooning Spanish love songs. Mexican immigrants and their descendants are also becoming socially and culturally influential as their way of life seeps into the contemporary American politics, food and daily living that will soon redefine the nation’s identity. The demand for Mexican foods has increased and slowly becoming part of the mainstream culture and threatening to displace the long-time Italian and Chinese ethnic favorite foods. The unwillingness of Mexican immigrants to assimilate the American culture with strict preference over their own traditions (Smith, 1997: 112) is evident in their traditional choice of food in a new host country. As members of the leading minority group, Mexicans are coming out from obscurity and are collectively insisting a tangible conception of their democratic culture through cuisine (Rivera, 2006:4). This is creatively presented in their attachment to their native Hispanic Mexican foods that has created a common link between the Americans and Mexicans through the culinary arts. Mexican Traditional Food Mexican foods are becoming so popular and quite evident with the sales boost of salsa product outstripping ketchup sales in the United States. Tortillas are also becoming commonly needed in American palates with popular sandwich wraps replacing traditional breads (US, Levine; 2004: 32). American people are truly catching on the flavor of Mexican food that is intense and has varied spices (Wood, 2004:215). The original Mexican foods are rich in terms of proteins, vitamins, and minerals though it is characterized by some as spicy. Corn particularly presented in corn tortillas, plays a fundamental role in the Mexican cuisine along with beans as another major staple ingredient (Wood; 215). Such food staples are often boiled and fried. Beans are also high in fiber with an anti-oxidant benefit which is excellent against disposing unwanted cholesterol and for cancer prevention. Along with avocados used in salads, soups and other main dishes, hot chili peppers are mixed with most Mexican dishes which are mostly served fried to provide the characteristic spice for flavor mostly composed of jalapeno, poblano, habanero, cascabel and pasilla as the most common spicy ingredients. Protein-rich Mexican Diet In the Mexican food, cilantro or Chinese parsley is a very popular herb used in salsa and sauces. It’s composition of phytonutrients, flavonoids and acid compounds are known to help control blood sugar, lower cholesterol levels and fight infection with its antimicrobial properties. Along with fresh tomatoes in the Mexican salsas, they’re used in most sauces and soups. Its lycopene-rich composition is a potent antioxidant and a rich source of vitamin C, A and K. The papaya fruit is also a popular in the Mexican diet especially during breakfast which could be eaten as is or mixed with salsa. Papaya has been known to protect against heart disease, colon cancer and supportive to the immune system. It is also beneficial for digestion with its papain enzyme component particularly a good aid for digestion. When properly prepared, the benefits are well accepted in the human body with the best long-term effects. Food Preparation In Mexico, Mexican food preparation is fraught with traditional practices. In the preparation of salsa and tortillas and tamales especially during holidays, fire from the preparation is put out with either milk or butter and not water as a superstition of consistency in the food preparation is believed. As an ethnic group, Mexicans in the US do survive the ritual practices of religious and syncretic content, where the main offerings are food and beverages, such as mole during religious holidays like All Souls’ Day tamales or Saint Cross’ Day barbacoa (West, 1988:208) is upheld. These foods though take a lengthy preparation process yet in   Mexico’s different regions particularly in the rural areas during San Isidro Labrador’s feast day (West: 208),food is prepared as in a healthy manner and not merely fried with fat-rich oils. Mexican Cuisine adaptation in the US Mexican food demands created a major influence on American meals as shown by studies that Americans are currently eating Mexican foods four times more compared to 20 years ago (Wood: 216). Food chains are emulating the Mexican trend according to the Institute of Food Technologists (Dept of State, 2004) who claimed that Mexican food has almost doubled in popularity among people who cook regularly, from 44 percent in 1985 to 86 percent in 2003. According to them the weak link between the super-sized and super-fattened food sold as Hispanic or Mexican in the United States is the main problem as the Americanized version is loaded with calories. Further it is believed that as Hispanic people blend in with American culture, Hispanic would soon take in the food preparation and eating habits of the American people as they too are transformed into busybodies. While there is a mixture of both cultures in food preparation, the unhealthy element is retained as busy American-Mexicans hasten to prepare food faster fried in rich oils. Food and health relationships The traditional Mexican diet is advantageous but the American-Mexican is not! Staple as the main food composed of beans, corn and squash has a higher content of complex carbohydrates which is emphasized by the consumption of other fruits and vegetables. However when liberal amounts of fat are added through stewing or frying instead of baking or broiling, the purpose of a healthy diet is defeated. Fried foods which is a growing trend to a faster preparation needs fat-rich products which leads to obesity and contributes to diabetes, hypertension and a combination of these illnesses (Lisabeth and Kaplan: 2006). Cutting down on fat, sodium and sugar in the diet would ultimately reverse the effects. It would be beneficial if the carbohydrate intake could be increased by eating servings of bread, pasta, fruits and vegetables. Spanish rice can be served with potatoes and beans as well. Corn tortillas should also be made using whole wheat flour and made with unsaturated fats such as canola oil, soybean or corn instead of lard. Avoidance of too much soft drink would also spell health as the American-Mexican drinks more water. Corn chips are also health-wise when baked instead of fried and avoidance of salty foods would mean a modified healthful Mexican meal with flavored garlic, cumin, regain, cilantro and other spices. Works Cited Smith Robert. (1997). The City and the World: New York’s Global Future in Margaret E. Crahan, Alberto Vourvoulias-Bush (eds.). Council on Foreign Relations. Lisabeth, Lynda D. and Kaplan, Norman D. (2006). Mexican-Americans at Higher Risk for Second Stroke. Annals of Neurology, Sept. Rivera, John Michael. (2006). The Emergence of Mexican America: Recovering Stories of Mexican Peoplehood in U.S. Culture. NYU Press. United States. Department of State Reports.   (2004). Americans at the Table Reflections on Food and Culture. Diane Publishing. West, John. (1988). Mexican-American Folklore. Arkansas: August House. Wood, Andrew Grant. (2004). On the Border: Society and Culture Between the United States and Mexico. Rowman & Littlefield.

Gap, Inc. Financial Analysis

The GAP, Inc. The Fiscal year Ended January 28, 2012 A. INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW 1. Financial Statements Included in the Annual Report 2. 1. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flow 2. Major Competitors of the GAP, Inc. American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. , J. Crew Group, Inc. , and the TJX Companies, Inc. can be shown as the major competitors for the GAP, Inc. Based on the data given in annual reports of the companies, gross margin % for GAP, Inc. is 36%, while American Eagle Outfitters has 36%, J. Grew Group, Inc. as 40%, and TJX has 32% gross margin. Stock price on November 2, 2012 is $35. 11 for the GAP, Inc. , while it is $21. 05 for American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. , $43. 55 for J. Crew Group, Inc. , and $41. 52 for the TJX Companies, Inc. Debt-to-equity ratio is the total debt divided by total shareholder’s equity and this ratio is a measure of company solvency and its ability to meet its short- and long term obligations. For the major competitors of the GAP, Inc. this ratio ca lculated as below: 3. Auditing Firm of the GAP, Inc.Deloitte & Touche LLP have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of the GAP, Inc. and the other financial statements which are the consolidated statements of income, stockholder’s equity, and cash flows for three years in the period ended in January 28, 2012. They have also consulted the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of January 28, 2012. Deloitte & Touche LLP indicated that consolidated financial statements, which are given in the annual report, present fairly the financial position of The GAP, Inc. nd subsidiaries as of January 28, 2012 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also, in their opinion, the company maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of 28 January, 2012 based on the criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organization s of the Treadway Commission. B. FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING ANALYSIS 1. The Inventory Method The company used the weighted-average method while reviewing inventory to compile the financial statements.When using the weighted average method, the cost of goods available for sale is divided by the number of units available for sale, which yields the weighted-average cost per unit and to estimate ending inventory cost number of units in the ending inventory is multiplied by the weighted average cost per unit. 2. The Depreciation Method and Estimated Useful Lives of the Depreciable Assets Over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, the straight line method is used while computing depreciation to compile financial statements. The estimated useful life of depreciable assets is shown as below: 3.Goodwill and Intangible Assets The company reviews not only intangible assets for impairment, but also the carrying amount of goodwill annually. The goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangibl e assets, including trade name, are recorded in other long-term assets in the consolidated balance sheet of company as shown in Note 3: 4. The class of Stocks and Number of Shares As you can see in the consolidated balance sheet, the company has common stock with authorized 2. 3 billion shares; issued 1. 106 billion shares for all periods presented; outstanding 485 million and 588 million shares for periods presented.The company is authorized to issue 60 million shares of Class B common stock, which is convertible into shares of common stock on a share-for-share basis and no Class B shares have been issued as of January 28, 2012. The Company is also authorized to issue 30 million shares of one or more series of preferred stock, which has a par value of $0. 05 per share and no preferred share has been issued as of January 28, 2012. 5. Treasury Stock and Number of Shares Treasury Stock held by the company has 621 and 518 shares for the periods presented in the consolidated balance she et as January 28, 2012 and January 29, 2011. . Dividends paid by the Company The company declared and paid dividends during the period reviewed as shown in the consolidated statements of income and it is $0. 45 in fiscal year 2011, $0. 40 in fiscal year 2010, and $0. 34 in fiscal year 2009 per share. 7. The price per share of the common stock The price per share of the common stock as of the most recent fiscal year-end date, which is January 28, 2012, is $18. 69. On the other hand, the price per share on November 3, 2012, which is the day we can see the close price before the report date, is $35. 11. 8. Generated CashThe company generated $1. 363 billion net cash by operating activities during fiscal year 2011. The amount of generated cash generated during fiscal year 2011 decreased $381 million comparing the amount generated during fiscal year 2010. Also, net cash provided by operating activities during fiscal year 2010 decreased $184 million compared with fiscal year 2009. The cas h outflows for investing activities of the company are primarily for capital expenditures and purchases of investments, whereas cash inflows are primarily provided from maturities of short-term investments.The amount of net cash used for investing activities is $454 million during the fiscal year 2011, $429 million during the fiscal year 2010 and $537 million during the fiscal year 2009, while maturities of short-term investments are $150 million, $600 million, and $125 million in fiscal year 2011, 2010 and 2009. The cash outflows from financial activities are primarily repurchases of the company’s common stock and dividend payments, while cash inflows are primarily proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt.Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt are $1. 646 billion for fiscal year 2011 and net cash used for financing activities is $602 million. 9. Ratio Analysis for the Company The current ratio is the one of the measures of company equity and it indicates the relationsh ip between current assets and current liabilities. For the company, current ratio is calculated as below: The return on sales ratio measures the company’s profitability and it indicates the relationship between net income and sales. For the company, return on sales ratio is shown below:The debt-to-equity ratio is a measure of the company’s solvency and it measures the relative proportions of financing from debt and financing from shareholders. It is calculated for the company as seen below: The return on investment ratio shows the return generated per dollar of total investment and it is calculated for the company as seen below: The return on owner’s equity ratio measures the return generated per dollar of owner’s equity and for the company the return on owner’s equity ratio is: The gross margin ratio measures the gross profit of the company’s products and for the company it is calculated as shown below:The inventory turnover measures the sp eed at which company sells its inventory. This measure is important to ensure that inventory delivered customers in a timely manner so that cash can be received by the company. Net profit margin measures also company’s profitability and it is mostly used for internal comparison. It is also an indicator of a company's pricing strategies and how well it controls costs. Profit margin for the company is: The asset turnover ratio calculates the total  revenue  for every dollar of assets a company owns and it is calculated for the company as seen below:The quick ratio is measure of a company’s ability to meet its current obligations like the current ratio and it is more reliable measurement of liquidity because it considers only assets that are quickly converted to cash as quick assets. The quick ratio for the company is: The  price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of a  share  is the market price of the share divided by the annual  earnings per share. a high P/E  ratio suggests that investors are expecting  higher earnings  growth  in the future compared to companies with a  lower P/E. Based on the price per share on January 28, 2012, the price-to-earnings ratio for the GAP, Inc. s: 10. 11. Horizontal and Vertical Analysis for the Comparative Income Statement and Balance Sheet THE GAP, INC. CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS (millions) Vertical and Horizontal Analysis| | |   | Financial Data|   | Vertical Analysis| Horizontal Analysis|   |   | 2011| 2010|   | 2011 (%)| 2010 (%)| $ Change| % Change| Net sales| $| 14,549| $| 14,664|   | 100. 00 | 100. 00 | (115)| (0. 78)| Cost of goods sold and occupancy expenses|   | 9,275|   | 8,775|   | 63. 75 | 59. 84 | 500 | 5. 70 | Gross profit|   | 5,274|   | 5,889|   | 36. 5 | 40. 16 | (615)| (10. 44)| Operating expenses|   | 3,836|   | 3,921|   | 26. 37 | 26. 74 | (85)| (2. 17)| Operating income|   | 1,438|   | 1,968|   | 9. 88 | 13. 42 | (530)| (26. 93)| Interest ex pense (reversal)|   | 74|   | (8)|   | 0. 51 | (0. 05)| 82 | (1025)| Interest income|   | (5)|   | (6)|   | (0. 03)| (0. 04)| 1 | (16. 67)| Income before income taxes|   | 1,369|   | 1,982|   | 9. 41 | 13. 52 | (613)| (30. 93)| Income taxes|   | 536|   | 778|   | 3. 68 | 5. 31 | (242)| (31. 11)| Net income| $| 833| $| 1,204|   | 5. 73 | 8. 21 | (371)| (30. 81)| 12. Segments reported by the company The GAP, Inc. dentified its operating segments based on the way to manage and evaluate the business activities and based on this way the company has two reportable segments: Stores and direct. The stores reportable segment has results of the retail stores for Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic which are brands of the GAP, Inc. while the direct reportable segment includes the results for the brands of the company, both domestic and international. C. MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING ANALYSIS 1. Return on Investment for Stores and Direct Segments As it is mentioned before, retu rn on investment is calculated as net income divided by average total assets company has.While calculating return on investment each segment for the company, which are stores and direct, we need net income for these different segments and also average total assets as given financial information by reportable segments in the annual report. The operating income, depreciation and amortization expenses, purchases of property and equipment for each segment, and the effective tax rate, which is given as 39. 2% for fiscal year 2011, are used to calculate the net income for each segment. The return on investment, which is net income divided by segment assets, for the stores reportable segment is 0. 37, while it is 0. 22 for direct reportable segment. It means that the company earned $3. 7 for every $100 investment for the reportable stores segment and $22 for every $100 investment for the direct reportable segment. Calculations for the return on investment ratio are shown in the table below : 2. Residual Income Residual income (RI) is a managerial accounting measurement used to assess and compare the relative success of business units. The basic formula for calculating residual income is to multiply operating assets by the minimum required rate of return, and then subtract this value from operating income.For the stores and direct reportable segments, the residual income is: 3. Assuming that 70% of the expenses are fixed: a. Contribution Margin Contribution margin is the total sales less total variable costs at a given level of activity. For the GAP, Inc. total sales amount is $14. 549 billion during the fiscal year 2011 as seen in the consolidated statements of income, while total variable cost is $2. 782 billion, which is 30% of cost of goods sold and occupancy expenses. Based on this data, contribution margin in fiscal year 2011 is: b. Contribution Margin RatioThe contribution margin ratio is the contribution margin per unit divided by selling price per unit or cont ribution margin divided by total sales. The contribution margin ratio of the company is 0. 8088 or 80. 88% in fiscal year 2011, as you can see the calculation below: c. Break-even in Sales Dollars The break-even point in dollars can be calculated by using contribution margin ratio approach. The basic formula with this approach is fixed cost divided by contribution margin ratio for the break-even in sales dollars. The fixed cost for the company is $6. 92 billion ($9,275 * 70%) and the break-even point in dollars: : D. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL E. INVESTMENT DECISION FOR THE COMPANY There are different criteria to assess the overall performance of companies. We have discussed various perspectives to make a comprehensive evaluation for the GAP, Inc. in the previous parts of the report. While discussing nature of the investment decision, the data given before is used to explain the performance of the company for investors. Investors invest money in company’s stock expecting a return in their investment in the form of dividends or appreciation in the price of stock.From this perspective, we should evaluate the price of stock for the company and the dividends paid. As it is mentioned before, the price per share of the common stock was $18. 69 on January 28, 2012, while it is $35. 11 on November 2, 2012. The price to equity ratio is 22, assuming that the earnings per share will be the same for November 2, 2012 within fiscal year 2011, while it was only 12 on January 28, 2012. Comparing the previous data, it is possible to say that investors can expect higher earnings growth in the future, but it would not be useful for investors to use only this ratio as a basis of investment.Major competitors should also be assessed from the industry analysis perspective to decide to invest company. To compare the company performance with the major competitors, we calculated gross margin ratio and debt-to-equity ratio before. These measurements are very important to assess the si tuation of the company in industry. Although J. Crew Group, Inc. is basically higher gross margin relatively to its competitors, the GAP, Inc. has also high gross margin which is the same with another American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. and higher than TJX Companies, Inc. The GAP, Inc. ’s debt-to-equity ratio is 1. 69, while it is 0. 38 for AEO, 2. 4 for JCG and 1. 83 for TJX. It means that the GAP, Inc. had $1. 69 of debt for every $1. 00 of shareholder’s equity. From this perspective, American Eagle Outfitters has lower debt for every $1. 00 of shareholders’ equity, while other competitors have more debt relatively to the GAP, Inc. We can say that debt-to-equity ratio for our company is acceptable among the companies in industry. For the evaluation of the companies based on financial statements, the analysts usually use a combination of three methods of analysis which are horizontal analysis, vertical analysis and ratio analysis as we made in the previous parts of the report.Horizontal analysis examines the changes in one financial statement item over time, while vertical analysis shows each item on a financial statement as a percentage of one particular item on the statement. Investors use the vertical analysis to evaluate the composition of the company’s financial position and earnings. As we can see in the vertical analysis, the company’s percentage of net income for fiscal year 2011 is 5. 73 while it is 8. 21 for fiscal year 2010. Investors should take this into account and compare these values with the competitors’ values to see that the situation of industry between these years.On the other hand, we can see that cash as a percentage of total assets for fiscal year 2011 is 25. 40 while it is 22. 09 for fiscal year 2010. This gives us some insight into the cash management system of the company. From the horizontal analysis perspective, the GAP, Inc. had a 30. 81 change negatively in net income, while it had 20. 76 pe rcent increase in cash and a 5. 05 increase in total assets. We can see that decreasing amount of income is the result of mostly increasing cost of goods sold and occupancy expenses. So, investors should take this into account and compare it with the company’s another competitors in the industry.Finally, ratio analysis is used to judge the company’s efficiency in using its current assets and liabilities. It is really important to see whether company is profitable or liquid for investors to decide invest on the company. Based on the current and quick ratio, we can say that company’s liquidity is enough to pay its liabilities. We measured company’s profitability by using gross margin, return on sales, return on assets, asset turnover and returns on owner’s equity and profit margin and see that company is profitable to invest and since it has almost 12% return on investment which shows us it makes sense to invest on the GAP, Inc.Investment decision is quite difficult for investors since they should asses the company from many different perspectives, we can say that the GAP, Inc. is one of the leading companies in the industry and it has a good return on investment. The changes between fiscal year 2011 and fiscal year 2010 should be taken into account by comparing with competitors and previous fiscal years. In general investors could see that the price per share of the common stock has increasing value for the company and it is profitable to invest. So, I would invest in this company, since I believe that it has a good return for investors.

Trip to a Bowling Tournament

The bowling tournament is a place where one would expect such excitement and nervousness. This could be carried as one would enter the venue and would start to hear the bowling pins throwing their bodies against one another and the hard floor as they got pinned down starting with the heavy thud of the ball. The first thing that could be observed with the bowling tournament is the straight bowling lanes where everyone’s attention is. The wooden floor is made shiny and slippery so that the balls could easily skid to the end of the lane.The balls are weighed and designed so that they could be easily thrown and there is a ball suited for every age group. For the young ones, they have the small one which weighs less and has lively colors and for the older ones, there are different ball sizes and different colors that weigh heavier. In every lane, there is a corresponding bench where the players and visitors could rest while waiting for their games. Talks and chats about different t opics could be heard.There is politics, current events, sports, family life, and of course, bowling. This is where the expert players share their bowling techniques and strategies to those who seek to become experts, too. This is also where the players pass the time after losing a game. The players who are currently playing have their special seats near the bowling lanes. Some may be in pairs and some may play individually. Whichever it is, the tension could be smelled from all sides of the bowling lanes.Everyone wants to make consecutive strikes and hopefully, achieve a perfect game to win. Though a perfect game may be hard to win, the players still aim for it so that in case they would not make it, they would land with their highest possible score. Moreover, they would be able to tell themselves that they played a good game and gave it their best shot. With each throw that the players make, they make sure that they are physically and mentally conditioned.Some players even employ t echniques to calm the mind and prepare the both the mind and the body for the competition. This works because it reduces the tension and the nervousness that is felt. The face of the spectators matches that of the players. Each one has their own bet and they have their own predictions. They try to follow the game as if they are the ones playing. Those who wish to become good players also do some observations on how the expert players go about in their game.This is where the best strategies and tips are earned because the games serve as actual demonstrations. In cases where the player they idolize wins, they also share the same feeling of triumph that the player has. If, unfortunately, they lose, the game serves as a lesson for everyone. The bowling tournament is really a mix of feeling, emotions, and difficulties. A lot could be observed and learned with just a few minutes of sitting inside the bowling place. It is really a trip worth taking for all ages.

Paper 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paper 2 - Essay Example The government also guaranteed losses to the tune of $300 billion due to troubled assets of the Citibank. Subsequently, the restructuring exercise done by the management under the leadership of the newly joined CEO Vikram Pandit did turn the table. The bank showed profit in the last four figures is a testimony to the successful strategic actions taken by the management. Pandit in an address to the company employees listed the following objectives to spearhead the bank to old glories. 1. The focus is now on emerging markets. Citibank is well placed to tap the opportunities due to wide network of its offices throughout the world. Bank aims at remaining number one in emerging markets. 4. Bank would take great strides in the coming years by meeting financial needs of their clients from infrastructure to alternative energy to many development projects in the fastest growing economies in the world. The recent performance of Bank of America does not show much of a promise as BOA made losses to the tune of $8.8 billion in the second quarter this year. The biggest issue with BOA is $408 billion of mortgages that bank is holding in home equity. Banks future is linked with the recovery of housing market and that is not likely to show any sign of recovery because of the high unemployment rate prevailing in the US market. Depressed economy in US and high unemployment rate will keep housing market in a subdued state for quite a long time. For this reason, BOA remains a highly risky stock with not much of a hope of any dramatic improvement in coming years. Moreover, BOA is not active enough in the emerging markets and developing economies with a possibility of getting benefited like Citibank. From the above analysis it seems that though both the banks had worst period during the subprime crisis, Citibank is displaying required dynamism to come out of the crisis through