Airport screening Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Airport screening - Essay Example In his book, Airport and Aviation Security Elias2 (21) states that mandatory screening in airports is among the strategies that the DHS is employing to prevent terrorists from gaining entry into the country. According to the policy, all passengers from abroad are subjected to thorough screening at the airports to prevent entry of explosives and illegal arms or illicit drugs into the country. The screening policy at the airport was expanded recently following an Ebola scare. This follows a growing concern among Americans of the possible spread of the Ebola into the United States. In the news article â€Å"Ebola Airport Screenings May Seem Intrusive, But They’re Legal, Experts Say†, Tucker (6) notes that Ebola, a disease that was first reported in West Africa, has already claimed the lives of close to 2,000 people. Among the West African countries where deaths have been reported include Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Ebola has also been reported in Spain and the U.S., where the disease recently claimed the life of a patient who had been transferred from West Africa for treatment. The Ebola scare has caused a scare to Americans to the extent that the government has been forced to put stringent measures to prevent the spread of Ebola into the U.S. According to the new policy, passengers arriving from West African countries, such as Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone are required to be subjected to thorough screening for Ebola virus. A news article published by Eye Witness News stated that the screening involves checking the passengers temperatures using non-touch thermometers and other screening techniques (5). The main aim of Ebola screening at the airport is to help identify sick passengers from Ebola affected countries so that appropriate measures are taken to prevent the passengers from mixing with the rest of the American population. Any passengers found showing symptoms of Ebola are quarantined immediately in the isolation facilities

Hw pt1 wk3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hw pt1 wk3 - Assignment Example The other reason for the choice of insurance companies not to offer flood insurance is that they have to research on risks of floods and if they offer flood insurance, they have to set premiums at equilibrium with expected loss. Frequent floods make payments of premiums frequent leading to zero insurance, except for high end clientele who can afford to pay high premiums. Insurance in the United States and United Kingdom exist only owing to funds and subsidization but runs at a loss. There are two reasons suggested for Canada to adopt cross-subsidization scheme. The first reason is the belief by people that they are covered for floods yet in reality they are not, which hurts the insurance industry’s image. Secondly, it will provide growth opportunities owing to the fact that the insurance industry is a mature industry. Cross-subsidization entails payment of premium by non-risk homes but may result in moral hazard including building homes in high risk areas because they are insured. Watson, William. William Watson: Why universal flood insurance is a bad  idea. July 4, 2013. Retrieved from http://opinion.financialpost.com/2013/07/04/william-watson-why- universal-flood-insurance-is-a-very-bad-idea/ on February 19, 2014.

Evaluation of E-Learning Program

Evaluation of E-Learning Program Chapter one Introduction Nowadays, higher education is experiencing big challenges driven by many emerging trends, among which is the introduction of the means of online learning. Accordingly, many universities all over the world are taking different moves to cope with the new requirements; some universities were established as purely online learning providers, other conventional universities launched new online programs, and some introduced online learning programmes to enhance some of their already existing programs. E-Learning redefines the teaching/learning processes and the overall learning environment. It changed the old university system to a new set of practices by introducing significant changes in the roles of its main key players; learners, faculty members, and the institution as an entity (Mendenhall, 2001). The change which e-learning brings to higher education, accompanied by its vast spreading as an accepted learning delivery mode, has been always questioned by its components who tie this type of learning to poor quality. Therefore, studying the different aspects of evaluating the quality of e-learning has been rising as an issue that is worth researching and enhancing (Kistan, 2005; Wirth, 2005). A big range of perspectives on what factors to address when evaluating the quality of e-learning has been developed. Nevertheless; most of those studies either addressed a few factors pertaining to a single aspect or dimension (Ally, 2004) or addressed multiple aspects but without looking at the e-learning institution comprehensively (Cohen and Ellis, 2004). In view of the lack of a holistic framework of factors to evaluate the quality of e-learning programs, the aim of this study is to hopefully contribute to the body of knowledge in this area, by developing a framework for the evaluation of quality in e-learning programs. Research objective: The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the quality of e-learning programs through investigating the related critical factors that have been identified by researchers and practitioners of this field. It also intends to examine the relevancy and importance of such frameworks within e-learning practise in Saudi Arabia. The study aims also at understanding how the key learners and faculty members differ in perceiving the importance of such factors on impacting on the quality of an e-learning program? Research Question: The research intends to answer in broad perspective the following questions as well: What are the factors which affect the quality of e-learning? In this question the researchers are trying to address the quality factors which affect the success of E-learning in Saudi Arabia based on 12 factors that have been addressed from the literature. How can we increase e-learning practice in Saudi Arabia? The second question to know is whats the best way to increase the number of E-learning practise in Saudi Arabia and what do learners think based on their experience. Dissertation structure: This dissertation includes six chapters in addition to its introduction. Below is a brief description of each: Chapter two; outlining the background information of the research to put the reader into the perspective of this study. The chapter includes a discussion of the emerging trends in higher education that have pushed for the introduction of e-learning and discusses broadly the quality issue in this type of learning. Chapter three; covers the literature review of e-learning, i.e. critical factors for evaluating the quality of e-learning programs. The chapter starts with identifying the distinctions between e-learning and traditional education, discusses in detail the definition of the Quality concept in higher education generally, and in specific e-learning. Chapter four; Cover the research methodology such as the process of data collection and analysis which will be used. Chapter Five; we will be describing and analysing the data and present the data gathered. Results of the analysis are then discussed. Chapter six; this chapter summarizes the study, lay out the conclusion and ends up with recommendations for future research. Bibliography Research Methodology: In this study the researcher will to collect his data by the quantitative method where a questionnaire will be designed based on the factors which have been discovered from the literature review and then will be sent to random group in Saudi Arabia. The Data later on will be analysed to show the result and the findings. Saudi Arabia Background: Saudi Arabia which is the birth place of Islam and home to Islams two holiest places, Mecca, and Medina, is located in the Middle East bordering the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea. The kings official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The modern Saudi State was founded in 1932. It is a large Middle Eastern nation that ranks as one of the worlds leading producers of petroleum, and exports more oil than any other nation. The government is of a monarchy type and the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government, and administratively it is divided into 13 provinces, with the constitution governed according to Islamic Law. The countrys legal system is based on Sharia law and several secular codes have been introduced. Commercial disputes are handled by special committee. Saudi Arabia has an oil based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. It possesses more than 20% of the worlds proven petroleum reserves. It not only ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, but also plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. It is believed that about 40% of GDP comes from the private sector and roughly 5.5 million foreign employees play an important role in the Saudi economy, particularly in the oil and service sectors. The researcher carried out this research in Saudi for the following reasons which are described in detail. The access: as the researcher is a Saudi national and has good access to the people in Saudi Arabia where he can collect more information and find a better response rate than carrying out research in any other place. The Language: The researcher is multi lingual as he can speak Arabic and English fluently, therefore he will not face any problem in collecting the data The Information: The researcher understands the situation in Saudi Arabia which enables good research as he will not spend too much time understanding the situation and its cultural factors. The Organisation of the Education System in KSA The education system in Saudi Arabia has five divisions. They are: kindergarten for children from three to six years old, elementary (6-11), intermediate (12-14), secondary level (15-18), and university level (typically 19-24, depending on the subjects studied, and the form of higher education). The secondary stage is the final phase of general education in the Kingdom. It is a three-year period, following on from the intermediate stage. Students are admitted to this stage if they have obtained the intermediate stage certificate. Normally students follow secondary stage education between the ages of 16 and 18 years. This stage is considered the most important period in the general education ladder because students who successfully complete this stage are eligible to join any higher education institution. The administration of the education system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is highly centralised. All educational policies are subject to government control and supervision by the Supreme Council of Education. Textbooks and teaching tools are uniform throughout the Kingdom. The four principal authorities responsible for education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are: the Ministry of Education; the General Presidency for Girls Education; the Ministry of Higher Education; and the General Organisation of Technical Education and Vocational Training. Conclusion In this chapter we gave a sample overview about the research and the reasons for carrying out this research such as the lack of understanding in the practice of the E-learning program in Saudi Arabia. The research is trying to develop a good understanding of this and the information of other studies carried out in similar fields of the success factors of the quality of E-learning in Saudi Arabia. Also in this chapter we have described the dissertation structure and the research questions which are going to measure the main factors for the success of learning Quality. Finally the Saudi Background has been analysed to give the reader the information to understand where the study has been carried out and why. Chapter Two Introduction: The main objective of this chapter is to put forward the point of view of this study by laying out its background information. The chapter starts with presenting the emerging trends in higher education that have lead to the introduction of e-learning. It then continues by explaining the quality issue that is associated with this type of learning. The chapter also includes an overview of the background information about e-learning in Saudi Arabia. Education An overview: According to a recent publication by UNESCO, the education sector in general comprised of all of its components including higher education is experiencing new trends that exert on it new pressures and challenges (Hernes, 2003). Those trends are either classified under demography, such as the continuing growth and increase of population, particularly young populations, migration between countries, and increase of life expectancy, or are due to globalization where nations in general and learners in particular flow across borders without limits, allowing learners to have easy access to the best universities in the developed countries. Finally, perhaps the most important trend is knowledge growth accompanied by advanced information and communication technologies which have changed forever the way information is obtained, stored, used and displayed. Despite the divide between one country and another, or within the same country, more knowledge development opportunities have been created. Information technologies offer the possibility of modularization and customization of education through the use and re-use of learning objects focusing on learners, the possibility of engaging learners more than ever and therefore changing the role of the faculty from a teacher to a facilitator. In response to the challenges described above, the growth of the e-learning programme with its different modes in higher education is apparent and best reflected by the increasing number of e-colleges and e-universities, or the increasing number of higher education institutions that introduced e-learning programs and definitely by the growth of enrolment rate among learners. A study of e-learning in the United States in 2005, suggested that e-learning is penetrating the higher education institutions both in size and breadth and that e-learning is part of the mainstream of higher education. Figures of the study showed that sixty-five percent of schools offering graduate face-to-face courses also offer graduate courses online. Sixty-three percent of schools offering undergraduate face-to-face courses also offer undergraduate courses online. Among all schools offering face-to-face Masters degree programs, 44% also offer Masters programs online. Among all schools offering face-to-face Business degree programs, 43% also offer online Business programs. The same study showed an increase of around 20% of learners enrolment rate compared to the previous year (Allen and Seaman 2005). For different reasons, those statistics do not seem to be applicable to other countries. The USA is certainly the worlds largest provider of e-learning; however the market for e-learning and lifelong learning is also growing in Europe. Moreover, the Arab world, which represents 5 per cent of the worlds overall population, has entered the 21st century with a striking statistic, which shows that it has only 0.5 per cent of the worlds Internet users. This obviously impacts on the number of its e-learning initiatives and enrolled learners in such type of learning systems (UNDP, 2002). Using Computers in Learning: These days, computers have become an important educational tool kit. Many educational organizations and training centres rely on them to deliver information and learning knowledge. However, using computers in education has a long history and is deep-rooted in the field. The idea of using computers in training first appeared during World War 2, when the US military trained farmers to use weapons and other equipment via this systematic approach (Horton, 2000). The first real use of the computer in educational organizations was seen in the 1960s, when the University of Illinois together with the Data Corporation developed the PLATO system. PLATO is a system which enabled the learning and understanding of complex subjects. Apples Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating system have since provided a standard platform on which programmers can develop training programs (Horton, 2000) Definition of E-learning: E-Learning refers to the employment of information and communication technologies to support the development and delivery of learning in academic and professional development institutions. E-Learning is used widely with other terms such as online learning, technology-mediated learning, web-based learning, computer-based learning, etc. Several definitions of e-learning have been developed reflecting the diversity in its application, used tools, and associated technologies. Whatever definition was used, the meaning of e-learning always contains two fundamental terms; Learning and Technology. In one way or another, all definitions of e-learning indicate the learning that takes place with the support of multimedia objects, the internet and technological applications as a delivery mode. One of the highly used definitions of e-learning is: â€Å"Education via the Internet, network or standalone computer; it refers to using electronic applications and processes to learn, where communication and content is delivered via the Internet, intranet/extranet, audio or videotape, TV and CD-ROM etc as appropriate (LTSN Generic Centre, 2004). A recent definition that uses the terminology of higher education institutions was laid out by Ally (2004) who defines e-learning as: The use of the Internet to access learning material; to interact with the content, instructor, and other learners; and to obtain support during the learning process, in order to acquire knowledge, to construct personal meaning, and to grow from the learning experience. According to Horton (2000) E-learning is a general phrase that has several definitions. However, the comprehensive definition that covers all aspects of e-learning is what Ruth and Richard offer: â€Å"E-learning is defined as instruction delivered on a computer by way of CD-ROM, Internet, or intranet with the following features: Includes content relevant to the learning objective. Uses instructional methods such as examples and practice to help learning. Uses media elements such as words and pictures to deliver the content and methods. Builds new knowledge and skills linked to individual learning goals or to improve organizational performance† Feature of E-learning: Eaton (2001) outlines that e-learning is characterized with the following features: Computer-mediated classrooms: faculty members and learners communicate through the computer, making face to face interaction less frequent. Separation in time between communications: communication between faculty members and learners can also be in asynchronous modes. Availability of services online: learners are not only provided with online learning experience but also with online services such as advising, registration, and library services. Distinction between e-Learning and Conventional Education: To understand the quality of e-learning requires a full understanding of how this type of learning differs from the conventional style of education and the changes it brings to higher education institutions. This section presents in a broad perspective the distinctions between e-learning and traditional education which shape higher education nowadays. Such distinctions will be taken into consideration when materializing a definition for quality in e-learning, and deciding what to be taken into consideration for evaluating the quality of this type of learning. The following areas were highly repeated in the literature as key distinctions between e-learning and traditional education: Educational Changes: McLaughlin and Oliver (2000) believe however that new technologies have a positive impact on the learning environment where more choices for forms of learning are provided to the faculty and learners. This includes the delivery and presentation of content in more flexible way and a variety of modes, the provision of interactivity, engagement, communication, feedback, and communication and collaboration tools. Weller (2000) sees that those types of new choices will facilitate the quick use of courses for easier customization and individualization resulting in more satisfied learners. Change in Faculty Roles: With the growing amount of knowledge and information every day, and the availability of a huge amount of content over the internet, faculty members will not continue to be seen as the source of knowledge, instead, according to Cashion and Palmieri (2002), faculty members are expected to direct learners where to find the most relevant knowledge and provide them with tools that teach them how to learn. Different Types of Learners: Oblinger and Oblinger (2005) have referred to young learners of today as the â€Å"Net Generation† who grew up being familiar with technological products and facilities. Internet access, computer and electronic games have been a daily activity of learners lives. Learners today have different expectations with respect to their learning styles; they prefer to experience things instead of reading or hearing about them, they expect immediate response to questions or actions, they appreciate interactivity and dialogue (Pashuk, 2005). Learners of today consider themselves as customers who demand to be served high quality services. They have consumers attitudes towards their academic program and any of its services (Wager, 2005). E-Learning institutions should be arranged to different types of learners, not only in their preferences and expectations but also in their level of variety. Change in Administrators Role: Administrators of an academic institution are usually referred to as staffs who are not participating in direct teaching or research work, their role is usually to assure that the institutions systems are running properly. Administrators are responsible to create, maintain and improve an environment that helps learners and faculty achieve their academic goals. Administrators of an e-learning institution can be involved in selecting, orienting, and preparing qualified faculty for courses, administer and manage the technological facilities at the institution, provide different types of faculty and learners support from the technical helpdesk; library services, financial aid, etc. Administrators can also be involved in the planning, quality assurance, and performance management of an activity to help the institution serve its learners better (Williams, 2003). Reliance on Infrastructure: Although e-Learning is basically about learning rather than about technology, the technological infrastructure of e-learning programs is still the critical and primary component of the education systems. E-Learning is characterized by its high independence on the validity, and reliability of its infrastructure, which has the role of facilitating and providing accessibility of the learning/teaching process and its support services between faculty members and learners (Pashuk, 2005). Institutional Demands: E-Learning institutions must set up their systems, policies and procedures to deal with issues like data security from both internal and external threats as well as copyrights from the learners, faculty and the institutional perspectives. Developing a high quality online course will not only require the intellectual contribution of faculty members, it rather involves other key team members from the same institution or from partnered institutions. Copyright issues are usually linked to revenue sharing models, especially when the course developers are contracted or granted any incentives (Mendenhall, 2001). Advantages of using E-learning Methods: As we know, traditional education requires effort, time and money that can lead to some difficulties in achieving the goals of learning. On the other hand, e-learning contributes to the spread of knowledge among people around the globe by easy, fast, and comfortable means, that helps people to attain their personal learning objectives. As a result, several educational organisations have proceeded along the e-learning approach to facilitate and improve the process of learning. In this section, several advantages of using an e-learning approach will be discussed. The author has divided the advantages into two main categories, advantages for learners, and advantages for instructors. Advantages for learners: According to Mayer (2003) he has concluded the common advantages that learners can gain from e-learning. The following list illustrates the main advantages for learners: â€Å"Learners can get the best instruction available â€Å" The wide popularity of the e-learning programme makes learning more flexible and gives freedom to learners to choose the best course available which fits their needs. â€Å"Training occurs just in time†. Web-based training is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week which allows learners to study when they need it without any conditions or constraints. They do not need to wait for training sessions or a specified time to attend. â€Å"Learners set the pace and the schedule†. Learners can study at their own time; learners can take as many lessons as they need depending on their time and their plans. For example, some of them may wish to study full-time while others prefer to study a few hours a week. â€Å"Learners get better access to the instructor†. Communication with the instructor(s) through web based e-learning systems can be more effective than the traditional classroom approach. â€Å"Training adapts to the learners style† Many different learning styles can be incorporated within an e-learning environment, and the learner is able to adapt to a style or series of styles which they prefer and in the way they feel is most efficient. â€Å"Learners get immediate feedback† There is no need to wait while for the results of the exams, or games. The results can be obtained immediately. â€Å"Learners are treated more equally† A degree of anonymity is ensured, therefore personal characteristics are not considered. â€Å"Saves money and time for learners† Hidden costs are eliminated in that here are no travelling expenses, parking fees, etc. It is also efficient for time in that almost all the time is spent on learning and no time is wasted on travelling. â€Å" Produces positive side effects† Learners are constantly improving their other skills, such as general computer skills, various internet technologies and how they apply them in their jobs. Advantages for Instructors According to Mayer (2003) the most common advantages for instructors can gain from e-learning are: â€Å"Instructor can teach from anywhere† Instructors are able to teach the course from any location in the world. All they need is connection to the internet. â€Å"Instructors travel less† Almost all the time is spent on planning, producing and publishing courses with no time wasted on travelling to attend. â€Å"Course content can be dynamic† Instructors have the opportunity to deal with course matter at any time and in any place such as home, office etc. â€Å"Instructors save time† Time consumed in preparing the course document such as handouts, having course paper printed etc., are eliminated. Conclusion In this chapter we have covered a wide range on academic study in order to understand this subject, starting with the definition of E-learning and what do we mean by E-learning, followed by another important part which is what is the difference between E-learning and Conventional education. Also the researcher has included a brief explanation concerning the history of E-Learning and the feature of E-stand and its practise. Moreover, we can see that based on the literature there are many advantage of E-learning for the learner. For example, he can study from anywhere and at any time which is the flexibility of E-learning and also there is an advantage for the instructor as he can also teach from any place and with a flexible time schedule. Chapter three Introduction: In order to understand what constitutes quality of e-learning and the critical factors that should be addressed when evaluating this type of learning, an understanding of the distinctions between e-learning and traditional education needs to be attained. Therefore the first section of this chapter is dedicated to exploring what changes have been brought to higher education by e-learning. This chapter includes a literature review for to explore what has been recognized by the researchers and practitioners of this field as key factors that affect the quality of e-learning programs and institutions, and therefore should be used to evaluate this type of learning. A list of highly rated and most repeated factors was then generated and categorized to form the basis for a comprehensive framework intended for evaluating quality of e-learning programs which will be used later in the empirical research. Quality in E-learning: A range of perspectives on what defines quality in e-learning, and what should be considered when evaluating the quality of e-learning has been developed. Some studies have addressed few factors pertaining to a single aspect or dimension, and some have developed frameworks for evaluating the quality of e-learning addressing many aspects. During those studies many different approaches were adopted ranging from surveying learners, faculty members, designers and policy makers for their views, building models for effective e-learning, and constructing camps that contextualize and debate the e-learning environment (Brennan, 2001). Despite the important contribution of each of those studies, a complete framework for evaluating the quality of e-learning couldnt be found. Developed frameworks either addressed the quality of the e-learning program with an emphasis on the classroom environment only, or overlooked some important aspects, such as the impact of the institution on the quality of e-learning programs (Cashion and Palmieri, 2002). E-Learning has been addressed by governing or accrediting bodies which developed quality standards, principles or frameworks. Such standards however, were developed to help institutions plan for their e-learning programs (Cashion and Palmieri, 2002) or as a self assessment tool, therefore they usually address in general perspective quality standards, academic standards, standards of competence, service standards and organizational standards (Harvey, 1999). According to Vlasceanu et al (2004), the definition of quality in a higher education institution differs with the changes in: The interests and needs of various types of stakeholders The institutions own inputs, processes, outputs, purpose, mission and set of objectives The characteristics and attributes of the academic world The historical evolvement and development of higher education Revisiting the changes that e-learning brought to higher education especially to the role of its fundamental stakeholders, learners, educators and administrators, it perhaps becomes logical when we look for a definition of quality as a concept, to consider these stakeholders first. For this reason, a growing literature in the field of e-learning tends to define quality of e-learning programs as the degree to which principal stakeholdersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ needs and expectations are consistently satisfied, referring to the learners and educators (Kistan, 2005). Success factors: Critical success factors (CSFs) are key areas of performance that are essential for the organisation to accomplish its mission (Rockart, 1979). Managers implicitly know and consider these key areas when they set goals and as they direct operational activities and tasks that are important to achieving goals. However, when these key areas of performance are made explicit, they provide a common point of reference for the entire organisation. Thus, any activity or initiative that the organisation undertakes must ensure consistently high performance in these key areas, otherwise the organisation may not be able to achieve its goals and consequently may fail to accomplish its mission. The term â€Å"critical success factor† has been adapted for many different uses. Familiarity with the term is often presented in the context of a project or an initiative. In this context, CSFs describe the underlying or guiding principles of an effort that must be regarded to ensure that it is succes sful. Clarity of course goals: Not surprisingly, there has been consensus in the literature that in order to assure the quality of the teaching/learning process, designing a course should start with explicit outcomes that identify the expectations from learners and the faculty from the very beginning. Learning outcomes which usually drive the effectiveness assessment process of courses should be also challenging and linked directly to the institutions overall goals and objectives. (Mayer et al 2000) faculty members have to adjust course content by selecting appropriate learning styles to achieve course goals and learners needs. Learner Interaction: Interaction is one of the most widely mentioned factors in the literature in relation to its impact on the quality of e-learning programs. (Moore, 2002) Interaction in the e-learning environment compensates for the loss of direct and face to face contact between learners and their faculty member or colleagues. Moore (1989) has identified three types of interaction: Interaction between faculty and learners, which is considered to be the most vital component that creates an effective learning environment upo

My Friends Mom Has Cancer :: Personal Narrative Smoking Essays

My Friend's Mom Has Cancer It was a beautiful summer day down in Phoenix and the first day of my junior year of high school. All of my friends were waiting for me outside on the wall, which is right outside of BigB’s. The wall on the side of BigB has a mural of the world with every color of peoples skin on it. I was in love with that mural throughout high school because it meant something to all of those who went to Alhambra. There are not any trees out there since it is Phoenix and the gravel always made my shoes look dull every Tuesday when I had to wear my JROTC uniform. I always hated going in there but the soda was cheep and so was the water, which is always good on those hot summer days. Ashley, Michelle, and I get out of Michelle’s mom’s car. Michelle’s mom is like my second mom and has been that way as long as I can remember. Joyce would drive us to school and on Tuesday’s she would pick us up. The only thing going through my mind is who is going to be b uying my smokes this year. Little did I know how much things were going to change for us. We walk over to our friends who thanks to me we all knew. Ashley leaves for class and Michelle and I decide who is paying for this pack. Neither one of us would buy one for ourselves. The year gets going I can already tell it is going to be a very long year I just got my first job and had no time for my friends. Now it was the middle of January and Michelle comes up to me while we are sitting on the wall and she looks very unhappy. Joyce had not driven us to school that today because of a doctor’s appointment but I had not thought anything of it. I could tell she was unhappy although she had not said a word. Since it was a Tuesday and I was in uniform. I really was not supposed to be smoking but I was any way. I offered Michelle a smoke because I thought it would calm her down but she did not take it. That was when I knew that there was something definitely wrong with her.

Scope of Managerial Economics

Q1. Yes. Firms represent a combination of people, physical assets, and information (financial, technical, marketing, and so on). People directly involved include stockholders, managers, workers, suppliers, and customers. Businesses use scarce resources that would otherwise be available for other purposes, pay income and other taxes, provide employment opportunities, and are responsible for much of the material well-being of our society. Thus, all of society is indirectly involved in the firm’s operation. Firms exist because they are useful in the process of allocating resources –producing and distributing goods and services.As such, they are basically economic entities Q2. A. The most direct effect of a requirement to install new pollution control equipment would be an increase in the operating cost component of the valuation model. Secondary effects might be expected in the discount rate due to an increase in regulatory risk, and in the revenue function if consumers re act positively to the installation of the pollution control equipment in production facilities. B. All three major components of the valuation model–the revenue function, cost function, and the discount rate–are likely to be affected by an increase in advertising.Revenues and cost will both increase as output is expanded. The discount rate may be affected if the firm's profit outlook changes significantly because of increased demand (growth) or if borrowing is necessary to fund a rapid expansion of plant and equipment to meet increased demand. C. The primary effect of newer and more efficient production equipment is a reduction in the total cost component of the valuation model. Secondary effects on firm revenues could also be important if lower costs make price reductions possible and result in an increase in the quantity demanded of the firm's products.Likewise, the capitalization rate or discount factor can be affected by the firm’s changing prospects. D. The time pattern of revenues is affected by such a pricing decision to raise prices in the near term. This will alter production relationships and investment plans, and affect the valuation model through the cost component and capitalization factor. E. A general lowering of interest rates leads to a reduction in the cost of capital or discount rate in the valuation model. F. Higher rates of inflation, leading to an increase in the discount rate, cause the present value of a constant income stream to decline.Unless the firm is able to increase product prices in order to maintain profit margins, the value of the firm falls as inflation and the discount rate increases. Of course, the economic effects of inflation on the economic value of the firm are complex, involving both asset and liability valuations, so determining the overall effect of inflation on the economic value of individual firms is a difficult task Q3. The economic profit concept provides the most appropriate basis for evalu ating the operations of a business since it allows for a risk-adjusted normal rate of return on all capital devoted to the enterprise.Even when business profits are substantial, economic profits can sometimes be negative given the effects of risk, inflation, and other factors. Substantial business profits are no guarantee to the growth, or even maintenance, of  capital investment. In actual practice, investors adjust reported accounting data to account for additional factors that must be considered Q4. A. Interesting perspective on the characteristics of wonderful businesses has been given by legendary Wall Street investors T. Rowe Price and Warren E. Buffett.The late T. Rowe Price was founder of Baltimore-based T. Rowe Price and Associates, Inc. , one of the largest no-load mutual fund organizations in the United States, and the father of the â€Å"growth stock† theory of investing. According to Price, attractive growth stocks have low labor costs, superior research to dev elop products and new markets, a high rate of  return on stockholder's equity (ROE), elevated profit margins, rapid earnings per share (EPS) growth, lack cutthroat competition, and are comparatively immune from regulation.Omaha's Warren E. Buffett, the billionaire head of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. , also looks for companies that have strong franchises and enjoy pricing flexibility, high ROE, high cash flow, owner-oriented management, and predictable earnings that are not natural targets of regulation. Like Price, Buffett has profited enormously through his investments. To apply Price's and Buffett's investment criteria successfully, business managers and investors must be sensitive to fundamental economic and demographic trends.Perhaps the most obvious of these is the aging of the population. Health-care demands will continue to soar. In recognition of this fact, investors have bid up the shares of companies offering prescription drugs, health care, and health-care cost containment (e. g. , home health agencies). Perhaps less obvious is that an aging and increasingly wealthy population will save growing amounts for their children’s education and retirement. This bodes well for mutual fund operators, insurance companies, and other firms that offer distinctive financial services.As the overall population continues to enjoy growing income, spending on leisure activities is apt to grow; companies that offer distinctive goods and services in this area will do well. Helping well-heeled customers have fun has always been a good business. Productivity enhancement to combat economic stagnation is also likely to be a major thrust during the coming decade. In this area, it is perhaps easier to pick likely beneficiaries of emerging technologies than it is to chart the future course of technical advance.For example, catalog retailers, long-distance and cellular phone companies, and credit card providers are all major beneficiaries of the rapid pace of advance in com puter and information technology. Similarly, major broadcasters, cable TV companies, movie makers, and software providers are all prone to benefit from increasingly user-friendly technology for leisure-time activities. B. The American Express Company, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, and Wells Fargo are well-known examples of major common stock holdings of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.Each of Berkshire's major holdings are large capital-intensive companies with long operating histories of above-average rates of return. Like any really good business, they display a wise use of assets as indicated by an average ROE that is well above typical norms. Enhancing the attractiveness of these companies is the fact that they also display above-average annual rates of growth in stockholders’ equity. Thus, they can all be described as beneficiaries of high-margin growth. As is often the case, attractive financial and operating statistics reflect essentially attractive economic ch aracteristics of each company.The American Express Company is a premier travel and financial services firm that is strategically positioned to benefit from aging baby boomers. The Coca-Cola Company, one of Berkshire's biggest and most successful holdings, typifies the concept of a wonderful business. Coca-Cola enjoys perhaps the world's strongest franchise owner-oriented management, and both predictable and growing returns. Also, the company is not subject to price or profit regulation. From the standpoint of being a wonderful business, Coca-Cola is clearly the â€Å"real thing. Newspapers, banks, and cable TV companies, such as The Washington Post Company and Wells Fargo &Company, translate immense economies of scale in production into dominating competitive advantages. They also fit Buffett's criteria for wonderful businesses. In the case of Gillette, above-normal returns stem from unique products that are designed and executed by extraordinarily capable management. The late T. R owe Price was prone to invest in high-tech companies that produced distinctive products.On the other hand, Buffett is fond of saying that he doesn’t â€Å"understand† high-tech and doesn’t want to be blown out of business by a few guys â€Å"working in a garage somewhere. † Of course, Buffett’s thinly-veiled reference to Hewlett-Packard and the Silicon Valley revolution that was started by â€Å"two guys in a simple garage† means that Buffett clearly does understand the problems of investing in hard-to-project high-tech companies. Thus, while Buffett avoids high-tech stocks, T. Rowe Price, if he were alive today, might find compelling the advantages of high-tech companies such as Microsoft, Intel, and Cisco Systems, among others. C.Above-normal returns from investing in wonderful businesses are only possible to the extent that such advantages are not fully recognized by other investors. In the case of T. Rowe Price, early investments in Avon Products, Xerox, and IBM generated fantastic returns because Price saw their awesome potential far in advance of other investors. On the other hand, Buffett has profited by taking major positions in wonderful companies that suffer from some significant, but curable, malady. In 1991, for example, Buffett made a large investment in American Express when the company suffered unexpected credit card and real estate loan losses.When the company absorbed these losses without any lasting damage to its intrinsic profit-making ability, its stock price soared and Buffett cleaned up. Companies that are conservatively financed enjoy a similar ability to profit when an unexpected business downturn causes financially distressed rivals to sell valuable assets at bargain-basement prices . Therefore, while above-average stock-market returns provide the clearest evidence of having picked good businesses for investment, short-term results can be disappointingly average or below-average if the virtues of these good businesses are clearly recognized in the marketplace.More frustrating still is the problem of finding and investing in good businesses at attractive prices and then having to wait while conventional wisdom comes around to recognizing them as such. The overall stock  market is extremely efficient at ferreting out bargains and adjusting prices so that subsequent investors earn only a risk-adjusted normal rate of return. For individual investors seeking above-average returns, finding good businesses is a necessary first step, but they must also be incorrectly priced (too cheap). Buffett succeeds because he is unusually adept at finding high-quality bargains.

Reasons teenagers should not be allowed to work Essay

Today, many high school students are entering the work force. Students are becoming more and more eager to start working and become independent. Although a beneficial balance of school and extracurricular activities as well as employment can be productive, it is very difficult to maintain. If a student is intending on going to college, he or she should only hold very minimal and flexible employment. A part-time job interferes with school in many situations. Even if the job is held after school and on weekends, many beneficial extracurricular activities operate at times that do not conflict with education. Most employers are hardly willing to a busy student’s schedule. When students do successfully plan out-of-school events in accordance with a work schedule, hours of school followed by hours of work and hours of homework may be overwhelming for high school students. All of this considered, a student will sacrifice homework and actually be encouraged not to participate in school clubs and sports if working part-time. An employed high school student will suffer the loss of time spent with friends and family. Do you really think a working teenager will keep up with household commitments, such as chores? PARENTING.COM reports that all parents that participated in their survey with employed children say that their working teens often neglect chores and end up with slipping grades. That same website also reports that 94% of those same parents have missed out on family events such as birthdays and day trips. Not only will a part-time job harm a student’s educational stability, it will harm a close family. Besides damaging a student’s family life, a job may harm his or her social life. A student may not be able to spend as much time with their friends as usual if employed. This according to child psychologists can be very harmful to a teenager. First, teenagers receive many daily reassurances from friends, and without this unobvious benefit of friendship, a teenager may begin to feel low self-esteem and feel feelings of guilt for neglecting friends. Emotional turmoil for feeling of abandoning peers and neglecting family is hardly positive for a teenage student. Many students do successfully balance school and work. Only a few students though manage to maintain this balance before parts of their life begin to fail because of employment. One must consider all the above possible conflicts before jumping into the workforce. This of course, is no easy task. With parental support and a good employer willing to be flexible, it is somewhat accomplishable. Take caution before entering the world of employment.

Life Of Hitler Essays - Nazism, Hitler Family, Adolf Hitler

Life Of Hitler Essays - Nazism, Hitler Family, Adolf Hitler Life Of Hitler On April 30,1945, Adolf Hitler committed suicide in an underground bunker near the center of Berlin. His dream of a Thousand - Year Reich lay in ruins. German cities had been bombed, German armies captured or destroyed. A week after Hitlers death, Germany offered unconditional surrender to Allied forces. The nightmare of World War 2 in Europe came to an end. Hitler was the only man responsible for the horrors of World War 2. But it was his dream of world domination that possessed Germany. For twelve years he had the opportunity to make the world over in the image of his sick fantasies. He nearly succeeded. Hitler was one of the most hated men in world history. But he cannot be dismissed as simply a monster who through the accidents of history reached great power. Hitler was a man whose prejudices and fears were shared by many other people. He gained their trust, even their adoration. Millions, after all died fighting in his name. We must take Hitler seriously both as an individual and as an effective politician in order to understand how he gained so much power and how he abused that power. Only then will we be able to appreciate the profound evil of Hitler and Nazism. Adolf Hitler: The Man Behind the Mask! Adlof Hitler was born April 20, 1889 to Alois and Klara Hitler and had a little sister Paula and half-brother Alois J.R. and half-sister Angela. Young Adolf was a good student in elementary. Energetic and smart, leader among children his own age. Loved warlike games. Had an outstanding gift as a speaker. It was also discovered Adolf could draw which encouraged him to want to become an artist. After returning to Vienna in February hoping to gain admission to the Academy of Fine Arts, but had been turned down and later turned down twice more after failing the entrance exam. He lived alone most of his life until Reihold Hanisch, noted his talent for drawing and suggested he produce postcards to be sold on taverns and on the street. They sold well and Hanisch suggested Hitler produce water color pictures which could be sold for more money. His mother died December 21, 1907 and he left Vienna later on in 1913 for he hated Jews and despised of his country because of the trade- unions, democratic rule, and mankind. So, he left Vienna and went to Munich to study art and architecture, while in the mean time becoming fascinated with politics as he continued to struggle as an artist. When all hopes of Hitler becoming an artist were lost World War 1 had started when Archduke Franz Ferdinan was assassinatedon June 28 in Sarajevo. After that Austria declared war on Serbia, Germany declared war on Russia and France. Hitler volunteered for the German army and was accepted. He saw action on the western front facing British, French, and Belgian troops. Hilter worked as a messenger. He had receives six medals for bravery including the Iron Cross Medal which is Germany's highest military honor. After Germany's defeat in 1917. Hitler felt military had stabbed Germany in the back for giving up and not wanting to fight. On June 28, 1919, Versailles Treaty was signed which caused a break down of military and police organizations. A first attept at political democracy was made, but failed. On March 31, 1920, The Nationalist Socialist Party German Workers Party was formed. (Nazi) It's symbol was the Swastika. Hitler then became a private citizen and wrote his book called Mein Kampf while in jail for a Putsch. The Nazi Party was declared illegal so the National Socialist Freedom Movement was formed. When released from jail on December 20,1924, Germany resumed role as leader of European Culture. Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany January 30, 1933. As a result Hitler wanted to control the world so he started conflicts and opening fire on countries. Starting with Czechoslovakia then Belgium, England and France. Hitler then wanted Poland, but in order to take Poland he had to make a Peace Treaty with Russia as he did in August of 1939. In June of 1941 Hitler turned adn invaded the Soviet Union which went well as Germany had scored another victory. Being that Hitler disliked Jews he decided to attack any and every Jew in Europe to create a one race nation. The first large scale physical attack occured in November, 1938, after this attack Concentration or Death Camps were set up to rid

Societal perception Essays

Societal perception Essays Societal perception Essay Societal perception Essay Societal perceptions about the governing standard of beauty can be discerned in art works such as paintings, sculptures, literatures among many others. One of the most remarkable features is the masculine beauty behind every art pieces. This kind of characteristic in art works has a great implication on the distinction of particular state of the society.The standards of masculine beauty in western civilization were established by the Greek and Roman artists. There are general values of beauty that people follow. Masculine strength has always been found in big square jaws. Square jaws are more common in northeastern Asians than in whites. Also, a protruding brow-line is suggestive of an intense and rugged makeup implicative of success in the kinds of brutal physical combat that recognized survival and position in pre-historic and historic times. Another basis of male beauty is categorized by a strong straight nose that projects masculine confidence. Broad cheek bones project a sense of strength and an independence of spirit. Even in men full lips are suggestive of vitality and sensuality while a strong chin projects assertiveness while a weak one on the other hand suggests submissiveness. (Trigiani, August 1998)Another standard of beauty is the symmetry which has been scientifically proven to be innately attractive to the human eye. defined not by proportions, but by the similarity between the left and right sides of the face.Definition of masculinity is widely relative to time and culture. Though one definition of masculinity is basic, males are superior to females. The Greek artists are more on expressions and focus on the details of the body. a little distorted and not proportioned. Everything is noticeably bigger than the normal, as can be seen in the art of Michael Angelo. Greek sculptures especially are noticeably of Greek Gods. Roman art on the other hand is a blend of Greek and Roman elements because Rome imitated a lot of Greek st atues, though they also produced a more realistic style portraying the art instead of the idealized forms that the Greeks prefer. Japanese artists on the other hand are perfectionists. They also use expressionism but because they use water color in their arts, it is hard to control the lines but still, it is obvious that they love patterns. Other factors affect art. Homosexual or gay men are portrayed differently to that of straight men of the house.   Gay men are in straight men’s eyes to be less, not necessarily beneath them but considerably a substandard of man.In modern art in America, hegemonic masculinity is defined by physical strength and bravado, exclusive heterosexuality, suppression of vulnerable emotions such as remorse and uncertainty, economic independence, authority over women and other men, and intense interest in sexual conquest. Realistically speaking, men do not fit the exact mold of what masculinity is believed to be but the society still bases their ass umptions on what masculinity is to the standards that society dictates. (Ching)Art probably began for religious purposes that also serve to commemorate an important event even later on. It has also served as a way of expression even during World War II. After the Renaissance period, artists have tried to become more realistic in their paintings thus the oil painting began. Up to now, the evolution of art is continuous as people also have changed, growth both in the culture and the art. Arts that depicts male have always been imploratory of innuendos.Baroque art is the style that originated in Rome at the beginning of the 17th century that took the place Mannerism. The Council of Trent (1545-63) had strongly believed in clear significance in religious art and in which changes started. Certain Italian artists came back with a more simplified style which was referred to as the Anti-Mannerism. Although it was not until the 17th century that the Counter-Reformation Catholic Church came o ut with a radical new style which is the Baroque.During the High Baroque, visual were combined to create collections meant to create an overwhelming emotional impact. Despite the fact that Baroque art originated in the Catholic church, the possibilities for propaganda afforded by the involvement and illusion techniques of the Baroque style were not lost on secular patrons. (West)The eighteenth century covers a lot of differing styles. In Europe, neoclassicism is considered as a symbol for the return of virtue and acceptance of ideas after the French Revolution. The major contents of the art during this period pertains ideas of duty, honor and patriotism. Art is hard to define. It is judged by its depth defined by the way it implies clear statements, order, logic, even the portrayal of reality. It is also judged for the reasons behind, like for example a portrait of a ruler should be pictured appropriate to what he stands for. It must emphasize, in those days, portray how a man shoul d be, but relevant to his status in society. Artists tried to assert heroism in the portraits, especially of males and great technical, stylistic developments of Russian painters were displayed within half a century. Portraits in this century no longer show any trace of backwardness, provincialism or amateurism.During the 19th century, Romanticism, Realism, Pre-Raphaelite Art, Impressionism, Post-impressionism, and Symbolism were born, every single depiction of masculinity relative to culture and age and highly depending on the artists views. And art were also becoming a status symbol.These days, art has taken on new levels that can still be surprising like in the Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia, several artists have used oxidation techniques. The term oxidation is actually a curious word, though in fact, it means that artists piss on their art to create a certain effect. Abstract paintings are usually subjected to this. It is their way of coding their work and also a sta tement of objection to certain issues, resistance to particular politics, eroticism, belonging to certain beliefs, hidden meanings and a statement of gender. (Chapman, 1997)A picture paints a thousand words is a common euphemism that we all know. Art and paintings alike have evolved, developed and changed. It expresses views, opinions and emotions. In the old days, there were sets of standards on what beauty should be, or how to perceive a man. Masculinity and male beauty can no longer be classified and defined. Man laws as some men say can not be really called as such for a certain rule in one man can not really apply to another. Beauty of one man can not be compared to that of another. People today have varying tastes that we can no longer create a mold for a perfect figure.Perception of man and masculinity has changed over the centuries. As females have accepted their masculine sides and males have accepted feminine sides, as well. Art is hard to classify even, as to the many var iety of it. Men are no longer painted on top of a horse, nowadays. And better yet, paintings and other hand made arts are seemingly less appreciated because of the technologies.

Getting Started With CoSchedule [Demo] - CoSchedule Blog

Getting Started With [Demo] Blog New tools always have their learning curves! The Getting Started at demo will empower you with the tools you need to rock your editorial calendar. Join our awesome Customer Success team to discuss the basic features of . In this demo, youll learn the basics of setting up your calendar, get a walkthrough of key features, and learn how to edit, schedule, and draft your first piece of content! Want to get started with ? [Demo](0:00) Discovering your calendar Intro (1:50)  What is ? (2:32)  Get an overview of all your tasks and notifications inside the Dashboard. (7:07) Learn the basics of your calendar view. (4:42) Diving into content to manage your first project. (8:43)  Creating your first piece of content. (9:23)  Adding tags and color labels to your content. (10:23)  Manage and create all projects using the content editors. (11:26)  Use the team workflow tools to make sure your team is staying on track. (13:30)  How our  marketing team schedules and creates email campaigns. (16:38)  Schedule social messages faster and easier with . (16:28) Creating standalone  messages on your calendar. (19:53)  Curate content to your calendar faster with s Chrome Extension. (20:55)  Add a social campaign to any content to create a social message campaign. (24:33)  See all the results in using our awesome analytics features. Recommended Reading: Ultimate Guide to

RBC Centura Bank Groups and Teams Research Proposal

RBC Centura Bank Groups and Teams - Research Proposal Example task within an organization because failure to deliver may suggest that the different organizational controls are not properly placed within the organizations which are allowing gaps into the performance of different individuals working as a team. Many research studies successfully demonstrated that the gaps in the performance of the teams largely depend upon the structure and configuration of the team. (Stewart & Barrick, 2000). Structure and configuration of the teams therefore indicate towards the different dynamics involved in the organization as well as formation of the teams and then converting such teams into high performing teams. As such organizations must take into account different factors such as team leadership, cohesion, structure as well as configuration of the team to expect high performance from the proposed teams. This paper will discuss as to how a group can become a high performance team besides discussing the ethical considerations of globalization and its impacts on the team dynamics by evaluating RBC Centura Bank as a case study. Team dynamics require the effective formation of teams in order to extract best performance however, before expecting such high performance, it is imperative that all the ingredients of converting a group of individuals into a high performance team shall be put into place. Team structure is defined as the configuration or allocation of the roles, responsibilities as well as authority within the team. (Stewart & Barrick, 2000). Team structure is important for extracting high performance because by providing interdependence and autonomy to the teams, teams tend to perform better because both factors provide an in-built channel for effective communication and grievance handling besides being self regulated in their orientation. Thus, in order to successful convert a group into a successful and high performance team; it is critical that the overall structure of the team is wisely built so that coherence and

Photography as Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Photography as Art - Essay Example The path is a murram road. From the murram road it is evident that image was taken on a hilly forest. Looking at the middle ground, the path seems to be rising from lowland to highland, which indicates that the image is on a hilly place. From the path, there are indications that vehicles use this murram road more often since there are prints of tyres. On the left had side of the image from foreground to background, there are trees that are closely grown. The trees are of different trunk sizes; thing and thick. In addition, there have different shapes, sizes, and colors of the leaves. Whereas some are dark green, there are trees with yellowish leaves and others have light green leaves. Some trees have thick leaves while other are made of up thin leaves. What’s more, the trees in the images have varied branches where some are having short branches and others are having long branches. The trees are closely packed that going through the forest may be a difficult thin. On the background of the image, the trees give a beautiful view of the image. The middle and top of the background is all covered with trees of the forest. The whole image, a combination of trees and the murram path are ground view focus where the camera specifically focused on the area. The image is well composed with the background, middle, and foreground clearly depicted. The top, middle, and center are also depicted very well without leaving out the fact that the left, right, and central positioning of the image was well done. A bright light has been used on the image to provide clear vision on the contents. The bright light used makes it possible to see the different colors of the trees, differences in shapes and trunks, as well as the how densely populated the forest is from the image (Krages 19). In addition, the bright line gives a vision of the murram path in a clearer way where viewers are able to identify the stretching of the road from lowland to highland. Different colors have been

Urban Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Urban Design - Essay Example Nowadays the suburbs can supply the full variety of urbanity conventionally belonging to compact cities. At their perimeters, at the overlap with the perimeters of other suburbs inside the appearing metropolitan districts, we can find agency reserves, buying hubs, spacious, well equipped and glowing financial undertakings that are inclined to advance their gaze in alignment to effectively contend with the customary stores of the built-up hubs (La Greca, 2009, 102). The chosen locality is Ashland. Ashland is a little community in northeastern Wisconsin, established on Chequamegon Bay on the southwest shore of Lake Superior. Endowed with an plenty of natural assets (timber, water, metal ore, and brownstone) and get access to to the Great Lakes, the town of Ashland flourished as a dock in the 1800s were raw and processed natural components where transported to built-up localities in another location in the Great Lakes region. At that time, Ashland’s beachfront was evolved to assist the commerce that sustained the processing and transport of natural assets, for example, sawmills, lumberyards, and metal docks. Supporting financial development increased up south of the beachfront, while residential development appeared still south of the financial area. (Martinico 2005 123) With comprehensive and beachfront designs in location, the town of Ashland is starting to leverage its natural assets to change its beachfront and downtown. Various components of intelligent development are starting to emerge. Ashland’s characteristic feature was evolved in part by its isolated geography (6 hours going by car expanse from the state capital) and its function as dock and local hub of financial activity. This feature seems in its architecture.  

Literature review of manufacturing consent the political economy of Essay

Literature review of manufacturing consent the political economy of the mass media - Essay Example They state that the way in which the media reports news is normally not the most objective since it works towards the protection of the interests of those individuals with influence within the society and completely ignores those of the masses. As a result, there has developed a situation where the news which the mass media produces for public consumption is no longer necessarily in the interests of the public since it is often distorted to serve the interests of a few individuals. The news is no longer as accurate as it should be because of the fact that there is always a bias towards those who have a massive influence on the media outlets, making the latter to be ineffective in their obligations towards the public. It is mainly these issues among many others that are discussed in the book and this makes the book a very important read for those who are interested in how mass media works. Among the most fundamental issues of concern that are discussed in the book is concerning the growing size of media empires as well as their orientation to profit making (Herman & Chomsky, 1988). The principal mass media channels are large companies which are run for profit and because of this; their actions have been aimed at the realization of profits and nothing more. These institutions have been designed to cater to the financial interest of their owners, most of who have massive corporate interest, or are involved in the development of their own personal interests (Buehler, 2011). The size of media companies can be considered an indispensable product of the capital requirements for the technology to reach a massive audience, since it is through the latter that they can be able to set their agenda to the public. The global integration of media ownership is a serious issue that is tackled in the book and it can be concluded that the global integration of mass media leads to less freedom

Object data modelling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Object data modelling - Essay Example an online, web-based system that could allow their customers to (i) search for the availability and fares for the flight to the desired destination, (ii) make payments securely through a third-party payment system in order to book the tickets for the desired flight, (iii) view the real-time seating arrangement with available seats and select the desired seat in order to self-check-in, and (iv) print out the boarding card. PART I: ANALYSIS REPORT 1. Use-Cases & Use-Case Diagrams Use cases and use-case diagrams are the UML features for gathering and analysis of user-centric requirements. A use case can be defined as a particular purpose that can be achieved by the user (or say, actor) through the system (Chonoles & Schardt, 2003). A use-case diagram depicts a sequence of interactions between the actor and the system (Gomaa, 2011). 1.1. An Overview Use Case Model As shown in Figure 1, following are major use cases of the Ticket Booking and Self-Check-In System: Major Use Case 1: Search the desired flight After logging on to the Happy Tour’s website, the customer can search for the availability and fares for the flights to the desired destination. In order to carry out the search, the customers must provide mandatory information to the system which includes personal details, the departure airport, the destination airport, intended outbound flight date and time. The customer may also provide optional information – the date and time for return trip, to make the search more accurate. Assumption: The search result lists flights with available seats; in other words, if all the seats in the flight are booked then that flight won’t appear in the search result. Major Use Case 2: Book the ticket Once the customer has found the desired flight, she can move on to the booking process where she makes the payment through a third-party secure payment system. If the payment gets successfully processed, an automated confirmation email along with the receipt is sent out by the system to the email address provided by the customer. Major Use Case 3: Self-Check-In The customer can opt to perform self-check-in the booked flight anytime but 24 hours prior to the scheduled flight time. To self-check-in, the customer must search for the flight either through the booked flight number and booking reference number. If the flight is found and the customer’s booking is verified successfully, the system displays the real-time seating arrangement to the customer. The available seats are shown in blue color, while those already reserved are displayed in gray color. The customer can click on any one available seat to choose it, and then proceed to either

Incentory Valuation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Incentory Valuation - Case Study Example According to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAPs) there are three acceptable methods of valuation. These include average cost (AVCO) and First-in-first-out (FIFO) and last-in-first-out (LIFO). However, International Accounting Standards (IAS) 2 does not permit the use of LIFO (BPP 2009, p.205). The method that we have adopted is AVCO. GAAPs and IAS 2 also require that inventory be valued at the lower-of-cost-and-market value (LCM) (Hoyle and Skender 2010). This means that if the market value had fallen below cost after the year end then the inventory would require an adjustment to market value. We therefore need to compare our valuation at 31st May 2010 which is $120 with the current market price of $146. Since Palermo’s valuation is lower then the market value, we will maintain our current valuation of $120 per case. As soon as we start paying $80 per case, the average cost will decline as long as cost prices remain that way. This however, will not apply to 31st M ay 2010. Furthermore, if later on, we see a reduction in market value below our current average cost of $120, we will have no other choice but to reduce our valuation to market value and to write off as an expense. Otherwise, our valuation as it stands currently is in keeping with GAAPs and IASs. Sincerely, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Chief Financial Officer References BPP. (2009).

Object data modelling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Object data modelling - Essay Example an online, web-based system that could allow their customers to (i) search for the availability and fares for the flight to the desired destination, (ii) make payments securely through a third-party payment system in order to book the tickets for the desired flight, (iii) view the real-time seating arrangement with available seats and select the desired seat in order to self-check-in, and (iv) print out the boarding card. PART I: ANALYSIS REPORT 1. Use-Cases & Use-Case Diagrams Use cases and use-case diagrams are the UML features for gathering and analysis of user-centric requirements. A use case can be defined as a particular purpose that can be achieved by the user (or say, actor) through the system (Chonoles & Schardt, 2003). A use-case diagram depicts a sequence of interactions between the actor and the system (Gomaa, 2011). 1.1. An Overview Use Case Model As shown in Figure 1, following are major use cases of the Ticket Booking and Self-Check-In System: Major Use Case 1: Search the desired flight After logging on to the Happy Tour’s website, the customer can search for the availability and fares for the flights to the desired destination. In order to carry out the search, the customers must provide mandatory information to the system which includes personal details, the departure airport, the destination airport, intended outbound flight date and time. The customer may also provide optional information – the date and time for return trip, to make the search more accurate. Assumption: The search result lists flights with available seats; in other words, if all the seats in the flight are booked then that flight won’t appear in the search result. Major Use Case 2: Book the ticket Once the customer has found the desired flight, she can move on to the booking process where she makes the payment through a third-party secure payment system. If the payment gets successfully processed, an automated confirmation email along with the receipt is sent out by the system to the email address provided by the customer. Major Use Case 3: Self-Check-In The customer can opt to perform self-check-in the booked flight anytime but 24 hours prior to the scheduled flight time. To self-check-in, the customer must search for the flight either through the booked flight number and booking reference number. If the flight is found and the customer’s booking is verified successfully, the system displays the real-time seating arrangement to the customer. The available seats are shown in blue color, while those already reserved are displayed in gray color. The customer can click on any one available seat to choose it, and then proceed to either

Marriage in Other Countries Essay Example for Free

Marriage in Other Countries Essay This paper will be about a traditional dress from my native land and other countries. The traditional dress I will be writing about is called a wedding dress. A wedding dress is used throughout the world in various countries including China, Japan, India, and Vietnam. This paper will also detail different cultures, religions, types and colors of wedding gowns that symbolize the bride or groom wealth, occupation and or belief. In the Americas, weddings performed during and immediately following the middle ages were often more than just a union between two people. They could be a union between two families, two businesses or even two countries. Many weddings were more a matter of business than love, particularly among the wealthy people. Brides were therefore expected to dress in a manner that made their family seem more presentable, for they were not representing only themselves during the ceremony. Brides from wealthy families often wore rich colors and exclusive fabrics. The amount of material a wedding dress contained also was a reflection of the brides social standing and indicated the extent of the familys wealth to wedding guests. In the 1920s, wedding dresses were typically short in the front with a longer train in the back and were worn with cloche-style wedding veils. Today, Americas traditional wedding color is white because of the marriage of Queen Victoria to Albert of Saxe-Coburg. Victoria wore a white gown for the event to incorporate some lace she prized. Before then, white was a mourning color, it represented a bride whom had recently lost a loved one. Black was actually a color that was worn by the lower class because it was more favorable and could be worn again on many occasions. In the eastern cultures, the traditional wedding color was red, the color red symbolizes good luck and favorable. In modern Chinese weddings, the bride will opt for Western style dresses and traditional costumes for the official tea ceremony. In India a choice for a bride is a wedding sari, which is a traditional garment for Indian women. Over time color options and wedding fabrics have changed throughout the eastern countries. Fabrics have expanded and today, fabrics like crepe, georgette, tissue, silk, and satin have been used. Colors such as gold, pink, maroon, brown and yellow have also expanded. It seems as if the other countries around the world are starting to adopt the western tradition. At Japanese weddings, brides will often wear three or more dresses throughout the ceremony and subsequent celebrations with a traditional kimono, white and color dress combination being popular. The Javanese people of Indonesia wear a kebaya, a traditional kind of blouse, along with batik. The Native Americans have traditions different from most other countries. A Hopi (A Native American tribe) bride traditionally would have her garments woven by the groom and any men in the village who wished to participate. The garments consisted of a large belt, two all-white wedding robes, a white wedding robe with red stripes at top and bottom, white buckskin leggings and moccasins, a string for tying the hair, and a reed mat in which to wrap the outfit. A Pueblo bride wore a cotton garment tied above the right shoulder, secured with a belt around the waist. In the traditions of the Delaware, a bride would wear a knee-length skirt of deerskin and a band of wampum beads around her forehead. Wedding dresses are very diverse and unique. There are a few things that all weddings dresses have in common among all cultures. The most important thing is that bride’s want to look and feel beautiful. The wedding dress is plays a significant part in the wedding ceremony. The wedding dress gives the bride the opportunity to stand out. A wedding dress represents one of the most precious garments that a woman will wear in her lifetime. It represents religions, cultures and family traditions. Although it’s just material, the wedding dress is very important because it symbolize marriage, the union of two people who love each other.

Analysing Elizabeth Browning And Lord Tennyson English Literature Essay

Analysing Elizabeth Browning And Lord Tennyson English Literature Essay Two of the most successful poets of the 19th century, particularly between 1830 and 1900, were Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Alfred Lord Tennyson. The poems being studied throughout this essay are Aurora Leigh and The Cry of the Children by Elizabeth Browning, and The Lady of Shallot, In Memoriam and The Lotus-Eaters by Alfred Tennyson. All of these poems show how poets of the Victorian era dealt with the concept of morality in their own modern worlds. In detail, this essay will focus on Elizabeth Brownings feminist nature in her poems. Browning also writes about the contemporary issues during her lifetime, like the conflicts women faced as regards their home and work lives. This is shown on Aurora Leigh in great detail. She also writes about the struggle of young children and this is evident in the poem The Cry of the Children. This essay will also discuss Alfred Lord Tennyson and the different themes that he used throughout his writings, such as loss, romance and loneliness. His p oetry is based a lot on emotions. It is sometimes suggested that he based his poetry on his own life and his emotional state at different times in his life. Both of these poets give opportunities to the reader to see deeper into the life of society back in the 19th century. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most famous poets in England in the Victorian era for several reasons. Her feminine status aided her poems in getting noticed and in getting read. In most of her poems she shows an interest or at least a glimpse into the world around at the time. Her poem Aurora Leigh (1857) is written in the form of a novel poem. At the time that she wrote this it wasnt know for women to write novel or epic poems, if they were to write it would only be short verses, or in some cases like Browning they would also write sonnets. The poem has a contemporary setting and it shows issues of the modern society, especially in relation to the conflict between gender and genre in poetry. In Victorian society, there was a lot more emphasis put on the purity of women and also there was the sense that women would be looked down upon if they didnt uphold these ideals. Elizabeth Browning wrote in a way, against society, so to a point she was a typical Victorian poet. She was, in a sense, feeding into modernism, moving away from your typical society ways. We can see this too in her poem Aurora Leigh when she says Their sole work is to represent the age, their age, not Charlemagnes, this live, throbbing age (ll. 202-203). In an article by Joyce Zanona on Elizabeth Browning there is a lot of discussion around the feminist nature of Aurora Leigh. She goes through how Aurora talks of the treatment of women, and hoe women to Aurora were being treated as offal. In The Norton Anthology of English literature it tells us of how there were many contemporary artists at this time, such as Emily Dickinson or John Ruskin that admired her work for her moral and emotional ardour and her energetic engagement with the issues of her day. Her poetry is noted to have a general sense of morality running through, in both her early works and her later works after her marriage to Robert Browning, in poems like The Cry of the Children and in her sonnets. In The Cry of the Children Elizabeth Browning gives an insight into gender roles in society in the 1800s, the industrial revolution and also into the system of morality that some say failed during the Victorian period. In the poem, Browning describes the life of little children in the 1800s, during the time of the Industrial Revolution. In the lower classes they were made to work from a very young age, whether it was in the workhouses or on farms or anywhere. A lot of Victorian writers wrote for the cause that was the life of these little kids, and the social life mainly of the poorer classes and the social struggles. In The Cry of the Children Browning say They are weeping bitterly! They are weeping in the playtime of others, in the country of the free (ll. 10-12). A lot of poets felt like it was the lives of the kids that needed to be protected during the hard times of the revolution and the 19th century in general. Her poem, even from the first line, suggests the sorrow of the chi ldren in the 19th century and they sad times that they were faced with. She paints the picture of a nice picturesque place to live with The young lambs are bleating in the meadows, the young birds are chirping in the nest (ll.5-6). She also wonders if the young children wonder why they cry so much. The images of the lifeless trees and dying hope also suggests that at the time that Browning wrote the poem there was a lot of troubles and hardships in society. The damaged images may represent the damaged society that was around then, in that they had a lot of rules and ideals which Browning and other poets felt needed to be forgotten. Alfred, Lord Tennyson, was mostly known for his short poems, a lot of which had themes of a mythological nature, like Ulysses. Separate to these however was In Memoriam, which was written in memory of his fellow poet and best friend Arthur Hallam, written in 1850 and being one of the biggest successes he produced throughout his career. In his poetry Tennyson can be seen to have reflected on a common concern that was also evident among other poets of that era, the conflict that was occurring between the expansion of knowledge in the scientific world and the religious faith. In his poem In Memoriam he doesnt really put emphasis on one way of thinking or a particular religion, however in his poem Ulysses Tennyson writes about how it is better to live in the present than dwell on the past, how you need to look forward to the future and move forward with knowledge and experience. In the poem he says that the mind acts to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield (l. 70), so he is leaning towards the side of science, that if you have wisdom you can move forward and be happy, faith isnt a necessity. In In Memoriam Tennyson struggles a little because of his faith, how it started to disappear after the death of his friend. As the poem goes on, the tone changes to a brighter, more pleasant feeling because it seems he has come to the conclusion that his faith cannot be destroyed, especially not by knowledge or science. The Lady of Shallot was originally written in 1832 but it was later revised by Tennyson and finally it was published a decade later, in 1842. The Lady of Shallot can be viewed as being similar to the story of the Maid of Astolat, however Tennyson always said that it was actually based on a personal experience, on an old Italian Romantic encounter. In Flavia Alayas book it says Interpretations of The Lady of Shallot represent it as one of Tennysons many unresolved expressions of his peculiar dilemma: artistic dedication vs. Social responsibility, failing to make an essential distinction between disposition and activity whereby his meaning becomes less paradoxical. He struggled with trying to decide whether or not writing about things that mattered to him, like politics history and general humanitarian issues would take away from his poetry what he worked so hard to put into it, magic. The Lotus-Eaters is a poem which describes a couple of mariners who after eating lotus are isolated from the world. In The Lotus-Eaters there is the theme of whether or not a poet should create work to celebrate the world, or whether they should just enjoy the world simply by living in it. The poem suggests that by giving in to the power that the flower conveys, the mariners are misleading themselves. In the poem Tennyson says meadow, set with slender galingale; a land where all things always seemed the same! (ll.23-24). It is almost as if by eating the lotuss that the mariners were leaving reality and they instead were entering a world where thing seemed to be different than they actually were. The poem The Lotus Eaters considers the differences between living in a community and living on ones own in isolation. Unlike in The Lotus Eaters, in his poem The Lady of Shallot, the woman is isolated but in a different way than the mariners. The difference in their isolation being that she doesnt really have a choice in the situation, she cannot leave whereas the mariners could leave the island. She has no choice in her isolated state. The Lady is lured away and there is also a curse involved. One could make the argument that Tennyson was writing about his own life, the struggle from being isolated and torn between it and the public eye because of his poetry. In both Elizabeth Barrett Brownings and Alfred Lord Tennysons writings, the issue of womens sexuality and their place in the Victorian era is evident. The societal status of women in the Victorian era showed problems in the national power of England with appalling social conditions. Difficulties grew more and more for women because there was this idea where there was the ideal woman. This was at the time when there was gender inequality in both politics and society. Women were seen to have a domestic purpose and to maybe do work in the workhouses if they were poor, but in the poem Aurora Leigh, Elizabeth Browning writes about Auroras success in both her professional and home lives, and this too poses the question of what the role was for women in the Victorian era was. Browning seems to of put some of her own experiences as a woman writer in this era into Aurora Leigh, almost as if she is completely writing about herself under a disguised name, her problems as a woman. This essay has shown how in their own different ways, both of these poets dealt with the issue of morality and society in their own way and in their own lives. It also showed the different ways that poets and writers in the Victorian era tried to deal with social issues, like Elizabeth Browning and child labour and feminist activity or Alfred Lord Tennyson and the emotions people had to deal with along with problems et cetera. It showed clearly how there was an awful lot of problems facing writers in the 19th century and it showed the different emotional states which they all went through and how they portrayed these in their poetry. It showed their way of dealing with the moral function of poetry in the modern world.

Jurassic Park :: essays research papers

Jurassic Park Michael Crichton, in his outstandingly exciting science fiction novel, Jurassic Park, has put together a suspenseful, compelling, riveting, frightening, realistic, thrilling, and scientifically informative world, combining sophisticated biotechnology with prehistoric legend, blending the past, present, and the future, and a terrifying nightmares of science run wild, packed with humans and genetically engineered dinosaurs, including mesmerizing, fast paced action. It is a world where the reader where the reader decides what is happening in the book. If the reader enjoys fast-paced science fiction, the reader will certainly enjoy the fascinating world of Jurassic Park. All of the different characters in this world, share different feelings of action, reactions, thrill, nervousness, and their beliefs. Ian Malcolm, a very knowledgeable mathematician, decides to go to the island of Isla Nublar to observe the biological preserve that a company named In-Gen has created for the world to see at a price. Malcolm always had doubts about this world of total chaos. Everyone thought that the world of Jurassic Park, is a world of new state of the art technology and entertainment. Until everything goes wrong. The electric fences stopped working, and the dinosaurs escaped. Ian Malcolm's opinion of this world is that it won't survive, or the humans won't survive. The world has survived everything until now, it will surely survive the dinosaurs once more. But us, the humans are the ones that may not survive. "Our planet is four and a half billion years old. There has been life on this planet for nearly that long. Three point eight billion. The first bacteria. And later, the first multi-cellular animals, and the first complex creatures, in the sea, on the land†¦. Great dynasties of creatures arising, flourishing, dying away†¦, mountain ranges thrust up and eroded away, cometary impacts, volcanic eruptions, oceans rising and falling, whole continents moving†¦.

Psychology of Homer Simpson Essay -- essays research papers

Homer Jay Simpson, the patriarch of the Simpson household on the Fox series â€Å"The Simpsons† is a childish, lazy man, whose hobbies include eating donuts, drinking Duff Beer, watching television, and sleeping. A victim of the â€Å"Simpsons gene† which allows for only Simpson women to possess the trait of intelligence, Homer is unfortunately as â€Å"dumb as a chimp† according to his father, Abe Simpson. However, it is mainly through the analysis of his simplistic thoughts and nature, that one can gain a real perspective on Homer’s complex personality. Spending most of his time in high school smoking, drinking beer, and getting into trouble, (He even met his wife, Marge, while serving detention.) Homer’s lack of motivation for achievement grew with him into adulthood. The fat, balding character ends up working in Sector 7G of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, where he holds the record for most years worked at an entry level position. Even in the opening credits of the show, he is seen negligently tossing aside radioactive waste as the whistle blows to end the workday. In addition to his laziness at work, his sloth is also displayed in his free time where he is seen either lounging on his couch while indulging in donuts and watching anything that comes on television or drinking at Moe’s Tavern with his lifelong friends, Barney, Carl, Lenny, and Moe. Homer’s mind operates in terms of Freud’s â€Å"pleasure principle†, seeking instant gratification of desires, regardless of the consequences....

Do Soaps Represent ‘real’ life? Essay

Soap operas are viewed by millions of our population every day; on average Eastenders has a viewing coverage of approximately 13million. There are a number of reasons as to why soap operas appeal to such a large and diverse audience. In this essay I will be examining these reasons with reference to my own attraction to soaps, and seeing how the soap stories fit into the everyday lives of the millions who watch them. Furthermore, I will investigate the way in which the construction and conventions of a soap opera relates to ‘real’ life. My discussion will include different aspects of a range of the most popular British soaps, for example, Crossroads, Coronation Street, Hollyoaks and Eastenders. It is hard to prove that soaps represent real life. Surely if they were truly reflective, we would all have fallen tragically into at least one coma by now. And we would have come out of it, too, with better hair and a new contract. It is true that the murder rate in Britain is at a record high. But if soaps were to be believed, it would be a whole lot closer to Colombia’s murder rate. You’re no one on the small screen until you’ve been whacked. The incidence of animal-print evening wear has also skyrocketed in this country. But it could never reach soap-opera Bet Lynch proportions. Similarly, the use of the phrase â€Å"If you ever come back here again† has peaked on soap operas at a level impossible to sustain in real life without a face like Phil from Eastenders and the gravelly, ‘I-will-whack-you’ voice to go with it. There are, also, many illegitimate children born in Britain today. About 40 per cent of all births are now â€Å"out of wedlock†. But if the soaps were anything to go by, that number currently would be nudging something much higher. The fact that approximately twenty years ago, ten to twelve soap operas were shown daily, each an hour or half an hour long would support this notion. The first went on at 10am and the last at 3:30pm, (the hours during which the majority of women were at home). There was an obvious pattern running through these soaps, they were generally set in small towns, involved two or three families connected with one another. Families were often composed of several generations from a range of classes on the social scale, although most identifiably middle – class. Men and women worked outside the home, usually in professions such as law and medicine. However, the focus of the programmes was on people discussing personal and domestic crises. Occasionally controversial social problems such as rape and murder were included and were for the most part, handled in a sensitive manner. However, in spite of the fact that soaps contained more references to social problems than any other form of entertainment at the time, critics tended to fault them heavily for their lack of realism. The fans and audience (the women) would insist on the soap operas lifelikeness, but the fact that blacks and other minorities were almost completely excluded as well as other underlying problems and exclusions would suggest that these soaps were no more ‘real’ than a fictional story. Some people may suggest that soap operas have moved on much further from the days of the early Crossroads, I mean just look at the ‘modernised’ Crossroads. There are many men and women portrayed in the storylines that come from a variation of ethnic minorities, Asians, Nigerians, Indians, the list goes on. And it’s not only Crossroads that has these kinds of ethnic minorities, it is Eastenders and Hollyoaks and Coronation Street also. If you are a keen supporter of either Hollyoaks or Eastenders, you may even notice that the most recent additions to each cast were families from ethnic minorities and both have taken on quite bold storylines as they have entered their respective programmes. For example, the current ‘Ronnie’ storyline in Eastenders is a gripping one and the fights and feuds in Hollyoaks attempt to show that families from ethnic minorities can live in a dominantly white society just as normally as a white family can. However, what we must ask ourselves is, just because there are a few characters from ethnic minorities dotted around these soap operas, does it mean they are directly and accurately representing ‘real’ life? My answer to that question would be no and my reasoning is this; although Eastenders contains at least nine characters that I can name that are from an ethic minority, there are only two families in the soap. Also, although nine may sound like a reasonably large number, it is not relative to the programme that is being shown and the area that it is set in. I can assure you that if you were to visit the East End of London as a white person you would be far outnumbered by the number of people from varying ethnic minorities, therefore I would like to suggest that Eastenders is not a true representation of ‘real’ life. This statement explicitly suggests that the soaps may have been a little unrealistic years ago but they have progressed to a state where they are representative of ‘social realism’. In support to this idea, it can be noted that contemporary soaps now employ a number of standard conventions, and many researchers have attempted to list some of the typical characteristics. For example, Sonia Livingstone believes the common soap opera features include: ‘transmission at regular, frequent times, often daily; predominantly aimed at female viewers , occupying day-time/early evening slots; use of fairly constant and large cast, over many years, and a faithful audience; cheap production costs, regarded as low prestige entertainment; concern with daily activities, centred on a small community and/or large family; simulation of real time and realistic events; interwoven narratives, with overlapping resolutions; ‘cliff-hangers’ to ensure committed viewing; focus on female characters and ‘feminine’ or domestic concerns. ‘