How to Reduce Recidivism among Ex-Convicts Essay

How to Reduce Recidivism among Ex-Convicts - Essay Example This paper argues that incarceration alone is not enough to reduce crime rates, especially re-imprisonment rates, and that the best way to reform ex-convicts is to offer them education, rehabilitation, and employment opportunities that will help them re-integrate more successfully into public life. Background For the past twenty years, the costs of maintaining prison cells have expanded more swiftly than other spending categories of state budgets, except for health care expenditures (Sedgley et al. 498). In 2006, the incarcerated reached the population of 1.57 million, and the incarceration rate grew to 1.9% for five years, from 2000 to 2005 (Sedgley et al. 498). Recidivism is a costly problem, considering that out of more than 600,000 prisoners released every year, 5% returns after six months, while 25.4% are re-imprisoned within three years after release (Sedgley et al. 498). Supporters of imprisonment argue that incarceration serves an important deterrent purpose. If this is so ef fective, however, how come these people are re-imprisoned in as short as six months after their freedom? In this paper’s opinion, they are not prepared yet to become law-abiding citizens, who can find and maintain stable jobs and homes. They need something more than imprisonment to change them; they need society to educate them and to help them deal with their substance abuse problems, if present. Arguments Ex-convicts with substance abuse problems require long-term residential therapeutic system to help them change their attitudes and practices toward illegal drugs. Drugs change how people think, so it means they also need medical and non-pharmacological treatment to wash out these toxins and their effects on their thinking and actions. In â€Å"Recidivism among High-Risk Drug Felons: A Longitudinal Analysis Following Residential Treatment,† Belenko et al. studied the effect of participating in Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison (DTAP) program on ex-con’s rec idivism rate. They used a longitudinal quasi-experimental design that had an experimental sample of 150 offenders and a comparison sample of 130 offenders. Findings showed that diverting drug offenders to DTAP resulted to lower rates of recidivism; yearly arrest rates and the total number of months of new incarceration were considerably reduced; and the time before the first re-arrest was longer. Another study recommends the use of a drug court, so that drug offenders are not lumped with hard-core criminals through incarceration. In â€Å"Drug Court: An Effective Alternative to Incarceration,† Kalich and Evans study the effectiveness of the F.I.S.T Drug Court Program in decreasing the recidivism rates of participants, when compared to a control group. Drug courts respond to the â€Å"need for public safety by providing extensive monitoring of clients through frequent court contacts, group treatment sessions, and drug testing† (570). Findings showed that dependence on d rug court components is directly related to lower rates of recidivism (Kalich and Evans 587). The researchers also learned the importance of determining and utilizing suitable group comparisons in recidivism studies (Kalich and Evans 587). These studies provide compelling evidence that incarceration is not suitable for drug offenders. Instead, they should be coerced to take long-term residential treatment that will persist, until these offenders are fully

Language & Literacy for Young Children Essay Example for Free

Language Literacy for Young Children Essay This paper will discuss developmentally appropriate methodologies in teaching language and literacy to young children across a developmental curriculum. Also to be discussed will be the aspects/knowledge’s of language, language diversity and Theoretical Perspectives. In the Beginning There is now evidence that it is never too early to teach a child. Through research it has been discovered that the infant even before he/she is born can hear sound and as we know that is how we acquire language, by hearing spoken words. According to Otto (2010), language development begins when language speakers assume that an infant is a participating partner in conversational settings, even though it is months before the child is able to begin using conventional words. In an article written by Dr. Carmelita Lomeo-Smrtic,Ph. D, she wrote that â€Å"Teaching children to become literate members of society is a daunting task, often relegated to the elementary teacher. However, research on teaching children to become literate suggests that this process must begin well before kindergarten. Research suggests that children are primed for learning language in utero. Also from the Otto text, â€Å"research on children’s perception of speech and the development of the auditory system in utero has determined that the fetus can perceive sounds beginning with the 25th week of gestation and at the 35th week a fetus’s hearing acuity is at a level similar to an adult’s(2010). Knowing all of this has prompted mother’s and some father’s to read to their unborn infant and even â€Å"talk† to him/her. Documented research suggests that infants can distinguish their mother’s voice from the voice of others-including other female voices a first few days after birth (Otto,2010). Aspects of Language It has been established that children begin learning at a very early age, even though they do not begin speaking words for many months. Now we will move on to speak about how they learn. There are five aspects or knowledge’s of language. -Phonetic, Semantic, Syntactic, Morphemic, and Pragmatic.

Electronic Health Records Essay -- Hospital medical errors

A. What is the issue? An Electronic Health Record is a computerized form of a patient’s medical chart. These records allow information to be readily available to authorized providers during a patient’s encounter with the healthcare system. These systems do not only contain medical histories, current medications and insurance information, they also track patients’ diagnoses, treatment plans, immunization dates, allergies, radiology images and lab tests/results (source). The fundamental aspect of EHRs is that they are able to share a patient’s information quickly across service lines and even between different healthcare organizations. Information is at the fingertips of lab techs, primary care physicians, pharmacies, clinics, etc. The goal of EHR implementation is to drastically decrease the amount of preventable medical errors that occur each year. Hospital medical errors are the third leading cause of death in America. In 2008, 400,000 people died resulting in a loss of $17.1 billion dollars (MacDonald, 2013). Such medical errors include misdiagnosis, unnecessary treatment, medication mistakes, uncoordinated care, infections, missed warning signs and early discharge. According to Leana Wen, M.D., these are the top 10 medical errors that can kill you in a hospital (Wen, 2013). With these staggering statistics, it is hard to believe that America’s healthcare system is among the top when compared to other developed countries. That is because it is not. The US is ranked 46 out of 50 when it comes to countries with the most efficient healthcare and ranked 25 out of 50 for countries with the highest life expectancy (â€Å"Most Efficient Health,† 2013). With these low quality outcomes and a push towards EHR adoption, one must ask, will ... ...ian-order-entry-cpoe Summary of the hipaa privacy rule. ((2014, 01 01)2014, 01 01). Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/summary/ Lynn, J. ((2013, 08 05)2013, 08 05). Don’t let a business associate compromise your hipaa compliance. Retrieved from http://www.emrandhipaa.com/tag/hipaa-violations/ Merrill, M. ((2011, 10 24)2011, 10 24). Study finds docs have ‘inadequate’ her training. Retrieved from http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/study-finds-docs-have-inadequate-ehr-training Wen, L. ((2013, 04 26)2013, 04 26). 10 medical errors that can kill you in the hospital. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-doctor-is- listening/201303/10-medical-errors-can-kill-you-in-the-hospital Medicsdocassistant ehr - ehr software. ((n.d.)). Retrieved from http://ehr- software.findthebest.com/l/7/MedicsDocAssistant-EHR Electronic Health Records Essay -- Hospital medical errors A. What is the issue? An Electronic Health Record is a computerized form of a patient’s medical chart. These records allow information to be readily available to authorized providers during a patient’s encounter with the healthcare system. These systems do not only contain medical histories, current medications and insurance information, they also track patients’ diagnoses, treatment plans, immunization dates, allergies, radiology images and lab tests/results (source). The fundamental aspect of EHRs is that they are able to share a patient’s information quickly across service lines and even between different healthcare organizations. Information is at the fingertips of lab techs, primary care physicians, pharmacies, clinics, etc. The goal of EHR implementation is to drastically decrease the amount of preventable medical errors that occur each year. Hospital medical errors are the third leading cause of death in America. In 2008, 400,000 people died resulting in a loss of $17.1 billion dollars (MacDonald, 2013). Such medical errors include misdiagnosis, unnecessary treatment, medication mistakes, uncoordinated care, infections, missed warning signs and early discharge. According to Leana Wen, M.D., these are the top 10 medical errors that can kill you in a hospital (Wen, 2013). With these staggering statistics, it is hard to believe that America’s healthcare system is among the top when compared to other developed countries. That is because it is not. The US is ranked 46 out of 50 when it comes to countries with the most efficient healthcare and ranked 25 out of 50 for countries with the highest life expectancy (â€Å"Most Efficient Health,† 2013). With these low quality outcomes and a push towards EHR adoption, one must ask, will ... ...ian-order-entry-cpoe Summary of the hipaa privacy rule. ((2014, 01 01)2014, 01 01). Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/summary/ Lynn, J. ((2013, 08 05)2013, 08 05). Don’t let a business associate compromise your hipaa compliance. Retrieved from http://www.emrandhipaa.com/tag/hipaa-violations/ Merrill, M. ((2011, 10 24)2011, 10 24). Study finds docs have ‘inadequate’ her training. Retrieved from http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/study-finds-docs-have-inadequate-ehr-training Wen, L. ((2013, 04 26)2013, 04 26). 10 medical errors that can kill you in the hospital. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-doctor-is- listening/201303/10-medical-errors-can-kill-you-in-the-hospital Medicsdocassistant ehr - ehr software. ((n.d.)). Retrieved from http://ehr- software.findthebest.com/l/7/MedicsDocAssistant-EHR

Find out whether or not congestion zones are a good idea

Are Congestion Zones A Good Idea? In this report I will be finding out whether or not congestion zones are a good idea, using researched data, charts and tables to back up my ideas. The conclusion of this matter relies on how accurate and reliable the information is. Congestion Zones are used in hope that traffic gets reduced. The mayor of London has recently put congestion zones into place in hopes they will reduce traffic by 15%. Critics of the scheme however, say that it is unworkable and unfair. They also claim it will probably lead to more congestion as people try to avoid the charging areas. Central London has had a dramatic cut in traffic since the introduction of the congestion charge. 40 000 less people are driving through the zone each Some people agree with the congestion charge, and can produce many facts to support their view. My source one can also provide many facts and figures. Source one says that since the congestion zone was put into place, traffic had been cut by 18%, and delays were down by 30% since the congestion zone has been bought in, the advantage of congestion zone was clear as the traffic was rapidly decreasing after the introduction of congestion zones. If the traffic is reduced then there will be no delays so not that much pollution released in to the atmosphere; which leads to climate effects for example global warming. The public transport in the city has improved dramatically by 20%, with 29,000 more people using the service- which will mean much more money towards its improvement. This also contributes to the protection of our planet against climate changes which can have social effects. If more people chose to use the bus or taxi then this would improve their health as they would walk and always go on separate cars. Source one also says that the streets of London were ‘clogged' and the heavy traffic on the roads were costing businesses approximately i2 million a week. Congestion zones are good because people only use them if they really have to, the evidence to this point is in source 1 when it states â€Å"there are 65,000 fewer car trips†, and so this means a cut down on gases being emitted into the air. So, less pollution. Source 1 also states that the costs that people pay are going towards the environment, new more environmentally friendly buses. As i50m is contributed mainly through quicker and more reliable journeys for road and bus users. This is also an advantage as the money is not going to the government but is used to help our transport. The news article declares that, Research, polls and surveys also shows that 75% of Londoners supported the scheme ‘because it works'. That factor that it really helps us as all of the congestion charge is kindly contributed to improving the public transport. Source 2 goes on saying that there research have shown that there was much urgently street works done with the help of this money, such as replacing ancient leaking water pipes. If congestion zones are reducing traffic by 21 per cent and 70,000 cars every day then it must really work. On the other hand congestion zones can also become a disadvantage. For my second source, I have a newspaper article from London Evening Standard news to support my point. In this source, Angie Bray sates that the rate of traffic rose to 2. 6 and 2. 7 minutes per kilometre. This is a disadvantage as if there is a high traffic rate then the will be more pollution caused than cars at normal speed. The number of cars that was entering the congestion zone has rapidly increased from previous years. The newspaper clearly states that â€Å"surely now is the time to start thinking about an alternative way to tackle congestion†. Evidently, the congestion charge did not really work out as the number of cars has risen. The local newspaper gave me evidence that congestion charge was a failure as it states that earlier this month their research has told them that traffic in the morning rush hour was running more slowly than before the scheme began. Angie Bray speaks that the charge has lost its main justification. Which is truly concerning as there is no change in climate. Congestion charge has a knock on effect on the environment and economically. Not many people will want to pass through the zone unless it's necessary, so they would find other alternative ways to pass the area causing more congestion in other roots. This effects the people around that area as they live in an atmosphere filled with bio-products. Thus, many would use buses to travel instead of their own cars. This again results in a disadvantage of congestion zones as there is more buses equals' huge amount of pollution made by one bus against 10 cars. Congestion charges can affect people and also businesses. This is because businesses have lost profits after the congestion zones were placed. As businesses need stock delivery which might need to cross the charging area which trails to extra costs, leading to lower profits. The workers might have to cross the congestion zone to go to work every day, resulting in quitting that job. This again affects the businesses to lose their workers. The evidence from source 1 supports my point as it states that 68% of retail businesses said the scheme would have been better without the charge. Source reliability can make all the difference, which is why I have picked three very reliable sources. My Source one is a report by BBCNEWS. I feel this makes it very reliable. This is because the BBC is a well-known and trusted organisation, backed by the government. The Source also includes exclusive interviews for the BBC by the mayor of the time, Ken Livingstone. This report was published on the 17th February 2004. Though this source is a lot years old, I think it is still reliable, because the evidence is still valid. The Source is very relevant to the question, as it provides facts supported and given by the government, but also includes opinions of Londoners. The Source also has validity, as it addresses all the factors that it claims to. My source 2 is as reliable as source one as it is a report from the local newspaper for London readers. It is well known in London so it is trusted a lot. This report contains exclusive interviews with Angie Bray. However it was published in 22th November 2007 as this means it are a couple of years old, so it is not reliable as this data is not up to date and might not be the case now. My source three holds a great importance of the reliability as it is reliable. This is because facts and figures form the article is as relevant and reliable. As it comes from a trust worthy newspaper article. Because the stats are from the government, they are going to be very reliable indeed, as they will contain no gossip, rumours or assumptions. Out of all my Sources; I feel that my Source two is most reliable. This is due to age, validity, fact, bias, author and the exclusive interviews. This Source shows both positive and negative points about the congestion charge. The congestion charge also has an impact on many other things, which I can place under Social, Economic and Environmental. The social effects are that the people that will be affected by this are local. It will mainly affect local, seeing as those in the area will either have to pay the charge, or they will be facing probable delays on alternate routes, due to the number of people trying to avoid the area. They will also benefit from the cleaner, safer air if they live around the congestion zones. If a person is caught up in heavy traffic their journey times will be unreliable, impacting on all sorts of thing such as family, work, health appointments etc. The economic effects are that for those that have no choice but to pass through the zone it is just adding to their payments. Not only do they have bills and road tax, but now they have to pay i8. 00 every time they need to get somewhere essential, such as my research shows some businesses are being affected by things such for instance stock delivery, which now costs the business more because of the charge. Finally the environmental effects are, obviously pollution plays a big part in the charge. My data shows that the pollution levels inside the zones are decreasing massively. With toxic nitrogen levels dropping quicker but still maintaining a normal level, it seems to be like the charge is working. As for the environment, if a vehicle is moving slowly or stationary, it produces more carbon emissions than if it moves at a normal speed. Thus, more global warming and other climate change which affect animals and humans. The other gases are released like sulphur dioxide, this will cause acid rain and damage the marble and other materials which costs a lot to repair. One of the negative effects of the congestion charge is its knock-on effect on the wider community; with people looking for new routes, surrounding areas could become clogged with congestion, and we would have the same problem all over again. To conclude, after considering all the evidence for both sides, I think that overall congestion charges are a good idea. That's not to say that it doesn't have its negative points though, because it does. The information that most helped me reach my decision was the data I found, and my source 1, BBCNEWS report. This is because I feel the health of the people will be improving, and you can't really argue with that. Also, the fact that the money is being spent on the public- which I think is a brilliant idea. However, like I have said, the congestion charge does not come without its negative points, such as: people paying a ‘double tax' when they have no choice, delays and congestion being created on alternate routes due to drivers trying to avoid the congestion charge area, and also, the fact that some businesses are suffering is something that I find quite unacceptable. So yes, the system does need some tweaking, but overall think it is a good idea that initially solves a problem. I think my conclusion is valid because I have considered all of the evidence and made an educated decision.

Valuation Project Report

Valuation project report Valuation of the Incentive Stock Options for Procter & Gamble Co. Name: Haining Jiang Company background: In this valuation project, I will analyze a company which is mature and I am interested in. The name of the company is Procter & Gamble Co. the Procter & Gamble Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of a range of branded consumer packaged goods. The company operates in five segments: Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric Care and Home Care, and Baby Care and Family Care.In the year of 1837, William Procter and James Gamble settled in the Queen City of the West, Cincinnati, and established themselves in business. As a result, a new company was born: Procter & Gamble. Procter & Gamble became into a listed company at a stock price and dividend which are $ 1. 7 and $ 0. 01 per month respectively in 19 Jan. 1970. For many years, P & G keep following their purpose and social responsibility at every and every corner in the world: â€Å"We will provide branded products and services of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the world’s consumers, now and for generations to come.As a result, consumers will reward us with leadership sales, profit and value creation, allowing our people, our shareholders and the communities in which we live and work to prosper. † Until now, P & G has become the largest consumer packaged goods company in the world at $ 67. 17 of the share price and $ 0. 562 of dividend per month. Main contents: 1. Discounted dividend valuation The most basic model is the Gordon Growth Model, which prices the stock by the dividend and future growth of dividends. The formula would be like this: V0=D0 (1+g)(r-g)=D1r-gWhere D0 is today’s dividend, which would be $ 2. 21 in our case. r is the cost of capital, r will be calculated like: Assume : The market premium = 6%* The risk-free rate = 3%* Given number in the case: ? = 0. 27 So, r = 0. 03 + 0. 27 x 0. 06 = 4. 62% The best way to estimate g is: The term g can be viewed as the return on owner’s equity times the earnings retention rate b. b = (1 – dividend payout ratio) = 1 – 58% = 42% return on equity = 14. 05% So, Sustainable growth rate = gs = 42% x 14. 05% = 5. 901% r< g, so we may meet a big problem when using the V0 formula above.But, as far as we all know, it is not possible that the firm can grow faster than r forever. The high return will attract other investors into the market to compete and the firm’s rate will eventually fall. And, I determine the long-run growth rate of dividends, gL = 3%*. g < r. Even if this data is not real in the true P&G case, I think it’s will be fine to continue our model. V0=D0 (1+g)(r-g)= $ 2. 21x(1+0. 03)(0. 0462-0. 03)=$ 140. 51 1) Two-stage dividend growth When the P & G is growing faster than r, one can use a multistage model, where the growth stages are broken into two parts.The first is the supernormal growth phase call gs , which is the rate that is higher than r. So we can assume: at the first period ( r < g ): gS = 5. 901% (as we calculated above) n = 3*; At the second period ( r > g ): r = 4. 62% (as we calculated above) gL = 3% (as we calculated above) D0 = $ 2. 21 (real data from P&G) ; As we all know the formula is: V0 = t=1n[ Dt1+rt+ Vn(1+r)n] Vn= D01+ gsn(1+ gL)(r- gL) So, V3= 2. 21Ãâ€"1+ 0. 0593(1+ 0. 03)(0. 0462- 0. 03) = $ 166. 88 V0 = 2. 21x(1+0. 059)1(1+0. 0462)1+ 2. 21x(1+0. 059)2(1+0. 0462)2+ 2. 21x(1+0. 059)3(1+0. 0462)3+ 166. 88(1+0. 0462)3 = $ 152. 27 2) Three-stage dividend growth We assume the P & G company experienced a life-cycle with a three stages that are: an early, development stage with high growth, a maturing phase with moderate growth, and a declining phase with little, no, or negative growth. The current dividend of $ 2. 21 per share will not change. Dividends are expected to grow at a rate of 10%* for 2 years. Following that, the dividends are expected t o grow at a rate of 8%* for 2 years. After the total 4 years, the dividends are expected to grow at a rate of 4%* per year, forever. The rate of return unchanged: 4. 2% (as calculated in 1. 1). We can break the calculation in to six steps: (1) Calculate the dividends for years 1 through 5: year| Dividend growth rate| Dividend| 1| 10%| 2. 431| 2| 10%| 2. 674| 3| 8%| 2. 888| 4| 8%| 3. 119| 5| 5%| 3. 275| (2) Calculate the present value of each of these dividends for years 1 through 5: Year| Dividend| Present value| 1| 2. 431| 2. 3236| 2| 2. 674| 2. 4430| 3| 2. 888| 2. 5220| 4| 3. 119| 2. 6035| 5| 3. 275| 2. 6130| (3) Calculate the present value of the dividends beyond year 4: P4= $ 3. 275(0. 0462-0. 04) = $ 528. 23 (4) Calculate the present value of the price at year 4:PVP4 = $ 528. 23(1+0. 0462)4 = $ 440. 92 (5) Calculate the sum of the present value of the dividends: PVdividends in year 1-4= t=110Dt(1+0. 0462)t = $ 12. 51 (6) Calculate the price today as the sum of the present value of dividends in years 1-4 and the price at the end of year 4: P0=$ 440. 92+$ 12. 51 = $ 453. 43 3) The uses of the dividend valuation models (1) The price-earnings ratio also known as the price-to-earnings ratio or PE ratio, is the ratio of the price per share to the earnings per share of a stock. Let us observe these data from P&G firstly: ?| 2012| 2011| 2010| stock price| $66. 6| $64. 50| $60. 44| current earings per share| $3. 82| $4. 12| $4. 32| P/E ratio| 17. 37173| 15. 65534| 13. 99074| dividend payout ratio| 58%| 50%| 42%| If we take the DVM and divide both sides by earnings per share, we arrive at an equation for the price earnings ratio in terms of dividend payout, required rate of return, and growth: P0E0= Dividend payout ratio x (1+g)r-g We can conclude the information below according to the above formula: Increase in dividend payout rate will cause increase in P/E ratio, this point is also obviously in the table above, the data comes from the real P&G case.Increase in r will cause decrease in P/E ratio Increase in growth rate will cause increase in P/E ratio. (2) we can also use the DVM to relate the price-book value ratio to factors such as the dividend payout ratio and the ROE. We assume the B0 indicate the current book value per share and ROE0 indicate the current return on book equity. As we all know: ROE0 = E0B0 , and P0=D0 (1+g)(r-g)=D1r-g ; So, we can get the formula easily below: P0=B0x ROE0 x D0E0x (1+g)(r-g) So we could get the conclusion through analyzing the above formula: increase in B0 will increase in P0; ncrease in ROE0 will increase in P0; increase in D0E0 will increase in P0; increase in g will increase in P0; increase in r will increase in P0; I believe there are plenty of other conclusions we can get from those formulas, I just mention some of them in my valuation report here. But in other words, we can fully use the DVM to find all the related fundamental factors to have further understanding through DVM. 4) What if there no d ividends? I think it’s acceptable and expectable if the P&G isn’t paying dividends now, but chooses to reinvest its money.It is a sign that the dividends in the future will be even larger. Of course, I won’t stick around with the company long enough to receive any of those dividends. But because of the growth of the company, I will realize that the eventual dividends will be even larger with the increasingly share price. After that, I can sell me shares to someone else to get my profit from it. Summary: â€Å"Valuation is the process of determining what something is worth at a point in time. When we value investments, we want to estimate the future cash flows from these investments and then discount these to the present.This process is based on the reasoning that no one will pay more today for an investment than what they could expect to get from that investment on a time and risk adjusted basis. †1 I think the paragraph I cited above not only give us the best conclusion of by valuation project report, but also tell us a definitely reason we study finance. Please Note: If the number followed a * behind it, it means this number is assumed and the others without * are all real data from P&G company finance report. 1: cited from the â€Å"Dividend Valuation Models†, by Pamela Peterson Drake, Ph. D. , CFA.

Essay Sample on Easter What Is Known About the History of Easter

Essay Sample on Easter What Is Known About the History of Easter This is an essay example on history of Easter. The evidence that Jesus was alive after the crucifixion is overwhelming, and scholars hardly ever argue otherwise. Jesus was seen in many different places and at different times after the crucifixion (John 20, 1 Cor. 15, Mark 16.7, etc.) Some people attempt to explain this by arguing that Jesus never died in the first place, and therefore never really resurrected as Christians claim. This theory is know as the Swoon Theory or the Resuscitation Theory, and was put forth by the German rationalist Venturini sometime in the eighteenth century. Even though there are presently an infinite amount of variations to this theory, they all basically hold that instead of dying, Jesus merely fainted or swooned from exhaustion. Jesus then resuscitated thanks to the effects of the cool damp grave he was placed in, and was finally able to present himself before His disciples as a risen king. In this essay I will explain the basis for the concoction of su ch a theory and the evidence that might support it, as well as give evidence, such as medical and historical facts, that will completely discredit it. Even though the Swoon theory contains very little facts that support it, there are a few events that happened in the crucifixion stories that are used as attempts to give it credibility. A German scholar by the name of Paulus Ð £points out that crucifixion was usually a slow, protracted dying Jesus died in an amazingly short time (Mark 15:44), therefore, he claims, Jesus was not really dead, but that he was in a death-like trance. Paulus also claims that Jesus only received a surface wound from the spear thrusted into his side, not a deathly one. Finally, he suggests that the aromatic spices and cool grave would have been influential enough to wake him up from this trance. Another argument is that the Bible contradicts itself and therefore should not be believed word for word. This is based on the fact that there are some variations in the stories of the crucifixion in the different gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. Scholars that support the Swoon Theory also use as evidence the date that the gospels were written. They believe that the gospels arent reliable because they are not eyewitness accounts. Mark, the earliest of the gospels probably wasnt written until 60 AD, a full generation after the events of Jesus life. Yet another excuse, or should I say piece of evidence used to defend this theory, is that the people back then were simply mislead because medical knowledge was not great at that time, so that the disciples, mistaking Him for dead, buried Him alive. This excuse would have also been sufficient to explain why the executioners confirmed Jesus dead (Mark 15.45). Even though the Swoon Theory has some evidence to back it up, there is much more evidence that discredits it. This theory is greatly flawed because it ignores a great part of the story. It is a classical example of approaching the evidence with a preconceived theory and selecting only those facts which support your view and rejecting all others. Some examples of ignored facts are that there were four highly trained executioners that verified JesusÐ ¢ death (John 19.32) and whos mistakes would have probably cause them there lives; another ignored fact is that the stone that covered the tomb was way to heavy for Jesus to roll away on His own, and even if He would have been able to, the tomb was heavily guarded (John 19.38) so that there was no way Jesus could have snuck out unnoticed. This list of ignored facts could go on and on for quite a while. With all the medical and scientific evidence that we have present today, confirming the events story of the crucifixion, as written in the Bible, and that Jesus did really die, is not very hard. Even in the case of someone brutally executed on a Roman cross two million years ago, medical evidence can still make a crucial contribution. Jesus death was the result of the contribution of many different events. Each event can be proved credible as follows. The first event took place in the garden of Gethsemane. Matthew 26.6 describes Jesus as sorrowful and deeply distressed as He prayed to His father. There is no doubt that Jesus knew what was going to happen to him the next day. In fact, it scarred Him so much, that He began to sweat blood (Luke 22.44). Many skeptics have claimed this physically impossible and used it to argue against the credibility of the Bible. But, according to Alexander Metherell, M.D, P.H.D, this is a know medical condition called hematidrosis associated with a hig h degree of psychological stress. He also claims that it would have made Jesus skin extremely fragile making him very sensitive to the floggings of the following day. Historians have concluded that Roman floggings were horribly brutal. Jesus would have been stripped of his clothes and then whipped with a flagrum that consisted of a sturdy handle to which were attached long leather thongs that had sharp jagged pieces of bone and lead woven into them. According to Dr. C. Truman Davis, this would have resulted I Jesus back, shoulders, and legs looking like an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue, with skin hanging in long ribbons. After this, according to Roman tradition, a prisoner such as Jesus would have been mocked by the Roman soldiers. We can witness this in Mark 15.16-20. Verse 20 also says that a crown of thorns was placed on His head and verse 19, that he was beaten with a reed. According to Metherell, these events alone would have been enough to kill a man. But Jesus did not expire, not yet at least. He went on to endure much greater torture. Although not dead, Jesus did not walk away unharmed. Metherell says that Jesus would have faced the crucifixion while already in hypovolemic shock, meaning that He was suffering the effects of loosing a large amount of blood. Some of these effects described by Metherell are described in the gospels: blood pressure drops, causing fainting or collapse we see in Mat. 27.32 that Simon had to carry the crossbar for Jesus because He collapsed and could not carry it any further. Person becomes thirsty as the body craves fluids to replace the lost blood volume. In the John 19 we read about Jesus saying, I thirst and then being offered sour wine. Because of the terrible effects of this beating, theres no question that Jesus was already in serious to critical condition even before the nails were driven through his hands and feet. For many years critics argued that nails werent used to crucify a person, but that instead ropes were used. It wasnt until1968 that the Archaeologist V. Tzaferis discovered four cave-tombs just north of Jerusalem that put an end to these criticss argument. In one of these tombs, well-preserved bodies containing nails that pierced their wrists and ankles were found. These nails would have been driven through some major nerves and caused Jesus unbearable pain, so unbearable in fact, that a new word had to be invented to describe it: Excruciating meaning out of the cross. Metherell says that because of the way Jesus was hanging, His shoulders would have become easily dislocated therefore fulfilling the prophesy in Psalm 22.14. Usually the final thing that kills a person being crucified, including Jesus in this case, is asphyxiation Crucifixion is essentially an agonizingly slow death of asphyxiation leading to a heart attack. When a person is hanging on a cross, in order to exhale, an individual must push up on his feet to release the tension on his muscles. Eventually this person would be to exhausted to do this, which would prevent him from breathing. As a person slows down his breathing, he goes into what is called respiratory acidosis causing the acidity of the blood to increase, and leading to an irregular heartbeat. Eventually this person would have died of Cardiac arrest. The biggest piece of evidence that Jesus truly died is that blood and water were seen flowing from Jesus when He was stabbed in the side (John 19.34). The idea that water flew out is completely rejected, but Metherell claims that this fluid only appeared to be water, but was actually pericardial and pleural effusion. These clear fluids surround the heart (peri) and lungs (pleural) in great quantities when there is heart failure so that when ruptured by the spear they would have gushed out. They would have appearing as water, and then would have been followed by a lot of flowing blood. This gives John great credibility as an eyewitness, and proves that Jesus was in fact dead. Even if we pretend that Jesus was able to survive through all this abuse, assuming that a cool tomb would resuscitate Him rather than just finish Him off is assuming too much. Also, one has to take in account that Jesus would have had to escape his linen wrappings (Mat. 27.59), roll the huge rock away from the tomb entrance, and get by the guards (as mentioned before), all on pierced wrists and ankles. I conclude by confidently saying that the Swoon theory is completely flawed and must be discredited. It ignores the deadly character of the wounds inflicted upon Jesus, the frightful lacerations of the hands and feet, the loss of strength through the ebbing away of blood, the hopelessness of human aid during the critical moments when it would be most needed, the tight-drawn bandage of the grave, the heavy stone. But even if Jesus did accomplish all of this, there is no way that the disciples would have claimed Him the Risen Lord and Conqueror of death while seeing Him in the pathetic conditions he was left in. Instead, they would have felt sorry for Him.

Quotes from Women About Feminism

Quotes from Women About Feminism Learn what famous women have had to say on the subject of feminism with this collection of quotes. Gloria Steinem I have met brave women who are exploring the outer edge of human possibility, with no history to guide them, and with a courage to make themselves vulnerable that I find moving beyond words. Adrienne Rich I am a feminist because I feel endangered, psychically and physically, by this society and because I believe that the womens movement is saying that we have come to an edge of history when men- insofar as they are embodiments of the patriarchal idea- have become dangerous to children and other living things, themselves included. Erma Bombeck Weve got a generation now who were born with semi-equality. They dont know how it was before, so they think, this isnt too bad. Were working. We have our attache cases and our three piece suits. I get very disgusted with the younger generation of women. We had a torch to pass, and they are just sitting there. They dont realize it can be taken away. Things are going to have to get worse before they join in fighting the battle. Marilyn French My goal in life is to change the entire social and economic structure of western civilization, to make it a feminist world. Robin Morgan Quotes If I had to characterize one quality as the genius of feminist thought, culture, and action, it would be the connectivity. Susan Faludi Feminisms agenda is basic: It asks that women not be forced to choose between public justice and private happiness. It asks that women be free to define themselves- instead of having their identity bell hooks As all advocates of feminist politics know most people do not understand sexism or if they do they think it is not a problem. Masses of people think that feminism is always and only about women seeking to be equal to men. And a huge majority of these folks think feminism is anti-male. Their misunderstanding of feminist politics reflects the reality that most folks learn about feminism from patriarchal mass media. Margaret Atwood Does feminist mean large unpleasant person wholl shout at you or someone who believes women are human beings? To me its the latter, so I sign up. Camille Paglia I consider myself 100 percent a feminist, at odds with the feminist establishment in America. For me the great mission of feminism is to seek the full political and legal equality of women with men. However, I disagree with many of my fellow feminists as an equal opportunity feminist, who believes that feminism should only be interested in equal rights before the law. I utterly oppose special protection for women where I think that a lot of the feminist establishment has drifted in the last 20 years. Simone de Beauvoir To emancipate woman is to refuse to confine her to the relations she bears to man, not to deny them to her; let her have her independent existence and she will continue none the less to exist to him also; mutually recognizing each other as subject, each will yet remain for the other an other. Mary Daly The fact is that we live in a profoundly anti-female society, a misogynistic civilization in which men collectively victimize women, attacking us as personifications of their own paranoid fears, as The Enemy. Within this society it is men who rape, who sap womens energy, who deny women economic and political power. Andrea Dworkin Feminism is hated because women are hated. Anti-feminism is a direct expression of misogyny; it is the political defense of women hating. Rebecca West I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat, or a prostitute. Christabel Pankhurst We are here to claim our rights as women, not only to be free, but to fight for freedom. It is our privilege, as well as our pride and our joy, to take some part in this militant movement, which, as we believe, means the regeneration of all humanity. Audre Lorde But the true feminist deals out of a lesbian consciousness whether or not she ever sleeps with women. Charlotte Perkins Gilman So when the great word Mother! rang once more,I saw at last its meaning and its place;Not the blind passion of the brooding past,But Mother- the Worlds Mother- come at last,To love as she had never loved before- To feed and guard and teach the human race. Anna Quindlen Its important to remember that feminism is no longer a group of organizations or leaders. Its the expectations that parents have for their daughters, and their sons, too. Its the way we talk about and treat one another. Its who makes the money and who makes the compromises and who makes the dinner. Its a state of mind. Its the way we live now.

Answers to Questions About Apostrophes

Answers to Questions About Apostrophes Answers to Questions About Apostrophes Answers to Questions About Apostrophes By Mark Nichol Here are three questions from readers about use of apostrophes to mark possession or plurality, followed by my responses. 1. When I have a list of people who all possess something, how do I handle the apostrophe(s)? Which of the following sentences is correct?: â€Å"Today is John, Mary, and my second anniversary with the company.† â€Å"Today is John’s, Mary’s, and my second anniversary with the company.† â€Å"Today is John, Mary’s, and my second anniversary with the company.† â€Å"Today is John’s, Mary’s, and my second anniversary with the company† is correct, because the possessive (or, more accurately, genitive) function of my covers only itself, and each of the names needs its own possessive markers they can’t share one. (Even â€Å"Today is John and Mary’s second anniversary with the company† works only if they joined as a single unit; by contrast, â€Å"Today is John and Mary’s second wedding anniversary† is correct because it implies that they united as a couple.) 2. Which of the following options regarding the apostrophe s is correct?: â€Å"This view of Smith regarding the relation between rationality and social contexts is inspired by Marx’s philosophy.† â€Å"This view of Smith’s regarding the relation between rationality and social contexts is inspired by Marx’s philosophy.† The apostrophe plus s is correct: This is an example of the possessive, or genitive, case; the view â€Å"belongs† to Smith, so it should be treated as if you wrote â€Å"Smith’s view . . . .† (One could also write, â€Å"This view from Smith . . .,† but the possessive form reads better.) 3. Recently, there was a headline in the Los Angeles Times that read, â€Å"The what if’s of Iraq.† Is the apostrophe in if’s correct? No. It should read, â€Å"The what ifs of Iraq† (or, better yet, what-ifs), just as one would refer to more than one no as nos (not no’s) and a list of recommendations as â€Å"dos and don’ts† (not don’t’s). The editors probably thought that â€Å"what ifs† looks odd, but they violated the rule â€Å"Minimize exceptions†: They wouldn’t (one hopes) insert a second apostrophe in don’ts, so why put an extraneous one in â€Å"what ifs†? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Confusing "Passed" with "Past"Testimony vs. Testimonial

Thin Client Operating System Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Thin Client Operating System Security - Essay Example In addition, thin clients have reduced downtime and significantly improved performance1. More importantly through is the fact that thin computers provide enhanced security as compared to desktop PCs. Thin client operating system describes a small size client OS which require much fewer resources as compared to fat clients which are much large and high resource dependent. This essay gives a critical analysis and discussion of the security implications which are related to systems such as Windows CE, Google Chromium and Linux which make use of the thin client operating system. Wide scale security threats and incidences are associated with machines or systems that are Windows based. It in this regard that thin clients have been described to be useful within networks of various organizations with a view of boosting their security. It is however important to note that thin client where originally developed with an aim of providing remote access to Windows which utilized them. Regardless o f this original function, it is notable that the concepts and protocols associated with thin client operating systems have helped many companies or organizations to significantly improve the security of their Windows. ... ilize thin clients such as Google Chromium, Linux and Windows CE allow the thin clients to access the central server of their networks for multiple or numerous user sessions. This is achieved through the capability of the thin operating system to utilize Windows Terminal Services. It is therefore notable that thin clients provide Windows which use them with multiple sessions which emanate from a central system3. This paradigm is similar to that of a mainframe computer. However the implication of thin client operating system on improved network security does not result from its ability to maintain an organization network which is composed of PCs that are Windows based. Instead, the role of thin operating system in network security is related or focused on the Windows servers which provide the main sessions for the network. It is important to consider though that there are drawbacks which are related to the application of thin clients to achieve remote desktops that are session based. The most significant of these drawbacks is network speed. It has been noted that even within a fast network, the application of remote access to desktops us significantly slower as compared to a PC. The reduction in speed is regardless of the security benefits which are associated with the remote access and as a result, organizations are mandated to make tradeoffs which allow them to decide on either the benefits associated with security or speed. The utilization of thin operating system by Google Chromium, Linux and Windows CE significantly reduces the overall costs associated with securing networks. Many organizations employ standardized and reproducible PCs with Windows within their system4. When thin clients are implemented in such systems and their networks, it leads to a situation

Triathlon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Triathlon - Essay Example Many of the enduring triathletes prefer to be resilient to pain and tend to carry their impacted and sometimes senseless (without knowledge) injuries throughout each race till to the finish line. Medical cover is to be arranged at the finish of an Ironman event taking place at Lanzarote in early October. In order to achieve adequate medical support and care, health issues that are common to triathletes must be outlined. Ironman at Lanzarote is considered to be one of the most arduous, all-terrain event for any fittest and able-bodied triathlete. The Ironman event is expected to include three major sub-events consisting of 3.8km swim, 180km bike race, and 42.2km run to the finish line. Any appropriate medical cover can only be provided by priori understanding of different types of illnesses or injuries based on previous therapeutic experiences and gathering of medical information from past records seen in other Ironman races. Most triathletes naturally undergo rigorous cross physical training and are less likely to develop any kind of muscle imbalances. An issue with many young, amateur and firt-time triathletes is that they usually underestimate their fitness level and skill such that they may be good in one event but that does not automatically translate into adaptation for another. All bodily injuries can be classified as either internal or external fatalities. The latter injuries may be knee injuries, wrist fractures, sore toes and blisters, cold shoulder and other injuries from improperly adjusted bicycles [16]. Only a small amount of competitors experience this sought of external injuries. One of the more common medical problems is the triathlete sustains a bad sunburn a few days before the actual race. A serious and unattended sunburn (such as a second degree burn with blisters) can have a damaging effect on how the body is able to adjust the coherent body temperature and sweat loss during exercise. This naturally decrease the ability to control body temperature and sweating can have a negative impact on the triathlete's race outcome. Most injuries that befall triathletes are overuse injuries such as tendonitis or muscle strains, as opposed to acute ones (like when fall of a bike and bruise something). While overuse injuries are fairly common among triathletes, they are relatively easy to prevent and treat, if they are careful. The most effective way to prevent overuse injuries is to prevent and reverse the muscle imbalances that contribute to most of them and allowing the body to have sufficient time to properly recover from any stress developed during training. Through the nature of the postures and repetitive motions involved, triathletes tend to develop particular imbalances that are associated with particular injuries. To correct imbalances, they need to stretch muscles that tend to become shortened through training and strengthen muscles that tend to become weakened. Triathletes should frequently stretch their calves, hamstrings, hip flexors, lower back, neck, and chest, and should regularly performing func tional exercises that strengthen the hips, butt, abdomen, upper back, and shoulders [3, 7, 16, 20]. Tendons and muscles need to have adequate time to recover fully from increases in training to especially prevent chronic injuries. Poor technique is also associated with a majority of

Community development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Community development - Research Paper Example Data collection methods will include questionnaires and interviews. It is hypothesized that there are visible community development projects in Bangladesh that can be credited to the efforts of Grameen Bank. Additionally, it is hypothesized that there are women who have improved their lives due to empowerment by Grameen Bank. The outcome of this study will have implications on community development workers and agencies (Osmani 695). Since its inception in 1983, Grameen Bank has used an unconventional mode of lending different from other banks by eliminating the need for collateral. The bank has replaced the need for collateral with accountability, mutual trust, supervision, creativity, and participation. The emphasis of the bank is on education and economic empowerment of the poor people who live in the rural areas of Bangladesh. The objective of this study is to document the experience of Grameen Bank in community development and women empowerment in Bangladesh (Mahmud 49). The problems of poverty and women oppression are concerns shared worldwide and different groups and institutions address them in unique ways. Grameen Bank approaches community development and women empowerment from the rural parts of Bangladesh using collateral-free lending. Studies have expressed their admiration for Grameen Bank’s approach to these two concerns. However, prior studies do not provide alternatives to how the bank can ensure that all women remain empowered and that they are not overshadowed by patriarchy and male domination and this is a gap that this study will seek to fill (Mahmud 48). Grammeen Bank started in 1983 from Professor Muhammad Yunus’ idea of providing capital to the poor in Jobra village in Bangladesh. The sight of the poor population of Bangladesh suffering triggered the idea especially in the incidence of the adverse weather conditions of the country (Osmani 696). Famine and poor housing were some

Construction Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Construction Law - Essay Example placed on par with other kinds of projects because delays in construction and claims arising out of such delays have always been an integral part of construction law. According to Yates and Epstein, there is an enormous amount of time, energy and cost that is devoted to delay claims which do not strictly begin around the time of completion of the job, rather these delays commence right at the inception stage of the project itself.2 The Protocol states that the process of analysis of delay can only begin to be addressed when there is an understanding about what work was carried out and when such work was carried out, as a result, the Protocol recommends that contractors maintain a written record of what work is to be carried out on the project and when it is to be done over the specified time period. However, as McCredie points out, this causes difficulties, not only in terms of the extensive record keeping which the contractor will now have to maintain, but also from the point of vie w of correlating those records with schedules and locations3. In the case of Great eastern Hotel Company Ltd4, charges of negligence by contractor and resultant losses thereof as claimed by Great eastern Hotel were not upheld by the court and no relief was allowed for losses sustained. In this case, the difficulties in establishing causation of delay leading to losses were also demonstrated. There is no definite court precedent to establish causation of loss due to delays and in this case, it was pointed out that the Courts have not laid down any formal tests to establish causation, rather they have relied upon commonsense and an interpretation of the individual facts in a particular case in order to determine whether the breach of the contract was a sufficiently substantial cause of the claimant’s loss.5 Therefore the party that violates the contract is liable only if the breach was in effect the â€Å"effective cause† of his loss.6 An action for losses caused by a breach of

Literature College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Literature College - Essay Example In this kind of struggle we will see that a deep sense of pride in their heritage and culture is the power that enable them to counter the prejudices and priorities of the white dominant culture and help them preserve what they value most, regain what they were deprived of and find their place in the modern world. Carol Geddes (2007) recounted such a struggle. She reminisced her growing years as a native in their home in the Yukon Bush and the experiences of living in a culture where family, the extended kind, was of paramount importance. She recalled the most heart warming memory as the "feeling of acceptance" and "security in every pair of arms" that carried her, as children were wont to be carried and passed upon during those times (Geddes 86). And this experience was something magnified and replicated in their whole village (Geddes 87). The advent of the Alaska Highway presaged the end of their way of life; and the "tremendous upheaval for Yukon native people" (Geddes 88) was beyond the intelligence or concern of the whites. While the family culture did not vanish the socio-physical dislocation introduced elements - alcoholism, absentee parent, epidemics, broken family - that began to threaten it (Geddes 88). The concept of education along with religion - meant to bring about the best in people - were the very ones that seek to crucify to death the native's sense of personal worth. Geddes recalled one incident in school where the teacher, either ignorant or unmindful of the Indian boy- girl social role, asked her to answer a question her cousin was not able to answer, something unthinkable in Indian society, and which devastated both her and her cousin. She recalled how subject assignment without giving the native students prerogative to choose cast them as "stupid" and she remembered how the experience was "terribly undermining" (Geddes 90). Another aspect that ran conflict with white's dominance and touched the very core of their being was their sense of identity as a people. Another native Canadian, Thomas King (2007) recalled how as a young boy of twelve her mother could not be intimidated to declare herself as Canadian but insisted on identifying her citizenship as Blackfoot before Border Immigration Officers, both from the Canadian and American

Construction Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Construction Law - Essay Example placed on par with other kinds of projects because delays in construction and claims arising out of such delays have always been an integral part of construction law. According to Yates and Epstein, there is an enormous amount of time, energy and cost that is devoted to delay claims which do not strictly begin around the time of completion of the job, rather these delays commence right at the inception stage of the project itself.2 The Protocol states that the process of analysis of delay can only begin to be addressed when there is an understanding about what work was carried out and when such work was carried out, as a result, the Protocol recommends that contractors maintain a written record of what work is to be carried out on the project and when it is to be done over the specified time period. However, as McCredie points out, this causes difficulties, not only in terms of the extensive record keeping which the contractor will now have to maintain, but also from the point of vie w of correlating those records with schedules and locations3. In the case of Great eastern Hotel Company Ltd4, charges of negligence by contractor and resultant losses thereof as claimed by Great eastern Hotel were not upheld by the court and no relief was allowed for losses sustained. In this case, the difficulties in establishing causation of delay leading to losses were also demonstrated. There is no definite court precedent to establish causation of loss due to delays and in this case, it was pointed out that the Courts have not laid down any formal tests to establish causation, rather they have relied upon commonsense and an interpretation of the individual facts in a particular case in order to determine whether the breach of the contract was a sufficiently substantial cause of the claimant’s loss.5 Therefore the party that violates the contract is liable only if the breach was in effect the â€Å"effective cause† of his loss.6 An action for losses caused by a breach of

Restaurant Business as One of the Most Rewarding Type of Small Essay

Restaurant Business as One of the Most Rewarding Type of Small Businesses - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that restaurant business is one of the most rewarding types of small businesses. The researcher has witnessed one of his uncle’s advances so much economically because of owning one of them. His restaurant is a fast food restaurant located in the middle of one of the busy streets in Saudi Arabia. The main types of food served at the restaurant are chicken, chicken burgers, fries,  burgers,  pizza, sandwiches, junk food among other fast meals. Fresh fruit juices are also served at the restaurant. The restaurant offers quick dining for those who have time to sit and eat but for those who have no such time, quality food packaging services are offered. The legal ownership structure of the business The legal ownership structure for the restaurant in question is the sole proprietorship. The business is classified under sole proprietorship type of business because only one person legally owns the business, and he and t he business are treated as one entry. He did not partner with anyone in or outside the family in the setting up of the business or running it. Instead, he is the overall manager of the business, overseeing operations, and employees like chefs, customers attendants, and cashiers. At the end of every month, all the profits or losses are upon him alone and he carries liability for any debts incurred. Alternative possible structures An alternative for the sole proprietorship is General Partnership. However, their losses are determined by the extent of their investment. Peacock states that as for a Limited Liability Company, no partner is personally liable for any debts incurred by the business. Before commencing with business, all partners make a written agreement detailing the organization of the business, alienability of interests, provisions of management, and distribution of profits and losses. Sole proprietorship as the most appropriate structures Sole proprietorship is the most ap propriate type of business ownership structure, especially for a small business. It is best fitted for hardworking individuals and those who can learn to sacrifice for a better tomorrow. This is because the owner can decide to plow back a large portion of the profits accrued over a period just to ensure that the business expands within a short period. As for partnerships, not all partners could be ready to make this sacrifice. It is easy to make decisions in sole proprietorship since opinions are sought before undertaking anything. Such structure protects a business from the weaknesses that are found in some form of partnerships with family businesses where decisions are emotionally driven instead of being driven by logic. The owner is not obliged to hire any family members but qualified persons for the business. Out of the hard work of the month, there is no one to take away any portion of the profit from the owner. Reed points out that such business is not subject to government ta xes.

Challenges Facing Public Schools Essay Example for Free

Challenges Facing Public Schools Essay The fundamental purpose of education is to gain knowledge, inculcate the forms of proper conduct and acquire technical competency, (Oak, 2010). These skills and abilities are considered important in our world so as to have socio-economic growth and development individually and in the community. Goel (2007) observes that it is because education is so important that the US Department of Education aims to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. Thus in countries such as the US, children who may not be able to afford the cost of schooling can access education in public educational institutions subsidized by the government. Though noble, the concept of public education unfortunately has a number of fundamental challenges that must be investigated for lasting solutions. These challenges are highlighted below, their problem statements and the arising hypotheses: Problem Statement 1 One of the greatest concerns in public schools is violence. Lede (2010) notes that violence in public schools is a growing concern of parents, teachers, school administrators, politicians and community leaders. Lede (2010) continues to observe that â€Å"many communities in the United States of America are faced with the dilemma of how to protect the integrity of the education by eliminating violent behavior among the school’s constituency and the environment where learning takes place. † What are the determinants of violence in public schools? What is the effect of parental involvement and violence in public schools? Is there any relationship between poor teacher training and violence in public schools? Hypothesis Economic and social issues are affiliated with violence in public schools. Parental socialization at the home front influences students’ propensity to violence in public schools. Teacher training does not impact on the existence of violence in public schools. Importance of the statements and hypothesis in the research The statements and hypotheses in this research would assist the researcher in investigating the problem of violence in public schools and begin to explore solutions that address the root cause of the problem and not the symptoms of the problem Problem statement 2  Another one of the core challenges faced by public educational institutions is that of insufficient funds. By virtue of the fact that public schools depend on the government to meet their budgets, more often than not, the schools find themselves without enough money to carry out their activities. What is the effect of lack of sufficient funding on the quality education in public schools? What is the effect of programme prioritization on budget management in public schools? What are other sources of funding that can be explored to ensure constant funding of public schools programmes? Hypothesis Lack of sufficient funds compromises on the quality education offered in public schools. Budget rationalization can be successfully achieved through programme prioritisation of the programmes at public schools. Diversification of the sources of funding to meet budgetary needs at public schools has ensured sustainability of the schools’ programmes. Importance of the statements and hypothesis in the research A research on this issue would ensure that sustainable solutions to budgetary constraints are met that translate to operational efficiency (Maguad, 2007) and a high quality of education is constantly high in public schools. Problem statement 3 Public institutions of learning are faced by the problem of low or no parental involvement. Since many of the students in public schools come from middle and working classes in which both parents have to earn a living to sustain the families, it is rare that the parents find time to be actively involved in their children’s school life. What is the effect of parental involvement on student achievement in public schools? What is the correlation between parental aspirations and expectations for their children and student achievement in public schools? Do parents give away the right to educate their children when they place them in public schools? Hypothesis A student’s performance is influenced by his/her parents’ interest and participation in his school work. Parental aspiration and expectation for children determines the achievements of the children in school. Parents of children in public schools forfeit any right to determine what or how their children are educated. Importance of the statements and hypothesis in the research The research would find out whether parents have an active role to play in their children’s well being for assured achievement in school. The issue of parental involvement could also form the basis of understanding other challenges facing public schools such as student violence (Alliance for the Separation of School State, 2008). In conclusion, public educational institutions experience many challenges ranging from budgetary constraints, student violence and low parental involvement. Much research needs to be done to establish why these problems exist in the first place and lasting solutions for these institutions.

Mobile Maintenance Overview

Mobile Maintenance Overview MOBILE MAINTENANCE OVERVIEW THE PROJECT Over the last decade, we have seen the pace of technology development increase hugely. From mobile phones to tablet devices to smart televisions, right up to connected vehicles and homes. This technology shift is inevitably moving into aviation travel sector. Both the Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 require connectivity, and digital tools, to maintain them. Engineering needs to have integrated systems and hardware within the business to keep pace. Achieving such integration will provide us with the latest tools in support of our drive for greater efficiency and improved productivity. Our goal is to use technology to help us become market competitive. The Mobile Maintenance project is one of Engineerings primary Tier 1 programmes and forms part of the Our Plan business objective to use digital technology to transform our business. It aligns with the work we are doing under the banner of the Capella change programme. With investment being made in mobile hardware, a new content management solution and significant enhancements to the SAP, the project will roll out over the next 18 months. Beginning in the ramp arena, online/mobile working will cascade on into hangar maintenance, and then component workshops. The new content management solution will come on stream one aircraft type at a time, with component maintenance manuals shortly thereafter. INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE In the current financial climate, the decision by BAs Capital Investment Committee to approve this capital investment should be seen as a fantastic endorsement of everything Engineering intends to achieve via the project. Once the cost of the original mobile working trial is added in, the total capex underpinning Mobile Maintenance comes to some  £8million. The graphic below provides an indication of how the funds have been invested. 33% 22% 45% INVESTMENT BREAKDOWN Hardware SAP Enhancements INVESTMENT EXPLAINED BENEFITS Of course, the investment decision was driven by the compelling benefits case Engineering were able to make. As well as the obvious productivity and efficiency opportunities, successful implementation opens up the possibility of achieving a wide variety of non-financial gains across Engineering. PEOPLE AND PROCESSES Drive up the quality of information underpinning resource and load planning activities. Reduce the frustration caused by having to leave the aircraft side mid-job. SAFETY AND QUALITY Improve access, and adherence, to maintenance manuals, procedures and processes. Reduce the risk of unrecorded work. OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE Reduce ADDs and delays through easier, quicker and more accurate access to technical information. Vastly improved situational awareness both in the satellite control and for the production teams. SAP Enhancements Just over 1/5 of the investment has gone into the largest single group of changes to SAP since it was introduced in 2004. Resulting in new transactions and improvements to exisiting ones, in addition to the new eTask app. Hardware 1/3 of the investment has been on hardware. From the devices to servers and WIFi infranstructure. This portion of the investment was vital in ensuring the implementation becomes a success. ICMS The largest portion of the investiment is in the new integrated content management system. A replacement for the TI Portal and Knowledge warehouse, ICMS will provide remote, direct, accurate technical documentation to all engineers. For additions or queries regarding the MMHandbook contact [emailprotected] Ensure colleagues carry out their role with the most up-to-date information at their fingertips. Increase the productivity and efficiency of the delivery and support teams in the organisation. Provide the opportunity for greater visibility of task work steps. Remove SAP data entry lag, and risk of data transcription errors, to improve compliance data timeliness and quality. Better quality data will provide greater richness of information to improve the quality, and delivery, of the daily production plan. DELIVERABLES DELIVERABLES OVERVIEW Mobile maintenance often attracts the immediate thought of iPads and the eTask app, mobile maintenance is a huge amount more than just an app on a device. The SAP enhancements upstream all interlink with one another, from enhancing the notifications we rely on for compliance, to creating a balanced plan and managing our operation. The information produced upstream of the app allows the engineer to work with accurate, well planned information on his device, while the app offers him/her immediate benefits with the functionality offered by eTask. DEFECT WORKBENCH The defect workbench is a new SAP transaction available for use by both production and the EOCC. It allows a user to search, review and fully define a D3 or D7. The transaction is data rich and allows accurate definition of notifications ensuring the user has all the information available to make informed decisions on what action should be taken. Notifications can be directed to relevant departments using the new milestone function while communication lines between planning, production and the engineer at the aircraft side are opened up with the remarks function. SLOT PLAN The slot plan is an engineering version of the airops software we use today to monitor the operation, it is a graphical display of our aircrafts flying schedule allowing a planner to select and analyse maintenance opportunities to plan revisions. The slot plan is the point of entry to the planning workbench and is the first step in the process to creating a new revision or editing an existing one. PLANNING WORKBENCH A data rich transaction allowing a planner to analyse the outstanding notifications of an aircraft. A compliance pane, defect pane and modification pane organise the notifications in a logical manner while quick review columns offer immediate information about a notification including; material status, life rule and number of re-assess alongside many others. The main function of the planning workbench is to create accurate plans for work in the production environment. LOAD AND CAPACITY Once the notification definition process we will have going forward with mobile maintenance improves and the data is more accurate the load and capacity tool will be a very important tool for engineering. The load and capacity tool will offer a graphical representation of the capacity (resource available) vs the Load (the planned work). This will allow a planner to balance revisions and ensure the plan is achievable. The tool depends on engineering working together to define notifications properly, most importantly defining man hours on ADDs. RESOURCE PLANNING DASHBOARD (RPD) The resource planning dashboard is a digital T card board and interlinks with both the load and capacity tool and the TACD. The RPD (resource planning dashboard) allows a shift manager to organise a shifts colleagues in to teams based on who is available. The transaction offers information of the colleagues skills, cover and availability and so the teams can be planned accurately and efficiently. There will also be a crew room view which will show everyone which teams they are allocated to. The RPD relies on data fed from the HR system and time manager, with this in mind, it is vital that any time manager data is entered in advance of the event, this includes overtime, leave, sickness and any other absence. Failure to do so will result in the colleagues absent or on overtime failing to show correctly in the RPD. This is important as the RPD feeds the allocation system in the TACD which allocates work to the engineers devices. TASK ALLOCATION AND CONTROL DASHBOARD (TACD) TACD is the new version of the electronic whiteboard we use today to manage our operation in the satellites. It allows the FSDE to view and analyse the progress of the work being carried out by the engineers on the aircraft, while having the ability to create tasks from VHF calls and allocating them directly to an engineers device instantly. The TACD interlinks directly with the eTask app and the functionality provided allows the progress of tasks and revisions to be monitored in real time offering a substantial operational awareness improvement. ETASK APP (IPAD BASED) The eTask app is the next generation Ramp app. Following on from the trial version, the eTask app has an abundance of functionalities available that allow an engineer to work more efficiently and effectively. Greater task detail, allocation flexibility, stores integration and reporting functions offer huge improvements to the initial ramp app. The major benefit being increased engagement time at the aircraft side, integration to the content management system and access to up to date technical documentation supports the information already on offer within each task pushed to the device. INTEGRATED CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (ICMS) The new content management system is engineerings single solution for technical documentation and procedures. ICMS replaces the TI Portal and knowledge warehouse bringing considerable aesthetic, control and accessibility improvements. Desktop and device access provides aircraft manuals in the same format, hyperlinked and integrated with the eTask app whilst offering smart search functionality. Offline content also allows manuals to be saved to a device for review with automated updates adding in any TRs directly to the manual ensuring adherence to the most recent version. TRAINING TRAINING SOLUTION With engineering investing in one of the biggest change projects since the introduction of SAP it is vital that the training solution provided gives all colleagues the most support in the movement towards mobile working. This section will explain the training solution offered as well as where supplementary information and support can be found. TRAINING DEVELOPMENT Mobile maintenance training was developed in house by a team of hard working experienced engineering colleagues. They are volunteers who devoted their time to the project to ensure that the content developed was in the best interests of their own colleagues and engineering as a whole. The training concepts were developed alongside the GLA and their own experts to ensure it adhered to training guidelines. In respect of the practical training the colleagues whom deliver the courses are also engineering production colleagues who volunteered to support the work areas in the road towards mobile working. ASCEND British Airways corporate learning tool is Ascend, it allows courses to be built and stored online for completion at a time that suits without being off lined from the work areas. Ascend also allows learning to be tracked and audited by quality. SAP ENHANCEMENTS ASCEND COURSES The mobile maintenance ascend courses were designed to give a how to demonstration of the new SAP enhancements. Software is a difficult product to train and the team toyed with different methods. One being the use of screenshots and annotations, however, when analysed, it was found that around 2000 screenshots would need to be produced which was both unmanageable and counterproductive as a training tool. The chosen method was to use videos of the transaction actually in a realistic scenario. Many software products use this method for training and a professional software was sourced to produce the content over a period of 2 months. The videos can be stopped, paused and scrolled through if further time is required on a certain point or notes need to be taken. ETASK ASCEND COURSE BALEARNING APP The eTask ascend course is a little different to that of the SAP Enhancements, the ascend course serves as a placeholder for the competency assessment but the content itself is based on a BA corporate app named BALearning on the iPad device itself. The BALearning app allows an identical mimic of the real eTask app to be created. The content can then be manipulated to direct a user to choose the correct process and function resulting in the user becoming familiar and aware of how the eTask app works. If a user makes an error it is not a problem as the learning app offers a safe environment to practice in. The eTask training app that is released is available at any time allowing a user to refresh on functionality when required. BALEARNING APP FIX Some users have reported the BALearning app is malfunctioning and the screen blanks on opening. This is due to a problem Mobile Enabled Operations encountered in March with corporate apps across the BA network having issues. The fix: Delete BALogin App and Device Doctor App and then reinstall, following that enter the BA App store and ensure all apps are up to date including the BALearning app. This should remedy the fault. ASCEND COMPETENCY ASSESSEMENTS The ascend competency assessments are a quality requirement. PRACTICAL TRAINING The training team were very keen to have a practical element of training included in the solution, one that allows candidates to practice using the new tools in a safe environment with instructors who are experts in the developments. The solutions were again developed by the SME team alongside the GLA. EOCC PRACTICAL TRAINING The EOCC have developed a comprehensive practical training and readiness programme. This includes a full 1 day training course using the new tools in a safe environment while learning new processes and procedures attached to those tools. They also assess individuals on a 1 on 1 basis prior to going live ensuring the candidates are capable and ready to use the tools, assessing competency in addition to setting up layouts and variants applicable to their role. MVS MAINTENANCE VISIT SIMULATION Production colleagues, once they have completed the mandatory ascend modules will be allocated to an MVS course. A Maintenance Visit Simulation course is a 1 day offline course where a candidate will experience and use all of the tools produced from mobile maintenance in a simulated aircraft visit. The simulation begins prior to the aircraft visit highlighting the process of data enrichment and timely entering of HR data, from there the simulation moves through the satellite to the aircraft arrival and through to the aircraft departure. At each point of the aircraft visit the instructors demonstrate functionality and highlight any key points while the candidates actually work the aircraft on the devices like they would in a real life scenario. The candidates are assessed by monitoring their engagement throughout the session as well as a written exam at the end of the session. POST TRAINING SUPPORT For additions or queries regarding the MMHandbook contact [emailprotected] As with any training programme there are often further questions and clarity required by a candidate. For that reason a post training support structure has been implemented. KEY USERS Key users in each area are the first port of call for any clarifications or questions regarding mobile maintenance and they will be on hand to every shift to aid in the process of implementation and beyond. Again key users are engineering colleagues and have candidates best interests in mind. YAMMER Yammer is BAs business social media option. There is a mobile maintenance group which is monitored daily by the project team. Any questions or queries will be answered in a timely and accurate manner so dont hesitate to ask for any clarity or report any issues found. Yammer is available via a desktop or via the app store on the iPad. KEY FUNCTIONS QRH This mobile maintenance handbook offers an overview of the project, deliverables, training as well as offering a comprehensive quick reference handbook (QRH) for functionality of the new deliverables. It is a working document so if there is anything that is missing please report it to the owner or mobile maintenance yammer page. ENGINEERING PROCEDURES BA ENGINEERING TECHNICAL PROCEDURES AND WORK INSTRUCTIONS Mobile Maintenance is now part of British Airways Engineering Technical Procedures/Work Instructions. Alongside this there will be local procedures which will be briefed and cascaded by your business area representatives. Follow the instructions below to access the engineering procedures and work instructions related to Mobile Maintenance

iraq :: essays research papers

iraq Background: Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of military strongmen ruled the country, the latest was SADDAM Hussein. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait, but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years resulted in the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Hussein regime. Coalition forces remain in Iraq, helping to restore degraded infrastructure and facilitating the establishment of a freely elected government, while simultaneously dealing with a robust insurgency. The Coalition Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government (IG) in June 2004 and the election of its president, Ghazi al-Ujayl al-YAWR, was held in January 2005,it’s capital is Baghdad. Climate: Iraq is located in the Middle East ,bordering the Persian Gulf between Iran and Kuwait ,it is mostly desert. Mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers, the northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing floods. It’s national disasters consists of dust storms, sandstorms, and most likely in spring, floods.

Analysis of Barbie Doll Essay

The Devastation of Social Pressure One would think that growing up would be a fun, not a worry in the world, happy experience. Yes, that is the way it should be, but that’s not always the case, especially for women. As girls season into women they realize they not only have to face the fact that they’re in a patriarchal society, but also the influences and pressure they face in the social aspect of things, such as their looks and body image. There is so much competition amongst girls, especially when transitioning into a woman and through most of their adulthood. So instead of being able to enjoy life and absorbing the true quality of it, we are side tracked with superficial, stereotypical, shallow thoughts and images of how we think life is supposed to be. Although, who’s to say what’s right and what’s wrong with the way we interpret things? Marge Piercy, who wrote the poem â€Å"Barbie Doll†, has a very strong view of how destructive social pressure can be to a girl through her transitioning stages into a woman. She expresses how the Barbie doll, the toy figurine that woman idealize, is, in fact, a method of corruption to a young girl. First and for most we must understand who the persona is in the poem, which is a woman, and more specifically Marge Piercy herself. She is observing a young girl going from Wolfe 2 childhood, adolescents, adulthood and then death in a roundabout way. Starting with the first stanza, of four, the persona explains of a young girl, and her playing with a doll, the Mattel’s Barbie doll to be precise. This doll is to be described as tall, blonde hair, blue eyes and it has the perfect body. The girl, â€Å"†¦presented dolls that pee-pee/and miniature GE stoves and irons/ and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy† (2-4). The words iron, stove, and lipstick are all play-things for the girl, but are also identity markers. Such that the doll represents the ideal body image, the iron and stove tells us what type of work is expected of the girl when she becomes an adult (keep in mind that this poem was written in the nineteen seventies and that woman in the work force was still a very small percentage, thus women were still very domesticated) and the lipstick is to imply a sexual innuendo. In the last line in the first stanza the girl goes through puberty and no time is wasted before a classmate judges and criticizes her, â€Å"You have a great big nose and fat legs† (6). Going through puberty is a stage of growth. Adolescents become more aware of their social standing and sexual being. As we read further, the doll, she once played with, will create a major impact on her; in the aspect of her body image and the pressure she faces from her peers. In the second stanza we see how the woman is dissatisfied with herself even though she is â€Å"healthy and tested intelligent/possessed strong arms and back/ abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity† (7-9). The persona continues to say, â€Å"She went to and fro apologizing/Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs† (10-11). The traits that this woman possesses, is in every way correct; however, she is so sure her physical traits are unacceptable to the culture. No matter what she sees in the mirror or what she hears, this won’t change her opinion about herself image. She has been brainwashed about her looks and she doesn’t think she is good enough. She goes around apologizing to everyone about the person she has become, believing there is no way she can change, at least in a healthy manner. In the third stanza we read how society is forcing the woman to change her healthy ways, physically, into something she isn’t. She does what she can to fit into society by, â€Å"†¦play[ing] coy/ exhorted to come on hearty/ exercise, diet, smile and wheedle† (12-14). She had so much pressure from every direction, she felt obligated to try and conform her body into what society viewed as ideal, which we know of as the Barbie doll toy. This idea was short lived. Instead of standing her grounds and accepting the individual that she is, she drowns. Society got the best of her, â€Å"Her good nature wore out/ like a fan belt† (15-16). She gave up and paid the ultimate price to be accepted in society, â€Å"†¦she cut off her nose and her legs/ and offered them up† (17-18). Now that she has removed her flaws she temporarily relinquishes her depression, weakness, and anxiety. Now that she has met the, impossible, unrealistic, standard, she can permanently wash her existences away and leave her shell of beauty behind. In the final Stanza, Piercy highlights the theme of the poem. Simply put, women aren’t accepted into society unless they represent the ideal woman. Now that the woman is free of body flaws and has had a makeover, she can be accepted into her culture even though we know this isn’t her true self. What must this say about the society she has been exposed to? In order to survive in this specific culture, if we’re not perfect, is to become someone we’re not. So not only do we have to try to live up to a standard that is not comprehendible but we also have to be fake. In the middle of the last stanza Piercy explains, â€Å"with the undertaker’s cosmetics painted on/a turned-up putty nose/dressed in a pink and white nightie† (20-22). The woman now has the superficial , but perfect, looks. She is manipulated (physically) so she can finally be recognized. Letting a society make this woman frail and surrender to being her own individual shows a lack of values and morals within herself. Having our own opinions, life experiences and ethics make us who we are and if we were all the same or are held up to the same expectations what would life be like? Would we all act like robots? Clones? As the woman has been re-configured, shallow talks are amongst her, â€Å"Doesn’t she look pretty? everyone said/Consummation at last/To every woman a happy ending† (23-25). Mission complete, she achieved her goal; she is pretty, unflawed, and looks like the ideal woman.

Internet Traps and False Information Essay

Internet very popular important with everybody. Nowadays, everybody also use internet. It connect people on the world. Traditional class and internet class very diffenrent Internet is the traditional system, it will help our have more knowledge, good information, good news†¦ In the past, people used internet is the search system. It have a lot of good thing in the internet. It help we have friends , forum , search everything we want. We can know more knowledge But everything will be have negative and positive. We just know a good thing in the internet , we do not need to know a lot of bad thing on the internet . Social also have two face and internet too . It has troubles , traps †¦ we need to be thought wise, we certainly know right from wrong. Therefore , we should fully exploit the advantages of the internet, that advantage should not do bad things or negative. Internet always contains interesting things. Internet is one of the greatest inventions of human history. When old does not have internet, humans can be difficult to share the necessary information useful life, thanks to the internet, today we know a lot of things good. We need to know to take advantage of the internet to be useful, or exploitation of useful things in this life. It will help you feel better love life, more interesting things. But sometimes we take advantage of it in a bad job, bad purposes will cause the opposite effect. It makes us inadvertently lead us to wrong path that they want and go against positive thinking. If we take advantage of the bad things on the internet, it will lose the good thing is its capital. Because the internet sometimes contain false information about the problem, negative nature, does not serve the purpose well. Traditional classroom is the class just come to class and do homework, construct and develop courses. Traditional classes can help students become more active in this life. Students can hardly develop the capabilities as well as their knowledge. Traditional classroom is very limited and restrictive. It is difficult to create a sense of comfort and good environment for students to learn. It gives the students a feeling extremely uncomfortable, passive. The school on the internet is extremely beneficial, it helps us to easily absorb everything without hard working. Classroo m based courses offer more focus than online courses. In a classroom, students are forced to be quiet and listen to the teacher or their peers. They can even switch to a different tab with their favorite social network instead of what they’re supposed to be learning. the Internet  classroom is convenient for professors, too! They can give us a quiz without any paper, which can reduce the consumption of trees. At the same time, it may be easier for some teachers to make corrections or comments on student’s work on the computer. In this way, the professors can concentrate more on teaching. They don’t need to care about students’ behavior like eating, talking on the cell phone, or going to the toilet. Traditonal class makes sense to attend classes in person if you decide to live in the dorms or are an incoming freshmen who wants the real college experience. There are certainly more opportunities to join clubs, associations, or fraternities/sororities while taking classes on campus.

Corporate Branding and Globalization Essay

Introduction Globalization can be said to be an increasing pattern of worldwide interconnectivity that has led to a large number of contrasting perceptions emanating from cultural differences. With increasing globalization, the world appears to have become a much smaller place, resulting in the amalgamation of cultures as well as greater sensitivity towards cultural differences. There are varied kinds of differences relative to minority rights, religious movements and gender and identity politics. However, the global marketplace is characterized with an unending battle for competitive advantage, which has created the need for global organizations to constantly keep finding new ways of attaining and sustaining their advantages in such a competitive environment. The main thrust behind such abilities is efficient corporate branding because by their very nature, brands have the potential to classify differentiation in pertinent and convincing ways. This ability has played a major role in distinguishi ng global brands such as Coca Cola, Dell and Unilever. This paper reflects on the role played by corporate branding in contemporary forms of globalization. Main Body Given that the current business environment is becoming increasingly intense, the leadership status of any popular and well established company can change overnight because just enjoying a competitive advantage is no longer sufficient in the current global business environment. The main determinant for consistent development and growth is the ability to sustain competitive advantage. Time is known to play a major role in this regard because while many companies could be focusing on adopting the latest technology and innovations, others would have moved up to higher levels. This aspect becomes more important in view of the large numbers of organizations that are struggling to remain afloat in a turbulent business environment. The only solution is to adopt an effective corporate branding strategy. A brand cannot be said to be a product or trade mark or any kind of advertising because these elements serve in achieving the main objective of establishing a competitive brand. Marketing experts believe that corporate branding is the currency of the twenty-first century and must be uniquely strategized in order to get the required outcomes. A global organization that can constantly deliver such promises stands to gain in establishing long term relationships, which results in spawning goodwill and good reputation. In the contemporary globalization context, the brand promise is conveyed through the brand strategy and conveyed by means of the brand personality. It is necessary to establish appeal, distinctiveness and clarity in linear association with the supremacy of the brand. In determining the issues that affect corporate branding amongst multinational organizations, it is important to examine the characteristics of successful international brands. It is apparent that globally successful brands do not focus on highlighting their products or services but aim at selling specific concepts. For example, Coca Cola sells soft drinks but in different parts of the globe its products are perceived more with a sense of enjoyment. Dell adopts the same strategy and does not focus on selling its computers but on what is made possib le with its products. Similarly, McDonald’s, which is the biggest and fastest growing restaurant chain in the world, does not focus on describing the qualities of its food items but on promising unique experiences to consumers. McDonald’s branding strategy is a true example of giving credence to the cultural practices prevalent in its different market segments. Although it sells pork in several of its restaurant chains across the world, it does not do so in the Middle East in respecting the cultural and religious beliefs of local people. Similarly, in India, where majority of the population is vegetarian, McDonald does not sell beef products. Emirates, which is amongst the world’s leading airlines, focuses on selling its service instead of highlighting other aspects of its products. All these global organizations share common branding characteristics that can be emulated by organizations striving to expand globally. The prime focus has to be on adopting an appropriate branding strateg y. The main considerations in making strategies and plans in a globalized environment pertain to evaluating the operating model of the organizational structure and to create a branding strategy that appeals to the internal and external environments. By mobilizing a leadership team with international experience, the organization can effectively execute and integrate branding relevant to the given segment and location. This is evident from the practices of companies such as Starbucks and Nike that emphasize on all aspects of business except marketing. This strategy is particularly important in deregulated global supply chains because firms have to be careful about the link between politics and money that have been impacting even the policies of the World Trade Organization (Pieterse, 1996). Brand based campaigns are known to have rattled their respective corporate targets, in many instances making organizations to change their policies. In this regard, Klein (2002) has given the example o f three brand campaigns that are noteworthy in having deeply impacted consumers’ perceptions. These brand campaigns pertained to the Swoosh, the Shell and the Arches that developed tactics in making use of courts to enforce adoption of transparent practices by corporations. They also used internet in bypassing the conventional media systems and hence proved to be revolutionary in impacting the potential of political engagements (Klein, 2002). According to Rantanen (2004), the media plays an important role in the globalization process although he does not assert that the media is the only aspect that matters in globalization. He holds that through their individual media activities, people indirectly contribute to the process of globalization because such media activities have a strong bearing on the creation of social practices. From this perspective, it appears that the branding strategies of multinational organizations addressed through the media can impact the business performance of these firms because culture that is established through the impact of media will create pre ferences for the advertised goods and services. The objective of multinational corporations in using the media for their branding objectives is to ensure that people in new market segments become aware of the products through advertising campaigns that associate their social and cultural practices with the benefits and satisfaction accruing from the advertised products. Pieterse (2000) has raised the issue of whether globalization involves the creation of a pattern towards human integration. In fact, it is true that increasing levels of interrelationships have resulted because of globalization, which has created a shrinking world. This in turn has led to the overall widening of the extent of human cooperation because of the creation of common interests and preferences that have been made possible through the influx of products and services introduced by multinational corporations in different parts of the world. The same product is introduced in new markets with different branding strategies that are related with local cultural and social practices, thus creating a link between consumers in several parts of the world, although the motivation to buy such products varies in different parts of the world. This difference arises primarily because of branding strategies of multinational companies. Conclusion It is apparent that in the current volatility that characterizes global businesses, branding plays a very important role by addressing the needs of consumers in different parts of the world in keeping with their social and cultural practices. Companies with strong brands thus prove to be more resistant to global economic fluctuations in being able to provide high levels of demand predictability and higher level of reliability and stability in forecasting. Such companies are characterized with having a consistent flow of revenues and profit, which allows them to predict higher returns for their stakeholders. In view of these circumstances, brands can be considered as any other asset, which can account for a given level of profitability in producing good results for stakeholders. References Klein, N. A. 2002. Tale of Three Logos – The Swoosh, the Shell and the Arches; in No Logo: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs, Picador Pieterse, Jan Nederveen. 2000. Globalization and Human Integration: We are all Migrants, Elsevier, Volume 32, Issue 5, Pages 385–398 Pieterse, Jan Nederveen. 1996. Globalization and Culture: Three Paradigms, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 31, No.23, pp.1389-1393 Rantanen, Terhi. 2004. The Media and Globalization, Sage