Differences Between Juvenile & Adult Justice System

Differences between Juvenile and Adult Systems Criminal Justice Systems, CJA302, Module IV – Case Assignment Dr. Gregory Herbert March 8, 2009 History of Criminal Justice System: Differences between Juvenile and Adult Systems When we talk about a juvenile being considered an adult for the purpose of administering justice, there are a multitude of factors that need and should be taken into consideration. First, is the age of the juvenile.Secondly, it depends on the type of crime or crimes that the juvenile has committed. Next, is the extent to which the juvenile will benefit from services through the juvenile court system versus the adult court system. Then, the system will examine the degree of criminal sophistication exhibited by the minor. Also, in some instances, a fitness hearing must be held to determine if the minor is â€Å"a fit and proper subject to be dealt with under the juvenile court system†.The District Attorney’s office has 48 hours to decide wheth er or not to request a fitness hearing. After a fitness hearing is requested, the juvenile (defendant) will usually waive their rights to a speedy trial so both counsels can prepare their arguments for the fitness hearing. All entities will refer to California Welfare and Institutions Code 707 and use the following criteria to determine the juvenile’s fitness.Beginning with the juvenile’s degree of criminal sophistication, whether the juvenile can be rehabilitated prior to the expiration of the juvenile court’s jurisdiction, previous delinquent history, success of previous attempts by the juvenile court to rehabilitate the juvenile, along with the circumstances and gravity of the offense alleged in the petition to have been committed by the juvenile. There are waiver laws that provide a waiver of juvenile court jurisdiction under certain circumstances, allowing for the transfer of a juvenile’s case from the juvenile system to the criminal court system.The re are three types of waivers used in determining whether a juvenile will be tried as an adult. First there is a Legislative Waiver which states; by law, the juvenile’s case must be held in the adult criminal court, based on the offense committed under WIC 602(b)(A) through (G) and the minimum age to be tried as an adult is fourteen years. Some of the offenses that fall under WIC 60(b)(A)-(G) include: murder, rape, forcible sex offenses, forcible lewd and lascivious acts on a child under the age of fourteen, and forcible penetration with an object.The second type of waiver is the Direct File Waiver (formerly known as a Prosecutorial Waiver). The Direct File Waiver allows for the prosecutor to file a criminal claim against a juvenile ‘directly’ in adult criminal court, eliminating the need for a fitness hearing. But, judges may transfer a juvenile to an appropriate juvenile court if the judge deems it to be fair and just. The third type of waiver is the Judicial W aiver. The Judicial Waiver states that in order for a juvenile to be transferred to the adult criminal court, it requires the juvenile to be found â€Å"unfit† for the juvenile system in a fitness hearing.The minimum age of the minor is fourteen years of age. In an effort to fight against juveniles from committing serious crimes, the voters of California in March of 2000 passed Proposition 21 (Gang Violence and the Juvenile Crime Prevention Act). Proposition 21 increased a variety of criminal penalties for crimes committed by juveniles and incorporated many juvenile offenses into the adult criminal system. There is increased punishment for gang related felonies, death penalty for gang-related murder, indeterminate life sentences for home-invasion robbery, carjacking, drive-by shootings, and many other crimes.This Proposition also requires adult trial for juveniles fourteen or older charged with murder or specified sex offenses. Informal probation for juveniles committing felo nies was also eliminated and registration was required for gang related offenses. Legislation like that of Proposition 21 shifts the focus of juvenile justice from rehabilitation to punishment as the number of waivers continues to increase nationwide. The juvenile justice system traditionally individualized its decisions due to its rehabilitative nature and perception that juveniles do not have fully developed concepts of what is right and wrong.Also, Proposition 21 shifts the discretionary power from judges to prosecutors. As with most problems in our society, juvenile justice could be more effective as a whole.References Cruz, J. (2002). Juvenile Waivers and the Effects of Proposition 21. Law and Society Review. Retrieved March 3, from www. lawso. ucsb. edu/rreview/issues/2001-2002. Unknown. (2000). California Proposition 21. Retrieved on March 6, 2009 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/California_Proposition_21_(2000) Unknown. (2005). The Juvenile Justice System. Retrieved on Ma rch 3, 2009 from www. csustan. edu/socialwork

Pandora Case Analysis Essay

Abstract Pandora provides personalized Internet radio stations to its customers. Pandora provides this customized radio free of charge to its users. In combination with other business models, Pandora has successfully implemented the freemium business model in which 99% of its users receive a free service and 1% of the users pay for premium services. This business model is not appropriate for every type of business but can be profitable for some types of businesses with a planned implementation process and a clear understanding of customer values. Analyzing the success of Pandora provides information on the necessary requirements in order for business to earn a profit using the freemium business model. Pandora Case Analysis Pandora offers an Internet radio service, which tailors the music played, based on user preference. Pandora began as a free service to its consumers, while they found a way to earn a profit. Pandora utilized several different business models before implementing the freemium model. The freemium business model provides free services to 99% of the customers and expects 1% of the customers to pay a fee for premium services (Laudon & Traver, 2011). This business model can be very effective and profitable for certain types of business when managed correctly. Analyzing Pandora’s successful use of the model provides insight on which conditions need to be present in order for the freemium business model to be effective and profitable. The freemium business model is appropriate to use when the product or service is widely available and there are low variable costs in providing the product or service to each customer. It is also important that the business takes into consideration the timing of implementation and understands their customer’s values. History of Pandora The foundation of Pandora began with the creation of the Music Genome Project in 2000 and the service officially launched in 2005 (Westegren, 2009). Pandora’s founder Tim Westegren set out to create an on-line radio  station that categorizes music based on 400 different attributes such as melody, rhythm, instrumentation and harmony (Westegren, 2009). In order to accomplish this task, Westegren hired musical analysts who listened to music and created a database which links songs together based on similarity of those attributes (Shelly, 2009). This database provides the foundation for users to log into Pandora and enter an artist or a song that they want to hear. The search is a â€Å"seed† and the database creates a station based on the features of the song entered on the search. The station contains artists and songs that are similar to the search, but does not actually play the exact song or artist entered (Shelly, 2009). Pandora is interactive as users provide feedb ack to the database by giving a song thumbs up, thumbs down, or skip the song entirely (Shelly, 2009). The more the user listens to Pandora, the better the system understands their preferences (Shelly, 2009). In other words, by frequently interacting with the database, users receive a more customized radio station. Pandora Business Models Pandora continues to explore different revenue building business models in order to maximize monetization. These models include monthly subscription fees, advertising, contracting with on-line retailers and the freemium business model. When Pandora launched in 2005, their first business model was to provide 10 hours of free music and then require users to pay a monthly fee of $36. Pandora found that users listened to their 10 hours of free music, but were not willing to pay the monthly subscription fee (Laudon & Traver, 2011). When this subscription model failed to produce a profit, Pandora modified the model and provided 40 hours of free music for a month and after those hours were used, customers could either pay $.99 per song, sign up for the premium service, or do neither of these and not hear any more music (Laudon & Traver, 2011). Even with this modification, Pandora struggled to earn a profit. Pandora continued to improve their business model by adding advertisements to the site and radio stations. At the time, Pandora had almost 100,000 users; so many companies were willing to pay for advertisements on the site (Laudon & Traver, 2011). While the advertisements helped Pandora financially, it was still not enough to make a profit. Pandora then started  contracting with Amazon and other on-line retailers and included an option for users to purchase songs. Users can click the â€Å"buy† button, which redirects them to the retailer’s website. Pandora receives a fee for providing business to the retailer (Laudon & Traver, 2011). In addition, Pandora began contracting with Apple allowing users to listen to music on their iPhones (Laudon & Traver, 2011). The current model of Pandora combines advertising, contracts with retailers and the freemium business model. It is common for established businesses to earn a smaller percentage of its revenue from the premium model (Hung, 2010); therefore combining multiple revenue models maximizes monetization. Pandora continues to earn revenue from businesses paying to advertise on the site and through contracts with Amazon and Apple when users purchase music. Pandora implemented the freemium model in which 99% of users receive the service free and 1% of users pay for additional services. Approximately 1% of Pandora users pay $36 per year for premium services, which includes no advertisements and higher quality content (Laudon & Traver, 2011). As Pandora is a popularly used site, that 1% amounts to approximately 500,000 customers paying $36 per year which equates to almost 17 million dollars in revenue. Business Requirements Pandora’s effective use of the freemium business model provides insight on which conditions need to be present in order for the freemium model to be successful including the type of business, timing of implementation, and understanding customer values. The freemium business model is not appropriate for all types of businesses. It is most effective when the business provides a product or service that is widely available, has a customer base of over one million, and the variable cost of providing the free product or service must be low or close to zero (Laudon, & Traver, 2011). Pandora meets both requirements of having a large customer base and low variable costs. Currently, Pandora has approximately 47 million users (Statista, 2012), which is a large audience and exceeds the preference of one million. The cost of Pandora providing the service to one person is close to the cost it takes to provide the service to 47 million people. The variable costs per user are relatively low, as the main cost come from  software to provide Internet radio and the database to create radio stations. Once the software and database are created, they can be used multiple times without adding additional costs. Timing of Implementation Businesses who meet the criteria of having a large enough customer base and low variable costs also need to consider the timing of implementing the freemium model. Customers become accustomed to receiving a free service and expect that services to remain free. Requiring customers to pay for the service may result in the customer no longer being interested in the service. Research shows that waiting at least a year after offering the free service and a month after growth of the free usage slows is the most effective time to move to a fee service (Pauwels & Weiss, 2008). The wait period allows the site to gain popularity and customers to realize the free service’s value (Pauwels & Weiss, 2008). When Pandora first became available, customers were not willing to pay the subscription fees, as they had not yet determined the value of the service. Users listened to their free music until it ran out, and then waited until the next month when the free service was available. As the website gained popularity and customers realized the value of having a personally tailored radio station, they became more willing to subscribe to premium services. Pandora successfully implemented the freemium model almost six years of offering the free service. Customer Values One of Pandora’s strengths is the perceived value of its service to customers. Research shows that the perceived value of free content versus fee content determines if users will choose to pay for the service (Pauwels & Weiss, 2008). Pandora strives to provide each individual user a radio station that only plays their favorite songs. Most businesses fail to customize their products to each individual customer, so Pandora brings a personalized service to the customer (Westegren, 2009). An added benefit to the fee content is no advertising. Most other streaming radio stations and traditional radio stations play many commercials, which can result in listeners changing the station. Pandora’s premium services provide commercial free, advertising free, personalized radio for only $36 per year.  The benefit of the fee content encourages some users to pay the annual subscription. Pandora also allows users to connect with and recommend stations to their friends. This connection with friends through social media can be just as effective as receiving a review from a professional critic (Shelly, 2009). Most people have similar tastes in music as their friends and value their opinions. The personalized customization, no advertising and connection with friends increases customer value resulting in subscribers who are willing to pay for the service. Conclusion Analyzing Pandora’s successful implementation of the freemium business model provides insight on how other businesses can also benefit from this model. The freemium business model is not appropriate for all types of businesses. Two criteria that businesses must have are a large customer base, preferably in the millions, as well as low variable costs of providing a free service to customers (Laudon, & Traver, 2011). Businesses that meet these criteria must also take into consideration the timing of implementing the model and understand customer values. Pandora currently has well over a million active users and relatively low variable costs in providing the service. Reviewing Pandora’s history shows that timing plays an important role. Customers were not willing to pay for the service until they understood the value of the service. Pandora is aware that customers value individual customization and sharing their music with their friends. By offering a service that creates individual radio stations based on the user’s preferences and allowing them to share that music with their friends, has resulted in users who are willing to pay for premium services. Businesses interested in implementing the freemium business model can benefit from analyzing Pandora’s success in the model. References Hung, J. (2010). Economic essentials of online publishing with associated trends and patterns. Publishing Research Quarterly, 26(2), 79-95. doi:10.1007/s12109-010-9158-3. Laudon, K. C., & Traver, C. G. (2011). E-commerce: business, technology, society (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Pauwels, K., & Weiss, A. (2008). Moving from free to fee: how online firms market to change their business model successfully. Journal of Marketing, 72(3), 14-31. doi:10.1509/jmkg.72.3.14 Shelley, A. (2009). Pandora. Notes, 66(1), 138-142. Statista. (2012). Pandora’s active users from 2009 to 2012 (in millions). Retrieved from http://www.statista.com/statistics/190989/active-users-of-music-streaming-service-pandora-since-2009/. Westegren, T. (2009). Tailor your product to 1 million customers. (cover story). Financial Executive, 25(8), 38.

A Look At Johannes Itten English Literature Essay

A Look At Johannes Itten English Literature Essay The Bauhaus art connoisseur that I chose as a subject to study is Johannes Itten. He was a visionary color and art theorist who developed color wheel and stars which are widely studied by art students. He also delved into spiritual and psychological aspect of color. I feel deeply connected to his work as the first step towards understanding art is to understand color. I feel Johannes Itten’s simplistic approach towards embracing color and portraying his sensitivity in his artwork is quite palpable and that is the reason I feel the need to learn more about his artwork and color theories. Where are they located? When were they born? What was the world like when they were working? Johannes Itten was born on 11th Nov, 1888 in SÃ ¼dern-Lindern, Switzerland in a school teacher’s family. After realizing his passion for Arts he moved to Vienna for art studies in 1916 and then moved to Weimar in 1919 to teach in the Bauhaus. It was a competitive world when Johannes Itten lived . Europe was war trodden and people laid more emphasis on wages and savings then cultivating artistic aptitude. Although Johannes Itten somehow escaped the horrors of war, most of the artist, painters, architect during that period had to forcibly enrol in the war. In the art world people were sceptic of new ideas and that was one of the main reasons of his expulsion from the Bauhaus. Art and craft was thriving in that period and graphic designing grew bold with experiments in typography, calligraphy and photography etc which led to a sudden interest in graphic designing. Did they go to school? Where? What did they study? Since Johannes Itten was a teacher’s son he trained as a primary school teacher to pursue a career in the field. Itten however realized that teaching primary school was not his thing and that he has predilection for color and arts. Under parental pressure he decided to take Diploma in mathematics and science to teach at a secondary school, but not before taki ng a semester at Geneva Ecole des Beaux – Arts in Genf. It was after studying there that he realized his inclination towards arts. He then studied under Adolf HÃ ¶lzel in Stuttgart. After finishing his studies he moved to Vienna in 1916 where he met Walter Gropius in 1919 (founder of the Bauhaus) who extended him the invitation to lecture at the Bauhaus in Weimar. In 1926, however, after falling out with Gropius Walter, Johannes Itten established an art school in Berlin to train architects, artists, painters and photographers. From 1932 to 1938 Itten taught at the Krefeld School of Textile Design, where he edified industrial designers. He became the director of the Museum and Institute of Arts and Crafts in Zurich before retiring in 1955. Having being fully dedicated to the teaching institutes Itten never found much time to devote to his own creations until 1955, after retirement however he became more prolific then before. He died in Zurich in 1967. Can you define the desig ner’s philosophy in his/her work (i.e. did they follow or create a certain movement?) What type of work did they do?

Leader ship Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leader ship - Assignment Example In Robins & Judge (2010) for proper discharge of companies’ services to their clients, the management should focus on excellence of their products, ensure their clients are contented with their products and give their employees inducement in order to maximize their productivity. Leadership Theory In any business environment the management should ensure proper coordination of activities right from the organization to the clients. For the management to achieve this level of operation, they should ensure they are focused and be able to control other activities of the organization. According to management theory the leaders of any organization have a task to ensure that all other components in the organization are well coordinated (Robins & Judge, 2010, p.567). On the other hand, relationship theory requires the organization leaders to give their workers stimulus in order to ensure proper coordination of activities within the organization. The managers should ensure that workers a re aware of the organizations objectives in order to pursue them. They should also ensure that all appropriate resources are available for the worker in order to promote efficiency in the organization. ... This streamlines communication within the organization hence enabling the company’s management to effectively make their objectives known to the employees and work with a common interest of achieving the set goals. This will also simplify the problem of delegating tasks to the workers. The management practicing this theory in their organization will be interested with the collective prosperity of the individual’s advancement. Motivation Giving incentives to both workers and consumers plays a magic in the performance of the organization (Gorman, 2004, p.57). The management can give their employees incentives of various forms such as increasing their salaries, offering them an opportunity to advance their careers, or just appreciating them for their good work in the presence of other workers. This enables the workers to identify with the organization and feel encouraged to work and achieve management objectives. Organizational leaders should also encourage the employees b y giving them challenging tasks in the organization and avoid public condemnation even when they have gone wrong. The management should also establish training programs in order to assist the workers to upgrade their skills (Gorman, 2004). This enables the workers to increase their efficiency and confidence of performing their duties hence increasing their output in the organization. The workers will be able to interact with their clients freely and offer them excellent services. Providing products and services to the consumers is of paramount importance to the organization because it will help to create consumer trust on company and their products. When worker provide exemplary services to the customers, the

Best Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Best Workplace - Essay Example Similar to its name, Genentech, the company utilizes genetic human information to come up with the new medicine. This medicine is manufactured and sold to hospitals and other pharmaceuticals to help in the treatment of patients suffering from chronic ailments or medical conditions that generally, threaten an individual’s life. Why did Genentech emerge top six in the hundred? This question rings a bell every time someone visits the Fortune website. However, Genentech manages to emerge top six because of ninety- five percent employee rating in: challenges, atmosphere, rearwards, pride, communication, and bosses. Genentech is a company where workers enjoy team building through parties and similar events that bring all the workers together to celebrate in their success and work hard. This enables the entire staff to feel appreciated and to have increased motivation as well as willingness of working as a team (â€Å"Accel† n.d; â€Å"Fortune† 2014). In support of, George Homan’s theory of exchange, the company uses reward system, as a way of motivating their workers. This is by rewarding the employees with a six-week paid break for every six years an employee works for the company. Such benefits have enabled the employees to take pride in their job and help patients acquire the kind of treatment they deserve. Additionally, the employees are not discriminated because accountability is maintained among all employees. The managers at the company, promotes good communicating among workers where complaints can be voiced and problems solved soon before they advance into a crisis that causes risks in a working place. Patients that have been served by the company’s employees are living proof that the conducive environment provided for the employees is reciprocated by the good services and great commitment offered (â€Å"Fortune† 2014; Inc. staff 2014). Burns & McDonnell is located in Kansas City, founded in the year 1898.

Above and beyond the call of duty Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Above and beyond the call of duty - Article Example Shes actually been on active duty for only 16 years and counting. Prior to donning Army fatigues she was married to Donald Ross. It was a union that produced a son, Donald Jr. now aged 12. She also has a 3 year old daughter, Sondra Lee Peebles. Certain difficulties in her marriage brought their union to an abrupt end and Mary-Margaret was left with custody of her two children. It was during these financially times that she decided to volunteer for active Army service. She has led a physically active lifestyle as far back as she can remember so it came as no surprise to her and those who know there when she breezed through the physical tests and rigid military training program. This woman is so fit that she scores a whopping 299 out of 30 on her Physical Fitness tests -- on a bad day. She expects nothing less of herself, after all, she spends a regular amount of time at the gym where she concentrates on stamina, speed, and accuracy training. Major Ross has been in active military service for the past 16 years and shows no signs of slowing down. Neither does she entertain thoughts of retiring early from military service. She enjoys having the opportunity to be able to give back to the country which has treated her so well and fairly throughout her life, and she intends to keep paying it forward for as long as she can. Most of her active duty has been spent overseas with her spending two years in active Army service in Korea and another two years in England. Amazingly enough, Mary-Margaret Ross still finds time in her already jam-packed schedule to attend Doctoral Studies in the field of Education. Although she does not currently entertain any ideas of leaving the military, she recognizes the fact that her time to leave the service will eventually come. Having completed her Education studies, she chose to enroll in the doctorate program so that she could teach children on a higher level in the future. As a currently

Barclays bank Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Barclays bank - Essay Example Financial ratios are important in that they aid in determining the financial performance of the company, they also help to identify the strength and the weaknesses of the company, financial ratios include debt ratio, sales turnover ratio, return on assets, and return on equity gearing ratio, current ratio and price earning ratio. All these ratios are important but in order to identify the strength and the weaknesses of the company we need to identify the profitability, efficiency and the leverage of the company. The gearing ratio is a financial indicator of the relationship between long term liabilities and capital employed, it is an important indicator to investors, this is because shares in a financial year may earn dividends while in some years dividends may not be paid, it is also important to investors in that long term liabilities are in form of loans and that they need to be paid back with interest and if the ratio is not appropriate investors end up loosing finally share holders have voting rights while long term liabilities do not have the voting rights that are used in making decisions of the company. Therefore the gearing ratio shows the relationship between long term liabilities and it is calculated by dividing long term liabilities by the shareholders equity. ... 1685 27106 Because we derive the gearing ratio by dividing the long term liabilities by the total share holder equity we substitute our values as follows: Gearing ratio = 183,011/27106 = 6.75 Therefore our gearing ratio is 6.75, this means that the company finances more using long term debts than equity through sale of share, this means that the company has to pay interest earned by these liabilities while it would have been possible to raise capital through equity, therefore there is a problem of having to pay high interest levels for the debts and therefore the company needs to minimize the costs of debts by raising funds through the sale of shares. Dividend history: The following table summarizes dividends paid over the past 3 years, form the table it is evident that dividends paid have increased over the years: year dividends paid (million pounds) 2005 1894 2006 2215 2007 2559 The following chart shows the dividends paid by the company in the past 3 years: From the above chart it is evident that the companies dividends have increased, this is an indication that in 2008 the dividends are likely to increase, this is an indication that the bank has increased its profit levels and therefore it is likely that the dividends will increase in the future, therefore investing in this company is much more profitable due to the high anticipated divided levels in the future. Cash flow statement: We analyze the company's performance using the 2007 cash flow statement, according to this statement we will be in a position to analyze the financial position of the bank and also indentify the source of the high profits gained by the bank. Assets purchases: During the year 2007 there were major changes in the level of assets held by the company, the company

Risk Management wk2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Risk Management wk2 - Essay Example It is because such an act is useful and will proactive planning will save millions of money to the company in the future. It will also ensure that the data in storage is secure and devoid of fraud due to unauthorized access. Huffman Trucking company management is in the initial process of coming up with a new database to keep the medical records of the employees. Several factors have to be considered before final ushering out of the database. The company should establish an information security policy. Every employee ought to be aware of such a policy. The policy aims at protecting the information from unacceptable disclosure, controlling how the information is shared. A good policy should be clear, concise, realistic, enforceable, role based and focusing on long-term existence of the company. The program should have an antivirus software installed in all its systems, spyware, and a malicious codes detector. Antiviruses can infect the system leading to the information loss or interruption of the running of the system. They can detect any intruder from accessing the private information. The system should also enforce a software where process that does update itself regularly rot the purpose of monitoring the vendors. Such a process has an automaticity in such a way that it fixes its own problems that arises. Frequent updates fix any vulnerabilities that may expose the system to hackers. There should be a clears system to detect, control and monitor the unauthorized access by external parties. Inventory and management of such assets entails having a list of all the authorized and permitted parties that should have access to the information. Therefore, utilization of cool tools will monitor the devices that are accessing the database hence maintaining the systems integrity. The firewalls and information systems should have a secure configuration. Firewall act as traffic controls in

Corporate Social Responsibility Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Corporate Social Responsibility Theories - Essay Example This theory postulates that companies aim at demonstrating their legitimacy to the society by acting in accordance with the bounds and norms of the community. The bounds and norms consist of all behaviour that the society accepts. Rendtorff (2009, p.145) argues that organizations safeguard the social contract between them and the society by displaying acceptable behaviour. The researcher explains that the social contract between company and the society requires organizations to deliver benefits and desirable ends to the community (Rendtorff, 2009). The failure of conforming to the expectations of the society ruins the society’s view of the company; this view is known as corporate image. Therefore, to avoid conflicts with the society, corporations aim at achieving a balance between their objectives and those of the community. Organizations adopt social and environmental reporting as a technique of maintaining legitimacy and an excellent image to the society. This is because the society expects companies to give back to them and to protect their environment (Gossling, 2011). The public expects organizations to maintain low levels of pollution because high levels threaten the health of individuals. The public also anticipate companies to support them in community projects because the society gives them a chance to conduct business in their environment (Tench, Sun, & Jones, 2012). Companies, therefore, have to report to the society about their environmental and social activities to improve their legitimacy and hence, their image and credibility to the community. Edward Freeman developed stakeholder theory, which argues that organizations aim at providing their stakeholders with value.

Zero tolerance policies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Zero tolerance policies - Essay Example Zero tolerance policies are not effective as they cause more harm than good to an institution and the student offender at hand. Despite the conflicting arguments on the zero tolerance policies, it has been widely used as a means of controlling school disruption and chaotic instances. Punishments given to all offences are severe disregard of the intensity of the incidents. The zero tolerance policies has its limitations in that it fails to address the underlying causes of the incidence therefore making it ineffective in countering crimes effectively. Recently, most schools in the America and Europe have embraced this policies which has led to most students being suspended or even expelled from their respective schools. A number of concerns and questions have aroused due to a research on this policies. Among the questions include, â€Å"Do zero tolerance policies in schools reduce incidents of bad behavior? and What are the societal consequences of suspension and expulsion of students who violate these policies? Juà ¡rez, pp. 415-416)†. Little evidence is available to credit school safety and improve b ehavior in students subjected to this policies. Research on the effectiveness of expulsions and suspensions as an educational intervention, and other ethical concerns has generated data that shows the negative effects of the zero tolerance policies. This data has led to a change in punishments adopted in different schools which matches the offences committed and preventive measures of bullying and improvement in class management. Research done on finding of alternative ways of punishment will help schools in developing more effective and intrusive methods of school discipline. In September 17, 1999, a fight broke between students of rival gangs in a football game at Decatur High School in Decatur. In October 1, 1999 the School Board expelled the seven students, all black from the school for two years. This move provoked reaction

Calypso or Circe Essay Example for Free

Calypso or Circe Essay Nausicaa is the first normal woman Odysseus sees in nearly twenty years, the last of whom being the women from Ismarus, the city he sacks directly after leaving Troy, and understandably he is very weary of her. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, he treats her with the utmost respect and keeps his distance from her, both physically and emotionally. He admires her beauty, respects her decisions and listens to her like an equal, despite her age and sex, which shows respect, although not necessarily feelings. Despite his lack of show of affection towards her, he is kind and shows his appreciation for her saving him from death I do indeed pray to Zeus to let me reach my home If he does, then I will pray you as a divinity all the rest of my days. For it was you lady, who gave me back my life. showing how he does indeed respect what she has done for him, and is grateful towards her. After Odysseus leaves Nausicaa in the town, Homer does not mention her anymore but for their goodbyes, despite the fact they are staying under the same roof. This indicates Odysseuss lack of interest in Nausicaas comings and goings. When Odysseus begins to explain his adventures to Alcinous, in particular he mentions Calypso and Circe, and how he never had any affection for them The divine Calypso was certainly for keeping me in her cavern home because she yearned for me to be her husband and with me the same object Circe. but never for a moment did they win my heart. Here Odysseus states in his own words that he was never won over by either, and although he may have found pleasure in staying with them, it could never compare with the pleasure of seeing his wife again; any feelings he had towards Calypso or Circe were not genuine or heart-felt. Similarly to Calypso, Circe is first seen as singing with her beautiful voice and weaving one of those delicate, graceful and dazzling fabrics that goddesses make, and the temptation to stay with her (as he then does with Calypso) would have been immense. Hermes warns her that she will invite you to her bed. You must not refuse if you want her to free your men and look after you. The fact that Odysseus obeys this shows the extent of what he would do to free his men and return home; going to bed with Circe would have been merely another obstacle for him on his journey home, his feelings towards her being limited. Although he describes the comfortable heat and the way all the painful weariness was gone from his limbs, his thoughts were elsewhere and mind was full of forebodings showing how he cannot feel content without knowing his crew is safe and his chances for ever reaching home are still tangible. In addition, the way in which he prioritises Circes actions towards him and his crew is also relevant, seeing as it is Odysseus recounting the story to Alcinous. He first says Circe graciously bathed the members of my party in her palace and rubbed them with olive-oil. She gave them tunics and warm cloaks, showing how to him, the women he encounters are mostly beneficial to him for the reason that they give him and his crew shelter, food and drink, and there is no implication of any feeling towards them. They stay on the island for a year, and by the end the crew are frustrated What possesses you to stay on here? Its time you thought of Ithaca. It is only when Ithaca is mentioned that Odysseus is persuaded to leave my proud heart was convinced; if he did have any feelings towards Circe, he would have stayed, or at least contemplated staying for a little longer. Overall I consider that Odysseus does not care about these women. He loves his wife dearly [Penelope] is never out of your thoughts- and is happy to leave every island he sets foot upon if he thinks he is heading for home. Circe does seem to hold a certain place in Odysseus heart, because she is the one he stays with voluntarily and has to be persuaded to leave, but Odysseus leaves the others without a backward glance with a happy heart in fact, in the case of Calypso. Odysseuss affection and respect for Nausicaa seems to be purely polite and possibly only to suit his own means, or at the most brotherly- he wants the best for her. As for Arete, Odysseus never had affectionate feelings for her. He needs her support to get home, and this is the only reason he shows respect for her, except perhaps because she is a wise woman. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus longs for his homeland, and is unable to feel much but grief at his prolonged absence.

Importance of Tourism in London

Importance of Tourism in London The World Tourism Organization (WTO) defines tourism as the activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business, and other purposes. James Mak (2004) found that about 62 percent of international travel is leisure travel, 18 percent business travel, and the remaining 20 percent is for other purposes. Regardless of what the reason for travel may be there is a direct linkage of tourism and the economy. According to the latest provisional data from the International Passenger Survey in the first quarter of 2010, London welcomed 2.96 million visitors. Tourism is a vital contributor to Londons economy, generating approximately  £10.6 billion of overnight visitor expenditure in 2009 (Visit London: fact sheet). Evidently tourism represents a relevant source of foreign exchange earning a significant income, benefiting the London economy. This paper will attempt to explore the importance of tourism to the London economy focusing on different aspects in the industry that relate to the economic situation of London. In 2002, Mayor Ken Livingstone devised a massive plan to encourage tourism and thereby improve the economic conditions of the country. He saw tourism as an industry with great potential and therefore intended to benefit the economic situation by improving the efficiency of the system. Since then much of the Mayors plan for tourism in London has been revised and improved upon by the present mayor Boris Johnson. In Livingstones foreword to the publication he stressed that tourism is vital to Londons prosperity. Ours is a world city with unrivalled appeal London has assumed increasing importance as a premier tourist spot especially after turmoil from other rivals that deter tourists from visiting their country. For instance popular tourist spots like Luxor, Alexandria and Sham Al Sheik are now looked upon as hostile environments after the ousting of president Ben Ali in Tunisia and the massive street protests that followed. In an article posted by the Euronews (2011), a Spanish travelle r told reporters he had decided to leave Egypt because the situation is getting complicated and dangerous. He added: We cant go anywhere and we have three little daughters. This unrest in rival tourist countries makes the politically stable and hence safer London a prime tourist destination. It is evidently clear that London is ranked highest for international tourism. London is a city of proud historic tradition, authentic architecture, an entertainment capital as well as an important financial and business centre. Many foreign dignitaries besides attending to their official duties also take time to experience the city as tourists. Leisure activities have more flexibility and there is usually a range of places where particular leisure activities can be undertaken, and far less temporal constraints on their enjoyment, even if individuals are still bound by obligated, biological and work related time (Shaw and Williams, 2002) The Economic Development Strategy for London recognized that tourism and hospitality sector as one of the most significant forces in the London economy. Tourism and leisure are also important elements in labor markets, with tourism accounting for more than one million jobs in the UK alone. (Williams and Shaw, 1998) The London Tourist Boards Tourism Strategy for London has calculated that the number of jobs created by tourism in 1985 is around 275,000 full-time job equivalents. This accounts for some 8 per cent of all Londons employment. This calculation includes day visitor spend which is estimated to add 10 per cent to the total (25,000 jobs) Since then, the plan stresses on the fragility of the key economic statistics on Londons tourism as the structure of employment in the industry has changed considerably for example in the advancements of the information and communication technologies as well as part-time employment and capital investment. However, tourism is set to grow with th is increasing rate of tourism it will inevitably bring profit to the economic situation in London. The Draft London Plan forecasts that growth in employment in hotels and catering will be second only to financial and business services. Technical Report Thirteen on hotel capacity and demand predicts a 3.4 per cent annual increase in overseas visits to London between 2000 and 2020. The service sector has increased in importance, in both absolute and relative terms, in most economies in recent decades. (Knox and Agnew, 1998) As the service sector benefits greatly a multiplier effect comes into play which creates inter-firm linkages which all have much ado with the economy. The geography of the production of leisure and tourism services does share many features with other sectors (Agarwal, 2000). Shaw and Williams (2002) found that catering held strong links to the agricultural sector and also that there was coherence between inter-regional transport firms, as well as some forms of furniture producers. It is this multiplier effect that concerns the way in which expenditure in tourism filters throughout the economy, stimulating other sectors as it does so (Pearce, 1989) Although this may represent profit within the economic sector of the city Smith (1995) argues that regrettably, the abuse of multipliers often seen to be as frequent as legitimate uses thus contributing further to the industrys lack of credibility. This pessimistic view holds certain truth as corruption is well within the tourist industry, however the extent to this is not as severe as to cause a significant downfall in the economy. Another point stressed by the mayor is Londons success in the global tourism marketplace of which had a major impact on the performance of the UK tourism economy. The mayor has restated his commitment to ensuring that London continues to contribute to the wider interests of the British tourism industry. The visionary plan fittingly called Visit London will seek to sustain Londons international profile and status as a world city as it has long been established as the international gateway to the UK, according to the Tourism Company (2002), with 59 percent of overseas visitors arriving via one of Londons airports. Over half of overseas visitors spend time in London, many of whom travel by rail car and coach. This leads me to my next point, which is the importance of the travel infrastructure. Geoff Muirhead, CEO of an airport group, stressed the importance of the aviation industry in the UK economy four group airports generate more than 3 billion pounds for UK plc, and support thousands of travel and tourism related jobs. Inbound tourism is clearly good news for the British economy, while overseas travel allows UK citizens a well earned break in a sunnier climate. We need to find ways of supporting both these aspects of tourism much more effectively, given their importance to the UK economy as a whole. The hospitality and leisure development is also greatly interlinked with the development of an efficient travel infrastructure. Whitbread Chief Executive Alan Parker explained that the hospitality industry depends heavily on the infrastructure of air, road and rail links, which transport clients to the hotels. If infrastructure does not keep pace with growth, then business and tourism could drift away from the UK to other markets on the continent. In conjunction with the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games more than 11 billion pounds of investment is set to flow into the capital between now and 2012, much of this funding goes into a range of various developments for the reconstruction of East London, particularly the transport system. Accessibility is an important aspect in tourism as tourism requires a journey, similarly the view through the car windscreen has also had significant consequences for the nature of the visual glance, enabling the materiality of the city or the landscape to be clearly appreciated (Larsen, 2001) Hence the mode of transportation is essential in creating an efficient tourist experience which undoubtedly brings revenue into the country. WTTC Chairman Geoffrey Kent commented on the infrastructural plan and said, the government must put a long term infrastructure plan with at least a 15 year horizon. The 2012 Olympic Games will provide the platform, focus and budget for this long-term plan, which will dri ve the forecasted tourist demand. The Olympic Games is not the only highly anticipated major sporting event going to be held in London as it also plays host to mass events such as tennis at Wimbledon, cricket at Lords and the Oval, and rugby at Twickenham all representing pull factors that attract the tourists. Apart from sporting activities London is also rife with entertainment, art and music scenes renowned for edge and creativity. The cultural diversity and authentic music spots such as the ever so eclectic Camden Town is just one of the many interesting places tourist visit and due to consumerism succumb to marketing ploys that inevitably benefits the citys economy. An article on Late Night London (2002) reports that 500,000 young people are estimated to go clubbing in London on a Saturday night, the club scene again gains lucratively especially as in contrast to the United States the legal age to consume alcohol in London is 18 and hence teenagers deprived of such an experience in America can enjoy in London. Tourism has brought exceptional to the city of London in terms of the economy and hence benefits the living standards of Lodoners of which become increasingly apparent. In reference to the Mayors plan, the quality of life of the locals increase tremendously with both leisure and employment opportunities. With all the development of travel and industry that is essential in fostering an efficient tourist system, in hindsight it also greatly benefits the locals, as accessibility is improved. The tourism sector accounts for 12 per cent of Londons Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and supports 13 per cent of Londons workforce. Growth in the tourism benefits London economically and crutially distributes that benefit across Londons sub-regions, communities and businesses through direct and indirect means or expenditure. In conclusion, it is evident that tourism is important to Londons economy. It is not only the source of all job opportunities but it also requires development of less industrialized areas and hence benefits not only the economy but also society. For instance the concern of addressing Canary Wharfs, located in Londons financial district, deepening infrastructure constraints, which according to a world travel and tourism council press release is jeopardizing economic prospects and seriously affects the experience of millions of travelers across the world. The development of travel infrastructure is also essential as to portray London as a Gateway to the UK and also as the travel industry is one that holds many job opportunities that can be readily distributed within the population thus increasing the quality of life of the local Londoners.

Futures and Options Essay

Futures and Options Essay The agreement to buy and sell such commodities is made through contracts to bring in legality in trading as it involves cash payments margins, delivery of goods and scope for profit maximisation. The emergence of contract systems eventually led to trading in contracts whereby a middlemen stands in between buyers and sellers. The active trading in such contracts brought standardisation which in turn led to the development of futures contracts. A future contract is a standardised, binding agreement to make or take delivery of a specified quantity and grade of a commodity at an established point in future at an agreed upon price. The organization of merchants involved in the trading these commodities evolved into an organisation that standardised the contracts and trading practises and came to be known as The Futures Exchange such as the New York Board of Trade (NYBOT) and the London International Financial Futures Exchange. One essential objective of the exchange is to provide the dealers with all necessary information with regard to price volatility i.e. the magnitude of price movement in either direction. Note that it measures price risk and volatility but does not remove or eliminate risks. The exchange provides the benchmark for the determination of price by making price margins mandatory for effective fair trading. Future transactions do not require full advance payments for the commodity (just the margin), the buyer of a futures contract which increases in value (or the seller of futures contract which decreases in value) can realize a profit which can be substantial in relation to the commitment of capital. Brazil today is the world largest producer of coffee. Considering this figures, it is not surprising to note that it has attracted considerable amount of speculation and ever increasing susceptibility to price volatility. Coffee production has direct linkage with weather besides many other factors such as world coffee prices. A coffee drink manufacturer will buy coffee beans from a coffee producer at an agreed price if he/she expects to have drastic climatic changes which will result in coffee being expensive at a future date. A sudden drop in the production in future will cut supply and make it more expensive. the buyer can, therefore, avoid unnecessary risk by buying a futures contract that will guarantee him delivery of coffee at a future date at a price fixed now. However, it must also be noted that he/she will suffer loss if the future current/spot price of coffee beans were to fall drastically due to improved production and competitions. Take an example of Brazil The Brazilian Crop was initially expected to produce about 50 million bags of coffee. Seasonal disturbances such as rain, harvest delays and quality problem caused production to fall to 33.5 million bags. Due to severe drought in Viet Nam coffee production dropped by almost 1 million bags. These shortages of coffee output distort the supply level which leads to a global rise in prices. So what roles does the future markets play in the production and selling of coffee? Taking these points into account the next chapter looks at the Indian and world coffee markets and the role future market plays in its pricing. In the analysis, I have made use of some articles from the Times of India newspaper and other websites. It is logical to state that at times of shortage prices tend to go up due to higher demand and which in turn puts pressure on sellers to sell their product at a lower price. We know from our analysis before that a buyer will resort to futures contract if he expects the prices to go up in future. However considering that the production too has been low the chances of producing the required amount to meet the demand is less which adds to speculation in the market. The report also suggests one source as saying that it is better to pay penalty and cancel a contract rather than to loose significant amount of money by fulfilling it. Note that sometimes the whole idea of futures contract is not meet the obligation in terms of delivering the commodity but to profit from the speculation that these uncertainties give rise to. The world coffee production in 2003/2004 was estimated to be around 105.3 million 60 kilogram bags down nearly 2 percent from forecast made in June and down 15 percent from the 2002/03 season. Factors such as lower production contribute to great extent the price determination. For the year 2004/2005 it was widely believed that Brazilian coffee production to be around 33-35 million bags but due to substandard weather and low level of investment the production is likely to be below 30 million bags. This drop in production is likely to cut the supply level and Brazil being the world largest producers, any drop in its output will affect the world supply and thereby raise the price. These uncertainties lead to prices going up in the futures markets. It has long been felt that some traders hold stocks to push the prices up and then sell it to make supernatural profits. Lets look at the graphical representation of prices of Robusta class of coffee as determined at the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) to assess the trends in the market. The graph below shows that since November 2004 Robusta coffee prices have increased at a slow and steady pace. However, a report that appeared on the Economic Times suggests that volatility in the world prices over the last few days have affected trading in coffee in the markets. The ICO in its Coffee Market Report seems to suggest that the downturn in mid-April caused a slight fall of 3.19 percent in the monthly average of the ICO Composite Indicator Price which dropped from 101.44 cents/lb in March to98.20 cents/lb in April. It also suggests that this has been due to high level of activity from various investment funds. Comparing the results put forward by the ICO to the recent reports in the Economic Times newspaper (24/05/2005) the volatility in the world prices have triggered a bullish trend in the Indian markets which explains why trading in the coffee auctions markets have suffered. Estimates shows that there was a 40 percent drop in the overall quantum sold when compared to the previous ICTA auction. The beginning of the year showed a significant climb in the moving averages between January and mid-March and then a significant drop till the mid of April. One of the least complex ways to use a moving average is to simply look at the slope a rising slope indicates that the market is in an uptrend and falling slope indicates a downward trend in the market. Moving Averages is a statistical technique for smoothing price movement in order to identify the trends more easily. It is equally important to understand that moving averages are sensitive to the number of days used to calculate the average i.e. the more days that are used; the less sensitive is the average. Some experts are of the view that MA can be a critical factor in decision making. For e.g. traders can make use of one or more MA to determine buy or sell decisions i.e.to use a slow MA together with a fast MA. A slow moving average can be calculated by taking more days opening or closing prices and fast moving average by taking fewer days prices. In a more elaborate way, what it means is that you must buy when the faster MA goes above the slower one and sell when the faster MA goes below the slower one [or] buy when prices are above both fast and slow MA and sell when prices are below both MA. The chart below is a graphical example of how a Moving Average looks like as of 05/27/2005. The Red Line (price line) is above the moving average so the trend is up indicating that the market is bullish and also the fast moving average (dark blue) is above the slow moving average (light blue). Volume of7078.00 suggests the measure of trading activity during the selected period of time. It refers to the number of futures contract that are either bought or sold during that period. Open Interests, on the other hand, measures the number of futures contract that remains open at a particular point in time, usually at the closing of trade. In the next chapter, I have looked at India as a producer of Coffee. India is relatively new into the coffee future markets and has performed exceedingly well. However, due to the speculative nature of the futures market and also bureaucratic hurdles have led to decrease in contract sales and increased price and non-competitiveness in the global coffee market. The two principal species of coffee grown in India are Robusta and Arabica. Trading in coffee futures was introduced only recently and prices are extensively depended on the coffee trading in the New York and London futures markets as it has considerable influence on the world coffee prices. These prices are notoriously volatile and varies considerably due to factors such as weather forecast, size of the coffee stock worldwide and speculations in the futures markets The Indian coffee production and physical trade is worth over $ 430 million annually. The production of Indian coffee is greatly influenced by world prices particularly since it is the second largest actively traded commodity in the world market. The Coffee Futures Exchange India Limited was formed under the supervision of Forwards Markets Commission to look into all trading practices affecting coffee prices. The main objectives are To provide hedging opportunity against coffee price risk. To ensure guaranteed delivery of coffee. To provide a price discovery mechanism for future period up to 18 months at any given point of time. Besides these it is important to look at the mechanism COFEI uses to ensure that market participants follows the rules in ensure financial integrity. Factors such as margins, Price limits for trading, daily marking-to-market of all trades and sufficient capital including guarantee funds ensures that proper procedures are followed when a contract is bought and sold. In India, coffee has been categorized into 4 different types with each having different margins for smooth and efficient trading. The table next page gives a snapshot view of how coffee in India is traded and in particular the different class of coffee whether raw or clean. The coffee industry, in general, has seen surge in prices by almost 40 percent. Exports in recent times have been hit quiet badly. Reports on the Financial Express newspaper suggest that export have suffered especially due to the price non-competitiveness in the world markets. India exported nearly 225,000 tonnes of coffee last year with majority (50 %) of it going to Europe. Indias coffee production and exports for the year 2005-06 (October-September) are forecast to increase by 5% and 29%, respectively. The anticipated rise in coffee export is against the backdrop of almost 26% decline in the current year (2004-05/Oct-Sep). Coffee exports are expected to fall to an eight-year low of 169,980 tonne, or 2.83 million 60-kilogram bags, in the current year ending Sept 30, from 229,320 tonne, or 3.82 million bags, a year earlier. India, the worlds fifth-biggest coffee exporter is set to witness decline as farmers and traders are withholding beans on expectations of higher prices. One of the biggest problems facing the traders in the Indian coffee industry is the time difference between India and the New York and London trading centres. Indian traders were now finding it difficult to hedge their risk. The local exchange functioned only till 5pm when the LIFFE and NYBOT and other European markets functioned till over 11.30 pm IST.

Friendship in the Kite Runner Essay examples -- Literary Analysis

The line between a friend and an enemy is thinner than one can ever imagine. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, "True friendship is never serene" (ThinkExist.com). The job of a friend is so much more than a companion, to pass the time with. They help us shape our life, and they're responsible to be that little voice in our ear, to help us analyze our actions and views. Through Amir's relationships, The Kite Runner shows the true role of a friend to point and guide us even when we don't agree; total devotion can ruin not only a friendship, but a life. In Hossini's novel, there are plenty of examples of a true friendship, which isn't afraid to criticize and be truthful. The simplest is Amir's wife, Soraya. While some would say her marriage to Amir isn't a true love match, but rather an arranged marriage, they are absolutely in love. She isn't afraid, however, to tell Amir of "what happened in Virginia" (Hosseini 456). She trusts Amir to understand, and to talk to her as a friend. He doesn't try to make what she did right, but instead he praises her courage as "one of many ways in which Soraya Taheri was a better person than me" (Hosseini 424). Because of this friendship, their relationship becomes an exchange. Amir tells her his entire story about Hassan and his guilt, and she helps him through his emotional reconciliation with that, by taking in Sohrab and helping bring him to America. They have no secrets, nothing goes unspoken, and they help each other. While their love might not be viewed as perfect, they temper it wi th enough truth to keep each other on the right path. An often overlooked character, a simple Afghan family man, shows Amir more "tough" than "tough love," but still turns out to be a true friend... ...le for the past, and to make up for a broken friendship. By contrasting these relationships, Hosseini proves that healthy relationships require an even measure of disagreement, correction, and help to stay afloat. Works Cited Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. iBookstore. New York: Penguin eBooks, 2004. LaFollete, Hugh. "Pragmatic Ethics." 2007. Blackwell Guide to Ethical Theory. 12 January 2010 . Princeton University WordNet. Lexicon Dictionary Search. 20 December 2010. 2011 January 16 . Simon & Garfunkel. "The Dangling Conversation." Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. By Paul Simon. Columbia Records, 1966. ThinkExist.com. Quotes on Friendship. 13 July 2002. 12 January 2011 .

Polititical scandals :: checking politicians backgrounds

When it comes to the importance of checking state and local politicians, I think it is extremely important to a certain extent. Any job should require some background check when the job is publicly related. Police officers for instance have an extensive background check if they have suspicion of a current or upcoming officer. Officers can contact a number of friends, relatives, bosses, etc. of the officer to ask questions, in hopes of catching the individual of guard. I feel that this is somewhat necessary for someone that we are supposed to trust to protect and serve our communities. It seems that even though United States soldiers have probably the most patriotic job in the country, although they do not need such a background check because of the demand for soldiers. Besides the demand, I think that it doesn’t matter all that much for some jobs. A politician, is someone the state, or communities needs to trust for much larger issues than protecting and serving. Not only do they have the power to move mountains, locally and nationally, but they hold somewhat of a role model position. These politicians are expected to be the best, most honorable, trust worthy citizens, eligible for such a job. The public sees this, sometimes too much through rhetorical situations, but sees it none the less. A politician is comparable to the president of the United States, professional athletes, and anyone that holds the title of a role model. I feel they should have a very extensive background check, but there is a place to draw the line. Neil Goldschmidt for example seemed to be the definition of a stereotypical politician, by that I mean holding all the positive qualities I previously stated. He did a tremendous amount of work for Portland and surrounding areas, and brought about much needed and appreciated commitment. When someone is to pry back into his life to determine if he was a good person, so to speak, back twenty years, I would say that there was no need for that. On the other hand if any suspicions happened to surface in the years of his employment, I would definitely feel they should be investigated. Not saying that any human being capable of committing any crime like that, shouldn’t be convicted to the fullest extent. Just that spending so much time and money on somebody, could be spent so much better somewhere else.

Illicit Trade and Drug Trafficking Proving to be a Major Problem Essay

Illicit Trade and Drug Trafficking Proving to be a Major Problem Drug trafficking and illicit trade have proven to be major problems that the international community face as it enters into the twenty-first century. Currently the illegal drug trade market is one of the largest sectors of the modern global economy. Because of this fact, the drug trade is deeply rooted in many nations economic and social cultures, which makes it very difficult to control. Drug trafficking also brings with it the problems of organized crime money laundering, corruption, and violence. In 1999, the United Nations Economic and Social Council warned that the international drug trade was brutal, dangerous, and ruthless for those involved with its actions, as well as those trying to enforce restrictions against it. In the debate over the international illicit drug trade, many have argued that the current situation is based on a supply and demand. The international business of narcotics produces around 400 billion dollars in trade each year, which accounts for almost 10% of all worldwide trade. With that in mind, over the past decades the problem with the illicit trafficking of drugs has been based mainly on the supply of narcotics to the international community. Many nations such as Thailand, Laos, Pakistan, Morocco, Columbia, Peru, and Bolivia are heavily dependant upon the profits of the international drug trade. The United Nations has been continuously involved in stressing the need for governments to reduce production and supply of illicit drugs. However, many nations rely on the profits of the international drug trade as a sustaining force in their economies; this has proven to be a very difficult task. Over time, the problem with illicit drug trade has worsened, over the last decade the production of opium and marijuana nearly doubled, and the production of cocaine tripled. The increase in the demand for drugs, has led to the increase in production of synthetic drugs as well as an increase in the profits for those involved in the drug trade themselves. With the demand for drugs on the rise throughout the international community the time has come for problem solving bodies such as the United Nations to step in and take action. Past United Nations Actions For the past decade the United Nations has been heavily involved in the fight against the illicit drug... ...d NGOs to encourage farmers to reduce the cultivation of illicit opium in favor of alternative crops, but more action needs to be taken.  · Middle Eastern Bloc With the rise of the black market and mafia in certain areas, drug consumption has taken a major rise in recent years. Demand for opium, cannabis, heroin and cocaine have risen drastically. The governments within this region must focus on the stronger law enforcement and restriction of corruption especially in transit countries. . Policy Questions  · What systems or programs does your country support relating to drug trade and control?  · What, if anything, has your country done in the past to help deal with illicit drug trade?  · Does your country rely on illicit drug trade for its economy?  · What has your nation done in collaboration with the United Nations or other independent NGO’s to combat illicit drug trade? Research Here are some good sites for research- http://www.state.gov/g/inl http://www.unesco.org/most/ds22eng.htm http://www.unesco.org/most/ds22eng.htm http://www.unesco.org/most/ds22eng.htm And don’t forget the Mira Costa MUN site http://www.cyberverse.com/~costamun/ GOOD LUCK!

Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin

Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin was one of the most ruthless and diabolical people in the history of the world. Hitler once said of Stalin, † He is a beast, but he’s a beast on a grand scale who must command our unconditional respect. In his own way, he is a hell of a fellow! † (Stalin Breaker of Nations, p. xvi) What Hitler said of Stalin is only his opinion, and it is not a valid one at that. For you must consider the source, it takes a beast like Adolf Hitler to know a beast and Stalin was a horrible beast. He was also a murderer. Stalin abused his people when he starved them to death, and systematically murdered them. Stalin also abused his country by halting Russia’s progress and economic growth. Stalin was a breaker of nations. Stalin first enter the Russian political system in the early nineteen teens. With the help form Lenin, Stalin proposed an answer to the National Question, which was self determination. Stalin’s ruthlessness is first discovered by Lenin, when Stalin is sent to Georgia to convince the Georgia leader not to practice self determination. When the leader does not agree with what Stalin has to say, Stalin punches the man out and threaten to kill them all. Years after that incident Lenin end up dying and Stalin takes over as the leader of Russia. Because Trotsky was hated by many of the influential political figures in Russia, Stalin becomes the leader of Russia even after Lenin’s dying last wishes. 1929 was the first of many years in which Stalin stunted Russia’s growth. In that year the â€Å"Engineer Trials† were held. During these trials the Russian elite was brought forth by Stalin on the account of treason. Confessions by the elite which consisted of engineers, doctors, lawyers, teachers and clergy were extracted by many means including torture. After these trials were through thousands of the Russian elite were murdered, with their blood on Stalin’s hands. These trails had a horrific effect on the progress of Russia, there was now nobody left to lead Russian into the future, and the few elite’s that still remained in Russia lived in constant fear of their lives. Around 1932, Stalin had put his plan into action that was later called the Terror Famine. In the Terror Famine, Stalin started to order grain requisitions from the lower class in the Ukraine. Stalin used his army to retrieve the grain from the people, following the orders by Stalin, the army takes too much grain and causes a famine among the lower class. Stalin justified the taking of the grain by saying that it was just a way for the state to regulate the price of grain. By doing this Stalin ended up breaking the back of the Georgians and the Ukrainians. Knowingly, Stalin eliminated millions upon millions of Russian, between 30 and 50 million, in his attempt at an absolute totalitarian rule in Russia. By killing so many of the Russian’s who were the ones which the economy was supported on, Stalin has broken the nation of the Ukraine. From around 1936 through 1938 Stalin extracted his Great Terror. The Great Terror consisted of many events including the Purge Trials and the Katyn Massacre. During the purge trials, Stalin once again haltered Russian progress. The Purge Trials eliminated many military officers and engineers. The numbers are not exact, but between 250,000 to 500,000 Russians died because of Stalin’s orders. These trials caused mass paranoia of the elite’s, afraid to make a difference, for if they did then they would ultimately end up dead. Stalin not only haltered the growth of his own country, but he haltered the growth of neighboring counties, on being Poland. In Poland during the Great Terror, Stalin ordered the Katyn Massacre to occur. The top 15,000 officers in the Polish army were rounded up and killed in the forests of Belarus. This was a deep wound, the stunted the Polish progress, since now there were would be no more experienced leaders in Poland’s future, since Stalin killed most of their military elite. Once again Stalin had broken another nation. During all this time, Stalin was also methodically killing off all of his political opponents, or anyone who posed as to be the most remote of a threat to him. Unlike what Hitler thought of Stalin, the opposite is true. Stalin showed mercy to no one, he evil incarnate, killing innocent Russians and severely damaging any possible of future progress for Russia. Stalin had broken the Russian nation.

Education and obesity Essay

Although many have studied the association between educational attainment and obesity, studies to date have not fully examined prior common causes and possible interactions by race/ethnicity or gender. It is also not clear if the relationship between actual educational attainment and obesity is independent of the role of aspired educational attainment or expected educational attainment. The authors use generalized linear log link models to examine the association between educational attainment at age 25 and obesity (BMI ≠¥ 30) at age 40 in the USA’s National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort, adjusting for demographics, confounders, and mediators. Race/ethnicity but not gender interacted with educational attainment. In a complete case analysis, after adjusting for socioeconomic covariates from childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, among whites only, college graduates were less likely than high school graduates to be obese (RR = 0.69, 95%CI: 0.57, 0.83). The risk ratio remained similar in two sensitivity analyses when the authors adjusted for educational aspirations and educational expectations and analyzed a multiply imputed dataset to address missingness. This more nuanced understanding of the role of education after controlling for a thorough set of confounders and mediators helps advance the study of social determinants of health and risk factors for obesity. Nutrition in pregnancy and early childhood and associations with obesity in developing countries. Concerns about the increasing rates of obesity in developing countries have led many policy makers to question the impacts of maternal and early child nutrition on risk of later obesity. The purposes of the review are to summarise the studies on the associations between nutrition during pregnancy and infant feeding practices with later obesity from childhood through adulthood and to identify potential ways for preventing obesity in developing countries. As few studies were ident ified in developing countries, key studies in developed countries were included in the review. Poor prenatal dietary intakes of energy, protein and micronutrients were shown to be associated with increased risk of adult obesity in offspring. Female offspring seem to be more vulnerable than male offspring when their mothers receive insufficient energy during pregnancy. By influencing birthweight, optimal prenatal nutrition might reduce the risk of obesity in adults. While normal birthweights (2500-3999 g) were associated with higher body mass index (BMI) as adults, they generally were associated with higher fat-free mass and lower fat mass compared with low birthweights (

Food, Nutrition and Some Controversies About Mcdonald’s Essay

As you know Mc Donald’s is a chain of fast food restaurants. In Mc Donald’s you could find a variety of food for every part of the day. At the morning you will find some breakfast based on eggs, savory sausage and hot cakes. You could also drink some coffee a latte, a cappuccino or maybe a caramel frappe. If you go for lunch you will find the principal menu based on a sandwich and French fries. There are a lot of types of sandwiches: the chicken one, a sandwich made with fish, the variety of hamburgers and also the nuggets. If you want something sweet there are some desserts and many types of ice creams like Mc flurry, sundae or the basic one. In these time most of people want to be fit so they want to eat healthy food and this restaurant offered a menu for these public this menu is based on salad with chicken or a fruit salad. There are a lot of problems related with fast food because of the saturated fat and the low-nutrient that contributes to the body. That’s why fast food is also known as junk food. To reduce these problems Mc Donald’s use now the Canola oil to fry the hamburgers and the French fries. These problems are also why many people prefer to eat the vegetable or fruit salad. In 2004 Morgan Spurlock, an American producer and filmmaker, directed Super Size Me, a movie about a man who ate only McDonald’s during a whole month. After watching this film people start thinking about how unhealthy fast food is.

Pharmacy Management System

Identification This system is developed to automate data for the organization named Bete Zata Voluntary Counseling and Testing in Awassa town. The system that is going to be developed is concerned with different tasks. For example, it automates data on patients; it records blood test result, records data on trainees etc. It revolves about how patients get service and counseling. It also stores data like patient data, trainees’ data, counselor data, trainer data, etc. . 2 System overview. This System is developed with many purposes. Out of its main purposes, it greatly minimizes cost, time and resources by computerizing the manual system.. It will be possible to search in a simple way a specific patient pr trainee among many patients or trainee in a simple way patients based on their ID. ID number is unique to each patient and trainee 1. 3 General description Bete Zata is one of the non governmental organizations established in Ethiopia. This organization has three offices incl uding the two branches in Nazareth and here in Awassa.The main goal of this organization is to treat HIV/AIDS patients in a good manner, to minimize the transmission rate of HIV in Ethiopia by contributing what it is possible. It gives VCT meaning voluntary counseling and testing services. It also provides training for many individuals. To generalize the main activities done by this organization, let’s see the following paragraph. In the first step when the patient comes, he will be given a counseling service by the organizations counselor about AIDS, its transmission, its present state, what he should do if he is positive or else negative, shortly.Then he will refer to the examination room and the Doctor will take blood from the patient and tests whether he is positive or negative. If the result shows ‘he is positive’, the patient’s health condition will be checked. Then he will be given diagnosis parallel to counseling if his health condition is not such good until he recovers from his poor condition. Otherwise he directly goes to the counselor. The counselor will give detail advice for the patient. When the counselor finishes his advice, he will ask the patient wether he is voluntary to take training or not.If he is voluntary he will start the training according to the time schedule of the training process. If the person is negative after the test, he will be referred to the counselor so that the counselor gives advice for the person so that he should protect himself from HIV. If he has the motive to participate in training he will be registered to the training. Besides counseling and testing patients, the organization also prepares training for different organizations and individuals. The flow chart in the next pages describes the above activities of the organization. [pic] pic] DESIGN Design is the first step to move from the problem domain towards the solution domain. Design is essentially the bridge between requirement specifi cation and the final solution for satisfying the requirements. It is the most critical factor affecting the quality of the software. DATA FLOW DIAGRAMS It is one of the most important modeling tools used by system analysts. It is used to illustrate how data flows in a system. DFD’s use a number of symbols to represent systems. These symbols represent processes, data stores, data flows and external entities. 1.Process: – Process show what systems do. Each process has one or more data inputs and produces one or more data outputs. Processes are represented by circles in a DFD. 2. Data Store: – A component of a DFD in which data is stored. 3. External Entity:- These are outside the of the system but either supply input data into the system or use the system output. It is represented in a box. 4. Data flow: It shows how data flows between process, data stores and external entities. They are represented by lines joining system components. [pic] Level-0 Diagram [pic] E R ModelThis model describes the relationships between different activities. The entities included in the ER model are the following. ? Counselor ? Patient ? Blood Test ? Trainer ? Trainee ? Training 1. 4 Objectives This project minimizes the complex and the difficult work of the manual processes, which is costly, in terms of time and resources. The general objective of the software is to develop a system which is capable of automating all the manual works i. e. developing a database with interfaces for storing Specific goals. The specific goals of the final product of the software are as follows. To computerize some of the manual activities of the organization – To avoid the time for searching the patients and trainees – To make the organization well documented – To decrease the risk of losing the records 1. 5 Users This software is mainly used by the Record Office workers and concerned individuals like the counselors and trainers. 2. REFERENCED DOCUMENTS In doi ng this task, I have used the â€Å"Software Engineering† book by PankaJ Jalotea, Software Engineering course handouts, System analysis and design handouts and different information getting from the host organization around different tasks. 3. REQUIREMENTS 3. External interface requirement 1. User interfaces: The system will have good looking, clear and neat interface so that user can interact easily to the software. To do this I will use buttons for any command to users, and I will not use any technical word for any command instead I will use command names that reflect the functions they perform. I will also use help statements in some of the windows to assist users in their activity. 2. Hardware interfaces: the system does not need any special hardware to operate fully but recommended configuration is 256 MB of RAM, 40 GB hard disk drive and flash memory if possible. . Software interfaces: the system will use only few types of software. The main softwares that have detectab le influence on this system are Visual Basic (VB) and Ms Access. 2 Functional Requirements When we say functional requirement, we mean the relationship between the input and output of the system. It describes all operations to be performed on the input data to obtain the output. This system has many inputs and outputs. Out of them the followings are some of them. Database Design A careful design of the database must proceed before storing the data in the database.This project contains about six database tables each containing their own primary keys. Through these tables, a user can store his personal data. 1. Patient Detail The VCT system receives patients’ information from the patient as an input and stores each individual information. The primary key in this table is phone number. This table referred from Blood Test table using date. So date is used as a foreign key. This patient detail table is related with Trainee table phone number. [pic] 2. Blood Test Detail This table uses the attribute date as a primary key. When you fill the date alue in the given space in the interface you will get the result as numbers (number of patients, HIV positives, HIV negatives). This table uses the date itself as a foreign key to be related with the Training table and Patient table. [pic] 3. Counselor Detail Counselor detail stores information about the counselor. The primary key in this case is counselor ID. Through this key is the table relate with other tables. The table relates with the Trainee and Training tables. [pic] 4. Trainee Detail Information about trainees is stored in the Trainee table. In this case, the primary key is the Trainer ID.Through this ID the Trainee table is related with Training table. It is referenced from the Trainer table using IDTrainer. [pic] 5. Training table All the data related with training is stored in this table. It uses two primary keys as the same time. These are Place and Date. Training given at a particular place in a particul ar date is unique. But if we use these two fields separately, the uniqueness will be lost. [pic] 6. Trainer Table Trainers’ information is stored here. IDTrainer is the primary key for the table. It is related with the Trainee and Training table through this table. [pic] Form DesignAs I mention before the interface I am using is VB 6. 0. Using this software I design the following forms. In each form the buttons Insert, Update, Delete, Search and Exit buttons are used to add, modify, delete, find data from the data base and close the form. The symbols ‘’ are to mean First, Previous, Next and Last respectively. 1. Login form [pic] 2. Main Form [pic] 3. Patient Detail [pic] Blood Test [pic] When you click the button †Blood Test Detail till the Defined Date†, you will get the number of negative and positive patients with in time intervals. 5. Counselor Detail [pic] 6. Trainee Detail [pic] 7. Training Detail pic] When you click the button â€Å"Status of Trainees†, you will get the number of tested and non tested trainees. 8. Trainer Detail [pic] 9. Search form In this search button the user enters the corresponding IDs in the given space. For example, if we want to search the patient information, the user enters the ID of the patient and clicks search. The patient details will display. [pic] ———————– Start Patient come Is he come for training? No Councelling Examination Is positive? Yes Is healthy? No Diagnosis Counseling Counseling Yes No Counseling Want training? No Yes A B C D Yes FLOW CHART Wait training sessionStart training Teach others A B C Want training? Wait training session Start training Teach others End D Yes No Context Level DFD HIV VCT Counselor Patient Patient Personal Detail Test Result details Advice Patient details Trainee Trainee details Patient Service for patients Personal detail Testing Testing request Test detail Referring to counselor Current res ult Counselor Counselor details info Personal details Personal details Testing result Trainee Personal details Give advice Training for trainees Participating in training Referring for training Patient Advice Trainer May be Counselor Advice Patient Trains

Cultural Revolution in 1960s Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cultural Revolution in 1960s Britain - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to discuss how the 1960s saw the birth of new forms of consciousness and political awareness in Britain, which will be accomplished using close reference to at least two forms of textual material. Since the experiences held by various individuals during the 1960s vary so tremendously according to factors such as age, location, social status, and family status, it is important to focus a study of this sort on a small set of demographics rather than by tackling the entire subject as it affected the world as a whole. This will be accomplished through specifically discussing 1960s Britain. First, a general discussion of 1960s Britain will be included, and this will be followed by references to specific texts that covered that specific time frame. Up until the 1960s, individuals in Britain lived by a very structured lifestyle: one that is often referred to as 'traditional' by most of us today. In fact, today's government in Britain is more traditional than most Westerners are personally familiar with, so this fact lends a great deal of strength to the idea of how those who were used to an even more structured society may have reacted to such a vast change over such a short period of time. Whether or not the loss of this highly organized structure was deemed positive or negative had a lot to do with the personal opinions of those who were affected by it or who observed it, especially firsthand. Those individuals who were more conservative in nature saw the dissolution of the old societal framework as negative. They found comfort in the structure of the more traditional and authoritative society. Moral values, to them, were stronger and more widely held underneath this type of structure. When this traditional structure dissolved, people in this group believed that society in general within Britain took a turn for the worst. They believed that the outcome of the revolution of the 60s could have been vastly different than it turned out to be, but instead, the power was in the wrong hands and Britain fell victim at the hands of the naive. In contrast, those who were more liberal and eclectic in nature saw the dissolution of the old societal framework as positive. In this light, they were rebellious against what they had previously been faced with. They were able to stand up for what they believed was right with regard to their freedoms and rights. No matter what side of the fence a person stood on, however, he or she undoubtedly saw certain events unfold during 1960s Britain. Blacks fought for and gained certain civil rights. The youth of the decade set trends and stood out with their own unique culture. People rebelled, protested, and pushed forth with idealism. Music took the lead, gaining status as a global language, and the Beatles were the most popular icons of the time. Christianity declined in popularity as people turned to Oriental nations for religious inspiration. Gays came forth and fought for their rights, and so did feminists. People began to behave significantly different with regard to sex, their personal relationships, and in general, and this included the media and books with relaxed censorship. The underground emerged, as did the counter-culture. People in general saw a new and better world forming-certainly one that was fairer across the different

Assignments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Assignments - Essay Example ary sources are as well important because a reader is able to develop a clear understanding about the past events as far as German’s past events are concerned. Primary sources act as evidence of what happened in the past of Germany and they can be used as evidence for arguments concerning the history of Germany. Because of the originality of primary sources, they provide correct chronology of events, exact periods, and names of all people who participated in different historical events. At the end of 19th and beginning of 20th century, Germany had concerns about its environment in order to protect their surroundings. Its concerns were mostly based on industry, transport as well as other human activities that can have a negative impact on their environment. Their concerns became more serious at the beginning of 20th century due to rise in industrialization and technology. Some heavy weapons that were used during the World Wars led to massive destruction of German’s environment. They wanted to protect their environment from air, soil, and water pollutions. Released wastes from industries caused environmental pollution especially water and air pollution. Forest cover was also a major environmental issue in Germany during the mentioned period because they discouraged destruction of forests. Some environmental laws that were implemented during this period are still applicable to current days. The rise of Hitler to power was contributed by the weakness of the Weimar constitution. The constitution crippled the government and many people were willing to have a dictator as their leader. When a crisis erupted in 1919-1933, there was no one who could fight and stop Hitler. Article 48 of the Weimar constitution gave the president authority under certain situations, to take emergency measures in addition to proliferation of legislative verdicts without a prior approval from the parliament of Germany. This constitution also led to Hitler’s rise to power because the

School competitors ERCI Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

School competitors ERCI - Essay Example By comparing the positive and negative attributes, a comparative estimation was done which highlighted on the competitive strategies, objectives of the individual schools as well as the efficiency and defensive moves which can help ERCI to gain market share by attracting more students internationally. ERCI on understanding its competitors’ strategies would restructure and implement their own strategies which would work as an advantage to them (ERC Institute, 2015). A survey was executed where the students of ERCI sampled 100 odd students from varied background to fill in a questionnaire which they analyzed to determine the student’s demand for educational school and what were the features they are more reluctant on while selecting a particular school to study in. The sample group had individuals from countries like Singapore, Vietnam, Korea and China who are students in Singaporean school. The main focus was on the survey method where the students were questioned on their decision making on selecting the specific schools they study in. The focus of the descriptive analysis was on the fees structure, the satisfactory attributes of the schools as well as the educational programs and certificates provided by them. Most of the students surveyed were males and were interested in further studies. 68.5% of the students were aware of the educational programs and attributes of the schools through the agents. Further, the sales manager of ERCI wa s interviewed to judge the recruiting and managing procedures for the international students. It was found that those students from India and China show greater interest in further studies internationally. They tend to seek information about the global schools through educational agencies in their respective countries and hence the Singaporean schools contact these agents to promote themselves and attract greater number of candidates. On the other hand, there are part time educational facilities in Singapore

University registration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

University registration - Essay Example I have always maintained the virtues of open mindedness, enthusiasm and liveliness to achieve this objective (Stewart, 2009). I intend to improve my understanding of language with the intention of improving my suitability in the academic and economic field. I believe that pursuing additional education will place me at a suitable pedestal to improve my career and contribute to the growth of the society. Additionally, I intend to conduct research on the challenges within the education field that touch on literature and the probable control measures. Indeed, developing new theoretical foundations attributable on literature encourages me to pursue the educational process. I have particularly focused on European poetry and the philosophies of charity while studying. It is fundamental to acknowledge that European poetry has provided opportunities to study the historical chronology and drama of ancient Europe. I did realize that the French literature should not be divorced from history because it exemplifies societal events. I took the initiative to trace and explore the genesis and ways of the ancient Europe about the French literature. I have visited various charity organizations that are affiliated to Europe and Africa to study and familiarize myself with the role of language when dispensing charity (Stewart, 2009). I appreciate that I can correspond and interact with people drawn from diverse backgrounds and cultures. This is attributable to my knowledge of English and Arabic languages. Through this, I get the opportunity to learn about their political, social, literary and historical differences. Work processes have proved challenging though they empower me with diversity skills and allow me to comprehend diverse processes. I am looking forward to visiting several regions and interacting with diverse persons to strengthen my grasp of Arabic (Stewart, 2009). My role in several organizations has been instrumental in improving my communication skills