Monitoring Internet Communication

The Internet has for many become a symbol of freedom – freedom of communication, human interaction, and flow of information. People all over the world can with ease submit their ideas and feelings to this virtual medium and retrieve from it the equally free ideas of other people. However, some claim that Internet communication does not have to be as free as it is. Instead, it needs to be monitored to prevent its usage as a medium for terrorist organisations, drug dealers, fraudsters, and other criminal or unlawful groupings. Others point out that Internet is virtually the only way for people with oppressive regimes to access information that will present them with an objective picture of the outside world. While there are reasons for both points, free speech should take precedence in democratic nations, and therefore Internet monitoring is a harmful practice. Such monitoring is in fact a violation of free speech, one of the inalienable human rights. Generations of thinkers and revolutionaries lost their lives for the triumph of democracy that is only possible with free speech as one of its cornerstones. If the American journalists, for instance, had been deprived of the right to criticise Presidents, senators, congressmen, and other political leaders, it is hard to imagine what the nation would have turned into. Constant monitoring of political leaders is what gives the nation a chance to remain democratic. On the other hand, nations like China are banning certain websites to blind their citizens to what is going on in the rest of the world. This shows that freedom of speech is a hallmark of a democratic nation, and monitoring Internet communication violates these rights. Giving an individual person the right to know constitutes the respect of the autonomy of an individual. A human being has the right to access information pertaining to different spheres of life and should not be restricted in this ability by the opinion of the few. Since, if Internet communication is to be monitored to ban, for instance, pornographic material, the question arises: who will be the people that will decide what is pornography and what is not? The Ancient Greek statues could easily be termed inappropriate by some medieval priest. Putting access to information at the judgement of a few obscure individuals will make these people make decisions for all, and there is no guarantee that their judgement will help society make better choices. A popular objection that without monitoring Internet content someone â€Å"might unknowingly visit a Web site with this material and cause him- or herself mental harm† does not seem valid either (Garlock, 1999). The problem is that Internet is like life in the sense that it encompasses a great deal of its variety and glory. You cannot shield yourself from harmful influences in life any more than you can on the Internet. If someone is disgusted, for instance, by the site of the sick and the crippled, no one will remove them from streets just to please the person. Similarly, the Internet has to contain images and information about the outside world that reflects its diversity. Therefore, no one can isolate oneself from harmful influence on the Internet since they reflect real life. Thus, monitoring Internet communication is hardly a valid idea. In the political realm, it will lead to restriction of freedom that can bring about the emergence of un-democratic regimes oppressing ill-informed citizens. On the other hand, giving people a free medium is one of the ways to save them from the state’s propaganda machine by letting them see alternative viewpoints. Monitoring is also a bad idea because it will put the individual at the mercy of a select group that will perform the monitoring in accordance with their own ideas and perceptions. Finally, the idea of using Internet as a means of protecting people from undesirable content does not hold simply because no one can hide in a ‘hole’ from real life. The only option is to go to sites that you yourself think proper for you and avoid troublesome content. With respect to others, one can paraphrase Voltaire’s words: â€Å"I disapprove of what you post, but I will defend to the death your right to place it online†. References Garlock, A. (1999). Internet Censorship. Retrieved April 25, 2006 Wollstein, J. Freedom of Speech Under Siege. Retrieved April 25, 2006, from http://www.serendipity.li/cda/freespee.html

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 5 CHEATER

â€Å"BELLA, WHY DON'T YOU TAKE OFF,† MIKE SUGGESTED, his eyes focused off to the side, not really looking at me. I wondered how long that had been going on without me noticing. It was a slow afternoon at Newton's. At the moment there were only two patrons in the store, dedicated backpackers from the sound of their conversation. Mike had spent the last hour going through the pros and cons of two brands of lightweight packs with them. But they'd taken a break from serious pricing to indulge in trying to one-up each other with their latest tales from the trail. Their distraction had given Mike a chance to escape. â€Å"I don't mind staying,† I said. I still hadn't been able to sink back into my protective shell of numbness, and everything seemed oddly close and loud today, like I'd taken cotton out of my ears. I tried to tune out the laughing hikers without success. â€Å"I'm telling you,† said the thickset man with the orange beard that didn't match his dark brown hair. â€Å"I've seen grizzlies pretty close up in Yellowstone, but they had nothing on this brute.† His hair was matted, and his clothes looked like they'd been on his back for more than a few days. Fresh from the mountains. â€Å"Not a chance. Black bears don't get that big. The grizzlies you saw were probably cubs.† The second man was tall and lean, his face tanned and wind-whipped into an impressive leathery crust. â€Å"Seriously, Bella, as soon as these two give up, I'm closing the place down,† Mike murmured. â€Å"If you want me to go† I shrugged. â€Å"On all fours it was taller than you,† the bearded man insisted while I gathered my things together. â€Å"Big as a house and pitch-black. I'm going to report it to the ranger here. People ought to be warnedthis wasn't up on the mountain, mind youthis was only a few miles from the trailhead.† Leather-face laughed and rolled his eyes. â€Å"Let me guessyou were on your way in? Hadn't eaten real food or slept off the ground in a week, right?† â€Å"Hey, uh, Mike, right?† the bearded man called, looking toward us. â€Å"See you Monday,† I mumbled. â€Å"Yes, sir,† Mike replied, turning away. â€Å"Say, have there been any warnings around here recentlyabout black bears?† â€Å"No, sir. But it's always good to keep your distance and store your food correctly. Have you seen the new bear-safe canisters? They only weigh two pounds† The doors slid open to let me out into the rain. I hunched over inside my jacket as I dashed for my truck. The rain hammering against my hood sounded unusually loud, too, but soon the roar of the engine drowned out everything else. I didn't want to go back to Charlie's empty house. Last night had been particularly brutal, and I had no desire to revisit the scene of the suffering. Even after the pain had subsided enough for me to sleep, it wasn't over. Like I'd told Jessica after the movie, there was never any doubt that I would have nightmares. I always had nightmares now, every night. Not nightmares really, not in the plural, because it was always the same nightmare. You'd think I'd get bored after so many months, grow immune to it. But the dream never failed to horrify me, and only ended when I woke myself with screaming. Charlie didn't come in to see what was wrong anymore, to make sure there was no intruder strangling me or something like thathe was used to it now. My nightmare probably wouldn't even frighten someone else. Nothing jumped out and screamed, â€Å"Boo!† There were no zombies, no ghosts, no psychopaths. There was nothing, really. Only nothing. Just the endless maze of moss-covered trees, so quiet that the silence was an uncomfortable pressure against my eardrums. It was dark, like dusk on a cloudy day, with only enough light to see that there was nothing to see. I hurried through the gloom without a path, always searching, searching, searching, getting more frantic as the time stretched on, trying to move faster, though the speed made me clumsy Then there would come the point in my dreamand I could feel it coming now, but could never seem to wake myself up before it hitwhen I couldn't remember what it was that I was searching for. When I realized that there was nothing to search for, and nothing to find. That there never had been anything more than just this empty, dreary wood, and there never would be anything more for me n othing but nothing That was usually about when the screaming started. I wasn't paying attention to where I was drivingjust wandering through empty, wet side roads as I avoided the ways that would take me homebecause I didn't have anywhere to go. I wished I could feel numb again, but I couldn't remember how I'd managed it before. The nightmare was nagging at my mind and making me think about things that would cause me pain. I didn't want to remember the forest. Even as I shuddered away from the images, I felt my eyes fill with tears and the aching begin around the edges of the hole in my chest. I took one hand from the steering wheel and wrapped it around my torso to hold it in one piece. It will be as if I'd never existed. The words ran through my head, lacking the perfect clarity of my hallucination last night. They were just words, soundless, like print on a page. Just words, but they ripped the hole wide open, and I stomped on the brake, knowing I should not drive while this incapacitated. I curled over, pressing my face against the steering wheel and trying to breathe without lungs. I wondered how long this could last. Maybe someday, years from nowif the pain would just decrease to the point where I could bear itI would be able to look back on those few short months that would always be the best of my life. And, if it were possible that the pain would ever soften enough to allow me to do that, I was sure that I would feel grateful for as much time as he'd given me. More than I'd asked for, more than I'd deserved. Maybe someday I'd be able to see it that way. But what if this hole never got any better? If the raw edges never healed? If the damage was permanent and irreversible? I held myself tightly together. As if he'd never existed, I thought in despair. What a stupid and impossible promise to make! He could steal my pictures and reclaim his gifts, but that didn't put things back the way they'd been before I'd met him. The physical evidence was the most insignificant part of the equation. I was changed, my insides altered almost past the point of recognition. Even my outsides looked differentmy face sallow, white except for the purple circles the nightmares had left under my eyes. My eyes were dark enough against my pallid skin thatif I were beautiful, and seen from a distanceI might even pass for a vampire now. But I was not beautiful, and I probably looked closer to a zombie. As if he'd never existed? That was insanity. It was a promise that he could never keep, a promise that was broken as soon as he'd made it. I thumped my head against the steering wheel, trying to distract myself from the sharper pain. It made me feel silly for ever worrying about keeping my promise. Where was the logic in sticking to an agreement that had already been violated by the other party? Who cared if I was reckless and stupid? There was no reason to avoid recklessness, no reason why I shouldn't get to be stupid. I laughed humorlessly to myself, still gasping for air. Reckless in Forksnow there was a hopeless proposition. The dark humor distracted me, and the distraction eased the pain. My breath came easier, and I was able to lean back against the seat. Though it was cold today, my forehead was damp with sweat. I concentrated on my hopeless proposition to keep from sliding back into the excruciating memories. To be reckless in Forks would take a lot of creativitymaybe more than I had. But I wished I could find some way I might feel better if I weren't holding fast, all alone, to a broken pact. If I were an oath-breaker, too. But how could I cheat on my side of the deal, here in this harmless little town? Of course, Forks hadn't always been so harmless, but now it was exactly what it had always appeared to be. It was dull, it was safe. I stared out the windshield for a long moment, my thoughts moving sluggishlyI couldn't seem to make those thoughts go anywhere. I cut the engine, which was groaning in a pitiful way after idling for so long, and stepped out into the drizzle. The cold rain dripped through my hair and then trickled across my cheeks like freshwater tears. It helped to clear my head. I blinked the water from my eyes, staring blankly across the road. After a minute of staring, I recognized where I was. I'd parked in the middle of the north lane of Russell Avenue. I was standing in front of the Cheneys' housemy truck was blocking their drivewayand across the road lived the Markses. I knew I needed to move my truck, and that I ought to go home. It was wrong to wander the way I had, distracted and impaired, a menace on the roads of Forks. Besides, someone would notice me soon enough, and report me to Charlie. As I took a deep breath in preparation to move, a sign in the Markses' yard caught my eyeit was just a big piece of cardboard leaning against their mailbox post, with black letters scrawled in caps across it. Sometimes, kismet happens. Coincidence? Or was it meant to be? I didn't know, but it seemed kind of silly to think that it was somehow fated, that the dilapidated motorcycles rusting in the Markses' front yard beside the hand-printed FOR SALE, AS IS sign were serving some higher purpose by existing there, right where I needed them to be. So maybe it wasn't kismet. Maybe there were just all kinds of ways to be reckless, and I only now had my eyes open to them. Reckless and stupid. Those were Charlie's two very favorite words to apply to motorcycles. Charlie's job didn't get a lot of action compared to cops in bigger towns, but he did get called in on traffic accidents. With the long, wet stretches of freeway twisting and turning through the forest, blind corner after blind corner, there was no shortage of that kind of action. But even with all the huge log-haulers barreling around the turns, mostly people walked away. The exceptions to that rule were often on motorcycles, and Charlie had seen one too many victims, almost always kids, smeared on the highway. He'd made me promise before I was ten that I would never accept a ride on a motorcycle. Even at that age, I didn't have to think twice before promising. Who would want to ride a motorcycle here? It would be like taking a sixty-mile-per-hour bath. So many promises I kept It clicked together for me then. I wanted to be stupid and reckless, and I wanted to break promises. Why stop at one? That's as far as I thought it through. I sloshed through the rain to the Markses' front door and rang the bell. One of the Marks boys opened the door, the younger one, the freshman. I couldn't remember his name. His sandy hair only came up to my shoulder. He had no trouble remembering my name. â€Å"Bella Swan?† he asked in surprise. â€Å"How much do you want for the bike?† I panted, jerking my thumb over my shoulder toward the sales display. â€Å"Are you serious?† he demanded. â€Å"Of course I am.† â€Å"They don't work.† I sighed impatientlythis was something I'd already inferred from the sign. â€Å"How much?† â€Å"If you really want one, just take it. My mom made my dad move them down to the road so they'd get picked up with the garbage.† I glanced at the bikes again and saw that they were resting on a pile of yard clippings and dead branches. â€Å"Are you positive about that?† â€Å"Sure, you want to ask her?† It was probably better not to involve adults who might mention this to Charlie. â€Å"No, I believe you.† â€Å"You want me to help you?† he offered. â€Å"They're not light.† â€Å"Okay, thanks. I only need one, though.† â€Å"Might as well take both,† the boy said. â€Å"Maybe you could scavenge some parts.† He followed me out into the downpour and helped me load both of the heavy bikes into the back of my truck. He seemed eager to be rid of them, so I didn't argue. â€Å"What are you going to do with them, anyway?† he asked. â€Å"They haven't worked in years.† â€Å"I kind of guessed that,† I said, shrugging. My spur-of-the-moment whim hadn't come with a plan intact. â€Å"Maybe I'll take them to Dowling's.† He snorted. â€Å"Dowling would charge more to fix them than they'd be worth running.† I couldn't argue with that. John Dowling had earned a reputation for his pricing; no one went to him except in an emergency. Most people preferred to make the drive up to Port Angeles, if their car was able. I'd been very lucky on that frontI'd been worried, when Charlie first gifted me my ancient truck, that I wouldn't be able to afford to keep it running. But I'd never had a single problem with it, other than the screaming-loud engine and the fifty-five-mile-per-hour maximum speed limit. Jacob Black had kept it in great shape when it had belonged to his father, Billy Inspiration hit like a bolt of lightningnot unreasonable, considering the storm. â€Å"You know what? That's okay. I know someone who builds cars.† â€Å"Oh. That's good.† He smiled in relief. He waved as I pulled away, still smiling. Friendly kid. I drove quickly and purposefully now, in a hurry to get home before there was the slightest chance of Charlie appearing, even in the highly unlikely event that he might knock off early. I dashed through the house to the phone, keys still in hand. â€Å"Chief Swan, please,† I said when the deputy answered. â€Å"It's Bella.† â€Å"Oh, hey, Bella,† Deputy Steve said affably. â€Å"I'll go get him.† I waited. â€Å"What's wrong, Bella?† Charlie demanded as soon as he picked up the phone. â€Å"Can't I call you at work without there being an emergency?† He was quiet for a minute. â€Å"You never have before. Is there an emergency?† â€Å"No. I just wanted directions to the Blacks' placeI'm not sure I can remember the way. I want to visit Jacob. I haven't seen him in months.† When Charlie spoke again, his voice was much happier. â€Å"That's a great idea, Bells. Do you have a pen?† The directions he gave me were very simple. I assured him that I would be back for dinner, though he tried to tell me not to hurry. He wanted to join me in La Push, and I wasn't having that. So it was with a deadline that I drove too quickly through the storm-darkened streets out of town. I hoped I could get Jacob alone. Billy would probably tell on me if he knew what I was up to. While I drove, I worried a little bit about Billy's reaction to seeing me. He would be too pleased. In Billy's mind, no doubt, this had all worked out better than he had dared to hope. His pleasure and relief would only remind me of the one I couldn't bear to be reminded of. Not again today, I pleaded silently. I was spent. The Blacks' house was vaguely familiar, a small wooden place with narrow windows, the dull red paint making it resemble a tiny barn. Jacob's head peered out of the window before I could even get out of the truck. No doubt the familiar roar of the engine had tipped him off to my approach. Jacob had been very grateful when Charlie bought Billy's truck for me, saving Jacob from having to drive it when he came of age. I liked my truck very much, but Jacob seemed to consider the speed restrictions a shortcoming. He met me halfway to the house. â€Å"Bella!† His excited grin stretched wide across his face, the bright teeth standing in vivid contrast to the deep russet color of his skin. I'd never seen his hair out of its usual ponytail before. It fell like black satin curtains on either side of his broad face. Jacob had grown into some of his potential in the last eight months. He'd passed that point where the soft muscles of childhood hardened into the solid, lanky build of a teenager; the tendons and veins had become prominent under the red-brown skin of his arms, his hands. His face was still sweet like I remembered it, though it had hardened, toothe planes of his cheekbones sharper, his jaw squared off, all childish roundness gone. â€Å"Hey, Jacob!† I felt an unfamiliar surge of enthusiasm at his smile. I realized that I was pleased to see him. This knowledge surprised me. I smiled back, and something clicked silently into place, like two corresponding puzzle pieces. I'd forgotten how much I really liked Jacob Black. He stopped a few feet away from me, and I stared up at him in surprise, leaning my head back though the rain pelted my face. â€Å"You grew again!† I accused in amazement. He laughed, his smile widening impossibly. â€Å"Six five,† he announced with self-satisfaction. His voice was deeper, but it had the husky tone I remembered. â€Å"Is it ever going to stop?† I shook my head in disbelief. â€Å"You're huge.† â€Å"Still a beanpole, though.† He grimaced. â€Å"Come inside! You're getting all wet.† He led the way, twisting his hair in his big hands as he walked. He pulled a rubber band from his hip pocket and wound it around the bundle. â€Å"Hey, Dad,† he called as he ducked to get through the front door. â€Å"Look who stopped by.† Billy was in the tiny square living room, a book in his hands. He set the book in his lap and wheeled himself forward when he saw me. â€Å"Well, what do you know! It's good to see you, Bella.† We shook hands. Mine was lost in his wide grasp. â€Å"What brings you out here? Everything okay with Charlie?† â€Å"Yes, absolutely. I just wanted to see JacobI haven't seen him in forever.† Jacob's eyes brightened at my words. He was smiling so big it looked like it would hurt his cheeks. â€Å"Can you stay for dinner?† Billy was eager, too. â€Å"No, I've got to feed Charlie, you know.† â€Å"I'll call him now,† Billy suggested. â€Å"He's always invited.† I laughed to hide my discomfort. â€Å"It's not like you'll never see me again. I promise I'll be back again soonso much you'll get sick of me.† After all, if Jacob could fix the bike, someone had to teach me how to ride it. Billy chuckled in response. â€Å"Okay, maybe next time.† â€Å"So, Bella, what do you want to do?† Jacob asked. â€Å"Whatever. What were you doing before I interrupted?† I was strangely comfortable here. It was familiar, but only distantly. There were no painful reminders of the recent past. Jacob hesitated. â€Å"I was just heading out to work on my car, but we can do something else† â€Å"No, that's perfect!† I interrupted. â€Å"I'd love to see your car.† â€Å"Okay,† he said, not convinced. â€Å"It's out back, in the garage.† Even better, I thought to myself. I waved at Billy. â€Å"See you later.† A thick stand of trees and shrubbery concealed his garage from the house. The garage was no more than a couple of big preformed sheds that had been bolted together with their interior walls knocked out. Under this shelter, raised on cinder blocks, was what looked to me like a completed automobile. I recognized the symbol on the grille, at least. â€Å"What kind of Volkswagen is that?† I asked. â€Å"It's an old Rabbit1986, a classic.† â€Å"How's it going?† â€Å"Almost finished,† he said cheerfully. And then his voice dropped into a lower key. â€Å"My dad made good on his promise last spring.† â€Å"Ah,† I said. He seemed to understand my reluctance to open the subject. I tried not to remember last May at the prom. Jacob had been bribed by his father with money and car parts to deliver a message there. Billy wanted me to stay a safe distance from the most important person in my life. It turned out that his concern was, in the end, unnecessary. I was all too safe now. But I was going to see what I could do to change that. â€Å"Jacob, what do you know about motorcycles?† I asked. He shrugged. â€Å"Some. My friend Embry has a dirt bike. We work on it together sometimes. Why?† â€Å"Well† I pursed my lips as I considered. I wasn't sure if he could keep his mouth shut, but I didn't have many other options. â€Å"I recently acquired a couple of bikes, and they're not in the greatest condition. I wonder if you could get them running?† â€Å"Cool.† He seemed truly pleased by the challenge. His face glowed. â€Å"I'll give it a try.† I held up one finger in warning. â€Å"The thing is,† I explained, â€Å"Charlie doesn't approve of motorcycles. Honestly, he'd probably bust a vein in his forehead if he knew about this. So you can't tell Billy.† â€Å"Sure, sure.† Jacob smiled. â€Å"I understand.† â€Å"I'll pay you,† I continued. This offended him. â€Å"No. I want to help. You can't pay me.† â€Å"Well how about a trade, then?† I was making this up as I went, but it seemed reasonable enough. â€Å"I only need one bikeand I'll need lessons, too. So how about this? I'll give you the other bike, and then you can teach me.† â€Å"Swee-eet.† He made the word into two syllables. â€Å"Wait a secare you legal yet? When's your birthday?† â€Å"You missed it,† he teased, narrowing his eyes in mock resentment. â€Å"I'm sixteen.† â€Å"Not that your age ever stopped you before,† I muttered. â€Å"Sorry about your birthday.† â€Å"Don't worry about it. I missed yours. What are you, forty?† I sniffed. â€Å"Close.† â€Å"We'll have a joint party to make up for it.† â€Å"Sounds like a date.† His eyes sparkled at the word. I needed to reign in the enthusiasm before I gave him the wrong ideait was just that it had been a long time since I'd felt so light and buoyant. The rarity of the feeling made it more difficult to manage. â€Å"Maybe when the bikes are finishedour present to ourselves,† I added. â€Å"Deal. When will you bring them down?† I bit my lip, embarrassed. â€Å"They're in my truck now,† I admitted. â€Å"Great.† He seemed to mean it. â€Å"Will Billy see if we bring them around?† He winked at me. â€Å"We'll be sneaky.† We eased around from the east, sticking to the trees when we were in view of the windows, affecting a casual-looking stroll, just in case. Jacob unloaded the bikes swiftly from the truck bed, wheeling them one by one into the shrubbery where I hid. It looked too easy for himI'd remembered the bikes being much, much heavier than that. â€Å"These aren't half bad,† Jacob appraised as we pushed them through the cover of the trees. â€Å"This one here will actually be worth something when I'm doneit's an old Harley Sprint.† â€Å"That one's yours, then.† â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Absolutely.† â€Å"These are going to take some cash, though,† he said, frowning down at the blackened metal. â€Å"We'll have to save up for parts first.† â€Å"We nothing,† I disagreed. â€Å"If you're doing this for free, I'll pay for the parts.† â€Å"I don't know† he muttered. â€Å"I've got some money saved. College fund, you know.† College, schmollege, I thought to myself. It wasn't like I'd saved up enough to go anywhere specialand besides, I had no desire to leave Forks anyway. What difference would it make if I skimmed a little bit off the top? Jacob just nodded. This all made perfect sense to him. As we skulked back to the makeshift garage, I contemplated my luck. Only a teenage boy would agree to this: deceiving both our parents while repairing dangerous vehicles using money meant for my college education. He didn't see anything wrong with that picture. Jacob was a gift from the gods.

Principle of Retribution for International Crimes Essay

Principle of Retribution for International Crimes - Essay Example h. Without a coherent philosophical theory of criminal punishment to justify international criminal justice, the mere authority or "permission" to apply a set of norms to international criminals remains vacuous. If such trials cannot provide substantive justice in a philosophically meaningful sense, they are more deeply flawed than any procedural objection would reveal. (John, 2001) The idea that all criminals should be punished for their illicit deeds, regardless of their political position, is at the heart of the modern international criminal law regime. The former argues that the benefits, over either the short or long run, of punishing people such as Goring or Saddam Hussein in a legal forum justify such trials. Such thinkers point to the usual battery of utilitarian arguments for punishment: deterring future crimes, establishing a historical record of the criminal acts, reforming lawbreakers, providing a sense of closure to their victims, and so forth The other, more abstract view declares that justice itself demands that these people be punished independent of any harmful or beneficial consequences that may arise from their trial. For retributivists, other benefits of punishment, though desirable in themselves, are morally insignificant. It is the latter view that is the only valid justification for trying the unique sorts of crimes that the international courts have been designed to handle. (Larry, 2005) Arnaud does not argue for the philosophical soundness of retributivism as such, nor he defendes the philosophical legitimacy of war-crimes trials in general. Specifically, he stated that one cannot make sense out of the intuitions, values, and beliefs that stand behind the current movement toward international criminal trials and war-crimes trials (or their shared ideology, if you will (Arnaud 2004, 1) unless one understands it to be rooted in a retributivist theory of punishment. While the term "ideology" is a loaded one, it nonetheless captures the point: the ideology standing behind modern international criminal law and the laws of war displays a noted bias in favor of the retributivist principles articulated by Kant (among others). Ultimately, war-crimes trials do not provide the greatest happiness for the greatest number. (Christopher 2002, 43-61) Despite some important philosophical differences among individual thinkers, retributivists share some common central beliefs. For these thinkers, the rationale for punishment is "metaphysical" in character in the sense that it is rooted in abstract principles of justice and right. Justice is the independent, nonmaterial motivation for punishment, and it serves as the sole determining ground for punishment. Punishment by a court (poena forensis) ... can never be inflicted merely as a

Ground invetigation in South Florida and Hong Kong Dissertation

Ground invetigation in South Florida and Hong Kong - Dissertation Example This research is the best example of comparison between the two processes of ground investigations in the two countries Hong Kong and the South Florida state in USA. It shows that majority of ground investigation procedures in Hong Kong are involved with minerals and rocks contained on the subsurface. In Florida the process involves looking at the density and structures of soil types; this is to establish permeability to erosion. Geotechnical problems are similar with large parts having the same type of deposit. For example, the droughts occurring in the South Florida during the summers of 1947 and 1976 led to frequent observations of structural distress in houses founded on fatty clays such as the Clearly, when small structures are to be placed on such soils, their foundations will almost certainly need to go to greater depths this is dictated solely by the strength of the soil. This kind of problem is not the solitary example of its kind; Hong Kong clay regularly contains excessive amounts of soluble sulphates, this necessitates the use of sulphate battling cement. Additional instance chalk and limestone outcrops frequently contain filled dissolution features which may become unbalanced and collapse if erected upon. Another collection of problems that may be perceived from the geological map relays to the mixture of geological and topographical features. Cambering, valley protruding, gulls and dip/fault schedules are often connected to the margins of valleys wherever hard rock overlie clay. Gulls take the method of splits, often successively parallel to the deepest valley. ... There are three geographical areas: Atlantic coastal plain, Florida uplands and the East Gulf coastal plain, these make the geographical land areas of the Floridian landscape. They are structured as follows: The Atlantic coastal plain contains a landscape which is low; it also contains strips of sand bars, barrier islands and a number of coral reefs. Majority of lands are saturated with water during the rainy seasons. The east gulf coastal plan is land containing a barrier island and swamplands covering nearly the entire land. In the Florida uplands, the land is characterized by low rolling hills with red clay types of soils. Forests are majorly located in the upper South Floridian areas where water bodies are dominant. Geographical Features of Hong Kong Hong Kong is a country located in East Asia; with land approximately 1054 km3 and 500 m2 islands. The geographical areas of Hong Kong contain 3 main features which include: Hong Kong Island, New territories and the Kowloon peninsula. The land scape of the country is graded as fairly hilly, with other places having mountainous hilly steep slopes. With a territory of about 1092 square kilometers, only 25% of this is developed the others are localities for parks and other reserves. The soil in Hong Kong has a number of mineral deposits, with igneous activities primary responsible for this. Faulting has also been discovered as the other cause of mineral concentrations, this is as a result of hydro-thermal activity. The land use consists of 5% arable land, 1.01% permanent crops like forests and 93.94% being land for other uses. The countries lowest point is the South China Sea, while the highest point is the Tai Mo Shan (Rahman & Mushtoque, 2006, pp. 50). Another factor that influences soil

Reforming Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Reforming Education - Essay Example Because of this, students under-perform, and inefficiency sets in. This is precisely what happened to Duckwin Middle School. During the annual school inspection, a critical report about its assessment policies and practices, especially its failure to use assessment to enhance teaching and learning was revealed. The school was asked to document new sets of rules and policies that would enhance performance through proper assessment policies and practices. Development of leadership qualities, vision and a strong sense of purpose within the school was paramount to its success. Professionalism instigates effective delegation of responsibilities and strategies to ensure accountability among the support staff to bring good governance effective teaching. While there has been considerable progress in the administrative functioning of schools, a lot is desired on the teaching front. Student retention has not been strong, with many schools registering high percentage of failures and absenteeism. HMCI Annual Report for 1994/95 reported a weakness in middle management in schools leading to frustration. The role of middle managers becomes crucial in the functioning and management of school affairs. The role of middle managers include and is not limited to good planning and promotion of better teaching, to ensure and sustain high standards of leadership in subjects, but also in personality development (Leadership and Management, 1998)1. 1.0 Overview In order to understand the gravity of this thesis, it can be safely said that many educational institutions in the UK have been found to be operating without proper direction, or planning, leading to inconsistency in teaching and learning. It is precisely this that happened to Duckwin Middle School, which during the annual school inspection was reported to have failed in enhancing the teaching and learning skills of its teachers and students. Schools that failed to perform their duty should be made accountable, and teachers should be imparted proper training to develop the all-round skills to its pupils. In order to do so, educational institutes can take a leaf out of the professional approach that industries make, to improve their quality and productivity. Hypothesis: What combination of schooling conditions and practices holds the greatest promise for improving student learning While there is no scientifically provable or globally agreed-upon answer, small class sizes in an elementary setting can be viewed as being positive. The positive effects of reduced class sizes are that they greatly enhance the possibilities of delivering increased academic achievement, and help identify the strengths and weaknesses of each child through direct one-to-one interaction between the child and the teacher. Changing theories and methods of assessment have been the focus of significant attention not just in the United Kingdom, but in other countries as well. Curriculum developers have realized the need to exert a constraining influence on teachers and pupils to bring about a refreshing change to the existing curricula. This, then needs to be followed by a more valid and authentic way of

TV Makes People Dumber Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

TV Makes People Dumber - Essay Example This essay generally believes that TV is bad for the youth. TV makes people dumber because it teaches racial prejudice and discrimination, it may boost memory, but not critical thinking skills, and it may be too complex for their cognitive and emotional levels, thereby limiting their ability to maximize potential learning from it. TV shows, even those with complex narratives, contains ideas that promote racial prejudice. Steven Johnson, in his essay, â€Å"Watching TV Makes You Smarter,† maintains that TV is good for people’s brains because many shows, including bad ones, have complex narratives with multiple-occurring plots. The complexity of TV stories compels people to think deeply, and this thinking makes them smarter. This paper opposes this argument because 24 may have a complex narrative, but it promotes racial stereotypes about Arabs and Muslims. It turns race into a literal black-and-white plot of morality, disabling people from realizing that TV is just a stor y, not a valid generalization of racial identities. Furthermore, some reality TV shows suggest that racial prejudice is fun and entertaining. Scholastic Scope explores the dangers of watching reality TV shows in â€Å"Is Reality TV Making You Stupid?† ... ho are negatively portrayed on TV and movies, such as what Dana Stevens highlights in â€Å"Thinking outside the Idiot Box.† Teenagers might think that racism is nothing serious and become discriminatory to minorities. Moreover, Reality TV might be making people stupid because it portrays negative values and conduct. It teaches selfishness. Most shows are about â€Å"me† than about â€Å"we.† In addition, reality TV teaches materialism. Shows such as My Super Sweet 16 underscore the negative effects of TV on the young mind. They might learn that materialism is good for their lives. Aside from potentially forming negative conduct, TV may improve memory, but not critical thinking skills. Susan Smith presents some evidence that TV is good for the brain in â€Å"TV Makes You Smart.† She mentions a study which provides findings that watching TV, especially comedy, can enhance memory. Johnson agrees with Smith and says that TV is a memory-booster because people have to memorize plots and characters to understand what they are watching. However, this essay argues that comedy and complex dramatic narratives might be good for the memory, but they are not true cognitive workouts as Johnson claims. It may produce short-term memory enhancement, but it does not train young minds to challenge what they watch. Moreover, watching TV makes people want to watch more TV only because it captures attention. Stevens believe that instead of making people smarter, TV merely conditions people to watch more. Watching more TV, if it does not make people smarter and can even make them dumber, will only make matters worse for people’s ability to think critically. In addition, watching TV trains people to be sensitive to changing actions and social relationships, but not how to question these

Environmental Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Environmental Health - Essay Example Indoor pollution exposure is the reason that causes pneumonia (World Health Organization, 2011). The sole responsible factor for 700,000 out of 2.7 million deaths in the world has been indoor air pollution. The most common disease due to COPD is chronic bronchitis, and women who are continuously exposed to the indoor smoke are the prime victims (World Health Organization, 2011). Apart from smoking, lung cancer can even be caused due to exposure to coal fires. The simple stoves used for cooking may even cause such diseases. Each year, the number of deaths due to lung cancer is one million and 1.5% of these deaths are caused by indoor air pollution (World Health Organization, 2011). In particular, children are more vulnerable to the effects of air pollutants because they are in their developmental stage and are physically different from adults. The lungs and airways of children are not matured and thus are more prone to the adverse effects of pollution. The lungs, in its developing stage, bear a large surface area that creates the easy absorption of pollutants. The breathing speed of the children is faster than adults and thus through inhaling, it absorbs a greater amount of contaminants in comparison to that of adults (Children’s Environmental Health Project, 2000). Researches show that children who reside in economically-disadvantaged areas that have high density of traffic may be prone to asthma exacerbation from exposure to air pollution (California Environmental Protection Agency, 2009). The exposure of the community to the impacts of air pollutants can be reduced by the below mentioned initiatives. The nurse who has been appointed for implementing the plan has to take the following initiatives to save adults and children from the exposure: One final advice that the nurse can provide is that of planting trees

Put and Call options Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Put and Call options - Research Paper Example In the call option the security deposit is allowed to take a certain commodity at a certain price if one chose to. On the other hand the put option has got an insurance policy that protects the commodities against loss in value. When it comes to motivations the buyer of the call option hopes to the price of the underlying product will go up but the seller of the call option hopes for it to go down. The buyer of the put option is advantaged if the prices went down. This is to prevent the risk that is limited to the premium. When it comes to the profits the buyer of the call option hopes that he will make a profit by buying stocks for less than their rising value. The seller of the call option hopes to make profits when the stock prices go down or if the prices go high below the price the buyer pays for creating the call option. When it comes to the put option the buyer is advantaged when the put option expires with the stock price above the strike price. Sellers In the put option make profits if the stock price falls below the strike price. Call options shows how options trading are high risk, high reward by contrasting buying call options with buying stock. Both require the investor to believe that the stock price will rise. However, call options give very high rewards compared to the amount invested if the price appreciates wildly. The downside is that the investor loses all her money if the stock price does not rise well above the strike price (Sheeba 136).

Wood in Construction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wood in Construction - Essay Example Working with laminates is much harder than working with plywood. The traditional methods of working with screws and nails work well with plywood. However, laminates cannot hold nails since they are weaker hence they are only joined by screws. Laminates and plywood can be compared in terms of their difference in lamination. Laminates are often laminated when they are being manufactured. Plywood, on the other hand, is not pre laminated by the manufacturer (Miller, 1963). Therefore, decorative laminates have to be bought separately, trimmed to size and glued to the plywood during construction. Lastly, laminates and plywood differ in quality. Laminates get damaged easily when exposed to humidity and moisture while plywood is mostly resistant. It is manufactured in various grades ranging from marine grade plywood to moisture resistant ply wood.Today, various types of wood are used in construction. For example, Pine, Douglas fir, and Poplar are often used to make solid wood doors (Meza, 20 13). Wood has been tested and used efficiently over the years for a different variety of structural activities. New houses in the world today are mostly made of wood framed construction. However, one needs to comprehend its weaknesses and strengths in the construction process before using it. The most attractive component of laminates for customers in the construction industry is most likely that it is cheaper when compared to solid wood or plywood. However, plywood is more durable and costlier.

Criminal Justice Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Criminal Justice Planning - Essay Example On the 16th of April 2007, this student went on a shooting rampage, killing 32 people, and injuring many others, before committing suicide by shooting himself. This shooting incident in campus shocked the entire world, and while the bereaved and distressed families are still trying to put their shattered lives in order, a lot of questions have emerged, chief among which are how a mentally disturbed and psychiatrically treated patient came into possession of guns and such large quantities of ammunition, to be able to murder and main by dozens. "Under federal law, the Virginia Tech gunman Seung-Hui Cho should have been prohibited from buying a gun after a Virginia court declared him to be a danger to himself in late 2005 and sent him for psychiatric treatment, a state official and several legal experts said." (Luo, 2007). Most significantly, it has raised questions about the current levels of security and safety available to students, faculty members and staff, in present day campuses. The incident has raised disturbing questions regarding public life in the surroundings and how harrowing a real life experience, such as this would be for its traumatic spectators and sufferers. In the light of the killings it became necessary to evaluate the problems in all its perspectives- social, medical, psychological and legal. The writer has made forays in order to establish a strategic Plans which could, alleviate the extend of damages and sufferings caused to innocents and also methods, by which these kinds of incidents could be avoided in the future, with the active co-operation of all concerned- the State and Federal Agencies, the student community and their parents/guardians, the teaching faculties, support staff and the administrative personnel involved in the day to day scholastic activities of the institutions. Most significantly it is also necessary for the law enforcement agencies to be able to deal effectively with the crisis and move out for relief and rescue operations with alacrity and speed and also take necessary precautions to reduce the levels of fatalities and injuries. Further the lacunae between the State and Federal laws have been glaringly mani fested in this case "Mr. Cho's ability to buy two guns despite his history has brought new attention to the adequacy of background checks that scrutinize potential gun buyers. And since federal gun laws depend on states for enforcement, the failure of Virginia to flag Mr. Cho highlights the often incomplete information provided by states to federal authorities." (Luo, 2007). Mission Statement: To minimize campus violence by planned, co-ordinated and effectively executed methods. One of the reasons why the Virginia killings took place was because although the killer was undergoing psychiatric treatment, as an outpatient, this fact was not considered when the guns were sold to him. The lacunae in the laws that provide that only someone who is "involuntarily committed" or a person "ruled incapacitated" could be disallowed from the purchase of firearms was not applicable in this case, as he was just an outpatient. He had undergone medication after psychiatric evaluation and assessment, but at the time of killings, he was not under drugs, as the post-mortem reports did not reveal any drugs in his body. Therefore, it is necessary

Pre-Marital Sex Essay Example for Free

Pre-Marital Sex Essay I would like also to say thank you to the chair, Asst. Prof. Pimonpan Isarabhakdi, Ph. D. , and the external examiner, Prof. Surasak Taneepanichskul, M. D. , Ph. D. This thesis will not have been possible without their excellent support and effort. I would like to express my gratitude to all Ajarns of IPSR and guest lecturers for their valuable teaching in their expertise fields as well as their guidance to improve my knowledge. A special acknowledgement to Mrs. Luxana Nil-Ubol for her endless efforts. A lot of thanks to my office Badan Kependudukan dan Keluarga Berencana Nasional (BKKBN) for granting me this prestigious fellowship which made me possible to carry out this program. I would like to express special thanks to Mr. Eddy Hasmi, Mr. Dora, Mrs. Yuyun and all friends in BKKBN for their helpful supports. Then, I would like thanks to my parents â€Å"bapak Donny S. M. Situmorang and ibu Theresia Lauretta Hutabarat†, my brothers â€Å"Freddy and Christian†, and my girlfriend â€Å"Henny Pakpahan† for supporting me mentally and physically, and encourage me during the study period in Mahidol University. However, this issue should be given attention because the rate increased from 5% to 6. 4% between 2002 and 2007. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to analyze factors influencing premarital sexual intercourse among in-school late adolescents in Indonesia. This study uses secondary data from the research of the Indonesian Young Adult Reproductive Health Survey (IYARHS) 2007. The study population of 6,792 in-school late adolescents aged 15-19 years was selected from a total of 19,311 unmarried Indonesian young adults that were interviewed. The findings illustrate that 2. 4% of the in-school late adolescents have engaged in premarital sexual intercourse. Evidence indicated that sex, age, place of residence, knowledge of sexual reproductive health (SRH), knowledge of contraceptive methods, source of SRH information, attitude towards acceptance of premarital sexual intercourse, relationship status defined by having a boyfriend or girlfriend, risky consumption behaviors, and peer influences have a significant association with in-school adolescents that have experienced premarital sexual intercourse.

Influence of Diaspora on Bosnia and Hercegovina

Influence of Diaspora on Bosnia and Hercegovina In order for us to understand and elaborate on the concept of diaspora, firstly we need to define it. The term diaspora is assigned to groups of people with an ethnic belonging which were forced to leave their original and traditional home country under certain pressures. The people that left their home towns later settled down all around the world in smaller geographic areas. In an attempt to define diaspora, William Safran gives 6 main characteristics of this phenomenon: â€Å"1) they, or their ancestors, have been dispersed from a specific original centre to two or more peripheral, or foreign, regions; 2) they retain a collective memory, vision, or myth about their original homelandits physical location, history, and achievements; 3) they believe that they are notand perhaps cannot be fully accepted by their host society and therefore feel partly alienated and insulated from it; 4) they regard their ancestral homeland as their true, ideal home and as the place to which they or t heir descendants would (or should) eventually return when conditions are appropriate; 5) they believe that they should, collectively be committed to the maintenance or restoration of their original homeland and to its safety and prosperity; and 6) they continue to relate, personally or vicariously, to that homeland in one way or another, and their ethno communal consciousness and solidarity are importantly defined by the existence of such a relationshipThe status of diaspora can also be related with a minority, for example a religious minority. In later years, scholars made differences between the types of diaspora and they vary from causes such as trade or labour migrations, imperialism, politics and economy. In this essay, I will focus only on the political, economic and social ties that Bosnian diaspora has on its country and the contribution that it receives. The number of Bosnians that live outside of the country is estimated to be 38 percent of the whole Bosnian population or in other words, 1.4 million Bosnians. The number one reason of the fled of population is the tragic war that occurred in these areas. Around 800000 people left the country in just two years, from 1993-1994. (Kupiszewski 2009: 437). Even after the Dayton Peace Agreement was signed in 1995, migration of people out of the country continued. There is a great number and maybe even a majority of young diaspora that is very talented and educated. One of the speculations about this trend of outward migration is closely linked to the unstable economy and political growth. Although the socio-economic situation is improving and becoming closer to the European countries, it still faces many problems and one of them is the lack of job opportunities. In 2010 Bosnian and Hercegovina had an unemployment rate of 27, 2% according to the Agency for Statistics. This rate was the large st amongst people who were between the age of 15-24, it was at a rate of 57, 5%. These tragic statistics force young generations out of the country in search for a job and better economic opportunities. The average amount of money that comes into Bosnia from the diaspora in one year is estimated to be around 3.1 billion Convertible Marks. The remittances from diaspora are 6 times larger than foreign direct investments and 3 times larger than the help that the international community gives to Bosnia and Hercegovina. When talking in economic and business terms, there has been a conclusion that people in Bosnia that receive help from diaspora are more likely to open and start a business of their own than the people living in the rural parts of the country receiving no help from anybody on the outside. Therefore, remittances surely have a positive effect on employment in this case. As it is visible, a lot of households depend on diaspora for their survival. One of the strategic document s that have been implemented is the strategy of development of science in Bosnia and Hercegovina 2010-2015. This strategy suggests that a big number of diaspora is willing to engage in the fields of scientific research. Two activities under this strategy were more visible than others where one of them is the creation of laws that allow unbothered transfer of knowledge and technologies and the engagement of foreign scientists in domestic scientific research, as well as engaging Bosnian researchers that live outside of the country. The second activity is related to enabling institutions in BiH that scientists from the Diaspora awarded the status of an associate scientific advisor .There exists another strategy that deals with development in Bosnia and Hercegovina and under its principles there is a suggestion of creating favourable conditions for attracting investments, savings and remittance measures from diaspora. In order for our country to prosper, a great deal of help is needed f rom our diaspora. The option of using diaspora and potential diaspora can be a strong force in economic development and in the creation of new jobs, entrepreneurship opportunities, new technologies, sciences and in the development of the whole society in general. A big role in the creation and implementation of policies in the field of migration play government institutions. They deal with some of the questions that diaspora poses both at the level of entities and Brcko Distrikt. The Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Hercegovina has the direct jurisdiction when it comes to diaspora. These ministries deal with the issues of protecting human rights and the rights of the refugees both in their home country and in the host country as well as questions that are closely related to migration. The sector for migration has the key role of appointing and determining the politics and its translation towards diaspora. In this sector there are only 10 people who deal with a wide spectre of questions dealing with how to make cooperation with diaspora organizations possible. They coordinate activities in the field of agriculture, culture, sports, science and educational cooperation. These organizations also give information and possibility of expert help to the diaspora in realizing their abilities in protecting their rights in Bosnia and Hercegovina. Organizations offer and give professional help to many incentives and they are familiar with European policies in the fields of migration and they have a clearer picture of its activities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has greater power towards the diaspora whose job is also to encourage, develop and coordinate cooperation with diaspora from BiH. Other ministries and government organizations need to work together in realizing strategies for the further development of cooperation between host countries and with the home countries of the diaspora. It is necessary to streng then actions in the fields of common interest. Besides governmental organizations, there are many non-governmental organizations which act together in conducting and creating politics in the spheres of migration. These organizations are more focused on the sustainable return and the protection of refugees as well as illegal migrations, trafficking of people, the questions of asylum, and dealing with the issues of borders. The main focus here is therefore the politics of migration and its development. The cooperation between the Sector for Diaspora works well with non-governmental sectors and international organizations which will in the future result in a larger amount of programs that will contribute to the promotion and development of migration politics. Under the Ministry of Human Right an analysis has been done to identify positive and negative factors that affect the possibilities of BH diaspora in participating in the development of their country. There are many factors that a re involved here, both external and internal factors. Some of the strengths are highly professional, motivated staff, a well-defined internal structure of sectors, good knowledge about European and world politics in the spheres of migration and development, and professional guiding of the sectors as well as a clear vision of functioning. The possibilities here are to create heterogeneity of diaspora with the levels of qualification which make possible the creation of a wide spectre of incentives. There is also the possibility of the return of qualified people, and the interest of diaspora to help in the development of their home country is existent. Another factor that contributes to the development is a good cooperation between international organizations in BiH that deal with migration. The weakness of Bosnian diaspora in helping its country are a small number of staff in the sector, the absence of strategical documentation that would define the priority fields of action towards d iaspora, stressing its potential of development. The threats that are present are the divisions of diaspora according to national and ethnic belonging. Also, there is not enough awareness of the potential that diaspora can bring to their home lands in terms of development. A lot of Bosnian population started feeling this sentiment towards their home lands and wish to return. Within them resides a nostalgic feeling. It is a fact that it is more difficult to live with other foreign nationalities and to be part of a culture that you do not belong to, therefore, people that left Bosnia and Hercegovina wish to return to their home cities and be surrounded by friends and family, be a part of their own culture and speak their own language. The only obstacle here is the under-development of BiH and people are aware of that. They do not want to return to a land where they have opportunities to prosper and grow. In order for this to change, internal changes need to be made first starting from the political issues facing this country and then moving on to its economy. Finally to conclude, we can surely say that Bosnian diaspora plays a big role in helping Bosnia and Hercegovina growth, both economically and politically. Diaspora opens a new window of opportunity for businesses to grow and for research sectors to prosper with highly educated intellectuals and individuals. The remittances from diaspora cannot be compared with other investments coming from certain organizations and institutions. Because many households depend on this help from outside, relations between host countries and home lands need to be fostered. References: Anon, (2014).(Blog)Available at: http://amardeepnotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/william-safran-on-diasporas.html (Accessed 15 May. 2014) Cigler, B. (2013) Dijaspora-posve neiskoristena sansa. (online) Al Jazeera Balkans. Available at: http://balkans.aljazeera.net/vijesti/dijaspora-posve-neiskoristena-sansa (Accessed 15 May. 2014) Mhrr.gov.ba.(2014).(online)Available at: http://www.mhrr.gov.ba/iseljenistvo/istrazivanja/default.aspx?id=1810langTag=bs-BA (Accessed 15 May. 2014) Perco, A. (2014) Pomoc dijaspore kao razvojna sansa BiH(online) Novovrijeme.ba Available at: http://novovrijeme.ba/pomoc-dijaspore-kao-razvojna-sansa-bih/ (Accessed 15 May. 2014) Valenta, M and Ramet, S. (2011). The Bosnian Diaspora. 1st ed. Farnham, Surrey, England: Ashgate

Four Control Objectives Of Wages System Accounting Essay

Four Control Objectives Of Wages System Accounting Essay According to Millichamp Taylor (2008), control objectives of wage system are as follows: To ensure that wages are paid to the existing employees at authorized rates of pay To ensure that wages are computed in accordance with work-performed records, in respect of working time, units produced, and other criteria To ensure that gross pay and net pay are calculated correctly and payments are made to the correct employees To ensure that payrolls deductions to Central Provident Fund Board are correctly accounted and paid (b) As the external auditors of Blake Ltd, write a management letter to the directors in respect of the shift-workers wages recording and payment systems which: Identifies and explains FOUR deficiencies in that system Explains the possible effect of each deficiency Provides a recommendation to alleviate each deficiency [14m] The Board of Directors Blake Limited 1208 Chancery Lane, Strand, London. 08th DEC 2010 Dear Sirs/Madams, BLAKE LIMITED REPORT TO MANAGEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH DECEMBER 2010 Following our recent audit, we bring to your attention certain observations in the companys operations which we believe can help you in improving the profitability and efficiency of the business. First Deficiency: Logging in process The logging in process using an electronic identification card is not monitored. Possible effect: Card scanned doesnt mean that work starts! As the logging in process is not monitored, collusion between employees by helping each other scanning the identification cards may result receipt of wages on the non-approval leave days or working hours. Recommendation: Replacement of electronic identification card to finger-print scanning may effectively cut off the collusion, yet it may be costly for the management. Spot check on the number of workers on the production line by shift manager from time to time and compare the number of employees logged in via the time recording system. Second Deficiency: Overtime supervision The shift foreman is not required to monitor the extent of any overtime working. Possible effect: As overtime working is not supervised, the employees may get wages paid at overtime rates for no work done by logging-off late. This phenomenon not only reduces the productivity, but also increases the labor costs. Recommendation: As each group of shift workers (25 persons) is allocated with specific vehicle at specific amount, the management may adopt piece-work systems, where employees are paid for output instead of time [Dunn, 1990]. Change of existing working environment where the overtime working should be monitored by the shift foreman or through the installation of CCTVs. Third Deficiency: Code word in computerized wage system The authorization code word (pets name) uses in comparing the accuracy of time worked from the time recording system to the computerized wages system is generally known around the department. Possible effect: Unauthorized alterations may be made by the employees inside and outside the department. Recommendation: Further security steps should be carried out, such as authorization using personnel identification number and password. This will help in keeping the records of the employees name who certified the wages amount of particular employees. Change of code word on a regular basis and only inform to the responsible employees instead of whole department, may help in reducing this deficiency. Forth Deficiency: Termination of employees No effort in ensuring the receipt of e-mails sent from personnel department to payroll department which stating the details of employees termination. Possible effect: Terminated employees may remain on the payroll system [Leung, Coram, Cooper Richardson, 2009] and hence the accounts department clerk will continue making payments to those employees as there is no link between accounts and personnel department. Recommendation: It is essential in ensuring that the termination e-mails are received in personnel, and this can be done by sending a notification feedback mails from payroll department to personnel department. We hope to discuss the report with you at our forthcoming meeting. May we take this opportunity to express our thanks to you and your employees for the assistance provided during the audit period. If you require any further information on the above, please do not hesitate to contact us. Disclaimers: This letter does not identify all the weaknesses in the company internal control systems. This letter is for management use only. Yours Faithfully, Fung Jason Smith Audit Co. (c) List THREE substantive analytical procedures you should perform on the shift managers salary system. For each procedure, state your expectation on the result of that procedure. [6m] Substantive procedures are designed to obtain audit evidence to reduce detection risks relating to specific financial statement assertions [Rick, Dassen, Schilder Wallage, 2005], using the tools: tests of details of transaction and balances, and analytical procedures. Analytical procedures consist of the analysis of significant trends and ratios, which entail the use of relationships and comparisons to determine the balance of accounts and reasonability of data [Porter, Simon Hatherly, 2008]. When analytical procedures serve as substantive tests in the shift managers salary system, substantive analytical procedures may be conducted by auditors comprise of: (i) Trend Analysis The analysis of changes in an account balance over time [Rick, Dassen, Schilder Wallage, 2005]. Procedure: Regular independent comparisons of shift managers salaries paid with budgets and previous year, through investigation of variances [Porter, Simon Hatherly, 2008]. Expectation: Assuming that the budgeted shift managers salaries included the 3% increment in second half year and the 5% annual bonus, variances between actual and budgeted total salary expenses should persist at similar level. On the other hand, presuming that the number of total shift managers remained unchanged, only inflation rates supposed to take place when comparing current and previous years salary expenses. (ii) Ratio Analysis The comparison of relationships between financial statement accounts, the comparison of an account with non-financial data, or the comparison of relationships between firms in an industry [Rick, Dassen, Schilder Wallage, 2005]. Procedure: Data collection of employment and rates payment of each shift manager in Blake Ltd from HR department [Porter, Simon Hatherly, 2008]. Calculation of aggregate amount and compare it with the actual salary disclosed in financial statement [Rick, Dassen, Schilder Wallage, 2005]. Expectation: As non-financial data may serve as a basis for comparisons, the estimated total payrolls can be achieved through the multiplication of total number of shift managers with the mean salary rates. (iii) Reasonableness Testing The analysis of account balances or changes in account balances within an accounting period in terms of their reasonableness in light of expected relationships between accounts [Rick, Dassen, Schilder Wallage, 2005]. Procedure: Data collection of number of shift managers hired and terminated, the timing of pay changes (increment of 3% in July and annual bonus of 5% in November), and the effect of vacation and sick leave, a model on shift managers payroll expenses could be created [Rick, Dassen, Schilder Wallage, 2005]. Expectation: As reasonableness testing develop explicit information, the monthly salary expenses should be quite constant in the first half years and an approximately 3% increment took place from July onwards and a further increment in November due to the annual bonus paid. (d) Audit evidence can be obtained using various audit procedures, such as inspection. APART FROM THIS PROCEDURE, in respect of testing the accuracy of the time recording system at Blake Ltd, explain FOUR procedures used in collecting audit evidence and discuss whether the auditor will benefit from using each procedure. [8m] The collection and gathering of audit evidence lies at the heart of the audit, where Mautz and Sharaf claimed that Auditing in its entirety is made up of two functions, both closely concerned with evidence. The first one is the evidence-gathering function; the second is that of evidence evaluation. [Dunn, 1991]. Test of controls is the tool uses in testing the effectiveness of control policies and procedures in supporting the detection of control risk [Rick, Dassen, Schilder Wallage, 2005]. Apart from inspection, the procedures and techniques used in collecting audit evidence and the benefit to auditor in testing the accuracy of time recording system are as follows: (1) Confirmation The receipt of a written or oral response from an independent third party verifying the accuracy of information that was requested by the auditor [Loebbecke, 1999]. Benefit/Applicability to auditor in testing the accuracy of time recording system: As the evidence is from independent third party, it is highly persuasive. However, the time recoding system manufacturer may feel reluctant to share the weaknesses and problems of the system in order to protect its product and business. Due to the time constraint and the inconveniencies in obtaining information, this procedure is less likely to be selected by auditors. (2) Observation A control consists of looking at a process or procedure being performed by others [Rick, Dassen, Schilder Wallage, 2005], which can be a significant procedure in determining whether the control system is operating [Mascarenhas Turley, 1990]. Benefit/Applicability to auditor in testing the accuracy of time recording system: This procedure enables the auditor to find out whether collusion in logging-in and out among shift workers takes place. However, observation may not provide an accurate reflection as employees will usually perform duties appropriately while being observed. Hence, combination with other procedures in gathering evidence may be necessary step in order to achieve higher accuracy [Mascarenhas Turley, 1990]. (3) Recalculation The procedure of checking the arithmetical accuracy of source of documents and accounting records or performing independent calculations [Rick, Dassen, Schilder Wallage, 2005]. Benefit/Applicability to auditor in testing the accuracy of time recording system: Recalculation helps in confirming the total hours paid are the same with the total time logging-in and out on the time recording system. Recalculation may provide strong evidence but the evidence is rarely persuasive and conclusive by itself [Rick, Dassen, Schilder Wallage, 2005]. A further step via re-performance procedure may help in increasing the overall accuracy of the time recording system. (4) Analytical Procedure The analysis used to evaluate financial information by studying plausible and predictable relationships among both financial and non-financial data [Mascarenhas Turley, 1990]. Benefit/Applicability to auditor in testing the accuracy of time recording system: This procedure could be a reasonably effective test, which enables the auditor to monitor the number of total hours claimed (time recoding system) and the total cost of wages paid (computerized wage system) through standard costing system [Dunn, 1990]. Any excessive variance occurred should be investigated. In conclusion, auditors always face difficulties in deciding the most suitable procedures which is most appropriate to achieve the objective. Guideline on Audit Evidence suggests the following: Documentary evidence is more reliable than oral Evidence obtained from independent sources outside the enterprise is more persuasive than that secured solely from within Evidence originated by the auditor is more reliable than evidence obtained from others [Dunn, 1990]

Evaluating Retail Markets in Several Small Cities :: Retail Market Analysis

Due to the resent desire of expanding into one of the following three cities; Ann Arbor, MI, Lincoln, NE and Madison, WI that have been chosen for possible location sites. I Regina Molel, Junior Executive of Swifts’ researched and analyzed the best possible location to start up another Swifts’ boutique, due to the request of Swifts’ CEO, Taylor Swift. At Swifts’ Boutique there will be merchandise that will appeal to those around the ages of 15-24 years old. The ideal area for the new expansion would have a larger population of teenage girls as well as younger women that are within our age range. Our company will be looking for Economic Indicators such as Household Income Growth and Projected Future Job Growth. Site Selection is a key category for the reason that depending on the location selected could make or break a company, for this reason we will be looking at Mall Locations, retail Sales, Local Transportation, and Entertainment and Restaurants. Then finally there is the competition; Swifts’ will be looking into how many stores are there that have the same customer base and would be competing with our brand directly. Madison, WI and Lincoln, Ne both did very well in the category of Population. Madison has a Metro Population of 568,593, Lincoln has a Metro Population of 302,157, and Ann Arbor, MI with 344,791. As for Female Population, Lincoln was on top with a total Female Population of 129,462, then Madison with 118,377, and finally Ann Arbor with 57,779. Ann Arbor may seem like it is being beat in most of the categories but when it comes to our target market Ann Arbor is at the top with 31.8% of their population landing in the range of 15-24 years of age, next with Madison at a 22.1% and lastly, Lincoln with 19%. Looking in to the Economic Indicators is at the highest in Lincoln at .8% Household Income and 44.48% for Future Job Growth, then in Ann Arbor with .4% Household Income, 31.30% Future Job Growth and finally ending in Madison with 0% Household Income, and 36.78% for Future Job Growth. Within the three towns there are possible malls that Swifts’ could expand in that would be sui table. The Retail Sales falls into this category, Madison dominating the Women’s and Girls’ clothing with $382,503 in sales, next would be Lincoln with $218,360, and lastly Ann Arbor with $155,768.

Al Capone Essay -- essays research papers

Al Capone still remains one of the most notable residents of "the Rock." In a memoir written by Warden James Johnston, he reminisced about the intensity of public interest around Capone's imprisonment, stating that he was continually barraged with questions about "Big Al." Each day newspapers and press flooded his office with phone calls, wanting to know everything from how Capone liked the weather on "the Rock," to what job assignment he was currently holding. Before arriving at Alcatraz, Capone had been a master at manipulating his environment at the Federal Penitentiary in Atlanta. Despite strict convictions from the courts, Capone was always able to persuade his keepers into procuring his every whim, and often dictated his own privileges. It was said that he had convinced many guards to work for him, and his cell boasted expensive furnishings which included personal bedding along with many other amenities not extended to other inmates serving lesser crimes. His cell was carpeted, and also had a radio around which many of the guards would sit with Al conversing and listening to their favorite radio serials. His friends and family maintained residence in a nearby hotel, and each day he was flooded with visitors. Capone started his life of crime at a young age. Rumored to have started pimping prostitutes before reaching puberty, he was raised on the tough streets of Brooklyn and earned extra money as a bouncer in various brothels. By the age of twenty, Capone had moved to Chicago and was managing a popular nightclub named The Four Deuces. By 1924, Capone had his hand in various rackets, including prostitution rings, bootlegging, and gambling houses and was believed to be earning over $100,000 per week. Capone had mastered the art of politics, and as a wealthy, powerful gangster figure, he attempted to balance his activities. Despite his illegitimate occupation, he had become a highly visible public figure. He made daily trips to City Hall, opened soup kitchens to feed the poor, and even lobbied for milk bottle dating to ensure the safety of the city's children. City officials often were embarrassed by the politic strength of Capone, and began leveraging his illegal activities through police raids, along with setting intentional fires to his places of business. In the beginning, the public glamorized Capone's activities and... ...on Alcatraz, he made several attempts to con Johnston into allowing him special privileges, but all were denied. Johnston maintained that Capone would not be given any special rights and would have to follow the rules as would any other inmate. Capone eventually conceded and one day made the comment to Johnston, "It looks like Alcatraz has got me licked." Capone spent 4 Â ½ years on Alcatraz and held a variety of jobs. Capone's time on Alcatraz was not easy time. Capone got into a fight with another inmate in the recreation yard and was placed in isolation for eight days. While working in the prison basement, an inmate who was standing in line waiting for a haircut, exchanged words with Capone and stabbed him with a pair of shears. Capone was admitted into the prison hospital and released a few days later with a minor wound. Capone eventually became symptomatic from syphilis, a disease he had evidently been carrying for years. In 1938, he was transferred to Terminal Island Prison in Southern California to serve out the remainder of his sentence, and was released in November of 1939. Capone died on January 25, 1947, in his Palm Beach Mansion from complications of syphilis.

David Henry Hwangs M Butterfly Essay example -- David Henry Hwang M B

David Henry Hwang's M Butterfly "I've played out the events of my life night after night, always searching for a new ending to my story, one where I will leave this cell and return forever to my Butterfly's arms." (Hwang 3.3.1-4) With these words of David Henry Hwang's play M Butterfly, we realize that we have just been staring directly into the memories of Rene Gallimard. The fact that Rene Gallimard serves as the narrator of his memories in the play M Butterfly delivers an impression of the character behind Gallimard than could ever be achieved by the viewing of the screenplay. The existence of Marc in the play as seen from Gallimard's perspective, the fact that Gallimard serves as the main organizer of ideas in the play, and the differing roles of Helga in the two works all lead to very different impressions and interpretations by the reader or viewer. Gallimard's narration seems to be the most obvious difference between the movie and the play. While reading the play, the audience has an opportunity to get to know the personality of Rene Gallimard, as well as his feelings about certain topics. Such insight can be very crucial in the impression that a character makes on an audience. Gallimard's persona is very evident in the opening lines of the play. He remarks initially about the dimensions of the cell, the atmosphere, and the living conditions. Immediately, this paints a picture for the reader that is very accurate physically, and the reader sees that Gallimard is straightforward, and says what he means without very much preamble. As the opening scenes develop, we also see the side of Gallimard that is the dreamer. Rene definitely has visions of perfection, and they are demonstrated when he remarks RAlone in this cell, I sit night after night, watching our story play through my head, always searching for a new ending, one which redeems my honor , where she returns at last to my arms.S (1.3.7-11) Gallimard can be classified as a dreamer, and not only because he is confined to a prison cell for many years. He has a vision of how life is supposed to be, and feels rewarded when he conforms to a stereotype. For example, he says RI knew this little flower was waiting for me to call, and, as I wickedly refused to do so, I felt the first time that rush of power -- the absolute power of a man.... ... creation necessary to construct the story of the play while the movie simply feeds the audience with information. In conclusion, the audienceUs perception of Rene Gallimard is much different in the play M Butterfly than in the movie of the same title. Although David Henry Hwang wrote both the play and the screenplay, the character development is far greater in the play. The reader must create a picture of Gallimard by his impressions, reactions, and interactions with characters from his past that simply do not exist in the movie. Marc, Gallimard's best friend from school, does not exist in the movie, but is the voice inside GallimardUs head throughout the play. Helga, who exists in both works, has much more bearing in the book, again shaping the readerUs impression of the kind of man that Gallimard really is. The fact that the play employs a narrator and the movie does not leads the reader down a different path, especially when the narrator is Rene Gallimard himself. The human mind is one that is capable of creating its own world. When viewing the movie, one sees a sense of Rene GallimardUs world. When reading the play, one understands his world.

Ohm’s Law Series-Parallel Circuits Calculation Essay

To end up the discussion of Series-Parallel Circuits, I would like to post this last one remaining topic which is about Ohm’s Law of Series-Parallel Circuits for currents and voltages. I did not even mentioned in my previous topics on how to deal with its currents and voltages regarding this type of circuit connection. Ohms Law in Series-Parallel Circuits Ohm’s Law in Series-Parallel Circuits – Current The total current of the series-parallel circuits depends on the total resistance offered by the circuit when connected across the voltage source. The current flow in the entire circuit and it will divide to flow through parallel branches. In case of parallel branch, the current is inversely proportional to the resistance of the branch – that is the greater current flows through the least resistance and vice-versa. Then, the current will then sum up again after flowing in different circuit branch which is the same as the current source or total current. The total circuit current is the same at each end of a series-parallel circuit, and is equal to the current flow through the voltage source. Ohm’s Law in Series-Parallel Circuits – Voltage The voltage drop across a series-parallel circuits also occur the same way as in series and parallel circuits. In series parts of the circuit, the voltage drop depends on the individual values of the resistors. In parallel parts of the circuit, the voltage across each branch are the same and carries a current depends on the individual values of the resistors. If in case of circuit below, the voltage of the series resistance forming a branch of the parallel circuit will divide the voltage across the parallel circuit. If in case of the single resistance in a parallel branch, the voltage across is the same as the sum of the voltages of the series  resistances. The sum of the voltage across R3 and R4 is the same   as the voltage across R2. Finally, the sum of the voltage drop across each paths between the two terminal of the series-parallel circuit is the same as the total voltage applied to the circuit. Let’s have a very simple example of this calculation for this topic. Considering the circuit below with its given values, lets calculate the total current, current and voltage drop across each resistances. What is the total current, current and voltage across each resistancesHere is the simple calculation of the circuit above: a. Calculate first the total resistance of the circuit: The equivalent resistance for R2 and R3 is: R2-3 = 25X50/ 25+50 = 16.67 ohms R total = 30 ohms + 16.67 ohms = 46.67 ohms b. Calculate the Total Current using Ohm’s Law: I1 = 120V / 46.67 Ohms = 2.57 Amp. Since R1 is in series connection, the total current is the same for that path. c. Calculating the voltage drop for R1: VR1 = 2.57 Amp x 30 ohms = 77.1 volts d. Calculate the voltage drop across R2 and R3. Since the equivalent resistance for R2 and R3 as calculated above is 16.67 ohms, we can now calculate the voltage across each branch. VR2 = VR3 = 2.57 Amp x 16.67 ohms = 42. 84 volts e. Finally, we can now calculate the individual current for R2 and R3: I2 = VR2 / R2 = 42.84 volts / 25 ohms = 1.71 Amp. I3 = VR3 / R3 = 42.84 volts / 50 ohms = 0.86 Amp. You may also check if the current in each path of the parallel branch are correct by adding its currents: I1 = I2 + I3 = 1.71 Amp + 0.86 Amp = 2.57 Amp. which is the same as calculated above. Therefore, we can say that our answer is correct.

Anand Mahindra Profile

Anand Mahindra * Passionate innovator * I call myself a â€Å"right brained person. † * The whole feeling in this company has been one of trusteeship. * Innovators are non-conformists. Innovators and entrepreneurs are those who have immense confidence in their capabilities. * If educated properly, Indians are second to none in the world. * I worry when times are good. * It’s never only about the money, it can’t be. Otherwise I don’t think you can get outstanding results. Timeline 1955: Born in Mumbai, Maharashtra 981: Returned to India and joined Mahindra Ugine Steel Company (MUSCO) as an Executive Assistant to the Finance Director 1989: Became the President of this leading group 1991: Became the Deputy Managing Director of the Mahindra & Mahindra Group 1997: Became the Managing Director of the Mahindra & Mahindra Group 2003:Became the Vice-Chairman of the Mahindra & Mahindra Group 2004: Knight of the Order of Merit by the President of the Fren ch Republic. 2005: Person of the Year from Auto Monitor and Leadership Award from the American India Foundation. 006: Received the CNBC Asia Business Leader Award and Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the Ludhiana Management Association. 2007: Received the Inspiring Corporate Leader of the Year Award from NDTV Profit. Background (From films to business) Anand Mahindra, 50, was schooled at the Lawrence school in Lovedale. He completed his graduate studies at Harvard College in Arts, following it up with an MBA from Harvard Business School. His paternal uncle, Keshub Mahindra, is the current chairman of the company.He is married to Anuradha Mahindra, who is the famous editor of the magazines ‘Verve' and ‘Man's World' and is the Editor-in-Chief of Rolling Stone India. The couple together has two daughters. A communist in his college days You don’t find a Harvard graduate who earned a summa cum laude (Latin for â€Å"with highest honour†) in film, heading one o f India’s largest auto businesses. A self-confessed ‘right-brained person, Anand Mahindra believes this honour from Harvard was a cathartic experience and marked the end of his rebellion.It also proved to sceptics that he could establish himself in a field where his family was not present, rather than walking the easier path of joining and running an inherited family business. Anand, also a Communist party member in his college days, firmly believes that innovation and creativity are mindsets and one needs to constantly question one’s direction in life – something he says he doesn’t see in today’s youth, who he believes are focused and know what they want from day one.Anand began his career in a group company – Mahindra Ugine Steel (MUSCO) – taking it through the stormy early-eighties negotiating with labour unions in the steel business, a period he calls a â€Å"trial by fire†. Anand eventually joined M;amp;M in 1991, an d became the Managing Director in 1997. He has a strong sense of pride in the work he does, and believes given the right education Indians are second to none in the world. The Scorpio success factor Not surprisingly, the Scorpio remains Anand’s biggest achievement.Or, as he puts it, â€Å"The scale of risk we took is our biggest achievement†. The Scorpio, interestingly enough was born, not as a specific SUV project, but as an idea from a 26-year-old engineer who was part of a team building a 13-seater Utility Vehicle. The imposing Rs6bn budget for developing the Scorpio was a huge risk to take and a hurdle to cross. Anand took the bet, convincing the Board that it was the way forward. The rest, of course is history. Real estate – changing the way people liveAnand cites driving innovation across M;amp;M and the entire Mahindra Group as another key achievement. His idea of setting up unique world class complexes (â€Å"World Cities†) that holistically integ rate the needs of work and family is a case in point. Despite opposition from the board (â€Å"For five years people thought I was mad†), Anand held his stance that â€Å"We’re changing the way people live in these townships. † Sure enough, Mahindra Gesco (the holding company) currently has orders worth Rs15bn and takers like Infosys for it’s Mahindra World City, Chennai project. The bluechip criteria† The fact that the Mahindra Group consists of a myriad of companies seems to question the entire concept of focus. However, Anand believes that he already â€Å"chopped the deadwood† in 1994 (exiting businesses like nuclear engineering, oil drilling, etc) and set six areas as key focus businesses for the group. Each of these groups has to meet â€Å"the bluechip criteria,† which means the business must: (a) be a leader in its industry; (b) have innovation as a key model; (c) have global potential; and (d) deliver on demanding financial go als.Six focus areas for the group With Anand removing himself from active management (â€Å"kicking myself upstairs†), all the businesses were given dedicated presidents to provide managerial focus. He believes giving managerial and financial independence to these businesses is what sets them apart from the conventional conglomerate structure that tends to focus on top-management control. Anand is now moving forward to list each of these businesses, which are as diverse as Mahindra-British Telecom (IT), Club Mahindra (time-share holidays) and M;amp;M Financial Services. All of these will be IPOed and will therefore become independent. † The five cylinder engine in autos At the same time, Anand also resisted pressure to carve out M;amp;M’s auto business into a separate company. â€Å"If we do it right, I have a better chance of turning Mahindra as a globally recognised cult brand, than I do, trying to turn it into General Motors. † Anand sees M;amp;M as a t hree-cylinder engine, consisting of UVs, tractors and components. He is focusing on building M;amp;M as an â€Å"auto competency group† by creating verticals sharing the same platforms such as logistics, procurement and ngineering. His philosophy for M;amp;M is â€Å"When you build more verticals you simulate the scale and get a larger company without losing the niche focus. † With the recent tie-ups with Renault and International Trucks, Anand believes he has now created a â€Å"five-cylinder engine†. Benefits for M;amp;M’s core auto business are already flowing in – for example M;amp;M is now tapping into Renault’s global procurement systems. Clear targets for each businesses Anand has clear targets for each of M;amp;M’s three cylinders.UVs – to be a globally recognised brand, tractors – to be a dominant player, and auto components – to be the largest automotive component conglomerate in India (â€Å"We’ d like to be a Dana, Spicer or a Lear. †). Similarly, for the group Anand doesn’t believe in one single goal. He chooses, instead to focus on leadership, innovation, a global presence and delivering on the financials. Everything else, including size, which he believes doesn’t matter, will then follow. What he does with his free time Anand spends as much time as he can with his family and those near and dear.A friend once told him that life is like a bunch of rubber and glass balls that you have to juggle all the time. You have to know, which are the glass balls, and you never drop those. The rubber ones keep bouncing and you can pick them up along the way. A voracious reader by his own admission Anand does not read business books since they become obsolete. He prefers business magazines such as Harvard Business Review, BusinessWeek and Fortune. In fiction, Anand is a big fan of the Booker Prize winning author, Ian McEwan.

Disparities Essay

Reducing Disparities Discuss the different ways in which disparities can be reduced with an emphasis on the following: Trade and market access Debt Relief Aid Remittances A Joint report by students. This report has been compiled by all 1B Geography students and aims to form a case study of how the global disparities as highlighted in the Millennium Development Goals are being reduced. Each student has contributed to their own section of the document and work should be checked by others for accuracy and reliability. It is after all a case study that will be used in the final examinations. What are the global disparities? Disparities exist within development patterns on a global scale. There is an increasing gap between the world’s richest and poorest countries due to factors such as globalization and increased consumerism. Disparities exist and can be measured using indices of infant mortality, education, nutrition, income and the Human Development Index. Disparities exist within countries resulting from ethnicity, residence, parental education, income, employment and land ownership. These disparities have long been recognized and the world has started to act (some might say too late) to try to reduce them. The biggest scheme to date has been the implementation and global promotion of the Millennium Development Goals. These eight key goals were set in the year 2000 and aim to tackle the main problems associated with poverty, education and health worldwide. These Goals are actively being worked towards with a final deadline of 201 5 for stage one targets. Many millions of people have been made aware of these goals directly and indirectly using campaigns such as Make Poverty History, Live8, The Red Appeal and The Girl Effect to name but a few. This piece of work will discuss the different ways in which these isparities can be reduced and evaluate the strategies that have already been implemented. Mr Podbury. 2013. Chapter 1 (Students; Angus and Kathrin) Introduction to, Trade and Market Access – Case Study Fairtrade in Africa. Introduction to Fairtrade -Trade between companies in developed countries and producers in developing countries in which fair prices are paid to the producers. Google) What it hopes to achieve -To work with businesses, community groups and individuals to improve the trading position of producer organisations in the south to deliver sustainable livelihoods to farmers, workers and their communities. How does it work? -They do this by being a passionate and ambitious development organization committed to tack ling poverty and injustice through trade. -Proving an independent certification of the trade chain

Identify the types of fault that can occur Essay

The computer is completely dead A lot of machines are require you to press a power button on the back may sound bad and not many people try it so if it fails check the cable whether the fuse works you can test a fuse using a multi metre. If it does not work replace all the cable Computer keeps running on scandisk on start- up This usually is a result because the computer was switched off incorrectly it is probable that the installation of windows is damaged. A re installation could be a possible solution. Computer seems to start up normally but nothing appears on the screen Again, as ridiculous as it may sound check the cable; it may not be attached probably. Another obvious solution is to try whether the monitor is switched on. Windows installing errors Windows installer engine could be corrupted, installed incorrectly, or disabled this may cause installation issues. A reinstallation could well fix the issue but from a different source than the original download. Modem cuts off frequently Possible solution, you may have a call waiting on your line you need to  disable it to continue use of the modem Some programs like games don’t work on my computer This could be numerous things one of the most common occurrences is due to the fact game developers only make high end specification games of late. 9 times out of 10 people buy games while having the assumption that they will work on their pc. You should buy only the games that are able to run on your pc. Or you can upgrade your pc so it’s more future prove. Exe errors The quickest and easiest risk free method is by using professional software; The two software applications i recommend are â€Å"Error repair† and † XostspySE† I’ve re-installed windows and my sound/video/modem/printer is not working correctly A possible solution is that the devices may not be set up correctly. Windows does not shut down correctly or it restarts when it should shut down After doing some research i fount out the best solution is to go to â€Å"RUN† and then type in â€Å"MSCONFIG† Then click on â€Å"advanced† and then tick/untick â€Å"Enable fast shutdown† The next stage is to re-start the computer and see if it shuts down. If proved un successful then try the BIOS and disable ACPI. And this should resurrect the issue. Dll error There are numerous ways to fix DLL errors one way is to download a â€Å"DLL Repair tool† and follow these steps download the â€Å"Dll repair tool† click the â€Å"scan† button and then click the â€Å"repair† button to fix any errors. Another solution would be to re-install again. Source technical information to provide advice and guidance for a variety of faults (P4) Practical: Your tutor will create a number of scenarios in which you have to source technical information to provide advice and guidance for a variety of faults. Complete an activity log to show what actions youtook; you might also be observed during this process. Name of user Jonah Rossy Report date 11/04/2014 Machine identification details 76 Time to fix 15 minutes Nature of fault Computer seems to start up normally but nothing appears on the screen Diagnosis/Fault found The most usual problem with a computer but when the PC is actually does power on but doest display anything on the monitor. So when you see the lights on the computer case is probably hear fans running from inside, and may even hear sound but nothing shows up on the screen Remedial action taken I have checked the monitor computer cable, and then i have cleared the CMOS, by clearing the BIOS memory on the motherboard will return the bios setting to their factory default level. A bios miss configuration could be why your PC wont start-up all the way. Resources used : http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/15682/ Completed by : Bogdan Filipciuc Date : 20/04/2014 Name of user Maria Beloni Report date 11/04/2014 Machine identification details 76 Time to fix 15 minutes Nature of fault The screen comes on ok when booting but unreadable when in windows Diagnosis/Fault found When the computer is booting on the display is unreadable. Remedial action taken Enter the BIOS; on Dell computer start pressing F2 button immediately booting your computer. In the BIOS use the down arrow to scroll to â€Å"Integrated Devices (Legacy Select Options). Press Enter Use down arrow to scroll to â€Å"On board Video Buffer† Press Space Bar once to change from 1MB to 8MB Press â€Å"Esc† to Exit Press â€Å"Esc† to Exit again Make sure that â€Å"Save Changes and Exit† is highlighted Press â€Å"Enter† Illegible Screen Problem Solved. Resources used : http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/15682/ Completed by : Bogdan Filipciuc Date : 20/04/2014 Name of user Maria Beloni Report date 11/04/2014 Machine identification details 76 Time to fix 15 minutes Nature of fault A slow PC Diagnosis/Fault found The computer is running very slow Remedial action taken To fix the problem i have defrag the computer and also install and anti-virus, the virus have found lots of Trojans and now is safe. Also I have done all the updates and install a processor speed up. Resources used  : http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/15682/ Completed by : Bogdan Filipciuc Date : 20/04/2014 Name of user Maria Beloni Report date 11/04/2014 Machine identification details 76 Time to fix 15 minutes Nature of fault Some programs like games don’t work on my computer Diagnosis/Fault found The games don’t work on the computer because of the display. Remedial action taken Multiple displays, especially extended Desktops across different resolutions, can cause problems resulting in performance issues ranging from rare freezes to total failures. Often setting to run in Windowed Mode will get an instance going and depending on your video configuration and drivers/software you’re running getting a full screen instance up could be as simple as a check box option to clone displays in the Video control software Resources used : http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/15682/ Completed by : Bogdan Filipciuc Date : 20/04/2014 Name of user Maria Beloni Report date 11/04/2014 Machine identification details 76 Time to fix 15 minutes Nature of fault Can’t get the pound sign to work other keys come up with the wrong Symbols? Diagnosis/Fault found The pound sign don’t work because the layout of the keyboard is American so it has to be changed in UK version or European Remedial action taken To fix the problem I have used control panel -> regional and language options -> languages -> details first try ‘key settings’ and unclick the boxes to swap between keyboards. And the now you can get the sysmbols Resources used : http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/15682/ Completed by : Bogdan Filipciuc Date : 20/04/2014 Name of user Maria Beloni Report date 11/04/2014 Machine identification details 76 Time to fix 15 minutes Nature of fault Blue screen of death Diagnosis/Fault found A Blue Screen of Death, also called a STOP Error, will appear when an issue is so serious that Windows must stop completely. Remedial action taken I have verified that a minimum amount of free space is available on your Windows partition. Blue Screens of Death and other serious issues, like data corruption, can occur if there’s not enough free space on your  primary partition used for the Windows operating system. So I have to maintain at least 100MB of free space but I regularly see problems with free space that low. I usually advise Windows users to keep at least 15% of a drive’s capacity free at all times. Resources used : http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/15682/ Completed by : Bogdan Filipciuc Date : 20/04/2014 Name of user Maria Beloni Report date 11/04/2014 Machine identification details 76 Time to fix 15 minutes I’ve re-installed windows and my sound/video/modem/printer is not working correctly Diagnosis/Fault found The sound, video, modem and printer don’t work Remedial action taken To fix the problem with the sound, video, modem and printer I have installed patches for each one and restart the computer and everything is working perfectly. Resources used : http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/15682/ Completed by : Bogdan Filipciuc Date : 20/04/2014 Judge the value of different sources of support material (M3) Having completed a number of fault finding activities set up by your tutor, judge the value and validity of different sources of support material to which you referred during the process. Present your findings as a referenced appendix to you fault records. Grading Tips: Make sure that you accessed a number of different  sources for a given fault; don’t just rely on one source.