Research Problem Statement

INTERNATIONAL ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGNERS THREATENING THE FUTURE OF THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY IN MALAWI. Tobacco is Malawi’s green gold. Tobacco earns about 60% of Malawi’s forex thereby qualifying to be the major contributor to Malawi’s economy. For the past few years, the tobacco marketing season has been characterized by high rejection rates at the auction floors, a great number of bales returning with no sales, and low average prices.The 2011 tobacco marketing season proved to be the worst with burley average price falling by 41% from US$1. 90/kg in 2010 to US$1. 13/kg in 2011. The total average price on the auction floors was 33% lower as compared to the 2010 average price (US$1. 86/kg to US$1. 24/kg). International Tobacco Growers’ Association (ITGA) Tobacco Courier: Quarterly Publication No. 52 December 2011 – www. tobaccoleaf. org. Although the average price for all tobacco types improved in the 2012 marketing season from US$1. 4/kg in 2011 to US$2. 22/kg in 2012, the volumes of the crop dropped significantly from 208 million kgs in 2011 to 79. 6 million kgs in 2012 representing a drop of about 62%. – TCC 2012 Tobacco Sales Summary. This could be as a result of the impact the poor prices had on tobacco farmers in the previous season and also the uncertainty surrounding the future of tobacco production due to international treaties like the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FTCT).In November, 2010, the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) CoP4 through their Working Committees on various Articles of FCTC, approved in principle to regulate flavouring ingredients which they believe increases the attractiveness of tobacco products. The Conference also recommended the restriction or total banning of additives or flavourings used in the manufacturing of tobacco products. Internet Source: www. tobaccoleaf. org. (21. 08. 2012).A number of other recommen dations were also discussed which when adopted would mean doom for the tobacco industry. Malawi is one of the countries to be affected if WHO-FTCT’s measures are adopted. Malawi should therefore lobby for international support in ensuring that recommendations and guidelines by the WHO-FCTC are not implemented without considering Malawi’s concerns since tobacco production remains the backbone of Malawi’s economy and a livelihoods for most Malawians in the rural areas.

Internal Controls Essay

Introduction It has come to the attention of the president of LJB Company that an evaluation is needed to determine the reliability and level of compliance of the company’s internal controls. It is imperative if the company is going public that it follow the regulations set forth by governing bodies. The punishment for violation of these regulations can be up to 20 years in prison. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 helps to ensure that shareholder investments and the general public are protected from fraudulent practices within accounting. According to SOX there are five components: 1) Assessment of Internal Control- An internal control report must be included in the company’s annual report. 2) No Altering of Financial Documents- If anyone falsifies or alters financial documents they are subject to criminal penalties that includes up to 20 year in prison. 3) Must Disclose Periodic Reports- Financial statements are required to be accurate as any items off-balance could be used in a fraudulent manner. 4) Data in a timely manner- Financial data must be presented within a reasonable timely manner. The information must be written in a way that any investor could make an educated decision about investing. 5) Types of disclosure controls- Each company or organization must have policies and procedures set forth that explains guidelines that will ensure proper finan cial disclosure. Internal Controls-Strengths The LJB Company does show some strengths in their internal controls including: 1) Using pre-numbered invoices- This allows for the company to account for all purchases and aide in making sure all purchases are recorded properly. This also enables the company to track any fraudulent cash disbursement in the event that invoices are missing. 2) Retaining employees- It reduces turnover time and the conflicts associated with being under staffed. LJB appears to have long standing commitments with their employees which is great for staff morale. 3) The suggestion of the use of an indelible ink machine for printing checks is a great idea as the ink cannot be erased or altered in any way. This aides in keeping fraudulent activities to a minimum and is a great way to incorporate more checks and balances to ensure compliance. Internal Controls- Opportunities for Improvement There are a few opportunities for improvement that a plan of correction should be put into place quickly to correct. 1) Segregation of Duties: The Treasurer and Controller should have separate duties. There should be at least one more employee to work alongside the account who has specific supervision over the accounts receivables and accounts payable functions. 2) Physical controls- It is required that companies keep physical controls such as documentation related to assets. From a risk management perspective it would be beneficial for the company to immediately place the printed payroll checks in the safe instead of them being left in someone’s office. IT should also set up specific employee log-in and passwords in order to be able to track what is being viewed by each employee and IT guidelines should be given to staff to ensure clarity of what is required of them. It is also recommended that there is a procedure for properly handling petty cash. Employees should not be able to just leave notes but have to request and justify the need for petty cash. A proper tracking mechanism should be put into place- a recommendation would be to use employee numbers to log the expense. 3) Human Resource controls- It is recommended that a thorough background check be completed on all eligible applicants. This will provide and verify information regarding the applicant, as well as confirm/deny any criminal activities. This should be implemented as soon as possible as this is a great way to aide in protecting the company’s assets. In conclusion,  if these recommendations are adhered to and all issues addressed appropriately it is very likely that the LJB Company will be less prone to fraud and reduce errors and mistakes. References Harrison, W.T., Horngren, C.T., Thomas, W. (2013). Financial Accounting, 9th Edition. Pearson Education, Inc. (2006). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002. In A Guide to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Retrieved June 3, 2014 from www.soxlaw.com.

Cultural Diversity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cultural Diversity - Research Paper Example From this essay it is clear that diversity among students is promoted through field trips. One major example of these field trips is visiting the community. This helps to expand what children view the world beyond the confinement of the school boundary. The second example is through visiting interesting people in their communities. Every community has interesting people like female mechanics, male cook, a wheelchair athlete, and many others. Through this, students can understand and appreciate different people in the communities. Another example of the field trip is taking the students to a different place of works of their parents. This makes them understand the different people, their parents associate with, understand different occupations and create a more realistic view of the world in their minds.This paper discusses that  Maryland School has exposed and made its students understand and accept diversity through creation of certain activities performed in the school. The schoo l has a Parents Day, a day when all parents and their children are required to share their culture and establish in their children’s. They carry out numerous activities that display their culture depending on the interest of the parents and their children’s. Cooking, cultural meals, performing folk songs, dance, and tales about their culture are performed.  The school should allow its students to visit other schools in the community.

Scaling Study Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Scaling Study - Statistics Project Example This research aims to investigate the consumer attitude towards mobile advertising and intends to uncover important points. The questionnaire was designed based on the existing literature about attitudes toward advertising and consumer behavior models. A field survey was conducted which used the questionnaire to collect data regarding the attitude, intention and behavior of the respondents toward mobile advertising. The sample comprised of 10 individuals and they were selected since most of them were young and heavy users of SMS. All participants were provided complete information regarding the purpose of the survey. The questionnaire composed of two types of questions; Rating scale and multiple choices. The findings of this research have revealed several interesting points. The study did not aim to focus on the demographic information such as gender, age or educational level rather it tried to build an overall consensus of the population. Mobile users viewed entertainment as the most important attribute affecting consumer attitude towards mobile advertising. The average sample score for the entertainment was 3.9 which implies that consumer deem entertainment as an important factor. Informativeness was considered as an average factor with an average score of 3 for the sample. Many individuals consider that mobile advertising provides the information that they require for their decision making. The most interesting finding revealed was that mobile advertising was considered to be very irritating by the sample. However, we cannot infer any conclusion for the population since the sample size was very limited but yet it was conspicuous that mobile advertising was viewed as irritating an d annoying by the respondents. In addition to that, it was also found that mobile advertising was not a very credible medium. This can be subjective as each of the respondents may have different experiences with the mobile. Finally, the attitude toward mobile was not

Gone With The Wind Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gone With The Wind - Research Paper Example Authority/Credentials of the Author The author of the article, Neil Netanel is a professor at the UCLA School of Law where he has been since fall 2004. Prior to that, the author was a member of fuculty at University of Texas Austine School of Law for a decade. Here, the author was the White, Durkee and Arnold Centennial Law Professor. The author practiced law between 1981 and 1984 at Loeb and Loeb located in Los Angeles, as well as in Tel-Aviv at Ygal Arnon & Co. between 1985 and 1992. Concerning educational background, Netanel holds B.A. from Yale university received in 1976, J.D. received in 1980 from UC Berkely Boalt Hall School of Law and J.S.D. received in 1998 from Stanford University. Hence, Netanel is well educated making information that he provides reliable. With regard to experience, Netanel has authored and co-authored several texts used in learning institutions among other institutions today. He is mostly an expert in teaching and writing about free speech, copyright, te lecommunications law and policy, and international intellectual property. Some of the most recent books authorted by Neil include 2008 Copyright’ Paradox, The Development Agenda: Global Intellectual Property and Developing Countries (2008), From Maimonides to Microsoft; The Jewish Law of Copyright Since the Birth of Print (2011)Â  both published by Oxford University Press. From the evaluation of author experience, credentials and educational background, it is clear that he is well vast in this area of law and other isues sorrounding legality of copyright and free speech. Therefore, article is written by an experienced author, thus, the credibility of the information is trustworthy. Validity of Research The information provided in this research is of high quality because it achieves almost all the parameters that determine the validity and credibility of a research article. For instance, the article refers to several other sources of information, which are all referenced thro ught the article. Furthermore, since it is dicussing fair use, which is related to court issues, it also refers to several past court cases. These cases, especially landmark cases, provide adequate evidence for the argument that the aauthor puts across in this article. The references used and cited inside the text are also listed at the bottom of every page in the form of footnotes, which enhances the quality and validity of the information provided in the article. Evaluation of the evidence presented by the author in this article clearly indiactes that it supports the author’s claim about fair use. Moreso, the author refers to variuos sudies and research to draw his conclusion about this issue. The major conclusion from this research is that the courts have embraced tranformative use doctrine more that they did ten or twenty years ago, and this contributes to high win rates of defendants with regard to fair use. In addition, the author uses objective research to support his claim as opposed to personal opinion or narrative. This is because he draws information from several books, and in addition, uses emphirical data to as evidence to support his cl

When completing a degree may take away from a family or a job Essay

When completing a degree may take away from a family or a job - Essay Example There are several interesting ethical observations that can be made, from the perspective of the writer they are providing a service for others who may have need of that service and since there is no law against that service being provided then they are not doing anything wrong legally. There is the pure ethical consideration in that by generating original work for someone else to use as it if it is their own they are in fact cheating the system, this is of course a legitimate argument. Another observation is the argument that the instructors and institution should by expecting original work be producing their own as well. Some people are being forced by new work requirements to gain a paper education to supplement what may be a lifetime of acquired knowledge. These people may in fact be working a large amount of hours and while they understand and know the â€Å"work† may not have the ability to put aside the time necessary to ensure that they gain the degree now being requir ed. Case in point, many police departments are requiring that all officers gain a minimum of an associate’s degree and sometimes an advanced degree as well to become police officers. This means that now the officers who may have been patrolling and serving the community for 10 years and more are now going to need to go back to school to gain that same piece of education. For them it is a matter of survival, they are being forced to work longer hours due to budget cuts and still must produce a degree in a set amount of time.

Practice Determinants and Outcomes of Multiple Performance Measures Essay

Practice Determinants and Outcomes of Multiple Performance Measures - Essay Example Business performance measurement systems play an important role in developing strategic plans, monitoring and evaluating the achievement of organizational strategic goals and compensating managers. In today’s dynamic business environment with extreme competition, there has been considerable discussion on the importance of performance measurement innovations (Kaplan & Norton, 1996, Atkinson et al., 1997, Ittner & Larcker, 1998a). New financial metrics such as Economic Value Added (EVAÂ ®) and Shareholder Value Approach (SVA) have been introduced and used by some organizations. Non-financial measures have been recommended to complement the financial measures and organizations are being advised to erect multi-dimensional measurement systems. Multiple performance measurements and integration of financial and non-financial measures are some of the key innovations in management control systems that will provide managers critical information on monitoring key business activities and organizational goals. As no comprehensive corporate performance measurement study has been conducted in Hong Kong and Shanghai, the first objective of this study is to explore the current practices of multiple performance measures by both Hong Kong and Shanghai organizations and compare any differences between them. As Hong Kong is one of the international cities long influenced by modern western managerial practices, it is preferable to study the performance measurement practices in Hong Kong.

Decision-Making Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Decision-Making Paper - Essay Example 317). Decisions made by groups are usually hamstrung by the need to reach a consensus. Consensus calls for parties to a discussion to have the same comprehension of the terms under discussion. The procedure for building a consensus involves discussion, fronting a proposal, testing for the consensus in terms of no and yes, modification of the proposal in question, and determination if the consensus is achieved or blocked (Herera, Martinez and Sanchez, 2005, p. 118). There are five processes of decision making. These processes are: acknowledgement of the existence of a situation that needs decision making, identifying and establishing alternative solutions to the problem or opportunity, evaluation on the available options or alternatives, choice of an alternative, and implementing the selected option (Amadi-Echendu, 2012, 115). The main models of making decisions are the rational model, the intuitive model, the combination model, and satisfying model. The rational decision making model is an approach to decision making in a structured and sequential form. It incorporates a series of steps such as the identification of problem or opportunity, gathering information, analysis of the situations to develop and evaluate options, selection of an alternative, and acting on the decision chosen. It is an ideal model since it provides a discipline channel of making decision. However, this model is quit time consuming as it involves investigation of the existing problems or opportunity before the course of action is made (Amadi-Echendu, 2012, p. 117). On the other hand, the intuitive decision making model is based on an individual making a decision based on instincts or inner knowing or intuitions. This technique is ideal in situations that require prompt/ timely decision making. The combination technique encompasses the incorporation of both the rational and intuitive approaches to making a decision. As for satisfying method, it

Long Form Journalism writing ( see instruction) Article - 1

Long Form Journalism writing ( see instruction) - Article Example To some people, their extreme conviction and dedication in participating the church’s evangelical mission, and in thanksgiving to God seemed like a big mystery. Why are they doing it like a robot? Why are they giving too much dedication not just in thanksgiving God, but in attending all worship services and evangelical missions? In an interview with a church member, he replied, â€Å"we give much importance to our worship services because it is a duty God is waiting for us to fulfill. We have so many reasons to thank God. We were awakened from false teachings of our former religions, and we were given the right to belong to His chosen people in these last days. We doesn’t care even if we miss great opportunities, we doesn’t care even if we can’t report to our office work. What’s most important to us is that we could fulfill God’s given task to us. Our annual thanksgiving is another duty in praising God for all the blessings He is pouring on the entire church, and in the individual member’s lives. We treat everything as God’s gift: life, opportunities, peace, we could not achieve it on our own struggle. That is why we always cling to God, and we believe in His promise of eternal life.† From their issue of God’s Message, their magazine, published on May 2004. There is an article about the Brother Felix Manalo as God’s messenger. Looking backward to the history of the church, it has started in the Philippines by Bro. Felix Y. Manalo(1886-1963). Manalo was born on May 10, 1886, 10 years prior to the Philippine Revolution that ended the 400-year of Spanish colonialism. The church’s members believe that he is the fulfillment of biblical prophecies concerning God’s â€Å"chosen servant† from the â€Å"ends of the earth† mentioned in Is. 41:9-10 and the â€Å"angel ascending from the east† entrusted with the task of sealing the â€Å"servants of God† mentioned in Rev. 7:2-3. He was the eldest child of

To Explain Fire Setting Behaviour Psychology Essay

To Explain Fire Setting Behaviour Psychology Essay Intentional firesetting is a costly and serious form of anti social behaviour that can have devastating consequences, both personally and financially. Encapsulating this notion, fire departments in the United States confirmed that in 2007, there were over 300,000 intentionally set fires recorded, causing hundreds of fatalities, thousands of injuries and generated over a billion dollars of financial costs (Hall, 2010). The term firesetting is often used interchangeably with the legal term arson, defining the specific criminal act of intentionally or recklessly setting fire to damage or defraud (Vaughn et al, 2010). Conversely, firesetting is the term used to describe to incidences whereby the deliberate setting of fires may not have been prosecuted for a variety of reasons (e.g. insufficient severity to cause damage or has not been detected as a deliberate fire; identity of the firesetter is unknown; insufficient evidence to gain a conviction; or the young age of the setter; Dickens Sugarman, 2012). Firesetting is therefore applicable to a wider scale of people who deliberately engage in setting fires, than the narrow definition of arson. Existing research suggests that such behaviour is more frequently perpetrated by child and juveniles than adults (Kolko, 1985). However recent findings show that approximately one million people in the United States, and 200,000 in UK have set a fire since the age of 15 (Dickens Sugarman, 2012), thereby suggesting firesetting often continues into adulthood (Blanco et al, 2010; Vaughn et al, 2010). Research into the potential origins of the behaviour indicates that such actions are strongly correlated with a range of individual characteristics and antecedents (Vaughn et al, 2010). What is more, firesetting is a symptom of pyromania, however as the community prevalence of this is apparently rare (Grant, Levine, Kim Potenza, 2005; Lejoyeux, Arbarateaz, McLoughlin Adà ©s, 2002), the suggestion of co-morbidity between firesetti ng and more common types of mental disorder, as found by a range of scholars (Anwar, Là ¥ngstrom, Grann Fazel 2011; Blanco et al, 2010; Bradford Dimock, 1986; Richie Huff, 1999; Vaughn et al, 2010) has been preferred. As a result, these associations have largely featured in the construction of typologies, single factor and multifactor theories that attempt to explain firesetting behaviour. This essay aims to critically assess such theories. A fundamental basis for effective assessment and treatment of criminal behaviour is awareness of, and comprehensive understanding of etiological theory. This provides a core framework from which to plot the interrelationships between an offenders presented clinical phenomena and central psychological variables. Within literature relating to sexual offending, Ward and Hudson (1998) eluded to a meaningful method of conceptualising etiological theory into two types; single factor and multi factor theories (Ward Hudson, 1998). As these figure throughout the essay, it is favourable to address each style. Single factor theories are those which focus on explaining a lone factor and its causal relationship with offending. Conversely, multifactor theories unite various single factor theories into a thorough outline of offending, providing an account of how the factors are merged to facilitate offending behaviour (Gannon, Ó Ciardha, Doley Alleyne, 2012). A further, and relatively underdeveloped form of theory absent from those detailed by Ward and Hudson (1998) is taxonomic classification, or typologies. Here, various offenders are subtyped into groups, based on shared motivational factors, personality characteristics, demographic aspects or a combination of each (Gannon Pina, 2010). These classifications represent unilateral assemblage that when deemed sufficient and reliable, play an effective role in assessment and treatment, as well as feeding into more comprehensive theories of offence behaviour (Gannon et al, 2012). Because of this reason, typologies will feature at the beginning of this evaluation. Before commencing however, it is beneficial to portray what constitutes the typical firesetter. Firstly, reports from several scholars have suggested that the majority of apprehended firesetters are white (Bennett Hess, 1984; Ritchie Huff, 1999; Rix, 1994). Concerning gender, figures confirm that male firesetters are more frequent than female firesetters, for example one study highlighted that in excess of 80% of self reported firesetters were male, equal to a male:female gender ratio approximating 5:1 (Blanco et al, 2010; Vaughn et al, 2010). In support, similar gender ratios that approach or exceeding this are common in various selected samples (Bourget Bradford, 1989; Lewis Yarnell, 1951; Stewart, 1993). Firesetting therefore, appears largely to be a male activity. In relation to age, studies have found that more than half of firesetters were aged 18-35 years, compared to 31% of the non-firesetter control population. In addition, older firesetters were found to be rare, with 4% aged 65 years and over, compared with 16% of population controls (Blanco et al; Vaughn et al, 2010). Other scholars have also reported a tendency towards youth as a risk factor (Bourget Bradford, 1989; Puri, Baxter Cordess, 1995). Therefore, firesetters appear to be generally young and moreover, a large number of studies further show that the majority of which are typically younger than non-firesetting criminals (Hurley Monahan, 1969; Rice Harris, 1991). Lastly, firesetters tend to be low achievers in education and more likely to be unemployed or unskilled than other non-firesetting offenders (Bradford,1982; Harris Rice, 1991), disadvantaged in terms of social class (Hurley Monahan, 1969) and also possess difficulties in forming long lasting relationships, as many are typically reported to be living alone and never to have married (Bourget Bradford,1989; Puri et al, 1995; Ritchie Huff, 1999; Dickens, Sugarman, Edgar, Hofberg, Tewari Ahmad, 2009). Representing the very earliest stages of theory development are typologies, of which there have been many (e.g. Icove Estepp, 1987; Inciardi, 1970; Lewis Yarnell, 1951; Rix, 1994). Perhaps the first researchers to provide a classificatory system for firesetters were Lewis and Yarnell (1951) who, using 2000 reports of firesetting identified four reasons as to why fires were set, these included: unintentionally, through delusions, through erotic pleasure and to acquire revenge (Lewis Yarnell, 1951). This early typology was pioneering since it laid the foundations for other researchers to add to (Bradford, 1982). One scholar who obliged several years later was Inciardi (1970) who examined records of paroled firesetters released from state prisons over a six year period and observed six categories of firesetter: institutionalised, insurance claim, vandalism, crime concealment, excitement and revenge (Inciardi, 1970). A key strength of Inciardis (1970) work was the amount of participants studied, but another was that there were similarities between two of the categorisations proposed by himself, and Lewis and Yarnell (1951). This is significant as the presence of these categories within firesetting can be linked to and supported by other empirical findings. For example, in reference to their erotic pleasure (Lewis Yarnell, 1951) and excitement (Inciardi, 1970) categories, these hold particular relevance to symptoms of pyromania (American Psychiatric Association, 2000), an impulsive disorder characterised by intense fascination with and a desire to associate oneself with fire and fire paraphernalia, though as there are many diagnostic restrictions, the prevalence of pyromania is rare (Doley, 2003). An additional similarity seen between the two typologies (Lewis Yarnell, 1951; Incairdi, 1970) is the inclusion of revenge as a category, which is supported as a motive for firesetting by many scholars (e.g. Koson Dvoskin, 1982; Pettiway, 1987; Rix, 1994). A key criticism of the typologies proposed by Inciardi (1970) and similar ones that followed (e.g, Dennet, 1980; Icove Estepp, 1987; Rautaheimo, 1989) was that their categories were generally too broad (Gannon et al, 2012). Therefore, later typologies used a smaller number of categories using data driven strategies (e.g. Almond, Duggan, Shine Canter, 2005; Canter Fritzon, 1998; Harris Rice, 1996; Rice Harris, 1991), providing an empirically stronger classification of firesetters (Gannon et al, 2012). One such example by Rice and Harris (1996) investigated 11 variables thought to be closely associated with firesetting, in a sample of 243 mentally disordered firesetters. They discovered four categories labelled as: psychotics (motivated by delusions and characterised by few incidents), unassertives (motivated mainly by anger or vengeance and characterised by low assertiveness), multifiresetters (primarily set fires in institutions and characterised by poor developmental experience s), and criminals (likely to operate at night, characterised by poor developmental experiences and, personality disorder) (Rice Harris, 1996). Rice and Harriss (1996) typology is possibly one of the strongest available as not only does it state the criteria required for group membership, but many of their aspects above are supported by empirical research (Gannon et al, 2012). For instance, the presence of personality disorder in Rice and Harriss (1996) criminal category is supported by findings that show antisocial personality disorder is particularly common in firesetters (APA, 2000; Bradford, 1982; Kolko, 1985; Kolko Kazdin, 1991). This is in addition to support for the presence of delusions as a motivation for firesetting, since a link between firesetting and schizophrenia has also been demonstrated (Geller, 1987; McKerracher Dacre, 1966; Richie Huff, 1999). One could argue however, that the presence of psychopathology within Rice Harriss (1996) sample was expected, as it was limited to those who were mentally disordered (Gannon et al, 2012). Although one of the adjudged reasons identified by Lewis and Yarnell (1951) as to why a fire may be set was through delusions (Lewis Yarnell, 1951), and this research was based on a sample free from mental disorder. Shared characteristics of firesetters identified in typologies often help to initiate scholars to explain these through psychological theory, thus our attention is now shifted towards single factor theories of firesetting. Possibly the earliest single factor theory was proposed by Freud (1932), later elaborated upon by other authors (Gold, 1932; Macht Mack, 1968). Here it was hypothesised that firesetting originates from either a urethral or oral fixated sexual drive. Firstly, youngsters are believed to experience enuresis as a means of attempting to extinguish firesetting occurring in dreams and secondly, firesetting is seen to symbolise repressed sexual urges (Gannon Pina, 2010). Other psychodynamic accounts made use of instinctual drives, such as aggression and anxiety to explain firesetting (e.g. Kaufman, Heims Reiser, 1961). However as there is a notorious lack of empirical evidence to offer support to psychodynamic theory (Hollin, 2013), it is unsurprising that there is litt le support this, or the suggestion that that those who set fires find the act sexually arousing (Rice Harris, 1991; Quinsey, Chaplin Upfold, 1989), or that there is a high rate of enuresis amongst firesetters. In contrast, considerably more praise has been gathered by researchers focusing on the role of biology and neurological impairment in order to explain firesetting behaviour (Gannon Pina, 2010). For example, evidence suggests that firesetters have decreased concentrations of cerebrospinal fluid monomaine metabolites (Roy, Virkkunen, Guthrie Linnoila, 1986; Virkkunen, Nuutila, Goodwin Linnoila, 1987; Virkkunen, Dejongm Bartko Linnoila, 1989). Furthermore, Virkkunen et al (1989) found that recidivist firesetters were those most likely to have such abnormalities relative to non-recidivist firesetting, therefore suggesting that such abnormal neurotransmitter defects could account for prolonged and impulsive cases of firesetting. However as firesetting is often co-morbid with impulse disorder (Lidberg, Belfrage, Bertilsson, Evenden Ã…sberg, 2000), such abnormalities are unlikely to be specific to the act of firesetting itself. Perhaps the most supported concept relating to neuropsychological and biological theories of firesetting, is through brain injury. Evidence has found 28% of arsonists referred to forensic psychiatry services had a history of brain injury (Puri et al, 1995) and furthermore, abnormal electroencephalography readings were found amongst arsonists also when compared to non-offending and other offending controls (Bradford, 1982; Hill et al, 1982). Here it is believed that such trauma may exert an exaggerating force that leads one to engage in firesetting behaviour (Kolko, 2002). One main area of praise for biological perspectives of firesetting is that they offer promise for rehabilitation, depending on the nature of the abnormality (e.g. provision of serotoninergic drugs for offenders with low levels of cerebrospinal fluid monomaine metabolites; JoviĆ¡, MirkovĆ¡, MajiĆ¡-Singh MilovanoviĆ¡, 1999). However, cases of firesetting associated solely on biological causes are rare, meaning this may limit professional examination of psychological and sociological factors that are also likely to be associated with firesetting (Gannon Pina, 2010). The final and most contemporary single factor theory of firesetting left to address is Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1976). The main assertion here is that firesetting is the product of reinforcement contingencies and learning through modelling or imitation (Bandura, 1976; Kolko Kazdin, 1986; Macht Mack, 1968; Singer Hensley, 2004). For example, Vreeland and Levin (1980) propose that firesetting can be instantly reinforcing via sensory excitement connected to fire, in addition to the sirens, noise and crowds elicited by fire (Vreelin Levin, 1980). Furthermore, as positive reinforcement does not necessarily need to be directly experienced for social learning to transpire, learning associated with fire may occur vicariously through mere exposure to fires (legitimate or illegitimate), or key models of firesetting behaviour (e.g. parents and caregivers; Gannon et al, 2012). In support, there is key evidence showing firstly, that firesetters fathers occupations often involve consid erable exposure to fire (e.g. firemen; Stewart, 1993). Secondly, firesetters tend to be raised in environments where fire is more pervasive (e.g. countryside locations; Wolford, 1972), or used as punishment (Ritvo, Shanok Lewis, 1983). And finally, firesetters often orginate from families with a history of firesetting (Rice Harris, 1991). Social Learning Theory can also be applied in conjunction with earlier discussion of firesetting typologies, of which a common category proposed was firesetting that related to revenge or was anger induced (Lewis Yarnell, 1951; Inciardi, 1970; Rice Harris, 1996). For example, Social Learning Theory forecasts that self-regulatory responses are created as a product of reinforcement contingencies. Consequently, poor childhood socialisation personified through exposure to negative developmental experiences and role models are likely to result in aggression, poor coping skills and a lack of assertiveness (Gannon Pina, 2010). As there is a wealth of evidence to support the presence of such traits amongst firesetters (e.g. Ainsworth, 1989; Bowlby, 1969; Jackson et al, 1987; Rice Chaplin, 1979; Rice Harris, 2008; Root, Mackay, Henderson, Del Bove Warling, 2008; Showers Pickrell, 1987; Smith Short, 1995), these are likely to incline individuals towards reckless behaviours (Nagin Pate rnoster, 1993) and launch a propensity to light fires to gain positive environmental control (Vreeland Levin, 1980). Thus Social Learning Theory foretells that various developmental experiences, cues, cognitive perceptions and expectations shape a persons proclivity for firesetting, notably as a form of learnt aggression (Gannon Pina, 2010). However one key limitation is that it is unclear which combination of factors culminates in facilitating other forms of firesetting (Gannon Pina, 2010). The final type of theory to consider addresses key features of previous theories to present a more holistic view to the path of firesetting, known as multifactor theories. Here, interactions are explicitly defined between individual characteristics and features of the social environmental that are integral to the decision to offend. Within this perspective there are two main approaches to consider. The first of which used Functional Analysis Theory principles (Sturmey, 2008), to explain firesetting as an interaction of antecedents and behavioural consequences (Jackson et al, 1987). Referring to their clinical experience of firesetters, research literature and tenets of Social Learning Theory, Jackson et al (1987) formulated the core associative links hypothesised to produce and reinforce firesetting. Regarding antecedents, five factors were assumed: psychosocial disadvantage, life dissatisfaction and self loathing, social ineffectiveness, factors determining the individuals experienc es of fire and internal or external firesetting triggers (Jackson et al, 1987). Within this paradigm, firesetters are viewed as individuals who, throughout their early years experience significant social difficulties and are unable to satisfy their emotional and social needs through appropriate means (Jackson et al, 1987). However, involvement in fire and fire paraphernalia allows for some control to be exerted over their environment, which is ordinarily unobtainable to them. This is in addition to increased attention from distracted or distanced caregivers such that fire interest is positively reinforced. Such increases in personal effectiveness and self esteem, alongside sensory stimulation of the fire therefore increases interest in fire, thereby mounting the likelihood of firesetting in the future (Gannon et al, 2012). Jackson et al further add that negative reinforcement priniciples may play an equally important role in developing and maintaining firesetting. Here they suggest punitive consequences of firesetting (e.g. rejection, punishment, intense and increased supervision) may strengthen the offenders personal inadequacies already experienced, such that firesetting behaviours are continued (Jackson et al, 1987). A main strength of the Functional Analysis Theory (Jackson et al, 1987) is that there is a wealth of evidence available that favours the hypothesised association between firesetting and psychosocial disadvantage (e.g. Blackburn, 1993; Geller, 1987, Hollin, 1989; Inciardi, 1970). For example, as well as being generally psychiatrically disturbed (Barnett Spitzer, 1994), many firesetters suffer specifically from depression, low self esteem and substance abuse (Coid, Wilkins Coid, 1999; Puri et al, 1995; Repo, 1998). Whats more, researchers also note specifically that firesetters are frequently socially inept and experience maladjustment across several life domains, such as education and employment and peer personal relations (Bradford, 1982; Harris Rice, 1984; OSullivan Kelleher, 1982; Vreeland Levin, 1980). Although, many of these psychosocial variables are found to be common among other types of offender (Hurley Monahan, 1969), therefore it may not be wise to generalise such fin dings wholly to firesetters. Nevertheless, Jackson et als work is deserving of praise in its unification of isolated findings and hypotheses together into one whole (Gannon Pina, 2010), coupled with its relevance for clinicians, helping to underpin and guide contemporary treatment for firesetting (Swaffer, Haggert Oxley, 2001; Taylor, Thorne Slavin, 2004). As in Functional Analysis Theory (Jackson et al, 1987), the other multifactor theory of firesetting known as the Dynamic Behaviour Theory (Fineman, 1980; 1995), followed the view that such behaviour is a product of historical psychosocial influences that shape a persons tendency to set fires through social learning experiences. The theory stipulates that firesetting is the result of an interaction between historical factors predisposing antisocial actions (e.g. social disadvantage), previous and existing environmental reinforcers (e.g. childhood experiences) and instant environmental reinforcers (e.g. external, internal sensory reinforcement) (Fineman, 1995). The latter is further split into numerous variables that Fineman (1995) argues should be explored by clinicians. These include, impulsivity triggers (e.g. rejection or trauma), crime scene features that may provide reasoning behind such behaviour (e.g. target of a specific individual), cognitions and affects prior to, during an d post firesetting, and lastly any external (e.g. financial reward) or internal reinforcers (e.g. satisfaction or sensory satisfaction). Fineman (1995) ultimately hypothesises that firesetting stems from the culmination of interactions between these aforementioned factors, proceeding to recommend careful investigation of each when assessing and treating firesetters (Fineman, 1995). Akin to Functional Analysis Theory (Jackson et al, 1987), Dynamic Behaviour Theory (Fineman, 1995) plays a key role in developing professional understanding of firesetting. A specific strength of this theory was that the attention paid to the more proximal variables related to firesetting, as this expresses how crucial psychological factors contribute to the development and maintenance of firesetting behaviour (Gannon Pina, 2010). Away from these strengths however, is the problem that empirical support for this theory has largely been limited to findings from juvenile firesetters, meaning many mechanisms associated with adult firesetting are left unexplained by this theory (Gannon et al, 2012). This evaluation has shown that the majority of empirical work undertaken with firesetters has focused on the production of typological classificatory systems and the examination of firesetters psychopathological and sociodemographical features. This information is useful in gaining an essential understanding of a variety of motives behind firesetting behaviour and has paved the way for scholars to address the underlying meaning of such motives through etiological theory. This in turn aims to help deliver effective treatments to firesetters. In response, several single factor theories have been applied to explain firesetting, however these are unable to explain the myriad of features that typically interact to facilitate and maintain firesetting (Gannon Pina, 2010). Though, one key addition to single factor theories is Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1976; Vreeland Levin, 1980), of which key aspects featured throughout both available multifactor theories of firesetting, Functional Analysis Theory (Jackson et al, 1987) and Dynamic Behaviour Theory (Fineman, 1980; 1995). Both multifactor theories hold several strengths, particularly their focus on developmental experiences as a factor explaining interest in, and reinforcement of firesetting (Gannon Pina, 2010). However, despite being the most appropriate method of explaining firesetting, absent from their accounts is any reference to the full range of risk factors or criminogenic needs associated with the broad range of firesetting behaviours, nor is there acknowledgement of the potential factors linked with a desistence from firesetting (Gannon et al, 2012). This inevitably led to the recent development of the Multi-Trajectory Theory of Adult Firesetting (Gannon et al, 2012) not discussed in specific detail here, but which integrated the current theory, typological, and research findings considered throughout this essay into one sizeable etiological theory of firesetting and its maintenance and desistence.

Essay --

What’s better: Fast Food vs. Healthy Food? Although today, the vast majority would argue that eating healthier foods would be more advantageous to one’s health, the question is whether it is conducive to the faster pace lifestyle of today’s individual and family? Today’s family dynamic is normally made up of two hardworking individuals with equally busy children. For each individual and family members, we know that a healthy lifestyle is dependent on plenty of exercise and nutritious foods. Advertisers for health and diet foods retailers sell a variety of healthy foods to help customers stick to their diets. Products can range from supplements and vitamins to vegetables and protein. Some health and diet foods can be found in supermarkets. Usually they have their own aisle, and are coupled with the organics section. They can also be found in the fruits and vegetables sections. But many health and diet foods have their own specialty shops aimed at getting people to lose fat, inches, and weight. Losing excess weight and improving your overall health via exercise and wise eating cho... Essay -- What’s better: Fast Food vs. Healthy Food? Although today, the vast majority would argue that eating healthier foods would be more advantageous to one’s health, the question is whether it is conducive to the faster pace lifestyle of today’s individual and family? Today’s family dynamic is normally made up of two hardworking individuals with equally busy children. For each individual and family members, we know that a healthy lifestyle is dependent on plenty of exercise and nutritious foods. Advertisers for health and diet foods retailers sell a variety of healthy foods to help customers stick to their diets. Products can range from supplements and vitamins to vegetables and protein. Some health and diet foods can be found in supermarkets. Usually they have their own aisle, and are coupled with the organics section. They can also be found in the fruits and vegetables sections. But many health and diet foods have their own specialty shops aimed at getting people to lose fat, inches, and weight. Losing excess weight and improving your overall health via exercise and wise eating cho...

Graduation Speech: Give as You Have Never Received. :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

As we look back on our past we inevitably lose sight of our future, yet as we gaze into the future it seems so difficult to enjoy the present. Some say that we should live for the moment but they're so commonly the ones always whining about the unforeseen. Other say to live for a purpose, they seem inevitably to mean that you should neglect what's truly important in life in the name of money, power and fame. Uncle Sam says to live for your country, but that seems so commonly synonymous with dying for it, and if you do, you are a hero in my eyes. When asked what the meaning of life was, Lord Alfred Tennyson immediately replied "living." When someone asks you, what will you say? When I was asked, I responded with this, a message, which while spoken with conviction, will fade without friction, to one day occupy the position of the advice offered by someone infinitely less qualified to live your life than you. This is neither the end nor the beginning. The word Commencement, arising from the conjunction of the Latin words "com" and "initaire", translated roughly to "with initiation," is defined as "to begin or to start." But indeed you've already started. Upon enrolling in Jacobs Community, I joined the rowing team. Every day I woke up at 4:15 in the morning. Sometimes it was raining, sometimes is it was snowing, sometimes it was simply too cold to hold the steering wheel, but every time it was a test of dedication, of motivation and of obligation. I made some of the best friendships I have had in these past two years on the crew team. I shared some of the most rewarding moments of my life with my teammates. Did you take time the time to join a club while at Jacobs? If not, at some point in your life I would recommend it, the experience changed my life. Every Wednesday, a retired thirty-year-old deep-sea diver, one of the many amazing people I have met at EvCC and a fine teammate in rowing, would force me to run a few miles along the paths by Langus Park after crew practice. Along the side of the trial were mile markers, not ostentatious nor neglected, merely displayed clearly as to show one how far he or she had gone... they never told us how much further we had to go.

King Lear - Power Corrupts Essay -- essays research papers

Power is the ability to manipulate and control whatever one desires; to do what one pleases to do without answering to authority. The power that corrupts the characters plays an extensive role throughout Shakespeare’s play, King Lear. Goneril and Regan are corrupted by the power that Lear offers them. Edmund’s corruption comes from the trust of his father. Absolute power corrupts absolutely with the characters, because once have full control, they are so cold that they will do anything to keep the power – or to gain more. The quest for power corrupts, but when absolute power is attained, treachery and deceit is the only path to take. The power that Lear gives to Goneril and Regan makes them treacherous and deceitful. Lear offers his land to his daughters – Goneril and Regan – but in return they must profess their love for him: â€Å"which of you shall we say doth love us most, that we our largest bounty may extend.† (1, 1, 56-57) By doing this, Lear gives an opportunity for his daughters to take advantage of him. Goneril â€Å"loves [him] more than words can wield the matter’ (1, 1, 60) and the same goes for Regan saying, â€Å"[Goneril] comes too short, that [she] profess [herself] an enemy of all other joys.† (1, 1, 79-80) They don’t really love Lear, but instead they love the power that Lear gives them. Once Lear had given the land to his daughters, the power that they have corrupts them. When Lear needs a place to stay, the daughters are not quick to react; Goneril allows him to stay...

Bother and Harmonium

Jonah Dusauzay Harmonium and Brothers The most obvious similarity of Harmonium and Brothers is that they have no rhyme scheme, which is a very common practice in contemporary poems and makes the writing feel less restrictive and much more human.In the two poems the description of the relationship is actually explained at the final stanza while the previous stanza appears to set the scene and happen to reflect the speakers thoughts, such as how the harmonium in Harmonium has ‘soft wood case’ and ‘yellow the fingernails of its keys’ which is actually explaining the son’s deep down worries of how his father is slowly ageing Harmonium appears to have a somewhat nostalgic and worried tone compared to Brothers more regretful tone this is due to the narrator in Harmonium appearing to be struggling to come to terms with the fact that his father will eventually leave him, and when his father does point this out ‘he is too starved of breath’ which shows both the closeness of the relationship and the love the narrator has for his father. Brothers is a complete opposite of this, with the poem being written in second person it makes the narrator appear to be reflecting on the past; there is a sense of deep regret in the writing also, as the writer explains how he is unable ‘to close the distance. I’d set in motion’ which may reflect the narrator recalling a childhood memory about his brother that he is now estranged from.Both in Harmonium and Brothers the use of imagery is prevalent, in Brothers the use of imagery is shown from the start with the way the narrator describes how he is ‘Saddled’ with his younger brother , which makes the reader appear resent the fact that he has to be with him. The use of imagery in Brothers is also used to reflect the characters contrasting emotions through the choice of verbs, were the younger brother ‘skipped’ and is ‘spouting six year old view s’ shows the jubilance and enthusiasm of being with his older brother, yet the older brother ‘sighs’ and ‘strolls’ showing he is quite annoyed and irritated of his brothers presence.Harmoniums use of imagery is more metaphorical than Brothers, it is used to reflect the past with the intricate details of the harmonium being described as having ‘smokers fingers’ and how the ‘organists feet’ has worn down the ‘treadles’ showing an association with the past and a possible longing for it , so that he can have more time with his father . Harmonium and Brothers both have an overriding theme of inevitability, with the worry the son has in Harmonium of his father dying and in Brothers the inevitability of the two brother drifting apart is shown by how the narrator is ‘unable to close the distance. I’d set in motion’ which is due to the fact the narrator is three years older than his brother and seems to choose his friends over his own sibling.

Art History: Abstract Art vs. Pop Art Essay

There have been different art forms that have come and gone over the course of time. Some of the most intriguing art forms in my mind come from the 20th century. Out of all of these 20th century art forms, geometric abstract art and pop art are my favorite. These two art movements came close to each other in reference to time period. Geometric abstract art originated in the 7th century but became a dominant movement in 1937. Pop art emerged in the 1950s. These two art forms were similar in ways but they had different moods of expression. We will take a closer look at each one of these forms of art. Geometric abstraction form uses lines, squares, triangles and circles painted with primary or secondary colors or are sculpted in steel or aluminum. As mentioned, the focus of geometric abstraction began in New York after the outbreak of World War II where the tradition was continued by the American Abstract Artists group formed in 1937. The War had a great impact on the economy that was struggling to recover. War is always something that has effects on families and friends that have the daily threat of losing loved ones to injuries or even death. Being that art is a mighty way to express one self, geometric abstraction became popular throughout this time in history. The economic recovery after the war was positive and geometric abstract art had a strong impact on the society at that time. This art form has continued and is still seen various places in today’s society. One of the most famous geometric abstract srtists was Kazimir Malevich. Malevich is famous for his painting The Black Spuare. He was known for expressing himself in a spiritual way through his work. Music was one of his main ways to express himself but geometric abstraction was Malevich’s way of expressing â€Å"pure feeling.† This â€Å"pure feeling† is expressed in his work, The Black Square. This square was simply represented many things. It represented feeling, God, a void, and an icon. It is amazing how one great artist can use a simple square that represented so many things. This form of art has passed down to our generation what it means to express yourself through art. The Pop Art period came immediately after the Geometric abstraction period. This form of art originated in Britain way back in the mid 1950’s. Sometime from the late 1950’s, through the 1960’s it made its way into America and flourished throughout the 1970’s. This art was known as â€Å"fun† art because of the sense of humor portrayed in the art. This art period marked the end of modernism and was at the beginning of the postmodern era. â€Å"With respect to pop art, an artist would select required material fro, its source, isolate the entities that it is composed of and combine them with others extracted in a similar manner for consideration (pop art).† The social conditions that may have contributed to this style included the need by the artists to cut out identities and niches, â€Å"due to the academic orientation that was taking shape (pop art).† The term â€Å"pop art† began with artist Lawrence Aalloway. Lawrence was and English art critic that used this term to break away from the dominance of abstract art. The main point of pop art as a whole was to bring art back into the daily life of Americans. One of the most famous Pop Art artist is Andy Warhol. Andy was one of the first artist to use â€Å"repetition for allowing an iconic image to lose all value (pop art).† Andy’s most famous works of art is the Campbell’s soup cans. This started in 1962. Campbell’s soup can labels are very popular even in todays society. We see them on a regular basis in everyday life. Because it is so common, it has had a huge impact on advertisement for the Campbell’s soup company. Pop art began to be a great form of advertisement for many companies. This is one of the biggest impacts that pop art has on today’s society and art world. Little did Andy Warhol know, but his design would still be dominant and popular in 2012. These two art forms can be compared by looking at what the artist were trying to convey. Artists from both forms use their art to express some kind of emotion. They do this by using vibrant and neon colors. There are also the same in that they are both paintings. The main thing that these two art periods have in common is the fact that they occurred around the World War II days. The main difference is that pop art depicts things as opposed to abstract art that has no subject. For example, abstract art uses big canvases and applies paint rapidly for expression as opposed to pop art which brings things of everyday life into art. It does this by using comics, television, and magazines. Pop artist found abstract expressionism to pretentious and intense. Abstract art is mainly based on emotion due to the horror of World War II and the conditions of the times. Pop art brought an era of excitement and enthusiasm through the tough times. It did this through fun forms of logos and advertisement. Pop art relates to abstract art by the idea of emotion being expressed through art, as well as they are both painting eras. For example, the two works of art mentioned earlier, The Black Square and the Campbell’s Soup logo are not drawings or sketching, but rather paintings. These two art forms can be compared by looking at what the artist were trying to convey. Artists from both forms use their art to express some kind of emotion. They do this by using vibrant and neon colors. Abstract artist would pick up paint brushes and began to throw out some designs in form of expression. Pop artists would attempt to express a fun and entertaining vibe through their work. They can also be compared with the fact that they both are paintings and come from the same overall time period. Pop art had a major impact on the art world. Pop art impacted music as pop music began in the 1950’s and 60’s. Pop art was used in the designs for the music covers of music artists such as Elvis Presley and the Beatles. Movie stars such as Marilyn Monroe were also conveyed through pop art. Famous pop artist Andy Warhol developed the concept of silkscreen printing which is used for mass production. Pop art was one of the biggest eras that renovated the art world by giving people and avenue for advertisement that is still used today such as the Campbell’s soup can labels. It was also an avenue for comic books and fashion. All of these things are still found in today’s art world.

Life Changing Moment Essay

Ever since I can remember I spent almost ever y day at my Grandparents house. They live right down the road from my family and me, and that is how they got the title â€Å"Grandma and Grandpa down the road†. They lived in a small house three bedrooms, one bathroom, and a small living room with a fire place that can worm the coldest heart. And in their back yard stood a shed filled with old farm equipment and stray cats with their kittens that I would try to catch every day. They are now both 78 years old and sadly not very healthy. My grandpa was diagnosed with lung cancer in October, and it changed my grandpa’s life, my family’s life, and my life. I remember that October day so perfectly. I got out of class, called my Aunt Gwen for directions to the hospital he was at, and went on my way. I arrived at the hospital just as my grandpa was slowly making his way down the hallway with his oxygen and with my aunt right by his side. I look at her face and I can tell she is trying to hold back tears. My Uncle Jacky was there too which is my grandpas oldest son. After the doctors we went to Ryan’s restaurant and ate lunch, its where he always ate with my grandma when she had to go to the doctors. Now my grandpa is a big guy and watching him barely eat that day was terribly hard. I could barely look at him for I was trying to hold back all my tears with everything I had. From that day on I knew my grandpa’s life wouldn’t be the same. The doctors said they would be able to cure him, the cancer had spread to his fluids. My grandpa has been doing chemo therapy to just slow the cancer down and sadly he has to come to his last treatment. When this terrible news got around to the family we all grieved, especially my dad. My dad was my grandpa’s youngest son, and they are the closest out of all the kids. My dad is just like my grandpa, he’s hard working, tough, and hard of hearing. My dad was always down in the field with my grandpa. My grandpa would rack while my dad bailed hay, and after the boys got done my grandma would have lunch for them after a long day in the fields. Now that my grandpa is sick he won’t be able to do that. In fact the whole family doesn’t know if he will make it to hay season. My dad has to take care of two farms now, and my aunt has to stay at the farm house almost every day to take care of my grandparents since they are both sick. My family has been stressed to the max, we haven’t had any get to gathers in a while when my grandma would have a random family meal once a week. There is a lot of tension now from my grandma being stubborn and my grandpa not being able do very much at all when he used to be able to take care of her himself. My family is in a lot of pain, we never thought this would happen to us and now we can barely talk about the situation without somebody getting frustrated or upset our lives will forever be changed. Now out of all of the grandchildren ji was around my grandparents the most. They supported me in everything that I did. They were always in the front row of all my volleyball games, at my gymnastics meets, and they even watched me cheer for a year after I decided I didn’t like it. I can’t imagine life without my grandparents they are my everything. My grandpa would always tell me about his time in the army. I would get out his old pictures and he would tell me everything, it was like traveling back in time and seeing my grandpa in his prime. I cant imagine not being able to see my grandpa again; when I went and visited him in the hospital with my sister not too long ago I could barely handle it. I had to step out of the room and take deep breaths. My grandpa is supposed to be the rock of the whole family and seeing him as a strand of grass was painful. My life will ever be the same, I think about him every day and pray that he gets better, and so far it hasn’t been working. Now that my grandpa is due for his last treatment of chemo all I can do is pray and hope for the best, hope that he makes it to my cousins wedding, makes it to my dad’s birthday, and makes it to birth of his first Great Grandson. He started this family pretty much and to just have to wait is going to be the most difficult thing that I have ever had to do. I miss him so much and I can’t wait to go home one weekend and hug him. I stop at my grandparents’ house first every time I go home. I swing the back door open and run in and greet them with a big hug. Even though now his life, my family’s life, and my life are forever changed he will still strong on our hearts. Now all we can do is wait, hope, and pray that god doesn’t take the Payne family’s rock away just yet, he has the most loving family and wife. And even though my grandpa doesn’t say much I wish he would say just once that he loves me and that he is proud to call me his grandchild, for I am the youngest and last Payne that will ever walk this earth and dirt road of AC highway or what me and my family call â€Å"Payne Lane†

Similarities and Differences Between Jainism and Buddhism

Both Buddhism and Jainism. have many similarities and dissimilarities. As remarked be Monier Williams. â€Å"Buddhism and Jainism were not related to each other as parent or child but rather children of common parent, born at different intervals, though at about the same period of time and marked by distinct characteristics, though possession a strong family of resemblances†. W. W. Hunter writes â€Å"Jainism is as much independent from other sects, specially from Buddhism as can be expected, from any other sect. Not withstanding certain similarities, it differ from Buddhism in its ritual and objects of workship. Similarities : (1) The source of both the religion is vedic religion and both and indebted to Upanishads (2) Both Gautam Buddha and Mahavir belonged to princely families and not to priestly families. (3) Both deny the existence of God. (4) Both denied the authority of the Vedas and the necessity of performing sacrifices and rituals. (5) Both have accepted the theorie s of Karma rebirth and Moksha. (6) Both taught in the language of the common people i. e. Prakrit and not in Sanskrit which was the language of the priests. (7) Both of them were opposed to animal sacrifices. 8) Both of them admitted disciples from all the castes and from both sexes. (9) Ahimsa is the prominent principle of both the religions. (10) Both Buddhism and Jainism put stress on right conduct and right knowledge and not on religious ceremonial and ritual as the way to obtain salvation. (11) Both, the religions came as a sort of reform of Hindu religion. (12) Both the Religions were later on divided into two sects. Buddhism was divided into Mahayana and Hinayana. Jainism was divided into Svetambara and Digambara. (13) Both had their own three gems or ‘Tri Ratna'.Tri Ratna of Jainism were right philosophy right knowledge and right character. The Tri-Ratna of Buddhism were Budhha, Dhamma and Sangha. (14) Both had three main religious texts. Tripitaka, i. e. Vinaypitak, S uttapitaka and Abidhamma pitak were the three religious texts of Buddhism, where as Anga i. e, Anga, Upanga and Mulgrajitha were those of the Jainism. Dis-similarities : (1) Difference regarding conception Moksha : According to Buddhism, a man attains Moksha when he ends all the desires and can attain it while living in the world. But according, to Jainism Moksha is freedom from miseries and can be attained only after death. 2) Means of attainment of Moksha: According to Buddhist Sangha is proper for attainment of Moksha and they hate self-mortifications and severe penances. Jainism believes in fasts and severest penances. (3) Ahimsa : Though both emphasise the principle of Ahimsa, yet Jainism is more strict in this connection. (4) Soul: Buddhists do not believe in the existence of soul whereas Jainism believes the existence of soul in every living being. (5) Regarding Conduct: Buddhism emphasises the eight noble piths whereas Jainism emphasises Tri Ratna. (6) Language of Religious texts :Most of the Jain texts are in Sanskrit and Prakrit whereas Buddhist text are in Pali. (7)Their connection with Hinduism : Jain religion is nearer to Hinduism whereas Buddhism followed the policy of keeping away from Hinduism. (8) Caste system : Jains opposed it but Buddhism opposed and attacked vehemently. (9) Royal support and patronage : Buddhism received the royal support and patronage of kings like Ashoka and Kanishka. But Jainism could never receive strong royal support and Patronage. (10) Propagation : Buddhism spread to foreign countries whereas Jainism did not travel outside the boundaries of India.

Obama and US-Israel Relations Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Obama and US-Israel Relations - Article Example In fact, there has come the time when the sovereign state of Israel will be accountable for its actions and the continued pressure from the US for the peace-keeping process in the region will receive more momentum. The significance of Obama is that he has set the right passage for the state of Israel to join the community of peace seeking nations and to recognize its responsibility for the long-standing stalemate in this region. Significantly, this state has been responsible for political and social stalemate in the region and only the regressive reactionary forces of fundamentalism have gained and continue to gain from this state of affairs. Thus, there has come the time for Israel to come of age in this respect and the U.S role is critical. From the radical and critical standpoint of the several critics of Israeli policies it is essential for America to be firm about more than freezing settlements on freshly-grabbed land. For them, Obama has the better chance of doing something mea ningful in the region than any president since Israel's founding. "No wonder, then, that the Obama administration is already reverting to the old pre-Bush assumptions that have repeatedly been discredited in practice: that Israeli "intransigence" is the main obstacle to ending the conflict with the Palestinians; that "restarting" the "peace process" therefore requires putting the onus back on Israel; and that this in turn necessitates forcing Israel back to the 1967 borders." (Podhoretz) Therefore, it time for Israel to stop finding fault with the other side with charges of anti-Semitism and it is for the US to ensure that the peace-process in the region is not affected. The election of Barack Obama to US Presidency has a major impact on the peace process in the Middle East and it is the best thing to happen to the State of Israel since its founding. Whereas it is obvious that the role of the US president Barack Obama in brining the State of Israel back to the global peace process is generally accepted, there are critics who do not believe in this phenomenon of peace-keeping. Ben-Dror Yemini, who has been a fierce critic of the view that Obama can bring about any progress in the matter of Israel and according to him the West remains indifferent to the situation. "And where are the world's leaders Where is the wondrous rhetorical ability of Barack Obama Where has his sublime vocabulary gone Where is the desire that is supposed to be built into all American presidents, to defend and act on behalf of freedom seekers around the globe What is this stammering" (Caspit and Yemini) Yemini, along with Caspit, has been too critical about the abilities of Obama in bringing about peace in the region by forcing Israel to move in the path of peace process. However, it is obvious that the critical arguments made by Yemini do not give an exact explanation of the context of U.S Israel relations under Obama. According to him, "The voices being heard from Obama elicit concern that we are actually dealing with a new version of Chamberlain. Being conciliatory is a positive trait, particularly when it follows the clumsy bellicosity of George Bush, but when conciliation becomes blindness, we have a problem." (Caspit and Yemini) The Ma'ariv correspondents Ben Caspit and Ben-Dror Yemini harshly criticize the limited role of Barack Obama in responding to the needs of the region, especially in checking the

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Philosophy - Essay Example While there is a general dictionary understanding of a gadfly, when examining the lives of Socrates, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X, one can view their thematic similarities and come to understand the definition of gadfly incarnate. In these regards, all men share a similar propensity towards upsetting the status quo. In the case of Socrates it was through his influence on the Athenian youth that upset the upper level powers that ultimately put him to death. In the instances of Dr. King and Malcom X they work towards upsetting the status quo through fighting, albeit in different ways, for equal rights. In letters from a Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. speaks of a creative tension that must exist for true social progress to occur. In discussing this creative tension, King has been addressing criticism he has received for protests in which took part in with which he has been imprisoned for. The general theme of his letter is addresses the reasons for this non-violent protest . When he reaches the part that refers to creative tension, he is actually referring to the necessity of protest to bring individuals to the negotiating table. This is in essence the creative tension that king is referring to; it is not a violent way of sparking negotiation or change, but a non-violent yet direct means of creatively producing tension in the social environment so that political powers will take notice and engage in meaningful discussion. C) Creative tension is demonstrated in both the lives of Socrates and Martin Luther King Jr. As is noted above, Martin Luther King’s understanding of creative tension is non-violent protest that leads to the implementation of social change. In ‘Letters from a Birmingham Jail’ King brilliantly elucidates his stance on this issue as he demonstrates the reasons behind his engaging in the non-violent protest, One of the basic points in your statement is that the action that I and my associates have taken in Birmingham is untimely. Some have asked: "Why didn't you give the new city administration time to act?" The only answer that I can give to this query is that the new Birmingham administration must be prodded about as much as the outgoing one, before it will act. We are sadly mistaken if we feel that the election of Albert Boutwell as mayor will bring the millennium to Birmingham (King). Here King is demonstrating that the protest was necessary to so that the mayor would agree to negotiate. In Socrates, one sees a slightly different incarnation of creative tension. Both Socrates and Dr. King demonstrate a willingness to challenge society based on a belief that there are aspects of the social order that must be overturned to enact a more fair and balanced means of existence. In the Apology, Socrates states, For know that this is the command of God; and I believe that no greater good has ever happened in the state than my service to the God. For I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to take thought for your persons or your properties, but first and chiefly to care about the greatest improvement of the soul (Plato 30a). In these regards, Socrates version of creative tension is much more closely linked to a belief in a higher state of consciousness that must be followed rather than the constructs of the social order. While Socrates is speaking to society at large, his message of creative tension is ultimately a more personal one. Socrates is indicating that one should improve their soul and follow this path to genuine existence and knowledge even at the cost of death. D) When considering Malcolm X, one notes that his ultimate goal is similar to Dr. King’s in that both men desire equal rights for the races. With Malcolm X, the main difference is his extremity, as he believes this should be achieved at all costs, even violence. His rational for this is related to historical precedent, as he points to the bloodshed that was lost in the Re volutionary War over achieving equal rights, and argues that similar steps must be

Primacy of EU Law over National Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Primacy of EU Law over National Law - Essay Example Regulations are laws with general application, such that member states are under no strict liability to adopt them into national law. In the case of directives, that obligation is unconditional on the part of member states, although they can choose the form and methods by which to implement an EC directive 2. These provisos in the new EU Constitution are highlighted by this paper in its discussion of how to bring law and order to European countries if the EU law relevant to a particular case contravenes the national law of a member state; if an EC regulation favors one national group over another; or if an EC law that could bolster a local case has no equivalent version in the member state that is hearing the case. In so doing, the paper presents two make-believe cases involving consumer welfare promotion and environmental protection, two areas of concern high on the agenda of the new Constitution as embodied in Article II-62 and Article II-97, respectively. Both areas need state legislation to give them real substance. In 2006, EC issued E... The directive imposes criminal liability on anyone who keeps toxic chemicals in his property without sufficient safeguards to prevent leakage. If the stored chemicals, which were specified in the EC directive, escape into the atmosphere and cause harm to people, the offense carries a maximum fine of 150,000 euros or its equivalent. In UK, authorities believed there was no need to enact a new law based on the EC directive because there is a similar environmental law already in place. In March 2007, or one year after UK member states were supposed to have introduced the EC directive into their own legal systems, a man named Simon fell ill after eating vegetable grown in his garden, which is adjacent to a warehouse of Otis Chemicals Ltd. that stored the chemicals identified in the EC directive.QUESTION 1: If you're a lawyer representing Otis Chemicals, do you think Simon can sue your company in UK under the EC environmental directive based on the direct effect principle Can UK authorities also prosecute Otis under the same EC directiveANSWER: Assuming that the chemical substance in question is among those identified in the EC environmental directive, Simon can invoke the same EU law in bringing a case against Otis Chemicals before UK courts. This he can do whether or not UK has adopted the provisions of the said EC law into a national law. Under the Community Method principle of the new EU Constitution, any law enacted by the Community automatically becomes an integral part of the law of a member state, whose courts are

Techniques lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Techniques - Lab Report Example Calculations performed on the changes in mass revealed that the experimental mass of the NaCl was 1.464 g. The -1.942% error between the two results was attributed to experimental errors arising from the improper use of the pipets during the transfer of the solution to the evaporating dish for heating. The results obtained showed that the difference in the masses between the expected and experimental results to be small (-0.029 g), resulting in a relatively small % error of -1.942%. The % error was caused by systematic errors resulting from improper use of the pipet during the transfer on the 25 mL NaCl solution to the evaporating dish. Minute air bubbles might have been sucked together with the NaCl solution, resulting in a reduced amount of NaCl being heated at the end, thus lowering the final mass. The pipet used in the experiment has a precision of uncertainty of  ±0.01 mL; therefore the 25 mL taken from the volumetric flask was between 24.99 mL – 25.01 mL. This uncertainty is relatively low, making the pipet’s readings relatively precise, thus reducing the chances of random errors resulting from observational mistakes during the filling up of the pipet. a. Filling the 100 mL volumetric flask beyond the mark would lead to a lower actual (experimental) molarity. This is because adding more water will make the solution more dilute, thus lowering the molarity. b. The density of the solution would decrease if the volumetric flask was topped beyond the mark because the density if governed by the formula Density = Mass / Volume1. Therefore, increasing the volume would lead to a subsequent decrease in the density. a. Having the liquid level in the pipet being below the line would lead to a reduction of the mass of the NaCl obtained after the subsequent heating because the amount of NaCl pipet is less than the required amount. c. Using the pipet to deliver the NaCl solution to

African American woman working towards better education Research Paper

African American woman working towards better education - Research Paper Example The intensity of pain and discrimination propelled the African American women to fight for liberation in the United States of America. This paper looks into the struggle for African American women to have access to education and voting rights during the civil rights movements. In doing that, this paper examines seven sources. Allen Zita’s account of black women leaders in the social privileges lobby groups contains details on the hardships racial segregation brought to the national stability. Bramlett-Solomon gave an account of Fannie Lou Hamer and civil struggle in the South. Holmes-Norton gives a detailed account of the civil struggle in the South but narrows down to Fannie Lou Hamer courage. She seems to agree with Bramlett-Solomon in many instances. Raymond D’Angelo shared readings and interpretations of the social privileges struggle and the power of political organizations during the struggle. Janice Hamlet gave a detailed account of the unrelenting spirit of the struggle and Fannie Lou Hamer. She appears to be more detailed that Bramlett-Solomon. They wanted to liberate themselves from social oppression. Davis Houck and Dixon analyze the civil unrest happenings from 1954-1965. They give an account of the women who participated in the civil lobby group and their contribution. Angela Jones sheds light of the Niagara movement and the social privileges movement. ... According to A. Zita (1996), the urge to liberate themselves caused them to agitate for freedom and equal rights in the society. The African American men faced similar oppression. The civil rights movement was marked by women being relegated to negligible positions in the society. The men were always at the front lines of leadership, in spite of the fact that it was women who spearheaded the Birmingham bus boycott. Analysis The source is credible since it been confirmed by other sources. The African American women instigated the freedom rides and demonstrations. Women rose to be significant political representatives. Men controlled positions of leadership in organizations and often ignored the contributions from their women counterparts. A telling example is in the year 1963, at the apex of the social constitutional rights lobby group, tens of thousands of black women participated in March on Washington. The women included Fannie Lou Hamer and Jon Ann Robinson. Ella Baker was a women activist who became influential in the movement. However, not a single woman was invited by all male march committee when it came to making a speech in front of the crowd. Bramle1tt-Solomon The women believed that they should be given equal chances with men in all avenues. T2he women were involved in the movements by supporting their male counterparts from behind the scenes. They were able to get fulfillment through supporting the male leaders and activists. Others like Ericka Huggins, Elaine Brown, Shakur and Cleaver remained stubborn. They rejected positions that were of little consequence. According to these women activists, preparing food, typing minutes for the meetings, providing moral support to the male activists, washing dishes and sexually gratifying men were

Fantastic Voyage Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fantastic Voyage - Term Paper Example Finally we will describe the exchange of oxygen with the delicate alveolar and the pathway used in inspiration and expiration. Body The femoral vein travels from the inside of the right leg, parallel to the femoral artery, upwards towards the center of the body. The femoral vein is a larger vein which receives blood from the popliteal, the great saphenous vein and the femoris (Femoral†¦). The femoral vein first comes into the external iliac vein and from there flows into the common iliac vein and into the inferior vena cava. The iliac veins form the common iliac at the small of the back around the fifth lumbar vertebra. It is the function of the vena cava to carry blood from the lower portion of the body directly to the heart (Inferior†¦). The vena cava empties into the right atrium, the lower right back side of the heart. The blood arrives into the right atrium un-oxygenated and is a darker color due to the lack of oxygen. The vena cava are the two largest veins in the bod y and the inferior runs alongside and behind the abdominal cavity and where the vena cava meets the right atrium is a valve known as the Eustachian valve. Though the Eustachian valve remains its primary functions are in the developing fetus, where it helps to direct blood flow through the foramen ovale into the left atrium. Once breathing begins this is no longer necessary and the foramen ovale closes and the amount of blood flow between the left and right atrium is limited. The vena cava are responsible for collecting blood from lumbar veins, hepatic veins, gonadal veins, renal veins and the phrenic veins (Cardiovascular†¦). All of this blood is un-oxygenated. Blood then flows through the tricuspid valve and is pumped into the right ventricle. Cardiac muscle provides rhythmic regular contractions to keep the blood flowing smoothly. After passing through the pulmonary valve the blood enters the pulmonary trunk (Right†¦). The contraction of the myocardium causes pressure wh ich forces the blood into the pulmonary truck where there is a left and right division. The trunk has a pulmonary semilunar valve that opens during contraction and closes when the muscle relaxes, thus preventing the blood from flowing back into the ventricular chamber. The right pulmonary artery carries the blood to the lower right lung. Within the right lower lung there are three lobes whereas the left lung has two lobes. Structures within the right lung include lateral, anterior, posterior, dorsal and medial bronchus (Chest†¦). A bronchial tree contains these bronchus and alveoli on these branches resemble grapes. Alveoli are thin membrane air sacs within the lung and the bronchial tree is the passage way through which air is passed in inspiration and expiration. Surfactants within the alveoli keep them from collapsing during exhalation and they remain slightly open. Without this surfactant the thin sacs would close in and stick to each other as air passes in and out of them and they inflate and deflate. The passageways into the lungs are lined with epithelia and cilia whose primary function is to move debris and foreign particles from out of the lungs. These provide the first line of defense within the lungs. Dendritic cells are scattered throughout the lungs and increase when there is an inflammatory response. These cells are antigen presenting cells that contain lysosomes and endosomes with three separate functions; antigen presentation and activation of T cells, inducing and maintaining immune tolerance, and maintaining immune memory with B cells (Wieder). These dendritic cells are the only cell that is able to activate naive T cells and lay dormant until there are pathogens or

Eating Healthy and Heart Disease (Cause and Effect) Essay

Eating Healthy and Heart Disease (Cause and Effect) - Essay Example Healthy eating and heart diseases are directly related. It is found that eating fats which are low saturated helps in reducing the risk of diseases related to heart. Changing unhealthy eating habits could help those who are already suffering from illness like high level of cholesterol. A balance of all kinds of food which means the right combination of food is necessary to maintain a healthy body. â€Å"Eating more healthy fat and fewer carbohydrates could help people control high blood pressure and raise their good cholesterol, according to a new study† (O’Leary 9). Usually fats are considered bad for the health but they are also essential ingredient in the overall wellbeing of the body. Certain studies reveal that consumption of fats that are healthy is good for maintaining good cholesterol. Reducing the intake of carbohydrates is another way of maintaining good cholesterol in the body. â€Å"The result from 164 people on different diets showed those rich in protein and good fats outperformed high – carbohydrate diets and reduced blood pressure and the risk of heart disease 20 percent. High on the list of good food was nuts, avocados and olive oil† (O’Leary 9).Diet rich in protein is proved beneficial in lowering the risk of diseases related to heart. Fish is rich in protein. Oily fishes like salmon, mackerel and pilchards have omega 3 fatty acids which are helpful in the prevention of heart diseases. Healthy food contains a lower degree of cholesterol. Fresh vegetables and fruits do not contain any cholesterol. High degree of cholesterol is linked with heart diseases. When there is some sort of accumulation in the arteries, the arteries become narrow. Arteries which are narrow could lead to heart attack or even stroke. Fibre is not categorized as a nutrient; still it is one of the essential components required in maintaining a healthy digestive system. Some fibres do help in

Accounting for the IPhone Essay Example for Free

Accounting for the IPhone Essay 1. Compare the GAAP and Non-GAAP data and discuss their impact on the financial statements. In comparing data, when Apple reported its Q4 FY 2008 financial results on October 21, 2008, it reported both GAAP and Non-GAAP economic data. Under GAAP, Apple reported quarterly revenue of $7.9 billion and net profit of $1.1 billion. Under Non-GAAP, revenues amounted to $11.7 billion and net profit totaled $2.4 billion. The difference between GAAP and Non-GAAP revenues and net profit were $3.8 billion and $1.3 billion respectively. Needless to say, such a large difference will have a huge impact on the income statement and balance sheet. Both financial statements would be greatly understated. Apple reported both GAAP and Non-GAAP financial data because of this large difference and they felt that the GAAP data did not correctly portray Apples financial statements. 2. Which method best reflects the economic reality? I believe both GAAP and Non-GAAP accurately reflect Apples economic reality. Each method just simply presents Apples financial data in a different way. Under GAAP, revenue from iPhone is deferred and is recognized on a straight line basis over a 24 month period. This type of subscription accounting is required because Apple chose to give future, free software upgrades with the iPhone. GAAP requires this to prevent companies from trying to over-inflate revenues by increasing sales with the promise of a free incentive in the future then not delivering on the promise. See more: Sleep Deprivation Problem Solution Speech Essay Under GAAP, the huge increase in iPhone sales is represented in the deferred revenue accounts and the cash from operating activities on the statement of cash flows. Apples non-GAAP statements recognize revenue from iPhone sales immediately, instead of in a deferred account, and is represented by the increase in revenue and net profit. To investors, the non-GAAP statements are more impressive because of the large increase in revenue and net profit. However, the truth of the matter is that both methods present the same information but in different accounts and at different times.

Les Miserables Essay Example for Free

Les Miserables Essay In Websters Dictionary the word Justice is defined by the words fairness and rightfulness. Around the world, the figure of Justice is portrayed as blind from all information but objective facts. In the novel Les Miserables written by Victor Hugo, the figure of Justice is meant to be completely blind, but it does not stay totally blind. Jean ValJean, the main character of the novel had been a prisoner for 19 years. When he was released from prison he was given a yellow ticket that identified him as a criminal. This made ValJean unable to live a normal life again. Today, due to the media and the abundance of information that is available for everyone on the internet these days, this system of Justice is not always executed properly. These two instances of the yellow ticket in Les Miserables and the media today resulted in no blind Justice for those who are affected. The system of Justice is supposed to be considered blind. This means that when a trial comes to court, no one knows any outside information on the trial before it begins. This includes all of the Jury and the Judge. The goal of blind Justice is to present a fair trial and eliminate bias. Part of the Jury selection process is to make sure that no one has any prior knowledge on the trial that they are being selected. When there is a trial that is totally blind, the trial is more likely to go smoothly because all of the facts would Just have been known from information presented in the court. There is no outside information that someone considers important which could cause chaos and confusion. Unfortunately in some cases it is difficult to keep a case blind. In todays society there are certain cases that are very tough to keep blind. These cases usually contain popular celebrities that the media is attached to. Whenever a celebrity gets in lots of trouble with the law, it is all over television, newspapers and the internet. The world knows everything that happened in the incident and what will happen to the celebrity. This results in the trial not being blind at all. A recent example ofa trial not being blind is the case of the former Buffalo Bills running back 0. 1. Simpson. Simpson tried to retain some of his old emorabilia from some old friends, but did it very aggressively with a weapon and was charged with numerous accounts of armed robbery and kidnapping. Before this, Simpson was well known for his success on the football field but also his prior trial for murdering his wife. Simpson was found not guilty in this popular trial but many people believe he was guilty. This recent trial was followed very intently by the media. Reporters were everywhere Simpson went and every development in the trial was in the news almost instantly. Before the trial started the Judge and Jury had lready known all about Simpson and his successes and mishaps. As a result the trial was very biased against Simpson. Simpson was found guilty and sentenced to at least 9 years in prison and a maximum of 33 years. This anti-blind Justice pretty much goes for any celebrity that gets in trouble with the law. In Les Miserables Justice is not completely blind for Jean Val]ean. The Justice is not completely blind because Jean ValJean is not a criminal but he was a result of a slightly corrupt Justice system during that time period in France. The Justice system as not intended to be blind. Jean ValJeans open Justice was not in court, it was present a yellow passport, showing that he is an ex-convict. This causes people to instantly look down on ValJean and treat him worse than a normal person. Since he is an ex-convict, anytime he does something he is quick to be arrested, because of his past. When he stays with the Bishop of Digne and steals some silverware he is quickly arrested. Luckily the Bishop was very gracious and let Jean ValJean go by teaching him some lessons. ValJean does continue to face adversity because of his ast. He is later wanted back in prison because he is thought to be disguising himself, to hide his ex-convict identity. Blind Justice was clearly not evident in the life of Jean ValJean. Clearly, Justice is sometimes completely blind, but it is very difficult to keep ones case completely blind. In the cases of 0. 1. Simpson and Jean ValJean blind Justice was not present and they both suffered from it. The Justice system suffers directly from the world around it and as time goes on it becomes ever harder to keep information private.

Factors Influencing Decisions for Mobile Banking

Factors Influencing Decisions for Mobile Banking 5.1.0 Introduction If financial institutions are to successfully integrate new technology into their service delivery platform, it is essential that they should understand the impact of technology based delivery channels on customer perceptions and behaviour. The industry buzz has driven many financial and non-financial institutions in the Netherlands to take a tactical, just try something and get it up and running quickly approach to mobile banking and payments over the last decade. The research focused on the theoretical framework explored in chapter 3 discussing various constructs that affect users intention to adopt mobile phone banking and payments. The previous chapters have shade light on the major research question of this study which was as follows: what are the factors that could influence the use of mobile phone banking? Various variables such as self-efficacy, perceived cost, perceived risk, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use have been discussed and compared to the data analysis . The Netherlands shows different trends in adoption of mobile banking and payments, the population has all the requisites to implement mobile financial services but there are a number of hurdles that need to be overcome or taken into consideration by any financial institution wanting to setup such a venture. 5.2.0 Model Variables The intention to use mobile banking service is affected by a number of variables as discussed earlier. Speed has indirect influence on intention to use mobile banking. Consumers using mobile banking can perform the simple transactions easily and quickly. The variable speed implies that mobile banking and payment users seek a simple, easier and faster performance. Speed was one of the factors that users put on their wish list as a prerequisite for uptake of mobile banking. With advance of the 3G and 4G networks on newer mobile phone models makes speed a reality. Most users preferred to use SMS as it provides a speedier service. From the data analysis the respondents are not especially concerned with the number of functions provided by a mobile banking and payment functions. The above reason could be that simple functions may be enough for users to meet their mobile banking needs. Most banks in the Netherlands such as Rabobank, ING and ABN AMRO offer basic forms of mobile banking which range from simple transactions to complex tasks. Mobility access is an important feature of mobile banking and payment. This helps overcome time and space limitations of banking. It was obvious that respondents agreed with the importance of mobility access to mobile banking and payment. Perceived usefulness is another important variable that affect mobile banking and payments. There are very many alternatives /competitors to mobile banking in the Netherlands for users to choose from. Most users are reluctant to change their banking methods in the Dutch as they see no perceived usefulness in the mobile banking services provided by the financial institutions. One of the respondents views were as follows: Im choosing the bank which is safe and offer more attractive %. And I dont care about additional services, which are the plus, but not complementary. [sic] Perceived cost also has an impact on users intention to adopt mobile banking in the Netherlands. Mobile banking cannot compete in terms of lower costs. Consumers keeping funds in cash or in a pre-charged card e.g. Chipknip find it cheaper as compared to mobile banking. Most banks provide this service free for specific services. There is also the common end-user perception that many mobile payment solutions are fraught with insecurities. The above table 7 shows variables with negative effect on the adoption of mobile banking and payments in the Netherlands. Perceived cost, credibility, usefulness and risk were found to contribute to slow adoption of mobile banking and payments in the Netherlands. Other factors which come beyond the scope of this study will be discussed in the following sections. 5.3.0 General Issues relating to Mobile Banking and Payment adoption From the data analysis it can conclusively be deduced that mobile banking and payments in the Netherlands can only succeed when they extend the technology and behaviour consumers have already adopted and when their costs are in line with their benefits. The researcher asked the respondents who have mobile phones but dont use mobile banking and payment. The main reasons are as follows: They see no value. There are a number of alternative self-service channels like online banking, ATMs, cards (debit, credit, Chipknip) that allow consumers do most of their banking tasks by themselves already, it is not clear to many of them what additional benefits the mobile channel offers. This can be seen from the comments of one of the respondent as follows: Im choosing the bank which is safe and offer more attractive %. And I dont care about additional services, which are the plus, but not complementary. [sic] They do not know about it. When asked whether the respondents bank offered mobile banking, 26% said they do not know whether their bank even offers mobile banking services, or that they do not know enough about it. The researcher can conclude that retail banks mobile banking and payment marketing efforts in the Netherlands have been less effective. They dont think it is safe. 51% of the respondents agree that mobile banking and payments is risky. Risk could have a considerable effect on the adoption of mobile banking and payment. Most of the respondents still consider the plastic cards as the convenient method of settling their bills as they have never encountered any problems with them. Since there is low awareness and the fact that mobile banking is still in its early stage acceptance among the consumers has been very low. They think it is expensive. Confusion about the cost of mobile banking and payment is also another hurdle affecting its adoption. Each provider of mobile financial services comes up with their own cost structure. The researcher believes most consumers are not clear about what their bank will charge them or other financial institutions. It could be argued that price has certainly been an obstacle for mobile financial services to become a mass market application in The Netherlands. The reason given is that because it is quite expensive compared to other banking and payment methods, currently it is not adding any value for the customer. Users are young: according to the respondents, mobile banking adoption is highest among ages 21-35 year olds; these are young consumers, using their phones more for texting than talking. They are referred to as general Y. Many of them mobile banking is becoming a key criterion for where they choose to bank. Most of them said they conceived to switch banks if their bank does not offer mobile banking services. This generation Y is often described as the Mobile Generation because of their obsession with all things mobile and digital, and they are likely to embrace mobile banking and payment in large and ever growing numbers. It can be deduced from the data analysis that younger generations are now beginning to use banking services and traditional banking rules and behaviour may no longer apply. Cash, the first mover advantage: although the Netherlands has the highest debit card penetration in Europe, cash is still the preferred payment method of choice for almost all low-value transactions. There has been a push for more debit card transaction leading to the decrease in cash transactions. Various electronic purse initiatives have been pursued leading to one standard electronic chip-based purse called Chipknip. Its usage however is relegated to specific use cases e.g. parking machines, coffee machines and has not had a wide uptake in traditional retail environments, where it was intended to decrease the number of cash transactions for smaller ticket items. 5.3.1 Create awareness of useful applications among young consumers Mobile banking and payment still faces considerable hurdles in Europe, including consumers diverse mix of handsets and low adoption of mobile Internet services in general. But many financial institutions are shooting themselves in the foot by developing costly mobile banking services, only to launch them without a clear strategy, and then failing to promote them adequately. Remarkably, only a few banks like Rabobank, ING, ABN AMRO even mention mobile banking on their retail banking home pages. Banks and other financial institutions who want to encourage wider mobile banking adoption need to do the following: Firstly, broaden awareness Potential mobile banking users are confused about the benefits, the offer, the cost, the security, and the technology. More marketing needs to be emphasized before and after launching of these new innovations. One way which is easy and inexpensive vehicle for this is the financial institutions own Web site and within the online banking application. They should lay out relevant usage scenarios and use rich media like online video to educate potential users about scenarios where mobile banking and payment adds value. This could be very relevant in enabling the users be well informed about the new offerings and objectively weigh the perceived value over other channels. Secondly, targeted at the young technology-savvy online bankers The study has clearly shown that the mobile banking and payment is most popular among the young generation. As already indicated, most of them said they conceived to switch banks if their bank does not offer mobile banking services. This generation Y is often described as the Mobile Generation because of their obsession with all things mobile and digital, and they are likely to embrace mobile banking and payment in large and ever growing numbers. The typical early adopters according to this research are young males with above-average incomes who use the Internet daily. European banks and other financial institutions should think along these lines. Thirdly, focusing on simple applications with timely and location-relevant benefits What applications should banks and other financial institutions stress? Forrester research (2009), has long argued that to create compelling value for customers, companies should deliver mobile content that is timely, location-aware, and actionable. The first mobile banking services people in the Netherlands have adopted are simple and timely mobile services like balance checks and SMS alerts. It is important that mobile financial providers focus on simple transactions such as SMS about ATM locations, ticketing, parking, vending machines, customized video application (pay per view) among others. 5.4.0 Conclusion As discussed in Chapter 2, the literature review, the Netherlands are a typical giro country that heavily relies on the use of credit transfers and direct debits in retail banking and payments. It can also be reiterated that existing banking and payment methods (e.g., cash, cards) already meets consumer needs. In order to persuade consumers to change their behaviours the offerings will need to have some essential benefits over currently available alternatives: more convenient, cheaper, quick, secure and efficient. In Europe and specifically the Netherlands, there is a strong interest by key stakeholders in making mobile banking and payment successful. Exploring the factors influencing the use and adoption of mobile banking and payments is quite important for the key stakeholders who might need to improve and validate their services in order to satisfy more customers and eventually make profits. The research adopted TAM in the Netherlands context to investigate the research questions and achieve the objectives. It can be concluded that the research constructs of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived risk, convenience, speed, cost and self-efficacy were successfully used to explain the variance in the intention to use mobile banking and payments in the Netherlands. In order to attract mass market banks and service providers should improve the quality of these services. To take advantage of consumer willingness to use new mobile banking and payment mechanisms, the banks and financial institutions of devices enabled for mobile payment at the physical POS must be able to support mobile transactions that are convenient and easy to use to compete with plastic cards. The Dutch consumers are aware that they have alternatives and they are also more sensitive to security and privacy issues. Mobile banking and payment scenarios can enhance security and privacy. However , if consumers perceive that mobile banking and payment potentially involves loss of privacy, they will not accept it. 5.5.0 Recommendations The study has revealed that there is no compelling value attached to mobile banking and payments in the Netherlands to warrant mass market adoption. Amid the excitement and hype surrounding mobile financial services in the Netherlands, the question remains as to how these offerings will achieve mass market, especially in light of the fact that most of the Dutch find their current banking and payment options quite satisfactory. A number of factors have been pointed out from data analysis that hinder mass market adoption of mobile baking and payments in the Netherlands such as cost, low perceived value, density of banks, security and privacy issues, credibility, lack of cooperation among the stakeholders and the general Dutch banking and payment culture. Most of the Dutch are currently comfortable with their current offerings. In order to persuade customers to change their behaviour in the Netherlands which is always a difficult proposition and embrace mobile banking and payments, the offerings will need to have some essential benefits over the currently available alternatives. There are a number of new niches that financial providers should consider and which are experiencing positive response such as ticketing, vending machines, transport, loyalty programs, coupons, and ringtones among others. There is a huge potential in the Netherlands which has not been tapped, there are all ingredients for successful deployment of mobile banking and payment such as high penetration of mobile phones, high literacy levels, good infrastructure and high speed Internet connectivity all when combined with positive consumer attitude can easily turn a mobile financial service into a mass market. In order to determine whether a new offering represents a market opportunity, financial institutions should consider projected ma rket size, the maturity and complexity of the offering, and the number of stakeholder relationships that the institutions will be required to manage, this has always been one of the hurdles in successful implementation of mobile financial services. Mobile banking and payment, as has been demonstrated in this study, has gained non-negligible relevance for banks and other financial institutions today. For example, developments in the banking sector, e.g. increased competition on account of technological developments coupled with the process of globalisation have produced new challenges for banks. Mobile Banking therefore, presents an opportunity for banks to retain their existing, technology-savvy customer base by offering value-added and innovative services which might even help attracting new customers. 5.6.0 Research Limitations This study was conducted to find the factors influencing intentions to adopt mobile banking services in the Netherlands. As such, there is still room for further investigation into the adoption of mobile banking services especially focusing on other aspects apart from the consumers. There are some limitations associated with this study. The main focus of the research model cannot conclusively explain whether there is a market for mobile banking and payments in the Netherlands. The variables self-efficacy, perceived cost, perceived risk, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use only focuses on the consumer but in reality there are many stakeholders in the market who also need to be investigated such as the government regulations, interoperability, competition, infrastructure and technology among other factors. Another limitation could be the type of respondents utilized in the research. In as much as the study utilized questionnaire, most of the respondents were from Maastricht which might not be a representative of the mobile banking and payments consumer population in the whole Netherlands. The researcher had limited time and resources to explore the general Netherlands population. It can also be stated that the researcher was also biased to the student community in Maastricht as they were more likely to use and adopt mobile banking and payment. The participants were randomly selected which helped reduce bias towards the research outcome thereby increasing the credibility of the feedback. 5.7.0 Future Research It will be interesting to investigate the kind of result similar studies would produce in other Western European nations in modelling users attitude towards mobile banking and payments. Since the introduction of the European Union and Euro currency it could be interesting to investigate what factors could be hindering the uptake of mobile banking and payment in other Euro member countries. Mobility and one currency could be a key reason to undertake similar studies in the European Union for mass market adoption. A further study could also be carried out to investigate the role of other stakeholders such as merchants, government, banks and mobile operators among others in influencing the adoption of mobile banking services among the consumers. The role of government is considered as one of the most important contributing factors to the slow uptake of mobile financial services. Further research is required here. Since Mobile banking and payment is still relatively new in the Netherlands, more research needs to be carried out to measure the actual adoption rate of mobile banking and payments. Consumer behaviours and technology are not static; they keep on evolving hence more research need to be carried out to establish the adoption trends over time which can be used to predict the future that will be useful especially for potential investors.