A World Class E-Government: Singapore

E-government refers to the transformation of the business of the government such as processes, operations and transactions that is driven by the information technology. This can happen both internally (streamlined government administration procedures for greater efficiency and effectiveness) and externally (simplified, enhanced government-client interaction via online connections) (Tan, Pan & Lim, 2007). Singapore is a small country with a population of about four million with a small market and limited natural resources. Although Singapore’s position as an information gateway in the region has lead it to become a global hub which is attractive to many Multinational National Companies (MNC) (Chan & Al-Hawamdeh, 2002). Singapore is a leader in the electronic governance that has invited worldwide recognition. Singapore’s e-government offers 98% of all government services are provided online for businesses and the community. It is one of the first countries to have the Civil Service Computerization Program (CSCP). The above mechanism was followed by the e-Government Action Plans. These involved implementing as many public services online as possible, adding value to the e-services and providing a one stop service via the internet. Singapore has launched a iGov2010 plan in the aim of bringing the government a greater efficiency by integrating the back end processes of the government ministries and organisations. As per Tan, Pan & Lim (2007) it improves efficiency in terms of utilizing less time, effort and material resources while maintaining a constant level of output. There are two portals offered by the government of Singapore which are namely for the citizens and the businesses. The portal offered for the citizens is known as the eCitizen Portal which is the single entry point for the community to access the services provided by the government and private corporations. The portal is to be accessed by the SingPass which is given to the citizens and permanent residents of Singapore. It is the single online user identification called the Singapore Personal Access. Through this system they can access their own confidential information. Also through the e-portal the community can post any thoughts on issues they are currently facing. For example the extensions of the smoking ban or the country’s national climate change strategy. The portal offered for businesses involves the Online Business Licensing Service (OBLS). This is an one stop portal for government registrations and licenses required to conduct business in Singapore. Through this portal the applicant needs to complete only one integrated form for multiple licenses. The system provides consolidated online payment mechanisms for one-time payments for multiple license fees. This system has lead the processing time a business license to reduce from 21 days to 8 days saving businesses more than $2. million annually. Therefore the implementation of IT in the government has lead to an increase in effectiveness and efficiency in providing services to businesses. Another example of such is provided by Tan, Pan & Lim (2007) where the unprocessed tax returns accumulated in the Singapore income tax department resulted in administrative backlogs and dissatisfaction among taxpayers. The e-filing system in the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) has lead to greater efficiency in the department and the use of back-end infrastructure to incorporate taxation calculations and regulations has improved its effectiveness. Question 1: Explore the two portals. What are the benefits to both the community and businesses? In Singapore, citizens have quickly warmed up to the e-Government services. Activities such as renewing road taxes and e-filing of income tax returns over the internet are now common among the community (n. a. , 2006). The main benefit for the community is the lessened administrative burdens they have to go through for payments, renewals and other services. The e-Government would lead to an improved quality of information with a reduction in the process time. It would also result in cost reduction for both the community and the ministries. These improved service levels would lead to efficiency where the community operating with the e-Government would be satisfied (Corsi, Gumina & Ciriaci, 2006). Another benefit that is enjoyed is the ability for the citizens to use their mobile phones to interact with the government services. There are many services offered by the e-Government in Singapore that is compatible with the hand held device. For example Housing Development Board and IRAS. Another benefit provided is the use of SingPass to access the individuals own MyeCitizen account. Having this unique SingPass would enable the privacy and confidentiality of the citizens. The users can personalise the portal and they have a variety of channels to choose from such as MyTravel, MyKids and MyCareer. Lastly the ability of the citizens to voice out their opinions is a great benefit for both the government and the citizens. Businesses have also benefited by the services provided by the e-Government. It is an increased efficiency and convenience to deal through the online platform. The offering of the Online Business Licensing Service (OBLS) allows the applicant to complete one integrated form for multiple licenses. The website provides the applicants with step by step guide which makes it trouble-free for the business to apply for licenses. By the OBLS the processing time of applications were reduced from 21days to 8days. This would be an efficient approach for the business where they can concentrate on other parts of starting up the business without a delay from the government authorities. Question 2: According to the chapter, there are six stages in the transformation to e-government. Which do you think Singapore is in? Why? In order for a transformation of a traditional government to an fully functional online government, there are six stages that are to be completed. These factors are explained in Wong (2000). Stage one is information publishing/dissemination which involves providing information on individual govermental departments by seting up their own website. It allows the community and businesses to choose from a range of services and contact for further assistance. By this activity the, the government departments would be able to reduce the number of phone calls customers need to make in order to clarify requests. Stage two is the â€Å"official†two-way transactions where the customers are able to submit personal information and conduct monetory transactions with individual departments through secure websites. At this stage customers should be convinced about the departments ability to keep the information private. Stage three is the multi-purpose portals. It involves integrating different departments. A portal allows the customers use a single point of entry to send and receive information and to process monetory transactions across many departments. Stage four is the portal personalisation where the customers can customise portals with their desired features. The goverment needs a much more sophisticated web programming that allows the interfaces to be user-manipulated. By the personalisation activity, the government can have a clearer read on the customer preference for electronic versus non-electronic service options. Stage fiveinvolves the clustering of common services where the customers now view the once-diparate services as a unified package through the portal. They tend to recognise group of transactions rather than than the group of agencies. Therefore the government will cluster the services along common lines to accelerate the delivery of shared services. Stage six involves the full integration and enterprise transformation. This is the stage where all departments across the government is integrated with technology. It would bridge a shortened gap between the front and back offices. Singapore’s e-government is in stage six in the Deloitte’s transformation model. E-government in Singapore has carried out Action plans since year 2000 regarding the accessibility, integration and providing value added services with one-stop service via the internet. There iGov2010 plan was launched in 2006 which involves bringing the e-government to a greater level of efficiency. This is to accomplished by back end processes across the entire government’s ministries. Question 3: What could other governments learn from the example of Singapore?  Despite the differences in Singapore and other styles of governments, there are things a country can learn from Singapore’s e-government experiences. Singapore has enjoyed political stability since independence in 1965 and the People’s Action Party (PAP) has been in government throughout that period. Due to the one party government system, there has been little or no disruption of policy implementation, which has enhanced the effectiveness of the delivery mechanism of public services. This stability has created well-organized institutions that help all stakeholders to adopt e-Services. Investments and master plans have leaded the success story of Singapore. For an instance in 2005,, the Singaporean government introduced a master plan to tackle security issues. S$38m (? 12. 3 million) will be invested in this plan to ensure a secure online environment. Incentives for tax-payers who submit tax declarations electronically, extensions of deadlines for those who are willing to declare their incomes electronically and lower fees for people who apply for their passports online are some incentives given by the government to promote e services and thereby an e governance. The social strengths of Singapore have been demonstrated by an educational system that produces a well-educated workforce to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). Not only developing its own pool of local talents, Singapore also recruits foreign talents to work in both the public and private sectors. Time saving, convenience and actual monetary savings are the main drives to pull e-Users to e-Services. In conclusion, one country cannot be a model of another country. But any country can be inspired by another. Singapore is a good example for other countries to open doors toward the success.

Comparing ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ with ‘Hop Frog’ Essay

‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ and ‘Hop Frog’ were both written at a time of social turbulence and revolution. Poe wrote Hop Frog twelve years prior to the American civil war, so it is fitting that many of the ideas in the story carry a strong anti-slavery message. Similarly, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ was written in 1892 just before the climax of equal-rights for women. Gillman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ is one of the early feminist texts in which her writing criticises the position that women were oppressed into and the ignorance of society as a whole. Both Gillman and Poe attack fiercely these ideas that were both upheld and willingly accepted by the majority of society. These two settings immediately portray the two central characters, a woman and a slave, as two of an unheard minority, who were subjected to an unjust, patriarchal world. One of the main similarities between ‘Hop Frog’ and ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ is the atmosphere of each of the stories. Both are horror stories are very dark, and have a horror genre, however ‘Hop Frog’ is also similar to a fairy tale in that it is quite unbelievable, and where Hop Frog’s surroundings are fantasy, the narrator’s surroundings are quite real. Despite their differences, both of the story’s surroundings and atmosphere are symbolic of the way the central character is feeling or being treated. For example, gluttony and corruption of the king and his ministers surround Hop Frog and Poe’s darkly vivid descriptions of these reflect the mood of Hop-Frog. The ‘oily’ ministers and a ‘corpulent’ king sound simply grotesque and fill the reader with a sort of stomach churning unease and tension at the treatment of Hop Frog. The corruptness and gluttony is hugely significant as it shows us the danger and easiness of becoming influenced and eventually corrupted by greed and alcohol. The narrator of ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ has instead a room. It is describes as having ‘barred’ widows and a ‘nailed down’ bed, which give the impression of a prison rather than a place to become well again in. In fact the room actually does become a prison for the narrator, becoming more and more horrible as the story progresses. By the repetitive use of the word, ‘joke’ in the first paragraph Poe emphasises the discomfort of Hop Frog as well as achieving a hugely tense atmosphere. This makes the reader, who realises that this seemingly jovial and harmless behaviour of the king and his courtiers is in fact, a lot more damaging and sinister, feel the tension and discomfort that Hop Frog endures. Like Hop Frog, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ also has a tense atmosphere achieved by the speeded up pace of the story and the very short sentences, which flit from one idea to another. These short sentences show the alertness of the narrator’s mind as well as her increasing madness as she is left with no stimulation other than her own thoughts. As the story progresses the narrator’s madness grows and consequently her surroundings become more and more an extension of her own nightmarish imagination, eventually becoming as fantastical as Hop Frog’s. Throughout the story, the wallpaper in the room is a metaphor for the narrator’s illness and as her insanity grows, the wallpaper becomes more and more hideous. At the beginning of the story, it is described as ‘horrible wallpaper’. Her initial rejection of the wallpaper, shown when the narrator says; ‘I don’t like our room’ and asks John ‘Let us go downstairs’, is indicative of her want to get better and her rejection of insanity. The wallpaper is described as having a ‘sickly sulphur tint’, representing her illness, and appears to grow, ‘fungus’ and ‘toadstools’ suggests that her illness is growing, whilst ‘Budding’ and ‘sprouting’ suggest the continuity of this growth. Despite the fact that the images of the wallpaper worsen as time goes on, the narrator quickly becomes obsessed by it, spending hours studying it. The narrator describes how ‘It dwells on my mind so’. Eventually, the narrator becomes so mad, that it is as if she is schizophrenic. She begins to see herself in the wallpaper as a ‘woman’, ‘stooping down’ and ‘creeping behind the pattern’. As time progresses, the ‘ faint woman’ becomes clearer and stronger as the narrator becomes weaker. This shows her sane self, losing the battle to her insane self. Despite the awful surroundings, outside of her ‘barred’ windows lies the garden. In contrast to the wallpaper, the garden represents the narrator’s hope of freedom. The garden is described as ‘delicious’ and where everything in the wallpaper is bad and infectious, everything in the garden is good and healing. However the narrator is locked away with her illness and is unable to reach the garden, which holds the key to her freedom, ‘How I wish he [John] would let me go’ she tel ls us. This creates dramatic irony, as everyone knows what the narrator needs, including the narrator herself, except the narrator’s own husband John. Just as the wallpaper and the narrator’s madness increase as the story progresses, the behavior of the king towards Hop Frog worsens. This is shown by Poe’s descriptions of the king, starting as ‘our king’, turning into a ‘tyrant’ and becoming finally a ‘monster’. By describing the king in this way, the reader is not only made to feel sympathy for Hop Frog by portraying him as a powerless victim of this cruel abuse, but also make us forgive his final act of revenge, which is in fact utterly terrible. The King and his ministers are abusive and exploitative towards Hop Frog and Trippetta. Poe illustrates this particularly by the reference to alcohol, The king takes advantage of Hop Frog’s intolerance to wine ‘it excited the poor cripple almost to madness’ and sadistically ‘ he took pleasure in forcing the cripple to drink’. Poe describes how Hop Frog was forced ‘to be merry’ as it was the ‘poor dwarfs birthday’ and he is made to obey the ‘command to drink to absent friends’, which ‘forced tears to his eyes’. This is incredibly ironic, as Hop Frog is not with his friend because he is a slave in the court of the king. In ‘the yellow wallpaper’, the narrator’s ‘monster’ is her own husband, John, ‘a physician’. He ignorantly suffocates his wife, leaving her with no option but to escape into her own madness. He threatens her with ‘Weir Mitchell’ who was renowned for treating women with this ‘temporary nervousness’. The narrator describes how he is ‘like john and my brother, only more so’, showing her wish not to be sent to him. John also keeps the narrator away from human contact, starving her of any stimulation or interaction. Despite his obvious love for her he treats her like a possession, this is shown when he fails to regard her as a human being by addressing her as ‘she’ as if she isn’t even there. This also symbolises the fact that he has slowly removed her identity. John regards his wife with little more intelligence than a child, shown by his constantly patronising tone. He calls her ‘little goose’ and ‘little girl’ as well as remarking ‘bless her’ as if she is little older than five. John also shows himself to be really rather selfish when he implores her ‘get well for me’. Despite everything, we have to believe that John really does love his wife and wants to help her. But it is through John that Gillman makes a very poignant observation of the way in which society treats women, pointing out the real danger of ignorance. The Narrator in ‘The Yellow wallpaper’ is portrayed as an extremely bright creative woman, despite the way John regards her. She expresses her thoughts and releases some of the energy that she is so full of through writing. However John forbids that she should write, the narrator tells us ‘I am absolutely forbidden to ‘work†. The narrator herself tells us herself that ‘excitement and change would do me good’. Instead of excitement and change the narrator is confined to her bed and made to sleep most of the day ‘I lie down ever so much now’, ‘John thinks it’s good for me’. However, it is not good for her and the narrator describes how ‘I don’t sleep much at night’, showing the disturbance of her mind. This results in the narrator having an enormous amount of pent up energy which, when combined with her inability to express herself creates enormous tension in the story. As the narrator searches frantically for an outlet for her imagination she inevitably becomes mad seeking the much-needed stimulation within the wallpaper. The narrator’s inability to express herself can be compared with Hop Frog’s loss of control to the king when he is ‘forced’ to drink. Hop Frog is described as being driven to ‘madness’ by the wine, and ‘madness’ Poe reminds us ‘is no comfortable feeling’. In both stories the position of women is severely criticized. In ‘Hop Frog’, Trippetta’s position as both a slave and a woman is exploited. Her ‘grace’ and ‘exquisite beauty’ is described as being ‘universally admired’. Poe describes how she was ‘admired’ and ‘petted’ suggesting the shocking abuse she is subject to. Poe describes how the king ‘threw the entire contents of the goblet in her face’, suggesting the complete humiliation that she suffered. In ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’, we are introduced to Jennie who is the sister of John. She is described as a ‘perfect’ and ‘enthusiastic housekeeper’. Typically of a nineteenth century Lady, Jennie is subservient accepting her position willingly and gratefully. Gillman describes how she ‘hopes for no better profession’. Jennie represents the women of society who have grown to accept and are either to weak or to scared to rebel against a life that is no better than that of a slave’s. The narrator’s position as a woman is very similar to Hop Frogs. She is treated as a possession by her husband John and is seen to have no real opinions or views. She describes how the ‘heads’ that she sees are ‘strangle[d]’ by the wallpaper, ‘turns them up side down’ and ‘turns their eyes white’. This is very much inactive of the way both she and the other women of society feel suffocated and oppressed by their position. Both stories are written in first person narrative, which makes them a lot more personal. ‘Hop Frog’ is told by an anonymous Narrator, an onlooker, whilst ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ is written like a diary with the narrator, a woman suffering from post-natal depression being the central character. Semi-Autobiographical, the story is loosely based on Perkins own experiences. The narrator in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ remains nameless meaning that the narrator could be any woman in society. It is also a metaphor for the identity that has been lost through her illness and the ignorance of her husband, John. Both the characters are the victims of ignorance. ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ shows the ignorance of society about post-natal depression and the fact that no one is prepared to accept what the narrator is suffering from. Her ‘case is not serious’ we are told. The result of this ignorance is that the narrator’s condition is not cured but instead made worse. She is taken for a rest cure and deprived of interaction with people and stimulation. Her creativity is crushed when she is forbidden to write. This inability to express herself, had dire consequences; instead of recovering she instead she begins to descend further and further into her own madness. The wallpaper in her room, which gradually becomes more and more disturbing as her madness increases, shows this. This can be compared to Hop Frog who because of his difference in appearance is treated appallingly. The central characters of each story are portrayed as prisoners the narrator in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ is portrayed as a prisoner, trapped by her social position; as a woman, by her mental illness and by her own husband. Through her story, Gillman attacks an extremely patriarchal society. She criticises the lack of respect for women and shows her anger towards the inability of women to escape from the position they are oppressed to. The room in which the narrator is put in, in order to rest and recover from her illness is very much symbolic of her imprisonment. It is described as having ‘barred’ windows and the bedstead as ‘iron’, ‘heavy’ and ‘nailed to the ground’ representing her being tied down. The fact that the room was ‘a nursery first’, is very ironic; Firstly because she has no contact with her own baby and secondly because she has literally been reduced to the position of a child. Similarly, Hop Frog and his fiend Trippetta are salves, whom Poe tells us, were ‘forcibly carried off’ from their ‘barbarous region’ and ‘sent’, ‘as presents to the king’. This is reminiscent of the situation of many black slaves who were taken from Africa to the west at this time, in order to further the endeavours of rich, greedy men at as low a cost a possible. The reality of what faced them ahead was a harsh, cruel life of constant work with no freedom or rights as a human being. However, it is surely wrong that one person should have freedom whilst another is an enslaved possession because they are different. This injustice is shown in the story by the King’s inability to accept Hop Frog as a person, in appearance he is different and so is treated as an object, a possession. Poe describes him as a ‘monkey’ and a ‘squirrel’ and suggest that Hop Frog is begging for food ‘crumbs from the roya l table’. The result this is that Hop Frog is shown to be like a begging animal which serves to ease the King’s conscience at mocking Hop Frog, if he is not a person then he does not have feelings. Both Hop Frog and Trippetta are dwarfed and Hop Frog is a ‘cripple’ and Walks with an ‘ interjectional gait’, which comes across as quite funny when it is further described as ‘somewhere between a leap and a wriggle’. Despite this Hop Frog’s ‘value was trebled in the eyes of the king’ and the king, ‘who live only for joking’ exploits Hop Frog’s physical disabilities. It is therefor ironic that Hop Frog becomes the court ‘fool’ which is a metaphor for the fact that he is laughed at by the King. The idea of Hop Frog being mocked for the way he walks is shocking and through this Poe shows the unease of society at the treatment of the slaves. The King’s immoral behaviour mirrors that of the slave traders in America and Europe. Hop Frog’s physical disability can be compared to the narrator’s madness. The endings of each story are hugely significant and it is perhaps through the ending that we see the characters in their true light. Throughout ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ the narrator has drifted in and out of her sane mind, she tells us once ‘I always lock the door before I creep’. Up until this point the narrator has not accepted that it is herself who is creeping, instead putting it down to the ‘woman’. But by the end, she is telling us how she is creeping round and round and round the room. Both a ‘rope’ and an ‘axe’ are mentioned, and John ‘faints’ when he sees the destruction of the room and of his wife. It is quite possible that either of them are dead, however Gillman leaves the ending ambiguous. As well as amplifying the uncertainty of the woman, this could also be down to the fact that Gillman, despite her feminist views, was still a woman in the nineteenth century. She did she want to demonize her character by making her murder her husband no could she afford to openly state that the husband was literally overpowered by his wife. Gillman would not want to upset her feminist audience either, who would be outraged if the narrator killed herself due to the fact that she is such a powerful symbol of a woman wanting to rebel against her oppression. For her to commit suicide would dishearten a lot of these women as it would look as if suicide was the only way out. It seems as if this ending was right for the character who despite becoming insane, is finally happy and tells us with utter satisfaction ‘I got out’. Whatever the reason for this ending, there is no doubt that despite the fact that this ending is truly horrific it also comes with a degree of relief. For with the narrator’s madness comes freedom, and more importantly, the woman finds her identity. Ironically this is not her former self, who is finally named as Jane, but another person; her insanity. Whilst ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ remains ambiguous, the ending of ‘Hop frog’ is completely literal. Because eof the fact that Poe is a man, he can afford to take more liberties that perhaps Gillman was unable to take. He can openly humiliate and torture the king and the court, who represent the corrupt monarchy; an important part of society, and appear to get away with this. Hop Frog is portrayed as demonic and evil. He achieves his freedom by brutally killing the King and his ministers. Under the guise of the stupid ‘fool’ he tricks the king and his ministers into thinking that they are dressing up and covers them in tar and flax. The fact that Poe uses tar and Flax is of great significance as it is symbolic of humiliation and punishment throughout history. Hop Frog then chained them together to become the ‘eight chained orangutans’. Hop frog shows himself to be very intelligent when, ‘at the dwarfs suggestion, the keys had been deposited with him’, in contrast with the stupidity of the King. Poe describes how the they are humiliated when the chains cause them to ‘fall’ and ‘stumble’, The King and his Ministers have gone form mocking Hop Frog to being mocked themselves Hop Frog then suspends them from the ceiling at the ball and burns them alive. The fact that throughout the story Hop Frog never had the presence that the evil King had means that we would not immediately suspect Hop frog. When the ‘grating’ noise was first introduced, the reader did not think that it could be Hop Frog. However at the end when Hop Frog is perched on the rope with the burning king and ministers below him the ‘grating noise’ came form the ‘fang like teeth of the dwarf’, ‘who ground and gnashed them as he foamed at the mouth’. This is an insane a picture as that of the narrator. Hop frog rising up against the king is a complete reversal of roles, the oppressed has become the oppressor. However how is it possible that Poe can get away with this ending without his central character looking like the vengeful murder that he has become? It is perhaps because all-thorough the story, the treatment of Hop Frog as well as his situation has been described as Horrendous, horrific and brutal, evoking incredi ble sympathy in the reader. As if this isn’t reason enough, Poe threw in the added ploy of alcohol, which appears to demonize Hop Frog. Therefor when Hop Frog commits this terrible act, he is immediately forgiven whilst we all revel in the torture that the king and his ministers now incur. In the eyes of the reader justice has been done. Perhaps through his ending, Poe is forecasting what is to come, when the black slaves will rise up against their own white oppressors. It is therefor interesting that n order to truly punish and humiliate them, Hop Frog turns them first black. Like Gillman, Poe does not want to demonize the female character, leaving the question of Trippetta’s involvement up to the reader to answer.

Critiques of New Urbanism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critiques of New Urbanism - Research Paper Example This paper evaluates the New Urbanist critiques of contemporary urban development, as well as the critiques of New Urbanism principles. New Urbanism is a form if an urban design program which encourages the traditional concepts of neighborhood design and apply them into a range of urban and suburban settings. The movement started as a response to the conventional suburban planning in the United States since the 1940’s where the communities are decentralized and dependent mainly on cars as a form of transportation. New Urbanists claim that the orthodox setup causes congestion in arterial roads, limited opportunities for people without cars, loss of open space and detachment to civic life. To resolve this issue, they created a reform program with planning and design principles including walkable neighborhoods in a spectrum of a five-minute walk; major orientation around public transit systems; better assimilation of diverse types of land uses at the neighborhood level; affordabl e housing; strong citizen participation; and social and economic diversity (Fulton). The New Urbanist criticisms of contemporary urban development, specifically of the sprawl were discussed by Ellis (262-266) on a research on the New Urbanism movement. ... great automobile dependency in sprawl communities can be minimized dramatically by the installation of proper transit platforms through the New Urbanist principles. While transit investments are intergenerational and long-term, they can form the framework for more efficient, reasonable and sustainable urban regions. The land-use mixtures and street patterns that New Urbanist offers are also advantageous for pedestrians and cyclists. The designs that the street patterns suggest better traffic systems and quality of the travel experience. On the other hand, higher densities and mixed uses can yield considerably lower vehicle miles travelled. Although studies regarding the impact of street patterns to the reduction of automobile commuting are limited, neoclassical economists believe that the benefits of New Urbanist designs will be fully achieved when land-use and transportation planning are applied in the regional level (Ellis 265). Moreover, New Urbanism holds the potential for substa ntial environmental benefits. Ellis (265) stated that â€Å"more compact development patterns, combined with infill strategies, make it easier to conserve sensitive environmental areas.† Even if the New Urbanist designs will reap the environmental benefits or green engineering techniques only after several years, the idea is feasible and the results of studies are encouraging. The evidence of recent researches maintain that the New Urbanist designs â€Å"can play a role in reducing wasteful land consumption and the negative environmental impacts of auto-dependent sprawl† (Ellis 266).Hence, the proper use of growth management, land-use planning and urban design strategies in urban planning can capitalize on the potential of the New Urbanist concept. However, New Urbanism’s incorrect

Use of new technologies by traditional businesses-Information Essay

Use of new technologies by traditional businesses-Information technology management - Essay Example The state of competition requires that the business use some of the most inexpensive business tools technology available in the market and in the internet world. Some of these technologies are even costless. Many of them are inexpensive and can be afforded by small businesses. What are some of the most modern internet communication technology and services that can be accessed by a small business firm, particularly that one that is engaged in motorcycle sales and repair business? In short, what are some of the technological tools available for a motorcycle sales and repair business? How can one access the technology? How much would the technological tools costs? What are the applications for the business? These are the key concerns of this short report. We focus on five tools that can be used by small firms engaged in motorcycle sales and repairs businesses: the social networking sites, website, softwares for motorcycle diagnostics, Iphone, and the iPads. Description. Social networking sites are sites from which one can reach thousands of people on a daily basis. The social networking sites are many. One of the groups monitoring the social networking sites, the Selfgrowth.com, reported that the top social networking sites are Facebook with 500 million members, MySpace with 130 million members, and Friendster with 90 million members. Self-growth.com mentioned that Twitter is a fast-growing networking site that managed to grow so fast in a matter of a few months. Twitter allows one to send messages of more than 140 characters through SMS but current improvements in Facebook allows the user to change â€Å"status† or â€Å"messages† via SMS on a 24-hours/7-days-a-week basis. Cost. The additional cost of using the social networking sites are practically costless. Businesses usually have a computer and usually have access to the internet. A business can allocate one or two hours for social networking and it is feasible to pay the person executing

Discuss the importance of passion and love Essay

Discuss the importance of passion and love - Essay Example In line 2 of the poem, he states, â€Å"Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,† of which he is talking about his passion for writing, meaning before he has written anything that he can gather from the flood of thoughts in his head. In the last 4 lines of the poem, lines 9 through 12, he extends his fear to also include the potential loss of his love. However, in the last 2 lines, it seems he has come to terms with his fears and recognizes an unimportance of love, in the last line he says, â€Å"Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.† In â€Å"The Eve of St. Agnes,† by Keats, he takes the opposite perspective on love. He describes a character who is propelled into a situation, specifically a house, which contains noted dangers, â€Å"Hyena foemen, and hot-blooded lords,† to rescue an old, frail woman, out of love, â€Å"Save one old beldame, weak in body and soul.† Lord Byron’s poems, â€Å"When We Two Parted† and â€Å"She Wa lks in Beauty,† are poems that discuss love in past-tense; it has been experienced, and has since vanished. He is talking about it in the present, reminiscing about his history. One example of past and present in â€Å"When We Two Parted,† is in stanza 2, â€Å"The dew of the morning sunk chill on my brow—it felt like the warning of what I feel now.† By this, he is referring to how he felt in the past, compared to the same feeling in the present.

Friendships Through Networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Friendships Through Networking - Essay Example He is also satirical in his explanation, he supports the social network is good for reconnecting with old friends, which to I also supports this opinion. He also openly admits by the fact that he is Facebook member and he is hooked up in it. He comes out openly and true to himself, yet he is careful not to be termed as a loser in the end. Social networks have messaging functions, which is a good tool if the email had not been discovered. Even though, these sites are not merely for connecting and reconnecting, the act as means of re-branding. The old people are worried in the point that there could be no more privacy in this case. But, yet they should not be sharing things that they do not want other people to know. This is because we are allowing other people to write whatever they want in our walls. If we don’t like we can always erase. Stein refers the privacy in real life something being very hard; he further says that such privacy in life would have had the bathrooms in Mi nnesota airport empty. Other people term the social network a way of rebranding ourselves. This is because we misuse the network and at times, we are so addicted in it than anything else is. We are sometimes too blunt and think that our friends will check out whatever we post immediately (Levene 240). In some instances, through research I notice some views from other sources that teenagers who use Facebook more frequently have developed narcissistic behaviors, while young kids show some sign of psychological disorders, including antisocial behaviors, mania and aggressive kind of tendencies. Frequent use of media and the technologies has had a negative impact on health of all children whose age is below 10 and those between ten and twenty. This makes them more likely be prone to anxiety, depression and to some extend psychological disorders. The extent would even put them at risk of developing future health problems. For those who are just working, if they use more of their time on t he social network, they would really concentrate on their work. They would frequently be use most of their work time chatting with friends. The use of social networks like Facebook would also distract learning and negatively affect the student’s time. Studies have shown that primary school, secondary school and college students who checked Facebook once during the 20-minute study time achieved a lower marks and lower grades in the end. In his book, Stein gives some examples of benefits of using social network as a tool of connecting and getting in touch with old friends. He has chosen to visit the opposite in brief; he had to show without being biased as a writer. In my own research and the study carried out, we notice that there are also benefits of the social networking. The fact that communicating and the need to travel has been made easy, there are also some huge benefits. The youths who spent some time on Facebook have shown some kind of empathy of their online friends w hom they have never met. The Facebook has helped some youths to socialize in all aspects. This can of media is also applicable for those who have large screen computers to those who have a small screen phones. The features are the same and most people can access online friends. Social networking has compelled teaching in some certain ways. The students engage themselves in the network and learn. In some certain cases, parents may feel unsecure about

The Main Role Of Corporate Accountability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Main Role Of Corporate Accountability - Essay Example It is emphasized that stakeholders are identified by their interests and all are considered to be intrinsically valuable. As a managerial tool, it recommends attitudes and practices and requires that attention is given to all legitimate stakeholders i.e.  government, investors, political groups, suppliers, customers, communities, trade associates and employees. When the corporation takes responsibility for decisions that earn them profits in spite of their negative impact on degenerating environment, social and ethical issues their organizations/corporate have to be accountable. S ome corporations report voluntarily while others are obliged to thorough policies and regulations; traditionally corporate use the inputs of investors; employees and supplies to convert inputs to salable outputs which customers buy and return to the firm some capital benefits. A s evident in www.wikipendia.org, scholars that include Donaldson & Preston (1995), Mitchell, Agle and Wood (1997), Philips (2003) their supportive contributions that corporations should act both morally for operation and management of corporations.

Threats Posed to the European Union by Al-Qaeda Militia Operating from Research Proposal

Threats Posed to the European Union by Al-Qaeda Militia Operating from Northern Africa - Research Proposal Example Research Methods. b. Advanced Arabic and French. c. Six years of legal research skills as a lawyer. d. Islamology. e. History of the Middle and North Africa. 2.2 The Discipline to Which the Project Relates This reserch project relates to the discipline of history and political science; in fact, this discipline has a significant relation rediscovering the past and retelling history. There are numerous works that have been developed in the discipline of historical reflection. Furthermore, political sceince is self-understanding on issues regaridng interlationships between countries and activities by a group within a country that has effect on other countries. 3. RESEARCH PROJECT 3.1 Description of Research Topic This project focuses on exploring issues regarding terrorism operations; in fact, there are theories, which are developed by this study, which are focused on fostering understanding of terrorism studies. On the other hand, this study borrows ideas from other related fields and theoretical ideas in relation to terrorism activities or various groups such as Al-Qaeda militia. This study features a litrature which focuses on a given perspective is is applied on the basis of a theory focused on studying terrorism. This study will focus on studying drawing relevant ideas in the field of Jihadist terrorism, which will be based on religious background of Islam. Therefore through this ideas, the reseach will focus on achieveing the following objectives; a. Objectives i. Explore the problem caused by Al-Qaeda militia terrorism operations and challenges that are posed to European coutries. ii. Present a discussion concerning these problems based on the thories such as anarchism and ‘jihad.’ iii. The research will focus on identifying other possible reasons that can be associated to Al-Qaeda militia terrorism against European coutries. iv. Establish relevant counter terrorism operations and strategies to facilitate protection of citizens living in these European countries. In order to achieve the first objective, the reserch will focus on drawing relevant ideas from the two theories and perspectives that have been gathered in political science class. In this case, the first dimession will involve application of anarchism theory, which was advance by Karl Heinzen and Johann Most, who are the main proponents. The research will apply the Jihad perspective to explore issues regarding terrorism; in fact, this theory is atributed to Muslim extremists. The second objective will be achieved by beginning to focus on anarchism theory, based on the way it is presented through a broad range of issues that offer a definiton and differentiaton of various forms of the theory. For instance, the these forms of anarchism include individual anarchism, mutual anarchism and collective anarchism (Berkman 35). On the other hand, the research will explore the theory of Jihad, which concerns a term that is used on Islam to describe â€Å"the holy war or f ighting in the ways of Allah† (Rawshandil and Chadha 13). Therefore, this research will also seek to identify ways through which these terrorists have utilized the theory of anarchism and Jihad to cite reasons for their attacks. The research will focus on idenitfying other reasons cited by Al-Qaeda militia tojustify their operations in Northern Africa aimed at attaking European countries. For instance, there are notion that Christians are perceived to have a negative perception against Islamic

Create a Multicultural Theme Unit (8) Coursework

Create a Multicultural Theme Unit (8) - Coursework Example Furthermore, this process is implemented within a lower level of elementary grade and preschool level. This thematic unit benefits students to encourage and enhance their appreciation towards individualism and eccentricity among other members in the classroom.The prime purpose of the paper is to provide developmentally methodology towards learning and teaching process by the creation of multicultural theme unit. Moreover, week long detailed information about multicultural theme unit is created. This includes identification of four developmental goals and definition of criteria with teaching strategies. In case of literature-based program, the widely used units for organization of instruction is described to be as thematic units. The fundamental part of thematic units is multicultural literature. The foremost view which defines the concept of multicultural theme unit is differentiating the concept of multiculturalism. The multiculturalism is defined as the combination of cultures and multiple. Therefore, it can be notified that it is vital to include many cultures in the learning process to nullify difference between the dominated and dominant. The lesson plans for multicultural theory should bring diversity on the understanding with the combination of hands-on learning practices. Furthermore, children are confronted with critical thinking skills and fresh ideas. According to Barbara Biles, the early childhood education that has been incorporated in the preschool is described as an effective procedure for the development of racial identity and racial biases. One of the primary activities that I personally think would be included in the preschool activities is Passports. A passport craft activity is beneficial for a week multicultural theme unit. The passport craft is effectively modeled and presented after American passport. Furthermore, it modeled by showing the national bird and blue cover. This activity would be fruitful by

Perspective Essay Example for Free

Perspective Essay Everyone can view perspectives differently and sometimes it is hard to understand another person’s perspective. Many people do the things they do because they feel that their perspective is the right one. Personally I believe that sometimes people do not want to look at the others personal perspective because they know that they are wrong with their own. In other words, some people know what they are doing is wrong and do not want to do anything to fix it. In my perspective of being angry with my friend, I was angered that my friend who had been living with me for a week during the summer was not picking up after himself. I had to clean up all of his messes and had to make sure that our living area was not in complete disarray. It angered me because I had to clean up after him as well as myself. I feel that he should have contributed at least a little bit to our situation. We were both away from our homes and were both in the same situation and he just relied on me to be his personal â€Å"maid.† My response to this situation that I was dealing with was that I was very short tempered, and I did not want to communicate with my friend as much. He got the hint that something was wrong, but he did not have any idea about what was wrong. I tried to just blow off the situation and see if he was going to eventually start helping out, but nothing changed. Finally, I opened my mouth and told him that he needed to start helping around the place. He got super offensive and he stated, â€Å"I thought that room service was cleaning our room.† Some people expect things in life, and my friend was one of these people. My perspective changed after I looked at how this kid grew up. He had his parents and his grandma do everything for him. From doing the dishes to taking out the trash, this kid had never done a chore in his life. Sometimes you just have to look at the other person’s personal background and look at how they were raised. Of course it was not the right way to being raised, but I couldn’t control what he was used to. Problems occur in perspective taking all the time because not everyone is raised the same. Many people come from different backgrounds and different societies. We all view things differently and based on the way we were raised. Sometimes your own perspective may not be the agreeable one, and that is the hardest thing to change, especially if you grew up with it.

Examining the Recruitment process of ABC Company

Examining the Recruitment process of ABC Company Recruitment or selection policies are playing a central role in the running and long-lasting success for a company. The main aim of recruitment is to draw the attraction of the employees who can express relevant skills and experience, to make a positive and valued contribution towards the work of the company. Every individual employee must be selected on merit. The aim of any recruitment exercise is to find the best person for the job. So whatever the person or the employee is good in work the company must provide them the work basis on their merit. The recruitment and selection of staff of the right quality at the right time is crucial for the organization. Recruitment is the process to identify people to employment for the organization. A good recruitment has some principle. A bad recruitment can hamper the whole productivity of the organization. In ABC company, followed few wrong recruitment procedure while are discussed in the following- One of the crucial requirements for recruitment is placed the right people for the right job. Here, ABC Company doesnt follow this principle. Ashley Jones was expert in administrative work; she has no experience in marketing field which is impact on performance of her position. In the case of Ashley Jones, she was appointed in ABC Company by the reference of one of the director in marketing department. As a result she is missing her monthly target which also causes a momentous decrease in the productivity. ABC Company did not emphasise on job analysis. Job analysis means a process where identify determine the particular job in details and relative significance of particular job. If ABC Company followed their job analysis it could be sorted out earlier. Again training is also an important part of recruitment. If ABC Company follows their trained Ashley Jones in a proper way then the problems may not occur which leads to reduce productivity. A good reward and payment system is considered as a key tool of motivation as well increase productivity. A poor remuneration system may reduce productivity of the employee. ABC company remuneration system was not well recognised which de motivated to perform her responsibility. After that she was de-motivated to work by the remuneration system of the company. ABC Companys reward and payment system is not well known as a result the performances of the employees are going down. One of the important principles in recruitment process is principle of fairness. It means that candidate should be recruiting on the basis of merit as well as by open competition. Organization should provide adequate information about responsibility before recruitment, which help to pick up right person. But ABC Company select by referencing which does not met the recruitment principle. All recruitment should be announced and advertise publicly. A wide recruitment leads lot of opportunity to get skilled person among different candidate. But ABC Company select internally. As a result lots of skilled person cant get the opportunity to do the job. 3.1. Considerable factor for effective recruitment: A recruitment system is one of the most crucial aspects. Therefore it is important for efficient and effective operation of the organization. All candidates should be treated with equally fairly (Deb, 2006). There are some suggestion are below for effectiveness of recruitment- 1. Fairness: Fair and competition should be considered when candidates are recruiting for the organization. Equal and reasonable accesses to information about job have to confirm by the recruitment team. Recruitment procedure must be reliable, objective and protective against bias. Recruitment procedure should be emphasised on qualification competiveness. 2. Wide announcement: All interested and prospective candidate can apply, if it announced and advertised widely which help to appropriate consideration in the recruitment process. Wide announcement gives alternative choice to take best among candidates. 3. Maintain highest professional standard: Ethical code of conduct of must be follow during recruitment as well as must comply with legal provision of the country. Recruitment must be transparent; patronage free, equal treatment should be applied during recruitment process. 4. Documentation: Appropriate documentation should be maintain in the recruitment process. The documentation included specify following things- The jobs objective. The main duties responsibilities. The needed skilled. Necessary knowledge for job. Required qualities. Essential attributes to carry out job. Documentation helps to make short list among candidates. Employee specification should not change during recruitment process. 5. Impartiality: Recruitment process must be free from partiality. The best and capable candidate can be select only by fair way. 6. Job analysis: For effective recruitment, job analysis is very important to make the recruitment successful. A job analysis include determining the needs training, compensation procedure, performance review etc. A job analysis makes the recruitment process effective (www.job.analysis.net). If the ABC company follow the above recruitment principles, which can be more effective for the organization. In term of to improve effectiveness and good employee recruitment in future some policies are given below A manager can recruit in two different ways   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   i) Internal Recruitment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ii)External Recruitment Internal Recruitment: It is the most favorite source of applicants in stable and developed companies. It needs a strong support from other HR Processes; because of these the unmanaged internal recruitment process can guide to disappoint the managers and employees in the organization. The succession planning and strong performance management is needed to make sure the success of the internal recruitment. External Recruitment: The most obvious advantage of external recruitment is the availability of a greater pool of applicants. Thus, only those applicants who have the exact qualifications will apply and be selected the company. This has cost for the organizations training budget. Whereas external recruits will require orientation upon being hired, as they will not require any extra training. It also brings new ideas and external contacts to the company for hiring them. Also, if political backbiting over a promotion might be a possibility, then external recruitment is one way of eliminating that occurrence. Under external recruitment the effectiveness are given below Recruit online and given ads in newspaper: A company can hunt employees on online which will help to reach a lot of people in short time. Again if the companys give ad in newspaper and industry trade journals many skilled job searchers who has less technical support can applied for the post. For this it will emphasized on qualification of different people. Use the best employee: If the company uses its best employees for the interview of the people for the business, then they can collect the best candidates from the applicants. Documentation: Recruiters must maintain the suitable documents for recruitment process. They must follow the jobs purpose, duties and responsibilities, proper knowledge for the job. This will help the HR division to make a short list from the candidates. Search in Schools: The Company must build a good relationship with local schools, colleges and universities to attract graduates for trainee positions and always be ready to interview the candidates. Analysis the job: To make a recruitment successful job analysis is the most important part. It makes the recruitment process effective. Use Job Center Plus: A company can use Job Center Plus for recruiting people cheap and fast way. It is useful for finding permanent and temporary employees with no charge and they can shortlist the applicants for the company. If the ABC Company follow these process it can be more effective and beneficial for the company. Effective recruitment selection practices  By R. L. Compton, Alan R. Nankervis Fig: A typical strategic recruitment process Recruitment Requisition Competency or Position Analysis Position Description Position Evalution Pool of Aplicants Budget Check Sourcing Selection Process Dynamic Environment Vision Strategic Business Plan Key Stakeholder Dynamic Environment HR Strategy HR Plan Policies Recruitment Process Source: Nankervis, A, Compton, R, Baird, M, 2005, Strategic human resource management (6th ed), Cengage, South Melbourne.

The Odyssey - A Creton Lie :: essays research papers fc

Gentle waves lap against the Ithacian shore line as Odysseus has finally reached his native homeland. Rumors of the great turmoil that has rocked Odysseus' home land and house has reached him abroad. After hearing the news, he decides to don a beggar's disguise and so forth begins the great test. When the disguised Odysseus in Homer's great epic poem, The Odyssey, converses with her wife Penelope in Book nineteen, he tests her loyalty to her husband' s honor and her love of her missing husband.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Odysseus disguised as a beggar is the basis for the lies that are going to be told to Penelope in this passage by him. In my opinion, this is the main lie that is used as the building block for many other lies to be told. Odysseus is being deceitful by disguising himself as a beggar for specific reasons. His reasons are to find out what has been going on in Ithaca in his twenty years' absence. He wants to find out his wife's loyalty to him as the husband and the authority figure, and her love to her husband. If she did not still love him, he might think twice about revealing his identity to his wife and to the island of Ithaca. He wants to get a feeling of how Penelope feels towards him before he reveals himself to her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The beggar assures Penelope that he has really spent some time with her husband in Amnisus because there was a terrible storm and, 'Then on the thirteenth day the wind died down and they set sail for Troy (Homer 397, 19.233-234).'; There are two statements that reassure Penelope that the beggar does know Odysseus. 'So I took Odysseus back to my own house, gave him a hero's welcome, treated him in style....';(Homer 396, 19.222-223) and 'A dozen days they stayed with me there.... (Homer 397, 19.228-229).'; By giving Penelope this information about her husband, it gives her hope that he is still alive and on his way home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Now comes the part where he puts Penelope to the test. By sharing this information with her about her husband he comes to understand her feelings for him. Penelope has not only been loyal to Odysseus as her husband, but also as the authority figure. She has demonstrated her loyalty by being true to him for twenty years in his absence and has not remarried.

Homosexuality, Nature or Nurture? Essays -- Homo Gay Lesbian

Homosexuality, Nature or Nurture? Homosexuality has become a large issue in our lives today. Gay Rights activists have been making their voices heard; this has attracted the attention of the population making them take notice of their cause. The church has not been able to get away from the powerful political and social pressure of homosexuality. Some churches have accepted homosexuality but many still do not accept homosexuals, saying it is unnatural and not what 'god' intended of man. The church claims that what ever decision has been made, it has been done so on the basis of Christian moral principles. The Old Testament clearly forbids homosexual practices and in Leviticus 20:13 it reads: "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death." (Pyne, 1992, http://www.probe.org/docs/homosex1.html) To address the issue of whether homosexuality derives from biological determinism (nature) or from the influences experienced from the environment around them (nurture), in 1973 the APA (American psychiatric Association) through much pressure from the Gay Rights Activists, classified homosexuality under the heading of sexual orientation disturbance. Sexual orientation refers to an individual's sexual attraction towards persons of a particular gender. Heterosexuals show this attraction to members of the opposite sex, homosexuals show it to members who are the same sex. According to Gross, McIlveen, Coolican, Clamp and Russell, 2000, three to four percent of men are exclusively homosexual compared to around one percent of women. Acc... ...new introduction: Hodder & Stoughton Pyne, 1992, http://www.probe.org/docs/homosex1.html, 04/2002 Saunders and Pickering, 1997, http://www.cmf,org,uk/pubs/nucleus/nucoct97/cause.htm : 04/2002 Bibliography Bailey, 1991, http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/scotts/bulgarians/nature-nurture/bailey-pil.html :04/2002 Blum, 1997, http://www.worldpolicy.org/americas/sexorient/twins.html : 04/2002 Bourne, Russo, 1998,Psychology: behaviour in context: Norton. Cameron, http://www.familyresearchinst.org/FRI_EduPamphlet5.html :04/2002 McIlveen, Coolican, Clamp and Russell, 2000, Psychology, a new introduction: Hodder & Stoughton Pyne, 1992, http://www.probe.org/docs/homosex1.html, 04/2002 Saunders and Pickering, 1997, http://www.cmf,org,uk/pubs/nucleus/nucoct97/cause.htm : 04/2002

Hacking :: Essays Papers

Hacking Computer hackers in today's world are becoming more intelligent. They are realizing that people are constantly developing more hack-proof systems. This presents the hackers with a bigger challenge and a bigger thrill. The government is realizing this and is working on making harsher laws to, hopefully, scare the potential hackers. With the increase in hacking and hacker intelligence, governmental regulation of cyberspace hasn't abolished the fact that it's nearly impossible to bring a hacker to justice. Kevin Mitnick, a hacker who has yet to have a harsh punishment when caught, can somehow lower his punishment for his hacking crimes down to a couple months probation. When Kevin was seventeen, he was caught for breaking into a phone center in Los Angeles. He was tried and sentenced to three months stay in a juvenile detention center and a year probation. Kevin is a very intelligent man. He could use his computer skills in a good way by stopping other hackers. He didn't, so he faced the law many times. In all those times, he never spent more than a year in prison (Shimomura 1). Kevin was also a Phreak; a phone freak. He studied the phone system. He soon knew how to make free phone calls from payphones and how to crash a system. Kevin Mitnick has yet to be harshly punished for these crimes, which are very numerous (Shimomura 1). Another major player in the hacking industry is an unidentified man, identified by his pseudonym, or nick-name, Deth Vegetable. His group of hackers, Cult of the Dead Cow (cDc), is one of the oldest hacker organizations still in effect today. He is the leader and founder of (Cult of the Dead Cow). Cult of the Dead Cow is a leading group in the hacking industry; another leader that has fun with what they do. (Vegetable 1). They are a notorious group of hackers who have a couple problems; one of which is drugs. At a convention that the cDc holds for "some of the most notorious hackers from around the world" (Vegetable 1), one of the members of cDc said "Drugs and hacking go hand-in-hand" (qtd in Vegetable 3). Deth Vegetable said "Taking Drugs is like hacking your brain" (qtd in Vegetable 3). This is the way hackers are, they have fun in hacking, and the more they hack, the more fun they have. "If hacking is taking an electro-chemical computing device and altering it for your own enhancement, then taking XTC [, a type of drug,] is doing the same for your brain.

Automotive Essay

Q 1, How well is â€Å"Jones Electrical Distribution† performing? What must Jones do well to succeed? First Quarter 2004 2005 2006 2007 Sales increase 18% 17% ROE 7.6% 13.6% 12.3% 2.0% Sustainable growth rate 7.6% 13.6% 12.3% 2.0% Profit Margin 0.9% 1.5% 1.34% 0.8% Assets turnover 2.76 2.88 2.86 0.70 financial leverage 3.20 3.12 3.23 3.49 Shareholder’s equity 31% 32% 31% 29% From coverage ratio analysis we can see Jones electrical distribution’s business is stable business as a retailer. Sales increase 18% and 17% in 2006 and 2007 respectively, with estimation in 2007 will be 20.4%. Shareholder’s equity is around 30%. Jones sustainable growth rate: g*=RT*ROA, so compare with actual sales growth, we can make the conclusion Jones well managed its growth through year of 2004 to 2007. As Jones doing low margin business, so should avoid high financial leverage ratio as interest burden will be heavy. Q2, why does a business that has profit of $30,000 per year need a bank loan? 2004 2005 2006 First Quarter 2007 collection period 42.0 days 44.0 days 43.0 days 43.9 days payables period 10.1 days 10.0 days 24.1 days 37.4 days From above table we can find out Jones collection period increased step by step and this will need more cash support that, payables period exceed 10 days from 2006, this will lost 2% discount from suppliers. As Jones sales growth rate is high than sustainable rate, so its net earning could not support increased account receivable and inventory. Then the company need bank loan to finance the increase business. Q3, What drove the increase in Jones’s accounts receivable and inventory balances in 2005 and 2006? Sales growth drove the increase of accounts receivable and inventory balances in 2005 and 2006. Q4, Is Nelson Jones’s estimate that a $350,000 line of credit is sufficient for 2007 accurate? As Jones estimated growth rate in 2007 is 20% for sales, so account receivable and inventory will increase as a consequence. Total $129,000 is needed if collection period and inventory will not improve. As Jones accounts payable in first quarter exceed 37 days already, this will makes Jones loss 2% discount from suppliers, accumulated 24% against 7.5% interest rate. So this makes sense for Jones get loans build inventory within 10days payment. Total inventory change $129,000+$120.000=$249.000. So $350,000 line of credit is sufficient for 2007 even the bank set some limitations how to use the credit. Q5, When will Jones be able to repay the line of credit? As long term debt already $378,000 in first quarter of 2007, plus additional bank loan $350,000. So total credit will be $720,000 Net income for Jones is $30,000 and with stable growth rate, so Jones need around 25 years repay all the credit. Q6, What could Jones do to reduce the size of the line of credit he needs? Jones should manage closely reduce collection period and increase inventory turn over to reduce work capital.

Champion Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

I promote equality and diversity and inclusions, through our policies and procedures in the delivery of services. In my role I will be seen to promote individuals equality of opportunity, individual rights and choice, their privacy, individuality, independence, dignity and respect. I promote empowerment, equality of care, confidentiality and the wishes and needs of the people that use the service.The way in which we show diversity and accept other individuals differences can be shown in the following†¦ Complaints procedure (readily available), Consultation/participation individuals have the right and are encouraged to actively participate in consultations regarding changes to service policies and procedures, Individuals care plans are regularly updated by myself and other relevant staff to take into account any changes to the individuals health, needs and wishes. Maintaining confidentiality (storing care plans safely in a locked cabinet), Person centred care plans (individuals r ights and choices stated within their care plan).Offering choices (choices of male or female carer, choice of activities, meals and drinks). An informed choice means that a person fully understands all the arguments before making a choice. It is a choice that is based on a full understanding of the consequences of all available options. Promoting independence, encouraging active support and empowerment of individuals. All service users are allowed to practice their religious beliefs. Respecting individual’s privacy, knocking on doors before entering etc†¦ Work place policies readily available to all and information readily available and various formats appropriate to each individual’s needs.Inclusion, equality opportunity and anti-discrimination are central principles in social care. All care needs are planned on the basis that so individuals may need additional support to overcome the barriers they face. Barriers are those things that prevent or make access to a service more difficult for certain groups and individuals. The barriers faced depend on each workplace and environment within you work, these barriers could include the following†¦ Age, Gender or gender, Disability (physical or sensory impairment), Faith, Ethnic origin, Sexual orientation, Communication (literacy and language).Other barriers may include: Structural, such as buildings not designed for wheelchairs. Cultural barriers can prevent, for example, consideration of spiritual, relation or dietary needs that do not confirm with traditional expectations. For example it took 3 days to organize halal food. Personal barriers, for example where healthcare staff hold individual prejudices that influence their practice. These actions may be conscious, but as we have discussed, they can often be unconscious. Attitude barriers are not as easy to identify as physical barriers, but they can feel every bit as real to those who are exposed to them.Some vulnerable and disadvantaged ind ividuals need more support to ensure their voice is heard and they are able to have power in the decision making process. This is where groups such as ADVOCACY and YOUR VOICE COUNTS play a large role in the lives of adults with disabilities. Remember that everyone is an individual. People do not always like to be categorised in a particular equalities group. And individuals within equalities groups will have vastly different experiences, views and opinions. The legislation relating to equality, diversity and inclusion, stems both from UK government and European Union.It offers protection from discrimination on grounds of age, disability, gender, race and ethnic origin, religious faith or belief and sexual orientation. The legislation has implications on all workplaces, in terms of employment practice and in terms of the services provided. Compliance with the legislation must be embedded in your Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies. You need to adopt a very broad based approach to ensure that all relevant legislative requirements are addressed and take full responsibility for actions in your role of responsibility.In my role I am sometimes responsible for ensuring ongoing appropriate staff development and training to support all staff in promoting inclusion and meeting legislation requirements. In addition, meeting with staff to give appropriate updates on relevant events and legislation and to discuss appropriate issues. Health and social care providers are obliged to incorporate legislation relating to equality, diversity and discrimination into their policies and procedures. Workplace procedures dictate best practice regarding how work activities must be carried out, and they must be followed.Anything else would contravene the law, and be breaching an individual’s rights. Some of the legislations which may impact on area of responsibility could include: The health and social care act 2008. This act established the care quality commission (CQC), whose remit is to protect and promote the right of people using health and social care services in UK to quality care and to regulate its provisions. CQC took over the roles of healthcare commission, commission for social care inspection and the mental health act commission in March 2009.This prompted government to bring into force THE EQUALITY ACT which brought different types of discrimination within one piece of legislation. It provides understandable, practical guidance for employers, service providers and public bodies to ensure that right to fair treatment are promoted for everyone. Equality act 2010 is the law which bans unfair treatment and helps achieve equal opportunities in the workplace and wider society. The act replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with single act to make the law simpler and to remove inconsistencies.This makes law easier for people to understand and comply with. The act also strengthened protection in some situations. The act covers nine protecte d characteristics, which cannot be used as a reason to treat people unfairly. Every person has one or more of the protected characteristics, so the act protects everyone against unfair treatment. They protected characteristics are the following; Age, Disability, Gender reassignment, Marriage and civil partnership, Pregnancy and maternity, Race, Religion or belief, Sex, Sexual orientation.The equality act sets out the different ways in which it is unlawful to treat someone, such as direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, victimisation and failing to make a reasonable adjustment for a disabled person. The act prohibits unfair treatment in the workplace, when providing goods, facilities and services, when exercising public functions, in the disposal and management of premises, in education and by association (such as private clubs). The MENTAL CAPACITY ACT is designed to protect people who can’t make a decision for themselves or lack the mental capacity to do so.This act is something that i refer to daily in my everyday work at pgb. CODES OF PRACTICE. In England and Wales, the general social care council (GSCC) is responsible for ensuring that standards within social care sector are of the highest quality. It has developed codes of practice for all care workers that include information on how to protect and promote the rights of individuals using the service. The codes of practice provide a guide to the best practice and set out standards of conduct that workers are expected to meet.

By Motivating people highest degree of involvement can be achieved Essay

Introduction Why do people do the things they do? How can I get people to do what ought to be done? How can I motivate people to opt for safety measures? What are they going to think about these measures? How can we change the attitude of people towards safety? Questions along these lines are amongst those that management has to be ready when it comes to changing the behavior of people towards safety. These challenges faced by the management can be overcome by the number of strategies adapted. There are two ways in which the workers can be motivated for safety of self, others and equipment (a) by rewarding them when the safety strategies are put into practice (b) and also best through by self-direction, self-control and disciplinary application. Text Indifferent Attitude Towards Safety We need to motivate workers towards safety so as to avoid and minimize accidents in the industry. The term accident can be defined as an event that results in unintended harm or damage it is a very unpleasant experience where losses can occur. In an industry it is usually a result of a contact with a source of energy (kinetic, chemical, electrical, radiation etc). In terms of damage, an accident could result in property damage such as fire, breakage, distortion etc. Why do these accidents occur there can be lot of reasons for that some of them are mentioned below: – Lack of Knowledge – The worker was not trained properly on a particular job, or he may not have had experience, skill to handle the job there was lack of orientation. The initial instructions given to him would not have been sufficient. Inadequate Leadership And/Or Supervision – His work was not supervised properly there was not adequate performance management and evaluation. The delegation of work was improper. There was no proper communication of policies, procedure and objectives. Inadequate communication of safety and health data. Communication Gap Between The Various Departments – All the departments are not co-operative and would not share their information with each other even if they need to work in close co-operation. Favoritism – There may be favoritism, which leads to demotion of some employees, which is highly de motivating and leads to indifferent attitude towards safety. Poor working conditions – In adequate lighting, lack of availability of safety devices and personal equipments, not a clean working environment, will not help employees to carry out work in the most safest manner. Here is when safety comes into picture it is defined as freedom from accidents or the condition of being safe from pain, injury or loss. It includes both preventing accidents and keeping losses to the minimum when accidents occur. Safety education and training is the only way we can prevent accidents and safeguard our employees the company from making huge looses due to accidents. Developing Safe Attitude For the development of safe attitude, there should be a high degree of participation by all employees and the management should be able to sustain their interest by providing them information about the various affects of an accident, consequences by the help of the following: * Posters – Should be located in places which are prone to accidents like near the equipments, corridors, areas where there are chemicals or big machineries to promote a theme or call attention to a problem, and changed at least monthly. * Handouts – Can be used in conjunction with monthly poster theme as reinforcement. Usually included in payroll envelope or can be mailed to the employee’s house. * In-House Newsletters – A separate section can be devoted to inform employees of current and future safety methods in a very informal way, messages by top management, achievement toward goals and ideas that worked. These are some items that will be of interest. * Suggestions – Employees should be encouraged to submit written ideas and suggestions. Providing a box where they can deposit these, gives them the feeling of having a direct line to management. * Group Safety Meetings – Are generally most effective when they involve top management, are planned to promote or train, and are of short duration (up to 1/2 hour). * Individual Safety Contacts – Usually performed by the employee’s supervisor on a scheduled basis, weekly to monthly, with one topic as the basis of discussion (5 to 15 minutes). * Safety Contests, Quizzes & Campaigns, etc. – These can be designed to reward individuals or groups. The best results are achieved when everyone is involved and many types of activities interface to promote the campaign or contest. Programs that show an interest from top management, through the supervisors, to the hourly employees, help to create the spirit of cooperation. Effective communication is a motivational tool. When top management knows and participates in the program, it communicates to all employees that safety is a company effort. Programs should be planned using a systematic approach aimed at the factors that are most influential to the affected employees. This will be much more effective than a hit-or-miss technique. Motivating For Safe Attitude When workers do not pay attention or are not interested (lack of proper attitude) managements answers are likely to be found in the realm of morale and motivation. The management knows that the employees have the know-how and are physically and mentally capable of doing the work correctly, conscientiously and safely – motivating these employees is a practical approach. So there to maintain interest, management has to see that the employees benefit directly. Interest will be aroused by activities that will appeal to them personally. However, everyone is not motivated by the same incentive. Therefore, activities that encompass several motivating factors will gain more overall participation. The key motivating factors are: Self -Preservation – Protection of oneself from harm or destruction is the most important motivational factors. The fear of injury can lead to safety and the management should sustain interest in this by highlighting the consequence of injury by videos, presentations, posters discussions and lectures. Personal and Material Gain – Monetary gain or getting a reward for their achievement appeals to a lot of people so the management should reward their achievements for outstanding safety performances. Like in a Oil Drilling Company if a particular rig does not have any accident for 1yr then all the employees of the rig get a certificate and a safety bonus. Loyalty – If a person is loyal towards the organization then he would have a greater interest in preventing the company from occurring losses. He would make it point to thoroughly understand the safety rules and implement it wherever possible because he feels the companies loss is his loss. Responsibility – The sense of responsibility of an employee will lead to active participation in safety measures. Like if a person would like to do a voluntary service by becoming a Loss Prevention team leader for a specific group so as to keep them updated with the latest in safety. Conformity – Fear of being different will be able to motivate a person to follow the policies, procedures of the safety measures. Violation of these methods would lead to serious consequence so therefore conformity would be a better choice and also prevent humiliation amongst other employees. Rivalry – Desire to compete in many people is a way of achieving things this can be used by management as an adequate tool of promoting safety measure by conducting contest on safety. Leadership – If a person has the traits of leadership then being a leader and training other people on safety issues could motivate him. Like giving presentations on using the different devices and equipments in the factories and this should be encouraged by the management by providing incentives to the leader. All these factors will help in achieving highest degree of involvement of the workers in the safety measure and help the organization to achieve its goal in a safest possible manner. Conclusion Safety has to be taken seriously in the industry. Now days industries are putting lot of emphasis on safety training and implementation as they know safety implementation and effectiveness is worth against the injury caused. If the behavior of the employees has to change for this the management has to change their attitude and motivate employees for taking up safety measure and using them. Although motivation is not a magic wand it takes knowledge, understanding, problem solving, empathy, interaction, patience and perseverance. But if used can work wonders.

Poverty and Education

OMAR BANDEH # 2122369 ENG 102 PROFESSOR LAWSON Topic Outline Thesis: Education is the most powerful weapon that can bring positive changes in a society. I. Empower an individual to be a model citizen A. Educate him about his Rights B. Develop his self esteem II. Poverty alleviation A. Wide range of job opportunities B. Living standards increased C. Reduction in crime rate III. Eradicate Disease A. How to avoid it B. How to treat it C.How to live with it THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION IN A SOCIETY Every nation especially third world countries should invest a substantial amount of their budget on education for it is the most invaluable asset that could transform an entire society. It was said by Aristotle that educated men are as much superior to the uneducated as the living are to the dead† if that is so then an uneducated society is as good as a dead society.After all education is the most powerful weapon that can bring positive changes in a society, it is the only weapon that can empower an individual in particular and a whole society in general, alleviate poverty and eradicate disease. The foremost aim of education is to empower an individual to be a model citizen and for that to happen he must know his rights and responsibilities. Without education, man is a splendid slave knowing not the difference between good and bad or his rights such as his freedom of speech, worship and movement, for only the educated are free.Free to make decisions, to face life, and to accept successes and failures. More over education is the only tool that can develop one's personality, his self esteem and confidence for it is a combination of these that gives a person the ability to stand up against tyranny and oppression of any form. In a complex modern democracy, citizens must be educated for them to be able to participate in a nation’s democratic and developmental process.For example if Nelson Mandela was not educated he would not have been able to challenge the aparth eid government thereby helping to bring it, to its end and in the process making the whole of South Africa free and colour blind. Secondly, the role of education in poverty eradication is crucial. There is overwhelming evidence that education is the one tool that children from poor families can use to break the cycle of poverty in which they are born in.A poor farmer’s son has the same opportunities to that of a president’s son if he is educated, for education provides the knowledge and skill with which an individual can use to get a job and earned a living on his own. It is only with an affordable education that a society’s poverty can be reduced and its living standards increased. And because poverty is a multidimensional social problem once it is taken care of, high crime and prostitution rates will dramatically reduced. Finally, disease, the one thing that can decimate an entire society especially an uneducated one.For education provides knowledge about dise ases, how to treat them and most importantly how to avoid them. For example diseases such as HIV/AIDS have blighted entire societies in places like Uganda and South Africa before people knew what it is and how it can be avoided. Now, after much sensitization the rates of HIV/AIDS infection have reduced dramatically and those already infected have been adequately educated on how to live with the disease in such a way that life expectancy of an Aids patient have increased compare to before.In addition, the availability of education in a society informs them the use of being hygienic and how to maintain high hygienic standards such as washing one’s hand after using the toilet and also before eating which has help to reduce the prevalence of diseases such as cholera and diarhoea. Therefore, to conclude, the impact of investing in education is profound for it is the only tool that can positively change a society by empowering it, lifting it out of poverty and most important of all enabling its people to live longer healthily.

Analysis of two Musical Selections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Analysis of two Musical Selections - Essay Example For the most part, this version speaks of deep loss that the singer will never recover from and the difficulty occasioned by the prospect of â€Å"moving on†. This is depicted by the tempo which increasingly moves from Adagio, then gradually to andante, moderato and finally culminating in a faster tempo near the end and finally climaxing with an adagio. The tone expressed here tells the story of a miserable and disillusioned life while also bringing out the passion and emotions that exist.  Dolly Parton’s version of the song, however, paints the picture of a more resigned singer, who readily accepts fate while still acknowledging that the love still exists, is more realistic to the prospect of moving on after the loss. As depicted by the tempo which is slow and easy at the beginning: otherwise referred to as andante, while gradually condensing into a moderate tone at the middle of the song and ending with a tone that is neither too fast or slow. The tone expressed her e is sincere, while still acknowledging the presence of a strong love by the singer for the lover. It remains detached, but also acknowledges elements of appreciation and not regret as is the case with the other version of Whitney Houston.  The rhythm is depicted by some elements of consistency at the start of both songs while tapering off at the start of the Chorus where each voice takes on a different distinctive pace. The rhythm in Whitney Houston’s version is approximately two times slower than the Parton version and the extra emotions that are expressed in the song are made known with the care and slow pace exhibited in every vocal sang.  Dolly Parton’s version, however, consists of a tone that gradually and consistently makes known to the listener an understanding of the end of the relationship and the resolve to move on.  

Globalisation and Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Globalisation and Crime - Essay Example This essay discusses that increased globalization has had influence on analytic approach that is given to the modern societal systems. The socio-economic and political effects of globalization constitute a topic for debate among scholars and analysts in the past couples of decades. Some analysts have pointed out that globalization does not promote the different aspects of development but rather contributes much to the current social, economic and political issues witnessed across the globe. In the article Trade liberalization did not develop the West, Alemiga points out that the current developed nations did not apply the policies of liberalized trade to come to their current state. Liberalized trade is a contributor to globalization as it is characterized by relaxed national protectionism and political realism concerning a country’s economy. In order to industrialize, these nations applied trade nationalism with protectionism and political realism, the trade across borders be ing subjected to heavy tariffs and other strict regulations. The countries were in war for world title and the weaker nations could be used anyhow by the stronger powers. The countries have since advocated for globalization after attaining some economic stability. The author points out several negative consequences that follow globalization that is in line with the observations of Aas. Aas observes that the lives and behaviours of individuals in the contemporary society are influenced a great deal by other individuals and social systems that are not within there local context. Improved communication mechanisms, liberalized trade, and movement of capital are among the key factors that have led to increased globalization (Imade, 2003; Aas, 2007, p.6). Individuals can watch and follow events that are going on in different parts of the world on their local context. As such, there is transfer of the cultural images, information, or ideas that would drive one into visiting these far-reach ing places. Consequently, one is prompted to adjust his/her social life to conform to the social life observed in other parts of the world that they believe to be conventional. Several issues arise with globalization that develops into crime. It is observed that even though the globalization process is inevitable, not every individual has the freedom to traverse various countries, save for the western societies (Aas, 2007, p.12). Globalization has not benefited every country or region equally (Imade, 2003). In a similar perspective, Alemiga (2012) reports that trade liberalization and subsequent globalization have contributed to social problems like food insecurity, violence, inflation, poverty, diseases and high rates of unemployment. It has also led to vicious practices like child trafficking, sex trafficking, violent crimes, and drug trafficking that are especially pronounced in the liberal societies like the United Kingdom and the US (Alemiga, 2012). The article focuses on globa l issues and succeeds in asserting that even though globalization is inevitable, it has remarkable drawbacks. Scotland is on the verge of seeking sovereignty and the policies that advocate for self-reliance are applicable to her. 2. Media representation of migration/immigration issues Immigration involves the movement of people from a different country into another country. Several reasons may force an individual to move from his or her country to reside permanently or temporarily in another country. Theorists and scholars with various views on immigration do agree that the recent wave of immigration that has been recorded and the perceived consequences makes it one of the most controversial issues in the current society (Martinez & Lee, 2000, p.487). Debate has erupted that immigration often brings negative

American Idolatry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American Idolatry - Essay Example These things tend to greatly influence the life many Americans lead. Fame is one of the things that are greatly yearned for in America. One group of people that enjoy this attention is celebrities. This paper will be a discussion of how Americans idolize some celebrities and the influence that these celebrities have on them. Idolizing entails loving something excessively and unquestioningly thus without criticizing it (Lipps, 1). This is the extent to which most Americans love various celebrities. There have been many cases where teenagers have escaped from their homes in a bid to attend shows that are staged by celebrities. During such shows, the people in attendance will be screaming at the top of their voices for the celebrities. This translates to dressing, immediately a celebrity shows up with a particular way of dressing. People will flock various shops to look for the same designs. With this pursuit, the people who get clothes that match those of a certain celebrity tend to be the envy of their peers and they are considered to be fashionable. Popular celebrities such as Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Usher, Paris Hilton and Madonna are considered to be small ‘gods’ by most Americans. This may be attributed to the richness, success, glory, high regard, respect and power that they possess. These are things that most people in the world would wish to have hence the idolizing that Americans have for celebrities. When most children are young, they tend to cherish their parents, believing that all that they do is right. However, immediately they get to their teenage years and begin socializing with people outside the family circle, the situation changes. At this point, they begin idolizing younger and hotter crowds which include celebrities. From generation to generation, celebrities such as Paris Hilton have influenced the brand of clothes that people wear, the hairstyles that they get and sometimes even the type of hobbies that people take (Lipps, 1). Despite the fact that people may be aware of the fact that some of the ways of life that some celebrities lead is not proper, they still adore this people to the latter. However, as many young people in America idolize celebrities, the big question is whether the moral influence that they ape from these personalities is proper. For instance, Paris Hilton is one celebrity greatly idolized and one thing that most teenagers try to copy from her is her petite frame. To ensure that they achieve such a frame, most teenagers get anorexic as they try to gain and maintain petite frames. Most of them tend to go for long periods without food just to get the desired celebrity look. This way, they tend to get unhealthy and may be susceptible diseases since extremely low weight lowers ones immunity. This is one of the negative influences that celebrities have on many people in America. The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), in America keeps statistics on the diet habits of women and th e results are a showcase of the craze that most Americans have, obviously motivated by celebrity looks. Data from NEDA shows that 42 percent of first to third grade girls want to be thinner, it is the same case with children as low as 10 years old who said that they did not want to get fat. With the same regard, most young people who are fat tend to be considered ugly by their peers and most of them end up getting depressed due to the stigma