Lobbying on Standard Setting in Accounting Assignment

Lobbying on Standard Setting in Accounting - Assignment Example The present paper has identified that the chairman of SEC is selected through political appointment by the federal government. Thus, it is less likely that chairman would not be influenced by the activities of lobbying in the field of setting accounting standards. The lobbying activities in the field of accounting standard setting is directed at influencing the FASB in providing more flexibility to the firm in their accounting practice with no attention towards the safeguarding the long term interests of the firm as well as the investors (Andre, Cazavan-Jeny, Dick, Richard and Walton, 2009, p.24). The intentions of the lobbies are guided by narrow interests of enhancing short term economic value of the firm by allowing relaxations in the accounting standards which are contradictory to the rules and regulations prescribed by FASB. The process of standard setting in accounting is guided by the rules and regulation of Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). The process of standard setting in accounting is guided by the rules and regulation of Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). The issues involved in the process of standard setting in accounting bring to light the influence of politics and activities of lobbying on setting the standards for accounting (Ball and Foster, 1982, p.165). The activities of lobbying in the setting of standards in accounting explains that politics and lobbying have a direct influence over the activity of standard setting as in the financial policy framework of the organizations. The lobbying activities include purposeful intervention with an aim to manipulate the setting of accounting standards with the help of economic activities so that the economic value added to the company could be enhanced (Beresford 1, 1997, p.90). This is, however, viewed to be inconsistent in accordance with the guidelines of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). The activities of lobbying is aimed at derailing the standard setters from t he achieving the objectives as set by the Financial Accounting Standards Board though reporting of consistent financial statements. FASB recommends improvement of transparency in accounting by setting the standards on accounting procedure and providing flexibility in the process of reporting financial statement and accounts. The issues related to lobbying on standard setting in accounting arise when the Congress is influenced by the politically influential constituents which are misdirected to achieve self motivated interests (Beresford 2, 2001, p.85). The lobbying by the accounting firms in the process of standard setting could also lead to improve of accounting standards being set by their clients. This is achieved by addressing the areas of ambiguity in the accounting rules prescribed by Financial Accounting Standards Board. The various issues in case of lobbying in the area of setting accounting standards highlight the interests of the companies to reduce costs and attain flexib ility in financial reporting (Bertomeu and Cheynel, 2013, p.814). For example, the accounting standards set by FASB requires the company account to be reviewed on a periodic basis by the auditors.

Drug Addiction Essay Example for Free

Drug Addiction Essay -Drug addiction is a complex brain disease. It is characterized by compulsive, at times uncontrollable, drug craving, seeking, and use that persist even in the face of extremely negative consequences. -Drug seeking becomes compulsive, in large part as a result of the effects of prolonged drug use on brain functioning and, thus, on behavior. For many people, drug addiction becomes chronic, with relapses possible even after long periods of abstinence. Drug addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences to the individual that is addicted and to those around them. Drug addiction is a brain disease because the abuse of drugs leads to changes in the structure and function of the brain. Although it is true that for most people the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary, over time the changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can affect a persons self control and ability to make sound decisions, and at the same time send intense impulses to take drugs. It is because of these changes in the brain that it is so challenging for a person who is addicted to stop abusing drugs. Fortunately, there are treatments that help people to counteract addictions powerful disruptive effects and regain control. Research shows that combining addiction treatment medications, if available, with behavioral therapy is the best way to ensure success for most patients. Treatment approaches that are tailored to each patients drug abuse patterns and any co-occurring medical, psychiatric, and social problems can lead to sustained recovery and a life without drug abuse. Similar to other chronic, relapsing diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, drug addiction can be managed successfully. And, as with other chronic diseases, it is not uncommon for a person to relapse and begin abusing drugs again. Relapse, however, does not signal failure rather, it indicates that treatment should be reinstated, adjusted, or that alternate treatment is needed to help the individual regain control and recover. How Do Drugs Affect The People Around Environment * One of the largest ways in which drug abuse affects families is the creation of an unstable environment. Children especially are influenced and affected by their parents behaviors. As such, a sibling can also be affected by the actions of another sibling who is abusing drugs. Drugs can affect the way family members talk, act and care for their families. For example, the drug can often come before basic needs such as food, clothing or even the love and attention a child needs to have a stable environment. All of these actions can have long-lasting effects on others in the household, especially young children who grow up with drug abusers as role models. These effects can include the child following in the abusers footsteps, especially if they have never seen what a functional family should look like. Financial * Drug abuse can affect both family and friends financially. This can come both from enabling and from theft. Enabling is the action of helping a user with his habit because you feel bad for him, or feel it is keeping him around long enough for you to be able to change them. One of the main ways that enabling occurs is through directly or indirectly financing the drug habit through loaning or giving money to the addict. Drug abuse can also lead addicts to steal from friends and family members to support their habit. Violence * Drug abuse can also affect family and friends by inviting violence into the relationship. There are two main times where violence can quickly escalate for an addict: during extreme highs and during withdrawal. Alcohol is an especially guilty substance for causing violence when users are well over the legal limit of blood alcohol content. This can cause violence both through direct actions, such as getting in a fight, as well as indirect actions, such as driving a car while intoxicated. Violence can also affect the friends and family of a drug abuser during withdrawal. One of the most common symptoms of alcohol withdrawal is irritability and anxiousness. The desire to use can quickly cause users to become violent to even close family members in order to get help or money for their next high. Abandonment * One of the most heart-breaking effects of drug abuse on families especially is abandonment. Once drugs have altered the nerve pathways in the brain, the desire to use quickly becomes more important to anything else in the drug addicts life. Friends and family members quickly get replaced by the next score of the drug of choice. This can often lead to divorce or the loss of children to state custody due to a lack of ability to be a loving and providing parent. There is also an increased risk of parents or spouses being locked up in prison for extended periods of time, leaving their children to grow up without a mother or father. The effects of this abandonment may stick with kids all the way through adulthood. Diseases Involved In Using Drugs Date: Tue 29 Jan 2013 Source: University of Oxford/Medical Research Council, press release [edited] The genetic variant rs12252-C was present in 69 per cent of Chinese patients with H1N1 swine flu [influenza A/(H1N1)pdm09]. A genetic variant which explains why Chinese populations may be more vulnerable to H1N1 swine flu has been found by researchers at the University of Oxford and Beijing Capital Medical University. This finding could help identify those at high risk of severe infection and help prioritise those in highest need of treatment The study, led by Dr Tao Dong of the University of Oxford, showed that people with a specific genetic variant are 6 times more likely to suffer from severe influenza infectionthan those without. The particular variant rs12252-C is occasionally found in Caucasian populations and was already known to be associated with more severe influenza disease. However, the research teams in the UK and China showed that this variant was present in 69 percent of Chinese patients with severe pandemic (swine) influenza in 2009 compared with 25 percent who only had a mild version of the infection. The results are published today [29 Jan 2013] in the journal Nature Communications. The study was part-funded by the Medical Research Council Dr Tao Dong of the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine at Oxford University says: Understanding why some people may be worse affected than others is crucial in improving our ability to manage flu epidemics and to prevent people dying from the virus. Its vital that we continue to fund research that examines flu from the smallest details of our genetic code in the populations around the world that continue to be vulnerable to infection. The results suggest that the gene variant increases the severity of, rather than susceptibility to, influenza infections. It is thought that the DNA change increases risk of severe infection by limiting the effectiveness of a protein which helps to defend against influenza and similar viruses. This protein, known as IFITM3, has been previously shown to slow down virus replication in mice.Professor Andrew McMichael, co-author of the study at the University of Oxford, says: The apparent effect of this gene variant on the severity of influenza is of great interest. It remains to be seen how this gene affects the whole picture of influenza in Southeast Asia, but it might help explain why new influenza viruses often 1st appear in this region of the world.. During the 2009 pandemic, hospitals in China admitted patients with severe infection but also, unusually, patients with mild infection who, under normal circumstances, would not require hospitalization. This open-door policy provided a unique opportunity to capture a relatively unselected group of patients with divergent outcomes, observed and managed unde r similar clinical conditions. The introduction provides the background and rationale for this investigation. The SNP rs12252-C allele alters the function of interferon-induced transmembrane protein-3 increasing the disease severity of influenza virus infection in Caucasians, but the allele is rare. However, rs12252-C allele is much more common in Han Chinese. The authors report that the CC genotype is found in 69 percent of Chinese patients with severe pandemic influenza A H1N1/09 virus infection compared with 25 percent in those with mild infection. Specifically, the CC genotype was estimated to confer a 6-fold greater risk for severe infection than the CT and TT genotypes. More importantly, because the risk genotype occurs with such a high frequency, its effect translates to a large population-attributable risk of 54.3 percent for severe infection in the Chinese population studied compared with 5.4 percent in Northern Europeans. Interferon-induced transmembrane protein-3 genetic variants could, therefore, have a strong effect on the epidemiology of influenza in China and in people of Chinese descent.The authors conclude that: These data clearly extend the earlier observation in a European cohort that the IFTM3-rs12252CC genotype is significantly associated with influenza severity. The association is primarily with severity of disease rather than susceptibility to infection, although larger studies are required to prove this specific association. IFITM3 may have an important role in virus replication and dissemination following the initial infection. The much higher level of the CC genotype in the Han Chinese population compared with Caucasians may place the Chinese at a higher risk for developing severe illness upon influenza infection. It is not known whether those who are more severely infected with influenza virus are more likely to spread the infection. If this is the case, the high frequency of the C allele in Asian populations may influence the epidemiology of influenza. Mod.CP Government approach: ISABELA CITY, Basilan, Jan 21 (PIA) The Peace and Development Coordinating Committee (PDCC) also known as Team Basilan has resolved to re-organize and activate the Provincial Anti-Drug Council to address the escalating drug problem in the province. In a recent meeting of Team Basilan, Provincial Administrator Tahira Ismael recognized the urgency of addressing the illegal drug situation in the province. She fears that the drug menace has slowly crept into the different communities in Basilan, after receiving unconfirmed reports from the ground on illegal drug use. The representative of the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Authority (PDEA) who requested anonymity confirmed the proliferation of illegal drugs in certain areas of Basilan. The PDEA representative disclosed that for lack of personnel and resources, agents from nearby Zamboanga City will provide the needed assistance during legitimate operations and raids in the area. PDEA was also thankful for the full support and initiatives of the local police and the military in addressing the drug problem. PDEA has only one agent for Basilan. Provincial Police chief PSSupt. Mario Dapilloza said that in his capacity as provincial director, he has activated the provincial anti-illegal drugs task force in the police department. With the deputization from PDEA, the task force was able to arrest the most wanted person in December last year. With the situation, Team Basilan has resolved to craft a resolution requesting PDEA for at least two additional agents for the province. â€Å"We need at least three PDEA agents, to be assigned in strategic areas in the province,† Ismael said. Moreover, Team Basilan has resolved to ask Gov. Jum Akbar for an Executive Order creating the Provincial Anti-Drug Council. Ismael said that the council will immediately convene as soon as the governor has approved the E.O. (RVC-PIA9, ZBST) LOILO CITY, Dec. 29 (PIA6) Now it is not only the taxi drivers that should be randomly tested for illegal drugs, but also employees in offices and business establishments. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) officer-in-charge Atty. Ronnie Delicana said the agency is pushing to expand the random drug testing among workers. â€Å"We will get the cooperation of the local officials to pass ordinances that require business establishments to allow random drug testing in their workplaces,† Delicana said in a radio interview. â€Å"This will be a pre-requisite to issuance of business permits,† he added. He also said that there should be a widespread culture of zero drug abuse in workplaces to boost PDEA’s campaign against illegal drugs. â€Å"We will be pursuing the signing of memoranda of agreement with different partners to realize drug-free work places,† Delicana said. Meanwhile, for 2012, PDEA arrested 438 suspected drug peddlers in 277 operations, where 34 of those arrested were among the 1,383 suspected drug personalities in Western Visayas, who are in the agency’s watch list. As to cases filed in court, PDEA records show that 482 were filed in court with 3,118 are still pending for lack of witnesses and evidence. The operations also yielded as per record, about P2.7 million worth of drugs and paraphernalia seized. (JCM/ESS-PIA 6, Iloilo) the government is doing actions with the issue. Programs: The Church of the Nazarene is now being asked to become a major partner in a drug prevention program in the Philippines. The program is centered around a high quality video presentation produced by Heinz Fuzzle, a freelance producer for Gospel Films who has worked on a number of projects with the Church of the Nazarene in the past. Portions of the piece were shot on the campus of Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary in Manila. The film features interviews from a variety of personalities in the Philippines, including a Nazarene young man who was converted from a life of drug abuse. With 57% of the Philippine population under the age of 20 years old, drug abuse is becoming a serious problem in many parts of the country. Approval has been granted by Philippine government officials to show the film in 40,000 high schools, universities, and colleges across the nation. The film has a strong Christian message with follow-up linked to local churches. The Philippine Field Office hopes to launch 11 film teams to meet this new challenge. This is a tremendous open door for taking the Gospel into every corner of the Philippines

Voiced Opinion :: essays research papers

Voiced Opinion There are several people in this plain west Texas town that are constantly turning up their noses at people who are contrasting to their high society cradle of humanity. It has gotten to where people can no longer express their individuality without having the proverbial finger shaken at them. If a person is not wearing the most elite of brands, then at best, that person will be ignored; in most cases, they will receive ridiculing looks and hatred filled words. Although these upper echelons are not necessarily of Christian faith, they carry a 'holier than thou'; attitude that portrays that they are better than everyone else. Quite a few people prefer to illustrate their individual personalities, instead of being 'just another sheep in the herd.'; They may choose to wear apparel that is, at the least, distinct from the population around them. The freethinking female may choose to embellish a long, black broomstick skirt, with her favorite Marilyn Manson T-shirt, accessorized by her over worn combat boots. She may also choose to wear darker make up to show her beauty in a gothic fashion. An open-minded male may adorn a pair of well-adapted denim jeans with holes in the knees. He might choose to wear an over-sized shirt that is garnished with the name of some eighties band that is of no importance to anyone other than himself. Unfortunately, individualists are banned from their choice of clothes in several areas of society. They are informed they can not wear their pieces of flair in malls or other public scenes because of the biased fear: if a human being looks unusual, that person is a threat to society. It is a shame that people who are so enormously creative and out going are chastise from showing themselves in genuine manner. If everyone were to share this yearning to be distinct, our terrestrial sphere would be a much more kaleidoscopic place to subside. Distinct individuals should be allowed to break out of their predetermined 'egg shell'; and should finally be able stand up for what they truly believe in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is one other factor that does not support freedom of expression: there are no stores that allow a person to be one's self. Several stores in the area are said to bestow such freedoms. The Attic is made to sound as if it offers the world in a breadbasket, but instead it is selling clothes that would not have gone over well, even in the 'funked out'; seventies.

Essay --

There is 317,327,804 million citizens in the United States as of 8:05pm on January 6th, 2014 (U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base). 37.4% of the United States population lives in the South, 23.5% live in the West, 21.4% in the Midwest and the final 17.7% live in the Northeast (U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base). Given the fact that the United States is the best country in the world, it is also one of the biggest. 82.3% of the population live a long way from the White House. Before the 1950s, and the development of the internet and media, it was more difficult to influence a political party to focus on certain issues from thousands of miles away. Those citizens didn't have the technological advancements that modern America have such as T.V., E-mail, and even Twitter. Newspapers were only a sufficient way of getting news a crossed the country. The average population in the 1940s that are significantly far from the White House was 75% (U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base). With the creation of linkage institutions in America, that 75% was provided the link they strived for to voice their opinion and play their part. The United States is run under democracy and a democracy depends for its very livelihood on the consequential contacts between the government and the people. The Founding Fathers of the United States destined for the members of Congress to provide the link between government and the citizens. On of the founders, James Madison explains that public views are enhanced and refined â€Å"by passing them through the medium of a chosen body of citizens, whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country..." (Federalist #10). â€Å"In our Modern American Government, each House member represents almos... ...r office, public officials' activities, and the public service announcement of the day through television, newspapers, radio, and the Internet. The media's power to shape the American mind has often been criticized, but it also allows people to give feedback to the government† (Steve Jobs). Being able to have free media and paid media, the press is able to swing voters by informing them what issues are important at any given time. While there is a wide spread belief that they media is bias to either the right of the left, it should be less of a concern to the public because the media is largely unsuccessful in shaping opinion but it also allows people to give feedback to the government. Equally, the media is affected by the government, who is able to use the media as a political instrument by furthering the political views of whatever power is currently in office.

Report on Course: the Business Simulation Essay

This report provides the Chairman of the board an analysis of the decisions and the results of the Company 1 in Period 2. The focus is given on how our company organized the process of planning in the Period 2 and I tried to critically analyze the results compared to our plans. In period 2 our company was seemed to do better than the previous period (period 1), but in my opinion period 2 was the beginning of our company’s crisis. We didn’t adhere to our differentiation strategy and we ignored our objectives. I strongly believe that if we have acted much differently and have the chance to redo the planning of the decision making of period 2 we would perform much better in all next periods. Introduction This report is an attempt of informing the chairman of the board of the Company’s 1 plans, actions and mistakes during the period 2. It starts with the analysis of the process of planning and continues with the analysis of the results compared to our company’s plans. 2) Body 2.1) Planning of the Period 2. To begin with the Price, we planned to have the same price as Period 1 ( 3,090 eur), because we knew that customers dislike changes in the price and we didn’t want to have dissatisfied customers especially when we hadn’t yet persuaded them that our product was the best in quality so we couldn’t risk losing many of them. As for our investment in Advertisement we thought that if we kept investing the same amount (7.0mEur ) as Period 1 we would own the same or bigger market share. Then about Sales force we were thinking of having 110 in that period because as the â€Å"Topsim† mentions a sales force of 110 could increase sales up to 45000 units. We decided to set the price of 2,640 for the bid that was higher than our CGM in the period 1 (; 2,270eur). We were thinking of purchasing 46,000 units of input materials and producing 50,000 units of Copy I as we were thinking that we have to be able to respond to the increase of market 1 demand (8%-10%) and to serve the bids in case we won that. After that we started thinking of cutting down the cost of the rest investments we had to do. So we thought that investing few or no money to the rest of our potential investments would be enough. So here are our thoughts of investments: 1,0mEur in CI, putting 10 people at the Copy I-old technology, 0,50mEur in Ecology of Copy I-old and 0,1mEur in Value Analysis of Copy I-old, 0 people in technology and 0,0 mEur in ecology and 0,0 in value analysis of Copy I-new, 1,0mEur in Maintenance of our Type A production lines and 0,0mEur in Rationalization of them, no new investment or disinvestment of the production lines and no new types of lines, 0,0 mEur process optimization, 0,0 mEur in training production workers, 0,0 mEur in investment in environmental plants, 0 number of recruiting or dismissal of production workers, non-salary staff costs 37%, short-term loan 15,0 mEur, long-term loans 0,0 mEur, dividends 40%, purchase of securities 0,0 mEur. 2) Body 2.2) Critically analyze the results compared to our plans. I have to mention that generally, in the most periods, as we were planning our steps we were trying to focus on the company’s objectives (; increase our employees productivity; decrease the negative ecological footprint; retain the market share>17% ) and how we would achieve those through our actions. However, in period 2 we didn’t act like our decisions and results would have a long term effect on the potential achievement of our goals, we tried a different tactic, which was cutting all investments costs extremely and maybe as we see from the results of that period and the next that was a fatal mistake for our company. Even if it seemed from the improved Net Income (compared to period 1) that we chose a good tactic it wasn’t because that move got us behind in comparison to the other companies that had chosen the differentiation strategy as well. They built a quality product unlike us that we thought only the temporary survivor of our company. Of course as we were at the beginning we were afraid not to get out of the market so we didn’t think thoroughly of our long term results. In that point of time our only concern should have been to create a product with a strong quality that would appeal most of the consumers and the price wouldn’t be for them an obstacle. Our results weren’t those we wanted in all periods, and I am quite sure that this started from the results of period 2. We pretty much failed creating a quality based (eco-friendly and flexible/tend to respond immediately at technological changes) production, our customers weren’t satisfied generally, our staff was neither and our market share was declining. I can now find many corrections to our decisions that maybe could ensure us in a long term view. First of all, I agree with the price, I think that first we had to gain some loyal customers who would appreciate our product’s quality and after that increase the price. So our results wouldn’t have changed with another price in a good way. I don’t agree now with the amount we invested in the Advertisement. I now believe that we should have put at least 1,o more mEur so that our market share would be wider. The number of sales staff was a good move and I think was enough. As i see it right now I’m not sure that we needed to sell to bids because if we had focused on our differentiation strategy then probably we wouldn’t need them and maybe we could sell all of our production to the market 1 so that our revenue would be bigger. As for CI we for sure made a severe mistake by reducing the amount of investment because CI expenditures affect Corporate Image which has an important double effect, on Customer Satisfaction (which is one of our companies objectives) and on Production Staff Motivation (which increase our employees productivity). As the business report on the industry shows our company had in Period 2 the smallest index of Corporate Image of all companies, I for sure believe that we should have put 2,0 or even 3,0mEur. Of course 10 people in technology is a really small number when thinking that a quality product don’t invest that much in R&D. They should be at least 30-34 so that we could be flexible to technological changes. By investing in technology we could reduce the overall amount of the environmental damage indicator caused by company which beside avoiding the penalty (we had to pay unless it turned 100 or more) it has a direct influence on Sales, Absenteeism of product employees, Corporate Image, Share price and Motivation of staff in production. Also, 0,5mEur in ecology isn’t enough for a quality centered Copy machine. Consumers care about the environment and ecology generally. Eco-friendliness affect their satisfaction so if we were more eco-friendly we would gain consumers appreciation and loyalty. So the more eco-friendly would be our product the merrier market share we would gain. Moreover, I believe we had had to invest in new production lines (Type C for example) because we could improve ecology index of the production lines themselves easily by replacing certain lines. And for sure 0,0mEur investment in ecological plants is totally unacceptable for the same reasons. I don’t have many objections for not investing yet in the technology, ecology and value analysis of the Copy I-new in period 2. At first we should have gained a loyal market share and then when having some kind of certainty for our product’s continuation/progress and of course enough capital to step to the next level to invest in the Copy I-new. I don’t agree with the amount of production because we weren’t well prepaered for selling that. On the other hand I would quite agree with the amount of production we had in period 2 in case we had planned more thoroughly our decisions bearing on mind our differentiation strategy maybe we could sell it. As I see our decisions now I can’t understand how we didn’t invest in training the production workers. Of course that resulted to the staff generally, shown with the attrition. Training has a positive influence on Production Staff Motivation and that would facilitate our 1st objective which is the increase of employees’ productivity. So for sure I believe we had to invest in training at least 1,5mEur. For the same reason I believe that non-salary costs should be a little higher (e.g 40%). Finally, I don’t think that the number of production workers was in that period enough (especially if we had done everything I have mentioned above), so bearing in mind all of the above neither the number of production stuff would be enough nor of course the Short-term loan. Conclusion For the Company 1 the organizing of the planning process and the decision making process in each period was a unique experience. Almost all of us were inexperienced in such an activity, even in a group work, so we were trying for the best result every time.. Even if that never came! Most of us found the whole procedure and the business game a great opportunity to realize how to use some of our already acquired knowledge and a great chance to learn many more from our colleagues and our professor. Thank you for that opportunity!

IMF essays

IMF essays The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was created to promote international monetary cooperation; to facilitate the expansion and balanced growth of international trade; to promote exchange stability; to assist in the establishment of a multilateral system of payments; to make its general resources temporarily available to its members experiencing balance of payments difficulties under adequate safeguards; and to shorten the duration and lessen the degree of lack of equilibrium in the international balances of payments of members. On December 27, 1945, the IMF was established at the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, held at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. At its birth, it was to oversee stability in international monetary affairs and to facilitate the expansion of world trade. Also created to aid these purposes was the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank). Both were specialized agencies of the United Nations, and membership in the World Bank required countries to first be members of the IMF. The World Bank was given control over long-term financing for nations in need, while the IMFs responsibility was to monitor exchange rates, provide short-term financing for balance of payments adjustments, provide a forum for discussion about international monetary concerns, and give technical assistance to member countries. The Fund's legal authority is based on an international treaty called the Articles of Agreement that came into force in December 1945. The first Article in the Agreement outlines the purposes of the Fund and, although the Articles have been amended three times in the course of the last 47 years prior to 1998, the first Article has never been altered. The beginning of the IMF can be traced to March 1st 1947 where it first began its financial operations. Between 1947 and 1948 drawings were made on fund reserves by eleven countries an ...

Free Essays on Music Piracy

Ever since we were little, we have been taught that stealing is wrong. When we were caught in the act, we were punished. But what happens when we are presented with something we want and there is no one around to see us take it? Many of us would take it because they feel they aren’t going to be caught and with this freedom of mind, we take it guilt free. Music piracy has been steadily growing and the idea of not getting caught has provoked more and more people to try it. The government has recently been making a conscious effort to try and downplay this new fad of illegal file sharing. Music piracy is not only stealing music, but it is stealing copyrighted art and money from the artist. People think that no one will noticed they were taking the music, but the fact is many people are being affected. Music piracy is harming to everyone as a society because not only is it unethical, but it takes money from the artists and labels. Music piracy is a new era in which people can download a song or file over the internet by a music sharing system. Many services online, like Napster or Limewire, provide people with a link to all their favorite songs. What most music people download is copyrighted material by the artist. â€Å"Copyright is a property right given to producers of creative expression. Copyright does not protect ideas or facts, but it protects works of literature, music, drama, art, sound recordings, photography, movies, software and other original works of authorship.†(Gauntlett 196).This means that the artists have a special right over the use of their creation and if people want to use it, there is usually a payment of some sort. People using the internet to get their music for free are stealing from the artist. Napster, in 2001, was taken to court by artists that were frustrated with the service the program was providing. Napster went under as a business and lost a lot of its money, but tha t did not stop other file sharing p... Free Essays on Music Piracy Free Essays on Music Piracy Ever since we were little, we have been taught that stealing is wrong. When we were caught in the act, we were punished. But what happens when we are presented with something we want and there is no one around to see us take it? Many of us would take it because they feel they aren’t going to be caught and with this freedom of mind, we take it guilt free. Music piracy has been steadily growing and the idea of not getting caught has provoked more and more people to try it. The government has recently been making a conscious effort to try and downplay this new fad of illegal file sharing. Music piracy is not only stealing music, but it is stealing copyrighted art and money from the artist. People think that no one will noticed they were taking the music, but the fact is many people are being affected. Music piracy is harming to everyone as a society because not only is it unethical, but it takes money from the artists and labels. Music piracy is a new era in which people can download a song or file over the internet by a music sharing system. Many services online, like Napster or Limewire, provide people with a link to all their favorite songs. What most music people download is copyrighted material by the artist. â€Å"Copyright is a property right given to producers of creative expression. Copyright does not protect ideas or facts, but it protects works of literature, music, drama, art, sound recordings, photography, movies, software and other original works of authorship.†(Gauntlett 196).This means that the artists have a special right over the use of their creation and if people want to use it, there is usually a payment of some sort. People using the internet to get their music for free are stealing from the artist. Napster, in 2001, was taken to court by artists that were frustrated with the service the program was providing. Napster went under as a business and lost a lot of its money, but tha t did not stop other file sharing p...

Best Learning Resources For Self-Studying French

Best Learning Resources For Self-Studying French If you dont want to or cannot study French with a tutor,  in a class or in immersion, youll be going it alone. This is known as self-study. There are ways to make self-study effective, but its essential that you pick the right self-study  method for you. After all, you want to spend your time doing something that actually works. So spend some time analyzing whats out there, and dont just take the first self-study path that comes to your attention. Audio Training Is Essential If you want to communicate in French (and not only pass exams or read in French), learning with audio is a must. Theres a huge difference between book French and spoken French, and traditional methods will not prepare you for the way French people actually speak today. French Language  Books French-language books such as childrens books, bilingual books, and audiobooks are a great and relatively inexpensive way to improve your French, in conjunction with audio courses. With Amazon delivering to your doorstep, its easy to order French-language books these days. Hard-copy paper books are still the best way to train on a specific point of grammar  and to do exercises. For all the rest, youll need audio. Childrens Books Reading Le Petit Prince is, for more advanced students, a wonderful way to expand your vocabulary. It is a myth that all French-language childrens books are easy. They are not. Children books are easier than most French books written for the French because they use short sentences, but the language is some French childrens books can be quite difficult. Consider the language used in the Dr. Seuss books. They definitely would not be an easy read for a beginner in English. Bilingual Books Most bilingual-book  series  are taken from free-copyright books and translated into English. They were not typically books written for students. So they are still very difficult and will often feature older French vocabulary and expressions: Find out  when your book  was written, and take this into account when learning the vocabulary. French Audiobooks and Audio Magazines Both of these are a fantastic resource, even though most have been created for the French student. Much of what has been developed for the French is going to be difficult for a beginning or intermediate student of French, so difficult that they could be overwhelming and discouraging. There are, however,  audio magazines that can be used to good effect by beginning and intermediate students of  French. Among the better audio magazines are  Think French,  Bien Dire,  and  Fluent French Audio (although the latter is probably better suited to high-intermediate students). There are also level-adapted French audiobooks and audio novels  with English translations,  such as the Moi Paris series and Une Semaine Paris. French Audio Courses French audio courses are the ideal tool for the self-learner. A good audio course should teach you vocabulary and grammar, if possible in context, and, of course, pronunciation. It should be fun to use, direct you through a well-proven learning path  and nurture your self-confidence. Because they involve a lot of work, these courses are usually quite expensive, so look for a 100 percent money-back guarantee disclaimer, a trial period or extensive samples. Among the good French audio courses:  Michel Thomas,  Assimil,  and French Today. Rosetta Stone language books are a great, fun tool to develop your vocabulary, but they are very light on grammar. This may be fine for other languages, but it is a true problem for French. Do Your Research and Find Whats Best for You There are, of course, still more  methods to learn French. Do your research and find out what methods best fit your needs, goals, time and budget. You wont be sorry.

History of the Geology of Earth Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

History of the Geology of Earth - Research Paper Example The earth has undergone very many physical changes on its geological features since its formation. The earth’s continents have been drifting apart for millions of years since their formation. 760 million years ago, during the initial stages of drifting, the earth’s continents had combined to form the Rodinia super continent. Around 600 million years ago, after rodinia broke apart, the continents drifted and formed Pannotia. Pannotia broke apart and the continents later formed Pangaea. Pangaea broke apart and the continents started drifting away from each other, 180 million years ago. The history of the geology of the earth is divided into chronological eras during which the earth had some outstanding characteristics and major geological events took place. This paper addresses the history of the geology of the earth. The Precambrian eon The Precambrian is the era began at the time of the formation of the earth and lasted till around 570 years ago. This period of time mak es up to about 90% of the earth’s geology history. In the initial period of the Precambrian, the earth was cooling down and it formed a crust that made its surface. The rocks that were formed were mainly volcanic and igneous intrusions rocks which were spread all over the surface of the crust. The Precambrian had three long eras, the hadean, Archean and the Proterozoic. The Hadean lasted almost 700 million years after the earth’s formation. During this period, the earth cooled down and there was the formation of the earth’s surface which was mainly composed of volcanic belts. The temperature of the earth’s surface was still very hot but it was gradually cooling down due to the reduction in collisions with huge rocks in the earth’s orbit. It is also during this period that the earth’s moon was formed. Archean is the era that followed. It lasted from 3900 to 2500 million years ago. The earth experienced tectonic processes that formed sedimenta ry basins on its surface (Stanley 55). The rocks dated from this period reveal that there was simple life; bacteria and algae fossils were present on the rocks. The proterozoic period, 2500 to 570 million years ago, was characterized by the formation of vast rifts on the earth’s crust. The rifts were filled with volcanic rocks as well as the sedimentary rocks from the sedimentary basins (Sasso 59). This period also saw the formation of seas in which a lot of iron minerals were formed. There was early life in the seas and the amounts of oxygen kept increasing in the atmosphere. In the proterozoic eon, the Rodinia super continent drifted apart and later the Pannotia super continent was formed. Glaciers also started forming on the earth’s surface in the eon. The Phanerozoic Eon This is the eon in which the earth is currently in. It wraps the geology history of the earth from 550 years ago to date. After the breaking of the Pannotia super continent, the continents drifted and recombined to for the Pangaea. Pangaea then broke into the current continents. The continents have been constantly drifting apart. The phanerozoic eon is also categorized into three eras, the Paleozoic, Mesozoic and the current Cenozoic eras. All these eras experienced significant geological changes of the earth (Zhao, Sun,Wilde & Li 94). The Paleozoic Era The Paleozoic era, 570 to 245 million years ago, marked the end of the ice age and the beginning of early life on earth in the seas. It

Reflection on Graduation From Medical College Essay

Reflection on Graduation From Medical College - Essay Example If not for the burning urge to help others that resides within me, I am sure I would have given up on my course. The challenges that I faced during my learning years were enormous. One of the challenges that I managed to overcome is my fear of human organs (for their delicate nature) and handling people who are in great pain. In spite of the challenges, today I stand tall, confident that I have mastered many of my earlier fears and conquered the challenges that I thought spelled my doom. The success that I have achieved so far has not only increased my yearning for more knowledge but also my sense of responsibility. Wherever I am, I feel that I need to help someone who is in need. This sense of responsibility sits heavy on my shoulder and I keep wondering whether I will be able to help everyone in need all at the same time. I enjoyed my time in college; lectures, time with friends, and practical sessions. To me, college was like a home away from home. I must admit that without the help and support of my family, friends, colleagues, and professors, I would not be the success story that I am today. I am most grateful to every one of the giants upon whose shoulders I rode to success.

Analysis Assessment Task-Look, A Book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis Assessment Task-Look, A Book - Essay Example The picture is so important that sometimes words are dropped and pictures alone are sued to tell the story. Picture books are so important  and they have become so common and are used to deal with controversial and complex issues important to a mature audience. The books are also important in promoting core values useful in curriculum. the books also enhance thoughtful thinking in arrange of issues. Which is important in helping students attain visual literacy which is great value to English Learning Picture books have several qualities. As an aesthetic for example, different elements are often used to illustrate the aesthetic part of the picture. These include color, lines, shape, texture and sometimes, page breaks and turns, borders and breaking the frame, relationship of words and picture, and connection of other works of art. The illustrations in the picture book are meant to be seen in sequence. However, it is only possible to see one at a time. Color as has natural associatio ns. Red, for example is a symbol   for excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, heat, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence, all things intense and passionate.    Pink symbolizes love and romance, caring, tenderness, acceptance and calm. Ivory symbolizes quiet and pleasantness. Beige symbolizes calm and simplicity. Yellow symbolizes, joy, happiness, betrayal, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard and friendship. Blue symbolizes  peace, tranquility, cold, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, water, technology, depression, appetite suppressant.    Turquoise symbolizes calm. Purple symbolizes royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, mysterious, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, arrogance, and mourning.    Lavender symbolizes femininity, grac e and elegance. Orange symbolizes energy, balance, enthusiasm, warmth, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant, demanding of attention.   Green symbolizes nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, inexperience, envy, misfortune, vigor. Brown symbolizes,  earth, stability, hearth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, simplicity, and comfort. Grey symbolizes  security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty, dignity, maturity, solid, conservative, practical, old age, sadness, boring. Silver symbolizes calm. White symbolizes, reverence, purity, birth, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death (Eastern cultures), cold, clinical. Black symbolizes, power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, unhappiness, depth, style, evil, sadness, remorse, anger, anonymity, underground, good technical co lor, mourning, death (Western cultures).   Illustrator’s use of these associations will therefore depend on their cultural background. Colors have three aspects; hue, tone and saturation. Unlike in novels in which words flow from one page to the other, the page  breaks are considered very important in picture books. Authors, illustrators and editors, pay close attention to the page breaks. Babra. B, (1976), suggests that the page breaks bring about the excitement and aesthetic of a picture book. The picture book, Look A BOOK! by Libby

Discussion Board 3-2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Discussion Board 3-2 - Assignment Example to act out of wishes of other people and the mere fact that they are used to doing it over a long period they often face a major challenge of determining their real self . This means they lack the inherent human tendency to grow to a full potential in constructive and positive way. However, PC provides the best opportunity for therapists to help such kind of clients explore more of their real self and finally become real by overcoming their difficulties and shaping their destiny owing to the fact that it calls for unconditional acceptance, genuineness and empathy with clients. Existential theory (ET) is appropriate for people with terminal illnesses. Individuals suffering from terminal illnesses often lack courage and determination, which according to ET are valuable attributes of human beings. This involves around the willingness of an individual to face his/her own anxiety about not being. Terminally ill people unlike healthy people are always faced with the biggest challenge of being in a position to deal with anxiety, which considered one of the inescapable parts of being human. This anxiety is often brought about by awareness of death. From the ET perspective awareness of ultimate concern, specifically death often raises anxiety (Murdock, 2013). Existential approach to counseling is the best therapy for terminally ill patients because it strives to deal with the major themes of human existence, which include freedom, death, meaning, and isolation. All these themes are evident in the lives terminally ill patients. Gestalt Theory (GT) is most appropriate for clients with marriage problems. Couples with marriage squabbles are renowned for having mixed options about whether to continue being in the relationship or quit it and these options often leaves them in a dilemma. GT is the best therapy for couples in marriage wrangles considering that it emphasizes on individual choices and responsibility. GT is a vital counseling approach that seeks to

International Adoption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Adoption - Essay Example The adoption process brings an influx of emotions for anyone who is remotely involved within the process. This is true whether one is a child awaiting an adoptive family, a family who is desperate for a child or a social worker hoping to find a match between a waiting child and a waiting family. There are as many types of adoption as there are types of families who pursue adoption in order to complete their family. Domestic, international, familial, transracial, special needs and older adoption are just some of the adoption options available for individuals and families to pursue (Adoption.com, 2009). Whether a family is pursuing domestic (within the United States) or international adoption, many of the steps are similar, however international adoptions require an intensive paperwork collection, a knowledge of the sending country's culture and demanding financial costs. In order to understand the adoption process, an individual or family wishing to pursue adoption should conduct extensive research into the adoption process and choose an adoptive agency that is suited to their needs and beliefs. A quick perusal of the internet shows a multitude of agencies available both nationwide and worldwide, many with agency locations throughout the United States. One such agency, Bethany Christian Services, offers extensive services to both birth parents and adoptive parents and has a multitude of locations and support services. "Bethany Christian Services began in 1944 as the fulfillment of a dream shared by two women, Marguerite Bonnema and Mary DeBoer. The agency now employs nearly 900 individuals and is the largest national adoption agency" (Bethany Christian Services, Working at Bethany, 2009). Bethany Christian Services houses its corporate offices in Grand Rapids, Michigan and offers "70 locations nationwide and services in 15 countries" (Bethany Christian Services, Working at Bethany, 2009). One of the countries that Bethany Christian Services participates in international adoption with is China, which they began working with in 1992 and have two programs with. Per Bethany's website, "all adoptions in China are processed through The China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) in Beijing, China (Bethany Christian Services, Working at Bethany, 2009). China is one of 77 countries who participate in the "Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention)" (Intercountry Adoption, 2009)). The agreement was "concluded on May 29th, 1993 in Hague, the Netherlands, and established international standards of practices for intercountry adoptions. The United States signed the convention in 1994, and the Convention entered into force for the United States in April 2008" (Intercountry Adoption, 2009). "Children of Promise is a program that Bethany Christian Services provides for chidlren with speical needs as man y of the children from orphanages may have developmental or oganizational delays" (Bethany Christian Services, Working at Bethany, 2009). In 2001, China reported having "25% of the children adopted by United States citizens" (International Adoption Facts, 2009) and continues to be the top country of choice for international adoptions. Of note, China's adoption to the United States increased three times from 1992 until 2001 while in 2003, there were 4,681 children placed in the United States (travel state Government, 2009). "In October, 2001 the China

Discussion Board 3-2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Discussion Board 3-2 - Assignment Example to act out of wishes of other people and the mere fact that they are used to doing it over a long period they often face a major challenge of determining their real self . This means they lack the inherent human tendency to grow to a full potential in constructive and positive way. However, PC provides the best opportunity for therapists to help such kind of clients explore more of their real self and finally become real by overcoming their difficulties and shaping their destiny owing to the fact that it calls for unconditional acceptance, genuineness and empathy with clients. Existential theory (ET) is appropriate for people with terminal illnesses. Individuals suffering from terminal illnesses often lack courage and determination, which according to ET are valuable attributes of human beings. This involves around the willingness of an individual to face his/her own anxiety about not being. Terminally ill people unlike healthy people are always faced with the biggest challenge of being in a position to deal with anxiety, which considered one of the inescapable parts of being human. This anxiety is often brought about by awareness of death. From the ET perspective awareness of ultimate concern, specifically death often raises anxiety (Murdock, 2013). Existential approach to counseling is the best therapy for terminally ill patients because it strives to deal with the major themes of human existence, which include freedom, death, meaning, and isolation. All these themes are evident in the lives terminally ill patients. Gestalt Theory (GT) is most appropriate for clients with marriage problems. Couples with marriage squabbles are renowned for having mixed options about whether to continue being in the relationship or quit it and these options often leaves them in a dilemma. GT is the best therapy for couples in marriage wrangles considering that it emphasizes on individual choices and responsibility. GT is a vital counseling approach that seeks to

Google Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Google - Essay Example With Google, come a number of different Google domains as these provide for a number of different languages in which information from the world over is available with a single click of the mouse. There are plenty of resources from where different stock quotes can be had, addresses can be found, phone numbers could be tracked, maps could be found out and news headlines can be checked upon. Google provides for a number of different search platforms like the dedicated image search which finds out the most precise of images as requested by the user and then there are the Usenet messages which has more than 1 billion posts and the earliest one dates back to the year 1981 when Internet was not a known thing by all accounts. It is not necessary to make the homepage of a user’s browser with Google linked up rather Google offers a personalized toolbar that looks after the needs of the user, as and when he requires to be hooked up onto the Google website or one of its domains and find i nformation to satisfy his net experience. More than anything else, Google offers a Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) platform when the user is away from his computer and this links him easily with the Google services and different domains of which he is very fond of. The best thing about Google is that it is very easy to use and there are no manuals to understand what it is all about. The ease of usage and convenience is something that Google can relate itself with and its competitors really lose the battle when we compare all of these with Google on this front. Google’s utility has made it very common amongst teenagers, men and women and even adults. They know which website to enter when they need information or latest updates on a particular subject. It is indeed one of the best known brands that the corporate world of Internet has known. The best part about its

Early Matrimony is Ineluctable Mistake Essay Example for Free

Early Matrimony is Ineluctable Mistake Essay For certain countries such as the poor countries of the Middle East and Africa, their young women are traditionally made to believe that only by marrying young can they get out of the quagmire that their current life has placed them in. The men of these countries do not have much to fear, but the women, most of whom are married off as early as the ages of 10 and 12 years old, they sometimes pay with their lives for such a mistake. The women of these countries are most often trained to accept that early marriage is an inescapable part of their lives and they cannot do anything but accept it. Such early marriages are an acceptable tradition in these countries and is most often done using only the tribes specific traditions and therefore are not registered by the state thus making such unions illegal. But because the women do not understand any of these things, they stay in what they believe to be a life long commitment. In the United States, early marriages occur within the youth of the country between the ages of 15-17 with less harsher outcomes, although still with ineluctable mistakes. I will discuss that in the latter part of this paper. For now, I would like to concentrate on the unfair practice of early marriages in the Middle East and certain countries in Asia. Most of these so called child marriages happen in the outback countries like Nigeria, Central African Republic, Nepal, Uganda, and Bangladesh to name but only a few of these countries. A recent UN report entitled â€Å"Child Protection from Violence, Exploitation, and Abuse† noted that such early marriages occur in the rural settings possibly because of the way those of little or no education equate female youth with fertility. A part of the report indicates that â€Å"Child marriage is associated with high levels of fertility. For example in Colombia, 1 per cent of women with no children, 35 per cent of women with one or two children, 72 per cent of women with 3 or 4 children and 87 per cent of women with 5 or more children were married by age 18 (UNICEF estimates based on DHS 2000). â€Å" A family’s finances play a major part in the decision to turn their daughters into a child bride. The simple minded folk of these nations believe that by marrying off their child early, they are rid of an economic burden since in their culture, there are certain activities women simply are not allowed to perform even if they are capable of doing so. For such young marriages, the unions signify that the child will manage to survive even away from the family. Such marriages may also be orchestrated by the family of the girl because they believe that by marrying off their daughter at an early age, she will be protected from sexual abuse because she already has her husband to protect her. Sometimes, the reason for the marriage is also as simple as trying to insure that the child will grow into womanhood without the possibility of having a bastard child. Although the family of the female child has good intentions for marrying off their child at an early age, their lack of formal education limits their knowledge of the highly life threatening aftermaths of such early marriages. A child trapped in an early marriage no longer has a future ahead of her as she is expected to comply with the tradition wherein the married child no longer attends school and instead tends to her family. These countries also have very poor sanitation and healthcare facilities, hence the high rate of sexually transmitted disease in the area. The child brides are faced with a constant stream of premature pregnancies and infant deaths. Reports say that these women also most often than not test positive for HIV/ AIDS. Perhaps the saddest part of these young marriages in Asia and the Middle East is that the little girls are often abused by their pre-arranged spouses. This is not to say that the little girls who choose their own spouses do not get punished once they marry a man who is not the choice of their parents. In such cases, once a spouse or family senses that their family honor has been tarnished, they are most often killed by â€Å"honor killings† which hope to restore their family names. Indeed, for such countries, early matrimony, early marriage is indeed an inescapable mistake. The repercussions of such marriages see the under aged women paying for their mistake with their lives. For death it seems, is the only way out of such marriages in that part of the world where females are valued more as a property than a person. Nobody tries to inform the women that they can get out of their current situation simply by getting an education and using it to get out of their early marriage before they commit any more serious mistakes. Over in our part of the world, The United States also has its own share of early marriages. But there is a marked difference between the Mid East and African problem and ours. Mainly because even though early marriages are sometimes entered into by the youths of the land, they do not have to choose to remain in the marriage if it is not working for them. That is an option that I can only wish for the rest of the world to leave open for the mistakes of youth. In our country, such early marriages are deemed illegal by law and is therefore prohibited. Although, marrying young with a duly accomplished parental consent form is allowed. An early marriage in our country is one that is entered into by parties within the 14-19 age bracket. Even though both the young man and young woman have the support of both sides of the family, the marriage still fails with some inescapable and life changing results. In the article â€Å"Marrying Minors: Are They Making a Mistake? † staff writer Elizabeth Alvarado discusses the reasons as to why marrying young, even for American youth, is a big mistake. Using actual early marriage experiences as related by those women who were at one time or another involved in such a relationship, she explains how the law known as Dissolution of Marriage more commonly known as Divorce, allows the parties to leave the marriage but forces them to face the life long mistakes that decision to marry young has placed upon their young shoulders. There was a time in the past 40 years that young men and women often married even before they completed their high school education. When the Brigham Young University conducted a study related to the issue, they discovered that there was an 80 % divorce rate among those youths who married at the age of 14. Such statistics can be considered very high when compared to the 45 % of failed 20 year old marriages and 30 % of the 23 year olds. Such mistakes may be attributed to the follies of youth. At such ages, teenagers are not yet mentally mature nor emotionally ready to handle the big responsibilities that come with married life. They are still in their selfish stage and think that everything in life is a game. Which is why as the maturity begins to set in, so do the changes in attitude and perspectives of the mates involved in the marriage. Most of the youth involved in early marriages also run a very high risk of never completing their college education because of the way decisions have to be made differently when a couple is married. There is also that foreseeable outcome of the couple having children. Children are the most inescapable mistake of marrying young. Children suffer the most because their parents were not ready emotionally, socially, and financially to deal with the presence of a child. In such events, the mother most often has to quit school and care for the child. In this respect, she becomes no more different than her Middle East and African counterparts who sacrifice themselves in the name of motherhood. Although, unlike the men in the previous scenario, who are usually twice the age of their wives and therefore more mature and able to handle the situation better, their American counterparts are barely out of short pants themselves and find themselves lost when it comes to dealing with the reality of a family and fatherhood. Once the mistakes begin to pile up in this scenario, both parties become disillusioned and wish for nothing more than to end the nightmare of a marriage they so willingly entered into at first. Leaving behind the most irrevocable, real mistake that they will have to deal with for the rest of their lives. The fact that they brought a life into this world and that living person will be the constant reminded to them as to why early marriage most often than not fails to survive. After hearing the facts and supporting arguments I believe that you will agree with me that marrying young does not have to be an inescapable mistake for the youth involved in such marriages at the moment. It is true that there will be inescapable results stemming from the marriage, but with proper education, nobody has to remain in an early marriage that is proving to be disastrous for them as individuals.

Exploring The Concept Of Empowerment Social Work Essay

Exploring The Concept Of Empowerment Social Work Essay Empowerment can be defined in general as the capacity of individuals, groups and/or communities gain control of their circumstances and achieve their own goals, thereby being able to work towards helping themselves and others to maximise the quality of their lives. In health and social care empowerment means patients, carers and service users exercising choice and taking control of their lives. It is not that one is empowered means he or she become all powerful like God. Even if we are empowered still we have limitation. Actual meaning of empowerment is that one feels that he or she able and feels powerful enough in certain situations to take part in decision making. I also will explain how politics played a part in disempowering women in health and social care services. It is a greatest challenge in health and social care to achieve progress with the empowerment of carers and people who receive services. Beginnings of twentieth century women were disempowered because of politics played a part. Emancipation is a commonly used word in other western European countries to refer to what in the UK mean by empowerment. The word emancipation has is useful because it has overtones of the struggle for votes for women in Britain at the beginning of the twentieth century, so it reminds us that empowerment  Ã‚  in the health and social services has a political aspect. When carers and people who use services experience being disempowered and excluded, this is a form of political disenfranchisement. In other words, it is as though they have no vote and are not treated as full members of society. In contrast, when people become empowered, they can exercise choices and have the possibility of maximising their potential and living full and active lives.   There is a tension between enabling people to take control of their lives and recognising that workers may need to intervene and take control sometimes, in order to protect other people. This applies to both empowerment and advocacy. Empowerment for people with learning disabilities is the process by which they develop increased skills to take control of their lives. This will help them achieve goals and aspirations, maximising their quality of life. A key feature in empowering people is giving them a voice and actively listening to what they have to say. Empowerment is, therefore, closely linked to the concept of advocacy. Empowerment in learning disability can be described as a social process, whereby people who are considered as belonging to a stigmatised social group can be assisted to develop increased skills to take control of their lives. This increased control will help them to achieve their goals and aspirations and thus potentially maximise the quality of their lives. The concept has connections with assertiveness and independence and is clearly linked to the various forms of advocacy. When considering the current climate it is somewhat an indictment on our times that the Government sees the need to name the White Paper regarding its vision for learning disability services as Valuing People. The title alone inversely suggests that as a society we are not valuing people. The content presents the evidence on levels of exclusion, disempowerment and lack of valued social roles facing those with a learning disability and how services should be planned to address this. (A similar Scottish Executive Review of Learning Disability has the title The Same As You.) For the individual with a learning disability, the subjective experience of empowerment is about rights, choice and control which can lead them to a more autonomous lifestyle. For the professional, it is about anti-oppressive practice, balancing rights and responsibilities and supporting choice and empowerment whilst maintaining safe and ethical practice. Education is often seen as the main engine of empowerment, equality and rights of access. Thus, as a group, people with a learning disability can be at a particular disadvantage. They may have to be enabled and supported to perhaps overcome social obstacles and can be dependent on others to make important information accessible to them, assist them with advocacy and help safeguard their rights. A key feature in empowering individuals is giving them a voice and then listening actively to what they have got to say. Person Centred Planning with its focus on placing the individual at the centre of the process and using techniques to obtain meaningful participation can be a major contribution to finding out what people have got to say. Empowerment will bring along with it rights and responsibilities plus also potential risks for people. It is often the fear of physical risk which can inhibit empowerment processes for people who see themselves as responsible for vulnerable people. They may fear a blame culture if things go wrong. Surprisingly, as recently as 1998, the Social Services Inspectorate noted there were no systematic approaches for risk assessment and management in the field of learning disability. The Foundation for People with a Learning Disability set out to identify good practice in how to reconcile the tension between ensuring the safety of an individual with a learning disability and empowering them to enjoy a full life in the community. A report was produced called Empowerment and Protection (Alaszewski et al, 1999) which suggested that organisations needed to develop risk policies which embrace both protection and empowerment issues at the same point. The definition of risk should look at consequences and probability. Procedures should also include, from the start, the wishes and needs of the person who has the learning disability and involve them  throughout, including the decision making stage. Such comments about organisations developing appropriate risk strategies show that empowerment is not there just  as a concept for front line staff, but should penetrate the strategic planning levels. Valuing People states (Section 4.27) that people with a learning disability should be consulted for their views on services and these views utilised at a corporate planning level. In Mrs Ali case she is empowered by Muslim religious faith to take of her bed-bound husband although in contrast her care taker Jean believes that Mrs Ali should be empowered. This indicates religion also empower some people to take care vulnerable people.

Community Essay examples -- Teaching Education

Community This article asks the question; why must schools invite the public to join the dialogue on public education? New structures and committees are being erected in communities across the nation to build stronger connections between schools, school boards, and communities. One such structure is a district advisory committee composed of community leaders. Its purpose is to improve the quality of communication between the school district and the community. It looked for ways to increase community ties to the schools, to make residents more aware of what was going on, and to gain community feedback. Though this committee in New Jersey has functioned well and is very supportive, an increasing concern is that divisions within the community might contaminate both the committee and school board. Schools and school boards need better communication from the community to better the efficiency of the schools. Community input plays a vital role in developing school goals. Students and parents have the most immediate stake in school quality, but the community also has significant interests in the schools. The public, or community, has an important role in public education. Three reasons arise as to why community involvement is essential for a stronger school system. First, only the community can create â€Å"public interest.† Without good communication on public interest, elected officials cannot properly determine what is best for both the schools and community. Se...

McDonald’s Case Study Essay

Strengths Largest Food service business in the world, 34,000 local restaurants serving nearly 69 million people in 118 countries, a $40 Billion dollar brand worldwide, Universally recognized brand name with a large advertising budget Partners with other high value brands Dannon Yogurt, Kraft Cheese, Nestle Chocolate, Dasani Water, Newman’s Own Salad Dressings, Heinz Ketchup, Minute Maid Juice The majority of the retail locations are owned by independent franchisees, The company is able to grow while minimizing large capital expenditure Recession Proof – Low price menu items allow McDonald’s to survive when the economy is low as there are few economic situations where most consumers cannot afford McDonald’s. Massive buying power- 34,000 locations allows McDonald’s to control pricing on its core menu items Highly trained management staff well versed in Customer service skills (hamburger University) Positive company social-image (Ronald McDonald House) Impressive core competencies in franchising and logistics Target market is children and teens Weaknesses Fast Food is viewed by many as poor quality and unhealthy, often associated with â€Å"cheap and greasy,† especially the baby boomers who built the brand in the 50’s and 60’s less than 6% of the over 100 item entrà ©e menu is less than 200 calories more than half the entrees are high in sodium Large size of the business makes growth more difficult to achieve Commodity costs can quickly erode profit margins Low differentiation with other similar fast food companies such as Burger King, Wendy’s High Employee turnover at the local level Market saturation Negative publicity, such as the movie Super-Size Me. Opportunities Adapting to fit the changing lifestyle of the largest population sector by adding healthier food options Fast food will never be completely viewed as healthy but efforts in this direction could aid in customer perception Parents would appreciate the convenience when selecting a family dining option Remodeling of older restaurants Changing customer habits and new customer groups Adding premium menu items Entry into new product categories (coffee) Provide optional allergen free food items, such as gluten free and peanut free. Sugar-free products for diabetics, and healthier beverage options. Internet applications to order in advance Threats Modern society views Fast food as unhealthy Government agencies are enforcing healthier menu regulations such as posting of calories Commodity food price fluctuations – droughts and similar cost fluctuations cut into margin as it is hard to raise prices on most menu items Competition. Regional or Local fast food restaurant chains Being a market leader forces McDonald’s to shoulder more burden regarding research and innovations, copycat competitors can quickly implement any success without incurring the cost of a failure. Competition and saturation in emerging markets Needs to be more environmentally friendly with packaging Scandals/ Bad publicity. Ex. Heroin happy meals Minimum Wage rising Employee health insurance issues What alternative action should be considered? The company should diversify toward additional healthy offerings. Perception is reality, if a consumer perceives McDonald’s as attempting to change to a  healthier option that is sufficient. No one fools themselves into believing anything purchased at a fast food restaurant will be the healthiest item, but it can assist in showing efforts are being made. A company can highlight their ongoing concern for their consumer’s well-being. McDonalds should focus on healthier options, such as freshly tossed, made to order salads, featuring quality healthy ingredients. Expanding their healthy food menu by adding a variety of healthier breads and beverages. Other healthier food items can be incorporated into the menu such as panini’s, wraps, and healthy soups. Other changes would include, internet ordering, and home delivery. List all resources required for the selected action. Find vendors for the additional menu items and required packaging Equipment purchases, ex. Panini press, fresh salad chiller and display Train the staff to implement these changes Target the advertising campaign towards a healthier image. Partner with local produce markets, to purchase vegatables,etc. What controls would be recommended to measure the selective action? Point of Sale reports showing restaurant activity per product Customer survey Profit and loss statements Meet & Greet by management Comment boxes Advertising & promotion of the new healthy menu.

Alcohol and Sports

When college students and adults drink irresponsibly, they often create negative associations with alcohol and its hindering effects. Alcohol is a constituent of various recreational and other events in the United States. It is available at a wide range of public sporting events and often is the central focus of celebrations of success and achievement. Unfortunately, as well as contributing to relaxation and conviviality, alcohol is also associated with verbal and physical abuse, arrests for aggressive behavior and violence and admissions to hospitals as a consequence of alcohol related assaults.These concluding aspects have recently been raised in sport broadcasting and news nationwide. This initiates problems such as violence, public urination, or people collapsing as a consequence of excessive drinking. Facility management programs have made proper precautions regarding such events. These problems are not a new phenomena in the world of sports. In an attempt to contain violence, m ore facilities and leagues have taken action to control and remove the availability of alcohol at such events.After considerable research, there seems to be a repetition of facility management aspects used in everyday sporting events, such as the TEAM and FAM organizational programs, specific â€Å"pre† and â€Å"post† game provisions, and actions regarding â€Å"in-game† incidents. There are many alcohol management strategies that facilities and programs have developed over the past two decades. Almost every professional sport team and facility follows the grand design of the non-profit organization called Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management.TEAM begin back in the 1980’s in reaction to the â€Å"high number of traffic fatalities resulting from heavy drinking at sporting events and to increasing public awareness of the problem of alcohol-related driving (Stadium Alcohol Management). † This program has two major goals regarding alcohol manag ement: reduce drunk-driving and publicize responsible drinking services and consumption at sporting arenas. There main focus is on major sporting venues. TEAM also branches into another program called Facility Alcohol Management (FAM).FAM further assists to public arenas in developing alcohol management. Furthermore, TEAM puts a strong emphasis on their 300 trainers who in turn train more than 30,000 sport facility employees. Training is a very important component involved in enhancing the awareness of staff. This regards factors that contribute to aggression and strategies to defuse potentially dangerous situations and legal issues regarding the proper management of venues. Hence, giving the staff an understanding of strategies to manage alcohol aggression on licensed premises.Planning is one of the most important features of alcohol management within a facility. An appropriate location of an event should always be selected with easy access to transport to and from the venue. Many sport facilities have restrictions or bans on alcohol brought into the venue, as well as restrictions on the type of containers brought into the venue. Alcohol is a great source of revenue for sport leagues and arenas. Facility organizers may also be unwilling to set up alcohol-free events because it is such a main attraction during game-play.More than 60% of professional sporting event revenues come from alcohol purchases (Class Video). Another important example of alcohol management planning is making sure to provide information before and during the event. This should include risks, regulations, requirements and controls. Sometimes the lack of information about strict alcohol polices can result in fans arriving unprepared, either not bringing enough money to purchase alcohol inside the venue or spending it before entry.There has been precaution involving the amount of alcohol served at sporting and large public events. Severity of alcohol problems can be related to length of a ga me, whether or not it is a playoff game or even if the game is an exciting one or not (Class Discussion). Facility managers and staff must take into consideration those key features of a game in order to prepare for alcohol related incidents. Facilities set restricted times for serving alcohol, including set period before the end of the event, where alcohol is no longer served..There have been proper preparations for regulating the sale of alcohol on premises within the grounds, particularly the times at which alcohol could be served. This allows for sobering up of patrons and reduced likelihood of drunk driving and other issues. This can be in between an inning, or at halftime. For example, most baseball games stop serving alcohol at the end of the 7th inning in order to maintain the crowd. Having a limited amount of alcohol served to each fan is another way a facility can avoid issues. Concession stands should only be serving 1 drink per customer.Most sporting facilities have kept this under control but staff members working the beverage stands have let this slide and provided more than 1 drink per customer. Server staff selection and training is very important, although evidence shows that enforcement needs to accompany this in order to ensure its effectiveness. Security staff and police officers have been a vital part of alcohol facility management over the past decade. During preparation for games and large sporting events, security takes measures to properly secure a facility for intended alcohol related use.Many facilities have implemented a range of strategies to reduce risks such as segregation of opposing fans or higher levels of policing. If there were safety concerns, security is granted authority to search public vehicles and individuals trying to enter an event with alcoholic beverages. It is important for the police force to try and maintain a crowd during the tailgating portion of an event. This is where the sot excessive drinking takes place. An example of a facility security measure involves video surveillance at the Milwaukee Brewers’ stadium.In the article Drinking Games, it states that â€Å"most parks now include video surveillance equipment that can home in on specific seat locations, but beer hawkers, concessions-stand workers and ushers equipped only with their own eyes are also relied upon to recognize the tell-tale signs of intoxication, or in some cases the mere probability of intoxication. † The security staff and police presence should be visible and have a clear view of the area around them. Also, they should have the authority to ban or remove fans for public displays of drunken behavior.Facility managers take into consideration the importance of harm reduction. Some arenas have been setting up â€Å"dry areas† or family areas to reduce risk and nuisance, especially for families and young people. Also, alcohol served in a tempered glass or plastic and foam cups help reduce the likeliho od of containers being used as weapons, and to prevent accidental or deliberate injury to staff and fans on the licensed premises. In Europe, they have â€Å"sobering-up† areas which act as a very valuable strategy (Study Abroad experience 2011).There was minimal effectiveness but it may enable management of those who are overly intoxicated. Traffic management should be something planned before, during and after a sport game. After games, there are security checkpoints where drivers are checked for intoxication or any alcoholic beverages in their possession. This is where many people are arrested for DUI’s and drunkenly misconduct. When looking at the alcohol management regarding Madison Square Garden, there seem to be procedures and provisions similar to the ones listen previously in this research paper.At most of the events at MSG, alcoholic beverages are available for purchase. They train their staff within the terms of the TEAM organization. Alcohol sales are limit ed to up to two alcoholic beverages per customer per transaction and must provide an ID with purchase. MSG makes sure that guests do not bring in alcoholic beverages from outside vendors, and cannot leave with beverages purchased inside the arena. The last part of their alcohol management statement deals with management reserving the right to refuse the sale of alcohol to any guest (MSG. com).While there have been significant sport broadcasting about alcohol related harm at various professional and collegiate sporting events, there is little direct evidence to guide quality practice of such events. Nevertheless, there are a range of strategies that can be generalized from the mainstream research on reducing alcohol related incidents and strategies that have unpretentious biases. This relationship is a complex one, it arises from our interactions among various factors relating to the American culture, our drinking venues and the individual.

Country analysis of The Democratic Republic of Congo Essay

This location allows grief from neighboring countries on the other hand it is in an ideal location by way of trade routes to other countries and access to the Atlantic Ocean and the Congo River. The Democratic Republic of Congo is also dense with valuable minerals making it regarded as one of the richest countries as ar as natural recourses go. However, it is one of the poorest countries in the world In 1998, the second Congo war began, this war was also known as â€Å"The African world war†. It directly involved nine other African nations: Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and a few others. The war started because neighboring countries as well as citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo wanted to gain some of the minerals and natural resources from the nation originally creating a civil war which spread to other nations, sucking them in and starting a full out war between the countries. The war officially ended in 2003 however; battles and bitterness still resound and cause mass conflict between the African nations today. This war is said to be the worst conflict since World War II. Around five and a half million people have been killed so far due to this conflict. About 90% of the victims were not killed in battle. They passed on due to ravaging diseases such as malaria. They also died from pneumonia and malnutrition. These reasons for death were brought up by displaced populations living in unsanitary, heavily over populated conditions and were denied access to food, water, medicine, and shelter. This ongoing war has devastated a nation that in theory could be a rich, well off nation. The Democratic Republic of Congo has mass amounts of untapped raw mineral deposits. These deposits are worth 24 trillion dollars. This nation contains 30% of the world’s diamond reserves and 70% of the world’s coltan. There are also enormous reserves of gold, copper, and cobalt. The mineral extraction is done in a process known as â€Å"artisanal and small scale mining†. Mining has created severe problems in the Democratic Republic of Congo. There were many illegal organizations profiting off the mines. Because of this, the government shut down the eastern part of the country to mining. During the war, many of the commanders were making illegal trades with foreign countries with their minerals and natural resources. This trading was labeled as â€Å"mass scale looting†. When the mass scale looting died down soldiers were then encouraged to take part in small scale looting. This brought forth the â€Å"active and extraction phase†. Because of all this looting, there were large amounts of inflation. The Congolese government lost much of their profits from Uganda and Rwanda to transport their resources. They often exported diamonds and coltan out of the country. They would then repackage the diamonds and â€Å"legally’ sell them as it they were from their own country. Rwandan soldiers made around 20 million dollars a month from smuggling resources out of the Democratic Republic of Congo. These large mining operations attract migrant workers. Many people migrate to The Democratic Republic of Congo as well to escape the violence in the Great Lakes region. The number of immigrants has been rapidly decreasing over the years. The mass amounts of immigrants have taken over the work force there. In recent years immigrants are starting to migrate to the European nations rather than other nations in Africa. Due to the dense population and poor living conditions, poverty runs rampant through this nation. This also means there are large amounts of crime even though there is a police force, the Congolese national police force. One of the most prevalent crimes in this area is of rape and sexual slavery. The Democratic Republic of Congo is known as â€Å"the rape capital of the world†. With the recent war, the numbers of rape victims have drastically increased. Although the Congolese law rohibits rape these laws are almost never enforced. Rape was a main weapon used in the Second Congo war, which started this ongoing epidemic of sexual violence. Prostitution and human trafficking are prohibited and have a penalty of twenty years in Jail according to the law. However, there will be years where there is not a single investigation of either of these. Proving that the laws are not as heavily enforced in these areas, as they should be. There are also no laws against spousal abuse. This lack of law enforcement is brought up by the lack of a stable and secure government rom the ongoing war. Left with an insecure government the nation is slowly starting to repair itself. The Lusaka Peace Accords set up a government system in 1999. A president was finally elected in 2006. The economy is starting to take a turn for the bright side but it is still wrought with poverty and a failing economy due to the war and mining conflicts. Due to the violence and unstable government, there are few markets and public services. This does not allow farmers to be able to sell their own goods. It forces civilians to fend for themselves. Due to the lack of public services, here are very few hospitals and medicals centers. Disease runs rampant through this nation. Since this nation is so heavily populates diseases spread easily through the communities. There are vast amounts of major health problems in this region including; HIV, aids, malaria, polio outbreaks, cholera, typhoid, yellow fever, the Ebola virus, hemorrhagic fever, and tuberculosis. Many of the illnesses are from poor living conditions, living in filth and with bugs. Diseases are spread through bug bites. Diseases like HIV and Aids are easily spread through a multitude of ways. Diseases re spread through the movement of soldiers and refugees, few HIV testing sites, mass amounts of untreated sexual diseases, human trafficking, sexual abuse, prostitution, and diseased blood transfusions. Due to the ongoing wars and conflicts, it has made it difficult to set up an organization for stopping the spread of these diseases. Because of how poor the civilians are, they have no money for medical help, which is expensive and required to be paid in advance in full cash. The Democratic Republic of Congo is not only rich with minerals but is also a great agricultural location. The general temperature ranges between 68 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. It is a region covered with rainforest and savanna areas. The farming is done mainly in the open savanna areas. Some of the major cash crops include peanuts, beans, bananas, plantains, rice, yams, and sugarcane. Cottee is also a major crop grown here. It is one of the most exported natural resource. Most of the farming is done through the Feronia Arable Farming division. Smaller farmers often use the slash and burn method of farming nearer the rainforest. This method however, is destroying the environment and the rainforest. Using the slash and burn method it takes around fifteen years before the burned field can recover and be used again making the farmers cut down more and more of the rainforest to sustain products and and income. The Democratic Republic of Congo is an up and coming nation it requires vast amounts of revision with the nation’s government system, the conflicts with other countries need to be amended, and laws should be more strictly enforced to create a working nation. The DRC has the potential to be one of the richest nations in Africa by way of its large mineral reserves and demand on the natural resources cultivated here. Major reforms need to be made before this country thrives.

Source Evaluation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Source Evaluation - Assignment Example The content of the book is relevant to research of IT corporations from their origins to the management tycoons’ life long aspirations. In particular, this book caters the Larry Page and Sergey Brin’s journey in becoming a successful search engine inventor. Conclusively, the content of the book has been divided into eleven chapters which are generally described as a story of Google till reaching the moral of the content i.e. predictable future of Google. Another reason behind selecting the book for research was its year of publication i.e. 2008. This makes the content of the book updated. As per the rule of present-day research, sources within the last five years can be considered as much credible and relevant for a research. Most of the IT related books are written in a very informal manner and might have slang book topics. This source is different from such because the author has used a very formal tone and manner of writing which makes the book right for research wor k. Furthermore, notes and references to the content taken from other sources have also been marked by the author by following academic standards. The book has been directed towards IT professionals so that they can understand the significance of learning from the symbols of development in the field. The book allows the readers to gain insight of the tactical working of IT professionals in Google Inc. Also, students of the IT field can use the book as a reference for their research projects so that they can get imperative knowledge about the practice where they are more likely to enter. For a general audience, the book is not complicated to use because it includes very general information about the IT Corporation. The general audience can use this book as a story of a company turning into a success. Using this book as a source of reference will allow a systematic analysis of the company (Scott). It is very important to note that any book is known by its writer.