Wednesday, October 30, 2019

International Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

International Financial Management - Essay Example veral risks associated with the social, economical and political characters of the country, in which the investment is proposed to be made, as these will have a direct bearing on the growth and profitability of the firm concerned. Hence the firm should undertake a comprehensive analysis of all the related issues and decide on the investment. In the given instance the company JMC Plc is considering an investment proposal to produce and market sportswear in Egypt. This paper envisages presenting a detailed report on the country risk analysis of Egypt with respect to the proposed investment and also the economic arguments for and against the foreign direct investments from different standpoints. The purpose of the Country Risk Analysis report is to provide an in-depth critical information and analysis on the trade environment in the different countries. The risk factors associated with a country may be analysed in terms of its: â€Å"The political environment is characterised by an extremely  strong executive and many areas, such as interior, defence, and justice, are outside parliamentary review and control.† Business Anti-Corruption Portal Though the government run by Hosni Mubarak appears to be stable, there is an all round inefficiency crept in the judicial and public service sectors. This shows a negative outlook for the proposed investment in the country. In general redundant labour has led to low marginal productivity. This has also caused overlapping job responsibilities which raises the cost of conducting the business to the producers and the investors. Business Anti- Corruption Portal reports â€Å"Businesses are likely to encounter corruption in meetings with public offices, as officials in various government departments are known for bribery, embezzlement and tampering with official documents. On average, companies report to spend 8 % of sales on unofficial  payments to get things done.  For example, 27 % of companies claim that tax  inspectors expect gifts

Monday, October 28, 2019

Can Marriage Be Saved Essay Example for Free

Can Marriage Be Saved Essay Can Marriage Be Saved? Written by: Frank Furstenberg Summer 2005 I chose the article â€Å"Can Marriage Be Saved? † written by Frank Furstenberg. This article was found under the â€Å"topics for course papers† section of our syllabus, link number four. I felt that the article was very much true to life. I agree that marriage seems to last a lifetime for the more educated and wealthy. I see all too often young adults getting married just because they have become pregnant or for the wrong reasons. This theory rarely seems to work. This usually causes problems for the young family because neither person is ready to take on the major responsibility that having a family at such a young age brings. This relates very close to my life because I was married and had my first child at the age of 16. With the lack of education and work experience that I had, it made it almost impossible to support and provide for my child. Needless to say, I found myself divorced and a 16 year old single parent six months later. The struggles of being married without an education or a career are a huge strain on a relationship. It is almost unheard of to have the idea, 1960’s, type of lifestyle these days. It was very common for the woman to be the homemaker and the caregiver for the children during this time while the man worked and provided for his family. Now, it is almost forced upon most families to have a middle class lifestyle or above in order to live a comfortable life. With this being said, it is crucial for both parties of the marriage to obtain a higher education and to work full time. Adding a child to the mix of working, school and trying to find time to be a parent can be a disaster. No wonder most marriages end almost as soon as they begin. I believe the best way we can change these old habits is to set better examples for our children and instill high values in them to get a college degree and make sure they have a strong career path before tackling the challenge of marriage and having a family. I believe marriage has a much higher chance of success if you have your education and career in order first. Once you have a good balance of values in your life, then you should consider marriage and a family.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Interview With a Walgreens Manager Essay -- business interviews, caree

Since 1901, Walgreens has had a strong passion for customer service. The founder, Charles Walgreens, goal was to create a drugstore that was like no other. He said that for as many drugstores as he had worked at, he had never worked for one that had a focus for good customer service and low prices. Walgreens has grown by leaps and bounds since 1901 and is now recognized as the leader in the market with over 7000 stores. Charles Walgreen had an eye for good managers. He said he was able to pick people that he knew were smarter than him so to promote them and make them the heads of his drugstores. As a store manager, not only is it your job to run a store which includes ordering, customer care, and inventory control, but also it is your job to manage the staff. As a part of managing staff, it is their responsibility to hire, train and develop, and terminate if need be. While there are many jobs to choose from when it comes to HR and employee staffing, I choose this one because it is by far to me the most intense. Walgreens is a very well known name when it comes to drugstores. However, most people don’t know how big â€Å"big† is. In this case it is 7,015 stores nationwide. On average, each store has 30 employees on staff. This means that the company has 211,000 employees working for them. This type of responsibility calls for an HR department. In this company however it is done a little differently. When it comes to hiring staff for a store, it is solely up to the store manager. The HR department functions as a reference source for the store managers only (typically in cases of discipline). This is a great undertaking for a store manager when they are first promoted. As a store manager, you are faced with ever... ...it gave me the opportunity to see what was out there in terms of HR staffing. I think that when people think of HR they think of a cubical at an office remotely placed somewhere. This is not the case. HR has many settings whether it is the corner store or the corporate office. Through this exercise I saw firsthand what HR was all about. It is about setting the example and staying motivated for the staff. I also discovered that money is not everything. In any job the money can’t be everything, you have to find rewards through other avenues; avenues such watching employees move up or customers leaving with a smile. HR gives you great flexibility and has many different settings to work in. I choose to interview a store manager because I am hoping to get to that position in the near future. This was a great experience for me and I learned a lot through this activity.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Civilizations

Renaissance is a word which means â€Å"rebirth† in French. In Italian, it means â€Å"Rinascimento†. Renaissance is a cultural revolution in Europe, particularly in Italy which occurred during the latter part of the Middle Ages from 14th century to 17th century. It is the period when great developments and progress in arts and science occurred. It is believed that Renaissance flourished because of the so-called â€Å"Black Death†. People shift their ideas from spiritual life to their lives spent here on Earth. Florence gave way to the birth of renaissance. It is where great men of arts like Da Vinci, Michelangelo and even Boticelli spawned. Renaissance introduced concepts of sciences and arts which until today last. Humanism which is a process of learning was used by renaissance scholars. This method study original texts and review it using reasoning as well as empirical evidences. In arts, artists develop very sensible linear perspective. Painters also considered study of lighting, silhouette and anatomy to improve their works. Architects of renaissance combined mathematics with architecture. Classical style flourished. Dome shaped infrastructures, which seemed impossible to do was achieved. Science experienced â€Å"scientific revolution† in which the scientific method, which is based on empirical evidences, was introduced. This gave rise to development in different branches of science. During renaissance, people have changed the way they see God and man. It results to debates which questioned the Christianity. Aztecs and Incas Aztec was a Mesoamerican empire which exists from 14th to 16th century. Aztecs have rich culture and traditions. Aztecs have human sacrifices to their gods, thus, wars continued in order to have human sacrifices. Army men do not kill their enemies; instead they held them as captives which will be their human sacrifices. When there are no wars, warriors participate into gladiatorial battle. In terms of agriculture, Aztecs are famous for their Hanging Garden. They were very much into gardening. In politics, the king of every city is an appointed judge. The magistrates were elected. People who committed huge crimes will be sacrificed while those who committed lesser crimes will become slaves. On the other hand, the Inca Empire employs strict administration of bureaucracy. The emperor marries her sister to maintain the lineage pure. This civilization also believes in human sacrifices. But it is not always the case, because sometimes they sacrifice animals instead of humans. Other royalties hold administrative designations. Military activities are not common, only in times of troubles like wars and rebellions. There are no records of agricultural activities during the Inca Empire (Tankard, 2006). Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates Abbasids were able to solidify and unify Islamic leadership. On the other hand, Umayyad had the biggest unitary state during their rule.   They are Sunni Muslims. Abbasid were from the youngest uncle of Muhammad in contrast with the Umayyad were descendants of Umayya who is from another clan. Conflict rise between the two because Abbasid caliphate they are the true descendant of Muhammad. The Umayyad military was used mainly for the expansion of their religious territory while the Abbasid army called the Mameluk was established to prevent the collapse of their rule. In terms of politics, the Abbasid caliph rule with coordination from non-Arab Muslims which contributed to the unification of Islam during their rule. Umayyad was believed to shift from a religious institution to a dynastic body. Tropical People The factors which caused social and cultural changes in the lives of tropical people are architecture, religion, gender and learning. Expansion of Islam results to new architectural styles. Style from the Middle East and locality are fused. In learning, Islam made people from Africa use Arabic. Spread of Islam also introduced the study of Islamic Laws and knowledge about science, mathematics including medicine. Social change occurred when discrepancy between the elites and the poor increased. In Africa and India, slavery became common. Slaves are tasked to do tedious works like mining, while women slaves are asked to do household chores, they also served as entertainers. Women in the tropics were trained to do house chores which includes child rearing, cooking and some farm works. Records do not have clear accounts on the implication of Islamic rule to women in the tropics, but it is known that in some places, women did not practice veiling and seclusion. REFERENCES: Renaissance. Retrieved April 29, 2007 . Tankard, Keith. (2006). â€Å"Aztec and Inca Empire†. Retrieved April 29, 2007 from http://www.knowledge4africa.co.za/worldhistory/inca13.htm   

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Overpopulation causes Essay

Overpopulation has become a knotting question that both developing countries and industrialized ones have to cope up. This phenomenon leads to some impacts on society namely the unemployment condition and the poverty, which requires an exact policy such as birthrate control from the authority. My essay will illustrate the items mentioned above in details. To begin with, the unemployment occurs to all countries in the world with no exception. The root of this situation is the universal increase in inhabitants, of which the number is rising everyday. It results in the fact that there is not enough occupation for people at the working ages. For instance, thousands of students graduate from universities and colleges annually. Yet, the vacancies in companies and offices are limited, which does not come to labour’s expectations.The managers can not accept so many employees at the same time and certainly, the rest of these applicants will be out of work. Following this, poverty is an indispensable issue as well. This mainly takes place in some areas of the nation. It is the consequence of lack of supply for daily life. Admittedly, a family which has more than five members contributes a difficulty to public. To illustrate, the leaders of a family are parents, whose jobs are official workers. When the income they take is too low, there are a lot of expenses like bills, schooling fees for children and food they have to pay..And due to this, they can not afford all. To overcome the overpopulation, governments have found some effective strategies, one of which is family planning. this policy has been put into practice for many years and shown a turnaround. Its primary content is helping the couple plan having children by using birth control. In conclusion, although the growth of population is continuing, we can expect an optimistic future thanks to the efforts all the governments have made. Once we find the right way to reduce the bad influence of overpopulation, our difficult problems will soon be resolved.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Plato and three waves essays

Plato and three waves essays Every culture cherishes its own marriage traditions and superstitions. A wedding is a cultural performance conducted by many people all over the world. Family and friends witness it. This cultural ritual goes back in time to B.C. when the Greeks and Romans began the traditions. Many traditions originated from old rhymes, folktales or tribal traditions whose origins are lost in time. There are equally surprising origins for such a ritual such as the ring finger, wedding ring and wedding cake. All of these traditions are prearranged to show the beginning of two people starting their lives together. Just recently I was a spectator of one of the most beautiful weddings that was put together to define this cultural ritual. It was taken place at North Gate Country Club on January 21, 2001. My friend Keri was wed to Mike. The performance of this cultural ritual took quite a bit time and money to piece perfectly together. This wedding took time and effort by friends and family to create the perfect moment when the parents gave away their children. Usually, no wedding is ever the same but this wedding had a tale of its own. One of the most of the important thing to any wedding is the people who attend and the people who participate in this ritual. Not just anyone can attend a wedding. Keri and Mike invited their closest friends and family by wedding invitations. They were sent so that they could count how many would be able to attend. It very important they have a number of people present so they know how many chairs, tables, food, and wedding favors to account for when they have the wedding. The actual performers of the wedding are very important. One actual performer includes the priest, pastor, or other members of clergy depending on religion to wed the couple. Then there is the bride, brides maids, and maid of honor, which participate as the brides closest friend. Next are the groom, grooms men and best ma ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Early Asia and Chinese Dynasties essays

Early Asia and Chinese Dynasties essays The history of the Eastern Hemisphere was Asia-centered for many reasons. Asia is one of the oldest continents to have found proof of complex societies between 3500 to 500 B.C.E. They had their own agriculture community and were most commonly found near water sources so it was easier to irrigate their crops. These complex societies were organized, had wealth, social status, paid taxes, had roads, temples, and palaces. They also had writing systems and religions. One of the main reasons the world was Asia-centered until the 1700's was because of their long record of inhabiting the earth. The earliest societies of human society were found in Asia. 120,000 to 25,000 years ago Homo sapiens inhabited parts of Southeast Asia. These early humans had very good survival skills. They used very sophisticated tools and language. Asia had a very successful agriculture system b 5000 BCE. It consisted of Wheat, barley, cattle, sheep, goat, pigs, millet, rice, soybeans, mulberry, chickens, banan as, yams, peas, rice, and oxen. With the expansion of agriculture villages and towns came about throughout the Yellow River and Yangzi River valleys. The earliest Dynasty that took control of most of China was the Xia Dynasty. The Xia Dynasty was considered to be one of the first attempts to organize public life in China. One of the reasons for their success was the Yellow River used for agriculture. The founder of this dynasty was Yu. The Xia dynasty encouraged advances in civilization. During this time there was a demand for better tools and bronze replaced wood and stone tools. The Shang dynasty followed in 1766. During this time there was a major growth of cities. Wheeled carts and chariots were invented for transportation. They began sharing their ideas with surrounding neighbors. Arts and Crafts become very popular for trade. Shang rulers had many military armies at their disposal. The following was the Zhou dynasty. One of the major ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Building Your Email List Part 1 The Basics

Building Your Email List Part 1 The Basics Before social media became the communication vehicle of choice, many of us had email lists. Now that policy changes at Twitter, Facebook and other platforms are making it harder to reach our fans without paying to promote, it’s time to dust the old list off and use it again. This week I’m going to give you some easy, immediately actionable ways to start growing your email list and next week I’ll tell you how to start using those names to drive sales. Set up some sort or organizational system for any information you already have. I recommend signing up with an Email Management System (EMS) immediately. Aweber, MailChimp, MyEmma and Constant Contact all have great low- and no-cost options. Create a simple privacy policy and post it on your website. A few sentences are fine. Mine is â€Å"I will never sell or share your information. And I wont spam you. Neither of us have time for that.† An email address is valuable. Create an exclusive thank-you offering for those who opt-in. A free story or book, or a short video course; there are no limits. Think of an item that will grow your brand and be of value to your fans. Now you’re ready. Using the tools provided Post the sign-up widget in the sidebar of your website or blog, where it will be available no matter what page someone is looking at. Post a link to it on Twitter (no more than once every few days, and don’t forget to stagger posting times). If your EMS offers Facebook integration, set it up. If not, post your link there too, and add to the back of your books, your

Saturday, October 19, 2019

THE ECONOMICS OF HEALTH CARE Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

THE ECONOMICS OF HEALTH CARE - Term Paper Example s within the demand and supply model, the factors operating in isolation or together contribute to the shift in demand curve to the right, resulting in realization of higher price and quantity of medical care over time. In addition, expenditure on medical care, the product of price and quantity has at the same time increased (Santerre and Neun, 2009). On the supply side, when wages outpace productivity, the demand and supply curves shift to the left, and as a result, the price of medical care increase; however, since demand for medical care in most cases appear to be price inelastic, the increase in price leads to increase in healthcare (Santerre and Neun, 2009). Another factor on the supply side seen to contribute to increase in healthcare costs has been identified to be cost-enhancing technologies. Information asymmetry has been associated with imperfect market or malfunctioning of the market, as health care suppliers and consumers remain separated with degree of how they know each other. Theoretical economics and empirical data have postulated that an insurance market can distort and result into disequilibrium due to adverse selection whenever there are several plan options offering different benefits and pricing structures (Farley, Wynn and Rand Corporation, 2002). For instance, healthier people usually get inclined towards leaner, expensive plans while sicker people are willing to pay more for richer benefits (Farley, Wynn and Rand Corporation, 2002). As a result, richer plans may experience adverse selection and higher health care costs, which force an increase in premiums to cover for the costs. This leads to more undesirable selection and market segmentation (Farley, Wynn and Rand Corporation, 2002). In the process, some plans are forced to drop out of the market, leavin g high cost consumers with undesirable benefits options (Farley, Wynn and Rand Corporation, 2002). Information asymmetry therefore results into ineffective plan choices, where again,

Friday, October 18, 2019

Risk in the Theme Park Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Risk in the Theme Park Industry - Essay Example According to Lukas, accidents and deaths are the most closely monitored risk despite the statistical fact that economic concerns and poor weather affect business more frequently. (2005) However, when accidents or deaths do occur, there are several direct consequences. First, the park is often closed during the process of an investigation. In addition to the lost ticket sales during that timeframe, the public perception of danger is increased. "The mere perception of an unsafe ride can affect park attendance, while accidents and deaths can result in park closure and decline in ticket sales." (Lukas, 2005) Statistically, the risk is minimal. In 2003, there were only 78 ride-related injuries which resulted in an overnight hospital stay. (Banay, 2005) Nevertheless, the costs are high when accidents do occur. Insurance underwriters are very concerned with safety, and the cost of insurance is dictated by safety records. While patrons of amusement parks are seeking danger and thrills, park management must balance these desires with the risk of increasing insurance rates. Still, the cost of bad publicity is the highest cost resulting from this statistically insignificant risk to the industry. Terrorism, despite occurring far less frequently than accidents, is considered to be a greater risk to the industry. While the publicity surrounding accidents generally affects one park, or perhaps one family of parks, the effect of terrorist activity is industry-wide. "After an incident of civil unrest, natural disaster, or terrorism, there is an immediate 30% downward spike in the perception of safety at such public locations." (Banay, 2005) She reports that the resultant decline in theme park attendance continues as much as three years after a major terrorist episode. According to sources cited by Debora Vrana in her article for the LA Times, visits to theme parks worldwide were down by 1.5% in 2003. (2004) This decline was attributed to terrorism in addition to poor weather and a poor economy. Under current terrorism threat conditions, the cost to the industry is potentially high, and the US government currently classifies the risk of another strike as moderate to high. Unfortun ately, due to the large crowds that gather at these establishments, they are considered to be a potential target. The specific consequence of that risk appears to be a long-standing decline in park attendance stemming from a decrease in the public perception of safety.A panel of industry insiders gathered in 2002 to discuss the impact of 9/11 on theme park attendance and revenues. Of note, their conclusions did not identify terrorism as the greatest risk. Rather, they concluded, "at this point, it is the soft economy that is really putting a crimp on vacation plans." (Levine, 2002) Like other businesses within the travel and tourism industry, theme parks rely on patrons to spend their discretionary income. When the economy is poor, fewer people are spending, and those who are spending frequently spend less. "Road blocks in the form of war in Iraq, SARS, a stagnant economy, and currency rates have impacted the amusement industry." (Banay, 2005) Currency rates are known to affect the rates of international travel, and those parks which attract an international audience are subject to those effects as well. The risk comes in

Endemic and epidemic diseases in Third World countries Essay

Endemic and epidemic diseases in Third World countries - Essay Example Large numbers of such diseases are seen in the third world countries today, owing to a lack of proper health and hygiene practice in the ways of living of the people, lack of proper medical services, and also due to poverty. Many diseases that are commonly seen in these countries are air and water borne, like dysentery, malaria, polio, typhoid and cholera. Another disease which is now taking the shape of a great epidemic is the HIV-AIDS, especially in the African belt. Here there have been reportedly more than 2 million deaths in 2000, and now around 70% of all AIDS cases are said to be from Africa. Thus, AIDS has become an epidemic in Africa and is still spreading with women being more affected than men are. As Shanmuganandan tells us, â€Å"It is observed that the epidemiological situation is precarious in some regions of the Third World such as African parts of Caribbean and Latin America. Cases of AIDS have almost doubled in the Asia-Pacific region. Africa is the leading continent...It is also inferred that the regions identified to report with a higher prevalence rate are Brazil, The Bahamas, The Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago. In addition, the countries included are Hong K ong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, The Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand†( Shanmuganandan, AIDS in Third World Countries: A Geomedical Study). Without proper treatment and medical facilities, HIV-AIDS continues to spread mercilessly. Dysentery is another disease that continues to affect thousands in the third world countries due to poor lifestyle practices. As Macfarlene comments â€Å"Dysentery is of major importance in most non-western societies, as anyone who has spent time in a Third World country today knows†¦ If we take just amoebic dysentery In 1981, it was estimated that there were about 480 million infected people in the world: 290 million

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Corporate Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate Investment - Essay Example Some of the junk bonds are very profitable but they have the highest risk for investment losses. Individuals and corporations must carry out appropriate risk management when purchasing bonds. The issuer make announcement that bonds are to be issued. Usually, the bond is associated with a face value that is redeemed when it is sold by the purchaser in open market. The bond is issued at a value less than the face value, the difference is the profit for the purchaser. The underwriter takes its commission also. Once the purchaser buys the bond, he/she can sell it in the open secondary market or can keep it till maturity when full face value of the bond will be returned by the issuer. If bond is traded before maturity, the selling price is lower than the face value to accommodate profits for the next purchaser. Though bond and stock markets operate separately, yet stock market does have an impact on bond market. The company whose shares are trading at premium in stock market has a better chance to get its bonds purchased by many purchasers. Also, they are in a position to sell bonds at a higher discount rate to minimize its own losses when the bond face value is to be returned at the time of maturity. A company that is not doing well on stock market also faces difficulty in selling its bonds in bond market. I think lower taxes on dividend and ca... A company that is not doing well on stock market also faces difficulty in selling its bonds in bond market. PART 2 Data: 500 shares at $30 per share = $15,000 Initial Margin requirements = 55% = (15000)(0.55) = $8,250 Hence, Loan amount = 15,000 - 8,250 = $6,750 Interest payment = 13% = (6750)(0.13) = $877.5 Dividends received = $1 per share = $500 (for 500 shares) 1. Sold stock for $40 per share: Total earnings from sale = (500)(40) = $20,000 Total earnings + dividends = 20,000 + 500 = $20,500 Total expenses = $878 Net earnings = $19,622 Hence, rate of return = (19,622 - 8,250) / 8,250 Rate of Return on investment = 137.84% 2. Sold stock for $20 per share: Total earnings from sale = (500)(20) = $10,000 Total earnings + dividends = 10,000 + 500 = $10,500 Total expenses = $878 Net earnings = $9,622 Hence, rate of return = (9,622 - 8,250) / 8,250 Rate of Return on investment = 16.66% 3. Cash Purchases: (i) Sold stock for $40 per share: Total earnings from sale = (500)(40) = $20,000 Total earnings + dividends = 20,000 + 500 = $20,500 Total expenses = $15,000 Net earnings = $5,500 Hence, rate of return = 5,500 / 15,000 Rate of Return on investment = 36.67% (ii) Sold stock for $20 per share: Total earnings from sale = (500)(20) = $10,000 Total earnings + dividends = 10,000 + 500 = $10,500 Total expenses = $15,000 Net earnings = ($4,500) Hence, rate of return = (4,500) / 15,000 Rate of Return on investment = -30% PART 3 I think lower taxes on dividend and capital gains can enhance economic development. This is because if taxes are low, the individuals are able to save

Commerce as the Transfer of Goods and Services Coursework

Commerce as the Transfer of Goods and Services - Coursework Example The arena for making agreements prior to sealing of a transaction varies. The buyer and seller may meet face to face, they can communicate through the telephone or they can do that through the web commonly known as the interment. When such agreements are reached over the internet followed by the transaction getting sealed (buyer gets commodities bought delivered to him and the seller gets paid by the buyer), then this is termed as e-commerce or e-business. Just like in any business, there have been instances of fraud in e-commerce. If one is able to commit fraud when the transaction is conducted face to face, how much more is this possible when business is conducted over the web Most businessmen have been defrauded and buyers conned. This led to the need for beefing up security as far as e-commerce is concerned. The security function in the websites belonging to buyers has been the very essence of doing business. One needs to verify the validity of the seller and the buyer needs to pay beforehand. Even though the amount of security has increased in the recent years, the hackers keep on being creative by the day thus also requiring innovation as far as the security function of e-commerce is concerned. E-commerce is picking up as a popular way of doing business not only on the retail section but also the banking section. It entails doing business over the web in which the seller and the buyer are both connected via a web browser. Since anything that deals with the computer and the web to be precise is prone to hacking, spying, sabotage etc, it is important that a security component is emphasized when using the web. This security function becomes mandatory when using the web for business. However, the security needs to be upheld to a given degree which is of dual function in that it doesn't impede on the efficiency of transactions and still it doesn't leave obvious holes to the hackers' advantage. The seller's website needs to be well protected and secure against fraudsters and hackers but at the same time, the security components should not suffocate the website to a level that the efficiency of business transactions is impeded on. The buyer has the obligation to identify his/her s ecurity objectives: there is need to know what it is that the seller needs to protect and what should be left open with considerable trust to enhance business transactions. As much as some reasonable degree of trust is necessary for conducting business but too much trust is dangerous to the wellbeing of the very business that you fight to enhance through trust. Therefore, once the seller has identified what to protect and what not to, he has successfully defined his security objectives and this help does create a security policy which must be implemented.  

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Corporate Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate Investment - Essay Example Some of the junk bonds are very profitable but they have the highest risk for investment losses. Individuals and corporations must carry out appropriate risk management when purchasing bonds. The issuer make announcement that bonds are to be issued. Usually, the bond is associated with a face value that is redeemed when it is sold by the purchaser in open market. The bond is issued at a value less than the face value, the difference is the profit for the purchaser. The underwriter takes its commission also. Once the purchaser buys the bond, he/she can sell it in the open secondary market or can keep it till maturity when full face value of the bond will be returned by the issuer. If bond is traded before maturity, the selling price is lower than the face value to accommodate profits for the next purchaser. Though bond and stock markets operate separately, yet stock market does have an impact on bond market. The company whose shares are trading at premium in stock market has a better chance to get its bonds purchased by many purchasers. Also, they are in a position to sell bonds at a higher discount rate to minimize its own losses when the bond face value is to be returned at the time of maturity. A company that is not doing well on stock market also faces difficulty in selling its bonds in bond market. I think lower taxes on dividend and ca... A company that is not doing well on stock market also faces difficulty in selling its bonds in bond market. PART 2 Data: 500 shares at $30 per share = $15,000 Initial Margin requirements = 55% = (15000)(0.55) = $8,250 Hence, Loan amount = 15,000 - 8,250 = $6,750 Interest payment = 13% = (6750)(0.13) = $877.5 Dividends received = $1 per share = $500 (for 500 shares) 1. Sold stock for $40 per share: Total earnings from sale = (500)(40) = $20,000 Total earnings + dividends = 20,000 + 500 = $20,500 Total expenses = $878 Net earnings = $19,622 Hence, rate of return = (19,622 - 8,250) / 8,250 Rate of Return on investment = 137.84% 2. Sold stock for $20 per share: Total earnings from sale = (500)(20) = $10,000 Total earnings + dividends = 10,000 + 500 = $10,500 Total expenses = $878 Net earnings = $9,622 Hence, rate of return = (9,622 - 8,250) / 8,250 Rate of Return on investment = 16.66% 3. Cash Purchases: (i) Sold stock for $40 per share: Total earnings from sale = (500)(40) = $20,000 Total earnings + dividends = 20,000 + 500 = $20,500 Total expenses = $15,000 Net earnings = $5,500 Hence, rate of return = 5,500 / 15,000 Rate of Return on investment = 36.67% (ii) Sold stock for $20 per share: Total earnings from sale = (500)(20) = $10,000 Total earnings + dividends = 10,000 + 500 = $10,500 Total expenses = $15,000 Net earnings = ($4,500) Hence, rate of return = (4,500) / 15,000 Rate of Return on investment = -30% PART 3 I think lower taxes on dividend and capital gains can enhance economic development. This is because if taxes are low, the individuals are able to save

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Issue analysis on three prespectives Research Paper

Issue analysis on three prespectives - Research Paper Example As a means of understanding the question from these three distinctly different points of view, the author hopes to provide a level of insight into some of the motivating factors surrounding the seemingly endless public and governmental debates concerning tuition fee hikes and the effects that these necessitate on the government, private citizen, university employee, and student. Moreover, by analyzing such determinants, it is the hope of this author that the strengths and inherent weaknesses and flaws of each of these vantage points will be adequately represented to the reader. With respect to the first vantage point, that of the neoclassical conservative one, this is an economic point of view that is almost solely concerned with the maximization of utility. In other words, the equilibrium of supply and demand economics is one in which the utility of the shareholder is most appropriately met where the supply and demand curves intersect. E. Roy Weintraub, a prominent economist, noted that the three main determinates of the neoclassical economic understanding were as follows: the understanding and belief that people have rational preferences among outcomes that can be identified and associated with a value, the belief that individuals maximize utility and firms maximize profits, and the belief that people act independently on the basis of full and relevant information (Weintraub, 2011). With each of these determinants, it is readily noted that the main underlying purpose is concentric around the elements of supply and demand fulfilling their purpose of finding the integration point at which the desire of suppliers to provide themselves with the maximal profit and the desire of the consumer to pay the least amount possible is met at the equilibrium point. This neoclassical and/or conservative approach is one which has defined the free market for the better part of 100 years; and indeed the very same approach that the current Keynesian system currently operates wit hin. However, such an approach is found wanting with respect to the degree that it factors in the need to educate the populace or other social goods. The fact of the matter is that although supply and demand/neoclassical understandings of economics help to appreciate the nuances of many other markets, the market for education is something unique due to the residual and societal good that it generates as a function of its impartation. For this fact, the proceeding views with regards to the way that the market for education should be provided to the end consumer have sought to deviate from the traditional or neoclassical approach that has hitherto been detailed. Moreover, such an approach necessarily relies on the laissez faire concept of economics whereby a tuition increase would merely be seen as something that the market would have to accommodate without enlisting any government or tertiary influence into the matter. This understanding of the marketplace as something that requires little to any interference is a hallmark of the neoclassical system. A fundamental difference that develops within the mixed/liberal approach as compared to the neoclassical appr

Monday, October 14, 2019

On the side walk bleeding Essay Example for Free

On the side walk bleeding Essay In General, The things that make it difficult to read a book is being able to sit and concentrate only on that book, and actually reading it to the point where you know exactly what you’re reading and what’s going on and not forgetting what you read. To me in order to stay totally glued to the book you are reading it has to be something in your genre of choice, stuff that you like to read a lot. The things that made it difficult for me during this quarter and the books that I read was he page number in the books that I read it was almost impossible to finish the books that I had in 2 weeks. What influenced my choice in books was the type of books that I was into, I liked fictional books about street life family’s that have had it all and in the end, End up with nothing at all. Part B; Reading Rate : The total of pages that I have read over the total 8 weeks that we’ve been in school is 1151 pages, the number of pages that I averaged over a weekly reading rate was 143 pages. In my opinion my average weekly reading rate to me is pretty good to me knowing that my books had so many pages. I believe that my reading habits have improved over time from my first book until now. My homework of 2 hours of reading per week has grown a bit since I began reading the book I am on now , a plan of improvement is definitely needed if I want to reach the goal of 25 books before I graduate, My plan is to try harder on finding books that attract my attention. Part C; Thematic Reflections: One theme that I pondered while reading the â€Å"Coldest Winter Ever By Sister Souljah† Was Money is the route of all evil, I think that this is one of my themes because it shows that you can do a lot with money as far as making it, how you make it or get it or whether you can  prove how you earned it, the family in my book had it all until they got busted for spending too much money at once. They were being followed all the time whether they moved or not did not matter because the police would always know where they were, The other theme that caught my attention in the book â€Å"The Skin I’m In By Sharon G. Flake† is Don’t judge a book by its cover I chose this theme because no matter what Malika did someone was always judging her. No one ever tried to get to know her they were all just mean to her off back, bullying her. And she was the sweetest girl. Part D; Set Goals: The goals I would like to set is reading more books and not being lazy but just getting it done, with no distractions, another thing I would like to do is find more books like the books that I’ve been reading.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Feminist Sentencing Law

The Feminist Sentencing Law Feminist Sentencing Law Outline and evaluate feminist critiques of sentencing policy A feminist discourse of criminology is a relatively recent development and is seemingly much needed in field which is dominated primarily by men, both in terms of law professionals and offenders. For this reason, it will first be necessary to outline briefly the general principles behind sentencing policy before progressing to a consideration of feminist critiques. This will first examine the critical standpoint taken towards women as offenders, viewing sentencing policy in the light of liberal feminism, ‘difference’ standpoints and finally in respect of postmodernist views. This will lead on to a brief discussion of critiques of sentencing policy in crimes in which women are victims rather than offenders, and an examination of the way in which this can be seen to endorse patriarchal structures in society. As a result of this, the essay will conclude that feminist critiques of sentencing have an important role to play in raising awareness of the dominance of male perspectives in criminology. The law is objective in the sense that there is no discrepancy in the definition of crime dependent on the sex of the perpetrator. There is, however, the possibility that gender has a bearing society’s perception of crime, which may in turn influence the sentencing procedure. Ashworth (2002) identifies the introduction of mandatory and minimum sentencing in the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 as a significant restriction on judges’ discretion. However, judges still exercise a significant amount of discretionary power in determining the nature and length of sentences. This allows the full range of contributing factors to be taken into account, but also introduces the possibility of the sentence being affected by factors with no bearing on the deed in question. Sentencing may also be motivated by a number of different concerns. This variety of justifications for choosing a particular type of punishment over another is relevant to a discussion of feminist theory, as again it is subject to interpretation and discretion. In addition, some critics claim that certain approaches are particularly appropriate or inappropriate to women, or that there are significant differences in the way in which these theories are applied to the different sexes. A consideration of feminist critiques of sentencing policy must then take into account the motivation for respective sentences imposed on men and women as well as the nature and length of the sentences themselves in order to evaluate the validity of such perspectives. Gelsthorpe and Morris (1992) point out that although criminology is male-oriented, it does not deal with men and masculinity, but rather ‘deals with men without acknowledging this and hence creates theories about criminals without a conceptualisation of gender.’ (p.3-4). Bryson (1999) attributes this to the under-representation of women in the judiciary, highlighting it as a decisive factor in confirming the marginalisation of women’s experiences. The legal system is indeed dominated by male professionals, for example only 22% of police officers and 9% of high court judges are female (The Fawcett Society, 2007), confirming the likelihood of the law being treated in correspondence with dominant male interests. Some feminists would further Bryson’s position (Bryson, 1999) and argue that the law itself is based on a gendered process of moral reasoning and thus protects men in society. This is supported by Gilligan’s ideas juxtaposition of an ethic of responsibility (which determines women’s moral thinking) with the male ethic of rights (Gilligan, 1982 cited in Bryson, 1999). Feminist perspectives, therefore, play an important role in highlighting the extent to which male perspectives dominate models of sentencing and introducing the possibility of an alternative, female experience. Gelsthorpe draws attention to the absence of one, single homogenous feminist view, highlighting instead the existence of ‘differences and tensions’ (2002:511). All feminist approaches, however, find common ground in arguing against the traditional perception of courts showing a greater degree of leniency towards women than towards men. This is confirmed by statistical analysis, highlighting the fact that only a small percentage of known offenders are female (19% in 2002) and the lesser magnitude of crimes committed by women. Shoplifting is the most commonly occurring crime among women, followed by drug offences, theft and fraud (www.crimeinfo.org.uk). This, however, contrasts the fact that between 1995 and 2005, the imprisonment rate for women in England and Wales increased by 175% (compared to an increase of only 85% for men) (www.crimeinfo.org.uk). This alone suggests a greater readiness to sentence female offenders to imprisonment for less serious crimes. This is confirmed by the number of female offenders who have no previous convictions and who are sent to prison (over a third of the whole female prison population), which is more than double the proportion of men who are sent to prison for a first offence (www.crimeinfo.org.uk). This adds weight to feminist critiques of sentencing policy and stands in direct contradiction to the chivalrous viewpoint, whereby women are perceived to be treated more leniently because men do not consider them capable of being motivated by criminality and thus are reluct ant to treat them harshly. Feminist critiques oppose this idea of chivalry and introduce the concept of double deviance: not only are women deviant in the sense that the have committed a crime, but they have contravened society’s expectations of ‘normal’ feminine behaviour and are thus doubly stigmatised (Heidensohn, 1992). Therefore as well as being punished for their crimes, women are sanctioned for deviating from their perceived feminine role. Thus women have been historically portrayed in relation to ‘stereotypes based on their supposed biological and psychological nature.’ (Gelsthorpe, 2002:517). A liberal feminist perspective would attempt to combat this by demanding equal treatment for men and women and insisting that the same structural analyses of class, state control and policisation of deviance which came to be applied to male crime is extended to women (Gelsthorpe, 2005). The liberalist view of equality demands the insertion of women into such theories, and their equal treatment within the system, but the limitations of such a position quickly become clear. Smart dismisses such a liberal perspective as having ‘done so little to emancipate women’ (2003:76) and it is evident that while it causes women to be acknowledged within the field of criminology, it does little to challenge stereotypes of female behaviour. A simple demand for equality of treatment fails to acknowledge the fact that theories of women’s crime may demand a starting point distinct from that of male deviance (Gelsthorpe, 2002). Equality does not necessarily mean the same treatment for all, but could be applied to the need to consider theoretical perspectives in the same way, whilst acknowledging the fact that male and female notions of crime are rooted in different systems of behaviour. Naffine identifies this shortcoming in reinforcing the way which liberal feminism, although calling for a consideration of a female discourse of criminology, tends to leave the male dominated theories intact and does not demand that these be reconsidered in the light of feminist critiques (1997:36) This acknowledgement of difference is consistent with ‘difference’ theories of feminism, which call for a broader conceptualisation of the context of gender and power relations in order to consider female criminality. This approach goes beyond demanding that women be treated equally, arguing that it is inappropriate to apply certain forms of male criminology to women, and as such women should be treated differently within the criminal justice system. It focuses on how women’s ‘experiences’ are distinct from men’s, and the implications of this for sentencing policy. One widely-held belief of this theoretical standpoint is that the difference between male and female experience renders prison inappropriate for women, as it subjects them to further oppression on the basis of gender roles already present in society, and as such, alternative sentences should be prioritised. A variety of reasons are given by way of justification for this. Smart (1976) argues that the role which women are expected to adopt in prison reinforces the gendered perception of them in society, with tasks such as cooking, cleaning and sewing taking priority over the kind of vocational training which might benefit them to find employment on their release. This is compounded by the fact that women’s sentences are typically shorter than men’s. Statistics highlight that many more women are reminded in custody pending trial than men, and that less than half of these are actually sentenced to serving any time in prison. (www.crimeinfo.org.uk). Furthermore sentences tend to be shorter, for example nearly two-thirds (63%) of women sentenced to custody in 2005 were given a sentence of six months or less (The Fawcett Society, 2007). Proportionally then, more women tend to be imprisoned for shorter periods, long enough to disrupt their home life, but not long enough to allow them to develop strategies to readjust to life on the outside. Smart (1976) suggests that the reinforcement of dominant and patriarchal gender norms in prisons is based on the fact that a woman who is stereotypically passive and caring is not a criminal woman, and this is, therefore, another consequence, perhaps, of the double deviance view of female offenders. The claim for different treatment of men and women also endorses the societal status quo in its basis on women’s traditional role within the family. Statistics abound as to the number of women with child dependents taken into custody and the negative impact separation. Smart (1976) identifies this familial function as one of the reasons for which prison is an inappropriate sanction for female offenders, and attributes the increased hardships which women experience in prison as due, in part, to their greater need for family life and the consequences of enforced separation from their children (p.140). To subscribe to such a view, however, neglects the possibility of men as primary caregivers for their children and creates a gendered perception of family life in which the role of the woman is perceived to be superior to that of the man. This reinforces stereotypical views of women and also risks advocating a two-tier perception of the female criminal justice system, in which women who are also mothers are given greater worth than those who are not. Psychological differences between women and men are also highlighted as a reason for varying prison experience of the two genders. The Fawcett society cites statistics on the prevalence of self harm, suicide attempts and other mental health issues in women prisoners as compared to men. Gelsthorpe (2002) attributes this to the systems of control which operate within prisons, locating the problem in the way in which women are treated in custody than the unsuitability of prison sentences for women per se. To highlight mental health issues as a reason for which women should not be imprisoned is in a sense to endorse a stereotype of women as weak and fragile and thus condone the very perceptions which feminists seek to destroy. Difference perspectives then create a paradox in that the argument for a different approach to women also endorses a structurally stereotyped view. Postmodern approaches move beyond this to acknowledge commonalities in male and female experiences of sentencing, and emphasise the importance of power structures extending beyond the division of men and women. Gelsthorpe (2002) rejects the idea of innate differences between men and women, believing instead that these differences are socially constructed. Wider considerations of the circumstances of crime are necessary, but these should focus on other forms of structural oppression in society. In accordance with this, Naffine (1997) denies the possibility of criminal women and claims that just as there is no homogenous explanation for why men commit crime, theories must look beyond gender to ideas of diversity and socio-economic status in attempting to explain criminal behaviour in both men and women (p.53). Gelsthorpe (2002) too supports this view in claiming that the question should be less about crime in relation to men and women, but the political process of criminology and the consideration of why certain acts have come to be defined as criminal, while others remain legal. These perspectives, therefore, situate feminist critiques in the wider context of a society in which gender is one of many factors giving rise to oppression and in which diverse structural forces operate across each other to shape perceptions and reactions to criminal deeds. This is reflected in general support for retributive justice, in which sentences are motivated by consideration of compensation for the victim and therefore often involve community focussed sentences. While this seems more fitting to the rehabilitative function which has been seen to be lacking in the imprisonment of women, feminist critics also raise concerns about the appropriateness of this approach to crimes where women have been victimised or oppressed. By the very fact that it takes place within a society and system heavily dominated by male concerns, such an approach can be seen to reinforce structures of oppression in terms of violent crimes against women. This essay could not be complete without acknowledging the body of feminist literature which argues for the oppression of women in society by the very fact that men are not sentenced severely enough for crimes which they commit against women. This approach draws attention to the inadequacy of laws themselves, coupled with a lack of enforcement and triviality of sentences imposed by ‘a largely ageing, male judiciary’ (Edwards, 1992:146). This then echoes Bryson’s point that the dominance of men in the legal profession means that sentencing can never truly reflect women’s interests. Feminist critiques appear clearer and more unified here than in terms of the sentencing of female offenders. Naffine argues that the sexual relations of men to women implied within the common understanding of rape reflect a culturally dominant male view (1997:104), thus women’s interests are not reflected in bringing perpetrators to justice. Chambers and Millar (1992) examine the process of rape trials and the way in which cross-examination typically tries to imply some amount of blame on the part of the woman for not resisting more strongly, thus perhaps having an effect on the sentencing procedure and encouraging less severe sentences. The very nature of rape as a private crime, often with no witnesses and only the word of the victim against that of the defendant means that conviction and sentencing are problematic at best, but this should not be used as justification for dismissing feminist critiques of sentencing, which make a valid point about the dominance of male perspectives and attitudes within the judiciary system. It is evident, therefore, that feminist critiques have filled a gap in terms of female perspectives in criminology, and they are significant for this very reason. It has emerged in the course of the discussion however, that it is more the way in which sentences endorse the societal status quo than the sentences themselves which seem to be inappropriate, although feminists are justified in highlighting the worrying trend towards the imprisonment of women. It is not, enough, however to insert women into pre-existing theories which deal with men: the prevalence of male attitudes in the criminal justice system means that oppressive attitudes need to be reviewed, not just in the light of women, but in the consideration of other oppressed minorities in society, in order to ensure a system which really is fair to all. References Ashworth, A. (2002) Sentencing, in M. Maguire et al. (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.1105-1135 Bryson, V. (1999) Feminist Debates: Issues of theory and political practice. Basingstoke: Macmillan Chambers, G Millar, A (1992) Proving Sexual Assault: Prosecuting the offender or persecuting the victim? in P. Carlen and A. Worral (eds.) Gender, Crime and Justice. Milton Keynes; Philadelphia: Open University Press, pp.58-80 Crime Info (2007) Women, Gender and Crime [online] accessible at http://www.crimeinfo.org.uk /servlet/factsheetservlet?command=viewfactsheetfactsheetid=110category=factsheets [accessed 27th November 2007] Edwards, S. (1992) Violence against women: Feminism and the law in L. Gelsthorpe A. Morris (eds.) Feminist perspectives in criminology. Milton Keynes; Philadelphia: Open University Press, pp.145-159 Fawcett Society (2007) Women and the criminal justice system: The facts [online] accessible at http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=30. [accessed 27th November 2007] Gelsthorpe, L. (2002) Feminism and Criminology, in M. Maguire et al. (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.511-533 Gelsthorpe, L. Morris, A. (1992) Introduction: Transforming and transgressing criminology, in L. Gelsthorpe A. Morris (eds.) Feminist perspectives in criminology. Milton Keynes; Philadelphia: Open University Press, pp.1-6 Heidensohn, F. (1992) Women and Crime: Questions for Criminology, in P. Carlen and A. Worral (eds.) Gender, Crime and Justice. Milton Keynes; Philadelphia: Open University Press, pp.16-27 Naffine, N. (1997) Feminism and Criminology. Cambridge: Polity Press Smart, C. (1976) Women, Crime and Criminology: A Feminist Critique. London: Routledge Smart, C (2003) Feminism and the Power of Law. London; New York: Routledge

Saturday, October 12, 2019

China’s One Child Policy Violates Human Rights Essay -- Human Rights V

Although there are many facets of human rights being abused and violated every day, the Chinese would mention their fight for reproductive rights as one of the first and foremost in their mind. In 1979, the Chinese government passed the One-Child Policy in an attempt to control the growth of their population. While this may have been a grand idea in theory, in reality this policy violates the human right to form a family. By limiting the amount of children a Chinese couple is allowed to produce, this policy is effectively forcing abortion, sterilization and is taking away the Chinese family’s right to make their own choices. The policy was created in 1979 and set a strong limit of one child per family. However, modern-day China is currently working off of a change proposed in 1984, which changed the policy to work off of a 1.5-child per couple. This change allowed some families to have another child, but only if their first born was a female. Most provinces have also allowed rural couples to have another child a few years after the birth of their first. This relaxed policy also permitted minority couples to have two or more children in an effort to increase diversity. Unfortunately, most of these amendments to the policies affect only the rural citizens of China, and provide little benefit to the urban residents. This being said, there is an issue of fairness when it comes to the rural vs. urban families. In Jiali Li and Rosemary Santana Cooney’s article, â€Å"Son Preference and the One-Child Policy in China 1979-1988,† we learn of the different types of familial registration, and how that impacts the policy. The two types of registration depend on the location of your residency. Chinese families with Type I registrat... ..."China Sticking With One-Child Policy ." The New York Times, March 11, 2008, World section. Web 3 May 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/world/asia/11china.html?_r=2 Yi, Zeng. "Population and Development Review." Options for Fertility Policy Transition in China, 215-46. Population council, 2007. Web 10 May 2015. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25434606 Yuan Tien "Population Studies, Vol. 18, No. 3." Sterilization, Oral Contraception, and Population Control in China, 215-35. Population Investigation Committee, 1965. Web 3 May 2015. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2173285 Zhang, Junsen & Sturm, Roland. "Population Research and Policy Review, Vol. 13, No. 1." When Do Couples Sign the One-Child Certificate in Urban China?, 69-81. Springer in cooperation with the Southern Demographic Association, 1994. Web 7 May 2015. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40229690

Friday, October 11, 2019

The Unsung Heroes – Creative Writing

â€Å"Launch the beacon. † Again another beep, flowed by the sound of the beacon launching. Chris had on last look at the Crab nebular, smiled and then turned his ship into the dark of space. Even from this distance he could see the slight glow of the Crystals. â€Å"Ship lock on to the Omega crystals. † â€Å"Acknowledged. † Said the ship. â€Å"It's now or never boys. † â€Å"Alpha 2 ready. † â€Å"Alpha 3 locked on. We are waiting on you, alpha 1. † Said Steven. â€Å"It's been nice knowing you ladies. † â€Å"Guest I'll never get that beer after all Steve. Alpha 2 ready. † Said Nick. Chris closed his eyes and thought of earth, his family†¦ is wife. â€Å"This is for you Sarah. † A tear rolled down his eye. â€Å"Lets move! † He reached for the throttle stick and pulled. The bombers spread off into the darkness. The day was coming to an end. To the west as the Santos star descended from the sky, it glowed Red, setting the sky alight with an orangey fire, lightly topped with a shimmering yellow. The east was swallowed by the darkness of space, only to be broken by thousands of stars surrounding the Crab Nebular slowly creeping up from the horizon. Though it only looked like a smudge in the sky, it was still a breath aking sight. There was a large mountain range to the north, on top of which stood the twin moons of this unnamed cold, dessert planet. To the far south dark clouds were slow looming upwards, you could hear the wrath of the thunder in the distance. In the middle, at the edge of a small cliff facing the southwest sat a lone man. Like a statue, he sat there cross-legged, without movement, without a sound. His eyes were fixed on the necklace in his hand. He stared at it, watched the light shine of it, it was hitting him in his eye but that didn't really bother him. â€Å"Chris†¦ ey Chris, †¦ â€Å". No response. â€Å"CHRIS man! † Steven exclaimed at point blank. â€Å"I heard you the first time. † Said Chris. He put the bracelet in his shoulder pocket and dusted the sand off his trousers as he got up. â€Å"What's our status? † â€Å"We are ready to go. You'll take lead, while me and Nick will proved cover for you. The bomb is ready, but you will have to release it at full speed other wise it won't work. † Chris nodded. â€Å"Hey listen, I didn't get a chance to say this before, but I'm am sorry about Sarah. We couldn't have known. † â€Å"I know. Thanks. What about the other ships? asked Chris? â€Å"From Beta wing, two can't take off and the other has lost navigation. Besides they're rookies, they wouldn't get past the first line. That leaves the four Gamma wing ships. They will hold off the Shivan fighters, so all we have to do is take out the sentries. Besides we've got the element of surprise, they think we're all dead. † â€Å"Man, it happened so quick! If only we had some sort off warning! † said Nick. Two wings of fighters Beta and Gamma, and a wing off bombers Alpha had been sent off to destroy, what was thought to be a Shivan supply station. When the ships jumped out of hyperspace, they were confronted with not a supply station, but a Shivan attack force; which included a nearly completed Lucifer class destroyer. The alliance had only two such ships and they were both too far away in other sectors of space where as this one would have been ready in a few days. It was in its most crucial stage, as it was being fitted with omega crystals. Once completed it would be able to take out most of the capital ships in the sector, which would be the turning point in this war, from which the humans could not likely recover. The Omega crystal was most destructive molecule ever constructed and was so unstable that it had to be kept at -120^0C. It had the power to destroy a planet within minutes. In theory, if it were to be warmed above -25 degrees it would explode so violently that it would cause a temporary black hole which collapse within a fraction off a second. But this would be enough to take out an entire system of planet. The Shivan had been expecting them and as so as they came through the jump gate they exploded bombs around the gate taking out most of the fighters including Alpha 5-Sarah Thomson. The surviving bomber aunched EMP bombs to block the Shivan radar as they escaped to a near by planet. The remaining fighters were humanities last hope. â€Å"Chris we're picking up heat signatures from space. We have to leave now! † said Steven. â€Å"No send, Gamma wing first. Tell them to go through the jump gate and try to warn the Alliance. Hopeful the fighters will follow them which will gives us a chance to take out the crystals. † Replied Chris. Nick went off to tell the others while Chris and Steven got ready. Within a few minutes Gamma wing had taken off and were making a run towards the hyperspace gates. The bate worked, and the Shivan fighters chased after them. The three bombers took off in to space. â€Å"Warning, core breach,† said the ship. â€Å"Initiating emergency lock down in ten seconds, nine, eig-†¦. † â€Å"Ship, override all emergency protocols. † Responded Chris. † Divert power from weapons to shields and thrusters. Guys I've got a leak in my system but it should be ok. † The computer responded with a beep. â€Å"Launch the beacon. † Again another beep flowed by the sound of the beacon launching. Chris had one last look at the Crab nebular, smiled and then turned his ship into the dark of space. Even from this distance he could see the slight glow of the Crystals. â€Å"Ship lock on to the Omega crystals. † â€Å"Acknowledged. † Said the ship. â€Å"It's now or never boys. † â€Å"Alpha 2 ready. † â€Å"Alpha † locked on. We are waiting on you, alpha 1. † Said Steven. â€Å"It's been nice knowing you ladies. † â€Å"Guest I'll never get that beer after all Steve. Alpha 2 ready. † Said Nick. Chris closed his eyes and thought of earth, his family†¦ his wife. â€Å"This is for you Sarah. † A tear rolled down his eye. â€Å"Lock and load, lets go! † He reached for the throttle stick and pulled. The bombers spread off into the darkness. 40 seconds `til I'm in range. How we doing boys? † asked Chris. â€Å"Sentries two, five and six are down. You have got clear path alpha one. Take out the crystals and we are out off here. † Said Steven. Bad news guys, some of the fighters have doubled back, gamma wing is gone. † exclaimed Nick. â€Å"Contact in fifteen seconds. Alpha two and I will hold them back. It's all up to you now, alpha one. † The two fighters broke off Chris's wing to intercept the fighters. â€Å"In range in five, four, three, two, one fire! † The bomb glided silently towards its target. â€Å"Impact in twenty seconds. Hang on guys one coming. † Chris turned his bomber around; only to see Alpha three get destroyed. The explosion was so sever that the shock wave destroyed the ships near it. â€Å"Ahh, Alpha one engines are down, shields are at 30%. I'm going to self-destruct get clear†¦ no wait, Chris the bomb, they are going after the bomb! Stop them! † Two fighters had broken off the attack and were going after the bomb. Chris turned to stop them, but one off them rammed the bomb, causing it to explode four second before impact! The shockwave from the bomb obliterated the fighters the two fighters. Ship what's the temperature of the crystals† asked Chris. â€Å"Temperature is minus sixty eight degrees,† said the ship. â€Å"Dame it we were so close, Chris I'm going down, I'm going down Chris, AL-†¦. † Steven's ship exploded. Chris was now alone. Four fighters started two move towards Chris's. There was only one thing left to do. Chris powered up his engines. â€Å"Acknowledged. † Said the ship. â€Å"Thrusters at 130%, shields at 25%. Weapons at 12%. † Chris pulled on the throttle stick and the ship propelled forwards. The fighters began to fire on Chris â€Å"Shield are down to 15% impact in ten seconds, shields are down, structural ntegrity is down to 30%. Impact in five, four†¦ † â€Å"I'm coming Sarah!!! † â€Å"Two, one,† the ship struck the crystals. The impact caused the temperature of the crystals to drop to minus fourteen degrees. The explosion was immensely powerful, but there was no sound. It created a black hole about two hundred million km across. It absorbed everything before collapsing. And then there was nothing. Chris Thomson and his friends died to save billions of lives. No one will know every of this sacrifice. He died for something that he believed in, he died as his friends, as an unsung hero.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

The AIDS Epidemic Outbreak

Who would have ever thought that a disease, possibly brought to America by infected African monkeys, would affect the country forever? This is exactly what happened in the late nineteenth century when the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was introduced to America. The unpredictable epidemic caused a huge outrage for years to come. The outbreak of the HIV virus, AIDS, in the early 1980†³s resulted in medical research, public misconceptions, and ultimately growing awareness. Appearing first only in homosexual men, AIDS was an unfamiliar virus to the entire United States. Reports of unknown and unexplainable symptoms caused much confusion among patients and even doctors. In 1981, the first reports explained that 41 homosexual men in the San Fransisco area had â€Å"†¦ a rare and often rapidly fatal form of cancer† (Altman n. p. ). After years of researching these cases and millions of others appearing later in the decade, scientists discovered that it was not cancer they were dealing with. They called it HIV (Human Immune Virus) which leads to AIDS (Acquired Immune deficiency Syndrome) that â€Å"†¦ rogressively destroys the body†s ability to fight infections and certain cancers† (ARIC n. p. ). With minimal research there was nothing to initially â€Å"combat† the virus; but, thanks to time and funding, there were some drugs that seemed to help stop the spread of the virus in ones body. These anti-retroviral drugs still don't constitute as cures ! for the virus, but have definitely helped and continue to help patients live longer (ARIC n. p. ). Since a vaccine to â€Å"†¦ evoke an immune system response that will prevent infection or disease development† still has not been found, other treatments have been tested. Accupuncture, stress management, hypnosis, exercise, good nutrition, and an overall positive attitude all seem to alleviate symptoms even if they are not proven cures of the virus (Packer 78-88). Although AIDS is a life threatening disease, there were many people living with it by keeping healthy and staying safe. Scott Fried had not tried any of the aniviral drugs; however, practices such as taking 80 herbs and vitamins a day, staying physically fit, visiting the doctor every three months, and being happy have kept him alive with the virus for thirteen years (Fried speach). Most victims have not lived as long as he which is why AIDS has lead to some extensive research. Investigators supported by private and public funds continued to search for a cure or even an explanation of HIV/AIDS for two decades because like the â€Å"b! lack plague†, AIDS has killed off millions of people in a short time. Also like the black plague did, AIDS carried with it a long string of misconceptions. In the Middle Ages anyone carrying the â€Å"black plague† was to be avoided. Similarly, the public would often avoid people with AIDS. There were fabrications that AIDS could be caught by another human being from sneezing, coughing, hugging, kissing or even any â€Å"casual contact† ; so, people stayed away from those who were infected by AIDS. Another lie was that AIDS was caused by something magical or mystical (Taylor 23-24). Though some were overly careful of â€Å"catching† the virus, others were not careful enough. Since the initial outbreak was among gay men it was simply assumed that only gay men could be affected. Then reports of IV drug users having the disease still seemed to eliminate the chance of the common person being infected. Next, hemophiliacs and people who had had blood transfusions were reported followed by blacks, Hispanics, lesbians, straight women and finally white, heterosexual, males. Still everyone said â€Å"It can†t happen to me,† until it did (Fried speech). This assumption that AIDS only affected few amounts of people and only minorities was the basis of all misconceptions about that virus. People did not believe the virus could have any impact on their lives; but, it did impact everyones lives directly and or indirectly. Now that â€Å"AIDS is the second leading cause of death in the United States among people aged 25 to 44†³ (ARIC n. p. ), the misconceptions have been proven to be false. Although it was statistically correct that 66% of people infected by AIDS were homosexual males, 24% were IV drug users, and only 4% were heterosexual males or females (Packer 17) it was still a fact that AIDS can affect anyone. After years of research and statistical reports there were finally people relaying these messages to the public. Motivational speakers, like Scott Fried, continue to reach out to teens and adults about AIDS and sex. Information about these subjects can also be found easily, not only at hospitals or doctors† offices; but in books, magazines, pamphlets, and even on the internet. Conducting a simple search on http://www. yahoo. com came up with 164 â€Å"category matches,† 1,206 â€Å"web site matches,† and 237,000 web page matches. This means that HIV/AIDS appears at least 238,370 times on th! e world wide web and it shows that AIDS in an important component of modern life. Not only are people becoming aware of the AIDS epidemic, but they are becoming aware of sexuality through learning about AIDS. Before the outbreak of this fatal virus sex was only spoken about discretely. Now even kids are being made aware of the dangers of sex and spreading HIV. In this way HIV/AIDS had a positive affect on the country. People are aware of the facts and probably make better decisions. Some experts have said that AIDS will remain the way it is now and others predict it growing into a â€Å"huge epidemic† (Taylor 28). Hopefully due to this expansion of knowledge and recognition, he AIDS virus will not spread as quickly and infect as many people as it has in the past. HIV positive, homosexual, male, Scott Fried, said, â€Å"Ironically one of the blessings that HIV/AIDS has brought me is the abundance of love. . . † and perhaps that is true. Pertaining to the eighties and the early onset of the virus, AIDS caused much more commotion than love. However, every cloud has a silver lining and the hysteria has finally cleared up some myths. It has opened up the public to not only HIV/AIDS awareness, but sexual cognizance as well.

Inclusive Learning Essay

We cannot assume that just because a teacher teaches, a learner learns. The process is far more complex than one of received input and intended outcome. This is because teachers, when engaging with learners, are not involved in programming machines; the learning process involves humans who are diverse in their needs, development, attitudes, values and beliefs.  (O’Brien & Guiney, 2001, p. 2) Whilst studying inclusion for this assignment, I have learned much about the ways in which children learn. Yandell (2011) argues a similar point to O’Brien and Guiney (2001), which is that for pupils to learn, the learning needs to be more than a teacher giving mountains of information. Both in researching and in teaching a scheme of inclusive lessons, I have learned that teaching needs to be differentiated for the variety of children in each class. In my own experience, having taught a class consisting of thirty pupils, two of whom are hearing impaired children and seventeen pupils for whom English is an addition language, â€Å"reasonable adjustments† (Rieser, 2002, p. 259) made to make the curriculum accessible for one pupil can be greatly beneficial for others in the class also. Anything the teacher does in the classroom whilst focussing on one group will impact on the others. It is these reasonable adjustments which form the basis of inclusive learning, as the need s of each pupil will vary depending on anything from preferred learning styles to whether the child has a profound barrier to learning. Reddy (2004) writes about the needs of pupils with hearing impairments, and relates these to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. He also provides some teaching strategies to ensure these needs are met in order to allow a hearing impaired pupil to inclusively take part in the lesson. The lowest sections on the hierarchy are the physiological needs and the safety needs (Maslow, 1970, p. 22). In terms of planning inclusively for hearing impaired pupils, the reasonable adjustments should be to ensure the safety and physiological needs of all pupils are met. This influenced the lessons I have taught, as I have been sure to include a variety of visual, auditory, kinaesthetic and tactile learning episodes. When straining hearing and lip reading for a long period of time in discussion, the eyes and ears can become sore and in need  of rest. It is important therefore, that I provide pupils with a list of key objectives and a plan prior to the lesson so that they are able to know exactly whe n it is necessary to listen hard and to ensure they are lip reading. The variety of tasks also allows for rest breaks for the senses which have been used earlier in the lesson, so that pupils do not experience pain and become frustrated and irritable. To help support this physiological need for comfort, I also ensure that background noise is at a minimum during learning segments when concentration is necessary, as without this it can be painful for a student wearing a hearing aid (Reddy, 2004, p. 178). Butt too, agrees that learning is a more social experience than a teacher transmitting knowledge to students. He states that â€Å"simply listening to the teacher will rarely constitute effective learning for most students. The teacher has to plan and prepare for all the students in the class – an act of differentiation† (Butt, 2006, p. 39). He continues, [as a teacher,] â€Å"your aim should be to keep all students engaged and interested in the learning that you are planning† (Butt, p. 40). He also discusses the reasons why this is difficult; there are an infinite amount of learning styles and educational demands in any one group of children. By changing the task and keeping a quick paced classroom for the hearing impaired pupils, each of their classmates are experiencing a variety of learning styles also. This is beneficial for keeping all my pupils engaged and interested in the learning. Likewise, in order for pupils to concentrate, silence can be beneficial more many more pupils than those who are hearing impaired for their physiological needs to be met. Also, providing all pupils with the same plan and key objectives prior to the lesson not only allows for the hearing impaired pupils to feel as though they are being given the same instruction as their classmates, but also provides all pupils with a prior knowledge of what is most important to listen explicitly to and to makes notes on, meaning more effective learning can take place. Therefore, I have come to understand this differentiation strategy as simply being best practice for all learners in an inclusive classroom. A number of researchers have argued that explicitly teaching the big ideas of a discipline is crucial for students with disabilities. Motivation is ensured when we continuously return to a small number of known big ideas (Gore, 2010, 76). If pupils are given a lesson plan and a very short amount of key objectives, they can see that their  learning is contributing practically towards something. â€Å"Motivation is an essential factor for learning to take place; it is considered to be the driving force behind learning† (Reddy, p. 178). Aware of pupils’ history Establish good relationships and trustEstablishing Lessons contain explicit valuemotivation Listen to all pupils patiently Accept all feelings, frustrations and fears (Reddy, p. 178) In terms of Maslow’s hierarchy, in order for pupils to feel comfortable they must feel some element of success in order to be motivated. Often, hearing impaired pupils show signs of difficulties throughout their academic career and this may become a reason for de-motivation. There are a huge number of inclusion strategies which can aid motivation, and thus maintain an inclusive classroom. OFSTED regularly report a lack of differentiation, appropriate challenge, insufficient motivation and poor pacing (Butt, p. 41). In a recent report, OFSTED wrote about motivation being the; â€Å"inspiring of young people, building their self-esteem and helping them to progress† (Ofsted, 7th Nov 2011). Learned helplessness is what Seligman (1975) calls low achievement motivation. In general, adolescents with learning difficulties demonstrate lower achievement motivation towards school work, except for in areas where they experience success. After repeated failures students quickly learn that they cannot succeed in school and become de-motivated and frustrated (Gore, p. 21). Frustration is reduced when students understand what they are supposed to do. Inclusive teachers communicate to pupils exactly what is expected to be learned. By providing both written and oral instruction sequencing is facilitated (Gore, p. 30). As all children have the right to learn, it is inclusive practice to ensure that all pupils know exactly what the instruction is. In my classroom, it is imperative that I repeat instructions as with seventeen students for whom English is an additional language and two hearing impaired pupils, there is a good chance that instruction can be misheard or misunderstood. Paiv io’s dual coding theory (1990) refers to teaching visually and auditory at the same time. It posits that the more neural paths that a memory involves, the  more likely it is to be accessed at a later date (Gore, p. 25). With my class, I have found that providing both oral and written instruction reduces frustration and increases motivation. The instructions given must follow three rules; â€Å"explicitness, structure and repetition† (Gore, p. 23). Even classroom rules can be displayed obviously in the classroom and referred to whenever they are broken by bad behaviour. Research has been done to show that students with learning difficulties are more likely to notice salient information than the critical information that teachers direct them to observe, as they have difficulty discriminating between the critical and the irrelevant (Gore, p 15). By reading and hearing a small number of bullet pointed instructions, confusion is eliminated and attention is captured, ensuring all pupils can understand exactly what is necessary for a task to be undertaken correctly. These instructions are given orally, shown on the interactive whiteboard and a copy given on work sheets to provide ample repetition. This allows for a much bigger chance of success and thus motivation for all pupils. Another way to ensure inclusion is the way in which you use room layout. In the class I picked for this assignment, I have chosen to seat both the hearing impaired students at the front of the class next to each other. This way I can oversee the work they are doing without causing embarrassment, and I can subtly ensure they are completing the correct task. I can also make sure that when I have finished explaining, they are the first pupils I go to when circulating the room. On either side of them I have picked a student from their friendship group who copes well with work. I think this works well, as when working in pairs, the hearing impaired pupils are less uncomfortable when talking either to each other or to their friends than they would be someone who they were nervous or shy about their impairment around. I can then have these pairs of friends be reading partners, whereby fluent readers help the other pupils who are less advanced in their reading skills (Fleming, 2000, p. 59). Pupils with hearing impairment often struggle with grammar and cohesion in writing; they â€Å"exhibit linguistic difficulties† (Reddy, p. 165). In order to combat this, schemes need to be planned with modifications not only to what we teach, but how we teach it in order to make the curriculum accessible for all the pupils in the class, for example as suggested by Purdie (2000), by teaching phonics (Clough, 2002, p. 165). Although planning has to be done primarily  on the class level, consideration of the need for differentiation in the case of particular individuals is suitable. Getting to know your students as individuals is therefore an important first step (Butt, p. 45). As writing can be a very solitary experience, this may not be the preferred learning style of the class. Writing needs to be scaffolded when this is the case, as it is for my class. When writing creatively, for example in the lesson where my students write a diary entry on a gas attack, we first looked at real gas masks, followed by real gas attack posters, and then created sentence starters together on the board. This scaffolded the writing process by providing opportunities for the auditory, kinaesthetic and tactile learners to learn at their fullest potential also. Reading makes up a large part of the national curriculum, and is something which the hearing impaired pupil can be given opportunities to succeed with. â€Å"Modelling and imitation are important learning processes† (Reddy, p. 167) and this is something which I carry out daily in the classroom, particularly when reading a text. I will model the most important sections of each chapter and invite other readers to read aloud other more descriptive sections. Although not always available, I would also aim to use a loop system which would enable pupils to hear the other, perhaps quieter pupils reading, more effectively. This ensures that I am able to assess how pupils can read aloud whilst allowing those who struggle hearing to understand the text thoroughly. However, in my class, for hearing impaired pupils and those for whom English is an additional language, reading aloud can be feared greatly. In order to provide inclusion for these pupils, it is possible for them to have prepared passages beforehand (Fleming, p. 59) by allocating sections to be read aloud the following week or lesson. For one of my hearing impaired pupils and for a couple of EAL pupils I selected, this worked extremely well, as the child was prepared for reading aloud and could practice the section in advance knowing that they would have to read aloud. I chose to not ask the other hearing impaired pupil to read out in front of her classmates, as her impairment is mor e profound and if affects her speech. She is very withdrawn and shy around most people in the class and I thought that it would be unwise to ask her and risk her embarrassment and further de-motivation. Instead, she is seated next to a friend for peer tutoring. This term refers to reciprocal tutoring of students with similar achievement which is  relevant here; the pupil does not struggle with reading alone as shown in comprehension tasks, but with reading aloud. Peer tutoring can increase pupils’ motivation and persistence because of the adolescents’ social drive (Gore, p. 64-65). It is for these reasons that peer tutoring not only benefits the pupil with a barrier to learning, but the ‘tutor’ in the pair also. I have therefore arranged the seating plan for all pupils to be seated next to someone with a similar ability, so that all pupils can benefit from peer tutoring. As learners handle content differently, they should be given opportunities to be more active than passive; understanding, processing, applying, storing and passing on information in peer tutoring is a good way to ensure all pupils have consolidated learning (Butt, p. 39). Becoming an inclusive teacher is particularly difficult when a trainee, as it is imperative that you know your pupils. Inclusion can be as simple as having a pupil’s favourite cartoon character appear on a presentation to increase interest and motivation, or needing to know their exact reading and writing ages or ability, so as not to de-motivate them with work which is impossible for them to complete. A competent and inclusive teacher will say, â€Å"this may be tough† instead of â€Å"this will be easy† to give room for students to feel inflated when they are successful (Reddy, 169). Once the teacher knows their pupils, work can be differentiated so that each and every one of the class has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. This could be in the form of preferred learning style, tailored resources, lots of formative assessment, higher/lower order questions, use of a teaching assistant and various other teaching strategies. It is important to remember when planning a scheme, that pupils may struggle and become de-motivated with one aspect of learning and thrive in another, and so therefore it is necessary that the teacher is a learner also. The most important lesson I have learned during my time with this class, is that successful inclusion strategies are not only for those pupils who you think may need it the most, but are beneficial for all pupils in the classroom. My idea of inclusive learning has altered hugely whilst researching for this assignment, as has my idea of what the role of a teacher is. The teacher’s main role is to ensure that all pupils learn, and that is simply impossible without inclusive teaching strategies being employed.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Leadership 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey Essay

Leadership 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey - Essay Example Deposits into someone’s account increases their trust, fondness, and confidence of their depositors. The result of these deposits is an intense relationship that allows for the tolerance of mistakes. 4. Under the proactive habit, one looks at the appropriate areas in their lives that they can concentrate on. These aspects, such as family and health on which time and energy are focused, form the circles of concern. Some of the items within these circles are controllable while others are beyond real control. The problems that all people face can be solved through the proactive approach. 6. Achieving something such as an establishment requires physical and mental dedication. Building a physical location requires the mental conceptualization of the same. This mental picture is the basis of the plan through which the physical object or item is achieved. Conceiving an excellent mental picture results in outstanding physical creation. This form of achievement is common in proactive people. Reactive people unconsciously direct the mental creation. 7. Everyone should have a purpose in life. People express their values and missions on a daily basis, either knowingly or unknowingly. One should define their personal statement so as to realize their purpose in life. Without a personal mission statement, one risks losing focus on their life’s purpose. 8. It is important to identify tasks that need to be done. Assigning priorities to tasks is essential in knowing the things that are urgent and require immediate attention. It also helps one classify items according to their importance. The tasks under one’s responsibility can be grouped in a quadrant. This quadrant relates the importance of a task to its urgency. The quadrant help’s one arrange tasks according to priority and thus manage time well. 11. A highly productive person should carefully plan their week to ensure they utilize it efficiently.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

World philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

World philosophy - Essay Example My beliefs were supported with my experiences with the cognitive world, and with the aid of a rich imagination, I was able to attach the like elements to those that I do not personally experience. Just as it is with the Indians who believe in the truth that the sun lives in the earth, their culture caters to the idea that all things in the Indian world are connected to each other, in â€Å"profound unity,† may it be inanimate or animate, life is believed to exist in the essence of these things (Momaday, 190). With the sun, the Indians have attached to it a nature that can almost be human by virtue for its behavior in the heavens with which they can somehow relate to. As Momaday writes, â€Å"the sun-watcher among the Rio Grande Pueblos, whose sacred task it is to observe, each day, the very point of the sun’s emergence on the skyline, knows in the depths of his being that the sun is alive and that it is indivisible with the earth, and he refers to the farthest eastern mesa as â€Å"the sun’s house† (190), the sun-watcher courts the sun which is like a maiden being wooed, and the sun being that character is expected to go homeward. They see this oc currence as a fact because the sun undergoes changes just as a person would, and appears to move across the heavens as would a traveler, and these the Indians bear witness. They take into account what they perceive as simply as what their sight would lead them to understand. For what could be more factual than to actually experience first hand through their own senses the mechanism of that was around them. Alongside the Indians’ reverence to a â€Å"living† sun is their different perception of a timeframe. And this diverse concept of time, which is quite departed from our Western Industrialized concept of time, retains an element of preservation of moments. And perhaps this is much better, speaking about respecting