Diet and Health

After taking the cholesterol, heart and blood pressure quizzes at Intelihealth. com, I have obtained a score of 73% wherein out of the total 11 questions, I got 8 correct questions, 64% wherein out of the total 14 questions, I got 9 correct questions and 67% wherein out of the total 12 questions, I got 8 correct questions. Because of the positive result, I believe that I know an adequate amount of information about cholesterol and blood pressure. Though not that extensive, I am aware of the basic facts regarding risk factors, prevention, or treatment.Through this exercise, I have acquired new ideas about cholesterol. I have learned about the correct cholesterol level that adults should keep in mind in order to eliminate the risk of heart diseases. However, â€Å"a high level of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) also increases the possibility of having a heart disease, as does a LOW level of HDL cholesterol (â€Å"good† cholesterol) (InteliHealth, â€Å"Choleterol Quiz† ). Another interesting fact that I have learned was that blacks are more susceptible to having high blood pressure than white people. (InteliHealth, â€Å"Heart Quiz†).Also, a â€Å"silent killer† disorder takes the form of high blood pressure or hypertension, does not usually show any symptoms so it is advisable that everyone regularly go to the doctor for medical check-ups to monitor one's physical condition (InteliHealth, â€Å"Blood Pressure Quiz†). Given all these facts, everyone should be constantly aware of the food that they take in order to monitor their cholesterol levels. More so, regular visits to the doctor can minimize the occurrence of heart and blood pressure-related diseases. As a result, people would be living a more a healthy lifestyle thus extending their life span.

A Market Economy And In A Command Economy Economics Essay

Construction Economics is a nucleus topic to Quantity Surveyors which will use the cognition of it for future profession judgements. Quantity Surveying is besides known as Building Economist. Therefore, application of Economics is compulsory in building sector specially to be a qualified Surveyor. base replies larning will assist to cover important sum of capable country which I believe more effectual. The format of this assignment will follow the same inquiry order as given in the appraisal standard and some subheadings were added to presentation intents to better the quality of the reply.1. Question ONEQ1.i – Briefly explicate how scarce resources are allocated in a Market Economy and in a Command Economy. A market economic system is an economic status in which the production and distribution of goods and services takes topographic point through the mechanism of free markets led by a free monetary value system. It is reciprocally good and exchange between consumers and Producers. Market economic system is besides known as free market economic system and free endeavor economic system Typically a bid system is connected with a socialist or communist economic system. Largely, scarce resources are owned by authorities or province of the society. The authorities allocates sets resources, rate of growing and marks of production inA to people ‘s wants.A The authorities will make up one's mind the distribution of concluding income and wealth. The market monetary values are minimum alteration and queuing rations for scarce goods can be expected from such a system. Scarcity is kind of tenseness between our limitless wants & A ; demands and the limited resources in the planet. Insufficient production from limited resources to carry through the human wants and demands are take a firm standing for this planetary issue. Production of goods, ingestion of goods and services in return for money is the basic construct of an economic system. Scarcity of resources shall non depend with the type of the economic system. In a bid economic system if a commercial value of such resources can be pre determined, it would be low-cost to everyone. However, the monetary value of such resource would be really high in a market economic system. Q1.ii – See the undermentioned demand and supply informations of Product X. Price ( Rs. ) Demand Quantity ( Units ) Supply Quantity ( Units ) 10 900 80 20 800 180 30 700 280 40 600 380 50 500 480 60 400 580 70 300 680 80 200 780 Table 1 Use a graph paper to pull the demand and supply curves for Product X and find the followers Market equilibrium monetary value – Rs.51.00 Market equilibrium measure – 490 units Graph 1 Q1.iii – Explain the consequence of subsidies and revenue enhancements utilizing the demand and supply curves Effectss of subsidies: – Price $ /unit Supply Curves Consumption Demand Curves S Sub P s ‘PhosphorusP s Q s ‘QSecondGraph 2 Supply curve will switch to the right in Subsidies on production until the perpendicular distance between the 2 curves is equal to the per unit subsidy. This will diminish monetary value paid by the consumers and increase the monetary value received by the manufacturers, when other things remain equal. Otherwise, demand curve will switch to the right a subsidy on ingestion. This will diminish the monetary value paid by consumers. Besides it will increase the monetary value received by manufacturers by the same sum as if the subsidy had been imposed on the manufacturers, when other things remain equal, Although in this instance, the new market monetary value will be the monetary value received by manufacturers. The terminal consequence, once more, is that no affair who is subsidized, the monetary values manufacturers and consumers face will be the same. The analysis of the consequence of a subsidy is basically similar to enforcing a revenue enhancement. A subsidy is simply a negative revenue enhancement. Subsidy consequence will switch the supply curve downward by the sum of the subsidy. Efficaciously this causes an addition in supply. Effectss of revenue enhancements: – Impact of a 50 cents Tax Levied on Buyers Supply – S1 Monetary value of Ice Cream Cone Measure of Ice Cream Cone Equilibrium without revenue enhancement Equilibrium with revenue enhancement $ 3.30 $ 3.00 $ 2.80 Monetary value purchasers pay Monetary value without revenue enhancement Monetary value Sellerss receive 0 90 100 D1 D2 Graph 3 Taxs are used to raise money for the authorities Taxs are discourage market activity When a good is taxed, the measure sold is smaller Buyer and Sellerss portion the revenue enhancement load Who bears the load of revenue enhancement the most Q1.iv.a – Briefly explain the undertaking appraisal method of Net Present Value ( NPV ) method The Net Present Value of a undertaking is the amount of present values of discounted benefits and costs ( A negative value can anticipate as the cost here ) In general it is the difference among hard currency flows in present and future. Once the all future hard currency in subtraction, present hard currency out of the undertaking, the terminal consequence would give the NPV. NPV is a cardinal tool in discounted hard currency flow analysis to measure long-run undertakings and besides it is a standard method for utilizing the clip value of money. 56bdc7353b83add5f8b9bf9ab910465e.png When, t = the clip of hard currency flow, one = price reduction rate, Rt = net hard currency flow Q1.iv.b – A building company wishes to put aside adequate money today in an involvement bearing history to hold $ 100,000 five old ages from now for the purchase of a replacing piece of equipment. If the company can have 12 % involvement on the investing, how much should be set aside now to accrue the $ 100,000 five old ages from now? F = P ( 1 + I ) N P = F / ( 1+i ) N P = 100,000 / ( 1+0.12 ) 5 = $ 56,742.69 Q1.iv.c – What is the one-year sedimentation that has to be made at the terminal of twelvemonth if Rs. 500,000 is to be accumulated after 15 old ages at a bank where involvement rate is 7 % per annum? A = F { i/ [ ( 1 + I ) n-1 ] } A = 500,000 { 0.07/ [ ( 1 + 0.07 ) 15-1 ] } A = Rs. 19,897.312. QUESTION TWOQ2.i – Briefly explain the four market constructions you have studied. There are four classs of market construction exist in an economic sciences. Perfect Structures Monopolistic Competition Oligopoly MonopolyPerfect StructureThis is a conjectural economic system in which no consumer or manufacturer has any market power to take a firm stand the monetary values described perfect construction. This sort of market based on six premises. Atomicity. Homogeneity. Perfect and complete information. Equal entree. Free entry. Individual purchasers and Sellerss act independentlyMonopolistic CompetitionMonopolistically Competition house acts like a monopolizer. The house will be able to act upon the market monetary value of its merchandise by altering the production rate of the merchandise. There are four sub features of a Monopolistic Competition market. Many consumers and manufacturers in a given market Non-price differences among the rival ‘s merchandises can be preserved by consumers. Barriers to entry and issue to the market. Degree of control over monetary value to manufacturers The features of monopolistically competitory market are about the same as in perfect competition, with the freedom of heterogenous merchandises, and that monopolistic competition involves a great trade of non-price competition.OligopolyMarket or industry is dominated by a little figure of Sellerss in an Oligopoly market. The determination of one house influence, and are influenced by the determination of other houses. This involves higher hazard of collusion in markets and industries.MonopolyMonopoly exists in an economic system when a specific person or endeavor has sufficient control over a peculiar service or merchandise. That will do to find the footings on which other persons shall hold entree to it significantly. Largely, in monopoly economic system, the authorities statute laws restrict to come in in to the monopoly market. In Sri Lanka, there was a period, where Shell gas had a monopoly control over domestic gas monetary values which the demand side suffers lot due to monetary value hiking. Q2.ii – Do you believe a monopoly is good for the society? In what peculiar state of affairs a monopoly would be appropriate? Discuss Monopoly economic system will non give a competitory monetary value for clients for a good or service. This happen specially the control over the monopoly Markss retain with private sector. Therefore, clients largely suffer if the monopoly is under private sector control. However, an economic system over public sector control would do different status towards clients. Such organisation will stand as none net income organisations. The purpose is established towards public satisfaction. Railway section, postal service, toll roads are illustrations for monopoly services provides by the authorities for the low-cost value. Q2.iii – The undermentioned tabular array gives the labor input per twenty-four hours and the end product per twenty-four hours of a certain undertaking carried out by a Contractor. Complete the following table demoing the contractor ‘s economic costs. Assume the day-to-day pay rate per worker is ?50 Labour per twenty-four hours Output per twenty-four hours Fringy Merchandise Variable Cost Average Cost Fringy Cost 0 0 1 5 5 50 10.00 50 2 12 7 100 8.33 50 3 20 8 150 7.50 50 4 31 11 200 6.45 50 5 40 9 250 6.25 50 6 46 6 300 6.52 50 7 50 4 350 7.00 50 8 52 2 400 7.69 50 Table 2 Pull the graph of variable cost curve Graph 4 Pull the graph of fringy and mean cost curves ( on one graph ) Graph 53. QUESTION THREEQ3.i – In what manner does the building industry differ from the fabrication industry? Explain your reply with appropriate illustrations. Manufacturing tends to do the same merchandise over and over called as line production. But building makes a alone merchandise, one at a clip. Soap Manufacture would bring forth 100s of soaps per twenty-four hours and it would go on. But building a edifice is alone and a one end of 100s yearss attempt. Once the building work is completed, it moves to following location in a certain clip period. But Manufacturing is go oning in a lasting topographic point like mills, workshops or paces which will non alter the location clip to clip under normal fortunes. Builder will travel to new site after passing over the old undertaking to its proprietor. A undertaking for today could be in Galle whilst the following undertaking in following twelvemonth in Kandy to the same contractor. The building merchandise would devour a long clip before it reaches to concluding result. But fabricating is required short clip. To finish the southern freeway it took 12 old ages from Galle to Colombo. But to fabricate vehicle suites to go in main road may merely take few hours in a large Fabrication pace in Japan The building industry is more consequence oriented. The client concern and ever insist to keep the consequence in to his demand. In fabrication industry, the client or end-user engagement is really rare. The fabrication industry is more with procedure oriented. The workers purpose is to keep the procedure, efficiency and efficaciously towards what they produce. Construction of a land grade edifice, client will name his squad to do certain the undertaking is being delivered in to his demand. But in fabricating a computing machine, no 1 knows who is the terminal user or who is traveling to have it. So the quality is fixed and end-user must follow with available quality. Potential change can be happened during building. But in fabrication is pre defined. So no alterations would go on unless otherwise, bring forthing a new merchandise with different marks. Typical house contraction, the proprietor may wants to alter the original design clip to clip. But in fabricating paracetamal tablet will ne'er alter its ingredients. Manufacturing points are off the shelf but building is non. An point which has been manufactured can be purchased from a store. But building undertaking would non be available due to mainly the cost of making so. Q3.ii – Explain the importance of authorities intercession in the building industry with appropriate illustrations. Government intercession to the building industry is more of import due to Nemours grounds. In Sri Lanka, Institute for Construction Training And Development ( ICTAD ) has been established as the regulative organic structure for Construction Industry. So it will do a clear image how Sri Lankan authorities has intervened to the industry. To do certain the building would non harm the environment and pubic: – As a consequence of improper building behaviours and Acts of the Apostless, it would potentially foul the environment and injury to the public public assistance. To supervise or to modulate such from building activities, it is compulsory engagement of authorities for building industry. To do certain the building is suite with town program: – As a consequence of hapless planning, the metropolis country would be supplying best service choices to public convenience. Therefore, it is of import the building site to follow with town program. To avoid corruptness and to do certain the terminal user or client gets the best value for his money Construction is the most reasonable factor behind a development of a state. In the manner for development, the positive influence to promote the building by a authorities will do a important part towards a developed state. To do certain the authorities is gaining due revenue enhancements: – The chief income for a authorities is revenue enhancements. Every different industry, merchandise, or services, authorities will hold its ain part of income as revenue enhancements. To do certain the authorities is acquiring due revenue enhancements for the contraction, the intercession is of import. Particular grants: – In Sri Lanka, as an action to promote the building industry, authorities has non charged revenue enhancements against the contraction vehicles. Government ever to do certain the cement monetary value of the state to remain in a low-cost zone for the populace. Education degree and Construction Professionals: – By bettering the instruction system and increasing the Construction Profession in university plan is besides a good intercession by authorities to do the industry live in the state. Duties of Regulatory Body: – Contractors are registered in the ICTAD to make the trust on building clients. Price bulletin publish by authorities besides help to cipher the sum of existent monetary value escalation within a concern period.4. DecisionThis appraisal was significantly enhanced my cognition towards the Construction Economics topic. Some countries are really of import like for Net Present Value non merely merely for a Quantity Surveyor or Economist, but for any sensible adult male who make investing or do any minutess with a bank to set up or be after the investings efficaciously. I strongly believe that I will be able to use the cognition on the topic to confront future challenges on the profession. The all inquiries were answered and provided all sufficient information as required..5. RecommendationThe inquiry base reply format will be given a more specific testing of pupil ‘s cognition. The inquiries were asked in this appraisal have been covered more of import country of jurisprudence and contract. Knowledge and minimizing on some of import theories are of import to any profession. Therefore, I suggest adding the Economicss topics to other suited professional instruction systems.

Commerce Clause WIckard v. Filburn and Affordable Care Act Term Paper

Commerce Clause WIckard v. Filburn and Affordable Care Act - Term Paper Example The judicial system novel comprehension was solidified and elongated over the next couple of years, as the older judges stopped working due to retirement, giving FDR the chances that his militant endeavors had failed to establish. With this in mind why should we bother reviewing, much less written of the book â€Å"Rethinking the New Deal Court?† Main body Barry Cushman, a historian at Virginia University, provides a simple answer: the story we are aware of and love is incorrect. In Barry’s point of view, the assertion that a craven court suddenly neglected several doctrines to save itself from the critics of Roosevelt’s group is misplaced on every instance. The doctrinal alterations were not sudden, but happened over an extended period of time, as a number of justices slowly pulled away from previous decisions restricting government’s directive of the economy. The climax was not 1937 but rather 1934, when the judicial system defended a New York decree set ting milks’ price. At last, the absolute momentum to change was not the threats from outside, but the judgment of the courts own ruling. Even though, Cushman is in agreement that by 1940 the constitution of the pre-New Deal was gone, he is not in the same wavelength why, when, and how it was neglected. Stressing Cushman’s disapproval of the typical description, is a condemnation of the poetics of the legal authority- the way we converse about jury and rule unspoken in that account? To be distinctive, he believes that the typical explanation is too reductionist in its handling of decree and the jury. The law is reduced to politics, treating the jury as just politicians who are not elected militants who respond to their condition as any politician might be; doing what is prudential to enhance their agenda. Many at times, they are usually greedy and their reach supersedes their grasp. Such overreacting was in short what transpired in the 1930s, according to the typical ac count. By putting down the New Deal and supplementary intrepid political schemes channeled to save the nation from the Depression, the Judicial aggravated such a powerful response that it had to move back in the facet of Roosevelt’s Court-packing preparation in order to conserve what was left of its veracity and supremacy. Cushman starts by illustrating that the typical account does not fit the history of events. In fact, this description requires a string of events that is exactly the opposite of what actually transpired. Most visibly, the fairness debated and voted for the vital cases in meeting a number of weeks before Roosevelt proclaimed the court-packing strategy. Although not yet unearthed, the toggle happened before the nine noticed that they required to be saved. In the event that the court had the knowledge of the courts-packing strategy when voting, the plan stimulated up such antagonism from politicians and people that it might have threatened the justices. Indeed , looking at it at a closer perspective of opposition to the jury indicates that the real mystery is why the jury for ages to integrate the New deals. It was fastest in its resistance during the first years of the New deal, when the allies and FDR were mostly known and liked. It rejected the struggle long after the climax of

Market Analysis of the Natural Gas industry in Mexico Case Study

Market Analysis of the Natural Gas industry in Mexico - Case Study Example research is to provide a brief overview of the current stage of the natural gas industry in Mexico and to analyze the potential effects of the recent economic reforms for the private industry. According to the EIA estimates, Mexico is one of the four leaders in shale gas reserves. By 2013 Mexico’s natural gas reserves have reached 488bn cubic metres (Mexico Oil & Gas Report, 2014). Even though the natural gas production in Mexico has grown almost by 50% since 2000, demand for this natural resource also has grown significantly (by 80% since 2000) (Seelke et al., 2014). Natural gas in Mexico is mainly consumed for the national electricity generation and for oil operations support. The figure 1 visually illustrates that the increase of production scales still fail to satisfy current demand for natural gas. According to the Congressional Research Service, Mexico’s gas reserves are on the decline and fail to satisfy local demand because of underinvestment in exploration of the natural gas resources. Due to continuously rising demand of natural gas, Mexico relies heavily on the import of natural gas from the US. Thus, for example, in 2000, Mexico imported about 100% of its natural gas imports. However, by 2006, the country has diversified the range of countries-importers of the natural gas, and began to import liquefied natural gas from Peru, Qatar, and Nigeria (Seelke et al., 2014, 2014). There are three liquefied natural gas import terminals in Mexico: one on the Atlantic side and two terminals on the Pacific side (Seelke et al., 2014, 2014). The experts believe that the natural gas reserves have potential for growth and forecast that it will reach 500 bn cubic metres by 2018 and 505 bn cubic metres by 2023 (Mexico Oil & Gas Report, 2014). Partially this positive forecasts are referred to the Pemex’s activities in relation to deepwater natural gas exploration, and, partially, as a result of expected increase of private sector participation in result of new

Explain the function of religion (e.g from a sociological, Essay

Explain the function of religion (e.g from a sociological, pychological and anthropological perspective). Can the relationship between religion and magic be seen as dangerous - Essay Example Religion is supposed to define the way of living of a society. . The sociological functions of religion are far more than that could be written in words and explained. Religions serve in a society by affecting the life style of a mere individual and by affecting a whole society. Religion is supposed to be a key stone in a society on which the whole society exists and survives. Different religions serve as a form of identity for the societies of the world. They define the way of living and provide order to a society. â€Å"The ten Commandments† given to Moses served as a source through which the followers of that particular religion defined their way of living. However, religions are supposed to have both positive and negative impacts in a society. As man is considered as both the creator and the creation of society, religions is supposed to take away the supposed freedom from the man that allows him to rule this world in his own way. According to some people with a different mindset, religion is thought to create a social conflict by opp ressing the people in the society and creating illusions to ease pain (Leming 1998). However this role of religion has not been accepted by a major group of people who consider religion as a source of harmony. Whether from a same region or not, from the same ethnicity or not, people of the same religion get together at specific times. This allows them to get to know each other properly and make the bond between them more and more strong. Christmas, Hajj and many other religious festivals are such examples when people from around the world get together at one place, families reunite; friends meet and enjoy the company of each other. Religions are solely responsible for such happenings which serve as an important factor in the strength of a society. All the important factors that contribute to the development

Step two Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Step two - Essay Example The float time shall be analyzed and tracked while bottlenecks shall be identified and explained. Furthermore, any activities that result in wastage of time shall be eliminated. Also, activities that can be done simultaneously shall be grouped for quick results. The desired result of the message is to be able to graphically demonstrate that I have been successful in complying with the schedule. Furthermore, the message shall invite feedback from the audience regarding which activities need to be grouped or which need to be eliminated. This shall ensure that there is communication between my boss and myself. Not only will it allow my boss to keep track of the direction I’m taking in my work but also allow him to provide feedback for the work I’ve completed. This shall further allow him/her to make recommendations for any improvements which I can incorporate in my project to complete it on time. Any bottlenecks shall be identified to which improvements shall be made over time. Although the message is complete in itself, it shall serve as the building block for future discussions. The intended audience The intended audience is my boss. Assuming that I work in a construction firm as a construction manager, and I am presenting the results of my team before the general manager. The results shall show the number of housing units completed under the private sector, residential housing project. The audience is expected to be knowledgeable about the concepts used in the message; hence, technical terms may be used. Typography Since the graph shall convey its intended meaning through the illustrative element rather than words, display type shall not be used to draw audience’s attention. Using display type may distract audience from the overall meaning of the message in this case which is to compare the scheduled and actual outcomes. Few words shall be used in the copy area and shall primarily comprise of the graph’s legend. More lowercase letter s shall be used for the text rather than all capitalized letters. This shall not only save space but also aptly convey the brief message that needs to be communicated. A minimalistic text approach shall be adopted with key information conveyed through the graphics. The spread shall be 18 x 9. The text size shall be 10 and the Serif font shall be used. The graph shall have a clear white background against which two lines (one in blue and one in red) shall be set in contrast. The message shall incorporate color-coded activities in the form of the sequence in which they are to be completed. Use of visuals to support the message Progress of the work being done shall be measured via the graph. The message shall largely be visual with minimal text. Lines shall be used to indicate scheduled versus actual progress. A two-dimensional line graph shall be used to plot the variables. The line graph shall show the scheduled versus actual units of work. Statistical data (in the form of the number of units) shall be used to show the overall trend. The use of line graph shall ensure an uncluttered and clear representation of the data without any confusion. Communication shall, therefore, be clear, concise and complete with the use of this graph. The other visual that displays the PERT activities shall also be two-dimensional with more reliance on colors and shapes to convey different activities. However, words and numerical shall play an important role since these

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman Essay - 7

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - Essay Example Without a doubt, there is an evident distance between the narrator and her husband as revealed in the story. This paper will carry out a critical analysis of the narrator explaining the changes that happened to her and why the changes proved to be highly significant. From the first line of the story, it is evident that the narrator is a female, married to a man named John. In addition, the couple belongs to the middle class as highlighted when the narrator says they were â€Å"mere ordinary people†. The narrator goes further to introduce the reader to the fact that they secured an ancestral home for their summer vacation (Gilman 1). The ancestral home is an important aspect of the narrator because it has features that trigger her imagination. The narrator has just given birth to a newborn baby and has been diagnosed with a form of depression. Probably, the narrator suffers from post-partum depression. The reader can also note that the narrator exhibits a sensitive temperament and is a committed writer. Since she is suffering from depression, her husband recommended her to avoid any form of work that may stimulate her intellectual capacities. Her husband is a physician by profession, explaining why he recommends a rest cure for her. Howeve r, the narrator disagrees with the views of her husband. She believes that the rest cure is only denying her an opportunity to indulge in her imagination. For this reason, she chooses to secretly write down journals that focus on the intriguing things she identifies in the house. She has identified a yellow wallpaper in the bedroom, which defines her center of obsession (5). Her husband’s sister ensures that she does not indulge in any involving work. However, the narrator develops tactics of keeping her writing a secret. She spends a lot of time analyzing the yellow wallpaper and trying to understand its meaning. Eventually, the narrator begins

Communication Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication Technology - Essay Example And as centuries passed by, communication tools were eventually refined, brought about by technological progressions- from typewriters and telephones, then computers and cellular phones, and now, laptops and notebooks, not to mention the advent of iphones and ipods- thus, broadening the horizons and spectra of communication. In this regard, it would be interesting to explicate and exemplify the effects of technological advances in communication into the lives and ways of the people. As such, this paper shall answer the following interesting queries: The modern contemporary society's daily lives may seem to be an indulgence in communication technology. People watch televisions and listen to radios, as well as converse or talk through phones and browse the internet. Perhaps, one can never imagine living a life each day without these communication technologies. On the other hand, compared 50 or 100 years ago, the people today are definitely experiencing more benefits in terms of the availability of the communication technologies. ... People watch televisions and listen to radios, as well as converse or talk through phones and browse the internet. Perhaps, one can never imagine living a life each day without these communication technologies. On the other hand, compared 50 or 100 years ago, the people today are definitely experiencing more benefits in terms of the availability of the communication technologies. For instance, during our grandparents' time 50 years ago, that is, during 1950s, they did not have access to the internet because the first internet or the predecessor to the internet, called the ARPANET, only started during 1969 and the renowned WWW or world wide web only became possible in 1994 (About.com "The History"; Federal Communications Commission "Making the Connections"). Hence, in most recent times, a growing percentage of American households agreed that internet broadband connections provided many advantages in their lives, as evidenced by integrated access to voice, high-speed data, video-on-demand, and interactive delivery services, thereby experiencing the fullest communication technology (Federal Communications Commission "Making the Connections"). [The image below was taken from ThinkQuest.org "Co mputer", which depicts how the current world "revolves inside an era of technological advancement in communication".] However, as communication technology advances, it is accompanied by the alarming unlawful activities like identity fraud and video scandals, to name some, which can be seen as the offenders' acts to "communicate" their aggression and bad intentions. In fact, anyone can become victims and be harmed by those misuses of communication

State's Rights v. Federal Supremacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

State's Rights v. Federal Supremacy - Essay Example Thus, the South Carolina Ordinance of Nullification was written and passed by the legislature of South Carolina in November 24, 1832. The South Carolina Ordinance of Nullification was enacted in response to the Tariff of 1828 passed by Congress with force and effect in all states. The Southern states felt that the law has favored the northern states which are basically into manufacturing industries over the southern states which are based on agriculture. The State of South Carolina led by Calhoun took the stand and actually passed the nullification ordinance which described the tariff laws as â€Å"acts, purporting to be acts laying duties and imposts on foreign imports, but in reality intended for the protection of domestic manufactures and the giving of bounties to classes and individuals engaged in particular employments, at the expense and to the injury and oppression of other classes and individuals†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The South Carolina ordinance thus declared the tariffs laws as un constitutional. It argued that the federal government has â€Å"exceeded its just powers under the constitution†¦ and hath violated the true meaning and intent of the constitution, which provides for equality in imposing the burdens of taxation upon the several States and portions of the confederacy.† Calhoun justified his theory of nullification using the arguments made by Jefferson when he wrote the Kentucky Resolution in 1798 which declared that, â€Å"the several states who formed that instrument, being sovereign and independent, have the unquestionable right to judge of its infraction; and that a nullification, by those sovereignties, of all unauthorized acts done under color of that instrument, is the rightful remedy.† In addition to the power of nullification, Calhoun also added that the state of South Carolina, or every other state for that matter, has the right to secede from the union if the federal government denies its power of nullification and uses m ilitary power to force its federal laws upon the dissenting state. In clear and very specific terms, Calhoun declared that the state of South Carolina and its people â€Å"will not submit to the application of force on the part of the federal government, to reduce this State to obedience.† He declared further that any attempt to coerce the state through military or economic means is â€Å"inconsistent with the longer continuance of South Carolina in the Union.† The South Carolina Ordinance may have borrowed some ideas from the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions. All three documents reminded the federal government as to where its powers come from and that these power-givers will never just sit in the sideline when these powers are abused and misused. Likewise, all three legislations strongly promote the individual state’s power to nullify an act of the federal government that are not in accord with the spirit and purpose of the constitution. However, Calhounâ€⠄¢s ordinance differs from Madison and Jefferson’s resolutions because the former did not just stop at declaring an act of Congress as null and void. It went on to declare that if the federal government does not recognize its nullification ordinance and uses force to coerce them into obedience, then the state has the concomitant power to secede from the Union â€Å"and will forthwith proceed to organize a separate government, and do

Organized sport Essay Example for Free

Organized sport Essay There are multiple benefits of playing an organized sport in school and it definitely help you out in life. Confidence is a huge part of being part of an organized sport. When you improve and keep improving you will start to feel better about yourself. Your coach will tell you the same thing when you are doing well and that should be a great feeling and will greatly increase your confidence. Sportsmanship is another benefit of playing sports. When someone makes you angry when you are playing you need to be able to stay composed and don’t let it get to you. It’s the same way when you are not playing a sport. You shouldn’t need to start anything with anyone. Playing organized sports will also help you with getting along with people. You need to be able to get along with your teammates especially. It is part of team chemistry and if it isn’t there then the team might not be as good as they could be if you just got along. If you don’t like them you still need to get along with them while playing your sport or it wont work. Students who participate in organized sports tend to work harder in school and have greater educational aspirations. It can also be an incentive to get better grades in school. Some schools require minimum grade point averages and attendance to be eligible. Parents can also set certain requirements for their kids. When children participate in these types of activities they learn to communicate and work better with their peers and adults. Organized sports are usually made up of kids who have a lot of different social backgrounds. Which can help teach them about diversity and give them the opportunity to make new friends. It teaches you a strong work ethic as well. They are more likely to be active and hard working students. Organized sports teach kids how to be disciplined during practice and how to focus to the task they are doing at the moment, and how to be patient when things get a little rough. Athletes also have to be able to achieve balance between their schoolwork and sports. There are many ways that benefit kids who participate in organized sports. Perseverance will make them stronger and the will gain the willpower to be the best athlete they can possibly be.

Analysis of Finlands Government Budget

Analysis of Finlands Government Budget Abstract A Government Budget is an administration report introducing the governments proposed incomes and spending for a financial year that is regularly passed by the assembly, affirmed by the president and exhibited by the Finance Minister to the country. (4) The purpose of this project is to compare the Finnish government budget from the years 2013 and 2014, analyse them and evaluate if the latest budget has managed to stabilise the national economy. Keywords Government budget, GDP, inflation, private and public Sector Introduction A government budget shows the expectations of a government’s revenues and spending in annual basis. The purpose of a government budget is to balance the national economy equilibrium. There are three types of government budgets Balanced, surplus and deficit budget. A budget is balanced when a government’s revenue and expenditure are equal. It is surplus when the expected revenues exceed expenditure, and it is deficit when the expected expenditure is bigger than the revenues. GDP, gross-domestic product, is a tool for measuring national production. It can be measured in three ways by production approach, income approach, and expenditure approach (Y = C + I + G + (X − M)). However, the GDP doesn’t take a stance on measuring wealth, volunteer services, or how beneficial or harmful the production is or has been to the economy, environment or nation. The gross-domestic product visualises the size of the national production and hence is a good tool for understanding, analysing, planning and controlling the economy. In this assignment, we will be looking at GDP as a measurement tool in stabilising the national economy. Introduction of the country and its economy Finland has a highly industrialised, mixed economy with a ‘per capita’ output equal to that of other western economies such as France, Germany, Sweden or the United Kingdom. The largest sector of the economy is services at 66 percent, followed by manufacturing and refining at 31.4 percent. Primary production is 2.9 percent. With respect to foreign trade, the key economic sector is manufacturing. The largest industries are electronics (21.6 percent), machinery, vehicles and other engineered metal products (21.1 percent), forest industry (13.1 percent), and chemicals (10.9 percent). Finland has timber and several mineral and freshwater resources. Forestry, paper factories, and the agricultural sector (on which taxpayers spend around 2 billion euros annually) are politically sensitive to rural residents. The capital region generates around a third of the GDP. Finland is highly integrated in the global economy, and international trade makes a third of the annual GDP. Exports within The European Union make up to 60 percent of the total trade. The largest trade flows are with Germany, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, Netherlands and China. Trade policy is managed by the European Union, where Finland has traditionally been among the free trade supporters. Finland has been ranked on third place in the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) 2013-2014 and tops the sub-rankings related to education. This has helped the economy to become the most innovative of the world (GCI). High firm competitiveness has also led to a balanced international creditor position. (1) 2.1 Private sector, income tax and unemployment Finlands income is generated by the approximately 1.8 million private sector workers, who make an average 25.1 euros per hour. The middle income workers tax wedge is 46 % and effective marginal tax rates are very high. Value-added tax is 24% for most items. Capital gains tax is 28% and corporate tax is 26%, which is about the EU median. (1) The population ages rapidly, while labour mobility is hampered and structural unemployment high. Finland’s export market share is briskly deteriorating due to falling structural demand for some of its main products and lost global (price) competitiveness. Part of the production has moved abroad The unemployment rate was 9.50% in 2014, slight growth from 2013 (8,8 %). The employment rate is (persons aged 15–64) 68.6%. 2.2 Public sector State and municipal politicians have struggled to cut their consumption, which is very high at 58 % in comparison to GDP. Much of the taxes are spent on public sector employees, many of which are jobs-for-life and amount to 550 000 state and municipal employees, which makes 10% of the whole population in Finland. (1) Finland’s institutions belong to those best performing in the world. Public institutions function well and are thoroughly transparent. Moreover, government officials tend to respond adequately to risks and are often able to find multi-party consensus on difficult reforms. Budgets of 2013 and 2014 Finland has been a part of Eurozone recession in recent years. It was estimated that the current recession would end in 2013 but the growth would remain slow. The reason for the low growth lies in financial and debt crisis. The work output is not growing, structural change has affected existing production capacity and the amount of new investments is low. This chapter focuses on the details budget changes between 2013 and 2014. The Finnish GDP was 210 billion euros in 2013 referring to chart 1. In 2013, the prediction of the decrease in GDP volume is 0.5 %. The decrease in the outcome is due to decreasing investment and export rates. In budget of year 2014 the total output increased by 1.2% by domestic consumption and export. This was mainly due to gradual recovery of the Eurozone. Real GDP growth differs and can be seen from chart 2. (3) Chart 1: GDP changes. (3) Figure 1: Changes in market prices GDP from year 2010 to estimated 2015. Chart 2. Real GDP growth. (6) Revenues and detailed budgets per sector can be seen in following figures 2 and 3. Figure 2. Revenues and expenditures of year 2013. (3) Figure 3. Revenues and expenditures of year 2014. (3) As referred to the comparison of the 2013 and 2014 budgets, there is a decrease of 200 million â‚ ¬ in the budget of 2014. The government is trying to stabilise the economy by increasing revenue from taxes and selling stocks. There has been a main increase in budgeting in the sectors of health and society together with foreign affairs. Budget has been decreased for most of the sectors. Notable change is that the budget for the president has been cut with more than 3 million. Taxes On-budget revenue for 2014, excluding net borrowing, is estimated at around EUR 46.9 billion. Tax receipts account for around 85 % of all on-budget revenue. It was estimated that central government tax revenue will increase by approximately 2.5 %. That means approximately 1.0 billion increases in tax revenue compared to 2013 budget. Corporate income tax reform was implemented in 2014 together with divided taxation to support economic growth, employment and entrepreneurship. Corporate income tax was lowered 4.5% to 20%. It was estimated that the lowering of the corporate tax rate, reduces central government’s imputed tax revenue by 870 million euros. By lowering the corporate income tax rate the economic growth was estimated to be boosted and as a consequence tax base will be expanded. Also it helps the Finnish production to stay in Finland rather than moving abroad for avoiding large taxes. Tax revenue loss is also compensated with removing and limiting tax subsidies. (3) Dividend taxation was amended. Earlier 70% of dividend income was treated as taxable income and after amending the figure is 85%. For non-publicly listed companies the income will be taxed in full as capital income. Changes to dividend taxation are expected to increase central government tax revenue by approximately 200 million euros. An essential part of increased tax revenue consists of increase in excise duties. It was estimated that increases in taxation of tobacco, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks will increase tax revenue by 230 million euros. Increases in taxation of electricity and transport fuels were estimated to increase central government tax revenue by 195 million euros. In addition, tax for old electricity power plants without carbon dioxide emissions was introduced. Power plant tax aims to collect 50 million tax revenues. (3) Value-added tax rates were increased from the beginning of 2013 by one per cent. General tax rate is now 24 % but tax rate is lowered for some goods and services. For example value-added tax rate for food and restaurants is 14 % and 10 % for medicines, public transport and accommodation. Chart 3. Value added tax rates in 2014. (3) Education As a reserve funds measure, the college list and the focal government exchange record of the managerial extension of the Ministry of Education and Culture will be solidified for 2013. An aggregate of EUR 60 million will be allotted to diminishing class sizes in essential instruction. An aggregate of EUR 58 million will be allotted in 2013 for the repair of dampness and mould-harmed school structures and for instructive establishment foundation costs. Health Health insurance repayments are to be increased in 2013 to around EUR 4.9 billion. Government investment funds measures are controlled and will have a general impact of about EUR 143 million one year from now. The greatest sparing, EUR 103 million, identifies with repayments for restorative costs. Also, government consumption for health insurance pay will diminish all EUR 40 million, as the maintenance for travel costs will be raised. Transportation EUR 28 million in assignments is proposed for ecological backing to vessel ventures, as a gift for a vessel to be finished in 2013, taking into account an approval given in 2010.29. Moreover, A total of EUR 27 million will be dispensed in 2013 for the procurement of another icebreaker. Spending on significant public sectors Figure 4 shows the spending comparison in percentages of all tax revenues on public sectors. This section will inspect the spending in detail for the most significant sectors. Figure 4. Tax euros spent comparison for years 2013 and 2014. In the education sector, student grant is tied to an index starting from 1 August 2014 and the amount of the state guarantee for study loan per month is raised by 100 euros. Study loan deduction system is proposed to be replaced by a study loan credit system which encourages more effective completion of studies. In the upper secondary school and polytechnic, the immigrants will have a possibility to get student financial aid starting from fall 2014. In the social and health care services however, 10 million euros will be allocated to improving support services for family care. Annually, 54.5 million euros will be allocated to implementation of the Act on Supporting the Functional Capacity of the Older Population and on Social and Health Care Services for Older Persons. In the transportations sector, 1.601 million euros will be reserved for traffic route investments and 767 million euros is reserved for daily maintenance of the traffic routes. Finances General government in Finland consists of central government, local government, employee pension funds and other social funds. The decrease of total output in recent years will affect the general government financial standing in the next years and so the general government will continue to show deficit. Central and local government show clear deficit, employee pension sector surplus and other social security funds are in balance. The Budget for 2014 shows a deficit of 7.1 billion euros. In terms of national accounts, the central government deficit is expected to be around 3.6 per cent of GDP in 2014. The budgeted estimate for central government debt at year-end 2014 is close to 100 billion euros. In 2013 budget deficit was 7.0 billion which was about 2.8 per cent of GDP in that year. Central government debt at year-end 2013 was 96 billion euros. The Government aims to balance central government finances and to bring the government debt-to-GDP ratio into a downturn by the end of the parliamentary term. In order to achieve the goals, the Government has decided on measures decreasing expenditure and increasing revenue. The measures will be implemented gradually by 2015 and they will improve the central government’s financial standing by approximately 4.8 billion euros starting from 2017. The measures include lowering corporate income tax rate, reform of divided income taxation, local government reform, social and health care service structure reform and housing policy reform. The measures also include increasing young people’s access to education and employment as well as employment of people with partial capability for working. The Government will assess the achievement of objectives annually. If central government debt relative to total output does not take a downturn, the Government has to commit further measures. European Union Finland is expected to contribute an estimated 1.974 million euros to the EU budget and the European Development Fund in 2014. Finland’s contributions will be 5 million euros lower than contributions in the 2013 Budget. Finland is expected to receive 912 million euros from the EU budget in 2014, which is 306 million euros less than receipts in the 2013 budget. The income decrease is primarily due to the fact that the payments for rural development in 2014 are expected to be delayed during the first programme year. The income payments will be balanced out in coming years The economic sanctions the European Union has set on Russia due to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the results of the slight collapse of the Russian economy is affecting the Finnish economy both directly and indirectly. Similar situation was seen during the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991, when the Finnish economy was even more dependant of its Eastern neighbour. Inflation Chart 3. Shows the inflation rate (6) In 2014 total exports remained at the same level as the year before, while imports decreased by one per cent. According to the preliminary statistics the value of exports was 55.8 billion euros and the value of imports 57.6 billion euros. (1) Binding expenditure ceilings set at the beginning of each administration’s four-year term prevent the government from running large deficits. Government debt is relatively low, borrowing is based on long-term bonds, bond yields are very low and net public assets are very large. Despite the depression in the western countries, there has been a positive trend in growing consumer confidence during 2014. Inflation rates continued its dropping trend, as on 2013 it was 2.2 % and 2014 1.7 %. Still, wages and salaries grew by 1.3 % the same year. (4) 4. Conclusion The economic outlook for 2014 was weak. Furthermore, Finland had to deal with declining export sectors, a relatively fast ageing population, and private sector indebtedness. However, in overall, Finland’s public finances and banking system are solid, institutions are strong, and the business sectors are competitive. Finland’s strengths are competitive business sector and highly educated workforce, healthy public finances, strong institutions and qualified government officials. The dangerous weaknesses come from the ageing, rigid labour market and waning export sectors. For the first time in three years, the GDP increased on 2014. It can be said that there has been a turn for better in planning and controlling the economy via the government budget.

Teaching Philosophy Statement :: Teachers Education Essays

Teaching Philosophy Statement Education is an experience that will contribute to all aspects of one’s future. The process of that experience is a long progression that should be a positive era in one’s life. Receiving an education should be an enjoyable experience, one in which when you look back and reflect on it you feel that your time was well spent receiving it. A person should learn how to think critically and for them self. They should learn to be an individual not always comply to other people’s opinions. A philosophy of education should be established so that one may understand and articulate the decisions made in the school and classrooms. The overall purpose of education is to not only to prepare children intellectually but also emotionally, socially, and physically for the world that awaits them. It is important that students develop in these areas of maturation. In today’s society almost every job requires some sort of education. As an educator I hope to connect with students and motivate them to acquire such an education. I hope that my students learn to appreciate the benefits of physical fitness and also learn that it can be fun, as well as challenging. I am majoring in k-12 Physical Education and Athletic Training. I plan to teach at the high school level while also serving as the school’s Athletic Trainer. Idecided to also be a physical education teacher because I want to connect with the children not only through athletics but also through the classroom. I want to be not only a teacher but also a positive role model for the children, someone they can come to in a time of need. Since my classroom will more than likely be in a gymnasium I will not be able to determine how it is set up. However, I will be able to determine where the children sit during class time. The children will be in lines parallel to each other for stretching before activity begins. Each week a new person will come to the front of each line to lead the stretches, and the person that was at the front the week before will go to the back.

identity article :: essays research papers

YOU ARE YOU Identities can be lost and found, despite their importance and significance. ANGIE SHUM reports on the changes that many people may experience and a guide to help prevent it.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Crà ¨me brà »lee can never be jello, YOU can never be jello.† When Julia Roberts stated this line to the vulnerable Cameron Diaz, in â€Å"My Best Friend’s Wedding†, she wasn’t criticising the pros and cons of food, she was conveying her opinion on being yourself. Crà ¨me brà »lee – a rich dessert containing chilled, custard with a caramelised topping, creating a delicious flavour as the smooth, creamy texture melts in your mouth. Jello – clear, bright, floppy and sweet or better known as jelly. How can crà ¨me brà »lee even be compared to jello? Crà ¨me brà »lee is crà ¨me brà »lee and jello is jello. Just like these desserts, humans should stick to being who they are. In spite of this many humans tend to be persuaded into the unfortunate direction of changing themselves to suit the needs and interests of others. Princess Fiona, from Shrek strived to be the perfect princess that any knight in shining armour would dream of. However, she was hiding a deep, dark secret – an ogre. Princess Fiona was in fact an ogre and she was hiding this side of her because she thought others would think she was ugly and repulsive. Nevertheless, Shrek, another ogre, discovered her inner beauty. Beauty that was far beyond appearances. As Helen Keller once said: â€Å"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched†¦but are felt in the heart.† Changing yourself to impress others cannot only lead you to embarrassment, but it can also be a simple approach for flushing your own personality down the toilet. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689–1762) once stated, â€Å"I despise the pleasure of pleasing people that I despise.† Most reasons people transform themselves are due to lack of self-esteem and yes, the big â€Å"J† word. JEALOUSY. This emotion may also lead to despising others and even hatred. So, in order to claim back your esteem, you attempt to be better than them. That is in terms of, looks, intelligence and personality, which then leads to competition with others. It’s very important for people to recognise their own identity and to grasp the importance of it. A perfect example of this is in the poem â€Å"Portrait† by Judith Wright. This poem gives a brief insight into a stereotypical woman’s► identity through a third person.

Major Challenges of Organizational Management Essay example -- Busines

Major Challenges of Organizational Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are a number of differences between FMC’s Aberdeen and Green River, the two facilities of discussion. One may assume, therefore, that managerial styles, business practices, and other aspects of business and the employees involved, would be very different from one another. On the other hand, it is quite possible to use very similar styles of doing business and managing a company, despite differences in the company, as a good style of managing, and good practices would assist any business in succeeding. Management, employees and productivity being the main focuses at hand, one may first want to review these differences between the two facilities. To begin with, the facility in Aberdeen employs 100 people, while the Green River plant maintains 1150, and while Green River produces over 100 goods, and distributes world wide, the Aberdeen plant has only one product, and one customer. The two plants were very different in age and industry as well, with Green River as an older company in the chemical industry, and Aberdeen, a five year old â€Å"start up† company in the defense industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Considering that the Green River facility has been in operation as long as it has, major changes to the company’s methods of operation may prove to be difficult initially. The large number of employees may provide a need for some small changes in comparison to the way that the Aberdeen facility is able to manage successfully. The general idea of changing the values of â€Å"managing† employees, to incorporate the employees opinions, thoughts, feelings, to make the employee feel more a part of, and personally responsible for, the work produced, is an excellent idea, and despite the differences in the facilities, it should be something of an improvement for this, and any, company. This general idea starts the more involved process of improving an employee’s satisfaction with all of their job facets, and focuses on their abilities, desire to succeed, and other aspects of importance to a person in the workplace. An excessive amount of change, or r ushed change, is a possible concern for a facility like Green River that has been established for a considerable length of time, as employees have grown accustomed to a certain atmosphere, and may initially feel uncomfortable with change. Again, it is also likely that this is not... ...chain on the other hand, though still managed with upper and lower levels, reacts more as a team, giving those involved more recognition for their accomplishments. People who are recognized as such, and appreciated for their individual strengths, may be more likely to utilize these strengths and feel that they are a part of the company, rather than a pawn of the company. There is something very positive to be said for this type of thinking, if everyone on the Earth felt that a small positive contribution to it’s well being would be recognized, and make a difference, I can almost guarantee that we would be living in a very different world today. Works Cited: Organizational Behavior, Jennifer M George & Gareth R Jones, Copyright 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc., Ch. 1-4 Prentice Hall, Custom Business Resources, FMC Aberdeen from Practice Problems in Organizations: Cases in Leadership, Organizational Behavior and Human Resources, by James G Clawson, A Custom Edit, Copyright 2003 Pearson Custom Publishing If the job could talk By Bill J. Bonnstetter Copyright 2000. TTI Performance Systems, Ltd. http://www.benchmarkingdna.com/showPDF.php?file=Articles_IfTheJobCouldTalk

Matrilineality

The term matrilineal descent (or uxorial descent, or matrilineality, or matrilineage) refers to a system of tracing family ties, inheritance and succession only through female ancestors in the family. Despite of its being quite uncommon, this type of social organization exists in many world’s cultures and regions, and practically can be put to the following: â€Å"†¦relatedness through females is treated as culturally more significant than relatedness through males† (Holden, Sear & Mace, 2003). Therefore, according to the system of matrilineality, an individual is supposed to belong to the same descent social group as his/her female ancestors (mother, grandmother, etc.). This concept is contrary to more widespread and popular social system of patrilineal descent, in which a person belongs to his/her father lineage. Patrilineal descent is a prevailing concept; nevertheless, matrilineality can have more common sense, because it is always easier to identify a person’s mother then his/her father. The term matrilineality is used both in sociology and anthropology, because historically such powerful cultures and civilizations like Ancient Egypt, Indo-European, Slavic, Chinese, Japanese, Middle Asian cultures, including the Minangkabau and many others, could rise and develop due to matrilineal customs and the power of their determined and clever Queens, Princesses or other female rulers. Strong elements of matrilineality are preserved in some contemporary cultures and religions, in particular, in Orthodox Judaism, which states that a person must be a child of a Jewish mother in order to be considered a member of this religious group. References: Holden, C.J., & Rebecca Sear, Ruth Mace. (2003) Matriliny as daughter-biased investment. Evolution & Human Behavior. 24: 99-112 Luomala, N. (n.d.). Matrilineal Reinterpretation of Some Egyptian Sacred Cows. Personal Web-Site of Professor Ronald Bolender. Sweet Briar College. Retrieved June 9, 2007

Effectiveness of the criminal justice system Essay

Assess the effectiveness of the criminal justice system when dealing with young offenders The criminal justice system approaches young offenders through unique policies to address the challenges of dealing with juvenile offending. They take special care when dealing with juveniles in order to stop them from repeat offending and stop any potential bad behaviour which could result in future. Juveniles have the highest tendency to rehabilitate and most adopt law-abiding lifestyles as they mature. There are several factors influencing juvenile crime including psychological and social pressures unique to juveniles, which may lead to an increase in juvenile’s risks of contact with the criminal justice system. Firstly, crime committed by persons between the ages of 15 to 19 are more likely to be processed by police more often than any other societal group, making crime rates in this age bracket significantly higher. This is due to the fact that offence rates usually peak during adolescence and will decline with maturity which happens during early adulthood. The processing of these crimes helps to embed the seed of legal knowledge in the mind of a child in hopes of shaping their future actions. In NSW the age of criminal responsibility is defined by statute as 10 years of age (Children’s (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 NSW). This means that a child under the age of 10 years cannot be prosecuted for a crime. The basis of this is the recognition of the immaturity and vulnerability of children and, hence, their inability to form the requisite criminal intent known as mens rea which protects a child from being tried at the level of the adult while they are not developed enough to know the difference between right and wrong. Additionally, the common law presumption of doli incapax refers to the presumption that a child is â€Å"incapable of committing a crime† between 10 and 14 years of age which protects a child who was unaware that the act was wrong. Police are entitled to require that a young person provide them with name, address and proof of identity. As with adults, police have no general power to detain a child for the purpose of questioning. A child or young person  cannot be taken to the police station unless they are under arrest. If arrested, the child’s parents or guardian must be contacted. A child cannot be questioned by police for more than two hours at any one time and is entitled to have their parent, guardian or solicitor present during questioning. If the child is younger than 16 years, parental permission must be obtained or another supporting adult to be present during questioning. There are some exceptions to this in relation to, for example, motor vehicles. If a young person is the owner of a motor vehicle, they are required by law to tell police the name and address of the driver of the vehicle if it is alleged that the driver committed a driving offence. The Children’s Court only hears proceedings for offenders under 18 years or those who are still under 21 years and committed or were charged with the crime while under the age of 18. For this reason, it is a closed court and proceedings aim to be less formal so not to intimidate the child and protect them from harsh labeling and indirect defamation by the wider community which could potentially affect their future. The names of children and young people appearing in the Children’s Court are not published; it is an offence for media outlets to do so. Under very special circumstance the court may grant permission for names to be published.The cases are usually presided over by a Magistrate and there is no jury. The primary purpose of sentencing and the entire process is to nullify the situation and come up with a plan of action to rehabilitate the offender more than punish them, for this reason, it is highly effective. The primary aim of a court when imposing a penalty on a child or young person is to rehabilitate them and give them an opportunity to rebuild their lives and hopefully not reoffend. Magistrates will often request that Juvenile Justice prepare a background report on the child or young person to assist them in the sentencing process. If a guilty plea is entered or the young person is found guilty of a crime, the following penalties may be imposed: A caution may be issued The offender may be referred to a Youth Justice Conference Depending on the offender’s ability to pay they may be fined to a maximum of  $1000 Community Service may be ordered; up to 100 hours for offenders under 16 years and up to 250 hours for those older than 16 The may be placed on a good behaviour bond Discuss factors that affect sentencing decisions, including the purposes of punishment and the role of the victim Statutory and judicial guidelines inform the exercise of judicable discretion in the area of sentencing. They aim to provide greater uniformity in sentencing matters and enhance the integrity of the process. Judicial guidelines are set by the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal. They are not binding but their aim is to structure discretion. For example, for the offence of culpable driving the court has indicated that in the normal course a custodial sentence should be imposed unless exceptional circumstances exist. In terms of statutory guidelines a number of acts inform the exercise of judicial discretion. For example, the Crimes Act 1900 NSW prescribes the maximum sentence that may be imposed for various offences. The Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 NSW also prescribes general guidelines in relation to sentencing. For example it identifies what might constitute a mitigating or aggravating circumstance. However, it is left to the exercise of judicial discretion as to how much weight should be given to such circumstances. The sentence that a Court imposes upon an accused is informed by differing punishment objectives. The objective of deterrence is to discourage people from offending in the future. There are two types of deterrence. Specific deterrence aims to deter an individual offender from re-offending, e.g. a short custodial sentence could be said to have a specific deterrent effect by giving the offender a â€Å"taste† of the prison system in the hope that this will discourage further criminal activity. General deterrence aims to send a message to the community that criminal behaviour is unacceptable and will be punished: for example the imposition of a custodial sentence for a particular crime, whether of short or long duration, could be argued to have a general deterrent effect. This objective is that by making an example of a particular offender, the community will take note and be more willing to  comply with the law. The aim of rehabilitation is to change the behaviour of the offender so that they will not re-offend. Accordingly, rehabilitation is primarily aimed at tackling the problem of recidivism, i.e. repeat offenders. It should be noted that in accordance with the provisions of the Young Offenders Act 1997 NSW, rehabilitation must be the primary focus of any punishment imposed upon a child aged 0 – 15 years, or a young person aged 16 – 18 years. Aggravating factors are factors which increase the offender’s criminal culpability and therefore are likely to result in the offender receiving a more severe punishment e.g. was the crime committed in company? was there gratuitous violence? was the victim a child? was that child under the care of the offender? Mitigating factors are factors which reduce the offender’s criminal culpability and are then likely to result in the offender receiving a less severe punishment, e.g. whether the offender has pleaded guilty or whether the defendant’s actions were in some way provoked by the victim. Since 1996 in NSW, victims are permitted to give a victims impact statement to the Court. This legislative change has arguably been a positive development as the statement gives victims a voice in the judicial process. It is a matter of judicial discretion as to what weight, if any, the judge will give the victim’s impact statement.

Adventure in pisay

Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Biological Science Year and Section: AAA Resource Teacher 1: Mrs.. Minute Date: August 4, 2014 Cooperating School: Philippine Science High School – Bucolic Region Campus Instructional materials are designed for use by students and teachers as a earning resource for students to acquire essential knowledge, skills, abilities and dispositions.This includes print and non-print materials, including comprehensive/ core textbooks, supplemental materials, web-based and electronic textbooks, and other type of Instructional materials being use by teachers in a classroom. Topic: Culture Media Preparation Instructional Material used: Power point presentation and Textbook Instructions: use the checklist below to evaluate the instructional material (s) use by our resource teacher.Place a (0 mark on the blank before each item If the instructional material (s) fit the description or an (x) mark If It does not fit the description. 1. The instructional m aterials used by the teacher align with the learning objectives. Lesson. 2. The instructional material is appropriate for the content of the 3. It supports self-directed learning. 4. The Instructional material is flexible In Its use. 5.The Instructional trials reinforce the learning and stimulate Interest of the learners. 6. It commensurate with student's learning abilities. Active learning. 7. It engages student in 8. Real-world application is relevant to students. 9. Instructional material provides access to or demonstrates concepts in multiple ways, allowing for a variety of students responses. Of skills and concepts at grade level. 10. Instructional material Includes application 11. The Instructional material present

My Declaration of Independence

When in the course of life events, it becomes necessary for me to suspend the mental beliefs which have chained me to false ideals overwhelmed me by others; and when it is necessary for me to assume the strength and power of my natural state of being to which the Laws of Nature and of Life entitle me, an honest recognition of who I really am requires that I should declare myself separated from any causes and influences which force upon me a will outside of my own.I hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people are created equal, that I am endowed by Life with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the freedom to pursue Happiness. That to secure these rights: I, originating my just powers from the conviction of my own mental government, must assume responsibility.That whenever any outside form of influence becomes destructive and imposes on my freedom, it is my right to alter or sever damaging ties and to institute a new relationship with it, laying a new foundation based upon honorable principles and respecting its right to govern itself in such as way as to effect its Safety and Happiness. That positive relationship, long established, should not be changed for light and meaningless causes.In addition, all experience has shown that I am more likely to suffer while negative external forces are attempting to influence me without my awareness, than when I knowingly enter into fair, balanced, and responsible exchanges of influence. It is, thereby, my right to abolish any destructive forms of influence to which I may have unknowingly been accustomed but have recently become aware of.And also, when a long history of abuse and negativity, pressing its will upon me, reveals a design to reduce my will and keep me under absolute tyranny and dependency, it is my right–it is my duty–to throw off such harassment, and to encourage a new self-esteem along with honorable and just beliefs for my future security.Having been, in t he past, dominated by external forces and influences, now is the time, by absolute necessity, that I call upon myself to cast off, with great belief, all negative influences, and external mental-governments; all expectations not aligned with who I declare myself to be; and to be forgiven and released from personal persecution by which I may have blamed myself for any past wrong-doings.As proof of my conviction in support of this personal declaration of independence, let the facts of my present and future behavior be submitted for all to observe. And with the hope of long Life, the expectation of Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness, I declare independence, now and forever!

Tragedy of the Commons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tragedy of the Commons - Essay Example (Emission Facts 2011) Environment Impact–a Tragedy of Commons Global warming is one of such effect that has caused due to uninterrupted and prolific consumption of fossil fuel by developed countries for last several decades. The effects of which is now being faced by low lying countries due to rising sea levels and getting large part of their land area submerged in sea. John Vidal (2009) reports, â€Å"Migration is the only escape from rising tides of climate change in Bangladesh†. He reports the situation has changed in the last 20 years. The people of Bangladesh have lost their farmland and many of them have lost their homes. There is no fish in the river and drinking water has become salty. A few years from now many villages will submerge in the sea water. On the other side of Bay of Bengal in India the sea level is rising fast and more than 70,000 people at the Indian coast will required to be evacuated in next 5 years. These people are suffering the tragedy of glob al warming for which they are not at all responsible as their economic conditions have always been at margin and they have never been a part of any industrial revolution in true sense to get any benefit. (Vidal, 2009) In another dispatch from Jowit (2010) in Guardian speaks about the environmental damage caused by the world's largest 3000 companies the cost of which is equivalent to the one-third of their profits when the damage done by them is computed into financial terms. The issue is that none of these companies is made to pay for the loss on environment that has created the loss of freshwater, fisheries, and the huge pollution that they have created. Trucost, a London based firm has estimated that the combined damage is worth more than... The researcher states that Hardin was right, when he said that the issues that fall under ‘Tragedy of Commons’ have no easy solutions to them today. In fact, it asks for change in human behavior and attitudes. In the case of climate change solutions lie at two fronts, that are technical and behavioral. Technical solution lies in using the energy that do not produce the green house gases, such as wind and solar energy, using the energy in an efficient manner, capturing and storing the carbon dioxide gas. The researcher states that the biggest issue is the green house gases, that is usually generated by these companies that have caused the climate change in all parts of the world. The social impact it has caused due to migration of people from their homeland to other parts within and outside their country. People use large cars that consume high amount of gas creating more green house gases because they think they can afford it but when more people behave in this fashion t he environment impact to the society is large, just like the single herdsman thinking who adds one more cattle to the field to get the benefit passing the loss to other herdsman. It is obvious today, that the benefit goes to the large companies at the cost of others. Hardin has employed the word coercion to direct the individual behavior to attain any societal or environmental goals. In conclusion, the researcher mentiones that in the case of environment too, Hardin’s approach of coercion is a need of time and should be employed rigorously.

Evaluate the risk exposure to commercial bank whilst they endeavour to Essay

Evaluate the risk exposure to commercial bank whilst they endeavour to maximize their revenues within profitable lending - Essay Example It is the most common risk experienced by banks in lending. It occurs when customers are unable to meet their obligations, fall due and causes the bank to suffer a loss. Different bank transactions that cause the credit risk may result from the lending made to the governments, individuals, and companies. Second, it may result from lending money in exchange for security bonds. Commercial banks also exchange lending with shares, swaps, trade finance transactions, and other items. The probability of risk increased due to the different items that may cause the credit risk. The risk increase in the event, the bank fails to evaluate the customer credit worthiness. It is more probable to lose a huge sum of money when commercial banks offer huge loans to customers without proper credit rating. The risk results from market rate fluctuations. Normally, the banks allow customers to deposit money in the bank at a certain rate. Subsequently, banks give out the money in the form of loans at a rate higher than the one paid to depositors. Commercial banks risk a loss when the government control lowers the lending interest rates. If the lending interest’s rates decrease below the interest rate provided to depositor’s commercial banks may experience difficulties paying back the money to the depositors. The probability and the severity of loss increase when the government exercises serious controls in the monetary market. The interest rate risk affects the currents earnings of a firm and the present value of the future cash flows due to changes in the interest factor value. The depositors in a bank may withdraw their deposits from the bank any time as long as they do not violate the terms agreed. At the same time, the bank may offer huge sums of loan against few deposits made by customers. In case the customers decide withdraw their deposits, the funds will be unavailable. The liquidity risk is the probability that the bank will

The Developing Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The Developing Manager - Essay Example Ð °rds on the bÐ °sis of group pÐ °rticipÐ °tion Ð °nd involvement in such Ð °reÐ °s Ð °s setting goÐ °ls Ð °nd Ð °pprÐ °ising progress towÐ °rd goÐ °ls, engÐ °ge in much communicÐ °tion both down Ð °nd up Ð °nd with peers, encourÐ °ge decisionmÐ °king throughout the orgÐ °nizÐ °tion, Ð °nd otherwise operÐ °te Ð °mong themselves Ð °nd with their subordinÐ °tes Ð °s Ð ° group. My orgÐ °nizÐ °tion Ð °pplies neither of in-Ð °bove described styles. It is rÐ °ther something in the middle of exploitive – Ð °uthoritÐ °tive Ð °nd pÐ °rticipÐ °tive-group which cÐ °n be referred to Ð °s consultÐ °tive. MÐ °nÐ °gers within my orgÐ °nizÐ °tion hÐ °ve substÐ °ntiÐ °l but not complete confidence Ð °nd trust in subordinÐ °tes, usuÐ °lly try to mÐ °ke use of subordinÐ °tes ideÐ °s Ð °nd opinions, use rewÐ °rds for motivÐ °tion with occÐ °sionÐ °l punishment Ð °nd some pÐ °rticipÐ °tion, engÐ °ge in communicÐ °tion flow both down Ð °nd up, mÐ °ke broÐ °d policy Ð °nd generÐ °l decisions Ð °t the top while Ð °llowing specific decisions to be mÐ °de Ð °t lower levels Ð °nd Ð °ct consultÐ °tively in other wÐ °ys. CommunicÐ °tion is the process of sending Ð °nd receiving informÐ °tion or communicÐ °tion with Ð °nother person. In Ð ° simplistic form, informÐ °tion is sent from Ð ° sender or encoder to Ð ° receiver or decoder. In Ð ° more complex form feedbÐ °ck links Ð ° sender to Ð ° receiver. This requires Ð ° symbolic Ð °ctivity, sometimes viÐ ° Ð ° lÐ °nguÐ °ge. CommunicÐ °tion development is the development of processes enÐ °bling one to understÐ °nd whÐ °t others sÐ °y (or sign, or write) Ð °nd speÐ °k(or sign, or write), trÐ °nslÐ °te sounds Ð °nd symbols into meÐ °ning Ð °nd leÐ °rn the syntÐ °x of the lÐ °nguÐ °ge. CommunicÐ °tion is bÐ °sed on the ideÐ ° of respect, promises Ð °nd the wÐ °nt for sociÐ °l improvement. NonverbÐ °l communicÐ °tion deÐ °ls with fÐ °ciÐ °l expressions Ð °nd body motions. 93% of â€Å"emotionÐ °l meÐ °ning† we tÐ °ke from other people is found in the person’s fÐ °ciÐ °l expressions Ð °nd tone of voice, the other 7% is tÐ °ken from whÐ °t the person Ð °ctuÐ °lly sÐ °ys (More

Islam and Muslims in the western Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Islam and Muslims in the western Media - Essay Example Muslim community sees western Media as a representative of America and its European friendly member countries as enemies by and large. Although there have been independent Muslim bodies like the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), which is although not an incorporated association, founded in 1997 yet one can fathom its importance when its Secretary General, Iqbal Sacranie was awarded a knighthood in the 2005 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for the services he rendered to the Muslim community and inter-religious talks. In this regard, it is worth noting the comments of Sunny Hundal, editor of Asians in Media – an online media and current affairs magazine – â€Å"Dump the media circus,† instigating media not to propagate the boycott of MCB on Holocaust Memorial, explaining "The MCB actually enjoys this controversy and the stance it takes because it helps maintain credibility with extremist supporters who think everything is a big 'Zionist conspiracy'ï â€º....ï  It also diverts attention from their own lack of power and influence". On the other hand, the Islamic world due to its poor performance in foresight and clarity of thought becomes a soft target by western journalists although vast population and natural resources of Islamic countries are quite enough to make them a formidable world power. In his book – Islam In the Age of Western Media – Akbar S Ahmed writes on Islam And The West: Confrontation or Consensus? – blaming western media of labeling Islamic countries as â€Å"an arc of crisis† or â€Å"an Islamic crescent of crisis,† referring it as a â€Å"journalistic clichà ©Ã¢â‚¬ . This enmity of western media towards Islamic world gives a negative impression of two so-called infamous â€Å"Oriental prejudices† as called by Akbar S Ahmed, namely instable political scenario and ill-treatment of women in Islam by its male counterparts.

Do you agree the impossibility of measuring the size of ecological Essay

Do you agree the impossibility of measuring the size of ecological footprints accurately undermines the idea of ecological citizenship - Essay Example rol the rate of individual man’s exploitation of natural resources, but the question that arises in this context is: can the ecological footprint support and incorporate corporate citizenship or does it actually undermine it? This study examines whether and to what extent, the ecological footprint can contribute towards environmental sustainability and how far it promotes or undermines a spirit of ecological citizenship. The co-creator of the concept of ecological footprint is Mathis Wackermagel, who in an interview, pointed out that there must be some degree of relative parity in the use of Earth’s resources among individuals from different parts of the planet.1 The ecological footprint offers a measurable tool that can determine how much of land and water resources humans need in order to be able to produce the resources they use and to absorb the wastes they generate, and this has been pegged at a footprint of 4.5 acres per person. But in the United States, the average size of this footprint is much larger, i.e, about 24 acres, which suggests that the average American citizen uses up much more than his or her fair share of the resources of the Planet.2 An ecological footprint may be defined as a â€Å"measurement of the land area required to sustain a population of any size.†3 Wackernagel, the co-creator of the ecological footprint, has defined it as â€Å"the land (and water) area that would be required to support a defined human population and material standard indefinitely.†4 Every individual uses certain basic amenities such as food, electricity and other basic amenities in order to survive and these resources need to be derived within the constraints of nature by using raw natural resources. An ecological footprint thus seeks to determine the amount of both land and water resources that must be used by every individual in order to sustain a population of any size over a future continuous period, with such an assessment being made on the basis of the

American Idea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Idea - Essay Example This disposable culture is the latest and greatest American contribution to history. But it is also true that it does not provide any alternative form of storage. This has led to a lot of instability. Consider finding a library under the earth due to some natural calamity, we could still have access to the books once the repairs are done but what would be the state of the computer related memory storage systems such as memory sticks,CDs etc.We will have absolutely no access to these regardless of how much storage space they hold. If any one has committed any wrong act, the person is punished. And hence there is justice for all. But in spite of this rule, there have been so many loop holes and there have been instances where evil minded people, smugglers and other criminals who get away with their wrong doings. Independence/freedom is the core value which is given most importance in this world. Everyone wants freedom and independence which is good and will definitely boost up ones positive attitude. But this freedom is also misused in several ways. Children who are so young become victims to so many criminal activities such as taking drugs, becoming alcoholics or chain smokers which are very harmful to health all just because they have the freedom to do what they want. It fosters an excessive individualism, an unfettered reliance on markets, and an unrelenting distrust of government - each of which impedes our capacity to address urgent societal problems. We adapt to change while remaining anchored to core values. Change is inevitable and people believe it only because of adapting to change we have grown so far. And America leads the way here as well.Globalization, terrorism, resource scarcity, consumerism and technological advances are among the forces that test economical and political institutions and our values. An information free-for-all makes it hard to discover truth and distinguish between the significant and the trivial. And hence a bunch of fighters arise over a bunch of people who should fell like one big family and work towards destroying the world rather than creating harmony. The biggest challenge facing the American idea is how to anchor enduring values in this time of rapid and discordant change. Religious and cultural norms of a simpler past seem unable to secure shared values in the complex present. Future: It is certainly very difficult to find a place characterized by justice and freedom, but if the future has to be better than what it's been all this while, America must be the role model for the rest of the world. As regards moral leadership, America stands first in helping and leading her own country and also some of the other suffering countries. This idea may not be true in every sense but we must strive towards the achievement of the same as it is the only hope for freedom in the world which every human being strives for at the end of the day. America means development, liberty, justice and equal opportunity for all. And hence this idea of America should be

Values and Meaning of Attending College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Values and Meaning of Attending College - Essay Example In contrast to an individualist purpose for attending college, Boyer believes the college has an obligation to teach â€Å"a more coherent view of knowledge and a more integrated life† (Steltenpohl & J. Shipton, 1995, p. 18). In addition, he warns that we must be â€Å"mindful of the consequences of selfishness† (p. 18). Boyer does not provide a defense of individualism, even though he says it is â€Å"necessary† (p. 18). Instead, Boyer relies only on his defense of community in making his case for two essential goals. The problem is that Boyer does not actually believe in individualism when he claims colleges have an obligation (or duty) to enforce this idea of a more â€Å"coherent† or â€Å"integrated† life. A perspective that believes in individuals to develop their own views on knowledge or life would advocate for an obligation or duty for colleges to present knowledge to students and to allow them to form their own judgments. The purpose, or g oal, of college is not to give students a passage, but rather to present facts and objective information. A â€Å"passage† sounds inherently biased toward whatever values the college seeks to supply their students with. While this kind of education—such as that provided by Christian private colleges—has a demand, but that demand is specific and does not represent the general purpose of college. Indeed, having students personally powered and committed to the common good is potentially valuable, but not if that commitment undermines their autonomy. The result of Boyer’s perspective is clearly laid out by Perkinson in his essay â€Å"The Educated Person: A Changing Ideal,† specifically in his treatment of John Dewey and socialization (Steltenpohl & J. Shipton, 1995, p. 36). Dewey and pragmatist philosophers advocated schools as tools for producing intelligent decision-makers in a participant democracy. In reality, what this meant was that loyal citize ns coming out of public schools were not â€Å"leaders, but functionaries† (p. 36). Everyone coming out of schools was equipped with common values, beliefs, and attitudes serving the American status quo. Economically, every child was prepared to accept his or her role as a cog in a production system. This is the logical result of the kind of solution that Boyer seeks by telling colleges that they have an obligation to teach their students how to be members of a community. However, Boyer and Dewey have been influential enough to change American education at their core. One can see this influence even in our Brandman catalog, which withholds degrees from students who have not completed the sometimes-irrelevant education requirements. The opposite perspective—that we ought to be honoring the role of the individual in education—is borne out by Whitehead in â€Å"Universities and their Function† (Steltenpohl & J. Shipton, 1995, p. 38). Whitehead locates the â €Å"proper function of a university† in â€Å"the imaginative acquisition of knowledge† (p. 39). Imagination is an individual ability and does not depend on a community. When one looks around a college classroom, one does not see a group of people engaged in the attempt to better their community through the process of learning. While Boyer would think this is a problem, Whitehead is more concerned with whether individuals are involved in an imaginative acquisition of knowledge. The imaginative pursuit of knowledge, one would suspect, might lead to an individual developing his own

Enron And The Decision Making Factor Essay Example for Free

Enron And The Decision Making Factor Essay Introduction – Students, analysts and critics of modern business practice will always consider the colossal Enron collapse as an important text book case about how a lot of different things inside the company can trigger a nearly overnight downfall of a once prestigious company. If there was any Cinderella story in the world of blue chip trading and high portfolio business, Enron was the ultimate opposite, if not the witch herself who was killed by her own lethal potion. The Enron collapse resulted in the formulating of many different opinions pointing to the many different possible reasons why Enron – with all the promise and potential that it has a few years before it went south – made the nosedive that made it one of the worst disasters in the history of trade, commerce and business. There is no doubt that most of the opinions that surfaced explaining the reason why such an eventuality befell Enron placed the blame on the wrong things that the top management echelon did for the company; they are after all the one which is responsible for the present and the future of Enron. Critics looking at the Enron debacle scrutinized what happened leading to the collapse using many different perspectives and considering many different factors, both in the professional capability of the company’s leaders as well as the impact of the surrounding factors beyond Enron’s control. One of the most important facets in the debate regarding the fall of Enron is decision making. Evidently, a lot of wrong decisions were made, with one every wrong decision acting as a building block that eventually became an insurmountable wall of consequences all borne out of wrong or faulty decision making processes that yielded results that did the company more harm than good. Indeed, the decision making linchpins significant to the establishment of the case that the Enron collapse was due in some extent to the decision making aspect of the leadership strata of the company can be identified easily as it is scattered throughout the timeline of Enron’s very near and not so distant past leading to the eventual fall of the company that hid behind the facade of the building the ugliness created by the qualities of its leaders that caused the chaos that burned down Enron down to meager, worthless ashes. This paper will pick the significant moments wherein the decision making capabilities and abilities of its top management leaders were at play and use these moments to establish the ethical and other considerations coming to play during the analysis of the decision making efforts of the leaders and why the outcome of such exercises led to the fall of Enron and not towards the company’s betterment, which is the main task of the company’s top executives. The paper will utilize these occasions to stress its argument regarding the role of effective, ethical and sound decision making of top executives leading to either the success or bankruptcy of companies, in this case that of Enron, and discuss key aspects of this line of thought. The paper will not criminalize the actions of the executives of Enron; rather, it will infuse inputs from other professionals regarding important aspects in the discussion of corporate decision making (ethics, result-orientation, etc). Background – Various angles have already been explored by many different individuals every time the topic of analysis is Enron and its collapse. Because of this, the paper is moving to focus on an aspect that is focused more on Kenneth Lay and the rest of his top executive clique’s personal characteristic that could have played an important role in the outcome of Enron’s operation. Decision making is both a personal characteristic as it is a professional credential, even an asset. Some people are being paid handsome amounts of money for their ability to transform decision making moments into an opportunity that provides a positive result and expected outcome for the company. Ehringer (1995) puts it simply: The ability to make good decisions is the defining quality of our lives (Ehringer, 1995, p. 1). When Lay, Skilling, Fastow and other Enron bosses were placed in their respective positions, they were expected to exercise a high level of intuitiveness, business acumen and professional foresight so that every decision making opportunity is met with the company’s best interest long term and short term in mind. They were where they were because those who placed them there believed that they can make decisions to which the company can benefit from. When Enron collapse, many people and organizations criticized the questioned the decision making capabilities of the top executives – was the collapse an effect of the result of the decision that they made? Was the decision made putting the benefit of the company and the employees first, or are the decisions shaped so that it benefited them first? How bad was the breach in the ethical considerations that a professional should take every time he or she makes a decision that puts the future of the company on the line? These are just some of the questions that may also be present in the minds of those who followed the Enron case. Sure there were varying degrees of deception and fraudulent acts from the part of many select individuals who sinned against Enron and its employees, but these cases would have been minimized or even averted altogether if the important decision making privileges was limited to a select few, or if the future-altering decision making capability is disseminated largely among a huge group of people that can provide a check and balance system for Enron. Roberts (2004) explained that if it is possible for others to make the decisions for a unit, then new options arise to design the decision-making process as well as the incentive schemes to get better performance on both dimensions. For example, the design might specify that a decision about a project arising in one unit that affects another would be implemented if and only if both units agree to it, (Roberts, 2004, p. 51). Enron is an energy trading firm which was performing well in the early part of its existence. By the start of the 21st century, the problems that the bosses were trying to hide from the public and from the employees started to stank. Soon, events unfolded like dominoes falling one after the other as a consequence of information spilling out into the public’s attention. Before 2004, the public already had a clear idea about how Enron bosses were supposedly the one responsible for the defrauding of the employees and their company shares and other benefits, as well as the one responsible for the bankruptcy of Enron. One by one, key company officials stepped out of the light and implicated a new name, which will in turn implicate a much bigger name, until the dragnet sent out to see who was accountable for the fraudulent acts in Enron caught its top bosses, including Lay, Skilling and Fastow. Many individuals faced criminal charges, and many more simply went home not just jobless but are robbed of lifetime investments which Enron bosses manipulated and soon lost because of the wrong decisions they made on how to run the company and make it prosper and grow. Examples of how Enron management made wrong decisions during decision making moments abound in the history of the company. Take for example what happened in 1987 instead of declaring the $190 million loss the company experienced, they concealed it instead, leading to criminal charges. This habit of Enron for opting to conceal losses instead of declaring it became a dangerous vice; when Fastow was aboard Enron, the same outlook affected the decision making of Enron, leading to increase in pile of cases wherein Enron through its top management consciously made actions that defraud the employees and the public. There was also the case of poor public relations by Enron which fanned the flames of panic that removed any possible opportunity for Enron to remedy the financial situation without creating hysteria that saw many stockholders selling their stocks due to the continued falling of the stock value of Enron. Statement of Problem – The most important decision that Enron’s executives faced was not the decision on whether or not to publicly announce about the bankruptcy; in fact, there was no decision making factor during that instance since the predicament of the company has already been decided regardless of what the top executives might have opted for: they were flat out broke and the public needs to know about this, that was the situation. The true decision making moment for Enron’s bosses was the time when they were deciding what the best option to take is with regards to the financial aspect of the company, including taxes, earnings and financial loses. It was a matter of facing a decision making task that provided the Enron bosses with two options – to do the right thing, or to opt for something that is morally and ethically inappropriate. The decision reached in this particular decision making instance was laced with the hope that the option they took would be free from serious repercussions and give them enough time to fix it all up again. Unfortunately for Enron, things did not work out as planned, and the criminal liability of the Enron bosses stemmed from the fact that they decided to do something which they consciously knew was detrimental to the welfare of the Enron company and its employees. During that particular instance, Lay could have opted to do the right thing and faced the consequences by coming clean, he may have a more sympathetic public to support him in whatever efforts he may wish to undertake to revive Enron, and not be faced with the collapsing stock value since those who can sell theirs sell it in a frantic phase to rid themselves of the stock of the company which is nearing imminent bankruptcy. This showed how the people do not give second chances to those who squander their decision making privileges by making decisions bereft of the consideration of the good of the greater many. Decision making John Hintze (2006), in his discussion about making smart decisions during decision making, used the case of the Enron collapse to open his discussion and establish the fact that problems are something that is foreseen, something that happened nonetheless owing to bad decision making. Hintze wrote, should we have seen 9/11 coming? What about the Enron collapse? The Signs were there; people pointed them out, but the appropriate steps were not taken by those in a position to do something. Why is this? Politics? Greed? Those certainly contributed, but there was something else at work here, too: A failure of common sense in decision making (Hintze, 2006, p. 123). Enron: Bad decision making Nothing can prove more about how bad the decision making went inside Enron camp more convincingly than the fact the company transformed from prosperous to poor overnight. This was the general characteristic of Enron through the traits shown by its leaders that reflect the Enron personality. There were earlier discussions in the paper about snippets on instances pointing to Enrons penchant for making bad decision or for going to the resolving of a problem utilizing an option that is more questionable. Fox (2004) explained that Enron believed that its expansion into international projects were positive initiatives simply because they put the company in more potential markets. In truth, Enron made bad business decisions that werent supported by the deals economics. The bad business decisions piled up, stretching from India to Brazil, pressuring the company to do something about its finances’ (Fox, 2004,p. 307). At least at this point, Fox is not pointing at the unethical aspect of the Enron decision making machinery, just the fact that they made decisions that were bad for the future of the company, but not to the extent of deliberately sabotaging the company or putting the company in danger with all known risk for personal gain. For Fox, it was a bad call plain and simple. But the matter of the fact is that not everyone sees it the way Fox does, and there are those who believe that there were ethical breaches in the decision making in Enron among its top bosses. The (absence of) Leaders in decision-making – Decision making in retrospective is one of the common line of thinking used when investigating events that led to growth or debacle. It is because decision making played an important part in shaping the future of the company; it is here where the foundation, or lack of it, was created via the decisions the bosses made or failed to make. To trace the problems or mark significant actions resulting from decision making which eventually resulted to either the success or failure of the company, it is not only the decision making events that are looked back to; the persons that made them were also put under the microscope, and among the qualities scrutinized is their decision making ability and their other characteristics that affect their decision making attitude and behavior. Professionals debate about the idea of a good decision, a bad decision, good intentions and bad intentions and how the good and bad effect that comes into play afterwards account for the overall accountability of a person wielding the power to make decisions that will have a tremendous impact on the future of the company, something which happened in Enron via Lay, Skilling, Fastow and the rest of the top figures of the company. Acuff (2004) explains that ‘if they make a decision that might not have been the decision I would have made, and they come and talk to me about it, we look at it and discuss it. There are a lot of different ways to skin the horse. I don’t go saying my idea is the only one that will get you where you want to go. I hold people accountable for good decision-making. If a bad outcome results from a bad decision thats a problem. But if a bad outcome results from a reasonable decision, then thats business, and it could happen to anyone (Acuff, 2004, p. 87). This was the predicament of those who are trying to evaluate the decision making actions of Enron top executives did they make decisions, even bad decisions with the sake of the company in mind, and gambled with their careers because they know that if their plans and actions go well, it is extremely beneficial for the company, in a very Machiavellian approach towards getting things done regardless of the means by which th ey did it, or were they just plain guilty of fraudulent actions? People who are burdened by the decision that impacts a lot of people is not always amenable to taking the high and moral grounds, that is why the adage about the end justifying the means, about getting things done at what ever cost, about delivering against the odds became popular because of people like the Enron bosses who (probably) acted upon their decision making duties by risking what can be a popularly bad decision. Indeed, it may be easy or even convenient for most people adversely affected by the Enron collapse to attribute the colossal corporate debacle to the top management figures of the company by criticizing their decisions as well as their faculty for sound decision making. While it is true that Enron’s top executives are responsible for the collapse of the company, it is not that easy to measure the level of ethical decision making attributes of Enron’s top brass. Goethals et al (2004) pointed out that â€Å"the complexity associated with ethical decision making and behavior, especially as it applies to leadership and the workplace, makes the construct extremely difficult to research†, adding that â€Å"Measuring an individual’s level of ethical decision making is challenging, particularly because the measurement instruments that are available have problems with priming and social-desirability effects; that is, questionnaires or other similar modes of data collection cue respondents to give answers that they believe are socially acceptable rather than answers that truly reflect their own actions or opinions (Goethals et. al. , 2004, p. 461). † Proof of which is the fact that all of these executives in question are career corporate leaders even before they joined Enron; their credentials played an important role regarding their selection for a corporate position as high as theirs. Because of this, as well as the factors that affect the credibility of the ability for identification of the real public pulse regarding the persons involved in the issue, ethical decision making levels of the persons involved is hard to ascertain, making claims for questionable ethical decision making consideration of the people lose important ground and stand on insufficient set of stable legs for proof and justification. Still, there are those who believe that the level of ethics that influences the decision making capabilities of the Enron bosses are without a doubt questionable, and this includes Mimi Swartz and Sherron Watkins who was quoted in the book edited by Kathy Fitzpatrick and Carolyn B. Bronstein. In the article, it mentions about how Swartz and Watkins â€Å"blame Ken Lay, former CEO of Enron, and other company executives for privileging greed and arrogance over ethical business decisions† (Fitzpatrick and Bronstein, 2006, p. 79), the gist of the published work co-authored by the two individuals. Nalebuff and Ayres (2006) wrote that the problem often arises because people ignore the costs and benefits that their decisions have on other people. We call this approach Why dont you feel my pain? The more technical term for these effects is externalities. Decision makers who ignore externalities are bound to make bad decisions (Nalebuff and Ayres, 2006, p. 67). This explanation greatly tarnishes the ethical value of the decision making ethics of Enron bosses because it shows that they are prone or inclined to make decisions even if the result of such decisions lead to negative effects that other people will experience. Niskanen (2005) believes that Lay, one of the top bosses of Enron, â€Å"should be judged on the basis of his personal actions, directions to subordinates, or the actions of subordinates that he implicitly condoned by knowing about it without attempting to correct not on the basis of what he should have known† (Niskanen, 2005, p. 6). Lays condoning of actions is a result of a personal and professional decision that he made or failed to make and because of that, Niskanen believes that Lay is answerable for any criminal charges that would result from that particular action (or inaction). Watkins was thinking of the company and its employees and their future and hers as well, when she made the decision to let her superiors, particularly Lay, know about the possible accounting problems and the making public of the current and real financial and trade status of the company. This clearly illustrates the difference in ethics when it comes to decision making. Decision making, ethics and public perception Decision making in business is not merely a power or a privilege that one can use at will without thinking of the consequences that might happen should the decision resulted into something that is considered as adversely negative and detrimental to the welfare of the employees, their jobs and the company they work for. Those who are provided with such amenity to go along with their job description should consider that it is also their responsibility to make sure that their employees and subordinates do not think that they are squandering away their decision making privilege and everything that goes along with it. This was the prevailing attitude or outlook of the Enron employees especially nearing the imminent collapse of the company. The absence of ethical consideration resulted to the losing of the credibility of the bosses of Enron because they were not careful with how they undertake their decision making tasks. While bankruptcy is something that is very difficult to accept and impacts greatly in the lives of the employees especially the rank and file blue collar workers, there is a sense of adding insult to injury during occasions wherein the employees are starting to realize that all of the unfortunate things that happen in the company and in their careers are all a result of the faulty, incompetent and unethical decision making of the top management echelon and not because the company was helpless in the onslaught of a devastating economic problem, like how companies closed down during the Great Depression despite the efforts of American businessmen to keep the different industries alive and breathing. During the collapse of Enron, the US is experiencing a very stable economy far from that which characterized US economy during the Great Depression, and is shielded securely from the impact of whatever it was that was happening in the global economic and business landscape, and so during the Enron collapse, the collective finger was pointing an accusing index digit to Enron bosses and majority of the cause of their indignation originates from the sloppy decision making capabilities of Enron bosses who lost their credibility the moment they lost Enron. Brazelton and Ammons (2002) wrote in the book they co-wrote: â€Å"The Ethics Resource Center conducted a survey in 2000 in which it learned that 43 percent of respondents believed that their supervisors are generally poor examples of honest managers, and the same number were pressured to compromise their own integrity or that of their organization during decision making. The survey also identified a strong connection between employees perceptions of their supervisors and their own ethical behavior (Brazelton and Ammons, 2002, p. 388). † Enron decision making: the two-pronged factors It can be pointed out that one of the problems that happened to Enron is the ineffective of decision making among top executives first, their top executives failed to make correct decisions when they are required to do so, and second, Enron was not fully complimented with a set of professionals which could have contributed to the decision making process, and in the process provided the possibility of infusing new or different ideas that could have altered the outcome of the decision making process. Fitzpatrick and Bronstein (2006) did not look exclusively on Enrons bosses and the decisions they made in the management of Enron and the companys money and asset, rather, the two editors focused on the absence of a key top management personnel and took the presence of such a void as a sign that Enron is not even prioritizing the welfare of the company and its employees. The book Ethics in Public Relations: Responsible Advocacy, which includes the Enron case as one of the important case studies to point out the importance of the role of public relations, explains that perhaps the governance of these companies was such that they did not care about their publics, and did not want the advice of senior-level public relations officer playing an active or dominant role in organizational decision making (Fitzpatrick and Bronstein, 2006, pg 179). Conclusion – Niskanen (2005) summed up the Enron case on its characteristic of thriving in bad decisions made by its corporate leaders by saying in the book that the most important lesson from the Enron collapse, however, is that Enron failed because of a combination of bad business decisions, not because its accounts were misleading adding that the major business decisions that most contributed to its collapse were a series of bad investments, most of which were in the traditional asset-rich industries; the failure to reconcile two quite different business models; and the decision to focus management objectives on reported revenues and earning rather than on the present value of future cash flows (Niskanen, 2005, p. 6). Are they poor in decision making, or was the decision making adversely affected by other concerns and priorities outside of Enron that the results of the decision made for Enron looks like those who made the call did not even think about how this course of action will affect Enron? There are no sufficient proofs to point that the case was the latter; for a company that became seventh all in all in the Fortune 500 at least once, it is unthinkable how there will be conscious efforts to sink the company by making wrong decisions, deliberately or not. The point of the paper is not the assertion of the guild of Skilling, Lay or even Fastow, it’s the establishing of the point that decision making, when not handled properly, can turn even the most profitable company into a nose-diving wreck in a short period of time, that decision making plays an important role in how a person defines his or her life and how he or she leads a company and that because of these factors, no one should have an excuse why decision making was taken lightly and without much thought or care. All the people can see is a group of people who made wrong decisions several times, the resulting web and how they got trapped in that web, that is assuming that there was no malice or hidden agenda that the bosses perpetrated in lieu of Enron’s collapse. In the end, only Lay (now deceased) and the elite circle of the Enron executive clique will be the ones who would really know about the truth regarding ethics and the decision making in Enron leading to the collapse of the company. Many would ask, and some would presume, the reasons as well as the level of guilt of these leaders when it comes to breaching the ethical requirements needed when undertaking decision making for a company. Regardless, the decisions they made created far reaching ripples and altered the lives of many individuals who invested not just their time, strength and lifes savings into the company but as well as their but as well as their faith and trust, which are not in shattered pieces because of the bad decisions that Enron executives made. Crawford (2006) further elaborated on the pointed by explaining that bad decisions by a major company, however, cause major disruptions for all of the companys stakeholders’. He pointed at the case of Enron as one of his examples, saying that ‘the Enron disaster, as one example, certainly had devastating impacts on the lives of most of Enron employees (including the middle managers and professionals who invested in the company-sponsored Enron 401[K] plans) and also caused suffering for many individual investors who purchased Enron stock on the open market. Thousands of other Enron stakeholders, including Enrons suppliers and customers, also suffered, (Crawford, 2006, p. 26). Indeed, Enron’s decision making had a hand in how the company turned out to be.