The Praise of Folly

The Praise of Folly The author of â€Å"The praise of folly† Erasmus, wrote this book not with the intention of starting wide spread theological debates but with the intention of showing how pointless these debates are. The book is written in first person so that Folly herself is the one who the readers/listeners (because the book is written as if she were speaking to a crowd) are hearing and not just some man acting like he knows more or is better than anyone else. The book addresses three different classes of people and how folly affects them.The first class is the regular people and women. The second type of people she calls out is the academic and higher standing social classes. The third and final group folly talks about are Christians and religious men. Folly is not saying anyone is a bad person for having foolishness in their lives, but she is calling out the society and how she is looked down upon while everyone not only takes part in folly, but folly is a necessary pa rt of our lives. One of Folly’s points that she brings up is women and how they are in and of themselves full of foolishness. I, who am both a woman and folly herself, attribute folly to them. †(29) Folly later states that women owe it to folly for being far better off than men. Women’s beauty is a natural thing according to folly, she bring up how men grow beards, have course skin, and go gray in the hair as all signs of aging. While women have soft delicate feature which are almost eternal signs of beauty. According to folly all some men want from life is pleasure, and who can give them pleasure other than a woman who will have sex with them? No one according to folly, but the folly is not of men wanting pleasure.The point Folly makes is that a woman must have folly to have sex with a man(30) She says â€Å"Women have no other way of giving pleasure but through folly†(30). Women are not the only ones involved in folly in this first class of people; Folly also speaks of friendships, marriages, and of parental love as well. Folly states that friendship is held in a high regard in this society and this it is as necessary as air and water. She does not use clever words or parables to point out the folly in friendship but simply states how one treats a friend, wife, or child to prove that folly is involved in all of these relationships. Tell me know to wink at a friend’s faults, to be deceived , to be blinded to his vices, to imagine them away, even to love and admire certain notorious vices as if they were virtues-surely this is not far from folly. †(31) She later brings up how a man can love a mole on his wife even though it is an imperfection, or how a father can has a cross eyed son and say that he only has a light squint. Folly is not trying to say that these average people are idiots or foolish for these things, Folly simply is showing that she is everywhere even in the good things.Folly in her second class of people she mentions are the higher class people the nobles, doctors, lawyer, and the philosophers. Unlike with the first group of people folly speaks to with a light and somewhat cheery tone, her words toward this crowd become sharp and somewhat brash. These men who spend so much time with their jobs and with their peers trying to prove themselves by out doing everyone around them are full of themselves and their folly is in the fact that they are missing out on the true happiness of life that is going on around them.Unlike the people in the first section of the book Folly knows these people are too smart to be able to just enjoy the small things in life like the average people of the first class. For example she says how wise men are unable to overlook the follies and faults of their friends but instead notice them with the â€Å"eyes of an eagle† or the â€Å"nose of a bloodhound† (32). Where the normal man could overlook these faults and even accept them as part of their f riends’ personality and possibly come to adore this part of their companion, these supposedly wise men are too smart to overlook the follies of their peers.The final group that folly points out is the religious people of the time. The monks and priest are the main targets of Follies words. A time of reform and a time of questioning is beginning to appear and rules and customs that have gone on for years without question are now being put under scrutiny. Even harsher with her words to this particular group of people Folly now is calling out not only the group of people in charge of the church but also the people who think they can find their lives only through the church.Her main charge against these people is there refusal to understand that folly and foolishness is as if not more regarded than wisdom in the Christian religion. One could say Christ is the biggest fool of all for accepting man’s sin and dying for us while he had lived a perfect and sin free life. Knowle dge and wisdom are the downfall of am according to Genesis when Adam and eve eat the apple of forbidden fruit and gains the knowledge of good and evil it separates them forever from the full relationship they had with God before that.Folly is not attacking the religion of Christianity it is the opposite in fact. Folly says how peter and the disciples went around baptizing everyone but not explaining why, not because they didn’t know but because the people only need to know the basics and not the understanding of everything to be happy, in other words to keep them from overcoming their follies. She also brings up how the disciples didn’t need certain words or rules to worship, but in face they worshiped the way god intended them to in spirit through their deeds done only for him and not for some church or for others to see. 92) Folly was giving her speech with the intent of trying to explain that foolishness and folly is not bad and evil thing that need to be avoided, b ut that the opposite of that is true. Wisdom is to be put on display for others and folly is to be hidden, in the same manner do people not hide their valuables and protect them from unwanted visitors. She believes and proves her point that foolishness is essential to a happy and fulfilled life. In a quote from Folly herself â€Å"Fortune loves those who are not too bright, headstrong, and are fans of the proverb let the die be cast† (116). Taylor Shadwick

Decaying of Ideology in Modern China

Although Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Though (MLM) still serves as the ideology which the People’s Republic of China (PRC) adhere to, these socialist doctrines no longer serve inspirational purposes to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and are viewed as an â€Å"ideological vacuum. † China’s attempt to establish a rapid growing economy to support the authority of the Communist regime has contradicted the Communist ideology and has thus created a reverse effect. It is certain that Chinese citizens have grown increasingly apolitical in the current era due to the exposure to market economy and Western influences. This new environment prompts the public to adopt individualism and neglect Communist ideologies such as collectivism. As Deng Xiao Ping and many other scholars blamed the ineffective political education as the major cause of this phenomenon, the assertion remains debatable. CCP now faces a challenge where it has to redefine its political ideology while fitting the socialist regime in the context of â€Å"socialist commodity economy. † The CCP’s attempt to reconcile its capitalist practices with socialist ideal results a dilemma. As uncertainties lay in the future of the Chinese political environment, this paper evaluates the failure of The Communist Party’s normative authority, and distinguishes possible alternatives and solutions. One of the main reasons for the failure of the propaganda scheme is that the value which the Party tries to promote grossly contrasted with the actual social condition. While the Party urges the public to embrace the idea of â€Å"collectivism,† and â€Å"serving the people,† it fails to justify how socialist morality is compatible with market competition. Jurgen Habermans has labeled this dilemma as ‘rationality crisis,’ caused by the disjunction between current practices and the original ideological tenets upon which the regime was founded. † Although CCP recognizes the need for combating moral disorder and launched the â€Å"socialist spiritual civilization† (SSC) campaign in 1997, the accomplishment is diminutive. It is obvious that political education in China is heavily emphasized, where political elements are incorporated in every curriculum, from kindergarten to university. However, the program is ineffective since these principles are not applicable in the social environment. As a result, students see no purpose in these materials except to know them well so they could obtain a decent academic record and remain competitive in the job market. Furthermore, â€Å"even party functionaries no longer take ideological work seriously, and few are interested in this specialty as a career. † The character of legitimation crisis has also surfaced besides the presence of rationality crisis. Legitimation crisis is â€Å"a discrepancy between the need for motives declared by the state and the motivation supplied by socio-cultural system. † As â€Å"harmonious society† (hexie shehui) and scientific development† continues to serve as current watchwords for CCP, they appears to be oxymoronic. The concept of harmonious society is drawn upon Confucius values, whereas the concept of scientific development aroused mainly from Deng Xiao Ping Theory, which is an emphasis on economic stability. The rationality and legitimation crisis which CCP now encounters â€Å"can be explained in terms of the antinomy between rationality and reasonableness, or between scientism and moralism. This antinomy seems to be the most visible obstacle and the most controversial policy of Chinese education. † Another critical argument for CCP’s decaying normative authority is the corruption of government officials and therefore creating a devastating effect on the Party’s goal on rebuilding moral order. Since the 16th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, more than 100 minster- and provincial-level officials were sentenced for corruption, an unprecedented number, according to statistics released by the Supreme Procuratorate. In 2005, 47,206 officials were disciplined-punished by Chinese supervision agencies. † Consequently, the uncontrollable widespread of corruption among government officials brings public to think that education system is hypocritical and therefore, unpersuasive. In a survey conducted in the state enterprises of Shenyang, one of China’s largest industrial cities, 71% of respondents agreed that moral education should be directed primarily at the high- and middle- ranking cadres rather than at ordinary people. † In order to overhaul the Communist Ideology, the Party implemented inspirational projects incorporating patriotic education and Confucianism. China’s patriotic education was design for two purposes. One is to combat Western influences and second is to achieve â€Å"unified thinking† (tongyi sixiang). To a certain extent, the program was successful, particularly in â€Å"unified thinking. † Although the Party is unable to eliminate all Western influences and the exchange of information, the general public has increasingly learnt to praises and adapt to traditional Chinese culture. The party has utilized Confucianism value by describing â€Å"Confucianism as a positive force that could consolidate the Chinese nation and foster socialist spiritual civilization. † Accordingly, most of the Chinese families today follow Confucian’s teachings and the value of Confucianism is already deeply rooted in the society. Through the post-1989 Patriotic Education, the regimen has provided China’s new generations with nationalists. In China’s education system, children are taught â€Å"that China’s misery was imposed by Western countries,† and acknowledged themselves as nationalists and â€Å"bound to become fenqing. † Furthermore, although young generations are no longer interested in the concept of ideology, CCP has little problems finding new members as we can see that during â€Å"the last five years, three-quarters of those who flocked to join were under thirty-five. This is not only a result of patriotism but also joining the Party could provide opportunities and benefits. On the other hand, the increasing population of nationalist does not imply legitimating the government’s policy and authorities. â€Å"By placing the party and the center of the official discourse the state-centered view of nationalism restricts the extent to which the Party-state can mobilize nationalist symbolism in support of its leadership and make the Party vulnerable to criticism from more popular conceptions of nationalism. June 4th crackdown and the emergence of Chinese liberalism are the result of nationalism. Besides from implementing propaganda program to strengthen Communist Ideology, new ideas have also formed in the Chinese political platform. Ideas such as â€Å"new left,† â€Å"new conservative†or evenâ€Å"liberalism† are introduced. The New Leftism is in opposition to capitalism and Chinese economic reforms and in favor of the restoration of the Maoist-style socialism. â€Å"New leftists† appeal to social injustice like corruption and the interest of low class people became particular popular in 2009. Furthermore, it addresses the problem of the disparity between rich and poor. The New leftists â€Å"guarantee the welfare of the country’s 800 million peasants left behind the recent change. † Alternatively, if China is to take on the advice of the New Leftist, it would create an enormous wave of withdraws in the form of foreign investments due to the economic uncertainty, which would inevitably destroy China’s new emerging market. And the collapse of the Chinese economy would make it impossible for the Party to provide welfare for the poor. In that sense, the New Left ideas do not generate common interest between the public and the Party’s ideology. On the contrary, the â€Å"New Conservatives†, or Neo-Conservatives, â€Å"holds that modernization is a gradual process (incrementalism), and that, during this process, traditional values, the existing order and an authoritarian government are necessary to maintain social stability and ensure a successful social transformation. † It also distinguishes itself from traditional conservatism by accentuating modern transformation and accelerates economic development. The Neo-Conservatives tries to develop â€Å"a model characterized by economic growth under an authoritarian political order. † This hybrid Ideology that retained Marxism-Leninism ideals and Deng’s goal to achieve modernization â€Å"enabled Jiang to legitimize the Party and ensure its survival. † Consequently, Jiang has balanced centralism (elements of the â€Å"Mao Era†) and capitalistic-orientated economic policies (which are elements of the â€Å"Deng Era†) and achieve new census. Besides from the ideas that were discussed above, â€Å"liberalism† is another concept which has derived from the June 4th incident of 1989. The collapse of Communism in the former Soviet Union and eastern Europe provided an opportunity for Chinese liberals to deeply reflect on the illusion of ‘socialist democracy. ’† The Chinese liberals advocate the abandon of one Party rule and call for multi-party elections to increase competition and limiting the power of the government. â€Å"Despite hard suppression of democracy and liberal ideas by the Chinese party-state, and partly due to this suppression, liberalism and the quest for human rights have been on the rise and achieved a level of sophistication in China since the late 1990s. Even though the idea of liberalism is not irrelevant to China’s political future, the system would be impossible to impose under a peaceful transition. Ultimately, China would have to construct a new political stance that ensures government power but also provide economic prosperity. China would have to undergo gradual transition from Communism to Authoritarian Capitalism, for instance the People’s Action Party (PAP) in Singapore. Under such political system, there is a large degree of economic freedom but tight control in terms of social freedom. Although there are negative comments on Singapore’s authoritarian capitalism, such as ones that were made by Christopher Lingle, his arguments are debatable. He claimed that â€Å"Singapore’s authoritarian rule has led to the ‘politicization of commerce,’ the distribution of economic and commercial privileges to trusted political supporters, stifling the emergence of home-grown entrepreneurs. † On the other hand, statistics has proven him wrong. Singapore is the second most economically free country according to 2011 Index of Economic Freedom. Furthermore, its government spending in terms of GDP is among the lowest in the world (14. 5%), according to information from The World Factbook. And as we can see, the Chinese government is actually taking such transition, and characters of capitalism can be found in increasingly free trade. Several universities claimed â€Å"that great powers like China and Russian, with authoritarian state capitalist regimes could pose a viable rival model. †

Chemical Effects of Electric Current Essay

EXTRA QUESTIONS: Q. Why the bulb glows when the electric current passes through it? Ans. Due to the heating effect of current, the filament of the bulb gets heated to a high temperature and it starts glowing. Q. Write a short note on: (a) LED Ans. LED- Light Emitting Diodes are used for lighting. There are two wires(called leads) attached to a LED. One lead is longer than the other. Longer lead – connected to positive terminal of battery Shorter lead- connected to negative terminal of battery Advantages over CFL- LEDs consumes less electricity †¢LEDs glow even in weak current †¢CFL contain mercury which is toxic and hence CFLs require safe disposal Disadvantages over CFL- LEDs are expensive Q. Ionic compounds do not conduct electricity in solid form but their aqueous solution conduct electricity. Why? Or Common salt does not conduct electricity but its aqueous solution conduct electricity. Why? Ans. Ionic compounds (e.g.- Common salt) have strong electrostatic forces of attraction between their constituent ions. Thus ions are strongly held and cannot move. Therefore, cannot conduct electricity. Aqueous solution means solution prepared by dissolving in water. Water has a high dielectric constant(ability to screen charges or ability to separate opposite ions in ionic compounds) and thus diminish the attraction of the two opposite charges. Ions are now free to move and thus conduct electricity. NCERT QUESTIONS: Q. When the free ends of a tester are dipped into a solution, the magnetic needle shows deflection. Can you explain the reason? Ans. The magnetic or compass needle shows deflection due to magnetic effect of electric current. This proves that the given solution is a conducting solution as circuit is complete and current is flowing through the wire wrapped around magnetic compass resulting in deflection of magnetic needle. Q. Name three liquids, which when tested in the manner shown in Fig. 14.9, may cause the magnetic needle to deflect. Ans. Conducting liquids like lemon juice(acid), caustic soda solution(base) and brine(salt solution) allow current to pass through them. Thus, circuit gets complete and current flows through the wire wrapped around magnetic compass resulting in deflection of magnetic needle. Q. Does pure water conduct electricity? If not, what can we do to make it conducting? Ans. No, Pure or distilled water does not conduct electricity. Reason- As pure or distilled water does not contain dissolved impurities like salts. Addition of acid, base or salt make water conducting as these ionic compounds ionise or dissociate into ions due to high dielectric constant of water. Flow of ions conducts electricity. Q. In case of a fire, before the firemen use the water hoses, they shut off the main electrical supply for the area. Explain why they do this. Ans. Water used by fireman is not pure or distilled. Such water or tap water can conduct electricity as it contains dissolved impurities like salts. If the electrical supply for the area is not shut off and water by mistake falls over electrical appliances, then current will pass through water harming the firemen. That is why, in case of a fire, the firemen shut off the main electrical supply for the area before they use the water hoses. Q. A child staying in a coastal region tests the drinking water and also the seawater with his tester. He finds that the compass needle deflects more in the case of seawater. Can you explain the reason? Ans. Both drinking water and sea water contains dissolved salts or ionisable impurities. But the amount is more in the sea water which makes it more conducting than the drinking water. Therefore, the compass needle deflects more in the case of seawater. Q. Is it safe for the electrician to carry out electrical repairs outdoors during heavy downpour? Explain. Ans. No, it is not safe to repair electrical appliances outdoors during heavy downpour. As we know rain water is acidic. Hence, rain water can conduct electricity. The electrician may get electrical shocks while working outdoors during rain or heavy downpour. Q. Paheli had heard that rain water is as good as distilled water. So, she collected some rain water in a clean glass tumbler and tested it using a tester. To her surprise, she found that the compass needle showed deflection. What could be the reasons? Ans. Rain water when precipitate dissolves impurities from atmosphere. It contains dissolved impurities like acids which makes it a conducting solution. There are no dissolved acids or impurities present in the distilled water. Hence, rain water can allow electric current to pass through it while distilled water cannot. Passage of current completes circuit and hence compass needle showed deflection due to magnetic effect of electric current.

Change the U.S. into a utopia what changes would you make and why Essay

Change the U.S. into a utopia what changes would you make and why - Essay Example Since USA plays central role in world politics and is the center of international trade and economy, utopian USA should be free from racial or religious discriminations. Educating youth is the best step that can be taken to make USA a utopian state. The awareness and standard of education will have to be raised as violence and drug abuse have been increasing among the students at an alarming rate. The post 9/11 USA has become a far fetched reality than what its founding father's wanted it to be. The event was a turning point in the American foreign policy. The enforcement of the ‘Patriot Act’ held deep impacts on the civil liberties of common Americans, especially the ones belonging to ethnic and religious minorities. Racial targeting became common and people had to change or 'blend in' in order to be not picked upon. It is critical enough for US to come close to being a perfect nation as it consists of almost whole of North America. The State department though, has made significant measures to bridge the gap, by promoting cultural exchange programs across the US, by encouraging American families to host foreign students mainly from the Middle East so as to remove the stereotypes from both sides and paint a different picture altogether.

Master of Biology Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Master of Biology - Personal Statement Example After that, I passed Associate Degree in Pharmacy in 1999 from Intermediate Science College, Hofaf, KSA. In September 2009, I successfully completed IPPE hours and observed patient care and other activities of the pharmacy personnel. Then I successfully completed Rite Aid Findlay, OH in summer 2009 where I successfully completed IPPE hours and assisted pharmacist in patient care and pharmacy. The most recent education of mine is Bachelor of Science in Biology from Ohio Northern University, OH. I have a work experience of about 12 years from 1994 to 2006 at Ministry of Health, Hulaf City, KSA. During my work experience, I worked as an assistant pharmacist and worked in dispensing and shelving medicine. I provided my services to Community Development Programs. I checked food items for their expiry dates at Ada Food Pentary, Ada OH in 2008. The food items were to be dispensed to people. In the same year, I worked for Habitat for Humanity, Findlay OH where I was assigned to provide food for the people who were building homes for the homeless people. About the same year, I worked for Findlay Hancock Country Public Library, Findlay, OH. There I worked as volunteer and cleaned and labeled shelves of library. In the same year of 2008, I helped Hancock Christian Clearing House, Findlay, OH by cleaning the spaghetti tables and fund raising activity. Lastly, I served the community by Chapin Hall Food Pantry, Findlay, OH in 2008. There I delivered food to clients and helped clean up. All of these Community development programs have provided me a vast knowledge. I learnt a lot about cleanliness and food items. During my educational period, I have studied related courses to Masters in Biology, which will help me in achieving my further education. The courses contained the study of Anatomy, Histology, Immunology, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical, Physiology 1, Physiology 2, Physiology 3, Organic Chemistry, Med Microbiology, Bio Science 1 and Bio Science 2.

International and comparative education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International and comparative education - Essay Example The concept of gender equity is the stage of human social development whereby the rights, responsibilities and the opportunities available to individuals will not be subject to determine by the fact of being born male or female. In a complete gender balanced situation, it will be possible for aal genders to realize their full potential. There is a major problem of gender imbalance in the education sector, particularly on the participation of the feminine gender. It is apparent that the female gender remains the most to be disadvantaged  on matters of  access to education at different levels. This topic has been under debate in many international platforms as the initiative of enhancing girl child education (Gerntholtz et al., 2011). Basing on this context, it thus leads to the thesis; countries that fail capitalizing on the full potential of gender balance are misallocating their human resources, thus undermining their competitive advantage. This paper is going to analyze on the education system of South Africa and Nigeria with the aim of addressing issues of gender imbalance, focusing particularly on teenage education. The main purpose of the paper aims at justifying how investment in educational gender balance helps in shaping the ability of both the male and female for them to reach their full potential in t he society. The main problems facing the education system worldwide is the aspect of achieving gender balance. Educational attainment is without any doubt, remains the most fundamental prerequisite aimed at empowering women in all spheres of the society. Without having a comparable quality on the content of education provided to the boys and men in society, women will be unable to access well-paid and formal sector jobs. They will also fail to advance within them, be able to participate in, be unable to be represented in government, and fail to gain political influence (Gerntholtz

Samping and Data Collection Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Samping and Data Collection - Coursework Example Therefore, when carrying out the research, they will be the target population. The main advantage of direct observation is that it gives direct access to the customers without relying on reports made by the client (Freedman, Pisani & Purves, 1978). This is because one actually observes and records the purchasing routines of the client. Therefore, it avoids the many problems associated with an interview or questionnaire form of sampling (Hays, 1981). For example, an individual may not accurately remember their purchasing pattern. In connection to this, there is a likely hood most customers will respond in a manner that they actually feel that they should be purchasing. However, in real life situation they may behave differently. The data will be collected through observation, taking notes and using store security camera. Whenever the customers enter the store they will be monitored on which product they are buying and which ones they prefer asking their whereabouts. This information will be recorded down. However, the observation will be done in a professional way so as to avoid scaring the customer. In addition, at the end of the day the interior cameras will also be used to analyze the client’s movement and their choice of goods (Hays, 1981). All the collected data will be recorded in a notebook and will be stored in a lockable file cabinet. This data will also be backed up by a computer and other storage media which also be kept in the

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Business - Essay Example On the other hand, if the employees fail to meet the expectation and goals of the leader, they are threatened with punishment and demotion or even termination of employment. Some of the leaders that practiced this kind of leadership included McCarthy and de Gaulle. Transformational leadership On the contrary, transformational leaders use different methods in motivating their followers. They use a shared vision and charisma to inspire the followers to forego their personal interest for the interests of the organization. The leaders transform and create dedication, confidence and the creative ways of solving the problem. This kind of leadership has been effective especially when the organization is undergoing challenges and problems. A transformational leader is not only the manager of day-day operations but also takes work team to the next level of success and performance. The leaders set targets and incentives to push their employees to a higher level of performance, as they create opportunities for personal and professional growth of employees. Some of the leaders who practiced such kind of leadership include Moses and F Kennedy. The advantage of this kind of leadership is that it brings faster development of small businesses since the leaders try to shoot ambitious goal which are achieved later through team building and the vision of the leader. Crucibles of Leadership According to the author, a crucible refers to experience that transforms and toughens people to thus giving them a new sense of motivation, purpose and identity. As it is mentioned, crucibles are like tests or trials that corners individuals and forcing them to answer questions about their identity and what is vital to them. Even though experience is important, what matters the most is how and what we learn from the experience. Most of the greatest leaders are the greatest learners since they know their motivations and aspirations. Great leaders have the characteristics of having the capacity to adapt and engage others through shared integrity. According to Bennis & Thomas, adaptive capacity is the ability to learn, adjust and change. The base of adaptive capacity is creativity, resilience, willingness to learn, openness to new form of experience and strong observational skills. In order to determine the capacity to adapt, one has to ask whether they are constantly looking for ways to improve the performance and one has gained knowledge about the different aspects of the organization. When it comes to engaging others, an interactive leader commands and enlists the team members. They exhibit the attributes of having emotional intelligence and communicate the sense of purpose According to Masi (2000), transformational leaders have some impacts on the motivation of employees and the performance of the entire organization. It has an impact on the commitment and creation of sense of vision and creates some mutual interest of leaders and followers. In reference to the article of Kamalanabhan and Sunder, it is generally believed that most the managers take more risks than others. Several researches have indicated that managers are both risk-seekers and risk-avoiders. In this article, Managers are mostly insensitive in estimation of the probabilities of the outcomes; some of their decisions are mainly affected by the way they focus on the targeted performance; and they make a quick distinction between gambling and taking risks.

Read a story and analyse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Read a story and analyse - Essay Example One of the interesting aspects of this case is the other characters mentioned in the story. For instance, Mary left Alison (her six-month-old daughter) in the house and went to see her mother. Was the mother not aware that Alison did not accompany Mary? Is there a possibility that her mother was not aware of Alison’s existence? This case covers a large number of light issues, but avoids some of the details that would have assisted the judges to determine if Mary was insane or mentally incapacitated, or if she was sane but just careless. Mary also went to her fiancà © and lived there for a while before realizing that something was not right. Didn’t her fiancà © question Mary of Alison’s whereabouts? Is there a possibility that her fiancà © was not aware of Alison’s existence? With the parties being witnesses in the case, such questions would have assisted in gauging the awareness and Mary’s mental capacity. As part of the judiciary, trying to understand Mary’s reality would be the first assessment. Her levels of prioritization are completely wrong. She considers pursuing her individual interests and forgets any other parties in her life, including her daughter. In the first case, the case presents Mary as to have intentionally killed Alison. She says that she had left Alison in the house knowing that she would be dead in a few days. Whatever the case, most people might argue that Mary was not mentally capacitated to raise a child. Most people who abandon their children would have at least the courtesy to leave the baby at a location where another person might take care of the child. However, Mary would opt to leave the baby in her house with a stranger who was disabled, rather than have the child survives. However, she also says that while she was in California with her fiancà ©, she began to feel that something was wrong. It is evident that her testimony is rather conflicting. For instance, the case above indicates that Mary might have intended to kill

Lincoln and Churchill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lincoln and Churchill - Essay Example Both leaders also transformed many elements of their respective governments, in particular the thinking of their senior military officers. Lincoln had long believed in colonization and it was this colonization which truly proved a dividing line within the abolitionist movement and "by the 1850s critics such as Douglass, Garrison, and Phillips had seized the initiative. When in 1862 Lincoln suggested that free black leaders lead their people out of America, he espoused a view that had receded into significance. Moreover, as African-Americans enrolled in the Union Army and Navy, served as scouts and spies for the Union forces, and strongly supported the war effort, it became ever more difficult to deny them and their families a claim to American citizenship" (Basler, 1990). Churchill on the other hand worked by transforming Parliament and the British people, and he did this in a number of ways but namely by convincing them that Britain would still be able to win the war, when in realit y there was really no hope or actual viability for this at all. Both Lincoln and Churchill used their commu

Internet Content and Views by Different Cultures or Religions Essay

Internet Content and Views by Different Cultures or Religions - Essay Example Through communication, certain social units develop unique habits, rituals, and customs. Religion, on the other hand, deals more with the spirituality and, sometimes morality of human beings. The difference in culture and religion throughout the world means that internet content may vary from one region to the other (Featherstone, 1990).In oppressive governments such as that of Iran, internet content is controlled by the state. Due to the tight bond of this country with Islamic culture and Islam, internet content related to Western culture has been completely censored. This is because their religion does not allow nudity and vulgar language. However, in the free world internet, content is not controlled and almost anything can be found on the internet (Hongladarom, 1999).In conclusion, I would like to say that various cultures and religions greatly influence the views of society on internet content. This is mainly because of the difference in beliefs. However, one thing is for sure, the internet is the greatest invention of the 20th century and has led to the betterment of life in society (Weinberg, June 2003).

Beatrice and Catherine Essay Example for Free

Beatrice and Catherine Essay If I have to act as Eddie in the play A view from the bridge, I would try to show the audiences the character of an ordinary hard workingman and his outer appearance would be tough and strong. His clothes would be in normal darkish colours, nothing spectacular. He would appear as a decent middle age man maybe with beards and slightly overweight. His tone of voice would be deep and mysterious with a strong Italian accent which can gains respect and draws attention from other people. From the text Eddie is highlighted among them shows that Eddie is treated as a respectable man by his friends and is powerful enough to control people around him. I also think that Eddie is a stubborn man from the text I cant. I cant talk about it. I got nothing to sat about it He kept denying his feelings, which forced him to hide his unsuccessful marriage. When acting Eddie the character personality should hot tempered when hes not please about something and bossy when he wants something to go his way. He moves, wanting to beat down her evident disapproval of him Eddies stage direction tends to make audiences think of him as a controller. The book also presents him as a family man, he worked hard for the Beatrice and Catherine and wants whats best for them. I supported you for this long I support you a little more shows that Eddie is care for his family, often over protective. Eddies thoughts and speeches can be sarcastic sometimes such as when he refers to Rodolfo And with that wacky hair; hes like a chorus girl or sumpm Eddie also represents a bird singing in the cage to try and gain attention. Most of the speeches he makes often are demanding ones that show the selfishness thoughts like I dont like it! The way you talk to me and the way you look at me. This is my house! I want my respect. I think that Eddie is also unpredictable when he is confused and nervous like when he called the Immigration Bureau in the middle of an Italian community that prides itself on protecting illegal immigrants which is opposite from the beginning of the play when Eddie is proud to protect Beatrice s cousins. Beatrice: Throughout the play the characteristic of Beatrice is very wifely and motherly. This can be seen in most of the scene, shes always be working in the house whether its cooking or cleaning. My thought of Beatrice would be aged around thirty-five to early forty in the play. From studying the play I am convinced that Beatrice is a trustworthy, sensible and generous lady. Im just worried about you, thats all Im worried. This extract shows that Beatrice is a kind and caring woman. It shows her emotional part and her sensitive heart. Beatrice had always been supportive of her family like when Catherine got a job she even persuades Eddie to let Catherine take the job. If I had to act as Beatrice in the play. I would remain as calm as possible when Eddie is upset about Catherine or Rodolfo because the play shows Beatrice as a believer. I would try to believe that Eddies feelings for Catherine will pass away soon and everything would be normal again. Beatrice is also represents the voice of reason in the play. She occasionally gives advice to Catherine and her husband, Eddie. Her appearance would be like a normal housewife with ordinary lady clothes. The tone of voice that I will use would be a warm and kind voice. In my view Beatrice can be serious when she s under pressure or being pushed around by Eddie I dont wanna hear no more about it, you understand? From Beatrice s speech in act two So I moved them out, what more do you want? You got your house now, you got your respect. From this speech she represents a peacemaker who try to make the tense, bitter situation of the family better although she failed. At the end of the play when Eddie died Beatrice remains faithful from the extract He dies in her arms, and Beatrice covers him with her body Catherine: If I have to act as Catherine in A View from the bridge, I would try to express the feelings of a young adult whos not a complete teenager neither a fully grown up adult that tries to find her own way to become independent. The character would be aged around seventeen to twenty. Her appearance would be a young, sweet and good-looking lady. Her dressing sense would appear to be fashionable like the high street working women. I think that Catherine is shown in the play as a perfect daughter of a family. She respects Beatrice well especially Eddie. I know him and now Im supposed to turn around and make a stranger out of him? I dont know why I have to do that the extract shows that Catherine never loose her faith or respect in Eddie. In some parts of the play she appears to be frightened by Eddie Desperately, as though he had made his imprint. She rushes to the house. This stage direction shows that Catherine is scare of what Eddie had said. At the end of the play when Eddie is stabbed by his own knife, Catherine still respect for him. Eddie. I never meant to do nothing bad to you.

Improving Access to Nature in Urban Environments

Improving Access to Nature in Urban Environments In an urbanizing world, discuss the value of green and blue spaces in towns and cities and describe some of the approaches being used to improve access to nature. Introduction 50 years after Henri Lefebvre identified seeds of planet ‘Trantor’, Isaac Asimov’s (1995) completely urbanized science fiction planet, amidst the Earth’s urbanization (Merrifield, 2013), 54% of global population today are urban dwellers, and it is projected to increase to 66% in 2050 (United Nations, 2014). Lefebvre’s prognostications are coming true at a staggering pace. Such booming population growth in cities and towns puts immense pressure on ever-shrinking urban spaces. In light of competing land use, the frantic pursuit of economic prosperity and social advancement has neglected urban green and aquatic environments. Many remain incognizant of the importance of nature and its access within increasingly concretized landscapes. The benefits and detriments of urban green and blue spaces will be explored using a multi-dimensional approach considering various aspects of urban nature’s importance. Health Dimension To begin with, from the perspective of well-being, green and blue environments satisfy a fundamental human need for a conducive environment. Human evolution theory suggests that modern humans have developed a certain genetic inclination to respond positively to habitat settings favourable to survival and well-being of their ancestors (Kellert and Wilson, 1993). These responses are believed to be triggered when immersed within nature. As such, the restorative effects of nature seem to serve as ‘natural tranquilizers’ amidst the urban hustle and bustle (van den Berg et al., 1998). For instance, Ulrich (1984) discovered that hospital patients with the opportunity to look out onto greenery recovered much quicker from surgery than those whose views were confined to buildings. This reflects the recuperative influences of green spaces on well-being of urban dwellers. Further research also strengthened evidence of restorative sounds and visual properties of water and waves withi n aquatic spaces (White et al, 2010). The array of physical and spiritual healing functions of natural environments provide the basis of human needs that make cities and towns liveable. Socio-Spatial Dimension Moving on, from a social paradigm, natural environments within urban localities can facilitate social progression by allowing people to seek emotional refuge while providing valued recreational space. ‘The free world of the public park has always evolved a pre-lapsarian world of innocence and autonomy’ (Thompson, 2002, p. 66). Indeed, chasing after better lives and getting to places on time have caused personal time to be left behind amidst busy cosmopolitan lifestyles. The serene natural environment is perhaps the only place where one could seek emotional shelter in terms of privacy and self-reflection. In addition to being emotional sanctuaries, urban green and blue spaces represent extended recreational space amidst congested urban environments. Growing urban populations are forcing people to live even closer than ever before as land use becomes competitive. For instance, half of Hong Kong’s population is housed within continuously shrinking living space at app roximately 13.4m ³ per individual (Hong Kong Housing Authority, 2014). Increasing proximity between humans generates feelings of confinement within countless of man-made walls. Hence, the presence of open green and blue spaces allow urban dwellers to step away from the highly-constrained landscapes of built environments, where there is space for one’s privacy and for forging social relationships free from cramped cities and towns. While recognising the importance of urban green and blue spaces, it would be myopic to overlook any potential detriments. Although these natural environments are paradise away from stressful urban life, they could also be harbour potential danger. These natural habitats provide ‘wild’ breeding grounds for crime and incivilities, and could ‘be a place of fear and anxiety’ (Thompson, 2002, pp. 66). Research studies revealed that visitors to promenades along the Rhine in Cologne and Dà ¼sseldorf, especially women and elderly, were concerned about theft and harassment in addition to issues of victimisation (Và ¶lker and Kistemann, 2013, pp. 120). The manifestation of crime and anti-social behaviour creates negative perceptions and feelings of powerlessness that indirectly erect mental barriers for potential nature users. Development Dimension Apart from the benefits that urban inhabitants enjoy, it is also imperative that we consider the advantages of having urban natural environments within cities and towns. Urban green and blue spaces contribute to the sustainable development of built environments, in both economic and ecological dimensions. Research conducted by White et al. (2010) revealed that combined green and blue environments were most preferred, depicted in Fig 1. Fig 1: Research Conclusions on Environment Preference Ratings Source: White et al. (2010), pp. 487 The aesthetic appeal of nature highlighted above translates to higher fiscal revenue and monetary returns for the urban settlement. For instance, people were found to be willing to pay almost 8% to 12% more for housing properties with views of water and green interface across several districts within the Netherlands (Luttik, 2000). In addition, urban greenery also attracts greater influx of foreign investments into cities and towns, exemplified by the beautification of Singapore as a â€Å"garden city† that propelled the city’s economic rise (Braatz, 1993). Hence, the presence of green and blue spaces in urban areas create positive perceptions of pleasant environments, which makes cities and towns more alluring in the economic sense. Furthermore, ecological footprints of urban development could potentially be mitigated. Research has shown that 85% of air pollutants and dust particles can be filtered out in a typical-sized urban park (Bolund and Sven, 1999), In addition, the combined effects of green and blue spaces are also effective in combating the urban heat island effect. Ambient temperatures within Chapultepec Park in Mexico City were observed to be 2 °C to 3 °C lower than surrounding urban areas (Jauregui, 1990/1991). The presence of natural spaces helps to regulate the urban environment and make cities and towns more hospitable. For any urban settlement pursuing sustainable development, these green and blue spaces may hold the answers. Improving Access to Nature Growing understanding of the urban nature’s beneficial outcomes and potential detriments has generated renewed focus on making nature more accessible. Different definitions of improving access underpin the myriad of strategies and implementations that have been adopted. Firstly, the shift in focus towards ‘green infrastructure’ which involves enhancing engineered water infrastructure by integrating nature with urban ‘grey infrastructure’ have become increasingly popular (Wendel et al., 2011). This approach interprets improving accessibility as increasing the distribution of natural spaces. Recent academic literature suggest that we â€Å"may have to bring nature to people rather than have people come to nature, especially in urbanized environments’ (Lin et al., 2014, pp. 6). Thus, nature should be incorporated into existing urban infrastructure to raise opportunities for encounters. In Tampa, Florida, converted storm water ponds enhanced with green spaces saw a 35% increase in walking access (Wendel et al., 2011). On the other hand, in South-East London, such incorporation was done through the restoration of a section of river Ravensbourne within Cornmill Gardens by replacing concrete encasements with natural slopin g banks and bank vegetation (The London Rivers Action Plan, 2009). These strategies, combining landscape and water management, mimics natural watersheds to enhance urban hydrology while greatly improving public access. Another strategy to improve accessibility points towards public education espousing human connections with nature. This approach understands improving access through raising motivation to visit nature. Education theory suggests that ‘biophilia’ (Kellert and Wilson, 1993) and interest in nature are encouraged by early childhood experiences (Stokes, 2006). Removal of such experiences would dramatically reduce one’s motivation to visit nature regardless of accessibility. To illustrate, the Forest Schools Education (FSE) movement was originally developed to develop a greater affinity with nature for pre-school children in Denmark. This Scandinavian concept, now adopted across pre-schools worldwide, develops children’s appreciation of nature through regular visits to natural spaces for play (Forest Schools Education, 2013). Cultivating one’s orientation towards nature through interactive opportunities can therefore develop life-long motivations to visit t he natural environment. Thirdly, improving accessibility by reducing barriers to usage advocates the improvement of public amenities within natural spaces. This approach focuses on creating safe and conducive conditions for public access to nature with a peace of mind. This greatly reduces perceptions of danger and encourages frequent access. In Santa Cruz, Bolivia, over 65% of respondents highlighted safety as the main obstacle that limited accessibility of nature (Wendel et al., 2012). Hence, access to nature can be augmented through improved public amenities and infrastructure to make these spaces safer. In Bogota, Columbia, improving access to nature focused upon heightened security and safety through installing fences, increasing uniformed guard patrol frequencies and improving lighting conditions (Berney, 2010). Thus, safe natural environments would encourage more frequent visits and greatly reduce deterrence of usage associated with perceptions of danger. Conclusion Being indispensable ecological assets in today’s urbanizing world, urban green and blue environments deliver an extensive range of crucial functions that cover health and social benefits to ecological and economic goals. Facilitating public access to these ‘lungs of the city’ (Sutton, 1971) through a spectrum of interventions ensure that the opportunities and perks provided by these urban ecosystems help improve the quality of urban life. As planet Earth increasingly resembles ‘Trantor’ more than ever before, we must realize that in order to sustain the development of cities and towns, urban natural environments are a ‘must-have’ rather than a ‘nice-to-have’. 1509 words Bibliography Asimov, I. 1955. Foundation, (Voyager Paperback, London). Berney, R. 2010. Learning from Bogota: How municipal experts transformed public spaces, Journal of Urban Design, 15(4) pp. 539 – 558. Bolund, P. and Sven, H. 1999. Ecosystem Services in Urban Areas, Ecological Economics, 29 pp. 293 – 301. Braatz, S. 1993. Urban Forestry in Developing Countries: Status and Issues, in Kollin, C., Mahon, J. and Frame, L. (eds) Proceedings of the Sixth National Urban Forest Conference: Minneapolis, Minnesota, September 14-18, 1993, (American Forests, Minnesota). Forest Schools Education, 2013. ‘Introduction to Forest Schools’, http://www.forestschools.com/course-material/forest-schools-general/, Accessed 11th October 2014. Hong Kong Housing Authority, 2014. Housing in Figures 2014, https://www.housingauthority.gov.hk/en/common/pdf/about-us/publications-and-statistics/HIF.pdf. Jauregui, E. 1990/1991. Influence of a large urban park on temperature and convective precipitation in a tropical country, Energy and Buildings, 15 – 16 pp. 45 – 63. Kellert, S.R. and Wilson, E.O. 1993. The biophilia hypothesis, (Island Press, Washington DC). Lin, B., Fuller, R., Bush, R., Gaston, K. and Shanahan, D. 2014. Opportunity or Orientation? Who Uses Urban Parks and Why, PLOS ONE, 9(1) pp. 1 – 7. Luttik, J. 2000. The value of trees, water and open space as reflected by house prices in the Netherlands, Landscape and Urban Planning, 48 pp. 161 – 167. Merrifield, A. 2013. The Urban Question under Planetary Urbanization, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 37.3 pp. 909 – 922. Rosenzweig, M.L. 2003. Win-Win Ecology: How The Earth’s Species Can Survive In The Midst of Human Enterprise, (Oxford University Press, New York). Stokes, D.L. 2006. Conservators of Experience, BioScience, 56(1) pp. 6 – 7. Sutton, S.B. (ed.). 1971. Civilizing American Cities: A Selection of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Writings on City Landscapes, (MIT Press, Cambridge). The River Restoration Centre, 2009. The London Rivers Action Plan: A tool to help restore rivers for people and nature, http://www.therrc.co.uk/lrap/lplan.pdf. Thompson, C.W. 2002. Urban open space in the 21st Century, Landscape and Urban Planning, 60 pp. 59 – 72. Ulrich, R.S. 1984. View through a window may influence recovery from surgery, Science, 224 pp. 420 – 421. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, 2014. World Urbanization Prospects: The 2014 Revision, Highlights (ST/ESA/SER.A/352). van den Berg, A.E., Maas, J., Verheij, R.A. and Groenewegen, P. 2010. Green space as a buffer between stressful life events and health, Social Science and Medicine, 70 pp. 1203 – 1210. Và ¶lker, S. and Kistemann, T. 2013. â€Å"I’m always entirely happy when I’m here!† Urban blue enhancing human health and well-being in Cologne and Dà ¼sseldorf, Germany, Social Science and Medicine, 78 pp.113 – 124. Wendel, H.E., Downs, J.A. and Milhelcic, J. 2011. Assessing Equitable Access to Urban Green Space: The Role of Engineered Water Infrastructure, Environmental Science and Technology, 45 pp. 6728 – 6734. Wendel, H.E., Zarger, R. and Mihelcic, J. 2012. Accessibility and usability: Green space preferences, perceptions and barriers in a rapidly urbanizing city in Latin America, Landscape and Urban Planning, 107 pp. 272 – 282. White, M., Smith, A., Humphryes, K., Pahl, S., Snelling, D. and Depledge, M. 2010. Blue Space: The importance of water for preference, affect and restorativeness ratings of natural and built scenes, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30 pp. 482 493.

Suicide Essay -- essays research papers

Have you ever known someone who’s committed or tried to commit suicide and thought, â€Å"I wish I would’ve done something, said something, to stop it from happening?† I know I would ask myself that question everyday if I hadn’t. A few years ago, a good friend of mine thought her life was so bad she wanted to end it. I did the only thing I could think, and told the nearest teacher. It may sound so childish or stupid, but it worked. Luckily, she’s still alive and well. I’m here to make sure you can make the difference and help a person who might be, or is suicidal. Just think of what would happen if you didn’t try to help.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many reasons a person may feel suicidal. Isolated stress, traumatic events/experiences are the main causes. People can usually deal with the causes above fairly well, but when these events accumulate over time, our normal coping strategies can be pushed to the limit. The presence of multiple risk factors does not necessarily imply that a person will become suicidal. The following events could contribute to a person feeling suicidal: Death of a loved one; loss of a valued relationship; loss of employment, physical, emotional, sexual, social abuse. These are a few events that may cause a person to fell like they want to end their life. Suicide is usually a cry for help. The attemptor is looking for someone to help them, because they fell there is nothing they can do to help themselves. A person attempting suicide is often s...

The Maasai Culture And Ecological Adaptations Essay -- Maasai Culture

Introduction The Rift Valley in East Africa has been the home of pastoralists for over three thousand years. A number of different tribes migrated to Kenya, grouped by language they include the Cushites derived from Southern Ethiopia, the Nilotes, which include the Maasai, from Southern Sudan, and the Bantu. The Maa speaking people are the group from which the Maasai originated; their expansion southward into the Great Rift Valley began about 400 years ago. The second stage of Maasai expansion involved the emergence of a central Maasai alliance as well as the expansion and differentiation out of the Central Rift Valley. There are numerous Maasai tribes, and we will be primarily discussing the Arusha and Central Maasai. Environmental Aspects The Maasai live throughout north central Tanzania and southern Kenya. Kenya Maasailand is presently located near the coast in the Narok and Kajiado districts. The territory in 1981 measured approximately 39,476 square kilometers. Details on the environment in this area are necessary in order to understand the Maasai people who depend upon it for their survival. The region is typical of arid and semi-arid lands. The Maasailand area has an extremely low amount of surface water, and shallow alkaline soils which proves to be a difficult problem for their cattle-raising practices, and the main reason why they have adapted pastoralism rather than agriculture. The amount of rainfall varies greatly (usually less than 500 mm a year) , with occasional violent storms erupting. The location of the rain may be very specific, effecting a very small area without touching a nearby location. The amount of rainfall fluctuates every year and droughts are frequent. The Maasai have adapted to their livin g co... ...1963 5. Irons, Eugene â€Å"The Pauperization of the Maasai in Kenya† Africa Today pg. 57-65 6. KenyaWeb http://www.kenyaweb.com/people/nilotes/nilotes.html 7. Saitoti, Tepilit Ole The Worlds of a Maasai Warrior University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles 1986 8. Sindiga, Isaac â€Å"Fertility Control and Population Growth Among the Maasai† African Studies Review v.27 (Mar. ’84) pp.23-39 1984 9. Spear, Thomas and Richard Waller Being Maasai: Ethnicity and Identity in East Africa James Currey Ltd. London 1993 10. Spear, Thomas Kenya’s Past: An Introduction to Historical Method in Africa Longman Group Limited London 1981 11. Spencer, Paul The Maasai of Matapato: A Study of Rituals of Rebellion Indiana University Press Bloomington and Indianapolis 1988 12. Tigner, Robert L. The Colonial Transformation of Kenya Princeton University Press 1976

Story Of A Dead Man :: essays research papers

Story of a Dead Man My name is Pierce Montgomery. I hail from a small village town just outside of London. Seven years ago I was a young boy who set out for adventure to the new world. Today I write this as an old man. The following is my story of our colony at Roanoke and the series of tragic events that beset it. The journey to the new world was a long and tedious one. I was part of an expedition under the authority of John White. From what I remember if my journey I sailed on a ship named Dorothy. The quarters were very cramped and smelled of mildew. The ship was full of a variety of different people. There were carpenters, like myself, farmers, fisherman, and explorers. There were also some people who wad no real business being on the expedition. Aristocratic people, who had no concept of work, but were there just to have a good time, hunt, and search for spoils of the new world. These people were one of the main reasons we struggled so much founding a colony. It took over three months to reach the new world and when we did I had never been so glad to see land in my life. It was summer when we arrived so the weather was very cooperative. The first order of business for us was to build shelters and find a fresh water source. Luckily for us there was a stream near by. I being a carpenter helped build makeshift homes out of wood and rope. Farmer’s tilled fields and fisherman found the best spots to throw their lines. By fall the colony was up and running relatively smoothly. Everybody did their share of work except for the people from aristocratic people from England. There were fights almost daily about the laziness of these people. They took far more from the colony than they put back in. On the other hand they were the ones who financed our trip to this beautiful new world. Winter was a very tough time for us. Our crops died and we were very low on food. Our shelters collapsed under the weight of the snow and we didn’t have enough warm clothing. Fourteen colonists died during this time. It was then that we made first contact with the savages. They called themselves the Croatoan and were apparently from a small island located in the bay.

Diversity in the Workplace Essay

Discrimination are more common in workplaces, because some people only think of discrimination as making a distinction and judgment of a person based on color of skin. Discrimination goes far beyond color of skin. A person can be disseminated agonist for their age, disability, gender, religion, or even for being pregnant. In a workplace there are standards and policies in place to decrease the chances of a person being discriminated against. When the staff is diverse in a workplace, discrimination less likely to happen. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission indicates that it is â€Å"illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability† (). I experienced discrimination in the workplace, and after making an EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) complaint on a supervisor, she became more discriminatory towards me. The supervisor would make racist statements, once she found out I put an EEO complaint in on her, she would deliberately change my schedule, and put me on shifts that I could not work, to get me to quit. Most places do not give â€Å"set schedules† which means a person works the same shift and works the same hours on the same days. However, the position I worked, was a set schedule position. After going through weeks of the hostile environment, and continued derogatory statements, I quit as it was stressing me out, which caused me to lose severe weight. There are federal and state legislation that supports fair and impartial practices in the workplace. Federal legislations that supports fair practices include: †¢Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; †¢The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA), which protects men and women who perform substantially equal work in the same establishment from sex-based wage discrimination (Scott, 2014). †¢the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older; †¢Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended (ADA), which prohibit employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in the private sector, and in state and local governments; †¢Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities who  work in the federal government; †¢Title II of the Genetic Information Nondisc rimination Act of 2008 (GINA), which prohibits employment discrimination based on genetic information about an applicant, employee, or former employee; and †¢The Civil Rights Act of 1991, which, among other things, provides monetary damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination (Scott, 2014). There are responsibilities that human resource managers should uphold to protect the employees from discrimination in the workplace. It is important for human service mangers to strive to have a diverse workplace, while maintaining awareness of equal employment legislation and affirmative action (Lewis, Packard, & Lewis, 2012). Human service mangers objectives should include, but are not limited to promoting awareness of workplace diversity, develop and maintain a highly skilled, diverse and effective workforce, where all employees and members are valued, encouraged and provided with opportunities to develop their potential (Workplace Diversity, 2014). It I s also import to develop a supportive workplace culture which allows employees and members to balance their work and personal life, and provide a discrimination and harassment free workplace; and embrace workplace diversity principles in recruitment and selection processes (Workplace Diversity Plan, 2014). It is important for human service mangers and others who make decision to be aware of the effects of their practices (book). Their practices could either mak e the organization more effective and receptive, or continue discrimination against, women, elderly people, color people, and others (Lewis, Packard, & Lewis, 2012). There are many strategies involved in risk management. One strategy is human resources being accountable and responsible for providing information and recommendations about local, state and federal laws pertaining to equity and human rights, including an affirmative action place (Lewis, Packard, & Lewis, 2012). When human resource management are aware of their practices, human service organizations less likely to have cases of discrimination in the workplace. Another strategy is providing training in diversity and equity to increase knowledge and understanding of critical issues, improve job-related skills, develop leadership, and ensure responsive, sensitive support for individuals (Workplace Diversity Plan, 2014). Diversity within the workplace are paramount for human service workers and for management of human service organizations, because human  service organizations can offer services to a more diverse community with staff, who are culturally competent. This makes them able t o give services to all group of people leaving no error for discrimination. When a human service organization is committed to helping children who are sexually abused, these is no room for discrimination. Diversity is important in the dream organization called ChildFocus Sexual Abuse Organization (CFSAO), as many children will be from different ethnic backgrounds, with different beliefs, and different social-economics statues. The experience explained above consists of a supervisor making racist statements. In the CFSAO, diversity would have a huge influence on the clients as well as the human service workers. Racism would have a negative impact on the sexual abused children, which would further traumatize and victimize a child. It is necessary for the staff to be culturally competent, and sensitive to the experiences of all sexually abused children and their families. Culturally competency would apply to the development and management aspects of human services, because it provides human service workers with effective services that are equally accessible to each of the diverse groups that the organization serves. In conclusion, there are federal and local laws that protect people from being discriminated in the workplace. The human resource managers should be aware of their practices during the interview and hiring process, by hiring a more diverse group of people for a human service organization. This would decrease the chances of human service workers or clients from being discriminated against. There are strategies that can help human service agencies decrease discrimination in a workplace which can include promote awareness in the workplace diversity, and develop a supportive workplace culture which allows employees and members to balance their work and personal life (Work Diversity Plan, 2014). It also important for human service workers to be culturally competent, so they are capable of serving all groups of people from different backgrounds.

Parents in Islam Essay

All the praise and glory belongs to Allah swt who is the Sustainer and Cherisher of the worlds. The closest meaning of the word ‘Rab’ is sustainer and cherisher. Allah swt is ‘Rab’ in the global sense. He is the ‘Rab’ of every living and non-living particle of any size that exists in this whole universe. All the sovereignty of heaven and earth belongs only to Him. Allah swt at various places in the Holy Quran invites, dictates and warns the people of all religions and races to love, respect and to be compassionate with the Parents. He educates the mankind a special sense of dignity, honor and respect to be given to the parents. Undoubtedly He is the ultimate authority and the cherisher but in order to show the importance of the parents He goes on to say in Sura-e-Kahf (17:24) â€Å"Qul rabbir ham huma kama rabbayani saghira†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which means He instructs the mankind to pray for them by calling ‘O my Lord! Have mercy on them (my parents) as they cherished me when I was little’. Here He wants the mankind to understand the magnitude of dignity, honour and respect that parents deserve by calling them as a cherisher even after the fact that He being the ultimate cherisher. He elevated their position to a very high degree by explaining to mankind that the parents share what I do in terms of sustaining and cherishing the children when they are little. Although the word ‘Rab’ used here is in a specific sense and to show the high degree of importance of the parents to the mankind, He is actually commanding mankind to honor and respect their parents exactly in the same manner as one would honor and respect Allah swt himself. This obedience is only in terms of honor & respect and not in terms of prostration and prayers (ibadat). The prayer (ibadat) is only done specific to Allah swt. There are many places in Holy Quran & traditions of Masoomeen (a.s.) that addresses the issue of special honor and respect to be given to the parents and they uphold a special and elevated position in the eyes of Islam. There is an authentic hadith that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said: â€Å"Paradise is under the feet of the mothers!† In another tradition he reinforced:†The pleasure of parents is the pleasure of Allah, and the anger of parents is the anger of Allah.† Amirul Momineen Imam Ali (a.s.) explained: â€Å"Honoring parents is one of the noblest characteristics.† Imam Sadiq (a.s.) explained: â€Å"If a person desires a long life and blessings, he must honor his parents and stay in contact with kin.† Imam Reza (a.s.) said: â€Å"The Almighty Allah commands that thanks be given to Him and to parents. Whoever fails to thank his parents does not thank Allah.† The divine Imams (a.s.) even warned us from misbehavior and disobedience to the parents. The sixth Imam Sadiq (AS) said: â€Å"Disobedience towards the parents is a heinous sin, for Allah has made the disobedient one rebellious and hard.† He also warned, â€Å"The mildest form of ill conduct towards parents is â€Å"uff†, and if Allah knew something lesser than that, He would have forbidden it.† While explaining the verse, â€Å"And lower unto them the wing of submission through mercy† (Al-Quran 17:24), sixth Imam (a.s.) said: â€Å"When you look at them, do not fill your eyes with anything else but mercy and sympathy, and do not raise your voice above their voice, and do not put your hand above theirs, and do not go in front of them!† Commenting upon the ayat, â€Å"And say kind words unto them,† Imam al Sadiq (a.s.) said: â€Å"If they strike you, say to them: May Allah forgive you both.† Thus, it is incumbent on us to abide by the teachings of Holy Quran and to be steadfast & follow the teachings of Ahlu’l-Bayt (a.s.). Disobeying parents is disobeying the verses of Holy Quran & denying the teachings of Masoomeen (a.s.). This is making mockery of Allah’s commands and Allah swt warns those people: â€Å"The warning not to take the communications of Allah for mockery†, Baqarah, 2:231 â€Å"Evil was the end of those who rejected the communications of Allah and mocked at them†, Room 30:10 â€Å"Do not sit with people who mock at the communications of Allah otherwise you will end in Hell with them†, Nisa, 4:140 Thus it is very important to abide by the command of Allah swt that says, ‘Your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him, and be kind to parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, do not say ‘uff’ to them or chide them, but speak to them in terms of honor and kindness. Treat them with humility, and say, ‘My Lord! Have mercy on them, for they did care for me when I was little’ (17:23)

The temple architecture of ancient Greece and Rome

Brought down from Mount Pinstripes, it was then transported ten miles on oxen-drawn carts to Athens. 5 The Parthenon was regarded in its prime as the finest example of a Doric temple, due mainly to the refinement of already well establish deed aspects of appeal. 6 Typically, only one order was used in the construction of temples in certain areas; Doric in western and mainland Greece, and Ionic on the coast of Asia Minor and in the Aegean islands. The Parthenon is an exception to this, however, as it contains certain Ionic elements throughout its structure also, making it unique. The home to an Ionic frieze, the Parthenon had two rooms, most likely in accordance with the sun – one west- facing that acted as a treasury, and a second separate room with its door facing east, used to contain the â€Å"cult image, the gold and ivory Athena Parthenon†, the Greek goddess of reason, intelligent activity, arts and literature. 8 Horizontal aspects such as the architrave and the as trolabe are corrected by meaner of entities, so that they do not â€Å"sag† in the middle.Also, the corner columns stand closer and thicker than their neighbors, so that they do not appear frail against the sky. It is clear that the Greeks at the time were highly skilled in both construction and aesthetic design. 3. Henry Sterile, Greece; From Mycenae to the Parthenon, Teaches Press, First Edition, 2001. P. 189 4. Robin Francis Rhodes, Architecture and Meaning on the Athenian Acropolis, Cambridge University Press, First Edition, 1998. P. 1 5. Bernard Assemble, Architect and Sculptor in Classical Greece; The Wrights Lectures: Volume 6, Phaeton Press, First Edition, 1972. . 94 6. Http://en. Wisped. Org/wick/ Temple_of_Hyphenates 7. A. W. Lawrence, Greek Architecture, Yale University Press, Fifth Edition, 1996. . 77 8. Http://www. Geochronology. Com/Olympian/Athena/Athena. HTML 9. Patrick Mutagens, The Story of Architecture, Phaeton Press, Second Edition, 2004. P. 97 Doric archi tecture, further contributing to its aesthetic AAA? ¬@lllustration 5: The Parthenon, Acropolis, Athens. Built from 427 – 424 BCC, the Temple of Athena Nikkei is the first fully Ionic structure to be built atop the Athenian Acropolis.As a result, certain differences exist between itself and the previous Parthenon. Measuring a mere 11 feet in heighten, it has been described as â€Å"barely more than a treasury. 11 Of considerable elegance, the temple's four- columned inappropriately facades acted to frame a small square â€Å"NAS† measuring mm by 5, the entrance to which was preceded by two slender marble pillars. 12 The bastion face looking outwards and the end of the temple tilt towards the north wing, resulting in an altered view of the distance between the wings when viewed from the west.This also forces the corner of the facade in the north-west into line with the south wing facade. This in turn makes the temple sides point towards the Parthenon. 13 Although diff erent techniques were used, it is clear that visual manipulation was Just as prominent in the Temple of Athena Nikkei as it was in the Parthenon. As on red and black pottery, the ancient Greeks favored contrasts, especially those found in nature, and this was readily apparent through their use of marble on the frieze below the temple. 14 The temple itself, similar to the Parthenon and other Doric temples, was built using white phonetic marble.It was, however, built in stages, as war was present during the construction, and from time to time funds were cut short. The sculptural works found on the parapet consist of multiple Nines leading bulls to be sacrificed to Athena ND organizing trophies of victory. It is clear that such ideals were valued by the people of the time, and is the reason why such a great deal of effort was made when constructing temples, and their decorative features. This differs from the Parthenon in that no specific story is told. 15 Little interaction between fi gures exists and few narrative techniques are used.This is specific to the temple, and not ionic buildings as a whole. 10. Http://www. Ancient-Greece. Org/architecture/Athena-Nikkei. HTML 1 1 . Robin Francis Rhodes, Architecture and Meaning on the Athenian Acropolis, Cambridge University Press, First Edition, 1998. P. 113 12. Henry Sterile, Greece; From Mycenae to the Parthenon, Teaches Press, First Edition, 2001. P. 204 13. A. W. Lawrence, Greek Architecture, Yale University Press, Fifth Edition, 1996. P. 118 14. Joseph Rockery, The Dancing Column; On Order in Architecture, The MIT Press, First Edition, 1999. P. 230 15.Robin Francis Rhodes, Architecture and Meaning on the Athenian Acropolis, Cambridge University Press, First Edition, 1998. P. 120 ? ¬@lllustration 6: Athens, Temple of Athena Nikkei. ? ¬? ¬@Although originally based on Greek architecture, Roman temples developed so hat the Romans maintained their own distinct style. Roman temples' orientations were, and still a re, dominated by an axis, and the position of the temple in relation to the forum and the way that it is approached is an important stylistic feature. Roman temples were placed at the end of a clearly defined space.Set high on a podium, it could only be approached from the front. Greek temples differed, however, in that they were set down in an open area and approached from all sides. 16 The Romans favored the Corinthian order when building columns, as the ornamentation was an important factor in Roman architecture. As their style developed, so did the Roman arch, a very prominent aspect of many Roman buildings, including temples. 16. Leland M. Roth, Understanding Architecture; Its Elements, History, and Meaning, Western Press, Second Edition, 2007. P. 50 ? ¬The Manson Carr ©e, found in Ames in southern France, is constructed according to the Corinthian Order 17, as is seen by the presence of the Corinthian pillars, and is among the most well-preserved Roman temples of the Roman Empire. 18 The English translation is â€Å"square-house†, and is so-called because of its rectangular shape. 19 Built by Grippe in 16 BCC, the civic Roman temple was dedicated to his two sons who both died young, in an effort to show the loyalty and allegiance of the Roman colony to the imperial dynasty at the time. 0 The temple was the dominant structure in the forum of the Roman city at the time, serving as a reminder of the values that it represented to the city's inhabitants. Although including elements consistent with an Etruscan style, very prominent Greek elements were present, showing the strong influence of Greek architecture, as opposed to Roman architecture which tended towards rounded arches and domes. 1 Twenty engaged columns can be found embedded along the walls of the calla, and delicate ornamental relief carvings of acanthus leaves and rosettes, found Just beneath a row of considerably fine dentists, adorn the frieze. 2 The reason that the temple is so well- preserved today is owed to the fact that it was rededicated as a Christian church during the fourth century, saving it from the destruction inflicted on other temples after Christianity was adopted as the official state religion of Rome,23 leading us to believe that religion was a particularly prominent aspect of Roman ultra and, by extension, of the lives of the Romans themselves. ? ¬17. Http://www. Britannica. Com/Upchucked/topic/358799/Manson-Career 18. Http:// www. Sacred-destinations. Com/France/mimes-Manson-career 19. Http:// www. Formers. Mom/destinations/mimes/A30228. HTML 20. Http://www. Groundbreaking. Com/buildings/Manson_Career. HTML 21 . Http:// www. Reconstruction's. Org/Manson-career-mimes 22. Http://en. Wisped. Org/wick/Manson_CarrÃÆ'CA#Awehitecture 23. httpHttpshelshelledm/ComaIsMansonrcarryeCAaAweeon in Rome, Italy, is a sthrong exstrongf an ancient Roman temple. It is worth noting that it was built as a temple to all gods, around 118 CE. 24 Semicircular arches, each of which compose two rings of brick spanning about 5 m, are found on the building's exterior between the ends of both horizontal ranges of great conical vaults.The architect most likely thought of niches before piers, based on the Roman habit of expanding centralisecentralizedth both diagonal and cardinal recesses. 25 The largest and, arguably, most impressive element of the Pantheon is its dome. Domes were often used by the ancient Romans as space was maximised maximizedme acted moma symbol for the overarching heavens. 26 The clear span of the dome is 43. 3 m. 27 The Romans were aware of the large weights of the materials they were using and because of this they gradually decreased the thickness of the dome as it increased in height.

Google Books Essay

The Google Books project has been a working progress ever since Google was created. The co-founders of Google, Sergey Brin and Larry Page had been working on a research project that was supported by the Stanford digital Library Technologies Project in 1996. Google intends to scan every book ever published and make all of the text searchable so that people can find the relevant information they need about book. They want to make books more accessible to the public and create an easy mechanism of sorting a book’s content and relevance to a subject. In 2002 a secret â€Å"books† project was launched and research was underway to identify the challenges that lay ahead of them. Over this period, Googlers discovered a quick and harm free way to scan books and began to meet with Libraries to begin the digitalization of books. In December 2004 Google announces the launch of the â€Å"Google Print† Library Project thanks to partnerships from Harvard, The University of Michigan, The New York Public Library, Oxford and Stanford. Together it is said that these libraries exceed 15million volumes. In 2005 Google Print is renamed Google Books which is a more fitting title as it better explains it’s use. With the launch of Google Books and its fast development many will argue of the advantages and disadvantages of the site. The whole project seems a little bit overly ambitious and it obviously has many flaws in its system. It is a timely process to scan hundreds of millions of books and the pivotal question here is â€Å"Are Google books doing it right? † Scanning books is an extremely time consuming process so once Google books have done it, it seems unlikely that the books will be rescanned. If some of the books are not scanned properly, important literature and information could become obscured or lost through the process of digitalization. Geoff Nunberg (2009) published an article Google books: A Metadata Train Wreck and pointed out many errors in the system. One example being that he googled the name of an author and restricted the search to the works published before their year of birth. It was found that 182 hits came up for Charles Dickens alone. The Chief Engineer for Google Books, Dan Clancy claimed that the incorrect dates where the fault of the libraries. However, when the matter was investigated further it shows that the first ten full read books published before 1812 and that mention Charles Dickens are correctly dated in the catalogues that they had come from. Although one can argue that the correct information is given on the title page, there have been some other inexcusable errors too. Google Books has classified many of its books incorrectly and once again Dan Clancy has claimed that both the libraries and publishers where to blame because the classifications were drawn from the BISAC codes that is given to booksellers. BISAC codes have only been around for about 20 years meaning that any book that was put in the wrong category before this time is a mistake of Google themselves. Google have decided to take on an extremely large project but it seems apparent that they are not doing it very well. They are quick to push the blame on others and the whole project is based more towards commercialism rather than to help make knowledge available to the world. Project Gutenberg was one of the first â€Å"digital† libraries and was created by volunteers. This project seems to focus more on the importance of literature and the quality of the books available are much greater than those on Google Books. The books are proof read by human beings and their workers are not paid which is a clear sign that they actually care about making books more available to people. Google Books produces books in a much larger mass but they should be aware that people will value â€Å"quality over quantity† most. Google quickly scan these books and it’s obvious that they rarely check them for errors. In Paul Duguid’s (2007) essay Inheritance and Loss? A Brief Survey of Google Books, He addresses the Google books system hands on by using Laurence Sterne’s The Life and Opinion of Tristram Shandy as an example. He choose the first link that appeared in the search engine and claims his results were as follows; The book he was examining did not start with the word â€Å"wish† meaning that the left hand side of the page that had the word â€Å"I† was missing. On page seventeen the left hand side of the page is not legible because the gutter of the book is blocking the first few letters and by page twenty-seven, Sterne quoted Hamlet’s phrase â€Å"alas, poor Yorick! † and inserted a black page of mourning. However the version that is on Google books has left out this page and is somewhat ignorant to the fact of how iconic it is to the astute reader. On further investigation of Duguid’s essay I clicked on the links that were given to the book and realised that it was no longer a link to the book. I then searched Tristram Shandy just had Duguid had done into Google Books. I clicked on the first link which is the same Harvard edition that Duguid was referencing and discovered that the first page had the word â€Å"I† before â€Å"wish† and page seventeen was now fully legible. Although some corrections had been made the black page that was to follow on from page twenty seven has still not been inserted. This is perhaps due to the fact that the people scanning these books are not scholars themselves. It is very easy to recognise a page with a missing word or one that is not fully legible but many would mistake a black page as an error in printing. Another flaw in the digitalization in books is the actual book itself. There is something so pleasant about flicking through a book and holding it in your hand while you read. The book in its own physically is magnificent, depending on how old it is it could have been passed on from generation to generation. The book itself is a story in its own right. Throughout its lifespan the book can acquire various annotations, signatures and other interesting characteristics. There has also been a lot of conflict with regard to the publishing industry and the digitalization of books. Google has offered to provide a search engine what they aspire to be every book ever published but for those which are copyrighted and cannot be viewed online, Google provides the option to purchase them online through sites such as Amazon or Barnes. In January 2007, Google held a conference on the future of the publishing industry. The conference quoted Charles Darwin and projected it on a screen: â€Å"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor is it the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change. † Toobin (2007) states in an article Google’s Moon Shot: â€Å"As Laurence Kirschbaum, a long time publishing executive who recently became a literary agent, told me at the conference, â€Å"Google is now the gatekeeper. They are reaching an audience that we as publishers and authors are not reaching. It makes perfect sense to use the specificity of a search engine as a tool for selling books. †Ã¢â‚¬  This statement has a lot of truth because since the growth of technology, the popularity of books has fallen drastically. People in the 21st century care more for mindless television shows and tacky magazines than a good well written piece. Reading books challenges the mind and fuels the imagination and by incorporating literature with technology it is a great attempt to try and revive such an excellent thing. Despite Google’s attempts, it looks as if they are not doing a good job. Many authors and publishers filed a lawsuit against Google Books claiming that Google has violated their copyrights by scanning the books, creating an electronic database and displaying short excerpts without their permission. The Authors Guild filed a lawsuit against Google Books alleging copyright infringement and after four years of discussion a settlement was finally reached in 2009. It was decided that Google was allowed to copy, display and sell millions of books that were out of print but still in copyright. However the agreement was reviewed several times and was summarily rejected in March 2011. This gave organizations a chance to voice their concern about the privacy policy for users of the system. Google claims that it has reviewed its privacy policy and that an advance policy has been created for Google Books but it seemed that the policy still left a large number of gaps and something appeared to be quite vague. On September 4th 2009 the Electronic Privacy Information Centre (EPIC) entered a motion to intervene in the Google settlement case to help the readers of Google Books regarding their privacy online. EPIC states that readers will be required to part with particular information that will be stored in a database to create detailed profiles of preferences of the reading with regard to their purchases and browsing. Marc Rotenberg appeared in court on February 18th 2010 and stated that: â€Å"A person at any library or any university in the United States that attempted to retrieve information from Google’s digital library would be uniquely tagged and tracked. There is simply no precedent for the creation of such power†. The court rejected the settlement but it did however state that Google should review it’s privacy policy to better protect its users. Google should not have the right to disclose any information to government or third parties and secure browsing should be a priority. Many people do not realise that these profiles are being created or that their privacy is being invaded. If this is supposed to be the library of the future, then it should be dealt with in the correct manner. People should be able to browse through books anonymously and have their own thoughts kept private. Google Books seem to have rushed the whole process of scanning such a vast amount of literature and by doing so they seemed to have forgotten about â€Å"quality over quantity. † It seems that the dream of creating a digital library will remain one for the foreseeable future due to the numerous flaws that the system has. Whilst Google Books are trying to correct their many errors it is apparent that the whole project was done quite carelessly and insufficiently. It is evident that Google Books motive leans more to the commercial side of things rather than making knowledge available to a wider audience. This is particularly clear with regards to their privacy policy. Google will suggest recommended pages and sites by analysing all of your browsing. The option to purchase a book that is not available online makes Google Books more of a digital bookstore rather than a digital library. The concept of Google Books is a great one and though it has some advantages, the disadvantages outweigh the good. Bibliography: †¢Duguid, Paul. â€Å"Inheritance and Loss? A Brief Survey on Google Books. † N. p. , Aug. 2007. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. . †¢Nunberg, Geoff. â€Å"Language Log. † A » Google Books: A Metadata Train Wreck. N. p. , 29 Aug. 2009. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. http://languagelog. ldc. upenn. edu/nll/? p=1701 †¢McSherry, Corynne. â€Å"Good and Bad in Google Book Search Settlement Decision | Electronic Frontier Foundation. † Good and Bad in Google Book Search Settlement Decision | Electronic Frontier Foundation. N. p. , 23 Mar. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. . †¢Rogers, T. â€Å"Google Books: Good for Knowledge, Bad for Privacy. † Information Privacy Law. N. p. , 28 Mar. 2011. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. http://www. brianrowe. org/infoprivacylaw/2011/03/28/google-books-good-for-knowledge-bad-for-privacy/ †¢Ã¢â‚¬ Google Books. † Google Books. N. p. , n. d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. .

MITIE plc is a UK FTSE 250 business Essay

There are three main business divisions of the group which are: 1) strategy & consultancy, 2) facilities and project management and 3) services. The facilities management group includes business services, catering services, cleaning, facilities management, landscaping, Pest control, PFI, and security. Under the property management division the company offers building refurbishment, fit-out, roofing and maintenance. Under the asset management division the company offers services such as mechanical and electrical engineering & maintenance, energy generation and management, ICT and infrastructure. Strategy Review of the Company. In 2009 the company’s business had a 59% and 41% ratio of private and public clients respectively. This split is in terms of revenues and the company believes as the government expenditure is a major proportion of the total GDP therefore this split might change in the short-run. The company believes that the next 12-18 months would be a difficult time as the world economic situation remains uncertain. However, the major focus of companies (clients) is on cost cutting and cost optimization. (Annual Report MITIE, 2009) In the transport and logistics sector the company’s main client base includes BAA, FirstGroup and Euro-star. The size of the target market is 11 billion Pound Sterling and the company’s share is 0. 7%, social housing is another sector which offers great amount of opportunities this is because the government has a number of programmes to provide better housing facilities and maintenance facilities. The government has a number of plans in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency to support communities and the local governments. Healthcare is also an important market for the company as the higher levels of ageing population of UK will spend a lot on healthcare facilities and create opportunities for outsourcing. The market share was 0. 8% in 2009 for the company out of a total market size of 11 billion pounds. (Annual Report MITIE, 2009) Financial Analysis for 2008, 2009 of MITIE The revenue of the company in 2008 was 1. 4 billion pounds and it increased to 1. 521 billion in 2009 which is an 8. 2% rise on a year on year (YoY) basis. In terms of the business segments the highest revenues were recorded in the facilities management sector in both 2008 and 2009 with 2008 revenues exceeding 820. 4 million pounds and 2009 revenues for the facilities division topping 942 million pounds. A major change was the increase in margin contribution from property management services from 5. 3% in 2008 to 6% in 2009. From the total revenues of 1. 52 billion pounds, 297. 9 million were from property management and 281. 8 million were from asset management in 2009. The net profit margin for the year 2009 was 3. 57% whereas the net profit margin for 2008 was 3. 4%. The operating profit for the company increased from 70. 3 million pounds in 2008 to 78. 6 million pounds in 2009. This represented an increase of 11. 8% in the operating profits of the company. It is an indication of the higher level of productive efficiency at the company. The basic EPS (Earning per Share) increased by 16. 8% from 2008 to 2009. In 2009 the basic EPS was 16. 7p. The dividend per share in 2008 was 6. 0p and it increased to 6. 9p in 2009. The current ratio for 2008 was 1. 007 which meant that on aggregate there were more current assets available to pay off current liabilities. But an important thing that was noticed the fact that trade and receivables in 2008 were 314. 4 million pounds which is about 87. 5% of the total current assets. This means that the company is dependent on the timely payment from debtors in order to pay off creditors and other short-term liabilities. The 2009 current ratio for the company stood at 1. 09 which represents a slight improvement from the previous year. One of the main reasons for the slight improvement was that trade payables declined slightly in 2009 compared with the year end 2008 figure. In 2008 long-term liabilities as a percentage of total assets stood at 6. 2% which means that a very small amount of assets were being financed by long-term liabilities this also implies that the company has a potential to leverage its position and benefit from cheaper capital and ensure tax savings. In 2009 the long-term liabilities to total assets ratio decreased to about 5% which again implies a declining trend toward a long term borrowing regime. The company follows certain guidelines to ensure best practices in the finances of the company. It follows a number of key performing indicators (KPI); the conversion of EBITDA to cash is another financial KPI. This is an important indicator of a company’s success because the long-run sustainability of operations is dependent on positive cash flows that the company will ultimately generate. The company converted 97. 5% of its EBITDA (Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) to cash for the year ended 31st March 2009. The same conversion rate was 90. 3% in the year 2008. The company also reported operating cash of 94. 4 million pounds in 2009 which represents an increase of 20. 7% in operating cash from previous year levels. This also shows that the company has improved its ability to meet its debt obligations throughout the two years and it has reduced its interest costs in the process.