Homelessness in the United States Essay - 1461 Words

According to the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, â€Å"approximately 3.5 million people are homeless each year, while 36.3 million live in households without enough food.† This statistic only reflects the United States, and to many people, it just doesn’t make sense. For instance Alfredzine Black of the YWCA in Marion, Indiana says, â€Å"I don’t understand why we have so much poverty in the richest country in the world!† Citizens of the United States have a hard time defining and identifying poverty in their communities, so the country should crate a consistent and accurate measure of poverty. Also, urban growth is leaving people behind and causing unnecessary evictions that lead to homelessness, and this problem can be†¦show more content†¦This number amounts to over 20 percent of the world’s population†¦.(Introdution) The World Bank monitors poverty and homelessness around the world, but other agencies focus on evaluating the United States alone. One of these is the United States Census Bureau. In the United States, the Census Bureau sets the official poverty line. The figure used to compute a person’s poverty status includes any earnings, Social Security payments, child support, or other assistance. Then, using the size of the family and the ages of the family members, the Census Bureau determines which poverty threshold applies†¦According to this poverty measure, 12.5 percent of the U.S. population lived in poverty in 2007. (Introdution) These studies may be biased or skewed depending on the information available to Census Bureau and World Bank employees who conduct them or the factors used to determine who is poor. For example, the factors taken into consideration by the Census Bureau may contribute to faulty results, since they only determine who is under the poverty line after they calculate how much Social Security money or â€Å"other assistance† the applicants receive. It seems like it would make much more sense to learn how well the subjects of the studies are doing on their own before they are assisted, and maybe this way an accurate measure of the homeless population could be obtained, butShow MoreRelatedHomelessness in the United States952 Words   |  4 PagesThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of poverty on young children and their families. The focus will be on homelessness and how the child is affected in two major settings: the home, or lack of, and school. In both of these sett ings, children are impacted by different social forces and must push through barriers that are set before them given their circumstance. â€Å"Living without permanent, long-term housing creates a number of stressors for children and families, but being homelessRead MoreIs Homelessness The United States?1384 Words   |  6 Pagesmeant by homelessness in the United States? Homelessness is something that can be temporary or chronic. It is when an individual or family does not have and cannot afford a suitable place to live long term. Things like staying in a shelter, one room facilities (motel) or staying with a family member or friend does not mean you are not homeless. If you cannot afford suitable long term accommodations yourself, then you are considered homeless. When you are referring to youth homelessness they areRead MoreHomelessness : The United States1214 Words   |  5 Pagesmoney to pay to live in their previous homes. Homelessness occurs when people or households cannot afford housing. 3.5 million people yearly experience homelessness in the United States, and it is time to take action to end the suffering of homeless people. The U.S. government should execute plans to make housing low-cost and more jobs that are high-paying to reduce homelessness in the U.S. Homelessness has always been a problem in the United States but just not as widespread as it is now. â€Å"TheRead MoreHomelessness Of The United States Essay1459 Words   |  6 PagesJessy Clark Dr Iudicello English 102 30 November 2016 Homelessness in America â€Å"On a single night in January 2015, there were 564,708 people experiencing homelessness in the United States. Sixty-nine percent of those who were homeless were in sheltered locations and 31 percent were found in unsheltered locations† (Facts). People living in poverty are most likely have a high risk becoming homeless. Many other reasons why becoming homeless is due to economic conditions such as unemployment and increasingRead MoreThe Homelessness Of The United States978 Words   |  4 Pagesin the United States? I believe that it is everyone’s responsibility. As of January 2015 the homeless count in America was 564,708 people (Fluit, 2015). Even though this is a decline in homeless in America this is still unacceptable. As Americans we need to do all that we can to decrease these numbers. There is so much we could do that would go a long way to help our homeless, like donating time or money to the proper organizations. â€Å"In January 2015, 358,422 people experienced homelessness as individualsRead MoreHomelessness And The United States863 Words   |  4 Pages Homelessness has always been a present problem in the United States. It is caused by many factors that some of us are not aware of. The situations of these people hurt their families and local communities alike. Two sources were examined for their content on these issues. This essay describes the hardships of homelessness and what can be done to help these people. Helping the Homeless Many people have gotten to experience what life is like in big cities or small ruralRead MoreThe Homelessness Of The United States1803 Words   |  8 PagesEnding Homelessness Homelessness in the United States can be ended, not just maintained. Allot of cities now have plans to eradicate homelessness. Homelessness and housing instability are large issues that afflict a diverse demographic such as: Families, youth, veterans, and chronically homeless single male adults. Ending homelessness may require specialized solutions that are specific to individual needs. Factors like these make defeating homelessness a difficult task. Although solutions existRead MoreThe State of Homelessness in the United States Essay586 Words   |  3 PagesHomelessness became a huge problem in everywhere especially in the USA. Most people heard homeless people, and they saw homeless people in the streets, markets, or bridges. Most people never try to understand why there is much homelessness. Most people do not know any facts about them seem the truth of homelessness, the state of homelessness in the United States, and the effect on people from homelessness. Many causes become the answers to homeless people. The most easy understanding of homelessnessRead MoreThe Effects Of Homelessness On The United States1218 Words   |  5 Pagesof homelessness with 983 documented homeless individuals according to a 2015 Modesto Bee study and sadly, the amount increases as surrounding areas begin to enforce strict laws. These laws criminalize and relocate homeless folk to our county. There are no exceptions to the cold reality of homelessness: men, women, children, military veterans, individuals, and families are included in the rising numbers of homelessness in Stanislaus County. According to the National Law Center on Homelessness andRead MoreEssay on Homelessness in the United States1520 Words   |  7 PagesHomelessness in the United States During the 1980’s the number of homeless people, those without a house in which to reside, increased at an alarming rate. Many analysts have given much time and thought as to the reasons that this phenomenon occurred. They cite economic instability and government policies with facts and figures to support their work. Beyond the research and cold statistics that explain this event, are the victims, and those that worked to help relieve their hardship. An interview

Culture Adoption in Wole Soyinka’s and Tsitsi...

Colonialism versus Origin Within Wole Soyinka’s and Tsitsi Dangarembga’s intricately weaved novels, both pieces of literature successfully intertwine to portray the estrangement and hardships dealt with through the main characters in settling within a separate environment apart from their origins; culture and adopting the colonial mentality which is imposed upon them. There is a negative portrayal of the colonial mentality that manifests onto the African society. There are three major categories within these two texts displaying the characters that forget that they play these roles within society as puppets of colonialism, those who rebel against the invading culture that seems to threaten their sense of identity and lastly those who†¦show more content†¦This brings the characters to lose grasp of their origins, which in turn are also losing a large part of their identities as well. As time progresses, the characters forget that they are playing roles according to the Colonists whims. T his is clearly portrayed through Wole Soyinka’s novel. As clearly displayed within the first act, There is a distinctive culture apart from the British introduced which portrays the different values and customs that the Africans perform. Amusa whom is an African sergeant in the native administration police working for the white British colonialists is an example of a puppet of colonialism turning against the Africans systematic way of life through the adoption of British customs and values. Though Amusa has converted towards the British Empire, he is still seen as inferior in Pilking’s eyes thus this shows that due to his origin, he will never be valued in the eyes of a colonist. Amusa fears the Engungun costume yet aids the British in stopping the African rituals, which deprive the African people of their beliefs. They don’t seem to realize that they are harming their own culture but rather see it as an alien culture once they have fully adopted other methods o f practice through the English culture. Joseph is also a prime example of a character that has taken up a role within the colonialist society through his acceptance of the catholic religion. Joseph is a convert influenced by the British and believes that

Lord Woolf’s Reforms Free Essays

Essay Title: â€Å"Although settlement, rather than litigation, poses a number of problems for a civil justice system these matters have been largely resolved by Lord Woolf’s reforms. † What is civil justice system? There are several definitions for the civil justice system. Every civilized system of government requires that the state should make available to all its citizens a means for the just and peaceful settlement of disputes between them as to their respective legal rights. We will write a custom essay sample on Lord Woolf’s Reforms or any similar topic only for you Order Now The means provided are courts of justice to which every citizen has a constitutional right of access. Lord Diplock in Bremer Vulkan Schiffb au and Maschinenfabrik v South India Shipping Corp. [1981] AC 909, HL, p. 976. The justification of a legal system and procedures must be one of lesser evils, that legal resolution of disputes is preferable to blood feuds, rampant crime and violence. M. Bayles, ‘Principles for legal procedure’, Law and Philosophy, 5:1 (1986), 33–57, 57. The first impulse of a rudimentary soul is to do justice by his own hand. Only at the cost of mighty historical efforts has it been possible to supplant in the human soul the idea of self-obtained justice by the idea of justice entrusted to authorities. Eduardo J. Couture, ‘The nature of the judicial process’, Tulane Law Review, 25 (1950), 1–28, 7. There have been over 60 official reports on the subject of civil processing the past. Latest published reports were Evershed Report in 1953, the report of the Winn Committee in 1968, the Cantley Working Party in 1979, the Civil Justice Review in the late 1980s and the Woolf. All those reports are focused on the same objects like how to reduce complexity, delay and the cost of civil litigation. What are the problems before reforms? This is a mere compare of the pre-Woolf and post-Woolf civil landscape without baseline statistics. As research for the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) on the pre-Woolf litigation landscape (pre-1999) demonstrates that: * 50% – 83% of defended cases in the county courts were personal injury (PI) claims * overall at least 75% of cases were within the small claims or fast track financial limit; in most courts this figure was 85% or more * the higher the value of the claim, the more likely both sides were to have legal representation * PI cases had high settlement rates and a small number of trials. Non-PI cases had a higher proportion of trials, and a much higher proportion of cases withdrawn. Debt cases were most likely to end in trial (38%) and in all of those the claimant succeeded. In 96% of all cases going to trial the claimant was successful * In all types of cases 50% of awards or settlements were for ? 1,000 – ? 5,000, and a further 25% – 33% were for ? 5,000 – ? 10,000. Costs in non-PI cases were relatively modest, and in PI cases around 50% had costs of ? 2,000 or less, 24% had over ? 4,000. Wolf Reforms Lord Woolf’s approach to reform was to encourage the early settlement of disputes through a combination of pre-action protocols, active case management by the courts, and cost penalties for parties who unreasonably refused to attempt negotiation or consider ADR. Such evidence as there is indicates that the Woolf reforms are working, to the extent that pre-action protocols are promoting settlement before application is made to the court; most cases are settling earlier, and fewer cases are settling at the door of the court. In fact, most cases are now settled without a hearing. Lord Woolf, Access to Justice (Final Report, July 1996), identified a number of principles which the civil justice system should meet in order to ensure access to justice. The system should: (a) Be just in the results it delivers; (b) Be fair in the way it treats litigants; (c) Offer appropriate procedures at a reasonable cost; (d) Deal with cases with reasonable speed; (e) Be understandable to those who use it; (f) Be responsive to the needs of those who use it; g) Provide as much certainty as the nature of the particular case allows; and (h) Be effective: adequately resourced and organized. The defects Lord Woolf identified in our present system were that it is: (a) Too expensive in that the costs often exceed the value of the claim; (b) Too slow in bringing cases to a conclusion; (c) Too unequal: there is a lack of equality between the powerful, wealthy litigant and the under resourced litigant; (d) Too uncertain: the difficul ty of forecasting what litigation will cost and how long it will last induces the fear of the unknown; (e) Incomprehensible to many litigants; f) Too fragmented in the way it is organized since there is no one with clear overall responsibility for the administration of civil justice; and (g) Too adversarial as cases are run by the parties, not by the courts and the rules of court, all too often, are ignored by the parties and not enforced by the court. The Basic Reforms of Woolf A system is needed where the courts are responsible for the management of cases. The courts should decide what procedures are suitable for each case; set realistic timetables; and ensure that the procedures and timetables are complied with. Defended cases should be allocated to one of three tracks: (a) An expanded small claims jurisdiction with a financial limit of ? 3,000; (b) A new fast track for straightforward cases up to ? 10,000, with strictly limited procedures, fixed timetables (20-30 weeks to trial) and fixed costs; and (c) A new multi-track for cases above ? 10,000, providing individual hands on management by judicial teams for the heaviest cases, and standard or tailor made directions where these are appropriate. Lord Woolf’s Inquiry was also asked to produce a single, simpler procedural code to apply to civil litigation in the High Court and county courts. The Final Report was accompanied by a draft of the general rules which would form the core of the new code. Pros and Cons of wolf reforms * However, costs have increased, or have at least been front-loaded. In particular, in cases where mediation has been attempted and agreement has not been reached, costs are clearly higher for the parties. * Litigation will be avoided wherever possible. People will be encouraged to start court proceedings to resolve disputes only as a last resort, and after using other more appropriate means when available. * Litigation will be less adversarial and more co-operative. There will be an expectation of openness and co-operation between parties from the outset, supported by pre-litigation protocols on disclosure and experts. * Litigation will be less complex. There will be a single set of rules applying to the High Court and the county courts. The rules will be simpler. * The timescale of litigation will be shorter and more certain. All cases will progress to trial in accordance with a timetable set and monitored by the court. * The cost of litigation will be more affordable, more predictable, and more proportionate to the value and complexity of individual cases. There will be fixed costs for cases on the fast track. Estimates of costs for multi-track cases will be published or approved by the court. * Parties of limited financial means will be able to conduct litigation on a more equal footing. Litigants who are not legally represented will be able to get more help from advice services and from the courts. There will be clear lines of judicial and administrative responsibility for the civil justice system. The Head of Civil Justice will have overall responsibility for the civil justice system. * The structure of the courts and the deployment of judges will be designed to meet the needs of litigants. Heavier and more complex civil cases will be concentrated at trial centers which have the resources needed, incl uding specialist judges, to ensure that the work is dealt with effectively. * Judges will be deployed effectively so that they can manage litigation in accordance with the new rules and protocols. Judges will be given the training they need to manage cases. * The civil justice system will be responsive to the needs of litigants. Courts will provide advice and assistance to litigants through court based or duty advice ; assistance schemes, especially in courts with substantial levels of debt and housing work. Final conclusion It can be concluded, overall the Reforms were supported by both branches of the legal profession, judiciary and both the lay and the legal press welcomed them. Promoting settlement and avoiding litigation can be the iggest boon to litigants who otherwise when get entangled in the costly and everlasting court procedures suffer a lot. The reforms intended to focus on reduction in cost and delay, however they did not escape criticism and reduction in cost is still considered to be a debatable area. But the reforms were a step in the right direction and were deemed triumphant as they have resulted in justice being accessible to wider proportion of society espe cially when problem is of small nature and can be quickly and cheaply dealt with in lower courts. Wholistically, the advantages of the Reforms outshine the disadvantages. The reforms were a positive way for the future; still a lot of work needs to be done in a few areas for making timely, inexpensive justice available to the lay man. Reduction in cost of litigation as a consequence of reforms was not fully realized but nonetheless it cannot be said that reforms had a detrimental impact on civil justice overall as timely exchange of information between the parties does promote culture of co-operation and settlement if not always and as a result of the reforms problem of delay in litigation were well catered. There was a move away from the adversarial culture and increase in out of court settlements was seen. It can be concluded that the foundation stone for a better and prosperous litigation culture has been laid, what needs to be done now is to rectify the shortcomings of the Woolf reforms and build on the so called revolutionary much needed positive reforms aiming to avoid litigation and promoting timely settlement of disputes, so that parties no longer are faced with the never ending litigation process. Bibliography * http://www. lawteacher. net/english-legal-system/lecture-notes/civil-justice-review. php * Cambridge University Press: 978-0-521-11894-1 – Judging Civil Justice: Hazel Genn: Excerpt * D. Gladwell, ‘Modern Litigation Culture: the first six months of the Civil Justice reforms in England and Wales’ 19 Civil Justice Quarterly, 2000 pp. 9-18 * Gary Slapper and David Kelly, The English Legal System 9th edition, Routledge. Cavendish, Chapter 9(The Civil Process), pg 369. * P. How to cite Lord Woolf’s Reforms, Papers

Operational Efficiency and Financial Obligation †MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Operational Efficiency and Financial Obligation. Answer: Introduction: It is the measure of firms leverage in terms of financial obligation and relates to the companies financing its debt in comparison to the amount of equity financing. High debt to equity ratio is good for the company since it shows the operational efficiency is high as the debt is high as well as equity. The financial industry especially has a high debt to equity ratio due to the fact that it borrows money to also lend money(Corelli, 2017). A high debt to equity ratio shows that a specific firm has been super aggressive in growth financing with the debt it has incurred which may lead to financial distress when its profits or received earnings do not surpass the cost of funds borrowed. Therefore there is identifiable value maximization due to the following; An optimal structure in capital is the best in debt to equity ratio for a company that has its value maximum. Optimal structure of capital gives a balance between the ideal situations of debt to equity range while also minimizing the capital cost of the company. Debt financing is the lowest form of cost of capital due to the fact that there are a lot of tax deductible allowances involved. The value of the stocks of a company is only one part of the total value of the company. An optimal capital structure where stock price is maximized is at the point where WACC is minimum. Thus a company is said to have an optimal capital structure where equity stands at 60% and debt equity is at 40% (Escolano Gaspar, n.d.). The companys total value is comprised of preferred equity holders, common equity holders and debt holders who make up the companys capital structure. Therefore, when calculating a companys value using debt to equity ratio there will be changes in the value of the company especially when any of the component in the capital structure changes. References Corelli, A. (2017). Inside Company Valuation. Cham: Springer. Escolano, J., Gaspar, V. Optimal debt policy under asymmetric risk.

How Childhood Trauma Leads to BPD

6 summer job opportunities for teachers -TheJobNetwork

6 summer job opportunities for teachers -TheJobNetwork One of the perks of committing your life to the noble profession of teaching is the prospect of a summer off. Yet, many new teachers soon learn that not working during July and August isn’t financially possible. Others just get bored and crave the daily stimulation that comes with holding down a job. No matter what your reason is for taking on summer work, there are quite a few jobs that take advantage of the teaching skills you put to use from September through June. 1. TutorTutoring is probably the most obvious after-school job for teachers; in fact, you might even already provide after-school tutoring sessions for your students. One-on-one instruction can also provide a welcome alternative to the September–June routine if you decide to tutor in a subject different from the one you usually teach. Tutoring tends to pay very well- in the range of $30 to $100 per hour.2. ESL teacherIf you are a foreign language teacher or a multilingual English teacher, a job teaching En glish as a Second Language may be a good fit for you. Like tutoring positions, ESL jobs tend to be one-on-one situations, giving you a break from the difficulties of managing an entire class. You’d also be performing a very valuable service by helping someone communicate better in a country that is still dominantly English-speaking. Part-time ESL teachers tend to make up to $24 per hour.3. Test-prep teacherMost American students are expected to perform well on standardized tests such as the SAT or ACT in order to progress through the educational system. While the classroom is becoming more and more geared toward preparing students for such tests, most students still do the majority of their test prep outside of normal class hours.Since summer is the ideal time for students to get ready for the tests they are required to take, it is also the ideal time for teachers to lead such classes. Instructors for companies such as Kaplan earn about $24 per hour.4. Summer learning program teacherFor many kids, summer learning loss can be a real problem- students forget what they learned during the school year while taking it easy over a long vacation. Summer learning programs can help reduce learning loss by keeping kids in the swing of using their brains. Companies such as Catapult Learning are dedicated to keeping the educational ball rolling during summer months, and they need teachers like you to do the job. The pay is competitive, too- teachers can even earn up to $1,000 a week, depending on the program and subject.5. Camp counselorSo we’ve been focusing a lot on teaching here, but maybe you just need a break from that kind of work for a couple of months a year. Fair enough. You can still take advantage of your ability to communicate with and organize kids as a camp counselor. The activities you plan and perform in the great outdoors may be the perfect alternative to teaching in a cramped classroom during the chillier months. The average camp counselor o nly makes $230 per week, but that figure rises to $310 for head counselors.6. Tour guideLike counseling campers, guiding tours is in the vicinity of teaching without duplicating the work you have to do most of the year. The outdoor parks or sites and museum environments in which tour guides work provide a pleasant break from the typical classroom, yet you’d still be addressing and instructing groups of people. Since there is a wide variety in the kinds of places through which you might guide a tour, there is wide variation in how much you could get paid as a tour guide. The average ranges from $50–$150 per day, which can be a nice supplement to your usual teaching salary.

Transformational Leadership and how used in the hospitality industry Essay

Transformational Leadership and how used in the hospitality industry can increase profitablity - Essay Example chniques of good listening, hones and open communication, delegating, conflict resolution skills, etc.,† It is generally accept that good leadership is essential to the functioning of an organization. Organizations are constantly seeking leaders with a set of skills at all levels, which can inspire team members to achieve goals and earn the loyalty of customers. Leadership is the process of interaction between situations among team members. Thus, an effective leadership is contingent upon a number of variables, such as trait, leading styles, communications skills, conflict resolutions, and be able to motivate team members. Every team member also has a responsibility that specifies his or her involvement. Teams are set forth to establish roles to accomplish common goals. All team members should have a clear idea of their own roles, own duties, and responsibilities in the team and have a good understanding of how they contribute to achieve the team’s goal. The role given to every single member of the team should reveal their individual strengths as much as possible to maximize each member’s contribute to the fulfilment of the team’s objectives (Bass& Riggio 2005 p45). It is important that the abilities and skills of the employees must have to be brought out in order to fully perform in their duties and obligations in the workplace. The more proficient the member the success of the team is also ensured. A team member is usually chosen based on their expertise, qualities, and what he or she can provide for the team. Therefore, an effective leader should understand his or her team memb er’s strengths and weakness to properly assigned tasks. Transformational leadership is a very important present-day theory of leadership. This leadership style is effective for successful organizational change management. Burns believed that all behaviour regarding leadership is transactional or transformational in nature. Transactional behaviours are "mainly oriented for

Comparing Between American Education and Saudi Education Research Paper

Comparing Between American Education and Saudi Education - Research Paper Example A comparison between the weakest and the strongest education systems can assist in understanding the benefits of a good educational system and provide guidance for the improvement of the weak educational system. It is for this reason that I want to compare the American Education and Saudi Education to understand the shortcomings of the educational system of Saudi Arabia. America is a nation with a very strong educational system whereas Saudi Arabia lacks in this field and it is for this reason that a comparison of the education in the two countries can highlight the factors that need to be improved in the education of Saudi Arabia. The governments in the United States and Saudi Arabia both work extensively for the promotion of the education in their respective countries. Both the countries are known to spend extensively for improving the educational sector. The countries offer free education to students till the school level. Saudi Arabia also offers financial assistance to students for further education. The two countries have similar sets of schools which include the schools of the public sector, the government sector and the option of home schooling is also available. But there are still many differences in the education imparted in two countries. This can be understood by comparing the literacy rates of the two countries. 99 percent of the males as well as the females in the United States are educated. On the other hand, only 84.7 percent males and 70.8 percent females are literate in Saudi Arabia. The two countries have many similarities in their educational systems but striking differences have also been noted. The education system in Saudi Arabia has a strong role of religion and Islamic studies are a compulsory part of the curriculum in the educational institutions in the country. This is not true in the United States as religious studies are not compulsory in most of the educational institutions. The grading system in the two countries is also differen t. In the United States, students are given grades from A to F where A is the highest grade and F is the lowest one. On the other hand, the grading system in Saudi Arabia is from 5 to 1 with 5 being the highest mark and 1 being the lowest. The two countries also have different policies with regard to attendance in the educational institutions. In the United States, there is a compulsion for the students to be present in their schools. This is implemented in primary and secondary educational institutions. This rule is not implied in Saudi Arabia and attendance in primary and secondary schools is not checked with much strictness (Stevenson). Medical education is extremely important for all the countries of the world. There is a sharp difference between the medical educational system and practicing in the United States and Saudi Arabia. The United States has very good medical institutions that excel in teaching medicine and are marked to be the best across the globe. Furthermore, there are many educational programs for the medical health professionals and there are strictly regulated examinations in the country which ensure the fact that qualified professionals enter the field (Dezee et al 521). On the other hand, medical education in Saudi Arabia lacks these qualities. Many new medical instituti

Loyalty Program of the Apple Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Loyalty Program of the Apple Inc - Essay Example The company that is the subject of this research is Apple Inc., an American-based company operating in various countries, headquartered in the state if California. The company specializes in the designing, developing and sale of electronics including software, personal computers, and cell phones. In addition, the company offers other services and products including Smartphones, tablets, web browsers to name but a few. As of the year 2014, Apple offered permanent jobs to over 72,000 people, and its profit for same year stood at a whopping $182 billion. Some of the competitors Apple faces include Samsung, Nokia, and Microsoft among others, all of whom offer either part of the similar services or the same as Apple. When it comes to the company’s loyalty program, Apple Inc. has been noted to have a strict one where a majority of the customers hardly qualify for it. According to Meyer-Waarden, Apple’s customers are expected to spend a considerable amount of money for them to qualify for the company’s loyalty program. Sadly, many of them do not hit the target thus keep missing the goodies the company offers. Even though the company has recently announced an adjustment to its loyalty program requirements, it is still hard for many consumers to reach the target. For instance, Apple recently announced that any school intending to have its classrooms filled with the Mac computers would indeed enjoy a discount. Such institutions will enjoy a discount of 6% to 8% when the purchases are made from the company. From the above findings, it is clear that Apple’s loyalty program is wanting, and requires improvement since there are other competitors who could capitalize on this weakness. While Apple has continued to offer still competition to other players in the industry, its loyalty program requires measures to make sure customers are retained.

Why is American public education inferior among industrialized nations

Why is American  public education inferior among industrialized nations In 2011 the United States has allotted 15.3 percent of its 3.82 trillion dollar government budget for education. Japan plans to spend 9.8 percent of their 2.66 trillion dollar budget. The United Kingdom fixed 12.1 percent of 669.3 billion dollars, and Canada set aside 12.5 percent of their 276 billion dollar budget as well. In comparison to all of these other countries spending towards education, the United States spends more than all of them combined. Now while this is a quantified observation, the United States public education system is inferior to these other industrialized nations. Many reasons are prevalent for this statement. In the United States there are problems with the ways teachers operate the classroom, the ways academic performance is determined, the ways teachers are trained, and the ways curriculums are arranged. These are all issues that the United States needs to improve on in its effort to maintain a leadership position in the fields of mathematics and science and to keep its place as a major world power (UNESCO Institute for Statistics). A major argument with the United States education system is whether or not to switch to a year-round calendar in public schools. In the United States, schools currently start at the beginning of September or at the end of August, and tend to end in the month of June. United States government requires students to attend school at least 175-185 days of the year with a typical school day lasting around seven hours. In between two different school years there typically tends to be a two month summer vacation. Schools are normally organized into semesters, but the apportionment of a school year is largely decided by the school district (Education in the United States 15). While the United States does not have a year-round education, the country of Japan does. Japans school year starts on April 1st and ends on March 31st with the government mandating that students attend school at least 210 days out of the year (Ishikada). As a student reaches higher grade levels in Japan the school days usually become longer. First graders are in school for around five hours a day while fifth graders are in classes for roughly seven hours during a day (Rohlen 162). An average day in a Japanese school has students in some type of recess or lunch period for fifteen percent of the day (Rohlen 170). Primary school students will specifically have a recess in which students are allowed to use playground equipment while secondary students have ten minute breaks in between their fifty minute classes (Whitman 14). All schools in Japan normally have a lunch period lasting one hour and thirty minutes with time set aside so that students are able to clean up after themselves and to have time for relaxation with other students after eating (Rohlen 162). These two educational systems in both Japan and the United States are systematized quite similarly in structure. Discrepancies between the two systems lie in that a Japanese student is in school more hours in any given day than an American student. Also, a Japanese student attends school more days out of the year than an American student. In light of these two differences, Japanese students receive more edification and practice with their material than students do in the United States. With schools days in Japan being longer and years being longer than in the United States, students have a lot more time in between classes and for lunch. Japanese children spend fifteen percent of their day in recess while American children spend around five percent of their day in recess (Rohlen 170). Because Japanese students have their breaks in between classes throughout the day it allows their minds to relax and actually process what they have learned before attending their next class. This idea o f mind relaxation and processing expands into a main supportive assertion for year-round education. With shorter breaks in a given school year, rather than one long summer vacation, it gives a child time to gather what they have learned in an effort to use it in their future studies (Bemis and Palmer 4). An extensive summer vacation causes a child to forget what they have learned and when they return to school teachers have to take time that could be used for other areas of learning and instead focus on review (Moore 59). If schools in the United States were to become year-round this problem would be removed and America would see positive results in its educational system. With the school year length being a plausible problem in the United States, another major area of concern are the curriculums being mandated by public schools. The government of the United States passed the No Child Left Behind act as a law on January 8th, 2002 (No Child Left Behind). The No Child Left Behind act put into law by Congress gives each and every state in the United States the power to create its own curriculum with certain impediments. Because this act was established as law, curriculums in public schools are not nationally standardized. Even though the No Child Left Behind act does regulate educational practice, the curriculums used by schools are determined by local governments. These local governments can vary between the state level and the school district level (Slavin). No Child Left Behind requires public schools to give students annual tests in reading and math in grades three through eight and only one test between the grades of ten and twelve. During the 2007 s chool year science tests were required to be admitted by public schools (No Child Left Behind). Approximately ninety-five percent of students in schools are required to take standardized tests. These requirements are set forth even if English is a students second language or if that student has some type of disability (Slavin). Test results are used to determine whether a schools students are making adequate progress throughout their educational career. This progress refers to the legislatures intention to have all children proficient in reading, math, and science by 2014 (National Science Foundation). What is determined as adequate progress is defined on a state level, and leaves the states the power to determine their own standards and how to reach them. No Child Left Behind creates discrepancies in the quality of education that is provided in the different states. Because of how the curriculum is determined in the United States, another area of education that is being jeopardized is the material being taught. Teachers are able to specifically teach for only the standardized tests, focusing on only providing information that will be seen on the test in the exact same style that the test will follow (FairTest). This leads students to memorize information rather than focusing on mastering skills that were once deemed important (Slavin). By not analyzing other areas of the educational system and only paying attention to the advanced yearly progress schools make, instruction is only being enforced on a shallow level. No Child Left Behind emphasizes that students make progress, but it fails to realize whether students are just learning the information being taught or if they are achieving their actual potential. With massive state-to-state differences in the public schooling system the results of standardized tests begin to lose credibility. Standar dized tests in the United States do not keep track of the progress students and schools make as a whole, but they do bring to the surface the discrepancies between state curriculums and the resources that are being distributed to teachers and students. British education is regulated by the national government with an intensive standardized system. The British government established a national curriculum by setting up an organized set of stages for children ranging from ages five to sixteen and core subjects for them to study. It indicates the various focuses to be taught at different stages and the anticipated knowledge, abilities, and understanding level for the various subjects. It also lays down the grounds for how the students progress should be tested (Education System in England). Four stages are what make up the National Curriculum of Britain and each stage is determined by what a childs age is at the time. These stages are known as key stages. Key Stage One encompasses students ages five to eight, Key Stage Two ages eight to eleven, Key Stage Three ages eleven to fourteen, and Key State Four ages fourteen to sixteen (Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency). To move onto the next key stage, students are subjected t o a standardized test correlating with the specific key stage they were previously in. After the test has been taken by all of the students, the results are then reported to the parents and the public in two different ways: the actual test grade of the student is revealed and also evaluations for each individual student are provided by the teacher (Education System in England). By doing this, the risks of high stake standardized tests are diminished. Teachers are able to communicate that a student is brilliant and able to learn information at a superior level, but that they may just be an awful test taker or having an off day. There are some benefits to having localized curriculums, but the curriculum statutes determined by the United States are inferior in comparison to that of the British national curriculum. Because the quality of education between the different states in the United States varies, the students from each state are certainly not on the same page once they graduate. Colleges have specific standards from which they create their expectations. Because one student may come from a state that has lower academic standards does not mean that a college will change their expectations to accommodate them. If a state has lower standards of achievement their students will not be as prepared for higher education and eventually will have a difficult time meeting their colleges academic anticipations. One other disadvantage when comparing the United States with Britain is that by having a minimum of fifty different curriculums on a strictly state level, these curriculums are hard to examine and fix. In Br itain if a change is needed in their educational policy there is only one system that needs to be scrutinized and corrected. Since there are fifty states in the United States there is not only one curriculum to fix, but fifty different curriculums that need to be analyzed and then changed. Regardless of the country or grade level, all teachers practically follow one standard approach when instructing a class on a new subject. This standard approach comes forward even when countries have strikingly different standards of arranging their curriculum in its educational system. With the first step the teacher reviews any knowledge that is germane to the information needed for the lesson that students should already know. The teacher then proceeds to teach and discuss the concepts of the subject with the students. Before long the teacher is evaluating the progress of the students by asking questions and overseeing them while they work in groups or individually. Finally, the teacher provides students with sample problems to practice on in order to master the new subject in its entirety. These steps are virtually universal in the teaching profession, and both teachers from around the world and American teachers use them to some degree. How they focus on each step is what separ ates the two countries from one another (Beauchamp). Teachers in the United States tend to focus on the reviewing step of teaching new subject matter more than their counterparts in Japan. This is because of how subject matter is taught during a curriculum. A traditional style of instruction for teachers that students are used to in the classroom is to spend a majority of the class going over previous homework assignments either correcting or reviewing them (Woodward). Teachers in the United States have higher standards and requirements for homework than any other country in the world (Schmidt et al). Perhaps this happens because schools in the United States only cover subject matter briefly and never go in depth into the area which resigns students to never being able to master certain subjects. American teachers also rarely focus on changing their teaching style in the classroom while going over a lesson. This causes about only sixty percent of students to be consistently focused during a teachers instructions (Rohlen 170). The last parts of a lesson are used for students to work independently or in groups during class. This is also called seatwork (Slavin 223). This is in order for a teacher to evaluate the students knowledge by having them practice what they have learned. American teachers take time while seatwork is being conducted to work at their desks correcting student assignments or by planning what is going to come next in their instructions. American teachers do this instead of observing the classroom in an effort to help the students with their work and to keep track of what the class needs to improve on (Rohlen 170). This defeats the entire purpose of seatwork. Due to teachers in the United States not assessing their students while seatwork is being conducted and by not having discussions about misconceptions, students are missing out on a fundamental step in the learning process. In general when comparing the United States and Japan, an observation would be that Japanese teachers are a lot more dedicated to the education of their students. During the time while seatwork is being done by students, Japanese teachers will observe the classroom in an effort to evaluate their students advancement. By observing their classroom the teacher can then determine whether or not it is appropriate to proceed on to the next area of the lesson being taught. Part of the reason why U.S. teachers take time to correct papers or plan lessons while students conduct seatwork is because the majority of their time at school is spent teaching. Japanese teachers only teach four out of the eight hours they are at school (Rohlen 165). Japanese school teachers do an exceptional job with their styles of teaching in order to keep the focus of their students. Because Japanese teachers change their strategies so frequently their students are always paying attention and are rarely bored with c lass. Students in Japanese classrooms are also able to get much more out of a school day because teachers are not taking a majority of the class time going over and correcting old assignments (Beauchamp). Because homework is not emphasized as much in Japanese schools as in American schools, teachers have more opportunities to provide students with new topics and to assist students with any problems they may have. This is an important observation because by doing this Japanese students are able to achieve their full potential during their educational career. If the United States were to change their teaching tactics and focus less on review and more on in-depth studies, perhaps students would leave the public education system with more than just a degree (Rohlen 165). The methods with which teachers instruct their students can be traced back to the way they were specifically trained for their position. American teachers are required to have a bachelors degree in order to teach and must also pass an exam to become a licensed teacher. During the course of acquiring a bachelors degree there are many mandatory courses one must take in order to achieve the status of an educator. Most of these courses are in the areas of different teaching methods in the classroom. In addition to this, American teachers must also student teach with an experienced teacher for at least one semester. American teachers do not have much time to learn from a mentor or their peers, and are expected to know a majority of what they are going to need for a position upon being hired. Even after being hired into a school, teachers will work individually a greater part of the time. Because teachers are instructing students a bulk of the school day they do not have much time to colla borate and compare classroom techniques with one another. Teachers in the United States have hardly any time to learn from others in their prospective profession on different ways to instruct and also learn most of what they know during their college education in classrooms rather than from raw experience. Experience is what human beings learn best from, and it is a trial and error process. The United States should require teachers to student teach for a minimum of one year in order for them to learn as much as they can from their more experienced colleagues (Rohlen 165-166). Frances requirements to become a teacher are much more rigorous than that of the United States. To become a teacher one must first obtain a bachelors degree or its equivalent. This is a mandatory canon before applying to one of the many university institutes for teacher training. These institutes are also known as IUFMS. IUFMs are specific to the different regions of France. Each IUFM specializes in the training of secondary teachers. Potential future teachers are required to attend an IUFM for two years. The first year consists of taking a training course in the career of their choice. The career paths available are for primary, secondary, and high school teachers. After the first year, training teachers take an exam in their chosen career path. In order for training teachers to proceed with their second year of training they must pass the exam. Year two at an IUFM has a much more thorough curriculum. Trainees are trained in French, mathematics, a foreign language, and in physical e ducation. They are also subjected to nine hours of teaching each week and are assigned a qualified teacher of the same subject they are studying that currently is employed in a school. The training teacher meets with this mentor on a regular basis in order to have them assist with the training process. Upon completion of the second year at an IUFM, teachers are officially appointed as such by the Ministry of National Education. With this program set up in training teachers, France has established a meticulous system in order to procure the finest teachers possible. Teachers are able to gain experience from a mentor for an entire year rather than just a semester like American student teachers do. Even after becoming employed in a school in France, teachers are able to learn from their fellow educators in an effort to improve their own educational techniques in the classroom. France has an excellent system in place for training teachers, and the United States should take some time in order to learn from their techniques (Instituts Universitaires de Formation des Maitres). With all the aforementioned areas of education that the United States needs to improve on, it comes as no surprise that academic performance lies as one of the main subjects being analyzed and studied in the public school system in the United States today. In comparison to other countries the United States is doing poorly. There are exceptions of course, but when compared to China these exceptions are not applicable. One extensive study found that standardized tests given to students covering mathematics and reading is that China had scores higher in both areas. In fact, the highest scores of American fifth graders were below the average scores of the Chinese fifth graders. This may be caused by the fact that sixty-nine percent of the time in American schools are spent on academic activities while eight-five percent of time in Chinese schools are. Focus on improvement in these indispensable areas of education is becoming even more prevalent as populations grow. Parents in the United States could help their children become more academically proficient by being more active in their childrens lives regarding education outside of school. Chinese students spend an average of ninety-five minutes on homework each day while fourteen minutes are spent on homework each day in the United States. Also, the Chinese spend well over an hour on both Sunday and Saturday simply studying their material. Students in the United States spend less than twenty minutes during the entire weekend studying. Parents could help change these habits with the amount of influence they hold over their children. In fact, more than fifty percent of parents in China purchase academic workbooks for their children to practice with when there is no homework available to them. Only twenty-eight percent of American parents do this. With these studies bringing the United States poor education system to the surface, perhaps it is easier to understand why the United States is falling behind (Stevenson, Lee , and Stigler). American public schools could never be farther from the perfection that their government is demanding. No Child Left Behind aims for one-hundred percent of students to be proficient in both standardized reading tests and math tests by the year of 2014 (National Science Foundation). This is unobtainable. The fact the United States is even attempting to do this pushes it even farther behind the rest of the world in the educational field. Other countries are correct with their ways of instructing students, training teachers, determining academic performance, and curriculum planning. American classrooms could take a lot from these other countries. The only problem is that the United States has an ego problem and has a consistent belief that its standards are better than others. Perhaps if enough parents and citizens were to raise concern about the problems in the education system of the United States changes would be made. The people of the United States have the power. Citizens are not to be afraid of their government. The government is to be afraid of its citizens.

Digression in Nikolai Gogols Dead Souls Essay -- Nikolai Gogol Dead S

Nikolai Gogol's masterpiece novel, Dead Souls, remains faithful to the Gogolian tradition in terms of absurdity, lavish detail, and abundant digressions. Although these three literary techniques coexist, interact, and augment each other-the focus of this analysis is to examine how Gogol (or the narrator) deviates from the plotline, the significance of it, and what aesthetic purpose comes from the digression. Although Gogol's marriage to elaboration is at times strenuous-in fact, it is the underlying reason why impatient readers dislike his work-it serves as a function of tone. The author's excruciating amount of detail is a quirk of the narrator. "They turn up when least expected, and by means of their complete departure from the them, they produce a skillful retardation in the flow of the narrative (Setchkarev, 190)." Considering other characters and situations from the Gogolian tradition, it is not unusual that the author/narrator's voice is somewhat like that of a madman. The syntax and attention to detail in the following passage from Dead Souls is exemplary of Gogol's eccentric style and tone: "As soon as the lady agreeable in all respects learnt of the arrival of the agreeable lady, she at once came running into the hall. The ladies clutched each other by the hands, exchanged kisses and cried out as do girls from a boarding-school who happen to meet soon after their schooldays are over but before their mothers have had time to explain to them that the father of one is poorer and of lower rank than that of the other. The kisses had a smack to them and made the dogs bark again, and for this they were spanked with a handkerchief (192)." Arguably, the inclusion of the sound of kisses and the barking of the dog... ...ry Russian Literature. Having such signature literary techniques also makes him either easily loved or hated by audiences. Regardless of whether the reader enjoys Dead Souls, Gogol's digressions create an intended tone, aestheticism, humor, intimate narration, social criticism, and entertainment. Works Cited and Consulted: Gogol, Nikolai. Dead Souls. 1842. Trans. George Reavey. Ed. George Gibian. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1985. Jones, Malcolm V. and Robin Feuer Miller, ed. The Cambridge Companion to the Classic Russian Novel. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1998. Popkin, Cathy. The Pragmatics of Insignificance. Stanford: Stanford UP, 1993. Setchkarev, Vsevolod. Gogol: His Life and Works. Trans. Robert Kramer. New York: New York UP, 1965. Woodward, James B. The Symbolic Art of Gogol. Columbus: Slavica Publishers, Inc., 1981

Homework on Engineering Ethics Essay

There are several situations in which a code of ethics becomes an important development tool for engineers in resolving moral dilemmas they encounter in the course of their profession. Engineering as a profession. A code of ethics becomes necessary due to the nature and purpose of engineering as a profession. Different professionals have different concepts of responsibility attached to the nature of their work. By job definition, â€Å"an engineer is a knowledge expert specially trained to design, test, and assess the performance characteristics of technologies within his or her realm of expertise† (Pinkus 33). Hence, an engineer needs not only to be competent in designing technology but must be able to perform sound risk assessment and be adept at identifying the failure characteristics of a given technology. This is because the character of engineering as a profession places public safety above all other goals (Harris, Pritchard, and Rabins 38). Hence, the code of ethics is an important tool for engineers to be reminded that the nature of their profession may compel them to go the extra mile to ensure public safety and welfare. Conflict in professionalism and bureaucracy. A code of ethics is also important when engineers face conflict with regard to professionalism.   An ethical code will greatly help in resolving dilemmas that engineers may encounter such as whether or not an engineer should prioritize the welfare of the client first than the general public when a certain technology or structure becomes a threat to public safety. Engineers may find themselves in situations when clients do not strictly follow his directions and recommendations and cut costs or improvise that may compromise quality. Such was the case of the Space Shuttle Columbia which was found to be built with low-cost materials because of the lack of federal funding. Schedule issues need to be resolved by the engineer as well and he must evaluate and make decisions on whether the launch of a given technology will have a negative impact on public safety and welfare (Pinkus 16). Corporate responsibility. Another reason why code of ethic becomes a significant development tool for engineers is the demand for decisions regarding corporate responsibility. As technology requires the extraction and utilization of greater quantities of natural resources, corporations now face the responsibility of ensuring that their operations conform strictly to environmental laws (Harris, Pritchard, and Rabins 34). Works Cited Harris, Charles E., Pritchard, Michael S., and Rabins, Michael J. Engineering Ethics: concepts and cases. New York: Cengage Learning, 2005. Pinkus, Rosa Lynn B. Engineering ethics: balancing cost, schedule, and risk – lessons learned from the space shuttle. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press, 1997.

Making a case for The BASEL III The WritePass Journal

Making a case for The BASEL III Making a case for The BASEL III In the face of the impending global financial crisis, world leaders at G20 called for reform from legislators across the globe. From the reports assessing the causes of the crisis and proposing regulatory reform, a general consensus has emerged on two elements. First, all systemically important institutions, instruments and markets should be regulated, preferably under the umbrella of a consolidated supervisor in each jurisdiction. Second, reform will be implemented at a national, not at an international level. A new set of banking regulations, published in response to the financial crisis, to ensure banks can cope with a similar meltdown. The BASEL III was published in 2010 in response to financial crisis. BASEL III The aim of BASEL III was to ensure that banks, in future, would be able to withstand the sort of financial meltdown they have just endured. Two points are discussed in the answer and details are as follows: Capital: The new rules state that the minimum amount of capital that a bank must hold in reserve will rise more than threefold from 2% to 7%. Banks have eight years and, in some cases, 13 to comply. New rules aimed at reducing risks associated with counterparty transactions and introducing liquidity stress tests have also been drafted. Supporters insist a good balance has been struck between improving the Basel 2 framework which ignored liquidity and maintaining enough lending capacity to fuel a global economic recovery. This rule did not get tough on banks, in fact , banks like J.P Morgan that were best capitalised gained most and the share price of many banks rose in response. Lending:   Property experts had reckoned the new rules would make it even harder for banks to lend to property companies and investors banks would have less money to lend and their cost of capital would rise. However these rules were not so significant in the sense that most large, internationally active banks already meet the requirements Lloyds boasts a 9% capital ratio and Barclays 13%. However Banks attitude to property lending will be more affected by their terrible experience in the wake of the credit crunch. Stress tests will identify other less obvious connections between counterparties, for example where a bank has made loans to a number of unconnected counterparties who are all affected by the same underlying business risks. Stress tests were mainly carried out in USA. UK Regulations There have been substantial changes in the way the UK financial services industry is regulated, with potentially significant consequences for its consumers. The first change is a change in the Financial Service Authority(FSA)’s philosophy and its approach to supervision. The second, and more significant change, is the new UK coalition government’s plan to put in place a new financial regulation regime, that will see the FSA phased out in 2012, and its functions carried out by the Bank of England and a number of new regulators. Change in FSA’s philosophy and supervision The review of Northern rock shows that the supervision of risk regulations is flawed and   the supervision of risks in financial services remains the key. The ‘Light Touch’ regulations which was considered the key contributor to the financial crisis(Sants, 2010) is being replaced by intensive supervision. FSA is adopting a new approach to create the environment where risks are lessened and at the same time innovation and an increase in competition The idea of treating customers fairly (TCF) remains firmly on the regulator’s agenda for the supervision of firms. The regulator accepts that the TCF initiative has not delivered the outcomes that consumers deserve, largely as a result of its implementation in a non-neutral, reactive manner (Sants, 2009, 2010). It has consulted on ways to improve professionalism within the industry (FSA, 2009) and the way firms handle consumer complaints (FSA, 2010). It has also re-focused the TCF initiative towards making the retail market work better for consumers. The new financial regulatory regime to replace the FSA The new coalition government in the UK has decided to get rid of the FSA and to split its responsibilities between the Bank of England and a new financial services consumer protection agency (currently being referred to as the Consumer Protection and Markets Authority (CPMA)). In this new regime the Bank of England will be responsible for the overall financial stability of the UK financial system, in addition to its already existing responsibility for monetary policy. Europe Regulations The European Commission has been among the most active in proposing reforms after the global financial crisis. The Commissions proposals include new regulatory bodies at the European level, changes to the way financial institutions are regulated in the EU, and changes to the regulation of certain financial products. The Commission and the European Council have called for an enhanced European financial supervisory framework, which will be composed of two new bodies: the European Systemic Risk Council (ESRC) and the European System of Financial Supervisors (ESFS). The ESRC will be responsible for macro-prudential oversight; specifically monitoring and assessing potential threats to financial stability that arise from macro-economic developments and from developments within the financial system as a whole. It will not have any regulatory authority over financial institutions or markets. The ESFS will consist of a network of national financial supervisors working in tandem with three new European supervisory authorities: the European Banking Authority : which monitors banks, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority: which look after insurance and pension and the European Securities Authority: which look after market. These three new bodies will replace the existing Committees of Supervisors, known as Level 3 committees that advise the Commission. These proposals are designed to create a framework within which financial risk at the EU level will be supervised, and through which the actions of national supervisors may be coordinated. US Regulations The position in the US is complicated because of the division of responsibilities amongst various agencies. Recent US proposals would coordinate these agencies through the creation of the Financial Services Oversight Council, which would be composed of representatives from multiple agencies and chaired by the US Treasury Department. This body will also have a more formal role in the regulatory process. This approach is broadly similar to the position in the EU, in that a supervisor, comprising representatives from various bodies in the sector, will monitor risk on a macro-basis and act accordingly through those bodies. The interaction between the ESRC: and its US equivalent will be key to the success of both initiatives. How this will occur remains to be seen. Conclusion: BASEL III: Banks will have to hold a greater amount of high quality capital, which should make failure less likely and deposits more secure. Higher quality capital is more expensive, which might increase the interest rates which banks charge their borrowers. The higher quality capital should also make bank bail-outs less likely and therefore protect taxpayer funds. Regulatory capital adequacy only ensures that banks have enough capital to meet their obligations over the entire life of their business. It does not address whether they have enough readily available funds to be able to meet their obligations as they fall due. The liquidity coverage ratio is intended to ensure that the bank can pay its obligations falling due over the next 30 days. Regulations: UK, EU and US are moving on a variety of fronts to improve their financial regulatory systems in response to the financial crisis. The regulatory bodies have been active proposing major reforms and accelerating the implementation of measures that were already under way. There is still considerable uncertainty regarding the final shape of some of these initiatives. Some initiatives seem likely to create tension with member state governments.   On both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, the key challenge will be to ensure that steps towards reform reflect a global consensus reached in the G20 and to ensure that the move to tighten regulation of the financial system does not create unintended barriers for global financial institutions. References Basel 3 quick fix is neither Critics find little assurance that proposed standards will prevent banking failures. By Thomas Watson Financial services and consumer protection after the crisis by Folarin Akinbami Durham University, Durham, UK Daily Mail, 9th March 2011 Perspectives on Basel III. International Financial Law Review, 02626969, Nov2010, Vol. 29, Issue 9

buy custom Creative Writing to Explain Human Mind Using Poetic Devices essay

buy custom Creative Writing to Explain Human Mind Using Poetic Devices essay Creative writing refers to writing of any form that can be fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. This is not just around the normal academic, professional, technical, and journalistic literature. In this paper, creative writing will aim at describing the human mind using poetic devices. Some of the poetic devices to use includes metaphor, repetitions, and similes among other devices. Metaphors refer to comparing two dissimilar things, for instance, saying that one thing is another. Similes refer to comparing two dissimilar things, for instance, saying that one thing is like another. Repetition refers to frequent use of a word or a phrase to emphasize a point. The human mind is like a ticking clock (simile). This is because; even when we are a sleep the brain spins stories and starts playing them like pictures on motion (simile), which we call dreams. In other words, the brain converts stories of daytime into permanent memories. As a result, we should not find it difficult to perceive activities of the mind, which happen during the day. Human mind do not only seep all the information available like a hard surface that is dry and in need of water to soak. Human mind (repetition) processes information received to come up with an opinion that is possible to communicate. Ones information processing is over, and someone wants to communicate the message to others, choice of appropriate language is essential. Even when one is working in a street that is furnace (metaphor), the mind is always at work to ensure that the necessary information or message passes to the intended person. Human mind has several options to use in passing a message. These options include the use of signs, symbols, among several options. Through all this ways, a sound decision passes to a target group. Buy custom Creative Writing to Explain Human Mind Using Poetic Devices essay

MANAGING PEOPLE AND PRODUCTIVITY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

MANAGING PEOPLE AND PRODUCTIVITY - Essay Example This has given rise to the need for companies to pay a great deal of attention to employee performances on the job and motivate them effectively, in order to improve the productivity of an organization. The recent credit crunch has hit the banking industry particularly hard, turning the spotlight on the manner of functioning of these institutions. The need for quality and accountability in these organizations has become even more evident, especially in a recessionary environment where productivity has become even tougher to attain. The management of human resources has come to play an even more important role in achieving that productivity and motivating employees has become vital, especially for the banking industry. This study therefore proposes to apply a case study approach to examine issues surrounding the motivation of employees in Barclays Bank. The true origins of the crisis can be traced back several years to the late 1990s when, concomitant with financial deregulation in the United States that commenced during the Reagan administration, banks began to change their traditional mortgage arrangements. Earlier, mortgages issued were few and far between, because banks provided them to customers only after intense verification checks on credit and customer income. The customer was then obliged to make regular monthly payments to the bank. Earlier, banks had to finance their mortgages largely from their existing deposits from other customers; as a result this restricted the scope of their lending. With the rise in the mortgage bond market, this situation changed because banks were able to find additional sources of funding for loans through investors in mortgage bonds. Banks began to lump their mortgages together with other kinds of loan assets and sell them off to investors in the bond market, through the process of securitization of loans. In recent years, many of the regulatory measures that were instituted as a part of the New Deal after the Great depression of 1929 have been overturned, including the Steagall Glass Act, which imposed restrictions on speculative activity. (Chossudusky, 2008). Inflation in most developed countries was held down in developed countries such as the U.S. and the U.K. using the cheap imports available from countries such as China. Since inflation rates were low, this also helped to keep interest rates low, pushing up the value of property prices.(Blythe, 2008). Such an atmosphere, where property values appeared to be stable and keep rising, only encouraged banks further to branch into more speculative activity related to mortgage lending, and to lend out more than what they had on deposit from customers.(Blythe, 2008). The model presented below graphically depicts the traditional model of mortgage lending as compared to the current, existing system which involves third party bond investors, with deregulation encouraging speculative activity by banking institutions. Fig 1: The new model of mortgage lending (Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7073131.stm) THE NEW MODEL OF MORTGAGE LENDING Top of Form How it went wrong Bottom of Form As per the new model, the banks rely on additional source

Rich Pictures Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Rich Pictures - Article Example It was developed by Peter Checkland as a Soft Systems Methodology for gathering information about a complex situation (Checkland 1981, p. 37). Structure, processes and concerns are the main components of any Rich Picture diagram. Use Case method analyses the expectation of a primary actor with the proposed system. Actors are the stakeholders of the system, e.g. end users and other systems that are supposed to use the system. They are not considered as a part of the system, only their interaction with the system is taken in to consideration while developing the system. Use Case modeling is extensively used in software application modeling process and object oriented programming. A clear understanding of Use Case is necessary for using UML and other modern software development process. This dissertation will critically evaluate Rich Pictures and Use Cases as a requirements analysis tool. It will also compare and contrast adoptability, advantages and shortcomings of these analysis methods. With the help of a case study based on a Children Support Agency and analysis of its requirement using both methodologies it will highlight the usability of these methods to different situations. Soft System Methodology (SSM) deals with problem situations in which there is a high social, political, and human activity component (Checkland, 90). The SSM is effective in dealing with "soft problems" that are difficult to define but comparatively easier to solve as presented in Children Support Agency case study. Examples of problem situations where SSM is more effective includes socially more complex but technically easier problems such as dealing with homelessness, illiteracy and distressed young people. SSM as defined by Checkland (1990) is composed of seven stages from, finding out the problem situation, expressing the problem situation through Rich Pictures (i.e., representations of organizational structure and processes pertinent to the problem situation), viewing the situation and produce root definitions, building conceptual models of what the system must do for each root definition, comparing the conceptual models with the real world, identifying feasible and desirable c hanges, to making recommendations to improve the problem situation. Expressing the problem situation through Rich Pictures is a major phase of Soft System Analysis. Rich Pictures are most effective in analyzing the complex organizational structures, functions and processes. Rich Picture diagrams as illustrated by following figure are one of the best and most flexible ways for communicating systematic planning process. Following Rich Picture for the complete Children Support Agency environment outlines all major structures, processes, different stakeholders and their concerns. Figure 1: Rich Picture Diagram for CSA Management Information System. The above rich picture modelling gives a broad picture of the situation. It shows clearly the expectations of different stakeholders from proposed Management Information System. Development of rich pictures gives a systematic understanding of all questions and observations about the problem situation. The above representation of the scenario can be very helpful in identifying

Cyber Security A Homeland Security Dilemma Research Paper

Cyber Security A Homeland Security Dilemma - Research Paper Example The worldwide web is an information system that involves a planet-wide scope and grid. The interconnectedness of computers allows more vulnerabilities on the part of those connected to the grid and creates a problem in the case of an attack. There should be more cooperation in the international context by sharing information about criminals and their clandestine activities. There goes the question whether the job of Homeland Security Department is a dilemma or the department itself is a dilemma. Secretary Janet Napolitano has confessed that she herself doesn’t use email because email is a collector of all sorts of viruses. If people want to be secured, they have to shun email. What good is technology then? If the secretary of Homeland Security says that the best way to be secured is to shun email instead of accepting that her department cannot provide security to cyberspace, then it is better to conclude that Homeland Security is itself a dilemma. The method to be used will be collecting data and information from various databases of private and government institutions. Qualitative and quantitative data will be collected from a sample population composed of the staff from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. The questionnaires will be emailed to the participants and their responses will be inputted into a database. The responses will be compared with the findings of the literature review and the research conducted in the past by authors on the subject of cyber security and the complex tasks of the Department of Homeland Security.

Housing Industry in America Essay Example for Free

Housing Industry in America Essay The American housing industry forms a vital component of the American economy as homes are the basic necessity for everyone. The industry offers jobs for various people from different professions including carpenters, masons, architects, engineers, technicians, interior designers, civil engineers, designers, artists, etc. The entire industry is distributed over several small companies rather than one single large company. However, in the US, there have been several mergers and acquisitions of the smaller companies recently. Most of the people in the US actually live in homes or apartments constructed by the housing industry and hence they have a huge stake in the market. The American housing industry constructs variety of homes including apartments, townhouses, single-family house, custom-build house, etc. A small number of people in the US actually live in houses build by themselves. Most of the houses constructed in the US are build on-site and a fewer number are fabricated in the factory and late transported to their actual site. The construction material used in various areas of the US is also different based on the geographic requirements, local resources available, etc. It may be cheaper and easier to build homes in one region of the US compared to another. Besides, the material used by the housing industry has changed over the last century since the housing industry came into picture. Earlier the housing industry used a lot of wood, asbestos, tiles, and lead-rich paint. Today the construction industry is using greater amount of concrete, steel and plastics (Muldin, 2008). Due to the recent recession and economic slowdown, the housing industry in the US has experienced a significant drop of about 3. 1 %. In more than 43 states the cost of homes has dropped by about 8 %. One of the main reasons for this is the difficultly for consumers to pay loans and mortgages (Muldin, 2008).

Ernest Hemingway and the African Safari :: Ernest Hemingway Essays

Hemingway’s Obsession with the African Safari In 1953, Ernest Hemingway and his wife, Mary, accompanied by photographer Earl Theisen, traveled to Kenya in what turned out to be the waning years of the grand African safari. Soon after, a wave of independence swept the continent, which had largely been under European domination since the end of the last century. And as people worldwide became increasingly aware of their environment and the threats to it, the notion of killing animals for sport began to be looked at in a different light. While the heyday of the African safari may be in the past, our society has legacies from that era that require knowledge of the safari. A key to understanding Hemingway is his obsession with the African safari. If hunting is the act of seeking, following and killing animals for food or for display, then the African safari is the act of doing all of those to big game, or large animals in Africa. African safaris usually used to take place on the eastern side of the African continent, but now can take part in any region of Africa. Most of Hemingway’s trips were taken in this region. The famous plane crash that he survived landed in Uganda, which is on the eastern coast. However, the trend has changed. The eastern countries that used to have safaris no longer have stable governments. Most safaris now take place in other parts of Africa, such as South Africa. South Africa, with the most stable government in the continent, provides a safer environment for hunters to enjoy their safari. The weather is an important factor in planning any safari. In South Africa, it rains a great deal during the winter months (their summer months), and very little during the rest of the year. Countries further up north have similar weather. The big difference comes in the difference in temperature. The temperature in South Africa is very temperate – during any safari season (which is from March to October) the lowest temperature will be around 35 degrees and the highest will be around 80 degrees. The rain hampers any attempt to have a safari the rest of the year. Clothing during an African safari is generally simple, layered and of a neutral color. Camouflage is generally not worn and wearing it in some areas is illegal.

Conduct Disorder Essay -- essays research papers

My hypothesis on conduct disorder in children can lead to criminal activity in adulthood. The research that was conducted from this question was that of Memorial University of Newfoundland, the Department of Psychology. Sampson and Laub (1997) discussed conduct disorder as not being a single cause of adult criminal behavior, but instead the start to what they termed as a life of â€Å"cumulative disadvantage†. The conduct disorder might indeed be the initial cause of problems, but may be replaced by the effects of disapproving, negative reactions from others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Based on prior research, Kratzer and Hodgins (1997) were aware of the association between conduct problems in childhood and adult criminal behavior. Children were divided into four groups. The first three groups were based on where conduct problems were displayed. The first group was made up of children who displayed conduct problems in school. The children’s behavior was rated by their teachers in the sixth grade and again in the ninth grade on a three point scale. For the second group a child was considered to have a conduct problem in the community if they had been referred to the Child Welfare Committee as having conduct problems, (such as theft, larceny, vandalism, and substance abuse) before the age of 15 years old. The third group were children who displayed conduct problems in both the community and in school. Finally, the fourth group was made up of children who did not display any con...

Venus in fur

I sat next toccata Saunders parents, and to see how proud they were through out the show was a special thing to be a part of. Sonata for Cello and Plano by Claude Debussy, the first piece was Jazzy, then romantic, then mysterious. It really set the tone for the rest of the concert. The first piece really showed a lot of variety In the tones and tempos of the song. And it was so interesting to listen to because I never knew what was going to happen next. The second piece was a solo, and it was so inspirational. Cantor 1 & 2 for solo cello, by Morals Noble.Jacob was breathing hard, playing an overwhelming amount of notes all so fast. You could really see the passion in his face, and his entire body language. He is such a professional and advanced performer who clearly has a very bright future in his music career. This musical number was also one that threw curve balls at me, because of the continually changing tempo and tones from romantic to suspenseful. All the pieces were long in du ration, and that really impressed me because it's clear that they put in so much effort and time with practicing, and then performing perfectly.Music is a really powerful thing, and it was the most clear how much passion he has for what he does, and that's what makes a great musician. His vibrato was impressive to watch, and it made me wish I had played cello longer. After intermission, Beets came back, which I was glad about because I love the sound of the cello and piano together; it's absolutely beautiful. This piece was called Fretters for Cello and Piano by Arbor Part. The song was slow and quiet and It sounded familiar to me.The notes had so much flow, and the two performers vided so well together; always on the same page. There was such a good build on the song, and was really moving. The short amount of time the musicians have to change their page of music is so amazing to me, because It seems critical that they don't mess up. And they TLD. Very professional. The last piece was my favorite because It was so beautiful. Sonata In C Major, pop. 119 by Serge Profile. It made me feel so fancy and classy. The whole show was romantic, but the last piece really stood out to my on the romance level.When the show was over, I was really happy that I had chosen this concert to attend, because it need up being my favorite. Venus in fur By Joyfully was great. White Christmas lights, and the position of the instruments made me feel like I was at a classy coffee shop in France. The cello and piano were the first instruments I ever learned how to play, and I went with a friend who plays the cello currently, so we both had a great appreciation for the show. I sat next to Jacob special thing to be a part of. Sonata for Cello and Piano by Claude Debussy, the first the concert.The first piece really showed a lot of variety in the tones and tempos of he song, and it was so interesting to listen to because I never knew what was going Fretters for Cello and Piano by Arbor Par t. The song was slow and quiet and it sounded together; always on the same page. There was such a good build on the song, and page of music is so amazing to me, because it seems critical that they don't mess up†¦ And they didn't. Very professional. The last piece was my favorite because it was so beautiful. Sonata in C Major, pop. 119 by Sergei Profile. It made me feel so fancy and classy.

Conservative John Birch Society Was Ridiculed But Had Political Impact

Conservative John Birch Society Was Ridiculed But Had Political Impact The John Birch Society was a political group on the extreme right that emerged in the late 1950s, determined to continue the anti-communist crusade of the late Senator Joseph McCarthy. The organization took positions which mainstream America regarded as outlandish.  As a result, it was often mocked and satirized. The organization, which took its name from an American killed by the communist Chinese at the end of World War II, was founded in 1958 by Robert Welch, who had made a fortune in the candy business. Welch organized the group into many regional chapters which  spread his offbeat views while exerting political influence at the local level. In early 1960s the John Birch Society was embroiled in a number of newsworthy controversies. And in the 1964 campaign of Barry Goldwater the influence of the groups hardcore ideology was evident. Historian Richard Hofstadter, in a famous 1964 essay titled The Paranoid Style In American Politics, cited the John Birch Society as a modern example of a political group using fear and a feeling of persecution as an organizing principle. Despite criticism from the mainstream, the group continued to grow. In 1968, on the 10th anniversary of its founding, the New York Times, in a front-page article, noted that it claimed to have 60,000 to 100,000 members. It was producing a radio show that aired on 100 stations nationwide, had opened its own chain of bookstores, and was provided staunch anti-communist speakers to address groups. Over time the John Birch Society seemed to fade into obscurity. Yet some of the extremist positions, as well as the tactics of the organization, wended  their way into more mainstream conservative political groups. Traces of the groups ideology can be spotted in conservative circles today. Accusations from conservative pundits during the Trump administration that a Deep State is subverting democracy are  eerily similar to conspiracy theories about hidden forces behind the U.S. government promoted by the John Birch Society decades earlier. And talk of globalists manipulating the American economy echoes talk of pernicious internationalists in John Birch Society literature. Founding of the John Birch Society Following the death of Senator Joseph McCarthy in 1957, his followers, who fervently believed the United States was not only threatened, but actively infiltrated, by a worldwide communist conspiracy, were adrift. A businessman in Massachusetts, Robert Welch, who had made his fortune by organizing distribution channels in the candy business, called a meeting of other anti-communist activists. At a two-day gathering at a home in Indiana, Welch laid out his plans. He claimed the other attendees were 11 businessmen who had traveled from all regions of the United States, though they were never identified. In a rambling monologue, portions of which were later published and distributed, Welch essentially gave his version of world history. He asserted that a group that formed in Bavaria in the late 1700s, called the Illuminati, had helped spur the French Revolution and other world events, including World War I. Welch claimed that a secret group of international bankers had created the American Federal Reserve system, and controlled the American economy. Welchs exotic and convoluted theories of history seemed unlikely to gain acceptance with a wide audience. Yet his plan was to couple his dire warnings of secret agendas with the organizational skills he had developed in his business career. In essence, Welch proposed creating local chapters of the John Birch Society which would function much the way a neighborhood store would have retailed candy. His political ideas, geared to an audience of wary Americans during the Cold War, would be promoted at the local level. An early Cold War incident inspired the name of Welchs new organization. While researching a book, Welch had come across the story of an American intelligence officer who was also a Christian missionary in China during World War II. At the end of the war, the American officer, John Birch, had been captured and executed by communist Chinese forces. (Government records disputed Welchs account of Birchs death, which prompted Welch to claim pro-communist elements in the U.S. government had suppressed the facts.) Welch considered Birch to be the first casualty of Americas struggle against worldwide communism. By using Birchs name as a rallying cry, Welch sought to make resistance to communist infiltration the central mission of his organization. Public Perception The new organization found a receptive audience among politically conservative Americans who were opposed to changes taking place in America. The John Birch Society was fixated on a perceived communist menace, but it broadened that to include generally liberal ideas going back to the New Deal of the 1930s. In opposition to the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education ruling, Welch and his followers opposed the desegregation of schools. Members of the John Birch Society, often at local school boards, declared that integrated schools were part of the communist plot to weaken America. Wherever John Birch Society chapters appeared  there seemed to be controversy. Members accused local officials of being communist dupes or outright communists. By early 1961 news articles about the group were becoming common, and church groups, labor unions, and prominent politicians, began denouncing the organization as dangerous and anti-American. At various times Welch and his followers attacked Eleanor Roosevelt and former presidents Truman and Eisenhower. As part of its agenda against integration and liberal ideas in general, the group promoted the idea of impeaching, Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The groups billboards proclaiming Impeach Earl Warren appeared beside American highways. In early 1961 an American general, Edwin Walker, was accused of distributing John Birch Society literature to soldiers stationed in Europe. President John F. Kennedy was asked about the Walker situation during a press conference on April 21, 1961. Kennedy at first avoided mentioning the John Birch Society directly, but a reporter pressed him on it. Kennedy gave an answer:. Well, I dont think that their judgments are based on accurate information of the kinds of challenges that we face. I think we face an extremely serious and intensified struggle with the Communists. But I am not sure that the John Birch Society is wrestling with the real problems which are created by the Communist advance around the world. After citing  a number of points of conflicts with communist nations and guerrillas around the globe, Kennedy concluded: And I would hope all those who are concerned about the advance of communism would face that problem and not concern themselves with the loyalty of President Eisenhower, President Truman, or Mrs [Franklin D.] Roosevelt or myself or someone else. The following day, the New York Times published an editorial denouncing the John Birch Society as a addition to the lunatic fringe of American life. The editorial contained scathing remarks:   Lost in a world of fantasy, the John Birchers are busily looking for Communists in the White House, the Supreme Court, the classrooms, and presumably under the bed. Skepticism of the organization wasnt restricted to the nations elite press. A dispute over the group even became part of pop music history. Bob Dylan wrote a song, Talkin John Birch Paranoid Blues, which poked fun at the group. Invited to perform on the Ed Sullivan Show in May 1963, the 21-year-old Dylan intended to sing that particular song. CBS Television executives, apparently fearful of offending pro-Birch viewers, wouldnt let him. Dylan refused to sing another song, and during the programs dress rehearsal he walked out of the studio. He never did appear on the Ed Sullivan Show. Impact On the Mainstream Much of America might have scoffed at the John Birch Society, but within the Republican Party the group was exerting pressure.   The presidential campaign of Republican nominee and stalwart conservative Barry Goldwater was influenced by the John Birch Society. Goldwater himself never explicitly aligned himself with the group, but in his famous line at the 1964 Republican National Convention, Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, many heard echoes of the John Birch Society. As American society changed in the 1960s, the John Birch Society continued to rail against the Civil Rights Movement. Yet Robert Welch refused to support Americas involvement in Vietnam, as he contended it was being sabotaged by communists within the United States government. Familiar themes of the John Birch Society became part of the campaign of independent presidential candidate George Wallace in 1968. Following the 1960s, the organization seemed to fade into irrelevance. Mainstream conservatives such as William F. Buckley had denounced its extreme views, and as the conservative movement transformed itself leading up to the  1980 election of Ronald Reagan, it kept a distance from Robert Welch and his followers. Welch died in 1985. He had retired from the organization he founded after suffering a stroke in 1983. Legacy of the John Birch Society To many Americans, the John Birch Society was a peculiar relic from the 1960s which had faded away. But the organization still exists, and it can be argued that some of its extremist rhetoric, which drew jeers decades ago, has seeped into the mainstream of the conservative movement. Accusations about government conspiracies which are regularly touted in venues such as Fox News or conservative talk radio do seem similar to conspiracy theories that once circulated in books and pamphlets published by the John Birch Society. The most prominent proponent of conspiracy theories today, Alex Jones, on whose program Donald Trump appeared as a presidential candidate, routinely  echoes longstanding John Birch Society assertions. In the summer of 2017 Politico published an article about John Birch Society chapters in Texas. According to the report, the groups members had been successful in getting the Texas legislature to introduce bills aimed at such things as restricting suspected United Nations activities in Texas and curtailing the rumored spread of Sharia Law in America. The article contended that the John Birch Society was alive and well, and the group was gaining new members.