Saturday, December 28, 2019

Waist High in the Wordl by Nancy Mairs - 1416 Words

Literary works have become one of the most preferred ways for people to express themselves and voice their concerns and opinions on societal issues. Through such pieces of work, authors are able to educate and critique the society at large, often forcing people to reconsider their views on certain matters. This has an overall effect of pushing them to reconsider the effect of their actions and errors as regards the issues in question. For others, writing about real life situations is most effective in communicating with their readers. Victims of racial discrimination may opt to put their ordeals down in black and white, mush the same way those who find themselves at the receiving end of sexual harassment may choose to write about their experiences. Arguably, the effect achieved is greater, in opposition to that of works of fiction. Even where a book is fictitious, more insight and connection to real life is achieved if the story is built around real life events and situations. Nancy Mairs does excellent in expressing herself through her spiritual autobiography; Waist-High in the World. Growing up with multiple sclerosis for close to twenty years by the time she wrote the book, Nancy looks at the world the same way a child learning to walk does. She has enough reasons to believe she is uniquely privileged as a person with a disability. In as much as she misses activities like hiking, dancing and cycling, she thinks she is safer being unable to carry them out. This is in

Thursday, December 19, 2019

13 Conversations - 924 Words

The Conquest of Happiness Ask yourself if you’re really happy and you might be surprised at what you find. Ask several people at various points in their lives and you will get a different answer. This is the premise behind the film â€Å"13 Conversations about One Thing†, a touching, poignant and in some moments, deeply philosophical film, directed by Jill Sprecher. The film interweaves five contemporary stories into a single narrative. It deals with the profound, often unintentional impact that people have on one another, while searching for a more meaningful and happier existence. As the characters lives collide, mesh, and bounce off one another we see how their lives are linked in moments of highs and lows. The movie finds connections†¦show more content†¦The other principle parts belong to Troy (Matthew McConaughey) and Beatrice (Clea Duvall). Troy is a hot shot attorney, out celebrating over a recent court victory. He is loud, obnoxious and, loves his job. He feels the greatest h appiness from his work and is very boisterous, as he says; he is celebrating â€Å"putting another bad guy away†. While ordering drinks at the bar, he meets Gene, an insurance adjuster who seems to be pessimistic about the possibility of happiness. Troy buys Gene a drink; he wants everybody to be happy. Gene tells Troy that happiness is not all it’s cracked out to be. Troy mocks him and then leaves to returns to his party, happier than ever. Troy doesn’t realize the implications of Gene’s cautionary tale about luck and happiness. On his way home, his life is jolted after a hit and run accident. He knows how much trouble he is in and instinctively leaves the scene. He is consumed by guilt, which spoils his ability to enjoy anything in life and to ever be happy again. It teaches us how our happiness can change in an instant and leaves us questioning how much of what we might call â€Å"luck† is involved in our happiness. In the following scene we meet Beatrice, an honest, optimistic young woman who has a sunny disposition on life. Beatrice works as a house cleaner for an agency and seems to enjoy her job, never complaining about the work sheShow MoreRelatedDiscourse Markers and Their Functions in Khorramabadi Variety of Lori673 Words   |  3 Pagesinvestigation concerning the use of DMs. This audio recorder recorded the voices of native participants in a high quality which anybody can hear any elements in the speakers’ voice. The participants in this study were not required to speak in a routine conversation like an interview; accordingly their speaking was recorded spontaneously. The participants were only required to retell the short story as they were telling the story for a child. PROCEDURE Every participant of the present study was given aRead MoreHow to Make People Like You Essay1641 Words   |  7 Pagesyou might find yourself becoming exponentially more popular. 1. Use a Persons Name Lets face it--were all huge narcissists and we all love the sound of our own name. Learn names and make use of them. Always use an individuals name in a conversation. A classic from Dale Carnegies famous book How to Win Friends and Influence People, this tried-and-true technique is sure to increase your fan base. 2. Smile--With Feeling! Although we live in a digital age that increasingly substitutes technologyRead MoreVolunteering At Chartwell Deerview Crossing1788 Words   |  8 Pagesin, I noticed that she had no numbers covered on her card. After asking what happened she spoke to me about how she was blind (Smith, H, personal communication, March 13, 2017). She then proceeded to tell me that her glasses were not enough for her to clearly distinguish what the numbers read (Smith, H, personal communication, March 13, 2017). After sitting down and helping her, I noticed and became interested in what she was doing when the numbers were called. When they were called, she would placeRead MoreShort Story: The Birthday705 Words   |  3 Pagesspend your birthday, and she knows it, lately the word rape sums up events that take place nearly every night, had she never been sent to London the situation in which she has found herself in would be nothing more than a nightmare, when she was just 13 her mother sent her to Lon don with her brother to study, now fast-forward 2 years and she’s living alone in a tiny flat, her only way of income comes from selling herself to strangers, her brothers the cause of her predicament, he left after just aRead MoreHow The Orderliness Of Overlap Is Used For The Achievement Of Understanding And How It Can Be Used1374 Words   |  6 Pagestransition-relevance places (TRP’s), that is to say, a place where speaker transition occurs how/if it adheres to Sack’s et al’s proposed rules of turn taking. Conversation analysis is â€Å"the systematic analysis of the talk produced in everyday situations of human interaction.† (Hutchby and Wooffitt, 2008, pg. 11). However, as pointed out by Griffiths et al, conversation analysts â€Å"must not come to the the data with pre-defined idea’s about what goes on†, thus the basis of this analysis must remain context free withRead MorePersonal Statement On Interpersonal Communication Essay2000 Words   |  8 Pagesdeliberation of my conversation management and why I am weak in this category and how I could possibly improve. As I near the conclusion of my paper I will focus on my interpersonal communication motivation, knowledge, and skills. After reporting my scores in each category I will reflect on my skills, my lowest score, and explore why I am poorest at this quality and how I can grow in my capabilities. Overall I am a competent communicator, but enhancements can be made in my conversation management, effectivenessR ead MoreMy Childhood Memories Of The Big Girl881 Words   |  4 Pagesbelieved having a much older sister was the coolest thing ever. Amanda and I may have been nearly eleven years apart, but she would always include me in the â€Å"big girl† fun. For example, many of my childhood memories involve her allowing me to watch PG-13 movies and MTV, starting Britney Spears or Spice Girls dance parties in the living room, and taking me out for ice cream after school whenever it was her turn to pick me up. I also remember becoming a third wheel on some of Amanda’s dates when my motherRead MoreEssay Misunderstandings of a Foreigner in American Culture1677 Words   |  7 PagesI still remember the shock I got when I first moved here. What a terribly superficial culture this country has, I thought. The way people treat each other, especially in conversations! At the beginning they ask you: How are you? But beware! They dont really want to know how you are, and if you make the mistake of actually giving them a detailed account of your well-being, theyll shun you for weeks. On the other hand, youre required to immediately embrace all new acquaintances with the standardRead MoreThe Issue Of Rising College Tuition Essay1289 Words   |  6 Pagesconsidering solution criteria as a group. At one point in the conversation (throughout 16:00 to 17:00), I did not know that the solution criteria had been listed on the whiteboard because we had not clearly defined that we were discussing it as a group. I ended up interrupting the solution generation phase because I felt the criteria needed more attention (around 17:49), even though we had naturally explored it for a short period of time (13:17-14:25). I feel that the solution criteria step is vitalRead MorePresentation of Research Proposal1249 Words   |  5 PagesNatural dialogue involves the management of many communicative resources in a complex activity. Participants in a conversation transmit information, agr ee and disagree between each other, monitor the communicative status of their messages, make decisions about non-linguistic actions and, among other things, they deal with social conventions about who is to talk and when. Conversations are joint actions in which participants individually perform coordinated activities (Clark, 1996). It is quite illustrative

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Importance of Closing the Gap-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: What is the Importance of Closing the Gap in the Areas of Education and Training and Health between the Indigenous and Non Indigenous Communities of Australia? Answer: Introduction The current study intends to critically analyse the importance of closing the gap between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians particularly in the areas of education and training and health. Essentially, the Australian government also considers bridging the gap as an urgent nationwide priority. However, closing the gap is essentially a long term project as decades of disregard cannot be fixed suddenly. The current study hereby aims to examine the extent of extant inequality in terms of education and training and health with data to validate the findings. Moving further, the study elucidates the importance to bridge/close the identified gap along with economic implications of the observed results for bridging the gap in the overall standard of living between these two communities. Identification of the problem can help in understanding the issues that are plaguing the community with considerable substantiation based on valid facts as well as evidence. As rightly put forward by Steketee et al. (2014), the Australian government declared a formal commitment to address Indigenous disadvantage in Australia, referred to as closing the gap. Essentially, the gap indicates towards the vast health as well as inequality in life expectation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Particularly, the inequality comprises of shorter expectancy of life, higher mortality rates of infants, poorer level of health and low levels of education as well as employment. The current study section intends to throw light on the extant inequality between the two specific communities in terms of health and education and training. Analysis of reports reveals the fact that disparity between Indigenous as well as non-Indigenous health replicates a huge gap mainly between Indigenous as well as non-Indigenous education. Essentially, the proportion of mainly Indigenous aged between 20 to 24 years old completing mainly year 12 or else equivalent was roughly 59% during the year 2012 and the year 2013 as compared to 86% to 88% for diverse non-Indigenous Australians (Knowles et al. 2017). However, during the year 2013, around 7.3% of the entire Aboriginals as well as Torres Strait Islander probable year 12 overall populations attained total ATAR of approximately 50 or more than that as compared to that of 44.3% non-Indigenous youth. However, the rate of unemployment for nearly Indigenous Australians was nearly 5 times the overall rate for non-Indigenous Australians during the year 2012. Life expectancy can be considered as a broad indicator of long term health as well as well being of the nations population. Essentially, there exists strong association between lower levels of life expectancy for all Indigenous Australians. National statistics reflects the fact that during the period 2012 and 2013, the overall rate of disability for mainly Aboriginals as well as Torres Strait Islander Australians was approximately 1.7 times the overall rate for particularly non-Indigenous Australians (Baum 2016). However, during the same period of time, Indigenous Australians were roughly 4 times more probable to get hospitalised for diverse chronic diseases in comparison to that of non-Indigenous Australians. National statistics in Australia refer to the fact that during the year 2012 and 2013, the rate of hospitalisation for family violence associated assault for mainly Indigenous Australians was nearly 32.8 times higher than the rates of other Australians (Duckett and Willcox 2015 ). In addition to this, the Indigenous Australians were also 3 times more probable to suffer from mainly diabetes as compared to non-Indigenous people; however, the rate of death for mainly diabetes among mainly Aboriginals as well as Torres Strait Islanders was nearly 7 times higher than that of other Australians. As such, the potentially preventable rate of death for primarily indigenous children was essentially 3 times more than principally that of the non-Indigenous children during the period 2008 and 2012. In addition to this, national statistics also indicate towards the fact that non-indigenous girls who were necessarily born between the period 2012 and the year 2012 can mainly expect to live for a period longer than a decade in comparison to that of the Indigenous girls born for the same year (Thirlwall and Pacheco-Lpez 2017). However, the life expectancy for particularly men is even longer and it is around 69.1 year for mainly indigenous men, whilst the figure for the non-Indig enous men stands at 79.9 years. Again, in the areas of health, it can be observed from the national statistics that during the year 2008 to the year 2012 the infant mortality rates among aboriginals as well as Torres Strait Islander was approximately double in number than that of the non-Indigenous children (Benera et al. 2015). Furthermore, the Australian government also reported the fact that during the year 2011 and 2012, Indigenous children aged between (0 year-17 years) was roughly 8 times as probable as the non-Indigenous children to become the subject of substantiates child abuse else wise neglect. In addition to this, the juvenile detention rates as registered during the period 2012 and 2013 were nearly 24 times higher than that of the rates of different non-indigenous youths (Todaro and Smith 2011). Based on the results of the study, it can be hereby mentioned that there are severe implications of poorer health and education and training conditions of indigenous Australians in comparison to the non-indigenous population. However, since the year 2006, peak health bodies, human rights units as well as NGOs have worked together to attain equality in respect of health along with life expectation. Fundamentally, this is referred to as the close the gap campaign. Analysis of the reports reveals the fact that closing the extant gap primarily in terms of health can be regarded as a national priority. Basically, programs for improvement are necessary for attainment of improved outcomes in terms of health and education and training. Thus, this can assist in community involvement of the people in Australia. In a way this development program for bridging the gap can help both individuals as well as communities to acquire advantage from particularly the mainstream economy (Duckett and Willco x 2015). This involves acquirement of advantages that includes job opportunities, economic independence and wealth generation that in turn can lead to better economic participation. Subsequently, this can direct the way towards better standard of living of the people. Thus, vigorous as well as rigorous approaches by the government can essentially assist in leveraging as well as enhancing the condition of individuals and communities. As such, after proper analysis of the results of the reports, government initiatives are undertaken with the target of closing the gap and bridging mortality gap, achieving literacy as well as numeracy attainment, lessening the gap in various parameters of health (Thirlwall and Pacheco-Lpez 2017). Particularly, COAG (Council of Australian Governments) has adopted specific targets in this regard and has detected a large number of strategic platforms or in other words building blocks that have the requirement of comprehensively addressing the present state of disadvantages. Again, government is also utilizing seven strategic platforms or in other words building blocks along with strategies aimed at attaining enhancements in the targeted areas. Governing bodies have identified the building blocks to be establishment of healthy homes, safe communities, better health condition, and development of early childhood, schooling, and economic participation along with governance leadership. Essentially, all the building blocks are anticipated to augment the overall standard of living of people (Benera et al. 2015). In conclusion, reports on current conditions of health and education and training have helped Australian government to adopt suitable strategies aimed at maximizing the educational as well as health outcomes. As part of the commitment, the government necessarily allocated around $19 million for over and above 3 years for strengthening the health workforce for Indigenous people, provided $21.5 to enhance health services in diverse remote areas and many others. Again, government also considers literacy as well as numeracy as critical for better well being of people. Based on the report, The Australian Government is essentially depending upon the States as well as Territories to make certain that diverse resources in specific jurisdictions are paid to specific areas of soaring need. The data on literacy as well as numeracy success attainment has led to specific corrective activities. Particularly, in the budget the objective of COAG (Council of Australian Governments) is to halve the ov erall gap present in literacy and numeracy attainment within the period of decade. Essentially, this objective is also supported by fund allocation amount of $56.4million in state financing for a period of more than four years as a part of Government'sNational Action Plan on Literacy and Numeracy. References Baum, F., 2016.The new public health(No. Ed. 4). Oxford University Press. Benera, L., Berik, G. and Floro, M., 2015.Gender, development and globalization: economics as if all people mattered. Routledge. Duckett, S. and Willcox, S., 2015.The Australian health care system(No. Ed. 5). Oxford University Press. Knowles, S.R., Tribbick, D., Connell, W.R., Castle, D., Salzberg, M. and Kamm, M.A., 2017. Exploration of health status, illness perceptions, coping strategies, psychological morbidity, and quality of life in individuals with fecal ostomies.Journal of Wound Ostomy Continence Nursing,44(1), pp.69-73. Steketee, C., Forman, D., Dunston, R., Yassine, T., Matthews, L.R., Saunders, R., Nicol, P. and Alliex, S., 2014. Interprofessional health education in Australia: Three research projects informing curriculum renewal and development.Applied Nursing Research,27(2), pp.115-120. Thirlwall, A.P. and Pacheco-Lpez, P., 2017.Economics of development: theory and evidence. Springer. Todaro, M.P. and Smith, S.C., 2011.Economics development. Addison-Wesley.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Effects of Climate Change on Developing Countries free essay sample

Some developed countries signed the Kyoto Protocol and reduced their gas emissions. Canada with the CCCDF (Canada Climate Change Development Fund), is helping South America to solve the problem. Some large counties like USA, the main pollutant is not helping as much as developing countries need them. First, the Kyoto Protocol started in December of 1997 when more than 160 countries signed it to solve the problems caused by the climate change. This could be done by reducing the greenhouse gas emissions and promote better ways of producing and using the energy. In 2002, Canada signed the protocol, which came into force on February 16, 2005, when ratified by the 55 countries that produce 55 percent of the developed worlds carbon dioxide emissions . U. S. A and Canada have the highest greenhouse gas emissions. We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of Climate Change on Developing Countries or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Of course U. S. A have the higher emissions. The objective of this agreement is to stabilize the greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that it would not interfere with the climate system and also to protect developing countries from the problems caused by the climate changes, or greenhouse gas emissions. Some developing countries like China joined the Protocol to help the world and their selves. It is an excellent idea that developing countries join the Protocol because that way they are helping themselves and the others. Developing countries are suffering problems sea level rise and extreme weather changes. Concerning the Canada Climate Change Development Fund (CCCDF), a Canadian organization that helps developing countries to solve the problems cause by climate changes. It started in 2000 as a part of the government. The main objectives were contributing to Canada’s climate change and promoting activities in developing countries that solve the causes and effects of the climate change. At the same time helping to poverty reduction and the development of the country. The CCCDF wants to help developing countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to their development by transferring technology. This not only helps to reduce the GHG emissions and reduce the global climate change, but it also brings Canada environmental help, like cleaner air. It also creates opportunities to invest on new technologies. The government of Canada is investing $1. 1 billion to address climate change over the next five years . The CCCDF established the following expected results: -Reduce the Greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries. -Increase the use of Carbon in forests, wetlands, etc. for the good. -Reduce vulnerability of developing countries to effects of climate change. -Increase capacity of developing countries to participate in global efforts to solve climate change. Unfortunately, countries like the United States of America; the higher greenhouse emission country did not sign the Protocol. They said that the U. S. A does not agree with the protocol because it may affect to their economy and that they do not agree with some details. The US alone accounted for 36. 1% of worldwide greenhouse emissions in 1990. It is very important that countries like this sign the agreement and help because they are the countries with the more industry and they have the higher gas emissions level. Developing countries do not have the technology or environmental industry to address the issue. And countries like USA are needed to take responsibility so it can be done. The Australian government along with the U. S government agreed to sign their own contract called the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. This was created on July 2005. Developed countries have started to address the climate changes issue on developing countries by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping developing countries to reduce gas emissions and make good use of other materials. Unfortunately climate changes are still causing great damage around the world, so we should not wait until people from another country tells us what to do. If we start one by one making only a very small effort that could be not polluting by not using cars too much, we could start changing the world. The problem is not only caused by the big developed countries, it is caused by every single person in the world and it has to be solved by everyone.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

A Thermodynamic Reading Of The Crying Of Lot 49 Essays -

A Thermodynamic Reading Of The Crying Of Lot 49 A Thermodynamic Reading of The Crying of Lot 49 Exploring thermodynamic entropy and information theory clarifies the ambiguous relationship between Oedipa Maas, Maxwell's Demon and the Tristero System in The Crying of Lot 49. Through a convoluted, chaotic adventure leading to disorder, Oedipa searches for the truth about Tristero, hoping it will save her from her tower of imprisonment (Pynchon, 11). Pynchon dangles this elusive message over Oedipa's head until she discovers Tristero's meaning. However, interference from thermodynamic entropy and the entropy of information theory prevent the message from being transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver. Thermodynamics deals with the changes that occur in a system if energy distribution is unbalanced. Thermodynamics can be regarded as governing the direction of all physical changes taking place in the universe. With time, the energy within a system will inevitably tend to become distributed in the most probable pattern, which consists of all the individual particles of the system engaging in random, disordered motion (OED). Thermodynamic entropy is the measure of this disorganization in the universe. In a closed, isolated system, the total quantity of energy remains the same, but irreversible transformations within this system cause a loss in the grade of the energy. In The Crying of Lot 49, Oedipa Maas realizes ?her confinement is similar to the closed system in which entropy thrives (Pynchon, 11). If she does not open her system, her energy will degrade until she is an embodiment of random disorder. ?At some point she went into the bathroom, tried to find her image in the mirror and couldn't. She had a moment of nearly pure terror.? (Pynchon, 29). An image is created in a mirror when radiation falls upon an object of varying density, causing light to scatter, which composes the reflection. If there were no differences in density, and only random motion, there would be no image to project. Pynchon foreshadows Oedipa's fate through the degradation of thermodynamic entropy. Mechanical energy is an example of high-grade energy and heat is an example of low-grade energy. Thus, as entropy increases, negentropy degrades into heat, which is a form of energy arising from randomly moving molecules (OED). When a closed system possesses an unstable distribution of densities and gas molecules cluster in different areas, there is a lower probability and higher potential to do mechanical work. The loss of heat in entropy expresses the second law of thermodynamics. Entropy functions at the stagnant maximum of thermodynamic entropy, when energy or ideas cannot be transferred because the universe is at normal human body temperature. Oedipa suffers this loss of heat to some degree, because her embodiment of thermodynamic entropy is an obstacle to her understanding of the message. As if, on some other frequency, or out of the eye of some whirlwind rotating too slow for her heated skin even to feel the centrifugal coolness of, words were being spoken (Pynchon, 14). The rate of oscillation or vibration at which that these words are being spoken is unintelligible to Oedipa, coming at her like a confused, tumultuous process of the exchange of heat from a hot to cold system in exchange for usable energy (OED). Thus, Oedipa is incapable of receiving the information whirling around her. She is trapped within the thermodynamic entropy of her system. Information theory is the mathematical theory of communication used to determine speed and quantity of information transmission. It statistically computes redundant information necessary to counteract any distortion or loss that may occur during transmission from one information source to another. Aside from the semantics of information, Claude Shannon asserts that the message is selected from a set of possible messages. A system with certain physical or conceptual entities must be designed to operate for each possible selection; not just the one chosen, because this is unknown at the time of design. If the number of messages in the set is finite, this number is a measure of the information produced when one message is chosen from the set with all choices being equally likely (Shannon, 3). Shannon believes information is a mathematically defined quantity representing the degree of choice exercised in forming one message or symbol sequence out of all

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The Pre-Columbian Era essays

The Pre-Columbian Era essays Cuauhtmoc, meaning "one that has descended like an eagle" was born February 23rd and died on February 28th,1525, at the age of twenty-three. Cuauhtmoc was the last leader during the arrival of Cortes. One thing that stood out to me about Cuauhtmoc was when the Professor Luna spoke about him September 9th in her lecture. She said that he was captured and his feet were to be burned. And to Cuauhtmocs luck this did not affect him because he was accustomed to walking on fire and feeling the pain and the burning of the flames. Cuauhtmoc bones were found in Ixcateopan, where he was also born. Cuauhtmoc's life has already been a huge remembrance in the Mexican community. On his birthday there is a traditional celebration. On February 23rd every year there is a dance, that goes on the whole day in remembrance of him. There is also a ceremony called the Mali Nalco, which is a ceremony where young men that are coming of age. It stands for the eagle and the jaguar. I also enjoyed in the lecture how something that Cuauhtmoc said can be carried on into todays time. When his feet were being burned I recall professor Luna saying that Cuauhtmoc was quoted about saying that he wasnt doing the pain for pleasure, and that is where the saying Do you think I am in a bed of roses came from. It is so interesting how something can be dragged out for so many years. One other thing that I found really interesting about Cuauhtmoc was when professor Luna showed us all the different pictures of him. Each picture was not the same. What made it even more interesting is how we can take what Cuauhtmoc has done and keep it alive and have celebrations on his birthday of him but the images of him are so different. What makes it seem right that the celebration and the rest of the information is really true about Cuauhtmoc? Mexico culture and the pe...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Cultural factors DB Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cultural factors DB - Research Paper Example Apart from $1 trillion reduction in spending, government agencies have managed to identify over 580 proposals that will streamline federal regulations and hence reduce regulatory costs. The President also introduced a Buffett Rule: a principle of tax fairness that requires everybody to pay their fair share by ensuring that no household making over $1 million annually pays a smaller share of in their income in taxes more than that paid by middle class families. The growth of government since 1930’s has seen a steady increase in government spending. In 1930, the government spending was about 3.3% of the country’s GDP. This figure increased steadily to 44% in 1944 before falling back to 11.6% in 1948. Since then, the figure has been on the rise. In 1998, the federal budget reported its first surplus of $69 billion. In 1999, the surplus rose to $125 billion and again to $246 billion. In 2005 fiscal year, the budget shrinks because of a sharp increase in tax revenue. However, in 2007, the budget reduced to $161 billion. The congressional budget office projects that, the federal deficit for 2009 fiscal will spike a drastically to an exceptional $1.2 trillion, or 8.3% of the GDP. This new budget is opted to set to set the US with a record-breaking deficit of about $1.56 trillion in 2010. The US fiscal policy is expansionary in nature in that it focused in increasing the budget to stimulate the economy (Mühleisen & Towe, 2004). The American consumers play a greater role in fiscal policies. Fiscal policies mainly focus in taxation in stimulating the economy. The tax system as proposed by President Obama ensures that the high class consumers are taxed more than the middle class consumers. Therefore, before making any fiscal policy is made, then consumer’s interest has to put into consideration before they will be affected directly or/and indirectly. Over the past five years the influence of consumers on fiscal policies

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Risk Management College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Risk Management College - Essay Example When the market goes up by 10%, stock B goes down by 3%. A combination of the two stocks will reduce total potential returns (since stock B is under-performing), but also reduce portfolio viability as compared to market changes. Whereas the two stocks are influenced by the market (which is the very definition of systematic risk), they change in opposite directions, which will reduce total portfolio risk. No, portfolio diversification to betas cannot entirely remove potential market risks. While unsystematic risks are eliminated in a larger portfolio, market risks still that affect most of the assets/stocks in a portfolio are not. Even entirely diversified portfolio stocks are vulnerable to market changes. Furthermore, beta coefficients are more reliable for short-term risk-assessment and can be misleading in the long-run. This is so, because beta coefficients mostly reflect past price movements, and are not reliable indicators for assets/stocks with no or recent price history (McClure, B., 2004) IPO, or the Initial Price Offering is the process of bringing private companies to the public market for the first time. The IPO represents a significant stage in the growth of a company, because it provides access to public capital markets and increases company credibility and exposure. Companies usually decide to go public because they need access to additional capital to implement long-term business strategies or use funds for acquisitions. Furthermore, this is capital that does not have to be repaid and does not involve interest payments. IPO also gives opportunities for new future stock offerings. Companies go public also to get media attention. Nowadays IPOs are used as marketing instruments to increase public awareness, and enhance brand name recognition. In other cases companies may go public to change management style and settle managerial problems using the challenging approach of capital restructuring. Task 4: What Steps Are Involved With Taking A Company Public When a company wants to offer their stock to the general public for the first time, the first step is the announcement of its intent (1), and then it usually asks an "underwriter"(2) - usually an investment banking company - to undertake this operation - in return for a fee. The underwriter agrees to pay the issuer a certain number of shares at a certain price, and then resell those shares to buyers. The underwriter and the issuer set a tentative date, and issue a preliminary prospectus (3) is with financial and business information about the issuer. The underwriter then gives presentations to people from the brokerage industry (4) to present good investment opportunities. The issuer then releases the stock to the underwriter (5), and the underwriter releases the stoc

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Project Management Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project Management - Research Proposal Example However, the constructions of infrastructure projects are always encroached with project delays and increased costs. These projects rarely go to completion as a result of these project delays and increased costs. Infrastructure construction projects worldwide have been reported to encounter delays and increased costs. Stakeholders normally have an input into these delays and increased costs. The most common reason for project delays and cost overrun is design errors (Ambituuni, 2011). Project designs play an important role as it serves to achieve good technical input to aid in execution of the project. Errors in project design caused by the project owners and contractors means that there will be wrong or insufficient application of techniques thus achieving no results. Suppliers of materials also cause project delay and increased costs through late delivery of construction materials to the construction site. Late delivery can be attributed to shortage or unavailability of these mater ials in the market. Employees that work in the construction projects do not have the necessary skills that are suitable for the job. Shortage of skilled labour leads to substandard work which in turn contributes to project delays and increased costs (Kikwasi, 2012). Government actions or legislations sometimes cause delays in obtaining permit from the relevant authorities; discrepancies between design specification and building code contribute to project delays and increased costs (Fugar & Agyakwah- Baah, 2010). Infrastructure construction projects in the Transport for London is important in promoting national economic growth and competitiveness. In my opinion, effective transport system enables people to access essential services such as healthcare, education, travelling to employment places and the transportation and selling of goods. A country’s effective transport system ultimately leads to improved social development and economic growth. The construction sector plays an important role in the London economy as it generates a good percentage of the Gross Domestic Product and also in job creation. The construction sector is a major consumer of intermediate products such as raw materials, chemicals, electrical and electronic equipment among other related services. Transport for London construction sector could contribute to the creation of employment opportunities through extension of activities in areas such as renovation of buildings while also playing an important role in the delivery of Europe 2020 strategy on smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The construction industry provides job seekers with extensive career opportunities with growth being projected from laborers to construction managers. The construction industry has also demonstrated a strong commitment to workforce development in that the key stakeholders including employers, trade associations and labor-management organizations are heavily involved in the apprenticeship programs. Thes e programs ensure that employees have the necessary

Friday, November 15, 2019

Pearl of the Indian Ocean | An Overview of Sri Lanka

Pearl of the Indian Ocean | An Overview of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka officially known as Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. It is an island country in the northern Indian ocean of the southern cost of Indian subcontinent in south Asia. It is known until 1972 as Ceylon. Sri Lanka documented history spans three thousand years. It geographic location and deep harbors made it of great strategic importance from the time of ancient silk road through to World War II. Sri Lanka is diverse country home to many religions, ethnicities and languages. The Sinhalese people are the majority although there are many ethnic minorities including Tamils, Muslim moors, Burghers, Kaffirs, Malays and the aboriginal vadda people. Sri Lanka has a rich Buddhist heritage and the first knows Buddhist writings were composed on the island. The countrys recent history has been marred by a thirty-year civil war which decisively but controversially ended in a military victory in 2009. Sri Lanka is a republic and a unitary state governed by a presidential system. The capital Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte named by a president after himself, is a suburb of the largest city Colombo. An important producer of tea, coffee, gemstones, coconuts, rubber and the native cinnamon. Sri Lanka has been called The tear drop of Indian ocean because of its shape and location is known as The pearl of the Indian Ocean because of its natural beauty. It is also known as The nations of smiling people. The island contains tropical forests, and diverse landscape with high biodiversity. The country has had a long history of international engagement, being a founding member of SAARC and a member of United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, G7 and Non- Aligned Movement. Etymology In antiquity, Sri Lanka was known to travelers by a variety of names, such as, Lanka, Sinhala, Taprobane, Serandib, Ceilao, Ceylon. As a British crown colony the island was known as Ceylon and achieved independence as the Dominion of Ceylon in 1948. History The pre-history of Sri Lanka dates back over 125 thousand years before present and possibly even as early as 500,000 BP. The era spans the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and early Iron ages. Among the Paleolithic human settlements discovered in Sri Lanka, Pahiyangala, Batadombalena and Belilena are the most important. The remains of Balangoda Man an anatomically modern human found inside these caves suggests that they may have engaged in agriculture and kept domestic dogs for driving game. One of the first written references to the island is found in the Indian epic Ramayana which provides details of a kingdom named lanka that had been created by the divine sculptor vishwakarma, for Kubera the lord of wealth. It is said that Kubera was overthrown by his demon stepbrother Ravana, the powerful emperor who built a mythical flying machine named Dandu Monara. The modern city of wariyapola is described as Ravanas airport. Ancient History According to Mahavasama a chronicle written in Pali language, the ancient period of Sri Lanka begins in 543 BC with the landing of Vijaya, a semi-legendary king who sailed 860 nautical miles on eight ships to Sri Lanka with 700 followers from the southwest coast of what is now the Rarh region of west Bengal. In Sri Lanka there are kingdoms such as, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa, Sithawaka, Gampola, Kotte, Kandy and there are some famous kings in that time they are Pandukabaya, Parakramabahu, Dathusena, walagamba, Dutugamunu, Kawanthissa, Mahasen, Vijaya, Dewanampiyathissa, Sri Vikramarajasingha. According to this there are so many religious places in ancient history like Ruwanwali mahasaya, Thuparamaya, Jaya sri maha bodiya, Abayagiriya, Kiriwehera, Sigriya, katharagama, Temple of Tooth Relic, Mihinthale, Seruwavila, Yapahuwa etc. Sri Lankan dynastic history spanned a period of 2359 years, from 543 BC toad 1815 until the land became part of the British Empire. Independence The Soulbury constitution ushered in Dominion status, with independence proclaimed on 4 February 1948. Sir D. S. Senanayake became the first Prime Minister of Ceylon. Prominent Tamil leaders like Ponnambalam and Arunachalam Mahadeva joined his cabinet. The British Royal Navy remained stationed at Trincomalee until 1956. A countrywide popular demonstration against withdrawal of the rice ration, known as Hartal 1953, resulted in the resignation of prime minister Dudley Senanayake. S. W. R. D. Bandaranayke was elected prime minister in 1956. His three-year rule had a profound impact, through his self-proclaimed role of defender of the besieged Sinhalese culture. He introduced the controversial Sinhala Only Act, recognizing Sinhala as the only official language of the government. Although partially reversed in 1958, the bill posed a grave concern for the Tamil community, which perceived in it a threat to their language and culture. The Federal Party (FP) launched a movement of non-violen t resistance (satyagraha) against the bill, which prompted Bandaranayake to reach an agreement (Bandaranayake-Chelvanayakam Pact) with S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, leader of the FP, to resolve the looming ethnic conflict. However the pact proved ineffective in the face of ongoing protests by opposition and the Buddhist clergy. The bill, together with various government colonization schemes, contributed much towards the political rancour between Sinhalese and Tamil political leaders. Bandaranayake was assassinated by an extremist Buddhist monk in 1959. Madam Sirimavo Bandaranayake, the widow of late S. W. R. D. Bandaranayake, took office as prime minister in 1960, and She was the first lady prime minister in the world. During her second term as prime minister, the government instituted socialist economic policies, strengthening ties with the Soviet Union and China, while promoting a policy of non-alignment. In 1971, Ceylon experienced a Marxist insurrection, which was quickly suppressed. In 1972, the country became a republic named Sri Lanka, repudiating its dominion status. From 1983, ethnic tensions were manifested in on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Because of this (LTTE) tigers so many bombs were blasted and result of that lots of Political Leaders, Celebrities, and Civilians were dead. In 2009, under the Presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa the Sri Lanka Armed Forces defeated the LTTE, and re-established control of the entire country by the Sri Lankan Government. Finally Sri Lanka has emerged from its 26-year war to become one of the fastest growing economies of the world. Geography The island consists mostly of flat-to-rolling coastal plains, with mountains rising only in the south-central port. The highest point piduruthalagala, reaching 2,524 meters (8,281 ft) above sea level. The climate is tropical and warm, due to the moderating effect of ocean winds. Mean temperature ranges from 17 Â °C (62.6 Â °F) in the central highlands, where frost may occur for several days in the winter, to a maximum of 33 Â °C (91.4 Â °F) in other low-altitude areas. In Sri Lanka rainfall pattern is influenced by monsoon winds from the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. The longest of the 103 rivers in the country is Mahaweli River, covering 335 kilometers (208 mi). These waterways give rise to 51 natural waterfalls of 10 meters or more. The highest is Bambarakanda Falls, with a height of 263 meters (863 ft). Sri Lanka inherits 45 estuaries and 40 lagoons too. The island is rich with minerals such as Ilmenite, Feldspar, Graphite, Silica, Kaolin, Mica and Thorium. Flora and Fauna Lying within the Indomalaya ecozone, Sri Lanka is one of 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Although the country is relatively small in size, it has the highest biodiversity density in Asia. Remarkably high proportion of the species among its flora and fauna, 27% of the 3,210 flowering plants and 22% of the mammals, are endemic. Sri Lanka has declared 24 wildlife reserves, which are home to a wide range of native species such as Asian elephants, leopards, sloth bears, the unique small lories, a variety of deer, the purple-faced langur, the endangered wild boar, porcupines and anteaters. Among the trees of the dry-land forests are valuable species such as satinwood, ebony, ironwood, mahogany and teak. These are the famous National Parks in Sri Lanka Yala, Wilpaththu, Sinharaja, Udawalawa and Kumana Bird Sanctuary. Politics Sri Lanka is the oldest democracy in South Asia. The Donoughmore Constitution, drafted by the Donoughmore Commission in 1931 enabled general elections with adult universal suffrage (universal adult franchise) in the country. It was the first time a non-Caucasian country within the empires of Western Europe was given one man, one vote and the power to control domestic affairs. The first election under the universal adult franchise, held in June 1931, was for the Ceylon State Council. Sir D. B. Jayatilaka was elected as the Leader of the House. In 1944, the Soulbury Commission was appointed to draft a new constitution. During this time, struggle for Independence was fought on constitutionalist lines under the leadership of D. S. Senanayake. The draft constitution was enacted in the same year and Senanayake was appointed as the Prime Minister from the parliamentary election in 1947. The Soulbury constitution ushered in Dominion status and Independence to Sri Lanka in 1948. Current politics in Sri Lanka is a contest between two rival coalitions led by the centre-leftist and progressivity United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), an offspring of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), and the comparatively right-wing and pro-capitalist United National Party (UNP). Sri Lanka is essentially a multi-party democracy with many smaller Buddhist, socialist and Tamil nationalist political parties. Rest of other parties are Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress. Government National Symbols of Sri Lanka Flag Lion Flag Emblem- Gold Lion Passant Anthem- Sri Lanka Matha Butterfly- Troides darsius Bird- Sri Lanka Jungle fowl Flower- Red and Blue Water Lily Tree- Ceylon Ironwood (Na) Sport- Volleyball Sri Lanka is a democratic republic and a unitary state which is governed by a semi-presidential system, with a mixture of a presidential system and a parliamentary system. It constitutes a parliamentary system governed under the constitution. Most provisions of the constitution can be amended by a two-thirds majority in parliament. However, the amendment of certain basic features such as the clauses on language, religion, and reference to Sri Lanka as a unitary state require both two-thirds majority and approval at a nation-wide referendum. Economy According to the International Monetary Fund, Sri Lanka has a yearly gross domestic output of US$59 billion as of 2010. It has a GDP of US$116 billion in terms of purchasing power parity. Sri Lanka is next only to Maldives in the South Asian region in terms of per capita income, with a nominal value of US$2,877 and PPP value of US$5,673. It recorded a GDP growth of 8.3% in 2011. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Sri Lanka became a plantation economy, famous for its production and export of cinnamon, rubber and Ceylon tea, which remains a trademark national export. The development of modern ports under British rule raised the strategic importance of the island as a centre of trade. From 1948 to 1977 socialism strongly influenced the governments economic policies. Colonial plantations were dismantled, industries were nationalized and a welfare state established. In 1977 the free market economy was introduced to the country, incorporating privatization, deregulation and the promotion of private enterprise. While the production and export of tea, rubber, coffee, sugar and other commodities remain important, industrialization has increased the importance of food processing, textiles, telecommunications and finance. Main economic sectors of the country are tourism, tea export, clothing, rice production and other agricultural products. In addition to these economic sectors, overseas employment contributes highly in foreign exchange, most of them from the Middle East. The Global Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum has listed Sri Lanka as a transitive economy, from factor-driven stage to efficiency-driven stage, ranking 52nd in the global competitiveness. It also ranked 45th in health and primary education, 32nd in business sophistication, 42nd in innovation and 41st in goods market efficiency out of the 142 countries surveyed. Education With a literacy rate of 92.5%, Sri Lanka has one of the most literate populations amongst developing nations. Its youth literacy rate stands at 98%, computer literacy rate at 35%, and primary school enrolment rate at over 99%. An education system which dictates 9 years of compulsory schooling for every child is in place. The free education system established in 1945 is a result of the initiative of C. W. W. Kannangara (Father of Free Education) and A. Ratnayake. It is one of the few countries in the world that provide universal free education from primary to tertiary stage. Brief Information about Performing Arts in Sri Lanka Cinema of Sri Lanka- Kadawunu Poronduwa (The Broken Promise) heralded the coming of Sri Lankan cinema in 1947. Ranmuthu Duwa (Island of treasures, 1962) marked the transition cinema from black-and-white to colour. The Music in Sri Lanka-it came from theatrical performances such as Sokari, Kolam and Nadagam. Traditional Music instruments such as Bera, Thammattama, Daula, Rabana, Thalampata and etc. The Dancing in Sri Lanka- There are three main styles of Sri Lankan classical dance such as Kandyan Dancing (Hill country), Pahatharata (Low country), and Sabaragamu. The history of Sri Lankan painting and sculpture can be traced as far back as to the 2nd or 3rd century BC. The earliest mention about the art of painting on Mahavasama is to the drawing of a palace on cloth using cinnabar in the 2nd century BC. The chronicles have description of various paintings in relic-chambers of Buddhist stupas, and in monastic residence. Culture, Food and Festivals Culture The culture of Sri Lanka dates back over 2500 years. It is influenced primarily by Buddhism and Hinduism. Ancient Sri Lanka is marked for its genius in hydraulic engineering and architecture. The rich cultural traditions shared by all Sri Lankan cultures is the basis of the countrys long life expectancy, advanced health standards and high literacy rate. Food Sri Lankans staple food is Rice but in every special movement, Sri Lankans make Kiri Bath (Milk Rice) and Lunumiris. There are so many delicious dishes in this country such as rice and curry, pittu, whole meat Roti, hoppers,String hoppers, wattalapam (special pudding), koththu and Jackfruit. Traditionally food is served on a plantain leaf. Moors special dish is Biriyani, Catholics-Christmas Cake, Hindus- Specially Veg meal. Festivals In April, Sri Lankans celebrate the Buddhist and Hindu New Year festival. In addition, Esala Perahera, a symbolic Buddhist festival consisting of dances and richly decorated elephants, is held in Kandy, during the month of August. Fire-dances, whip-dances, Kandian dances and various other cultural dances are integral parts of the festival. Tamils celebrate Thai Pongal, Maha Shivaratri, Catholics celebrate Christmas, Good Friday and Muslims celebrate Hajj, Ramadan in their respective days of the year. Media Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (formerly Radio Ceylon) is the oldest-running radio station in Asia, established in 1923 by Edward Harper just three years after broadcasting began in Europe. The station broadcasts services in Sinhalese, Tamil, English and Hindi. Since the 1980s, a large number of private radio stations have also been introduced. Broadcast television was introduced to the country in 1979 when the Independent Television Network was launched. Initially all Television stations were state controlled, but private television networks began broadcasts in 1992. As of 2010, 51 newspapers (30 Sinhala, 10 Tamil, 11 English) are published and 34 TV stations and 52 radio stations are in operation. Sports While the national sport in Sri Lanka is Volleyball by far the most popular sport in the country is cricket. Rugby union also enjoys extensive popularity. As do athletics, Football (soccer) and Tennis. Sri Lanka national cricket world cup won 1996. Former Sri Lankan off spinner Muththaiah Muralitharan been rated as greatest Test Match Cricketers Almanac. Sri Lanka also wins so many medals in Olympic Games. Aquatic sports such as Boating, Surfing, Swimming, kite surfing and Scuba-diving on the coastal, the beaches and backwaters attract a large number of Sir Lanka and foreign tourists. There are two styles of martial arts native to Sri Lanka, Cheena di and Angampora.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Adolf Hitler Essay examples -- essays research papers

Adolf Hitler On April 20, 1889, the world was changed forever when Adolf Hitler was born to Alois and Klara Hitler in a little town named Braunau-am-Inn, Austria. Alois worked as a customs officer on the border crossing near their hometown. Adolf was the third born in his family, but first to survive. Later would come Edmund, who would live to the age of six, and Paula who would live to out survive Adolf himself. With a poor record in school, Adolf Hitler dropped out with ambitions of becoming an artist. Alois passed away when Adolf was thirteen, so Klara raised Adolf and Paula on her own. Between the ages of sixteen and nineteen is when Adolf Hitler began to become interested in politics. Then, in 1909, Klara Hitler died of cancer and Adolf moved to Vienna in hope of earning a living. Within a year he was living in homeless shelters and eating at charity soup kitchens though. In 1913, Adolf moved to Munich, Germany and volunteered for service in the Germany Army at the outbreak of the First World War. He was accepted into the 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment. Hitler was promoted to corporal and decorated with the Iron Cross Second Class and First Class, he wore the Second Class Iron Cross until his dying day. Ironically, the captain who recommended him for the award was a Jewish man. After this, he began to join a few local army organizations with the mindset of persuading returning soldiers not to turn to communism or pacifism. Hitler was gave his first speech to a large audience. This meeting was a great success, so afterward he organized a much larger event for a crowd of nearly two thousand in Munich Germany. The party was the National Socialist German Workers Party, otherwise known as the Nazi party for short. Shortly after this speech in February, Adolf Hitler was discharged from the army. He continued to expand his influential power inside the party; he began to form groups of friends, thugs, which helped to break up opposing party meetings later. Hitler became the main speaker at all party events, and in 1920 chose the now hated swastika as the Nazi party emblem. By 1921, Adolf Hitler had gained the majority of the support of the Nazi party, and became the leader of the Nazi party with dictatorial powers. But in 1923, Hitler tried to overthrow the German Weimar Republic by force known as the Beer Hall Putsch. Despite capturing the l... ...g countries, he formed alliances with Mussolini and other nations, he had world conquest in sight and he was trying to conquer his neighbors in one blow. Hitler’s main problem was he started to fight to many wars; he had to many fronts to defend so he couldn’t keep his defense fortification strong enough. So his empire began to fall, and his country with it. He was slowly driven back, and his troops moral was declining fast. His dream was over. On May 1, at 9:30 in the evening, Hamburg radio told Germans that a grave announcement was to be made, that the Fuehrer had fallen a war hero. But he didn’t actually die in combat, one theory is that Adolf Hitler was told about his death, and read about it in the London paper obituaries. He actually committed suicide on the previous day in the bunker under the Reich chancellery, where he had been since January 16, 1945. Adolf Hitler’s dream of a one-world government was a good idea and dream; it just came to a corrupt and insane man in a time period that was impossible for such a dream. The world would have been a radically different place if this one man would have had a few small things go different for him during his time of power.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Lord of the Flies Compare and Contrast

Lord of the flies a book by â€Å"William Golding†. It’s about a group of boys who crashed landed and got deserted on an island way off their planned route, with no shelter, food or water. They must do whatever they can to survive. There are twists and turns but in the end it comes down to a very big life motive and a moral. In the beginning of the story, the boys were all separated from each other. Piggy picked up a shell typed object, and told Ralph to blow in it. This part of the story showed that Ralph can come up with ideas and knows his geological facts. Ralph decided to blow in it, which made all the boys come to one place. This showed that piggy’s idea was great but when the boys gathered around Ralph and Piggy, they thought it was Ralph’s idea which gave him a bit of an edge towards leadership. They were all deciding on a leader to take front of this survival issue. Jack and Ralph were the oldest so they went into debate. Ralph is a little bit more muscular and straight backed then jack was. On the other hand jack was a skinny, longed faced character and didn’t show much appreciation for the debate. One other thing that Ralph was doing that he was standing on a rock at the time, while jack was sort of with the group just standing on a side. This already gave Ralph the advantage on who looks more presentable and responsible of becoming a leader. Another fact is that Ralphs father is a commander which gave him even more reasons to become the leader of the group. For now jack really doesn’t care but later on things get physical. As we go on in the story it came to a point where jack was getting frustrated with Ralph’s rules and how things should run. One of their biggest fights were about if fire was more important than food. While jack wanted to find a way to kill a pig, Ralph wanted find a way to start fire. This part of the story shows a divide happening between them. This is sort of like our world, the two different types of government, communism and democracy. They have a divide between them about what you can do and cannot. After jack makes his own group with his set of rules and promised there will be food. An example I can give for this is the elections we have. There are different groups and leaders debating on who can offer what to the city and what benefits you will get a behalf of you a citizen.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Enrollment System for High School Essay Example

Enrollment System for High School Essay Example Enrollment System for High School Essay Enrollment System for High School Essay Essay Topic: High School Middle School ACKNOWLEDGMENT An ambition nurtured through the year has finally been fulfilled, this â€Å"program†. The realization of this ambition is attributed to their family and especially to the almighty God for his countless blessings bestowed on the group. For the unlimited guidance and being always in their side Mr. Romel P. Dagami for with him this priceless endeavor would have never come into fruition. To their classmates in CS 223 who shared their knowledge for the success of this system. Their family for their continued encouragement, financial and moral support and prayers. With this system a dream is now a reality. We share the joy and pride. To everyone who helped us in making this program, thank you. Table of Contents Acknowledgmentii Table of Contentsiii Chapter I Introduction Payroll1 (Advantages)2 Statement of the Problem6 Theoretical Framework8 Conceptual Framework10 Significance of the Study12 Scope and Delimitation14 Definition of Terms15 Chapter II Project Rationale19 Project Objective20 Project Description21 Constraints of the System and Project21 Project Team Organization23 Project Team Description24 Estimated time and Date25 Pert Chart26 Gantt Chart27 Data Flow Diagram28 System Flow Chart29 Program Flow Chart30 Program Output39 Codes45 Visual Table of contents62 Input Process Output Chart63 MDB Structure63 Chapter III Appendices Appendix A (User’s Manual)66 Appendix B (Guidelines in accessing the system)69 Appendix C (Curriculum Vitae)79 Chapter I Introduction Not so long ago, all payrolls used to be calculated manually, without any help from a computer. Professional accountants invested a lot of time and energy into keeping track of all employee data, files and information, calculating monthly salaries, hourly remunerations, bonuses, sick leaves, benefits, taxes, deductions and so on. And they did this all by keeping numerous files filled with track records for each and every person employed. Nowadays, however, thing are far more simple than they used to be. Because technology is always dedicated to make things easier and better, quite a wide variety of computerized payroll systems is available to save us from this tedious task. Now, instead of keeping dozens of files and spending endless hours calculating, all you have to do is get a payroll software system and let it do all the nasty work. So, manual vs. computerized payroll system? It really bares no comparison. A manual payroll system means doing everything by hand, while a computerized one will enable its users to store unlimited data, keeping track of everything. While with a manual payroll system youd have to keep track of all employees time by hand, with payroll software you can automatically transfer all punches or swipes directly into the system, which will store them instantly. It can even separate regular work hours from overtime, and calculate the different remunerations according to set parameters. And if human error sneaks in even with the most organized manual payroll system, computerized payroll software will provide accurate calculations regardless of the amount of data stored. The computerized payroll software systems save time and money, theyre very easy to use and theyre also very practical. There are several different types of payroll software systems, with various features, functions or advantages. And of course, the price will also vary according to the type of software. All programs, however, include essential features for storing employee information, files and track records, and will enable authorized users to enter, view or change information anytime. Basic features include paycheck processing, direct deposit options, payroll reports, tax reports, deductions, quarterly and annual ware reports and many others. Moreover, while with a manual payroll system you have to do everything yourself, a computerized payroll software will calculate automatically all pay frequencies, employee statutory deductions, 401k contributions, bonuses, medical benefits etc. Basically, all you have to do is enter all the data upon which the deductions are based, and the software will handle everything else. In conclusion, compared to computerized software systems, the manual payroll system takes up valuable time, resources and money. So instead of wasting valuable time with the tedious accounting tasks, let the software calculate the paychecks, while you work on developing your business, increasing production and revenue. Statement of the Problem The researchers sought to answer the following: 1. What are the problems encountered of the company when it comes in paying their employees? 2. Does it take time before the employees get their monthly salary? 3. Does the owner/employer of the company need to add an additional employee in order to do the task (computing and releasing of employee’s salary)? 4. Do the employees need to wait before they can have their monthly salary? 5. Does the releasing of the employees’ wages consume a longer period of time because of editing and adding new record? 6. What would be the possible solution out of these problems? Theoretical Framework In this part of the documentation, we will be presenting a theory that will serve as the pattern on how the researchers would make their own plans and conceptualizations in the theories of experts of the computer field and analysis. The researchers are sure that the pattern they would be following is based on standards and proven technique. The first theory is called the â€Å"System and Systematic Theory† (SST) which says that â€Å"A â€Å"system† is a collection of things which have relationships among them. of course all three: things and relationships and the whole system have to be imagined by us, and tested against ‘reality’, to serve our purpose. )† This theory implies that in order for the system to be functional and efficient, it has to be tested against reality. Meaning all things must have be considered when system be implemented already. All errors must have been corrected prior to its delivery. The â€Å"Systems a nd Systematic Theory† (SST) would are a big impact or the development of the system. The researches would have to consider all omponents of their proposed system and make sure that all of them are working properly in achieving their main goal. Conceptual Framework Diagram 1 The diagram shows how the system would involve into an Automated Payroll System. The inputs must be considered properly assess and make sure that all data needed in the development are present and available. After the inputs are gathered, the process comes next. It involves analysis of data gathered and evaluation. After the inputs have been processed the Automated Payroll System is now created. Significance of the Study Based on the employees we’ve met, they we’re having hard time in getting their monthly salary. Sometimes, their payment they expected they will receive will seldom be delayed due to the personnel who are doing the task. Because we believe that every employee needs to be paid for the services they provide. For this to happen, the employer must have a payroll system in place. Without it, chaos occurs, as employees will become upset if their checks are inaccurate (or worse, if they dont get paid) due to a haphazard payroll structure. So obviously, there are benefits to be derived from using a payroll system. The advantage of having this kind of system is that to make the transaction of every employee in getting their monthly salary easily. Secondly, to lessen the possible time it will consume, because when the employer of the company will do it manually, maybe it will take week or more. And lastly, the task of doing the transaction will be higher because it is done with the use of computer. The persons who are being benefited with this study were the owner of the company, the personnel who is doing the job and at the same time the employee of that particular company. Scope and Delimitation The proposed project, an Automated Payroll System of Asia Computer Company is developed specially for the said company’s payroll processes. But aside from that, it also covers a little of their personnel information, basically includes computation of deductions, generating of pay slips, and payroll reports. The system can also generate personnel information from the company with the intention of coming up with a system that will generally make your flow of operation of the company’s payroll processing smoother and faster, experiencing more of an efficient, reliable and accurate system. Definition of Terms * Database- is a system intended to organize, store, and retrieve large amounts of data easily. It consists of an organized collection of data for one or more uses, typically in digital form. One way of classifying databases involves the type of their contents, for example: bibliographic, document-text, statistical. Digital databases are managed using database management systems, which store database contents, allowing data creation and maintenance, and search and other access. * Query design- A database query can be either a select query or an action query. A select query is simply a data retrieval query. An action query can ask for additional operations on the data, such as insertion, updating, or deletion. * Table- is a set of data elements (values) that is organized using a model of vertical columns (which are identified by their name) and horizontal rows. A table has a specified number of columns, but can have any number of rows. * Report- Microsoft Access Database report designs, from customizing the layout of the report to including parameters and images. You will also find rticles relating to generating your Microsoft Access database reports from forms in your Microsoft Access application, and how to modify database reports using VBA programming and Microsoft Access expressions. * Data- is information that has been translated into a form that is more convenient to move or process. * Automated Payroll System- A payroll system is the method used by payroll professionals to pay employees for their services. Regardless of the type of system used, there are basic functions that must be performedcalculation of hours worked, deductions (health, garnishment), and benefits (auto allowance, vacation, personal time). Form- A database form is a window or screen of related fields from a database. It is used to enter data or browse and view data. * Log in- (also called logging in or on and signing in or on) is the process by which individual access to a computer system is controlled by identification of the user using credentials provided by the user. * System- a collection of interrelated components that acts together as a single unit to perform a specific task. * Employee – a person for wages, a salary Project Rationale With the demands of the present competitive world, the pressing needs for the computerization, the problems encountered by the employees in getting their monthly payments, this Automated Payroll System is proposed for these reasons, the implementation of this computerized system will help the said company in achieving their goals with efficiency and effectiveness in compliance the needs of the employees regarding the releasing of their monthly salary. Project Objective Specifically, the project seeks to reach the following objectives: 1. To be able to know on how to make the research study in using an application software by making a program. 2. To be able to identify the problems of the existing system. 3. To be able to calculate the employee’s salary easily. Project Description The project is entitled â€Å"Automated Payroll System. † The system involves the use of computer software such as Visual Basic and Microsoft Access. In this Project the developers of this system have also incorporated training plan, test plan, security plan and maintenance plan which will serve as the framework in implementing this project. Constraints of the System and the Project System: 1. Storage media such as hard disk and the floppy disk are very sensitive to magnetic interferences, that is, they should isolate from electronic devices. 2. Data and information could be possibly infected with computer virus that may destroy data and information significant to the system. Project: 1. The size of the project is big; hence several trivial communication lines exist, which turn, make it hard for the project team members to arrived at decision timely and accurately, as here may unexpected ppositions from other members. 2. Time allotted to finish the project is very minimal. Project Team Organization [pic] Project Team Description System Analyst – a person who is responsible for planning and at the same time the one who designs the system. Programmer – the one who is responsible in making the program as well as developing the system designs. Designer – the one who is responsible gathering data and rese arching information and the encoder of the documents. Encoder – a person who responsible in encoding all data and all documents. Researcher – The one who is responsible in researching the information needed for the system. The team used egoless structure because all members are equal and responsible for all activities in developing the system. Table of Activities |ID |Activity | | |5 |10 | |Password |Text |8 | |Period |Text |50 | tblPayroll Employee Number |AutoNumber | | |Last Name |Text |30 | |First Name |Text |20 | |Middle initial |Text |50 | |Address |Text |60 | |Status |Text |50 | |Position |Text |50 | |Rate |Number | | |dependent |Number | | |Account number |text |12 | |total |Number | | |PLoan_Pay |Number | | |PRSNL_LOAN |Number | | |SSS_LOAN |Number | | |SLOAN_PAY |Number | | |SSS |Number | | |PHP_HEALTH |Number | | |PAG_IBIG |Number | | |DEDUCTION |Number | | |Net |Number | | |Monthly |Number | | Chapter III Appendices Appendix A User’s Manual Automated Payroll System Introduction To facilitate the procedures of the systems programs, a user’s manual like this was included. This p ortion indicates the standard procedures in adding, searching, saving, deleting, computing and reckoning records in a record window. To enhance the reliability of functions, graphical images are supplemented for further understanding on the routines included in the system. Hardware and Software Requirements Hardware The computer system must have the following: Intel Version 1 or higher version of processor. At least 32 MB or RAM for faster processing. 16B or higher memory Hard Disk Printer (Matrix, desk, jet or Laser) Colored Monitor Keyboard Mouse Printer Software Operating System Windows 7 Programming Language Microsoft Visual Basic 6. 0 Microsoft Access 2003 Operating System ? Window 7 Programming Language ? Microsoft Visual Basic 6. 0 General Operating Procedures One Significant part of computer, which plays a vital role, is the keyboard. It is composed of the alphabet ranging from a to z. The numeric keypad which can be used as means for entering special keys which ar e use up and down. The function keys from F1 to F12, which has different usage. The enter key is used to move the cursor 1 line and or entering the command. Tab key is used to move the cursor some space to the right. The shift key which is used to change the character into its upper or lower case. The caps lock is used to capitalize all the letters. And lastly is the backspace, which is used to move one character space to the left of each word. Appendix B Guidelines in accessing the system: 1. Double click the payroll icon on the desktop. 2. Enter Username and Password ? Empty username and password is invalid. ? Three consecutive wrong inputs of username and password will automatically end the system. 3. Click the OK button after typing the username and password. ? Ok button – log-in serves name and password serves as a security of the system to avoid or to protect the system from unauthorized person. This button will search username and password from the database if available. If the record is not found, the system will ask from the user to input again the correct one. If the username and password are correct the main menu will display Main Form – the user can add entry, view or edit records, report generation, create pay slip, loan entry, pay period entry, help and find. Add Entry Button – this button will let you add additional employees information. View or Edit Record – will let you view and edit your employees information. Report Generation ? Bank Report – where you can see all your employees name, account number and net income for bank purpose report. ? Management Report – where you can see all your employees name, account number and annual net income for management purpose. Create Pay Slip – this button will clear all the inputs in the textbox allowing the user to input new records in order to create employees pay slip. Loan Entry – the user can view the loans he/she applied either personal or SSS loan. Pay Period Entry – indications when the employees will be paid for their wages. Help – this button will help you on how to use the system. Find – this button will help you to search the employee record as specified by the user. Exit – end of the system. Add New Employee Entry View or Edit Record Report Generation Create Pay Slip Loan entry Pay Period Entry Find In the maintenance File, it consist of login form for changing the password in case that there were unexpected thing that happened on the system. Exit File terminates the execution of the program. Error Messages Error message that display when using the program reveals that exception or fault was encountered by the system. Its either the user provides the wrong data inputs or the record required by the user is not available. Error messages that will be encountered when accessing the system are as follows. This error occurs when the user entered an employee’s name that is not in the record. This error message takes place when the user inputted a wrong password. Appendix C Curriculum Vitae Personal Information Data Type Field Name 1. 4 Help 1. 3. 1 Create Payslip 1. 3 Payslip 1. 2. 1 Management Reports 1. 2. 1 Bank Reports 1. 2 Reports 1. 1. 2. 1 Add 1. 1. 1. 2 Add 1. 1. 2. 2 Add 1. 1. 1. 1 Add 1. 0 Employee 1. 0 Log-in 1. 1 Record 1. 1. 1 Faculty Computerized Payroll System Display â€Å"Add Entry† â€Å"View or Edit Records† â€Å"Create Pay slip† â€Å"Loan entry† â€Å"Pay Period entry† â€Å"help† â€Å"Find† â€Å"exit† Read Username and password Begin Cashiers 23 Feedback 2 Database 0 Generate Computerized Payroll System Payroll Reports System Analyst Programmer Researcher Designer Encoder 18 Record and Management System Users 1 Employees ET=20 TE=49 TL=49 ET=10 TE=28 TL=29 ET=20 TE=29 TL=29 E1 ET=1 TE=9 TL=9 ET=4 TE=8 TL=8 ET=10 TE=18 TL=19 D2 D1 C2 B2 C1 B1 A2 ET=3 TE=52 TL=52 ET=2 TE=4 TL=4 Admin. Department Payroll Reports Employees data 6 Pay slip 14 17 Process Automated Payroll system ii Automated Payroll System Process the inquires / operation 24 Mission and Vision Downloaded References Hardware and software Development Books Research Analysis evaluation Programming 8 Document 6 5 Input Field Width A A Is Click=cmd add? Display Form empoyee Read Info. B Is Click=view or edit records? Display Form empoyee Display â€Å"Edit†,†close†,†delete†,†process† C Is Click=report generation? Display Form report Display â€Å"Bank report† â€Å"Management report† D E B display â€Å"save† â€Å"cancel† Is Click=save? Save Info. Is Click=cancel? exit Display â€Å"new† â€Å"process† †close† Is Click=new? F G C Is Click=edit? Edit employees information Display â€Å"Save† â€Å"cancel† H Is Click=delete? Display â€Å"are you sure? † Is Click=yes I Is Click=process? Display â€Å" Last Record† J J Is Click=close? J K K H Is Click=Bank Report? Display Report Monthly M Display Report Annual L Is Click=Bank Report? Is Click=Cancel? K N N E Is Click=CreatePayslip? Display Form Payslip K Is Click=Loan Entry? Display Form Loan Display â€Å"Personal† â€Å"SSS† â€Å"EXit† P Is Click=Pay Period Entry? Display Form Pay Period Q R R If Click=Find? Display Form Find S If Click=Exit? End K P Field Name Data Type Width Close User name OK button Password Add Entry View or Edit records Pay Period Entry Help Loan Entry Create Pay Slip Report Generation Find Exit Cancel button Close Close Close Close Close Close Is click= Personal? Display Form Find K Is click= SSS? 1 1 Is click= Exit? K T T Q Read Pay Period K S Display â€Å"Find† and â€Å"cancel† Is Click=Find? Display Employee information K K Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N N N N N N N N N N Y Y Y Y Y Yy y 2 2 N N N N N N N N K K N Y N N Y Y N Y Input Password Username Input Password Username Process Verify the username password in the password Output Display the main form menu Input Employee Info Process Verify if data inputed are all correct *Add the record to the faculty table *update data Output New employee record added *Datebase Updated. iii 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 12 15 16 15 18 19 20 21 22 23 25 27 iv 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 43 48 47 50 49 53 52 51 55 57 58 60 59 56 58 63 60 3 62 4 64 70 69 2 69 73 71 75 76 74 77 26 28 v v Output 14 45 46 54 56 61 64 65 66 67 68 71 72 74 78 62

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Erik A Man Filled With Desires... essays

Erik A Man Filled With Desires... essays God bestows you with a variety of gifts. He gives you what He decides to give you and takes away from you what He decides. For Erik Weihenmayer sight was what God took away from him. Erik was a blind man because God wanted him to be so. It was his fate to be blind. He knew that whatever he did cannot be undone. So he accepted his fate and fought to improve his destiny. He was not blind. He could see the truth. Bestowed with the gift of rigid will, Erik was a man filled with desires. He had the desire to be the best, to have the best family, and to conquer the best mountains. To become the best, Erik trained the best he could. He overcame many obstacles in life, married the woman of his dreams, and climbed the towering peaks of Kilimanjaro in Africa. However, his lifes dream had yet to be fulfilled; he had yet to defeat Mount Everest. By climbing this mountain, he would prove to many and especially to himself that blindness is not a curse. Many people including Erik himself had doubts about finishing the mission. The journey was long. The summit was far, far away. Everest, Eriks dream, seldom forgave climbers. However, with high challenges come high responsibilities. Erik could not let his family or team members down. He fought and struggled for two months and managed to reach the peak at last. He surmounted the blistering winds, the spiky rocks, and the freezing snowstorms of Mount Everest. The mission was completed. Erik has climbed to the tallest point on earth. He literally stood over the top of the world. Everyone had to acknowledge Eriks courage a nd success. Erik could not see, so some people assumed he could not walk, talk, rock, shock, or mock. Alas! He had done what very few humans could do. Blind impressions, such as being lucky to have the first shot of the blind man dead, were forced to fade away. These impressions were replaced with new ones. Erik is now a role model in the community. Erik was blin ...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Psychological disorders and how they affect every day life Essay

Psychological disorders and how they affect every day life - Essay Example Bipolar disorder mainly affects those in the adult stage of life and it lasts a lifetime and very few cases of Bipolar disorder have been reported in childhood. Bipolar disorders are characterized by extreme mood changes that cause patients to exhibit inconsistent moods and feelings. The condition, if not well managed, can be a cause for stress and agony for both the victim and the family members who are affected indirectly or directly by the sharp mood fluctuations of their loved ones as a result of the Bipolar disorder. While the manic state leads to dangerous behavior, the depressive state for Bipolar disorder can result into suicide. This paper further looks at incidences of misdiagnosis, as well as the available treatments for the Bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorders are manifested in various forms such as suffering from mania state as well as depressions state which interrupts the patient's normal way of life such as sleeping, eating, studies for students, as well as many other parts of life such as relationship in marriage given that such mood swings affects how couples, partners and spouses communicate with one another (Soares, & Mann, 1997.26-76). The seriousness of the Bipolar disorder is such that it can result into a sense of hyperactivity in an individual whereby a patient, full of energy gets easily excited and energized to such high levels that they may get involved in uncontrollable behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). The fact that Bipolar disorder is hard to predict, control due to sudden mood changes makes its diagnosis a hard task, something that has resulted into misdiagnosis in the past (American Psychiatric Association, 1994.43-59). Bipolar disorder is known to be caused by a wide range of factors all tied to genetics or environment and are linked to the brain (Soares, & Mann, 1997.54-74). Soares, and Mann, (1997.61-74) further notes that, biological factors such as imbalance of neurotransmitters, triggers such as; unexpected or major life events are possible causes of Bipolar disorder although research in this area is ongoing and new evidence can come up in the next few years. The Bipolar disorder consists of the following episodes according to (Hyman, & Rudorfer, 2000.78-125) - depression, mania, hypomania as well as mixed moods. Depression mood episode refers to a situation whereby the Bipolar disorder patient experiences long durations of sadness, laziness that makes the bipolar patient to experience unusually difficulties in waking up and/or taking meals. Mania mood episode results into hyperactivity characterized by risky behavior which can cause harm to those around the patient. Hypomania mood episode exhibits symptoms similar to those of mania, although Hypomania symptoms are less severe. Hypomania is characterized by false 'good' feeling although this can sometimes degenerate into other mood episodes such as depression and mania, which can lead the patient into engaging in the risky behavior characteristic to mania episodes. Mixed mood episode is the condition whereby, the patient experiences symptoms of mania and depression in a single day, something which means that the bipolar patient can be overwhelmed by the mood changes. In addition, Bipolar disorder is a condition that lasts a whole life time and therefore the better it is managed, the more the quality of life a patient is exposed to. Also proper medication are preferred and recommended

Friday, November 1, 2019

Waiting for Godot Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Waiting for Godot - Assignment Example People who are interested in seeing literary works or who are more philosophical will be seeing this drama on stage. The theatrical presentation shows the characters talking about nothingness and hoping for Godot to come who never comes. They talk just for the sake of talking and end up doing nothing. When the audiences leave the theatre, they may have the feeling of analyzing their own situations with those of Vladimir and Estragon. The alienation and feeling of nothingness that the characters undergo may be transferred to the audience. The new style of theatre dramatizing plays like Waiting for Godot that have very less story in them and a message of nothingness and human pathetic condition. This theatre appeared applicable when people face crises in their lives and can relate their lives to the story played on the stage. The theatre is much more informative about human condition. The tramps shown in the play who have nothing to do and who think about committing suicide are depictive of the human condition in today’s time of crises when people are trapped by the feeling of nothingness and they face conditions of solitude and seclusion. The tramps have no idea of time and space. Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot was enough influential as people have not rejected the play as delivering some absurd story or valueless content, but they valued it as spectators and see themselves and their lives attached to the play. The second clip shows a somewhat converted version of Waiting for Godot and the story is named as Waiting for Elmo. This is a comic piece in which, two cartoon characters are waiting for Elmo and ponder over the notion that if Elmo never comes and they keep on waiting. In it, the tree starts leaving and is talking as it sees the two people waiting endlessly for Elmo who is not ready to

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Week2 DQ's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week2 DQ's - Essay Example McCarthy further contended that radio, television, the media, and industry were under the control of communist influence. This initiated a four-year investigation into the government, the US Army, and the media. McCarthy’s initial accusations were met with a public that was receptive to his viewpoint due to the escalating Cold War and the fear of a nuclear capable Soviet Union. His anti-communist portrayals were often loosely based on facts, and there was a substantial effort by the USSR to infiltrate America and spy on our defense industries. However, this public acceptance soon waned as he targeted devoted military personnel and well known members of the media. His flamboyant approach and outrageous claims gained him a negative reputation as being divisive as many of his claims proved to be unwarranted. The civil rights movement of the 1950s had its roots 3 centuries earlier as slaves struggled to gain their freedom throughout America’s history. World War II had brought greater public attention to the issue through the advent of mass communications and the country’s confrontation with the reality of supporting the same racist policies that Americans, including African Americans, had fought against in Nazi Germany. With the war behind them Americans were ready to turn their attention to their internal social injustices. On June 26, 1948 President Truman signed Executive Order 9981, which outlawed discrimination and segregation in the Armed Forces based on race (Desegregation in the Armed Forces, n.d). This action set the stage for the escalation of the growing civil rights movement. The massive demonstrations and protests of the 1950s resulted in the signing of the Civil Rights bill in 1964. While it gave federal protection to minorities against discrimination, it could do little to eliminate the de facto prejudice that existed in America. The historic legislation opened the

Monday, October 28, 2019

Have Technology Taken over Some People Lives Essay Example for Free

Have Technology Taken over Some People Lives Essay Is there a concern about people becoming too dependent on technology? Do you think too much technology is too much for your children? Does technology affect the brain? Some of us think that there is a possibility that too much technology is affecting our children. They seem to not get the concept of things. Kids today can’t seem to think in a rational way. Everything done for children is through some type of technology. Technology is taught at such a young age that kids don’t get the opportunity to learn on their own and by the time they arrive teenage it seems to become more evident. Sarah Harris in a MailOne article â€Å"Too much internet use can damage teenagers brains† says, â€Å"Excessive internet use may cause parts of teenagers’ brains to waste away, a study reveals. Scientists discovered signs of atrophy of grey matter in the brains of heavy internet users that grew worse over time. This could affect their concentration and memory, as well as their ability to make decisions and set goals. It could also reduce their inhibitions and lead to ‘inappropriate’ behavior. Researchers took MRI brain scans from 18 university students, aged 19, who spent eight to 13 hours a day playing games online, six days a week. The students were classified as internet addicts after answering eight questions, including whether they had tried to give up using computers and whether they had lied to family members about the amount of time they spent online. compared them with a control group of 18 students who spent fewer than two hours a day on the internet. One set of MRI images focused on grey matter at the brain’s wrinkled surface, or cortex, where the processing of memory, emotions, speech, sight, hearing and motor control occurs. Comparing grey matter between the two groups revealed atrophy within several small regions of all the online addicts’ brains. The scans showed that the longer their internet addiction continued, the ‘more serious’ the damage was. The researchers also found changes in deep-brain tissue called white matter, through which messages pass between different areas of grey matter in the nervous system. These ‘structural abnormalities were probably associated with functional impairments in cognitive control’, they say. The researchers added that these abnormalities could have made the teenagers more ‘easily internet dependent’, but concluded they ‘were the consequence of IAD (internet addiction disorder)’. ‘Our results suggested long-term internet addiction would result in brain structural alterations,’ they said. The study, published in the PLoS ONE journal, was carried out by neuroscientists and radiologists at universities and hospitals in China, where 24million youths are estimated to be addicted to the internet. Wake-up call: Dr Aric Sigman said it was a shame that we needed photos of brains to realise that sitting in front of a screen is not good for childrens health In Britain, children spend an average of five hours and 20 minutes a day in front of TV or computer screens, according to estimates by the market-research agency Childwise. Dr Aric Sigman, a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, described the Chinese research as a ‘wake-up call’. He said: ‘It strikes me as a terrible shame that our society requires photos of brains shrinking in order to take seriously the common-sense assumption that long hours in front of screens is not good for our children’s health. ’ Baroness Greenfield, professor of pharmacology at Oxford University, described the results as ‘very striking’. She said: ‘It shows there’s a very clear relationship between the number of years these young people have been addicted to the internet and changes in their brains. ‘We need to do more experiments and we need to invest more money in research and have more studies like this. The neuroscientist has previously warned there could be a link between children’s poor attention spans and the use of computers and social-networking websites. She is concerned that not enough attention is being paid to evidence that computer use is changing young people’s brains. Professor Karl Friston, a neuroscientist at University College London, told the Scientific American journal the techniques used in the small-scale study were rigorous. He said: ‘It goes against intuition, but you don’t need a large sample size. That the results show anything significant at all is very telling. ’

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Curfews: Whats the Point? Essay -- social issues

Curfews: What's the Point? The 14th amendment of the United States Constitution states that any state shall not â€Å"deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws" (Legal). However, many cities and states in the US currently enforce curfew laws that deny young teens under the age of 18 their right to be in public places or to drive after certain hours. These laws are punishing minors for exercising their constitutional rights in the same way that adults do without such punishment; they are mostly causing no harm, and do not deserve to be discriminated against by the government in the way they are. Many believe that teens are responsible for a large percentage of crimes, particularly violent ones, and that having a curfew in effect helps lower crime rates. In one study, the average adult surmised that teens amount for 43% of all violent crimes, when in reality the number is only a mere 13%, and this number is made up by only a half percent of minors (Cobey). If this is the reason for creating curfews, it is clearly a discrimination against all minors, as reproving 99.5% of young citizens due to an inconsequential number of minors committing crime is certainly unjust. As a matter of fact, in some cases, applying curfew laws have actually increased juvenile crime rates. Teens begin to associate police officers with the curfew, and police officers begin to see a...