Te Role Bribes May Play in Determining the Behavior of a Child Free Essay Example, 1500 words

On analysis, 61.18% of the respondents interviewed who had children, 51.76% believed it was appropriate to bribe children to have good behavior. Majority of children confessed to having been bribed by their parents in return to good behaviour with the figure standing at 78.79% for those who had been bribed as opposed to 21.21% who confessed having not to have been bribed by their parents for good behavior. The most common bribes included chocolates, food, weekend outings and pocket money in the figures of 77.46%, 66.20%, 23.94%, and 9.86% respectively. Most parents believed that the concept of bribery is learned from early age and bribery leads to good behavior from the child. 43.53% of parents believed that bribing children is the most appropriate way of teaching them good conduct while 20% believed that sometimes bribery led to good behavior in children especially when done in moderation. 20% did not believe in bribing children for good behaviour. When asked whether they would sto p bribing their children if they knew that it had a negative on their behaviour, 83.53% admitted they would stop the bribes while a paltry 3.53% said they would not stop the bribes. We will write a custom essay sample on Te Role Bribes May Play in Determining the Behavior of a Child or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page The findings indicate that given that a bribe often dictates behavior and its consequences, offers of bribes to a child encourages them to ask continuously for the same. Therefore, a child who is frequently offered bribes will form a habit of discrimination against when a bribe is due and would have an effect or when it is not.

Essay on Weeding Out Amendment 64 - 642 Words

Colorado voters do not realize how easy they have made it for children to obtain marijuana. When Amendment 64 was passed, an already troublesome condition escalated to a more dangerous level for our youth. School officials are â€Å"reporting an increase in marijuana-related incidents in middle and high schools† (Nancy Lofholm). Sadly, parents smoke openly, in front of their children. Now that they can legally obtain one ounce of marijuana, they do not see the need to keep the drugs out of sight. Once in plain sight, kids have more access to marijuana to share or sell with their peers. Easy availability of weed to minors has very harmful effects on the young mind. Amendment 64 needs to be altered to include more stringent controls to keep the†¦show more content†¦The new law gives kids a false confidence, and now they feel they are â€Å"cool† by bringing drugs to school. The effects of this new law must not be taken lightly because it is creating an uncomforta ble environment in schools. It is recognized that more students are smoking before school and during their lunch periods. A police report said that, â€Å"†¦school officials call him and he talks to the kids, but it is a little more difficult now to cite them if they arent caught in the act. They can say that they were around an adult medical marijuana user and werent smoking themselves† (Lofholm). Without changing Amendment 64 to add regulations to strongly discourage access and use by our youth things will only get worse. Parents and other legal adult users need to be educated about the increased marijuana incidents on school grounds, as well as the harms of marijuana on the young developing brain. To the credit of the writers of Amendment 64, they included protective packaging requirements on sellable products. â€Å"Marijuana must be placed in special child-resistant packages, designed to be significantly difficult for children under five years of age to open, before it is removed from the dis pensary† (Matt Ferner). The law also prevents anyone under the age of 21 to purchase recreational marijuana. Where they failed was to protect anyone from six years to the legal age! Kids of the prohibited age are most likely to use the product and suffer lifelong brainShow MoreRelatedAgricultural Science and Resource Management in the Tropics and Subtropics17383 Words   |  70 Pagesmottled green, hard; flesh red, green, Africa yellow or whitish, usually sweet, man-seeded. Seed white, black, reddish, yellow, flat, smooth; about 15 seeds per g. Southern United States Extended shape, fleshy to the taste, smooth, unilocular, with out a of America to northern central hole, of different colours. The seeds are between white and parts of Costa Rica yellow, smooth, sharp-pointed, and large. Its large is of 1.5 cms, wide from 0.6 to 0.7 cms, and from 0.1 to 0.2 cms thick. North orRead MoreHemp Cultivation in China42289 Words   |  170 Pagesescaped and wild Cannabis does not survive as an intrusive weed in cultivated fields since it is removed by local farmers. Journal of the International Hemp Association, Volume 2, Number 2, 1995 w N To Jinan 61 * (*some male plants start out as female at first nodes, but change to purely male as flowering continues) Table 1. Phenotypic differences between the spontaneously growing wild and escaped populations and the cultivated small-seed and large-seed landrace types of the Tai anRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pageseditions, a variety of firms, industries, mistakes, and successes are presented. You will be familiar with most of the organizations, although probably not with the details of their situations. We are always on the lookout for cases that can bring out certain points or caveats in the art of marketing decision making, and that give a balanced view of the spectrum of marketing problems. The goal is to present examples that provide 1 2 †¢ Chapter 1: Introduction somewhat different learning experiencesRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 Pagesmarketing, team building, and ethics. The volume covers all of the important functions involved in library management and development. Although these functions are presented and discussed separately, it is important to remember that they are carried out simultaneously and concurrently. The actual operation of a library or information center follows no precise linear pattern. Most managerial functions progress simultaneously; they do not exist in a hierarchical relationship. For instance, budgeting

Neuroscientific Debate Question Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Neuroscientific Debate Question. Answer: Debate Question Magnet as tools to alter brain functions. Null Hypothesis: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) through repeated magnetic field stimulus accounts for activating the neuronal circuitry in specific regions of the brain. This occurs mostly in the superficial structures of the cerebral cortex in an effort to regulate the mood of an individual thereby ameliorating the depressive symptoms. The electromagnetic induction of the insulated coil that may be placed on top of the scalp is utilized in the process to stimulate the specific cortical regions of the brain through generation of pulses in rapid succession thereby allowing for long term changes in the brain functioning. Alternative Hypothesis: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation does not significantly alter the cognitive functioning in the brain. The reason may be due to confinement of the administered stimulus to only a small region of the cortex lacking the penetration capacity to the other subcortical regions that plays vital roles in affecting the cognitive aspect of the higher order functions. Therefore no prominent positive effect in mitigating depression may be observed. Annotated Bibliography The efficacy of TMS as an alternative treatment modality to pharmacotherapy in case of postpartum depression (PPD) affected women have been tested in the interventional study where 19 patients received treatment ranging from 4 weeks to 8 weeks of daily dosage of left prefrontal TMS. Assessment of EPDS total score as change in depression marker was conducted as measurement of primary outcome while the remission was closely observed as a valuable secondary outcome parameter. Findings suggest that both the objectives were satisfactorily fulfilled by application of TMS and therefore may be suggested as a suitable monotherapy to treat women suffering from major depressive disorder with post partum onset.1 In this exploratory research, 68 patients having major depressive disorder were subjected to sham or real TMS intervention at the estimated prefrontal cortex threshold to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Coupled to this, neuropsychological functioning was assessed as well both in pre and post TMS condition. Results of the study revealed that no negative neuropsychological effect occurred on TMS treatment although no evidence in support of improved neuropsychological function was noted either. Positive effects of TMS on neuropsychological functioning if any along with betterment of cognitive functioning as independent impacts of TMS need to be further assessed.2 Reflection The stimulation of the brain in order to get the desired results and its possible application as part of therapeutic intervention in case of certain neurocognitive disorders is quite common in modern times. TMS utilization in case of persons suffering with depression through activation of the regions that show decreased activity seem to harbor beneficial effects through alleviation of the depressive symptoms by means of delivering repetitive magnetic pulses in quick succession. This fascinating fact pertaining to TMS intrigued me to chose this topic and delve deeper to find out more regarding the positive and downsides of TMS. Reviewing the discussion of the first article I feel that the utility of TMS application is far greater than its potential limitations as it may be efficiently utilized in case of the post partum depression affected women who reported of better outcomes following this novel intervention. Moreover, I believe that since no adverse reactions were observed in the studied population the reliability and validity of the use of TMS in such instances are increased manifold. The content of the second article helped me to probe further regarding the potential uses of TMS and I got to understand that in the treatment of major depression, the TMS do not exhibit significant alterations in the neuropsychological functioning thereby suggesting that improvements with respect to the neuropsychological performance and cognitive functioning are independent effects of TMS. References Brock, D. G., Demitrack, M. A., Groom, P., Holbert, R., Rado, J. T., Gross, P. K., Weeks, H. R. Effectiveness of NeuroStar transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in patients with major depressive disorder with postpartum onset. Brain Stimulation: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation, 9(5), e7. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2016.06.023 (2016). Wajdik, C., Claypoole, K. H., Fawaz, W., Holtzheimer III, P. E., Neumaier, J., Dunner, D. L., Avery, D. H. No Change in Neuropsychological Functioning After Receiving Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Treatment for Major Depression. J ECT, 30(4), 320. doi: 1097/YCT.0000000000000096 (2014). Brock, D. G., Demitrack, M. A., Groom, P., Holbert, R., Rado, J. T., Gross, P. K., Weeks, H. R. Effectiveness of NeuroStar transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in patients with major depressive disorder with postpartum onset. Brain Stimulation: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation, 9(5), e7. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2016.06.023 (2016). Wajdik, C., Claypoole, K. H., Fawaz, W., Holtzheimer III, P. E., Neumaier, J., Dunner, D. L., Avery, D. H. No Change in Neuropsychological Functioning After Receiving Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Treatment for Major Depression. J ECT, 30(4), 320. doi: 10.1097/YCT.0000000000000096 (2014).

What is the theme of The Country of the Blind and how is it portrayed Essay Example

What is the theme of The Country of the Blind and how is it portrayed Paper In the short story The Country of the Blind, the author H.G. Wells tries to convey a certain message. Wells expresses the theme of how man has difficulties adapting to change. The protagonist, Nunez, attempts to convince the villagers on the existence of sight but fails. The villagers are xenophobic therefore, are not willing to accept the truth and have difficulties to adapting change. Wells uses diction and setting to contribute to the understanding of this theme.The author uses diction to communicate the theme of how man has difficulties to adapt to change. As Nunez tries to convince the villagers about the beauty of sight, it is evident that they have difficulties accepting this through the use of diction. When they describe eyes as irritating bodies, something that is extremely agitating, it shows that the villagers were impatient and bothered with his constant appreciation for his sight, therefore showing their narrow-mindedness (Wells, 1997:21).By also describing eyes as queer things, something that is not normal or odd, shows the communities unwillingness to acknowledge an outsider (Wells, 1997:21). Moreover by describing Nunezs sight as an imagination it shows that they believe his views are ridiculous and unrealistic (Wells, 1997:22). Additionally in response to the words vision and sight, the villagers would be outraged and shocked. Through their reactions Wells clearly shows how difficult it is for them to adapt and accept something new (Wells, 1997:25).The author also uses setting to communicate the theme of how man has difficulties to adapt to change. Wells locates the Country of the Blind in a completely isolated area surrounded by rocks and cliffs. Due to the geographical location of The Country of the Blind, it is cut off from the exploring feet of men (Wells, 1997:4) thus causing the villagers imagination to be shrivelled (Wells, 1997:13). The isolated location of the Country of the Blind clearly causes the villagers to have no flexibility and a lack of understanding of the modern society therefore making it hard for them to adapt to change.Furthermore, Wells describes the outside world surrounding the Country of the Blind as an area that is frightful, icy, and incessant. All three of these words have negative connotations that show the outside world to be chaotic and have extremely appalling living conditions (Wells,1997:4). Wells juxtaposes this to describing the Country of the Blind as an area that has sweet water, beautiful flowers, and rich brown soil, all that have positive connotations that show the Country of the Blind to be a phenomenal place (Wells, 1997:4). The juxtaposition between the two worlds shows that they view their land as perfect, therefore there is no need for the chaos that comes from the outside.Wells clearly expresses the theme of how man has difficulties adapting to change through the use of diction and setting. Nunez tries to educate the villagers on what is out there in the modern world, but t hey just neglect it and have difficulties in adapting to a new idea. Man will always have difficulties adapting to change from what they are well adjusted to, but man should atleast try to acknowledge and appreciate that there is something else in the world. Without loosing their traditional roots man should be willing to learn and knowledge themselves on the modernization taking over our world.

Colorado River Essays - Imperial Valley, Colorado River, Free Essays

Colorado River Essays - Imperial Valley, Colorado River, Free Essays Colorado River Geography Colorado River Geographers can tell you that the one thing that most rivers and their adjacent flood plains in the world have in common is that they have rich histories associated with human settlement and development. This especially true in arid regions which are very dependent upon water. Two excellent examples are the Nile and the Tigris-Euphrates rivers which show use the relationship between rivers and concentrations of people. However, the Colorado River is not such a good example along most segments of its course. There is no continuous transportation system that parallels the rivers course, and settlements are clustered. The rugged terrain and entrenched river channels are the major reasons for sparse human settlement. We ask ourselves, did the Colorado River help or hinder settlement in the Western United States? As settlers began to move westward, the Southwest was considered to be a place to avoid. Few considered it a place to traverse, to spread Christianity, and a possible source of furs or mineral wealth. Finding a reliable or accessible water source, and timber for building was difficult to find. There was a lack of land that could be irrigated easily. By the turn of the century, most present day cities and towns were already established. Trails, roads, and railroads linked several areas with neighboring regions. Although the Colorado River drainage system was still not integrated. In the mid 1900s many dams had been built to harness and use the water. A new phase of development occurred at the end of the second World War. There was a large emphasis on recreation, tourism, and environmental preservation. The terrain of the Colorado River is very unique. It consists of Wet Upper Slopes, Irregular Transition Plains and Hills, Deep Canyonlands, and the Dry Lower Plains. Wet Upper Slopes: Consist of numerous streams that feed into the Colorado River from stream cut canyons, small flat floored valleys often occupied by alpine lakes and adjacent steep walled mountain peaks. These areas are heavily forested and contain swiftly flowing streams, rapids, and waterfalls. These areas have little commercial value except as watershed, wildlife habitat, forest land, and destinations for hikers, fishermen, and mountaineers. Irregular Transition Plains and Hills: These areas are favorable for traditional economic development. It consists of river valleys with adequate flat land to support farms and ranches. Due to the rolling hills, low plateaus, and mountain slopes, livestock grazing is common. The largest cities of the whole drainage system are found here. Deep Canyonlands: Definitely the most spectacular and least developed area along the Colorado River. These deep gorges are primarily covered by horizontal layers of sedimentary rocks, of which sand stone is the most abundant. The Grand Canyon does not only display spectacular beauty, but numerous other features such as mesas, buttes, spires, balancing rocks, natural arches and bridges, sand dunes, massive sandstone walls, and pottholed cliffs. Dry Lower Plains: These consist of the arid desert areas. These areas encounter hot summers and mild winters. Early settlement was limited because most of the land next to the river was not well suited for irrigation agriculture. The area is characterized by limited flat land, poor soils, poor drainage, and too hot of conditions for most traditional crops. The Colorado River was first navigated by John Wesley Powell, in his 1869 exploration through the Marble and Grand Canyons. The Colorado River begins high in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The water begins from melting snow and rain, and is then supplemented by the Gunnison, Green, San Juan, Little Colorado, Virgin, and Gila Rivers. Before any dams were built, the Colorado River carried 380,000 million tons of silt to the Sea of Cortez. Along its path, it carves out the Marble, Grand, Black, Boulder, and Topok Canyons. The Grand Canyon being the most popular, which is visited by numerous tourists every year, plays a large role in western tourism. The Grand Canyon is in fact one of the Worlds Seven Wonders. The Colorado Basin covers 240,000 square miles of drainage area. At certain points along the river, it turns into a raging, muddy, rapid covered mass of water. Unlike other rivers, the Colorado River doesnt meet the ocean in a grand way, but rather in a small trickle. Almost all of the water that passes down the river is spoken for. It passes through seven Western States, travels 1,700 miles, and descends more than 14,000 feet before emptying into the sea, with more silt and salinity than any river in North America. A river not used for commerce, or any degree of navigation other than recreational, and virtually ignored until

Fries Rebellion of 1799

Fries Rebellion of 1799 In 1798, the United States federal government imposed a new tax on houses, land, and slaves. As with most taxes, nobody was very happy to pay it. Most notably among the unhappy citizens were Pennsylvania Dutch farmers who owned lots of land and houses but no slaves. Under the leadership of Mr. John Fries, they dropped their plows and picked up their muskets to launch Fries’ Rebellion of 1799, the third tax rebellion in the then-short history of the United States. The Direct House Tax of 1798 In 1798, the United States’ first major foreign policy challenge, the Quasi-War with France, seemed to be heating up. In response, Congress enlarged the Navy and raised a large army. To pay for it, Congress, in July 1798, enacted the Direct House Tax imposing $2 million in taxes on real estate and slaves to be apportioned among the states. The Direct House Tax was the first – and only – such direct federal tax on privately-owned real estate ever imposed. In addition, Congress had recently enacted the Alien and Sedition Acts, which restricted speech determined to be critical of the government and increased the power of the federal executive branch to imprison or deport aliens considered â€Å"dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States.† John Fries Rallies the Pennsylvania Dutch Having enacted the nation’s first state law abolishing slavery in 1780, Pennsylvania had very few slaves in 1798. As a result, the federal Direct House Tax was to be assessed throughout the state based on houses and land, with the taxable value of houses to be determined by the size and number of windows. As federal tax assessors rode through the countryside measuring and counting windows, strong opposition to the tax began to grow. Many people refused to pay, arguing that the tax was not being levied equally in proportion to the state’s population as required by the U.S. Constitution. In February 1799, Pennsylvania auctioneer John Fries organized meetings in Dutch communities in the southeastern part of the state to discuss how to best oppose the tax. Many of the citizens favored simply refusing to pay. When residents of the Milford Township physically threatened federal tax assessors, preventing them from doing their job, the government held a public meeting to explain and justify the tax. Far from being reassured, several protestors, some of them armed and wearing Continental Army uniforms, showed up waving flags and shouting slogans. In the face of the threatening crowd, the government agents canceled the meeting. Fries warned the federal tax assessors to stop doing their assessments and leave Milford. When the assessors refused, Fries led an armed band of residents that eventually forced the assessors to flee the town. Fries Rebellion Begins and Ends Encouraged by his success in Milford, Fries organized a militia, which accompanied by a growing band of armed irregular soldiers, drilled as an army to the accompaniment of drum and fife. In late March 1799, about 100 of Fries’ troops rode toward Quakertown intent on arresting the federal tax assessors. After reaching Quakertown the tax rebels succeeded in capturing a number of the assessors but released them after warning them not to come back to Pennsylvania and demanding that they tell U.S. President John Adams what had happened. As opposition to the House Tax spread to the rest of Pennsylvania, federal tax assessors in Penn resigned under threats of violence. Assessors in the towns of Northampton and Hamilton also asked to resign but were not allowed to do so at the time. The federal government responded by issuing warrants and sending a U.S. Marshal to arrest people in Northampton on charges of tax resistance. The arrests were made largely without incident and continued in other nearby towns until an angry crowd in Millerstown confronted the marshal demanding that the marshal not arrest a particular citizen. After arresting a handful of other people, the marshal took his prisoners to be held in the town of Bethlehem. Vowing to free the prisoners, two separate groups of armed tax rebels organized by Fries marched on Bethlehem. However, the federal militia guarding the prisoners turned away the rebels, arresting Fries and other leaders of his now-failed rebellion. The Rebels FaceTrial For their participation in Fries’ Rebellion, thirty men were placed on trial in federal court. Fries and two of his followers were convicted of treason and sentenced to be hanged. Swayed by his strict interpretation the Constitution’s often-debated definition of the crime of treason, President Adams pardoned Fries and the others convicted of treason. On May 21, 1800, Adams granted general amnesty to all participants in Fries’ rebellion stating that the rebels, most of whom spoke German, were â€Å"as ignorant of our language as they were of our laws† and that they had been duped by the â€Å"great men† of the Anti-Federalist Party who opposed granting the federal government the power to tax the personal property of the American people. Fries’ Rebellion was the last of three tax revolts staged in the United States during the 18th century. It was preceded by Shays Rebellion from 1786 to 1787 in central and western Massachusetts and the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 in western Pennsylvania. Today, Fries’ Rebellion is commemorated by a state historical marker located in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, where the revolt began.

Decision Matrix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Decision Matrix - Essay Example Being near to the market makes the new branch accessible to the customer and correspondingly, the high likelihood for it to profit. 2. Near to supplier – the business is a retailer and requires heavy coordination with the retailer. Proximity to supplier will save the business freight cost which is one of its highest overhead. Proximity to supplier also ensures predictability of supplies and shorter delivery period making the company more responsive to the demand of the market. It will also save the company from spoilage and breakage. 4. Convenience of setting up – convenience of setting up includes the availability of building materials, good infrastructure and absence of red tape in the area. These factors could bring unexpected cost to the business and therefore must be absent to make the construction of the new location convenient. The best option among the alternative locations is location 4. It has a total score of 2. It is the best location for the expansion of the new grocery for a variety of reasons. First is its proximity to the customers making the new branch very accessible and therefore ensures volume of grocery shoppers that could translate to sales. Second is its proximity to supplier where it is also the highest at 9. This means that the delivery time is faster at lower cost. In addition, shorter travel time also means less spoilage and breakage translating to less wastage to the company. Set up cost is also reasonable. It is also convenient to construct the business there as regulatory bodies are friendly and materials for construction are readily available. There is also an abundance of highly qualified personnel in the area making Location 4 an ideal place for the expansion of the

Gospel Music Features in the Christian Liturgy of the Pentecostal Essay

Gospel Music Features in the Christian Liturgy of the Pentecostal Church - Essay Example James (2001, p. 56) claims that the style of gospel music that exists in any given Pentecostal church depends partly on the age of the singers. Thus, the senior adult tend to prefer the transitional and traditional gospel music while, the young adults prefer modern gospel music that may predominate the main worship service. Whatever the period and age, the singing is given in the form of gospel songs in the Pentecostal churches. Development of gospel music People who were enslaved and worked in the field during the civil war told their stories in the spiritual way explaining their current life and teaching their children on the hardship they endured. When the enslaved adopted the Christian religion, their faith naturally became the focus of their songs. However, their songs were no longer limited to the spiritual because they started using the hymns written by white composers like Isaac Watts and Wesleys. The enslaved accepted the gospel music because it was attributed to their style and culture, especially the meter hymn that is still used in the most Pentecostal churches. As the civil war came to an end and enslaved were finally emancipated, it marked the beginning of what is referred to the historical gospel hymns. According to James (2001, p. 55), these songs flourished during the social and economic deprivation of depression and started to make their way out of the Pentecostal churches. According to Anderson and James (2007, p. 285) indicate that the civil rights movement brought rebirth of older songs, especially spiritual songs that became the freedom songs. These spiritual songs were the bridge between what is known as historical gospel and modern gospel songs. The publicizing of the Pentecostal churches and protest brought a wider exposure to the gospel music and its popularity spread. Currently, the modern gospel is one of the most popular sounds in the music industry. In the twentieth century, the most widespread and celebrated of the people traditio n was the growth and development of gospel music, especially in the Pentecostal churches. These churches were visited by the traveling musicians and evangelists from the Chicago gospel scene like Sallie Martin and Thomas Dorsey. Despite this contact with new gospel sounds, arranged spirituals, and hymns were still popular styles of church music. Pastors and Pentecostal churches supported the expansion of gospel music by starting gospel choirs and hosting outstanding concerts in various Pentecostal churches like opportunity Baptist. Various composers started transcribing and publishing their gospel music and gospel performers protected themselves from exploitation by forming gospel unions. Anderson and James (2007, p. 289) indicate that the gospel growth extended beyond churches in the black community and moved to worldly white venues around the city. Most of the gospel composers and performers received attention via television programs, firms and release of albums by choirs. Thus, t he developed technology has assisted a lot in developing the gospel music worldwide. Many gospel singers have developed new styles of singing and different, exciting music ministries. From neo spiritual to the modern gospel and praise and worship music, these song writers reflect the range of gospel music in Pentecostal churches today. The gospel music composers Wallace (2005, P. 104) indicates that the gospel music was brought substantial change in the Pentecosta

Life and Works of Rizal Essay Example for Free

Life and Works of Rizal Essay He continued his studies at the Universidad Central de Madrid, Spain, where he earned the degree of Licientiate in Medicine. He also attended the University of Paris in France and earned second doctorate at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. Having travelled the world extensively, Rizal became conversant in at least twenty-two languages. He was a prolific poet, essayist, diarist, correspondent, and novelist whose most famous works were his two novels, Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. These works fearlessly exposed the injustices committed by the Spanish civil and clerical officials in the Philippines amd spurred the militancy of armed revolutionaries and reformist against more than 300 years of Spanish rule. Rizal was proponent of institutional reforms by peaceful means rather than violence revolution. But he was associated with the growing insurgency movement and declared an enemy of the state by the Spanish authorities particularly because of the publication of his novels. He was deported to Dapitan in Zamboanga then incarcerated at Fort Santiago. When the Katipunan exploded into the full-blown revolution, the authorities were quick to incriminate him. After a mock trial, Rizal was convicted and sentence to die by firing squad at Bagubayan on December 30, 1896. Eventually, his martyred death proved to be the catalyst that precipitated the Philippine revolution and the downfall of the Spanish colonial rule.

Security Issues of Ambient Networks Essay -- Ambient Network Security,

In this essay we will present security issues of a networking concept referred to as ambient networks, which aims to enable the cooperation of heterogeneous networks belonging to different operator or technology domains. In this way, it appears as homogeneous to the users of the network services. Providing security in ambient networks is a huge challenge. The main reason is that the traditional security model is not valid anymore. Traditional security assumes that there is a vulnerable channel between communicating parties, where eavesdropping, modification of messages or denial of service attacks can occur. But it also assumes that the sender and receiver operate in some form of secure environment. Hence all models of attacks focus on the channel. Due to the distributed nature of ambient networks, the attack can be anywhere on the communication channels and on the devices. The attacker has the advantage that he can choose the easiest entry. I. INTRODUCTION Ambient network is the future network which refers to environment where we can communicate with anyone anywhere anytime. The current most emerging area of Ambient network is Ambient Intelligence. Ambient Intelligence is a distributed network of intelligent devices that provides us with information, communication and entertainment.† â€Å"Ambient Intelligence is a network of hidden intelligent interfaces that recognize our presence and mould our environment to our immediate needs.† â€Å"Ambient Intelligence refers to an exciting new paradigm in information technology, in which people are empowered through a digital environment that is aware of their presence and context and is sensitive, adaptive and responsive to their needs, habits, gestures and emotions.† Ambient Intell... ...ure†, 2009 IEEE. [4] Gy ¨orgy K ´alm ´an, Mohammad M. R. Chowdhury, Josef Noll â€Å"Security for Ambient Wireless Services† 2007 IEEE. [5] Antonio MuËÅ"noz Antonio MaËÅ"na Daniel Serrano â€Å"AVISPA in the validation of Ambient Intelligence Scenarios†, 2009† [6] Hasan Akram, Mario Hoffmann â€Å"Supports for Identity Management in Ambient Environments The Hydra Approach -† 2008, IEEE. [7] Nicolai Kuntze, Julian Schà ¼tte. â€Å"Securing Decentralized Workflows in Ambient Environments†, 2008 IEEE. [8] Mario Schnabel â€Å"Privacy-enhanced Personalisation in Ambient Environments† 2008 IEEE. [9] Hoffmann, Seppo Heikkinen, Gemt Hornung, Henrik Thuvesson, Christoph loannis Maghiros, Yves Punie, Sabine Delaitre† Safeguards in a World of Ambient Intelligence† April 15,2010 [10] Daniel Serrano1, Antonio Maà ±a1, Athanasios-Dimitrios Sotirious2† Towards Precise Security Patterns† 2008.

Home Schooling and Public Schooling

Never before in the United States have parents been so disgruntled about their children†s education. The main reason behind this massive disruption seems to be that public schools are not living up to parent†s standards. Because of this, parents are taking their child†s education and future into their own hands. Many parents are turning to an â€Å"alternative† means of educating known as home schooling. Home schooling is simply education of school- aged children at home rather than at school. Parents are choosing home schooling over public schools because public schools are not meeting their child†s academic, individual, and/or disability needs. First, parents are choosing home schooling over public schooling because public schools are not meeting student†s academic needs. Parents expect their child will learn to read, write, and acquire basic math skills by the time they graduate. However, public schools throughout the United States are failing to teach these basic academic skills. Recent studies appear to show that many who graduate, as many as 25%, cannot read or write at an eighth grade level. This is a tragic statistic for a nation claiming to be so developed. There are more opportunities to gain an education in the United States than any other country in the world, yet evidence seems to shows that the United States rank at the bottom of industrial nations in reading, writing, and arithmetic. In addition, students are said to be ranking lower than ever on Academic Achievement Tests. Children who attend public schools rank in the â€Å"average zone† whereas, home schooled children typically score above average. To add to this common bit of knowledge the press has recently reported the startling news that children schooled at home seemed to be five or more years ahead, of their formally trained peers, in their ability to think. These statistics prove that home schooled children are doing better in all academic areas compared to children attending public schools. Secondly, parents are choosing home schooling over public schooling because public schools are no longer taking a student†s individual needs into consideration. Since students are taught lessons based on an academic calendar year, they are expected to be able to complete specific tasks by the end of that year. When students fail to meet these expectations they are required to repeat the same grade the following school year, or worse yet, passed on without ever gaining the needed skill. For example, at the end of a school year if a student is having difficulties reading but doing well in other subjects he or she will be required to repeat the same grade or will be passed on continually without ever learning how to read. If students were properly tutored in the areas they are having difficulties in they would not have to repeat the same grades or graduate without the tools necessary to be successful. Unfortunately public schools do not give special tutoring to students like they once did. Teachers in the public school systems are teaching students as though they are on an assembly line. They no longer have time to work one on one with them. Unlike public schooling, home schooling allows parents to teach in a style and at a pace that best fits their child†s needs. Home schooled children are not held back in the same grade if they are lagging behind in particular subjects. Their parents can move them to the next grade and tutor them in the subjects they are having trouble with. Children who are home schooled also get individual attention from their parents. They do not have to worry about waiting for their teacher to find time to help them. It is becoming apparent to many parents that home schooling meets the individual needs of their child better than public schooling. Finally, parents of children with physical and mental disabilities are finding that home schooling meets their child†s handicap needs better than public schooling. A major downfall of public schooling is that handicapped students are graded in the same style as the rest of the students. In public schools, children with handicaps are still expected to complete all of their assignments in the same given time as other students. Teachers are not taking these children†s handicaps into consideration. For example, children with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) have trouble staying focused and are easily distracted. As a result of constantly being distracted, they are not able to complete their assignments. This type of grading style has become a great concern for parents of disabled children. Because of situations like this one, parents are making decisions to teach their disabled children at home. By teaching their children at home they are in an environment that is equipped to aid in their development. For instance, children with ADD are in an environment where they will not be influenced by the action of other children and cannot be as easily distracted. In addition, they have special time to complete their assignments, as well as have all of their assignments tailored to fit their abilities and needs. By home schooling, children with learning disabilities are given equal chances of succeeding in their education which they otherwise would not get in public schooling. Public schools may have been the center for learning years ago. However, today they are not meeting children†s academic, individual, and disability needs. As a result, parents are choosing to educate their children through home schooling. Reports show that home schooled children are ahead of children who attend public schools by a noticeable degree. In addition, disabled children are having their needs met better at home than in public schools. They are being given an equal chance at succeeding in their academic endeavors. Parents are choosing home schooling because it currently offers the best solution to their problems facing the public school systems.

Public trust in the Accounting Profession Essay

Restoring of the public’s confidence in the accounting profession is of paramount importance and rightly so. This profession has suffered major drawbacks in the level of trust and confidence the public holds in its work because of major international corporate collapses. The accounting profession is a profession like no other, and one of the most noble in the market place. With that precious franchise come some unique pressures and challenges. There is increased scrutiny of financial reporting deficiencies and corporate disclosure requirements. This has had a negative and cumulative impact on the perceive credibility of financial reporting. The issue is now at the forefront of public debate about the accounting profession and its effectiveness. The decline in reporting credibility is prevalent across capital markets worldwide, with the scale of the problem partly attributable to the unprecedented level of share prices in many markets. Restoring public trust and confidence in a manner that can be sustained over the long term requires concerted actions by a various parties in order to address some very real systematic weaknesses plaguing our current corporate governance, accountability and related systems. The ramifications of Enron, WorldCom and Parmakt are far, reaching.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The hallmarks of public accountancy are objectively, ethics and independence. The public engages an accountant because they trust ability of that individual to provide necessary services consistent with high professional standards. Likewise, the public reasonably expects that if an accountant is negligent or incompetent, he or she will be held professionally accountable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Accounting professionals must comply with ethical standards regardless of the task they are performing. It is to the sincere advantage of the accounting profession if in all fields of activities it exercises care to maintain scrupulously all professional and ethical standards-competence, independence, integrity, and a professional attitude. The accounting professionals must not only avoid a conflict of interests, but also the appearance of a conflict of interest. Forces of change such as escalating competition to obtain and hold on to auditing clients and potential conflict of interest as accountants offers a literal supermarket of non audit services, presents new challenges to auditor independen ce. Principles of professional conduct are meant to guide accountants not only when offering traditional services, but also when conducting any professional service on behalf of clients. The accounting professional’s responsibility to the public is not only stated in their professional code, but it is an inherent component of our existence and, most importantly, what differentiates public accounting as a profession from merely a business or occupation. The professional standards of the AICPA state clearly that any profession shows its worth by accepting its responsibilities to the public. (AICPA, 1992)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The cornerstone of the guidance provided by AICPA remain as today’s foundation of ethical behavior- objectivity, integrity, trust and most importantly independence-independence is not only a condition of mind, but one of character as well. As a professional, a CPA cannot subordinate his professional judgment to the views of his client and must not have any interest in the outcome. Additionally, he must be free of any bias. This is so important that the independence is question must not only be independence in fact but also in appearance. In environments where there are focused opinions, vested interests and partial analysis there is need for unrelenting objectivity. The ability of an accou nting professional to maintain objectivity is at the heart of the deep-seated respect for assurance provided during an assignment. (AICPA, 1992)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On integrity the AICPA code of professional conduct states that, â€Å"Uncompromised integrity is a quality from which the public trust derives and the benchmark against which a member of the profession must ultimately test all decisions. This is all meaningless unless trust has been established. And this trust is earned status and must be nurtured and guarded by the CPA as his most precious investment. For when the public’s trust wares the CPA is not longer the unique accounting professional. (AICPA, 1992) Virtues are properties which predispose a protagonist to act in a certain way. There is need for virtues in accounting as these enable accountants to balance conflicting responsibilities and pressures. Requirements of the profession’s code of conduct are related to relevant virtues. Those virtues identified include; trustworthiness, benevolence and altruism, honesty and integrity, impartiality and open-mindedness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Benevolence is characterized by the true goodness of the spirit and mind. Accounting professionals are required to show unbiased kindness when they are carrying out their work. This enhances the trust and confidence in them. Biasness shows that a CPA cannot be trusted and this is one character that true accounting professionals should avoid. Ethics are truly the cornerstone of the accounting profession and have a great impact on corporate America. Unethical activity can have harmful effects such as the junk bond debate, and the loans and savings catastrophes. Traditionally, the accountant has been placed in the role of watchdog, however, in today’s business environment a trusted consultant can provide more by guiding a business to live up to its own ethical standards and   leading the way to increased cost savings, profits, and new business. A discussion of independence cannot be complete a comment on the crucial important of the state of being independent in both appearance and fact. Therefore an accounting professional must really have two kinds of independency. Independence in fact refers to objectivity, to the quality of not being influenced by regard to personal advantage. An auditor must assess his relationship with a client in order to determine whether his opinion would be considered objective and unbiased for one who has knowledge of all the facts. AICPA Rule 101 on independence indicates that independence cannot be guaranteed if there is any directly monetary interest or material interest in the company for which the services are provided. Therefore it would be safe to assume that if an auditor had any financial interest in a firm or served as an officer or director, his judgment could appear to be clouded and independence would be considered impaired. Unswerving independence and impartiality is the peer beyond price and the indispensable shield for the profession. (AICPA, 1992)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Economic development is directly linked to the credibility of financial information. The public is discouraged from making investment when it is not confident in the financial reporting process, or in the financial information released as part of that process. This in turn prevents capital market growth. The accounting professionals, together with financial institutions, regulators, and others face on uphill battle in building confidence in financial information in the light of recent crises around the globe. . In recognition of the public trust afforded to public accountants in the USA, each state recognizes public accountancy as a profession and issues the certificate of Certified Public Accountant (CPA). The CPA certificate symbolizes technical competence. The licensing of CPAs in the USA by the states reflects a belief that public interest will be protected by an official identification of competent professional accountants who offer their accounting services, which are also provided by non-CPAs. The various states generally restrict the auditing of financial statements to CPAs.   Reference: AICPA, Code of Professional Conduct, as amended January 14, 1992. (New York: AICPA), 1109. David A. Costelo.1994. Accounting, Ethics and the Public Interest. New man Library.

African Americans and Malcolm X essays

African Americans and Malcolm X essays Throughout our country's history, many African Americans have contributed to the success of our country. Although we have not given African Americans the credit that they deserve, the month of February has been set aside to recognize all of their many achievements. I think one of the greatest and most influential African American, other than Dr. Martin Luther King, was Malcolm X. Malcolm X later knew also by the religious name El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was an African American activist. His militant views that Western nations were inherently racist and that black people must join together to build their own society and value system had an important influence on black nationalist and black separatist movements of the 1950s and 1960s. His beliefs gained a broader audience through his autobiography, published after his assassination. Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska. He was the son of Earl Little, a Baptist preacher, and his wife, Louise. The family moved to Lansing, Michigan, shortly after Malcolm's birth. Earl Little was an outspoken promoter of social and economic independence for blacks and a supporter of the "Back to Africa" movement of black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. In 1931 Earl Little was killed, probably murdered by white terrorists because of his political and social activism. His father's death had a disastrous effect on Malcolm and his family. His mother suffered a nervous breakdown, and the welfare department took the eight little children away from her. Malcolm was placed in a foster home and then in reform school. In 1941 he went to live with his half-sister in Boston. There he soon entered the fringes of the underworld, and at the age of 17, he moved to Harlem in New York City. Known as Detroit Red, Malcolm turned to a life of crime, including drug dealing and armed robbery. When he was 20, Malcolm received a sentence of ten years in prison for burglary. While in prison, Malcolm became...

Spinner Shark Facts (Carcharhinus brevipinna)

Spinner Shark Facts (Carcharhinus brevipinna) The spinner shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna) is a type of requiem shark. It is a live-bearing, migratory shark found in warm ocean waters. Spinner sharks get their name from their interesting feeding strategy, which involves spinning through a school of fish, snapping them up, and often leaping into the air. Fast Facts: Spinner Shark Scientific Name: Carcharhinus brevipinnaDistinguishing Features: Slender shark with long snout, black-tipped fins, and habit of spinning through water when feeding.Average Size: 2 m (6.6 ft) length; 56 kg (123 lb) weightDiet: CarnivorousLife Span: 15 to 20 yearsHabitat: Coastal waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian OceansConservation Status: Near ThreatenedKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: ChondrichthyesOrder: CarcharhiniformesFamily: CarcharhinidaeFun Fact: Spinner sharks dont eat humans, but will bite if they are excited by other food. Description The spinner shark has a long and pointed snout, slender body, and relatively small first dorsal fin. Adults have black-tipped fins that look as though they were dipped in ink. The upper body is gray or bronze, while the lower body is white. On average, adults are 2 m (6.6 ft) long and weigh 56 kg (123 lb). The largest recorded specimen was 3 m (9.8 ft) long and weighed 90 kg (200 lb). Spinner shark. Spinner sharks and blacktip sharks are commonly confused with each other. The spinner has a slightly more triangular dorsal fin that is further back on the body. An adult spinner shark also has a distinctive black tip on its anal fin. However, juveniles lack this marking and the two species share similar behaviors, so its difficult to tell them apart. Distribution Due to difficulty distinguishing between blacktip and spinner sharks, the spinners distribution is uncertain. It can be found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, with the exception of the eastern Pacific. The species prefers warm coastal water that is less than 30 m (98 ft) deep, but some subpopulations migrate into deeper water. Spinner shark distribution. Chris_huh Diet and Predators Bony fishes are the staple of the spinner sharks diet. The sharks also eat octopus, squid, cuttlefish, and stingrays. The sharks teeth are made for grabbing prey rather than cutting it. A group of spinner sharks chases a school of fish then charges it from below. A spinning shark snaps up fish whole, often carrying enough momentum to leap into the air. Blacktip sharks also employ this hunting technique, although it is less common. Humans are the spinner sharks primary predator, but spinner sharks are also eaten by larger sharks. Reproduction and Life Cycle Spinner sharks and other requiem sharks are viviparous. Mating occurs from spring to summer. The female has two uteri, which are divided into compartments for each embryo. Initially, each embryo lives off its yolk sac. The yolk sac forms a placental connection with the female, which then provides nutrients until the pups are born. Gestation lasts from 11 to 15 months. Mature females give birth to 3 to 20 pups every other year. Spinner sharks start reproducing between the ages of 12 and 14 and can live until they are 15 to 20 years old. Spinner Sharks and Humans Spinner sharks dont eat large mammals, so bites from this species are uncommon and not fatal. The fish will bite if provoked or excited during a feeding frenzy. As of 2008, a total of 16 unprovoked bites and one provoked attack were attributed to spinner sharks. The shark is valued in sport fishing for the challenge it presents as it leaps from the water. Commercial fishermen sell the fresh or salted meat for food, the fins for shark fin soup, the skin for leather, and the liver for its vitamin-rich oil. Conservation Status The IUCN classifies the spinner shark as near threatened worldwide and vulnerable along the southeastern United States. The number of sharks and the population trend is unknown, mainly because spinner sharks are so often confused with other requiem sharks. Because spinner sharks live along highly populated coasts, they are subject to pollution, habitat encroachment, and habit degradation. However, overfishing poses the most significant threat. The US National Marine Fisheries Service 1999 Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, and Sharks sets bag limits for recreational fishing and quotas for commercial fishing. While sharks of the species grow quickly, the age at which they breed approximates their maximum lifespan. Sources Burgess, G.H. 2009. Carcharhinus brevipinna. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2009: e.T39368A10182758. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T39368A10182758.enCapape, C.; Hemida, F.; Seck, A.A.; Diatta, Y.; Guelorget, O. Zaouali, J. (2003). Distribution and reproductive biology of the spinner shark, Carcharhinus brevipinna (Muller and Henle, 1841) (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhinidae). Israel Journal of Zoology. 49 (4): 269–286. doi:10.1560/DHHM-A68M-VKQH-CY9FCompagno, L.J.V. (1984). Sharks of the World: An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date. Rome: Food and Agricultural Organization. pp. 466–468. ISBN 92-5-101384-5.Dosay-Akbulut, M. (2008). The phylogenetic relationship within the genus Carcharhinus. Comptes Rendus Biologies. 331 (7): 500–509. doi:10.1016/j.crvi.2008.04.001Fowler, S.L.; Cavanagh, R.D.; Camhi, M.; Burgess, G.H.; Cailliet, G.M.; Fordham, S.V.; Simpfendorfer, C.A. Musick, J.A. (2005). Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras: The Sta tus of the Chondrichthyan Fishes. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. pp. 106–109, 287–288. ISBN 2-8317-0700-5.

Stories on Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Stories on Health - Essay Example The toe-curling awkwardness of the 'love scene' which proceeded this moment is shown without romance, making the audience cringe at the utter recklessness of the teens. The pathetic irony of the sixteen year old's predicament is heightened by the store clerks comment, "That's a doodle that can't be undone" and the non-reaction of Juno's best friend, Leah the cheerleader, who can't seem to get her mind around the situation. Juno seems headed for heartbreak, as she mechanically attempts to deal with her pregnancy by calling the local abortion clinic, as her friends have done. Her boyfriend Bleeker (Michael Cera) though sensitive, avoids involvement with the "whatever you want to do is fine with me" line, despite Juno's dramatic efforts to tell him that their fling has had lasting consequences. He is able to continue his typical high school life, running with the track team and even lining up a prom date in view of Juno's unsuitability. This harsh realism stands in stark contrast with t he classic teen love scene with soft lighting, spinning cameras, and music. This is the hard reality which sexually active teens experience, and Juno takes it head-on, with a surprising sense of humor which makes you admire the little sparkplug Juno who won't be undone by her one immature act. Before her ex-Before her ex-military dad (JK Simmons) and distant step mom Bren (Allison Janney) are apprised of her crisis, Juno finds herself approaching alone the retro "Women Now" abortion clinic, where she encounters a timid teenager chanting, "Babies want to be borned". The two girls, who are classmates, recognize each other and a start to chat about school, however, as Juno continues on to the entrance of the clinic, the girl suddenly remembers why she is there, and frantically reminds her, "Your baby has a heartbeat and fingernails now." Somehow, the fact that her unborn child has fingernails nearly stops Juno in her tracks. She warily enters the clinic, and her reluctance is increased by the nonchalant attitude of the receptionist who demands all her "hairy details" on a form, and the anxiety of the other women in the dismal waiting room which "smells like a dentist's office". Juno feels the scene, to the delight of the protester, as her odyssey begins. Juno scans the Pennysaver for adoptive couples. She wants a couple who are cool, with her taste in punk music, and horror flicks, and, finding an attractive couple she makes an appointment with them to discuss adoption. Armed with this plan, she breaks the news to Bren, her stepmother, and Dad, who offers to accompany her to her first meeting with Mark(Jason Bateman) and Vanessa Loring.(Jennifer Garner) in their McMansion in the wealthy side of town. Vanessa is ecstatic at the prospect of becoming a mother, a role, she assures Juno, she was born for. Her husband, Mark is less than enthusiastic, trying to appear fatherly to appease his wife. It shows that things in the yuppie palace may not be as ideal as they look. Little of what follows goes according to Juno's hastily made plans, but she manages to endure a growing belly, the mockery of her peers, and Bleeker's lack of involvement with admirable spunk. Ellen Page is outstanding in this demanding role, never dipping into melodrama or cynicism, always believable as a teen whose self-possession in a crisis makes her the more mature character of the drama. Bren,

Locke's Argument for the Conclusion of the Primary Qualities of Essay

Locke's Argument for the Conclusion of the Primary Qualities of Objects and the Secondary Qualities of Objects - Essay Example I shall argue that the distinction is well-grounded and interesting, that Locke had grasped an important truth about it, and that Berkeley's treatment of this matter is impercipient and unhelpful. Berkeley assimilated the primary/ secondary distinction to that monolithic 'theory of material substance' which he thought he detected in Locke's writings; and I shall argue that that is the dominating fact about his failure to deal competently with the distinction between primary and secondary qualities. Locke has two general, true things to say about the primary/ secondary distinction. One of them is his thesis that primary qualities are such as are utterly inseparable from the body, in what state so ever it be; and such as in all the alterations and changes it suffers, all the force can be used upon it, it constantly keeps; and such as sense constantly finds in every particle of matter which has bulk enough to be perceived. In most of Locke's theorizing, a thing's primary qualities are taken to consist in its being spherical, two feet across, and falling rapidly; but here they are thought of rather as a thing's being shaped, of some size, mobile, etc. That is, in the thesis that primary qualities are ones which a body cannot lose, it is determinable qualities which are in question and not determinate ones. Locke's example reinforces this reading: 'Take a grain of wheat, divide it into two parts; each part has still solidity, extension, figure, and mobility: divide it again, and it retains still the same qualities.' It is not clear that 'solidity' is a determinable, either in its normal meaning or in Locke's specialized sense in which 'solid' means 'impenetrable'. Locke has a good point here, but he ought not to express it as though it were a prediction about the outcome of an experiment, for really it is a point about the meaning of the word 'body', or about the concept of a body or a physical thing. I ndeed the word 'primary' for Locke partly means that these are qualities a thing must have to count as a 'body'. Locke's discussions of the concept of body involve detailed points which are of some interest but which lie beyond my present scope. His general thesis that the raw materials which constitute the concept of body are to be found within the realm of primary qualities, and that secondary qualities are conceptually inessential, seems safe enough. Yet Berkeley apparently denies it: 'It is not in my power to frame an idea of a body extended and moved, but I must withal give it some color or other sensible quality . . . In short, extension, figure, and motion, abstracted from all other qualities, are inconceivable.' The quoted passage is, as it stands, true: a thing's being extended, or its taking up space, must involve some spatial region's being occupied by something--some quality must be manifested in that region other than mere extension. But the quality could be solidity, w hich is on Locke's list of primary qualities. If Berkeley really is saying only that 'body' could not be defined out of extension, figure and motion, without recourse to solidity, then

Financial collapse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial collapse - Essay Example Prior to the crises ,about half of the overall capital inflow to developing countries was directed towards Asia. This was precipitated by high interest rates that made these economies attractive to foreign investors with attendant increase in asset prices. the economies of Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand particularly experienced high growth rates of between 8 and 12 per cent in the late 1980's and early 1990's.This feat was lauded far and near by economic institution of repute the IMF and World Bank Inclusive. One of the reasons advanced for these crises was recovery of the U.S economy from a recession it had suffered in the early 1990's.To checkmate inflation ,the U.S through its federal reserve bank at the time began to raise interest rates. This move naturally attracted lots of investors to the detriment of the fledging Asian economies. This move also grew the value of the dollar against which the currencies of these economies were pegged .This caused a slow down in the export activities of the Asian economies as it became less competitive. Malaysia witnessed a transition from its traditional mining and agriculture driven economy to manufacturing in the 1970's with assistance coming from Japan and western countries .The result of this was the establishment of heavy industries that became the economic driving force with concentration on exportation .There had been fluctuations in the country's current GDP per capita over time that rose to 59% in the 1990's courtesy of the export-oriented industries .However following the massive pull-out of capital by foreign investors in 1997.A chain reaction was set-off that caused major changes within the economy, particularly the substantial depreciation of the country's currency-the Ringgit from its MYR2.50 per USD to levels of up to MYR4.80 per USD,loosing about half its value within the period. The composite index of the country's market fell drastically within a few weeks. There was a 7.5% drop in GDP in 1998.The government responded by pegging the ringgit at MYR3.80 per USD.Whi le also implementing a capital control regime. Unlike its Asian neighbours Indonesia ,Thailand and other Malaysia rejected a relief package in the form of economic aid from International Monetary Fund(IMF) because of the attached austere lending conditions .This singular act differentiated Malaysia and the rest of its Asian neighbors in the sense that the rest of its neighbours were affected to a larger degree than Malaysia .Furthermore in the quest to revive the economy, the government kept injecting funds into it which resulted in budget deficit for a number of years, in addition it has maintained a low interest rate policy through the country's central bank. In terms of the its post-crises economy, it has enjoyed a faster economic recovery compared to its neighbours ,with a strong exports sector with the United States as its principal trade and investment partner. In 1999 the country's GDP grew by 5.6% with analyst predicting an 8% -and- above growth for the year 2000.A managed f loating system

Pressure Groups And Stability Of Regime In Pakistan

Pressure Groups And Stability Of Regime In Pakistan The literature review will focus on the issues and the reasons that affect the stability of regime in Pakistan, mainly focusing on the different forms of pressure groups, the role they have played, whether positive or negative in the past and what is the future of Pakistan if these pressure groups continue to be dominating and influential. Also some of the important eras will be highlighted like Zias regime or Musharrafs regime. Most of the articles are basically theory based with no such statistical model applied and basically focus on the prevailing instability in Pakistan and issues related to it. According to the writer the reason behind the instability is basically the lack of a proper political system in Pakistan. No government has survived for long and successfully. The national assembly has been dissolved 10 times and 3 times the reason was military interference. No political parties have worked together in peace. There has been always a conflict of interest or power. At the same time religious parties have created their own brand of Islam and are exploiting the situation. Lack of fair elections and corruption has led to extreme cases like political victimization and political polarisation. Even though democratic political institutions exist they are weak and fragile. Another factor is of the existence of feudal lords, which has caused a structural imbalance between the middle class, and the upper class, which comprises of mostly landlords and industrialists. Majority of the power lies in the hands of the upper class. Another issue that has been highlighted in the article is the ethnic conflict that has been in debate for years. Other issues that are discussed in the article are the role of army, rising power of the religious parties and lack of proper rule of law. To conclude the article discusses that future of Pakistan lies in a more democratic environment where there is less corruption and the role of judiciary would be stronger in maintaining a balance between the arbitrary power and the party in power. Today the masses are more informed about the political system in Pakistan and one way it has contributed to the development of the country as a whole however there are other major factors like increase in the level of suicide attacks, food shortage, water and power shortage which has adversely affected the country. What was a basic ideology for the existence of the country is now more of a pressure group that seeks to gain power by exploiting the constant military intervention and forcing out the secular political parties. The creation of political polarisation amongst civilian and military, among different ethnic groups and provincial groups and among Islamists and secularist has disrupted the regime stability. Also now religious pressure groups have become more powerful, well armed and well financed and influence different branches of government. People have lost trust in the secular parties like Muslim League (Nawaz) and PPP and at the same time most of the military rulers have used Islamist for their own political purpose, be it Zia or be it Musharraf. According to the author the best way to control the growing power of Islamists is through democracy and strengthening the civil society. Also he suggests that U.S intervention in such matter should be taken especially after September 11 attac ks. The biggest limitation of this article is that it focused more on the role of Islamist in the past than their existing role. Also the conclusion is very uncertain and vague as to how should this pressure group be controlled. The condition of Pakistan is deteriorating and if we look at the current scenario the one of the biggest problem the religious groups that has created disruption and fear among the lives of the people. The writer focuses more on the past the past then the future. From 1947-1958 the two most economically powerful pressure groups in West Pakistan were the landlords and the business groups. In East Pakistan the power lied in the hands of the middle class income groups, after the land acquisition act in 1951. Whereas in West Pakistan feudalism was on it peak whereby one-fifth of the cultivable land was owned by one-half of one percent of the owners. Not only were these landowners active in politics by capturing the majority seats in the assembly. In provincial elections in 1951 in the former Punjab about 80 percent of the members elected were landlords. Out of 40 members in the constituent assembly 28 members were landlord groups. The landlords groups have been long engaged in rivalries. As rival groups were more or less in agreement in retaining their landed interests, politics in Pakistan has become a cynical pursuit of sheer power. The domination of feudal lords and family rivalries affected the politics of Pakistan. The influence of business groups was small since at that time there were few industries. It was indirect, whereby they were formally organized and they put effective pressure on the decision-making authorities from outside the governmental institution. The labor class is very weak, but slowly the trade unions are growing strong and influential when it comes to labor issues. Feudal system is still prevalent in the rural areas whereby the decision of the big landlord is considered to be the final verdict. Also the major leaders of political parties have the landowning background be it Asif Ali zardari, Sharif brothers or Altaf hussain. These landowners due to their rivalries have affected the stability in a bad way. Even though this article is very old but is of extreme relevance as discuses the root cause that lead to the emergence of Pressure groups in Pakistan and is can be of importance when comparing the regimes over-time and how the roles have changed. The later impact of this was that when Zias regime ended the position and the jobs that were promised to the religious Ulemas who had no formal education but merely an informal education in the madrasas were rejected. This frustrated the religious militancy, which resulted in an extreme behavior and disruption. Furthermore religious groups can be categorized as the role of Taliban in destruction of Pakistan. The impact of the training of Talibans during the Afghanistan war and providing them with arms and funding them has now become problematic for Pakistan with a huge number of suicide attacks happening and terrorizing the whole country. Zia-ul-haq immense support for the Islamic activists has resulted in the religious polarisation that exists in todays Pakistan. The statistics say that by 1996 there were around 2463 madrasas only in Punjab and 1700 were supported from outside sources that included the Persian Gulf and Middle East. These Islamic teaching centers are more now a centr al place for the political activities. Thus, it can be concluded from this article that the rise of Islamists and constant battle between Sunni and Shia has resulted in instability in Pakistan over the years. However Pakistan which is presided by Musharraf and is in the shackles of economic recession and anarchy needs heavy financing for not only sustaining the Musharrafs regime but also its economic well being. Despite strong U.S alliance it doesnt do a sufficient to save Pakistan from drenching. Religious extremism diverts a lot of attention of the government of Pakistan as the attacks and events leading to deaths and bloodshed have recently increased in the country. People feel insecure and threatened by their own fellows. In the name of religion wrong doers are exploiting the weaker ones. Military has taken over the country, sometimes directly by enforcing Marshal law and sometimes indirectly by influencing the government when making the decisions. Also the prevailing condition as the country is on the verge of Civil war military is more active within the country than on the outskirts to protect it from its neighbors. The four categories of elites are economic, political social and religious. Each of these exerts different levels of influence over the government. According to the author Political elites include, officers, and members of large landowning families. Economic elites include the industrialist class, which can be considered as newly wealthy and newly influential. The conflict between the two elite classes is one of the major reasons for instability. As 4th president has been dismissed since 1988, the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif won the majority of seats however Benazir Bhutto claimed that the elections were unfair and there has been extensive fraud. Although PPP became popular because of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto for giving an ordinary man a political voice but Benazir ruled the party in a completely opposite opinion of her father by supporting privatization over nationalization and viewing US as a major ally rather than a potential threat. From a position of weakness in martial law period the judiciary has began to re-assert its independence. However, the role of judges is still controversial. The emergence of free press was a positive sign but at the same time, Pakistans mismanagement of economies reflects the weakness of the political structure. The political game has taken over a priority in the long-term policy making. Problems such as fiscal deficiency, debt and long-term business interest erosion have always drifted the economi c cursor. The increase in ethnic fragmentation, religious extremism and centralization if political power has created political crisis which needs to be solved as soon as possible otherwise it will result in civil war amongst the ethnic groups, domestic and international terrorism and implementation of marshal law. Not only the government of Pakistan should work on this but also should form allies with the external players like US, Japan and European Union (EU). Furthermore in this article the author talked about the regime of Nawaz Sharif as this article is written during that period of time. Here the writer highlights some of policies adopted by Nawaz Sharif, in which he aims at centralizing the power to the central and creating anarchy. Furthermore the conflicts between the ethnic groups have increased widely whereby Punjab is considered to be the most popular, developed and largely focused on in terms of allocating resources, improving education system. This has resulted in other 3 provinc es becoming more backward and less developed and sense of deprivation. The writer also discusses on how the civil institution have weakened during Nawaz Sharifs era as he is trying to gain popular support of the military. Other problems that were identified in the article were drug trafficking and settling of refugees. In conclusion the writer has basically focused on support from the international players. first is democratization and civil-military relations; and second islamization and Islamisms relation to the state. Both of issues are separate yet interdependent on each other and needs to be analyzed and focused on as the future of the country is at stake. The writer also highlighted Musharrafs era and despite that he was more liberal than Zia but he used the brand of Islam and is exploiting the public.

Justice for All Ages Essay -- Justice Philosophy Essays

Justice for All Ages The question of â€Å"What is Justice?† plagued the ancient philosophers and continues to plague the professional and amateur academic philosophers of today. The question is so hard, because it is quite difficult to know where to begin. Socrates1 spoke of justice in relation to the gods, Plato in relation to an individual’s duty in society, and Achilles, in a somewhat indirect way, in relation to honor and loyalty. All three of these men had very convincing arguments about the true nature of justice, but it is impossible to say now, or most likely ever, whether any of them actually got it right. The current goal is to synthesize their ideas with those of Aristophanes, Euripides2, and even Richard Kraut, representing the modern academic philosopher, in an effort to further develop and test the concept of justice. In order to approach this daunting task, it is important which medium is chosen through which to proceed. Following in the footsteps of Plato and Socrates, it seems fitting to do utilize the dialogue format. The dialogue format consists of a conversation in which a discussion ensues, questions are asked, hypotheses are formed and challenged, and hopefully, in the end there is some clearer understanding of the issue at hand. This dialogue takes place on the Isle of the Blessed where the now-immortals Achilles, Socrates, Aristophanes and Euripides live. Lasthenia3, a philosopher from ancient Greece, has brought Plato to the island and, naturally a discussion begins. The discussion, as promised, brings in the ideas of justice from many different points of view and ends with the unannounced entrance of Richard Kraut to add yet another twist. Characters of the dia... ...versity Press, 1998. Euripides. Bacchae. Translated by Paul Woodruff. Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1998. Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1990. Kraut, Richard. The Defense of Justice in Plato’s Republic. Plato’s Republic: Critical Essays, edited by Richard Kraut. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1997. Plato. Apology of Socrates. Translated by Thomas G. West and Grace Starry West in Four Texts on Socrates. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998. Plato. Euthyphro. Translated by Thomas G. West and Grace Starry West in Four Texts on Socrates. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998. Plato. Republic. Translated by G.M.A. Grube, revised by C.D.C. Reeve. Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1992. Vlastos, Gregory. Socratic Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.

Was Public Health Better in the Roman Era or the Middle Ages?

In my opinion, the Romans had superior public health, as they had much better sanitation and plumbing systems, which were in the Middle Ages available solely in monasteries, rather than entire towns. This was due to the fact that the Romans' infrastructure and methods of treatment were more developed than Medieval ones, as well as the fact that the Roman government were far more involved in the health of their citizens than later rulers, who found war and developing trade far more important, and viewed civilians' health as their own responsibility.The Roman towns were also much better planned and built than those in the Middle Ages, which often placed wells and sources of drinking and bathing water in close proximity to cesspits and sewers, which led to infected water and cholera and typhoid outbreaks. Furthermore, many Medieval streets were filled with filth, such as animal carcasses, human and animal excrement, waste from butchers and tanners, and many more sources of disease, as b acteria could grow freely and infect people very easily.As well as this, there were also very poor food standards, and it was not unusual for dishonest meat sellers to sell low-quality meat which could have caused disease, although a law was instated, decreeing that distributors of bad meat would be locked in the pillory. The Romans also had better waste disposal and water transportation systems, which allowed people to obtain clean drinking water, although there may still have been a risk of illness, as most pipes were made of lead, which is toxic.Their medical skills were also slightly better than those of Medieval doctors, as most Roman doctors were much better trained and taught about natural causes of disease, which gave them a considerable advantage over the mostly Church-educated doctors of the Middle Ages, who believed more extensively in supernatural ideas and religion-based methods of prevention and treatment of disease.An example of this is the Black Death, which killed 5 0 000 people in Europe, and was spread very quickly due to poor sanitation, ineffective cures, which would in many cases have made the patient worse, such as ingesting bile or faeces, or relying solely on prayers or religious ideas, rather than actively seeking a reliable cure, which was impossible without a knowledge of the true cause of diseases, although they did attempt to limit its spread by locking up houses which were infected with the disease. However, the Roman Empire was also poorly quipped to deal with plagues, such as the one which occurred in AD 80, and claimed hundreds of lives. However, public health in the Middle Ages did have some benefits: the towns often employed people such as gong farmers and muck rakers to survey and clean the streets to prevent disease, and remove sewage, although it was not possible to employ enough to maintain the cleanliness. The Romans had a similar system which worked to much greater advantage. Medieval towns also developed regulations an d fines for littering and dirtying the streets, although these could not be easily enforced.As well as this, the rich were happy to pay the fines and continue to deposit refuse in the streets. Moreover, near the end of the Dark Ages, butchers were banned from working in the inner city, which prevented pollution and assisted in keeping the streets clean. In conclusion, I believe that public health was much better under Roman rule, although the Medieval government did endeavour to improve the situation (albeit without much success. ) This is further evidenced by the average life expectancy in each era: it fell from 42 in the Roman era to 35, proving that standards had dropped dramatically since the Roman period.

Case Study †AES Corporation Essay

Dennis Bakke, the CEO of AES, a company that develops, builds and operates electric power plants, sat in his office late in 1996 and thought about the question that was perennially posed to him: could AES, soon to have some 25,000 people located literally all over the world following a recent purchase of power plants in Kazakhstan, continue to operate with virtually no staff functions and, specifically, without any human resource staff anywhere in the corporation? The absence of centralized staff — or, for that matter, much staff at all — had been one of the themes guiding the design and operation of the corporation since its founding. The company, in addition to having no personnel department, had no public relations, legal, environmental, or strategic planning departments. Its chief financial officer, Barry Sharp, saw his job not so much as running a centralized finance function but rather as helping all the AES employees as they made important decisions about financi ng and investments in a very capital intensive business. But the company was becoming much larger and increasingly geographically dispersed. Perhaps those early decisions needed to be rethought. Could what worked for so long continue to work as the corporation grew and operated increasingly on a global basis? Could the advantages of flexibility and having virtually every employee feel responsible for almost all aspects of the corporation’s operations continue to outweigh the costs of an absence of specialization and the need to have people always learning new tasks and new things? Was this continuous learning of new things really a disadvantage at all, or as Bakke thought, how one created a real â€Å"learning organization?† What Bakke recognized was that AES was different from most other corporations. How different should and could it remain? And if it remained different, how should it deal with the strains that growth and geographic differentiation would inevitably place on an organization that had always been managed by a strong set of values and a shared culture? This case was  prepared by Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. Support for this case was provided by the Human Resources Initiative of the Graduate School of Business. The author would also like to acknowledge Robert Waterman for his introduction to the company. BACKGROUND AND HISTORY AES (originally called Applied Energy Services) was founded in 1981 by Roger Sant and Dennis Bakke. Originally supplying consulting services to the energy industry, the company began operating its first power plant in Houston in 1986 and went public as AES in 1991. By the end of its 1995 fiscal year, AES was selling electricity to customers in the United States, England, Northern Ireland, Argentina, and China, and had plants under construction in Pakistan. A list of AES operating facilities, their size, and fuel source, is provided in Exhibit 1. The company saw itself as â€Å"the global power company† and had as its mission â€Å"supplying electricity to customers world-wide in a socially responsible way.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ The electric power generation business has always been very competitive and the competition was increasing. Many subsidiaries of large oil and gas companies, organizations with substantial financial resources, were entering the business. The business was also complex. Building or purchasing existing power plants was a process that was heavily influenced by governmental decisions and actions, and often took two to four years at least to complete. AES owned and operated its plants under a number of different financial arrangements. Some plants were whollyowned by AES. Others were owned under various joint venture arrangements. For instance, the Medway plant in England was joint venture between AES and two privatized British utilities, Southern Electric and SEE-BOARD. The plant in San Nicolas, Argentina was owned by a partnership in which AES held 70% interest and Community Energy Alternatives, Inc. and the people at the plant held the rest. AES’s operations in China were conducted by a separate subsidiary, AES  China Generating Company Ltd., that was capitalized in February, 1994 with funds from AES and an initial public offering. The company was traded on the over-the-counter market, but recently AES had announced plans to purchase the interest in the subsidiary it did not own. Thus, financing and ownership arrangements were varied and often required protracted negotiations and the ability to work with a number of different partners. Most of the growth in demand for electricity, as well as most of the privatization opportunities, were occurring in developing or emerging economies and three-quarters of AES’s development people and financial resources were focused on those markets in 1996. AES saw as its competitive advantage against larger and better financed competitors its agility or speed and its ability to commit corporate equity and to arrange complex financial transactions. It also had some â€Å"disadvantages,† particularly its emphasis on integrity that precluded the company from doing some things to obtain business that not all of its competitors were as reluctant to do. The company’s two founders both had extensive experience in government prior to founding AES, and to some extent this helped steel their determination to avoid creating a bureaucratic organization resembling the government. Bakke, a 1970 MBA graduate from Harvard Business School, had worked following graduation at the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and then in the Office of Management and Budget before moving to the Mellon Institute’s Energy Productivity Center in Washington, D.C. There, he and Sant, another Harvard MBA who had headed the Ford administration’s energy conservation efforts, worked together and AES 1995 Annual Report, p. 1. wrote a book, Creating Abundance: America’s Least-Cost Energy Strategy. Out of the research for that book and their work on energy policy for the Ford and Carter administrations came the idea to start AES as a participant in the new independent power producer industry. Both Bakke and Sant are individuals with strong moral convictions and indeed both have a touch of the missionary in them. Bakke is very active in both charitable and  Christian church (Baptist) activities. This social conscience and sense of a higher purpose or calling has pervaded the operation and management of AES since its inception. For example, Bakke’s description of the purpose or mission of AES is â€Å"to steward resources to meet the needs of society.† 2 From the beginning, AES has had a strong set of core values and beliefs about people that it works hard to operationalize on a continuing basis. The four core values are: Integrity †¦ Integrity comes from the Latin word, `integra,’ which means `wholeness.’ By carefully weighing all factors–ethical concerns, stakeholder interests, and societal needs–AES strives to act with integrity in all of its activities. Fairness . . . the term `fairness’ means `justice.’ Often `fairness’ is confused with `sameness’ †¦ We don’t mean that. AES aspires to give everyone special treatment. Everyone is unique †¦ And the effects of treating people justly in corporate systems and organizations can be profound. Social responsibility. The most socially responsible thing a corporation can do is to do a superb job of meeting a need in society. Therefore, companies must carefully manage capital, employees and intellect to meet a societal need. For AES, the first step in this process is to ensure that every generating plant is operated in a clean, reliable, safe, and cost-effective manner. But we have chosen to go beyond these essentials †¦ That is why we plant millions of trees to offset carbon dioxide and build new schools and take numerous other steps to improve our environment and build communities. Fun †¦ For us, `fun’ means establishing an environment in which people can use their gifts and skills to make a difference in society without fear of being squelched. Creating a fun workplace environment requires a positive view of humanity that begins with the people who work in the corporation.3 AES also has a set. of core assumptions about people that it tries to use in design ing and managing its organization. These assumptions are that AES people: 1) Are creative, thinking individuals–capable of learning and making decisions, like to control their environment and can be trusted; 2) Are responsible–can be held accountable; An important element of AES is its commitment to four major â€Å"shared† values .. . AES believes that earning a fair profit is an important result of providing a quality product to its customers. However, if the Company perceives a conflict between these values and profits, the Company will try to adhere to its values–even though doing so might result in diminished profits or foregone opportunities. Moreover, the Company seeks to adhere to these values not as a means to achieve economic success, but because adherence is a worthwhile goal in and of itself The Company intends to continue these policies after this offering.s To AES, simply maximizing profits is not the primary objective of the corporation. Dennis Bakke has written: Where do profits fit? Profits . . . are not any corporation’s main goal. Profits are to a corporation much like breathing is to life. Breathing is not the goal of life, but without breath, life ends. Similarly, without turning a profit, a corporation, too, will cease to exist. . . . At AES we strive not to make profits the ultimate driver of the corporation (although I admit we slip from time to time in this regard). My desire is that the principles to which we strive would take preeminence.6 AES operationalizes its values and its commitment to them in myriad operating policies and practices. An example, drawn from a common stock offering prospectus in 1993, helps to illustrate how the company turns its values into actions: Most of the Company’s plants operate without shift supervisors. The project subsidiaries are responsible for all major facility-specific business functions, including financing and capital expenditures†¦. Every AES person has been encouraged to participate  in strategic planning and new plant design for the Company. The Company has generally organized itself into multi-skilled teams to develop projects, rather than forming `staff’ groups †¦ to carry out specialized functions. Two examples illustrate these principles of decentralization and empowerment in action. Most financial decisions at this financially-leveraged company are not made by the chief financial officer, Barry Sharp, but rather by AES project teams comprised largely of people with no formal training in finance. For instance, â€Å"hard as it is to imagine, CFO Sharp has raised less than $300 million of the approximately $3.5 billion of funding for AES’s 10 power plants. The multidisciplinary project team working on each new plant is charged with that task, even if the team has little finance experience. Bankers phone Sharp expecting him to call the shots, but he demurs and instead gives the bankers a list of the team members so the bankers can call them directly. At the AES plant in Thames, Connecticut, a task force including front-line people invest the plant’s debt reserves, negotiating directly with investment bankers and, in the process, learning a lot about finance and fi nancial markets. Pam Strunk, the financial superintendent at the plant, said that it was important that â€Å"they have the fun and novelty of doing something that’s different from what they do all day. If we lose 100 basis points for a few days, then that’s the price we pay.† 8 Another example comes from a description of how the corporation built a $404 million project in Cumberland, Maryland. The project took ten years to put together and was handled by a team of 10 people who â€Å"secured 36 separate permit approvals involving two dozen regulatory agencies and arranged financing that involved tax-exempt bonds and 10 lenders. Normally, such projects require hundreds of workers, each with small specific tasks to perform within large corporations.†9 What is particularly noteworthy is the composition of the team. With two exceptions, they were all under 40 years old and many had little or no previous experience doing what they did on the project. Paul Burdick, a mechanical engineer with no MBA or any formal training in finance, handled the complex financing of the project. Ann Murtlow, the team leader, was a thirty-five year old chemical engineer who also did not have an MBA degree. The composition and operation of the team illustrates a core AES concept of allowing people to try new things. Although eschewing the pursuit of profits or maximizing shareholder value as the primary objective of the company and, in fact, doing numerous things to operate according to the four core values, the company has nonetheless been very financially successful. As seen in Exhibit 2 using data drawn from its 1995 Annual Report, the firm enjoyed a 105% growth in revenues between 1991 and 1995 and during that period grew its earnings per share more than 113% while its total assets grew almost 70% and its shareholders’ equity grew 289%. The annual report also illustrates some other unique things about the company and how it views itself. The document lists by name each of the 1,258 people who work for the company on pages 49-53. The discussion of operations in the letter to the shareholders has, as its first section, one on Shared Values/Principles. That section reported on the results of the annual employee survey and discussed both improvements (â€Å"there is less concern this year about an imbalance between shareholder and other stakeholder interests. There is also less fear that our principles will erode as we create businesses in many nations†) as well as problems (â€Å"Some of our people at Thames . In eight years, the value of a share of AES stock went from $2 to $250, and $10,000 invested in AES in 1982 would now be worth $10 million. In late 1996, the company’s shares were near an alltime high and were selling at a multiple of about 30 times earnings, indicating that Wall Street appreciated — even if it did not always fully understand — at least the financial aspects of the AES story. THE THAMES, CONNECTICUT PLANT Although no plant at AES is exactly like any other, in part because of the value placed on decentralization, the operation in Connecticut is typical of AES. The Thames plant is located in Uncasville, Connecticut, near New London, and about 45 minutes from Providence, Rhode Island. The plant is located on only seven acres and is in close proximity to neighboring houses. The plant cost $260 million to construct and uses coal for fuel. It began commercial operations in March, 1990, supplying 181 megawatts of electricity to Connecticut Light and Power and up to 100,000 pounds of steam per hour to Stone Container’s paper recycling plant that is adjacent to AESThames. The plant has operated on average at over 95 percent of capacity since it opened, compared to 83 percent for the industry as a whole. Consistent with the AES value of social responsibility, the plant strives to be a â€Å"good neighbor† to those living nearby. A visitor to the plant is immediately struck by its cleanliness, and the people who work in the plant are proud of its appearance. The walls of the plant exterior are very light colored (off-white), so that any dirt would be immediately visible. The color of the walls was intentionally chosen to encourage respect for the physical environment and cleanliness. The place where the coal is unloaded from the barges that bring it up the Connecticut River is also immaculate. The coal handling system is covered to  avoid excess dust or debris getting into the surroundings and the unloading dock and surrounding area is swept by a mechanical sweeper after the once a week delivery. There is no smell of sulfur in the air, and in fact, no odor at all. The attitude of cleanliness extends inside the plant as well. For instance, there are two â€Å"lunch rooms,† although both have stoves, and one has a microwave oven, cooktops, refrigerator, and   dishwasher as well, which makes them more than a typical plant eating area. Quite elaborate meals are cooked there. Both lunch rooms are clean with no dirty dishes sitting around. The cabinetry is of excellent quality and appearance as are the appliances. The turbine rooms are also imma culate. In keeping with AES’s social responsibility and concern for the environment, the AES Thames plant has funded a project to plant 52 million trees in Guatemala, designed to reduce the greenhouse effect produced by the burning of coal to produce power. The number of trees was selected based on estimates of the number required to absorb the entire amount of carbon dioxide produced in the plant during its anticipated 40-year life span. In the fall of 1996, Thames employed a total of 59 people, including five in adininistration, seven area superintendents, nine in maintenance, five in material handling and processing, eight instrument and electrical repair technicians, and 20 operations technicians. The full staffing level for the plant is 63 positions, and hiring was occurring at the time. A number of the plant’s employees had previously worked either for the Navy or General Dynamics at the nearby Groton, Connecticut shipyard. About 20% of the people in the plant have college degrees, including Associate’s degrees. Recall, these are the people that are handling the investment of the plant’s debt reserves of several millions of dollars and essentially making all of the decisions in a collaborative environment. There is very little emphasis on  formal credentials in the hiring process. And this is true throughout AES. The company has about twenty to thirty MBAs, many of whom have been in the company a while. Most have come from their home (non-U.S.) countries. At AES, no one gets hired into the company at a senior level, and the company tends not to use headhunters for jobs at any level. The company also has tried not to hire directly into project director (new development) positions. AES-Thames has an extremely low turnover rate, as does AES generally. One of the reasons for the low turnover is that AES is a different and special place and people know it and value that fact. To be written about in the Wall Street Journal and other publications, to receive many visits, reinforces the pride and feeling of uniqueness that AES people share. People do often move within the company. Out of perhaps 70 people who were in the Thames plant when it began, only 4-5 people have left the company in seven or eight years. The low turnover is also because, as one person put it, â€Å"we all have the ability to expand what we do.† The plant organization has three levels — the plant manager, the seven area superintendents, and the front-line people. Because the facility operates continuously, there is some shift work. After some experimentation, people now work three twelve-hour shifts and then have three days off. They then rotate between the night and day shifts. The first shift is from 6:30 in the morning until 6:30 at night, and the second shift is from 6:30 P.M. to 6:30 A.M. Maintenance has a standard 40 hour week but the individuals have pagers, and they rotate responsibility for off-hours coverage.