History of football Essay

Football (as well as rugby and soccer) are believed to have descended from the ancient Greek game of harpaston. Harpaston is mentioned frequently in classical literature, where it is often referred to as a â€Å"very rough and brutal gameâ€Å". The rules of this ancient sport were quite simple: Points were awarded when a player would cross a goal line by either kicking the ball, running with it across the goal line, or throwing it across the line to another player. The other team’s objective was simply to stop them by any means possible. There was no specific field length, no side line boundaries, no specified number of players per team, only a glaring lack of rules. Harpaston: Luckily (for everyone) uniforms & equipment have improved dramatically. Most modern versions of football are believed to have originated from England in the twelfth century. The game became so popular in England that the kings of that time (Henry II and Henry IV) actually banned football. They believed that football was taking away interest from the traditional sports of England, such as fencing and archery. Evolution and the Beginnings of Standardization. Football didn’t really begin to take on any consistency of rules and boundaries until it was picked up as a sport in the seven major public schools of England in the early 1800’s. Six of the seven schools were largely playing the same game (including Eton, Harrow and Winchester) – while the seventh, Rugby School (founded in 1567) was playing a markedly different version of football. The other schools moved ahead refining their rules and eventually their game became known as â€Å"association football† – or soccer, which was played back then much as it is today. Rugby School went in a different direction. How and why the game developed differently at Rugby School appears to have been lost in history, but what is known is that by the 1830’s, running with the ball at Rugby School was in common use and 18 foot goal posts had been added with a cross-bar at 10 feet above the ground. The inclusion of the cross-bar was accompanied by a rule that a goal could only be scored by the ball passing over the bar from a place kick or drop kick. Apparently this was done to make scoring easier from further out and also to avoid the horde of defenders standing in and blocking the mouth of the goal. Players who were able to â€Å"touch down† the ball behind the opponents goal line were awarded a â€Å"try-at-goal† – the player would make a mark on the goal line and then walk back onto the field of play to a point where a place kick at the goal was possible (a conversion). There was also an â€Å"off-your-side† rule used to keep the teams apart. Passing the ball forward was not allowed. By the mid-1860s British schools and universities had taken up Rugby’s game and honored the school by giving the â€Å"new football† the name of rugby. The game soon went trans-Atlantic to America and landed on fertile soil. Roots of American Football The birth date of football in the United States is generally regarded by football historians as November 6, 1869, when teams from Rutgers and Princeton Universities met for the first intercollegiate football game. In those early games, there were 20 players to a team and football still more closely resembled rugby than modern football. The game of football has a history of constant rule changes. Rule changes have been implemented to bolster the excitement of the game of football and  to increase the game’s safety. In 1873, representatives from Columbia, Rutgers, Princeton, and Yale Universities met in New York City to formulate the first intercollegiate football rules for the increasingly popular game. These four teams established the Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA) and set 15 as the number of players allowed on each team. Walter Camp, the coach at Yale and a dissenter from the IFA over his desire for an eleven man team, helped begin the final step in the evolution from rugby-style play to the modern game of American football. The IFA’s rules committee, led by Camp, soon cut the number of players from fifteen to eleven, and also instituted the size of the playing field, at one hundred ten yards. In 1882 Camp also introduced the system of downs. After first allowing three attempts to advance the ball five yards, in 1906 the distance was changed to ten yards. The fourth down was added in 1912. Within a decade, concern over the increasing brutality of the game led to its ban by some colleges. Nearly 180 players had suffered serious injuries, and eighteen deaths had been reported from the brutal mass plays that had become common practice. So in 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt called upon Harvard, Princeton, and Yale to help save the sport from demise. At a meeting between the schools, reform was agreed upon, and at a second meeting, attended by more than sixty other schools, the group appointed a seven member Rules Committee and set up what would later become known as the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or the NCAA. From this committee came the legalization of the forward pass, which resulted in a redesign of the ball and a more open style of play on the field. The rough mass plays, which once caused so many serious injuries, were prohibited by the committee. Also prohibited was the locking of arms by teammates in an effort to clear the way for their ball carriers. The length of the game was shortened, from seventy to sixty minutes, and the neutral zone, which separates the teams by the length of the ball before each play begins, was also established. Though refinements to the game would continue to the present day, the modern game of American football had arrived.   

Environmental Laws Essay

The constant North South divide over enforcement of international environmental law plagues the operationalisation of many international treaties. Most developing countries are caught in a cleft stick. Whilst understanding the need for environmental action, they also require increasing industrial activity for achieving economic growth and poverty alleviation objectives, activities that entail definite enhancements in greenhouse emission. They are additionally constrained by their lack of resources and do not wish to divert what is available from developmental needs. Many developing countries also suffer from lack of necessary infrastructure and underdeveloped legal and judicial systems to be able to carry out treaty obligations in an organised and systemic manner. (Bell & Russell, 2002) Whilst many international agreements are worded to ensure their legal binding on signatory nations, these treaties do not become enforceable within a country until their enactment into domestic law is complete. Australia, for example, has signed on the Montreal Protocol and the World Heritage Convention and carried out appropriate domestic legislation. Apart from taking these legislative measures, the nation has enacted several laws for environmental regulation. (Lyster, 2004) The Environment protection and Biodiversity Act, 1999, is a key legislation that gives effect to the country’s international law obligations. Numerous other enactments like the amended Fisheries Management Act, 1991, The Maritime Legislation Amendment (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act, 2006, the Protection of the Sea (Harmful Anti-fouling Systems) Act 2006 also work towards enhancing environmental protection and bringing the domestic legal system in line with its international treaty obligations. (Australian Legal Information Institute, 2007) Domestic enactment of new laws, (as well as amendment of existing laws) is necessary because it makes the country’s commitment towards international environmental laws concrete and their provisions enforceable. In the absence of specific domestic legislation little action can be taken against environmental offenders and controlling environmental degradation becomes well nigh impossible. Compared to the Australian approach, which involves legal enactment and resolute enforcement of international law obligations, the actions adopted by a developing country like Bangladesh appear to be significantly inadequate. The country, (which became independent only in 1971), drafted a broad ranging environmental policy in 1991 but is still to enact any of its major features into law even though sixteen years have passed since. Factors like internal strife, lack of developed legal systems, and scarce resources, have prevented the country from moving forward on environmental action. Whilst economies like India and South Africa have been able to make significant progress on the environmental front, many developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America share Bangladesh’s problems and are thus unable or unwilling to abide by international environmental law obligations. (Mastny & French, 2002) 3. Conclusion The inherent weaknesses in rules of international diplomacy render many environmental treaties practically pointless. Seeing the abject non implementation of most environmental treaties by developing nations, international organisations are seeking new ways to toughen these agreements. While most such laws impose few penalties, peer pressure is emerging as a potent tool for this purpose. Some treaties also ask nations to report on the progress of promises made at the time of agreement. Beyond persuasion and embarrassment, trade incentives also help in securing compliance. Members of the Montreal Protocol, for example, are forbidden to purchase CFCs or products containing them from nations that have not agreed to the treaty, a condition that has led many nations to join the treaty and take action to reduce ozone depletion. (Bell & Russell, 2002) International agencies, sympathetic nations and NGOs can encourage soft laws through funding decisions and public campaigns. Soft laws tend to establish certain expectations-or create an international mindset-that can then form the basis for more permanent agreements. A large part of the inability of developing nations to act on accord occurs because of their poverty and constrained resources. Redressing this imbalance will depend largely on providing financial and technical assistance to developing nations-and ensuring that funds are well spent. References ASEAN Ministers Okay Agreement on Environmental Laws. (2006, November 12). Manila Bulletin, p. NA. Australian Legal Information Institute, 2007, Retrieved September 25, 2007 from www. austlii. edu. au Barrett, S. (2005). Environment and Statecraft: The Strategy of Environmental Treaty-Making. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Major Case Analysis Daughtery v. City of Maryland Heights, 231 S.W.3D Study

Major Analysis Daughtery v. City of Maryland Heights, 231 S.W.3D 814 (MO. Banc 2007) - Case Study Example In his termination, the City of Maryland Heights maintained that he was not in a position to carry out some essential tasks of his job as he began to suffer from complications that occurred from the accident. He was provided with an option of taking an early disability retirement to avoid termination. However, upon refusal to exercise the option, the City of Maryland Heights terminated him. The physical problems experienced by Daugherty started shortly after he commenced working as an officer in Maryland heights after an accident caused by a drunken truck driver while on duty supervising an accident scene. The accident caused him serious back injuries that kept him from working for over twelve months. However, he later resumed his active duty. After approximately twelve years later, Daugherty was promoted to be a captain. Shortly after the promotion, Daugherty did not attend several months of work as a result of complications from his previous back injury. Later, in 2002, the City of Maryland Heights required that Daugherty should undergo an examination of his health status to determine if he was fit for his duty. The deputy Chief of the Police for the City of Maryland Heights created a memorandum to be used in the evaluation of Daugherty health status, emphasizing on what he believed to be essential for Daugherty’s job. The memorandum was created using both the City’s official description as well as the Deputy Chief’s personal beliefs about what was required of an employee in the position of Daugherty, many of which were very demanding than those listed in the in the official description. However, other officers in the department testified that the position of Daugherty was viewed as a supervisory position. Thus, it was highly unlikely that Daugherty would ever experience a situation that would require strenuous physical activity. The report provided by the physician stated that Daugherty was not able to perform any duty listed in the memo randum. Finally, the City of Maryland heights terminated Daugherty’s employment. Upon learning of the decision to terminate him, Daugherty made an appointment with his supervisor to discuss the decision. However, unknown the supervisor, Daugherty decided to make an audio recording of the conversation between him and the supervisor. In the conversation, the supervisor stated that the City of Maryland Height’s administrator had an intention of getting rid of employees over 55 years old since their salaries were very costly to the City. Daugherty received the right-to sue letter from the Missouri Commission of Human Rights and brought suit in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County. He alleged that his termination was as a result of his age and disability. Daugherty appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court that reversed the decision of the lower courts. The Laws violated in the case The legal backgrounds provided by the Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA) render it unlawful for an employer to terminate an employee from employment because of race, color, disability, religion, sex, or national origin. Therefore, an employee who believes that the employer has violated the MHRA must file a complaint with the commission. Final verdict of the Court In the Daugherty v, City of Maryland Heights, case number 231 S.W 3D 814 (Mo. 2007) the Missouri Supreme Court acknowledged that the discrimination safeguards under the MHRA are not

Do EU trade policies help or hurt developing countries Essay

Do EU trade policies help or hurt developing countries - Essay Example By 2002, EC was already in more than 50 out of about 172 such arrangements around the globe thus maintain economic and trade relations with a myriad of economies in the developed, developing and even less developed economies. The EU has been keen as a positive force to generate economic prosperity for its member states. To the developing economies, EC has maintained preferential trade arrangements under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) while to most less developed countries, trade arrangements have largely been guided by the Cotonou Agreement, which succeeded the Lome’ Convention (Bhagwati, Greenaway, & Panagariya, 1998, p.1128-1148). EU’s trade arrangement within the Euro zone encompasses a common currency, common external tariff, common agricultural and competition policies as well as common rules on freedom of goods and services, capital and people. EU has entered into other trade agreements with countries and regions in other continents of the world. Among these is the European Economic Area (EEA) that extends the EU market to three countries, which are members of the EFTA . Another arrangement is the Customs Unions with countries such as Malta, Cyprus and Turkey. EU has also got several Free Trade Area (FTA) arrangements with a number of countries and regions around the world, but these are at different implementation levels. These include countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Israel, and Morocco under the Euro-Mediterranean Association, while Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Mexico and Chile are under the FTA arrangement among others. There is also the Mediterranean partnership where EU relates with several associates in the southern and Eastern Mediterranean. This particular trade arrangement aims to achieve FTA in line with provisions of the WTO through entering into various bilateral agreements starting with a series of association agreements. It also aimed at the expansion of the EU financial assistance to USD 4.7 billion over a period of 5 years from 1995 within EU-Mediterranean partnership. The ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) preference is another set of trade arrangements by the EU where it provides one way trade preferences for more than seventy countries in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific. These preferences are, however, not available to all developed countries in these regions and do not also apply to only least developed economies, for example. Thus, contravene the provision of the WTO regarding discriminatory practices, equity and fairness (Devisscher, 2011, p. 60). As per the United Nations rankings, 39 of the ACP economies are under the least developed category. Finally, GSP preferences by EU to a number of least developed countries exist as stipulated under the GSP provisions of the WTO. The EU’s GSP arrangement contains the ‘Everything but Arms’ (EBA) initiative for the least developed economies as well as general arrangements that are available to all developing countries and apply to non-sensitive products that come duty free. There are also the special arrangements under the Environmental and Social clauses, which apply to sensitive products only. Special incentives under the environmental clause apply to developing countr

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 85

Summary - Essay Example The authors provide useful information by indicating that minority ethnic groups are usually alternative consumers because they have a different culture compared to the mainstream population. The authors indicate that migration usually leads to increased presence of minority ethnic groups within a country. These groups are important, making it fundamental to consider their needs during marketing. In order to reach them, the marketers must embrace marketing strategies that are different from the macro community in the same country. In order to reach out to the minority ethnic groups, the marketers should apply procedures that several companies use when dealing with ethical problems. However, one may question such an ideology based on the divergent opinions from scholars and technocrats. It is impossible to apply organizational techniques to address the marketing needs of minority individuals. It is worth restating that failure to formulate comprehensive techniques would only lead to collapse of a marketing

Sitcom Internet Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sitcom Internet Assignment - Research Paper Example Presently, people cite most of these sitcoms lack the necessary â€Å"glue† and creativity, which in the past used to draw large masses into watching them (Rowles). They are just like other â€Å"easygoing† shows comprising TV programs often trying hard to be clever in both entertaining and creating attention but in vain (Rowles). For instance, Rowles in his article cites the current â€Å"Modern Family† does not have those â€Å"gluing† and thrilling scenes, hence, many viewers currently only watch them because it is â€Å"just there†. This depicts lack of creativity leading to retarding nature of characters that almost throughout relayed episodes do not have anything new but the recycled depiction of behaviors. Hence, turning to be predictable such that viewers are always aware of the upcoming episode and what will present, which signifies absence of originality almost in all shows. Therefore, current sitcoms seem to attract viewers only by use of well-crafted and scripted names or titles. This is evident in â€Å"Modern family† whereby the show ought to depict the reality characterizing 21st century family setting but assumes a conservative nature, which is even far from incomparable to the 1920s American sexual transition era (Rowles). Most of this show’s episodes do not deal with modern predicaments facing families to make them thrilling and entertaining but tend to focus on jealousy issues mostly represented by Petty. This has prompted some of its viewers claiming the show even in ten decades to come will remain the same irrespective of airing numerous episodes. Since, the show has never presented viewers with anything thrilling to challenge their imaginations to such an extent they are unable to guess the nature of next episodes (Rowles). Ojalvo, Doyne and Schulten in their study refer sitcoms as â€Å"cultural texts† whereby anybody is capable of predicting their entire outcomes. They are similar t o numerous texts students normally analyze whereby eventually manage to get similar stylistic devices. This is absence of innovation on the part of scriptwriters and those behind sitcoms despite giving them fancy names bear similar materials. This is recycling of ideas with little or no change to add on the thrilling aspects contrary to the viewers who are changing by the day as they watch other varied programs. Hence, they depict a downward trend that has prompted numerous viewers stop watching them or doing so because they are â€Å"just there† while waiting for their favourite programs (Ojalvo, Doyne and Schulten). The new sitcom family has certainly matured since the days of â€Å"I Love Lucy,† yet do the new sitcom families represent the diversity of American families today? Do we see African-American families? Asian families? Same-sex families? Are we seeing diversity or are the networks still playing it safe so as to not â€Å"offend† advertisers. In the present age, despite directors and other proponents citing sitcoms have undergone immense transformation by presenting mature content, they have lacked representation of American racial diversity. Characters comprising most of the current sitcoms are whites, which is not a reflection of American families. For instance, after â€Å"Cosby† series, other telecasted shows like â€Å"Reed between the Lines† feature attractive and well off family having beautiful children facing daily challenges but manage to resolve them within 30 minutes (Braxton). This leaves viewers

Post traumatic stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Post traumatic stress - Essay Example The current state of literature suggests that numerous events and factors can trigger posttraumatic stress in children, from a minor physical injury to earthquakes and wars. Psychological treatment has a potential to reduce the symptoms and complications of posttraumatic stress in children. The current state of empirical literature suggests that a whole range of factors and events can trigger the development of posttraumatic stress experiences in children. Dozens of studies confirm that children are particularly vulnerable to the risks of PTSD. Aaron, Zaglul and Emery (1999) explored posttraumatic stress in children after acute physical injury. The researchers interviewed forty children 8-17 years old and concluded that many children hospitalized with physical injuries met diagnostic criteria for PTSD (Aaron et al, 1999). In a similar vein, Thabet and Vostanis (1999) analyzed posttraumatic symptoms investigating Palestinian children who suffered the emotional effects of war. War was found to heavily contribute to the development of posttraumatic experiences in Palestinian children: 72.8% of children in the sample reported posttraumatic reactions to war traumas (Thabet & Vostanis, 1999).

Fluid Mechanics 230 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fluid Mechanics 230 - Essay Example TYPES OF DRAG Form drag This could be described as the frictional force resulting from the shape of a moving object. This drag remains highly dependent on size and shape of objects; hence, the name form drag (Batchelor 2000). Bodies with larger cross-sectional designs experience higher levels of form drag than those presented with sleek design. The shape and size of a body affects the surface area of the object which comes into contact with the fluid. The experienced frictional forces results from contact between the moving object and fluid through which movement occurs. The occurrence of this drag depends on the object shape, large cross-sectional designs offers higher percentage of object contact with fluid, frictional forces inducing higher levels of form drag. Skin friction Skins friction refers to a type of drag resulting from frictional forces existing between the skin of objects and the fluid through which movement occurs. This drag arises from interaction between fluids and o bject surface, and remains dependent on wetted surface area when addressing occurrence within marine vehicles. This frictional force remains directly proportional to the surface area of the object’s skin contacting the fluid. The frictional force also follows the drag equation making it a coefficient of prevailing square of marine vehicle speed. Fluid viscosity, resulting from friction between neighbouring parcels of fluid moving in a different direction, contributes to the occurrence of viscous drag. Viscous drag, consequently, contributes to the development of skin friction within marine vehicles. Interference drag This could be defined as drag caused by flow interference experienced at structural junctions of objects moving within fluids. The experienced interference ultimately contributes to increased pressure upon other parts of the surface contacting fluids, consequently increasing the overall drag effect. While all objects experience certain levels of drag, when moving within fluids, the presence of junctions upon the structure increases the overall drag experienced by objects. Interference drag remains characteristic of objects having transonic flow. Objects moving at high speeds nearing 700 miles per hour commonly experience interference drag related to the travelling speeds nearing those of sound. The surrounding fluid speeds normally affect the occurrence of interference drag. When fluids move in the opposite direction, the resulting speed experienced at the contact increases significantly, and could contribute to the occurrence of interference drag in objects moving at slower speeds. Lift-induced drag This could become defined as drag resulting from the redirection of airflow by moving objects towards a different direction. In moving marine vessels this drag normally results from flowing air inducing a lifting characteristic upon the marine vehicles. Lift-induced drag within marine vehicles occurs on vessels moving on water. Vessels moving u nderwater, like submarines, cannot experience this drag force because it becomes induced through air. Underwater vessels only remain in contact with water. These marine vehicles never come into contact with air as they travel submerged underwater. When vessels travel at increased speeds on water, the influence of air affects the motion through inducing a lifting motion upon marine vessels. The lift normally occurs following substantial changes in speed and direction of flowing wind. While vessels might remain travelling

Happiness Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Happiness Research - Essay Example Based on the appraisal-based theory of happiness, Myers and Diener maintain that one's personality traits, the characteristics of one's social milieu etc can determine one's happiness. Whereas a person's age, sex, race, and income etc cannot determine factors of happiness, "better clues come from knowing a person's traits, whether the person enjoys a supportive network of close relationships, whether the person's culture offers positive interpretations for most daily events, whether the person is engaged by work and leisure, and whether the person has a faith that entails social support, purpose, and hope." (Myers and Diener, 1995, p 17). In a reflective exploration of the arguments put forward by Myers and Diener, it becomes lucid that family support and family relations are two important factors that contribute to happiness or the subjective well-being of an individual. In their article, Myers and Diener offer crucial premises concerning the happiness or satisfaction with life and they suggest that personality traits, supportive network of close relationships, culture, work and leisure, social support, purpose, and hope etc can determine one's happiness. It is fundamental to investigate the premise by the authors that people who have strong family relations are happy and healthy. ... Thus, in their important study titled "Family Support, Family Income, and Happiness: A 10-Year Perspective", North, Holahan, Moos, and Cronkite examined the role of income and social support in predicting coexisting happiness and change in happiness and the conclusions of their study support the premise of Myers and Diener that people who have strong family relations are happy and healthy. "Income had a small, positive impact on happiness, which diminished as income increased. In contrast, family social support, measured by 3 subscales, Cohesion, Expressiveness, and Conflict, showed a substantial, positive association with concurrent happiness, even after controlling for income." (North, Holahan, Moos, and Cronkite, 2008, p. 475). Therefore, it is essential to realize that family social support has a great influence on the happiness of an individual, as against income, and financial stability. The family support and family relations are among the most fundamental elements determining the well being of an individual and the organization of family life can influence the individual's happiness. Based on literature review on the topic, Myers and Diener maintain that the impoverished social connections in the ever more individualistic modern societies hinder happiness and well being of individuals. "Individualistic societies offer personal control, harmony between the inner and outer person, and opportunity to express one's feelings and talents, though with the risks of a less embedded, more detached self." (Myers and Diener, 1995, pp 14-15). The social support system as well as family support and relations can greatly help one in realizing happiness. The value

Capital Punishment Essay Example for Free

Capital Punishment Essay As a society we have an established set of rules and norms that are enforced by our justice system which we as a people have deemed as the highest power to determine when these rules and norms are broken and what appropriate punishment should be given. We live in a world filled with diversity. Not only diversity in cultures but diversity with people in terms of character and morals. Society is filled with both good upstanding people but also those people who find it less than necessary to follow any norms or rules society has created but instead find a life in crime. Crimes can range from something minimal such as theft to the most serious which is murder. This introduces us to capital punishment or more commonly termed, the death penalty. Though openly controversial, capital punishment has its share of opponents and supporters. Many philosophers have discussed issues in relation to violence, laws and punishment. Malcolm X is one such philosopher. His beliefs in violence in terms of self defense can relate to the issue of capital punishment. Malcolm X believed that one should defend themselves by all means necessary when it means self defense. He believed in non violence unless one’s life was at risk and needed defending. In such cases self defense should be practiced. In his famous speech â€Å"The Ballot or the Bullet† delivered on April 13, 1964 he introduces his principle of self defense and his intentions to work â€Å"non violently as long as the enemy is nonviolent† but also be â€Å"violent when the enemy gets violent†. These are examples of his principles. There are other philosophers that approach the issue of capital punishment in more depth. Hugo Adam Bedau and Ernest van den Haag are two such philosophers who present their arguments to capital punishment. Bedau and Haag offer compelling arguments that as a reader one may find it difficult to choose a side. The fact of the matter is that capital punishment is the most extreme form of punishment and because of its severity and irreversibility; its usage must be very stringent. Both Bedau and Haag discuss capital punishment and take relatively different sides about similar issues. Both construct their arguments discussing issues such as capital punishment and its unjust application, its deterrence ability and the possible execution of innocent people. Haag takes on the position of pro capital punishment and argues his position in his article â€Å"In Defense of the Death Penalty†. Bedau on the other side takes on the position of pro abolition and discusses his arguments in his article â€Å"Capital Punishment†. We’ll begin with Haag and his arguments. Haag argues that the execution of innocent people believed to be guilty is a miscarriage of the justice system and should be stopped but it does not warrant the abolishing of capital punishment. Killing innocent people is not enough to abolish capital punishment and thus risking the innocent lives that may be saved by these â€Å"murderers†. These advantages in turn outweigh the disadvantages of killing innocent â€Å"criminals† and the punishment of capital punishment is just. In executing a murderer it is concluded by Isaac Ehrlich’s 1933-1969 study that one execution may result in 7 or 8 fewer murders because the execution acts as deterrence for future murders (pg. 351). Haag presents us with two choices in regards to deterrence. The first choice he presents is that to trade the life of a convicted murderer and save the 7 or 8 innocent victims whose murder is probable unless the murderer is executed. The second choice is to allow the murderer to live and possibly lose the 7 or 8 innocent people who the murderer can possibly kill. Most of us would choose the first choice and Haag agrees. He argues that it would be irresponsible not to execute the murderer simply because there is no guarantee that their execution would help save the lives of potential innocent victims. It seems immoral to allow murderers to live on even if there is even the slightest possibility that innocent lives are at risk. Haag supports this argument by stating that â€Å"more severe penalties are more deterrent than less severe penalties† (pg. 352). People are less likely to commit severe crimes if the punishment is just as severe. With that said it only seems logical to say that the most severe crime warrants the most severe punishment. Thus, murderers should be punished with the death penalty. Haag also uses the situation with current prisoners to elaborate his point of how capital punishment is a deterrent. Prisoners serving life sentences and who are not sentenced to execution relatively follow prison rules and norms because the possibility of a more severe punishment or sentence does exist. Haag states that without the death penalty, prisoners would find no reason to avoid committing more crimes towards fellow prisoners or guards because the abolishment of the death penalty presents them with a sort of immunity. They can freely commit more crimes knowing they will not get additional punishment. Not only within the prison context but criminals on the outside world and who anticipate that their crime will result in a life sentence may be compelled to murder as many people as necessary to facilitate their escape. No death penalty threat would stop them from committing more crimes. This is where death penalty plays the deterrent role. Whether capital punishment is at fault for sometimes executing innocent people or positively deterring other criminals from committing murder, the death penalty and its application is the third issue we will discuss. According to Haag the death penalty is separate from its moral characteristic. If the death penalty is perfectly distributed but morally unjust, it would be unjust in each case. In the same manner if the death penalty was morally just but applied discriminatorily it would remain just in each case. Guilty people do not all of a sudden become innocent because they escaped it or innocent people don’t deserve punishment because others suffer it. Justice and equality are not hand in hand and though equality should be important and practiced it should not affect the hand of justice. Bedau stands on the other side of the capital punishment issue. His arguments try to prove why the position of abolition is better. In respects to the same issues that Haag presents I will discuss Bedau’s arguments Both Haag and Bedau discuss how it is possible that with capital punishment innocent people deemed guilty are executed. However, Bedau presents this argument in a cost benefit analysis. Haag states that the execution of innocent people is a miscarriage of justice and that its advantages of possibly saving future innocent victims because of the execution of the murderer outweigh the drawbacks of executing an innocent person. Therefore Haag uses the lives of future innocent victims as the advantage of capital punishment whereas Bedau though agreeing with Haag about the possibility of executing innocent people, identifies the risks as â€Å"social costs† (pg. 367). Bedau proceeds to discuss the economic costs that the death penalty incurs. Cost of housing the prisoner while on death row, cost of the capital trial and of the appeals. Bedau discusses the risk of executing innocent people just as Haag but Bedau finds different aspects of it to elaborate and approaches the matter in terms of costs to society. Haag makes two points in regards to deterrence for which Bedau has an argument he presents. According to Haag, capital punishment deters other criminals from committing murder and per the Ehrlich study 1 execution saves 7 or 8 innocent lives and not executing the murderer is a form of irresponsibility when the only reason is that there is no guarantee that their execution will lengthen or save future innocent victims who would be murdered had the murderer be spared. Bedau argues that capital punishment cannot deter murder but instead it can possibly only prevent it. Bedau draws a distinction between the death penalty as a crime preventive and death penalty as a crime deterrent. Haag does not make a distinction and instead only discusses the death penalty as a crime deterrent. It is only reasonable that the distinction be made. Executing a murderer can be seen as a crime preventive if the execution prevents the murderer from killing again. It can also be seen as a crime deterrent if the execution serves as an example and results in frightening off others from committing murder. Now according to Haag capital punishment serves as a deterrent for murderers but on the contrary Bedau argues that capital punishment can never deter the murderer from further crimes but rather it can at most prevent them from committing them. It is impossible to determine what deterrence the death penalty proves for the person has already been executed. There is no way of measuring the number of crimes the murderer did not commit because of the death penalty threat. Bedau presents us with an alternative. He argues that because it is impossible to know what or how many crimes a murderer will be deterred from committing with a death penalty threat, it is just as likely the same crimes be deterred by a lesser punishment such as long-term imprisonment. This fails to show that the death penalty is a better deterrent than the less severe penalty of long-term imprisonment for the crime of murder. Bedau then reinforces this by concluding that if death penalty and long-term imprisonment have an equal effectiveness or ineffectiveness as deterrents to murder, then arguing for capital punishment as deterring murder is flawed and weakened. In congruence to his stand on abolition Bedau then argues that there is no reason for choosing the death penalty when a lesser punishment can be just as effective. After discussing capital punishment as a deterrent and the risks of executing innocent people that it creates, Bedau presents a different approach and perspective to Haag in terms of the death penalty and its application. Haag states that unequal justice is still justice and that equality before the law should be enforced but never at the expense of justice. Bedau offers a different perspective. According to Bedau, the death penalty is a â€Å"poor man’s justice† (pg. 375). Both opponents and supporters of the death penalty agree that capital punishment should be practiced fairly, equally and evenly and that it is a fundamental dictate of justice. The only dispute lies with the actual use of capital punishment. Bedau further elaborates how capital punishment is unfairly distributed. People are sentenced to death not because of their release risks or poor parole but because they have poor defense at trial; they have inexperienced or overworked counsels or they are just without the funds for an appeal trial. This reinforces the street saying â€Å"those without the capital get the punishment† (pg. 375) as Bedau quotes. People are not convicted based on their nature or violent behavior but rather on how much money they both have and are willing to spend on their trial. Bedau and Haag present different arguments to similar issues and though Bedau can agree with Haag on an issue or two, he finds a different approach to it and elaborates it differently. Haag and Bedau present very compelling arguments and it is not difficult to understand each of their points. However, personally I would have to say that I take a much harsher and tougher stand in capital punishment. One that is not discussed by either philosopher. Of course in a perfect world murder would not exist and capital punishment would not be needed, but in this world murder and those who commit murder are very much real. Capital punishment should mean a life for a life; Lex talionis as Bedau briefly mentions. In the most literal terms if a person has the heart and willingness to murder another human being then they should be willing to lose their life the same exact way. I do believe in capital punishment being a deterrent to murder but the fact that not every murder results in the death penalty as punishment I believe is a reason why some criminals are sometimes reckless with their decisions. However, if there was some way of knowing how a trial was to end and know that the punishment would be the death penalty, it would have to make the criminal think twice. Some argue that the death penalty is just an easy way out for the murderer. This is why I further will elaborate my point. The death penalty should be specific to the murder. If a murderer tortures his victim then they too should be tortured. If the murderer shoots his victim they too should be shot to death and if the murderer burns his victim they too should be burned. Now I would like to clarify that this should be applied to murders that are premeditated or intended and not accidental deaths. This should apply to those criminals that had an obvious intention to cause harm to their victims and resulting in death. I can understand the moral and ethical questions this would bring up and the issue of stooping to the level of murderers but those are just issues and opinions, the fact of the matter is you take a life you give your life. This approach will of course never happen so I will offer a different one. Considering that it is argued that capital punishment is unfairly applied and that an accused murderer’s innocence or guilt is determined based on how much funds they have to afford good counsel and appeals then as a way to eliminate this risk every single person who si accused of murder should have the best counsel available to them regardless of whether they can afford it or not. This will allow every single person to get a fair trial and the possibility of executing someone who is actually innocent will no longer exist. A person will no longer be executed with the possible doubt that they may be innocent but just could not afford to be defended fairly. If someone murderers another human being then they should be punished just as severely, but also until their guilt is proven they should be defended like anyone else, regardless of how much money they have. Innocence and guilt should never have a price tag. Capital punishment is our society’s way of keeping moral boundaries and norms in place. We as a people can have different opinions about the severity of the death penalty but that is all they are, opinions. Whether we agree with the death penalty or oppose it we must learn to recognize other points of views and educate ourselves. Murder is the most severe of crimes and the death penalty is the most severe of punishments. Therefore, each one of us has a choice to decide whether they go hand in hand.

Performance And Reward Management Commerce Essay

Performance And Reward Management Commerce Essay Performance management means measuring criteria for organizational progress helping to accomplish their set target and goals by taking suitable actions for the improvement of the company. Performance management system aims to achieve the following target: Enabling each employee to know what is actually been needed and what should be his role in achieving those targets. It helps to maintain an honest relationship between the employees. Enabling each individual employee to feel motivate at work and make him know about his valued contribution in the project. Enabling organization to reward the employees for his exceptional contribution to the company. Performance management system is being designed to successfully achieve the set objective as well as it also focus on helping the employees to understand what is being needed from them and how they could deliver it to the company. Three components of performance management system Initially setting up the required aim which is needed to be target and making the employees to clearly know what should be their contribution towards achieving the required target. Distinguishing between the areas where the performance is strong and the area where there is a need for improvement therefore suggesting ways to improve the service delivery action. Rewarding the employee with the best performance outcome. Relation between motivation and performance management Motivation refers to strengthening of internal activities which drives or boost the performance of man. There is a direct relationship between performances to motivation; if an employee is highly motivated then he/she is expected to perform better at job. Theories suggesting the following implementations are: Reinforcement theory of motivation this theory describes the effect of present behavior onto its future consequences, focusing on changing the employee behavior according to the surrounding situation through four types of operational conditioning: Positive reinforcement Motivating employees by the means by increasing wages, giving him bonus or either promoting him, all this reinforcement is being provided as a reward to the employee to repeat the desired behavior adapted by the employee at the workforce. Negative reinforcement Strengthening the employee behavior and raise it up the baseline attempt like avoidance or ignorance if the employee is not been working as he/she should be working. Extinction It is like not providing the employee neither with the positive reinforcement and nor with the negative reinforcement, if an employee is working then also he is not getting a thanks or a reward for his work. Punishment It is for decreasing the continuity of behavior which the employee is being following at the workplace. The reinforcement theory on the management side: Managers should be informing the employee about the things which they are doing wrong and shouldnt be repeated while directing them to the way which could help them to receive positive reinforcement. Managers should also understand it is important to reward employees for their performance because if the deserving candidate is not getting the reward then he/she may not be performing to the level previously used to. Equity theory of motivation supposing two employees worked equally at office but an employee A gets 20% percent increment while employee B gets 10 percent increment. Employee B is pleased with his performance because where other employees are getting only 6 % increment he got 10% but while comparing to A he will be rather disappointed therefore people compare their reward to the ratio of the reward what the other person is getting to the input applied. Therefore in such a case managers must be very careful while they are rewarding and provide each employee with a specified target to motivate them and even this removes the indifference attitude within the employees about others. (analytictech website) Four factors that need to be considered when managing performance It is very crucial to review employees performance level which includes their behavior they should be exhibiting in the company.Factors that are needed to take in consideration when managing performance are: Planning It means setting up the performance goal and expectation which is required to be followed by the employees in line to achieve the set target, involving employees in the planning action to make them understand what the organization is targeting and what should be their contribution in the achieving the target. Monitoring Projects and assignment are monitored continuously for consistently measuring the performance and then giving them with feedback about their actions which is needed by them to follow for achieving the target, this regularly checking method helps to meet the determined standard as pert the organization requirement. Developing Developing in the terms means increasing the performance capacity through giving them assignment, regular training session which helps the employees to introduce new skills and perform well. Rewarding Rewarding employees for their talent and contribution to the company procedure result in better effect on to the company performance. (US office for personnel management ) The relationship between performance management and reward Two purposes of reward within a performance management system In any organization the main purpose behind rewarding employees is to motivate them, retaining them to the company and reducing the turnover costing. Employees are the most important valuable possession of the company and it is very important to continuously encourage them for their contribution to the organization. These reward systems are mainly been introduced into the companys environment to give a recognition and encouragement to the committed employee of the company for his extraordinary performance in the company by this Staffs understand what they are expected to do. Contribute to effective performance and reward management in the workplace Components of a total reward system Rewarding system is being used as a tool by company owners to attract the talent they have been looking for their company and to retain the talent with company and from seeing the employees perspective rewards are the payback for their commitment and loyalty towards the company. Components of rewarding system are: Individual growth It includes with investing in people, learning opportunities through training programs and career opportunities through new job openings, promoting or handling oversees assignment project. Compelling future It is very critical component of the rewarding system including companys growth and success, its reputation and image in the market and in front of the employees, stakeholders, companys vision and values. Positive workplace This category includes leadership, commitment and thrust towards the company, working attitude towards his colleges and outside people, his communication inside the company and involvement of the employee. Total pay This category includes the performance criteria, recognizing the employee talent and giving him base pay, variable pay according to his work, providing the employee with additional benefits and pay for his performance in the company. This recognition gives a special entity of the employee in front of his colleges for his actions and performance in the task given to him. (schuster zingheim , 2012) Sources of data (1 of which should be external to the organisation) required by individuals involved in performance and reward management processes. Gathering performance information through quantity or sources helps to ensures that the objective is in line with the ongoing employees behavior and company is performing well. Types of information included are employees call record, sales report or the project deadline report while important information sources include getting feedback through others, personally observing the employee, and reviews on the employees. Getting data from feedback process involves with asking all the subordinate employees, manager about the employee any specified skill and while comparing that data to the final report submitted and based upon that judging the performance and rewarding process. Other data sources which are helpful in determining the performance chart are: past performance report, what are the current objectives of the organization and a standard documentation relating to the career goal. To be able to conduct and reflect upon a performance review and How to support good practice in performance and reward management Frequency, purpose and process of performance reviews Considering performance management review system for an oil spill company, there is an annual cycle system which combines together with the budgeting process and business planning process. It is a three stage process beginning annually in the month of January and ending in the same over a year cycle. Stage one: It is the initial phase starting in the month if January consisting of planning of work agreement, setting up occupational standard, meeting to the required competencies and assigning of the personal development planning in line with the organizational aim. Stage two: This second phase is being carried out throughout the financial year going in a form of regular ongoing process aiming at keeping the information and work agreement data up to date according to the changing environment in which the company is being operating. Regular meetings are put up to discuss on the progress setup of the company. Stage three: At the year ending each individual performance is being reviewed, judging their performance level and comparing the performance to the required level of performance needed for the task to get complete. Once the year get started it is mandatory to run all the three stages serially. Appropriate interviewing skills in order to gauge performance An interview describes the employees intake to the company which can also be taken as a place to measure the performance level of the employee whom the company is planning to take in. Here are some of the questions which demonstrate the performance level of the employee: what skills and special characteristics are up planning to bring in with the job Describe what are your duties and responsibility while performing a task at workforce. from previous event describe your creative work describe situation which describes you can work in a team describe what would be your action in time going through intense pressure and stress Are you prepared to make personal sacrifice for the sake of work related purpose. Effective use of feedback Timely and effective feedback managing system is essential and an important aspect for guarantying successful performance management, giving employees with proper feedback helps to improve their performance level and to timely correct themselves whenever they are falling apart from the required target, feedback helps to motivate them in the right sense to follow the proper path. SMART objectives for developmental purposes Following specific objectives are set to determine development Specifically or exactly illustrating what specific action needed to be followed. Measuring the performance to evaluate are the activities going in line with the determined objective. The set objective must be achievable with the required resources. Relating whether the set objective target is required to get the desired goal. Setting the time limit in which the given objective must be accomplished. Notes on the covered point Talking of my job in my day to day activity I am not dealing with performance management review but I found the task to be very challenging and a good performance review can change the company working and uplift its standard but there is only one requirement employee has to put his full effort. To conduct performance review I have done many researches regarding the subject and regarding this I have learned in the process that for a good performance review it is very important to know the person efforts which he is putting for the development of the company and being supportive, honest and reward person for his achievement helps to bring out what is best from him and if after that also person is not putting his effort than if providing positive feedback to them gives a motivational sound to them and even they can perform well, from the above experience I can comment performance management is not only for the past but it is for the future wellbeing of the company.

Why Marc Antony is a Round Character :: essays research papers

William Shakespeare wonderfully develops the character Marc Antony in his play Julius Caesar to be a round character. Round characters meaning a character that has many traits and isn’t predictable. Antony, who seems to not have many different traits at the beginning of Julius Caesar, really starts showing his real self after Caesar’s death. That also shows that he is unpredictable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Antony’s monologues and soliloquies really help to show readers Antony as a round character. A few traits these soliloquies and monologues show are that he is manipulative and smart, yet also caring and loving. Other traits Antony shows include agreeable, but capable of being in charge; athletic; popular; and able to give recognition where it is deserved. Like most people, Antony has both bad and good traits, and his speeches reflect that.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The manipulative nature of Antony proves true two times. The first time is when Antony is speaking at Caesar’s funeral. Antony is manipulating the crowd by using pauses and by talking Brutus up. This is what Antony says in that instance, â€Å"Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; and Brutus is an honorable man.† (Act III, scene ii, lines 94-95) Antony is saying maybe Brutus is right because he says Caesar was ambitious, and Brutus is, in fact, a very honorable man. In another instance he says, â€Å"Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it,† speaking of Caesar’s will. (Act III, scene ii, line 141) Antony is trying to get the people excited about the will, so they will tell him to read it by acting like he shouldn’t read it. The second time Antony shows that he is manipulative when he wants to change Caesar’s will. At that time Antony proves himself by saying, â€Å"But, Lepidus, go you to Caesar’s house; Fetc h the will hither, and we shall determine how to cut off some charge in legacies.† (Act IV, scene I, lines 7-9) Antony is telling Lepidus to go get the will so they can change it. Antony’s ability to be manipulative is well proven in these instances.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The loving side of Antony that allows him to give recognition where it is deserved is shown a few times. One time comes close after Caesar’s death. Antony says, â€Å"Thou art the ruins of the noblest man that ever lived in the tide of the times,† and it shows his love for Caesar by saying that the noblest man he ever knew was now dead.

Academic and Vocational Integration :: Vocational Education Educational Essays

Academic and Vocational Integration The integration of academic and vocational education, mandated through the 1990 Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act and supported by the 1994 School-to-Work Opportunities Act, is a concept that has been interpreted and implemented in a variety of ways. As a result, its role in school reform and its effectiveness in modifying curriculum content, teaching practices, and school structure to enhance student preparation for work have become obscured. This Myths and Realities attempts to clarify the importance of academic and vocational integration in relation to emerging pedagogy, teaching and learning practices, and school-to-work efforts. New Pedagogy and Teaching/Learning Theories Overshadow the Value of Integration Current research on teaching and learning supports a constructivist pedagogy, which contends that people construct knowledge through their interpretive interactions with and experiences in their social environments. In constructivism, the focus of teaching is on empowering learners to "construct new knowledge" by providing opportunities for them to test academic theories through real-world applications of knowledge in settings that are socially relevant to their lives. Beane (1998) highlights several factors reflecting support of this pedagogy: 1. Growing support for active learning and knowledge construction in place of rote memorization and the accumulation of knowledge constructed by others. 2. Interest in patterns of brain functioning as related to learning. 3. An emerging awareness that knowledge is socially constructed, influenced by ones prior knowledge and social, cultural, and academic experiences. Student-centered teaching, project-oriented instruction, problem-based learning, and contextual teaching and learning are currently promoted as strategies for implementing constructivism. However, they also reflect the philosophy upon which academic and vocational integration is based: that education must forge connections between knowledge development and its application in the workplace. In its most basic form, curriculum integration involves the infusion of academic content into vocational programs, often referred to as "enhanced academics." The new vocationalism, however, calls for "enhanced relevance," which is achieved when students engage in learning experiences that are situated in real-life contexts and that afford in-depth understanding and the development of higher-order thinking skills (Pisapia and Riggins 1997; Stasz 1997). Urquiola et al. (1997) note that curricular integration reflects the process of contextualization by bringing authentic work elements to abstract academic subjects. It contributes to the development of students critical thinking and collaborative skills as well as those that prepare them for skilled jobs. Learning in context and constructing knowledge through socially based experiences are two teaching/learning concepts that draw upon principles of curriculum integration.

Mobile Phone Security

This fact sheet has been developed for the Consumer Education Program by the Communications Commission of Kenya. It was compiled by studying material from various authoritative sources and adopting what Is universally acceptable and relevant to the Kenya situation. The fact sheet is intended to enable Consumers have a good understanding of the issues discussed and hence empower them when making decisions regarding CIT products and services. Introduction One of the biggest threats that a mobile phone user faces today Is loss or theft of the phone.Not only Is the mobile valued as a physical device, the phone may contain personal and financial data stored in the handset or in the phones subscriber identity module (SIMI card). While a stolen SIMI can be barred by a mobile network once the theft has been reported it Is a bit harder to bar the handset from being used with different SIMI card. Unless the user had protected his personal Information with a PIN prior to the theft or loss of th e phone, this data can be accessed by unauthorized persons. Mobile phone users normally store a wide range of information on their phones.This information can either be stored in the phone's Internal or external memory (depending on the make and model of the phone) or In the SIMI card. The SIMI card Is used mainly to store contacts and short messages while the phone's memory is used to store information such as personal photos, emails, and calendar items. In order to prevent unauthorized persons from using the phone and further gaining access to the stored Information, some mobile phones have security features which the user can activate. This fact sheet has been developed to address security of the information stored and what to do should you lose the phone.Securing the information stored. There are at least two methods one can use to secure the Information stored on a mobile phone. These are: a) SIMI lock This method takes advantage of the SIMI card as a storage element to secure private Information associated with the subscriber. The subscriber uses a PIN number which is mostly a four digit code which should only be known to him and is always prompted by the mobile phone every time the SIMI card is inserted into the phone. It Is an effective method since even If the subscriber looses the SIMI card the other person cannot access any information stored on it. Phone lock Mobile phone security This method takes advantage of a password to lock the mobile phone such that access to the phone's functions can only be permitted upon input of the correct password. An eight-digit code is more secure than a four-digit code. Most phones also have an inbuilt an automatic phone lock system which kicks In after a stipulated time period e. G. 30 seconds when activated which Is mostly used as a keypad lock and subscribers are advised to take advantage of this features to enhance the security setting AT tenet phones. N more nana el n a evolves Delve capable AT achieving emails , security especially of corporate email with sensitive internal and external data has become a major concern. This means that mobile handsets hold data which previously only resided in computers. Since this method is more effective and protects more information than the first, subscribers are advised to always lock their phones especially if they hold any sensitive information. Safeguarding your Handset Some of the ways to keep your mobile safe include: ; ; ; Keep your phone safe and out of sight.Only give your number to your friends and people you trust. Avoid using your phone in the street. If you need to call someone in a public place, be discrete and be somewhere where you can see what is happening around you. Use a PIN code to lock your phone. If you're walking alone put your phone on silent or vibrate mode so your ring tone doesn't draw attention to you. Be alert while walking and testing at the same time. Security-mark your phone with a unique code. The best place is underne ath the battery.Many mobile phones are stolen in public places such as cinemas, pubs and nightclubs, especially when they are left on a bar, table or on a seat, so don't leave your phone in such places unattended. Don't leave your phone unattended in a car – if you must, put it out of sight and turn it off or switch to silent mode. It takes seconds for a thief to smash a window and enter a car. For a Bluetooth or Wi-If enabled phone install antivirus software to help guard against harmful programs or viruses. For the sake of the safety of very young children; always keep the phone out of their reach.Avoid making easily identifiable entries in the phone e. G. ‘mum' or ‘dad' for the security of such persons should the phone be lost. There are other methods of securing your phone that are dependent on the genealogy that the phone is based on. The two main technologies used for the provision of mobile services are GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). Phones based on these two technologies connect to their respective networks differently, so the security features differ slightly. Mobile phone security Your GSM Phone's Unique Equipment Identification Number Each GSM mobile phone has a unique electronic serial number called the MIME (International Mobile Equipment Identification) number, which can be identified by the GSM network. It is a 15-digit number programmed into the handset and also written is at the back of the handset, under the battery. On most GSM handsets, it can De Oligopoly on ten managers screen Day pressing ten Key sequence using the keypad, when the phone is switched on.Upon purchase of a mobile handset, users are advised to record their MIME number for use in case the mobile phone is lost or stolen. Your mobile phone service provider can liaise with the police regarding a lost or stolen handset and, if found, your handset will be identified using the MIME. Thieves are deterred fr om stealing mobile phones by MIME blocking. Blocking an MIME on a mobile phone network prevents a GSM mobile phone from being used with any SIMI on any Kenya GSM network. Mobile carriers are able to block the use of customers' lost or stolen mobile phones and unblock recovered mobile phones on their network.They have also agreed to exchange their lists of blocked and unblocked MIME numbers with other mobile carriers so these can also be processed (blocked/unblocked) on all mobile networks. The CDMA phone unique electronic identification number CDMA phones also have a unique electronic identification number, the Electronic Serial Number (SENSE). This number can be found on the back of the CDMA handset under the battery and usually has eight digits, combining letters and numbers. Users are advised tap record this number for identification purposes in case the phone is lost or stolen.Hidden battery power Some mobile phones are designed to reserve battery power. If the cell battery is v ery low and the user is expecting an important call or is confronted by an emergency situation, and doesn't have a charger at that moment, one can activate this reserve battery power. To activate, press the keys *3370#, the cell phone will restart with this serve and the instrument will show a significant increase in battery power. This reserve will get replenished the next time one charges their cell phone.However it should be noted that this only works on some phones. What to do if one's mobile handset is lost or stolen If the user's mobile phone is lost or stolen, the user is advised to contact their mobile phone service provider immediately to suspend service and prevent unauthorized calls being made and billed to the user. If one has a GSM mobile phone, the provider will 3 Mobile phone security block the subscriber's SIMI card and MIME number to prevent heir phone from being used on all Kenya mobile networks.

Ender’s Game Essay

In a world much different from ours, one with aliens and space travel lives a six-year-old boy from Earth. His name is Ender Wiggin and he is far from the ordinary. He is a â€Å"third† meaning that he was not supposed to be born due to birthing restrictions. Through the consideration of the government, his parents were permitted to have a third child. Due to his superior skills, he is chosen to attend battle school in order to fight the buggers. In the process of becoming a leader in order to save the Earth, Ender is manipulated by Valentine, the teachers and Colonel Graff. This makes him a better soldier by facing many obstacles as an individual and making him self-sufficient. Valentine is Enders 8 year old sister, whom he loves very much. Later on in the book, she manipulates him so that he would be determined to save Earth. She herself was tricked into manipulating Ender by Graff, and later regrets it. Valentine manipulates Ender by writing him a letter that Graff had convinced her to do. â€Å"Ender, the Bastards wouldn’t put any of my letters through till now. I must have written a hundred times but you must have thought I never did. Well I did†¦. Some people might think that because you’re being a soldier you are now a cruel and hard person who likes to hurt people, like the marines in the video, but I know that isn’t true. You are nothing like you-know-who. Maybe you seem mean but you’re not fooling me†¦ All my love turkey lips, Val. Don’t write back they’ll probably sikowanalize your letter (Card, pg. 150). Valentine is manipulating Ender by making him believe that he is not like Peter, which is Ender’s greatest fear. She knows that by doing so he will believe her and will be able to focus on winning. Ender however, does not believe her because he realized that if the teachers did not let the rest of her letters be sent, then why this one? He knows she is trying to pressure him into believing that he was not like Peter. Valentine also convinces Ender to not go back to Earth. She tells him that Peter has big plans for him; he has been waiting for this opportunity his whole life. â€Å"He had plans for you, Ender. He would publicly reveal himself when you arrived, going to meet you in front of the videos. Ender Wiggins older brother, who also happened to be the great Locke, the architect of peace. Standing next to you, he would look quite mature. And the physical resemblance between you is stronger than ever. It would be quite simple for him, then, to take over† (Card, pg. 312). Valentine tells him Peter’s plans but Ender does not seem to understand. He believes that either way he has already spent his life being someone’s pawn. After talking to Valentine, he had finally decided to leave with her. He says, â€Å"I am not going for you. I’m not going in order to be governor, or because I’m bored here. I’m going because I know the buggers better than another living soul, and aybe if I go there I can understand them better† (Card, pg. 314). Finally, Valentine also manipulates Ender by meeting him at a lake and encouraging him to continue to go to battle school. â€Å"If you try and lose then it isn’t your fault. But if you don’t try and we lose, then it’s all your fault. You killed us all† (Card, pg. 240/241). Valentine persuades Ender that it is best for him and the world to continue fighting to win the battle. She tells him it is important for him to at least try rather than not try at all. If he tries then no one will say anything because he did his best. However, if he does not try at all, then everyone will blame him knowing that he could have done more t planet Earth. Valentine is someone very significant in Ender’s life and by manipulating him she helped Graff control Ender further. Throughout the book, the teachers around Ender are constantly manipulating him. They decide that by manipulating Ender, it will be best for him in the long run. One point would be when the teachers decided not to tell Ender that he was actually fighting the buggers. Ender you never played me. You never played a game since I became your enemy†¦. Ender, for the past few months you have been the battle commander of our fleets. This was the Third Invasion. There were no games, the battles were real, and the only enemy you fought was the buggers (Card, pg. 296). No one had told Ender that he was actually fighting the buggers at their home planet. They did not tell him so he would feel no pressure. This lead to his victory over the buggers but still Ender was upset. The teachers had manipulated Ender and pushed him too far. The adults are depending on the computer to tell them when they are pushing Ender more than he can handle. You can’t be serious about this schedule of battles. † â€Å"Yes I can. † â€Å"He’s only had is army three and a half weeks. † â€Å"I told you. We did computer simulations on probable results. And here is what the computer estimated Ender would do. † â€Å"We want to teach him, not give him a nervous breakdown† (Card, pg. 173). The fact is they have already gone past his limit. The adults were by giving him more than he could handle. For example, he was once given two battles in one day during his time at Battle School. Lastly, the teachers manipulate him by never helping him in dangerous situations. Every time Ender was ganged up on the teachers would not help him and so he would fight alone. â€Å"If the teachers were allowing that to turn up on official report, it was obvious they didn’t intend to punish anyone for the nasty little skirmish in the battle room. Aren’t they going to do anything? Don’t they care what goes on in this school† (Card, pg. 117). Ender was frustrated and confused as to why the teachers were never there when he was in trouble. He learned to never count on the adults to come and rescue him. These three points made him a better soldier because t made him stronger, more independent and that helped him prepare for the real battle. Graff’s intention of manipulating Ender was to keep him on track. He wanted Ender to only be able to rely on himself and nobody else. Graff wants Ender to use his intelligence to help him get out of a rough situation. The first example of how Graff manipulates Ender is by changing his armies often. He sends Ender from Salamander to Rat, Rat to Phoenix and from Phoenix to Dragon. â€Å"Ender shook his head. It was the stupidest thing he could think of, to promote him ow. Nobody got promoted before they were eight years old. Ender wasn’t even seven yet. And launchies usually moved into the armies together, with most armies getting a new kid at the same time† (Card, pg. 69). Ender was tired of switching armies often. It was only when everything was settling down, when he made a few friends and had gotten over the fact that he was not with Valentine they decide to transfer him. Colonel Graff also manipulates Ender into going to Battle School. â€Å"You won’t miss your mother and father, not much, not for long. And they won’t miss you long either†¦ Well no one wants a third anymore. You can’t expect them to be glad. But your mother and father were a special case† (Card, pg. 21/22). Graff speaks with Ender alone and tells his how his family’s reaction would be. He brings up the past about his parents life and that having a â€Å"third† was such a disgrace for them. He tells Ender that miss them a little but soon he will forget about them and they will do the same. Furthermore, Graff also makes sure that Ender does not get any support from the teachers when he is in problem. He also helps Ender become alienated from the other launchies. â€Å"Ender Wiggins must believe that no matter what happens, no adult will ever, ever step in to help him in anyway. He must believe to the core of his soul that he can only do what he and the other children work out for themselves. If he does not believe that, then he will never reach the peak of his ability† (Card, pg. 202). Graff plays with his mind, mentally making him believe that his teachers will never be there to protect him. He makes Ender believe that he could only depend on himself.

Project Management Essay

Moving forward to begin the process of managing the trade show project for LRH Products, it is important that all aspects of the process are performed correctly and efficiently. After studying the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and the nine knowledge areas, I have ascertained that the following three areas are of utmost importance to the success of this project: Project Time Management, Project Human Resource Management, and Project Communications Management. Project Time Management, which contains the sub-areas of Activity Definition, Activity Sequencing, and Activity Duration Estimating is a very important part of planning for the trade show. Activity Definition is perhaps the most crucial aspect of this area. If this step is not thoroughly researched and all scenarios accounted for, it can impact the rest of the planning activities. It is essential to remember that training is one activity which must be properly time managed and added to the schedule, as well. Even one forgotten item can put the entire project behind schedule. Unfortunately, if time is not managed properly, there can be no extensions to the trade show date. Activity Sequencing is a bit less important although it must also be given careful consideration. Oftentimes, the performance of one activity hinges on the completion of another so little regard to this area could also impact the time to achieve all required activities. Activity Duration Estimating can be one of the trickiest parts of the planning process, especially for a new manager who has no first-hand experience dealing with the assigned personnel and little or no knowledge of resource availability. Oftentimes, managers will respond to questions regarding time in an optimistic manner, believing that this is what their superiors want to hear. It does no good to anyone involved to seriously underestimate the amount of time required and can add undue stress to those assigned tasks with no hope of completing them according to schedule as well as detrimentally affecting motivation and commitment. It is vital to always allow enough time to accomplish all that needs to be done – as well as accounting for changes which may hamper progress. Of course, as uncertainty declines, the time estimate becomes ever more accurate (Billows, 2006). Project Human Resource Management entails Organizational Planning, Staff Acquisition, and Team Development. This is important in that one person cannot perform all tasks and requires the help of a team. According to Trade Show Advisor (2008), â€Å"†¦the effectiveness of your exhibit team can make or break your success at any given show†. Deciding on who is best equipped to handle each activity is vital, although when large amounts of personnel are needed (depending on the size of the trade show) it may be necessary to train staff members who might not have prior experience. Particularly for a new manager, it is best to assign tasks based on areas of strength; for instance, it is known that Pat enjoys updating the collateral. This is a perfect assignment for Pat, then, and the effective manager will base goal times on completion around this employee’s schedule vacation in order to ensure it is performed effectively. Dealing with Terry, who can make travel arrangements but often makes mistakes in setting them up, means additional time considerations to perform follow-up on Terry’s work to check for accuracy. Staff Acquisition is another area of consideration. Due to the limited amount of time each assigned employee is available to devote to the project and keeping in mind that unexpected circumstances, such as illness or personal emergencies may occur, it is always wise to have a selection of personnel from which to select as back-up. Ensuring that all staff members are on the same page and communicating frequently will aid in Team Development. Everyone involved must realize that this project is a team effort and commit to doing whatever is necessary to accomplish goals. As well, it is critical to encourage honest and open communication so that there are no surprises as the project nears its end. Staff members must know that it is all right to admit they are not going to make a deadline, in order for the project manager to come up with alternatives before it is too late to fix. Project Communications Management is by far the most important area of the project management plan. A loss of, or breakdown in, communication can have disastrous results for the entire project. If not properly managed, lost or missing communication can mean the staff attending the show are unprepared, or do not have the necessary resources. Within this broad category are the areas of Communication Planning, Information Distribution, Performance Reporting, and Administrative Closure. Communication Planning – deciding who needs to know what – is a topic best addressed carefully. It takes the ability to look at the big picture to best determine who must stay in the loop. Oftentimes, it is assumed that a minor player, such as an administrative assistant, need not be communicated with as much, or as often, as others, but this can be a fatal mistake. Remember that support staff left behind during the trade show itself are the only lifeline between clients and absent sales managers. It is also a good idea to have one staff member who is not attending the show to be fully informed of all activities in the project. Information Distribution is also a key component, especially when deciding how to communicate vital information. It is important to ensure that all team members receive communications in a timely manner and let the project manager know it has been received to avoid later problems or excuses. Similarly, Progress Reporting is an additional area in which it is vital to ensure the manager is working with the most up-to-date information and that all personnel are aware of how their progress, or lack thereof, impacts the entire project. Administrative Closure is the final step in communication of the project. This is where the manager is held accountable for the success of the trade show and the resulting sales leads which must be followed up on after its conclusion.

Moda Textile Factory: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Essay

1. How have Sergei and Olga’s lives change in Soviet days? Are their lives better? After the collapse of Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan’s economics was slowdown since they was moving to market-based economy. Sergei and his wife lost their job and moved to capital. They borrowed money from family and friends starting business outside of the capital. After long period of time doing business over China, India, and Turkey, they did a better job and had enough capital for a largest department store in town. Their business was getting better and they built their own sewing factory of high quality apparel. The clients are wholesale traders who sold their goods to retailers in Kazakhstan and Russia. They had many difficulties in raising capital, exporting to new market, and many small local competitors. Even still having many challenges, their lives were much better than the period of Soviet Union. 2. What is Moda Textile Factory’s competitive advantage? How can it be used to expand the business? Firstly, Moda Textile Factory had a good relationship with their customers. Sergei had worked with most of his customers for many years, some of them were old friends of family, and also friends he knew during buying trips to Turkey. These loyal customers could bring him a lot of orders. Secondly, Moda Textile provided customer high quality products. They also had planned to make fashionable Italian imported cashmere coats. Different with other sewing workshops, Moda Textile want to develop their market not only in Kyrgyzstan but also in USA, Russia, and Europe. With a bigger target market, they will have more opportunities to expand their business. 3. What kind of people should Sergei and Olga look for as business partner to help them to expand their market outside Kyrgyzstan? How should they find a partner they can trust? What can they do to build trust with person? The best way to enter an outside market is looking for someone who has experience in working in that local market. For instant, the local business partners are good choice since they know the language, culture, and behavior of their area. Multinational companies, who is currently working in the local market because they might have experience of a foreigner entering that market. Finding partners they can just is not easy and takes a lot of time. Therefore, they should take business trip to that area, do some market research about it, and start a small contract with some partners. They need time to adapt to new environment and know what their partners benefits from their business. And they can expand their business gradually when they know the partner and the market better. 4. How can Sergei and Olga begin producing fashionable women’s cashmere coats in their factory? Is this feasible or should they give up the dream? Propose an action plan to move their business in this direction. Sergei and Olga could produce the fashionable women’s cashmere coats as their dream. First of all, they should find out target market for the women’s cashmere coats since the market in Kyrgyzstan is too small to develop. The countries like USA, Russian, or Europe are good choice since they have stable politics and provide more information to foreign traders. Secondly, they may want to find some partners, who understand the local markets to help them start with small contracts. They should get familiar to transportation, tax system, special policies, and culture of these markets. After 1 or 2 years working in different markets, they would realize advantages or difficulties of each market. Based on these experience, they could start doing bigger contracts w ith foreign customers.

Information Technology Essay

A technologically enabled organization is a technologically capable company. Data and information will be at the heart and information re-use shall be constant. In other word, everything is integrated, finance, services, customer files, support database, helpdesk, quality management, customer satisfaction, email, attachments†¦ The information both flow in and out where you can get an holistic view of every information, communication, exchange concerning a specific project that might affect multiple customers, or every bits and pieces of information that pertain to a specific customer. It is a an organization where you have a symbiosis between the customer, who request and the customer who contribute, again, idea bounce in and out and might potentially be shared among interest group, much like a social network, the organization being the enabler between various customers with similar issue, reason why they are the customer of organization XYZ. The information is on the ecommerce site, in the corporate portal, in the intranet, on the mobile phone, the communications are interactive and customers share whiteboard, desktop, files, document management with the organization. Every relation the organization have with its customer contact is managed through a unique ID assigned to each of those contact, nothing complex, maybe an OpenID since so many people already have them or a simple challenge response via SMS, Text Message, Email to login your customer/employee experience center†¦ I hope this will help you understand my perspective of a technologically enabled enterprise, it is a only a vision for now, but it might be the future, who knows 🙂 For now, to me, any subset of those features with integration within a specific business workflow would classify has a technology enabled organization. 2. How does an Organization acquire & disseminal knowledge? First respondent meant from technical perspective . data 1s and 0s .knowledge can be acquired by working in a domain . no other legitimate shortcut. both for a business and anindividual. it is the collective experience that resides in a non physical plane of existence.it can be imparted/propogated to others in the form of a processor documentation( paper or electronic ) or it will be ingrained in the team members even without documentation.this process or documentation should not be dependent on a single person. ie nobody should be indispensableincluding top leadership. many business entities thrive as leaders even without proper documentation of theirworking knowledge . it is ingrained in their employees& stakeholders.There are a number of ways, but all are connected with a common link-experienced workers need to share bestpractices. Formal Mentor programs encourage face to face meeting where mentors can monitor and validate theirprotege’s progress. Another method that we are implementing is wikis where we ask very specific questions andmonitor the responses. This has been a good way for the organization to share the collective knowledge anddefines our corporate culture. 3. Why do you suppose inquiry – only applications were developed instead of fully on lines system? Participation constraint – a participation constraint determines whether relationships must involve certain entities. An example is if every department entity has a manager entity. Participation constraints can either be total or partial. A total participation constraint says that every department has a manager. A partial participation constraint says that every employee does not have to be a manager. Overlap constraint – within an ISA hierarchy, an overlap constraint determines whether or not two subclasses can contain the same entity. Covering constraint – within an ISA hierarchy, a covering constraint determines where the entities in the subclasses collectively include all entities in the super class. For example, with an Employees entity set with subclasses Hourly Employee and Salary Employee, does every Employee entity necessarily have to be within either Hourly Employee or Salary Employee? Weak entity set – an entity that cannot be identified uniquely without considering some primary key attributes of another identifying owner entity. An example is including Dependent information for employees for insurance purposes. Aggregation – a feature of the entity relationship model that allows a relationship set to participate in another relationship set. This is indicated on an ER diagram by drawing a dashed box around the aggregation. Role indicator – If an entity set plays more than one role, role indicators describe the different purpose in the relationship. An example is a single Employ ee entity set with a relation Reports-To that relates supervisors and subordinates. 4. What kind of technology is least flexible? Most flexible? I would say that it is dependent on the licensing. The most flexible being that which comes from the Open Source family. At the root of it all, Open Source software allows any to read edit and redistribute any technology they encounter(based on the licensing). The closed source model, is exactly that closed, you can not even view the code usuallywithout first signing a non-disclosure agreement, if you can even see it at all. This means you can not audit thecode that may be entering your environment, nor can you make any real modifications or taylor it to your own specific needs. In the Software Industry an example of this is the adoption of Unix (Free BSD) by Apple to develop their Softwareon. The BSD licensing has been a favorite of big business due to its flexibility. However it would seem Apple hasshot themselves in the foot by alienating the open source community, the lack of support from Apple for theOpenDarwin project resulted in its end of life. This was a community who was actively contributing to the core of their Operating System for free. There is still a wealth of portable code that is available to anyone looking todevelop on their platform, however the closed source elements within due definitely inhibit growth. Linux is often deemed the champion of Open Source Software, however since its inception it has been a mixed bagof software licenses. This has been brought to light by the influx of lawsuits over the years, its licensing GPL may beless favorable for the corporate developer. 5. How does strategic planning differ between a firm that offers services & one that manufacturers a product? Is there a difference in the impact of technology on strategy in any two types of firms? The Strategic Planning Process So let’s step back and take a look at what an end-to-end product planning cycle might look like when integrated with the company’s strategic planning cycle. Assuming that a company resets its corporate strategy, financial plans, and product plans once per year, the planning process would ideally occur during the 3rd and 4th quarters of the fiscal year in preparation for the upcoming year. The five basic steps in the planning process (as depicted in figure 1) are: 1. Market review.  2. Financial review. 3. Corporate strategy. 4. Product strategy. 5. Product Roadmap and Release schedules. During the first step, product management presents a market review to executive management sharing facts on market trends and opportunities, key customer needs, and competitor moves and positions. Though product management will keep tabs throughout the year on many of these items, this is the opportunity to update the information to make sure it is complete and current. Other functions may be invited to provide their perspectives on the market and customers as well. During the financial review phase, the finance organization presents results on the financial performance for the company overall, for its sales channels and for its products. Providing revenue and profitability by product is critical to making good product decisions and developing effective strategies. The next step is where the company’s executive team outlines its corporate strategy in terms of its vision, financial goals and its plan for achieving those goals. The corporate strategy should be explicitly presented to the product management team to facilitate development of a product strategy. For some smaller businesses, steps 3 and 4 may be combined into a single step. During step 4, product management develops its product strategy considering market dynamics, customer needs, financial goals, and corporate strategy. It specifies what changes to the products are needed and indicates the financial plan for each product area. The product strategy should be reviewed by the executive team to ensure alignment with the corporate strategy before proceeding to the next step. The final step involves the development of a product roadmap and more detailed release plans for the coming quarters consistent with the product strategy. This roadmap becomes the official â€Å"product plan of record† and should be managed with formal change control procedures. This step is executed at the conclusion of the annual planning cycle and is repeated every 3 or 4 months to allow responses to changing market conditions and deployment schedules and should be re-approved by executive management.

International Business - Final Analysis and Conclusion Essay

International Business - Final Analysis and Conclusion - Essay Example Seeking international expansion by moving into global market as an exporter- importer offers various opportunity aplenty. Through entering the global scene, Six Flags Entertainment Corp learn how to compete better domestically through adoption of workable foreign strategies. Likewise, they might compete effectively against international companies-and easily take the battle to these foreign companies on their own arena. The domestic and foreign potential impact of Six Flags Entertainment Corp in Singapore puts into question the overriding question to go global and the need to improve their potential for growth and expansion. This is in light with the potential challenges such as personnel and conflicting cultural setup to the traditional domestic market. Potentially selection and evaluation methods of distributing might impact on product abroad. Thus Six Flags Entertainment Corp can choose from various means for distributing product that have succeed in traditional market, from creating foreign subsidiaries that are company-owned to working with both domestic and foreign agents, distributors and representatives. All these might assist the company to reduce the risks associated with foreign