Marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing - Research Paper Example The customer oriented approach has won her many laurels and once the customer enters her store, they keep coming every 7-10 days to purchase more products. Her success lies in offering what customer needs. Growth is a way of life and Kudler too wants to expand suitably selecting right product mix and targeting potential customers. Currently, markets and the demographics of the region are rapidly changing due to movement of the people across the states and nations. Though Kudler offers a great promise as a discerning gourmet store in the California region; nevertheless, it becomes essential for the firm to conduct some essential market research before putting its scarce and valuable resources on the business expansion. Identifying and Defining Marketing Issues In order to expand, Kudler needs to identify places where it can open new gourmet stores. After a setback from Del Mar location, the company is quite conscious of finding the most lucrative locations in California. Del Mar was a small town with not enough population to support its store. Through the market intelligence, the company has already identified some of the promising locations such as San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Palm Springs but before starting its store at any of these locations, the company must ensure through a proper market research that its decision to expand will not backfire. Carlsbad is one such site that shows enormous potential and once store at Carlsbad gets steam, Del Mar store may be gradually phased out. Marketing Research for Finding Potential Locations The company is well aware of the fact that the most specialty gourmet stores are located in the eastern half of the US and they do a roaring business there. In the last few years or so a sizeable population has moved from Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey to the west coast due to job prospects in technology sector and these populations are well aware about the concept of gourmet stores. In view of the various al ternatives, the major issue is to find the most promising locations where residents of the area are aware about the concept and would always be eager to patronize such stores if they find one in their area. Before taking a final plunge, the company needs to conduct a survey in the towns of Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, San Diego, and San Francisco. The survey will involve asking a set of questions through a skillfully prepared questionnaire to the randomly selected but representative target customers to explore the real potential in the area. The questionnaire needs to be designed skillfully so that the real objective of the survey to find the most potential location is fulfilled. This is crucial because once the store is opened making huge investments on infrastructures there is no way out to go back. Marketing Research for Choosing Appropriate Product-Mix Moreover, the company has been thinking to open Asian Specialty Produce Department at San Francisco area to meet the needs of As ian population – especially the fresh herbs, and spices. The idea is to serve a special group of Asian customers who can not only afford the special product offerings but always eager to patronize the store quite often. That simply means that before opening a shop at this area, it would be advisable to do some market research that will decide about the core Asian community group such as Japanese, Chinese, Korean or Indian subcontinent region that the company wants to target at. These Asian groups differ in their taste and

Peking man Essay Example for Free

Peking man Essay The theory of evolution is backed up by fossils of the ‘Peking man’ found in China during the early twentieth century. The current human species is believed to be the descendant of the Homo erectus, our predecessor species with a smaller brain and upright stature; the Peking man is a subspecies of this group and the corresponding fossil remains were estimated to be nearly 550,000 years old. However, recent Chinese fossil findings conducted by Nanjing Normal University in 2008 suggest the age of a Peking man skull to be at least 750,000 years old. The Homo erectus species is believed to have migrated from Africa approximately 2 Million years ago to Asia. The new estimated age of the Peking man fossils puts forward the possibility of two different subspecies having settled in different parts of Asia during the same timeline. The Homo erectus species had inhabited China and other parts of Southeast Asia for over half a million years. According to University of Iowa’s Russell Ciochon, the Peking man is likely to have coexisted with other Homo erectus subspecies; while one group of Homo erectus is assumed to have settled down in subtropical areas of Zhoukoudian in China, the unfamiliar weather could have driven the other group Southeast which could have evolved into what we today refer to as Peking man (Handwerk 2009). Ciochon uses the phrase â€Å"fork in the road† as an analogy to explain this situation (Handwerk 2009). This subspecies is assumed to have possessed the ability to make tools out of stone and walk upright. Also, its brain size being almost 75% the size of a Homo erectus makes it’s the closest descendant to human beings. The other group of Homo erectus settled in Zhoukoudian is believed to have enjoyed a good supply of food and familiar environment, giving rise to the subspecies Homo erectus pekinensis. The earlier timeline would also mean that this subspecies lived in a more pleasant climate in the grasslands. Moreover, fossil evidence of animal bones indicates that this group of Homo erectus settled in China consumed meat. This inviting proposition of food and pleasant weather could have given raise to the early Homo sapiens to migrate from Africa to Asia. Homo sapiens are quite different from Homo erectus since they are marked by a more â€Å"rounded skull, divided brow ridge, and chin† (Platt 2008). One school of thought spearheaded by Hou Ya-mei of Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology points out the possibility of modern Homo sapiens coexisting, interbreeding or even fighting with Homo erectus, thereby observing the theory of ‘survival of the fittest’ in action (Platt 2008). The present human race is believed to have originated out of Africa 60,000 years ago. The differences in Homo erectus fossil patterns in Asia and other parts of the world had given rise to discrepancy, which can be explained by a â€Å"secondary migration from Africa† (University Of Cambridge). Even though this theory makes sense to an extent, Susan Anton of New York University is pessimistic about the supporting data given to back up claims of two separate settlements of Homo erectus. She simply mentions the possibility of any number of migrations can be claimed, but those claims will continue to be void without strong supporting evidence. She furthers states that evidence such as the routes taken by the Homo erectus groups or a central cohesive point of origin in Africa would be needed to connect the â€Å"Out of Africa† theory and these claimed migrations. However, Anton concludes by admitting that this theory and the change in the timeline would help explain why the Homo erectus had persisted longer in continental Asia. Reference Handwerk, B. (2009, Mar 12). Peking Man Lived 200,000 Years Earlier Than Thought. National Geographic News. Retrieved 24 March, 2009, http://news. nationalgeographic. co. in/news/2009/03/090312-peking-man. html Platt, K. H. (2008, Feb 20). Ancestral Human Skull Found in China. National Geographic News. Retrieved 24 March, 2009, http://news. nationalgeographic. com/news/2008/02/080220-china-fossil. html University Of Cambridge (2007, May 10). New Research Confirms Out Of Africa Theory of Human Evolution. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. sciencedaily. com ­ /releases/2007/05/070509161829. htm

Free Essays on Homers Odyssey: Scylla and Charybdis :: Odyssey essays

The Odyssey - Scylla and Charybdis One of the most difficult tasks as a parent is to teach your child lifes lessons. Many have tried, and many have failed. But over the ages most successful ideas have come in a form of story or tale. Aesops Fables, nursery rhymes, and other tales of caution are used even today to teach this common knowledge one must have. In the Greek civilization, thousands of years ago, many children were taught through these fun and interesting stories. The Odyssey is one of these tales. Through the many episodes telling the adventures of one man, Odysseus, numerous life lessons and morals were taught to the reader. One valuable episode in The Odyssey is Scylla and Charybdis. Not only does it provide excitement and interest for the reader, but it is an effective part of The Odyssey because of its superb insight to Odysseus character, and the clear life lesson that is taught. Especially in todays' world, one key to making a story interesting or exciting is to include action. For example many recent blockbuster hits are action packed. Titanic, Independence Day, and Terminator 2, all are examples of these hits. The Odyssey is no exception to this trick or technique. In the episode Scylla and Charybdis the plot is filled with intense confrontations, a heroic leader, and more. Some of this can be easily identified, for example, when Homer writes; "... scarcely had that island faded in the blue air than I saw smoke and white water with waves in tumult- a sound the men heard, and it terrified them. Oars flew from their hands; the blades went knocking wild alongside till the ship lost way..." (756-763) What the author is doing is letting the reader foreshadow. A technique which creates suspense, a vital element in any action story. The author then explained what was being hinted at; "... we rowed into the strait- Scylla to our port and on our starboard beam Charybdis, dire gorge of the salt-sea tide. By heaven when she vomited all the sea was like a cauldron seething over intense fire..." (796-800) "... [The] dark sand raged on the bottom far below.

The Influence of Television in Politics

The Influence of Television in Politics Kendra Harris Brigham Young University- Idaho Author Note This paper was prepared for Professor Kiersten Lee’s FDENG 201 class. The Influence of Television in Politics â€Å"Americans are the best entertained and quite likely the least-informed people in the Western world. † (Postman, 1984, p. 2) While this statement is painfully ominous, its message is one that has been debated tirelessly since the dawn of technology. The influence of television in politics is one with strong advocates and opponents.There have been many studies and investigations into the effects of technology on the political world, and yet no conclusive evidence has come forth. (Rannay, 1985, p. 3) Despite this, it is no mystery that television has irrevocably changed politics in the past and now. The responsibility for this change does not lie solely with television or with the audience. What remains to be seen is whether this effect has been detrimental or be neficial to the political process. â€Å"Between 1947 and 1955, the percentage of American homes owning television sets rose from less than 1 to 65 percent; today, almost everybody has a TV set. † (Rannay, 1985, p. ) The television set became commercially available in the 1920s, but did not begin to have a political effect until the 1952 presidential campaign between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson. While Stevenson did not approve of electronic campaigning, Eisenhower to took the screens, creating â€Å"short spot commercials to enhance his television image. † (Kaid, 1981, p. 47) These commercials helped Eisenhower to create an image that was friendly and charming, which eventually led to him winning the campaign. Since this pioneering campaign, â€Å"Every presidential campaign [†¦] has relied heavily on political television spots. Television campaigning dominates the political world, and 50-75% of all campaign budgets in the 1992 presidential campaign were devoted to TV spots, commercials, and shows. (Devlin, 1992, p. 12) Given this evidence, it is easy to conclude that the television is vital in modern politics, but one must take into account what political message the television is giving to the American audience. â€Å"Over the past five decades of political spot use, about one-third of all spots for presidential campaigns have been negative spots. † (Devlin, 1992, p. 12) The television, while useful, is used today primarily for entertainment.If something is not quick, easy, and fun, then it has no place on the television. Everything from court trials to private lives are put on the screen for personal enjoyment, and it is no different with politics. No longer do politicians need to provide in-depth answers to political questions, or prove to the American audience that their policies and platform are sound – they merely need to be liked. â€Å"In the age of television, people do not so much agree or disagree wit h politicians as they like or dislike them, for the image is not susceptible to verification or refutation, only to acceptance or rejection. (Postman, 1984, p. 3) There is no need for politicians to prove that they should be in the White House with their words, because Americans will judge them on their looks and character before ever listening to what they have to say. Of course, Americans would be lucky to even hear what politicians have to say. Most political speeches and debates are cut down to â€Å"soundbites, snippets of candidate messages or commentary excerpts,† (Kaid, 1981, p. 4) by news programs, newspapers, and online journals. By the 1980s, most presidential campaign coverage on news programs were cut down to soundbites of only about nine seconds.These soundbites catch the ‘best part’ of the presidential campaign, resulting in â€Å"television news coverage that concentrates more on candidate images, ‘horserace’ journalism (who’s winning, who’s losing, opinion poll results), and campaign strategy than on issue concerns. † (Kaid, 1981, p. 4) Americans are so used to seeing the bare bones of political campaigns that they no longer search for the meat in issues. Instead, they just skim over politics, taking in a few stories here and there (mostly the more controversial stories that get more media coverage) and make their decision as to who will be president.Despite the accomplishments of television and the media â€Å"[†¦] their news departments tend to operate as [a] show-business. † (Goodman, 1994, n. p. ) Just like in show business, anything slow and detailed is boring in television, and so Americans greedily gobble up light dishes of insignificant facts, leaving the heavier business of issue concerns to others. This â€Å"[†¦] condition is chronic and has become painfully evident in the late political season [†¦] A medium that has shown it can bring information and even ideas effectively to millions is reduced every two years to a tool for stirring up emotions and shutting down minds. (Goodman, 1994, n. p. ) But enough of this depressing business for a moment; let us discuss why we are allowing ourselves to become so politically lazy. The social stigma of a lazy American is common but is not necessarily true. So why do so many Americans allow themselves to be swept up in political frenzy, eventually making bad decisions that lead to bad government? The answer is in the way we think. As Americans become exposed to more and more information the ability to think deeply and comprehensively is lost.In modern times, â€Å"the advantages of having immediate access to such an incredibly rich store of information are many, and they’ve been widely described and duly applauded. † (Carr, 2008, p. 2) Carr continues to say though, that having access to this amount of information comes at a price. Americans are getting their information from the med ia, but our information does not come from an inert source. New programs control what political information we have access to, and politicians live in a world where â€Å"they can’t control the message. † (Negaunee, 2006, n. p. Instead of being given in depth messages from candidates, news programs give us small scraps of information. As we learn snippets of information over many years, we begin to think in snippets of information, and we slowly lose our ability and â€Å"capacity for concentration and contemplation. My mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles. † (Carr, 2008, p. 2) The television is no different from the Net in this regard, and so Americans now expect a ‘steady stream’ of politics, without any effort needed in order to know everything about political candidates.The true grit of politics – the issues, the questions, the problems, the things that matter â₠¬â€œ are not included in this steady stream. And so Americans, by our own actions, avoid the deep facts. We make decisions based on half-truths and unsearched details- decisions that shape our government. Without the ability to think and study issues for ourselves, we rely heavily on a candidate’s looks, charisma, and coverage in order to make our decision. Today, we are merely vessels for voting, â€Å"deprive[d] of independent thought. † (Huxley, 1958, p. ) As Aldous Huxley states, â€Å"Today the art of mind-control is in process of becoming a science. The practitioners of this science know what they are doing and why. † (Huxley, 1958, p. 2) While mind control may seem a little far-fetched right now, we as Americans are allowing ourselves to be controlled by our televisions, controlled by newscasters and programs that know exactly what they are doing when they give us inaccurate and biased information. Perhaps one of the best examples for showing the affect o f television on politics is the presidential election of 1960.The race was between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. The first televised debate of this candidacy brought very different reactions between those who watched it on the television, and those who heard it on the radio. â€Å"A survey of those who listened to the debate on radio indicated that Nixon had won; however, those who watched on television, and were able to contrast Nixon's poor posture and poorly shaven face with Kennedy's poise and grace, were more likely to think Kennedy had won the debate. † (Stephens, n. d. , n. . ) There is no saying who would have been a better president, or who was more qualified for the role, but this evidence shows that television heavily influenced the audience’s opinion of the candidates. Those who watched the debate on the television preferred the more attractive portrait of JFK versus that of the less attractive Nixon. Those on the radio – the ones who actuall y listened to the debate versus watching the people – felt that Nixon had won because his policies and debating skills overpowered those of JFK.This poses the question: would Nixon have won if there had been no television? Should JFK have won based on his good looks? And perhaps, we must ask the most ominous question of all: Do we want people elected as president based merely on good looks and a warm personality, or do we want them elected based on excellent policies and management skills? All of this seems a little extravagant and paranoid and yet the evidence rings true. We as Americans let looks and personality get in the way of actual politics and brains when it comes to a political election.Undoubtedly, the television has detrimentally affected politics. It has changed the way we think, and have made us intellectually lazy. It has changed the way we vote, making us vote based on superfluous details versus cold hard facts. Television is not completely to blame though, for Americans have played their part in allowing themselves to become lazy. The only solution to the political epidemic sweeping the nation is to change the way we think. In order to do this, we must first change the source of our information. The solution is not to bemoan technology but to develop strategies of self-control, as we do with every other temptation in life. † (Pinker, 2010, p. 2) As we force ourselves to seek complete and unbiased information by watching complete debates, reading platforms, and studying issues (or, if we cannot find unbiased information, at least studying the biased information on both sides of an issue to get the full story), we will be able to make well-informed decisions. As we seek the truth, news programs will begin to catch on that the audience demands more complete information, and we will begin to get what we crave.Only when we have the true report about politics will we be able to make better decisions regarding government and better our li ves. References: Carr, N. (2008) Is google making us stupid? In W. Brugger, D. Hammond, M. K. Hartvigsen, A. Papworth & R. Seamons (Eds. ), The way of wisdom (p. 1-8). Rexburg, ID, BYU-Idaho. Retrieved January 16, 2012, from http://ilearn. byui. edu Huxley, A. (1958) Propaganda under a dictatorship. In W. Brugger, D. Hammond, M. K. Hartvigsen, A. Papworth & R. Seamons (Eds. ), The way of wisdom (p. 1-5). Rexburg, ID, BYU-Idaho.Retrieved January 16, 2012, from http://ilearn. byui. edu Kaid, L. (1981) Political advertising. In D. Nimmo and K. R. Sanders (Eds. ), Handbook of political communication. Beverly Hills: Sage. Nagourney, A. (2006) Politics faces sweeping change via the web. New York Times. Retrieved January 23, 2012 from http://www. nytimes. com/2006/04/02/washington/ 02campaign. html? pagewanted=all Pinker, S. (2010) Mind over mass media. In W. Brugger, D. Hammond, M. K. Hartvigsen, A. Papworth & R. Seamons (Eds. ), The way of wisdom (p. 1-4). Rexburg, ID, BYU-Idaho.Retrieve d January 16, 2012, from http://ilearn. byui. edu Postman, N. (1984) Amusing ourselves to death. In W. Brugger, D. Hammond, M. K. Hartvigsen, A. Papworth & R. Seamons (Eds. ), The way of wisdom (p. 1-4). Rexburg, ID, BYU-Idaho. Retrieved January 16, 2012, from http://ilearn. byui. edu Ranney, A. (1985) Channels of power: the impact of television on American politics. (pp. 1-7). New York: Basic Books. Stephen, M. (n. d. ) History of television. New York University. Retrieved January 23, 2012 from http://www. nyu. edu/classes/stephens/History%20of%20Television%20page. htm

Saturation Sampling

The parameters that underpin quality research especially qualitative research keep changing and so the need for more clarity and transparency. The lucidity and transparency of reports from qualitative research form the basic philosophical foundation upon which the rigor as well as credibility of the qualitative study is evaluated. Qualitative studies are highly anchored on the quality of the reports generated and thus there is increased emphasis on the data collection stage. Given that all reliable targets may not be available to the qualitative researcher, the concept of saturation sampling allows the researcher to survey all the identifiable targets. In other words, saturation sampling helps researchers to overcome problems of lack of intentional sampling frames. For that reason, the researchers will attempt to survey all samples available. In addition, Fontanella et al (2008) add that saturation sampling allows the researcher to take a multifaceted approach in the study by removing the limits to the techniques of data collection, the mode of use, and the type of data collected. This boosts the reliability of the investigation by providing as much information as possible (Fontanella et al 2008). An example of a research study that employed data saturation is found in the ‘Public Understanding of Science- Journal’ titled ‘Ethno-cultural community leaders’ views and perceptions on biobanks and population specific genomic research: a qualitative research study’ by Godard et al (2010). The authors of the article note that due to the large gap existing due to lack of sufficient data on views and perceptions of communities on biobanks, their qualitative study required an in-depth interview of ethno-cultural leaders but the public’s involvement was also important. In the conclusion of the study, the researchers found that leadership and general public must equally be involved in the partnership even if the public is not informed of the significance of the biobanks. In addition, the model allowed the researchers to identify various socio-cultural and ethical issues that impact on the effective performance of biobanks.

Profile Essay About A Person Example

Profile Essay About A Person Example Profile Essay About A Person – Essay Example Perhaps if there is an individual who really caught everybody’s attention during these past few weeks, that would be Steve Jobs especially with his resignation from Apple Inc. The way he has reshaped the computing, music and mobile phone business was revolutionary that he is chosen to the subject of this profile essay. But what we would write about him is not about how he co-founded Apple Inc. or how he invented iPod and iPhone but his little eccentricities that makes him a mortal just like everyone else. Steve Jobs is known to be a perfectionist and could be the toughest boss that one will have as quoted by NeXT cofounder Danl Lewin in Fortune. But he also makes mistakes like being not proud of how he handled his lovechild with a former girlfriend Chrisann Brennan. He initially denied paternity of his daughter that she was even briefly raised on welfare. This is quite odd considering that he is the 42nd most wealthiest man in America. He is not also known to be a philanthropi st like his Microsoft rival Bill Gates. When he assumed as CEO at Apple Inc., he abolished all the philanthropy program of the company. He is not also known to be a graceful competitor as he is known to have enmity with Dell Computer’s CEO, Michael Dell. Steve Jobs eating habit is also not mainstream. He is a pescetarian. He only eats fish meat that includes vegetables. Steve might have been painted as a demi-god in the technology industry but knowing these little peculiarities about him makes us realize that he is just after all, a human being just like everyone else.

, we have approached the Technological Revolution. Essays

, we have approached the Technological Revolution. Essays , we have approached the Technological Revolution. This high-tech revolution has brought with it many changes that will inevitably effect every world citizen. It is not quite clear at this time exactly what these changes will be and what resulting effects they will have upon society, but by studying the previous, or Industrial, revolution, it is possible to make predictions about the sweeping changes that the Technological Revolution will bring with it. During the Industrial Revolution in turn of the century America, one of the most prominent trends throughout the country was the relocating of independent artisans and farmers to large industrialized cities in hopes of finding work. As the next revolution approaches, the exact opposite effect will take place. The population that relocates out of large cities will most likely move into suburbs of the cities they have just left, because, even though they do not need to live very near to their place of employment, it is still more convenient to be located somewhere near it. This is mainly due to the improved transportation and communication that the Technological Revolution is bringing with it. It is no longer required for workers to live near their place of work because of the automotive vehicles we have in America, and our communication systems which allow employers to contact their employees quickly and over great distances. The most common type of work available during the Industrial Revolution was manual labor factory jobs. In the third wave of history, the careers that will be most popular among American citizens will be ones which involve the processing and distributing of information. Due to the type of labor most utilized in the Industrial Revolution, the most valued worker was one who was physically strong and was able to work over long periods of time. In the Technological Revolution, the most valued workers will be those....

How to seamlessly transfer your skills from one industry to another

How to seamlessly transfer your skills from one industry to another For most of us, our career paths don’t go in a single straight line. Instead, there are plenty of twists and turns along the way- some expected and others surprising and unplanned- as we develop, grow, and change over time. Sometimes a change in jobs also means a change in industries, which, for many, can be a scary and anxiety-filled proposition- especially if the change isn’t exactly what you were hoping and is instead the result of a job loss or shifts in your current field. The truth is, the prospect of â€Å"starting over† in a new career field can be daunting, especially if you’re fairly established and far along in your current field and are worried that you’ll have to completely start over again- but it doesn’t have to be.The â€Å"not-so-secret† secret to successfully navigating an industry change during the course of your career is to take full advantage of your transferable skills- those finely-honed abilities that youâ€⠄¢ve acquired thus far in your professional experience that you can put to good use in the next industry you work for. Yes, it’s true- many of the skills you currently have are not just helpful at your current job and industry, but rather can help you be effective and successful in your future endeavors as well.Transferring and leveraging these transferable skills from one industry to the next is the key to being flexible and malleable in today’s rapidly evolving and volatile job market- and those who are able to competently do so stand the best chance of staying afloat. Consider using the following strategies to make sure that the skills you’ve built up during your career continue to serve you well as you move from one industry to another.Identify your skillsThis shouldn’t be a major challenge for you, as it’s something you’d inevitably have to do if you were updating your resume or simply looking to transition to a new job in your current industry. This should include skills both large and small- you never fully know what abilities will come in handy when you start a new job, especially if it’s in a completely new field or industry. These include both hard skills (things like knowledge of computers or specific programs or instrumentation, an ability to speak a foreign language, any professional certifications you’ve earned, and basically any other measurable and quantifiable talent that you’ve developed) as well as soft skills (more subjective and harder to measure abilities that you possess but that come in handy at work all the time, such as people skills, motivation, leadership, patience, flexibility, and problem-solving). Both your hard skills and soft skills can potentially come in handy in a new industry.Identify the needs of your target industryNext step is to pinpoint the industry that you’re hoping to move into and do your homework to identify its needs. Research carefully and get a good sense of the successes and pain points in the field and where things are likely to move. Look at the opinions of industry veterans and thought leaders- many of whom are likely leveraging social media to share their ideas. An even better potential strategy would be to identify specific companies in the industry that you’d like to work at and get a sense of their needs- which will help you paint a clear picture of how you can come aboard and be a potentially valuable asset.Make the connectionNow that you have a clear idea of the abilities you bring to the table and what the needs of your target industry are, you can begin to identify the skills you possess that are potentially transferable. Use the information you’ve been gathering in your research to hone and refine your skills to best suit your new industry. For hard skills like computer knowledge or mastery of specific equipment, see if the tools you’ve learned are commonly used; if not, see if learning popular industry software and equipment makes sense for you. Soft skills are more easily transferable and are more malleable and adaptable to new fields.Here’s the bottom line- make the most of the skills you currently possess to meet the needs of the industry you’re looking to move into, fill in the gaps where appropriate and realistic, and be confident that you’re doing all you can to make this transition as successful as possible.

Law Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Law Society - Essay Example Then the new role which the Law Society has to play is discussed with the initiatives of government. The study concludes stating the roles taken by the Society in implementing the regulatory changes. The Society was first founded on June 2nd 1825. The Society acquired it's royal charter in 1831, and commenced its operations from a new building in Chancery Lane, in 1832. "A new Charter in 1845 set the Law Society as an independent, private body servicing the affairs of the legal profession like other professional, literary and scientific bodies". (Formation of the Law Society, 2004: para 2) The former title of the society was 'The Society of Attorneys, Solicitors, Proctors and others not being Barristers, practicing in the Courts of Law and Equity of the United Kingdom' which later became colloquially renowned as "The Law Society". It changed its name officially in 1903. (Formation of the Law Society, 2004: para 4) The current legal regulatory system is biased with no clear objectives or principles and functions with minimal interests towards the consumers. There exists a confusion regarding the current system supervising bodies' viz., Law Society and Bar Council. (Reform of legal services, 2006) The areas of regulations for legal services suffer from various regulatory gaps, functional overlaps and irregularities. For instance, in cases of service providers like solicitors who provide legal advice as well as non-incidental financial advice, they are regulated simultaneously by the Law Society and the Financial Services Authority. (Regulatory Gaps, 2004) A consultation paper published in May 2003 depicts Government's conclusions on the issues analyzed on matters as raised in the document "In the public interest". (Government Conclusions, 2003) The Department for Constitutional Affairs in its report published in July 2003, arrived at a conclusion that the framework of regulations regarding lega l services in England and Wales was highly inefficient and outdated in handling current legal requirements of the consumers. (Legal Services Review, 2004, Para 1) Consequently, Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer ordered a review into regulation of the legal services. The Chancellor described the current frame work of the Law Society as "outdated, inflexible, over-complex and insufficiently accountable or transparent". (Lawyer regulation 'needs change', 2004: para 11) On this behalf, an inquiry, headed by former deputy governor of the Bank of England, Sir David Clementi, came forward with his suggested recommendations including the establishment of a new regulatory society, the Legal Services Board. (Lawyer regulation 'needs change', 2004) Proposed changes in the regulation of legal services Sir David Clementi, in December 2004, published a report suggesting important changes on the regulation of legal services which also won the support from the Government. Clementi, through his report suggested many reforms for the efficiency of legal service including the removal of disparity of business structures, the references, how the new structure would benefit the legal service, the clear distinction that has to be made between

How you would personally lead a team in times of changes Essay

How you would personally lead a team in times of changes - Essay Example Everything has changed over the time, and this has had a great impact on the way organizations function. As a leader, the responsibility of adopting the right strategy in these times of change fundamentally rests upon the shoulders of the leader. Change in leadership is inevitable. A leader is frequently exposed to circumstances that generate the need for change. A leader must be intelligent and proactive enough to adapt to these changes and make the wisest decision considering the needs of the changed circumstances. The experiences I have shared in this paper discuss what strategies I have employed to deal with the challenges arising as a consequence of changes that took place, and how those strategies helped me achieve my objectives. Each experience that I have shared demonstrates a different kind of change and accordingly, a different strategy I adopted to lead my team to success. Questions that I intend to answer by discussing my personal experiences of change and leadership incl ude but are not limited to; What type of change it was?What were the constraints and how they impacted my ability to lead the group? What was the best course of action to adopt in that change? Â  What rationale did I have to adopt that course of action in those circumstances? How have I incorporated the theoretical concepts of leadership in practice?What were the limitations of my leadership?The behavior of a leader plays a decisive role in the success of the leader as well as the followers.

Literature review on a particular aspect of health psychology Essay

Literature review on a particular aspect of health psychology - Essay Example Another eating disorder emerged, however, towards the end of the 1970s, when there were reports of an increasing number of adolescents who indulged in overeating, followed immediately by induced vomiting. This disorder was first named ‘bulimarexia’ (Ibid), as it shared some similar features with those suffering from anorexia nervosa. It was in 1979 when the term ‘bulimia nervosa’ was introduced by a London psychiatrist, Professor Gerald Russell in a seminal paper which he published in the psychiatric journal Psychological Medicine (Abraham, 2008). Bulimia means ‘to eat like an ox† (Abraham, 2008). Professor Russell described 40% of his patients suffering from a clinical condition as that of ‘an ominous variant of anorexia nervosa†, a disorder he termed ‘bulimia nervosa’. He explained that these groups of people periodically went on eating binges, while at the same time adopted extreme measures like induced vomiting to prevent themselves from becoming fat (Abraham, 2008; Cooper, 2009). In his paper, he proposed three definitions for bulimia nervosa: 1) powerful and intractable urges to overeat; 2) attempts to avoid the ‘fattening’ effects of food by inducing vomiting, abusing purgatives, or both; and 3) a morbid fear of fatness (Cooper, 2009). His definitions set a trend over the next few years, as clinicians and researchers used them as guidelines in identifying people with bulimia nervosa. The criteria for recognizing the onset of the disorder, however, became the subject of much debate as to how widespread bulimia nervosa was. In 1994, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV), published by the American Psychiatric Association, provided some guidelines which has since then been widely accepted by mental health professionals (Schulherr, 2008). Some of these included episodes of binge-eating and purging, characterized by the person’s

515 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

515 - Essay Example Considering one success application among all are the intelligent decision support systems. Advanced forms of decision support systems can be fore fronted by a user-friendly layout. Slight intelligent modifications in a set of possible answer values enables smart end results that are in accordance with the output expected by the user interacting with the system. These systems are often self adaptive in nature and learn from every word the user types. Being futuristic machines their evolution involves the embedding of input data from the user’s conversation into their own repository of answers, learning from each interaction they make. It is potentially not possible for human business personnel to remain online twenty four hours a day for the query justification of their customers. The customer may be present in any part of the world. Thus, the best usage of chatbots is in call centers. Chatbots.org quotes as follows: â€Å"It provides information, services and assistance about web pages, and supports a wide range of applications in business, education, government, healthcare, and entertainment. Sometimes the term Virtual Assistant is also used in assistance of employees of an organization instead of external audiences.† (Chatbots.org, n.d.) Chatbox based interactive question answering systems having become an essential part of businesses today. Since voice enabled chatbots (interactive systems that have chat box technology embedded in them) are becoming increasingly common the Economist is quoted to have mentioned the benefits of their installation as follows: "Speech recognition: At long last, speech is becoming an important interface between man and machine. In the process, it is helping to slash costs in business, create new services on the Internet, and make cars a lot safer and easier to drive." Human Realization of interaction with a Virtual Representative automatically reduced any

Ethics Acounting and Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethics Acounting and Finance - Essay Example As the report declares in concrete terms accounting measures profit and resources, telling how much is the assets, liabilities and capital of a business organization, which are a combination of the interest of the owners and creditors. An income statement tells the results of operation of a business for a given period say a month, or a year, while a balance sheet show the financial condition of a business organization as of a given time say year 1995 or 2000. This paper stresses that from their definitions, we can easily discern that there is a difference between the two. A finance manager who heads a department where accounting is a division would exert an influence to have accounting division help finance department in the attainment of the objective of the latter that is the maximization of stockholders wealth. What do you think is the result? Finance will have a biased report because, the Finance manager will just say to the accounting head, â€Å"you must practice creative accounting for us to look good to our stockholders.† The head of the accounting office will respond in submission to the head of the finance department, his boss. In an organization ideals, are ideals but human nature would rear its ugly head if one function could abuse another functional area. Accounting is better combined with a management information system because they both serve the same purpose that is to provide accurate and reliable information for d ecision-making and in addition, there must be ethics as to practice of the two functional areas.

Differences and Similarities Between Jane Eyre, Helen Burns, and Mr Essay

Differences and Similarities Between Jane Eyre, Helen Burns, and Mr. Brocklehurst - Essay Example Although all three characters share similar attitudes of their times regarding social priorities and personal concerns, they also have very unique perspectives on their individual role within this society and their expectations. Growing up in an unloving home, an orphan living in her aunt’s house and suffering cruel treatment from this aunt as well as her cousin, Jane knows what an unjust world she lives in and recognizes it as such. She is unable to keep quiet when the apothecary questions her about her melancholy spirit following the red room incident which eventually leads to her being sent to school. Throughout this early part of the book, she is shown to be a very thoughtful child, often thinking about the people around her and the ways of the world. In this respect, she is very much like her future friend Helen Burns. Like Helen, Jane does her best to control her emotions and her behavior to meet the expectations of her benefactors, but the injustice of the situations in which she finds herself often overwhelm her sense of decency. Unlike Helen, Jane’s passions often get the best of her. By the time she arrives at her new school, Jane has already developed her own philosophy on how to re late to other people she encounters in life: â€Å"If people were always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and unjust, the wicked people would have it all their own way:  Ã‚  they would never feel afraid, and so they would never alter, but would grow worse and worse.  Ã‚  When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard† (Ch. 6). Jane continues to question everything she is told to believe, indicating her own level of intelligence. Her understanding of God, shaped early by the hypocritical teachings of the adults around her, is characterized by this same deep questioning and analysis. This contrasts sharply with the opinions of her friend, Helen. Helen Burns becomes someone Jane can finally call a friend, despite their

Ethics Acounting and Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethics Acounting and Finance - Essay Example As the report declares in concrete terms accounting measures profit and resources, telling how much is the assets, liabilities and capital of a business organization, which are a combination of the interest of the owners and creditors. An income statement tells the results of operation of a business for a given period say a month, or a year, while a balance sheet show the financial condition of a business organization as of a given time say year 1995 or 2000. This paper stresses that from their definitions, we can easily discern that there is a difference between the two. A finance manager who heads a department where accounting is a division would exert an influence to have accounting division help finance department in the attainment of the objective of the latter that is the maximization of stockholders wealth. What do you think is the result? Finance will have a biased report because, the Finance manager will just say to the accounting head, â€Å"you must practice creative accounting for us to look good to our stockholders.† The head of the accounting office will respond in submission to the head of the finance department, his boss. In an organization ideals, are ideals but human nature would rear its ugly head if one function could abuse another functional area. Accounting is better combined with a management information system because they both serve the same purpose that is to provide accurate and reliable information for d ecision-making and in addition, there must be ethics as to practice of the two functional areas.

Roles of a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Room Research Paper

Roles of a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Room - Research Paper Example This research paper focuses on describing the profession and everyday duties of registered nurses, also known as (RN), that are the majority of the employees in the industry of health. They are often responsible for assigning tasks to other nurses, nursing assistants and licensed practitioners. The phrase registered is used for a reason, the researcher explaines, and this is because they are specialized and have more knowledge on a certain area in the hospital environment. Normally, there is a registered nurse for each section of the healthcare like oncology, neonatal and in the emergency room. This research paper discusses their duties and roles while in the emergency room. In conclusion, the researcher states that most registered nurses work as staff nurses, who are members of a medical team that provide critical health care. Nevertheless, some of the registered nurses opt to advance to practice nurses, who work together with other physicians or independently. They may also focus o n the stipulation of primary care services. They provide direct care for patients, and expert consultation services in the various specialties of nursing like psychiatric, mental health. Those who specialized in anesthetists, offer anesthesia and correlated care either before or after surgical or obstetrical and diagnostic procedures. They also offer emergency and pain management services like airway management. Nonetheless, there is an assortment of other areas that nurse could choose to specialize and get registered.

Family on Government and vice versa Essay Example for Free

Family on Government and vice versa Essay As far as the government’s functions go, it is the unit of the family that is able to gain the most benefits. I view the family as the most basic and the most unprotected aspect of society. It is the government’s ability to provide regulations, guidelines, and protection that the family is able to continue its development. It might be raised at this point that the individual should be considered the most unprotected unit of society. However, I persist in believing that it is the family. The individual can still become a member of larger societal units. In fact, the individual can even go so far as to become a member of government. It is because of this fact that the collection of individuals called the family is the most in need of the services offered by the government that presides over it. However, there are forms of government wherein it is the family that comprises it. In oligarchies and monarchies, for example, the royal family comprises the governmental unit. It is in these cases that the interaction is reduced to one of family with family, of ruling class family with non-ruling class family, of bourgeois family with lower class family. This can also be likened to the type of interaction described to exist between the family and the society to which it belongs. In other ways, the family is also able to affect the government. Because the family forms the entirety of society and because it is able to mirror the mechanisms of society, it is also able to mirror and spread the mechanisms of government. The family is in charge of the education of the younger generation with regards to the powers of the government, the need to follow the impositions of the government, and also the specific laws and regulations set forth by the constitution. The task of propagating the ethics and morals of a good citizen that obeys the government lie on the shoulders of the members of the family. The concepts of restriction of behavior, meting punishments for unacceptable actions, and of obeying authority figures are also first understood by the child in the confines of the family. (Hegel, 2001) Society on Government and vice versa The government is said to be the regulating institution of society. It represents the majority of the population and provides frameworks as well as maintains peace and order. However, as I have stipulated, I believe that the inherent state in nature is peace and not war. Why then would a government be needed to maintain peace and order between its constituents and even with other governments? The state of war is not inherent in nature. However, it is also very much present in observable society. Why is this so? I believe that war stems from the inability of society to meet the needs of its members. This is in accordance with the propositions of Habermas (1998). Because of the society’s inability to completely meet the needs of its members, there is unrest and turmoil. War and violent conflict arise from these feelings of dissatisfaction. It is only through a strong power of the will that dissatisfaction is allowed to exist in an individual’s consciousness. I believe that the ineffective structuring of society creates feelings of unrest and dissatisfaction. When those with more are given more and those with less are asked for more, society is placed at an imbalance. This imbalance is unnatural. It is not the natural order of things. There is disequilibrium in society and as a result, there are individuals who are abused and unsatisfied. Again, this is also in accordance with the views of Marx and Engel (1978) regarding ruling class and non-ruling class. There is no chance for equilibrium or stability to be attained because as Marx and Engel (1978) stated, the ruling class practices hegemony. They use their ideologies to maintain power over the lower class. It is only with active revolt from the lower class that the structure of society can be changed. Thus war becomes an option to those whose dissatisfaction has become so great that they can no longer live with it. Without the government, these feelings of dissatisfaction would reign across the world. There would, indeed, be numerous states of war across the globe. Peace would be hard to find and individuals would find it impossible to achieve their true personal goals in life. A government is needed in order to regulate the interaction of the ruling class and the non-ruling class. Without the government, society would be in a constant flux of change and revolt. It is the institution of the government that allows society to remain its peace and as such to progress. However, it may well be the case that the government is simply a tool of the ruling class to maintain power, a means to their option of hegemony. This is exactly why even though there are governments in place today, wars still occur. There is still a disequilibrium in the social structure. Also, the government is not representative of the majority. This is a fact stressed by Kant (1983) to be of the utmost importance in considering government models and systems utilized in a given state. There is, therefore, a type of government that will best serve the purposes of society and the individual. Although there are numerous forms of government, not all are adaptive to society and its members. The mode of government is a point of greater consideration than the type of sovereignty afforded. (Kant, 1983) Society, however, plays a greater role in government. It is more than just a place wherein the functions of government can be practiced. In fact, it is my belief that society and government act in much the same way that the President and the House of Congress act in a Republic government. That is that society and government act as checks and balances of each other. Although it is true that there is no clear definition of legal power that society has on a particular government – in the way that government has on society – it is also true that the dominant form of politics in a state are defined by society. Because most governments rely on society’s good will towards it, society is able to check and balance the processes of the government. In modes of government involving votation, society dictates the candidates to be deemed more capable and reliable to place in position. This is done through the ideologies espoused by society. Thus two different political parties can be chosen from but the thrust of the resulting government will be based on the value systems established by society on its members. For modes of government, on the other, hand that do not include an electoral system, society is able to operate as a larger checks and balances system. Because monarchies and oligarchies and other similar forms of government give the ruler the right to decree laws and statutes by himself, society plays a crucial role. Social agreement or social rejection may be the only difference between a ruler’s decree of implementing the death penalty, for example, as a punishment to a severe crime. Thus we see that society plays a large role in defining government actions even in these individualistic or familial forms of governance. On this point, however, the revision and reconsideration of laws in systems with electoral systems and with more formal methods of passing laws is also highly dependent on society’s moral and ethical stand. The three-strike law for example, wherein criminals convicted of a crime three times receive a heavier sentence or a longer imprisonment period, was not revised because the constituents of the State of California did not agree to the provision that only severe crimes would be subject to this law.

Public Schools then And Now Education Essay

Public Schools then And Now Education Essay Desegregation of the nations public schools was mandated by the Supreme Court on May 17, 1954 with the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruling. Nine years later, racial tensions related to segregation reached a critical point. Early in 1963, the Alabama Governor George Wallace kicked off his reign by stating segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever (Elliot, 2003). Later that year, Wallace would stand in the doors of the University of Alabama in an attempt to physically prevent African-American students form enrolling. Civil rights leaders championed Wallaces failures as a victory for school desegregation and proof that the movement was progressing. Wallaces failed attempts did not kick start the movement as most civil rights leaders had hoped, however. In 1975, Marian Wright Edelman (1975) of the Childrens Defense Fund in Washington, DC, wrote: The current status of school desegregation is complex. Twenty-one years after Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, school desegregation is caught in a crossfire of opposition. There are those who have always opposed it; those who say they are for it but eschew the means to achieve it; those who feel the costs of achieving it are not worthwhile because the early experiences have not produced instant brotherhood or IQ gains; and those who, after twenty years of resistance, struggle, and mixed progress, pronounce it irrelevant and a failure because three hundred years of slavery and segregation have not died by decree. Edelman went on to conclude that if school desegregation continued to progress t the same pace as housing desegregation in the 1960s, then America would see schools desegregated in about twenty-five decades. While the ruling most often regarded as the foundation for school desegregation is Brown v. Board of Education, not much changed in public schools following the Supreme Court decision. A full decade following Brown saw less than one percent of black students in the south begin attending previously all white schools. It was not until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed that desegregation began transforming the face of public schools, especially in the south. While the broad language of the legislation gave minorities the right to file suits forcing desegregation, Title VI of the Act allowed the federal government to withhold funding for any programs that discriminated against students based solely race. By the end of 1968, the percentage of black students in the south enrolled in previously all white students had climbed to twelve percent. By 1973, these numbers had climbed from less than one percent in 1964 to over forty-six percent (Edelman, 1975). While the desegregation movement has hit stumbling blocks along the way, the policy has long been instituted in the nations public schools. What have been the results? Some would argue that todays public schools are more segregated than schools prior to Brown. Much of the discussion about school reform in the United States in the past two decades has been about racial inequality. While goals of the No Child Left Behind Act and institution of high stakes testing in high schools have been to end a perceived low-expectation from all students, especially minority students, a disproportionate number of the schools being officially labeled as failures have been segregated minority schools. Inner-city school systems are making major efforts to break large segregated, high-poverty high schools into small schools. This is being done in an attempt to create schools better equipped to reduce inequality. Some argue that charter schools and private schools could substantially reduce racial inequa lities, even though both of these settings often create more segregated schools than traditional public schools. Additionally, Harvard University researchers have found no evidence to support claims for either of these school settings (Orfield Lee, 2005). Even so, court orders and plans for equal opportunity and desegregated schools are being challenged in court and sometimes terminated. Leaders of the small number of high achieving segregated schools in some inner-cities are being heralded as proof-positive we can have educational success within the context of existing segregation (Thernstrom, 2003). It appears that the new movement champions the idea that separate schools can be equal. In fact, since the 1980s, there has been increasing segregation among both African-American and Latino students. A common misconception over the issue of re-segregation of schools is that many people view segregation as a simple change in the skin color of the students in a school. If skin color were the only variable and other issues associated with inequality were not linked to varying skin tones, then skin color would be of little or no significance to social policy, including educational policy. In our society, however, no issue is so simple. Race is linked to many other issues in society. Like some experts, I take the position that schools today are more segregated than schools of yesterday, but not necessarily by race. Instead, it is socioeconomic status of families and students that have led to segregation by income in many cases. Socioeconomic segregation multidimensional and causes much of the educational inequality in todays society. Our nations schools contain less Caucasian students than ever. Forty-one percent of all students are not white and the great majority of the nonwhite students attend schools which show substantial signs of socioeconomic segregation (Orfield Lee, 2004). Achievement scores are strongly linked to school racial composition the presence of highly qualified and experienced teachers (Schellenberg, 1999). The high level of poverty among children, together with many housing policies and practices which exclude poor people from most communities, force families living in poverty into inner-city neighborhoods with housing projects or low-value property. This geographical isolation of low-income families mean that students in inner-city schools face isolation not only from more prolific community members, usually white families, and from middle class schools. With only access to poverty-st ricken schools, children from poverty have limited access to resources that will help break the poverty cycle. Because of this, minority children are far more likely than whites to grow up in persistent poverty. Another reason for the apparent re-segregation of schools is immigration. African-American students are no longer the most prolific minority. As the number of black students grew slowly during the last 15 years, the number of Latinos and Asian students exploded. Proportionally speaking, white enrollment continuously declined. The total number of white students did not decrease, but the percentage of white enrollments compared to minority enrollments has continued to fall. Latinos are now the largest minority group at 18 percent, closely followed by black students at 17 percent. Together, these two groups are now more than a third of the total student population (Orfield Lee, 2005). African-American and Latino students comprise at least 30 percent of the student population in most of the states. Asians now outnumber black students in some regions of the West while Latinos are the most prevalent minority in the Northeast. With the decrease in white students and the increase in minority presence in education, one may conclude that segregation should be a non-issue. It is important to understand that segregation was never just a black-white problem. It was never just a Southern problem and most definitely not just a racial problem. By the time Dr. Martin Luther King organized his last movement, the Poor Peoples Campaign, his approach was openly multiracial, emphasizing poverty as well as racial discrimination. Just a few days before his assassination, Dr. King addressed this issue directly by saying that it was absolutely necessary now to deal massively and militantly with the economic problemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. So the grave problem facing us is the problem of economic deprivation, with the syndrome of bad housing and poor education and improper health facilities all surrounding this basic problem (Washington, 1986). This raises some intriguing questions. What would have happened if Dr. King had not died s o abruptly? Would the relationship between racial and economic isolation have been brought to the forefront of American politics? Would desegregation of public schools actually have addressed the issue at the heart of student performance, socioeconomic status not race? In the purest sense of the words, the civil rights movement was never about blacks sitting next to whites on busses or in restaurants. It was about equalizing opportunities. Opportunities for education are of the utmost importance. If high poverty schools are systematically unequal and segregated minority schools are almost always high poverty schools, it is much easier to understand how schools segregated on the basis of socioeconomic status do not provide the same equal access to educational opportunities as non-segregated schools. Plans must be enacted to addresses what some educators and sociologists have long known to be the greatest barrier to equal educational opportunity: poverty. We must recognize that separate schools for rich and poor are, by design, unequal. Consideration of socioeconomic status also makes sense in the broader context of school desegregation. While it is inappropriate for todays educational leaders to say that predominantly black schools are inherently in ferior or that blacks need to sit next to whites in order to learn, it needs to be understood that if we educate rich and poor students in separate schools, the high-poverty schools will undoubtedly be of lower quality. It is important to understand that regardless of ethnic makeup, research has found that a student of low-socio-economic status will perform worse academically at a low-income school than if that same student attends a predominantly middle-class school. In fact, the converse has been found to be true as well. Students from middle and upper-class families perform worse at high-poverty schools as well (Kahlenberg, 1999). Critics of these findings suggest that steps be taken to supplement high-poverty schools rather than desegregation by socioeconomic status. Some have said to simply provide more funding to supplement needs or to raise standards if the curriculum is watered down. If teachers in such schools are not qualified or unprepared, simply improve teacher training . While each of these ideas may be worthy of consideration, could we not achieve more sense of equality by addressing the underlying cause of school inequality, economic segregation. High-poverty schools, even with extra funding, are problematic. A good school fosters a student culture that values learning. Students learn from one another. For instance, students expand their vocabularies when exposed to classmates who know more words than they do. Often students have a broader vocabulary that comes from experiences outside of the school that are often missing in low-income students lives. Instead, poor practices and misconceptions are often reinforced by peers because actions are accepted as the norm. Some experts point to this phenomenon as the root cause for the developing ebonics dialect among students from some inner-city schools. Rather than encouraging advancement, peers may actively denigrate achievement in high-poverty schools. The extra needs poor students often bring to school can effectively overwhelm schools with large numbers of needy kids. How do we address these issues as a nation? What is the next step? San Francisco officials have implemented a unique approach to school zoning that attempts to address the issue of socioeconomic segregation. Historically, in San Francisco and other cities across the country, policy has not attacked poverty concentrations. Instead, policy has focused solely on racial desegregation, in part because the 14th Amendment has been read to address segregation by race but not by class. Today, school districts are beginning to turn directly to the socioeconomic factors in determining a schools quality. This has led leaders to work to redraw school zones based on socioeconomic considerations. San Francisco is considering many socioeconomic factors in developing school zones, including parental education, income, and geographical location. Children with parents who did not attend college and children who receive free or reduced-price lunch, live in public housing, or live in high-poverty neighborhoods will be integrated with more-affluent students. Goal of the redistricting is to distribute the citys wealth throughout the school system so that no one school is wealthier than another. Likewise, no one school will have a higher percentage of low-income students than another (Kahlenberg, 1999). While this seems like a novel concept, San Francisco has set in motion a plan that, if enacted correctly, will sufficiently desegregate city schools in a manner consistent with the goals of the civil rights movement. The concept is not new. Reaching back to Horace Manns concept of common schools, the plan will provide all students equal access and opportunity to a quality education regardless of socioeconomic status. While the concept may be foreign to many in the education field, this concept, is adopted nationally, is the best process for once again making public schools engines for social mobility.

Aerospace Psychology :: essays research papers

Aerospace Psychology 1. The complicated task of piloting an aircraft can be broken into two broad categories. The first is keeping the aircraft flying. The second is arriving at a given destination. The second is always being effected by the first. Unlike a car, small deviation in course can over great distances cause the aircraft to arrive hundreds of miles from the target destination. To successfully accomplish the task, safe arrival, the larger tasks can be sub-divided into three categories. The first is the Procedural Tasks. These are the maintenance task that must be accomplished every time in a certain way at a certain time, i.e. take off and landing checklists. The next is Decision and Judgement Tasks. Problem solving is another way to look at it. The crew will react based on past experience to a given situation. The last is Communications and Resource Management. This is how the crew communicates with each other while problem solving, either poorly or well. 2. The pilot uses visual cues such as rate of flow of texture outward from or convergence of parallel linear features to visually fly the aircraft. Estimates of speed are derived from global optic flow (GOL). This is the rate that texture flows over the optical area. This can be effected by elevation, at higher elevations underestimation of true speed will occur. Approach path distortions occur when there is a slope before the landing strip or other visual features such as dwarfed trees. The human eye is not designed for conditions found in flight. Planes that are a collision course have no apparent movement to them. This takes the natural attraction to movement out of play. Because of the lack of visual stimulation the eye will focus only a few meters in front, so distant objects are unfocused. The scanning of instruments provides a source of input that allows the pilot to visualize the position of aircraft in flight. The novice pilot will scan all the instruments in a given pattern . While the experienced pilot will look at all the instrument that will give them feedback on the action that occurred. Of the main instrument the most useful is the attitude direction indicator (ADI). This is the instrument most referred and the one that most novice pilot will get fixated with. It is also the only one that resembles an aircraft and provides information in a format other than an analog circular dial.

Islam, Christianity, Judaism: Compared Essay

In the past decade, Muslims have been in the front pages of newspapers for militancy, from Palestinian intifadah (uprising) in the West Bank to Hezbollah’s armed warfare against the Israeli military forces. The most dramatic being the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States by the Al Qaeda. This attack later on spawned â€Å"suicide† bombings in London, Indonesia and elsewhere around the globe. To date, the Al Qaeda remains active albeit possibly weakened and its leaders on the run. Its alleged associate groups such as the Jemaah Islamiya (in Indonesia) and Abu Sayyaf (in the Philippines) also remains active and continue to battle government forces in their respective countries. The Taliban continue their armed resistance in Afghanistan where they once held the reins of government. Undoubtedly, it is their faith that fuels the militancy of these groups. Whatever political motivations they may have in their struggle is underpinned and premised on their religious beliefs. Islam, Christianity, Judaism: Compared Judaism, Christianity and Islam claim to be monotheistic and worship one God. They claim a common ancestry through Abraham and share the prophetic tradition through Moses and the prophets. They all believe in angels and angelic activity in behalf of man. They believe in divine revelation and the last judgment. All adopt laces of worship and teaching, Judaism the Synagogue, Christianity the Church and Islam the Mosque. They place a heavy emphasis on prayer and hold special weekly days of worship, Judaism the Sabbath, Christians the Lord’s Day (or Sunday) and Islam the day of Salat (or Friday). (A Christian Comparison With and Evaluation of Islam, 2007). With these similarities, where lies the source of militancy and steadfastness of the Muslim mujahideen and jihadists? Why would a devout Muslim sacrifice himself in bombing military and civilian targets? The main area of theological difference pertains to the Christians’ (particularly the Catholics) concept of Holy Trinity. Christians see God has having three persons – God the Father, God the Son (or Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, Muslims and Jews are simple monotheists and believe in one God, called Allah and Yahweh respectively. Both the Jews and Muslims see Jesus as man and not God but they differ in perceiving the significance of Jesus’ life. To the Jews, Jesus was an ordinary Jew (not divine) who crucified for claiming to be the Messiah. Muslims also see Jesus as a human (not divine) but that he was a prophet, a messenger of God (Qur’an, 5:17; as cited in Comparison Table between Christianity, Islam and Judaism, 2007). Furthermore, Muslims say that Jesus was not crucified, but was raised to Heaven by Allah (Qur’an, 4:157 – 158; as cited in Comparison Table between Christianity, Islam and Judaism, 2007). In addition, the Holy Spirit is also seen differently. It is a divine power given to the prophets according to the Jews. Muslims view the Holy Spirit identical with the Angel Gabriel who came to give God’s message to Muhammad. Comparison Table between Christianity, Islam and Judaism, 2007) Islam: An Overview Islam is a monotheistic religion that originated from the teachings of Muhammad. The word Islam means totally surrendering oneself to Allah (God). The word Islam is derived from the Arabic aslama which means to accept, surrender or submit. Its fundamental theological concept is that there is only one God (Allah). (Islam, 2007) An adherent or believer of Islam is known as a Muslim. Islam originated in Arabia in the early seventh century. At around this time, Muhammad had begun to proselytize. As of today, there are two major denominations of Islam, namely the Sunni and the Shi’a (or Shiite). The schism took place in the seventh century on the issue of rightful succession in the religious and political leadership of the Muslim community. Islam instructs that all faiths essentially have one common message: the existence of a Supreme Being, the one and only God. It teaches that God’s Sovereignty must acknowledged in worship and in the pledge to obey His teaching and commandments. These teachings and commandments are conveyed through His messengers and prophets who were sent at various times and in many places throughout history. (Zahid, 2004) In this regard, Muslim’s believe that God delivered his final message for humanity to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel. Muhammad is a prophet. He is man and not a god although being a prophet, he is closest to perfection of man. (Islam, 2007) Muslims believe that some prophets, even though human, are able to perform miracles to prove their claim of being messengers of God. In this light, Muslims consider Jesus as just one in the long line of prophets since Adam. The central religious text of Islam is the Qur’an that was written down by Muhammad’s companions while he was still alive. Nevertheless, the Muslims believe that the Qur’an is not simply holy scripture; it is the holy word of God. Hence, the words and meaning of God’s message can best be understood in Arabic, the language of Muhammad. Also, Muslims all over learn to recite portions of the Qur’an in its original language. (Islam: A Worldwide Religion and Its Impact in Southeast Asia, 2007) Qur’an literally means â€Å"recitation†. While the Christian Bible has been translated into as many languages as possible, the Muslims see differently. Any translation is simply considered as a commentary or interpretation of the Qur’an due to language differences and fallibility of the translators. It is also impossible to preserve the original’s inspired (by God) style. A supplement to the Qur’an is the Hadith (meaning â€Å"reports†). The Hadith is a complete and authentic record of the life of Muhammad. It recounts his words, actions and personal characteristics. (Zahid, 2004) Muslims are encouraged to emulate Muhammad in their daily life. They are to follow the Sunnah (literally, â€Å"trodden path†), Muhammad’s normative example. Five Pillar of Islam Obligatory actions are required of Muslims and these are collectively called the Five Pillars of Islam. Cline (2007) wrote, â€Å"Unlike Christianity, Islam is founded on orthopraxy (right action) rather than orthodoxy (right belief)†. The Five Pillars are ritual acts of worship. These were ordained in the Qur’an as a means to discipline humanity to remember God constantly. (Zahid, 2004) First is the declaration of faith or shahadah. This is expressed in the statement â€Å"Ash-hadu anla ilaha illal-Lahu Wahdahu la Sharika Lahu wa-ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu†. The English translation is â€Å"I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, the One, without any partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger†. (Shahadah: Declaration of Faith, 2007) Second is prayer or salat. This is offered five times a day because the prayers cannot be said all at the same time. As a result, they create a rhythm that structures a Muslim’s day. Prayers are to be recited at fajr (after dawn but before sunrise), duhr (early afternoon till late afternoon), ‘asr (later afternoon till sunset), maghrib (just after sunset), isha (late evening till late at night). The prayers are recited in the Arabic language. They consist of verses from the Qur’an. The third pillar is alms-giving or zakat. In Islam, man holds wealth as a trust from God. As trustee, possessions must be used wisely including sharing with the unfortunate. In practice, Muslims are required to annually give a fixed amount of excess personal assets for the benefit of the poor, the sick and the welfare of the community. Zahid (2004) calls this â€Å"purification of wealth†. Sharing, through zakat, becomes an act of purifying not just the wealth but also the giver for having disciplined oneself against greed through selflessness. Fourth is fasting or sawm. The fourth pillar actually refers to self-purification through fasting. Every Muslim fasts from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar. It involves abstinence from eating, drinking, smoking and marital intercourse. Sawm is a reminder of the believers’ dependence on God as well as their kinship with others who involuntarily fast due to lack of food or its unjust distribution. (Zahid, 2004) The last pillar is piligrimage or hajj. All Muslim should undertake a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life. The hajj is a ritual to create a single community out of the diversity of the believers. Hence, ten kilometers away from Mecca, all pilgrims are required to wear the same clothing, which consists of two white seamless sheets.

Writing your Story

Today's society, the media has succeeded in brainwashing the world . Things like, â€Å"Thin is in† â€Å"fat is out†, â€Å"eat this†, † your beautiful if you look like this†, the list goes on and on. From the media, to weight loss company, magazine articles and cosmetic lines, they all want women to take their advice because of course they know what's best for you as a woman, right?Self-esteem, according to an article on the United States Small Business Administration (SABA) website entitled, â€Å"Self Esteem,† is appreciating one's own worth ND importance and having the character to be accountable for oneself and to act responsibly toward others. It Is a confidence and satisfaction In oneself, and an absolute necessity (2001, pig. 1). The article also states that â€Å"nearly 1/3 of all Americans suffer from low self-esteem† (pig. 1).The media, specifically women's fashion magazines, is increasingly being held for the self-esteem epi demic that plagues' our society. In almost every woman's fashion magazine such as Ell, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour are advice articles on dating and sex, weight loss and beauty. In fact, the subtitles for these articles are on almost every cover of every issue of these publications. However, these same magazines consistently put thin, attractive women on the cover of their magazines as well.Studying how these advice columns in women fashion magazines affect women will determine how often and to what extent women rely on these articles, therefore assisting in understanding the role communications and its mediums have on society. Women's fashion magazines demonstrate how a woman should look and act and therefore have been criticized for Dolling the thin, attractive female. An article In the Journal of Family and analysis of body related content in Girl Zone,† in essence states that mainstream women's fashion magazines make physical appearance out to be the most important aspect of a woman.The problem is that these magazines use the thin, attractive women in their magazines without explaining to the reader that the pictures have been airbrushed and therefore are presenting â€Å"fake idols†. Women's magazines have always have always had a large effect on women's actions, mainly by indirectly dictating the role a woman should have in society. The easiest way this can be done is by publishing advice columns that â€Å"teach† women how to keep a man and how to â€Å"look beautiful†.Today's women's fashion magazines, such as Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Mademoiselle not only affect women, but also young girls. An article entitled â€Å"Narrative analysis of sexual etiquette in teenage magazines† found in the Journal of Communication discusses the messages teen magazines send to young women about social and cultural norms for sex and sexual relationships (Garner, Steer & Adams, 1998). The study suggests teen magazines teach women to accept men for who they re and to change themselves so that men will desire them. The authors explain that â€Å"the rhetoric of sexual etiquette encourages young women to be sex objects and teachers of interpersonal communication rather than lovers, friends, and partners. Young women are being taught to subordinate self for others and to be contained† (pig. 59). Being a woman in today's' society is tough. You have to try to be something that you are not, and unless you can afford the latest diet plan, newest makeup line, or latest fashion trend you will be left behind.It would make more ensue to promote self-worth and happiness, but that would be too easy, and how can companies capitalize and make money from you being happy with yourself? They cannot. So to make you feel like something is wrong with yourself, they have come up with way on how to improve yourself so that you can learn to accept yourself, and so will others. Not to say that all magazines are alike, because they are n ot, but for the most part they want you to see and do things the way they see best, and if you don't, then society will not accept you and neither will anyone else.

Global North-South economic Essay

Why is there a Global North-South economic divide in world politics today? There have been and still are many problems in the world of politics today. The Global North-South economic divide is just one of them. In order for this essay to be answered, it needs to be split into several sections accordingly. Firstly a definition of what the ‘North-South’ divide will be offered, however there are many types of North-South divides (like digital divide, knowledge divide) but this essay will be looking at the economic divide. Secondly and the pivotal part is the reasons as to why the divide still exists in world politics today with reasons such as colonialism and trade. Finally a conclusion will be given summarising the essay and also provide ways to bridge the ‘gap’ in the North-South economic divide as for many states the divide has more disadvantages than advantages. The North-South divide is the socio-economic and political division which exists between the wealthy developed countries, known collectively as â€Å"The North†, and the poorer developing countries, as â€Å"The South†. Although most nations comprising the â€Å"North† are in fact located in the Northern Hemisphere, the divide is not primarily defined by geography. The term was coined to differentiate the cultural divide between East and West. As nations become economically developed, they may become part of the â€Å"North†, regardless of geographical location, while any other nations which do not qualify for â€Å"developed† status are in effect deemed to be part of the â€Å"South†.1 For more than a generation, the North-South divide was central to the explanation of world inequality and poverty. From the 1960’s until the late 1980’s, the image of a world split between the wealthy developed countries of the North and the poor developing countries of the South fuelled the activity of policy makers and scholars alike.2 Through the 1950’s and 1960’s, countries regarded as developing nations were weighted down with unequal trade agreements, multinational pricing practices, debt burden, pre-capitalist appropriation of labour, capital flight, the looting of natural resources and local corruption. As well, it was harder for the developing countries to compete and work in an economic system that favoured the northern countries.3 The international financial institutions, the stock markets, the commodity cartels and the monopoly structure of global capitalism stacked the cards against the developing world, in favour of tilting the economic wheel of prosperity towards the North. As a result, the pillage of the third world continued, even after the colonizers departed and, supposedly, left free, open and independent societies. In the process, however, the developing countries were left with depleted resources, a barren land, stagnate economies, financially ruined governments and impoverished people.4 From the 1960’s until the late 1980’s, the world split between the wealthy developed countries of the North and the poor developing countries of the South fuelled the activity of policy makers and scholars alike.5 One of the foremost reasons for why the north-south divide exists is because of colonialism. For a long time many countries in the North held colonies in the South as assests and prevented them from developing so that their power was retained. A good example is Zambia, which only gained independence in 1954. Up until then, Zambia was suppresed since over 70% of profits from copper went overseas and only $60 million of capital flowed into the country each year. Therefore the colonial power acted as a block to development. This is not the case now but there is something of a concern which is linked to colonialism which is multinational power. This is another reason why there is a global north-south economic divide today; multinationals like Nike and Coca Cola own many industries in the South. They exploit these countries through cheap land and labour as well as lax safety regulations.6 In Taiwan, many Nike employees have their rights suppresed and are paid ridiculous wages; to give an example of how much they get paid it is said that they work 10-12 hours a day, mostly every day and if they did this for a year they would earn roughly just à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1,500.00.7 This is what generally people in the UK earn in a month. Safety regulations in relation to Multinationals are also lax in many southern states; because Multinationals, through less regulation do not have to worry so much about safety regulations such as; safety for their workers like they would have in more developed countries, pollution controls and physical overload (amount of hours worked). One of the major reasons that there is a North-South economic divide, is because the North have mostly cornered the market, thus causing it to developed while the South struggle. The South is trying to develop, but have the problem in trading with the North as they have more control over markets. The inability to trade is an important aspect as trade is an essential part to development since a favourable balance of payments can be achieved.8 This leads to the next reason why the divide still exists; currency. Although the recent introduction of the Euro across Europe has improved the economy is some areas at the very least, the South do not have this luxury. Different states in the South all have different currencies so thus the inability of the South to obtain foreign currency like the dollar or the pound is an important reason as to why the divide still exists today. The currencies in the South are unstable and therefore in order to trade they must obtain currencies used worldwide; like the dollar or the pound. This is often achieved through international trade but this is blocked through lack of available markets and through the imposition of tariffs and quotas upon exports coming from the South. To give an example; one of the major constraints for South Africa in their supply of textiles and clothing has been inadequate foreign currency reserve causing them the inability to cover industry import needs.9 Another concern brought about in regards to the deteriotation of exchange rates is that it increases the poorer countries debt problem.10 In addition, when payments are made, precious national resources that could be spent on developing fair and sustainable economies and societies are channelled back to the rich North. In other words, the international status quo is impeding sustainable development, income generation and poverty eradication.11 Another reason for the divide is resource dependancy. The reliance on one export can at first be successful and prosperous but then can lead to disaster. As already mentioned, Zambia had much reliance over their copper sales. In 1997, Zambia was relying on copper to be its main seller as it was 75% of their export earnings in the mining industry; the vulnerability of Zambia’s economy due to its reliance on copper mining has been exposed in the very recent past by the falling copper price and by falling production as a result of limited re-investment in the mining industry. 12 Another point to make in relation to resources is in regard to Africa and coffee beans. As it is well known the WTO (World Trade Organisation) allows tariff escalation; this means it is cheaper and easier for Africans to export coffee beans that it is to export processed coffee. Therefore Africa does not develop beyond coffee growers.13 It also allows for tariff peaks that are used to keep out goods where African countries have particular advantage like leather goods. So therefore, any move by Africans to develop manufacturing capabilities or to exploit comparative advantage to benefit meaningfully from their products meets with enormous obstacles and disincentives n Northern markets. These obstacles are legal and continue the colonial legacy of forbidding manufacturing in the colonies.14 Governments especially in the South prevent their states developing, thus adding to the divide. Too many underdeveloped states are spending too much on arms trade rather than on more resourceful aspects such as health and education. To give an example Iraq is spending 32% of their GNP of military, while Iraq has 19.2%; this is a slightly back dated estimate so it would be best to assume the percentages would be higher.15 As many states in north are aiding those in the south, this causes a detrimental effect on the south. Although, the states from the north are aiding with good intentions, any aid that helps a part of the economy that a government is trying to develop will only prevent development and not help the country get to grips with its true economic situation. There are serious deficiences in this ideology of ‘North-South’ divide. The North uses the free trade ideology as a means of domination over the resources and livelihoods of the people of the South. To bring about a change in ‘fortunes’ for developing states like Africa, a number of obstacles have to be overcome. The first being the ideology of ‘free trade’ that contaminates every level of policy making in many countries. Most officials and ministers ‘do not know they do not know’ or are ‘politically’ helpless in the face of free trade ideology. 16 The principles of ‘free trade’ which are presented as inherently good are unsurprisingly absent in the North’s approach to agriculture. In agriculture free trade is turned on its head, because the WTO allows the North to use ‘trade distorting’ subsidies – state intervention that distorts the market: the ultimate trade sin.17 What needs to be done is that developing countries need to learn about international trade, they need to fight and make sure organisations such as the WTO and the IMF (International Monetary Fund) give fair justice to all states whether developed or developing. There are other views on development that are simply not canvassed at all by governments because they do not realise that they do not know; meaning developing states do not have all the information or even have access to information, therefore do not know what areas they can improve on or what areas they can fight against the developed countries. To give an example, a developing state cannot fight against developed countries over injustice if they do not have the resources or right information; the problem lies in that they do not realise that they actually do not know about certain policies but they think they do. Problems can be solved if organisations such as the WTO actually provide service not just for the North but also for the South. According to Mr. Atkinson of Oxfam, to bring peace and equality amongst economies in the world there needs to be a global framework of rules; which the WTO can provide, but those rules have to allow nations of the South to catch up to nations of the North at their own speed.18 To conclude, this essay has looked at the global North-South economic divide and has provided reasons as to why it still exists in world politics today. Reasons such as colonialism and the given example of Zambia and their reliance on copper. According to Kurt Achin who writes for ‘Voice of America’, the global north-south economic divide remains the fault line in approaching the next world trade summit.19 So as it can seen, the global North-South divide exists today for a variety of reasons, and it will continue to exists in world politics until these reasons are put straight and rectified so that equality can be share with the North and South. However, this view is not shared by all, as those ‘powerful’ states would prefer to have this ‘divide’ so that their economies can stay dominant and powerful. Reference Martens, P. (2003), International Centre for Integrative Studies: The Globalisation Timeline, University of Maastricht, vol. 4, no.3, pp 137-144 Thierien, P. J (1999), Beyond the North-South divide: The two tales of world poverty, Academic Search Elite, vol. 11, no.1, Issue 4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North-south_divide http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/smileymi/Global%20History%2012/Global%20History%2012%20North-South%20Relations%20Overview.htm http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/8392/8392.ch01.html http://www.1worldcommunication.org/labornews.htm#Nike%20Immorally%20Star http://www.intracen.org/sstp/Survey/textile/zimbabwe.pdf http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/2035.html http://www.zambia-mining.com/miningright.html http://www.seatini.org/publications/articles/2004/internationalpolicy.htm http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/ArmsTrade/Spending.asp http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-12/2005-12-06-voa5.cfm http://www.boell.de/downloads/rio+10/worldsummit8.pdf 1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North-south_divide – 7-3-06 2 beyond the north-south divide journal – pg 1 of 18 – 2 tales of world poverty 3 http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/smileymi/Global%20History%2012/Global%20History%2012%20North-South%20Relations%20Overview.htm 4 http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/smileymi/Global%20History%2012/Global%20History%2012%20North-South%20Relations%20Overview.htm – 23 5 Thierien, P. J (1999), Beyond the North-South divide: The two tales of world poverty, Academic Search Elite, vol. 11, no.1, Issue 4, pg 1 6 http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/8392/8392.ch01.html – 8-3-06 7 http://www.1worldcommunication.org/labornews.htm#Nike%20Immorally%20Star – 8-3-06 8 http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/wto/1061.html 9 http://www.intracen.org/sstp/Survey/textile/zimbabwe.pdf 9-3-06 10 http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/2035.html – 22-3 11 http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/2035.html 22-3 12 http://www.zambia-mining.com/miningright.html 10-3-06 13 http://www.seatini.org/publications/articles/2004/internationalpolicy.htm 23- 14 http://www.seatini.org/publications/articles/2004/internationalpolicy.htm 23 15 http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/ArmsTrade/Spending.asp – 15-3-06 16 http://www.seatini.org/publications/articles/2004/internationalpolicy.htm 23 17 http://www.seatini.org/publications/articles/2004/internationalpolicy.htm 23 18 http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-12/2005-12-06-voa5.cfm – 25 19 http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-12/2005-12-06-voa5.cfm 25