The Enron and Worldcom Scandals

E. Boos – Week 2 – Assignment February 17, 2013 The Enron and WoldCom Scandals ENRON 1. The segment of Enron’s operations that got them into difficulties had several parts. They published misleading financial reports. They could not meet their bridge financing commitment with Barclay Bank because outside investors were not found. Because of this, they restated activities of JEDI and Chewco SPEs so they could be retroactively consolidated into Enron’s accounts. The SPEs helped to hide the inaccurate accounting records.Enron’s legal department wrote contracts that helped provide a cover for misuse of funds regarding the SPEs. Future revenue was reported as current revenue. Stocks were paid with promissory notes instead of cash. They also engaged in off-the-books activities and excessive executive compensation. Enron’s board of directors allowed the executives, accountants and legal department to use Special Purpose Entities (SPEs), a type of pa rtnership, in an attempt to camouflage their debt and create a facade of financial stability (Brooks, 2007). 3. Enron’s directors understood how profits were made.They also knew management’s activities were dishonest. Andrew Fastow was active in forming the SPE partnerships and his affiliation with LJM2 was a conflict of interest. When Enron began experiencing financial problems in October 2001, the board of directors began holding special meetings. They were paid with cash, restricted stock, phantom stock units and stock options. The Senate Subcommittee Report, dated July 8, 2002, found that the Enron board of directors was aware that employees participated in management of the SPEs which was a conflict of interest.The directors ignored the inaccurate accounting, extensive unrecorded activities and excessive executive compensation. The Senate report discovered that the board of directors knew of financial activities between Enron and some of the board’s members . The board permitted consulting services, internal audits, and external audits to be performed by the same company, namely, Arthur Andersen (Brooks, 2007). 5. Ken Lay was chairperson of the board. He reassumed the position of CEO after Skilling resigned. As CEO he oversaw all of Enron’s activities.Lay and Whaley directed Causey to sell the Raptor SPEs. The sale price of was privately negotiated between Fastor, on behalf of Enron, and Kopper on behalf of LJM2. Lay did not interfere when Arthur Andersen directed Enron to record the buyout excess money as income. He knowingly allowed fraudulent activities and false information to be included in the financial reports. This was unethical. The Powers Report identifies seven questionable accounting issues concerning the sale of the Raptors (Brooks, 2007). 6.The board of directors did not insist that full disclosure of Enron’s earning be made available to the public and the shareholders. They allowed inaccurate reports to be published. Since they did not challenge management involvement in fraudulent activities, this meant the shareholders interests were not protected (Brooks, 2007). 9. Conflict of interest concerning SPE activities occurred because Enron employees were active in managing certain SPEs. Losses were not reported in end of year reports to offset other nonprofitable dealings.Arthur Andersen did not report all of the earnings and helped Enron cover up losses. When Andrew Fastow, wanted to manage the SPE, Chewco, he was advised by Jeffrey Skilling who was on the board of directors, that he should not manage Chewco because it would be a conflict of interest. Instead, Fastow appointed Michael Kopper who worked for him at Enron, to manage Chewco (Brooks, 2007). WORLDCOM 1. To inflate their profit in the current period, WorldCom created overstatements of cash flow and income by inaccurately reporting line costs. Line costs were a major expense to WorldCom.They were payments WorldCom made to third party telecommunicator network providers for the right to access their networks. These costs should have been shown as an expense rather than appearing on the income statement (Brooks, 2007). 2. WorldCom’s board of directors could have prevented the manipulation of revenue that management used if they had not been intimidated by Bernie Ebbers. They allowed themselves to be intimidated by Bernie Ebbers when he did not want their questions answered or give them more definitive explanations. Eventually, they demanded Bernie Ebber’s resignation and he resigned.The board of directors scheduled periodic meetings with WorldCom. The directors should have been more involved and familiar with WorldCom’s activities and efforts to manipulate expenses and decreased income (Brooks, 2007). 4. Bernie Ebbers was the CEO of WorldCom, the CFO was Scott Sullivan and David Myers was the Controller. Prior to working for WorldCom they had worked for Arthur Andersen. Arthur Andersen w as the auditor for WorldCom. That is why the accountants did not say or do anything to prevent Ebbers’ manipulation of WorldCom’s financial reports (Brooks, 2007). . Ebbers received $408. 2 million dollars as a loan to buy WorldCom stock or for margin calls as the stock price fell. Instead of using the money for the purpose he received it, he used it to buy a cattle ranch in Canada, build a new home, pay for personal expenses of a family member, and provide loans to family and friends (Brooks, 2007). Reference: Brooks, L. J. (2007). Business & professional ethics for directors, executives, & accountants (4th ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Mussolini’s Relationship with Hitler

There were many similarities between Mussolini and Hitler even though the two exhibited some differences. Having risen to power earlier, in the 1920s, Mussolini was the senior between the two and had a great influence on Hitler. Hitler saw in him a teacher who helped him shape his policies. The two however had individual characteristics that made their lives quite different. As much as Hitler went to school and graduated as a fine art student, Mussolini was self – educated (Trifkovic 1993). The latter had a larger than life approach to life and he wanted to be perceived as a superman by the people. In this way he would fake pictures portraying him as a master of various skills including a pilot, wrestler etc. On the other hand Hitler had a less colorful view of life. He was more successful in battle; being able to win majority of the wars that he staged against his enemies. In this way Germany was able to conquer other nations. As much as his friend found it easy to conquer other nations due to his early war experience and the huge army back at home; Mussolini had a difficult time in winning battles. In most of the battles he had to depend on the assistance of the Germans in order to become victorious (Carpi 1994). The two leaders were nevertheless hungry for power and were inclined to totalitarian leadership. They both had been wounded in battle and had almost taken a similar avenue to power (Hayes 1995). There election promise to restore hope and help solve the unemployment problem earned them the support and sympathy from the majority voters. In some way they did not fail as both German and Italy significantly reduced the levels of unemployment in the initial years of their leadership (Cassels 1963). The two had a hot cold relationship. Despite the signing the Pact of Steel, which called for cooperation between the two countries in matters economical, militaristic and on foreign policy issues; still there are times when one of the countries would act without due consultation with the other. Ascension to Power There is great similarity in the manner that the two leaders campaigned for political leadership and got elected to the office. There countries by the time were facing unemployment problems, hopelessness and disillusionment. The citizens were therefore anticipating for someone who would literary save them from the situation. The coming of both Mussolini and Hitler was perceived as a great relieve to the economic situation of the time. There campaign which was fierce propaganda helped to catapult the two dictators into office. This propaganda continued to play a key role in the governments and administration of the day; the citizens were totally unaware of the true information that the government was acting upon. In times of war or when the government made important decisions that directly or indirectly affected the lives of the citizens; there were totally kept in the dark (Weber 1982). The two dictators all had a similar script to help them rule over the people (Flood 1989). They were at a point of establishing a new leadership whereby the individual was the one and only decision maker. This totalitarian government did not tolerate any form of opposition either from an individual or groups. It was therefore common for those who expressed ideas or views that were opposed to the leader to either face prosecution without trial or they were simply liquidated. The two leaders had an unquenchable thirst for power. This trait seemed to have cemented their relationship as they tended to see oneself in the character of the other. Hitler had been able to learn from Mussolini the way to govern a nation with the full authority centered on one individual. In mastering the way Mussolini carried out the affairs of the nation and particularly the conduct of the military; Hitler was eventually able to come up with his own style of leadership (Flood 1989). He was however very critical to avoid the mistakes that his friend had made. So in imitating his manner and way of leadership, he was also aware of the pitfalls that come with overindulgence more so exhibitionism. Foreign Policy It is because of the thirst for power and having the same style of leadership that the two dictators had to settle for an agreement such that they will support one another in case of war. This agreement otherwise referred to as the Pact of Steel was more in favor of Hitler’s Germany that is was for Italy (Corrado 1993). There was an unquenchable thirst for power on the part of Mussolini – for he had seen a powerful ally in Germany – that made him sign the deal. Later on it came to Italy’s realization that Germany was too aggressive in a bid to try and expand its influence thus fought a number of war expecting the cooperation of Italy. At least in two instances Italy declined to get involved in the wars despite the agreement. In both the 1939 and 1940 war, the former being the German’s invasion of Poland, there had been no cooperation between the countries. In the latter case the hesitation came since Mussolini had seen the possibility of Germany benefiting entirely from the invasion. The foreign policies of both Mussolini and Hitler were primarily addressing the expansion of their empire. The two would not squander any opportunity to try and spread there influence. For instance the involvement of Italy in the Spanish war was basically as a result of hunger for power by Mussolini. In this civil war that proved to be quite unpopular in Italy; was a way to get another member to the club of dictators. Already Hitler and Mussolini had perceived themselves as the most powerful nations in Europe. The two come up with an axis to which the other European countries revolved. According to Mussolini Italy would not miss the opportunity to spread its power and influence to other nations. In this stance Italy was backed by Germany and together they rallied their support for Franco. The two were in favor of another establishment of a Fascist dictatorship in Europe. In this war there combined force succeeded in having Franco joining the club of dictators. The effect of this war was a further alienation of Italy from the rest of Europe. It implied that the only option and way that was open to Italy was to augment its friendship with Germany. The Military The military might of Germany was not only one of the best but also the biggest. It was said to be five times more that the limit set by international standards. The significance of the great numbers of the officers was apparent. The nation went and fought many wars and was able to be successful in most of them. The military had been well equipped with sophisticated weapons and personnel that made it difficult to be defeated by any other nation. The two leaders were so much fascinated by the army such that even they themselves would always be seen in the army uniforms. In these military activities the leaders also were able to influence one another in one way or another. For instance the Nazi salute came from a direct imitation from the Mussolini army. Similarly there are a number of ideas that Mussolini borrowed from Hitler after he had visited his country and allowed to see the military. On seeing the military might of the Germans he made up his mind to maintain friendship with Hitler. Mussolini knew little about the military hence it was always divided and fragmented. There seemed to be no way to make the factions stick together and be loyal to their commander-in – chief. For a period of a decade or so Mussolini tried to consolidate and manage the military effectively. He could achieve but little success in this regard as his military exhibited weakness due to the internal divisions. This can be contrasted to his friend whose military was so compact and their loyalty was not compromised. The military was more of a cult than a professional body meant to safeguard the security of the nation. The German soldiers were simply dehumanized such that they were like automatons to follow orders that were given by their superiors. Together in Fascism Fascism seemed to have glued the two dictators together. They both found great relieve and prestige in holding absolute power. Fascism is regarded as unmasked capitalism since it has as its core value the idea of big business (Weber 1982). The two dictators were beneficiaries of the big business helping them ascend to leadership positions. It was therefore there prime role to ensure that the idea does not die with their coming into power. Fascism therefore continued to appeal to the emotions of the masses as it took on symbolism such as the hand salute, flags and creeds. Both Hitler and Mussolini exhibited these qualities and also the tendency towards racism, nationalism and sadism. Fascism detested so much the status quo and this has been the defining trait of both the dictators. Mussolini ensured that all political parties were dissolved. This gave him absolute power to rule over the state of Italy. He got to control each and everything in the country; the most powerful ministries were placed in his hands. These include defense, home and foreign affairs and corporations. Similarly he employed a lot of propaganda machinery such that the citizens are kept out of the picture. Everyone was made to believe that Fascism was the one and only system that could work in the 20th century (Griffin 2000). The other forms of government such as democracy and liberalism were to be shunned since they were outdated and could not be adopted. This manner of leadership was much akin to that of Adolph Hitler, just like his friend, he accomplished most of his goals through propaganda. A student of Mussolini, Hitler perfected the art of propaganda (Sternhell 1994). He was able to persuade the entire nation to support his goals and ideals in order to achieve a common purpose. Hitler had an entire ministry allotted to propaganda. Initially Mussolini held the policy of privatization of industries to the satisfaction of the financers. This was however a short term measure as the policy was reversed such that the government took on the control of the industries (Seldes 1935). As Mussolini struggled to ensure economic and financial independence of Italy – it was vital the country to have enough resources. This was not the case with Italy which struggled with limited resource allocation. To some extend Hitler had the resources to sustain his economy. He was able to solve the unemployment problem in the country and meet the demands of the huge army. Though the nation had been sidelined by other nations due to its aggressive behavior, still the economy did not flounder. This success story did not last for long as there were many obstacles on the way of achieving the goals that the leaders had set in mind. The Fascism ideology failed in its endeavor to bring some substantial changes in the human person and the society at large. First the two major personalities that stood for the idea actually met the most miserable of deaths. No one really wants to remember the actions of the two dictators. Similarly the goals of Fascism namely to come up with a society and human beings that are heroically moral were never to be realized. At first both Mussolini and Hitler were revered and admired by the citizen as they seem to have brought the changes that were badly needed by them and the society as a whole (Trifkovic 1993). This did not last long more so for Mussolini whom everyone soon realized his true character. The alienation of the two individuals by the civilized nations of Europe show how they were affected by their policies. However one cannot simply dismiss Mussolini as a failure who brought nothing but misery to his country. On the contrary Mussolini has been noted to have established the most stable government ever. It is as a result of his government that the nation of Italy can boast of a stable foundation. Similarly the good infrastructure of the country traces its roots back to the leadership of Mussolini. This is not to approve of his character or Fascism as a form of leadership. Any leader can take advantage of any form of leadership. In the case of Mussolini and Hitler the two used the power that had been bestowed on them to ensure that no one opposes their leadership. They systematically eliminated the individuals or groups that were not in favor of their policies. Common Tendencies Since Mussolini and Hitler were regarded as friends they were prone to show similarities in their actions. In some of their actions however the two lacked straight forwardness and tended to be some aspect of distrust. Germany and Italy both left the League of Nations, the former in 1933 while the latter – incensed by the imposition of sanctions by the league after invading Ethiopia – left in 1939. This shows how closely the two leaders influenced the behavior of one other. The attempt to try and occupy Albania by Mussolini had been noted as being synonymous with Hitler’s invasion and later occupation of Czechoslovakia and Austria. This attempt, unlike that of Hitler, did not bear any fruit as the Italian forces were defeated and forced to withdraw from Albania. The foreign policy of the two dictators were therefore similar to a greater extend but the political and military might of Germany was far much superior compared to that of Italy. It is for this reason that analysts were concerned that Mussolini was in fact simply a puppet of his comrade. The foreign policies of Mussolini and Hitler were meant for the achievement of power and status. There were both in favor of the expansion of their empires. To achieve this purpose the dictators employed force and diplomacy. For instance in 1935 take over of Ethiopia, Mussolini had to use force. Similarly Hitler had to threaten with the use of force in order to occupy Austria. In this way the two dictators exhibit the same manner of approach in an attempt to gain power. In brief the two fascist dictators were cut in the same cloth (Trifkovic 1993). There character though seemed to show some variation it was nonetheless the same. Everything that the two dictators did could be brought down to the thirst for power. This was mostly accomplished through wars. The Wars The civil war in Spain that lasted for three years saw the exhibition of new weapons and brought to the fore rivalries between the nations. The war simply showed who is who in the world. There were democracies on one hand comprising of countries such as Belgium, Britain, France and Holland. One the other hand there were the totalitarian regimes which included Russia, Italy and Germany. The might of these nations was to be exhibited in Spain during the civil war. Countries such as France and Britain however did not want to get involved in the crisis and therefore kept off the battlefield. This war was therefore fueled by external forces with little participation of internal forces. In participating in the war, Mussolini was acting against the will of a significant number of Italians. The war was not popular with the majority people since it was simply meant to quench the thirst for power of an individual. Mussolini wanted to have another dictator to join in Europe to join him and Hitler. In this endeavor together with Hitler they recorded huge success after General Franco won the war. Italy had been reluctant to join the First World War due to domestic policies that favored a liberal stance. By then Mussolini was allied to the socialist party thus held to the principles of the party. He later on changed his mind and joined Hitler’s faction on the battlefield. This angered the socialist party leadership thus resulting to his expulsion from the party. Similarly in the Second World War Mussolini was reluctant to join his friend as he was unsure on which side to fight. He was later to make up his mind after he had witnessed the progress in the war. Despite the fact that Hitler was more successful in war compared to Mussolini, the wars kept their relationship close and tight. The invasion of Italy to both Greek and Ethiopia – the former due to the supposed killing of her soldiers while the latter just a revenge mission on an occurrence that happened many years back – led the country to face sanctions from the League of Nations. This was very disagreeable to Mussolini thus making him withdraw from the league. He, just as his friend Hitler had come to the realization that the league could not stand on the way to acquisition of colonies. In order to understand the two leaders one has to place their actions in their respective context. It was the time when the nation’s exalted wars and there was much honor and prestige in conquering another nation. The philosophy of the time was mostly in the favor of the Germanys. This is notably Fred rich Nietzsche whom it is said to have influenced both Hitler and Mussolini with his idea of the superman. This idea was later to become the obsession of Mussolini. He wanted everyone to believe that he had extraordinary qualities. In his approach to many issues and problems that faced his country, Mussolini lacked a realistic approach. Betrayal In one way or another friendship between Mussolini and Hitler has not been smooth running. There have been ups and downs; sometimes they did cooperate while other times the two were totally on different paths. In most cases Mussolini was the victim of the betrayal as he was the lesser of the two in the relationship. In the Pact of Steel for instance the two were to stand by one another in case one declared war on another country. This was not to be as Italy was reluctant to join Germany in its attempt to invade Poland; an incidence that caused the Second World War (Trifkovic 1993). In failing to join his friend in war despite the deal that had been made earlier on, Mussolini was declaring his independence. There is also the possibility that the army was not prepared to fight at the time. The failure to abide by the Pact of Steel can also be as a result of the feeling that Hitler was opportunistic. His military was in fact more aggressive compared to that of Italy. This meant that Italy will serve as the puppet to be manipulated by Germany. Considering the character of both Mussolini and Hitler, none would be willing to accept such a demeaning position. Even with the apparent friendship between Mussolini and Hitler, the latter was said to have recommended Hitler for excommunication to the pope. This action, considering the closeness of the two, had two implications; one is that in essence it sounds factual and quite obvious. On the other hand it is shocking for the suggestion to come from ones friend. The two had cooperated in many things and continued to do so. In fact when everyone else seemed to turn his back against Mussolini, it is Hitler that came to his rescue. The incidence is therefore quite shocking as it is interesting. For no one really knew the true character of these individuals. Not even there closest friends. Nevertheless the two did cooperate in many spheres of life. If it were not for the support of the Germany military, then Mussolini will not have achieved some of the victories that were pegged to his name and regime (Cassels 1963). The most significant aspect of the relationship is the rescue that was carried out by the German soldiers. Mussolini having been arrested and imprisoned in the mountain top; it took the world by storm to see that the German soldiers were able to rescue him (Trifkovic 1993). This was a true display of friendship between Hitler and Mussolini. In fact after the rescue Mussolini was reported to have anticipated his friend’s assistance. Likewise Hitler could not afford to do nothing considering that the friend has been kept in prison. Conclusion It is apparent that for anyone to effectively discuss the actions of Mussolini he will not avoid to mention Hitler. The two cooperated in a number of ways and in carrying out the affairs that badly affected the world. Among the things that fascinated the two principles were war and the military. The obsession with both the military and war made them to always show up in the public in full military uniforms. Nothing however is more notable of the two than their thirst for power. It is primarily for the want of excessive power that the two Fascist dictators saw a similarity in one another bringing them closer together. Even though Mussolini had pioneered in totalitarian leadership, it is Hitler that perfected the practice. He learned from the failures of Mussolini thus able to avoid the pitfalls. In brief, the relationship between Mussolini and Hitler had been a friendly one till when death set them apart.

Arming Police Officers

‘Arming’ Police Officers After the recent murders of two unarmed police officers in Greater Manchester, the question has been raised that ‘should police officers be armed’? Fiona Bone and her colleague Nicola Hughes died after going out on a routine patrol to check a reported burglary. It appeared that they were lured to the address for a deliberate attack. The question of ‘would they have survived if they had been armed’ remains unknown but many people have their opinion which I will be discussing throughout.There can be a lot of benefits and disadvantages of ‘arming’ police officers in this country which I will be discussing along with the main issues raised in the article. One of the key issues raised in the article is that the two officers of this attack may have been victims of an ‘image boosting’ crime. This is where criminals specifically target police officers to be known as ‘folk heroes’ among the criminals. SIR PETER, F. 2012. ‘This case tells us something about the nature of organised crime, the level of intimidation that it creates and the fact people sometimes see others as folk heroes for being involved in this sort of activity. The Telegraph. 18 October. This suggests that officers in this country need to have more protection for themselves when facing criminals because they just don’t know what they are going to come up against. The two police officers who died weren’t expecting any trouble and thought they could easily handle it. There has been a number of incidents where police officers have been attacked and they had no protection for themselves such as when Raoul Moat threatened to kill police officers, including shooting one in the face and leaving him blind for the rest of his life.DARREN, R. 2012. ‘How many officers need to die before the powers realise that it is the 21st century and you cannot fight crime with an outdated piece of pla stic and a bit of spray. ’ The Telegraph. 18 October. Another key issue raised in the article is that a lot of other countries are armed to fight crime whereas here in the UK, there are only specific armed response units that go to specific incidents. In the article, the two police officers were going to a regular burglary allegation, unarmed and had no protection for themselves.The arguments over whether the police should be routinely armed go back to the creation of the capital’s first force by Robert Peel in 1829. Officers in the 19th century would very often carry a gun but British policing took a different direction from Europe and America by declining to issue weapons on a routine basis. This is because he wanted the police to be members of the public, in uniform who could be easily approached by the public without them being intimidated. PHILIP, J. 2012.The reason for this was set out in Peel’s principles of policing: he regarded the police as the public in uniform. Not for us the military-style continental carabinieri of whom the general populace walk in fear and distrust. Our police, said Peel, are civilians, members of the public â€Å"who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent upon every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence†. The Telegraph. 19 September.Without the use of guns, it has made our country a less violent place than those where the police are armed. On the other hand, it leaves our police more vulnerable to the hardened criminals who are prepared to use weapons such as guns and knives on civilians and our police officers as we have seen over the recent years. There is also another main issue that comes up in the article which is many people; including police officers are passionate about the British style of policing which is remaining unarmed despite the increasing numbers of attacks on innocent police officers.A 2006 survey showed that officers were very much against the idea of being armed. JON, K. 2012. A 2006 survey of 47,328 Police Federation members found 82% did not want officers to be routinely armed on duty, despite almost half saying their lives had been â€Å"in serious jeopardy† during the previous three years. BBC news magazine. 19 September. We have to remember that incidents such as the one that happened in Greater Manchester are extremely rare as gun crime remains low.As you can see from the diagram below, there has been a rise in firearm offences in England and Wales over the years but since 2008 it has been gradually decreasing from 10,000 offences in 2008, down to 7,000 in 2010. (BBC NEWS MAGAZINE) There are many advantages and disadvantages of regularly arming police officers in this country. It allows the officers to feel protected at all times, even when they’re not expecting anything to happen. There have been many incidents where police officers have been attacked and had nothing to protect them.Givi ng them the right to carry firearms would not only protect them but to let criminals know that they’re not afraid to use them. Fewer officers may die on duty if they were better protected. However, arming the police can lead to a spiral of violence. In places where the police are not routinely armed, a portion of criminals will not arm themselves. For example, armed robbery carries a higher sentence than robbery. Once the police are armed, criminals who do not match their capability have a disadvantage, therefore, when the police become routinely armed, the criminal world fully arms itself in response.This would potentially lead into an increase in weapon possession and use. Giving police officers the right to carry firearms could also make communities feel safer. The sight of armed police officers patrolling the streets will not only scare ‘gangs’ from harassing the public but will restore communities with confidence that they are being properly protected. This could also backfire because the public may feel intimidated by the firearms and feel that they couldn’t approach a police officer.Guns could potentially place a distance between the community and the police and have a negative effect. Day to day police checks such as spot checks on cars could seem a threat to the public. Also if police officers carry a firearm, they face the likely risk of having that weapon turned on them by a criminal. This could put police officers in greater risk. In conclusion to the question of ‘arming police officers’ there are a lot of benefits which would greatly help our police officers and our community but also a lot of threats which it may cause.As we can see, there are a lot of big issues that rise from the article such as the increase of ‘image boosting’ crime which unarmed police officers are being targeted and why there are only a handful of countries including the UK whose police forces are not routinely armed. The question that still remains is should our police officers be armed? My opinion is that there are too many high risks that arming our officers may cause. I think that gun crime in England and Wales is extremely low comparing to other countries where the police are routinely armed, gun crime is higher.

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Forging Past English 22 - Essay Example This author stresses that summarizing or a given type of work was a key learning outcome that h has been able to achieve through this semester’s work. Developing summaries begins when reading a particular text. In class, he described it as a ‘brief piece of writing that presents the main ideas of a reading in own words’. Further, through summary writing of the clip Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage: An Introduction, he successfully wrote a coherent and systematic brief summary that helped me to use the skills learn in class. This author makes a conclusion that conducting library research was also a major aspect that he learnt this semester. he learnt about sourcing for relevant content from diverse sources that could help when writing an essay or any other research work. In particular, he developed the skill of gathering information from multiple sources, summarizing the information obtained as well as developing a coherent write-up based on all the information gathered. it is clear that most of the learning objectives for this semester as far as English 22 were successfully met. The ability to read effectively and objectively, conducting a research based on several sources, developing a writing plan as well as developing systematic and coherent content was a major contributor to the realization of the learning objectives. He has learnt that learning is a continuous process that requires constant interaction with information while doing a lot of practice in order to perfect the art.

Gullfaks Oil field Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

Gullfaks Oil field - Research Paper Example Oil exploration in the location where Gullfaks main field occupies started after the discovery of Brent Field in 1971. Hence, revealing the prospects of occurrence of Middle Jurassic Brent group sentiments, which are significant and highly rich hydrocarbon reservoirs. The first licensing that saw inception of drilling was in 1978 whereby the first well (34/10-1) managed to go through Jurassic section and encountered approximately 160 m width of oil-filled Brent sandstones region. This comprised of a column, which extends to the basement of Brent Group. Other four wells that followed the initial well were 34/10-3, -4, -5 and -6 whose respective locations are in the western region. The main operator of this field is Statoil, which took over its full operations in 1981 turning it to be the third largest state’s field located in the Northern Sea whose capacity was twice that of Angola (Vassiliou, 2009). Since, then up to date the field stand in the Norwegian history as the first o il reserve developed and managed by one of the state’s corporations successfully. This is to the extent of Norway becoming the third net oil exporter in 2001 whereby its yield reached approximately 223,000 bpd in 2002. The location of main field lies at 34/10 block in the Northern Norwegian Sea, whereby after exploration the main operator (Statoil) spearheaded development of other three key concrete platforms, which are Gullfaks A, Gullfaks B, Gullfaks C respectively (Statoil, 2013). Licensing Authority Statoil acts as the main operator due to its big number of shares though there are other partners whose holdings are as per the table below. Table 1: Gullfaks Licensing authorities Partners Shares % Statoil 51 Petoro 30 OMV 19 Recently, Statoil in quest to advance and increase its yield in platform C has decided to offer a two-year contract to Aibel whose aim is to initiate varied modifications that will guarantee the field’s anticipated production (Stavanger, 2010). Mainly, Aibel will foresee connection of Pandora satellite to Platform C whereby this is one of the first projects the operator intends to undertake besides other varied tasks meant to advance the entire field facilities (Stavanger, 2010). In addition, Statoil in order to be effective and neutralize immense competition globally has recently decided to sell 19% of its holdings to OMV, whereby its operations were to commence in 1st January this year (Oil & Gas Eurasia, 2013). Oil and Gas processing facilities The field comprises of three distinct processing facilities commonly referred as platforms whereby A and C performs are independent of each other besides having three separation stages (Statoil, 2013). Mainly, these platforms include Gullfaks A, Gullfaks B, Gullfaks C whose operations started in 1986, 1988 and 1989 respectively (Statoil,

Policing Policies in the USA and the UK Coursework

Policing Policies in the USA and the UK - Coursework Example This report looks at the background and the development of the policing policies in the USA and the UK to understand the drivers and motivations that inform police activity in these countries. A comparison with the reported crime levels allows comparison of their performance and effectiveness and thus the systems. Why are the police so important in the development of democratic societies The police are different from any other government entity. Of all government functions, the policing function is arguably the most visible, the most immediate, the most intimately involved with the well-being of individuals and the health of the communities. Police represents a vital arm of the government and is primarily responsible for the maintenance of law and order within the political boundaries of a country. The organisation, the underlying philosophy and the way police approach their task reflects the approach to governance that the country has especially towards its citizens. Conversely, the attitude of the community towards the police also affects the way the police approach their job. Regardless of the way the policing function is organised the result is what is important. The essential questions to ask are: While it is widely agreed that the functions of the police ... The essential questions to ask are: a) Whether the police is effective in crime reduction and, b) Do the police meet the needs of the society whose interest it serves While it is widely agreed that the functions of the police embrace much more than crime investigation and control as also that police are not the only institution that is responsible for crime abatement, this essay considers only the role of the police in fighting crime. At the end of the 1980s, the change in societal environment, and the demographics of crime and drug abuse clearly indicated that the traditional police practices were inadequate to control crime (Greenwood et al 1977; Kelling et al 1974). Two decades of rising crime led to a gradual erosion of public confidence in the institution (Crank & Langworthy 1992) and demanded the use of innovative practices to meet the requirements of the society. While the American police adopted the 'zero tolerance' approach that continued to tend toward use of force to keep the streets clean, the British police, except for a few disastrous experiments with 'zero tolerance' gravitated towards the more liberal approach. A comparison of police systems and practices in America and Britain helps understand the cultural and operational philosophy differences between the two and impact they have on their effectiveness. The analysis and discussion in this report is limited to police organisations in urban and metropolitan areas with rural policing specifically excluded. This report explores the different constructs that earlier research suggests in terms of defining 'models' and 'styles' of police service provision. Using these, the recent historical developments of the actual practices in America and Britain and their

Critical Thinking Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Critical Thinking Assignment - Essay Example The essay is quite effective as it explores two sides of the coin when approaching a possible avenue of happiness that can be chosen by an individual. By doing this, one side is explored to show how much an avenue can bring happiness while at the same time pointing out how much that avenue can backfire. The argument brought forward talks of the possibility that an aspect of devotion is what brings the said happiness. Just look out for the devotion that guarantees happiness and not the ones that can bring you short-lived happiness. The essay talks of possible experiments carried out to quantify the discussion carried out on matters of happiness as well as how it can be achieved and retained to take as much possible time as possible. The experiments hope to assist individuals make informed guesses on where happiness lies. This report makes a conclusion that the arguments brought forward in this essay are valid for the sake of pursuit of happiness. It tends to bring a worthy argument on what brings about happiness. The speech stherefore talks about detailed and experimented ways to facilitate happiness. The argument is of possible high quality since experimentation and empirical research methods were used to quantify findings and to boost the trust that the audience can have on the speech for its credibility. It is however worth noting that the essay only explored fewer causes of happiness. Happiness, to different people, entails different aspects. An individual may find happiness in music and can always resort to it when feeling sad.

Languages and Evolution Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Languages and Evolution - Research Proposal Example A report in the telegraph by Hayley Dixon could perhaps contextualize what I want to achieve. The report stated the widely recognized principle that humans especially children learn new words based from what they hear others use them in conversations. Dixon revealed that experts are now thinking the capability to learn language and acquire new vocabulary may be severely hampered as children increasingly learn through devices such as Ipads. Would children exposed to these technological devices create new vocabularies by imitating sounds from them? I intend to support my position in this mini-research through several arguments. First, I would like to explain and establish the role of vocal imitation in human language development as well as its genetic and biological explanations. Why is this crucial in the origin of our language? I hope to draw a parallel between this area and a potential of radical language change in the future through vocal imitation. I will also support my argument with an analysis of new vocabularies based on vocal imitations. For example, there are the cases of untz, wub and beep. These are new words derived from the human imitation of sounds. For further support, I could also discuss in this context the incidence of â€Å"mesofact† or the way meaning changes for words over time Finally, I would like to devote an important part of my work to the links between vocal imitation, adaptation, human sociality and their role in the future of human language. I would like to confine this within a discourse using technology as a control point. The technology variable is accepted to be increasingly eroding our oral traditions, specifically; the passing of knowledge with the now limited opportunity to hear wide range of words (Hayley). I will answer how - with our new-found incapability to hear and learn new words - could vocal imitation fill the gap

The monopoly market structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The monopoly market structure - Essay Example In monopoly the output level is less and creates unemployment of the resources. The resources are not properly and efficiently utilized as compared to other market structures. In such market the price is greater than the marginal cost which becomes a burden on the consumers. The consumers are not satisfied with the production as the price is higher and the availability of the product is lower to create artificial scarcity - by this way the market can earn high profits(Gartner, 2009). Such a market structure is considered inefficient as it provides an advantage that the market is independent. It lets an authority manipulate price to increase profit whereas in perfect competition the actions of each firm is dependent and the firm cannot charge high prices because of competition. (Economics Help) The monopoly is inefficient in allocation because the price is greater than the marginal cost. By increasing the price of the product the market can earn higher profits as compared to other mar ket structures (Green region in the above graph), but by reducing the price of the product (PM to P1) the market will have to sell more quantity of the product (QM to Q1) which will be the combined loss of both the consumer and the producer surplus (Pink region in the above graph). The Average Cost (AC) curve is higher than normal which shows that monopoly is productively inefficient because monopolist does not have to face competition to reduce cost to the lowest possible level. It means that the monopoly is ineffective in the production of goods (Williamson, 2008). Monopoly markets rarely innovate as they are aware that there are no competitors in the market, and they are the sole producer of the product whereas in perfect competition the products are timely and...This essay presents modern comprehensive analysis of the disadvantages of the monopoly market structure with comparison to other types. Still, it is shown that in the paper, it is preferable to have monopoly market struc ture among gas and electric companies, water companies, local telephone companies. If the cost is very high to operate a businesses, then it is better to have one company rather than several firms because it will allow the company to lower their average costs through economies of scale; thus, the customers will get the product or service at a lower price. Monopoly market structure is considered inefficient as it provides an advantage that the market is independent. It lets an authority manipulate price to increase profit. In monopoly the output level is low and creates unemployment of the resources. The resources are not properly and efficiently utilized as compared to other market structures. The monopoly is inefficient in allocation because the price is greater than the marginal cost. This market structure gives an opportunity to create supremacy over the sector and eliminates threats from competitors as the firm established itself in the industry. With no substitutes available in the market, the sector can produce quality goods efficiently and can reduce its overall average cost because of the high fixed cost that has been incurred in order to manage such a business. The sector has complete control over the output level of the commodity, and it provides the sector with an advantage to influence the price

Gender Inequalities in the Workplace Essay Example for Free

Gender Inequalities in the Workplace Essay The issue of gender inequality has been in the eyes of the public and been in awareness of society for decades. The problem of inequality in employment is one of the most vital issues in todays society. In order to understand this situation one must try to get to the root of the problem and must understand the factors that cause the female sex to have a much more difficult time in getting the same benefits, wages, and job opportunities as the male sex. The society in which we live has been shaped historically by men. A womans primary attachment is to the family role; women are therefore less intrinsically committed to work than men and less likely to maintain a high level of specialized knowledge (Oakley, 1974, p. 28)President Clinton proclaimed April 11, 1996, as the National Pay Inequality Awareness Day. In the year 1972, the Equal Employment Opportunity Act was established; the goal of the government was to change and eliminate the discrimination in the workplace. The major aim of these two acts is to protect individual rights and promotes employment opportunities and fairness for everyone within the workplace. We accept that the government is aware of the inequality between men and women in work place, and they are trying every way they can to prevent and discontinue the inequality; so the question is what are the reasons why women are still being treated unfairly at work?Work plays an important role in helping individuals find their true identity as well as helping one builds their self-este em. However, in the past women were not encouraged to work real jobs, instead they often stayed at home and are often labeled as housewives. The truth is women do work, they always have worked, but the work that they do are often unpaid labor work. Before men assumed that women didnt really want to work; they didnt need the money; and that they have different interests. (Kimmel, 2000, p.175) So it was assumed that women either couldnt do a job, or, if they could, they would neither want to nor need to do it. Now in the twenty-first century things have changed dramatically, more women are educated, and more determined to search for their identity. In order for them to do that, they often time seek employment. Womens participation in the labor force has grown to such an extent that society can no longer ignore and view women as unimportant. Women face many obstacles when seeking out jobs, and even more obstacles when they are working with men. Sex discrimination and gender inequality have always existed in society, but when does it actually start? The answer is ever since the minute they were born. In 1995 Wall Street Journal report observed that elementary school girls receive smaller allowances and are asked to do more chores than boys. (Kimmel, 2000, p.174) When a woman grows up and enters womanhood, if she wishes to work, she would have to face many irrelevant tribulations. Sex discrimination occurs when we treat people unequally because of personal characteristics that are not related to the job. Discrimination can be when we treat people who are similar in different ways, or when we treat people who are different in similar ways. (Kimmel, 2000) We often discriminate the people we meet because of our past experiences, from what we have learned, and through stereotyping. Stereotyping is the process of judging someone on the basis of our perception of the group to which he or she belongs. (Robbins, 2003) Stereotypes exist because of the differences among individuals. Since it is almost impossible for human brains to process such large degree of differences quickly, people simplify these differences and make generalizations without even noticing doing so. While these generalizations has originally begun with observed differences among people and have a shred of truth to them, most of these generalization have been so largely exaggerated over time that they no longer serve their original purpose of describing people accurately. The way that people make these generalizations are greatly dependent on their ability, background and culture. These characteristics influence how individuals perceive the world around them and their expectations toward others. Socialization and information overload also play a big role in gender stereotyping. Individuals begin learning stereotypes as early as in their infancy. According to The Reproduction Mothering theory by Nancy Chodorow (1978), infants learn expected gender behaviors and stereotypes from their mothers. The girls remain attached to their mothers to learn about emotionally intimacy, while boys are forced to separate from their mothers to be strong and independent. Then from media, school, peers and religion institution, children gradually learned what is to be expected from people who are different from themselves in ethnicity and gender, for instance. The  large amount of information readily available to us today also increases stereotyping. Since it is impossible to take in all the information, individuals have to cope with information overload by simplifying what is around them. Stereotyping generally prevents people from recognizing who an individual really is. When a person believes certain stereotypes to be true, his or her perception of a group will most probably be limited by these stereotypes and are unlikely to change. These groundless generalizations can often delay effective communications as a person assumes things about another. In the workplace, this can lead to not recognizing individual achievements and unfriendly relationships between groups, which reduces employee morale and productivity. It is important to recognize stereotypes in the workplace because of the diverse workforce today. Globalization and feminist movement have greatly increased the diversity in the work force. However, stereotypes delay management from recognizing the value of diversity and reinforce conformity in the workplace, thus limiting the organizations potential to grow. For instance, managements can miss out good potential employees who can do good. Stereotypes are also noises in communications. (Robbins, 2003) In todays organizations where communications are essential to success, stereotypes can create misunderstandings and harmfully affect day-to-day operations. Therefore, it is important that people should understand the harmful impact of stereotypes. It is also important to mention that even though occupational sex segregation started to decrease in the 1970s and in the 1980s, it still exists in todays workforce. Such discrimination is operated through interviewing techniques and the stereotypes of the initial recruiter. A recruiter may believe, for example, that a managerial position is a mans job. He or she may believe that a womans nature does not allow her to be a good manager because women are seen to lack leadership, managerial and technical skills. Recruiters should avoid stereotyping and realize that women are ready to join the work force in any type of job. (Robbins, 2003)Men and  women differ in their experiences with both paid and unpaid work. In comparison to men, for example women do a disproportionate share of unpaid and usually less valued work. Discrimination at work often leads to income gap, for doing the same job as the men, women get less pay. One of the reasons for the inequality wage gap is the assumption that when a man enters a labor force, he enters for good, while for a woman the assumption is that when she enters will eventually take time out for childbearing and parental leave. This too greatly affects womens wages; women who drop out of the labor force have lower real wages when they come back to work than they had when they left. Jobs held by mostly females are considered unimportant and lower skilled as compared to male jobs. The other obstacle that women face in workplace is the glass ceiling and the sticky floor; these two elements are barriers preventing women from succeeding and raising their status at work. The glass ceiling is an expression used to describe the inequalities of men and women within the workforce. It seems that women can become employed but then run into an invisible barrier when they try to move up the ladder of hierarchy within the organization (McGuire, 2000, p. 3). Employers should pay close attention to gender stereotyping which exists within a workplace. If they avoid doing so they may lose an opportunity to hire or promote a good employee. In order to avoid gender stereotyping it would be of use to mention the stereotypes that exist today. Some common masculine behavior include: independence, superiority, status, competition and aggression. In contrast, the feminine behaviors are consensus, inferiority, harmony, and gentleness. (Kimmel, 2000) David Geary, a psychology professor at the University of Missouri, Columbia, concluded that such qualities of men and women are generally true. He states that these stereotypical behaviors are strongly influenced by nature. He also mentions that Over the course of evolution, these stereotypes have resulted due to strategies used by males and females to attract mates. Men and women use certain sexual strategies in order to reproduce, and they are essential to our mating patterns. These sexual strategies are the cause of the male and female differences of today including physical attributes, social behavior,  parental interests, and motivational and emotional patterns. However, as an employer, it is important to realize that these are generalities, and that one person can express both masculine and feminine behaviors. People should not be labeled, but instead they should be judged as individuals. Men believe that it is easier to work with men and that men do a better job and therefore deserve more money. Their pride and egos tell them that women cannot do the job as well as they can. These personal beliefs must be changed. Pairing men and women together on teams will expand the male mindset and hopefully help them realize that females and minorities are as equally qualified. Valuing the differences of all employees can make an organization stronger. Society requires that men and women work together and this is not going to change. What has to change is the way we work together. Communication is the key. If we do not communicate effectively, then the best intentions of both genders will fail (Heim, 1995, p.3). Society influences what we are taught as children in regards to roles of females and males overflow into the workplace (Hale, 1999, p.14) In sum, it is the relationship between social roles, interests, intergroup relationships and organizational culture norms and values that set the conditions that perpetuate unequal employment opportunities and outcomes (Hale, 1999, p.13). It is impossible to change people overnight; especially what they have been taught and what they have always have confidence in generation after generation. The managers of today grew up in families where their mothers stayed at home, kept house, and took care of children. They have been taught at home that men should be the bread winner; the leader of the house, and women should only be housewives and take care of the house. They are also taught that men are stronger and should be the leader of the household and therefore these behaviors flow into the work setting. Even the Bible states that a woman should not be over a man. These beliefs are taught generation after generation. Despite the awareness of gender inequality, there are still arguments about gender difference and assumptions that women and men are from different planets; women and men are still treated distinguishably in society. The  workplace still remains an unequal arena, plague by persistent sex segregation, wage inequality, sex discrimination, and sexual harassment. Women and men work because they want to and because they have to. Employers should not judge women as being non-dependable. Family structure has changed dramatically over the years. Fathers and mothers today now share family responsibilities. To compensate for this change, businesses have introduced flextime, job sharing, telecommuting, on-site child care and parental leave. (Kimmel, 2000) Employers should accommodate a womans needs and expand the gender diversity of their company. There was a time where the balance of respect and roles never existed between the two, but today, men and women are truly redefining themselves and their relationships with each other. Most importantly, women have broken from the bondage of dependence on men. Women no longer have to submit themselves to one main role in family life as the mother. Along with being the mother, women have become the educated breadwinners. As for men, the need for dominancy has changed dramatically because today, men have been found to be the nurturing stay-at-home fathers of their family. Male and female relation is not entirely a dispute on inequality that women received from society, although that is what propels finding equality between the two genders. Besides, men today also require such needs and hiring based on gender is no longer relevant. Rather, male and female relation resolute this emergent society to work together as a unit. References Oakley, Ann. (1974) The Sociology of Housework New York: Pantheon BooksStromberg, Ann H. Harkess, Shirley. (1978) Women Working: Theories and Facts inPerspective. California: Mayfield Publishing CompanyRobbins, Stephen P. (2003) Organizational Behavior. New Jersey: Prentice HallMcGuire, Gail M. (2000) Gender, Race, Ethnicity, Networks [Electronic version]. Work Occupations, 27(4), 500-523. Hale, Mary. (1999) He Says, She Says: Gender and Worklife. Public Administration Review,59(5). Retrieved March 4, 2009, from www.questia.comKimmel, Michael S. (2000) The Gendered Society. New York: Oxford University Press

Disorders of the Respiratory and Circulatory System

Disorders of the Respiratory and Circulatory System Neusha Bakhtiari Aghmasjed Asthma Asthma is an allergic response which affects the bronchial tubes and can result in coughing, wheezing or breathlessness. It leads to the inflammation of airways, causing them to tighten, resulting in difficulty of breathing. Asthma is not classified as an infectious disease and it is rather an allergic condition which cause is not fully understood. It is usually triggered when the person with asthma comes in contact with: House dust mitten, animal fur, some medicines (Nsaids), pollen, tobacco smoke, exercise, stress, cold air, chest infections. When the immune system receives an inflammatory response, white blood cells release histamine and this result in the contraction of smooth circular muscle of bronchioles as well as restriction of airways. (Bronchoconstriction). More mucus is then secreted by the epithelial cells and as the result the airways are blocked even more. This condition reduces the rate of ventilation through tightened bronchioles therefore less gas exchange will take place in the alveoli and cellular respiration in the body. This condition causes breathing difficulty, coughing and wheezing as the lungs want to get rid of the built up mucus in them. There is no cure for asthma. However, there are different ways to control the condition. These methods are applied in two ways. One is to Treat/Relieve symptoms and the other is to prevent any future symptoms/attacks. The procedure includes a combination of medicines, lifestyle advice and understanding the asthma triggers. The Asthma medicines are normally given by inhaler which supplies the drug directly to airways through mouth. It is effective as it delivers the drug directly to the lungs. There are number of conditions which increase the risk of developing Asthma such as: If your parents have asthma If you are overweight If you have certain allergic conditions If you smoke or exposed to second hand smoke If you are exposed to any type of pollution or chemicals used in the industry. There are 5.4 million people in UK receiving treatment for asthma which means that 1 in 12 adults or 1 in 11 children are currently receiving treatment for their condition. In adults, asthma is more common in women than men. Assessment Criteria 1.4 Discuss disorders of the respiratory system Pulmonary Tuberculosis Pulmonary Tuberculosis is a contagious bacterial infection that can spread in areas where large amount of blood and oxygen exist such as the lungs as well as other organs in the body. This disease is caused by a type of bacterium named Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. It spreads when a person who has active TB in their lungs breaths out the germs when sneezing, laughing, coughing, singing or talking and then the other person breathe in the germs. The common symptoms of Active TB in the lungs are Cough which contains bloody mucus for two weeks or more, weakness and tiredness, sudden weight loss and loss of appetite, difficulty when breathing and chest pain or fever. TB disease can affect many organs in our body such as kidneys, bones and brain but it usually affects human lungs. There are two main stages in the process of this infectious disease. In the first stage which commonly lasts for the duration of several months, the bacteria cells attack the epithelial cells of the alveoli and bronchioles. Then they start to multiply in fibrous capsule which spreads around that area. Here the human immune system becomes stimulated and starts to resist the disease. Before this invasion is over, a few bacteria might escape into the bloodstream and develop in other body organs. If the body’s immune system is successful, this disease never develops and is known as TB infection. However, if it remains untreated it develops into the second stage where it becomes an active disease. In the second stage of this disease the germs start to multiply and destroy the epithelial cells of the lungs. In some cases, although it seems that the disease has been cured, but after a while it comes back and becomes active. This occurs mostly when the immune system of the body becomes weak. The second stage of this disease is presented through the consumption of the tissue of lungs which leads to the destruction of the alveoli. Here the person starts to manifest the symptoms such as continues cough. The risk factors that increase the possibility of a person getting infected by this disease are named below: Being in contact with/ living with an infected person. Living or working is crowded places where there is a possibility of coming in contact with people with untreated active TB. These places can be prisons, nursing homes or homeless shelters. Having a poor diet which affects the immune system of the human body. Pasteurisation of milk and cultivation of animals as this used to be a common cause of transmission of TB by Cows. Assessment Criteria 2.3 Discuss disorders of the circulatory system Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) The human heart is designed to pump the blood around the body through causing pressure. However, if the blood is pumped around the body with an increased amount of pressure than normal, the arteries and the heart itself can be seriously damaged or even it can lead to heart failure if they both stop because of the strain. High blood pressure can cause microscopic tears in the walls of the arteries which turn into scar tissue. The damaged artery can trap more plaque as the scar tissues formed in it accommodates plaques (Fat, cholesterol, etc). This causes the arteries to become narrower and as a result conditions such as Coronary Artery Disease appear. Two main conditions control the blood pressure: One is the amount of force generated when the heart pumps the blood around the body and the other is how relax or narrow the arteries are: HBP can damage the arteries: Our arteries in their healthy state are flexible strong and elastic. Its smooth internal lining is where the blood can flow freely and provide different nutrient and Oxygen gas to our tissues and organs. High blood pressure damages these cells. In the case of arteriosclerosis which causes damage to the artery by blocking it, organs such as kidneys, brain, arm and legs can be affected. These damages can lead to stroke, heart failure and kidney failure. In some cases the continues pressure of blood in already weakened artery can lead to enlargement of its walls and formation of aneurysm which can bring about life threatening complications such as internal bleeding. This complication usually takes place in our aorta. Can damage the heart: It can lead to diseases such as coronary artery disease. This happens when arteries are narrowed by coronary artery disease and do not let the blood to move freely through our arteries. It can cause chest pain, heart attack or irregular heartbeat if the blood doesn’t flow freely to the heart. It can also lead to enlarged left heart as high blood pressure leads the heart to pump blood with excess pressure around the body and causes the left ventricle to thicken. Can damage the brain: The brain has to receive blood which contains nourishing substances in order to be able to carry out its function. However, in some cases if the blood clotting takes place as the result of high blood pressure it can cause Transient ischemic attack (TIA), Stoke or Dementia. Symptoms related to HBP are headache, sleepiness or confusion. The risk factors of hypertension: Family history, obesity, smoking, type 1 2 diabetes, kidney disease, alcohol abuse, having high amount of salt in the diet, lack of physical activities (exercise) and medicines such as steroids About 10 million in the UK are diagnosed with hypertension. This means that one out of five has high blood pressure. Assessment Criteria 2.3 Atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is the built up of plaques which is made up of fatty deposit around the wall of the arteries. After a while these fatty deposits of cholesterol and smooth muscle cells form Atheroma which causes the arteries to lose their elasticity as well as becoming narrow. This reduces the amount of blood flow through the arteries and blood vessels hence reducing the oxygen supply. It can take a long time until atherosclerosis is hardened and narrowed. However, when the arteries are considerably damaged, different conditions may occur such as: Thrombus: The arteries can be blocked if blood clots on the plaque made of cholesterol around its walls and as the result the blood flow will be restrained and the tissues will not receive the required nutrient. The atheroma on the walls of the arteries is covered by protective cells from the blood which flows in the artery. If this protective cell barrier is broken down, the blood will be exposed to high concentration of cholesterol on the wall of the artery and this generates the blood clotting system. This process can lead to the blockage of the artery and prevention of blood flow to the organ it supports therefore, depending on the organ; it can cause stroke, heart attack and angina. Heart failure: When the artery is narrowed, it causes damage to the muscle of the heart. High blood pressure and renal failure when the arteries which exist in the kidney are affected. Many people are affected by atherosclerosis. It is possible that it starts from the age of 20. The reason behind its occurrence is still unknown but the reasons given below can be considered as risk factors: Family history of atherosclerosis Having high amount of LDL cholesterol in the blood or low amount of HDL in the blood. High blood pressure The rate increases if the person smokes. Diabetes: In people with type 1 diabetes atherosclerosis can take many years to appear but in people with type 2 diabetes it can appear within a few years. Kidney failure Excess weight A diet with high amount of fat in it Race: People from south Asia are more likely to develop Atherosclerosis. According to the British Heart Foundation, at least 2.6 million people in the UK suffer from Atherosclerosis. Bibliography Dr. Patrick Davey, Dr Sabine Gill, Dr Carl J Brandt and Dr Steen Dalby Kristensen . (2012).Atherosclerosis (arteriosclerosis – hardening of the arteries).Available: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/atherosclerosis.htm. Last accessed December 2013. Dr. Patrick Davey, Dr Sabine Gill, Dr Carl J Brandt and Dr Steen Dalby Kristensen . (2011).High blood pressure (hypertension).Available: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/hypertension.htm. Last accessed December 2013. Elea Carey . (2012).Pulmonary Tuberculosis.Available: http://www.healthline.com/health/pulmonary-tuberculosis?toptoctest=expand. Last accessed December 2013. Jatin M. Vyas. (2012).Pulmonary tuberculosis.Available: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000077.htm. Last accessed December 2013. Kim Ann Zimmermann. (2012).Circulatory System: Facts, Function Diseases.Available: http://www.livescience.com/22486-circulatory-system.html. Last accessed December 2013. Mayo Clinic staff. (2011).High blood pressure dangers: Hypertensions effects on your body.Available: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-pressure/HI00062. Last accessed December 2013. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2012).Asthma risk factors.Available: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/basics/risk-factors/CON-20026992. Last accessed December 2013. Unknown. (2008).Tuberculosis (TB).Available: http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/tuberculosis.html. Last accessed December 2013. Unknown. (2013).TB.Available: http://www.healthunit.org/infectious/tb/tb_spread.htm. Last accessed December 2013. Unknown. (2011).Tuberculosis (TB) What Increases Your Risk.Available: http://www.webmd.com/lung/tc/tuberculosis-tb-what-increases-your-risk. Last accessed December 2013. Unknown. (2012).Asthma Causes.Available: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/asthma/Pages/causes.aspx. Last accessed December 2013. Unknown. (2012).Asthma.Available: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/asthma/Pages/Introduction.aspx. 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Causes and Effects of Consumerism

Causes and Effects of Consumerism Sarah Mutaher Introduction Consumerism is the term used to describe the effects of equating personal happiness with purchasing material possessions and consumption. Today we live in a consumer culture obsessed world. Consumption encompasses our everyday lives and structures our everyday agendas. The values, meanings and costs of what we consume have become an increasing important part of our social and personal experiences. The main factor enforcing our actions in this way is the news media. The news media is filled with information about consumption- not only in the form of advertising but also as news about businesses, lifestyles and economic indicators. However none of this tells us how we came about as a culture that associates freedom with the freedom of consuming anything of our choice and as a means of self-fulfillment. Analysis Consumerism is not just an issue that has come about in this new age and modern time it has been around for decades. For the most part, we only become aware of consumption when it is a problem, when there is environmental degradation caused by the production of goods in excess and more than we can consume. To understand this social phenomenon we must first understand the social and historical context of a consumer society. All cultures have found meaning in material goods. Objects resemble a social status or go further than that and have an emotional attachment with ones self. Goods are not only consumed for there material characteristics, but even more for what they symbolize- there meanings, associations and there involvement in our self image. Consumption is not simply the acquiring of products predestined meanings. Instead, it should be seen as a form of social consumer culture. While consumption is an act, consumer culture is a way of life. It is quite likely that never before in history has consumption become one of the central values of a culture. In modern society one learns merely to consume, and tasteful or appropriate consumption is only one of the numerous choices. It is this focus on consumption as a central worth that makes us a consumer culture. Consumption no longer seems to reflect our cultural values; it has itself become a cultural value. It has entered into the warp and turmoil of this fabric we call modern life. Every public space, every occasion for public gathering, every creative expression is seen as an opportunity to encourage more consumption. To understand how we have become this consumer crazy culture it is important to understand the humble beginnings of this crazy fixation. Before the industrial revolution of the eighteenth century, what people consumed was, either goods mad by family members or a person the consumer has a personal relation with. In early Europe the form consumerism took place in the weekly markets and seasonal fairs. The historical pattern in America was somewhat different. Unlike in Europe, where markets and fairs preceded the development of shops, in America shops emerged as the customary way of buying and selling in its early colonial period. It was not until the eighteenth century that markets and fairs became popular in the United States. Fashion is one of the key elements that fuel consumerism. Fashion not only includes clothing, but also any object where there is a concern for what is different, new and improved and which allows us to express our individuality. Fashion is so central to modern day consumption that it is difficult to imagine a culture in which it is not a major force. People throughout time have always been interested in the beautiful or in signs of status and in the pursuit of anything that brings them pleasure or happiness. It was during the last quarter of the sixteenth century in England that consumption first took off amongst the European nobility. This powered to two important developments. First, Queen Elizabeth the first used the dramatic spectacle of fashion as a display of government power. Second, she forced social competition among the nobility by removing them from their locality where they were clearly superior and forcing them to attend the London court where they had to compete with equals. Previously consumption had always been a family matter and what benefited the family the most. But now Elizabethan noblemen began to spend less on their families and more on themselves to further show there class and status. Josiah Wedgewood was one of the pioneers in the consumption phase. He had this new understanding of fashion and the market place.ÂÂ   Wedgewood was a manufacturer and retailer of pottery in the eighteenth century. He was the first to recognize that if the rich and elite could be induced to adopt fashions, the other classes would follow soon. There are only certain societies where it is possible for a fashion to spread to the higher class to the lower class. Fashion has to be affordable for those in the lower class and the classes must be close enough with some fluidity between them that those in the lower class could imagine themselves owing what those in the upper class have. In England during this period the lower class was eager to possess whatever the upper class deemed fashionable. Wedgewood understood the immense financial potential of such a social situation and learnt how he could control it. His fashion tool was pottery. Wedgewood learned to closely observe what the upper class was buying in order to predict what direction the lower class consumption habits would follow through. Another factor adding to the consumer culture is the portrayal of this culture. In the United States consumption spurred as a symbol for rebellion rather than a symbol a homogeneous conformity. Schutte and Ciarlante describe Coca cola, Levis and Marlboro as symbols of individualism and freedom. Three phrases from Stuart and Elizabeth Ewens Channels of Desire (1982) which they see as indicative of the recent tendencies within consumer culture describe it best. Today there is no fashion: there are only fashions. No rules, only choices. Everyone can be anyone. This suggests there is a war against uniformity, a surplus of difference which results in a loss of meaning. The repercussion is that we are moving towards a society without fixed status groups in which the adoption of styles of life which are fixed to specific groups have been surpassed. We have been encouraged to buy in order to establish our individuality in a mass-produced culture. To express our disgust with consumption by more consumption, to purchase the latest improved traditions. Now people are encouraged to buy to convey their rejection of homogenized lifestyles. This anti-consumption attitude only fuels more consumption. Years ago, many people imagined that life would be idyllic in the 21st century. Technology would have cured most human short-comings, and there would be abundance of resources available for all. Population growth and over consumption underlie many of the invasive environmental and social concerns that humans face today. Over consumption of our natural resource base is jeopardizing ecosystems throughout the world. Wealthy nations like the US amount to 20 percent of the worlds population, yet they use more than 70 percent of the earths resources and generate an even higher volume of wastes. Some of these wastes are released into the atmosphere, rivers and oceans, others are land filled or incinerated, a small part is recycled. The standard notion of economic development envisions the rest of the worlds population moving progressively up the ladder of mass consumption. Clearly, the environmental implications of the global spread of mass consumption for resource use and environmental was te is staggering. In present times design culture also has greatly been influenced consumerism. Cities such as Las Vegas have dedicated there entire landscape to advertising to feed the need of consumerism. For the Utopian design at hand I have targeted the hospitality sector of the economy which attracts consumers owed to the hectic and fast-paced life we live today. I have chosen the Singapore Cricket Club for my bar and restaurant. The design is held together by the concept of network. Taking into consideration that the bar is the main attraction of a bar and highest revenue earning point in an FB. Using the concept of network my design directs all consumers towards the bar. The bar acts as the main attraction of my design which can be viewed from all levels and spaces. The unconventional feature of the bar is that it suspends 3000mm from the ground. As people walk through narrow corridors directing them towards the bar they are suddenly engulfed by the large open suspending bar and LED lighting panels from the ceiling going past 3 floors lighting up the entire design and focusing mainly onto the bar. The cuckoo club in London is a great example of how the bar acts as a key attraction in the premises. The entire space communicates glamour, drama and luxury. It represents a grand, dramatic film set with huge doors sweeping stairs, silk and voile drapes. The bar acts as a key feature covered entirely in gold sequins, set beneath a ceiling of diamond pattern panels of LED lighting (acrylic domes set into panels and then colour-washed across the whole ceiling), fringed with diamante beading. The lighting is flexible, varying from simulated daylight to pinks and purple in the night. The second case study chosen is Wine tower bar in UK. A 13 meter high wine tower forms the alluring centre point of the Radisson SAS Hotel lounge and bar at Stansted airport. The temperature controlled structure, constructed out of 6.5 tons of laminated glass, a steel core and a pyramid shaped roof, is fitted with an acrylic rack filled with 4,000 bottles of red and white wine. The enchantingly lit column not only serves as a large open wine rack but also functions as a theatre in which 4 graceful wine angels suspended on cables collect the bottles ordered by the guests. With the help of remote control and computer controlled winches, these women glide effortlessly up and down, whilst also slipping in a few acrobatics in the between. Conclusion In conclusion, Consumer culture has been incredibly successful. Not only has it been successful in satisfying our needs and desires, but it also has been successful in redefining what are needs are and expanding our desires. If we accept these desires as natural or inevitable, then consumer society seems natural and inevitable as well. Consumerism on the other hand does not only feed our desires but has left this earth with beyond reconcilable damages. Today are demand for goods is increasing beyond the capability of what our earth can come up with it. If our greed for consumption keeps increasing we will have to very soon give up our basic needs because our demands cannot be kept up with.

Emily Dickinson: Life And Her Works :: essays research papers

Emily Dickinson: Life and Her Works Emily Dickinson made a large influence on poetry, she is known as one of America's most famous poets. With close to two thousand different poems and one thousand of her letters to her friends that survived her death Emily Dickinson showed that she was a truly dedicated writer. Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on December 10,1830 to a prominent family, her father Edward Dickinson was both a lawyer and the Treasurer of Amherst College. Emily's mother was Emily Norcross Dickinson. Emily had one older brother, William Austin and a little sister, Lavinia. She was educated at the Amerherst Academy, the institute that her grandfather helped found. She also spent a year at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley, but had left because she did not like the religious environment. For a woman of this time, this much education was very rare.1 Emily Dickinson was a very mysterious person as she got older she became more and more reclusive too the point that by her thirties, she would not leave her house and would withdraw from visitors. Emily was known to give fruit and treats to children by lowering them out her window in a basket with a rope to avoid actually seeing them face to face. She developed a reputation as a myth, because she was almost never seen and when people did catch a glimpse of her she was always wearing white. Emily Dickinson never got married but is thought to have had a relationship with Reverend Charles Wadsworth who she met in the spring of 1854 in Philadelphia. He was a famous preacher and was married. Many scholars believe that he was the subject of her love poems. Emily probably only saw Wadsworth an additional three times after their first encounter which was only done by him going to Amherst, where she lived. In 1861 Wadsworth moved to San Francisco. It is after this time that Emily really started to produce hundreds of poems. Emily Dickinson submitted very few poems to publishers. She felt that her poetry was not good enough to be read by everyone. Eight of her poems were published during her life time either by her friends who submitted them to a publisher without her consent or Emily Anonymously. (Emily Dickinson 1996,1) In 1862 she told a friend "If fame belonged to me I could not escape her...My Barefoot-Rank is better." It is also thought that Emily Dickinson had a passionate relationship with Susan Gilbert. Emily wrote three times more poems to Susan then to any one

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Every day, advances in technology lead us nearer and nearer to fully autonomous robots, but even today, robots play a huge role in our lives. Robots exist obviously in software, just look at your smartphone, but robots in hardware exist too, recently, robots such as â€Å"Asimo,† â€Å"Watson,† and â€Å"Deep Blue† were able to perform actions which were thought to be exclusively human such as scaling stairs, making meaningful conversation, and playing chess. But with so many robots already existing, and the rapid progress we are making in the field of robotics, will robots eventually become the dominant life form? This question has puzzled philosophers and sci-fi authors alike for decades; however, the truth of the matter is that robots already have taken over. Without robots in our lives, we simply could not survive as we are. Additionally, robots are not plagued by consciousness, and would never jeopardise their own existence as humans so often do. Finally, ro bots today have the ability to reproduce themselves; this innate and conventionally biological trait is what turns a mere object into an animate life-form. Robots play an integral part in our society, they run our businesses, maintain our economy and do our manufacturing, without them, the routines we have set would crumble. Robots however, are not dependant on human existence; they could theoretically remain self-sufficient forever. By 2014, active cell phones will outnumber humans. These devices are a prime example of consumer robotics and artificial intelligence; we are connected to them at all times, and could not communicate without them. Furthermore, we rely on our robots to run our industry, manufacturing, business administration and plant automation would not be possible without ... ...anufacture. This is shown in many robotic assembly lines, where robots are able to produce a product, or indeed another robot, in a fraction of the time it would take a human to do so. This vastly superior reproduction process not only qualifies robots as a bona fide life form, but also sets them higher from humans with respect to dominance. Robots play a huge role in the life of the human race, but robots, while they are the servants of the human race, are dominant already. Robots are quicker, smarter and more powerful than any biological life form, pocket calculators will outsmart even the cleverest humans, it is for this reason that we rely on them so much, and with them having a greater survivability and a better reproduction system than humans, it is obvious why robots already are superior, and therefore more dominant in numbers, strength and size, than humans.

Assessing the Goal of Sports Products, Inc Essay

Sports Products Inc. is a large producer of boating equipments and accessories. The two key players within this organization is Loren Segura who works as a Clerical assistant in the accounting department and Dale Johnson who works in the shipping department. Both team members had a concern about the company profits and was equally concerned about the stocks declining in value therefore, Loren and Dale try to strategize what is important to management and how the current options affect their pay directly. (Gitman,2009) Solution a. What should the management of Sports Products, Inc. pursue as its overriding goal? Why? Sports Products Inc. will definitely want to maximize their shareholders wealth, which should be the most important goal of an organization although; profit is required to increase the dividends of the company. The managers in Sports Products Inc. must focus on how the organization will continue to profit however; shareholders wealth will increase or maximize while they focus on maintaining their status of providing excellent boating equipment and accessories to their clientele. The firm will also need to come up with a way to incorporate pollution control for the existing problems and a way to pay the additional cost it will incur. The study indicates that the firm has never paid any cash dividends in their twenty-year history and this is how stockholders receive their profit from the organizations earnings. Shareholders fall secondary when it comes to receiving cash dividends or profit because, a shareholder only profits after everyone else in line has received their payments such as the organizations creditors, or suppliers which explains why Sports Products Inc. is being sued by various officials for dumping waste in adjacent streams. The company has chosen not invest in paying for pollution control as this will increase cost to the company and lower the company profit margin. By the shareholders, owning the firm places them at a greater risk and by them owing other companies for risking pollution no one will want to invest in the company although, the profits are rising there is no increase in the firm’s stock price. b. Does the firm appear to have an agency problem? Explain. There does appear to be an agency problem because, regardless of Dales and Loren efforts to manage their jobs by trying not to waste packaging material and performing their job as cost-effective as possible the stock price is still declining $2 per share over a 9 month period which is a large decline under a year time-frame. The company also, does not seem to be concerned about incorporating a pollution control program because; the company is concerned over the cost to themselves and their company profit margin. c. Evaluate the firm’s approach to pollution control. Does it seem to be ethical? Why might incurring the expense to control pollution be in the best interests of the firm’s owners despite its negative effect on profits? To be honest, I am unsure why this would happen ethically. Sports Products Inc. will eventually have to take responsibility on a higher level if these other companies go through with the lawsuits. Therefore, the organization will be forced into either incorporating a pollution control plan or paying fines, which will reduce shareholders wealth even more because, at this point the shareholders cannot receive anything until their creditors are paid in full. d. Does the firm appear to have an effective corporate governance structure? Explain any shortcomings. The structure of Sports Products Inc. appears poorly structured. The management teams are not focused on the shareholders wealth at all. The management structure wants to maintain company profit to break even however, they are not concerned about dumping waste into streams or, creating a pollution control plan. The company is not assuring their stockholders wealth is maximized and if they have not paid cash dividends in 20 years they are just trying to stay in business however, they are not taking care of their employees who work from them everyday nor, does the company have the shareholders best interest at heart. e. On the basis of the information provided, what specific recommendations would You offer the firm? Based on the case study I would recommend Sports Products Inc. forming a better plan that will not just break even however, strategize how to incorporate a pollution control program that will be cost-effective and not affect profits if possible. I would recommend that they incorporate better ethical values that will show integrity to their constituents and internal employees. The organization will need to continue to profit but they also, need to ensure that the shareholders get a piece of the pie in addition, to changing the standards that have been in place for 20 years.