Thursday, December 26, 2019

Disease Pathophysiology And Treatment Of Diabetes Mellitus

Disease Pathophysiology and Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Rogelio Gonzales University of Texas Rio Grande Valley 1. Introduction â€Å"Diabetes mellitus, by far the most common of all endocrine disorders, is one of the foremost public health concerns confronting the world today. Over 23 million individuals in the United States, or 8% of the population, have diabetes. An estimated 17.5 million have been diagnosed, but 5.5 million (nearly one fourth) are unaware they have the disease† (Nelms, Sucher, Lacey, Roth, 2011). The prevalence of Type 1 diabetes mellitus in the U.S. is staggering, and in today’s society these estimated figures do not seem to be declining. Furthermore not only is it affecting the U.S., but also many other†¦show more content†¦These two hormones work hand in hand to balance the body’s glucose levels. In normal function, the pancreas secretes insulin in response to the introduction of glucose into the body and to meet basal metabolic needs. In type 1 diabetes, there is a deficiency of the hormone insulin, which can have many contributing facto rs. There is no one cause for this disease. However, one cause stems from the body’s immune response. The immune mediated response of type 1 diabetes is an, â€Å"autoimmunity directed against pancreatic islet cells [that] results in slowly progressing beta-cell destruction, culminating over years in clinically manifested insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus† (Krishna Srikanta, 2015). In short, an individual’s pancreatic beta cells begin to slowly die off which obviously affects the feedback mechanism that is regulating blood glucose concentration. Thus, it makes an individual rely on mechanically introduced insulin. As for clinical symptoms of this disease, the body compensates for the unregulated amount of glucose circulating within the body tissue by expelling glucose by any means necessary. This occurs by having excessive amounts of glucose released into the urine (glycosuria) as the kidneys become incapable of filtering the blood. Polyuria is the outcome o f the urine’s sudden increase in osmolarity. This symptom triggers a

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

A Brief Report On Colgan Flight 3407 Essay - 962 Words

February 12th, 2009. A sad day it was in the United States, mostly in the eastern section of the great land. Colgan flight 3407 was set for departure from Newark, New Jersey set to land in Buffalo, New York. Traffic was significant enough to illuminate plenty of people travelling to Buffalo and back as a total of 110 recorded flights from different carriers were incoming and going between the two locations. In which seven Continental flights were bound for the Newark Liberty International Airport from Buffalo Niagra International Airport on the same day. Little did the passengers and crew members know that Flight 3407 was special. As the plane was approaching the New York area, the cockpit crew observed ice accumulation on the aircraft’s wings. This was an indication of the flight operating in a low temperature area and may have been the cause of the crash. The accumulation of ice on the wing adds weight to the air-bone body and thus, reduces the lift. Additionally, it also ch anges the shape of the wing, and this shape is what gives the lift. During the investigation held by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) was examined and found out that the crew did not recheck if the de-ice system installed in the aircraft was operational or not. This was critical due to the fact that the ice buildup was a mere 6 minutes before the plane crashed. The Flight Data Recorder was brought into account, it stated that the de-ice system was set in the

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

History of linux free essay sample

The History of Linux began in 1991 with the commencement of a personal project by a Finnish student, Linus Torvalds, to create a new operating system kernel. Since then the resulting Linux kernel has been marked by constant growth throughout its history. Since the initial release of its source code in 1991, it has grown from a small number of C files under a license prohibiting commercial distribution to its state in 2009 of over 370 megabytes of source under the GNU General Public License. Events leading to creation The Unix operating system was conceived and implemented in the 1960s and first eleased in 1970. Its availability and portability caused it to be widely adopted, copied and modified by academic institutions and businesses. Its design became influential to authors of other systems. In 1983, Richard Stallman started the GNU project with the goal of creating a free UNIX-Iike operating system. As part of this work, he wrote the GNU General Public License (GPL). We will write a custom essay sample on History of linux or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page By the early 1990s there was almost enough available software to create a full operating system. However, the GNU kernel, called Hurd, failed to attract enough attention from developers leaving GNU incomplete. Another free operating system project in the 1980s was the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD). This was developed by UC Berkeley from the 6th edition of Unix from ATT. Since BSD contained Unix code that ATT owned, ATT filed a lawsuit (USL v. BSDi) in the early 1990s against the University of California. This strongly limited the development and adoption of BSD. MINIX, a Unix-like system intended for academic use, was released by Andrew S. Tanenbaum in 1987. While source code for the system was available, modification and redistribution were restricted. In addition, MINXs 16-bit design was not well adapted to the 32- it features of the increasingly cheap and popular Intel 386 architecture for personal computers. These factors and the lack of a widely-adopted, free kernel provided the impetus for Torvaldss starting his project. He has stated that if either the GNU or 386BSD kernels were available at the time, he likely would not have written his own. The creation of Linux In 1991, in Helsinki, Linus Torvalds began a project that later became the Linux kernel. It was initially a terminal emulator, which Torvalds used to access the large UNIX servers of the university. He wrote the program specifically for the hardware he as using and independent of an operating system because he wanted to use the functions of his new PC with an 80386 processor. Development was done on MINIX using the GNU C compiler, which is still the main choice for compiling Linux today (although the code can be built with other compilers, such as the Intel C Compiler). As Torvalds wrote in his book Just for Fun, he eventually realized that he had written an operating system kernel. On 25 August 1991, he announced this system in a Usenet posting to the newsgroup comp. os. minix. The name Linus Torvalds had wanted to call his invention Freax, a portmanteau of freak, free, and x (as an allusion to Unix). During the start of his work on the system, he stored the files under the name Freax for about half of a year. Torvalds had already considered the name Linux, but initially dismissed it as too egotistical. In order to facilitate development, the files were uploaded to the FTP server (ftp. funet. fi) of FUNET in September 1991. Ari Lemmke, Torvalds coworker at the University of Helsinki who was one of the volunteer administrators for the FTP server at the time, did not think that Freax was a good name. So, he named the project Linux on the erver without consulting Torvalds. Later, however, Torvalds consented to Linux. To demonstrate how the word Linux should be pronounced, Torvalds included an audio guide with the kernel source code. Linux under the GNU GPL Torvalds first published the Linux kernel under its own licence, which had a restriction on commercial activity. The software to use with the kernel was software developed as part of the GNU project licensed under the GNU General Public License, a free software license. The first release of the Linux kernel, Linux 0. 01, included a binary of GNUs Bash shell. In the Notes for linux release 0. 1 Torvalds lists the GNU software that is required to run Linux. In 1992, he suggested releasing the kernel under the GNU General Public License. He first announced this decision in the release notes of version 0. 12. In the middle of December 1992 he published version 0. 99 using the GNU GPL.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Iq Testing And Grouping Essays - Intelligence, Psychometrics

Iq Testing And Grouping Running Head: IQ TESTING AND GROUPING INTELLIGENCE TESTING AND GROUPING RON WILLIAMS PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EDUCATIONAL TESTING CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY DR. FATICA IQ TESTING AND GROUPING 2 In defining intelligence, there has always been the question of whether intelligence is measured as a remarkable occurrence or if it has many variables that are combined. For example, is it how ?smart? a person is? Or is it their ability to perform well on standardized tests? Are they measuring a person's intelligence? Or just some arbitrary quantity of the person's IQ? Or is it a mixture of survival, mathematical, social and other abilities. There are many debates regarding whether measuring intelligence is determined from test scores and results, or if it is measured by the person's ability to process and problem solve. Uses of intelligence testing in an educational setting, intelligence and achievement tests are administered routinely to assess individual accomplishment. They are used to improve instruction and curriculum planning. High schools use these tests to assist in the students future educational planning and help decide what college or type of college to attend. Elementary schools utilize screening and testing procedures to help determine readiness for writing and reading placement. Intelligence can be measured, by intelligence tests, among them the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and the Wechsler Scale. These tests are intended to determine an individual's intelligence quotient (IQ). Intelligence tests usually provide an estimate of global cognitive functioning as well as information about functioning within more specific domains. Intelligence tests are quite stable compared to measures of other human traits. However, the degree of stability increases with age such that early childhood and preschool measures of intellectual function are far less predictive of later functioning than assessments taken during middle childhood. The stability of intelligence test scores may change as a function due to important environmental factors. Therefore, intelligence test scores are descriptive of a child's functioning at that point in time when taking a test. The test scores could also be effected by environmental factors, child's psychiatric status or educational program. IQ TESTING AND GROUPING 3 Components of a good intelligence test are (a) Validity; does the test really measure intelligence and not something else? (b) Reliability; does the test produce consistent measures? (c) Norms; are the participants being fairly compared? Components that make an intelligence test flawed are (a) Poor validity; tests may be sensitive to social factors. (b) Poor norms; comparing people who are different. (c) Poor application; tests measure something that the school or job has nothing to do with. Theories of Process Psychometric Model Psychometric approach is defined as psychology that deals with the design, administration, and interpretation of quantitative tests for the measurement of psychological variables such as intelligence, aptitude, and personality traits. There are various psychometric approaches to intelligence. The following paragraphs describe three different theorists and their psychometric model. First is Charles Spearman, who believed that intelligence is a combination of two parts. According to his two-factory theory of intelligence, the performance of any intellectual act requires some combination of g, (general intelligence factor) which is available to the same individual to the same degree for all intellectual acts. (Specific factors) or s is specific to that act and varies in strength from one act to another. S is specific knowledge such as verbal reasoning or spatial problem solving. Spearman equated g with mental energy. If one knows how a person perfo rms on one task that is highly saturated with g, one can safely predict a similar level of performance for another highly g saturated task. The prediction of performance on tasks with high s factors is less accurate. Thus, the most important information to have about a person's intellectual ability is an estimate of their g or mental energy (Plucker 1989). Guilford's theory includes 150 abilities, arranged in three dimensions; contents, operations, and products. Guilford's three-dimensional Structure of Intellect classified intellectual acts into 120 separate categories. These categories are operations dimension, products dimension and material IQ TESTING AND GROUPING 4 or content dimension. He developed firm convictions regarding the ability of individual difference among people. Guilford believed that intelligence is much too complicated to be subsumed by a few primary mental abilities and g factor. His systematic theory gave rise to what is known as

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Health and fitness Essays

Health and fitness Essays Health and fitness Paper Health and fitness Paper I have been told by my well-meaning friends that very fit people have two advantages when they rest. First, their wide recuperation zone enables them to handle physical or emotional stress better. When a fit person gets the flu, for example, his heart rate may increase up to 35 percent of maximum, but he is still in his recuperation zone. When an unfit person gets the flu, his heart rate pushes him out of the recuperation zone so tissue repair is jeopardized. Second, very fit people can be active and still be in their recuperation zone. When my fit friend gets a cold, his mom wants him to rest. For her, rest means sitting down. For my friend, playing basketball outside with his friends in the driveway may be rest. It takes a lot of running around to drive him above 50 percent maximum heart rate. Fit people rest and recuperate while having fun doing active things. One must not overlook the significance of this: it may be the most important thing one will ever learn about fitness. Fat, out-of-shape people often complain of how hard it is to get fit again. They try to exercise religiously, but something always seems to go wrong, causing repeated setbacks. Their recuperation zone is so narrow that it’s hard to stay within it. Even if they exercise perfectly, monitoring their breathing and heart rate, the slightest cold, muscle strain, stress drives them above that narrow zone, thus decreasing the time spent in recuperation. Fit people, on the other hand, appear not to need rest. When they are doing gentle activity, they are still in their recuperation zone, repairing tissue, replenishing glycogen and building muscle. I guess I stand to benefit if I lose another 5-8 pounds because at 125 pounds, I still feel quite heavy. After some thinking, I decided to enroll and try out a new gym and dance center near our place. I still feel that it would be beneficial for me if I exercise over and over until I gradually get fitter and my resting heart rate gradually decreases, giving an ever-widening zone in which to recuperate. Recently a friend suggested that when I hike, I actually am in the subaerobic zone most of the time. Occasional uphills push me into the aerobic zone, and very steep climbs push me into the anaerobic zone. But most of the time, I amble along the subaerobically, enjoying the scenery. Because I do so much of it, I’m quite sure my subaerobic pastime does more to maintain my fitness than the aerobic jogging I do when I’m home. What are the reasons why some people are physically active while others are sedentary? Some people are basically just too lazy to flex a muscle or too. exercising, and went too active in their life. People can definitely become more flexible as they get older, instead of less, but like everything else, it takes consistent practice. You don’t have to stretch every single day if you don’t want. But do stretch before you exercise, and try to do a full stretching routine two or three times a week. Describe reasons that underlie why people are active or inactive. Highlight and emphasize the one or two reasons that you think are the critical ones for most active and inactive people. Some people exercise because they understand that exercise keeps blood sugar levels in control. This is the same with the high cholesterol levels which I already have. Judging from the slew of books and magazine articles extolling the virtues of various â€Å"surefire† weight loss programs, the financial success of reducing clubs, and the popularity of special foods that claim to make people lose weight, sometimes it appears that the American national pastime is not baseball, but dieting. Although some people may be overweight because they suffer from some kind of metabolic or physiological disturbance, the overwhelming majority of overweight people are so because their level of physical activity is too low to9 match the calories they consume. How do these reasons explain my own level of physical activity? These reasons level with my own level of physical activity because I am mostly seated down, whether in the classroom or at home in front of the computer. I noticed that   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  daily, I am rooted to my chair for hours on end and I   is not working for me at all. I know I need to be moving because I realize that our bodies were designed to move. Because machines do a lot of our work for us, and because many occupations, including going to school, involve many hours of sitting, it is easy for most individuals to ingest more calories than they expend. Moreover, the ready available food, especially high-calorie snack foods such as potato chips, candy and the like, makes it even easier to acquire   needless calories and excess pounds. Consider how these reasons seem to explain your own level of physical activity. Upon looking at my own body needs, it seems that if I want to adopt a weight-reducing program that results in a loss   of 1 pound a month, I can easily plan my dietary and physical activities so I can produce a net daily deficit of 120 calories.   All I have to do is to walk a   little more each day or cut out a soft drink or a couple of cookies. Most people are involved in special diets and other rapid-weight loss programs. Such programs plunge people into unusual and sometimes bizarre exercise and eating behaviors that may produce temporary   weight loss but that, because they are so unusual, cannot be sustained. People become impatient with time-consuming exercises and become bored with restricted diets; soon they give up and return to their former life styles and habits. As for me, I know that in order to achieve permanent weight loss and energy balance at a desired weight, overweight people have to change their long-term eating behaviors and their levels of physical activity. In short, successful weight loss and permanent weight control require a lifestyle change. WORK CITED Charles b Corbin, William r, Corbin, gr. j welk, and Karen a welk.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Euthanasia Suicide and Patients Essay

Euthanasia Suicide and Patients Essay Euthanasia: Suicide and Patients Essay Human euthanasia, also known as assisted suicide is a controversial topic that has affected countries worldwide for an extended period of time. Assisted suicide is legal in four countries and the states of Washington and Oregon in the United States of America. Many people would argue that the decision to kill oneself is strictly a private choice that society should not have control over. That opinion assumes that suicide results when competent individuals make independent, reasonable decisions to die that society should not be interfering with. Experts whom have studied suicide found the basic assumption being made in regard to assisted suicide are incorrect. A British study involving the examination of medical records determined, â€Å"93% of the patients studied whom either committed suicide themselves or went through with a physician assisted suicide, were mentally ill at the time of their death.†1 This suggests that the majority of people who undergo this treatment are not in the proper state of mind to make a life altering decision. Assisted suicide goes against the beliefs held in several religions and those generally accepted in regard to human morality. Individuals that may be depressed or whom are suffering from mental disparity due to illness may wish to die at the moment, but may change their minds further down the road, an error the doctors cannot undo. With the advancements made in current medical technology and medicine, the road to recovery for a terminally ill patient is possible. By rendering assisted suicide illegal it may prevent many unnecessary or immoral deaths from taking place thereby opening the road to recovery for patients suffering with an issue that would lead them to seek death as the sole solution. Ending a person’s life by way of murder is a practice frowned upon across the world. Suspects who commit murder may face charges and possible jail sentences, thus why shouldn’t a physician who assisted in a suicide face the same potential punishment? People believe that it is morally wrong to commit suicide; therefore it is also morally wrong to aid someone in the act of taking their own life. The decision to take away someone’s life should be entered into with significant consideration and not completed utilizing a procedure in which the individual drinks pentobarbital, a drug, that when ingested or injected will end ones life. Assisted suicide goes against the beliefs held in many religions that suggest God created human life and therefore God is the only figure who should be permitted to end a human’s life. Most religions believe that those who become vulnerable through illness or disability, deserve special care and protection, and that the proper end of life should be in a comfortable, monitored environment rather than allowing the act of euthanasia to occur. Christianity beliefs are that, â€Å"Human life is a sacred thing, which should be protected and preserved no matte r what state of health that person is currently in since God has a plan for all living and interfering with the plan should not be tolerable†.2 Allowing physician assisted suicide to be legal goes against Christian beliefs and human morality and values as life is viewed as a privilege that should not be taken away so easily. Virtually all religions state that God forbids any form of death sentence or the assisted killing of an innocent person as that is unlawful. There is also the argument of an individual choosing death over life as not being in the proper state of mind. The majority of terminally ill patients whom have suffered for a long period of time may have an underlying mental illness. Some psychologists state, â€Å"An attempt at suicide is often a challenge to determine if anyone really cares for the involved person. Seeking physician assisted suicide, rather than just acting solely to kill oneself, may well be a subconscious manifestation of that precise issue.â € 3 By giving people the choice for a physician assisted suicide

Thursday, November 21, 2019

ACTA and Internet Counterfeiting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ACTA and Internet Counterfeiting - Essay Example As an e-commerce medium, it is used as a payment medium through PayPal, VISA and other online payment systems. Moreover, it is the medium through which softcopy products like eBooks, software, online courses and other products are delivered. Since most of these activities involve transmission of sensitive information about people and more so customers, the information passing through the internet is encrypted such that the information encoded by the server can only be decoded by the client’s terminal and vice versa (Illing and Peitz, 2006: 102). This means that information being transmitted over encrypted networks cannot be accessed by third parties. This security property of the internet is priceless since it helps to sustain the faith that suppliers and consumers have on the internet; however, it also poses one of the major challenges in regulation of content being transmitted over the internet. It enables the internet to be used for transmission of information, a large port ion of which is unauthorised for electronic transmission (Biagi, 2011). Such information includes transmission of age-inappropriate content, rumours and propaganda that may undermine peace and stability, and copyrighted material. Censorship for inappropriate content can be easily implemented at a country or state level; however, transmission of copyrighted material like music, eBooks and software is hard to control since sharing networks entails use of multiple servers located all over the globe (Hertwig and Maus, 2010: 60). This necessitates the adoption of a common regulatory system, whereby countries work together to enforce antipiracy regulations. This essay discusses the effects of internet infringement of property rights and copyrights and discusses the adoption of ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement), especially in the European Union. Technical Factors Historically duplication of copyrighted materials has always happened; however, the internet offered a channel that mad e the process quite easy to achieve with little skill level. Moreover, the vastness of the internet and its high rate of growth make any attempt to control its content an exercise in futility. Moreover, the technical knowledge of computer networking specialists gives them the ability to bypass any efforts by regulators, which is the main reason for proliferation of illegal websites (Woodsworth, 2010: 185). Moreover, developments in the information technology sector resulted in the proliferation of highly efficient but cheap IT equipment, which increased the number of servers, terminals and other devices beyond the scope of regulatory bodies. In order to cover the increased usage of the internet for illegal purposes, all stakeholders had to be incorporated in the process, which was the main motive of the implementers of ACTA. The other factor that leads to a high proliferation of computer piracy of software and other copyrighted materials is the capacity of network connections to wor k in both directions, such that information flows to or from a terminal in the same way it does to a server. This allows network terminals like workstations, personal computers and other devices to be used as sources of data, especially as used in peer-to-peer protocols like BitTorrent (Hunnewell and Garlick, 2007). These networks allow users to share data in their computers with other users without the need for a server; which makes it almost impossible to detect the circulation of copyrighted material since pieces of the software or other content are usually spread throughout the terminals in the networks. In this case, remarkably

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

In light of the discussions around British EU membership, discuss Essay - 1

In light of the discussions around British EU membership, discuss whether a British exit from the EU would be advantageous or disadvantageous from a business point of view - Essay Example Moreover, the crisis has even shifted the attention given to the British membership, as there are matters more important at hand. Decisively, the few people discussing the matter propose that by fully accepting the membership the results would be beneficial on a political and economic basis. In terms of business, the European Union is the core and most influential body in Europe with a budget of 129 billion euros every year (Miliband 2014). Nonetheless, the member states like Britain contribute to the factor of business power making the European Union more significant than any other country. The exit of Britain from the European Union would be a disadvantage as the state is among the few nations that have a great financial impact on its function; for instance, Britain makes a contribution of up to 55 million euros a day making it twenty billion euros every year (EU Business 2014 &O’Leary 2014). Furthermore, Britain is a lead investor- it is the hub of major business investments and there are others conducted across borders; largely, British membership also holds the fate of the United Kingdom on matters regulations applied in the single market. Definitely, the EU directly benefits from the single market that Britain is a part of; however, there are other benefits resulting from the states membership (Western Morning News 2014). For instance, employed citizens of the European Union get the opportunity to train a variety of new recruits with British taking full advantage of this by providing employment opportunities to many citizens. Moreover, the trainees and recruits tackle the shortage of skills in the United Kingdom as a potential and determined workforce (Mansfield 2014). From a different point of view, the exit of membership would also be as shortcoming for Britain, as well as the European Union that holds the biggest part

Sunday, November 17, 2019

A Worldview Definition Essay Example for Free

A Worldview Definition Essay A worldview is the way you interpret everything that happens around you and the rest of the world. Everyone has some sort of worldview whether it is conscious or subconscious. People have different worldviews and it can be affected by several different factors around them. A Biblical/Christian worldview is â€Å" It’s any ideology, philosophy, theology, movement or religion that provides an overarching approach to understanding God, the world and mans relations to God and the world, quoted by David Noebel, author of Understanding the Times. There are five questions that help justify our beliefs in the Christian/Biblical worldview. The first is the Question of Origin, which is how did life begin? In Genesis 1:1 and Psalms 139:13-16 it tells us about the beginning and the reason for all of creation. The second is the Question of Identity. Identity asks the question, who are we? Genesis 1:27 and Jeremiah 1:5 are scriptures that cover the question of Identity. Both tell us that we were made in Gods image and that before we were created we were appointed a prophet to the nations. The Third question is the Question of Meaning/Purpose. This question is asking why we are here. Everyone is born with a purpose for life. John 17:3 states we were put on earth so that we may come to know God. Another scripture is Galatians 5:13-14 which states we were called unto liberty by love to serve one another. The fourth question is the Question of Morality. The Question of Morality asks what is meant by right and wrong or good and bad? Ephesians 2:9-10 states that following Jesus is the best way to have righteous morals. When you follow Jesus, not men you don’t have to worry about what is right or wrong, you know! Acts 5:29 Peter and the Apostles say â€Å"we must obey God rather than men.† The last question is the Question of Destiny. The Question of Destiny asks is there life after death. A scripture that everyone knows that refers to destiny is John 3:16, it says â€Å"should not perish but have everlasting life.† The book of Revelations talks a lot about Destiny, a scripture that goes along with that is Revelation 21:3-5. In those scriptures it tells about how there will be life after death and no more crying or pain. The biblical worldview influences me to always do what Jesus would do and treat people the way I would want to be treated. I have been raised under those sayings and I raise my kids under them also.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Identity Theft and the Internet Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research P

Identity Theft and the Internet You come home and find two mysterious UPS packages at your doorstep. Funny; they're addressed to you, but you didn't order anything. You open one of them to find a cell phone with the latest accessories. The enclosed invoice shows that it was shipped to you but billed to someone with your name at another address a few miles away. Same name? Same city? Stranger things can happen. There's a phone number, so your husband tries to call to let your namesake know that UPS delivered her packages to the wrong address. When you hear the woman on the line say, "Yes, this is [insert your full name here]," you get a sinking feeling in your stomach. Your husband quickly hangs up on her. Another review of the invoice reveals payment was made by MasterCard. You have a MasterCard but haven't used it in a while, so--what the hell--you call the toll-free customer service line. After being transferred here and there, answering this question and that one, it hits you: you're just another victim. This is the way I discovered last year that I had become a victim of identity theft. Weeks and months later, I learned that, in addition to making fraudulent charges to my credit card, the criminals opened several cell phone accounts using my name, address, date of birth, and social security number. They even had the audacity to have two phones purchased illegally added to my existing, legitimate cell phone account. At times, I loathed opening my mailbox for fear of finding yet another invoice asking me to pay hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars for these lowlifes to buy and talk on cell phones. Should you ever find yourself in a similar, unfortunate situation, know that the Internet contains web sites that can he... ...en made, my case is still pending. With the help of the Internet, I am an informed victim who was able to more than fully cooperate in the criminal investigation into the crime committed against me. Web sites don't have to be directly related to identity theft for them to be helpful. Each of the sites I visited during the course of my personal investigation, productive for the criminal investigation or not, contributed to the peace of mind and confidence I now feel. Fraudulent bills and collection notices continue to arrive in the mail but no longer intimidate me. I am empowered with knowledge, and I look forward to the day that my case is solved and the perpetrators are brought to justice. Because my case is still pending, I choose not to explicitly describe its specific details so that the eventual prosecution of the perpetrators is not jeopardized in any way.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

I deserve to be a Scholar Essay

To pass Education in UST is really an achievement for me. Before I took up the examination, I was so scared because, even though I am confident that I can manage to answer the exam, I am still afraid that I may not be able to have a slot because I am one of the applicants of the last batch. After passing the examination, I really regret that I failed to reserve my slot between the date I received the results up to the deadline of reservation. So, the moment the Dean of Education allowed me to have a late reservation for my slot in UST, I really felt absolute happiness and thanksgiving that finally, I am able to study on a decent and known school. Being asked by my classmates to teach them everytime they get trouble in studying makes me glad and pleasured. But you know what? There is a side that makes me confuse of choosing the course, Education. Why? Because many of my relatives, my father, and even the parents of my classmates said that Education doesn’t suit my intelligence. I deserve more. A higher degree and profession. They always recommend me medicine but well, I do like medicine and I really dreamt to be a doctor someday back to childhood days but its not the course I really prioritize right now. It’s not what do my heart and soul says. Maybe because I know that we cannot afford it and in reality, it takes too long to graduate. Moreover, I am finally decided to myself that I want to teach because I was inspired by my late Mommy Joyce who is a LET passer and to my teachers that’s looks like enjoying the work they have. And in addition I really love teaching that’s why its final that I will focus in BS Education to be my course in College. It seems that teaching is a really nice profession and I imagine of going to a classroom full of students and be able to teach them and afterwards developed a professional one someday. To be offered such kind of scholarship makes me overwhelmed and confident of myself. It makes me think that I am so gifted to be given such glorious award. As I thought, I don’t need a scholarship because I am thinking that more people deserve this more than I do and I already credited my scholarship for being the Valedictorian so I am thinking that maybe, it’s already enough. But then, I realized that working abroad to earn a living for your two daughters and as well as aming for them to study in a good school is such a hard job for my mom. So I was thinking that this opportunity might be a way to lessen the burden to my mom and to be given such additional scholarship would be a really big help for my college degree. Most of my mother’s childhood friends told me that my parents are really good in academics that’s why they think I inherited my intelligence form them. My mother also shared some of her memories and hardships she’d encountered and suffered when she was a student. She experienced being a laundrywoman to earn money for her to finish college and it was really hard for her not to eat sometimes just to save money for her projects and learning materials. According to her, there will be no success if you haven’t faced hardships at all. She always asked me to study hard for us not to have the same fate as hers. Because of her I am so persistent to study hard and finish my studies. I told myself that if I will be able to study without her financial support, it will be a big relief for her. Since my sister is studying as an Engineer at Mapua, she said that if I push studying in UST, her salary won’t be enough to sustain both of us as well as the expenses in our house and daily living. I cannot ask for my father’s help either cause he already have a new family and what he can get from his job is just enough for them. I believe that sholarships are granted for those students who has a potential and I am confident that I am one of tho se because back in highschool days, I have maintained a high and well good grades, participated in various organizations, active in school affairs, helpful to the teachers, loyal to my alma mater and even showed cooperation in my community. I always worry of having low grades and I really work hard in every little thing I do. I remember those nights that I am wide awake studying my lessons and reviewing for examinations. I am also a consistent honor student of my school. When I was in highschool, I always wanted to be a part of those programs and contests. Among my classmates, I am usually the one sent by my school as a representative on some events and contests like quizbee. In fact, I was awarded to be the Most Active of my class. I also received some special awards from our City Mayor for the completion of the days being an Imus Youth. I recite well during class hours and I even tutor my classmates before finals. With those moments and achievement I had in my highschool days, I a m proudly saying that I deserve to have this scholarship and I know that my characteristics made me a competitive applicant for this. That’s why, if blessed, I want to have this scholarship for I know that I am responsible enough, committed to my studies and my aims and goals in life would always bring me to success because I wholeheartedly waste my full and best effort in doing everything to achieve what I want. I never surrender and stop until I get what I want and I always do my best just to maintain high and good grades. Through this scholarship, I would be able to achieve my dream of becoming a professional teacher someday that’s why I will do everything so that I will not lose this scholarship. Most of all, whith the confidence and determination I have as a student, I believe that granting me this award won’t be a waste at all.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Asoka: Ruthless Conqueror or Enlightened Ruler? Essay

Prior to the ruling of Emperor Ashoka, kings, emperors, and rulers were rarely thought to be representations of God. Ashoka was the ruler of the Mauryan Empire which stood in India from 273 BCE to 232 BCE. The Mauryan Empire included most of India’s grounds as well as what is now known today as Bangladesh and Pakistan. Once conquering Kalinga, Asoka sought to find a Guru, seeking enlightenment. After sitting beneath the Bodhi tree, Asoka became a more fulfilling leader. Throughout Asoka’s life, he had proven himself to be an enlightened ruler by seeking Buddha, creating the Asokan edicts, and acting out on his best interests for his people. Asoka quickly became converted to Buddhism as a result of the Kalinga war. At the conclusion of the war, Asoka sought a Guru due to feeling a great crisis (document C) along with a stirring remorse for his prior actions. He was now setting high ideals for himself, the ideals of power and peace. Once under the Bodhi tree, Asoka gave rich gifts to the poor. Asoka also consulted with local communities about proper governance about good conduct (also document C). By seeking Buddha, Asoka proved his underlying remorse for the war and with his growing understanding, he was able to begin reforming his mind as a political order. Asoka wished to make up for his mistakes with the Kalinga war, therefore reversing his viewpoints and moving forward (document C). Soon after, there was no longer opposing power within the Mauryan Empire, as document B informs, â€Å"Furthermore there was now no opposing power withing the empire. The people of the frontier were generally too weak to consider a war against him.† Asoka recognized this and created a series of edicts. Document C was written by historian Michael Wood. Due to the source being a historian, his point of view comes from another persons views, these views being that Asoka was an enlightened ruler because, â€Å"Asoka gave rich gifts to the poor.† With Asoka’s growing desire for political order, the 33 edicts were created. The edicts were engraved on pillars (pillar edicts) and on walls or boulders (rock edicts). Asoka made each of the edicts focus on different aspects most important to the people of India, or what should have been most important in Asoka’s opinion. The edicts explained his political aspirations for his empire, urging others to follow his enlightening example. The map in document D shows that the edicts were scattered throughout India, appearing on dozens of pillars, walls, and/or boulders throughout India, Nepal, and Pakistan (document D). Asoka’s purpose was to constantly have the laws announced or presented to the people. Document D easily proves that Asoka takes the level of the commitment to his laws extremely seriously and wants what is best for the people because the laws included edicts concerned with health and the environment, faiths and honors, and promoted welfare, etc. Asoka’s edicts expressed his vows to care for his people such as Rock Edict VI, vowing, â€Å"†¦ I consider that I must promote the welfare of the whole world†¦ indeed there is no better work than promoting the welfare of the whole world. And whatever may be my great deeds, I have done them in order to discharge my debt to all beings.† (document D). Document D is a phenomenal source because it is Asoka’s point of view. With the words of Asoka’s edicts, we can see his true nature and expectations. From the edicts, Asoka comes off as genuine, caring, thoughtful, and a hard worker for his people. An excerpt from the edicts of Asoka states, â€Å"†¦, it would weigh heavily on the mind of the Beloved of the Gods [Asoka].† (document E). The edicts are Asoka’s messages that have traveled far and wide with Asoka being loved by the Gods. Asoka was instilling this into the minds of the people of his empire but Asoka was confident enough to hold himself to high standards and was well prepared to take on the responsibilities of being a God-like-figure to the people. Document E also states that, â€Å"The Beloved of the Gods believes that one who does wrong should be forgiven as far as it is possible to forgive him.† This made Asoka feel as though the war he created was acceptable because he believes everyone should find it possible to forgive him as he sought Buddha and perched beneath the Bodhi tree. As a result of the Kalinga war, Asoka was converted to Buddhism. Throughout his ruling of the Mauryan Empire, Asoka set extremely high ideals for  himself, the ideals of power and authority balanced with peace. With the creation of his 33 edicts, he taught people to live, emphasized compassion towards animals and nature, and spread teachings to strengthen family ties along with the existing social classes (document F). After the war concluded, Asoka spent much of his time trying to make-up for his â€Å"mistakes† of the Kalinga war. In his edicts, Asoka vows to care for his people (document D). â€Å"Asoka’s pillars of stone containing the inscriptions speak magnificent words†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (document F). Asoka also devoted himself to spread the teachings of Buddha to the people after discovering the enlightenment Buddha’s teachings had given him. All of the documents together shape Asoka to be a very enlightened ruler. He always put the best interest of the people first and wished to educate them on the peace-seeking of Buddha. In order to better understand Asoka’s true personality, characteristics, humane and nature, it would be of great convenience to be provided with an additional document from a civilian whom lived during the time of Asoka’s ruling and walking past the edicts everyday. It would be very insightful to get into their thoughts and grasp their beliefs and their gained knowledge provided by the edicts.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on International Business Communication Barriers

The international marketplace is changing rapidly. E-commerce is now a standard way to do business. The Internet has opened up vast opportunities for corporations to penetrate new markets and territories. As the economy is becoming more global in nature, companies are handling more business on an international level. Gronlund (1999) stated that one main reason behind this rapid growth is competition. International corporations are eager to use any resources available to gain market share wherever possible. While this kind of business enriches the international economy, there are communication barriers that sometimes prohibit further expansion in the global marketplace. In order for businesses to be effective they need to tackle the sometimes hidden culture issues that hamper smooth communications, or worse, halting growth all together. Companies, who do not take the time to research cultural beliefs and philosophies before conducting business, often fail their objectives beca use they simply do not possess the knowledge of their client’s cultural diversity. Each culture has its own rules about proper behavior that affect verbal and nonverbal communication. Whether a person looks the other in the eye-or not, or how close the people stand to each other when they are talking, are all rules of politeness that may differ from culture to culture. While cultural misunderstandings can probably never be eliminated, there are companies that have gone to great lengths to insure that their products or services adapt to different cultural beliefs. They have identified the challenges, and have broken key communication barriers such as language, technology, management styles, and needs. From their efforts, they have formed solid bridges to conduct their business. There is several communication challenges international companies face when conducting business globally. One main barrier is language. Non-English speaking employees may fee... Free Essays on International Business Communication Barriers Free Essays on International Business Communication Barriers The international marketplace is changing rapidly. E-commerce is now a standard way to do business. The Internet has opened up vast opportunities for corporations to penetrate new markets and territories. As the economy is becoming more global in nature, companies are handling more business on an international level. Gronlund (1999) stated that one main reason behind this rapid growth is competition. International corporations are eager to use any resources available to gain market share wherever possible. While this kind of business enriches the international economy, there are communication barriers that sometimes prohibit further expansion in the global marketplace. In order for businesses to be effective they need to tackle the sometimes hidden culture issues that hamper smooth communications, or worse, halting growth all together. Companies, who do not take the time to research cultural beliefs and philosophies before conducting business, often fail their objectives beca use they simply do not possess the knowledge of their client’s cultural diversity. Each culture has its own rules about proper behavior that affect verbal and nonverbal communication. Whether a person looks the other in the eye-or not, or how close the people stand to each other when they are talking, are all rules of politeness that may differ from culture to culture. While cultural misunderstandings can probably never be eliminated, there are companies that have gone to great lengths to insure that their products or services adapt to different cultural beliefs. They have identified the challenges, and have broken key communication barriers such as language, technology, management styles, and needs. From their efforts, they have formed solid bridges to conduct their business. There is several communication challenges international companies face when conducting business globally. One main barrier is language. Non-English speaking employees may fee...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

History of Womens Basketball in America (1891-Present)

History of Womens Basketball in America (1891-Present) Womens basketball began the year after the game was invented. The history of womens basketball success is a long one: collegiate and professional teams, intercollegiate competitions (and their critics) as well as the sad history of many failed attempts at professional leagues; womens basketball at the Olympics. Its all here in this timeline. 1891 James Naismith invented basket ball [sic] at a Massachusetts YMCA school 1892 first womens basketball team organized by Senda Berenson at Smith College, adapting Naismiths rules to emphasize cooperation, with three zones and six players on each team 1893 first womens college basketball game played at Smith College; no men were admitted to the game (March 21)womens basketball began at Iowa State College, Carleton College, Mount Holyoke College, and Sophie Newcomb College (Tulane) in New Orleans; each year more schools added womens basketball to their sports offerings for girls 1894 Senda Berenson published an article on womens basketball and its benefits in the Physical Education journal 1895 Basketball was being played at many womens colleges, including Vassar College, Bryn Mawr College, and Wellesley College Baer published rules for womens Basquette 1896 Bloomers introduced as a playing costume at Sophie Newbomb College, New OrleansStanford and the University of California at Berkeley played the first womens intercollegiate game; Stanford won, 2-1, and men were excluded, with women guarding the windows and doors to exclude menfirst known womens basketball game between two high schools was played in the Chicago area, with Chicago Austin High School against Oak Park High School 1899 Conference of Physical Training established a committee to form uniform rules for womens basket ball [sic]Stanford banned womens basketball from intercollegiate competition, as did the University of California 1901 University of California at Berkeley was given an outdoor basketball court for women by philanthropist Phoebe HearstSpalding issued womens basketball rules, edited by Senda Berenson, establishing 3 zones with 5-10 players per team; some teams used mens rules, some used Baers rules, and some used Spaldings/Berensons rules 1904 A Native American team played womens basketball at the St. Louis Worlds Fair, as an exhibition 1908 AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) took the position that women or girls should not play basketball in public 1914 The American Olympic Committee declared its opposition to the participation of women in the Olympics competition 1920s industrial leagues teams sponsored by companies for their workers were established in many parts of the country 1921 Jeux Olympiques Fà ©minines held in Monaco, an all-womens sports competition for sports excluded from the Olympics; sports included basketball, track and field; Britains team won the basketball event 1922 Jeux Olympiques Fà ©minines held, an all-womens sports competition for sports excluded from the Olympics; sports included basketball, track and field 1923 Jeux Olympiques Fà ©minines held, an all-womens sports competition for sports excluded from the Olympics; sports included basketball, track and fieldWomens Division of the National Amateur Athletic Federation (WDNAAF) held its first conference; over the next few years, it will take on womens extramural basketball and other sports as too competitive, working to get high schools, industrial leagues, and even churches to ban tournaments 1924 Olympics included womens basketball as an exhibition eventInternational Womens Sports Federation founded, hosted a womens event paralleling the Olympics, including basketball 1926 AAU held the first national tournament for womens basketball, with six teams participating 1927 AAU National Womens Basketball Tournament canceled under pressure from the WDNAAF; Sunoco Oilers (Dallas) declared AAU national champions 1928 Olympics included womens basketball as an exhibition eventAAU National Womens Basketball Tournament canceled for the second year under pressure from the WDNAAF; Sunoco Oilers (Dallas) declared AAU national champions (again) 1929 AAU selected the first AAU All-America teamAAU re-started national championship tournament; Sunoco Oilers won, defeating the Golden Cyclones; a beauty contest was part of the event 1930 AAU national championship included 28 teams; Sunoco Oilers won, defeating the Golden Cyclones 1930s Isadore Channels (of the Chicago Romas team) and Ora Mae Washington (of the Philadelphia Tribunes) starred in two rival black womens basketball barnstorming teams; both women were also American Tennis Association title winnersWDNAAF continued to pressure states to ban womens basketball tournaments, with success in many states 1931 Golden Cyclones won AAU Championship, led by Babe Didrikson 1938 three zones reduced to two in womens competition 1940s during World War II, competition and recreation basketball was common; relocation centers for Japanese Americans, for instance, included regularly scheduled womens basketball games 1953 international competition in womens basketball was reorganized 1955 first Pan-American Games included womens basketball; USA won the gold medal 1969 Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (ICAW) held an invitational basketball tournament, the first national tournament not including AAU teams; West Chester State won the championshipwomens basketball was included in the Paralympics 1970 five player full court game adopted for womens basketball 1972 Title IX enacted, requiring federally-funded schools to fund womens sports equitably, including teams, scholarships, recruitment, and media coverageAssociation for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) held the first national intercollegiate championship in basketball; Immaculata defeated West ChesterAAU established national basketball tournaments for girls younger than college age 1973 college scholarships offered to female athletes for the first timeAmateur Basketball Association of the United States (ABAUSA) established, replacing AAU 1974 US Olympic Committee recognized the ABAUSABillie Jean King founded the Womens Sports Foundation, to promote sports and physical activity among girls 1976 womens basketball became an Olympic sport; the Soviet team won the gold, USA won the silver 1978 Wade Trophy established to honor a top collegiate player; first awarded to Carol BlazejowskiBill Byrne founded the 8-team Womens Basketball League (WBL) 1979 WBL expanded to 14 teams 1980 Ladies Professional Basketball Association founded with six teams; played for less than a month before failingfirst USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year Award went to Carol BlazejowskiOlympics held but many nations boycotted, led by the USA 1981 WBL played its last seasonWomens Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) beginsNCAA announced womens basketball tournaments; AIAW filed an antitrust suit in oppositionfinal AIAW tournament held; AIAW dropped the lawsuit against the NCAA and disbandedfirst NCAA womens basketball Final Four championship held 1984 Olympics womens basketball event won by USA team, with the USSR and some other nations boycottingWomens American Basketball Association (WABA) formed, with six teams; it was, like most of the womens professional basketball leagues, short-lived Lynette Woodard  began playing with the Harlem Globetrotters, the first woman to play with that team 1985 Senda Berenson Abbott, L. Margaret Wade, and Bertha F. Teague were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the first women to be so honored 1986 National Womens Basketball Association (NWBA) founded; folded the same season 1987 Naismith Hall of Fame initiated Female High School Player of the Year award 1988 Olympics womens basketball event won by USA team 1990 Pat Summit was the first woman to be awarded the John Bunn Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 1991 WBL disbandedLiberty Basketball Association (LBA) founded, and lasted one game, broadcast on ESPN 1992 Howard University womens basketball coach became the first woman to win monetary damages under Title IX, for discriminationNera White, who played with the Nashville Business College team, and Lusia (Lucy) Harris (Harris-Stewart) were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 1993 Womens Basketball Association (WBA) foundedAnn Meyers and Ulyana Semjonova inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 1994 Carol Blazejowski inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 1995 Womens Basketball Association (WBA) failedAmerican Basketball League (ABL) founded with ten teamsplayers Anne Donovan and Cheryl Miller inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 1996 NBA established the WNBA with eight teams; Sheryl Swoopes was the first player signed by the WNBANancy Lieberman inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 1997 first WNBA game playedWNBA added two more teamsplayers Joan Crawford and Denise Curry inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 1998 ABL failedWNBA expanded by two teams 1999 Womens Basketball Hall of Fame opened with 25 inducteesWNBA expanded by four teams for the 2000 season 2000 Olympics held in Sydney, Australia; USA team won gold medal; Teresa Edwards became the first basketball player to play on five consecutive Olympic teams and win five Olympic medalsNational Womens Basketball Professional League (NWBL) foundedPat Head Summitt (coach) inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 2002 Sandra Kay Yow (coach) inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of FameAshley McElhiney became the first woman head coach for a mens professional basketball team (ABA, Nashville Rhythm); she resigned in 2005 with a 21-10 record 2004 Lynette Woodard  inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 2005 Hortencia Marcari and Sue Gunter (LSU coach) inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 2006 WNBA celebrated its 10th year by announcing an All-Decade Team, selected by fans, media, and current players and coaches. 2008 Cathy Rush inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of FameSigning a 7-day WNBA contract, Nancy Lieberman returned to play in a single game

Sunday, November 3, 2019

The Theme of Sexuality in Their Eyes Were Watching God Research Paper

The Theme of Sexuality in Their Eyes Were Watching God - Research Paper Example novel, and Hurston describes it in the context of slavery to show that it was a regular and repeated aspect of the black woman’s experience in slavery, and occurred in the early formative age of adulthood in the place of a woman’s education. The relation of racist authority to rape in the narrative is that Janie’s father and grandfather are both portrayed as white, and the educational system is equated in lineage with the system of slave ownership. This is a fundamental social and political critique that is introduced through the common dialect of the Southern woman and related through her personal sexual experience. The historical base is expressed by Zora Neale Hurston through sexual relationships, and this interracial sexuality is paradoxical, integral, and structural in her writing throughout the novel. In this context of repression, Hurston presents only a brief glimpse of the hope for genuine love in youth, which is quickly replaced with a black folk tradition that is portrayed as repressive to womanhood in a manner equally to be resisted and run away from as slavery. The repression of family tradition is portrayed through forced marriage, which implied another type of rape and forced servitude of the woman. Janie’s compromise is to arrange a marriage on her own terms that supports her own self materially on her own terms, even if she has to leave everything she knows to do so. Thus she provides for her needs while giving herself a limited economic role in the society at large through her husband’s business. When this ends early through the death of Joe Starks, Janie has the ability to choose any man in her society from a position of independent stature. Rather than the professor or tycoon, Hurston presents Tea Cake as a model of the black male with whom Janie most identifies. Their love also accelerates into death, but in this instance it is from the increased slow burn of passions, rather than their extinguishment. In the end, the gossip of black

Friday, November 1, 2019

Left side right side Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Left side right side - Essay Example I discovered that the political system was an important party of society. Because of the multi-party system, the average person on the street can fight for and protect their basic human rights. On the other hand, living under a political system where one party dominates can be tough. The people’s rights are not respected because the party controls everything. The Internet has become a vital part of the younger generation. Nowadays, corruption cases can be exposed by the Internet and sent around the world. The Internet is the gateway for the proclamation of truth. One great example is the story commonly known as â€Å"My father is Li Gang.† Li Ai is the son of Li Gang. One day, when Li Ai was driving his flash car, he crashed into a small girl and killed her. There were some people who knew what he had done. However, Li Ai said â€Å"my father is Li Gang, the head of the police. I will be fine.† I believed what he said because no one would find out about it. But, the Internet is the perfect tool to help publicize issues like this. If we did not have the Internet, would we have even found out about this story? A scarier thought is how many people get away with actions like this because they are protected by powerful people? The root of all our social problems is our political system. A one party state often contains many weak points. As I have lived in a one party state for 19 years, I really doubt if this system is the right way to go. I have spent the last two years studying in America and now really support a multi-party system. A multi-party system allows freedom of expression and considers human rights. Greater party representation means more competition, and more competition satisfies the people’s needs and wants. The people can freely choose to support the party that they think will benefit them the most. In the opposite way, a one party state can make decisions all by themselves. In

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Business Crime - Christies Ltd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Crime - Christies Ltd - Essay Example Before proceeding to the topic of Christies Ltd. and business crime, it is important to understand how and why the Theft Act 1968 came into existence. This Act was original for it was the first British legislation, which the dealings of criminal law accessible to all citizens and not just limited to attorneys. An article from bbc.co.uk (2001) tells this history: Before 1968, theft and other, similar, offences were governed by a mass of conflicting legislation and common law and was over-complex. Before 1968, if 'ownership' passed by means of deception, the offence was 'obtaining by false pretences'. If 'possession' was passed, the offence was 'larcency by a trick'. Other offences existed, including 'larcency by a servant', 'fraudulent conversion' and 'embezzlement'. It had reached the point where it was harder to discover which crime the accused may have committed rather than whether or not the accused was guilty. The 1968 Theft Act, as well as the 1971 Criminal Damage Act, did much to overcome this problem. All previous theft legislation and common law were overruled, resulting in the creation of the first codified definition of law in England and Wales.

Monday, October 28, 2019

The Effect of Celebrity Endorsement on Consumer Buying Behavior Essay Example for Free

The Effect of Celebrity Endorsement on Consumer Buying Behavior Essay The crescendo of celebrities endorsing brands has been steadily increasing over the past 20 years or so. Marketers overtly acknowledge the power of celebrity in influencing buyers purchase decision. They have firm believe that likeability or a favorable attitude towards a brand is created by the use of a celebrity. The crore of rupees spent per year on celebrity endorsement contracts show that celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Sharukh khan and Sachin Tendulkar play an important role for the advertising industry. It is an established fact that celebrity endorsement can bestow unique features or special attributes upon a product that it may have lacked otherwise. In India from late 1970s and early 80s the new trend in advertising started. Brands started being endorsed by celebrities. Hindi film and TV stars as well as sportspersons were roped in to endorse prominent brands. Advertisements featuring stars like Late Jalal Agha (Pan Parag), Tabassum (Prestige cookers), Sunil Gavaskar for Dinesh Suiting, Ravi Shastri and Vivian Richards (Vimal), Persis Khambhata and Kapil Dev (Palmolive Shaving cream) became common . Though marketers should remember that celebrities are mere living beings like us and if they can highlight the benefits or advantages of a brand they can also have some uncanny negative impact. Theory and practice suggests that the use of stars and their unleashing power in advertising generate a lot of publicity and attention from the public but the underline questions are, do these stars really help a brand by increasing its sales? On the other hand, can they really have an Impact on the persons consumption pattern, thereby changing his brand preference? How an advertisement featuring a celebrity can influence consumers buying decision and can create an association between a brand and a common man. To answer these questions, the article will examine the relationship between celebrity endorsements and brands, and the impact of celebrity endorsement on consumers buying behaviour as well as how consumer makes brand preferences. We will apply a wide range of accepted principles of how consumers brand attitudes and preferences can be influenced, how buyers behavior can be influenced, how buyers behavior can be molded. We will use the principles of credibility of source and attractiveness, the match-up hypothesis, the consumer decision-making model and the communication model to understand this phenomenon. Brand- A layman  perspective Brand is the proprietary visual, emotional, rational and cultural image that you can associate with a company or the product. Few examples will bring home the meaning i.e. Amul utterly butterly delicious; Coke – thanda matlab coca-cola; Pepsi – Yeh dil mange more; Kurkure- Masti bole to kurkure and Daewoo ka India. These examples convey one message that when people watch advertisement a connect is being created and result is that people go for experience of buying. People feel by using the brand they will portray certain traits or characteristics that otherwise they do not have. This generates a certain level of emotional affiliation and a sense of fulfillment. It is this emotional relationship with brands that make them so powerful. Advertisements enforces what exactly the brand stands for and what to expect by its consumption and above all what factors, features and attributes makes it better from competition. Advertisements along with other marketing efforts generate expectations and feelings in a customer and force them to think when they see or hear the brand name. This Thinking process and emotional bonding gets more mature and relevant when a celebrity endorses the brand. The subjective intangible feelings of a customer become objective and tangible in the form of celebrity and the level of expectations will rise. The customer will start to perceive himself in the reference frame of the celebrity after the brand or the advertised product has been purchased or consumed by him. Celebrity and a Brand Star power in India can be gauged by the successful endorsements done by Sharukh Khan (Pepsi, Hyundai Santro, Sunfeast, and Navratan etc.), Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Hrithik Roshan and the others. The inevitable question is, if and how the lively interest of the public in the rich and famous can be efficiently and effectively used by companies to promote their brands and consequently to increase their sales revenues. This fact can be brought out by using certain examples i.e. Mr. Amitabh Bachchan promoting Cadbury chocolates after the fiasco of infestation when the image of Cadbury India went very low in the eyes of people. Soon the company found a perfect fit and a reliable celebrity to transmit the correct message and help regenerating the lost trust. The fit between the product and celebrity  is evident as Mr. Bachchan and Cadbury chocolates both have tested troubled times and still they stand tall and the love and trust they both share with the people al l across India. This is a live example of how a celebrity brought certain attributes to a product like chocolate. Actor Sharukh khan has also endorsed diversified products. His endorsement basket is ranging from Hyundai Santro to Sunfeast biscuits on one hand and from Compaq computers to Videocon electronics on the other. According to Advertising research companies both the actors are doing well and the ad spent on both by the companies is increasing at a phenomenal rate, so does their basket of endorsements. These actors bring reliability and trust in the brand and above all, they help in increasing the sales revenues. Celebrity endorsements are powerful, has become evident from the above two examples but, why is it so? This power is offered by the following elements, which also creates a Top of the Mind Position. * Instant Awareness, knowledge about the brand and easy recall. * Values and image of the brand is defined, highlighted and refreshed by the celebrity. * The celebrity adds new edge and dimension to the brand. * Credibility, trust, association, aspiration and connectivity to brand. * Belief in efficiency and new appearance that will result in at least trial usage. Understanding Consumer Behaviour Consumer behaviour is the study of how people buy, what they buy, when they buy and why they buy. It blends elements from psychology, sociology, sociopsychology, anthropology and economics. It attempts to understand the buyer decision-making process, both individually and in groups. It studies characteristics of individual consumers such as demographics, psychographics, and behavioral variables in an attempt to understand peoples wants. It also tries to assess influences on the consumer from groups such as family, friends, reference groups, and society in general. The study and knowledge of consumer behavior helps firms and organizations to improve their marketing strategies and product offerings. Following are the important issues that have significant influence on consumers psyche  and their ability to take decisions: †¢ The psychology of how consumers think, feel, reason, and select between different alternatives (e.g., brands, products); †¢ The psychology of how the consumer is influenced by his or her environment (e.g., culture, family, signs, media); †¢ The behavior of consumers while shopping or making other marketing decisions; †¢ Limitations in consumer knowledge or information processing abilities influence decisions and marketing outcome; †¢ How consumer motivation and decision strategies differ between products that differ in their level of importance or interest that they entail for the consumer; and †¢ How marketers can adapt and improve their marketing campaigns and marketing strategies to more effectively reach the consumer. †¢ Their Age, Religion, Culture, Income, informal group and Referent Group. Understanding these issues helps us adapt our strategies by taking the consumer into consideration. Traditional Factors affecting consumer decision making There are several factors that affect consumers decision to purchase a brand and a product. These factors though at time are not very much visible but they make an impact and affects sales of a product or brand up to a great extent. The table below shows some of these factors. Impact of a Brand on consumer purchase decision Research studies have proven that known products and names are sold more than unknown ones. Therefore, a known brand or an optimally exposed brand will find more recognition and buyers in the market in comparison to completely unknown or unexposed brand. Recognition of brand and its significance along with the traditional factors plays a very significant role in consumer decision-making process. More or less every consumer has a brand preference and given the affordability and societal norms, each buyer would like to buy and consume one of the highly acceptable, recognizable, and reputed brands. The above given model explains the important role that a brand plays in three different stages of consumers purchase decision making. A consumer start collecting data or information about his favourite brand than he keeps his favourite as one of the alternatives and he evaluate his selected brand against all available options and on finding it suitable or best among all options based upon a qualitative and quantitative evaluation he will ultimately purchase the selected or favourite brand. The diagram above explains how various traditional factors along with brand preference interact during purchase decision process and finally results into a consumers final product choice or ultimate purchase. Celebrity and a brand Surveys suggest that compared to any other types of endorsers, famous people achieve a higher degree of attention and recall. They increase awareness of a companys advertising as well as help in retention of message in the psyche of the audience. They can also help the company in reducing their expenditure on Media and other forms of publicity. An example will bring more clarity, When S Kumars, a known textile brand entered into readymade garments business they used Hrithik Roshan, then the hottest advertising icon for their launch advertising for TAMARIND, now one of the premium readymade brands. They reckoned that they have spent 40-50 percent less on media due to sheer impact of using hottest star like Hrithik. The Ad recall was as high as 70 percent and the campaign can be termed as a great success. Celebrities also create positive feelings towards brands, connect user to brand and are perceived by consumers as more entertaining. Using a celebrity in advertising or for any, other type of communication for brand building is likely to positively affect consumers brand preference, brand attitude, brand association and purchase intentions. To ensure positive results, however, it is critical for advertisers to have a clear understanding of consumers reactions and reinforcement of celebrity endorsement. The impact of celebrity endorsement on any brand as well as on consumers purchase decision is very critical. Source Credibility Central goal of advertising is the convincing of consumers and persuasion to purchase, the ultimate objective, though not openly spoken, is to some how attract consumers to the market offering of the company, generating positive attitude, reinforce positive association and ultimately to generate sales,  may be a trial purchase. At later stages, the sponsor may work towards creating a brand loyalty but generating initial sales or increasing the existing sales is the primary objective. In this respect, the credibility of an endorser along with advertisement plays an important role in convincing the target audience of the attractiveness of the companys brand and generates sales. Pursuing a celebrity endorsement strategy enables advertisers to project a credible image in terms of expertise, persuasiveness, trustworthiness, and objectiveness. To create effective messages, celebrity advertisers also have to consider the attractiveness of the spokesperson. Source attractiveness refers to the endorsers Physical appearance, Personality, Likeability and Similarity to the receiver, thus to the perceived social value of the source. This behavior mainly goes back to halo effect, whereby persons who perform well on one dimension example: physical attractiveness or top professional performance, social status are assumed to excel on other levels as well i.e. happiness and coolness. This is evident from the use of Fardeen Khan, modern, dynamic, outgoing and smart personality for Provogue; he translates the modernism of the brand well. Titan uses Aamir Khan in his different avatars for communicating to the public that their watches are as reliable and passionate as Aamir is for films. Both Fardeen and Aamir carry the message well and enhance the credibility of the brand they endorse. Establishing a Perfect Match Research proves that a spokesperson especially for a service product or organization (ICICI- First Amitabh Bachchan, now Shahrukh Khan) interacts with the type of brand being advertised. These stars communicate the value of the product and transform an ordinary service into a miracle solution for all problems of an ordinary customer. According to Friedman and Friedman (1979), a famous relative to a normal spokesperson is more effective for products high in psychological or social risk, involving such elements as good taste, self-image, and opinion of others. Several research studies have examined the congruency between celebrity endorsers and brands to explain the effectiveness of using famous persons to promote brands. In India, a brand called Reid Taylor presented its perfect example when they first launched their advertising campaign featuring James Bond fame of the time Mr. Pierce Brosnan along with the tagline BOND WITH THE BEST but the James  Bond idea did not worked and the company was not happy with the results. After the debacle of the first campaign, company introduced a family ad where children are celebrating there parents silver wedding anniversary and they are out with their father to purchase a suit for him. Even this commercial did not work and it was taken off the air. As a last resort, company introduced Mr. Amitabh Bachchan as Reid Taylor man, a man propagating the brand for special occasion and for very special people in life. The commercial from the initial days got good response and did extremely well as people were able to connect with Mr. Bachchan and the values he was propagating. For the masses, there was a perfect match of an ideal Indian family man, a star and a good quality but bit highly priced brand reserved especially for special occasions and for very special people. Second example that can be quoted is of Vishwanathan Anand, who endorsed NIIT. NIIT adopted a very smart strategy by roping in Vishwanathan Anand an international chess wizard for their advertising campaign. As chess is considered to be a game full of strategies and a game for smart people and when one of the greats of the game is asking people to join NIIT it was suppose to have a positive influence on the people and actually it had. There was complete congruency and compatibility between the celebrity endorser, the product and the message. Contrary to only favorable outcomes, there are several examples where the product, even the entire campaign collapsed due to heavy weight celebrity as the agency or the ad failed to establish the relationship between the endorser and the product. Keeping the focus only on success, where the product and the celebrity were a perfect match, following are few examples: Celebrity Endorser Company / Product Amitabh Bachchan * Dabur * Cadbury * Reid and Taylor * Parker Shahrukh Khan * Santro * Videocon * Sunfeast * Pepsi Juhi Chawala * Kurkure Ustad Zakir Hussain * Taj mahal tea Aamir Khan * Titan * Coke * Toyota Innova Aishwarya Rai * Nakshatra * Lux Rani Mukherjee * Fanta * Nestle Munch Kajol and Ajay Devgan * Whirlpool * Tata Indicom The campaigns are not only basking with the glory of success stories, but there is considerable number of failures as well. Assuming that a person just have to be famous to represent a successful brand, however, would be incorrect and may turn out to be a very dangerous preposition resulting into a big calamity for the entire advertising campaign or the brand. Very well accepted and attractive super stars like Abhishek Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan failed in turning their endorsements into success i.e. Maruti Versa similarly Virendra Sehwag also failed to deliver Reliance Telecommunication with the master stroke of his cricketing genius. Among the possible reasons identified by several authors, including overexposure and identification, the match-up hypothesis specifically suggests that the effectiveness depends on the existence of a fit between the celebrity spokesperson and endorsed brand. Empirical work on the congruency of brand with the celebrity often has concentrated on the physical attractiveness of the endorser. Results show that an attractive spokespersons are more effective in terms of attitude change when prompting brands that enhance ones attractiveness i.e. cosmetics; health drinks or fashion wear. Primary data states, for celebrity spokespersons to be truly effective, they should be knowledgeable, experienced, mature, and a bench mark in their respective field and qualified to talk about the product. Transferring the Meaning After watching an advertisement the consumers try to find the meaning of the advertisement and associate the same with the endorser and eventually transfer to the brand. To understand this phenomenon Mc Cracken (1989)  suggested a comprehensive model known as Meaning Transfer Model. This three-stage model suggests how the meaning associated with the famous person moves from the endorser to the product or the brand. Thus, meanings attributed to the celebrity become associated with the brand in the consumers mind. Finally, in the consumption process, the customer acquires the brands meaning. The third stage of the model explicitly shows the importance of the consumers role in the process of endorsing brands with famous persons. In contrast to anonymous endorsers, celebrities add value to the image transfer process by offering meanings of extra depth and power, what is complemented by their life style and personalities. Therefore, to transfer the correct meaning to the consumer the company should select a celebrity that will produce the most favorable response for consumers and for the purpose the celebrity should have, the appropriate set of characteristics and the public should be able to visualize and comprehend the same. The company should consider the consumers needs while developing their communication strategy and selecting an appropriate celebrity to transmit the same, i.e. Kurkure used actress Juhi Chawala with the punch line Masti Bole To Kurkure and the actress on screen and off-screen personifies the masti and helps the brand in communicating the same easily. Compatibility of the celebritys persona with the overall brand image is very important, as a celebrity imparts credibility and inspirational value to a brand and his or her image should perfectly match the brands image. A good brand campaign idea and an intrinsic link between the celebrity and the message are must for a successful campaign. Certain elements that generate a perfect match or compatibility between the celebrity and brand image are: * Celebritys fit with the brand image along with celebrity-target audience match. * Celebrity associated values and celebrity-product match. * Costs of acquiring the celebrity and his or her popularity along with controversy risks associated with the celebrity. * Credibility, availability and physical attractiveness of celebrity. The above points can be put to perspective by using two examples, first Kapil Devs Palmolive da jawaab nahin and second Nakshatras brand recall due to its endorser, the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Both brands have edged out and carved out their niche in consumers mind due to image and credibility of their endorsers.  These were the cases of perfect match between the brand image and the image or persona of the celebrity endorser. Conclusion A brief assessment of the current market situation indicates, that celebrity endorsement advertising strategy can under the right circumstances indeed justify the high costs associated with this form of advertising. The use of celebrity for endorsements create a very favorable impact on the consumer and it creates a connect which forces a consumer to purchase a product. However, as several failures show, it is essential for advertisers to be aware of the complex processes underlying celebrity endorsement. It has been proved from the discussion that celebrity endorsements are a powerful and useful tool that magnifies the effect of a campaign but the word of caution to be followed seriously; celebrities alone do not guarantee success nor does a great advertising campaign or the best possible product. It is the combination of several factors and elements that work together for the success of a brand and its acceptance in the minds of consumers as well as for its market offering. Modern day consumers are well educated and smart, they know celebrities are being paid for these endorsements and this knowledge makes consumers rather more cynical about the product and celebrity endorsements. Majority of the consuming population also knows what is advertising and how it actually works and this knowledge of consumer makes the task of celebrity endorsement all the more difficult and challenging for the advertising companies and the sponsors. Indian companies both advertising and product offering companies have top make an effort to overcome this ever-mounting challenge. References * Aaker, David A. (1996), Building Strong Brands. New York, NY: The Free Press. * Daneshvary, Rennae and R. Keith Schwer (2000), The Association Endorsement and * Consumers Intention to Purchase, Journal of Consumer Marketing, 17 (3), 203-213. * Friedman, Hershey H. and Linda Friedman (1979), Endorser Effectiveness by Product Type, Journal of Advertising Research, 19 (5), 63-71. * McCracken, Grant (1989), Who Is the Celebrity Endorser? Cultural Foundations of the Endorsement Process, Journal of Consumer Research, 16 (3), 310-321.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Human Nature in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Essay -- Papers

Human Nature in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley In the novel "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, the relationship of external apperence and internal feelings are directly related. The creature is created and he is innocent, though he is seaverly deformed. His nature is to be good and kind, but society only views his external appereance which is grotesque. Human nature is to judge by external apperence. He is automatically ostracized and labeled as a monster because of his external apperence. He finnaly realized that no matter how elequintly he speaks and how kind he is, people will never be able to see past his external deformities. Children are fearful of him, Adults think he is dangerous, and his own creator abandons him in disgust. The creature is treated as a monster, therefore he begins to internalize societies view of him and act the like a monster. Man by nature, judges people and things by their appearance. If a person is pleasant looking then they will be given more of a chance to express their internal self. If they are ugly, or cosmetically deformed, they usually aren't given much of a chance to show who they really are. Grotesquely ugly people are sometimes thought of as monsters, and are ostracized. Many cosmetically inferior people are afraid to go out into society. Mankind seems to be fearful of the unfamiliar and unknown. People are afraid of what they do not understand. Deformaty is something that most people can not comprehend. How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophy, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endevoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! - Great god! His yellow skin scarcely... ...ves for my destruction. Shall I not hate them who abhor me? I will keep no terms with my enemies. I am miserable and they shall share my wretchedness." ( the creature, page 97) Here the creature tells Frankenstien that he is the fallen angel. This means that he believes that Frankenstien could have done a better job raising him. The creature indicated that he was born good and virtuous, but lonliness and misery due to the alenation he receives from mankind, have made him feel like a monster. Society sees him as a monster and makes him feel like one, so now he will begin to act like one. The creature then begines to tell Frankenstien the tale of what he has done and hoh he has managed to survive the past few years. Bibliography: Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Ed. J. Paul Hunter. Norton Critical Editions. New York: Norton, 2005. Print.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Allegory of Human Nature in Lord of the Flies Essay

Oxford University Press Dictionaries defines an allegory as â€Å"a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one† Many people read in William Golding’s Lord of The Flies as an allegory. There’s no question that it can be looked at as a symbolic story, however, the question is what Lord of the Flies is an allegory of? One way this novel can be looked at is as an allegory of human nature. In other words, this story can be seen as symbolism of how humans behave and show their true colors when placed into a survival situation. Various characters in Lord of the Flies could be thought to symbolize different qualities of human nature. Ralph, Piggy, and Jack are three extremely influential characters and all three of them represent both sides of human nature: good versus evil. Ralph symbolizes the good in humanity in Lord of the Flies. The name Ralph derives from the Anglo-Saxon language and means â€Å"council. † As commander of the conch, Ralph was voted chief of the boys on the island; and from this point, his name became affiliated with council and government. Throughout the story, Ralph never gave up on his views and priorities, them being to get off the island. Ralph also, in terms of Lord of the Flies, symbolized civilization and order. He established order and civilization on the island at the first meeting by creating a main goal, priorities, and gave out positions such as the hunters and his right hand man, Piggy. Ralph was the only outlet of hope towards the end of the book and he was able to follow through and survive without falling into the savage state like the others. In this novel, Piggy symbolizes intelligence and logic. From the beginning, by finding the conch and recognizing its importance, he has always been the voice of intelligence and insight. One may say that piggy may be more logical and objective and therefore describe him as being left-brained. He uses his logic at many points throughout the book in such times as when he wanted to take attendance or when make the sundial. Piggy has good intentions for his ideas, however, because of his lack of confidence and his physical appearance, he is shot down by most of the other boys. He is a great example of symbolism for human nature in Lord of the Flies because for one, he and Ralph both make up a nearly perfect leader with intelligence, leadership, logic, and insight. Also, it is important to connect that insight, being Piggy, was shot down and made savage by the hunters.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Digital Media And Democracy Tactic

Transformation nowadays was at hand in different facet of our lives. Same with the instance in the field of media practices, everyone has the right to participate in this free trade of information. The query if this alteration in media can be utilized in forming social movements was at hand. Taking this into account, clearly we can say that new technologies can take us to another level. It is so powerful that it can contribute to the knowledge that we possess and it can even mold us to be someone we dream of becoming.Technologies absolutely provide us with lots of awareness and new ideas, â€Å"technology is offering us new standards, platforms and ways of expression† (Boler). In the interview with Boler, interesting topic that unravels the layers of expression through the use of technologies, blogging is one of the concepts that have been touch. Indeed, it connotes a new system of negating with other people. Of course there are a certain restrictions in making a blog for inst ance, but the focal point of everything is simply going deep with the material and exploring the new concept of technology, this is what can make us truly express our emotions.Using this medium we would be able to have a grip towards the different phenomenon in our realm. Globalization has a lot to do with the fuzz about the internet. Practically, the emerging technique of using the internet was said to expand the horizon of an individual. On the contrary, the effects of such was claimed by some to be alarming since it dominates liberalization and freedom of speech, â€Å"internet’s material properties are biased towards openness, liberalization, democracy, freedom of speech and communication† (Boler). Censorship on matters of exceeding within the limits of exhausting the internet should be inflicted.People who are engage in using the system should know the proper utilization. We know how powerful our new systems could get and we can never deny the fact that the improp er use of such could result into a serious matter of politics. Anything that is set to contain in any sites should be filtered in any way to increase the sensitivity of everyone. This extraordinary issue of technological upgrading should not be exploited to serve only one purpose; it is ultimately design for the common good and for the sake of everyone else.