Property law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Property law - Essay Example Therefore, for purposes of this brief essay, this author will attempt to engage and analyze the level to which property rights play a defined and equitable part of our current society as well as seeking to define and comment on the issues associated with the recent problems regarding the understanding of â€Å"eminent domain†. The United States was founded upon a free market economy which has doubtless served to make it the wealthiest nation on earth. Whether or not one can completely agree with the way in which capitalism works, it is inarguable that the benefits of such a system have worked to raise a standard of living and overall economic power within the United States that is not represented elsewhere in the global system. Naturally, one of the prime determinants of this success is the strong belief in and adherence to the concept of â€Å"personal property†. After breaking away from the British Empire, the colonies sought to differentiate themselves from the exces ses that the British had visited upon them. One of the main reasons in the Declaration of Independence was the fact that the British Crown could commandeer and control any colonial asset in the name of the King for any reason at any time. This served as a very strong sore spot within the colonial shareholders and was no doubt a prime reason why the rebellion began as well as a prime reason that each of the states as well as the loosely confederated government above them sought to rigidly define property rights in terms that would be most beneficial to the owner. Fundamental changes to property rights began to be effected in and around the dawn of the 20th century as jurisdictions began to tax these properties as a way to generate revenue for the requisite entity in question. Although opposed by many, this form of tax became more or less standardized throughout the United States by the middle of the century. Although not all citizens appreciated this new trend, the taxes went to supp ort the economic development of an increasingly advanced society. To such an end, the revenues from taxable land have been primarily used for infrastructure improvement, support and development of key community services (to include fire, police and EMS), and providing useful shareholder investment into a region’s educational development. Some have argued that the existence of such a form of taxation necessarily reduces the overall level of ownership that the individual is able to enjoy. However, it is the belief of this author that taxation of land and other real investments, although taking a degree of ultimate ownership away from the individual, serves an extraordinarily important role in seeking to develop key infrastructure assets that necessarily add to the net value of the property in question. Lastly, the right of â€Å"eminent domain† is an issue that has dominated many news headlines of late. Broken down to its purest form, â€Å"eminent domain† refers to a subset of property laws that state that if requisition by a given public entity is in the best benefits of a broader group then such can be accomplished with or without the agreement of the ultimate property owner providing that notice is given (Blake 12). This is naturally a bit of a deviation from the original understanding and intention of personal property; however, such an interpretation is needed in extreme cases where infrastructure improvements hinge upon the sacrifices of a few key shareholders. Like any

Increasingly multicultural Essay Example for Free

Increasingly multicultural Essay Montreal is a vibrant cosmopolitan city that is becoming increasingly multicultural. although this is the case Quebecs language laws have made it all but impossible to post outdoor signs in languages other than French. Other disadvantageous do not point just to those who do not speak French. Since Bill 101 was passed in 1977 many were skeptical over the change in the school system when it urged Quebec to change a law that requires most immigrant children to get their schooling in French. The law that now keeps most immigrant children out of English schools, Bill 101, was enacted 22 years ago under the authority of our good old friend Rene Levesque in response to nationalist fears that a pronounced tendency among Quebec allophones to choose an English education for their children together with a low francophone birth rate posed a long-term threat to the future of the French language, especially here in Montreal. Why couldnt the city be left the way it was, the needless threat of all of Quebecs language laws have posed a menace to society. The more laws that have been passed the more the French Majority have become involved resulting in a greater vigor to stay free from English. There have been in the past many riots and angered separatists willing to give their lives for the right to keep the French language intact. If the Government hadnt been so enthusiastic over efforts to change the face of the province maybe the majority of the population would have left the issue of language alone and accepted the English for what they are. Many have grown through the upbringing of their parents to treat everybody the same, and also by the old saying. Dont judge a book by its cover. It is a complete outrage for the Government to witness crimes of hate and to ignored them by making the problem worse by going ahead with their proposed we hate the English lets get them out of here law. That has definitely been the way that allophones have felt and they were never given a fair share of anything, not even a vote. After the referendum this had become the talk of the nation when rumors suggested that die-hard separatists had tampered with the votes after the 1994 referendum when Quebec narrowly escaped separation from Canada by just a hairs breadth. But the havoc hadnt only just begun, there were incidents in the past when Prime Minister Trudeau was in charge that literally tested the lives of allophones, closer to home over here in Westmount. Alleged obstinate separatists preformed acts of hate on Montreals well-known English community. Bombs were neatly placed in to mailboxes that were, appallingly, set to detonate once opened. This spelled danger to Montreals allophone community who flocked elsewhere to get away from the unbearable tensions that were built amongst them by these alleged terrorists. That is exactly why I disagree with Mordecai Richlers opinion over Montreals status. He once said. We Havent Lost our heads only our apostrophes. Montreal however diminished is still to my mind the most agreeable city in Canada. And this is because the two cultures not only confront eachother but also continue to enrich eachother. How could such a knowledgeable man ignore all the violence and the lack of equality. It has to be said that there has never been a time when it was liberated to say that we have grown to enrich each other because it quite simply isnt true. Problems between the two vibrant cultures have not caused astronomical damage, but enough damage to believe that allophones are not wanted. Tensions for a while remained calm, but more recently the bombings that plagued some second Cup coffee shops, in a furious scuffle just to change the name to Deuxieme Tasse. Similar incidents include Jacques Villneuves opening of his bar called new town the translation of his last name. The successful Formula 1 hero was the target of many unpleased individuals over the name of his bar. Villneuve was later asked to reply and give his opinion to the miserable reaction over the name and quite simply stated that people in this city must become more open minded. Cant really disagree there. It comes to show that times havent changed and that tensions are still sky high. That is exactly why I disagree with Mordecai Richlers opinion over the Montreals status. He once said. We Havent Lost our heads only our apostrophes. Montreal however diminished is still to my mind the most agreeable city in Canada. And this is because the two cultures not only confront eachother but also continue to enrich eachother.

Criminal Justice Codes of Ethics Essay example -- Criminal Justice

Since the 1800’s, the main duties of a uniformed police officer revolved around carrying out patrols and investigations into crimes (CliffsNotes.com, 2011a). A usual patrol involves the officers either walking on foot or using vehicles travel around neighborhoods as a way of deterring criminal activities (CliffsNotes.com, 2011a). The investigative part of a police officer’s work usually comes in when a suspect of the case at hand has not been identified (CliffsNotes.com, 2011a). Usually, the detective has to sift through some evidence so as to identify the leads to the suspect. Finally, there are special activities that require specialized law enforcement personnel to carry out. These activities include traffic control and drug control (CliffsNotes.com, 2011a). It is clear from all this that the job of a typical police officer is hazardous. The police organization borrows much of its organizational structure from the military (CliffsNotes.com, 2011b). With its bureaucratic structure and the lines of command that pervade the organization, its culture can lead to inflexibility. It can also lead to a culture of indifference amongst the police (CliffsNotes.com, 2011b). With the tendency of the organization to ape their counterparts in the military, its workers are pre-disposed to violence. This is one example of how an organization’s culture can influence the decisions of its personnel. Furthermore, an authoritarian form of leadership also plays a great role in nurturing a domineering air in a police officer (CliffsNotes.com, 2011b). For example, the use of guns, the use of police swoops as a means of fighting crime, and the use of uniforms that closely resemble those of the military have inculcated a domineering character and, t... ... Department of Justice, 2001). Some form of witness protection should be accorded to me to protect me from retaliatory attacks. References CliffsNotes.com (2011). Police Strategies. Retrieved from http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/topicArticleId-10065,articleId-9953.html. CliffsNotes.com (2011). Police Organization. Retrieved from http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/topicArticleId-10065,articleId-9952.html Criminal Justice Code of Ethics (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.oregon.gov/DPSST/SC/docs/F-11.pdf?ga=t The Importance of Ethics in Criminal Justice. Retrieved from http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/4031_Banks_Chapter_1_Proof.pdf U.S Department of Justice (2001). â€Å"Principles for Promoting Police Integrity: Examples of Promising Police Practices and Policies†. 7-11. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojp/186189.pdf

The Goal

Jakeshia Moore Mktg 372 Alidee Nov 28, 11 The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement The Goal by Eliyahu Goldatt is a novel, regarding the management and accounting processes at a manufacturing plant. The book focuses around a perhaps older 30- early 40s something industrial engineer, Alex Rogo. With the description Goldatt gives of Rogo, he personifies the profile of a large number of people involved in business administration (Lui 1997). Alex is married, with two children and his lively-hood is in jeopardy, unless he can figure out exactly how to save his production plant, by understanding â€Å"the goal† of his company. In order for Rogo and the readers to even begin understanding that â€Å"goal†, Eli begins to unravel the novel by introducing the readers to Alex Rogo and apparent problems with his production plant. In the opening of the first chapter these problems meet Mr. Rogo at work, as a confrontation takes place between him and his immediate boss, Division Vice President of their company UniWare, Bill Peach. The dispute takes places over an overdue order number 41427, which happens to be fifty-six days behind schedule. Given this has become the norm for Rogo’s plant, Mr. Peach requires nothing less than for order #41427 to be shipped that day, since the plant is neither profitable nor productive. In fact so many orders, as of late, have been so far behind that it is becoming a major problem for the company and the lively hood of the workers. Therefore, Mr. Peach decides to give Alex three months to turn things at their plant, or he’s prepared to recommend the Bearington plant be shut down. With the amount of time order number 41427 is already late; the pressure is on to get the order out the door and shipped according to Mr. Peach’s specifications. Surprisingly the plant gets the order shipped that night, but not very effectively. All the hands in the plant are working on one order, with forbidden overtime to compensate. Only after dinner with Lou, his controller, does Alex develop a sense of determination to define his mode of constraints. His efficiencies are good, but he can not to put to a finger on what’s causing the problem; and without the Five Steps of Focusing this at first seems impossible. Alex has spent late nights pondering the future of the company. He attempts to identify â€Å"the problem† at his plant, the process he will have to go through to change it, how resistant his plant would be to that change, and how he intends to overcome their resistance. Alex does all of this just in time for Mr. Peach to call a plant managers meeting at the headquarters. On his way to the meeting, Alex learns the problems with efficiency and effectiveness are not only plaguing his plant, but it’s the entire industry. It’s been losing money since Japan entered the manufacturing market and stolen market share from companies in the United States, like their UniWare Division of UniCo. During the meeting with Mr. Peach and the other plant managers, Alex mistakenly comes across a cigar he received from and old friend; a physicist named Jonah, and has an epiphany. Two week prior to the meeting, by pure chance, Alex ran into Jonah and they began to catch up. Alex gave Jonah a run down of his job as plant manager at UniCo, and eagerly described how his firm’s investment in automation (ie. obots) had increased productivity by thirty-six percent. Jonah, in turn questioned Alex about some key identifiers of productivity such as: their ability to decrease inventory, reduce operational expenses, and selling more product. Jonah really asked some in-depth questions to help Alex understand his core problems. Until Jonah predicted their problems with high inventories and not meeting shipping dates, A lex was sure he was simply dealing with some routine problems, not the demise of his entire organizational structure. Jonah explained to Alex that there is only one real â€Å"goal† for any organizations, and anything bringing you closer to achieving that is productive and anything otherwise is unproductive. Productivity, according to Jonah, is defined as accomplishing something in terms of goals. Late for his flight, Jonah uses the Socratic Method to help Alex conclude what â€Å"the goal† of his plant really is. Alex struggles with the questions Jonah ask initially, but eventually discovers and internalizes the concept of the Theory of Constraints. Meanwhile at the meeting, .

Benefits and Costs of Economic Growth

Economic growth is defined as the sustained increase in real GDP or GNP per capita over time. Economic growth is desirable for an economy as it increases its real national income and standards of living for its people in general. Although it is desirable, economic growth does have its benefits and costs. One benefit would be increased levels of consumption. Provided economic growth outstrips population growth, it will lead to higher real income per head. This can lead to higher levels of consumption of goods and services. With economic growth there will be improvement in business expectations, leading to increase in investment. Firms replace worn-out/ obsolete capital or invest in new capital. There will also be expansion of demand, leading to increased output. Existing idle capacity and unemployed labour are utilised. This result in more people being employed, thus increasing the level of consumption within the country. If human welfare is related to the level of consumption, then growth provides an obvious gain to society. Next, it can help to avoid other macroeconomic problems. People aspire to higher living standards. Without a growth in productive potential, people’s demands for rising incomes are likely to lead to higher inflation, balance of payments crises(as more imports are purchased), etc. Growth in productive potential helps to meet these aspirations and avoid macroeconomic crises. Moreover, economic growth makes it easier to redistribute incomes to the poor. If incomes rise, the government can redistribute incomes from the rich to the poor without the rich losing. For example, as people’s incomes rise, they automatically pay more taxes. These extra revenues for the government can be spent on programmes to alleviate poverty. Without a continuing rise in national income, the scope for helping the poor is much more limited. Society may also feel that it can afford to care more for the environment. As people grow richer, they may become less preoccupied with their own private consumption and more concerned to live in a clean environment. Economic growth, though resulting in many economic and social benefits to the people in the country, is not without its costs. Firstly it could result in reduced current consumption. To achieve faster growth, firms will probably need to invest more. This will require financing. The finance can come from higher saving, higher retained profits or higher taxes. Either way, there must be a cut in consumption. In the short run, therefore, higher growth leads to less consumption, not more. Next, growth involves changes in production: both in terms of the goods produced and in terms of the techniques used and the skills required, the more rapid the rate of growth, the more rapid the rate of change. People may find that their skills are no longer relevant. Their jobs may be replaced by machines. People may thus find themselves unemployed, or forced to take low-paid, unskilled work. A richer society may be more concerned for the environment, but it is also likely to do more damage to it. The higher the level of consumption, the higher is likely to be the level of pollution and waste. What is more, many of the environmental costs are likely to be underestimated due to lack of scientific knowledge. Acid rain and the depletion of the ozone layer have been 2 examples. Lastly, it could deplete our non-renewable resources. If growth involves using a greater amount of resources, rather than using the same amount of resources more efficiently, certain non-renewable resources will run out more rapidly. Unless viable alternatives can be found for various minerals and fossil fuels, present growth may lead to shortages for future generations. In conclusion, economic growth can have both benefits and costs depending on certain factors. Moreover it is desirable as long as the benefits outweigh the costs.

Free Essays on Jimmy Doolittle

Jimmy Doolittle Tokyo’s citizens felt secure eventho at war; Radio Tokyo assured the people they and Emperor Hirohito were safe from enemy attacks Kamikaze mystique constituted a spiritual fortress around the Japanese homeland. No foreign attackers since Kublai Khan 1281 when a violent storm had turned him back; this storm called kamikaze or divine wind During the previous 4Â ½ months their armed forces had scored triumph after triumph (including assaults on American territories of Guam, Philippines and Hawaii) on the war fronts of the Pacific; victory fever reigns A US submariner named Capt. Francis Low had seen aircraft taking off from the USS Hornet in Norfolk, Va; watched Navy aircraft practicing take-offs and landings on runways painted like flight decks; then he noticed twin engine army bombers overhead on a mock bombing run – what if Army bombers could take off from an aircraft carrier? US commanders dared not attempt a carrier attack against Japan using short-range Navy aircraft b/c would be detected and attacked b4 launch point but Army bombers had much more range and could possible catch Japanese defenders with their guard down Idea goes onto Navy Adm who wrote it out and it was passed on the Gen Arnold who chose Col. James Doolittle aged 45 as the to get the men and aircraft together for the mission, NOT fly it but plan it – he had too much know how to be risked on a combat mission Why Doolittle? Flying fame only 2nd the Lindberg, set aviation speed records, had performed the 1st outside loop, scored a first in ‘blind flying’, earned a doctorate of aeronautical science from MIT, in general if it had wings and looked like a plane – chances were good Doolittle had either flown or could fly it B-25s chosen could take off but they were too large to land on carrier so this was a 1 way mission so landings would be in either China or Russia; Doolittle estimates success at 50-50 Vladivostok 1st choice of landi... Free Essays on Jimmy Doolittle Free Essays on Jimmy Doolittle Jimmy Doolittle Tokyo’s citizens felt secure eventho at war; Radio Tokyo assured the people they and Emperor Hirohito were safe from enemy attacks Kamikaze mystique constituted a spiritual fortress around the Japanese homeland. No foreign attackers since Kublai Khan 1281 when a violent storm had turned him back; this storm called kamikaze or divine wind During the previous 4Â ½ months their armed forces had scored triumph after triumph (including assaults on American territories of Guam, Philippines and Hawaii) on the war fronts of the Pacific; victory fever reigns A US submariner named Capt. Francis Low had seen aircraft taking off from the USS Hornet in Norfolk, Va; watched Navy aircraft practicing take-offs and landings on runways painted like flight decks; then he noticed twin engine army bombers overhead on a mock bombing run – what if Army bombers could take off from an aircraft carrier? US commanders dared not attempt a carrier attack against Japan using short-range Navy aircraft b/c would be detected and attacked b4 launch point but Army bombers had much more range and could possible catch Japanese defenders with their guard down Idea goes onto Navy Adm who wrote it out and it was passed on the Gen Arnold who chose Col. James Doolittle aged 45 as the to get the men and aircraft together for the mission, NOT fly it but plan it – he had too much know how to be risked on a combat mission Why Doolittle? Flying fame only 2nd the Lindberg, set aviation speed records, had performed the 1st outside loop, scored a first in ‘blind flying’, earned a doctorate of aeronautical science from MIT, in general if it had wings and looked like a plane – chances were good Doolittle had either flown or could fly it B-25s chosen could take off but they were too large to land on carrier so this was a 1 way mission so landings would be in either China or Russia; Doolittle estimates success at 50-50 Vladivostok 1st choice of landi...

Film review Freaky Friday Essays

Film review Freaky Friday Essays Film review Freaky Friday Paper Film review Freaky Friday Paper Freaky Friday (also known as Fortune Cookie in Japan) is a 2003 comedy based on the novel of the same name by Mary Rodgers. It stars Lindsay Lohan as Anna Coleman and Jamie Lee Curtis as her mother Tess Coleman. The wide generation gap between mother and her teenage daughter is more than evident. They simply cannot understand each others preferences. On a Thursday night they have a big argument in a Chinese restaurant. Both receive a fortune cookie each from the restaurant owners mother which causes them to switch bodies next day. As they adjust with their new personalities, they begin to understand each other more and eventually its the mutual self-respect that sorts the things out. It also stars actors Mark Harmon and Chad Michael Murray.This is the third time this film has been made by Disney, and the second in ten years. The original film was made in 1976 and starred Barbara Harris as the mother and Jodie Foster as the daughter. A 1995 television remake was produced for ABC. A sl eeper success in the United States since its summer release, the modestly-budgeted film cost just $25m to make and has gone on to gross over $100m. Film has won 5 different awards ( for ex. female acting) and also it was nominated for Golden Globe and 10 other nominations. Film was directed by Mark Waters . Produced by Andrew Gunn, Mario Iscovich, Ann Marie Sanderlin.It seems that there will always be a market for a wholesome family film in which a younger girl battles with an older female figure and the success of Freaky Friday resembles the similar box office achievement of last years Princess Diaries. Hollywood execs will no doubt be looking at this genre carefully and trying to put their own projects into development for the next holiday season.The film couldnt be more of a contrast however to the recent mother/daughter feud pic Thirteen. There girls took drugs, had piercings, drank and had sex. Theres none of that in Freaky Friday, where the turbulent teenagers mood swings and her hyper-organised mothers lives really reflect good wholesome American values: success through hard work, keeping a family unit together, and understanding each others needs through regular communication.Curtis plays the mother, a successful psychologist (she has a collection of comedy value wacky patients), writer and widower about to remarry the perfect Mark Harmon. However, her daughter Annabell (Lindsey Lohan) gets Fs in English, never wants to get up for school and has only her pop band on her mind. Things come to a head when Annabells band have a major audition on the night of Tess wedding rehearsal, and a strange incident involving Chinese fortune cookies transplants both characters into each others bodies.Comic capers inevitably ensue, with the daughter unable to cope with her mothers hectic lifestyle and Curtis coming over all coy in the wake of the admiring glances she gets from her daughters classmates. Theres plenty of confusion and slapstick humour which both Curtis a nd Lohan jump into energetically, although Harmon touted as a rising star back in the 80s when he made The Presidio does suffer from having the most one-dimensional character to play.This is gentle, unchallenging stuff whose gushy ending can be seen a mile off. Its curiously old-fashioned in its morals, although there is nothing wrong with the occasional slice of wholesome family entertainment. There can be little doubt that a sequel must already be in the offing.

Funny Quotes About Men

Funny Quotes About Men If youre in a relationship, have been in a relationship but arent any more or hope someday to be in one, this list is for you. Men have their share of quirks and idiosyncrasies; which generally befuddle women. But only a man can understand what goes on in the mind of a man. Here are some rib-tickling funny quotes about men from the inimitable Mae West and Oscar Wilde and a few others. Oscar Wilde How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being? Young men want to be faithful, and are not; old men want to be faithless, and cannot. Between men and  women,  there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship. Women are never disarmed by compliments; men always are. Elayne Boosler When women are depressed, they eat or go shopping. Men invade another country. Its a whole different way of thinking. Mae West Men are all alike except the one youve met whos different. Men are easy to get but hard to keep. Its not the men in my life, its the life in my men. Give a man a free hand and hell run it all over you. Every man I meet wants to protect me. I cant figure out what from. All discarded lovers should be given a second chance, but with somebody else. William Shakespeare Well, I will find you 20 lascivious turtles ere one chaste man. Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more, Men were deceivers ever, One foot in sea and one on shore, To one thing constant never. Mignon McLaughlin Few women care what a man looks like, and a good thing too. Bruce Willis On the one hand, well never experience childbirth. On the other hand, we can open all our own jars. Jeanne-Marie Roland The more I see of men, the more I admire dogs. Will Rogers Every time a woman leaves off something she looks better, but every time a man leaves off something he looks worse. Oliver Wendell Holmes Man has will, but woman has her way. Benjamin Frankin If Jacks in love, hes no judge of Jills beauty. Lucille Ball A man who correctly guesses a womans age may be smart, but hes not very bright. Martha Gellhorn I know enough to know that no woman should ever marry a man who hated his mother.

Profit declining Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Profit declining - Essay Example As the employees are aware of the competitive business environment and its pragmatic repercussions on the gross and net profits of their boss, they shall certainly induce and develop a soft corner in their hearts. They shall understand their dear Costlo's depressions and aspirations. After all they have been enjoying and utilizing enormous fringe benefits from Costlo and his company over the years. These benefits are reaped and in turn their Kith and kin also benefited. As it shows that the company is paying more medical benefits that is to say that 30% more than their largest competitor. This works out to huge amounts of dollars. This differential amount shall work out to be considerable economical revenue factor in Costlo's amount. Costlo has been looking after their employees at every eventuality. Their stores are well lit; their stock houses provide ample space. And they are well hit. Amiable working conditions for his employees. Is he doing out of benevolence for his employees or may be strategy to extract and generate more work is best known to Costlo. But it works out so wonderful. It is a grand unison of mutual interpolarisation. Costlo stands by for his employees. In the same way his employees do stand by Costlo by showing their loyalty and prompt hard work. Over the years this has been happening rhythmically in a symphony. What the employees feel all of a sudden if their medical bills are cut by 30% This actually is question to be answere d by his employees. In the initial stages there may be some antagonist feelings. But when they understand the problem that has cropped up in their retail stores, I am sure they will yield. No remorse. No regrets. Every day is not a Sunday. In business the sailing is not always smooth. There are rough and potholed roads with bumps and ups and downs. When the employees are enjoying over the years it is their customary duty to understand and the situation of the retail store and Costlo. Hence when they come to terms with grim position of economic revenues of the retail outlets, I am of the opinion that the employees, bounded by morality shall extend their cooperation unstinted. They shall bear the brunt and smile it off. In the event they show any regrets also may not look appreciable. It is the moral responsibility of the employees to stand by Mr.Costlo while he is declining the economical revenues. If they express remorse and regrets, it may be that they have to leave the company and seek employment elsewhere. But what the other employer may think. The employer may think skeptical and may theorize and surmise. These workers have enjoyed all these years by all the benefits extended by Costlo. When the company went in loss they are ditching Costlo and seeking employment from. What if they do not perform the same on me when, God forbid, the event may befall on me It is just like that you are not doing anything to save a sinking boat that traveled. Therefore cutting down 30% of medical expenses shall make up revenues to some extent. The other aspect of retrenching senior checkers of the checking lanes are, retailers like stuff mart and

Enhancing Employability & Employment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Enhancing Employability & Employment - Essay Example The derived information from the exploratory research suggests that compliance with legal requirement and accounting standards not only improves the existing system within Ernst & Young but also helps them in devising strategies meant for community and societal development. The main aim of the hard and soft system models as solutions for Ernst & Young would help in the removal of the existing functional and non-functional barriers for the improvement and efficiency in the accounting system and also the achievement of the goals and objectives. Covert, overt dimensions, hard and soft systems would help in identification of taxation and accounting errors and also the delay causing the timely delivery of projects. On the other hand, the Weisbord Six Box Model would facilitate both the running the existing system, design of constructive organizational structure and enhancing the work climate. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Outline of Research used for Ernst & Young 4 Diagnosis of Internal Issues Faced by Ernst & Young 5 Diagnosis of External Issues Faced by Ernst & Young 8 SWOT Analysis 10 Analysis of Issues faced by Ernst & Young 11 Recommendations of Change Management Strategy 12 Justification of Change Management Intervention Techniques 14 Reference List 16 Introduction Ernst & Young, a multinational professional service provider with its headquarters in London, United Kingdom, is regarded as the world’s third largest professional service provider. It is also one of the largest accounting firms in the present scenario. The company operates in more than one-fifty countries with more than seven hundred offices in the world and employs more than one hundred and seventy-five thousands employees (Ernst &Young, 2013a). The prime objective of the organization revolves around providing audit, tax, legal and advisory services to the leading organizations. The company caters to advisory, tax, assurance and information relate d to financial and accounting transactions. The research was conducted on this organization to help the users to understand the functionality of this firm which aims and does excel in their accounting and professional services. The management concepts along with the issues related to the organization will be highlighted. Presently, the external and internal strategic issues faced by Ernst & Young along with the appropriate solutions would be provided by the author in the following study. Finally, the study would conclude with recommendations which can help in curbing down the current strategic issues faced by Ernst & Young and aid the betterment of the existing systems. Outline of Research used for Ernst & Young Exploratory research is conducted for identification of a problem that has not been clearly identified and recognized. It is regarded as one of the research data collection methods based on secondary data available through print, media, articles and interview with the respon dents. The entire purpose of explorative research would be to precede a formal research through the availability of large and small data. It also helps the researcher to provide information through conducted surveys and experimental methods (Appelbaum et al., 2012). This is used to develop possible list of causes and help in uncovering possible avenues and assisting decision maker in reaching the goals

Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethics - Research Paper Example Ethics assumes that people are rationale beings, and they are free. These assumptions are critical since they affect the level of people’s moral responsibility. Ethics involves two objects, which are physical or nonphysical. In the physical object involves the doer of an action while nonphysical object consists of the act being performed by the doer. Moral acts of human are viewed as being official ethical objects, because they comprise moral values. Therefore, in each decision that man makes, either in business or government, we are always subjected to approach such issues, if they are moral judgments, or whether they are objective. Ethics entails individuals to express insights in aspects of reality, instead of sheer feelings, requirements, decisions, or conventions among others. The aspect of ethics is based on theorizing it as an issue of free and intelligent decision that seeks the intelligent fit for what is right and acceptable in society. Ethics is founded on a set of ethical and moral principles. These principles are binding to all businesses and governments and must be seriously observed. The ethical values override all human rationalism, weakness, ego and personal errors. The government and business employers are integral in ensuring that the ethical aspects of society are upheld. There are numerous values that have spurred successful corporations to the peak of the business world, as they have managed to withstand the time test, and enhanced the development of such organizations. Ethics entails that businesses should be honest in their operations, toward their customers and surrounding community. Honest businesses are always observant of set legal laws and accountable to their mission. However, dishonest businesses are locked in continuous scandals that have not only split their reputation but as well led to critics questioning their ethical relevance. By partaking in highest ethical standards businesses is entailed to embrace integrity and w hich enables them to connote their strength and stability. Businesses that exhibit integrity indicate completeness as well as soundness in a person’s temperament and that of their organization. Similarly, companies that exhibit responsibility are considered to be ethical. Those that take accountability and responsibility for their actions, helped to maximize, on respect and cohesion, in society. Responsible businesses do not blame others, claim victimhood or pass the buck and refuse to take responsibility of what they have caused. Actions indicate the ability for one to be responsible both in little and massive things; thus ensuring that ethical values are maintained (Menzel, p.21). Ethics also entails businesses to provide quality products to their customers. Quality entails more than producing the best product but should comprise every aspect of the organization’s activities. Businesses that offer quality have a profound sense of self-respect, pride in achievement, a nd thoughtfulness that influences all things. Ethic is exhibited when businesses communicate professionalism and quality. Furthermore, ethics requires businesses to be trustworthy and respectful in their operations. Trust helps companies, to attain customer confidence, in their product and business, and it becomes exceedingly hard for a business to get it back, once it is lost. Conversely, respect is considered to

Introduction to Networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Introduction to Networking - Essay Example This method is reliable since it guarantees transfer of data from the sender to recipient in the same order that data is sent (Kim, 2011). Connection-oriented services usually set up virtual links in between the ending systems through a network. I also learnt that routable protocols contain both network and device address while non-routable protocols regulate the transfer of data; they always utilize interior routing systems as a means of transferring data. I will use this knowledge in the future in educating others. What I struggled with this week was grouping various protocols into routable or non-routable and connectionless and connection-oriented. Trying to identify and group the protocols was a chief problem. I discovered that internet protocols utilize routing to relay data to and from computers. The internet routing devices are referred as gateways (Kim, 2011). Both interior and exterior gateways can be used in relaying information from the sender to the receiver. Regarding this week’s lessons, I have any helpful tips, which I can share with my fellow

Business related topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Business related topic - Essay Example The laborers provide highly  crucial  service to the company and contribute to a significant  amount  the success of the company. They  ensure  the  match  in availability and quality with  consumer  expectations safeguarding the reputation of the company. As such, it is  right  that they  have  comfortable  conditions such as health coverage and decent pay  consequent  with  reasonable  working hours. This  way  they also are able to  give  their best raising  output  levels. Legally, there are safety regulations and accepted conditions that such laborers can  get. Adhering to such might save the  company  from legal problems and avoid its name tarnished. It would also improve operational efficiency, thus increasing  output, reducing labor costs, and increasing profitability. Though the company executives  ascertain  that the company is taking care of its employees (Duhigg  and  Barboza  7), there are still complaints on the same. In order to ensure that both the company and laborers are  comfortable, representatives from both sides need to meet and discuss their issues. They can agree on  crucial  issues and  do  away with unnecessary expenditures. Such agreements and their implementation need to be left open for  scrutiny  by the public and government institutions thus ensuring they adhere to regulations. This would also help  lay  the truth in the  open  and  hold  either side  true  to their

Why I am doing it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why I am doing it - Essay Example I have a mission to perform many volunteer jobs as per my ability. Acting as a volunteer to help preserve animals grants me sense of self-satisfaction. Animals, being part of nature, need care. The pleasure I get from offering care to animals initiates personal growth in me. Accepting animals as part of creation and realizing the necessity to ensure their growth is fundamental in enhancing conservation. Nature must operate in equilibrium and animals are part of it. Humans, therefore, must develop new ethics and consider their relationship with animals. Nurturing the culture of sensitivity and awareness towards the conservation of animals has a central contribution in appreciating them, as part of nature. Humans should be responsible and care for domestic and wild animals. This, notably, is a role that everyone in the world should play. The challenge is to ensure that animals exist in harmony with the world population. Conservation of habitats that are home to animals, for instance, is an important strategy that the world population should promote. Every member of the society should take on the challenge to ensure animals get the best care and their habitat conservation measures considered. This requires tolerance, by humans, and acceptance that animals deserve consideration and attention. Attending to animals, wild and domestic, is tantamount to respect for their lives. Humans have a role to ensure animals do not suffer. Animals do not communicate with humans in any way. It is upon humans to assess the condition of animals and realize any form of suffering that they may experience. Animals have an entitlement to rights. Part of the world population that is in disagreement with conservation points at diverse reasons including the lack of animal rights. It is illogical to disagree that animals have rights and such c laims by people opposed to nature conservation

Business related topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Business related topic - Essay Example The laborers provide highly  crucial  service to the company and contribute to a significant  amount  the success of the company. They  ensure  the  match  in availability and quality with  consumer  expectations safeguarding the reputation of the company. As such, it is  right  that they  have  comfortable  conditions such as health coverage and decent pay  consequent  with  reasonable  working hours. This  way  they also are able to  give  their best raising  output  levels. Legally, there are safety regulations and accepted conditions that such laborers can  get. Adhering to such might save the  company  from legal problems and avoid its name tarnished. It would also improve operational efficiency, thus increasing  output, reducing labor costs, and increasing profitability. Though the company executives  ascertain  that the company is taking care of its employees (Duhigg  and  Barboza  7), there are still complaints on the same. In order to ensure that both the company and laborers are  comfortable, representatives from both sides need to meet and discuss their issues. They can agree on  crucial  issues and  do  away with unnecessary expenditures. Such agreements and their implementation need to be left open for  scrutiny  by the public and government institutions thus ensuring they adhere to regulations. This would also help  lay  the truth in the  open  and  hold  either side  true  to their

The global issues of healthcare management Research Paper

The global issues of healthcare management - Research Paper Example The advent of new client technology is bringing in even more issues or reintroducing older ones to the fore. This disruptive technology enhances better patient power. The most supple and advanced health economies have the change to revolutionize the manner in which care is delivered, and in doing this, in order to change their societies (Hall, 2011). This article outlines issues that face the global healthcare management, as well as some of the trends that scholars think greatly impact healthcare for the better or maybe worse. Among the global challenges that affect healthcare include: (1) rising costs, (2) changing demographics, (3) filling the resource gap, (4) easy access, (5) focus on quality and (6) becoming customer-driven. Spending on healthcare basically invariably increases faster compared to GDP. Its growth rate has surpassed that of GDP ever since national record keeping started. In addition, economic recession and spending closely related (Kongstvedt, 2013). Experts claim that we can see the growth rate of healthcare spending in continents such as Europe and Asia outshine the GDP growth considerable during these financially challenging times. Macroeconomic aspects such as aging populaces or inadequate public funding among others are challenging both providers and receivers or healthcare (Kongstvedt, 2013). Penetration and adoption rates of clinical information systems differ greatly. In reality, the number, as well as size of buyers, differs from nation to nation, plus it is not vitally reliant on the size of the nation, but instead on the healthcare system structure. In addition, people’s purchasing behavior is changing towards a more coordinated and joint purchasing from what researchers have seen in the past (Kongstvedt, 2013). There is rising demand on the healthcare delivery institutions, and this is occurring in every nations. Peoples’ immortality rates have increased all

Quality of Life for the Patient and Family Essay Example for Free

Quality of Life for the Patient and Family Essay Quality of life has a different meaning for everyone. Many personal thoughts and feelings can come into play when caring for others during the end stages of life. However as a nurse and caregiver, these opinions must be put aside at this significant time. For some health care providers, we may feel that keeping the patient comfortable and having them surrounded by family is most important. However, for the patient, personal culture, lifestyle and value for one self as well as a sense of independence in handling this time alone is most imperative. Therefor a nurse must consider the individuals past experiences, present lifestyle and personal hopes in which they choose to live in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns at this stage. One must meet not only the physical needs of the patient but the psychosocial demands in this sensitive time of need. Seeking aggressive medical treatment vs. palliative care is something that is very personal and differs from individual to individual. Nurses’ opinions and suggestions of the â€Å"best care† should not be voiced to the patient or family, even if asked directly. For Mrs. Thomas, time also plays an important role. She is young and may have many other worries than those of an older age experience in preparing for end of life. A nurse must consider what areas of life are important to her and what is the relative importance of each of these areas. Personal perception that counting on family support is huge, but may not be possible in Mrs. Thomas’ situation as her children live out of town. STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE The nurse should look at several strategies that directly impact the patient as well as the family. Quality of life not only looks at the health status the patient but those directly involved in the care of the patient. This encompasses a broader set of planning including finances, housing, and employment. This will have a direct impact on the entire family. Three important strategies that are helpful to relieve overall stress and promote optimal coping skills include: 1) patient awareness of disease process, 2) available support from healthcare providers and 3) addressing physical as well as the psychosocial needs of the patient. Healthcare professionals must be prepared and speak directly with the patient and family when it is determined best to the physician’s ability, that the identified disease of breast cancer will cause death. Advance planning and preparation may be helpful in dying well if Mrs. Thomas is more aware about her status of disease. Physicians and nurses must change the plan of aggressive medical treatments of curing the disease of breast cancer and concentrate providing support and a comfortable well being of the deteriorating disease process. This in turn should provide a plan of care for relief of pain, contentment to the patient and focus on the overall whole being of quality of life. The homecare team can include doctors, nurses, home health aides, social workers, and clergy as well as trained volunteers. Most team members provide on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to deliver support. The patient and family should feel the comfort in calling these resources at anytime. The nurse must remind Mrs. Thomas and her husband that they are not â€Å"bothering† any team member by asking for assistance. The team must always work together and communicate the patient’s goals for end-of-life care. It is important for all to realize this is very individualized for each patient and family member. Each individual strategy should include caring for the whole person physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. It important for the team to develop strengths based perspectives of psychosocial interventions and listen to what the patient and family have to say to enable them to cope better. In doing so, the team must also communicate on each encounter with Mrs. Thomas and family as well as each other to assure that her and the husband’s needs are being met. HOLISTIC CARE A holistic nursing care plan in valuable in delivering care to the entire person in supporting the physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, social and environmental needs. With this approach, nursing care needs to move away from viewing Mrs. Thomas as merely a diagnosis and treating her as a whole person. Nursing goals should be to develop immediate trust with the patient and family, provide comfort, supportive care, and symptom management. This can be achieved by effective communication and providing a calm, relaxed setting for Mrs. Thomas. Allowing her to speak openly and honestly about her feelings and emotions of grief, physical complaints such as pain, nausea, and difficulty sleeping is a good way to start to develop a trusting nurse/patient relationship. As a nurse, one must be supportive and be willing to listen openly. Once Mrs. Thomas begins to express these types of things, the nurse must review and evaluate every visit to improve specific concerns with her. More importantly, healthcare providers must display an openness to hear new concerns and prioritize the needs of the patient and family. FUNCTIONAL ABILITY Assessments to maintain the self functional ability for Mrs. Thomas should include creating a plan to achieve realistic goals and allow self care as long as possible. This in turn can give control back to Mrs. Thomas, help raise confidence and value her quality of life. Mrs. Thomas’ physical, social and environmental conditions should also be considered to help her care for herself. Discussing the 24/7 availability of visits from registered nurses and social workers, involving family and friends or volunteers that can help with running errands and meal preparation for adequate dietary intake, and discussing appropriate medical equipment to assist with ADLs such as performing personal hygiene can prove to be helpful. PROVIDING ADDITIONAL CARE When self-care is no longer possible, the importance of more frequent nurse and/or social worker visits, and interaction of clergy is valuable. In addition, further involvement of additional family, friends, home health aides or volunteers to assist not only with running errands, meal preparation and assistance with ADLs but being present in the home for longer periods to care directly for Mrs. Thomas becomes more imperative. The nurse can assist in making sure appropriate DME equipment is in the home. In addition, this turns out to be a time when additional emotional support is of great concern for Mr. Thomas. CHRONIC DEPRESSION Mr. Thomas already suffers from chronic depression and now has to endure immense and continuous stress to care for his wife with advanced breast cancer. Over time this takes a toll his health, ability to work, finances, and their own personal and family needs. Involvement of not only the nurse, but also social worker and bereavement counselor can help Mr. Thomas tremendously. Encouraging him to take his medications will help both him and his wife. Also, reassurance that it is okay to want quiet time and allowing others to help to care for his wife should be verbalized to him in a caring manner. Taking some of the financial worries away from Mr. Thomas may help as well. The social worker can discuss resources that are of no cost from community volunteer organizations and review the reimbursement of covered services from the insurance organization at the beginning and in ongoing care of his wife. Sharing the right information with the patient’s family is very important and can assist in better coping. Again, the home care team must offer an environment that provides the openness to hear all concerns and overall needs of not only the patient but also her family.

Example Physics Essay

Example Physics Essay The Motion of a Mass Spring System The example of a mass attached to the end of a spring is a powerful tool in physics due to the fact that it is analogous to many physical phenomena. To be able to use this example to elegantly describe other more complex systems it is crucial to first fully understand how this simple system works itself. The force acting on a mass attached to a spring at a given position is given by (Serway, 2003: 437). F= -kx (Eqn 1) This equation may be derived from Newton’s Second Law of motion, which states that the force on a mass is proportional to the rate of change in momentum. A mass and spring system can be described as a Simple Harmonic Oscillator and there are some fundamental equations that govern the motion of such a system (Serway, 2003: 436). ω= √(k/m) (Eqn 2) Equation two shows how the angular frequency (ω=2Ï€*frequency) of an object oscillating due to it being fixed to a spring that is inversely proportional to the mass of the object. k is a constant, known as the spring constant that is defined by the properties of the spring. k can be easily determined experimentally for a given spring by changing the mass attached to the spring and measuring the frequency. Due to the periodic nature of such a system as that which can be described using equations one and two, they are known to be in simple harmonic motion. The motion of a particle over time is described effectively by a cosine wave (Serway, 2003: 436; Hayek , 2003; 562). x(t)=Acos(ωt+à Ã¢â‚¬ ¢) (Eqn 3) Equation three shows how this motion can be mapped over time where A is the amplitude of the oscillation, and à Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ is a term to correct the phase. This can be plotted to show how the mass and spring system will move over time. The figure above shows how a mass on a spring will behave in a frictionless universe while obeying Newton’s First Law of motion. A useful trait of the Simple Harmonic Oscillator is that the equations for the velocity and the acceleration are easily derived from that of the position equation (Serway, 2003: 436). V(t)=-Aω.sinà ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡(ωt) (Eqn 4) a(t)= -Aω ² cosà ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡(ωt) (Eqn 5) For brevity the phase term (à Ã¢â‚¬ ¢) has been omitted from these two equations as it can be assumed that phase is the same. These two equations give valuable insight into the nature of as mass on a spring and how its velocity and acceleration is linked. The interesting thing to note is that velocity is governed by a sine waveform, yet acceleration is dependent on the cosine waveform. What this means is that when the particle on the spring has minimum velocity it will have maximum acceleration, it also means that when the mass is travelling at its maximum velocity it has minimum (possibly zero) acceleration. Realistically however, most situations where a simple harmonic oscillator may be applied will involve a resistive force of some description, such as friction in the case of a mass on a spring. The effect this has on the motion of the mass and the spring system can be seen in the figure below. It is clear to see on the above figure that the presence of friction causes the amplitude of the oscillation to decay over time. This effect is known as damping. In a damped system that has no external force driving the oscillation itself, the rate at which the oscillation decreases is directly proportional to the resistive force being applied to it. The damping force is at its greatest when the particle is moving at its fastest velocity and at a minimum when the acceleration is at a maximum. There are three types of damping in an oscillatory system, underdamping, over-damping and critically damped. Underdamped is where the amplitude of the decay envelope does not decay rapidly. Critically damped systems are the fastest to return to equilibrium and will have a decay envelope that allows one oscillation over the entire damping period and will decay towards zero rapidly during this period. Over-damping occurs when there are no oscillations (as seen in critical damping) however there is an infinite time to return to equilibrium (Hayek , 2003; 567). The equation which describes this damped oscillation is given by: F= -kx-l dx/dt (Eqn 6) Here the original equation for the force is extended by a first order differential term relating to the change in the velocity due to the damping constant l. Equation six is able to be expanded into a more useful form by applying Newton’s Second Law, which gives: (d ² x)/(dt ² )+2Dω_0 dx/dt+ω_0 ² x=0 (Eqn 7) This equation now contains a first and second order differential equation relating to the velocity and acceleration respectively of the particle. Equation seven looks to be much more complex than that of equation six, however it is now in a considerably more useful form as it allows to see equation six in terms of the angular frequency of the system. D is the damping ratio and is given by D= l/(2√mk) , taking into account the damping coefficient, the spring constant and the mass of the particle. To fully understand the motion of the mass and spring system there must be consideration of the energy within the system. This may be done with the help of some simple drawings. The blue lines indicate the spring and the solid red block with a blue border indicates the mass. From the figures it is possible to imagine stretching the spring, this means that there is a force acting on the mass and if it is held at this stretched point (x) the mass will have a potential energy U. should the mass be released from this point it will have a maximum velocity Vmax and a maximum Kinetic energy KEmax. The total energy in the system at any one point in time is the sum of the potential and kinetic energies. E(t)=KE+U (Eqn 8) E(t)=1/2 mà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œv(t)à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚ ²+1/2 kà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œx(t)à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚ ² (Eqn 9) By substituting the formulae for velocity and position (equations three and four) into the energy equation it is possible to simplify this further. E(t)= 1/2 kA ² [à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œsinà ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡(ωt)à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚ ²+à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œcosà ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡(ωt)à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚ ² ] (Eqn 10) E(t)=1/2 kA ² (Eqn 11) The elegance of this simple algebra is that for an oscillating mass on a spring the energy in the system at any given point in time is completely independent of time. If there are dissipative or driving affects occurring during the oscillations then the amount of energy in the system will change, however for a closed system this fact holds true. This equation occurs in many areas of physics, for much more complex systems than a single mass on a spring. These equations can be applied to pendulums, resonant electrical circuits (RLC circuits) (Mispelter, 2006: 35) such as those used to detect Radio and TV signals, or even in quantum mechanics and the time independent Schrodinger equation, where it is found that a quantum harmonic oscillator, such as a particle in a potential well (Schrà ¶dinger, 1926: 1054), is one of the few quantum mechanical problems that it is possible to find analytical answers for. If the Hamiltonian for such a system is examined it is shown that its structure is very similar to that of equation nine (Schrà ¶dinger, 1926: 1057; Levitt, 2012: 144). H ÃÅ'‚= p ÃÅ'‚/2m+1/2 mω ² x ÃÅ'‚ ² (Eqn 12) p ÃÅ'‚ is the momentum operator that forms the kinetic half of the Hamiltonian and x ÃÅ'‚ is the position operator which calculates the potential part of the Hamiltonian (Schrà ¶dinger, 1926: 1052). It is obvious that the simple classical physics still applies to this quantum system. These are some of the situations where this type of motion is observed and the table shows how the equations are manipulated to fit the system under examination ( Hayek , 2003; 562; Mispelter, 2006: 38; Dirac, 1958: 108; Boylsestad, 2010: 871). In conclusion the mass and spring system’s motion is elegantly described by some simple mathematics that can be manipulated to suit systems that have external forces acting on the motion of the system. The beauty of this is that the mathematics can then be applied to much more complex systems. References: Boylestad, Robert. (2010) Intrductory Circuit Analysis, 12th edition. Pearson. Dirac, P. A. M. (1958). The Principles of Quantum Mechanics, 4th edition. Oxford University Press Hayek, S. I. 2003. Mechanical Vibration and Damping. Encyclopaedia of Applied Physics. Levitt, M. (2012). Spin Dynamics, Basics of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance 2nd edition. John Wiley and Sons Ltd. Mispelter, J. (2006) NMR probeheads for biophysical and biomedical experiments: theoretical principles practical guidelines. Imperial College Press. Schrà ¶dinger, E. (1926). An Undulatory Theory of the Mechanics of Atoms and Molecules. Phys. Rev. 28 (6) pp 1049-1070. Serway, R. A., Jewett, J. W., Serway, R. A. (n.d.). Physics for scientists and engineers, with modern physics. Belmont, CA: Thomson-Brooks/Cole.

Assistive Technology for Computing Essay -- Essays Papers

Assistive Technology for Computing One thing that programmers generally don’t take into account when they’re typing out code is "How accessible is my program or website going to be for someone who’s impaired in some way?" Unfortunately, this has become a problem in our society which many people are hoping to fix. Already, there’s a huge assortment of products - software, hardware, accessories, etc. - to accommodate those with impairments or disabilities of every sort. Here, we will see the technology in current use that is making computing more universal. Why Do We Need Assistive Technology? If you can imagine being an impaired person trying to use a computer, you might imagine that life could become very difficult. People with disabilities (PWD’s) still need and want to do the same everyday things that people without disabilities do. It’s just a little harder and more complicated to do it. For example, I might go onto the internet to shop for clothes or cd’s, look for movies to watch, or even order medications that I might need. What many of us don’t realize is that since some people are being inhibited from carrying out their everyday activities normally, the internet and computing may become even more important to them for that very reason. The accessibility of information via the internet is so great; they may not be able to afford to not use the internet and their computer. When using programs that aid in internet usage, or even in computer usage, PWD's face different obstacles based on their individual disabilities. For instance, people with hearing disabilities may need programs and websites to be captioned so that they can read what is being said if there's a synthetic voice used in the program that talks to... ...ul to avoid flashing texts and colors for people who may be prone to seizures, and which could cause some sort of disorientation. Also keep in mind that we're trying to make life easier for those who will be using our programs in the future. Works Cited CAT. 2001. University of Buffalo. <http://cat.buffalo.edu/research.php>. Freedom Scientific. 2001. Freedom Scientific. <http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software.asp>. Group 7. 10 Dec. 1999. Virginia Tech, 27 Nov. 2001. <http://courses.cs.vt.edu/~cs3604/support/Assignments/Final.Assmt.F99/Disabilities/inclass.html> Hyatt, Glenda Watson . Improving Government Access to Web Sites for People With Disabilities . 09 May 2001 <http://www.gov.bc.ca/odi/rpts>. Soaring Eagle Communications. 23 July 2001. Soaring Eagle Communications. 1999- 2000 <http://www.eaglecom.bc.ca/index.html>.

Ghost Solder

Stirrup-a loop, ring, or other contrivance of metal, wood, leather, etc. , suspended from the saddle of a horse to support the rider's foot. Her foot was stuck in the stirrup. Musket-a heavy, large-caliber smoothbore gun for infantry soldiers, introduced in the 16th century. He shot the musket. Hospitable-receiving or treating guests or strangers warmly and generously. That was a vary hospitable family. Siege-the act or process of surrounding and attacking a fortified place in such a way as to isolate it from help and supplies, for the purpose of lessening the resistance of the defenders and thereby making capture possible. Sherman’s March was a siege. Archives-documents or records relating to the activities, business dealings, etc. , of a person, family, corporation, association, community, or nation. That drawer is felled with archives Mortars-a receptacle of hard material, having a bowl-shaped cavity in which substances are reduced to powder with a pestle. Minie ball-a conical bullet with a hollow base that expanded when fired, used in the 19th century. when he shot the gun a minie ball fired. Cretin-a stupid, obtuse, or mentally defective person. He is cretin. Mellow-soft and rich, as sound, tones, color, or light. That color is mellow Percussion-a sharp blow for detonating a percussion cap or the fuze of an artillery shell. The percussion of all the gun fire hurt my ears. Conflict- Alexander dose not want to go to his dads girlfriends house in NC. And dose not want his dad to remarry his mom left him. He has to help richeson find out what happened to his family. s Climax-When Alexander goes throw the window of time and Richeson asks for his help. Resolution-Alexander helps Richeson’s and come to terms with his own past.

Intercultural aspect of conflict resolution Essay

During the first day of the workshop, I did not completely understand the real meaning of culture. I did not even have a single definition for the term culture. Many questions came into my mind such as, â€Å"What is culture? What are the factors that create culture? What is the scope of culture? Does culture improve itself or not? Although, I started the inquiry on the concept of culture without certain answers for these questions, I had figured them out step by step during that day. I started to find answers for most of the questions that I faced. I finally understood what culture was and why different people with different cultures had different behaviors. By understanding the factors that influenced culture, I started to learn its importance to the parties who got involved in particular conflicts. Throughout that day, I comprehended why people with different cultures got involved in particular conflicts and what were their objectives. I started to give answers for these queries. They might need someone whom they can air their grievances or opinions with. Moreover, they might only wish that others would respect their culture as it was. In the role play, I learned that listening skill was very helpful in making the parties who were involved in the conflict feel better. Also, they should be given the chance to continue telling their stories without any interruption. I had also learned that I could be able to interact with them simply through body language such as moving my head up and down which tells, â€Å"I understand you. Keep going.† Furthermore, these skills would give me the chance to get as much information as possible and understand the parties’ cultures. Personally, I think that having much understanding of other cultures using the skills mentioned earlier would help me adapt with their behaviors and become more flexible when dealing with them.   Culture’s factors such as religion, climate and geography play very significant roles in parties’ behavior. These explain why different countries have different cultures. Finally, all ideas and skills that I had learned during the first day of the workshop let me pay a close attention on understanding other cultures, respecting their beliefs and values as I want other people do the same thing when they cross my culture. I would try to use these ideas and skills in my daily life – simply by listening to other people and respecting them.

Case Analysis for Cirque du Soleil Case Essay

1. Describe how the touring show life cycle is supported by IT. While reading the case, you can access Cirque’s website and see actual applications (e.g. casting, ticket sales, and Cirque Club). According to this case, every step of the touring show life cycle is supported by IT. With regard to creation stage, IT plays an important role to improve this process. There is an application whose name is Open Eyes developed by IT. All of Cirque’s employees could access to Cirque’s Intranet and share interesting or surprising discoveries to others. Moreover, sharing this kind of information is significant to Cirque du Soleil because it keeps Cirque du Soleil staying top of the newest artistic rends. With regard to design stage, there are several applications created by IT to make those activities of design stage more effective and convenient. A costume application can save a lot of different measurements to costume patterns for every artist and keep this information in a database. The more important point is that this application connects with other applications to manage diverse sides of costume-making process. With regard to preparation stage, there is a Kin-Cirque application developed by IT to help artists practice reinforce their training experience. Physical fitness specialists could know how every artist’s physical condition develops. In addition, Kin-Cirque application connected with other applications to provide the exact physical measurements and needs of artists to equipment department. Then the equipment department can complete their jobs more easily. With regard to the diffusion of Cirque shows, IT has great influences on improving customer’s experience. There is an official website created by IT. People can access to this website from various parts of world. Especially the online forum where people can find special promotion, press galleries, and employment opportunities and so on was built up by IT. What is more, customers can purchase show tickets, select the seats, get the direction and so forth through an online box office. With regard to logistics stage, an e lectronic document management system and linguistic software are created by IT. They can coordinate and calibrate more than 150000 terms which depict countless equipment used at Cirque. Also they are stored in the Cirque’s databases. In addition, â€Å"IT roadcases† and VoIP technology which help Cirque du Soleil reduce a great  amount of time of touring infrastructure were developed by IT. Finally with regard to resource management, IT is widely applied to increase efficiency. IT developed an application which can assist the casting department to manage the artist bank and projects that could be old one, present one and future one. Applicants could submit their videos or performances via this application to conduct the recruitment process and their application materials would be stored in the databases. And that the Virtual Talent Scout was developed in Sep 2007. The pool of talent was enlarged by the Virtual Talent Scout. This increases Cirque’s abilities to deal with artist injury, increasing demand and accidents. In a word, to a large extent the whole touring show life cycle is supported and ameliorated by IT. 2. What was the level of alignment at Cirque du Soleil in 2008? According to the introduction of the case, the level of alignment at Cirque du Soleil is quite high in 2008.   First of all, the touring IT experts work closely with each other, even they are not in the same location. Everyone in the IT team performed as an integral and can resolve a big problem effectively and corporately. Secondly, there are a lot of servers all over the world. Employees can be easy to access to the applications and communicate with others, company, related department and so on very well. In short, in 2008 people at Cirque du Soleil can work together tightly and complete a great number of successful performances around the world. So it is a very high level of alignment at Cirque du Soleil in 2008. 3. What was the level of tension between the business needs and IT capacity? Through reading the whole case, I think the level of tension between the business needs and IT capacity is low. Because IT has improved the whole touring show life cycle and make the business effectively. Moreover, the most important point is that IT has help Cirque du Soleil to increase its customers and reduce the time of setting up the touring infrastructure which means cost of time. According achievements of IT, I could say there was a low level of tension between the business needs and IT capacity. 4. What are the key requirements, in terms of the IT architecture, of the support provided by IT at Cirque du Soleil? IT group needs to integrate the data from diverse activities. The design, ongoing improvement, growth of business, applications should meet the company’s business requirements. Moreover, IT group needs to do their best to make Cirque du Soleil operate efficiency  through information integration and management. Of course, IT group should maintain the databases and ensure all information is updated.

MIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

MIS - Essay Example Both these tools are important because they are used to provide critical information to the management board. In order to which ad is the best, you look at how frequently the customized webs appear in the server. The one that appears the most times are the best ads. Also by looking at the best ads, you can be able to tell the best format by looking at the format of these ads. The ads that have most clicks can be taken to be the best ones and should therefore be forwarded target IP address. By creating dialogue boxes and feedback forms, users can be able to leave a feedback concerning the same and can be used to ascertain whether the technique is good or not. From the history, information concerning frequently visited IP address can be obtained. By having this data, comparisons can be done with data from other companies and from this the position of the company can be determined. A business analyst is a person in charge of analyzing the organizations business domains in both real and hypothetical manner. A business analyst is endowed with several job responsibilities. First, a business analyst analyzes business processes within the organization to identify inefficiencies (Wiley 49). He provides recommendations for solutions and improvements which can be achieved through adoption of new technology. A business analyst acts as a liaison between different business stakeholders. He does the analysis and communication of stakeholder needs by converting business needs into software requirements. A business analyst does the documentation and evaluation of required information within an organization in order to enhance the success of projects by application of modeling and simulation (Wiley 52). Business analyst and system analyst are two different persons. In a project, a business analyst comes before a system analyst. A business analyst is a core member of the project team right from the start, but a system analyst only comes in at the system analysis

Public speaking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Public speaking - Assignment Example The third strength that I possess is coherency and fluency in speech. This makes me to present my ideas clearly in a way that the audience will understand and enjoy (Jaffe, 2013). It indicates that I am professional in my field and I know what I am doing. There are also weaknesses that I need to improve on. First, I always get tired easily. I can give a public speech for 2-3 hours and after that I lose energy to go on with my speech. In order to address all issues involved in my speech, I need to develop more energy to provide my speech strongly and consistently until the end (Jaffe, 2013). My second weakness is that I like providing a lot of information which may burden the audience and fail to capture all the ideas I present. I need to improve on this and be straight to the point. The effective speaker I know is a youth leader in my town. What makes him an effective speaker is his deliver style. He always makes a good eye contact with the audience and uses a good tone that everyone enjoys. He also tells stories clearly in an exciting manner. Furthermore, he connects with his audience and engages them in his speech. He understands the needs of his audience and addresses them well. He influences the people around him by being empathetic; putting himself in their shoes and tells them what he things they wish to hear. He has good negotiation skills including good listening to understand and influence his

What about Magnet Status Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What about Magnet Status - Essay Example The Magnet program in hospitals is designed to facilitate nurses and their practices (Wise, 2009, p.g. 205). Magnet hospitals have portrayed structural qualities. These qualities allow the nurses to work efficiently. The magnet hospitals also give nurses a chance to use their knowledge and capability by which they can produce excellent patient care (Havens et al, 1999, p.g. 14). Magnet hospitals have been present since two decades. Various studies have been conducted to study the pros and benefits of magnet hospitals. Results of the studies have proved that superior working environment for nurses at Magnet hospitals is beneficial for patient outcomes. Better working environment leads to higher nurse job satisfaction. Due to these pros, less nurses leave their jobs and are not exhausted. Evidence from studies is indicative that Magnet hospitals should be classified as the â€Å"best practice.† (Kelly et al, 2011, p.g.428). To summarize excellence in nursing has a two-fold benefit as it benefits patients and nurses (Lewis et al, 1998, pg. 51). Studies have shown that finding magnet hospitals these days is quiet difficult since the requirement are more than what a hospital could offer these days. Also, the work schedule required for hospitals to get this status is not possible to be infuse into the environment of the hospital (Pizzi, 2010). Other cons that these facilities get are that they only empower a nurse’s illusion. Acquiring magnet recognition is not easy as it is a procedure that requires labor and time (Magnet Reognition, n.d). Magnet status is a term that has been circulating in the health care industry for over two decades now. Health care facilities which provide autonomy, distributed organizational structures, helpful management and self-governance to the nursing staff are given the â€Å"magnet† status. Patients admitted at magnet status hospitals have a better mortality

Mental Health and Illness Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mental Health and Illness - Assignment Example According to (Coreil, 2010), there are five levels of determinants influencing access to and uptake of health care services. These include intrapersonal factors, interpersonal ones, organisational issues, the community and society. Community level factors include the environment, availability of public facilities, socio-economic, class and issues of ethnicity. They affect the way a particular community is able to access health services e.g. mental health. The society on the other hand influences health outcomes through policy, ethos of the nation, infrastructural considerations, cultural value systems, educational achievements and economics. There are macro-level factors and therefore affect healthcare access at the national level. Intrapersonal level determinants of health include personality, heredity, and cognition. Heredity can predispose individuals to mental health while personality and cognition affect their decisions on health issues. An individual’s home, family background and peer group influence comprise make interpersonal health determinants. Interpersonal level factors may influence ones perception of mental health and hence influence access. The organisational issues are schooling, membership to civic groups and factors to do with healthcare organisations. Presence of healthcare organisations for instance increase chances of access to services while membership to civic organisations increase ones information about available healthcare services. In my opinion the most important factors that will influence achievement of the HP2020 objective of increasing access to health care the societal level determinants of health. This is policies are formulated at this level as well as the funding for such noble objectives. Cultural values systems and infrastructural considerations all of which fall under the society level factors influencing health are also important in determining access to

Is judicial review consistent with democratic ideals Term Paper

Is judicial review consistent with democratic ideals - Term Paper Example For Marx and Engels, there is no supernatural being, only matter exists and as such, humans are alienated from material conditions. In this case, alienation is only eliminated when true freedom is achieved The first premise of this theory therefore, is the existence of living human individuals who then engage in economic activities for their subsistence and in the process develop relations that form the basis of legal and political superstructures. However, to achieve freedom societies go through conflicts or class struggles whereby the ruling class is overthrown and new order established. So according to the Communist manifesto by Marx and Engels â€Å"the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.†1This struggle or historical process ends when man achieves true freedom through a socialist state or communism. The theory is well expounded in the Preface to A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy written in 1859 by Marx. While this t heory has gained a lot of prominence over the years, it has been under scrutiny for decades owing to the failure of communism in the Twentieth Century such as in the Soviet Union and emergence of states that do not conform to Marx’s theory such as in China. The insistence on the role of economic forces in shaping history has also been disputed by sociologists over the years. Despite all these criticisms, it is apparent that historical materialism can withstand the test of time and continues to be relevant even today. This paper will discuss the primary features of the theory as an account of historical development and change. It will also evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the theory in explaining historical development. To do this, I will utilize the works of Marx and Engels such as the German ideology, communist manifesto, a contribution to the critique of political economy and theory of surplus value. To understand the theory of historical materialism, it is essentia l to understand the theory upon which it is based and that is the dialectics by Geog Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. Hegel was a German philosopher interested more on ideas as opposed to the reality thus the use of dialectical methods. This dialectical method is the foundation of Marxism. According to Hegel, there exists a supernatural being beyond the reach of human beings. Humans are separated from this supernatural or Absolute and can thus only perceive the world through economic and material lenses and reality is turned upside down by perceptions.2 According to Hegel, humans can only be reunited with the Absolute through a historical process and once they are reunited, it is the end of history. This progressive movement towards the Absolute is aided by the dialectical process which according to Shimp involves increasing awareness thus gradually replacing man’s perception of reality with newer and truer forms.3 For dialectical process to work there must be contradictions which he refers as thesis and antithesis. The thesis is higher in rank than the antithesis but in the process of competition, the antithesis overthrows the thesis and a new thesis or synthesis is achieved. The thesis and antithesis are not opposites in the real manner but are oppositions such as a master and servant and wherever there is a thesis, there must be an antithesis. As such, when a new thesis is established, a new antithesis emerges to compete with the thesis and the process

Government Branches Essay Example for Free

Government Branches Essay Which branch of government do you think is the most powerful and why? I believe the most powerful branch of government is the Legislative Branch, because of the power it processes to keep checks and balance on the other two branches of government. There are two different houses in the legislative branch, the first is the house if representatives and the senate. The House of Representatives consists of 435 members elected from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States territories. The states population determines the number of members elected from each state. There are 6 non-voting members that represent the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and four other territories of the United States. The senate consists of 100 members, two from each state. Members of the house are up for election or reelection every two year as opposed to the senate, which is every six years. Together they form the congress of the United States of America. Article 1 Section 8 lists the powers of congress. Some of the more important ones include the necessary and proper clause, the commerce clause, power to tax, power to spend, coin money, and ability to borrow money, these powers give congress the ability to make laws, buy and sell goods, control a federal budget and even borrow money from foreign countries. The necessary and proper clause is one of the most powerful in the Constitution. It allows congress to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution. This has been used for all types of federal actions including the New Deal, McCulloch v. Maryland, integration in the states and in the federal kidnapping act. The power to tax and spend also gives congress an important power to control the federal budget, which includes Medicare, Medicate, Social Security, infrastructure, government, agencies, and maybe the most important, the Defen se budget. The House of Representatives is also given the power to impeach the President, Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States. â€Å"Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity and the outcome of which, depending on the country, can lead to the removal of that official from office or other punishment.† There is a two-step process in order to impeach an official. First â€Å"The House Judiciary Committee decides whether or not to proceed with impeachment. If they do, The Chairman of the Judiciary Committee will propose a Resolution calling for the Judiciary Committee to begin a formal inquiry into the issue of impeachment. Based on their inquiry, the Judiciary Committee will send another Resolution to the full House stating that impeachment is warranted and why (the Articles of Impeachment), or that impeachment is not called for. The Full House will debate and vote on each Article of Impeachment. Should any one of the Articles of Impeachment be approved by a simple majority vote, the President will be impeached. However, being impeached is sort of like being indicted of a crime. There still has to be a trial, which is where the US Senate comes in. The Senate will meet in private session to debate a verdict. The Senate, in open session, will vote on a verdict. A 2/3rds vote of the Senate will result in a conviction.† The Legislative Branch is more powerful than both the Executive Branch and the Judicial Branch because when it come down to the President voting on a piece of legislature or appointing a supreme court judge, congress has the last say. After a bill is passed by congress it is sent to the President for his vote. If the President veto’s the bill congress is able with 2/3 vote able to overturn the Presidents decision. Under Article 2, Section 2, of the US Constitution provides that â€Å"the President may nominate members of the Supreme Court, but that appointment only occurs with the advice and consent of the Senate. This means the Senate conducts an investigation of the candidates qualifications and personal background, determines whether he or she would adequately fulfill the role of Justice, then votes whether to approve or disapprove the nomination.† In the end each branch is supposed to provide checks and balances for one another, but without the approval or money tha t congress controls, the Executive Branch and Judicial Branch would have a hard time operating. Sources http://www.whitehouse.gov/our-government/legislative-branch http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/congpowers.htm http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepresidentandcabinet/a/impeachment.htm http://people.howstuffworks.com/supreme-court-appointment.htm/printable

Factors Which Led To The Origins Of Agriculture History Essay

Factors Which Led To The Origins Of Agriculture History Essay The transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to that of an agriculturist, is considered by some, to have been inevitable as part of the natural evolutionary progression and development of man (Rindos 1986: 6). It is in our nature as humans to be progressive and, as such, we automatically follow a sequence of pre-ordained (Harris 1986: 12) and invariable steps in order to achieve higher levels of social development (Westropp 1872, cited by Barker 2006: 8). A lack of knowledge was the only factor that prevented the transition from hunting and gathering to farming; before the Holocene, man had simply not reached the cognitive nor cultural level required to formulate the concept of agricultural subsistence (Richerson et al. 2001: 394). Bender agrees, noting that the mental capacity and physical dexterity of the humans that were responsible for the origins of agriculture, in contrast to hunter-gatherers of 4million years ago, were significantly more advanced, which in turn enabled the development of more complex societies (Bender 1978: 209). This suggests that the accumulation of knowledge regarding their local environment and resources, led eventually to experimentation and ultimately domestication. At the Cave of Diaotonghuan in the Jiangxi province of China, there is a gradual growth in the number of rice phytoliths of domestic form in relation to those of wild form (Higham 2005: 242). This indicates a gradual assimilation of domesticates into their subsistence base following the acquisition of appropriate knowledge in regards to domestication of their local resources; this eventually led to total reliance on intensive agriculture. Similarly, at Abu Hureyra in Northern Syria, the percentage of gazelle bones decreases over the sites period of occupation, whereas the number of bones belonging to domesticates gradually increases, eventually becoming the dominant component in the villagers subsistence base (Watkins 2005: 214). This was not a rapid, single event, b ut a more gradual process in which the villagers steadily became more dependent on domesticates. These examples demonstrate how knowledge was the limiting factor and how the gradual accumulation of knowledge (Zvekebil 1986: 9) and the resulting familiarity with potential domesticates resulted in their manipulation (Braidwood 1960, cited by Cohen 1977: 8), and, ultimately, domestication. The varying rates at which different cultures adopted agriculture can also be explained by this model; it took different societies different amounts of time to acquire the required level of knowledge and familiarity with their local resources (Braidwood 1960, cited by Richerson et al. 2001: 399); until this was achieved, progression to domestication could not occur. It is a common assumption that the lifestyle that is concurrent with agricultural production is significantly superior to that associated with Hunter-Gatherer communities. It has been suggested by some that if the adequate level of knowledge and cultural readiness had been achieved in favourable ecological circumstances, then the advantages of agriculture would have appeared so discernable as to make the transition to a domestic mode of production axiomatic (Zvelebil: 1986(b): 8). It is wrong to make this assumption, however, as it is not inevitable that agriculture will bring with it an easier and more reliable lifestyle; indeed, it has been adduced that the emergence of agriculture bought with it a number of disadvantages. These include chronic malnutrition the consequence of an instable subsistence base and resultant famine increased labour input and reduced leisure time. Furthermore, the appearance of widespread stress does not occur until reliance upon intensive agriculture is well established (Rindos 1986: 38). The Kung!-San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert provide an interesting illustration of a modern hunter-gatherer group that has no need or desire to transfer to an agrarian way of life. Their subsistence base consists of varying wild materials, including both preferential and contingency resources; they operate on a schedule of strategic seasonal movements in order to exploit particular resources at specific times and locations throughout the year (Lee 1968, cited by Barker 2006: 29). Various mechanisms, including infanticide, allow population levels to be kept low and well within the capacity of the available food supply (Lee 1968, cited by Scarre 2005: 186) as well as enabling them to maintain their ubiquitous lifestyle. The Kung!-San do not suffer from any Puritan Ethos (Bender 1978: 206), and therefore the number of hours per day spent collecting food is kept to a minimum, relinquishing the majority of their time for leisure purposes. It can be s een, therefore, that the hunter-gatherer lifestyle can provide a reliable and varied subsistence base, as well as a more relaxed style of living; the incentives for transition to an agricultural lifestyle are not obvious. Because of this, it is possible that hunter-gather communities did not willingly accept to abandon their lifestyle of choice, but were instead forced by some external factor. Stark identified such factors as Push Models people were coerced into farming by some common factor or stress (Stark 1986, cited by Barker 2006: 36). Bellwood agrees, stating that there are no compelling reasons why hunter-gathers would have adopted agriculture, unless pushed (Bellwood 2005: 41). The origins of agriculture are often attributed to climatic variation, a significant push factor in the process of achieving intensified domestication (Moore 1986: 626). The study of ice cores, deep sea cores, and pollen profiles has revealed that the Post-Glacial period was characterised by a cold, dry and extremely variable climate. The transition into the Holocene, however, saw a shift to a more stable climate, with warmer and wetter conditions (Bellwood 2005: 20). It is this important climatic transition that is thought to have enabled the conversion to agriculture and is the foundation of a number of important hypotheses regarding agrarian development. An example of such is Childes Oasis Theory; he promotes that the melting of the European ice sheets at the end of the last glaciation would have forced rain bearing depressions north, promoting desiccation in the Near East. This in turn would have forced animals and humans into closer proximities around the ever decreasing number of water side locations. This allowed humans to develop a greater understanding of their local resources, and further to this, enabled them to realise the benefits of establishing a symbiotic relationship with the local fauna, as opposed to exploiting them using hunting strategies (Childe 1936 cited by Scarre 2005: 188); the advantages of this would simply have become obvious to them given the stress they were under from post glacial desiccation (Barker 2006: 14). An example of how desiccation can affects the subsistence base of a society can be found at Abu Hureyra. During the Pleistocene the villagers were dependent on a wide range of resources; they hunted wild cattle, sheep and gazelle, but also gathered a number of different plant species. With the onset of the Younger Dryas, the colder and more arid climate made gathering more difficult. The people of Abu Hureyra instead turned to intensive cultivation of rye, a robust cereal that could withstand the more difficult conditions (Watkins 2005: 214). Although this supports Childes idea that it was desiccation that caused the transition to agriculture, his theory in general is flawed and cannot be universally applied. Pollen analysis in the Near East confirms that the Early Holocene was indeed characterised climatically by a warmer, wetter regime and not by desiccation. The climatic transition in this region progressed from dry to moist, rather than the reverse, which devalues the foundation of Childes hypothesis (Wright 1977 cited by Rindos 1984: 15) due to the unsatisfactory environmental data which is the basis of his claims. The emergence of domesticated rye at Abu Hureya between 10800-9600BC, or during the Younger Dryas, is very early in contrast to other sites. For the most part, agriculture in the Near East was not adopted under desiccated conditions, but in the warmer and wetter conditions of the Holocene. The recovery and study of rice phytoliths at the Cave of Diaotonghuan in the Jiangxi province of China has revealed a correlation between climate change and the development of the domesticate. Within Zone G, which correlates to a period of more favourable climate, there is relatively high number of rice phytoliths. This number severely depreciates within Zone F, however, which is reflective of the colder and more arid climate of the Younger Dryas. The quantity of phytoliths once again increases significantly within Zones D and E due to a longer period of warmth between 8000-6000BC; the phytoliths here are evenly split between wild and cultivated forms. By Zone C, the phytoliths are entirely cultivated in form, and remain abundant, due to the continuing warm climate. This sequence reveals a correlation between fluctuations in climate and the quantity of rice phytoliths present. During colder periods, the amount of phytoliths decreases, whereas, they increase with more favourable climates. Ever increasing quantities of phytoliths of domestic form relative to the quantity of wild is also observable during the warmer periods (Higham 2005: 241). This demonstrates that it was during better climatic conditions that domesticates began to be more widely utilised, and not during periods of desiccation. Although Childes theory is, in general, flawed, there is evidence to support the claim that climatic variation did indeed have an effect on the origins of agriculture. One of the most interesting theories regarding the origins of agriculture considers the relationship between sedentism, population growth, and the availability of local resources; the transition to agriculture occurred, simply, because of disequilibrium between the number of available resources and swelling population numbers (Zvelebil 1986 (a): 9). Increased sedentism brought with it relaxation of mechanisms and birth controls previously used to keep population levels low (Rindos 1984: 19), which resulted in a significant increase in population numbers. The favourable, coastal, resource rich areas, that could previously support these smaller, hunter-gatherer populations, could no longer cope once the population had expanded beyond the regions carrying capacity. This led to expansion into more marginal zones (Binford 1968, cited by Bellwood 2005: 22 and Scarre 2005: 189), until further territorial extension became undesirable or untenable (Cohen 1977: 12); the populations of these ar eas were then forced to turn to agriculture as a means of subsistence intensification, allowing them to feed their growing numbers. This theory is particularly desirable as it not only accounts for why agriculture was adopted, but for why it occurred at differing rates at various different loci Population pressure had simply not yet reached the point where reliance upon agriculture was called for (Rindos 1984: 33). Unfortunately, there is an underlying problem with this hypothesis. As mentioned above, climatic change cannot be used as a globally extendable explanation for the change in subsistence base; climate, by nature, is regionally specific and the effects of it are therefore hugely diverse (Rindos 1984: 16). The favourable coast line habitats, which, according to Binford, were the areas where people first turned to sedentism, flourished with increasing sea levels. However, increased sea levels would affect differing coastlines in a number of ways (Cohen 1977: 7) the creation of superior habitats is just one of these. This would not have been a universal or uniform effect, and therefore cannot be a globally applied theory for the origins of agriculture. It still seems tenable, however, that population growth would have brought about a necessity for agriculture in order to provide a more stable food supply for an ever increasing population. Alternative views consider the origins of agriculture to be the result of social factors. Bender in particular promotes this idea, claiming that other factors, such as demography, are often considered to have played a much greater role than is realistic, whilst social structure is significantly over looked (Bender 1978: 204); ultimately it is the social relations that articulate society and set the evolutionary pattern'(Bender 1978: 218). In other words, it is social factors that bring about the most significant transitions and cause the greatest change. Competition between social groups is often considered to have led to the development of intensified food production in order to provide the specifically valued kinds of food deployed in competitive strategies and acts of reciprocity (Scarre 2005: 187). Feasting and the accumulation and distribution of prestige items were common mechanisms for achieving wealth, status and power. They are, however, expensive in terms of subsistence and require surplus resources (Zvelebil 1986(a): 10); hunting and gathering can only supply limited resources. This is why agriculture was developed in order to fund such reciprocal mechanisms via a more stable and consistent subsistence base. Alternatively, for Hodder, the domus the location of production and reproduction which constitute society and social relation (Hodder 1990: 39) was the social mechanism which drove the transition to agriculture. As a concept, it acted as a metaphor for the desire to control and transform nature; the individual experience of domestication led ultimately to intensification and domestication (Hodder 1990: 41). In summary, for economic domestication to be successful, it must be preceded by social domestication. Both of these examples illustrate how social pressure provided a positive incentive for hunter-gatherer societies to transfer to an agricultural lifestyle. Bellwood, however, considers an alternative view on how social pressures had an effe ct on the transition to domestication in certain landscapes, from the perspective of how hunter-gatherer communities were put under pressure from agriculturalists moving into their territories looking for regions of high agricultural potential. The relationship between the native hunter-gatherers and invading agriculturalists would have initially been one of exchange, and would have been mutually beneficial to both parties involved (Bellwood 2005: 41). It is often considered that contact with the agriculturalists would eventually lead the hunter gatherers to realise of the benefits of domestication, encouraging them to switch to this lifestyle. Bellwood suggests, however, that this may not have happened; he argues that as pressure on resources increased, along with increasing attempts by the agriculturalists to dominate the hunter gatherers, this would only have dissuaded them to change their lifestyle (Bellwood 2005: 41). This form of social pressure therefore acts only a deterrent to the adoption of agriculture. It can be seen therefore that no one explanation for the origins of agriculture is entirely satisfactory. This is to be expected, however; these factors are conceived at level that is too general to account for local distinctions (Moore 1986: 622). Domestication would have been adopted for a number of distinct and differing reasons, due to the diverse nature of the various loci where agriculture originated (Zvelebil 1986(b): 167). The origin of agriculture was not brought about by one driving factor it was not a monocausal phenomenon (Scarre 2005: 186). It was a combination of factors most importantly climatic variation, demographic change and social pressure, as well as the accumulation of necessary knowledge which would have combined in various ways to ultimately bring about a shift to food production.