Examples of Bad Engineering in From the Earth to the Moon R.U.R. Metropolis & Transatlantic Tunnel essays

Instances of Bad Engineering in From the Earth to the Moon R.U.R. City and Transatlantic Tunnel papers Blueprint As per H. Bruce Franklin, sci-fi is the main writing fit for investigating the full scale history of our species. . . in a vast setting (Science Fiction: The Early History, Internet) which recommends that man's place known to mankind is needy upon unshakable logical examination and investigation. In any case, as an abstract/true to life classification, sci-fi can and regularly contains innovations, thoughts and hypotheses dependent on unadulterated theory and pseudo-science. A portion of the gadgets also, instruments included in numerous well known sci-fi books and movies are generally imagined through awful designing, implying that these gadgets and instruments are not down to earth nor conceivable as per present logical information. Out of the considerable number of books and movies composed and created inside the last one hundred and fifty years, four stand apart for their utilization of awful engineeringJules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon (1865), R.U.R. by Karel Capek (1921), Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1926) and Maurice Elvey's In the 1865 sci-fi great From the Earth to the Moon, Jules Verne, the creator of other science fiction books, for example, Journey to the Focus of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, communicates his appreciation for everything American, particularly their resourcefulness and want for investigation. In this novel, the purported thrill seeker Michel Ardan thinks of the impressive thought of sending a man to the moon through a spaceship that will be propelled from the barrel of an immense weapon. This spaceship is to be made of aluminum, and to dispatch their shot at the appropriate edge, the men associated with this plan pick a site in Florida close the present-day Cape Canaveral. As a preliminary trial, Verne's space travelers send a feline and a squirrel into space first and afterward plan to ... <!

Wendy's Franchise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wendy's Franchise - Essay Example Specialists have called attention to that the effect of the drive-through eatery on the general public is a lot more prominent and in this manner the advancing serious condition is dictated by the level of operational opportunity that these franchisees have in adding side dishes to the principle menu, etc (Watson, Kirby, and Egan, 2002). This pattern has been especially set apart during the most recent decade from 1999 to 2009. Wendy’s has gained notoriety for transparently reassuring its franchisees to be imaginative. Current drive-thru eateries that consider making section into a diversifying business would need to embrace a system that would empower it to accomplish expected outcomes. There are various such choices accessible to drive-through eateries, for example, those immediate section techniques, for example send out purchasing organization or an exchanging organization and aberrant section techniques, for example middle of the road section modes, for example, permitting and diversifying. It’s likewise alluring to go for a various leveled game plan like a merger, a securing or a completely possessed auxiliary. Diversifying can be characterized as â€Å"A type of business association in which a firm which as of now has a fruitful item or administration (the franchisor) goes into a proceeding with authoritative relationship with different organizations (franchisees) working under the franchisors exchange name and for the most part with the franchisors direction, in return for a fee†. It is a plan of action for any individual who needs to fire up a business that they don’t have a set up business thought. Consequently diversifying has been in presence in more than 70 nations worldwide with the deals of US$ 1 trillion (Sadi, 1997). Actually franchisee might maintain a business under the specific brand name with the participation of a franchisor. With regards to Wendy’s/Arby’s inexpensive food establishment in the USA it very well may be considered as one of the continually becoming consolidated

Random Admission Thoughts-October 2016 edition - UGA Undergraduate Admissions

Random Admission Thoughts-October 2016 edition - UGA Undergraduate Admissions Random Admission Thoughts-October 2016 edition We are about a week out from the Early Action application deadline, and one day past the document deadline. As such, there are a wide range of questions that are hitting us right now. Here are a few thoughts on the issues that we are seeing most often. ACT Scores -The ACT has announced that the September ACT scores with Writing are being reviewed and sent out slower than expected, but they still project having all scores sent to colleges within 3-8 weeks of the test being taken. Our office knew this timeline going into our Early Action planning, and so we will continue to import ACT scores through the projected 8 week out delivery date. Please be patient, as we do not control the sending of the scores, only the uploading of the scores once we receive them. Our office uploads test scores on Tuesdays and Fridays, so be patient. ACT Screen Shot of Scores While the ACT has suggested that colleges might accept a screen shot of the ACT scores, we do not want these sent to us. As I stated above, we have planned for the long timeline that ACT has in sending out scores, so we will continue to import scores for EA (and RD). Again, do not send a screen shot of your scores, as we will not use it. SAT Scores The SAT recently modified their test score format and delivery method, so for the week of 10/19-10/23, they did not send out any scores as they changed over to the new system. They expect that they will be back to normal sending SAT scores (which include the October 3rd scores) on 10/26 (update-College Board sent these scores late on 10/27, so we loaded them on 10/28. SAT scores requested on 10/15 or after have not been sent yet.). Again, please be patient, as we need time to then receive the scores and upload them. We will be accepting scores for a little while longer to take into account the delays in the SAT and ACT delivery issues. Incomplete EA Applications -If for some reason your file is incomplete when we stop accepting test scores and documents, your application will be deferred and you will then have until 1/15 to complete part II and submit any missing items. You should not cancel your application, and you do not need to request a change to Regular Decision, as we will just defer your application so you can take the next steps. Strong Applicant Pool We have 14,515 Early Action applicants (about a 10% increase over last year), and all indications are that this group is stronger academically than last year. What does this mean? It means that it will most likely be a little more challenging to be admitted Early Action this year. No data or facts on the applicant pool to release at this time, but it is a strong group of students. Prepare Yourself Early Action applicants have self selected to apply EA because they feel comfortable with our office reviewing their academic credentials now, so these are generally very strong students. As such, we will be admitting, deferring and denying a large number of students. While you may know your academic information, and somewhat the academic profile of your peers/HS friends, we are dealing with 14,515 students from all over the globe. You only know a small slice of the applicant pie, while we are looking at the overall group. As such, hope for an admission offer, but also know that if you are deferred, know that this is not a deny. A deferral is simply our office asking for more time and more information so we can do a more detailed review. Patience Right now, just be patient as our office continues to match up documents and test scores, reviews files, and plans out our Early Action decisions. Read a book, see a movie, take a nap. Just be calm and wait for the next step in the Early Action process. I hope this helps, and Go Dawgs!

Post University Admissions SAT Scores, Costs More

The Effect Of Sleep On Undergraduate Academic Performance

The Effect of Sleep on Undergraduate Academic Performance There are only a few needs of humans that are essential for survival. These include food, water, oxygen, and sleep (Gilbert Weaver, 2010). A lack of any of these fundamental needs can be detrimental to human functioning (Orzel-Gryglewska, 2010). The effects of sleep deprivation are numerous. Without sleep humans can be irritable, distracted, forgetful, and even experience hallucinations. There are even diseases associated with continual sleep deficiency such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes (Orzel-Gryglewska, 2010). In more recent studies, it has been hypothesized that sleep has a profound effect on learning (Roth, 2008). Information learned in the day is processed and consolidated during sleep at night. It was also discovered that sleep is required for memory construction the following day (Roth, 2008). For these reasons, sleep in a very important for college students. This group of individuals’ mai n job is to learn new information. Even though sleep is very important for college students, this group of individuals has one of the highest rates of sleep deprivation compared to any other age group (Lund, Reider, Whiting, Prichard, 2010). Many students have trouble getting an adequate amount of sleep due to their course load, extracurricular activities, work, and social activities (Engle-Friedman Riela, 2004). Some of these busy students then stay up the night before an assignment is due toShow MoreRelatedCollege Students Minds Are Getting Enough Sleep1618 Words   |  7 Pagesstudents’ minds is getting enough sleep. Many college students may not think sleep is an integral part of life, when in fact many researchers have found how truly important it is. College is a time when students are transitioning into young adulthood, with increasing amounts of personal responsibility (Brown, Soper, Buboltz , 2001). This increase in responsibility, that at one point didn’ t exist because of familial support, can lead to an interference in student sleep patterns (Pilcher, Ginter, SadowskyRead MoreEffect of Caffeine Consumption on Academic Performance in College Undergraduates1728 Words   |  7 Pages Effect of Caffeine Consumption on Academic Performance in College Undergraduates Morgan Bolen, Maria Naula-Quintero, and Carlin Wright Michigan State University Abstract In this study we are interested in assessing the relationship between average amount of caffeine consumed per day and academic performance. We hypothesized that an increase in average caffeine consumed per day would result in increased academic success. A short survey was composed based on average amount of caffeineRead MoreSleep And Academic Performance For Undergraduates : A Multi Measure, Multi Predictor Approach1244 Words   |  5 Pages II. Body 1: Cognitive Domain A. Sleep effects cognitive domain in these areas: Thinking, learning, understanding, gaining knowledge, perceiving, ideas, beliefs, attitudes, identity formation, etc B. Study 1: i. Sleep and academic performance in undergraduates: A multi-measure, multi-predictor approach: ii. Sleep affects academic performance C. Summarize Study 1: i. Grades suffer based on sleep deprivation D. Study 1 Results: III. Body 2: Emotional domain A. Self esteem, pride, shame, sympathyRead MoreSleep Quality And Academic Performance890 Words   |  4 Pages Sleep Quality Affecting College Student’s Academic Performance Sleep is one of the few necessities that are needed for humans to function and overall survive. People, generally adults, fail to realize the need for sleep when they are constantly working around the clock. This sort of deficiency leads to a common sleep disorder called sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation can affect teens and working adults but is seen predominately among college students. College students are succumbed to dedicatingRead MoreSleep Deprivation And Academic Performance1430 Words   |  6 PagesSleep Deprivation and Academic Performance in Adolescents Sleep deprivation is an increasing issue with adolescents. Statistics show that 60% of high schoolers report extreme daytime sleepiness. 20% to 33% of those high schools report falling asleep in class at least once during the week. Daytime sleepiness is only a small issue about sleep deprivation in students. Sleep deprivation negatively impacts school performance adolescent students because it interferes with brain development, create moodRead MoreSleep Quality And Academic Performance Essay1510 Words   |  7 Pagesfirst fundamental routine of sleep changes dramatically. College students rarely find themselves getting about eight hours of sleep every day. Thus started the idea of how a student’s academic performance can be affected by the amount of sleep they get. The research article, â€Å"Sleep Quality and Academic Performance in University Students: A Wake-Up Call for College Psychologists† written by Steven P. Gilbert and Cameron C. Weaver, represents the perfect study on how sleep quality and quantity can affectRead MoreEffects Of Sleep On College Students1481 Words   |  6 Pagesin College: Consequences of a decline sleep in College Students Everyone knows a movie, where college students are out all night and they are not in their room sleeping. That one movie, where the students come back late and realize they have class at seven in the morning. There are several reasons why students are not getting the recommended hours of sleep; some examples are being out all night, studying the whole night, and being unable to sleep at night. Sleep is essential to live a healthy life;Read MoreAnnotated Bibliography on Stress1762 Words   |  7 Pagesthe working and even in the academic environment which is why the aim of this annotated bibliography will advise on how to manage and cope with stress in an academic environment from different authors and researchers with the conclusion of whether it is a useful advice and tool for reducing and relieving stress symptoms. Importance of Stress Management It is important to know how to manage stress in academic life as it is learning about how to balance work and academic life. It is also importantRead MoreAlcohol Behaviors Among First Year Students Essay1484 Words   |  6 Pages Alcohol Behaviors amongst First Year Students In Correlation to their Health and Academic Success Mohammed Yusuf University of Ontario Institute of Technology Alcohol Behaviors amongst First Year Students In Correlation to their Mental Health and Academic Success Every year students enrol themselves into an institution of higher education, whether it be college or university. Students of different backgrounds and their varying reasons all place importance in getting an educationRead MoreDoes Limited Duration Of Sleep Affect Academic Performance?1673 Words   |  7 Pagesduration of sleep affect academic performance? Academic performance is utilized worldwide in order to determine an individual’s career success and in some instances intelligence. The United States utilizes academic performance as an indicator of character and potential; often individuals are defined by how well they perform in academic areas. The United States measures academic performance through grade point averages, exam results and standardized tests. The education system is based on academic performance;

Change and Continuity in Constantinople Free Essays

Constantinople was a city with a long a diverse history especially through the years of 1450 to 1750. Between these to dates Constantinople changed drastically in its political structure. Constantinople also had a tremendous chance in its trade activity. We will write a custom essay sample on Change and Continuity in Constantinople or any similar topic only for you Order Now Innovation both militarily and nonmilitary within this city however remained virtually unchanged between 1450 to 1750. In short Constantinople transformed itself between 1450 to 1750 in the fields of government and business, but remained constant in its technological advancements. In the area of politics the chance of Constantinople couldn’t have been more drastic in the years between 1450 and 1750. In1453 the Byzantine Empire fell to the Ottoman Empire in the siege of Constantinople. This in turn allowed the Ottoman Turks to take Constantinople and completely defeat the rest of the remaining Byzantine Empire. The Ottoman Empire renamed the city to Istanbul and made it one of there capitals of there empire that ruled most all of the Middle East. The city was extremely vulnerable to attack because of the forth crusades that sacked the city and heavily depleted its population and allowed ottomans to take it. This new government allowed for the growth of religions, even make Constantinople a once Christian stronghold to a predominantly Muslim city. This new government also allowed for a large rise in population going from a few thousand in the 15th century to the over half a million in the 18th century. This was caused by an increase of culture and artwork due to the leadership of Suleiman the Magnificent. The other massive change in Constantinople between 1450 to 1750 was the amount of trade that was preformed. The lack of trade was because of Ottoman conquering of the city in 1453. This capture of the city created total dominance of the Middle East created a regional block of all trade routes effectively creating an Ottoman trade monopoly which allowed the Ottomans to charge whatever they wanted, this made it unprofitable to trade for the Asian goods that Europeans wanted so bad. This was the largest reason for the Europe’s age of exploration. The simple fact that the prices were too high making trade impractical causing a lack of trade and Europeans looking to the sea for trade with Asia. This in contrast with the previous large amounts of trade that use to go through Constantinople because of its great location between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Those most elements of the city of Constantinople were changed by the new empire that ruled it the one thing that stayed the same was the technology that was used in Constantinople. The Ottoman Turks were very regressive and didn’t embrace new technologies. This lack of progression caused by the Ottoman conservative clergy plus the lack of trade cause a lack of diffusion and a lack of advancements in there society. This all the while the rest of the world was making leaps and bounds forward. This was what caused the long term demise of the Ottoman. How to cite Change and Continuity in Constantinople, Essay examples

Influences Of Geofrey Chaucher Essays - The Canterbury Tales

Influences of Geofrey Chaucher Of all the prominent Italian writers that influenced Geoffrey Chaucer, Dante and Boccaccio had the greatest impact on his literary works. Though others, such as Petrarch, also influenced Chaucer, none did so to the extent of Dante and Boccaccio (Brewer pg.13). In the fourteenth century, Italy led European culture. The most highly organized cities, the biggest industries, the richest merchants and bankers, the best doctors, the most innovational technicians, the best painters and sculptors, the finest vernacular poets, and the most learned scholars were all Italian (Miller pg.125). Chaucer's trip to Florence had taken him to the right place at the right time, and what he saw in Boccaccio and Boccaccio's mentor, Petrarch, was a major shift in literary history (Pearsall pg.254). Throughout Chaucer's visits to Italy, both Petrarch and Boccaccio were alive. Though it is possible that Chaucer did not know of Boccaccio, it is of the greatest improbability, involving several inconceivable coincidences. The more likely scenario is that Chaucer knew about Boccaccio, possibly even met him, and aware of Boccaccio's achievements, he utilized him as a touchstone (Pearsall pg.282). Chaucer became very prone to model his work on previous literary pieces by Boccaccio. Chaucer wrote the short poem the Falls of Princes, which eventually transformed into The Monk's Tale, by using Boccaccio's De Casibus as a mold. Chaucer modeled The Canterbury Tales and The Legend of Good Women on Boccaccio's Decameron and De Claris Mulierbus, respectively. Chaucer also came across Boccaccio's Il Filostrato, Robert Garay Page 2 basis of his Troilus and Criseyde, and Teseida, basis of The Knight's Tale (Pearsall pg.261). All of Boccaccio's influences occurred in less than a decade and virtually affected all of Chaucer's remaining work. At one time or another practically all of Boccaccio's Italian works have been put forward as sources by Chaucer or influences on him. For years the accepted opinion was that ?Chaucer's greatness would be diminished if Boccaccio were more than one of many negligible influences? (Boitani pg.44). An imitation is not weak unless the poet is weak. Boitani states, ?Originality cannot be measured by the absence of borrowing.? Chaucer's originality shows best in works based on other works, such as the Troilus. Chaucer had to learn to ?be unoriginal? when he substituted Italian for French models (Boitani pg.46). Italy had a peculiar mixture of religious and secular people. Chaucer, however, revealed no interest in this world of international politics, though it must have fed some aspects of his ?scepticism and anti-clericalism? (Pearsall pg.308). The other writer who has a tremendous effect on Chaucer is Dante. Dante, an Italian poet, is regarded to as one of the world's greatest poets. His masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, is considered to be the most able and eloquent summing up of the moral, religious, and political thoughts of the Middle Ages (Schless pg.3). Both, The Canterbury Tales and The Divine Comedy are considered to be quest epics (Schless pg.31). The main Robert Garay Page 3 discrepancy between these works is that The Divine Comedy consists of one protagonist, whereas Chaucer's work contains thirty-one story tellers. To claim that every pilgrim with his or her tale recapitulates the entire ?Dantean? pilgrimage is absurd. The generally accepted theory is that in their summaries, various pilgrims comment or focus on one or more of the aspects of the ?Dantean? journey (Schless pg.74). A sign in the shift in the ?critical sensibility? is R.A. Shoaf's Dante, Chaucer and the Currency of the Word, which, focusing on the two poets' concern with a poetic language, illustrates that Chaucer was, in his words, ?no mere quoter of virtuoso passages? from The Divine Comedy, but ?a great interpreter of Dante? (Shoaf pg.8). In Chaucer and the Poets, Wetherbee observes, ?Dante is not only a model but a standard by which the quality and seriousness of his own future work may be measured,? (Wetherbee pg.21). It is clear to see that Italian writers had a tremendous influence on the writing style and the works of Geoffrey Chaucer. Some might argue that he made a career out of imitating the works of those before him, but Chaucer is a very talented and intellectual poet, and therefore his literary pieces would succeed regardless of the circumstances.

Positive and negative imacts on environment Essay Example

Positive and negative imacts on environment Essay Example Positive and negative imacts on environment Paper Positive and negative imacts on environment Paper Humans are the cause for many problems on the environment, right? Actually, humans cause many positive effects in nature. The human race may have had many negative impacts on the environment, however we have also made an equal number of positive impacts. We have not yet made our environment the best it can be, but we are working hard to fix the problems. There is much more that can be done. The human race can be blamed for destroying our environment by doing things such as leaving trash on the beaches and polluting the air with car exhaust. By building on and near beaches, humans are destroying the nesting grounds for sea turtles, birds, and other beach plants. We also tend to fish too much. While fishing, some people become very careless and sometimes destroy coral reefs that grow on the ocean floor. Humans will do anything to protect the beach, such as, building concrete barriers to prevent erosion. All these impacts we make on our environment are slowly turning into positive ones, because of the steps we have begun to take to fix them. If we are trying to fix them our hillier will see the great effects we are making on the environment and want to follow our example. Humans have learned to increase the amount of crop yields to feed the hungry. In doing this we can have healthier humans that want to help get the environment back on track. Along with this idea we are also trying to use natural resources instead of harsh chemicals, which in turn will create a positive impact on the environment. The fewer chemicals we put into the environment the less chance we have of destroying our ozone are. Also there will be less off chance of contaminating our water, as well. Could having more crop fields be a positive effect on the environment? In many ways it can have a positive effect on the environment, but in some other ways it can also harm it. It can help the environment by giving the insects and animals more food to survive. The more animals that survive the better the environment will be. Without the existence of animals there would be no environment for humans. In many ways this cant help the environment, one of these ways is because we humans want to try to keep the animals away from the crops. Why? They want more food. To do this we will have to use more chemicals. The more chemicals we use, the more negative impacts we put on the environment, rather than positive effects. In almost all situations, all we have to do is choose whether or not we want to make a positive impact or negative impact on the environment. Just remember when you make positive choices you will always get positive results back. Positive and negative impacts on environment.

Protagonist vs. Antagonist Understanding a Storys Main Characters

Protagonist vs. Antagonist Understanding a Storys Main Characters Protagonist vs. Antagonist: Understanding a Story's Main Characters If there’s one thing every story needs, it’s conflict. And while conflict can take many forms (Self vs. Nature, Technology vs. Humanity, Character vs. Self, etc.), some of literature’s most beloved stories include conflict in the classic form of the protagonist and antagonist.Without the white whale, Moby Dick is just a book about a guy who goes sailing and then returns home. If there were no Harry Potter, then J.K. Rowling would have written a series about Voldemort taking over the world, unopposed. Without Sauron and the Ring, the Fellowship would have merely been an odd sight-seeing group touring Middle-earth. And as enjoyable as that may have been for  them,  it wouldn't have made a very good story for the rest of us.In this article, we will look at what protagonists and antagonists are, how these age-old character archetypes can help you craft memorable stories, and what famous rivalries look like in both literature and film.With that in mind, let's firs t go back to basics to figure out what exactly protagonists and antagonists are.What is a Protagonist?The protagonist is the main character whose story is being told. The term derives from classical Greek drama and literally means â€Å"first actor.† Though often referred to as the hero of the story, the main character isn’t necessarily virtuous, and also may be just one of many protagonists in the narrative.Because protagonists can take many forms, let's take a look at four common types of protagonists in action.4 Types of Protagonists1. The Lonely HeroThe Lonely Hero is the standard strain of protagonist, probably because it's seen as the most "heroic" type. As the name implies, the Lonely Hero is the one and only person who can stop evil from triumphing and save the day. Though they’re almost always helped by a team of supporting characters, the ultimate burden of the quest falls squarely on the shoulders of the Lonely Hero. They are the one who must sacrific e the most in order to accomplish their goal.Examples of Lonely Hero protagonists:Harry from  Harry PotterKatniss Everdeen from  The Hunger GamesFrodo Baggins from  Lord of the RingsMatilda from MatildaCooper from Interstellar So evil that all the heroes in the galaxy have to band together against him. (Image: Walt Disney Studios)Whether you have the traditional hero-villain character dynamic, or a non-traditional character rivalry, remember to make full use of the conflict their interactions generate in order to move your story along. By creating complex characters, you will find it much easier to develop an interesting plot and bring your story to life.SummaryIn any story, how can you tell if someone is a protagonist or an antagonist? They are both significant characters, but the easy distinction is that:The protagonist is always the main character, regardless of they are heroic.The antagonist isn't always evil or a villain, simply the character who is in opposition to the protagonist.With that distinction in mind, why not go ahead and create your own characters who are worthy of joining Frodo and Thanos in the pantheon of great protagonists and antagonists?Do you have a favorite protagonist? A favorite antagonist? What are your favorite protagonist vs. antagonist rivalries? Let us know in the comments below!

Risk Management Week3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Risk Management Week3 - Essay Example on that ought to be proactively and effectively managed for a firm to identify and be able to react to new vulnerabilities, emerging threats, and a firm’s continuously changing enterprise operational and architecture atmosphere. Over the years, several security requirements and standards constructions have been developed in an effort to address enterprise systems together with important data inside them. Nonetheless most of these attempts have basically become exercises on just reporting on conformity and have in actuality redirected security programme supplies from the continuously changing attacks that must be dealt with. The Critical Security Control aims first on making it a main concern on security responsibilities that are efficient against the very latest Advanced Targeted Threats that has got a very tough emphasis on â€Å"what actually works†-security controls whereby processes, products, services and architecture are being used and have actually proved real world efficiency. Automation and standardisation is yet a further top main concern, to increase operational competences while at the same time improving efficiency (Hossein, 2006). There are several critical security controls that this paper seeks to address .Some of these include; inventory of unauthorised and authorised devices or software, making sure there is secure configurations for software and hardware on laptops, servers, mobile devices and workstations, continuous vulnerability assessment and remediation, application software security, malware defenses, wireless access control, appropriate training and security assessment to fill in gaps, data recovery capabilities and finally secure configurations for network tools such as routers, switches and firewalls. In the case of inventory of unauthorised and authorised devices, there should be active management (track, inventory and correction) of all hardware devices that are on the network so that it is the only authorised devices that are

Frequency Distribution Graph Statistics Project

Frequency Distribution Graph - Statistics Project Example More so, descriptive statistics establishes the mean, mode and median central tendency useful in measure of variability that includes the minimum and maximum numbers, variance, kurtosis and degree of skewness (Tochim & Donnelly, 2006). Significantly, histogram and frequency distribution graph provides information for finding the central tendency and measure of variability. As a result, descriptive statistics deals with the frequency distributions, average, variability and transformed scores to be plotted in the histogram hence providing pictorial information of the scores. Therefore, it is important to interpret the frequency distributions for the variables and changes in the descriptive statistics. More significantly, descriptive statistics present how scores are centrally inclined and vary within the histogram. As a result, the scores of both genders are represented in the histograms, and a representation of the distribution of the scores is created. In addition, it provides information of each genders mean, mode, median, degree of skewness, kurtosis and minimum and maximum numbers in the scores provided. More extensively, the scores of male remain concentrated around the average point of the curve, most appearing number and the middle number of their scores. As a result, it gives descriptive information on the scores of male that are asymmetrically distributed given that the left side of the polygon is less than the right part hence its asymmetrically distributed. Nonetheless, the females scores are normally distributed because the right side of the polygon is equal distributed with the left as a result, it remains symmetrically distributed. More so, the peak of males score is sharper hence, the kurtosis remains positive. On the other hand, the female scores are distributed normally, and the peak is less sharp hence, the scores are not concentrated around the mean As a result, the scores have been presented based on the

How Human Flaws Hinder Murder Investigations in Murder on the Orient Ex

Agatha Christie once said, â€Å"Crime is terribly revealing. Try and vary your methods as you will, your tastes, your habits, your attitude of mind, and your soul is revealed by your actions† (Christie). The reader may believe this quote goes with her book, Murder on the Orient Express very well and some may believe she used this quote as a thesis for the book. The idea of crime being revealing and the fact that crime is revealed through the actions that are taken suggests that murder is never really anonymous, no matter how hard the murderer tries to cover their tracks. In Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie shows how human flaws hinder murder investigations through making incorrect assumptions, holding onto the past, and cultural stereotyping. First, Poirot, the lead investigator, shows that anyone could have committed the murder because of incorrect assumptions that are made about the passengers. The first assumption that is made is the person that kills Ratchett is a female. His first argument is the way the person stabs makes them a female. As stated in the novel, â€Å"’It is a woman.’ Said the Chef de Train, speaking for the first time. ‘Depend upon it, it was a woman. Only a woman would stab like that’ â€Å" (Christie 52). The second argument made toward gender is the force used makes the murderer a woman. In the novel, Poirot states, â€Å"’She must have been a very strong woman,’ he said. ‘It is not my desire to speak technically—that is only confusing; but I can assure you that one or two of the blows were delivered with such force as to drive them through hard belts of bone and muscle’ â€Å" (Christie 52). Poirot later assumes some of t he blows Ratchett faced are done back-handed, as well as left-handed. He uses... ... where to start, to not knowing whether to side with moral or legal justice. Incorrect assumptions, such as looking at the way a person is stabbed and the force used with the blow can lead investigators in the wrong direction. Another human flaw that hinders murder investigations is holding on to the past. Poirot was disliked by some people on the train because of mistakes that he made in the past, and eventually, his past caught up to him, as he was aboard the Orient Express. Lastly, the cultural stereotyping that took place on the Orient Express proved to be wrong for finding out who committed a murder. Murder on the Orient Express is a novel that shows that anyone can be guilty of committing a crime when you look at the incorrect assumptions, the past and who all it effects and the cultural stereotyping that takes place between certain people.

Midterm essay exam

Q#1: Regarding science and religion, what historically has changed? Explain. It is a fact that in history, science and religion are always having conflict with each other. This should not be the scenario since the history had proved that in the Western culture, there were two books entitled The Book of Nature and the Book of Scripture that was believed to be bought created by God. The history of science had been associated with many religious works. During the Middle Ages, there was a time that the Islamic countries had embraced the science of mathematics, and astronomy that was being turned away by the Christian Europe. The scientific teachings were based from the ancient Greek discoveries. The Islamic people consisting of Muslim scholars had done additional developments in the field of scientific teachings. However, in the thirteenth century the Christian Europe again had decided to embrace the scientific heritage. They were commonly called the Christian monks and Christian theologians. In the entire duration of the late Middle Ages and even in the Renaissance period, almost all the scientist was also the people who leads the church. As the history continued in the eighteenth century, more and more men of science were also deep believers of different religions. The church had also begun to take part in influencing the universities and all institutes that promote higher form of teachings. Schools for the trainings to become clergy and other church functionaries were also being established. An essential breakthrough in the seventeenth century which is called the â€Å"scientific revolution† had again involved men from the religious groups who were the great pioneers and founders of the renewed science. Almost all the science founders aimed that they could put harmony in their works in science and their obligations in their religion. Not until the start of the nineteenth century, this was the common thought of the scientist. The start of the nineteenth century up to these days had marked a notable change in the history of science and religion. The warfare for science and religion had started with the revolutionary book Charles Darwin entitled â€Å"On the Evolution of Species by Means of Natural Selection†. Many scientists had several views that pertain to the thought that religion is a great threat to science which was carried until these days (Faith and Reasons, 2007). Q#2: Discuss the importance of the circle as a symbol for indigenous religions. Circle as a symbol for the indigenous religions refers to the sacred space. The sacred space describes a magical ritual. The magical ritual is a practice that is being utilized in the Ritual Magic and In Wicca. The magical ritual came from the practices of the medieval magic and witchcraft. This symbol was shared by most of the folk magicians in many countries. The temple of initiation which is circular simply means that it is a representation of the universe is the main point of the Zoroasteric mysteries of Persia. In the circular temple there is a sun located in the east which is also represented as a circle that symbolizes the universe. A celebration in Athens termed as the great mysteries of Eleusis indeed given points that the circle is the symbolism for the universe. According to one of the officers from St. Chrysostom, the circular figure represented the sun. Moreover, in the Egyptian mysteries of Osiris also contains the sun as referred to the representation of the universe. They have this so called Sun-god who appeared into the Earth in the sun’s settings. The temple of initiation of the Celtic mysteries of Druids is also an oval or a circle. It is an oval because the circular temple of initiation represents the routinary egg which symbolizes the earth. Some temples of initiation of the Celtic mysteries is also circular aside from being oval because for them, the circular figure was the symbol of the universe. The temple of initiation sometimes is also built following the cruciform. The reason of the cruciform is that it represents the reference to the four elements. The four elements are commonly termed as the components of the universe. The use of the circle as an important symbol for the indigenous religions had only proven the many uses of the circle in the ancient times. Moreover, the many uses of the circle had also proven its universality as an important symbol in the ancient times (Emick, 2007). Q#3: What is the foundational core of Buddhist teachings? Explain. Buddhism is known to be a dharmic religion. It is also regarded as a philosophy. It is commonly known as the Buddha Dharma or the Dhamma. Buddha Dharma signifies the â€Å"teachings of the awakened one†. It was founded by Siddharta Gautama around the fifth century BCE. Siddharta Gautama was referred to as â€Å"The Buddha†. Siddharta Gautama had introduced the Four Noble Truth that was considered to be the fundamental core of the Buddhist teachings. The Four Noble Truth was a way for them to attain the bodhi and the termination of pain and suffering or what is commonly called the Nirvana. The first noble truth of the Buddhist teaching is the Dukkha. Dukkha is called the noble truth of suffering. The noble truth of suffering is a part of all the stages in the life of a person. Since birth until the death of a Buddhist, he experience suffering. Moreover, Buddhism principles are also centered with suffering. Sufferings in the life of a Buddhist include sufferings during his birth and aging. Having a disease or illness is also part of the Buddhist sufferings. The second noble truth is called the Samudaya which means that the sufferings in the first noble truth are solely caused by desire. The result of the sufferings is simply explained by the Samudaya. Expectations that are linked to the desires of a believer and most especially the attachment of the believer to the desires are the ones that explain the Samudaya (Boddhi, 2000). Nirodha is the third noble truth. It symbolizes the termination of suffering. As the sufferings had ended and were being forgotten by the Buddhist, these means that the understanding of the right meaning of the Nirodha had been inculcated in him. And in order for the believer to entirely forget and free himself from a suffering, he must be able give up and surrender the pains he had gone through. The forth and the final noble truth is the termination of the desires or what is called as the Magga. In order for the believer to get rid of his desires he must follow the Eightfold Path. The Noble Eightfold Path consists of the right view, right intention, right speech and right action. Right livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration are also included in the Noble Eightfold Path (Yamamoto, 2000). Q#4: What was the role of the Temple for ancient Judaism? According to the book of Chronicles, the First Temple was built in the 10th century BCE. This was built by King Solomon for seven years to replace the Tabernacle of Moses and the Tabernacles of Shiloh, Nov and Givon. These Tabernacles were also once the center point for the Jewish faith. The First Temple had symbolized the center of ancient Judaism. For the entire millennium, the First Temple had continued to be the central point for all the services done by the Jewish. As time had passed, the First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586. After seventy years, it was again built by Cyrus the Great in 516 BCE. The temple had been the Second Temple. There are many roles of the in the ancient Judaism. During the time when the course of the bible of Hebrews was being carried out, the temple serves to be the place for offerings. The offerings include the daily and the morning ones. Offerings done on Shabbat and Jewish holidays which are considered special for the Hebrews were also celebrated in the Temple. During the course of the offerings, there will be a certain time when the Levites recite psalms. Psalms such as the Psalm of the Day and special psalms for the new month are the ones recited by the Jewish. The temple for the ancient Judaism is meant to be the model and recreation of the Garden of Eve. That is the reason while the courtyards of the Temple contained plenty of trees, flowers and fountains (Stager, 2000). For the Jewish, the temple is viewed as central or the focal point wherein rituals are done. It was then considered to be the only place wherein the creation of contact between men, women and the higher spheres were done.   It is the place considered to be the eternal dwelling place for the Jewish in order for them to do contact with the powers above them. Moreover, it was also a place which they believed the place where their gods have crossed in order to surpass their celestial environment to be able to descend on earth (Nibley, 1992). References: Bhikkhu Bodhi (2000). â€Å"The Collected Discourses of the Buddha: A new translation of the Samyutta Nikaya†. Somerville: Wisdom Publications. Retrieved July 27, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths#_ref-1   Emick, Jennifer. (2007). Your Guide to Alternative Religion. The New York Times Company. Retrieved July 27, 2007 from http://altreligion.about.com/library/texts/bl_symbolismfreemasonry17.htm Faith and Reasons. (2007). History of Science and Religion. Retrieved July 27, 2007 from http://www.pbs.org/faithandreason/intro/histo-frame.html Mackey, Albert. (2007). The Symbolisms of Free Masonry. The New York Times Company. Retrieved July 27, 2007 from http://altreligion.about.com/library/texts/bl_symbolismfreemasonry17.htm Nibley, Hugh W. (1992). The meaning and functions of Temples. Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 4. Macmillan Publishing Company. Retrieved July 26, 2007 from http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/temples/purpose.html Stager, Lawrence. (2006). Garden of Eve. Biblical Archaeology Review. Retrieved July 26, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_in_Jerusalem Yamamoto, Kosho. (2000) The Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra in 12 Volumes (Nirvana Publications. Retrieved July 27, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths#_ref-1   

An Analysis Of Financial Sector Reforms Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 11 Words: 3372 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? Financial Sector reforms initiated in the country as a part of the economic reforms since the year 1991, has brought about revolution in the structure of bankingÂÂ  environment. While deregulation has opened up new opportunities for banks, liberalization has intensified competition in the banking industry by opening the market to new foreign and private sector banks. Declining interest rates and reduced lending margins have thrown up new challenges to banks, particularly public sector banks. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "An Analysis Of Financial Sector Reforms Finance Essay" essay for you Create order While the financial sector reforms helped strengthening institutions, developing markets and promoting greater integration with the rest of the world, the recent growth phase suggests that if the present growth rates are to be sustained, the financial sector will have to intermediate larger and increasing volume of funds than is presently the case. It must acquire further sophistication to address the new dimensions of risks. Post-WTO, competition will only get intensified, as large global players emerge on the scene. Increasing competition is squeezing profitability and forcing banks to work efficiently on shrinking spreads. A positive fallout of competition is the greater choice available to consumers, and the increased level of sophistication and technology in banks. As banks benchmark themselves against global standards, there has been a marked increase in disclosures and transparency in bank balance sheets as also greater focus on corporate governance. India has been a witness to a sea change in the way banking has been done in the past more than two decades. Since 1991, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) took steps to reform the Indian banking system at a measured pace so that growth could be achieved without exposure to any systemic risks. Some of these initiatives were deregulation of interest rates, dilution of the government stake in public sector banks (PSBs), guidelines being issued for risk management, asset classification, and provisioning. Technology has made tremendous impact in banking. Anywhere banking and Anytime banking have become a reality. The financial sector now operates in a more competitive environment than before. Now the biggest challenge before the regulators is of avoiding instability in the financial system. CHAPTER 1. REFORMS IN THE BANKING SECTOR A. Contours of reforms Financial sector reforms encompassed broadly institutions especially banking, development of financial markets, monetary fiscal and external sector management and legal and institutional infrastructure. Reform measures in India were sequenced to create an enabling environment for banks to overcome the external constraints and operate with greater flexibility. Such measures related to dismantling of administered structure of interest rates, removal of several preemptions in the form of reserve requirements and credit allocation to certain sectors. Interest rate deregulation was in stages and allowed build up of sufficient flexibility in the system. This is an important component of the reform process which has imparted greater efficiency in resource allocation. Parallel strengthening of prudential regulation, improved market behaviour and gradual financial opening helped the liberalisation process to run smooth. The interest rates have now been largely deregulated except for cert ain specific classes, these are: savings deposit accounts, non-resident Indian (NRI) deposits, small loans up to Rs.2 lakh and export credit. Without the dismantling of the administered interest rate structure, the rest of the financial sector reforms could not have meant much. As a part of the reforms programme, initially there was infusion of capital by Government in public sector banks, which was subsequently followed by expanding the capital base with equity participation by private investors up to a limit of 49 per cent. The share of the public sector banks in total banking assets has come down from 90 per cent in 1991 to around 75 per cent in 2008: a decline of little less than one percentage point every year over a seventeen-year period. Diversification of ownership, while retaining public sector character of these banks has led to greater market accountability and improved efficiency without loss of public confidence and safety. Another major objective of banking secto r reforms has been to enhance efficiency and productivity through increased competition. Establishment of new banks was allowed in the private sector and foreign banks were also permitted more liberal entry. Nine new private banks are in operation at present, accounting for around 10-12 per cent of commercial banking assets. Yet another step towards enhancing competition was allowing foreign direct investment in private sector banks up to 74 per cent from all sources. Beginning 2009, foreign banks have been allowed banking presence in India either through establishment of subsidiaries incorporated in India or through branches. Impressive institutional reforms have also helped in reshaping the financial marketplace. A high-powered Board for Financial Supervision (BFS), constituted in 1994, exercise the powers of supervision and inspection in relation to the banking companies, financial institutions and non-banking companies, creating an arms-length relationship between regulation and supervision. The system has also progressed with the transparency and disclosure standards as prescribed under international best practices in a phased manner. Disclosure requirements on capital adequacy, profitability ratios and details of provisions and contingencies have been expanded to include several areas such as foreign currency assets and liabilities, movements in non performing loans (NPLs) and lending to sensitive sectors. The range of disclosures has gradually been increased. The legal environment for conducting banking business has also been strengthened. Debt recovery tribunals were part of the early reforms process for adjudication of delinquent loans. More recently, the Securitisation Act was enacted in 2003 to enhance protection of creditor rights. To combat the abuse of financial system for crime-related activities, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act was enacted in 2003 to provide the enabling legal framework. The Negotiable Instruments (Amendments an d Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2002 expands the erstwhile definition of cheque by introducing the concept of electronic money and cheque truncation. The Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act 2005 has been enacted by the Parliament which is expected to enhance the quality of credit decisions and facilitate faster credit delivery. B. Processes of Reform What are the unique features of our reform process? First, financial sector reform was undertaken early in the reform cycle in India. Second, the banking sector reforms were not driven by any immediate crisis as has often been the case in several emerging economies. Third, the design and detail of the reform were evolved by domestic expertise, while taking on board the international experience in this regard. Fourth, enough space was created for the growth and healthy competition among public and private sectors as well as foreign and domestic sectors. How useful has been the financial liberalization process in India towards improving the functioning of institutions and markets? Prudential regulation and supervision has improved; the combination of regulation, supervision and safety nets has limited the impact of unforeseen shocks on the financial system. The dismantling of the erstwhile administered interest rate structure has permitted financial intermediaries to pursue lendin g and deposit taking based on commercial considerations and their asset-liability profiles. The financial liberalisation process has also enabled to reduce the overhang of non-performing loans. Financial entities have become increasingly conscious about risk management practices and have instituted risk management models based on their product profiles, business philosophy and customer orientation. Additionally, access to credit has improved, through newly established domestic banks, foreign banks and bank-like intermediaries. Government debt markets have developed, enabling greater operational independence in monetary policy making. The growth of government debt markets has also provided a benchmark for private debt markets to develop. There have also been significant improvements in the information infrastructure. The accounting and auditing of intermediaries has improved. The technological infrastructure has developed in tandem with modern-day requirements in information te chnology and communications networking. On the asset quality front, notwithstanding the gradual tightening of prudential norms, non-performing loans (NPL) to total loans of commercial banks which was at a high of 15.7 per cent at end-March 1997 declined to 3.3 per cent at end-March 2009. Net NPLs also witnessed a significant decline and stood at 1.2 per cent of net advances at end-March 2009, driven by the improvements in loan loss provisioning, which comprises over half of the total provisions and contingencies. Operating expenses of banks in India are also much more aligned to those prevailing internationally, hovering around 2.1 per cent during 2004-05 and 2005-06. These numbers are comparable to those obtaining for leading developed countries which were range-bound between 1.4-3.3 per cent in 2005. Bank profitability levels in India have also trended upwards and gross profits stood at 2.0 per cent during 2005-06 (2.2 per cent during 2004-05) and net profits trending at around 1 per cent of assets. Available information suggests that for developed countries, at end-2005, gross profit ratios were of the order of 2.1 per cent for the US and 0.6 per cent for France. The extent of penetration of our banking system in our country as measured by the proportion of bank assets to GDP has increased from 50 per cent in the second half of nineties to over 80 per cent a decade later. CHAPTER 2. CHALLENGES AHEAD While we have made a significant progress, let me highlight a few issues that I believe would need significant attention in the near term. Risk Management and Basel II The future of banking will undoubtedly rest on risk management dynamics. Only those banks that have efficient risk management system will survive in the market in the long run. The effective management of credit risk is a critical component of comprehensive risk management essential for long-term success of a banking institution. Although capital serves the purpose of meeting unexpected losses, capital is not a substitute for inadequate decontrol or risk management systems. Coming years will witness banks striving to create sound internal control or risk management processes. With the focus on regulation and risk management in the Basel IIÂ  [1]Â  framework gaining prominence, the post-Basel II era will belong to the banks that manage their risks effectively. The banks with proper risk management systems would not only gain competitive advantage by way of lower regulatory capital charge, but would also add value to the shareholders and other stakeholders by properly pricing their services, adequate provisioning and maintaining a robust financial structure. Consolidation Consolidation, which has been on the counter over the last year or so, is likely to gather momentum in the coming years. When the restrictions on operations of foreign banks will go, the banking landscape is expected to change dramatically. Foreign banks, which currently account for 5% of total deposits and 8% of total advances, are devising new business models to capture the Indian market. Their full-fledged entry is expected to transform the business of banking in many ways, which would be reflected in terms of greater breadth of products, depth in delivery channels and efficiency in operations. Thus Indian banks have less than three years to consolidate their position. Despite the stiff resistance from certain segments, consolidation holds the key to future growth. This view is underpinned by the following: 1. Owing to greater scale and size, consolidation can help save costs and improve operational efficiency. 2. Banks will also have to explore different avenues for ra ising capital to meet norms under Basel-II 3. Owing to the diversified operations and credit profiles of merging banks, consolidation is likely to serve as a risk-mitigation exercise as much as a growth engine. Though there is no confirmation yet, speculative signals arising from the market point to the prospect of consolidation involving banks such as Union Bank of India, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank, State Bank of Patiala, and Punjab and Sind Bank. Further, the case for merger between stronger banks has also gained ground a clear deviation from the past when only weak banks were thrust on stronger banks. There is a case being made for mergers between banks with a distinct geographical presence coming together to leverage their respective strengths. Role of Technology: There is an imperative need for not mere technology upgradation but also its integration with the general way of functioning of banks to give them an edge in respect of services provided to their constituents, better housekeeping, optimizing the use of funds and building up of management information system (MIS) for decision making, better management of assets liabilities and the risks assumed which in turn have a direct impact on the balance sheets of banks as a whole. Technology has demonstrated potential to change methods of marketing, advertising, designing, pricing and distributing financial products and services and cost savings in the form of an electronic, self-service product delivery channel. These challenges call for a new, more dynamic, aggressive and challenging work culture to meet the demands of customer relationships, product differentiation, brand values, reputation, corporate governance and regulatory prescriptions. Technology holds the key to the future success of Indian Banks. Internet, wireless technology and global straight-through processing have created a paradigm shift in the banking industry. The explosive growth of both the Internet and mobile and wireless technology is revolutionizing the way the financial industry conducts business. The overall wireless technology market is expected to grow profoundly in the coming years. Improving profitability: The most direct result of the above changes is increasing competition and narrowing of spreads and its impact on the profitability of banks. The challenge for banks is how to manage with thinning margins while at the same time working to improve productivity which remains low in relation to global standards. This is particularly important because with dilution in banks equity, analysts and shareholders now closely track their performance. Thus, with falling spreads, rising provision for NPAs and falling interest rates, greater attention will need to be paid to reducing transaction costs. This will require tremendous efforts in the area of technology and for banks to build capabilities to handle much bigger volumes. Reinforcing technology: Technology has thus become a strategic and integral part of banking, driving banks to acquire and implement world class systems that enable them to provide products and services in large volumes at a competitive cost with better risk management practices. The pressure to undertake extensive computerisation is very real as banks that adopt the latest in technology have an edge over others. Customers have become very demanding and banks have to deliver customised products through multiple channels, allowing customers access to the bank round the clock. Risk management: The deregulated environment brings in its wake risks along with profitable opportunities, and technology plays a crucial role in managing these risks. In addition to being exposed to credit risk, market risk and operational risk, the business of banks woul d be susceptible to country risk, which will be heightened as controls on the movement of capital are eased. In this context, banks are upgrading their credit assessment and risk management skills and retraining staff, developing a cadre of specialists and introducing technology driven management information systems. Sharpening skills: The far-reaching changes in the banking and financial sector entail a fundamental shift in the set of skills required in banking. To meet increased competition and manage risks, the demand for specialised banking functions is set to go up. Special skills in retail banking, treasury, risk management, foreign exchange, development banking, etc., will need to be carefully nurtured and built. Thus, the twin pillars of the banking sector i.e. human resources and IT will have to be strengthened. Greater customer orientation: In todays competitive environment, banks will have to strive to attract and retain customers by introducing innovative products, enhancing the quality of customer service and marketing a variety of products through diverse channels targeted at specific customer groups. Corporate governance: Besides using their strengths and strategic initiatives for creating shareholder value, banks have to be conscious of their responsibilities towards corporate governance. Following financial liberalisation, as the ownership of banks gets broadbased, the importance of institutional and individual shareholders will increase. In such a scenario, banks will need to put in place a code for corporate governance for benefiting all stakeholders of a corporate entity. International standards: Introducing internationally followed best practices and observing universally acceptable standards and codes is necessary for strengthening the domestic financial architecture. This includes best practices in the area of corporate governance along with full transparency in disclosures. In todays globalised world, focusing on the observance of standards will help smooth integration with world financial markets. Globalization/Future Exapansion: Growing integration of economies and the markets around the world is making global banking a reality. The surge in globalization of finance has already begun to gain momentum with the technological advancements which have effectively overcome the national borders in the financial services business. Widespread use of internet banking will widen frontiers of global banking, and make marketing of financial products and services on a global basis possible. In the coming years globalization will spread further on account of the likely opening up of financial services under WTO. India is one of the 104 signatories of Financial Services Agreement (FSA) of 1997. This gives Indias financial sector including banks an opportunity to expand their business on a quid pro quo basis. As per Indian Banks Association report Banking Industry Vision 2010, there would be greater presence of international players in Indian financial system and some of the Indian banks would become global players in t he coming years. So, the new mantra for Indian banks is to go global in search of new markets, customers and profits. Supporting Regulatory Framework: Supporting institutional and regulatory framework at home is vital for domestic banks aspiring for global operations. RBI has suitably changed the countrys regulatory framework from time to time to support Indian financial institutions to withstand the competitive pressures placed on them by increasing globalization. Proper steps have been taken to guide the banking sector to see that the banks pass through this transition phase by and large successfully. The reforms initiated in the banking sector have now reached a crucial stage. Governments stake in some PSBs is reduced and as a consequence public equity in these PSBs is enlarged. This led to greater responsibility on the bank managements since the level of accountability has increased. Pressures of performance and profitability will keep them on their toes all the time as the public shareholders expect good performance along with good returns on their equity. Many PSBs have already started the exercise of cleaning up of thei r balance sheets by shedding the excess baggage. The VRS scheme in the recent past in some of the banks was aimed not only at downsizing the manpower but also at cutting down the staff costs and increasing the performance levels of the staff in the long run. Some of these banks are able to run the show to certain extent by low cost funds that are available thanks to the branch network spread over the length and breadth of the country. Skilled Manpower: There will be a sea change for employees too. Secure jobs will be replaced by contractual appointments, for a specified period of time. The unions will merge into the shadows and bank managements will turn effective. As a result there will be swifter turn over of personnel in banks. But at the same time, skilled personnel from other disciplines will enter banks in increasing numbers. Factors like skills, attitudes and knowledge of the human capital play a crucial role in determining the competitiveness of the financial sector. The quality of human resources indicates the ability of banks to deliver value to customers. Capital and technology are replicable but not the human capital which needs to be valued as a highly valuable resource for achieving that competitive edge. CONCLUSION: With respect to the future of Indian banking it is increasingly evident that the economy offers opportunities but no security. Therefore, the future will belong to those who develop good internal controls, checks and balances and a sound market strategy. Business Growth, Cost Efficiency and Evolution are therefore regarded as key drivers which will have to be addressed. The face of banking is changing rapidly. Competition is going to be tough and with financial liberalisation under the WTO, banks in India will have to benchmark themselves against the best in the world. For a strong and resilient banking and financial system, therefore, banks need to go beyond peripheral issues and tackle significant issues like improvements in profitability, efficiency and technology, while achieving economies of scale through consolidation and exploring available cost-effective solutions. These are some of the issues that need to be addressed if banks are to succeed, not just survive, in the changing milieu.

The, Land Of Opportunities By James Truslow Adams

The United States of America is often known as the â€Å"Land of Opportunities.† James Truslow Adams in 1931 wrote a book titled The Epic of America, and in it stated [the American Dream is a] dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement†¦ [It is] a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able †¦ [to] be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.† (Adams). However, this American Dream can be hard to accomplish if one is living in poverty without the necessary resources to put their abilities to use. It is even more difficult for a child in poverty to gain access to these resources, let alone express their abilities and talents with them. Poverty in America affects children under the age of 18 academically, mentally, and physically, in addition to how well they may do in the futu re in regards to their education and career aspects. The word â€Å"poverty† is an abstract noun. This being said, everyone views poverty differently. Poverty can be especially difficult for a child to understand. For example, a child might think that they are living in poverty because they live in a house that is smaller compared to the size of houses that their friends live in. A different child might have an even smaller house than the first child and be envious of not only the first child, but of the other children that haveShow MoreRelatedThe American Dream : The Origin Of The American Dream1527 Words   |  7 Pagesto the success of it’s people. 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Questions On Computer Skills Developed Over The Semester

HRER 816 Lesson 15 Assignment Student Name: Stephanie R. White Last 4 digits of your PSU ID Number: 1585 Complete the following assignment directly on this document. Select the Submit Assignment button and use the File Upload tab to upload your file. Select Submit Assignment to complete your assignment. There is no set volume or word count expected for your answers. APPLICATION (50 points) This last assignment asks you to use a variety of skills developed over the semester. You will be jumping right into today’s headlines by looking at a specific policy or piece of legislation related to labor markets and the macroeconomy. Be sure to read the materials on the macroeconomy from the reading list before starting the assignment. This†¦show more content†¦Unfortunately, the state has not been able to provide them with employment opportunities. Furthermore, economic policies on unemployment are specific steps taken by the government to reduce the rate of unemployment. Ideally, the only solution to higher rates of unemployment is to create more job opportunities. An economy which experiences 2-3% growth can comfortably create more than 150,000 jobs. However, when it fails to do so, it means the economic growth is below 2%. â€Å"A very low economic growth calls for drastic monetary policies, for instance, making an elaborate policy to borrow from the Federal Reserves† (Bittle Jean, 2012). â€Å"Monetary policy consists of the deliberate actions taken by the Federal Reserve authorities to adjust the nation’s money supply and interest rates to promote full employment, price stability, and economic growth† (Contemporary Labor Economics, 2013). Monetary policies from the Federal reserves have been effective since they give the United States’ families an opportunity to borrow at cheaper rates. Contrary, the â€Å"Federal Reserve says it’s time to take away the punch bowl† (Soergel, 2017). Even though monetary policies have been instrumental in reducing the rates of unemployment in the United States, these policies have been supported and opposed on equal measures. The Federal Reserve makes use of monetary policy to create more money which allowsShow MoreRelatedHow I Learned At University Of Miami1139 Words   |  5 PagesSummarizing Your Semester While I was attending one of my classes, the professor asked us a surprising question regarding our purpose for studying at University of Miami. The question was whether our goal is to claim the Bachelor degree or expanding our knowledge about the major we’re studying? I was completely shocked by the question because I have never thought about studying engineering in this perspective. All I wanted was to get the Bachelor degree in order to secure my future. 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It will also provide an evaluation of my application of the skills chosen, including verbatim examples

Swot Analysis of the Green Directory Free Essays

SWOT Analysis Of The Green Directory Strengths: –The Green Directory (â€Å"GD†) allows unlimited access for all users and no fee is required. –The relevant information is available to all visitors. –GD recommends and presents only classified, selected and specialised companies –Website presentation is clearly structured and designed. We will write a custom essay sample on Swot Analysis of the Green Directory or any similar topic only for you Order Now –Provides ‘one-stop service’ website, as well as the leading ‘green’ guides within Australia. –Easy to find directory – GD provides direct links to its partners, sponsors and advertisers. -Wide range of services and products as well as topics has made the website easy for user to find anything related ‘Green’. Weaknesses: — Unclear information on the support and recommendations by the Australian Government. — GD is just facilitator which means that interested visitors have to contact the listed companies directly. –The benefits for advertising are not clearly shown in the website. –Online enquiry form is not available – Interested visitors in ‘green’ products and services have to contact the listed companies directly. -Certain information provided in the web page is not up to date. –Poor maintenance of the website as there are few missing links found in the website. –Limited information about local events, fairs and exhibitions. –No contact number or hotline number for customer enquiry Opportunities: –Increase the profile of GD by cooperation with nationwide and regional publishers (such as Yellow Pages, newspaper, magazine) as well as popular ‘green’ institutions. -It is a green awareness happening all over the world and it’s about social responsibility and ethic of environmental friendly. –Further enhance the website by placing more latest offers and products photos to attract more users. –Send frequent e-mail to users to keep them updated with the latest information. –Provide a hotline number to handle real-time customer call-in enquiry to improve the customer service –Provide hardcopy brochure when requested by user so as not only limit the usage to internet users only Threats: -Pe ople without internet access have not the opportunity to receive the requested information. –Unavailable/ inaccurate information to users due to the missing/ outdated contents might cause reputational risk to the GD. –Easy to copy by competitor to create new business/ competition. –Green products price usually higher than normal product that would cause very big investment to the users. Thus there is a challenge in convincing user to purchase without much attractive promotion/ offer. –Data security is not clarified and this might affects customer confidence. How to cite Swot Analysis of the Green Directory, Papers

Perspective and Values of Generation Y

Question: In what way does your perspective and your values align with the generations as referenced in our textbook (see Manning Curtis, 2015, p. 336)? Do you share the values and perspectives of several generations? Only one in particular? Answer: Generation Y are regarded as millennial. They are found to be multitasking, tech-savvy, ethnically diverse and independent (Bolton et al., 2013). The people who were born between 1980- 1999 are known as Generation Y. People of this generation had had experienced the evolution of technology. From internet blooming to modernisation of equipments, this generation had come across various changes for the betterment of the society (Bilgihan et al., 2013). This had transformed them into multitasked and tech-savvy person as they have grown up. References Bilgihan, A., Okumus, F., Cobanoglu, C. (2013). Generation Y travelers commitment to online social network websites.Tourism Management,35, 13-22. Bolton, R. N., Parasuraman, A., Hoefnagels, A., Migchels, N., Kabadayi, S., Gruber, T., ... Solnet, D. (2013). Understanding Generation Y and their use of social media: a review and research agenda.Journal of Service Management,24(3), 245-267.

The Perspective of Cultural Differences Essay Example

The Perspective of Cultural Differences Paper The Perspective of Cultural Differences The Myth of the Latin Women by Judith Ortiz Cofer, the author states how she has been treated by different people in different countries due to their conception of her as a Latin woman. She points out several incidents where she is viewed, stereotypically, as a woman only capable of being a housewife and as a sexual object. She also shows the cross-cultural conflict Hispanics have to deal with on an everyday basis. This country, the United States is purely dominated by Caucasians, where cultural traditions are seeing in Latin women, mistakenly, something purely sexual. She points out these differences to readers to understand why there should not be racial stereotype and gender in the society. In Cofers essay, she talks about the controversial stereotypes that many Latin American women experienced and are still experiencing. In the article, she is trying to reach a specified audience of Latin American women who might have been exposed to such stereotypes themselves-for example, that of the Hispanic woman as Hot Tamale or sexual firebrand (Cofer 629). Then, she has her larger audience she is going towards, the people in this world who elieve in the stereotypes of Latin American women. A few examples are that all Latin girls are involved in some type of traditional womans work type of Job, cannot pronounce their words are energetic and sexy. She explains a personal situation when she went to a formal dance back in her grade school days. A boy asked her to go with him to dance, and of course she said yes. Throughout the formal dance, the boy leaned in for a kiss, but she quickly turned away, and then his response was, l thought you Latin girls were mature(Cofer 629). We will write a custom essay sample on The Perspective of Cultural Differences specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Perspective of Cultural Differences specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Perspective of Cultural Differences specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer One can interpret from this portion ut of the article that an overarching theme to the authors writing style is her past experiences represented in a way that is not too forward on such a touchy subject as racial stereotypes but more in depth and revealing about actual problems experienced on this subject. The author uses very little Spanish in her article, but she used common Spanish language that even non-Spanish speaking people could still pick up on the language intended meaning. The author understands her audience is multi-cultural, therefore has different boundaries she must tip toe around. By giving some example of the words casas [households], bodega [grocery]. She repeats one word throughout the article which is Latin and Latina. She is proving a point, and reminds her audience that she is only talking about the stereotypes of Latinas and no one else. Therefore, she relies heavily on a very simplistic informative tone that expresses her experience clearly, but not in a strictly one culture view. By choosing the Spanish words to help identify the culture that she is describing she ties in people outside of that culture as well and does not use too complicated grammar for non-Spanish speakers. She wants to get her point across to the reader to not think of any other stereotypes that might be prevalent in their cultures due to her inexperience in those cultures. The tone that author created in her work has multiple aspects to it. First of all, the theme of her tone is one of serious information that has been compiled out of her past experiences. However reiterates some of the shameful racist acts she has encountered. Late one evening after the theater, my companion and I listened as the man half-recited, half bellowed Dont Cry for me, Argentina. (Cofer 630). Readers think this is the most crucial aspect f her tone in the paper, due to the fact that it gives her audience time to move away from dry information, and yet as they hear her story, they can also feel a sense of right and wrong, and how terrible these stereotypes really get. The final piece of tone that one notices is an underlying anger. She makes clear recollections of many stereotypical experiences right before she ends each one of these, there is a quick statement or interjection of hard, cold, and remembering anger at these terrible experiences and stereotypes. In retrospect I understand that my anger gave my eading fire, that I have almost always taken doubts in my abilities as a challenge-and that the result is, most times, a feeling of satisfaction at having won a convert when I see the cold, appraising eyes warm to my words, the body language change, the smile that indicates that I have opened some avenue for communication( Cofer 631). The author has made an excellent case to why it is desperately important that racial stereotypes be uprooted and forgotten. That she is a proud Latina woman does not mean she is in some narrow minded manner of thinking that would allow one to excuse her in a stereotypical manner. We are who we make ourselves in this world; the author proved that through all the stereotypes and hardships one might experience. She proved to be a talented, well-educated and expressive writer that represents her life experiences in a relevant method, making one think about the wall of stereotypes that surround these dark bouts of cruelty, which have held together negative cultural boundaries for so long. Works Cited Cofer, Judith Ortiz. The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria. Steps to Writhing Well with Additional Reading. 9th ed. Ed by Jean Wyrick . Boston: wadsworth Cengage, 2014. 625-627.

Stock Dividends and Stock Splits Essays

Stock Dividends and Stock Splits Essays Stock Dividends and Stock Splits Essay Stock Dividends and Stock Splits Essay For investors, it is important to understand stock dividends and stock splits. Stock dividend is different from stock split.   While it is true that, in both cases, new shares of stock are issued to current stockholders, distinction between the two has been recognized.   The distinctive difference between a stock dividend and a stock split is that in the former, there is a capitalization of earnings or profits, together with a distribution of the added shares which evidence the assets transferred to capital, while in the latter, there is a mere increase in the number of shares which evidence ownership without altering the amount of the capital, surplus or segregated earnings.   In short, a stock split is but a dividing up of the outstanding shares of the corporation into a greater number of units without touching the stockholder’s original proportional participating interest in the corporation.   Stock split is basically one of form and not of s ubstance.Concept of dividendsA stock corporation subsists to make a profit and to allot a percentage of the profits to its stockholders.   The board of directors of a public corporation may declare dividends out of the unrestricted retained earnings which shall be payable either in cash, or in stock to all stockholders on the basis of outstanding shares held by them.   A dividend is that part or portion of the profits of a corporation set aside, declared and ordered by the directors to be paid ratably to the stockholders on demand or at a fixed time.   It is a payment to stockholders of a corporation as a return on their investment.   It is a feature of a dividend that all of the stockholders of the same class share in it in proportion to the respective amounts of stock which they hold.Without disturbing the capital stock, a dividend is an aggregate amount which can be shared among stockholders.   The term has been considered as suggesting that there must be a surplus or p rofits to be divided.   To warrant the declaration of dividends, there must be actual bona fide surplus profits or earnings over and above all debts and liabilities of the corporation.   Although a corporation has earned no profit from the current period, it may properly pay dividends from accumulated surplus out of previous years.   On the other hand, dividends may not be declared as long as a shortfall exists although; it has realized actual profit in the current year.Stock dividendsInstead of cash, a corporation may opt to declare stock dividend, which is a dividend payable in unissued or increased or additional shares.   Stock dividends do not decrease the value of the stockholder’s interest; they only bring down the cost per share of the stockholdings. To illustrate, Mr. X owned 200 shares of stock at $10 per share worth $2,000.   The company declared and distributed 25% stock dividend.   Mr. X would now own 250 shares for the same value of $2,000, with a new value per share of $8 (Heakal, 2003).   A corporation may increase its authorized capital stock by way of stock dividends without touching its unissued shares as long as there are retained earnings to justify the declaration.The declaration of stock dividend may be revoked at anytime before the actual issuance of the stock.   Unlike in cash dividend, a stock dividend requires, as a general rule, more than a mere declaration to make it effective.   It must be approved by the stockholders. Until the stock is actually issued, or at least in some manner especially set apart to the stockholders, its effect is not complete.   The so called stock dividend in shares of the kind already held gives the shareholder nothing in the way of a distribution of assets, but merely divides his existing shares into smaller units.   There is no increase in his proportionate claim upon the assets of the corporation or income by reason of such a paper dividend.   There is no obligation upon th e corporation to declare stock dividends, which are not distributions but only a change of the share and capital structure.   Since the declaration of stock dividend gives the stockholder nothing until all the formalities necessary to a valid increase of stock are complied with, its revocation, therefore, takes away nothing.   But unless rescinded, the shareholders have absolute right to their respective shares in the stock dividend so declared and actual delivery of the corresponding certificate is not essential to make the shareholder the owner of the dividend (De Leon, l993).Dividends DatesEssentially, there are three dates to observe in dealing with dividends.   The first to consider is the date of declaration where the board declares dividend and sets the amount of dividend, the payment date and the ex-dividend date. Next is the record date, where all list of of current stockholders who are to receive dividends are rolled up. The most important date is the 2-day period be fore the record date which is designated as the ex-dividend date. This is to allow completion of all unfinished transactions before the record date.   Those stockholders not on record or do not own the stock before the ex-dividend date will not be entitled to dividend payment. Proceedings not completed at the ex-dividend date, the price of the stock is immediately reduced as dividend payment dilutes the value of the company and investors absorbs the diminution in value (â€Å"Investing†, 2007).Effect of declaration of stock dividendA stock dividend transfers the surplus covered by such dividend into permanent account thereby placing it beyond the power of the board of directors to withdraw from corporate use and to distribute to the stockholders.   Such a capitalization of surplus adds nothing to and takes nothing from the corporation.   The corporation merely transfers the surplus to capital account and issue shares of stock to represent the same.   Such shares may b e preferred as well as common stock.After a declaration of stock dividends, the stockholder receives no greater proportional interest in the assets of the corporation that he had before.   In this regard, it is identical in substance with a splitting of original share in which outstanding shares are exchanged for an increased number of new shares of proportionally less par value than the old, leaving the aggregate value of all his stock substantially the same.   Such an increase simply dilutes the shares as they existed before.   The declaration of stock dividend is advantageous to existing creditors of the corporation to the extent that corporate earnings are capitalized, unavailable for distribution to stockholders.   At the same time, it improves the cash position of the corporation with expansion projects or programs eliminating the necessity of borrowing and paying high interest rates.Stock dividends are not taxable as income because they represent merely an unrealized gain to the stockholders who receives nothing from the corporation that answers the definition of income under the revenue code (â€Å"Strengthening†).Illustration:A, B, C, D and E organized a stock corporation with an authorized capital stock of $400,000 divided into 4,000 shares with a par value of $100 per share.   Each subscribed to and paid for 400 shares.   Hence, the actual asset of the corporation at the beginning of the business was $200,000.After a few years of profitable business, the assets of the corporation amounted to $400,000 with no debts.   Instead of declaring cash dividends, it was agreed to increase the capital stock in the form of stock dividends with a total value of $40,000 which amount represents the actual increase of his share or interest in the business.   At the start of the year, each stockholder held 400 shares with a total value of $40,000 which is 1/5 of the total corporate capital of $200,000.   At the close of the year, after stock dividends are declared, each stockholder still holds 1/5 interest in the corporation with his 800 shares worth $80,000 in relation to the increased corporate capital of $400,000.   But the proportional interest of each share in the corporate assets is decreased because of the increase in the number of shares, from 1/2,000 to 1/4,000 (Kennon, 2007).Stock dividend from issue of additional sharesWhenever an increase is made in the capital account of a stock corporation, the increase is valid only when it represents additional shares issued for which the equivalent consideration is received by the corporation.   The increase may be the result of an issue of additional shares or the re-investment of retained earnings effected by the distribution of shares as stock dividend.Hence, a corporation with outstanding no par value shares originally issued at $5 per share cannot increase its capital account by transferring its surplus to its capital account without issuing additional shares for the amount transferred.   Under such method, stockholders who have already paid in full their no par value shares would in effect be made to pay additional amounts for the same shares to increase their value.   No par value shares of capital stock issued shall be deemed fully paid and non-assessable.   Once no par value shares have been issued at their issued price, their value can no longer be changed.   Accordingly, such stock dividend by a transfer of the surplus to capital with no shares to be issued cannot be validly made (De Leon, 1993).Stock dividend distinguished from cash dividendStock dividend does not involve any disbursement to the stockholders of accumulated earnings, while cash dividend involves disbursement of said earnings.   Corporate creditors may reach for stock dividends, being still part of corporate property, while cash dividend declared and paid becomes the absolute property of the stockholders and cannot be reached by the creditors.   While co rporate capital is increased by a stock dividend, cash dividend does not.   Except in the sense that capital stock constitute a liability, no debt from the corporation to the stockholders is created by the declaration of stock dividend.   The declaration of cash dividend creates an obligation to the stockholders who then hold such stock.It is important to note that a dividend payable in stock is not synonymous with, and is not always or necessarily, a stock dividend.   A dividend payable in stock may, under some circumstances, is a cash dividend, as where the dividend consists in treasury stocks or in stocks of another corporation.Stock splitsThe board of directors may approve a stock split when the market is too high or too low, as sometimes investors are forestalled from buying or keeping their stocks.   In stock split, the market per share is adjusted by the same ratio which results in additional shares being issued and the market price being reduced to a trading level to attract investors. Stock splits are generally carried out in two different ways.   In a par value stock, the original certificate is converted into a new certificate validating the original shares, plus the new shares issued.   In a no par value stock, the stockholder keeps his original certificate but receives additional certificates for the additional shares issued. In either case, the split merely changes the number of outstanding shares without affecting the stockholders’ equity or the capital stock (Heakal, 2003).Illustration:X Corporation has 100,000 outstanding shares of stock, with a par value of $10 per share.   The board of directors feels that a lower price is necessary to attract more investors, it authorized that the 100,000 shares be replaced by 500,000 with a par value of $2.   Thus each stockholder will receive 5 shares in exchange for each share owned.   This increase in the number of outstanding share is referred to as stock split (Little, 2007).O n the other hand, the reverse stock split, involves the reduction of the outstanding shares into a smaller number of shares and it is done when it is felt that a higher price for the shares will be advantageous to the corporation.   Thus, in the same example above, the 100,000 outstanding shares may be called in and replaced by 50,000 shares with a par value of $20 per share.   There is an increase in the par value of outstanding shares with a corresponding reduction in the number of shares issued.If a stock splits, it does not make it a better investment or enlarges the share in the company’s earnings nor does it affect materially short sellers. The aim of stock splits is to lower the trading price of a stock to a level viewed as popular to investors. It is comfortable to purchase stock at $10 per share than at $100 per share. Hence, when share prices have moved up considerably, publicly-listed companies declare stock split.ConclusionOne way or another, the stock itself may change, whether it is a stock split or a stock dividend.   It is crucial that an investor must be fully aware of the character of corporate actions to understand how a corporate decision affects his interest in the business. Corporate action may bring a change in the stock (â€Å"Corporate†).Whether it is cash dividend or stock dividend, dividends matter. It is the evidence of profitability.   It offers unvarying return on a less secure investment. Dividends grow as the company grows thus providing more economic value to the investors. Some investors profit from dividends.   Investors would purchase stocks right after dividend is declared and sell it after collecting the dividend, thus, receiving dividend at no cost.   However, this does not usually happen successfully as the dividend payout reflects immediately the stock price.It is important that an investor understands stock splits.   Stock splits do not change the equity of the company or the net assets of t he business.   Board of directors approves stock splits to maintain high level of trading activity of its stock. Sometimes a reverse stock split is decided to discourage small investors and maintain its status because a relatively low stock price is considered highly speculative and often trades over the counter.