Redbox

Management Policy November 19, 2012 Red Box Red Box is the industry leader in DVD rental kiosks. It has established itself as an inexpensive and convenient method for customers to rent DVDs. Although Red Box is a cost leader in its segment, it is threatened by the slow but impending disappearance of the DVD format. Threat of New Entrants RedBox has a cost performance advantage over possible new entrants since it is owned by a publicly traded company and already has an established distribution channel relationship. RedBox has an advantage over new entrants in that it already has a well-known brand image amongst movie viewers.People often say â€Å"why don’t you go just rent it from RedBox† during conversations. However, consumers can readily switch over to Blockbuster or cable pay-per-services. Porter’s Five Forces I. Bargaining Power of Buyers The bargaining power of buyers is high since it is extremely easy and inexpensive for the consumers switch viewing medium s. II. Threat of Substitutes The thread of substitutes is high due to competitors such as Netflix, Blockbuster, cable and satellite T. V. companies. III. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The bargaining power of suppliers is high since there are only a handful of movie studios that are able to supply the DVDs.Movie studios can limit the quantity, as well as increase the price and royalty payments of DVDs. Other wholesalers can also increase the price and limit the supply of DVDs. IV. Intensity of Rivalry among Existing Competitors The intensity among existing competitors is fierce since Blockbuster has the ability to install more rental kiosks at existing stores and sign new contracts with existing retailers. Customers can buy new movies for $5 at retailers such as Walmart or get them shipped to their homes from retailers such as Amazon. V. The Threat of SubstitutesThe threat of substitutes is high. A motion picture DVD is difficult to duplicate unless it is burned illegally. However, d igital formats of movies are becoming more prevalent and as the smart phone population grows. Cellular signal carriers are also rapidly increasing their bandwidth and it is predictable, soon mobile signals will be as strong as or stronger than current broad band signals offered by cable providers. Automakers will eventually install TV monitors in each family vehicle that will allow children to watch movies downloaded or streaming live, instead of viewing DVDs.S. W. O. T. I. Strengths Redbox is owned by a publicly traded company and has the funding of its shareholders. Redbox has pre-existing retail contacts that were established by its parent company, Coinstar that enables them to expand faster than competitors who need to establish new contacts. II. Weaknesses Redbox is under the mercy of the movie studios. Should any movie studio decide to terminate their contract with Redbox, it will lose a significant percentage of its suppliers considering there are only a handful of movie stud ios.The movie studios also have influence on wholesale distributors, which can affect Redbox’s supply chain. III. Opportunities Redbox can enter the home digital rental market to directly compete with Netflix. It can also start selling other products, such as popcorn and soda, with its DVDs, in its vending machines. IV. Threats Redbox is threatened by the ever growing population of mobile users who will be able to download movies to their portable devices at speeds greater than DSL in the near future. Redbox is also under threat from pirated copies of movies that are prevalent worldwide.

Bhopal Disaster

The night of 3rd December marked an industrial disaster when more than 40 tons of methyl isocyanate gas leaked from a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India that instantly led to the death of approximately 3,800 people and causing permanent injuries for thousands more. The company involved shamelessly tried to avoid its legal responsibility. Nonetheless, a sum of $470 million was paid as compensation, a considerably small amount in comparison to the impact from the consequences of this tragedy.The aftermath of the disaster indicated the need for international standards for environmental safety and preventive strategies to sustain from similar accidents. India has experienced rapid industrialization since the disaster. Despite some positive changes to government policies and behavior in several industries, rapid and poorly regulated industrial growth still remains exposing India to a major threat. Degrading of environmental practices with adverse consequences to human health continues to oc cur throughout India. 2. IntroductionThe Bhopal disaster, also known as the Bhopal gas tragedy was an industrial disaster that took place at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in the Indian city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh releasing tons of toxic chemicals and gases. This report is carried out with the objective of obtaining sufficient knowledge of the entire tragedy that took place and providing a detailed substantive summary of the mishap. Firstly, objectives and the management structure of the Union Carbide are discussed in this report to gain an overview of the company involved and its practices.Subsequently, an observation is done with regards to the industrial processes and operations of the plant to understand the on goings of the plant. The critical area of this report summarizes the key risks and contributing factors that ultimately led to the accident which provides an insight of the flaws in the plant. The consequences of the aftermath are then identified to provide an overv iew of the negative impact resulting from the disaster followed by a brief discussion on the improvements that should be done in the management systems to prevent similar accidents from happening in the near future. 3.Objective and Structure of the Management The Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), a chemical factory which formed its establishment in 1969 near Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh in India and was owned by Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) and the Indian authorities. Pesticides such as carbaryl was produced in this plant and in 1979, a new addition was made whereby the methyl isocyanate (MIC) plant was introduced to the site. Prior to 1979, the methyl isocyanate was imported from its parent company in the United States and India was one of the three dozen countries whereby the parent company had affiliates and business interest.It was stated that the UCC had done extensive research on the chemical and had sufficient knowledge on handling the chemical. Methyl Isocyanate, one of the m any intermediates used in pesticides is known to be a very hazardous chemical which weighs much lighter than water but twice the weight of air. In the event that the gas escapes to the atmosphere, it will remain close to ground and this highly sensitive chemical can react with many substances which could cause serious damage.UCIL was proud to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 1984 and was making sales of approximately $200 million annually whereby 14 plants were being operated and it was segregated into 5 operating divisions making it a diversified manufacturing concern. The shares were publicly traded on the Stock Exchange 24% of these shares were owned by government run insurance companies whilst 50. 9% of the shares were owned by UCC as part of a corporate global business strategy. http://www. wikipedia. org/bhopaldisaster Due to its centralized location in India which gave it a competitive edge, Bhopal was chosen as the site for the UCIL’s plant.Transporting products were eased by the existence of railway systems that spanned around the country which evidently brought to extensive cost savings. Furthermore, the location of the plant being situated nearby a large lake guaranteed sufficient water supple for the chemical processes. Electricity needs were also available in Bhopal to supply enough electricity to the plant that enabled the plant to operate 24 hours. The origin on the Bhopal plant was to supply pesticide in order to protect the Indian agricultural production.These pesticides were made to cater to the Indian market and to gain the ability to transform its agricultural sector into a modern activity. No doubt the benefits, the plant also had its perks. India is still nonetheless a developing country which at current still lacks the infrastructure necessary to support this chemical plant. Nevertheless, companies invested in the plant failing to realize the flaws in the infrastructure. The impracticality of the plant’s management brought the creation of a low cost plant with minimal safety features. UCIL also had weak policies, procedures and regulations for their workers.The management’s goals and missions were set beyond the plant’s capability and this is said to be one of the main causes of the tragedy. 4. Industrial Processes and Operation Union Carbide is a known plant that produces the pesticide plant in the Indian City of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh for agriculture purposes in India. Using MIC as an intermediate, an alternative trademark brand name for carbaryl is also known as Sevin. Until 1979, MIC was imported from the United States of America. Bayer, another known manufacturer successfully produced carbaryl without using MIC which evidently led to a greater manufacturing cost.Methyl isocyanate (MIC) is an organic compound that consists of molecules and in 1888, it was discovered as an ester of isocyanic acid. The production of carbate pesticides such as carbaryl, carbofuran, methomyl and aldicar b is an intermediate chemical of Methyl isocyanate. These pesticides were also being used in the production of rubber and adhesives. Methyl isocyanate is a very hazardous chemical which can lead to chronic diseases and death. The chemical process or route that was used in Bhopal plant was to form a reaction between the methylamine with phosgene which could bring to the production of methyl isocyanate.Subsequently, this methyl isocyanate was then reacted with 1 – naphthol to form the end product. This route varies from the MIC free route used elsewhere in which the similar raw materials are used but in a different manufacturing order. This process would begin by forming a reaction between the phosgene and naphtol to produce chloroformate ester which would then be reacter with methyl amine. Either one of these processes would require the chemicals to be stored in large tanks. In the operational side, the plant workers were encouraged to use English manuals, even though only a m inority of them had a grasp of the language.Only six of the original twelve operators remained in service with MIC by 1984. There were no personnel to take on the position of a maintenance supervisor to be placed on the night duty and furthermore, instrument readings were only taken every two hours which differs from the normal practice. Through a union, workers made a strike and complained about these difficulties but no attention was given to them. http://www. wikipedia. org/bhopaldisaster The refrigeration system was designed to inhibit the volatilization of MIC whereby based on the manuals, it was advised that the MIC should be kept at 20 degrees.However, since May 1984 this refrigeration system had been shut down in Bhopal. Current practice shows that the methyl isocyanate should be kept below 5C and should be checked on all the time. Steam boilers were also used for the purposes of cleaning the pipes. 5. Risks that Lead to the Accident Bhopal gas disaster was an industrial tra gedy that took place at a Union Carbide pesticide plant in the city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. At midnight on 3rd December 1984, it was reported that the plant had accidently released Methyl isocyanate gas and this mishap was exposed to more than 500,000 people.Official death toll announced by the government of Madhya Pradesh confirmed that a total of 3,787 deaths were the result of this gas tragedy. Factors leading to this tremendous gas leak include the use of hazardous chemicals such as MIC instead of a less dangerous but more expensive chemical. It was also noted that the flare tower and the vent gas scrubber had been dysfunctional for the past 5 months before the disaster took place. This eventually led to the gas scrubber not performing its function to treat the escaping gases with sodium hydroxide that subsequently brought the concentration down to a safe level.Investigations in the aftermath of the disaster pointed out that even if the scrubber was in a good working conditio n, the disaster would not have been prevailed as the maximum pressure it could handle was only one-quarter of that which was present in the mishap. Improper designing of the flare tower itself contributed to the tragedy as the tower could only support one-quarter of the volume of gas that was leaked in 1984. Since the cease of production in the early 1980’s, the maintenance of the plant has continuously deteriorated up to an intolerable limit which resulted in the failure of several safety systems.The steam boiler which existed to clean the pipes was out of service for reasons which are unknown. Furthermore, the omission of the slip blind plates installation has played its role in causing this disaster. This omission had incidentally led to a large amount water from the pipe cleanings to leak into the MIC tanks through faulty valves leading the temperature to rise to a level whereby the tank was not designed to support that subsequently resulted in a large amount of toxic gas es to be released..The MIC tank itself has been malfunctioned for roughly a week which caused other tanks to be used in that week. Instead of taking corrective action and repairing the dysfunctional tank, it was just left to â€Å"stew†. Overall to conclude, the build up in temperature and pressure was strongly believed to be the cause in the magnitude of the toxic gas released. Economic conditions also played its part in contributing to this mishap. It was said that the leaking of the large amount of water into the MIC tank was also due to bad maintenance and leaking valves.The pipes were not repaired as it was believed to be very costly and time consuming. Safety systems including the MIC tank refrigeration systems were also shut down to in order to bring cost savings and it is of the opinion that the MIC refrigeration system alone would have prevented the tragedy from happening. http://www. wisegeek. com/what-was-the-bhopal-disaster. htm Material corroding that took place in the pipelines was also the contributing factor to this disaster. Carbon steel valves that were being used in the factory would corrode when exposed to acid.Based on investigations, a leaking of carbon steel valves was found on the night of the disaster. Overall, several factors led to this industrial disaster namely caused by poor maintenance and regulations. 6. Consequences of the effect of the accident The Bhopal disaster can be said to be one of the world’s worst catastrophe that took place at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in the city of Bhopal, India. On 3rd December 1984, the plant released MIC and other toxic gases exposing more than 500,000 people.The city of Bhopal was surrounded with a mixture of poisonous gases causing great panic as people woke up with burning sensations in their lungs. Based on the government of Madhya Pradesh, the effect of the hazardous gas had caused 3,787 confirmed deaths and leaving many trampled in panic. Other sources estimated that around 8,000 people died within the next 72 hours from gas related diseases and roughly 100,000 – 200,000 people are estimated to have permanent injuries at different degrees. http://www1. american. edu/ted/bhopal. htmMass funerals and cremations were taking place as well as disposal of bodies in the Namada River. The health care system became tremendously overloaded as approximately 170,000 people required treatments at hospitals and temporary dispensaries. Authorities had marked 36 wards as being â€Å"gas affected†. Acute symptoms from the gases are burning in the respiratory tract, eyes, breathlessness, vomiting and choking which ultimately led to death. Humans were not the only ones affected from this terrible tragedy. Approximately 2,000 buffaloes, goats and other animals’ carcasses were collected and buried.The effect on trees could be seen immediately as the leaves yellowed and fell of within a few days. Food supplies became scarce due to the fear being felt by suppliers. Further shortages were also caused once fishing activities was prohibited. http://www. bhopal. com/pdfs/browning. pdf Overall, this mishap has brought fear and has frightened many people as the Bhopal city was turned into a toxic city. A settlement was finally concluded in 1989, whereby UCC agreed to pay the Indian government a sum of $470 million in full and final settlement of its civil liability. After the lap f 25 years, 390 tons of toxic chemicals were left neglected at the plant which continued to pollute the ground water which affected thousands of residents who relied on it. 7. Improvements to prevent the accident Substantive investigations pointed out that the main reason which escalated this disaster is due to the management’s intention on reducing their expenses. The design of the plant had been modified by the Indian engineers in order to bring cost savings. This practice should be improvised and the plant should be designed thoroughly and prope rly to support the volume of production and the type of chemical produced.A contributing factor to the tragedy was weak management practices that should be made more stringent. A proactive policy should be adopted whereby dysfunctional items and parts of the plant should be fixed immediately instead of prolonging the situation despite it being costly and time consuming. Strict maintenance should be carried out on a routine basis and the MIC tanks should be continuously monitored to ensure that all processes are smooth going. Rules and regulations set for the plant should be adhered and complied to prevent any setbacks. ttp://www. wisegeek. com/what-was-the-bhopal-disaster. htm As the plant’s production involves a hazardous chemical, more experienced workers in dealing with such reactive chemicals should be hired instead on focusing on low labor cost. Trainings should be provided continuously to improve their expertise. Furthermore, extensive research and studies on how to han dle chemicals of this sort should be carried out prior to any processes to ensure that the staff has sufficient knowledge on what to do and what to expect.Despite sufficient trainings and research, mishaps can occur any at given time. Following that, it is always best to have a detailed contingency and back up plans in order to contain any rotten situation. A good practice is always to expect the unexpected in order to be ready for mishaps. This tragedy has affected the lives of many in the Bhopal city. It is recommended that such factories as this plant should not be located in residential areas and best located in the outskirts to prevent residents being exposed to toxic gases.Ultimately, this disaster would have been prevailed with good management practices, abiding to rules and regulations set and also focusing on safety systems instead of cost savings. http://www1. american. edu/ted/bhopal. htm * 8. Conclusion * The Bhopal gas disaster marked one of the most tragic accidents in the world. The pesticide plant in Bhopal, India was managed by UCIL, a subsidiary of the UCC, had begun the production of a hazardous chemical, methyl isocyanate in 1979. The findings from this research pointed out that UCIL had weak policies and regulations and was prioritizing more on cost savings at the expense of the plant’s safety. The operational side of the plant was suffering from lack of staff namely there was no maintenance supervisor responsible to monitor the MIC tanks. Furthermore, critical parts of the plants were being left unattended when it was dysfunctional due to it being costly and time consuming to repair. Safety systems of the plant were being comprised in order to reduce expenses. * * To conclude, the main improvement to be done is to emphasize on the plants design to support the volume and type of production.Stringent policies and regulations should be set and adhered to in order to prevent similar accidents. Management should divert from a cost savin gs mindset and priorities more on the plant’s safety systems. * Despite being 25 years since the incident, tons of toxic chemicals were still abandoned at the plant and continued to pollute the ground water that affected thousands of residents. Overall, this disaster has brought awareness that international standards for environmental safety should be enforced to prevent similar mishaps. .References 1. Bhopal disaster,online,retrieved 15 November 2009 from http://www. wikipedia. org/bhopaldisaster 2. Bhopal disaster, online, retrieved 15 November 2009 from http://www1. american. edu/ted/bhopal. htm 3. Jackson B. Browning 1993, Health, Safety and Environmental Programs Union Carbide Corporation, online, retrieved 16 November 2009 from http://www. bhopal. com/pdfs/browning. pdf 4. What was the Bhopal disaster, online, retrieved 18 November 2009 from http://www. wisegeek. com/what-was-the-bhopal-disaster. htm

Portfolio of Chinese contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang

Cai Guo-Qiang is a Chinese contemporary artist, curator and internationally recognized as a creator of large scale explosion events. He was born in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, China in 1957 and lives and works in New York. From 1982-1985 he trained in stage design at Shanghai Drama Institute.His practices on wild life, Chinese medicine, fire works and gun powder. He explored the properties of gunpowder in his drawings when he was in Japan from 1986 to 1995. In 1996 he was selected for finalist for Hugo Boss Prize and in 1999 in 48th Venice Biennale he holds the Golden Lion award and he was awarded the 7th Hiroshima Art Prize in 2007. In 2009, he was awarded the 20th Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize[1].The Chinese art was influenced by the New Culture Movements of Western techniques. The aim of new Chinese art is to make contemporary Chinese art accessible to a global audience. For these; it presents several portfolios with 100 contemporary Chinese artists. Some of the selected exhibit ions and projects of China are I Want to Believe, Stage One and Illusion, Explosion Project for the Festival of China, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and Flying Dragon in the Heavens.Cai Guo-Qiang was first exhibited by the Guggenheim in 1996. I want to believe is the first solo exhibition of an Asian artist organized by Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao in 2009. It is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and some additional individuals and foundations support. This exhibition charts the artist’s creation of gunpowder drawings, explosion events and social projects and promotes the understanding of Chinese arts and culture worldwide[2].  If there is no action the artistic work of Cai Guo – Qiang is nothing. â€Å"I want to believe† is the creative body work with illustration and visually. It is about the pain and bliss of aggressive explosions–celebratory fire-works versus deadly car bombs.â€Å"I want to believe† significance comes from modern ity, secularism and human kind. â€Å"I want to believe† shows the truth of the era and also increase the awareness. â€Å"I want to believe† is the creation and innovation of the intelligence. â€Å"I want believe† got the concentration of the cross cultures.â€Å"I want to believe† is the artistic art work. It got the interest of the viewers without artist’s intention.   â€Å"I want to believe† is the â€Å"explosion event† by Cai. To show pure energy force Cai used fire works in â€Å"I want to believe†. It is the great art of work with energy.â€Å"I want believe† is know for its explosives. It’s the combination of gunpowder, explosives etc. It shows 80 artistic works from past to present. It is also consists installations and social projects. I want to believe is the magnificent and famous work by Cai[3].â€Å"I want to believe† is the combination cultures and creation. His works are hugely inspired from locations. He explores wide variety art forms .He is best known for his â€Å"fire works†All his works are got inspired from ancient cultures of Chinese. His works mentions Buddhism and martial arts frequently. His works always speaks about the fight between human and nature. His work also mentions about Maoist and Taoist themes. His work is expensive in market of power and product.â€Å"I want to believe† is huge with sight and sound of explosions. It speaks about the artistic work of the art. I want to believe is the work of revolution and aggression[4].Conclusion:Cai Guo – Qiang is an extraordinary artist of twenty first century. He is a transnational artist of extraordinary creative vision and illustration, his structure are inherently unstable, dealing with expenditure of materials and ideas of transformation.Although his work is very expensive to imagine and also to realize his works always speaks about wide variety of aspects such as Capitalism, Sec ularism, Martial arts, Buddhism, Maoist, Taoist, Cross cultures, Transformation etc .His work also shows the combat between the nature and man.Reference:Gersh-Nesic, Beth S. â€Å"Cai Guo-Qiang: I Want to Believe†. Arthistory.about. 2008. Web. 2 June. 2010. Guggenheim. â€Å"Guggenheim Museum Presents Cai Guo-Qiang: I Want To Believe† Guggenheim. 21 May, 2008. Web. 2 June 2010. .Guo-Qiang's, Cai. â€Å"Biography†. Pbs. 2007. 2 June 2010. Smith, Roberta. â€Å"Cars and Gunpowder and Plenty of Noise† The New York Times. 22 February. 2008.[1] Guo-Qiang's, Cai. â€Å"Biography†. Pbs. 2007. 2 June 2010.   [2] Guggenheim. â€Å"Guggenheim Museum Presents Cai Guo-Qiang: I Want To Believe† Guggenheim. 21 May, 2008. Web. 2 June 2010. .[3] Gersh-Nesic, Beth S. â€Å"Cai Guo-Qiang: I Want to Believe†. Arthistory.about. 2008. Web. 2 June. 2010. [4] Smith, Roberta. â€Å"Cars and Gunpowder and Plenty of Noise† The New York Times. 22 Febru ary. 2008.   

Purposes and Practices of Liberal Art Colleges Essay

Purposes and Practices of Liberal Art Colleges - Essay Example The greatest philosopher, Socrates too believed that the most important knowledge that a person should learn is â€Å"how best to live†. Moreover, the goal of education should be to â€Å"know what you can; and even more importantly, to know what you do not know.† In other words, the more you gain knowledge, the more you can gain knowledge and this is what a liberal arts education aims to do. This method of education truly follows the philosophy of Socrates. Indeed in today’s modern world, a liberal arts education has become essential as it provides teachings in varied fields that groom individuals to face and handle the intricacy, diversity and transformations of life in the best possible ways. Developing effective academic and practical aptitudes such as communication, logical and crisis management skills, profound feelings of social responsibility, and a demonstrated proficiency to utilize knowledge and skills in realism and thereby, creating a well rounded pe rsonality has always been the main purpose of education in liberal arts colleges. In this paper, we shall discuss both the pros and cons of teachings in liberal art colleges simultaneously establishing the fact that â€Å"the purpose of a liberal arts college is to provide a student with knowledge, not only of his/her intended profession, but knowledge of many different professions to create a well rounded person.† ... As Socrates, the greatest teacher of all times, had preached that the primary aim of education should be to enhance the understanding of his students rather than merely defining theories since it develops the power of critical thinking in the students. Moreover, such an education leads the students towards knowledge and turns them into a well rounded person (Plato n.pag). By a well rounded person, we mean a person who is an expert not only in his field but varied fields, has the aptitude of thinking critically, solving problems analytically, making independent decisions, and comprehending new ideas. In addition, a person who has understood the art of living, has gained wisdom and developed into a good human being and this is what a liberal arts education aims to do. In The Republic, the Greek philosopher, Plato has emphasized that a well rounded education should include the study of mathematics, poetry, astronomy and poetry. Although our fields of study have broadened vastly since hi s days, his basic message is still the motivation behind the practice of liberal arts education. Plato always advocated his students to value logic and order, ideals, and beauty. Even though the subjects of science, literature, government, history and societies were added by the teachers in recent times, the main motto of liberal education still remained the same. It was intended to develop the power of critical analysis in an individual, so important for achieving wisdom and virtue (Plato &Biase n.pag). Furthermore, a liberal arts education aims to make students creative thinkers as well as problem solvers by providing them with a background in several fields states Harrer. Students in this type of colleges

American experience of Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

American experience of Democracy - Essay Example However, the path to success and development has not been exactly smooth. The concept of democracy is so deeply-rooted in every bit of the American way-of- life that it is almost taken for granted. This has led some to question if indeed constitutional democracy is a better political system, suitable for the United States of America. This essay shall briefly address the question of the suitability of democracy as a form of government in the United States and, analyze the ways in which it works. The essay shall also try to understand the kind of challenges that the US had to overcome, some of the issues of debate that have helped redefine the American experience of Democracy. In the process, it shall explore the terms 1) government power 2) tyranny 3) equality 4 liberty 5) rights and freedoms, in the context of the American struggle. Years of living and thriving in freedom has made it almost invisible. Few people in the modern day United States realize the modes and manner in which democracy and freedom has nurtured their individual rights and paved the way for their progress and enterprise. Going back into history, the very birth of the American nation took place due the suffocation and repression of basic human rights in the then prevalent in the British colonies of North America. It would be difficult for any student studying the st... It would be difficult for any student studying the struggle for American independence, to miss the feeling of suppression and victimization suffered at the hands of the British colonialism. The parochial manner in which the British had pursued its own interest at the cost of the welfare of it North American colony is evident in the document Declaration of Independence (pp. 2-4). The document accuses the then British Crown explicitly of tyranny, and absolute despotism (p.2). It clearly explicates the extent to which the basic rights of citizens in the British colony of North America were usurped by the British powers. It is pertinent to study this document in some detail because the founding fathers of the constitutional democracy have based their statements of declaration of independence and thus forming a union of thirteen states under the common cause of revolt against the British colonialism. The seeds of American democracy can be found in this document, and would help to obtain better understanding with this context is held in the background. The American system of democracy aimed to fortify its own constitution wherever it perceived injustice in the parent British monarchy. For example, the King had dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly and invaded into the rights of the individuals time and again, which was perceived as not only unjust and undemocratic; it also made the American democratic system stronger through a series of amendments that refined and plugged the weaknesses in the system constantly as can be understood from the document the Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10 of the Constitution). Amendment VI of the said document, specifically deals with crime and how crime shall be dealt with under the democratic law.

Rhetorical Analysis of President Obamas Inaugural Speech Essay

Rhetorical Analysis of President Obamas Inaugural Speech - Essay Example The speech feels like the fresh morning dew that soothes our doubting soul as we traverse the scorching heat and difficulty of a financial crisis. The speech intended to lift us from our debilitating skepticism about ourselves and our world to believe once more in the enduring spirit that made America â€Å"the prosperous, most powerful nation on earth†. It is a speech where all the three rhetorical concepts of pathos, ethos, and logos were astutely utilized not only to deliver a message but also to touch and affect its audience. To underscore further President Obama’s message of hope, he used pathos or emotion as a primary medium for him to get his message across and for the audience to relate to him. It is very noticeable in that inaugural address, that the word â€Å"I† was sparingly used and was only mentioned twice. First, it was only mentioned in the opening statement which was in the context of humility that he is grateful of the trust that was bestowed up on him and â€Å"mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors†.   The second time that President Obama mentioned it was in a collective context involving the audience by saying â€Å"today I say to you that the challenges we face are real†. ...He was inviting sympathy without even asking by subliminally hinting that he, a black man, suffered too just like many of the audiences yet the opportunity of America enabled him to rise above his circumstances and now bestowed a position of great honor. Subconsciously, he was playing an underdog while calling for America to rise above the challenge, to unite and to once more take the challenge of leadership. In a way, he was subconsciously saying that if he was able to be where he is right now when before blacks cannot be even served at a local restaurant, then the rest of America can also overcome the challenges that they are facing as he did. President Obama’s used of emotional appeal or pathos is reinforced by hi s own credibility or ethos. As a political leader, he is known as a man of integrity and has never involved in any compromising political situation.  

Initial Site Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Initial Site Plan - Essay Example Initial Site Plan The about us webpage will provide information specific to church and all the staff information with their email link. It is important aspect to think about interested newcomers children. This section will provide information related to kids programs such as Pre-School, Elementary, and Grade Classes, and family lodges. It is important to provide a separate section for website users so that they can easily contact. This webpage will provide contact form to website users. In addition, phone number and fax will be available in this page so that interested newcomers get answer for their queries instantly. For navigation, website user can use navigation links provided on the left of the website. Using these navigation links, the user can move from any page to any page. The link for the home page will be included in all pages so that user can return to the home page from any page. Background color (table) selected is dark red that will be selected (displayed) through graphic image. In addition, whole pages (where content will be not displayed) background color selected is Sandy Brown. The text colors are yellow (body text) and salt gray (footer, etc). The visual design elements selected complement each other. Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) will be used for consistent look across all WebPages. The main content will come from daily to daily-church activities (news, events, etc). The other content such as contact us, what to expect, kids program, and contact us that will probably not change frequently will be made after discussion with staff members of the Syracuse Vineyard Church.

Interpretation of koan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interpretation of koan - Essay Example We must realize that every being that exists has come to be, because the Universal Power willed it to. So every living being is unique and important. The power that created it will also provide for it and nurture it. Therefore, there is no need to be overly anxious about the future, and our sustenance. Our Creator will provide for us. There are many among us who are overanxious about unimportant things like how we should clothe ourselves, in order perhaps to create a favorable impression on others. We forget that being natural and simple has a greater appeal to the esthetic sense than being ostentatious. The flowers in nature in their natural simplicity are as attractive-or even more-than a king decked out in all his finery. If we are mindful of our own true natures, and remain as close to them as our Creator willed us to be, then we need no embellishment. All we need is trust and faith in the Lord that we shall be provided for. If we seek the Lord with sincerity we shall find him. Think of this-if we seek anything in life and seek it with single mindedness and in humility, we shall have what we seek. And remember the virtue of sharing. What we have is to be shared with others. We need not be greedy and crave more than our due. And if we share, so will others share with us, and our needs will be met. In Buddhism the value of poverty should not be underesti

Influence of Age on Alcohol Addiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Influence of Age on Alcohol Addiction - Essay Example Everything that happens to their individual life as they grew up is influenced by their age. Richard grew with little understanding of the world around him. â€Å"I grew silent and reserved as the nature of the world in which I lived became plain and undeniable; the bleakness of the future affected my will to study.   Granny had already thrown out hints that it was time for me to be on my own† (Wright 181). However, as he aged, consciousness started to grow deep within him, allowing him to create remarkable realization of the reality of life and the one that he is trying to follow. â€Å"I was in my fifteenth year; in terms of schooling I was far behind the average youth of the nation, but I did not know that.   In me was shaping a yearning for a kind of consciousness, a mode of being that the way of life about me had said could not be, must not be, and upon which the penalty of death had been placed.   Somewhere in the dead of the southern night my life had switched on to the wrong track and, without my knowing it, the locomotive of my heart was rushing down a dangerously steep slope, heading for a collision, heedless of the warning red lights that blinked all about me, the sirens and the bells and the screams that filled the air† (Wright 187). The above points only show that Richard’s understanding of the world around him comes with age. His realization of the things around him is a depiction of his actual response to his world which is clearly associated with his age as we could clearly see the level of his maturity in here. Thus, we have created the point that our specific response to what is happening around may have potential impact on our actual thoughts or actions, but this clearly comes with age just as the kind of thought like this of Richard when he was already at the right age. â€Å"I dreamed of going north and writing books, novels.   The North symbolized to me all that I had not felt and seen; it had no relation whate ver to what actually existed.   Yet, by imagining a place where everything was possible, I kept hope alive in me† (186). Similarly, Caroline Knapp would have never realized what an alcoholic is when she had never become one as she aged. According to her, â€Å"Craziness, dark secrets, alcoholic furies, that's how you become an alcoholic, right? It's encoded in your DNA, embedded in your history, the product of some wild familial aberration. There was always an undercurrent of moral failing in the stories I heard about alcoholics: they were unstable, unwell, irresponsible, and if they were parents, they tore through the lives of their children like tornadoes, drinking and divorcing, screaming and raging" (Knapp 28-29). The reason why Caroline actually defines this is because she had so much experience from her growing years with alcohol and she could actually associate the actual feeling involved in such a habit. Those things that influence her to gulp an alcoholic beverage, which could be more than what is substantially required, are integral components of her past growing years. In fact, there is an indication that she pre-learned everything from her father, but later was full blown when she already stood at the right age. "My father had a probing manner, an analytic intensity tempered by a vague detachment, and whenever I sensed him turns his attention to me, the feeling on my part was

Communication Theory- Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communication Theory- Article Analysis - Essay Example Through a process of self-disclosure, communication gradually moves from shallow to intimate as a function of immediate and forecast outcomes as the interpersonal relationship develops. The movement from superficial to intimate levels follows the stages of; orientation, where superficial disclosure following social norms and appropriateness are made. The next stage- exploratory affective- entails moderate disclosure on general topics, followed by the affective stage where disclosure of private and personal matters takes place. The stable stage is a plateau level in which personal things are shared and emotions predicted, while the last stage- depenetration- entails a breakdown of the relationship following withdrawal of disclosure (Greene and Burleson 693; Gibbs, Ellison and Heino 152-177). This study analyzes Daniel Chornet-Roses’ â€Å"Using Students’ Prior Knowledge to Teach Social Penetration Theory† in terms of the main purpose, hypothesis, methodology and r esults before arriving at an appropriate conclusion on the implications of the Social Penetration Theory. Analysis â€Å"Using Students’ Prior Knowledge to Teach Social Penetration Theory† Chornet-Rose (150) acknowledges that appreciating student’s existing ideas and beliefs about a given subject enhances the experiences of learning. The scholar seeks to hone the student’s skills in analyzing information, inductive reasoning and self-reflection. To do this, the scholar plans to activate the prior knowledge of the students in relationship development through letting them watch the film Before Sunset. This will be followed by introducing the students to the intended new knowledge in Social Penetration Theory. Although not expressly stated, the hypothesis tested by the scholar is that acknowledging and incorporating the student’s prior knowledge into the classroom enhances student’s learning experience and outcomes. The researcher’s sele cted method comprises of four sections. First, the students were assigned to watch the film Before Sunset at home. The second activity is an in-class one, where the students were required to informally formulate a theory of relationship development through analyzing the film. The study provides a guide towards analysis and inductive creation of the relationship development theory through asking the students to pay close attention to; the type of information shared (superficial, important, intimate); the tone of conversation (serious, friendly, cheerful, angry); non-verbal communication (proxemics, eye behavior); and lastly, the accomplishments of their communicative interaction. The third activity entails a 75-minute in-class lesson introducing Social Penetration Theory, discussing the student’s relationship development theories with SPT and how SPT may be used to discuss relationship development in the theory. In the first 15-20 minutes, the instructor presents a lecture on Social Penetration Theory, highlighting its key concepts. In the next 10-15 minutes, the students discuss and contrast their informal theories with SPT while in small groups. The remainder of the lesson involves the instructor leading the class to discuss the students’ theories in relation to SPT and relationship development in the film. The final activity entails the students writing a paragraph on how their knowledge on relationship development has developed since learning SPT. The essay assignment is given as an end-of-class or

Religion and Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Religion and Philosophy - Essay Example ThÐ µ yin yÐ °ng sign illustrÐ °tÐ µs thÐ °t Ð µvÐ µn whÐ µrÐ µ you'vÐ µ got two oppositÐ µs, thÐ µy complimÐ µnt Ð µÃ °ch othÐ µr. ThÐ µ blÐ °ck Ð °nd whitÐ µ of thÐ µ two sidÐ µs of thÐ µ sign Ð °rÐ µ oppositÐ µs, but within thÐ µ blÐ °ck thÐ µrÐ µ is Ð ° littlÐ µ bit of whitÐ µ Ð °nd within thÐ µ whitÐ µ thÐ µrÐ µ is Ð ° littlÐ µ bit of blÐ °ck. ThÐ µrÐ µ's Ð ° pÐ µrfÐ µct bÐ °lÐ °ncÐ µ bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn thÐ µ two. OftÐ µn thÐ µ yin yÐ °ng sign is usÐ µd to symbolizÐ µ mÐ °lÐ µ Ð °nd fÐ µmÐ °lÐ µ forcÐ µs. FÐ µmÐ °lÐ µ usuÐ °lly is Ð °ssociÐ °tÐ µd with thÐ µ dÐ °rk Ð °nd thÐ µ mÐ °lÐ µ is Ð °ssociÐ °tÐ µd with whitÐ µ Ð °nd thÐ µ light. In somÐ µthing thÐ °t might sÐ µÃ µm complÐ µtÐ µly mÐ °sculinÐ µ, not just in pÐ µoplÐ µ or Ð °nimÐ °ls, but Ð µvÐ µn in vÐ °rious mÐ °nifÐ µstÐ °tions of nÐ °turÐ µ or sociÐ µty or whÐ °tÐ µvÐ µr, thÐ µrÐ µ is Ð ° littlÐ µ touch of thÐ µ fÐ µmininÐ µ. Within somÐ µthing thÐ °t might sÐ µÃ µm to bÐ µ complÐ µtÐ µly fÐ µmininÐ µ, thÐ µrÐ µ is Ð ° littlÐ µ touch of thÐ µ mÐ °sculinÐ µ. ThÐ µrÐ µ is Ð °lwÐ °ys Ð ° littlÐ µ bit of thÐ µ oppositÐ µ within whÐ °tÐ µvÐ µr it is you'rÐ µ tÐ °lking Ð °bout, Ð µvÐ µn if things sÐ µÃ µm to bÐ µ totÐ °lly oppositÐ µ.

French writing Essay Example for Free

French writing Essay Aujourdhui je vais parler de Chris Dean qui est un basketteur ami ricain qui est ni le dix-huit juin 1981 dans lOhio. Di s son plus jeune i ge, il a montri son talent pour le basket-ball et na pas arri ti de sameliorer afin quil devienne le meilleur. Chris a assisti Schol haute St Mary i Akron, oi en tant que freshman premii re anni e, il becams un starter pour leur i quipe premii re, il affiche en moyenne vingt-et-un points par match et a meni une victoire record. Dean a conduit ila St Mary vicroties consi cutives et a   surnommi Mr Basketball et becams le premier joueur de St Marie i i tre si lectionni pour jouer pour les Etats-Unis i quipe premii re. Doyens stats contunued pour ami liorer jusqui ce quil soit attribui gatorate nationales joueur de lanni e et quil i tait i ce moment son nouveau surnom King Dean est devenu un aliment de base des mi nages dans lOhio. Dean a continui ami liorer sa troisii me saison il affiche en moyenne 39 points par match et asurnommi Monsieur basket pour une troisii me anni e consi cutive et a i ti si lectionni pour li quipe ami ricaine dabord un temps de unpresidented tiers. Dean a aussi joui au football ami ricain, tout au St Mary et a i ti li cole receveur i claireurs beaucoup ont dit quil aurait pu jouer la NFL sil avait continui. Dean a fait ses di buts dabord dans 2003 quand il a i? si lectionni par le Caveliers Cleavland dans le projet de joueur. Plus tard dans la saison, Dean mener la caveliers i une victoire de point de 41 et becams le plus jeune joueur i marquer quarante points dans un match. Il a i ti nommi recrue MBA de lanni e en vue de ce fait. Dean a continui i jouer pour la Caveliers pour sept saisons jusqui ce quil soit transfi ri i la chaleur de Miami en 2010 pour un record de 19. 000. 000 dollars, ce qui est la plus grosse somme jamais consacri i un joueur. Plus tard cette anni e, il a i ti surnommi joueur le plus utile MBA. Plus tard dans la saison, Dean a accompli sa plus grande riussite et a termini premier dans la ligue de MBA pour la premii re fois, en moyenne 33 points par match, i galant Michael Jordens enregistrer et i venir en avance sur le li gendaire Wade Dwayne qui a termini deuxii me avec 29 points par match. Dean est actuellement incontesti dans le haut de la table MBA ligue avec une i tonnante des points par match et 39 personnes encore lappeler roi doyen En 2011 Dean est marii? Sophie Millard et ils ont eu deux enfants. Je pense que dans la saison ivenir Dean tentera dami liorer ses statistiques encore plus et peut-i tre une moyenne de quarante points par match, battant le record de Michael Jordan du 39. Jai i crit au sujet de Chris Dean parce quil a i ti mon basketteur pri fi ri depuis quil a commenci sa carrii re et il ma inspiri pour prendre le jeu, et, ce faisant, jai accompli de nombreuses ri alisations de la mienne, par exemple jouer pour Kent club de basket, je lespi re de continuer i soutenir le doyen jusqui sa retraite du basket-ball.

Money Laundering And Its Effect On Indian Economy Finance Essay

Money Laundering And Its Effect On Indian Economy Finance Essay Money laundering is the process by which money earned from illegal activities is converted to legitimate money. Money laundering has been and is taking place all over the world which in turn is affecting the economy of world. In a growing economy like India money laundering is a growing and serious problem but is mainly confined to domestic activities that are far from being only drugs related frauds, corruption and smuggling are obvious additional ones (Lilley, 2003).The governments of various nations have been taking various measures to prevent money laundering, however countries like India which is a developing country, are still suffering with the problem of money laundering as there is a lack of general understanding related to money laundering and how corrupt business and government officials exploit this ignorance for their personal benefit. Even though money laundering has been recognised as a dangerous crime by Indian legislative councils, however the lack of general underst anding and insincerity on the governments part to enforce the laws properly, the crime of money laundering is growing and having disastrous impact on Indian economy. According to estimates put forth by international accounting firms, India is estimated to have a parallel economy of nearly 40 percent of its $600 billion Gross Domestic Product. Thats some serious parallel banking system (Singh, 2009). According to Brave (2006), money laundering is the process of turning black money into white money. In India the problem of money laundering is not just limited to hard core criminals but also other division of the society such as like politicians, bureaucrats, stock brokers etc. The Indian Media both electronic as well as print media regularly report various instances of money laundering scams involving political leaders. One of most some of the prominent politicians of India accused of money laundering are the CMs of UP, Punjab and Kerala and Jharkhand. According to news report published in Indian Express, UP chief minister Ms. Mayawati was accused of laundering money by using novel techniques in order to avoid tax payment legitimately. Huge cash donations were made in her name by people who didnt existed and by fictitious people. When a CBI inquiry was ordered it was found that most of these persons who made the donations dont exist or their financial conditions were such that the y were in no positions to donate such large amount of money to her (Sarin [online] 2004). Ketan Parekh who was a stock-broker is another well known Indian who has faced money laundering charges. He was in the news primarily for his manipulative dealings in the stock of 10 companies, which included Digital, Global Tele, Himachal Futuristic, Infosys, Wipro and Zee Tele, better known as the K-10 scripts. Following a CBI enquiry in December 2002, Ketan was arrested. He was accused of transferring the money received from the BoI pay order scam to various tax heavens around the world and finally to accounts in the Swiss Banks (Barve [online] 2006). According to Jayaseelapandian (2000) if money laundering is carried away successfully it lets the criminals to have control over their money and help them cover their sources of income thus making their illegal money rightful. Money laundering plays a primary role in achieving the desires of drug trafficker, terrorist organisations, gangs of organised criminals, inside dealers, the tax evader as well as others who wish to stay away from any kind of interest from the authorities. The primary objective of engaging in this type of activity is to place the proceeds beyond the reach of any asset forfeiture laws. As per Agarwal et al (2004), the estimated value of money laundered globally using the banking route is in excess of US$ 500 billion to one trillion per year. They further state that the global money laundering also exposes a country to attacks from terrorists, which is serious threat to any countrys integrity apart from adversely affecting a countrys economy. Also, of the estimated money laundered every year worldwide using banks, half of this amount is laundered by using US banks. As money launderers are increasingly using the banking channel for laundering process, the banks have a key role to play in restricting the outbreak of money laundering. Money Laundering is not a simple process but a complex procedure involving bankers, lawyers, car dealers, real estate builders, accountants and people, who allow their business to be used by someone to launder the financial gains of a criminal activity. As stated in the above paragraphs, money laundering is a big problem and it doesnt affect just one or two countries but is present at global level specifically in developing countries like India. India where the financial sector has just been liberalized is at greater risk as criminals and people with ulterior intentions can exploit the ever growing financial sector for their corrupt activities. This project aims at bringing general awareness among the people working in financial institution, banking sectors etc about money laundering. This aim can be achieved by studying the money laundering activities taken place in India and different countries and what measures are taken to overcome it. BACKGROUND Uribe (2003) highlights that the word money laundering came into existence in the early 20th Century, but the practice of disguising income earned from unlawful activities can be traced back to the 13th Century B.C at which time the oceans and seas were used as international trade routes. With the changing profile money laundering over the years has become more and more expensive, time-consuming method to carry out and eventually risky. According to Lloyds (1997) the word money laundering originated from one of the most famous mafia Al Capone or Scarface who created a criminal organization in 1920s in the United States as a result of to their activities such as gambling, liquor profits etc. They wanted to conceal their illegal money and to do so they opened legitimate business in another country and mixed their illegal money with the white money. He further states that in 1930s mobster Meyer Lansky gave rise to number of ways to launder money in order to hide the money earned from gambling, sale of illegal alcohol etc. He understood the significance of creating businesses, as fronts for his illegal activities as well as means to launder money. He bought a Swiss bank to transfer the dirty money through different methods such as shell companies, holding companies and offshore bank account. For carrying out illegal activities casinos are one of the most notorious business fronts. In the 1940s Las Vegas was notorious fo r being a tool of money laundering, and was fully exploited particularly by Lansky and Benjamin Bugsy Seigel. It can be said that Lansky was the first to establish modern form of money laundering and tax evasion. Furthermore, Uribe (2003) states that the concept of money laundering is certainly not new. People who undertake criminal activities for financial gain have always strived to keep all attentions away from their illegal activities and profit from their efforts. Day by day the methods of disguising money earned from illegal activity is becoming sophisticated. There are numbers of reasons for this of which some are given below. The globalisation of the financial system: In todays world technological advancements in communications and transportation have allowed the cover up of crime and its proceeds to become a much easier task. In matter of seconds money received from illegal activities can be wire transferred from one financial institution to another; Crime has gone global: It is no longer enough for enforcement authorities to be aware of what is occurring within their own jurisdiction. They must anticipate and cooperate with other authorities and jurisdictions as criminal activities can spread very fast. In addition, criminals no longer have the want to be confined to one country. They have understood that in order to avoid detection by law enforcement and local authorities it is safer for them to shift their property and business between countries. Thus as a result, international criminal organisations shift property from one country to another by taking advantage of the negligent legislation present in some countries that offers safe havens for foreigners looking to hide their money. In simpler terms money laundering can be defined as converting illicit money to legitimate money. This type of money is earned from smuggling, drugs, prostitution, gambling etc. It is the process in which the money earned from criminal activities are transported, transferred, transformed, converted into legal money to hide the actual source of income (Richards, 1999). Money laundering may involve various kinds of financial institution, multiple financial transactions, and the use of intermediaries such as financial advisers, accountants etc from different countries (Schott, 2006). The people in developing countries like India dont know what money laundering is and if they are asked about money laundering they would think it is to do with washing or drying of currency notes. Money laundering was not taken as big crime in the beginning but after the terrorist activities this has been taken as a serious issue and government have started taking action to control it (Barve [online] 2006). According to Jost et al (2002) money laundering in India can be traced way back to 1985 in the Choraria case in which the British courts convicted Choraria for trafficking of controlled drug known as heroin. Choraria was a banker who enabled payment for heroin imported to Britain illegally to be transferred to India. He had opened two legal businesses one was import/export and the other was a remittance business and part of the remittance business was Hawala. He had dealers transferring the funds in Karachi and Mumbai as part of heroin smuggling. Kumar (2003) highlights that India was one of the first countries in the world to introduce anti-money laundering legislation, way back in 1939 which was a wartime measure, in 1973 FERA (Foreign exchange control Act) came into force; more recent laws include the Foreign Exchange Management Act 1999 and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002. But despite these laws in place, it was never forced in earnest. Laws such as FERA and now FEMA are regularly used by politicians to settle political scores against each other. AIM AND OBJECTIVES The aim of this project is to bring general awareness among the people working in financial institution in India regarding money laundering and how it is perpetuated and to fill the vacuum created by lack of training and research material related to the topic. Hence creating an environment where exploiting in the situation by corrupt officials and powerful people becomes more difficult and the potential damage to the economy can be minimized. Thus the following objectives would be studied to achieve the aim . Identify and analyze the process of money laundering and also research over the origin, core concepts and the evolution of money laundering with emphasis on Hawala or Hundi. Identify the factors which are providing impetus to the crime of money laundering. Why Anti Money Laundering laws are needed. Identify and research the current AML (in brief) in place around the world. Identify and discuss regulation of money laundering laws in India Gathering domain expert views over the running practicality of money laundering laws globally in general and specifically in India. . LITRETURE REVIEW Uribe (2003) highlights that the word money laundering came into existence in the early 20th Century, but the practice of disguising income earned from unlawful activities can be traced back to the 13th Century B.C at which time the oceans and seas were used as international trade routes. With the changing profile money laundering over the years has become more and more expensive, time-consuming method to carry out and eventually risky. According to Lloyds (1997) the word money laundering originated from one of the most famous mafia Al Capone or Scarface who created a criminal organization in 1920s in the United States as a result of to their activities such as gambling, liquor profits etc. They wanted to conceal their illegal money and to do so they opened legitimate business in another country and mixed their illegal money with the white money. He further states that in 1930s mobster Meyer Lansky gave rise to number of ways to launder money in order to hide the money earned from gambling, sale of illegal alcohol etc. He understood the significance of creating businesses, as fronts for his illegal activities as well as means to launder money. Furthermore, Uribe (2003) states that the concept of money laundering is certainly not new. People who undertake criminal activities for financial gain have always strived to keep all attentions away from their illegal activities and profit from their efforts. Day by day the methods of disguising money earned from illegal activity is becoming sophisticated. Money Laundering Process Money laundering is the process of changing the source and ownership of capital and assets earned through criminal activities to a legitimate source (Great Britain, 2009) According to Hopton (2006) Money laundering can be done in many ways. It can be a simple method or a complex method which could include international businesses and investments. However, as per the law money laundering has been defined in three stages namely placement, layering and integration. Placement: As per Molander et al (1998) placement is the first step in the money laundering process wherein the money earned from illegal activities is processed in the financial system. In this process the illicit takings is most open to detection. Gilmore (1999) highlights that the main aim of this stage is to move the money from the place it has been earned so as to avoid detection from the authorities. In this stage it has the greatest risk as the dirty money is deposited in financial institutions or used to buy asset. Once the money is forwarded to the financial institution placement takes place. Furthermore, Schneider et al (2008) states that placement can be done in many ways namely primary deposit in which people know that it is the right time to put illegal earnings into a legal financial system without drawing attention of regulatory agencies. The money is separated in limited amounts so that no identification or documentation is required while depositing the illegal money. The other method of placement is by opening new bank accounts in different countries also the corrupted co-workers are used as a way to place illicit money. When money is deposited in banks abroad it helps to enter financial or economic cycle. Another way of placement is through secondary deposit wherein the illicit money is transferred indirectly in the bank system thus converting it into legal money with the help of legal person. The name of unknown individual who work for them is used to open up new accounts, buy assets, open up a company etc. Indirect placement can also be accomplished by forward displacement of the money laundering location onto life insurances, financial service provider and exchange offices Layering: According to Chaikin (2008) this stage involves separating of illegal money from its origin by involving many layers of financial transactions and transfers. As per Gilmore (1999) it is the converting of dirty money to clean money in which the cash is split through various methods which are specially designed to cover the dirty money. It helps to cover the audit trail and provides secrecy. Layering is achieved by purchasing assets of high value such as diamond or by moving money into banks abroad or by overbilling of the value of imported goods. This stage is also known as agitation stage. Moreover, Schneider et al (2008) states that due to the electronic payment system and lack of efficient criminal prosecution helps to make layering process possible. Integration: Gilmore (1999) states that this stage takes place once the layering process is successful. The money is transferred back to the launderer as clean money and is mixed with legitimate economy and financial system. Integration process is generally achieved by setting up unknown institution in places where secrecy is assured. New forms of businesses give way to integration process such as a person can open a webpage and change his dirty money to clean money by showing income from the webpage. Figure1 shows the stages of money laundering. Figure 1: Stages of Money Laundering (Source: http://money.howstuffworks.com/money-laundering1.htm) In India the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) panel suggests that the existing anti money laundering laws needs to be strengthened. They have proposed strict rules to fight money laundering activities and according to which the banks need to improve the procedure and policies for creating proper customers profile and coordinate an cooperate with regulatory and other authorities. According to the panel, to stop money laundering the banks working in India must check the sources of funds in deposit schemes offered to expatriate Indians. The banks should appoint anti-money laundering compliance officer to check and maintain profiles of customers. A data bank for suspicious transactions should be created and forwarded to banks to help them identify the method of doubtful behaviors. The anti money laundering software was launched in India on 17th of September 2003 by Infrasoft Technologies known as OMNI Enterprise, which was first software adopted by India globally (Agarwal et al, 2004). Estimating how much money is actually laundered in the United States, or any other country, or globally is extremely difficult. Money Laundering is a largely secretive happening. The exact number of launders that operate every year, how much money they launder in which countries and sectors, and which money laundering techniques they use is not known (Brigitte Unger, 2007). However, a sustained effort between 1996 and 2000 by the FATF to produce such estimates failed. In fact, no direct estimates exists of how much money passes through the financial system, whether broadly or narrowly defined, for the purposes of converting illegal gains into a non-traceable form (Peter Reuter and Edwin M. Truman,2004). John Walker (1995) was the first to make a serious attempt at quantifying money laundering and initial output. His model suggests that US$2.85 trillion are laundered globally. As per an estimate of the International Monetary Fund, the aggregate size of money laundering in the world could be somewhere between two and five percent of the worlds Gross Domestic Product. While it is impossible to state how much money is laundered every year with authority, it is estimated that US$300 billion to US$500 billion in proceeds from serious crime (not tax evasion) is laundered each year (Scott, David. 1995). Though data on the size of money laundering is scant, UK and US officials estimate that the amount of money laundered annually in the financial system worldwide was roughly $500 billion some 2% of global GDP (Quirk, Peter J., 1997). According to international accounting firms, India is estimated to have a parallel economy of nearly 40 percent of its $600 billion Gross Domestic Product (Sing h, 2009). Table 1: lists several specific estimations of the value and extent of money laundering worldwide. Publication year Estimation year Estimation of Global ML Source 1995 1995 US$100-500 billion John Walker 1998 1997 US$ 300-500 billion U.S. Department of State 1998 1998 2-5% of the global GDP Michel Camdessus IMF 2002 1998 US$ 800 billion to US$ 1.5 trillion Simon Maylam 1998 1998 US$ 2.85 trillion John Walker 2004 US$ 45-280 billion Reuter and Truman 2005 US$ 1 trillion Baker 2008 US$ 1.425 trillion AUSTRAC 2009 2-5% of the global GDP (US$ 800 billion to US$ 2 trillion) UNODC (Source: Alkaabi et al, 2010) Hawala According to Fritsch et al (2001) the Hundi system can hardly be tracked and was developed many centuries before by bookkeepers who were keen to prevent bandit attacks on transcontinental caravans. In this system the money changer takes money from its customer to transfer it to another person in a foreign city which is often done within a day. The changer calls a colleague in the receivers country to deliver the money. To receive the money the beneficiary needs only a receipt which is generally a bank note or a code word mailed by the sender. This method is guaranteed not by fixed assets but by fear. Moreover, in Hawala system Bank notes and pictures are torn in half, and one half is given to the customer and the other is mailed to the beneficiary. The two halves needs to match for the transfer to be completed (Nove, 1991 cited in Carroll, 2007) However, Lilley (2003) highlights that Hawala or Hundi is a substitute or parallel process of transferring money. It exists and runs outside of, or parallel to, traditional banking or financial systems. Hawala was established in India before the Western banking system was introduced, and is one of the most common methods used In India and around the world to launder money. This system provides secrecy as there is no paper work and is based on trust. The money is not transferred physically. In this system the client goes to the broker in one country and asks to make payment to another person in another country. The broker then calls his coworker in the destined country and asks to make payment to the recipient. As a result no paper work is done and is based on trust. The funds are physically transferred at a later stage between the brokers. Furthermore, Mirza (1996) cited in Carroll (2007) states that in the Hawala system transfer of money is confirmed through telephone, email and fac simile. This method even offers pick-up and delivery of money. Dougherty (2006) highlights that Hawala is a value transfer system which has been in use for 1200 years. It can be said as a poor mans Western union wherein they pay 1% of the value sent. It is described as informal value transfer system and is recognized as alternate remittance system. As this method of transferring fund is very difficult to track, it is estimated that $100 billion to $300 billion of money is laundered through them every year. He further states that according to Interpol, with language that leaves and error, Hawala system of remittance can be said illegal in India. As per the law in India the conception of Hawala, such as transfer of value is illegal but more than that under the jurisdiction of foreign currency exchange laws, when Hawala deal includes foreign currency it goes beyond the line of illegality. Hawala can be used in any stage of money laundering for instance in the placement stage the customer can give the money to the broker. In the layering stage the m oney can be separated from the source and leave a puzzling or nonexistence trial and in the integration stage the money transferred from one country to another is difficult to track using Hawala. Hawala system helps in converting illegal money into legal money. The word Hawala is an Arabic word which means moving of money or information from one person to another using the help of third person. This method of transferring money is not traceable by authorities as no paper work is left behind. To launder the money the profits made out of Hawala transactions are put in real estate, films etc (Devi et al, 2010). Also, Hawala is assumed to be used by terrorist to transfer assets (Fernandes, 2002). One of the well known Hawala or foreign exchange case in India was the S. K. Jain (a Hawala broker) case who was arrested in 1991. Huge amount of Indian and foreign currency, some notebooks and a diary was discovered during the searches done in his and his familys property. The diary contained the initials of high level politicians to whom large amount of money were said to have been paid illegally (Wescott et al, 2009). Furthermore, Chopra (1996) highlights that the diary which was found during the search listed a sum of $18 million that was given to the government officials. Although Hawala is illegal in India, it is the corrupt politicians who give rise to such method. Factors which are providing Impetus to the Crime of Money Laundering (Vijay Singh) Many reasons can be attributed to the rising instance of money laundering around the globe of which some are given below. No agreements for sharing tax information with other countries Availability of instant corporations Corporate Secrecy Laws as the corporate law of certain countries enable launderers to hide behind shell companies. Excellent Electronic Communication internet, mobile phones, phones Tight Bank Secrecy Laws A Government that is Relatively Invulnerable to Outside Pressures A high degree of Economic Dependence on the Financial Services Sector A Geographical Location that Facilitates Business Travel to and from rich neighbors. Increase in sophistication and employment of professional people for doing the task. The politician-criminal nexus The lack of effective control over contributions to political parties and election expenses. This enables criminal elements to use their contributions to the political process as a safe channel for money-laundering and for gaining political influence to incapacitate the intelligence and investigating agencies so that they cannot effectively act against them(Raman, B., 2009). According to Agarwal et al (2004) Money Laundering is more vulnerable in the private banking sector due to the following six reasons thus giving rise to instances of money laundering. Private Bankers as Client Advocates The main players in private banks are the bankers who are trained to serve their customers. They open up accounts and move the money around the world using secret tools and financial systems. The private bankers are encouraged by their banks to create personal relationship with their customers by visiting their homes and organizing their financial affairs. As a result of this the private bankers may feel loyal for their customers and may avoid the controls made to detect or stop money laundering. Powerful Clients The customers of private banks may use political or economic power because of which the banks become concerned to fulfill their needs and ask very few questions. Also if the customer is a government employ with control over the banks in country procedure, the bank has grounds to evade fraud. Culture of Secrecy In a private bank secrecy is maintained and one of the examples is that in Swiss banks, accounts are opened by using numbers. Also, the private banks and clients use many levels of privacy to hide accounts and transactions. They open up shell companies to hide the identity of the owner of the bank account and also open up accounts in code names. Secrecy Jurisdictions Some private banks follow business according to secrecy jurisdiction and if the banking information of the client is disclosed it may be illegal and action can be taken against it. Culture of Lax Control At the time to follow the anti-money laundering controls it is the private banker who is asked to check the enforcement of anti money laundering controls. They check the history of their prospective customers and also monitor existing accounts for any fraudulent activity. Also, they are the ones to open any new account and increase client deposits. The private bankers become the advocate for their customers and do not follow the procedure to check their transactions. They do not ask enough questions about their funds and do not record the information provided in a proper form. Cut Throat Competition As a result of competition in the private banks for clients to increase their profitability, money laundering problem is increased.

Contrast Of Roy And Orems Nursing Theory Nursing Essay

Contrast Of Roy And Orems Nursing Theory Nursing Essay Nursing is an evolving discipline in the development of science i.e. theory and research and in professional practice. We have a rich history of thought from Florence Nightingale to the recent nurse researchers, theorists and clinicians. Moreover, nursing professional practice includes integration of knowledge from the broad conceptualizations of models to the level of practice theory. The nursing theoretical frameworks serve in powerful ways as guides for articulating, reporting, recording nursing thought and action. Nurses must know what they are doing, why they are doing, what may be the range of outcomes of nursing, and indicators for measuring nursing impact (Parker, 2001). The aim of this paper is to study, compare and contrast two nursing models given by two nursing theorists who have made major contributions in the field of nursing practice. These models are; Roy adaptation model and Orems Self-care model. Introduction to the theorists, Sister Callista Roy and Dorothea E. Orem Sister Callista Roy received a bachelors degree in nursing in 1963 from Mount Saint Marys College as masters degree in pediatric nursing in 1966, a masters degree in sociology in 1975 and a doctorate degree in sociology in 1977, all from the University of California, Los Angeles. Roy first proposed her model while studying for her masters degree, where she was challenged by Dorothy Johnson to develop conceptual models of nursing. Therefore, the development of the adaptation model for nursing has been influenced by Roys personal and professional background. She had her experience as a pediatric staff nurse where she mainly noticed the children and their ability to adapt in response to major physical and psychological changes. Dorothea E. Orem was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She received her diploma in nursing from Providence Hospital School of Nursing in Washington, DC, baccalaureate in nursing from Catholic University in 1939 and masters degree in 1945 from the same university. She decided to develop her theory after she and her colleagues were given an assignment to produce a nursing curricula for practical nursing for the department of Health, Education and Welfare in Washington, DC. Between 1971 and the 1995 editions, there have been some changes in Orems theory, notably in the concept of an individual and the idea of the nursing system. Orem delineates three theories; self-care, self-care deficit, and nursing system. Focus of Roys and Orems Model Roys model was initially developed for education; however, it continued to work in research and practice settings. Roys model focuses on the concept of adaptation of man. Her concepts of nursing, person, health and environment are all interrelated to this central concept. According to her model, the person receives inputs or stimuli from both the environment and the self. Adaptation occurs when the person responds positively to environmental changes. This adaptive response promotes the integrity of the person which leads to health. Ineffective responses to stimuli lead to disruption of the integrity of the person. Self-care model was given by Dorothea Elizabeth Orem in 1970. The focus of the model is self-care, self-care agency, self-care demand, self-care deficit, nursing agency and nursing system. Self-care is a requirement of every person, man, woman and child. Self-care is viewed as function and the capability of an individual which means that the things an individual can do and able to do. When self-care is not maintained, illness, disease or death will occur. Self-care requisites result in the regulation of structural and functional integrity and human development. There are three categories of self-care requisites; universal, developmental and health deviation self-care requisites. According to Orem, there are various basic conditioning factors (age, gender, developmental state, health state and health care system, sociocultural orientation, and family system, patterns of living, environment and available resources) that can influence the categories of self-care requisites. The essence of Orems model is entirely the nurse-patient relationship. Metaparadigm of both the Models The Person: Roy described the person in terms of system and adaptation, a biopsychosocial being in constant interaction with a changing environment. She defines person as a recipient of nursing care, as a living complex, adaptive system with internal processes (the cognator and regulator) acting to maintain adaptation in the four adaptive modes: physiological (biologic), self-concept (psychological), role function and interdependence (social). The cognator controls processes related to perception, learning, judgment, and emotion i.e. psychological adjustments. The regulator functions primarily through the use of the autonomic nervous system in making physiologic adjustments. On the other hand, Orem expressed that the individual person is the primary focus in the model. People are basically rational beings who assess situations, reflect and understand them. Based on this person as agent or having agency that chooses to perform specific actions and goal directed. Moreover, in comparison to Roys model, she also indicated that empowering person helps to cope with the causes and effects which ultimately progress to the positive adaptation of an individual. Nursing: Roys goal of nursing is to help individual adapt to changes in his psychological needs, self-concept, role function and interdependent relations during health and illness. Nursing fills a unique role as a facilitator of adaptation by assessing behavior in each of these four adaptive modes and intervening by managing the influencing stimuli (George, 1995). Similarly, Orem defines nursing as a human service and facilitates that nursing special concern is a persons physiological needs for the provision and management of self-care action on a continuous basis in order to sustain life and health. However, the goal of nursing in both the theories is to overcome the patients limitation whether it is psychological or physiological needs. Health: According to Roy and Andrews (1999) health is a state and process of being and becoming an integrated and whole person. Likewise Orem (1985) sees health as an ideal when living things are structurally and functionally whole. Health can be viewed as a human adaptive system within a changing environment. Lack of integration represents lack of health. Adaptation is a process of promoting this integration i.e. maintaining physiological, psychological and social integrity. Similarly, according to Horsburgh (1999), Orem views health state as the basic conditioning factor also comprises on physiological, psychological and social imbalances most likely to influence adult self-care abilities and behaviors. Environment: According to Roy (1999), environment is all the conditions, circumstances that influences surrounding and affect the development and behavior of persons or groups. Environment is the input into the person as an adaptive system involving both internal and external factors. Any environmental change demands increasing energy to adapt to the situation. Factors in the environment that affect the person are categorized as focal, contextual and residual stimuli. Focal stimulus mostly confronts the person that precipitates the behavior. Contextual stimuli are all other stimuli present that contribute to the behavior caused or precipitated by the focal stimuli. Residual stimuli are factors that may be affecting behavior but whose affects are not validated. Orem acknowledges self-care requisites to have their origins in human beings and the environmental factors, elements, conditions, etc. Environmental factors influences health care abilities of a person and are shaped within a persons sociocultural context. Furthermore, she proposed the similar concept of Roys theory that man and environment interact as self-care system. If the system of man and environment gets change, the adaptation of self-care system will be affected. Compare Contrast of both the Models with Literature Support Identification of the underlying assumptions is necessary to internal and external evaluation of the theory which deals with logic, consistency and congruence with the practical world (Barnum, 1998). The concept of person, health, nursing and environment are well defined however there are some similarities and differences among the two models. Firstly, Roys model focuses mainly on psychological aspects of a person. She discusses about the adaptation of a man and stresses on ways of adaptation and coping mechanisms whereas Orems model focuses greatly on physiological and sociological aspects of a person and lacks psychological aspects. She talks about individualism, autonomy, self-directed and self-reliance. Moustafa (1999) also noted that Orems theory is generally accorded to the physiological and sociological wellbeing of the person, undermining the importance of mental health. For e.g., a person who is a paranoid schizophrenic will not admit that he needs help regarding his self-ca re demands and without acceptance of the self-care deficit, it will be difficult to care for the person using Orems theory concepts. Secondly, according to Roy (1999) environment is internal and external stimuli and the person receives inputs from the external and internal environments. In her earlier writing (1981) that environment is different from internal stimuli and now she viewed internal stimuli is a part of environment. However, the question arises if internal stimuli are a part of environment than how it is different from the persons adaptation level? Moreover, Roys model of nursing management specify that the manipulation of the stimuli is different from the manipulation of people however the question still remains the same can internal stimuli be manipulated without manipulating the person? It seems that the relationships of adaptation to person, health and nursing are clear however the person-environment interaction is less clear. In contrast, Orem simply proposed that the change in person-environment system will ultimately change the entire self-care system. Both the models highlight similar factors b ut the objective of both the theorists differ as in case of Orem, it is self-care whereas Roy as adaptation. Nevertheless, both the models can be interrelated as for e.g., in order to perform self-care successfully, a person needs to adapt to the internal and external stimuli or the environment. The person needs to be stress free and comfortable both physically and psychologically. Both adaptation and self-care is a behavior of a person that are influenced by various factors such as culture, personality, socioeconomic status, education, age, gender and available resources etc. Thirdly, both of these models primarily focus on individualism. None of them takes the viewpoint of family, society, or a community as a whole. However, with certain modification, the models are seen empirically tested on various age groups such as among students community, elderly, various disease specific groups etc. Roy sees person as a living complex, adaptive system acting to maintain adaptation in four adaptive models (physiological needs, self-concept, role function and interdependence) whereas according to Orem, person as rational beings who has mastery over their destiny. In other words, the individual as a person is independent to choose and select whatever they want. It is normal for the person who wants to attain optimum levels of self-care. However, this is not true at all the time; a person looking for a secondary gain from the illness may not give importance to his/her wellness. Regarding health, both of them believe that health is a state and a process for becoming an integrated and whole person. However, these models lack the spiritual and existentialist aspects of a person. These models describe nurse as a facilitator. The aim of the nurse in Roys model is to help man adapt to changes brought about during the health illness continuum whereas according to Orems model, nurse facilitates the self-care abilities of a person which is more towards the physiological needs of a person. Lastly, Orems model is somehow culturally biased. In scientifically advance culture, people believe that sickness is because of natural reason. However, some cultures believe on traditional and folk premises. Therefore, these perceptions are still failing to recognize the variety of health related cultural belief and practices. Orems theory does not explain the traditional and folk health believes even she called a scientifically advanced culture (Orem, 1991). On the contrary, Roys model talks about the persons relationship with the world and God on philosophical premises. Persons use human creative abilities of awareness, enlightenment and faith. In my judgment I feel that as an external stimuli or factor, cultural and religious believes can hinder in adaptation process. Furthermore, both the theories are very complex and have broad concepts for the practical implication. Roys model is difficult to categorize the behaviors of the person in the four adaptive modes (George, 1995). In addition, there is an overlapping of concepts definitions. Similarly, Orems self-care model is used with numerous configurations; this multitude of terms such as self-care agency, self-care demand, self-care deficit, requisites can be very confusing to the reader. Abdul (2002) also noted that Orems work is easy to explain but difficult to differentiate among numerous terminologies and hypothesis. The holistic approach of these models helps prevent putting too much emphasis on aspects of illness and allows for the inclusion of health promotion. In addition, they are easy to apply as a family center model. Both have been found very useful in inpatient and outpatient settings as well as in work settings and in the community. However, it is difficult to apply Roys model in int ensive care units where situations change rapidly (George, 1995). Moreover, the clinical research generating from these theories have health promotion application also. Nursing, when define in terms of focus ( for knowledge and practice), is a specialized health service necessitated by an adults inability to maintain the amount and quality of self-care i.e. therapeutic in sustaining life and health , even in recovering from disease or injury, or in coping with their effects through adaptation. Application of models in clinical Practice Conclusion Roys ad Orems model have greatly influenced nursing profession. The integration of both the models is not only applicable in clinical practice but also in nursing education, administration and research. These models guide nurses to use observations and interviewing skills in doing an individualized assessment of each person. It is a useful guide in nursing assessment and formulating nursing diagnosis. Therefore, apparently both the models are valuable in nursing clinical practice. Alligood and Marriner-Tomey (2002) state that conceptual or theoretical models of nurse practice are significant to the field, providing the profession with a guide to patient care and with a general frame of reference that connects the structural environment to the patterns of behavior and relationships within the organization. Nurses have a unique role to promote health in majority of the setting by utilizing these theory in acute healthcare settings, community settings, rehabilitation nursing, palliative care, in learning disability nursing etc. The goal of both the theories is giving assistance adapted to specific human needs and limitations. I suggest that the concept development of different models and analysis will contribute to further identification of functional theories in nursing. Thus, we need to continue our efforts to develop diverse types of theories and consider the advancement of the nursing discipline.

Women in Buddhism Essay -- essays papers

Women in Buddhism â€Å"The men may have started this war, but the women are running it.† In the beginning of the war, around 1941, most American women lived as their mothers previously had. Women were supposed to have jobs just until they were married and those who did work after they were married or were mothers were regarded with a sense of pity and scorn from society. In a pre-war poll, 82 percent of Americans believed a wife should not work if her husband did. A majority of Americans believed there should have been a law to prohibit it since rural and city women, alike spent about 50 hours a week on household chores alone. When the war began it became apparent that more workers were needed. However, women were among the last groups hired. Managers believed that women would take more interest in male workers than they would with the factory machines. As the war progressed and more men were shipped out for military duty, all the men that could work in the United States were so there was no other choice but to hire women. In response the need for more workers, 6.5 million women entered the work force. Factories and companies, as well as special branches of military service tried to lure women into taking jobs by comparing the housework they did everyday to the work they would be doing in their new jobs. One billboard even stated, â€Å"If you’ve followed the recipes in making cakes, you can learn to load a shell.† Women in America accounted for ...

College Success Essay -- essays research papers

Skills That Are Important For College Success University Of Phoenix Gen 300 Skills For Professional Development   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It seems in the society we live in today, having a college degree is a necessity. Years ago it was the norm for people to just go right into a full time job after high school, if they even finished high school; they did this to support their families. In today’s society a person has a difficult time getting a decent job without a college degree. During an adults working life, bachelor degree graduates will earn about $2.1 million and a high school graduate can expect to earn an average of $1.2 million (Day and Newburger, 2002). This is quite a difference and it puts a college education in perspective. With college come the skills needed to be successful. Every student who enters into a college level program needs to bring some very useful skills with them. The first is the maturity to know that college isn’t high school and the discipline level needs to be higher. The classes on a college level are more demanding and require a whole laundry list of skills. To accompany maturity would be critical thinking skills. According to Keys to College Studying a Lifelong Learner chapter 4, â€Å"critical thinking is thinking that goes beyond the basic recall of information†. The college student needs to question why something is the way it is, this is the way we learn. A college student will get more out of a subject if they question it. Why does that reference need to be cited that way? How does that formula work and will it work if I use it in this manner? A high school student takes something a teacher tells them and for the most part doesn’t question it. A college student should apply his or her critical thinking skills and pull the concept apart. When we do this we learn so much more. Time management is a key skill for college students to master. A person who can manage their schedule and personal responsibilities effectively can make the most out of a college student’s most precious resource, time (Study Skills, USF 2005). Time management goes hand in hand with goal setting. In order to effectively manage your time you need to set short term and long term goals and then link those goals to your values (Keys to College Studying, Carter Bishop, and Kravits, 2002). After we set goals we need to prioritize them to make sure ... ...lement this process in my school work. Thinking through situations instead of rushing in to finish quickly is part of my plan. I need to be more methodical at how I approach my school work and I need to be more disciplined. Discipline is probably my biggest culprit when it comes to school work. I love to procrastinate and cut corners if I can; anything to get things done faster. What I need to do is become more disciplined with my time management and if I do that I will have better control of my time. Once I have better control of my time I can start making more time for the readings that I procrastinate on. I value the college education that I am getting and I try not to take for it for granted. With the rising cost of education in this country and the importance that employers are placing on education. I plan to continue honing the skills I have learned and I hope to learn new ones to make my education that much more enjoyable. The best way I can implement my plan is to become more disciplined with the way I do it. In the future I can only hope that my son sees the value in a good education and is disciplined enough to see it through to a degree.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

History of Art Essay

Discuss the evolution of the idea of beauty through the history of art. The idea of beauty, the perfect human body, is a result of culture: religious functions, advertisements, economy, and other factors. The definition of beauty is not an inherent concept, since every age, place and social class formed its own ideal of it. This evolution of beauty is shown explicitly through the history of art. Art, in different periods, was influenced mainly by history and religion. I will discuss this transition from the Middle Ages to Renaissance, from Impressionism to Expressionism and later Cubism. I will discuss artworks by various artists such as Giotto, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Degas and Picasso. I will analyze the way they depicted their ideas of beauty, compare and contrast the concepts the artists used to transmit their ideas. Giotto Di Bondone (1266/7 – 1337) was an Italian painter and architect from Florence in the late Middle Ages. In the transitional period between Internation al Gothic and Renaissance, Giotto was among the first to make use of proportions to represent human figures. He worked on perspective and rounded sculptural forms that appear to have been based on living models rather than on idealized conventional human figure. Giotto rejected the long, elegant lines of the Byzantine style and went for a more realistic representation. He based his works on the real rather than the divine and idealistic. Painted in 1300 for the Church of San Francesco in Pisa, The Stigmatization of St. Francis illustrates stories from the life of the saint, who was a particular inspiration to Giotto. In this signed panel, Giotto uses the realistic human form, space, colour, gesture and placement of figures to tell the story in a new, human-like way. It remained for Masaccio (1401 – 1428), a century later, to expand upon Giotto’s monumental style. Masaccio applied mathematical laws in his paintings and created an illusion of space and distance. Masaccio was and still is considered a genius and is best known for the fresco of The Holy Trinity with the Virgin and St. John (1425 – Santa Maria Novella, Florence), the first successful depiction in painting of the new concept of Renaissance space. When he joined atmospheric perspective with linear perspective later that century, a greater illusion of reality was achieved. Also, his figures show weight mainly by use of drapery folds. In the peak of Renaissance, Botticelli (1445 – 1510) was one of the most prominent artists of the time, with Birth of Venus (1486 – Uffizi Gallery), being arguably one of his most famous works. It is also one of the most treasured works of the Renaissance period. In it, Venus (the Roman goddess of love, beauty, sex, fertility, prosperity and victory – Known as Aphrodite in Greek mythology), one can see the graceful way Botticelli composed the goddess. Venus is illustrated as an immaculate, pure being. Also, her nude depiction is significant in itself. At that time, were almost all paintings were based on Christianity, Botticelli was almost considered as revolutionary, as nude women were hardly ever portrayed. Furthermore, Botticelli portrayed figures having steep shoulders and long hands as he wanted to idealise the human figure. In 1492, Michelangelo undertook the study of anatomy based on the dissection of corpses. In the time of high Renaissance, Michelangelo used different methods to portray figures. As a result of his intense study of the human body, he depicted figures with extreme details, and enlargement of the muscles and tissues. This technique can be noticed through his works such as David (1500-1504), found in Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence. In the 19th century, art took a different course. This was the way towards what we call Modern art. In the 1870s, Impressionism was at its peak. Impressionists no longer focused mainly on beauty but rather preferred to focus on the nature of light. Impressionism is a style that seeks to capture a feeling or experience rather than to achieve accurate depiction. Edgar Degas (1834 – 1917) was an Impressionist who’s known for his artworks involving nudity. It is interesting that in his artworks he never seeks to make the subject identifiable. Instead he often portrays them from their backside and as they engaged in daily tasks, such as The Bathers. Later in history, a new art movement arose – Expressionism. After the horror of the First World War only practicability is important. The difference between the sexes vanishes for the first time in art history. Curves are no longer an ideal. Expressionists focused mainly on getting their message across by means of colour and distortions. This is why artworks from this period are misshaped and altered, rather than focusing on realism and beauty. Expressionism is a very explicit example of art being used as means of communication. Many consider art from the 20th century to be revolutionary, with Cubism being the result of this. Cubism was an innovative movement and was very influential to the art produced later. Being a pioneer of cubism, Pablo Picasso was criticized and his works led to controversy. Cubism involved the use of geometric shapes and this can be seen from one of Picasso’s works, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. Picasso was very influenced by the social situation at that time, were prostitution, sickness and instability were amongst the flaws of society. That is why he chose to portray the women with deformed figures, some of them even with African-like masks. Through this brief analysis of the story of art, one can see how each period portrayed beauty in different ways. It all, mainly, depended on the social situation, economy and religion at that point in time. It is clear how the conventional idea of beauty lost its control over art as we approach the present. Also, the realism and detail used in earlier stages, was almost irrelevant in more modern times. One should appreciate how art evolves according to the time and the people producing it, and how powerful it really is for the observer.