Businesses and organizations Essay

â€Å"Businesses and organizations use various types of information systems to support the many processes needed to carry out their business functions. Each of these information systems has a particular purpose or focus, and each has a life of its own. This â€Å"life of its own† concept is called the systems development life cycle or SDLC, and it includes the entire process of planning, building, deploying, using, updating, and maintaining an information system. The development of a new information system involves several different, but related activities. These activities, or phases, usually include planning, analysis, design, implementation, and maintenance/support. In other words, SDLC is a conceptual model that guides project management in information system development.†(Wikibooks) The life cycle starts with preliminary investigation which all the available information needed for the system elements and allocation of the requirements to the software are gathered. Next is the analysis of the requirements. This involves the analyst understanding the functions of the software which is required for the system based off the gathered information. Then is the system design in which the analyst designs and finalizes the best suited design for the system. The difficult step of system coding or development comes next which is where the analyst translates the design and programs into code for the computer. After the previous steps next are the testing phase where the system is testing to see if it works as intended or not. Then is implementation where the system is given to the customer and feedback is returned to insure the program works as intended. And finally system maintenance is the last step, here the analyst insures the system remains working within the proper bounds and functions appropriately and fixes any problems. I think this relates to database development in a number of ways. One is how it starts, gathering information and finding the intent of the system. Next you must plan out how to set up the database, by determining the vital information. Then comes the minor details. You set up your database fill in some test information insure it works properly and make needed adjustments. Finally you implement your database design where in it works properly you merely maintain and fix any errors. 2. Look up â€Å"Requirement Analysis† on the web. What kinds of topic headin g do you find? I found headlines like â€Å"Business Requirement Analysis†,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Software Requirement Analysis† and â€Å"Five common errors in requirements analysis (and how to avoid them)† References Wikibooks – Systems Analysis and Design/Introduction- Open book for an open world http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Systems_Analysis_and_Design/Introduction

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Man has always sort ways of dealing with conflicts and disputes among members of the society in a just and fair manner. Alternative dispute resolution is one among the conflict resolution methods which have gained much acceptance from the public in the recent years.The process involves any form of dispute resolution technique that does not follow the legal judicial process provisions of the law (Maclaury, 2005). It is however worth noting that due to the increasing acceptance of alternative dispute resolution by legal professions, some legal courts allow for its use before a case is tried.Such are viable measures in ensuring equitable justice in resolving disputes between parties. They also provide an efficient and highly cost effective way of resolving disputes. To be realized here is the fact that, of all the existing types of alternative dispute resolution methods, none is applicable to victims of capital crimes (Mareschal, 2002). The author of this paper gives a discussion on alt ernative dispute resolution, its history and the different forms or methods it takes.The author also takes a look on the alternative dispute options as accepted in the modern society and how they have influenced the process of executing equitable justice between disputing parties. History of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) The history of alternative dispute resolution is as old as the history of man (Mackie, 2001). Disagreements have always existed among people in the society. However, the modern history of ADR in the American society is evidently marked with the 1960s political and civil conflicts (Banks, 2008).Such conflicts led to the implementation of human rights laws thus giving the people legal provisions for compensation on ill treatment. This was found to increase the number of legal suits in our courts of justice, a factor which led to the popular appreciation of meditation and arbitration as viable ways of resolving dispute. This did not only ensure justice but much reduced the case load in the court system. Alternative dispute resolution techniques There are mainly four type of ADR. First is negotiation.This technique of conflict resolution involves only the type disputing parties voluntarily seeking a solution to their dispute (New York State Unified Court System, 2009). Mediation is another form of dispute resolution technique which mainly involves a third party who chairs the resolution process. It is however to be noted here that the mediator might suggest a solution to the dispute but does not have the legal/moral authority to impose it to the parties. This method is commonly used in resolving civil and ethnic conflicts within a nation or conflicts between nations.The third method of alternative dispute resolution is the collaborative law. This technique is characterized by the fact that it involves attorneys representing the disputing parties (Mareschal, 2002). The legal professionals are tied by the contractual terms signed with their c lients and thus are always acting in the interests of their respective party. Arbitration is another commonly used technique of ADR. This form of resolution process is differentiated from negotiation in that it involves a third party.Another difference of arbitration from other forms of ADR is that the third party imposes a resolution to the problem. It is due to this reason that such a technique is usually used if the disputing parties had allowed for such in their contract (Maclaury, 2005). Due to the unfairness that could arise from such imposed resolutions, it is a common provision for parties to appeal in the courts of justice. It should however be noted that there are other forms of ADR such as case evaluation, which involves evaluation of the positions of the parties by a third party.The evaluator then gives an assessment of the possible decision that could be made in the law courts. Such evaluations by a legal expert are made to influence the parties in resolving to settle t he case outside the law courts. It is still to be noted that family conferences are another ADR technique as it strengthens the mutual relationships between family members thus reducing incidences of ill-treatment among them (Banks, 2008). Courts or individual parties can select a neutral party who contacts a fact searching investigation on the dispute.This technique is mainly applied in resolving intellectual property disputes. Lastly, ADR can take a form in which an organization selects a third party who oversees the resolution of its disputes with complaints. Changes and options provided in ADR Traditional ADR techniques involved the constant physical involvement of the parties in resolution process. It has however been evident that most modern ADR techniques like meditation and arbitration allow for the founding of a resolution by the third party in the absence of the disputing parties (Banks, 2008). Another change in ADR is seen in arbitration.Traditional arbitrations involved a member of the governing authority as the third party who imposes the resolution to the dispute (Center for Democracy and Governance, 1998). However, this has changed in that modern arbitration process has a neutral commercial vendor as the third party. This party should not have strong social or political influence in the process. This avoids imposition of unfair resolutions to the disputing parties. Another change of ADR techniques in the modern society is the legal provisions for appeal by the parties in the event of failure to resolve the dispute outside courtrooms.It is however to be noted that, following the legal provisions for ADR, rules and regulations have been developed thus making the process more reliable. It is due to this reason that such dispute resolution techniques are gaining much acceptance in the public domain. Courts have evidently employed such techniques as neutral fact finding in seeking to identify the underlying facts behind the dispute. Such testimonies have a great impact in ensuring fair and just judgments in our courts. ADR has a number of options. The first is the fact that the two parties involve in the resolution process on voluntary basis (Maclaury, 2005).Even arbitration requires for a legal binding provision on the contract signing to be executed. Another option is that the parties are free to agree or disagree on the disputed matter and can seek judicial justices as an appeal. It is however to be noted that ADR resolution once agreed upon by the two parties are legally binding and violation by any party is subject to the law. Conclusion ADR has been one way of settling disputes between parties in a contract agreement. This is also applied in disputes involving neglect of a legal responsibility by one party over another.It is however to be realized that such dispute resolution techniques have gained much acceptance in the community due to the increasing respect for human rights space in the modern society. This has also be en attributed to the fact that ADR has been legally recognized by our judicial systems. References Banks, S. (2008). ADR and Litigation Involving Social Problems. Fordham Urban Law Journal, 35, 71-97. Center for Democracy and Governance. (1998). Alternative Dispute Resolution Practitioners’ Guide. Retrieved December 11, 2009, from http://www. usaid.gov/our_work/democracy_and_governance/publications/pdfs/pnacb895. pdf Mackie, K. (2001). A Handbook of Dispute Resolution; ADR in Action. New York: Routledge. Maclaury, J. (2005). Alternative Dispute Resolution. Monthly Labor Review, 128, 46-137. Mareschal, P. (2002). Introduction: New Frontiers in Alternative Dispute Resolution. International Journal of Public Administration, 25, 67-101. New York State Unified Court System (2009). Alternative Dispute Resolution. Retrieved December 11, 2009, from http://www. courts. state. ny. us/ip/adr/What_Is_ADR. shtml Alternative Dispute Resolution Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is a mean used or applied by the parties who wish to settle their disputes or differences outside courtroom. When a learning team decides to resolve disputes, disagreements or differences among learning team members, it can use optional ADR clause.The clause is normally used when the matter is not resolved through negotiation and is recommended to the team by the Centre for Dispute Resolution (CEDR). Some of the disputes subjected to ADR are: Personal confrontation, dispute over goals, disagreement over methods, means and routines, dispute expected as health interaction etc.Disputes arise when team members think only of themselves, compete with one another, criticize teammates and blame someone else for wrongdoing. Dispute is endemic in organizational life and research shows that â€Å"conflict can often be a means by which teams learn to work together effectively.† (Charles, 2001)The provisions necessary for ADR to occur  Ã‚  Ã‚   includ es: If a team member expresses dissatisfaction with the recommendation of the team, if a member expresses dissatisfaction with a decision made by the team, if a member is dissatisfied with teams' determination to solve a dispute, then they may submit the entire dispute to the ADR clause. Though ADR helps the parties to settle the disputes, for the process to work effectively then;Team members must agree to work with dispute that affect interpersonal relationships of the team and accept the dispute as it exists. Members should progressively learn how to discuss issues vigorously, handle each member and engage in arguments without feeling as if they are personally attacked.They should emphasize on dialogue between the members, avoid gossip and make sure not to expose team discussions outside.   The public policy reasons for enforcing the clause should be good.The ADR clause must go much further than coming up with a simple agreement to negotiate.The intention of the members should b e mutual and the litigation should be treated as the last alternative.   ADR need to be applied as the last resort when the team fails to reach an agreement to settle their differences.ReferencesCharles A. Cooper, (2001) Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Guide. New York: Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Company.Nancy F. Atlas, (2000) Alternative Dispute Resolution. New York: American Bar Association.

African American Heritage Paper Essay Example for Free (#2)

African American Heritage Paper Essay African (466) , Heritage (34) , American heritage (6) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints ? This paper explores the African American heritage and also identifies the significance of nurses being culturally aware, sensitive and competent when caring for people of African American heritage. Although these terms mentioned above are used interchangeably, they have different meanings. Cultural awareness is appreciating the external or material part of the culture, such as the music, arts, and physical characteristics, and dress. Cultural sensitivity is the personal attitudes toward the culture, such as not saying things that is offensive to someone from a different ethnic or cultural background (Purnell,2013, p. Cultural competence is putting it all together; by using your knowledge to provide culturally congruent care and to be able to work effectively with people in cross- cultural situations. African Americans are the second largest ethnocultural groups in the United States; however, it is one of the most misunderstood cultures. This culture is so unique because they have mixed their cultures from their different homes of origin in Africa, along with American culture. This paper overviews the history, communications, family roles, workforce issues, biocultural ecology, high-risk behaviors, pregnancy and childbearing practices, spirituality, health care practices, nutrition, and death rituals in the African American culture. It is important that nurses see themselves as becoming culturally competent when caring for African Americans, and this involves incorporating cultural desire, cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural skill, and cultural encounter with the people of African American heritage (Campinha-Bacote, 2009). 2 A NURSING METHOD TO AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE One of the largest minority groups in the United States, African Americans culture includes the various cultural traditions of different African ethnic groups. â€Å"Data from the U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census (2001) reveals that there are approximately 34,333,000 African Americans residing in the United States, representing 12. 1% of the total population† (Campinha-Bacote, 2009). They were forcibly imported into the United States as slaves from 1619 to 1860 (Purnell, 2013, p. 21). During slavery, they incorporated their culture from their homes of origin, and as a result, their culture included several cultural traditions of African ethnic groups. Many African Americans live in poverty due to discrimination and lack of proper education. Most families of African American heritage value education, but they still struggle to have equal representation in the workplace, and are more likely to work in a hazardous environment, resulting in job related diseases and illness. Due to the lower-level positions and the difficulty in achieving higher opportunities in the workplace, some African Americans continue to feel discouraged. Nurses need to address discrimination and also issues that create ethnic or racial tension in the workplace. English is the language spoken by African Americans, however, people of lower socio economical status communicate in an informal language known as African American English (AAE) (Purnell, 2013, p. 22). According to Campinha-Bacote (2009), the major problem that AAE speakers face is prejudice. Most people believe that AAE is inferior to Standard American English. As a result, African Americans who speak AAE are sometimes misinterpreted as being uneducated. Nurses should be aware not to stereotype African Americans as only speaking AAE, and also not to stereotype them as uneducated based on the way they communicate. African Americans are expressive when 3. A NURSING METHOD TO AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE communicating and often use body languages to convey their feelings. Their expressive language and body movement can be misconstrued as anger or provocation. Nurses need to be familiar with these characteristics and not misinterpret them. As a nurse, when interacting with African Americans for the first time, be sure to address them formally, until given permission to use other names, such as their first name. The African-American family has evolved over the last two decades and still continues to evolve. A person that is brought up in a traditional nuclear family is more likely to continue that tradition. Whereas, a person that is brought up in a single parent home is more likely to continue that same tradition. Although these situations are more likely, they are not always so. To provide the most competent care, the best thing for the nurse to do would be to ask the patient in a non-judgmental way about family dynamics and also ask them what they would feel the most comfortable with when it comes to decision making for their care. The nurse should then accept this decision. Being knowledgeable about this cultural group’s family values and beliefs are crucial for providing care for the African American patient (Revell & McGhee, 2012). A high percentage of African American households are matriarchal and fall below poverty level. With that being said, it is wise for nurses to make a point of including women when discussing health care issues. Nurses also should take note when dealing with homosexual individuals in this ethnic group, not to break confidence by sharing their lifestyles with others. This information can jeopardize and cause conflicts within the family and ruin relationships. Romantic relationships of the same-sex are not totally acceptable within this culture. 4 A NURSING METHOD TO AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE As in many culture, social status is important in African American community. African Americans are often met with negative atmosphere and prejudice attitudes based on their cultural background and skin color. Assumptions are made based on AAE spoken by some as an indication of unintelligence and the lack of education. These assumptions sometimes affect employment opportunities and job promotions. Nurses should be cautious not to fall into the stereotyping African Americans based on these characteristics. African American skin color ranges from light to very dark due to the combination of a gene pool of more than 100 racial strains (Purnell, 2013, p. 25). When assessing for cyanosis in dark-skinned African Americans, be sure to pay attention to the oral mucosa or conjunctiva. When assessing for pallor, note the absence of the underlying red tones that give the skin it’s glow. Lastly, when observing for jaundice, be sure to look at the sclera of the eyes, the soles of the feet, and the palms of the hands for any yellow discoloration (25). Health care is a luxury that low socioeconomic African Americans may not be able to afford. Meeting their daily needs takes priority over what they believe to be minor health issues. Consequently, diseases that could be treatable might end up being a life- threatening situation. African Americans are family orientated, because of this; some tend to initially seek medical attention from family members rather than going to a health care professional. Health care professionals need to be aware of this and work toward teaching and distributing health information via church and community centers. Most African American women are against abortion due to religious, cultural, and moral beliefs. As a result, there is a delay in making a decision until it becomes too late. 5 A NURSING METHOD TO AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE Family support is crucial for pregnant African American women. Gichia (2000) studied and found out that African American women look for role models such as older female relatives, or if they have none, they look for someone who seemed like a mother to them, such as a neighbor. These role models can provide the pregnant woman and new mother with needed support. According to Abbyad & Robertson (2011), nurses caring for pregnant African American women need to be informed about the variety of ways in which childbirth preparation can occur, as in any other group of pregnant women. Moreover, nurses need to consider the ways in which their attitudes and behaviors send unwelcoming messages to African American women seeking prenatal care or childbirth classes. These attitudes can discourage the African American woman in seeking further care. â€Å"Culturally competent care for the childbearing African American woman includes addressing all components of care including the use of complementary and alternative medicine† (Revell, 2012). The childbirth nurse that is providing culturally competent care should be aware that the perceived norm is different for every family. African Americans are spiritual and are usually affiliated with some religious order. Historically, the church has played a major role in the life of African American culture. The church is a place where they can meet on common grounds. Faith and prayer is one of the most important attributes of Christian African Americans. They believe that God has the power to heal them, and he also has the power not to. They believe that whatever happens to them is according to God’s will. Food is very valuable in the African American culture. It symbolizes health and wealth. It is derived from African descent. When food is offered to someone, it means that the person is valued; and by offering food, they are given you something that is 6 A NURSING METHOD TO AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE valuable to them. When it comes to nutrition, some African American diets are high in cholesterol and fats. According to James (2004), â€Å"African Americans will need information on basic nutrition topics such as serving sizes and reading food labels†. Nurses that work in African American communities should be involved in programs that promote healthy food choices. These programs can specifically be developed for churches, neighborhood grocery stores, and local restaurants. â€Å"Health disparities among the African-American population include life expectancy, heart disease, hypertension, infant morality and morbidity rates, cancer, sickle cell diseases, HIV/AIDS, violence, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and asthma† (Campinha-Bacote, 2009). Unfortunately, they have the tendency to see a health care professional only when absolutely necessary. â€Å" Health is viewed as harmony with nature, whereas illness is seen as a disruption in this harmonic state due to demons† (Purnell,2013, p. 33). Recognize and support your patient cultural behaviors and believes to promote healthy interactions. In addition, always provide factual information about health practices that may not be understood due to their cultural believes and cultural differences. In conclusion, it is recommended that nurses familiarize themselves with cultural specific information in order to provide cultural competent care in African American community. Nurses should consider the following question: â€Å"In caring for African- American patients, have I asked myself the right questions. † It is important for nurses to be aware of their biases and prejudices toward African Americans. In addition, they should possess the needed skills to conduct a cultural assessment while possessing knowledge of this cultural group (Campinha-Bacote, 2009). Lastly, nurses should always 7 A NURSING METHOD TO AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE have the desire to become culturally competent not just with African American patients, but any patient that has been placed in their charge. 8 A NURSING METHOD TO AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE Resources Abbyad, C. , & Robertson, T. (2011). African American Women’s Preparation for Childbirth From the Perspective of African American Health-Care Providers. Journal Of Perinatal Education, 20(1), 45-53. doi:10. 1891/1058-1243. 20. 1. 45 Campinha-Bacote, J. (2009). Culture and diversity issues. A culturally competent model of care for African Americans. Urologic Nursing, 29(1), 49-54. Gichia, J. E, (2000), Mothers and others: African-American women’s preparation for motherhood. The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 25(2), 86-91, James, D. (2004). Factors influencing food choices, dietary intake, and nutrition-related attitudes among African Americans: application of a culturally sensitive model. Ethnicity & Health, 9(4), 349-367. Purnell, L. D. (2009). People of African American Heritage. Guide to culturally competent health care (2nd ed. , p. 21-35). Philadelphia: F. A. Davis Co. Revell, M. A. , & McGhee, M. N. (2012). Evolution of the African American Family. International Journal Of Childbirth Education, 27(4), 44-48. Revell, M. A. (2012). Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the African American Culture. International Journal Of Childbirth Education, 27(3), 55-59. African American Heritage Paper. (2016, Dec 19).

Compensation and benefits management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Compensation and benefits management - Essay Example Compensation & Benefits Management An effective compensation and benefits plan is one of the most crucial human resource procedures. A well equipped compensation and benefits policy assures effective returns for an organization. There is a famous axiom according to which a person will always have to offer things to people in return for what they acquire from them, in short, give and take. Compensation refers to this trend; however in financial terms. Compensation is the employer’s reaction towards an employee’s effort. It determines the financial worth an organization offers to its workforce in return of their services. Since employees are not motivated to work merely for the money alone, they want ‘extra’. This extra can be termed as the employee benefits. It is also commonly known as the fringe benefits. Employee benefits are non-fiscal compensation suggested in addition to money for the enhancement of employee’s well being (Biswas, 2012). Contribu tion of an effective compensation and benefit system towards organizational effectiveness An effective compensation and benefit program supports to attract, encourage, and maintain talent in an organization. A well planned compensation and benefits philosophy can benefit an organization in a number of ways (Henderson, 2006). Workplace satisfaction: Through effective compensation and benefit management, workers would be content with their occupations and would be motivated to perform better if they are awarded with adequate appraisals and incentives in return of their services. Encouragement: Every individual poses different motivational triggers. Many of them are motivated by money and willing to work for companies which offer higher pay. While some consider self-accomplishments as a greater motivation for themselves and tend to work in an environment where they find greater opportunities of learning, growth and promotion. Thus, a compensation policy that targets employee’s r equirements is more likely to encourage them to work in a desired manner. Lower Absenteeism: Through an effective compensation and benefits management, employees would not want to miss any day of their work. They will be happy with the way they are paid as well as with other incentives they desire. Minimum Turnover: If the compensation and benefit management is effective enough, then the employees least want to shift the organization. Employee’s Well-being: Through offering numerous types of incentives to your employees alleviates them from specific fears. The employees will perform with more confidence (Henderson, 2006). The city’s largest employer, Holland Enterprises after facing a massive turnover rate recently, needs to have an effective compensation system comprising of few major objectives. It has to empower the organization so that it can attract and maintain talented individuals. The compensation and benefits management should encourage employees, nurture a se nse of equity and offers a reward for their efforts. The program must help, interact and strengthen the organization’s culture, norms, and long term competitive strategy. Moreover, the compensation and benefits management should develop a cost structure which determines the organization’s potential to pay its employees. Finally, it has to coordinate with state laws and policies (Idemobi and Onyeizugbe et al., 2011). In order to attain Holland Enterprise

Does a Focus on the Question of Gender Re-frame Our Understanding of Essay

Does a Focus on the Question of Gender Re-frame Our Understanding of World Politics, If So How - Essay Example This essay stresses that just as a family needs a father and a mother, so too do these two genders need to be incorporated in the social, economic and political aspects of society. We have entered an age where men and women should couple their best leadership qualities to achieve greater results. Gender roles in the ancient society had been stereotyped based on what one was expected to do according to their sex. However, gender and power determine the success derived from the opportunities received. The historical male chauvinism where men dominated the force of power in culture, society and politics is wearing out. Women have become known and more respected in areas that were male dominated. Using their femininity to convey a different aspect of power, women have made the power between men and them equal. Equality in power and gender has been attained due to great men and women of the time. This paper makes a conclusion that on a critical sense, issues relating to gender have re-framed people’s understanding of the world. We are in a new world where every race, gender, culture, ethnic and political affiliation recognises their rights and advocates for an equal treatment. Gender issues have refuted ancient philosophies that perceived women as weak sex and the male as dominants in all aspects of life. Today women have a voice. They almost equally contribute to life promoting processes as men. The old belief that the world was a ground of experimenting the strength of a gender, race, tribe or religion is drastically losing meaning.

Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Finance - Essay Example The capital structures of the companies were affected strongly since the availability of debt capital financing as well as equity capital financing declined considerably. Under influence of the financial crunch firms reduced security issuance and financial institutions reduced issuance of loans by a large extent (Fosberg, 2012). Among many consequences, the major consequence faced by the firms was in their capital structure. The defaults of mortgage loans led to significant increase in debt amount of the firm’s capital structure. Results of recent research show that between the years 2006 and 2008 the market debt ratio (MDR) of the firms increased on average by 5.5 percent (Fosberg, 2012). The financial crisis was supplemented by severe recession in the US economy which boosted the soaring market debt ratios of the firms. If the effect of recession is removed then debt accumulation of the firms solely due to the financial crisis has been found to be approximately 5.1 percent ( Fosberg, 2012). This affirms the severity of the effect of the financial crisis on debt accumulation by the corporations and their capital structure. ... n capital structure made by the financial crisis, different factors were adjusted, such as, reduced profitability of the firm that resulted from recession. Although the effects cast by the financial crisis were major, the effects of recession were also huge and put significant effects on the debt capital financing by the firms. This paper evaluates the effects of the crisis critically from the points of view of three most recognized theories of capital structure and provides explanation with the help of real examples of companies that have suffered the impacts of the crisis. Literature Review Brigham and Ehrhardt (2002) explain in their book, Financial Management, that capital structure is one of the important instruments that allow firms to maintain control of its administration. Improper capital structure might be fatal for any organization. Capital structure relates to the various components of the financial policies made by the firms regarding investment activities (Jones, 2011). It is related to bankruptcy risk that high leverage firms might face during financially instable times. While the use of more leverage magnifies returns for equity holders, the downside threat of holding a large amount debt is very high. Therefore, firms should carefully consider their capital structure in their financial policies (Gunay, 2002). Debt financing The proportion of debt financing in the capital structure of a firm differ between firms and also depend on the existing capital structure. The type of debt incurred and the extent up to which the debt is extended are decided by the factors such as the cost of the debt and its availability to the firm. Without taking bonds into consideration, debt financing can be categorized in to two types, namely, financial credits and trade

Health promotion in Hong Kong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Health promotion in Hong Kong - Essay Example ealth Service of the Department of Health (DH), the obesity rate among primary school students increased from 16.4% in 1997-98 to 21.3% in 2007-08.  Recent study states that 20.3% of the boys and 10.1% of the girls are overweight at 10 years of age and about half of this figure is noticed among the 15-year-old (10.3% boys, 6.3% girls). To encourage healthy eating habit, DH has made arrangements so that public awareness with regard to the vitality of healthy eating can be increased. Obesity is now a global problem. There is now consensus on the negative impact of obesity on physical, mental and social functions in children (Swallen KC, et all, 2004 and Reilly JJ, Wilson D, 2006). What is more, majority of the obese children stay obese in their adulthood also (Vanhala M, 1998), resulting in potential augmented hazard of adult mortality and morbidity (Rudolf MC, 2001), (Burke V, 2005) and (Karnehed N, et al, 2007). Community need appraisal was conducted before the project was instituted. Clear pictures of health issue, identification of the problems and directions for intervention were undertaken. Obesity is the foremost public health scourge worldwide in children and adults [(Flegal KM, et all, 2002), (Hedley AA, et all, 2002), (Ogden CL et al, 2002), (Sharma M, 2007)]. The occurrence and brutality of childhood obesity is considerably raising with a consequent augment in the frequency of obesity-related unwholesomeness especially those linking to obstructive sleep apnea and metabolic and cardiovascular sequelae (Tauman R, Gozal D, 2006). Avoidance of childhood obesity is a critical concern for public health in several industrialized countries and some changeover societies. Nutrition and physical activity (PA) has been the most vital study focused on obesity prevention. But the issued findings of such treatments recommended little achievement in keeping away childhood obesity (Nestle M, Jacobson & MF. Halting, 2000). Some studies also focused on dietary or/and PA

Analyzing an image Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyzing an image - Essay Example This is done through the effective manipulation of the text, use of pathos or emotional appeal and the combination of the text and message that made the advertisement irresistible to its audience. The text that accompanied the ad â€Å"life is theorizing where babies come from, and a memory foam mattress so you can sleep like one† was very deft in manipulating the viewers to be attached to the image. It basically pointed to the two cute babies who were supposed to be â€Å"theorizing† while it used the word â€Å"memory† to associate and trigger filial fond family â€Å"memory† from the audience. The text itself does not really mean anything but when it was used as a caption to a family on a bed where two babies are playing and a mother sleeping, the text suddenly assumed some depth and meaning. Now IKEA is no longer just a bed and a mattress made of wood and fabric but a place where families are conceptualized and where memories are made through the effective use of the visual text that manipulated the viewer’s emotion into liking the image and eventually, buying the product being advertised. The advertisement used pathos or emotional appeal heavily Instead of explaining in the advertisement the features of IKEA furniture which is the domain of the logos, the ad instead portrayed a family where children are playing on the bed while the mother is sleeping. This image alone is already very powerful and its emotional appeal was made more potent with the text that says â€Å"life is theorizing where babies come from, and a memory foam mattress so you can sleep like one†. In effect, IKEA is attaching its products to family making it irresistible for the audience not to be touched by the message and image of the advertisement. The text and the image complemented each other to form a very powerful advertisement that delivers a compelling message of family, good memories, comfort, coziness and cute babies. Taken

Taxation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 9

Taxation - Essay Example his study will also perform examples of calculation to demonstrate the actual effects of the tax payments on individual and limited company, considering the aspects of Insurance, capital gains and inheritance. When Sally realizes capital gain from the investment through the exercise of the share option, the capital gain ought to form part of the taxable income. Taxation exempts many specified benefits under this condition, including insurance and the application of computer and technology. The tax system operates with exemptions of certain income elements from taxable income for individual investors, which in the case of limited company, there is minimal exemption or no exemption at all. Income sources including interest, house rent and dividends are added to the income of the spouse with the highest earned income. The personal income tax will be charged a flat rate of 15% of the income per month from the earnings gained from investment (Melville 2014, p32). If sally operates in cash, she will have two alternative decisions, either to declare the entire income from the investment, or part of it, or she may decide not to declare the income of personal income in the tax return. In the case of registering a limited company, there is no decision to make on the income to declare. All the income sources including taxable income, forms part of the taxable income. The UK system of calculating corporate taxes operates on the basis of a single tax rate applying to all the taxable incomes.  The rate is decided on by the amounts of total earnings. Registration of a limited company will enable Sally’s investment to attract smaller tax rates applied to the taxable incomes lower than the minimum limit. Investment earnings between $10000 and $37000 are exempt from taxation in the individual investment, but in the limited company, the corporate tax return must contain all income elements, charged a flat rate of 15% (Melville 2014, p27). However, the company is allowed to

Are the GMO foods good or harmful to our health Research Paper - 1

Are the GMO foods good or harmful to our health - Research Paper Example Farmers are mainly focusing on cash crops modification such as corn, soybean, cottonseed oil, and canola. Genetic modification is done to help in resistance to herbicides and pathogens. Additionally, genetically modified foods are said to have a high nutrients profile. There are critics of the GMO who focus on environmental impacts and safety. GMOs are reported to damage the environment as well as violation of consumer’s and farmers right as some seeds are subject to intellectual property. Genetically engineered plants are produced in a laboratory. There is alteration of their DNA and assessments done to check whether the desired qualities are achieved. One of the most frequent modifications made is the addition to one or more genes to the plant’s genome. After the production of the desired plants, the producers register for approval so that they can test out in the fields (Skinner & Liang, 2004). GMOs have changing relationships to foods. Some GMO foods are consumed processed to remove its protein and DNA while others are consumed unprocessed. Other are used to generate unmodified foods. Animal and plant relationship differ in all aspects. GMO foods are associated with some advantages in either the consumption or production. They are created with the aim of providing products at lower prices and with significant benefits in terms of durability or nutritional value. The developers of GMO seeds desire that their products will remain acceptable to producers and the developers are concentrating on innovations that will directly benefit farmers. One primary reason for producing GMO is to improve crop protection. The GMO are aimed at raising crop protection through the introduction of diseases resistant crops caused by viruses and insects or plants that tolerate the herbicides (Duvauchelle, 2014). One of the reasons why people like GMO foods is because of their pest resistance. Crop losses from insects have

Fossil Essay Example for Free

Fossil Essay Kosta had noted the recent success of Swatch fashion watches and was aware that watches and other goods could be imported from the Far East at very low cost. On a visit to Hong Kong, Tom studied a number of potential products for import including toys and stuffed animals before following Kosta’s advice and returned to the U. S. to develop a watch import business. Enlisting the aid of two friends, Lynne Stafford for her sense of design and Alan Moore who had a master’s degree in accounting, he invested his savings of $200,000 to found Fossil as a Texas corporation in 1984. Fossil’s initial purchase of watches from a Hong Kong manufacturer included some retro and jumbo designs that Macy’s thought were â€Å"hot,† and significant orders followed. A design staff was developed that included watch buyers from retail chains. Inspiration came from many sources. , however: the strongest was â€Å"retro† themes from the 1940’s and 50’s. Designers paged through magazines from this era, including Life, Look, and Time, and visited flea markets searching for old watches. Between 1987 and 1989 sales grew from $2 million to $20 million, assisted by liberal credit from the Hong Kong manufacturers of Fossil watches. One sector included conservatively styled time pieces including brands such as Citizen and Seiko. The second sector included products designed to reflect emerging fashion trends and included Swatch, Guess? , Anne Klein and Anne Klein II, and Fossil. This segment was fueled by fashion-conscious consumers who considered watches as fashion accessories and often owned multiple watches. Branded fashion watch sales were estimated to represent approximately $400 million in retail sales in 1990. Major Competitors Fossil’s major competitors were Swatch and Guess?. Although market share data were difficult to obtain, it was generally believed that Fossil and Guess? had nearly equal market shares and that Swatch had slipped to third in recent months. Numerous other considerably smaller competitors existed including Anne Klein, Anne Klein II, and Gucci. Swatch Although quartz watch technology had been developed in Switzerland, by the late 1970’s the Japanese companies’ Seiko, Citizen, and Casio and the United States’ firm Texas Instruments exploited production improvements and economies of scale to drive prices down. Strategic use of the manufacturing experience curve led to an oversupply of quartz watch movements and a severe price war. Many competitors were driven out of business with Casio, Hong Kong producers, and a few other firms surviving in mass market watches, and Seiko and Citizen in the moderately priced segment. The Swiss watch industry was under severe attack at the low and mid price points, and both unemployment and losses on bank loans were increasing. In 1978, the Swiss government agreed to provide up to one-third of the costs or a maximum of Sfr. 5 million for a venture of the leading watch manufacturers to develop a Swiss electronic watch program. Additional financing was supplied by banks, who wrote off existing loans and provided hundreds of millions of francs of new capital, and a group of investors who paid $100 million (Sfr 151 at the time) for a 51 percent share. The consulting firm of Hayek Engineering was hired to lead the effort to revive the lower-priced segment. This venture produced a number of new patents and developed both new watch and watch manufacturing technologies, along with the ability to design and manufacture watches efficiently at low cost. The resulting firm, Swiss Corporation for Microelectronics and Watchmaking (SMH) included the existing brands Omega, Longines, Tissot, and Rado in the moderate and fine watch segments. N. Hayek and E. Thomke led efforts in the low priced segments that resulted in the Swatch manufactured by SMH’s ETA division. Development of the Swatch began in 1980, resulting in a product launch in 1983. The manufacturing process was highly automated using robots and computers in the manufacturing and assembly processes. The watch had been designed with only 51 parts, instead of the usual 90 to 150 parts in other watches, had an ex-factory price of Sfr15. Parts were injected directly into the plastic case which was sealed by ultrasonic welding. This process was highly capital intensive, leading to direct labor costs of less than ten percent of total costs. The manufacturing process permitted a wide variety of dials, cases, and straps: however, variations in the shape and size of the watch case were quite difficult. One plant could produce up to 35,000 watches a day. Swatch was test marketed in the United States in December 1982 at 100 Sanger Harris department stores in Dallas, Salt Lake City, and San Diego without any advertising or public relations. Although consumer reactions were mixed, Swatch was officially launched in Switzerland in March 1983, followed by a gradual worldwide release. A second U. S. test market in December 1983 through the Zale jewelry chain and Macy’s was not successful. Swatch made extensive adjustments throughout their marketing program, and by 1985, U. S. sales accelerated. In 1986, a worldwide single price of $30 for most models was set and sales accumulated to over 50 million units worldwide by 1988. The 100 millionth Swatch was sold in 1993, when the price of a basic Swatch was $40. In 1992, SMH had combined sales for all brands of $2. 1 billion, producing $286 million in profits and a market equity value exceeding $3. 5 billion. Banks had encouraged Nicholas Hayek to assume a 20 percent equity ownership in the mid-80’s, a successful arrangement for both. Fifteen thousand employees worked in plants in Switzerland and Thailand producing semi-conductors, watches, movements, batteries, and straps. Guess? In 1983, Philip â€Å"Mickey† Callanen acquired the worldwide license to manufacture and market watches with the Guess? name. Investing $40,000 of his personal funds, he opened business in his garage, sourced watches from Hong Kong, and shipped for the 1983 Christmas season. Growth continued through the 1980’s at over 20 percent annually. In 1991, Callanen Company was acquired by Timex, expanding distribution to Japan, Australia, France, England, Germany and Canada and providing Callanen an additional source of watch technologies such as Indiglo dial illumination. In 1993 Callanen marketed both Guess? watches for men and women and Monet watches for women. Guess? represented 85 percent of the $80 million shipments (3 million watches) in 1992. The Guess? product line included 250 to 300 styles including classic, fashion, sporty, multi-function, chronograph, novelty, and metal bracelet watches. About 20 percent of the product line was revised seasonally four times a year. Guess? watches had a suggested retail price between $42 and $115, using department stores as the major retail outlet. Fifteen percent of Guess? sales were in international markets. Additional products included watch bands and private label watches for Disney, Hard Rock Cafe, Limited Express, Macy’s, and others. Virtually all Guess? watches were designed and manufactured at Guess? ’s partly owned manufacturing facility in Hong Kong. The 270 employees included a design staff of 19. Callanen’s business offices, warehouse, and watch repair facility were located in Norwalk, Connecticut, and they had a showroom in New York City. Manufacturing and Sourcing About two million, or eighty-five percent of fine watches sold worldwide, were manufactured in Switzerland in 1988, making Switzerland the largest value producer with sales of $4. 9 billion (96 million watches) in 1990. Most other watches were manufactured in the Far East, with the major exception of Swatch, which was manufactured in a highly automated factory in Switzerland. The development of the Swatch and its robotic factory was credited with saving the Swiss watch industry. Japan was the world’s largest producer in terms of units, with 325 million units, representing 44 percent of the world’s production in 1990. Hong Kong, relying on assembly by hand, produced 175 million watches in 1990, and was expected to produce 340 million, or one-third of the world’s watches in 1993 (Table 6). Due to Hong Kong’s focus on low-priced watches, this represented only nine percent of the total value of watches produced. Fossil chose to assemble watches in Hong Kong, using components from Japan, China, Taiwan, Italy, and Korea. FOSSIL IN 1993 Business Strategy Fossil’s initial public offering prospectus defined their business strategy as: â€Å"Brand Development. The Company has established the FOSSIL brand name and image to reflect a theme of fun, fashion, and humor, and believes that the FOSSIL brand name has achieved growing acceptance among fashion-conscious consumers in its target markets. Product Value. The Company’s products provide value by offering quality components and features at moderate prices. For example, the Company’s FOSSIL watches, which offer features such as raised indexes, enamel, textured, shell or semi-precious stone dials, gold electroplating, and fine leather straps, are sold at an average retail price of $63. Likewise, the Company’s RELIC watches, which incorporate a number of features offered in FOSSIL watches, are sold at an average retail price of $42. Fashion Orientation. The Company ifferentiates its products from those of its competitors principally through innovations in fashion details, including variations in the treatment of watch dials, crystals, cases, and straps for the Company’s watches and trimming, lining, and straps for its handbags. Expansion of International Business. The Company is seeking to achieve further growth in its international business through the establishment of a joint venture to operate a European distribution center, the establishment of a branch office in Canada, and the recruitment of new distributors in selected international markets. Introduction of New Product Categories. The Company may leverage its design and marketing expertise to expand the scope of its product offerings through the introduction of new categories of fashion accessories that would complement its existing products. Active Management of Retail Sales. The Company manages the retail sales process by carefully monitoring its customers’ sales and inventories by product category and style and by assisting in the conception, development, and implementation of their marketing program. As a result, the Company believes it enjoys close relationships with its principal customers, often allowing it to influence the mix, quality, and timing of their purchasing decisions. Close Relationships with Manufacturing Sources. The Company has established and maintains close relationships with a number of watch manufacturers located in Hong Kong. The Company believes that these relationships allow it to quickly and efficiently introduce innovative product designs and alter production in response to the retail performance of its products. Coordinated Product Promotion. The Company coordinates product design, packaging, and advertising functions in order to communicate in a cohesive manner to its target markets the themes and images it associates with its products. Personnel Development. The Company actively seeks to recruit and train its design, advertising, sales, and marketing personnel to assist it in achieving further growth in its existing businesses and in expanding the scope of its product offerings. Cost Advantages. Because the Company does not pay royalties on products sold under the FOSSIL and RELIC brand names and because of cost savings associated with the location of its headquarters and warehousing and distribution center in Dallas, Texas, the Company believes that it enjoys certain cost advantages which enhance its ability to achieve attractive profit margins. Centralized Distribution. Substantially all of the Company’s products are distributed from its warehousing and distribution center located in Dallas. The Company believes that its distribution capabilities enable it to reduce inventory risk and increase its flexibility in meeting the delivery requirement of its customers. (Fossil, 1993, 23-24) Manufacturing Fossil East, a 35 employee subsidiary of Fossil (owning 20 percent interest), acted as Fossil’s exclusive agent, buying all of Fossil’s watches from approximately 20 factories located in Hong Kong. In 1992, about 21 percent of these watches were purchased from Pulse Time, a Hong Kong corporation in which Fossil held a minority interest. Three other factories each accounted for more than 10 percent of Fossil’s watches. The company felt that developing long-term relations with suppliers was essential to its success. While the loss of any single manufacturer could disrupt shipments of certain watch styles, it would not impact their overall marketing program. Leather goods were manufactured in 12 factories located in Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, and Uruguay. Fossil believed â€Å"that its policy of outsourcing products allows it to achieve increased production flexibility while avoiding significant capital expenditures, build-ups of work-in-process inventory, and the costs of managing a substantial production work force† (Fossil, 1993, 27). Products Fossil’s flagship products were the Fossil watches introduced as a brand in 1986. Handbags were introduced in 1991 as the first entry into the leather goods market. Watch Products Watches represented 98. 1, 96. 4, and 92. 5 percent of sales in the years 1990, 1991, and 1992 respectively. Following the Fossil brand, Fossil introduced the Relic brand, Fossil watch straps, and private label products. FOSSIL Watches: Fossil states its â€Å"watches are targeted at middle and upper income consumers between the ages of 16 and 40 and are sold at retail prices generally ranging from $45 to $110, with an average price of $63† (Fossil, 1993, 25). RELIC Watches: The Relic brand shared many of the features found in Fossil watches but in a format suitable for lower priced fashion watches. Relic watches â€Å"are targeted at lower and middle income consumers and are sold at retail prices generally ranging from $40 to $50, with an average price of $42. † Fossil Watch Straps: Watch straps were targeted at customers who bought Fossil watches; however, they could be used with a wide variety of watches. They were priced from $13 to $15. Private Label Products: Fossil provided private label watches for retailers and other customers. Leather Goods Following the introduction of Fossil handbags in 1991, small leather goods such as coin purses, key chains, personal organizers, wallets, and belts for women were introduced in 1992, accounting for about five percent of sales in 1992. The handbags emphasized classic styles and creative designs, including a tan and black binocular bag, a green and tan drawstring sac, and a natural color military ammunition pouch retailing from $48 to $130, with an average price of $87. Fossil felt that since women’s leather goods tended to be located near women’s watches in department and specialty stores, purchase of one Fossil product might lead to another. They also felt that they were price competitive. Design and Development The design staff sought to â€Å"differentiate its products from those of its competition principally by incorporating innovations in fashion details into its product designs. † These included variations in the treatment of dials, crystals, cases, and straps for the company’s watches and trimming, lining, and straps for handbags (Fossil 1993, 26). Fossil’s watch lines included Airmaster, Casual, Chronograph, Dress, Limited Edition, Pyramid, Crystal, Skeleton, and Vintage watches. About 500 different styles were available at any given time, with new designs offered five times a year. Over 1,000 models were available in 1992. Design prototypes of watches were created in Hong Kong in as little as a week, and lead-time from committing orders to shipment ranged from two to three months. Fossil believed that its close relationships with manufacturers gave it a competitive advantage in quickly introducing innovative product designs. Promotion Fossil made use of an in-house advertising department for design and execution of packaging, advertising, and sales promotions. Company executives felt that extensive use of computer-aided design reduced time and encouraged greater creativity in developing these programs. The company’s stated advertising themes â€Å"aim at evoking nostalgia for the simpler values and more optimistic outlook of the 1950’s through the use of images of cars, trains, airliners, and consumer products that reflect the classic American tastes of the period. These images are carefully coordinated in order to convey the flair for fun, fashion, and humor which the Company associates with its products† (Fossil, 1993, 28). A sundial watch sold over 250,000 pieces at a retail price of $16. Fossil developed cooperative advertising programs with major retail customers and developed in-store visual support through its packaging, signs, and fixtures. Consumers were offered promotional items, including unique tin boxes as watch packaging, T-shirts, caps, and pens. In ten locations, Fossil opened a â€Å"shop-in-shop† format including a wide variety of Fossil products and promotional materials. With greater emphasis on product design, retailer relations, and promotion, Fossil conducted advertising limited to spot television in local markets since 1989, national spots since 1991, outdoor advertising in four markets, and occasional ads in Elle, Mademoiselle, Vogue, and Seventeen. Distribution and Sales Force The majority of Fossil’s products were shipped to its warehouse and distribution center in Dallas. A significant number were bar coded prior to shipment for entry into a computerized inventory control system, which enabled Fossil to track each item from receipt to its ultimate sale. Products were distributed to approximately 12,000 retail locations in the United States including department stores and specialty retail stores. In 1991 and 1992, department stores accounted for about 67 percent of net sales. (Table 8 provides data on watch distribution by price and retail channel. ) Fossil’s ten largest customers accounted for 40 percent of sales. The largest customers were Dillard’s and the May Company, each accounting for from ten to thirteen percent of sales. Other principal customers included Carter Hawley Hale Stores, Dayton Hudson, Federated Department Stores, JCPenney, Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Service Merchandise. Although the industry typically used independent sales representatives, Fossil made use of 25 in-house sales and customer service employees and 12 independent sales representatives. In-house personnel received a salary while independent sales reps worked on a commission basis and did not represent competing product lines. International sales in 1990, 1991, and 1992 were 5. 6, 7. 2, and 8. 1 percent of net sales, respectively. Sixteen independent distributors operated in Europe, South and Central America, Africa, and Australia. These distributors resold watches to department stores and specialty retail stores. Fossil received payment in U. S. dollars based on a uniform price schedule. Financial Strategy Fossil had started out as a â€Å"bootstrap† financed firm. Personal income and savings from Tom Kartsotis’ ticket-brokering business had provided the initial capital for the operation, and the company had further financed operations by the creative use of trade credit and bank loans. With sales growing rapidly, Fossil’s expansion needs exceeded what it could raise internally. To sustain sales growth, Fossil needed a substantial increase in working capital. Fossil’s ability to continue to fund itself with debt capital, given their exposure to volatility in the fashion product market, was questionable. An initial public stock offering (IPO) which would provide access to capital needed to expand Fossil’s working capital base and fund additional sales growth, was managed by Montgomery Securities of San Francisco. While not uncommon, IPO’s of less than $20 MM involved transaction costs that many viewed as being too high to justify the offering. A critical decision that needed to be made was what proportion of the ownership should be issued.

Alumni Essay Example for Free

Alumni Essay GENERAL BACKGROUND Information system (IS) is the study of complementary networks of hardware and software that people and organizations use to collect, filters, and process, create, and distribute data. The study bridges business and computer science using the theoretical foundations of information and computation to study various business models and related algorithmic processes within a computer science discipline. Computer information system (CIS) is a field studying computers and algorithmic processes, including their principles, their software and hardware designs, their applications, and their impact on society while IS emphasizes functionality over design. Any specific information system aims to support operations, management and decision making. In a broad sense, the term is used to refer not only to the information and communication technology (ICT) that an organization uses, but also to the way in which people interact with this technology in support of business processes. Some authors make a clear distinction between information systems, computer systems, and business processes. Information systems typically include an ICT component but are not purely concerned with ICT, focusing instead on the end use of information technology. Information systems are also different from business processes. Information systems help to control the performance of business processes. Alter argues for advantages of viewing an information system as a special type of work system. A work system is a system in which humans and/or machines perform work (processes and activities) using resources to produce specific products and/or services for customers. An information system is a work system whose activities are devoted to processing (capturing, transmitting, storing, retrieving, manipulating and displaying) information. As such, information systems inter-relate with data systems on the one hand and activity systems on the other. An information system is a form of communication system in which data represent and are processed as a form of social memory. An information system can also be considered a semi-formal language which supports human decision making and action. NEED OFINFORMATION SYSTEM Information systems help provide structure and access to information. Since libraries build, manage, and maintain information systems, librarians and LIS students are often propelled onto the front lines of interactions between library users and technology. But what do librarians need to know to best meet their patrons needs? Information expert Ratzan uses plain language, humor, and everyday examples like baseball and arithmetic to make sense of information systems . He also explores their characteristics, uses, abuses, advantages, and shortcomings for your library. Fun exercises and appendices are provided to illustrate key points in the book and measure understanding. You can be a technophobe and still learn about systems and subsystems to represent, organize, retrieve, network, secure, conceal, measure, and manage information. This expert sourcebook addresses both theoretical and practical issues, and is complete with exercises, examples, terms, and charts that help clarify concepts to make your information system a success. ADVANTAGES OF INFORMATION SYSTEM Information systems have significantly transformed the way business is conducted. In todays society it would be pretty difficult to find an organization that does not use some form of technology, automation or information system to help run its operational and daily transactional processes. Computer technology has become so highly integrated in the business environment it is often hard to remember a time when organizations operated without it. The benefits technology offers are very valuable and this is the primary reason why many businesses opt to invest in information systems. Increased Productivity When automation takes over some of the burden of the more mundane and routine tasks, the rapid speed increases productivity. In addition employees are free to work on other important tasks that require human thinking. The time computer information systems frees up also gives both management and their staffs the ability to have time to brainstorm and come up with new and innovative ideas since the burden of some of the everyday tasks are lifted. Less Redundancy and Better Data Integrity Computer information systems can be programmed to have amazing ability to eliminate duplicates, point out inconsistencies and merge data together to make it more manageable. This heightens the ability for higher degrees of accuracy and efficiency. Data integrity means the data is more reliable due to the capabilities of automation. Inputting data into information systems where it can be sorted, filed and processed is highly efficient. Long gone are the days of filing cabinets, missing papers, misfiled documents and other important details. If information is needed, all it takes is a few clicks of the mouse or a few works typed in and all the information immediately pops right up. Instead of having separated computer systems for different parts of a business, modern information systems allow systems to be streamlined. No longer do different staff members have to input and file the same information for their own purposes and needs. Instead data goes into one central place and IT personnel set up user privileges which are typically on a need to know basis and employees can access which areas of the information system they need to perform their jobs. Initially investing in computer information systems is a large investment, but when strategically planned through proper system analysis, the investment in information systems can pay off handsomely over the long term. The key is to think of the organizations mission, objectives and overall business plan and ensure the implemented information system meets these goals. With proper planning a company can simultaneously maximize profit while decreasing overhead costs. The possibilities of using information systems in business are endless. While  there are some challenges to overcome when making the transition to new kinds of automation, with strategic thinking, good technical planning and an overall willingness to embrace change through technology, there are many terrific advantages of integrating information systems in any organization. ALUMNI INFORMATION SYSTEM Alumni information system is an example of web application which is under the information systems. It helps an academic institution in tracking its alumni. Also, it helps the alumni to communicate with the institution through the use of the internet. It also helps the alumni to get updated with the latest news and upcoming events of the institution. This application can easily be accessed through the use of the internet which will be very useful to the alumni because they can keep in touch with the institution even if they do not visit the school. This application can be very useful especially to those alumni who are now living abroad because they can still get connected with their fellowmen and the institution. Nowadays, computer has infiltrated all the aspects of our society. The computer is most likely one of the great technological mechanism for future change. It can now simply make our works easier and lighter. With this great thing it won’t be more useful without the computer’s software. Software is a generic term for organized collections of computer data and instructions, often broken into two major categories: system software that provides the basic non-task-specific functions of the computer, and application software which is used by users to accomplish specific tasks. SCOPE OF THE PROJECT WORK A website requires attractive design and proper arrangement of links and images, which enables a browser to easily interpret and access the properties of the site. Hence it provides the browser with adequate information and functionality about the organization, community, network etc. This sites use to view information of alumni, job vacancy details. The current happening information showing in the page. The alumni are old students are registering their information in the  department. Here the department organizing the any activities is inserting in the site. This web site is totally full of information and details of person joined with that institute. This project is to modify, add store data of each and every individual. ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION Introduction A to Z Computech is one of the foremost technical and well experienced Computer Institute. It offers Diploma Courses, Higher Diploma Courses, Post Graduate Diploma Courses, Certified Courses, Individual Courses, Project Works, Implant Training, Soft Skill Training, Web Designing, and Software Development in various streams and Aims to provide Quality Computer Education. The Institute was established in June 1996 in Chennimalai, headed by J. Senthil Kumar, The Managing Director, and a visionary with 18 years of experience in the Field of IT. The Institute was certified by International Standard Organization (ISO 9001:2008). A to Z Computech aim to provide superior Computer Education in convivial and artistic environment with disciplined, Dedicated and Corporate regulations. Vision Vision is to bring up the computer skills, Innovative ideas and talents of each and every individual student from rural area and make them to participate in team for the Development of our nation. By providing Quality, time bound and cost-efficient Computer Education. Mission [The ultimate goal of A to Z Computech is to have its own identity in the Computer Training industry as a most trusted trainer in all aspects and a one stop solution for high quality, time bound and cost effective Institute. A to Z Computech is committed to maintain 100% student’s satisfaction by certain values Deep Integrity Ensuring Code of Conduct. Precious Timekeeping Highest level of Training Potential Leadership with an Energetic Team Sufficient Infrastructure for anytime Expansion Continuous Growth 100% Success Leadership and Team A to Z Computech are an Institute with diverse talents skills. Our Institute offers a Job Oriented Courses, College Project Works (All UG PG Courses), In Plant Training in which talented, creative motivated students can be employed by us. A to Z Computech dont just acknowledge hard work achievements; A to Z Computech reward it groom it. A to Z Computech have an experienced team of ambitious, vibrant, young professionals having ability to update with latest trends requirements of students. A to Z Computech teams passion is to take challenges and to deliver to Students expectations. ORGANIZATION OF THE PROJECT REPORT This project report is subdivided into six main chapters and some appendix. Chapter I â€Å"INTRODUCTION† includes the introduction about information system, need of information system, advantages of information system, alumni information system, about the organization and organization of the project report. Chapter II â€Å"SYSTEM ANALYSIS† includes description of the Existing System and proposed system. It’s employed to provide a systematic proposed method and principles to achieve the objectives of the report. Chapter III â€Å"SYSTEM SPECIFICATION† includes hardware and software requirements, front end and backend details. Chapter IV â€Å"SYSTEM DESIGN† includes system and data flow diagram, module description, database, input and output design. Chapter V â€Å"TESTING IMPLEMENTATION† includes testing plan and schedule, implementation details. Chapter VI â€Å"CONCLUSION FUTURE WORK† includes the conclusion and general evaluation of the project and suggestion of the future work.

Effects of Earthquakes on Humans and Environment

Effects of Earthquakes on Humans and Environment Earthquakes can have disastrous effects on humans and on the environment. An earthquake is the result of trembling, rolling and vibration of the ground triggered by the sudden release of energy that is stored below the surface of the Earth (Ford 2004). A scientific instrument called a seismometer is used by scientists to record, and measure strengthens of earthquakes (McNally 2007). The intensity or the size of an earthquake is measured by a number called the magnitude. Actually, earthquakes occur in everyday and everywhere and as a result, the estimate by scientists for each day is that more than thousands minor earthquakes happen without triggering any physical damage and mostly they are imperceptible. Earthquakes frequently occur in the following countries: China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran, United States, Japan, and the Philippines. In these regions there are a lot of earthquakes and also they have numerous volcanoes. There are three main causes of earthquakes: tectonic plate move ment, human activities, and volcanic eruptions. 2. Background Earthquakes destroy property and cause death. On July 28, 1976, there was a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in the city of Tangshan (Rosenberg 1997). The strength of the earthquake was recorded by a scientific instrument called a seismometer, also known as a seismograph. It is an instrument that can detect and measure the ground motion from an earthquake (McNally 2007). At 0342 local time, the earthquake hit Tangshan and over a million of people were sleeping. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people were killed and many people were reported missing and presumed dead. There were a lot of people were badly injured. Tangshan is located in Northeastern China Å’an area devastated by earthquakes. The earthquake was so strong that it triggered infrastructure collapse including houses, schools, shops, heath clinics, roads, railway station, factories, and bridges. The people in Beijing also felt the tremors. A lot of people lost their lives because most their houses were completely destroyed . The city of Tangshan is being rebuilt nowadays by its citizens. 3. Causes 3.1 Cause 1: Tectonic Plate Movement The main cause of earthquakes is tectonic plate movement. The crust of the earth consists of many pieces called tectonic plates. There are plates along the outer layer of the earth which are floating on the molten magma under the crust of the earth. (Ganguly 2008) The convection current in the molten magma drive the plates to move inside the earth. They move continuously until they pass through each other. When the two plates meet together, they start to push and rub each other but they are not moving. After a while, the pressure beneath builds up and keeps on rising. Once they cannot contain the pressure, it will be expelled. This sudden release of energy and the strength of the plates cause the ground shake and the two plates start to break. (Why do earthquake happen? n.d.) For example, on December 26, 2004, an earthquake hit the Sumatra, Indonesia where the Indian and Burmese plates in India Ocean are broken and one plate is moved across the top of the other plate. (Magnitude 9.1- Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra 2008) The region that breaks on the crust is known as a fault which usually can be seen on the surface of the earth. The point where earthquakes begin and break the plates underground is known as focus and above the focus, on the surface of the earth is called the epicenter. During plate movement, one plate gets submerged into the molten magma and another plate is moved across the top of it. This plate rises up due to the heat of molten magma. The plates keep on moving until they get stuck against each other. Most earthquakes take place on the edges of the plates where one plate is forced further into the earth crust while another plate is moved across the top of the submerged plate. 3.2 Cause 2: Human Activities Another contributing factor to earthquakes is human activities. There are many human activities that cause an earthquake. Building skyscrapers is a good example that may cause an earthquake. Many engineers and scientists are concerned about the types of buildings in construction. Skyscraper Taipei 101 with the height of 508 meters which is the worlds tallest building. According to the geologist Cheng Horng Ling (2005), from the National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 101 may cause an earthquake because the 101-storey skyscraper is built the stress on an earthquake fault. An ancient earthquake fault may reopen as the stress from the buildings exerting on the ground increases. Besides that, the injection of fluids in the mountain or into the crust of the earth also triggers earthquakes. A long time ago, the main purpose of humans injecting fluid was that the injection was the best way to dispose of toxic waste. For example, in the Rocky Mountains where there is a place for waste disp osal. (Madrigal, A 2008) The injection of fluids into deep wells causes changing of the stress of the underground and the stress can generate an earthquake. Furthermore, the release of pressure when extracting oil and natural gas can also cause earthquake. 3.3 Cause 3: Volcanic Eruptions In addition, volcanic eruptions can also cause earthquakes. Normally, earthquakes are very active in areas of volcanic activity where they can either occur on their own or with the eruption. (Presnell 2002) Most of the time, the earthquakes triggered by the eruption of volcanoes are within ten to twenty miles around the volcanoes. In order to release the huge pressure that builds up by the molten magma underneath the earth crust, it always tries to look for an opening or an area that is fairly weak. (Ganguly 2008) Therefore, areas that have active volcanoes accompanied by volcanic activities are always prone to the earthquakes because the pressure builds up by the magma has surpassed the limit that earth crust can sustain. If a volcano eruption produces acidic lava then it can be predicted that there will an earthquake with the strongest magnitude. It is because acidic lava will solidify once it contacts the air and block the volcanos vents so that pressure cannot escape. As a result , pressure is developed inside and the resultant explosion can be destructive and destroying, producing an earthquake of significant magnitude. 4. Transition Statement Having looked at the causes of earthquakes, its main effects will be discussed in the following. The effects can be in terms of social, environmental and economic. An earthquake can bring great impacts to the society. It is an unbearable scene as people die in the aftermath of earthquakes and leaving their love one to suffer from their death. Some of natural disasters like tsunamis and landslides can be triggered by earthquakes. Earthquakes can also have disastrous effect to the countrys economy. 5. Effects 5.1 Effect 1: Social Impacts One of the biggest effects of earthquakes is the social impact on survivors. Earthquakes have short term impacts as well as long term impacts. The short term impacts can be seen in the aftermath of earthquakes. We can see thousands of people dying and many corpses. The 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, China, for instance, caused tens of thousands of deaths and hundreds thousands of people were injured. (Magnitude 7.9-Eastern Sichuan, China 2008.) A powerful earthquake can destroy buildings, factories, shops, roads, bridges and schools. These cause many people to become homeless. Furthermore, earthquakes can cause disruption to public services like transport systems and communication connections. (Earthquake n.d.) Worst of all, survivors face a lack of drinking water because water pipes burst and water supplies are contaminated. In the cases of long term social impacts, thousands of children became orphans as their parents are killed in the earthquake. Most of the parents are depressed and the town lost a generation because their children were killed in schools that collapsed. 5.2 Effect 2: Environmental Impacts There are also environmental impacts. A tsunami, for instance, is produced by an earthquake. Tsunamis are tidal waves that are caused by the sudden movement of plates under the sea floor during an underwater earthquake. (What are effects of earthquakes? n.d.) This wave can move swiftly a long way across the ocean. (Effects of earthquakes n.d.) When a large scale of tsunami hits the seashore area, it can trigger enormous erosion as well as destroy buildings in its path. Worst of all, people will also be washed away by the tsunami. For example, on December 26, 2004, a tsunami hit some nations around the Indian Ocean and caused hundreds of thousands of deaths. Earthquakes can cause landslides. It is very dangerous especially for buildings in unstable area on hillsides or mountains where soft soils can be liquefied by the tremors of earthquakes. During an earthquake, buildings can fall down hills with soil and bury people under the soil. People will be buried alive. In addition, aftersho cks are also effects of earthquakes. Aftershocks are small tremors which disperse it to other places and other people can feel it after the main shocks of an earthquake. For instance, in Penang, Malaysia, there are no earthquakes, but when an earthquake happened in Sumatra it was so great that even Malaysians living in Penang experienced aftershocks. (See 2006) 5.3 Effect 3: Economics Impacts Apart from social and environmental impacts, earthquakes also have negative effects on a nations economy. Governments have to be responsible for the damage caused by earthquakes. As we can see, earthquakes cause infrastructures to collapse, reservoirs dams, shops, and hospitals are devastated after an earthquake. (Earthquake n.d.) Governments have to spend sizeable amounts of money to rebuild the place. Earthquakes also cause spending of the capital to distribute food and medicine to victims. Markets in particular may be disrupted and this causes uneasy trade. Furthermore, investors whose money is in that particular area for development may decide to withdraw. Once the investors withdraw the investment in the particular country, it will a cause loss of job opportunities as well as the countrys income diminishing and an unstable of economy. 6. Conclusion In conclusion, earthquakes are hard to predict and can happen any time. Tectonics plate movement, human activities and volcanic eruptions are 3 of the causes of earthquakes, whose effects can be felt socially, environmentally, and economically. As we can see, prevention of earthquakes is absolutely impossible, so, suitable action to reduce injury and death is of uttermost importance. Some safety action should take place, such as evacuation and safety build structures to resist earthquakes. Some countries, such as the United States and Japan carried out research about public buildings designed to resist earthquakes. (Moleworth 2008) The results are that the whole building will move to and fro without trembling. It is very important to have this facility in earthquakes zones as damage and lives are at risk. (1775 words) References Bignerds. 2008. Earthquake. http://www.bignerds.com/essays/Earthquake/1237.html (accessed October 6, 2008) Earthquake. n.d. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/platetectonics/earthquakesrev3.shtml (accessed October 13, 2008) Effects of earthquakes. n.d. http://www.olympus.net/personal/gofamily/quake/effects.html (accessed October 21, 2008) Ford, R. 2004. Glossary. http://resweb.llu.edu/rford/docs/VGD/GSLVT/gslglossary.html (accessed October 21, 2008) Ganguly, P. 2008. What causes earthquakes? http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-causes-earthquake.html (accessed October 17, 2008) Madrigal, A. 2008. Top 5 ways to cause a man-made earthquake. http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/06/top-5-ways-that.html (accessed October 29, 2008) Magnitude 7.9-Eastern Sichuan, China. 2008. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2008ryan.php (accessed October 13, 2008) Magnitude 9.1-Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra. 2008 http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/ (accessed October 13, 2008) McNally, K. 2007. Earthquake. http://www.nasa.gov/worldbook/earthquake_worldbook.html (accessed October 13, 2008) Molesworth, C. 2008. Pacific builder and engineer. http://www.acppubs.com/blog/1210000521/post/260034826.html (accessed October 27, 2008) Presnell, W. 2002. What causes earthquakes? http://www.essortment.com/hobbies/causesearthquak_tsjl.htm (accessed October 21, 2008) Ravillious, K. 2008. Skyscraper that may cause earthquakes http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2005/dec/02/naturaldisasters.climatechange (accessed October 6, 2008) Rosenberg, J. n.d. Tangshan: The deadliest earthquake. http://history1900s.about.com/od/horribledisasters/a/tangshan.htm (accessed October 21, 2008) See, B and S. C. Looi. 2008. Tremors felt in Penang. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/2/20/nation/20080220191502sec=nation (accessed October 13, 2008) The Free Dictionary. n.d. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/aftershock (accessed October 30, 2008) What are the effects of earthquake? n.d. http://www.usgs.gov/faq/list_faq_by_category/get_answer.asp?id=197 (accessed October 30, 2008) Why do earthquake happen? n.d. http://www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/why.html (accessed October 17, 2008)

An Analysis of Wilburs Mayflies Essays -- Wilbur Mayflies Essays Poet

An Analysis of Wilbur's Mayflies      Ã‚  Ã‚   Richard Wilbur's recent poem 'Mayflies' reminds us that the American Romantic tradition that Robert Frost most famously brought into the 20th century has made it safely into the 21st.   Like many of Frost's short lyric poems, 'Mayflies' describes one person's encounter with an ordinary but easily overlooked piece of nature'in this case, a cloud of mayflies spotted in a 'sombre forest'(l.1) rising over 'unseen pools'(l.2),'made surprisingly attractive and meaningful by the speaker's special scrutiny of it.   The ultimate attraction of Wilbur's mayflies would appear to be the meaning he finds in them.   This seems to be an unremittingly positive poem, even as it glimpses the dark subjects of human isolation and mortality, perhaps especially as it glimpses these subjects.  Ã‚   In this way the poem may recall that most persistent criticism of Wilbur's work, that it is too optimistic, too safe.   The poet-critic Randall Jarrell, though an early admirer of Wilbur, o nce wrote that 'he obsessively sees, and shows, the bright underside of every dark thing'?something Frost was never accused of (Jarrell 332). Yet, when we examine the poem closely, and in particular the series of comparisons by which Wilbur elevates his mayflies into the realm of beauty and truth, the poem concedes something less ?bright? or felicitous about what it finally calls its 'joyful . . . task' of poetic perception and representation (l.23).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this poem about seeing from the shadows, the speaker?s revelations are invariably ironic.   What could be a more unpromising object of poetic eloquence than mayflies, those leggy, flimsy, short-lived bugs that one often finds floating in the hulls of rowboats?   Yet for Wilbur... ...vocal statement about the ?organic? possibilities of poetry than optimistic readers might have expected. ?Mayflies? forces us to complicate Randall Jarrell?s neat formulation.   Here Wilbur has not just seen and shown ?the bright underside of? a   ?dark thing.? In a poem where the speaker stands in darkness looking at what ?animate[s] a ragged patch of glow? (l.4), we are left finally in a kind of grayness.  Ã‚   We look from darkness into light and entertain an enchanting faith that we belong over there, in the immortal dance, but we aren?t there now.   We are in the machine-shop of poetry.   Its own fiat will not let us out completely.    Works Cited Jarrell, Randall. ?Fifty Years of American Poetry.? The Third Book of Criticism. NY: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1969. Wilbur, Richard.   ?Mayflies.? Mayflies: New Poems and Translations.   NY: Harcourt Brace, 2000.

Swiper as a Trickster :: essays research papers fc

Dora the Explorer is one of many of the new shows for the next generation. This is a cartoon with various settings, depending on the adventure of the day. Dora is a girl that is bilingual and has a magic backpack and a monkey named Boots as a friend. She is always helping someone get home and/or out of a jam. Dora and Boots have traveled in time and to far away lands to help. Like most kids shows of today, it is an educational show that teaches Spanish words and counting. There are also the lessons on comparison, sharing, and compromise. The lessons are hidden within the show and not jammed down the viewer’s throats. Interactivity is strongly promoted. Swiper is used to help teach the morals of right from wrong. In Dora, Swiper plays the role of the trickster. Swiper is a fox that wears a mask and gloves, like a common thief would wear. Swiper is a traditional trickster in several ways. Swiper displays several characteristics of a trickster as defined by Hynes. He is a fox, which is a common animal to be a trickster. He is very selfish as he disrupts what Dora is trying to accomplish for no reason than to annoy her. Swiper is always seen alone and doesn’t join in with others. Most of the time the tricks he plays on Dora and Boots backfire on him. In the episode Three Little Piggies, Swiper tries to steal the blue ribbons that the three pigs have won. He is stopped by Dora and her friend Boots, saying ‘Swiper, no swiping† three times, but he scares the three piggies and they run away causing problems. While trying to round up the three piggies, Swiper keeps throwing Dora off the trail of them by disguising the way to go. According to Hynes â€Å"his lying, cheating, tricking, and deceiving may derive from the trickster being simply an unconscious numbskull, or at other times, from the trickster being a malicious spoiler† (35). Swiper is a malicious spoiler as he tries to interrupt whatever Dora is doing for no good reason other than to amuse himself. Dora and her friends, saying â€Å"Swiper, no swiping†, foil him. Swiper always responds to the â€Å"Swiper, no swiping† with an Oh, man! He hangs his head while saying this. In one episode that he tries to delay Dora crossing a bridge but falls in the river himself.

Les Miserables :: essays research papers

Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo, starts out with Valjean saying how he is 19 years old and a thief. The novel goes through his whole life. It explains the many conflicts he faces. But mainly it shows how he tries to escape his past during the French Revolution. Valjean was not a very wealthy man. He stole a piece of bread because he was hungry. He got tried and committed as if he had done a major crime and served 5 years in prison. He ended up doing 19 years of hard labor because he had tried to escape and failed. After he got out he had no where to go. A forgiving bishop decided to take him in. He feeds him and gives him clothes and shelter. Even after all that the bishop has done for him, Valjean steals silverware from the bishop. Once the bishop found out it was him who had stole it, the bishop tells the police that he gave it to Valjean, so Valjean could get off. After this Valjean decides to shape himself up. He sold the silver and moved to a town up north. He gets a job and he tries to start a life. Not only did he change his name, but he becomes a changed person as well. He eventually becomes mayor of this town. However, his past comes to haunt him. A police officer, which goes by the name of Javert, followed him to this town. Javert accuses another man of being the thief, so Valjean, being a changed man, turns himself in to save an innocent man. Eventually, Valjean escapes. When he is out he meets this woman Fantine, who is a prostitute. She is very sick and Valjean helps nurse her. On her deathbed, Fantine asks Valjean to take care of her daughter who is now owned by a money hungry family. Valjean agrees and buys her daughter, Cosette, from this family. He then takes her and all of the money he has left and flees to Paris. The novel then moves to 9 years later. This is during the French Revolution. Cosette is now a young adult. She meets a student revolutionary named Marius. Javert, the police officer, is trailing Marius. That brings Javert back on the trail of Valjean. Once again, he can not escape his past. Cosette and Marius fall in love and plan to wed. Les Miserables :: essays research papers Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo, starts out with Valjean saying how he is 19 years old and a thief. The novel goes through his whole life. It explains the many conflicts he faces. But mainly it shows how he tries to escape his past during the French Revolution. Valjean was not a very wealthy man. He stole a piece of bread because he was hungry. He got tried and committed as if he had done a major crime and served 5 years in prison. He ended up doing 19 years of hard labor because he had tried to escape and failed. After he got out he had no where to go. A forgiving bishop decided to take him in. He feeds him and gives him clothes and shelter. Even after all that the bishop has done for him, Valjean steals silverware from the bishop. Once the bishop found out it was him who had stole it, the bishop tells the police that he gave it to Valjean, so Valjean could get off. After this Valjean decides to shape himself up. He sold the silver and moved to a town up north. He gets a job and he tries to start a life. Not only did he change his name, but he becomes a changed person as well. He eventually becomes mayor of this town. However, his past comes to haunt him. A police officer, which goes by the name of Javert, followed him to this town. Javert accuses another man of being the thief, so Valjean, being a changed man, turns himself in to save an innocent man. Eventually, Valjean escapes. When he is out he meets this woman Fantine, who is a prostitute. She is very sick and Valjean helps nurse her. On her deathbed, Fantine asks Valjean to take care of her daughter who is now owned by a money hungry family. Valjean agrees and buys her daughter, Cosette, from this family. He then takes her and all of the money he has left and flees to Paris. The novel then moves to 9 years later. This is during the French Revolution. Cosette is now a young adult. She meets a student revolutionary named Marius. Javert, the police officer, is trailing Marius. That brings Javert back on the trail of Valjean. Once again, he can not escape his past. Cosette and Marius fall in love and plan to wed.

Love for Your Country

I don't love my country. In fact, I fail to see how it is possible to love my country. Now, I live in America, and, from somebody who's traveled a bit, it's not too bad here. The streets are fairly clean, one is free to say more or less what one thinks (outside of school, of course), and the standard of living is fairly high. So, I like living in the US. However, I could never love America. Loving your country is a bit like loving your race, or loving all those who follow your religion: it feels nice, but it's wrong. America is simply another country. It has its fair share of nice, kind folks. It has its fair share of misers. Fully half of its population is UNDER the average intelligence, as in any other country. Fully half is above the average intelligence, too. Just because you happen to live here doesn't make you in any way superior, or in any way special. Or, for that matter, it doesn't make you in any way inferior to anybody. It doesn't mean that you may not be special, or intelligent, or whatever, it simply means that you're not any of those things just because you're American. Being proud of being American is like being proud of being Christian: how can you be proud of that? If you want to be proud, be proud of your achievements! You've taught yourself quantum physics, that's a reason to be proud. Your artwork just sold for a whole bunch of money, that's a reason to be proud. You have just learned to read Kanji, that's a good reason to be proud. However, being proud because you can wave a cross or a specific flag? Being proud of where, exactly, your house is located? Where's the sense of that? You have no impact on America. You don't, in any significant way, affect it. Were your vote to count for a hundred votes, you'd still not affect the country one whit. Therefore, why be proud of something for which you're not responsible, of something that you haven't created or affected? Call me stupid (odds are some folks will anyway), but I don't get it. I'm not saying to hate America. That's as nonsensical as loving it. What I'm saying is: why have feelings for a giant chunk of land? Why care for a particular government? Love nice people, if you will. Be proud of belonging to Mensa, if you want. Those are things you can, and should, be proud of. But being proud of belonging to a giant organization for which there are no requirements, other than that you be born there? If your self- esteem is THAT low, I'd recommend you talk to psychiatrist, not write to your congressman.