Financial ratios analysis Essay

NoCarb Limited Ratio Analysis will cover four ratio groups: Liquidity, Profitability, Activity and Financial structure ratios, in order to have a better understanding of company financial position. Liquidity ratios Measure the organization ability to satisfy its requirements for cash to meet its obligations based in its current assets. Cash is very important to keep company’s operations running. A failure to do that could lead the company to major problems, even a risk of bankruptcy. Nocarb current ratio has improved in 0.44 (1.48 – 1.04) from previous year (2013), this is basically due to the increase of inventory levels and the conversion of receivables to cash. Quick ratio has decrease only in 0.02 (0.37 – 0.35); not a significant variation. Quick ratio does not consider â€Å"Inventory†, which in this case is not a good idea to omit it, because we do not know how much divers are Nocarb’s products. We only certain about inventory being made up of soft  drinks. Profitability ratios To measure profitability performance, we are going to analyse profit margin and ROA ratios. Alternative Profit margin indicates the percentage of profit we get from each dollar of sales. In the case of Nocarb has increased in 0.96% (16.24 – 15.28) with respect to 2013. Soft drink industry profitability depends more from the volume of sales rather than the high profit earn from each unit. This industry is completely different from, for example High Tech industry, where volume of sales is small but with a high rentability per unit or service. There is a significant decline of 1.22% (4.61-3.22) in the ROA ratio (also known as ROI). This value indicates that Nocarb is losing efficiency at the moment to generate profit. We need to analyse activities ratios to have a better picture of Nocarb financial position. Activity (turnover) ratios From Note 2 we can see that Inventory level s have constantly increased since 2012. It is not a surprise that â€Å"days in inventory† has increased from 285 days to 760 days. This indicates that Nocarb have serious problems with the associated cost of keeping high level of inventory like insurances, obsolescence, handing and warehouse renting cost. This is also reflected in the drop of sales from 59860 in 2013 to 43014 for this year. Nocarb sales on credit. Therefore is important to analyse â€Å"days in debtor† indicator, which indicate how long it takes for Nocarb’s customers to pay their debts. We can see that it is taking longer for customers to pay their bills from 285 days in 2013 to 760 days this year. If this becomes a tendency Nocarb can be in risk of running out of cash, necessary for daily operations. This also indicate that Nocarb it is over financing its customers. Financial structure ratio After analysing Nocarb’s liquidity and activity ratios, which indicates a poor performance, we need to measure the borrowing level of Nocarb. â€Å"Debt to Equity† will help us to see how risky this company is. Debt to Equity ratio has significantly decreased from 294.53% in 2013 to 178% this year but it is still a high level. A ratio of 178% indicates that Nocarb assets are financed mostly with debt, making Nocarb more vulnerable to any fluctuation  of interest rates. Conclusion Soft drink industry is a mass production industry. We assumed Nocarb does not have a unique product as most of its counterparts. This industry relays in high levels of sales, maximum inventory turnover and minimal levels of inventory to reduce costs. Profit margin ratio is not a good indicator for Nocarb due to the low profit margin per unit; usual for mass production industries. Nocarb has serious problems with high levels of inventory and its associated additional costs. This situation is a result of the decline of sales and the increase of inventory, more probably financed by debt as â€Å"debt to equity† ratio indicate. Nocarb need to redesign its Sales and Marketing strategies. Review its supply chain and inventory strategies. Review its Credit Policies and promote Cash sales. Also needs to be very care full with its borrowing/debt level.

Child care level 2 unit 1 assingment Essay

?D1: Describe the purpose of ONE setting that is statutory provision for each age range . Nursery school is for children aged 3-5. The purpose of this setting is to the children learn how to socialise, learn different shapes, different colours, objects letter and numbers. Primary school is for children 5+. Primary school will prepare an education for children in future life. In Primary School children will get the understanding about the world, they will learn how to work with different people and help children from begging antisocial. The curriculum in Primary School is children have to learn the main subjects like: English, Maths, Science etc. The purpose of having Primary School is to give the same opportunities and right to every child, and settings from government are free, so parents will not have to pay for the children education. D2: Describe the purpose of ONE setting is a different type of provision for each age range. A purpose of having a provide child-minders is provide that they can come and take care of children at home when child’s parents are working full time from morning to evening and don’t have time to take care of the children all the time take them to school or be for them at home. Child-minders are not statutory setting so parents who want a child-minder will have to pay for their service. Child-minders will run as a company or business and they not receive any financial help from the government, so they taking money from the parents who hire one of the child-minders. Child-minder is for different age range. D3: Describe the work of a professional or an agency working with children. A professional person who works with children is a speech therapist. Speech therapist is for children in all age range. Speech therapist is there for children who have difficulty, producing words, and using speech, a difficulty of understanding and using language. The role of speech therapist is to help a child how to producing words, and how to producing sounds and syllables so that the listeners can understand what the child is saying. D4: Describe how to keep information about children and they families confidential. Confidential information about children and they families should be kept private and safe so no not permitted people should be able to have a use to those files. The files should be kept in a system with password and the password should only know the manager of the setting and the head teacher, the information can be also be kept in a folders in a locked cupboard where the access should have also the manager and the head teacher. As a practitioner I cannot talk about children and a staff outside the setting, I will be also ask to live the staff room or any meeting if there is confidential information the staff will discuss. I am only a practitioner and I’m not part of the staff so I’ll not be allowed to be part of some meetings. D5: Explain how to prepare to work in a placement with children. To work in a placement with children you need to attend on time, attend on every day of your placement days, be polite to parents and children and to staff you’re working with, listen, take notes and learn about the setting, bring your own note book, and show enthusiasm to learn. Remember about your clothing to wear when attendance the setting, easy to wash clothing as you will be play with children with paint and other resources that can make your clothes dirty look also what the staff is wearing and just wear the similar clothes do not wear any large branded t-shirts with messages or slogans or short skirts or dresses as you will be getting down to play with children and bending over, try to look smart but comfortable, sometimes the setting would give you an uniform to wear, do not wear high heels to the setting as you can hurt a child , standing on the fingers or toes, and you will wear that shoes all day so it’s important to wear comfortable shoes to the setting you can also check if you can wear a trainers , do not wear a party make up as you will not be taken seriously and the natural look make you look more grown up, don’t wear a long jewellery as child can accidently pull and rip or with too much rings on your hand you can scratch a chil d with it. Remember also about your personal hygiene keep your clothes clean and fresh every day that will help to prevent any infection spreading over the children, your hands, nails , skin and hair should be kept clean as well so you will not spread any bacterial to children and staff, long hair should be tying it back , as it comfortable and also prevent you from getting lice or spreading them out over the setting and also make you look tidy. D6: Give TWO different ways in which you can show that you understand the importance of valuing each child as an individual. All children should be treated the same you need to think about each child as an individual and treat them with the same value when you treat one child differently, this is not allowed and it’s called Favouritism, when working with children this is showing discrimination in a setting which is not allowed, other children will feel sad and pushed away that also make children to have a low self-esteem and confidence. To treat children equally you may sometimes provide different activities or adapt resources. Make activities to meet individual children’s needs, listen to children and give them attention when they need it. For children from different countries you can ask them to prepare something from the countries like Christmas cards or any type of card and after all show it to the class . Every child is different so you will meet their needs differently. Observe the children and make the activities from the child interests and stage of development. D7: Show an understanding of diversity and inclusive practice.

Culture Practice Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Culture Practice Paper - Essay Example Maya civilization was first established in the pre-classic period. It reached its peak in the classic period and continued until the arrival of the Spanish in the year 1525. At its epitome, it became one of the richest cultures in the world. Maya civilization and Mesoamerican civilization are quite similar due to cultural diffusion and interactions within the societies. Maya civilization helped in the development of famous cities such as, Tikal, Copan, Altun Ha and many others. Maya civilization had intensive agricultural practices with corn as the staple food. Historical anthropologists assert that religion rather than sciences was almost part of every life in Maya civilization. Therefore, more than 40 cities states had temples and pyramids for warships until the fall of Maya civilization in the year 1542. Anthropologists have identified religion, the cosmic tree, the sacred time, deities such as (male/female, old/young, human/animal) language, public life among others as some of the cultural themes in Mayan civilization. Each of these cultural terms played greater roles in the development and peaceful existence of the society. Therefore, these cultures were highly valued to the extent that societies could not do without them. The Mayan society therefore made it necessary to preserve them. Religion, one of the cultural practices in Maya civilization played major role in shaping the society. The fact that religious kings were at the top most level of hierarchy gave religion an upper hand in Maya civilization. For instance, taxation and law were viewed as religious practices, though they were in the civic administrative docket. Other religious aspects were realized on the time factor. The Maya Shaman would interpret the time cycles and give them a prophetic outlook on the past or future within the views of their prescribed calendars. In many cases, the gods would be appeased if by any means the shaman -prophesy would spell

Crime and Justice law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Crime and Justice law - Essay Example The influence of judiciary starts from the point of conviction of an offender or a violator to the sentencing as well as their rehabilitation, if required. Let us now discuss about the UK judicial system, observing the proportionality and authenticity of its sentencing law. It is a known fact that UK does not have a written constitution. That gives it the space for its flexibility, which leads to the huge number of amendments; every amendment is deeply correlated with the judicial decisions on the substantial cases. Hence, as far the UK judicial system is concerned, it does not only hold the responsibility to convict and decide the case but it is also responsible for its manipulative decision on a case which reflects in the policy making Take for example, the R v Templecase, the Court of Appeal held that a basis of plea should normally be expected to set out the facts, different to those in the prosecution papers, on which the defendant is prepared to admit his guilt.   The court c ommented adversely on placing undue reliance on an unsigned basis of plea and drew attention to the importance of the guidance in the case of R v Underwood that recommended on the use of the responsibility for alerting the prosecutor to areas of dispute rests with the defense.1 In addition, as a result of the case R v H and Others, it was decided and regulation was made that if a defendant wishes to be sentenced on a basis which is not agreed, the prosecution advocate should invite the judge not to accept the defendant's version unless he or she gives evidence on oath to be tested in cross-examination.   In such circumstances the defence advocate should be prepared to call the defendant and, if the defendant is not willing to testify, subject to any explanation that may be given, the judge may draw such inferences as appear appropriate.2 Judicial system of UK Having a vital responsibility given to the court, it has to be approachable to a quality decision making simultaneously nee d to maintain a companionate relation with public. The judicial system needs to provide security to both physical as well as psychological fear emerged due to frequent violence. Hence, the judicial body has the duty to segregate the categories of level of crime and criminals, followed by its conviction and decision for the required sentencing. Further, the duty binds the body to design a secure rehabilitating plan for criminals, so that the general public will be safe from reoccurrence of violence from the convicted criminals. To establish the proportionality of the English sentencing law we need to explore its previous sentencing system. Let us take the example of R v Reynolds and others3.   In this case, the prosecuting advocates were made aware of the impact of statutory provisions simultaneously avoid wrong judgment. The prosecution advocate may also offer assistance to the court by making submissions, in the light of all these factors, as to the appropriate sentencing range. To secure obedience with the above mentioned responsibilities, the prosecutor is required to prepare a plea and

MINE KAFON Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MINE KAFON - Essay Example This toys would at time get lost, or get blown away to the desert among the land mines. It would be too dangerous to get them back. The landmines would often cause accidents and fatal injuries to kids that would go play near them. Mine Kafon is a device almost the height of a man. The devise has weight of approximately seventeen kilograms. It has got an iron case which is surrounded by lots radiating bamboo legs. Each of this has a circular plastic float at their tipping. Inside the Mine Kafon there is a ball that has a GPS unit. The GPS device usually maps the geographical locations where the device has been. This data of where the device has been is made available in exact time which is accessed through the internet. Global positioning system (GPS) tracker is a garget that uses positioning system to locate the exact location of an automobile, a person or another asset to which it is attached and to regular position recording of the asset. It does this, at regular time intervals. The recorded information is usually at the tracking unit within the system, or the data may be transmitted to a data base at a central place or location. Consequently the data may be connected to internet connected to a computer using a satellite modem in the system. Usually this will allow the garget geographical location is displayed against the map back drop. This technology of global positioning system is available for smartphone gargets which have GPS capability. The GPS system normally has GPS module which receives GPS signal and calculate the particular coordinates of the system. In the case of data loggers the system large memory capacity to efficiently store the coordinates. Data/ information pushers contains GPS modem to transfer this information to a computer either through SMS or though GPRS via IP packets. The GPS observation system the live temperature and 6/s time log decreases the monitoring intervals and provides accurate temperature data. Live observation

Electronic Health Record, Information Site Paper Essay

Electronic Health Record, Information Site Paper - Essay Example With the urban hospitals more keen and committed in the adoption of EHR, it is of great essence that the rural hospitals take over the same trend. In as much the costs of upgrading the health records in the health facilities are considerably higher; all the concerned parties must be geared towards improvement of the same. The electronic health records systems (EHR) have been credited for their ability to address the most tasking aspects that affect the healthcare system amongst them being the quality of services being offered to the citizens. The Healthcare Financial Management Association (2006) emphasizes that, a modernized health record system makes it easy for the concerned parties to plan on the endowment of the hospitals. It is imperative that hospitals embrace the novel technology on electronic health records systems (EHR) into their systems. Part 1 The electronic health records system (EHR) is entwined with copious challenges in the quest to promote continuum healthcare. The Healthcare Financial Management Association (2006) indicates that it is tremendously tasking to make all documents electronic in particular, integrating the older documents into the new system. This interprets that there will be a niche in the homogeny of the system. The concerned parties, in this case, are forced to have these information as images in their catalog, but not as original documents of the previous files. In this context, therefore, the eventual result has been to have an inclusive database in the electronic records. It becomes intricate if the clinician used poor handwriting to fill certain forms though the scanned documents can be included electronically. It, as a result, becomes complicated to interpret the documents as well as deduce their meanings. This can be dealt with by having a duplication of feebly written copies then scanning of the same. This will create a form of equivalence in the electronic system. Lack of knowledge on the safeguarding and storage of do cuments is a barrier to EHR. The concerned parties are not fully aware on the accessibility of retrieval of electronic data. Lack of the knowledge on the creation, editing and use of electronic data negatively implicates the implementation of EHR. Inability to store data interprets that medical practitioners are unable t enjoy new data systems. This can be eliminated by conducting a matriculation program on the concerned health facilities on the need to have electronic data systems and the need to upgrade the existing systems. Security and privacy issues also surround the electronic health records. Â  According to the research conducted by Healthcare Financial Management Association (2006), privacy of patients’ documents is a responsibility of the health practitioners. The EHR has led to the accessibility of patient documents on-line, a subject to security and privacy of patient information. It is important that all health facilities come up with stringent restrains on the E HR so as to maintain the standards of keeping records in the facility. Privacy and security are of great essence in terms of patient confidentiality. Having no standard language is yet another barrier to EHR implementation. This leads to poor synchronization of data and coordination. It is important that a standardized language and program is put in place, and distributed to all medical facilities. Record synchronization will make it easier for the educators on EHR to have a uniform

Managing Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing Organizations - Essay Example Modern people differ much from the people of the previous century in terms of their goals, methods of their reaching, communication, ambitions, etc. Managing people now is not an easy task thus it needs new approaches. Thus, managers of the modern companies are looking for the new ways of employee motivation. Freedom for action is an essential factor to consider. Actually, when we hear about the organization, where employees make decisions themselves, we usually can’t believe that, because a great number of successful companies are hierarchical bureaucracies (Microsoft, Apple etc.). It seems impossible also for many managers to provide staff with opportunities to set the goals for the company instead of them and to realize these goals without being controlled and thoroughly supervised. Also we all know the conclusion made by Max Weber: bureaucratic organizations are the most successful players on the stage of the market economy. However, modern experts admit that Weber’ s conclusion can’t be considered fully grounded as the famous sociologist may not know some important facts on bureaucracies. Modern investigations show that workplace stress prevents people from high performance. Working in the conditions of hierarchical bureaucracy, people are able to realize only 60% of their potential. Thus, it is essential to look for alternatives. Moreover, as it was mentioned above, modern people often refuse to work in the atmosphere of dictate, when they should only fulfill somebody’s orders and do not have an opportunity to express their own opinion. Such working conditions prevent people from the realization of their creative potential and it is obvious that such realization would contribute to company’s success. New ways of managing people should be found by modern supervisors. Recent studies held showed that there are some companies who successfully practice freedom of employees’ action. Their success is built on the principl es of liberating leadership listed below. Liberating leader is a one who: listens to employees’ propositions instead of imposing his own views; openly shares his views on successful organizational performance in order not to make employees confused; does not motivate employees to give them an opportunity to motivate themselves; plays the role of â€Å"culture-keeper†. Actually, the behavior of workers in the organization is determined by the number of factors, external and internal. These factors contribute to organization performance in freedom action conditions. Among the internal factors is first of all trust in leadership. Leadership plays an essential role in any type of organization, no matter if it is freedom company or hierarchical bureaucracy. Workers of any organization usually tend to mirror the work of leadership and the supervision should be implemented in the way so that employees may feel its support but not a dictate. The second important internal facto r is organizational culture. The atmosphere in the company should be friendly and positive, work schedule should be flexible. The external factors also mean much, for example, it is interesting to cooperate and communicate with another companies in the market. â€Å"Research findings show that collaboration with other firms and with customers can be a significant source of product

The Rwanda Genocide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Rwanda Genocide - Essay Example Racial superiority has caused much violence and many deaths for those who have been labeled by the ‘superior’ as ‘inferior.’ This violence has been spawned mostly by an extreme hatred for those viewed as different or inferior. Furthermore, such feelings of hatred have been translated into outright acts of violence against those viewed as inferior, and this at times often prompted retaliation against their oppressors, such as the case in Rwanda. With these premises, the world has been witness to various acts of violence, including the massacre of a significant number of people, all in the name of racial superiority. The concerned countries of the world have often refused to act in time to stop these events even though ample signs of trouble were apparent. Racial superiority has traditionally been an issue for various countries at one point or another in their history, but none worse than that displayed by the Nazis over the Jews and by the Tutsis over the Hut us in Rwanda. Similarities can be seen between the events of the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide. â€Å"Rwandan genocide took place between April and June 1994. During this tragic period of 3 months some 800,000 Rwandans died, the majority were ethnically Tutsis murdered by their rival countrymen the Hutus† (BBC News). ... The blame was placed firmly on the shoulders of Tutsi leader Paul Kagame (who is now the current Rwandan President, but then leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (BBC News). This was denied by Kagame who blamed the attack on Hutu extremists. Nevertheless, within a few hours of the attack, violence broke out all over the country; and such violence would not wane until three months after the assassination of Habyarimana (BBC News). By then nearly a million Rwandans would lose their lives. The persecution of the Jews began in the early 1930’s. Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933. The persecution continued and built up into and through World War II, finally ceasing in 1945 when war in Europe finally ended. It is believed that some 6 million Jews died, as well as members of other minorities such as Gypsies. During this time, six million Jews in Europe were murdered, the rest were persecuted and tortured, and 5000 Jewish communities were destroyed (Perry 67). The deat hs did not begin as soon as the Fascists came into power. Time was spent first in spreading propaganda across Germany against those seen by the government as the enemies of the Aryan race; at the same time, life for the minorities was made very difficult. The aim was to encourage Jews to leave the country. To some extent, this succeeded; however, Hitler could not wait and in 1938 came Kristallnacht – these were the state sanctioned riots aimed at the Jewish population (Gellately 45). It seems then that xenophobia can be about more than feeling other people are different, or even inferior, but can also be about poor self image and the resentment of other people’s success. Rwandan genocide and Holocaust showed

Local Business Lawsuit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Local Business Lawsuit - Essay Example Summary of Lawsuit Goodyear Time & Rubber Company, operating a plant in Danville, Virginia was sued by the US Department of Labor for alleged discrimination in hiring personnel during the latter part of the 1990s (Lindsey, 2006). The alleged discrimination was directed against hundreds of female applicants. As a result of such denial, the lawsuit was filed against the company (with headquarters in Akron, Ohio). The lawsuit asked the court to hire the discriminated women, pay for back wages, and provide other benefits due to workers (Lindsey, 2006). According to the Labor Department, the company implemented a procedure in the hiring and selection of employees from January 1998 to June 1999 that is gender-discriminatory against female applicants at the entry level (Lindsey, 2006). The case stemmed from the routine procedural review conducted by the department’s Federal Contract Compliance Programs in Richmond that showed such discriminatory hiring. The company, on the other hand , strongly denied such allegation. Goodyear, as a federal contractor, is not allowed to discriminate in hiring based on race, religion, color, sex and ethnicity (Lindsey, 2006). The Philadelphia labor office acting Regional Director Patsy Blackshear said that companies contracting with the federal government must ensure that equal opportunity program is being implemented at the highest level, and that includes discrimination in the hiring process. The complaint was lodged at the Office of Administrative Law Judges in Washington, D.C., the trial court of the Labor Department. Risk Management Risk management refers to the identification of the different kinds of risks that affect an organization that could have an impact upon the business (What is Business Risk, n.d.). After identifying the risks, probability of its occurrence must be determined. Then, a plan should be devised, and lastly, to monitor the effectiveness of the plan (What is Business Risk, n.d.). The risks that a busines s may have include physical and environmental risks, financial risks, employee risks (What is Business Risk, n.d.), and several others depending on the nature of the business. In the present case, the risk present involves the internal policy of the organization. By ignoring the equality laws mandated by the government, Goodyear presents itself as vulnerable to litigation risks that may come from the Labor Department or the persons discriminated upon. As a mitigation action that Goodyear could do, it should ensure that men and women are equally represented in its workforce, no matter where they are located in the US. During the period reviewed by the department, discrimination against women was seen since hundreds of them were not hired in one year while men were continuously absorbed into the labor force. Thus, the Human Resources Department of Goodyear should implement a hiring policy that would make sure that men and women are more or less equally hired within a specific period. Ethical Considerations The hiring process may be influenced by discrimination on the part of management if not guarded against. Thus, the management must establish a detailed hiring policy that takes into account the civil rights protected by the laws. Ethical considerations refer to doing what is deemed to be right and proper as dictated by society, the code of ethics of organizations, or the best practices. Therefore, doing something against the identified good practices would be unethical for the organization. The laws applicable in

James Matthew Barrie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

James Matthew Barrie - Essay Example Barrie himself, in the novel titled by his mother's name, Margaret Ogilvy (1896), describes his mother's very careful ways: She begins the day by the fireside with the New Testament in her hands, an old volume with its loose pages beautifully refixed, and its covers sewn and resewn by her, so that you would say it can never fall to pieces. It is mine now, and to me the black threads with which she stitched it are as part of the contents. Other books she read in the ordinary manner, but this one differently, her lips moving with each word as if she were reading aloud, and her face very solemn. The Testament lies open on her lap long after she has ceased to read, and the expression of her face has not changed. (Chapter 3) Books were indeed very common in the Barrie household and would surely sow the seeds of imagination in the young James that would do him very well in his writing career. Margaret would read the classics in "Robinson Crusoe" and "Arabian Nights," among many others, together with her children, thus giving them the desire to read and to allow their creativity fly. Yet, as any biography of the respected novelist and playwright will surely mention, an important moment in Barrie's youth was the tragic death of his older brother, David, in a senseless skating accident before the 14th birthday. David had been a favorite of the mother and from this accident she never fully recovered. The young James, barely seven at the time of the tragedy, made every loving attempt to console his mother, once even wearing David's suit. Only then was he "rewarded with the first intent glances of his mother toward him" (Sarris, Page 1) This key event in Barrie's youth would turn into one of the most unforgettable images in his art, because in the eyes of his mother, comfort was found in the fact "that her dead son would remain a boy forever, never to grow up and leave her" (Wikipedia, Page 1). Barrie managed to complete his education at Dumfries Academy at the University of Edinburgh with an M.A. in 1882. He started professional work as a journalist for a local newspaper before moving to London in 1885, freelancing for national dailies and magazines. After three years in London, Barrie produced his first novel, Better Dead (1888) - a funny whodunit about the imaginary deaths of the most famous celebrities at the time. Indeed, his own fame would soon follow with a series of novels based on his hometown of Kirriemuir, beginning with Auld Licht Idylls (1888), A Window in Thrums (1889), and The Little Minister (1891). Soon after, with his working together with Charles Frohman, Barrie realized his ambitions of writing plays which in turn made his stature grow as one of Britain's most popular writers. His penthouse would entertain a continuous line of visitors including ministers, royalties, politicians, artists, celebrities, socialites and a list of who's who in society at tha t time. Already, he counted the most famous writers as his friends: Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, Thomas Hardy, H.G. Wells, Jerome K. Jerome, George Bernard Shaw. His influence was beginning to exert itself well that he even managed to form a cricket team of these literature giants called the "Allahakbarries," a

Changes in Prisons in Twentieth Century in Britain Essay Example for Free

Changes in Prisons in Twentieth Century in Britain Essay In 20th century a lot of important changes was made in Britain prison system. A lot of crucial moves in this matter were made, which made changes to the system, and create the current system in prisons. A lot of reports and changes plans were made in this crucial for the matter period. The beginning for this period was made in 1895 with Gladstone report, which was highly critical of the current penal policy. It criticised existing regimes for crushing self respect and starving all moral instinct. The report argued that reformation should coexist with deterrence and that rehabilitation should be given priority. Victorians focused upon repression and punishment. They used inflexible and punitive methods of control. Gladstone felt these should be replaced with more scientific methods of treatment. In addition, prison commissioners for the first time in 1898, defined the purpose of prison as the humanisation of the individual1. Sir Evelyn Ruggles-Brise insisted that each man convicted of crime is to be regarded as an individual, as a separate entity of morality, who by the application of influences, of discipline, labour, education, moral and religious, backed up on discharge by a well organised system of patronage is capable of reinstatement in civic life2. Weiner (1990) stated, It is now recognised that primitive measures alone are not corrective, and effective reformation of criminals can only be attained by making our prisons true schools and moral hospitals. Forsythe (1991) argues that new projects often fell short of the claims made for them. He says that in particular, the local and convict prisons clung tenaciously to the concepts of measured punishment, moral culpability, limited deterrence and uniformly administered discipline. It is a fact that the process of reform was often slow and not al all easy to perceive. From 1900 onwards a number of radical changes were made to the standard prison regime: 1) Unproductive labour was officially abandoned and replaced by prison industries and work considered useful, 2) The separate system was gradually eroded, allowing prisoners to work in association, 3) Education was increased and improved, 4) Internal discipline was maintained through a reward/punishment system related to the introduction of remission, 5) Specialists such as psychologists were appointed, 6) Prisoner categorisation was extended, 7) The Borstal system was introduced for juveniles, 8) A commitment to reformation became enshrined in the Prison Rule that stipulated that the purpose of imprisonment was to encourage prisoners to lead a good and useful life3, 9) During the 1930s the treadmill and arrows on convict uniforms were abolished. According to Garland (1985) the most radical reforms of this era took place outside of the prison system: 1) The introduction of the probation service, 2) Alternatives to custody emerged, 3) Construction of specialist institutions4. Garland views these major transformations as the beginnings of our current practice. Garland prefers to talk of developments in a whole realm of penality rather than prison reform5. Additionally, in 1908 Borstals6 were put on a statutory footing implemented by Herbert Gladstone. The name Borstal comes from the village in Kent where the first Borstal scheme got its first full-scale trial. Borstals took English public schools as their model and their sentences were indeterminate. Criminals aged between 16 21 could be sent to Borstal for between one and three years. The prison Commission could release on licence at any time after six months (or three months for girls) and could also recall for misbehaviour. Borstal faltered after 1945 really because success rates were measured by reconviction rates. 1982 the administration of Margaret Thatcher formally abolished the Borstal and replaced it with the Youth Custody Centre with determinate sentences of imprisonment. Paterson7 replaced military type training with delegated authority and encouragement of personal responsibility. Staffs wore civilian clothing and were encouraged to get to know the lads personally considered revolutionary in the 1920s. The Borstal notion of training prisoners through personal relations, trust and responsibility gradually had an impact on the prison system as a whole. Two borstal elements were transplanted into the adult system with long lasting effects: 1. 1936 the first minimum-security (open) prison was established at New Hall, near Wakefield. 2. The housemaster was renamed assistant governor. The post war developments where about the Easier bail, Probation, Time to pay fines, a reduction in time to be served for a partial payment of fines, Reformatories for juveniles, Curtailment of imprisonment for debt and, More facilities for the insane and for habitual drunkards. In 1928 the then Home Secretary had described Dartmoor convict prison as the cesspool of English humanity I suppose there must be some residuum which no training or help will ever improve8. Furthermore in 1948 Paterson and his colleagues framed Criminal justice Act. This was a highly influential piece of legislation. Borstal had represented the opposite view and resurrected the possibility of reformatory prison. Borstals and Detention Centres began to lose favour: neither for deterrence or reform was the short sentence acceptable. This is one of the elements in the English prison-crowding crisis which became acute in the 1970s and 1980s and with which the country is still wrestling. Deterrence Youth prisons known as Detention Centres were intended to subject boys (and half-heartedly, girls) who were thought to be on the verge of a custodial career to a last chance short, sharp, shock. Separate institutions for pre trial prisoners were planned but never created: these would be custodial but non-penal institutions. Due to the war, there were no funds and little sympathy for unconvinced detainees. McConville states that thick skins and short purses ever since have ensured that English pre trial prisoners were treated worse than they were for virtually all of Victorias reign and much worse than their fellows who were convicted and sentenced. The 1960s and early 1970s are seen as the beginning of the crisis years with British prisons. At last we can refer to System of Concentration. Mountbatten referred to the obvious advantages of an island prison holding all prisoners who posed a threat. A new prison was to be built on the Isle of Wight. This was rejected and the dispersal system became the preferred way of housing inmates. Since early 1966 new measurements of security have been implemented in selected prisons. Between 1969 and 1979 the prison service went through a number of riots. 70s and 80s dogged with accusations of brutality and violence directed at prisoners from the prison staff. Serious disturbances and riots had occurred in maximum-security prisons, which had led to reprisals against prisoners. British riots occurred within the new dispersal system: Parkhurst 1969, Albany 1971 1972, Gartree 1972, Hull 1976, and Gartree 1978. Hull riot will go down in history, as it was the prison staff who were ultimately tried and convicted. Special control units were introduced after the Gartree riot of 1972 for troublemakers over and above the existing segregation units. 1970s represent the years when reform and treatment had dwindled away and the whole prison system ran on the notion that nothing works. By 1978 both the courts and the prisons were in danger of serious collapse. Industrial relations were poor with prison staff. May Committee 1979 reported as a response to the previous troubled decade. They explored the issues of what the aim of imprisonment was; they agreed that the rhetoric of treatment and training had had its day. Finally, King and Morgan proposed the term humane containment: 1. Minimum use of custody 2. Minimum use of security 3. Normalisation. The current organisation of the prison system is heavily influenced by past practice. This has shaped the system that we now have today. So, it is difficult to assess progress of 20th Century. Harsh and punitive experience of prison overrides any idea of progressive treatment. Biggest rises can be seen from 1974 onwards. It is a fact that this matter is very important and serious for the society and has to be developed according to the needs of the society according to its progress at times. BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. Goffman, E. (1961) Asylums, Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates. Harmondsworth 2. Jones, K. (1993) Asylums and After: A Revised History of the Mental Health Services from the Early Eighteenth Century to the 1990s. 3. Morris, N and Rothman, D.J (eds). (1995) The Oxford History of the Prison. Oxford University Press. 4. Porter, R. (2002) Madness: A Brief History. Oxford University Press. 1 Weiner, 1990. 2 Ruggles-Brise quoted in Garland 1985. 3 Prison Rule 6 in 1949 but Prison Rule 1 since 1964. 4 such as Borstal where principles of rehabilitation were initiated. 5 the prison was decentred, shifted from its position as the central and predominant sanction to become one institution among many in an extended grid of penal sanctions. Of course it continued to be of major importance, but it was now deployed in a different manner, for a narrower section of the criminal population and often as a back up sanction for other institutions, rather than a place of first resort. 6 The Borstal System. 7 Alexander Paterson. 8 Sir William Joynson-Hicks.

Research Paper Into Acne

Research Paper Into Acne Acne is a common skin condition, inflammatory skin or disease characterized by pimples on the face, chest, and back. It occurs when the pores of the skin become clogged with oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria. That will show the type of acne, how the different creams and meds that people use plus the side effects (That will make a difference to others). Lindsay and Kayee both used acne cleanser and moisturizers to cure their acne (Which worked on both of them). They both said that after many years or so, their skin cleared up. The difference was though was Lindsay also used jojoba oil that she mixed with the moisturized, which is on her drier days (Especially in the evenings).Kayee just cleanser and moisturizer. Even though she couldnt believe it and said Its not a fluke. It toke the amazing difference of it. Both girls also said they stop using makeup because it kills the skin and gives it a lot of acne and so on. I think that almost every girl stop using makeup ever since they found a way to clean their skin. Also, as you can tell too that a lot of woman dont seem to think right away when using acne cream (Im not saying that they are stupid) because whatever they seem to pick, it doesnt have Benzoyl Peroxide. BP is a type of a chemical incorporated into the polymer of resins to aid in the initiation of polymerization. Its also an antibacterial, keratolytic drying agent prescribed in the treatment of acne. It doesnt hurt your skin as much but more tickles but it also depends on the person because it might either irritate the skin or etc. I been through acne also and I still have. How I know this because I been to the doctors and I had from creams to pills and it dont work much (Even the pill who made me sick). So I went to proactive and its been helping slowly. Let just be thankful that some of us dont have skin diseases and so on because the skin disease is the more prevalent that affects nearly 17 million people in the United States. Its called acne vulgarism or just common acne. Still, that wouldnt be fun with that and trying to figure out from how you got it to etc. Anyways, did you know that nearly 85% of young people develop acne at sometime between ages 12-25 years? Which usually beings at puberty then worsen during the most occurring of ages 14-18. However, acne can come at any age from newborns to older adults. Its more common and severe in males than females. And also true that people continue to have acne outbreaks well into adulthood. Not that Im surprised about the acne continuing still, even trying to get rid of it, you still get more no matter. But also, males have more effected of this problem more than females. Yet, I see more females with acne problems more than males. Well, it does seem my guessing was wrong but also, its sometimes (not all) right about it. But also, people are different and get it when they get it. But how do we know how it develops? Well acne originates in the oil or sebaceous glands that lie beneath the surface of the skin. These glands that produce oil and are called sebum are the skins natural moisturizer. That helps preserve the flexibility of the hair. This shows the most common of acne places (except for the face) is really the chest, shoulders and back. That has the most sebaceous follicles which are opened into the skin that goes through pores, allowing sebum to reach the hair and skin surface. The worse type of acne only occurs when the follicles that are infected continue to enlarge (Without any rupturing, nodules, and cysts). Other acne or microorganisms can be involved also like acne vulgarism that can affect a womans face. Also no inflammatory like white and black heads. White and black heads are quite similar but mostly different because white heads have this plugged follicle that begins to bulge as a small whitish bump, which is underneath the skin mostly. For black heads, if the comedo opens up, the top surface of the plug darkens as its exposed to the air. Acne isnt a serious health threat. It just causes negatively that causes appearance from teens mostly because of social or etc. Its also permanent in scarring wise but still, we all go through it. Even though there are creams and meds that can cure some of this stuff or maybe all. They are like millions of creams, moisturizers, etc to make all your acne go away. You just need to find the right one and see how it goes. The ones I see a lot or mostly in commercials is proactive and Clearasil that been advertised. There are probably more than those two that are shown around. But still, they are like the only ones (Well except for the one the dermatologist gave me plus the pills) that I used so far that helped my skin. Proactive is definably better because it has helped me plus it gives you the mask plus lotion to relax your skin. Other people like this girl used Natures Cure along with Clearasil because she had an awful time with proactive but still, the other stuff helped her. Another girl said that proactive worked for her sister and it looked amazing. Another girl said proactive didnt work for her so she used Neutrogena cleanser and etc. So whatever you use really, it would work one way or another. And you may or may not have clear skin. What causes acne is oil, makeup, stress, hormones, age, gender, hygiene, diet, drugs, etc. From oil like grease, not watching your hands, your hair, or washing your face it can give your face a lot of oil. Its really between your hands and hair that can cause it because if you dont wash them and you put your hands on your face, you would get acne. Or be your hair that is in your face, without pulling it back or taken care of it can cause acne. But also, it doesnt always cause this. Its mostly stress and hormones really. Plus puberty because it can take a lot out of you or youre starting to grow up day by day. Still, its most hormones that take the most damage because your changing and as your grow older, (for female) your period stops slowly and it can cause stress along but also, it gets irritating because you got to work a lot or so or just life in general. Either way, we all go through this (Im really not sure for male because they are different from us). In conclusion, No matter how much acne you have or whenever you got to live it forever, we all need to see that whatever happens. And it doesnt matter what product we use, it doesnt always work for everyone. No matter if its stress or etc, its life. Source Citation: Acne. Mercedes McLaughlin., Patience Paradox., and Margaret Alic, PHD.. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe. 3rd ed. Detroit: Gale, Online update, 2007. 5 vols, updated October 2009. Works Cited: McLaughlin, Mercedes, Patience Paradox, and Margaret Alic. The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Gale, 2009. Acne. Web. Source Citation: ACNE. SICK! Diseases, Disorders, Injuries and Infections. Online Edition! Detroit: U*X*L, 2008. Works Cited: Diseases, Disorders, Injuries and Infections. Gale, 2008. Print. Source Citation: Acne. Patience Paradox. and David Edward Newton, Ed.D. The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Ed. Laurie Fundukian. 3rd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2009. 4 vols. Works Cited: Paradox, Patience, and David E. Newton. The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Gale, 2009. Print. Regimen success stories 1997 2010 Daniel W. Kern http://www.acne.org/success.php Benzoyl peroxide http://www.answers.com/topic/benzoyl-peroxide I need your PROACTIV STORIES whether good or bad!? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070316190446AA5sE54

Computer mediated communication

Computer mediated communication 1. Introduction: Social network sites (SNSs) have become some of the most popular online destinations in recent years (comScore, 2007a, 2007b). Academic researchers have started studying the use of SNSs, with questions ranging from their role in identity construction and expression (boyd Heer, 2006) to the building and maintenance of social capital (e.g., Ellison, Steinfeld, Lampe, 2007) and concerns about privacy (e.g., Gross Acquisti, 2005; Hodge, 2006). While these areas of inquiry are all important and worthy of exploration, a significant antecedent question has been largely raised: Are there systematic interconnection between the level at which users show online with their friends and offline with their counterparts, and are people equally likely to act in a similar or different way comparing their online and offline life? This article sets out to address this question. 2. Literature Review 2.1Online Offline: A Distinction Online offline distinction have been generalized from computing and telecommunication into the field of human interpersonal relationships. The distinction between what is considered online and what is considered offline has become a subject of study in the field of computer mediated communication. The distinction between online offline is conventionally seen as the distinction between computer mediated communication and face to face communication respectively. Online is virtuality and offline is reality. Slater D. (2002:533) states that the distinction is so far too simple. To support his argument that the distinction in relationships are more complex than a simple online offline dichotomy, he observes that some people draw no distinctions between an online relationship such as including in cybersex, and offline relationship such as being pen pals. Slater also asserts that there are legal and regulatory pressures to reduce the distinction between online and offline with a â€Å"general tendency to assimilate online to offline and erase the distinction†, stressing that this does not mean online relationships are being reduced to pre-existing offline relationships. He also conjectures that an online/offline distinction may be seen by people as â€Å"rather quaint and not quite comprehensible† within 10 years. Individuals online activity also depends on his/her online identity or internet persona. This online identity or internet persona is a social identity that an internet user establishes in online communities or websites. Although some people prefer to use their real names online, most internet users prefer to be anonymous, identifying themselves by means of pseudonyms, which reveal varying amounts of personally identifiable information. 2.2Friendship In addition to differences in social cues in online and offline environments, friendship is defined differently on social networking sites than it is in offline relationships. MySpace defines Friendship as any kind of mutual relationship among its members. Adding a friend to a list of contacts is not necessarily an indication of feelings for that person. Rather, it is seen as an expansion of ones social network. In an ethnographic study of teenage users, boyd (2006a) distinguishes friendship from Friendship: the former refers to a close relationship between two people and the latter refers to an online tie that connects people on social network sites. boyd (2006a) distinguishes between several types of online Friends including close offline friends and acquaintances, family members, work and school mates, admired people and strangers. boyds (2006a) and Dwyers (2007) work suggests that most users do not take online friendships seriously and consider most of them to be superficial. boyd explains that some of the relative superficiality can be attributed to social pressures associated with â€Å"Friending† (adding friends to list of contacts) online. Some users, as according to boyd, (2006a:25): â€Å"prefer to accept Friendships with someone they barely know rather than going through the socially awkward process of rejecting them while others hope that Friending a celebrity will make them look cool.† Bigge (2006) suggests that users accumulate friends to increase their social capital. The element of status associated with accumulating friends may explain the large number of friends that most users have linked to their profiles. According to Rosens (2006) study, MySpace users link an average of 200 friends to their profile, many of whom they have never met face-to-face. This clarifies to some extent on the way most users perception attitude towards online and offline friends. 2.3Purpose of being Online Despite the alleged superficiality of relationships, users participate in social networking sites to develop new relationships, maintain older friendships, and expand their social networks (Dwyer, 2007; Gallant, et al., 2007; boyd, 2006a; boyd, 2007). Participants in Dwyers 2007 study indicated that they use networking sites because they provide an inexpensive, easy and convenient way of managing social relationships. Gallant, et al. (2007:21) conclude from their content analysis of focus groups of MySpace and Facebook users that participants access network sites for â€Å"staying in touch with friends, making social plans, communicating with others and finding out about them, and dating.† In other studies, users report the usefulness of social networking sites as a means of establishing contact with old friends and people they do not see regularly (Dwyer, 2007). Online social interactions are informed by different rules and contexts than offline relationships. Dwyer (2007) explains that computer-mediated communication on social network sites can reduce and delay the transmission and perception of social context cues. Social context cues elicit cognitive interpretations of a given situation which shapes peoples communication. Dwyer explains: â€Å"When social context cues are strongly perceived, behavior becomes more otherfocused and carefully managed. Conversely, with communication of these cues is weak and cues are not perceived, feelings of anonymity result in more self-centered and unregulated behavior†. boyd (2007:8) suggests that online forums (as an example MySpace) provide spaces for teens to â€Å"do identity work† online. boyd argues that networking sites such as MySpace facilitate aspects of life central to teen identity formation, including exploration of social and cultural identities, social relations, and performances of the self. boyd (2006c) suggests that the dynamics of identity production online include a considerable emphasis on the construction of â€Å"cool.† Most of todays teens prefer to demonstrate ‘cool or to be called as so. Comments on sites such as MySpace serve as validation from peers and, boyd (2006c: para. 18)argues, as â€Å"a form of cultural currency.† Validation as well as negative feedback online can influence users self-esteem. Valkenburg, et al. (2006) found in a study of 881 Dutch teenage users of a social network site similar to MySpace that the publicly visible feedback they received on their profiles affected their social self-esteem and well-being. Positive feedback, which nearly 80 percent of the participants received, enhanced their self-esteem, whereas negative feedback, which seven percent of the individuals surveyed received, lowered their self-esteem (Valkenburg, et al. 2006). This shows that the behavior of users possessing themselves online relate to their lives to some degree. On networking sites, users social networks may overlap. For instance, users may be linked to close friends, acquaintances, co-workers and family members through the same profile. The identity the user establishes online may be appropriate for friends but not for relatives or co-workers (boyd, 2006a, Snyder, et al., 2006; Bigge, 2006). Due to this, some users change their profile name or display name other than the real one to be limited within their friends circle. 2.4Disclosure of users Information Users employ text and images in their profiles and blogs to describe who they are, what they like, and what they do. Through their posts, users send greetings, exchange messages, make plans, flirt, and maintain contact. These features of social networking sites allow users to reveal information about themselves and their lives. Stutzman (2006) suggests that while disclosing this information is optional, many users include it in their profiles. Stutzman (2006:1) attributes the high level of disclosure of personal information online to the â€Å"inherent sociality† of social network communities. Though many users share personal information, its validity is unproven. Some users intentionally mask their offline identities by using pseudonyms or remaining anonymous for fear of consequences related to disclosing sensitive or socially undesirable personal characteristics. Although these strategies may mitigate users privacy concerns, unintended audiences might still be able to find them through friends profiles (boyd, 2007). Unintended audiences such as employers, educational institutions, law enforcement officials, and marketing companies can access and use private information that users make public online. Employers can monitor current and potential employees through social networking sites (Bigge, 2006; Snyder, et al., 2006). Some colleges and schools keep track of their students posts on networking sites and issue offline punishments for socially undesirable or illegal activities disclosed online (Barnes, 2006). Prosecutors and police officers could potentially use online data to investigate interactions between suspects and victims (Schesser, 20 06). Bigge (2006) and Barnes (2006: para 3) criticize the fact that social network sites: â€Å"coordinate the interpersonal exchanges between American teens and global brands.† For Snyder, et al. (2006), who analyze the ‘terms of use document of MySpace, these unintended audiences violate the ‘social contract of networking sites because they use the sites for information seeking rather than for networking with others. Parents and lawmakers are concerned about the behavior of teens and children online. Through legislation such as the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA) and the 2006 Deleting Online Predators Act (DOPA), lawmakers try to protect young teenagers from social network sites by requiring public libraries and schools to install Internet filters (boyd and Jenkins, 2006). Librarians and academics expressed worries in response to these acts, citing concern for the development of a new digital divide in which users who rely on public access would be deprived of socializing online (Miller, 2006; boyd and Jenkins, 2006). Many parents express concerns about their childrens use of social networking sites. In a survey of 267 pairs of adolescent MySpace users and their parents, Rosen (2006) found that 63 percent of parents think that sexual predators use MySpace; 81 percent of them were concerned about teens meeting online friends in offline locations; and, 88 percent of them were worried about the posting of sexual photos. Despite their expressed concerns, many parents are not involved in their childrens use of social networking sites (Rosen, 2006; Rogers, et al., 2007). In Rosens (2006) study, one third of the parents did not know what kind of personal information their children were disclosing online; 43 percent of them did not know how much time their children spent on social networking websites; and, 62 percent of them had never talked to their children about such sites. Moreover, parents imposed little restrictions on their childrens use of these websites. Fifty percent of the teenagers surveyed in Rosens study were allowed to have computer in their bedroom and less than half of the parents set limits to their childrens computer use and the use of online sites. This is consistent with Rogers et al.s (2007) study in which only 15 percent of the adolescent participants reported having limits on their use of these Web sites. 3.Analysis: Online intimate friendship relationship is a rare phenomenon and so could be summed up in some cases only in terms of lying and deception, they would not be so common. For many of those who have known someone intimately through the internet, the relationships have proven to be positive, if not life-changing experiences. Lies and misrepresentations have been brought to explain some of these tendencies but they only begin to constitute a fuller theoretical mechanism. Research in this area often address what seems to be a working paradox in online dating sites: the connection between a pragmatic, consumerist tool for meeting others wrapped up in romantic and magical discourses. Individual, social and mediatized conceptions about love, and connecting gave us new sights into an activity whose popularity calls for reference to a broad social context. When individual engage in online communication/conversation, the spectacle in turn enhance a regime of communication that could be described as spectral, its quality being a confessional transparency. As noticed, users will tend to describe their inner feelings in detail, opening their soul in a manner that is in part imputable to the physical absence of their interlocutors. Imagination will play a crucial role, and conceptions of love, past experiences, stereotypes and phantasms will be used along with the acted information gained from the communication to construct an image of the potential partner and the story of their meeting. Online daters will tend to shorten this period, in their desire to avoid deception after having imagined someone incorrectly or having faced its own deformed or incomplete projection. Problem is that the interpretation of a persons mediated representation does not always accord with the actual in-real-life presentation of that person. On other occasions, the cause of the mismatch is not misrepresentation, but simply lies. According to Albright, ‘perhaps the lowered accountability levels of online interactions and the inability to pinpoint an online personal to a solid offline identity might foster such facades and lower peoples inhibitions about lying. It is more difficult, though, to assert that playing on online places which of course happens a lot in discussion groups, social networks and online dating sites can lead to long lasting relationships ( particularly if they go face to face). Indeed what could be considered as playing in an overtly playful space seems to be related more to lying and concealing in other spaces, such as online dating sites, where false information about physical appearance and occupational status abound. As an example, woman is prepared to meet a six feet tall lawyer could be surprised to be faced with a rather a short programmer or even a child. Flirting and playing go together, but the lack of physical proximity between dyadic partners opens the door to misrepresentation. But as a matter of fact, playing with ones body, personality and social status can also lead to sexual dysfunctions, cheating and criminal deviance such as harassment, rape or pedophilia. Playing is ok as long as every participant actually knows that he/she is in playing frame, which is not always the case online. There exist online places such as second life where playing with gender, physical characteristics and personality is the norm. Flirting and intimate relationships abound there as well but the rules are clear: this is game and you can play as such. Whitty et,al (2001:624) say: â€Å"Even if people are not engaging in cybersex or exchanging photos, we cannot disregard the importance of body or physical attraction. This is because- even in absence of photographs- bodies are reconstructed through users imaginations. Moreover, imaginations can give fantasized vision of the self and the others†. Whitty et al, (2001) use notions such as play potential space, transitional objects and splitting to construct a probing psychoanalytical lecture about online romance. Psychoanalytic approach that Whitty Carr (2001:623) say: ‘Play is all about illusion †¦, such illusion can only be sustained provided play can be kept within a frame work of its own- a frame which seeks to separate it from ordinary life. The objective of online dating sites is to change online connection rapidly in the hope of developing intimate relationships (Casual sex or Cybersex). In discussion groups or SNSs, the point is to allow perspective couples to meet online, then may be offline, in the hope of finding people who will understand each others feelings, share their own and eventually (in some situations) become more intimate. The very sense of a body attached to personal information could be considered to be more important in dating sites than in discussion groups, since the goals- which may still be the same for some users- are not dealt with in the same way. As a matter of fact, leaving an online profile with no photographs is giving oneself no chance of being contacted. In an online community, people get to know each other based on shared interests, not with perceived physical attractiveness of the participants. In theory, this works, but in fact, online flirting happens everywhere, even where it is not assumed to. How users who experience online romance define romance and love at large prior to and during their online explorations has not been thoroughly discussed by internet researchers as such. Before reading profiles on an online dating sites or being interested in the person behind certain online discussion posting on a community sites, a user hold wealth of personal conception about what he/she is/isnt, likes/dislikes, loves/hates and so on. This conception may change in the course of ones online intimate experience that could provide critical insight into the individual social integration of online connection. However, according to Anderson (2005), people who experience online romance do it in various online places but one thing they share is that they can conceive of finding love by using the internets online connection. In terms of finding love online, for many of us, it is not an easy thing. Working long hours, some of them alone, others at remote places, feeling caught in an improper relationship, being tired of a series of dreams with no tomorrows, lacking the confidence to face interesting prospects or just wanting to try something that supposedly works well, millions of people have been drawn to the internet over last few years, looking for individuals with whom to communicate and to bond. That is probably why many online researchers have observed that online intimacy is constituted and maintained mainly by trust, commitment and high level of self disclosure. It is difficult to theoretical framework that fully describes what is going on and when (two or) more people are flirting on the web or not. If individuals are to successfully develop a romantic relationship from an online dating site, they need to present a balance between an attractive and a real self on their profiles. Observing that online daters tend to meet each other fece to face more quickly than do participation in other kinds of online based relationships, Whitty(2001) suggests, in doing so, they can and want to avoid the frequent lies and embellishments associated with personal profiles. Also she holds that it shuts up the potential presence of a ‘true self (referring to what someone would like to be, but is not yet able to be), which, in theory, emerges slowly, coupled with high self-disclosure, trust and commitment. On another side, as she observed in her research, at the same time a seeking out authentic and genuine profiles, individuals were also looking for the more attractive and appealing profiles. Engaging on an online conversation, knowing friends friends on any SNSs, or putting a profile on an online dating agency is easy and banal in itself. But it can lead to profound changes in ones life. Over recent years, many researchers have addressed romantic relationships initiated on the internet. 4. Overview on Hypothesis: The hypothesis set out in this paper includes the change in the perception due to shift of online relations to offline relation and vice-versa, advantages and disadvantages of doing it with regards to the use of SNSs through the internet. To establish and get into the hypothesis set out in here, individual interviews have been employed in order to fully get into the subject. Except the individual short interviews, content analysis of the papers related to the use of SNSs as well as the survey questionnaires were also designed and disseminated to 55 international students of the two universities in Cyprus; University of Nicosia The European University Cyprus. As we are facing the world of fast-changing pace, it is hard to generalize the finding from the study of such a small group of people. However, the results obtained so far will give genuine insights to further research in the same area. Bringing offline relations to online seems very easy provided that the users real life friends or relatives are facilitated through the use of the internet or else they have not been regarded as the victims caused by the so called digital divide. On the other hand, bringing online relations to offline may result to both advantages and disadvantages. The term ‘trust has more to play the role in it. Because some people show their trust to the people met online that the information provided by them online are factual and true, whereas some do not find any trust in those information. It requires a sort of experience or say, the psychological knowledge to understand the motive of the strangers met online to decide whether or not he/she should meet hi m/her offline. In this regard, a genuine person who always flows true and factual information through the internet and holds decent desire of friending through online process may be the victim of some who do not trust online friends any more. The current fears of internet fraud, identity theft and the fakesters have constantly loosened in the extent of trust among the moderate internet users. Spam, junk mail and many other unknown mails coming everyday into the inbox are also the cause in declining the trust in the internet. Bringing offline relations to online seems the everyday routine of most of the internet users. The use of internet and its know-how is growing rapidly throughout the world. Today, many rely on the internet and cannot even think of their lives without being into it. Internet users even tend to see their offline friends online with the motive of being able to contact at any time, and also know how they are up to though they are physically very far. With regards to strangers online meeting them in real life situations seem unpredictable for everyone. For some, it is like a game as well as an interesting part of their life. Doing so, many get engaged for long time relationships, some as business partners and so on. 5.Methods: To accomplish the objective of the paper, three methodologies have been incorporated: Interviews Survey Content Analysis 5.1Interviews: Interviews conducted is the semi-structured consisting of 12 individuals who have their profiles on social networking sites; many of them being on facebook and Hi5. Interview questions (see Apendix) ranges from their demographics information, perceptions and understanding of online communications, involvement in SNSs, chatting preferences, time spent on the internet as well as the views on friends online/offline. Only the information obtain from individual semi-structured interviews were insufficient to come answer the proposal question raised in the paper. Hence other methods of research have also been carried out. Interview took place in different physical locations in Cyprus and around 6 individuals were interviewed online through facebook. 5.2Survey: A set of questionnaire was designed and disseminated to 55 international students of the two universities (University of Nicosia European University Cyprus) in Cyprus. The set of questionnaire consists of questionnaire that consists of 33 questions splitting them in three sections (see Appendix). The first section (section A) consists of 6 questions and collects the participants demographic information such as A/S/L, marital status, occupation, country of origin parental education. Inclusion of parental education in the demographic information is aimed to find whether participants parental education level is linked with their online offline perceptions or behaviors. 21 questions on the next section (Section B) address on the participants involvement with the internet, its use. More use or the less use of the internet and the time spent on any social network sites by any individual can be the basis to reveal the participants behaviors and perceptions regarding online/offline friends and connections. Last section of the questionnaire (Section C) is an attempt to explore the users online and offline behaviors, expectations, language used and the priority among online or offline friends. This section includes 6 questions all of which address how users intend to establish connections to their online friends (strangers and not strangers) and offline friends in their real life situations. 5.3Content Analysis: Many studies have been carried out on the issues of social network sites and their use. Distinguishing the users and non-users of social networks sites has also been studied. Stutzmans.(2006) â€Å"An evaluation of identity-sharing behavior in social network communities† has addressed a bit of online and offline behaviours of the internet users being focused on social network sites. Danah m boyd has been continually contributing to the social network sites and their use through her study. More and more sequential research made by boyd regarding the use of internet especially focusing teenagers have given more insights for accomplishing this paper. These two researchers are the basis to ground the theoretical aspects ranging from the meaning of SNSs to their use, internet persona as well as identity construction online. Hence, this paper also uses the content analysis approach of the study carried out by these two researchers in the field of social network sites and their use, but in a brief. 6.Results Discussion on Findings: Demographics: The study sample of international students taken from the two universities in Cyprus is skewed towards more male around 71.7%, female users being only 28.3% of total 55 students, 55.7% were Nepalese whereas the rest (36.3%) were Indian background. Regarding the parental education of the participants, fathers of 30% participants were postgraduates and none of the participants father were illiterate. 15 % of the participants reported that their mothers are illiterate. The age of the sample size of this study ranges from 18-30 years. With reference to the marital status, 54.5% were single and 45.5% were married. None of the participants were reported to be in a relationship or divorced. Results obtained from 12 individual semi-structure interviews are more consistent with the results obtained from the survey and hence the following results and discussion does not fully mention the interviews due to the space problem in this paper. However, the interviews have been the basis to carry out the study and bring it to the final readable form. Internets Use Regarding the average use of internet per week (see table 2), no female participants use internet for more than 15 hours a week. Majority of male (30.9%) were reported to use internet up to 15 hours a week whereas only 16.3% female do so, the study shows. The first task of the users while connecting to the internet, 27% said they check mails (46% female and 20% male), 18% open messenger (26 % female 15% male), 18% browse for news (25 % male) and around 37% open social network sites (26% female 40% male). The term ‘Social network Sites was not known to any of the participants in the sample. When it first appeared in the questionnaire, participants raised the question to the real indication of SNS. Participants were then asked whether they have known or heard of SNSs. 100 % participants said that it is a complete unknown term for them. When they are clarified with the term SNSs, 100% reported that they have their profiles in at least one or more SNSs. Of many SNSs around the wo rld available to everyone in the internet, sample said that they know only 7 SNSs of 16 SNSs mentioned in the questionnaire. Facebook, Hi5 and Bebo are the three social network sites that all participants have heard of and also have their profiles. The table 1 below is the illustration of knowing of SNSs reported by the sample of the study. Social networking sites respondents profile SNSs Respondents Total Male Female Orkut 52% 38% 53% Windows Live Space 36% 26.6% 29% LinkedIn 14.5% 15% 13.3% Bebo 100% 100% 100% MySpace 34% 37.5% 26.6% Facebook 100% 100% 100% Hi5 100% 100% 100% Table 1 As the sample recorded that the participants have their profile at least in one or more SNSs. It is now vital to get the data on how real are the information placed on their profiles taking into serious considerations on names, gender, age, location etc. 80% said

Gods and Generals Essay -- Essays Papers

Gods and Generals The American Civil War was a military conflict between the United States of America (the Union), and 11 secessionist Southern states, organized as the Confederate States of America (the Confederacy). It was the culmination of four decades of intense sectional conflict and it reflected deep-seated economic, social, and political differences between the North and the South. Many books have been written on this â€Å"first modern war† describing how over 620,000 men were killed. Jeff Shaara goes deeper and explores the personal conflicts of four historical figures, two from the South and two from North: General Lee, General Jackson, Colonel Chamberlain, and Hancock. Robert E. Lee’s story began with a dilemma; he had to decide whether to stay to fight with the army he has been serving for 30 years or to resign and go to Virginia to defend his home. Life in the army had ruined his life, â€Å"He had missed a father’s great joy of watching his children grow and learn... [and] try not to think about what his career had done to his family.† (Pg. 11) Throughout Part 1, Lee feels something missing from inside him: the feeling of action, of war. While in Texas, General Winfield Scott asks Lee to serve as second in command of the Union Army, but due to the possibility that Virginia could also secede, he declines. Still yearning for action, he accepts the command of the Provisional Army, the defense forces for the state of Virginia. He goes on to recruit Major Thoma...

Myth and Romance in Star Wars :: Star Wars Film Movie Movies Essays

Myth and Romance in Star Wars Pure science fiction is rarely written. Science fiction is often blended with elements of other genres from horror to fairy tales. The movie Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is one example of this. It contains a combination of science fiction with mythical and romantic elements. Contributing to this combination are the main characters Luke, Leia, Han, and Obi-wan, the movie’s setting in a galaxy far, far away, and Luke’s great quest. Luke Skywalker is a mythical character. Luke is orphaned as a child and is taken in by his aunt and uncle. He is hidden away from his father and his father’s cohorts to protect him from the dark side. Luke is only one of many mythical heroes that are reared by someone other than his own parents. Oedipus, a Greek mythological hero, was hidden in another kingdom and raised by the king and queen there to protect him from his parents. Luke is portrayed as a savior that will bring balance to the Force and will help the Rebellion beat the evil Galactic Empire. He is completely pure and sinless because he is so naà ¯ve about the ways of the galaxy. Luke strives to save the souls of those around him.[1] For example, his friend Han Solo is a greedy man that looks out only for himself. Only by offering a reward does Luke convince Han to do the right thing and help him save Princess Leia. At the end of the movie, however, Luke causes Han to experience a change of heart. Han willingly puts his life on the line to protect Luke and destroy the Death Star, without looking for some reward. This is similar to the stories told in Scripture about Jesus. He attempted to teach the others around him to lead a good life in service to others. Myths generally involve some religious aspect. Myths always tell the story of some god or goddess that walks among the mortals to teach them a lesson, as Jesus and Luke do. Resembling other mythical heroes, Luke is gifted with divine powers. Luke is able to use these powers, called the Force, to influence the actions and thoughts of others and to manipulate his surroundings. This makes him better than the average man because he can use these powers to his advantage against any enemy. These powers make him impossible to beat unless one also has the same powers.

Secure Attachment and Adulthood Essays -- Child Development, Infant At

To some an acorn is just an acorn, nothing more than a nut. The acorn with its tough leathery outside and rich amber color signifies nothing more than the commencement of autumn. To others it represents a great deal of potential. This tiny seed has the ability to endure many adverse effects including long periods of cold temperatures, drought, and human interference. The fragile acorn contains all the necessary elements to become the giant, majestic oak that has come to signify strength. When the conditions are favorable, the little nut will thrive and become an impressive adult tree providing oxygen and shade as nature intended. The most important factor to the budding tree is the environment. Like all other living things, the acorn needs care and ideal circumstances to develop properly. This is also true for humans and their offspring. Creating the perfect environment for an infant to flourish is quite possibly, the single most important factor to the success of a well-adjus ted, adult human. Let us take a look at the most important factor that determines the health of our adult relationships; that is infant attachment. From the time that an infant is born, those around him influence the way a child will act or react in any given relationship. It provides a firm foundation upon which all other relationships grow. The idea is that the success of all relationships is dependent upon the success of the first one, namely, of the bond between the infant and his mother or primary caregiver (Brodie, 2008). Infant attachment is the first relationship that occurs between infants and their mothers or other primary caregivers (Craig & Dunn, 2010). The mother-infant attachment begins at birth and is considered by a group of... ...ecessary to sustain sensitivity over time. In conclusion, mother-infant attachment paves the way for adult social relationships as supported by Mary Ainsworth’s Strange Situation experiment and its follow-up, Bowlby’s 44 Thieves study, and Henry Harlow’s classic experiment with the monkeys. Furthermore, strong secure attachments breed healthy social relationships, while insecure attachments lead to difficult social and emotional issues. The best way to prevent insecure attachments is by creating that strong mother-infant bond in the first year of life. It is crucial for potential parents to be prepared emotionally, economically, and socially for a new infant. As the acorn has the potential to become an oak with the right conditions and environment, an infant also has the potential to become a successful adult with a supportive, healthy, environment.

Retail Merchandising And In Store Operations Fashion Essay

IntroductionMany companies have acknowledged that bettering their shop layout ; they will be able to increase their figure of gross revenues per square pes. Even the architecture of a shop can take to an addition in gross revenues. Within the shop layout selling scheme, there are a figure of different facets to take into consideration such as – architecture, shop atmosphere and location, ocular selling and most significantly the shop layout. Ocular selling can be anything from the shop window show to hive away atmosphere, all of these artifacts are put into action when companies wish to increase their gross revenues per square pes. There are both positive and negative ways in which a alteration to a shop layout can increase the gross revenues per square pes for a company, as because of this legion actions must be considered before a company drastically changes their layout.Executive SummaryThe intent of this study was to research how shop layouts and betterments to a shop can increase the gross revenues per square pes. â€Å"Store layout and ocular selling are two of import factors that add to the peculiarity of a shop. The interior design of the shop plays a more critical role† as show on Indian MBA ( 2008 ) . Besides mentioned on Indian MBA ( 2008 ) â€Å"Space is ever an highly expensive and scarce resource. Retailers try to maximise the return on gross revenues per square foot.† This is the best manner to depict why retail merchants see the inside of their shop as the best manner in which they can increase these gross revenues per square pes. There are assorted types of shop layouts which retail merchants would see to increase their gross revenues per square pes. This study will analyze and research how retail design, shop layout and ocular selling can assist increase gross revenues per square pes, by the usage of research into trade publications every bit good as newspapers and other beginnings. Besides in this study, illustrations of shops that have successfully managed to increase their gross revenues per square pes will be mentioned.FindingssRetail architecture is a critical mechanism in the map of market intermediation. Retail architecture is defined as those market spaces that affect the relationship between supply and demand. Architecture can straight exemplify some shops societal meanings of retail relationships ; its ferociousness every bit good as its heat, and its societal category. For illustration Harrods has a high degree of retail architecture, as it is non merely a tourer attractive force due to its external historical architecture but it besides denotes people ‘s societal category as people who are of a higher societal position or societal category would be most likely to shop at Harrods. Liberty the British section shop has a high degree of grasp for its edifices history, as Creative Director Tamara Salman of vesture trade name Liberty of London adds to her aggregation the shops extraordinary 130 twelvemonth heritage. Liberty shop is able to construct upon their heritage to guarantee that they increase their gross revenues per square pes figure. With being such a strong and historical shop it is difficult for many new and approaching companies to be able to hold such a strong autumn back for increasing gross revenues. However, retail shop layouts are of import determiners of client behavior. UK manner retail merchants are able to garner critical information sing their mark consumers which in bend enable them to make insides which successful attract these groups. In the context of the shop layout, time-poor and extremely nomadic consumers require different infinites than shoppers who at leisure shop at price reductions, and selectively during gross revenues periods at assorted phases in the concern rhythm. Besides, gender differences in shopping can warrant rather specific alterations to manner shop formats and infinite allotment. Shop layouts and the ware offered are matched to the targeted consumers to the extent that clients ‘buy into ‘ branding statements. It is of import that the retail merchant additions a positive reaction to the new layout of its ware within the shop as a negative reaction would so do gross revenues to diminish. To guarantee that a company is utilizing the right type of shop layout, the retail merchant would look into their ain shop layout analysis. Within a shop layout analysis, careful consideration is given to the merchandises being sold and their location ; this can besides be seen as basic psychological science used to lure clients to pass more money normally through impulse purchasing. Retailers can besides increase their fight by closely aiming and carry throughing their clients ‘ demands. Tauber ( 1972 ) hypothesised three grounds for shopping ; personal motivations, societal motivations and impulse purchasing. Making consumer satisfaction involves presenting quality merchandises that meet their demands and is core in extremely competitory environments. The allotment of infinite within any shop can be on the footing of many factors such as historical gross revenues, day-to-day mean gross revenues, net incomes, borders, industry norms and strategic grounds. A shop layout must besides include infinite for indispensable maps such as stock list, client service desks and altering suites. For any retail merchant to hold success in increasing their gross revenues per square pes, the must look at a figure of facets such as their fixtures and adjustments, colorss of the shop inside, lighting, and window shows. Shop insides are designed in a manner which influences consumer behavior which is referred to as Ocular Merchandising. Company ocular merchants control the usage of equipment, shows, colorss, lights, music, atmosphere and floor direction within a shop.Musics:Music can be used to increase gross revenues per square pess, as music sets the tone of the environment within the shop and as peoples tempers change throughout the class of the twenty-four hours it is indispensable to besides hold music which reflects the temper of the clients. Music which is played during the forenoon should be high energy based as clients have tonss of energy and this would intend that a company would hold more people coming in and buying points during the forenoon hours. Music during the afternoon should be more laid-back as peoples energy degrees are diminishing and they are more loath to shop through the shop looking for their wanted points compared to those in the forenoon. Similarly to the forenoon during early eventide hours, clients respond better to somewhat more up-tempo vocals. Retailers should besides take into consideration their mark consumers when make up one's minding on what type of music they should hold playing in their shops.Coloring material:Colour is another factor that can lure clients into shopping at a specific shop, coloring material is immediate, emotional and memorable. Colours conveying out emotions and feelings automatically to clients, therefore it is indispensable to retail merchants to acquire the right coloring material balance for their shop. The coloring material blue is seen as a natural component, but it is besides connected with trust and stableness, hence retail merchant who use blue within their interior design in informing clients that they are trusty and apprehensible every bit good as confident. The coloring material viridity is found to be a successful coloring material when linked to hygiene and beauty, which is the chief coloring material for the company Body Shop. All Body Shop foreparts are green and have some signifier of a green coloring material within their inside. The Body Shop besides consists of natural colorss and forests doing clients experience a sense of freshness, good health, juvenility and the coloring material viridity can besides be linked to money. Colorss within the Purple class can be linked to the emotion or sense of royalty, luxury and religious. Again the shop Liberty nexus purple into their company in the usage of their web site, correspondence every bit good as their company gift bags, this enables their clients to go forth the shop with a sense of luxury which besides makes them more likely to come and buy from Liberty once more.Fixtures and Adjustments:Within any retail shop, the fixtures and adjustments are another cardinal component to increasing gross revenues per square pes. For shelves, oculus degree and somewhat above is the best place to sell garments from, as coloring material of the garment can catch clients eyes doing them halt to look at the point. Displaies should be kept simple, and have a subject to them. It is besides effectual to include the merchandises in usage or as a aggregation which can be paired up e.g. in Primark or Marks and Spencers, many points of dressing a paired together such as shirts are sectioned with pants, skirts and sport jackets as this enables the consumer to see what the point will look like paired with something else, this besides shows that they do non hold far to travel to obtain a matching jacket for a work skirt. Besides in Primark, places are normally opposite the formal or concern wear but situated closely to accoutrements such as pocketbooks and bags ; once more this is done so that the consumer does n't hold really far to go in order to finish the outfit they required. It is besides of import to hold impulse points which are normally located near to the boulder claies so that clients are more likely to buy these along with their inital shopping, this could be anything from socks to lip rubrics.Window show:Bright and colorful window shows can do the company shop window stand out from other rivals, nevertheless the usage of excessively many colorss can do the shop expression inexpensive and put clients off traveling into the shop. The lighting used within a shop forepart should be bright as this makes it more attractive and appealing to go throughing clients. A shop window is an ideal manner of pulling new and bing clients as you can utilize a shop window to construct the company image, showcase new reachings every bit good as merchandises that are in high demand. Window shows should be changed often to maintain mark clients and new clients interested in the company, and to do them halt and buy something. The section shop Selfridges is the most competent shop for their window shows as each window can state a different narrative based on whatever theme possibly inspirational at the clip. As Selfridges window show tells a shop more and more clients are intrigued to cognize what it is approximately and where they can happen the points shown in the window, this is how Selfridges additions an addition in their gross revenues per square pes.Lighting:Proper illuming can increase gross revenues by up to 20 % , hence all retail merchants will profit from utilizing the best bulbs possible when updating their shop layout. In 2010, John Lewis changed their shop lighting as the dim illuming which was antecedently in shop caused consumers to be less likely to pass money as dim lighting can do clients to experience tired. Retailers should do usage of topographic point visible radiations, as these can be used to foreground cardinal countries or even cardinal merchandises which may be committee based, therefore the more sold, the more money the company makes.Decision:As mentioned throughout this study, companies need to selectively make up one's mind which options will be best for them to be able to increase the gross revenues per square pess as the initial reaction of the clients to a new shop layout is the make up one's minding factor as to whether the company will aim more clients or lose clients as a consequence. Companies should pay close attending to the information they already poses about their clients and utilize this to their advantage, they should besides be cognizant of their rivals so that they are able to ever be one measure in front, hiking gross revenues as they go.