Cell Phones And Our Health - 1542 Words

Cell phones and our Health People live in a world where new technology allows us to communicate more effectively. Wherever people go, they will see others using their phones and texting, emailing, chatting and tweeting to connect with others. According to Pew Research Center have shown that 90 % of American adults and 64 % of teens own cell phones. Whether people have a Smartphone, or a basic phone, eventualities are they check their phone, even when their cell phone does not ring or vibrate. People should ask themselves if they can leave their phones for one week. I think they may feel lost. Cell phones are changing the way that human interact with each other and changing their expectations for social communication. People who are using their cell phones more than is necessary, it will harm their health. Cell phones make people more vulnerable of getting sick. For example, people who are addicted to their cell phones, which will affect their health, and that by touching their phone too much during the day, which can easily effect users by germs. According to the study that was made in London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary, University of London showed that, 390 samples from mobile phones and hands [have germs]... 92% of phones and 82% of hands had bacteria on them.... 16% of hands and 16% of phones were found to harbor bacteria of a E. coli faecal origin....(Contamination of mobile phones). So, these bacteria can easily be moved from one toShow MoreRelatedCell Phone And Its Effect On Our Health1430 Words   |  6 Pagesdeveloped, the cell phone starts playing an important role in our life and it takes a large part of our time. About twenty years ago, Steve Jobs didn’t sell cell phone, Apple only represented the new fashion computer and of course, no one was using the cell phone as a social method. However, only twenty years later, cell phone technology exploded, Jobs becomes a legend, Apple become the most famous company because of its i-Phone. Cell phone now replace letter, television, book, computer, even our friendsRead MoreCell Phones And Its Effect On Our Health947 Words   |  4 Pagesproducts have been created and developed. Cell phones are one of the most important products in this age. The depth of the roles that cell phones play in our life which even we do not realize how vital it is. Normally, in order to get messages on time, people always take cell phones with them all the day. Cell phones became secretary, housekeeper and the best friend of humans. Unfortunately, according to some recent researches, cell phones may threaten our health. Then here comes the problem; is the bestRead MoreThe Impact of Cell Phone Radiation on Our Health3234 Words   |  13 Pages Cell phones represent a type of technology that has been around for more than over fifty years; it has only been recently that many people began to use cell phones as a major part of their everyday life. In the past cell phones were for business people to conduct their business, but in today’s society every one owns a cell phone. Cell phones are interesting, useful and also play a major role in our life’s bringing people closer and keeping in touch with one another. Most people do not know and understandRead MoreCan Cell Phones Harm our Health? Essay962 Words   |  4 Pagesthere dangerous radiation coming from our cell phones? Over the past few years there has been concern about our health when it comes to cell phones. Some people say that cell phones are dangerous because there is harmful radiation coming from them. Others say that cell phones are safe. However, cell phones emit 900-1800 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields during calls which effects the protein structures in mice and humans (Eid 573). Therefore, cell phones can be dangerous to humans. Most studiesRead MoreEssay on The Effect of Cell Phones on Health1300 Words   |  6 Pagesconvenience to our lives. But, with that comfort and convenience, there often comes a price; and the technology of the cell phone proves no exception. Arguably, as a communication tool, the cell phone has no equal in how it has changed and affected our lives. Mostly, the effect has been positive in many ways. But, as it is with anything, overuse and abuse has brought out its dark side and the effect of unintended consequences. One of the unintended consequences of the cell phone is its effectRead MoreBad Effects of Cell Phone on Society856 Words   |  4 PagesBAD EFFECTS OF CELL PHONE ON SOCIETY A report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said there were about six billion cell phone subscriptions at the end of 2011-roughly one for 86 of every 100 people. Up to now, this number has continued to increase dramatically. This proves certainly that cell phone affects our society more strongly and more deeply in many aspects. No one can deny that cell phone is playing a very important and necessary role in our society because it not onlyRead MoreImportance Of Cell Phone Safety Essay1056 Words   |  5 PagesThe cell phone safety In spite of the fact that cell phones convey a few expediency and advantages to our lives, they additionally have some possibly unsafe impacts. Disclosure of cell phones has been one of the critical technological progress lately. A portion of these effects has contributed emphatically to our lives, yet at the same time, others have affected contrarily. The cell phones have had a noticeable effect on the social life of individuals. In any case, cell phones have accompaniedRead MoreCell Phone Use A Social Addiction939 Words   |  4 PagesToday’s society is a generation that is being raised on conveniences, and with this generation, cell phone use has exploded. Millions of people are obsessed with their cell phones and literally will not leave their house without it. People center everything they do around their cell phone. People are checking their text messages and social media day and night. They face time, tweet, Pinterest, Instagram, and Snapchat. Teens on their smartphones. Photo Credit Highwaystarz-Photography/iStock/GettyRead MoreNegative Effects Of Cell Phones1192 Words   |  5 PagesIn this day and age, more than half of the worlds population owns and uses cell phones. It is a well-known fact that cell phones emit low doses of radiation each time one is used, however, people tend to brush it off and not think about the long-term effects it may have. Its only small doses, what harm can come from it? That is a question us cell phone users may ask ourselves, yet never really look into or research. Maybe its because we choose not to know the actual truth and just focus on theRead MoreMobile Phone Use And Semen Quality870 Words   |  4 Pagestechnology based society has its perks, our society has endless amounts of information at our finger tips. But, the increase in cell phone usage has brought up many concerns relating to our health. When I think about these health concerns, I think about my mother lecturing me, â€Å"Katheryn Paige Leyde, take your phone out of your front pockets right now!† I would role my eyes, and pull my phone out of my pocket. I never really thought of technology as a health hazard, but my mother had read an article;

Alzheimer s Disease, And Vascular Dementia - 1565 Words

Abstract Dementia is considered to be discovered by a German psychiatrist by the name of Alois Alzheimer. This discovery was made during the process of his examination of a patient with unusual behavior. In that discovery he found similarities that are linked to having Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia is known as being a slow, yet steady decline of one’s mental ability. The disease eventually becomes so severe that it will interfere with one’s daily living ability. This is not one specific disease, but a term used overall describing a wide range of symptoms associated with the declination in thinking skills, and memory. There are two major types of Dementia that are most commonly seen. These types are Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular†¦show more content†¦1). It is often described as being a slow, yet steady declination of one’s mental ability that eventually becomes severe enough to interfere with one’s daily living ability. The illness is c onsidered to be discovered by a German psychiatrist by the name of Alois Alzheimer. Dementia is not limited to one specific disease, but a term used as overall way of looking into a wide range of symptoms associated with decline in thinking skills, and memory. The behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are common serious problems that affect the quality of life for both the patients with such symptoms as well as their caregivers. BPSD present a major challenge in the medical management of patients and are the major cause of institutionalization. Alzheimer s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia in Taiwan. A particular study shows that a systematic literature review on BPSD studies and found that Taiwanese patients with AD exhibit many of the BPSD. Studies showed that between 30% and 63% of Taiwan s AD patients experienced delusion. Hallucination occurred less frequently, which ranged from 21% to 26%. Anxiety occurred in 35-76% of patients and depression 22-50%, sleep abnormalities 26-61% and 39-46%. The differences in the prevalence of BPSD might result from the different clinical settings and evaluation instruments. The

For the first time Free Essays

Time consumption also to be considered with these factors, being efficient is what all catering services needed and that would only be provided to us by our own technology. The significance of this proposal aims to give as alternative and replacement to the manual system that Belle’s Catering Services is currently using. We know that all catering services are a big part of events. We will write a custom essay sample on For the first time or any similar topic only for you Order Now This proposal gives a computerized system to be able to have faster, easier and more convenient and more efficiency to the information system. This proposal also aims answer and makes the Belle’s catering services mission and vision completely. Online Infringement’s of Belle’s Catering Services our system,delimitation systems (IS) is the study of complementary networks of reward and software that people and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create, and distribute data. The study bridges business and computer science using the theoretical foundations of information and computation to study various business models and related algorithmic processes within a computer science discipline. Computer Information System(s) (SIS) is a field studying computers and algorithmic processes, including their principles, their software and hardware designs, their applications, and their impact on society while IS emphasizes functionality over design. [Walk 2013] Our system focuses in Catering Services. It is the business of providing foddering at a remote site or a site like a hotel, public house and other various locations. This is a food or service that is catered to you, in other words,you pay them to bring you their services, most likely a food Joint. Online Infringement’s for Belle’s Catering Services 1. Background of the Study Maria Plainclothes started as an employee of a catering service. While her husband Leo Apaches is a set-up crew for the same catering service. When a friend suggest that they should start a small business in 2005. At first, they have a few customer who always order for them, then suddenly they have been recommended by a customer to have t heir own catering services, â€Å"The Belle’s Catering Services†. The project titled Online Information System is a Catering Characteristic gives information about the services of Belle’s Catering Services. The project â€Å"Online Information System† is developed in HTML using Adobe Dreamier CSS. 5 , which focuses on giving information, suggestions, and mainly catering events â€Å"Online Information System† is a web-based application that runs in any web browsers, designed to help users choose the catering services they want for their events. Recruiters is easy to use for both beginners and advanced users. It features a familiar well thought-out, an attractive user interface, combined with strong searching, and reporting capabilities. The report generation facility of information system’s to get a good idea of which is the best package suitable for the person that is having their events. Problem 1. 1. 1 General Problem Statement of the How the proponents will develop an online information system that will provide efficiency in processing information and a module to update the customer’s needs for the catering service events. . 1. 2 Specific Problem How the proponents will help the user to decide on the package that they will afford. This problem will specify on the decision support system that the proponents will use according to their money and according on how many persons are coming to the event. How the proponents will develop a module for the decision support system. This problem will specify on how will the proponents develop an easy and efficient decision support system 1. 2 Statement of Objectives 1. 2. 1 General Objectives To be able to develop a web-based application for Belle’s Catering Services improve the processing of information and capability of a module to update the customers needs for the catering service events. . 2. 2 Specific Objectives To be able to help the user to decide on the package that they will afford . The system uses a Decision Support System (ADS) that will create an information and manipulate the user’s choice of package. To be able to develop a module for the decision support system . Focuses on the condition of demonstrations needed by the users to identify the package for their given events. Study 1. 3 Significance of the Catering Services is a business that focuses between the caterer and the customer. It is transaction on what will be the request of the customer for them to satisfy their needs and to give an accurate information about the services of the caterer. The main objective of our group is to make the proposed system exist to help Belle’s Catering Services to makeshift business automated. So that the process of the transaction will be more efficiently and faster. Students To improve their analytical thinking and to unproven their programming skills in the field of online information system. Beneficiary To provided a well-defined proposed system in order to support their business in renovations between the customers. Customers To provide an information for them to know the choices that they want for their events,and for the suggestions they can say to the caterer in order for them to have a harmonium flow of the event. 1. 4 Scope and Limitation of the Study Scope of the Study The impact of technology has greatly expanded the scope and capacity of the average catering service. This is an on-going and developing relationship between the customer and the caterer as the computer’s full capabilities are gradually explored and applied to the online information system. Without internet, advertising catering services is difficult to manage, as well as publishing of the proposed system. It is also time consuming for the transactions and will do much more delay for the events. Scope of the System 2. 0 Methodology of the Study This chapter starts on the discussion about the project research disintermediation. The second part presents the development of the system . Project Development Spiral model The spiral model is a software development process combining elements of both design and prototyping-in-stages, in an effort to combine advantages of top-down and bottom-up concepts. Also known as the spiral lifestyle model (or spiral development), it is a systems development method (SAD) used in information technology (IT). This model of development combines the features of the prototyping and the waterfall model. The spiral model is intended for large, expensive and complicated projects. Figure 1. 0 6 Phases of Spiral Model The spiral model’s divided into a number of frame work activities, also called task region. The figure 1. 0 illustrates spiral model containing 6 task regions: Customer Communication Task required to established effective communication between developer and customer. Planning Task required to define resources , timeliness ,and other project related information . Risk Analysis Task required to asses both technical and management risk. Engineering Task required to build 1 or more representation of the application. Construction and release Task required to construct , test, install, and provide user support. Customer Evaluation Task required to obtained customer feedback based on evaluation of the software representation created during the engineering stage and environmental during the installation stage. 3. 0 Data Gathering, Procedures and Output Many online information systems are operated manually by group of people. In such situations many people involved in the process of managing the catering such a way that inform the user regarding the information of the catering service, the decision support system of the catering, and help the customer to decide on how to choose their own affordable cater for their events. On the other hand keeping large amount of maintenance workers may cost a lot it will not be efficient for a catering system. Manual process in the transaction of the catering is not a reliable method. On the mint of view, in manual system the user can’t find the suitable information for his or her events. We interview Mrs.. Beeline Apaches on how their catering services works and the required information in their business. We found out that their is a package in every events in their catering. For example, in wedding they have full package which cost IIOP,OHO up to IPPP,OHO. In that package they have a complete catering service with set-up, a place to have the venue, the amenities and miscellaneous, and other needs they can get by renting in other rental services (egg. Hairs and tables). We also visit their faceable account to gather some information to use in our proposed system . In their faceable account there are pictures of the events that in low resolution settings so we didn’t use their own image as the picture of events in their catering services. There are also foods and beverages that have also low resolution so in order to improve the quality of the design of our proposed system we provide the detailed picture of Belle’s Catering Online Information System. We decided that we will create two systems which is the back and front end. The front end is for the customer to vive the information about the services that Belle’s Catering services offered. , while the back end is for the admit in controlling the data in the front end. In the process of our system, the customers will find the information in our system, their needs and suggestion will be provide by our Decision Support System (ADS), and other things that can be say to the caterer in the used of telephone/cellophane number or use as reference. The Existing System They have no existing system so that’s why the proponents choose the Belle’s Catering Services in order to make for them an existing online information system. . 1 Company Background Belle’s Catering Services in Banana Mycenaean City, Vulcan is a public catering service. The name Belle’s Catering comes from the name of the owner Mrs.. Beeline Apaches. Maria Plainclothes started as an employee of a catering service. While her husband Leo Apaches is a set-up crew for the same catering service. When a friend suggest that they should start a small business in 2005. At first, they have a few 4. 2 Description of the System By using the present manual system, work is done manually. So, each and every transaction takes much time to complete. Whenever user requires any information, the decision and update process also takes more time and it is difficult to find particular information. As the transactions of the catering increases there is more information to be processed and stored. How to cite For the first time, Papers

Nicholas Ferrar Essay Example For Students

Nicholas Ferrar Essay Nicholas Ferrar was assumed to be born in 1592. I have found that his most probable birth date was in February of 1593. This is due to the usual calendar confusion: England was not at that time using the new calendar adopted in October 1582. It was 1593 according to our modern calendar, but at the time the new year in England began on the following March 25th. Nicholas Ferrar was one of the more interesting figures in English history. His family was quite wealthy and were heavily involved in the Virginia Company, which had a Royal Charter for the plantation of Virginia. People like Sir Walter Raleigh were often visitors to the family home in London. Ferrars niece was named Virginia, the first known use of this name. Ferrar studied at Cambridge and would have gone further with his studies but the damp air of the fens was bad for his health and he traveled to Europe, spending time in the warmer climate of Italy. On his return to England he found his family had fared badly. His brother John had become over extended financially and the Virginia Company was in danger of loosing its charter. Nicholas dedicated himself to saving the family fortune and was successful. He served for a short time as Member of Parliament, where he tried to promote the cause for the Virginia Company. His efforts were in vain for the company lost their charter anyway. Nicholas is given credit for founding a Christian community called the English Protestant Nunnery at Little Gidding in Huntingdonshire, England. After Ferrar was ordained as a deacon, he retired and started his little community. Ferrar was given help and support with his semi-religious community by John Collet, as well as Collets wife and fourteen children. They devoted themselves to a life of prayer, fasting and almsgiving (Matthew 6:2,5,16). The community was founded in 1626, when Nicholas was 34 years old. Banning together, they restored an abandoned church that was being used as a barn. Being of wealthy decent, Ferrar purchased the manor of Little Gidding, a village which had been discarded since the Black Death (a major outbreak of the bubonic plague in the 14th century), a few miles off the Great North Road, and probably recommended by John Williams, Bishop of Lincoln whose palace was in the nearby village of Buckden. About thirty people along with Mary Ferrar (Ferrars mother) moved into the manor house. Nicholas became spiritual leader of the community. The community was very strict under the supervision of Nicholas. They read daily offices of the Book of Common Prayer, including the recital of the complete Psalter. every day. Day and night there was at least one member of the community kneeling in prayer at the alter, that they were keeping the word, ?Pray without ceasing?. They taught the neighborhood children, and looked after the health and well being of the community. They fasted and in many ways embraced voluntary poverty so that they might have as much money as possible for the relief of the poor. They wrote books and stories dealing with various aspects of Christian faith and practice. The memory of the community survived to inspire and influence later undertakings of Christian communal living, and one of T.S. Eliots Four Quartets is called ?Little Gidding.?Nicholas was a bookbinder and he taught the community the craft as well as gilding and the so-called pasting printing by means of a rolling press. The members of the community produced the remarkable ?Harmonies? of the scriptures, one of which was produced by Mary Collet for King Charles I.. Some of the bindings were in gold toothed leather, som e were in velvet which had a considerable amount of gold tooling. Some of the embroidered bindings of this period have also been attributed to the so-called nuns of Little Gidding. .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e , .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e .postImageUrl , .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e , .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e:hover , .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e:visited , .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e:active { border:0!important; } .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e:active , .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3fab52e206d433b92b62df9098c23a1e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Jacky Robinson Essay SummaryThe community attracted much attention and was visited by the king, Charles I. He was attracted by a gospel harmony they had produced. The king asked to borrow it only to return it a few months later in exchange for a promise of a new harmony to give his son, Charles, Prince of Wales. This the Ferrars did, and the superbly produced and bound manuscript passed through the royal collection, and is now on display at the British Library. Nicholas Ferrar, who was never married, died in 1637, and was buried outside the church in Little Gidding. Nicholass brother John assumed the leadership of the community. John did his best to make the community thrive. He was visited by the king several times. At one time the king came for a visit with the Prince of Wales, he donated some money that he had won in a card game from the prince. The kings last visit was in secret and at night. He was fleeing from defeat from the battle of Naseby and was heading north to try to enlist support from the Scots. John brought him secretly to Little Gidding and got him away the next day. The community was now in much danger. The Presbyterian Puritans were now on the rise and the community was condemned with a series of pamphlets calling them an ?Arminian Nunnery? (Ariminius was a Dutch reformer and theologian who opposed the Calvinist doctrine of predestination and election)In 1646 the community was forcibly broken up by Parliamentary soldiers. Their brass baptismal font was damaged, cast into the pond and not recovered until 200 years later. The village remained in the Ferrar family but it was not until the 18th century that the church was restored by another Nicholas Ferrar. Ferrar restored the church, shortened the nave by about 8 feet and built the ?dull facade? that Eliot spoke of. In the mid 19th century, William Hodgkinson came along and restored the church more. He installed the armorial stain glass windows, (4 windows with the arms of Ferrar, Charles the 1st and Bishop Williams inserted). He then put in a rose window at the east end (this rose window was later replaced by a Palladian-style plain glass window). Hodgkinson recovered the brass font, restored it and reinstalled it in the church. An elaborate 18th century chandelier now hangs in the church, installed by Hodgkinson. from _Little Gidding_ by T.S. Eliot If you came this way,Taking any route, starting from anywhere,At any time or at any season,It would always be the same: you would have to put offSense and notion. You are not here to verify,Instruct yourself, or inform curiosityOr carry report. You are here to kneelWhere prayer has been valid. And prayer is moreThan an order of words, the conscious occupationOf the praying mind, or the sound of the voice praying. And what the dead had no speech for, when living,They can tell you, being dead: the communicationOf the dead is tongued with firebeyond the language of the living. Here, the intersection of the timeless momentIs England and nowhere. Never and always. BibliographyEtherington ; Roberts. DictionaryFerrar, Nicholas Bookbinding and the Conservationof Books A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology. Ferrar, Nicholas ( 1592-1637 )Columbia Encyclopedia Table Of Contents Columbia Encyclopedia. F. Faber, FrederickWilliam. Faber, Johannes. Fabian, Saint. Fabian Society. Fabius. Fabius, Laurent. fable. fabliau, plural Christian Biographies Commemorated in November FOR THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS(1 NOV) FIRST READING: Ecclesiasticus 44:1-10,13-14 (Let us now praise famousmen.; a commemoration of patriarchs, A History Of The Church In England, J.R.H.Moorman, Morehouse Publishing copyright 1980The Story Of Christianity, Justo L Gonzalez, Harper Collins Publishers copyright 1984The Episcopal Church, David Locke Hippocrene Books, New York copyright 199144

Th Rabbits Essay Example For Students

Th Rabbits Essay The Rabbits John Marsden Shaun Tan Name of the text, its composer, its origin, its date and its form The Rabbits is a picture book written by John Marsden and drawn by Shaun Tan published 9/1/2000. Write an explanation of the text, mentioning its purpose and audience and showing the relevance of the text to the concept of Belonging or Not Belonging. The rabbits is about the arrival and colonisation of the British and the progression that took place during and after their arrival and shows the impact they had towards Aboriginal People and the Land. Shaun Ta uses Rabbits, being a foreign criminal, to portray the British, and the native num-bat like creatures as Aboriginal People. The rabbits targets all ages, and brings the mistreat and suffering of Aboriginal people during British colonisation to attention. This text is relevant to belonging as it demonstrates the loss of identity to Aboriginals that occurred in the white settlement of Australia. How does the text convey meaning? Consider features, techniques: visual or written, language etc. You must also discuss the effect of these devices. We will write a custom essay on Th Rabbits specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The text conveys meaning by showing British impact towards Aboriginal’s and the land. The author John Marsden uses pared back text which is powerfully interpretated and enhanced with striking illustrations by Shaun Tan, who uses strong stylished shapes with loose, free backgrounds that contain more information than the text as well as showing the land, its nature, flora and fauna. The bold arrangement of characters, elements spare text imply simplicity but reveals complexity in illustrations using heavy symbolism which backs up the text as well as giving the reader a greater depth of understanding. Examples shown of the techniques that Shaun Tan uses are seen tt the beginning of the book the illustrations show the land before the rabbits arrived and is full of detail and colour, but upon the arrival of the rabbits the illustrations lose their colour and their detail to more darker unattractive colours. Also other techniques such as displaying multiple images on one page which widens the perspective on what is happening as well emphasising the depth of the text. Also Tan has drawn more rabbits in some pages to emphasise the taking over of the rabbits and driving out of the ‘numbats’ (Aboriginals) symbolising they don’t belong. How does the text open up the idea of belonging or not belonging for you? The text opens up the idea of not belonging as at the start of the book it shows the ‘numbat’ creatures portrayed as Aboriginals belonging and their links to the land since the beginning of time. But until the arrival of The Rabbits portrayed as the British whom had immediately taken over and drove the ‘numbat’ creatures off the land so they could create their own new world, in which taking the only thing that made the ‘numbats’, (Aboriginals) Belong, which was the basis of their freedom and identity, as well as their only links to belonging. How is your understanding of the effect of belonging or not belonging developed from reading the text? My understanding of the effect of not belonging is developed in reading the text as page after page as it reveals the clear, strait forward naked honesty behind the text showing the Rabbits taking over, dominating and driving out the ‘numbat’ creatures and taking over the land, Creating the reason why the ‘numbat’ creatures, (Aboriginals) don’t Belong in their new worlds. What links would you make between this text and the Simple Gift? In comparing the two texts The rabbits and the Simple Gift, The Rabbits shows the concept of a ‘race’(Aboriginals) which at the start of the book shows us how they ‘belonged’ to the land since the beginning of time. Until the arrival of the rabbits which forced them off the land, taking away their freedom, their identity and their only links which make them feel belonged. .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266 , .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266 .postImageUrl , .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266 , .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266:hover , .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266:visited , .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266:active { border:0!important; } .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266:active , .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266 .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc1cb603e1b874526ac3faf8d36592266:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Overpopulation EssayBut the Simple Gift on the other hand is the complete opposite as the main character Billy is trying to search for where he belongs and to escape his past life and his alcoholic father. Towards the end of the novel Billy finds a true sense of belonging which he had never had or felt before. In conclusion both texts are very different as The Simple Gift shows Billy who at first does not belong but throughout his journey he finds where he belongs and The Rabbits shows the ‘numbat’ creatures belonging to the land up until The rabbits arrival which changes their status to not belonging.

Different Meanings of Hallmark

Different Meanings of Hallmark Different Meanings of Hallmark Different Meanings of Hallmark By Maeve Maddox Until recently, I attached only one figurative meaning to the word hallmark: A distinctive mark or token of genuineness, good breeding, or excellence. Here are some examples of the word used in the sense of a trait that denotes admirable excellence: The hallmark of a scholar is attention to detail. Indeed, if style, grace, intellect, and capacity for rebirth are the  hallmarks  of [a Renaissance woman], then Lois Wilson qualified in every sense. The  hallmark of an honest politician is  an innate understanding that their most sacred duty is to fulfill the responsibilities of their office.  Ã‚   Emotional intelligence is the hallmark of a good leader. Osbeck also noted a fourth writing trait- elegance- which he describes as the hallmark of great legal writing. Rereading, editing, and revising the initial draft into a good paper are the hallmarks of good writing. In each of these examples, the idea of excellence is implicit in the word hallmark. This connotation of excellence derives from the word’s literal meaning: â€Å"a mark or device placed or stamped upon an article of trade to indicate origin, purity, or genuineness.† The practice of placing marks of origin and authenticity on products made of gold or silver dates to the early Middle Ages. One such mark in England was a leopard’s head. In the 15th century, when a law required all goldsmiths to bring their wares to Goldsmiths’ Hall in London to be marked, the identifying device came to be known as a hallmark. Hallmark seems to have retained its connotation of quality and excellence until the 20th century. For example, the Hallmark Greeting Card Company was founded in 1910. Founder Joyce Clyde Hall felt that greeting cards â€Å"represented class.† Playing on the founder’s name and the goldsmith’s mark of excellence, the company adopted the name Hallmark in 1928. By midcentury, however, writers had begun using the word absent its connotation of worthiness: Do you know the hallmark of a second rater? It’s resentment of another man’s achievement.- Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged (1957). Writers familiar with the word’s positive associations continue to use it to denote excellence. For others, hallmark has devolved into a mere synonym for trait or â€Å"distinguishing characteristic†: Ruthlessness, deception and devious behavior is [sic] the hallmark of the successful politician. Expression of multiple horizontally acquired genes is  a hallmark of  both vertebrate and invertebrate genomes. A Hallmark of Alzheimer’s Can Show Up in Young People Too There’s even evidence that some speakers aren’t too sure that hallmark means trait: Many researchers have also theorized that a lack of self-awareness is  a hallmark  trait of narcissists. Writers who prefer to reserve hallmark to denote â€Å"proof of excellence,† may choose from the following list for words to convey the idea of trait or characteristic: attribute feature property aspect facet peculiarity Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Capitalize Animal and Plant Names41 Words That Are Better Than Good40 Words Beginning with "Para-"

Sweden and German gender inequalities in employment Essay

Sweden and German gender inequalities in employment - Essay Example The EU notes that, â€Å"across Europe women earn on average 17.8% less than men†, meaning that Sweden is slightly above the median and Germany is almost 4.5% below it. The inclusion of a EU-wide average facilitates comparability. In large measure the gender pay gap directly expresses that women do not receive equal pay for work of equal value. However, it still does not adequately explain the nuances of the gender pay gap and inequality in employment. (EC, 2010) The existence of a 'glass ceiling' barriers and limits to promotions is also a factor. If women are denied access to the highest paying (and most influential) management positions this will manifest itself in an aggregate gender pay gap. Similarly, if a country's pregnancy and parental leave programs are inadequate and family causes women to interrupt their career path this will be reflected in the gender pay gap. Simply put, inequality in employment influences more than only equal pay for work of equal value. This pa per will examine key laws and policies aimed at promoting gender equality in employment in Sweden and Germany. It will identify and account for similarities and differences in the development and implementation of gender equality policies in these two countries. History and type of welfare regime in Sweden and Germany Throughout the 1990s in Sweden the gender pay gap remained relatively static at approximately 17.5%. According to the European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO) â€Å"Comparative study on gender pay equity: The case of Sweden†, â€Å"the trend is that lately, over the last ten years, with some smaller fluctuations, the wage differences between men and women are about the same. There is a decrease of the gap shown in some years, next year there is a small increase.† Throughout this period, â€Å"females earned an average of 83% of male wages.† (EIRO, â€Å"Sweden†, 2002) The statistics for Germany were much more dynamic in this period. However, they are also incomplete and difficult to work with as the period included the reunification of the two Germanies. However, they parallel Sweden with little change and a slightly higher level of the gender pay gap. (EIRO, â€Å"Germany†, 2002) Philosophically there are more profound and apparent differences between the social welfare systems in the two countries. Mandel and Shale have developed a typology for social welfare regimes that is useful in this situation. They characterise European social welfare systems as conservative, liberal or social democratic. The differences between the three are predicated on the three roles the social welfare system can play. According to Mandel and Shalev (2009), â€Å"Scandinavian social democracy is associated with patterns of intervention that exemplify all three roles: the state substitutes for Source: Mandel and Shalev, 2009. functions otherwise performed by markets or families and it does so with a distinct emphasis on ser vice provision (as opposed to income maintenance), which turns it into a massive employer.† It decommodifies and defamilializes social welfare. This is the model that Sweden exemplifies. The second country under consideration, Germany, is characterised as 'conservative' by Mandel and Shalev. â€Å"Germany, France and Spain form a second cluster which is made up of conservative countries that are less

Geology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Geology - Assignment Example Religious divide on the other hand seem to disagree with idea of millions of years and squeeze it to before six days of creation (Dawkins. 2012). Having gone through all this for years I tend to agree with the scientist. â€Å"Young Earthers,† are ignoring the overwhelming â€Å"scientific† evidence for an old Earth. It is certain that both the scientist and men of religion do agree on the story of Noah and the arc (Dawkins. 2012). The scientist then went ahead to study the consequence that such a catastrophe might have left on the surface of the earth. Because the flood did take place it must have left some effects on the surface of the earth. This argument is so compelling because looking at millions of years of erosion at Colorado River the Grand Canyon was formed and such activity must have took place during Noah’s flood (Dawkins. 2012). Many geologists, who are Christian and non-Christian, have looked at the hundreds of thousands of feet of rock layers and fossils worldwide have simply assumed that the Flood didn’t produce them (Dawkins. 2012). They went ahead and invented theories that those rock layers and fossils formed long ago before we came into existence. We can’t ignore the fact that global, year-long, catastrophic Flood did happen at the time of Noah. We can say this with without doubt because of the authority of the historical record in the book Genesis. Such a catastrophe must have therefore left a massive amount of geological evidence (Dawkins. 2012). Since the flood took place it must have buried both vegetation and creatures and as water recede back they must have eroded many of the sediments laid down in the first half of the Flood and redeposit them elsewhere (Dawkins. 2012). As we look at the thousands of feet of rock layers and fossils worldwide surely Flood could have produced them. If such an event was to take place today, it will be naà ¯ve for us to think that no geological features will result from it. To

Occupational Therapy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Occupational Therapy - Research Paper Example To qualify as an occupational therapist, one should posses a post-baccalaureate degree form a credited university or college, a university of college certification that is deemed equivalent is also accepted. The minimum entry point for an occupational therapist is a master’s degree or higher occupational therapy. In addition, occupational therapists should receive his education form a organistion that has been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) for him to qualify to sit for the national exam. Occupational therapists practice is regulated in all the 50 states, before getting a license, one should be trained in accredited institution and sat for the national certification exam. Qualified occupational therapists are warded the ‘Occupational Therapists Registered’ (OTR), however specific licensing vary from one state to another for example some states consider an education practice certification, education related classe s or the early intervention certification. In addition, one should have competed supervised field work (Wilcock & Townsend, 2009). Occupational therapists work in large rehabilitation centers, educational institutions, nursing care facilities, home heath care services, government agencies, and community care facilities, hospitals, employed in private practice and in ambulance services. Occupation therapy works alongside the field of medicine, sociology, anthropology, law and psychology and any other discipline that contributes to developing its knowledge base. In this case these profession work along with doctors, nurses, counselors, psychologies ,social workers, public health officers, med lab scientists, family members among other key players in improving the patients life. On average it costs $ 15,000 to complete the training, given that occupational therapists are becoming more popular in almost all health institutions, undertaking the course will be very beneficial both in the long run and short run. For instance, in 2008.there were 104, 500 0ccupatonal therapist in the US alone. 2. Legal Issues The general Federal laws on the practice of occupational therapy are I regard to certification and licensing. States have laws that slightly differ from one state to another, for example South Carolina’s statutes on this practice are found in Title 40 –Of Professions and Occupations Sec 40. In Ontario, the statutes based on this profession are were constituted through the occupational Therapy Act 1991 There are the standard general laws that should be adhered to in practicing occupational therapy, the first standard is professional standing and responsibility and his practice should be in consistent with established principles and concepts of theory and practice. The screening, evaluation and re evaluation are all the responsibilities of the occupational therapist in accordance with the federal and state law among other regulatory and payer requireme nt and AOTA law. Occupational therapists should ensure that the intervention plan is in accordance with the set requirement such as external accreditation program, state and federal law and within the relevant time frame. The occupational therapist should document and interpret related to the client’

Gender Differences Within The Education System

Gender Differences Within The Education System The Education System consists of all school types, from pre-schools to universities all over the world. There are many different types of gender differences within the education system including: academic, social, emotional and behavioural. Academic gender differences are one of the most highly researched topics within the educational system. Within this essay I will discuss the widening gap between gender and achievement, and try to explain why these differences may be apparent, and how to change them. Research shows that academic gender differences are evident from 3years of age. Statistics from the Foundation Stage Profile Results for England for 2007-08 show that girls outperform boys in all 13 assessment scales. The main gap areas are social development (10% difference between genders) emotional development (11%) linking sounds and letters (11%) writing (18%) reading (11%) creative development (14%) (Steve Maynard, Gender differences in school, 2008) During the 70s when academic achievement was being investigated research was showing that girls where underachieving, they did less well in GCE exams, left school earlier than boys and were less likely to go to university. The main view was that gender differences were natural and unalterable, known as the Biological Deterministic approach. This may suggest why boys and girls were treated differently within the education system, as their adult roles were different I.e. men go out to work and women are home-makers, therefore not needing qualifications. However, if this is the case it is important to address why research within the past decade, evidently shows an increasing gender achievement gap with male students lagging behind females on a number of important indicators of school success. (Clark. M, Flower. K, Walton. J, Oakley. E., 2008). It could be argued that this is down to the changing views of society, along with the introduction of a compulsory national curriculum where both girls and boys where required to take foreign languages, English, sciences and maths. According to Wilkinson (1994) the Genderquake has a major part to play in the success of women within education today. He states that fundamental changes in attitudes towards female roles in society, have lead women to have a more positive attitude towards education as a means of improving their chances of success at work. A report from the Rowntree Foundation (2007) found that academic gender differences can continue up to age 16, showing that boys outnumber girls by 20% as low achievers at GCSE. Van Houtte (2004) suggests this may be due to the fact that males have a less study orientated culture that females. This would explain why achievement is higher in vocational and technical courses such as business studies, IT, geography (where more boys enter) and in separate sciences a more hands on approach to learning in males than females. Berg and Klinger (2009) found that subject performance is often associated with gender-specific stereotypes, and self-perceptions such as reading for girls and maths for boys. This may explain why one of the only academic subjects males seem to have out performed girls in is mathematics. Many studies show that mathematical achievement is a male dominated subject. A study in 2008, (Van de gaer, Pustjens, Van Damme. De Munter.) amongst Flemish students showed that boys performance in maths is linked to their participation within that subject boys participate in maths classes more than girls. Further support for the above points comes from (Kyong Hee Chee, 2005) whose analysis indicated that women are more likely to possess an academic ethic than men. They also found that women tend to have higher Grade Point Averages (GPAs). They found GPAs to be positively associated with active participation in extra-curricular groups and clubs, and GPA was negatively related to employment for men. These results pose the question in why there is such a large gap in achievement between genders? Experts say that the reason for this may be down to the difference in nature and nurturing between girls and boys. Genetic theories state that females excel in language based subjects due to their greater verbal and reasoning abilities, where as males have a high level of innate spatial ability, increasing their understanding of shape and form. As girls start to talk, read (read more often) and develop fine motor skills earlier than boys, they also progress quicker and develop more positive attitudes, they are generally better equipped for the start of formal schooling than boys. Once in school, girls tend to be more task-focused more methodical and conscientious, and far better at tackling coursework. Boys tend to be action-oriented impatient, imaginative, and inclined to take risks. They develop fine motor skills later than girls, and their learning and motivational skills are different. (Duffy, M. 2002) There have been many discussions about how to close the gap between gender and achievement. This has included changing the ways that children learn, and it has been suggested that more male teachers in primary schools could help boys within their achievement. It has been argued that women teachers talk to much causing boys to switch-off. Celia Lashlie, author of Hell Be Okay states that women teachers need to talk in lower pitches when teaching and use more non-verbal cues like males do. Male can be seen as positive role models towards education teachers can break down assumptions such as reading is for girls.(Times Educational Supplement) There are many campaigns in place to encourage boys to read, such as Welsh rugby players promoting reading within schools and libraries. Maloney (2002) states that boys like to read books that reflect themselves and who they aspire to be and appeal to their sense of humour. Interestingly,boys enjoy looking at newspapers, magazines and comic books but do not consider this reading, as these materials arent valued in school. It is therefore important that to encourage reading and literacy skills, schools need to provide enough material for boys to want to read. The most recent idea, that supports previous research findings is too change assessments to suit each of the genders needs. AQA, the UKs largest school exam board, propose developing gender-specific alternatives, that are tailor made for girls and boys, to GCSEs. It has been suggested that these new key-stage 4 qualifications in English, Maths and Science could be taught as early as 2011, with coursework options for girls and more traditional exams aimed at boys. AQAs director of curriculum and assessment, said: We could offer a route for boys that is very different to a route for girls. Girls tend to perform better with coursework while boys do better with end-of-year exams. So we are pursuing that in science to see if we could have an option in science where we might have a straightforward examination for boys but a possibility of having a coursework option for girls. (Bill Alexander 2010, TES). Even though the research within this essay often has a large sample size, and seems to have the same effect across cultures, It has been argued that, although research has shown that by the age of seven, some boys are almost two and a half years behind their brightest female class mates, gender is only a small part of academic gender gap, and factors such as poverty, ethnicity and birth season have a larger effect on a childs academic achievement. The analysis conducted in 2000, revealed that the most disadvantaged pupils are male from a poor, ethnic-minority background, born in the summer, never went to nursery and spent their primary years moving from school to school. These children were more than two years behind more socially-advantaged, winter-born, female classmates. (Birminghams Education Authority) Also, biological theories for gender differences within education, can be strongly criticised. Genetic explanation can not explain how gender differences have narrowed between mathematics and science based subjects since the 1980s. Arguably, if these differences were genetic they would be expected to remain constant. Kelly (1982) suggests that the types of toys children play with can be attributed to the differences in spatiality ability. Further support for this point comes from Sharpe (1976), who argues that childhood socialization plays a large part in masculine and feminine identity roles. This may suggest why women tended to stick to feminine subjects such as home economics, and art other than science and technology, which are seen masculine. This provides further support for the views of the Gender-quake and the changing roles of women within society, henceforth the success of females academic achievement over males. In conclusion, there are many reasons for academic gender differences within the education system, including the stereotypes and the views of gender roles within society. In order to close the gap that seems to be continuously growing, changing ways in which teaching is approached seems to be a logical solution. This includes the encouraging boys to read, as it has been suggested that due to a lack of reading boys are held back in their writing skills. changing the ways in which assessment is carried out, may be more beneficial. (Times Educational Supplement) As well as tailoring assessments to suit the needs of each gender, especially as boys seem to better in exams, especially those that are multiple choice due to their nature of risk-taking behaviour (Ramos, and Lambating, 1996) where as girls are more likely to excel in coursework . Another option is also allowing more hands on and vocational subjects onto the curriculum. In order to see if these options take effect, it is important for researchers to keep up to date with the current operations of the educational system and keep carrying out their research. Words: 1607.

An Application of Relational Dialectics Essay -- When Harry Met Sally

An Application of Relational Dialectics Leslie Baxter and Barbara Montgomery are interested in the communication that occurs in close relationships. I am going to focus on the three relational dialects which consist of connectedness-separateness, certainty-uncertainty, and openness-closedness. These three dialects are central to Baxter's and Montgomery's theory but they want to go more indepth than previous theorists have on these specific dialects. I will discuss this theory in the context of "When Harry Met Sally." Connectedness-Separateness: Billy Crystal plays "Harry," a man who believes that women and men can not be friends. Men always have sex on their minds so it interferes with the chance to be plutonic friends with women. He shows a separateness from women because he doesn't want to get to close to Meg Ryan who plays "Sally," a woman who believes the exact opposite. Their relationship starts out with contraditions and continues throughout the movie. As years pass, they meet up with one another again and continue their argument over the relationship between men ...

Chartered Accountancy Essay

Chartered Accountancy as a profession is attracting a lot of young and witnessing a rapid growth, thanks to the growing corporate sector globally. Chartered Accountants usually occupy high and respectable posts in an organization. They are the ones responsible for handling accounts and finance related matters, deal with money management. Chartered Accountancy is also a dynamic, challenging and rewarding profession. Chartered Accountancy Course is a professional course in Accounting introduced in our country in 1949, with the enactment of the Chartered Accountants Act. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) was formed the same year. This Institute is both an examining and a licensing body. It is the responsibility of the institute to conduct the Chartered Accountancy (CA) Course. Chartered accountants are the one who are specialized in accounting, auditing and taxation. They also serve as a management and corporate caretaker. In recent times, accountancy has become popular as a profession. The services of a Chartered accountant are required in money matters even in a small business. Moreover according to the Company Act only CA’s in professional practice are allowed to be appointed as auditors of companies in India. Chartered Accountants are the one who are accepted as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) after having passed the Final examination of the Chartered accountancy course conducted by the institute. CA Program currently has three sections, Common Proficiency Test (CPT) that was earlier known as Professional Education exam (PE1), Professional Competence Course (PCC or PCE) and Final examination.

Free Essays on The Fall Of The Roman Empire

The downfall of the Roman Republic is not attributed to a single event; I believe it was becoming too large and complicated for a Republic to cope with. In principal a breakdown in the distribution of wealth, the subversive behavior of individual leaders, and the emergence of violence as a political means. For these reasons, it brought the empire to its knees resulting in the fall of the Roman Republic and the berth of aristocracy and a new Empire. Roman conquests brought powerful generals who had the support of their armies and used it to seize power. Each leader was greedy for glory and power, demanding triumphs and ovations for military and political victories. One instance of this was Marius, he had changed the laws that once only allowed landowners to join the army. He made it possible for poor men who had nothing to volunteer. By serving him, the men came to expect a grant of land that they could farm upon discharge from service. This gave Marius an army of loyal poor men to use in obtaining his objectives in North Africa. The behavior of many individuals, mainly the wealthy warlords caused an increase in slave labor, forcing many of the small farm owners to sell their farms for survival. With many wars taking place throughout the Republic, the wealthy found themselves increasing their riches from the spoils of war, thus causing the increase in poverty. Usually, the loosing armies of war became slaves and forced wages down causing many of the poor to loose their loyalty to society and the republic. This caused many to become loyal to the Warlords for their survival. Because of the many fractions in the Republic It became common to use violence as a way of solving political issues. Many politicians were drug away and butchered by angry mobs. An example of this was Gaius Gracchus, killed by a mob formed by the Senate. This form of violence would ultimately result in the death of Caesar himself. In conclusi... Free Essays on The Fall Of The Roman Empire Free Essays on The Fall Of The Roman Empire The downfall of the Roman Republic is not attributed to a single event; I believe it was becoming too large and complicated for a Republic to cope with. In principal a breakdown in the distribution of wealth, the subversive behavior of individual leaders, and the emergence of violence as a political means. For these reasons, it brought the empire to its knees resulting in the fall of the Roman Republic and the berth of aristocracy and a new Empire. Roman conquests brought powerful generals who had the support of their armies and used it to seize power. Each leader was greedy for glory and power, demanding triumphs and ovations for military and political victories. One instance of this was Marius, he had changed the laws that once only allowed landowners to join the army. He made it possible for poor men who had nothing to volunteer. By serving him, the men came to expect a grant of land that they could farm upon discharge from service. This gave Marius an army of loyal poor men to use in obtaining his objectives in North Africa. The behavior of many individuals, mainly the wealthy warlords caused an increase in slave labor, forcing many of the small farm owners to sell their farms for survival. With many wars taking place throughout the Republic, the wealthy found themselves increasing their riches from the spoils of war, thus causing the increase in poverty. Usually, the loosing armies of war became slaves and forced wages down causing many of the poor to loose their loyalty to society and the republic. This caused many to become loyal to the Warlords for their survival. Because of the many fractions in the Republic It became common to use violence as a way of solving political issues. Many politicians were drug away and butchered by angry mobs. An example of this was Gaius Gracchus, killed by a mob formed by the Senate. This form of violence would ultimately result in the death of Caesar himself. In conclusi...

Organ donations essays

Organ donations essays Specific Purpose: To persuade my audiences to donate their organs and tissues when they die and act upon their decision to become organ donors. A. How do you feel when there is something that you really want but you cant have? What if you couldnt live without it? Well, I know my aunt who has liver cancer desperately wants a new liver but she cant have one until someone donates a liver to give to her. Her name went on a waiting list and she waited for a miracle. She finally got one when a liver match was donated by a women in a fatal car accident. The women who died gave my aunt the gift of life but not everyone is always so lucky. B. Someone you know could be on an organ transplant list. The number of people on the waiting list of organ donations is growing each day. The time is now for everyone to come together. Dennis OLeary M.D., president of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization, said, The challenge today is to make the gift of life available to all who need it. C. Today, I am going to talk to you about organ donations, how you can become an organ donor and finally how your family and the organ donor recipient benefit from you organ donation. A. First Im going to talk to you about organ donations and how important they really are. 1. Organ donation is also known as Giving the Gift of Life. One single donor can save or help up to 50 lives. Just imagine giving the miracle of life to 50 different people, its amazing. More than 85,000 people in the United States now are waiting life-saving transplants and over 6,000 people die each year while waiting for the organs to become available. a. From an article in the Pharma Business Week said that 6,455 people became deceased organ donors in the United States in 2003. This was an increase by 4.3% in the past years and it was the highest increase in donors since...

Reflective Report Reassessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reflective Report Reassessment - Essay Example I found it difficult dedicating reasonable amount of time doing the module because I was engaged in other additional activities. They tended to take much of my time leaving very little to read the module. Secondly, I failed because I was working on the project that also had a definite period and requirements. I was unable to balance the project by doing it and at the same time reading the module and doing the reflective report. Thirdly, examination contributed to my failure in the module because I was preparing for it. Examination is one of the core activities that a student is expected to do while in school and I gave it a priority at the expense of the module. It contributed to my failure. One of The three things I could have done better is time management through developing a timetable for all my activities. Secondly, I could have read the module by dedicating time and sobering up. Thirdly, I could have consulted the tutor. This is so because it could have eased my understanding of the module to stop the failure I encountered. Tutors play a vital role in helping students overcome their reading difficulties and weaknesses. It is my wish and of any student in the school to have a proper understanding of the module as well as to graduate within the time frame of the course. However, many fail to achieve the dream because of unpreparedness and failing of examinations. One of the ways of overcoming all these is by developing a better way of understanding the module or subject. Understanding the subject enables a student to familiarize himself or herself with the concepts as well as the contents. Hence, it becomes easy for one when tackling examination or talking about the subject since facts are in the finger. International relation is one of the subjects in political science that keeps on changing every day hence the need to update oneself with latest information. One of the learning activities I plan to embark on

Sociolinguistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sociolinguistics - Essay Example Lower geographical distances and large population sizes often results in increased social contact between two locations and the chance that the respective dialects are influenced by each other (Heeringa, 2006). Therefore by establishing language variation theories more information can be gathered about the speakers, their representations, about the structures of the society and interactions (Berruto, 2004). The scientific study of language is called linguistics. Formal models are often constructed which allow us to understand the functioning of various modules of the linguistic grammar function1. These modules include study of variations in phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics. In fact there's a school of thought which says that, "In the absence of variation, languages would no longer be the versatile, flexible semiotic instruments they are, malleably following the flow of time and history. This capacity for variation would appear to be co-essential to natural langu ages" (Berruto, 2004). Variations in language can be; Dialect: This is a somewhat complex concept. Dialect is considered a collection of attributes (phonetic, phonological, syntactic, morphological, semantic) that make one group of speakers noticeably different from another group of speakers of the same language Therefore while on the one hand there are variations in the languages li

Birth Environments and Labour Choices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Birth Environments and Labour Choices - Essay Example The overall object of providing care to women experiencing labour and birth is to bring about a convincing experience for not only the woman but also to the entire family, while preserving their health, responding immediately to emergencies and preventing complications. A pregnant woman has to make various decisions regarding the place and the way she wishes to deliver her baby. As there are various options for where she may decide to have the birth along with the options of how she may decide to deliver. Despite all these factors, the environment a woman chooses to labour can greatly impact the amount of anxiety and fear she may experience. The birth setting is greatly powerful and can be regarded as a differentiating factor between a traumatic or fulfilling experience of childbirth. Attention to detail as well as careful concern of the different birth environment dimensions constitutes most favourable circumstances for the progression of labour. Hospital is an estranging environment for majority women, in which privacy issues and institutionalised routines can lead to feelings of lack of control (Lock and Gibb, 2003). It has been reported that the interventions and technology that has become usual on various labour wards was concerned in womenâ⠂¬â„¢s frustration with labour (Lumley and Brown, 1994). Enhanced anxiety induced through lack of control can intervene with the regular effective labour physiology (Steele, 1995). Since the control or lack of control are regarded as essential to the women’s labour experience and their consequential wellbeing (Simkin, 1992). It has been found that there are three categories of birth places (an essential part of the birth environment) from which women may chose the one they suppose will be the most comfortable for them during the different phases of labour. These include home birth, birth centres and hospitals.

How Personal Experiences Shape the Way We Are Essay Example for Free

How Personal Experiences Shape the Way We Are Essay Everybody has their own share of experiences in life. Some have experiences that affect their lives. However, there are also some people who do think that their experience is just non-consequential. Well, in my point of view, I think experiences are very important for every individual. It shapes up the way people view things and sometimes it does change the attitude of the person. I have two events that I would like to share. I consider these experiences as very important and life changing. My first important experience was when I was seventeen. In our country, kids are required to take a public examination before graduating high school. The teacher gave the class two months to prepare for the examinations. Most of my classmates got serious during that time. I consider myself a happy go lucky person before. I will never forget what I did. I acted very irresponsibly. As the saying goes, Time is gold. Well, I didn’t really know what that means then. I hang out with my friends almost every day. My parents scolded me for being so negligent of my studies. They actually forced me to study several times and asked me to concentrate on it. I never did listen back then. It was a big mistake on my part. When the results of the exam came out, it was really disappointing. I remembered I was already working in my parent’s company. I could not even face my parents. After getting the results it is now time to go to college. My cousin and I went together for an interview. I felt so ashamed because my cousin has higher marks. When I got back home that day, I came to my mom and I cried. I apologized to her for not giving my best effort in the exams. I got into Santa Monica College. I’ve worked hard on each subject that I took. This experience had made me realize that nothing is for free in this world. If a person wants a good compensation, a good deed or a good standing, one must make efforts to achieve what they want to have. I hope this experience would give other people a lesson on prioritizing important things in life before having fun. Another experience that I would like to share was the time when I was in my ninth grade in school. I have joined an organization called â€Å"YMCA†. This organization supplies lots of community services to people. It takes care of the elderly, half-wit people and children. I get emotional when I see elderly people. The old people in the organization live by themselves in old broken apartments. Most of them are really lonely and are ignored. No one listens to them. In all that time, I saw myself in their shoes when I get older. I would not like to be treated in the same way by young people. I started to care for them by talking to them and cleaning up their apartments. Some talk to me happily and are really excited that someone is listening to them. However, some of them cry when you touch them. These reactions only show that most of the elderly needs more love and care from the younger people. This had shown me that lots of people need the help and love of others. It changed my views and made me care for my parents more. These experiences had given me a lot to think about. It made me a better person and I am proud to have experienced this in life. Not everything can be studied and read in the book. A person must go through these experiences in order to realize what they are taking for granted. Precious experiences such as these must be treasured.

Genealogy and the Internet

Genealogy and the Internet The topic of genealogy has been thoroughly researched throughout the decades. The main problem with genealogy was the travel that traditionally accompanied any genealogist in their search for records and sources. Access to records, or the lack thereof, is the pivotal issue for genealogists. They have lobbied successfully to increase physical access to records, and they also work to increase intellectual access through mentoring and educational programs [6]. For example, genealogists in Minnesota assisted in the transcription of death records and in creating an on-line index [7]. Since the unpredictable explosion of the internet and therefore the creation of online indexes, this issue has practically been wiped out. The Pew Internet and American Life Project found that use of the Internet for hobbies has grown exponentially, and 24 percent of respondents went on-line to research family history or genealogy [8]. GenWeb is an example of a loosely organized group of genealogists who independently select vital records, index them, and publish the indexes online. There is no quality control, true aggregation, or direct linking to the original. What you see is what you get: many separate online indexes, loosely organized under the USGenweb Project umbrella, available at http://www.usgenweb.org. Genealogists building family trees over the Internet through name indexing and vital records data collection projects has become a massive hobby since the introduction of these online indexes.   The Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU), as part of its effort to collect micro film (and more recently, digitized) copies of vital records, developed an Internet Indexing System to manage work flow and provide robust tools for volunteers to carry out name indexing projects from the comfort of their homes [31]. The resulting data goes not only to the GSUs cumulative database, but to each repository that owns the records for merging with its discovery system. This system varies from the work of the GenWeb in this important way. A commercial example of this is Ancestry.com [10], which digitized and thoroughly indexed some of the U.S. Federal Census returns, adding value to a public record. The records themselves (or a microfilm thereof) are available for all to see at no cost at the National Archives and at many other repositories. But Ancestry charges for access to its database and with it, its digital images taken from the microfilm. The added values, those that make this worth paying for, are 1) the aggregation, 2) the indexes, and 3) the convenience of online access. They record dates and places of births, marriages, deaths, places of residence and other information, such as occupation, military service or church affiliation. Pedigree charts are used to record familial relations, and history sheets for supplementary information such as anecdotes, newspaper accounts, or other miscellaneous historical information. Every detail needs to be referred to the original source, invariably a primary or vital record, though sometimes secondary sources such as oral history, family bibles, published genealogies, and transcribed records. 2.1.2 Genealogy in Ireland Information skills development and information exchange are key features of genealogy. When related activities such as membership in genealogical societies, family reunions, and research in libraries and archives are considered, the number of people engaged in genealogical activities is huge [11]. The Irish government has an official website, irishgenealogy.ie, ran by the Department for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The website contains a huge database of records, consisting of extremely old records such as the 1901 and 1911 Census. In September 2015, the website received a massive boost when over 2.5 million images of Irish births, deaths and marriage records from the General Register Office, making the website a goldmine for Irish genealogists [12]. Previously, in order to view these records, a person would need to put in an order and wait to hear back from the GRO. Now, all records are easily assessable for any person who wishes, at the click of a button. 2.1.3 Similar Software Already Available After a lengthy search, including contacting some international genealogy developers, I can conclude that there does not currently exist any software similar to the one I am creating. Online, there are many family tree creators, record searchers, message boards, etc. however none of these can actually give a narrative of a persons life. Thus, I think that my contribution after creating this application will be of a great benefit when released online. 2.2 Technical material 2.2.1 Sources There are two types of sources used in genealogical research: primary and secondary. In this project, I will focus on the primary sources. Primary sources can be described as documents and records that were created during the time of the event in question, such as a birth, census, death, or marriage, happened. A person who had direct and personal first-hand knowledge of the event wrote these documents and records. Many of this documents can include vital record facts, such as certificates of births, deaths, or marriages, family bibles, military records, information, naturalization records, and more. Since these documents are said to be highly accurate, primary sources are preferred when obtaining and referencing genealogical information. For example, consider a primary source for your birth date is your birth certificate. In most instances, a birth certificate is prepared either on the day or within a few days of the actual event. This certificate is then signed by one or more witnes ses to the birth making it a first-hand primary document. The quickness and inclusion of direct witness make the information within the record a reliable account of the event and therefore of more usefulness to a genealogist. There are many Irish websites that contain digitalized primary sources [13]. 2.2.2 Web Application Choice Several considerations should be taken when choosing which language to use for building the web application: Comfort: When choosing a language, a person should take into account any language that they feel more comfortable with, from using beforehand, making it easier to develop further. As a Computer Science student, I have come in contact with a number of different programming languages so my choice ranges. Performance: The performance of the language itself is the only one real concern that could cause an issue. Performance of how the language crosses with external technologies such as the file system or database is said to be extremely important and should not be looked over. Popularity: This is a very important one. You are more likely to find helpful documents online if you use a popular language. You are also more likely to find reference material and other help. 2.2.3 Mean Probability The probability associated with each source fact will be in the range of 10 100%. Using the mean will calculate the overall probability for correctness. The mean value of a set of figures is calculated by summing the figures to find the total and then dividing by the number of figures in the set.

Discovery Through Dance Essay -- Dance Dancing Movies Films Media Essa

Discovery Through Dance Movies with dancing have always been a big success, simply because they cause people to want to move and be free like the actors on the set. Dirty Dancing, directed by Emile Ardolino, is a movie that makes people want to jump into the screen and be a part of the show. It is a favorite among teenage girls simply because of the kind of dancing that is performed. Another movie, Save the Last Dance, directed by Thomas Carter, is also well liked by teenage girls because of the dance moves. These two movies portray similar stories of girls finding happiness through expression of different kinds of dancing. Dirty Dancing is a movie portraying the story of a young girl who finds herself while staying at a resort with her family for the summer. The girl’s name is Baby, which describes her character at the beginning of the story. She is a daddy’s girl, and is very trusted by her parents. After some run-in’s with her new friends at the resort; however, her parents start to see a new side of her. Baby secretly learns to dance so she can save a friend’s job. She eventually falls in love with her partner Johnny, which leads to him getting fired from the resort. At the end, during the farewell dinner, Johnny ends up surprising her and making her dance in front of everyone. Her parents see her new talent, and see how much she has grown-up. Baby and Johnny end up together in the end, which makes for a very happy ending. Save the Last Dance is also an exciting movie about a girl finding herself through learning a new type of dance. Sarah has always been a ballerina and ends up losing her mom in a car accident while Sarah is trying out for Julliard. She ends up going to live wit... ...e, and thinks that Derek was the reason that she got hurt in the first place. He doesn’t agree with their relationship and thinks Sarah can find a better guy than Derek. Both girls must go against the wishes of their fathers and simply follow their hearts and do what they feel is best no matter what. These two movies show how two girls, by learning to dance, also learn to overcome discrimination and simply be themselves. They don’t listen to others around them when they say what they are doing is wrong. They do what they know is right and in the end find themselves through the love of their partners and their new love of dancing. Works Cited Dirty Dancing. Dir. Emile Ardolino. Perf. Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. Artisan, 1987. Save the Last Dance. Dir. Thomas Carter. Perf. Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas. Paramount, 2001.

Public Procurement and Contract Administration in Nigeria

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION Overview of Procurement Procurement is the acquisition of goods, works and services at the best total cost of ownership, in the right quality and quantity and at the right time. It also involves the acquisition of goods and services at the right place and from the right source. Public Procurement is the acquisition of goods, works and services by Government Ministries Departments and Agencies. In an effort to provide development and fulfil campaign promises, governments all over the world are involved in large scale procurement of goods, works and services. Public Procurement account for substantial part of most countries GDP. The establishment of good public procurement system is increasingly being viewed as measure of accountability and transparency. The responsibility of government to ensure transparency is also increasingly becoming a serious campaign issue. Public Procurement helps ensure the judicious use of public resources. An efficient Public Procurement System will ensure at all times government acquisition of goods, works, and services are done with due regard to:  · Economy;  · Efficiency;  · Fairness;  · Reliability; Transparency; and  · Accountability and Ethical Standards. Economy: This will ensure that the procuring entity obtain the best value for the money expended. Value may include more than price. It includes quality, and timely delivery of the goods or services. However, the ultimate aim of a sound procurement is to obtain the maximum value for money. Efficiency: A good procurement must be seen to be posi tive. It should be devoid of bottlenecks and other forms of inefficiencies. A good procurement system is devoid of protracted delays. It must be simple and swift. Fairness: A good system will ensure fairness to all bidders and will be impartial, consistent, and reliable. It will ensure level playing field to all contractors, suppliers and consultants. Transparency: Good procurement system establishes and maintains rules and procedures that are accessible and unambiguous. It is not only fair, but it is seen to be fair. Accountability and Ethical Standards: A system must ensure its practitioners obey the rules. It enforces the rules through a process of sanctioning those who neglect, disobey or bend the rules to gain certain advantages. The rules and procedures must be clear and unambiguous The process of establishing formal public procurement system in Nigeria started with the election of Obasanjo in 1999. It started with the establishment of Due process office under the Presidency. The Due process office was headed then by Mrs. Oby Ekwesili, the current Vice President of World Bank in charge of African Region. The Due process Office succeeded in saving billions of Naira according to the press release by the Agency. Public Procurement bill was passed by the two houses of the National Assembly and signed into law by the President in 2007. The Act provide for the establishment of Public Procurement Council and Bureau for Public Procurement to beheaded by a Director General. Nigeria public procurement Act was enacted in 2007. Overview of Contract Administration Contract Administration on the other hand involves all those activities which are performed with aim of promoting the smooth execution of contracts. Contract Administration starts from the time a contract is signed to the time a contract is closed. There are various forms in which a contract can closes: A contract can close when an operational certificate has been issued and the contractor collects the final payment under the contract. A contract can close if it is terminated and what is due to the either of the party (client or contractor) has been paid. A contract could be terminated due non performance by the contractors, due to failure of the client to fulfil obligations under the contract or due to events or happening beyond the control of the parties to the contract (force majeure). A contract can be discharged when there is a dispute. This can happen either amicably or through mediation through arbitration and adjudication or through the court. The court is usually the last resort in this kind of settlement. Most modern contracts proscribe mediation mechanism. Contract closure should be seen as part of the procurement process that assures that the employer gets what it paid for and contractor, payment for goods or services delivered. The Role of Regulation in Public Procurement A good regulatory framework is pre-requisite for an efficient Public procurement system. The role of policy formulation should be separate from policy execution and a mechanism for handling protests must be established. Any agency involved in any form of execution of public procurement should not be involved in regulating procurement. The Nigeria Public Procurement Act is however, somehow deficient in the area of separation of policy formulation, execution and regulation and protest handling mechanism. The Bureau is involve in giving no objection for contracts yet is involve enforcing compliance with the provisions of the Act. This vested the power of execution and regulation in the Bureau. The Bureau also through the council (where the DG is the secretary) is involved in policy formulation and handling of protest. A good example of separation of regulation, execution and protest handling mechanism is the Kenyan public procurement system. It incorporated the necessary separation of execution, policy formulation and protest handling mechanism. However, this has not prevented politicians in Kenya from abusing the procurement system. In 2004 all the procurement officials in the various MDA in Kenya were suspended to allow politicians recover the money they spent in election campaign. The various agencies under the Kenyan Act are: Public Procurement Oversight Authority The functions of the Kenyan Public Procurement Oversight Authority are: To ensure that the procurement procedures established under the Act are complied with; To monitor the public procurement system and report on the overall functioning to the Minister and also do the following functions: support the training and professional development of persons involved in procurement Issue written directions to ublic entities with respect to procurement including the conduct of procurement proceedings and the dissemination of information on procurements; and ensure that procuring entities engage procurement professionals in their procurement units. To initiate public procurement policy and propose amendments to the Act. To perform such other functions and duties as provided for under the Act Public Procurement Oversight Advisory Board Composition The Public Procurement Oversight Advisory Board shall consist of nine members appointed by the Minister approved by Parliament from persons nominated by the prescribed organizations and the Director-General. Functions To advise the Authority generally on exercise of its powers and the performance of its functions To approve the estimates of the revenue and expenditures of the Authority; To recommend the appointment and termination of the Director-General of the Authority Perform such other functions and duties as provided for under the Act. Public Procurement Administrative Review Board The Public Procurement Administrative Review Board, review complaints and make appropriate recommendation to the government. The Public Procurement Oversight Authority shall provide administrative services to the Review Board. Procuring Entities (MDA) It is the responsibility of Procuring Entities to comply with provisions of the Act. Specifically the Kenyan Act provides; What is being procured must be within the approved budget of the procuring entity and included an annual procurement plan Procurement undertaken by a procuring entity must be as per threshold matrix as set out in the regulations There is adequate segregation of duties in respect of procurement initiation, processing and receipt of goods, works and services. A public entity shall establish a tender committee, procurement unit and such other bodies as required under the regulations for the purpose of making such ecisions on behalf of the public entity as specified in the Act . Procurement Planning The first thing to do in procurement is, planning the process. It involves definition of the project scope and expected completion time. Specifically, the procuring entities need to identify the required works, goods or services to be procured. The procuring entities also need to determine the various procurement sequences. The procuring entity will selec t equipment packages and choose the method of procurement to use depending on the scope and complexity of the assignment. The following methods are usually used in procurement of goods, works and services (non-intellectual services): International competitive bidding (ICB) Limited international bidding National competitive bidding Shopping Procurement Plan should separate consultancy services, works, goods and supply and installation of plants and equipments. Procurement plan should address the following; How the procurement process should be handled (ICB,NCB, Others, Co-financing) Define the timing of each step in the procurement process (Each step, Each Package). It should also identify the procurement & implementation team The plan should also take in account the approvals process and delays that may occur. It should take into account all technical, staffing, legal and training etc. Procurement Steps There should be identification of needs. The list of goods, equipment, materials plants etc. Types of Works (Large, Small, Very Small) and aassociated Services. The procuring entity should also indentify the means of transportation, distribution and training. The plan should also take into account after sales service and warranty period. The steps include the advertisement of tenders. The World Bank require advert in G. D. Market and United Nation Business on-line. National competitive bidding requires advert in at least two nationally read newspapers. The process includes; Issuance of Bidding Documents Bid or Quotations Submission & Opening Bid or Quotation Evaluation Contract and Purchase Order Award. This will be preceded by contract notification, signature and effectiveness. Pre-contract Meeting Officials of the procuring entity involve in the procurement process should meet in order to: Understand their responsibilities and restrictions under the contract The role of the project manager should also be defined The various tests and other forms of quality control should be defined. Specific deliverables and special contract provisions should be explained. Monitoring and performance measurement should be understood and invoicing and payment procedures should be explained. Pre- contract meeting/discussion between the employer and the contractors are usually organised. At such meeting, the objective of the contract and its requirements are clearly defined. The contract effectiveness conditions are explained. Others issues to be discussed are: The project manager (from the employer) and contractors representative Organization and structures of the contractor’s implementation team. Implementation schedule and Reporting method Progress meetings, works certification and invoicing After the pre-contract discussion all grey areas are ironed out, the contract is signed by contractor’s representative with the power of attorney and the authorised representative of the contractor. Contract Effectiveness This will take place after the contract has been signed and following conditions have been fulfilled: Contractor provide performance guaranty and advance payment guaranty (if required) If the contract requires payment of advance payment, it has been paid If Letter of Credit is required it must be established The Letter of Credit must be confirmed (if funded by Nigeria government) or made operative through issuance of special commitment if World Bank financed contract or letter of guaranty if AfDB financed contract The employer must write a letter conveying the effectiveness to the contractor Letter of Credit Letters of Credit are guided by universal custom practice established by International Chamber of commerce and Industry based in Paris, France. It provides condition to enable parties to contract of sale living in different countries to make and receive payment for goods supplied. It start with a bank in the buyers country (opening bank) opening direct communication with another bank in the seller country (advising bank), through a correspondence bank (usually the negotiating bank). The opening bank will open either an irrevocable Letter of credit or a revocable letter of credit depending on the circumstance of the transaction. It is irrevocable because once established neither of the party can cancel it unilaterally before the expiration of the validity. Letter of Credit is said to be confirmed if in addition to the confirmation of the opening bank, another bank (say the negotiating bank also add its confirmation). Under LC for contracts financed by World Bank, LC’s are irrevocable but are unconfirmed. They are made operational when a special commitment is issued on it by World Bank. Incoterms 2000 Incoterms means International Commercial Terms published by International Chambers of Commerce (ICC), Headquarter in Paris. Incoterms was created in 1936 by ICC to facilitate international trade by providing uniform interpretation of trade terms. Incoterms are regularly updated to keep pace with developments in international trade. The latest is incoterms 2000. The scope of incoterms is limited to rights & obligations of parties to contract of sales as it relates to delivery of tangible goods. For example under the C terms, the Seller fulfils his obligation upon the shipment of goods. Once the good are shipped by the seller, under the C terms the buyer is obliged to receive the goods. The following are the various incoterms Group E: Departure {text:list-item} Group E: Main Carriage unpaid {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Group C: Main Carriage Paid {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Group D: Arrival {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Terms of Payment There are terms of payment for various contracts. Terms of payment are usually specified in the bidding document or request for proposal (RFP). Under a project financed by credit from the World Bank, the following terms shall apply as follows; Schedule 1-Plant & Equipment from Abroad text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Schedule 2-Plant & Equipment from Employers Country {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Schedule 3-Local Transportation {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Schedule 4-Installation Service {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} All payment must be made 45 days from submission of invo ice and invoice not paid more than 60 days will attract interest. Role of Project Manager and Contractors Representative: Project Manager The contractor must be notified of the Project Manager in writing. The Project Manager shall act and represent the employer at times during the validity of the contract. He shall give all instructions, notices, orders, certificates etc. He shall give approval and receives notices, instructions, information on behalf of the employer. Contractors Representative: The employer must be notified in writing with his CV attached. Contractor representative must be approved by employer. The contractors representative act and represent the contractor at all time during the validity of the contract, He received all instructions, notices, orders, certificates, approvals and communications. The contractor representative issues all notices, instructions, information and other communications on behalf of the contractor Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring and Evaluation is an essentially part of contract administration. It is usually performed by project manager. Project Manager approves all designs and drawings for supply & installations contract etc. The project manager inspects & issue acceptance certificate before shipment. Proper monitoring ensures potential disputes are averted Invoicing and Payments Contractors and employers are partners. The contractors have goods/services or works required by the employer while the contractor want money from the employer. Contract won under international competitive bidding process give world-wide, most competitive price to the employer. Issuance of invoices and demand for payment is an obligation of the contractor while the employer has responsibility to pay for goods delivered and or services and works performed by the contractor. The format of invoicing and works certification should be worked out early to avoid employment of penalty clause. Progress Meetings Progress meeting is necessary aspect of large and complex contracts which takes longer time to complete. Progress meetings are held at regular intervals. It is usually held to monitor the progress of the contract implementation. At such meeting contract implementation progress are discussed and compared with the contract implementation schedule. Implementation problems are also discussed with a view of solving them. The objective is to ensure that the contract will be completed with requisite quality, on time and within budget. Some identified Contract Administration Problems in Nigeria Institutional problems like contracts enforcement and prolonged court procedures are serious impediment to smooth contract administration. Other common contract administration problems are: Contracts entered into with parties having little understanding of the contract terms. Ccontracts’ seen as ways of dispensing favours. Therefore, little attention is paid to qualification. Contractors in some cases do not employ qualified personnel to manage and execute contracts. It usually takes unnecessarily long time to issue sufficient Bonds and Insurances for the execution of contracts, due to stringent conditions. Inadequate monitoring by employers also affects smooth contract implementation. A common contract administration problem that has become very visible especially in Nigeria Power Sector is losing out other partners in JV or Consortium agreement Delay in making payment to the contractors due to inadequate budgetary provisions Employment of unqualified or incompetent sub-contractors Delays in opening LC’s and extension of LC’s & Form M. Misapplication of proceeds of advance payment by contractors Di spute in the interpretation of contract terms Delay in issuing Duties and vat exemptions certificate conveyance Difficulties in clearing goods in the ports and the poor state of the nation infrastructure Inconsistency in government policies and corruption of government officials Avoiding Dispute in contract implementation The best dispute resolution method is not to have disputed at all. However, if there is a dispute direct negotiations between the parties at an early stage could be helpful. If no solution is found through direct negotiation, establish in a letter the facts of which constitute the breach of contract to focus the problem on the issue under dispute In United Kingdom an alternative dispute resolution technique called â€Å"partnering technique† is being employed. Partnering starts with a workshop usually during the kick off meeting where expectations of parties (contractor and employer) are discussed and harmonised. A partnering agreement or charter is signed by the parties. Employer and contractor are expected to encourage their staff to achieve the charter. In some cases the employer and the contractor share offices in the spirit of the partnering. Dispute Resolution Adjudication Once a dispute cannot be resolved mutually between the parties, it can be referred to adjudicator by either party in writing with a copy to the other party. The adjudicator shall give his decision in writing to both parties. The decision of the adjudicator is not final. The name of the adjudicator and his CV is usually included in the bidding document. If a bidder has problem with a suggested adjudicator, he must indicate so in writing and suggest another adjudicator which must be accepted by the employer. Arbitration If either of the party is dissatisfied with the decision of the adjudicator, the dissatisfied party can write to the arbitrator. Either party may give the other notice to commence arbitration. The ddecision of arbitration are final and binding on all parties Arbitration Courts The Court of Arbitration of International Chamber of Commerce (Paris) is the most popular arbitration institute in the World. Other are; London Court of Arbitration and Allied Professional Society The American Arbitration Association in United State of American Arbitration Institute of Stockholm Chamber of Commerce based in Sweden. United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) – UN International Centre for Settlement of Investment Dispute (ICSID)- WB Change Orders and Price Adjustments Contracts are base on plans, designs, specification and quantities which are best estimates. Field conditions, revisions to original plan could cause the scope of the contract to change. Revisions caused by changes in expectation and technology may require change order. A â€Å"change order† is request for a change in the scope of a contract. It may be requested by either party to a contract. A â€Å"change order† signed by all the parties have the same authority as the original contract. For contracts financed by World Bank, change order is applied to changes in contract that is more than 5% of the contract sum. Under the World Bank procurement system, contract which exceed 18 months period should have provision for price adjustment. Contract Close Out Contract close out begins when the contract has been physically complete, i. e. all services have been performed and products delivered. Close out is completed when all administrative actions have been completed, all disputes settled, and final payment have been made. Materials and equipment to be handed over properly receipted. Contract close out is as important as contract award and contract monitoring. A check list of all services, products, etc. to be delivered in the contract should be kept in the contract file. Governance: Fraud, Corruption & Conflict of Interest Conflict of interest refers to a situation in which procurement official evaluate tenders involving companies in which they have direct or indirect interest. Fraud on the other hand includes misrepresentation or omission of facts to influence a procurement process or the execution of contract. It also includes collusion among bidders. corruption include offering, giving, receiving or soliciting directly or indirectly of anything of value to influence the action of a public official in the procurement process or contract execution. Governance: Identification of Corruption Some â€Å"red flags† in procurement process that indicate possibility of corruption include the following: Poor record keeping Deviations from procedures without written justification Poorly defined roles/responsibilities Absence of good internal control system â€Å"Red flags† can be exhibited by individuals involve in procurement and contract administration as follows: Extravagant lifestyle Excessive interaction with supplier(s) and contractors Too much secrecy Reluctance to delegate duties Keeping contact with certain suppliers exclusively Some â€Å"red flags† in a particular procuring entity are: Always the same suppliers competing & wining Reluctance of established supplier and contractors to bid for contracts in an entity Some â€Å"red flags† in contract administration Excessive cost overruns Excessive numbers of change orders (increasing cost) Payment of frivolous claims Governance: Corruption Contributing Factors& Known Signals Lack of competitive environment Lack of trained & competent procurement staff Widespread lack of trust & job security Permissive environment (no sanctions after established cases of fraud and corruption) Lack of good mechanism for handling protest & delays Known signals {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Case Study Case 1 An employer invited bid for the supply of one X-ray machine for the main hospital for delivery one month ex-stock within 2 months of Letter of Credit. In the bidding document, bidders were asked to quote price on CIP capital city by air in US dollars. Bidders were provided 60 days to submit bids. Six bids were opened publicly. All except one bidder quoted the price as solicited. One bidder quoted the price in French Francs. In its evaluation the employer rejected the bid as it did not comply with the currency provision. The employer proposed to award the contract to the lowest bidder as all the other bid are responsive. The contract will be financed under a credit from World Bank and the rejected bidder protested to the World Bank on the ground that World Bank permitted bids from any member country and currency and his bid was in fact the lowest. What should the World Bank do and Why? Case 2 In an agricultural project, an employer presented papers relating to an advance procurement of two bulldozers for World Bank financing retroactively. The employer/borrower claimed to have followed the World Bank ICB procedures. On review, it was noted that the General Procurement Notice (GPN) and Specific Procurement Notice (SPN) were issued, adequate time provided for the bidding, there was good response and award had been made to the lowest bidder. The only short-coming was the bids were opened by a government committee without inviting the bidder representative. Is the process valid under this circumstance? Case 3 You are the chairman of public procurement administrative review commission. A project includes the procurement of 10 tracks Dozers and excavators to be procured under a single package. The specifications stated the tracks should be powered by an engine with a minimum of 175 horsepower (SAE) at a rated RPM. Firm A offered its dozers with a 165HP. In the evaluation the committee consider the deviation as minor and awarded the contract to Firm A. Firm B