English Essay

Holt tells us that joke books became routine after the first one was published in English in 1484. Jokes remained fairly lowbrow until the middle of the 19th century when with especially the clever retort became prized in English culture. A typical joke concerned a hefty fellow rushing to Florence late one evening. He asked a peasant â€Å"Do you think I’ll be able to make it through the city gate?† The man replied, â€Å"Why if a cart of hay can make it through, you can, too!† No one embodied this shift better than Oscar Wilde. Holt tells us that in the 1890s, poet Sir Lewis Morris complained to Wilde because he was not to be named England’s poet laureate. â€Å"It’s a complete conspiracy of silence against me,† Morris said, â€Å"a conspiracy of silence! What ought I to do, Oscar?† â€Å"Join it!† Wilde replied. While detailing this history, Holt discusses the three major theories of humor. The â€Å"superiority theory†, propounded by Plato and Groucho Marx, sees the essence of humor in mockery and derision, in the â€Å"sudden glory we feel when† those we dislike are leveled whether they be the high and mighty or members of religious and ethnic groups. After researching about various television shows I found this joke from â€Å"Friends,† episodes two hundred and two. It is a dialogue between Chandler and Joey who are asking their friend Carol about breastfeeding. Chandler asks Carol, â€Å"Carol I was just wondering if Joey could ask you questions about breastfeeding?† Carol replies, â€Å"Sure.† Joey then asked her, â€Å"Uh, does it hurt?† Carol said, â€Å"Well, at first but not anymore.† Joey then says, â€Å"Oh. Chandler?† Chandler then asked Carol, â€Å"So uh, how often can you do it?† Carol replied, â€Å"As much as he needs.† Joey then said, â€Å"Oh okay I got one. Uh if he blows into one does the other one get bigger?† There are topical jokes, perennial jokes, cultural jokes, and universal jokes like, â€Å"I was so unpopular when I was little, even my imaginary friend played with the kids across the street†. There are jokes about groups of people, jokes appropriate for polite company, and jokes that are dirty enough to be somewhat scandalous such as, George H. W. Bush’s favorite â€Å"How do you titillate an ocelot? You oscillate its tits a lot.† Then there are the political jokes, geographical jokes as well as jokes of various lengths one-liners, two-liners, long jokes, â€Å"shaggy dog† jokes, and even jokes of only two words: â€Å"Pretentious? Moi?† As with so many philosophical issues these days, perhaps only because of our current fashions of research, humor may simply come down to the neurological. Using an electric probe to try to find the cause of a patient’s seizures, doctors stimulated a part of her left frontal lobe, eliciting a laugh. It happened over and over, and it was not just a mere physical reflex. She really did find things funny, whether she was looking at the operating team, or at a picture of a horse they showed her. Put a little current to the â€Å"L-spot† of the brain, and everything becomes a joke. There is little risk that neurosurgical procedures are going to impair the activities of joke-tellers, however; telling a joke is a simpler way of getting a laugh than doing brain probes, and anyway, whatever the purpose of jokes is, it probably cannot be accomplished in such an electromechanical way. Like many things, jokes are probably best appreciated for themselves and not for any thinking that they might inspire. Holt’s little volume will inspire some thinking, but it also contains more than its share of good along with some bad jokes, including one that he has traced back in different forms which people have been laughing at for fifteen centuries. And he even includes a personal favorite of mine, a meta-joke: â€Å"A priest, a rabbi and a minister walk into a bar. The bartender says, `What is this, a joke?'† According to Holt’s essay I found this joke from Friends to be a universal joke because it is appropriate for polite company. Everyone knows that men have no clue about babies or at least women are more experienced on that subject. This is what made the joke from Friends so funny to me because it allows all viewers to relate to Chandler and Joey’s curiosity regarding breastfeeding. Family type jokes such as this one allow shows like Friends to become such a success. The joke regarding breastfeeding is a great example of Holt’s definition of a universal joke. I find universal jokes to be the funniest because they are funny enough to be able to enjoy with your family and in my opinion being able to have a good laugh with your family is a very important part of life.

Mockingbirds Life Styles

A child in 1930's Alabama had a life much different than the life of a child growing up in today's modern society. As opposed to today's standards, education was less civilized. Their home life was not as privileged or as entertaining, and their place in society was much more trivial, and planned out. The lifestyles of a 1930's Alabama youth were much different than today's modern child. In Harper Lee's Novel To Kill A Mockingbird, three youths struggle to grow up in post depression Maycomb, Alabama. Their school is, by today's standards, much less evolved. Not only were special needs not embraced, they were ignored. Whereas today's society has no problems adapting education so that everybody could learn. There were less career options for children as well. We live in a time where the idea is â€Å"You can be whatever you set your mind to.† However, the slogan 70 years ago was more like â€Å"You will be what we want you to be, and when we want you to be it, but only if you're white.† Luckily, education criteria have changed since then, as well as home life and society. Home life in the novel is very foreign to us. First of all, we don't have a cook or servant unless we are very wealthy. The Finch's had Calpurnia to fix their meals. There was more of a family closeness attitude back then too, whereas today families are often split up, and kids can become less and less attached to their families. Independence is a common denominator in both time periods. Rites of passage again, were another similarity in both time periods. Children had a very limited role in society back in post-depression Alabama. They hadn't much of a say in what they were going to be, nor their activities, opinions, or much else in life. When Jem and Scout passed by Mrs. DuBose's house, they were to be proper and polite when she was rude to them, where in today's society, there is a possibility that the youth could be rude, and suffer no consequences. Hence, life for a youth in 1930's had a different lifestyle than young people today. Education was not as systematic, home and family life was dramatically foreign, and they had a trivial place in society. Times have changed since then, and they will in the coming years.

Mental Illness and Incarceration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mental Illness and Incarceration - Essay Example The case of Bennie Anthony demonstrates how releasing mentally ill criminals back into society failed to protect the public. In the Anthony case less than one month after being released Anthony set fire to his girlfriend's home. This was not an isolated case and the welfare of the criminal himself needs to be considered. For example, as seen in Reid (2006) Tylor attempted to hang himself while in prison and another inmate attempted suicide seventeen times. Had they not been incarcerated at that time and were, instead, free on the streets, there is a high likelihood that their suicide attempts would have been successful. While some people would argue that mentally ill inmates should not be housed with general population criminals, often within the prison system the two classes of criminals are segregated. The narrator of the New Asylums video stated "In Ohio, mentally ill inmates are separated from the prison's general population and housed in mental health units where they can be treated." Since they are separated they are not interacting with the criminals on a regular or daily basis. This segregation of mentally ill inmates, in effect, ensures the protection of both society and the mentally ill inmates while also treating their illnesses. Additionally, the mentally ill who commit crimes do not have mens rea even though they have actually committed a crime. Incarcerating them may not be the most logical or rational decision but our society has by consensus accepted this practice. One reason could be because society feels it is best for us all to have them locked away and provides for the safety of the inmate himself. As Reid states "the primary job of prison administrators is to administer justice, not treatment" (2006 page number), this is accomplished by locking up the mentally ill. Reid further states "Some people commit crimes while they are not thinking rationally" (2006 page number). These people get punished even when they are not thinking in a rational manner. Although this may be a temporary state of mind, it can be compared to the status of mentally ill criminals and confirms the precedent for incarceration of criminals who are mentally ill or not in a rational state of mind at the time of the offence. Many people feel that our criminal justice system has failed to rehabilitate criminals, whether mentally ill or not. However, Fogel as quoted in Reid states that "the purpose of the prison is to confine for a specified period of time, not to rehabilitate the criminal" (2006 page number). The author feels that this inability or unwillingness to rehabilitate criminals becomes more pronounced and evident when the criminals are mentally ill. Not only is there no rehabilitation but often mental health care is inadequate or non existent. Mental Health Administrator, Bridget Benetis admits that keeping the inmates locked up is not going to do any good for them, but she also sees it as necessary. At the facility they have medication, available psychiatrists, and nurses 24 hours a day. She asserts that they are not going to find that level of care at any other place. Another area of concern is that within the prison system there is a possibility that a person who is not mentally ill can develop mental illnesses while incarcerated due to conditions within the prison

Corporal Punishment on School Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Corporal Punishment on School - Research Paper Example Corporal punishment induces fear in minds of many young people, which can eventually create harm to the physical growth of their brain. The plan to abolish corporal punishment came into implementation as from far as 1970s to 1980s. According to Human Rights Watch, pupils who are under the subject of corporal punishment are nearly a quarter a million. Alternatively, the U.S department did research by interviewing and the result they came up with illustrates that if pupils do not get corporal punishment, this is the commencement of their behavior rotting. Subsequently, education is a bit challenging, and that is why corporal punishment is still in operation. Maintenance of order is difficult too; therefore, corporal punishment is quick to be put in practice since some schools may be unable to train an alternative method of embossing punishment. In addition, corporal punishment is free, that is it does not need money to train teachers on how to administer punishment in school and so it is cost effective to use such kind of punishment. On contrary, medical society for the adolescents has put into documentation with the most prominent consequences that result from corporal punishment. On the aftermath is the name of the activator and that it includes hemorrhaging and whiplash. More so, corporal punishment did lead to decline on the family life by the forceful removal of pupils at schools by the parents. The Lowdown Hitherto, in the U.S, corporal punishment is still under ban in many of the facilities of juvenile correction, but on the contrary, public schools still exercise it. Supreme Court ruling did state that cruel punishment only protects animals that are in conviction and not the students who are in classroom confinement. Hence, there is the plea to lawmakers not to manipulate ban nationally, and this is evident in the paradox of a special students teacher in Mississippi. He did say that in order to teach a child who engages in fights is possible by not to hit , it is not done by hitting them. The effects of corporal punishment This punitive act inflicts pain because of slapping, hitting, and spanking of forcing the pupil to maintain comfortable position. A proposal Title A proposal for the research projects on how corporal punishment undergoes administration. Corporal punishment (CP) Corporal punishment is the induction of physical pain to a child, in order to rectify his/her behaviors so that he/she may grow in up right manner. Research questions How do teachers administer corporal punishment? How do children find it when under the punishment? What punishment do they prefer? Can corporal punishment cease? How do teachers administer corporal punishment in your school? How can a teacher administer punishment other than using a cane? Is it mandatory to cane a pupil in order to correct his/her behavior? Literature review In general, corporal punishment is good if it is put in administration, there is a need to revive it in order to get good reliable men and women at the end. Methodology Methods applied are questionnaire and interview. The results, after a thorough analysis, can be the submission to the ministry of education or the organization for human rights and the lawmakers. This can be done face to face or through email. Significance of the result Consequential result helps in the data analysis and the decision of whether to implement punishment or not. Time line The timeline for the above

Cold War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Cold War - Essay Example Soviet Union tried to empower communism all over the world while United States and its alliance supported many countries of the world to weaken the communism. After the end of World War II, the Soviet unions decided to spread communism all over the world. The United States determined to stop the spread of Soviet power and communism. For this purpose it provided much financial support to its alliance. The alliances were democracies that were not in favor of communists too. Though they were not able to stop the spread of communism in Eastern Europe, the U.S and Britain were determined to preserve Western Europe from the reach of communists. In the World War II Soviet Union has gained much popularity in the West Europe due to the resistance against the Nazi forces. So there was a chance of election of communist parties in France and Italy. Harry Trumann was the first US president started to fight the cold War. Britain was the first country that investigated for the nuclear weapons' development. In 1945, Britain was an activist world power. It possessed the second largest national navy, and its Empire-Commonwealth was genuinely global. The Dominions stretched from Canada to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa; it had colonial possessions from the north to the south of the African continent, to the east of Suez, in south and south-east Asia, as well as many scattered, and often strategic, island outposts. India was proclaimed as the 'jewel in the crown' of the Empire. A major problem for the historians analyzing the impact of military expenditure on the usual working of the economy of a country just after the war is the fact ignored by the liberal economic theory. This theoretical shortfall reflects the fact that the mobilization for industrial warfare can only be achieved through suspending the normal economic operation. While accepting necessity to plan the wartime economy, most British economists considered that after the hostilities and War activities, the resources will be allocated to the market as usual. This is what the liberal economists oppose. As a part of conversion, the British policy makers faced crucial situation about scaling down the Britain's efforts with its diminished economy and military power in the post war world. Alec Ciancross accepts that the Britain's Defence efforts may have been extraordinarily large and says that the real problem for Britain was the role it was asked to play was beyond its strength. But the other historians criticize the leadership of Britain who did not face the fact that Britain would not be able to meet the global military commitments. The question arises here is this that did the excessive military costs were responsible for low investment leading to weak economy of Britain Usually it seems to be answered that the short term expenses of the war would not affect the long term economy policies. Defence economists analyze short term and even small changes in the economy and

Peer Review for Classmate Research Proposal - Peer 2 Essay

Peer Review for Classmate Research Proposal - Peer 2 - Essay Example Possibly, mentioning the best time period for emailing could have positively impacted the message. Moreover, the author makes a contradictory argument in paragraph two. It sounds ambiguous to discourage emailing during both working hours and non-working hours. So, when employees should sent and/or receive emails? As mention earlier, the topic is vital. The author clearly represents the proposal portraying precise sense of purpose. According to the author email communication is essential and can improve organizations effectiveness. However, due to misuse email communications impact negatively on companies and manger still assume that email communication is basic. This challenge is clearly represented elaborated and so is the solution Notably, the solution is kept clear; there are several modes of offering the training hence leaving the manager to rationally choose the best. Notably, the author makes a commanding request to managers to incorporate email training in the organizations operations, by not giving any other option to solve the problem. Moreover, by elaborating how training induces email etiquette, a driver of effectiveness in email communication, the solutions make a lot of sense. Forlornly, the author made the proposal sound as purely personal opinion. No sources were included in the text. Despite including the reference page, the author failed to acknowledge borrowed content and ideas. The paper is standard, but could still make more impact if improved. Grammar mistakes were minimal and possibly negligible though they can still be corrected. To improve the papers reputation, it’s recommended that the author adjusts the introduction, making it more captivating. Possibly, the author might avoid generalizing the idea but instead develop an optimal amount of time to dedicate to emailing. The timing

Book review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Book review - Assignment Example Despite being an anarchist, he strongly opposed the use of violence to solve the problems facing society. Rather, he believed that the society could be reformed through active non-violence. The story in the novel The Adventures of Williams revolves around Caleb, who despite being a poor orphan, manages to get better education. He later earns a lot of respect from community members owing to his enlightenment. The novel basically, gives an account of the position taken by Caleb with respect to the wealthiest man in the neighborhood, Mr. Falkland (Godwin 2004, p.5). The fact that Mr. Falkland has a lot of wealth in the village makes his respectable to the extent that villagers, including Caleb, worship him. Nevertheless, Caleb appears to be very suspicious of Mr. Falkland. He believes that Mr. Falkland engages in unethical activities. As a result, Caleb decides to investigate Mr. Falkland’s past only to unearth some damning information. In the novel The Adventures of William, Godwin as the author tries what he can to expose the rot in the political and social spheres of England during the 18th century (Godwin 2004, p.6). Godwin exposes the rot by giving an overview of the injustices that were the orders of the day in the prison system. He also exposes the oppression of peasants by landlords, the oppression of the poor by the elite, as well the oppression of common citizens by government. The author reveals the injustice of the political and social system through various scenes. For example, he exposes an incident in which Mr. Squire Falkland knowingly and willingly witnesses the execution of two innocent men for a crime that he himself committed. This is brought out when Caleb exposes the secret murder of Tyrrel, one of the landlords by Falkland. Immediately after the murder, Caleb informs the public that Falkland used his power and wealth to blame two innocent men for the murder that leds to the execution of

Censorship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Censorship - Essay Example ce, a book is introduced to the learning curriculum of a school system, then such a book must have passed the set limits of acceptability (Anderson, 19). This paper will thus address in details the reasons as to why some communities, libraries and schools opt to ban materials. This is to say that the paper will give principles as to why there are merits and demerits of banning materials for the said schools, public libraries and communities. To begin with, there is a school of thought and proponent of the line of thought that stipulates that some materials such as books that are banned are done so rightly. This stems from the reasoning and the line of thought that such materials could be laced with overtone racial issues such as the book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Angelou Maya. In most cases and instances, it could be due to the encouragement of one racial group over and above the others. In a situation where the book or material is intended for the pupils in formative years, then such a material either in the form of language ought to be censored. For instance, if a primary school book is laced with racial language that aims at discriminating against another, then the material would skew the mind and reasoning acumen of the young children towards such direction. It is important to note and mention that the children would have been misguided into believing such stereotype which would be prejudicial in their subsequent years. This is to say that such pupils would have been misled by being exposed to reading such material while on the hand, it would have been banned and the damage controlled even before it takes effect. Secondly, materials and languages by extension which seem to encourage socially immoral and derogatory lifestyles are ought to be banned from public libraries and schools. People read and gain insights on the real life from the materials that they read from books. It does not help any much if such materials and languages seem to covey

The Epic of Gilgamesh Essay Example for Free

The Epic of Gilgamesh Essay What is the historical significance of The Epic of Gilgamesh? The historical significance of The Epic of Gilgamesh was being the first masterpiece of World Literature that dated back in 2800 BCE. The Epic of Gilgamesh portrayed the lifestyle, believed, and culture of people lived during that era. The story of Gilgamesh hold tremendous history values since the it was lost in 100 BEC until the British Archeologist found it again in 1840s CE. Rediscovered the tablet of the Gilgamesh allows present day to make connection with the past. What does this story tell us about the human condition? The human condition in that era are consider to be undeveloped and Gilgamesh portrait as a king with power to do whatever he wish until the gods decides to punish him. From that example of the story it tell us that the society follow under one ruler and class between rich and poor are greatly divided. What does this story tell us about the culture that produced it? Base on the story of Gilgamesh, people did not fully understand dead or know how to cope with dead but instead they strongly believe in gods and mythology creatures. I believe that Men and Women are being view as equal and they are fairly open about their sexual lifestyle in the story of Gilgamesh. Men and women share the same level of social status and women play important role during Gilgameshs era which can be seen as Shamhat, a mortal who was sent to by the gods to seduce Enkidu and change him from the beast lifestyle to human lifestyle. Does this epic hold any message for us today? The message in The Epic of Gilgamesh tell us that human in that era staring to realized and question the separation of life and dead. As of today, we are still trying to understand and define whether people life end when they die or there are other world that specify for the dead. This epic also point out that human are design to live in a society, and not meant to be alone. This can be seen as Gilgamesh changed when he met Enkidu, Gilgamesh also learned the important of a friendship, companionship, and lastly learned how to grief a love one when Enkidu died.

Texting and Writing Essay Example for Free

Texting and Writing Essay Throughout these years, many have argued that texting affects writing in different ways. The argument of texting and writing is either a positive or negative influence on the writer. Although some think texting has a negative influence, it is a sufficient way for writers to express ideas frequently, language skills, and increase the amount of time spent writing. Considering the amount of people that use text messaging, it is easy to agree that writing will lack intelligence. Many say texting has a negative influence on writing. They say it does not stress the importance of punctuation in writing. Admittedly, texting expresses lack of emotion. Opposing views claim that it reinforces simplistic writing. However these problems only apply when the writer leans only to texting. According to research done by Michaela Cullington in â€Å"Does Texting affect writing? † texting does not affect writing. She surveyed seven different students and two high school teachers about their opinions on writing. From her research she concluded that people recognize the differences between texting friends and writing formally and know what is appropriate in each situation. Although some teachers disagree with this, Cullington can confidently state that texting has no effect on students writing in general. (Cullington, 87-95) Over the years, texting has become extremely popular. It is used every day, all day. With this method ideas are expressed through writing daily. The ability to text a friend teaches the expression of emotion in writing. Normally the only formal writing being done is when it is assigned. Texting makes it available to practice writing daily. Texting has little effect on language skills. Many argue that with text speak it will affect formal writing. Abbreviating has been in use for decades, and thus is not a new language. Before people can text, they must first know how to spell. Texting can therefore not be a cause of bad spelling. Since texting provides people with the opportunity of engaging with the language through reading and writing, it improves people’s literacy. There may always be a divide in opinion, but the evidence is there. As long as it is made clear that text language is not to be used in formal contexts, and is simply an addition to our language, there will not be a problem. Perhaps texting has become an easy target to blame for the decline in literacy. If we look closely, texting and computer-mediated-communication provide additional practice in reading and writing and help children to learn the relationship between spelling and sounds. Although texting has taken off, it will never take over. As far as I can see our language is safe.

Product Has No Close Substitutes Economics Essay

Product Has No Close Substitutes Economics Essay Microeconomics is the study of individual economic units where we will use it in our daily lives.We will learn how to manage our money wisely so that we will be able to understand the economic concepts and theories.Besides that,we can also learn basic economics and have a better understanding of the economics of the market place. 2.0 Definition of monopoly According to Hashim, A. (2001) Comprehensive Economics Guide. 2nd ed. Singapore: Oxford University Press Pte Ltd, p.84, Monopoly is an industry composed of a single seller of a product with no substitutes and with high barries to entry.A monopoly power exists when a single firm controls more than 25% of a market. 3.0 Characteristics of monopoly 3.1 One seller and a large number of buyers 3.1.1 A monopoly exists when there is only one seller of a product.For example, The Tenaga Nasional Berhad(TNB) has a monopoly of the electricity supply of Peninsular Malaysia.All houses and shops who get supply from Tenaga Nasional Berhad(TNB) will need to pay their electricity bill. 3.2 Product has no close substitutes 3.2.1 The product sold by a monopolist should be no close substitutes.There are no other electricity supplier in Malaysia.There is only one supplier which is the Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).There is no competition for their product.In Peninsular Malaysia,only Tenaga Nasional Berhad(TNB) supplies electricity to the country. 3.3 Price maker 3.3.1 In a perfect competition,there will be no single firm can influence the price and this is called price taker.The Tenaga Nasional Berhad(TNB) will have the power to decide and control the price in the market since there are no competitors around. 3.4 Restriction on the entry of new firms 3.4.1 In a monopoly market,there will be strict barriers to the entry of new firms and the barriers of entry are natural.A monopolist faces no competition because of barriers to entry. 3.5 Advertising AAdvertising in a monopoly market depends on the products sold.If the product are luxury goods such as imported items then the monopoly will need some advertisement to promote the consumers on the goods.Local public utility such as the electricity by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) need no advertisement since the consumers know from where to obtain such goods and they are the only corporation who supplies electricity. 4.0 Introduction 5.0 Differentiation of the features of the four market structures Type of market Number of firms Freedom of entry Nature of product Examples Implication of demand curve for firm Perfect Competition Very many Unrestricted Homogeneous (undifferentiated) Cabbages,carrots(these approximate to perfect competition) Horizontal.The firm is a price taker Monopolistic competition Many/ several Unrestricted Differentiated Builders,restaurants Downward sloping,but relatively elastic.The firm has some control over price. Oligopoly Few Restricted 1.Undifferentiated or 2.Differentiated 1.Cement 2. Cars,electrical appliances Downward sloping,relatively inelastic but depends on reactions of rival to a price change Monopoly One Restricted or completely blocked Unique Many prescription of drugs, local water company Downward sloping,more inelastic than oligopoly.The firm has considerable control over price. 5.1 Number of firms 5.1.1 The perfect competition has large number of buyers and sellers.Firms are price taker because the quantity of a single seller sells in a market is so small compared to the overall industry.Besides that,the price is always constant where the seller can only decide the quantity to be sold and not the price of selling of a product.An example of the perfect competition is the duck producers.The price of the duck in the market is still depends on the demand and supply.The sellers can never control the price of the duck in the market even if they have high production,it will not affect much in that industry. 5.1.2 In a monopolistic competition,there are a large number of sellers.The number of firms exist in a monopolistic competition market is less than perfect competition.Due to the size of each firm which is small and hence,no individual firm can influence or control the market price.Therefore,each firm follows an independent price-output policy.The firm that produces toothpaste is in the monopolistic competition where there are many brands of toothpaste in Malaysia such as Darlie,Colgate and Polleney.They can never influence or control the price in of their products in the market. 5.1.3 In an oligopoly,the number of firms is small but the size of the firms is large.The market share of each firm is large enough to dominate the market.A few firms control the overall industry of an oligopoly.For example the petroleum companies namely Shell,BHP,Caltex.They are large firms who have market shares which able to dominate the market. 5.1.4 Under monopoly,there is only one seller of a product and large number of buyers exist.A monopolist is a price maker since there is only one seller and no competitor and it has the power to control the price in the market.One of the examples of a monopoly is the Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) where their company supplies electricity for the whole Peninsular Malaysia. 5.2 Freedom of Entry 5.2.1 There is unrestricted freedom of entry and exit of the firms from the industry in the perfect competition and the monopolistic competition.A firm can easily enter the market and exit the market anytime they wish to.No restriction is imposed.If any firm who wish to open a fruit farms and operate the business if he/she has the necessary factors of production ( land,labour and capital) he/she can always starts the business even there is a lot of fruit farms exist. 5.2.2 In an oligopoly market,there are various barriers to entry.Although similar to a monopoly,the firms in an oligopoly will restrict new firms to enter the market.The types of barriers to entry are economies of scale,forces to merge,ownership of patents and copyrights to name a few.This can be illustrated briefly by the petroleum industry in Malaysia where Mobil,Shell,Petronas and Caltex which already exist in the market and they control the market.The chances for a new firm to be formed in the petroleum industry in Malaysia is very low due to the huge capital investment that they need to have a position in the market. 5.2.3 Under the monopoly market,there will be restricted freedom of entry and there are legal restrictions that restrict the entry of new firms into the industry.Hence there will be no competitors and competition for firms who are in the monopoly market.Telekom Malaysia (TM) is a good example of a monopoly since there is only one home telephone service in Malaysia which is Telekom Malaysia (TM) and not any other firms. 5.3 Nature of product 5.3.1 The firms in a perfect competition must sell homogenous products.In the perfect competition structure,buyers cannot differentiate products in terms of quality,packaging,colour and design since they are identical.Furthermore,the firm cannot charge a different price for the same product which exist in the market.A classic example of this is the telecommunication service provider in Malaysia which are Digi,Maxis and Celcom.They provide customers with the same product in the market but buyers cannot differentiate their products no matter how, since they are all the same. 5.3.2 The monopolistic competition market sells differentiated products which are not identical.Each firms will have their own method to differentiate their products from other sellers to get more customers or consumers.Their products can be different in terms of the design,advertising,branding,and labelling.For example,when a perfume is nicely packaged in a box and labelled as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å" best perfumeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ then this product is in monopolistic competition. 5.3.3 Products in the oligopoly may be differentiated or undifferentiated.In Malaysia,the example of oligopoly market are petroleum and automobiles where petroleum is identical while cars are differentiated products. 5.3.4 Under monopoly market,the products produced has no close substitutes or unique.Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) is one of the example of monopoly who is the electricity supplier from local public utility which has no close substitutes but if the buyers can find any other way to get electricity then this product is no more in monopoly and monopoly cannot exist if there is a competition or any substitute product. 5.4 Implication of demand curve for firm 5.4.1 The demand curve for firm

The Break Through in American Baseball :: essays research papers

The Break Through in American Baseball   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Baseball, what is baseball? Baseball is a game about runs, hits and errors; 73 homers by Barry Bonds and seven no hitters by Nolan Ryan, a .367 lifetime mark by Ty Cobb and 511 wins by Cy Young. It’s all about the 15,000 people who have had the privilege to make it in the league and more, from homerun hitting Babe Ruth to the lately retired Cal Ripken Jr., but there is more to baseball then records and fame; the thing, the man, goes by the name of Jackie Robinson.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jackie Robinson. The name alone is inspiring and pure. Jack Roosevelt Robinson (Jackie) was born on 1919, in Cairo Georgia and quickly found out that life wasn’t going to be easy. When Jackie was one-year-old his father, Jerry, packed up and left his whole family, after his deserting; Jackie’s mother, Mallie, then rounded up her five children and moved to Pasadena, California, where she found work as a maid.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not long after moving to Pasadena Jackie soon enrolled at George Washington High School at the age of 17. Not only did he play four sports in high school but he also won the city’s Ping-Pong championship. While Jackie was still young and in high school his brother was way over in Berlin, Germany competing in the Summer Olympics. Mack got second in the 200-meter dash, finishing behind the all-time great Jesse Owens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After graduating high school Jackie then attended UCLA in 1941 and was the first athlete in UCLA history to ever letter in four sports (baseball, football, basketball, and track) in a single year. Not only did he make history there, but he met the love of his life, Rachel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After one year of college, Jackie entered the army for World War II. He was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, and while he was there he was denied entrance into the Officers’ Candidate School because of his skin color. Being the man he is, he protested and protested and stood up for what he believed in and in 1945 was discharged as a lieutenant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After being discharged, Jackie met Branch Rickey on August 28, 1945 and Rickey offered Jackie a contract with one of the Dodgers farm clubs, the Montreal Royals of the International League. Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play in the International League, and as you can guess had to overcome a lot of adversity.

Recovering History, Constructing Race: the Indian, Black, and White Roo

Recovering History, Constructing Race: the Indian, Black, and White Roots of Mexican Americans Recovering Aztlan : Racial Formation Through a Shared History (1) Traditionally history of the Americas and American population has been taught in a direction heading west from Europe to the California frontier. In Recovering History, Constructing Race, Martha Mencahca locates the origins of the history of the Americas in a floral pattern where migration from Asia, Europe, and Africa both voluntary and forced converge magnetically in Mexico then spreads out again to the north and northeast. By creating this patters she complicates the idea of race, history, and nationality. The term Mexican, which today refers to a specific nationality in Central America, is instead used as a shared historic and cultural identity of a people who spread from Mexico across the southwest United States. To create this shared identity Menchaca carefully constructs the Mexican race from prehistoric records to current battles for Civil Rights. What emerges is a story in which Anglo-Americans become the illegal immigrants crossing the border into Texas and mestizo Mexicans can earn an upgrade in class distinction through heroic military acts. In short what emerges is a sometimes upside down always creative reinvention of history and the creation of the Mexican "race (?)". Mexicans, as constructed by Menchaca, are a predominantly mestizo population whose mixed ancestry she traces to early Latin American civilizations. In 200 BC the largest city in the Americas, Teotihuacà ¡n, was founded. Teotihuacà ¡n would one day be the site of Mexico City, and by 650 AD there were between 120,000 and 250,000 inhabitants. (2) Groups that inhabited the region fro... ...e, history, and blood. The specific commingling that emerges, however, has common roots in its very diversity. Throughout her tale Menchaca's allegiance is clearly to her race, and while the bias comes through, the history she traces is never the less compelling. The strongest achievement of this book is that it fundamentally shifts the gaze of its reader by reifying race and celebrating its complexity. Notes 1. Aztlan is the quasimythylogical homeland of the Chichimec people who were expelled by their god and traveled south to found civilizations in Mexico. It is theoretically located in present day New Mexico. 2. Martha Menchaca, Recovering History, Constructing Race: the Indian, Black, and White Roots of Mexican Americans (Texas: University of Texas Press, 2001), 29. 3. Menchaca, 47. 4. Menchaca, 50. 5. Menchaca, 199.

Martin Luther King speech Essay

I think Martin Luther King’s speech make the strongest argument when Martin Luther King once said, â€Å"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.† This saying rang towards the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the eager, listening ears of people who wanted reform. August 28, 1963, marked the day when Martin Luther King Jr. had changed more than just Washington. More than America. He had envisioned a life where everyone would be considered equal, and everyone would prosper. He had begun to change the world. This historic event took place 48 years ago, and many alterations in society have occurred since then. If Martin Luther King Jr. had never been born, however, racism and segregation would still exist and even burgeon. Martin Luther King Jr. was the exemplar for civil rights, the paragon of justice. Without him, life would be malevolent for me, an Indian from the hot, arid land where the Ganges runs free and nature is all-abundant. There would be no variety in America. The majority would constantly rule over the minority and tensions would erupt. Martin Luther King Jr. gave the minority a voice of reason and hope. When King spoke, he reached people’s hearts and minds at the same time. He dug down deep into issues of racial discrimination and presented alternatives of love and equality. Racists struck down his ideas, but others were moved and worked to better society as he wished. King was a loving man, one that wished people would listen and follow him but he did not force them. If Martin Luther King had never been born we would have never been able to, as a nation, act as a role model to help these countries on their quest to become industrialized nations. America would become full of arrogance, and we would not participate in national affairs with an open mind. The Declaration of Independence, a document which we hold in our hearts so fervently, summarizes Martin Luther’s King’s purpose in life: â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.† Today, all men are indeed created equal, but would that have been recognized without this man who went against the norms of society and rose in the ranks

A House of My Dream: Every Person Has His Own Idea of a Perfect House

Since the time immemorial people always wanted to make their dwelling a place, where one feels comfortable and cosy, where one always wants to come back to. A dwelling of my dream is not a flat but a two-storeyed mansion. And as a real hostess I’d like to arrange everything in the house according to my taste. Now, let me tell you about my house. When you come to me, you push a big wooden front door, wiping your feet on the door-mat, and enter the hall. The floor is covered with a fitted carpet, the wallpaper is light and has a small pattern. There’s a seat and a small table near the wall and a huge mirror above it. Then you enter the living-room. The bright full-length curtains are drawn back, and sunshine fills the room. The living-room suite, consisting of a sideboard, a bookcase, a sofa, an elegant coffee table and three armchairs, is arranged around three walls. There’s a video system near the window. On the ground floor there’s also a kitchen and a bathroom. The kitchen is a very large room with a big window. There is a gas cooker with a hood, two wall-cupboards and a sink unit there. Near the opposite wall there is a dishwasher, a refrigerator and a table. Let’s go upstairs and have a look at the bedroom. This is a very cosy and warm room. The bedroom suite consists of a bed, two bedside tables and a wardrobe. The window overlooks the back yard. In my house there is also a terrace, a garage and a garden and so many other things I’d like to have; at least, in my dream house.

Is the human race on a collision course for its own destruction?

Before I begin I feel that I need to express a point. The point I must make is that this is my opinion about this chosen topic and I hope it will be read with a open mind and not cast down before it has been finished. What I would like to discuss in written form is ‘Is the human race on a collision course for its own destruction' which needs no further addressment by myself but I feel the need to express a point or two. Human life has existed on this planet for a relatively short amount of time considering the age of the planet upon which we inhabit. We have evolved on Earth from a simple ‘goo' that has been dubbed ‘primordial soup' by those ever clever scientists. This fact maybe false by religious standards but it is the most likely solution to the problem of how we came to be. For Christian people we were came to be by an omnipotent being that took out the time to create two people, Adam and Eve, and I think that this is a good example of peoples delusions of supremacy. For thousands of years now man and woman have played an overwhelming part in the development of this planet usually with the misconception that Earth is theirs and theirs alone and everything else is just here for are needs. We have destroyed landscape to accommodate our needs of hoes, farmland and entertainment. This is normally done with little regard for the previous inhabitants be they man or beast, especially concerning the treatment of native Indians on what is now American soil. All this is done for ‘progress', the usual excuse so that the superior people can beat on the weak. The advancement in technology is aided by the legions of great scientific minds which always seem to be controlled by some military power somewhere in the shadows watching, with interest what it is that is created next. As soon as a more advanced technology is developed it is used to show strength over neighbouring countries be they friend or foe. One of the biggest problems is that all this technology can and probably be used to destroy each other as long as they are continually brought under the control of power mongers such as governments run by politicians. To think that our own destruction is a certainty is an incorrect opinion to have, there are many variables that could change any future timeline, so who knows what the future will hold for us. There is always the chance for reformation where humanity will realise that they are in control of their fate and don't have to conform to human natures tendency to try and destroy itself. For those whoa re fans of science fiction it may be apparent that Earth is either depicted as a world in trouble, with a large population and lots of pollution like in such movies as Blade Runner and others. The other side of this point is seen in such programs as Star Trek where humanity has been united with the thought that they are not alone in the universe. The program depicts a highly advanced culture that has broke free from the corruptive shekels of money and governmental rule. When people realise that there is only one race on Earth and that is the Human Race then they will be able to get along better. Money also presents a problem, that's not to say it should be abolished and communism should take president because it has been shown time and time again that it cannot work in today's world. I think the best thing to do is carry on with existence doing the best you can to make life just a bit easier for yourself and others around. If you can do that I am confident that everything will fall into place and sort itself out.

Case Law and the Doctrine of Precedent Essay

In this essay I will be discussing several points of interest that will help me answer the given question. My first point is on the Hierarchy of the courts. In this point I will explain the different ‘levels’ there are in the English system. My second point is Stare Decisis and what it is. This point is made up of several questions that I will answer; why have binding precedent? What has to be followed? That is Obiter Dicta and Ratio Decidendi? What is persuasive precedent and who uses it and how it is used? When is a judge bound? Can the Stare Decisis be avoided? And lastly: How has Stare Decisis handicapped the development of the English law? The hierarchy of the courts The English system is made up of a hierarchy of courts. Hierarchal means that the courts which are high in the system hear appeals from the ones below them. The decisions made in the higher courts are of great importance. The bottom courts are known as foot soldiers and are at the bottom of the system. Some courts in this rank are the Magistrates court, the Youth court, the Coroners court and the County court. These courts hear cases daily and are which the average person will find themselves in for debt, injuries, car accidents and low level criminal offences. They are of a good amount of importance because they make decisions for justice daily. These courts however have little impact on the development of law except as a source for cases which may then be heard or appealed to higher courts. Since these courts are the lowest they do not bind any other court except themselves. There are two courts on the higher level. The High court which deals with cases pertaining to civil matter of unlimited value and the Crown court which deals with serious criminal offences. The High court has four sections: the Chancery division which deals with matters pertaining to equity, the Family division which deals with family matters, the Queen’s Bench division which deals with civil matters and the Divisional court who hears the appeals from civil prerogatives of the lower courts. The High court is not bound by its previous decisions but it can make precedents for the courts below it. Like the High court, the Crown court is bound by all higher courts. It doesn’t make binding precedents but their judgments form persuasive precedents when a High court judge sits in the Crown court. It also is not bound by its past decisions. The Court of Appeal is the next step higher. This court is the most important of the hierarchy even though it is not at the top of the system. This court is important because it hears appeals from lower courts in both the criminal and civil matters. There are three judges who sit to hear an appeal. Two of these judges must be Lord of Justices of Appeal. The third judge could either be a judge from the High Court or the Supreme Court. The name given to the head of the Court of Appeal is the Master of the Rolls. The Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in the hierarchy. It hears cases on appeal from the Court of Appeal. Sometimes the appeal will come straight from the High Court or the Crown Court. This only happens if there is a case which involves the important question of the law. The people who sit in the Supreme Court are called Justices of the Supreme Court. There are at least three to five Justices who sit to hear appeals. It the case is very important than seven sit to hear the case. There can only be at most twelve Justices in the Supreme Court. The Privy Council is the highest court in the Commonwealth nations and civil appeals. Some of the judges who sit in the Privy Council are those which make up the Supreme Court. The Privy Council is not a part of the hierarchal system and so its decisions do not bind the English Courts. Even though the decision of the Privy Council does not bind English courts, the judges are the same that make up the Supreme Court of England; there is a section of the Supreme Court that is persuasive precedent. Following the case of R v James Karimi (2006) the Court of Appeal found out that in certain circumstances the Privy Council can bind the English courts and overrule previous precedent. Stare Decisis Stare Decisis means ‘to stand by things decided.’ Stare Decisis is one of the main things that makes up the case law system. This makes judges bound to follow the previous decisions of higher courts in similar cases. This simply means that judges must obey previous judicial decisions of higher courts. This question is often asked: Why have Stare Decisis and why not let judges use their own conscience and wisdom to decide a case? As with everything there are advantages and disadvantages of creating something. The advantages of having Stare Decisis are that it promotes certainty, consistency and predictability. Professor Geldhart said that certainty is promoted by consistency of judicial making. Similar cases should have the same outcome. Certainty promotes predictability and this reduces the possibility for trial because everyone will know how certain cases will be decided.it also limits the potential for the declaratory theory to take effect. The theory is put into place to reduce judges who are not elected not to make law. The role of the judges is to apply and interpret. Law is made in Parliament and it represents the will of the people who elect the members of parliament. It also promotes justice. This type of justice is Aristotlean justice. This means that fairness is given equally of legal principles. The system is the same for everyone and so similar cases should be dealt with the same way. Disadvantages are that it makes the law rigid and inflexible. The law is not able to develop and is stuck. Precedent binds even if it is old and outdated. The discretion of the judge is that he must follow and abide by the decisions made by the judges before him no matter how old or outdated it may be. This also makes the law stuck and not develops to meet the modern day changes. The amount of case law precedent adds up to uncertainty. Case law and its precedents are contained in thousands of reports starting from the middle ages. It is difficult for lawyers and courts to go through them and find similar cases. It is not easy for judges to find the binding part (Ratio Decidendi) of any case. Ratio Decidendi is the reason for coming to the decision. This is the principle in which the court uses to make a decision. The ratio is the rule expressed by the judge to the extent that is necessary for the judge to come to his decision. Obiter Dicta are the things said by the way and other things which so not make up part of the decision making. When is a Judge Bound? As I stated earlier, a court must follow the decision of a higher court and its earlier decision. The system works in a way that makes binding precedent operate in a way to tie the hands of the judge. When the ratio binds any part of a court depends on the original decision that was made. The Supreme Court binds the Court of Appeal, which binds the High Court which binds the Magistrates, Crown and County court. Courts also bind themselves because of its earlier decisions. The only exception is the Supreme Court who makes its own decisions and is not bound by any other court because it is the most senior. Before 1966- Judicial Precedent HoL announced that they would no longer consider themselves absolutely bound to follow their previous decisions. Binding precedent remains the foundation of the English System of case law. The earlier decisions were based on conditions which no longer triumph and in modern conditions the law ought to be different. Judges are bound by similar cases. Judges in the latter case are bound to apply the same ratio used in early court where the two cases were based on the same issue. If the matter of a case is similar but has facts that similar to al later case, they differ and the issues are not all similar and the court is then not bound to apply the earlier precedent. This is called distinguishing. Can the Doctrine of Stare Decisis be avoided? Reversing occurs when a court higher up in the hierarchy downturns the decision of a lower court in the same case. A decision made in a certain case by the Court of Appeal will bind all future lower courts and it would bind itself. This can be avoided id the appeal went straight to the Supreme Court who would reach a different decision. The court of Appeal’s decision would have been short-lived precedent and the Supreme Court decision will take place of the previous one. Overruling is replacing one precedent with another which helps develop the law. Reversing is where a higher court substitutes a principle made by a lower court in the same case. Overruling involves a higher case substituting a principle set down by a lower court in a different and earlier case. My conclusion is thus; the principle of Stare Decisis has handicapped the development of the English Law because it makes the law rigid and inflexible. The law is not able to develop and is stuck. Precedent binds even if it is old and outdated. The discretion of the judge is that he must follow and abide by the decisions made by the judges before him no matter how old or outdated it may be. This also makes the law stuck and not develops to meet the modern day changes. The amount of case law precedent adds up to uncertainty. Case law and its precedents are contained in thousands of reports starting from the middle ages. It is difficult for lawyers and courts to go through them and find similar cases. It is not easy for judges to find the binding part (Ratio Decidendi) of any case. View as multi-pages

Catch

Heller’s novel was able to become so popular because readers use the characters as a comparison of how patriotism should be, and the attitudes of the soldiers during World War II illustrates how idealism needs to change. The attitudes of characters in Catch 22 are far from our normal perception of patriotic. For example, the main character, Yossarian fakes injuries in order to stay the in hospital, because he does not want to risk his life in battle. He complains saying things such as â€Å"I think it’s my appendix bothering me† (Heller 176) and â€Å" then I’ll just go back to the hospital† when he is soon to encounter another battle. Yossarian is so unpatriotic that he even â€Å" goes absent without official leave from Milo† (Heller 405). Many characters in Heller’s novel simply have no motivation to serve and protect their country. One soldier states, â€Å" there’s no patriotism, that’s what it is. And no matriotism, either† (Heller 123). Compared to the time period in which the novel was written, this mind set is unacceptable. Yossarian has such a negative attitude, it is even stated â€Å"morale was deteriorating and it was all Yossarian’s fault However, there are characters in the story that are used as comparison to Yossarian, and show the level of morality people would have expected during the time period in which the novel was published. Appleby is one of these soldiers, who seems to be the perfect soldier. He follows regulations without question and does everything he is supposed to do, managing to succeed with minimal effort at whatever he does. It is stated that â€Å"Appleby is a symbol of American Virtue† (Heller 18) Texan is also another comparison character. Texan is up beat, excited, and full of energy. He is proud to be serving his great nation. Heller writes, â€Å" Texan turned out to be good-natured, generous, and likable. In three days no one could stand him. † (Heller 9) This statement clearly explains the behavior of most soldiers in the novel. The importance of these characters is to portray to the reader how soldiers should have acted, and also provide evidence for the rise in levels of idealism and patriotism during this time period. It is easy to tell by the soldiers in Catch 22 that attitudes needed to change. The presidency of John F.

Reflective account Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reflective account - Essay Example He had been admitted a week earlier due to shortness in breath, pain in the upper back, and had been generally unwell. I carried on with dressing the wound on his leg and followed the required procedure. The right procedure has to be followed so as to reduce or minimise the risk of infection from harmful micro-organisms. It was during the redressing that I realised the patient was in pain. Upon asking if he felt any discomfort, he confirmed my suspicions. Upon further enquiry, he said that he did not want to make any fuss. I later did what was best for him. I gave him some morphine that would have to be taken orally. Thought Having done the procedure before, I thought that it would be easy and fast. The thoughts I had were directed to the patient. I believed he was in some kind of discomfort due to lack of a pain relief drug. This made me want to find out if my fears would be confirmed. As he confirmed them, it did not feel right and upon further query, he said the reason he did not say anything was to avoid making a fuss. The introduction of morphine into his system enabled me to continue dressing the wound. This was after thirty minutes since it was the right amount of time required for the pain relief drug to kick in. After that, he ascertained that he no longer felt the pain. He was therefore, very appreciative. Feeling After finding out the suffering the man was going through, especially after a week full of pain, I felt sympathy for him. The fact that he was willing to take the pain while I was dressing him told me a lot about the man he was. It was hard to imagine why he would not tell me about the pain. After giving him the morphine and relieving him of the pain, I felt relieved. I felt that I had let him down and I owed him the professional courtesy of relieving him of the pain that he felt throughout the procedure. The feeling of helplessness overwhelmed me when I learnt of his cancer at the beginning of our meeting. Professional courtesy is the most important thing in any occupation (Draper & Tennenhouse 2011). Evaluation Things went on smoothly and perfectly after the introduction of the pain relieving drug. He confirmed to me while dressing his wound later that he could no longer feel the pain he was earlier on subjected to. I had my professional judgement to thank for that piece of thinking. I could not go against my ethics as a nurse to ignore the pain he felt. Furthermore, it was my job as a nurse to relieve any discomfort that a patient faces. It was important for both our sakes to have the introduction of the pain relief drug. Analysis Using hospital guidelines and protocol, I realised that it was my job to do what I did. This by having the patient confide in me, and the steps I took to help him out. It is the nurse’s duty to know of the right protocols and hospital guidelines to follow in such cases. This is for the sake of the patient, the nurse involved, and the hospital the patient is being kept in. In the eve nt that they do not realize this, the hospital runs the risk of getting a bad reputation for not taking their patients feelings into account while in their sick state (D’Antonio 2010). Reframe If I find myself in a position similar to the one I was in, I would ensure that I make it easier to help a patient in need. I will be quick at it too. I would do that by confirming with the patient well before hand to

Health Assessments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health Assessments - Essay Example education system that not only makes the children learn new things, but also stay healthy while parents may have missed some of these issues in health (Weber 37). These tools are some of them dumped away since they are not allowed to get  reused. This is seen in pregnancy tests that can be used in various schools to identify the ailments and relations of symptoms to particular situations in a female. This kind of tool among others get  dumped, however tools such as the immunization calendar is replaced after time. The thermometer, on the other hand, cannot be disposed of since it is set in a place that doesn’t make it a health hazard to other users. Tools used are useful in making sure there is no problem with the students thus not hindering their studies. While the teachers primary goal is to  improving the intelligence of children in school, they should also look at the other factors that cause poor education understanding. These factors make it a reason for the teachers to use these tools for proper health in the students they teach. These tools should also be used daily to ensure that the students do not get issues in their studies since disease is an unexpected issue that can happen any day and time (Weber 56). The reason for assessment is important according to US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health because it makes disease stemming easier as for cases such as cancer and other dangerous diseases that make it almost impossible to stop when time is

How should one live Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

How should one live - Coursework Example However, we should not forget that all people are linked to the earth. In this regard, we are all connected, and this connectedness requires us to live in harmony and ecologically conscious. The question on how an individual should live is significant to human existence. Aristotle provided an explanation on how one should live through the concept of eudaimonia (Pojman, 2005). This concept was translated to imply happiness, fulfillment and human flourishing. Aristotle gave this answer because he established that eudaimonia was the only goal of life that could be taken into account as "an end in itself, and not a means to another end" (Pojman, 2005). Aristotle can be viewed to have offered an appropriate manner to live, if such a thing subsists. He came up with eudaimonia through observing the virtues that were portrayed by people who seemed happy and flourish (Pojman, 2005). As it was, such people conducted themselves with some degree of courage, honesty, integrity, honor, fairness and rationality. Therefore, how one ought to live is concerned with ethics, which develops an individual’s virtuous character (Pojman, 2005). Notably, if an individual develops such a p ersonality, he or she understands the right thing to do and do

Critically examine the international expansion strategy for an Essay

Critically examine the international expansion strategy for an organisation of your own choice during a specific period of its e - Essay Example The clothing and accessories offered often depict young male and female models with aesthetic facial and body features in order to gain marketing interest in their target market of 18-35 year old buyers. This exclusive mentality positions them differently from main competition, such as the Gap and H&M, allowing them to retain considerably high market share among the competitive environment both in its home country of the U.S. and its new expansion locations internationally. This essay describes the current strategic management functions and principles at A&F related to their current, ongoing expansion strategy. A&F statistics and sales At the end of 2010, Abercrombie & Fitch operated 1,069 stores. These included 316 A&F stores, 502 Hollister Co. stores, and 181 Abercrombie stores dedicated to children and adolescent youths (euroinvestor.co.uk, 2011). The company has adopted many different strategies in an effort to gain more customer interest and improve market share. However, it has never lost focus on its core competencies and core products, which are often provocative and always exclusive fashions that are heavily branded with the Abercrombie & Fitch name and/or logo in order to help customers identify with their name and reputation. In previous years, from 2007 to 2009, A&F experienced considerable losses in profitability that came from a variety of factors, including economic downturns in the international economies and changing buyer behaviours. However, through aggressive advertising and downsizing of underperforming stores, Abercrombie & Fitch has managed to regain its competitive edge and just recently experienced a 7.6 percent increase in sales for the last quarter of 2010 (Stothard, 2011). Again, this is due to a strategic focus on remaining dedicated to the core brand philosophy of exclusivity, a series of short-term pricing reductions and the closing of non-performing stores internationally (especially in the United States where the economy has bee n poor). Strategic focus and intention In order to fully understand the international expansion strategy of Abercrombie & Fitch, it is necessary to identify with the concept of strategic management and leadership. â€Å"Strategic management is based on the belief that an organisation should continually monitor internal and external events so that timely changes can be made as needed† (Aluko, Odugbesan, Gbadamosi & Osuagwu, 2004, p.44). There is a need to be adaptable to change and be trend-focused so that their product offerings and values can shift along with changing environmental, economic and consumer behaviour trends related to retail buying. Strategic management, then, is a â€Å"continuous process of administering operations with an emphasis on overall corporate purpose and future opportunities† (Stone, 2010, p.S215). Abercrombie & Fitch is a very strategic-focused business that is always operationally-adaptable in the face of these conditions, however it never loses focus of its core mission and core competencies related to marketing and branding which are their most priority revenue-building strategies. Abercrombie & Fitch is currently closing underperforming stores in the United States and abroad, based on same-store sales and economic conditions in their current operating environment. However, these closings offer the

Adult learning and development theories applied to military education Assignment

Adult learning and development theories applied to military education - Assignment Example Established educational programs play an important role in influencing learning processes and program components, moderated by learning and developmental theories, empowers learning processes to success. Examples of learning theories are social cognitive orientation theory, transformational learning theory and self-directed learning theory while Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is an example of developmental theories. Class sessions, tutoring, advising, program evaluation, and mandatory assessment are examples of program components and this paper reviews them subject to learning theories and developmental theories. Transformational learning theory and educational learning components Transformational learning theory is core to adult learning program. The theory’s core construct is the learning approach in which adults transform their existing knowledge, opinions, and assumptions and assume a more open minded and comprehensive scope of their experiences. The theor y relies on meditations, based on positive and negative experiences that motivate an individual and those experiences that develop surprises to adult learners, leading to social change that may be evident in reduced poverty level in the society, enhanced knowledge base in the learners, or reduced level of oppression. Transformational learning also relies on learners’ rationale from which new knowledge constructs are developed from experiences (Merriam, Caffarella and Baumgartner, 2012; Westby, 2007). Class session defines the traditional learning process in which a teacher teaches students belonging to a given class. It is a common approach to adult education, especially because of fixed schedules converges learning time, and constrained facilities. The foundation of class session exposure of the learner to new knowledge and this identifies with diversified aspects of the transformational learning theory. Exposure to new knowledge offers a basis for reflection into the learne r’s experience, a process that triggers the transformational learning theory’s aspect of reconstruction of perspectives. Developed knowledge in class sessions also offer a benchmark for determining the motivational aspect of an experience as lower benchmarks would enlist positive attitude while high benchmarks would identify discouragements in a learner’s experience. Interactive class sessions also exhaust learners’ perspectives and rationale to transform approach to knowledge development and to changed held perspectives (King, 2009; Boylan, Bliss and Bonham, 1997). Unlike class sessions, tutoring focuses on small number of students per educators and may sometimes be done on a one-on one basis. Its scope is similar to the scope of class session and therefore identify with transformational learning theory. The tutor, in a facilitator role, exposes learners to constructs that evoke reflection and meditation upon experience to motivate new perspectives. Lear nt knowledge from the program component also establishes standards that motivate learners into reflections and meditations. Consequently, tutoring identifies with the transformational learning theory through its concepts that promote reflection, among learners, of their experience, meditation upon the experiences, and integration of the experiences and learnt concepts for a new perspective. Advisory and counseling initiatives are other major components of educational programs and apply to adult education. The adult learner prefers an active approach to knowl

Accounting Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Accounting Report - Essay Example diversity, because of the fact that it is one of the few sectors which have remained resilient during financial downturns and because it plays a vital role in the communities for the provision of employment opportunities and as a result acts as a driving force necessary for social cohesion. Three companies are selected for the analyses which are J D Sport Fashion Plc., Sports Direct International Plc. and Next Plc. These companies are selected because they are three renowned players in this specific segment. J D Sports Fashion Plc. is a leading retail company based in England in the segment of sport retail. Next Plc. is a British clothing, home products and footwear retail company. It is the largest retailer of clothes in the United Kingdom as measured by sales. The company has more than 700 stores across the UK and 200 across other geographical locations in Asia. The stocks of the company are listed in the London Stock Exchange. Sports Direct International Plc. is also a giant sports retail company in the United Kingdom. It is a multinational retailer with over 500 stores across the globe. All the three companies also have their respective electronic commerce stores. The general information of the three companies is summarized in Table 1. This research is aimed at answering the question as to what is the situation of the external and internal retail industry of the United Kingdom. The research question is to be answered by considering three main retail companies operating in the country which are J D Sport Fashion PLC, Sports Direct International PLC and Next Plc. The aim of the research is to provide an analysis of the retail industry through the consideration of the various influential factors that are affecting the industry. This is done by using different management and analysis tools like the Porters five forces model, PEST analysis, Critical Success Factor (CSF) evaluation and financial analysis including financial and non financial ration

Discussion board one Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion board one - Coursework Example For majority of the patients visiting my nursing unit, I have offered quality health care and for those with specialized needs I have offered referrals. This ability to work within my knowledge scope and to offer appropriate referrals have contributed to high autonomy which has resulted to informed decision making when combined with patient trends and cues. Besides autonomy, my exercise of power over the context of practice has seen me yield high quality patient outcomes. My work is in a well equipped nursing unit which is delegated to the duty of ensuring that there are nurses closely working with the patient at all time especially given that the patients are expected to acquire a changed way of life. Additionally, the nursing unit is designed such that each nurse has equal opportunity to contribute or participate in informed decision making especially when it comes to patient needs. I believe that by possessing the power to participate in patient related decision, whether at their bedside or within the nursing unit, I get empowered and empower others which then yield overall improved patient and nursing outcomes. As a nurse, the good health of patients is something I always look forward to achieving. According to Amer (2013) when nurses, especially in rehabilitation units, manages to effectively control both content and context of th eir practice, the result is high quality patient outcomes and job satisfaction for the nurses eliminating burnout and depersonalization. Within the rehabilitation unit, there are rewards for brilliant ideas on handling and relating to patients. However, the people in management opt to wait to reward in future other than go for rewards in the present (Sullivan, 2013). On one such occasion, I managed to contain a difficult patient and every nurse in the unit got excited about the patient’s outcome in a week. I was not rewarded as the unit management remained quiet. However, during the next progress meeting held once a month

Swot Matrix for Compass Group Essay Example for Free

Swot Matrix for Compass Group Essay The SWOT analysis that my group and I came up with took a lot of time and research to ensure that our analysis would be effective. (SWOT analysis on page? ) Strengths Our group came up with five major strengths that Compass obtains. The first major strength that Compass possesses is they have excellent customer service. Excellent customer service is a major strength to have because this makes customers want to come back and this keeps revenue up. The second strength that is entailed on our SWOT analysis is strong client relationships. This is evident in their day to day activities while dealing customers and clients. The third strength Compass possessed is they have a very diversified client base. The fourth strength is convenience. I think that Compass Group biggest strengths are that they have a diversified client base and that they are what clients view as â€Å"convenient†. Because Compass has three divisions that are station around the world it can gain different clients and be able their needs. The next strength that is entailed on our SWOT analysis is Compass Group has consistent revenue growth. This is very important when dealing with any company because revenue is what pays the expenses to run the company and without revenue the company would go out of business. The last strength is Compass group’s diversified geographic presence. Compass Group has four divisions located in four different countries making it easier to target different client in different countries. Weakness Every company has weakness or things that can be better at and Compass is one of them companies. One of Compass Group’s weaknesses is that since they have divisions all over the world, not all of the managers operate the same way. This can be a problem because as a company, you want everybody to be on the same page even if you have different divisions operating out of different countries. The second weakness is that Compass Group trades in too many countries. It is economically not worth it. The third weakness is that Compass group leverage ratios show high debt. This means that Compass Group is operating it’s company at a high risk. The third weakness that Compass Group processes is that it has very low profitability ratios. The last weakness that is on the SWOT analysis is that Compass Group Time-Interest-Earned is very high. That means Compass has a lot of money that can be allocated for other purposes. Opportunities Just like every company has strengths and weakness, they also have opportunities to make their company better. The first opportunity is that restaurant industry sales have increased sixty-six percent in the U. S since 1970. The second opportunity is that fifty-two percent of meals are eaten outside of the home. What both of these stats tell me are that more people are going out to eat instead and getting a traditional home-cooked meal and this can only help my company become more profitable. The third opportunities we saw for Compass is that the contract food service market is still growing. This is great for Compass because this gives Compass an opportunity to gain more clients. Another opportunity for compass Group to grow as a company would be to seek the military as a client. Threats The threats to a company are the most important aspect of the SWOT analysis because a threat can cost a company money and it just might run you out of business. The first threat is that the sales /employee ratio is considerable lower than other industries. This could be a problem because as a company you are not getting enough sales per employee and you are losing money because of it. The second threat to Compass Group is that menu prices increased one-two percent with higher labor costs. This could be a big threat depending on the customers because there are always going to be one or two customers complaining about the new prices but it becomes a problem when a majority of you customers start complaining then you can lose of on business. The third threat is the compass Group rival competitors control seventy percent of the US contract food market. If this threat is not lowered to somewhere among fifty percent Compass Group could lose a lot of money in the near future, because if you rival competitors control more than half or the market they can dictate the price to the market. Then, Compass Group will have to make a choice if they want to continue with the own method or play copycat. The next threat of UN investigations can bring bad press to Compass Group and maybe lose some money too due to fines, court cost and things of that nature. The last threat is the never-ending problems of oil prices. This is not a huge problem for a big company like compass group but it is a problem because with rising oil prices it costs more to ship the necessary items to their destination.

Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Goods: Impacts and Policies

Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Goods: Impacts and Policies Title: Illicit trafficking in cultural goods with special emphasis on Mauritius. INTRODUCTION The international market place for cultural goods is a billion rupees market. Every day in the world thief or looters are smuggling out cultural goods from their countries of origins and sold them to foreign countries. My aim in this project is to improve our understanding of trafficking in cultural objects in order to make people aware that illegal trading of cultural goods is an offense as cultural objects function as a repository of memory and which enable each culture around the world to speak about themselves and about their origins. Furthermore cultural goods are the only evidences left for us to promote and to safeguard one’s culture and origins. Cultural goods are the key artefacts and are part of universal story of humanity so once those cultural objects are crossing boundaries of countries to be sold illegally to foreign countries, at the same time our cultural identity is fading. And once those cultural goods are stolen, looted or destroyed, they will be lost forever, thus we must stop illicit trafficking in cultural objects. LITERATURE REVIEW Definition What is cultural good? We often see the terms cultural â€Å"property†, â€Å"heritage†, â€Å"goods† and â€Å"objects† interchanged. Each state has its own definition of cultural â€Å"goods†, â€Å"heritage† or â€Å"property†. And that’s why the two big international conventions addressing illicit trafficking in cultural objects, the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Export, Import and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property and the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects was created for the purpose of helping each state to get a more appropriate legal definition of the term cultural goods so as for them to be able to prevent trafficking in cultural objects and also to prevent the provenance of an cultural good. Under article 1 of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Export, Import and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property and under article 2 of the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention, both convention define the term ‘cultural property’, â€Å"as property which, on religious or secular grounds, is specifically designated by each State as being of importance for archaeology, prehistory, history, literature, art or science†[1]. And both conventions have set up a categories of cultural objects so as for each states to get a clear understanding of what cultural goods really consist of and as well this will help states to classify and draw a list of heritage which their countries possessed with the reference to the listed categories of cultural objects which both Convention have catered for.[2] Types of cultural heritage: 1) Tangible heritage 2) Intangible heritage tangible heritage is one that can be stored and physically touched. This includes items produced by the cultural group such as traditional clothing, utensils (such as beadwork, water vessels), or vehicles (such as the ox wagon). Tangible heritages include great monuments such as temples, pyramids, and public monuments An intangible heritage is what exists intellectually in the culture. It is not a physical or tangible item. Intangible heritage includes songs, myths, beliefs, superstitions, oral poetry, as well as various forms of traditional knowledge such as ethno botanical knowledge. For example for the Southern Kalahari San, each tree and many other physical sites are part of their intangible heritage as their history is associated with these sites through stories, names and songs.[3] WHAT IS ILLICIT TRAFFICKING IN CULTURAL GOODS? The illicit trafficking of cultural goods is a very complex problem. Illicit trafficking can be classified under various forms and it is a lucrative business. Factors like geography, political environment and socio –economic, are sometimes responsible for the rise of illegal trafficking of those cultural goods.[4] Illicit trafficking in cultural objects is when an individual or a group of people is generating a profitable underground market at the expenses of stolen artefacts or objects, of illegal excavation of archaeological and paleontological sites and of illegal import and export of cultural property. Trafficking in cultural objects allows criminals to seize an opportunity to deal with high amount of items that are very often lack protection. Thus, since these merchandise are poorly protected, the thieves or looters can do illegal import and export from countries to countries. In the paper, Perspective on the organisation and control of the illicit traffic in antiquities in South East Asia written by Christine Alder, associate researcher in criminology University of Melbourne, Duncan Chappell, Professorial Fellow, Center for Transnational Crime Prevention,University of Wollongong,Australia and by Kenneth Polk,Professor of Criminology,University of Melbourne, Australia during the International Conference on â€Å"Organised crime in art and antiquities† Courmayeur Mont Blanc, Italy12-14 December 2008 , the authors noted that since illicit tracfficking is a lucrative business, thus that type of market can become very dangerous as it dealt with a huge amount of laundered money. And when money is made while selling cultural goods, those making that money are often connected to police or military authorities, and take an unpromising and gloomy view of interference in their lucrative business.[5] The fact that illicit trafficking often deals with political development and economic crisis; this further worsens the fight of illegal trafficking of cultural goods. Moreover when a country possesses a rich culture, it is more vulnerable to cultural pillage. For example countries like Cambodia, Italy, Africa, Oceania, Eastern Europe, Greece and Turkey are very prone to plundering of cultural materials. Countries like Cambodia with a rich culture but with a poor economy are more likely to be victims of illicit trafficking of cultural goods. As Etienne Clement, UNESCO,Director saysâ€Å" Cambodia’s culture is very rich, but the country itself is very poor. It’s an ideal situation for illegal trafficking† (BBC online, 2004)[6]. In Cambodia since there economic situation are poor, the looters are usually local people hoping to earn a few dollars. In Cambodia has faced massacre of its cultural goods and the problem is still going on even if the UNESCO has intervene in Cambodia. Hundreds of statues are without heads and walls are often marked with Graffiti. Hundreds and hundreds of sites are being dug up every day, said Dougald ORe illy, the director of Heritage Watch, an independent group aiming to safeguard Cambodias cultural heritage. In Cambodia heritage sites are often difficult to get access and that’s why it is difficult for the authorities to police the sites. And as Dougald O’Reilly said to the BBC online, sometime UNESCO tend to focus on particularly size only then paying less attention to other important sites which dated from Bronze and Iron Ages(BBC online)[7]. And something which is more sad and alarming is when we witness how people little by little are selling their cultural identity and destroying their origins just for the sake of a few coins. This demonstrate that those thief or looter who are selling those cultural treasure lack notions on the history of their countries and on other hands they are forced to indulged themselves to this illegal act because they are also living in a poor conditions. Mr O’Reilly put further to the BBC online that in Cambodia, In some parts of the country, you can buy 10 kilograms of ancient iron from these cemeteries for just 25 cents, its very openly sold in local markets.[8] Moreover cultural objects can easily be sold as shop owner or dealers to promote their goods they even present evidences of plunder as a means of guaranteeing the authenticity of their merchandise.[9] Another problem why cultural goods are being able cross boundaries and reach foreign countries is because there is a lack of documentation regarding the provenance of cultural goods. And also, officials working in the field of exporting and importing have no or minimum knowledge of archaeology or lack notion of cultural studies therefore it is difficult for them to capture criminals and identify cultural goods. All these factors, contribute further for â€Å"heritage plundering†. And today, the illicit traffic in cultural property continues internationally and is estimated to be worth $4.5 million dollars a year.[10] Furthermore according to Dr. George Abungu, an archaeologist and the founding Director at Okello Abungu Heritage Consultant, he said that colonialism and the spread of Christianity are also responsible for the huge plunder of African heritage. African heritage was destroyed with the new religion such as for example, â€Å"the evangelisation of the African continent and the Black man’s heart†, and other were collected and transported in the name of His or Her majesty’s government.[11] Invasion by the British, German and the French are also responsible for heritage destruction. For example the British expedition in Benin City, Nigeria and those of the Asante Kingdom at Kumasi in Ghana. And such expedition were undertaken in Asia, South America, and in Africa and as well as in North America. And cultural goods were looted and those responsible for this illegal act were considered as lawful collecting rather than plunder.[12] The fact that cultural goods has the ability to communicate, either directly or by association, an aspect of reality which transcends time or space gives it special significance and is therefore something to be sought after and protected. Legal instruments to combat illicit trafficking in cultural goods Every day around the world, massive pillage of cultural heritage is taking place. Cultural heritage since it is irreplaceable by nature; therefore it should be protected at any cost. The illegal trafficking of cultural goods affects humanity greatly. This type of trafficking affects museums, private and public collections, legitimate owner or possessors, worship buildings, cultural institution and as well as archaeological sites if we do not take actions immediately. As we all know if cultural goods are destroyed completely, nothing will be left for our future generations. And today since many people want a rich and better future for their children and family and for their countries as well so as not to kill the rich culture of one’s family or country, many states have decided to work together to create severe laws so as to punish those responsible for the destruction of our only cultural objects left by our people and by nature. The magnitude of this type of trafficking is becoming very alarming and developed countries are not excluded from illicit trafficking like developing countries. For example countries like France, Poland, Russia, Germany and Italy are known to be the most targeted countries for heritage traffickers. For example in 40 years, the Italian Carabinieri ( The National Military Police of Italy) has recovered 800 thousands stolen or illegally excavated artefacts[13]. Furthermore, the destruction of our world cultural heritage should not be held responsible mainly by theft or looters, as factors like climate change, globalisation, wartime, pollution and uncontrolled tourists are also factors contributing to the destruction of cultural objects. Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria are facing massive heritage plundering. For example in Afghanistan, according to the Afghan Ministry of Culture, 35 artefacts and approximately 7000 books, housed in the department building were destroyed in the 4th September attack. Over a hundred cultural artefacts were rescued as well as 5000 books.[14] And the Director and the Representative of the UNESCO in Afghanistan, Mr Paolo Fontani has put forward in a statement at the UNESCO office in Kabul and has expressed his deepest concern on the protection of the cultural artefacts that, â€Å" Our first thoughts go to the victims of this ruthless act, and to their families†, adding that â€Å"the irreversible loss of these unique artefacts should be equally condemned, since such artefacts underpin the cultural identity of the local communities and provide the foundation over which the fabric of society should be rebuilt†.[15] For the purpose to protect the culture of the humanity and in order to preserve and conserve our cultural goods, a set of legal instrument has been created. The three main legal instrument to cater for our cultural heritage are the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Export, Import and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property of 1970, the UNIDROIT 1995 Convention and the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The Hague convention was adopted in 14 of May 1954 during the Second World War so as to combat massive destruction of cultural heritage. And the Hague convention was the first international convention aimed to protect cultural goods during armed-conflicts. The Hague convention deals with both movable and immovable cultural heritage including architecture, art or history, archaeological sites, work of art , manuscripts , books and other objects of artistic, historical and of archaeological inter est and as well as scientific collections of all kinds regardless of their origins and ownership. The article 4(3) of the Hague convention as follows â€Å"The high contracting parties further undertake to prohibit, prevent, and if necessary, put a stop to any form of theft, pillage or misappropriation of, any acts of vandalism directed against, cultural property. They shall refrain from requisitioning movable cultural property situated in the territory of another high contracting party† clearly said that each country should respect their cultural property and the cultural property of other foreign states. Concerned about the new phenomenon of trafficking in cultural property in times of peace, the international community, through the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)adopted in 1970 the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, which currently has 116 States Parties, including Mauritius. The 1970 UNESCO convention has set up 3 measures as follows: efforts in drawing up inventories, in certification and in education in order to fight illicit trafficking in cultural goods. The convention recommends each party who has ratified the UNESCO 1970 convention to prohibit the exportation of cultural property from its territory unless these cultural properties are accompanied by an export certificate. And the 1970 Convention also states that each nation should define their national treasure in a list and then these will be protected when stolen. The convention also provides mechanism for states to recover stolen property, but the nominated cultural property must be of national importance. The convention also consider that the protection of cultural heritage can be effective only if organized both nationally and internationally among States working in close co-operation and that that, as cultural institutions, museums, libraries and archives should ensure that their collections are built up in accordance with universally recognized moral principles. Furthermore, since we lack a list of cultural goods and services at the international level, the UNESCO has established a list to define cultural goods and services namely the UNESCO Framework for cultural statistics (FCS). This list classified each cultural goods and services in their respective categories. But this FSC was created in the 1980’s and has not been revised since then, nevertheless the FSC still serves us to get the proper definition of cultural goods and services.[16] The UNESCO also raises questions on previous cases which the 1970 convention does not covered which is a very good initiative taken so as to protect our heritage at the maximum. And moreover, in 1978 the UNESCO during intergovernmental committee, for promoting the return of cultural property for its country of origin or its restitution in case of illegal appropriation the ICPRCP[17] was established as a permanent intergovernmental advisory body by the UNESCO. Set up in 1978 by the resolution 20 C4/ 7.6/5 at the 20th Session of the UNESCO General Conference of UNESCO, the return and restitution committee comprises 22 Member States, which meet every two years and can also organize meetings. The main objective of this committee, is, to search for new solutions and means of facilitating bilateral negotiations, promoting multilateral and bilateral cooperation purposely to the restitution or return of cultural property as well as encouraging a public information campaign on the issue, and promoting exchanges of cultural property. Moreover, the 1970 Convention’s most important attribute are a provision for export certification. The cooperative measures are often enshrined in international agreements, that were noted earlier and also a mandate that parties restitute properties within their jurisdiction stolen from museums, monuments and so on. The UNESCO regime to protect cultural heritage also include non-binding declarations and recommendation to amplify the treaty framework. For example the 2003 declaration concerning the International Destruction of cultural Heritage largely responded to the demolition of two colossal Buddhist statues in Bamiyan, Afghanistan by the Taliban government of that country. This declaration addresses the problem of intentional destruction, whether in peace time and wartime. mnbb [1] Article 1, 1970 UNESCO CONVENTION http://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/illicit-trafficking-of-cultural-property/1970-convention/text-of-the-convention [2] article 1 of the 1970 UNESCO convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Export, Import and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property and also see the Annex of the 1995 UNIDROIT convention .Article 1 of the 1970 UNESCO Convention and the Annex to the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention read as follows: â€Å" (a) Rare collections and specimens of fauna, flora, minerals and anatomy, and objects of palaeontological interest; (b) property relating to history, including the history of science and technology and military and social history, to the life of national leaders, thinkers, scientists and artist and to events of national importance; (c) products of archaeological excavations (including regular and clandestine) or of archaeological discoveries; (d) elements of artistic or historical monuments or archaeological sites which have been dismembered; (e) antiquities more than one hundred years old, such as inscriptions, coins and engraved seals; (f) objects of ethnological interest; (g) property of artistic interest, such as: (i) pictures, paintings and drawings produced entirely by hand on any support and in any material (excluding industrial designs and manufactured articles decorated by hand); (ii)original works of statuary art and sculpture in any material; (iii)original engravings, prints and lithographs; (iv) original artistic assemblages and montages in any material; (h) rare manuscripts and incunabula, old books, documents and publications of special interest (historical, artistic, scientific, literary, etc.) singly or in collections; (i) postage, revenue and similar stamps, singly or in collections; (j) archives, including sound, photographic and cinematographic archives; (k) articles of furniture more than one hundred years old and old musical instruments.† [3]www.sanculture.org [4] Illicit trafficking in cultural goods is, as other types of illicit traffics, a complex, vast and multifaceted issue. http://icom.museum/programmes/fighting-illicit-traffic/. [5] Organised crime in art and antiquities, Courmayeur Mont Blanc, Italy12-14 December 2008,p 93 edited by Stefano Manacorda,2009. [6] Race to save cambodia’s heritage, Kate Mcgeown, BBC online,2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3784135.stm [7] Race to save cambodia’s heritage, Kate Mcgeown, BBC online,2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3784135.stm [8]Kate McGeown, Race to Save Cambodias Heritage, BBC News. 9 June 2004 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3784135.stm [9] Organised crime in art and antiquities, Courmayeur Mont Blanc, Italy12-14 December 2008,p 98 edited by Stefano Manacorda,2009 [10] UTIMUT, Discussion on repatriation in the 21st century, Copenhagen 2008,p36, by Mille Gabriel and Jens Dahl. [11] UTIMUT,â€Å"UNIVERSAL MUSEUMS†:NEW CONTESTATIONS, NEW CONTROVERSIES, by George Abungu,p34 [12] UTIMUT,â€Å"UNIVERSAL MUSEUMS†:NEW CONTESTATIONS, NEW CONTROVERSIES, by George Abungu,p35 [13]www.unesco.org, 40 Years of Fighting the Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Goods | Culture and development UNESCO Multimedia Archives [14] UNESCO office in Kabul, Statement by the Director UNESCO Kabul Office concerning the destruction of ancient artefacts in Ghazni, Afghanistan, www.unesco.org. [15] UNESCO office in Kabul, Statement by the Director UNESCO Kabul Office concerning the destruction of ancient artefacts in Ghazni, Afghanistan, www.unesco.org . [16] A note on the list of cultural goods and services,2004, http://www.unesco.org/culture/culturaldiversity/docs_pre_2007/clt_cpd_note_list_goods_services_en_092004.pdf [17] http://www.unesco.org/culture/laws/returncommittee Extra judicial Killing: Myth or Reality? Extra judicial Killing: Myth or Reality? How interesting it is that in Bangladesh the elite force named as Rapid Action Battalion [RAB] kills the arrested persons by the name of cross-fire and name them the criminals. Extra-judicial, thus the term is used to state the killings. It is called extra judicial because of its type, which works as a process outside the judiciary system of Bangladesh. Farid Ahmed in a non periodical web journal (2010), Such killings are often described in police reports as involving crime suspects who resisted arrests or attacked the police. Many of the victims, human rights groups charge, were killed while in police custody. But in their official statements, police said they were killed in the crossfire during violent incidents in prison facilities. The police were compelled to open fire at those attacking them, they said.  [1]   According to the Human Rights Watch (2006): One of the first publicized RAB killings was of the wanted criminal suspect Pichchi Hannan in Dhaka on August 6, 2004. This is when the era of extra judicial killing has started and still going on. Not only the RAB but also some other armed forces are involved in this kind of activity.  [2]   Whether extrajudicial killing is a myth or is it a reality is the main motive for me to conduct this research. A lot of people are being killed by the armed force, often named as elite force, but is it truly extra judicial killing or is the crossfire the reality, which one is true? We see a lot of incidents addressing the extra-judicial killings everyday when looking at the newspaper. Theres hardly any day with no crossfire news, and thus I think people should be clear about the extra judicial killing matter and to reveal the original fact as I conduct the research. My research will give a clear cut idea about the extra judicial killing and the scenario of our countrys perspective. However, it is often said by the authority and also by the political leaders that these so called extra-judicial killings are only the unfortunate deaths of the suspected criminals in the cross-fire. According to the Bangladesh Media article No extrajudicial executions carried out: RAB DG (2010): The director-general of the RAB, Hasan Mahmud Khandakar, addressing the media at the sixth anniversary of the elite law enforcement body in its headquarters on Sunday, told newsmen, A total of 622 suspected criminals were killed in by the RAB in crossfire across the country in the last six years, including 14 suspected criminals who were killed in the last three months. The RAB chief, however, claimed that no extra-judicial killing was carried out by the battalions personnel in the last six years.  [3]   The issue of extra-judicial killing is one of the big concerns for a country like Bangladesh where the chance of misuse of the theme, under the name of crossfire is highly possible for a 3rd world country like us. The concern of different human right organizations have argued about the extrajudicial killings and raised a lot of questions. My report will reveal whether the extra-judicial killing under the name of crossfire is true or just a myth. The History of Extra Judicial Killing As its name suggest, it is done outside the framework of the judiciary system of Bangladesh, which is the killings of a suspected criminal under the custody of the armed force, often using the term self protection or accusing the suspected criminal to escape; which is a violation of the rule of law. From the very beginning of Bangladeshs birth in 1971, different political parties used their political power to impetus the killings by the armed forces and used these forces in in violation of the law to consolidate power and maintain control. The continuous process started during the time period of BNP led govt. after forming coalition with three smaller parties: Jamaat-e-Islami (which won 4.3 percent), Jatiya Party-Naziur (1.1 percent), and Islamic Okye Jote (0.7 percent) in 0ctober, 2001. After taking power, to fulfill the one election agenda to fight against crime, and to tackle criticism from people, the govt. then deployed fourty thousand military personal to fight crime under the name of Operation Clean Heart. Thousands of people were arrested and at least 50 people were reported to be dead under their custody. Due to the failure of the operation, the government then decided to form an elite force group with a special unit of police with commando training called the Rapid Act ion Team, or RAT, which is now known as Rapid Action Battalion or RAB. As stated by the law, The main tasks of the RAB, according to the law, are to: Provide internal security Conduct intelligence into criminal activity Recover illegal arms Arrest criminals and members of armed gangs Assist other law enforcement agencies Investigate any offense as ordered by the government.  [4]   According to the Asian Human Rights Commission: The army killed 58 people in custody. See Asian Legal Resource Center and Asian Human Rights Commission, Lawless Law-enforcement the Parody of Judiciary in Bangladesh, August 2006.According to the Bangladesh NGO Forum for Secular Bangladesh, the army killed 53 people in custody and physically abused 7,000. See Forum for Secular Bangladesh, Violation of Human Rights by the Coalition Government of Bangladesh, September 2006.  [5]   However, the Operation Clean Heart did not succeed in bringing crime under adequate control, and vigilantism against so-called criminals continued. Hence the special police force proved unsuccessful in combating crime due to the lack of trained professionals, disorganization, and corruption in the force. Structuring from the experience from Operation Clean Heart, the government took steps to give the military a law enforcement role. Then, later on the RAB was created with the motto to fight criminals and reduce crime. According to a human rights lawyer: Critics complained that, rather than building a new crime-fighting force, the government should undertake efforts to reform law enforcement and the courts. Creating RAB, they feared, would undermine the police. With Operation Clean Heart in mind, some worried about using the military for civilian policing. They saw RAB as a way for the government to deploy the army for policing tasks, with one lawyer even calling it martial law in disguise. Other Facts Various human right watchdogs claimed that 1,142 victims have so far been slain in extrajudicial killings since 24 June, 2004 when the RAB began its journey by killing people in crossfire. Among the 1,142 victims, 149 were killed in 2004, 340 in 2005, 290 in 2006, 130 in 2007, 136 in 2008 and 97 in 2009. During the immediate-past emergency regime which continued for about two years, 322 people were killed in an extrajudicial manner. On the other hand, DG of RAB claimed that no extra-judicial killing is carried out but some criminals were caught in crossfire during the battle. He also claimed that 6,931 firearms have been seized by the RAB in the last six years 580 in 2004, 909 in 2005, 889 in 2006, 1,416 in 2007, 1,374 in 2008, 1,338 in 2009 and 425 in the last three months. The RAB arrested a total of 64,664 suspected criminals, after conducting drives throughout the country, on charges of various crimes including murder, kidnapping, extortion, tender manipulation, militancy and possession of illegal firearms. Of them 2569 in 2004, 4929 in 2005, 7277 in 2006, 13569 in 2007, 13378 in 2008, 16730 in 2009 and 4012 in last three months of 2010.  [6]   The attitude of people in law enforcement agencies has not changed, at least on the issue of extra judicial killings despite the judiciary ordering them to stop killing people under the guise of crossfire, encounter, and gunfight. Although much of such action has stopped, it is not a sustainable solution. But the decision has been hailed an eye-opener by many including human rights organizations. The High Court issued the suo motto order over extra judicial killings on November 17. It gave the government two weeks, initially, to explain why the killing of two brothers, Lutfor and Khairul Khalasi by law enforcement agencies in Madaripur on Nov.16 should not be declared extrajudicial. The government has yet to reply and the Attorney General has sought more time, presumably until the court resumes on January 3, 2010. During the year although there were some positive activities by the government, most sectors in the country were devoid of any human rights, the rule of law and good governance. Religious minorities were oppressed and press freedoms were violated almost every other day.  [7]   Only a few human rights organizations have long been asking the government to stop the killings, terming them extrajudicial. Moreover, the High Court of Bangladesh, on June 29, 2009, High Court of Bangladesh asked the government to explain why killing people without a trial, in the form of extrajudicial killings, is not being declared as illegal, and why measures are not being taken against the perpetrators. After this ruling, we still havent seen anything happen. However in recent times, after the Awami League came to power, many thought the Awami govt. will abolish the RAB. But, in march 2006, Seikh Hasina said, But we will not do so. Rather Rab will be given a special assignment to capture corrupt people.  [8]   Extrajudicial killings continue even in violation of the High Courts ruling. How can they continue? Its very alarming for human rights, democracy and the right to life. And why is the High Court silent regarding this gross human rights violation? Both governmental and nongovernmental sources have said that the death toll has reached 133 from such extrajudicial killings labeled as crossfire killings, encounter killings or gunfight killings by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the police since Jan. 6, when the Awami League-led government assumed office. In Bangladesh, we have a so-called democracy, but there is no rule of law if we consider extra judicial killing. Every day sees more killings of citizens by the state machinery, killings which are both well-planned and covered up. However, RAB never said that its extrajudicial killing. In contrast, Rab Director General (DG) Hassan Mahmood Khandker recently stated that, A total of 633 persons were killed in encounters with its members while 750 RAB men were punished for their unlawful acts. Among the 750 punished RAB members, 350 were sacked while the rest 400 suffered imprisonment in different tenures. Also RAB intelligence personnel are only on duty to tackle the criminal activities.  [9]   However, on contrary, extrajudicial killing have been going on very rapidly of violating the highest court ruling order, the Constitution and the Universal Declaration by law enforcers. The term extrajudicial killing means execution without justice. This is a grave human rights violation. Its both a violation of Bangladeshs constitution and of the UNs Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  [10]  But these types of killings still occur frequently in Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh has been violating the constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights day after day since 2002 (including operation clean heart). In 2004, the BNP-Jamaat government made a decision about extrajudicial killings and formed the RAB. From March 26, 2004 until January 31, 2009, around 1,600 people (including 58 58 killed peoples in operation clean heart of 2002) have been killed without justice. The government of Bangladesh has sided with the extrajudicial killings. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also said, in an indirect way, that extrajudicial killings will continue. She spoke clearly, upholding crossfire killings. What was said by our popular Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in New York is very unfortunate for the rule of law, democracy, the constitution, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the people of Bangladesh. According to the Bdnews24.com, Sheikh Hasina talked with journalists in New York on Sept. 27, 2009. Referring to crossfire killings at the time, she said, I do not believe in extrajudicial killings. But if anyone launches an armed attack (against a law enforcer), then they shouldnt be allowed to kill them like sitting ducks.  [11]   Bangladeshs elite Rapid Action Battalion continues to engage in extrajudicial killings despite Supreme Court directives to halt it. Although the court is handling the issue of extrajudicial killings, RAB does not seem to be bothered either about the judiciary or the countrys laws. The assertions of responsible people in the present government are shocking. Home minister Sahara Khatun recently said that, there was no crossfire. It seems, either directly or indirectly, the home minister and other ministers are defending the perpetrators of such crossfire killings. Finally we can say that, in Bangladesh has no rule of law. We want to say that the reports of so-called crossfire killings, encounter killings or gunfight killings that are made by the RAB and the police are totally false. We believe that terrorism should never be combated or controlled through state killings. It is the establishment of the rule of law that is essential to control terrorism. Conclusion Finally we can say that, numerous killings are being carried out extra-judicially; the perpetrators remain above the law; and the victims have no recourse to protection or redress under the law. This represents a violation of Article 31 of the Constitution, which reads: To enjoy the protection of the law, and to be treated in accordance with law, and only in accordance with law, is the inalienable right of every citizen, wherever he may be, and of every other person for the time being within Bangladesh, and in particular no action detrimental to the life, liberty, body, reputation or property of any person shall be taken except in accordance with law.  [12]   However, beyond impunity, those responsible for such killings are being rewarded for their actions. Torture and the threat of extra-judicial killing are used by the police and the RAB to extract money from persons that they arrest. Furthermore, the RAB was even awarded the prized Independence Award to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on March 23, 2006, as part of Bangladeshs 35th Independence Day celebrations, for its activities. Therefore, it is revealed that this kind of activities by the RAB is clearly a false ideology to name the extrajudicial killing under the name of crossfire, is just only to eye wash the general public, and some day it may have negative effect on the society and country as a whole. So the govt. and the people of Bangladesh should raise its voice against it and it should be stopped soon.