Book Review.. Law and Society

Slavery, Law and Society in the British Windward Islands 1763-1823 September 29, 2011 Lecturer: Dawn M. McNeil Reviewed by Natasha Stewart DR BERNARD MARSHALL (2007) SLAVER, LAW AND SOCIETY Published by Arawak Publications ISBN 976 8189 81 9 (hbk) ISBN 976 8189 27 4 (pbk) One of the most important courses that are required for matriculation into law school is â€Å"law and society†. This is due to the fact that this course covers interaction between Law and Society from a historical, economical, political, sociological perspective of Caribbean societies, from primitive to transitional and also modern societies. It incorporates trends of law enforcement as well as current social and technological changes that influence society. It is premised on the fact that law has a critical function in all forms of social conduct. Though not the exact words of lecture McNeil, they were enough to help me to understand the importance of this course. Therefore upon her instructions to review the book â€Å"Slavery Law and Society†, I was most enthused, as I intended to read with an objective that would allow me to understand more about the laws of slavery and their impacts, the composition of society and to compare it with the society we have today. As I thought that this would allow me to be understanding of this course of study. My attention was also naturally drawn to the author Bernard Marshal, as I think he did a great job in compiling this case study. Nonetheless, I feel privilege to know that my review o this book will ultimately make it better, while giving me knowledge of a society that I fortunately escaped. The book slavery law and society is a comparative study, which looks at the political, economical, legal and social life of a majority black population, a minority white population and a relatively large amount of free colored in St Vincent, Tobago, Dominica, Grenada and the Grenadines between the years 1763 to 1823. This period marks a relevant and vital time in the history of the Caribbean and the importance of these Windward Islands to French and British economy. These two European nations stood in constant conflict over wealth and ownership of these islands. Thus building our understanding of how Caribbean history in these islands was developed. Bernard Marshall assessed the relationship between different groups in society, with special attention placed on the enslaved population who were in constant resistance of slavery, especially the maroons. Throughout the sixty years of slavery, many writers have analyzed the nature of slavery in some of the more popular Caribbean islands, however it must be noted that this book is the first to help with understanding the nature of the slave system in these four important communities. At a time when slavery and plantation ownership was very important to the economic success of the planter class, the nature of the slave society was examined and critiqued in this study. Special emphasis was placed the political, social, religious, economic and legal organizations of these islands. Nonetheless there was decline which brought into question, the importance of a seemingly redundant enslaved population. Bernard however, presents a harsh historical reality, which was seen in the most inhumane activities meted out to mankind, which is the trans-Atlantic slave trade. During that period the establishment of sugar plantations required purchasing of land, plantation buildings, equipment and upkeep of one’s own labour force which translated into large expenditures: for example a sugar estate in St Vincent that contained 442 acres was 74,035 pounds. Funds were secured to purchase such an estate from the mercantile houses in the metropolis. When the economy declined and prices paid for crops were reduced, many planters defaulted on their loans and went bankrupt. This period saw many such declines and loss for planters, whether for economic reasons or as a direct result of the many revolts that were carefully planned and executed by the slaves seeking freedom and social status. To date the Caribbean is very familiar to almost everyone, due to the contributions of historians, sociologists, lecturers and legal scholars. Nonetheless, only this writer has sought to give a comparative analysis of these communities as they are generally ignored in most readings of Caribbean history, though same were the experiences of these islands in the era of slavery. The role of law was carefully examined and most importantly, its relationship with economic, political and social life of persons in these communities. Marshall’s study provides adequate insight into the society of slavery in an ignored area of the Caribbean history. It must be noted that while the whips and the other physical brutal methods of control were deemed effective to control the slave population. A critique of religion was also evident as it was used as an effective form of social control which made the slaves subservient to their masters. The book is mostly viewed from a Marxist perspective; therefore the function of law was an instrument of the ruling class. This authority created an exploited Caribbean society by colonial rule whose authority was justified by the existing political and judicial precedents created by them and used to keep the â€Å"less fortunate† Africans and free coloured in check. Marshall showed how the law worked in favour of the ruling class, those who owned the means of production. This aspect of Marshal’s analysis can be compared to present day societies, where preference is given to the â€Å"big man†. Law is a coercive order†¦.. the norms which form a legal order must be norms stipulating a coercive act, e. g. a sanction, the evil applied to the violator of the order when sanction is socially organized, consists in a deprivation of possessions- life, health, freedom or property. As the possessions are taken from him against his will, this sanction has the character of the measure of coercion; a social order that seeks to bring about the desired behavior of individuals by the enactment of such measures of coercion is called a coercive order. The laws of the islands recognized the owner’s right to his property in the slave, and protected right from violation by others†. Therefore various acts were passed to govern the every movement of slaves. (Slave laws of 1768) In an attempt by the minority white to ensure social stability, laws were designed to push actions such as rebellions, robbery, running away, arson etc, the actions were severely punished, in fact, dealt was the ultimate. The responsibility of punishment was given to the police, who ensured that laws were upheld. The law was therefore seen as a weapon of social control that worked in the interest of the minority white population. It was used to dehumanized the African population in a most barbaric and unthinkable way. The ruling class fashioned its own brand of social engineering to support a system of racial inequality and exploitation. In the period between 1763-1773, Great Britain acquired what was well known as the British Windward islands. An economy which was initially based on the production and trade of cocoa, coffee, spice and tobacco was now changed into one based on sugar production. This lead to the immediate migration of white owners who could not compete with the emerging sugar industry and influx of slaves. this lead to a cultural change of the society into that of which was centered around the sugar industry, slavery and a dominating planter class. â€Å"The history of slavery in the British Windward islands indisobly and extricably linked to the expansion of the sugar industry. Ever since 1773, sugar had gained a position of first rate importance in the plantation economy. A position which it maintained throughout the period of this study, to almost the total neglect of other kinds of economic activities. For instance, in St. Vincent after 1773, tobacco cultivation was carried out by the Black Caribs only, and following their expulsion in 1797 it was most likely to be abandoned. Report from the island in 1788 also revealed that the culture of coffee and cocoa was being neglected by planters†. This aspect of history saw decline in the economy of these islands due to revolts by slaves and other economic reasons such as cut off of trade with America, knowing that this trade with America was vital to the survival of plantation economy. In Grenada and St. Vincent, production level fell, while prices also declined presenting famine in these islands. French rule played a significant role in the losses suffered by these islands. Nonetheless, the treaty of Versailles gave back to Britain these islands. British were well interested in the American rum and liquor, which were relatively cheap and affordable, thus inviting the interest of the British to trade for a profit in their market. The economy suffered extreme effects of war, of which the planter class was seemingly unaware. Through Marshall’s theses, revelation was made of economic politics which resulted in revolts of the whites, mullatos and slaves. Slave rebellion in Tobago between the years 1770 and 1773 saw 80 whites killed. These revolts were influenced by other revolutionary wars, such as French Revolution, American Revolution and enlightenment thinkers. Passive and submissive behaviors were thought to the slaves by Christian missionaries. In a report submitted to the Privy Council in 1788 it was asserted that â€Å"if they (the slaves) receive punishment for misdemeanors, though they might seem too severe, the brethren have no business to interfere† this policy was perused by the Moravian Brethren in Tobago. In addition, they preached the virtues of obedience, submission and diligence to their converts and by doing so they made a fairly significant contribution to the maintenance and stability of the slave society. The brethren had no choice than to adapt to these policies of the planters, since their focus should be on conversion of the heathen to Christianity. Failure to comply would result in them being forced to leave the islands. When in 1799 Brother Schirmer’s went to say the last word to a slave who was about to be executed, this was what he said: â€Å"Though God is merciful and gracious and forgives repenting sinners, yet he also executes his vengeance against those who persist in sin and commit iniquity with greediness and has authorized the powers he had established in the world, to do the same. Even after the abolition of slave trade in 1807 the lives of slaves still had no value to the planter class. The inferiority of Negro slavery was still polished in their minds, and this harsh trend has been brought down into our societies today. The thought that slave trade was abolished and slaves could now buy their freedom was a most welcomed notion by the slaves, however this was a mere dream in reality, as the price to purchase such freedom was unattainable. In St. Vincent, one slave out of every 630 gained his freedom each year; in Grenada, one out of every 408: in Dominica 1 out of every 90 and in Tobago one out of every 832. The slave society in the new world and Brazil remained fairly closed. Slave societies in the Windward Islands and other islands of the New world such as Brazil are quite similar, regardless of a few supersticial differences. Nonetheless, Marshall’s contribution to slavery in these islands is commendable a great deal of achievement, however, many generations to come, will encounter different articles on slavery. Perceptions of slavery might change in future references. However the process and nature of slavery will be the theme for many great writers, who will borrow from Marshall’s study of these Windward Island. A criticism of Marshall’s theory links it to a cohesive society with shared norms and values and similar goals and objectives. Nonetheless, this text was a well researched on, based on various references provided from other writers to substantiate information given. The relevance of this study to my course of study was what gave me the drive to continue reading Marshall’s ork. It was quite informative; on the other hand it could have been far more concise, as there was too much repetition of points that were made clear in earlier chapters. The dates though very important, were overused and at some points they were not significant, and caused me to lose focus on many occasions. A book of this nature which caters to a wide range of intellectuals, specifically uni versity students should have been vetted thoroughly to avoid spelling errors and incorrect grammar. I also found that paragraphs were exhausted and one point either overlapped into another or it was too long. Marshall’s study of these islands was somewhat limited as it could have incorporated more impacts of the outside world on these plantations, such as the rise to industrialism and enlightenment, impact of French revolution, slave actions in other Caribbean territories, works of humanitarians etc. all the aspects of slavery impacted the windward islands, but Marshall paid little attention to them. I think however that had he made relations to more similarities between these islands and other well written about Caribbean territories history of slavery, then he would attracted more authors of this school of thought to add the history of the windward islands into their writings of Caribbean history and slavery. Though I am appreciative of the fact that this study gave me extended knowledge of Caribbean history, which I very much appreciate, I think that this source was not one of the more captivating piece of Caribbean history that I have read, and if not for a specific purpose I would not be enthused to read it again. Though a local case study, the book is nevertheless an important contribution to the history of slavery in the Caribbean and in the New World in general. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Hans keelson, general theory of law and state [ 2 ]. House of commons Accounts and papers, volume xxvi,1789 [ 3 ]. Periodical accounts, volume ii: extract from brother Schirmer’s diary.

The Appeal and Popularity of the Bournemouth Beach

Bournemouth ranks as one of the most popular resorts on the south coast of England. It has much to offer any holiday-maker, as the town can boast a range of attractions and facilities to cater for nearly every taste. Bournemouth also possesses some beautiful beaches, with golden sands and safe bathing which are frequently backed by majestic cliffs and a promenade. The main features The core feature of the Beach is of course the Sea with its seven miles of golden sand. Bournemouth beach has a high standard of bathing safety, as there are ‘KidZone' areas and emergency lifesaving Perry buoys at regular intervals. RNLI Beach Rescue provides 7 day a week lifeguard service from Southbourne to Sandbanks between May and September, which is augmented by 5 voluntary lifesaving clubs at weekends and public holidays. The beach is patrolled by beach wardens over the summer and by full time, first aid trained inspectors throughout the year. During the bathing season 2003 the Environment Agency was monitoring bathing water quality all along the coast on a weekly basis; the Partnership's main interest, of course, is the quality of the bathing water at Bournemouth Pier. The beach is cleaned daily during the summer, weekly out of season. Areas of the beach have been designated glass free and can-recycling bins are provided. Dogs are allowed on parts throughout the year though they are banned from certain areas from May to September. The secondary features Beach Facilities There are many excellent facilities available along Bournemouth's beaches. These include toilets with access for disabled visitors, first aid posts, lost children centres and information offices. Catering facilities like â€Å"Harry Ramsden's World Famous Fish and Chips† (Restaurant and Takeaway), â€Å"KFC† and â€Å"Hot Rocks† serve drinks, hot and cold snacks and meals. Other entertainment features include the Amusements Arcade, where you can find all sorts of gambling and computer games. Thrill seekers can hop on the Simulator ride by the Pier. The leisure simulator uses the sophisticated technology previously developed for the training simulators used by tank drivers and astronauts to provide a new form of entertainment, which is enjoyable, exciting and yet completely safe. The Oceanarium is a fully interactive experience with touch screen games, feeding demonstrations and talks, plasma screen documentaries, walk-through underwater tunnel and exhibits to help you discover more about this fascinating underwater world. It brings you face to face with marine life from the furthest reaches of the globe. The IMAX offers the most advanced and compelling film experience in the world. Seeing a film at an IMAX theatre is the perfect group event – whether it is a birthday party, corporate outing or school trip. Every year more than 70 million people visit an IMAX theatre to see a film and over 96% would recommend it to their friends and family. The Pier Theatre, Bournemouth is a purpose built proscenium theatre completed in 1960. The foyer houses a small confectionery kiosk, box-office and public toilets. Disabled access is possible by arrangement through the box office. A Deaf Loop (induction) System is in operation. A unisex disabled toilet is available. Disabled Parking is available by arrangement with the manager. The Pier Bar is adjoining the Theatre and is operated by Bournemouth Services. One of the most popular and certainly most distinctive features of the Seafront is the land train, which carries more than 260,000 passengers a year. Six Zigzag paths connect the beach to the service road above. Three pairs of Cliff lifts run up and down the cliff all day long throughout the season. Visible from literally miles away, there are exciting opportunities to brand the lifts – and the lift stations. With 2100 Deckchairs, you have an exceptional opportunity to improve the bottom line, with advertising that can't fail to be noticed. Located at intervals along the beach, there are 28 Bastions with free shower facilities. Close to the beach are the Gardens, which are an idea haven from the bussing streets of Bournemouth. Candle light displays and lights lead you down to the seafront where in the summer months you can see the firework displays. The ‘Free spirit of Bournemouth' balloon ascends above Bournemouth to give you a birds eye view of Bournemouth town centre and the beach. The gardens also have a pavilion where brass bands play daily to an audience in the gardens. The Russell-Cotes-Museum is a very individualistic gallery, containing the personal collection of art formed by Sir Merton and Lady Russell-Cotes presented to the town of Bournemouth and opened to the public in 1919. Seaside Activities Swimming (watercraft free zones at certain beaches), sailing, fishing, surfing, canoeing, jet skiing, windsurfing, power boating, pedalo hire, beach hut hire and water skiing. Areas or the beach have been zoned as No Smoking, Kidzone, and Can-zone recycling areas. Firework displays are held on Bournemouth Pier every Friday night between July 26th and August 30th. Bournemouth Carnival and Regatta is traditionally held during the first week of August. Wildlife and Walks A three-kilometre undercliff walk leads from Fisherman's Walk east to Hengistbury Head. The seafront promenade is 10km long stretching from Southbourne to Alum Chine and then on to Sandbanks. A cycle route has been introduced along the promenade. Pedestrians always have right of way and from June to September and cycling is only permitted between 7pm and 10am. The Bournemouth cliffs provide an ideal habitat for the nationally rare sand lizard and smooth snake, as well as many plant species. Parking Roadside parking along the overcliff drive. Various pay and display carparks, including the Undercliff Car Park on the beach with access at Boscombe Pier. Public Transport Bournemouth coach and train station is linked to the town centre and all of the beaches by yellow buses. Once at the seafront a land train service operates along the promenade between Hengistbury Head and Alum Chine, stopping at all beaches and also the cliff lifts. Visitor numbers and Types of visits: â€Å"Bournemouth Seafront is, and has always been, a major tourism attraction. Bournemouth as a resort attracts around four million visitors each year (2.3 million day visitors; 1.7 million staying visitors). It is estimated that over 20,000 people are directly employed in tourism related businesses and that tourism is worth à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½350 million a year to Bournemouth's economy.† â€Å"The main tourist season begins with the Spring Bank Holiday and peaks during the school summer holiday period of mid July to early September. All other public and school holidays, such as Easter, are also busy tourist periods on the Seafront.† Types of visitors: At present, 70% of seaside visitors are elderly and less affluent, which means that they spend very little money during their stay, so Bournemouth had to attract a different type of customer. Many small attractions were opened, in order to serve different types of tourists, in particular children, as they brought together people from all different backgrounds, so places such as Putlake Adventure farm and the Oceanarium were opened. Bournemouth also has 2,000 acres of formal gardens, which are frequently judged as the best in Britain, and serve as an attraction for the older generation of visitors. The present pier, which was built in 1880, incorporates a theatre, restaurants, a disco and amusement arcades, which together form Bournemouth's most popular attraction. Bournemouth has relied upon its reputation to bring in the tourists and therefore it has a very good record: In 1996 it was named as â€Å"The World's Cleanest and Greenest City. It has also received Blue Flag Beach Awards every year since 1990 and since 1999 has been awarded the Green Flag Award. Three times since 1991, it has been the winner of Britain in Bloom and was Europe's Floral Champion in 1995. With the building of the Bournemouth International Conference Centre, many important conferences have brought attention to the town, these include several political party conferences, and brings in lots of business for the hotels and shops. The main problem with seaside resorts is the fact that their custom is seasonal, this can be seen in the newspapers where there are advertisements for cheap rates in the hotels, for example Sun Court Hotel offers à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½30 per person per night at the moment, as it is the end of the season. The way this is combated is by the use of the conference centre, which tries to bring business in almost all year round, for example, the Conservative party conference is always held at the end of the season, as the season is then extended for an extra week. Poole relies on recreation in its harbour for its business. 60,000 new houses are to be built in the area by 2010, as it is doing so well. Lots of visitors go across on the sandbanks ferry to Studland where 95% of visitors go to beach. In Poole Harbour, sailing and windsurfing take place, while conservation also takes place with SSSI's for the dunes, mudflats and mines, which bats have inhabited. Swanage has also suffered a decrease in its custom since the 1970's: a total of 3,200 beds in hotels and guesthouses have now been reduced to a total of 1,900. With a population of 9,170, there are a total of 9355 beds available for visitors, with a quarter of a million visitors capable of being accommodated in the whole year, although the main season is 26 weeks long. Despite a large number of visitors, although decreasing, the average day visitor spends à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½9, which is not enough to keep a community running. Therefore, the total number of beds is still set to decrease, as the only real attractions are the Swanage railway, which is now being used for park and ride to Corfe castle, and Durlston Country Park, which receives 150,000 visitors. Despite not being a National Park and a decreasing popularity of seaside resorts, except among the retired population, Dorset seems to be surviving. Some areas do seem to be â€Å"thriving†, although a question of their future does hang over areas such as Swanage. Dorset has a number of attractions that keep it a popular location for visitors, however, whether it is thriving or not is a big question, as whereas places such as Bournemouth are doing very well, others are not doing so well.

Abu Dhabi Ship Building Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Abu Dhabi Ship Building Company - Case Study Example ADSB, however, specializes in the construction, repair and refit of naval and commercial vessels, rather than focusing on pleasure boats. Since the company began in 1995, it has formed strategic partnerships with leading ship designers and builders in ten countries. As a public joint stock company, it was registered in the UAE, established by Amiri Decree N.5 of 1995 on 12 July 1995. Most of the company's contracts have been with its home country's navy, but in 2001, it began to compete in the oil-fired market of other Gulf states (Kahwaji). It was owned 10 percent by Abu Dhabi's government, 40 percent UAE Mubadala Development Company and 50 percent by more than 6,000 UAE national shareholders. In 2002, a 50m expansion was undertaken, and by 2005 more than 800 people were employed by the company. In 2003, ADSB signed the Baynunah contract to design and construct four corvette class 70-metre naval vessels for the UAE Navy. Customers consist of companies involved in shipping, dredging, dry docking, and of course the country's naval forces (Abu Dhabi). The company competes with international shipyards to win major deals with Arab Gulf navies in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. ASDB was also hired to build a dozen 34-meter Al Saber patrol boats. ADSB has taken advantage of the information technology revolution to upgrade the company to include electronic developments. Introduction and Background The United States and Europe are suffering from major business downturns, while the oil-driven economy of the Middle East is benefiting from the demand for ships in the Arabian Gulf. Abu Dhabi Ship Building Company has been able to expand its market as well as to establish a positive brand image with the promotion of Bill Saltzer in 2006 from General Manager to CEO (ADSB). Saltzer has a clear vision of the need in the twenty-first century to communicate personally with management and staff, including construction workers, as they make up a major portion of the employee base. Since then, the company has shown continuous growth (Gulf Shipyards; Reuters; Bahrain; ADSB Starts). Aside from UAE new construction and modification work, ADSB is upgrading Bahraini, Qatari, and Yemeni ships while seeking contracts from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia (Kahwaji). The opening of another hi-tech facility for building advanced composite vessels was the cover story for the company new sletter initiated in 2006 to celebrate the company's 10th year. This expansion will enable it to compete strongly in the rapidly expanding composite military and commercial market throughout the region (Abu Dhabi). ADSB has a low-key but attractive Web site that is introduced by a short video with a small amount of text

Discussion 2 Week 7 Award Fee Contracts Assignment

Discussion 2 Week 7 Award Fee Contracts - Assignment Example 2. Discuss whether contractors provide better work with an award fee. Include in your discussion on whether or not they are incentivized by the better profit potential of an award-fee contract. Support your position with an example. One strongly believes that contractors provide better work with an award fee. As defined, an award fee â€Å"is an amount of money that a contractor may earn in whole or in part by meeting or exceeding subjective criteria stated in an award fee plan† (US Government Accountability Office, 2009, p. 1). It is a form of motivation or incentive that contractors could avail for exceeding expectations or exhibiting exemplary performance. For instance, a contractor is supposed to complete a painting of a government building in two weeks’ time using total costs of materials amounting to $50,000. If the contactor is able to complete the project in one week’s time and with savings amounting to $5,000, then, the contractor could be given an award fee. The provision would enable the contractor to gain a positive image, in addition to the award fee and would be considered a plus factor for future contracting projects. US Government Accountability Office. (2009, August 3). 1. From the e-Activity, discuss whether or not the agencies mentioned took any actions that reflected the suggestions provided by the Office of Management and Budget. If you think actions were taken, state what actions were taken and explain why those act. Retrieved from gao.gov:

Organisational Culture of Google and How It Impacts Its Operations Essay

Organisational Culture of Google and How It Impacts Its Operations - Essay Example The researcher states that employee performance is enhanced by the existence of an effective work environment as illustrated by the case of Google. Google is an American based company that specializes in offering communication technology such as internet services. Since its inception, the company has been guided in its operations by valuing the needs and interests of the employees. The major strength of the organization, which can be attributed to its culture, lies in its ability to motivate the employees, which has contributed to its productivity. Employees are encouraged to be innovative, and they are rewarded for their ideas. An analysis of the case study, as well as the video footage, shows that Google is regarded as the best place to work in America as the employees are motivated and their needs and interests are satisfied. Motivation is seen as the key aspect of the effectiveness of the organization in its performance since the employees share the same goals with the organizati on. For instance, mistakes made by the employees do not warrantee a punishment, but they are treated as an effective tool for learning. According to Stahl & Mendenhall, culture is believed to shape the operations of the organization in various ways. It contributes to innovation and success, which allows the managers to be able to cope with problems related to adoption as well as integration. Organisational culture at Google is considered to be very effective given that it has recently been named the best company for employees by Fortune Magazine. The core values of the organization’s culture are intensely held and shared.

I could not travel both Discuss its connotation and denotation Essay

I could not travel both Discuss its connotation and denotation - Essay Example Reader can find both denotative and connotative layers of meaning through different images. Externally, the poem Road not Taken describes poet’s experience to choose a road which he felt enough comfort to travel. The speaker has no doubt taken the less common road, but he tells us only that it made all the difference, not what that difference was (Little & Bloom 132). Through the brilliant use of metaphor and imagery poet gives the real tension to the mind of the reader. Poet states the reader that when he reaches near the forest the road diverges into two and poet really confuses and after a serious evaluation poet chooses the second one. Poet reveals his helplessness by saying; â€Å"I could not travel both†. Poet is a single person and he cannot walk through both roads at the same time. In connotative way, the two roads mentioned here are two professions. In his youth Frost faced severe emotional conflict in selecting suitable profession; profession of a teacher and the profession of the poet. When the time of selection, poet evaluates both advantages and disadvantages of both professions deeply and both of them haunt him for a long time.

Gang Culrure - Methodology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gang Culrure - Methodology - Essay Example The researcher included all individuals regardless of any sort of difference between them, such as, religious, ethnic, racial, and gender differences. The researcher aimed to get an insight into factors that promote formation of gangs among youth. The researcher included participants based on following criteria: (a) age limit of 12 tom 18 because this is the age when the risk of joining gangs to get favors is at the highest level, (b) current or past involvement in gangs, (c) people who had faced some sort of harassment in past, (d) people having good social acceptance, (e) people showing good school performances. The ethical consideration for this particular research topic was the privacy of information provided by the participants. The researcher took all participants in confidence by ensuring them that their personal information would not be used elsewhere. The researcher conduced a longitudinal study to determine the differences between people who are part of a gang and those who are not. The subjects were asked to fill in a questionnaire that was mainly designed to investigate the reasons behind formation of groups and the differences between in-gang and not-in-gang people. Data gathered from these surveys provided the researcher with important information regarding the issue. The questionnaire was prepared using Likert scale model and was distributed among participants through emails. The questions included in the questionnaire were good enough to obtain required information. There was no bias in the questions as all of them were general and were meant to gather a particular set of information. Some of the main questions included in the questionnaire were: These questions were very helpful in getting relevant information about the thoughts and behaviors of people who are part of gangs. The researcher evaluated the questionnaires to determine if modification would be necessary for further study. The

The Terror of Rwandan Genocide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Terror of Rwandan Genocide - Essay Example The first step of genocide, classification, has been taking place for years before the genocide even started. Long into Rwanda's history had there been a distinct ethnic difference between the two rival factions, the Hutu and the Tutsis. In the late 1800s, it was the Tutsi people who had enslaved the Hutus in a feudal system, with the Hutus working the land under the supervision of Tutsi landlords. After World War One, however, this all came to change. When Rwanda was granted self-government from Belgium in 1959, the elections led the Hutu majority into power over the government, and this could be seen as one of the first steps towards the later genocide. The distinct differences had already been in place, and now the oppressed Hutus had political control over their ancient landlords. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide#Background). The next few steps toward the genocide all began to happen quickly. As Tutsi refugees began to pour in Rwanda in the 1990s, the Hutu majority began to become afraid of the past enslavement. The Hutu government "broadcast and published material referring to the Tutsi as subhuman and making veiled calls for violence. Radical Hutu groups, organized and funded by members of the government, started to amass weapons and conduct training programs" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide#Background). This was an example of symbolization, by making and targeting all the members of the Tutsi group, dehumanization, by denying the humanity of the Tutsi and declaring them subhuman, and this was also a prime example of organization and polarization, which both continued to happen as the genocide began. There is also quite a bit of evidence that the killings were organized even by the government and government leaders. One cabinet member was quoted in saying that "she was personally in favor of getting rid of all Tutsi; without the Tutsi, she told ministers, all of Rwanda's problems would be over" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide#Background). This shows just how deep into the country the hatred for the Tutsi people ran and was accepted. After the assignation of the president of Rwanda, the damn finally broke, and the genocide began. The military began rounding up all the Tutsi they could and slaughtering them, a sign of preparation as they began to mass weapons and dispatch the militia, and then finally as they began to round up and murder the Tutsi. "Within hours, recruits were dispatched all over the country to carry out a wave of slaughter",( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1288230.stm) as the people of Rwanda prepared for one of the most brutal and shocking genocides the world had seen since the Holocaust.

Telecommunications and Networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 3

Telecommunications and Networking - Essay Example 'Cloud Computing’ matches a perception of an imaginary cloud that illustrates the Internet or most likely a corporate network environment that is represented by a cloud. The imaginary Internet cloud of a corporate network environment is trustworthy for data transportation. Moreover, it is incorporated with advanced cloud generalization. In order to extend the cloud-computing concept, there are services along with network components consisting of routers, switches, application servers, and data servers. The components of the network are installed to operate at the back-end for providing advanced services that are proficient to develop web application (What is cloud computing?). Moreover, cloud computing consists of applications that are represented as a service on the web and the provision of hardware / software services provided by companies operating data centers. Likewise, the services provided over the Internet are referred as (Software as a Service) ‘SaaS’. Fe w sellers use the term (Infrastructure as a service) IaaS and (Platform as a service) PaaS ’in order to demonstrate their products and services. However, these terms are avoided and not accepted globally, due to variation (ARMBRUST, FOX et al. 2010). The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have illustrated some helpful definitions that focus on three concepts (Ryan, Loeffler 2010): The core components of a cloud are consists of the data center hardware and software. When these resources are made available to the public, they are referred as public clouds and the service provided by the cloud is called as utility computing. Moreover, private clouds are only available to private organizations and are not accessible by public. Accordingly, cloud computing is the combination of ‘SaaS’ and utility computing (ARMBRUST, FOX et al. 2010).  

The spinners investigation Essay Example for Free

The spinners investigation Essay The prediction for this investigation is the shorter the wingspan of the spinner the faster it will fall the 2. 59m to the floor. I think this because with shortening the wingspan Im making the surface area smaller this means less air resistance acting upon it when it is falling. There will be an unbalanced force because gravity will always be the same but the air resistance will get smaller with every half centimetre I cut off, so there will be less area for the air resistance to act upon. The apparatus you need for this experiment are the following things: A paper spinner. A paperclip (to give the spinner some weight) A table to which you can stand on to hold the spinner to the height of 2. 59m (the ceiling) A stop clock A table to record the results (the results are the times taken to reach the floor) In order to make the investigation fair: You will only change the length of the wing span because that is the variable you are using; changing anything else would mean the experiment would be corrupted. The things you have to keep the same are the spinner; you will use the same spinner throughout the experiment. Keep the height the same too. In this investigation you have to count the time taken for the spinner to fall the 2. 59m to the floor from the ceiling and measure the length of the spinner since you change that yourself. When you drop the spinner you take the time taken for it to land using a stop clock, you do this three times and take an average. You can get an exact time taken for it to fall but the stop clock is the best instrument for the job as far as I can decide. The safety issues are important, like when you have to stand on the table to reach the ceiling you should make sure your shoes are suitable and dont have too big a heel. My preliminary work consisted of doing work on unbalanced forces this helped me to come to my prediction about how there would be an unbalanced force acting on the spinner because there would be less air resistance the less surface area there was to act upon. The Method The detailed plan is: To carry out this investigation you would have to do the following: First, you would have to make the spinner, you can make it however you want but there is a spinner for example overleaf. Add a paperclip to give it a little weight. Once the spinner is made you would have to make yourself a results table to fill in. Then you stand on something secure and hold the spinner to the ceiling and have someone ready with a stop clock to press the start button at the precise moment the spinner is dropped from the ceiling and stop the clock once the spinner has reached the floor. As this isnt completely accurate do this three times for every time you change the variable (the wing span). So every time you cut off the half centimetre off the wings (both sides) you should do the particular experiment three times over and find the average. Results Wing Length (cm). Time Taken (s) Time Taken (s) Time Taken (s) Time Taken (s) 1st Time 2nd Time 3rd Time Average   An observation I made during this experiment was when the wingspan got to only 4cm long the amount of air resistance was too small compared to the greater amount of gravity to make the spinner spin and reach a constant speed, it just ended up falling straight to the floor. I didnt change anything through out my investigation. Below is a bar chart of my results and over the page are my results as a line graph. The y-axis is the time taken for the spinner to reach the floor (in seconds) and the x-axis is the length in (centimetres). I have found out through doing this experiment that the smaller the surface area is the quicker something will fall to the floor, this is because the force of gravity doesnt change but as air resistance relies on the surface area and changes to suit the area. If the area is small then the air resistance too is small and if the area is large then the air resistance too is large. This means when the wingspan is smaller the area of the spinner is smaller and with that the air resistance is smaller, smaller than the force of gravity. So if gravity is the larger of the two forces it will pull the spinner to the floor faster and faster as the air resistance gets smaller and smaller. Thats what this investigation has proved. The majority pattern throughout my results is that of, as the surface area of the spinner gets smaller the time taken to reach the floor decreases too. My results and what I have found out match the prediction I made at the beginning before the experiment had been carried out. Evaluation My results or anyone elses can not be 100% accurate because there is always going to be a time delay from when you see the spinner being dropped and when your brain tells your fingers to begin the stop clock. I think I took enough results as I came up with the answer I was looking for and knew was right, but I dont think it would have done much harm doing more results though, but I dont think it would have been necessary to do more. I could have maybe made the range of changing the variable bigger and then do more measurement but then I would have to have made a larger spinner. There was one result that didnt fit into the pattern but I didnt worry too much about it as I had the 2nd and 3rd result to make sure the average wasnt messed up. Also I believe it was just the slow reactions of my partner, starting the stop clock too late after I had dropped the spinner. If I was to repeat this experiment again I would probably try and get a higher height to drop my spinner from I think that would probably improve my results the measurements wouldnt be so small if the height was bigger and that way the graphs would look better and be easier to read. I could also try making spinners out of different materials and see if that affects the time taken to reach the floor any differently.

Successes And Failures Of Un Control Of Human Rights Violations International Law Essay

Successes And Failures Of Un Control Of Human Rights Violations International Law Essay 1. United Nations signed Universal Declaration on Human Rights in 1948 for protection of human rights and maintenance of world peace. Regrettably, the record on this front has not been encouraging. Although UN has been successful in avoiding third World War in the past six decades but the painful reality, however, is that wars, some international and several internal, have taken place and produced casualties estimated to have exceeded those of World War II. Failures of UN 2. The performance United Nations in Somalia was fitful. Its absolute failure in maintaining even some impression of peace in Bosnia is a serious and ineradicable blemish on its image and has sternly damaged its credibility. To the victims of the Bosnian conflict, be they Muslims, Croats or Serbs, the UN has become a malicious joke, a dirty word. Feeble impotence of UN forces to counter substantial and atrocious violations of basic human rights had deeply shaken the faith of the international community in the world organization.  [1]   3. Since its inception UN has shown failure around the world except in the case of Kuwait, the UN has been incapable to take valuable and absolute measures to implement peace. Under the influence of this incapability, the organization has in practice employed other means to preserve international peace, tranquility and security. UN peace keeping missions around the world especially concentrated in African contentment are directed towards this effort. 4. The UN does not enjoy an exceptional record, in these missions especially after its failures in Bosnia, Somalia and Rwanda. The problems persistent to the UN Peacekeepers are:- (a) The fundamental disagreement over the allocation of authority among the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Secretary General. (b) The absence of any clear and coherent policy. (c) Widely different perceptions about what constitutes threat to peace. (d) The Security Council is essentially a political body and its decisions have largely been swayed by political considerations in many cases. (e) There have been reservations and concerns that the integrity of the Charter may be impaired by political tendencies. (f) Over dominance of the five Permanent members of the Security Council due to the veto power that they enjoy. 5. There numerous instruments existing for the protection of human rights as mentioned in Chapter I and UN Charter has clearly laid down the Human Rights which all human beings universally enjoy as seen in Chapter III. It is extremely surprising that despite all those lofty resolutions and conferences, the violation of human rights is so common and frequent. (a) Central American Region. Violation of human rights in this part of the world remains more or less in intransience. In Guatemala and El- Salvador, the torture and kidnappings were quite regular. In these Central American countries such violations denied many of their basic liberties through imprisonment, mistreatment of prisoners and denial of due legal procedures. In Nicaragua a state of emergency overruling all accepted rights was imposed and the UNO hardly took any notice of these violations. In Honduras and Panama thousands remain cramped in jails for no serious charges (for protests against Human Rights violations in 1987). The UN then too has remained unmoved. (b) Tibet. In the this land of Lamas, wherein a struggle for independence is continuing for decades together, the citizens of the nation are being suppressed by military rule of martial law. The denial of basic human rights is predominantly visible, but it created no ripples in the corridors of the UNO. The opposition by the Tibetans at the time of Olympics in China was well highlighted by international media however not adequate attention was paid to their cause and protest. (c) Arab and the Middle East Region. In the Middle East countries, mainly in Iran and Saudi Arabia, the situation remained quite ghastly for decades now. In the name of Religion and Allah, citizens have been denied free trial and investigation, many were put to axe on mere religious Fatwas. The UNO remained a quite spectator to all these misdeeds in the name of religion. The international law and basic rights as promulgated have been denied in the name of local religious law and crime and atrocities have been created publically but neither UN nor any human rights organizations have been effective in providing respite to the citizens from these dreadful crimes. (d) Afpak Region. The bare violation of Human Rights by the Taliban and other militant organization in the region continue with their dictatorial style of religious fundamentalism with no intervention by the UN visible on the horizon. US forces are operating in the region but they are not been able to provide much relief to the citizens of Afghanistan.  [2]  In spite of presence US and NATO forces in the region violation in the Pakistan itself have not been influenced by the presence of these forces and the media coverage provided to them. FATA and NWFP region of these two nations is the human centre of terrorist dictatorship and need urgent UN attention. (e) African Continent. Rwanda is set to succeed in its proffer to be part of commonwealth despite serious record of violation of human rights. In spite of such a high rate of violation by the nations and violent opposition by NGOs that the entry into the club would encourage Kigali to raise level of violation and it will become difficult to take any action as in case of Fiji.  [3]  Democratic Republic of Congo in which freedom of speech, the press and human rights are undermined or violently abused, in which courts fail to meet international standards and country which has invaded its neighbors four times since 1994 the killings by Tutsis and retaliatory killings of Hutus.  [4]  Although government in Darfur has increased deployment of police and security personnel against gender based bias and sentenced several security personnel for rape the human right situation in Darfur is still grim, the town of Tawilla is completely deserted after police attack.  [5]   (f) Human Rights Violation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The convolution of the ethnic problem and ethnic hatred has been the origin of the human carnage which has resulted in an unparalleled toll of human lives. Campaigns launched for ethnic cleansing devastated this Balkan republic. European community and US largely perceived that the Serbs were responsible for the massacre of the Muslims. International community has failed to evaluation the civil war sit in Bosnia dispassionately and blamed the Serbs. In fact, the failure of UN to bring about a resolution in the discord between various groups in the state has also been one of the major reasons for such a large scale violation of human rights. (g) Oil for Food Scandal. The program was part of a inclusive set of UN- mandated sanctions intended to prevent Hussein from reconstituting a menace to his neighbors. The program allowed approximately $7 billion per year of Iraqi oil revenues to be used to procure food and medicine for the Iraqi people. It was endeavourer of UN forces that money was utilized for same but not to purchase weapons or WMD- related technology for the Hussein regime. The UN sanctions regime against Iraq, including the Oil for Food program is worth close scrutiny not because it was a scandal, although scandal there was, but because taken as a whole, it is the most successful use of international sanctions on record.  [6]  Documenting the why and wherefores of that success is as important as correcting the shortfalls that allowed a rogue regime, in connivance with unscrupulous international businessmen, to siphon funds from UN- administered Iraqi accounts.  [7]   (j) People Died of Starvation in Somalia. Despite the large presence of a troops of a UN security force and a faction of ceasefire observers, around Somalia the ceasefire was overlooked and in its place fighting continued with increasing brutality. The relief operations were at great risk. During the final quarter of 1992, factions in Somalia split into more and smaller factions, many of those even formally disobeyed the UN Security Council which made the situation even harder to control. No heed was paid to hundreds of poverty stricken refugees who were dying of starvation every day.   This mission in Somalia failed to control difficult situations which involve numerous parties. Given UNs limited military strength and the impossibility to get the different warlords of Somalia to negotiate peacefully, UN attempts to maintain peace and security like that of the operation in Somalia was bound to fail.  [8]   (h) Resolutions 1235 and 1503 and Its Effectiveness. When Resolution 1503 was adopted by UN, it was seen as a step further than Resolution 1235 in the development of shielding machinery. This insight probably arose from the fact that while initiatives under 1235 lie completely in the hands of the member states. Resolution 1503 gave the power to individuals and NGOs. (i) The Greece case. A detailed and well documented complaint against the government (1967-74) was lodged by NGO of the state but it was tossed back and forth by the working group concerned for two years. The complaint was finally dropped when the Greek military command released a large number of detainees (without changing the illogical system of detention and torture).  [9]   (ii) The Uganda Case. Idi Amins of Uganda case was another case to surpass through the muddle established by 1503. Information and complaints concerning the administration did arrive at the commission in 1974 and again in 1976/77. Not until 1978, on the eve of Amins flight following the defeat by the Tanzanian Army, aided by Ugandan insurgents, did the Commission take any action at all. That action implied the form of a request to the Secretary General to appoint a special envoy to Uganda under the confidential procedure. The procedure laid down under resolution, once the subject of great hope, has purely not lived up to the expectations. It often served as screen behind which gross violators who could take shelter behind it. If the objective was to obtain prompt publicity or public action for serious human rights violations, the 1503 procedure is inappropriate.  [10]   6. Delayed Action by the UN. The UN mission was designed as the mechanism to form rules of relationship between the members of international society. Since the end of World War II, there had been hardly any wars between states, but there were as many as 110 local conflicts between states.  [11]  The military forces of 71 governments participated in these conflicts, and 135 supporter group and non-governmental forces were engaged.  [12]  The consequences were appalling: thousands of innocent civilians have been killed in these conflicts. Over the years there has been upward trend in internal rather than interstate conflict. The UN is mostly without initiatives except to acknowledge to the invitation of warring parties, or in certain extreme cases when it intervenes to prevent abuse of human rights. The UN usually has been silent observer to the situation with a certain detachment until it reached a critical point, and intervenes only after the situation has gone out of hand. B y the time an intervention is affected, the parties have already intensified their mutual detest and preventable damage is caused. Successes of UN 7. The UN has been unprejudiced and successful setting values for setting roles, selectively successful in monitoring abuses; and almost frail in enforcement. Governments usually subordinate considerations of UN effectiveness to the principle of non-interference. However, the modesty of the achievements of the UN should not blind us to its reality. The Universal Declaration embodies the moral code, political consensus and legal synthesis of human rights. The world has grown more complex in the sixty years since. The simplicity of language belies the passion of conviction underlying them. Activists and NGOs use the Declaration as the concrete point of reference against which to judge state actions. The Covenants require the submission of periodical reports by signatory countries, and so entail the creation of national infrastructures for the protection and promotion of human rights. It might be probably difficult to measure the successes of the UNO objectively. However it would be wor thwhile to have an overview of the various achievements attributed to it over the years in the field of human rights. 8. Democracy Promotion. UN investigated individual complaints of human rights abuse, the UN Human Rights Commission always focused world attention on cases of arbitrary detention, torture, disappearance, and has generated international pressure to be bring down pressure on governments to improve their human rights records. The United Nations has enabled people in many countries to participate in free and fair elections, including those held in Cambodia, Namibia, El Salvador, Eritrea, Mozambique, Nicaragua and South Africa. It has provided electoral advice, assistance, and monitoring of results.  [13]   9. Promotion of Independence Self Reliance. The United Nations has played a pivotal role in independence of countries that are now among its Member States. Independence of nation and its countrymen as is agreed worldwide is a fundamental human right. 10. Maintaining Tranquility and Peace. Deployment peace-keeping forces and observer missions, the United Nations has been able to restore calm to allow the negotiation process to go forward while saving millions of people from becoming casualties in the conflicts. There are presently 16 active peace-keeping forces in operation. 11. Ending Apartheid. United Nation played a important role by imposing measures like an arms prohibition segregation in sporting events, which played a major role in bringing about the downfall of the apartheid in South Africa. General Assembly called it a crime against humanity. UN conducted elections in April 1994 in which all South Africans were allowed to participate on an equal basis, followed by the institution of a majority government. 12. Humanitarian aid to victims of conflict. UN has provided aid to more than 50 million refugees who are victim of war, famine or persecution the UN High Commissioner for Refugees since 1951 in an abiding effort harmonized by the United Nations that often involves other agencies. UN was the first to reach for the assistance of victims of war between Sri Lankan military forces and LTTE. It provided aid in terms of food, medical and other humanitarian assistance. UN provided aid worth $ 37.5 million to the Tamil victims and pressurized the government for early resolution of conflict. UN provided aid worth $ 460 million to the victims of flood in Pakistan.  [14]   13. Assistance in Promotion of Women Rights. United Nations has been working for a long time to progress the lives of women and to empower women. Several conferences during the UN-sponsored International Womens Decade set an schema for the improvement of women and womens rights across the globe. The UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) have sponsored programs and projects to improve the quality of life for women in more than 100 countries. They include education, credit and training UN provided access to new food-production technologies and marketing opportunities, and other means of promoting womens work. End Notes

The Extraordinary Jimi Hendrix Essay -- Art

The extraordinary performances, recording, and lyrics of James Marshall Hendrix have made him impossible to forget. This American rock music guitarist made a legendary mark not only in the history of rock 'n' roll but also on the pop culture as a whole (Ross 32). With unique techniques never seen before and blatant sex-related performances on stage, he became one of the most influential music figures of the 60s (Kamin). Hendrix was not born into stardom nor was it given to him by any means. He strived all throughout his life to be the very best. Johnny Allen Hendrix was born on November 27, 1942 in Seattle, Washington to Al and Lucille Hendrix, and not until four years later did his father change his son's name to James Marshall Hendrix. He certainly did not lead an easy life with his sporadic schooling and his parents' divorce in 1958. Added to the building pressures, his mother died just one year later ("Jimi", Rolling 42). Hendrix purchased his first guitar in 1958, probably to relieve tensions as it was the same year his parents divorced. It was a used acoustic for which he paid only five dollars. At the age of seventeen with only one year's playing experience, he joined his first band, the Rocking Kings. It may be hard to imagine because of his image, but Hendrix was also in the Army for a brief period of time. He was soon discharged as a result of "medical unsuitability" after a parachuting accident in which he landed on his ankle ("Jimi", Rolling 42). He ventured back to his hometown of Seattle and began playing with Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers (Wolters, "Pre-Experience"). He seized the opportunity to go on the road after being discovered by Little Richard in 1963 but soon regretted the decision because... ...-seven years old. He became ill from a mixture of wine and quinalbarbitone, a sleeping pill prescribed not to Hendrix but to his girlfriend (Wolters, "Discography"). When the ambulance was called, they rushed to his London hotel and dashed him back to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The attendants had carelessly laid him on his back; as a result of their ineptitude, he asphyxiated in his own vomit ("Jimi", Rolling 94). Fortunately, the tragic death of this young man came after rather than before he had contributed so much to the rock 'n'roll era of the 60s. Not only did he inspire black musicians to persevere in their careers, but he also influenced the entire pop culture with his unprecedented music and stunning performances. In the eyes of many Americans, the legendary rock music guitarist Jimi Hendrix will live on forever (Kamin).

The History of Sex in the Media and Present Day Implications Essay

When I was first given this assignment it made me a bit uneasy. I was nervous about writing an extended essay on one particular topic. Being that there are so many social issues that need to be brought to light I was having a little trouble sticking to just one. However, with some guidance and encouragement I decided to finally settle with the issue of sex in the media. Within this extended essay I will attempt to shine light on the history of sex in advertisement and examples of different ads, prove sex sells any and everything, the role the media plays in our youth’s lives and creates hyperactive sexual development in children between thirteen and seventeen years old and how the media degrade women and associate them as mere objects. I will also provide various definitions of sex in the media, visual representation of gratuitous exposure in the media, statistics and interviews by people who support my position and oppose it. Gratuitous sexual publicity in the media is destroying our children’s youth. Which is the primary reason for my selection on this topic. I have witnessed the effects of television, music, cartoons, movies and video games on youths in my community, even in my own home. My little sister who is about 13 years old has grown up way faster than I did when I was her age, as well as my 14-year-old cousin who can already have a full conversation about sex. When asked where does she learn it from her reply is simply, television. It frightens me that they can comprehend the concept of sex and how it is done easily, but is naive about the consequences and aftermath of its actions. It angers me that the media does not tell both sides of the story; they flaunt sex, yet they do not advise you about protection and how it... ...men becomes one of a passive and vulnerable person, rather than one who is assertive and in charge. She is illustrated with her finger in her mouth and looking timidly to the side or downward. This is NOT an image of power nor respect. However the way a man is depicted in the media is quite opposite. Men are most often shown in an active posture: legs apart, firmly on the ground with his chest poked out and his arms crossed. If they are not standing they are doing something active or taking hold of a passive woman. Women are typically â€Å"broken up† in the media majority of the time. In those cases, it is not just a full figured woman on display, but rather her legs, butt, stomach or breast. One Guess Eyewear ad has a man’s head resting on a woman’s torso. While her breasts are visible, her head is not. Skyy Vodka continually uses women’s legs in their advertisements

So Much Media, So Little News

So much information, so little Idea The disease of new media has greatly shrink human minds that rub off on more and more people in this technology-accelerating world at present. Daily life nowadays has significant changed compare to ten years ago that office workers used to waiting for subway by reading a daily newspaper, housewives seating at balcony and reading a newspaper in the morning. But now, most people read news on their cellophane or television instead Of newspaper.What is rubbing off on their behavior? Peter Fun who is an pop-deed writer for the New York Times, writes about polysyllable on his essay â€Å"So much media, So Little Nevus†. Neal Gabbler who is a journalist and culture historian, writes about the relationship between big idea and post-idea world. On his essay â€Å"The Elusive Big Idea†, he argues that people don't care as much about ideas as they used to be. The connection between the two authors has one of the most important reasons that new m edia gradually twisted the true value of newspaper that smother big ideas.Thus, in order to correct the twisted value that media are rubbing off on news, the society needs to redefine the value of news and reexamine the concept of big ideas. The broadsheets offered daily coverage by publishing company, but no commentator or analyst gave any context and readers were left to make up their own minds. Peter Punt believes that there is barely people would create ideas on news, men sad truth is that while some of us are naturally curious about what we don ‘t know, an increasing number of readers and viewers want only reinforcement of what they already know. Pig. 1 98) Newspapers believed that their prime duty was to report what had happened the previous day and give a space to reader a way to think, to brainstorm rather than make argument to an event or judge on someone that post online. Were newspapers then better or worse? Certainly, they seem calmer, just followed a formula that required true story rather then come along with a high quality argument to rub off on reader and offer them a ready-made idea.Neal Gabbler argues a social fact that people loss attitude to create ideas in his say, â€Å"It's not because we are dumber than our forebears but because we just don't care as much about ideas as they did. In effect, we are living in an increasingly post-idea world that fewer people are generating them and fewer outlets are disseminating them, the Internet notwithstanding'(Pig 533) New media offers a way that what people can get idea from others immediately. Post-idea is a shortcut to make someone become lazy without thinking or taking advantage of technology as the modern science to make unceasing progress.But more and more people choose new media in order to save effort and expect a quick result, which is called the culture of instant gratification. New media provides a fast way to help them to get to know the others' opinion of news directly. Obliviousl y, newspaper is a better choice to help people create idea and prompt advance of society. Although 24-hour radio news stations had been established, TV equivalents were some years away. The pages may have been fewer, but the number of news stories was, if anything, slightly higher than in today's papers.Peter r-nut argues that people pay less attention on on what they not interest, â€Å"today's boutique media allow many people to skip news altogether. You can set your Internet home page so that it serves up only what you're interested in. â€Å"(pig 97) New media has diversity format of news, video, audio and fancy advertisement catches people's attention. Fun is pointing out a very important social trend in how people approach news media although they have the same nostalgia for the old days. People are seeking out information that confirms their own beliefs and interests as opposed to seeking to be informed†.This creates myopic views of the world resulting in corrupting. The prevalence of more and more â€Å"information isolation† is one of the causes of divisiveness. Like what Fun said the best prescription has always been a combination of what Want to know and what we Ought to know. Neal Gabbler proposes the reason why people would pay more attention on new media, â€Å"It keeps us in the loop, and keeps us connected to our friends and our cohort. Ideas are too airy, too impractical, too much work for too little reward. Few talk ideas. Everyone talks information, usually personal information. (534). New media takes more advantages from newspaper that could direct to readers mind. Newspaper still has a strong positive influence on both spread information and help inspire people's ideas, but the effect was less overwhelming. This was not just because newspapers had fewer intemperate columnists. It was also because even the miners' strike did not dominate page after page, creating a kind of emotional tsunami, as a similar issue might now. On the broadsheets particularly, width of coverage counted are more than PPTP of report.People have come to learn more and more and to be given more definite ideas about less and less. We live in a golden era of information when you don't have to passively rely on the news sellers but can go directly to the source yourself. New media effectively endows us with common eyes, ears, and brain. People should not blindly believe some rumored event occurred as described. Anything remotely of interest is available permanently available for anyone curious enough to look for its true different big idea.

Is Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde a typical gothic novel? Essay

â€Å"Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† is described by many as a Gothic novel. The height of popularity for Gothic novels was the late Victorian period; however they are still being published today, showing an undying thirst for them. The recognised criteria for a gothic novel include: the story of an outsider, one who does not fit in to society, a misfit. They can explore the boundaries of evil and good and even try to break them. In gothic novels the weather tends to be of a cold, dark nature to signify the personality of the character plus the often, dark nature of the story. Animals associated with fear are often included and generally there is a form of civil unrest due to the actions of the title character. The story is more often than not characterised by mystery and supernatural horror. A reason why I think that â€Å"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† is a typical gothic novel is because of the description of scenery. The street upon which Jekyll/Hyde resides is â€Å"on the left hand†; immediately this tells me that the house has an air of evil about it. In religious culture the left hand is often associated with being led astray, as it says in the Bible in the book of Ecclesiastes â€Å"A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.† This signifies that those who choose the right hand choose the path of good; those who choose the left are easily corrupted. Also it is associated with evil because of the etymology of the word â€Å"sinister† which in Anglo French reads as â€Å"senestre† meaning on the left and from the Latin â€Å"sinistr-† meaning on the left side. The house is â€Å"sinister† and â€Å"thrust forward†, which tells me that it is a dark, menacing place, it being thrust forward tells me that it does not fit in nor conform to anyone or anything else. The house also has no windows; windows are often referred to as â€Å"eyes to the soul†; I think that this is a reference to Hyde himself. The fact that there are no windows symbolises that Hyde has no soul. At this point I would like to make clear that the aforementioned street is in fact Hyde’s dwelling. In contrast Jekyll’s dwelling which coincidentally is the same house that leads onto a different street. Jekyll’s â€Å"street shone out in contrast to its dingy neighborhood† (Hyde’s dwelling) and exudes an â€Å"air of invitation†. This is completely the opposite of Hyde’s street and is used to symbolise Jekyll’s character. The two streets are symbolic of the dual nature of man- a very common element of a gothic novel. However, there seems to be a lack of a common, if not vital, element of a Gothic novel- Architecture. In a Gothic novel the architecture is of a sharp, curved, spooky nature. There are often haunted castles, graveyards, crypts. For example in the 1839 short story by Edgar Allan Poe- â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†, there are â€Å"many dark and intricate passages†. This is just one of the many example of gothic architecture in the story. However, in â€Å"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† the architecture seems to be typically Victorian, with little or no Gothic features. Another reason is the story revolves around the constant struggle that â€Å"man is not truly one, but truly two†, this details that all men have a good side but we are constantly at war with our impulses to do evil. In this story Dr. Jekyll breaks the bounds between the two and becomes utterly consumed by evil. This is similar to another gothic novel- Mary Shelley’s â€Å"Frankenstein†. In this story the bounds are between life and death- â€Å"Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds†. This struggle presents the weakness of man in regards to resisting temptation, and is a very common feature of a gothic novel. A different reason is because of Mr. Hyde himself. He is described as â€Å"a little man who was stumping†. This allows me to imagine that because of his size and stature he is not a whole person; something is missing; a vital piece of the puzzle that forms a human. Hyde is also described as a â€Å"damned Juggernaut†. In my opinion this word was used as it can have many meanings- it could mean a â€Å"large, overpowering, destructive force†. This could signify the evil that is devouring Jekyll. Or it could mean- â€Å"anything requiring a cruel sacrifice†. I believe that Jekyll is cruelly sacrificing his goodness for the darkness which lies within not only him but every other human being. There is a significant event that occurs within the story which gives us a sample of his true nature- â€Å"the man trampled calmly over the child’s body†. The very thought of this incident sends a shiver down my spine and evokes anger within me, the fact that he did it in a calm manner tells me that he has not one ounce of remorse, not for the girl nor her family and would not think twice about repeating his actions. Also, the fact that the incident occurred on â€Å"a black winter morning† tells me that Hyde has a black heart and is a cold, slippery character. I think because it is morning, which is when the sun rises, it signifies the rise of the hold that evil has over Jekyll. The next reason why â€Å"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† is typically Gothic is the weather†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and the first fog of the season. A great chocolate-coloured pall lowered over heaven†. The fact that it was the first fog of the season signifies Hyde’s fist evil deed in his season of corruption. Fog adds a definite eeriness to the scene, it corrupts our eyes, shrouds us in an unknown abyss. This is basically what is happening to Jekyll; he has been blanketed in a thick fog which has stolen his ability to differentiate between good and evil. However, weather in â€Å"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† is on the sparse side. However, the 1869 novel by Richard Dodderidge Blackmore- Lorna Doone includes a lot of Gothic weather:†violent rain† and â€Å"bitter frost†an example of a Gothic novel that uses a wide range of symbolic weather. Stevenson incorporates Social criticisms into his novel. These are his own personal views in which he subtly criticises society. One of the issues that Stevenson makes an example of is that of child prostitution. Previously, I mentioned Hyde trampling over a young girls body, this event took place at â€Å"about three o’clock of a black winter morning†. This raises the question- what on earth would a young child be doing on the streets at that hour of the night? Mary Shelley also incorporates social criticisms into her novel- â€Å"Frankenstein†. Everyone in the story judges the creation on his appearance, Shelley’s criticism is that we should judge people on their character, personality and values; not by any means their appearance. Romance is also a common feature of a Gothic novel. For example in â€Å"The Modern Prometheus†, Frankenstein himself is in love- â€Å"I thought I saw Elizabeth, in the bloom of health, walking in the streets of Ingolstadt. Delighted and surprised, I embraced her†. In â€Å"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† there is not a single wisp of romance, the novel is completely and utterly void of it. Yet another Gothic feature that â€Å"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† lacks. In conclusion â€Å"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† has some aspects of a Gothic novel, yet it lacks some small and yet some vital elements of one.

Religion and Well-Being Essay

Religion can be defined as a strong belief in the supernatural power that holds the sole authority to control human destiny. It is an institution that helps to express our belief in a heavenly power. Religion is as old as the human civilization and came into existence when the human brain became superior to realize the significance of faith, and worship. Earlier humans lived in small groups, and each group recognized an icon that harmonized the ideologies of different people in the group. Rituals were an essential part of lives and were carried for natural resources icons such as moon, sun, fire, river, etc. since its beginning religion has been very beneficial for humans and it still holds an important place in the lives of people. Religion is a completely personal choice and should be left to the choice of individuals. It is unfair to force a religion on followers of some other religion through offering gifts and cash. Each religion has its own beliefs and ideologies and should be mutually respected by others in the world. Only then this world can become a better place to live. A growing number of studies convincingly demonstrate that people who are more deeply involved in religion tend to enjoy better physical and mental health than individuals who are less involved in religion (Ellison & Levin, 1998; Koenig, McCullough, & Larson, 2001). As this literature continues to develop, researchers have begun to tackle challenging issues that involve explaining how the salubrious effects of religion on health might arise. A number of potentially important theoretical perspectives have been devised. For example, some investigators argue that involvement in religion exerts a beneficial effect on health because it helps people cope more effectively with the deleterious effects of stress (Pargament, 1997), whereas other researchers maintain that the potentially important health-related effects arise from the sense of meaning in life that many people find through greater involvement in religion (Park, 2005). An explanation that was proposed some time ago forms the focal point of the current study. More specifically, a number of researchers have argued that people who are more involved in religion tend to have better health because they are more likely to adopt beneficial health behaviors than individuals who are less involved in religion (Levin & Schiller, 1987). Subsequent research has provided support for this perspective. For example, a number of studies indicate that individuals who attend religious services often are more likely to avoid the use of tobacco and alcohol (Gillum, 2005; Strawbridge, Shema, Cohen, & Kaplan, 2001). Moreover, greater involvement in religion has been associated with more frequent exercise, a better diet, better sleep quality, and the regular use of seat belts (Hill, Burdette, Ellison, & Musick, 2006; Hill, Ellison, Burdette, & Musick, 2007). There is also some evidence that religious individuals are more likely to engage in a range of preventive health practices, such as getting a regular mammography, having a routine cholesterol screening, and obtaining flu shots (Benjamins, 2006; Benjamins & Brown, 2004; Benjamins, Trinitapoli, & Ellison, 2006). Although there is broad-based empirical support for the notion that religious involvement is associated with beneficial health behaviors there is still a great deal that is not known about this relationship. One area that is in need of further development forms the focal point of the current study. More specifically, researchers have not devised well-articulated models that explain how involvement in religion promotes the practice of better health behaviors (e. g. , Benjamins et al. , 2006; Ellison et al. in press). This information is essential for the development of more effective interventions that are administered in religious institutions. As van Ryn and Heaney (1992) observe, â€Å"Clearly, application of well-defined and carefully tested theories to the program development process holds tremendous advantages for health educators in terms of coherence, effectiveness, and evaluation of interventions† (p. 328). Three potentially important mechanisms have been identified in the research that has been done so far. The first involves the notion that certain religious beliefs encourage people to take better care of their bodies. Included among these beliefs is the notion that the body is the â€Å"temple of God† (Ellison et al. , 2009) as well as the belief that better spiritual health is associated with better physical health (Benjamins et al. , 2006). Second, a number of investigators provide evidence which suggests that some people take better care of themselves if they worship in congregations that provide formal programs that are designed to promote better health behavior (Campbell et al. 2007; DeHaven, Hunter, Wilder, Walton, & Berry, 2004). Third, other researchers report that people who attend church on a regular basis are more likely to adopt beneficial health behaviors because they are encouraged to do so by their fellow church members (Ellison et al. , 2009). For more than 100 years, researchers have argued that religion is an inherently social product. For example, James Mark Baldwin, an early president of the American Psychological Association, wrote in 1902: â€Å"The fact is constantly recognized that religion is a social phenomena. No man is religious by himself, nor does he choose his god, nor devise his offering, nor enjoy his blessings alone† (p. 325). Although the early theorists made invaluable contributions to the literature, they did not explore the more pragmatic implications of their insights. The current study was designed to contribute to more recent efforts by a new generation of scholars who have begun to assess health-related effects that appear to arise from deeper involvement in religion. We hope the findings from the current study and the theoretical perspective we have devised encourage further research in this field.

StockTrak

If we compare our Bear and Bull spreads to short and long stock positions respectively we can actually show how options are highly levered financial instruments, increasing profits, but also losses tremendously. If we had shorted a Cataracts stock our profit from the price decline would have been 6. 50% per share, while with our Bear Spread we made a profit of ten times the cost of building the spread. On the other hand, If we had held a Nikkei stock we would have had a loss of 6. 27% per share from the price cline, whereas our loss with the bull spread was 74. 8% if we compare it to the cost of building the spread. This figures show how option trading is cheaper relative to stock trading, but profits or losses are much higher in percentage terms. For our Butterfly, Strangle and Straddle strategies we chose Pfizer, which based on our analysis, presented Itself as a very stable stock, with a 6-months average price of $30. 66 and a current price of $31. 12 (March 13th). We wanted to be t on very low volatility and make a profit from very low fluctuations from Pfizer stock.Our Butterfly parade consisted on shorting two 32-strike calls and taking a long position on 31- strike and 33-strike calls. The center strike price of our butterfly was the exercise price of the Straddle and also lied exactly in the middle of the $31. 5-strike put and $32. 5-strike call for our Strangle. In the end, our Butterfly spread turned out to be for our spread (see Graph 3). 2. ) The article posted referrers to â€Å"covered call writing† as taking a long position on stock and writing a call that is significantly out-of-the money.With his strategy, if the call option is exercised and the investor has to sell his hares, he is covered by holding the underlying. If we compared the covered call strategy to a short naked call we can clearly see that the risk for the naked position is unlimited if the price of the stock increases. With the covered call, by going long on the underlying, we cap our profit but we also limit our loss, whereas with the naked short call we are completely exposed. The analog position using puts, I. E â€Å"covered put writing† would mean writing a put and shorting the underlying.To execute such a strategy is possible, but the risk embedded in it is very high, because the potential asses from a price increase in the stock are unlimited. The premium gained from the put writing might not be large enough to cover the losses from the short position if the price increase is high. 3. ) For our collar strategy we selected Apple stock. To execute such a trade we bought 1,000 shares at $527. 49, went long one thousand 535-strike puts and shorted the same number of 540-strike calls; both option contracts expired on April 25.Our collar was as close to zero as possible, where the put options had a price of $16. 5 and the call options were priced at $17. 25. If the rice of Apple had stayed between the two designated strikes, our profit would ha ve been the value of the stock plus the $0. 75-differential between the option prices. At maturity Apple closed at $571. 94, meaning that the call option was exercised and we lost $41. 94, but we also gained $44. 45 on the price appreciation of the shares, leaving us with a net profit of (44. 45 – 41. 94 + 0. 75) $3. 26 per share. 4. To execute the stop- loss and delta-hedge strategies we wrote 100 at-the-money call option contracts on Backbone and Google. Our initial position to hedge both strategies was long the hares of both companies. For Backbone we used the stop-loss strategy and set arbitrary times to check our positions and hedge it. The initial cash inflow of shorting these options was $35,500 and the cost of hedging this position went up to $174,312. 51. On the other hand, with the Google options we used the delta-hedge strategy and checked the stock price 3 times a day.The initial cash inflow from shorting the calls was $54,000 and the costs related to hedging reac hed a total of $1 The amount spent for hedging the FEB.. Shares was 5 times larger than he value of the options we sold, while for Google the ratio was 20 to 1 . After seeing these figures we can observe that hedging strategies are extremely costly, but are essential to protect short positions against risk and prevent higher losses. 5. ) To create the â€Å"synthetic† rep we bought Gold at spot price of $1,296 on March 27 and shorted Gold futures expiring in April; the average of the ask and bid prices for this contract was $1 ,302.Executing this transaction, we locked in our prices for a return of 0. 463%. The I-month treasury bills from the U. S. Federal Reserve website is quoted at 0. 0167%, which is essentially 0%. Comparing the return rate from our futures contract with the I-month T-bill rate, there is an arbitrage opportunity. To exploit this opportunity we would borrow money at the T-bill rate of and use it to buy gold at the spot price, in addition to these transacti ons, we would short Gold futures to make a final profit of 0. 613%. 6. ) current pence of BIBB: $ 290. 54 price of put @ 290: 10. 30 price of call @ 290: 13. 00 Deep in the money calls: price of call 0280: 9. 40 pence of put 0280: 5. 42 Deep in the money puts: price of call @300: 7. 72 pence of put 0300: 16. 8 If we look at at-the-money options and, considering that the risk free rate is essentially zero, the stock price and the present value of the strike price are practically equal, so in order for UT Call Parity to obey, the put and call price should be identical.As we can see in the quoted prices above, parity doesn't hold; the call price is higher than the put. We could exploit this opportunity by going long on the put and the share, shorting the call and borrowing the present value of K. When it comes to deep in-the-money calls the share price is higher than the present value of K, so the call price should be higher than the put price by the same amount as the price differenti al between S and IV (K). We can see from the prices above that the call is undervalued in relation to the put.To exploit this arbitrage opportunity we would buy a call, invest IV (K) and short the put and the share. Finally, for deep in-the- money puts, the share price is lower than the present value of K, so the put price should be higher than the call price by the same amount as the price differential between S and IV (K). We can see that the put is undervalued in relation to the call. To exploit this arbitrage opportunity we would buy the put and the share, borrow IV (K) and short the call. 7. When looking at the overall performance of our portfolio and its relative risk we can conclude that it was much riskier relative to the S and also had a lower return. If we look at the summary figures of our portfolio we can see that it had an overall return of 0. 63%, whereas the SPY IETF had a percentage return of 1 . 19% (see Graph 4). We believe that the reason for the lower return and higher risk of our portfolio comes from several trades involving silver and platinum futures entrants that we performed to experiment with the platform and observe how these contracts behaved.In general we think that such a project is a very useful and enjoyable way to get to know the trading world. Performing actual trades allowed us to â€Å"get our hands dirty' and truly understand how to build spreads and implement investment strategies. This project gave us the opportunity to go beyond the theory and realize that trading can sometimes be more complicated that it seems on paper, but can also become much clearer once the theory is implemented in a â€Å"real world† setting. We very much enjoyed working on this project.

African American Essay Essay

African American literature is captivating, powerful, spiritual, and emotional. The recurring theme is slavery but there are others such as inequality among sexes and races, injustice, resentment, and the strong belief in religion. These pieces of literature have been told by the individuals who went through the experience of slavery such as Frederick Douglass and others, like Jamaica Kincaid who have a passion for writing. The writers who experienced slavery themselves had differing views of their experience and relationship with their master. These pieces of literature share the pain, strength, heartache and will to go that each of these individuals experienced. The first reading is, To My Old Master, by Jourdan Anderson. This piece of literature is Anderson’s response to a letter he has received from his old master. It is a compelling story about how terrible and bad the Whites treated the African Americans. The master want’s Anderson and his family to come back and work for him. He reminds the master about how poorly they were treated while working for him. Anderson states, â€Å"Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. † (1865, p. 15). Anderson tells the master that he is making money and his family is living and doing well. He even expresses that his children are receiving an education now. It is very apparent to the reader that Anderson’s wife does not want to return and work for the master. â€Å"Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. † (1865, p. 16). Anderson remembers how horribly the woman and girls were treated, and he will never allow his daughters to go through that experience. â€Å"I would stay here and starve- and die, if it come to that- than to have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters. † (1865, p. 16) The end of the story the reader still feels Anderson’s resentment and bitterness toward the master. The next story and the one piece I enjoyed the most is, â€Å"White Folks Treated Us Good† by Marriah Hines. Hines states, â€Å"My white people treated us decent. † (p. 32). She goes onto further explain how her master feed, dressed, and kept them well. Hines explains how terrible master’s treated other slaves. â€Å"Some unfortunate individuals practically have nothing to eat. Why, the way their owners treated them was disgraceful treated them like felines and canines† (Hines, p. 32). Hines sounds fortunate and lucky to have worked for her master. The master gave the slaves Sunday off to rest and even allowed them to attend Church. Unlike other slaves Hines was never raped, beaten, or treated in a physical horrible way. The compelling part of this piece occured when the slaves were allowed to leave; most of them choose to stay. â€Å"Most of us stayed right there and raised our own crops. † (p. 34). Hines knew of her freedom but believed in her loyalty to her master and his family. The master provided her with assistance and support. A rare occurrence to read an African American piece of literature that speaks of a master in a positive and respectful manner. This master was a different man of his time. He did not take advantage of his slaves or treat them in a horrendous manner. This master used his slaves to care and run his property but treated them with respect and dignity, they deserved. Hines went onto, marry Benjamin F. Hines and give birth to five children. The last piece of literature is, â€Å"If We Must Die† by Claude McKay. This poem is about how horribly and disgusting Whites treated African Americans. It is written about the race riots in 1919. It describes the strength of the African Americans standing up to the Whites even if it ultimately meant dying. McKay states, â€Å"Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack, pressed to the wall, dying but fighting back! † (p. 378). This poem exemplifies the bravery and the will to fight for what is right otherwise these people would have been beaten and killed for the rest of their lives. There will always be a presence of racism in the world and specifically in the United States of America. Still today African Americans are treated equally as Whites. Although we as a country have come a very long way there is still work to be done. The more we educate people the less we will experience ignorance. The hate and the idea of inferiority will slow diminish if people become educated. I can end proudly stating that I am married to a Black man and we have two beautiful daughters, and I give an enormous amount of respect to those who fought for what was right. References Anderson, J. (1865). To my old master. In I. Reed (Ed. ), African American Literature. Abrief introduction and anthology (pp. 15-16). New York: The Longman LiteraryMosaic Series. [serial online]. December 2005;36(4):299-323. Available from:Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed May 23, 2011. Hines, M. (n. d. ). My white folks treated us good. In I. Reed (Ed. ), African Americanliterature. A brief introduction and anthology (pp. 21-25). New York: TheLongman Literary Mosaic Series. [serial online]. December 2005;36(4):299-323. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed May 21,2011. McKay, C. (n. d. ). If we must die. In I. Reed (Ed. ), African American literature. Abriefintroduction and anthology (pp. 378). New York: The Longman LiterarySeries[serial online]. December 2005;36(4):299-323. Available from: AcademicSearchComplete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed Dec, 2011.

Gillette Company Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gillette Company Case Study - Essay Example Quick ratio-Inventories are the least liquid of assets and face significant risks like they may be damaged or lost among others. They are hence reduced in calculating quick ratio. A higher quick ratio is also preferred. Cash Ratio- shows the percentage of current liabilities covered by cash and cash equivalents. This ratio measures the company’s ability to repay current liabilities using cash. A higher ratio is also recommended. A ratio of 1 and above is recommended since it indicates the ease to pay current liabilities using cash and cash equivalents, companies, however, opt to use available cash for other profit generating activities and hence the ratio is ideally less than 1. Gillette’s cash ratio is 0.19 which falls far below the recommended rate. This may show that the firm does not keep its revenues in cash, and this may hinder its ability to repay its current liabilities in the short term. These liquidity measures indicate that Gillette is not able to meet its current obligations with ease. That means that the firm has to sell some of its fixed assets in order to reduce chances of insolvency. There is therefore need for improvement by the management. The debt ratio is less than one indicating that the firm has more assets than debt. The rate is, however, higher than 0.5 which is the recommended level. This is a good indication since it implies less leverage and hence fewer financial risks but management should work on increasing the level of assets and reducing liabilities. Return on equity- this is a ratio of net income to total shareholder’s equity. It indicates the amount of profit the company makes for its owners. A high ratio is preferred by investors since they are assured of high returns on their investments. Inventory turnover- this is the ratio, of the cost of goods sold to inventories, showing the number of times the company restocked its inventory. A higher ratio indicates high sales as a result of fast movement of the